ã€ŠIâ€™m not a Regressorã€‹


 Chapter 1: 1: Return (1)

    A ck sky.

    In the darkness of a faded sun and moon, there was a hill covered with numerous corpses.

    <i>Step, Step¡ª </i>

    A youth¡¯s footsteps headed towards the mountain of corpses.

    <i>Wobble¡ª </i>

    Each step shook dangerously, one after another.

    <b>Death.</b>

    The scene was filled with pulverized and crushed corpses no matter where you looked.

    Gore filled the area: internal organs and cerebrospinal fluid.

    At that moment¡ª

    <i>Owoooooah!!¡ª </i>

    ¡ªa pouring ray of starlight that brightened the darkness headed towards him.

    [Goob Job, Awakener Lee Shinhyuk.]

    A woman in a fluttering dress made of starlight with silver hair that came down to her waist slowly floated in midair.

    ¡°¡­Vega.¡±

    In front of the eyes of the blood-soaked youth was a woman, no, a goddess.

    Vega.

    Star of the Weaver Girl. Goddess of Lyra.

    The most radiantly shining celestial amongst the constetions that lit up the night sky looked down at him with a cold stare.

    [You have killed the Heavenly Demon and saved this world.]

    Emotionless, an inanimate way of speaking¡ªas if reading a phrase off of a piece of paper.

    ¡°¡­Saved?¡±

    Shinhyuk¡¯s mouth began to twist.

    Kekeke.

    His shoulders shook, and hisughter exploded.

    ¡°Saved? Did you say that I saved this world?¡±

    A cracked voice leaked out between his dry lips.

    ¡°Stop¡ª¡±

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Violently stomping his foot, he cried out loud.

    ¡°¡ªspouting bullshit!!!!!¡±

    Tears flowed down his face.

    ¡°What kind of saving is this!!!! What kind of fucking saving is this when everyone died to the hands of that monster!!!¡±

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Copsing on the spot, he screamed.

    ¡°The apostles of the 12 Zodiacs! The Seven Stars!! Even those damn celestial bastards!!¡±

    Numerous.

    Thousands, tens of thousands of Awakeners hadbined their strength.

    The celestials thatpeted and fought between each other every day had held hands¡ªall to kill the one Heavenly Demon.

    To stop the one called the Sky¡¯s Devil, that unparalleled <b>monster</b>.

    But eventually¡ª

    ¡°Ev-Everyone¡­ they all¡­¡±

    Died.

    They went and died.

    ¡°All¡­ of them got eaten up¡­¡±

    He helplessly dropped his head.

    He recalled the vivid image of that lone monster ripping to shreds theirbined might while devouring an entire celestial.

    [But, the Sky''s Devil died in the end.]

    That¡¯s right.

    Though the sacrifice of achieving that goal had been in the thousands, if not the tens of thousands.

    The apostles that hunted, the brave warriors, the noble celestials.

    Most of them ended up dying.

    However, eventually¡­

    The Heavenly Demon had died.

    [Awakener Lee Shinhyuk, you have killed him.]

    He ended up killing him.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Shinhyuk, with his hollow eyes, raised his head.

    He could see the copsed Heavenly Demon with a spear impaled through his heart.

    A face covered with a nk white mask.

    Azure eyes deprived of life could be seen beyond the mask.

    <i>Gulp¡ª </i>

    Swallowing his dry saliva, he spat out the monster''s name in a low pitch.

    ¡°¡­Heavenly Demon, Gwon Ohjin.¡±

    The Sky''s Devil, The Owner of the ck Heaven, The Stigma Devourer.

    Although many titles referred to him, there existed only one emotion towards him.

    ¡®Fear.¡¯

    Overwhelming, Absolute.

    Fear.

    The name ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ terrified the entire world.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like that from the start.

    The Ohjin from the past was someone who used to be a normal Awakener.

    ¡®But.¡¯

    The power ¡®ck Heaven¡¯ Ohjin gained from awakening could absorb stigmas that celestials granted to Awakeners.

    With that power, he had devoured the stigmas of countless Awakeners and even ended up devouring the owners of the stigmas, the celestials.

    ¡®That resulted in¡­¡¯

    This hill covered in corpses.

    It was the end of the star called Earth.

    [Awakener Lee Shinhyuk, for you who has saved the world by killing the Heavenly Demon, a wish thates true will be granted ording to the ¡®Pledge of Stars¡¯.]

    The low-pitched voice of the goddess rang in his ears.

    Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s cold pupils red up.

    ¡°¡­send me.¡±

    Wringing it out.

    He opened his mouth that had dry lips.

    ¡°Send¡­ me back to the past.¡±

    [¡­What did you say?]

    Vega¡¯s eyebrow lifted up.

    [Are you perhaps hoping to regress?]

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    [¡­Do you wish to repeat that horrendous past once more?]

    ¡°It¡¯ll be different.¡±

    <i>Grind¡ª </i>

    Lee Shinhyuk roughly clenched down on his teeth.

    ¡°This time, It¡¯ll be different.¡±

    Not because of anyone else.

    But he himself wanted to make it different.

    [Hmm.]

    The Goddess¡¯s eyes nted.

    [So you wish to be the Heaven-defying Star.]

    The possibility of going against the world''s destiny.

    The only existence that could write another page into a story''s ending that had already finished.

    A Regressor.

    The human in front of her¡­ just wished to be that Regressor.

    [A world''s destiny that has already been decided once will not change easily.]

    ¡°I am aware.¡±

    [A future more painful and hopeless than the first time may ur.]

    ¡°I will change it.¡±

    [There will be no second chances.]

    ¡°One is enough.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s eyes burned with determination.

    [¡­¡­]

    The goddess gently closed her eyes, lost in thought.

    A small period of time passed.

    Golden pupils that looked full of starlight focused on Lee Shinhyuk.

    [Fine. ording to the ¡®Pledge of Stars¡¯, I will let you return to the past.]

    <i>Clench¡ª</i>

    Lee Shinhyuk roughly clenched his fist.

    ¡°One more thing.¡±

    [ording to the ¡®Pledge of Stars¡¯, there is only one wish.]

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a wish, Vega. This is a proposal to you.¡±

    He continued with his crackling voice.

    ¡°Grant me the stigma of Lyra.¡±

    [¡­¡­]

    The goddess¡¯s golden eyes wavered.

    [Are you not aware? Thisdy¡¯s stigma¡­ it¡¯s something humans cannot bear.]

    As she said.

    To that day, there had not been a single human that had survived after being granted the stigma of Lyra.

    Since that power was simply too overwhelming, nobody was capable of using her stigma.

    Even the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯; until the end, he had been unable to receive the stigma of Lyra.

    [Even if you are the hero that has in the Heavenly Demon¡­ The chances of being granted the stigma of Lyra and surviving is one in a thousand¡­ no, it¡¯s not even one in ten thousand.]

    ¡°If I cannot be that ¡®one¡¯, then there would be no reason for me to regress in the first ce,¡± Lee Shinhyuk replied with his determined voice.

    [¡­¡­]

    Vega again closed her eyes in deep thought and slowly approached him.

    [Alright, Heaven-defying Star, thisdy will grant you the stigma of Lyra.]

    She ced her hands on top of Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s shoulder.

    [ording to the pledge, the stigma of Lyra will settle in the moment you return to the past. In addition¡­ thisdy wille to find you personally.]

    ¡°Come to find me?¡±

    With what methods?

    Did that mean her memories wouldn¡¯t change even if he returned to the past?

    [That¡¯s right. Even though you¡¯ll be the only one to maintain the memories of this world¡­ if you are with thisdy¡¯s stigma, my past self will be able to at least recognize the fact that you are a ¡®Regressor¡¯.]

    In other words, she, who would lose all memories of this world, would be able to recognize the stigma as a sign of him being a Regressor.

    [If you are able to endure thisdy''s stigma, my past self should make you my apostle.]

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a little reassuring.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s stiff face started to rx.

    He expressed it as a little reassuring, but his heart was beating as if it were going to explode.

    As Vega was one of the ¡®North Stars¡¯, bing Vega¡¯s apostle was something that countless Awakened people had longed for.

    [Then, I will start the fulfillment of the pledge right away.]

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    With Vega behind him, Lee Shinhyuk turned the body.

    He faced towards the ce where the Heavenly Demon had copsed.

    ¡°Hah¡­¡±

    He grasped the nk white mask that covered the Heavenly Demon''s face with his trembling hands.

    And then¡­

    He removed the mask.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    In the mask¡¯s absence, the face of a youth with slightly droopy eyes was revealed.

    ¡°This is¡­ Ohjin¡¯s face.¡±

    For someone who had made the entire world shiver in fear, he had the appearance of someone very gentle and mild.

    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s eyebrows slightly scrunched as he observed the face of the dead Heavenly Demon.

    ¡®Have I¡­ seen him before?

    He diligently searched through his hazy memories, but nothing came to mind.

    ¡®Whatever.¡¯

    The important thing was the fact that he had confirmed the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯s face.

    ¡®Ohjin wasn¡¯t that strong when he first showed up.¡¯

    He had only started to get stronger at an rming rate by using the power of the ck Heaven to devour stigmas; when he first showed himself to the world, he was nothing but one of themon Awakeners.

    ¡®I will return to the past¡­ and kill Ohjin.¡¯

    If only he could kill him before he became the monster known as the ¡®Sky''s Devil¡¯.

    ¡®¡­I can save them.¡¯

    The things he had lost and wasn¡¯t able to protect.

    The uncountable amount of regrets he had.

    ¡®This time.¡¯

    [There isn¡¯t much time remaining, Awakener Lee Shinhyuk.]

    The hurrying voice of the goddess.

    Raising his body, Lee Shinhyuk nodded his head.

    ¡®I don¡¯t have any information besides his face, but¡­¡¯

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    He knew the location of where he had first registered himself as an Awakener.

    If he knew his face, he could simply wait in that ce and kill him.

    ¡°Alright. Return me to the past.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk stood and started to approach Vega.

    An enormous array of lights started to wrap around Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s body.

    ¡®Heavenly Demon.¡¯

    For him.

    The bastard who took his everything.

    ¡®I will definitely kill you.¡¯

    And with that¡­

    He lost consciousness

    * * *

    ¡®Ah¡­¡¯

    The feeling of floating through a vast sky.

    Amidst that feeling, a memory from the past flitted through his head.

    That day.

    The memory of him losing everything.

    <b>-The sky is too dark</b>.

    Looking up to the sky with a smug smile was the Heavenly Demon.

    The blue sky on that day was blindingly bright; the sun¡¯s light shone down without a single sign of clouds.

    -Isn¡¯t that so?

    The Heavenly Demon asked him, ignoring the sun¡¯s blinding light.

    In the hands of the Heavenly Demon that was excitedly shaking his shoulders,

    -No.

    ¡ªhe heard the voice of his younger brother¡¯s decapitated head.

    -Woohyuk, Woohyuk¡­

    Lee Woohyuk,

    his younger brother that was powerful enough to be selected as an apostle of one of the 12 Zodiacs.

    An intelligent and wise younger brother, different from his foolish self.

    That younger brother died,

    in front of his eyes.

    -Why, why are you doing this!!

    He screamed. He wailed.

    He begged with tears flowing down.

    -Just why are you doing this to me!!!

    <i>Grin¡ª</i>

    With a wide smile, the Heavenly Demon threw the younger brother¡¯s head towards him.

    ¡°-Don¡¯t you know?¡±

    Inside the nk white mask,

    the azure eyes gazed at him.

    -On that day¡­ wouldn¡¯t none of this have happened if you hadn¡¯t thrown me away at that ce?

    ¡°Kyuaaah!!!¡±

    The feeling of floating in midair ended, and an intense pain started to violently shake his body.

    -Ring!

    The stigma of Lyra is being granted to the body of Awakener Lee Shinhyuk.]

    [As the stigma of Lyra is being granted, the existing stigma of Pyxis will disappear.]

    [Warning! As the stigma is too powerful, Awakener Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s body is copsing!]

    [Entering an unstable state.]

    A blue message appeared before his eyes amidst the sound of clear bells.

    However, he was in no state of being capable of reading the message.

    ¡°Kyhuk!! Kyaaakk!!¡±

    <i>Cr-Crackle! Craaackle!!¡ª</i>

    A blue lightning bolt started to burn his body.

    A torrent of pain shook him.

    ¡°-Ah.¡±

    A very familiar voice¡­

    A voice that he could never forget.

    ¡®Wh-What?¡¯

    With trembling eyes, Lee Shinhyuk raised his head.

    There was no doubt.

    The face behind the mask he had taken off moments ago.

    The face he couldn''t¡ªand shouldn¡¯t¡ªforget.

    In that ce.

    In front of his eyes.

    <b>Was the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯.</b>

    ¡°Ah, ugh.¡±

    The moment he saw him breathing just fine, a torrent of emotions that could drive him crazy shook him.

    [The disturbance of emotions is intensifying your unstable state!]

    ¡®Why is the Heavenly Demon¡­¡¯

    ¡®Just why is Gwon Ohjin in front of my eyes?¡¯

    The first face he saw after regressing was¡­ the face of the nemesis that took everything away from him.

    ¡°Kyhak, Kyhuk!! Kyaaaaaahhh!!!¡±

    On that spot, Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s limbs shook as if having a seizure.

    <i>Cr-Crackle!!¡ª </i>

    Every time a blue spark shed, his body roughly bounced around.

    [Due to your unstable state, the stigma of Lyra is bing erratic!]

    [Your body ispletely destroyed!]

    <i>Kadum! Kadududuk!¡ª</i>

    The body of Lee Shinhyuk that looked like it was having a seizure began to twist.

    ¡°Kraa!! Krrg! Krrrgg!!¡±

    Blood erupted from his throat, flowing down his chin.

    ¡®Ah.¡¯

    Inside his dying mind, he recalled the voice of the goddess that had warned him.

    -The chances of being granted the stigma of Lyra and surviving is one in a thousand¡­ no, it isn¡¯t even one in ten thousand.

    It was for a very elementary reason.

    The cause was surprisingly simple.

    ¡®I¡­ couldn¡¯t be that ¡®one¡¯.

    A hollow sensation weighed down on him.

    His entire consciousness started to flicker.

    He could no longer feel the intense pain that shook his body.

    ¡°Why¡­ couldn¡¯t I¡­¡­¡±

    And, with that final regret,

    <b>Lee Shinhyuk took hisst breath</b>.

    * * *

    ¡°Nooooooo!!! Why is this bastard like this all of a sudden!!

    Gwon Ohjin roughly grabbed the cor of the copsed Lee Shinhyuk that had spontaneously had a seizure.

    ¡°Hey! Breathe! I said, <i>breathe,</i> god dammit!!¡±

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t sad about Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s death.

    It had only been a couple of hours since meeting him in the first ce; it was nothing but a short meeting that didn¡¯t even have the time to develop any affection.

    The problem wasn¡¯t Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s death, but¡­

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to die, at least kill those bastards first, you fucking dumbass!!!¡±

    Surrounding them were a group of 2-Star monsters.

    ¡°Grrrrr.¡±

    The low-pitched growl of a beast.

    The ferocious gazes of the monsters surrounding him steered towards him.

    ¡®I wouldn¡¯t say anything if you had died desperately fighting a heroic battle.¡¯

    ¡®What do you expect me to do if you die suddenly at the critical moment when the monsters surround us!¡¯

    On top of that¡ª

    ¡°Fuck! Fuck! Fuckkkk!!!¡±

    Ohjin wasn¡¯t even an ¡®Awakener¡¯ that could fight monsters.

    ¡°With what method¡­¡±

    Jackshit to methods.

    A powerless ordinary person surrounded by monsters really had no need to think.

    ¡®Still.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t go down without a fight.

    Gwon Ohjin searched Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s body to try and find something useful for this situation.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    At that moment, the stigma on Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s left chest caught his eyes.

    A stigma he had never seen before.

    He instinctively touched the engraved stigma with the tip of his fingers.

    It was at that moment.

    -Ring!

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s first transformation will start!]

    [The ck Heaven is absorbing the stigma of Lyra!!]

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡®ck Heaven?¡¯

    ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯

    <i>Rumble!¡ª </i>

    Without allowing him the opportunity for any more doubts, from the tip of his fingers, a ck cloud started to cover the engraved stigma on Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s chest.

    And then.

    ¡°Keukk!! Kyhaaaaak!!!¡±

    <i>Crackle!! Cr-Crackleee!!¡ª </i>

    A blue lightning riding a ck cloud started to permeate his body.

    ¡°FUCKKKK!!!! IT FUCKING HUURRTTTSSSS!!!¡±

    To add a little exaggeration, the pain was as if his balls were exploding

    ¡°Krgaaaaaackkk!!!¡±

    Ohjin let out an unsightly scream while his body twisted.

    Just how much time had passed.

    -Ring!

    [You havepletely absorbed the stigma of Lyra]

    [The power of the stigma is too strong!]

    [The power will be adjusted ording to the stage of the ck Heaven.]

    With the blue message window appearing in front of his eyes, the pain settled down.

    ¡°Haa, Haa!¡±

    Ohjin let out a rough breath and got up.

    He reached out his hand towards the message window he couldn¡¯t believe he was seeing.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t this¡­ the system window that only Awakeners can see? Why can I¡­¡¯

    ¡®Is it possible that I¡¯ve just be an Awakener?¡¯

    While he was caught in shock, he could feel the stigma on his left chest, which could be said to be the symbol of Awakeners.

    ¡®This was definitely on that bastard a moment ago¡­¡±

    A stigma that he had never seen.

    While he was touching the stigma with a frown,

    <i>Owooooong!!!¡ª</i>

    A radiant starlight poured from a rip in the air before him.

    The figure that appeared out of the starlight was¡ª

    [Hmm, I could definitely feel the energy of my stigma in this ce.]

    ¡ªa silver-haired Goddess that was as beautiful as the Milky Way.

    Turning her head around, her shining golden pupils started to head towards him.

    [The fact that you have my stigma, which I haven¡¯t given to anyone before¡­ I understand.]

    ¡®Just what does she understand?¡¯

    The Goddess that had suddenly appeared out of the ripped space looked at him and nodded her chin.

    [Heaven-defying Star. The existence that goes against destiny. The one and only savior of a world that is destined to meet its end¡­]

    ¡®What kind of bullshit is this woman spouting?¡¯

    [You must be a Regressor.]

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡®No, I¡¯m not.¡¯

    T/n : Vega was the North Star several thousand years ago, and will rece Pris as the North Star in approximately 10 thousand years.

    Looking up the stories and meanings behind constetions while reading will make the trip more enjoyable :).

    Celestials are the stars that represent the constetion they belong to.

 Chapter 2: 2: Scamming Bastard (1)

    ¡®Heaven-defying Star? Regressor?¡¯

    ¡®What kind of bullshit is that?¡¯

    ¡®By Regressor¡­ Is she referring to someone who has returned from the future?¡¯

    If that were the case, she was seriously mistaken.

    Since, rather than returning from the future, he was in the immediate situation of not knowing if he was going to be alive tomorrow.

    No, was there even a reason to think aboutsting until tomorrow?

    If this situation continued, the monsters surrounding him would rip him to shreds.

    ¡®Stay calm. Let¡¯s not panic.¡¯

    A person that wasn¡¯t even an Awakener would need to think,prehend, and decide faster than anyone else in order to stay alive in this fucked up world.

    Gulp. He racked his brains while swallowing his dry spit.

    The thing he needed to do first of all¡­

    ¡®I need toprehend the damn situation at hand.¡¯

    Ohjin nced at the corpse of Lee Shinhyuk that had beenpletely burned to death.

    A couple of hours ago.

    The first time he met Lee Shinhyuk came to mind.

    * * *

    ¡°Alright~ Let¡¯s see if I can find just the right pushover for today.¡±

    An afternoon like any other.

    Ohjin stretched his stiff body and started to move his feet.

    He headed towards the gate novice Awakeners frequently visited while looking around.

    ¡°Oh~¡±

    There were Awakeners hanging around in front of the gate, looking to find a party.

    Among those people, one person stood right out in his eyes.

    ¡®Just right.¡¯

    Thigh protectors with leather armor that had useless essories hanging. In his hand was a two-meter long spear that seemed to be quite an expensive product, judging from the fact that it had a subtle blue light glowing from its de.

    Ohjin slowly moved his feet towards the one that seemed to be stating that he was different from the other ¡®novices¡¯ hanging around.

    ¡®Has it already been eight years since I started doing this?¡¯

    Eight years ago.

    He searched for a job in order to continue living just after leaving that hell-like orphanage, but as if the heavens were pulling a mischievous prank, the entire world became hell this time.

    ¡®This world really has gone to shit.¡¯

    After the first fissure was observed in the North Pole, gates that connect to a distant space appeared worldwide¡ªas if a dam had broken down.

    Humanity was helplessly swept away by the monsters that poured out of the gates.

    And around the time when over half of the earth had been taken over by monsters¡­

    Transcendental beings called celestials appeared.

    They granted stigmas that gave humans the strength to fight against the monsters;

    those humans became the supernatural beingsmonly known as Awakeners.

    ¡®Although I couldn''t be an Awakener.¡¯

    A world of upheaval.

    Inside the world of never-ending chaos and confusion, there weren¡¯t many ways for an orphan child that couldn''t be an Awakener to survive.

    ¡®However.¡¯

    He survived.

    ¡°Oh my~ You, it¡¯s obvious you¡¯re not someone who should be in a ce like this!¡±

    ¡®I will continue to struggle.¡¯

    ¡®I will leech off the blood of others¡­¡¯

    ¡®and survive.¡¯

    ¡°You are¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Gwon Jinoh, a 1-Star apostle of Aquarius.¡±

    ¡°Did you say A-Aquarius?!¡±

    The youth¡¯s pupils erged.

    Well.

    That was an understandable reaction.

    Among the hundreds of constetions, Aquarius was regarded as one of the top-grade constetions known as the ¡®12 Zodiacs¡¯.

    ¡°An apostle affiliated with the 12 Zodiacs¡­ It¡¯s my first time seeing one.¡±

    ¡°You speak too highly of me. I¡¯m only a 1-Star apostle, even if it¡¯s from the 12 Zodiacs.¡± Ohjin rambled on with a friendly chuckle.

    ¡°May I have your name by any chance¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ah! I¡¯m Lee Shinhyuk, a 2-Star apostle of Pyxis.¡±

    ¡°An apostle of Pyxis!¡± Ohjin eximed loudly while pping without reason.

    ¡°Kyaah! That¡¯s so cool! The stigma that hasplete freedom over direction and orientation! I¡¯ve heard that Awakeners of Pyxis can handle any weapon¡ªno matter how difficult¡ªas if it were a part of their limbs!¡±

    ¡°Haha. It¡¯s not to that point. Compared to a stigma of the 12 Zodiacs, mine is nothing.¡±

    Even though he tried to hide it, Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s rising grin could be seen.

    ¡®That¡¯s right, my one ability to analyze people is extraordinary.¡¯

    Looking at Lee Shinhyuk reacting just the way he expected, Ohjin couldn¡¯t help but grin.

    ¡®Alright.''

    ¡®Now that I¡¯ve decided my prey, should I start the operation in earnest?''

    ¡°Haha! Meetings like these can also be called having a connection; should we perhaps party up?

    ¡°You want to¡­ form a party?¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk had a flustered expression that said that he couldn¡¯t believe an Awakener affiliated with the 12 Zodiacs would even think of proposing a party with him.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll wee it, but for you, Jinoh¡­¡±

    Jinoh, an alias created by simply reversing his real name.

    You could say it was a sloppy disguise, but there was a saying: ¡°The sloppier the disguise, the harder it was to notice.¡±

    ¡®Right under one¡¯s nose.¡¯

    Who would think of using such a sloppy alias to scam?

    And above all, most of the Awakeners that got ¡®scammed¡¯ didn¡¯t even realize in the end.

    ¡®I¡¯m only going to leech until right before I get caught¡¯.

    He opened his mouth towards Lee Shinhyuk, who looked towards him with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ this is something that¡¯s hard to say directly, but I don¡¯t have the talent to be proficient with my stigma.¡±

    Ohjin said this while scratching his head as if he felt embarrassed.

    ¡°To be honest¡­ I¡¯m in a situation where it¡¯s hard to join other parties.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Lee Shinhyuk spat out while nodding his head.

    The strength of the celestial that granted the stigma was important, but how proficient you were in the stigma was just as important to Awakeners.

    ¡°That is why even though it has been a year since I have Awakened, I still remain as a 1-Star¡­¡±

    Ohjin let out a deep sigh.

    The rank of ¡®Stars¡¯ was what divided Awakeners.

    It was a simr concept to levels.

    An important factor of evaluation existed, a rank from 1-Star to 12-Star that determined how adept you were with the stigma.

    ¡°If it¡¯s one year¡­ that is definitely a long period of time.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk said while nodding his head.

    On average, it took about six months to advance from 1-Star to a 2-Star.

    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being incapable.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t so, Jinho. Hasn¡¯t it only been one year? There are cases of people having a rough start and having arge promotion in one go after all,¡± Lee Shinhyuk said consolingly.

    ¡°Haha. Thank you.¡±

    Ohjin bent his head down while brightlyughing.

    His concealed eyes shone sharply.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡®Now that I¡¯ve said this much, even if I¡¯m not much help, I¡¯ll be able to gloss over it easily. Let¡¯s see¡­ I should continue the operation a little more.¡¯

    ¡°When I first saw you, Shinhyuk, I could feel it immediately.¡±

    ¡°Khmm. W-What feeling are you referring to?

    ¡°From you¡­ I could feel that you have a special talent that is different from other Awakeners.

    ¡°A¡­Special talent¡­?

    ¡°Yes. Even though I¡¯m in this state, I¡¯m confident I have talent for judging other people.

    ¡°Ha, haha. Well¡­ I did promote to 2-Star a bit¡­ just a bit fasterpared to other Awakeners.¡±

    ¡°Indeed!! I knew it would be like that!!!!¡±

    While Ohjin pped his hands every time he made apliment, the corner of Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s mouth going up could be seen.

    Even if they were supernatural beings that had been granted stigmas from celestials, they were essentially still humans.

    If they heardpliments, of course they would feel happy and get excited.

    ¡°Then how is it? Will you form a party together with me?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Before that¡­¡± With an embarrassed expression, Lee Shinhyuk turned his head.

    Usually, the first time Awakeners partied up with each other, they performed a sort of ritual action.

    A bit of an embarrassing ritual to do between adult males.

    ¡°Should we confirm each other''s stigmas?¡±

    Ohjin took off the armor around his chest.

    It was an implicit rule between Awakeners to check the stigma on top of each other¡¯s chest before joining a party.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do so.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk took off his leather armor and pulled down on his clothes.

    The stigma of Pyxis could be seen under his left corbone.

    ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed it.¡±

    Now, it was his turn.

    Ohjin also pulled down his shirt towards his shoulders.

    Under his left chest, the stigma of Aquarius could be seen clearly.

    ¡°Wow¡­ so this is a stigma of the 12 Zodiacs¡­¡± Lee Shinhyuk''s heavy exmation flowed out of his mouth.

    Watching Shinhyuk exim, Ohjin couldn¡¯t help but grin.

    ¡®That''s right, considering how hard of a time I had inscribing it, there¡¯s no way you would be able to notice.¡¯

    It was a fake stigma he had cut into the skin of his chest with a knife when he first decided to get into this field of work.

    At least, there was no way you could tell by looking at the surface.

    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s kind of funny how we¡¯re checking each others'' stigmas just to enter this low-level dungeon,¡± Lee Shinhyuk said after fixing his clothes back to their original position.

    ¡°Even if it''s just a low-level dungeon, it¡¯s better to be careful since we are Awakeners after all. This much is a given,¡± Ohjin answered while shrugging his shoulders.

    The dungeon they were heading to was filled with mostly 1-Star and very asionally 2-Star monsters fitting that of a low-grade dungeon. However, if you were taking fatality rates into ount, it would be considered a very dangerous dungeon.

    ¡®Since the new Awakeners who frequented the dungeon often ended up dying after running around.¡¯

    Still, Lee Shinhyuk wasn¡¯t an Awakener that was that inexperienced.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s enter.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ohjin, who had just created a party with Lee Shinhyuk, went through the gate.

    The scenery suddenly changed into a very dark forest.

    A forest with a gloomy atmosphere and thick otherwordly trees could be seen.

    <i>Grrr¡ª</i>

    <i>Rustle, Rustle¡ª</i>

    Ohjin could hear the sound of the bushes shaking. Glowing eyes watched them from the foliage.

    Lee Shinhyuk lowered his stance while holding onto his spear.

    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±

    Ohjin held onto Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s shoulders¡ªwho seemed to want to pounce right into the monsters.

    Lee Shinhyuk looked at him with doubt in his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cast a buff before you enterbat.¡±

    Awakeners that have received the stigma of Aquarius rarely entered directbat and instead were specialized into either healing or buffing supporters.

    Lee Shinhyuk nodded his head with an expression fitting of ¡®Oh, that¡¯s right!¡¯.

    ¡°Yes, then I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡±

    ¡°Celestial of Aquarius, heed my call.¡±

    Closing his eyes with the most serious expression in the world, Ohjin started to recite his chant.

    <i>Uuoooom!¡ª </i>

    A bright light started to shine out of the stigma on his left chest.

    ¡®Though it¡¯s only a micro-LED I¡¯ve hidden inside my clothes.¡¯

    ¡®Well, it should look like mana is flowing out of the stigma for the spectators.¡¯

    ¡°Please shine a starlight that brightens up the dark road for this humble apostle.¡±

    After sending the prayer, he spread his arms out wide.

    He sent the sparkling star powder towards Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s direction.

    <b>¡° ¡¶The Daylight of the Lake¡· ¡°</b>

    A spectacle appeared as if shining ss powder was scattered into the air.

    No.

    ¡®It really is just ss powder mixed with luminescent powder.¡¯

    The ss powder mixed with the glowing blue powder appeared brighter than normal against the forest''s darkness.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°Phew. This is the most basic buff. How is it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°You might not be able to feel a big difference right now, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk looked towards him with a serious expression.

    He repeatedly gripped and released his grasp on the spear and continued with a low voice.

    ¡°The change¡­ I can feel it.¡±

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    ¡®Really?¡¯

    ¡°My throat stung a bit at the start, but now my body feels like it¡¯s starting to burn up.¡±

    ¡®Oh, he swallowed the ss powder; that can¡¯t be good for your health.¡¯

    ¡®¡¯As if each one of my cells ising to life, this mysterious feeling¡­¡±

    ¡®Is he sick somewhere?¡¯

    ¡°This must be¡­ the power of the stigma of Aquarius that I''ve only ever heard about!!¡±

    ¡®No, it isn¡¯t.¡¯

    ¡°Thank you for the buff, Jinoh! Now it¡¯s my turn to show my strength!!¡±

    ¡®Good luck!¡¯

    T/n : The constetion Pyxis got its name from the maicpass that navigators and seamen used, which is why it is said to have freedom over direction and orientation.

 Chapter 3: 3: Scamming Bastard (2)

    ¡°Hyat!¡±

    Was it called the cebo effect?

    Lee Shinhyuk charged into the monsters with nimble movements as if he had actually received a buff.

    ¡°Grrrr!¡±

    What emerged from the bushes were monsters that looked like a hybrid between ants and wolves.

    Although their figures were closer to those of wolves, they were covered not in soft fur, but a hard shell¡ªlike that of a crustacean.

    1-Star monster ¡®Ant-horn¡¯.

    It was the monster that appeared the most frequently in this dungeon.

    ¡°Ch-hat!!¡±

    <i>Bam!¡ª</i>

    As if it were water, the spear flowed and dug into the crevices of the Ant-horn''s hard shell.

    ¡°Grrk!¡±

    Although the Ant-horn aimed its sharp, sawde-like chin towards Lee Shinhyuk, he dodged the attack as if he had already foreseen it.

    ¡°Haha! My body definitely feels a lot lighter!¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk eximed while facing the Ant-horns.

    ¡®Hey, it¡¯s a relief the imaginary buff worked that well for you.¡¯

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t help but naturally let out augh.

    Although he had thought Lee Shinhyuk would be a good pushover to take advantage of, this was beyond his expectations.

    ¡®Kyaah! Sweet, how sweet!¡¯

    Just thinking about how he caught himself a pushover caused sweetness to flood his mouth.

    <i>Thomp¡ª </i>

    ¡°Graaa¡­!¡±

    With the horrible shrieks of itsst breath, the Ant-horn¡¯s head was decapitated.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    ¡°Nice work¡±

    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s all thanks to your buff.¡±

    ¡°No. Even without my buff, you would have taken them down without much difficulty.¡±

    Technically he wasn''t lying, since he had never given him a buff in the first ce.

    ¡®His skills aren''t that bad.¡¯

    Although it was too early to determine his strength with just one 1-Star monster, the movements that Lee Shinhyuk showed during the short battle were exceptional among most of the Awakeners he had met.

    Lee Shinhyuk was skilled.

    To be more urate, he was a skilled pushover.

    ¡®Very nice.¡¯

    ¡®Finding a talent like this is a rare urrence.¡¯

    ¡°Then, the harvesting of the starstones¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll do the harvesting of the starstones.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it since my ability to directly affectbat falls behind. You should rest in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk sat down on the spot after bowing his head.

    Ohjin started to rummage through the corpse of the Ant-horn with a smirk.

    Soon, he was able to find a fingernail-sized fragment that had a radiating bluish light.

    ¡®Starstone¡¯.

    A stone fragment imbued with a star¡¯s power.

    Since starstones could contain a portion of a stigma¡¯s power, they were traded at a very high price.

    They were the main source of ie for Awakeners.

    ¡®Well, even if that¡¯s the case.¡¯

    You couldn¡¯t expect much from a starstone out of a 1-Star monster, as the size and quality werecking.

    ¡®Will this fetch us around $20?¡¯

    If they split the earnings, it would be $10.

    Considering that it was a reward from a battle that didn¡¯tst even a minute, it wasn¡¯t all that bad.

    ¡®If everything works out, I¡¯ll be able to bring in around $300 today.¡¯

    It couldn¡¯t be thought of as high earnings, considering the fact that it required him to scam with his life on the line, but that couldn¡¯t be helped.

    It was already incredible for a powerlessmoner without support to earn this much a day in this fucked up world.

    ¡°¡­Incredible, huh.¡±

    With hollow eyes, Ohjin looked down onto the starstone grasped within his hand.

    Something incredible.

    That¡¯s right, just being able to earn this much with nothing but words was something incredible.

    ¡®However.¡¯

    ¡®In order to buy what I want.¡¯

    ¡®In order to reach the goal I set¡¯.

    ¡®A lot more money is¡ª ¡®

    ¡°Jinoh?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Shinhyuk¡¯s voice broke him out of his thoughts, Ohjin quickly turned his head.

    He could see Lee Shinhyuk looking towards him with eyes full of doubt.

    ¡°Is there perhaps a problem?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Ohjin headed towards him while slightly nodding his head.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s proceed.¡±

    Because he had already confirmed Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s skill, he had no problem with heading a bit deeper into the dungeon.

    * * *

    ¡°Grrr! Graaak!¡±

    ¡°Grrr!¡±

    ¡°Gyraak!!!¡±

    Three Ant-horns surrounded Lee Shinhyuk.

    Between them, a 2-Star monster, an Elder Ant-horn, was mixed in.

    ¡°Haat!!!¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk moved as if he were gliding across the ground and went around the Ant-horn herd without hesitation.

    Soon after two of the Ant-horns were decapitated, he confronted the Elder Ant-horn, which had a huge body¡ªone steprger than that of the other Ant-horns.

    ¡° ¡¶Blessing of the Lake¡·!!¡±

    Behind the fiercely fighting Lee Shinhyuk, Ohjin was diligently sprinkling ss powder into thin air.

    The blueish ss powder rode the wind and reached Lee Shinhyuk.

    ¡°Hyaaaaat!!¡±

    Stomping the ground, Lee Shinhyuk explosively shouted out with energy.

    <i>Crack¡ª!!</i>

    ¡°Graa!! Gahak!!¡±

    The Lee ShinHyuk that had jumped high up with his spear grasped in both of his hands descended like a meteor.

    The Elder Ant-horn that had its head pierced by the spear''s de screeched out with its final breath.

    ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡±

    Lee ShinHyuk, who had defeated the Elder Ant-horn, sat down on the ground and gasped for breath.

    Four hours of fierce huntingter.

    No matter how much monster-like stamina Awakeners had, it was more than enough time for him to get tired.

    ¡°Huu¡­ Are you alright?¡±

    With an expression full of fatigue, Ohjin also let out a heavy breath.

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t actually tired, since all he did was watch from behind¡ªit was simply an act to avoid needless suspicion.

    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m okay.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk nodded his head while catching his breath.

    ¡®Should I start to wrap this up?¡¯

    Ohjin, who was looking for the right timing, slowly started to head towards him.

    ¡°Should we end things here?¡±

    He asked as he raised the starstone pouch that had be quite heavy before they knew it.

    ¡®We should be able to fetch around five or six hundred dors.¡¯

    After splitting it with Lee Shinhyuk, that would leave him with $300¡ªwhich was his goal for today.

    ¡°We should start to head back since we¡¯ll need to divide the starstones as well.

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk stood up while nodding.

    ¡°Do you have time tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    ¡°Haha. Then let¡¯s meet up tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yes! If it¡¯s with you, there is nothing to be afraid of!

    Looking at Lee Shinhyuk eximing energetically, Ohjin couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡®Wow, I¡¯ve caught a real pushover this time.¡¯

    Thinking of taking advantage of Lee Shinhyuk, his bright smile wouldn¡¯t go down.

    <i>Rustle¡ª </i>

    At that time, the sound of the bushes shaking tickled his ears.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Ohjin turned his neck towards the sound.

    ¡°It seems that Ant-horns have appeared again.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk grasped his spear and lowered his stance.

    Ohjin nodded his head and proceeded to take position behind Lee Shinhyuk.

    <i>Rustle, Rustle, Rustle¡ª</i>

    The sound of bodies moving in the bushes.

    Not just from one ce, but spread simultaneously from various ces.

    ¡°¡­It isn¡¯t just one of them,¡± Lee Shinhyuk said with a bit of a nervous expression.

    Ant-horns weren¡¯t ones to act in herds but asionally there would be cases where three to four of them would act together.

    You would need to be cautious in these cases since there would always be an ¡®Elder¡¯ in the mix.

    <i>Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s expression stiffened.

    The sounds in the bushes started to be louder and louder.

    Starting from his spine, an ominous feeling began to spread across his entire body.

    ¡®Something¡­¡¯

    ¡®Something¡¯s wrong¡ª¡¯

    <b><i>Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle, Rustle!!!!¡ª </i></b>

    The sound of rustling resonated in every direction.

    It wasn¡¯t just three or four of them.

    A minimum of 20, no, the sound was that of over 30 monsters moving.

    ¡° ¡ªFuck,¡± a light swear flowed out of Ohjin¡¯s lips.

    Something wrong had happened.

    Very wrong, at that.

    ¡°J-Jinoh, t-this is¡­¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk looked towards him with his trembling body.

    <i>Tuk!!!¡ª </i>

    Ohjin roughly smacked the head of the trembling and pale-faced Lee Shinhyuk.

    ¡°What are you spacing out for, dumbass!!¡±

    Naturally, a violent voice came out of the emerging situation.

    ¡°Run!!!!!¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk, who had been smacked in the head, looked at him with an expression that screamed surprise.

    An expression surprised by the sudden words.

    ¡°I said run, you fucking dumbass!!¡±

    He pulled on Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s shoulder, shouting out swear words.

    Looking at the appearance of Lee Shinhyuk, who couldn¡¯t discern the situation at hand, anger started to rise within him.

    ¡°Ah, I understand!¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk, who looked around the surroundings in a rush, nodded his head.

    It seemed that he had finally understood the situation.

    ¡°This way, Jinoh!¡±

    Deserving of one with the stigma of Pyxis, he urately shouted out the direction of where the Ant-horn herd couldn¡¯t entirely surround them.

    ¡°Hah, hah!¡±

    Ohjin desperately chased Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s back.

    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the thorough stamina training, but he was able to narrowly keep up with Lee Shinhyuk.

    However.

    ¡®Fuck!¡¯

    Spouting out a swear in his mind, he turned his head.

    ¡°GRrrrrr!!¡±

    ¡°GRaa! GRaaagh!¡±

    He could see dozens of Ant-horns chasing them, barging past the thick bushes.

    Among them, as many as five ¡®Elders¡¯ were in the mix.

    ¡®What kind of bullshit is this!¡¯

    After several years of spending time in low-grade dungeons, it was his first time seeing dozens of Ant-horns moving together in a group thisrge.

    ¡°Jinoh, faster!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m running!!!¡±

    He could taste the salt in his mouth.

    The feeling as if his heart would explode out of his mouth.

    ¡°GRRrrrrr!¡±

    Before they knew it, the Ant-horns started to surround them.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    He twisted his body to reach for the pistol on his hips.

    Colt 1911.

    A weapon he carried around to provide himself with the minimal amount of self-defense.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Grr.¡±

    ¡°Fuuk!!¡±

    The bullets bounced off of the thick leather of the approaching Ant-horns, as he had expected.

    A weapon without the power of a ¡®stigma¡¯ imbued couldn¡¯t deal much damage to monsters in the first ce.

    It could only slightly slow their pace.

    ¡®Goddammit!¡¯

    After throwing the useless gun away, he started to run frantically once again.

    ¡®Lee Shinhyuk, what¡¯s that bastard doing without helping me?¡¯

    He stared at the back of Lee Shinhyuk, who had gone ahead.

    ¡°Ugh. A-At this rate¡­¡±

    With a grimace, Lee Shinhyuk turned his body around.

    His eyes, full of fear, headed towards Ohjin.

    ¡®Could this bastard actually be¡­¡¯

    An ominous feeling passed through his head.

    ¡°¡­I-I¡¯m sorry, Jinoh!¡±

    Why were his ominous feelings always spot-on?

    Lee Shinhyuk, who had turned his body around, pushed him towards the Ant-horns.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    Ohjin, who had been separated from Lee Shinhyuk, rolled on the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!!¡±

    Repeating his words like a broken record, Lee Shinhyuk started to gain distance.

    ¡®This son of a bitch!¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s gentle face distorted coarsely.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Fuck with me!!!¡±

    ¡°J-Jinoh?!¡±

    Gathering all of his strength, he dived towards Lee Shinhyuk and narrowly held onto his legs.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing this to me after I saved you from spacing out? Are you fucking crazy?!¡±

    ¡°I-If this continues, we¡¯ll both die!!!¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s die together, you fucker!!!¡±

    He couldn¡¯t die a meaningless death here.

    ¡°Arrg!! Damn it, let go!!!¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk kicked his feet with a pale expression.

    ¡®Shit¡¯

    Ohjin, who was holding onto the ends of Shinhyuk¡¯s legs, violently bounced off.

    ¡°Kuak!¡±

    He tried to endure it with all he had, but there was simply no way for him to endure the strength of an Awakener.

    ¡° F-Fuck.¡±

    Rustle, Rustle, Rustle¡ª

    He could see the Ant-horns approaching.

    Ohjin¡¯s expression went pale.

    ¡®At this rate¡­¡¯

    Death¡ª

    <b><i>CRAAAACKLE!!!</i></b>

    Blue sparks fiercely sparked out.

    Lee Shinhyuk, who was running away, suddenly flopped around as if having a seizure.

    And then.

    ¡®The situation became like this.¡¯

    Ohjin, who had finished getting burned, narrowly opened his eyes and looked at thedy in front of him.

    ¡®No.¡¯

    He could instinctively realize.

    That the expression of dy¡¯ wasn¡¯t correct.

    The ones who grant stigmas, the existences that create the supernatural beings known as Awakeners.

    Celestial.

    He was certain the identity of thedy who had suddenly appeared was a ¡®god¡¯ born from the constetions.

    ¡®Why¡­ is a celestial here¡­?¡¯

    Complicated thoughts entangled inside his head.

    ¡®¡ªWait.¡¯

    At that moment, a sudden thought came to him.

    Ohjin touched the stigma on his left chest with the tip of his fingers.

    ¡®She definitely said ¡¯you have my stigma, which I haven¡¯t given to anyone before¡¯.¡¯

    He thought about the words that the silver-haired goddess had said.

    The shape of a stigma that he had never seen before on his left chest.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    ¡®Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s¡­ stigma.¡¯

    He wasn¡¯t sure of the reason, but using the power called ¡®ck Heaven¡¯, he had absorbed the stigma of the dead Lee Shinhyuk.

    Not the stigma of Pyxis, but the stigma of Lyra.

    ¡®Wait, wait, wait a second here.¡¯

    Starting from his spine, an electrifying feeling spread across his body.

    The back of his neck started to heat up.

    ¡®Then, could it be?¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡®Lee Shinhyuk¡­ was a Regressor?¡¯

    ¡®No, that¡¯s impossible.¡¯

    ¡®There is no way that dumb half-wit could be a Regres¡­ ah.¡¯

    Just then.

    The appearance of Lee Shinhyuk suddenly spazzing out while burning to death came to mind.

    The blue lightning that shot out across his entire body¡­

    A corpse which looked to be burned from the inside as if a ¡®stigma¡¯s power overloaded¡¯¡­

    ¡®Holy. Shit.¡¯

    If that was the moment the ¡®Lee Shinhyuk from the future¡¯ had been imnted¡­

    If the sudden change was the cause of his death¡­

    That would also exin why he carried not the stigma of Pyxis, but the stigma of Lyra.

    ¡®It was overwritten.¡¯

    At that moment, that time, that starting point.

    Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s stigma was ¡®reverted¡¯.

    And¡­

    ¡®From the aftermath of the stigmas reverting¡­ Lee Shinhyuk died.¡¯

    The disoriented puzzle pieces began to assemble in his mind.

    Lightly shrugging his shoulders, Ohjin raised his head

    [Hmm? Are you not a Regressor?]

    The appearance of the goddesses¡¯ cold golden eyes, which seemed to be void of any emotion, shone looking down upon him.

    [I definitely felt the presence of the ¡®Heaven-defying Star¡¯ in this ¡ª]

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    He nodded while cutting off the goddesses¡¯ words.

    There was no way to know what the situation at hand was.

    There was no way of guessing what the cause and effect were.

    What the ck Heaven, Heaven-defying Star, even the name of the goddess in front of his eyes was.

    He didn¡¯t know anything.

    There was simply no way of knowing.

    ¡®However.¡¯

    He was certain of one thing.

    <b>¡°I¡¯m¡­ a Regressor.¡±</b>

    In order to make it out alive from this spot, he needed to be a Regressor.

 Chapter 4: 4: Stigma of Pyxis (1)

    [As expected, so you were the Heaven-defying Star.]

    The silver-haired goddess slightly nodded her head, as if she had predicted it.

    ¡°Yes, that is correct,¡±

    Ohjin replied with aposed voice.

    But of course,

    ¡®Holy shit.¡¯

    Opposite of his calm expression, his heart was pulsating vigorously.

    ¡®She really believed it.¡¯

    They were gods born from constetions.

    Albeit they weren¡¯t ¡®The one and only almighty God¡¯ that Christians referred to, they were transcendent beings with power and authority way beyond the reach of mere humans.

    Just now, he ended up deceiving a ¡®god¡¯.

    [Although I would like to have a detailed conversation about the experiences you¡¯ve had¡ª]

    The Goddess observed the surroundings.

    Grrrrr¡ª

    Ferocious growls.

    The Ant-horn¡¯s were staring at her with eyes full of wariness.

    [These insignificant beings are in the way.]

    The Goddess let out a short sigh and nced at Ohjin.

    ¡®Is she telling me to eliminate them?¡¯

    Her look said, ¡®I want to confirm the level of skills a Regressor has¡¯.

    ¡®Fuck, It¡¯s toote to back out now.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll eliminate them.¡±

    [Hmm, I¡¯m looking forward to just how powerful the strength of the Heaven-defying Star will be.]

    ¡°I¡¯m currently¡ª¡±

    [Ah, I¡¯m already aware. Even though you¡¯ve returned from the future, your body should still be the one from this world. Don¡¯t feel pressured; fight as you normally would.]

    ¡®Damn it. Those are the words that make me feel pressured the most.¡¯

    ¡°Huuu.¡±

    While letting arge breath out, he raised his body.

    Even without turning on the micro-LED hidden inside his clothes, a subtle light started to flow out of his left chest.

    An overflowing power.

    His body felt light¡ªas if he had put down all the baggage he was carrying over his shoulder.

    ¡®This is¡­ the body of an Awakener.¡¯

    Although it was just 1-Star, the difference was clear.

    A domain one could never reach with ordinary training.

    A body of one that was beyond the scope of human beings, the body of a supernatural being.

    ¡®However.¡¯

    Even with a body like that, Lee Shinhyuk had unseemingly run away from the monsters.

    That thought didn¡¯t serve to criticize him.

    ¡®It just meant that the monsters were that powerful.¡¯

    Could he, who had Awakened just a few minutes ago, be the opponent of dozens of Ant-horns?

    ¡®This isn¡¯t the time to think about things like that.¡¯

    Even if he held on to the hem of her dress, begging her to save him, it would be impossible for her to personally eliminate the monsters.

    ¡®The celestials called it something along the lines ofmandments¡ªit restricted them from directly intervening in this world.''

    The reason why they granted stigmas to Awakeners and made them fight with monsters was the same.

    ¡®If that''s the case¡­''

    There were no methods other than fighting by himself.

    <i>Grip¡ª </i>

    He grabbed and raised the spear that had fallen on the ground.

    The spear Lee Shinhyuk had used.

    The spear¡¯s de glowed with a blue hue and started to head towards the monsters.

    ¡°GGrrrrrrr!!¡±

    As he aimed his spear towards the Ant-horns, they fiercely howled out.

    Two Ant Horns approached him at a fast speed.

    ¡°Hmpt!¡±

    Lowering his stance, he jabbed his spear out like a spring.

    <i>Crack!¡ª </i>

    The shell of the Ant-horn that had remained unfazed by the bullet was easily destroyed, sttering out green blood.

    ¡°Krr!¡±

    The Ant-horn from the opposite side tried to aim for the gap that was created.

    Ohjin moved his body back naturally, as if he were water, and used the spear¡¯s shaft to uppercut its chin.

    Spin¡ª

    Easily rotating the spear that reached two meters, he pierced through the Ant-horn¡¯s belly.

    [Oho, not bad.]

    The goddess spoke out shortly after seeing him move with no unnecessary movements.

    ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯

    Rather, the one who was surprised was Ohjin himself.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way it¡¯s this easy.¡¯

    His body moved naturally, as though he had been handling the spear for years.

    No matter how easy the spear was to use, to feel ¡®familiarity¡¯ from a weapon he had used for the first time in his life was definitely weird.

    -Ring!

    [The ck Heaven is reading through the ¡®Records¡¯ contained in the stigma of Pyxis.]

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s awakening stage is too low. The amount of records that can be read are restricted.]

    [Part of Awakener Lee Shinhyuk was sessfully inherited.]

    [Skill ¡¶Spearmanship of Pyxis Lv4¡· has been acquired.]

    As if in answer to his questions, the message window appeared.

    And then,

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    Hot.

    The pain of scorching hot iron skewers pierced his skull.

    Alongside this dizzy and intense pain, the scenery changed.

    -Pant, Pant!

    Inside his head spread an unfamiliar scene.

    In an empty space with no one around, the appearance of Lee Shinyuk endlessly jabbing out his spear could be seen.

    -Argh!

    Even though he was shaking like he would copse at any moment, he didn¡¯t stop jabbing his spear.

    -If I stop here¡­ I¡¯ll never be able to catch up to Woohyuk.

    Roughly chewing his dry lips, Lee Shinhyuk continued to jab his spear.

    Over and over again.

    He pushed himself to the limit.

    ¡®¡­This is?¡¯

    His vision gradually returned to normal.

    ¡®Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s¡­ memories?¡¯

    Even if they were memories, they weren¡¯t memories of the past.

    ¡®There¡¯re scars I haven¡¯t seen before.¡¯

    On the face of the frantically training Lee Shinhyuk, a distinct scar that ran across from cheek to jaw could be seen.

    A scar that couldn¡¯t be seen on the Lee Shinhyuk who he had met a few hours ago.

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯

    Memories from the future.

    To be more urate, not from the Lee Shinhyuk who had died in vain, but the memories of the Lee Shinhyuk from the ¡®1st Round¡¯ started to flow into him.

    No.

    What flowed into him were not simply memories.

    ¡°Gggrrrrrrr!!¡±

    ¡°Aahhhhhh!!¡±

    In unison, all the Ant-horns surrounding the area rushed towards him.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Simrly, he ran towards the Ant-horns that were closing the distance.

    <i>Crack!!¡ª </i>

    The spear he had explosively jabbed out obliterated an Ant-horn¡¯s head.

    ¡°Graaaaa!

    Another Ant-horn rushed in from the right side.

    It was an ¡®Elder¡¯ that was one steprgerpared to the other Ant-horns.

    In the past, even his eyes wouldn¡¯t have been able to follow its movements, but¡ª

    ¡°Too slow, you bastard!¡±

    ¡ªit was different now.

    <i>Boom!¡ª </i>

    Heunched his body by mming his spear against the ground.

    Like a pole vaulter, his body explosively soared through the air.

    <i>Spin¡ª</i>

    He rotated his body in midair as he grabbed onto the spear.

    While the Elder Ant-horn that had lost its target was in a panic, he urately pierced through its head.

    <i>Craaaack!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    An electrifying thrill ran from his spine through his body.

    ¡®I can do it!¡¯

    The power all over his body was boiling up.

    * * *

    * * *

    Every single detail of the Ant-horns rushing towards him was engraved onto his retina.

    ¡®Slow down. Let¡¯s not get too excited.¡¯

    Collecting his breath, he kicked off the ground¡ªwidening the distance between him and the Ant-horns.

    ¡®Even if I inherited Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s skills, it doesn¡¯t change the fact I¡¯m just a 1-Star awakener; I could die the moment I let my guard down.¡¯

    <i>Crack! Crunch!¡ª</i>

    He calmly swung his spear around and continued to reduce the number of Ant-horns.

    ¡®Were 1-Star Awakeners originally this strong?¡¯

    Even while simultaneously facing off against dozens of Ant Horns, he didn¡¯t feel tired at all.

    It was hard to take in, considering the fact that Lee Shinhyuk was exhausted after taking on 3-4 Ant-horns.

    ¡®The dumbasses I saw weren¡¯t like this.¡¯

    ¡®Your average 1-Star Awakener ran around like a baboon that had his house lit on fire when even two Ant-horns charged them.¡¯

    ¡®¡­But why.¡¯

    Just how¡­

    did it feel this ¡®easy¡¯?.

    [Hmm¡­]

    The silver-haired goddess narrowed her eyes and looked towards Ohjin, who was fiercely fighting in the midst of the Ant-horns.

    [Are you putting on a show for thisdy¡¯s entertainment?]

    ¡®Show?¡¯

    ¡®This is a show?¡¯

    ¡®What kind of bullshit is she spouting this time?¡¯

    [If that¡¯s not the case, why aren''t you using your ¡®stigma¡¯?]

    ¡®What?¡¯

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes naturally headed towards the left side of his chest.

    Not towards the fake stigma he had engraved with his knife but towards the stigma of Lyra that was giving off a subtle glow.

    That¡¯s right.

    Until then, it had only given off a subtle light.

    Real stigmas would give off a much more brilliant light when used.

    ¡®Huh, then until now¡­¡¯

    He had been facing off against dozens of Ant-horns without even using his stigma.

    [Ah, I see. Even if you¡¯re a Regressor, you wouldn¡¯t be able to use the newly established stigma freely.]

    After thinking anding up with her own conclusion, the goddess nodded her head like she had understood.

    [For you, it must be the same as entering the body of a baby that¡¯s taking its first steps.]

    Although it was nothing but the goddess¡¯s own misunderstanding, the reason seemed to make some sense.

    He couldn''t miss this chance, especially when the opposing side presented the opportunity.

    He immediately nodded his head and answered.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. For me, this body is¡­ exactly the same as a baby¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡®Waah¡¯

    ¡®Me baby Ohjin.¡¯

    [I see, then my role will be to help that baby finish its baby steps.]

    ¡®¡­Mama?¡¯

    [I¡¯ll help you so that you can use thisdy¡¯s stigma easily.]

    -Ring!

    [Vega bestows upon you the Star¡¯s Blessing.]

    [The stigma of Lyra¡¯s proficiency temporarily increases!]

    Vega.

    ¡®Was that her name?¡¯

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    ¡®Isn¡¯t that a name I¡¯ve heard befo¡ª?¡¯

    <i>Bzzzzzt!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Without room to continue doubting, blue lightning crackled across his entire body.

    A blinding blue light explosively scattered out of the stigma on his left chest.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Grak, Graaaa!!¡±

    The Ant-horns that were momentarily hesitant started to rush in again.

    This time, they were in a formation with three Elders positioned in the middle.

    ¡°Huu¡­¡±

    Inhaling, he lowered his stance.

    <i>Bzz, Bzzzzt!!¡ª </i>

    The blue lightning that coiled around his body gathered around the spear''s tip.

    Swiftly straightening his crouched hips, he threw out his spear with zing blue lightning.

    ¡®Now, let¡¯s see.¡¯

    How incredible the strength of the stigma of Lyra is.

    ¡¶Blue Lightning Lv1¡· is activated.

    <i>C </i><i>R</i><i>A</i><i>C</i><i>K</i><i>L</i><i>E</i><i>! </i><i>!</i><i>!</i><i>! </i><i>!</i>

    ¡°¡­¡­!!¡±

    The lightning storm spread from the spear¡¯s tip, swept the surroundings away, and turned the surrounding Ant-horns into ashes.

    ¡®W-What was that?¡¯

    One Strike. (Ò»“ô)

    With just one attack, the Ant-horns that numbered in the dozens were turned into ashes.

    ¡°G-Grr!¡±

    ¡°Kra!¡±

    Within the lightning storm, the only survivors were the elder Ant-horns.

    One of the elders that took the lightning head-on had died immediately.

    ¡°Grrrrrr! Graa!!¡±

    ¡°Kraaa!!¡±

    <i>Step step step step!¡ª </i>

    The Ant-horns that had intuitively realized they were no match simultaneously turned their bodies and started to run away.

    ¡°¡­Hah.¡±

    With an overwhelmed expression, Ohjin absentmindedly watched the backs of the fleeing Ant-horns.

    ¡®Holy shit, what was that?¡¯

    That was not something a mere 1-Star Awakener could do.

    2-Star, no, at minimum, you would need to be at least a 3-Star Awakener to even attempt to mimic it.

    ¡®Just¡­ what is the stigma of Lyra?¡¯

    It was a constetion he had never heard of before.

    [Hmm. Indeed, you¡¯re quick to learn¡ªas expected of a Regressor.]

    Vega looked down upon the earth that was scorched by lightning with a satisfied smile.

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes headed towards her.

    Silver hair that came down to her waist, a goddess with blinding beauty.

    ¡®Vega.¡¯

    The goddess¡¯s name he had confirmed through the system window popped up in his head once again.

    ¡®Hmm¡­ Wait, Vega?¡¯

    At that moment, the faded memory of her name suddenly came to mind.

    ¡®Ve¡­ga?¡¯

    ¡®Vega?¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s Vega?¡¯

    ¡®No way.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s mouth opened wide.

    ¡°Star of the Weaver Girl¡­?¡±

    [Hmm? Did you call thisdy?]

    Golden eyes that shined like gems headed towards him.

    <i>Shiver¡ª</i>

    An electrifying sensation spread across his body.

    ¡°No fucking way¡­¡±

    The celestials that numbered hundreds¡­

    Even amongst those transcendental beings were ¡®leagues¡¯ of weaker and stronger authority.

    Furthermore, after the ¡®league¡¯ of the celestial, the Awakeners that followed could be divided ordingly.

    The celestials of the 12 Zodiacs were a staple.

    Just being granted the stigma of one of the 12 Zodiacs would make one in a different leaguepared to other Awakeners.

    -But even amongst them¡­

    Existences that even the celestials of the 12 Zodiacs wouldn¡¯t dare to challenge.

    The three stars known as the ¡®North Stars¡¯.

    Pris, Deneb, Vega.

    One of the top-rank celestials with a different ¡®league¡¯ other celestials wouldn¡¯t dare raise their heads to¡­ was the identity of the goddess in front of his eyes.

    ¡®Huh? What, then am I currently¡­¡¯

    He could now understand why he, a mere 1-Star Awakener, was able to easily wipe out the Ant-horns that numbered dozens.

    ¡®Scamming a top-rank celestial?¡¯

    He came to the realization that he was in the middle of an outrageous act.

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    He was screwed.

 Chapter 5: 5: Stigma of Pyxis (2)

    [What¡¯s wrong?]

    Looking at Ohjin¡¯s face that had suddenly stiffened, Vega tilted her head.

    The mysterious voice echoed throughout his head.

    He did his best to recover from his mental turmoil.

    ¡®Shit.¡¯

    <i>Gulp¡ª</i>

    Desperately suppressing the shaking at the tips of his fingers, he nervously swallowed his saliva.

    ¡®Think.¡¯

    Just how, with what method would he be able to solve this mind-boggling situation.

    ¡®Should I tell her that I lied because I thought I would die?¡¯

    He thought for a moment about letting everything go and telling her the truth.

    He didn¡¯t have to contemte for a long time.

    Nibbling on his lips, Ohjin clenched his fist.

    ¡®No.¡¯

    It was already toote.

    Whatever the reason was, the fact that he had lied against a celestial wouldn¡¯t change.

    A mere human¡­ had dared to make a fool of a god.

    ¡®¡­I need to deceive her.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t go back on what he had already done since it wasn¡¯t like he was a Regressor like Lee Shinhyuk.

    ¡®I¡¯ll need to see what I started through to the end.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes lit up.

    That was often how lies worked.

    Though you could decide to not lie at all, you couldn¡¯t lie just once.

    Once you decided to deceive someone, you would have to go through with it perfectly.

    Just like he had done with the Awakeners that had never even realized he had deceived them.

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯

    He organized his thoughts.

    Devise a method, make a n.

    It wasn¡¯t hard.

    It was something he had done as if breathing, for the past eight¡ª no, for his entire life.

    [Hmm?]

    Ohjin looked up towards the goddess that had been watching him with questioning eyes.

    <b>¡°I¡¯ve missed you, Vega,¡±</b>

    he said with a trembling voice.

    <i>Drip¡ª </i>

    Transparent tears flowed down his cheeks.

    [¡ªWhat?]

    He could see the goddess¡¯s eyes widen.

    One step at a time.

    He headed towards her.

    ¡°I thought¡­ I would never be able to see you again.¡±

    Whoosh!¡ª

    He pulled down on Vega¡¯s wrist.

    Naturally, her wrist didn¡¯t actually get pulled down, since there was no way a newborn Awakener would be able to pull down transcendent beings such as celestials.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯

    His goal wasn¡¯t to pull her down anyway.

    ¡°Hick¡­uuuuhhk!!¡±

    Kneeling down in front of her, he cried like an animal.

    ¡°It¡¯s a relief. I-It really is¡­ a relief¡­ hick!!¡±

    [¡­W-What are you doing?]

    The cold goddess that had seemed to be devoid of any emotions took a step back, flustered.

    He could clearly see the unrest in her golden eyes that shined like starlights.

    ¡®Good.¡¯

    He somehow seeded in making her flustered.

    ¡®This is just the beginning.¡¯

    Making the opponent flushed was incredibly important when deceiving.

    Although people weren¡¯t easy to deceive, when ced in a situation of sudden confusion, they would copse easily beyond one¡¯s imagination.

    It was the same reason why phone scammers started off with phrases such as ¡®I¡¯ve kidnapped your children.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m not sure if celestials are like people, but¡­¡¯

    There wasn¡¯t any time to make confirmations.

    ¡°Vega! I-It¡¯s me! Ohjin¡­ ah,¡± he spat out in a short breath, dropping his head with hollow eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ you forgot everything about me¡­¡±

    With a bitter expression, he slurred the end of his sentence.

    [¡­Just what kind of rtionship did you have with thisdy in the future?]

    Vega asked with embarrassment left in her voice.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s lips tightly closed as he slowly nodded his head.

    ¡°No, I apologize. It¡¯s¡­ yes. I-It¡¯s nothing. Please forget about what just happened.¡±

    He backed off with an expression that screamed out that it wasn¡¯t fucking nothing.

    [It doesn¡¯t seem to be nothing. Hurry up and tell me. Just what kind of rtion¡ª]

    ¡°Later.¡±

    Cutting off the goddess¡¯s words, he bitterly smiled.

    ¡°I will tell you¡­ter¡±

    He shook his head with a grieved smile.

    The important thing here was making an expression that seemed to have a story behind it.

    Scrupulous nces with a bit of trembling in the eyebrows.

    Even gently biting his lower lips, with his fingernails digging into his palms.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way one wouldn¡¯t get tricked by this.¡¯

    He wasn¡¯t so sure about other things, but he had the confidence to create a mood and make detailed expressions.

    [¡­I understand. It seems that you have a story. Moreover, to say that you thought you wouldn¡¯t see me again, huh¡­ I see. Thisdy must have eventually ended up perishing.]

    Vega nodded with quite aposed expression.

    ¡®Eventually?¡¯

    Her reaction that was soposed that it felt candid made Ohjin raise his eyes.

    In order to make herpletely believe that he was a ¡®Regressor¡¯ for the time being, he had roughly thrown out usible words that seemed to make sense, but, looking at her reaction, it seemed that there was something she knew.

    ¡®Does an existence that can make a top-rank celestial perish even exist?¡¯

    Even when he thought of the powerful monsters that were notorious amongst Awakeners, he couldn¡¯t imagine it.

    You could say it was obvious.

    In the first ce, the reason why celestials couldn¡¯t kill the monsters that took over one-third of the earth was not because they were weak but because of themandments that restricted them.

    ¡®Well, whatever.¡¯

    It was only good for him if the opponent was willing to y along.

    ¡°¡­were you already aware?¡±

    With a surprised expression, Ohjin widened his eyes.

    The goddess nodded with a dark expression.

    [Yes, I¡¯m already aware. The fact that thisdy¡­ no, that all of the celestials will eventually get devoured by the darkness of the ck Heaven.]

    ¡°That¡¯s right. By the ck Heaven¡­¡±

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    ¡®ck Heaven?¡¯

    ¡®Isn¡¯t the ck Heaven the thing from earlier?¡¯

    In that moment of desperation.

    The power he had awakened.

    The dark cloud that absorbed Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s stigma.

    ¡®Why do I have that?¡¯

    A chill ran up his spine.

    An ominous feeling passed by his head.

    ¡®A few moments ago, she mentioned something about the end.¡¯

    When Vega first appeared, she had titled him ¡®The one and only savior of a world that was destined to meet its end¡¯.

    <i>End.</i>

    <i>That¡¯s right; the Earth was a ¡®world destined to end¡¯.</i>

    <i>Though there was no way to tell if it was a prophecy or a prediction.</i>

    Vega already knew the fact that the Earth would be in peril from the beginning¡­

    ¡®And Lee Shinhyuk regressed in order to stop that.¡¯

    Up to that point, it didn¡¯t really matter.

    The problem was¡­

    ¡®¡ªThe existence that brings about the end of the world is me?¡¯

    Hah.

    It was such a ridiculous story that he couldn¡¯t even joke about it.

    ¡®What kind of bullshit is that.¡¯

    Aside from having the ability to end the world, there wasn¡¯t a reason to do so in the first ce.

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    His mind went nk white.

    In his heart, he just wanted to shove his fist up his mouth and cry.

    [You¡¯re spacing out again.]

    Vega spoke out as if she was worried.

    Like a ssh of cold water, his confused mind was woken up.

    ¡®Not good.¡¯

    If he continued to show weird appearances, she would start to have some doubts.

    ¡®I need to stop doing that.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s just that I was thinking about¡­ the memories from back then,¡± Ohjin said with a sinking voice.

    [The memories from back then?]

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the memories from when this Earth had met its end.¡±

    [¡­¡­]

    * * *

    * * *

    Vega closed her lips in silence.

    ¡°The sky¡­ was colored by a thick darkness. A lot of people¡ªan uncountable amount of people¡ªdied.¡±

    [¡­Is that so?]

    ¡®I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m just spitting bullshit as ites.¡¯

    ¡°However, I returned.¡±

    One step forward.

    ¡°I gained the opportunity to change the world.¡±

    He approached Vega and carefully held her hands.

    Her hands in his grasp were soft to the point that it was hard to believe she was a god-like existence.

    [L-Let go.]

    ¡°I won¡¯t let go.¡±

    Firmly nodding his head, he increased the strength of his grip.

    ¡°I won¡¯t lose you again.¡±

    [¡­¡­]

    ¡°I¡¯ll protect you this time.¡±

    [Regressor¡­]

    ¡°It¡¯s Ohjin. Gwon Ohjin.¡±

    [¡­Thisdy has no memories of you.]

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡®Because the truth is, I don¡¯t either.¡¯

    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to make new memories; we can recover the things we¡¯ve lost.¡±

    Gently releasing the strength in his hands, he smiled faintly.

    ¡°So that we can do that¡ª¡±

    Once he decided to trick her, he couldn¡¯t be satisfied by simply deceiving her.

    No, he couldn¡¯t be satisfied.

    ¡®I need power.¡¯

    In order to be a Regressor, to at least prove that he was the ¡®one and only savior¡¯, it was necessary to have power.

    And in order to achieve that,

    ¡°¡ªcould you lend me some strength?¡±

    He would use anything at his disposal.

    Even if it was an existence that could make celestials bow down with their presence.

    [¡­¡­]

    Vega slowly closed her eyes and shortly after started to slowly nod her head.

    [Regressor¡­ No, Awakener Gwon Ohjin.]

    She continued with a solemn expression.

    [The existence who goes against destiny, the heaven-defying star.]

    The goddess slowly reached out her hands.

    [For you with a dark and perilous road ahead, may thisdy¡¯s starlight illuminate up the path.]

    The tips of her paper-white fingers touched his forehead.

    -Ring!

    [Star of the Weaver Girl, Vega, wishes to appoint you as an apostle.]

    [Will you ept?]

    Feeling the cold sensations on the tip of his forehead, he slowly nodded his head.

    <i>Owooong!!!¡ª</i>

    Radiant starlight bloomed.

    He could feel the silver light that shot out from her hands pushing into his body like a tsunami.

    And then,

    [The ¡®ck Heaven¡¯ is absorbing the stigma¡¯s mana.]

    [You have achieved part of the conditions required for the ¡®ck Heaven¡¯s second awakening!]

    A blue message appeared in front of his eyes.

    A power one step higher than when he first awakened spread throughout his body.

    ¡°Thank you, Vega.¡±

    Putting aside the message box, he once again gently grabbed the fingers touching his forehead.

    ¡°I will vow on this spot.¡±

    He continued in a low voice.

    <b>¡°In order for you to not get devoured by the darkness of the ck Heaven, I will protect you.¡±</b>

    A vow that contained a firm resolution.

    His two eyes that burned with willingness stared into the gaze of the goddess.

    [What a truly dependable vow.]

    Nodding her head, Vega silently giggled.

    [By the way¡­ who is that person?]

    The ce her eyes headed to was the corpse of Lee Shinhyuk, whose entire body had been burnt to a crisp.

    ¡°In the past¡­ no, it¡¯s in the present now. He¡¯s a scammer that tricked me into this gate.¡±

    Ohjin answered immediately¡ªlike he had been waiting for this question all along.

    ¡®It¡¯d be weird to not ask this question when there¡¯s a corpse burnt to death right next to me.¡¯

    Since it was something he had predicted beforehand, there was no need to hesitate.

    [A scammer?]

    ¡°Yes, haha¡­ I went through some tough times because of this bastard; I got robbed of all my money and equipment.¡±

    [Is that why you took revenge right after regressing?]

    ¡°It¡¯s not just because of that.¡±

    He shook his head with a serious expression.

    ¡°In a couple of years, that person will be a member of a crime organization made up of Awakeners and be a malicious being that plunders from the innocent.

    [Aha.]

    Vega nodded her head.

    [Eliminating the evil of the future, huh¡­ it truly is the actions of a Regressor.]

    With no intentions of inquiring any longer, her gaze left the corpse of Lee Shinhyuk.

    <i>Bzz¡ª </i>

    [Uht.]

    At that moment, a blue spark jumped out of the goddess¡¯s body that was observing the surroundings.

    [Although I wish to share a longer conversation¡­ it seems that themandment¡¯s restriction has started.]

    ¡°Commandment¡¯s restriction¡­?¡±

    [Didn¡¯t I grant you a blessing a few moments ago? Even though it wasn¡¯t direct, it was still an action that clearly vited themandments.]

    ¡°Ah. I see.¡±

    Celestials were fundamentally restricted by themandments which prevented them from directly intervening with the world.

    ¡®Still, I can¡¯t let my guard down.¡¯

    Just like she had done when granting him a blessing, celestials could endure the ¡®restriction¡¯ and slightly intervene in the world.

    In fact, the appearance of monsters no different from cmities that no Awakener could possibly face had caused the celestials to personally step in a couple of times.

    Which meant¡ª

    ¡®If they put their mind to it, they can easily kill a mere scammer that dared to make a fool out of a god.¡¯

    ¡ªthemandments couldn¡¯t protect him.

    The moment that he was caught not being a Regressor, themandment¡¯s restriction wouldn¡¯t mean shit, and he would end up crushed within the hands of the furious celestial.

    ¡®It¡¯ll be better if I die alone.¡¯

    ¡®But possibly¡­¡¯

    ¡®By any chance¡­¡¯

    ¡®If the aftermath reaches my ¡®surroundings¡¯¡­¡¯

    ¡®No. I need to prevent that from happening, no matter what.¡¯

    [As a matter of fact, because materializing this form is already an act that vites themandments¡­ thisdy will now return to her sanctum.]

    Sanctum.

    A dimension that celestials would usually stay in, they were able to use them like gates to enter and exit through select areas around the Earth.

    Although, as only Awakeners were able to enter, he had never been to one before.

    [In one week¡¯s time,e find thisdy at her sanctuary. Let¡¯s talk about future ns when that timees.]

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    He respectfully bowed down his body.

    <i>Owoooh!¡ª</i>

    Soon after the sound of low-pitched echos, the goddess¡¯s body became silver stardust and dispersed into the air.

    ¡°¡­haaa¡±

    Ohjin, who was left alone, took a deep sigh and sat down on the spot.

    ¡®God dammit, just how did this happen?¡¯

    ¡°¡­First, should I start by returning home?¡±

    He had a splitting headache with so many thoughts swimming through his head all at once.

    ¡®Still.¡¯

    He pulled his shirt and looked down at the left side of his chest.

    On that ce, not the fake stigma that he had inscribed with a knife, but a ¡®real¡¯ stigma could be seen.

    Smirk.

    Looking at the stigma, the sides of his mouth went up on their own.

    ¡°I guess not only bad things happened.¡±

    Actually, this was a rather good opportunity.

    If he could take advantage of this opportunity, he could possess strength other Awakeners couldn¡¯t dare to imagine.

    ¡®Although there are still many mountains left to cross.¡¯

    Thinking about the regression and ck Heaven once more, he started to have a splitting headache again.

    ¡®Let¡¯s think about it at home.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t a problem that could be solved by sitting around and contemting.

    ¡°Well then¡­¡±

    Before exiting through the gate, there was one final thing left to do.

    ¡°Should we take a look at how much mister Regressor had been carrying around?¡±

    He started to rummage through the coal-ck corpse of Lee Shinhyuk.

    Even though the leather armor was ruined by burns, fortunately, the wallet was unharmed.

    ¡°Holy shit, why does this bastard carry $2000 in cash around?¡±

    Once Ohjin saw the wallet stacked with cash, he started to lick his lips while cackling out loud.

    After the gates turned the Earth into chaos, even though cases of people carrying around cash had increased, it was still abnormal to carry thousands of dors around.

    ¡°I¡¯ll also use your weapon well, bugger.¡±

    While smirking, Ohjin stood up after looting all the things that looked to be worth money off of Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    At that moment, something strange stood out in his eyes.

    He took a closer look at the face of the burnt Lee Shinhyuk.

    ¡°The fuck? Is this guy smiling?¡±

    ¡®Maybe he¡¯s having a good dream?¡¯

 Chapter 6: 6: Stigma of Pyxis (3)

    ¡°Two Whopper sets~ The totales out to $15.80! Do you want it to go?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll have it to go.¡±

    He ordered dinner from a nearby burger store on his way back home.

    ¡®Fucking hell, why are burgers this expensive.¡¯

    The hands that took out the dor bills from his wallet started to shake like an alcoholic patient.

    Buying something that cost three times the price of $2 frozen burgers made him want to throw up his intestines.

    ¡°Here are the two Whopper sets you ordered~!¡±

    Leaving behind the clerk, who had a bright smile, he started to move his feet.

    He moved towards a narrow alley filled with old and crumbling homes.

    The sharp smell of mold and damp humidity entered his nose.

    ¡°¡­haa¡±

    Looking up to the dark sky, he threw up a short sigh.

    ¡®Ultimately, is it back to lying?¡¯

    Suddenly, old memories started to surface in his head.

    Memories from when he was young, over 15 years ago.

    Fragments of memories that now felt unfamiliar started to float around his head.

    -Lies? Did you say you were lying?

    Was it when he was around eight or nine years old?

    There was a time when he pranked the director by lying about the kitchen being on fire.

    He could see the bald director¡¯s beet-red face.

    Throwing up the middle finger towards the director, Ohjin let out cacklingughter.

    -You goddamn little bastard!!

    The director¡¯s steaming face distorted as he headed towards Ohjin with clenched fists.

    He was an average male in his forties, possessing the ultimate trinity force known as high blood pressure, diabetes, and balding.

    He had a surprising talent of holding back just enough to not leave any scars; even professionals would have been shocked to see it.

    Fists rained down on top of Ohjin¡¯s crouched body.

    -Don¡¯t hit our Ohjin, you bald bitch!!

    With red hair that waved like fire, a young girl took off.

    In contrast to her sweet, doll-like face, the girl¡¯s movements were nimble and ferocious like that of a savage beast.

    However, even if that was the case, a mere 10-year-old girl couldn¡¯t stop the force of an adult.

    -You two!!!

    The bald director violently swung his fists around.

    Ohjin and the girl embraced each other, enduring the assault of the director.

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed from when we were young.¡±

    Laughing bitterly, he walked through a path so deste that it looked as if it had been assaulted by monsters and arrived at his home.

    <i>Creaaak¡ª</i>

    After opening the worn-out door, he could see the insides of his cramped house¡ªit didn¡¯t even total 355 square feet.

    ¡°Arghh.¡±

    Did they awaken from the sound of the door opening?

    Together with the sound of light groan, the shabby bed wailed out creaking noises.

    ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±

    He roughly ced the burgers on the ground and took off his shoes.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Folding back the nkets, a woman sat up.

    Red hair, reminiscent of fire.

    Akin to a ruby in mud, inside of the run-down house that reeked of mold, was a woman that shone out beautifully.

    She, who had just woken from sleep, slowly focused her eyes on Ohjin.

    No.

    The expression ¡®focused her eyes¡¯ wasn¡¯t appropriate.

    Because¡ª

    ¡°¡­you¡¯re here?¡±

    ¡ªon the surface of her faded white pupils, no reflection could be seen.

    <i>Fold¡ª</i>

    She clumsily folded the nkets back.

    Inside of the folded nkets, her pure white legs were exposed.

    Where there should have been two, only her left leg remained.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.

    He smirked while nodding his head.

    The red-haired woman gazed upward towards Ohjin.

    ¡°If you''re here¡ª hurry up and give me a cig.¡±

    She stuck out two fingers with a grin.

    The appearance of her nonchntly sticking out her hand like he was a servant made Ohjin chuckle.

    ¡°Back with the bullshit as soon as I¡¯m here?¡±

    ¡°Oh~ Bullshit? Is that something you would say to this sister that¡¯s akin to the sky?¡±

    ¡°Fuck off with the sister.¡±

    ¡°I heard that was a trend nowadays.¡±

    ¡®Is it?¡¯

    ¡°Sister Ha-eun¡­¡±

    ¡°Urrghh. Stop. My insides are curling.¡±

    ¡°But you''re the one who told me to.¡±

    ¡°Kyahaha!! It sounds weird after hearing it.¡±

    Looking at her acting like normal, Ohjin¡¯s lips secretly curled into a smile.

    ¡®It looks like nothing bad happened.¡¯

    Song Ha-eun.

    A woman two years older than him. She had be Ohjin¡¯s one and only crutch throughout the hell-like orphanage.

    The tenacious rtion from the orphanage days continued even after they came out of the orphanage.

    Although, it was shaky and slobby.

    Clearly.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    He rolled up the receipt he received after buying the burgers and ced them in between her fingers.

    <i>Click!¡ª</i>

    He lit up his lighter.

    ¡°Sssptt¡­ Kek! Cough! W-What is this?!

    ¡°Cigarette.¡±

    ¡°No it isn¡¯t, you bastard!¡± Ha-eun shouted out while violently throwing the burning receipt onto the ground.

    He picked up the receipt and extinguished the fire with his fingers.

    ¡°Smoke in moderation. What if you get sick on top of your situation.¡±

    ¡°Heh. Even if I look like this, I¡¯m still way healthier than you.¡±

    Shrugging her shoulders, Ha-eun smirked.

    She wasn¡¯t bluffing.

    In reality, she possessed a body several times healthier than him.

    Because she was an ¡®Awakener¡¯.

    ¡®Though she¡¯s only a half-Awakener that can¡¯t use her stigma¡¯s mana.¡¯

    But it didn¡¯t change the fact that she possessed body specs miles superior to him.

    No, to be more urate¡­

    She <i>had</i> possessed.

    ¡®It¡¯s different now.

    ¡®Since I have also be an Awakener.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ve bought some food for us to eat.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thanks. What¡¯s on the menu?¡±

    ¡°Burgers.¡±

    ¡°Hehe! Nice! You have some good tastes!¡± Ha-eun snickered in satisfaction.

    She liked burgers.

    Not because she thought the taste was special, but because they were easy to hold and eat.

    For her who couldn¡¯t see, using cutlery was no easy task.

    <i>Rustle¡ª</i>

    He removed the wrapping and handed the burger over to her.

    Nom.

    She chewed on the hamburger with her small mouth.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Her eyes opened wide.

    She ripped more bites off of the burger like she couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°W-What is this? Why is it so tasty?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because it isn¡¯t frozen; I bought it from the restaurant.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s mouth opened wide.

    ¡°A-Are you sick somewhere? Did you get hit on the head by a monster?¡±

    Her voice faintly trembled; she couldn¡¯t possibly believe what she was hearing.

    Ohjin

    He wondered for a moment about why she was making such a big deal out of a burger set that wasn¡¯t even $10, but looking back at his past actions, he could understand her reaction.

    ¡°I got some money.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not like you weren¡¯t buying them because you didn¡¯t have the money to.¡±

    As she said, even if it was a little extreme, the reason why he saved living expenses wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t have money.

    Though it was true that he wasn¡¯t earning a lot considering that it was a job risking his life, he had still earned over ten thousand in a month before.

    He could have bought a burger set that wasn¡¯t even a mere $10 any time they wanted.

    ¡®Though we¡¯ve never eaten it until now.¡¯

    Even so.

    The reason why he was so persistent in saving money was to save up a little faster.

    <b>¡®Since there¡¯s something I need to buy at all costs.¡¯</b>

    * * *

    * * *

    Ohjin staringly gazed at Ha-eun, who had been stuffing down the burger.

    ¡°There¡¯s sauce on your lips.¡±

    ¡°Ah, really?¡±

    Ha-eun turned her head and stuck out her chin.

    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll give you the honor of being able to touch my lips.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re driving me nuts.¡±

    He wiped off her lips with tissues.

    ¡°Hehe! Hey, what¡¯s this called?¡±

    ¡°Whopper set.¡±

    ¡°Kya! As expected of the king of burgers!¡±

    Ha-eun smirked in satisfaction.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll buy this instead of frozen burgers from now on.¡±

    Ohjin took a bite of his burger as well.

    ¡®How disgustingly delicious.¡¯

    It was in a different realm from the frozen burgers he usually ate.

    The taste was so good it made him want to shove his fist up his mouth and cry out.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    There was an awkward silence.

    Ha-eun¡¯s nk white sight headed towards Ohjin.

    ¡°You¡­ something happened today, didn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Ohjin calmly nodded his head.

    ¡°I became an Awakener.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    <i>¡ªSsh</i>

    Ha-eun spilled the c she was holding all over the floor.

    * * *

    Late at night.

    A delicate moonlight seeped through the window frame.

    ¡°Phew. I finally have some time.¡±

    After exining this and that to the freaked out Ha-eun, it became night before he knew it.

    ¡®Well, it was only natural to be that surprised.¡¯

    Since he had suddenly be an Awakener and an apostle of one of the ¡®North Stars¡¯ at that, it would be rather strange to not be astonished by that fact.

    Naturally, he couldn¡¯t immediately tell her all of theplicated story.

    ¡®¡­How do I exin that I scammed a celestial into thinking I¡¯m a Regressor.¡¯

    After the situation was a bit organized, his splitting headache started once again.

    Ohjin, who had gone to the nearby yground, closed his eyes while sitting on the squeaking swing.

    ¡®First of all, this ck Heaven.¡¯

    An unknown power that ate up the stigma of Lyra that was engraved on the left chest of Lee Shinhyuk.

    ¡®¡­this is something that I¡¯ve always had with me.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t understand why on earth that unknown power was with him, but he was certain of one thing; whatever this ck Heaven was, it was something that he had originally possessed and was unrted to ¡®Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s regression.

    There was no way Vega would have mistaken him as a Regressor if it wasn¡¯t for the ck Heaven absorbing the stigma of Lyra in the first ce.

    ¡®And Vega believes that the existence that carries the ck Heaven will destroy the world in the future.¡¯

    If that was true, it would mean that he was the one that would destroy the world in the future.

    Every time he thought about it, it just didn¡¯t make any sense to him.

    ¡®Just what happened to me during the first round.¡¯

    He always thought it was a fucked up world, but he had never thought that it would be nice to destroy the entire world.

    ¡®This is¡­ something I can¡¯t figure out, so let¡¯s move on.¡¯

    The problem was the fact that he was carrying the ck Heaven.

    ¡®I need to hide this at all costs.¡¯

    Whatever happened, he couldn¡¯t let it be discovered.

    The moment the ck Heaven¡¯s existence was discovered, the truth that he was not a Regressor but a third party that had absorbed the stigma of a Regressor would be exposed.

    ¡®Wait, but what is this ck Heaven thing anyway?¡¯

    The power to absorb stigmas and make them his own.

    Although he had participated in a lot of parties with diverse Awakeners until now, he had never heard of a power like this before.

    Ohjin confirmed the system window that only Awakeners could see and clicked where the ¡®ck Heaven¡¯ was disyed.

    -Ring!

    The blue message box appeared in front of his eyes.

    [Innate Ability List]

    [ck Heaven]

    1. State: First awakening

    2. Trait

    ¢Ù Stigma Absorption : Absorbs the mana of stigmas and stores them within the ck Heaven.

    ¢Ú ck Curtain : Completely shrouds the ck Heaven¡¯s presence.

    This trait can also be used on possessed stigmas.

    ¢Û Transmission : Reads the records contained in stigmas.

    This trait is influenced ording to the awakening stage.

    3. Possessed Stigma

    ¢Ù Stigma of Lyra : Currently designated as the main stigma.

    ¡°¡­uh¡±

    Ohjin, who had confirmed the message box, let out a low-pitched mumble.

    ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can figure out with this.¡¯

    It was just a summary of what features the ¡®ck Heaven¡¯ had. It didn¡¯t exin what it was and why it was with him.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s also move over this.¡±

    Eventually, he temporarily put aside thinking ¡®why is this happening to me¡¯.

    Since it wasn¡¯t like he would find new information by sitting there contemting.

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case.¡¯

    ¡®What I need to start thinking about is ¡®what should I do from now on.¡¯

    ¡°A Regressor¡­¡±

    ¡®The most important thing right now is how to look a little more ¡®regressful¡¯ in the meeting with Vega in a week¡¯s time.¡¯

    ¡®There¡¯s a limit with just words.¡¯

    No matter how much he used his words, if he didn¡¯t get recognition for his ability and skills, Vega would start to have some doubts.

    ¡®To receive Vega¡¯s recognition¡­¡¯

    There was a need to raise the stigma of Lyra¡¯s ¡®star¡¯ as fast as possible.

    ¡®At the minimum, I need to reach 2-Star by next week.¡¯

    Awakeners needed to achieve two requirements in order to promote.

    ¡®The amount of mana stored in the stigma and the proficiency of the stigma.¡¯

    There was no need to think about the former.

    ¡®I have overwhelming amounts of mana.¡¯

    He was in a situation where he had been granted stigmas by both the Vega of the ¡®First Round¡¯ and the ¡®Second Round¡¯.

    Rather, he was in a situation where he had so much mana that it could be a problem.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­¡±

    It meant that if he could increase his proficiency in handling his stigma, he could ¡®promote¡¯ much fasterpared to other Awakeners.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to visit the dungeon tomorrow.¡±

    Was it two or three years ago?

    One Awakener that he had partied with said that there was nothing better at raising a stigma¡¯s proficiency in a short time than fighting in realbat.

    In reality, all high-ranked Awakeners that had explosive growth went looking for dungeons.

    ¡®Should I go to sleep?¡¯

    <i>Creak¡ª </i>

    He got up from the swing and started to exit the gloomy yground.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Taking a look at his smartphone on the way home, a news article caught his attention.

    [Inside a 1-Star dungeon located in Incheon, Sinheung-dong, a phenomenon where Ant-horns traveled in herds of over 20 urred¡­ victims ¡®one after another¡¯.]

    It was the dungeon he went to earlier that day.

    [As the association believes that this phenomenon could mean the appearance of a ¡®mutant¡¯, they request that you refrain from entering for the time being.]

    ¡°¡­A mutant.¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t see a mutant back then, but¡­¡¯

    It could be that he missed it since he wasn¡¯t in a situation where he could care about if there was a mutant or not.

    ¡®¡­can I take it on?

    A monster¡¯s mutation emerged extremely rarely.

    ording to the situation, there were times when mutants were weaker than normal, but they normally possessed more powerpared to the original species.

    It was a monster that no newborn 1-Star Awakeners could possibly ovee.

    However.

    He wasn¡¯t your average 1-Star Awakener.

    Just being a 1-Star apostle of the 12 Zodiacs would give you several times more prestige than other apostles, but he was an apostle of one of the ¡®North Stars¡¯ that even the 12 Zodiacs wouldn''t darepare to.

    Truthfully, he had also ughtered herds of Ant-horns that numbered dozens earlier that day.

    Of course, he did receive the help of Vega in the middle, but¡ª

    ¡®It was manageable even before receiving the blessing.¡¯

    ¡ªhe actually thought it was rather too easy.

    And that was when he only possessed Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s stigma of Lyra from the ¡®First Round¡¯.

    He didn¡¯t even have to think of how much easier it would be with the added stigma of Lyra from the ¡®Second Round¡¯.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Ohjin finished his thoughts and calmly nodded his head.

    His destination for the next day was set.

    * * *

    The next day.

    Ohjin headed to the location he had first met Lee Shinhyuk.

    ¡°I¡¯m a 2-Star Awakener of Fornax! Does anyone want to party?!¡±

    ¡°2-Star Awakener of the Greater Dog here! Looking to hunt for the mutant!¡±

    Arriving In front of the gate, the rowdy shouts entered his ears.

    ¡®There¡¯s quite a lot of people.¡¯

    Even though the association had requested them to refrain from entering, there were more Awakeners gathered in front of the gate.

    ¡®I think I heard that the starstones of mutants were much more expensive?¡¯

    It appeared that they gathered for the same reason of hunting the mutant that he had.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Ohjin stopped his feet and was temporarily lost in thought.

    ¡®Should I join a party?¡¯

    He no longer had the need to perform a shit show now that he had be a real Awakener.

    ¡®¡­No¡¯

    Ohjin, who had been temporarily in thought, slowly shook his head.

    He had the confidence to face the mutant alone anyway.

    In addition to having to divide the profits, it would also make it harder for him to experience proper ¡®realbat¡¯.

    ¡°Well then, should I go?¡±

    He headed inside the dungeon, towards the location of where he had met the Ant-horn herd.

    The sticky humidity made the dark forest road even more unpleasant.

    <i>Rustle¡ª</i>

    The sound of bushes shaking.

    ¡®They¡¯reing.¡¯

    He grasped the spear slung on his back and lowered his posture.

    T/n: Constetion ¡®the Greater Dog¡¯ is the ¡®Canis Major¡¯ which is Latin for ¡®greater dog¡¯, which is also the constetion that contains Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky known as the ¡®dog star¡¯.

    Incheon ¡ú City in South Korea

    Sinheung-dong ¡ú Administrative neighborhood in South Korea ?

 Chapter 7: 7: Hyenas (1)

    ¡°Graaaaa!!¡±

    Six Ant-horns simultaneously jumped out of the bush.

    Judging by the two that were muchrger than the others, it seemed that there were ¡®Elders¡¯ amongst them.

    ¡°Hmpf.¡±

    He took a quick breath in and added strength to the spear within his grasp, focusing his mind towards his left chest.

    <i>¡ªOwooong!</i>

    The blue light of the stigma zed up.

    A powerful strength spread across his body.

    ¡°Grrrr!¡±

    One elder Ant-horn sharply raced across from the left.

    His body moved naturally ording to the spearmanship inherited by Lee Shinhyuk.

    <i>Crack!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Grreeeeegh!!¡±

    After he shoved the spear¡¯s shaft inside the Ant-horn¡¯s face, the Ant-horn tried to use its sharp chin to break the shaft.

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    <i>Crunch!¡ª</i>

    He bent the shaft while simultaneously using the heel of his foot to stomp down on the Ant-horn¡¯s head.

    The Ant-horn¡¯s shell that had been unscathed after taking a hit by a bullet waspletely crushed with a simple kick.

    ¡®Good.¡¯

    His body felt as light as a feather.

    The muscles all over his body wriggled like they were breathing.

    ¡°Graaak!¡±

    He easily dodged the Ant-horn that tried to strike from behind by lowering his body and then grabbed onto the Ant-horn''s back legs that were flying past his head.

    ¡°Grk?!¡±

    The Ant-horn struggled as if he was shocked.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    He threw the Ant-horn he was holding towards the herd.

    Grrrakkkk!¡ª

    The Ant-horn that flew away like a cannon hit the other Ant-horns and tumbled across the floor.

    ¡®As expected, my body specs alone put me in a different realmpared to normal 1-Star Awakeners.

    An Ant-horn¡¯s average weight was approximately 80kg.

    It wasn¡¯t an easy task to one-handedly throw something that was the weight of two rice sacks like a cannon without being an Awakener of Taurus¡ªespecially if you were nothing but a 1-Star Awakener.

    ¡®My body specs aren¡¯t the only monstrous thing.¡¯

    The real strength of the stigma of Lyra revealed itself when he activated it with his mana.

    <i>Bzz, Bzzzzt!¡ª </i>

    Powerful rays of light scattered out of his left chest while blue lightning arced across his body.

    ¡°¡­Is it too early for me to replicate what I did back then?¡¯

    When Vega had granted him her blessing¡­

    Different from back then when it looked like a blue lightning storm that would sweep the surroundings away, the current lightning around his body was but a tiny spark, like a three-day starved pikachu using thunderbolt.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    You couldn¡¯t expect much from the first attempt.

    He didn¡¯te to this ce to see if he could amplify his lightning like he had when he received the blessing in the first ce.

    ¡°Grrrrr!¡±

    ¡°Graaaaah!¡±

    The tangled Ant-horns let out an eerie shriek full of fury while charging towards him.

    ¡®Let¡¯s leave the misceneous thoughts forter.¡¯

    Now was the time to focus onbat.

    He fiercely jabbed out his spear, following Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s movements that were engraved onto his brain.

    * * *

    Inside the forest filled with sticky humidity.

    On the vacant lot created by burnt woonds where Ant-horn corpses had been burnt to a crisp.

    A reeking stench pricked his nose.

    ¡°Kya, just how much is all of this?¡±

    Ohjin rummaged through the corpses and put the starstones he harvested into his sack.

    The palm-sized sack was hefty.

    It was the kind of hefty that made the side of his lips go up.

    ¡®Will this rack me around $800?¡¯

    Around three hours of hunting for $800.

    Without a party, there wasn¡¯t even a need to split up the money.

    It made him feel hollow about how he had been risking his life while performing a shit show to earn $200-300 a day.

    ¡°This is why everyone¡¯s going crazy about bing an Awakener.¡±

    He had heard on the news that in order to be selected by a celestial, people would gather up and head to the gate that leads to the sanctum to say their prayers every day.

    He could now slightly understand their feelings.

    ¡®Although if you look at the fatality rate of Awakeners, it isn¡¯t purely good.¡¯

    ¡®Well, whatever.¡¯

    There was a saying that money was more important than the price of life.

    ¡°Anyways¡­ the saying that realbat is the best in raising proficiency was definitely true.¡±

    <i>Bzz, Bzzzzt!¡ª</i>

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shined as he made lightning easily at the tip of his fingers.

    In just three hours, controlling lightning with his stigma became quite natural to him.

    ¡®I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m fast or if everyone else is capable of doing this much.¡¯

    Since there were no other Awakeners that possessed the stigma of Lyra, he couldn¡¯t make any urateparisons.

    He changed the form of the lightning on the tip of his fingers into a ball and rolled it around his body.

    ¡®Well, I¡¯ll figure it out sooner orter.¡¯

    Ohjin himself was not aware of this, but if he had joined another party, their eyes would probably have popped out in astonishment.

    Usually, the higher the ¡®league¡¯ of a stigma, the more difficult it would be to raise the proficiency inpensation for their mighty power.

    Even an apostle of the 12 Zodiac would take years to develop their stigmas, but for him, who was an apostle of one of the North Stars, to use his stigma naturally in mere hourspletely defiedmon sense.

    ¡ªHowever.

    He defied thatmon sense.

    Without even realizing that he was a <b>unique existence.</b>

    ¡°Well then.¡±

    Narrowing his eyes, Ohjin took a look at his surroundings.

    He refrained from cing the spear back in its sheathe and decided to keep his grasp on it.

    ¡°The Ant-horns'' movements are definitely strange.¡±

    Unlike the usual herds with one Elder in charge, the herds of Ant-horns he had bumped into today had two or more Elders moving together.

    In other words, it meant that there was an ¡®upper species¡¯ that presided over the Elder Ant-horns.

    ¡°The problem is that I don¡¯t know where that guy is¡­¡±

    He tried to find it directly, but it seemed like another method was necessary.

    ¡°It¡¯s a relief I brought this just in case.¡±

    Ohjin opened the zipper on his sling bag and took out a square blood pack.

    It was one of his ¡®business tools¡¯, a very useful item that he used to act injured.

    ¡®Although it isn¡¯t human blood, but pig blood.¡¯

    ¡®It probably won¡¯t be a problem since Ant-horns aren¡¯t picky between humans and animals.¡¯

    <i>Ssh!¡ª </i>

    After tearing open the blood pack and spraying it over the floor, he hid his presence above a nearby tree.

    <i>Rustle, Rustle, Rustle!¡ª </i>

    ¡®Nice.¡¯

    A short moment after spraying the blood, together with the sound of bushes shaking, he could see the herd of Ant-horns flock in.

    They numbered around 20.

    And in the middle¡ª

    ¡®Found him.¡¯

    ¡ªthere was a ck-shelled Ant-horn with the build of a tiger.

    You could tell with one nce that it was distinctively different from the other red-shelled Ant-horns.

    As the association had predicted, a mutant appeared.

    ¡®Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡¯

    No matter how powerful the stigma of Lyra was, facing over 20 monsters in a prolonged battle was difficult.

    Blitzkrieg.

    He needed to eliminate the mutant in at least three minutes.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Standing up above the tree, he took in a sharp breath.

    <i>Thump.</i>

    An electrifying thrill spread from his spine as his heart pulsated.

    The stigma engraved on his left chest started to spew out light.

    <i>Bzzt!¡ª</i>

    zing blue lightning.

    And then¡ª

    ¡®¡­huh?¡¯

    ¡ªas if dark clouds had covered up the sky, his sight was suddenly drowned in darkness.

    The only thing he could see through the deep dark was the figure of the mutant Ant-horn.

    ¡®Was this ce always this dark?¡¯

    He didn¡¯t know.

    His body moved before he could continue his thoughts.

    <i>Crunch!¡ª</i>

    Kicking off the tree, he soared upwards.

    With the weight of his entire body, he pointed the spear¡¯s de towards the ground.

    <i>Crackle!!!¡ª </i>

    The lightning intertwined with the spear¡¯s de.

    Unlike before, the blue lightning that fluttered like mes had a <b>jet-ck darkness</b> mixed within it.

    * * *

    * * *

    [ ¡¶ Thunder Fall Lv 1 ¡· is activated.]

    <i>R</i>

    <i>U</i>

    <i>M</i>

    <i>B</i>

    <i>L</i>

    <i>E</i>

    <i>!</i>

    <i>!</i>

    <i>!</i>

    The thunder spear fell down like aet.

    Piercing through the back of the mutant Ant-horn, the spear dug into the ground.

    The stench of flesh burning wafted.

    ¡°Huh? What?¡±

    ¡®One blow?¡¯

    ¡®It really died in one blow?¡¯

    Even if it was a sudden ambush, Ohjin, who hadn¡¯t imagined that the ¡®Mutant¡¯ Ant-horn would die immediately, was very shocked.

    ¡°Grreeen!!¡±

    ¡°Grhaag!¡±

    After the mutant had died, the surrounding Ant-horns fell into confusion and spun round and round on the spot until they turned their bodies to flee.

    ¡°Oh, hey! Wait!!¡±

    Ohjin, who hadn''t thought that the Ant-horn herd would dissolve this easily, shouted out in a rush without having the time to chase after the fleeing Ant-horns.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to run, spit out your starstones first, you fucks!!!¡±

    One starstone out of an Ant-horn was approximately $20.

    It was precious money that could be used to buy as many as 3 Whopper sets.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    <i>Grab!¡ª</i>

    He tried to pluck the spear out of the ground to give chase, but it wasn¡¯t easy to pull out, as the spear was stuck so deep into the ground.

    Eventually.

    ¡°Hah¡­¡±

    Ohjin let out a deep sigh and gave up on the chase.

    ¡®It¡¯s unfortunate, but whatever, I¡¯ve got the mutant anyway.¡¯

    As mutants weren¡¯t amon appearance, the starstone of a mutant was worth a minimum of $1000.

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    Just thinking about it made hisughtere out.

    As he turned his body to harvest the starstone,

    <i>Zap!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    An electrifying feeling could be felt from his left chest.

    After hurriedly lowering his head, he could see the stigma of Lyra scattering out powerful lights.

    ¡®Huh? Is this possibly¡­¡¯

    <i>Gleaaam!¡ª</i>

    Next to the stigma that was scattering out lights, one flick was drawn.

    -Ring!

    [¡®Stigma of Lyra¡¯ has been promoted to 2-Star!]

    A blue message box appeared in front of his eyes together with the sound of clear bells.

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    A short chuckle of absurdity flowed out of Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    To think that he would reach 2-Star in not a week, but a single day.

    ¡®Does this make sense?¡¯

    He predicted that he would promote quickly, as his stigma was overwhelming with mana, but he didn¡¯t imagine that he would be able to reach 2-Star in a single day.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll reach 3-Star by the end of the week, right?¡±

    If that were the case, there would be no need to deceive or rack up his brain anymore.

    Because reaching 3-Star within a week was something that was seriously impossible without being an actual Regressor.

    In reality, reaching 2-Star in and of itself was an unbelievable speed.

    ¡®Since achieving 2-Star is something that usually takes six months.¡¯

    Even though the majority of the reasons it took so long was because they had insufficient mana, it was still an astonishing speed, even taking that into ount.

    ¡°2-Star, huh.¡±

    He lightly swung his spear.

    <i>Fwoosh! Fwish!!¡ª</i>

    Although he was only slightly swinging his spear around, the sound of air tearing apart echoed.

    He could feel that his body was unquestionably one step more powerful and agilepared to when he was a 1-Star.

    ¡®Good.¡¯

    ¡®The results are more than enough for today.¡¯

    ¡°I should hurry up my harvest and return back.¡±

    He headed towards the corpse of the mutant while humming, thinking if he should order a Guinness Whopper instead of a regr Whopperter that day.

    <i>Rustle¡ª </i>

    The bushes nearby shook.

    ¡®Huh? There¡¯s no way those bastards that fled are insane enough toe back with their own feet.¡¯

    Grasping his spear, he narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Oh, woah. Isn¡¯t that shell ck?¡±

    Two intimidating-looking men walked out of the bushes.

    He could see the swollen muscles gaping through the gaps of their worn-out armor.

    ¡°Wow, even if it¡¯s an Ant-horn, to be able to hunt a mutant by yourself. You¡¯re not the average Awakener, are you?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re 3-Star apostles of the Hunting Dogs, nice to meet you~¡±

    The two of them approached Ohjin with friendlyughter, opposite of what their appearances portrayed.

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡®These fuckers.¡¯

    It was clear that they weren¡¯t approaching him with good intentions.

    Honestly, you could call it prejudice, but if you weren''t a robber and possessed a face that looked like it had been ground on asphalt like them, that was a crime in its own way.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way 3-Star Awakeners woulde to this low-ranked dungeon¡­ unless they came here looking for the mutant.¡¯

    If that was the case, there was no way they would sit still and let Ohjin, who was harvesting the mutant¡¯s corpse, go.

    Awakeners turning into robbers with a simple flip of a hand was quitemon.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    One of the men that had approached bent his torso down to take a sniff.

    His appearance looked like that of a hunting dog chasing down its prey.

    ¡°Phew, he must have used enormous amounts of mana to hunt this mutant.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Shouldn¡¯t he be quite exhausted?¡±

    ¡°Right? It¡¯s not like a 4 or 5-Star Awakener woulde here.¡±

    The two of them murmured to each other in a low voice.

    ¡®I know what you¡¯re talking about, even without hearing it, you dumbasses.¡¯

    ¡®Tch.¡¯

    ¡°Now that I think about it, it''s a bit strange. You know we swept through an Ant-horn herd from all the way ov~er there? Are you sure you didn¡¯t pick off the one that ran away?¡±

    ¡°Aha, is that what happened? This¡­ this can¡¯t be left alone, can it?¡±

    The both of them smirked while taking out their swords.

    ¡®As expected.¡¯

    They were robbing fucks.

    ¡®¡­This can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Ohjin let out a sigh and quickly got on his knees.

    ¡°I-I apologize! I didn¡¯t even know that happened!!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Looking at the appearance of Ohjin, who had knelt down without a second of hesitation, left the two men surprised.

    Whatever the case, Ohjin rubbed both of his hands together while prostrating on the ground.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll hand it over!!!¡±

    ¡°Kyahahaha!! Well, aren''t you a youth that¡¯s quick to understand!¡±

    One of the men exploded out inughter and started moving his feet.

    Just when he started to approach the copsed corpse of the mutant behind Ohjin¡ª

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯ll hand that over.¡±

    He grasped his spear and violently stabbed the back of the man.

    Destroying his armor, the sharp spear pierced his body.

    ¡°Khyuk! Kyuk!!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that I¡¯ll hand you over next to your dead mother¡¯s side.¡±

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    The other man charged while hastily swinging his sword.

    He spun the spear that had pierced the man and blocked the sword.

    The man who had be a human kebab shield let out a scream.

    ¡°Uh, Uuhhh?¡±

    <i>Slice!¡ª </i>

    Was it because he couldn¡¯t stop the inertia from the swing? He ended up slicing the head of his partner into two.

    ¡°W-What are you doing!!!¡±

    Ohjin, who watched the unbelievable scene with his wide-open eyes, let out a scream!

    ¡°You killed your partner!!¡±

    ¡°H-Holy shit!!¡±

    ¡°What would your dead mother think if she saw your appearance right now!!!!¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up!! My mom¡¯s livingpletely fine; stop talking bullshit!!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie!!!¡±

    He roared out fiercely!

    ¡°I saw your mother pass away with my very own eyes; why do you keep insisting on lying!!!¡±

    ¡°No, what the fuck are you talking about!! She¡¯s alive!!!¡±

    ¡°Take in the reality!!¡±

    ¡°Take what in, you crazy son of a bitch!!¡±

    ¡°Your mother has passed away!! She¡¯s no longer in this world!!!¡±

    T/n : Constetion ¡®the Hunting Dogs¡¯ is ¡®Canes Venatici¡¯ which is Latin for ¡®hunting dogs¡¯!

    Burger King X Guinness (Alcohol Brand) Whoppers are a thing in South Korea. ck Whoppers that taste good.

    Rubbing both hands together has a simr meaning to begging for forgiveness in South Korea.

    <i>Note: Trantor¡¯s notes and/or references can be included either right before or right after the final Discord link section</i>

 Chapter 8: 8: Hyenas (2)

    ¡°Son of a bitch!!¡±

    Violent profanity emerged from the red-faced man that was steaming from rage.

    Even though he was a shameless robber that aimed for the game of others, it appeared that he was still affectionate for his parents.

    It was to the point that it was quite unfortunate that his mother had passed away without being able to see his current appearance.

    ¡°Die!!!¡±

    <i>Oooowng!¡ª </i>

    The light of the stigma shone through the gaps in the man¡¯s armor.

    The stigma of the Hunting Dogs¡¯ power spread throughout his body, amplifying his senses.

    <i>Swish!¡ª </i>

    Although the sword swung with great speed, its direction was too predictable.

    ¡®He¡¯s out of his mind.¡¯

    Ohjin easily dodged the attack by moving his body back.

    identally splitting his partner¡¯s head in two on top of Ohjin¡¯s constant ridicule caused the robber¡¯s agitation to build up to the extreme.

    The robber who had lost his rationality drew a simple line with his sword that hit nothing but thin air.

    ¡®This¡¯ll be easy.¡¯

    No matter how strong 3-Star Awakeners were, they would be easy to face in a state like that.

    No. Even if he was in a normal state, it was most likely that Ohjin would still dominate since the 1-Star gap over the stigma of one of the North Stars by a minor stigma like that of the Hunting Dogs was negligent.

    <i>Whoosh!¡ª</i>

    Ohjin easily dodged the sword that aimed for his head and jabbed out his spear towards the man¡¯s right side.

    The sharp counterattack shed through a blind spot.

    <i>Chiiing!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Proving he had the skills of a 3-Star, the man narrowly blocked the spear strike that aimed for his right with his sword.

    However, the attack didn¡¯t end there.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the stigma ofthe Hunting Dogssupposed to amplify the body¡¯s senses?¡±

    The side of his lips went up into a smirk.

    If the senses of one¡¯s body were amplified, it would also mean that one¡¯s sense of pain would be magnified as well.

    If that was the case¡­

    <i>Bzzzzzz!!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Aaaahhhh!!:

    Blue lightning flowed through to the spear¡¯s tip.

    The man who was holding onto his sword let out a scream in pain.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t miss this prime opportunity.

    The spear¡¯s de rode along the man¡¯s arm and pierced through his neck.

    ¡°Kugh! Kuh.¡±

    Dark red blood poured out of the man, whose eyes had rolled to the back of his head.

    That was the end.

    Taking down two 3-Star Awakeners didn¡¯t even take 5 minutes.

    ¡®It would¡¯ve been much harder if we fought properly.¡¯

    There wasn¡¯t really a need to think of that.

    It wasn¡¯t like it was a sport; was there really a reason to fight fair and square?

    ¡°Well then.¡±

    ¡®Is it time for some human farming?¡¯

    <i>Rummage Rummage¡ª</i>

    While humming to himself, he took off the armor of the two men and started to rummage through their pockets.

    ¡°Haah? They¡¯re damn broke. What the hell were these guys doing after reaching 3-Star?¡±

    Ohjin, who had confirmed the wallet¡¯s insides, scrunched his eyebrows.

    Combined, they totaled up to $275.

    If you put them being 3-Star Awakeners into consideration, they were poorer than poor.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    Of course, he could earn more money if he used their cards, but recklessly using cards that were easy to track down was ill-advised.

    Although they leaned towards implicitly ignoring the things that happened between Awakeners in dungeons, an investigator from the Association would be sent if it were outright obvious.

    ¡°The armor¡­ It will be hard to sell in this destroyed state.¡±

    ¡®Should I only take their weapons?¡¯

    <i>Rummage¡ª </i>

    He tied their swords together and proceeded to hang them on his belt.

    Taking the cards of these bastards would be dangerous, but nobody cared if you took simple stolen goods to sell.

    It was a world where people died as easily as bugs on the street.

    ¡°¡­And.¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    He looked down towards the left side of the unarmored man¡¯s chest.

    Although the shirt was covering it up, the stigma of the Hunting Dogs was seated on that spot.

    No matter how low the league was, as long as it was the same ¡®stigma¡¯¡­

    ¡®The ck Heaven should be able to absorb it.¡¯

    In reality, it was quite a dangerous act.

    He would be fucked if Vega took notice of the fact that he absorbed the stigma of the Hunting Dogs.

    However.

    ¡®There was something called ¡®ck Curtain¡¯ amongst the ck Heaven¡¯s traits.¡¯

    The trait thatpletely shrouded the ck Heaven¡¯s presence.

    ¡®The reason why Vega couldn¡¯t sense the ck Heaven should be because of that trait.¡¯

    In addition, a line on the description exined that the trait applied the same way to ¡®possessed stigmas¡¯.

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯

    ¡®It means that Vega won¡¯t be able to sense the stigma of the Hunting Dogs, even if I absorb it.¡¯

    As it was already confirmed that she was unable to sense the ck Heaven, there was no need to doubt its capabilities.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    He put his hands on top of the copsed man''s chest.

    <i>Rum, Rumble¡ª</i>

    The ck clouds that flowed out of the tip of his fingers moved quickly towards the stigma like it had been starving

    <i>Ring¡ª </i>

    [The ck Heaven is absorbing the stigma of the Hunting Dogs.]

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s conditions for the second awakening have all been aplished!]

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s second awakening is starting!]

    <i>Rum, Rumbleee!!¡ª</i>

    The ck cloud shook.

    ¡°Arrgh!¡±

    Darkness shot up around his body.

    The ck cloud started to wrap him.

    <i>Sizzle¡ª</i>

    His head was assaulted with pain as if burning iron skewers were piercing it.

    Along with that¡ª

    [The ck Heaven is reading through the ¡®Records¡¯ contained in the stigma of Pyxis.]

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s awakening stage is too low. The amount of records that can be read are restricted.]

    Once more, the memories of Lee Shinhyuk surged into his head.

    -¡­Are you awake?

    The first thing he saw was the appearance of a tall and attractive youth through a cloudy haze.

    The youth looked down at Lee Shinhyuk with a cold gaze.

    The disoriented Lee Shinhyuk slowly moved his head to observe the surroundings.

    His cloudy sight started to be clear.

    ¡®Hospital room?¡¯

    In his memories, Lee Shinhyuk was lying down in a spacious private hospital room.

    He could see the date through the digital clock hung on the room¡¯s wall.

    ¡®2020.11.21¡¯

    Since it was currently the 7th of November, they were the memories of exactly two weeks in the future.

    -Where am¡­

    -This is the hospital.

    -The hospital?

    -You passed out for two weeks.

    -F-For two weeks?

    Lee Shinhyuk asked once again in shock.

    -That¡¯s right.

    The youth that looked to be Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s younger brother bluntly nodded his head.

    A cold fury lurked behind the youth¡¯s chilly gaze.

    -Why did you enter the dungeon on your own?

    -T-That is¡­

    -Didn¡¯t I tell you to take one of our guild members with you?

    -It¡¯s¡­ because everyone looked busy.

    -So you entered that ce on your own?

    -¡­I¡¯m sorry, Woohyuk. I thought it¡¯d be okay since it was only a 1-Star.

    -Hah¡­

    The youth called Woohyuk let out a deep sigh.

    Lee Shinhyuk lowered his head with a daunted expression.

    At that moment,

    ¨C<i>Knock Knock.</i>

    Lee Woohyuk stood up from the spot and opened the door.

    The appearance of a woman with sses could be seen through the gap of the door.

    -Guild leader, do you have time to spare?

    -What¡¯s the matter?

    -You are aware of the new dungeon that appeared in Mok-dong on the 15th, correct? Changhyun said that he discovered a star relic inside the dungeon.

    -Changhyun did?

    -Yes. But hearing the story, there were some strange¡­

    <i>Bzz¡ª</i>

    Along with the static noise, his sight started to go nk.

    The voice of the two started to fade.

    And then.

    ¡°Huaa!!¡±

    The pain piercing his head disappeared.

    * * *

    * * *

    -Ring!

    [Part of Awakener Lee Shinhyuk was sessfully inherited.]

    [¡¶Spearmanship of Pyxis Lv4¡· has increased to ¡¶Spearmanship of Pyxis Lv5¡·]

    [You have acquired ¡¶Lame Excuse Lv2¡·.]

    A blue message box appeared in front of his eyes as his pain resided.

    ¡°¡­Will I gain more of Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories as the ck Heaven¡¯s awakening stage increases?¡±

    Ohjin slowly ruminated through the memories that had just passed through his head.

    ¡®Lee Woohyuk. New dungeon on the 15th in Mok-dong. Also¡­¡¯

    ¡®Star relic.¡¯

    An artifact agglomerated with a star¡¯s power.

    The ability of star relics varied widely but amongst them existed ones that had the power to increase power by 1~2 stars.

    ¡®In summary, it¡¯s saying that a star relic will appear in a dungeon that appears in eight days in Mok-dong?¡¯

    It was an unexpected piece of high-ss information.

    ¡°I think¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shined sharply.

    It was the golden opportunity to get his hands on a star relic.

    No, even more than that¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯ll be able to use this.¡±

    ¡ªit was a great buffer to continue his ¡®scam¡¯.

    ¡®By the way, can I read the records on these two as well?¡¯

    Looking down on the corpses of the two men, Ohjin tilted his head.

    Although he had absorbed the stigma of the Hunting Dogs, he did not receive memories as he had with Lee Shinhyuk.

    [The stigma of the Hunting Dogs you have absorbed is too faint.]

    [Reading the stigma¡¯s record has ended in failure.]

    ¡®Ah, is it because of that?¡¯

    ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s no way these obviously dim-witted bastards could possibly have a thick stigma.¡±

    ¡®No matter how low the league the celestial of the Hunting Dogs is, they probably aren¡¯t stupid to the point of granting bastards like these a thick stigma.¡¯

    ¡®Well, anyways.¡¯

    It was an incredible harvest.

    He was not only able to promote to 2-Star, but he had also awakened the ck Heaven once more.

    ¡®Though I¡¯m not entirely sure if the ck Heaven awakening is a good thing.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t be certain if continuing to develop the ck Heaven was the right thing or not since the mysterious ck Heaven was an unknown power.

    However¡ª

    ¡®I have no choice in the matter.¡¯

    ¡ªif the fact that he could earn Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories as the ck Heaven awakened was true, he couldn¡¯t stop there.

    For him who had worn the mask of a Regressor, nothing was more important to him than the memories of a ¡®real¡¯ Regressor.

    ¡®Well then¡ª¡¯

    Ohjin gently closed his eyes and concentrated his mind.

    A blue light scattered out of the stigma on his chest.

    ¡®¡ªlet¡¯s take a look at what the stigma of the Hunting Dogs is like.¡¯

    As soon as he activated the stigma, the senses of his body multiplied.

    His sense of smell was especially sensitive.

    ¡°Urrg!¡±

    Numerous smells that entered through his nose made him bend down and gag.

    It felt like the smell of every single surrounding leaf was digging into his nose.

    ¡®This¡¯ll be useful once I get used to it.¡¯

    He shook his head and activated the stigma of Lyra once more like a switch.

    It seemed that he couldn¡¯t use two stigmas simultaneously, as once the stigma of Lyra was activated, his body¡¯s sense returned back to normal.

    <i>Bzz!! Bzzzzzzzt!¡ª</i>

    The blue lightning zed around his body.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened as he took a look at the fiercely zing blue lightning.

    ¡®The lightning became thicker?¡¯

    He didn''t understand the reason why, but the zing blue lightning was one step thicker.

    <i>Bzzzzt! Bang!¡ª</i>

    A loud explosion burned the ground after he shot lightning out as an experiment.

    ¡®The stigma¡¯s power has increased for sure.¡¯

    The feeling was different from when he was promoted from 1-Star to 2-Star.

    Back then, he could feel that the ¡®amount¡¯ of the stigma he could use at once had increased, but currently, it felt as if the stigma¡¯s ¡®quality¡¯ itself had thickened.

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and was momentarily lost in thought.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Finding the answer didn¡¯t take long.

    ¡®It said that the stigma¡¯s strength would be adjusted ording to the awakening stage of the ck Heaven.¡¯

    With all the chaos that was going on back then, he hadpletely forgotten about it.

    ¡°¡­Wait, then does that mean the stigma¡¯s power I¡¯ve been using until now was reduced?¡±

    He chuckled out of absurdity.

    ¡®Then just how strong does that make Vega, the owner of the stigma?¡¯

    A dizzy sensation spread from his spine.

    He once again resolved to never be caught by Vega at all costs.

    ¡°I should start preparing to head back.¡±

    He left the sprawled-out corpses behind and headed towards the mutant Ant-horn¡¯s corpse.

    Rummaging through the corpse, he found a starstone the size of a 50¡é coin.

    ¡®It¡¯s ck?¡¯

    Starstones were normally tinged in blue.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ how much will this sell for?¡±

    His eyes shone while putting the ck starstone inside his pocket.

    With the two swords on his belt and a hefty pocket, his lips automatically turned into a smile.

    ¡®I¡¯ll receive around $500 for the swords.¡¯

    The normal starstones added up to around $800, including the mutant¡¯s starstone would mean he earned a minimum of $3000 in a single day.

    ¡°Holy shit.¡±

    Hurray Awakeners!

    * * *

    <i>Creak¡ª</i>

    The familiar smell of mold tickled his nose as soon as he opened the rusty door.

    ¡°You¡¯re home?¡±

    Ha-eun, who was hanging around the entrance with her crutches on, quickly approached him.

    ¡°That¡¯s unusual. Why aren¡¯t you lying down on the bed?¡±

    Ohjin asked with his round eyes.

    ¡°Shut up. Why do you assume that I¡¯ll be lying down every day?¡±

    While she was saying that, she slowly stretched out her hands.

    Her pure white hands touched his cheek.

    <i>Fumble Fumble¡ª</i>

    Her hands searched over his cheeks, hair, neck, and shoulders.

    It was quite ticklish.

    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Without answering the question, she continued to fumble all around his body for a while until she let out a short sigh.

    ¡°At least you came home without getting hurt like a dumbass.¡±

    ¡®Ah. So it was like that.¡¯

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    A smile spread across his face.

    ¡°Why? Were you worried that I might have been hurt?

    ¡°It¡¯ll be a big problem for me if my errand boy breaks down.¡±

    ¡°What errand boy are you talking about.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe! Weren¡¯t you my errand boy starting from the orphanage?¡± Ha-eun chuckled while tapping on his head.

    ¡°Now now~ What did my errand boy buy for dinner today~?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I forgot.¡±

    ¡°Ang?¡±

    ¡°Just kidding. I brought burgers.¡±

    ¡°Whopper set?¡±

    ¡°Guinness Whopper set.¡±

    ¡°Do you wanna get married?¡±

    ¡®What is this woman saying.¡¯

    ¡°Alright. Then should we set up a date, honey?¡±

    ¡°Huh? R-Really?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡®Just kidding.¡¯

    ¡°Y-You rascal!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking nonsense and head inside.¡±

    Ohjin carried her into his arms and moved her to the bed.

    He handed over the burger set that was in the paper bag to her.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Ha-eun, unusually, didn¡¯t eveny her hands on the burger.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re not eating?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    A sudden silence came down.

    Ha-eun hesitantly opened her mouth.

    ¡°You¡­ you really became a North Star¡¯s apostle?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She continued clenching her fist.

    ¡°Just because you¡¯re a North Star¡¯s apostle doesn¡¯t mean you can just enter high-ranked dungeons and stuff, alright? Join parties, even if you think it¡¯s a waste.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I extensively take care of my own safety.¡±

    ¡°¡­hm!. You don¡¯t mean that.¡±

    Ha-eun stretched out her hand and slightly pinched his cheek.

    ¡°Your celestial¡­ did you say it was Vega?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°¡­How is she?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    As he tilted his neck and looked at her, Ha-eun¡¯s cheeks slightly blushed.

    ¡°I mean. Well. It¡¯s just that¡­ she¡¯s the famous Star of the Weaver Girl.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°God dammit!! I¡¯m asking if Vega or whatever looks pretty!¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡®So she was talking about that.¡¯

    ¡°She¡¯s pretty.¡±

    With a little added exaggeration, she was a beauty that could make one¡¯s eyes spin around.

    <i>Streeetch¡ª</i>

    ¡°Owowowow.¡±

    An electrifying pain rushed in as his cheek pulled out.

    ¡°Why¡­?¡±

    ¡°Just because I¡¯m a bit pissed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m innocent.¡±

    <i>Whoosh¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun rolled over as she covered herself tip to toe with the nket.

    ¡°Ah, right. I¡¯m nning to go there tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°¡­Where?¡±

    <i>Peek¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun slightly lowered the nket and peeked out.

    Ohjin continued while slightly opening up the burger¡¯s wrapping and cing it close to her mouth.

    ¡°The Awakeners Association.¡±

    <i>Nom¡ª </i>

    She took a bite out of the burger with her small mouth.

 Chapter 9: 9: Registration Test (1)

    Special Disaster & Security Management Association.

    While it was a usible name, in reality, nobody called it by that name.

    It was the organizationmonly known as the Awakeners Association.

    Only the ones that had been granted stigmas by celestials, Awakeners, could apply to the Association to receive a license.

    Naturally,

    this ¡®license¡¯ didn¡¯t signify much in itself.

    After the gates opened across the world, due to the government¡¯s authority weakening, the practicality of the license was pretty much nonexistent.

    ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s so crowded.¡±

    Just so, in front of the headquarters located in Yeouido were numerous Awakeners waiting to take the license issuance test.

    The reason why Awakeners across the country had gathered for a license that held little significance was quite simple.

    Getting a license would increase the chance of getting scouted by guilds.

    A simple analogy would be registering a product at an auction.

    1~2-Star Awakeners with good results would be scouted with exceptional conditions from major guilds.

    There was nothing much to mention about the opposite cases.

    ¡®I don¡¯t have any thoughts on entering a guild, but¡­¡¯

    He had a separate n foring all the way there.

    ¡°There¡¯s still some time left in the waiting queue¡­ I should sell the starstones in advance.¡±

    Ohjin started to head towards the starstone purchasing office stuck next to the headquarters building.

    He handed over the two pouches of starstones to the employee that had a business smile.

    One was from when he had partied with Lee Shinhyuk, and the other was from the dungeon the previous day.

    ¡°ording to the market price of 2020.11.8, the totales out to $1444. Would you like that in cash?¡±

    ¡°Please send it to my ount.¡±

    Although taking it in cash would feel better, he didn¡¯t want to risk the chance of losing it.

    ¡®No shot.¡¯

    He would never risk the chance of losing an enormous amount of money that passed $1000.

    ¡°ounting for taxes, your final total is $1152.¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡¯

    ¡®What kind of tax takes 20%, you fucking robbers.¡¯¡¯

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    Although his head heated up from his bottomless anger, he settled it down with his superhuman endurance.

    He had wanted to sell them using the illegal route that didn¡¯t take off taxes, but the risks that came with that method were too high.

    ¡®Since they supervise starstones even more meticulously than they do drugs.¡¯

    No matter how much their authority had dropped, the Association was still the nation¡¯srgest institution.

    If he got caught, it wouldn¡¯t end with simple tax problems.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    Ohjin clicked his tongue while taking the receipt.

    ¡®The only thing left now is the starstone harvested from the mutant.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll need to gather more information before I sell it.¡¯

    Whereas normal starstones had an international market price set, a mutant¡¯s starstone was different.

    It would garner more profit if you gathered information beforehand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ it¡¯s about time.¡±

    Checking the time, he could see that it was almost time to take the registration test.

    Ohjin moved his feet towards the headquarters building.

    ¡°Wait number 57.¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    <i>Thud Thud¡ª </i>

    Ohjin, who had been momentarily waiting in the waiting room, got up after hearing his number being called.

    ¡°Which constetion are you associated with?¡± the employee asked with a business-like vibe while filing in documents as if he was a machine.

    ¡°It¡¯s Lyra.¡±

    ¡°Lyra¡­?¡±

    Tilting his head, the employee looked through the chart at his side.

    ¡°W-Wait. Could you repeat that for me? Which constetion?¡± he asked with a pressing tone.

    <i>Crash!¡ª</i>

    The employee shot to his feet.

    ¡°It¡¯s Lyra. L. Y. R. A.,¡± Ohjin replied with a nonchnt expression, like he had predicted that reaction from the start.

    ¡°By L-L-Lyra are you p-perhaps¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ohjin smirked while nodding his head.

    ¡°Star of the Weaver Girl. I¡¯m the apostle of Vega.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­!!!¡±

    The mouth of the employee fell open.

    ¡°P-Please wait for a moment!!¡± He turned his body in a hurry and ran out somewhere.

    <i>Murmur¡ª </i>

    Everyone nearby shot a nce.

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Ohjin clicked his tongue with a short chuckle.

    Although it was the expected reaction, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle when he saw it.

    ¡®Is this the prestige thates with a North Star?¡¯

    The truth was, he had contemted a lot about whether he should reveal the fact that he was an Awakener of Lyra.

    If he revealed that he was an apostle of a North Star in a world where everyone would go crazy over being affiliated with the 12 Zodiacs¡­ he couldn¡¯t predict what kind of chaos woulde.

    If you thought about the countless nuisances that would follow, you might be tempted to live like a loser while hiding strength¡ªlike the main characters in mass-produced isekai fantasies.

    ¡®That¡¯s just dumb.¡¯

    Prestige was authority.

    The foundation he had possessed was toocking to give up the enormous authority that came with being a North Star¡¯s apostle.

    Aside from the simple problem of money, he could gain connections, information, and a host of other small things.

    Thinking about the things he had to do in the future, they weren¡¯t just one or two things he needed.

    ¡®And, to solve that¡­¡¯

    Authority.

    He needed the title of being a North Star¡¯s apostle that nobody could dare disregard.

    ¡°It¡­ It¡¯ll take a bit of time, so could you please wait over here?¡± The employee who had run off came back and asked respectfully.

    The machine and business-like appearance that the man had disyed at the start could not be seen.

    ¡®That¡¯s right. This is the power of authority.¡¯

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    Ohjin nodded his head while smirking.

    ¡°Please follow me.¡±

    The employee led the way.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Although he felt the gazes from the murmuring onlookers, he lightly brushed them off.

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    ¡°You can wait inside here.¡±

    The ce the employee had guided him to was a waiting room that had the words ¡®VIP¡¯ written on the door.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Got it.¡± Ohjin slightly nodded his head and headed inside.

    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±

    Sitting down inside was a blond youth with short hair that gave the impression of a good-for-nothing.

    ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡± the blond youth asked towards the employee like he was a servant.

    ¡°Ah, I see Awakener Park Jungwoo has already arrived. The thing is¡­ I¡¯ve brought him here due to some circumstances.¡±

    ¡°What circumstances?¡±

    ¡°That is¡­¡±

    The employee studied Ohjin¡¯s expression.

    <i>Ring Ring!¡ª</i>

    At that moment, the sound of bells spread across the room.

    ¡°E-Excuse me, I have something urgent to attend to!¡±

    ¡°My exnation¡­¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    Running away, the employee closed the door behind him.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    An awkward silence came down with only the two of them remaining.

    ¡®Who¡¯s that bastard?¡¯

    Ohjin looked at the blond youth called Park Jungwoo with narrow eyes.

    Sittingfortably on the sofa, the youth was staring in his direction.

    He momentarily thought about starting up a conversation, but he decided to ignore him.

    ¡®Well, he¡¯s probably some rookie affiliated with a major guild.¡¯

    He had heard that Awakeners who had already joined a guild would asionally take the registration evaluation to make their names known.

    Looking at the fact that he was situated in the VIP room, it was probably within that category.

    ¡®Moreover¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes headed towards the table in the corner of the waiting room.

    Spread out on top of the table was a buffet-like array of desserts such as biscuits, cakes, and simple snacks.

    Not only that¡­ Inside the mini-fridge located next to the table, in addition to drinks of every kind, was a wide selection of alcohol.

    ¡®This is¡­ all free, right?¡¯

    They were probably left there for people to eat while waiting.

    ¡®Buffet¡­¡¯

    ¡®Holy shit. A buffet.¡¯

    He had only ever seen buffets in pictures before; it was the first time in his life he had seen one in person.

    <i>Tremble¡ª</i>

    Starting from his spine, a thrilling sensation spread across his body.

    ¡®Just how much is all this?¡¯

    A nce was enough to tell that the snacks and cakes disyed on the fancy tes were really fucking expensive.

    ¡®This¡­¡¯

    <b>He couldn¡¯t restrain himself.</b>

    No¡­

    It was something that shouldn¡¯t be restrained.

    An opportunity to fill up for free couldn¡¯t be passed up.

    <i>Grab, Grab¡ª</i>

    He filled up his te with snacks and cakes.

    <i>Munch, Munch¡ª </i>

    Since he didn¡¯t know when the employee would return, he gobbled up the snacks and cakes in a rush.

    ¡°Huhuhu. This is so nice.¡±

    Although he didn¡¯t like sweet things, that matter became obsolete with the fact that everything was free.

    ¡°¡­hah.¡±

    Park Jungwoo, who was looking at him emptying tes like a beggar, let out a sigh.

    Ohjin ignored him.

    ¡®Does this ce have a stic bag?¡¯

    Ohjin, who had emptied three tes in an instant, looked around for a stic bag.

    ¡®Let¡¯s pack up the rest and take it home.¡¯

    Weren¡¯t they left there to be eaten in the first ce?

    There probably wouldn¡¯t be a problem if he took them.

    ¡®Kyhuhu, Ha-eun will jump in joy again.¡¯

    She would be overjoyed even more since she had utterly no opportunities to eat desserts.

    While he was imagining Ha-eun¡¯s smile in his head¡ª

    ¡°What are you, a fucking beggar?¡±

    <i>Bang!!¡ª </i>

    ¡ªPark Jungwoo, who had been observing with a frown, violently dropped his foot on top of the table.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Ohjin momentarily put down the cake and raised his head.

    Looking at Park Jungwoo staring at him with sharp eyes, he smiled.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Comfortably leaning on the sofa, Ohjin crossed his legs.

    ¡°What a quite daring young man.¡±

    Changing his manner of speech, he continued with a solemn voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see the energetic youth these days.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t only his voice.

    As if a switch had turned on, Ohjin¡¯s expression, gesture, and even the atmosphere he gave off changed in an instant.

    The disy of him emptying the tes like a beggar vanished like it had been a mirage, and a mysterious vigor simr to that of an old master seeped out.

    ¡°What nonsense are¡­¡±

    <b>¡°¡ªDo you know who I am?¡±</b>

    <i>Flinch¡ª</i>

    Park Jungwoo¡¯s shoulders shook.

    ¡°¡­So who are you?¡±

    ¡°Hoho. I guess matters like these ur since I haven¡¯t been active all that often these days.¡±

    <i>Kekeke¡ª</i>

    He rxedly crossed his arms whileughing like an old man.

    ¡°Though I feel like people on the level of getting guided to the VIP room should be able to recognize me¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Park Jungwoo clenched his fist while shutting his mouth tightly with an uneasy expression.

    ¡®Who is he?¡¯

    Judging from his confidence, he seemed to be someone famous that had his face known to the world, but no one came to mind in the moment.

    ¡®He sounds like some kind of old man¡­¡¯

    Come to think of it, he had heard of it before.

    That there were instances of high-ranked Awakeners of at least 9-Star recovering their body and youth.

    ¡®S-Shit.¡¯

    <i>Gulp¡ª</i>

    Park Jungwoo, who had felt something amiss, started to sweat with a nervous expression.

    Come to think of it, Ohjin was someone like himself who had been guided to the ¡®VIP room¡¯.

    It meant that he wasn¡¯t your average Awakener.

    ¡°Which guild are you in?¡±

    ¡°Pand¡ª¡±

    ¡°Manners.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°Your manners are quitecking.¡±

    <i>Keke¡ª</i>

    Ohjin let spill a goodugh while narrowing his eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    Goosebumps spread across from Jungwoo¡¯s spine.

    The frightening gaze in between the narrowly opened eyes made Park Jungwoo¡¯s body unconsciously swoop down.

    ¡®W-What the hell.¡¯

    He felt lost, like he had been staring into a neverending ck sky.

    He couldn¡¯t understand just how a person could change this drastically with one nce.

    It was impossible to tell if he was the same person that was eating cakes like a beggar a few moments ago.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­ affiliated with the Pandinus Guild.¡±

    ¡°Pandinus¡­¡±

    A guild made up of Scorpio¡¯s Awakeners.

    It was a guild famous enough to be picked as one of Korea¡¯s top ten guilds.

    ¡®Was the guild leader¡¯s name Kang Chanhyuk?¡¯

    Thousand Poison Stab (Ç§¶¾Úw), Kang Chanhyuk.

    To call him one of the representative Awakeners of Korea was a bit of a long shot, but he was still quite famous.

    If you wanted to specify rankings, he was narrowly within the top 30.

    Taking into ount that there were tens of thousands of Awakeners in Korea, there was no doubt he was incredibly skilled.

    ¡°Aha, so you¡¯re in Chanhyuk¡¯s guild.¡±

    Ohjin nodded his head while staring into the void with a reminiscing expression.

    ¡°¡­A-Are you perhaps familiar with our guild leader?¡±

    ¡®Nope.¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t know a thing.¡¯

    ¡°We used to eat together a lo~ng time ago and go to the sauna and whatnot!¡±

    ¡°S-Sauna¡­?

    ¡°Keke, that young boy became a full-fledged guild leader before I knew it.¡±

    The more Ohjin talked, the paler Park Jungwoo¡¯s expression became.

    ¡°I should have a drink with him soon. Ah, that¡¯s right, could you send my regards to Chanhyuk? Just say it was from ¡®Gwon Ohjin¡¯ and he¡¯ll recognize who it¡¯s from.

    ¡°T-That is. The¡­ I¡­¡±

    Jungwoo¡¯s body shook with a deathly pale expression.

    ¡°I-I apologize for being discourteous and unrecognizing of such a paramount individual!!!¡±

    ¡°Keke. Don¡¯t worry about it. A young man can make some mistakes.¡±

    With an expression of a kind man, Ohjin lightly tapped on the shoulders of Park Jungwoo.

    ¡°Not at all!!! I-I made too big of a mistake¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm. If that¡¯s the case, could you do me one favor?¡±

    ¡°Give the word and I¡¯ll do anything!!!¡±

    Park Jungwoo courteously bowed down his neck and loudly shouted out.

    ¡°Then¡ª¡±

    Ohjin slid out his hand and pointed towards the table that still had tons of snacks and cakes remaining.

    ¡°¡ªcould you bring a stic bag and pack those for me?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    * * *

 Chapter 10: Registration Test (2)

    ¡°I¡¯ve packed them all here!¡±

    Boxes were stacked on top of the table.

    Instead of stic bags that would make the cakes crumple, Park Jungwoo put them in several boxes and sincerely packaged them one by one like a professional Patissier.

    ¡°Thank you for the hard work.¡±

    Looking straight down the long line of boxes, Ohjin put up a satisfied expression.

    ¡°By the way, have youe here for the registration exam?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes, that¡¯s correct! I havee to get good results to make Pandinus¡¯s name known!¡± Park Jungwoo replied in an instant, like a private first ss that had just finished bootcamp.

    ¡°Hmm. I see.¡± Ohjin smirked while nodding his head.

    Since it was about time the association employees returned, it was time to wrap things up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to confirm the skills possessed by a rising star of the Pandinus guild myself.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±

    Park Jungwoo¡¯s eyes erged from the words like a bolt from the blue.

    Although he didn¡¯t know who, an Awakener that appeared to be in a higher position than his guild leader wanted to observe his evaluation test.

    Those words were no different from amander that had visited the unit wanting to confirm the results of training.

    ¡°T-That¡¯s a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Keke! Since you kids are the ones that Changhyuk picked, of course you¡¯ll be incredible! A new star! That¡¯s right! You¡¯ll be the new star that¡¯s responsible for the future of Korea!¡±

    <i>Shudder¡ª</i>

    The legs of the pale-faced Park Jungwoo quivered.

    ¡®I¡¯m fucked.¡¯

    He nervously nibbled on his lips.

    The truth was that he had already pre-nned this evaluation test to be taken by a bribed association employee.

    A situation where he would get high marks even if he half-assed the test.

    However¡ª

    ¡°W-What do I do?¡¯

    ¡ªusing that kind of trickery was impossible if another person observed the test.

    ¡°Hm? Why do you have such a lifeless expression?¡±

    ¡°The thing is¡­ N-no¡­ I-It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    <i>Clench¡ª </i>

    Park Jungwoo clenched his shaking hands.

    His mind burned white.

    Just when he thought he could live a strong and steady life by entering arge guild, he felt that he had suddenlye to an enormous cliff.

    ¡°Is your body perhaps not feeling well?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Uhh.¡±

    Ohjin continued speaking with a concerned expression.

    ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t you avoid taking the evaluation test today? You may end up unnecessarily disgracing the guild¡¯s name by taking the test in your current state,¡± he said in a subtle voice.

    There was no way any guild member would want to take a test while an Awakener who seemed to be in a much higher position than their own guild leader was observing personally.

    ¡®Maybe if it was someone with skill.¡¯

    The truth was that with the good-for-nothing attitude and the atmosphere he gave off, he looked quitecking in saying he was an Awakener of Scorpio belonging to the 12 Zodiacs.

    In the first ce, it was doubtful if he had even nned on taking the test properly.

    ¡®Since they say that there are cases of bribes in order to get high marks.¡¯

    Although he wasn¡¯t sure if Park Jungwoo was nning on using those kinds of trickery, whichever side it was, it didn¡¯t matter.

    Looking at the expression he wore like that of a constipated lil puppy the moment he heard that Ohjin was going to observe the evaluation test, it was clear that he didn¡¯t wee anyone observing the test.

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    As if he had discovered an oasis in a dry desert, Park Jungwoo¡¯s eyes glistened.

    ¡°Y-Yes, I understand! The truth is, I was feeling under the weather today.¡±

    ¡°I see. So that was indeed the case.¡±

    ¡®Look at this fucker¡¯s expression brightening up. Does it feel that good?¡¯

    ¡°Come here for a second.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why all of a sudden¡­¡±

    Park Jungwoo, who was startled, stumbled over the ends of his words.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your body is feeling unwell? I¡¯ll take a look at it.¡±

    ¡°N-No! T-There¡¯s no need for you to¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like having an unwell body is a crime; there¡¯s no need to act this way.¡±

    He pulled on Park Jungwoo¡¯s wrist.

    ¡°U-Uhh.¡±

    Jungwoo shut his eyes tightly with a stiffened expression, like a high-schooler that had been caught smoking.

    ¡®Cute bastard.¡¯

    Cackling on the inside, Ohjin started to look here and there around Park Jungwoo¡¯s body and then continued to feel the pulse on his wrist.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Mana is definitely unstable. Respiration is also in disorder.¡±

    He nodded his head while spitting out pretentious words.

    ¡°It seems that your body is simply fatigued. It isn¡¯t an illness, so rest assured.¡±

    ¡°T-Thank you!¡±

    ¡°However, fatigue is the source of all illnesses; postpone the evaluation test for another day and rest for today.¡±

    ¡°Haha. Yes. I understand. I shouldn¡¯t unnecessarily overdo myself and disgrace the guild¡¯s name.

    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right. Shouldn¡¯t health be above all?¡±

    Park Jungwoo, who had instantly got up from his spot, bowed deeply.

    ¡°Thank you for your kind words! I once again apologize for the disrespect I gave before!¡±

    ¡°Keke. Don¡¯t worry about it. You should head back now.¡±

    ¡°Yes!!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to send my regards to Changhyuk.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    Park Jungwoo, who had been continuously bowing, opened the waiting room¡¯s door and ran out as if fleeing.

    Ohjin rxingly sat on the sofa while waving.

    Now the annoying menace that had gotten on his nerves disappeared.

    Naturally, there was the danger of annoying matters urring in the future, but¡ª

    ¡®There¡¯s a higher chance of him not reporting.¡¯

    ¡ªthere weren''t many cases of mere guild members being able to meet the guild leader ofrge guilds in the first ce.

    It wasn¡¯t like it was a matter that was of importance; there was no way he would have a private meeting with the guild leader just to send his regards.

    ¡®Well, even if he did¡­¡¯

    ¡®It would probably end with him scolded for all the nonsense.¡¯

    Even if he came searching for him after that, it wouldn¡¯t matter.

    ¡®I¡¯ll just need to crush him when that timees.¡¯

    Rising star of arge guild or not, he was a North Star¡¯s apostle.

    Thinking about back when he easily pulled down on Jungwoo¡¯s wrist, he didn¡¯t think he would lose in a fight.

    ¡°Neat.¡±

    He got rid of the menace and got beautifully packaged cakes to bring to Ha-eun.

    And, above all¡­

    ¡°Now, should we take a look at how much there is inside?¡±

    Exploding out inughter, he took out a luxurious wallet.

    Moments ago.

    When he said he would take a look at Park Jungwoo¡¯s condition, he had secretly swindled his pockets.

    ¡°Oh, wow. This bastard carries a lot of cash around.¡±

    He took the bills stuffed inside the wallet with a smirk.

    The rumors of sries ofrge guilds being no joke seemed to be true.

    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s this?¡±

    While he was rummaging through the wallet, a ck gem the size of a 50¡é coin caught his attention.

    ¡®This is¡­ a mutant¡¯s starstone?¡¯

    The size was simr to that of the Ant-horn¡¯s starstone he had harvested.

    ¡®Why does that bastard have this?¡¯

    As the appearance of mutants was extremely rare, it wasn¡¯t easy to get ahold of a mutant¡¯s starstone.

    But why did ite out of Park Jungwoo¡¯s wallet all of a sudden?

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll need to find out more about this.¡±

    To simply take it as good news, something felt fishy.

    <i>Swoosh¡ª </i>

    * * *

    * * *

    He started to hear footsteps from the hall ten minutes after roughly tossing the wallet into the waste bin.

    <i>Thump, Thump¡ª</i>

    Heavy footsteps could be felt from the hallway.

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    Opening the door, a man came in.

    ¡°I apologize for making you wait so long.¡±

    He seemed to be in histe thirties.

    It was a tanned man with a tall height reaching around 190cm with muscles that seemed to want to burst out.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    From the overwhelming feeling like that of facing a tank, Ohjin momentarily lost his words.

    ¡°You are Awakener Ohjin¡­ correct? The one who possesses the stigma of Lyra.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. That is correct.¡±

    ¡°My introduction waste. I¡¯m Team Leader Han Joonman from the disaster countermeasures headquarters of the Special Disaster & Security Management Association.

    The humongous man lent out his hand.

    Shaking the hand full of calluses, Ohjin could feel the electrifying strength climbing up from his grip.

    ¡®Woah.¡¯

    He was a powerful being iparable with the likes of Park Jungwoo.

    ¡°Your constetion by any chance¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a 6-Star Awakener of Taurus.¡¯

    Taurus was a constetion that belonged to the 12 Zodiacs, just like Scorpio.

    Because he had reached 6-Star on top of that, Ohjin couldn¡¯t help but feel the suffocating pressure.

    ¡°I heard that there was nothing to be seen amongst the association''s Awakeners, but I guess they were all nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Haha. Well¡­ it isn¡¯t entirely nonsense.¡±

    Team Leader Han Joonmanughed bitterly while nodding his head.

    ¡°Anyways, is the fact that you possess the stigma of Lyra really true?¡± he asked with an expression full of disbelief.

    Well.

    Awakeners that were granted a stigma from the celestials known as the ¡®North Stars¡¯. Even if you took into ount the entire world, there were but twelve of them.

    In addition, all twelve of them were Awakeners that were granted the stigmas by Deneb.

    They called the Awakeners that were granted stigmas by Deneb ¡®North Star¡¯s apostles¡¯. As every single one of them was incredibly skilled, they had their names known across the entire world.

    Although attention to the other apostles of the North Stars was gathered from the extraordinary powers they had shown, only the existence of Vega and Pris was known, and they had never made an Awakener to date.

    In other words, Ohjin was the first Awakener in the world who had been granted a stigma by Vega.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡±

    Actions were faster than words.

    He unbuttoned his shirt and showed him the stigma engraved on his left chest.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Team Leader Han Joonman observed the stigma with a serious expression.

    He had an expression that spoke out that he wasn¡¯t sure yet.

    ¡°Did you say you came here in order to take the evaluation test?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­If it¡¯s okay with Awakener Gwon Ohjin, would it be okay if I conducted the test personally?¡±

    ¡®Personally?¡¯

    What kind of 6-Star Awakener does an evaluation test?

    ¡®This will slightly mess up my ns¡­¡¯

    Just when he was about to open his mouth to refuse.

    ¡®Hm¡­ Now that I think about it, it¡¯s not all that bad.¡¯

    He thought of the possibility that this method would be better than his original n.

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Then let¡¯s move to the testing grounds right away.¡±

    Nodding his head, he followed the back of Team Leader Han.

    ¡°¡ªAlright then.¡±

    After walking through theplicated hallways for five minutes, he could see the spacious testing grounds located inside the association.

    Surrounding the testing grounds was tempered ss made specially with starstones for Awakeners.

    ¡®They got rid of the spectators.¡¯

    Because it wasn¡¯t like spectating was against the rules, he had heard that a couple of people passing by would usuallye to spectate, but it seemed like the team leader had directly restricted entry.

    ¡®He unexpectedly has good senses.¡¯

    ¡®Even though he looks like he could chew on iron ingots for breakfast.¡¯

    ¡°Since you said you¡¯re a warrior-type, the examination method will be a simple spar.¡±

    Team Leader Han Joonman, who had put on protective gloves, took his stance.

    ¡°Can I really use this instead of a sparring weapon?¡±

    Ohjin tapped on Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s spear that he had left at the depository when he first entered the association building.

    ¡°Haha. Of course.¡±

    ¡°¡­If that¡¯s the case.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter since the opposing side said it was okay.

    ¡®A 6-Star Awakener.¡¯

    No matter how overpowered the stigma of Lyra was, could it really close the gap of four stars?

    And an Awakener affiliated with the 12 Zodiacs at that?

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to try and find out.¡¯

    Is that the reason he decided to conduct this test?

    ¡®Fuu.¡±

    He breathed in while lowering his stance.

    Breathing in low and slow.

    His body moved ording to the ¡®Spearmanship of Pyxis¡¯ engraved in his brain.

    And¡ª

    <i>Uooong!!¡ª </i>

    ¡ªthe stigma engraved on his left chest zed out with blue lights.

    <i>Crack, Crackle!!!¡ª</i>

    The blue lightning sparked out fiercely.

    ¡°Ch-hat!!¡±

    <i>Boom!¡ª</i>

    Violently kicking his feet, he sprinted.

    He jabbed out the blue lightning-infused spear with all his strength.

    <i>Kaang!!¡ª</i>

    The spear de that hit Team Leader Han¡¯s forearms strongly bounced off.

    It didn¡¯t feel like a human¡¯s arm, but instead like some kind of hard cast iron.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    The expression of Han Joonman, who had easily blocked the spear, stiffened.

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡±

    Han Joonman¡¯s mouth fell open.

 Chapter 11: Registration Test (3)

    <i>Twitch¡ª</i>

    The blue lightning moved to his right arm.

    His forearm that had deflected the spear¡¯s de couldn¡¯t move properly.

    ¡®No way.¡¯

    The eyes of Team Leader Han Joonman trembled slightly.

    He had certainly confirmed moments ago that the stigma had two stars.

    The blocked attack of an Awakener that was only a mere 2-Star was able to make his arms difficult to move.

    ¡°Just what¡­¡¯

    Before he had the time to grasp the situation urately, a sharp spear strike stabbed out at him.

    ¡°Hmpt!¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    Taking a raging step forward, hepressed his shoulders.

    As the spear¡¯s de bounced off, he saw a clear opening to strike at Ohjin¡¯s chest.

    He roughly swang his gloved fists.

    <i>Bam!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    Ohjin, who had taken the blow right on his chest, flew back like a baseball that had been hit by a bat.

    Ragdolling on the ground, he crashed into the testing ground¡¯s wall.

    ¡°Cough, cough!¡±

    He couldn¡¯t breathe properly.

    Rather than a human fist, it felt more like he had been hit by a car racing at full speed.

    ¡®Holy shit.¡¯

    ¡®What kind of monstrous power is that?¡¯

    A sharp pain passed through his spine.

    ¡°A-Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Putting Team Leader Han Joonman¡¯s panicked expression behind him, he stood up.

    Although the arm that was grasping the spear was slightly shivering in addition to his shaking legs¡­

    ¡®Still.¡¯

    He could still fight.

    He could still move.

    <i>Owooong!!¡ª</i>

    The stigma on his left chest started to pour out light.

    The heavy pressure that had been pushing down on his chest reduced slightly.

    ¡®Stabbing is not enough.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t pierce through those solid arms with a direct attack.

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯

    <i>Hwoong!!¡ª</i>

    Lowering his body, he swung his spear in a clean motion.

    The ankles were his target.

    The blue lightning-infused spear de shed across the floor.

    ¡°Hyat!!¡±

    Team Leader Han Joonman kicked towards the spear de that was heading towards his ankle.

    A movement like that of kicking a ser ball.

    ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s mouth perked up.

    Ohjin knew that he wouldn¡¯t try to avoid it.

    <i>Pang!!¡ª</i>

    Just before the low-swung spear was about to be hit by the foot, he let go of his grasp on the spear¡¯s shaft.

    The spear bounced on the ground and rotated in the air..

    Snatching the spear¡ª

    ¡°Hyaaaaaa!!¡±

    ¡ªhe struck down towards Joonman¡¯s shoulder!

    <i>Ppaaaak!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    Recoiling his body, Team Leader Han Joonman took a step back.

    Chasing after him, Ohjin gripped his spear.

    ¡°Haa, haa!¡±

    An intense exaltation.

    The insides of his head were burning up.

    Smirking, a thrilling sensation spread throughout his body.

    ¡®A little more.¡¯

    He wanted to enjoy the sensation of his body burning up.

    He wanted to feel the thrill of scratching the surface.

    <i>Owooong!!¡ª </i>

    The stigma let out a zing light.

    <i>Craaaackle!!!!¡ª</i>

    Just like when he had received the blessing from Vega, the blue lightning fiercely zed up.

    ¡¶Thunder & Lightning Lv1¡· has increased to ¡¶Thunder & Lightning Lv2¡·.

    A blue message box appeared in front of his eyes.

    He ignored it.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    He took in arge breath.

    ¡ªThe smell of piercing thick sweat.

    The smell of air, dust, and steel.

    As if hewas usingthe stigma of the<b> Hunting Dogs, </b>the senses in his body sharpened to its edge.

    ¡®Just a little¡­ more.¡¯

    Swing the spear.

    Stab the spear.

    More tenaciously. More brutally. More viciously!

    <i>Kang! Kakang! Kagaaang!!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Kuuuugh!!¡±

    Team Leader Hanjoon circted both his arms to protect his face from the spear strikes that rained down.

    ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯

    His doubt grew wider.

    Up to the point of him no longer being able to remember the surprise he had first felt, the stunning astonishment left him shaken.

    ¡®Just what¡¯s going on?¡¯

    <i>Kaang! Kang!¡ª</i>

    What he was surprised by was not the fiercely zing blue lightning nor the wildly swinging spear.

    Above that¡­

    Above something trivial like that¡­

    <b>¡®Just why¡­ is he bing stronger?¡¯</b>

    Out of hand, out of control.

    Like a fallen drop of ck ink spreading out in transparent water.

    A sticky and ominous feeling wrapped around him.

    <i>Owoong!!¡ª</i>

    The stigma engraved on Team Leader Han Joonman started to burn brightly.

    Although a 6-Star Awakener using his stigma against a 2-Star Awakener was a ridiculous thing to do¡ª

    ¡°Hyaaaaap!!¡±

    ¡ªthis wasn¡¯t the time to argue about that.

    <i>Baaaang!!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kuhuuuk!!!¡±

    As the glove exploded, the thick fist ferociously swung out.

    The wave of strength caused by the stigma of Tauruspressed the air, making it explode in a frightening fashion.

    <i>Bang! Ba-Bang!¡ª</i>

    Ohjin, who was caught in the explosion, bounced on the floor like a skipping stone.

    ¡°O-Ohjin!¡±

    The panicked Team Leader Kang Joonman urgently rushed towards him.

    ¡°Medics!! Quick,e and bring the medics!!!¡±

    As Team Leader Kang Joonman urgently shouted out, an Awakener that was on standby outside the entrance hurriedly came in.

    ¡°Ah, uh¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll start by stopping the bleeding!¡±

    The stigma engraved on the left chest of the Awakener started to pour out light.

    The blue light pouring out of his two arms started to flow into Ohjin¡¯s body.

    ¡°Haa, haa.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s course breathing started to return to normal.

    ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s not a big injury.¡±

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    As Team Leader Han Joonman felt at ease, he exhaled a breath out of relief.

    ¡°Bring a potion if there¡¯s one avable. The best one.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Team Leader.

    The Awakener who had rushed outside soon came back holding a potion.

    * * *

    * * *

    It was a potion made from finely grounded starstones created with the power of an Awakener of Aquarius.

    ¡°Please, take it.¡±

    ¡°Gulp, gulp.¡±

    Ohjin calmly drank the potion Team Leader Han Joonman passed over.

    His body that felt stinging pain soon returned to apletely normal state.

    ¡®Damn, how much is this?¡¯

    Looking at the empty potion bottle, the first thought that came to mind was that it was regretful.

    A potion made from an Awakener of Aquarius.

    One bottle would easily exceed $1000.

    ¡°I apologize!!!!¡±

    Team Leader Han Joonman bowed down from his hips in a 90¡ãangle.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    He shook his head while smiling.

    Although he wasn¡¯t able to win, he was thoroughly satisfied with the fact that he had driven a 6-Star Awakener to the point of using a stigma.

    ¡°Anyways, is the confirmation finished with this?¡±

    ¡°¡­Of course.¡±

    Team Leader Han Joonman nodded his head with a heavy expression.

    Star of the Weaver Girl, the apostle of Vega was a ludicrous existence far exceeding his imagination.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t something I should be saying aftermitting such a big mistake, but¡­¡±

    Repeatedly slightly lifting and closing his mouth with a hesitant expression, he soon opened his mouth carefully.

    ¡°Could you please spare me some time?¡±

    ¡°Time?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a private proposal I would like to offer.¡±

    A proposal.

    ¡®Should I hear him out first?¡¯

    Ohjin nodded his head while lifting himself up.

    * * *

    ¡°Coffee or tea, which one would you like?¡±

    ¡°Tap water.¡±

    It slipped out of his mouth since it was the only thing he drank.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Ah. Coffee, please.¡±

    As he waited for a moment on the chair, Team Leader Han Joonman brought two steaming coffees.

    ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡±

    ¡°First of all¡­ do you have a separate guild you want to join in mind?¡±

    ¡°No, there is none.¡±

    He shook his head firmly.

    Even though he took the evaluation test, his goal wasn¡¯t to join a guild.

    ¡°Then¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of acting as a mercenary.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    A short exmation flowed out of Team Leader Han Joonman¡¯s mouth.

    Mercenary.

    In other words, Awakeners that took requests for matters that were hard to solve with a guild¡¯s current members.

    It was a job with high risk, as you wouldn¡¯t be affiliated to any one ce, but if you had the capabilities, you could bring in high earnings that would find the earnings of most major guilds¡¯ executives amusing.

    ¡®The simple difference between a frencer and an office worker.¡¯

    It wasn''t hard to raise his prices after receiving a good evaluation from the evaluation test together with the title ¡®North Star¡¯s apostle¡¯.

    ¡°¡­By any chance, do you have any thoughts on joining the Association?¡±

    As expected, a recruitment proposition.

    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be tough for me to be affiliated with any one ce.¡±

    The moment you were affiliated with a group, it was inevitable to have your actions be restricted.

    And currently, Ohjin was in a situation where his actions mustn''t ever be restricted.

    ¡®Since I don¡¯t know what deeds I¡¯ll have tomit in order to be a Regressor.¡¯

    Putting the cup of coffee he had finished drinking on top of the table, he stood up.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your affiliation itself will be within the Association, but there will be no need tomute to work as an official employee. Ah, of course, you¡¯ll receive a monthly sry even if you don¡¯t go to work. Though it is veryckingpared to major guilds.¡±

    What?

    Getting paid a monthly sry without going to work?

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I said. Only keep the Association¡¯s name as your affiliation; it¡¯ll be fine if you work freely as a mercenary. If it¡¯s okay with you, we could arrange moderate requests and forward them to you.¡±

    It was a tempting proposal.

    If he could receive requests through the Association, there would be no cases of his remuneration getting chipped off.

    ¡®The conditions are great, but¡­¡¯

    ¡®A bait shouldn¡¯t be taken right away.¡¯

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Frowning deeply, he pretended to be momentarily lost in contemtion.

    ¡°Is there perhaps a condition you want?¡±

    ¡°Two months¡­ no, could you prevent my information from spreading for about one month?¡±

    He didn¡¯t have any thoughts on living while hiding his strength.

    However, he couldn¡¯t use the title ¡®North Star¡¯s apostle¡¯ right away in a situation where he hadn¡¯t had any preparations set.

    Although the title ¡®North Star¡¯s apostle¡¯ was most definitely a powerful authority, with authority would follow responsibility.

    ¡®I need time.¡¯

    He needed the performance and skill to carry the weight that came with the name North Star.

    ¡°I understand. We¡¯ll try to prevent information from spreading on the media and inte with the best of our capabilities.¡±

    ¡®Nice.¡¯

    He could prevent the information from spreading explosively just with that.

    ¡®To sum it up, if I just leave my affiliation with the Association, I can prevent my information from spreading, and they¡¯ll forward me good requests on their own?¡¯

    And on top of that, he would receive a monthly sry withoutmuting to work.

    ¡®Holy shit.¡¯

    The conditions made his balls shiver.

    It was extremely one-sided if you only looked at the conditions, but you could somewhat understand the stance of the Association.

    ¡®It¡¯s an opportunity to have the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s apostle as a part of their Association.¡¯

    There was no opportunity like this for the Association that had been getting its authority pushed back by the major guilds.

    ¡°¡­How is it?¡±

    <i>Gulp¡ª </i>

    Team Leader Han Joonman asked while swallowing nervously.

    His expression was full of unease.

    Ohjinfortably sat on the sofa and crossed his legs.

    Even though he had already decided to take up the Association''s offer in his mind¡ª

    ¡®I want toe off really fucking charismatic.¡¯

    ¡ªIt¡¯d be all for nothing if he came running to their doorstep like an excited puppy.

    He would eventually degenerate into the Association''s dog.

    ¡®I can¡¯t be a dog.¡¯

    He had lived like a dog for the past eight years.

    No.

    He had lived like a dog his entire life.

    ¡®Not anymore.¡¯

    He wouldn¡¯t live like a dog anymore.

    He wouldn¡¯t yield; he wouldn¡¯t obey anymore.

    ¡®From today onwards, I¡¯m¡ª¡¯

    <b>¡®¡ªThe ¡®Owner¡¯.¡¯</b>

    ¡°Hmm, I think I¡¯ll need more time to thin¡ª¡±

    ¡°In addition, we¡¯ll grant you a full tax exemption.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the Association''s dog starting from today.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Grrrr!! Woof!! Woof!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 12: Sanctum (1)

    One week after officially joining the association.

    Even though he had constantly been going in and out of dungeons in order to promote to 3-Star, he was unable to in the end.

    ¡®Well, trying to reach 3-Star in a week in itself is having no conscience.¡¯

    Since it was something he had already predicted, it didn¡¯t feel all that unfortunate.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    A breath full of nervousness flowed out of his mouth.

    He confirmed the date on his phone.

    November 13.

    It was the date he had promised to meet with Vega.

    ¡®Sanctum.¡¯

    Star¡¯s sanctuary.

    The world the celestials resided in.

    He had heard a lot, but it was the first time he had personally visited it.

    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m getting butterflies.¡±

    Although he was sure he had prepared quite thoroughly, thinking about directly meeting and talking with Vega made his stomach start to fill with butterflies.

    ¡®Let¡¯s get ready and¡ª¡¯

    Taking a deep breath in, he calmed his mind.

    The moment he made a mistake here, his ns would all go to waste.

    ¡®¡ªtake off.¡¯

    <i>p!¡ª </i>

    Lightly pping both sides of his cheek, he moved his feet.

    <i>Murmur Murmur¡ª </i>

    Seoul, Hongdae.

    The street that used to be filled with youths¡¯ passion was now crawling with another type of passion.

    ¡°Oh god, please ept my wishes!!!¡±

    ¡°Ahh, oh great celestial!!!¡±

    ¡°Bless this humble bug with the power of the constetion!¡±

    The moment he took a step out of the station that had taken him an hour to arrive at, he was met with the ringing sound of prayers akin to madness.

    ¡®Is this what I saw on the news before?¡¯

    In front of the gate that led to the sanctum were crowds of people that had gathered to try and win over the hearts of the celestials so that they could be Awakeners.

    ¡®¡­Though if the celestials saw the state they¡¯re in, they¡¯d probably lose any desire to select them.¡¯

    Worn-out clothes and dark grime covered their bodies; a dreadful stench pricked his nose. They hadn¡¯t bathed for days on end.

    It was a world where the value of life became an amusing joke.

    Life was nothing but an endless misery for those without power, wealth, and authority.

    ¡®It is unfortunate, but¡­¡¯

    That¡¯s all.

    He had neither the obligation nor willingness to care about others'' lives.

    <i>Owoooong!¡ª</i>

    Passing by the people gathered in front of the gates, he headed towards the gate that led to the sanctum.

    A humongous gate that seemed to reach over 30 meters.

    Just by looking at the zing blue fissures, he could feel the overwhelming pressure pouring out.

    ¡®Did they say that there are hundreds of worlds like these?¡¯

    ¡®Well then.¡¯

    He moved his feet towards the gate without hesitation.

    There wasn¡¯t anyone guarding or confirming identities at the entrance.

    There was no reason to.

    It would be no different from a rabbit protecting the entrance of a tiger¡¯s den.

    What kind of insane Awakener would make a fuss at the sanctuary where hundreds of celestials were gathered?

    ¡®Furthermore, they say that themandment¡¯s restrictions are much weaker inside the sanctum.¡¯

    If you carelessly caused amotion, it would end in catastrophe.

    <i>Owooong!¡ª</i>

    He passed through the fissure that zed with blue light.

    Along with the feeling of floating¡ª

    ¡°¡­ho.¡±

    <b>¡ªthe scene of the cosmos unfolded.</b>

    Uncountable stars sparkled in the ck darkness.

    The Milky Way seemed to cut the cosmos in half.

    In a ce where the rivers flowed with starlight¡­

    ¡®This is the sanctum.¡¯

    Ohjin unconsciously looked around with his mouth open wide in awe of the overwhelming beauty.

    He slowly moved his feet along the road made of silver light.

    Following the humongous silver road, he was met with a crossroad that split into several other routes.

    Sanctuaries with various shapes and forms could be seen at the end of each road.

    ¡®It looks like a tree made of the gxy.¡¯

    He himself felt like he was a fruit dangling at the end of a massive tree stem.

    ¡°¡­But how do I find Vega here.¡±

    How could he find Vega amongst the hundreds when he could see dozens of sanctuaries with just his eyes.

    As he stood still with narrowed eyes, a passing Awakener struck up a conversation with him.

    ¡°Is this your first time in the sanctum?¡±

    It was a youth with a friendly impression that seemed to be in his midte twenties.

    ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s right. I came here to find my celestial, but I don¡¯t know where to go.¡±

    ¡°Haha. I wandered around a lot at first too. Come this way. I¡¯ll show you where the map is.¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    As expected, there was a map.

    Well.

    It was a ce that was impossible to navigate without one.

    ¡°Over here.¡±

    ¡®Were there this many celestials?¡¯

    There were also many constetions he had never seen in his life.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see. Vega is¡­¡¯

    He searched for Lyra on the map.

    Even though there were hundreds of constetions, it wasn¡¯t hard to find Lyra.

    ¡®The highest ce in the sanctum.¡¯

    Since if you considered it a tree, it would be located at the peak.

    ¡®I guess Vega really is an incredible celestial.¡¯

    There was nothing reaching her height except the other North Stars, Pris and Deneb.

    ¡°Have you found it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll need to go way up.¡±

    ¡°Way up¡­¡±

    The youths'' eyes expanded.

    ¡°A-Are you perhaps an Awakener of the 12 Zodiacs?!¡±

    He looked towards Ohjin with eyes full of envy.

    Slightly lowering his head, he could confirm that the constetion of the 12 Zodiacs were located right under Lyra.

    <i>Smirk¡ª </i>

    He nodded his head with a light smile.

    ¡°I was lucky.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ you were really an apostle of the 12 Zodiacs.¡±

    His voice was filled with envy.

    ¡°12 Zodiacs?¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    Was it because the surroundings heard the youth?

    He could hear the nearby Awakeners starting to murmur while looking towards their direction.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m so jealous.

    ¡°If only I had one of the 12 Zodiacs¡­¡±

    Steaming gazes mixed with clear jealousy were focused onto Ohjin.

    The gazes from the novice Awakeners that had entered the sanctum for the first time were especially focused on him.

    Observing the gazes focused on him, Ohjin turned his body.

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll take my leave. Thank you for showing me the way.¡±

    ¡°Ah, here is my business card! Please contact me if there¡¯s anything you want to ask about!¡±

    As he was about to take his leave, the youth with the kind impression lent out his business card.

    The intention of wanting to make a connection with an apostle of the 12 Zodiacs could be felt.

    Ohjin took the business card and nodded.

    ¡®The prestige thates with the constetion¡¯s name really is important.¡¯

    Without needing to say anything, the opposing side would bow down and do everything for him themselves.

    ¡°Haha. Then I¡¯ll contact youter.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    The youth replied with a salute like a private that had just entered the army.

    At this point, it was hard to tell which person was the one who either received or gave help.

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    ¡®Should we go to meet our goddess?¡¯

    Ohjin slowly climbed the road made of rays of silver light.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    ¡°When will I be able to climb that road?¡±

    ¡°Wake up. How would we ever be able to go up the road towards the 12 Zodiacs.¡±

    Ohjin could slightly hear the murmuring sound of the Awakeners.

    ¡®Constetion of the 12 Zodiacs, huh?¡¯

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    Ohjin moved his feet.

    Past the 12 Zodiacs,

    towards the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s sanctuary.

    * * *

    [You¡¯vee.]

    After entering the silver light sanctuary at the peak of the sanctum, the beautiful voice echoed out in his head.

    Religious symbols and morous murals were nowhere to be seen in the empty sanctuary.

    Inside, a brilliantly shining silver-haired goddess was floating.

    ¡°I wanted to see you, Vega!¡±

    Smiling brightly, he headed towards her.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Suddenly shaking his shoulders, he stopped his steps.

    ¡°¡­I apologize.¡±

    He dropped his head with a painful expression.

    Softly biting his lips, he clenched his fists.

    [¡­It seems that your mind is still in disorder.]

    With a bitter expression, Vega slowly floated through the air towards him.

    The future memories that didn¡¯t exist for her.

    Looking at the appearance of the Awakener suffering from the gap between that memory and reality, her heart became one step heavier.

    [Thisdy isn¡¯t the same woman you remember.]

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    Ohjin shook his head with a gentle smile.

    ¡°The Vega within my memories¡­ was beautiful, no different from the present.¡±

    [Mmh. You¡¯re saying such embarrassing words again.]

    <i>Khmm¡ª </i>

    Vega cleared her throat and looked away.

    [Even if you tter me, there¡¯s nothing thisdy can do for you.]

    He could see the golden eyes that shone like gems slightly waver.

    ¡®Nice start.¡¯

    It seemed to be working out, even though he felt sick enough to his stomach to throw up the calorie bar he had eaten that morning.

    [That¡¯s that.]

    She urgently changed the subject and put her hands on top of Ohjin''s stigma.

    [To be promoted to 2-Star in only the week I didn¡¯t see you¡­ Indeed, you are the Heaven-Defying Star.]

    ¡°Since it¡¯s something I¡¯ve done once before,¡± Ohjin replied nonchntly, shrugging his shoulders.

    [Fufu. That makes sense.]

    Vega nodded her head with a satisfied smile.

    [First of all, I want to hear a detailed exnation about the future you know. Won¡¯t thisdy need to know what happens in order to be of help?]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Fuck.

    Atst, the time hade.

    <i>Gulp¡ª</i>

    Swallowing nervously, he slowly started the story he had prepared.

    ¡°In the near future¡­ an existence known as the Heavenly Demon will appear.¡±

    [Heavenly Demon?]

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    This was the title he had roughlye up with from Vega¡¯s words, ¡®The one possessing the ck Heaven will end the world¡¯.

    The demon who carries the ck Heaven, the Heavenly Demon.

    Although it couldn¡¯t be more simple, it was said that the simplest and easiest to understand lies would work the best.

    ¡®Not like there¡¯s any way I was actually called the Heavenly Demon.¡¯

    <i>¡®Heavenly Demon?¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not like this is a B-grade Wuxia story; why would anyone use a title like that.¡¯</i>

    [Then are you saying that the Heavenly Demon is the one who possesses the ck Heaven?]

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. However¡­¡±

    <i>Fuu¡ª </i>

    Taking in one deep breath.

    ¡°As the Heavenly Demon had thoroughly hidden his identity, we were unable to identify his face, name, and not even if he was a human being or not.¡±

    [Are you saying that, even as the Regressor, you don¡¯t know?]

    ¡°Yes. Even though I¡¯ve tried to find out up to the point of my regression, I failed in the end.¡±

    [Hmm?]

    As if she couldn¡¯t understand, Vega tilted her head.

    [If you used the ¡®Pledge of Stars¡¯ to regress to the past, it would mean that you killed the ck Heaven¡¯s owner¡­ Are you saying that you were unable to confirm his face even after his death?]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡®What the fuck is the ¡®Pledge of Stars¡¯?¡¯

 Chapter 13: Sanctum (2)

    ¡®The fuck.¡¯

    ¡®Lee Shinhyuk seeded in killing me?¡¯

    ¡®Then why did that bitch regress in the first ce?¡¯

    ¡®No, that¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now.¡¯

    The longer he hesitated, the more her doubts would grow.

    ¡®I need to go over this as naturally as possible.¡¯

    ¡°The moment my spear pierced his heart, he disappeared into a handful of ck dust.¡±

    He replied with aposed voice.

    As long as there wasn¡¯t any way to confirm how the Heavenly Demon died, there was no choice but to believe his words.

    The words of a witness in a case without evidence would be no different from the truth.

    [So that¡¯s what happened.]

    Vega let out a regretful exmation and nodded her head.

    Thankfully, not even the slightest sign of suspicion could be seen.

    [Then, do you have a method of finding the owner of the ck Heaven?]

    ¡®Method of finding? He''s right in front of your eyes.¡¯

    ¡°There isn''t one currently. The only method right now is to wait for him to make his move.¡±

    [Hmm. When does that Heavenly Demon emerge?]

    ¡°In three years time.¡±

    He made sure he mentioned a time a long ways away so that he had time toe up with countermeasures.

    Three years was enough time to make a nonexistent Heavenly Demone to life.

    ¡°We need to grow our strength to the limit before then. Naturally, we¡¯ll also try finding traces of the Heavenly Demon during that time.¡±

    [That seems appropriate.] Vega nodded while touching her chin.

    ¡®Should I seal the deal?¡¯

    He was met with a bit of danger in the middle, but the flow then was just as he had nned.

    Now was the time to activate the hidden card he had prepared.

    ¡°A new gate will appear at Mok-dong in two days.¡±

    ¡ªInformation of the future he had acquired from Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories.

    With that information revealed, he would be free of any suspicion directed towards him.

    ¡®Since this is information unobtainable by ones that aren¡¯t Regressors.¡¯

    The moment a prophet was called ¡®prophet¡¯ was not when they first made the prediction but after the prediction was proven to be true.

    It was the same for Regressors.

    The moment ¡®something¡¯ that only Regressors could know was proven to be true was when you would truly be recognized as a Regressor.

    [A new fissure¡­ Is there an alternative reason you ced your attention on that ce?]

    ¡°A star relicys dormant in that location.¡±

    He didn¡¯t actually know how well the star relic would perform.

    No, there wasn¡¯t even the need to.

    ¡®That¡¯s not what¡¯s important.¡¯

    The fact that he knew a star relic existed inside a dungeon that would appear in two days¡­

    Proving that fact was the core of his n.

    [Indeed. So you n on enjoying the privilege unique to Regressors.]

    With a satisfied smile, Vega nodded her head.

    [¡­My child.]

    <i>p¡ª</i>

    The beautiful dress consisting of starlight spread out.

    Slowly floating on thin air, she headed towards him.

    ¡®My child?¡¯

    ¡®Do all celestials usually call their apostles their child?¡¯

    ¡®Then do I have to call Vega, mama?¡¯

    No matter how he thought of it, the title made him lose his mind.

    [Even though you have the fate of the world resting upon your shoulders, please¡­ don¡¯t overdo yourself.]

    She stretched out her hands and stroked his cheek.

    The soft touch tickled his cheek.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The touch made his soul feel warm.

    The conscience that took ce deep within his mind momentarily screamed out.

    <i>Do you really have to deceive this kind-hearted celestial and use her to your advantage?</i>

    ¡®Of course I do.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll die if I don¡¯t.¡¯

    He lightly stamped over his screaming conscience.

    If he had to ignore his conscience for the price of living, he would do it any day.

    ¡®No, this is beyond simply staying alive.¡¯

    He would thoroughly take advantage of whatever he could, even if that was the celestial called the North Star.

    ¡°I¡¯m not overdoing myself.¡±

    He shook his head with a bright smile.

    ¡®Should I sprinkle some MSG as the finisher?¡¯

    ¡°Lady Vega¡­ if it''s for you¡­¡±

    He gently grasped the hands that had been stroking his cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do anything.¡±

    Gaze, looking down.

    Voice, deep and thick.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t remember. It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t reminisce.¡±

    Not excited, but serene.

    Like reciting a poem¡ªfilled with peace.

    <b>¡°If you can smile like now, that¡¯s enough for me.¡±</b>

    ¡®Finishing with a bitter smile!¡¯

    ¡®Kya! Yes, this is it!!¡¯

    ¡®Though my hands and feet feel like wringing up out of cringe, with the current mood and timing, this should be more than enough to work.¡¯

    [Ah¡­]

    Vega spat out a low exmation.

    He could feel her hand slightly tremble in his hand.

    [H-How do you¡­ say those words like it¡¯s nothing¡­]

    The cheeks of the Goddess ring up could be seen.

    ¡®Good.¡¯

    It appeared that the finishing touch of MSG he sprinkled was effective.

    ¡®It seems that celestials have emotions no different from humans.¡¯

    ¡®That being the case, there¡¯s no way my n wouldn¡¯t work.¡¯

    ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    <i>Bow¡ª </i>

    He bowed down and turned his body around.

    ¡®That wasn¡¯t bad.¡¯

    Even though you couldn¡¯t call it perfect, at least his actions wouldn¡¯t cause any suspicion.

    ¡®Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories yed a big part.¡¯

    If he hadn¡¯t read Shinhyuk¡¯s memories through the ck Heaven, there was no way it would develop this smoothly.

    ¡®If this n goes well, the rest will be easy.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t easy for celestials to move outside the sanctum while enduring the restrictions, and it wasn¡¯t like they could observe your actions in real-time either.

    In other words¡­

    Even if he identally caused a mistake ¡®unlike that of a Regressor¡¯, it wouldn¡¯t matter as long as the word didn¡¯t get across.

    ¡®If I can¡¯t deceive her with this, I¡¯ll need to take down my title of scammer.¡¯

    In fact, once you had reached this point, deceiving would be easy even without the experience of a scammer.

    In a situation where you weren¡¯t even being doubted, how could you get caught when the opposing side couldn¡¯t even observe.

    ¡®It''s like cheating in an exam without a supervisor.¡¯

    No different from selecting easy mode in video ga¡ª

    [Wait.]

    ¡°Hm? Is there a problem?¡±

    [Thisdy will go with you.]

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®with¡¯¡­?¡±

    [It means exactly what it sounds like.]

    Vega put her hands on her hips; her golden eyes shined with determination.

    [Thisdy will personally materialize herself on Earth and go with you.]

    ¡®No, wait.¡¯

    ¡®What the fuck are you talking about?¡¯

    ¡°H-However, themandment¡¯s restriction on earth for the celestials¡ª ¡±

    [Fufu, just who do you think thisdy is?]

    Pushing her chest out, she continued.

    [Of course, there are several restrictions, and my materialization time is limited, but using this method will make it somewhat feasible.]

    <i>Owooong!¡ª</i>

    A radiant silver light poured out of Vega¡¯s body.

    Her body started to shrink together with the light, and soon her size was reduced to a small size of about 30cm.

    ¡®The fuck?¡¯

    With his mouth wide open, he observed her turn into the size of a small doll.

    <i>Fufu¡ª</i>

    Giggling, Vega floated through the air towards his shoulders.

    [Here, take this.]

    Vega, who had flown up to his shoulders, put a silver pendant around his neck.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    [If you¡¯re wearing this, I¡¯ll be able to materialize next to you in this state for a couple of hours per day.]

    ¡°T-There¡¯s no need for you to do this.¡±

    ¡®Please.¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t do this to me, Mama.¡¯

    [¡­Thisdy didn¡¯t have thoughts on doing this at the start. Even this method won¡¯t be able to make thisdy entirely free from themandment¡¯s restriction.]

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    [However, didn''t you say so? That you would do anything for thisdy.]

    Sitting on his shoulder, Vega lent out her hand and gently patted his head.

    She continued with a smile full of benevolence.

    [How could thisdy possibly stay still after hearing those words from her child.]

    ¡®What the fuck?¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s because of what I said earlier?¡¯

    [Don¡¯t worry. Thisdy will carry your weight together with you.]

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    [The dark and lonely ahead¡ªI will walk it with you.]

    ¡®Didn¡¯t they say that rumors of MSG being bad for your body were false?¡¯

    ¡®They said it was fine¡­¡¯

    ¡®Ah.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m screwed.¡¯

    ¡®Fuck my life.¡¯

    * * *

    [Hmm, it¡¯s been quite a while since I¡¯ve looked around the Earth¡¯s scenery like this.]

    The way back home.

    On top of his shoulders, Vega looked around with eyes full of amazement.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The fluttering silver hair brushed past his cheek.

    ¡®It tickles.¡¯

    [Why have you been so speechless?]

    ¡°¡­No. It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Shaking his head, he put strength into his lifeless legs.

    ¡®It¡¯s already spilt milk.¡¯

    Even if he dwelled on it with regret and frustration, nothing would change.

    ¡®Since what¡¯s done is done.¡¯

    He just needed to trick her more thoroughly.

    It wasn¡¯t like you couldn¡¯t cheat in an exam with a supervisor present.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Exhaling arge breath, he headed towards his house.

    Approaching the familiar neighborhood, a gloomy atmosphere took ce.

    [¡­Is this where you live?]

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    [You live in quite a shabby area.]

    ¡°I don¡¯t have money,¡± he replied nonchntly.

    Poverty was a misfortune, and it wasn¡¯t something to be embarrassed about.

    [Hmm. Although thisdy wants to help out¡­ thisdy is in no possession of what is of value to humans.]

    ¡°Haha. It¡¯s alright.¡±

    He could make money since he was an Awakener now anyways.

    ¡®And well, I could move at any time if I put my mind to it.¡¯

    Ohjin had saved up for the past eight years.

    It was just that there was simply something more important than where he lived.

    <i>Creak¡ª</i>

    Together with the sound of the rusty door,

    ¡°You returned. Did you have a good meeting with that Vega or whatever?¡±

    Once again, Ha-eun, who had been hovering around the door with crutches, greeted him.

    ¡°Why were you sote?¡±

    ¡°Wait, I have something to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Eh? What is it?¡±

    ¡°That is¡­¡±

    Before he exined his story, Vega nced at Ha-eun from head to toe and opened her mouth.

    [¡ªAre you the youth that¡¯s living with thisdy¡¯s child?]

    ¡°Kyaaaaaa!! Fuck!!!¡±

    <i>Ba-bang!¡ª</i>

    He quickly caught Ha-eun, who had fallen backwards in shock.

    ¡°W-What?? Whose voice was that?!¡±

    She looked around in a hurry.

    [Hmm.]

    Vega, who was looking at her, soon straightened her hips and continued speaking with her arms crossed.

    [Thisdy¡¯s name is Vega. The Celestial of Lyra.]

    ¡°C¡­Celestial?¡±

    Ha-eun reached out her hands and pulled down on the tip of Ohjin¡¯s clothes.

    ¡°W-What¡¯s going on? W-W-Why is a celestial here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin.¡±

    ¡°Hurry. I think I¡¯m going to lose my mind.¡±

    Setting down Ha-eun on the creaking bed, he opened his mouth.

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    Ohjin briefly exined the things that had urred.

    Naturally, he had discussed the n to hide his identity as a Regressor with Vega in advance.

    ¡°¡­I mean, where on earth do you find an Awakener that¡¯s apanied by their celestial!"

    [Just because it hasn¡¯t been seen doesn¡¯t mean it cannot be done, correct?]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Ha-eun was left speechless in exasperation.

    [By the way¡­]

    Vega¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    Her sight headed towards Ha-eun¡¯s eyes and right leg.

    [So you were a disabled child.]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    [How did th¡ª]

    ¡°Lady Vega.¡±

    Ohjin cut her off in a low voice.

    <b>¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that,¡±</b> he said with a smile.

    [¡­¡­]

    As Vega looked back at Ohjin, she slowly opened her mouth.

    [So you¡­ can also make an expression like that.]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    [Thisdy apologizes for her discourteous behavior.]

    <i>Bow¡ª</i>

    Vega slightly bowed her head towards Ha-eun.

    ¡°N-No! Moreover!! V-Veg¡ª Lady Vega, weren¡¯t celestials unable to¡ª reside on Earth due to themandment thingy? Isn¡¯t that so¡ª the case, Lady Vega?¡±

    [Your words are all over the ce. If it¡¯s ufortable, it¡¯s okay to talk casually.]

    ¡°Just why did youe to Earth, you bitch.¡±

    [I think that¡¯s a little toofortable.]

    ¡®¡­Ha-eun¡¯.

 Chapter 14: Black Starâ€™s Relic(1)

    [Ohoo!!]

    An exmation full of excitement.

    The beautiful golden eyes that looked like melted gold sparkled.

    [Delicious! It truly is an astonishing vor!]

    <i>Munch Munch¡ª</i>

    The silver-haired goddess that had shrunk to around 30cm let out an exmation while nibbling on a hamburger the size of her torso.

    It looked as if a hamster was nibbling on a chestnut.

    ¡°¡­Celestials were able to eat as well?¡±

    Ha-eun asked as a forced chuckle flowed out of her mouth.

    Although she could¡¯t see it, the sound was more than enough for her to get a grasp on the situation.

    [Though there are no problems even if we don¡¯t eat, that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re unable to eat.]

    <i>Wipe¡ª</i>

    Vega ripped off a piece of tissue and cleaned her mouth.

    Even though her simple motion of wiping the mouth was noble and elegant, thoughts of cute preceded over pretty when you looked at her size.

    ¡°Is this your first time eating a burger?¡±

    [This is thisdy¡¯s first time trying human food.]

    <i>Dazzle¡ª </i>

    Sprinkling some strange silver dust while floating through the air, Vega sat on top of Ohjin¡¯s shoulder.

    [It is also thisdy¡¯s first time taking in an apostle like this.]

    She stretched out her tiny hands and pulled down on his earlobes.

    ¡®It tickles.¡¯

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s one thing I just can¡¯t get my head around,¡± Ha-eun said while furrowing her brows.

    ¡°Why Ohjin, out of all people? There¡¯s nothing unique about him.¡±

    North Star¡¯s apostle.

    No matter how much you thought of it, it was a title that didn¡¯t suit him.

    [What¡¯s unique? There is no existence more unique than this child in the entire world.]

    ¡°Eh? What do you mean by that?¡±

    [Fufu. That is something you cannot know.]

    With crossed arms, Vega straightened her back.

    [There wille a time you will know. No, when the entire world will know.]

    She continued with a voice full of confidence.

    <b>[That this child will be an existence greater than any other.]</b>

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s mouth opened wide; she thought the statement was absurd.

    ¡®Just what did Ohjin do for a North Star celestial to say such things?¡¯

    ¡°Lady Vega.¡±

    [Fufu. It seems that thisdy has chattered on for too long. I apologize.]

    Vega shrugged whileughing gracefully.

    [Also¡ª]

    The sparkling golden eyes headed towards Ha-eun.

    [¡ªaren¡¯t you also a unique one?]

    ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡±

    Ha-eun and Ohjin both tilted their heads at what they thought was an outrageous statement.

    They gazed at Vega with eyes full of doubt.

    [Hmm. Are you not already aware?]

    ¡°What are you referring to?¡±

    [Nevermind. It is¡­ something that has no meaning right now. Thisdy seems to have misspoken.]

    Gazing at Ha-eun¡¯s eyes that had lost their light, Vega let out a short sigh.

    [If only thisdy¡¯s powers could be of help¡­]

    Vega shook her head in regret.

    ¡°Heh, help with what? I¡¯m living just fine without it, so mind your own business.¡±

    [Fufu. At least that confident attitude of yours is to thisdy¡¯s liking.]

    Stretching her body, Vega turned around.

    [Anyways, thisdy should now take her rest. Even in this state, staying materialized this long will worsen the restriction.]

    ¡°Then will you only be able to move for around three hours per day?¡±

    [Although it¡¯s possible to stay longer if I overdo myself, there¡¯s currently no reason to, is there?]

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t anything Vega could do even if she stayed awake anyways.

    [Well then my child, let¡¯s see each other tomorrow.]

    Vega floated up to him and gently patted his head.

    <i>Owooong!¡ª</i>

    Vega¡¯s entire body turned into silver dust and got sucked into the pendant.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Silence came down upon the room.

    Bleakness lingered in the room like a storm had swept past.

    ¡°¡­Haa.¡±

    Ha-eun exhaled a deep breath.

    ¡°Just how did this happen¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would be like this either.¡±

    He had exined that Vega was personally following him around in a materialized state because he was her one and only apostle.

    As constetions following around their apostles in a materialized state was unheard of, Ha-eun being confused was a given.

    ¡°¡­Hey, Gwon Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°Sup?¡±

    ¡°Sit here.¡±

    <i>Tap Tap¡ª</i>

    She spoke in amanding tone, tapping the ce next to her on the bed.

    ¡°Why all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Shut up and take a seat.¡±

    After he sat down and tilted his head in confusion, Ha-eun immediately put her head on his thighs.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Just sit still.¡±

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oho. Won¡¯t you listen to my words?¡±

    Ha-eun, who hadid down on his thighs, curled up like a prawn and gently closed her eyes.

    Awkwardly stretching out her hands, she ced them on top of Ohjin¡¯s thigh.

    Warmth spread to her hands.

    She smiled bashfully from the familiar warmth she had felt for her entire life.

    ¡°Hehe! Laying down on our little Ohjin is indeed the best. You like it too, don¡¯t you, you bastard?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really fucking heavy.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. Your head feels real fucking light, like it¡¯spletely empty¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh? I feel even more like shit now.¡±

    Ha-eun squinted and pinched his thigh.

    ¡®Ouch.¡¯

    ¡°Hm. That''s right. This is the little Ohjin I know.¡±

    Ha-eun exploded out inughter for an unknown reason.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now.¡±

    ¡°Wait, how will I sleep if you sleep there?"

    ¡°Age by two more years if you have anyints.¡±

    ¡°This is unfair.¡±

    ¡°Ehehe.¡±

    Jiggling her shoulders, Ha-eun snuggled more towards his body.

    Not muchter, only the soft sound of breathing resonated through the room.

    ¡°Haaa.¡±

    ¡®I guess I won¡¯t be sleepingfortably tonight.¡¯

    * * *

    Two dayster.

    Ohjin performed a final checkup before he headed to Mok-dong.

    ¡®Two sets of res and smokescreens, emergency rations, rope, and,stly, three mid-grade potions.

    Not to mention everything else, he had invested quite a lot of money into buying the mid-grade potions, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡®Because I don¡¯t know what rank the monsters that will appear from the new dungeon will be.¡¯

    Forcefully saving money here could end up in an unnecessary disaster.

    ¡°Fuck. But it really is disgustingly expensive.¡±

    His body trembled while grasping the mid-grade potions which could go for a couple grand each.

    Even if you called it a future investment, just thinking about the ridiculous price made his gastric fluids reflux.

    ¡®Crazy pharmacist bastards.¡¯

    ¡®Roughly shoving in some of the stigma¡¯s mana on top of starstone powder is all it takes, so why is it so fucking expensive?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll make sure to get the stigma of Aquarius some day.¡¯

    ¡®If I can get a hold of the stigma of Aquarius, just making potions and selling them will earn me big money.¡¯

    [Are your preparationsplete?]

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    After putting on the hefty backpack, Ohjin opened the door.

    The fresh dawn wind tickled the tip of his nose.

    ¡®Star relic.¡¯

    Although the ability and rank of star relics varied, they all shared one thing inmon.

    ¡®That they¡¯re really fucking expensive.¡¯

    Just one 1-Star relic would go for over $10k.

    A 3-Star relic would be over $100k, and it would be over $1M starting from 5-Star relics.

    ¡®If it¡¯s a 6-Star¡­¡¯

    Minimum of millions, maximum, up to $10M.

    The guilds didn¡¯t search for star relics with fire in their eyes for no reason.

    ¡°Hehehehe!¡±

    Excitedly shaking his shoulders, Ohjin licked his lips.

    His footsteps towards the station were light.

    ¡ªOne hourter.

    Ohjin, who had taken the first ride and arrived at Mok-dong, headed towards a tall building nearby.

    ¡°I¡¯m Awakener Gwon Ohjin from the association. Sorry for the inconvenience in this early morning, but could you open the rooftop door for me?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. But is there perhaps a problem?¡±

    ¡°There is a matter that needs to be investigated in this building.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ I understand.¡±

    The security guard that had first looked at him with vignce opened the rooftop door for him with no special suspicion after hearing that he was from the association.

    <i>Swoosh¡ª </i>

    Coming out onto the rooftop, the entire scene of Mok-dong could be seen as the cool breeze brushed past his cheek.

    ¡®Belonging to the association is indeed great on asions like these.¡¯

    Leaning on the rooftop railing, Ohjin took a bite out of the calorie bar he had brought.

    [Are you waiting for the fissure to open from here?]

    ¡°Yes. Since even though I know it¡¯ll open today, I¡¯m not entirely sure of the location it¡¯ll appear at.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t like a Regressor had to know everything about the future; being unaware of this much didn¡¯t matter.

    [Hmm. Well then, thisdy should release her materialization and head inside.]

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when the gate opens.¡±

    [All right.]

    Vega once again turned into silver dust and headed inside the ne.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Sighing deeply, he shook his head.

    ¡®As expected, sticking together makes a lot of things ufortable.¡¯

    Having to pay attention to every single word and sentence was very cumbersome.

    ¡®However¡ª¡¯

    That didn¡¯t mean that it was purely negative.

    ¡®¡ªI can borrow her strength in emergency situations.¡¯

    It was one of the reasons he could challenge a newly formed dungeon where one couldn¡¯t predict how powerful of a monster would appear.

    ¡®Even if a variable appears, receiving her blessing and running away should be possible.¡¯

    ¡°Now,e out already.¡±

    He muttered while looking down the railing.

    Around three hourster.

    <i>-Owooooong!!!</i>

    Blue rays of light soaring up could be seen from far away.

    ¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯

    The sign of a new gate appeared.

    After confirming the location of the blue rays, Ohjin went down the building in a rush.

    ¡°Kyaaaaaa!!¡±

    ¡°G-Gate!! It¡¯s a gateeee!!¡±

    ¡°H-Hurry, contact the association!!¡±

    ¡°The association¡¯s useless nowadays!! Guilds! Contact the guilds!!¡±

    Civilians could be seen running away while screaming as he approached the location where the blue rays shot up.

    ¡®What a mess.¡¯

    Eight years ago.

    It felt like he had returned to when gates first appeared on Earth.

    At that time, he was also one of those people running away with an expression of horror, but¡­

    ¡®Now it¡¯s different.¡¯

    Ohjin continued his footsteps with a smirk.

    <i>-Owoong!!</i>

    He threw his body into the newly formed gate.

    A feeling of nauseousness brushed past his body while his vision was distorted.

    ¡°Fua!¡±

    As his distorted vision returned to normal, the dungeon unfolded in front of his eyes.

    A jaw-dropping spacious cave.

    Stctites spiked up like the canines of wild beasts, gray streams of water flowed down their sides.

    Although the interior was dark, you could still somewhat distinguish the surroundings with the orange light that seeped out from an unknown ce.

    ¡°Lady Vega, we have arrived.¡±

    Tapping on the silver ne, a silver-haired goddess appeared together with rays of silver light.

    [Ho-oh. So this is the inside of the fissure you talked about.]

    Vega floated around the surroundings in interest.

    Although she looked around with sparkling eyes, she didn¡¯t seem all that surprised by the fact that a gate really opened as he had said.

    ¡®Does that mean she believed me that much?¡¯

    It appeared that she believed a gate opening on that day was natural, as it was the words from who she believed to be a ¡®Regressor¡¯.

    ¡®¡­I¡¯m not sure if I should be happy about this or not.¡¯

    Of course, it was good that she was alreadypletely trusting of him, but simultaneously, it felt hollow; since his ns of getting rid of all suspicious became meaningless.

    ¡®Well, whatever. Good is good.¡¯

    You shouldn¡¯tin that n A worked when you had prepared n B as well.

    ¡®That doesn¡¯t mean I can let my guard down.¡¯

    By nature, the thing called trust was hard to build but easy to lose.

    No matter how much she believed him to be a Regressor, he was sure that the trust would break down if suspicion continued to stack up.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s head a little deeper inside.¡±

    [All right.]

    Ohjin moved deeper into the cave before the other Awakeners could catch up.

    As he was following the subtle orange light¡ª

    <i>Gloop¡ª </i>

    ¡ªthe echoing sound of sticky mucus entered his ears.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s face stiffened after he turned his head towards the sounds.

 Chapter 15: Black Starâ€™s Relic

    <i>Swoosh!¡ª</i>

    A ck-tinted figure shot towards him at high speed.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Taking in a short breath, he took a step back.

    Holding out the spear, he got a better look at the figure that had been fired from between the stctites.

    ¡®A Tentacle?¡¯

    A ck tentacle with sticky mucus trickling down.

    At the base of the tentacle, a monster simr to that of a slime could be seen.

    It had a sticky body simr to clumped-up tar and wiggled while scattering out tentacles.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s that?¡±

    It was a monster with an appearance he had never seen before.

    [What an unpleasant organism.]

    ¡°Though it doesn¡¯t look all that strong.¡±

    Even though it looked horrific, it didn¡¯t seem that dangerous when he observed its movements.

    <i>Bzz, Bzzzzz!¡ª </i>

    The blue lightning zed as his stigma shone.

    Easily avoiding the flood of tentacles, he jabbed out his spear towards the ck slime.

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Mucus spread across in all directions as the ck slime exploded.

    Although he backed up in a hurry, a little bit of mucus ended up on his cor.

    <i>Sizzleeee!¡ª</i>

    Like hydrochloric acid had been poured; a pungent smoke arose as the mucus melted away.

    ¡®This one''s trickier dead than alive.¡¯

    In any case, it was a monster that wasn¡¯t hard to eliminate with a little bit of caution.

    <i>Gurg, Gurgle!¡ª</i>

    ¡°So it isn¡¯t just one.¡±

    Was it because they heard the sound? He could see the ck slimes wiggling towards him from all directions.

    Twirling his spear around, Ohjin lowered his stance.

    ¡®If they¡¯re enemies that explode on death¡­¡¯

    Keeping as much distance as possible was the most important factor.

    Ohjin started to reduce the number of ck slimes one by one by shooting lightning at them from a close distance.

    ¡®Should I use this opportunity to test that?¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone as he dodged the ck tentacles in a Z-shaped pattern.

    An attack that could be used at a distance and had a wide area of effect.

    ¡®Blue Lightning.¡¯

    He wanted to use the skill which he could previously only use with Vega¡¯s blessing with his own personal strength.

    ¡°Haa. Fuu.¡±

    Long and steady breaths.

    Bending his back, he pulled back the spear grasped in his right hand the farthest he could.

    <i>Owoooong!!!¡ª </i>

    The stigma zed in blue light.

    He directed the mana that was overflowing around his body into the stigma.

    [What¡­]

    As Vega was observing the fight, her eyes opened wide.

    <i>Bzz, Bzzzzz!!¡ª </i>

    The blue lightning ferociously twisted across the surface of his body.

    Like an oil fire, the stigma¡¯s mana burned at a frightening speed.

    He didn¡¯t pay it any mind.

    ¡®I have overflowing mana, after all.¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t need efficiency.¡¯

    ¡®I just need to cover myck of proficiency with overwhelming amounts of mana.¡¯

    <i>Bang!!!¡ª </i>

    Grounding his feet, heunched the spear with all of his strength.

    ¡¶Blue Lightning Lv1¡· has been activated.

    Releasing the pent-up lightning at the tip of the spear all at once¡ª

    <b><i>CRACKLEEEEEE!!!!!¡ª </i></b>

    ¡ªthe blue lightning swept away everything in a wide cone in front of it.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!¡ª </i>

    Fragments of slime exploded everywhere.

    ¡°Huff, huff!¡±

    Ramming the spear into the ground, he calmed his trembling legs.

    ¡®It worked.¡¯

    It was sloppy and closer to a half-forced method, but he seeded in using a skill that he could previously only use in a ¡®blessed¡¯ state.

    [Wow¡­ It¡¯s hard to believe, even after seeing it.]

    After observing Ohjin¡¯s fight, Vega let out an exmation.

    [Even though thisdy knew you would be proficient quickly, to think it was to this extent.]

    She herself knew best just how hard it was to handle the stigma of Lyra.

    The reason she couldn¡¯t make an apostle in the first ce was because there was no human capable of handling the stigma of Lyra.

    ¡®But in just a couple of days¡­¡¯

    He had manifested a skill that was only possible to use with a blessing Vega had endured the restrictions to grant.

    Even if one had experienced it before, it was still a speed that was hard to believe.

    ¡°Well, it was half-forced.¡±

    [Hmm. Well, It did seem that there were many parts that could be polished.]

    Though he had seeded in manifesting the ¡¶Blue Lightning¡·, the level ofpleteness was terrible.

    You could say that he had seeded in carrying something that normally needed 10 energy by forcefully using 100.

    Putting inefficiency aside, it couldn¡¯t even match up to its original strength.

    [However, being able to use the blue lightning is more than enough right now.]

    Even amongst the skills of the stigma of Lyra, ¡¶Blue Lightning¡· was a skill around mid-level difficulty.

    It was a difficult skill for a Regressor, let alone for him¡ªwho was no different from having just Awakened.

    ¡°Haha. I¡¯m d you put it that way.¡±

    [Thisdy will show you her other skills as well at ater date. Ah right, now that I think of it, you probably know all of it already.]

    ¡°No, that¡¯s incorrect.¡±

    Ohjin shook his head.

    ¡°There are a couple of sections of memories that became blurry during my regression, the stigma of Lyra¡¯s skills is one of them¡±

    [Blurry?]

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s like a film that was cut off midway; I can¡¯t recall the memories from that section clearly.¡±

    Although he didn¡¯t want to use this clumsy excuse¡ª

    ¡®She could suddenly ask me to use a skill I¡¯m not aware of.¡¯

    ¡ªthat wasn¡¯t a problem that could be solved by talking.

    [Hmm. How strange, there shouldn¡¯t be any memory loss from a regression caused by the Pledge of Stars.]

    Vega gazed towards Ohjin with doubt.

    Even while receiving the gaze of doubt, Ohjin continued naturally with not an ounce of panic.

    ¡°I believe it to be a kind of restriction.¡±

    [What kind of restriction are you talking about?]

    ¡°In the case of celestials, don¡¯t they receive themandment¡¯s restriction? I believe it holds a simr principle and took partial involvement in restraining my transcendental power.¡±

    If a stranger heard of this, they would furrow their brows while asking what kind of nonsense he was talking about, but the story was different in her case, as she had her transcendental powers restricted in actuality.

    [Certainly¡­ It does sound usible.]

    Softly touching her lips, Vega nodded her head.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I lost anything important, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±

    [Anything important¡­?]

    ¡°Well, for example, something like the memories of you, Lady Vega.¡±

    Smiling brightly, he looked towards her.

    [Eh!]

    Vega¡¯s body flinched.

    [Y-You are saying those embarrassing words again!]

    The appearance of the blushing Goddess was cute.

    * * *

    [C-Cough. Anyways¡­]

    After facing away, Vega floated towards the location of the ck Slime corpses.

    Her eyes narrowed as she observed the stctites covered in sticky mucus.

    [Hm¡­ Thisdy feels a somewhat unpleasant aura.]

    ¡°An unpleasant aura?¡±

    [It¡¯s difficult for thisdy to express it precisely. It¡¯s just a feeling.]

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and cautiously headed towards the shredded ck Slime corpses.

    If Vega herself said that she felt an uneasy energy, it was worth checking out.

    ¡®Hm? That¡¯s¡­¡¯

    Rummaging through the shredded ck Slimes, Ohjin¡¯s brows furrowed.

    ck gems the size of a fingernail could be seen amongst the corpses.

    ¡®A mutant¡¯s¡­ starstone?¡¯

    It was most definitely a mutant¡¯s starstone, the same as he had discovered weeks ago.

    Not one, but several at that.

    ¡®Huh? A mutant appeared again? They shouldn''t be able to be found somonly.¡¯

    A mutant¡¯s starstone wasn¡¯t expensive for no reason; their value was several times or even up to several dozens of times more than regr starstones since their numbers were so few inparison.

    ¡°Lady Vega, is there anything you know about this ck starstone?¡±

    [Thisdy doesn¡¯t know either.]

    Vega shook her head.

    [Have your memories about the ck starstone disappeared as well?]

    ¡°Yes. I have no id¡­¡±

    ¡®Oops.¡¯

    ¡°¡­there are things I have assumptions about, but I''m not entirely sure yet.¡±

    Rather than saying that he knew nothing, saying that he had some grasp on the situation would create more leeway.

    ¡®Since a Regressor not knowing anything would make no sense.¡¯

    Anyways, not even Vega knew why there was a sudden increase in the number of mutant monsters.

    ¡®Should I start by heading deeper inside?¡¯

    Ohjin shook the ck mucus off of the spear¡¯s de and moved deeper into the cave.

    However, the deeper he moved into the cave, the more he felt as if he was just going around in circles.

    ¡®This can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Although he didn¡¯t want to use it in front of Vega if possible, there was no other method.

    Ohjin activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs.

    Through his sensitive sense of smell, uncountable different kinds of odors flooded in.

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    [What¡¯s wrong?]

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ nothing.¡±

    Shaking his head, he focused his mind.

    ¡®The smell of the ck Slimes from before¡­¡¯

    He moved towards the trace of the sticky, unpleasant smell.

    Passing through theplex maze-like cave, a wide-open cavern appeared.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    It seemed like he hade to the right ce.

    [This ce¡­]

    Vega narrowed her eyes and observed the wide-open cavern.

    [The unpleasant aura from before has gotten thicker here.]

    ¡°The star relic should be around here.¡±

    Ohjin looked around while walking into the cavern.

    ¡®Now, I wonder where it is.¡¯

    His heartbeat escted as if he were a child that had arrived at a treasure map¡¯s designation.

    And then¡ª

    ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯

    ¡ªa massive stone statue could be seen at the end of the cavern.

    The stone statue had its hands together in a praying motion; something could be seen shining in the center of its forehead.

    ¡ªA ck drinking ss radiating an ominous dark aura.

    The ck ss, slightlyrger than a fist, was embedded on the middle of its forehead.

    ¡®Found it!!!¡¯

    There was a bit of a difference from the star relics he hadmonly heard about, but in any case, it was still a star relic that contained a mysterious power.

    ¡®Wow! This is insane!! Just how much is that thing worth!!¡¯

    Looking at the star relic he had only heard about with his own eyes, his body trembled.

    ¡®Star relic!¡¯

    ¡®A real star relic!¡¯

    <i>Goosebumps¡ª </i>

    An electrifying thrill stretched out the wrinkles on his balls.

    His heart felt like it was going to pop out of his mouth.

    ¡®I¡¯ll use it if the ability is useful, and if it¡¯s iffy, I just need to sell it.¡¯

    Whatever the case, it was good news.

    ¡°Hehehehe!!!¡±

    ¡®God dammit.¡¯

    ¡®Myughter won¡¯t stop.¡¯

    [Is that the star relic?]

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ohjin walked towards the stone statue with a bright smile.

    <i>Gurg, Gurgle¡ª </i>

    [These unpleasant things havee once again.]

    Furrowing her brows, Vega floated through the air and sat down on Ohjin¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Hehe. This is something I already <b>knew about</b>. There''s no need to worry.¡±

    Grasping the spear, he walked towards the group of ck Slimes.

    When he had tracked the smell, he had already predicted that there would be a group of slimes.

    ¡®Are they like some sort of guardians that protects the star relic?¡¯

    ¡®To have these weaklings as guardians¡­¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡®I should hurry up and wipe them out.¡¯

    He smirked while walking towards the ck Slimes pouring out of every direction.

    <i>Stick, Gurg, Gurgle¡ª </i>

    The ck Slimes that gathered in the cavern numbered around 50.

    Although it was a frightening number, he didn¡¯t think he would be incapable of facing them.

    Each slime was weaker than an Ant-horn.

    ¡®I just need to be careful of the explosion.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t all that hard.

    <i>Gurk, Gurkle, Gurkleeeeee!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡®Why aren¡¯t these fuckers charging in?¡¯

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    The ck Slimes that were heading towards Ohjin stopped in their tracks.

    Around 50 ck Slimes were gathered at the center of the cavern.

    The slimes stretched out their tentacles and began rubbing and entangling each other.

    <i>Stick!¡ª</i>

    The slimes'' bodies popped with an unpleasant sound andbined into one.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s expression stiffened.

    An ominous feeling passed by his head.

    And then¡ª

    <b><i>Gurgleeeee!! Gurk!! Stick! Gurk, Gurkleeeeeee!!!¡ª </i></b>

    ¡ªthe ck Slimes that numbered dozens,

    ¡°Hey, hey, hey¡­ Wait a second.¡±

    The slimesbined into the form of a giant as tall as 5 meters.

    The monster consisting of ck mucus smacked its chest.

    <i>Bang! Bang!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kraaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!¡±

    A frightening roar echoed through the entire cavern.

    ¡®Holy shit, what is that?¡¯

    ¡®Why does it look so fucking strong?¡¯

    [Fufu. Indeed, so you knew this would happen.]

    ¡®Nope.¡¯

    ¡®No, I didn¡¯t.¡¯

    [As you have said, thisdy shall observe without worry!]

    ¡®What should I do.¡¯

    ¡°Haha!! Trust in me, Lady Vega!!!¡±

    ¡®I think I¡¯m fucked.¡¯

    T/n: Don¡¯t hate me for tranting <i>that</i>¡­

 Chapter 16: Black Starâ€™s Relic

    <i>Bang! Bang!¡ª </i>

    A bang echoed throughout the cave every time the ck mucus giant took a step.

    The dozens of ck tentacles gushing out of the giant¡¯s back wriggled menacingly.

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    Ohjin stared at the giant with shaking eyes.

    ¡®What¡¯s this all of a sudden.¡¯

    Of all time for this to happen, of course it just had to happen after he had boasted in excitement when he saw the star relic.

    ¡®How do I run now¡­?!¡¯ he tilted his head and looked at Vega.

    She wasfortably floating in mid-air with her arms crossed.

    Her golden eyes sparkled in anticipation, looking forward to what kind of new method he would use to face the monster.

    ¡®What am I supposed to do with that?¡¯

    Biting his lips, he faced the mucus giant once again.

    Around five meters tall¡­

    The bodyposed of mucus swelled up like a bodybuilder that had taken lethal doses of steroids.

    It looked somewhat like the monster he saw on the Venom poster while walking down the street.

    ¡®You can tell it¡¯s damn strong with a nce. I think I¡¯ll getunched back to the entrance of this cave with one hit.¡¯

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Forcefully moving his fear-halted body, he grasped his spear.

    He was in a situation where he couldn¡¯t flee, as he had already spilled the beans.

    ¡®If I can¡¯t run, I can only fight to the death; it¡¯s not like I have no chance of winning.¡¯

    ¡®Although it looks like a monster from Nordic mythology, it probably isn¡¯t that strong.¡¯

    ¡®The slimes were originally weaklings anyway; there¡¯s no way they would be reborn as an invincible monster like Exodia just because some arms and legs are attached to the body.¡¯

    ¡®Let¡¯s give it a shot. I only need to flee when It feels impossible.¡¯

    ¡°Krrrrrrrrrk.¡±

    Sounding like it was coughing up phlegm, the mucus giant lowered its stance.

    <i>Splurge!¡ª </i>

    As the giant¡¯s back split apart, dozens of ck tentacles poured out.

    The moment the ck tentacles were about to fire at Ohjin¡­

    ¡°Eat this, you fuckers!!¡± he pulled out a small handgun from his pocket and pulled on the trigger.

    Naturally, the small handgun didn¡¯t contain a simple bullet.

    <i>sh!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Krrrrrrrrg?!¡±

    The stun grenade scattered a blinding sh throughout the entire cave like the sun had risen.

    The giant frowned and took a step back, not used to the light.

    ¡®Now!¡¯

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    The moment the giant faltered, Ohjin sprinted forwards with all his might.

    ¡°Huff, puff!¡±

    He had one shot.

    As a sudden attack such as the stun grenade wouldn''t work twice, he needed to risk everything on this one chance.

    The gap between them closed.

    The faltering giant took a step back, trying to regain its bnce.

    ¡®Five meters¡­¡¯

    He grasped the spear.

    <i>Crackleee!!¡ª </i>

    Blue lightning zed.

    His stigma poured out light.

    ¡®Three meters¡­¡¯

    His eyes locked onto the giant¡¯s hip.

    Even with a spear, a clear strike at the head would be too difficult.

    He aimed at the widest target possible, pouring maximum output into this single strike.

    ¡®One meter¡­¡¯

    <i>Ta-tap!¡ª </i>

    He kicked the ground and squeezed everyst bit of mana into the stigma.

    Blue Lightning.

    He prepared the strike that had surprised even Vega, his strongest current attack.

    And then¡ª

    ¡°Kruk?¡±

    ¡°Hyaaaaaaaa!!!¡±

    ¡ªstriking out with all his might¡ª

    <i>Crackleeeeeee!!!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Kruuuuuuuh!!!¡±

    ¡ªthe sharp blow precisely pierced into its spine.

    The mucus giant stumbled and swirled iled its arms.

    It was an attack borne of desperation, but it still contained a powerful force behind it that could separate bone and skin.

    Just a graze would kill him.

    ¡°Krrrrrrgh!!¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    The spazzing giant got down on one knee as the lightning spread across its body.

    Its two arms swung through the air in vain.

    However¡ª

    <i>Swooosh!!¡ª </i>

    ¡ªeven in its current situation, the dozens of tentacles pouring out of its back urately aimed for Ohjin.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Taking in a short breath, he let go of the spear impaled into the giant¡¯s hip.

    ¡®As expected, one blow isn¡¯t enough.¡¯

    Well¡­

    It was a monster with the build of a tactical tank.

    No matter how much an Awakener was a supernatural being outside the scope of humans, taking down a monster with that build in one strike was close to impossible.

    Ohjin himself also knew of that fact.

    ¡®¡ªIf that¡¯s the case!¡¯

    <i>Ta-tap!!¡ª</i>

    Using the spear stuck into the giant¡¯s hip as a foothold, he jumped into the air.

    <i>Swoosh!!¡ª </i>

    The tentacles immediately changed their direction and rushed towards Ohjin, who was still in mid-air.

    ¡°Kugk!!¡±

    It was a gamble from there on out.

    Ohjin threw the rope he had prepared towards the cave¡¯s ceiling.

    The hook on the end of the rope caught onto the stctites poking out.

    ¡®Please!¡¯

    If the stctites couldn¡¯t bear his weight and broke down, it was the end.

    The only option from there was getting beaten up by the tentacles and begging Vega to save his life.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    He pulled down on the rope with all his strength.

    <i>Krkakak!!¡ª </i>

    The sound of steel echoed as the hook scraped on the stctites.

    With a floating sensation, he could see the dozens of tentacles passing under his feet.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Fortunately, the stctites didn¡¯t break.

    Just when the tentacles that cut through the air were about to change direction towards him<i>¡ª </i>

    <i>Tak!¡ª </i>

    ¡ªhe let go of the rope.

    Led by gravity, his body quickly fell downwards.

    He spread his arms and fell directly towards the giant¡¯s head.

    "Die, you bitch!!!"

    "Krrrrghh!!"

    <i>Crunch!¡ª </i>

    He shoved his two arms into the serball-sized eyes.

    <i>Gloop¡ª</i>

    ck mucus overflowed out as he felt his arms dig into the jelly-like eyeball.

    The sticky mucus twisted.

    "Krhuu!"

    Ohjin''s smile turned into a smirk.

    * * *

    <i>Bzz, Bzzzzz!!¡ª </i>

    Blue lightning zed up out of the radiantly shining stigma.

    "Thunderbolt, you dipshit!!!!"

    He focused the lightning that coated his entire body into his two arms that had mashed their way into the creature¡¯s eyeball.

    <b>"PIKAA¡ª CHUUUUUUU!!!!!!"</b>

    <i>Crackleeeeee!!!¡ª</i>

    "Kraaaaaaaarak!!!"

    The ginormous body stumbled as the giant''s head exploded.

    Soaring through the air, hended on the copsed giant''s body.

    "Pant, pant!"

    He had difficulty catching his breath after using Blue Lightning two times in session.

    He felt like he had done 20 consecutive 100m sprints.

    His sight wobbled; he felt nauseous.

    Forget about the star relic; he wanted to lie facedown on the spot and go to sleep.

    ¡®But still¡­''

    He seeded in beating a monster he couldn''t possibly imagine being¡ª

    [It''s dangerous!!!]

    "Huh?"

    <i>Swoosh!¡ª</i>

    Simultaneously with Vega''s shout, he could hear the sound of something ripping through the air.

    "Kugh!"

    He quickly twisted his body and braced his arms towards the direction the sound wasing from.

    <i>Baaaaang!!¡ª </i>

    "Kughhh!!!"

    As a heavy impact like that of a battering ram shook his body, he was knocked close to 10m into the air.

    <i>Ba-bang!¡ª </i>

    "Kugh! Kuk! Cough! Cough!"

    [O-Ohjin! Are you alright?!]

    Vega approached him with a pale expression.

    Ohjin crawled on the floor, clutching both of his arms that radiated with intense pain.

    "The fuck?" he slightly turned his neck to confirm the being that had mmed him.

    ¡ªA headless monster.

    He could see the headless mucus giant was standing just fine.

    ¡®Holy shit. It didn''t die?''

    ¡®Dammit.''

    Aplete calctive error.

    ¡®My arms¡­ are fortunately not broken.''

    You could say it was thanks to the stigma of Lyra.

    Even though the impact was enough to one-shot your average 2-Star Awakener, not even his bones were broken.

    However¡ª

    He took a look at his body with cold eyes.

    ¡ªOn top of being weaponless, his legs were shaking and the intense pain still lingered in his arms.

    ¡®¡­This is the worst.''

    There wasn''t any other method now.

    "Vega," he called out to the Goddess while forgetting to address her with honorifics.

    <b>"Grant me a blessing."</b>

    [Okay.]

    As if she had been waiting all along, Vega raised her hand.

    Radiant silver light poured out.

    <i>Bzz!¡ª</i>

    [Ut¡­!]

    Vega''s expression distorted as themandment¡¯s restriction took effect.

    As the silver sheen of silver light settled in his body¡ª

    [Vega bestows upon you the Star''s Blessing.]

    [Stigma of Lyra¡¯s proficiency temporarily increases!]

    Powerful strength started to boil up his body.

    <i>Crackleeeee!!!¡ª </i>

    A brilliantly zing blue lightning.

    Was it because he had grown a lotpared to when he had first received the blessing?

    He felt powerful, iparable to how he had felt before.

    ¡®Although the burden on Vega increases¡­''

    It couldn''t be helped.

    Without the blessing, there was no other method to take out the mucus giant.

    "Fuu," he pulled himself together with a deep breath.

    Lowering his back with his two hands on the ground, he stretched his legs all the way back.

    <i>Crack, Crackle!!¡ª </i>

    Blue lightning started to gather by his feet.

    Focusing the power overflowing over his body into his legs¡ª

    <i>Bang!!¡ª </i>

    ¡ªhe kicked his feet!

    "Kr¡­ruk¡­ guk."

    He shot like an arrow towards the giant that couldn''t even make a proper sound without his head.

    <i>Swooosh!¡ª</i>

    The bundle of ck tentacles rained down from all directions.

    ¡®No sweat.''

    It wasn''t even a threat for him who had been blessed.

    "Hmpf!"

    <i>Crackleee!!!¡ª </i>

    As he lightly swung his fist, blue lightning swept forward in a fan shape.

    Blue Lightning erupted from every punch.

    Fiercely swinging his clenched fists, he headed towards the mucus giant.

    "Haa, haa!"

    His breathing started to be rough.

    Every time the Blue Lightning erupted from his fists, he could feel the stigma''s mana burning out.

    ¡®It doesn''t matter; I have overwhelming amounts of mana anyway.''

    ¡®No.''

    The simple expression ¡®overwhelming amounts of mana'' wasn''t fit.

    ¡®What¡ª is this?''

    He couldn''t understand it at all, but¡­

    The more he used the stigma''s mana, the more his <b>amount of mana increased.</b>

    "Kugh!!"

    Like a sky filled with ck clouds pouring down rain,

    the torrent of mana that filled up his tank faster than he could use it shook his body.

    He felt like his body was about to explode from the expanding mana, like an overfilled balloon.

    "Huaaaaaa!!!"

    <i>Crack!! Crack!! Crackleeee!!!¡ª </i>

    Roaring out like a beast, he continuously swung his fists without rest.

    Tens, hundreds of Blue Lightnings swept across the mucus giant''s body.

    You could no longer find a trace of the giant''s corpse that had turned into ash.

    Intending to disintegrate even that ash, he continued to send torrents of Blue Lightning.

    ¡®A little more¡­''

    His head was scorching hot.

    As if a ck cloud was covering his eyes, his sight slightly darkened.

    ¡®A little more¡­''

    A burning exhtion.

    An electrifying thrill.

    If he continued a little more, he felt like he could grasp onto someth¡ª

    [¡ªStop.]

    Together with the clear echoing sound of the Goddess''s voice, the slightly darkened sight cleared up.

    [It has already died.]

    "Haa, haa!"

    Taking in rough breaths, he flopped himself onto the ground.

    ¡®What was that¡­?''

    The burning feeling of exaltation.

    An unknown sensation together with the explosively expanding mana.

    Just when he focused his mind in order to recall the sensation that had disappeared without a trace¡ª

    <i>Owooooong!!¡ª </i>

    "Kugh!!"

    The stigma engraved on his left chest burned up with bright lights.

    [Is this¡­ p-perhaps!]

    Vega''s two eyes opened wide in disbelief.

    "Ah, ugh. Ahhhh!!"

    <i>Crack! Crackle!!¡ª </i>

    As the blue lightning sparked, the flick engraved stigma increased by one.

    Now, there were a total of three flicks engraved on his stigma.

    -Ring!

    [¡®Stigma of Lyra'' has been promoted to 3-Star!]

    [¡¶Thunder & Lightning Lv2¡· has increased to ¡¶Thunder & Lightning Lv3¡·!]

    [¡¶Blue Lightning Lv1¡· has increased to ¡¶Blue Lightning Lv2¡·!]

    The clear sound of bells faintly echoed in his ears.

    [T-To be able to reach 3-Star in under a month.]

    Vega stuttered in astonishment.

    It was a stigma not from some average celestial but from a North Star.

    The speed of growth was unbelievable, even for a Heaven-defying Star.

    It was no different from racing on a motorcycle alone while everybody else ran in a marathon.

    [Just what¡­]

    She looked down towards Ohjin, who was lying on the ground with a dumbstruck expression.

    [Hm?]

    His figure was dead still.

    [My child?]

    Reaching out her hand, she poked Ohjin''s cheek.

    However, his firmly shut eyes wouldn''t open.

    [W-Wake up!]

    The Goddess''s dejected voice echoed throughout the spacious cavern, alone.

    T/n: Is my boy bing The sh?

 Chapter 17: Black Starâ€™s Relic (4)

    A soft sensation covered his lips.

    <i>Gulp¡ª </i>

    The sweet liquid riding on his tongue went past his throat.

    "Ugh¡­"

    While feeling a cozy sensation from the back of his head, Ohjin slowly opened his eyes.

    [Are you awake?]

    "¡­Lady Vega?"

    What he saw the moment he opened his eyes was a radiant silver-haired Goddess possessing golden eyes.

    She wasn¡¯t shrunk down to 30cm but instead had the appearance of an adult woman as she had when he first met her.

    ¡®What''s going on?''

    Ohjin opened his eyes and looked around in order toprehend the situation.

    He came to the conclusion that he was using Vega''s thighs as a headrest.

    She was gently patting on his hair as if she were taking care of a child who had copsed from exhaustion.

    ¡®Holy shit!''

    Ohjin quickly sat up.

    [Lie down a little longer.]

    "Huh? However¡­"

    [Oho. Didn''t thisdy say to stayying down?] Vega said with a serious voice.

    Following the soft touch on his forehead, heid his head back onto her thighs.

    <i>Rustle¡ª </i>

    The texture of the dress tickled him.

    "¡­Just what happened?"

    [It seems you have used too much strength. You copsed as soon as thebat ended.]

    Was that why Vega was taking care of him personally?

    ¡®To be able to use a celestial''s thighs as a headrest¡­''

    He was probably the first Awakener to experience such a mind-boggling situation.

    [You¡ª]

    Gently cing her hand on Ohjin''s forehead, she continued.

    [¡ªhave quite the extreme personality, unlike how you look.]

    She spoke in a reproachful way.

    [Take more care of your body. Even if you''re a Regressor, aren''t you still a human?]

    "¡­¡­"

    Although the biggest reason he had done such a reckless act was because of her, he couldn''t say it out loud.

    ¡®Let''s obediently ept it.''

    "Yes, I''ll keep that in mind.''

    [Hmm.]

    As if Vega didn''t approve of something, she gently looked down towards him.

    "Is there perhaps a problem?"

    [¡­No.]

    Shaking her head, she tightly closed her lips like there was something she was unsatisfied about.

    ¡®What is it?''

    Could it be that she was suspecting him because he had told her not to worry in a confident manner only to proceed in barely winning with the help of the blessing?

    ¡®Fuck. What else could I do?''

    He could think of no other method to defeat the mucus giant than with the blessing.

    [Cough.]

    Vega, who was momentarily lost in thought, cleared her throat and avoided his gaze.

    [The thing is¡­ Didn''t you talk down to thisdy back then?]

    "Ah."

    He had talked down to Vega in the heat of the moment after being disoriented by the giant¡¯s hit.

    "I apologize. The situation was too chaotic and all¡­"

    Thankfully, it seemed like she hadn''t cared about him getting beaten up by the mucus giant.

    [Thisdy is not trying to reprimand you. In fact, haven''t you spoken to thisdy without honorifics a couple of times already?]

    As she had said, in order to act like there was some kind of circumstance behind him, he had used casual speech a couple of times toward Vega.

    [¡­It''s okay.]

    "Yes?"

    [If you wish to do so, you may speak to thisdy casually.]

    ¡®What''s she talking about¡­''

    "I think that''s a bit¡­"

    [Is there a problem?]

    "No, it''s nothing like that."

    [Weren''t you in an¡­ i-intimate rtionship with thisdy in your past life anyways?]

    ¡®Nope.''

    ¡®No, we weren''t''

    [Or¡­]

    Taking the gentle hand that had been patting his head, Vega pinched his cheek.

    Quite a lot of force was behind it.

    [Are you saying that even though you could speak casually to thisdy back then, you cannot speak that way to thisdy now?]

    A somewhat fuming voice.

    ¡®Why is she like this all of a sudden?''

    Although he felt bewildered, he couldn''t refuse at this point.

    "Okay. I''ll speakfortably."

    [Fufu. Go ahead and do so.]

    She chuckled in a giddy fashion as if she was satisfied.

    <i>Bzz!¡ª </i>

    [Ut¡­!]

    Just then, as a sudden spark shot out, Vega furrowed her brows.

    [It seems that¡­ the restriction is starting in earnest.]

    It was only natural as she had not only granted a blessing but also fully materialized her body.

    "You alright?"

    [Hm¡­ it''ll take quite a long time to recover this time.]

    "How long?"

    [At best, two weeks. If it takes a while, about a month.]

    Compared to when she had granted him the blessing before, the time had doubled.

    It meant that she had overused her power that much more this time.

    "¡­Sorry."

    [This isn''t something you should be sorry about.]

    Vega chuckled gently.

    [The monster you faced was at least rated 5-Star, and one that''s very distinctpared to normal monsters at that.]

    Most certainly.

    It was a monster that felt somewhat differentpared to normal monsters.

    [Even with thisdy''s help, if it wasn''t backed up by your skills, you wouldn''t have been able toe out on top.]

    "Thanks for putting it that way."

    He was worried about receiving suspicion after he had gotten beat up after boasting like a know-it-all, but judging from her reaction, instead of suspicion, it seemed like a deeper trust had formed.

    "Then should I start to¡­ hm?"

    <i>Drop¡ª </i>

    When he sat back up, the empty ss bottles rolling around the floor caught his attention.

    They were the three mid-grade potions he had prepared in case of emergencies.

    [Thisdy has personally used them for you so that you could wake up quickly.]

    Vega proudly crossed her arms and straightened her shoulders.

    <i>Hmf!¡ª </i>

    Looking at the appearance of her taking rough breaths from her nose, it seemed like she was expecting apliment.

    "O-Oh¡­ I-I see."

    Tightly clenching his fist, Ohjin forced a smile.

    <i>Tremble¡ª </i>

    His clenched fist shook.

    ¡®¡­''

    Three bottles.

    Three bottles!

    ¡®Why did you use three bottles at once!!!''

    <i>Bubble¡ª </i>

    Rage boiled up.

    He wanted to rip out his hair and throw a fit on the spot.

    ¡®How¡­ how much is all that? Fuck¡­''

    Thinking about the potions that each were worth thousands of dors, tears started to drip down on their own.

    [Fufu. So you''re moved to the point of tears!]

    ¡®Please. Shut up.''

    "¡­Ha, haha. Yeah. T-Thanks."

    Exercising his superhuman endurance, his lips tilted upwards.

    Deep down, he wanted to grab her by the cor and shake her around, but he couldn''t do such an insane act against the celestial that supported him.

    * * *

    ¡®By the way.''

    Ohjin''s eyes headed to the empty potion bottles.

    One question suddenly popped up in his head.

    "How did you feed me?"

    [¡­¡­!]

    As Vega''s eyes opened wide, her startled body shook.

    She turned her head away.

    [D-Don''t pay it any attention,] she said in a muttering voice.

    "Huh? Don''t pay attention to what?"

    [T-thisdy will now take her leave!!!]

    "¡­"

    Vega turned her body away in an escaping manner.

    Her body burst into radiant silver rays and moved into the ne.

    "¡­What was that?"

    Although he looked towards the ne with a puzzled expression, there was no reply.

    Super awkward silence¡ª

    A gloomy atmosphere settled down in the lonely cavern.

    "Huh."

    Ohjin scratched his head while moving his body.

    There was something left that was more important than how Vega had fed him.

    "Heh, hehehe!"

    Laughter naturally flowed out.

    Saliva started to form all around his mouth as he looked at the ck drinking ss stuck on the middle of the stone statue''s forehead.

    "Now, should we take a look at the loot?"

    Jumping lightly onto the statue''s head, Ohjin grasped onto the ck ss with a chuckle.

    <i>Clunk¡ª </i>

    The ck drinking ss popped out of the forehead with a dull clinking sound.

    ¡®What ability will this have?''

    Ohjin touched the ck ss with shining eyes.

    He could feel a somewhat sticky and ominous aura from the ck light that was subtly leaking out.

    Although he felt unpleasant from the uneasy aura¡ª

    ¡®Let''s start by taking it out of here for now.''

    ¡ªhe couldn''t leave behind the star relic he had worked so hard for.

    There wasn''t a way to know the star relic''s ability right away, but you could easilymission a professional appraiser and determine the ability and rating.

    "Since I worked so hard to earn it, I hope it''s rated above 3-Star."

    Just a 3-Star would be worth around 100~200k dors.

    If it was a 4-Star, you could aim for over 500k dors.

    ¡®Damn.''

    Just thinking about it was electrifying.

    <i>Rum, Rumble¡ª</i>

    "¡­Huh?"

    Just then, a somewhat strange sensation spread across his body.

    ¡ªthe unknown feeling of exaltation he had felt before.

    A hot sensation heated up his body like he had drunk a highly alcoholic beverage.

    ¡®What''s this?''

    A deep thirst burned his throat.

    Ohjin followed his instincts and grasped the ck drinking ss with both hands.

    And then¡ª

    [The ck Heaven is absorbing the ck Star''s power from the star relic!]

    ¡ªa message appeared before his eyes.

    "ck Star''s power¡­?"

    ¡®What''s that?''

    <i>Rumblee!!¡ª </i>

    Before he could continue his doubt, a ck cloud flowing out of his fingertips covered the star relic.

    "Kugh!"

    Mana flowed in through the ck cloud.

    Different from normal mana, a sticky and unpleasant mana seeped into his body.

    [The ck Star''s power has sessfully been absorbed!]

    [The ck Heaven''s trait is evolving!]

    [The Trait ¡®ck Curtain'' will now not only hide the ck Heaven''s presence, but all presences. This effect can be controlled with the user''s will.]

    [A part of the requirements for the ck Heaven''s third awakening has been aplished.]

    <i>Rumble¡ª </i>

    Like the ck clouds covering the star relic had finished a good meal, they wriggled and sunk back into his body.

    "Ha."

    Ohjin looked down onto the ck ss in his hands with a hollow expression.

    ¡®What''s this?''

    ¡®Are you telling me the ck Heaven also had the ability to absorb the power in star relics?''

    ¡®Anyways, is this really a star relic?''

    He had never heard of something called the ck Star''s power from a star relic before.

    "¡­Is this perhaps the unpleasant aura Vega was talking about before?"

    It was nothing but a simple theory for now, but the thought that this star relic was different from others emerged.

    "Oh, wait."

    Whether the star relic was different from others or not¡­

    Hadn''t the ck Heaven gobbled up the power inside of it anyway?

    "I-Is it possible that this became trash?"

    Although he urgently flipped around the ck drinking ss in his hands, the sticky and unpleasant aura he had sensed at first seemed to have vanished.

    "No."

    ¡®What is this¡­?''

    "My-my star relic. Where did my star relic go?!"

    Rage boiled up.

    "Ah, this can''t be. Noo!!"

    It was a star relic he had not even determined the star ranking or ability of.

    He threw a fit from the hollow feeling of shredding an unscratched lottery ticket.

    "FUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKK!!!"

    The cry echoed throughout the entire cavern.

    Shoving his fist up his mouth, Ohjin cried out with tears.

    "Urgghk¡­ uhk. Fuck¡­ fuck¡­ the star relic I worked so hard for¡­ son of a¡­"

    Thinking about it objectively.

    You could never say he was at a loss.

    Even though it was somewhat unpleasant, he had absorbed the mana inside the star relic and achieved a part of the requirement for the ck Heaven''s third awakening.

    Moreover, the useful trait he was using, ¡®ck Curtain'', had also undergone an evolution.

    In reality, he had earned a reward iparable to that of your average star relic.

    ¡®I know.''

    ¡®But what do you want me to do with this damn feeling of unfairness?''

    This was in the territory of emotional rather than rational.

    You could say it was the feeling of when a child received a 3-partbination robot out of a Christmas box from their parentspared to receiving a stack of cash instead.

    Even though you would have enough cash to buy the robot and have money left over, you would still feel an unknown disappointment.

    "God dammit."

    With a hollow expression, Ohjin touched the ck drinking ss that had be trash.

    <i>Step, Step¡ª </i>

    "Huh?"

    The sound of footsteps echoed in the cavern.

    Ohjin turned his head towards the location the sound wasing from.

    "Oh, wait. It looks like someone arrived before us."

    A group of people wearing ck robes that epassed their entire body walked out of the densely packed stgmites.

    ¡®Who are those fuckers?''

    There were five of them.

    A sticky and unpleasant aura was flowing out of the hooded beings.

    Just like¡­

    The aura he had felt from the ck drinking ss.

    "Hm¡­ we couldn''t possibly imagine that there would be someone who entered the gate faster than us."

    A voice that made one''s mind feelfort.

    Amongst the five people, the one in the middle stepped forward and folded his hood.

    A light-brown-haired youth with half-shut eyes looked at the ck drinking ss grasped within Ohjin''s hand and let out a deep breath.

    "Are you perhaps looking for this?"

    Ohjin asked as he raised the ck drinking ss in his hands.

    "Haha. Yes. But it seems that we were toote."

    The brown-haired youth scratched his head with an innocent expression.

    "That''s an object we really need¡­ what to do¡­"

    Smile¡ª

    With a bright smile, the youth slightly opened his half-shut eyes.

    The retina seen between the narrow eyes shined eerily.

    "Ah, is that so?"

    Ohjin twirled around the ss in his hands.

    Approaching them step by step, he held out the ck drinking ss.

    <b>"Then, do you want to buy this off me?"</b>

    Smile¡ª

    He asked with a bright smile that mirrored the youth¡¯s.

 Chapter 18: Black Star Organization (1)

    "¡­Huh?"

    As if hearing the unimaginable, the youth tilted his head.

    "You''ll sell it?"

    Cases of selling a star relic that hadn''t even gone through an appraisal were umon.

    "Yes. I don''t think it has the performance I''m looking for; it doesn''t seem to react to my touch either. And¡­"

    Ohjin nced at the five people in ck robes with a friendly smile.

    They were a suspicious group that gave off a strange pseudo-religious aura.

    A bloody aura like that of a professional killer leaked out.

    ¡®Well, this is predictable.''

    Ohjin lightly shrugged.

    "Isn''t my life worth more than this star relic after all?"

    "¡­What?"

    The youth tilted his head in confusion.

    And soon¡ª

    "Ha, haha! Hahahaha!! I think there''s a misunderstanding!"

    ¡ªholding onto his belly, he exploded inughter.

    "A misunderstanding?"

    "Haha, yes. That''s right."

    The youth that had tears in his eyes touched the hem of his robe and nodded.

    "Well¡­ the fact that our guild uniform is dreary is true; it''s our guild leader''s mysterious sense of style."

    He took off the robe that epassed his entire body.

    Under the robe was light leather armor simr to that most Awakeners enjoyed wearing.

    "Certainly Awakeners turning into robbers inside dungeons is amon urrence, but¡­ we''re not like them, so there''s no need to be so cautious."

    "Ah, I shouldn''t have misunderstood."

    Acting embarrassed, Ohjin bowed down.

    ¡®Misunderstanding?''

    Smirking on the inside, heughed.

    ¡®Bullshit.''

    The clear murderous intent he felt when they saw the star relic in his hands.

    A suspicious get-up that covered their entire body.

    And, above all¡­

    ¡®They emanated the same aura as this star relic.''

    An unpleasant, malicious aura with sticky viscosity.

    Since he had absorbed the ¡®ck Star''s power'' through the ck Heaven moments ago, he could be certain.

    ¡®These bastards¡­''

    <b>¡®Have the same ck Star''s power as the star relic.¡¯</b>

    "Haha. Sorry for being discourteous; the world these days is so chaotic."

    "Don''t worry. We have also heard to be more cautious of Awakeners than monsters inside dungeons."

    "Umm. Now that''s that."

    Ohjin once again held out the ck drinking ss and smirked.

    "This. Didn''t you say that you need this?"

    "Yes. The fact that we need it is the truth."

    "If you name the right price, I''ll sell it right now."

    "Hmm. Do you have a separate reason for doing so?"

    "As I said before, it seems to have a useless ability. If I got an appraisal and it turned out to be a 1~2-Star relic, won''t I have to sell it at a cheaper price?"

    He expressed that he wanted to sell it at the minimal price of a 3-Star relic in a roundabout way.

    "Haha, I guess your words are true when you think about it that way. Very well. We will buy it."

    Smiling brightly, the youth rummaged through the pocket of the robe he took off.

    "How about trading it with this?"

    What he took out was a starstone slightlyrger than the size of a fist.

    It was so pure that, rather than glowing, it radiated blue light.

    ¡®Wow, holy shit.''

    A starstone with that size and purity would easily reach the hundred thousands.

    At, worst 200~300k. He could even receive 400k if he went on a day when the market prices were high.

    ¡®That''s the price of a premium foreign car.''

    With that much, he would be one step, no, several steps closer to reaching his <b>goal</b>.

    "Hm¡­ Well, this seems like enough."

    Doing his best to contain his shaking excitement, he nodded calmly.

    The youth smiled brightly.

    "Then the deal is established."

    He exchanged the ck drinking ss with the starstone the youth lent out.

    "Fu, fufu. Finally¡­"

    With the ck drinking ss in his grasp, the youth cackled while excitedly shaking his shoulders.

    Naturally, the ck drinking ss he had handed over was nothing but the shell that remained after the ck Heaven had absorbed all its energy, but luckily it seemed that he hadn''t noticed.

    "Well then, I''ll take my leave."

    "Yes. Thank you for the deal."

    After exchanging light nods with the youth, Ohjin moved towards the densely packed stgmites around the cavern entrance.

    "Kmf, pfft." he desperately tried to suppress his explodingughter.

    ¡®Wow, great timing. I didn''t think I''d be able to reel in such a pushover!''

    Just when he had been so inwardly disappointed by the fact that the star relic he had earned after going through such hardship became an empty shell, a pushover appeared to buy that empty shell with hundreds of thousands of dors. It was a windfall that was hard toe by.

    * * *

    "Pftufufu!!"

    Laughing crudely in his mind, he hopped towards the entrance.

    Of course.

    ¡ªHe didn''t have any thoughts on idiotically leaving just like that.

    ¡®ck Curtain.''

    Erasing his presence with the ck Curtain, he hid his body in between the stgmites.

    Lying t on the ground, he crawled back to the cavern where he had found the star relic.

    ¡®Those bastards. They look way too suspicious, no matter how I think of it.''

    He needed information on what objective they were looking for the star relic for and just what the ck Star''s power was.

    ¡®By the way¡ª''

    Another question popped up in his mind.

    ¡®¡ªWhy was it not in six days, but now?''

    Furrowing his brows, he recalled the memories that flowed from Lee Shinhyuk.

    If it was ording to the memories of Lee Shinhyuk from the 1st round¡­

    ¡®The star relic from this dungeon should be discovered in six days, on the 21st.''

    However, those ck-robed beings had entered the gate as soon as it had opened, like they had already known that a star relicid dormant.

    ¡®No, since they said they came here aiming for it, they must have known.''

    There wasn''t a method of finding out how they found the gate as soon as it opened.

    As there was no way they possessed memories of a Regressor like him, there was a high chance that an ability or item that located the ¡®ck Star''s power'' existed.

    In any case¡ª

    ¡®If I didn''te, these bastards would have taken the star relic.''

    ¡ªthe story didn''t add up.

    ording to Lee Shinhyuk''s memories, the star relic inside this dungeon should be discovered after six days.

    There were two possibilities he coulde up with.

    ¡®Due to some kind of reason, the future has changed, or¡­''

    The star relic found on the 21st was not the ck drinking ss but a different one.

    ¡®I''ll know soon enough.''

    Hidden within the densely packed stgmites, he activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs.

    As the senses across his entire body amplified, he could hear the conversation the suspicious ck robed beings were having.

    "Why didn''t we kill him, Sir Yujin?"

    Yujin.

    It seemed to be the name of the youth who he had traded with moments ago.

    "Fufu. Isn''t this ce a dungeon that has just opened?"

    "¡­Yes."

    "Other Awakeners will flood in soon; it''ll be a hassle if we leave unnecessary evidence."

    "But we can perfectly dispose of dead bodies¡­"

    "There isn''t anything bad about staying safe, right?

    Yujin slightly opened his half-shut eyes.

    "Y-Yes! It''s just as Sir Yujin has said!!"

    "Haha. Thank you for understanding."

    Smiling brightly, he gazed at the ck drinking ss with mellow eyes.

    "There isn''t much time left until the era of stars will end and when the ck stars will rule the skies."

    He spread out his arms and turned his body around in a full circle as if he were in a y.

    "All of those arrogant celestials will pay for their sins."

    "The ck stars grace!"

    "To the ck Star Organization''s glory!"

    The four ck-robed beings prostrated themselves on the ground.

    Yujinughed in satisfaction and picked up the robe he had dropped.

    "The ck stars are probably smiling brightly from everyone''s devotion."

    "We will follow the ck stars¡¯ guidance!"

    "Fufu. Ah, right. Have you brought the recement star relic?"

    "Of course."

    The prostrating ck-robed being stood up and took out something from his pocket.

    A star relic in the shape of a drinking ss, glowing subtle blue light.

    He lightly leaped onto the statue''s head and inserted the star relic into the empty spot on its forehead.

    "Then let''s return."

    "Yes, sir!"

    As Yujin turned away, the other robed beings followed his back.

    "Ah, right."

    <i>p</i>¡ª

    As if he had remembered something, he pped his hands.

    He turned to one of the robed beings.

    "You remember the face of the person I traded with, right?" he asked.

    "Yes."

    The ck-robed being receiving his attention bowed deeply.

    Yujin smiled brightly and continued.

    <b>"Follow his trace and kill him."</b>

    He ordered it like it was nothing.

    "I will follow your orders."

    "Ah, you know that you have to kill him outside the dungeon, right?"

    "Of course."

    The ck-robed being who had received the order quickly headed towards the cave''s entrance.

    "Haha. Then we should go and report to the Executor."

    Yujin and the three hooded beings all headed towards the cave''s entrance.

    "¡­¡­"

    Five minutes after the ck-robed beings had disappeared¡­

    Ohjin, who had been curled up in between the stgmites, slowly stood.

    "¡­ck Star Organization, huh?"

    It was his first time hearing about it.

    ¡®I''m certain they''re damn suspicious bastards. Are they some kind of illegal guild acting in the dark?''

    Looking at their actions, they also seemed to be in some kind of pseudo-religion.

    "There''s a need to investigate deeper into this."

    ¡®The ck stars will rule the skies? The celestials will pay for their sins? They certainly don''t seem to be regr maniacs.''

    "Anyways¡­ So this is what happened."

    Ohjin smirked while looking at the star relic stuck onto the stone statue''s forehead.

    One of his questions was answered.

    ¡®The future hasn''t changed.''

    What Lee Woohyuk and his guild members had found in six days was the star relic the ck Star Organization had reced.

    ¡®Is that why they said that something was strange?''

    Just before Lee Shinhyuk''s memories were cut off.

    He recalled the final words he heard.

    The woman with sses reporting to Lee Woohyuk definitely said ¡®some strange¡­'' before the vision was cut off.

    "Of course it''s strange."

    Ohjin reached out towards the star relic stuck on the statue.

    Even if they had reced it with a star relic of simr size, as expected, there was a foreign feeling unlike the original relic.

    "I should take this as well."

    He took out the blue star relic from the statue and put it in his sling backpack.

    ¡®The ck Heaven isn''t reacting this time.''

    It seemed like it had reacted not to the star relic, but the ¡®ck Star''s power'' dwelling within.

    "Kyaa!!! How sweet~!"

    He sold the empty shell of a star relic for an expensive starstone and also got his hands on another star relic that was used as a recement.

    ¡®Well, a star relic used as a recement will be at best 1~2 Star, but still.''

    Even a 1-Star relic would amount to around $10000.

    "Well then¡ª"

    After lightly stretching his body, he held the spear he had hidden between the stgmites.

    "¡ªshould I go catch the underling diligently running around in circles?"

    The robed being that had gone out to chase him.

    It was time to receive unanswered questions from the suspicious fellow.

    * * *

    "¡­Huh."

    The man covered with a ck robe narrowed his eyes.

    "Why are there no tracks?"

    Following the orders, he had searched for the tracks of the person he met in the cavern, but he couldn''t find any trace of him outside the gate.

    He entered the gate once again and searched through theplicated maze-like cave.

    However¡ª

    "¡­What''s going on here?"

    ¡ªeven though there were tracks of him heading inside, there were none heading outside.

    ¡®Dammit.''

    He bit his lips with a nervous expression.

    The appearance of Yujin and his bright smile popped up in his mind.

    "Uh, ughh."

    If he reported that he lost his track, there was no way Yujin would leave him alone.

    "God dammit! Just where did he go!"

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    Failing to ovee his rage, he stomped his feet.

    <i>p!¡ª </i>

    The hem of his ck robe spread out.

    And then,

    "¡ªWhere? I''m right here."

    Through the hem of the pping robe, a spear¡¯s de shed in like lightning.

    <i>Thrust!!¡ª</i>

    "Kugh! Kuk!!"

    The eyes of the ck-robed man widened.

    Gazing at Ohjin, who hade from ¡®inside'' the cave, his body shook in disbelief.

    "Surprise, motherfucker."

    <i>Keke¡ª </i>

    Ohjin twisted the spear that had pierced the man''s stomach and smiled brightly.

 Chapter 19: Black Star Organization (2)

    "Kugh, kuk! H-How?"

    The man¡¯s eyes widened and he grasped the spear that pierced his abdominal region.

    Blood gushed everywhere.

    Intense pain spread throughout his body.

    However, more than the pain from his pierced abdomen, he received a greater shock from the fact that Ohjin hade from ¡®inside'' the cave.

    "I think you have a little misunderstanding."

    <i>St!¡ª </i>

    Ohjin roughly twisted the spear pierced into the man¡¯s abdomen.

    "Kugh!!! Kuhak!!!"

    "I''m the one asking the questions here."

    With a fishy smile, the man lowered his head.

    "Nonsense!!"

    <i>Hwoong!¡ª</i>

    The man wildly swung his fists.

    From the swinging fists, a creepy ck aura bloomed.

    However¡­

    Before the fiercely swung fists even made contact¡ª

    <i>Crack! Crackle!!!¡ª</i>

    "Arugagaggagagak!!!!"

    Blue lightning sparked from the spear''s de that pierced the figure¡¯s abdomen.

    <i>Flop Flop¡ª </i>

    His body flopped like a freshly caught fish, and he soonid t on the ground.

    "Well, it''s okay if I talk nonsense now, right?" Ohjin asked, pressing down on the man''s chest with his knee.

    "Tell me everything you know about the ck Star Organization."

    "¡­Hah"

    The man chuckled like he had heard something ridiculous.

    He looked at Ohjin with arrogance in his eyes. "I have no reason to answ¡ª KYAaaaaaaaak!!!"

    <i>Crunch</i>¡ª

    Ohjin grabbed the man''s left index finger and twisted it off.

    "Really? Well, I guess I can''t do anything about that."

    He hadn¡¯t expected the man to obediently open his mouth anyways.

    "You don''t want to talk?"

    "Huff! Huff!"

    "Then, from now on¡ª"

    In times like this, the quickest and most efficient method¡­

    <b>"¡ªdon''t speak a word."</b>

    ¡­was primitive violence.

    <i>Crunch, Cruuunch!!¡ª </i>

    One by one.

    He twisted them off.

    "Kiyaaaaaaaak!!!"

    One. Two. Three.

    The pulled apart fingers rolled around on the floor.

    And just like that, after every finger on his left hand had been removed¡ª

    "Urggh¡­ uh."

    ¡ªwith white foam dripping down, he opened his mouth.

    "I, I''ll¡ª talk."

    "Huh?"

    "I¡­ said I''ll t-talk."

    "Dude¡ª"

    Gripping the fingers on the other side, Ohjin shook his head.

    "¡ªwhat are you talking about?"

    "¡­what?"

    "Didn''t I tell you not to speak a word?"

    <i>Crunch!!¡ª </i>

    Breaking a finger on the other side, he smiled brightly.

    "Uugyayayayatak!!!"

    "Didn''t you say that you didn''t want to talk? Then don''t say a word."

    "N-No. That''s¡ª"

    <i>Cruuunch!¡ª</i>

    One by one.

    Just like the other side, Ohjin started to twist off the fingers.

    "Ahhhhhhhh!! I-I said I''ll talk!!!"

    "Hey, there''s no need to."

    "B-ck Star Organization!! I''ll tell you everything about them!!"

    "Didn''t I say that there''s no need?"

    "P-Please!!! I''ll answer to everything, so¡­"

    "I said there''s no need to talk, you fuuuuuuuuck!!!!"

    <i>Bang!!!¡ª </i>

    Holding onto the man''s head, he violently mmed him down onto the floor.

    "Why¡­!"

    <i>Bang!!!¡ª </i>

    "Do you¡­!"

    <i>Bang!!!!¡ª</i>

    "Keep trying to talk when I said there''s no need?!"

    Exploding out a fanatical scream, Ohjin continuously mmed the man¡¯s head down.

    Although it was more than enough impact to instantly kill a normal person, the opponent wasn''t a normal person but an Awakener.

    Although his rank was unknown, as Awakeners received superhuman bodies together with their awakening, he wouldn''t die from this amount of impact.

    "Kkrhuk¡­ ghuk¡­ I-I''ll t-talk. P-Please, I want¡­ t-to talk."

    The shivering man pathetically opened his mouth.

    The man who had stared at him with an arrogant attitude cried pathetically like a three-year-old baby that had identally stepped on a lego in the living room.

    ¡®Should I end things here?''

    Ohjin looked down on the pathetically shivering man and smirked.

    ¡®Indeed, this has the most direct effect.''

    Unreasonable and irrational violence.

    People met with fanatic violence outside the scope ofmon sense and reason were bound to be swept by fear close to that of trauma.

    ¡®There isn''t anything scarier than a psycho who refuses tomunicate.''

    The effects looked certain, judging by the fact that the man''s pants were wet.

    "You want to talk now?"

    "Yes, yes! I-I want to talk!"

    "Alright then, give it a shot. What is the ck Star Organization, and what the fuck are the ck stars?"

    The man slowly nodded his head.

    "T-The ck Star Organization is¡­ an organization created by ck Star''s celestials.

    "¡­ck Star''s celestial?"

    "Yes, yes!"

    ¡®The hell is a ck Star''s celestial?''

    "I-In the past when all the stars were swallowed by darkness¡­ t-the celestials born in that time are the ck Star''s celestial."

    "Fuck, how will I understand if you put it in that way?"

    "Hiiiik!! I-I have simply only heard it that way from the Temr!!!"

    The man curled up like a mole exposed to cold air.

    "Anyways. Alright. So you''re telling me that you''re all Awakeners that follow the ck Star''s celestial or whatever?"

    "¡­Yes, that''s correct.

    "Alright, then, tell me the scale and where you guys are hiding."

    "M-Mt. Baekunsan! Mt. Baekunsan located in Cheorwon-gun is where our branch is located."

    "Is the entire mountain yours, you dumbass? You need to tell me the precise location, you dumbfuck."

    "Aahhhh!! I apologize!!!"

    Screaming from the threatening voice, the man pulled out his hair while shivering.

    "There is a run-down observatory at the peak of Mt. Baekunsan! I-It''s in the basement of that ce!!"

    "The scale?"

    "A-Around fifty."

    ¡®Shit.''

    ¡®That''s quite a lot.''

    "That''s the branch, right? Then where''s the headquarters?"

    "I-I don''t know."

    "You don''t <i>fucking</i> know? "

    ¡®Let''s go for the toes this time.''

    "I-I-I really don''t know!! Only the Temr knows of the headquarters location!! I''m telling you, an underling like me won''t even be told the locations of the other branches!!"

    "Hm¡­"

    It didn''t seem like he was lying.

    ¡®Well, there''s no way they would reveal all that information to this small fry.''

    ¡®Bastards that babbled about making celestials pay for their sins would definitely operate with thorough security.''

    "Is that Yujin bastard a Temr?"

    "T-That''s correct!"

    The man quickly nodded his head like a broken metronome.

    "But I seriously don''t understand."

    "Which part¡­?"

    "Why are you following those suspicious bastards in the first ce?"

    He couldn''te up with a reason why they would plead loyalty to an organization that looked no different from a pseudo-religion.

    "¡­¡­"

    The man shut his mouth tight for a while and soon said out in a low voice.

    "¡­he gave it to us."

    "What?"

    "Sir Yujin has¡­ granted us stigmas."

    "Ah."

    A short exmation flowed out of Ohjin''s mouth.

    He recalled the image of people gathering and desperately praying to the celestials in front of the Sanctum.

    ¡®So they were using stigmas as bait.''

    Although he didn''t know what methods they used to grant stigmas, he could definitely understand why people were following such a suspicious group.

    ¡®The world is probably packed with people that will willingly kill either their parents or children in order to be Awakeners.''

    It was that kind of world.

    ¡®Well, I don''t think there''s any more information left to gain.''

    It was time to finish things up.

    <i>Shove¡ª </i>

    * * *

    Yanking out the spear in the man''s abdomen, Ohjin aimed at his head.

    "W-Wait!! Wait a minute!!!"

    The man urgently screamed out.

    "I-I have¡­ a single daughter with me!! Please¡­ please spare my life¡­!"

    <i>Drip Drip¡ª </i>

    The man dropped his head while pouring out tears.

    "You have a daughter?"

    "¡­Yes, that''s right. The truth is¡­ the reason I joined the ck Star Organization was all for that child."

    Biting his lips, he tightly closed his eyes.

    "If¡­ if I disappear all of a sudden, that child¡­"

    There was no way a parentless child would be able to live well in this hell-like world.

    That was something Ohjin himself knew better than anyone else.

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    The man roughly ground his forehead into the hard stone floor.

    "I beg of you!! At least for the child, please spare my life¡­!"

    "Hm."

    "Or in the least¡­ let me have time to say myst farewells to my daughter!!! Please!! I''m begging you earnestly!!" he cried out with a wretched expression.

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and looked down at the prostrating man.

    "Name."

    "Yes?"

    "What''s your daughter''s name?"

    "¡­Yerin. It''s Choi Yerin."

    "Age?"

    "S-She''s nine! It''s still too young of an age to live alone in this world¡­"

    "When''s her birthday?"

    "Yes?"

    He urged the man that had an expression that seemed to ask why he was asking such questions.

    "Quick. Answer the questions I ask. When''s her birthday."

    "It''s on December¡­ 14th"

    "Favorite food?"

    "¡­Why are you asking that?"

    "You won''t answer?"

    "Pizza¡­ n-no it''s chicken!"

    "Height and weight?"

    "Uh¡­ 131cm and¡­ 2-28!! She''s 28kg!!"

    "Is that right?"

    Ohjin nodded his head as if he had understood.

    Choi Yerin, aged nine, birthday on December 14th, favorite food is chicken, 131cm, 27kg.

    "Well, then."

    <i>Smirk¡ª </i>

    He grasped his spear as the edge of his lips tilted up.

    <b>"Answer the questions I have asked so far in reverse."</b>

    A silence settled down like time had frozen.

    "¡ªwhat?"

    The man''s mouth and two eyes opened wide.

    His legs shook like leaves in the wind.

    "Weight and height, favorite food, birthday, age, name. Answer it."

    "T-That''s, uhh. 28kg¡­ and. W-Wait¡­ wait a minute!"

    "Why? Don''t remember?"

    Well.

    It was understandable that he couldn''t remember, because¡­

    "Lying backwards is hard by nature."

    ¡®Although I can.''

    <i>Thrust¡ª</i>

    Blood poured down the spear''s de that had slightly prated the man¡¯s flesh.

    "A-Agh. P-Please spare me! I don''t want to dieeeeeee!!!"

    The man fell into panic as soon as he felt the touch of the spear''s de on his skull.

    "Onest question. Where was your branch located again?"

    "C-Cheorwon. The peak of Mt. Baekunsan¡­"

    "Alright."

    ¡®So that wasn''t a lie.''

    <i>Psshk!!!¡ª </i>

    "Kugh, kuk!"

    The de precisely pierced through the middle of the man¡¯s forehead and crushed his brain.

    "Fuu."

    <i>Snap¡ª </i>

    Once the moment of tension was undone, a drowsy sensation enveloped Ohjin.

    ¡®ck Star Organization¡­''

    Sweeping back his hair, he furrowed his brows.

    "What a pain in the ass."

    He ended up standing out to the suspicious group.

    No, it wouldn''t matter that much if it finished on the note of simply standing out, but¡ª

    ¡®I thought they''d be great pushovers to take advantage of, but I ended up provoking a beehive.''

    ¡ªhe ended up scamming a group filled with dangerous beings.

    "Ugh."

    Feeling light-headed, Ohjin ced his hand on his forehead.

    ¡®There''s no way they''ll let this be, right?''

    Revenge, ckmail¡­

    Whatever the reason, they would appear before him once again.

    ¡®But it''s not like I can face them alone either.''

    Fifty was too many.

    "¡­I''ll need to prepare countermeasures."

    There wasn''t anything he could do right now.

    "Well¡­ you could also call this a good opportunity."

    Ohjin removed the dead man¡¯s robe.

    On his left chest was a stigma with a shape he had never seen before.

    ¡®So this is a ck Star''s stigma.''

    Spreading out his hands, he ced it on top of the stigma.

    <i>Rumble¡ª </i>

    The ck cloud that flowed from his palm enveloped the stigma.

    Mana flowed into his body with an unpleasant feeling, simr to that of the star relic he had absorbed.

    -Ring!

    [The ck Heaven is absorbing the stigma of the Owl Neb!]

    [The amount of the stigma of the Owl Neb is too insignificant to activate.]

    Stigma of the Owl Neb¡­

    "What kind of abilities will a ck Star''s stigma have?"

    <i>Smirk</i>¡ª

    Ohjin stuck out his tongue and greedily licked his lips.

    * * *

    The radiant Milky Way that split up the night sky.

    Looking up at the uncountable amount of stars shining in the night sky, a white-haired elder narrowed his eyes.

    <i>Flutter!¡ª</i>

    Then, a ck owlnded on the elder''s shoulder.

    "Hmhm. So he has arrived?"

    The elder nodded as if sharing a conversation with the owl, then slowly turned his body to face a ck-robed youth respectfully kneeling with one knee on the ground.

    "Holholhol,¡± the man¡¯s peculiar owl-likeughter emerged. ¡°Have youe, Yujin?"

    "Yes, Executor."

    <i>Gulp¡ª</i>

    Kneeling in front of the white-haired elder, Yujin swallowed nervously.

    Even though he had worked under the elder for a couple of years, he felt a pressure that stiffened his body every time they met.

    ¡®¡­it''s only natural.''

    The elder standing in front of his eyes was the ck Star Organization''s 6th ranked Executor¡ª

    ¡ªKing of Owls, Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡®However¡­''

    Today, he possessed a card that would relieve him from some of the intense pressure.

    "Alright¡ª so did you bring the object?"

    "Of course."

    Yujin took out the star relic from his robe and carefully ced it down.

    A ck drinking ss slightlyrger than the size of a fist.

    Inside of it dwelled the ¡®ck Star''s power''.

    "Holholhol!!"

    Letting out a peculiarugh, the elder smiled brightly.

    "Well done, Yujin."

    "Fufu. It wasn''t anything too difficult."

    Shrugging proudly, Yujin shook his head.

    "Owls."

    The elder slightly raised his hand up.

    <i>Flutter¡ª </i>

    Together with the sound of pping wings, dozens of beings wearing ck robes appeared from the dark.

    The elder sent a hand signal towards Yujin.

    Nodding his head, Yujin carried the ck drinking ss towards theplicated and bizarre magic circle engraved on the ground.

    "Atst, after the long wait, this day hase."

    Yujin ced the ck drinking ss in the middle of the magic circle and spread his two arms with a proud expression.

    "Do you see this! That detestable sky!"

    <i>p</i>¡ª

    The robe Yujin was wearing fluttered from the strong wind.

    "That radiant night sky will be covered with ck stars!!!!"

    "¡­¡­"

    "¡­¡­"

    Powerful gazes shone under the deeply worn hood.

    Although there were no words¡­

    Dozens of ck Star Organization members observed the ritual with their breaths gradually growing more rapid.

    "Now!!", Yujin shouted, pouring mana into the engraved magic circle.

    "Look here!! The appearance of the ck Stars blessing our path!!!!!"

    Owoong!!!¡ª

    As the magic circle engraved onto the ground shone with ck light¡ª

    "This is nothing but the beginning!!!"

    <b>¡ªnothing happened</b>.

    "Soon, more objects engrained with the blessing with appe¡ªhuh?

    Yujin looked down at the magic circle which had stopped giving off a ck light with a confused expression.

    "¡­What?"

    <i>Knock Knock</i>¡ª

    No matter how much he looked around and touched it, it showed no reaction.

    "Why''s it like this?"

    The gaze of dozens pierced him.

    He could see the expression of the elder distorting.

    "Uh, uhhh? W-Wait!!"

    ¡ªHe was fucked.

    "¡­¡­"

    "T-This can''t be!! There''s no way!!!!"

    Yujin''s half-shut eyes opened to their limit.

    T/n: C-Can y-you stop s-stuttering?

    Temr and Executor are like the protoss roles in Starcraft. Executors being a higher rank than Temrs.

    Some nebe are made from dead stars.

 Chapter 20: Unleash the Hounds (1)

    "¡­¡­"

    A deathly silence.

    The elder looked at Yujin with a very distorted expression.

    "Holholhol. Yujin¡­ just what are you doing?"

    A horrifying killing intent bloomed from the frighteningly shining eyes of the elder.

    "T-The, the thing is¡­"

    His body shook as he desperately poured mana into the ck drinking ss ced in the middle of the circle.

    However, no matter how much he poured¡­

    "Why¡­ why is there no reaction¡­"

    "¡­haa."

    The white-haired elder, Cheon Doyoon, sighed deeply while stroking his beard.

    "How much would the other Executors have mocked the owls if they saw this scene¡­"

    "N-No! T-This is¡­"

    "Yujin.

    <i>Flick</i>¡ª

    He lightly flicked his finger.

    <i>Psk!!¡ª </i>

    "Ughk!!"

    A ck feather shot out in the blink of an eye and grazed past his nape.

    Blood flowed down his corbone.

    Yujin pressed down on his blood-dripping nape and looked towards Cheon Doyoon with eyes full of fear.

    "E-Executor."

    "Don''t let me down any further."

    "¡­Kugh. Yes, sir.

    Chewing on his lips, he dropped his head.

    "Eh, the mood has been ruined. Yujin, you may take your leave."

    <i>Tsk</i>¡ª

    Cheon Doyoon clicked his tongue while turning his body away.

    "The other Temrs may also return to their post."

    "Kek¡­ kekek."

    "Hohoho!"

    The ck-robed beingsughed mockingly while looking at Yujin.

    <i>Flutter!¡ª </i>

    Soon, all of them disappeared.

    "¡­Ah, ugh."

    Yujin, who was left alone, clenched his fists.

    "UaaaaaaaaaaaAH!!!!!!"

    His outcry filled with anger rang throughout the dark mountain.

    "Fuck!!! Fuck!!! Fuuuuuuuuuuck!!!!!"

    <i>Tututu!! Tutututututu!!!¡ª </i>

    Every time he convulsed, ck feathers that appeared out of thin air swept the surroundings like a machine gun.

    "Hugh! Hugh!"

    Yujin faced the other direction with bloodshot eyes.

    <i>Step, Step¡ª </i>

    He headed towards the insides of the observatory.

    "S-Sir Yujin."

    Underground, his fifty subordinates were shaking with fear behind their eyes.

    "¡­That bastard."

    An image naturally formed inside Yujin''s head.

    The youth with slightly droopy eyes who gave off a gentle impression.

    "Where''s the guy that went to kill that bastard?"

    "T-That''s"

    "We¡­ have lost contact."

    "¡­¡­."

    Losing contact meant the failure of a mission.

    "¡­find him."

    "Yes?"

    "I said find that son of a bitch, you useless pieces of shit!!!!"

    Yujin''s harsh criticism echoed throughout the basement.

    *<b> * *</b>

    One week after he returned from the dungeon in Mok-dong.

    Ohjin hadn''t entered any other dungeons and meekly stayed inside his home during this time.

    There were two reasons.

    One was obviously because he needed to hide himself from the ck Star Organization searching madly for him,

    And the other was¡ª

    "Fuuu."

    ¡ªto be used to his body and mana that had grown explosively after reaching the 3-Star rank.

    "Ch-hat!"

    On the rooftop of the rented house.

    Hot sweat sttered over the shabby space filled with dark grime and mold.

    <i>Whoosh! Whoosh!¡ª </i>

    Spearmanship flowed at a dazzling speed.

    Movements in a series of stabs, cuts, and strikes naturally coursed through the air like flowing water.

    ¡°Hmpf!!¡±

    After lightly stamping his feet, he jumped nearly 15 meters into the air and grabbed his ankles with both hands to conduct a back somersault.

    It was an acrobatic movement a normal person wouldn''t dare to attempt.

    No, jumping in ce close to 15 meters into the air was something difficult even for most Awakeners.

    ¡ªNaturally.

    It was nothing but a simple warmup for Ohjin, whose body had advanced another step higher after reaching 3-Star.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    <i>Thud!¡ª </i>

    Ohjinnded onto the ground with an elegant posture and looked down at his body drenched in sweat.

    ¡°Without a doubt¡­ the stigma of Lyra is overpowered.¡±

    He had been overworking his body for 3 hours without rest from early morning until then, but although he was sweating, he didn¡¯t feel all that tired.

    Even from Awakener standards, unless it was a stigma specialized in the body like Taurus, a 3-Star Awakener that couldpare to him in simple physical ability most likely didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡®I can¡¯t be sure about the higher ranks, though.¡¯

    Regardless of the stigma¡¯s type, an Awakener¡¯s physical ability would improve as the star rank increased.

    In cases where one possessed a physical-type stigma, their physical ability would increase much morepared to other stigmas.

    ¡®On the contrary, recovery-type stigmas like Aquarius would have small improvements on physical ability.¡¯

    To be more specific, even amongst physical-type stigmas¡ªstrength for a power type like Taurus strength, dexterity for a speed type like Scorpio¡ªphysical abilities would increase centered around their specialty.

    ¡®The reason why Lyra is overpowered is because even though it isn¡¯t a physical-type, it¡¯s still equipped with physical abilities around that level.¡¯

    The ability of the stigma of Lyra was lightning.

    If you had to ssify, it would not be a physical-type but a supernatural-type. Yet despite that fact, the physical abilities it held were powerful enough to p Taurus¡¯s cheeks left and right.

    Using a game as an analogy, you could say it was simr to a magician possessing a body powerful enough to smash the shit out of a warrior with their staff.

    ¡°If there was a game bnce team, people would riot.¡±

    Ohjin giggled as he ced his spear against the wall.

    Now that he had thoroughly trained his body, it was time to train the skills that came with his stigma.

    ¡°Skill board.¡±

    <i>Boop¡ª</i>

    Reacting to the low-pitched voice, a blue window appeared in front of his eyes.

    [Stigma of Lyra]

    ?Possessed skills

    ¢Ù¡¶Thunder & Lightning Lv3¡·

    ¢Ú¡¶Blue Lightning Lv2¡·

    ¢Û¡¶Thunder Fall Lv1¡·

    He currently possessed three skills..

    ¡®I need to prioritize training Thunder & Lightning.¡¯

    It was the conclusion he came up with after training each skill over the past week.

    ¡®The skill that¡¯s the foundation of the stigma of Lyra is Thunder & Lightning..¡¯

    In the end, Blue Lightning and Thunder Fall were just skills derived from Thunder & Lightning.

    ¡®If I level Thunder & Lightning, the other skills will naturally rise with it.¡¯

    Gently closing his eyes, he focused mana into his left chest.

    <i>Crack! Crackle!!¡ª </i>

    Blue lightning zed as a powerful spark erupted.

    The amount of lightning increased distinctlypared to when he was ranked 2-Star.

    Controlling the lightning, hepressed it into the shape of a ball.

    The lightning shrank into the size of a basketball and shed violently.

    ¡°Looking at it like this, there certainly is a big difference.''

    There was the influence of his total amount of mana increasing once he was promoted to 3-Star, but more than that, therge difference came from the fact that he could use more mana at once.

    ¡®Since my mana was overflowing when I was 2-Star anyways.¡¯

    Simply taking only the total amount of mana into ount, he wasn¡¯t inferiorpared to 6-Star; he had as much as 7-Star Awakeners at least.

    ¡®No, I might have more.¡¯

    ¡°¡­There was a time when my mana wouldn¡¯t decrease even when I tried to burn through it.¡±

    Did it only refuse to decrease? No, rather, it had increased.

    He recalled the memory of when his mana explosively increased when he had fired¡¶Blue Lightning¡· tens, hundreds of times in session duringbat with the mucus giant.

    ¡®Though I''m not sure why that kind of phenomenon happened¡­''

    A few days ago, when he had set a day aside to experiment if the same phenomenon would happen again, his mana decreased as per usual.

    ¡®¡­Let''s just keep that in mind for now."

    Even if he thought about it now, It wasn''t like he could figure out the cause or create the same phenomenon from back then.

    "I''ll just have to work on what I can right now."

    * * *

    Focusing the lightning flowing over his body to his fists, he performed light martial arts.

    <i>Whoosh! Whoosh!¡ª</i>

    "Hmpf!"

    Even if you called it martial arts, it was extremely clumsy, as he had never learned it professionally nor possessed a skill.

    ¡®Still, it''s better than nothing.''

    He was doing nothing but swinging his arms and legs in the air for now, but his skill would increase with time.

    <i>Crack! Crackle!!¡ª </i>

    In any case, the point of the training was not for martial arts, but to get used to focusing lightning around his body.

    Compared to his clumsy martial arts, he could feel his proficiency in handling lightning increase day by day.

    "Ch-hat!"

    For the finale, he retrieved the spear he had left by the wall and used lightning.

    With blue lightning forming at its edge, the spear''s de cut sharply through the air.

    "¡­Hm."

    After he had continued training for around 30 minutes¡ª

    <i>Tap¡ª </i>

    ¡ªOhjin ced the spear on the ground and furrowed his brows as if he was unsatisfied.

    ¡®Something about it just doesn''t feel right.''

    <i>Tsk</i>¡ª

    He clicked his tongue while looking down at the spear.

    ¡°This is a good weapon, but¡­¡±

    Although Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s weapon was light and sharp, it interfered every time he used lightning because the spear¡¯s shaft was made out of wood.

    ¡®And only using the spear is somewhat of a shame.¡¯

    He kept on having a feeling that only using a spear wasn¡¯t enough to utilize lightning to its fullest extent.

    In hisstbat, he had also used nothing but his fists to fight the giant after sticking the spear into its back.

    ¡®It¡¯s not like I can be some kind of spear master from some Murim.¡¯

    The only reason he was proficient in spearmanship was because he had inherited Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s skill.

    ¡®I¡¯ll need to get new equipment soon.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t n on getting it immediately as he was in more urgent need of raising his skill¡¯s proficiency.

    ¡°Should I head back now?¡±

    Holding his shirt drenched in sweat over his shoulders, he went down the stairs.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Going down the stairs, Ha-eun could be seen.

    She was on her crutches, smoking out the open window.

    ¡°You¡¯re smoking again?¡±

    ¡°Bruh, it¡¯s not like I smoke that much.¡±

    ¡°I told you to smoke inside the house, don¡¯te outside.¡±

    ¡°But it smells.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t smoke.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°You deranged chain smoker.¡±

    Shaking his head, he headed past her towards the stairs that lead down.

    As the house was only around twenty steps away, it was a distance where she could amply go back and forth.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Home.¡±

    ¡°Wait til I¡¯m finished smoking, man.¡±

    ¡°What kind of horrific words are you saying to a non-smoker.¡±

    ¡°Smoke as well if you have anyints. An Awakener¡¯s body will recover from the toxins in cigarettes on its own anyways.¡±

    ¡°Waste of money.¡±

    ¡°Fuck, why do I even bother,¡± Ha-eun mumbled in a low-pitch and dropped her head.

    ¡°Hurry up.¡± he stopped by the stairs and waited for her to finish smoking.

    <i>Sizzle¡ª </i>

    Ha-eun fumbled around for the ashtray and rubbed the cigarette out.

    ¡°Are you finished training?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°Argh, you reek of sweat. Go and wash up, you rascal.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one who held me here.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. Hihi! Sorry~¡±

    ¡®This bitch¡­¡¯

    ¡°Hupf.¡±

    Ha-eun, who had clumsily reached out her hands and hugged his arms, leaned her chin on his shoulder.

    ¡°Now, hurry up and support me.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I smell?¡±

    ¡°Mhm. It¡¯s so goddamn bad. My nose is going to rot.¡±

    ¡®Then why are you holding on to me.¡¯

    ¡°¡­Haa.¡±

    He let out a short sigh and helped her into the house.

    Afterying Ha-eun down on the bed, he entered the cramped bathroom and filled arge stic bowl with water.

    <i>Ssh!¡ª </i>

    He cooled his heated body with ice-cold water.

    ¡°Ooh, nice.¡±

    Letting out a moan like a middle-aged man that had finished a day¡¯s hard work, he scrubbed every nook and cranny with cheap soap.

    <i>Click¡ª </i>

    Coming out after finishing the refreshing wash, he could see Ha-eun perched by the bed.

    ¡°Have you finished washing up?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°Come here so I can confirm if you washed up well.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not a kid.¡±

    ¡°Come here, you rascal,¡± Ha-eun said as she tapped next to her seat.

    He sat down next to her while smiling.

    ¡°Sniff, sniff.¡±

    Ha-eun, who hade up close, red her nose and sniffed the smell.

    Soon, the edges of her mouth perked up as if she was satisfied.

    ¡°Hehe!! So you¡¯ve cleaned up properly!¡±

    ¡°You looked so much like a fucking pervert just now.¡±

    ¡°So what.¡±

    <i>Poke Poke¡ª </i>

    While using the tip of her finger to poke his side, she pouted her lips.

    ¡°Now, turn your back this way.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Just listen to me, man.¡±

    Tilting his head, Ohjin turned his body around.

    <i>Knead¡ª </i>

    Her soft touch made contact with his shoulders.

    Her hands filled with just the right amount of strength gently stimted his back muscles.

    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re giving me a massage?¡±

    Ohjin unconsciously burst out intoughter.

    ¡°What, you got a problem?¡±

    ¡°Haha! No. It¡¯s because I like it.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you bastard.¡±

    Different from her violentnguage, Ha-eun¡¯s touch that was slowly circling and stimting his back muscles was incredibly pleasant.

    ¡°I¡¯m dying~!¡±

    ¡®Mhm, It feels so good.¡¯

    ¡°Does it feel good?¡±

    <i>Grunch¡ª </i>

    Powerful pain, like his shoulders were stuck between some kind of press machine, shook him.

    ¡°I¡¯m dying!!!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m seriously dying!!!!¡±

    ¡°Hehehe!! You baby, stop overreacting!¡±

    Ha-eun broke out intoughter.

    ¡°Hey, what do you mean overreacting!¡±

    Although she was nothing but a half-Awakener who couldn¡¯t use her stigma, as she was <b>an Awakener that reached 7-Star </b>in the past, the power behind her hand grip wasn¡¯t something you couldugh at.

    ¡°Huhuhu. Alright, alright. I¡¯ll do it softly.¡±

    Ha-eun giggled while massaging his back with just the right amount of strength as she had done at the start.

    ¡°It¡¯s finished.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Don''t unnecessarily overdo yourself. How many hours have you been running around since dawn?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not overdoing it.¡±

    As the stigma of Lyra was so overpowered, he didn¡¯t feel tired after continuous hours of training.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking back to me again.¡±

    Ha-eun lightly pinched his sides and carefully leaned her forehead onto his back.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    An awkward silence suddenly set down.

    ¡°¡­Hey.¡±

    Cautiously.

    A voice broke the awkward silence and rang out.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°After you became an Awakener¡­ have you made a lot of money?¡±

    ¡°I made tons.¡±

    ¡®I was lucky.¡¯

    The fact that he was the one and only apostle of Vega, received Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories, and that the ck Star Organization pushovers had appeared just at the right time.

    He was making money at a speed iparable to that of other Awakeners.

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    Like chewing and swallowing grains of sand, she continued with a dry voice.

    <b>¡°Then I guess there aren¡¯t many days left of us being together.¡±</b>

    As if a power switch was turned off.

    A cold and stiff air spread throughout the cramped house.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Ohjin nodded quietly.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t much time left.¡±

    At this pace, he would soon be able to reach his goal of ten million dors.

    ¡®And, if that happens¡­¡¯

    Everything would end.

    Along with this everyday life that seemed like it wouldst eternally.

    ¡°Hihi! Did you suddenly be serious?¡±

    Song Ha-eun giggled while smacking his back.

    <i>Smack! Smack!¡ª </i>

    ¡®That fucking hurt.¡¯

    <i>Bzzzzzt!!¡ª </i>

    At that moment, the smartphone he had ced on top of the shelf vibrated.

    ¡°What is it? Did you get a call?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Give me a sec.¡±

    Looking at the smartphone, the name ¡®Team Leader Han Joonman¡¯ was disyed on the screen.

    <i>Click¡ª </i>

    He opened the front door and took the call outside.

    -Ah, are you avable for a call?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was actually going to contact you soon.¡±

    Just when he had thought of contacting them in order to sell the star stones and star relics he had ripped off of the ck Star Organization, they had contacted him instead. He could also gather more information about the Organization from them.

    -That¡¯s great. I contacted you because there¡¯s something I needed to tell you.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    -An urgent request hase in.

    A request.

    The timing wasn¡¯t good, as he hadn¡¯t set any countermeasures for the ck Star Organization yet.

    In the least, it was the right move to hide until Vega could materialize herself once again.

    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m not in a situation where I can receive a requ¡ª¡±

    -The remuneration is 2 million dors.

    ¡°Woof!! Woof, woof!! Grrrr! Krah!!!¡±

    -Excuse me?

    ¡°I¡¯ll head to the Association right away. Let¡¯s talk about the detailster.¡±

    T/n: Stop using ng ?

 Chapter 21: Unleash the Hounds (2)

    Awakener¡¯s Association HQ in Yeouido.

    Passing through the Awakeners that gathered to take the registration, Ohjin entered the elevator that was open only to employees.

    <i>Knock Knock¡ª</i>

    ¡°Yes,e in.¡± A deep voice could be heard after he knocked on the door of the Team Leader¡¯s office.

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    As he opened the door, the figure of a huge muscr man sitting by the office desk caught his eyes.

    ¡®Won¡¯t the chair break?¡¯

    <i>Creak¡ª </i>

    Throwing up a suppressed scream, the chair¡¯s creaks echoed once Team Leader Han¡¯s butt left it.

    ¡°Have you been well?¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you.¡± While sharing a light greeting, Ohjin sat on the sofa.

    Although he wanted to go straight into digging up information on the request that amounted to an insane amount of $2M, there was something he had to do before that.

    ¡°Have you perhaps heard of the ck Star Organization?¡±

    ¡°ck Star Organization?¡± Team Leader Han Joonman tilted his head and answered.

    ¡°No. I¡¯ve never heard of them.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ have you ever seen this stigma before?¡±

    Taking out a piece of paper, he drew the stigma of the Owl Neb and showed it to him.

    ¡°This is¡­ wait a moment.¡± Team Leader Han took out a booklet and started to flip through the pages.

    Soon, he looked around the page that had stigmas drawn and narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°This stigma¡­ is the stigma of the Owl Neb.¡±

    ¡°Do you know of it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details of it either, but¡­ I¡¯m certain that this is known as one of the ¡®forgotten stigmas¡¯.¡±

    ¡®Forgotten stigmas? What¡¯s that?¡¯

    ¡°Its existence was recorded when the celestials first appeared on Earth 8 years ago, but we call it that because they can no longer be found.¡±

    ¡°Was the reason for its disappearance not recorded?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Considering the situation back then¡­ we weren''t exactly in a situation where we could take records." Team Leader Hanughed bitterly while scratching his head.

    "Ah," Ohjin let out a short exmation, nodding his head.

    Eight years ago¡­

    When the gates leading to an external location first opened.

    The time of nightmares, where numerous countries vanished and ? of the world became covered in monsters.

    If it was back then, being unable to take records was understandable.

    ¡®Why record when you don''t know if you''ll be alive the next day?''

    That was a time where surviving each and every day could be called a miracle.

    ¡®Anyways, if the stigma of the Owl Neb existed eight years ago¡­¡¯

    It meant that the Dark Stars¡¯ stigmas continued to exist throughout the eight years.

    ¡®Then there¡¯s a possibility that the ck Star Organization is also¡­¡¯

    An organization that had acted in the shadows throughout the past eight years.

    ¡®It wasn''t an improvised organization.''

    If they were an organization that hid in the shadows for a long period of eight years in order to achieve their goals, their scale wasn''t one you could consider normal.

    ¡®The scale is bingrger than I thought?''

    Ohjin furrowed his brow.

    In any case, It seemed like he hadn''t poked a beehive¡ªbut a ho''s nest.

    ¡®I''ll need to be extremely thorough with my preparations.''

    He had a couple of methods that he had in mind, yet there weren''t any that stood out to him.

    "Hmm."

    Ohjin turned his head towards Team Leader Han, who had been attentively looking at the paper that had the stigma of the Owl Neb drawn.

    "By the way, where did you find this stigma?"

    "A dispute broke out in a dungeon a few days ago."

    "A dispute?"

    "Yes. I found a star relic inside the dungeon, but¡­ an Awakener called Yujin attacked me, iming it was his without reason."

    He exined what happened the previous week with a slight bit of exaggeration.

    "A-Are you hurt anywhere?"

    "No, as you can see."

    "Phew¡­ that¡¯s a relief."

    Team Leader Han let out a short breath of relief.

    "Are you saying that the Awakener that had a dispute with you possessed the stigma of the Owl Neb?" Team Leader Han asked.

    "Yes."

    "Ah, then the ce known as the ck Star Organization is also¡­?"

    "Haha. Indeed, you''re quick-witted. Yes, you''re correct. He said that he was a member of the ¡®ck Star Organization''."

    "Hmm."

    Ohjin slightly shrugged his shoulders and continued.

    ¡°Anyways, I was just asking to find out about their identities since I got attacked all of a sudden.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ I understand. Our side will also try to investigate more about the stigma of the Owl Neb and the ck Star Organization you mentioned earlier.¡±

    Team Leader Han nodded his head with a stiff expression.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ohjin smiled while bowing his head.

    If the Association was willing to investigate directly, he could expect good results.

    Even if the Association was disregarded here and there, it was still thergest organization directly under the government.

    If you were only taking information capabilities into ount, most guilds couldn¡¯t even reach the tip of their toes.

    ¡°Would it be okay if I ask you one more thing?¡¯

    ¡°Ah, yes. Of course.¡±

    ¡°How much do you think this will sell for, roughly?

    Ohjin took out the fist-sized starstone he received from Yujin and ced it on top of the table.

    ¡°Woah¡­ this is quite a high quality starstone.¡± Team Leader Han let out a short exmation and examined the fist-sized starstone.

    ¡°Star relics will need a separate appraisal, but¡­ this starstone alone will amount to $500K at the minimum.¡±

    ¡®$500K!!¡¯

    He desperately restrained his lips from perking up from the mouth-opening amount of cash.

    ¡®Kya! ck Star Organization, you¡¯re the best!!¡¯

    An exhrating thrill spread across his back.

    He could earn this amount of money by using nothing but words for less than 5 minutes.

    ¡°Will the Association take care of this?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll make sure you receive more than the market price.¡±

    Team Leader Han puffed his chest whileughing in a confident manner.

    As the humongous tanned man puffed his chest, the scene looked somewhat like a male gori boasting his strength in order to charm a female gori.

    ¡°The taxes¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, there will be none.¡±

    ¡®Huh.¡¯

    ¡®I think I might fall for this gori.¡¯

    * * *

    ¡°Ah right, could you appraise this for me as well?¡±

    He lent out the star relic the ck Star Organization had used to rece the ck drinking ss.

    ¡°Is this the star relic that caused the dispute?¡±

    ¡°Haha, yes. That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you found a star relic already¡­¡± Team Leader Han eximed.

    Finding star relics inside dungeons wasn¡¯t exactly a rare urrence, but a beginner that had just finished their registration test getting their hands on a star relic was extremely rare.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s possible if it¡¯s Awakener Ohjin.¡¯

    Even if much time hadn¡¯t passed since he finished the registration test, to title him ¡®beginner¡¯¡­ The experienced feeling Ohjin naturally gave off was abnormal.

    ¡®His behavior is like that of someone who has rolled around in dungeons for years.¡¯

    ¡®Although there¡¯s no way that¡¯s possible since he should have been an ordinary person before he awakened.¡¯

    Team Leader Han received the blue drinking ss Ohjin lent out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put in a request to the appraiser connected to our side.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ohjin bowed his head.

    He momentarily thought about presenting the mutant¡¯s starstone as well, but he decided to hold onto it a little longer.

    ¡®It could be connected to those ck Star Organization bastards.¡¯

    There was a possibility that it coulde in handy in the future.

    ¡°Now then. Is there anything else you wish to go over?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ohjin nodded his head.

    <i>Hmp!¡ª </i>

    His eyes shone, and he breathed roughly out of his nose in excitement.

    ¡®Now, it¡¯s about time for the main dish toe out.¡¯

    The main reason he ran to the Association as soon as he received contact.

    ¡°¡ªWhat¡¯re the contents of the request?¡±

    ¡°Haha. I was just about to get into that.¡±

    Team Leader Hanughed in an easy-going manner and took a sip out of the mug filled with coffee.

    ¡°First of all, the one who requested this emergency request was the Valha guild.¡±

    ¡°¡­Valha guild?¡±

    It was a guild¡¯s name he had never heard before.

    ¡®Even so, if they can spare $2M as remuneration, that must mean that they¡¯re quite arge guild.¡¯

    Furrowing his brows, he racked his brain in an attempt to recall the name.

    ¡°It might be your first time hearing about them since they¡¯re a guild that¡¯s on the sudden rise.¡±

    ¡°Ah, is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. As a guild that¡¯sposed of a small number of elites, they¡¯re a guild that¡¯s well-received, as each and every one of the guild members possesses great skill.¡±

    ¡®A small number of elites¡­¡¯

    ¡®I thought it would be arge guild, but they invested more into quality over quantity.¡¯

    ¡°Moreover, their guild leader is extraordinary. It¡¯s to the point where he was picked as one of the candidates for the next generation¡¯s ¡®Seven Stars¡¯.¡±

    Seven Stars.

    It was a title given to the seven Awakeners that possessed the most strength and authority throughout the entire world.

    As he was mentioned as one of their candidates, he wasn¡¯t your average Awakener.

    ¡°Well¡­ I personally think that Awakener Ohjin is more amazing, though.¡±

    Shrugging his shoulders, Team Leader Han continued.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain that Awakener Ohjin will be one of the Seven Stars¡¯ backbones in the future.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re expecting too much from me.¡± Ohjin let out an easygoingugh while shaking his head.

    He was being courteous, but it wasn¡¯t like he didn''t have the confidence.

    If he continued to grow stronger, he would be one of them one day.

    ¡®Seven Stars¡­¡¯

    Even though they called them powerhouses that transcended humanity, he didn''t have an exact idea of how strong they were, as he had never seen one before.

    ¡®There¡¯s also only one in Korea.¡¯

    Since six out of the seven lived overseas, it wasn¡¯t easy to hear news about them.

    But that didn¡¯t mean the single Seven Star member in Korea was the type to actively partake in activities either.

    ¡°Khm. Then going back to the main subject of the request¡¯s contents¡­ It¡¯s a type of request where you could call it hard, but at the same time, you could also call it easy.¡±

    ¡®What¡¯s he talking about?¡¯

    ¡°What are the contents of the request that make youe to such a conclusion?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s finding a person.¡±

    ¡®Finding a person?¡¯

    ¡°Is it finding a person and investigating them like a detective agency?¡±

    ¡®But the reward¡¯s $2M?¡¯

    ¡®No matter how much you¡¯re overflowing with money, $2M?¡¯

    Ohjin looked towards Team Leader Han with doubt in his eyes.

    Slightly shaking his head, Team Leader Han opened his mouth.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a request for investigating someone but, as it¡¯s said, finding a person. Finding a missing person, to be exact.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡®So it was like that.¡¯

    Finding a missing person, and amongst them, a person who had gone ¡®missing inside a dungeon¡¯, was something only skilled Awakeners could do.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the missing person?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ wait a moment.¡± Team Leader Han looked through the request form.

    ¡°Ah, here it is.¡± He picked up a single piece of paper from the pile of files and ced it on top of the table.

    ¡°Missing date, November 6th.¡±

    ¡°So around two weeks have passed.¡±

    As the current date was the 22nd, two days and two weeks had passed, to be urate.

    ¡°The ce he went missing¡­ It says that it¡¯s unknown, as his tracks were cut off starting from the early morning. They say that there¡¯s a high possibility he went into a 1~2-Star dungeon located around Incheon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to go around about eight ces¡­¡±

    There were currently a total of eight low-rank dungeons located in Incheon. He knew a lot about it, as he had been going around scamming using mainly low-rank dungeon¡¯s through the past couple of years.

    ¡®Well, eight ces will be easy.¡¯

    Currently, for him who had reached 3-Star, he could finish his investigation in two, if it took a little longer, three days.

    ¡°Male. Aged around mid-twenties and 182cm tall. It also says that he has ck hair and a sleek physique. Ah right, and his name¡­ let¡¯s see. Ah, it¡¯s written here.¡±

    Team Leader Han, who was looking through the file, pointed towards a certain section.

    ¡°Lee Shinhyuk. The name of the missing person is Lee Shinhyuk.¡±

    ¡°¡ªWhat?¡±

    ¡®Fucking. Who?¡¯

    ¡°How is it. Will you be able to find him?¡±

    ¡®No.¡¯

    ¡®How the fuck do I find him when he¡¯s already dead.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m going crazy.¡¯

 Chapter 22: Unleash the Hounds (3)

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡®What kind of insane situation is this?¡¯

    ¡®Find Lee Shinhyuk?¡¯

    ¡®How can I find someone that¡¯s already dead?¡¯

    ¡°¡­Awakener Ohjin?¡± Team leader Han tilted his head while looking towards him. ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°Haha, no. It¡¯s nothing.¡± He nodded his head with an awkward expression.

    ¡®Shit.¡¯

    It felt like he had gotten hit on the back of his head with a hammer.

    ¡®Then the guild leader of that Valha guild¡­¡¯

    He had a rough idea of who it was.

    ¡®Lee Woohyuk.¡¯

    Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s younger brother, the one who gave Lee Shinhyuk a deep sense of inferiority.

    ¡®Yeah¡­ so that¡¯s what happened.¡¯

    In the past world, before Lee Shinhyuk regressed, it had been around this time when he opened his eyes inside the hospital room, makingme excuses like an errand boy that failed to do his job.

    ¡®However¡­¡¯

    As Lee Shinhyuk died, the future changed.

    ¡ªInto a future where Lee Woohyuk ced an enormous reward in order to find his missing brother.

    ¡°What will you do? Should I contact the Valha guild and tell them you¡¯ll ept the request?¡±

    ¡°Give me a moment.¡±

    Leaning his back onto the sofa, he organized his thoughts.

    Lee Shinhyuk and Lee Woohyuk.

    A disgraceful and insignificant brother, and a younger brother outstanding enough to be mentioned as one of the Seven Stars candidates.

    A twisted destiny and future.

    And¡ª

    ¡®¡­Wait a minute.¡¯

    ¡ªthe ck Star Organization.

    ¡°Ha.¡± A short exmation flowed out.

    A feeling as if lightning struck down buzzed inside his head.

    An electrifying thrill spread from his spine.

    ¡®That¡¯s right¡­ there was that kind of method.¡¯

    <i>Smirk¡ª </i>

    At the end of the long contemtion, Ohjin¡¯s mouth grinned brightly.

    ¡®I can use that.¡¯

    A mind-boggling situation.

    Slowly but surely, he was certain he could steer the future that had started to turn course to match his tastes.

    ¡°¡ªNo¡±

    He pushed the file on top of the table back towards Team Leader Han.

    Firmly shaking his head, he continued.

    <b>¡°I won¡¯t take on this request.¡±</b>

    ¡°You won¡¯t take it?¡±

    As if he had heard the unimaginable, Team Leader Han¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡®Well.¡¯

    ¡®He probably didn¡¯t expect that I would reject such a good opportunity where all I have to do is find a person for $2M.¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t have talent in finding people.¡¯

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that, but¡ª¡±

    Team leader Han scratched his head with an embarrassed expression.

    ¡°¡ªto be honest, the Valha guild and the Association have quite a deep friendship. I just thought that this would be a good opportunity for you to get acquainted with them.¡±

    Was it because he wanted to show off the fact that the Association had a North Star¡¯s apostle to a partnered guild?

    Thinking about the status of the Association that dropped day by day, there was a more than likely chance it was true.

    ¡°Haha, there¡¯ll be another opportunity.¡±

    That¡¯s right.

    Another opportunity to build friendship with the Valha guild woulde.

    And very soon at that.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it as you refusing this request.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he stood while nodding his head.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    ¡°The Association will take on a separate investigation about the ck Star Organization.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    He didn¡¯t have too many expectations.

    ¡®Since I¡¯ll move before the Association does anyways.¡¯

    ¡°Ah, right.¡± he turned his body towards Team Leader Han.

    ¡°Could I get the Valha guild¡¯s contacts?¡±

    ¡°Contacts?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve just gotten a bit interested since you said they have a friendly rtionship with the Association.¡±

    <i>Smile¡ª </i>

    ¡°Even if it''s just in name, aren¡¯t I affiliated with the Association? If the opportunity arrives, maintaining a good rtionship with a partnered guild is the right thing to do.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Of course.¡±

    From the words ¡®affiliated with the Association¡¯, Team Leader Han nodded with a delighted expression and wrote the Valha guild¡¯s contact on a piece of paper.

    ¡°Here are the Valha guild¡¯s contacts. Ah, as the Valha guild is a guild that fundamentally keeps their information disclosed to the public, you shouldn¡¯t reveal this to anyone.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Ohjin put the paper with the contacts written in his pocket and left the office.

    Humming a tune, he moved his feet with light steps.

    ¡°Then, should I start fishing right away?¡±

    The bait was the young-blooded 27-year-old Gwon Ohjin.

    * * *

    In front of the newly formed dungeon in Mok-dong.

    He could see Awakeners trying to find parties in order to conquer the fresh dungeon.

    ¡°Damn, look at this crowd.¡±

    Ohjin pushed his way through the crowd and strolled around near the gate.

    One hour. Two hours.

    He continuously went around and around the area with his face in clear view.

    ¡°<i>Yawn.</i>¡± He let out a yawn and wandered around the gate for hours on end.

    The sun that used to be in the middle of the sky slowly turned dark over the mountain.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t these bastardsing already?¡± Ohjin frowned whileining.

    ¡®Do I need toe again tomorrow?¡¯

    He thought that at least one person would take the bait, but¡ªunlike his predictions¡ªthere was nothing.

    ¡®If possible, I want to finish this before Vega opens her eyes.¡¯

    He took a deep sigh and wandered through the road as darkness started to settle in.

    * * *

    Right when he was starting to think of returning home¡ª

    <i>Tingle¡ª </i>

    ¡ªa sharp killing intent stimted his back.

    Using the sensitive senses granted by the stigma of the Hunting Dogs, he urately pinpointed the location the killing intent was trickling from.

    ¡®Finally!¡¯

    Smirking, Ohjin slightly turned his head towards the direction of the killing intent.

    A conspicuous middle-aged man wearing a pressed-down ck hat instead of a ck robe caught his eyes.

    ¡®Looks like this bastard ran around in circles for the past week.¡¯

    Judging from his sunken cheeks and the dark circles that could be seen under his eyes, it seemed like he had gone through quite a lot of trouble trying to find him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve waited so fucking long, you rascal.¡±

    After exploding out inughter¡ª

    <i>Tap tap tap tap tap!!!!¡ª </i>

    ¡ªhe turned his body and sprinted with all his strength.

    ¡°Huh, uh, uhh?¡±

    The man who was calling out urgently chased him.

    ¡°S-Stop!!¡± The man fiercely chased after him.

    Stretching back his hand, Ohjin unfolded his middle finger and shook it.

    ¡°Old man~!! Why are you so damn slow? Is it because you¡¯re balding?¡±

    ¡°Y-You!!¡± The man¡¯s expression distorted.

    Although he couldn¡¯t see his hair because of the man¡¯s hat, it appeared as if Ohjin was right on the spot.

    ¡°You son of a bitch!!¡±

    <i>Shuk!¡ª </i>

    A couple of ck feathers shot towards Ohjin.

    ¡®Is that the ability of the Owl Neb?¡¯

    It was his first time seeing the ability in person, as he had killed the other man in an ambush before he got the opportunity to see his ability.

    ¡®Now that I¡¯ve seen his ability, I should stop the taunting here.¡¯

    <i>Skrtttttt!¡ª </i>

    He suddenly braked into a stop after arriving in an empty lot with no human traces.

    <i>Twirl¡ª </i>

    He simultaneously thrusted out his spear while turning his body.

    ¡°Hupf!¡±

    <i>Ka-kang!!¡ª </i>

    The man chasing after him quickly crossed his arms and blocked the spear.

    The spear bounced off of the ck feathers sprouting from his forearms.

    ¡°Oh, damn. It¡¯s harder than I thought.¡± He didn¡¯t expect feathers to deflect a spear.

    ¡°You dare¡­!¡±

    ¡°Why are you staring at me with such burning eyes on our first meeting? You¡¯re making me blush.¡±

    ¡°Your arrogance ends here!¡±

    ¡°Is that right?¡± he fixed his grip on his spear while shrugging his shoulders.

    Activating the stigma of the Hunting Dogs, he observed the surroundings. He couldn¡¯t feel the presence of other ck Star Organization members.

    ¡°But old man, will you be okay alone?¡±

    ¡°Hmpf, aren¡¯t you also alone?¡± The man with his forearms covered in ck feathers smirked in ridicule and took his stance.

    ¡°Huh? But I¡¯m not alone?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Now!! Attack him!!!¡± he screamed out with a loud voice.

    ¡°Kugh! D-Damn it!!¡± The man turned his body around with a panicked expression.

    The scene that unfolded in his eyes¡ª

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡ªwas apletely vacant lot.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Sike.¡±

    <i>Crackleeeeee!!!!¡ª </i>

    Blue Lightning zed up.

    ¡®Blue Lightning.¡¯

    The lightning formed at the tip of the spear and spread forwards in a fan shape.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!!!¡±

    Was it because the arm covered in ck feathers couldn¡¯t defend against lightning? A horrific scream exploded out of the man¡¯s mouth.

    <i>Stumble, stumble¡ª </i>

    Taking a step back, the man¡¯s stance broke down.

    ¡°Ch-hat!!¡± Ohjin stabbed out his spear towards the gap between the man¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Kugh, uaaaah!!¡±

    With the will to not get done in easily, the man quickly fixed his broken stance and grasped the spear¡¯s de with his hand covered in feathers.

    ¡°You dare use this crude trickery¡­!!¡±

    Although Blue Lightning zed from the spear¡¯s tip, the man ignored it and pulled on the spear.

    He tried to take the spear out by twisting the spear¡¯s shaft, but the spear in the man¡¯s grasp wouldn¡¯te out easily.

    ¡®Is he stronger?¡¯

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    ¡ªSince strength alone didn¡¯t decide the winner of a fight.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you falling for them too easily if you consider them crude?¡±

    <i>Keke¡ª </i>

    Laughing out, he let go of his grasp on the spear¡¯s shaft.

    ¡°U-Uhh?¡±

    As Ohjin had suddenly let go of the spear, the man¡¯s body ovepensated and fell over.

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    Roughly stomping his feet, Ohjin jumped forwards.

    He struck down his clenched fist towards the head of the stumbling man.

    ¡®Thunder Fall.¡¯

    <i>Crackleee!!¡ª </i>

    Like striking down a hammer, he struck down his fist with all his strength.

    ¡°Kugh! Kuk!¡±

    <i>Flop¡ª </i>

    The man twisted his body as he fell down.

    Ohjin quickly grabbed the spear that had fallen on the ground and aimed it towards the man¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Kugk!¡± The man nibbled on his lips out of frustration, staring down the tip of the spear.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ think that you¡¯ve won from this.¡±

    ¡°But I did.¡±

    Although the fight was more difficult than he had thought it was going to be, the one who hade up victorious in the end was Ohjin.

    ¡°Ha! Did you think that you would be able to escape out of the ck Star Organization¡¯s grasp with my death alone?¡±

    The man puffed his nose like he had heard the ridiculous.

    ¡°If you thought that you would be left in one piece after messing with Sir Yujin, you¡¯re very mistaken!¡±

    <i>Kekeke!¡ª </i>

    The man suddenly exploded out intoughter.

    ¡°You¡­ will never be able to win against that person.¡±

    ¡°Mhm, I already know.¡±

    Even though he didn¡¯t know how strong of an Awakener Yujin was, he was at least sure of the fact that Yujin wasn¡¯t an opponent he could face.

    However, it didn¡¯t matter¡ª

    ¡°You are all going to die soon anyways.¡±

    ¡°¡­With what confidence are you saying such gibberish?¡± The man asked with a gaze full of doubt.

    <i>Smirk¡ª </i>

    Shrugging his shoulders, Ohjin answered.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to unleash the hounds.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hounds?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something like that, you rascal.¡±

    ¡®Unnecessary talk is a waste of time; I should finish this up.¡¯

    <i>Ssh!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Kugk! Kugh¡­k.¡±

    Blood sprayed out like a fountain when Ohjin¡¯s spear pierced the man¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Well then.¡±

    Ohjin rummaged through the man¡¯s clothes and took out his smartphone.

    As iris recognition was in ce as security, he opened the dead man¡¯s eyelids to unlock the smartphone.

    ¡®Although I want to absorb his stigma¡­¡¯

    As he didn¡¯t know if it would cause amotion, he decided to finish things up first.

    ¡°Hpft.¡± He carried the corpse out of the empty lot.

    Using ck Curtain topletely erase his presence, he went up a nearby mountain.

    About when the presence of people couldn¡¯t be felt any longer¡ª

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ right¡­ here will be nice.¡±

    <i>Snap¡ª </i>

    Leaning the bloody spear next to a nearby tree, he started to take photos.

    ¡°So this is thest time I¡¯ll use this spear.¡±

    Since he was thinking of changing his weapon soon anyways, he didn¡¯t think it was too much of a waste.

    ¡°Khm! Ah, ah, ah.¡± Slightly raising his chin, he adjusted his voice.

    As he already had a lot of confidence in mimicking other people¡¯s voices, he could change it with quite a bit of ease.

    <i>Bzzzzzt¡ª </i>

    He called the contact he received from Team leader Han.

    [This is the Valha guild, Kim Sunyoung speaking.]

    A woman¡¯s voice that sounded somewhat full of exhaustion.

    It was a voice that remained in his memories.

    ¡®Is this the girl with the sses back then?¡¯

    He recalled the memories he inherited from Lee Shinhyuk.

    ¡°Could you put the guild leader on call?¡±

    [The guild leader cannot take the phone right¡ª]

    ¡°I¡¯ve found Lee Shinhyuk.¡±

    [¡­What?]

    A short silence.

    [W-Wait a moment!]

    <i>Ba-Bang!¡ª </i>

    The sound of unsettling noises echoed.

    And then¡ª

    [¡­You¡¯ve found my brother?]

    ¡ªa coldly sunken voice.

    It was the first time hearing Lee Woohyuk¡¯s voice not from Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories but in real life.

    Well then.

    It was time to unleash¡ª

    ¡°To be exact, we have taken hold of him.¡±

    [¡­What?]

    ¡°Hahaha. Did you not understand?¡±

    ¡ªthe fierce and violent hounds.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that we¡¯ve taken hold of Lee Shinhyuk.¡±

    [What nonsense are you speaking of.]

    ¡°Nonsense? Hmm. Then I guess I¡¯ll have to send this photo as evidence.¡±

    [This photo is¡­]

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you familiar with this spear?¡±

    ¡®The hounds that would rip apart the opponent¡¯s neck and kill them in my ce.¡¯

    [¡ªYou, who are you.]

    ¡°Hahaha!! It seems that you believe me now!¡±

    [I asked who you were, you bastard!!!!]

    ¡®The hound¡¯s name¡­ that¡¯s right.¡¯

    ¡®Let¡¯s simply call it¡ª¡¯

    <b>¡°The name¡¯s¡ª Yujin.¡±</b>

    ¡®¡ªLee Woohyuk.¡¯

 Chapter 23: Unleash the Hounds (4)

    My brother was better at everything than me when I was young.

    Studying, sports, even art and music.

    My brother could aplish with ease things I couldn¡¯t do, even if I poured in all of my efforts.

    My brother, three years older than me, was like a supernatural being; he was my superman.

    However,

    When actual supernatural beings called Awakeners appeared and shattered the fantasy of my young self, the situation changed.

    The celestials of the 12 Zodiacs.

    Unlike me, who was chosen by the celestial of Leo, my brother couldn¡¯t get selected by any celestial.

    ¡®I can beat him.''

    The inferiorityplex that had been stacking up from my childhood became my drive.

    I put in more effort than anyone else, desperately sharpening and honing my power.

    And then¡ª

    -Haha. You¡­ you became an 8-Star? And with the stigma of Leo at that?

    ¡ªI reached a distant realm my brother could never reach.

    I did it all without understanding how my brother felt, I was unaware of just how appalling his despair was.

    -Why are you being like this, brother?

    My brother started to lose more weight day by day.

    He didn¡¯t have proper meals; he stayed shut inside his room in deep lethargy.

    -No. It¡¯s¡­ nothing.

    Although he said it was nothing, I soon came to the realization that I was the cause.

    My brother couldn¡¯t take it.

    A world filled with fierce monsters.

    The fact that he had to take protection from his younger brother in this gruesome world, rampant with blood and flesh.

    A deep sense of shame that came from the fact that he was being protected by the existence he should be protecting became the cause of my brother''s disorder.

    -Brother¡­ Please.

    I could understand him since what dragged me into this realm was my sense of inferiority towards my brother.

    However,

    Because I understood¡­

    Because I could rte¡­

    I also knew that his despair would not go away easily.

    -¡­I¡¯m sorry.

    The distance between us gradually grew.

    Reeking with a foul stench, our deep-rooted emotions gradually rotted away.

    -Woohyuk!! I awakened as well!! I got the stigma of Pyxis!

    And then, my brother awakened.

    I was sincerely happy.

    My chest thumped as I thought about returning to the times when my brother and I were close.

    Of course, he remained distant from reaching the same realm as me, as I possessed a stigma of one of the 12 Zodiacs¡ªbut I was still happy.

    I hoped that he could find at least a little bit of confidence.

    ¡ªI bought him equipment and an expensive spear.

    I couldn¡¯t stay with him often since I was busy with guild matters, but it still seemed we were getting closerpared to before.

    Just like that, I carried hope.

    Just like that, I dreamed of the future.

    But¡ª

    [I¡¯m saying that we¡¯ve taken Lee Shinhyuk.]

    ¡®What¡­ kind of nonsense is he talking about?¡¯

    [Nonsense? Hmm. Then I guess I¡¯ll have to send this photo as evidence]

    <i>Ring¡ª</i>

    One photo arrived.

    An ominous feeling spread throughout his back.

    ¡°This photo is¡­¡±

    A spear with subtle blue light flowing out of its de.

    The symbol of the Valha guild, a design of a roaring lion, was engraved in great detail on the shaft.

    <i>Thump, thump¡ª </i>

    His heart thumped roughly.

    A burning heat rode up the nape of his neck and into his brain.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    It was the spear he gave to Lee Shinhyuk as a present.

    It was custom-made, with only one in the world¡ªhis brother''s very own spear.

    ¡°¡ªYou, who are you.¡±

    His rage boiled to the point that he couldn¡¯t focus on anything else.

    As if exploding, a current that drove him crazy spouted out.

    ¡°I asked who you were, you bastard!!!!¡±

    He shouted out as if howling.

    [The name¡¯s¡­ Yujin, that¡¯s what I¡¯m called.]

    Yujin, Yujin, Yujin.

    He engraved that name into his brain.

    Naturally, he knew that it wasn¡¯t his real name to a certain degree, since there was no way a kidnapper would proudly expose their own name.

    However, he was certain of one thing.

    ¡ªLee Shinhyuk, his brother, has been taken by him.

    * * *

    ¡°What do you want.¡±

    [By the 25th, prepare $3M in cash ande to the observatory located at Mt. Baekunsan¡¯s peak.]

    $3000000.

    Was that why they kidnapped his brother?

    ¡®No.¡¯

    That couldn¡¯t be true.

    $3M wasn¡¯t a small amount of money, but it absolutely wasn¡¯t enough to kidnap the brother of the ¡®ck Lion¡¯, Lee Woohyuk, one of the Seven Stars candidates.

    ¡®Is what they''re aiming for not my brother, but me? That could be why they¡¯re calling me towards the meticulously set ¡®trap¡¯.¡¯

    [Naturally, you need toe by yourself. If you bring anyone else¡­ you know, right?]

    A sunnyughter could be hearding across the smartphone.

    <i>Kyaha!¡ª </i>

    He clenched his teeth and barely suppressed the curses that were about to explode out.

    ¡°You¡­ if you touch even the tip of his hair, I won¡¯t leave you in one piece.¡±

    [Iya~! I¡¯m so scared, whatever will I do? Puhahahahat!!]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Lee Woohyuk gently closed his eyes.

    <i>Owooong!!¡ª </i>

    The stigma of Leo engraved on his left chest started to pour out blue light.

    Mana boiled up like a wild beast.

    [Ah! I talked longer than nned! Well, you remember my words, right? $3M in cash by the 25th. Peak of Mt. Baekunsan. Hahaha! The time~ let¡¯s see. Right. Since it¡¯s the observatory, it¡¯ll be nice to see the stars in the evening!]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    [Then, let¡¯s meet each other there!]

    <i>Beep¡ª </i>

    The call ended.

    <i>Crunch!¡ª </i>

    The grasped table broke apart.

    ¡°Yu¡­ jin.¡±

    <i>Crumble, Bang! Bababang!!!¡ª </i>

    The fluctuating mana spread across the surroundings and destroyed all the luxurious decorations ced around the office.

    ¡°Yujin, Yujin, Yuuuuuuuuujin¡­!¡±

    His eyes burned.

    The rage boiling up inside his mind burned away his rationality.

    <i>Knock, knock¡ª </i>

    ¡°Guild leader?¡± Kim Sunyoung carefully opened the door and entered.

    Looking around the office that had be a mess, she took a step back, startled.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    The calm appearance of the Lee Woohyuk who normally led the guild members with a cold personality couldn¡¯t be seen.

    Instead, it was the appearance of an injured beast.

    <i>Shiver¡ª </i>

    Kim Sunyoung¡¯s two legs shook from the suffocating killing intent.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    With his mouth shut tight, Lee Woohyuk bit his lips.

    -If you bring anyone else¡­ you know, right?

    The voice of the kidnapper surfaced inside his head.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wr¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wrong¡± was what Lee Woohyuk was about to say until he cut himself off and entered deep thought.

    He repeatedly clenched and released his fists with his eyes gently closed.

    ¡°Guild Leader? Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Once the time for his long thought came to an end, Lee Woohyuk slowly opened his eyes.

    ¡°Contact the Association immediately.¡±

    ¡°The Association?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Nodding his head, he continued.

    ¡°And¡ª¡±

    His narrowed eyes shone.

    ¡°¡ªSummon all guild members that aren¡¯t inside dungeons.¡±

    He didn¡¯t have any ns on falling for the ¡®trap¡¯ as the man wanted.

    ¡°It¡¯s war.¡±

    His icy voice rang throughout the room.

    * * *

    ¡°Now.¡±

    Finishing the call, the ends of Ohjin¡¯s lips tilted up.

    He had set the bait. Now all that was left was to wait for the furious hound to rip apart the opponent¡¯s throat.

    ¡®What will be his move?¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t hard to predict.

    ¡°First of all, he¡¯ll contact the Association.¡±

    The Valha guild and the Association were partnered.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t direct support, they would have no choice but to contact them to use the extraordinary information power of the Association.

    A characteristic of a guild made up of a small number of elites was the fact that theycked in the information department.

    ¡®And, once that happens¡­¡¯

    He would naturally find out about the Awakener named ¡®Yujin¡¯.

    ¡®He¡¯ll also hear about the ck Star Organization.¡¯

    He would certainly realize who the opponent he had to rip to pieces was.

    ¡°Well¡­ he¡¯ll suspect why the kidnapper named ¡®Yujiin¡¯ exposed his name on his own, but¡­¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    It wasn¡¯t like he could sit still just because it seemed suspicious. This matter had his brother¡¯s life on the line.

    A lion driven to a corner would have no option but to feast on what¡¯s given.

    ¡®They¡¯ll contact me as well.¡¯

    The one who handed information about the Awakener called Yujin to the Association was himself. Although there was no way of knowing if the Association or if Lee Woohyuk would personally contact him, there was simply no way they wouldn''t contact him.

    ¡®They¡¯ll probably ask about Yujin¡¯s approximate appearance and impression.¡¯

    And once that happened, it was simple.

    It would simply end once he exined the appearance of Yujin that he had personally seen in the dungeon.

    Then¡­

    ¡°They¡¯ll meet.¡±

    On the afternoon of the 25th, Lee Woohyuk and Yujin would have their first meeting at Mt.Baekunsan.

    In a form worse than any meeting possible.

    ¡®And next¡ª¡¯

    <i>Smirk¡ª </i>

    Laughter flowed out.

    ¡°¡ªA war will start.¡±

    Although he told Lee Woohyuk to e alone¡¯, there was no way he would actuallye alone.

    ¡®He won¡¯t be stupid enough to fall for an obvious trap the opponent set up. Summoning all his guild members, he¡¯ll gather his might.¡¯

    There was no way that he wouldn¡¯t know that it was the most sensible method in saving his brother.

    ¡°Well then, should I finish things up?¡±

    <i>Crack! Crackle!!¡ª </i>

    sending an electric current into the smartphone he used to call Lee Woohyuk, hepletely destroyed it.

    ¡®One should always make sure to destroy evidence.¡¯

    <i>Crunch! Crunch!¡ª </i>

    After throwing the smartphone onto the ground, he thoroughly stomped on it until the shape could no longer be recognized.

    It would be over once he divided the rest of the fragments and disposed of them into different manholes.

    Even if the dead Steve Jobs came back to life, he wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize it as a smartphone.

    ¡°What¡¯s left is the spear and¡­¡±

    Slightly turning his head, he lifted the corpse of the ck Star Organization member hung over his shoulders.

    ¡°Hm¡­ First of all, his body shape is simr.¡±

    There weren¡¯t any physical characteristics that stood out either.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take this as well.¡±

    The corpse had a use.

    He turned his body after grabbing the corpse and spear.

    ¡®I should visit a weapon shop tomorrow and buy a moderate spear.¡¯

    Even though he nned on cing orders on custom-made equipment other than spears, he didn¡¯t have the spare time to wait for them to bepleted.

    ¡°Now¡­ when will they contact me?¡±

    He moved his feet with a deep smile on his face.

    * * *

    ¡ªLate in the afternoon.

    <i>Bzzzzt!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Mmh.¡± He woke up from the sound of his smartphone ringing.

    Lifting the nket, he raised his body from the floor of the small room.

    ¡°¡­Hmm. What¡¯s that at this time?¡± Mumbled Song Ha-eun, who was having a sound sleep on the bed while covering herself with a nket.

    <i>Rub, rub¡ª </i>

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it and sleep.¡±

    <i>Click¡ª </i>

    He wore his slippers and headed outside.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    [Sorry for contacting you at this time, Ohjin. I contacted you because there is something I need to ask urgently.]

    Team Leader Han¡¯s voice was stiffer than usual.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    [It¡¯s a matter that¡¯s difficult to exin over the phone¡­]

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll head over to the Association right now.¡±

    Ending the call, he returned inside the house and wore his clothes.

    ¡°Huh¡­? Where are you going at this time?¡± Ha-eun asked as she raised her body.

    ¡°To confirm if the unleashed hound is doing his job.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ang? What nonsense are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯lle back soon.¡±

    ¡°Tell me¡­¡±

    <i>Click¡ª </i>

    He closed the door and went outside.

    ¡®It didn¡¯t even take a single day.¡¯

    Smirk¡ª

    The edge of his lips went up.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve obtained a good hound.¡±

    <i>Cackle¡ª</i>

    Shaking his shoulders up and down, he headed towards the Association.

    T/n: Poor Woohyuk ?

 Chapter 24: The Night Without the Guilty (1)

    <strong>Chapter 24: The Night Without the Guilty (1)</strong>

    ¡°This¡­ is all of the information I know about Yujin.¡±

    Ohjin drew a sketch of Yujin and held it out towards Team Leader Han.

    It wasn¡¯t all that hard for him to draw a sketch, as he was quite confident in handicraft.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll directly pass this on to the Valha guild.¡±

    Team Leader Han took the sketch and let out a short breath.

    ¡°Anyhow, what an amazing coincidence. The Valha guild is urgently searching for the Awakener that got into a dispute with you.¡±

    ¡°Have you heard the reason they¡¯re looking for him?¡±

    ¡°No. I couldn¡¯t hear the reason.¡±

    ¡®Did they hide the fact that Lee Shinhyuk was kidnapped? Well, it would be something difficult to speak about, even if they are in a partnership.¡¯

    ¡°Ah, right.¡±

    p¡ª

    Team Leader Han pped his hands.

    ¡°Other than this, another direct request for support hase in.¡±

    ¡°A support request?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They didn¡¯t tell the exact circumstances, but¡­ they said that they need the Association¡¯s assistance in besieging the entirety of Mt.Baekunsan.¡±

    Besiege.

    ¡®They¡¯re nning on taking this seriously.¡¯

    Lee Woohyuk¡¯s power in taking action was more exceptional than he expected.

    ¡°Although there¡¯s no obligational duty for you to participate¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll participate,¡± he answered without hesitation.

    In order to mediate the situation, he needed to go to Mt.Baekunsan personally anyways. epting the support request would give him a justifiable reason for going.

    In addition¡­

    ¡®If I do well, I can get a taste of those sweet rewards as well.¡¯

    * * *

    In a dark basement,

    Inside a somber room with fluttering dust, half-shut eyes shone with a terrifying light.

    ¡°¡­You still haven¡¯t found him?¡±

    A low sunken voice.

    In front of a youth who gave off a gentle impression, the ck-robed men prostrated deeply on the ground while their bodies shook.

    ¡°T-That is.¡±

    ¡°That is? It¡¯s already been over a week¡­ does being unable to find that one Awakener during this time make any sense?¡±

    ¡°W-We¡¯ve searched for records of his evaluation test or guild, but we couldn¡¯t confirm anything¡­ ¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    Tutututu!!¡ª

    As the youth lightly waved his hands, ck feathers split apart the darkness like bullets.

    ¡°Kuaaaaaaa!!!¡±

    Arms and shoulders, thighs and calves.

    The sharp feathers pierced through the ck-robed figure¡¯s limbs.

    A horrifying shriek rang out.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t found him?¡±

    ¡°Ughk¡­ hpf.¡±

    The man whose arms and legs suddenly became a mess wriggled like a worm.

    Step, step¡ª

    With light footsteps, Yujin approached the man.

    Crunch!!¡ª

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!¡±

    He stomped on the man¡¯s feather-pierced arm.

    ¡°P-Please!! Please forgive meeee!!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something else you have to say other than just begging for forgiveness, isn¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°Lead!! We have found a lead!!¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Yujin¡¯s half-shut eyes opened slightly.

    ¡°What kind of lead?¡±

    ¡°T-Three days ago, we thoroughly searched the surroundings of the area a missing member was investigating and retraced the nearby CCTV.¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°We have confirmed that he exited a building only open to Association employees and headed towards Mok-dong.¡±

    ¡°O-ho. Then are you saying that he¡¯s from the Association?¡±

    Yujin licked his lips as if it was amusing.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ we aren¡¯t sure if he¡¯s from the Association.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°After that, we remained dormant near the Association to confirm if hemuted, but he never appeared.¡±

    ¡°What about the possibilities of him being from a branch of the Association?¡±

    ¡°We have also confirmed that side.¡±

    Scrunch¡ª

    Yujin¡¯s expression roughly distorted.

    ¡®He exited a building exclusive to Association employees when he isn¡¯t from the Association?¡¯

    No matter how much of a negligible group the Association was, it wasn¡¯t easy to go in and out of employee exclusive buildings.

    ¡®¡­Just who is that bastard?¡¯

    He recalled the face of the youth that offered a trade with a kind impression.

    He felt an ominous, unpleasant feeling back then as if something with sticky viscosity was clinging onto his body.

    ¡°Fuu. Continue investigating for now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!!¡±

    Yujin ced his hand on his forehead as if his head was burning up

    He looked down onto the 50 subordinates prostrating under his feet.

    ¡®It¡¯s not enough.¡¯

    He had no ns on being satisfied with his position of low-rank Temr.

    Someday, he nned to pass by mid-rank, high-rank, up and onwards towards the position of Executor.

    ¡®I¡¯ll go up.¡¯

    Intense ambition surged up.

    In order for that to happen¡ª

    ¡®I need to find him and receive the real ck Star¡¯s relic.¡¯

    King of Owls Cheon Doyoon was a cold-blooded man who wouldn¡¯t tolerate mistakes.

    The reason he wasn¡¯t immediately executed on the spot was simply because he was giving Yujin an opportunity to make up for his mistake.

    If he couldn¡¯t find the real star relic in a short frame of time, he would be a cold corpse by Cheon Doyoon¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Sir Yujin.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°What about¡­ requesting assistance from Sir Arshad?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Arshad Khan.

    As a Temr from India, he was someone who joined at the same time¡ªand his superior.

    Although they became apostles of the Owl Neb at the same day and time, he had already been promoted to a mid-rank Temr while Yujin still remained as a low-rank.

    Certainly¡­

    It would be much easier to find him if Arshad, who possessed two times the number of subordinates Yujin did, assisted, but¡ª

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak of nonsense.¡±

    Yujin fiercely opened his half-shut eyes and said with a low voice.

    ¡°F-Forgive me!¡±

    The subordinate quickly bowed his head and stepped back.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    Yujin clicked his tongue as if he thought it was pathetic and soon turned his body.

    ¡°Three days. I¡¯ll give you exactly three days.¡±

    Unfolding three of his fingers, he continued.

    ¡°In three days¡­ bring that son of a bitch in front of me. Do you all understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    The loud voices resonated through the basement.

    * * *

    And then¡ª

    ¡°Sir Yujin!¡±

    One subordinate, who was keeping watch on the first floor, urgently came down.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°A single strange person is headed in this direction.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Yujin furrowed his brow.

    Confirming the time on his smartphone, he could see that it was already past 8pm.

    ¡®There¡¯s a person climbing the mountains at this time?¡¯

    Even if Korea was known for being safe from monsters to some degree, it most definitely wasn¡¯t to the extent of being able to walk around the mountains alone thiste in the afternoon.

    If it¡¯s a person that runs around the mountains alone at this time¡ª

    ¡°Is it a gatherer?¡±

    After gates had opened, their power influenced even the Earth¡¯s ecosystem.

    Starting from nts and animals and even up tondforms.

    Existences with the stars¡¯ power within started to rarely appear.

    Gatherer was a title that referred to people who went searching deep inside ces such as mountains in search of mythical creatures or medicinal herbs harboring the stars¡¯ power.

    ¡°Yes. By the fact that he has a lot of luggage carried over his back, I believe him to be a gatherer.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, what a very unlucky friend,¡± Yujin shrugged while pping his hands.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go and take ca¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, what a fortunate urrence, just when my mood was ruined. I¡¯ll go take care of him myself.¡±

    Yujin turned around with a fishy smile. He thought that his ruined mood would be better once he saw some blood.

    ¡°Ah, everyone stay prepared forbat just in case.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    He exited the observatory with light footsteps.

    He stood under the radiantly pouring light from the uncountable amount of stars that covered the night sky.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    As he exited the observatory, something leaning against the wall stood out in his eyes.

    ¡°¡­A spear?¡±

    A speary nted next to the entrance.

    It was a high-quality spear with subtle blue light formed around the spear¡¯s de.

    ¡®Why is this here?¡¯

    Was it that one of his subordinates brought it there?

    If that was the reason, why had he not heard anything specific about it?

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Yujin, who was gazing at the spear, soon turned his head.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to ask once I returnter.¡¯

    He was in the current situation of where an unknown person was approaching their hideout. He had no spare time to waste on something insignificant.

    Of course, the chance of them simply being a lost gatherer was high, but there was also the possibility of it being an intruder that was aiming for their hideout.

    Step, step¡ª

    Going a bit down the mountain, he could see one youth walking towards the direction of their hideout.

    A youth with a cold expression.

    Their ice-cold gaze shed inside the darkness.

    ¡°Did you perhaps lose your way?¡± Yujin approached him with a sly smile.

    ¡°Haha. It¡¯s dangerous for you to walk around thiste at night.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    An answer didn¡¯te.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    Yujin narrowed his eyes and stared at the handsome youth.

    Somewhat.

    The atmosphere felt off.

    Terrifying fear spread from his spine.

    ¡°¡­so it¡¯s you.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk mumbled in a low voice while ring at Yujin.

    Yujin¡¯s face corresponded with the sketch that he had received from the Association.

    ¡®That bastard is the one who kidnapped my brother.¡¯

    Although he wanted to sprint in and shred him to death at once¡­

    ¡®I¡¯m not certain yet.¡¯

    As long as he wasn¡¯t certain he was the one who kidnapped Lee Shinhyuk, he couldn¡¯t attack rashly.

    ¡®Wait¡­ a little longer.¡¯

    Lee Woohyuk observed Yujin with his lips tight shut.

    Then¡ª

    [Guild leader.]

    ¡ªa clear voice rang in his head.

    Kim Sunyoung, his assistant, the woman who was in the position of Valha¡¯s vice-leader.

    While he was attracting the ck Star Organization¡¯s attention, she was secretly approaching their hideout.

    In order to find definite,

    Undeniable,

    Decisive evidence.

    And then¡ª

    [I¡¯ve found Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s spear.]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡ªthe evidence they were looking for¡­

    emerged.

    Rumbleeee!!!¡ª

    Coarse mana exploded out of Lee Woohyuk¡¯s body.

    As the stigma of Leo engraved on his left chest burned up, a strong torrent of wind raged on.

    ¡°H-Hyup!¡±

    Yujin was horrified with a pale face.

    ¡®Holy shit!¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t a mere gatherer.

    He was¡ª an intruder aiming for the ck Star Organization.

    ¡®B-ck Lion, Lee Woohyuk?¡¯

    Yujin thought that his face was somewhat familiar.

    It was the Valha¡¯s guild leader, mentioned as one of the candidates for the Seven Stars.

    ¡®Just why is this high-rank Awakener here?!¡¯

    The fact that he had done a lot of wrongdoings until now was true, but he had never bothered the strong, such as Woohyuk.

    He had only unleashed his desire onto the weak that couldn¡¯t even reach his feet.

    ¡ªAlthough some would speak ill of his cowardice.

    Wasn¡¯t the world such a ce in the first ce?

    The weak existed to be stepped upon.

    As he was someone who knew that better than anyone else,¡ª

    ¡®There should be no reason for that monster to be after me!¡¯

    ¡ªhe would thoroughly bow his head in front of the strong.

    ¡°You said you want money?¡±

    Plop!¡ª

    Lee Woohyuk roughly threw the trunk he was carrying on his back onto the ground.

    As the mouth of the trunk opened, money rained down like snow.

    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared it all in cash.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    Yujin looked at him with a confused expression.

    ¡®Suddenlying to throw such arge amount of cash? Just what kind of situation is this?¡¯

    ¡°If you want it¡ª here, try taking it.¡±

    However, without room to continue that question.

    Kwaaang!!¡ª

    ¡°Kugk!!¡±

    A strong flurry of wind swept through Yujin.

    ¡°Kugh! Shit!!¡±

    Coarsenguage came out of Yujin, who had barely avoided the attack.

    Although he couldn¡¯t understand how things were flowing¡ª

    ¡°That bastard! Kill that bastard!!¡±

    ¡ªIn order to survive that monster, he needed to call his subordinates.

    Fortunately, he was in a situation where he wasn¡¯t all that far from the hideout. It was a distance where his shout was more than enough to be heard.

    ¡®He¡¯s alone!¡¯

    If he used up his 50 subordinates, it would be enough to create a small gap.

    ¡°Did you think that I would obediently fall for the trap of you bastards?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Lee Woohyuk ferociously bared his teeth.

    They were in a situation where Kim Sunyoung and his guild members had already infiltrated close to their hideout.

    ¡®Our side will ambush them first.¡¯

    Rumbleee!!!¡ª

    He moved his feet.

    Sweeping the surroundings, the coarse mana looked like it was about to explode.

    ¡°All members¡ª!!!!!¡±

    Inside the forest set in darkness, the roar of a lion resonated out.

    ¡°Enter!!!!¡±

    Bang!! Crunch! Boom!!!¡ª

    Simultaneously with the roar, dozens of Awakeners appeared out of the forest and sprinted towards the observatory.

    Each and every one of them were high-rank Awakeners that possessed frightening physical capabilities.

    ¡°Leave this to us!!!¡± screamed a youth that held a massive hammer while destroying the observatory¡¯s door that was stiffly shut.

    Baaang!!!¡ª

    ¡°H-Holy shit!¡± Yujin¡¯s expression turned pale.

    When ck Lion Lee Woohyuk alone wasn¡¯t manageable, even other members had joined the fray.

    ¡°Why, are you surprised that I¡¯m not alone?¡±

    Lee Woohyuk red at Yujin and continued.

    ¡°Where is he?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Yujin furrowed his brow.

    ¡®Where¡¯s what?¡¯

    ¡°My brother¡ª where is he?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡®Why are you asking me that?¡¯

 Chapter 25: The night without the guilty (2)

    <strong>Chapter 25: The night without the guilty (2)</strong>

    Something.

    Felt wrong.

    As if forcefully fitting parts into a mechanical machine.

    ¡®What¡¯s¡­ going on here?¡¯

    Aside from how they had found their hideout, the fact that he suddenly threw cash and asked where his brother was didn¡¯t add up.

    ¡°W-Wait!¡±

    Although he spread his hands out trying to stop Lee Woohyuk¡ª

    Cruuuunch!¡ª

    Wildly getting knocked away, he destroyed a tree thicker than an adult body.

    A sword aura reminiscent of a beast¡¯s ws ferociously shot after Yujin.

    ¡°Shit!¡± he spread his arms with a panicked expression.

    As the stigma of the Owl Neb on his left chest shone, dozens of ck feathers appeared from thin air.

    Ch-ch-ch-chiing!!!¡ª

    The sword strike easily broke through the ck feathers.

    Yujin¡¯s expression turned pale.

    ¡®He¡¯s strong!¡¯

    Just like the rumors, ck Lion Lee Woohyuk possessed monstrous strength.

    ¡°Kugk!¡±

    After barely managing to slow the sword strike down by pouring out ck feathers, he rolled on the ground to make distance.

    ¡°What a disappointment.¡±

    With an expression as cold as ice, Lee Woohyuk chased after Yujin.

    ¡°You dared to take aim at me with only this amount of skill?¡±

    Steaming rage soared up.

    Just thinking about how anguished Lee Shinhyuk, who had already had an inferiorityplex, would feel from this incident drove him crazy.

    ¡®When I finally gained a string of hope¡­¡¯

    ¡®When I dreamed that we could return to back then¡­¡¯

    ¡ªEverything went to ruins.

    ¡°W-What?¡± Yujin¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    ¡®I took aim at the ck Lion, Lee Woohyuk?¡¯

    ¡®What kind of bullshit is this?¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯

    Yujin went into a panic.

    There were too many things that felt off.

    How it all started, even the way things flowed felt twisted.

    Which meant¡­

    ¡®Someone¡­ is exploiting the ck Lion.¡¯

    There was no way to tell who, but he couldn¡¯t think of any other possibility.

    Swish!!¡ª

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    The beast¡¯s w that shot out of the sword cut apart his chest down to his belly button.

    Blood spouted out as the flesh tore apart.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s a misunderstanding!!¡± he shouted urgently.

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t do anything!!!¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything?¡±

    A cold scoff came out of Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s mouth.

    If he were his usual self, he might have at least lent his ear out to the poor excuse but¡ª

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak of nonsense.¡±

    ¡ªthat was not the time.

    Swish!¡ª

    ¡°Aaaaaah!!¡±

    Cutting a long line across Yujin¡¯s side, a handful of blood poured out.

    ¡®G-Goddammit!¡¯

    He didn¡¯t understand what kind of method was used, but the ck Lion thoroughly believed him to be the culprit.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let this continue.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t have the leisure to rx and resolve the misunderstanding.

    The moment he tried to speak, the ws of the furious ck Lion would shred him to pieces.

    ¡®First, I need to run!¡¯

    The ck Lion was an opponent he couldn¡¯t beat in a fight.

    ¡°Huk! Huk!¡±

    Taking rough breaths in, Yujin crossed his arms.

    He had one opportunity.

    Wringing out all of his mana, he focused all of his mind into his stigma.

    Even though he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave a single scratch no matter how he retaliated¡­

    ¡®If I can create even a small gap¡­!¡¯

    For moments such as that, he had always left a hidden card up his sleeve.

    Swish! Pshk!¡ª

    ¡°Kugh! Kuaak!¡±

    During the short gap that was created when he focused his mind, the beast¡¯s ws ruthlessly stabbed his body.

    ¡°ck Wing Flurry!¡± (ºÚÒíÉ¢»¨)

    Ttututututuk!!!!¡ª

    He struck down his crossed arms in the shape of an X.

    Tens, hundreds of ck feathers followed the trajectory and explosively shot forwards.

    ¡°It¡¯s useless.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk took a step forward.

    ck feathers that filled his entire field of view shot down towards him.

    Although It did seem like quite a powerful technique¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s still worthless.¡±

    Radiant light poured out of the stigma of Leo.

    As the flurry of wind flowing out of the sword condensed to its limit, it changed into a sword aura in the shape of a beast¡¯s w.

    The beast¡¯s w shed with the ck feathers that rained down.

    Cruuuuunch!!!¡ª

    The nearby earth, stone, and trees were ripped to shreds like they had been mixed in a blender.

    As the dirt scattered, sight was blocked.

    Lee Woohyuk cleared the air by lightly swinging his sword.

    ¡°Hyap!!¡±

    During the small amount of time Lee Woohyuk spent clearing the dirt cloud, Yujin hurriedly took out a ck dagger from his sleeve.

    And then¡ª

    Psshk!¡ª

    ¡ªhe stabbed his own body without hesitation.

    ¡°¡­What!¡±

    Lee Woohyuk headed towards Yujin in a hurry.

    However¡ª

    Flutteeeer!!¡ª

    ¡ªYujin¡¯s body suddenly turned into ck feathers and disappeared.

    ¡°Damn it!!!¡±

    Lee Woohyuk harshly ground his teeth.

    ¡°Where¡­ where did he go.¡±

    He quickly observed the surroundings, but due to the strange ability, he couldn¡¯t tell which direction Yuijin had run off to.

    ¡®I can¡¯t lose him.¡¯

    Krrg¡ª

    The ck Lion fiercely clenched his jaw.

    ¡®He shouldn¡¯t have exited the mountains yet.¡¯

    In order to prepare for such cases, he had requested the Association to surround the area.

    Boooom!¡ª

    A cannon exploded as the ck Lion sprinted down the forest that was settled in darkness.

    * * *

    Flutter!¡ª

    Hundreds of ck feathers split apart the air.

    The ck feathers that gathered towards one ce started to turn into the shape of a human.

    ¡°Huk! Huk!¡±

    Yujin, who had returned back into the shape of a human, ran without time to catch his breath.

    Rustle! Rustle!!¡ª

    He sprinted through the dark forest.

    As he was gasping for breath, his sight started to quiver.

    ¡°Goddamnit!¡±

    ¡®From when did it start to go wrong.¡¯

    ¡®From when did things start to deviate.¡¯

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡°Kugk!¡±

    He got caught on a tree root and rolled on the dirt ground.

    Blood poured out as his wounds widened.

    ¡°D-Damn it!¡± He urgently looked behind, but he couldn¡¯t feel the presence of anyone chasing after him.

    ¡®Did I¡­ seed?¡¯

    Snap¡ª

    As the string of tension released, the fatigue surged in.

    ¡°Haa, haa!¡±

    His heart beat like it was about to explode.

    Strength wouldn¡¯t go into his shaking legs.

    ¡°Kugh,¡± Yujin let out a groan while clutching his wounds.

    His body became a train wreck, and he had used the emergency star relic he had been saving up all this time, but¡ª

    ¡®Still¡­¡¯

    ¡ªA bright smile appeared on his face.

    He tightly clenched his fists.

    ¡®¡­I seeded.¡¯

    He had seeded in escaping from that crazy beast.

    ¡°Just¡­ just why did this happen.¡±

    However, that was all.

    He had barely saved his own life, but he had lost everything else.

    His subordinates, the opportunity to make up for his mistake.

    ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck!!¡±

    He pulled on his hair while shouting swears.

    Recover the ck Star¡¯s relic? Instead¡ªthe hideout and his subordinates¡ªhe had lost them all.

    And it was all because some unknown person had made a fool of him.

    ¡°W-What should I¡­¡±

    The insides of his head burned white.

    Even if he returned in this state, he would die at the hands of Cheon Doyoon anyways.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Yujin chewed on his lips.

    ¡®Arshad Khan.¡¯

    Although he didn¡¯t want to request help from that son of a bitch to the point of death, that didn¡¯t mean he was actually willing to die.

    He had to bow his head and seek assistance.

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    When he lifted his smartphone and let out a swear¡ª

    * * *

    Rustle¡ª

    ¡°W-Who is it!!¡±

    Yujin hurriedly turned his body towards the direction the sound came from.

    The one standing there was¡ª

    ¡°Why are you¡­¡±

    ¡ªThe scammer that had sold him the fake star relic.

    The bastard that would leave him unsatisfied even if he was thoroughly demolished was walking towards him.

    ¡°Did you have a rough time? Look at the state you¡¯re in.¡±

    Ohjin cackled while shaking his shoulders, looking down onto Yujin who was sitting on the ground.

    ¡°Just what situation is th¡­¡±

    Yujin¡¯s eyes opened wide, even as he had continued to doubt the situation.

    ¡°¡­Wait.¡±

    He put his hand on his forehead with a confused expression.

    ¡°N-No way.¡±

    Shiver¡ª

    Goosebumps overcame his body.

    It all started to click.

    His mind finally pieced together a picture from the chaos.

    ¡®Is this all¡­ that bastard¡¯s ploy?¡¯

    Yujin couldn¡¯t use his brain since he was in such an urgent situation before, but thinking about it now, there wasn¡¯t anyone suitable for knowing the hideout¡¯s location except him.

    Two of his subordinates that chased after him had gotten done in.

    ¡°Ah, ahh.¡±

    He had already predicted the possibility of the hideout being discovered.

    However, he thought that it wouldn¡¯t matter.

    He believed that it held no meaning.

    Since the prey was not himself¡ªbut that bastard.

    He was the strong.

    And the bastard was the weak.

    ¡®But¡­¡¯

    It definitely was like that.

    It was supposed to be like that.

    But how was the weak that existed only to be stepped upon the one looking down on him?

    ¡°Do you get it now?¡±

    A gentle voice could be hearding through his ear.

    Yujin¡¯s entire body shook as he raised his head.

    ¡°The reason I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°¡ªUAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!¡±

    Bang!!¡ª

    Almost as if having a seizure, Yujin screamed out and stomped his feet.

    Yujin wrung out what was left of his mana to create ck feathers.

    ¡°Good grief, well, aren¡¯t you darn full of energy?¡±

    Kang! Ka-Kang!¡ª

    With a sly smile, Ohjin deflected the ck feathers that aimed for his vital points.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯ll be best for you to refrain from such intense movements.¡±

    Lowering his body, he swung his spear low by the ground.

    ¡°Kugk!¡±

    Yujin did manage to avoid the attack by taking a light step back, but soon after, he frowned while clutching the wound on his chest.

    As the wounds received from Lee Woohyuk opened once again, blood started to pour out.

    ¡°See, didn¡¯t I say that you shouldn¡¯t move?¡± said Ohjin as he jeered at him.

    ¡°You, you son of a¡­¡±

    ¡°So why did you do it?¡±

    Tch, tch¡ª

    Clicking his tongue, he shook his head.

    ¡°How does it feel now that you¡¯ve recklessly provoked the ck Lion?¡±

    ¡°W-What?¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re acting like you don¡¯t know again.¡±

    ¡°Acting like I don¡¯t know? Fuck off!!!¡±

    Yujin¡¯s scream rang out.

    ¡°You!! This is all what you nned!!¡±

    ¡°Hm? What are you talking about?¡±

    Ohjin slyly shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this all your doing?!¡±

    The truth didn¡¯t matter anyway.

    It hadn¡¯t been important from the start.

    What was important was not the truth but making it seem like the truth.

    ¡°Kidnapping and threatening Lee Woohyuk¡¯s brother¡ªisn¡¯t this all the doing of the ck Star Organization?¡±

    ¡°Y-You piece of shittttttttt!!¡±

    ¡°Puhahaheh!!!¡±

    Exploding out in crudeughter, Ohjin kicked Yujin in the stomach.

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    He gently stepped on the copsed Yujin¡¯s chest.

    ¡°There¡¯s quite a lot of things that I¡¯m curious about with you guys. Won¡¯t you tell me?

    ¡°¡­W-What?¡±

    Yujin looked up towards Ohjin like he had heard something preposterous.

    ¡°Ha, hahahahaha!!¡±

    Soon, he burst out inughter as his face distorted.

    ¡°Is this the method you used to receive the hideout¡¯s information?¡±

    He was left speechless from exasperation.

    ¡°Kaa, twe!!¡±

    He spat out phlegm towards the foot Ohjin had on his chest.

    ¡°I have no information to give to the likes of you, you scamming bastard.¡±

    Even if he was tricked into this state, it seemed like he had no ns on giving information about the ck Star Organization.

    Since amongst many other things¡ª

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to make me open my mouth, no matter what you do.¡±

    ¡ªhe truly meant his loyalty towards the ck Stars.

    ¡°Is that right? Well, I guess I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Yujin raised his head to look up at Ohjin.

    His eyes met with the ck pupils looking down towards him.

    ¡°¡ªHuh?¡±

    Why was it?

    When today was a night where countless stars shined up above the night sky.

    When the radiant Milky Way was embroidered in the sky.

    ¡®Why is it so¡­?¡¯

    <strong>Only a ck sky without a speck of light could be seen.</strong>

    ¡°Then from now on¡­¡±

    Grasping one of Yujin¡¯s fingers,¡ª

    <strong>¡°Don¡¯t say a word.¡±</strong>

    ¡ªOhjin smiled brightly.

 Chapter 26: The night without the guilty (3)

    <strong>Chapter 26: The night without the guilty (3)</strong>

    ¡°Ah¡­ uh, ah.¡±

    The thin sound of breathing.

    As if he hadn¡¯t the energy left to scream any longer, only the faint sound of groans flowed out.

    ¡°Is that all you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    An answer wasn¡¯t given.

    Ohjin looked down at Yujin, who had copsed on the ground with a gruesome appearance, and clicked his tongue.

    ¡®In the state he¡¯s in, he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell me even if he knew more.¡¯

    Different from his subordinate that had spoken without much resistance, Yujin wouldn¡¯t speak until he became seriously battered down.

    ¡®No, to be urate¡­¡¯

    He ¡®couldn¡¯t¡¯ speak.

    ¡°Is something like a taboo in effect?¡±

    Every time he asked about major information about the ck Star Organization, Yujin¡¯s body would spaz out while foam poured from his mouth.

    As Yujin was in this state, It was hard for Ohjin to receive essential information no matter how he interrogated him.

    ¡®I still managed to fish some out.¡¯

    The fact that Yujin¡¯s position was a low-rank Temr and that he served an existence called ¡®Executor¡¯.

    And also¡­

    ¡®Arshad Khan¡¯s contacts.¡¯

    He could get his hands on the contacts of the person who became a ck Star¡¯s apostle at the same time as Yujin had.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be a use for this anytime soon,¡± he put the paper with Arshad¡¯s contacts written into his pocket.

    As long as it wasn¡¯t someone chasing after him like Yujin had, there wasn¡¯t really a reason to get himself mixed up with the ck Star Organization.

    ¡°¡­No, wait¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone.

    The group that had been saying crazy things such as that the ck Star¡¯s celestials ruled the world.

    The secret organization that had been quietly increasing their masses in the dark.

    ¡°This¡­ this.¡±

    Ohjin lips curved into a bright smile.

    ¡®I think I can use this.¡¯

    That¡¯s right.

    <strong>Wouldn¡¯t it be normal if the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ said to end the world appeared out of a suspicious organization such as the ck Star Organization?</strong>

    ¡°Kyaaaa!!¡± Ohjinughed while shaking his shoulders.

    In order for the truth of him being the ck Heaven¡¯s owner to be left undiscovered, the problem would be resolved once he made and killed a separate ck Heaven owner.

    ¡°I guess there is a reason for me to get involved with the ck Star Organization after all.¡±

    They were the diabolical organization where the Heavenly Demon would be born.

    In order to prevent the end of the world, there was no choice but to exterminate them.

    ¡°Well, even that¡¯s a little over the top for my current state,¡± said Ohjin as heughed bitterly.

    He couldn¡¯t exterminate them immediately.

    Since even Yujin was an opponent he wouldn¡¯t have been able to face alone without using Lee Woohyuk.

    ¡°¡­I did think their forces would berge, but¡ª¡±

    It far exceeded his prediction.

    ¡®¡ªeven Yujin alone could never be called a weak existence.¡¯

    It was only that it looked that way since he had gotten beaten one-sidedly by Lee Woohyuk¡ªhe was actually skilled to the point where no average Awakener would dare face him.

    However¡ª

    ¡®If Yujin, who is a low-rank Temr, is around that level¡­¡¯

    Mid-rank Temrs, high-rank Temrs, and the Executors above that rank; it was hard to imagine how monstrous their strength would be.

    ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    Although it was hard to urately determine their strength without seeing them in person¡­

    ¡®The Executors¡­ could be on the same level as the Seven Stars.¡¯

    If that was true, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say the ck Star Organization had sufficient forces to turn the world upside down, since it would mean that Awakeners on the same level as the strongest seven Awakeners in the world were gathered in a single organization.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    Ohjin clicked his teeth and looked down onto Yujin, whose breath was slowly starting toe to a halt.

    Although he wanted to learn even the slightest bit of information, it seemed it would prove difficult with the taboo in ce.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡®Should I end things here?¡¯

    Chuk¡ª

    Ohjin grabbed the spear he had ced on the ground.

    It was a shabby spear he bought for a cheap price at a weapon shop near the Association three days previously.

    ¡®Once this ends, I should start by changing my equipment.¡¯

    Thrust!¡ª

    ¡°Kugk¡­ k.¡±

    As Ohjin thrust the spear into Yujin¡¯s neck, he spat out blood while his body started to shake.

    Crackleeee!!¡ª

    Ohjin used electricity to make sure Yujin was dead.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    It was time tomence the human farming.

    Rustle, rustle¡ª

    He rummaged through Yujin¡¯s pockets in search of something that would be of value.

    ¡°Oh, ohhh!!!¡±

    Exmation exploded out of Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    Two high-quality starstones, like the one that he had traded the star relic with, were in a ck sack.

    ¡°Eureka!!!¡±

    He pulled on his hair while jumping 10 meters into the air.

    ¡®Since a single one back then was $500K¡­¡¯

    ¡ª$1,000,000.

    He had earned a massive amount of $1M at once.

    ¡°Huhuhu! Indeed, there is nothing like human farming.¡±

    Ohjin packed the two starstones that radiated a blue light into his sling bag.

    He even took off Yujin¡¯s underwear, wondering if there was anything more to be earned, but there seemed to be nothing.

    ¡°Shit, I scarred my eyes for nothing.¡±

    After clothing Yujin with underwear once again, Ohjin turned away.

    * * *

    ¡®Then, finally.¡¯

    He reached his hands out towards the stigma engraved on Yujin¡¯s left chest.

    There were a total of 6 flicks engraved on his stigma.

    ¡®He was a 6-Star Awakener?¡¯

    Rum, rumble¡ª

    As he focused on his hand and ced it over the stigma, a ck cloud flowed out of the tips of his fingers.

    The ck Heaven¡¯s clouds that hadpletely covered the stigma greedly feasted on the power held within.

    -Ring!

    [The ck Heaven is absorbing the stigma of the Owl Neb!]

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s conditions for the third awakening have all been aplished!]

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s third awakening is starting!]

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes opened wide as he read the blue message window.¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    The third awakening.

    What that meant¡ª

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    G-Grumble!!¡ª

    The ck cloud shook as it twisted around his body.

    A strong pain radiated throughout his head.

    [The ck Heaven is reading through the ¡®Records¡¯ contained in the stigma of Pyxis.]

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s awakening stage is too low. The amount of records that can be read are restricted.]

    Scenes he had never seen, fragments of memories he had never experienced started to flow into his head.

    -Damn it!!

    Ground that had pungent smoke rising from it.

    Looking at the hundreds, thousands of monsters fiercely leaping around, Lee Woohyuk¡¯s expression harshly distorted.

    He could see Seoul Station in the distance, already ruined by monsters to the point where it was hard to recognize

    -Why¡­ why did this happen?

    Lee Woohyuk clenched his fists while his shoulders slightly shook.

    -Woohyuk.

    -¡­Brother?

    Then, Lee Shinhyuk grabbed Lee Woohyuk¡¯s shoulders and spoke in a low voice.

    -I¡¯ll buy time. Go to the ce Miss Sunyoung is.

    -What nonsense are you talking about? Why would you remain here?

    Lee Woohyuk stared at him with a sharp gaze.

    -Haha. Haven¡¯t I gotten quite strong as well? I¡¯ll be more than enough to buy you time.

    -That¡¯s not what¡¯s impor¡ª

    -Don¡¯t you like her?

    -What?

    -Miss Sunyoung.

    -¡­¡­

    Lee Woohyuk¡¯s expression stiffened.

    Tap¡ª

    Lee Shinhyuk lightly tapped on his shoulders and raised the spear grasped on his hand.

    -Go already, you rascal. I¡¯ll escape once I think that I¡¯ve reached my limit.

    -But.

    Smiling lightly, Lee Shinhyuk walked toward Seoul Station, which was crowded with hundreds of monsters.

    -Go.

    The stigma of Pyxis zed up in brilliant light.

    As Lee Woohyuk gently closed his eyes, he soon turned his body and headed away.

    -Well, then.

    Lee Shinhyuk took in deep breaths and extended his spear out towards the monsters rushing towards him.

    <strong>KarAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!¡ª </strong>

    At that moment, a horrifying shriek that shook the Earth¡¯s axis echoed out.

    B-Baaaaaang!¡ª

    Inside the debris of the copsed Seoul Station, a monster made of unsightly chunks of flesh raised its body.

    Just the monster¡¯s size reached 20 meters.

    The flesh monster that matched the expression of cmity stirred its eight arms and destroyed the surroundings.

    Every time the flesh moved its body, the basketball-sized ck starstone on its forehead shined out a powerful light.

    -¡­Damn.

    Lee Shinhyuk gulped as his hands tightened on his spear and started to shake.

    -If I knew that horrendous thing was sealed under Seoul Station in advance¡­ I could have prevented it.

    With Lee Shinyhuk¡¯s voice filled with regret,

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    The memories crashing into his head faded away.

    ¡°Haa, haa!¡±

    Ohjin clutched his chest while exhaling coarse breaths.

    -Ring!

    When he was about to organize Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s thoughts that had crashed in, once again, the clear sound of bells rang in his head.

    ¡°What is it this time?¡±

    Ohjin moved his sight towards the blue message window that appeared.

    [Part of Awakener Lee Shinhyuk was sessfully inherited.]

    [¡¶Spearmanship of Pyxis Lv5¡· has increased to ¡¶Spearmanship of Pyxis Lv6¡·.]

    [The ck Heaven has reached the third awakening.]

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s new trait, ¡®One is All¡¯ (ÈfÁ÷šw×Ú) has been acquired.]

    Tilting his head, he clicked the part that had ¡®One is All¡¯ written.¡°¡­One is All?¡±

    Soon, a window that exined the trait appeared.

    [One is All: The main stigma¡¯s proficiency will influence other stigmas.]

    Although it was short and concise, its effects made him exim on his own. ¡°Woah.¡±

    ¡®Does that mean that if the stigma of Lyra¡¯s proficiency increases, the other stigmas will increase as well?¡¯

    In order to confirm the effects, he tried out the stigma of the Owl Neb he had just earned.

    Tututututu!!¡ª

    ¡°Wow. This shoulde in handy.¡±

    Despite the fact that it was his first time activating the stigma, he could make ten ck feathers and shoot them naturally.

    ¡®Though it doesn¡¯t feel as familiar as the stigma of Lyra.¡¯

    As he didn¡¯t know how many more stigmas he would earn in the future, being able to utilize part of the main stigma¡¯s proficiency without restrictions could be said to be an amazing effect.

    ¡°At this rate, I¡¯ll end up focusing on the stigma of Lyra since there won¡¯t be a need to train the others.¡±

    He could use the other stigmas ording to the situation.

    Ohjin observed Yujin¡¯s corpse for thest time and stood.

    ¡®Well then.¡¯

    It was time to end the y.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Exhaling out a breath full of tension, he used the stigma of the Owl Neb to make ck feathers.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t want it toe to this, but¡­¡¯

    He had no choice.

    In order to receive the sweetest reward possible, he needed to appear to have gone through that much hardship.

    If it was for money¡ª

    This amount of trouble was nothing.

    Tutututututu!!!¡ª

    ¡°Kuugh!!¡±

    ck feathers shredded his body.

    He shot ck feathers even towards dangerous vital points that could leave his life in danger.

    As blood poured out of every part of his body, a horrendous pain started to be felt.

    ¡°Fuuuck, it fucking hurts!¡±

    Spitting out coarsenguage, he copsed on the spot.

    He took out the handheld transmitter he received from the Association before they had formed the ambush.

    Chsuuhh!¡ª

    [Awakener Ohjin? Where are you right now?!]

    Team leader Han¡¯s hurried voice flowed out of the handheld transmitter.

    [We¡¯ve received contact from the Valha guild! Right now, one of the culprits has escaped¡­]

    ¡°I c-caught him.¡±

    [What?]

    He continued with a shaking voice.

    ¡°The escaping culprit¡­ cough! I have cau¡­ cough! cough!¡±

    [A-Awakener Ohjin? Are you okay?]

    ¡°Ah, uh.¡±

    [Awakener Ohjin!!!]

    Team leader Han Joonman urgently shouted.

    ¡°Team leader¡­¡±

    [W-Where are you!! Damn! The Valha guild! Contact the Valha guild!!!]

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t feel so good.¡±

    The transmission cut off.

 Chapter 27: The night without the guilty (4)

    <strong>Chapter 27: The night without the guilty (4)</strong>

    Gulp, gulp¡ª

    A mint-scented liquid rode down his throat and started spreading across his body.

    The refreshing feeling lingered inside his mouth.

    A few momentster, the radiating pain in his body started to rapidly diminish.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    ¡°Are you awake, Awakener Ohjin?!¡±

    What came into his field of view the moment his eyes opened¡ª

    ¡®¡­Gori?¡¯

    ¡ªwas the figure of the gori, no, Team Leader Han.

    ¡°Team Leader Joonman¡­?¡±

    ¡°Phew. It¡¯s a relief you came back to your senses.¡±

    ¡°Where is this?¡±

    ¡°We are in the location where you and the culprit fought. We have called the emergency team, so we¡¯ll be able to escort you to the hospital soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± Ohjin wobbled as he got on his feet.

    Although the wounds stung¡ªas they weren¡¯t entirely healed by the potion¡ªhe couldn¡¯t rest easy yet.

    ¡®There¡¯s something left that I still have to do.¡¯

    And it was the most important task at that.

    ¡°P-Please, take more time to recover!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really okay, Team Leader.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Team Leader Han murmured to himself with a troubled expression.

    Ohjin passed by him and headed to the ce where Yujin¡¯s corpse was.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    In that location, he could see Lee Woohyuk looking down at Yujin with a cold expression.

    Lee Woohyuk¡¯s sight turned towards him as he scuffed his feet.

    ¡°Are you¡­ Awakener Ohjin?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Did this person perhaps¡­ say anything before he died?¡± asked Lee Woohyuk as he bit on his lips with a nervous expression.

    Ohjin could see his clenched fist shaking.

    Having that kind of reaction was natural, as he wouldn¡¯t have been able to find Lee Shinhyuk no matter how hard he searched the observatory¡¯s surroundings.

    Thest remaining hope for him was the testimony of the one that had ended Yujin¡¯s life.

    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t say anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk¡¯s expression was dyed in despair.

    With this, any method of finding Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s whereabouts had disappeared.

    ¡°However¡­¡±

    Ohjin headed towards a ce located a little away from where thebat took ce.

    In that ce was the ¡®final twist¡¯ he had prepared in advance before fighting with Yujin.

    The end of the y.

    A twist that would solve all questions and foreshadows in one go.

    ¡°The culprit that escaped was heading towards that direction,¡± said Ohjin as he pointed towards a small cave hidden between the bushes.

    ¡°T-Thank you!¡±

    A rope of faith appeared in front of Lee Woohyuk.

    Quickly turning his body, he sprinted into the cave.

    Inside the cave¡ª

    <strong>¡°¡ªAh¡±</strong>

    ¡ªwas a corpse shredded to the point of unrecognizability.

    A stinging odor wafted out of the corpse that had already started to decay

    ¡°Ah, no.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk got down on his knees on the spot.

    ¡°Noooooooooo!!!!¡±

    Clutching the corpse shred to unrecognizability, he wailed.

    ¡°Brother, brother, brot¡­!¡±

    From the beginning¡­

    Lee Shinhyuk hadn¡¯t been kidnapped, but murdered by those beings.

    Thrown aside after being used as the bait for reeling him in.

    Miserably.

    Disastrously.

    Left rotting in this ce.

    ¡°Ah, ahh. Uuuuaaaaah!!!!¡±

    The ck Lion¡¯s roar echoed throughout the small cave.

    ¡®¡­Damn.¡¯

    Ohjin furrowed his brow while looking at Lee Woohyuk¡¯s mourning.

    He had predicted the oue.

    It was the oue of what he had intended and induced.

    However¡ª

    ¡®Why do I feel so ufortable.¡¯

    The sense of guilt drove him crazy.

    He could feel the pain of knives digging into his chest as he watched Woohyuk mourn.

    ¡®Even though the victim is me, if you look at it objectively¡­¡¯

    Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s death had no rtion with him.

    He regressed on his own, and died on his own.

    Rather, before he had regressed, Lee Shinhyuk had pushed him towards the Ant-horn herd and tried to escape on his own.

    ¡®Well¡­ I have no ns on making pathetic excuses.¡¯

    Even if he wasn¡¯t rted to Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s death, the fact he used his death to his advantage was the truth.

    It was an action that deserved to be criticized from an ethical standpoint.

    However¡ª

    ¡®So what? It¡¯s stupid for a scamming bastard to contemte whether this or that is ethical.¡¯

    ¡ªHe would use what was needed.

    Whether it was the North Star¡¯s celestial, or a brother who had lost his sibling.

    If he could achieve his goal, he would take advantage to the best of his abilities.

    ¡®That¡¯s how I¡¯ve lived, and that¡¯s how I¡¯ve survived.¡¯

    ¡°¡­Awakener Ohjin.¡±

    Team Leader Han, who was looking at the sobbing Lee Woohyuk next to him, grabbed Ohjin¡¯s shoulder.

    He opened his mouth while shaking his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    There was nothing they could do by remaining on that spot anyways.

    ¡°The emergency team will arrive soon.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll walk down by myself.¡±

    Ohjin shook his head while heading down the mountain.

    The wounds that weren¡¯tpletely healed throbbed with pain, but he was somewhat in the mood to walk.

    ¡°But.¡±

    ¡°Haha. It¡¯s alright.¡±

    Putting Team Leader Han behind him, he followed the mountain road down.

    He turned his head up to look up at the sky.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    A gloomy dawn sky.

    The night without the guilty wasing to an end.

    * * *

    One weekter.

    ¡°The Valha guild called me?¡±

    [Yes, that¡¯s right.]

    Ohjin swept up his sweat-drenched hair while receiving the call of Team Leader Han in thete morning

    ¡®Is it about the rewards? Is there really a reason to call me all the way to the guild if that¡¯s the case?¡¯

    Tilting his head, he contemted for a moment.

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll give them a visit.¡±

    [I¡¯ll send you the Valha guild¡¯s location through text.]

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    After waiting for a moment, a message written with the Valha guild¡¯s location arrived.

    ¡®Let¡¯s wash up first.¡¯

    His entire body was drenched in sweat as he had been continuously training from dawn

    Click¡ª

    He came down from the rooftop and opened the front door.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    With earphones plugged in, Ha-eun was listening to something while having the most serious expression in the world.

    ¡°What are you listening to?¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaaaa!! Fuck!¡±

    ¡®What¡¯s she so surprised about?¡¯

    ¡°Bitch!! Y-You startled me.¡±

    ¡°What were you listening to with such a serious expression?¡±

    ¡°Huh? U-Uhh.¡±

    Song Ha-eun stuttered with a panicked expression.

    ¡°M-Music. I was listening to music.¡±

    ¡°Music?¡±

    ¡®Who listens to music with that kind of expression?¡¯

    ¡°There¡¯s something like that!¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ okay.¡±

    It was clear she was lying, but he didn¡¯t want to dig deep into it.

    ¡®She¡¯s still at that age after all.¡¯

    Being unable to see didn¡¯t mean desires would disappear, and he had heard things enjoyed with ears were starting to get popr.

    ¡°¡­I think you¡¯re thinking of something fucked up.¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Anyways, did you finish training already? You¡¯re always at the rooftop until afternoon nowadays.¡±

    ¡°I have business to take care of outside.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡¯

    ¡°The Valha guild.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s mouth opened wide.

    ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t the Valha the guild that¡¯s been really fucking famous these days?¡±

    ¡°You know what it is?¡±

    ¡°I listen to the news, you know.¡±

    Song Ha-eun shook the smartphone she was holding.

    ¡°You probably listen to stuff other than the news as well.¡±

    ¡°Do you seriously want to die?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Sorry. Then I¡¯ll go get myself ready.¡±

    Ohjin stopped making fun of her and went inside the bathroom.

    Click¡ª

    Silence settled down in the room.

    A forlorn feeling lingered on Ha-eun¡¯s faded eyes.

    Beep¡ª

    The smartphone¡¯s screen turned on as she clicked the button.

    [Star relics scheduled at Yongsan Auction for December.]

    [Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye, Purchase.]

    After closing the video she searched up with awkward typing, she buried her face into the legs she was hugging.

    ¡°¡­Haa.¡±

    The sound of a deep sigh rang out in the room set in silence.

    * * *

    After finishing in the shower, Ohjin headed towards the Valha guild located near Seoul Station.

    ¡°You are Awakener Ohjin, correct?¡±

    Standing in front of the building was a woman wearing sses that gave off a neat impression.

    A beauty that suited a tightly fit ck suit with high heels.

    ¡®Was her name Kim Sunyoung?¡¯

    He wasn¡¯t entirely sure of when, but she was the woman who would steal Lee Woohyuk¡¯s heart in the future.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    He followed Kim Sunyoung into the Valha guild building.

    The building wasn¡¯trge¡ªas expected from a guild made up of a small number of elites, but it did radiate a strong feeling of luxury, starting from the entrance.

    Knock, knock¡ª

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    A cold voice could be heard through the door.

    Creak¡ª

    A room filled with documents.

    The room was filled with simple furniture unlike what you would expect from the room of a guild leader whose worth was constantly on the rise.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Awakener Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°Yes.

    ¡°I apologize for being unable to give my proper greetingsst time.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­the situation was like that after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lee Woohyuk clenched his fists with his mouth tightly shut.

    Frightening killing intent filled the room.

    ¡°Guild Leader.¡± Kim Sunyoung hurriedly called out to him.

    Lee Woohyuk¡¯s body slightly trembled.

    ¡°¡­Forgive me.¡±

    ¡°No, Ipletely understand.¡±

    ¡®He wouldn¡¯t be able to calm all his emotions in just a week.¡¯

    ¡°Fuu.¡± Lee Woohyuk dropped his head while taking in deep breaths.

    ¡°The reason we¡¯ve called you is¡­ First of all, in order to convey our thanks in the matter.¡±

    ¡°Convey your thanks?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Since we could have lost the enemy that killed my brother without you.¡±

    ¡®As expected, he called in regard for the rewards.¡¯

    ¡°I heard you were severely injured back then¡­ Are your injuries alright now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m doing fine.¡±

    As it was only a presentation to appeal to the fact that he had gone through a lot of trouble, there weren¡¯t any injuries that would have asting effect.

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Well then¡­¡±

    Lee Woohyuk turned his head and looked towards the direction of Kim Sunyoung who was pulling in a hefty trunk.

    ¡°This is?¡±

    ¡°This is the $3,000,000 the kidnappers demanded.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡± Ohjin¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    ¡®No way.¡¯

    ¡®No way, no way, no way.¡¯

    <strong>¡®NoWayNoWayNoWayNoWayNoWayNoWay!!!¡¯</strong>

    ¡°Aspensation for catching Yujin, we will give this to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Shiver¡ª

    He desperately suppressed his body from convulsing.

    ¡®Holy shit.¡¯

    $3,000,000.

    Goosebumps spread across his body.

    ¡®But this¡­ doesn¡¯t make sense. Even if I caught an escaping kidnapper, does giving $3,000,000 aspensation make sense?¡¯

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°I think this is a little excessive forpensation.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t deny it.¡±

    ¡°¡­So you have a separate reason.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk nodded while his eyes coldly shined.

    ¡°I have heard that Awakener Ohjin is a North Star¡¯s apostle¡­ is that the truth¡±

    ¡®Did Team Leader Han Joonman tell them?¡¯

    Well, there was a high chance that he had heard about it since they were in a close rtionship with the Association.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯ve also heard that you have been attacked by the ck Star Organization not too long ago.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡®So that¡¯s what¡¯s happening. I wondered why he was giving $3M all of a sudden.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s mouth perked up.

    ¡°So you were trying to ask me for information about the ck Star Organization.¡±

    It seemed the starving hound wasn¡¯t satisfied with Yujin¡¯s death alone.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do this if I was only going to ask for information.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°The Valha guild ns on finding and pulling out the roots of the ck Star Organization from now on. We would like Awakener Ohjin who is a North Star¡¯s apostle to help in this matter.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± Ohjin nodded without a second of hesitation.

    ¡®Jackpot.¡¯

    He was already nning on eliminating the ck Star Organization one day, there was no reason to refuse when the reliable Lee Woohyuk was offering his help.

    ¡®And receiving $3,000,000 on top of that¡­¡¯

    No matter how he thought about it, nothing except the word ¡®jackpot¡¯ coulde to mind.

    ¡°So¡­ is there perhaps any information you know about the ck Star Organization?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± He rummaged through his pockets while smiling.

    He held forward a piece of paper.

    An ice-cold killing intent poured out of Lee Woohyuk who had received the piece of paper.

    ¡°It¡¯s the contacts of one of the ck Star Organization¡¯s executives.¡±

    ¡®Go, Lee Woohyuk.¡¯

    ¡°The name¡­ yes¡ª¡±

    ¡®Go and tear them up.¡¯

    ¡®Chew them up to death¡¯s door.¡¯

    <strong>¡°¡ªArshad Khan, was the name.¡±</strong>

    ¡®My loyal hound.¡¯

 Chapter 28: Underworld (1)

    Two dayster.

    After waking up at early dawn and finishing some light training, Ohjin headed towards the Association.

    ¡°Then are you saying that you¡¯ll cooperate with the Valha guild to investigate the ck Star Organization from now on?¡± Team Leader Han Joonman asked while cing the coffee he was drinking onto the table.

    <i>Tap¡ª</i>

    ¡°Yes. The Valha guild will be in charge of most of the investigation, though.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ It isn¡¯t something you can do alone, after all.¡±

    Team Leader Han nodded his head and smiled.

    ¡°Things have worked out well.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ohjin having a cooperative rtionship with the Valha guild was news that the Association would also wee.

    ¡°Haha. The executives that used to scold me every day can no longer say a wordtely thanks to you.¡±

    If catching the escaping kidnapper wasn¡¯t enough, Ohjin had also established a cooperative rtionship with the Valha guild; his aplishments were something one couldn''t have imagined a couple of months ago.

    ¡°On that note, there is a favor I would like to request.¡±

    ¡°By all means.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nning on getting new equipment.¡±

    ¡°Equipment?¡±

    ¡°Yes. With all of it being custom-made.¡±

    He handed the equipment request form that he had prepared in advance to Team leader Han.

    ¡°I need a spear made of silver from the shaft to the de¡¯s tip, one that has been hardened by mixing starstones.¡±

    The metal with the most electrical conductivity out of all metals; if he could use a weapon made with silver as the base, it would maximize the ¡®Thunder & Lightning¡¯ ability he possessed.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I understand. But what is this other than the spear?¡±

    Team Leader Han pointed towards a piece of equipment shaped like a bracelet. The item was shaped too abnormally to simply call it a bracer.

    ¡°Well¡­ to put it simply, it¡¯s a device that fires wires like bullets.¡±

    ¡°Is it something like spiderman¡¯s web shooter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simr.¡±

    The only difference was that it didn¡¯t shoot spider webs but wires.

    ¡°But the entire wire needs to be made out of electromas.¡±

    That way it would stick to metals once electricity flowed through it.

    ¡°Ah, that will need to be hardened by mixing starstones as well.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be hard to manufacture.¡±

    Although the shape was unusual, the technology itself was simple. All it had to do was have the function to shoot wires and return them.

    ¡°But is there a separate reason why you¡¯re going to this extent to design equipment?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a limit to utilizing the stigma of Lyra with a spear.¡±

    He was different from Lee Shinhyuk. He had no ns on stubbornly holding onto only the spear to reach the peak of spearmanship.

    ¡®I need equipment that can utilize lightning.¡¯

    So what he managed to design in the end was this wire shooter.

    If he could make proper use of it, he could use it like an omni-directional mobility gear to freely soar through the skies¡ªor use wires to entangle his foes.

    ¡®And if they get entangled by wires¡­¡¯

    It was the end.

    Once he directed electrical currents into the wire, the entangled foe would be an electrical barbeque in an instant.

    ¡®I do think that it¡¯s going to be difficult to use, but I¡¯ll manage somehow with practice.¡¯

    ¡°A wire shooter, huh¡­ I think that kid will really like this.¡±

    Team Leader Han chuckled while imagining someone in his head.

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll put in a request to the equipment manufacturing team.¡±

    ¡°The price¡­¡±

    <i>Gulp¡ª </i>

    After nervously swallowing, Ohjin opened his mouth with caution. He could feel the cold sweat run down his back.

    ¡®It¡¯ll be damn expensive, right?¡¯

    A spear made up entirely of silver and an unusual wire shooting device. As you would have to enhance them with starstones from there, the price would be formidable.

    As if extinguishing the burning concern¡ª

    ¡°Haha. There¡¯s no need to worry about the equipment¡¯s payment,¡± said Team Leader Han as he smiled brightly.

    ¡®No way.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you made a significant contribution in the cooperative operation with the Valha guild? Since the upper office is looking into this incident in a good light, the Association will cover the costs of the equipment¡¯s production.¡±

    ¡°Team Leader Joonman¡­¡±

    No.

    ¡°Joonman!¡±

    <i>Whoosh!¡ª </i>

    Overwhelmed by feelings, he embraced Team Leader Han.

    ¡°U-Uuhh?¡±

    Gori, no, Team Leader Han¡¯s eyes opened wide with a panicked expression.

    ¡°A-Awakener Ohjin?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need those formal honorifics between us!!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by between us¡­¡±

    Team Leader Han sweated buckets.

    ¡°K-Khmm. Please calm down.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    Ohjin calmed down his excitement and sat on the sofa.

    ¡°Andstly, this¡­¡±

    Raising thest form under the equipment request form, Team Leader Han tilted his head.

    ¡°Just where do you n on using this for? I don¡¯t think you would possibly be the one using it,¡± he asked.

    Looking at the item even more unusual than the wire shooter, Team Leader Han scratched his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the one using it, but it¡¯s something I need one of. There¡¯s no real need to custom-make this one, and you can take your time obtaining it. Ah, in the highest quality like it¡¯s written.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. I understand. Then the Association will also¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Ohjin firmly shook his head.

    <b>¡°¡ªI¡¯ll buy this with my own money,¡±</b>

    he said with a steady voice.

    ¡°With your money?¡± Team Leader Han asked like he hadn¡¯t seen iting.

    It was hard to imagine that decisioning from Ohjin, who had continued to act like a cheapskate until now.

    ¡°Yes. This¡­ is something I must buy with my own money.¡±

    ¡°Hm, understood. Then we¡¯ll bill you that amount on ater date.¡±

    * * *

    He organized the equipment request form and put them in a file folder.

    <i>p¡ª</i>

    While organizing the file folder, he pped his hands like he had remembered something.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, now that I think of it, the appraisal results for the star relic you gave us one week ago havee out.¡±

    Team Leader Han lent out a tablet. Ohjin could see a picture of the blue drinking ss the ck Star Organization had reced on the tablet.

    ¡°Rated as 3-Star. The star relic¡¯s effects came out to be increasing the speed of mana recovery.¡±

    ¡°Did you say, 3-Star¡­?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes opened wide. He had predicted it to be no more than 1~2-Star, but it hade out to be 3-Star.

    ¡®Damn, they really don¡¯t stop giving!¡¯

    It was to the extent that he couldn¡¯t get a grasp on how much he earned using the ck Star Organization alone.

    ¡°What do you n to do with this star relic? Will you use it personally?¡±

    ¡°No. Please take care of it along with the starstone.¡±

    He wouldn¡¯t be so sure if it had another effect, but mana recovery was an effect that was useless for him.

    ¡®Since my overwhelming amounts of mana leave mana recovery pointless.¡¯

    It was better to exchange it for money.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll note that down.¡±

    ¡°Ah, could you take care of these for me while you¡¯re at it?¡±

    He also handed over the two high-grade starstones he earned from Yujin.

    ¡°Wow¡­ these starstones are also quite high quality.¡±

    ¡°Hm. Including all the things given before, it¡¯lle out to around $1.7M? Up to $1.8M if we get good prices.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡®Oh my fucking god. Then¡­ have I made around $5M including the money I received from Lee Woohyuk?¡¯

    <i>Clench¡ª</i>

    The clenched fist shook.

    ¡®Now¡ª there¡¯s not much left.¡¯

    An exhrating thrill spread from his spine.

    If hebined all the money he had been saving up for the past years, it was an amount just barely enough to obtain the item he wanted.

    ¡®It¡¯s not enough yet.¡¯

    $10,000,000.

    In order to get his hands on the item with certainty, he needed exactly $10M.

    ¡®And.¡¯

    He had already decided where he would get the rest of the money.

    ¡°Team Leader. Would it be okay if I request onest favor from you?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Team Leader Han nodded his head in delight.

    ¡°Seoul Station. I need a map of the sewers located under it.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Team Leader Han looked at Ohjin with a dumbfounded expression.

    A map of the Seoul Station¡¯s sewers. Just who on earth would need something like that.

    ¡°I n on doing some treasure hunting,¡± Ohjin answered with a smile.

    ¡°¡­Even put in that way, I still have no idea what you¡¯re thinking of.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha. There¡¯s something like that.¡±

    <i>Fuu¡ª</i>

    Team Leader Han let out a short sigh.

    ¡®He¡¯s still someone that leaves me clueless as to whatever goes around in his head.¡¯

    There wasn¡¯t another oddity like him.

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll try to obtain that as well.¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t be all that hard to obtain when they were an organization directly under the government.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    Ohjin got up from his spot with a satisfied smile.

    Once he exited the Association, the fresh sunlight shined down.

    ¡®Three million more from here on out.¡¯

    If he could obtain the massive starstone he had seen on the flesh monster¡¯s forehead in Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories when he had gone through his third awakening¡­

    The so desired and longed for

    <b>¡¯Paradise¡¯ could be attained.</b>

    <b>* * *</b>

    One week after requesting custom-made equipment from the Association.

    Ohjin, who hade up to the rooftop in the early dawn like usual, performed acrobatic movements regr humans couldn¡¯t dare to attempt, striving his utmost in training.

    ¡°Huu, huu!¡±

    The sound of coarse breathing.

    Positioned in a one-handed handstand, he spread apart his legs. 30kg lumps of metal were tied on each ankle.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    He jumped into the air using only his left hand that was propping his whole body while simultaneously bringing together his widely spread apart legs.

    Just like that, from left hand to right hand.

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    As he moved the arm that maintained the handstand, his center of gravity was slightly disordered.

    The sweat formed on his forehead dripped down.

    <i>Tap!¡ª </i>

    After alternating his left and right hands 20 times, he did a clean backflip back onto his feet.

    The cold air of December cooled down his heated-up body.

    ¡°Next up¡­¡±

    When he grasped the spear to train his stigma¡ª

    <i>Owooong!¡ª </i>

    ¡ªlight poured out of the silver ne.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ohjin held up the ne around his neck with round eyes.

    His question was momentary.

    He could understand what the rays of light meant without much difficulty.

    ¡®She¡¯s finally back.¡¯

    The long-awaited noble goddess.

    <i>Dazzle¡ª </i>

    The rays of light pouring out of the ne condensed into a small goddess sized around 30cm.

    A dress that scattered radiant light and long silver hair.

    The golden eyes headed towards him.

    Ohjin¡¯s mouth gently perked up.

    ¡°I have been waiting for you, Lady Vega.¡±

    [Oho.]

    Vega, who had crossed her arms, stared at Ohjin with a solemn expression.

    [Didn¡¯t thisdy tell you to speakfortably?]

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Now that he thought of it, she had said those words before they parted. He had momentarily forgotten about it as too many chaotic incidents had urred during that time.

    ¡°Haha, sorry.¡±

    Letting out a lightugh, he lent out his hand towards Vega who was floating in the air.

    ¡°¡ªWee back, Vega.¡±

    [Fufufu.]

    Vega, who had floated through the air onto his palm, elegantly crossed her legs.

    <i>Hmpf!¡ª</i>

    Heavy breaths filled with excitement pushed out from her nose.

    Straightening her back upright, she shouted with an ted voice.

    [Thisdy has returned!]

    It was the first reunion in three weeks.

    T/n: Yes, the omni-directional mobility gear (ODM gear) is an Attack on Titan reference. :^ )

 Chapter 29: Underworld (2)

    [How have you been doing in the meantime?] asked Vega, who had moved her seat over to Ohjin¡¯s shoulders from his palm.

    ¡°Well, various things happened.¡±

    Dramatizing the incidents that had happened during the past three weeks in moderation, he exined them to Vega.

    [Mmh. The ck Star Organization¡­ they truly are a profane group of beings.]

    Vega, who had heard the stories about the ck Star Organization, furrowed her brow in displeasure.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s not for certain yet, that organization could be connected to the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    [W-What?]

    Vega¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    [Are you saying the ck Heaven¡¯s owner was hiding in that ce?!] asked Vega with a voice filled with excitement.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯m not certain yet. Since the Heavenly Demon acts in the dark with his identity thoroughly hidden, there''s nearly no information regarding his past. But one thing I¡¯m certain about is that the ck Star Organization is extremelysuspicious.¡±

    [Have you not heard about the ck Star Organization in your past life?] asked Vega while furrowing her beautiful brows.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± he answered firmly.

    Acting like he knew about the ck Star Organization here coulde back to bite him at ater date.

    ¡®Well. Since knowing nothing would make no sense¡­¡¯

    ¡°There were forces led by the Heavenly Demon¡­ but I¡¯m not sure if that was the ck Star Organization.¡±

    He finished the story off with a buffer since there wasn¡¯t enough evidence to outright say ¡®The Heavenly Demon was a member of the ck Star Organization!¡¯.

    [Hmm. It seems that he was really thorough in hiding his identity.]

    Vega, who took a moment to think, looked at Ohjin with a concerned expression.

    [Will you be alright? Getting involved with those ominous beings already¡­ Thisdy believes that you should take more time to harness your power.]

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I already have a n thought out.¡±

    He didn¡¯t have a n thought out.

    In a state where he couldn¡¯t even face a single low-rank Temr, what kind of n could he have?

    ¡®What do you expect when I''m in a situation where I¡¯m forced to brag like a know-it-all?¡¯

    [Fufu, as expected from my child.]

    Vega looked towards Ohjin with a delighted expression.

    ¡°But just what are the identities of the ck Star¡¯s celestials? And what about the time when all-stars were swallowed by darkness?¡±

    [ck Star¡¯s celestials¡­]

    Vega shook her head with an awkward expression.

    [Sorry. Thisdy doesn¡¯t know either.]

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡®I thought that she would know for sure, being one of the same celestials.¡¯

    [Hmm.]

    Vega swept her hair back in an embarrassed manner.

    [Being thisdy doesn¡¯t mean knowing all the secrets rted to the birth of stars.]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Ohjin was speechless from the unexpected answer.

    ¡®I didn''t expect Vega to be clueless.¡¯

    If even the celestial known as a North Star didn¡¯t know, there were no other methods.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have no choice but to find out from those ck Star Organization bastards.¡¯

    He had already prepared measures.

    Since, even in this moment, his loyal hound was collecting the information of his opponents.

    [We should pay attention to this matter as it could possibly be connected to the Heavenly Demon.]

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡®Well, there¡¯s no way that¡¯s the case, though.¡¯

    [Anyway, thisdy¡¯s curious as to how much you¡¯ve changed during these past three weeks.]

    Vega¡¯s eyes sparkled as she floated up towards the sky.

    ¡°Nothing much has changed from back then,¡± answered Ohjin while clicking his tongue like he was unsatisfied.

    Although his ck Heaven had gone through its third awakening, and he had obtained the stigma of the Owl Neb, the stigma of Lyra itself was in the same state.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t obtain any new skills, nor did my lightning skills level up.¡¯

    Even when he spent most of his day raising his proficiency in the stigma of Lyra, he was still in the same state.

    [Let thisdy see.]

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    He raised his spear while nodding his head.

    ¡°Sspt.¡±

    Breathing in low and steady.

    He focused mana onto the stigma.

    <i>Bzzt! Bzzzzzzt!!¡ª </i>

    Lightning zed naturally like breathing.

    Sending blue lightning onto his spear, he simultaneously coursed it into his legs.

    [¡­Huh?]

    He could hear Vega¡¯s voice filled with astonishment.

    Paying it no mind, he continued his movements.

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª </i>

    One step. Two step.

    Every time he moved his feet, footsteps made of blue lightning would be left burning on the ground.

    He sprinted across the rooftop with explosive speed.

    ¡°Fuu!¡±

    Exhaling the deep breath he held in all at once, he thrusted his spear.

    <i>Crackleeeeee!!¡ª </i>

    A blue lightning naturally spread out in a cone shape, sweeping out in front of him.

    ¡®Still. Stopping here leaves too much of an opening.¡¯

    <i>Bzzt! Bzzzzzzt!!¡ª </i>

    Taking steps with his legs covered in lightning, he instantly crossed arge distance.

    Footsteps made up of blue lightning stretched out.

    ¡®I can definitely minimize the opening created after using Blue Lightning by focusing lightning onto my legs.¡¯

    Blue Lightning originally focused on one spot.

    However, as a result of trying various types of training, he came to the conclusion that it was better to spread out power in several ces rather than focusing it all on one.

    ¡®The physical capabilities of my body parts imbued with lightning increases by leaps and bounds.¡¯

    Although blue lightning being left on the ground every time he ran was appealing, being able to move at a much quicker speed was even more so.

    ¡®I also want to focus on my arms or hips, but¡­¡¯

    That was still impossible for him, as his current limit was focusing lightning into a total of three ces.

    ¡°¡ªFuu.¡±

    After thrusting his spear into the air a couple more times, he stopped.

    The sweat building around his forehead dripped down.

    ¡°How was it?¡±

    * * *

    [¡­¡­]

    Vega stared at him with shaking eyes.

    [J-Just how did you¡­ even if you¡¯re a Regressor, grasping the basics of Exceed already¡­]

    ¡®Huh? Did I do something wrong?¡¯

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    [Can this be considered a problem¡­ just how did you simultaneously focus lightning on three separate ces?]

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡®What does she mean by that?¡¯

    ¡°It worked once I tried it out, though I did go through some trouble at the start.¡±

    [¡­¡­]

    Vega¡¯s mouth opened wide.

    [My child¡­ D-Didn¡¯t you say that your memories of the stigma of Lyra¡¯s skills were blurry??]

    ¡°I did.¡±

    Though the truth was that he didn''t possess any memories at all.

    He had just said that he couldn¡¯t remember back then in order to avoid the awkward situation at the time.

    [¡­Then how.]

    Vega ced her hands on her forehead with a puzzled expression. Soon after, she snapped her fingers and nodded as she came to a conclusion.

    [Even if your memories are blurry, it appears that you have unconsciously recalled the technique! Mhm, I¡¯m certain that¡¯s the case. Bing this proficient in this short amount of time would be unexinable if that wasn¡¯t the case.]

    It seemed like Vega had convinced herself that he had be proficient by using the nonexistent memories of the 1st round.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s only better for me if she has that kind of misunderstanding.¡¯

    Was it fast to the extent of her having that kind of reaction?

    ¡®To be honest, I¡¯m not sure.¡¯

    Even if he seeded in focusing lightning in three ces, the Thunder & Lightning skill didn¡¯t level up. He couldn¡¯t understand why she was so astonished when it wasn¡¯t like he obtained a new skill.

    ¡°Is this something to be so surprised about?¡±

    [What are you talking about!!]

    ¡°I mean. The skill is still level three.¡±

    [Even if it¡¯s the same level, a level three close to level two and a level three close to level four arepletely different matters!]

    ¡®Hearing it that way, I guess it does make sense.¡¯

    [And why do you think thisdy was unable to make an apostle to this date? Thisdy¡¯s stigma is close to impossible for humans to handle.]

    ¡®So she¡¯s that surprised because I¡¯m getting proficient in the stigma of Lyra as if it¡¯s from some half-rate celestial. But why is it so easy for me anyways?¡¯

    It didn¡¯t seem like it was in the category of simply ¡®talent¡¯.

    ¡®Is it because of Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories?¡¯

    ¡®Eh.¡¯

    Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s stigma in the 1st Round was not the stigma of Lyra, but the stigma of Pyxis.

    Would that memory be connected to the reason he was so quick in bing ustomed to the stigma of Lyra?

    ¡®I¡¯m not sure.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯te up with an answer on the spot.

    ¡®Well, I guess it is better than it being slow.¡¯

    Currently, he could just leave it as a misunderstanding of ¡®He¡¯s quick to learn because he¡¯s a Regressor¡¯, but if he was as hopeless as a liberal arts student who had distanced himself from math for the entirety of high school who was trying to cram two weeks before the SAT, then he would have been doubted with the question, ¡®Why is a Regressor bastard like this?¡¯.

    [Your skills in handling the spear are also quite astonishing. If this continues, you could reach the peak of spearmanship¡­]

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t n on doing that.¡±

    [Hmm?]

    ¡°I¡¯m going to continue using the spear, but with other weapons as well.¡±

    [What weapons do you have in mind?]

    ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡±

    When he was about to exin the wire shooter¡ª

    <i>Ring!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªthe sound of a brief rm rang out from his smartphone.

    Turning on the disy, he saw that Team Leader Han had sent a message.

    ¡®Whew, look at this timing.¡¯

    Ohjin smirked after seeing the message and turned his head towards Vega.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    [Mh? Where are we going all of a sudden?]

    ¡°The weapons I¡¯m going to be using together. I¡¯ll show you directly.¡±

    Ohjin turned his body and headed towards the Association.

    * * *

    ¡°First of all, take this spear.¡±

    As he arrived at the Association, Team Leader Han was standing outside like he had been waiting all along.

    Ohjin grasped the silver spear Team Leader Han had held out.

    <i>Owooong!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Ooh.¡±

    Subtle blue lights flowed out of the spear as he grasped it.

    You could tell it was a great product mixed with high-quality starstones with a nce.

    <i>Swoosh!¡ª </i>

    He lightly swung the spear around.

    ¡®It¡¯s slightly heavier than the one I used before.¡¯

    But that amount of weight was nothing, as he possessed such a monstrous body.

    ¡®No, this¡¯ll be much better once I get a little used to it.¡¯

    Force increasing with the amount of mass was natural, after all.

    <i>Crack!! Crackle!!¡ª </i>

    And as expected, the greatest strength of the silver spear was that it had extraordinary electric conductivity.

    When he sent the blue lightning into the spear, the lightning¡¯s movement felt as natural as moving lightning around his body.

    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±

    A satisfied smile formed on Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    It was a weapon so good that it made him feel sorry for receiving it for free.

    ¡°And next¡­ is this.¡±

    <i>Click¡ª </i>

    Team Leader Han cautiously took two bracelets out of a square case.

    No, rather than a bracelet, it was closer to that of a gaudy bracer.

    ¡°That kid was so excited to make it¡­ the kidpleted it using personal money after going way over the budget.¡±

    ¡°Kid?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll introduce you at ater date. Should I call them one of the few talented people we have¡­? Well, we have one kid that¡¯s exceptional in crafting.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯lle in handy if I get close with the kid.¡¯

    It was hard toe by a talented individual associated with equipment production.

    ¡°Try it out.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    He equipped a wire shooter on each arm.

    ¡®It¡¯s morefortable than I thought.¡¯

    It was quite hefty, but it didn¡¯t feel ufortable or stuffy at all.

    ¡°How do I use this?¡±

    ¡°Hold out your arms and try copying my hand gestures. Kind of like grabbing the air.¡±

    He took the stance Team Leader Han instructed.

    ¡°Yes, it should shoot out once you flick your wrist in that state. Do be careful, as the recoil is quite strong.¡±

    Nodding his head, he flicked his wrist in a snapping motion towards a nearby wall.

    And then¡ª

    <i>Click!¡ª </i>

    <b><i>BA¡ªNG!!!!!!!¡ª </i></b>

    ¡ªwith powerful recoil, it shot out a wire with a ?? shaped weight tied at its end.

    <i>Crush!¡ª </i>

    A silver line was created between the wire shooter and the spade-shaped weight stuck to the wall.

    ¡°Wow¡­ this is.¡±

    A short exmation flowed out of Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    If you took out the ¡®wire¡¯ from ¡®wire shooter¡¯, it¡¯d be no different from a gun.

    ¡®Although normal guns are naturally useless against monsters.¡¯

    What would the result be if he sent an electrical current through the wires? Not a normal current, but the stigma of Lyra¡¯s.

    ¡°Huhuhuhu!¡±

    Laughter unconsciously flowed out as he looked at the wire shooter that ended up beingpleted with a better quality than he expected.

    ¡°Haha. It seems like it is to your liking.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I like it very much.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the end.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Try sending mana into the wire shooter.¡±

    As Team Leader Han instructed, he directed mana into the wire shooter¡ª

    <i>Click¡ª </i>

    <i>Whirrrrrrrr!!!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°H-Huh?¡±

    ¡ªthe wire connected to the weight returned with a strong metallic sound.

    <i>ck!¡ª </i>

    With the clear sound of gears interlocking, it returned back to the state before it was fired.

    Exmation flowed out of Ohin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°I did say to include a returning feature, but¡­ I didn¡¯t imagine that it would be this good.¡±

    It was something he said half as a joke, but with this wire shooter, he started to believe that he could truly soar through the skies like using an omni-directional mobility gear.

    ¡°You can control the returning speed depending on how much mana you flow in.¡±

    ¡°This is incredible.¡±

    An item just as he designed, no, an item even more extraordinary than that had been made.

    ¡°Ah right, you can fire up to three wires on the right, and three on the left, which means a total of up to six wires can be fired.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡®You can fire something like this six times?¡¯

    ¡°Haha. Didn¡¯t I say so? That we went over our budget.¡±

    Team Leader Han smiled while shrugging his shoulders.

    ¡®Holy shit.¡¯

    If a contest for picking the most handsome gori in the world was held, it felt obvious that Team Leader Han Joonman would be the champion.

    ¡°Joonman¡­!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re embarrassing me again¡­¡¯

    Team Leader Han went over it with a light chuckle like he had be ustomed to that response.

    ¡°Instead, could you help us when an urgent matter urs on our side?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    It was truly an item outstanding to the point where it wouldn¡¯t matter even if he helped without receiving payment.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take my leave for today, as there is a meeting I have to attend.¡± Team Leader Han bowed his head and returned back inside the Association.

    ¡°Fuu.¡± Ohjin looked over the wire shooter equipped on his arms and the beautifully shining silver spear.

    ¡®Joining the Association was seriously the best choice.¡¯

    Although they did get disrespected here and there these days, they were stillpetent in many areas, as they were an organization directly under the government.

    ¡®I¡¯ll crush the skulls of the bastards that disrespect the Association from now on.¡¯

    He felt a nonexistent sense of belonging raging up.

    <i>Dazzle¡ª</i>

    [Is that the new weapon you have spoken of?]

    Vega, who had appeared out of the ne, tilted her head.

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    [Indeed. It appears that it¡¯ll be a menacing weapon once you flow electrical currents into foes tied up by that rope.]

    ¡°That¡¯s not all.¡±

    [Hmm?]

    Ohjin raised his arms up high and aimed at a rooftop fence on a nearby building.

    ¡°I can also use it in this way.¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    The spade-shaped weight sted towards the fence.

    ¡®If I send in electricity now¡­¡¯

    <i>Bam!¡ª </i>

    A powerful maic field appeared as he channeled electricity into the wireposed of electromas, causing it to stick to the fence.

    ¡°Hold tight, Vega.¡±

    [Hm? What are you nning to do?]

    Vega climbed up on his head while tilting her head and then held onto his hair like holding a horse¡¯s reins.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Smirking, he focused mana onto his wrists.

    <i>Whirrrrrrrr¡ª </i>

    Ohjin¡¯s body surged into the air as a metallic sound rang out of the wire shooter.

    [O-Ooh?]

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Ohjin cheered out loud and discharged the lightning flowing through the wire. Once the wire was discharged, the wire stuck to the fence fell off and returned to the shooter.

    <i>Bang! Bang!!¡ª </i>

    Repeatedly using that method to shoot and return wires in session, he could fly from building to building like he had really be spiderman.

    [Indeed!! So you have thought of this method, as you cannot fly yet!]

    ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s right! Since I can¡¯t fly yet¡ª¡±

    ¡®Yet?¡¯

    ¡°You could use the stigma of Lyra to fly?¡±

    [Although it¡¯s currently impossible, you will be able to in the future.]

    ¡®What the fuck? Why am I being told this now?¡¯

    ¡®Are you telling me I went through this dumbfuckery for nothing?¡¯

    [Fufufu! Do not worry as the ¡®Lightning Shadow Step¡¯ skill is impossible for you to learn right now anyways!]

    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>.¡±

    Ohjin did feel like he had somewhat worked in vain, but he decided to ept it, as Vega said that the skill was currently impossible to learn.

    [Are you returning home now?]

    ¡°No.¡±

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    The tip of his lips rose up as he shook his head.

    [Then?]

    Vega had returned, and he had equipped himself with new equipment.

    There was no reason to stay dormant any longer.

    ¡°¡ªLet¡¯s go to Seoul Station.¡±

    The flesh monster sealed underneath Seoul Station.

    It was time to deal with it.

 Chapter 30: Underworld (3)

    Before entering Seoul Station, Ohjin entered a nearby shop to gather the items that were necessary in emergencies.

    ¡®First of all, two sets of smokescreens and res.¡¯

    He inserted the smokescreens and res into the belt he was wearing. Smokescreens and res were items that could at least be of use when modern weapons didn¡¯t work against monsters.

    ¡®Next up¡­¡¯

    He equipped a knife holster on both of his thighs and inserted three throwing knives into each one of them.

    ¡°Ah, I gotta take this as well.¡±

    He picked up a headlight located in the corner of the rack as it was an item necessary for exploring sewers.

    ¡®And forst¡­¡¯

    <i>Shiver¡ª</i>

    His hands shook as he reached towards the rack.

    He could feel his insides turning just from looking at the price tag, but he had no choice.

    ¡®Three mid-grade potions.¡¯

    It was a necessity.

    ¡°Two sets of smokescreens and res, six starstone-coated knives, one LED headlight, and three mid-grade potions.¡±

    As he brought them to the counter, the cashier started to scan the barcodes and added the total up.

    ¡°The totales up to $7320 dors, thank you very much~¡±

    ¡°Oi, you fucking daylight robbers.¡±

    A price that made bile rise in one¡¯s throat.

    Even worse, $6000 out of the $7320 were the potions.

    ¡®Goddamn drug lords.¡¯

    The prices of potions were that expensive when they were no more than ointments with fast effects.

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    He still didn¡¯t have a choice in the matter since the difference between having at least that additional effect or not was toorge.

    ¡°Excuse me? What did you¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, I said that the knives look very nice in the daylight.¡±

    <i>-Ring!</i>

    ¡¶Lame Excuse Lv2¡· is activated.

    ¡®Shut up.¡¯

    ¡°Haha! Our store¡¯s products are famous for having good quality, after all~¡± the employee nodded with a bright smile.

    It appeared that the employee hadn¡¯t heard Ohjin thanks to the fact that he had mumbled in a quiet voice.

    ¡°Will you pay by card?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay with cash. Ah! But what to do¡­ I only have exactly $6000¡­¡±

    He pped the cash he had prepared in advance while letting out a sigh.

    <i>Smile¡ª</i>

    The employee put on a smile.

    ¡°The total is $7320, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you help me out a little¡­ I¡¯m paying with cash¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly seven thousand, three hundred, and twenty dors, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Is this how you treat regr customers?! Do you know how many years I¡¯ve been using this store!!!¡±

    ¡°Our store opened a week ago.¡±

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    ¡°I meant that I¡¯ll be a regr for years on end in the future, well, something like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­haa.¡±

    The employee breathed out a deep sigh and nodded his head.

    ¡°I can do $7000 for you.¡±

    ¡°$6500.¡±

    ¡°I seriously can¡¯t cut it down any further for you.¡±

    ¡°Meet me in the middle at $6600?¡±

    ¡°How is that the middle?¡±

    At the end of the long pestering, he was able to buy the items at the price of $6700.

    ¡®Damn, I could have cut more off.¡¯

    But he felt like the extra time needed for that wouldn¡¯t be worth it.

    [¡­You¡¯re quite extreme when ites to money.]

    ¡°You should save money when there¡¯s money to be saved.¡±

    He didn¡¯t have any ns on holding back for the ¡®Paradise¡¯, but he thought it was best to save money when buying trifling equipment.

    [Hmm. Thisdy would have prepared it somehow if she knew how important money was to you¡­ Sorry for being unable to give any help.]

    ¡°Haha. I¡¯ve already received enough.¡±

    They weren¡¯t empty words as he truly had earned mouth-opening amounts of money after bing her apostle.

    [Still¡­]

    Vega furrowed her brow as if it was a shame.

    ¡®I guess our Goddess really has tremendous amounts of love for her apostle.¡¯

    Ohjin smiled and turned around.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Ohjin, who had finished his preparation, followed the sewer map he received from the Association and headed towards Seoul Station¡¯s undergrounds.

    [By the way, can you really face the flesh monster said to be under Seoul Station?] asked Vega with a concerned voice.

    He unconsciously recalled the appearance of the flesh monster within Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories.

    Its body was a whopping 20 meters long, it had eight destructive arms, and it was the monster that destroyed the entirety of Seoul Station while controlling hundreds of monsters.

    ¡®Well, of course, I¡¯ll die if I fight with that monster right now.¡¯

    However¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s in a sealed state.¡±

    [Sealed?]

    No matter how dangerous the monster was, the situation waspletely different if it was in a sealed state.

    The meaning ¡®sealed¡¯ meant that it was tied up in a state where it couldn''t move a muscle¡ªwhether a monster was strong or not wouldn¡¯t have any meaning if it simply couldn¡¯t retaliate at all.

    ¡®It¡¯s just a big punching bag.¡¯

    He organized Lee Shinhyuk¡¯smemories in his head once again.

    ¡®Lee Shinhyuk definitely said that he could have prevented it if he knew that it was sealed in advance.¡¯

    If that was true, there was no reason Ohjin would be unable to do the same.

    Deducting from fragmental information, it was clear that he was far stronger than Lee Shinhyuk at the time of the 1st Round.

    [Hoo. So that¡¯s why you were so confident¡­ you were nning on dealing with the sealed monster before it awakens!]

    Vega continuously nodded her head as if she was saying that she had expected such a unique n from a Regressor.

    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s go find it.¡±

    [Do you not know of his precise location?]

    ¡°This entire area was already destroyed when his seal was undone in the 1st Round.¡±

    [Indeed. It would definitely be difficult to know in that case.]

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s somewhere under Seoul Station anyways.¡±

    He was certain that he would at least find a clue if he searched diligently.

    * * *

    <i>Drag¡ª </i>

    He opened the manhole and went into the sewers.

    ¡°Uk.¡±

    A foul smell stabbed his nose as he entered the sewers.

    [It truly is an unpleasant smell.]

    Vega also furrowed her brow and pinched her nose.

    ¡°You can stay inside if it¡¯s difficult.¡±

    [No. We don¡¯t know if thisdy could be of help. As the restriction hasn¡¯t taken into serious effect yet, thisdy will stay with you.]

    ¡®Better for me.¡¯

    ¡°Let¡¯s start by heading down this way.¡±

    [Okay.]

    They went down the sewers that were intertwined like someplicated maze.

    Although he wanted to use the stigma of the Hunting Dogs to track it down, he didn''t have the courage to activate it inside the foul odor.

    ¡®I¡¯ll just have to resort to it once it¡¯s hopeless.¡¯

    <i>Stick, stick¡ª </i>

    He could feel the extremely unpleasant sensation of his shoe sticking to the sewage on the floor.

    ¡®I would have bought rubber boots as well if I knew it would be like this.¡¯

    He followed the light of the headlight deeper down the sewers.

    Around when he was close to the lowest floor¡­

    [My child. There is some kind of unpleasant energying from that area.]

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Vega raised her hand and pointed in a direction.

    He opened up the map to confirm the path.

    ¡®There¡¯s no path in that direction?¡¯

    It was a dead-end, ording to the map.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try finding our way there.¡±

    At any rate, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t confirm it when Vega was the one saying that she felt unpleasant energy.

    ¡°By the way, is it the same energy you felt back at the cave?¡±

    [Thisdy cannot say that it¡¯spletely the same¡­ but it is simr.]

    Vega shook her head. Soon she crossed her arms and continued.

    [If the energy back then was like viscous energy sticking to the surface of the skin¡­ this energy is more like needles pricking the skin.]

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    In any case, it meant that they were both unpleasant energies.

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯

    He thought about the possibility of it also being connected to the ck Star¡¯s power.

    ¡®Even the basket-ball-sized starstone stuck to the head of that flesh was ck.¡¯

    The reason why the rare starstones of mutants were being discovered so often recently could also be connected to the ck Star¡¯s power.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and confirm it directly.¡±

    After taking out and grasping his spear, he started to move his feet.

    When he reached the dead-end¡ª

    <i>Krr¡ª</i>

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡ªin ce of what should have been blocked off with a dead-end was a tunnel made out of pieces of dark red flesh.

    Ohjin¡¯s lips curved into a smile.

    ¡®Bingo.¡¯

    It seemed like he hade to the right ce.

    It was then¡­

    <i>Krr, Krrrrrr¡ª </i>

    Low growls came from two dark red lizards as they crawled from the tunnel made of flesh.

    Even though it was called a lizard, only its face resembled a lizard, with its body being simr to that of a human.

    ¡®Reptilian.¡¯

    A 3-Star monster that frequently appeared inside gates.

    ¡®¡­Is that also a mutant?¡¯

    Compared to normal Reptilians that were green, their skin was colored with blood-like dark red.

    ¡°Krrrrrrrrrrr!!!¡±

    Before he could continue his thought, the two Reptilians shrieked out while slurping with their long tongues.

    <i>Rip!¡ª </i>

    A pure-white bone shaped like a pick spiked out of the back of the Reptilians¡¯ hands.

    ¡°Perfect for some warm-up.¡±

    Ohjin smirked while grasping his silver spear.

    It was the debut of his newly prepared weapon.

    His heart thumped on its own from the anticipation.

    ¡°GuRuuuuuu!!¡±

    With a bizarre shriek, the two Reptilians sprinted along the walls.

    Their speed was certainly iparably faster whenpared to mere Ant-horns.

    But¡­

    It wasn¡¯t a threat to Ohjin, who had developed at a speed that left a North Star¡¯s celestial astonished.

    <i>Swoosh!!¡ª </i>

    A silver spear was thrust forward, aimed at a Reptilian¡¯s neck.

    <i>Jump!¡ª </i>

    The Reptilian that was sprinting on the wall jumped while extending forward its bone awl.

    <i>KKang!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Krrrraaaaaaa!!¡±

    Simultaneously blocking the silver spear with its bone awl, it tried to turn its body tosh out its tail towards Ohjin, but¡ª

    ¡°No can do.¡±

    <i>Crackleeeeeeee!!!!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Kaaaaaaa!!!!!¡±

    ¡ªa zing blue lightning twisted around the spear.

    Blue lightning didn¡¯t only focus on the spear¡¯s de-like with Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s spear but instead evenly spread across the entire spear, electrically shocking the Reptilian through the bone awl and causing the Reptilian¡¯s body to cook from the inside out.

    The Reptilian was sent flying back as it screamed a horrifying shriek.

    ¡°Karu¡­!¡±

    The other charging Reptilian stopped in its tracks; its yellow pupils moved around cautiously while it started to back off one step at a time.

    ¡°Hm? Got cold feet already?¡±

    ¡°karaaaa.¡±

    As Ohjin approached with a smile, the Reptilian turned its body around and ran back into the tunnel made of flesh.

    [Won¡¯t you chase after them?]

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to.¡±

    [Hm?]

    Vega tilted her head while looking at him.

    ¡°Wait a bit and you¡¯ll see.¡±

    Reptilians were fundamentally social monsters; they had a somewhat organized structure and also possessed moderate amounts of intelligence.

    The chances that the two Reptilians loitering at the entrance had been scouts were high.

    ¡®And if that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯

    It was obvious what actions the Reptilian that fled the moment its partner died would take.

    ¡°What a perfect situation for fishing.¡±

    [Fishing?]

    ¡°Well, I guess it is closer to cast fishing.¡±

    Ohjin cackled while aiming his wire shooter towards the wall.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!¡ª </i>

    Three shots each from his left and right. A total of six lines were made.

    [So this is what you meant.]

    Vega lightly giggled like she had understood what Ohjin was nning to do.

    After waiting around three minutes in that state¡­

    <i>Dudududududu!!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°KAraaaaaaaaaa!!!¡±

    ¡°GruAaaaaaa!!¡±

    With horrifying shrieks, the tunnel started to shake.

    Starting from the end of the tunnel, dozens of Reptilians fiercely sprinted along the wall towards him.

    ¡°Well, even if they possess a bit of intelligence, a monster is still a monster.¡±

    Ohjin smirked while looking towards the charging group of Reptilians.

    He crossed his widely spread out arms into an X while flowing mana into them.

    <i>Whirrrrrrrrr!!!¡ª </i>

    With a rough metallic sound, the six wires stuck to the walls epassed the tunnel.

    ¡°Kraaaa?¡±

    Although the Reptilians that had sensed that something was wrong urgently stopped their tracks, they were pushed forwards by the dozens of Reptilians charging behind them.

    The six wires wrapped around the group of Reptilians like a.

    And then.

    ¡®Blue Lightning.¡¯

    <b> K</b>

    <b> C L A</b>

    <b>C A E R C</b>

    <b> R C K ! !</b>

    The Blue Lightning that traveled through the wires fiercely zed up.

    A foul stench of burning flesh spread throughout the tunnel.

    ¡°Kaaraaaaaaaa!!!¡±

    ¡°Grururururururu!!¡±

    Although the Reptilians wriggled and tried to set themselves free from the wires, the six wires started to entangle them in a moreplicated manner instead.

    Ohjin watched the burning Reptilians tied up in wires with a satisfied expression.

    ¡®Kya! This works great!¡¯

    T/n: Thank god the monsters scream in English. Ty author.

 Chapter 31: Underworld (4)

    <i>Sizzleeeee!!!¡ª </i>

    Pungent smoke started to fill up the tunnel.

    Horrifying shrieks shook the eardrums.

    ¡°KaraAaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    The silver wires tangled up more intricately as the group of Reptilians wriggled from the pain.

    <i>Scratch! Scratch!¡ª </i>

    The Reptilians struggled desperately. They tried using their bone awls to cut the wires, but only dull metallic sounds rang out from the scratches.

    ¡°It won¡¯t cut that easily, you know?¡±

    Ohjinughed as he looked at the struggling Reptilians.

    As the wires were hardened with a mixture of starstones on top of being reinforced withrge amounts of mana, there was no way they would snap from the mere attacks of Reptilians.

    ¡°KaaaaaaaaAAA!!¡±

    It seemed like the group of Reptilians had also realized this fact as they started to back off into the tunnel cautiously.

    The lucky Reptilians that weren''t caught by the wires turned their bodies in an attempt to run away.

    Then¡­

    <i>Baaaang!!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°KuRAaaaaaa!¡±

    With a fierce shriek, the body of an escaping Reptilian was shot forwards like a cannon.

    <i>Dududuk!¡ª</i>

    The intricately entangled wires shook from the powerful shock.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ohjin turned his head at the monster that had thrown the Reptilian like a cannon.

    The monster had dark red muscles covering its body and was more than two timesrger than other Reptilians.

    ¡®Is it a Reptilian Champion?¡¯

    Blocking the path, the Reptilian Champion fiercely browbeat the Reptilians that were trying to run away. With expressions filled with horror, the Reptilians turned their body towards Ohjin once again.

    ¡°Gurkaaaa!¡±

    Following the Reptilian Champion¡¯smand, the group of Reptilians gathered in one ce and started to break through the tunnel.

    The corpses of the tangled up Reptilians were pushed as the group of Reptilians used theirbined strength to surge forwards.

    <i>Screech! Squeak!¡ª </i>

    The silver wire shrieked out as it was pulled tight.

    ¡®It won¡¯t hold on any longer.¡¯

    Clicking his tongue, Ohjin sent into the shooter equipped on his wrist.

    <i>Whirrrrrrr!¡ª </i>

    The wires returned to the shooter, shredding the Reptilians¡¯ corpses into pieces.

    ¡°KuRuuuuuuuUU!!¡±

    Was it because they believed it to be an opportunity? The Reptilian Champion ripped out its enormous bone awl and roared.

    The Reptilians that were pushing the corpses sprinted across the walls towards him.

    [Fufu. These insignificant beings keep on struggling.] Vega ridiculed as she crossed her arms.

    ¡°I know, right.¡±

    Ohjin nodded his head and raised his spear.

    <i>Crack! Crackle!!¡ª </i>

    Then, a brawlmenced.

    Ohjin¡¯s spear fiercely swept across the group of Reptilians.

    <i>Bzzzzzzzt!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°KaraaaaaaAAAc!¡±

    A Reptilian would drop dead to the ground every time he swung his lightning-condensed spear.

    Thanks to the fact that so many Reptilians had met their ends to the wires, it wasn¡¯t all that dangerous even when all the remaining Reptilians charged towards him.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    ¡°GuRuAaaaaaa!!¡±

    The Reptilian Champion stepped forward, as it could no longer bear to watch the unsightly scene.

    ¡°Toote; you should have joined in from the start.¡±

    <i>Bang! Bang!¡ª </i>

    A heavy vibration resonated through the tunnel every time the Reptilian Champion stomped its feet.

    In the situation where the group of Reptilians had already been ughtered, the lone Reptilian Champion charged in with his bone awl prodding out.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    <i>ng! ng!¡ª </i>

    After raising his spear to block the bone awl, Ohjin spun his body to swing his spear down low.

    <i>Pow!¡ª </i>

    As the swiftly swung spear hit the Reptilian Champion¡¯s knee, its posture broke down.

    ¡°KAaaRacC!!!¡±

    Screaming out an iprehensible shriek, the Reptilian Champion retaliated.

    With the goal of trying to create distance at all costs, it recklessly swung its bone awl while retreating.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    A wire was shot with a loud sound.

    <i>ng!¡ª</i>

    The Reptilian Champion reacted quickly and struck the wire¡¯s weight as if striking a baseball with a bat.

    As the wire was struck, it dug into the wall made of flesh.

    ¡°KuRarara!¡±

    The Reptilian Champion that deflected the wire looked at Ohjin with a pompous expression.

    ¡°Bastard, are you getting cocky?¡±

    Giggling, he pushed mana into the wire shooter on his left arm.

    <i>Whirrrrrrr!¡ª </i>

    His body shot forward as the wire pulled tight.

    Letting the force of the pull bring him through the air towards the Reptilian¡ª

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    ¡ªhe fixed his grasp on the spear and thrusted forward with all his strength.

    <i>Crunch!¡ª </i>

    ¡°KaaaaaaAAAA!!¡±

    The spear prated one of the Reptilian Champion¡¯s eyes; it shrieked out while grasping the spear.

    It was the end.

    ¡°Blue Lightning.¡±

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°KraaaaaaRac!!!¡±

    The Blue Lightning that rode through the spear burned the Reptilian Champion¡¯s brain.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    The Reptilian Champion¡¯srge body fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    He pulled out his spear while catching his breath that had be a little rough.

    [You have be very proficient in using Blue Lightning.]

    ¡°I did practice hard for the past three weeks, after all.¡±

    In days without special events, he had continuously trained specifically the stigma of Lyra from every early dawn until the sun set down.

    He couldn¡¯t use it as naturally as when he was ¡®blessed¡¯, but he had made remarkable progresspared to back then when he had half-forced the session of the skill.

    [Hm. It is not a skill that one can be proficient in by putting in hard work, though.]

    Vega shrugged her shoulders, no longer having the energy left to be surprised every time.

    ¡°Well then, should we take the loot?¡±

    <i>Huhuhu!¡ª </i>

    Ohjin giggled and ced his spear down on the ground.

    He took out the knife on his thighs to rip apart the Reptilian¡¯s corpse.

    ¡®The size of the starstone¡­ is mediocre.¡¯

    Ohjin, who had harvested the starstone from the Reptilian, clicked his tongue in shame.

    High-ranked monsters wouldn¡¯t always possessrge and high-quality starstones. In extreme cases, a 7~8-Star monster could throw up a starstone inferior to an Ant-horn.

    ¡®Well, these small crumbs don¡¯t matter that much.¡¯

    The basketball-sized starstone that could be called the main dish was waiting for him anyways.

    [This starstone also possesses an unpleasant color.]

    The starstone harvested from the Reptilian Champion was ck, as expected.

    ¡ªA mutant¡¯s starstone.

    It was the starstone that could only be harvested from mutant monsters that appeared extremely rarely inside dungeons.

    ¡®Though it doesn¡¯t seem to appear rarely anymore.¡¯

    Because he had bumped into so many mutants recently, ck starstones felt more familiar than themon blue ones.

    ¡°Do you feel the unpleasant energy you felt from this as well?¡± he asked while holding out the ck starstone towards Vega.

    She held the ck starstone with both arms and started to observe it.

    [Although faint, the energy from before can be felt.]

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    Ohjin studied the ck starstone with his eyes narrowed.

    ¡®As expected, there¡¯s some kind of connection between the ck Star¡¯s power and mutants.¡¯

    The ck Slimes he met in the cave before also possessed ck starstones.

    Saying that mutant monsters appearing in bulk inside dungeons where a star relic imbued with the ck Star¡¯s powerid dormant is a ¡®coincidence¡¯ would make no sense.

    ¡®Then does that mean a star relic imbued with the ck Star¡¯s power lies buried here as well?¡¯

    He wasn¡¯t certain yet, as he had only seen the monster causing mayhem inside Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories.

    [Hmm. This area feels uneasy in many ways.]

    Vega narrowed her eyes while observing the tunnel covered with flesh.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Ohjin, who had been contemting with the ck starstone in his grasp, soon clicked his tongue and stood up.

    He decided to stop thinking about the identity of the ck starstones for the time being.

    ¡®It¡¯s not something I can figure out with my head right now.¡¯

    There was no reason to keep wasting his time with useless thoughts.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    After he finished harvesting starstones inside the Reptilians¡¯ corpses scattered around the tunnel, Ohjin headed deeper inside.

    Something felt off, but¡­

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if it makes money.¡¯

    Whether it was blue or ck didn¡¯t matter.

    With mutant starstones being sold at a higher price, mutants appearing more frequently was something to be weed instead.

    ¡®I can also absorb the ck Star¡¯s power.¡¯

    He wasn''t sure of what the ck Star¡¯s power was, but he was at least sure of the fact that it could be a big strength for his current self.

    * * *

    * * *

    <i>Stick, stick¡ª </i>

    He followed the tunnel deeper inside.

    Groups of Reptilians ambushed him a couple of times during the trip, but he was able to wipe them out without further trouble.

    And when he continued to walk for around 30 minutes¡­

    ¡°Ooh.¡±

    The end of the tunnel.

    In the middle of the cavity covered in dark red flesh was a giant made out of chunks of meat that was rolled into itself like a pupa.

    The flesh giant didn¡¯t move an inch; its eyes were closed as if it had fallen into a deep slumber.

    ¡®Holy crap, it really is no joke looking at it this close.¡¯

    Its size was around 10 meters.

    It was a lot smaller than the size inside Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories, but immense amounts of pressure still radiated out.

    ¡ªThat monster is seriously fucking strong.

    Was the intuition that shed through his head.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    He took inrge breaths and calmed down his beating heart.

    Raising his left arm, he aimed the wire shooter towards the flesh giant.

    <i>Bang! Bang Bang!!¡ª </i>

    The wires shot with powerful recoil and stuck into the giant¡¯s body.

    <i>Drip¡ª </i>

    Although dark red blood poured out of spots the wire dug into, the flesh giant didn¡¯t react in any way.

    ¡®Blue Lightning.¡¯

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzztt!!!¡ª </i>

    Blue Lightning flowed through the wire, causing the flesh giant to burn, but as expected, the flesh giant didn¡¯t move a muscle this time either.

    ¡°Huhu, what can you do even if you''re strong? Huh?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s lips curved upwards.

    The overwhelming pressure that radiated out of the flesh giant was enough to make one lose the strength in their legs with just a nce, but¡ª

    ¡®So what.¡¯

    ¡ªIt was currently nothing but a fool that was sealed in a state where it couldn¡¯t move a finger anyways.

    No matter howrge its size, or suffocating pressure it radiated, there was no reason to be afraid.

    [So that is the sealed monster.]

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s the main culprit of Seoul Station¡¯s destruction in the 1st Round."

    Ohjin moved towards the curled-up flesh giant while nodding his head.

    ¡°However¡­ as you can see, it¡¯s nothing but a pushover right now!¡±

    He looked up towards the monster with greedy eyes.

    ¡®That Lee Shinhyuk guy really has many uses. To be able to get my hands on this starstone so easily¡­''

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s kill it swiftly.¡±

    Ohjin grasped the silver spear while activating his stigma.

    ¡°Here we go!!!¡±

    He approached it and thrusted his spear.

    <i>Puk!¡ª</i>

    Blood sttered out as its flesh ripped apart.

    ¡°Hyap! Hyat! Ch-hat!¡±

    He yelled while continuing hisbo that flowed like water.

    Cutting, stabbing, shing.

    Blood and flesh would stter every time his spear was swung.

    ¡®This is pretty fun. Something like the feeling of beating up an extremely realistic sandbag? No, it feels closer to that of beating up a punching machine at the arcade.¡¯

    ¡°Die, you chunk of flesh!¡±

    It felt like stress was getting relieved on its own as he excitedly beat up the powerless chunk of flesh.

    ¡®Relieving stress and making money! What a great day! Thank you, Shinhyuk!! I can live happily thanks to you!!¡¯

    ¡°Hahahahaha!!¡±

    When he was excitedly swinging his spear away¡ª

    <b>¡ªThe flesh giant opened its eyes.</b>

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s expression stiffened.

    ¡®What¡¯s wrong with this bastard? Why did its eyes open all of a sudden.¡¯

    [My child. Didn¡¯t you say that the monster was sealed?]

    ¡°Y-Yeah! Of course!¡±

    He urgently nodded his head.

    ¡°Only the eyes of that bastard opened; it can¡¯t actually move!¡±

    It appeared that the seal Lee Shinhyuk referred to was a kind of seal that restricted movements with the conscious intact.

    ¡®That¡¯s right. Having just the conscious remaining doesn¡¯t ma¡ª¡¯

    <i>Krrrrrrrrr!!¡ª</i>

    The flesh giant raised its body.

    <b>¡°KAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!¡±</b>

    A kind of terrifying howl that you would hear from some pseudo-religion''s seance that worshipped a devil from hell echoed out.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!¡ª </i>

    Four arms that sprouted out of the chunk of flesh fiercely hit the wall.

    "Huh, holy shit?"

    ¡®Why can this bitch move?''

 Chapter 32: Underworld (5)

    <i>Rumble!!¡ª </i>

    The entire cavity made of flesh shook.

    A horrifying shriek like that of an ancient curse echoed out.

    ¡®What.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s mouth opened wide while he watched the flesh giant twist its body as if having a seizure.

    ¡®Why is this bastard moving?¡¯

    <i>Shiver¡ª</i>

    His legs trembled.

    The sound of a noisy warning rm rang inside his head.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be. It¡¯s just moving for a moment, right? It¡¯s going to stop now, right?¡¯

    He looked at the flesh giant with desperate hope.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!¡ª </i>

    It moved around really fucking well.

    ¡®Is there even a fucking seal?¡¯

    It moved around vigorously as if it had been run over by a truck on steroids.

    ¡®You said it was sealed! You said you could prevent it if you knew in advance, you son of a bitch!!¡¯

    ¡®How were you going to stop that!!!¡±

    A soundless outcry rang inside his head.

    No matter how he thought of it, Lee Shinhyuk being able to stop that monster made no sense.

    ¡ªA Bluff.

    That¡¯s right; when Lee Shinhyuk had said that he could have prevented it if he knew in advance, it was nothing but bullshit simr to saying, ¡®I could¡¯ve gotten full marks on my SAT if I returned back to when I was in high school¡¯.

    ¡®You useless bastard! How are you against me even in death?!¡¯

    ¡°Karrrrr¡­¡­¡±

    The erratically shaking Flesh Giant looked in his direction.

    ¡®Should I run?¡¯

    ¡®Should I just ditch?¡¯

    ¡®No.¡¯

    ¡®How do I ditch in this situation¡ª¡¯

    [Regressor¡­?]

    ¡®¡ªwhen she¡¯s looking at me with those eyes full of suspicion.¡¯

    [What is going on here?]

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s not fine.¡¯

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve already predicted this variable.¡±

    ¡®I didn¡¯t predict a fucking thing.¡¯

    ¡°Wait right there, Vega.¡±

    ¡®Save me.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll end this¡­ in an instant.¡±

    ¡®My life, that is.¡¯

    [Fufu! Indeed, you have predicted this much! Thisdy will trust in you!]

    Vega crossed her arms and continuously nodded her head.

    The bright smile on her face was shining beautifully.

    ¡®Shit.¡¯

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    He calmly caught his breath and grasped his spear.

    In a situation where he couldn¡¯t run, he had no choice but to fight it head on.

    Calming his racing heart, he observed the giant in a rxed manner.

    ¡®It¡¯s small.¡¯

    The flesh giant he had seen through Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories was approximately 20 meters¡ªits overwhelming size was that of an entire small building.

    Compared to that, the giant¡¯s size was currently around 10 meters at best.

    It was a size far smaller than what he had seen through Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories.

    ¡®Though, it¡¯s still damn big.¡¯

    Although words would express it as ¡®far smaller than back then'', a size of 10 meters would still berge enough to make a tactical tank seem like a mario kart.

    ¡®It only has four arms instead of eight¡¯

    Meaning¡­

    It was weaker than when it razed the entire Seoul Station to the ground.

    ¡®Wait a minute, then¡­?¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s gaze locked onto the back starstone stuck onto the flesh giant¡¯s forehead.

    ¡ªIt was certainly smaller.

    The ck starstone that used to be the size of a basketball was currently only the size of about three fists.

    ¡®It¡¯s a bit of a shame, but¡­¡¯

    It was something that should rather be weed with open arms in his current situation.

    The smaller size of the starstone would also signify that the giant¡¯s strength would differ that muchpared to Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories.

    ¡®Of course, it¡¯s still sufficiently monstrous right now, but¡­¡¯

    There was still a chance.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Taking deep breaths¡­

    Raising his spear and lowering his hips¡­

    ¡°KaRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!¡±

    An eardrum tearing shriek.

    The flesh giant gripped the floor with its four arms.

    It raised its butt high like a track runner and bent its knees.

    ¡®It¡¯sing.¡¯

    <i>Bang!!!¡ª </i>

    Frightening vibrations resonated as the giant sprinted.

    ¡°Fuc¡ªk!¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s fast!¡¯

    ¡®Unbelievably fast!¡¯

    <i>Baaaaang!!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Kughhk!!¡±

    Although he urgently raised his spear to block the attack, his body was sent flying back like a stepping stone from the overwhelming force.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    <i>Screeech!¡ª </i>

    Rolling on the floor, he scraped the dark red flesh covering the tunnel with his hands.

    It was disgusting, but he could reduce the force thanks to the flesh.

    ¡°Fuu!¡±

    Quickly increasing the distance, he aimed the wire shooter equipped on his right arm.

    ¡®I can¡¯t affect his body directly.¡¯

    As the difference in strength was abominable, the one getting pulled the moment the monster¡¯s body was tied would be him.

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯

    <i>Bang! Bang!¡ª </i>

    He fired two shots towards the wall.

    After sticking the wire¡¯s weight to the wall, he jumped while directing mana into the shooter.

    <i>Whirrrrrrr!¡ª </i>

    His body shot into the air with a metallic sound.

    ¡°Hmpf!!¡±

    Flying behind the giant, he thrusted down his spear.

    Blood sttered out as the flesh was pierced.

    ¡®Blue Lightning!¡¯

    <i>Crackleeeee!!!¡ª </i>

    The foul smell of burning flesh stabbed his nose.

    <i>Swoosh!¡ª </i>

    The giant¡¯s swinging arm split apart the air.

    He changed direction mid-air by pulling on the wire.

    ¡°GuRUKaaaAAAA!!¡±

    An eardrum-shaking shriek.

    Over the arm that had split the air, the other arms fiercely swung towards him.

    The wave ofpressed air shook his shirt.

    ¡®Danger!¡¯

    <i>Bang!!!¡ª </i>

    After shooting a wire towards the ground, he poured mana into the shooter with his all.

    <i>Swish!¡ª </i>

    His body shot straight to the ground in an instant.

    The giant¡¯s arm faintly brushed against his hair.

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    A groan came out on its own from the force of hitting the ground.

    [M-My child!!!]

    The urgent voice of Vega could be heard.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright!¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m not alright.¡¯

    However¡ª

    ¡®Even so, I¡¯ll just need to power through!¡¯

    ¡ªAn electrifying thrill spread from his spine.

    <i>Thump, thump¡ª </i>

    The sensation of dancing on top of a sharply forged de.

    His heart thumped explosively.

    ¡°KaRaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    ¡°Huu, huu!¡±

    <i>Bang! Bang!!¡ª </i>

    The giant struck down its four arms like hammers.

    Using the wire shooter for vertical maneuvering, he avoided the giant¡¯s attack.

    And then¡ª

    <i>Thump!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Alright!!¡±

    ¡ªhe precisely hopped onto the giant¡¯s arm.

    ¡®Run!¡¯

    <i>Tatatatatatap!!¡ª </i>

    He sprinted up the giant¡¯s arm.

    His goal was the forehead.

    ¡ªWhere the ck starstone was stuck.

    <i>Crack!! Crackleee!!!¡ª </i>

    Blue lightning zed up.

    The fingers that grasped the spear lightly trembled.

    ¡°Huaaaaaaaaa!!!!!¡±

    <i>Ta-Tap!¡ª </i>

    He kicked his feet off the ground while letting out a roar.

    His body flew up, drawing a parab.

    Holding the spear above his head¡ª

    ¡°Die, you bastaaaaaaard!!!¡±

    ¡ªhe stabbed down with all his might.

    ¡¶Thunder Fall Lv1¡· has increased to ¡¶Thunder Fall Lv2¡·

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzt!¡ª </i>

    A blinding Blue Lightning powerfully struck down on the giant¡¯s forehead.

    The flesh was burned ck as lightning sparked out.

    However,

    ¡°KARa!!!¡±

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    The monster shook its head widely while letting out a shriek.

    Ohjin, who was on top of its head, rolled down to the ground.

    He urgently stretched out his arm to shoot another wire, but¡­

    <i>Snatch!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    Before he was able to shoot the wire, he was caught by the giant¡¯s grip.

    ¡°Krururururu!!¡±

    Its bestial eyes lingered on him.

    <i>Cr-Crack!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaahk!!!¡±

    The giant put strength in its grip, causing his body to crush under the overwhelming pressure reminiscent of a massive metal press.

    At the crisis of ast-ditch effort.

    [My child!!!!]

    Vega¡¯s urgent voice could be heard.

    He thought about forgetting about the act and requesting her help, but¡­

    ¡®Not yet.¡¯

    ¡®This amount of danger.¡¯

    ¡®I can handle it on my own.¡¯

    ¡®Blue Lightning!!!¡¯

    <i>Crackle!!¡ª </i>

    He wrapped lightning around his body and exploded it.

    <i>Flinch¡ª</i>

    The giant¡¯s grip that was gripping his body tight was slightly loosened.

    Although it still wasn¡¯t enough to be able to escape¡­

    ¡°Eat this, you fuck!¡±

    He took out the two res held on his belt and threw them towards the giant¡¯s eye.

    <i>sh!¡ª </i>

    A radiant light exploded right in front of the giant¡¯s pupil.

    ¡°KuRaaaaa!!!¡±

    Clutching its eye, the giant twisted its body.

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    The body caught in the giant¡¯s grip was chucked towards the ground.

    ¡°Kugk!¡±

    Blood flowed out of his mouth from the powerful impact.

    ¡®Damn it!!¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t concentrate because of the pain.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡®I need time to catch my breath and organize my thoughts.¡¯

    <i>Tsssssssssss!!¡ª </i>

    During the time the giant was struggling, he took out the smokescreens and threw them towards the ground.

    As the white smoke explosively poured out, the entire cavity was soon covered in smoke.

    ¡®ck Curtain.¡¯

    He hid his body inside the smoke after hiding his presence by using the ck Heaven¡¯s trait.

    ¡°GuruaaAAAAaa!!¡±

    Although the roar of the furious giant could be heard, his location was thankfully undiscovered.

    ¡®Using this gap.¡¯

    After taking out and drinking a potion, he caught his breath.

    His head that had heated up from thebat cooled at a fast pace.

    ¡®I don''t have enough firepower.''

    He had somehow seeded in getting an effective hit in.

    However, he was way toocking in absolute firepower.

    Judging from the fact the giant was up and running even after he used Blue Lightning on the spear dug into its forehead, it meant that there was no way to bring down that giant with his current firepower.

    ¡®I need an attack more powerful than Blue Lighting.''

    Ohjin grasped his spear with deeply sunken eyes.

    The maximum firepower he could currently attain was piercing a vital point with his spear and then proceeding to use Blue Lightning.

    If that wasn''t enough, he had no option but to use a skill more powerful than Blue Lightning.

    ¡®How?''

    He didn''t have the leisure to ask Vega.

    Instincts and senses.

    Relying not on reason but instincts.

    ¡®Can I do it?''

    His thoughts didn''tst long.

    He grasped his spear with his body hidden inside the smoke.

    ¡®I can do it because it''s me.''

    He honestly couldn''t feel it, but¡­

    ording to Vega''s words, he was said to possess incredible talent, even to the point of being strange.

    ¡®If that''s the case, I should be able to do it.''

    ¡ªNo¡­

    Even if it wasn''t Vega''s words.

    From somewhere deep inside his mind, a subconscious beyond the dark clouds.

    It was whispering, ¡®This much is nothing''.

    That he was more than capable.

    "Fuu."

    Taking in a deep breath¡ª

    "Huaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!"

    ¡ªhe caught the giant''s attention with a fierce shout.

    <i>Boom!¡ª </i>

    He kicked his feet and sprinted.

    He could see the flesh giant clenching its fist menacingly.

    ¡®Now!''

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    He fired the wire shooter toward the giant''s arm.

    It was an extremely dangerous gamble that could potentially cause his body to get dragged instead, but¡­

    ¡®If I can use that power!''

    "KaRuaaaAA"

    <i>Swish!!¡ª </i>

    His body was shot upwards with frightening momentum as the giant raised its arms up high.

    "Hmpf!!"

    After lengthening the wire to the limit, he used the dragging momentum and slid between the giant''s legs.

    <i>Swoosh!¡ª </i>

    His body narrowly passed through.

    As the wire was pulled tight, his body shot up towards the giant''s back.

    "Haa."

    A golden opportunity.

    He aimed his silver spear towards the clearly exposed nape of the giant.

    <i>Thrust!¡ª </i>

    He wildly stabbed out his spear.

    Blood poured out as the flesh ripped apart.

    The zing blue lightning burned the flesh.

    ¡®¡ªThis isn''t enough.''

    A more powerful¡­ More certain¡­

    He needed a single strike powerful enough to end the giant''s life in an instant.

    ¡®Focus.''

    ¡®I have enough mana.''

    ¡®I''ll finish this with this blow.''

    Efficiency wasn''t needed.

    Efficiency didn''t matter.

    A single, powerful blow.

    Pouring everything for that.

    ¡®Simply gathering mana isn''t enough.''

    Imagining an arrow.

    With the arm that grasped the spear as the starting point, pulling mana up to his shoulders.

    ¡®More power!''

    He pulled his mana tight until it was close to the limit.

    And then.

    ¡®In one blow!!!''

    <i>Booooom!!!!¡ª</i>

    As if letting go of the string of a bow stretched to its limit, he released the pent-up mana.

    <b>C R A C K L E E E ! ! ! ! ! ! ¡ª </b>

    All of the mana condensed to its limits released all at once at the spear''s tip and exploded!

    -Ring!

    [¡¶Thunder & Lightning Lv3¡·has increased to ¡¶Thunder & Lightning Lv4¡·!]

    [ You have acquired the skill¡¶Lightning Charge Lv1¡·!]

    Lightning Charge.

    Fitting to the name, thepressed blue lightning caused a powerful explosion.

    Blood poured out like a waterfall as the giant''s flesh spurted out.

    ¡®It''s fin¡­!''

    When a radiant smile was about to be ced on his face.

    "KuRacaaaAAA!!!!!"

    The flesh giant twisted its body as if throwing a fit.

    "Holy shit!"

    ¡®It''s still not dead?''

    "KAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA!!!:

    "Hey, hey, hey!!!"

    ¡®The fuck is this dickhead doing this time?!''

    Having a crazy fit, the giant started to run all around the ce.

    Ohjin took out a knife and dug it into the giant''s back, trying desperately to avoid falling off.

    ¡®I''m fucked the moment I fall.''

    As he was tied to the wire, the moment he fell, Ohjin would get dragged all over the ce like a hammer throw and eventually turn into a puddle of blood.

    "Uaaaaaaaahhh!!!! Stop!! Stop you bitch!!!"

    He couldn''t concentrate, as he was on top of a giant that shook like crazy.

    <i>Boom!! Boom! Bang! Bang! Bang!¡ª</i>

    With explosive sounds, the flesh giant started to sprint towards somewhere.

    The ce he was sprinting towards wasn''t forwards, backward, left, or right, but¡ª

    Upwards.

    ¡®No way.''

    Ohjin''s eyes opened wide.

    <i>Rip!¡ª </i>

    As the dark red flesh covering the tunnel split apart¡ª

    <i>Bang!!!!!!!¡ª </i>

    ¡ªA beautiful blue sky spread over his head.

    "Kyaaaaaa!!"

    "W-What''s that!!!"

    "Ahhhhhhh! M-Monster!!!! A monster has appeared!!!"

    Screaming, people ran away.

    "Fuck¡­"

    Ohjin looked at the surroundings with a dumbfounded expression.

    The memories of Lee Shinhyuk naturally floated up inside his head.

    "Huh? T-There¡­!"

    "It''s a person¡­ right?"

    In the middle of Seoul Station.

    In the middle of the heart of the city where hundreds, thousands of people passed by.

    The flesh giant made its appearance¡ª

    ¡®What do I do about this¡­''

    ¡ªwith Ohjin on his back.

 Chapter 33: Underworld (6)

    ¡°Kyaaaaa!!¡±

    ¡°S-Save me!!¡±

    People ran away with pale expressions.

    The 10-meter monster that appeared in the middle of Seoul Station was an existence that could be called a cmity in itself.

    On top of that¡ª

    ¡°Kuruaaaa!!¡±

    ¡ªgroups of Reptilians that had previously been in hiding exited the tunnel and started to attack the civilians.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯

    Ohjin bit his lips with a nervous expression.

    ¡®This is bad.¡¯

    Although whether or not the flesh giant destroyed Seoul Station or if the group of Reptilians killed the innocent civilians was none of his business.

    ¡®I need to protect them right now.¡¯

    If he didn¡¯t care for the sacrifices on the spot, the trust formed with Vega would break as the Goddess believed him to be the ¡®Hero¡¯ that would change the destiny of the world.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡± Ohjin kicked off of the giant¡¯s arm.

    <i>Slice!¡ª </i>

    He cut the wire connecting him to the flesh giant with his knife.

    ¡°Kyaa!¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    A child that seemed to be in primary school was pushed onto the ground by the people that were escaping.

    The textbooks inside her backpack poured out.

    ¡°KarrrRRaaa!!¡±

    ¡°H-Hiik!¡±

    A Reptilian approached the child one step at a time. Sticking out its dark red tongue, it aimed its sharp bone awl towards the weak prey.

    ¡°P-Please, save¡­ me.¡±

    <i>Drip, drip¡ª </i>

    The child pitifully pleaded with tears dripping down her face.

    However, there was no way that kind of plea would work against the extraterrestrial creatures that were monsters.

    The Reptilian brought down the bone awl towards the child without hesitation.

    And then¡ª

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Kiiiiiii!!¡±

    ¡ªthe wire¡¯s weight precisely pierced through the Reptilian¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°¡­Ah?¡± The child that had been crying raised her head.

    <i>Bzzt!¡ª </i>

    Ohjin, wrapped in blue lightning,nded in front of the child.

    ¡°T-Thank¡­¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and escape.¡± He didn¡¯t have the leisure to listen to appreciations.

    <i>Ta-Tap!¡ª</i>

    Ohjin sprinted forward and aimed the wire shooter towards the group of Reptilians.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!¡ª </i>

    As one of the wires had been cut, there were a total of five instead of six wires that shot towards the group of Reptilians.

    <i>Crackleee!!¡ª </i>

    The bodies of the Reptilians that were charging towards the civilians spazzed out as blue lightning sparked.

    ¡®There aren''t a lot of them.¡¯

    Was it thanks to the fact that he had killed so many on the path towards the flesh giant? There weren¡¯t many Reptilians that hade outside into Seoul Station.

    ¡®The problem is¡­¡¯

    Ohjin clicked his tongue while turning his head towards the flesh giant.

    ¡°GaRara! Gruuuuu!¡±

    <i>Boom! Crunch!¡ª </i>

    The giant was crashing its body into the walls of buildings while clutching its nape that had been directly hit by Lightning Charge.

    However, even that was momentary.

    Releasing the clutch on his nape, its eyes opened wide with anger as it looked at Ohjin.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    Ohjin cursed out of shame.

    Though that was the opportunity he needed to finish things up, he had lost the timing¡ªas he had been busy saving people.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t like he could let the group of Reptilians massacre the escaping civilians, either.

    ¡®Back to square one.¡¯

    <i>Clench¡ª </i>

    He grasped his spear and lowered his stance.

    Even though it could be called square one, it didn¡¯t mean that everything he had done until then was meaningless.

    ¡°Krrrrrr¡­¡±

    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±

    Ohjinughed as his lips twisted up.

    The Lightning Charge had definitely left a scar that the monster couldn¡¯t recover from easily.

    ¡®Since I know that the attack¡¯s effective¡­¡¯

    All he had to do was shoot Lightning Charges until the giant waspletely destroyed.

    [My child. Are you sure you won¡¯t need the blessing?]

    <i>Dazzle¡ª</i>

    Vega, who had flown next to him, asked with a worried voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t bluffing.

    If he had thought that he was in a situation where the blessing was in urgent need, the first thing he would have done was put aside the act and beg her to grant him a blessing.

    However¡­

    ¡®I can do it.¡¯

    An electrifying thrill ran through him when he finished preparing the Lightning Charge.

    His body heated up from the ecstasy that came over him when he controlled mana as he pleased.

    ¡®If I receive a blessing right now¡­¡¯

    The power that was temporarily increased by the blessing would soon disappear like a mirage.

    Perhaps along with the thrill and ecstasy he felt at that moment.

    It could all disperse away.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen.¡¯

    Focusing his mind on the sensation that heated up his body, he increased the strength in his grip around the spear.

    ¡°KaRaaaaaaAA!!¡±

    <i>Bang! Bang!¡ª </i>

    The giant kicked off.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    He sprinted towards the approaching giant.

    The four arms swung with enough momentum to crush him to dust.

    <i>Bang!!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Kugk!¡±

    Even though he was only grazed, his body was sent rolling on the ground from the shocking impact.

    ¡®A little more.¡¯

    He got back on his feet.

    He ignored the dreadful pain that radiated across his entire body.

    <i>Boom! Bang! Kwaang!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Kughk!¡±

    The opponent was too fast. Attacks that were so fast that he couldn¡¯t even see their origin rained down like a storm.

    ¡°Haa! Haa!¡±

    Ohjin managed to narrowly avoid the attacks.

    It was a dangerous situation where his entire body would get crushed the moment he took a wrong step.

    Mental fear started to eat away his mind.

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    ¡°KughK!! Kuh! Cough! Cough!¡±

    The fist grazed him once more, and his body was sent flying back.

    His sight wavered.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°GuRaaaaaarRRRR!!!¡±

    Was it because it thought it had already been deemed the victor? The flesh giant let out a roar and charged at him with even more ferocity.

    ¡°Haa, haa, haa!¡±

    Ohjin gasped for breath.

    His footwork deteriorated as strength left his legs.

    It was the worst situation.

    It was to the point where it wouldn¡¯t be weird to immediately beg Vega for a blessing.

    ¡°Haa, haa, ha.¡±

    How¡ª

    ¡°Ha, haa.¡±

    ¡ªwas it that he was so happy?

    ¡°Ha, haha!¡±

    How could such thrill and ecstasy be overflowing through him?

    <i>Bang!!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    He rolled and avoided the fiercely swung fist.

    The giant stuck close to him, not giving him the room for rest.

    Fists rained down likeets.

    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!¡ª </i>

    Dodge¡­ Dodge¡­ Dodge¡­

    A smell mixed with iron, blood, and sweat stimted his nose.

    The senses across his body sharpened as if he was using the stigma of the Hunting Dogs.

    The giant¡¯s movements he could not possibly follow before started to be clear in his eyes.

    His messed up footwork found its original pace.

    ¡®Now¡­¡¯

    Things he could not see before started to appear before his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s my turn.¡±

    He stopped dodging and swung his spear.

    <i>Crackleeeeeee!!!¡ª </i>

    A Lightning Charge exploded at the tip of his spear.

    ¡°KaRaaaa!!!¡±

    One of the four arms was crushed to pieces.

    ¡°This is just the start.¡±

    <i>Crackleee! Crackleeeee!¡ª</i>

    He exploded out Lightning Charges one after another.

    The giant wavered as it started to step back.

    Following the giant, he continued to shove Lightning Charges without rest.

    No matter how plentiful his mana was, consecutively using a skill that didn¡¯t take any efficiency into ount couldn¡¯t help but strain his body, however¡­

    ¡®My mana isn¡¯t being reduced.¡¯

    It was the same phenomenon as before.

    The more mana he used, the more mana would soar up with intense momentum.

    It felt as if he was sucking water out of the ocean.

    ¡®If it won¡¯t reduce no matter how much of it I use.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s lips twisted up.

    He poured out mana to the limit of what his body could handle for every single blow of Lightning Charge.

    <i>Crackleeee!!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°KaaRaaaaaaa!¡±

    The flesh giant that couldn¡¯t endure the barrage of Lightning Charges turned its body.

    ¡°Where are you running off to?¡±

    Ohjin spread his arms out wide.

    He shot wires towards the debris of the buildings that were destroyed when the giant went on a rampage.

    <i>Bang! Bang!!¡ª </i>

    Five wires stuck to the building''s debris.

    ¡°Hmpf!!!¡±

    Taking in a deep breath, he crossed his arms into an X.

    The debris stuck to the wires wrapped around the giant.

    ¡®Now!¡¯

    Until the limit¡­

    No, pushing mana over the limit!

    <i>Boooooooooom!!!¡ª </i>

    A total of five Lightning Charges rode the wires and exploded simultaneously.

    -Ring!

    [¡¶Lightning Charge Lv1¡· has increased to ¡¶Lightning Charge Lv2¡·!]

    [¡¶Lightning Charge Lv2¡·has increased to ¡¶Lightning Charge Lv3¡·!]

    Alongside the message box that disyed that he had leveled a skill twice in one go¡ª

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    ¡ªthe giant¡¯s body fell to the ground.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was a brief silence.

    And then¡­

    ¡°W-Wow.¡±

    ¡°Woaaaaaah!!!¡±

    ¡°H-He killed that monster!!!¡±

    ¡°W-Who is that Awakener? Which guild is he from?!¡±

    Thunderous apuse exploded out.

    [M-My child. Are you okay?] Vega asked as she urgently approached him.

    Ohjin smiled towards her and raised his thumb.

    ¡°I told you to wait right there, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    [¡­]

    Though the state of his body wasn¡¯t actually all that fine, he showed off as if it was nothing.

    [Fuu¡­ Seriously! Do you know how worried thisdy was!]

    ¡°Huhu. I still won.¡±

    [Hmpf! Didn¡¯t you take quite a while after saying that you¡¯ll end it in an instant!]

    Vega turned her head around while crossing her arms as if she was upset.

    ¡®¡­When did our Goddess be so cutesy?¡¯

    The appearance of Vega when he had first met her¡ªaloof like a flower that had blossomed alone at a cliff¡ªwas nowhere to be seen.

    ¡®On a different note.¡¯

    Turning his head, he looked at the crowd that had surrounded him.

    ¡°Hugk! Thank you!! Thank you so much!¡±

    ¡°Pictures! Hurry up and take pictures!!¡±

    The crowd that had gathered from themotion already numbered hundreds.

    ¡®Well, I guess hiding my identity is over with this.¡¯

    As he had eliminated the monster in front of that many people, information about him would soon spread like the wind.

    ¡®And naturally, the fact that I¡¯m a North Star¡¯s apostle will also be exposed.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t feel all that regretful since he had predicted that this would happen someday. It was just that it was pulled to a closer date.

    ¡°H-Hey.¡±

    Then, a person from the crowd initiated a conversation with him. It was a middle-aged male wearing a suit that seemed to be for work. He continued speaking while taking a business card out of his pocket.

    ¡°I¡¯m Reporter Go Kwanghyun from Chollian News. Could I perhaps¡­ ask which guild you are affiliated with?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m from the Association,¡± Ohjin answered with a kind smile.

    ¡®It¡¯s already ended up like this; let¡¯s just go with a kind image.¡¯

    Approaching others with a likable image was extremely important.

    ¡®Since the better your image is, the easier to earn trust.¡¯

    And that trust would someday turn into nutrients.

    ¡°W-Was there an Awakener like that from the Association?¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ he was from the Association; I¡¯d have never guessed.¡±

    ¡°But doesn¡¯t he seem like a really nice person?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah!¡±

    Exmations could be heard from all over the ce.

    ¡®Alright.¡¯

    Ohjin smiled in satisfaction.

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡±

    ¡°<i>Whistle!</i> You¡¯re so cool!!¡±

    He could hear thunderous apuse and appreciation from here and there.

    ¡®I should act humble.¡¯

    In order to possess a more likable image, there was nothing better than being humble.

    ¡°No. I¡¯ve only done what I should ha¡ª¡±

    [Fufu! Did you all see clearly?!]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Vega ced both arms on her hips and stepped forward.

    [The hero that has saved you all is the very child of thisdy!!!]

    <i>Hmpf!!¡ª </i>

    With her back straightened, she shouted out as if boasting.

    An appearance like that of a dull mom bragging about her son.

    [¡­Ah!]

    <i>p!¡ª </i>

    Then, Vega smiled brightly as if she hade up with a good idea.

    ¡®Why do I feel¡­¡¯

    Anxiety swept over him.

    [By the way¡­ you are all expressing your thanks only with words.]

    ¡®What?¡¯

    [How could you express your thanks like that when your savior is right in front of you!!!]

    ¡®What are you talking about.¡¯

    [Our child wees money very much!!]

    ¡®Fuck¡­¡¯

    [¡ªHurry up and present my child with money!!!]

    ¡®Fucking stop!¡­¡¯

    ¡®I need to maintain a humble image!!!!¡¯

    His mouth opened wide with a dumbstruck expression.

    ¡°Uh¡­ money?¡±

    ¡°Khm. T-That¡¯s right? He¡¯s the savior of our life after all.¡±

    With disappointed expressions, the people opened their wallets and handed money over to Vega.

    [Fufu. How was that?]

    Vega extended the money to him while puffing her chest out.

    [Thisdy has arranged money for you!]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Fuck me.¡¯

 Chapter 34: Paradise (1)

    The day after the Seoul Station incident.

    Ohjin finished his early training and headed towards the Association.

    <i>Knock, knock¡ª </i>

    ¡°Yes,e in.¡±

    Entering Team Leader Han¡¯s office, he could see that there were several times the normal amount of documents piled up.

    ¡°This is¡­?¡±

    ¡°Haha! Wasn¡¯t there a massive upheaval yesterday?¡±

    Despite the apparent signs of fatigue, a bright smile was ced on Team Leader Han¡¯s face.

    ¡®Well.¡¯

    Ohjin being revealed as being affiliated with the Association would have been quite the hot topic.

    ¡°Seriously¡­ the inte has gone crazy with all sorts of stories about you. Have you seen it?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t take time to look into it myself,¡± Ohjin sat on his usual spot with a smile.

    Team Leader Han grinned in high spirits while cing two cups of coffee on the table.

    ¡°I have received contact from sixteen guilds from just this morning alone; eight guilds amongst them have even sent donations to the Association.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ in one day?¡±

    ¡°Haha! The ones that are quick on their feet survive in this industry, after all.¡±

    Team Leader Han exploded out in heartyughter and took a sip of coffee.

    ¡°¡­But.¡±

    His voice slightly settled down.

    ¡°From this matter¡­ the fact that you are a North Star¡¯s apostle has also spread.¡±

    Indeed.

    No matter how much effort was put into regting the mass media, there was no way rumors wouldn¡¯t spread when he had defeated an enormous monster in front of that many people.

    ¡°Well, I expected that much.¡±

    ¡°I apologize. Our side tried to at least prevent the fact that you¡¯re a North Star¡¯s apostle from being discovered, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Huhu. It¡¯s alright.¡±

    Hiding the fact that he was a North Star¡¯s apostle was nothing but a temporary measure to buy time until he umted strength anyways.

    ¡®5-Star, no, it would have been better if It was hidden until I at least achieved 4-Star, but¡­¡¯

    It was already spilled milk.

    Star of the Weaver Girl, Vega¡¯s one and only apostle.

    With that title, there was no need to yield to anyone.

    ¡°By the way¡­ uh¡­ looking at the articles, I heard that you demanded money from the people you saved¡­¡± said Team Leader Han cautiously.

    ¡°Ah. T-That¡­¡±

    There was nothing he could say.

    Although the one who demanded it was not him but Vega, in the eyes of other people, it would most likely look like he ordered his summoned guardian spirit or something along those lines to request for money.

    ¡®I¡¯m probably getting shit on, right?¡¯

    The reason why he intentionally didn¡¯t look up the news previously was for that same reason.

    ¡°¡ªThat was seriously a stroke of genius.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡®What nonsense is that?¡¯

    ¡°Somewhat like a tsundere? Well, your poprity has skyrocketed from that sort of thing.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡®A fucking dere?¡¯

    ¡°Hm? Have you not seen the article Chollian News published yesterday as well?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Here, take a look at this.¡±

    Team Leader Han held out a tablet and clicked on the article.

    The entire front page of the article was a photo of him dramatically saving a child that had fallen on the ground in amazingposition.

    ¡®Just when did they take this?¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    It was an image of himnding in front of the fallen child while the hem of his clothes fluttered with his blue lightning-epassed body.

    It wasn¡¯t an understatement in the least to say that it looked like a scene taken out of a movie.

    ¡°The words you said while saving this child have be such a hot topic.¡±

    ¡°What words?¡±

    ¡®I only said to hurry up and escape.¡¯

    ¡°Hm? After saving the child, didn¡¯t you say ¡®I wasn¡¯t really trying to save you or anything¡¯?¡±

    ¡®No I didn¡¯t?¡¯

    ¡°And then bam! You covered the fallen child with your coat!¡±

    ¡®How do I cover the child when I have no coat? What the hell? You should be able to tell from the photo anyway.¡¯

    ¡°Even turning your body around and saying, ¡®hurry up¡­ and escape¡¯ with a low voice at the end!!!¡±

    ¡®Please write articles, not novels.¡¯

    ¡°Anyways, you demanding money at the end has be all the rage because of that.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°It feels kind of like you¡¯re saying ¡®The reason I saved you all was for the money anyways¡¯ or something like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Ipletely understand.¡±

    ¡®Wow, what in the world? So this is what it feels like to be the victim.¡¯

    As the one who went around scamming every day, he felt light-headed, thinking if that was what all the people victimized by him would have felt.

    ¡®Well, in this case.¡¯

    Even though he was scammed, it was applied in a way favorable to him anyways.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s the name of the one who published that article?¡±

    ¡°It is Reporter Go Kwanghyun.¡±

    ¡®It was that bastard? Come to think of it; there could be no one other than him, after all.¡¯

    ¡®¡­I¡¯ll have to pay him a visit soon.¡¯

    It was a bit embarrassing, but he was able to ovee the crisis of having an unlikable image set in stone thanks to it.

    ¡®It¡¯ll be useful in the future if I use this to my advantage.¡¯

    Forming at least one connection with the press would make thingsfortable in many ways.

    Voluntary or not, the title of North Star¡¯s apostle would inevitably receive the attention of the masses.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°By the way, an uproar has arisen in ¡®Paradise¡¯ recently because of this incident as well. Well, monsters appeared under the heart of the city all of a sudden, after all¡­¡±

    Paradise.

    Hearing that word reminded Ohjin of his original objective ining to the Association.

    <i>Clunk¡ª</i>

    He ced down the starstone he had harvested from the flesh giant, along with all the mutant¡¯s starstones he had gathered until then.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°These are the starstones I earned from killing the flesh giant and Reptilians.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s quite a lot of them.¡±

    Team Leader Han observed the ck starstones that were piled up on the table.

    Excluding the starstone harvested from the flesh giant, the starstones were only sized around a coin, but there were a substantial amount of them.

    ¡°I want these off my hands.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Team Leader Han narrowed his eyes and spread out the ck starstones piled up on the table.

    ¡°Excluding these two, their quality isn¡¯t all that good.¡±

    One of them was the starstone he earned from killing the flesh giant, and the other was from the mucus giant he had dealt with inside the Mok-dong dungeon.

    Naturally, the starstone harvested from the flesh giant was overwhelminglyrger.

    ¡°How much do you think they will total?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    Team Leader Han continued speaking while holding up one of the ck starstones.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, the price of mutant starstones has gone down a lottely.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve gone down a lot?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The supply has increased by arge amount as the number of mutant appearances have shot up recently.¡±

    It was news Ohjin had never heard of.

    ¡°As our side is still in the middle of investigating, we haven¡¯t made a public announcement yet¡­ but the rumors say that supplies have increased by nearly tenfold.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The question ¡®Is it connected to the ck Star¡¯s celestials?¡¯ shed across his mind, but he didn¡¯t say it out loud.

    ¡°Still¡­ since there¡¯s arge amount of them, and because the size and quality of these two are especially outstanding¡­ Hm. $4,000,000 at least? You could potentially receive more.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    That was enough.

    He could reach the amount he aimed for and still have leftovers.

    ¡°I want to sell these in a hurry.¡±

    ¡°In a hurry?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Within a few days if possible.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ I believe that it¡¯ll be difficult to sell this amount of starstones in a few days. The trade for mutant starstones has especially gone down as the market price is unstable.¡±

    ¡°Then how is it if the Association gives me $3,000,000 in advance and takes the remaining profit?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Team Leader Han¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    No matter how urgent he was in need of money, to think he was willing to give a minimum of $1,000,000 to the Association?

    ¡®Awakener Ohjin¡­ isn¡¯t this type of person.¡¯

    It hadn¡¯t been long since he had met him, but judging from how he acted during the Association contract and receiving requests, it wasn¡¯t hard to tell how fanatically obsessed Ohjin was about money.

    ¡°Could you do that for me?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­ of course. With those conditions, the one who¡¯s doing the requesting should be us.¡±

    ¡°Then please do so.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There were mountains of questions he wanted to ask, but he decided not to press on.

    ¡°We¡¯ll transfer $3,000,000 to your ount around tomorrow afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ohjin nodded his head with a slight smile.

    ¡°Ah, right. Could I get this repaired as well?¡±

    Ohjin took out the wire shooter and ced it on the table.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s inoperationable.¡±

    ¡°No. One of the wires was cut off.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Then that won¡¯t take too long to fix.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. I¡¯m sorry I have to request a repair the day after receiving it after you went through all that trouble to make it for me.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! No, it¡¯s okay. A lot of things happened yesterday, after all.¡±

    Shaking his head, Team Leader Han took the wire shooter.

    ¡°Is there nothing else you wish to ask?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There is none.¡±

    Ohjin got up from his spot while nodding his head.

    ¡°Ah, wait a minute. There¡¯s something I have for you.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°What you requested before.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Come to think of it; there was one other thing requested along with the production of his equipment.

    ¡°We have prepared it in the highest quality.¡±

    <i>Clunk¡ª</i>

    Team Leader Han ced a luxurious ck case around a meter long on top of the table.

    ¡°How much is it?¡±

    ¡°The total is around $170,000.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    Ohjin took out his phone in order to send the money.

    ¡°No. We¡¯ll take this amount out of the profit that we¡¯ll receive this time.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    Ohjin thought for a moment and soon slightly nodded his head.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do so.¡±

    As the money from the profit would end up being taken from the same ce that was already going to profit from him, it was more or less the same as purchasing it with his own money.

    Ohjin took the ck case Team Leader Han held out with care.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. There¡¯s still one more thing I have to give you.¡±

    ¡°Another?¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head and looked at Team Leader Han.

    Team Leader Han handed him a card that had the Association¡¯s emblem embedded in. On the card was a photo of Ohjin¡ªalong with simple personal information.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°This is an Association Special Officer license.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Special Officer?¡±

    Association Special Officer.

    A simpleparison would be a special agent affiliated with the Association.

    ¡®Holy shit. He¡¯s giving this to me?¡¯

    Even though the Association was disrespected here and there, Special Officers were an exception. It was because they would only issue the license to Awakeners that have been proven to be skilled amongst the Association.

    Moreover, powerful authority for investigation would be granted to Special Officers. To put in bluntly, even detaining a random person passing down the street and performing a stop-and-search was possible.

    ¡®Though doing shit like that will naturally leave you discharged from the office the very same day.¡¯

    Anyways, it meant that the authority they possessed was <i>that</i> powerful.

    ¡°This is¡­ very unexpected.¡±

    ¡°Haha. It is a bit early, but we were able to issue it so early because the Association¡¯s chairman enthusiastically pushed the matter.¡±

    It seemed like the chairman had made preparations in case Ohjin left for some major guild as his poprity had risen all of a sudden from the incident.

    ¡®Still, they¡¯re issuing a Special Officer License when I¡¯ve been in the Association for <i>how long</i>?¡¯

    ¡®Just how desperate are they?¡¯

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll take it for now.¡±

    There was no reason to refuse when the other side was willing.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Have a safe trip.¡±

    After sharing simple goodbyes, he exited the Association.

    The fresh sunlight was gleaming down.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    Letting out a deep breath, he raised his smartphone.

    Opening the bank app, he confirmed his bnce.

    ¡®$7,000,000.¡¯

    As $3,000,000 woulde in the next day, he had saved up a total of $10,000,000.

    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ saved it all.¡±

    His voice shook.

    He turned around and started to move his feet.

    He had achieved the amount he aimed for.

    There was now only one step left,

    ¡®Towards Paradise.¡¯

 Chapter 35: Paradise (2)

    ¡°Arg.¡±

    Cold air seeped through the windows.

    Ha-eun shivered while lying on the bed, her body covered with a nket.

    ¡®Damn, it¡¯s cold.¡¯

    It was fortunate she possessed a superhuman body because otherwise, the temperature would be cold enough to push her to the brink of death.

    ¡®The heater¡­ uh, let¡¯s not.¡¯

    Ohjin had said that it was okay to turn it on if it was too cold, but when she recalled the appearance of Ohjin murmuring every time he received the maintenance bills, it got on her conscience.

    ¡°Ugh. Let¡¯s hold on with the electric nket for now.¡±

    As she had been living this kind of lifestyle for several years, she was quite used to it.

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    She clumsily stretched out her hands and turned on the electric nket.

    ¡°Haa,¡± she let out a brief sigh before taking out her phone.

    Although she couldn¡¯t see the screen, she was able to turn on the video that contained thetest news without much difficulty.

    [A lot of attention is gathering around Association-affiliated Awakener Ohjin from the incident that happened at around 4 PM yesterday.]

    [Theizens that have seen the relevant articles have titled Awakener Ohjin the ¡®Lightning Wolf¡¯ and have relentlessly praised the birth of a new hero.]

    Every single news report was about Ohjin.

    ¡°Wow¡­ so this is actually happening.¡±

    She had predicted that things would develop like this to some extent when she had first heard that Ohjin became a North Star¡¯s apostle, but hearing his name on the news still felt incredibly strange.

    ¡®If he¡¯s be this famous¡­ he¡¯ll amass money rapidly.¡¯ Song Ha-eun smiled bitterly.

    She intuitively felt that there wasn¡¯t much time left until they went their separate ways.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s see,¡± she searched up a different video and turned it on.

    [All the star relics submitted to December¡¯s Yongsan Auction that will take ce in two days have been confirmed.]

    [Noteable star relics amongst the 7-Star rank are the ¡®Sword of Dawn¡¯ and the ¡®Twilight Knot¡¯; the 6-Star ¡®Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye¡¯ has also shown its appearance once again after one year and three months. In addition¡­]

    <i>Beep¡ª</i>

    She turned the video off.

    ¡°Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye¡­¡± she said with a slightly trembling voice.

    <i>Grip¡ª</i>

    Veins popped out of her clenched fists.

    Then¡ª

    [Did you wake up just now?]

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaak!!¡±

    ¡ªA voice was heard right next to her.

    Screaming, Ha-eun instantly got up.

    ¡°H-Huh?¡±

    [Why are you so surprised?]

    ¡°D-Didn¡¯t you go out with Ohjin?¡±

    Ha-eun naturally thought Vega would have left with Ohjin, who had gone out around one hour previous for business he had with the Association¡­

    [He left the pendant behind.]

    It appeared that he had left Vega behind because the business didn¡¯t require her presence.

    ¡°¡­I-Is that so?¡±

    An awkward atmosphere lingered in the room.

    It was her first time talking with Vega one-on-one.

    ¡°By the way, don¡¯t celestials take in themandment¡¯s restriction or something if they materialize themself on Earth like you are right now?¡±

    [A couple of hours a day is fine.]

    ¡°I see.¡±

    [There is something thisdy wishes to ask with this opportunity.]

    ¡°Something you want to ask?¡± Ha-eun tilted her head.

    [It seems that my child has quite the obsession with money.]

    ¡°Ah¡­ well, yeah.¡±

    [Do you know the reason?]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s lips shut tight.

    A bitter smile formed on her lips.

    The reason why Ohjin was desperately saving up money.

    Of course she knew.

    It was impossible to be ignorant about it.

    Since she had heard it not from someone else but directly from his mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s in order¡­ to go to Paradise,¡± said Ha-eun as if swallowing strong alcohol.

    [Paradise?]

    Vega blinked from the very abstract word.

    ¡°Ah, Paradise is just what the people call it. The official name is Ganghwa Ind Special Autonomous Zone.¡±

    [Hmm. Thisdy still does not understand.]

    ¡°Uh¡­ so,¡± Ha-eun continued her exnation in a calm and orderly way.

    Ganghwa Ind Special Autonomous Zone.

    Otherwise known as the so-called ¡®Paradise¡¯.

    Inside that crazy world crawling with monsters, it was one of the few ¡®Safe Zones¡¯.

    Neither themon gates nor monsters could be found in that ce¡ªnot even heinous criminals or illegal organizations could set foot there.

    And¡­

    ¡°Once you enter that ce, I heard that you¡¯ll also receive three meals a day.¡±

    A ce you wouldn¡¯t have to worry about food, clothing, or shelter.

    Before the gates opened, it was the one and only ce that preserved the appearance of a peaceful andfortable Korea.

    ¡°¡ªOhjin is saving up money to buy the right to move in.¡±

    $10,000,000 was the price of moving into ¡®Paradise¡¯.

    If you could pay $10,000,000 and move into that ce, there was nothing to worry about from then on. All that was left was tough while enjoying a peaceful lifestyle.

    [¡­Was there such a ce?]

    Vega narrowed her eyes as if she couldn¡¯t understand.

    [Thisdy does not understand well. The ¡®Safe Zone¡¯, for what reason do you¡ª]

    ¡°It¡¯s because the Star of Celestial Pivot, Cheon Sanggil, and his guild members live there.¡±

    Star of Celestial Pivot, Cheon Sanggil.

    The only Korean member of the Seven Stars.

    The Ganghwa Ind Special Autonomous Zone was directly supervised by Cheon Sanggil and his guild, ¡®Heaven¡¯s Grace¡¯. If that ce couldn¡¯t be called a safe zone, no other ce could.

    ¡°Paradise: the ce rich entrepreneurs, celebrities, and Awakeners are all scrambling to go."

    [Then are you saying that my child is saving up money in order to enter that ce?]

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    [Hmm.]

    It seemed like Vega still hadn¡¯t understood, as she remained in deep thought.

    Song Ha-eun continued speaking with a slight smile.

    ¡°¡­Do you know what he dreamed of since he was a kid?¡± said Ha-eun with a sunken voice.

    Inside of her empty gaze, she wandered around a foggy forest of memories.

    The figure of a child could be seen.

    ck hair with slightly droopy eyes.

    A boy curled up, touching his cheek filled with bruises.

    [What was it?]

    ¡°To live in a ce where he wouldn¡¯t be sick, wouldn¡¯t be cold, and wouldn¡¯t be hungry.¡±

    [¡­?]

    ¡°Kyahaha! Isn¡¯t it very simple?¡± Sheughed as she shook her shoulders.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    She continued with a grainy voice.

    ¡°Even that simple happiness felt so far away to us.¡±

    [¡­]

    Vega was silent.

    Emotions¡­

    She felt a torrent of heavy emotions that were difficult toprehend.

    [Was there a being that persecuted my child?]

    ¡°Mhm. Our orphanage director.¡±

    Recalling the childhood memories, Song Ha-eun tightly bit on her lips.

    ¡°He got beat up every day. Other kids were beaten every now and then, but¡­ it was especially severe for Ohjin.¡±

    [Was there a reason?]

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°It was originally¡­ me. The director¡¯s main target was not Ohjin but me."

    [¡­]

    ¡°Hehe! I¡¯ve had a sharp temper ever since I was young.¡±

    Augh mixed with self-deprecation.

    ¡°But¡­ as I got beat up every day, it started to get really rough for me. That¡¯s why I even thought of hanging myself to fuck with the Director.¡±

    [Could you not request help from the other little ones?]

    ¡°How could mere 10-year-old babies help? And whenever we requested help from anyone else, they would all ignore us since that Director bastard had personal connections.¡±

    [¡­It must have been difficult.]

    ¡°Yeah. It was really¡­ really difficult.¡±

    Ha-eun slowly bit her lips as she recalled the nightmare.

    ¡°Then, one day, I bit on the Director''s arm really hard, yeah? When I was getting beat up the entire day¡­ pfft! Do you know what that lunatic Ohjin did?¡±

    Vega shook her head.

    Although there was no way for Ha-eun to confirm the response, she continued.

    ¡°All of a sudden, he said that there was a fire in the kitchen and that we all had to run away. So the Director ran outside while screaming.¡±

    [So what happened?]

    ¡°What happened? It ended with the Director being humiliated.¡±

    [¡­?]

    ¡°Hehehe! There was no fire; it was all a lie.¡± Ha-eun cackled out, still finding it hrious.

    ¡°Ohjin, that guy, he fooled the Director like eating breakfast. No matter how often he was beaten up, he continued to trick the Director with extraordinary methods the very next day.¡±

    [So¡­ was the target changed from you to Ohjin?]

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    Song Ha-eun put up her knees and tilted her head.

    ¡°To be honest, I¡­ was relieved¡­ From the hope that I would no longer have to get beat up¡­ I was really, really happy.¡±

    <i>Drip¡ª</i>

    The tears pent-up in her eyes flowed down her cheeks. Her arms that were embracing her knees started to shake.

    ¡°Even though I was fully aware that he was doing it all for me¡­ I still¡­ I was still¡­!¡±

    [It is not your fault.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A brief silence.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. That guy Ohjin said the same thing.¡±

    [¡­]

    ¡°Well, anyway. There was only one thing he wished for since his childhood¡­¡±

    Not being sick, not being cold, not being hungry, and¡­

    ¡°A life where he could live on¡­ without lying.¡±

    That was the wish he longed for and desired.

    ¡°Ohjin will go to Paradise.¡±

    And then¡­

    He would part with Ha-eun.

    [Were you not going to go with him?]

    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t go.¡± Ha-eun shook her head.

    [Is it because of money?]

    ¡°There¡¯s also that¡­ but even with the money, I can¡¯t pass the test.¡±

    [Test?]

    ¡°Yeah. In order to enter Paradise, you need to take all sorts of examinations and pass a test.¡±

    Her lonely gray eyes that reflected nothing stared into the void.

    ¡°How could a dumbass that can¡¯t even see enter Paradise?¡± Sheughed bitterly at herself.

    [Then what will happen to you?]

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll need to live on my own.¡±

    [However¡­]

    ¡°Kyahaha! Oh my, are you perhaps worried about me, Miss Goddess?¡±

    [¡­]

    ¡°I was still a 7-Star Awakener just five years ago. I can manage to live alone somehow.¡±

    Although she had lost everything, she was an Awakener that was deemed ¡®strong¡¯ in the past.

    * * *

    * * *

    [¡­How did that happen to you?]

    ¡°This?¡± Song Ha-eun pointed towards her missing right leg and empty eyes.

    She chuckled.

    ¡°Was it five or six years ago? I became like this from fighting a disgustingly strong monster.¡±

    Thousand-Curse Dragon (Ç§…âýˆ), Barbatos.

    A 9-Star dragon-type monster.

    Ha-eun, who had been defeated by it, received a ¡®curse¡¯.

    The dreadful curse of a dragon that took away sight and sealed mana.

    ¡°Anyways¡­¡±

    <i>Flop¡ª</i>

    Song Ha-euny down on the bed.

    The heated electric nket drove out the cold.

    ¡°I made a promise with Ohjin five years ago.¡±

    [What kind of promise?]

    ¡°To be exact, rather than a promise¡­ I pressured him,¡± Ha-eunughed bitterly.

    Naturally, the memories from back then resurfaced.

    The short exchange they shared in the cold dark room filled with mold.

    <i>-You¡¯re going to buy the right to enter Paradise?</i>

    <i>-That¡¯s right.</i>

    <i>-¡­Then stay with me until then.</i>

    <i>-Stay with you?</i>

    <i>-Don''t you owe me something for these past three years? Didn¡¯t I save you and take care of you during that time?</i>

    <i>-¡­</i>

    <i>-It¡¯s alright if you go where you want to once you finish saving up $10,000,000.</i>

    <i>-¡­Okay.</i>

    She recalled the sunken voice of Ohjin.

    That¡¯s right; she had cursed him that day.

    A curse like the one that hadpletely ruined her life.

    A curse named ¡®Song Ha-eun¡¯.

    ¡°Hahaha! Wow, even thinking about it now, I really am an incredible bitch!¡± Ha-eunughed and pped her hands.

    ¡°How could I make such a request when he had no method to make $10,000,000, especially as someone who wasn¡¯t even an Awakener.¡±

    That promise was nothing but an excuse to avoid being left alone.

    In order to lock him up together with her inside the pitch-ck darkness where one couldn¡¯t see.

    ¡°¡­I was punished.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t possibly imagine that Ohjin would be an Awakener.

    Ohjin bing a North Star¡¯s apostle was something she had never imagined, even in her wildest dreams.

    She thought she would be able to stay together with him for a few more years at least. However, he became an Awakener of Lyra and became famous enough to be stered all around the news.

    It wouldn¡¯t be long until he saved up $10,000,000.

    ¡ªDivine Punishment.

    That¡¯s right.

    She received divine punishment for trying to use him with her stubbornness.

    ¡°Hehe. So¡ª¡±

    Ha-eun picked up the clutches and clumsily stood up.

    She continued as she bowed down courteously.

    <b>¡°¡ªPlease¡­ take good care of our Ohjin.¡±</b>

    She said it with a heavily sunken voice in a pleading, almost begging manner.

    [¡­]

    With her arms crossed, Vega looked down at Song Ha-eun bowing before her.

    ¡®My child¡¯s wish is to part ways with this little one and go to the ce called Paradise?¡¯

    Vegs''s expression said that she was confused as ever.

    ¡®If that¡¯s so¡­ why did he have that expression?¡¯

    When Vega first met Song Ha-eun¡­

    She recalled his immediate expression when she had first asked about Ha-eun¡¯s eyes.

    His expression had been filled with despair¡ªas if he was wandering around an endless desert in search of water.

    T/N: Reminder that Ha-eun can''t see Ohjin''s expressions. Favorite chapter so far btw. :^)

    Each Seven Star will be named with the ording title:

    Star of Celestial Pivot (ØÀÇÐÇ, Dubhe) / First Star of the Big Dipper

    Star of Celestial Rotating Jade (¾ÞéTÐÇ, Merak) / Second Star of the Big Dipper

    Star of Celestial Shining Pearl (µ“´æÐÇ, Phecda) / Third Star of the Big Dipper

    Star of Celestial Bnce (ÎÄÇúÐÇ, Megrez) / Fourth Star of the Big Dipper

    Star of Jade Sighting-Tube (Á®Ø‘ÐÇ, Alioth) / Fifth Star of the Big Dipper

    Star of The Opener of Heat (ÎäÇúÐÇ, Mizar) / Sixth Star of the Big Dipper

    Star of Twinkling Brilliance (ÆÆÜŠÐÇ, Alkaid) / Seventh Star of the Big Dipper

 Chapter 36: Paradise (3)

    The next morning¡ª

    <i>¡°Yawn.¡± </i>

    ¡ªHa-eun got up early in the morning and stretched for the first time in a while.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Since Ohjin and Vega had woken up at early dawn to leave for training, an awkward silence lingered in the small room.

    ¡°I should wash up and start to prepare.¡±

    For the first time in a really long time, she had business to take care of outside.

    <i>Ssh!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kyaaak! Fucking cold!!¡±

    She filled therge stic bowl with water and poured it over her body. Her body was swept by an unbelievable chill because hot water wouldn¡¯te out easily.

    ¡®Once I move to another ce in the future, I¡¯ll be sure to go to a ce that at least has functional hot water.¡¯

    Her body shivered as she grabbed the towel. Once she dried off all the water off her body, she took out the prosthetic leg located in the drawer under the bed.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    She groaned unintentionally from the feeling of the hard stone pressing down on her knee. The texture didn¡¯t feel good to the touch as the prosthetic leg was such a cheap product.

    ¡®I need my card and ID¡­¡¯

    She rummaged deep inside the drawer, which was full of luggage she hadn¡¯t taken out in a while. It wasn¡¯t easy to find what she wanted when she could only use her touch to differentiate things.

    Once she rummaged through for a couple more minutes, she was able to find both her card and ID.

    ¡®Clothes¡­ there shouldn¡¯t be anything that¡¯s weird, right?¡¯

    Ha-eun clumsily put on a turtleneck and jeans. Though she was able to put them on, she wasn¡¯t able to tell the details or confirm thebination of colors.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    She sighed, thinking about the possibility that she was wearing a stupidbination of clothes.

    She stopped worrying about it and put on a coat. Finally, she took out her sneakers from the shoe closet and put them on her foot and prosthetic leg.

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    Taking the cane left by the closet with her, she headed outside.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    The cold air of December crashed against her.

    ¡°¡­let¡¯s go.¡±

    She stretched the cane forward while mumbling bitter words.

    <i>Tap, tap, tap¡ª</i>

    Confirming the path with the cane, she continued walking.

    As an Awakener deemed ¡®strong¡¯ in the past, it wasn¡¯t hard for her to find her way with her developed senses.

    ¡°Hehe, this is easy alone!¡±

    It was her first time going this far out alone since Ohjin had always apanied her when she had matters to take care of outside for the past five years.

    She felt slightly nervous at the start, but it was momentary.

    Sound, feel, and even the smell that faintly tickled her nose.

    With her superhuman senses, she was able to draw the nearby environment in her head and walk naturally to the extent that it would be hard to believe that she was blind.

    ¡°Fufu! Do you see this, bastard?¡±

    Showing off to a person who wasn¡¯t there, she walked forward in high spirits.

    Was it because she was too excited?

    <i>Crash¡ª</i>

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    She ran her face directly into the tree trunk sprouting out of the flower beds. Her face directly impacted it since she couldn¡¯t tell whether it was there or not with her cane.

    ¡°Fu¡­¡±

    She rubbed her nose and started to walk unnecessarily recklessly.

    <i>Ring!¡ª </i>

    After facing all kinds of hardship, she arrived at the bank.

    Ha-eun, who had followed the employee¡¯s guidance, sat down on her seat and took out her card and ID.

    ¡°You want to withdraw all the installment savings and deposits you currently possess?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    It had been sitting there for five years.

    It was the ount that held the money from when she was active as an Awakener for three years after the gates first opened eight years ago.

    Something that she hadn¡¯t even told Ohjin¡ªherst ¡®string of hope¡¯.

    ¡°Then¡­ uhm, around how much is in it?¡± Ha-eun asked with a voice filled with nervousness.

    Sweat filled the insides of her clenched fist.

    ¡°Combining all the interest during the past five years¡­ the total is $321,754 and 82¡é.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    $320,000.

    It wasn¡¯t a small amount of money.

    It definitely wasn¡¯t a small amount of money, but¡ª

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡±

    ¡ªIt was far from being enough to buy the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye¡¯.

    Ha-eun¡¯s face became cloudy.

    She had already known.

    How could the money stack up when she didn¡¯t have much money saved in the first ce?

    She had already known, but¡­

    ¡°Miss? Is there perhaps something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ n-no. The amount is correct. Hahaha,¡± Ha-eunughed awkwardly.

    $320,000.

    The ¡®string of hope¡¯ she desperately saved.

    That string of hope was so thin and transparent it felt like she wouldn¡¯t be able to grab it for all eternity.

    ¡°¡­haha.¡±

    It was an incredibly small amount of money considering that she had acted as an Awakener for three years.

    However, it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡®You couldn¡¯t make much money back around when the gates first opened.¡¯

    Back then, you wouldn¡¯t fight monsters for money but with the pure objective to survive. The starstones harvested by Awakeners back then weren¡¯t sold until two years after the gates opened.

    Naturally, she earned quite a lot during that year as a 7-Star Awakener, after all, but¡­

    ¡®Most of it was used for medical expenses.¡¯

    At the time, her situation was so severe it wouldn¡¯t have been weird if she dropped dead on the spot.

    ¡°Should I put it all in your savings ount for you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. Please do so.¡±

    Song Ha-eun feebly nodded her head and stood up.

    <i>Tap, tap, tap¡ª </i>

    She grabbed the cane and headed back home.

    ¡®$300,000¡­ $300,000.¡¯

    It was far away from being able to buy the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye, but¡ª

    ¡°Hehe. That bastard still stuffs himself with calorie bars every day, right?¡±

    ¡ªbefore they parted¡­

    It was more than enough to create onest memory.

    <i>Bang! Kadoom!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    A loud noise could be heard as she neared the house.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    As she momentarily tilted her head,

    <i>Step, step, step, step!!¡ª </i>

    With the sound of footsteps that vibrated the ground, someone tightly grasped her shoulders.

    ¡°H-Huh?¡±

    ¡°Haa, haa!¡±

    A sound of rough breathing.

    ¡°Where did you go without telling me!!¡±

    Ohjins urgency-filled shout was heard.

    ¡°Fufufu! What is it? Have you been looking for me?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time forughs¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hey, Ohjin.¡±

    Cutting him off, she smiled brightly.

    ¡°Do you want to go on a date with me?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    * * *

    It had been extremely long since they had gone outside like this.

    ¡°What got into you all of a sudden?¡± asked Ohjin while lightly pulling on Ha-eun¡¯s arm.

    A date.

    The development was extremely unexpected.

    ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s because I felt sorry for how you wear worn-out clothes and go around eating calorie bars every day.¡±

    ¡°How would you know if they¡¯re worn-out or not?¡±

    ¡°I can tell without looking, you idiot. How many years old are the ones you¡¯re wearing right now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t know.

    It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t remember but because he had no method of knowing, as he had secretly taken them from an old clothing bin.

    ¡°You have nothing to say, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He pondered over it.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m still pretty neat.¡±

    ¡°Shut up and follow me.¡±

    Cutting off his pathetic excuses, Song Ha-eun pulled on his arms.

    Just like that, when she continued walking forward step by step.

    ¡°¡­Which direction was the department store again?¡±

    ¡°Oh, boy.¡±

    With a smile, he headed towards the department store with her.

    ¡°Hello~!¡±

    ¡°Yes~ Miss!¡±

    ¡°Please set him up with five sets of clothes that would look good on him.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    The employee ran off to somewhere with light in their eyes.

    ¡°Why request that from the employee? I¡¯ll be the one to pick.¡±

    ¡°You would just pick the cheapest ones.¡±

    ¡®Correct!¡¯

    ¡°And why would I need 5 sets? I can just reuse¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ahh~ Can¡¯t hear yooooou~¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Why is she like this?¡¯

    ¡°Hm~ Since he¡¯s such a great canvas, he¡¯ll look good on practically anything! This and this brand¡¯s product¡­¡±

    The excited employee rmended all sorts of clothes to Ohjin.

    ¡°Which one does Miss Girlfriend over here like?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun smiled brightly from the word, ¡®girlfriend¡¯.

    Tapping the floor with her cane, she slurred the end of her sentence.

    ¡°My eyes aren¡¯t all that good, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, I-I apologize.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. Please give us all the ones you rmended.¡±

    ¡°I want to pick¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ignore whatever this bastard says,¡± Ha-eun cut off Ohjin and smiled.

    ¡°The totales out to $3720~!¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    With a startled expression, Ohjin held the arms of Ha-eun as she took out her card.

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡®What kind of clothes cost over $3000. Even if it¡¯s ten pieces, this is crossing the line. Moreover¡­¡¯

    ¡°Just where did you get the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Heh. My deposit ended today. I¡¯m buying it for you since I received arge amount of interest.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyways, I don¡¯t need things this expensive,¡± said Ohjin as he frowned.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? I¡¯m the one buying it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying you don¡¯t need to buy it for me.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, just wear it!¡±

    Ha-eun continued to insist and pushed it towards him.

    He refused a couple more times, but he had no choice but to receive the clothes since she threw a tantrum like some three-year-old child.

    ¡°Hehehe! Go and change into a set. Also, throw away the ones you¡¯re wearing right now!¡±

    ¡°¡­haa.¡±

    Ohjin let out a deep sigh and changed his clothes in the fitting room.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°W-Wow¡­¡±

    As he exited, a light exmation flowed out of the employee¡¯s mouth. All he did was simply change his clothes, but it was enough to mistake him for an entirely different person.

    ¡°Did you change?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡±

    Ha-eun grabbed his arm and dragged him to some other ces. She made rounds around the department store and gifted him whatever popped up in her head at the time.

    ¡°¡­Hey,¡± Ohjin asked with a sunken voice.

    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Didn¡¯t you go through a lot of hardship throughout these past five years because of me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Today¡­¡±

    Increasing the grip on his arm, she dropped her head.

    ¡°Just for today¡­ let me do whatever I want.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Her voice faintly trembled.

    ¡°Haa,¡± Ohjin let out a sigh.

    ¡°Don¡¯t regret itter.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I have a lot of money! Fufu~!¡±

    Ha-eun cackled while excitedly shaking her shoulders.

    ¡°Well then~ next up¡­¡±

    As she was continuing her thought, <i>click¡ª</i> she snapped her fingers.

    ¡°Should we go get something to eat?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    He just happened to be hungry since he hadn¡¯t eaten anything except the calorie bar he had eaten at dawn.

    ¡°Where do you want to go, Burger King or McDonalds?¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are those your only options?¡± said Song Ha-eun as she clicked her tongue.

    ¡°Fufu! Follow me. Let¡¯s try out hanwoo today.¡±

    ¡°H-Hanwoo?¡±

    T/N: Hanwoo is Korean beef more or less the equivalent of Wagyu in Japan.

    <i>Shiver¡ª </i>

    Ohjin¡¯s two legs shook violently.

    Hanwoo was an outrageous food that would easily surpass $100, even with only two people.

    ¡°Eat¡­ hanwoo?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. So Hurry up ande here!¡±

    Song Ha-eun pulled on Ohjin, who stood still, dumbfounded, but, naturally, Ohjin had to be the one to lead her there shortly after.

    ¡°¡­ We¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°Woah, the smell is really amazing.¡±

    As soon as they arrived in front of the BBQ restaurant, a smell flowed out that was so mouth-watering it would stupify the mind.

    <i>Gulp¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun desperately suppressed her flowing saliva and licked her lips.

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°go in¡± was what she was about to say, but¡­

    ¡®¡­This smell?¡¯

    The fishy smell of the ocean rushed into her nose.

    ¡°¡­What do they sell next door?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Wait a sec¡­ ah, it¡¯s a snow crab restaurant.¡±

    ¡°Snow crab¡­?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s brain started to spin at a fast pace.

    The calction was brief.

    ¡°K-Khm!¡±

    Unnecessarily clearing her throat, she pulled on Ohjin.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not in the mood for beef today~¡±

    ¡°You were drooling just moments ago.¡±

    ¡°S-Shut up!! I want to eat crab today!!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ohjin tilted his head.

    ¡°But you don¡¯t like seafood.¡±

    Although they hadn¡¯t eaten seafood many times, she had loathed and hated it every time they did. He couldn¡¯t understand why she would want seafood when she didn¡¯t even like the shrimp that was liked amongst many people who disliked seafood.

    ¡°C-Crabs are different!!¡±

    ¡°But you hate all crustacean foods¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyways¡­!¡±

    Song Ha-eun pulled Ohjin to the snow crab restaurant.

    ¡°Hello~ we would like to order!¡±

    Ha-eun ordered two steamed snow crabs. Steam flowed out of the piping-hot red shells..

    ¡°Urg¡­¡±

    Song Ha-eun¡¯s expression distorted from the ocean smell that poured out of the steamed crab, but it was only momentary.

    ¡°Ah~ this is really hard to get the meat out of~ eating crabs is really difficult, as expected.¡±

    Ha-eun, who had picked at the crab a couple times, put down her chopsticks while speaking as if she was in a y.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin temporarily forgot to chime in from what she was very obviously trying to say.

    ¡°Hand it over; I¡¯ll take out the meat for you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, really? Hahaha! There¡¯s really no need for you to, but oh well~¡±

    Ha-eun smiled brightly and moved her body a bit closer to him.

    ¡°Ahh,¡± she opened her mouth like a baby chick waiting to be fed.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Nom, nom.¡±

    He removed the meat from the shell and ced it inside her mouth.

    ¡°Hehehe. It¡¯s tasty.¡±

    A rather stupidughter flowed out of Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Have lots.¡±

    ¡°Mhm. Don¡¯t just feed me; you should eat as well.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±

    Once the long meal came to an end¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll go buy coffee.¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s my card¡ª¡±

    ¡°At least let me be the one buying coffee.¡±

    He felt guilty for being on the receiving end throughout the entire day.

    ¡°Hmm. Alright. I¡¯ll allow you to do that much,¡± said Ha-eun as she puffed out her chest.

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t hold it in and ended up exploding inughter.

    ¡°What? You got a problem?¡±

    ¡°Pffft! No. I¡¯lle back soon. Stay here.¡±

    Ohjin turned around and headed towards the counter.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Seated on the cafe¡¯s chair, Ha-eun smiled gently.

    She slightly opened her eyes to observe the surroundings.

    The world was as dark as ever, but¡­

    It wasn¡¯t cold.

    ¡®Where should we go next~¡¯

    Just when she was swinging her legs in deep thought¡ª

    ¡°H-Hello, you¡¯re Gwon Ohjin¡­ right?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Ah, yes. I am.¡±

    ¡°Kyaa! N-No way! The Lightning Wolf! It¡¯s the Lightning Wolf!¡±

    ¡°Really? Wow¡­ oh my gosh! I was at Seoul Station on that day!¡±

    ¡°Did youe here alone?¡±

    ¡ªHa-eun heard the excited voices of two women.

    ¡°¡­These fucking bitches?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression roughly distorted.

 Chapter 37: Paradise (4)

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so much more handsome in person!¡±

    ¡°My god! Can we take photos together?¡±

    The two women who approached Ohjin chattered on with their voices filled with excitement.

    ¡°Ehh.¡±

    Ohjin looked at the two girls with an awkward expression.

    ¡®I did think that there would be people that recognize me, but they¡¯re way more aggressive than I imagined¡­ Should I send them away?¡¯

    He didn¡¯t want to be needlessly involved with them.

    ¡°¡­ Didn¡¯t you twoe here to buy coffee?¡±

    He spoke in a manner that clearly conveyed that he thought they were being tiresome.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so annoying and get lost.¡±

    ¡®Alright. There¡¯s no way they wouldn¡¯t get the message when I¡¯m this direct, right?¡¯

    ¡°D-did you hear him? He told us to get lost!!¡±

    ¡°Kyaa!! I-It¡¯s real!!¡±

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    ¡°Daddy? Can I call you daddy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going crazy! I love it¡­!¡±

    ¡®Yeah, you two really are crazy¡­ why are you reacting like this anyways?¡¯

    ¡°Can you give us your autograph?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Well, an autograph isn¡¯t hard.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t like it was something that would cost him money.

    He took the pen the women handed out.

    ¡®What am I supposed to sign?¡¯

    ¡°Where do you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Here, right here!¡±

    One of the women slightly unfolded her coat and pointed to her T-shirt. It was in a location where it would make contact with her breasts if he made a mistake, as it was close to her corbone.

    ¡®¡­Are they actually crazy? What is this, a <i>club</i>?¡¯

    Even Ohjin, who was extremely skilled in controlling his facial expressions, couldn¡¯t hide his flustered expression.

    ¡°Hurrrry~¡±

    ¡°Hehe, staying like this is embarrassing~¡±

    ¡®Then don¡¯t do it.¡¯

    ¡°¡­haa.¡±

    <i>Tch¡ª</i>

    Clicking his tongue, Ohjin held the pen up.

    He seriously disliked the situation, but it would be over once he gave his autograph, anyways.

    ¡®Let¡¯s get this over with.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t want his day to get interrupted any further since it had been a while since he went outside with Ha-eun.

    Just when he moved his pen in order to sign his autograph on the T-shirt¡­

    ¡°¡ªWho do you think you are?¡±

    A red-haired predator approached them.

    ¡°H-Huh?¡±

    ¡°W-Who are you?¡± the two women who were close to Ohjin asked while their bodies trembled.

    A zing killing intent that was hard for regr people to endure stimted the women¡¯s instincts.

    ¡°Motherfuckers, what do you mean <i>who</i>?¡±

    Ha-eun stretched out her arm and grasped the back of Ohjin¡¯s neck.

    <i>Nudge¡ª</i>

    ¡°I¡¯m his girlfriend,¡± said Ha-eun as her lips twisted up into a smile.

    ¡°G¡­¡±

    ¡°G-Girlfriend?¡±

    The two women looked at Ha-eun from head to toe with a shocked expression.

    An attractive height that exceeded 170cm with an impable body shape.

    Facial features that looked as if a word-ss sculpture had painstakingly carved them and milky skin without a blemish in sight.

    ¡°¡­ugh.¡±

    The two of them were quite confident in their looks, but the only parts they couldpete with Ha-eun with were their two eyes and their nosiness.

    An overwhelming sense of defeat.

    There was a saying that looks aren¡¯t everything, but to those girls who approached Ohjin believing in their looks, Ha-eun¡¯s existence itself was a checkmate.

    ¡°W-What did you say? Seriously, what an asshole.¡±

    ¡°We were only trying to receive his autograph, you know?

    The two women that walked on eggshells in front of the frightening existence soon turned around and escaped the cafe in a hurried manner.

    ¡°Heh. Those detestable bitches dare to be so rash?¡±

    Ha-eun exploded out inughter with her arms crossed.

    ¡°Urrg-uh!¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry.¡±

    She let go of Ohjin¡¯s neck that she had still been holding onto.

    ¡°Haa. Seriously, you¡¯re¡­¡±

    ¡°Why, what?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m saying that you did a good job.¡±

    Ohjin, who was sighing,ughed all of a sudden.

    It wasn¡¯t like they had beaten them up. There wasn¡¯t a better solution than the opposing side running away with their tail between their legs on their own ord.

    ¡°Anyways, damn, you¡¯re seriously popr.¡±

    ¡°I know, right? This is going to be a headache in the future.¡±

    He did predict that it woulde to this to some extent. It would be extremely annoying now that his face became well-known.

    ¡®Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Wherever there is light, there are also shadows.

    In order to wield the powerful weapon called ¡®North Star¡¯s apostle¡¯ as he pleased, this amount of annoyance had to be endured.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t go following them around, alright?¡±

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and red at him.

    ¡°I have no interest in meeting other girls.¡±

    ¡°Huh? R-Really? Why¡­ is that?¡± asked Ha-eun as her face turned a tint pinker.

    ¡°It takes money.¡±

    ¡°Motherfucker.¡±

    ¡°<i>This bastard really doesn¡¯t change,</i>¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°Haa¡­ Well, alright. I guess that¡¯s better than ying around with whoeveres by.¡±

    She sighed and pulled on Ohjin¡¯s arm.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Then let¡¯s quickly head over to the next location!¡±

    ¡°What about coffee?¡±

    ¡°Nah.¡±

    There was a chance a simr ident would ur again if they stayed around any longer.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to a ce without people.¡±

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Song Ha-eun, who was momentarily lost in thought, ¡ª<i>click!,</i> snapped her fingers.

    ¡°Karaoke! Let¡¯s go do karaoke!!¡±

    ¡°Huhu. Okay.¡±

    Karaoke was an area where even Ha-eun, who couldn¡¯t see, would be able to sufficiently y around. Though there was the disadvantage that she would have topletely memorize the lyrics of a song.

    ¡°Hurry! Hurry!¡±

    <i>Kyahaha!¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun smiled cheerfully while pulling his arms.

    Soon after, they exited the building after having a st singing karaoke.

    ¡°¡­The sun¡¯s setting already.¡±

    Nights in December came early.

    ¡°Should we start to head back?¡±

    ¡°Can we look around a little mo¡ª¡±

    ¡°I need to sleep early since I have business to take care of next morning.¡±

    ¡°¡­oh.¡±

    After a long period of silence¡­

    Gently biting her lips, Ha-eun nodded her head.

    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    On the way back to their home¡ª

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s snowing.¡±

    ¡ªsnowkes drifted from the dim night sky.

    ¡°Heh. No wonder I felt some cold things falling on my head.¡±

    Laughing bashfully, Ha-eun increased her grip on Ohjin¡¯s arms.

    <i>Step, step¡ª</i>

    In the tranquil path fluttering with snowkes, only the quiet sound of footsteps could be heard.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Although the silence continued on and on, it wasn¡¯t awkward.

    She solely hoped that¡ªthis moment¡­

    This point in time¡­

    ¡ªwould nevere to an end.

    ¡®¡­But.¡¯

    A stinging pain radiated from her tightly bit lips.

    ¡°Hey, Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°How much¡­ have you saved?¡±

    Carefully¡­

    She spoke gently as if treading on thin ice.

    ¡°I saved it all.¡±

    ¡°¡­Y-You saved it all? Ten million?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s lips shuddered.

    She did think that he would save it all before long, but she hadn¡¯t imagined that he had saved $10,000,000 already.

    ¡°Y-You earned money really fast.¡±

    A speed that was unbelievable, even for a North Star¡¯s apostle.

    ¡°I was quite lucky, and I also had the money I saved up until now.¡±

    ¡°I-I see¡­¡±

    <i>Grip¡ª </i>

    Strength entered her clenched fists.

    Fingernails dug into flesh.

    The snowkes that settled on top of her head felt freezing cold.

    ¡°Well then¡­ I guess there really aren¡¯t many days left of being together like this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was a sharp reply that seemed to cut away at her¡­

    Her chest hurt as if her heart were being gouged out.

    ¡°Are you really¡­ going to Paradise?¡± she asked, even while knowing the reply that woulde.

    ¡°I¡¯m going. That¡¯s why I saved up money until now, after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It hurt.

    It hurt and tore at her so much¡­

    She felt like some part of her was going to break down.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡®Go.¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t leave me.¡¯

    The words that tried to escape her mouth were forcefully suppressed.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°N-No! It¡¯s nothing. Hehe.¡±

    ¡°Hey, tell me.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    <i>Tap! Tap!¡ª </i>

    Getting angry for nothing, she hit his shoulders.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Silence set down once again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ forget me, okay?¡±

    She wrung it out.

    ¡°¡­Why would I forget you.¡±

    With thatst reply, their conversation ended.

    The night sky of December was dark without a speck of starlight in the sky;

    It was akin to the darkness she lived in every day.

    * * *

    The next day¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m going to head out because I have some business to take care of at the bank.¡±

    Ohjin went outside early in the morning.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    A deep sigh flowed out of Ha-eun¡¯s mouth as she was left alone.

    She grabbed her phone and turned on the news.

    [There is an increased amount of attention on December¡¯s auction in Yongsan that takes ce today¡­]

    <i>Beep¡ª</i>

    ¡°¡­Should I try going?¡±

    Ha-eun, who was continuously contemting on the bed, soon got up.

    She didn¡¯t care about the other items that came out in the auction.

    There was just <i>one</i> item she was interested in.

    ¡®Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye.¡¯

    A 6-star relic that possessed the power to dispel various kinds of curses¡ªincluding ones from dragons.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s gray eyes faintly trembled.

    If only she could get her hands on that item.

    Perhaps¡­

    Perhaps the Thousand Curse Dragon¡¯s curse could be¡ª

    ¡°Ha, haha.¡±

    The sound of emptyughter filled the room.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I would be able to buy it¡­¡±

    The Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye was a star relic you could obtain from a dragon-type monster ranked 6-star or higher by an extremely rare chance. Due to the low chance, Its supply was so nonexistent that you wouldn¡¯t be able to guess if a single one would make its appearance during an entire year.

    As its price would exceed $6,000,000~$7,000,000 at the minimum, there was no way for her to obtain it when all of her assets totaled a little bit over $300,000.

    ¡®Still¡­ maybe there¡¯s still¡­¡¯

    Her lips dried up¡­

    The sweet whisper called ¡®Hope¡¯ led her away.

    ¡®Maybe there won¡¯t be manypetitors today.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t something without possibility.

    Although it had never happened to the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye, there were asionally cases of 6-star relics being sold at a cheap price.

    ¡°T-That¡¯s right! How many cursed people are there in this day and age anyways!¡±

    In reality, there weren¡¯t many monsters that used curses. To that day, a monster that could use special curses like the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Curse¡¯ didn¡¯t appear aside from the Thousand Curse Dragon, Barbatos.

    If that was the case¡­

    If there was no reason for anyone to ¡®dispel¡¯ a curse in the first ce¡­

    Couldn¡¯t the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye be bought at a low price?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    <i>Gulp¡ª</i>

    ¡®There¡¯s no way¡­ there¡¯s no way.¡¯

    Ha-eun tried to suppress the feeling of hope with negative thoughts, but the hope that had started to spread eroded the mind faster than any other poison.

    ¡°Alright, let¡­ let¡¯s go! I have nothing to lose!¡±

    Ha-eun energetically lifted her body off the bed.

    ¡®Just maybe¡­¡¯

    From the thought ¡®Maybe an incredible miracle will happen¡¯, she was fired up.

    ¡®If the curse gets dispelled¡­¡¯

    ¡ªThere was a chance of being able to go to ¡®Paradise¡¯ with him.

    Imagining that, her lips turned into a smile on their own.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wash up and get going!¡±

    After entering the bathroom, she poured cold water over herself.

    The freezing cold water somehow couldn¡¯t feel any warmer.

    <i>Click¡ª </i>

    She opened the door and headed outside.

    Hitting the cane against the ground, she moved her feet.

    <i>Tap, tap, tap!¡ª </i>

    The sound that came from the cane hitting the ground felt delightful.

    ¡®That¡¯s right, I can buy it if I¡¯m lucky enough!¡¯

    Her grip on her bank card and ID tightened.

    https://dsc.gg/reapeics

 Chapter 38: Paradise (5)

    Yongsan auction house.

    As the auction with thergest scale in Korea, the items that appeared in the routine auction that took ce every month were of such high quality that even foreigners would take interest and participate.

    ¡°Haa,¡± Ha-eun, who had just arrived at the auction¡¯s entrance, exhaled out of nervousness.

    <i>Tap, tap, tap¡ª</i>

    Using the cane, she entered the building.

    ¡°Will you participate in the auction?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    ¡°Then please fill out this document first.¡±

    When she arrived at the counter after having to repeatedly ask for direction, the employee handed out a document.

    Ha-eun put up an awkward expression.

    The employee, who was absent-mindedly looking at Ha-eun, let out a short exmation after looking at the cane grasped in her hand.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I apologize. Do you perhaps not have a guardian apanying you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Hm. Then is it okay with you if I fill it out in your ce?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please do so.¡±

    The service was incredible, as expected of the auction with thergest scale in Korea. Ha-eun received a waiting number after answering basic personal information questions the employee asked. Ha-eun would be able to enter right away if she was a VIP, but there was no other method than waiting for Ha-eun, who had narrowly passed the entry conditions.

    After around two hours passed¡ª

    ¡°Admission will begin~ as entering during the auction is restricted due to security reasons; please take care of all your business before entering!¡±

    ¡ªthe admission started.

    <i>Bump, b-bump¡ª</i>

    ¡°Ah¡­ w-wait.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s body was pushed here and there when the people who were waiting started to crowd over. She was able to avoid the tragedy of falling over since she possessed a superhuman body, but she couldn¡¯t prevent her body from being shaken around.

    ¡°Seriously, these bastards¡­¡±

    Frustration soared in, but it wasn¡¯t like she could make a fuss there. Ha-eun waited until the passing people flooded out and slowly entered the auction house.

    ¡°Hey, could you tell me where seat P-17 is located?¡±

    ¡°Yes? Ah¡­ go straight right from here.¡±

    Every time Ha-eun stopped someone passing by to ask for her seat, she could hear small mumbling.

    -Even blind people participate in auctions these days?

    -This was something you couldn¡¯t dream of a couple years ago.

    -But why does she have no guardian?

    -Tch, tch. Who would want to live with a disabled person in these times?

    Ridicule and exmation¡­

    Voices mixed with pitiful sympathy¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    <i>Grip¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun roughly clenched her fists.

    Her fingernails dug into her palms.

    It hurt.

    Not her palms but her heart.

    ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯

    If only she could get her hands on the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye, all her pent-up anger and remorseful pain could be relieved.

    ¡°Now then~ December¡¯s Yongsan auction will begin!¡±

    The auctioneer got on the tform.

    ¡°The first item we will introduce to you today is the [Censer of Gray Light] known to be the best star relic of the 4-star rank!!! It is a star relic that has a reputation for being useful in realbat!!!¡±

    The auction started with the buttered-up sentence. As usual, the auction started with a star relic that served as an appetizer.

    ¡°The starting bid is $10,000! The buyout price will be $1,000,000!! Ah, right, everyone knows that buyouts are only possible with cash, right?¡±

    Buyouts were only transacted with cash, as there were too many cases of people purchasing buyouts without having the money in actuality.

    ¡®Since that would mean they¡¯re in need of the item that desperately.¡¯

    You didn¡¯t have to look that hard to find cases of people¡ªwho were backed up against a corner¡ªlying, after all.

    ¡°$100,000!¡±

    ¡°$130,000!!¡±

    As soon as the auction started in earnest, the atmosphere inside the auction house started to heat up. The 4-star relic [Censer of Gray Light] was truly what the auctioneer had called it¡ªa star relic that performed greatly amongst 4-star relics.

    ¡°$340,000!¡±

    ¡°$400,000!¡±

    The price soared at a quick pace.

    ¡°$670,000!!¡±

    ¡°$670,000!! $670,000 hase out! Is there anyone willing to top it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay! Then the final bid for [Censer of Gray Light] has been taken by number 157!¡±

    $670,000.

    It was a price two times higher than all of the money Ha-eun possessed.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Money that couldn¡¯t even buy a 4-star relic.

    Her head that was filled with hope quickly settled down.

    ¡°N-No.¡±

    Her clenched fists slightly trembled.

    Wasn¡¯t the [Censer of Gray Light] a star relic that was very popr, after all? Maybe there was still hope because the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye was much less versatile.

    ¡°Then the next item to introduce to you is¡­!¡±

    The auction continued on.

    * * *

    * * *

    Around when the 4~5-star relics that came out as appetizers were all sessfully bid¡­

    ¡°Haha! You have all been waiting long~! It¡¯s about time we start introducing the main characters of today!¡±

    <i>Gulp¡ª</i>

    The prologue had just finished; now it was time for the real auction.

    ¡°Iya~ This item has emerged after a really long time! A star relic you can obtain by an extremely rare chance from dragon-type monsters!! A star relic that possesses the incredible effect of dispelling all curses!!¡±

    Finally.

    ¡°It is the 6-star relic [Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye]!!!¡±

    <i>p, p, p¡ª</i>

    The perfunctory sound of ps could be heard.

    ¡®Alright!¡¯

    Judging from the fact that there were nearly no cheers, it didn¡¯t seem like there would be muchpetition.

    ¡°This star relic isn¡¯t the type of item that you carry around but an absorption-type star relic! In other words¡­!¡±

    Her mouth dried up.

    ¡°There is no need to inconveniently carry this around, and you will permanently obtain the power to ¡®dispel¡¯ all kinds of curses! Kyaa! Everyone! Don¡¯t you think that this star relic will be reassuring inside gates when you don¡¯t know what kind of incidents will happen?¡±

    <i>Shiver¡ª</i>

    Her cheap prosthetic leg shook slightly.

    ¡°The starting bid is $100,000! The buyout price will be $10,000,000!¡±

    ¡°$1-100,000!¡±

    As soon as the bid started, Ha-eun shot her hand up and shouted out loud.

    ¡°Pfft!¡±

    ¡°Did she actually start the bid with that?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! It seems that she¡¯s a beginner.¡±

    ¡°Huhu. Or maybe she¡¯s a beggar who¡¯s aiming to strike it rich?¡±

    The cackling sound of mockery could be heard.

    Ha-eun¡¯s face turned red.

    From those suppositions that hit the mark, she ducked her head and gently bit her lips.

    ¡°Hm~ Haha. Yes, $100,000! $100,000 hase out! Is there anyone who wishes to top it?¡±

    The auctioneer also snickered with an expression that seemed to say he had an approximate understanding of what was going on.

    ¡®Please.¡¯

    Ha-eun desperately prayed with her two hands intertwined together.

    ¡®Don¡¯t do it.¡¯

    Her shoulders trembled.

    And then¡­

    ¡°$2,000,000.¡±

    ¡°$2,500,000!!¡±

    ¡°Yes~! A higher bid hase out!! Hahaha!¡±

    Without any unexpected events, without any abnormalities¡­

    Thest threads of hope for a miracle were whisked away.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    A short exmation flowed out.

    Moisture filled up her gray pupils that had lost their focus.

    ¡°$3,200,000!¡±

    ¡°$3,260,000!¡±

    The price continued to increase.

    Not the buyout, but just topping the bid would require her to have ten times the amount of money she currently possessed.

    ¡°Ha¡­ haha.¡±

    Her hope cooled down.

    A scornfulugh flowed out between her pink lips.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ there¡¯s no way¡­ I would be able to buy it.¡±

    The items that were sold at a minimum of $5,000,000 were 6-star relics. How could one act up in an attempt to buy it without possessing even half of that money.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun bit her lips to the point of bleeding.

    ¡®Why, why, why?¡¯

    She thought about what she did so wrong to deserve this.

    ¡°At least once¡­¡±

    Hadn¡¯t she lived a life filled with treacherous roads?

    Hadn¡¯t she been thrown away by her parents, whom she did not even know the face of, and struggled to survive through this shitty life?

    But just why¡­

    ¡°At least once¡­ isn¡¯t it okay for a miracle to happen?¡±

    She didn¡¯t expect much.

    She didn¡¯t want the world.

    Just once¡­

    At least once¡­

    ¡°I just¡­ with Ohjin¡­¡±

    She knew it was greed.

    She knew it was a self-centered thought.

    Ohjin had his own life.

    He had his own aspirations and desires.

    Ha-eun had already restricted his life during the long period of five years, no, even before that time had started. Cursing him with the curse named ¡®Song Ha-eun¡¯, she had pulled him down into her pitch-ck darkness.

    ¡°Ah, uh.¡±

    Tears flowed down her cheek.

    ¡°$4,100,000!!¡±

    ¡°$4,230,000!!¡±

    ¡°$4,300,000!¡±

    Even during her time of tears¡­

    The Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye grew more distant.

    Even though it was already at a distance she couldn¡¯t reach.

    Then¡ª

    ¡°Fufu. Have you perhapse to obtain the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye?¡±

    ¡ªshe heard a sly voice speak to her.

    It held an unpleasant tone entwined with desire and greed.

    ¡°¡­Who are you?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s voice aimed sharply towards the direction in which she had heard the voice.

    ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m Choi Jongchul from the Starlight Lake Guild. You¡¯ve heard of the guild¡¯s name, right?¡±

    Starlight Lake Guild.

    As a guild made of Awakeners of Aquarius, It was a guild specialized in healers.

    ¡°¡­So?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been observing you since the waiting room.¡±

    It was a sticky voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to buy the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye, correct?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun shut her lips tight.

    A viscous displeasure spread from her spine.

    ¡°$5,000,000. No¡­ I can lend you up to $6,000,000.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s gray pupils opened wide.

    The embers of hope sparked up once again.

    ¡°If you want it¡­¡±

    She could feel Choi Jongchul getting closer.

    He ced his hand on top of Ha-eun¡¯s thigh.

    ¡°Are you fucking cra¡ª¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s clenched hand suddenly halted, an expression of disgust on her face.

    Six million¡­

    The stunning amount of money circled her head.

    ¡°Fufufu!¡±

    The sly sound ofughter could be heard.

    ¡°Could you¡­ spend the next five years as my ¡®friend¡¯? Well, I¡¯m not expecting much. Just eating together when we have time, having drinks, and then¡­ you know even if I don¡¯t spell it out, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    <i>Tremble¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun¡¯s shoulders shook.

    A sensation of filth poured over her thigh.

    Nausea soared up from the intolerable displeasure.

    ¡®¡­But.¡¯

    Six million¡­

    With that money, there was a possibility of getting her hands on the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye.

    She could escape her pitch-ck darkness.

    She could continue to live on.

    ¡­Together with Ohjin.

    ¡®But, but, but¡­¡¯

    Ha-eun¡¯s mouth dried up.

    The tears that crept down her cheek formed a droplet at the end of her chin.

    ¡°How is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Tightly closing her two eyes¡­

    Forcefully pushing back the soaring nasua¡­

    Forcefully opening her lips that refused to open¡­

    ¡°¡­Oka¡ª¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    At that moment, the door of the auction house opened violently.

    ¡°H-Huh?¡±

    ¡°Hey, who are you!¡±

    A suddenmotion.

    <i>Thud, thud!¡ª </i>

    There was the sound of bodyguards rushing towards the entrance in great haste.

    ¡°You cannot enter during the auct¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°S-Special Officer?¡±

    ¡°Why is a Special Officer here¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute. Isn¡¯t that person that guy? The one at Seoul Station a couple days ago¡­¡±

    The bodyguards sounded freaked out.

    And¡ª

    <i>Step¡ª</i>

    ¡ªthe quiet thudding of footsteps¡­

    Made its way to her ears.

    ¡°¡ªHuh?¡±

    Her gray pupils shook.

    ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯

    <i>Step, step¡ª</i>

    The footsteps sounded familiar.

    <i>Step, step¡ª</i>

    It was the sound of footsteps that wouldn¡¯t be heard.

    <i>Step, step¡ª </i>

    It was the sound of footsteps that shouldn¡¯t be heard.

    ¡°Why, why¡­¡±

    ¡®Why are you in this ce¡­?¡¯

    ¡°Khm! I-I apologize for the briefmotion, everyone! Uh¡­what business does Mr. Association Special Officer have here¡­?¡±

    Putting up an awkward smile, the auctioneer looked towards the uninvited guest that had broken in during the auction.

    <i>Kkrrrr, kkrrrr¡ª</i>

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    The uninvited guest threw the tworge trunks that he dragged over onto the ground. Stacks of cash poured out like confetti from the trunks that hit the floor.

    <b>¡°¡ª$10,000,000. All in cash.¡±</b>

    A sunken voice echoed throughout the auction house.

 Chapter 39: Paradise (6)

    <b>REAPER SCANS</b>

    ¡°¡­¡±

    For a moment¡­

    An ice-cold silence set down inside the auction house.

    ¡°Uh¡­ $10,000,000! $10,000,000 has been called!! With it being bought at the buyout price, the auction of the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye¡¯ will end here!¡± shouted out the auctioneer with a panicked voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the item right away.¡±

    <i>Thud, thud¡ª </i>

    Ohjin walked towards the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye up on the stage. It was a star relic that looked as if an azure crystal was carved into the size of a table tennis ball. With the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye in his grasp, he turned around.

    ¡°W-Why are you¡­¡±

    A question that repeated like a broken machine. He could see Ha-eun¡¯s body shake with a pale expression on her face.

    He came down from the stage one step at a time and moved his feet towards her gray eyes.

    ¡°Who are <i>you</i>?¡± Ohjin ferociously red down at the man that was sitting next to Ha-eun.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin could see that the man¡¯s hand was ced on top of Ha-eun¡¯s thigh.

    ¡°Who are you to intrude in the middle of the auct¡ª¡±

    ¡°Remove it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Your hand, remove it.¡±

    His cold eyes red at the man.

    For a moment, a blue fen fire sparkled inside Ohjin¡¯s ck pupils.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    <i>Flinch!¡ª </i>

    Choi Jongchul unconsciously removed his hand from Ha-eun¡¯s thigh in haste.

    ¡®W-What was that?¡¯

    Although it was extremely brief, the inside of the auction house was covered in pitch-ck darkness like a ckout had taken ce.

    An eerie shiver ran down his spine.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Looking around the auction house that had be bright as it had originally been, Choi Yongchul shot up from his seat and stared at Ohjin with his furious red face.

    ¡°What kind of bastard are you to dare order¡ª¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear from before?¡±

    He lightly shook the Association Special Officer license in front of him.

    Choi Jongchul looked at the license and snorted out.

    ¡°Ha! A mere dog of the Association dares to provoke the Starlight Lake guild?¡± he said as heughed while looking at Ohjin.

    No matter how great Association Special Officers were, they could not provoke the Starlight Lake guild that belonged in the ranks of the top ten guilds.

    ¡®But was there a bastard like this amongst the Special Officers?¡¯

    Because the Association Special Officers possessed powerful authority, their faces were very well-known.

    ¡®He definitely wasn¡¯t on the list¡ª ah.¡±

    At that moment, he recalled one news article he had seen a couple days ago. Themotion that had appeared at Seoul Station. The news that a lone Awakener from the Association had eliminated the monsters that appeared from underground without casualties.

    He was certain the youth in front of his eyes had the same face he saw in the photos.

    ¡°W-Wait. Perhaps¡­ the Lightning Wolf?¡±

    <i>Stammer¡ª </i>

    Choi Yongchul glugged his mouth like a carp while stepping back.

    To be honest, he wouldn¡¯t be this surprised if it simply ended with him being the Awakener that eliminated the monsters at Seoul Station.

    However¡­

    ¡®The Lightning Wolf¡¯s stigma was definitely¡­¡¯

    The stigma of Lyra.

    He possessed a stigma of a celestial that was amongst the North Stars, said to make even the celestials of the 12 Zodiacs bow their heads.

    ¡®S-Shit!¡¯

    Choi Yongchul¡¯s expression went pale.

    The Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s, Vega¡¯s, apostle was an Awakener that not only Korea, but the whole world was paying attention to. A rookie amongst rookies whom it wouldn¡¯t be weird for if dozens of ¡°Ultra¡± s were attached in front of his name.

    That was the identity of the Lightning Wolf before him.

    ¡°Well, I do think that they call me by that name as well.¡±

    The ice-cold look in his eyes stared down Choi Jongchul.

    ¡°You said you were from the Starlight Lake guild?¡±

    ¡°Ah, t-that is. I¡­¡±

    Choi Jongchul stuttered with a deathly pale expression.

    Most of the major guilds had gone into an emergency meeting as soon as the news that a North Star¡¯s apostle appeared in Korea had spread out. It was the same for the Starlight Lake guild that was in the ranks of the top ten guilds.

    The official notice in the end of the long meeting was this:

    -Maintain a friendly rtionship with the North Star¡¯s apostle at all costs.

    It went without saying.

    There was nothing to be gained by bing an enemy of not just another Awakener but the unrivaled ¡®North Star¡¯s apostle¡¯.

    ¡°I-I believe that there¡¯s a misunder¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, that was a misunderstanding?¡±

    <i>Heh¡ª</i>

    Ohjinughed coldly.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask the same thing to the guild leader of Starlight Lake?¡±

    ¡°¡­!!¡±

    Choi Jongchul¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    He quickly got on his knees and bowed his head.

    ¡°F-Forgive me for being d-disrespectful without knowing that she was in your party!! So please, please don¡¯t say anything to the guild lea¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll quietly overlook this matter if you listen to my one request.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±

    Choi Yongchul¡¯s expression brightened

    ¡°Thank you! Just give me the wor¡ª¡±

    ¡°Get lost.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I said get lost, right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Choi Yongchul¡¯s face turned red and blue from anger.

    Ohjin could see his thick veins in his clenched fists popping out.

    His appearance was filled with a sense of shame.

    ¡®So, what will it be?¡¯

    Ohjin looked down at him with distaste.

    Although Choi Yongchul currently possessed more experience and a higher star-rank, that was it. Taking the future into ount, his worth was nothing but a bugpared to Ohjin, who was a North Star¡¯s apostle.

    ¡°Hehe. Then I¡¯ll leave it in your hands.¡±

    It appeared that Choi Yongchul wasn¡¯t stupid enough to be unaware of that fact, judging from how he put up a servile smile while getting on his feet before proceeding to exit the auction house.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    After themotion settled down¡ª

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡ªOhjin ced his hand on top of Ha-eun¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°O-Ohjin, why did you¡­¡±

    It seemed like Ha-eun still couldn¡¯t understand the situation, as she stuttered while continuously pouring out questions.

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    ¡°W-Wait!¡±

    Ohjin dragged her by the shoulders.

    He could hear Ha-eun¡¯s pressing voice.

    ¡°Start by telling me why you came¡ª Hey! Gwon Ohjin!¡±

    He ignored her.

    ¡°W-Where are you going!¡±

    Ohjin led Ha-eun with her arms firmly held within his grasp.

    The ce he was heading to was the public garden located on the rooftop of Yongsan auction house. It was a ce famous for having a great view¡ªeven in Seoul.

    <i>Swoosh¡ª</i>

    The cold night breeze grazed their cheeks as they arrived at the public garden.

    ¡°Haa, haa.¡±

    Was it because she was panicked from the abrupt situation?

    Ha-eun¡¯s breathing was rough.

    ¡°O-Ohjin, you¡­¡±

    Her gray pupils wandered around the air.

    ¡°What about moving into Paradise? Why did you buy that!!¡± Ha-eun shouted out in a reprimanding manner.

    The $10,000,000 that paid for the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye was money that was supposed to be used elsewhere.

    ¡°Paradise?¡±

    His lips slowly twisted up.

    Paradise.

    Ohjin had desperately saved up money in order to move to Paradise during the past five years.

    To be exact¡­

    He had made her ¡®believe that¡¯.

    ¡®Otherwise, she would have made a fuss again.¡¯

    Whether it was in the past or the present, Ha-eun was a girl with a tiresome personality who could never live on whilst being indebted to another.

    ¡®Though that is one of her charms.¡¯

    He carefully raised the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye grasped in his hands, an azure crystal the size of a table tennis ball. Inside the translucent crystal was a yellow pupil reminiscent of a reptile¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! What about Paradise, why did you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stay still for a second.¡±

    Reaching out his hand, he grasped her cheek.

    <i>Flinch¡ª </i>

    Ohjin could feel her shake from his hands.

    ¡°Y-You.¡±

    Tears formed on her gray pupils.

    <i>Owoong¡ª</i>

    As he brought the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye close to her left eye, subtle lights started to pour out of the translucent azure crystal.

    Like melting ice, the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye flowed into her pupil.

    <i>Sizzleee!!¡ª</i>

    With the sound of frying oil, purple clouds started to escape her two pupils.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    An intense pain was felt.

    The agony of searing pupils with scorching.

    ¡ªHowever.

    ¡°Ah, aah.¡±

    To the point where even that pain was insignificant¡ª

    Ha-eun¡¯s heart thumped. Her heart pulsated as if it was going to explode.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. Hold on a little longer.¡±

    A warm voice spread throughout the darkness that was without a speck of light.

    Her heart that was beating explosively calmed down a little, and the intense pain that burned her eyes gradually settled down.

    And with that¡ª

    <i>Boom!¡ª </i>

    ¡ªit copsed.

    The solid darkness that confined her fell away.

    The long night she thought would never end for all eternity lit up.

    The dark fog gradually crumbled like a sandcastle being swept away.

    ¡°¡ªAh.¡±

    The brilliant night view unfolded in front of her eyes. A Milky Wayposed ofmps embroidered the city as if the night sky was turned upside down.

    ¡°Ah, uh.¡±

    Ha-eun rubbed her eyes as if she couldn¡¯t believe it.

    She could see it.

    The detailedmps that brightened the garden, the organized branches and leaves.

    And above all¡ª

    ¡°How is it?¡±

    ¡ªfor the first time in five years, she saw his face.

    ¡­It had be a little scrawny.

    ¡°The appearance of Paradise.¡±

    ¡°Y-You¡­¡±

    Ha-eun staggered while taking steps back. Her lips wouldn¡¯t open; too many emotions were rushing through her.

    ¡°Ah, right. There¡¯s one more thing.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Ohjin took out a luxurious ck case.

    ¡°W-What¡¯s that?¡± asked Ha-eun with a trembling voice.

    ¡°You¡¯ll know once you see it.¡±

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    Ohjin grinned while he opened up the ck case. Inside the case was a top-quality prosthetic leg that had been made so well that it was difficult to differentiate from the real thing.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold out your right leg for a moment.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s face slightly blushed as she lent out her right leg.

    Ohjin, who was down on one knee, removed the cheap prosthetic leg she was using and equipped the one that was in the case.

    ¡°Woah.¡±

    An exmation flowed out on its own.

    Ha-eun could feel the snug sensation like that of touching soft skin. She tried moving the leg around in worry that it would fall off due to it feeling too soft, but the leg moved naturally as if a new leg had really grown.

    ¡°How is it? It¡¯s much morefortable than the one you were using, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun gently bit her lips.

    She could see Ohjin¡¯s face smiling brightly.

    ¡ªThe fact that she could see that smile.

    For some reason, it could not feel any more agonizing.

    ¡°¡­Why.¡±

    Her voice shook.

    ¡°Why, why, why?!¡±

    The overwhelming amount of emotion merged that couldn¡¯t be defined with one word, but the emotion she currently felt the most distinctively was unbearable ¡®anger¡¯.

    ¡°Why did you do such a useless thing!!!¡±

    Ha-eun wailed out.

    ¡°It was precious money!! It was the money you saved up desperately!!¡±

    Ha-eun knew how desperately he had lived through the past five years, no, throughout his entire life.

    She was the only one that knew.

    His appearance before he became an Awakener.

    His gruesome life.

    She had continuously watched over him.

    Gasping from the heat, shivering from the cold.

    Solving meals with one cheap calorie bar, wearing worn-out clothes he picked up.

    Enduring, enduring, and enduring through countless struggles to save up money.

    ¡°Y-You said that you would buy the right to enter Paradise! You said that you wanted to livefortably at least once in your life!¡±

    Five years ago.

    The day Ha-eun lost everything was the day he had approached her and told her¡­

    That he would go to Paradise.

    That he didn¡¯t want to live life like this any further¡­

    That he would save up money and depart¡­

    ¡°You promised that you would stay only until you saved up enough!!!¡±

    ¡°Ah, that?¡±

    Ohjin shrugged his shoulders.

    Looking back at her, he smiled.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s pupils opened wide.

    A fragment of an old memory surfaced.

    -Ohjin!! Y-You should run away as well!! You said that the kitchen¡¯s on fire!!

    -Ah, that?

    Just like he had back then¡­

    Unchanged from back then¡­

    Identical to back then¡­

    He cackled out and replied.

    <b>¡°¡ªI lied.¡±</b>

 Chapter 40: Enclosed Training (1)

    Three days had passed since he had treated her eyes through the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye.

    <i>Rattle¡ª</i>

    An unusual scene unfolded in front of Ohjin, who had returned after finishing his basic training at early dawn.

    ¡°I-Is this how you do it?¡±

    <i>Sizzzzzzzle!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Aah!! H-Huh!! Why did it be charcoal?!!¡±

    Inside the cramped kitchen, Ha-eun wore an apron and performed some kind of alchemy.

    That¡¯s right.

    It wasn¡¯t cooking, but alchemy.

    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±

    Ohjin looked at the room filled with burning smoke with an empty expression.

    <i>Flinch!¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun¡¯s shoulders suddenly shook.

    ¡°H-Huh? I-It¡¯s nothing!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case, looking at the state the house is in.¡±

    <i>Cough, cough¡ª </i>

    Waving the foggy smoke away with his hands, he opened the windows.

    Ohjin forced a chuckle while looking down at (what used to be) meat on top of the frying pan.

    ¡°Why are you cooking all of a sudden?¡±

    Putting aside the fact of whether it could be called food or not, it was the first time he had seen her cook in his life.

    ¡°Ah~ um¡­ I was just craving meat all of a sudden!¡±

    ¡°Is that why you alchemized charcoal?¡±

    ¡°I-It isn¡¯t charcoal!! Damn it¡­ that¡¯s weird. It definitely said that the Maird reaction or whatever would happen if you do it like this¡­¡±

    Ha-eun scratched her head while looking at her phone.

    ¡°Well¡­ whatever, here.¡±

    She ced the burnt meat on top of a te and handed it over to him.

    ¡°Have a taste.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re telling me to eat this?¡±

    ¡®Has she gone mad?¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you cut off the burnt bits!¡±

    He looked at the proud Ha-eun in silence and then raised his knife.

    ¡®Alright. I¡¯ll need to have a taste at least; it¡¯s her first dish, after all.¡¯

    Otherwise, the meat would be wasted.

    Ohjin slowly approached the meat with his knife.

    <i>Crack¡ª</i>

    As the meat was cut in half, the ck carbonized insides revealed themselves.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He threw it out.

    ¡°Hey!! How could you throw that out!¡±

    ¡°How did you get it that burnt in the first ce?!!¡±

    Ohjin couldn¡¯tprehend what method she could have used to make it that burnt.

    ¡°So¡­ I used a little bit of my stigma because the stove in our house was too weak¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Of course it¡¯d get burnt. She¡¯s only just started her rehabilitation training.¡¯

    The curse was dispelled, but her body hadn¡¯t recoveredpletely back to normal yet. Ha-eun was still around the level of taking baby steps if you looked at it optimistically. There was no way she would be able to control her stigma properly in that state.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Having no words to say, Ha-eun turned her head away.

    From the profile of her turned head, something disparate that didn¡¯t fit in with her beautiful looks stood out in his eyes.

    ¡°Is your eye okay?¡±

    ¡°Ah, this?¡±

    Ha-eun caressed her left eye.

    Different from her normal right eye, a heinous yellow pupil like that of a reptile¡¯s pupil was shining on her left eye; its size was much bigger inparison of the right, and blood vessels sprouting out like tree roots around her eyes made it look quite hideous.

    ¡°Well, even if it looks like this¡­ I have no problem with seeing. In fact, everything looks much clearer if I focus on my left eye.¡±

    ¡°That is a relief, but¡ª¡±

    Thoughts of concern came about whenever he saw the shining yellow pupil.

    ¡°¡ªIt shouldn¡¯t be a side effect of the curse, right?¡±

    [Do not be worried, as that is not the case.]

    An answer came from an unexpected ce.

    <i>Sparkle¡ª </i>

    Vega, who had appeared out of the mid-air with rays of silver light, answered as she circled around Ha-eun¡¯s body once.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening if it isn¡¯t a side effect?¡± asked Ha-eun while carefully feeling around her right eye.

    [Hmm.]

    Vega continued while looking at Ha-eun¡¯s left eye carefully.

    [Rather than a side effect¡­ it could be called one type of ¡®blessing¡¯ in a certain way.]

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re telling me this is a blessing?¡±

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes in doubt.

    [Your stigma¡­ the stigma of Draco and the dragon¡¯s power released when the curse was dispelled interacted with each other, causing the ¡®Dragon Eye¡¯ to be created.]

    ¡°Dragon Eye?¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head and reflected her left eye on the mirror. She saw a yellow pupil with a vertical slit reminiscent of reptiles. You could call it a cool name such as ¡®Dragon Eye¡¯ since dragons were certainly reptiles as well, but¡ª

    ¡°¡­It isn¡¯t all that different from my normal eye for something like that.¡±

    There was the difference of being able to see a bit more clearly if she focused on her left eye, but that was it. It wasn¡¯t any different from her normal right eye during daily life except for the fact that it looked hideous.

    [It is because you are not used to the strength that handles the Dragon Eye. Once your stigma returns back to the way it originally was, you will be able to use the Dragon Eye¡¯s power in earnest.]

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ha-eun recollected the stigma engraved on top of her left chest.

    The stigma of Draco.

    It wasn¡¯t part of the 12 Zodiacs, but it was a stigma powerful enough to not fall behind them.

    ¡®Though there¡¯s a massive difference in recognition.¡¯

    You could count the number of Awakeners that possessed the stigma of Draco with your hands. There were around 4~5 people at most in Korea, and they didn¡¯t even surpass 20 people worldwide.

    Even amongst them, there wasn¡¯t an Awakener that showed exceptional performance.

    ¡®It¡¯s understandable that it¡¯s not well-known.¡¯

    The fact that the stigma of Draco was powerful enough to match up with the 12 Zodiacs was something she wouldn¡¯t have known without possessing the stigma of Draco in the first ce.

    ¡°Well, I guess that means I should focus on rehabilitation training for now.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to overdo yourself.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe! What do you mean ¡®there¡¯s <i>no need¡¯</i>.¡±

    Ha-eun smirked while she lightly pulled on Ohjin¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to recover quickly and support you. You know as well, right? That I can¡¯t live on being indebted.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t mean that you¡¯ll keep cooking like before, right?¡±

    ¡°Trust in me.¡±

    ¡°Fuck. Why are you doing this to me?¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Ah right. Come to think of it, is the delivery that came a moment ago something you ordered?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Ohjin opened a small box ced in the corner of the room.

    ¡°This is yours.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Again?¡±

    Ha-eun had a taken-aback expression, as she hadn¡¯t expected it to be an item he prepared for her.

    Ohjin took out the item inside and handed it over to her.

    ¡°¡­An eyepatch?¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t it be iffy going outside with your eye like that?¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    Ha-eun took the ck eyepatch Ohjin handed over and wore it over her left eye. Though it was an eyepatch, it was able to cover all the root-like veins, as its size was quiterge.

    ¡°H-How is it?¡± asked Ha-eun carefully as she wore the eyepatch.

    ¡°You look like a failed youth who has never dated at the age of 30 who got absorbed into otaku culture as an escape from reality, making them suffer from eighth-grade syndrome at ate age.¡±

    ¡°So I was thinking of making fried mint chocte for dinner.¡±

    ¡°It looks so good on you. How do you look so pretty with an eyepatch?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. That¡¯s right. It looks good on me, right?¡±

    Ha-eun giggled while touching the eyepatch.

    But, putting jokes aside, she looked quite nice with the eyepatch since her natural looks were so charming in the first ce.

    Though she did look like a chuunibyou.

    ¡°Does it feelfortable?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Not being able to see from one side is a little ufortable, but it¡¯s nothing much.¡±

    Well¡­

    It did seem like it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal to her, who couldn¡¯t see from either eye not too long ago.

    ¡°By the way, are you okay? The money¡­ you used up all the money you saved up,¡± asked Ha-eun with a low voice.

    ¡°I can earn it back anyways. There¡¯s no rush now.¡±

    ¡°Khm. I-Is that so?¡±

    Ha-eun cleared her throat as her face heated up.

    Some kind of unbearable happiness came from the words ¡®There¡¯s no rush now¡¯. There was a feeling like her entire body was being tickled by soft feathers; she had a hard time suppressing a smile.

    ¡°W-Who said to buy it at the buyout price anyways? You could have bought it at a much cheaper price through bidding.¡±

    Ha-eun needlessly poked Ohjin¡¯s side with her elbows in order to contain the unbearably ticklish sensation.

    ¡°Then what if someone else called the buyout price first?¡±

    If that happened, the auction would have ended at once with the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye in another person¡¯s hands. As it was an item that you wouldn¡¯t know if it would appear once a year or not if he lost that one opportunity, it would mean that Ha-eun would have to live locked up in that pitch-ck darkness for the same duration of time.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to buy it with certainty rather than enduring that risk.¡±

    Money was nothing but a means in the first ce. How much it took didn¡¯t matter as long as the objective could be achieved.

    ¡®Well, it was still stupid to call $10,000,000 at once¡­¡¯

    Ohjin hadn¡¯t had ns on calling the buyout price at the start. He had nned on testing the waters and buying the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye the cheapest he could.

    However¡­

    The moment he discovered Ha-eun with tears dripping down her face, some kind of anger soared up that made him end up calling $10,000,000 at once.

    ¡°Ah, uh.¡±

    Song Ha-eun ducked her head with a beet-red face.

    ¡°He, hehehe.¡±

    After she shook her shoulders up and down while giggling like a broken machine,

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get some fresh air for a moment!¡±

    <i>Whoosh¡ª</i>

    She exited the house in an escaping manner.

    [¡­]

    Vega gently looked at the back of Ha-eun getting further away and flew closer to Ohjin.

    [It seems that you truly cherish that child.]

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    [Thisdy has heard that you have protected that child from a young age¡­ Do you have a separate reason for doing so?]

    ¡°Huh. Ha-eun talked about that stuff?¡±

    The fact that Ohjin protected Ha-eun from a young age¡ªit was half right and half wrong.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one that protected her. She was the one who protected me first. No¡­ she protected everyone at the orphanage, to be urate.¡±

    [Hmm?]

    Vega¡¯s eyes sparkled from the story she hadn¡¯t heard before.

    ¡°To the orphanage kids back then, she was akin to a leader.¡±

    Ohjin wore a bitter smile on his face.

    He recalled the old memories.

    The young girl that pounced on the Director like an enraged beast for the kids that followed her.

    The radiant appearance of Ha-eun, who was like a brightly burning gemstone.

    ¡°By the way, did you know that she¡¯s a serious crybaby, even though she acts like that?¡±

    On nights she was hit by the Director, she would cover herself in a nket and secretly shed tears.

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    [Is that why you stepped up in her ce? To repay her?]

    ¡°I wonder.¡±

    To repay¡­

    There was that as well, but¡­

    ¡®It wasn¡¯t the only thing.¡¯

    Ohjinughed bitterly while shaking his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you thatter.¡±

    [Hmm.]

    Vega pouted, her lips puffed out with a slightly sulky expression.

    [Come on¡­]

    Vega went on top of his head and pulled on his hair.

    [¡­Still, it¡¯s a relief.]

    Vega, who was pulling on his hair, started to pat his head attentively.

    [This is thisdy¡¯s first time seeing you smile this honestly.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin lightly smiled and nodded his head.

    [Did you fail to save Ha-eun in your past life?]

    ¡°That is¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t know if the him from the 1st Round was able to save her or not.

    ¡®I probably failed.¡¯

    Was that why he ended the world in the 1st Round?

    ¡®I don¡¯t know that either.¡¯

    There was no way for him to know since he didn¡¯t have the memories of the 1st Round. He actually still couldn¡¯t believe that he was the culprit who ended the world.

    Anyways¡ª

    ¡°Yeah. I couldn¡¯t¡­ protect her back then.¡±

    ¡ªhe decided to go along with the rhythm.

    [So that happened, as expected.]

    Vega looked down at Ohjin with a regretful expression and then soon tapped on his forehead.

    [Cheer up. Haven¡¯t you saved her this time? You have already changed destiny¡¯s first page with your power!]

    ¡°Haha. Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±

    Although he wasn¡¯t a Regressor¡­

    Although he didn¡¯t possess the memories of the 1st Round¡­

    He was still able to change his destiny.

    [Khm! And do not forget that Ha-eun is nothing but your <i>¡®friend¡¯</i> at the end of the day!]

    Why was it that she was emphasizing ¡®friend'' so much?

    [Anyways! What are your ns now that Ha-eun¡¯s curse has been dispelled?]

    Vega quickly changed the subject.

    ¡®My next ns¡­¡¯

    Ohjin had one thing he had in mind.

    ¡°Vega, can you do me one favor?¡±

    Her help was a necessity for that n.

    <i>Plop¡ª</i>

    Vega, who had her legs crossed after moving to the top of his palm, straightened her back and answered.

    [Thisdy will help out however she can as long as it¡¯s something that can be done!]

    Nodding his head, he lightly wrapped his hand around her body.

    ¡°A couple hours a day isn¡¯t enough.¡±

    [Hmm?]

    ¡°24 Hours¡ªI want to be with you all the time.¡±

    [W-What?!]

    The Goddess¡¯s cheeks burned up.

 Chapter 41: Enclosed Training (2)

    -You think you won¡¯t be able to stay in contact for a while?

    He could hear the surprised voice of Team Leader Han over the phone.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m thinking of focusing on personal training for a while.¡±

    -Hm¡­ Then the training period will be¡­?

    Team Leader Han slurred the end of his sentence with a perplexed voice. It seemed like he didn¡¯t expect Ohjin to be absent at this time.

    ¡®Well, they probably have their hands full right now.¡¯

    The whole world was cing its attention on Korea from the rumors that a North Star¡¯s apostle had appeared. Not just Korean guilds, but even major foreign guilds were cing their attention on Ohjin¡¯s affiliate, the Association. It was reasonable for the Association to go into panic if Ohjin suddenly became absent in the middle of that situation.

    ¡°I¡¯m currently thinking around three months.¡±

    -Three Months¡­ the timing is a bit unsettling. There are actually hundreds of requests to have a meeting with you already.

    Ohjin already knew that everyone was anxious about creating a friendly rtionship with a North Star¡¯s apostle by any means possible.

    ¡®That¡¯s the reason I¡¯m making my disappearance in the first ce, after all.¡¯

    Of course, he had no reason to avoid them if they all approached him out of pure goodwill.

    ¡®However.¡¯

    There was no way something along the lines of pure goodwill existed in this world. With it being a friendly rtionship in name, it was obvious that they would rack their brains trying to find a method that took advantage of him.

    ¡®I need a little more time.¡¯

    He needed to at least raise his strength to the point where he would be able to defend against the forces that approached him with that in mind. The fact that he was growing at a speed iparable to other Awakeners was true, but he was still nothing but a mere 3-Star Awakener.

    ¡°Anyways, I n on focusing on personal training for a while, so please decline all the meeting requests.¡±

    -Yes, I understand. Thinking about it once again, I also believe that it would be best for you toy low, as you said.

    ¡®Indeed, It¡¯s nice that the Team Leader and I get along.¡¯

    ¡°Ah right. There is one more thing I¡¯d like to request.¡±

    ¡®I nearly forgot about this.¡¯

    ¡°Could you send a message to the Starlight Lake guild for me?¡±

    -The Starlight Lake guild?

    ¡°Yes. Tell them that I have been greatly offended by an Awakener named Choi Jongchul.

    Ohjin had promised that he would overlook it if he listened to his request, but he didn¡¯t n on overlooking it that easily.

    -Could you tell me how you were offended in detail?

    ¡°He provoked me by saying that I, a mere dog of the Association, had dared to act up against him,¡± said Ohjin, leaving out what happened to Ha-eun.

    -¡­Did he say such things? Team Leader Han replied in a tone that expressed his displeasure.

    There was no way he would be okay with someone throwing shade at the organization he was a part of, after all.

    -Leave that matter to me. We just happened to receive a meeting request from the Starlight Lake guild as well; we¡¯ll be able to turn them down using this as an excuse.

    ¡°Haha. Then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    His lips formed a smile on their own from Team Leader Han¡¯s confidence-filled voice.

    -Oh, which ce are you nning on training at?

    ¡°Ah, that,¡± Ohjin grinned.

    He already had a ce in mind for his enclosed training. The optimal location where he would be able to train in peace in the midst of all the attention.

    It was the one and only¡­

    ¡°Sanctum.¡±

    -¡­what?

    The mothend of gods where hundreds of celestials resided.

    That was the ce he decided on for his enclosed training.

    * * *

    [¡ªSo this is what you meant when you said you wanted to be together all the time.]

    The three sanctuaries that were located at the very top of the sanctum.

    He arrived at the massive sanctuary where only the celestials that carried the title ¡®North Star¡¯ could reside. The Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s sanctuary that he hadn¡¯t seen in a while was as deste as ever.

    ¡°What did you think I meant?¡± asked Ohjin in a yful manner.

    [Hmpf! Be quiet!]

    Puffing out steam from her nose, Vega quickly turned her head away with her arms crossed.

    ¡°Haha. Sorry. I couldn¡¯t think of a ce more perfect than this.¡±

    The time Vega could materialize on Earth was merely a couple hours; using that limited amount of time to learn the ways of handling the stigma of Lyra from Vega was not enough.

    ¡®But it¡¯s a different story inside the sanctum.¡¯

    The ¡®Commandant¡¯s restriction¡¯, which could be said to be the celestial¡¯s shackles, was a lot weaker inside the sanctum.

    It meant that it was more than possible for Vega to stay materialized for 24 hours a day.

    [Will it be okay to leave Ha-eun alone?]

    ¡°It¡¯s not like she¡¯s a kid.¡±

    It was time for Ha-eun to also focus on rehabilitation training for the time being, anyways.

    ¡®Though she did seem to be in a very bad mood.¡¯

    Ohjin recalled her violently distorted expression from when he said that he would be locked up inside the sanctum for three months.

    ¡°Well, we won¡¯t be apart for the entire duration of the three months, anyways.¡±

    Just because it was the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s sanctuary didn¡¯t mean that you had to possess the stigma of Lyra to enter; they could meet whenever they wanted.

    [Fufu. Then it looks like we¡¯ll be able to stay together like this for a while.]

    Vega¡¯s lips perked up in satisfaction.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to working with you, Goddess Vega.¡±

    [Fufu! Trust me!]

    Vega puffed out her chest with her arms crossed.

    <i>Twirl¡ª</i>

    Vega spun around 360¡ã like she was dancing.

    <i>Owooong!¡ª</i>

    Swaying through the rays of silver light, her body that was only 30cm started to be bigger inch by inch.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The original appearance of Vega that he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time was as breathtakingly beautiful as ever.

    [Alright, which skill do you want me to teach you first?]

    Vega approached him with sparkles in her eyes.

    Ohjin slowly shook his head.

    ¡°Teaching me with words has little-to-no meaning.¡±

    Before they came to the sanctum, he had been taught the skills of the stigma of Lyra a couple times on the house rooftop by Vega before.

    ¡®I need to be able to understand her words in order to learn.¡¯

    Ohjin wasn¡¯t sure if it was because Vega was unustomed to teaching with words or if her own understanding wascking, but he simply couldn¡¯tprehend what she was trying to express when listening to her exnations.

    ¡®What the hell is ¡®manipte mana like riding on the Milky Way¡¯s clouds¡¯ supposed to mean?¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t get the feel of how he was supposed to move his mana at all.

    [Hm? Then how are you nning to learn skills?]

    ¡°Vega. I want to spar with you directly.¡±

    Reminiscing about what he had experienced so far, he had always grown through real fights. It meant that, rather thanplicated theory, he would have a higher possibility for growth by relying on his instinct that exerted itself in extreme conditions.

    Although It wasn¡¯t a real fight but sparring, it would still be much more helpful than learning through exnations alone.

    However¡­

    [That cannot be done.]

    Vega shook her head with a firm expression.

    ¡°Why? Is it because of the restrictions?¡±

    He had heard that the restriction doesn¡¯tpletely disappear even inside the sanctum; it was justparatively weaker.

    [No. That is not the reason.]

    ¡°Then?¡±

    Vega let out a short sigh and answered.

    <b>[You might die.]</b>

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Certainly.

    Thinking about the difference that existed between him and Vega, it would be no different from a human sparring an ant.

    ¡°Even if you control your strength?¡±

    [It still cannot be done¡ªno matter how carefully it¡¯s controlled.]

    It meant that the gap between them was thatrge.

    ¡®Was I too arrogant?¡¯

    It could have been that he was full of himself because he had grown at a speed iparable to other Awakeners during the past few months. Now that he heard those words directly from her mouth, he felt ashamed that he dared to think about sparring a celestial.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t make any sense after all.¡¯

    She was a transcendent that was different from humans by nature. Even worse, she was a North Star¡¯s celestial that was evaluated as being on a different league even amongst those transcendents.

    ¡®Yeah, I was too full of myself.¡¯

    He had briefly forgotten about it since he had been stayingfortable with Vega all this time.

    His current self was nothing but an existence that could be easily crushed to death by a single one of her fingers.

    ¡°Then I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s continue as usual.¡±

    It didn¡¯t seem like it would be all that efficient, but he didn¡¯t want to bite off more than he could chew and proceed to spar while ignoring Vega¡¯s warning.

    [Hmm. Wait a moment.]

    Vega was lost in thought with her arms crossed

    Soon, <i>Click!, </i>she snapped her fingers.

    [Even if it doesn¡¯t work for me, it could be possible with my Star Spirit.]

    ¡®Star Spirit? Is it that thing called the celestial¡¯s incarnation?¡¯

    Celestials were fundamentally unable to interfere with matters on Earth due to the restrictions. Vega could still interfere to some degree, fitting that of her title, North Star, but other celestials couldn¡¯t even exit the sanctum.

    What stemmed from that problem were Star Spirits.

    It was a kind of summons that had part of a celestial¡¯s soul infused within.

    ¡®Of course, Star Spirits aren¡¯tpletely free from restrictions.¡¯

    Butpared to a celestial directly intervening on Earth, It was said to receive a much weaker restriction.

    ¡®Anyways, Vega¡¯s Star Spirit huh¡­ I guess I¡¯ll need to put up an act again.¡¯

    [Come.]

    Vega slowly raised her hands up.

    [Servant of the Star of the Weaver Girl, Riak.]

    <i>Owooong!¡ª </i>

    With rays of radiant silver light, a crack appeared in the void.

    <i>Step, step¡ª</i>

    What appeared from the crack was a wolf that possessed beautiful silver fur.

    ¡°Have you called, Lady Vega?¡±

    With a fluent voice unthinkable of a wolf, Riak bowed his head.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Riak¡¯s eyes that were observing the surroundings headed in Ohjin¡¯s direction.

    <i>Flinch¡ª</i>

    His silver fur stood on its edge.

    ¡°A human? Why is a human in this ce¡­?¡±

    The wolf¡¯s gaze was filled with wariness.

    Ohjin approached Riak and¡ª

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Riak.¡±

    ¡ªput on a friendly smile while shaking his hand.

    Tilting his head, the silver wolf narrowed its eyes.

    ¡°Bastard, who are you?¡±

    ¡°Haha! It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard you speak to me in that manner; it feels quite refreshing now.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Not able to understand the situation, the confused Riak turned his head in Vega¡¯s direction.

    Vega gently smiled as she ced her hands on top of Ohjin¡¯s shoulder.

    [Do not be surprised, Riak.]

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    [This child is a Regressor who went against time and returned from the future.]

    ¡°T-The Heaven-defying Star!¡±

    Riak¡¯s mouth opened wide.

    An existence like a myth, even amongst celestials that were transcendent beings.

    The one and only hope that could change the destiny of a world that was destined to meet its end.

    ¡°How is the Heaven-defying star¡­ I-In that case!¡±

    The appearance of the Heaven-defying star meant one thing¡­

    That the world of the ¡®future¡¯ had already met its end once.

    In other words¡ª

    ¡°Eventually, just like Lady Vega¡¯s prophecy¡­¡±

    ¡ªthe owner it revered had been devoured by the ck Heaven¡¯s darkness.

    <i>Boom!¡ª</i>

    Riak stamped his feet in anger.

    Although it was a future that hadn¡¯t arrived yet, the guilt from the fact that he couldn¡¯t protect his owner crashed in like a wave.

    [Do not me yourself, Riak.]

    Vega gently stroked Riak with a caring touch.

    [Isn¡¯t that why my child hase to this ce, to prevent that future?]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riak red at Ohjin with its mouth closed shut.

    His presence felt much too weak to be the Heaven-defying star.

    ¡°Lady Vega, is that human truly the Heaven-defying star?¡±

    [Fufu. You wille to know as time passes.]

    Vega crossed her arms with a confident expression.

    ¡°Vega.¡±

    [Alright.]

    Vega exined to Riak the reason why Ohjin hade to the sanctuary.

    ¡°A spar¡­? With him?¡±

    [That is correct.]

    ¡°Grrrr.¡±

    Riak narrowed his eyes and observed Ohjin from head to toe.

    He honestly couldn¡¯t believe it, but¡­

    ¡°If it¡¯s Lady Vega¡¯s orders¡­¡±

    <i>Crunch!¡ª</i>

    As Riak¡¯s body started to erge, his appearance changed into a werewolf that reached a height of 2 meters.

    <i>Bzzzzzt!¡ª</i>

    Blue lightning sparked up across his silver fur.

    ¡®Damn, what the hell?¡¯

    <i>Gulp¡ª</i>

    Ohjin swallowed out of nervousness while looking up at Riak.

    A suffocating force flowed out of Riak, who had transformed into a werewolf. He honestly appeared stronger than Vega if you were to base it off force alone.

    ¡®Though that¡¯s probably because Vega doesn¡¯t expose her true power.¡¯

    Anyway¡­

    The fact that it was a strong being iparable to his current self was the undeniable truth.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s start the spar.¡±

    Riak took his stance.

    Ohjin nodded his head and raised his spear.

    ¡®Honestly, winning will make no sense but¡­¡¯

    If it was holding on.

    ¡®I can do¡ª¡¯

    <i>Baaang!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t even see it with his naked eye.

    He had raised his spear out of instinct.

    <i>Boom!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kugk!!¡±

    The spear grasped in his hand was violently flung away.

    Blood flowed out as his palms were ripped.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    He quickly lowered his stance to roll on the ground, but¡­

    ¡°Too slow.¡±

    <i>Crack!¡ª</i>

    Riak kicked Ohjin¡¯s stomach as if kicking a ser bar.

    ¡°Kughk! Kuk! Cough!¡±

    He fell down on the spot as strength left his legs.

    ¡®Holy shit.¡¯

    Three Seconds.

    That was the time it took for Ohjin¡¯s first spar with Riak to end.

 Chapter 42: Enclosed Training (3)

    <b>I''m Not a Regressor</b>

    Two months had passed.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    Heavy vibrations resonated.

    A silver line sped across the deste sanctuary like a sh of light.

    "Kugh!"

    Desperately chasing after that sh of light, Ohjin raised his spear.

    ¡®Blue Lightning!''

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª</i>

    The electrical attack swept forward in a cone shape.

    However¡ª

    "Don''t you know that it''s meaningless?"

    ¡ªA voice could be heard right behind him.

    Riak, who had been charging at Ohjin, was suddenly standing behind him.

    "Hmpf!"

    There was no room for thought.

    Ohjin stretched his right hand straight up and flicked his wrist.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    His body shot upwards with the wire.

    "Indeed. Running away is one thing you''re good at."

    Coldly ridiculing him, he looked up at Ohjin, who was riding up the ceiling.

    "However."

    Riak lowered his body,

    "You cannot win fights by running away."

    <i>Bang!!¡ª</i>

    Riak roughly stamped its feet.

    "Damn it!" Ohjin''s expression went pale.

    He was currently in mid-air.

    Like a rocket, Riak charged at Ohjin, who had his movement restricted.

    "T-Time out!"

    "Do you think such a thing exists inbat?" Riak smirked while raising his fist.

    When it was about to swing its fist at Ohji,n who was sticking to the ceiling like a bug,

    "¡ªWell, of course, there isn''t."

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    Riak could see Ohjin''s lips twisting up.

    "¡­What?" Riak''s expression roughly distorted.

    <i>Chtutututu!!¡ª</i>

    The wires stuck to the ceiling spread out like a and tied Riak up.

    "Lightning Charge!"

    <i>Crackleeee!¡ª</i>

    The electrical attacks that flowed through the wires exploded in session.

    Riak''s body flinched.

    "Your moves are predictable."

    However, that was it.

    Even after taking on the destructive electrical attacks, Riak didn''t stop moving.

    <i>sh!¡ª</i>

    Riak raised his hand and lightly cut the air.

    An electrical fingernail followed the trajectory and shot at Ohjin.

    "Hmpf!"

    Avoiding it was impossible.

    Ohjin took a short breath in and twisted his body.

    He focused the stigma''s mana into both of his legs.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    His body that kicked off from the ceiling fell towards the ground at a rapid speed.

    "Too slow."

    Riak'' stepped'' on the zing blue lighting that surrounded his body. Hended on the ground faster than Ohjin and raised his fist.

    The eyes of the falling Ohjin and Riak met each other.

    And then¡ª

    ¡®Now¡­!''

    ¡ªmaintaining the falling momentum, Ohjin readied his spear.

    He was already familiar with the fact that there was an overwhelming difference in speed from the spars he had experienced through the past two months.

    And since that was the case¡ª

    ¡®Thunder Fall!''

    ¡ªhe simply had to predict Riak''s actions on the premise that he was ¡®faster'' than him.

    <i>Crackleeeee!!¡ª</i>

    The strike that had be one step stronger than two months ago struck down on Riak.

    A storm of blue lightning swept the surroundings with a loud noise.

    ¡®This should be effective!'' Ohjin''s lips twisted up.

    However¡­

    "¡ªWeak."

    "Kugh?!"

    Riak, who had soared up from the lightning, grabbed Ohjin by the neck.

    Bending his back as if throwing a baseball, he soon roughly swung his arm.

    <i>Bang!!¡ª</i>

    "Kugh!"

    <i>Thump! Thump! Thump!¡ª</i>

    Ohjin''s body bounced across the sanctuary floor like a skipping stone.

    An intense pain shook his body.

    "Ugh¡­ damn it. I thought I got Riak good this time."

    Ohjin¡ªwho was mmed on the ground¡ªlet out a sigh as he got back on his feet.

    "Kyahaha! Damn, you bounce well. Are you a fucking bouncy ball?"

    With the familiar sound of herugh, Ha-eun made her appearance. She ced the pocket filled with ice on top of Ohjin''s head.

    "Is your head okay?"

    "No. It fucking hurts."

    "Come here; I''ll fuu~ blow on it for you."

    "Urgh."

    "Ang?"

    "Ah, my insides don''t feel so good after rolling on the ground so much."

    "This bastard."

    Ha-eun lightly knuckled his head.

    ¡®Ow.''

    "How long did Ist?" said Ohjin as he rubbed his stinging head.

    Ha-eun held up the phone disy she had in her grasp.

    "52 seconds."

    ¡®Damn. How can I fail tost a single minute even one time.''

    "Tch."

    Two months ago¡­

    It was quite a rapid improvement if you thought about when he was destroyed three seconds into the spar, but he didn''t expect that he wouldn''t be able tost a single minute after two months when he was facing the same opponent.

    ¡®Seriously, he''s unbelievably strong.''

    ncing at Riak, he let out a deep sigh.

    What was worse, it was like this when Riak wasn''t using his full strength. He was being gentle ording to the situation.

    "Hehe! You dummy. How do you manage to get beat up every day?" Ha-eun sat down next to him and made fun of him.

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    "¡­But why are youing here every day?"

    Ha-eun, who hade once or twice a week in the beginning, started to visit the sanctum like she wasmuting to work.

    She had even spent the night there a couple times.

    "I came here to give our little Ohjin some food~"

    Ha-eun hummed a tune and opened the lunch box she had prepared.

    Rice balls that looked like cursed totems made to plead with the ancient devil to exterminate humanity filled the square lunch box.

    ¡®Fuck. Why does she keep making it like that?''

    "Here~ Quick, have a taste!"

    "¡­"

    Ohjin looked at her with pleading eyes, but it didn''t work.

    He ripped a bite off the rice ball Ha-eun handed over.

    "Huh? What the¡­?"

    ¡®Why is this tasty?''

    "Huhu, how is it?"

    "It''s tasty."

    Its appearance was horrendous, but the moderate salty and spiciness made it quite tasty.

    "Hehe~ Right? It''s tasty, right?" Ha-eun raised her nose up high while cackling.

    Looking at her boasting, Ohjin''s desire to tease her boiled up, but he held it in.

    ¡®By the way, I wonder if the training is showing results.''

    Ohjin took another bite off the rice ball and narrowed his eyes.

    Through the past two months, his physical capabilities had increased; Blue Lighting and Thunder Fall had each risen by a level, but that was it.

    Ohjin couldn''t feel the explosive growth like he had before.

    ¡®Is sparring not enough?''

    He thought about the possibility that he needed more stimtion.

    "Hmm."

    Around the time he was contemting¡­

    "¡­"

    With deeply sunken eyes, Riak was looking down at Ohjin eating rice balls.

    Vega slowly flew to his side.

    [Right. How do you feel now that you have sparred with him for two months?] asked Vega with a light smile and her arms crossed.

    "¡­What is Lady Vega referring to?"

    [Fufu. Couldn''t he be said to truly possess natural talent?]

    "¡­" Riak closed his lips tight.

    Memories of the past two months went through his head.

    It seemed that he wasn''t self-aware, but Ohjin had distinctively grown during the past two months.

    However¡­

    "¡­I cannot acknowledge him." Riak shook his head in disappointment.

    "The fact that he has exceptional talent in handling the stigma for a human is true, but that is all."

    Riak didn''t think that he was talented to the point of being the hope that could change the destiny of a world destined to end.

    [Is that so?]

    Vega gently stroked the back of Riak, who had changed back into his wolf form.

    Riak turned his head away, avoiding her gaze.

    [Do not be in a rush. You will graduallye to know.]

    "¡­I do not know why Lady Vega evaluates that human so highly."

    [Fufu. It is my intuition.]

    Vega shrugged while looking back at Ohjin.

    [That child¡ª has the power to change destiny.]

    Solidified trust was contained in her gaze.

    "¡­"

    Riak scratched the sanctuary''s floor with the same sullen expression as ever.

    Vega put on a light smile and tickled Riak''s chin.

    [Maybe you''ll be able to discover a method to tear down your ¡®wall'' by staying next to that child.]

    "That kind of thing¡­"

    [Well¡­ that does seem like a stretch, even to me. Anyways, do not think of it too negatively.]

    Her gentle touch brushed past the bridge of Riak''s nose.

    "Grrrr."

    Riak pped his ears like he was happy.

    * * *

    * * *

    When around ten more minutes had passed¡­

    <i>Step, step¡ª</i>

    Riak walked towards Ohjin, who had just finished eating the rice balls.

    "Human. Are you done with your break?"

    "Hm? Ah, yeah, I''m done."

    Ohjin chugged the water Ha-eun had brought and got up from the spot.

    "¡­"

    Riak looked at Ohjin with an expression that seemed like he was lost in thought.

    "What?"

    "No, it''s nothing."

    "Huh?"

    Ohjin tilted his head and looked at him, but an answer didn''te.

    <i>Crunch!¡ª</i>

    Riak turned back into his werewolf form once again.

    "Then¡­ Let''s start the spar right away," Riak said while releasing his fierce pressure.

    "Wait."

    "Hm?"

    "I have something I want to ask," Ohjin tapped the group with the tip of his spear and continued.

    "Is there a method to do this like a ¡®real fight'' instead of sparring?"

    "¡­What did you say?" Riak forced a chuckle out of absurdity.

    He was expecting real fights when he couldn''t evenst a single minute.

    "I know this request makes no sense as well," Ohjinughed bitterly.

    "Still, I want to try a spar as close to real fights as possible."

    No matter how much he tried to focus, the feeling of real fights waspletely different from spars. It was like he couldn''t get rid of the thought ¡®it''s a spar anyways'' inside the corner of his mind.

    "Hmm," Riak let out a jeer and crossed his arms.

    "There is a method."

    "Oh, really?"

    Ohjin''s eye''s sparkled.

    And then¡­

    [¡ªThat cannot be done,] said Vega in a hurried voice.

    "Hm? Why?"

    Ohjin looked at her with a questioning gaze.

    "Isn''t it possible? If Lady Vega uses the ¡®Sacred Ground'', that is," said Riak as he looked back at Vega.

    [You are being impertinent.]

    "The one who said that the human possesses the power to change destiny is you, Lady Vega."

    [¡­] Vega slowly clenched her mouth and stared at Riak.

    ¡®Huh?''

    It was hard to follow the flow of the conversation.

    It seemed like Riak had taken notice of Ohjin''s expression as he started to provide supplementary information.

    "It is possible for Lady Vega to twist thews of physics inside the Sacred Ground."

    "¡­Then that means."

    "That''s right. It means that Lady Vega will be able to ¡®instantly revive'' you, even if you die."

    "What?"

    Ohjin''s mouth opened wide.

    Even if she was a celestial, he couldn''t believe that such an unimaginable thing was possible.

    "Naturally, this is only possible because this is inside the sanctum and because you and I are Lady Vega''s apostles."

    "Hm."

    If Vega could make a space where he would revive the instant he died as Riak had said,

    ¡®I can spar like it''s no different from real fights.''

    Ohjin looked at Vega with eyes filled with expectation.

    However¡­

    [No.]

    Vega firmly shook her head.

    "Why?"

    [Reviving you from death is possible, but it cannot remove the pain and shock from death itself.]

    "¡­"

    If it couldn''t remove the pain and shock from death¡­

    [There is a risk that your mind won''tst and be destroyed.]

    ¡®So it was something like that.''

    He could understand why Vega had refused so firmly.

    ¡®But¡­''

    Ohjin clenched his fists and looked back at Riak.

    Even though he had already chugged down the water Ha-eun gave him, he could still feel an unknown thirst.

    "I''ll leave it to you, Vega."

    [But.]

    "I''ll try it out once and tell you when I think I won''t be able to take it."

    [Haa.]

    A deep sigh flowed out of Vega''s mouth.

    [¡­Thisdy will interrupt the instant it looks dangerous.]

    "Alright."

    Ohjin smiled while nodding his head.

    [It''ll take some time to prepare.]

    Vega mumbled an iprehensible incantation with her eyes closed.

    And once around one hour had passed,

    <i>Owooong!¡ª</i>

    The entire sanctuary zed up in radiant silver lights.

    Some kind of mysterious sensation passed through his body.

    ¡®Is this the sacred ground?''

    Ohjin touched the sanctuary wall that had subtle lights trickling out of fascination.

    "Are you ready to experience the real fight you wanted?"

    "Alright."

    With his spear grasped, Ohjin lowered his stance.

    A cold, derisive smile was put on Riak''s mouth.

    "Well then¡­ struggle to your heart''s extent, human."

    <i>Rumbleeee!!¡ª</i>

    With the entire sanctuary vibrating¡ª

    "¡­!!!"

    ¡ªkilling intent exploded out.

    "Kugh! Kuk!"

    He couldn''t breathe properly.

    His sight wavered, and strength left his legs.

    <i>Thump, thump¡ª</i>

    His heart started to pound like crazy.

    The fear of ¡®death'' rode through his spine and encroached on his mind.

    "Hmpf."

    Looking at Ohjin, who couldn''t pull himself together the moment he emitted killing intent, Riak puffed out his nose like he had expected it all along.

    However, it was momentary.

    "¡­Hm?"

    Riak''s eyes narrowed.

    "Haa, haa!"

    Ohjin spat out breaths that had be rough.

    Even standing still was difficult.

    The frightening killing intent that crashed in like a tsunami burned the insides of his head white.

    ¡®This is.''

    Riak''s true strength.

    "Ha, haa!"

    It was in a different realm from the spars he had so far.

    ¡®This is for real.''

    Riak was truly aiming to ¡®kill'' him.

    "Haa, ha, ha!"

    Cold sweat flowed.

    <i>Thump. Thump. Thump¡ª</i>

    His heart rang out like hitting massive drums.

    It was as hot as if steel rods heated up in fire were jammed inside his head.

    ¡®I''m scared.''

    A distant fear swooped him.

    The sensation of blood drying up all over his body permeated him.

    ¡®I''m scared, I''m scared, I''m scared.''

    But why was it?

    "Ha, haha, hahaha!"

    An unbearable thrill¡­

    A crazy ecstasy¡­

    Heated up his body''s senses.

    "Ha."

    Ohjin stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.

    "Huh, why aren''t youing?"

    He looked at Riak, who was standing still.

    "Then¡ª"

    Grasping the spear.

    He kicked off.

    "¡ªI''m going first."

    Bang!¡ª

    A wire aimed at Riak shot out like a bullet.

 Chapter 43: Enclosed Training (4)

    <i>Swoosh!¡ª</i>

    The wire shot out with blur and around Riak¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Riak didn¡¯t bother to avoid it and instead pulled on the wire.

    Ohjin¡¯s was pulled towards him like a fish caught on a rod from the overwhelming difference in physical strength.

    ¡°I¡¯ll at least acknowledge that courage of yours!¡±

    Riak didn¡¯t expect him to be able to prate through the killing intent that he had been putting all of his effort into releasing.

    ¡°However¡­!¡±

    Courage that wasn¡¯t backed up with strength was nothing but temerity.

    ¡°You are nothing without it!¡±

    Riak swung not his fist but his sharp ws at Ohjin, who was being pulled in without retaliation.

    A strike filled with thick killing intent.

    Mere delicate human bodies would be shredded like paper if they got caught in his ws.

    ¡ªAnd then.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    <i>Click!¡ª</i>

    Ohjin released the wire shooter on his left arm.

    He slid using the momentum that had been dragging him and swung his spear low towards Riak¡¯s ankles.

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    Staying calm, Riak grasped the wire in his hands and jumped up.

    <i>Swish!¡ª</i>

    The silver spear split apart the air in vain.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    A short exmation flowed out of Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    It was ast-ditch attack made with the determination of unequipping his wire shooter, but it was seen through too easily.

    And the failure of ast-ditch attack against a powerful being like Riak meant¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on you and see if that courage of yours remains after experiencing death!¡±

    ¡ªdeath.

    <i>Boooooooooom!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kuuugh?!¡±

    Riak¡¯s kick didn¡¯t contain a bit of mercy.

    Ohjin, who was kicked in the stomach, bent into a ? shape and shot off.

    He felt the pain of intestines ripping.

    The sensation of his crushed spine digging into his flesh was spread vividly all over his body.

    [My child!]

    ¡°Ohjin!¡±

    He heard the hurried voice of two women.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    Dark red blood rode up his throat and poured out.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    His consciousness flickered.

    A soul-escaping sense of helplessness took over his body.

    And then¡ª

    <i>Owooong!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªhis flickering consciousness became clear once again with rays of silver light.

    His injuries started to regenerate as if time had reversed.

    ¡°Haa! Haa!¡±

    The residual, dreadful pain of his intestines ripping and spine crushing was left on his body.

    ¡°Ah, uh.¡±

    <i>Shiver¡ª</i>

    Ohjin grasped his chest while his two legs shook.

    He wanted to grab the spear that had fallen onto the ground once again, but his body wouldn¡¯t move easily.

    However¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    <i>Clench¡ª</i>

    He gritted his teeth and put strength into his shivering legs.

    ¡°Do you know now that you have experienced it once?¡±

    Riak crossed his arms and jeered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense of wanting to experience realbat from¡ª¡±

    Before he could finish his words¡ª

    <i>Boom!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Huaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    ¡ªOhjin roared out while sprinting towards Riak.

    As he reached his hand out to the ground, a line made out of blue sparks wrapped around the silver spear, causing it to float up like a living organism.

    <i>Bam!¡ª</i>

    He grabbed the spear.

    ¡°Ho?¡±

    Riak¡¯s eyes gleamed in interest.

    <i>Kang! Kang! Ka-gang!¡ª</i>

    ¡°So you weren¡¯t just all talk.¡±

    Riak smirked while repelling the spear with ease.

    ¡°However¡­¡±

    Riak bared his teeth.

    His fingernail zing with blue lightning sliced towards Ohjin¡¯s neck.

    <i>Slice!¡ª</i>

    ck oxidized flesh came out of his split neck.

    ¡°¡ªHow long will you be able tost?¡±

    The second time, the third time, the fourth time, the fifth time.

    Each death connected like a steel chain.

    His body was returned back to the state before he died with Vega¡¯s authority, but his mind wasn¡¯t.

    It was broken down and twisted.

    It copsed like a sandcastle being swept away by a tide.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Kuhk! Kak!¡±

    Copsing down, Ohjin threw up the blood that oozed up to his neck.

    The unbearable tsunami of pain spread across his body.

    ¡®Focus.¡¯

    He grabbed onto the string of consciousness that was fading away.

    ¡®This is what you wanted.¡¯

    A kind of sensation you would never be able to feel inside your average spar.

    The fear of wandering right in front of the gate of death pulled his mind together.

    ¡®Don¡¯t think.¡¯

    His body moved not with rationality but instinct.

    ¡®Don¡¯t calcte.¡¯

    Like he had always done, he moved on intuition and gut feeling.

    <i>Kang! Ka-kang! Ka-kakakang!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Riak narrowed his eyes.

    He deflected the spear that was thrust towards him at a rapid speed with doubt in his mind.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    Something¡­

    Felt off.

    ¡®Why¡ªdid he be this hard to face?¡¯

    Nothing special had changed.

    He didn¡¯t be faster or stronger.

    However¡ª

    <i>Crackle!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    ¡ªRiak unconsciously stepped back from the lightning that sparked out from below.

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    Riak¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    There wasn¡¯t even a gap to resolve his question.

    Thebat continued.

    ¡°Haak, haak, haak!¡±

    Running out of breath, he wrung out his mana and shot out Blue Lightning and Lightning Charge without rest.

    ¡®It¡¯s not enough.¡¯

    The force behind Blue Lightning and Lightning Charge was strong, but the direction of attack was too simple.

    Even worse, with those attacks not being all that effective against Riak in the first ce, they were nothing but skills that were easy to block and dodge.

    ¡®I need a different skill.¡¯

    A fluid attack that could pressure him with more efficiency.

    ¡®What is there?¡¯

    He was temporarily lost in thought while he jabbed out his spear without rest.

    However, the only things that came up in his head were abstract images. He didn¡¯t know the specifics of what he needed to do in order to use those skills.

    ¡®Just what do I need to¡ª¡¯

    <i>Crunch!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kurh! Kuk!¡±

    Another death was added.

    Inside his flickering consciousness¡ª

    -What are you thinking so hard for?

    ¡ªone question surfaced.

    <b>-Don¡¯t you have all the material you need already?</b>

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    A short exmation flowed out.

    That¡¯s right.

    Why was he contemting so hard?

    What was he thinking so much for?

    ¡®It¡¯s simple.¡¯

    His shoulders shook as heughed out.

    Dropping his spear on the ground, he slowly raised his left arm.

    ¡®If the stigma of Lyra isn¡¯t enough¡­¡¯

    <i>Owooong!¡ª</i>

    Light poured out of the stigma engraved on his left chest. From the distinctly zing stigma of Lyra¡ª

    ¡®I just need to add one more from there.¡¯

    ¡ªhe ovepped the stigma of the Owl Neb.

    [The stigma of Lyra and the stigma of the Owl Neb are resonating!]

    [Combination skill¡¶Lightning Feather Lv MAX¡· has been acquired!]

    [You have achieved part of the conditions required for the ck Heaven¡¯s fourth awakening!]

    <i>Chututututu!!¡ª</i>

    Dozens of feathersposed of blue lightning shot at Riak.

    ¡°Kugh?!¡±

    Riak swung his ws with a panicked expression from the sudden attack.

    The lighting feathers that tunneled through the space between his ws sliced his body¡ªsilver fur was cut off as blood sttered out.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    Riak¡¯s mouth opened wide in disbelief.

    Amongst the skills that utilized the stigma of Lyra, a skill that made feathers out of lightning didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡ªWhat that meant was¡­

    ¡®He created a skill¡­ on the spot?¡¯

    Riak¡¯s pupils trembled.

    It wasn¡¯t impossible to utilize a stigma to create a new skill. Even the lightning ws he enjoyed using was a skill he had made himself.

    However¡­

    ¡®How did this newborn Awakener¡­?¡¯

    The truth that he had forgotten, no, the truth that he tried hard to turn a blind eye to resurfaced.

    ¡°This is¡­ the Heaven-defying Star.¡±

    An electrifying thrill ran down his spine.

    ¡°Haa, haa!¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s staggered left and right after shooting out the lightning feathers.

    The sound of clear bells continued.

    [Stigma of Lyra has been promoted to 4-Star!]

    [¡¶Lightning&Thunder Lv4¡· has increased to ¡¶Lightning&Thunder Lv5¡·!]

    4-Star.

    An Awakener who hadn¡¯t even been awakened for half a year had reached 4-Star.

    An unprecedented speed of growth.

    But without the time to savor the ecstasy of the promotion¡ª

    ¡°Grrrrrrr! You impudent human!¡±

    Riak¡¯s violent attacks continued.

    Slice¡ª

    ¡°Kugk!¡±

    Even with the acquisition of a new skill¡­

    Even with reaching the realm of a 4-Star¡­

    The difference between him and Riak was the same.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!!¡±

    The sharp ws shredded him, causing the eruption of dreadful pain that shook his body.

    Six times, seven times, eight times.

    The death toll added up.

    ¡°Do you think you can change destiny with talent alone!¡±

    Riak stuck closer to Ohjin andshed out more fiercely.

    A battle so one-sided that it overshadowed the fact that he had grown explosively during the short span ofbat took ce.

    Around when the amount deaths he experienced were well over the double digits¡­

    [¡ªStop!]

    <i>Boom!¡ª </i>

    Vega blocked Riak¡¯s path.

    ¡°Huuk, huuk, huuk.¡±

    Riak, who had been pouring down attacks without rest, stopped.

    Vega looked down at the breathless Riak with cold eyes.

    [You have crossed the line.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riak, who had just regained his senses, examined the state Ohjin was in.

    He had passed out and copsed on the ground from the shock of deaths that had suddenly surged up.

    "Ohjin!! Hey!! Gwon Ohjin!! Wake up!!"

    Ha-eun poured out tears while clutching Ohjin¡¯s copsed body.

    ¡°¡­Forgive me!¡±

    Riak got down on his knees and bowed down in front of Vega.

    ¡®I made a mistake.¡¯

    Riak closed his eyes tight.

    The moment he confirmed Ohjin¡¯s talent¡­

    The moment he saw his distant potential like that of the stars that brightened up the night sky¡­

    He had unconsciously let go of his string of reason.

    ¡®You idiot!¡¯

    Riak chewed on his lips and condemned himself. He had been blinded by jealousy, causing him to make a mistake.

    [Riak. Thisdy understands your feelings.]

    Vega spoke with a sunken voice.

    [This child must havee off as a big shock to you, who has been stopped by a ¡®wall¡¯ for a long period of time.]

    She was spot on.

    [However¡­]

    <i>Flinch¡ª </i>

    Riak¡¯s shoulders shuddered.

    [Even if that¡¯s the case, thisdy, who has seen you run wild and forget your duty, cannot hide her disappointment.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riak dropped his head with his mouth shut tight. Even with ten mouths, he would have no words.

    ¡°If that huma¡­ no, if the Heaven-defying Stares to his senses, I will formally apologize. If he doesn¡¯t ept my apology, I will seek forgiveness, even with death.¡±

    He was being serious.

    [Fuu¡­ let¡¯s wait until my childes to his senses for now.]

    Turning her body, Vega let out a brief sigh.

    In that ce¡ª

    [Huh?]

    <b>¡ªwas Ohjin, who had gotten back on his feet before they knew it.</b>

    [My child. Have youe¡ª]

    ¡°You can¡­¡±

    <i>Wobble, wobble¡ª</i>

    Ohjin moved his feet.

    While looking down at Riak, who was bowing down his head¡ª

    ¡°Still¡­ continue, right?¡±

    ¡ªhe smiled brightly.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Riak¡¯s pupils trembled.

    ¡°You¡­ can still¡­ continue, right?¡±

    ¡°What are you saying¡­¡±

    Riak raised his head with an expression full of disbelief.

    Ohjin¡¯s azure eyes were looking down on him.

    His terrifying pupils were like a moonless night.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Riak¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    <b>¡°Just what are you?¡±</b>

    His stiff voice echoed out.

 Chapter 44: Enclosed Training (5)

    Shivers.

    His silver fur stood on edge from the creepy sensation that ran down his spine.

    ¡®What is this?¡¯

    It was strange.

    No matter how he thought of it, no matter how many times he reminisced¡­

    It made no sense.

    ¡®How¡­ can he move?¡¯

    Riak himself knew best about how immense the shock of death was because he had requested Vega to utilize the Sacred Ground back when he was focused on training.

    The one who faced him back then was Vega.

    ¡®My limit¡­ was twenty times.¡¯

    Even Riak, who had pride in his willpower and believed it to be inferior to none, was struck by fear and unable to move after experiencing twenty consecutive deaths.

    Death begat fear beyond one¡¯s imagination.

    No¡­

    Death or not, there was no possible way one¡¯s mind would be left intact after one¡¯s intestines were ripped and crushed bone fragments dug into flesh.

    ¡®But¡­¡¯

    Why¡­

    After experiencing over twenty deaths¡­

    How could he smile so brightly?

    ¡°What? What are you spacing out for?¡±

    <i>Drrrr¡ª</i>

    Dragging the spear on the ground, Ohjin approached him step by step.

    Even though the inside of his head was burning up, Ohjin moved forward.

    Though his legs shook as if they were about to copse at any second, he refused to give in.

    ¡°¡ªWe¡¯re not finished yet, are we?¡±

    He moved.

    He grabbed the burning rope of consciousness¡ª

    and forcefully pushed strength into his quivering legs.

    One step¡­

    And then another step, he moved.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Riaku stepped back as his eyes widened.

    At that moment he waspletely overwhelmed by the fragile human who he could face with a single finger.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    Chewing his lips, his face turned pale from fear.

    His clenched fists shook.

    It was impossible to describe him with the simple expression, ¡®outstanding will¡¯.

    It was¡ª

    ¡®He¡¯s out of his mind.¡¯

    ¡ªmadness.

    It transcended will, it was beyond simple conviction.

    It was simply pure madness.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    His instincts rmed him.

    They warned him immediately escape from that ce, telling him that human was one who shouldn¡¯t be faced.

    All of his senses screamed out.

    ¡°Non¡­sense!¡±

    Ignoring the rms of his instincts, Riak raised his fist.

    When he was about to run at the human wobbling towards him¡ª

    <i>Owooong!!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªThe silver rays of light that epassed the sanctuary disappeared.

    ¡°¡±Ah.¡±¡±

    Ohjin and Riak¡¯s voice ovepped.

    Where their eyes naturally headed to was the Goddess, who was ring at the two of them with angry eyes.

    [Did you not hear my words to stop?]

    ¡°I-I apologize.¡±

    Riak bowed his head down.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin fiddled with the spear grasped in his hand with a somewhat regrettable expression and soon nodded his head.

    ¡°Sorry. I guess I got a little too excited.¡±

    He neatly apologized.

    [Fuu. Seriously¡­ you and Riak are the same when ites to being reckless.]

    Vega let out a sigh and approached him.

    Lightly pinching on Ohjin¡¯s cheek, she continued.

    [You really are a troublesome child. How much are you nning on making thisdy worried?]

    Although she asked yfully, her voice trembled slightly.

    It appeared that she had truly been worried about him.

    Ohjin smiled bitterly as he bowed his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll seriously be careful from now on.¡±

    [Will you promise?]

    Vega carefully extended out her pinky finger.

    ¡®Where did she learn stuff like this?¡¯

    ¡°Yeah. I promise.¡±

    ¡­Though it was unknown how long the promise of a scammer wouldst.

    [Fufu. Thisdy shall trust in you.]

    When he looked at the appearance of the Goddess smiling brightly, even his thoughts of lying disappeared.

    ¡®I did get a little too heated this time.¡¯

    He had fought with half of his mind starting from the middle of the fight.

    It had been gruesome to the extent that Riak was startled and took steps back.

    ¡®But is it something to be that surprised about?¡¯

    The fear and pain of death was definitely extreme.

    It was to the point he had worried that the inside of his brain would go up in mes.

    However¡­

    ¡®I still think it was bearable. It was definitely painful and agonizing, but¡­¡¯

    <b>¡®Wouldn¡¯t the problem be over if you simply ¡®endured¡¯ it?¡¯</b>

    ¡®I don¡¯t understand why they¡¯re making such a fuss.¡¯

    Ohjin hade across other matters that wouldn¡¯t end with endurance. He would endure through suffering with a smile if they coulde to an end.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Promise?!¡±

    Ha-eun approached him with an angry expression.

    She nced down at him, who was in the middle of locking his pinky finger with Vega¡¯s, and soon pulled hard on his ear.

    ¡°Ow.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are¡­?!¡±

    It seemed like she was thoroughly pissed.

    ¡°I said I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°¡­Argh.¡±

    Ha-eun let out a deep sigh like she didn''t want to cross words with him any further.

    ¡°Is your body okay? Does it hurt anywhere?¡±

    Her heart fluttered whenever she recalled Ohjin¡¯s appearance after he had been ripped apart by Riak¡¯s ws.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, as you can see,¡± Ohjin answered yfully while he shrugged his shoulders.

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression slightly loosened.

    ¡°But I am a bit tired.¡±

    Was it because the tension had released all at once?

    Sudden fatigue rushed in.

    ¡°Sit down for a sec.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Why all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Hurry.¡±

    Song Ha-eun tilted her head as she sat down on the spot.

    <i>Flop¡ª</i>

    Ohjin lied down on top of her thighs.

    ¡°W-What are you doing!¡± screamed out Ha-eun as her face turned red.

    ¡°Huhuhu.¡±

    ¡®Even though she acts that way, she¡¯s fixing her positions so that I can lie down morefortably.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a ten minute nap.¡±

    ¡°Y-You¡­ you¡­!¡±

    Ha-eun raised her fist as her body shook, but it soon came to a stop.

    ¡°¡­haa.¡±

    She looked down at Ohjin, who had fallen asleep the instant his eyes closed, and slowly lowered her raised fist.

    ¡°You¡¯re so troublesome.¡±

    Ha-eun lightly tapped the sleeping Ohjin¡¯s forehead with a tranquil expression.

    [Hmm.]

    Vega looked at the two of them with aplicated gaze. She, who had been briefly lost in thought, soon let out a sigh and turned away.

    [Riak.]

    ¡°Yes. Lady Vega.¡±

    [How is it now that you have experienced a real fight? Do you understand thisdy¡¯s words?]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riak slowly nodded his head with his lips shut tight.

    ¡°¡­I have understood, to the bone.¡±

    The explosive growth Ohjin had during the short battle.

    Whether he was a Regressor or not, the phenomenal talent of creating a skill on the spot during a fight, the outstanding sense of handling the stigma¡¯s mana as freely as he pleased.

    Riak had observed many Awakeners in Vega¡¯s ce thus far, but there was no one who matched up to the overwhelming amount of talent Ohjin possessed.

    [Fufu. As expected, he has excellent talent that even you will acknowledge.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riak gritted his teeth.

    ¡®No.¡¯

    He forcefully held in the words that soared up to the tip of his tongue.

    ¡®That¡¯s not what¡¯s important.¡¯

    Phenomenal talent?

    They were bound to meet a ¡®wall¡¯ and suffer a setback in vain.

    ¡­Just like he had.

    However¡­

    ¡®What¡¯s really scary about that human¡­¡¯

    <i>Wobble, wobble¡ª</i>

    He recalled Ohjin¡¯s figure after he had gotten back up even after experiencing dozens of deaths.

    ¡®That human is crazy.¡¯

    For example, if there was a person who shoved their hand inside bubbling oil and giggled out like it was nothing, could you describe that person with the words ¡®remarkable patience¡¯ or ¡®determined will¡¯?

    ¡®Will that is close to madness.¡¯

    That was the real fear the human named ¡®Ohjin¡¯ possessed.

    ¡°Why¡­¡±

    Riak roughly clenched his fists.

    ¡°Why was I¡­ unable to be that crazy?¡±

    In his far away past¡­

    When he had been given a part of Vega¡¯s soul and reborn with a transcendental body, he had desperately worked on training for Vega¡ªwho had saved him.

    In order to protect her from the darkness of the ¡®ck Heaven¡¯ that woulde to find her ording to the star¡¯s prophecy, he had struggled through hundreds, thousands of nights.

    However¡­

    ¡®I couldn¡¯t ovee the wall.¡¯

    Without being able to receive enlightenment in over hundreds of years, he had stopped in ce.

    He fell into unimaginable frustration and no longer strived to train any further.

    ¡®My will was insufficient.¡¯

    Will rivalling that of Ohjin¡¯s madness¡­

    If only he had that, he wouldn¡¯t have been stopped in ce so pathetically.

    [Riak?]

    ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Riak shook his head with a bitter smile.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riak looked back at Ohjin, who had fallen asleep on Ha-eun¡¯s thighs.

    ¡®It¡¯s my defeat.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t exceed him in neither talent nor will.

    He had even run wild after losing his mind from crude jealousy.

    A humiliating defeat.

    He no longer had the excuse to avoid acknowledging him.

    <i>Bang¡ª</i>

    Riak got down on one knee and faced Ohjin.

    ¡°Heaven-defying Star,¡±

    Respectfully bowing his head¡ª

    <b>¡°Please, protect the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s light from the ck Heaven¡¯s darkness.¡±</b>

    ¡ªhe pleaded with a desperate voice.

    * * *

    When one more month had passed, close to three months since arriving at the sanctuary¡­

    ¡°I should slowly start to head back,¡± said Ohjin in shame after the spar finished.

    Riak narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re heading back?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Kmf! Are you nning to neglect training when you¡¯ve just been able tost a little over five minutes!¡±

    Riak said it bluntly, but there was also heavy regret left in his voice. When all was said and done, he had developed quite an affection for Ohjin during the past three months.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve grown quite a lot if I canst five minutes when It was three seconds at first.¡±

    ¡°Even so, isn¡¯t it only a little longer than the time it takes for instant ramen to cook!¡±

    ¡°Huh? You know what instant ramen is?¡±

    ¡°I ate some after seeing you eating it.¡±

    ¡°For fu¡ª no wonder some were missing.¡±

    ¡°It tasted great.¡±

    ¡°This bitch?¡±

    They became friendly to the point of being able to exchange yful jokes before they knew it.

    Ohjin smiled bitterly and shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Still, I can¡¯t stay here for a thousand years.¡±

    It was time to take care of matters at the Association.

    ¡®And the efficiency of the training is starting to lower.¡¯

    No matter what kind of trickery he used, there was a limit in growth when facing the same Riak over and over again.

    Ohjin needed real fights.

    Real fights without the ¡®revival¡¯ safety device in ce.

    ¡°Grrr¡­¡±

    Riak crossed his arms with a sullen expression.

    ¡°Huhu. What? Are you sad that I¡¯m leaving?¡±

    ¡°W-What!¡±

    Riak shouted abruptly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak of nonsense, human! There is no such thing as loneliness for true warriors!¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah~ yeah.¡±

    ¡°Grrr!¡±

    Ohjin cackled out while packing up the luggage that had piled up during the past three months¡ªhis sleeping bag, pillow, several kinds of instant foods, and cooking utensils.

    ¡°Here. I¡¯ll leave behind a couple instant ramens, so eat them when you¡¯re bored.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riak received the cup ramens and shut his lips tight.

    ¡°¡­Human.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riak couldn¡¯t speak for a while as his mouth fumbled for words, but he soon turned his head the other direction and mumbled in a quiet voice.

    ¡°¡­Th-thank you.¡±

    Sparring against Ohjin, Riak had found the will to challenge the ¡®wall¡¯ once again.

    He found courage.

    How could he not express his thanks?

    ¡°Huuh? What~? I couldn¡¯t hear you~?¡±

    ¡°K-Khm!! You dare!¡±

    Riak¡¯s silver fur stood on edge as he bared his sharp teeth.

    Exploding out inughter, Ohjin clutched his belly.

    ¡®Well then, should I start to head back?¡¯

    He had reached a level where he was capable enough to protect his own body.

    Now¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to show them who the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s apostle is.¡±

    ¡ªIt was time to face the world.

 Chapter 45: Demon Beast Subjugation (1)

    The ce he headed to first after the three months of enclosed training was the Association.

    ¡°Huh? Is that person perhaps¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Lightning Wolf?¡±

    ¡°What? Didn¡¯t he die inside a gate?¡±

    It appeared that rumors about him dying inside a gate had spread out during the three-month period of time he was absent. Passing by the Awakeners that had crowded in front of the Association, he entered the HQ building.

    <i>Knock, knock¡ª</i>

    ¡°Yes,e in.¡±

    He entered after knocking on the office door.

    What came into view was a middle-aged man with a build so big that it made therge desk look cramped.

    ¡°A-Awakener Ohjin?!¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    Team Leader Han shot up from his seat.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Team Leader Han.¡±

    With it having been three months since theirst meeting, even those tan muscles felt weing.

    ¡°Haha. I¡¯m no longer a Team Leader.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Han Joonman then smirked and held out his business card.

    On it was not ¡®Team Leader Han Joonman¡¯, but written proudly next to his name was the position ¡®General Manager of Disaster Countermeasure Headquarters¡¯.

    ¡°Wow, when did you get promoted?¡±

    ¡°This is all thanks to you.¡±

    Team Leader Han Joonman, no, General Manager Han Joonman smiled as he raised his thumb.

    ¡®Well, the one who recruited me to the Association was Han Joonman, after all.¡±

    That kind of high-speed promotion was understandable.

    ¡°Huhu. Shouldn¡¯t you treat me?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Ah, It just so happens to be lunchtime, would you like to share a meal together?

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    There was no reason to decline a free meal.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I have a nice ce in mind.¡±

    Like that, Ohjin exited the Association with General Manager Han.

    The ce they went to was a luxurious traditional Korean house. ncing at the signboard, Ohjin could tell that it was a store that specialized in selling Hanwoo.

    ¡®Hanwoo!¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shined greedily.

    Although he had some degree of financial freedom, his habits that built up during his entire life wouldn¡¯t disappear easily.

    His heart palpitated from the thought of being able to eat expensive food for free.

    ¡°Haha! Now! Order as much as you¡¯d like!¡± General Manager Han shouted out whileughing broadly.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll order without reserve.¡±

    Ohjin called out to an employee.

    ¡°Hello~ Please give me your orders.¡±

    ¡°Give us everything from there to here,¡± said Ohjin as he pointed from the top left, straight down to the bottom right of the menu.

    <i>Flinch¡ª</i>

    General Manager Han¡¯s shoulders shook.

    ¡°A¡­ All of this?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ohjin nodded his head with a bright smile on his face.

    ¡°K-Khm. Isn¡¯t that too much?¡±

    ¡°No way~ I should order at least this much, taking your sincerity into ount.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± General Manager Han gulped in silence, his face was on the verge of crying.

    Ohjin thought about the possibility he was taking it too far, but¡­

    ¡®This much is probably okay when he got promoted thanks to me.¡¯

    Nodding his head, he waited for the food toe out.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Were the results of your training promising?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It wasn¡¯t bad.¡±

    From the past three months of training, Ohjin had been promoted to 4-Star and developed a new field known asbination skills. He wasn¡¯t 100% satisfied, but the results were more than sufficient.

    ¡°By ¡®wasn¡¯t bad¡¯, you mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve reached the 4-Star rank.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± General Manager Han¡¯s eyes opened wide. His mouth gaped like he had seen a ghost.

    ¡°4¡­4-Star? Are you saying you have reached the 4-Star rank in just three months?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Ha¡­¡± He touched his forehead in disbelief.

    For an Awakener that hadn¡¯t been awakened for even half a year to reach 4-Star¡­

    ¡°¡­Not even the Seven Stars would¡¯ve been that fast.¡±

    In addition, If you took into ount the fact that the ¡®star¡¯ ranking would be harder to raise the more powerful a stigma was, it truly was a speed hard to believe.

    ¡°I should do this much at the very least when I¡¯m the rookie the entire world is paying attention to.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Recruiting Awakener Ohjin into the Association really was a godsend.¡±

    ¡°By the way, did anything special happen during the past three months?¡± Ohjin asked as he ced meat on top of the grill.

    <i>Sizzleee!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Anything special huh¡­ I guess there was something quite big.¡±

    General Manager Han¡¯s expression slightly stiffened.

    ¡°What kind of¡­?¡±

    ¡°A gate break happened near Sokcho.¡±

    Gate Break.

    It was the phenomenon where monsters inhabiting gates poured outside.

    ¡°What¡¯s especially problematic is that the monsters that came out of there weren¡¯t normal monsters but demon beasts.¡±

    ¡°Demon beasts?¡±

    It was Ohjin¡¯s first time hearing that title.

    ¡°Ah, you wouldn¡¯t know since you¡¯ve been inside the sanctum. Didn¡¯t I once say that the number of mutant monsters was increasing sharply around the world?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Ohjin had also bumped into many mutant monsters.

    ¡°Because too many mutant monsters emerged, a separate title that referred to them was designated.¡±

    ¡°Is that ¡®demon beast¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Demon Beast.

    It was a usible title when taking into consideration how mutant monsters were several times more horrendous and powerfulpared to normal monsters.

    ¡°Anyways. We¡¯re currently in quite a serious situation, as the demon beasts have run amok up to the central areas of Sokcho.¡±

    If you viewed the situation worldwide, monsters running amok inside the central parts of cities was nothing special, but for Korea, which had been evaluated as more or less a ¡®safe country¡¯ against monsters, it was definitely something umon.

    ¡°Howrge is the scale?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s hard to calcte the exact number since most of them are hiding in the mountains outside the city, but we¡¯re currently predicting them to number at least one thousand.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s quite a lot.¡±

    A group of demon beasts that numbered over one thousand.

    Just imagining it induced dizziness.

    ¡°We happen to have formed a subjugation force this time.¡±

    ¡®A subjugation force, hm¡­ should I participate?¡±

    If he had to go to a ce where over one thousand demon beasts crowded by himself, he would count himself out by any means necessary, but that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡®It¡¯s not bad.¡¯

    The group of demon beasts were enough of a threat that a subjugation force was formed. They would not only help him with building up experience in real fights, but also help him check up on his stigma that had been promoted to 4-Star..

    ¡°Is there a separate remuneration?¡±

    ¡°Of course. ording to the rank, around $1,000 to $3,000 will be rewarded per demon beast. Harvested starstone is ounted for separately.¡±

    There was even more of a reason to join in if they were willing to reward him as well.

    ¡®Now that I¡¯ve fixed Ha-eun¡¯s eyes¡­¡¯

    <i>Sizzle!¡ª</i>

    Ohjin ced two pieces of mouthwateringly cooked beef on top of lettuce.

    Two pieces of meat on a single lettuce.

    It was a luxury he could never dare to imagine in the past.

    ¡®I¡¯ll eat as many delicious things as I want.¡¯

    Whether it was himself or Ha-eun, hadn¡¯t they lived through an unlucky life of hardship for a long time?

    ¡°Can I participate in the subjugation force as well?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha. I was going to give the proposal first, but I ended up missing the timing.¡±

    Nodding his head, General Manager Han smiled like he knew Ohjin would do so all along.

    ¡°When will the subjugation force depart?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll most likely depart around the day after tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Perfect.¡±

    That amount of time was more than enough to prepare the necessary equipment.

    ¡°I guess everyone will make a fuss again when they hear that the Lightning Wolf is participating in the subjugation force.¡±

    ¡°The moremotion the better.¡±

    Fame equaled money.

    As long as it wasn¡¯t to the point where fame couldn¡¯t be handled, there was no reason to reject it.

    ¡°Well then.¡±

    Raising up his now-empty bowl, Ohjin smiled brightly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to fill myself even more since I''ll have to depart for the subjugation soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    General Manager Han counted up the number imprinted on the bill and let out a deep sigh.

    ¡°Ah, right. Do you have a car? The subjugation strategy meeting will take ce in Sokcho.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    In a situation where he had struggled to save up every penny, there was no way he would have enough leisure to buy a car.

    ¡®With the gathering location being at Sokcho¡­ will I have to ride a train?¡¯

    He wondered if trains would be operating normally when demon beasts were running amok even up to the central parts of the city.

    ¡°In that case, there is no need to worry.¡±

    General Manager Han fished out a car key from his pocket.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°This is a car provided by the Association. There shouldn¡¯t be any difort with it, as it¡¯s quite an expensive model.¡±

    ¡°Ooh.¡±

    Following up the beef, a car.

    ¡®Indeed, fame equals money.¡¯

    They continued to give when all he did was sit still.

    It was a privilege he couldn¡¯t have imagined even in his wildest dreams before he awakened.

    ¡°By the way, do you know how to drive a car?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to learn now.¡±

    Two days until the subjugation¡­

    It was sufficient time to get himself acquainted with driving.

    * * *

    After parting ways with General Manager Han, Ohjin returned to his house.

    ¡°Though it¡¯s been a while, this ce doesn¡¯t feel sentimental in the least.¡±

    He looked at the worn-out exterior and clicked his tongue.

    <i>Creak¡ª</i>

    He opened the door and entered.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Ha-eun was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Where did she go?¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head and went up to the rooftop.

    In that ce¡ª

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    ¡ªwas Ha-eun.

    With her eyes closed and right arm stretched forward, she was focused on her mind.

    ¡®So she was in the middle of training.¡¯

    Ohjin stood still and observed the scene.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Slowly exhaling the deeply held breath¡ª

    <i>Owooong!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªLight poured out of the stigma on her left chest.

    And then¡­

    <i>Fwooosh!¡ª</i>

    Crimson mes soared up from her hands.

    ¡°Ch-hat!¡±

    mes like that of a nimble beast erupted as Ha-eun swung her arms around.

    ¡®Wow.¡¯

    A short exmation flowed out of Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    Back when he saw her when he wasn¡¯t an Awakener, he only thought of it as ¡®looking impressive¡¯, but he was sure now that he had seen it after rising to a certain level.

    ¡®So she was this strong.¡¯

    Well¡­

    Ha-eun was a 7-Star Awakener.

    Not only that, she was also regarded as one of the strongest amongst other 7-Star Awakeners.

    There was no way she would be weak.

    <i>Fwosh! Fwosh!¡ª</i>

    The crimson mes spread out like a and dominated the surroundings.

    Despite being quite far away from the mes, the fiery heat made his skin sting.

    However¡­

    ¡®¡­It¡¯s not as much as when I saw it before.¡¯

    He could definitely see that her body wasn''t entirely recovered yet.

    ¡°Huh? O-Ohjin?¡±

    After being shocked from discovering Ohjin, Ha-eun drew in the mes that dominated the area.

    ¡°Bastard, what are you spectating without saying a word for?¡±

    Was it because she was embarrassed about how she looked when training?

    Ha-eun approached him with a tint of red on her face.

    ¡°You seem to have gotten much better.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m notpletely recovered yet.¡±

    Ha-eun shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°Hehe. If you¡¯ve finished your training as well, do you want to go out and eat with me?¡±

    ¡°I already ate moments ago.¡±

    ¡°Ang?¡±

    Scrunch, Ha-eun¡¯s expression distorted.

    ¡°Huhu. I came here after being treated to hanwoo~¡±

    ¡°Ahk! You cheap bastard!¡± Ha-eun grabbed him by the cor and shook him.

    Ohjin cackled out.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go out to eat after I finish my business.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Business?¡±

    ¡°You heard about Sokcho, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Demon beastsing out and whatnot?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± he nodded his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m participating in the subjugation force. so I¡¯m going to be outside the house for a couple of days.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes.

    She strode towards Ohjin.

    Her maroon hair waved like mes.

    ¡°Take me as well.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°You haven¡¯tpletely recovered yet.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve recovered more than enough to deal with some monsters.¡±

    ¡°Still.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t moving around a little be more helpful for my recoverypared to staying still?¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t wrong.

    Just like how stories of real fights being the fastest way to raise a stigma¡¯s proficiency were more than just stories, stigmas would be more active the more urgent the situation was.

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go together then.¡±

    For the first time¡­

    He would end up moving together with her as a fellow ¡®Awakener¡¯.

    ¡°Uhehe.¡±

    Ha-eun twisted her body in delight.

    <i>Sneak¡ª</i>

    Grabbing Ohjin¡¯s hands, she smiled.

    ¡°You need to hold my hand when we get there so you don¡¯t get lost, okay?¡±

    ¡®For crying out loud.¡¯

 Chapter 46: Demon Beast Subjugation (2)

    Two days passed by in an instant while he was preparing equipment for the subjugation.

    ¡°This is probably enough.¡±

    <i>Hmpf¡ª</i>

    Ohjin carried the rather heavy backpack over his shoulders.

    Although it was quite hefty, thanks to his body that had be one step stronger from rising to 4-Star, it felt like he was carrying a lightptop bag over his shoulders.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much?¡± asked Ha-eun as she approached him.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to have too much than not enough.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s strangeing from someone who¡¯s a cheapskate by nature.¡±

    ¡°I still know how to distinguish where money should be spent or saved.¡±

    When he was obtaining equipment needed for survival, he couldn¡¯t be frugal.

    ¡®Anyways.¡¯

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s with your outfit?¡±

    With his eyes narrowed, Ohjin studied Ha-eun, who had worn leather armor that clung tightly to her body.

    He understood the importance of flexibility, but her body figure was clearly discernible from the leather armor that clung to her like a wetsuit.

    ¡°Hehe! Why? Do you like it?¡±

    Ha-eun chuckled while posing like a model in a magazine.

    Her face heated up from the extremely embarrassing pose.

    ¡®Seriously¡­ let¡¯s say it¡¯s fine because it¡¯s just the two of us right now, but what about when we go outside?¡¯

    ¡°Hurry up and wear something else.¡±

    ¡°Huhuhum. Why~? This is nice and reallyfortable to move around in~¡±

    Ha-eun giggled while covering her mouth with her hands.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s brow slowly rose up.

    ¡°Kyahaha! I¡¯m just kidding! Did you really think that I¡¯d go outside like this?¡±

    She cackled out as she threw on a jacket she had hidden in the corner of the room.

    Even though it was a jacket, the length of it went down to her thighs.

    ¡°Oh my, you cute weasel! Why? Were you jealous that other people might see?¡±

    Ha-eun jumped up and headlocked Ohjin, messing up his hair yfully.

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone coldy.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I was jealous.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    <i>Flinch¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun¡¯s body shook.

    Slowly unwrapping her arm locked around his neck, he stepped one step closer to her.

    ¡°Only I can look at your body. I won¡¯t let it be seen by anyone else.¡±

    ¡°O-Ohjin?¡±

    ¡°Ha-eun.¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    He pushed her against the wall.

    ¡°Uh? Uhhhh?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s body shivered.

    Her left eye that wasn¡¯t covered by the eyepatch looked around in a hurry.

    Slowly¡­

    He tilted his mouth closer to her face.

    ¡°O-Ohjin! W-Wait!¡±

    Ha-eun floundered.

    ¡°¡­Close your eyes.¡±

    ¡°Uht!¡±

    Ha-eun closed her eyes tight.

    Her shoulders slightly shook.

    ¡°Ohjin¡­¡±

    He could see Ha-eun carefully raising her chin and puckering out her lips.

    And on her light pink lips¡ª

    <i>Tak!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Oww!¡±

    ¡ªhe flicked his finger.

    A light sound came out from the fingernail that bumped into her front teeth.

    ¡°Haha! Just kidding.¡±

    ¡°Y-You piece of shit!¡±

    Ha-eun rubbed her lips and kicked him in the shin.

    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t have teased me in the first ce.¡¯

    ¡°We¡¯re going to bete. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Fuu¡­¡±

    Even though she frowned, she grabbed her luggage and followed him out.

    <i>Vroom¡ª</i>

    They loaded all the luggage into the trunk of the car that the Association gave them.

    Ha-eun who sat on the front passenger seat looked around.

    ¡°But since when could you drive?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I learned.¡±

    ¡°Ooh. When?¡±

    ¡°Yesterday.¡±

    ¡°You fuck.¡±

    Ha-eun grabbed the assist grip located above the window with a pale expression.

    <i>Dazzle¡ª</i>

    Then¡­

    As the pendant worn around Ohjin¡¯s neck gave out light, a little goddess the size of a small doll appeared.

    [Ooh. Are you departing now?]

    ¡°Yeah. Stay inside since it¡¯s going to take a couple hours. I¡¯ll call you when we arrive.¡±

    [Hmm. Thisdy wants to look around this thing called a ¡®car'' for a moment.]

    Vega, who sat on top of Ohjin¡¯s head, looked around with an interested expression.

    [Although thisdy has heard from Riak that humans ride around these lumps of metal¡­ to be able to ride one of these for real!]

    ¡°Is it that amazing?¡±

    [Hm! Of course! As it is something thisdy has never seen inside the world she has lived in!]

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing for me, too.¡±

    [¡­?]

    ¡®Well.¡¯

    ¡®Should we get going?¡¯

    ¡°Right side is the elerator; the left side is the brakes.¡±

    [My child?]

    ¡°Nice, it¡¯s perfect.¡±

    [Is it truly perfect?]

    <i>Vroooooooom!!!!¡ª</i>

    The engine howled out like a beast.

    Was it because the performance of the car was outstanding?

    The car raced forward with frightening eleration speed.

    ¡°T-This is!¡±

    It was thrust that far exceeded the manufacturer¡¯s expectation!!

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaaa!!!¡±

    [S-Stop!!!]

    The screams of the two women faintly echoed out.

    * * *

    Click¡ª

    The car door opened.

    ¡°We arrived in a sh."

    ¡°Haa, haa, haa!¡±

    Ha-eun exited the passenger seat while gasping heavy breathes.

    Vega escaped into the pendant when it hadn¡¯t even been five minutes since the car departed.

    ¡°I-I thought my stomach was going to turn inside out.¡±

    ¡°Still, I got the hang of it during the middle of the trip and controlled the speed.¡±

    He had pressed excessively hard on the elerator because he wasn¡¯t used to it at first, but he actually drove pretty well starting from the halfway mark.

    ¡°See if I ever ride it again.¡±

    ¡°You need to ride it on the way back, anyways.¡±

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Ha-eun''s expression was on the verge of crying.

    He cackled as he moved his feet.

    After walking for around five minutes, they could see the distant Sokcho.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite serious.¡±

    Even from such a distance, they could see smoke rising up all across the city.

    The stories of demon beasts raiding all the way down to the city appeared to be true.

    ¡°You said that the people evacuated, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The Awakeners from the Association and guilds had prioritized the evacuation of the city¡¯s residents before nning the subjugation operation.

    ¡°So I guess Sokcho is currently brimming with demon beasts.¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    With humans no longer being present, the demon beasts that resided in Mt. Seorak would most likely havee down inrge masses to take control of the city¡¯s center.

    ¡°Hmm. I think it would have been better if we ambushed them while they were hiding in the mountains.¡±

    ¡°But then there¡¯s a possibility that the escaping demon beasts could flock to the city at once, which would have been another problem.¡±

    In the Association¡¯s position, their only option was to prioritize the residents'' evacuation.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    As they walked a little farther, approximately 200 gathered-up Awakeners came into view.

    <i>Click! Click!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Could we get a word from the [Star of Peace] guild about their resolve in this subjugation operation?!¡±

    ¡°We are always treating the nation¡¯s peace with utmost priority and promise we will punish those evil demon beasts!¡±

    Arriving near where the subjugation force was gathered, they could see reporters carrying around heavy cameras following guilds and interviewing them; the guilds also partook in the interviews like they had been waiting for it.

    The subjugation soon became a side matter as everyone was zealously chattering on about the nation¡¯s peace, safety, and whatnot.

    However, even that was momentary.

    ¡°L-Lighting Wolf!! It¡¯s the Lightning Wolf!¡±

    ¡°Woaah!¡±

    ¡°Awakener Gwon Ohjin!! Could we get a word from you!!¡±

    As Ohjin made his entrance, reporters gathered around like ants that found sugar.

    <i>Click! Click! Click!¡ª</i>

    The shes of the cameras sparkled like starlight.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see.¡¯

    Ohjin organized what the reporters said in his mind.

    After some time passed¡­

    ¡°¡­What are you all doing?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°The¡­ interview.¡±

    <i>Zap¡ª</i>

    ¡°Even at this moment, it is still unknown if there are civilians who still couldn¡¯t evacuate. Are we in a situation where we have the time to spare on interviews?¡± He furrowed his brows and said coldly.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡°Tch. Get out of my way. I¡¯m busy.¡±

    He passed through the reporters while putting on an unnecessarily temperamental expression.

    Though he honestly couldn¡¯t care less whether there were civilians that were left behind or not.

    ¡°A-As expected of the Lightning Wolf!¡±

    ¡°Kuu! Yeah, this is it!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve plucked out three articles already!¡±

    A heated reaction urred, as he expected.

    ¡®Stuff like this works better than bbering on about the nation¡¯s safety and whatever. Who cares about going on and on about boring words people are fed up with.''

    ¡°¡­You''re as good at using that mouth of yours as ever.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the one thing that''s allowed me to survive.¡±

    Taking notice of Ohjin¡¯s intention, Ha-eun stuck out her tongue.

    Ohjin shrugged and headed to where the subjugation force was gathered.

    ¡°The subjugation force will be divided into three-man teams because of the characteristics of urban areas! People who arecking in members, please write your name and specialty in the application form over here!¡±

    With their members being only Ohjin and Ha-eun, they went up and filled out the application form.

    After waiting for a moment, a youth carrying a heavy shield approached them.

    He was a youth with a memorable square jaw that looked like it had been measured by a protractor.

    ¡®Is he a tank-type?¡¯

    It was perfect when putting the party bnce into consideration.

    ¡®¡­Though he doesn¡¯t seem to be just a tank.¡¯

    In the other hand, he was holding arge hammer.

    ¡°Woah! Lightning Wolf! You¡¯re the Lightning Wolf, right?!¡±

    The square-chinned youth smiled brightly after discovering Ohjin.

    ¡°Iya~! It seems that we were destined to meet up once again!¡±

    ¡°Once again?¡±

    ¡°Haha! I¡¯m from the Valha guild! I¡¯ve known about Mr. Ohjin since even before the Seoul Station incident!¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡®So he was from the Valha guild.¡¯

    ¡°Hehe. Take good care of me! Ah, right. I¡¯m Park Changhyun, an apostle of Taurus!¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Gwon Ohjin, an apostle of Lyra.¡±

    Park Changhyun.

    ¡®Was he the Awakener that raided the gate at Mok-dong in the 1st Round?¡¯

    He vaguely remembered his name inside the memories of Lee Shinhyuk that had been handed down.

    ¡°How is Mr. Woohyuk these days?¡±

    ¡°Guild Leader is currently quite busy with catching the tails of those ck Star Organization guys or whatever.¡±

    ¡®So he¡¯s doing well. But does that mean he still hasn¡¯t found a lead even after three months?¡¯

    Although he had handed over Arshad Khan¡¯s contacts to Lee Woohyuk, it seemed like a decisive lead had yet to be found.

    ¡®Well.¡¯

    He had contacts.

    In other words, the only thing he had were contacts.

    Lee Woohyuk¡¯s goal was not Arshad Khan but destroying the entire ck Star Organization. He would need a lot more information than contacts in order to sweep up the group that acted secretly in the dark all at once.

    ¡°Still, I think he¡¯s found something out recently since he goes out so often.¡±

    ¡°I hope good resultse out soon.¡±

    The ck Star Organization was an organization Ohjin was keeping his eyes on as well.

    ¡®It¡¯s the organization where the Heavenly Demon will be born, after all.¡¯

    Of course there was the objective of using them as well, but¡ª

    ¡®Even if that isn¡¯t the case, they¡¯re a group I need to be wary of.¡¯

    They were the ones who talked nonsense about making the ck Stars rule over the world. It wouldn¡¯t matter if those people were only wrong in the head, but they actually possessed the strength and force that could make that nonsense be reality.

    ¡°We¡¯ll contact you once we get good news.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, then.¡±

    Ohjin shared a handshake with Park Changhyun.

    After the handshake, Park Changhyun''s eyes headed towards Ha-eun.

    ¡°By the way, could you introduce me to who you are?¡±

    ¡°Song Ha-eun, apostle of Draco. I¡¯m not used to formalities, so you should speakfortably as well.¡±

    ¡°Wew! What a fresh personality! Hm¡­ I¡¯ll speakfortably once I get myself more acquainted.¡±

    Park Changhyun let out a heartyugh and nodded his head.

    ¡°Well, should we get going?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do so.¡±

    When they were just about to head down to the city¡­

    ¡°Iya, who is this? Isn¡¯t this our gre~at rookie? Huh?¡±

    A blond youth that looked to have a dirty personality approached them.

    ¡°Remember me, bastard?¡± asked the blond youth as he pointed at his chin.

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°Hik! Park Jungwoo!!! I¡¯m the Pandinus guild¡¯s Park Jungwoo, you fucking bastard!!!¡±

    ¡®Ah.¡¯

    ¡®He¡¯s that guy I met at the Association.¡¯

    ¡°Did you send my regards to the guild leader?¡±

    ¡°Regards?!?!¡±

    Park Jungwoo showed his anger while baring his teeth.

    ¡®Well, he probably didn¡¯t actually send my regards.¡¯

    It was most likely that he came to a realization that he was fooled after discovering Ohjin¡¯s face on the news.

    ¡°Woah, woah! Calm down, Jungwoo.¡±

    <i>Step¡ª</i>

    Stopping Park Jungwoo, someone from the back walked towards them.

    A middle-aged man with a face that induced displeasure from just a nce.

    Coincidentally¡­

    It was a face that remained in his memories.

    ¡°Wow~ So we meet once again!¡±

    <i>Huhuhu!¡ª</i>

    With his tongue stuck out, the middle-aged man repeatedly looked at Ha-eun and Ohjin.

    His nce at Ha-eun was greasy with sticky desire.

    Ohjin¡¯s expression suddenly distorted.

    ¡°¡­Choi Jongchul?¡±

    ¡®Why is this bastard here?¡¯

 Chapter 47: Demon Beast Subjugation (3)

    ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯

    Ohjin furrowed his brows in confusion as he looked at Choi Jungchul and Park Jungwoo.

    Excluding the two of them, there was also a bald man with a scorpion tattoo on his head. It appeared that the three of them had partied up for the subjugation.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like they met coincidently, either.¡¯

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    The scorpion tattoo engraved on the bald man was a tattoo all Pandinus guild members had inmon.

    And¡ª

    That tattoo was also engraved on Choi Jungchul¡¯s nape.

    ¡®So that¡¯s what happened.¡¯

    He could roughly understand the situation at hand.

    ¡®Did he join Pandinus after being kicked out of the Starlight Lake guild?¡¯

    If that was the case, it would also exin why he was with Park Jungwoo and Choi Jungchul.

    Choi Jungchul put on a sly smile.

    ¡°Hm? Why do you have no words? You¡¯re making me sad when it¡¯s our reunion after a long while,¡± he remarked.

    Ohjin shrugged as he smiled.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s just that I was surprised. What happened with the Starlight Lake guild for you to join the Pandinus guild?¡±

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re asking <i>me</i> that?¡±

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s expression violently distorted.

    <i>Grip¡ª</i>

    He clenched his fists.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise with me back then? That you wouldn¡¯t say anything to the guild leader.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that?¡±

    Obviously¡ª

    ¡°I lied.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    <i>Tremble¡ª</i>

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s body shook as he bit down hard on his lips.

    ¡°Haha. Because of you¡­ I lost everything.¡±

    For the reason of viting the official notice and provoking the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s apostle, he was kicked out of the guild.

    That wasn¡¯t all.

    His money, star relics, and even his starstones that he had saved up were ruthlessly seized from the penalty for breach of contract.

    ¡°How unfortunate,¡± said Ohjin with a calm smile as if it had nothing to do with him.

    ¡°Ha, haha!! It¡¯s not necessarily like that.¡±

    Choi Jungchul stroked the scorpion tattoo on his nape and smiled.

    ¡°I was able to find a nice home, thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°You were able to get in easily without being a Scorpio.¡±

    ¡°Huhuhu. The stigma of Aquarius is in high demand, after all.¡±

    As he said, Aquarius was a constetion that was weed anywhere due to it having unrivaled abilities amongst healing types.

    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s not like Aquarius is the only thing I have now,¡± he said as he licked his lips with a meaningful expression.

    ¡°Is that so? Good for you.¡±

    Ohjin was curious as to what he meant by those words, but he didn¡¯t go out of his way to inquire further. There was no way he would obediently answer just because he had asked.

    ¡°Well then, if your business is finished, why don¡¯t you get lost?¡±

    ¡°Haha! Yes, you¡¯re right. We have our own matters to attend to as well, after all.¡±

    Choi Jungchul stuck his tongue out and licked his lips.

    ¡°What? We¡¯re ending things here?!¡± shouted Park Jungwoo.

    ¡°We should cut that bastard¡¯s head right n¡ª!¡±

    Choi Jungchul grabbed onto Park Jungwoo¡¯s shoulder, who was approaching Ohjin with an expression full of anger.

    ¡°Fufu. Calm down, Jungwoo.¡±

    With his characteristic sly smile, he nced in their direction.

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t work yourself up¡­ you¡¯ll be able to see an amusing sight soon anyways.¡±

    <i>Kekeke¡ª</i>

    Heughed as his shoulders went up and down.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin observed Choi Jungchul with deeply sunken eyes.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll look forward to when we meet again.¡±

    Choi Jungchul made provoking remarks as he turned away.

    When he thought it would end there¡ª

    ¡°Fufu. Was it Ha-eun?¡±

    ¡ªHe suddenly changed his direction and walked towards Ha-Eun.

    ¡°You look great with an eyepatch as well.¡±

    His sticky gaze licked Ha-eun from tip to toe.

    Greedy desire lingered in the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°Ang?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression distorted like she had discovered a cockroach cut in half whilst eating a hamburger.

    ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re hitting on?¡±

    Ha-eun suddenly kicked out her left foot.

    <i>Bam!¡ª</i>

    Drawing a smooth arc, it struck in between Choi Jungchul¡¯s legs.

    ¡°UGuAgagyK!!!¡±

    In a pigeon-toed gait, Choi JungChul stumbled with his eyes wide open.

    ¡®Oh, damn. That must have hurt.¡¯

    ¡°Ka~ twe! Bastard, being cocky with the size of an ant¡¯s intestine.¡±

    ¡®Ants have intestines?¡¯

    ¡®No, besides that, which part of him is the size of an ant¡¯s intestine?¡¯

    ¡°Uugh, uhh.¡±

    Choi Jungchul bit on his lips as his body trembled.

    Shooting a nce filled with killing intent at Ha-eun, he clenched his fists.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Let¡¯s see just how long you can maintain that smile.¡±

    With those as his final words, Choi Jungchul turned his body and walked towards the heart of Sokcho.

    ¡°Heh!¡±

    Ha-eun lifted her middle finger at Choi Jungchul¡¯s back.

    ¡°¡­ha.¡±

    Ohjinughed in exasperation while watching them get farther and farther away.

    ¡®You¡¯ll see an amusing sight soon?¡¯

    He didn¡¯t wasn¡¯t sure of many things, but he was certain that Choi Jungchul was an absolute fool.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say such things carelessly.¡±

    Did he think he was the protagonist in some 90s shounen manhwa and believe Ohjin would sit still like an idiot?

    If that was the case, he was seriously mistaken.

    ¡®Let¡¯s not meetter, but right now.¡¯

    Would Jungchul be able to say such words the next time they met?

    Ohjin smirked while activating the stigma of the Hunting Dogs.

    Using the sense of smell that had amplified explosively, he memorized Choi Jungchul¡¯s ¡®smell¡¯.

    ¡®Actually, this turned out for the better.¡¯

    Ohjin licked his lips.

    The stigma Choi Jungchul possessed was most definitely the stigma of Aquarius.

    It was a stigma he had wanted to get his hands on one day anyways.

    ¡°Eh. The mood was ruined because we met some weirdo,¡± Ha-eun furrowed her brows in displeasure.

    ¡°Ohjin! Let¡¯s hurry up and go hunt some demon beasts for their bounties!¡± shouted Ha-eun as she pulled on his arm.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    The tips of Ohjin¡¯s lip perked up.

    He slowly moved towards the city that had rising gray smoke.

    ¡®Another thing to hunt that isn¡¯t a demon beast.¡¯

    Naturally, he didn¡¯t have any ns on finishing with just Choi Jungchul; he was even going to go after Park Jungwoo and the bald man he was with. It was best to remove the seeds of discord that would sprout in advance.

    ¡®I keep getting mixed up with the Pandinus guild in a bad way.¡¯

    Although it would be no different from provoking a guild in the top 10 if he killed the three of them, it didn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°Sacrifices being made during the subjugation operation is something natural, after all.¡±

    Putting on a sly smile, he looked at the city brimming with demon beasts.

    * * *

    <i>Boom!¡ª</i>

    ¡°KrrrRRRruk!!!¡±

    A demon beast that was hiding in between the debris of the destroyed buildings shrieked out as it jumped at them.

    Around two meters in size, its general appearance was simr to a human¡¯s, but it was a chimera with the lower half of its body reminiscent of a snake.

    ¡°KuraraRak!¡±

    As the demon beast approached them, its mouth opened wide into four different sections, showing off its four sharp fangs.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    <i>Boom!¡ª</i>

    Park Changhyun blocked off the approaching demon beast with hisrge shield. A heavy impact rode down his arms and passed down into his body.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    <i>Ddddddrrrrr!¡ª</i>

    The demon beast¡¯s strength was so strong that even he, who possessed the stigma of Taurus, couldn¡¯t hold still.

    ¡°Mr. Ohjin!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    Ohjin jumped up during the time Park Changhyun was holding on.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    Ohjin¡¯s was pulled high into the air as the wire that shot out from the wire shooter stuck to the steel frame.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    After taking in a short breath¡ª

    ¡®Thunder Fall.¡¯

    <i>Crackleeeee!!!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªhe struck down his spear with everything he had.

    ¡°Kuaaaaaa!!!¡±

    The demon beast¡¯s shoulder was pierced by the silver spear and it twisted its body.

    <i>Whip!¡ª</i>

    Its lower body that was like a long snake¡¯s tail iled around in a whip-like fashion.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t die in one blow as I expected it to.¡±

    Ohjin lightly clicked his tongue and twisted out his silver spear.

    <i>Whirrrrrr!¡ª</i>

    Once he sent mana into his wire shooter, his body shot into the air once again.

    ¡°Leave it to me!¡±

    <i>Fwooosh!¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun, who had been hiding the debris crevice for an opportunity, snapped her fingers towards the demon beast.

    ¡°KurAraRAK!!¡±

    The demon beast struggled with fire stuck to his body and soon turned its body around and started to flee.

    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s running away!!¡± shouted Ha-eun as she pointed at the demon beast.

    ¡°Ohjin!¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Ohjin, who was already in mid-air from the wires, aimed his wire shooter at the escaping demon beast.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!¡ª</i>

    The wires that shot out in three directions entangled around the demon beast¡¯s body.

    ¡®Lightning Charge.¡¯

    <i>Bzzzzzzt!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°KUaaaaaa!!¡±

    Blue lightning ran down the wire and swallowed up the demon beast.

    <i>Thud!¡ª</i>

    Stopping in its tracks, the demon beast copsed on the spot.

    ¡°Phew~ Even one of these is no joke.¡±

    Park Changhyun wiped off the sweat running down his forehead.

    ¡°At worst, around 5¡­ no, close to 6-Star,¡± said Ohjin as he observed the corpse of the demon beast.

    ¡®Though it¡¯s probably 4-Star or 5-Star, taking the demon beast¡¯s characteristics into ount.¡¯

    Because mutant monsters, also known as demon beasts, possessed much more powerful strengthpared to monsters on the same rank, they would be ced lower than one¡¯s expectations once divided into the ¡®star¡¯ standard measurement.

    ¡°Haha! Still, it wasn¡¯t all that hard to face since our party bnce is so great!¡± Park Changhyun raised his shield as heughed in a way that left a kind impression.

    Ohjin nodded his head.

    ¡®Our bnce is nice, for sure.¡¯

    With Park Changhyun as the melee who would hold the front, Ohjin as the ranged who could move freely across the air, and even Ha-eun who had powerful ranged firepower.

    Excluding the fact that they didn¡¯t have a healer, their bnce was perfect.

    ¡®There¡¯s nearly no stamina consumption, thanks to it.¡¯

    Even though Ohjin was more than enough to face a couple of demon beasts alone, he would run into his stamina¡¯s limit shortly.

    ¡°Eh, this is a bit disappointingpared to what it took to catch that bastard.¡±

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue after taking the bottle-cap-sized ck starstone out of the demon beast¡¯s forehead.

    As she had said, the demon beast¡¯s starstone¡¯s size and quality were veryckingpared to the difficulty.

    ¡°Haha. Still, don¡¯t we receive a hefty amount from bounties? And¡­¡±

    Park Changhyun put on a bright smile and<i> bam!</i>, mmed down the shield he was holding onto the ground.

    ¡°Besides money, this is for the residents of Sokcho who are shaking from anxiety, after all! Isn¡¯t that right, Mr. Ohjin?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, yes. Of course.¡±

    ¡°Haha! I was deeply moved after seeing you refuse the interview back then! Awakeners in general should be like you!¡±

    Ohjin smiled bitterly as he nodded his head.

    Though he didn¡¯t care whether the residents of Sokcho shook from anxiety or not¡ª

    ¡®It¡¯s better if he thinks of it that way.¡¯

    In any case, the demon beast subjugation itself was proceeding extremely smoothly.

    But¡­

    ¡®These bastards¡­ something¡¯s weird.¡¯

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes while he looked down onto the demon beast¡¯s corpse.

    It was the same as back then.

    Every time he hunted demon beasts, they would turn their bodies away at thest second in an attempt to run away.

    ¡®There¡¯s no problem up to that point.¡¯

    No matter how horrendous demon beasts looked, it was only natural for organisms to run away when their life was in danger.

    The problem was¡ª

    <b>¡®They all run away in the same direction.¡¯</b>

    Would all demon beasts running away in the ¡®same direction¡¯ in a situation where their life was in danger make sense?

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    With his arms crossed, Ohjin was lost in thought.

    His heart wanted to call Vega and ask, but he was reluctant to summon her when Park Changhyun was with them.

    While he was continuously in thought¡ª

    ¡°Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!¡±

    ¡ªa scream filled with horror was heard from far away.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°This voice is¡­?¡±

    Ha-eun and Park Changhyun turned their heads simultaneously.

    Before they made their move¡­

    <i>Boom!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kuht!!¡±

    Ohjin wildly kicked off and sprinted towards the direction the scream hade from.

    ¡®The scream I heard just now¡­ That voice was definitely¡­¡¯

    ¡°Kugh! Kuk! Cough! Cough!¡±

    Arriving near the ce the scream came from, he could see that Park Jungwoo was copsed on the ground with a big wound across his chest.

    ¡®As expected.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shined sharply.

    He looked back and confirmed Park Changhyun¡¯s position.

    ¡®There¡¯s not much time.¡¯

    If that was the case¡­

    ¡°Are you alright!!!¡±

    Ohjin ran up to Park Jungwoo in a hurry.

    ¡°Kugh¡­ uk!¡±

    Park Jungwoo pressed down on his wound and nodded faintly.

    ¡°Who did this¡­!¡±

    ¡°Demon¡­ the demon bea¡­ cough!¡±

    Park Jungwoo threw up blood.

    ¡°Get yourself together!!!¡±

    Ohjin grabbed him by the cor and violently shook him back and forth

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!¡ª</i>

    As Park Jungwoo¡¯s head swayed, it pounded against the wall like a hammer.

    ¡°Kugh! I-I¡¯m alright n¡ª¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about when you¡¯re bleeding this much!!!¡±

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!¡ª</i>

    Putting in more strength, he shook his hand that was grabbing onto his cor.

    Blood flowed out of Park Jungwoo¡¯s head.

    ¡®So even his head got done in by the demon beasts¡­!¡¯

    ¡°Ahk! Ah! W-Wait! Ahh!¡±

    He could feel Park Jungwoo struggling.

    ¡°Mr. Ohjin!! What happened!¡±

    He could hear the voice of Park Changhyun starting to approach them.

    ¡°Jungwoo!!! Please get yourself together!!!!¡±

    ¡°Kugh! Kuk! Hey, you fucker! Hey!!¡±

    ¡°Ahh!!! Just how could such a horrifying thing happen!!!!¡±

    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!¡ª</i>

    The blood that poured out of his head drenched his own body.

    ¡°N-No!!!¡±

    With an urgent cry¡ª

    <i>Crack¡ª</i>

    ¡ªsomething breaking was heard.

    ¡°M-Mr. Ohjin, this is¡­¡±

    Park Changhyun, who had just arrived, looked down at Park Jungwoo¡¯s body that was drenched in a puddle of blood.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin turned his head around with an expression pale from fear.

    <b>¡°H-He is d¡­ dead.¡±</b>

    Heat could no longer be felt from the lifeless body of Park Jungwoo.

 Chapter 48: Demon Beast Subjugation (4)

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    Park Changhyun looked down on the corpse of Park Jungwoo.

    Arge scar was drawn across his chest in addition to the horrifying injury on his skull that sent shivers down his spine.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    Even though Awakeners dying to the hands of monsters was somonce that counting was meaningless, looking directly at the brutally murdered corpse made his heart heavy.

    ¡°Do you know where the Awakeners that were with this man went?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    Ohjin nodded his head with a perplexed expression.

    Of course, it was not that he truly didn¡¯t know.

    ¡®They went that way.¡¯

    Ohjin confirmed the direction of Choi Jungchul and the bald man by using the stigma of the Hunting Dogs.

    The ce they were headed was the center of the city.

    The direction precisely coincided with where the demon beasts had tried escaping towards.

    ¡°By the way, did you get into some sort of incident with this person? The atmosphere back then seemed a little serious.¡±

    ¡°We once got into a short argument at the Association registration office.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    ¡°Haa. To be honest, It¡¯s not like I had any affection towards him, but¡­ looking at him in this state is making my heart heavy.¡±

    He exhaled out a deep breath.

    Was it because he didn¡¯t think he would get done in by a demon beast?

    He stretched out his hand at Park Jungwoo, who died with his eyes wide open.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re in a situation to collect his corpse, either.¡±

    After closing his eyes, he picked up the corpse andid it down on the ground.

    <i>Rumble, rumble¡ª</i>

    ck clouds slowly crept towards Park Jungwoo¡¯s left chest.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin looked around in worry that someone might notice, but it seemed like no one could, thanks to the effect of the trait ¡®ck Curtain¡¯.

    ¡®At this point, I feel like people wouldn¡¯t even know if I used it in front of them.¡¯

    Once again, he could feel just how overpowered the ck Curtain trait was.

    And so, the clouds of the ck Heaven converged on Park Jungwoo¡¯s left chest.

    [The ck Heaven is absorbing the stigma of Scorpio.] A blue message window appeared in front of his eyes.

    ¡®Alright.¡¯

    The stigma of Scorpio.

    It performed the greatest out of assassin-types, as it explosively raised the body¡¯s dexterity in addition to granting the ability to handle hundreds of different types of poison freely.

    Though it naturally couldn¡¯tpare to the stigma of Lyra.

    ¡®The more, the merrier.¡¯

    It was a stigma that belonged in the 12 Zodiacs.

    There was nothing bad about adding it to his collection.

    ¡°My condolences.¡±

    Ohjin momentarily offered a silent prayer as he bowed his head after absorbing Park Jungwoo¡¯s stigma.

    Park Changhyun followed in his prayer while Ha-eun faced the other direction.

    ¡°¡­Well then. Let¡¯s take off.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    They headed off; the atmosphere had be a bit darker than before.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kyarururu!!¡±

    ¡°Ohjin!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    A battle with a demon beast started once again.

    It was a demon beast with four legs and arms like a mantis.

    <i>Flutter!!¡ª</i>

    In addition, it was a flying type.

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    <i>Kwooong!!¡ª</i>

    Park Changhyun stomped down hard as he swung his hammer.

    Light poured out of the stigma of Taurus engraved on his left chest.

    <i>Crunch!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kyarak?!¡±

    Heavy shock waves struck the demon beast that was flying away.

    The demon beast was buried headfirst into the ground.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take it out in one shot since it¡¯ll be bothersome once it flies!¡±

    ¡°Oki.¡±

    Ha-eun snapped her finger as she sprinted forward.

    A made of crimson mes covered the demon beast.

    <i>Bzzzzzzzt!¡ª</i>

    A silver spear struck down on that same spot.

    Blue lightning burned the demon beast.

    ¡°K-Kiruryk, kiruk!¡±

    ¡°One thing these bastards have inmon is that they¡¯re damn good at running away.¡±

    The injured demon beast twisted its body up and soon pped its wings in an attempt to escape.

    Ha-eun ferociously bared her teeth as she aimed her hand at the escaping demon beast.

    Crimson mes rumbled like they would explode at any second.

    ¡°Ha-eun, wait.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Why?¡±

    ¡°Let it escape for a bit.¡±

    Ohjin carefully observed the demon beast.

    ¡®As expected.¡¯

    Once again, the demon beast escaped in the direction of the center of the city.

    ¡°Let¡¯s follow it.¡±

    ¡°What are you nning to do?¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head and followed Ohjin.

    Sprinting along with the escaping demon beast, they confirmed its movements.

    And then¡ª

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡ªHa-eun narrowed her eyes as she looked down on the demon beast.

    ¡®Did she notice as well?¡¯

    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ something weird with that thing, isn¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    The escaping demon beast slowed down its pace as it twisted its body left and right once they were a certain distance away.

    That¡¯s right¡ª

    It was as if it was ¡®waiting¡¯ for Ohjin and his party to catch up.

    ¡®I¡¯m certain now.¡¯

    Ohjin clicked his tongue and raised his arm to aim at the twisting demon beast.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    <i>Crackleee!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kirrruk!¡±

    The demon beast copsed on the spot.

    ¡°There¡¯s this and also how they appeared one at a time since the beginning. Ohjin, is this¡­ perhaps?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably exactly what you think it is.¡±

    Demon beasts that appeared one at a time sporadically, despite the fact the entire city was under their control.

    ¡­How they escaped towards the center of the city in the middle of a fight once things got dangerous.

    ¡®They¡¯re luring us.¡¯

    The monsters were trying to lure them towards the city¡¯s center.

    ¡®Do demon beasts possess this kind of intelligence?¡¯

    Ohjin furrowed his brows in confusion.

    Demon Beasts.

    Also known as mutant monsters, they possessed several times the amount of fierce temperpared to normal monsters.

    It meant that theycked intelligence in return for their power.

    ¡®But they¡¯re luring us in a direction like they¡¯re throwing bait?¡¯

    He felt some kind of premonition.

    ¡­An unpleasant premonition that felt like wet clothes sticking to his skin.

    ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s wrong.¡±

    Park Changhyun scratched his head.

    The demon beasts were moving so meticulously that even Park Changhyun, who had quite a lot of experience, wasn''t able to notice.

    They were only able to notice their weirdness because it was Ohjin, who was better at ¡®deception¡¯ than anyone else, and Ha-eun, who was once active in the frontlines.

    ¡®If they¡¯re doing the same thing to other Awakeners¡­¡¯

    The possibility that other Awakeners were heading towards the center of the city without even being aware was high.

    ¡®Is that also why Choi Jungchul was headed to the center?¡¯

    Judging from the demon beast¡¯s actions, that possibility was high.

    ¡°Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    He nodded his head as he looked back at the stiff-faced Ha-eun.

    With them being certain that the demon beasts were luring Awakeners towards the center of the city¡ª

    ¡°Mr. Changhyun. Let¡¯s return.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Park Changhyun looked back at Ohjin in confusion.

    ¡°We¡¯re returning already? But everyone¡¯s stamina is still full¡­¡±

    ¡°Since the start, the demon beasts have been luring us to the center of the city.¡±

    ¡°Demon beasts had that kind of intelligence?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not for certain. But just in case, I believe going farther inside is too dangerous.¡±

    ¡°However¡­ the remaining demon beasts¡­¡±

    Park Changhyun pped his mouth with a doubtful expression.

    ¡°We¡¯re not returningpletely. Let¡¯s take out the demon beasts around the edges of the city.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°Sweeping up the demon beasts is important, but isn¡¯t preventing the demon beasts from escaping Sokcho to other cities also important?¡±

    He convinced Park Changhyun with adequate reasoning.

    ¡°¡­Your words have grounds. I understand. Then let¡¯s move to the edge of the city.¡±

    Fortunately, Park Changhyun epted the suggestion without any moreints.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Then shall we go right away?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ before that.¡±

    Ohjin turned towards the center of the city.

    There was something he had left to do.

    ¡®I can¡¯t miss out on the stigma of Aquarius.¡¯

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    A sly smile was ced on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and inform some other groups that we think that the demon beasts are luring other Awakeners towards the center of the city.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Then I¡¯ll go as well.¡±

    ¡°I wanna go too.¡±

    Park Changhyun and Ha-eun stepped closer to him.

    ¡°No. I¡¯ll go alone. I can escape into safety the fastest in emergency situations, after all.¡±

    He had repeatedly disyed his overwhelming mobility using the wire shooters during their battles; It was unlikely any objections would be voiced.

    ¡°Hm. I guess you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Indeed.

    The two people nodded their heads in acknowledgment.

    ¡°¡­You should escape immediately if things look wrong, okay?¡±

    Ha-eun approached him with a worried expression.

    Ohjin smiled and nodded his head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m confident I can take care of my body.¡±

    ¡°Here, promise with me. Return without getting hurt.¡±

    He locked his pinky finger with the one Ha-eun held out.

    ¡°Well then. I¡¯ll contact you a littleter.¡±

    Ohjin raised his arm and aimed it at a nearby building.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    Using the wire shooter, he flew from building to building.

    Once he got on top of a suitable building¡ª

    <i>Owooong!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªhe activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs.

    ¡°<i>Sniff, sniff.</i>¡±

    Countless smells dug into his nose.

    He found Choi Jungchul¡¯s smell amongst them.

    ¡®That way.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t that far away.

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone sharply.

    * * *

    There, at the center of the city that became ruins.

    A middle-aged man was surrounded by dozens of demon beasts with his characteristic sly smile on his face.

    ¡°He, hehehe! It¡¯s unbelievable, no matter how many times I look at it.¡±

    He carefully held out his hand towards the demon beast that didn¡¯t show any movement¡ªas if it was a doll.

    <i>Pat, pat¡ª</i>

    The demon beasts that looked no less hideous than normal received his touch like docile sheep.

    ¡°To be able to truly control demon beasts¡­!¡±

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s body shook from the thrill.

    The ck marble held in his hands was shining out an uneasy light.

    ¡®If this strength is with me¡­!¡¯

    <i>Grip!¡ª</i>

    He clenched his fists and burst intoughter.

    ¡°Huhu. Life truly is a blessing in disguise.¡±

    Three months previously¡­

    His life had hit rock bottom.

    ¡®Because of that goddamn bastard¡­!¡¯

    <i>Grind¡ª</i>

    His insides twisted in fury as he recalled Ohjin¡¯s face.

    ¡°Fufufu. Well, I was able to meet that being thanks to him.¡±

    It was when he was wandering around after having lost everything.

    Inside the Pandinus guild office he visited to grasp at straws, he met one man.

    A man named <b>Arshad Khan</b>.

    Choi Jungchul recalled his meeting with that man.

    <i>-You are looking for a ce to take you in?</i>

    <i>-Y-Yes, that is correct!</i>

    <i>-Hmm.</i>

    The man with bronze skin put on a fishy smile while nodding his head.

    <i>-Very well. However, there is one condition.</i>

    <i>-Condition¡­?</i>

    <i>-You simply need to take this and move ording to my orders.</i>

    What he received was a star relic imbued with a ck star¡¯s powers. That star relic possessed the power to control those violent demon beasts to the point where they turned more docile than dogs.

    ¡®No, that is nothing but a portion of the power this star relic possesses.¡¯

    ¡°Hu. Huhuhuhu!!¡±

    Choi Jungchul lovingly stroked on the ck marble as heughed.

    <i>-Once the ck stars cover up the night sky, this unreasonable world will meet its end.</i>

    Those words that Arshad Khan had recited like a chant floated around his head.

    They were words that were dismal and ominous, but¡ª

    ¡®Whatever.¡¯

    ¡ªto him, whatever the ck stars were wasn¡¯t important.

    What was important to him was¡­

    ¡®The opportunity to take revenge against that bastard.¡¯

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s eyes shone as he grasped the ck marble.

    ¡°Demon beasts, continue to lure Awakeners towards the center of the city!¡±

    <i>p!¡ª</i>

    Making an unnecessary pose, he gave orders to the demon beasts.

    ¡°Krrrrrru!¡±

    ¡°Karak!¡±

    The demon beasts that hadn¡¯t shown any reaction growled out as they spread out in all directions.

    ¡°Sir Jongchul.¡±

    At that moment, the bald man who was by his side carefully spoke.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Will that Jungwoo bastard be okay?¡±

    ¡°Again with that nonsense.¡±

    The bald man bit his lips with a nervous expression.

    ¡°Do you know how much money that bastard has borrowed from me?!¡±

    ¡°Haa. Didn¡¯t I exin once before?¡±

    <i>Tch, tch¡ª</i>

    Choi Jungchul clicked his tongue.

    ¡°In order to avoid suspicion, there needs to be a victim on our side as well.¡±

    They couldn¡¯t let the Pandinus guild be pinpointed as one of the culprits of the ¡®massacre¡¯ that would happen soon.

    That operation needed to be finished with them being one of the victims of the incident.

    And in order for that to happen¡­

    ¡°Whoever it is, at least one of us will need to be sacrificed.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The bald man scratched his head.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to be that worried since I¡¯ve intentionally left him alive with adequate amounts of wounds.¡±

    Signs of injury could be left, but there was no way he would die.

    ¡°Hm. I understand.¡±

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll leave surveilling the surroundings until the Awakeners gather to the center to you.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    The bald man walked away.

    Once around 15 minutes passed by¡­

    ¡°<i>Huff! Huff!</i> S-Sir Jungchul!!¡±

    ¡°What is it this time?¡±

    He furrowed his brows as he looked at the bald man who was gasping for air.

    ¡°H-He died!¡±

    ¡°Who died?¡±

    ¡°J-Jungwoo!! That bastard died!!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 49: Demon Beast Subjugation (5)

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Ohjin organized his thoughts before tracking down Choi Jungchul¡¯s smell.

    ¡°He was a 6-Star Awakener of Aquarius, right?¡±

    From the information he had searched up after the incident, he had heard that Choi Jungchul was quite an influential Awakener even in the Starlight Lake guild. Though he still naturally didn¡¯t possess the influence to dare provoke the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s apostle.

    ¡®Even if the stigma isn¡¯t specialized inbat, it won¡¯t be easy if we¡¯re two stages apart.¡¯

    Fundamentally, differences in ¡®star¡¯ rating would lead one to fall behind in physical specifications, that difference was even wider as the star rank was higher. The difference between 4-Star and 6-Star was something you couldn¡¯t neglect.

    However¡­

    ¡®If it¡¯s me¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone.

    If other Awakeners had heard his thoughts, they would ridicule him, saying ¡®how could a mere 4-Star face off against a 6-Star Awakener¡¯, but¡­

    ¡®I can win.¡¯

    He had the confidence to leap over two stages and face off against him.

    No¡­

    His confidence didn¡¯t extend to simply being able to win.

    He had the conviction that he would be able to overwhelmingly beat him down.

    ¡°Still, I shouldn¡¯t let my guard down.¡±

    He recalled Choi Jungchul¡¯s confident expression. No matter how stupid he was, he wouldn¡¯t have put on that expression without any grounds.

    ¡®He has something.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t know what it was, but he was certain that Choi Jungchul was hiding a secret card. IT had to be something powerful enough to be used as a threat against a North Star¡¯s apostle.

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯

    With the opponent hiding a trump card, there was a need for him to set up an ¡®insurance¡¯.

    ¡°Vega.¡±

    He sent mana into the ne.

    <i>Dazzle¡ª</i>

    Vega appeared with the silver rays of light.

    [Hmm. Didn¡¯t you say that you would not call me during the subjugation operation?]

    ¡°Excluding the demon beasts, there¡¯s another bastard I need to take care of.¡±

    [What?]

    ¡°Sex Maniac, Choi Jungchul.¡±

    [Sex Maniac¡­?]

    ¡°He¡¯s an infamous criminal that forcefully vited the bodies of over 300 women in my past life.¡±

    [Such malice!]

    Vega¡¯s expression violently distorted.

    ¡°It¡¯s about a year before that bastard started his activities in earnest, but I¡¯m nning to eliminate him before then.¡±

    [Indeed. So you¡¯re nning on eliminating the evil of the future in advance.]

    Vega nodded her head in understanding.

    However, soon, her face faintly stiffened.

    [But¡­ Is there no other method than eliminating him? Although he is a seed that will sprout into evil in the future, thisdy doesn¡¯t think that he should be held ountable for sins that haven¡¯t beenmitted yet.]

    Her words had grounds.

    It was illogical to say ¡®Since that bastard will be evil in the future, we need to kill him right now¡¯.

    ¡®Then¡­ let¡¯s add some more character background.¡¯

    ¡°ording to the testimony given once he was caught in my past life, it was said that he hadmitted those deeds for a long duration of time.¡±

    [Then that means¡­]

    ¡°He isn¡¯t a seed that will be the evil of the future.¡±

    That person was already ¡®evil¡¯ itself that had to be punished.

    [Hmm. Then we should punish him immediately.]

    Vega nodded her head as she crossed her arms.

    It seemed as if she had epted it for the moment, but her expression said that she was somewhat ufortable.

    ¡®Well¡­¡¯

    When the words were no different from suddenly pointing out and saying ¡®that person is a bad person and needs to be killed¡¯, there was no way a feeling of repulsion wouldn¡¯t surface.

    ¡®It¡¯s different from Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s case.¡¯

    Different from back then, they were in a situation where they ¡®had to go kill¡¯ Choi Jungchul; even if the brain understood, feeling instinctive repulsion couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Testimony without evidence ultimately had its limits.

    If so¡­

    ¡®I just need to make the evidence.¡¯

    Of course, it was impossible for him to produce evidence out of thin air in the moment, but¡­

    ¡®I can make as much as I want in the future.¡¯

    After creating evidence in advance, he could use the Special Officer¡¯s authority to investigate Choi Jungchul¡¯s house or bring to light the pre-existing crimes he hadmitted.

    It was that kind of world.

    There were countless amounts of crimes that weren¡¯t solved.

    ¡®Anyways¡­¡¯

    Leaving that thought behind for the moment, it was more than enough if he had secured Vega¡¯s temporary ¡®eptance¡¯.

    ¡°Then, shall we go?¡±

    [Let¡¯s do so.]

    Vega got on top of Ohjin¡¯s head and grabbed his hair like a handle.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    He flew using the wire shooter.

    <i>Swooooosh!¡ª</i>

    Flying across building to building, he followed the smell.

    When Chung Jungchul¡¯s scent that he had engraved within his head was bing thicker¡ª

    ¡®Found him.¡¯

    ¡ªhe could see Chung Jungchul¡¯s form from a great distance.

    Despite being in a situation where his party member was ambushed by demon beasts, he was sitting on the edge of some building debris with quite a calm expression.

    ¡®Should I ambush him?¡¯

    Ohjin would normally strike from behind without hesitation, but since he didn¡¯t know what Jungchul was hiding, there was the possibility of getting done in by a counterattack.

    ¡®I¡¯ll gauge the situation for now.¡¯

    <b>* * *</b>

    * * *

    He observed the surroundings andnded next to Choi Jungchul.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s eyes opened wide as he looked at Ohjin¡¯s sudden appearance.

    ¡°What business do you have ining here?¡± asked Choi Jungchul as his eyes shone in amusement.

    ¡°What business?¡± Ohjin¡¯s eyes sparkled coldly.

    ¡°Are you asking because you don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°Hm? What are you referring to?¡±

    Confused, Choi Jungchul furrowed his brow.

    Ohjin observed his reaction and held in his bitterugh.

    ¡®Well, he¡¯s probably surprised.¡¯

    From Choi Jungchul¡¯s point of view, Ohjin appearing all of a sudden and quibbling over whether he knew or not woulde off as surprising.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Even though it was a bit forced, he needed to make him a criminal on the spot to fool Vega. Ohjin continued speaking while being conscious of Vega, who was floating above his shoulder.

    ¡°Choi Jungchul.¡±

    Ohjin aimed his spear at him.

    ¡°I¡¯vee here after finding out what you¡¯ve been hiding.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s expression stiffened firmly.

    Ohjin ignored his reaction as he shot a furious re at him.

    <i>Boom!¡ª</i>

    He shouted out as he roughly stamped his feet.

    ¡°You coward, are you trying to deny it?!¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Choi Jungchul flinched as he took a step backwards.

    Ohjin observed his expression with a sharp nce and predicted the next words he would say.

    ¡®Now he¡¯ll say something like ¡®Deny? What are you talking about?¡¯, right?¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t hard to predict everything that would happen next, including the words he himself would have to say in response.

    ¡®Then I¡¯ll say something like, ¡®I found out about you from the moment you approached Ha-eun, aiming for her body.¡¯¡¯

    As that was an incident that urred in actuality, there wasn¡¯t even the need to create fake evidence at ater date.

    ¡®Hiding lies inside the truth.¡¯

    It was the fundamentals of scamming.

    ¡®Now¡­ retaliate with all your might.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll make you the most malicious criminal with just my word¡ª¡¯

    <b>¡°¡ªHow did you find out?¡±</b>

    ¡°You were aiming for Ha-eun¡¯s bo¡­ huh?¡±

    ¡®What?¡¯

    ¡°I definitely hid it thoroughly so that it would be discovered by no one¡­ just where did the information leak?¡±

    ¡®What is this bastard talking about?¡¯

    [You crude being!]

    <i>Crack! Crackleee!¡ª</i>

    Vega flew up as blue lightning sparked out.

    [Is how you got discovered what¡¯s important?!!]

    Clenching her fists, her body trembled.

    ¡°Kugk!¡±

    ¡°Hmpf! W-What is¡­!¡±

    Terrifying energy pressed down the area.

    ¡®Holy shit.¡¯

    <i>Tremble¡ª</i>

    His legs shook as if he was outside in his underwear in sub-zero weather. It was to the extent he couldn¡¯t breathe properly.

    [No matter how ignorant thisdy is of the human world, thisdy knows enough of it to be aware of how terrible and atrocious the deeds you havemitted are!]

    Vega ferociously opened her golden eyes wide and stared at Choi Jungchul in sincere anger.

    <i>Rumble!!¡ª</i>

    An enormous amount of energy raged through the area once again.

    ¡°V-Vega¡­!¡±

    Ohjin desperately wrung out his voice and stopped Vega.

    It was obvious that unleashing that enormous amount of energy in a ce that wasn¡¯t even the sanctuary would have a powerful bacsh from the restriction.

    [¡­I am sorry, my child.]

    Vega continued as she gathered the energy that was pressing down on the area.

    [To be honest, thisdy had felt repulsion from your words.]

    From the sudden words that he had to eliminate an evil of the future in advance, she had unconsciously furrowed her brow.

    Despite knowing the fact he was a ¡®Regressor¡¯¡­

    Despite knowing that he was the one and only existence who personally experienced the devastating future¡­

    Vega was not able topletely trust in his words.

    [Even when it should be me who trusts and supports you more than anyone else¡­ I had doubted you before confirming it with my own eyes.]

    Vega floated towards Ohjin and continued as she stroked on Ohjin¡¯s cheek.

    [Please forgive this foolish celestial.]

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡®About that¡­ what situation is this?¡¯

    Ohjin looked back at Choi Jungchul with a shocked expression.

    He wasn¡¯t sure how to react as he had predicted that Jungchul would retaliate for sure, telling him about what nonsense he was on about, but he had confirmed it instead.

    ¡®How did I find out? Find out what?¡¯

    ¡°Haa! Haa! W-What is that?¡±

    Choi Jungchul gasped for breath as he looked at Vega, who was floating above Ohjin.

    ¡°Guardian spirit¡­?¡±

    ¡®Were guardian spirits able to spout out this amount of energy?¡¯

    Choi Jungchul chewed his lips in confusion.

    As there was no way a rookie Awakener who hadn¡¯t even been awakened for half a year would be able to obtain that kind of Guardian spirit on his own, it was right to deduct that he received it from someone else.

    ¡°Haha! Is this the desirability of the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s apostle?¡±

    ¡®Ohjin probably received it from those who panicked, wanting to show their respect to the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s apostle.¡¯

    <i>Grit¡ª</i>

    Choi Jungchul fiercely ground his teeth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s truly unfair?¡±

    One would lose everything just because they got on some little punk¡¯s nerves,

    and another would live a luxurious lifestyle just because they encountered a nice celestial.

    <i>-Once the ck stars cover up the night sky, this unreasonable world will meet its end.</i>

    Out of nowhere, the words Arshad Khan had said resurfaced inside his head.

    He had thought of it as nothing more than an ominous prayer back then but¡­

    ¡°Yeah, you were right.¡±

    Choi Jungchul raised the ck marble grasped inside his palm.

    He stared at Ohjin with furious eyes.

    ¡°Following the ck Star¡¯s will¡­ I will punish that rookie!!¡±

    <i>Owooong!!¡ª</i>

    The marble inside his hand explosively scattered out ck light.

    Overflowing energy rode through Choi Jungchul¡¯s arm up to his head.

    ¡°Heh¡­ hehehehe!!¡±

    ¡®This isn¡¯t revenge.¡¯

    ¡®This is but a ¡®holy war¡¯ needed to make the world a better ce.¡¯

    ¡°Come, demon beasts!!!¡±

    <i>Dudududu!!¡ª</i>

    The earth vibrated.

    Following hismand, dozens of demon beasts flocked towards him from all directions.

    ¡°Hahahaha!! I¡¯m not sure how you found out I became a member of the ck Star Organization, but the price for fearlesslying alone won¡¯t be low!!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin shut his lips tight as he looked around at the demon beasts that surrounded him.

    ¡®Well¡­ shit.¡¯

    All he wanted to do was make Choi Jungchul a criminal in front of Vega¡¯s eyes so she wouldn¡¯t be suspicious even if he killed him.

    But¡­

    ¡®Choi Jungchul is in the ck Star Organization¡­?¡¯

    ¡®And he¡¯s controlling the demon beasts?¡¯

    ¡®Just what kind of situation is this¡­¡¯

    ¡®Someone¡­ please exin this to me.¡¯

 Chapter 50: Demon Beast Subjugation (6)

    ¡°KruruRuK!!¡±

    ¡°Kirarak!¡±

    The surrounding demon beasts let out intimidating growls.

    Ohjin observed the situation with a stiff expression.

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    Although it was something unbelievable¡­

    Although it was something he didn¡¯t want to believe¡­

    He had a rough understanding of what was going on.

    ¡®So this is the hidden card that bastard was hiding¡­¡¯

    The ability to control those hideous monsters was the reason he had such a confident expression.

    ¡®And that ability was obtained through the ck Star Organization.¡¯

    Ohjin observed the ck marble grasped in Choi Jungchul¡¯s hands.

    A star relic that radiated an unpleasant energy¡ªlike the one he had felt at the gate in Mok-dong.

    Inside his hands was a star relic imbued with the power of the ¡®ck Star¡¯.

    ¡®He¡¯s controlling the demon beasts using that.¡¯

    It was the only logical conclusion, as the stigma of Aquarius had no such ability that controlled demon beasts.

    ¡®Goddamnit.¡¯

    It was quite the coincidence. The one he preyed on in order to obtain the stigma of Aquarius turned out to be a member of the ck Star Organization. It was to the point where he started to suspect that someone was intentionally manipting the situation.

    ¡°Fufu. Why is your expression so dark? Didn¡¯t you know all along?¡±

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s mockery was heard.

    Strength unconsciously entered the hand that was grasping the spear.

    ¡®The flow of the situation isn¡¯t all that bad.¡¯

    In any case, Vega¡¯s trust in him had increased from this incident, and the need to create fake evidence in the future vanished.

    However, the problem was¡ª

    ¡°Kuaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    ¡°Karuruk!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡ªthat there were too many demon beasts surrounding him.

    He would be able to face them alone if they numbered around ten, but they far exceeded that amount.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    He breathed out.

    It was the worst situation, but¡­

    From the beginning, he had insurance backed up for situations such as these.

    ¡°Vega, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    [Alright.]

    He knew that the blessing¡¯s usage would increase the burden on Vega, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    [Go, my child.]

    Vega raised her hand while sitting on his head.

    <i>Owooong!¡ª</i>

    The radiant silver rays of light that poured out flowed into Ohjin¡¯s body.

    [Use that strength to rewrite destiny¡¯s page once again!]

    With Vega¡¯s shout¡ª

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªblue lightning swept across the area.

    The devastating strength started to boil up, starting from the deepest parts of his body.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    Exhrated breaths seeped through his lips.

    He felt the sense of omnipotence he hadn¡¯t felt in a while.

    The demon beasts that once felt threatening suddenly felt like sick puppies.

    ¡®It¡¯s different.¡¯

    It feltpletely different from when he was blessed back inside the gate in Mok-dong.

    ¡®My level has changed since then.¡¯

    Ohjin had made great strides in his growth through the past three months of training, even to the extent that the incredibly prideful Riak had acknowledged him.

    As strong as he had be, the blessing¡¯s effects had also be one step more impactful.

    ¡°Well then.¡±

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    The tips of his mouth twisted up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll return soon.¡±

    Taking deep and long breaths¡­

    Unfolding his crouched legs¡­

    ¡ªHe sprinted.

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzzttt!!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kuaaaaaaa!!¡±

    ¡°Kruk!! Kraaak!¡±

    As she shed out a single spear strike, a storm of blue lightning spread forward like a maelstrom.

    Far past the point of simply burning their flesh, he had turned two demon beasts into ashes¡ªresulting in their immediate death.

    ¡°KAraaaaaak!!¡±

    Monsters with mantis-like arms spread out their wings and flew towards him.

    ¡°So what?¡±

    Ohjin reached out his hand.

    <i>Rumble!¡ª</i>

    Lightning appeared out of nowhere and struck down the demon beasts.

    ¡°Krieeeek!!¡±

    The demon beasts that flew through the sky soon dropped down after getting struck by lightning as if they were lightning rods.

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Ohjinughed at the absurdity of the situation.

    Creating lightning from nothing but air¡­

    It was a skill that he could never dare to mimic in his normal state, but¡ª

    ¡°This is driving me crazy.¡±

    ¡ªit was as easy as breathing at that moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get high on this.¡±

    <i>Bang!!¡ª</i>

    Ohjin kicked off as he ferociously bared his teeth.

    Gripping his spear, he turned around to where the demon beasts were gathered up.

    He pulled his right arm as far back as possible.

    Twisting his body and centering himself over his hips¡ª

    ¡°Fire in the hole!¡±

    ¡ªhe threw the spear.

    <i>Swoosh!¡ª</i>

    Like aet that shed across the night sky, the silver spear hit the earth.

    And then¡ª

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°KiaaaaAaaa!!¡±

    ¡°KrrrRrrrruka!¡±

    ¡ªThe blue lightning condensed inside the silver spear was unleashed at once.

    Swirling sharp bolts of lightning spread out.

    The bodies of beasts that were hit became oxidized.

    A pungent smell entered his nose.

    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s even more disgusting because they smell nutty.¡±

    Taking quick steps, he rolled his body the moment hended.

    <i>Bam!¡ª</i>

    A demon beast¡¯s w struck down on the spot he had justnded on.

    ¡°Kiiiiiiiiek!¡±

    <i>Drrrrrrr! Bang!¡ª</i>

    A monster jiggled out from the ground and jumped at him.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Another monster with a mouth that split up into eight sections shot up from the cracked ground.

    ¡°Krruruuu!¡±

    The demon beasts that escaped the lightning storm¡¯s influence ran at Ohjin as they let out fierce growls.

    <i>Flutter!¡ª</i>

    The mantis demon beasts that were rolling on the ground shot up into the skies once again.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    Front, back, left, right.

    Even up and down.

    Ohjin was entirely surrounded by demon beasts.

    Despite it being the worst situation¡ª

    ¡°Stop struggling.¡±

    ¡ªOhjin smiled as he spread out his arms.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    Six wires tangled up like a.

    ¡°Well, this is only going to make it easier for me.¡±

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzt!¡ª</i>

    Blue lightning ran across the wires.

    The demon beasts that were pouncing on him from all directions turned into ashes once they met the sparking lightning.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Haa, haa.¡±

    Even though he was in a blessed state, it seemed like using such an enormous amount of mana in a short span of time was strenuous.

    His breath turned a bit rough.

    Catching his breath, he turned his head in Choi Jungchul¡¯s direction.

    ¡°W-What is this¡­¡±

    Choi Jungchul was shivering with his mouth opened wide.

    He even rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

    ¡°I-It makes no sense!!! H-How can a 3-Star Awakener¡­!¡±

    ¡®Though I''m ranked 4-Star now. Well, it doesn¡¯t make sense for 4-Star Awakeners either.¡¯

    The fact that his strength was iparable to other 4-Star Awakeners was true, but disying his current amount of overwhelming prowess was all thanks to Vega¡¯s blessing.

    ¡°Damn it! Damn it! <i>Goddamnit</i>!!!¡±

    Like an old woman who had failed to get a marriage partner for the fortieth time, Choi Jungchul hysterically scratched his cheeks.

    He scratched his cheeks so hard that skin started to tear out as blood dripped down, he then held out the ck marble and wailed.

    ¡°Kill him! Kill that son of a bitch, you pieces of shit!!!¡±

    ¡°S-Sir Jungchul! Please calm down!¡±

    It seemed that the bald man had run over after hearing themission. He tried to hold back Choi Jungchul in a rush.

    ¡°I-If this continues, the n will¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Fucking <i>n</i>? Don¡¯t you see that fucker snickering? Huh? Are you blind?!?!¡±

    Choi Jungchul ground his teeth as he reached his hand out at the bald man.

    ¡°Kugh! Kuk! W-Wait¡ª!¡±

    <i>Crack, crunch!¡ª</i>

    With the horrifying sound of bones crushing, the bald man¡¯s head deformed.

    As if he was stuck between two hydraulic presses, the bald man¡¯s entire body was crushed.

    ¡°Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, <i>hurry</i>!!!¡±

    Choi Jungchul stared at Ohjin with his red bloodshot eyes.

    <b>¡°KILL THAT BASTAAAAAAAAARD!!!!¡±</b>

    His cry filled with madness echoed out in the city that had be ruins.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong with <i>him</i>?¡±

    Ohjin furrowed his brow as he looked back at the wailing Choi Jungchul.

    However you looked at it, he didn¡¯t seem to be in a normal state.

    ¡®Is it because of that star relic?¡¯

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s body was gradually bing submerged in the cold energy that poured out of the ck marble.

    ¡°Let¡¯s deal with that first of¡ª¡±

    Before he was able to finish his words.

    ¡°KaRrrrrrrrruK!¡±

    ¡°KiaaAaaak!!¡±

    <i>Thump!¡ª</i>

    More demon beasts appeared from inside the debris of copsed buildings.

    Their numbers had substantially increasedpared to before.

    ¡°Goddammit.¡±

    It was hard to approach Choi Jungchul when demon beasts were frenzied with only Ohjin in their sight.

    [Uu¡­ M-My child. W-Will¡­ you be alright?] Vega asked with a pained expression while enduring themandment¡¯s restriction.

    Vega rather looked more tired than Ohjin, who was directly facing off with the demon beasts.

    ¡°Sorry. I think it¡¯ll take a bit longer.¡±

    Collecting the wires once again, he stretched out his hand.

    The silver spear he had thrown at the group of demon beasts floated up and returned to his hand.

    ¡°KarrRuk!¡±

    Blue lightning shot past the demon beasts.

    Two to three demon beasts would be ck ash whenever he swung his spear once.

    However.

    ¡®There¡¯re too many of them.¡¯

    The momentum of demon beasts was hardly decreasing.

    ¡®Are the demon beasts all over the city gathering here?¡¯

    Ohjin bit his lips as he swung his spear at the demon beasts in the back that were headed his way.

    ¡°Haa, haa.¡±

    His breath got coarser the longer the battle continued.

    No matter how stronger he became after receiving the blessing, there was still the limit of stamina and mana.

    ¡®Goddamnit.¡¯

    Ohjin, who had shot over thirty Blue Lightnings in session, made distance as he stepped back.

    ¡°Kugh.¡±

    A horrifying pain as if an axe swung down on his head came over him from overusing mana.

    ¡®I can endure any amount of pain.¡¯

    The problem was that his mana that seemed boundless was slowly reaching its limit.

    Ohjin thrusted out his spear with an anxious expression.

    ¡®If only my mana surged up like back then.¡¯

    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t intentionally induce that state.

    ¡°Haa! Haa! Haa!¡±

    Gasping for breath¡­

    He couldn¡¯t even estimate just how many demon beasts he had killed.

    Tens? Hundreds?

    In any case, the number of corpses was stacking up at a rapid pace.

    <i>Munch¡ª</i>

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    A demon beast that had slipped past the storm of lightning bit him on the shoulder.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    ¡°KurrRuuk!!¡±

    ¡°Kisaaaaah!¡±

    In the small gap that was created with his injury, three demon beasts squeezed past the storm as they opened their mouths.

    [M-My child!]

    Vega¡¯s startled shout was heard.

    ¡°Hah¡­!¡±

    Ohjin grunted as he raised his spear.

    <i>Slip¡ª</i>

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Because of the gushing blood, the palm that was grasping the spear shaft suddenly slipped.

    ¡®Shit¡­!¡¯

    When he urgently tried to back off¡ª

    <i>Fwooooooosh!!!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªcrimson mes coiled around the three demon beasts.

    ¡°Kihaaaaaaak!!¡±

    The demon beasts that were wrapped in mes screamed out as they writhed in agony.

    ¡®mes¡­?¡¯

    He turned his head.

    ¡°Ohjin, you¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression violently distorted as she stared at Ohjin¡¯s shoulder that was dripping blood.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise that you wouldn¡¯t get hurt?¡±

 Chapter 51: Going Beyond (1)

    <b>¡ù Caution ¡ù</b>

    <b>This chapter is gory.</b>

    ¡°¡­Ha.¡±

    A chuckle escaped Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    Crimson mes that zed radiantly.

    A woman standing heroically inside the fluttering ash and dust.

    ¡°Ha-eun.¡±

    Just like eight years ago.

    No, even before then, just like when he had met her for the first time.

    Her figure shone like sparkling jewels.

    Even inside the scene filled with blood and flesh, she was as beautiful as ever.

    ¡°Stay still.¡±

    Ha-eun took out a potion from her jacket and poured it over Ohjin¡¯s shoulder that had a handful of flesh torn off.

    A radiating pain spread out from his shoulder.

    It wasn¡¯t like the injury recovered like time flowed in reverse, but it was able to at least stop blood from gushing out.

    Anyhow, It seemed to be a very valuable potion.

    ¡°That¡¯s expensive.¡±

    ¡°Hah?¡± Ha-eun frowned deeply.

    ¡°Is that what''s important right now?¡±

    ¡°Pfff! I¡¯m just kidding.¡±

    Ohjin shrugged as heughed.

    No matter how crazy he was about money, he wasn¡¯t mental to the extent he thought it was a waste of money in the current situation.

    ¡®I was saved thanks to her.¡¯

    And thanks to hering, he could take some time to catch his breath.

    ¡®In addition¡­¡¯

    What her arrival meant was¡­

    <i>Fwoosh!¡ª</i>

    ¡°KiaaaaA!!¡±

    A demon beast that jumped past the wall of me used its bulky build to charge forward. A protruding spike shone briefly.

    When their distance with the demon beast shortened¡ª

    ¡°Hmpf!!¡±

    <i>Boom!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªA youth that was holding a massive shield in one hand blocked the path of the demon beast.

    Its sharp spikes were pushed back from the shield. The demon beast tried to twist its body in an attempt to break through the shield, but¡ª

    ¡°You dare!!¡±

    ¡ªwith an angry shout, a hammer filled with mana struck down on the demon beast¡¯s head.

    <i>Crunch¡ª</i>

    As its head exploded, its cerebrospinal fluid dripped down as its eyeball popped out.

    ¡°Mr. Ohjin! Are you okay?¡± shouted Park Changhyun as he looked back at Ohjin.

    Ohjin¡¯s lips curved into a smile on their own from how relieved he felt.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m okay.¡±

    ¡°B-By the way, did Mr. Ohjin kill all these demon beasts alone?¡±

    Park Changhyun¡¯s mouth opened wide as he observed the demon beast¡¯s corpses that filled up the surrounding area.

    From just a quick nce, it seemed like there were over a hundred corpsesid on the ground.

    ¡®What the hell¡­¡¯

    Park Changhyun looked at Ohjin in disbelief.

    Even if he was a North Star¡¯s apostle, an Awakener that was naught but a 4-Star defeating over a hundred 6-Star demon beasts alone?

    If he had heard the scenario from someone else, he would have snorted, ridiculing them for speaking nonsense.,

    ¡®Is he really a human?¡¯

    <i>Gulp¡ª</i>

    Park Changhyun gulped as he looked at Ohjin with a nervous expression.

    ¡°First, let¡¯s deal with that bastard.¡±

    Whirling his spear, he headed towards the demon beasts that started to crowd up.

    Although it was nothing but a short break which didn¡¯t evenst one minute, it was enough time for him to calm down his ragged breathing and roiling mana.

    ¡°I¡¯ve contacted the subjugation force in advance. Other Awakeners wille here soon.¡±

    ¡°As expected, you¡¯re the best, Ha-eun.¡±

    Once the other Awakeners who participated in the subjugation operation joined in, things would be much smoother.

    ¡°¡­So don¡¯t overdo yourself; buy time in moderation.¡±

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    After taking in a deep breath¡ª

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    ¡ªHa-eun removed the eye mask she was wearing.

    Her vicious eye shone.

    ¡°Ha-eun?¡±

    ¡°Ugh. I didn¡¯t want to use this because I¡¯m not used to it yet¡­¡±

    Ha-eun suppressed her groan and stepped forward.

    A pupil that was slit vertically.

    Her eye that was akin to a snake¡¯s swivelled towards the demon beasts.

    ¡°Kiruk?!¡±

    <i>Flinch!¡ª</i>

    The demon beasts that met eyes with the Dragon Eye took steps back as their bodies shook.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ha-eun squinted as she groaned in pain.

    <i>Dru-du!¡ª</i>

    Unsightly sprouting veins around her left eye became one level thicker.

    ¡°Fuck. It seriously hurts!¡±

    Biting her lips, Ha-eun spread her arms out.

    <i>Owoooong!¡ª </i>

    Out of the stigma engraved on her left chest zed out an intense light he had never seen before.

    ¡°Ha-eun, this is¡­¡±

    ¡°Heh. I wasn¡¯t ying around for the past three months, either.¡±

    She smirked as she crossed her arms down into an X shape.

    <i>Fwooooosh!¡ª</i>

    A crimson me dragon soared out of the ground and coiled around her body.

    ¡°I still have way more experience than you as an Awakener.¡±

    Ha-eun, who was wrapped around in mes, took a step forward.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    As if a volcano erupted, a massive me soared into the skies.

    As the ground where her footnded split apart, crimson mes surged up from the gaps.

    ¡°¡ªI can¡¯t hide behind your back forever, can I?¡±

    <i>Fwoooooooosh!!!¡ª</i>

    Her tied up maroon hair fluttered.

    ¡°K-Kruk.¡±

    ¡°Karark!¡±

    Was it because they were afraid of the powerfully burning force or because they felt instinctive danger from the massive me dragon that was sweeping the surroundings?

    The demon beasts studied the atmosphere and started to back off slowly.

    ¡°You.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes locked onto a demon beast that had bloody flesh in its mouth.

    It was the demon beast that had taken a bite off Ohjin¡¯s shoulder earlier.

    ¡°Do you know whose flesh you¡¯re biting onto?¡±

    Ferociously baring her teeth, Ha-eun stretched out her hand as if she was aiming a gun at the demon beast.

    <i>Click!¡ª</i>

    With a clear sound, she snapped her fingers.

    The me dragon that was coiling around her body flew at the demon beast.

    <i>Fwooooosh!¡ª</i>

    Opening its mouthposed of mes, it chewed and swallowed the demon beast whole.

    ¡°Kruuuuuuuk!¡±

    ¡°Kishat!!¡±

    The other demon beasts that were in the path of the me dragon were swept up and turned into ash.

    ¡°¡­Woah.¡±

    Ohjin looked at Ha-eun, who was sweeping away the demon beasts with overwhelming firepower, and let out an exmation.

    ¡®Is that the Dragon Eye¡¯s power?¡¯

    Ohjin couldn''t be certain of the specifics, but¡­

    He felt like the mes surrounding her body after using the Dragon Eye moved as if they were ¡®alive¡¯.

    Well, in any case¡­

    ¡®The situation was alleviated thanks to her.¡¯

    He smirked as he stood next to Ha-eun.

    ¡°Hey, if someone else heard, they¡¯d think it was your shoulder that got bitten off.¡±

    ¡°It might as well be my shoulder since that belongs to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why does it belong to you?¡±

    ¡°Kyaha! Don¡¯t you know everything the younger brother has belongs to the sister?¡±

    ¡°What kind of¡ª¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t eat, drink, or breathe without my permission.¡±

    ¡®Isn¡¯t that a bit extreme?¡¯

    ¡°¡ªYou shouldn¡¯t get hurt either, okay?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll get hurt from my hands and feet curling from cringe.¡±

    ¡°This motherfucker?¡±

    ¡°They were truly moving words, Miss Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°Y-Y-You¡¯re the one who said those cringy words like nothing back then!!¡±

    ¡°Pfft!!¡±

    He cackled out as he roughly pulled her waist close.

    ¡°U-Uhh?¡±

    <i>Bam!¡ª</i>

    He kicked the head of the demon beast that managed to pass through the mes.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll try.¡±

    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t get hurt when she¡¯s this worried.¡¯

    ¡°¡­You two seem to be really close.¡±

    Park Changhyun looked their way as he feignedughter.

    Lightly shrugging his shoulders, Ohjin kicked off in the direction the demon beasts were gathering.

    <i>Crackleeee!!¡ª</i>

    Blue lightning sparked as it pierced through the mes.

    The demon beasts that had gathered with frightening momentum started to gradually be pushed back.

    * * *

    * * *

    As a little more time passed¡ª

    ¡°W-Why are there so many demon beasts!¡±

    ¡°Huh, isn¡¯t that the Lightning Wolf?¡±

    ¡°Holy shit. Were they holding off these numbers with just the three of them?¡±

    ¡°My god. This isn¡¯t at the level of a rookie.¡±

    ¡ªthe Awakeners that headed over after receiving contact joined in the fight.

    ¡°Kieeeeek!¡±

    ¡°Karak! Kak!¡±

    The monsters started to get pushed back at a quicker pace.

    ¡®Nice.¡¯

    Victory was slowly bing guaranteed.

    [Haa, haa, haa!]

    ¡®It seems that our Goddess has also reached her limit.¡¯

    ¡®Should I end things?¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone as he moved closer to Choi Jungchul.

    ¡°A-Ah.¡±

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s body shook as he looked down onto the demon beasts that were getting plowed through.

    ¡°Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?¡±

    He nervously scratched his cheeks.

    Without stop, his nails scratched over his cheeks that were dripping blood from the ripped skin.

    Continuously¡­

    <i>Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch¡ª</i>

    ¡°Why are they losing? Huh? Why?¡±

    His flesh that was ripped by his fingernails started to tear off.

    ¡°I did as you ordered, didn¡¯t I? Didn¡¯t I do everything as asked?¡±

    <i>Crack, crunch¡ª</i>

    Twisting his neck at an abnormal angle, he poured out questions that were without answers.

    ¡°But, but, but¡­¡±

    <i>Creak¡ª</i>

    His head twisted like a broken wooden doll and faced Ohjin.

    ¡°Whyyyyyyyyyy¡ª!!! Can¡¯t you kill himmmm¡ª!!!¡±

    As excessive amounts of flesh were torn off, his cheekbones started to be exposed.

    With Choi Jungchul not being satisfied with all the skin on his cheeks being torn off, he shoved his hand up into the soft flesh around his eye sockets and started to dig into his eyeballs.

    ¡°O-Ohjin. W-W-What the fuck is wrong with him?¡± asked Ha-eun with a pale expression.

    ¡°Ahh¡ªWhy? Why? Why? Why? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaaa!! Fuck, he¡¯s actually pulling out his eyes!!¡±

    ¡°Krrruk! Kuk! Kill! Kill! Kill! I said kill himmmmmmmmm!!¡±

    <i>Guzzle¡ª</i>

    Shouting out a scream full of madness, Choi Jungchul ced his eyeball in his mouth and started to chew it.

    ¡°Shit!! That Xiahou Dun piece of shit is eating his own eye!!!¡±

    ¡ùXiahou Dun: Chinese military general and politician in thete Eastern Han Dynasty who was shot in his eye with an arrow, removed his eye, dered that it was a gift from his ancestors, and ate it.

    ¡°Calm down, Ha-eun. And stop pulling on my clothes.¡±

    ¡°W-Was he always that kind of maniac?¡±

    ¡°No way.¡±

    In any case, it seemed like his mind had beenpletely eroded by the ck star relic.

    Ohjin gently bit on his lips as he ran at Choi Jungchul, who was in the middle of a seizure.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know what else he¡¯ll try to do.¡¯

    It was best to eliminate him quickly when the opportunity was given.

    <i>Step!¡ª</i>

    After approaching Choi Jungchul¡ª

    ¡®Lightning Charge.¡¯

    Tenfold¡­

    <i>Crackleeeeeeee!!!¡ª</i>

    Putting in the maximum amount of strength, he thrusted out his spear.

    ¡°Ah, ahh.¡±

    However¡ª

    <i>Crack¡ª</i>

    <i>Owoooong!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Argh!!¡±

    ¡ªas the marble inside Choi Jungchul¡¯s hands cracked, ck energy poured out explosively.

    Ohjin¡¯s body was unable to retaliate as he got flung away.

    ¡°¡ªAhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!¡±

    Choi Jungchul suddenly raised both his arms up.

    ck energy spread out.

    And then¡­

    <b><i>Rumbleeeeeeeeee!!!¡ª</i></b>

    ¡°H-Huh?¡±

    ¡°W-What¡¯s that?!¡±

    A ck cylinder soared up at the center of the city and mixed with the energy flowing out of Choi Jungchul.

    The ground trembled as if an earthquake urred.

    No.

    It didn¡¯t simply tremble.

    <i>Rumble! Rumble!¡ª</i>

    ¡°I-It¡¯s copsing!!¡±

    ¡°Avoid it!!¡±

    The earth¡¯s crust twisted and tore apart and started to slosh like waves.

    Buildings that were dozens of floors high tumbled down like dominos.

    ¡°¡­Holy shit.¡±

    Ohjin looked at the city that was in the midst of destruction with a pale expression. Where the destruction urred the most severely was the center of the city.

    ¡®If I was in that ce¡­¡¯

    He would have been buried alive without being able to retaliate, squashed between the fallen buildings.

    ¡®Fuck, just what is going on.¡¯

    ¡°Kugk! Kurak! H-Hihihi! Yeah, yeah, yeah!!¡±

    Even in the midst of destruction, Choi Jungchul continued tough like a lunatic.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I just have to directly? Kill? Him? My? Self? Right?¡±

    <i>Rumble! Rumble!¡ª</i>

    The ck energy that was spread out wide started to gather with Choi Jungchul at its core. His body puffed up like a balloon that had been blown up to its limit.

    Soon¡­

    ¡°Kurk! Kisahaaaat!!¡±

    The lower body of a snake and the arms of a mantis appeared.

    Choi Jungchul, who had be a ¡®demon beast¡¯ that had its mouth split up into eight sections, let out a creepy shriek.

    ¡°¡­The hell.¡±

    With a stiff expression, Ohjin looked at Choi Jungchul, no, what ¡®used to be Choi Jungchul¡¯.

    ¡®A human¡­ became a demon beast?¡¯

    An ominous feeling like no other ran down his spine.

    ¡°Argh.¡±

    Ohjin added strength to the spear grasped in his hand.

    ¡®Quick.¡¯

    His instincts rmed him. They cried out that he had to kill that monster as soon as possible, that not killing it would result in¡ª

    ¡°Huh? Me? Why? Why, why? Why this? Body? Became? Kruk?¡±

    <b>¡ªDeath.</b>

    ¡°Vega! Hold on a little longer!!¡±

    An answer didn¡¯t return.

    ¡°¡­Vega?¡±

    He turned his head around and looked back at Vega.

    [Sorry¡­ My¡ªchild. Any further¡­]

    Vega¡¯s body turned into silver rays of light and dispersed.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The blessing disappeared.

 Chapter 52: Going Beyond (2)

    ¡°Wh-What¡¯s that?¡±

    The Awakeners that were facing off against the demon beasts looked up at Choi Jungchul who turned into a demon beast.

    A demon beast with a hideous mouth that split into eight sections, mantis arms, and the lower body of a snake. Its size itself wasn¡¯t all that big, but a cold energy iparable to other demon beasts was violently gushing out.

    ¡°Kugh! A-A person turned into a demon beast!¡±

    ¡°What is this?!!¡±

    With a heavy grimace, the Awakeners raised their weapons. They surrounded Choi Jungchul in a circle.

    ¡°Take that thing out first!!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably the boss!¡±

    The Awakeners charged at the demon beast, Choi Jungchul.

    They were Awakeners that had experience and skill as personnel who were picked to participate in the subjugation operation, but¡­

    ¡°Are? You? Trying? To? Interrupt?¡±

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s eyes swivelled towards the Awakeners.

    <i>Craaaaaaaack!!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Ahhhhhh!!!¡±

    His snake tail extended to dozens of meters and swept forward like a whip. The Awakeners hit by the whip were flung away as they screamed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t? Interrupt? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?¡±

    <i>Snap!¡ª</i>

    He snatched an Awakener that was in mid-air after being flung away. Using the tip of the snake tail, he stabbed the Awakener¡¯s left chest.

    ¡°Kugk! Kuk!¡±

    ¡°You will? Help me? Yes? I need to? Kill? That bastard?¡±

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s mouth twisted.

    <i>Owooong!¡ª</i>

    The ck energy that coiled around his body ran down his tail and flowed into the Awakener.

    ¡°Argh! Kahk! Kurrrrk!!¡±

    As the Awakener¡¯s body puffed up like a balloon, spikes started to sprout out all around his body.

    ¡°Krrru! Kuraaaak!!¡±

    In less than ten seconds, the Awakener that was caught by Choi Jungchul turned into a demon beast.

    ¡°Uaaaaaaaaah!!!¡±

    ¡°Wh-What!!! H-How did that¡­!¡±

    With expressions full of shock, the Awakeners trembled.

    A demon beast that made demon beasts out of humans¡ªit was a strange phenomenon they had never heard of.

    ¡°Kuaaaaaaaah!!¡±

    ¡°M-Mincheol!! Get yourself together!!¡±

    The Awakener who became a demon beast attacked the other Awakeners. It seemed that some of them knew who the demon beast had been, as the Awakeners attacked by it panicked, not knowing what to do.

    <i>Whish!!¡ª </i>

    ¡°Kugh! Kuk!!¡±

    A spurting fountain of blood¡­

    The sound of horrifying screams echoed out.

    ¡°S-Shit!¡±

    ¡°A-Avoid it!! You mustn''t let yourself be caught by that tail!!¡±

    They screamed out in urgency.

    However¡ª

    <i>Whishhh!!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªHis snake tail aimed for the Awakeners that split apart into five different directions. As time passed by, the number of Awakeners caught by Choi Jungchul¡¯s tail started to increase one by one.

    One, two, three¡­

    The number of Awakeners decreased, and the number of demon beasts increased.

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯

    Looking at the increasing number of demon beasts, Ohjin chewed his lips.

    ¡®This isn¡¯t good.¡¯

    If time continued to pass on without change, the number of demon beasts would go out of control.

    In the current situation, Choi Jungchul needed to be killed as fast as possible.

    However¡­

    ¡°¡­Goddammit.¡±

    Ohjin looked down on his body that no longer had the blessing in effect.

    He couldn¡¯t feel the sense of omnipotence he had felt before.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Still, it wasn¡¯t like he could run away.

    No. When taking Choi Jungchul¡¯s mobility into ount, he would catch up in an instant anyways. After all, Choi Jungchul was aiming for Ohjin in the first ce.

    ¡®I need to kill him here.¡¯

    But how?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone as he observed Choi Jungchul, who was driving the other Awakeners into a corner.

    He noticed something about the ck energy that flowed out of Choi Jungchul¡¯s body.

    ¡®Not all of it is from the ck marble.¡¯

    Facing the other direction, he looked at the center of the city where the ck cylinder soared up. At where the center of the destruction took ce, ck vapor was slowly rising up; the ck energy rose from that ce¡­

    ¡®It¡¯s flowing into Choi Jungchul.¡¯

    For Ohjin, who could sense the power of ¡®ck Stars¡¯, he could see that the rising energy at the center of the city was flowing into Choi Jungchul.

    ¡®If that''s the case.¡¯

    Ohjin tightened the grip on his spear.

    ¡°O-Ohjin!¡± shouted out Ha-eun in a hurry.

    ¡°We need to kill that thing quick¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Ha-eun.¡±

    He held onto her shoulder as she was about to head in Choi Jungchul¡¯s direction.

    ¡°There¡¯s a favor I have to ask.¡±

    ¡°What? Is this the time for a favor?!¡±

    Ha-eun bit her lips with a nervous expression.

    ¡°You see that thing over there that looks like ck vapor, yeah? Head over there right now and destroy the thing that¡¯s emitting it for me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ohjin, what about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to obstruct that bastard.¡± said Ohjin as he looked at Choi Jungchul violently rampaging around.

    Choi Jungchul was really only aiming for him. Even if she escaped from that ce, he wouldn¡¯t chase after her.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun clenched her fists.

    A light of hesitation could be seen on the surface of the dragon¡¯s pupil.

    Ohjin knew that if she had it her way, she wouldn¡¯t leave him alone to head off somewhere else.

    However, if it was her¡­

    If it was the girl named Song Ha-eun who he knew well¡­

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s the Ha-eun I know.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    When taking solely firepower into ount, Ha-eun would have an overwhelming edge over Ohjin in his current state since his blessing had disappeared.

    If she wasn¡¯t able to get rid of that ck vapor, it was right to think of it as something that couldn¡¯t be removed in the first ce.

    ¡°You remember your promise with me, right? I¡¯ll be really mad if you break it again!¡±

    Ha-eun turned around and gradually became more distant.

    ¡°Promise, huh¡­¡±

    ¡®Yeah. I should keep my promise when it¡¯s with Ha-eun of all people.¡¯

    Ohjin chuckled as he slowly walked closer and closer to Choi Jungchul.

    ¡°Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?¡±

    <i>Creak¡ª</i>

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s eyes headed over to Ohjin.

    The frightening killing intent sent shivers down his spine.

    ¡°Why do you have so many things that you¡¯re curious about?¡±

    Raising his middle finger, he taunted Choi Jungchul.

    ¡°How should I know when not even your mother knows why she gave birth to you?

    ¡°Ah, ahh, ahhhhhhhhhh!!¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    Choi Jungchul kicked off and flew towards him.

    His snake tail stretched out as it swung like a whip.

    ¡®It¡¯s faint, but there¡¯s still signs of intelligence left.¡¯

    If there was no intelligence remaining, there was no reason for him to react to the taunt.

    <i>Swoosh!¡ª</i>

    The tip of the sharp tail aimed at his head as if it were a spear.

    He tilted his head and narrowly avoided the attack.

    ¡®He¡¯s fast.¡¯

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s attack was so fast and powerful that it was hard to keep track with his naked eye.

    ¡®But¡­¡¯

    It was amusing whenpared to Riak.

    * * *

    * * *

    <i>Baaaaaaang! ¡ª</i>

    His tail struck down on the floor.

    Fragments of rock scattered.

    Ohjin focused his mana into his legs.

    <i>Bzzt! Bzzzzzt!¡ª</i>

    Lightning coiled around from his calf down to the tip of his toes.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    He took a short breath in.

    Lowering his body close to the ground, he sprinted forwards.

    The distance between him and Choi Jungchul rapidly shortened.

    The snake tail that was struck on the ground shot back up, aiming for his back. Avoiding the tail by rolling forward, he used the shaft of his spear to push down on the ground and vaulted up high.

    Moving behind Choi Jungchul in an instant, he thrusted the sharp tip of the spear at Choi Jungchul¡¯s back.

    <i>Ting!¡ª</i>

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯

    Unable to pierce the skin, the spear bounced off.

    Radiating pain rode up from his palms.

    <i>Swish!¡ª</i>

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s arm that was in the shape of a massive scythe swung down like a pickaxe.

    ¡®I can¡¯t block this.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s face stiffened.

    There was no gap to direct mana onto his arms when he was already focused on his legs. If they shed, he would get pushed back from hisparably lower strength.

    <i>Bzzzzzt!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    Ohjin exploded a Lightning Charge right in front of him.

    His body shot back from the recoil.

    ¡°You¡¯re? Trying? To? Run? Again?¡±

    Choi Jungchul stuck close to him once again with frightening speed.

    Even before Ohjin¡¯s body was able to fall to the ground, his mouth split into eight sections and attacked Ohjin.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Shouting out a curse, he stretched out his hand.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    Using the wire shooter, he was narrowly able to avoid the mouth.

    ¡°There? Is? No? Use? You? Know?¡±

    <i>Swoosh!¡ª</i>

    The snake tail struck his body that was being pulled away by the wire.

    <i>Bam!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Argh!!¡±

    Intense pain shook his body.

    In the instant he blinked his eyes, the tail started to wrap around his body.

    ¡®Lightning Charge!!¡¯

    The moment the tail wrapped his body, he focused mana into both of his arms and activated Lightning Charge.

    <i>Crackleeeee!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaak!!¡±

    Using the moment Choi Jungchul¡¯s tail loosened when his body was shocked, Ohjin slipped out of its grasp.

    ¡°Haa! Haa!¡±

    His breath became ragged.

    ¡®Attacks don¡¯t work at all.¡¯

    He appeared to be in pain, but that was all.

    There wasn¡¯t even a scratch on Choi Jungchul¡¯s skin after he had been hit directly by Lightning Charge.

    ¡°It? Hurts?¡±

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s eyes fiercely shook.

    ¡°I? Said? It hurrrrrrrrrrrrts!!¡±

    <i>Swish! Swish!¡ª</i>

    Throwing a tantrum, he swung his arms.

    His arms that were in the shape of a scythe split into dozens of appendages and rained down on Ohjin.

    ¡®It wasn¡¯t only his tail that could transform!¡¯

    Ohjin used Lightning Feathers to shoot at the split scythes.

    <i>Ting, ting, ting, ting!¡ª</i>

    The feathersposed of lightning deflected the scythes.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Ohjin tried to roll under an attack.

    A scythe that the feathers of lightning weren¡¯t able to deflect narrowly grazed him.

    <i>Swish!¡ª </i>

    Blood flowed out from his grazed side.

    ¡®I don¡¯t have enough firepower.¡¯

    A head-on collision would mean absolute defeat. Even if he managed to avoid an attack and hit a vital point, it wouldn¡¯t causerge amounts of damage.

    ¡®Whatever I do with the maximum amount of mana I can use at once, I won¡¯t be able to kill that bastard.¡¯

    Though he didn¡¯t have mana to spare, he still had quite a lot of it remaining. The problem was that it was impossible to use all that mana at once.

    It was impossible to have sufficient firepower when he was doing the same thing as using a narrow hose to empty the water out of a massive water tank.

    ¡®How can I¡­¡¯

    His mind was crowded with thoughts.

    <i>Baaang!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°What? Are? You? Thinking? So? Deeply?¡±

    ¡°Ughhh!¡±

    A sudden attack.

    He didn¡¯t have the space to arrange his thoughts as rapid attacks rained down.

    ¡°Goddammit!!¡±

    There was a limit to dodging by narrow margins.

    Whether it was strength or speed, he couldn¡¯t match up to Choi Jungchul.

    ¡®If only I had the blessing! I wouldn¡¯t be done in so powerle¡ª¡¯

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin, who was continuing his thoughts, suddenly stopped.

    ¡®Since when did I start having these fucking idiotic thoughts?¡¯

    The first thing that came to mind every time he was backed up against a corner was relying on someone else¡¯s power.

    Wasn¡¯t it truly a pathetic disy?

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    A chuckle flowed out.

    ¡®Don¡¯t expect a miracle.¡¯

    Hadn¡¯t he known already?

    Starting from the far-away past he didn¡¯t even remember anymore, hadn¡¯t he felt it to the bone?

    ¡®Focus.¡¯

    He only had to think about what he could do in the moment, only on what had to be done.

    ¡°He? Hehe? Slowly? Reaching? The limit?¡±

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s mockery was heard.

    Ignoring it¡ª

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    ¡ªhe exhaled out a rough breath.

    ¡®There¡¯s a limited amount of mana I can use at once.¡¯

    Unless his stigma¡¯s ¡®star¡¯ was promoted, it wouldn¡¯t increase any further.

    ¡®The only way to increase the power of my mana in this state¡ª¡¯

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    A short exmation.

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone.

    If the pressure of water flowing out of the hose wasn¡¯t satisfactory¡­

    ¡®I just need to constrict the end of the hose.¡¯

    Forcefully putting pressure down on the circuits where his mana flowed through would make it possible to increase the mana¡¯s power without changing the amount.

    Forcefully pressing down on mana circuits¡­ Other Awakeners would express their astonishment by asking what kind of bullshit he was on about, but¡­

    ¡®Since when have I ever cared about stuff like that?¡¯

    The edges of his mouth tilted up.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Taking in a deep breath¡ª

    <i>Crack! Crakleeeeee!!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªhe wrapped lightning around his left chest where his mana circuits were concentrated. As if constricting the end of a hose, he forcefully pressed down on those mana circuits.

    <i>Boom!!¡ª</i>

    He felt a sensation as if a massive blunt object had struck down on his chest.

    His back curved like a shrimp as he trembled.

    ¡°Urgk! Uuuurek!!!¡±

    Intense pain.

    His body twisted as he threw up dark-red clots of blood.

    ¡®It hurts.¡¯

    It was a feeling simr to shoving a thick hose into a body with flesh wounds all around and turning the tap as far as it could go.

    ¡­A sensation as if scorching hot oil was flowing through his body instead of blood.

    His mind went nk from the horrifying pain.

    ¡®It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!¡¯

    It hurt so bad he thought he was going to lose his mind.

    It was a dreadful pain that was several times worse than when he died tens of times in session during the fight with Riak.

    ¡°Cough! Kugh! Ku!¡±

    He didn¡¯t stop.

    Pain could be ignored.

    Pain could be endured.

    If it was a problem that could be solved with endurance¡­

    It was nothing.

    ¡®Since until now¡­¡¯

    There were mountains of problems that could not be solved with endurance.

    <i>Bzzt! Bzzzzzzzzzzzzztt!!!!¡ª</i>

    He increased the pressure on his heart.

    ¡®It¡¯s not enough.¡¯

    Concentrating pressure in only one location would destroy the bnce.

    ¡®Not my heart, but my whole body.¡¯

    He began constricting every mana circuit that flowed in his body.

    The mana that elerated through the narrow circuits started to run wild like a beast.

    ¡°What? What? Again? What?¡±

    Choi Jungchul shuddered as he took steps back.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    Throwing up more blood, Ohjin grasped his spear.

    His consciousness flickered.

    The gruesome pain didn¡¯t stop but instead increased.

    <i>Bzzzzt!¡ª</i>

    One step more.

    Forward.

    -Ring!

    [¡¶Exceed Lv1¡· has been acquired.]

    [Warning! The current state of your body has not met the standards required to use Exceed!]

    [You have entered the state ¡®Overload¡¯.]

    [Cancetion of the skill is advised!]

    A red warning box appeared in front of his eyes.

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    Ohjin smiled brightly.

    ¡°Fuck off.¡±

    Violent currents of blue lightning swept through the surroundings.

 Chapter 53: Going Beyond (3)

    <b>REAPER SCANS</b>

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    The ground where his footnded exploded.

    His body that was swept away by the powerful momentum shot forward like a bullet.

    ¡°Kiruk? What? Trick? Again?¡±

    Choi Jungchul¡¯s expression distorted as he raised his arms, they transformed into a vicious awl and swung at Ohjin.

    Ohjin raised his spear at an angle and let the awl slip past him.

    <i>KRrrrrrrrrr!¡ª</i>

    The attack would have been difficult to deal with a few moments ago, but¡ª

    ¡°The one that¡¯s using tricks is you.¡±

    ¡ªfor Ohjin, who had used Exceed, he was able to dodge an attack of that level with leisure.

    ¡°Die already.¡±

    <i>Bam!¡ª</i>

    After passing by the awl, he lowered his stance and nted himself close to Choi Jungchul¡¯s chest. After stretching out his right hand right next to his sr plexus¡ª

    ¡®Lightning Charge.¡¯

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!!!!¡ª</i>

    Humongous lightning iparable to before struck down onto Choi Jungchul¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Kieeeeeeek!!!¡±

    Choi Jungchul let out a horrifying shriek as he was flung away.

    Ohjin could see that Choi Jungchuls¡¯s skin that once had not even a scratch was burnt ck.

    An exmation flowed out of his mouth on its own.

    ¡°Woah.¡±

    ¡®This is crazy.¡¯

    When taking nothing but firepower into ount, it felt more powerful than when he was blessed.

    ¡®Well, I can¡¯t maintain this state for long, though.¡¯

    Ohjin frowned from the pain that gradually worsened.

    An endless amount of pain could be endured, but it was a self-evident fact that maintaining the Exceed state for long would not end with pain alone.

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡±

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    Ohjin ferociously bared his teeth as he smiled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t? Speak? Non¡ª!¡±

    A spear strike so fast that it was unable to be seen with the eye connected.

    ¡°Confirm it yourself.¡±

    Currents of blue lightning drove into Choi Jungchul without rest.

    <i>Crunch! Crack! Snap!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Kiruk! Kieeeeek!!¡±

    One word: Overwhelming.

    It was to the point where even that cliche expression was insufficient, Choi Jungchul was miserably toyed with. Ohjin was several steps ahead of Choi Jungchul in terms of skills in the first ce. As long as the difference in strength and speed was narrowed, this kind of lopsided result was evident.

    On top of that¡ª

    ¡°Mr. Ohjin! I¡¯ve finished taking care of the demon beasts!¡±

    ¡ªPark Changhyun, who had finished dealing with the rest of the demon beasts, joined in.

    ¡°Don¡¯t? Interfere? Me!¡±

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    Park Changhyun, who got close to the violently struggling Choi Jungchul, blocked off his attack with his shield.

    <i>Bang!!¡ª</i>

    A deafening noise like that of a cannonball exploding rang out.

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    His arm that was holding onto the shield bounced back from the devastating impact.

    ¡°Don¡¯t block it head-on, just draw his attention.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. I-I understand!¡±

    Park Changhyun nodded his head with a puzzled expression.

    His face stiffened as he looked down at his numb arm.

    ¡®Mr. Ohjin was pushing back that demon beast one-sidedly when it had this amount of strength?¡¯

    He looked at Ohjin who was pounding Choi Jungchul in disbelief.

    ¡®What¡­ is this?¡¯

    Park Changhyun couldn¡¯t close his mouth.

    He was a 6-Star Awakener of Taurus, a powerful being that was inferior to none when it came down to strength.

    ¡ª¡¯Enormous strength¡¯ that was able to push back even that powerful demon beast.

    At that moment, an Awakener that was nothing but a mere ¡®4-Star¡¯ was overwhelming the monster that possessed such ¡®enormous strength¡¯.

    ¡°¡­How?¡±

    Park Changhyun¡¯s shoulders shook.

    No matter how low you estimated the rank of that demon beast, it was at least 7-Star.

    A 4-Star Awakener overwhelming a 7-Star demon beast¡­

    ¡®Not even the Seven Stars were to such an extent.¡¯

    Hepared Ohjin with the seven Awakeners that were picked as the strongest in the world.

    Not even the Seven Stars, who stacked up legendary feats iparable to other Awakeners, were able to aplish such a ridiculous feat.

    ¡®Mr. Ohjin. You¡­ just who are you?¡¯

    He honestly felt that Ohjin, who was overwhelming the demon beast, was more of a monster than Choi Jungchul.

    ¡°Kirruuuuk!!¡±

    ¡°Fuu. This is not the time to think these things,¡±

    Raising up his hammer, Park Changhyun shook his head.

    Like Ohjin said, he had to help by drawing the demon beast¡¯s attention from then on out.

    ¡°Hyaaap!¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    He charged at Choi Jungchul as he shouted out.

    ¡°Kishaaaaat!!!¡±

    Choi Jungchul twisted his body and stubbornly swung his arms around. The ck energy that was wrapped around his body soared up explosively.

    ¡°Don¡¯t? Interrupt? Me!!!¡±

    The bloodshot red eyes of the demon beast focused on Ohjin.

    ¡°That bastard? Must? Must? Must!!¡±

    Screaming out, he charged at him.

    ¡°The way this curious son of a bitch speaks is really getting on my nerves."

    Ohjin avoided his attack lightly and furrowed his brows.

    ¡®I''m slowly running out of time.''

    There wasn''t much time left until Exceed could no longer be maintained.

    ¡®One strike.''

    It had to be settled with the next strike.

    And in order for that¡­

    "Just how much longer are you going to take, Ha-eun."

    He turned his head around to the center of the city and observed the ck vapor that was gushing out.

    As long as that ck vapor was connected with Choi Jungchul, killing him with one strike was impossible.

    When he was looking at the ck vapor with a nervous expression¡ª

    <i>Fwooooosh!!!!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªhe could see a massive me dragon soaring up at the center of the city.

    He could feel the powerful waves of heat even from where he stood.

    "Pffft!"

    Ohjinughed from the coincidental timing.

    ¡°Speak of the devil.¡±

    ¡°Kiruk? H-How?¡±

    With his eyes wide open, Choi Jungchul turned his head around.

    The ck Star''s power thatid dormant at the center of the city¡­

    His connection with that power suddenly cut off.

    "Ah, no? No? Noooooo!!"

    Choi Jungchul trembled as he took steps back.

    The ck energy that had gathered around his body started to disperse gradually.

    "Well, then."

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    Ohjin put on a sly smile as he grasped his spear.

    "Let''s finish this up."

    It was time to put a full stop to the sick and tiresome battle.

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    Raising his left arm, he shot a wire at Choi Jungchul.

    Three wires entangled around his body.

    "Spft."

    After taking in a short breath¡­

    He poured mana into the wire shooter.

    <i>Whirrrrrrrr¡ª</i>

    With the fierce sound of metal, the wire retracted.

    Naturally, no matter how much Choi Jungchul''s strength was weakened, it wasn''t to the point where he would get dragged by wires.

    With that being the case¡­

    ¡®I''ll just have to go there myself."

    <i>Tatatatatata!!!¡ª </i>

    Kicking off his feet, he sprinted.

    Leaving his body to the wires that pulled on his left arm, his speed elerated.

    "D-Don''te? Don''te!!"

    Choi Jungchul made wings in haste and flew up.

    "It''s no use."

    As he had already been caught by the wires, he couldn''t run away.

    Gripping tight on his silver spear that had fiercely zing blue lightning¡ª

    "This is the end, you piece of shit."

    ¡ªhe shoved the silver spear into Choi Jungchul''s mouth.

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª</i>

    "Krrrrrrrrruuek?!"

    Currents of blue lightning rode down the silver spear and stormed through Choi Jungchul¡¯s insides.

    After his body puffed up like a balloon¡ª

    <i>Pop!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªhe sttered into pieces and scattered around.

    [Releasing the skill ¡®Exceed¡¯.]

    [¡¶Exceed Lv1¡· has increased to ¡¶Exceed Lv2¡·]

    [¡¶Lightning & Thunder Lv5¡· has increased to ¡¶Lightning & Thunder Lv6¡·]

    "Fuck."

    <i>Throb!¡ª</i>

    Ohjin frowned deeply inside the raining blood.

    ¡®Fuck, this hurts.''

    Was it the side effects of entering the Overload state?

    With a helpless feeling as strength left him, pain as if blood vessels were being pricked by needles spread across his body.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡®I still need to take my reward.''

    The level of ¡¶Thunder & Lightning¡· had increased in addition to learning a new skill, but¡­

    That was not the reason he had aimed for Choi Jungchul in the first ce.

    ¡®Can I absorb it, even if he¡¯s in this state?''

    It was still worth a shot.

    Ohjin used the ck Heaven to absorb the stigma imbued within the pieces of meat that were scattered around.

    Naturally, he did it secretly so that other Awakeners wouldn¡¯t take notice.

    <i>Rumble, rumble¡ª</i>

    ck clouds spread out like a and touched Choi Jungchul''s corpse that was split into pieces.

    <i>Owoong!¡ª</i>

    The stigma engraved on his left chest poured out light as he felt strength flowing into his body.

    ¡®Damn, it''s possible to absorb it in that state?''

    Ohjinid t on the ground as he absorbed Choi Jungchul''s stigma.

    He could feel enormous power rushing through the ck clouds.

    -Ring!

    [The ck Heaven is absorbing the ck Star''s power imbued in the star relic!]

    "Hah?"

    Ohjin''s eyes opened wide from the situation he hadn¡¯t even thought of.

    ¡®Not a stigma, but a star relic?''

    In any case, It appeared that he had managed to absorb the ck marble that was absorbed inside Choi Jungchul''s body.

    [The star relic¡¯s power has sessfully been absorbed!]

    [The trait imbued within the star relic ¡®Transformation'' has been added to the ck Heaven''s traits!]

    ¡®What''s ¡®transformation¡¯?¡¯

    Ohjin furrowed his brow as he opened the exnation window.

    [Transformation : You can change the shape of your body without constraint using the stigma¡¯s mana.]

    ¡°Oh, damn. This is good.¡±

    There were literally an unlimited amount of ways to utilize the ability to change the body¡¯s shape.

    ¡®Is this ability how he was able to freely transform his scythe and awl back then?¡¯

    Because the stigma of Aquarius didn¡¯t have the ability to change the body¡¯s shape, it was right to assume it was the power of the star relic.

    ¡®Anyways, is this it? I thought it had the ability to turn humans into demon beasts along with controlling them as well.¡¯

    ¡®I guess it wasn¡¯t able to absorb the star relic¡¯s abilitiespletely.¡¯

    In any case, just being able to absorb the star relic¡¯s ability in the first ce was astounding, even though it was with limitations. If other Awakeners had heard of this, they wouldn¡¯t be able to contain their astonishment.

    ¡°But¡­ what about the stigma?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s expression twisted.

    What he wanted was not the power of the star relic Choi Jungchul was holding onto, but Choi Jungchul¡¯s power itself.

    When he looked down at the ck clouds with severe disappointment¡­

    [The ck Heaven has absorbed the stigma of Aquarius!]

    ¡®Yes!¡¯

    A bright smile appeared on Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    The stigma of Aquarius that disyed the best performance amongst healer-types by far¡ªit was what he wanted in his hands the most after awakening the ck heaven.

    ¡°Should I try it out?¡±

    It was great that his body just happened to be in a wreck.

    Ohjin ced his right hand over his chest and activated the stigma of Aquarius.

    <i>Owoong!¡ª</i>

    Something that resembled a blue droplet formed.

    As the blue droplet that formed in thin air permeated his body, the pain that tore around his body was slightly relieved.

    ¡®The effectiveness right now isn¡¯t great.¡¯

    It was around a mid-grade potion at best.

    ¡®Still, I¡¯ll be able to use it well once I train it diligently in the future.¡¯

    There wasn¡¯t even the need to go out of his way to focus training on the stigma of Aquarius, either. Thanks to the ck Heaven¡¯s ¡®One is All¡¯ trait, a portion of the stigma of Lyra¡¯s proficiency would be shared automatically.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Ohjin, who was using the stigma of Aquarius to heal his wounds, suddenly frowned.

    <i>Owooooong!!! Crack! Crackle!!¡ª</i>

    All of a sudden, the blue droplet that permeated inside his body started to mix with lightning.

    ¡®What?¡¯

    As he looked at that spectacle with eyes full of questions¡ª

    [Confirming thepatibility between the stigma designated as the main stigma and the stigma that is currently activated.]

    [The stigma of Lyra and the stigma of Aquarius are resonating!]

    [Combination skill ¡¶Water Affinity Lv MAX¡· has been acquired!]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡ªabination skill was created when all he did was use the stigma of Aquarius.

    ¡®What the hell?¡¯

    With a surprised expression, he opened the exnation window.

    [ ¡¶Water Affinity Lv MAX¡· : A skill created from the connection between Lyra¡¯s ¡®Lightning¡¯ and Aquarius¡¯ ¡®Water¡¯. You can recover from injuries by absorbing water.]

    ¡®You can recover from injuries by absorbing water?¡¯

    ¡°The fuck?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s mouth opened wide.

    If it enabled you to recover from injuries simply by absorbing water with no restrictions, there was no ability as overpowered as this one.

    ¡®Is it perhaps possible to use on other people as well?¡¯

    As he read down the message window with eyes full of excitement¡ª

    [The effects of ¡¶Water Affinity¡· are only applied to your body.]

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡ªan exmation full of disappointment flowed out of Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    It was unfortunate when he would have been able to solve what troubled him immediately if he was able to use the skill on others.

    ¡°¡­Tch.¡±

    Lightly clicking his tongue, he turned the message window off.

    ¡®There¡¯s no rush.¡¯

    Hadn¡¯t he got the stigma of Aquarius in his hands anyways?

    All he had to do was develop his insufficient ability from then on.

    ¡®And once that happens¡­¡¯

    Ohjin clenched his fists tight.

    ¡°Ohjinnnn¡ª!!!¡±

    A familiar voice was heard from far away.

    <i>Step, step, step, step!!¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun, who had approached him as her red hair fluttered, squealed as she looked down at Ohjin copsed on the ground.

    ¡°Kkyaaaaaa!! Our Ohjin became a mess!!!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡®Though, to be honest, I¡¯m not fine in the least. Let¡¯s say that I¡¯m fine for now.¡¯

    ¡°Your face!! Who crushed our little Ohjin¡¯s face into this shape!¡±

    ¡°Hm? My face wasn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Then is this what you look like normally?¡±

    ¡°This bitch?¡±

    ¡®What about my face¡­¡¯

    ¡°Kyahaha! I¡¯m just kidding.¡±

    Ha-eun let out a cheerfulugh as her shoulders shook up and down.

    Carefully sweeping back Ohjin¡¯s hair, she smiled sheepishly.

    ¡°¡­What a relief. You''re safe.¡±

    A voice that was sunken low.

    ¡°Seriously¡­ pushing yourself every day. Do you even know how worried I was?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Her hand that swept his hair slightly shook,

    ¡°Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Let me touch your legs for a sec.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    <i>Hmpf¡ª</i>

    After raising his body up, he fumbled his hands around her right leg.

    ¡°Hey!! Gwon Ohjin! W-What are you doing all of a sudden?!¡±

    It felt so soft that it couldn¡¯t be differentiated from a real leg due to the high-quality prosthetic leg, but¡­

    ¡®It¡¯s still prosthetic at the end of the day.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone sharply.

    ¡®Don¡¯t they say that high-ranked Awakeners of Aquarius are able to regenerate damaged organs and body parts?¡¯

    Putting on a slight smile, he removed his hand from her leg.

    Stigma of Aquarius or whatever, it was something he could think about at ate date anyways.

    ¡®What¡¯s important right now is¡­¡¯

    Ohjin looked up at Ha-eun who was in a daze, not knowing what to do.

    ¡°Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so fucking tired I think I¡¯m going to die.¡±

    Was it because the tension was released after seeing Ha-eun?

    A crazy amount of fatigue rushed in at once.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯llst a second longer¡­¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m sleeping.¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re sleeping? Here?¡±

    ¡°Give me a piggyback ride back to where the car is.¡±

    <i>Flop¡ª</i>

    He copsed.

    ¡°Hey! Hey!! Gwon Ohjin, you bastard!!¡±

    Her shout gradually became further and further away.

    ¡°So why did you touch my leg all of a sudden?!!¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s a secret.¡¯

 Chapter 54: Unlosable Game (1)

    <b>REAPER SCANS</b>

    A week after the demon beast subjugation operation¡¯spletion¡­

    It was only natural that stories about the demon beast subjugation caused an uproar in the entirety of Korea.

    It would be strange if the appearance of a demon beast that could turn humans into demon beasts didn¡¯t turn into an issue. Foreign countries also raised public awareness as they looked into the incident with great care. In addition, attention was also concentrated on the hero who stopped what would have been an irreversible disaster.

    ¡ªThe Lightning Wolf, Gwon Ohjin.

    The stories of him being the first to discover the situation and eliminating the boss of the demon beasts alone spread like waves to the point that it even made top headlines of dozens of presses.

    ¡®It¡¯s be hard to go outside thanks to that.¡¯

    He was currently living in semi-seclusion with the pretext that he was recovering from his injuries, though he did lose consciousness for around three days from the aftereffects of using Exceed.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­¡¯

    Ohjin picked up his smartphone and entered a famousmunity site. The most popr posts were filled with stories about the Lightning Wolf. as expected. He clicked on one of them and entered the post.

    [WoofWoofKim: Damn, isn¡¯t the Lightning Wolf seriously just insane~?!]

    ?JerryM: It¡¯s only been half a year since he awakened, does this even make sense? I guess he¡¯s a North Star¡¯s apostle for a reason;

    ?Butterfly Valley: Sex

    ?WoofWoofKim: Honestly, isn¡¯t he at the level of the Seven Stars??

    ?MommyNingguang: Bullshit, he¡¯s still not on level of them

    ?WoofWoofKim: Dude, I¡¯m not sure about right now but don¡¯t you think he¡¯ll be a Seven Star easily in the future?

    ?Butterfly Valley: Sex

    ?JerryM: Wouldn¡¯t the ck Lion be one first?

    ?MommyNingguang: Nope; Do you guys think that title of the Seven Stars is just being thrown around? They¡¯ll get shit on in 1 second even if you bring a truckload of ck Lions and Lightning Wolves.

    ?WoofWoofKim: That¡¯s pushing it; Well, they¡¯ll probably get shit on but not in 1 second, dude;

    ?Butterfly Valley: Sex

    ?WoofWoofKim: All the people who write those kinds ofments always turn out to be dumbfucks that haven¡¯t done it before lmao

    ?Butterfly Valley: Shut the fuck up

    Everything was somewhat overwhelming, but¡­

    ¡®They evaluate me highly, as expected.¡¯

    For Ohjin, who was approaching the half-year mark since he awakened, just being brought up andpared with the Seven Stars was ridiculous.

    ¡®There¡¯s still a lot of talk that I¡¯m way beneath the Seven Stars, but¡­¡¯

    It was a given.

    There was still arge gap to close until he could match up with the Seven Stars.

    ¡°Well, I might be able to reach that level soon.¡±

    Would it end simply with him rivaling the Seven Stars?

    Ohjin had conviction he would be able to reach a realm even beyond what they had reached.

    ¡®I¡¯ll need to be able to do at least that much to maintain my title of Regressor.¡¯

    The stigma of Lyra and the ck Heaven¡­

    Honestly, the Seven Stars were a breeze with just those two.

    It was only a matter of time.

    ¡°I should try my best when the opportunity is given.¡±

    What he was aiming for wasn¡¯t the Seven Stars.

    His goal was something far beyond.

    The transcendental celestials and even beyond that.

    ¡®A realm where not even our Goddess can set foot in.¡¯

    Once he arrived at that realm¡­

    ¡®Then¡­¡±

    Ohjin put on a fishy smile.

    Once that time came, there would no longer be any reason to live on while painstakingly deceiving others.

    ¡®Well, I¡¯ll think about that once I get there.¡¯

    There was something else he had to focus on more urgently.

    ¡°¡­The ck Star Organization.¡±

    As the recent incident became an issue, the name of Choi Jungchul, who could be said to be the main culprit, spread far and wide. It was only natural that the guild ¡®Pandinus¡¯ was brought up, as it was the guild he was affiliated with, but¡­

    ¡°¡®Choi Jungchul isn¡¯t affiliated with the Pandinus guild¡¯.¡±

    From what the Pandinus guild''s announcement stated, Choi Jungchul was never affiliated with them, and they had never made contact.

    ¡®They''re obviously lying.¡¯

    In reality, Choi Jungchul¡¯s name wasn¡¯t in the directory they published.

    Which meant¡­

    ¡®They were nning to dispose of him in the first ce.¡¯

    It was outright cutting ties, but since there was no physical evidence that connected Choi Jungchul to the Pandinus guild, it was hard to make an objection to their ims.

    The Pandinus guild instead redirected the arrow at the Starlight Lake guild, which Choi Jungchul was once a part of, and denounced them as the masterminds of the incident, iming they were trying to put the me for their crimes on Pandinus.

    It wasn¡¯t a denouncement done with words alone.

    They even presented detailed evidence that Choi Jungchul made continuous contact with the Starlight Lake guild after his withdrawal and pressured them.

    The Starlight Lake guild announced that they weren''t involved in the incident and that they only made contact with Choi Jungchul a couple of times during the process of seizing his assets, but public opinion didn¡¯t flow in their favor.

    ¡®Thanks to that, the other top ten major guilds are starting to get involved.¡¯

    The Starlight Lake guild was a guild where the best ¡®healing-type¡¯ Awakeners gathered.

    It was stating the obvious, but healers would rarely go around gates alone.

    Due to that characteristic, the Starlight Lake guild would inevitably make a lot of contact with other guilds, with the famous top ten major guilds being amongst them.

    No.

    At the level the Starlight Lake guild was at, they very rarely got involved with other guilds¡ªexcluding famous major guilds.

    With the current situation being as it was, the arrows of criticism were loosed at the Starlight Lake guild and all of the top ten guilds that they made frequent contact with.

    "Was this their goal from the start?"

    Ohjin, who was observing a couple of news reports, clicked his tongue.

    There were barely any stories about Pandinus that should have been the target for the arrows of criticism, and instead the articles were filled with conspiracy theories about the Starlight Lake guild.

    "Those bastards used their heads."

    <i>Smirk¡ª </i>

    Ohjinughed as if it was absurd.

    "Ohjin, didn''t you say you were going to the Sanctum?"

    "Ah, yeah."

    Ohjin, who was looking at his smartphone, got up from his spot.

    Since the situation was more or less organized¡­

    There was a need to go report the situation to Vega.

    "Then I''lle back soon, Ha-eun."

    "Yeah, yeah."

    Ha-eun waved her hand as she saw him off.

    ¡®I should get there soon, our Goddess is probably worried sick.''

    * * *

    [M-My child!]

    As soon as he arrived at the Star of the Weaver Girl''s sanctuary, Vega rushed out in haste.

    It seemed like the restriction''s aftereffects were quite severe, as she was maintaining the small size of around 30cm even inside the sanctum.

    [Are you hurt anywhere? Is your body okay? Do you feel strange anywhere? What happened to that evil demon beast?]

    Questions poured down like a storm.

    "Don''t worry, can''t you see that I''m fine?"

    [B-But!]

    Vega''s eyes teared up as she stomped her feet.

    ¡®Seriously, why is our Goddess so cute.''

    "Why were you sote, human! Do you know how worried Lady Vega was?"

    Riak approached him as he furrowed his brow.

    "I know."

    "She pulled on my fur every five minutes as she bawled her eyes out."

    [I-It wasn''t that bad.]

    "Do you think she only cried?! Lady Vega even engraved your face on the sanctuary wall and prayed for your safety for days!!"

    As he turned his head around to the sanctuary wall, he could see that his face was actually engraved on it.

    [N-No! I have never done such a thing!!]

    "She even secretly ced her lips on the drawing as she wished you good luck!! How could you be this¡ª!"

    [Kkyaaaaaaaa!!!]

    <i>Crackle! Boom!¡ª</i>

    "Kugk!!"

    Riak, who was hit by blue lightning, was flung back far away as he rolled across the floor.

    Gray smoke rose out of Riak''s mouth as his body spasmed.

    ¡®He isn''t dead, right¡­?''

    [K-Khm!]

    Vega quietly organized her messy hair and cleared her throat.

    [It seems that Riak has seen hallucinations.]

    ¡®The details seem to be too specific for hallucinations, though¡­''

    [A-Anyways!]

    Vega hid her heated red cheeks as she continued.

    [So what happened after then¡­?]

    "I''ll exin slowly."

    He exined what had happened in detail after Vega disappeared from being unable to endure the restriction.

    Naturally, he excluded the fact that he used the ck Heaven to absorb the star relic''s power and the stigma of Aquarius.

    [E-Exceed? Are you saying you used Exceed?]

    "Yup."

    Ohjin thought that it was a skill he improvised, but it seemed that it was a skill she knew as well.

    [What¡­ I-It makes no sense.]

    Vega''s face stiffened as she opened her mouth.

    * * *

    * * *

    [Ha¡­]

    Vega ced her hand on her forehead as if she was having a headache.

    [Even if it''s something you experienced once before, this is¡­.]

    "Is it something to be that surprised about?"

    Ohjin obviously knew how great of a skill Exceed was since he used it himself, but he wasn''t sure if being able to use it right now was something that should be considered absurd even when taking the fact he should be a ¡®Regressor'' into consideration.

    [Of course it''s surprising. ¡®Exceed'' is a skill that can be learned once you reach 7¡­ no, 8-Star at minimum.]

    ¡®What?''

    Though it was inferior whenpared to the official 9-Star ssification of a ¡®high-rank Awakener'', If one were to be 8-Stars, they would still be amongst the very best.

    In any case, it was certain that it was a skill unimaginable for a mere 4-Star rookie to learn.

    ¡®I guess it''s reasonable to be surprised in this case.''

    Let''s say that there was an incrediblyplicated and hard game.

    Would clearing it once change that hard game''s difficulty to infant-level?

    Maybe if it was tens, hundreds of repetitive ys, but just one would not be close to enough.

    ¡®But¡ªin Vega''s perspective¡ªI''m entering high-level boss zones as a low-level and sweeping through them just because I cleared it once.''

    In that case, it would exin why she was that surprised to some degree.

    However¡­

    There was one truth she didn''t know.

    ¡®I haven''t cleared the game a single time.''

    Just how was he, who was nothing but a 4-Star, able to learn a skill that could only be learnt once reaching the 8-Star rank?

    [It can only be said that you were born with natural talent in controlling mana.]

    ¡®Talent¡­ It''s probably hard to find another word that could exin it.''

    "It''s nothing, it''s just because I''ve done it once before."

    [No, exining it with that alone is impossible.]

    Vega sternly shook her head and continued.

    [It seems almost as if¡­ <b>you were born to hold dominance over all stigmas</b>.]

    "¡­¡­"

    Ohjin''s face slightly hardened.

    "I wouldn''t go that far. And, well, isn''t there nothing bad about acquiring it quickly?"

    [Hmm. No. It isn''t good in this case.]

    "It isn''t good?"

    Vega opened her eyes keenly.

    [Exceed is a skill that ces extreme burden on the body. You''ll need to reach at least 6-Star for your body to endure it to some extent.]

    "Ah."

    Indeed¡­

    Ohjin had entered the overload state when had he used it in the fight against Choi Jungchul.

    He had also passed out for three days thanks to it.

    [It is my wish that you do not use Exceed in the future,] Vega said as she flew up on top of his head and sat down.

    <i>Dazzle¡ª</i>

    "Alright. I''ll be careful."

    As long as it wasn''t a dangerous situation, there was no real reason to use a skill that damaged his own body.

    [<i>Pshaw!</i> What I meant was not to be careful, but to never use it!]

    Vega red up as she pulled on his hair.

    ¡®Ow.''

    "Hahaha! Alright."

    [Fuu. The situation is unfortunate when thisdy should be keeping a thorough eye on you¡­]

    "When do you think you''ll be able to materialize yourself again?"

    [It seems that I''ll have to stay still in the sanctum for around three weeks.]

    A total of around one month.

    ¡®Vega really did push herself back then.''

    [<i>Sigh</i>. If I had it my way, I''d tie you up tightly in the sanctuary during that time.]

    ¡®You''re scaring me, Mama Vega.''

    [¡­But it appears that it''s not suitable for the current situation.]

    Vega narrowed her eyes.

    [It seemed like those malicious apostles of Scorpio held hands with the ck Star Organization.]

    "Probably."

    They were making excuses that they weren¡¯t, but it was evident that the Pandinus guild and ck Star Organization were connected.

    [Those evil beings! Trying to throw the me onto others despitemitting such inexcusable atrocities!]

    Vega seemed to have recalled Choi Jungchul as she shouted out in an angry voice.

    [It feels so vexing that there¡¯s no way to stop their malicious tricks.]

    ¡°No way to stop their malicious tricks? What are you talking about?"

    Vega¡¯s eyes widened.

    [Didn¡¯t you just say that there¡¯s no evidence to prove their connection?]

    ¡°I did.¡±

    Without a doubt, there was currently no evidence that was able to make the arrows of criticism that were aimed at Starlight Lake point back at Pandinus.

    However¡­

    As he had always done¡­

    ¡ªWhat wasn''t there could simply be created.

    The edges of Ohjin¡¯s mouth slyly tilted up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this matter on my own. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    [But, how¡­]

    ¡°Really, don''t worry about it."

    It wasn¡¯t anything too difficult.

    There was no need to rack his brains, nor was there any need to prepareplicated deceits.

    ¡®After all¡­ it¡¯s <b>an unlosable game</b> for me anyways¡¯

    ¡®Now, then.¡¯

    Ohjin stuck his tongue out and licked his lips.

    ¡®It''s been a while since I returned to my main profession.''

    Of all things¡­

    ¡®You shouldn¡¯t have used scams in front of me.''

    T/N: Some of the nicknames of the ones whomented on themunity site are novel authors.

    Butterfly Valley (????) : Author of ¡®I''m Not a Regressor'' and ¡®yer who returned 10,000 Yearster''.

    JerryM (???) : Author of ¡®Return of the Frozen yer'' and ¡®The Healing Priest of the Sun'' (You can read both of their manhwa on reaperscans)

    WoofWoofKim (???) : Author but no works known to an English audience.

    MommyNingguang: Just simping for the character Ningguang in Genshin Impact.

 Chapter 55: Unlosable game (2)

    After exiting the sanctum, Ohjin returned home for the time being.

    Ha-eun, who was smoking on the stairs, got up after she saw him.

    "Oh, you actually came back soon?"

    "Didn''t I say so?"

    "How could I trust you when lies are the only things thate out of your mouth?"

    Ha-eun smirked as she got closer.

    "How was Vega doing?"

    "Well, simr to you."

    He remembered the image from a couple of days ago.

    He recalled how she had bawled her eyes out whilst embracing him as soon as he opened his eyes for the first time after three days of unconsciousness.

    "F-Fuck off!"

    <i>Bam¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun''s face heated up as she kicked him in the calves.

    "Gwek."

    "Stop overreacting. Ah, right. A person from the Association came by when you weren¡¯t here. Was it Han Joonman¡­? The one who looks simr to a gori."

    It seemed like the General Manager hade by in the meantime.

    Well¡­

    He had beening by every day to check up on Ohjin¡¯s conditiontely.

    "What did you say?"

    "What did I say? I sent him back by saying that your consciousness is still flickering."

    "Okay. You did well, Ha-eun."

    He was currently avoiding contact with the Association with the excuse that he hadn''tpletely recovered his consciousness yet.

    ¡®Since there''s something I have to do during this time.''

    Once the truth that he had regained consciousness was known, he would be flooded with contacts due to his reputation as the person at the center of the subjugation incident.

    Currently, the only ones who knew he was fine were Ha-eun and Vega.

    ¡®Ah, there was Riak as well.''

    Well, anyway.

    Thanks to that, he was able to take care of urgent matters in advance during the four days after regaining consciousness.

    "What are you having for lunch?"

    "Calorie bar."

    "Dude," Ha-eun frowned.

    "I''m kidding. I''m thinking of skipping lunch since there''s something I have to do today."

    "Is that so? Hm¡­ then I guess I should also eatter."

    "Why?"

    "I have something to do as well," said Ha-eun as she walked past the door and headed outside.

    "Where are you going?"

    "Secret."

    "There''s no such thing as secrets between us."

    "Is that something you should be saying?"

    Ha-eun flipped him off with her middle finger.

    "Anyways, I''ll be going now, so stay put inside the house."

    "Hm."

    It wasn''t a situation where he could stay put.

    "Ah, right. Ha-eun."

    "Yeah?"

    "Don''t worry, even if something happens to me."

    "¡­What are you nning to do again?"

    Ha-eun approached him with a stiff expression.

    "Huhu. There''s something I have to do. I''m telling you in advance in case you get worried."

    "What''s that ¡®something''?"

    "Secret."

    "This bitch?"

    Ha-eun continued to pester him after that, but he didn''t budge.

    "<i>Sigh</i>. Well, it really isn¡¯t something I should be worried about, right?"

    "Yep."

    "Then I''ll leave my trust in you and go now."

    As if she was anxious, Ha-eun looked back a couple of times as she got more distant.

    ¡®She has probably already noticed now that I''ve said this much.''

    It was Ha-eun who knew him better than anyone else. Even if something happened, she wouldn''t be worried.

    "Well then¡­ before I get started¡­"

    He started to recall the information he organized during the past four days.

    ¡®First of all, the thing that was buried in the middle of Sokcho¡ª''

    Ohjin still hadn''t found out about the identity of the ck vapor that Ha-eun had destroyed. He went searching for itter on, but it had already disappeared without a trace.

    ¡®¡ªIs it connected to the demon beasts that were hiding under Seoul Station?¡¯

    Although a demon beast like that of the flesh giant hadn''t appeared, they had both secretly been hiding underneath a city.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not so sure about this.¡±

    Not only did he have insufficient grounds to connect them, but when he wasn¡¯t even able to confirm what kind of power it was, he couldn¡¯t make rash presumptions.

    ¡®First of all, I¡¯m sure that they¡¯re both connected to the ck Star¡¯s power.¡¯

    Naturally, as there were many celestials, it was most likely that there wouldn¡¯t be just one ck Star celestial.

    ¡®Vega also said that the energy she felt under Seoul Station was different from the one in the gate at Mokdong.¡¯

    Passing over that for now¡­

    ¡°Next up is¡­¡±

    Ohjin opened his skill window.

    He looked at the three skills he had obtained from the recent subjugation operation.

    Exceed, Transformation, and Water Affinity.

    ¡®Exceed¡­ well, I couldn''t experiment with that.¡¯

    As Vega had said, it wasn¡¯t a skill that should be used recklessly.

    ¡®Transformation is just what I thought it''d be.¡¯

    Ohjin looked in the mirror as he used Transformation.

    <i>Crack, crack!¡ª</i>

    He could make his body smaller andrger,pletely change his face into another person, and even adjust his vocal cords to change his voice.

    ¡°This skill is seriously insane.¡±

    Its consumption of mana was quite considerable, but it wasn¡¯t to the degree that it would ce arge burden.

    If the ability was used well, there would be unlimited ways to utilize it.

    ¡®Especially for me.¡¯

    Rather than giving a tiger wings, it seemed more like giving one a jet engine.

    It was to the point that he started to think that earning the skill ¡®Transformation¡¯ was potentially a better reward than the stigma of Aquarius.

    ¡°Wonderful.¡±

    He smiled brightly in satisfaction.

    ¡®And forst¡ª¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s face slightly distorted.

    ¡°¡ªThis skill is a bit of a pain in the ass.¡±

    Recalling the skill ¡®Water Affinity¡¯, he let out a deep sigh.

    ¡®I wondered how such an overpowered skill could exist when reading the exnation, but¡­¡¯

    When he conducted experiments, It waspletely different from what he had expected.

    As per its exnation, recovering from injuries by absorbing water was true, but¡­

    ¡°You need way¡­ <i>way</i> too much water.¡±

    A deep sigh flowed out.

    In order to see the effects of Water Affinity, the amount of water needed was inconceivable.

    ¡®Healing just a scratch takes tens of liters.¡¯

    In order to heal a blood wound, over a hundred liters of water was needed.

    ¡®Unsurprisingly, healing by absorbing the moisture in the air or whatever doesn¡¯t work either.¡¯

    There was a fairlyrge range of distance he could use absorption from, but that didn¡¯t mean he could carry hundreds of liters of water around.

    ¡®It¡¯s not like I have an inventory like a game.¡¯

    The effects itself were great, but there were too many resources required to see those effects. It would be more efficient to carry around a decent potion rather than carrying hundreds of liters of water around.

    ¡°This will be hard to use in realbat if it doesn¡¯t take ce next to a river or beach.¡±

    Still, it seemed that it woulde in handy for a quick recovery after fights. Most injuries would be recovered once he went to a nearby sauna and submerged in water.

    ¡®Though, even that only heals external wounds.¡¯

    His experimentation showed that it wouldn¡¯t heal internal wounds brought about by excessive mana usage.

    ¡°Tch¡­ it¡¯s still better than nothing.¡±

    Just having another means to heal external wounds, excluding potions, wasn¡¯t bad at all.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s about everything."

    * * *

    * * *

    It was time to take care of matters regarding the Pandinus guild.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing hard about this.¡±

    It was actually something extremely simple and easy.

    ¡°Ah, ah.¡±

    Clearing his throat¡ª

    <i>Ring, ring¡ª</i>

    ¡ªhe called General Manager Han.

    [A-Awakener Ohjin? Have you woken up?!]

    He heard an urgency-filled voice.

    ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯m still a little fuzzy, but¡­ I¡¯ve gotten a lot better.¡±

    [Phew. Seriously, that¡¯s a relief.]

    It seemed like he was truly worried, as a deep sense of relief could be felt from his voice.

    ¡®This is honestly a little moving.¡¯

    Anyway, that wasn¡¯t what was important.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen some articles after waking up. A lot seems to have happened¡­ during the past week.¡±

    [¡­Have you heard the news about the Pandinus guild?]

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    [I just happened to have a lot of things I wanted to inquire about rted to that incident. Could youe to the Association right now?]

    ¡°No. Rather than that, there¡¯s something I would like to request.¡±

    [A request?]

    Ohjin continued in a sunken voice.

    ¡°¡­Please prepare a press conference. I¡¯m currently in possession of decisive evidence that can testify the rtion between the Pandinus guild and Choi Jungchul.¡±

    [W-What did you say?]

    A voice filled with shock was heard.

    [Awakener Ohjin. Wait¡­ t-those words, are they really true?]

    ¡°Yes. Choi Jungchul wasn¡¯t connected with the Starlight Lake guild.¡±

    [Such a thing¡­]

    With his voice lost from shock, Han Joonman slurred the end of his sentence.

    If Ohjin¡¯s words were true, it was a huge deal that couldpletely change the current public opinion.

    [I understand. I¡¯ll prepare it right away. Is Yeouido okay for the location?]

    ¡°Yes. That ce will be appropriate and safe.¡±

    [¡­Please be careful. If this truth gets across, it¡¯s unknown what kind of things could happen.]

    General Manager Han''s voice was stiff.

    The matter about who Choi Jungchul¡¯s backers were was that big of an issue.

    ¡°I''m aware. Ah¡­ with that in mind, could you request some bodyguards for the press conference? My body hasn¡¯tpletely recovered yet.¡±

    [Bodyguards¡­ I understand. Believe in me.]

    General Manager Han said it with his voice filled with confidence.

    [There¡¯s someone here that¡¯s incredibly famous for guarding.]

    Ohjin already knew.

    That person was famous to the point of being picked as one of the top three Awakeners within the Association, after all.

    ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll believe in you and wait for contact.¡±

    [I¡¯ll call you back within an hour.]

    The call ended.

    ¡°Well, then. Shall I begin my preparations as well?¡±

    There wasn¡¯t much to prepare anyways.

    <i>Owooong!!¡ª</i>

    A different Light poured out of the stigma engraved in Ohjin¡¯s left chest.

    * * *

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m one of the Association¡¯s Special Officers, Choi Woojin.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡±

    Before entering the press conference, Ohjin shared greetings with Choi Woojin.

    He was a sharp-eyed man that gave off a cold impression.

    ¡®The Hound (î±È®), Choi Woojin.¡¯

    He was an Awakener famous for tracking incidents he caught scent of to the end.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bitical that a Special Officer is guarding another Special Officer, but¡­ oh well, let¡¯s brush past it, as the matter calls for it.¡±

    Choi Woojin sent a cold gaze at Ohjin as if he wasn¡¯t to his liking.

    Well¡­

    In his perspective, Ohjin became a Special Officer using methods barely any different from connections.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way he would see me in a good light.¡¯

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    He wasn¡¯t someone who would neglect his duties just because the client wasn¡¯t to his liking.

    ¡°This way.¡±

    Receiving Choi Woojin¡¯s escort, Ohjin entered the press conference.

    <i>Click! Click! Click!!!¡ª</i>

    Camera bulbs shed and flickered.

    ¡°Mr. Ohjin! Please, a word about the situation back then!!¡±

    ¡°Are the stories about you having been awakened for only half a year really true?!¡±

    ¡°You are currently being revered as the national hero from this incident. Could we please get your words of resolve?!!¡±

    Ignoring the surging questions, he got up on the tform.

    Ohjin took a nce around the crowded reporters and opened his mouth.

    ¡°Hello. I am Special Officer Gwon Ohjin from the Association.¡±

    He deeply bowed his head.

    ¡°I will not take any personal questions today.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes? You won¡¯t take any questions?¡±

    The reporters looked at Ohjin with a shocked expression.

    What was the reason for opening a press conference if he wasn¡¯t going to take in questions?

    ¡°The reason I¡¯vee to this spot today is because there is a truth all of you must know.¡±

    With a calm andposed voice¡ª

    ¡°When I fought Choi Jungchul, who turned into a demon beast, I found out a very significant truth about him.¡±

    ¡ªhe connected his words.

    ¡°What is the important truth?!¡±

    ¡°Choi Jungchul¡­ is not a member of the Starlight Lake guild, but the Pandinus guild.¡±

    <i>¡°Gasp!¡±</i>

    ¡°I-Is that the truth?!¡±

    The press conference became rowdy from Ohjin¡¯s explosive statement.

    ¡°D-Do you have evidence that can prove their rtions?!¡±

    Evidence?

    Naturally¡ª

    ¡°Of cour¡ª Kugh! Kuk! Cough!¡±

    <b>¡ªthere was no way he had any.</b>

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!¡±

    ¡°B-Blood!!!¡±

    ¡°H-Huh!!! What¡¯s going on!!!¡±

    Screams erupted.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!! Kugh!! Kugk!!!¡±

    Dark-red clots of blood gushed out of Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    Copsing on the spot, his eyes flipped upside down while his body shook as if having a seizure.

    ¡°Damn it!!!¡±

    Choi Woojin urgently rushed over.

    <i>Rumble!!¡ª</i>

    Powerful pressure explosively spread out.

    ¡°Wh-What¡¯s going on? What situation is this?!¡±

    ¡°H-He didn¡¯t die, right?¡±

    ¡°Quick, take photos!¡±

    The reporters continued to sh their camera bulbs in the chaos.

    ¡°Mr. Ohjin!! Are you okay, Mr. Ohjin?!?!¡±

    ¡°Kugk¡­ Cough! Cough!¡±

    ¡°Damn it! Emergency team!! Call the emergency team!¡±

    Choi Woojin fiercely shouted out as he observed Ohjin¡¯s body that had fallen down.

    Blood poured all over the ground.

    After Choi Woojin dipped his finger in the blood, he ced it on his tongue. Choi Woojin¡¯s expression roughly distorted.

    ¡°¡­This is.¡±

    <i>Twe!¡ª</i>

    He spat out the blood and said out in a sunken voice.

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s poisoned.¡±

    He looked back at the nearby Association members with a stiff face.

    ¡°Block the entrance.¡±

    His eyes shone sharply.

    <b>¡°From now on, everyone here is a suspect.¡±</b>

    His cold gaze headed towards the reporters.

 Chapter 56: Unlosable Game (3)

    <b>REAPER SCANS</b>

    ¡°S-Suspects?¡± eximed the dumbfounded reporters.

    ¡°Silence,¡± said Choi Woojin in a low voice as he fiercely widened his eyes.

    ¡ªA gaze that seemed to stifle the soul.

    The eyes of the beast who caught the scent of blood red up.

    ¡°H-Hik!¡±

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    The reporters trembled from the immense pressure.

    Most of the reporters were ordinary people who hadn¡¯t awakened; they wouldn¡¯t be able to endure the pressure of Choi Woojin, who was named ¡®The Hound¡¯ and picked as one of the top three in the Association.

    ¡°Using the Special Officer¡¯s authority, I will conduct an emergency investigation.¡±

    Choi Woojin held out his Special Officer license that was issued from the Association.

    He observed each and every reporter with his sharp eyes.

    ¡®There are a couple Awakeners, but¡­ their levels aren¡¯t that high.¡¯

    At most, they were mere 2~3-Star Awakeners.

    And even that was the minority.

    ¡®If it¡¯s an Awakener that can fool even my senses¡­¡¯

    Choi Woojin shook his head.

    When he possessed the stigma of the ¡®Hunting Dogs¡¯, It wouldn¡¯t make sense for his senses to be fooled.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Choi Woojin narrowed his eyes.

    After he entered the press conference, no, ever since had he met Ohjin and shared handshakes, he had made sure to keep his stigma activated and had been on constant alert.

    ¡®I couldn¡¯t feel the presence of any sneak attacks.¡¯

    Being able to inject poison into Ohjin while avoiding his senses when he was right next to him?

    ¡®Impossible.¡¯

    Without being one of those high-rank Awakeners that exceeded 9-Star, it was impossible to approach them while being able to fool the senses of the Hunting Dogs.

    Even so, it was highly unlikely that a high-rank Awakener was actually aiming for Ohjin. Not only was there no reason or justification, but most of them were also currently at the ¡®Demon Realm¡¯, which could be said to be humanity''s front line.

    ¡®He didn¡¯t eat or drink anything, either.¡¯

    If that was the case¡ª

    ¡®He was¡­ already in a poisoned state before he met me.¡¯

    The only possibility remaining was that Ohjin had been poisoned during the trip from his house to Yeouido.

    ¡°Investigate the personal information and alibis of all the reporters.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    After handing down work to his subordinates, Choi Woojin brought his nose near Ohjin¡¯s blood/

    <i>Owoooong!¡ª</i>

    The stigma of the Hunting Dogs engraved on his left chest radiantly shone out.

    His senses amplified explosively.

    The smells in a radius of several hundreds of kilometers rushed into his nose. Despite the smell being so strong, it wasn¡¯t one that was exuded in daily life.

    ¡®The smell of mana.¡¯

    He chased after the smell that those who possessed a stigma couldn¡¯t help but release.

    ¡°¡­As expected.¡±

    A smell that wasn¡¯t from Ohjin¡¯s ¡®Stigma of Lyra¡¯ stimted his nose.

    It was the odor of very faint traces of mana.

    He moved his feet, following the traces of mana which were so faint it would be impossible to find if it wasn¡¯t Choi Woojin.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the site to you all.¡±

    ¡°What will Sir Special Officer¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something else I need to investigate.¡±

    Leaving the site to his subordinates, he chased after the traces.

    The faint traces that were on the verge of cutting off connected all the way to the car Ohjin exited from.

    ¡®He was poisoned in the middle of his trip here as per my predictions.¡¯

    There was no way he had been poisoned inside a vehicle that was in the middle of transportation.

    And that meant¡­

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Taking in a deep breath¡­

    Choi Woojin ced his hands on the ground and lifted his back like a track athlete on a race track.

    He would usually travel using cars, but¡­

    ¡®There¡¯s no time.¡¯

    If Ohjin got poisoned before they met, he needed to move as fast as possible since the culprit would be erasing their traces even at that moment.

    ¡°Beast Movement.¡±

    Blue light scattered out explosively.

    As the stigma¡¯s mana wrapped around his body¡ª

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªHe roughlyunched himself forwards.

    <i>Tutututututututu!!!!¡ª</i>

    He sprinted across the road at a speed that made the nearby cars feel like snails.

    Sharp wind brushed past his face like knives.

    Following the faintly connected traces of mana, he sprinted towards Incheon, where Ohjin¡¯s house was located.

    ¡°Haa, haa.¡±

    After sprinting for 20 minutes, he caught his breath that had be slightly ragged and stopped near Ohjin¡¯s house.

    ¡®The Lightning Wolf lived in a ce like this?¡¯

    As Ohjin had received a lot of fame recently, he thought that he would obviously live in a nice house fitting that of an Awakener on a rapid rise.

    ¡°¡­This ce is no different from the slums.¡±

    The neighborhood was in such a state of disrepair that it was hard to believe that people lived there.

    While he was walking between buildings that were half-destroyed¡ª

    ¡®Found it.¡¯

    ¡ªhe discovered the location where the traces of mana became thick.

    ¡°He was attacked here; the attacker was so stealthy that he wasn¡¯t even aware of the fact he was poisoned.¡±

    ¡°¡­I wonder.¡±

    Choi Woojin looked around the surroundings and clicked his tongue.

    ¡®There¡¯s a reason why they attacked him here.¡¯

    Not a singlemonce CCTV could be found.

    It was a location optimized for assassination.

    ¡°¡­It was said that Ohjin was recuperating in his house after losing consciousness.¡±

    If so, it would mean that the culprit was hiding near his house in the first ce, waiting for him toe out.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    A nned assassination.

    However, one question still remained:

    ¡®Why did they wait for him to exit the house?¡¯

    If they were performing an assassination, it was sensible to perform it during the past week while he was unconscious.

    ¡°¡­What if someone else was in the house?¡±

    Now that he thought of it, he had heard that there was a female who lived together with him before.

    ¡®Was it Song Ha-eun?¡¯

    Choi Woojin contacted the Association and confirmed her information.

    ¡®So she lost her power 5 years ago and recovered it recently¡­¡¯

    There were also significant contributions to the recent demon beast subjugation on her record.

    ¡°7-Star Awakener of Draco.¡±

    Indeed.

    There was a reason the culprit waited outside.

    ¡®They knew he was with Song Ha-eun.¡¯

    And that was why they waited until Ohjin exited the house alone to secretly take out Ohjin, who hadn¡¯t been able to recoverpletely after regaining consciousness.

    ¡°The reason¡­ I don¡¯t even have to think about it.¡±

    Choi Woojin¡¯s eyes shone.

    It was what Ohjin had wanted to convey through the press conference, the hidden rtion between Choi Jungchul and the Pandinus guild.

    ¡®Since that evidence is in Gwon Ohjin¡¯s possession¡­¡¯

    Then the culprit was obviously¡­

    ¡°No. I shouldn¡¯t make a rash judgment yet.¡±

    He was a Special Officer who had put numerous criminals behind bars. Using deduction alone without urate physical evidence wasn¡¯t enough to mark one as the culprit.

    ¡®I need evidence.¡¯

    Even more mana boiled up in Choi Woojin¡¯s stigma.

    Perfect physical evidence that was undeniable.

    He was the Awakener who was the most specialized in finding that.

    ¡®The culprit¡¯s trace¡­ it leads over there.¡¯

    Passing by where the two of them crossed paths, he chased after the traces of mana.

    It appeared that they tried to hide their mana as much as they could, but it couldn¡¯t fool Choi Woojin¡¯s senses¡ªwho was a 7-Star Awakener of the Hunting Dogs.

    <i>Thud, thud¡ª</i>

    Choi Woojin moved his feet along the traces.

    An eco-bag was thrown away in the middle of an alley where the trace passed through. Looking more closely, he could see there was green liquid stained on the tip of the bag.

    The same smell as the one from Ohjin¡¯s blood stimted his nose.

    ¡°Did they carry the bag and poison him by acting like they bumped into him by coincidence?¡±

    Then, it was understandable that Ohjin wasn''t even aware of the fact he was ¡®poisoned¡¯. You wouldn¡¯t expect a random person you bumped into along the road to carry a poisoned bag, after all.

    ¡°¡­There are no traces from here on out.¡±

    Choi Woojin furrowed his brow as he observed the surroundings.

    With the thrown-away eco-bag at the end of the trail, not a single trace of mana could be felt nearby.

    There was no smell nor footprints either.

    The culprit disappeared from the spot as if they had evaporated.

    ¡®What method did they use?¡¯

    He had no way to figure that out, but¡­

    <i>Touch¡ª</i>

    Choi Woojin carefully stretched out his hand towards the green liquid stained at the edge of the eco-bag.

    Focusing his mind, he analyzed the mana of the stigma contained inside the poison.

    It seemed that they tried to hide it, but he could feel it.

    <b>¡ªThe faint mana of Scorpio that was left behind.</b>

    ¡°Indeed. There was no plot twist.¡±

    His eyes shone fiercely.

    Different from other stigmas, almost without exception, Awakeners with the stigma of Scorpio were in the Pandinus guild. If it was a skilled individual that could perform an assassin this discretely, no ce other than the Pandinus guild came to mind.

    With both suspicion and evidence, he could no longer hold off his judgment.

    ¡°The culprit¡­ is the Pandinus guild,¡± he said, his voice full of conviction.

    * * *

    Intensive care unit at a hospital located in Yeouido¡­

    With expensive medical equipment made using starstones surrounding him, Ohjin slowly opened his eyes.

    ¡®Fuck. That hurt.¡¯

    As he had used poison powerful enough to melt parts of internal organs, he felt a horrifying amount of pain.

    ¡®Well, I''ll need to do this much to fool them.¡¯

    With a respirator over his mouth, he put on a slight smile.

    Ohjin stretched out his hand and picked up his phone that was on the table.

    Entering the news tab, he confirmed thetest news.

    [Lightning Wolf, Gwon Ohjin, throws up blood in the middle of a press conference¡­ ¡®Shocking¡¯]

    [Is Pandinus the culprit? ¡®Traces of the stigma of Scorpio¡¯ left on the scene.]

    [Throwing up blood, Lightning Wolf escorted to Hyesung Hospital¡­ Doctor¡¯s testimony ¡®would have lost his life if it was a littleter¡¯.]

    [What is the rtion between Choi Jungchul and Pandinus that the Lightning Wolf was trying to say?]

    Starting from the headlines, all articles were filled with stories about the incident.

    ¡°It seems that he found the traces.¡±

    Ohjin smiled deeply as he looked at the articles.

    ¡®I was honestly a bit worried he wouldn¡¯t be able to find it.¡¯

    Choi Woojin.

    The rumors said that he was an Awakener that possessed exceptional investigation skills.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see how people are reacting.¡¯

    As he had done before, he entered a famousmunity site.

    [Ro Yu-jin : Breaking News))) ¡®that¡¯ guild attempts to poison the Lightning Wolf]

    They¡¯re trying to say that they don¡¯t have any connection to this incident either lol

    ?JerryM: lmaaaaaaaaao crazy bastards

    ?DirtSpoon: ???: The stigma of Scorpio was found at the scene, but it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with us.

    ?WoofWoofKim : ffs being that shameless must also be a talent;

    ?Venti is a Female : Then is the previous incident also what Pandinus did?

    ?WoofWoofKim : Do you think they tried to poison him for no reason? It¡¯s obvious that something pricked them lol

    ?JerryM : The Starlight Lake guild must have felt so mistreated, they got dumped the me from those crazy bastards

    Seething public opinion.

    All the arrows of criticisms that were pointed at the Starlight Lake guild were now pointed at the Pandinus guild.

    ¡®They won¡¯t be able to make excuses anymore.¡¯

    The public had already recognized them as the enemy.

    Checkmate.

    There wasn¡¯t a word more fitting for the current predicament the Pandinus guild was faced with.

    Naturally, they would try to deny the usations and say they weren¡¯t rted in any way to the incident, but¡­

    ¡®Struggle to your heart¡¯s content.¡¯

    Without knowing about the ¡®ck Heaven¡¯, they wouldn¡¯t be able to make a rebuttal.

    What could they do when traces of Scorpio were actually left at the crime scene?

    The Pandinus guild would receive suspicion for poisoning along with what happened during the subjugation.

    ¡®Now all I have to do is chill here while receiving free food.¡¯

    There wasn¡¯t a real reason to step up any longer¡­

    The top ten guilds that were receiving criticism until then would personally step up and shred them to pieces.

    ¡®I¡¯ll send some messages to Ha-eun since she might be worried.¡¯

    Although she didn¡¯t know about the ck Heaven, she was most likely aware he fabricated the situation.

    ¡°<i>Yawn</i>.¡±

    Ohjin stretched out as he yawned.

    cing his phone back on top of the table, he rxed as hey down on the bed.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have scammed so carelessly.¡±

    ¡®Like I said¡­ it¡¯s an unlosable game for me.¡¯

    T/N: Another easter egg in themunityments

    Ro Yu-jin (???): Author of ¡®The Second Coming of Gluttony¡¯ and ¡®M E M O R I Z E¡¯

    ¡®Venti¡¯ is once again from Genshin like Ningguang.

 Chapter 57: My Home (1)

    <b>REAPER SCANS</b>

    Ten days after the Pandinus guild¡¯s poisoning incident¡­

    Ohjin was finally discharged and was able to escape his boring everyday hospital life.

    ¡®I thought I was going to die.¡¯

    As all he did was stay in bed with his respirator on, he was on the verge of madness from the feeling of stuffiness.

    ¡°Tch¡­ well, I was able to increase my control over lightning thanks to it.¡±

    Since he didn¡¯t have anything to do, he had repeatedly controlled his lightning during his entire stay. He had focused on meticulously controlling very minor amounts of lightning that could be found in remote controllers, fans, and phones.

    ¡®It was harder than I thought.¡¯

    It was a feeling simr to handling a bubble that would burst with just the touch of a finger.

    Because he usually discharged lightning with the intent to smash, the reduced output was instead more difficult to handle.

    ¡®I should train this regrly as well.¡¯

    He believed that there would be many more ways he could utilize controlling lightning with precision once he became more skilled.

    ¡°You could think of this as a strange coincidence, in a way.¡±

    If he wasn¡¯t in a situation where he was forced to sit tight at a hospital, it was possible that he wouldn¡¯t havee across the thought of increasing his skill in precise lightning control.

    Ohjin cleaned up the hospital room he had stayed in for the past ten days and headed out.

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    ¡°Will it really be okay to be discharged already?¡±

    Once he exited the building, General Manager Han approached him.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve recoveredpletely.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    With a stiff look on his face, Han Joonman bowed down deeply.

    ¡°Forgive me. As the one responsible for your safety, this is all my fault for being unable to prepare sufficient countermeasures.¡±

    Ohjin could see his clenched cauldron-lid-sized fist trembling.

    He smiled lightly and shook his head.

    ¡°Why is that your responsibility? There¡¯s a separate person who tried to assassinate me.¡±

    ¡°However¡­¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have been in a rush and instead should have prioritized taking care of my body¡­ It¡¯s my fault as well.¡±

    ¡°Ohjin¡­¡±

    General Manager slurred the end of his sentence as his eyes seemed to be deeply moved.

    ¡®Why is this old man like this¡­¡¯

    Ohjin felt extremely ufortable when he was sending those looks with that face of his.

    ¡°Anyways, what happened to Pandinus?¡±

    ¡°They continued to make excuses until the end, eventually split up, and ran away. The major guilds are currently chasing after them.¡±

    ¡®Wow.¡¯

    ¡®I did think they would copse, but in just ten days?¡¯

    ¡®Words really are amazing.¡¯

    A massive guild within Korea¡¯s top ten¡­

    In just one scamming act, he blew away the apostles of Scorpio, which belonged to the 12 Zodiacs.

    ¡®Well, those bastards had a lot of bad rumors going on in the first ce.¡¯

    Even before the incident, the Pandinus guild hadn¡¯t had a good reputation. You could say that their piled-up karma exploded all at once.

    ¡°Then what about the top ten guilds of Korea?¡±

    ¡°Haha. The Valha guild has upied the empty tenth spot, though it is in the lowest seat.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s incredible; their total guild member count doesn¡¯t even exceed twenty.¡±

    ¡°It happened like that because each and every one of their guild members has preeminent skill.¡±

    Certainly, just thinking of Park Changhyun, who he had worked with, you could say he was a very skilled individual. No words were needed for Lee Woohyuk, who was their guild leader, either.

    ¡°Has any talk about the ck Star Organization arisen from this matter?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ No. There hasn¡¯t been any separate talk about the ck Star Organization.¡±

    It seemed that the ck Star Organization immediately cut ties and walked away.

    ¡®It¡¯s a bit unfortunate I wasn¡¯t able to dig up more information about them this time.¡¯

    ck Star Organization and Pandinus.

    He couldn¡¯t find out what exchanges the two of them had, nor how close of a rtionship they shared.

    ¡®Should I be satisfied with eliminating their cooperator for now?¡¯

    Ohjin clicked his tongue.

    ¡°Ah, but there is something I¡¯ve heard of about the ck Star Organization that isn¡¯t rted to this incident.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡®He heard about the ck Star Organization?¡¯

    ¡°Though I¡¯ve heard of it, it isn¡¯t from Korea but foreignnds. Recently, a group known as the ck Star Organization around Italy is said to be increasing their influence with frightening momentum.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®They weren¡¯t just regr motherfuckers but international motherfuckers?¡¯

    ¡®Well, gathering up in this smallnd when they possess that amount of forces would also be idiotic.¡¯

    It wouldn¡¯t make sense for those who said they¡¯d turn the world upside down to reside in Korea alone.

    ¡®Foreign countries¡­ I don¡¯t have the leisure to pay attention to that right now.¡¯

    When he couldn¡¯t even extinguish the fire in his own house, it wasn¡¯t the time to be concerned about the one in his neighbor''s.

    ¡°For now, please contact me once you hear of other news.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    General Manager Han nodded his head and turned around.

    ¡°Will you head back to your house immediately?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡®I¡¯ll need to see if Ha-eun is doing well.¡¯

    Though she did tell him that she knew it was what he plotted, still, ten days had passed.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you a lift home.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I would appreciate it if you did.¡±

    ¡°Pleasee this way.¡±

    General Manager Han headed not for the normal patient-use elevator but for the staff-exclusive elevator.

    ¡°Why here¡­?¡±

    ¡°Reporters are all over the ce outside. Don¡¯t you have to restfortably because you¡¯re finally getting discharged?¡±

    Joonman smiled as he raised his thumb.

    ¡°Really, there isn¡¯t anyone but you, brother.¡±

    ¡°Hehe~ Brother? What do you mean, hahaha!¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ uncle?¡±

    ¡°¡­But I¡¯m still in my mid-thirties.¡±

    ¡°Pffuhaha!!!! That¡¯s the funniest joke I¡¯ve heard this year.¡±

    ¡®A man should have some conscience.¡¯

    ¡®Cutting off over ten years? He¡¯s in histe-forties, no matter how you look at it.¡¯

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Han Joonman¡¯s expression quickly turned dark.

    ¡®Oh, shit.¡¯

    ¡®He¡¯s actually in his mid-thirties?¡¯

    ¡°You were in your mid-thirties?! I thought you were in the same twenties as me, brother!!¡±

    ¡°Ah, i-is that so?¡±

    <i>Hehehe¡ª </i>

    The goriughed.

    ¡®Oh my fucking god. He¡¯s actually in his mid-thirties. Does that mean he climbed up to the position of Association General Manager at that age?¡¯

    ¡®I guess Han Joonman really does have exceptional skills.¡¯

    Though, obviously, the decisive reason was that he had recruited the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s apostle into the Association.

    ¡°I do hear that I look young from others here and there! Hahaha!¡±

    The muscles of General Manager Han swelled up as he had a heartyugh.

    <i>Pop!¡ª</i>

    A button on his shirt popped out from his expanding chest muscles and rolled on the ground.

    ¡®Hm. I understand the feelings of the ones who said he looks young.¡¯

    ¡°Let¡¯s get on.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    After exiting the staff-exclusive elevator, Ohjin got into General Manager Han¡¯s car.

    It was a jeep fitting of his massive build.

    <i>Vroooom!¡ª</i>

    With smooth movements that werepletely different from its owner, the car took off.

    Around 40 minutester, they arrived at his house.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll contact you at ater date.¡±

    ¡°Yes. You should get plenty of rest as well.¡±

    After parting from General Manager Han, Ohjin returned to his home.

    <i>Creak¡ª</i>

    The familiar scent of mold stimted his nose.

    ¡°I¡¯m home~!¡±

    He entered while greeting Ha-eun, who he expected would be waiting inside, however¡­

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    There was nothing inside his house.

    It didn¡¯t mean Ha-eun was away.

    Just like the phrase, whether it was furniture or groceries, nothing was left behind.

    ¡°Wh-What?¡±

    Ohjin looked around with a dumbfounded expression.

    ¡®Did a thiefe by?¡¯

    No way.

    What would there be to steal inside that run-down house?

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t a thief¡­¡±

    Ohjin called Ha-eun with a stiff face.

    An ominous feeling ran down his spine.

    <i>Beep, beep¡ª</i>

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    The call didn¡¯t connect.

    Ohjin bit his lips with a nervous expression.

    And then¡ª

    ¡°¡­Hm?¡±

    ¡ªhe could see that there was a small piece of paper in the middle of the empty room.

    ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯

    Ohjin picked up the paper.

    [Come to Hapjeong Station Exit 9 as soon as you read this.]

    It was Ha-eun¡¯s handwriting.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like something had happened to her well-being.

    ¡°What¡¯s this, all of a sudden?¡±

    Ohjin furrowed his brow as he sent Ha-eun a message.

    It was definitely marked as read, but a reply didn¡¯te.

    ¡°Argh.¡±

    He had no option but to go there himself.

    ¡°What kind of dog training is this?¡±

    He had gone through an hour-long ride from Yeouido to back home, but now he was forced to go back to Seoul.

    Letting out a deep sigh, he went outside.

    There was no difficulty in going there as he luckily had the car that the Association had given him.

    After going through another hour-long ride, he arrived at Hapjeong Station.

    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±

    He could see Ha-eun, who was waiting in front of Exit 9.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer the call?¡±

    ¡°Huhu. I just wanted to tease you. Why?¡±

    Ha-eun raised her nose with a shameless expression.

    Ohjin forced a chuckle as he looked at her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop the small talk; follow me.¡±

    Ha-eun pulled on his arm.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    Ohjin didn¡¯t know what was going on, but¡­

    ¡®I guess I¡¯ll know once I follow her.¡¯

    He walked following Ha-eun.

    Where she headed was a mixed-use apartment building located near Hapjeong Station.

    It seemed to be quite an expensive apartment, as there were luxurious restaurants located nearby.

    ¡°¡­No way.¡±

    At this point, Ohjin also had a rough estimate of what Ha-eun was plotting.

    An empty house without any furniture¡­

    Dragging him to a luxurious apartment with some kind of pompous look¡­

    ¡°When you said you had something to do before¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shush. Stay quiet.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun, who stood in front of the apartment entrance, held out her keycard.

    <i>Beep¡ª</i>

    With an electrical sound, the door opened.

    They rode up the elevator to the 7th floor.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t that high up, but¡­¡±

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun smiled as she opened the front door.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    A short exmation flowed out of Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    The house was around 90 square meters.

    It wasn¡¯t that spacious, considering that it was an expensive apartment, but whenpared to their original house that wasn¡¯t even 26 square meters, the ce was no different from an empty pce.

    Above all, there was no mold. There were no cracks on the walls and no unidentifiable mushrooms growing out either.

    "Wh-What''s this?"

    He looked at her with a shocked expression.

    "Kyahaha! Are you surprised?"

    Ha-eun poked him in the side.

    "Well¡­ there''s this that you bought me, and being the only one receiving feels a bit unsettling."

    Sheughed bashfully as she stroked the eye patch on her right eye.

    "¡­Where did you get the money?"

    "Didn''t I tell you? I haven''t been ying around for the past three months."

    She shrugged her shoulders as she continued.

    "And I received a hefty amount of cash from the recent subjugation¡­ I received a bit of a loan and bought it. Those bank bastards, they wouldn''t even look at me five years ago, but they seemed to be willing to lend out their entire vault this time."

    Even though she put it in that way, it seemed like she overdid it.

    "Well, money can be earned from now on."

    Ha-eun smiled brightly and hit Ohjin on the back.

    "Anyways."

    <i>Smirk¡ª </i>

    With a bright smile stuck on her mouth¡ª

    "This is now our home!"

    ¡ªshe spread her arms wide as she stood in the middle of the wide living room.

    "¡­Ha-eun."

    <i>Tremble¡ª</i>

    His voice shook.

    A cluster of emotions that were hard to express with words soared up from somece deep within his heart.

    Of course, he did think that they would move to a new house someday ever since he had be a North Star''s apostle, but he hadn¡¯t imagined that he would obtain a new house in this way.

    "Kyahaha! Do you see this amazing view? Since the Association and the sanctum are nearby, it''s also much morefortable to go around! And there are¡ª"

    "Ha-eun! Ha-eun! Ha-ueeeeeeen!!!"

    ¡°Kyaaaaa!"

    <i>Snatch!¡ª</i>

    He embraced her.

    "Wh-What? What is it?"

    He couldn''t express the emotions that drew him crazy.

    Burning passion¡­

    Endorphins that stimted the peripheral nerves poured out.

    ¡ªHe couldn''t hold it in any further.

    He left his body to the current of emotions that seemed to want to explode.

    "O-Ohjin, wait, calm down¡ª"

    Pulling in her hips¡ª

    "Uuub?!"

    ¡ªtheir lips ovepped.

 Chapter 58: My Home (2)

    <b>REAPER SCANS</b>

    ¡°Y-You crazy bastard!¡±

    <i>Tak¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun¡¯s long leg struck his back.

    ¡°N-No matter how happy you felt! How could you!!¡±

    <i>Press¡ª</i>

    This time, she used her feet to press on his back.

    ¡°¡­I said I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Two hours had passed since Ohjin had kissed Ha-eun from being unable to suppress his sudden impulse.

    Laying down on the living room floor, Ohjin repeated that he was sorry¡ªlike a parrot.

    Ha-eun sat down on the sofa and continued kicking him.

    ¡°Sorry doesn¡¯t cut it! M-My lips¡­ uhehe. My lips! Ehehe!¡±

    ¡®Choose whether you''re going to be mad or happy.¡¯

    ¡°¡­So. Did you like it?¡±

    <i>Wiggle, wiggle¡ª</i>

    The tip of Ha-eun¡¯s toes poked into his nk.

    ¡°Of course I like it. How couldn''t I when the house is this nice?¡±

    Ohjin wondered if Ha-eun had felt the same way when she was gifted the Dragon¡¯s Cursed Eye from him.

    After having lived in a smelly and cramped house, he couldn¡¯t think straight once he entered the luxurious apartment building, which was also why he couldn¡¯t suppress his excitement and ended up kissing her.

    ¡®I guess there really is a reason why housing prices don¡¯t decline.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t simply the house''s interior that was nice; even the view that could be seen from the windows and the nearby facilities were also iparable to where he had lived before. After all, the neighborhood he once lived in was so deste that it looked like it had been attacked by monsters.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about the house¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°Th-The ¡ª<i>cough</i>! The kiss¡­ d-did it feel good.¡±

    With her heated red face, Ha-eun twirled her hair with the tips of her fingers.

    Ohjin¡¯s mouth curved up.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that was the first time. Why are you so flustered?¡±

    ¡°Huh? When?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we do it a lot when we were young? Don¡¯t you remember ying house at the orphanage?¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression abruptly distorted.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t count, dumbass!¡±

    Ha-eun leaned forward and pulled him in by wrapping both of her arms around his neck.

    Along with a suffocating feeling, he could feel heavy pressure on his back.

    ¡®My god, were they always this big?¡¯

    He already knew that she was voluptuous to some degree, but as he felt it directly with his body, his mind became dazed from the overwhelming power level.

    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb; answer me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Fuu, do you want to see me mad?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ of course I liked it. What are you asking that for?¡±

    He recalled the soft sensation when their lips had met.

    It wasn¡¯t like lightning struck his body, asmonly portrayed inics, but he couldn¡¯t deny that it felt good.

    ¡°R-Really?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s lips curved into a smile.

    She twisted her body like a rtive who was trying desperately to hide the fact that they won 1st ce in a lottery.

    ¡°Hu, huhuhuhu!!¡±

    Positioned behind Ohjin, she stretched out his cheek.

    ¡°Mhm. So you¡¯re saying that it felt so good that you want to jump outside and somersault in your underwear, right?¡±

    ¡®No, it didn''t feel that good.¡¯

    ¡°Ehehe! Anyway~ You cute little thing. Do you like me so much that you''d shove out your lips right after entering the house?¡±

    ¡°If this entered somebody else¡¯s ears, they¡¯d think we were some lovey-dovey newlyweds.¡±

    ¡°Kyahahaha! Why are you suddenly bringing up marriage from just a kiss?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡®What is this woman on about.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m not a girl you can get your hands on that easily, you know~?¡±

    ¡°Uh, ok.¡±

    ¡®Huh. That condescending face is making me quite irritated.¡¯

    ¡°Now that I think of it, it is sort of an unpleasant memory, but that bastard Choi Jungchul or whatever looked at my face and<i> ¡ªBam!</i> Immediately said that he¡¯d give me $6,000,000¡­ no, $10,000,000! Doesn¡¯t this mean that I¡¯m that charming?¡±

    ¡°What is it that you¡¯re trying to say?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that you should take responsibility for stealing my lips without permission.¡±

    Ha-eun raised her nose and smirked.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin silently grabbed onto her foot that was ced on top of his thigh and started to tickle it.

    ¡°Kyaaa!! Wh-What are you doing!!¡±

    She tried to retract her foot in a hurry, but there was not a chance.

    When considering physical strength alone, he was stronger at this point in time.

    ¡°Pff!! Kyahaha!! Stop!! Stoooop!¡±

    ¡°Oh, my. Why is such an expensive person acting so unlike her dignity?¡±

    ¡°Let go! I said, let go, you bastard!!¡±

    Just like that, he tickled her foot for around five more minutes.

    ¡°Hugk! Hugk! Fu¡­¡±

    Ha-eun breathed out roughly and bit her lips.

    It seemed as though it was quite stimting, as she broke out in cold sweat.

    ¡®She was this weak to tickling¡­¡¯

    ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s take a look around the house.¡±

    Although it had been over two hours since he had entered the house, he hadn¡¯t seen anything besides the living room.

    ¡°Fuu. Okay.¡±

    Ha-eun tidied up her messy hair while she got up.

    ¡°This is the toilet¡­ And there are two rooms¡­ This is therge one.¡±

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    As the room door opened, the spacious interior came into view.

    ¡®Damn. This single room is the size of our old house.¡¯

    The furniture they had used inside the old house was inside the room.

    ¡°We should buy new furniture soon.¡±

    ¡°Right? Our old furniture is quite worn-out, after all.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also that, but¡­¡±

    Ohjin raised his shoulder to indicate towards the other room.

    Since they were currently in therge room, the other one would be the small one.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to buy furniture for that other room as well.¡±

    ¡®Well, it''s only natural I use the small room since it¡¯s the house Ha-eun bought.¡¯

    It didn¡¯t matter to him since even if it was small, it would be much more spacious than when they lived in their cramped old house.

    ¡°Hm? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°That room is the storage room.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡®What¡¯s she talking about?¡¯

    ¡°This is our room,¡± said Ha-eun as she pointed at therge room that had just been opened.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re telling me we should share a room when there are two of them?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Storage room? We don¡¯t even have much luggage; I¡¯ll just use the small room.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Why.¡±

    ¡°The owner of the house said so.¡±

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can say.¡¯

    ¡°Heh. You should buy one if you have anyints.¡±

    Ha-eun smirked as she taunted him.

    ¡°Mold and rusty water¡­ steaming hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter.¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t say that he would return to the old house, even as a joke.

    ¡°Moreover¡­¡±

    Ha-eun smirked like a general who was certain of victory.

    <b>¡°In this house¡­ ¡®hot water¡¯es out.¡±</b>

    ¡°D-Damn it!¡±

    ¡®Holy shit.¡¯

    ¡®Hot water!¡¯

    ¡®Friggin hot water!!¡¯

    ¡®I can wash my body with hot water in this house!!!¡¯

    It was a luxury he couldn¡¯t experience in the old house.

    ¡°How is it? Do you want to listen to the owner, or do you want to leave?¡±

    ¡°¡­Khm!¡±

    Although it felt humiliating, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to reject the enticement of hot water.

    Was there no choice but to give in?

    ¡®¡­Wait.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone keenly.

    ¡°Ha-eun, you said that you used the rewards from the recent subjugation to buy this house, right?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Yeah. I did.¡±

    ¡°Were my rewards included among them as well?¡±

    He was unconscious for three days, and because he had been focused on the new skills he obtained, he hadn¡¯t thought about the rewards yet.

    ¡°¡­Uh. Th-That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ha-eun avoided his gaze.

    ¡°The one who caught the most demon beasts should be me, right?¡±

    The amount of demon beasts he killed should have easily exceeded a hundred. In addition, since he had also killed Choi Jungchul, who could be said to be the leader, it was obvious that a hefty amount of rewards would be given.

    However¡­

    ¡®I have no memories of receiving such money.¡¯

    ¡°S-So after receiving a loan, I was just a little~ short of money, you know. Heh, hehehe!¡± said Ha-eun as she scratched the back of her head.

    ¡®Ho.¡¯

    ¡®So you¡¯re telling me she used my rewards without a word to buy the house?¡¯

    Well, it didn¡¯t matter up to that point.

    ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t that small room at least be considered mine?¡±

    ¡°Uht!¡±

    <i>Flinch¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun¡¯s shoulders shook.

    ¡°Ahk! M-My leg!! Ugh!!¡±

    She clutched her right prosthetic leg all of a sudden as she expressed her pain.

    It truly was an act that was second to none when it came down to awkwardness.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡®What is she nning on doing this time?¡¯

    He silently looked down at Ha-eun.

    ¡°¡­Ohjin, how could you say those words to my face when my legs are like this?¡±

    ¡®So she''sing out like this?¡¯

    ¡°My¡­ My body is one that needs someone that can take care of it nearby.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    With an expression that said he suffered a blow, Ohjin ced his hand on his forehead.

    ¡®Fuck me.¡¯

    ¡®What am I supposed to do now?¡¯

    ¡°<i>Sigh</i>¡­ alright, alright. Let¡¯s use the same room.¡±

    ¡°Yaaaay! An extension of the ve contract, nice~.¡±

    Clenching her fists, Ha-eun shouted out cheers.

    Ohjin put on a bitter smile while he looked at her.

    There wasn¡¯t anything particrly ufortable since he had been living in the same room as her anyways, but¡­

    If there was one thing that was a shame¡ª

    ¡°Ugh. I thought I would finally be able to sleep in a bed.¡±

    ¡ªit was that he would have to sleep on the floor again.

    ¡°Kyahaha! Don¡¯t worry about that. I have already nned it all~ ahead!¡±

    Ha-eunughed brightly and headed to the bed.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Now that he looked at it, all the other furniture was the same, but the bed was new.

    ¡°Surprise!¡±

    <i>Dddrrrrrr¡ª</i>

    As she opened the bottom portion of the bed, another bed slid out from its side.

    ¡°Ooh!¡±

    A short exmation flowed out of Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    For there to be such a method¡­

    When he thought about it more, it was a simple solution, but he hadn''t thought of it previously, as the house he lived in before was so narrow.

    ¡°Hehe. How is this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more than enough.¡±

    Ohjin raised his thumb.

    If it was that, there would be no problem using the same room.

    ¡®By the way¡­''

    ¡°The house is really nice¡­ but it¡¯s a bit unfortunate I can¡¯t use the rooftop.¡±

    Since no one used the rooftop in the house they lived in before, he was able to go up whenever he wanted to trainfortably, but it seemed that it wouldn¡¯t be possible at the new house.

    ¡°Ah, about that, I heard that there¡¯s an Awakener exclusive training center nearby.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something like that as well?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I heard that the usage fees are a bit expensive, but they provide you with a space where you can train without having to pay attention to others'' eyes.

    ¡°Ooh.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t bad at all.

    ¡°And isn¡¯t this ce close to Hongdae? If you need to train hard, you can just do it at the sanctum.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also that method.¡±

    If he went to the sanctum, he would also be able to receive Riak¡¯s help in training.

    ¡°Hehe. I had already thought of it all before picking this location as our house!¡±

    As she had said,

    Yeouido was where the Association was, and Hongdae was where the sanctum gate was; neither of them was that far from the apartment building.

    ¡°There really isn''t anyone else but you.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge it.

    ¡°Fufu. Then present to me tasty beef for today¡¯s dinner.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±

    Beef was nothing when she bought him such a ce.

    ¡°Then should we go to the Mart together?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a Mart in the basement here.¡±

    ¡°Oooh.¡±

    ¡°Perfect.¡±

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    When they were about to head to the mart¡ª

    <i>Ring, ring!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªhe received a call.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head as he took out his phone.

    ¡®Park Changhyun?¡¯

    He thought it would be a call from General Manager Han, but it was unexpectedly from Park Changhyun.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    [¡­Mr. Ohjin. Could youe to the Valha guild right now?]

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Ohjin as he furrowed his brow.

    [¡ªOur guild leader, Lee Woohyuk, has suffered a hit from the ck Star Organization.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It appeared that they would have to save the beef for ater date.

 Chapter 59: Heavy Rain (1)

    <b>REAPER SCANS</b>

    [Typhoon ¡®Noru¡¯ that is currently headed north past Japan is estimated to arrive in the central regions at around 8 PM. Preparations for the sudden heavy rain¡­]

    <i>Beep¡ª</i>

    [Recently, news of numerous assassination attempts against Rome¡¯s Saintess, Isabe Cgrande have been discovered¡­]

    <i>Beep¡ª</i>

    [The Association has officially released a notice that the ¡®Lightning Wolf¡¯ has been discharged from the hospital. They have expressed their intent to decline all visitings and interviews¡­]

    <i>Boop¡ª</i>

    He stopped looking around news channels and turned off the engine.

    ¡®Is there no news about the Valha guild?¡¯

    Although news about the ck Lion, Lee Woohyuk, suffering a defeat wouldn¡¯t be strange if it was treated as breaking news, it was nowhere to be found.

    What it meant was that the Valha guild was internally hiding the matter.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s head over for now.¡±

    He entered the Valha guild¡¯s building that he had visited once before.

    As he nced around the luxurious interior that was like that of a 5-star hotel, Park Changhyun appeared.

    ¡°You came.¡±

    ¡°How is Mr. Woohyuk¡¯s condition?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Park Changhyun¡¯s expression stiffened.

    Letting out a deep sigh, he shook his head.

    ¡°There¡¯s, fortunately, no threat to his life, however¡­ I can¡¯t say that he¡¯s in a good state, not even with empty words.¡±

    ¡°What state is he in?¡¯

    ¡°He has regained consciousness. Contacting you was what he ordered, as well.¡±

    The worst-case scenario had been avoided, but it couldn¡¯t be said to be a relief in the current situation.

    ¡°I think it¡¯d be best if we talked about the details once you meet him directly.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He followed Park Changhyun.

    <i>Beep, beep, beep, beep¡ª</i>

    After entering an area Ohjin hadn¡¯t been to before, Park Changhyun pressed a card against a t, inconspicuous wall.

    <i>Drrrrrrr¡ª</i>

    ¡®So there was this kind of hidden area¡­¡¯

    The wall slid out on its own like some kind of hidden treasure room in an ancient dungeon.

    Instead of shiny gold coins, there was a life that was narrowly holding onto the fading hem of existence inside.

    It was a series of treatment rooms filled with expensive medical equipment.

    Light didn¡¯t trick out of even a single ce.

    ¡°¡­Was Mr. Woohyuk not the only one who got injured?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Park Changhyun nodded his head with a stiff face.

    ¡°Excluding me, who didn¡¯t participate in the operation, all members of the Valha guild¡­ have suffered from the ck Star Organization.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin walked through the hallway with an expression of disbelief.

    The unique smell of hospital medicine, which he had be sick of during his 10-day stay at the hospital, wasing out from the tens of treatment rooms that were spaced out at set intervals.

    ¡°The death-count¡­¡±

    ¡°There are no deaths¡­ Yet.¡±

    With a wretched expression, Park Changhyun dropped his head.

    He who had once felt extremely reliable when holding off the demon beasts had his shoulders pitifully sloped down.

    ¡®For all members of the Valha guild to be in this state¡­¡¯

    Although it was the lowest seat, the guild had still managed to obtain the position of one of the top 10 guilds of Korea, and with a minority that was a little over 20 members at that.

    It wasn¡¯t easy to believe that the Valha guild¡ªwhere each and every member was at the level of an executivepared to other guilds¡ªhad suffered a blow so powerlessly.

    ¡®Was it Arshad Khan?¡¯

    He shook his head at the question that surfaced in his head.

    ording to Yujin¡¯s words, Arshad Khan¡¯s position within the ck Star Organization was one step higher than him, a mid-rank Temr.

    If a mid-rank Temr could sweep the Valha guild alone, there would be no reason for the ck Star Organization to hide their identities and act in the dark. With those kinds of forces, they would be able to wage war against the entirety of the Seven Stars.

    ¡®I¡¯ll know once I hear it from the person directly involved.¡¯

    cing his questions behind him, he moved his feet.

    Park Changhyun carefully knocked on the treatment room door that was located at the farthest corner.

    * * *

    * * *

    <i>Knock, knock¡ª</i>

    ¡°I have brought Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°¡­Come in.¡±

    A weak voice was heard through the door.

    <i>Creak¡ª</i>

    As the door opened, Ohjin could see Lee Woohyuk lying on the bed.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He had hollow eyes and deeply sunken cheeks.

    His pupils shook as if they had lost the ability to focus.

    The fierce pressure akin to a lion he had once emitted could no longer be felt.

    A strong sense of defeat emanated from the man.

    The feeling of helplessness, like that of a toothless old lion paying attention to his surroundings¡ªworried that another predator mighte by to snatch its dead prey¡ªwas flowing out of Lee Woohyuk.

    ¡®What is this?¡¯

    Just what could have happened for a person to change so drastically?

    ¡°¡­Kuh, <i>cough!</i> I¡¯ve shown you an unsightly appearance.¡±

    It seemed that Lee Woohyuk read the emotions reflected on Ohjin¡¯s pupils as he smiled feebly.

    ¡°Just what happened?¡±

    ¡°As you¡­ can see. Uhk! We fought them and were defeated disgracefully. <i>Cough! Cough! </i>And¡­ to one person.¡±

    It was a voice mixed with self-deprecation.

    Lee Woohyuk coughed up a mixture of blood and chewed his lips.

    ¡®One person?¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s mouth opened wide.

    Perhaps¡­

    ¡°¡­Was it Arshad Khan?¡±

    ¡°No. We already found him using the information you gave us, however¡­ the one we fought wasn¡¯t him.¡±

    Indeed.

    It wasn¡¯t Arshad Khan.

    Then just who?

    <b>¡°Cheon Doyoon.¡±</b>

    Lee Woohyuk spoke with a sunken voice.

    His eyes shook as if he recalled a terrible nightmare.

    ¡°That¡¯s the name of the elder that¡­ <i>cough! </i>Fought us¡­ They called him the ¡®King of Owls¡¯.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    <i>Grip¡ª</i>

    Clenching his fists, he continued.

    ¡°It was¡­ one-sided. We weren¡¯t even able to put up a proper fight before being overwhelmingly defeated. Honestly, just being able to escape alive was a miracle.¡±

    He dropped his face with an expression saturated with a deep sense of defeat.

    ¡ªKing of Owls.

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    While engraving that ominous title into his head, a certain ck Star¡¯s stigma came to mind.

    ¡®The stigma of the Owl Neb.¡¯

    If he had titled himself the King of Owls, It wasn¡¯t hard to guess what his identity was.

    ¡®An Executor of the ck Star Organization.¡¯

    They had chased after a wildcat and ran into a tiger.

    A frightening sensation ran down Ohjin¡¯s spine.

    ¡®I knew they would be strong, but¡­¡¯

    He hadn¡¯t imagined that a single member would be able to overwhelm the entire Valha guild alone. Once again, he could get a feel of how overwhelming the strength of the group known as the ck Star Organization was.

    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t the ones that end the world in the future be not me, but the ck Star Organization?¡¯

    That question naturally surfaced in his head.

    He obviously didn¡¯t know the details of the 1st round since he had no memories, but he thought that it would be highly unlikely for an organization of that caliber to have no influence in ending the world.

    ¡®Something like the ck Star Organization being the group the Heavenly Demon led¡­ but that would mean I led them.''

    He could hardly imagine that future.

    ¡®I need at least some kind of clue to attempt a deduction.''

    As it was akin to marking a couple of dots on a nk white canvas and trying to guess what kind of drawing it was, he had no way to figure it out.

    "Haa."

    Letting out a deep sigh, he stopped his thoughts.

    "First, could you exin to me what happened in detail?"

    "Yes," Lee Woohyuk nodded.

    "<i>Cough! Cough! </i>Khm! Twe!"

    Spitting out phlegm mixed with blood into a paper cup, he opened his mouth.

    "Haa, haa¡­ fuu. We chased after them using the phone number you provided us. It took us quite a long time¡­ but we were sessful in catching their tails."

    Ohjin already knew up to that point since he had heard it from Park Changhyun.

    "They were hiding inside a branch of the Pandinus guild. That ce wasbelled as a warehouse¡­ but it was the hideout of those ck Star Organization bastards."

    Pandinus Guild.

    It was that name again.

    "Then was that ce the ck Star Organization''s HQ?"

    If Cheon Doyoon was at that ce, there was a chance it was the headquarters.

    "No. It wasn''t the HQ. It was just one of their branches. Well¡­ even though it''s a branch, it was on a muchrger scale than the one at Mt. Baekunsan."

    "Because there wasn¡¯t any more information that connected from there on out, we decided to ambush them. Ah, of course, we tried to contact you as well."

    It was likely that they heard he was in the emergency room after getting poisoned; it was just that they didn''t have the leisure to patiently wait for him to recover.

    "The n went rather smoothly. We seeded in ambushing them and restrained them."

    "Was Arshad Khan there as well?"

    "No. He appearedter on. Though¡­ he didn''te alone."

    "At first, we thought it worked out well since we got the opportunity to catch a high-ranking executive of the ck Star Organization¡­ but those were foolish thoughts."

    Cheon Doyoon had swept every member of the Valha guild alone.

    Overwhelmingly, absolutely.

    Without even being able to fight back properly, they were defeated.

    "Haa."

    A deep sigh flowed out.

    That wasn''t the end of the problem.

    They were able to miraculously make their escape, somehow, but they ended up losing the tails of the ck Star Organization that they barely managed to catch.

    "Then do we no longer have any leads to track them down?"

    As long as Arshad Khan wasn''t an idiot, he would cover up all the information that was deemed necessary since their hideout was discovered.

    It was right to think of all the information they obtained until then being useless.

    "No, that isn¡¯t so."

    "¡­It isn¡¯t?"

    What kind of leads would be left in that situation?

    "During the process of restraining them, there was an opportunity to talk with one of their members. He¡­ had detailed information about the ck Star Organization."

    "However, didn''t you eventually lose him?"

    Even though they found a member who possessed internal information, with Cheon Doyoon¡¯s appearance, they failed to restrain him.

    It was hard to expect cooperation with a criminal that wasn''t handcuffed.

    "That''s right. However, the case is a little different this time."

    ¡°Different?¡±

    "He was the one who approached us first and wished for cooperation."

    "¡­?"

    They didn''t catch him and dig for information, but the opposing party had approached them first.

    ¡®And that means¡­''

    Ohjin''s eyes shone keenly.

    Lee Woohyuk slightly nodded his head.

    "Yes. He¡¯s a whistle-blower. He integrated himself into the ck Star Organization for unknown reasons¡­ but seems to have a rather deep hatred towards them."

    "¡­"

    It was more than reasonable for something like that to ur to an unsociable group of criminals like the ck Star Organization,

    When it wasmon forpanies that seemed to run fine on the outside to have rotten insides, no exnation was required for a criminal group that tantly acted in the shadows.

    "Then is the reason why you called me because of that?"

    Now that they knew there was a whistle-blower, it was time to obtain information about the ck Star Organization by making secretive contact with him.

    It went without saying that a member of the Valha guild couldn''t make contact with the whistle-blower¡ªthe ck Star Organization would be on guard against them as a whole from the incident.

    Moreover, excluding Park Changhyun, none of them could move at the moment.

    "¡­Yes, that is correct."

    Lee Woohyuk nodded his head with an expression of slight surprise.

    He took out a piece of paper and handed it to Ohjin.

    "This is the contact of the whistle-blower."

    "¡­"

    "We are fully aware that we''re requesting a dangerous job. However¡­"

    <i>Grit¡ª</i>

    Lee Woohyuk fiercely ground his teeth.

    "At this rate, we might lose a lead to those bastards forever."

    The ck Star Organization was the group that kidnapped and killed his older brother; no matter how helplessly he was defeated, he couldn''t give up on the chase.

    "We''ll reward you; you won''t be disappointed."

    "Hmm."

    With his eyes narrowed, Ohjin was lost in thought.

    As Lee Woohyuk said, it was an extremely dangerous job, however¡­

    ¡®That doesn''t mean I can lose this opportunity.''

    Rewards were rewards, but the leads they had to the ck Star Organization getting cut off was something Ohjin didn''t want either.

    ¡®I need information.''

    The couple of dots that were marked on top of a nk white canvas¡­

    The opaque and unfriendly drawing that was the future¡­

    In order to draw a ¡®line'' that connected the dots in that drawing, there was a need to investigate the ck Star Organization.

    They had to dig up their ns until there was nothing left to scrape.

    ¡®Because I''m¡ª''

    Not just anyone, but¡­

    ¡®¡ªa Regressor.''

    "I understand."

    Ohjin took the piece of paper.

    "This job, I''ll take it."

 Chapter 60: Heavy Rain (2)

    After exiting the Valha guild, Ohjin messaged the whistle-blower through the contact he received from Lee Woohyuk and decided on a location for a secret rendezvous.

    Just in case, he made contact using a burner phone received from the Association. Because it was a matter that couldn''t be dyed, their meeting happened promptly.

    Three hours after receiving the request from Lee Woohyuk, he called the whistle-blower to a cafe nearby Banghak Station.

    ¡®Is that him?¡¯

    A middle-aged man made his appearance at the cafe wearing a pressed-down hat.

    He seemed to be around forty years of age.

    He wore a haggard outfit and had a tired face.

    Depression and sadness seemed to darken his wrinkled skin.

    After arriving at the cafe, he looked around in search of Ohjin.

    It was stating the obvious, but Ohjin had no ns on meeting him without making preparations in advance.

    ¡®ck Curtain.¡¯

    Ohjin, who had arrived at the cafe 30 minutes in advance, killed his presence and raised his coffee.

    ck Curtain was a trait that could fool even Vega¡¯s eyes.

    As long as he didn''t step up first, whether it was lying in ambush or tracing one''s tail, he would be able to hide his body.

    "Um¡­ a person who came by earlier told me to hand this to you."

    After a short amount of time, a cafe employee approached the man and handed over a note.

    The employee received $50 just for handing over a single note.

    It was a request the employee weed with open arms.

    "¡­"

    The man slightly nodded his head and then exited the cafe.

    Ohjin activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and followed.

    ¡®There doesn''t seem to be anyone tailing me.''

    His senses didn¡¯t pick up on any people for the time being. However, that didn''t mean he could fully trust the effects of the stigma of the Hunting Dogs since it wasn''t his main stigma.

    <i>Thud, thud¡ª </i>

    The man walked towards the location written inside the note.

    When he entered a gloomy alley that hadn''t a single trace of humans¡ª

    "¡­Uuub!!"

    ¡ªOhjin released ck Curtain and ambushed him.

    He covered the man¡¯s mouth with his hands and used the wires to tie up his arms and legs.

    "Uuuub!! Uuuuuub!!"

    "Quiet."

    After speaking to him in a low voice like some kind of kidnapper threatening death, he pushed him inside the back seats of a car that was parked nearby.

    <i>Vroooooom¡ª </i>

    Ohjin turned on the engine right away and raced down the roads.

    "Fuhaa!!"

    "You can still talk in that state."

    The middle-aged man, who had his arms and legs tied up, narrowed his eyes.

    "¡­Quite aggressive for a greeting."

    "We''re not in the situation to rx and talk over a cup of ice americano, are we?"

    Ohjin smirked as he looked back.

    He could see that the man, who was wriggling like a caterpir in the back seat, had managed to raise his body and squirm into a proper sitting position.

    "I''m Jang Sukho, the one in charge of star relic development at the ck Star Organization."

    "Gwon Ohjin. Well¡­ you know who I am, right?"

    "Of course I know about the Lightning Wolf."

    Jang Sukho observed Ohjin with calm eyes.

    "I''d never heard that the Lightning Wolf had connections with the Valha guild."

    "That¡¯s why I¡¯m here."

    If it was a fact everyone knew, Lee Woohyuk wouldn''t have asked for such a request, and Ohjin wouldn''t have epted it, either.

    ¡®Well, then. So what is it you know about the ck Star Organization?"

    "¡­I can''t tell you right now."

    "What?" Ohjin frowned.

    "Then why did you show up?"

    "I came to propose a deal."

    "A deal?"

    Jang Sukho nodded his head.

    "If you carry out my request, I''ll hand over information about the ck Star Organization."

    <i>Sigh¡ª</i>

    Ohjin thought he was a simple whistle-blower, but he was someone who was acting with a separate goal in mind.

    "And if I don''t want to?"

    Was there really a need to go out of his way to listen to his request? With him already caught, there were many ways to make him talk.

    "Death."

    "I''m not one to die that easily, you know?"

    "No. The one dying is me."

    "What?"

    Decreasing the speed of the car, he looked back.

    Jang Sukho was biting on his lips gently with a calm face.

    "I came here equipped with a star relic on my chest that explodes once mana is sent into it. The explosion isn''t that powerful, but it''ll be more than enough to kill me."

    Thinking about it once again, he had said that he was in charge of star relic development in the ck Star Organization.

    "Once that happens, the opportunity to obtain information about the ck Star Organization will naturally disappear alongside me."

    Ohjin silently looked into Jang Sukho''s gaze. There was a need to confirm whether he was saying it as a simple bluff or not.

    Heated determination was gleaming in his eyes.

    "Tch."

    ¡®It''s my defeat.''

    * * *

    * * *

    "What''s your request?"

    "My son has been captured by the ck Star Organization. Save that child, and I''ll hand over the information."

    "Is that the reason you follow the ck Star Organization?"

    The ck Star Organization could grant stigmas to regr people who couldn''t awaken to one. It was unknown what method they used to create a miracle only celestials could, but they were increasing their forces rapidly through it.

    After all, the number of people who wished to be Awakeners was scattered all over the ce like ashes at sea.

    ¡®I thought he would be in that category.''

    If he was forced into following the ck Star Organization, it was also understandable why he held a grudge against them.

    "Yes."

    Jang Sukho nodded his head with a stiff face.

    "And even that¡­ started three years ago."

    Three years.

    It wasn''t easy to imagine the despair he felt during the long period of time he was forced into following the orders of the ck Star Organization.

    "¡­Was there a need for them to capture your son?"

    Taking his son hostage to make him follow them forcefully was certainly effective, but it would also take a lot of resources for the group. Not only would they have to take care of the captured hostage, but they would also have to be careful of Jang Sukho''s betrayal.

    Did that mean his value was worth going through all that trouble?

    "Personnel that can develop star relics professionally are valuable. It''s a bit embarrassing to say it with my own mouth, but¡­ I''m quitepetent in this field. Though it might not be as much as that kid in the Association."

    ¡®Kid?''

    ¡®Ah, is the kid he''s referring to the one Han Joonman mentioned before?''

    Ohjin looked down at the wire shooters equipped on his arms.

    He was using the armaments made by a kid who he didn''t even know the name of. It could mean that Jang Sukho was supplying the ck Star Organization with armaments made with starstones as a base, such as the wire shooter.

    ¡®Then he certainly is an individual that¡¯s worth the trouble.¡¯

    Ohjin nodded his head.

    He understood why the ck Star Organization kidnapped Jang Sukho¡¯s son, but there was one thing that weighed on his mind.

    ¡°Is it okay for you toe to meet me like this?¡±

    If they were holding onto him for those reasons, it was obvious that they would monitor him closely.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. They¡¯re in a disordered state with the recent Valha guild¡¯s ambush; they¡¯ve also beenx in their monitoring starting from around the three-year mark.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    He wasn¡¯t satisfied with that, but there was no choice but to believe in his words for the moment.

    ¡®Jang Sukho shouldn¡¯t havee here without thinking it through; he¡¯s in a situation where his son could be killed if he¡¯s caught.¡¯

    ¡°So, you¡¯ll hand over information if I save your son?¡±

    Jang Sukho nodded slightly.

    ¡°What kind of information is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you that after you save my son.¡±

    ¡°Are you messing with me?¡± Ohjin frowned.

    Saving his son without even knowing what kind of information he possessed? He couldn¡¯t do that when he was making a deal with an unknown person that had no guarantee.

    ¡°Won¡¯t I need to know what kind of information you have to decide if I want tomence this deal or not?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jang Sukho chewed on his lips with a nervous expression.

    It was an expression like he didn¡¯t know what he would do if his information didn¡¯t hold enough value. As the value of that information was connected with his son''s life, his bing nervous was understandable.

    ¡°There are a total of seven factions in the ck Star Organization. Each faction is divided into different countries and is secretly growing their forces.¡±

    This meant that the ck Star Organization that was recently increasing its forces in Italy was a different faction from Korea''s.

    He had already thought of the possibility that there would be more than one ck Star¡¯s celestial. Factions being divided by celestials was not something that was unique to the ck Star Organization.

    ¡°Out of the seven factions, the information I have a hold of is regarding the apostles of the Owl Neb.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the one active in Korea, correct?¡±

    Jang Suhko nodded his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s the faction led by the King of Owls, Cheon Doyoon, who is ranked 6th out of the Executors.¡±

    ¡°¡­He¡¯s ranked 6th?¡±

    The powerful being that had swept the Valha guild alone was ranked 6th.

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    There was a possibility that their forces could actually amount to all of the Seven Starsbined.

    ¡°¡­Just how was an organization of that size unknown until now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because most of them are hiding inside the Demon Realm. It hasn¡¯t been long since they started their activities in earnest after leaving the Demon Realm.¡±

    Demon Realm.

    It was the ce known as the front line of humanity.

    Located at the North Pole, there stands an extremelyrge gate that reaches a diameter of 50km.

    The Demon Realm was the ¡®Land of Monsters¡¯ that exists beyond there.

    Despite it being nine years since gates first appeared on Earth, the unknownnd had not even been explored more than 5%.

    ¡®If they were in there¡­ it¡¯s not surprising that their names aren¡¯t known.¡¯

    The scale of the Demon Realm was in a different league from themon gates you could find elsewhere. When the current estimations said that its size wasparable to Earth, even the expression ¡®different league¡¯ wasn¡¯t enough.

    ¡°So, do you know the Owl faction like the back of your hand?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know everything. In particr, the HQ where Cheon Doyoon resides. It¡¯s first-ss confidential information that a small fry like me couldn¡¯t even dare to ess.¡±

    ¡°Then what do you know about?¡±

    ¡°¡­An approximate location of the branches and information regarding a few high-rank Temrs.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    That amount of information wasn¡¯t bad.

    No, when their information was on the verge of getting entirely cut off, they couldn¡¯t miss out on even a single minor lead.

    ¡®It¡¯s more than enough, but should I try to reel in a little more?¡¯

    ¡°Is there nothing else?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s a little insufficient for the price of your son.¡±

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    Jang Sukhu gulped as he clenched his fists.

    ¡°I have¡­ information about the ck Star Organization¡¯s ns. I don¡¯t know the details, but I know why they started to leave the Demon Realm and start their activities.¡±

    ¡°Ho.¡±

    That just so happened to be one of the things he was most curious about.

    ¡°Do you have a photo of your son or something like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­Could you untie these for me?¡± asked Jang Sukho as he looked down at the wires that tied up his body.

    ¡°Ah, wait a minute.¡±

    <i>Skrrr¡ª</i>

    Ohjin stopped the car at a nearby alleyway and released the wires.

    ¡°This is a recording I filmed with my son three years ago.¡±

    -Hehe! Dad! Hurry up!!

    Ohjin could see a child smiling brightly that looked to be a primary student in the early grades.

    ¡°Khm!¡±

    While watching the video, Jang Sukho''s eyes began to water.

    ¡°P-Please!!¡±

    As his emotions became intense from the recording, Jang Sukho exited the car and got on his knees.

    ¡°Please¡­ Please save my child!! I¡¯ll give you all the information I know, so please!!!¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    Pounding his forehead on the ground¡­

    Struggling desperately¡­

    He spat out his plea.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes softened at the child who was smiling brightly in the recording.

    The child smiled as if he knew none of the world¡¯s darkness.

    A smile that was overwhelmingly innocent.

    Would all children with parents be able to put on that kind of smile?

    ¡®Hm.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t know since he had never had one.

    ¡°Name.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your son¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Hyunwoo. It¡¯s Jang Hyunwoo.¡±

    ¡°Age?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s 10-years-old now.¡±

    ¡°When¡¯s his birthday?¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are you asking me these questions?¡±

    ¡°Answer quickly.¡±

    ¡°March 12th.¡±

    ¡°Favorite food?¡±

    ¡°He likes oranges.¡±

    ¡°Height and weight? Based on three years ago.¡±

    ¡°Let me see¡­ I¡¯m not sure about his height since I¡¯ve never measured it urately, but he weighed around 25kg.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Now answer what I asked in reverse. His weight, favorite food, birthday, age, and name.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Jang Sukho opened his mouth with a face that expressed his skepticism.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I answer all those questions just moments ago? 25kg, oranges, March 12th, 10-years-old, Hyunwoo.¡±

    He answered without a hitch.

    Ohjin smirked as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Get in.¡±

    The deal was established.

 Chapter 61: Heavy Rain (3)

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    Inside the racing car, Jang Sukho deeply bowed his head.

    Ohjin could see that his shoulders were shaking.

    ¡°Seriously, thank you.¡±

    ¡°I got it already.¡±

    Forcing a chuckle, Ohjin answered Sukho¡¯s gratitude that he repeated countless times.

    It wasn¡¯t something worth receiving gratitude for.

    Ohjin was saving the man¡¯s son as a means to an end to obtain information¡ªIt was simply an exchange that was established for a fair price.

    ¡°Was your name Ohjin?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, why?¡±

    ¡°Could you take this?¡¯

    Jang Sukho took out a bracelet from his pocket.

    It was an orange bracelet that was made out of three knots.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Ohjin received the bracelet Jang Sukho handed over.

    A blue message window appeared in front of his eyes.

    [Protection Talisman of Three Benevolents]

    -A 5-star relic made by a master craftsman with great effort. It is able to create a powerful barrier that protects the wearer three times a day.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    The 5-star rank itself was outstanding, but above all, the effects were extremely appealing.

    ¡°This is a masterpiece I created with my all before they caught me. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t taken away because it¡¯s a normal bracelet before the security magic imbued within is removed.¡±

    ¡°You''re just giving this to me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ on the way to save my child, are you not? I brought it here hoping that it¡¯ll be at least a little bit of help.¡±

    Jang Sukho put on a bitter smile.

    ¡°It was something I originally made to give to Hyunwoo¡­ but I would like you to use it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    An orange bracelet made of three knots¡­

    Now that Ohjin about it, Sukho had also said that his son liked the color orange.

    ¡°It was supposed to be a present for your son?¡±

    ¡°Hyunwoo, that little child is so much of a mischief. I made this just in case he trips or falls down the stairs.¡±

    Making a 5-star relic in case his son tripped down.

    It was love that felt excessive.

    Were all fathers like that? he wondered.

    * * *

    * * *

    Ohjin equipped the bracelet under his wire shooter and smiled.

    ¡°There¡¯re no take-backs, okay?¡±

    ¡°Haha! Alright.¡±

    Although the bracelet contained a story behind it that felt overbearing, there was no reason not to make use of it.

    ¡®I lucked out.¡¯

    He received more than just information.

    Ohjin¡¯s lips felt like they ascended to the sky.

    ¡®Well, now that I¡¯ve received additional rewards, should I start working hard?¡¯

    He was a scammer who lived on whilst exploiting others his entire life, but he had no ns to run away with the reward. There was also the fact that he didn¡¯t yet have what was most important: the information about the ck Star Organization.

    ¡°By the way, do you know where your child is held captive?¡± he asked while turning the steering wheel smoothly.

    The car moved much smoother whenpared to his first drive.

    At this point, it was urate to say there would be no more happenings of Vega freaking out and retreating into the pendant.

    ¡°I¡¯ve known the location since half a year ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    Then, for half a year¡­

    He hadn¡¯t taken action even while knowing his son''s location in order to seize the perfect opportunity.

    ¡®Is that also why they gotx in monitoring him?¡¯

    If he had that degree of superhuman patience, It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how he lived in general.

    ¡°The scale?¡±

    ¡°Five people at most. Calling that location a branch is an embarrassment.¡±

    Well¡­

    If that location was just for holding a child captive, having arge number of people wasn¡¯t necessary.

    Honestly, even five people seemed a bit extreme.

    ¡®It¡¯s probably not for just a single child.¡¯

    It was most likely that Jang Sukho was one amongst many children, parents, or even lovers and friends held hostage.

    If they could do it once, they could do it twice.

    They wouldn''t care about the despair felt by others. No, wouldn''t they rather cackle out as they had fun? For them, it was rare toe by an activity they could enjoy as much as looking at the suffering of others.

    "Then we just have to head over there right now, right?" Ohjin asked in case there was something else he needed to prepare.

    "It''ll be best to go right away. Time¡­ there isn''t much spare time."

    "Not much spare time?"

    "I used the excuse that I need material for the development of star relics to escape. They will start to take notice if it takes too long."

    "Where do we have to go?"

    "There''s an abandoned warehouse location near Namyangju. We just have to go there."

    "Alright."

    It wasn''t that far away.

    ¡®It''ll be evening once we arrive.''

    He looked up at the thick clouds that settled down in the sky as he put pressure into his hands that were holding onto the steering wheel.

    The weather wasn''t bad.

    It didn¡¯t take much to determine whether dark or bright weather was better for a secretive ambush.

    "Hold tight."

    "Hmm?"

    <i>Vrooooooooom!!¡ª </i>

    "Hyup!"

    Pressing on the elerator, tOhjin raced through the roads.

    * * *

    <i>Skrrrrrt!!¡ª </i>

    He stopped the car a short distance away from the warehouse facility that Jang Sukho had mentioned.

    "We''ll walk from here," he said as he got out of the car.

    Drenched in cold sweat, Jang Sukho followed him.

    "<i>Huff! Huff!</i> Fuu¡­ you sure do drive rough."

    "It hasn''t been long since I learned."

    Ohjin smiled as he moved his feet.

    It took about 15 minutes to arrive at the warehouse on foot.

    Activating the stigma of the Hunting Dogs, he observed if there was anything suspicious nearby.

    ¡®There isn''t anything that stands out.''

    As Jang Sukho had said, even calling that ce a branch was an embarrassment.

    <i>"Hyunwoo, wait just a bit. Your dad ising."</i>

    Jang Sukho''s quiet mumbling could be heard. He clenched his fists tighter with an expression of anticipation as they neared the warehouse.

    "¡­You haven''t met him a single time during the past three years?" Ohjin asked, not being fond of the uncanny silence that settled down.

    "Yes. All I''ve received are photos of him every now and then," answered Jang Sukho with a sunken voice.

    "Do you have those photos right now?"

    "Here."

    Ohjin took a look at the pictures.

    There were a total of five photos.

    It was hard to tell because the photos were blurry, but the figure of his son, which he saw on the recording, was captured on them.

    There was a photo of a child smiling awkwardly while trapped in a ce that looked to be a basement.

    They were showing a father something like that.

    "¡­"

    A strange sense of disharmony ran down his spine.

    It was a sticky and extremely unpleasant sensation.

    "Is there a problem?"

    "¡­No."

    He shook his head as he returned the photos back to Jang Sukho.

    As if it was a precious treasure, he put the photos of the child that wasughing awkwardly in his clothes.

    "Let''s go."

    After walking for around ten more minutes, the warehouse could be seen from a distance away.

    ¡®It looks a lot more normal than I thought.''

    Because Jang Sukho had said it was an abandoned warehouse, he imagined it would be a broken-down warehouse like ones from crime movies, but its outer appearance looked normal.

    If Jang Sukho hadn''t told him, he would have thought of it as any other warehouse that operated normally.

    "Huff, huff, huff!"

    "Don''t get too excited."

    As the warehouse entered his eyes, Jang Sukho''s breathing became rough.

    Ohjin held onto the nape of Jang Sukho, who was moving his body up and down like he was about to charge in immediately.

    "I''m fully aware of how you feel, so calm down."

    It was a lie.

    Those distant emotions Jang Sukho was feeling at the moment?

    There was no way he could understand them.

    "Argh! Damn it¡­ Goddamnit."

    Thinking of the past three years, Jang Sukho chewed his lips with coarsenguage.

    His rough breathing calmed down a little.

    "Stay still. I''ll go in ande back alone."

    As long as he wasn¡¯t able to use ck Curtain on Jang Sukho, it was easier to infiltrate on his own.

    "B-But."

    "You don''t want to see your child getting hurt, do you?"

    If their infiltration was caught, he could no longer guarantee the safety of Sukho¡¯s son.

    "¡­I understand."

    Jang Sukho nodded his head as he clenched his fists to the point where his veins were showing.

    After activating ck Curtain, Ohjin lowered his stance and approached the warehouse.

    Then¡­

    "I can see you hiding over there, you know?"

    "Haha! To think you''d actuallye here!"

    "What incre~dible fatherly love!"

    Jang Sukho opened his eyes wide as he looked at the three people slowly walking towards them.

    "Y-You all, w-why are you here?"

    "Who are they?" Ohjin asked as he released ck Curtain.

    ck Curtain was a skill for hiding his presence; it had no meaning once he was already discovered.

    "T-Those people are Khan''s Owls!! I-It makes no sense for them to be here¡­!"

    <i>Tremble¡ª</i>

    Sukho shouted out as his body shook from fear.

    ¡®Khan''s Owls? Are they Arshad Khan''s elite soldiers?''

    "Are they Temrs, as well?"

    "Th-that''s not the case, but they are all powerful beings that have reached 6-Star! They are the strongest within the branch, excluding Arshad Khan¡­"

    6-Star Awakeners.

    When looking at ¡®star'' status alone, they were at the same level as the low-rank Temr, Yujin.

    ¡®Though they''re probably under Yujin since they aren''t Temrs.''

    Having the same star rank didn''t mean everyone possessed the same amount of strength.

    Even with identical stigmas, strength would vary greatly depending on the proficiency. That difference would widen even more as the star rank increased.

    <i>Owoong¡ª</i>

    Activating the stigma of the Hunting Dogs, he sniffed the ck Star''s mana that was flowing out of them.

    ¡®They''re one level, no, two levels beneath Yujin.''

    But the problem was that there wasn''t one, but three of them.

    Though, even taking that problem into consideration¡­

    ¡®It''s worth a shot.''

    Ohjin lightly stretched his body.

    Blue Lightning zed up as the stigma of Lyra shone brightly.

    "Y-You, what are you nning on doing?"

    "What do you mean? Now that infiltration is off the table, we''ll need to go with a different n."

    As long as there were no witnesses, it was an assassination. They were blocked unexpectedly, but the result would be the same if he killed everyone there on the spot.

    ¡®No. It might not be exactly the same¡­''

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and observed ¡®Khan''s Owls''.

    They were on standby outside as if they knew Jang Sukho woulde to that ce from the start, meaning they had never loosened their monitoring on Jang Sukho in the first ce.

    Looking at the current situation, it was right to say they made an opening in his monitoring ¡®intentionally''.

    ¡®And that means¡­''

    Ohjin slowly closed his eyes.

    A sticky unpleasant feeling spread from his spine again.

    It was a feeling that felt akin to opening up a wet toilet seat to discover it being filled with shit.

    "Huhuhu! To think he would really bring the Lightning Wolf!"

    "Sir Khan will be extremely pleased!"

    "After all, he''s the one who ruined Sir Khan''s great ns!"

    Was it because they were named after avians? They rambled on non-stop.

    ¡®Indeed. My connection with the Valha guild leaked out.''

    For the moment, he put behind the questions of ¡®how'', there was no time for him to rx and think.

    "D-Didn''t you hear me?!! They are 6-Star Awakeners!!"

    Jang Sukho shouted out in a rush as he pulled on Ohjin¡¯s shoulders.

    "Man, I heard you.¡±

    "But why¡­"

    "Then should we surrender obediently?"

    "T-That''s¡­"

    Jang Sukhi shut his lips tight.

    "I''ve heard¡­ that you''re a 4-Star."

    "You know well."

    "B-But then!"

    It seemed that he wanted to say that it was ridiculous to face off against three 6-Star Awakeners.

    He wasn''t wrong.

    In normal circumstances, the difference between 4-Star and 6-Star was hopeless.

    ¡®In normal circumstances, that is.''

    The edge of his lips twisted as he grasped the silver spear on his back.

    "Huhehehe! Look at this confident little bitch."

    A voice that cracked unpleasantlyughed.

    "Did he lose the ability to count after obtaining a North Star''s stigma?"

    The three Owls raised their weapons with expressions full of ridicule.

    Starting from the left¡ªa sword, an axe, and a scythe.

    Despite them speaking out in that manner, they looked around the surroundings carefully. Observing his movements with sharp eyes, they searched for an opportunity.

    ¡®So they won''t let their guard down even against a 4-Star.''

    It didn''t matter.

    He didn''t expect them to let their guard down in the first ce, anyways.

    "Ch-hat!"

    The Owl who was holding the axe suddenly got close.

    <i>Flutter!!¡ª</i>

    ck feathers wrapped around his axe and shot forward.

    <i>T-Ting, ting, ting!¡ª</i>

    A translucent shield was created in front of Ohjin¡¯s eyes.

    One of the three knots that shone orange lost its color.

    <i>Clunk!¡ª</i>

    Holding his spear shaft at an angle, Ohjin blocked off the axe strike that followed.

    "Argh! Damn it! This bastard has a defensive star relic!"

    Was it because he defended against the attacks extremely easily? The expression of the Owl distorted.

    "Then how about you eat this as well!!"

    A scythe from the right and a sword from the left rapidly approached him.

    "Fuu."

    Ohjin took in a light breath.

    ¡®Blue Lightning.''

    Times three.

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzzt!!!!¡ª </i>

    Three lines of lightning spread out in the shape of a cone.

    "Aaaaahh!!"

    "Kugh!! D-Damn it!"

    The two of them that were hit by lightning flowing through their weapons spat out screams.

    "Hik!"

    The Owl who was holding the axe frowned as he created distance.

    Stretching out his spear, Ohjin aimed for him.

    "Where do you think you¡¯re going!"

    ck feathers covered the axe''s de. Using the wide axe as a shield, the Owl blocked off the spear.

    <i>Ka-kang!¡ª </i>

    The spear was unable to pierce the ck feathers and rang out with the sound of metal.

    "Hahaha!! Although you seem to be quitepetent, you can do nothing about the difference in strength!"

    The Owl holding the axeughed broadly.

    As he said, the tip of the spear wrapped in lightning was getting pushed back from the ck feathers.

    "Really?"

    Ohjin pushed the spear forward and ced his palm at the end of the spear shaft.

    "Then how''s this?"

    [¡¶Lightning Charge Lv3¡·has been activated.]

    <i>Crackle!!!¡ª</i>

    As if a nail was struck by a hammer, the lightning exploded at his palm and pushed the spear forward.

    <i>Crush¡ª</i>

    The axe''s de was slightly crumpled.

    "H-Huh?"

    The face of the Owl was colored with panic.

    [¡¶Lightning Charge Lv3¡·has been activated.]

    <i>Crackleeee!!¡ª</i>

    Again, blue lightning exploded and pushed the spear.

    The spear''s de dug into the axe''s.

    [¡¶Lightning Charge Lv3¡·has been activated.]

    <i>Crunch¡ª</i>

    The axe''s de started to split apart.

    "W-Wait!"

    The Owl holding the axe shouted out in a hurry.

    Obviously, Ohjin had no reason to listen.

    "There''s still another shot left."

    Ohjin smirked as he ced his palm at the tip of the spear shaft.

    ¡®Lightning Charge.''

    Times 5.

    <i>Crackleeeeeeee!!!!¡ª</i>

    An explosion of lightning iparable to before pushed down the spear.

    The axe''s de broke into pieces as the spear pierced the Owl''s head.

    <i>Pshk!¡ª</i>

    Cerebrospinal fluid, eyeballs, and blood mixed together as they spurted out.

    -Ring!

    [¡¶Blue Lightning Lv3¡·has increased to ¡¶Blue Lightning Lv4¡·]

    [¡¶Lightning Charge Lv3¡·has increased to ¡¶Lightning Charge Lv4¡·]

    He got rid of the blue message windows that appeared in front of his eyes.

    "One down."

    Ferociously baring his teeth, he aimed his spear at the two remaining Owls.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    Silence hung like a curtain.

    "J-Just what is¡­"

    Without being able to close his widened mouth, Jang Sukho looked down at the corpse of ¡®Khan''s Owl'' who met his despair without it being even one minute since the battle had started.

 Chapter 62: Heavy Rain (4)

    ¡°D-Damn it!¡±

    The Owl holding the scythe swung his arms, causing the scythe to move through the air like a snake.

    ¡°Overwhelm him with strength!!¡± shouted out the one with the sword.

    The inevitable and absolute difference in strength that existed between the 4-Star and 6-Star rank¡­

    Attacks holding that advantage surged down on Ohjin.

    ¡°Die, you bastard!!¡±

    <i>Flutter!!¡ª</i>

    ck feathers wrapped around the scythe, causing it to expand to five meters in an instant.

    The scythe covered with ck mana struck down like a guillotine.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!¡ª</i>

    Ohjin reached his right arm towards the scythe and shot three lines of wire around it.

    "Fuu."

    He took in a light breath and mmed his spear shaft onto the ground. Using the shaft, he vaulted high into the sky.

    "H-Huh?"

    After flying 20 meters high in an instant, Ohjin surged mana through the wire shooter.

    <i>Whirrrrr!!¡ª</i>

    The wire started to pull in tight.

    With the silver spear in his hands¡­

    He fell.

    "You little rat! Are you running because you can''t face our strength?!"

    Then, the Owl holding the sword flew up.

    On his back were a pair of fiercely pping wings made of ck feathers.

    The Owl rushed towards Ohjin in an attempt to strike him down while he was falling.

    <i>Twirl¡ª</i>

    As if he had expected it, Ohjin suddenly twisted his body.

    With his palms spread out wide, he concentrated his mana.

    "Whether I can be your opponent in strength or not¡ª"

    Tens, hundreds of feathers made of blue lightning spun in a vortex over his palm.

    ¡®Lightning Charge.''

    Swept away by the explosion created at his palm, the feathers shot out like bullets.

    "¡ªsay it after experiencing it yourself."

    <i>Ttutututututu¡ª</i>

    As if a ymore had exploded, hundreds of feathers struck down at the Owls simultaneously.

    "Hyup!"

    The startled Owl urgently swung his sword.

    ck feathers followed the path of his sword and blocked the feathers of lightning.

    Or at least, they tried to block the lightning.

    "Shit, what''s this strength¡­!"

    The Owl was shocked by the destructive strength.

    The feathers of lightning tore apart the ck feathers as they shot forward.

    He tried to block it with his sword in haste, but¡­

    It was already toote.

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª</i>

    "Aaahhhhhhh!!!"

    A terrifying scream exploded out.

    Even while his entire body was burning ck, the Owl''s eyes were wide open in disbelief.

    "No¡­ way."

    He spoke in a tone clouded with despair.

    It wasn''t that he had let his guard down, and it wasn''t that he hadn¡¯t fought with all his might either.

    He had used all of his strength to block the lightning feathers.

    ¡®This is¡­ the strength of a 4-Star?''

    He could understand falling behind in terms of technique.

    He could ept falling behind in terms of resources.

    However, just how¡­ was he being overwhelmed, even in a sh of nothing but ¡®strength''?

    ¡®Just¡­ what is that bastard.''

    With his question unanswered, his consciousness flickered ck.

    "Fuu."

    Ohjin spat out a breath that had be a little ragged.

    The mana circuits across his body heated up because he had poured out so much mana at once.

    ¡®Still, it''s be a lot sturdier than before.''

    After using Exceed, like how muscles became sturdier once torn, the circuits which his mana flowed through felt tougher.

    [¡¶Lightning Shot Lv1¡·has been acquired.]

    [¡¶Lightning&Thunder Lv6¡·influences the proficiency of the skill ¡¶Lightning Shot Lv1¡·.]

    [¡¶Lightning Shot Lv1¡·has increased to ¡¶Lightning Shot Lv3¡·!]

    During the short duration of his thoughts, blue message windows appeared in front of his eyes.

    The contents were interesting, but¡ª

    ¡®Later.''

    ¡ªthere was still one Owl remaining.

    "H-Hick!"

    The Owl with the scythe stared down at the burnt ck corpse of his partner, who had died in one blow, and started having hups.

    "Y-You scamming piece of shit!!!"

    "Huh?"

    ¡®What the fuck.''

    ¡®How did he know that I''m a scammer?''

    "You aren''t at the 4-Star rank!!" he shouted out,pletely believing that he had been deceived.

    "¡­I was wondering what you were on about."

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    A forced chuckle flowed out of Ohjin''s mouth.

    He nodded his head with a rxed expression.

    "Did you find that out now?"

    "A-As expected!"

    The Owl took steps back with his face painted pale white.

    ¡®Well, though it''s a lie¡­''

    It was just as the world believed it to be.

    He was still in the 4-Star rank.

    "Well then, shall we start to finish things up?"

    Ohjin''s mouth twisted as he approached the final remaining Khan''s Owl.

    "D-Damn it!"

    The Owl urgently turned around in order to run away, however¡ª

    "Old man~ have you forgotten about this?"

    ¡ªOhjin held up the wire shooter that was connected to the wires still wrapped around the scythe.

    The wires firmly prevented the Owl from escaping.

    "Argh!"

    Although he tried to let go of the scythe in great haste¡ª

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª</i>

    "Aahhhhh!!"

    ¡ªcurrents of lightning coursed through the Owl faster than he could act.

    With a gruesome scream, the Owl copsed.

    <i>Pshk¡ª</i>

    After stabbing them with his spear to make sure it was finished, he turned his head around to Jang Sukho, who was looking in his direction with his mouth opened wide.

    "Y-You, just¡­"

    He slurred the end of his sentence as he glugged like a goldfish.

    His expression was as if he had seen a ghost.

    "What are you spacing out for?"

    Tapping Jang Sukho''s shoulders, he gestured towards the warehouse with his chin.

    "Aren''t you going to go save your son?"

    "¡­Ah!"

    Letting out a short exmation, Jang Sukho rushed towards the warehouse.

    * * *

    * * *

    "Let''s see¡­"

    There was something Ohjin needed to do before he chased after him.

    He approached the corpses of the three Owls.

    ¡®It''s a stigma I''ve already absorbed, but¡­''

    There was still the need to absorb the mana contained within the stigmas.

    ¡®ck Heaven.''

    <i>Rumble, Rumble¡ª</i>

    The ck Clouds that spread out from the tip of his fingers crawled across the ground and covered the stigmas engraved on top of the Owls¡¯ left chests.

    -Ring!

    [You possess high proficiency in the corresponding stigma.]

    [Absorbing additional mana from the stigma.]

    Was it because he had obtained a new skill when utilizing Lightning Feathers? He could feel the thick mana held within the stigma of the Owl Neb flowing into his body.

    "Haa."

    An exhrating sensation of mana surged up inside the body.

    Like submerging one¡¯s body at a steaming bathhouse, a cozy shiver spread through his pores.

    ¡®I guess a 6-Star is still a 6-Star, even if they''re second-rate.''

    The amount of mana flowing in was considerable.

    "Nice."

    Smiling in satisfaction, he chased after Jang Sukho, who had already entered the storage.

    <i>Creak¡ª</i>

    Unlike the rather normal outer appearance, the interior was so rusty that you could tell it was abandoned with just a nce.

    "Hyunwoo!! Hyunwoooo!!!"

    He could see Jang Sukho shouting out his son''s name as he ran around the warehouse.

    "He''s probably in the basement."

    The child inside the photo sent to Jang Sukho had been imprisoned inside a basement.

    "Alright!"

    Jang Sukho nodded his head as he looked for the entrance that led to the basement.

    Thanks to the fact the interior was so deste, it wasn''t all that difficult to find the entrance.

    "Hmm."

    As they entered the basement, mazelike corridors and rooms one after another could be seen.

    Looking at the map next to the stairs, it seemed that it would take quite an amount of time since there were three basement floors.

    "I think it''d be best to split up."

    "A-Alright! Then I''ll search from the lowest floor and climb up!"

    Was it that he thought there was the highest possibility of his son being hidden on the lowest floor? Jang Sukho shouted that he would search from there as he went down the stairs.

    ¡®I should start by searching the first floor.''

    <i>Creak¡ª</i>

    One by one, he opened the room doors.

    Most of them werepletely empty or just had crude tools lying around.

    ¡®Where did they lock him up?''

    He even activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs, but there was no smell of humans¡ªexcluding Jang Sukho.

    By chance, was it that they hid hostages in another area?

    It was a deduction that had sufficient possibility since they had ¡®purposely'' unleashed Jang Sukho.

    ¡®Still, let''s take a thorough look around for now.''

    Calmy, one by one, he opened the doors.

    "Hm?"

    When he was opening doors in search of Jang Sukho''s son, he found a room with a rusty box in the corner of the room.

    The box was approximately three meters across.

    "¡­¡­"

    For an unknown reason, he felt an unpleasant feeling akin to bugs crawling on top of his skin.

    <i>Step, step¡ª</i>

    He walked towards the rusty box.

    <i>Crunk!¡ª</i>

    After pulling off the lock with his strength alone, he slowly opened the box.

    <b>Filling the inside of the box were¡ª</b>

    "¡­Ah."

    <b>¡ªbone-white ashes.</b>

    "¡­¡­"

    He slowly closed his eyes.

    In honesty¡­

    He had experienced a gut feeling ever since he had received the picture of Jang Sukho¡¯s son.

    -Why a picture of all things?

    Letting him have a phone call with his son would allow them to be able to pressure him with even more certainty.

    When even just sending a video would be more effective¡­

    Why were they using crude photos with blurry shots that were hard to distinguish as bait?

    "¡­Fuck."

    That''s right.

    He had known it from the start.

    Despite pretending he didn''t¡­

    Despite hoping it was just an unfounded worry¡­

    Despite wanting to believe that it wasn''t true¡­

    Eventually, the sticky, ominous feeling that ran down his spine revealed the white ashes inside the rusty box.

    ¡®Why¡­ did they kill them?''

    Why, when it would be much more efficient to leave them alive?

    Why, when it would allow them to force others to follow the ck Star Organization more effectively?

    Why? Why? Why?

    The questions kept creating more and formed an endless chain.

    It was hard to figure it out when there were too many answers he could deduct.

    Had they neglected taking care of them, did the hostages attempt tomit suicide?.

    ¡®And if even that isn''t it¡­''

    They could have just been ¡®broken'' to the extent they could not live any longer.

    "¡­¡­"

    For a moment, he recalled the face of the orphanage director, the man who had swung his fists without restraint at young children.

    There were many reasons for violence, but there was always one emotion contained within that man¡¯s heart in those moments.

    Pleasure.

    The extremely pure and clear emotion such people experienced when stepping on the weak.

    <i>Creak¡ª</i>

    Ohjin closed the lid of the rusty box.

    He stood up and headed back outside.

    <i>"Huff, huff!"</i>

    He found Jang Sukho gasping for breath whileing up the stairs.

    "I''ve looked everywhere down there, but he wasn''t there!"

    Of course he wasn''t.

    "I think they hid him on the first floor!"

    That wasn''t it.

    "Fuu¡­ I was wondering why this was the only floor with a lot of rooms. So he was here."

    That wasn''t it.

    "Hyunwoo!! Hyunwoo!! Answer me! Hyunwoo!!"

    That. Wasn''t. It.

    His son had already¡­

    "I''ve already looked around here."

    "I-Is that so? Then Hyunwoo¡ª"

    "He isn''t here."

    It hurt as if a sharp thorn was stabbing his tongue.

    <b>"¡ªThere is no one on this floor," </b>he answered as if squeezing it out, clenching his fists to the point where his veins were popping.

    "Ah¡­"

    Jang Sukho''s expression was colored in deep disappointment.

    "It seems that they took Hyunwoo to another location."

    "That''s highly likely."

    "Haa. Then what should I do now¡­?"

    When Jang Sukho dropped his shoulders and he let out a deep sigh¡ª

    <i>Step¡ª</i>

    A quiet footstep rang out in his ears.

    "¡­¡­!"

    Ohjin quickly grabbed Jang Sukho, opened the door to a random room, and slipped inside.

    "What''s g¡ª uub!"

    He covered Jang Sukho''s mouth.

    Raising his index finger, he ced it by his lips.

    Inside the silence where even the sound of breaths echoed like thunder¡ª

    Someone opened their mouth with a low voice.

    "¡­Someone has broken into the factory."

    That sticky and ominous feeling¡­

    Ran down his spine once again.

    T/N: I have no idea what gender those Owls are ¡®-¡® . Also

 Chapter 63: Heavy Rain (5)

    <i>Step, step¡ª</i>

    Quiet footsteps thudded down from the upper floor.

    ¡®There''s more than one.¡¯

    A minimum of five¡­

    No, there was a chance that the number exceeded ten.

    ¡®Should I go out and fight them?¡¯

    He had confidence in his skills.

    It wasn''t a bluff made out of arrogance but a conclusion that could be made from an objective standpoint.

    The stigma of Lyra, the ck Heaven, and even the natural talent to handle stigmas.

    It was undeniable that he possessed apletely different level of powerpared to other 4-Star Awakeners.

    However¡­

    ¡®I don¡¯t have a good feeling about this.¡¯

    The thick smell of mana wafted into his nose that had been amplified to the extreme from the stigma of the Hunting Dogs. The smell was so thick that his nose felt like it was going numb¡ªit was on a different levelpared to the smell the three Owls had given off.

    Although his proficiency in the stigma of the Hunting Dogs wasn¡¯t all that high, he could be certain that it was an opponent he wouldn¡¯t be able to face at the moment.

    ¡®Who is it?¡¯

    Arshad Khan?

    A different Temr?

    And if it wasn¡¯t even that¡­

    ¡®¡­No, it¡¯s not Cheon Doyoon.¡¯

    If it was an opponent that strong, he wouldn¡¯t even have been able to detect them. After all, his head would have been blown off even before he was able to sense their presence.

    ¡®Let¡¯s run away for now.¡¯

    Whoever they were, it felt impossible to fight them head on.

    ¡°Follow me and don¡¯t make a sound,¡± he mumbled with a low voice.

    Ohjin sensed Jang Sukho nodding his head.

    <i>shift, shift¡ª</i>

    Positioned t on the floor, they slowly crawled across the ground and headed downstairs.

    They needed to create as much distance as possible for the time being.

    ¡®There should at least be a vent in a building with three underground floors, right?¡¯

    He was nning on going down to the lowest floor and escaping through the vent. It was something straight out of a spy thriller, but it was the only realistic method to escape without being noticed.

    ¡°Have you seen where the vent is on the third floor?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. I haven¡¯t.¡±

    Well, Jang Sukho wouldn''t have had the leisure to check for air vents when he was busy trying to find his son.

    ¡°Slowly. Don¡¯t make a sound as youe down.¡±

    Jang Sukho nodded as he took off his shoes. They carefully went down the stairs in their socks.

    When they arrived at the third floor, they could see that it was filled to the brim with old, rusty machinery.

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯

    Everything looked like it would fall apart with just a touch.

    Walking meticulously with soft steps, they looked for a vent.

    Then¡ª

    <i>Rrrrrrrr, Bang!!¡ª</i>

    ¡®Fuck!!!¡¯

    ¡ªThe machinery that was piled in a corner fell down.

    Neither he nor Jang Sukho had touched anything.

    It just fell down on its own.

    Possibly because Jang Sukho had made contact with the pile earlier, when he first looked around the third floor.

    ¡®Fuck my luck.¡¯

    It was fitting of the idiom ¡®when it rains, it pours¡¯.

    ¡°Stay hidden nearby.¡±

    Ohjin raised his spear.

    It was too optimistic to believe that they wouldn¡¯te down to the third floor after hearing all that ruckus.

    Since escaping was off the table, he had to fight.

    However¡­

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    No matter how much time passed, he couldn¡¯t sense the presence of anyone else.

    ¡°¡­Why aren¡¯t those bastardsing down?¡±

    ¡°Wh-What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Jung Sukho as he approached.

    There was no way they didn¡¯t hear all that noise, yet they hadn¡¯t even bothered to investigate.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Ohjin had an ominous premonition.

    ¡®If they aren¡¯ting down in this situation¡­ no way.¡¯

    ¡°Fuck!!¡±

    Ohjin grabbed onto Jang Sukho¡¯s shoulders and urgently headed towards the stairs.

    ¡°Wh-What is it?!¡±

    ¡°Shut up and follow me!!!¡±

    They quickly went up the stairs.

    However, before they were even able to reach the second floor¡ª

    <i>Rumbleeeeee!!!!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªthe surroundings shook as if an earthquake urred.

    <i>Crack! Crack!¡ª</i>

    He could see that the stairs were copsing.

    Ohjin bit on his lips.

    His premonition was spot on.

    ¡®Those sons of bitches!¡¯

    They hadn¡¯t even considereding down in the first ce.

    They were nning on burying them alive by destroying the entire factory.

    ¡®We need to esca¡ª¡¯

    Before he was able to continue that thought¡­

    <i>BOOOOOOOOM!!!!¡ª</i>

    A second explosion took ce.

    A gray waterfall made of concrete and rebar swooped down on Ohjin and Jang Sukho.

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    <i>Bzzzzzt!!!¡ª</i>

    He quickly made a wall of lightning.

    The debris that weighed hundreds and thousands of tons was pushed back as it shed with the kic energy of the lightning.

    However, even that was but for a moment.

    <i>Boom! B-Boom!¡ª</i>

    "Argh!"

    Another explosion urred within the debris.

    Three times, four times, five times.

    Explosions continued without stop.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡®Goddammit!''

    What was even worse was that those weren''t explosives. Ohjin could feel the clear trace of mana from the waves of energy that prated through the debris. As it was made out of mana, the difference in powerpared to regr explosions was night and day.

    The lightning wall started to tear apart.

    <i>Rumble!!¡ª </i>

    With the lightning wall being destroyed, a gray tsunami swallowed everything up.

    Losing the ground beneath his feet, Ohjin¡¯s body plunged down as frightening amounts of rubble struck him.

    30 secondster¡­

    The seemingly endless explosions finally came to an end.

    "Hmpf!!"

    Ohjin pushed away the debris that covered his body and wed his way out into the open.

    He spit out the grit from the sand and dirt that had gotten into his mouth.

    "Twe!!!"

    He took a look around the surroundings.

    ¡®Holy shit.''

    The earth in a radius of 200m from the factory waspletely destroyed.

    It looked as if a meteor had dropped down, a giant crater was in the ce of where the factory had been originally located.

    "Ah¡­ uu."

    A faint groan.

    It was Jang Sukho''s voice.

    "Where are you?!"

    Ohjin quickly headed to where the groan came from.

    He found Jang Sukho''s body stuck between two concrete bs.

    "Hmpf!"

    <i>Rumble!¡ª</i>

    He raised one of the massive concrete bs with his bare hands.

    Jang Sukho¡¯s copsed form became visible beneath the rubble

    "Ah¡­"

    His legs were crushed beyond recognition, a sharp piece of rebar pierced his stomach, and his eyes had been crushed to a pulp by stones.

    ¡®¡ªHe can''t be saved.''

    Even though he was able to hold onto his faint breath, it was toote.

    Soon¡­

    He would die.

    "O-Ohjin, y-you¡­ are you alright?" he asked with a faint voice.

    Ohjin looked down at the bracelet on his wrist.

    Three knots had lost their light.

    Before they had been swept away by the explosion, there was definitely only one knot without light.

    "¡­I''m alright."

    "Ha, haha. What a <i>¡ªcough!</i> relief¡­"

    It was nonsense.

    There was nothing present that the word ¡°relief¡± would be suitable for.

    "Here¡­ is¡­ the information¡­ I promised to give."

    Jang Sukho lent out his trembling hand which had a small USB inside it.

    "¡­¡­"

    ¡®Why is he giving this to me?''

    The transaction had failed.

    Not a single one of Ohjin¡¯s promises was kept.

    He couldn''t save Sukho¡¯s son, nor could he save him.

    But why?

    "I¡­ I have a request."

    Holding onto his faint breath¡­

    Once again¡­

    He spat out the same plea as before as he mmed his head against the ground.

    <b>"O-Once you survive from this ce¡­ Hyunwoo¡­ please find my Hyunwoo."</b>

    "¡­¡­"

    His felt a prickling sensation as if bugs were crawling across his skin.

    His tongue burned like it was scorched.

    What words did he have to say?

    <i>-There''s no need to find him.</i>

    <i>-Your son has already died a long time ago.</i>

    Were those the words he should say?

    "Ha, haha. That child¡­ is a little mischief, you know."

    Ohjin didn''t know.

    Despite having lied countless times.

    Despite deceiving others like it was nothing but eating breakfast.

    "He might¡­ be a little troublemaker."

    For a father who was asking him to save his dead son¡­

    He didn''t know¡­

    What kind of lie he had to say.

    "But, still¡­ he''s a kind child¡­ So please, save him."

    Was there even a reason to care about it?

    Everything he wanted was already in his hands.

    No, more than what he wanted was in his hands.

    He ended up obtaining a useful star relic and information, all for free.

    Now all he had to do was throw out rough words that he would save the son no matter what and then forget about it.

    He could just return back home.

    He could pretend like nothing happened and giggle with Ha-eun as they went out together to buy dinner.

    Did she say she wanted to eat beef?

    Since the time waste, having a light meal with hamburgers wouldn''t be bad either.

    It was a simple matter.

    There was nothing hard about it.

    There wasn''t even a reason to think about it.

    "¡­¡­"

    His head hurt.

    It was nothing but a person that he had met a couple hours ago.

    There was no in-depth-story and no meaningful background either.

    It was nothing but one of thosemon misfortunes.

    But why?

    Why, Why, Why?

    ¡®¡ªAm I feeling this shitty feeling?''

    "Oh! Sir Arshad!! That bastard is still alive."

    A frivolous voice was heard.

    "Wow¡­ surviving from that explosion¡­ It seems that the rumors about the Lightning Wolf were true!"

    ¡®It''s noisy.''

    The most important aspect when it came down to lying.

    ¡®Don''t interrupt me.''

    "I''ll go and take care of him!"

    <i>Step, step!¡ª</i>

    The frivolous voice started to get closer.

    "Huaaap¡ª Kugh?!"

    Grabbing the head of the person rushing in¡ª

    <i>Stter!!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªhe mmed it down onto a piece of rebar that stuck out.

    The rebar pierced through the middle of the man¡¯s forehead and came out of the back of his skull.

    Sticky blood trickled down the sides of Ohjin¡¯s fingers.

    "Shut up for a second."

    Slowly straightening his posture, he looked back at the people surrounding him.

    <b>"Can''t you see? I''m thinking right now."</b>

    An azure fen fire zed up inside his deeply sunken, ck pupils.

    "Thinking, huh?"

    <i>Step, step¡ª</i>

    The man with bronze skin walked towards him with leisure.

    With him came the thick scent of mana Ohjin first smelled when the group entered the factory.

    He was the owner of the strong smell of mana that made his nose twist.

    ¡®Arshad Khan.''

    A mid-rank Temr of the ck Star Organization.

    "What are you thinking about? Are you perhaps trying to think of a way to survive this situation?"

    "No," he answered firmly.

    "I wouldn''t be thinking this long if it was that easy of a problem."

    "Ho. An easy problem?"

    Arshad Khan''s eyes glimmered in amusement.

    He scanned Ohjin from head to toe with his arms crossed.

    <i>Smirk¡ª </i>

    "Then what are you thinking so hard about?" he asked as the tip of his mouth tilted up.

    "About your mom."

    "¡­What?"

    "She told me to take good care of her dumbass son when she passed away¡­ It''s just that I think I wasn''t able to keep my promise."

    "¡­¡­"

    Arshad Khan frowned.

    <i>Swish¡ª</i>

    He took out a scimitar that had an elegant curve.

    "¡­??? ???? ??? ??."

    Ohjin didn''t know a word he was saying, though he could tell that he was quite offended.

    ¡°Q-Quick¡­ R-Run away. Arshad Khan is¡­ dangerous¡­¡± Jang Sukho wrung out.

    Although he hadn¡¯t received his answer yet, he was yelling with hope at the end of his life.

    <i>Owoong!¡ª</i>

    A recovery droplet made from the stigma of Aquariusnded on Jang Sukho.

    It did nothing but increase the time of suffering, but¡ª

    ¡°Wait there and don¡¯t die, old man.¡±

    ¡ªstill.

    There was still thest lie he had to tell him.

 Chapter 64: Heavy Rain (6)

    "Fuu."

    Ohjin took in a deep breath.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    He vaulted into the air by striking his spear against the ground. Simultaneously raising his right arm, he shot his wire shooter.

    He aimed not for Arshad Khan but for the subordinates next to him.

    "U-Uh?"

    <i>Fwish!¡ª</i>

    The wire shot out, exceeding the speed of sound, and wrapped around their bodies.

    As Ohjin lightly flicked his right arm, those that had been caught by the wires shot at Arshad Khan like a cannon.

    "Ho."

    Arshad Khan''s eyes shone in interest.

    <i>sh!¡ª</i>

    "Ahhhhhhh!!"

    Without a moment of hesitation, he used the scimitar in his hand to cut the bodies of his subordinates in half.

    Blood and intestines spurted out from the bisected bodies.

    A curtain of red gore spread out from the curve of the de.

    ¡®Now!''

    He never thought that Arshad Khan would hesitate in the first ce. What he was aiming for was the red curtain of blood.

    Aiming for the short gap when Arshad¡¯s sight was blocked off, Ohjin extended his left arm.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    The wire stuck tight onto a nearby piece of rebar.

    Concentrating mana into his shooter, his body that was in mid-air shot forward with explosive speed.

    ¡®Thunder Fall.''

    With both of his hands grasped onto the spear, he aimed at Arshad Khan''s head.

    Blue lightning crackled from the spear''s tip and coiled around the entire spear as it zed up.

    ¡®It''s not enough.''

    The difference between him and Arshad Khan that he had sensed using the stigma of the Hunting Dogs was beyond his imagination.

    That amount of force wasn''t enough to deal damage.

    ¡®Lightning sh x5.''

    zing lightning concentrated at the spear''s tip.

    His magic circuits cried out from the excessive amount of mana he was channeling¡ªan intense pain like that of sharp needles stabbing his blood vessels permeated around his entire body.

    ¡®It can''t be helped.''

    He bit his lips and endured the pain.

    Compared to the amount of mana he currently possessed, his mana circuits were outrageously narrow.

    It was on the level of sipping water out of a straw from a massive bucket.

    Without squeezing out his circuits and enduring his body bing ruined, he couldn''t inflict proper damage.

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª</i>

    The blue lightning concentrated at the spear''s tip released.

    Currents of lightning evaporated the red curtain and smashed down on Arshad Khan.

    <i>Flutter!¡ª </i>

    ck feathers wrapped around Arshad Khan''s body¡ªit looked as if was wearing sturdy armor made out of feathers.

    "Haa."

    He spat out a short breath as he raised his scimitar at an angle.

    The spear shed with the scimitar and followed down the de''s curvature downwards, slipping straight into the ground.

    <i>Booooom!!¡ª</i>

    Lightning sparked out in all directions with a massive explosion, but it was unable to touch Arshad Khan, who was wrapped in the armor of ck feathers.

    ¡®Damn it!''

    After instinctively realizing his attack had failed, Ohjin focused all of his lightning into his legs without a second of hesitation.

    ¡®Lightning sh!''

    Utilizing the thrust of the explosion that happened under his feet, he quickly created distance with Arshad Khan.

    * * *

    * * *

    "¡­Remarkable."

    Arshad Khan opened his eyes wide with an expression of surprise while looking at the ferociously zing lightning.

    "It''s to the extent where it''s hard to believe you''re a 4-Star."

    He had a rough idea from when he received a report of their failure to awaken the ¡®ck Star''s Fragment''ying dormant under Sokcho caused by the Lightning Wolf alone, but the Star of the Weaver Girl''s apostle was exhibiting destructive force that far exceeded his expectations.

    "However¡ª"

    Arshad Khan''s eyes shone coldly.

    ck mana surged into the scimitar in his hands.

    It was undeniable that the Lightning Wolf was an Awakener that developed with unprecedented speed, but¡­

    "That is all."

    It was a firm deration.

    He slowly swung the scimitar in his hand around.

    <i>Swoosh¡ª</i>

    So slow that a 10-year-old child would be able to look and avoid it.

    A sluggish sword strike that was like sweet sleep in the daytime.

    ¡®¡­Huh?''

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes as he gripped his spear.

    The distance between him and Arshad Khan was around 50 meters.

    There was no way that swinging his sword from that distance would do anything to Ohjin. No, with the sword being swung at that speed, he could avoid it even if it was swung right in front of his nose.

    He was certain of that conclusion, however¡ª

    <i>Baaaaaaaang!!!¡ª</i>

    "¡­¡­!!!"

    ¡ªA loud sound that rumbled the eardrums echoed out.

    A series of explosions followed the path of Arshad Khan¡¯s slowly swinging sword and swept the surroundings.

    Avoiding it was impossible.

    Ohjin thrusted his spear towards the approaching explosion out of reflex.

    It was an action closer to that of instinct than anything borne of rational thought.

    <i>Boom!!¡ª </i>

    "Arghhhhh!!"

    Blue lightning shed directly with the explosion.

    The skin of his palms around the spear ripped from the powerful impact.

    It was an overwhelming difference in power.

    "Your reflexes aren''t bad. Or is it that you simply have good instincts?"

    Arshad Khanughed leisurely as he raised his scimitar once again.

    Like a droplet formed at the tip of a leaf, the scimitar swung down slowly.

    "Fuu."

    Ohjin added more strength into the grip on his spear as he took in deep breaths.

    He had no leisure to answer such taunts.

    ¡®Calm down and identify the ability that Arshad Khan possesses.¡¯

    Once he concentrated mana into his eyes, he could see that tiny ck feathers were shooting out of the slowly swinging scimitar.

    ¡®Is that what creates the explosion?''

    Rotating his spear, he used Blue Lightning.

    The fan-shaped stream of lightning touched the ck feather.

    <i>Baaaaaaang!!!!¡ª </i>

    A powerful explosion shook the earth.

    Despite making it explode in advance from quite a distance away, the shock waves were strong enough to push his body back.

    ¡®So these feathers were the ones that destroyed the factory.''

    He was dumbfounded by the absurd power.

    ¡°Did you think it was over?¡±

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    The edge of Arshad Khan¡¯s lips curved up slowly.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    When Ohjin narrowed his eyes¡ª

    <i>Baaaaaaang!!!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªThe ck feather that had already exploded once created a second explosion.

    He urgently made a wall of lightning, but¡ª

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    ¡ªthe explosion effortlessly tore the lightning wall apart and struck Ohjin¡¯s body.

    <i>Boom! Ka-doom! Bang!¡ª</i>

    Ohjin bounced on the ground like a skipping stone as he was sent flying back.

    His body flew for a while and finally stopped after crashing into the concrete and rebar debris.

    Gray smoke rose up.

    <i>¡°Cough!¡±</i>

    Blood ran out of his neck and spurted out.

    ¡°Your body is also unusually sturdy.¡±

    He heard a voice directly in front of him.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Grasping his spear, he quickly got back on his feet.

    He saw the scimitar swinging through the air, aimed at his neck.

    <i>ng!¡ª</i>

    The spear and scimitar shed.

    <i>ng! ng! -kang! aaang!!¡ª</i>

    Sparks leapt out with the loud sound of grinding metal.

    In the exchange that continued for over ten seconds, the spear and scimitar maintained a taut equilibrium.

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Arshad Khanughed.

    ¡°One year¡­ no, if even half a year passed, you would¡¯ve be a monster we could no longer handle.¡±

    The exceptional skill that was disyed from Ohjin when he was merely a 4-Star Awakener was to the point that it made cold sweat run down his back.

    ¡°However.¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t happen.

    The Lightning Wolf would die today on that spot.

    <i>ng!!¡ª</i>

    The scimitar struck down on the spear¡¯s shaft like a sh of light.

    The silver spear spun as it was sent flying away.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    Ohjin quickly jumped back and narrowly caught his silver spear.

    ¡°Haa, haa!¡±

    He didn¡¯tck in technique when it came down to handling his weapon.

    However¡­

    ¡°Argh¡­¡±

    The skin of his palm waspletely peeled off.

    His hands shook, only the red and fleshy muscle remaining.

    ¡®I don¡¯t have enough power.¡¯

    Ohjin didn¡¯t mean that he had insufficient mana.

    Thanks to the stigmas absorbed by the ck Heaven, he still had plenty of mana remaining.

    It was even highly likely that he had more mana than Arshad Khan.

    ¡®¡­There¡¯s too much of a difference in the amount of mana that can be released at once.¡¯

    With outrageously narrow mana circuitspared to the amount of mana¡­

    His body that was still 4-Star held him back.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Ohjin sped his spear with his bloody hands as he chewed on his lips.

    Since it hade to this,

    there was only one option remaining.

    ¡®I did want to use this if I could avoid it, but¡­¡¯

    He had no choice.

    ¡°Have you now realized the difference in strength?¡±

    ¡®Yeah, yeah, fucking smarty pants.¡¯

    ¡°¡ªExceed.¡±

    <i>Bzzt! Bzzzzzzzzzzt!!!!¡ª</i>

    [!DANGER!]

    Red warning windows flocked in front of his eyes.

    He ignored them.

    ¡°Whatever you try to do, it¡¯s¡ª¡±

    <i>Baaaaaaang!!!¡ª</i>

    He sprinted.

    Footsteps made of lightning red up like torchlight.

    ¡°¡ªKugh?!¡±

    Arshad Khan¡¯s eyes opened wide as he swung down his scimitar.

    Following the path of the scimitar, a series of destructive explosions urred.

    ¡°Fucking hell.¡±

    Ohjin focused on his mana.

    As he narrowed the release of mana as if he was partially obstructing a hose''s exit, the mana shot out through his crumpled mana circuits like a bullet and condensed at the tip of his spear.

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª</i>

    His lightning at the spear¡¯s tip gathered up and created a blue me.

    -Ring!

    [¡¶Lightning&Thunder Lv6¡· has increased to ¡¶Lightning&Thunder Lv7¡·]

    [¡¶Lightning mes Lv1¡· has been acquired!]

    -¡¶Lightning mes¡· is a powerful skill that corresponds with ¡¶Sword Aura¡·. Its destructive force exceeds ¡¶Sword Aura¡·, but much more mana will be consumed.

    [¡¶Lightning&Thunder Lv7¡· influences the proficiency of the skill ¡¶Lightning mes Lv1¡·]

    [¡¶ Lightning mes Lv1¡· has increased to ¡¶Lightning mes Lv2¡·!]

    [Warning! The current state of your body has not met the standards required to use ¡¶Lightning mes Lv2¡·!]

    [The amount of mana consumed increases dramatically!]

    Messages showered down.

    ¡®<i>Sigh</i>, whether it¡¯s this guy or that guy.¡¯

    ¡°You talk too much.¡±

    <i>Baaaaaaang!!!¡ª</i>

    The zing lightning shed with the scimitar.

    ¡°Kugk!!¡±

    Arshad Khan¡¯s body was violently sent flying back.

    Just like Ohjin had, his body bounced on the ground and plummeted disgracefully.

    ¡°What is this¡­¡±

    Arshad Khan wiped off the blood trickling out of his lips and looked at Ohjin with eyes full of wariness.

    He felt powerful mana from the blue lightning that had swept him back.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°So believing that it¡¯d take half a year¡­ was a foolish thought.¡±

    Ohjin was already an existence that could threaten the ck Star Organization.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let someone who can be a hindrance to our ns survive.¡±

    <i>Stumble, stumble¡ª</i>

    Arshad Khan got back on his feet.

    The situation was reversed with the Lightning Wolf revealing his hidden card, but¡ª

    ¡°Almighty star of the Owl Neb¡ª¡±

    ¡ªthat didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t have one either.

    ¡°¡ªGrant the ck Star¡¯s blessing to this humble servant.¡±

    <i>Owooooong!!!¡ª</i>

    ck mana fluctuated while ck light scattered out explosively from the stigma engraved on his left chest.

    ¡°Worship them, praise them, admire them¡ª¡±

    <i>Flutter!¡ª</i>

    An uncountable amount of ck feathers raged up.

    ¡°¡ªThe time of owls hase.¡±

    Arshad Khan slowly walked out of the tornado of ck feathers.

 Chapter 65: Heavy Rain (7)

    <b>REAPER SCANS</b>

    <b>¡ù Caution ¡ù</b>

    <b>This chapter is gory.</b>

    ¡®What the fuck.¡¯

    Mana tingled his skin.

    A bewildering thrill ran down Ohjin¡¯s spine.

    ¡®Why does that bastard have a phase 2? Wasn¡¯t his position mid-rank Temr? Why do obstacles that feel like mini-bosses keep popping up out of nowhere?¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t have much time.¡¯

    Even at that moment, the extreme pain that seemed to be tearing apart his body was intensifying.

    He had already confirmed that he couldn¡¯t endure the ¡®Overload¡¯ state for a long time in thest battle he had used it in.

    ¡®I need to finish this as fast as possible.¡¯

    Ohjin bit his lips.

    He pointed the tip of the spear that was engulfed in Lightning mes at Arshad Khan.

    ¡°Hmpf!!¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    The ground under his feet was pulverized.

    Blue lightning flickered across the dark factory.

    ¡°It¡¯s futile,¡± dered Arshad Khan with a cold voice as he slowly swung his scimitar.

    His sword strike was slow and rxed like before; however, the power harbored inside was on apletely different level.

    <i>Ttututututututu!!!¡ª</i>

    The raging tornado of ck feathers followed his sword strike. Hundreds and thousands of feathers shot down at Ohjin¡¯s head like a violent rainstorm.

    ¡°Kugk!¡±

    Stopping in his tracks, Ohjin quickly held his right arm forward.

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    Without even being able to confirm whether the wire was stuck to the rebar, he surged mana into his shooter with everything he had.

    Ohjin¡¯s body quickly moved to the side like a fish caught onto the hook of a fishing rod.

    ¡®Hey, there¡¯s way too many of these!¡¯

    Despite his fast reaction speed, he wasn¡¯t able topletely escape the scope of the ck feathers.

    ck feathers shot down and created powerful explosions.

    He reflexively threw up a lightning wall.

    The power contained in the feathers was considerably weakerpared to before, but their numbers were to the extent of being excessive.

    <i>Ba-ba-ba-ba-bang!!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ohjin was sent flying back from the explosion.

    The red of his muscles were exposed as his skin peeled back.

    ¡°Argggh!¡±

    Ohjin chewed his lips and barely managed to take his stance.

    Nevertheless, he had only been caught by the edges of the explosion and had managed to avoid most of the damage.

    Having said that, the power difference was still overwhelming.

    After receiving the ck Star¡¯s Blessing, Arshad Khan was so strong that no method that could allow Ohjin to face him came to mind.

    ¡°You¡¯re as good at running away as ever.¡±

    A listless voice was heard from behind his back.

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    Ohjin quickly turned his body and thrust his spear upwards.

    From crotch to the head¡­

    The spear wrapped in Lightning mes split Arshad Khan¡¯s body in half.

    Piles of intestines and blood spurted out of the split body.

    ¡®No, there¡¯s no way it¡¯ll end this easily.¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯re sharp.¡±

    As he had expected, Arshad Khan¡¯s body that was split in half turned into ck feathers and disappeared.

    <i>Swoosh!¡ª</i>

    A scimitar swung low, aimed at Ohjin¡¯s right thigh.

    He blocked it by mming his spear into the ground.

    <i>aaang!!!¡ª</i>

    The scimitar epassed in ck light struck the spear¡¯s shaft with an impact so powerful that it felt more like a battering ram.

    ¡°Argh!!¡±

    Wringing out mana with his all, Ohjin created his Lightning mes.

    The blue mes made of lightning engulfed his entire spear and red up.

    ¡®Shit¡­ this mana consumption!¡¯

    The warnings earlier had said that his mana consumption would increase dramatically since his body had yet to meet the requirements. With a penalty being stacked on top of a skill that consumed a lot of mana by default, it caused his mana to be reduced at an extremely fast pace.

    He was confident he would be second to none when it came down to the sheer amount of mana, but, even with that immense storage, it wasn¡¯t easy to maintain his Lightning mes.

    ¡°Ho. To think that you¡¯d block that as well.¡±

    Arshad Khan looked at Ohjin with surprise.

    But a momentter, he smirked while looking at Ohjin¡¯s legs that were shaking.

    ¡°Yet, I wonder¡­ how much longer will you be able tost?¡±

    <i>Owooong!!¡ª</i>

    ck lights scattered out with explosive power.

    The blue mes that engulfed his spear started to fade as it was pushed back by the ck lights.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Ohjin clenched his teeth and barely endured the attack.

    Gathering what rapidly dwindling mana he could, he desperately pushed back the scimitar.

    No¡ª

    He tried to.

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless.¡±

    Once more, the ck lights became darker.

    Arshad Khan put on a cold and derisive smile.

    ¡°No matter how much you struggle¡ª¡±

    <i>Crack! Crackkk!¡ª</i>

    Like a cracking ss, the silver spear engulfed in blue mes started to fracture.

    ¡°¡ªYou cannot escape¡­ from the time of owls.¡±

    <i>Crash¡ª</i>

    The spear shattered into fragments and pierced into Ohin¡¯s body.

    Into his corbone and shoulders, his stomach and thighs¡­

    The sharp fragments dug into his flesh.

    ¡°¡ªAh.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±

    With his cold deration¡ª

    <i>sh!!!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªthe scimitar epassed in ck light severed Ohjin¡¯s right arm.

    Blood gushed out of his arm, cut clean off right under his elbow.

    ¡°¡­You avoided the attack in that situation?¡±

    Arshad Khan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    He had originally been aiming for his neck, but because Ohjin moved back using the short gap created from when his spear broke apart, he ended up cutting one of his arms instead.

    ¡°Well¡­ all that aplished was prolonging your death slightly.¡±

    Whether it was his arm or neck, the fact that Ohjin had been incapacitated didn¡¯t change.

    A warrior without an arm couldn¡¯t go on.

    ¡®This is the end.¡±

    Arshad Khan¡¯s grip on his scimitar loosened.

    Hisnguid gaze headed towards Ohjin.

    With the sharp fragments that were created from the silver spear being destroyed pierced into his body, Ohjin was pathetically sping onto his right arm.

    It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he died from shock, judging by the amount of blood that gushed out.

    At this rate, even if his neck wasn¡¯t cut off, he would die on his own.

    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s over?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­!!¡±

    ¡°Who decided that?¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    Ohji, who had been lying on the ground, shot back up.

    * * *

    * * *

    He clenched the fist on his remaining arm and charged at Arshad.

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Arshad Khan looked at Ohjin like he thought it was ridiculous.

    ¡°You¡¯re persistent.¡±

    His expression spoke out that he was fed up with it.

    ¡®Slow.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s movements were extremely slow after losing close to fatal amounts of blood.

    Arshad Khan turned his body to the left and lightly swung his scimitar at Ohjin¡¯s left arm.

    <i>Slice¡ª</i>

    The scimitar smoothly cut halfway into the left arm.

    Blood poured out from the arm, split from fist to elbow.

    It wasn¡¯t cut off as the right arm had been, but it looked so horrifyingly painful that it being cut off would have probably been better.

    ¡°It would¡¯ve been better if you sat still. Needlessly acting up¡ª¡±

    Cutting off Arshad Khan¡¯s words¡ª

    ¡°I said¡­ don¡¯t go and decide the ending¡­ on your own!¡±

    ¡ªOhjin swung his right arm that had only his elbow remaining.

    <i>Pow!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Argh!!¡±

    Unable to imagine that he would get attacked by a forearm-less arm, Arshad Khan took the hit to the face and fell down.

    After climbing on top of Arshad Khan¡¯s body, Ohjin mmed his forehead down like a hammer.

    ¡°This! Is! Just! The! Beginning! Got it?!¡±

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!¡ª</i>

    Once, twice, thrice.

    Even while the skin on his forehead was getting torn off, he continued with all his might.

    ¡°But! Why! Do!! You!!! Keep saying it¡¯s over?!!!¡±

    ¡°Aaaaaahk!!¡±

    Arshad Khan swung his fist out of reflex and struck Ohjin in the face.

    <i>Crack! Cruck!¡ª</i>

    His nasal bones shattered.

    His cracked front teeth mixed with blood and pierced into his throat.

    His broken corbone dug up to his eyeballs.

    Despite that¡­

    He didn¡¯t stop.

    He didn¡¯t back off.

    Again and again.

    He struck down his forehead with his all.

    ¡°Kugk! Y-You crazy bastard!!!¡±

    ¡°Kyhak!!!¡±

    Arshad Khan quickly got back up and kicked Ohjin¡¯s stomach.

    Ohjin threw up blood and rolled on the ground.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    With an extreme grimace, Arshad Khan stroked his nose.

    Wet blood dampened his hands.

    ¡°Goddammit!¡±

    Vulgarnguage flowed out on its own.

    Receiving that kind of injury despite being in a ¡®blessed¡¯ state¡­

    And by an opponent whose entire body was ripped by fragments of a broken spear with the other arm severed¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t go and decide the ending on my own¡­?¡±

    Step by step, Arshad Khan approached the copsed Ohjin.

    He violently stepped on Ohjin¡¯s knee.

    <i>Cruunch!!¡ª</i>

    ¡°Aaaaaaah!!¡±

    The leg deformed under the weight of his foot.

    ¡°Here!! Isn¡¯t this what you wanted?! What are you staying down so pathetically for?!¡±

    Like putting out the ashes on a cigarette, he increased the strength in his step and rubbed the tip of his foot onto Ohjin¡¯s broken ankle.

    He could see that the broken bones were tearing through Ohjin¡¯s skin and poking out.

    ¡°Stand up! Why won¡¯t you stand up and fight?!¡±

    ¡°Arg! Aaaaaahh!!¡±

    Arshad Khan thoroughly stepped on Ohjin¡¯s body.

    He made sure to give Ohjin the maximum amount of pain.

    He trampled on his arms and legs.

    ¡°Haa, haa!¡±

    Just like that, how many more minutes passed?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    At that point in time, Ohjin was not even able to scream.

    ¡°¡­Twe!¡±

    Arshad Khan spat out the blood that had built up in his mouth.

    He ended up getting more excited than necessary because of Ohjin¡¯s unexpected retaliation.

    ¡®Crazy bastard.¡¯

    A chill ran down his spine as he recalled his appearance of when Ohjin mmed down his head while screaming out in madness.

    He had faced many opponents, but not even in the Demon Realm could he see a monster that was so tenacious.

    ¡®Still¡­¡¯

    Arshad Khan calmed down his ragged breath and looked down at the unconscious Ohjin.

    It was hard to make out the original shape of his body.

    ¡®Now it¡¯s really over.¡¯

    ¡°Fu, fufu.¡±

    Laughter flowed out on its own.

    ¡°Hahahahahaha!! Finally, finally!!¡±

    An exhrating thrill.

    Rather than the feeling of triumph, the feeling of ¡®relief¡¯ that he didn¡¯t have to fight with that crazy bastard any longer preceded it.

    Afterughing for a long time¡­

    ¡°¡­How pathetic.¡±

    <i>Fuu¡ª</i>

    A deep sigh flowed out instead ofughter.

    Arshad Khan clicked his tongue and ced his hand around the seven flicks that were engraved next to his stigma.

    A 7-Star Awakener had barely won against a 4-Star Awakener, even after receiving the blessing of his celestial.

    If Cheon Doyoon found out about that fact, he would immediately deprive him of his Temr position.

    However¡­

    Despite knowing that¡ª

    ¡®Still¡­ it¡¯s over now.¡¯

    ¡ªHe couldn¡¯t suppress his lips that curved into a smile.

    <i>Drip, drip¡ª</i>

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    A cold sensation was felt on the top of his head.

    One drop, two drops.

    Droplets of rain sank into the earth.

    ¡°Now that I think of it, they said that a hurricane was set to arrive today.¡±

    He narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the sky filled with ck clouds.

    <i>Shwaaaaaaaaa!!!¡ª</i>

    Without it even being 30 seconds since the first drop, rain poured down with frightening momentum.

    ¡°Kugk!¡±

    A short grunt flowed out of Arshad Khan¡¯s mouth as rainnded on his injuries.

    ¡®Did I overdo myself?¡¯

    He slightly raised his clothes and looked down at the stigma on his left chest. Grotesque veins were popping up around the stigma of the Owl Neb.

    ¡°I should head back.¡±

    When thinking of the price that would soone for using the blessing, he needed to escape from that ce as fast as possible.

    ¡®¡­I¡¯ll need to contact that person to inform them that the operation was sessful.¡¯

    ¡ªThe one who had told them that the Lightning Wolf and the Valha guild were in a cooperative rtionship.

    He recalled the ¡®King¡¯s Delegate¡¯ that was leading the ck Star Organization in the stead of Cheon Doyoon, who didn¡¯t show himself to the world often.

    ¡®They said that they are currently in the Association.¡¯

    In that case, he needed to be careful when contacting them.

    Arshad Khan put his scimitar into his belt and turned around.

    <i>Thud, thud¡ª</i>

    He moved his feet as he stepped on the dry ground.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Something¡­

    Felt off.

    ¡®It¡¯s¡­ dry?¡¯

    He stretched his hand out onto the ground.

    Dry dirt slipped down through the spaces in his fingers.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    How could ¡®dry dirt¡¯ appear inside that fierce downpour?

    As he looked around the surroundings, he could confirm that it wasn¡¯t happening on that one spot, but the entire area.

    Yeah.

    As if¡­

    <b>The pouring rainwater was getting absorbed by something.</b>

    ¡°Where¡­ are you going?¡±

    ¡°¡­..!!!!!¡±

    Arshad Khan turned his body around in great haste.

    ¡°W-What. H-How¡­?¡±

    He looked at Ohjin, who was slowly getting back on his feet with his eyes wide open.

    ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t calcte this happening.¡±

    <i>Stumble, stumble¡ª</i>

    Ohjin got up.

    He stepped on the ground with his broken legs.

    <i>Crunch, crunch!¡ª</i>

    As if a recording was yed in reverse, his legs that were twisted at freakish angles found their original ce.

    The broken leg bones that pierced out of his skin retracted themselves back into his flesh.

    ¡°Well, you received the ck Star¡¯s Blessing or whatever, so shouldn¡¯t I have this kind of blessing as well?¡±

    <i>Bubble, bubble¡ª</i>

    New skin grew on the surface of his flesh.

    Both of his cut arms returned to their original appearance like it never happened in the first ce.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    Ohjin spread his arms out wide towards the rain that was pouring down.

    Cold droplets hit his skin.

    He gently closed his eyes and received the rain with his entire body.

    [The surroundings are filled with the energy of water.]

    [ The effects of ¡¶Water Affinity Lv MAX¡· increase dramatically!]

    ¡°Back then¡­ you said it was the time of owls, right?¡±

    Baring his pure white teeth, heughed.

    He slowly opened his closed eyes.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°From now on¡­¡±

    <b>¡°¡ªIt¡¯s the time of the Lightning Wolf.¡±</b>

    Underneath the ck sky that was covered by thick clouds¡­

    A pair of azure eyes gleamed ferociously.

 Chapter 66: Heavy Rain (8)

    <b>¡ù Caution ¡ù</b>

    <b>This chapter is gory.</b>

    ¡°Wh-What?¡±

    <i>Thud, thud¡ª</i>

    Without even being able to close his widened mouth, Arshad Khan took steps back as he looked at Ohjin, who was regenerating like a video ying in reverse.

    ¡°Impossible!!!¡±

    It couldn¡¯t happen.

    It shouldn¡¯t happen.

    It was supposed to be over.

    He had been relieved because it was finally all over, but¡­

    <i>¡®Why?¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®How?¡¯</i>

    ¡°Just how?!! Why are you able to stand up?!!!¡± he roared out.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be disappointing if I didn¡¯t have a second phase when even mini-bosses do?¡±

    Ohjin cackled out and moved his feet.

    Although his wire shooter and spear were both destroyed during the fight¡ª

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªthe stigma of Lyra was still shining radiantly on the left side of his chest.

    ¡°Kugk¡­!¡±

    Arshad Khan¡¯s face distorted roughly as he created a tornado of ck feathers once again.

    ¡°Kahk! A-Auhuaaaah!!!¡±

    His body twisted as he shouted out a scream full of pain.

    <i>Crack! Crunch!¡ª</i>

    Veins sprouted out around his entire body with the gruesome sound of bones cracking. Wrinkles started to rise on his face, and what originally was firm, copper skin rapidly shriveled. His back curved, and the solid muscles on his arms and legs turned soft.

    In an instant, he looked 20¡ªno, 30 years older.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    That kind of sudden aging didn¡¯t happen from using a stigma¡¯s power excessively.

    ¡®It¡¯s as if¡­¡¯

    Arshad Khan drew out power at the price of his ¡®lifespan¡¯.

    ¡°Is this perhaps¡­ the price of the ¡®blessing¡¯?¡±

    Ohjinughed in disappointment.

    Fundamentally, the price of granting blessings was shouldered by the celestial.

    It was because the Commandment¡¯s Restriction was obstructing not the Awakener but the celestial.

    But an Awakener that received a blessing turning into that horrifying state meant¡­

    ¡®Instead of taking it themselves, they put the burden on the apostle.¡¯

    Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t be able to offload 100% of the burden on the apostle.

    After all, if that was possible, all members of the ck Star Organization would go around receiving the ck Star¡¯s blessing.

    In any case¡­

    His celestial was only able to grant a blessing to an apostle by making them pay a ¡®price¡¯.

    ¡°I guess that the Star of the Owl Neb is nothing much.¡±

    ¡®Compare that with my Goddess.¡¯

    ¡°Shut up!!¡± Arshad Khan fiercely shouted out as he swung his scimitar.

    <i>Ttututututu!!¡ª</i>

    The ck feathers poured down together with the rain and aimed at Ohjin.

    <i>Ba-ba-ba-ba-bang!!!¡ª</i>

    Terrifying explosions struck down on Ohjin.

    Ohjinughed out loud and received it with his body.

    Swept by the explosions, his body became a wreck in an instant.

    ¡°Didn''t you hear me?¡±

    <i>Crunch! Crack!¡ª</i>

    His broken bones found their original ce.

    Oxidized ck flesh rapidly regenerated.

    ¡°From now on¡ªIt¡¯s the time of the Lightning Wolf.¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    He kicked off.

    Throwing his body into the tornado of ck feathers, he swung his clenched fist.

    <i>Bam!¡ª</i>

    His fist, wrapped in blue lightning, was flung back after being blocked by the ck feathers.

    ¡°Ha, hahaha!!!!¡±

    Arshad Khan exploded out in loudughter.

    ¡°No matter how fast your body regenerates, it¡¯s all meaningless if your attacks don¡¯t work!¡±

    Indeed.

    As he said, it was currently impossible to pierce through the tornado of ck feathers.

    ¡°Feel the almighty strength of the Owl Neb!!¡±

    <i>Ttutututu!!¡ª</i>

    The ck feathers violently pushed back Ohjin.

    Squeezing out his mana, he swung his fist at the tornado of ck feathers, but he was still unable to prate through and touch Arshad Khan.

    ¡°You getting old hasn¡¯t changed the fact you talk too much.¡±

    <i>Twe¡ª</i>

    Ohjin spat out the blood built up in his mouth and smiled.

    ¡®If I can¡¯t break through that tornado in one go¡­¡¯

    Wasn¡¯t the answer simple?

    ¡®I just need to strike it until I can.¡¯

    <i>Bzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª</i>

    He engulfed his fist in Lightning mes and swung it.

    Unable to break through the tornado of ck feathers, the bones in his fist broke and ripped out of his skin.

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    Inside of the violently raging rainstorm, broken bones weren''t even that big of an injury.

    ¡®One more time.¡¯

    He swung his fist.

    ¡®One more time.¡¯

    Continuously.

    ¡®One more time.¡¯

    Without stop.

    <i>Bang!! Bang!! Baaang!!!¡ª</i>

    The tornado of ck feathers that twirled around Arshad Khan started to shake.

    ¡°Ah, ahh.¡±

    With his mouth agape, Arshad Khan¡¯s body started to tremble.

    ¡°S-Stay back.¡±

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!!¡ª</i>

    Like mming the tightly closed door of a castle with a battering ram, the fist engulfed in blue mes pummeled the ck feathers.

    Every time the tornado shook, fear prated Arshad Khan.

    ¡°I-I said stay back.¡±

    ¡®Why?¡¯

    ¡®Just how¡­ is he able to swing his fists so relentlessly?¡¯

    ¡°Y-You bastard!!¡±

    Arshad Khan could understand Ohjin¡¯s injuries rapidly regenerating.

    However¡­

    That didn¡¯t mean that ¡®pain¡¯ would disappear, did it?

    ¡°C-Can you not feel pain?!¡±

    ¡°The fuck are you talking abou? I feel like I''m going to die from pain right now.¡±

    Ohjin frowned as he swung his fist.

    Every time he touched the tornado of ck feathers¡ª

    His fingernails cracked, his fingers broke, and his wrist twisted.

    Blood vessels, muscles, and bones tangled up and tore away.

    It was painful¡­

    ¡­To the point where it was hard to maintain consciousness.

    ¡­To the point where he wondered if he would go crazy.

    It hurt.

    However¡ª

    <i>Baang!!¡ª</i>

    ¡ªOhjin didn¡¯t stop swinging his fist.

    Every time his ruined arm regenerated, he concentrated mana into it and swung it.

    ¡°Th-Then how?¡±

    Arshad Khan looked at Ohjin with his face pale from fear.

    If it wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t feel pain¡­

    How was he able to continue swinging his fists like that?

    ¡ªImagine it.

    ¡ªSwinging your fist with all your might towards a shield covered with sharp thorns.

    ¡ªShoving your hand into a blender filled with sharp des with your own will.

    Even if the injury was regenerated¡­

    Who would be able to repeat such an insane act?

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡±

    Ohjin put on a smirk and swung his fist at the tornado of ck feathers.

    -Ring!

    [You have maintained your mana in an extreme state without losing consciousness!]

    [¡¶Lightning&Thunder Lv7¡· has increased to ¡¶Lightning&Thunder Lv8¡·.]

    [¡¶Lightning mes Lv2¡· has increased to ¡¶Lightning mes Lv3¡·.]

    [Warning! Damage on your body has umted to a severe degree!]

    [The penalty ¡®Pain Amplification¡¯ will be endowed if the damage continues!]

    A red message box followed up a blue one.

    It was a relief.

    ¡®It would have been troublesome if it was a penalty that restricted movement.¡¯

    Ohjin cackled out and clenched the fist that had just regenerated.

    <i>Bang!!!¡ª</i>

    Once more¡ª

    Ohjin swung his fist at the tornado of ck feathers.

    The tornado started to shake precariously.

    ¡°Arrrrgh!!¡±

    ¡®Is this the pain amplification penalty the system warned about?¡¯

    Pain that was even more intense than a moment ago rode up his arm and spread out.

    If the pain until then was like mming down a hammer on his arm, it was now like crushing it down with weights on top of that.

    ¡°Kh-huhu!! Fuck. This kinda hurts a lot.¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°Hmpf!!¡±

    <i>Bang!!¡ª</i>

    He swung his fist.

    He swung his fist.

    He swung his fist.

    [You have maintained your mana in an extreme state without losing consciousness!]

    [¡¶Lightning&Thunder Lv8¡· has increased to ¡¶Lightning&Thunder Lv9¡·.]

    [¡¶Lightning mes Lv3¡· has increased to ¡¶Lightning mes Lv4¡·.]

    He ignored the pain.

    Ignoring pain wasn¡¯t anything too difficult for him.

    ¡°Y-You crazy son of a bitch,¡± Arshad Khan spoke with a frightened voice.

    For Ohjin, his words were hard to understand.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    ck feathers scattered out and started to drop down.

    The end was near.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like this is something that difficult.¡±

    That¡¯s right.

    Enduring pain wasn¡¯t that hard.

    <i>Bang!! Baang! Bang!!¡ª</i>

    Most of the ck feathers had fallen down.

    Ohjin started to see Arshad Khan, who was hidden inside the feathers.

    ¡°Wh-What are you talking about!! What¡¯s not difficult about that!!!¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t difficult.¡±

    <i>Bang!!¡ª</i>

    One more time¡­

    He swung his fist.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it something you can just endure?¡±

    That¡¯s right.

    No matter how painful¡­

    No matter how agonizing¡­

    It would be solved once it was endured.

    It could be ovee once it was withstood.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it something you can just withstand?¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    Ohjin looked back.

    Jang Sukho, who was copsed on the ground and squirming like a bug, came into his view.

    Would a daye when his problems would be solved once he endured them?

    Would his dead sone back to life once he withstood it?

    <i>Bang! Bang!! Baang!!!¡ª</i>

    He swung his fist.

    He didn¡¯t stop.

    There was no reason to stop.

    Suddenly, a memory crossed his mind.

    A memory from six years ago¡­

    Ha-eun wasid down on a hospital bed.

    He remembered how she shook from the unfamiliar darkness when the light in both her eyes was lost.

    He remembered the deep sense of helplessness he felt back then.

    No matter how much he held on, no matter how much he endured, no matter how much he withstood¡­

    Things that were lost wouldn¡¯te back on their own.

    ¡®This is easypared to back then.¡¯

    Agony could be ignored.

    Pain could be endured.

    <b>¡°If it¡¯s a problem that can be solved by enduring¡ªit¡¯s nothing.¡±</b>

    Because the world he lived in¡­

    Was overflowing with problems that couldn¡¯t be solved with endurance

    <i>Boooooooom!!!¡ª</i>

    The tornado of ck feathers exploded.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Arshad Khan crouched down on the ground and looked up at Ohjin with his face colored in fear.

    There was a ck sky.

    Inside that deep darkness where not even starlight could be seen¡­

    Only a pair of azure eyes shone.

    ¡°D-Devil.¡±

    Why was it that the figure of Ohjin, who stood with the ck sky ced behind him, felt not like a human but seemed to be something else entirely.

    ¡°Ah, uh.¡±

    He crawled on the ground and tried to escape.

    ¡°U-Uaaaaaaaaah!!¡± he disgracefully screamed out.

    Not even a slimmer of Arshad Khan¡¯s original arrogant and domineering attitude could be found.

    <i>Thud, thud¡ª</i>

    The low sound of footsteps was heard.

    They were the footsteps of a monster.

    ¡°Fuck you, calling a normal person a devil.¡±

    Ohjin gently stepped on Arshad Khan¡¯s head, who was crawling on the ground.

    ¡°A devil would have given up and died right away.¡±

    If he was a devil¡­

    If he was a non-human being that couldn¡¯t feel any suffering or sadness¡­

    Would there be a reason to cling so desperately onto life even while his entire body broke down?

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m human that I endure despite my life being this fucking tiresome.¡±

    <i>Squash!¡ª</i>

    Arshad Khan¡¯s head caved like a watermelon as he applied pressure.

    Although he wanted to kill him in a more cruel manner when he thought about the things he had done¡ª

    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±

    ¡ªthe state of his body wasn¡¯t put up for it.

    Ohjin felt like he would lose consciousness the instant he loosened up just a little bit.

    But still¡­

    ¡®There¡¯s¡­ still something I have to do.¡¯

    <i>Shwaaaaaaa!¡ª</i>

    The pouring rainwater ran down his face and gathered at the end of his chin.

    One drop, two drops.

    The droplets fell down and dispersed into the muddy water.

    A many in the muddy water.

    ¡°Ah, uh.¡±

    ¡­With his crushed two legs.

    ¡­With his crushed two eyes.

    Grasping onto a thin thread of hope.

    He was holding onto dear life.

    ¡°H-Have you¡­ defeated Arshad Khan?¡± he asked with a shaky voice.

    ¡°Yeah. I won.¡±

    ¡°Ha, haha! I-I couldn¡¯t imagine that¡­ the Lightning Wolf¡­ was¡­ this strong.¡±

    Jang Sukho¡¯s lips curved into a smile.

    ¡°¡­And.¡±

    Ohjin looked up.

    <i>Shwaaaaaaaa¡ª</i>

    Walking through the pouring rain, he approached Jang Sukho.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I have to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±

    Jang Sukho¡¯s voice trembled from uneasiness.

    It was as if the thread of hope he was holding onto desperately would sever.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Ohjin looked down at Jang Sukho¡¯s trembling body.

    As per usual,

    lies slipped from his mouth.

    ¡°I found him.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Jang Sukho¡¯s voice shook.

    ¡°Your son, I found him. Those bastards were holding onto him.¡±

    ¡°I-Is that really true?!¡± he shouted out with a voice full of joy.

    ¡°H-Hyunwoo¡­ is over there?¡±

    Jang Sukho crawled across the ground.

    Even if his son was actually there, he wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything due to his crushed eyes.

    But despite that¡ª

    He crawled across the ground up to right in front of him.

    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s unconscious right now and¡­ ah, wait just a moment.¡±

    Ohjin ced his hands on his neck.

    He recalled the sound of the brightughter that rang out from the recording Jang Sukho showed him.

    ¡®I wasn¡¯t able to hear much other than the sound of hisugh, but¡­¡¯

    That was fine.

    Even with just the sound of hisughter, it was enough to infer and imitate what the child''s voice sounded like.

    After all, imitating others'' voices was his specialty since a long time ago.

    ¡®There¡¯s also this.¡¯

    <i>Kuruk¡ª</i>

    His Adam¡¯s apple wriggled meticulously and went past his uv.

    Transformation.

    If he utilized the trait he had obtained recently from defeating Choi Jungchul, he would be able to recreate the voice of Sukho¡¯s son with even more precision.

    ¡°D¡­Dad?¡±

    Through the pouring rain¡­

    Echoed out the voice of a boy who sounded like he had just woken up.

    ¡°H-Hyunwoo?¡± asked Jang Sukho with a trembling voice.

    ¡°Dad? A-Are you really dad?¡±

    ¡°H-Hyunwoo!! Hyunwoo!!¡±

    ¡°D-Dad¡­ Y-Your body!¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Jang Sukho¡¯s lips that were raised brightly rapidly went down.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Hyunwoo.¡±

    ¡°D-Dad? What do you mean? Why are you sorry?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Gently.

    He bit his lips.

    ¡°Daddy¡¯s body¡­ hurts too much, so he¡¯ll have to sleep soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sleep?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Hyunwoo¡­ when you¡¯re sick, don¡¯t you get better right after waking up?¡±

    ¡°Th-Then will dad get better right away as well?¡±

    A doleful smile hung on his lips.

    ¡°No¡­ because daddy¡­ is very sick, he needs to sleep for a long time.¡±

    ¡°¡­How long?¡±

    ¡°I wonder. When Hyunwoo bes all grown up¡­ Then¡­ Then daddy will be able to get up.¡±

    ¡°Will it happen once I graduate primary school?¡±

    ¡°Ha, haha! No¡­ A little longer¡­¡±

    ¡°Th-Then up to middle school?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    As if forcefully holding something in¡­

    Jang Sukho furrowed his brow.

    ¡°No¡­ It¡¯ll take¡­ longer than that,¡± he wrung out.

    ¡°However¡­ I will¡­ make sure to return. To meet my little Hyunwoo¡­ by all means.¡±

    ¡°Okay!! Then I¡¯ll wait until then! I¡¯ll even study hard!¡±

    The sound of his clear shout was muffled by the sound of rain.

    ¡°Hyunwoo¡­ there¡¯s¡­ a big brother next to you, right?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah!¡±

    ¡°Follow him¡­ and listen to his words well, and¡­¡±

    His voice¡­

    ¡­Started to fade.

    ¡°You need¡­ to stay healthy, alright?¡±

    Liquid ran down Jang Sukho¡¯s cheek.

    Was it blood, rain, or tears?

    Ohjin didn¡¯t know.

    He would never find out, either.

    ¡°My Hyunwoo¡­¡±

    <i>Shiver¡ª</i>

    He held out his hand.

    ¡°Before I go to sleep¡­ I want to¡­ hold Hyunwoo¡¯s hand for thest time.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a difficult request.

    <i>Crunch, crack¡ª</i>

    Ohjin used Transformation and reduced the size of his hand.

    He lightly grasped Jang Sukho¡¯s shaking hand.

    His palm was cold.

    Cold to the point of freezing.

    ¡°Ha, haha.¡±

    A dry smile sprouted on Jang Sukho¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°What¡­ a relief¡­.¡±

    His dry smile became soaked in the falling rain.

    ¡°My Hyunwoo¡­ is safe¡­¡±

    The rainwater that soaked his lips flowed down his chin and permeated into the ground.

    ¡°R¡­ Relief¡­¡±

    <i>Tap¡ª</i>

    Jang Sukho¡¯s hand fell down.

    His voice was never heard again.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    <i>Swaaaaaaaah!¡ª</i>

    From the ck sky¡­

    Heavy raindrops were still pouring down.

 Chapter 67: Heavy Rain (9)

    <strong>Chapter 67: Heavy Rain (9)</strong>

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    Taking in the pouring rain, he took a moment to catch his breath.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He released his transformation while looking down at Jang Sukho¡¯s corpse.

    His hand that was reduced to the size of a small child¡¯s returned to its original appearance.

    Tremble¡ª

    His right arm shivered like a quaking aspen.

    Was it because too many internal injuries had umted?

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t even clench my fists properly.¡±

    Despite his injuries being regenerated, intense pain still remained.

    ¡®I guess it isn¡¯t an omnipotent skill.¡¯

    Nevertheless, just being able to regenerate his body to a good condition when it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if he had died right away was amazing.

    Water Affinity¡­

    A skill he originally thought was useless had potential that far exceeded his imagination.

    ¡®There are more reasons to gather stigmas now.¡¯

    Now that he had gotten a proper taste of the effects of abination skill, he started to consider absorbing stigmas more actively.

    ¡®Combination skills also start out with Max Lv.¡¯

    The fact that they had no more potential to develop was unfortunate, but there was also the merit of not needing to pay attention to their proficiency.

    ¡°Well, th¡ªArgh!¡±

    A sudden burning pain started to stir up in his body.

    The pain wasn¡¯ting from his arm but from the left side of his chest.

    ¡®If it¡¯s my chest¡­¡¯

    Perhaps¡­

    ¡°¡­Ha.¡±

    Ohjin lifted up his tattered clothes and observed his stigma.

    Five flicks were shining radiantly next to the stigma of Lyra.

    ¡°Vega¡¯s going to be surprised again once she sees this.¡±

    Around two months had passed since he had reached 4-Star during the spar with Riak.

    Quite a lot of incidents happened during that time, but even when considering that, it was hard to believe that he had reached 5-Star in just two months.

    ¡®5-Star, huh.¡¯

    5-Star was when you started to get regarded as a mid-rank Awakener.

    You were able to receive a fair amount of attention wherever you went.

    ¡®But that¡¯s in the case of insignificant stigmas.¡¯

    The more powerful the strength of the stigma, the harder it was to raise the ¡®star¡¯.

    In the case of the 12 Zodiacs, reaching 5-Star would allow you to take the position of an executive in just about every guild.

    ¡®If it¡¯s a North Star¡¯s stigma¡­¡¯

    Would they have to hand over the position of Guild Leader?

    ¡°Well¡­ there¡¯s still a long way to go.¡±

    Generally, you were able to live a luxurious lifestyle with just being a 5-Star alone, but when he considered the road he would have to walk down in the future, 5-Star was far from enough.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin looked down at Jang Sukho¡¯s corpse while clenching and unclenching his hands.

    ¡®I need to get stronger.¡¯

    He needed to grow until there was no one who was able to look down on him¡­

    So that he could live whilst telling the truth..

    And in order for that¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll eat everything up.¡±

    He held out his hand towards Arshad Khan¡¯s corpse.

    ¡®ck Heaven.¡¯

    The ck clouds swallowed up the stigma of the Owl Neb.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    A stunning amount of mana rode the ck clouds and flowed into his fingertips.

    ¡®He was a 7-Star Awakener?¡¯

    Counting the number of flicks engraved on Arshad Khan¡¯s chest, his lips curved up.

    Ohjin could start to understand why people said there was an immense difference every time the stage of a ¡®star¡¯ went up.

    ¡®Even the quality itself is different.¡¯

    If that was the power of a 7-Star, he started to wonder what an 8-Star would be like.

    And what about a 9-Star, which was when you started to be recognized as a ¡®high-rank¡¯ Awakener?

    ¡°Well¡­ this bastard was probably considerably stronger than other 7-Stars.¡±

    In addition, he had also received a blessing from his celestial.

    At that point, it was honestly safe to say that he had won against not a 7-Star, but an 8-Star Awakener.

    ¡®A 4-Star winning in a fight against an 8-Star.¡¯

    He forced out a chuckle.

    ¡°I won¡¯t even be able to brag about this.¡±

    People that heard would most likely tell him to stop spouting nonsense and cuss him out.

    Rumble, rumble¡ª

    The ck Heaven¡¯s energy that crawled out of his hand wriggled its tendrils like it had eaten a satisfying meal and returned back inside his body.

    And then¡ª

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Thump¡ª

    ¡ªA scorching pain burned the inside of his head.

    Visions appeared in front of his eyes.

    -Hmm. Are you saying the Lightning Wolf and the Valha guild are in a cooperative rtionship?

    -Yes. Lee Woohyuk will most likely request help from the Lightning Wolf.

    ¡ªA memory of someone sharing a conversation over the phone.

    ¡®This is¡­?¡¯

    Ohjin furrowed his brow.

    The memories that flowed into his head weren¡¯t from Lee Shinhyuk.

    ¡®Arshad Khan.¡¯

    They were his memories.

    * * *

    -Just when I thought we were finally going to destroy the Association Chairman¡¯s lineup, that guy intervened all of a sudden. Han Joonman has also been poking his nose here and there¡­ I was nning to observe a little longer, with him being North Star¡¯s apostle and all, but now I think it¡¯d be best in several ways to end him here.

    ¡®Association Chairman¡¯s lineup?¡¯

    ¡®Han Joonman?¡¯

    ¡®What is this?¡¯

    Ohjin furrowed his brow.

    ¡®Are there factions within the Association? And if so, is one of those factions made of the members from the ck Star Organization?¡¯

    ¡®So that¡¯s why my rtionship with the Valha guild was known to them.¡¯

    It felt like the puzzle pieces were finally clicking into ce.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Without a reprieve to mull over his questions, memories continued to push in.

    -I understand. King¡¯s Delegate. Following yourmand, I will eliminate him.

    -Hahaha! Indeed, there aren¡¯t many people as reliable as you. You¡¯repletely different from Yujin.

    -Please do notpare me with that fool.

    The edge of his lip tilted up as he continued.

    -By the way¡­ what¡¯s going on in Italy?

    -Ahh, you¡¯re talking about the ¡®Queen of Leeches¡¯, correct?

    A fed-up voice was heard across the phone.

    -Don¡¯t even mention it. That crazy bitch is doing whatever she wants. The news has even reached the ¡®Demon Realm¡¯.

    -Is there nothing we can do?

    -No matter how crazy the Queen of Leeches is, she¡¯s still ranked 3rd out of the Executors. It¡¯s hard to take measures directly.

    -Then¡­

    -Well, we¡¯ve still prepared countermeasures.

    -Countermeasures?

    -Fufu. Poison should be dealt with by poison.

    A voice rang out clearly.

    With the faint sounds of an immature child¡¯s chatter¡ª

    ¡°Mmmh!¡°

    ¡ªhis distorted sight returned back to normal.

    -Ring!

    [Part of Awakener Arshad Khan was sessfully inherited.]

    [¡¶ck Feather Armor Lv3¡·has been acquired.]

    [¡¶ck Feather Explosion Lv5¡·has been acquired.]

    Blue messages appeared in front of his eyes in session.

    [The acquired skills will transform due to the influence of the stigma of Lyra.]

    [¡¶ck Feather Armor Lv3¡·has transformed into¡¶Lightning Feather Armor Lv3¡·]

    [¡¶ck Feather Explosion Lv5¡·has transformed into¡¶Lightning Feather Explosion Lv5¡·]

    ¡°¡­So they¡¯ll match the stigma and transform automatically.¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes as he read the blue message windows.

    ¡®Now that I think of it, Transmission never said that it¡¯d only happen with Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories.¡¯

    He had obtained Arshad Khan¡¯s memories this time.

    ¡°¡­That was quite a lot of information.¡±

    Putting aside Italy and the so-called Queen of Leeches for the moment, the fact that members of the ck Star Organization were hiding inside the Association was an issue that couldn¡¯t be ignored.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to talk about this with Joonman.¡¯

    As he was brought up in the memories, he was highly likely to know something.

    ¡°So that¡¯s everything for now¡ª¡±

    Rumble!!¡ª

    ck clouds explosively shot out of Ohjin¡¯s left chest.

    The thick clouds scattered out wide like a blooming flower and slowly permeated into his body.

    ¡°Or not.¡±

    A forced chuckle flowed out of Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s conditions for the fourth awakening have all been aplished!]

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s fourth awakening is starting!]

    Reaching the 5-Star rank followed up by the fourth awakening.

    ¡®It was tough, but I earned a lot.¡¯

    Though that didn¡¯t mean he would want to experience it once again.

    [Quests are now activated due to the fourth awakening!]

    ¡°¡­Hm?¡±

    ¡®Quests?¡¯

    [Quest ¨C Star-Devouring Devil of the Sky¢Ù]

    Objective: Absorb starstones to open the ck Heaven. (Completion: 0%)

    Reward: Obtain a random ¡®Ancient Constetion¡¯.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head as he looked at the quest window that appeared in front of his eyes.

    ¡®Ancient constetion?¡¯

    He had never heard of that title in his life.

    ¡®Hm¡­ I¡¯ll have to ask Vega about this.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t something he could figure out at the moment anyways.

    ¡°Fourth awakening, huh¡­¡±

    Crack! Crackle!!¡ª

    Ohjin slightly stirred up his mana and created lightning.

    The lightning zed up with blue lights that were a shade deeper than usual.

    ¡®As expected.¡¯

    The stigma of Lyra¡¯s power increased with the ck Heaven¡¯s awakening stage.

    ¡®If the awakening stage continues to increase in the future¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine how much stronger I¡¯ll get.¡¯

    A deep smile was put on Ohjin¡¯s face.

    ¡°By the way¡­¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and looked around.

    He stood still and waited for a moment, but nothing changed.

    ¡®Why isn¡¯t iting?¡¯

    What could be said to be the most important reward for him¡­

    The memories of Lee Shinhyuk didn¡¯t flow into his head.

    As he looked around with eyes full of question¡ª

    [The records of Awakener Arshad Khan and Awakener Lee Shinhyuk colliding has caused part of Awakener Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s records to be lost.]

    [The ck Heaven will automatically restore the records needed for Transmission.]

    [¡®Transmission¡¯ will proceed ording to the progression of the restoration.]

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    It appeared that their memories had collided when two ¡®Transmissions¡¯ happened simultaneously.

    ¡®Well¡­ it says that it¡¯ll get recovered automatically.¡¯

    As long as it didn¡¯t disappear forever, there wasn¡¯t much reason for him to care.

    ¡°Then, should I start to head back?¡±

    After removing all the message windows, he moved his feet.

    Thud!¡ª

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Without even being able to make a proper step, he slipped down onto the ground.

    ¡®Damn.¡¯

    The state of his body was so bad that he couldn¡¯t even walk properly.

    ¡®Water Affinity is limited to recovering external wounds, after all.¡¯

    Though it couldn¡¯t be seen, the interior of his body was most likely in aplete mess.

    Ohjin put on a bitter smile and put strength into his shaking legs.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Before heading off, he turned back and looked down at Jang Sukho¡¯s corpse for thest time.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Shwaaaaaaa¡ª

    He walked away through the pouring rain.

    * * *

    Creak¡ª

    He managed to open the front door and went inside.

    ¡°Hey! Gwon Ohjin!¡±

    A weing voice was heard.

    His fatigued lips slowly curled up.

    ¡°Where did you go without te¡ª¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s face severely stiffened as she came out of the adjoining room.

    ¡°Y-You, what happened to you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ha-eun.¡±

    Stagger, stagger¡ª

    Without having the leisure to clean up his rain-drenched body, he approached her.

    Raising his hand, he touched her face.

    It was warm.

    A pr opposite to Jang Sukho¡¯s ice-cold hands¡­

    It was filled with warmth.

    ¡°Ohjin¡­?¡±

    Her russet eyes looked up at him.

    An indescribable sense of relief spread out across his entire body.

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡°Kyaa! Wh-What?!¡±

    Embracing her body, he copsed in front of the front door.

    ¡°¡­Just for a moment.¡±

    He didn¡¯t expect much.

    He didn¡¯t want the world.

    He simply wanted for the warmth in his embrace¡ª

    ¡°Stay like this for me.¡±

    ¡ªto never get swept away by the rain.

 Chapter 68: Mind, Technique, Body (1)

    It hurt.

    It really hurt.

    To add a little exaggeration, the pain was as if he had been struck right between the balls by a ser ball kicked with all of one''s might.

    But at least that pain was temporary.

    His just wouldn¡¯t end.

    ¡°Guaaaaaaaaah.¡±

    A wretched scream like that from thest survivor of an ancient vampire race who was thrown off into the sunlight after getting captured by hunters at the end of a relentless pursuit escaped his mouth.

    [Hmpf. You idiot.]

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    Ohjin looked towards the familiar voice he heard above him.

    ¡°Ve¡­ga?¡±

    He saw gold eyes and beautiful silver hair that looked to be made out of condensed starlight.

    The Goddess with a breathtakingly beautiful appearance was softly looking down at him.

    [Have youe to your senses?]

    Vega¡¯s gentle touch rested on his head.

    It was not her shrunken doll-sized hand but the full-sized one.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    Ohjin looked around to see if he was in the sanctum, but where hey was in the new house Ha-eun bought.

    ¡°How are you in that form¡­?¡±

    [Let¡¯s talk about thatter.]

    Vega gently pressed down on Ohjin¡¯s head as he tried to get up.

    [Rest easy for the time being.]

    He felt a snug sensation on the back of his head as heid back down.

    ¡®Wait.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t notice at first, as he had just woken up, but he realized what he was resting his head on was not a pillow but Vega¡¯sp.

    ¡®What situation is this¡­¡¯

    Thest memory he had was managing to enter the house after the fight with Arshad Khan.

    He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed from then, but he couldn¡¯t imagine that he would be lying on Vega¡¯sp by the time he woke up.

    ¡°What¡¯s going¡ª¡±

    [Didn¡¯t I tell you to rest easy for the time being?]

    Vega lightly pinched his cheek while talking as if she were admonishing a child that caused trouble.

    [Seriously¡­]

    Her voice deepened.

    [Despite thisdy¡¯s constant request, you always overexert yourself.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    This time around, he really had no words to say. After all, his life had wandered the gates of death.

    [<i>Pshaw</i>, you bad child.]

    <i>Stretch¡ª</i>

    Vega stretched out his cheek.

    [Haa.]

    She sighed deeply.

    Lightly messing up Ohjin¡¯s hair, she smiled faintly.

    [Even though you caused this much trouble, my intent to scold you has disappeared now that you''ve opened your eyes¡­ Have you cast a spell on thisdy or something?]

    She patted his head endlessly with a caring smile.

    ¡°Uh, um.¡±

    As hey till while receiving Vega¡¯s touch, he seriously felt like he turned into some three-year-old baby.

    ¡®Is this¡­ a mother¡¯s touch?¡¯

    <i>Mommy Vega.</i>

    ¡®Urgh.¡¯

    His insides churned from the word that suddenly shed across his head.

    In any case, it was true that her touch felt good; it helped him forget about the horrifying pain.

    ¡°I''m fi¡ªargh!¡±

    However, it appeared that it was still too early for him to move.

    When he put strength into his hips in an attempt to get up, an intense pain spread across his body.

    [Mhm. You shouldn¡¯t move.]

    Vega pulled down Ohjin¡¯s shoulders andid him down once again.

    [Or is there something you need?]

    ¡°Hm? No, it isn¡¯t that.¡±

    ¡®It just feels like I¡¯ll lose something important as a human if I stayid down like this.¡¯

    [Oh yeah, now that I think of it, you must be thirsty.]

    Vega raised the cup ced on the table next to the bed and ced it by his mouth.

    [This is thisdy¡¯s holy water. Drink as much as you want.]

    ¡®Uh¡­ that seriouslyes off the wrong way.¡¯

    [Fufu. I¡¯m just kidding. It¡¯s normal water.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Vega supported the back of his head and tilted the cup.

    The cold water ran down his throat.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    Was it because he had been unconscious for a long period of time? The refreshing water felt like it was permeating into each one of his cells.

    [Have you finished drinking?]

    Vega took out tissues and thoroughly cleaned his mouth.

    "¡­"

    He was speechless from the treatment he was receiving.

    * * *

    * * *

    "¡­So what''s going on?"

    Ohjin requested an exnation of the situation while lying on Vega''sp.

    [You have been unconscious for four days.]

    "Ah."

    Being unconscious for four entire days¡­

    Well, since he woke up three days after using Exceedst time, four days could be considered a small amount of time.

    [As you didn''t wake up for an excessive amount of time, Ha-eun personally came to the sanctuary in search of me¡­ and it just so happened that the duration of the ¡®restriction'' was over, which is how I came to be in your house.]

    ¡®Aha.''

    ¡®So that''s what happened.''

    "But how are you able to stay in that form?"

    Outside the sanctum, she had always resided with her body shrunk to a size of around 30cm because of the restriction. Even with that, she was only able to stay active for three hours a day.

    [Hmm. To be honest, thisdy doesn''t know the exact reason either.]

    "You don''t know?"

    [Starting from a couple days ago¡­ that''s right, ever since the day you fainted, the Commandment''s Restriction has weakened.]

    Vega slightly raised her hand up.

    <i>Bzzzzt!¡ª</i>

    Blue lightning sparked at the tip of her hands.

    [There is now no restriction when releasing a small fraction of my strength. The time I''m able to maintain my manifestation has also increased to six hours a day¡­ Though I''m unable to keep it up for a long time, materializing my original form like this has also be possible.]

    "Hm."

    The sudden weakening of the Commandment''s Restriction¡­

    ¡®What caused it?''

    If it started on the day he fought Arshad Khan, was he the cause?

    ¡®I''ve risen to 5-Star, the ck Heaven had its fourth awakening, and the new thing called a ¡®quest''.''

    He couldn¡¯t pinpoint the cause since so many things happened at once on that day.

    ¡®It might also bepletely unrted with the times matching up by coincidence.''

    There weren''t enough grounds toe to a conclusion.

    "If the restriction has weakened, are you able to grant blessings freely from now on?"

    If that was the case, it would be extremely weing news worth being overjoyed about.

    Once again, he felt just how powerful a celestial''s blessing was in his recent fight with Arshad Khan.

    [It hasn''t weakened to that extent.]

    "Ah."

    ¡®What a shame.''

    [Hmpf! However, I''m now able to give simple assistance instead of doing nothing but watch while you fight.]

    <i>Bzzzzzt!¡ª</i>

    Vega raised her nose as the blue lightning created at the tip of her finger flickered into several forms.

    A dragon, cat, dog, wolf,plicated symbols, and even Ohjin¡¯s face.

    The lightning changed its form freely like some kind of slime.

    ¡®Damn. What the hell?''

    Ohjin¡¯s mouth opened wide.

    He couldn''t even get a grasp on how high of a realm was needed in order to handle lightning that freely.

    ¡®Though it¡¯s only natural for a celestial.''

    Nevertheless, just seeing her y around with lightning like it was nothing made him thrilled.

    "Huhu. I''ll look forward to it."

    [Fufu. Count on thisdy a little more.]

    Vega boastfully straightened her shoulders.

    "Haha! I''ll keep that in mind."

    Ohjin gently sat up while letting out lightughter.

    He could feel a slight bit of pain, but it was bearable.

    [It''s okay for you to stay down a little longer¡­]

    Vega patted herp where Ohjin''s head had been a moment ago like it was a shame.

    "I''m fine now."

    [Alright.]

    Soon after, silver light wrapped around Vega''s body, she returned back to her usual small size.

    <i>Dazzle¡ª</i>

    Floating through the air, Veganded on top of his shoulders and suddenly pped her hands.

    [Oh right, you should be careful.]

    "Hm? Be careful of what?"

    [Fufu. Isn''t there a person who''s more furious than thisdy?]

    ¡®Ah, now that I think of it¡­''

    "Where''s Ha¡ª"

    <i>Bang¡ª</i>

    The room door violently opened before he was able to finish his sentence.

    "O-Ohjin woke up?!"

    Ha-eun, who looked to have sprinted there in a rush, opened the door and entered.

    After entering the room, her eyes sharpened as she looked at Ohjin.

    "Y-You bastard!!!"

    Ha-eun grabbed his cor and violently shook his body.

    "Do you know how worried I was, you piece of shit!!"

    Tears started to build up around her right eye.

    "Sorry, Ha-eun."

    "Do you think a sorry is eno¡ª"

    "It''s noisy, lizard woman."

    Cutting off Ha-eun''s words, a silver wolf walked into the room.

    "Riak?"

    "Warriors must develop by fighting with their lives on the line. A true warrior cannot be born if you spoil him like that."

    <i>Grrr¡ª </i>

    Riak puffed out smoke from his nose.

    "¡­What¡¯s with the lizard woman?"

    Ha-eun frowned as she looked back at Riak.

    "Grrr. Aren''t you an apostle of Draco? That''s why you''re a lizard woman."

    "I have apletely fine name¡­ ¡®Song Ha-eun''."

    "Hmpf! I have no ns on memorizing the name of a mere human!"

    Riak puffed out and turned his neck around.

    "Instant noodles confiscated for a week."

    "Miss Ha-eun, you must have suffered through a hard time because of that foolish human. I understand youpletely."

    ¡®What¡¯s wrong with this guy?''

    "Why is Riak here?" Ohjin asked while looking at Vega.

    [Didn¡¯t I say that the restriction weakened? Thanks to that, my Star Spirit can now exit the sanctum and stay active.]

    "Ooh."

    [Though his strength is naturally in a very restricted state, it should be more than enough to help you.]

    Ohjin didn''t know how much of Riak''s strength was restricted, but just being with a powerful being like Riak felt like it would be a big help.

    "Hmpf. Even if my strength is restricted, I can face you with just one of my front ws!"

    Riak growled while swishing his front ws around.

    As he did those kinds of acts in his wolf form, it looked quite cute because it seemed like he was arge dog trying to act charming for its owner.

    [By the way¡­]

    Vega narrowed her eyes and pulled on Ohjin''s earlobe.

    [Can you tell us what happened on that day?]

    "I won''t let you go until you tell me every single detail."

    Ha-eun stuck right next to him and firmly held his arm.

    "Haha! Alright. I''ll exin everything, so don''t fret."

    Ohjin exined everything that happened on that day, excluding the ck Heaven.

    [Such an unfortunate event¡­]

    "Hmm. So that''s why the mood back then was so dark."

    The story of what happened to Jang Sukho made the expression of the two women stiffen as they let out sighs.

    "But did you really win against a 7-Star Awakener as your opponent?"

    "Yeah."

    "Even if you''re a North Star¡¯s apostle¡­ is the stigma of Lyra that powerful?"

    Unable to believe it, Ha-eun looked at Vega.

    [Fufu! If you are with thisdy''s stigma, the differences in ¡®stars'' can easily be ignored!!!]

    Vega boasted that with her arms crossed before suddenly sighing deeply.

    [¡ªis what I would like to say, but even as thisdy, it''s hard to believe that you defeated 7-Star Awakener.]

    It was unbelievable, even for a celestial.

    ¡®Arshad Khan wasn¡¯t really a 7-Star, he was closer to an 8-Star.''

    Ohjin chuckled.

    "Well, it was close, to be honest."

    Ohjin wouldn¡¯t have been able to win if it didn''t start raining just in time.

    [Fuu. Now that I¡¯ve heard of the situation, I can¡¯t even reprimand you for using Exceed.]

    Vega let out a deep sigh and shook her head.

    [By the way, have you really reached the 5-Star rank? It is tough for me to believe.]

    Vega got up from his shoulders and went into Ohjin¡¯s T-shirt.

    "Aaah! Y-You bitch, what are you doing!"

    Ha-eun freaked out and pulled Vega out of Ohjin¡¯s clothes.

    [Oh my, such discourteous words against a celestial.]

    "The one being discourteous is you!!"

    [Ohjin is my proud child. Examining his body is simply my duty.]

    "Nonsense!" shouted Ha-eun as she ferociously bared her teeth.

    [¡­Anyways.]

    Vega looked back at Ohjin.

    [So you''ve really risen to 5-Star]

    She shook her head in disbelief.

    "Hm. By the way, kid. Your Lightning&Thunder skill rose to level 9, right?"

    "Yeah, that''s right."

    Because he had maintained his mana in an extreme state and whatnot, the level of his skills rose explosively at once.

    "<i>Sigh</i>. You crazy monster."

    Riak clicked his tongue with a fed-up expression.

    It appeared that Ohjin¡¯s Lightning&Thunder skill bing level 9 was quite shocking news for him.

    "Anyways, train it ceaselessly. That skill is the core of the stigma of Lyra."

    "I already know."

    It wasn''t hard to tell when every other skill became easier to handle every time the Lightning&Thunder skill leveled up.

    "And once it reaches level 10¡­"

    <i>Smirk¡ª </i>

    The edge of Riak''s lips tilted up.

    "Apletely new world will unfold before you."

    "A New world?"

    Ohjin looked at Riak with interest in his eyes.

    "Is there that big of a difference between level 9 and 10?"

    "Of course. Once a skill reaches level 10, it ¡®evolves'', and an incredible reward follows with it."

    "Woah."

    ¡®So there was something like that.''

    "As rewarding as it is, it won''t be as easy to go from level 9 to 10 like in the past."

    "What will I get once it bes level 10?"

    "Fufu. I shall show it to you this one time."

    Riak smirked and took one light step back.

    "Now, watch carefully, kid."

    <i>Bzzt! Bzzzzzzt!!¡ª</i>

    Blue lightning coiled around Riak¡¯s body.

    "The powerful technique you can obtain once the skill reaches level 10¡ª"

    The blue lightning that coiled around his body started to condense by his mouth.

    "¡ªLightning mes!"

    <i>Fwoosh!¡ª</i>

    Blue mes zed fiercely around his mouth.

    "Huh?"

    ¡®Lightning mes?''

    "But I can do that as well."

    Ohjin raised his hand up.

    <i>Fwoosh!¡ª</i>

    Blue mes engulfed his hand.

    "¡­huh?"

    Riak''s mouth opened wide.

 Chapter 69: Mind, Technique, Body (2)

    <b>REAPER SCANS</b>

    ¡°I-It makes no sense!!!¡±

    Riak shouted out in an enraged voice while scratching the floor.

    Clear w prints dug into the veneer.

    ¡°Move your front ws, damn it. What are you doing in our new house?¡±

    ¡°Scam!!¡±

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    ¡°This is a scam!!!¡±

    Riak looked at Ohjin like he was the most wronged being in the world.

    ¡°You scamming bastard!!¡±

    ¡®Well, I am a scammer¡­ but being able to use Lighting mes is 100% the truth.¡¯

    ¡°Man, I showed you just now. What do you mean, <i>scam</i>?¡±

    Ohjin shoved his hand engulfed with blue mes at Riak.

    The size and rity of the blue mes were extremelycking whenpared to the ones around Riak¡¯s mouth, but the fact that the mes in his hands were ¡®Lightning mes¡¯ couldn¡¯t be denied.

    ¡°Grrr.¡±

    Riak ced his nose close to Ohjiin¡¯s hand and sniffed the smell.

    ¡°¡­Ha.¡±

    Soon, strength left his body as he shook his head.

    ¡°Even if you are the Heaven-defying Star, this is¡­¡±

    He slurred the end of his sentence in disbelief.

    ¡°Heaven-defying Star? What¡¯s that?¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head and looked at Riak.

    <i>Flinch!¡ª</i>

    ¡°K-Khm! That¡¯s just what we call those born with the destiny of a great hero!¡±

    ¡°¡­Great hero? This guy?¡±

    Ha-eun looked at Ohjin like it was ridiculous. She red out her nose and pulled on his cheek.

    ¡°Heh! Just what part of him looks like a great hero?¡±

    ¡°O.¡±

    ¡®Why do Vega and Ha-eun keep ying with my cheeks?¡¯

    ¡°Well¡­ then does that mean I won¡¯t get anything even if Lightning&Thunder bes level 10?¡±

    If Lightning mes was the reward that could be obtained once the skill was level 10, there was a chance he wouldn¡¯t receive anything because he already had it.

    ¡®This is a bit disheartening.¡¯

    Even if there was no reward, he had to train it anyway since it was the core of the stigma of Lyra.

    Still, he couldn¡¯t help the feeling of disappointment.

    ¡°Hm¡­ I¡¯m not sure about that.¡±

    Riak narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°To this date, you¡¯re the only Awakener who has received the stigma of Lyra. I¡¯ve also received the stigma from Lady Vega¡­ but you can¡¯tpare Star Spirits with Awakeners.¡±

    As he said, you couldn¡¯t put Star Spirits and Awakeners on the same ying field.

    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡±

    Riak¡¯s sharp eyes focused on Ohjin.

    ¡°If the skill bes level 10¡­ you might receive apletely different reward.¡±

    ¡°Apletely different reward?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You might receive something new that hasn''t existed until now. After all, humans are the ones with more potential than any ¡®star''."

    Putting aside humans being that great and all, the spection that he might gain something new was weing news.

    "Well, we''ll know once ites."

    Reward or not, It was a skill he had to raise anyway. If he could gain something new like Riak spected, there was nothing more he could ask for.

    Riak narrowed his eyes as he looked up at Ohjin.

    ¡®Didn¡¯t he say that he lost his memories about the stigma of Lyra''s techniques during the regression?''

    Naturally, even if his memories disappeared, there would be some parts that were subconsciously remembered.

    He was the Heaven-defying Star.

    ¡ªA hero who defied time and returned in order to rewrite destiny.

    Even when taking that into ount¡­

    ¡®Just where did such a monstere from?''

    At this point, he started to wonder how Ohjin was unable to save the world in his past life.

    "<i>Sigh</i>. Actually¡­ shouldn''t you be the Heavenly Demon?"

    "What are you talking about?"

    ¡®Huh, how did he find out?''

    "Hmpf. It''s just a figure of speech."

    Riak snorted and faced the other direction.

    "Heavenly Demon? What''s a Heavenly Demon?" asked Ha-eun with round eyes.

    "It''s nothing, lizard woman."

    "Hey, you! Didn''t I tell you to stop calling me lizard woman?"

    "Hmpf! There is no existence that canmand me other than Lady Vega!"

    Riak growled and red out his nose.

    "You cheeky little pup!"

    Ha-eun charged at Riak with anger in her eyes.

    "Kwaa! Wh-What are you doing, lizard woman!!"

    "Hyap!"

    Ha-eun got on top of him and started tickling his belly.

    "Hyup! N-Not there!!"

    "Kyahaha! So this is your weak spot!!"

    Ha-eun held onto Riak and made a scene.

    Was it because his strength was restricted? Or was it maybe because his belly was actually his weak spot?

    Riak was unable to resist as heid t on the ground while receiving Ha-eun''s touch.

    * * *

    * * *

    "Oh, right. Vega."

    [What is it?]

    "Do you know what an ancient constetion is?"

    He recalled the quest he received recently.

    [¡­Where did you hear about that from?] Vega asked, her eyes widened from surprise.

    Ohjin replied with a low voice so that Ha-eun couldn''t hear.

    "I heard it a long time ago from the Heavenly Demon. I''d forgotten about it until now and decided to ask."

    [Hmm.]

    Vega crossed her arms in silence.

    Judging from her reaction, it seemed like she knew something about the ancient constetions.

    [How much do you know about celestials?]

    "Celestials?"

    Nine years ago¡­

    They were transcendent beings that suddenly appeared along with the monsters and gates that opened around the world.

    They were the ones who turned humans into Awakeners by granting them the powers known as stigmas.

    That was just about all Ohjin knew about celestials.

    ¡®Would it be more natural for a regressor to know all about the identity of celestials?''

    There was a limit to talking about an unknown subject like it was known, even more so when the opposing party was a celestial themself.

    "I don''t know much. I didn''t have the leisure to look into it since I was busy fighting every day."

    He gave an evasive answer.

    [I see.]

    Was it because the trust built up was so thick? It didn''t seem like she suspected him.

    [Celestials are beings created with the power of a star by a giant that is known as Titan.]

    "Titan?"

    [A giant that was born with the beginning of the world. Hm¡­ to put it simply, Titan is close to being the ¡®Creator''.]

    "Uh."

    Talkin about the Creator all of a sudden¡­

    It was hard toprehend with the scale suddenly bing so vast.

    "So you''re saying that the Creator made the celestials?"

    [That is correct.]

    Vega nodded and continued.

    [Titan created celestials and managed several worlds simultaneously. The Commandments are a device put in ce to restrict celestials, who are administrators, from recklessly influencing the world.]

    When using a game as an analogy, Titan would be the developer, and the celestials would be the game moderators.

    [However¡­ in the far-away past, there was a point in time when celestials became extinct.]

    "Celestials became extinct?"

    [That''s right.]

    Just what could drive the world''s administrators made by the Creator to extinction?

    ¡®¡­Wait.''

    Perhaps¡­

    [Fufu. It looks like you''ve got the rough idea.]

    Vega put on a faint smile and continued.

    [The darkness born with the beginning of the world¡ªthe ck Heaven, devoured all of the stars in the night sky.]

    Which meant the world had already met its end once by the ck Heaven in the past.

    [Ancient constetions are what we call the celestials that were devoured by the ck Heaven back then.]

    "¡­"

    ¡®I see. So that''s why the quest''s reward is an ancient constetion.''

    It meant it would take out one of the constetions that was devoured by the ck Heaven in the far-away past and hand it over to him.

    "Then the celestials right now¡­"

    [They are new stars that were born after every star was devoured by the ck Heaven.]

    "¡­"

    Ohjin ced his hand on his forehead with his lips shut tight.

    His head heated up.

    ¡®So that''s why Vega said that the ck Heaven has the power to end the world.''

    It was only natural when the world had already met its end once because of the ck Heaven.

    ¡®This is driving me mad.''

    Even if he said that he had no ns on ending the world, he would obviously be treated like a criminal just by possessing the ck Heaven.

    ¡®And also, in reality, I did end the world in the 1st Round.''

    He had no memories, but given the circumstances, the Heavenly Demon could be nobody else but him.

    [Do you now understand what an ancient constetion is?]

    "Ah, yeah. Thanks."

    Heughed nonchntly while organizing theplicated information in his head.

    ¡®Let''s think only about the things I can and should do.''

    Whether it was the end of the world or the ck Heaven, racking his brains about them had no meaning.

    ¡®The future has already started to change.''

    From the moment Lee Shinhyuk died and from when he became a Regressor.

    A futurepletely different from the world of the 1st Round had already started to unfold.

    The important thing now was how he should traverse inside that new future.

    ¡®That''s already decided.''

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone keenly.

    He observed the surroundings.

    A new house.

    Ha-eun, who wasughing,

    Vega on top of his shoulder, Riak panting on the ground,

    And the warmth that permeated his skin¡­

    ¡®I won''t lose it.''

    Even if he had to deceive the entire world, he wouldn''t allow anyone to take away his handful of warmth.

    "Alright. Then should I go stretch my¡ª"

    [No.]

    "No way."

    Vega and Ha-eun pressed down Ohjin¡¯s shoulders and forced him back on the bed.

    [Are you unaware of the state of your body?]

    "What nonsense is someone who woke up after four days of being unconscious talking about?"

    "Uh."

    The pressure given off by the two women was too strong.

    Ohjin looked at Riak with a gaze that requested help.

    "Haa."

    Riak let out a deep sigh and approached him.

    "I do think Lady Vega and that lizard woman spoil you too much, but¡­"

    Riak narrowed his eyes.

    "Stay still this time."

    "¡­"

    Ohjin sat in silence.

    ¡®But there are still so many things left to do.''

    He didn''t have the leisure to rest.

    ¡®I need to gain power as fast as possible¡­''

    "Tch, tch, tch."

    Riak clicked his tongue and looked up at Ohjin.

    "Have you heard about ¡®Mind, Technique, Body''?"

    "Well, yeah. I''ve heard about it before."

    ¡®Isn''t that what appears in murim novels?''

    "In your case, the bnce of those three is aplete wreck."

    "My bnce is aplete wreck?"

    Riak nodded his head.

    "First of all, Mind(ÐÄ)¡­"

    He shook his head like he was fed up with it.

    "To be honest, I can''t even describe it with the word ¡®insane''. I''ve lived a long life, but I''ve never seen anyone as twisted as you."

    ¡®Huh, is he asking for a fight?''

    "There isn''t an existence that surpasses you when ites to ¡®Mind(ÐÄ)''¡ªincluding all celestials and monsters in the Demon Realm."

    "Uh¡­ okay."

    ¡®Is it to that extent¡­?''

    "Second, ¡®Technique(¼¼)''. No words are required for this. You''re a monster."

    "Are youplimenting or picking a fight with me?"

    "Both."

    <i>Hmpf¡ª</i>

    Riak puffed out.

    "The problem is ¡®Body(ów)''. Compared to your ¡®Mind'' and ¡®Technique'', your physique is extremelycking. Deeming it the ¡®worst'' is not enough."

    "Huh? It''s that bad?"

    Ohjin looked down at his body and tilted his head.

    "I still think that I trained pretty hard."

    Ohjin had never cked on body training even before awakening and had only been training even more relentlessly.

    "¡­Are you seriously unaware of the reason?"

    "Yeah."

    "<i>Sigh</i>."

    Riak let out a deep breath as if he thought Ohjin was pathetic.

    Soon, he looked back at Ha-eun.

    "Lizard woman."

    "Hm?"

    "Take off his clothes."

    "¡­What?"

    Ha-eun''s eyes opened wide.

    "T-T-Take off Ohjin''s clothes?"

    "It''s something that has to be done. Hurry up."

    "¡­"

    <i>Gulp¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun swallowed saliva.

    The edge of her lips started to go up brightly.

    "H-Ha-eun, wait!"

    "I''m only doing what he told me, okay?"

    Ha-eun smirked as she charged at Ohjin.

    [Hmpf! Thisdy will also help out!!]

    Even Vega joined in for an unknown reason.

    "Ahh!! W-Wait!! What are you doing!!!"

    Ohjin wailed out as he twisted his body, but due to his injuries, his strength failed him.

    "Now, now!!! Hurry!!! Take it off, you bastard!!!"

    "Kyaaaaaaa!"

    Ha-eun cackled out and started to take off his clothes.

    "Oh, there''s no need to take off his pants."

    "Kyahahaha!! Back!! Let''s see your back!!!!!"

    "There''s no need to take off his underwear either."

    [Ooh! It possesses the qualities of a general!]

    "Uh."

    Riak¡¯s voice could no longer reach the two women.

    T/N: "Back!! Let''s see your back!!!!!"

    Is a reference to a scene in Berserk which is a meme in Korea due to how it was tranted into Korean. (NSFW) I''ll just leave it with ¡®Donovan and Guts''.

 Chapter 70: Mind, Technique, Body (3)

    "Uh, hm."

    Riak avoided his gaze and mumbled.

    "¡­I''m sorry."

    "¡­"

    "I didn''t think that this would happen."

    Ohjin stared at Riak with fierce eyes with his naked body crouched up.

    After picking up his underwear and pants, he let out a deep sigh.

    "Haa. So what''s the problem?"

    "Look at your body."

    Ohjin straightened his arms in front of the mirror.

    Muscles like of a statue were prominent thanks to his relentless training, however¡­

    "Ah, so that''s it."

    <i>p¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun pped her hands.

    "What is it?"

    Clueless, Ohjin tilted his head.

    "Take a proper look at your body. It''s so skinny that it looks like it''s about to snap."

    "Hey, it''s not that ba¡­"

    Ohjin observed himself in the mirror once more.

    "¡­"

    "See?"

    As she said, it was just that some muscles definition. His body was actually so skinny that even his ribs could be seen clearly.

    "Yeah¡­"

    He wasn''t aware since he had be so used to it, but he came to a realization once it was pointed out.

    "Argh. I always thought you were too skinny!"

    Ha-eun smacked his back and reprimanded him.

    "¡­So what do I have to do?"

    "Why are you asking the obvious?"

    Riak headed to the drawers that were in the room and opened them with his mouth.

    <i>Ratatatatata!¡ª</i>

    The cheap calorie bars that filled the drawers gushed out.

    "First of all, throw all of these away."

    "But those are my precious provisions¡­"

    "Your body is a mess because you''re eating things like this!" shouted Riak, who then stirred up his lightning.

    <i>Bzzzzzzzt!¡ª</i>

    The blue lightning burnt the piled-up calorie bars to a crisp.

    "Ahhh!! What are you doing!!"

    Ohjin freaked out and embraced the calorie bars that had be ashes.

    "D-Do you know how many days worth of provisions these were!! It''s the superfood that allows you to survive with just two a day!!!!"

    "Haa," Riak sighed deeply.

    He looked at Ha-eun with a reproaching gaze.

    "Just how did he be like this?"

    "Uh¡­ yeah. A-About that."

    Ha-eun avoided his gaze with a perplexed expression.

    It was hard to me Ohjin when the biggest reason he became like that was herself.

    "Anyways."

    Riak continued with a stern expression.

    "Eat high-protein meat together with all kinds of vegetables from now on."

    "Huh? That''s it?"

    Ohjin asked back with a nk expression.

    He thought that the bnce of mind, technique, and body was a serious problem, but all he had to do was eat healthily.

    It was too simple.

    "It just goes to show how you''ve been neglecting something so simple until now."

    "Uhk."

    He couldn¡¯t make any excuses.

    Despite having abundant amounts of cash after obtaining the Cursed Dragon¡¯s Eye for Ha-eun, excluding special asions, he had never spent over $5 a day on food.

    ¡®Ha-eun did nag me about eating too poorly before.''

    As it was a habit that was second nature to him, it wasn¡¯t easy to fix.

    "The body is the bowl that contains ¡®Mind'' and ¡®Technique''. Why are you obsessed over the other two to near extreme levels but not the equally important bowl?"

    "¡­I have no excuses."

    He was in the wrong a hundred times over.

    As long as one was a living being, nothing gave as much of a direct influence to the body as unbnced nutrient consumption.

    "Alright! Since it''se to this, let''s eat to our heart''s content today!" shouted Ha-eun with light in her eyes.

    "Ha-eun?"

    "Kyahaha! Now that I think of it, we haven''t had our new house celebration party yet. I''ll make you something delicious so that your body recovers quickly!"

    "No. You''ll destroy every dish if you''re the one making them."

    "T-Trust me! I can cook it really well this time!"

    It was the tone of a gambler who lost all their wealth.

    Ohjin looked at Ha-eun like he didn''t believe her.

    "Goddammit! Just sit still and eat whatever I cook you, bitch!"

    <i>Swoosh, swoosh¡ª </i>

    Ha-eun swung her fists.

    "Alright, alright. Then I''ll trust in your skills this time."

    "Hehe. Of course. Stay still and trust me, okay?"

    Ha-eun raised her nose and folded up her sleeves.

    [Fufu. It looks like fun. As this is something that''s for thisdy¡¯s loving child¡­ it looks like I won''t be able to sit still!]

    Vega showed interest as light glimmered in her eyes.

    Like that, Ohjin waited for the two women to finish cooking while lying down on the bed.

    "Kyaaaa! W-Why is it like this?!"

    [Hm. Is there a need to annoyingly cook it with fire? With one blow of thisdy¡¯s lightning, it can be turned into ash.]

    "You''re not supposed to turn it into ash!!"

    Phrases that induced extreme anxiety streamed out of the kitchen.

    "¡­Riak."

    "What?"

    "Won''t eating calorie bars be better than this?"

    "¡­"

    Riak looked away and shut his lips tight.

    "Haa."

    Ohjin sighed deeply and raised himself off the bed.

    He took out the USB that he received from Jang Sukho.

    ¡®Let''s look at the information using this spare time.''

    "¡­"

    Ohjin looked down at the USB with a bitter expression.

    <i>Tch¡ª </i>

    He inserted the USB into theptop after clicking his tongue.

    "This is¡­"

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes narrowed as he read the information.

    The goal of the ck Star Organization that Jang Sukho had mentioned.

    "¡­After killing every single Awakener, they want to make all people equal Awakeners?"

    "Hah,"ughed Ohjin.

    ¡®Nice, It''s easy to understand.''

    Would there exist a n that was as direct as that one?

    <i>Drrr¡ª</i>

    He scrolled down using the mouse wheel.

    "P.S. This is nothing but the external goal. Each faction has their own different ns and goals."

    Well, it was within the margin of what he expected.

    ¡®Not all people would obediently follow this insane n.''

    Their external goal was just an attractive bait used to increase their forces.

    "I got the rough idea of what they''re nning."

    Ohjin looked through the data and clicked his tongue.

    ¡®They¡¯re deeming Awakeners as a kind of privileged ss and trying to pull in the non-Awakeners.''

    The current society could divide people into two categories:

    Awakeners who received a celestial''s stigma¡­ and regr people who couldn''t.

    You didn¡¯t have to think hard about which was the privileged in a world crawling with monsters.

    ¡®The ck Star Organization can grant non-Awakeners a stigma and turn them into Awakeners.''

    And using that fact, they were trying to use the hatred against Awakeners that couldn''t help but develop for non-Awakeners.

    "¡­It looks like not even Jang Sukho knew about their true goal."

    The information that a small fry like Jang Sukho could obtain was limited.

    ¡®Well, anyways.''

    Even if it was superficial, it was most likely that getting rid of every single Awakener was one of their main goals.

    ¡®It''s now certain that they need to be eliminated as fast as possible.''

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and opened a different file contained within the USB.

    Information about the location of a couple of branches and Temrs of the Owl Faction that Jang Sukho mentioned was disyed.

    While reading the information, a certain name stuck out to his eyes.

    [Cheon Woosung]

    -The son of the King of Owls, Cheon Doyoon. Called the King''s Delegate and essentially manages the ck Star Organization.

    -Suspected to have currently infiltrated the Association.

    "Cheon Woosung¡­"

    Ohjin recalled the memories of Arshad Khan.

    ¡®Is Cheon Woosung the person Arshad Khan talked to back then?''

    The King''s Delegate and the one who lead the Owl Faction.

    "I''ll have to mention this to Joonman."

    Ohjin just so happened to be nning on visiting the Association soon.

    <i>Tak¡ª</i>

    He put the USB back into his pocket after closing theptop.

    ¡®Let''s visit the Association tomorrow. For today, I¡¯ll listen to Riak¡¯s warning and rest.¡¯

    <i>Click!¡ª</i>

    "Ohjin! Dinner''s ready!"

    Ha-eun, who had sauce staining several areas of her face,ughed brightly as she entered the room.

    Ohjin put on a bitter smile and headed to the living room.

    "Behold! My perfect nutrient dish!"

    [Fufu! Thisdy has also prepared it with great care.]

    Ha-eun and Vega, sitting on either side of him, held out their spoons.

    Would a day in his lifee where he would experience such luxury once again?

    ¡®Though it probably tastes awful.''

    * * *

    The next day.

    Ohjin headed to the Association as soon as he woke up.

    "¡­Cheon Woosung was a part of the ck Star Organization?"

    General Manager''s face stiffened as he took in the information received from Jang Sukho.

    "Yes. ording to the information I''ve received, that''s correct."

    "<i>Sigh</i>. For him to be¡­"

    "Is there an internal issue within the Association by any chance?"

    "¡­"

    General Manager Han gripped his hair.

    "You have probably already noticed¡­ the Association is currentlypletely split into two factions."

    Indeed.

    There was an issue regarding the internal factions, and Cheon Woosung had infiltrated into one of them.

    "One side is the chairman''s lineup which I''m within, and the other is the board of directors'' lineup. And their leader is¡­"

    "Cheon Woosung?"

    "¡­That''s right."

    A deep sigh rang out in the office.

    ¡°Is this also the reason why you recruited me into the Association?¡±

    ¡°¡­Haha. You¡¯re really sharp.¡±

    He smiled bitterly and nodded his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Though it was also for raising the Association''s prestige¡­ there was also the matter of bringing a North Star¡¯s apostle into our lineup.¡±

    Was that also why he offered a position that wasn¡¯t ¡®Officially affiliated with the Association¡¯ and instead was somewhere in the middle?

    ¡®If I was officially in the Association, the other faction would also gain the right to hand down orders to me.¡¯

    One by one, his questions started to be solved.

    ¡®Yeah, I did think it was a little weird.¡¯

    Until now, Ohjin had never made contact with someone from the Association, excluding ¡®General Manager Han¡¯. He did meet another Special Officer, but that could be considered an exception.

    ¡®So they intentionally restricted contact.¡¯

    Han Joonman, who was in the ¡®Chairman''s lineup¡¯, was dedicated to making contact with Ohjin as they couldn¡¯t be 100% certain of what faction the others were in.

    ¡°Is there anything I can help out with?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t Ohjin¡¯s business whether the Association was split into two, but it was a different story if the ck Star Organization had infiltrated into one of the sides.

    ¡°¡­No. We¡¯ll try to take care of this matter on our own for now.¡±

    General Manager Han shook his head and continued.

    ¡°Though if your help bes required, we¡¯ll request assistance.¡±

    ¡°Naturally¡ª¡±

    ¡°Naturally, you won¡¯t have to worry about the corresponding rewards.¡±

    General Manager Han smiled like he knew all the words he would say.

    ¡®Indeed, this old man and I really do get along.¡¯

    With there being a reason to do so and a fair reward, there was no reason to turn down the offer.

    ¡®Though there is a little problem.¡¯

    Cheon Woosung was an opponent that was hard to handle with his current strength.

    He had barely defeated a mid-rank Temr, and he was still far off defeating against a core executive called the King¡¯s Delegate of the ck Star Organization.

    ¡®Waiting for Joonman is the right move.¡¯

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t face Cheon Woosung on his own anyway.

    Raising his strength during that time was the correct move.

    ¡°Oh, right. Here.¡±

    Ohjin ced the wire shooter and spear he brought on top of the table.

    General Manager Han forced a chuckle while looking at the destroyed weapons.

    ¡°So they¡¯ve bepletely destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Khm.¡±

    Ohjin cleared his throat and looked the other way.

    ¡°And with that in mind, I would like to request the production of a new weapon.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ wait a moment.¡±

    General Manager Han took the destroyed weapons and got up from the spot.

    ¡°Ah. Since it¡¯se to this, would you like to meet them in person? I think it¡¯ll allow you to design a weapon that¡¯s much more optimized for you.¡±

    ¡°Meet them?¡±

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    The edges of General Manager Han¡¯s lips went up as he opened the office door.

    ¡°You¡¯ll know once you follow me.¡±

 Chapter 71: Mind, Technique, Body (4)

    Ohjin followed General Manager Han to a building that was approximately a hundred meters away from the Association building.

    It was a ten-floor building shaped simrly to an igloo.

    Thick smells of metal and unknown chemicals leaked from inside.

    "This is¡­"

    "It''s the Star Relic Research Institute. This is where we research and produce various equipment and weapons that use starstones."

    <i>Beep, b-beep¡ª</i>

    General Manager Han inputted the password and opened the door.

    "Old man goriaaaaaaa! What are you doing here?!"

    <i>Taptaptaptap!¡ª</i>

    A boy that looked to be in middle school ran in their direction as soon as the doors opened.

    The boy with a small body frame and disheveled brown hair was wearingrge horn-rimmed sses and gave off a cute impression.

    "Hey, I told you I''m not an old man."

    Manager Han frowned as he looked at the boy who was approaching them. His already scary face turned a step fiercer.

    "Puhahaha!! What a dumb face~ It looks so funny!!"

    The boy stopped in his tracks and clutched his belly as he exploded out inughter.

    "<i>Sigh</i>. This little kid¡­"

    "Hehe. Sorry, old man."

    Was it because they were close, or was it just his personality?

    The boy put on a friendly smile and behaved in a cheeky manner.

    General Manager Han smirked as he ran his hand through the boy''s messy hair.

    "This little kid is this research institute''s general manager, Kim Sihoo."

    "Hi!! You''re the Lightning Wolf, right? I saw you on TV!"

    Kim Sihooughed cheerfully as he held out his hand.

    "Nice to meet you."

    "Hehe! Wow~! I had a handshake with the Lightning Wolf!"

    The boy shook his hand up and down while making a fuss.

    ¡®So this is the kid that was mentioned before¡­''

    It was the person who had made him his wire shooters.

    And¡­

    ¡®It''s also highly likely that this is the kid that Jang Sukho was talking about.''

    ¡ªThe outstanding star relic manufacturer within the Association.

    "Oh, right! Are you making good use of the wire shooters that l made for you?"

    "I ¡®was'' making good use of them."

    "Hm?"

    Kim Sihoo tilted his head.

    "Why is it past tense?"

    "About that¡­"

    It wasn''t easy to say that he destroyed the weapons in front of the person who made them for him.

    "They were destroyed in a recent mission."

    Thankfully, General Manager Han said it in his ce.

    "Ehh? They got destroyed?"

    As Kim Sihoo''s eyes opened wide with a shocked expression¡ª

    "¡ªWhat a relief!!"

    ¡ªhe soonughed brightly and raised both of his hands up high.

    "It''s a relief?"

    ¡®What''s a relief about that?''

    "Yeah! Hehe. I made them in a rush and really winged it because I was busy back then!"

    ¡®Hah. Those wire shooters were made in a rush?''

    "Sorry! I''ll make you some that are much better since there''s nothing urgent these days!" shouted Kim Sihoo as he abruptly raised his hands up.

    ¡®Unbelievable.''

    ¡®For there to be such an intelligent, well-mannered, and admirable boy still left in this shitty world¡­''

    "Hm~ But those wire shooters were quite tricky to make. I think it''ll cost a lot of money¡­ hahaha."

    ¡®So he was a greedy, ill-mannered, and shrewd piece of shit fitting of this shitty world.''

    "Well, I''ll even use my own money so that there are nocking features! Making your weapons is fun, after all!"

    "I''ll address you as God Sihoo from now on."

    "Uh, what?"

    ¡®Ahh!! It''s too bright!! I can''t open my eyes!''

    "Please tell me if there''s anything you need, God Sihoo."

    "Hahaha! You''re funny! I heard people on social media call you a tsundere!"

    Kim Sihoo clutched his belly andughed brightly.

    "Ah, right. Could you make me a spear as well?"

    "A spear?"

    "Yeah. My spear got destroyed along with the wire shooters."

    "Hmm. Spears are no fun¡­"

    Kim Sihoo pouted with distaste.

    "Well, I''ll make you one. Ah! Instead, I won''t use my money making the spear, okay?"

    ¡®It doesn''t matter anyway because I have General Manager Han¡¯s wallet.''

    "We don''t have many funds since the board members have been using too much of the budget recently¡­"

    "I''ll leave it to you, Mr. Joonman."

    ¡®I trust in brother Joonman.''

    He looked at General Manager Han with sparkling eyes.

    "<i>Groan.</i> Alright. I''ll pay for the spear''s production costs."

    Ohjin stopped General Manager Han, who was taking out his wallet while sighing deeply.

    "I''m just kidding. I should be the one paying when it''s my own weapon."

    In honesty, he did want to use his chance card once again, but¡­

    ¡®I''ve been treated a lot until now.''

    Even excluding the beef he was treated tost time, he was indebted for many other things.

    It wouldn''t matter as much if it was the business¡¯s money, but it felt wrong to take Manager Han¡¯s private funds.

    "O-Ohjin."

    He looked at Ohjin with a touched expression.

    ¡®¡­It''s even more embarrassing if you get sappy over something like this.''

    "Were you nning on breaking your installment savings or something?"

    "No, that''s not it¡­ but they¡¯re my emergency funds that I saved up for marriage."

    "Ah, you had a fiance?"

    "¡­Not yet, but one day."

    "It won''t happen."

    Manager Han¡¯s eyes shook.

    "Puhaha! It''s just a joke! You''ll find one soon!"

    ¡®No, you won''t.''

    "I-Is that so?"

    "Look at those tight muscles of yours! Don''t a lot of girls run wild for muscles?"

    "Right? Hahaha!"

    Yeah. They would run wild for a separate reason once they discovered a man with tight muscles that looked like a gori that had escaped from the zoo.

    "If I obtain a good weapon from this asion, I''ll introduce you to a nice woman."

    "Seriously?"

    ¡®No. I''m lying. I don''t know any females other than Ha-eun and Vega.''

    "Haha! Leave the weapon''s quality to me! I''ll grill this little kid into making something incredible!"

    General Manager Han messed up Kim Sihoo''s hair as he mmed his chest.

    ¡®Indeed, there''s no one more reliable than brother Joonman.''

    He was a pushov¡ªpleasing person the more you looked at him.

    * * *

    * * *

    "Thene this way. There''s something I need to check."

    Kim Sihoo grabbed Ohjin¡¯s hand and dragged him somewhere.

    ¡­A spacious area that was approximately 66 square meters.

    A few cameras were installed in the room, but nothing else other than those could be seen.

    "Take this and swing your spear as you would normally."

    Kim Sihoo handed him a long stick.

    Though it was a stick, it was quite hefty, as it was made of real steel.

    After receiving the stick¡ª

    "Fuu."

    ¡ªOhjin, standing in the center of the room, slowly took in breaths.

    <i>Swoosh! Swish! Swish!¡ª</i>

    Stab, sh, smash.

    Ohjin fiercely swung his spear following the sensations from the Spearmanship of Pyxis.

    Once he swung the stick for around five minutes without rest¡­

    "Okay, you can stop now."

    ¡ªKim Sihoo made a circle with his arms across the window.

    "You don''t need anything else?"

    "This is enough."

    Once Kim Sihoo pressed a couple of buttons, the figure of Ohjin swinging the stick showed up on nine monitors, all in different angles.

    "Wait for a moment."

    Kim Sihoo got up from his chair and put on the white scientist gown hung over it.

    A boy with a small body frame wearing a white gown that came down to his knees was aical sight to see.

    However, even that was momentary.

    "¡ªI''m starting now."

    The friendly smile on his face disappeared.

    With a cold expression like that of a machine, he started to look at the nine monitors that were ying back at a fast speed.

    "284 stabs, 592 shes, 192 smashes¡­ So his style isn''t creating distance with the spear but instead getting in close and shing. Average stride length is 1m and 17cm¡­ He tends to take veryrge steps. The ce he grasps the spear''s shaft most often is¡­"

    Mumble, mumble, mumble.

    Kim Sihoo yed back the recording at a speed that was hard to follow with the naked eye and thoroughly analyzed Ohjin¡¯s movements.

    ¡®Wow.''

    Ohjin was shocked by how charismatic Kim Sihoo looked.

    <i>Tap¡ª</i>

    "Fuu. A spear that has a shorter shaft and longer de will be better for you over the one you originally used."

    "You were able to figure that out from what you just saw?"

    "Yup."

    Kim Sihoo nonchntly nodded and continued.

    "Even with the same weapon, every person has a different style. Your style isn''t utilizing the spear''s long reach to restrain targets but instead revolves around getting into close range. And that means¡ª"

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    He took out a pen and drew a simple drawing on a piece of paper.

    "¡ªA spear with a short shaft and scimitar de built for shing will be more ideal for you."

    "¡­"

    Would this be what Riak felt when he looked at Ohjin?

    Ohjin even felt a kind of awe when he looked at how Kim Sihoo found a weapon optimized for him by analyzing his movements in a short frame of time.

    "Then I''ll start producing this and the revamped wire shooters right away. It''ll take about a week."

    A week.

    It was just the right amount of time for his internal injuries from the fight with Arshad Khan to recover.

    "Thanks. I''ll leave it to you. If there''s anything you need help with, just give me the word."

    When Sihoo was doing this much for him, Ohjin was even willing to overexert himself to do what he requested.

    "Anything?"

    Kim Sihoo''s eyes shone.

    "In that case¡­"

    He smiled faintly as he looked at General Manager Han.

    "Please help this old man. He''s been going through a lot of troubletely because of those board members."

    "¡­"

    Ohjin thought he was a baby, but he turned out to be a lot more mature than imagined.

    "That''s not something you should be worried about."

    General Manager Han ced his hand on top of Sihoo¡¯s head.

    "Hehe! Alright!"

    Kim Sihoo giggled and soon got up from his seat.

    "Then I''m going to go make the equipment!!!"

    <i>Taptaptaptap¡ª</i>

    His gown fluttered as he ran towards somewhere unknown.

    "What a good kid."

    "Well, though he is a bit of an oddball¡­"

    He then looked at the back of the boy, who gradually became more distant, with proud eyes.

    "Do you have any ns on what you''re going to do after receiving the weapons?"

    ns¡­

    It was a bit awkward to visit the Valha guild right away when most of their guild members were in critical condition.

    What he had to do right away was¡ª

    "I''m thinking of gathering as many starstones as possible."

    ¡ªthe ck Heaven''s quest.

    For the time being, he was nning on devoting himself to the quest that would give him an ancient constetion.

    ¡®I''ll also try to raise the level of ¡¶Lightning&Thunder¡·while I''m at it.''

    There was nothing better than killing two birds with one stone by hunting monsters inside a gate.

    "Do you need a lot of money?"

    "No, that''s not it. I need a lot of starstones."

    "Hmm¡­ if that''s the case¡­"

    General Manager Han suddenly stopped in the middle of his sentence and shook his head.

    "Nevermind. Don''t mind me."

    "¡­?"

    "Is there something wrong?"

    "No¡­ umm. It''s just that there''s recently been a gate that''s popr for starstone farming."

    "It''s located in Busan and¡­ there¡¯s an unnatural phenomenon going on inside."

    "An unnatural phenomenon?"

    "Yes. They say that the monsters inside that gate possess not one but two starstones. The quality remains the same, as well."

    ¡®What? A starstone duplication glitch? What kind of crazy XP event is this?''

    It was very weing news when he didn''t know how many starstones were required toplete the quest.

    "However¡­ there¡¯s a bit of a problem."

    "What problem?"

    General Manager Han scratched his head with an awkward smile.

    "The monsters inside are all over 5-Star and powerful. I think it''ll be a bit too straining for you, who has just be a 4-Star¡­"

    "I''m a 5-Star."

    "What?"

    General Manager Han''s eyes opened wide.

    T/N: The spear with a scimitar de in question is referring to a Woldo (?? ÔÂµ¶) so you can look it up if you''re curious.

 Chapter 72: Streaming of the Genius Awakener (1)

    " 5, 5, 5-Star?! Didn''t you be a 4-Star two months ago?!"

    "That''s right."

    "What the¡­"

    He slurred the end of his sentence with a face that expressed his astonishment.

    ¡ªAn expression that seemed to say that it was utterly unbelievable.

    Ohjin slightly pulled down his clothes to show him the stigma on his chest.

    ¡®The imagery of taking off my clothes in front of him is a bit weird, but it is what it is.''

    There was no easier method to confirm the ¡®star'' level.

    "Ha¡­"

    General Manager Han eximed shortly after confirming the five clear flicks engraved next to Ohjin¡¯s stigma.

    "Y-You actually became a 5-Star in just two months."

    Ohjin had awakened the stigma of Lyra in November of the previous year. With it currently being June, he had reached 5-Star in a little over half a year.

    Not only that, it wasn''t with a second-rate stigma, but one from a North Star.

    "¡­This can''t even be used as an article."

    General Manager Han rested his hand on his forehead and took a deep sigh.

    Even at that time, there were rumors going around that the Association fabricated the articles about the Lightning Wolf bing a 4-Star within half a year. Announcing that he became a 5-Star would be meaningless, as there would be no one who believed it.

    It was rather more likely that they would be called scammers while more distrust formed amongst the public.

    "Well, it isn¡¯t like I''m the first Awakener to reach 5-Star in half a year, is it?"

    "That''s only in the case of insignificant stigmas."

    No one amongst the 12 Zodiacs and above had managed to be a 5-Star in half a year.

    ¡®The fastest so far was the Star of Celestial Shining Pearl (µ“´æÐÇ) of the Seven Stars.''

    And even they had taken longer than half a year.

    "In any case, I think it would be best to keep this a secret for a while."

    A new world record of 9.58 seconds on a 100m sprint would receive praise from all over the globe, but an abrupt record of 6 seconds would receive suspicion rather than praise.

    "That''s a bit unfortunate."

    As Ohjin had mentioned before, fame and honor itself was a significant source of authority.

    With just hisint, hadn''t the Starlight Lake guild kicked out Choi Jungchul, who was an executive, with no questions asked? In addition, back then, he was a 3-Star while Choi Jungchul was a 6-Star.

    Ultimately, they hadn''t even hesitated to kick out a 6-Star Awakener from theint of a mere 3-Star Awakener.

    ¡®That''s the power of fame.''

    It was evident that he would be able to get his hands on even more decisive fame if he proved that he had reached 5-Star two months after promoting to 4-Star.

    Who wouldn''t want to depend on a lottery ticket that''s guaranteed to win?

    ¡®Well, I should probably listen to his advice for now.''

    Even if he uploaded a photo of the five flicks on his chest, it was clear that he would receive suspicion of it being a photoshopped image.

    The reaction would be the same if he uploaded a video where he demonstrated his stigma.

    Suspicion was bound to arise for humans when the matter exceededmon sense.

    "Then I''ll return back here after a week."

    Ohjin was nning to focus on recovering from his injuries during the week.

    * * *

    During the one week required for thepletion of the weapons, he ate until he was stuffed and focused on recovering his stamina.

    Ohjin didn''t hold back on spending money to eat, as Riak advised.

    Nutrient juice made by blending chicken breast and vegetables, raw salmon and meat, even various nuts and supplements¡­

    Simply put, every food item that had abundant nutrients was stuffed into his mouth.

    ¡®I didn''t think that eating could be this painful.''

    It was a minimum of 4000 calories each day.

    For Ohjin, who was used to eating a small amount of food on a daily basis, having a diet of over five meals a day was no different from torture.

    ¡®But still¡­''

    The results were certain.

    In just one week, his build becamerger as his muscles swelled up.

    His exposed rib bones could no longer be seen.

    "Damn. So this kind of thing is possible in a week."

    Ohjin eximed as he stood in front of the mirror with his upper body exposed.

    His body wasn''t inferior to a fitness model in the least, now that he had gained a bit of fat.

    ¡®My stamina also increased.''

    Was it because the bnce between his mind, technique, and body became more bnced?

    His stamina and strength had increased considerably when all he had done for the past week was repetitive eating and resting.

    ¡®Though my mana circuits still leave much to be desired.''

    That problem would eventually be solved as his ¡®star'' continued to rise.

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    "Ohjin, the things you''ll need to take to the ga¡­"

    Ha-eun''s mouth fell agape as she entered the room.

    "Y-Your body is¡­"

    "How is it? Isn''t it much better than before?"

    Ohjin flexed his arms into the shape of an O like a bodybuilder.

    "¡­<i>Gulp</i>."

    Saliva ran down her throat.

    Facing the other way with her red cheeks, she fanned her face using her palm.

    "I-It''s a bit hot in here."

    It was June.

    It indeed was kind of hot.

    But that didn''t seem to be the reason she was heated.

    "Huhu. Why are you sweating so much all of a sudden?"

    Ohjin yfully approached her.

    "Kyaa!"

    Ha-eun screamed as she ran away.

    ¡®Hey, this is pretty fun.''

    "You bastard¡­ are you seriously messing with me?"

    Only being flustered for a moment, she puffed out as she approached him nonchntly.

    "Do you seriously think I would get flustered over something like this?"

    Ha-eun ced her quivering hand on Ohjin¡¯s shoulder.

    <i>Squish, squish¡ª</i>

    Her hand touched his sturdy, swollen muscles.

    "O-Oh damn. O-Okay."

    Getting in the mood, her hand started to slowly trespass over onto his chest.

    "Hey, where do you think you¡¯re touching?"

    ¡®Look at this girl.''

    "Oho. Stay still."

    Ha-eun groped around his body with an excited expression.

    "Fu, fufufu. Hihi. Hehehe."

    Now she even started to leak out creepyughter.

    Soon, she nodded with a satisfied expression.

    "Indeed, I''m great at raising boys."

    "If someone else heard, they''d misunderstand and think you raised me."

    "I''ve basically raised you. Eat lots and grow up strong and healthy, okay?"

    Ha-eun smirked and spanked his butt with her hand.

    ¡­Touching somebody else''s butt without permission?

    "This is sexual harassment."

    "Oh my. Sexual harassment? Me?"

    "Then I''m touching it as well."

    "Uh, what?"

    <i>Flinch!¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun''s shoulders shook.

    <i>Khm!¡ª</i>

    She soon cleared her throat and turned around.

    "Fufu. Do you want to touch my butt that much?"

    Ha-eun taunted him by shaking her hips bewitchingly right in front of him.

    "Kyahaha! I dare you¡ª"

    <i>Squish¡ª</i>

    "Hm."

    ¡®Nice.''

    "Kyaaaaaaaa!! H-How could you really do that!"

    "You''re the one who told me to."

    "Th-That was just a figure of speech!! For god''s sake!

    Ha-eun fumed as she lightly pinched his nk.

    Rather than hurting, it tickled.

    "Would you look at this?"

    Refusing to be the only one on the receiving end, Ohjin also pinched her nk.

    "Kyahahat! I-It tickles!"

    "You started it."

    "You!''

    As they toyed around with each other¡ª

    [¡­So, when are you nning to depart?] Vega, sitting on top of Riak''s head, asked as she narrowed her eyes.

    The way she crossed her legs and how her foot shook made it seem like she was in quite the bad mood.

    [Laughing and chatting thisxly when a fight against monsters with life and death on the line lies ahead makes me think you¡¯re being quite careless. There is a need for warriors to train their mind and body before¡­]

    She rambled on like she was admonishing a child.

    It appeared that she didn''t like how Ohjin and Ha-eun were getting along and having fun with each other.

    "Heh."

    Ha-eun smirked as she looked at Vega.

    "If you''re jealous, just say it."

    [J-Jealous¡­?!]

    <i>Bzzzzt!¡ª</i>

    Sparks started to pop out of Vega¡¯s silver hair.

    [Can''t you see thisdy is giving advice? What nonsense are you talking about!]

    "Oh my~ is that right?"

    [You!]

    Ha-eun and Vega started to bicker.

    ¡®She''s be quite close to Vega.''

    Bing close was inevitable when they were together for extended periods of time.

    Ha-eun wasn''t the type to get cold feet because one was a celestial, either.

    "Let''s get going."

    Ohjin stopped their dispute and packed up his equipment.

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    He equipped the wire shooters that he received the previous day from General Manager Han and grabbed a steel rod that was the same size as a shlight.

    ¡®This is supposed to turn into a spear once mana is sent into it, right?''

    Once he surged mana into the shlight-sized steel rod, it turned into the shape of a long spear with a crescent de.

    "Hoo, very nice."

    One of the spear¡¯s most troublesome problems, portability, was easily solved.

    ¡°Rookie, are you going to go hunt?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯reing as well, right?¡±

    ¡°Grr! Of course. A warrior should never walk away from a war.¡±

    Riak smirked as he stretched his body.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    They opened the door and went outside. After they got into the car in the parking lot, they headed to Busan.

    * * *

    * * *

    <i>Chatter, chatter!¡ª</i>

    After around five hours of driving, arge crowd came into view as they started to approach the gate.

    ¡°Wow, this ce is crowded.¡±

    Ha-eun looked at the crowd that gathered in front of the gate and shook her head.

    ¡°Were there always this many Awakeners above 5-Star in Korea?¡±

    ¡°People have probably gone nuts over this gate after hearing that two starstones appear at once.¡±

    Ohjin had already predicted that there would be a lot of people.

    ¡°But will hunting be possible like this?¡±

    ¡°I heard that a lot of monsters appear in addition to it being extremely spacious inside the gate. It¡¯ll probably be fine if we head deeper inside.¡±

    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Ha-eun smiled and took long strides.

    Riak and Vega followed her lead.

    Ohjin looked at their backs and chuckled at the strange sight.

    ¡®Celestial, Star Spirit, Awakener of Draco, and a North Star¡¯s apostle, all in one party.¡¯

    He doubted the possibility of such a party ever existing, even when including the world of the 1st Round.

    When he was heading to the gate with those thoughts¡ª

    ¡°Hello viewers~! I''m Jerry Kim¡ªa streamer specialized in clearing gates!"

    ¡ªan energetic voice was heard in front of him.

    ¡°Once again, I¡¯m here today in front of the gate that¡¯s been trending for dropping two starstones at once! Haha! You guys think I¡¯ming here too often? But how could I not?¡±

    The handsome youth with orange-dyed hair raised arge sack.

    ¡°These are the starstones I¡¯ve farmed during the month I was here! How could I possibly note here!¡±

    <i>Pahaha!¡ª</i>

    Heughed as he proudly shook his sack.

    ¡°You guys think that everyone earns this much? Nah, there are this many starstones because it¡¯s me!¡±

    The youth arrogantly shrugged and continued to share conversations with his camera.

    ¡°¡­Who¡¯s that?"

    Ohjin tilted his head and asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know Jerry Kim?¡±

    ¡°Jerry Kim?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s very famous. A 6-Star Awakener of Sagittarius, Jerry Kim. He¡¯s unaffiliated and streams himself hunting alone inside gates.¡±

    ¡°Oho.¡±

    Sagittarius was a powerful constetion that belonged to the 12 Zodiacs.

    A 6-Star Awakener of the 12 Zodiacs would be weed into any guild, but he instead chose to be unaffiliated and streamed to the inte.

    ¡°Does he earn a lot from streaming?¡±

    ¡°Well, some people do. But other than that, something like a ¡®desire for fame''? Wouldn¡¯t that be the reason he streams? After all, he gets praise from his viewers in real time.¡±

    It was to be expected. A 6-Star Awakener of the 12 Zodiacs wouldn¡¯t need to stream for money.

    ¡®Streaming, huh?¡¯

    Ohjin started to gain interest.

    ¡°Stop right there. There are pros but also cons. If you make one mistake, it''s easy to get socially canceled."

    ¡°Well, I guess you''re right.¡±

    Fame was fundamentally hard to build up but easy to lose all at once.

    Maybe if he was desperate for money like in the past, but if it wasn¡¯t that, he didn''t have a reason to stream.

    ¡°Let¡¯s pay it no attention and go inside.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Ohjin followed Ha-eun into the gate.

 Chapter 73: Streaming of the Genius Awakener (2)

    "Woah," eximed Ha-eun.

    It wasn''t as much as Ha-eun, but Ohjin also looked around with quite a bit of surprise.

    "It''s really beautiful inside."

    An enormous underwater tunnel.

    The view of the beautiful sea was on full disy as the tunnel was made out of something that looked to be translucent ss.

    Outside the tunnel, fish that they had never seen in their life were swimming freely in the sea.

    "It''s like we entered an aquarium."

    As Ha-eun had expressed, it would''ve felt simr if there was an aquarium that was built hundreds and thousands of times the normal size.

    Riak ced his nose near the ground.

    "<i>Sniff, sniff.</i> There doesn''t seem to be any monsters nearby."

    "It''s probably because there are a lot of Awakeners near the entrance."

    "Are we going deeper inside?"

    "Of course."

    The goal was to farm the amount of starstones needed toplete the ck Heaven''s quest.

    They hadn''te all that way to rx and watch the scenery.

    [Then let''s head deeper inside.]

    <i>Plop¡ª</i>

    Vega sat on top of Ohjin''s head like it was her exclusive seat. She wrapped her hands around Ohjin¡¯s curly hair like they were reins.

    "I shall lead you to your destination well, Lady Vega."

    [Fufu. The ride¡¯sfort is very nice.]

    Vega received his yful remark and patted his head.

    <i>Step, step¡ª </i>

    They headed deeper inside while looking at the pleasant scenery.

    Was it due to it being a high-difficulty gate? The presence of humans gradually started to disappear.

    And then¡ª

    "Mrclughluhlua!!!"

    ¡ªThe ground shook with the sound of a strange cry.

    A two-meter tall fish with arge build appeared at the other side of the tunnel. Despite it being a fish, its body resembled a human starting from the bottom of its neck.

    "¡­Merpeople?"

    "It''s a monster known as a Murloc."

    "Thank god it''s not called a mermaid."

    Ha-eun looked at the Murloc with disgust.

    The Murloc had muscles like that of a bodybuilder overdosed on steroids all around its body. It couldn¡¯t look any more grotesque when it had that kind of bulky body with the face of a fish.

    <i>Fwooooosh!!¡ª</i>

    "Looks like it''ll be full of protein once it''s barbecued."

    Ha-eun smirked while creating mes on both of her hands.

    "Ha-eun, wait."

    "Hm? Why?"

    "I want to try facing one of them alone."

    Ohjin was curious as to how well he would be able to face off against 5-Star monsters.

    ¡®The demon beasts that appeared in Sokcho were also 5-Star.''

    How much stronger had he be whenpared to then? His curiosity of wanting to test that question boiled up.

    "Okay, I got it."

    Ha-eun put out the mes and took two steps back.

    <i>Click, ck!¡ª</i>

    Ohjin sent mana into the steel rod and then grasped what turned into a silver spear with a crescent de.

    ¡®There are three of them.''

    The one in the middle had the bulkiest build.

    ¡®Starting from that one¡­''

    <i>Grip¡ª</i>

    After grasping his spear¡­

    <i>Bang!¡ª </i>

    Ohjin swung it down against the ground and used it as a lever to propel his body high up into the air.

    "Mrrrrgggll!!!"

    The Murlocs reacted quickly and created distance from where he couldnd.

    They split apart into three and nned to attack Ohjin simultaneously, each from a different direction, as he fell.

    "Nope."

    <i>Bang!¡ª</i>

    He shot his wire shooter.

    The revamped wire shooter shot out the wire at a speed that was much faster than before.

    <i>Swoosh, swoosh¡ª </i>

    "Mrrrggl?"

    The wire wrapped around the Murloc''s body.

    ¡®Lightning Charge.''

    <i>Bzzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª </i>

    The powerful blue lightning ran down the wire and fried the Murloc''s brain.

    "Brgrugugulgrul!!!"

    Indeed.

    It was a 5-Star monster.

    It did squirm from pain, but the lightning running through the wire wasn''t enough to kill it.

    However¡­

    "That is all."

    <i>Whirrrr!!¡ª</i>

    With the loud noise of metal, the wire pulled tight.

    <i>sh!¡ª</i>

    The silver spear swung in a wide arc and cut the Murloc''s body in half.

    "Mrgrugugul!"

    "Mrclughluhlua!"

    The other two Murlocs quickly rushed in.

    They were fast.

    The force behind their charge was enough to hear the sound of air ripping apart.

    "This is a bit disappointing."

    It was only natural. They weren''t strong enough to be a threat to him.

    <i>Fwish, fwish, fwish, fwish!!¡ª</i>

    Ohjin raised his spear above his head and rotated it like a propeller.

    <i>Fwoosh!¡ª</i>

    Blue mes zed up ferociously at the tip of the spear.

    "Hmpf!"

    Matching the timing with when the Murlocs got in range, he held on to the end of the shaft and swung it widely.

    <i>Swoop!¡ª </i>

    With the illusion of the spear''s length increasing for a moment¡ª

    <i>Spat!¡ª </i>

    "Mrrrgluru!!"

    The Murlocs¡¯ upper and lower bodies separated.

    Blood and intestines gushed out.

    ¡®Did it take me around 5 seconds?''

    Ohjin chuckled as he shrugged. He did expect it to be easy, but it was much more one-sided than he thought.

    "Damn¡­ does this make any sense?"

    Ha-eun approached him with an expression of disbelief.

    "Are you really a 5-Star? No, besides that, how did you be this strong in two months¡­"

    Whenparing the current Ohjin and the Ohjin she had seen during the subjugation at Sokcho, the difference was heaven and earth.

    Ha-eun had also thought he was strongpared to his ¡®star'' back then, but now it was unbelievable.

    "At this point, shouldn''t you be able to beat a 6¡­ no, a 7-Star?"

    "Didn''t I tell you? I fought and beat a 7-Star Awakener not too long ago."

    "Oh, you''re right."

    Ha-eun scratched the back of her head and pouted.

    "Still, catching up to me half a year after you awakened is making me feel a certain type of way."

    "I probably can''t beat you yet. Haven''t youpletely recovered your body?"

    Ha-eun was an Awakener that was on the strong side amongst 7-Star Awakeners in the past.

    Now that she had also obtained a new power, the Dragon Eyes, victory in a head-to-head match couldn''t be guaranteed.

    "Heh! Of course I still win in a one-on-one fight!"

    They weren''t words full of bravado.

    In order to face Ha-eun, who had fully recovered, it was still unreasonable to imagine it without using either Exceed or Vega¡¯s blessing.

    "And¡­"

    <i>Smirk¡ª</i>

    The tip of Ha-eun''s lips curved up.

    <i>Click¡ª</i>

    She raised her hands behind her head and removed the eyepatch that was covering her left eye.

    "I haven''t been ying around, you know?"

    <i>Snap!¡ª</i>

    Ha-eun lightly flicked her fingers.

    <i>Fwooooosh</i>!<i>¡ª</i>

    Chains made of mes were created in a blink of an eye and rushed towards a corner in the tunnel.

    <i>Rattle, rattle!¡ª </i>

    "Mrrrrgulllgll!!!!"

    "Mgcrul! Mgggrrrul!"

    Two Murlocs that were secretly hiding in the corner were dragged out by the me chains.

    They had a smaller build whenpared to the three Ohjin eliminated, but there was a Murloc that had menacing thorns prodding out around its body.

    "Looks like there are assassin-types, as well."

    "Mrclugh!!"

    They took their time observing the two Murlocs tied up by Ha-eun''s me chains. Purple liquid was dripping from its thorns that were like those from a blown pufferfish.

    <i>Snap!¡ª</i>

    "M-Mgr¡­"

    <i>Fwoosh!¡ª</i>

    As she snapped her fingers once more, the me chains turned the Murlocs¡¯ bodies into ash.

    "¡­How did you know they were hiding?" asked Ohjin with surprise.

    He hadn''t expected there to be two more Murlocs hiding nearby.

    "Well¡­"

    Ha-eun smiled as she ced her hand on top of her exposed left eye.

    Despite its appearance being grotesque, she fumbled around with it lovingly.

    "I should be able to see this much when it was a gift from a certain someone."

    "¡­¡­"

    ¡®Huh. Why does she look so cute all of a sudden?''

    [Khm!]

    Vega cleared her throat in difort.

    [5-Star monsters certainly aren''t much of a threat.]

    "Yeah."

    Ohjin nodded and then started harvesting the starstones.

    As per the rumors, two starstones came out of each corpse.

    ¡®It''s been a while since I''ve seen a blue starstone.''

    It even felt weing as it had been swarming with demon beaststely.

    ¡®Does this mean that the weird phenomenon in this gate isn''t from the influence of the ck Stars?''

    So far, the ck Stars¡¯ power had always been involved in locations where demon beasts appeared.

    Blue starstones signified that they weren''t demon beasts, which meant that there was a high probability the cause of the gate''s weird phenomenon was something else.

    ¡®Let''s look into thatter.''

    It was time to enjoy the unexpected EXP event.

    "Grrr. So it was a gate where these weaklings appeared. My excitement has died down."

    Disappointed, Riak puffed smoke from his nose.

    "Judging from how you called them weaklings, I''m guessing monsters of this level are easy, even in your restricted state?"

    "Of course! Just what do you think of this mighty Riak!"

    "Then let''s use this opportunity to test how much power the both of you can use."

    Ohjin looked at Riak and Vega.

    [Ho. Are you saying that you want to confirm how much help thisdy can be?]

    "After all, it''s important to confirm what our total forces add up to."

    [Fufu. Desiring to test out a celestial''s power is truly discourteous, however¡­]

    <i>Dazzle¡ª</i>

    Vega flew towards Ohjin.

    [I''m also curious as to how much power I''ll be able to use in this state.]

    "Alright."

    Ohjin went a little deeper inside the underground tunnel.

    "Mrrrgurul!!"

    "There are four of them this time."

    "No assassin-types."

    Ohjin looked back to take a slight nce at Riak and Vega.

    "Grrr! Stay put there and observe, human!"

    [Thisdy shall demonstrate her strength.]

    Riak and Vega charged at the Murlocs.

    <i>sh! Swish! -sh!!!¡ª</i>

    "Mmmrrrggglll!!!"

    The silver wolf ran across the tunnel''s walls like they were t ground and darted through the Murlocs.

    <i>Bzzzzt!¡ª </i>

    [How dare you be so ill-mannered in front of thisdy.]

    Blue lightning slivered across the ground like a snake and tied up the Murlocs.

    In the blink of an eye, the blue lightning climbed up the Murloc''s body and dug into the gills on its neck.

    The Murloc that had lightning flown into its gills copsed and started to have a seizure on the ground.

    "Woah."

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes sparkled as he looked at Vega¡¯s control that had consistently made him exim without fail.

    However, Ohjin, who was calmly observing the battle, clicked his tongue in shame.

    ¡®The output is too low.''

    The power of lightning Vega could output in a restricted state was, at best, around the rank of a 2~3-Star.

    Vega did take down the Murlocs with her astonishing control, but the output was not nearly enough tond the finishing blow.

    ¡®It''s the same for Riak.''

    It felt like Riak was barely able to cover his miserably weakened strength and speed by making use of his overwhelming technique.

    ¡®Looks like I won''t be able to get carried.''

    * * *

    * * *

    It didn''t matter.

    Ohjin had no ns of relying on their strength to develop in the first ce.

    "Grr! This is annoying!" shouted Riak in frustration.

    It was understandable. If it wasn''t for the restriction, Riak would be able to turn the monsters into ashes in an instant, but instead, he was forced to expend great effort to deal damage.

    "Heheh! You boasted, but it looks like you were nothing much."

    "Wh-What did you say?"

    "Fufu. Looks like I have no choice but to help out~"

    "I don''t need it!"

    Ha-eun cackled as she started to participate in the battle.

    [Fuu. It''s already exhausting.]

    Vega sighed deeply and sat down on Ohjin¡¯s shoulder.

    "Well done, Vega."

    [It looks like I won''t be able to give you much help.]

    Vega dropped her head like it was a shame.

    "It''s better this way."

    [Hm? What do you mean?]

    "I would be indolent once I started to rely on your strength. The current amount of strength is perfect."

    Ohjinforted the dispirited Vega.

    [Fufu. Are youforting me?]

    With a faint smile on her face, she patted his forehead.

    [You really are a strange child. I understand why the past Vega got into that kind of r¡­ rtionship with you.]

    Vega smiled bashfully and finished her words in a low voice so that Ha-eun couldn''t hear.

    <i>Strech, strech¡ª</i>

    It looked like Vega was embarrassed by the words she said as she pulled on Ohjin''s earlobes.

    "Uh, hm."

    Though he had never been in ¡®that kind of rtionship'' with Vega in his past life¡ª

    "Didn''t I tell you?"

    Ohjin put on a slight smile and looked back at Vega on his shoulder.

    "It''s fine if you don''t remember. It''s fine if you don''t reminisce."

    Like how the world wouldn''t disappear because you closed your eyes¡­

    "Even if you forget, I still remember. Whether they are happy or sad memories."

    [My child¡­]

    Vega¡¯s pupils shook.

    ¡®This should be enough, right?''

    It was time to end things.

    "Let''s go now."

    [¡­Okay.]

    As they got near, they could see that Ha-eun had already finished the battle.

    "Let''s harvest the starstones and head deeper inside."

    "Grr! I''ll fight alone this time!"

    As they were going deeper into the gate¡ª

    "Hm?"

    ¡ªthey discovered three Murlocs copsed on the ground with holes pierced all around their bodies.

    "Fuya. Indeed, It¡¯s a little~ difficult to take down three at once!"

    The youth with orange hair that they saw at the entrance was taking a rest while drinking a potion.

    A spherical marble was floating around him.

    "Hm? You are¡­"

    The youth''s eyes wandered towards them. In a short frame of time, his expression changed second by second, and the edge of his lips gradually went up.

    "Lightning Wolf! You''re the Lightning Wolf, right?"

    "Yes."

    It wasn''t a nickname Ohjin particrly liked, but he had gotten a fair bit used to it since so many people addressed him that way.

    "Hahaha! Iya~! I didn''t think that I would be able to meet the Lightning Wolf here! I''m a fan!"

    The youth lent out his hand.

    "Uh¡­ how do I put this. You could say this was destined to be in one way or another, so¡­"

    He pointed at the marble that was floating around with his thumb as smiled.

    "Do you have any thoughts on taking part in my stream as a guest?"

    "What?"

 Chapter 74: Streaming of the Genius Awakener (3)

    Twitch, thergest streaming tform in the world.

    Jerry Kim was a high-ranking streamer who specialized in gates on that tform.

    With his strong facial features and trademark orange hair, the fact that he was a uniquely skilled individual despite being one of the ones who insisted on hunting solo was the main reason for his poprity.

    <i>Pssssssh!!¡ª</i>

    Arrows made of blue light shot out with a frightening sound.

    <i>Splurge!¡ª</i>

    "Mrrrrgglll!"

    The Murloc that was shot on each of its shoulders and knees screamed out in pain.

    "Nice!" Jerry Kim cheered.

    The floating marble next to him sparkled as a hologram appeared in mid-air.

    [Mission Complete!]

    [¡®Take down a group of monsters (more than three) within five minutes¡¯]

    [¡®Almond'' has donated $3000!]

    [Sheesh, you seeded on the first try.]

    "My god~ Almond! Thank you for your precious donation!!"

    Jerry Kim put on a bright smile as his lips curved up. He shrugged and sent a peace sign at the marble.

    "Ah~ aren''t these missions too easy?"

    While saying those words, he observed his live chat.

    -Wow, isn''t this just insane?

    -Even if he''s a 6-Star, how can he take down three 5-Star monsters in just five minutes?

    -It wasn''t even five minutes. It took exactly three minutes and 58 seconds.

    -Daaaaamn.

    -Jerry Kim! Jerry Kim! Jerry Kim! Jerry Kim!

    -So this is the level of an Awakener of the 12 Zodiacs;

    ¡®Nice.¡¯

    Jerry Kim smiled in satisfaction and observed the chat that went by rapidly.

    ¡®Kya! This is why I stream!¡±

    Streaming brought in good ie, but besides that, the messages that praised him made him ecstatic.

    ¡°Hmpf.¡±

    He looked down at the scattered corpses of three Murlocs on the ground and stretched his shoulders.

    ¡®This is nothing much.¡¯

    Jerry Kim belonged to the upper ranks of 6-Star Awakeners. What he possessed wasn¡¯t an insignificant stigma but the stigma of Sagittarius.

    Facing off against three 5-Star monsters simultaneously was not that big of a deal.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    And then¡­

    On the other side of the tunnel, he could see that a party consisting of two people was walking towards him.

    ¡®They even have a guardian spirit and a pet.¡¯

    Jerry Kim, who was observing them with interest, suddenly opened his eyes wide.

    ¡°Th-The Lightning Wolf?¡±

    The Lightning Wolf.

    ¡­The super rookie who had received the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s stigma and was recently drawing attention worldwide.

    ¡®Why is the Lightning Wolf here?¡¯

    ording to the Association¡¯s official statement, he was still a 4-Star Awakener. He shouldn¡¯t have been strong enough toe to a dungeon where 5-Star monsters appeared in groups.

    ¡®No¡­ maybe a North Star¡¯s apostle is able to close the gap of one star.¡¯

    On top of that, he wasn¡¯t hunting alone but with a party.

    ¡®The girl next to him is¡­¡¯

    Jerry Kim¡¯s pupils trembled.

    <i>Gulp¡ª</i>

    ¡®R-Really fucking hot, holy shit.¡¯

    He had met a lot of female streamers while working as a streamer, but it was his first time seeing a girl as breathtaking as the one in front of him.

    -Omg. Is that really the Lightning Wolf?

    -Wasn¡¯t the Lightning Wolf a 4-Star?

    -Nope, he¡¯s a 3-Star.

    -Huh, but the articles said that he was a 4-Star.

    -Do you really trust those? Lmao, how can he possibly be a 4-Star when he¡¯s only awakened for a little over half a year.

    -Ikr

    -But didn¡¯t he take down the demon beast boss that appeared in Sokcho alone?

    -That¡¯s also bullshit. Why would he fight alone when there were over 100 Awakeners there? Lol

    -Don¡¯t 5-Star monsterse out here? How did a 3-Star get here?

    -Maybe he¡¯s getting carried?

    -Who¡¯s the girl next to him? Holy crap.

    -Mommmmmyyy!!!

    -Whew~!!!!

    The chat also heated up from the appearance of the Lightning Wolf.

    ¡®The Lightning Wolf, huh¡­¡¯

    Jerry Kim¡¯s head started to spin at a rapid pace.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t this¡­ a jackpot?¡¯

    The Lightning Wolf was a super rookie who received attention from all over the world. If Jerry Kim could get him to appear on his stream, poprity was more or less already guaranteed.

    ¡®Naturally¡ª¡¯

    The edge of Jerry Kim¡¯s lips slowly went up.

    ¡®¡ªI won¡¯t be satisfied with that.¡¯

    Poprity wasn¡¯t enough. If he won apetition against him with something along the lines of a race of who kills more monsters as streaming content, wouldn¡¯t he be able to receive the title of ¡®The man who defeated a North Star¡¯s apostle¡¯?

    ¡®This is the only opportunity I¡¯ll get.¡¯

    One year¡­ no, if even another half a year passed, he didn¡¯t have the confidence to win against the Lightning Wolf.

    However, if it was this point in time¡­

    ¡®It¡¯s worth a shot.¡¯

    Weren¡¯t there rumors of him being a 3-Star? No, even if he managed to reach the 4-Star rank within half a year, it didn¡¯t matter.

    A North Star¡¯s apostle wouldn¡¯t be able to ovee the difference between two stars.

    ¡®It¡¯s not like I have a second-rate stigma, either.¡¯

    Though it was inferior whenpared to the North Stars, he was in possession of a stigma of the 12 Zodiacs.

    Honestly, it would be strange if he lost.

    "Do you have any thoughts on partaking in my stream as a guest?"

    "What?"

    Ohjin tilted his head and looked at Jerry Kim.

    ¡®A stream¡­¡¯

    He did start to gain interest, but he didn¡¯t imagine that he would get in touch like this.

    ¡°We¡¯re not interested, so why don¡¯t you go away?¡±

    ¡°Wait, Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Why? Are you really nning to go on stream?¡±

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t deny that he was interested.

    ¡®The false rumors will also disappear if I use this opportunity to authenticate some extent of my strength.¡¯

    Ohjin had no ns on streaming himself but started to wonder¡ª

    ¡®Won¡¯t it be alright to make an appearance as a guest on others¡¯ streams?¡¯

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Haha! Thank you!! Oh, right! I''m Jerry Kim, a streamer specialized in clearing gates!¡±

    Jerry Kim held out his hand.

    Ohjin nodded and received his handshake.

    He could see that text was rising up rapidly in the hologram floating next to Jerry Kim.

    -Ooooooooooh!!!!

    -He picked up the Lightning Wolf on the spot lmao

    -The Enchanting Man, Jerry Kim;

    -Ah, don¡¯t pick up the Lightning Wolf, try to pick up the girl next to him

    ¡®Is that his chat?¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone with interest.

    As he was curious as to how many people were watching the scream, he looked at the left corner and discovered that the number 30,000 was written.

    ¡°Does that mean that there are 30,000 people watching the stream?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes! Haha! There are quite a lot of people who watch my stream.¡±

    Jerry Kim shrugged as he smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯ll probably rise rapidly soon.¡±

    He had managed to get a North Star¡¯s apostle to appear as a guest. The viewers that were watching other streams would hear the rumors and gather up in his stream.

    ¡°Then what do I have to do now?¡± asked Ohjin as he nced at the camera that was floating around the air.

    ¡°Should we start off with a simple interview? Everybody! Please type anything that you¡¯re curious about the Lightning Wolf in chat!¡±

    Jerry Kim skilfully proceeded with the stream.

    -COUT? COUT?

    -Are you really a 4-Star?

    -COUT!!!

    -How did you get to be a North Star¡¯s apostle?

    -Can you take down two Murlocs at once?

    -CCCCCCCCOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTT!!!

    Questions poured out.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to answer every question. You just need to pick out the suitable ones and answer them.¡±

    ¡°¡­What does COUT mean?¡± he asked while pointing at the word that appeared frequently.

    ¡°Ah¡­ about that.¡±

    Jerry Kim scratched his head with an awkward smile.

    ¡°It means ¡®color of underwear today¡¯.¡±

    The answer came from beside him.

    Ha-eun looked at the chat like it was pathetic and sighed deeply.

    ¡°What?¡±

    A surprised voice flowed out of Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Why are they asking that?¡±

    ¡°I-It¡¯s something like streaming culture. Haha!¡±

    Jerry Kim cleared his throat and avoided his gaze.

    -Lmaaaaaao, I think it¡¯s his first time seeing an online stream.

    -Hey, stop doing that, you crazy bastards XD.

    -Hahahaha, his reaction is hrious.

    Ohjin looked at the chat with a face that expressed how ridiculous he thought it was.

    ¡®In what world is asking the color of another¡¯s underwear at first sight ¡®culture¡¯?¡¯

    ¡°Let¡¯s move on to other questions¡­¡±

    Ohjin skimmed through the chat and answered questions in moderation.

    ¡®I got a rough idea of the atmosphere.¡¯

    It was still a bit unfamiliar, but he could get a rough understanding of what the viewers wanted from the stream.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop the questions here!!¡±

    Jerry Kim switched the topic of conversation.

    ¡° Wow¡­ 60,000 more people came in during the time you were answering questions.¡±

    In the short frame of time it took for Ohjin¡¯s simple interview, the viewer count exceeded 90,000.

    ¡®Holy shit!¡¯

    A bright smile was ced on Jerry Kim¡¯s mouth.

    He had never seen such an astronomical amount of viewers.

    At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t be long until he passed 100,000 viewers.

    ¡®Kya! I knew it was a jackpot!¡¯

    The attention brought by a North Star¡¯s apostle far exceeded his imagination.

    ¡®Nice¡­ now then.¡¯

    It was about time to achieve his main goal of taking down a North Star¡¯s apostle in front of tens of thousands of people.

    ¡°For our next bit of content¡­¡±

    Jerry Kim continued while smiling.

    ¡°How about having a simplepetition?¡±

    ¡°¡­Apetition?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Something like, ¡®who can take down more monsters in a limited frame of time¡¯.¡±

    Jerry Kim gave the offer in a trifling tone.

    -Holy shit xD he¡¯s asking for a race with a 4-Star as his opponent

    -That¡¯s dirty, Jerry Kim!!

    -This is seriously pushing it lmao. How can the current Lightning Wolf possibly beat Jerry Kim?

    -Isn¡¯t this like a diamond yer asking a gold yer for a 1v1 in midne?

    -He¡¯ll probably use this opportunity to win and continue to mention it for a couple years LOL

    -¡¯The man who defeated a North Star¡¯s apostle¡¯.

    -(1 Year Later) ???: I¡¯m telling you, I really trashed the Lightning Wolf back then!

    The chat heated up.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯ll proceed with a penalty ced on me.¡±

    Jerry Kim skillfully heckled the viewers.

    ¡°We¡¯ll choose the penalty by votes a littleter¡­ How is it? Do you want to take up the offer?¡±

    <i>nce¡ª</i>

    He smiled provocatively at Ohjin.

    The chat heated up once again.

    There were some people mocking Jerry Kim for offering an unreasonablepetition, but most of them were looking forward to the match.

    ¡®So this is why he wanted me to appear as a guest.¡¯

    Ohjin smirked as he looked at the chat.

    He was curious as to why he had been approached at first, but now hepletely understood.

    ¡®I¡¯m guessing he wants to beat me in front of the eyes of many others.¡¯

    They were reasonable thoughts for someone who didn¡¯t know much about him.

    And with that being the case¡­

    ¡®I should y along.¡¯

    ¡°Very well. I think it¡¯ll be fun.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Everyone, you¡¯ve heard it yourself, right? Ohjin has epted the offer!¡± shouted Jerry Kim as he looked at the camera.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Ohjin smirked while taking steps forward.

    ¡°Won¡¯t having apetition alone be boring?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s raise the stakes.¡±

    The chat heated once again from his offer.

    ¡°Hahaha! It looks like you know a thing or two about streaming!!! Very well! Should we wager some starstones for fun?¡±

    ¡°All in.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wager all of the starstones we have.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jerry Kim¡¯s eyes shook.

    T/N: Yes, the color of underwear thing exists. ??? shortening of ?? ?? ?? ?.

 Chapter 75: Streaming of the Genius Awakener (4)

    -Daaaaaaamn~

    -Wew, that confidence

    -A mere 4-Star is going all-in against a 6-Star LOL

    -Does he actually believe he¡¯ll win?

    The chat got riled up from Ohjin¡¯s offer.

    One side was mocking Ohjin for fearlessly proposing a wager against a 6-Star, and the other was hoping that Jerry Kim would step up and put Ohjin back in his ce.

    ¡®Well, that kind of reaction is only natural.¡¯

    It just meant that the difference between a 4-Star and 6-Star was that wide.

    ¡°Everything¡­?¡±

    Jerry Kim¡¯s eyes shook.

    He looked back at his sack filled with starstones which were the hard-earned fruits of hisbor from hunting for a month. The equipment and potion expenses that were used to gather those easily exceeded $100,000.

    The expenses were especially high as he had yed out dangerous acts to enhance the enjoyment of the stream.

    "Yes. Everything we have. Ah, for the record¡­"

    Ohjin took out a small sack from his pocket. It didn''t even have 20 starstones inside of it.

    "This is all I have."

    "¡­¡­"

    Jerry Kim opened his mouth from the absurdity of the situation.

    -LMAO.

    -Hahaha, so that''s the reason he asked to go all in.

    -That''s all he has. Of course going all-in doesn''t matter XD.

    -Damn, the Lightning Wolf is hrious (¨R¨Œ¨Q)

    -???: A person who has nothing to lose has nothing to be afraid of

    -If he gets lucky and wins, he gobbles up over 1,000 starstones, and if he loses, all he has to do is give 20 (^¡ð^)

    -Fuck me, ¡®all in'' while having just 20 kekw

    The chat''s atmosphere turned rather favorable to Ohjin.

    It appeared that they thought he hadn''t challenged a 6-Star without fear but simply offered a wager that had a predictable oue to raise the entertainment of the stream.

    "Uh, hmm."

    Jerry Kim had a hesitant expression while his mouth twitched.

    No matter the circumstance, it was all the starstones he had on the line. The starstones he gathered during the past month were 1,000 at minimum.

    Moreover¡­

    ¡®Fuck¡­ there are also some I bought with my own money.''

    In order to unt just how many starstones he had gained in a month, he had used his private expenses to purchase starstones to add to his sack.

    ¡®I did that because it''s easy to exchange back into cash, but¡­''

    The situation was off-putting.

    -Hahaha, scared?

    -Got cold feet by any chance? Got cold feet by any chance? Got cold feet by any chance? Got cold feet by any chance?

    -Ah, just fold if you''re scared (???)???

    -Chickening out after being the first to ask for apetition ROFL

    -Why are you so scared when he¡¯s just a 4-Star???

    -Isn''t what the Lightning Wolf offered just a joke anyways?

    However, the viewers that had no idea about his circumstance paid no heed and fanned the mes.

    Ohjin smiled as he looked at Jerry Kim, who was still contemting.

    ¡®He won''t be able to refuse.''

    If he chickened out with his tail behind his legs in the current atmosphere, it was obvious he would receive mockery with that alone.

    He basically had to ce his own foot on the trap he set up.

    <em>Ring!¡ª </em>

    [¡®Almond'' has donated $5,000.]

    [Let¡¯s go all-in, whoever wins takes the money.]

    As the time for his thoughts dragged out, the chat even started to spam donations.

    "¡­V-Very well."

    Jerry Kim nodded his head with a clenched jaw.

    "But instead, how about we proceed without the penalty?"

    With it being a match he couldn¡¯t lose no matter what, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to ept the challenge while being burdened with a penalty.

    ¡®He made his move with so much confidence; it''s possible that he has a hidden trump card.''

    Jerry Kim couldn¡¯t let his guard down when there was so much on the line.

    -LOL. Looks like he''s scared shitless.

    -That''s dirty, Jerry Kim!!!

    -But to be honest, I would be scared as well. Just how many hundreds of thousands are those starstones worth (???)???

    -Woo, Jerry Kim¡¯s ¡®Serious'' mode

    The chat was spammed with mockery towards Jerry Kim.

    "Seriously, guys. You need to understand my perspective this time. Do you know how much all this is worth?"

    Jerry Kim stated firmly, not willing to yield.

    "Very well. Let''s proceed without the penalty."

    "Phew."

    Jerry Kim rxed while exhaling a deep breath of relief.

    If there was no penalty, it was a match he couldn¡¯t lose.

    ¡®It looks like he really did ask for an all-in as a joke.''

    Asking for a match against a 6-Star Awakener without any penalty? It was right to think that he had no thoughts of winning in the first ce.

    ¡®Goddammit. I should have just taken a moderate penalty.''

    If the fact that he used all his might without a penalty against a 4-Star Awakener became known, it was likely that he would get made fun of.

    ¡®Well, it''s better to be safe than sorry.''

    Mockery was temporary, anyways.

    In the end, only the result of ¡®defeated a North Star¡¯s apostle'' would remain.

    "Then, should we start right away?"

    "Ah, wait a minute."

    Jerry Kim turned his body to face the camera and took out something.

    "There''s something that just can''t be left out in a match like this."

    <em>Beep, boop¡ª </em>

    As he lightly used the controller in his hands¡ª

    [Point Betting! Choose who you think will win!]

    <ol data-mce-style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li data-mce-style="font-size: 11pt;">

    Jerry Kim.

    <li data-mce-style="font-size: 11pt;">

    Lightning Wolf.

    -Open the gates! Open the gates! Open the gates!!

    -I got my monthly paycheck today. Let''s fucking gooo!

    -11111111111111111111111111

    -No one''s actually betting on the upper dog, right?

    -Underdog! Underdog! Underdog!

    The chat suddenly became frantic.

    "¡­What¡¯s this?"

    "Ohjin, you don''t know what point betting is?"

    Once again, Ha-eun exined in Jerry Kim¡¯s stead.

    "Point betting is simply something like predicting the victor of a sport. You use real cash to exchange into points and then ce bets on who you think is going to win."

    "Isn''t that just gambling?"

    "It is gambing. You weren''t allowed to use cash to exchange for points in the past, but it''s avable everywhere these days."

    "And the government is just letting this be?"

    "In a shitty world where monsters run amok, who do you think would care about something trifling like gambling?"

    "I guess."

    ¡®It looks like Ha-eun has seen a lot of streams. How does she know all of this?''

    ¡®In any case, gambling¡­''

    Ohjin¡¯s lips curved up.

    ¡®I can''t let such a good opportunity go.''

    He sent a signal to Ha-eun with his eyes.

    "Hehe, little bastard. You don''t have to look at me with those eyes. I''ve already gotten it all~ taken care of, so sit still, alright?"

    Ha-eun smiled as she took out her smartphone.

    [Current Betting Ratio.]

    <ol data-mce-style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li data-mce-style="font-size: 11pt;">

    Jerry Kim (92%)

    <li data-mce-style="font-size: 11pt;">

    Lightning Wolf (8%)

    "Ah~ everybody. Aren''t you being too mean? You''re going to make him feel embarrassed!"

    Jerry Kim cackled as he rambled in front of the camera.

    -LMAO, look at the betting ratio.

    -E.A.Z.Y.M.O.N.E.Y!

    -Who the hell is betting on the underdog in this situation?

    -I bet my entire fortune. Please let me get a 5% return!

    -UpperdogUpperdogUpperdogUpperdogUpperdog.

    As expected, the bets heavily favored Jerry Kim.

    Most of the points were gathered up on him.

    ¡®Damn, look at the number of points.''

    As it was a stream with over 100,000 viewers, the total pot had exceeded $2,000,000 in just five minutes.

    At that moment¡ª

    <em>Ring!¡ª</em>

    [Current Betting Ratio.]

    <ol data-mce-style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li data-mce-style="font-size: 11pt;">

    Jerry Kim (73%)

    <li data-mce-style="font-size: 11pt;">

    Lightning Wolf (27%)

    ¡ªThe ratio on the Lightning Wolf abruptly increased by arge margin.

    "Huh?"

    Jerry Kim also widened his eyes with surprise.

    Rising up in an instant instead of gradually meant¡­

    -Holy shit (¨R¨Œ¨Q). Just how much did they bet on the underdog?

    -Someone go do the math.

    -Jesus, I did the calctions and it turns out they bet $460,000 at once.

    -What a serious underdog freak;;

    -Let''s goooo~

    The chat started to move rapidly.

    "Oh, my~ will you really be okay with that decision?"

    Jerry Kim narrowly suppressed the edge of his lips from going up.

    ¡®There are seriously underdog freaks wherever you go.''

    Being insane enough to blow $400,000? It wasn''t possible for your average joe.

    ¡®Well, it''s better for me.''

    Therger the pot, the moremission fees the streamer would receive.

    "Now! Thest three minutes! There are three more minutes remaining!"

    Jerry Kim proficiently goaded the viewers so that more people would ce bets.

    While he was focused on the stream¡­

    "Ohjin, I bet everything that was left after paying off the house. You know what you¡¯re doing, right?"

    "Of course."

    "I trust you."

    Ha-eun smiled while poking Ohjin¡¯s nk.

    "But what''s your ID? I don''t see it in the betting status board."

    "Secret."

    "Hm? Why is that a secret?"

    "Just understand it as a secret if I say so."

    "Tell me¡­"

    "Hmpf."

    Not wanting to answer, Ha-eun flicked her head away.

    "¡­¡­?"

    Ohjin was curious, but he didn''t dig in any deeper. It wasn''t like finding out her ID was important.

    "Now then! We will close the bettings!!"

    The final ratio was 20:80.

    Compared to the bets on Ohjin, an overwhelming amount of people were predicting Jerry Kim''s victory.

    Well, it was a match between a 4-Star and 6-Star Awakener.

    Unless it was 1~2 years in the future, it was only natural for most people to ce their bets on Jerry Kim¡¯s victory.

    * * *

    * * *

    "Then, shall we begin?"

    "Sure."

    Jerry Kim approached him and exined the rules in a simple manner.

    "The time limit is 30 minutes. You and I will form a party and count who hunted more monsters. The side with more kills will be deemed the victor."

    "Alright."

    "And by the way, how about counting the st hit'' on the monster as a kill, ignoring whatever the circumstance is beforehand?"

    It seemed like a fair rule at first nce, but it was one-sidedly advantageous for Jerry Kim.

    After all, it wasn''t hard for an Awakener of Sagittarius who was specialized in long-rangebat to steal thest hit.

    ¡®He''s struggling with all his might to guarantee his victory.''

    Ohjin smiled while nodding his head.

    "Alright. Let''s proceed with that condition."

    -Lightning Wolf VS Jerry Kim~!!! The match willlllllll~~~~ beginnnnnnnnn!!

    -ffs isn¡¯t thest hit condition being too harsh LOL

    -Jerry Kim is actually dead serious.

    -I think it''ll be GG in about 10 minutes after the match begins (¨R¨Œ¨Q)

    cing the noisy chat behind him, Ohjin moved his feet.

    ¡®I honestly went for thest hit condition as insurance, but he just epted it.''

    Jerry Kim furrowed his brow while looking at Ohjin.

    ¡®Does he have some sort of hidden card?''

    Ohjin being so collected made him worry.

    ¡®Whatever, what if he has a hidden card?''

    With no penalty and stealing thest hit being avable, he was confident that he would win, even against another 6-Star Awakener.

    "Fuu."

    Jerry Kim nced at the viewer count.

    It had passed 100,000 and was starting to reach 150,000 before they knew it.

    ¡®This is an opportunity.''

    ¡­An opportunity to firmly engrave his name in front of all these people.

    ¡®I should try to use as many extravagant skills as possible.''

    Jerry Kim smirked and manifested arrows made of light around his body.

    "Mrgrul?"

    "Mrgrugugul!!"

    Once he went deep into the tunnel with Ohjin, a group of three Murlocs appeared.

    "We''ll start the timer now!"

    Jerry Kim shouted out while assuming the position of pulling an invisible bow.

    The floating arrows of light around him started to swirl and gather up.

    -Woooooooo!! Arrow ster!!!

    -Jerry Kim¡¯s trademark!!!

    -Daddy Jerry Kim!! Take me!! (has pp)

    -Sheeeesh~! Starting off with the signature move right away

    <em>nce¡ª </em>

    After taking a whiff of the chat¡­

    "One for now!!!"

    He let go of the bowstr¡ª

    <em>BZZZZZZZZZZTTTTT!!!!!!¡ª</em>

    Blue lightning struck down.

    Ohjin, who had suddenly sprinted out, cut the Murloc''s body in half with one strike.

    "¡ªhuh?"

    While Jerry Kim''s two eyes were opening wide¡­

    <em>Swish!! Swaaash!!¡ª </em>

    The silver spear engulfed in blue mes split apart the remaining two Murlocs.

    <em>Thud, thud!¡ª</em>

    The blood and flesh that rained down formed a puddle on the ground.

    "That''s three for now."

    Ohjin looked back at Jerry Kim and unfolded three fingers.

    -What??

    -??????

    -What was that just now???

    -Huh??????

    An uncountable amount of question marks flooded the chat that was floating in mid-air.

 Chapter 76: Streaming of the Genius Awakener (5)

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Silence settled down.

    Countless question marks filled the chat, just like the insides of Jerry Kim¡¯s head.

    ¡®W-What just happened?¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t even see it properly.

    In the instant the blue lightning zed up, the three Murlocs were brutally cut apart and scattered across the ground.

    It wasn¡¯t that Ohjin used a powerful star relic, nor was it a special move that cut off lifespan.

    Casually, he swept away three 5-Star monsters like they were nothing.

    ¡°Are you nning on staying like that for the whole 30 minutes?¡±

    Ohjin smirked and waved his hand at Jerry Kim, who waspletely spaced out.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not going, I¡¯m heading off alone.¡±

    ¡°W-Wait!¡±

    Jerry Kim urgently tried to grab hold of Ohjin.

    Naturally, he had no reason to wait for him.

    <em>Thud, thud, thud!!¡ª </em>

    Roughly kicking off the ground, Ohjin sprinted into the tunnel.

    ¡°Argh! Damn it!¡±

    Ohjin could see Jerry Kim trying to catch up behind him.

    ¡°Mgggruull!!¡±

    ¡°Mgrul!!¡±

    The number of Murlocs gradually increased the deeper they went into the tunnel.

    ¡®Two on the right, three on the left, and¡­¡¯

    ¡ªTwo assassin-type Murlocs hiding under the ground.

    ¡®I couldn¡¯t sense their presence before, but now that I know they exist¡­¡¯

    Now that he was aware of the existence of the assassin-types, it wasn¡¯t hard to find their locations by briefly utilizing the stigma of the Hunting Dogs.

    ¡°Gatling Shot!!¡±

    Not willing to lose, Jerry Kim loosed his arrows quickly this time.

    <em>Ttutututututu!!¡ª</em>

    The arrows made of blue light shot at the Murlocs like a machine gun.

    ¡°Mgrugugul!!¡±

    It was most definitely a formidable skill, however¡­

    ¡®The uracy is all over the ce.¡¯

    Ohjin smiled as he aimed his arm at the Murloc that had be a porcupine from the barrage of arrows.

    <em>Bang!!!¡ª</em>

    The sharp weight hung to the end of the wire urately prated through the middle of the Murloc¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±

    ¡°You said thest hit counts as the kill, right?¡±

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Jerry Kim roughly chewed his lips.

    -Hahahahahahahahaha, this is crazy¡­

    -Fucking hell, where¡¯s the guy who said the Lightning Wolf was a 3-Star???

    -No way, this is a 4-Star????

    -Wtf? what am I looking at right now??

    -Are you fucking with me? I bet this month''s entire paycheck!!!!

    -UnderdogWinsUnderdogWinsUnderdogWinsUnderdogWinsUnderdogWinsUnderdogWins.

    The chat heated up from how Ohjin was overwhelming Jerry Kim.

    ¡°Goddammit!¡±

    Jerry Kim unconsciously spat out vulgarnguage. He chewed on his lips with a nervous expression.

    ¡®I can''t lose like this!''

    Hundreds of thousands of people were watching him.

    If he was defeated without even being able to put up a proper fight, it would tag along with him throughout his entire life.

    "Kuuuugh!"

    He gave everything he had to rile up his mana.

    The sudden increase of mana made his mana circuits start to scream.

    However¡ª

    "Arrow¡­ st!!"

    ¡ªit was a match he couldn¡¯t afford to lose.

    <em>Ba-ba-ba-ba-bang!!!¡ª</em>

    Tens, hundreds of arrows swirled and rained down on the three Murlocs that were standing to the left.

    "Mrclughluh!!!"

    The muscr merpeople were swept back by the barrage of arrows and copsed onto the ground.

    -Oooooooooh!!!

    -Jerry Kim! Jerry Kim!!

    -Let''s goooooooooooo!!!

    -Mom, I''ll seriously be a good son if I win this!!!!

    The viewers went crazy over Jerry Kim¡¯s performance.

    <em>"Huff! Huff!"</em>

    Jerry Kim wasn''t even able to confirm how the chat reacted as he sat down on the ground and tried to catch his breath.

    Due to using so much mana at once, strong fatigue weighed down his body.

    At that moment¡ª

    "Mgrul!!"

    <em>Bam!!¡ª</em>

    ¡ªThe two Murlocs that were hiding underground jumped out and charged at Jerry Kim.

    Their sharp thorns¡ªstained with poisonous, purple liquid¡ªaimed at his neck.

    "E-Eeeeeeeeeek!"

    A disgraceful scream escaped out of Jerry Kim¡¯s mouth.

    He tried to get his body back up in great haste, but his fatigued body didn''t move as well as he wanted.

    "S-Save m¡­"

    <em>Bang! Bang!¡ª</em>

    "Mrulgrurururl!"

    The wires wrapped around the Murlocs that charged at him. Blue lightning shocked the Murlocs, causing them to wriggle out of pain.

    "<em>H-Hup</em>!"

    Jerry Kim¡¯s shoulders trembled as he looked down at the Murlocs'' corpses that copsed right in front of him.

    Had it been a little bitter, his body would have been stabbed by numerous poisonous thorns.

    "You have a unique scream."

    Ohjin smirked and retrieved his wires.

    -Eeeeeeeeeek? What was that LOL

    -Seriously, what a legendary stream XD

    -My Jerry-chan normally isn''t like this :<!

    -Hahahahahaha, Jerry Kim¡¯s reaction was fucking hrious.

    Before they knew it, the chat was filled with messages that mocked Jerry Kim.

    "Argh¡­"

    Jerry Kim got back on his feet with a heated face.

    "Let''s go deeper inside."

    In order to make up for his humiliation, he had no choice but to show them a performance so amazing that it would leave the viewers¡¯ mouths agape.

    However¡­

    <em>Bzzzzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª</em>

    "Mrgrgrul!!!"

    ¡ªThe difference between him and Ohjin only increased as time went on.

    "I-It makes no sense¡­"

    Jerry Kim opened his mouth wide with disbelief.

    The number of Murlocs killed during the 30 minutes was 24 for Ohjin and 7 for Jerry Kim.

    It was an embarrassing defeat where the phrase ¡®you lost, but you fought well'' couldn¡¯t even be said.

    -Holy shit¡­ Does this make sense?

    -What part of him is a 4-Star? LOL

    -Shit, what about my monthly paycheck?

    -The ones who bet on the upperdog got shit on, yeah? Hahaha. Feeling dizzy?

    -Lightning Wolf! Lightning Wolf! Lightning Wolf!

    -Mom, I want to grow up to be the Lightning Wolf! Mom, I want to grow up to be the Lightning Wolf! Mom, I want to grow up to be the Lightning Wolf!

    The messages that had told Jerry Kim to teach Ohjin a lesson before the match suddenly turned into ones that praised him.

    "30 minutes have passed, right?"

    "¡­"

    Jerry Kim opened his mouth with a frustrated expression.

    "Didn''t you say that you were a 4-Star?!"

    "When?"

    "Pardon?"

    "When did I say I was a 4-Star?"

    "¡­Ah."

    Jerry Kim¡¯s mouth widened.

    Thinking about it carefully, not once had Ohjin said that he was a 4-Star with his own mouth.

    Ever since he first met him, no, even before then¡ª

    He had beenpletely fooled¡­

    Not by anyone else¡­

    But by himself.

    * * *

    * * *

    "Then¡­"

    Just what rank was the Lightning Wolf?

    "5-Star. I''m a 5-Star."

    Ohjin unfolded five fingers.

    "5-Star¡­?"

    Jerry Kim¡¯s eyes widened.

    An Awakener bing a 5-Star a little over half a year after they awakened was surprising news, however¡­

    "S-Still, even if you''re a 5-Star, just how¡­"

    Ignoring the difference of one star wasn''t that umon between Awakeners. However, that was only the case when the opponent had a second-rate stigma.

    Jerry Kim was an Awakener of the 12 Zodiacs known to be the very best amongst hundreds of constetions.

    ¡®But losing this overwhelmingly despite that means¡­''

    <em>Gulp¡ª</em>

    Just like how the Awakeners of the 12 Zodiacs overwhelmed Awakeners with second-rate stigmas¡­

    ¡ªThe 12 Zodiacs were nothing but one of themon second-rate stigmas in front of a North Star.

    "Shit¡­"

    Jerry Kim looked at Ohjin with trembling eyes.

    It was an expression like that of not seeing a human but an alien that came from outer space.

    "Then I''m taking this, alright?"

    "Ah¡­"

    Jerry Kim looked down at his sack as he eximed in shame.

    He wanted to hold onto it, he even thought of going as far as to forcefully iming that the bet was, in truth, a joke, but he couldn¡¯t do that in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers.

    "¡­Yes. A promise is a promise."

    <em>Grip¡ª</em>

    He nodded his head with his fists clenched.

    There were no words he could say other than obediently admitting defeat.

    -Wow¡­ he was a 5-Star??

    -Holy crap (¨R¨Œ¨Q) hasn''t it only been two months since the article that he became a 4-Star came out??

    -Isn''t that faster than the Star of Celestial Shining Pearl?

    -Breaking News) Jerry Kim gets robbed of all the starstones he gathered for a month.

    -Breaking News) Along with the people who bet on the upperdog.

    -Ah, Jerry Kim, you fucking dumbass. You should have asked what Star he was before making a bet.

    As he expected, the chat he nced at was in aplete mess¡ªmessages of swears that crossed the line filled up the chat.

    If he had it his way, he would have just turned off the stream.

    "Well, then~ shouldn''t you finalize the point bettings?"

    Ha-eun smirked as she approached Jerry Kim.

    "¡­Yes."

    Jerry Kim nodded with a lifeless expression.

    As she had said, he still had to settle the points that were bet before the match started.

    -I''m losing my mind! I''m losing my mind! I''m losing my mind! I''m losing my mind!

    -WooooWooooWooooWooooWooooWooo.

    -Mom, I''m sorry. Mom, I''m sorry. Mom, I''m sorry. Mom, I''m sorry. Mom, I''m sorry. Mom, I''m sorry. Mom, I''m sorry.

    -The underdog is invincible, and the Lightning Wolf is a God. The underdog is invincible, and the Lightning Wolf is a God.

    As most of the viewers had bet their money on Jerry Kim, the chat started to be filled with madness.

    Jerry Kim skimmed through the chat and let out a brief sigh.

    "Now I''ll start announcing the IDs of the people who earned the most points!" shouted Jerry Kim, who ced his finger on the point finalization button.

    "¡ªHuh?"

    Ha-eun''s eyes opened wide.

    "W-Wait!! Why are you announcing IDs all of a sudden!!!"

    "Hm? What do you mean? I''m doing it because it''s one of Twitch''s policies."

    Jerry Kim looked back at Ha-eun with confusion on his face.

    "Wh-Wh-What? S-Since when was there a policy like that? There was nothing like that in the streams I saw before!!!"

    "¡­That''s only in the case of streams with low viewer counts¡ªa Twitch partner like me needs to be transparent with the betting results."

    Announcing the ones who earned the most to the public was a policy made to prevent illegal actions such as match-fixing.

    "Then the annou¡ª"

    "W-Wait!!!"

    Ha-eun urgently stopped Jerry Kim.

    "Cancel it! Let''s cancel the point bettings!!"

    "Pardon? What are you talking about all of a sudden."

    "Ha-eun?"

    Ohjin and Jerry Kim furrowed their brow as they looked at her.

    "Th-The viewers didn''t know what Star rank Ohjin was before betting, right?"

    Ha-eun put on an awkward smile and continued.

    "So it doesn''t count!! This should be canceled!!!"

    The chat fluctuated from her words.

    -For real, it shouldn''t count.

    -ILoveYouILoveYouILoveYouILoveYouILoveYouILoveYou.

    -What do you mean? =.= It''s not like revealing one''s star is part of the rules.

    -Fucking dumbasses, LOL. Would you have bet on the Lightning Wolf if you knew he was a 5-Star?

    The chat''s reaction was distinctively split into two opinions.

    One side imed that it shouldn''t count, and the other said that it doesn''t matter. The two sides started to fight intensely.

    "Easy now, everyone, calm down."

    It was the streamer''s job to manage a chat that had be a mess.

    "As revealing the Star rank isn¡¯t stated on the betting terms, I¡¯ll proceed as usual," said Jerry Kim with a firm voice.

    There was the reason that the public opinion would plummet If he really followed what Ha-eun said and canceled the bet¡ª

    ¡®Since I got robbed of everything, all of you should, as well.''

    ¡ªBut also because of his petty thoughts of not wanting to be the only one to lose.

    ¡®It''s not like it''s my money.''

    Whether others lost money wasn''t his business.

    "Then I''ll start the announcement from first ce. It''s probably the person who bet arge amount on the underdog back then."

    "Ahhhhh!! S-Stop!!"

    Ohjin held onto Ha-eun, who tried to run in Jerry Kim¡¯s direction.

    "Stay put."

    "Let go!! Let go, bastard!!"

    It wasn''t hard to notice that the reason she was acting like this was because of her ¡®ID''.

    ¡®Just what did she use as her ID to be acting like this?''

    He tilted his head while pulling in Ha-eun, who was struggling in his grasp.

    ¡®Is it something like ¡®ckEyedReaper''?''

    Judging from how she reacted so violently, it seemed likely that it would be a rather childish ID.

    ¡®Tch, tch. Does she not know how precious money is? Is revealing some ID that big of a deal to where she would try to cancel this?¡¯

    He smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

    Ohjin didn¡¯t care if it was ckEyedReaper or FallenAngelPower, he couldn¡¯t let a bet that popped off with $430,000 get canceled.

    ¡°The first ce of this point betting is¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhh!! N-Noooo!!!¡±

    ¡°¡®CutiepieOhjinSlurpSlurp¡¯!!!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®¡­Slurp, what?¡¯

 Chapter 77: Streaming of the Genius Awakener (6)

    -Cutiepie, LMAO

    -WTF is that ID (???)???

    -Judging from her reaction, I think that¡¯s her ID, LOL

    -That¡¯s fucking hrious.

    Her shocking ID wasid bare in front of over a hundred thousand viewers.

    ¡°¡­Ha-eun.¡±

    Ohjin looked at the ID that appeared boldly at the top of the point leaderboards and slowly opened his mouth.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t me.¡±

    ¡°Then who is it?¡±

    ¡°I-It isn¡¯t me!!! I said it isn¡¯t me!!¡± shouted Ha-eun, on the verge of tears.

    It appeared that she was fairly embarrassed.

    ¡®Well.¡¯

    She wouldn¡¯t be human if she wasn¡¯t embarrassed when an ID like that was revealed in front of the eyes of that many people.

    ¡°Ahh.¡±

    Ohjin looked at Ha-eun, who shook pathetically with tears in her eyes.

    ¡®¡ªThis is fun!¡¯

    He approached her with a broad grin.

    ¡°Slurp?¡±

    ¡°Eek.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s body flinched.

    ¡°What did you want to slurp slurp so badly?¡±

    ¡°I-It isn¡¯t me. I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°Is that right~? But I think that I understand very well.¡±

    ¡°Sh-Shut up!!!¡±

    ¡®Ah, why are her reactions so cute?¡¯

    ¡°Hmm, lizard woman. Did you get encroached by your stigma by any chance?¡±

    At that moment, Riak approached her with the most serious expression in the world.

    ¡®Encroached by my stigma all of a sudden? What¡¯s he talking about?¡¯

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the ID mean that you¡¯re craving to lick your fellow kind and swallow them whole?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, your condition is quite severe. You are an Awakener of Draco. If the stigma encroaches on your consciousness, your habits will also be one with the constetion¡­¡±

    Riak continued to give out advice with a serious expression.

    As his words continued, Ha-eun¡¯s face started to turn as red as an apple.

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    ¡°What! This great body of mine is giving you serious advice, and you¡¯re saying what?!¡±

    ¡°I said shut up.¡±

    ¡°Hmpf! Although it hasn¡¯t been long since our meeting, as a warrior, this Riak cannot sit still while arade is faced with danger¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please¡­ Please shut up¡­¡±

    Ha-eun crouched down and dug her face in between her legs.

    She plugged her ears, not having the remaining strength to endure the shame any longer.

    "Uh, umm."

    Even Ohjin, who was one of the ones making fun of her, looked at Riak with a gaze like he was to me.

    "Yeah, this is your fault."

    "Just what did I do wrong for her to be acting like this?"

    "Man, being unaware is even more malicious."

    Stuff in this category was naturally more grievous the more seriously it was approached.

    -LOL this is fun.

    -Wow, so she already had a boyfriend.

    -She''s probably the Lightning Wolf''s girlfriend, right?

    -I''m fucking jealous, for real.

    -A North Star¡¯s stigma and a girlfriend on top of that¡­ but why am I¡­ (T?T)

    -Fire!! Fire!!! He''s an enemy!!

    -Stab him to death!!

    It appeared that the chat that saw Ha-eun''s ID misunderstood her as Ohjin¡¯s lover.

    The chat started to be filled with conversations about Ohjin and Ha-eun, so much so that it no longer could be thought of as Jerry Kim¡¯s stream.

    ¡®It is pretty fun to look at their reactions in real-time like this.''

    Ohjin smiled while reading the chat that went up at a speed hard to follow with the eye.

    He didn''t have any thoughts on streaming himself, but he thought it wouldn''t be bad to appear as a guest as he had currently.

    ¡®Let''s start to wrap this up.''

    Ohjin had already aplished all his goals.

    No, he had gained more than his goals, to be urate.

    ¡®I''ve also proved that I''m a 5-Star.''

    He even won a huge bet of over 1000 starstones.

    In honesty, he had earned more money than winning 1st ce in most lotteries through the stream.

    ¡®I should pay back some of the debt I have to the general manager with this.''

    Ohjin was thinking of repayment, as he had received help in various things until then.

    "Then, since the betting has finished, let''s stop the stream here."

    "Ah."

    Jerry Kim, who was in great distress, eximed in shame.

    Although Ohjin had taken many things away from him, Jerry Kim still wanted to hold onto him a little longer since it enabled him to get an unprecedented amount of viewers.

    "Don''t be like that¡­ just a little lo¡ª"

    The moment when he tried to stop Ohjin from packing up and leaving¡­

    "Mrclughluhlua!!!!"

    "Mrgrugugulul!!!"

    "Mrgrul!!!"

    <em>Rumble, rumble¡ª </em>

    A group of Murlocs on the other side of the tunnel started to charge at them.

    "H-Holy shit, how many are there?"

    Jerry Kim''s mouth opened wide.

    The number of Murlocs on the other side of the tunnel easily exceeded 30.

    "¡­Looks like I''ll have to take care of that before I go."

    Ohjin quickly raised his spear from the severe number of Murlocs.

    [My child, do you need a blessing?]

    "No, it''s not that dire. Just give me a little support."

    [Alright! Leave it to me!]

    It looked like Vega also thought the situation wasn''t dire; she floated up into the air and made lightning.

    ¡®Let''s start off with the leading runner.''

    He swung his spear in a wide arc at the fastest Murloc.

    "Mrgururul!!!"

    The leading Murloc screamed out as it rolled on the ground.

    [Kneel!]

    <em>Bzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª</em>

    The chains of lightning sent by Vega tied up the legs of the two Murlocs that were behind.

    As the leading runners copsed, the Murlocs behind started to collide with each other and fall onto the ground.

    "Hmpf!"

    Taking down the frontlines didn''t mean there was time to waste.

    The number of Murlocs approximately exceeded 30. They needed to prepare to block off the attacks that would rush in right after.

    ¡®They¡¯reing.''

    A Murloc jumped over the ones that were entangled with each other and approached him.

    Its violent muscles wiggled threateningly as it¡ª

    "Mrgrugugul!!!"

    ¡ªran right past Ohjin.

    "Huh?"

    It wasn''t that it was heading towards Jerry Kim or Ha-eun, who was supporting from the back.

    The Murlocs were running to the tunnel''s entrance like crazy.

    "Huh? What''s going on?"

    Jerry Kim also looked around with a confused expression.

    "Ohjin, this is¡­"

    "Yeah."

    Ohjin thought their actions were weird from the start.

    "They¡¯re not ambushing us."

    ¡ªThey were running away from an unknown entity.

    <em>Rumbleeeeeeeee!!!¡ª</em>

    The entire tunnel trembled.

    As if something outrageously massive was running, a deafening sound rang out from the other side of the tunnel.

    <em>Rumble!! Rumbleeeeee!!¡ª</em>

    "O-Ohjin! T-The walls!"

    The walls near the entrance copsed due to the sudden impact.

    "It''s alright! There''s a gap over there!" shouted Ha-eun, who took off her eyepatch and observed the copsed tunnel.

    As she said, there was a gap that would narrowly allow a person to pass through.

    "I-I don¡¯t know what''s going on but let''s quickly escape through there!"

    Jerry Kim urgently looked at Ohjin.

    "Wait."

    "What do you mean¡­!"

    "Someone''sing."

    "What?"

    This time, people started toe rushing in from where the Murlocs escaped from.

    They approximately numbered 20.

    It looked like they were parties of Awakeners that were hunting deep inside the tunnel.

    "Kyaaaaaaa!"

    "S-Save meeeee!!"

    "W-Why is a monster like that in this gate!!"

    They were running towards the entrance with faces colored pale from fear.

    "Th-The entrance is blocked!!"

    "Damn it! A-Another entrance! Look for another entrance!!"

    A man with a bushy beard looked around with a nervous expression.

    "Wh-What''s inside there?"

    "Hah?"

    The man frowned as Jerry Kim approached him and asked.

    "Damn it! How would we know?"

    He continued with an annoyed voice.

    "H-Hydra! It''s a Hydra! There''s a hydra deep inside!"

    An answer came from somewhere else.

    It was the woman who approached them with an ear-piercing scream.

    "¡­Did you say Hydra?"

    Ha-eun''s expression distorted heavily.

    Hydra.

    It was a powerful monster that was ssified as a ¡®Boss'' amongst 7-Star monsters.

    Just the fact that it appeared inside of a gate where mainly 5-Star monsters appeared was no different from a cmity.

    "Here! There''s a gap here!"

    Someone who had found the gap that Ha-eun had discovered shouted out with joy.

    "What?"

    "H-Hurry! We need to hurry up!"

    The Awakeners quickly gathered by the gap. However, the tunnel was so narrow that it would take time for even one person to pass.

    It was useless when over 20 people were trying to rush out like starving monkfish.

    * * *

    * * *

    <em>Rumble! Rumble!!¡ª</em>

    While the pandemonium continued, the figure of the humongous monster started to appear on the other side of the tunnel.

    "E-Eek!!"

    "Hydra!! It''s a Hydra!!!"

    <em>Rumble! Rumble!¡ª</em>

    The Hydra appeared as it destroyed the tunnel walls.

    It had an overwhelming size, nearly reaching 20 meters.

    Green scales covered its entire body, and it had nine heads that were wriggling menacingly.

    The intimidation that could be felt was on a different realm than mere merfolk on steroids.

    ¡®Why is a Hydra here?''

    Ohjin furrowed his brow as he looked up at the Hydra.

    Elites or boss monsters appearing in gates weren''t umon, but it was a bit different in this case.

    ¡®Hydras and merfolk have nothing inmon.''

    ¡­An Elite Murloc or Murloc King.

    It was understandable if it was one of those, but a Hydra was extremely out of the blue.

    ¡®In the first ce, a Hydra isn''t a sea creature.''

    Why did a Hydra crawl out in a gate where Murlocs resided?

    "Ohjin! What are you doing!"

    Ha-eun¡¯s shout brought him back.

    As she said, it wasn''t the time to think about why a Hydra appeared there.

    "Ahhhh!"

    "D-Don''t push!!"

    "I said go in quickly!!"

    Ohjin took a nce at the entrance that had be a pandemonium.

    "Escaping is off the table."

    No, even if he could escape, he didn''t n to in the first ce.

    ¡®I heard starstones with the highest qualitye out of boss-rank monsters.''

    And as it was a monster that appeared in that gate, there was a possibility that it would be holding onto two starstones.

    ¡®I can''t miss this opportunity.''

    <em>Smirk¡ª</em>

    Ohjin¡¯s mouth went up brightly.

    <em>Thump, thump</em>¡ª

    His heart pulsated as an electrifying thrill ran down his spine.

    "Ohjin¡­ you''re nning on fighting, right?"

    "I can''t miss this good opportunity, can I?"

    "<em>Sigh</em>. You really like making life tough for me."

    Despite sighing, Ha-eun was also stretching her body.

    "Well, alright. Fuck it, let''s try it. It''s a bit embarrassing to run away from a dumbass with nine heads, isn''t it?"

    Ha-eun smiled fiercely as she ignited her mes.

    ¡®If you look deeply into her, it seems that she worries a lot about me when she actually likes to fight a lot.''

    Well, she wouldn''t have been able to rise up to a 7-Star Awakener if she was afraid of fighting.

    It was wise to escape from an opponent that was judged to be too strong, but there was no reason to run away from an opponent that could be handled.

    ¡®And a Hydra isn''t an opponent that''s too strong.''

    Other people would ask what kind of 5-Star Awakener could face a 7-Star monster that''s ssified as a boss, but he himself had already proved that he was capable in multiple instances.

    ¡®However¡­''

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    Even if the opponent was deemed to be manageable, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down.

    In addition, the gate he was in was one with a weird phenomenon where double the amount of starstones appeared.

    ¡®It would be nice if I had something like bait.''

    There was nothing as great as bait when it came down to testing the waters.

    In the moment where he was stuck in thought¡ª

    "E-Everyone, calm down!! No one will be able to escape at this rate!!"

    ¡ªhe heard Jerry Kim urgently shouting at the people.

    "Huh¡­? H-Haven''t I seen that person before?"

    "Isn''t he Jerry Kim?"

    "The streamer?"

    The eyes of the people who were trying to escape through the tunnel fixed onto Jerry Kim.

    "You! You''re that famous streamer, right?"

    "Ah, yes. Th-That''s right."

    "Then go and buy us some time!"

    "Pardon?" The dumbfounded Jerry Kim asked back in shock.

    They were asking him to buy time when he himself was busy trying to escape?

    "Aren''t you an apostle of Sagittarius?! You''re the strongest here, so hurry up and buy time!!"

    "What kind of nonsense are you on about?"

    "Nonsense? Did you say nonsense just now?"

    The man''s expression distorted intimidatingly.

    His eyes headed towards the marble floating around Jerry Kim¡¯s back.

    "Everyone! This streamer right here doesn''t give a fuck about the lives of others!!"

    "When did I¡ª"

    "Everyones heard, right? That coward only cares about himself and is telling us to get lost and stop blocking the entrance!"

    The man shouted out in a resonating voice and pushed Jerry Kim¡¯s shoulder.

    "You son of a¡­"

    Jerry Kim, who was about to pour out cuss words, stopped in his tracks.

    Unless he turned off the stream, he couldn¡¯t fight with the man while swearing in front of the eyes of hundreds of thousands of viewers.

    "Shouldn''t a public figure take care of others? Huh? Did I say something wrong?"

    "Argh."

    The man knew about his circumstances and persistently used the fact that he was a ¡®public figure''.

    "Huh? Isn''t that the Lightning Wolf?"

    "The Lightning Wolf is here as well?"

    Their gaze went to Ohjin in the midst of the quarrel.

    "What? Isn''t the Lightning Wolf the guy who the Association is throwing their support behind these days?"

    The man''s eyes shone like he had found good prey.

    "There are two famous people gathered up here!! Oh, my! Please save the lives of these weak and unsightly peasants!"

    The man shouted while pushing Ohjin and Jerry Kim towards the Hydra.

    "That''s right!!"

    "The two of you should help us!!"

    "Aren''t you two famous!!"

    Even the other people started to shout in addition.

    "Ha."

    A forced chuckle left Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    He didn''t know what being famous had to do with helping others, but as they said, it was true that a ¡®public figure'' should have a strict moralpass.

    ¡ªYou''re famous. so you need to be the sacrifice.

    ¡ªYou''re famous, so you need to be exemry.

    ¡ªI can.

    ¡ªBut you can¡¯t.

    <em>"Fucking bullshit."</em>

    Ohjin smirked as he looked back at the man.

    <em>"I''ve decided."</em>

    "¡­What?"

    Ohjin whispered in a quiet voice that could only be heard by the man and lightly flicked his fingers so that it wouldn''t be seen by the camera.

    <em>Bzzzzzzzt!¡ª</em>

    A faint sliver of lightning that couldn''t be seen by the eye went up the man''s pants and dug deep inside.

    And then¡ª

    "What are you taaaaAAAAAhHHHhhH!!!!"

    The man''s eyes opened wide as he screamed with all his might.

    "Krieerrreeek?"

    The nine pairs of eyes looked towards the man.

 Chapter 78: Streaming of the Genius Awakener (7)

    <strong>Chapter 78: Streaming of the Genius Awakener (7)</strong>

    ¡°Ugagagagagagak!!¡±

    The man writhed as if he stubbed his toe on the corner of a table and screamed as he charged forward.

    ¡°Wh-What?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡±

    The people who were gathered by the narrow exit were shocked by his actions.

    That kind of reaction was only natural from their perspective as he suddenly screamed and ran in the direction of the Hydra.

    ¡®Woah, this is really effective.¡¯

    Ohjin smiled as he looked at the man who was running forward with his eyes rolled back into his head.

    The technique he had just used was a crude replication of when Vega precisely sent lightning into the Murlocs¡¯ gills to take them down.

    [¡­Did you look at my technique once and replicate it?]

    ¡°The practice I did when I was hospitalized helped me.¡±

    Practicing the meticulous control of lightning throughout the entirety of 10 days back then had paid off.

    [From just 10 days of practice¡­ sigh. Nevermind.]

    Vega let out a deep breath and shook her head like she couldn¡¯t be bothered with it anymore.

    ¡°Kireeeeerirrek!!!¡±

    The Hydra¡¯s eyes focused on the man.

    ¡°Ah, uha.¡±

    The man who screamed looked up at the Hydra with his face dyed pale in fear.

    ¡°S-Save me!! Please, save me!!¡± shouted the man as he looked back at his party members.

    ¡°Y-You sons of bitches!!!¡±

    However, it was only natural that not a single person moved.

    ¡°Krrurururururu!¡±

    One of the nine heads moved like a tentacle and aimed for the man.

    Its sharp, poisonous fangs were exposed as it widened its massive mouth.

    Ohjin activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and carefully observed the Hydra¡¯s movements.

    ¡®It¡¯s fast.¡¯

    Fitting that of a 7-Star monster with the proud title of ¡®Boss¡¯, its movements were quick.

    Was that all? Its head looked like it weighed over several tons. As it had sharp, poisonous fangs on top of that, he didn¡¯t have to face it to know how dangerous it was.

    ¡®However¡­¡¯

    Smirk¡ª

    He gripped his spear and lowered his stance.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much.¡±

    Whenpared to the pressure that he felt from Arshad Khan, the Hydra was nothing.

    Baang!!¡ª

    Blue lightning coiled around Ohjin¡¯s legs as he kicked off the ground.

    ¡°Kierururuk!¡±

    ¡°Uaaaaaaaah!!¡±

    The Hydra¡¯s eyes were currentlypletely focused on the man.

    Lowering his spear as if wiping the floor¡ª

    ¡®Lightning mes.¡¯

    ¡ªhe violently shed upwards.

    The spear¡¯s de that was engulfed in blue mes dug under the Hydra¡¯s neck where there weren¡¯t many green scales.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    ¡°Kieeeeeeieeek!!¡±

    Ohjin whisked away the spear that dug into its neck.

    Green body fluids spurt onto the ground as its flesh tore apart.

    ¡°Kieaeeeeruk!¡±

    ¡°Kyarak!¡±

    Two of the nine heads acted quickly and aimed at Ohjin.

    Fwooooosh!¡ª

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Ha-eun quickly rushed in and spread her arms.

    Snap!¡ª

    As she lightly snapped her fingers, mes with explosive momentum wrapped around the Hydra¡¯s head.

    ¡°Kyararak!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The hydra, wrapped around in mes, struggled violently.

    ¡°Ohjin! I won¡¯t be able tost long!¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Ohjin swung down the spear that dug into its flesh.

    sh!¡ª

    Its half-cut neck slightly dangled.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    He took a deep breath.

    Aiming his left arm at the head of the Hydra that Ha-eun was suppressing¡ª

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡ªthe wire that was shot with the sound of gunfire wrapped its neck.

    Ohjin¡¯s body shot up to where the Hydra¡¯s neck was.

    ¡®And if I shoot my wires once more from here¡­¡¯

    Bang!¡ª

    The wire wrapped around the neck of the Hydra on the right and started to contract at a rapid pace.

    Boom!¡ª

    ¡°Kireek!¡±

    The heads on the left and right ran into each other.

    It was a new feature that was implemented into the upgraded wire shooters.

    He was able to freely control the length of the wire with mana, allowing him to fix the wires in ce to pull off more diverse moves.

    ¡°Alright!! Nice one, Ohjin!¡±

    Ha-eun smiled as she crossed her arms.

    The mes around the heads of the two hydras turned into the shape of sharp des and attacked their necks.

    ¡°Rookie! There¡¯s moreing!¡±

    Riak stepped on the wire and jumped up high.

    He swung his front ws at the head of the Hydra that was aiming for Ohjin, who was in mid-air.

    Pzzzzzzzt¡ª!

    His Lighting ws fiercely shed down the Hydra¡¯s eye.

    ¡°Kieaeeeruuk!!¡±

    Even while its eyeball was getting torn apart, the Hydra still swung its head at Ohjin like a whip.

    [You are persistent!]

    Vega, who was floating near Ohjin, reached out her hand.

    Blue lightning spread out like a web and blocked off the attack.

    ¡°Nice!¡±

    Ohjin didn¡¯t miss the opportunity. Once he got on the ground, he ran towards the head and struck down his spear.

    Its green scales tore apart, and blood gushed out like a waterfall.

    ¡°Kieeeeeeerk!!¡±

    Rumble!¡ª

    The hydra, which suddenly had its four heads turned into a pulp, started to take steps back.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°D-Didn¡¯t the articles say that the Lightning Wolf was a 4-Star?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s that girl? Don¡¯t you think her level is too high to be in this gate?¡±

    The Awakeners that clustered up at the entrance in an attempt to be the first ones to escape stopped and nkly looked at Ohjin¡¯s party that was overwhelming the Hydra.

    -Daaaaamn!!

    -Wow, they¡¯re fucking cool;

    -Did you see the Lightning Wolf¡¯s movements just now?

    -That Guardian Spirit and pet is amazing as well.

    -Where can you get things like those?

    The viewers that were watching the fight in real-time through the stream also didn¡¯t hold back on theirpliments.

    ¡°I¡¯ll join in!¡±

    Was it because he observed the situation and thought the situation was manageable? Jerry Kim started to shoot out a barrage of arrows at the Hydras.

    ¡®This is way easier than I thought.¡¯

    Ohjin furrowed his brow as he looked at the Hydra taking steps back.

    He had already severely damaged four of the nine heads, and there were now five heads remaining.

    At that rate, he would soon beat the other five into a pulp.

    Then¡ª

    ¡°Ohjin! Th-That thing is regenerating!¡±

    Bubble, bubble¡ª

    With the sound of boiling water, the neck of the Hydra that was cut halfway started to regenerate at a rapid speed.

    ¡°Yeah, I wondered why it was too easy.¡±

    Tch¡ª

    Ohjin clicked his tongue and observed the Hydra that was quickly regenerating its injuries.

    ¡°Kieeerrrruuk!!¡±

    The hydra that regenerated two of the four heads in an instant cried ferociously and resumed its attacks.

    ¡®Wait, two?¡¯

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and let out an exmation at the Hydra¡¯s regeneration.

    Amongst the heads that were beaten to a pulp, only the ones that were hit by Ha-eun¡¯s mes were regenerating slowly.

    ¡®Do injuries that are burnt regenerate slower?¡¯

    If that was the case¡­

    ¡°Ha-eun! Burn the surface of the necks I cut!¡±

    ¡°Alright!!¡±

    Putting the nodding Ha-eun behind him, he kicked off.

    Bang!¡ª

    He flew into the air using the wires and wildly swung his spear down.

    sh!!¡ª

    The spear¡¯s de, engulfed in zing blue lightning, cut off the Hydra¡¯s head.

    ¡°Ohjin! Move out of the way!!¡±

    Fwooosh!¡ª

    Ha-eun shot her mes at the surface of the cut neck.

    When the red mes that looked alive moved freely through the air and approached the bloody surface¡ª

    ¡°Kirararaarak!!¡±

    ¡ªthe remaining six heads spewed thick, green body fluids that covered the mes.

    Tssssssssh!¡ª

    Stinging fumes rose up as the mes were put out.

    ¡°Damn it! What¡¯s that?¡± shouted Ha-eun.

    ¡®It¡¯s being cautious of the mes.¡¯

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Hydra. It appeared that the Hydra also recognized Ha-eun¡¯s mes as the greatest threat.

    ¡®Then, I should cut down the remaining heads as fast as¡ª¡¯

    Bubble!¡ª

    Without the time to cut down any more heads, the decapitated head regenerated to its original appearance.

    The amount of time it took for its regeneration was five seconds.

    It was unreasonably fast.

    * * *

    ¡°What? It wasn¡¯t this fast before.¡±

    ¡°O-Ohjin! Something¡¯s weird! I¡¯ve never heard of Hydras regenerating this¡ªargh!¡±

    Rumble!!¡ª

    The head that regenerated swung at Jerry Kim like a whip.

    He stopped shooting his arrows and urgently rolled onto the ground.

    ¡®It¡¯s strange.¡¯

    As Jerry Kim said, the regeneration speed was nonsensical.

    [My child! The presence of the star¡¯s power in that monster has suddenly doubled!]

    Ohjin eximed after hearing Vega¡¯s words and confirmed that subtle blue light was trickling out of the Hydra¡¯s body.

    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±

    It was due to the strange phenomenon that happened inside the gate.

    Two starstones coexisting inside one monster caused the Hydra to develop a special ability.

    ¡°Ohjin, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to deal with this!¡±

    Ha-eun set up a massive wall of mes and blocked the green fluids that were sttering all over the ce.

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    There was a method.

    ¡®It¡¯s just that its regeneration speed is rapid. It didn¡¯t get any sturdier.¡¯

    Moments ago, Ohjin had cut off a head with one spear strike.

    ¡®And if so¡­¡¯

    The five seconds it took for a decapitated head to regenerate¡­

    ¡°I just need to cut seven heads within that frame of time.¡±

    And once that happened, it wouldn¡¯t be able to defend against her mes.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    [My child. Still, I believe it¡¯s¡­]

    Ha-eun and Vega looked at Ohjin like it was unreasonable.

    ¡°There¡¯s no method other than that.¡±

    If there was no other method, all that was left was to use all his might on what could be done.

    [¡­I¡¯ll grant you a blessing.]

    ¡°Later.¡±

    He shook his head.

    Vega¡¯s blessing was thest resort.

    It wasn¡¯t toote to receive the blessing after giving it his all.

    And moreover¡­

    [Still, what if you get hurt¡­]

    ¡°Vega.¡±

    He continued in a low voice.

    ¡°Whenever you get affected by the Commandment¡¯s Restriction, it hurts a lot, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    [That¡¯s¡­]

    Even without receiving the answer, he already knew.

    After all, he had seen her struggle from pain every time she was affected by the restriction.

    ¡°I feel the same way.¡±

    As much as she didn¡¯t want Ohjin to get hurt, he also wished that she wouldn¡¯t have to feel pain.

    ¡®At first, Vega was just another target of my scams.¡¯

    Before he knew it, she had melted into his life and be part of his warmth that he couldn¡¯t remove.

    [M-My child.]

    Vega looked at Ohjin with her beet-red face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the support to you. Riak, you too.¡±

    ¡°Hmpf. I was going to, even if you didn¡¯t say so.¡±

    Riak talked in a brusque manner, but for some reason, it didn¡¯t feel unpleasant.

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    He lowered his stance.

    The time limit was five seconds.

    Within that time¡ª

    ¡°Exceed.¡±

    ¡ªhe would cut off seven heads.

    Bzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª

    Blue lightning coiled around his body.

    Booooom!!¡ª

    Ohjin wildly kicked off and flew up.

    ¡®That¡¯s one.¡¯

    sh!¡ª

    The spear¡¯s de, engulfed in blue mes, cut the Hydra¡¯s head.

    ¡®Two, three.¡¯

    He used the surface of the cut neck to kick off and cut two more heads.

    ¡°Krieeeeuruk?!¡±

    The Hydra urgently moved back its remaining four heads.

    Bang! Bang!¡ª

    Ohjin shot out his wires and they wrapped around two heads.

    ¡°Five.¡±

    Boooooooom!!¡ª

    The Lightning Charges that flowed through the wires exploded two of its heads.

    ¡®The remaining time is¡­¡¯

    2 Seconds.

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯

    There were only two heads remaining, but they had retreated far away.

    Even if he ran right away, he wouldn¡¯t make it.

    ¡®Faster.¡¯

    He concentrated all of his mana onto his two legs.

    Up to the limit of his limits.

    No.

    Exceeding that.

    ¡°Huaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    Ohjin roared as he sprinted.

    Blue lightning covered his entire legs.

    No.

    Exceeding covering¡ª

    His two legs became ¡®Lightning¡¯ itself for a moment.

    -Ring!

    [You have obtained a clue regarding the ¡®Lightning God Physique¡¯]

    [¡¶Exceed Lv2¡·has increased to ¡¶Exceed Lv3¡·!]

    Lightning that soared with explosive momentum.

    His body shot forward with frightening speed as if jet engines were attached to his feet.

    aaash!!¡ª

    ¡°Kieeeruruurk!!¡±

    All nine of its heads had now fallen off.

    ¡°Ha-eun!!!!¡±

    Ohjin turned his body around in mid-air and looked in Ha-eun¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Leave the rest to me!!¡±

    An enormous me dragon appeared out of Ha-eun¡¯s arms.

    It wasn¡¯t a single one this time.

    A total of seven me dragons ran down her arms and soared forward.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ha-eun fumbled around her left eye in pain.

    The ugly veins that covered her left eye rooted past her cheeks and even onto her neck.

    ¡°Huff, huff!¡±

    Heavy breaths flowed out of Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    It hurt.

    She felt a crushing pain in her eye.

    ¡®But.¡¯

    That amount of pain amounted to nothing whenpared to the distant amount of pain Ohjin felt to that date.

    ¡®I won¡¯t be able to call myself his elder if I can¡¯t handle this when he¡¯s endured that much¡­!¡¯

    ¡°Die, you bastard!¡±

    Fwoooooosh!!¡ª

    Humongous mes rushed forth.

    Ferocious light shone out of the dragons¡¯ eyes as they aimed for the decapitated Hydra.

    Tsssssssssh!!!¡ª

    The seven me dragons wrapped around each severed neck.

    Pungent fumes and the smell of burning flesh filled up the tunnel.

    Boom!¡ª

    The 20m Hydra copsed onto the ground.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡±

    ¡°Well done, Ha-eun.¡±

    Ohjin approached Ha-eun, who was catching her breath.

    ¡°¡­Well done? All I did was deliver thest hit.¡±

    ¡°What you did isn¡¯t something that¡¯s easy, you know?¡±

    Though her role was delivering thest hit, the amount of time given to her was just one second.

    ¡®It took me four seconds to cut off all its heads.¡¯

    In the remaining second, Ha-eun had topletely burn the surfaces of seven necks.

    In one way, her role was harder than his.

    ¡°K-Khm! Well, as long as you¡¯re aware.¡±

    Ha-eun cleared her throat and quickly looked away.

    ¡°¡­huh?¡±

    At that moment, Ohjin, who had discovered something, opened his eyes wide.

    ¡°Ha-eun, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ohjin pointed at her chest with his finger.

    ¡°What about my chest? It¡¯s amazing? Fufu. I already know.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®What the hell is this woman saying?¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s shining through.¡±

    ¡°¡­My nipples?¡±

    ¡°Fuck no, your stigma.¡±

 Chapter 79: Streaming of the Genius Awakener (8)

    "Huh? Y-You''re right."

    Ha-eun looked at her own chest with widely opened eyes.

    The stigma of Draco engraved on her left chest was zing with radiant light.

    "No way¡­"

    There was only one case of when a stigma shone besides gathering one''s mana after a fight.

    "Ah!! Argh!! D-Damn, it hurts!!"

    Ha-eun''s expression distorted as she clutched her chest.

    Thick mes covered her body.

    Momentster, the explosive mes started to slowly be absorbed into her body.

    "Ah¡­"

    Ha-eun lightly clenched her fists like it was unbelievable.

    <em>Fwoooosh!¡ª</em>

    Three me dragons were created with just that simple action, which then twirled around her forearm.

    "Wow."

    The me dragons gave off an intense heat that felt stronger than the ones she used to face the Hydra.

    A sudden increase of that much power could only mean one thing.

    "O-Ohjin!!! I-I-I became an 8-Star!!"

    Ha-eun shouted out while charging at Ohjin with an excited expression.

    "Kyahaha!!

    It appeared that she was quite overjoyed as she embraced Ohjin tightly and kissed him on the cheek eight times.

    "I got it, so calm down, Ha-eun."

    "Does it look like I''ll be able to calm down?! 8-Star! I''m an 8-Star!!"

    It was a matter worth getting excited over.

    The difference between each ¡®star'' broadened even more in higher ranks.

    ¡®8-Star was also the final stage you could obtain as a ¡®human¡¯.

    After that was the stage that exceeded humanity

    The so-called ¡®High-rank Awakeners'' that were above 9-Star were the extreme minority out of the uncountable number of Awakeners.

    8-Star was just one step before bing a high-rank Awakener that was regarded as non-human.

    It was an aplishment worthy of getting excited and pouring kisses over. Ohjin wanted to y along with the joyful Ha-eun in his heart, but¡­

    [Hmm. Aren''t you embarrassed in front of all these people?]

    Vega narrowed her eyes and red at Ha-eun.

    As she said, there were currently many eyes in the surrounding area.

    "H-How did two people take down a Hydra¡­?"

    "The Lightning Wolf is insane, but that girl is as well."

    "Wow¡­ 8-Star? Did she say 8-Star?"

    "The Lightning Wolf has a lover¡­ I¡¯m jealous."

    Ha-eun could see that the Awakeners gathered by the entrance were eximing while carefully watching them.

    "Ah."

    [Hmpf! Young one, do you have no shame?]

    Vega got up on Ohjin¡¯s hair and shook her legs in distaste. The heels of her shoes hit his forehead every time her legs shook.

    "I-I just forgot!"

    [There are some things you shouldn''t forget! And I believe that your physical contact is rather extreme for brother and sister!]

    "Heh. It''s not like we''re real siblings."

    [It''s just that you aren''t blood-rted, isn''t the rtionship between you two in truth like siblings?]

    "No, it''s not!"

    Vega and Ha-eun growled and started to bicker.

    "Easy now, calm down."

    After breaking up Ha-eun and Vega, Ohjin headed to the Hydra''s corpse.

    He shortened his spear and cut up its flesh.

    ¡®As expected.''

    There were two starstones that spewed blue light inside.

    They were each as big as a ser ball in size.

    When considering the amount of light that trickled out, they were first-ss starstones that would easily exceed several hundred thousand in value.

    ¡®Kya! Nice!''

    It was highly probable that it wouldn''t be difficult toplete the ck Heaven''s quest with those starstones and the 1000+ starstones he obtained from Jerry Kim.

    "Let''s take care of the restter and head out for now."

    He had tired himself due to using Exceed, and his mana was also almost drained out.

    ¡®Lightning mes performs well, but the problem is that it consumes way too much mana.''

    Ohjin was able tost because he had an abnormal amount of mana; other Awakeners would have trouble maintaining it for just a minute.

    "<em>Groan.</em> Yeah, I want to return and wash up, too. I sweat too much."

    "Dibs."

    "What? Shouldn''t your elder naturally go first?"

    "Go in with me if you have anyints."

    "Oh? You think I won''t be able to?"

    When he was sharing a yful conversation with Ha-eun as usual¡­

    "Uhm¡­ O-Ohjin!"

    Jerry Kim approached them.

    "I was able to stay safe and sound because of you! Thank you very much!"

    He bowed deeply and held out a small business card.

    "It''s my contacts. If you just give me the word, I''ll make sure to repay this favor! And¡­ I apologize for what I tried to do."

    It appeared that he was talking about how he had asked for apetition in order to crush him.

    "Well, it''s alright."

    Jerry Kim certainly didn''t approach him with good intentions at first, but since he was able to obtain starstones and arge amount of money thanks to him, it wasn¡¯t that bad of an encounter.

    Exchanging contacts and gaining more connections would be good in the long run.

    ¡®And moreover¡­''

    Jerry Kim was a person with a lot of uses.

    How influential a streamer with hundreds of thousands of viewers was didn''t need to be spelled out.

    "Th-Then before the stream ends, could you give the stream yourst goodbye"

    "Of course."

    It wasn''t difficult.

    Ohjin lightly waved his hand at the camera.

    "It was fun to participate in a stream like this today. I''ll appear once again when the opportunity arises."

    -Daddy Lightning Woooooooooolf!! You''re so cooooool!! (has pp)

    -Miss, give the Lightning Wolf to me!! Miss, give the Lightning Wolf to me!!

    -Bye!!!

    -You were so cool when you took down the Hydra! I''ll cheer you on from now on!

    -Haha, I honestly thought he was just gifted and arrogant from the articles, but today was really surprising.

    Most of the viewers'' reactions were positive.

    At that point, it was safe to say that he got all he could from the coborated stream.

    "Then should we g¡ª"

    "You¡­ you bastard!!"

    A furious voice was heard from behind.

    Once he turned around, Ohjin could see that the man he used as ¡®bait'' earlier was taking rough breaths.

    "I-It''s what you did, isn''t it?!"

    "What are you talking about?"

    "Don''t y innocent with me, bastard!!"

    The man ground his teeth and shouted.

    "It''s you who made me run towards the Hydra back then!"

    "<em>Sigh</em>. I don''t know what you¡¯re talking about."

    As he shamefully yed dumb, the man approached Ohjin and roughly held up his cor.

    "Do you think I''ll sit still? Huh?"

    The man continued with a heavily distorted expression.

    "The things that happened today! What you did! I''ll go through the official procedure and file aint to the Association!"

    "Yeah, yeah. Do whatever~ you want."

    Ohjin smiled and grasped the man''s wrist that was holding his cor.

    "By the way¡­"

    <em>Crunch!¡ª</em>

    "Ahh!!"

    "Don''t touch me without permission, coward."

    "Let''s go."

    Leaving the man who crouched while clutching his wrist behind him, they headed to their house.

    * * *

    At first, they had nned to return to their house right away, but because of the extreme fatigue in their bodies, they headed to a hotel near the gate for the moment.

    Ha-eun and Ohjin both had a light shower and gathered in one room.

    "Well, then!!!"

    Ha-eun raised up the beer can in her hand.

    "In celebration of my 8-Star promotion and today''s sessful hunt!"

    The appetizing chicken on the table gave off a morous light.

    "Cheeeeeeers!"

    "Cheers."

    They bumped their beer cans.

    <em>"Gulp, gulp."</em>

    Ha-eun chugged down the beer can.

    "Kyaaaaaaa!!! I live for this taste!!"

    The phrase was fitting of an office worker tired from working overtime.

    [What are you drinking?]

    "Beer. Does our Goddess want to try it out?"

    [Hmm. Give me some.]

    Vega flew over and raised the small cup filled with beer.

    [Uht! It''s bitter!]

    "Kyaha!! You don''t know the taste of life! Alcohol is bitter since life is bitter!"

    "Then try this one out, Vega."

    [What¡¯s this?]

    "Fruit soju. It''s sweet, so it should be okay for you."

    [Well, then.]

    Vega gulped down the cup filled with fruit soju.

    [O-Ohhh!!!]

    Her golden eyes shone.

    [Delicious!! It truly is a sweet fruit wine!]

    As the fruit soju was to her liking, she even hummed a tune while raising cups filled with soju.

    When she had chugged down around three cups in session¡­

    [Fufufufu. Indeed, you are thisdy¡¯s child. You know well what thisdy likes.]

    Vega flew up and patted his head.

    [Well done~ kind child.]

    ¡®¡­Is she drunk? Nah, how could a celestial get drunk?''

    Unbelievable.

    [Ehehehe. Thisdy~ is sorry~ that she can''t be a lot of help~]

    "She''s actually drunk?"

    [Uwo?]

    Vega tilted her head and pulled down his hair.

    [Drunk~? What are you talking about~? Thisdy is the Star of the Weaver Girl! There will be no cases of getting drunk¡­]

    Vega stumbled with her heated, red face.

    Ohjin grabbed Vega, who was on the verge of falling off of Ohjin¡¯s head, and forced a chuckle.

    "Riak, can celestials get drunk from alcohol?"

    "Hm. I think it''s because Lady Vega¡¯s body is weakened due to the restriction."

    Riak also looked at Vega with a stumped expression.

    "There shouldn''t be much time left until she can''t materialize. Just let her be for now."

    "I guess¡­"

    * * *

    * * *

    Putting the tipsy Vega behind him, he took a big bite of chicken.

    "By the way, Ohjin."

    "Yeah?"

    "Uh¡­ will things be alright with the guy from back then?"

    <em>Tsh!¡ª</em>

    Ha-eun asked while opening a new beer can.

    "I didn''t see much, but you did something, right?"

    "Mhm."

    "Since that also appeared on stream, it might be a pain if heins."

    Indeed.

    Although he was the first to tantly pick a fight, the public opinion would worsen if the fact Ohjin had used him as bait became known.

    "I have my ways, so don''t worry."

    Ohjin smiled and stretched out his cup to her.

    "Kyaha! Alright, then I''ll trust you. Now cheers!!"

    When around an hour passed in that cheerful party¡­

    "Hehehe¡­ Ohjinnnn~ I became an 8-Star~ you know?"

    [My child~e here! Thisdy shall pat your head!]

    ¡®Fuck.''

    "Riak! Where did that bastard go!"

    "A true warrior must sleep early in order to train the next day."

    "¡­"

    * * *

    "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!"

    The man with the bushy beard swore out with a heavily frowned face.

    "Lightning Wolf¡­ that bastard. I won''t sit back."

    He started to write a long text with his face full of fury.

    It was basically about how the Lightning Wolf had attacked him and used him as bait.

    "Hehehe. If I add the recording from back then on top of this¡­"

    It would be able to deal huge damage to the Lightning Wolf''s public image.

    No, would it end there? Intentionally making others draw the attention of a monster was a serious crime.

    As one of the members of the Association that should abide by thew more than any other group, people wouldn''t hold back their criticism about himmitting that kind of malicious crime.

    "Kuhuhu! You messed with the wrong person."

    The man recorded himself incriminating the Lightning Wolf and then logged onto the inte.

    "Hm?"

    He discovered his own face on ¡®Trending Videos''.

    "Huh? What''s this?"

    At the present time, he hadn''t even uploaded the recording yet.

    "Why is the recording up already?"

    He clicked on the video with the title ¡®I''m Sorry''.

    [First of all, I would like to say that I''m deeply sorry for my fellow citizens that felt distaste due to my actions on the recent stream.]

    Once he yed the video, he could see that a man who looked exactly like him was bowing his head in business attire.

    "Wh-What? What¡¯s going on?"

    Not anyone else but he ¡®himself'' appeared on the video.

    [I''ll now exin why I screamed midway and ran towards the Hydra.]

    "¡­huh?"

    [I was scared at the imminent situation and believed that I had to draw the aggro of the monster in order to make Jerry Kim and the Lightning Wolf take action. Despite knowing that it was a clear crime¡­ I had no choice.]

    "Huh? HUUH? Wh-What? What the fuck is this guy saying!!!"

    The man cried out while urgently clutching the monitor, however¡­

    [I publicly apologize for this incident and promise that I will wee whatever the punishment is with open arms.]

    The video''s view count had already far past 1,000,000.

 Chapter 80: Romeâ€™s Saintess (1)

    The next day¡­

    After driving from Busan all the way to their house, Ohjin poured out the starstones that were inside the sack in the storage room.

    "Wow, looking at it like this, there really is a lot," eximed Ha-eun as she looked at the starstones that gave off a subtle blue light.

    "Oh, right. I''ll use these starstones independently."

    "Hm? You aren''t going to exchange them for money?"

    "I have a use for them."

    "Alright." Ha-eun shrugged without much interest.

    "Most of them are what you earned from the bet anyway, do whatever you want."

    "Thanks."

    "<em>Yawn. </em>I''m still a bit hungover, so I''ll go take a nap."

    Ha-eun yawned and turned around to head to their room.

    <em>Click¡ª</em>

    While she was in the middle of entering the room, she nced at him with a mischievous smile.

    "Do you want to sleep with me?"

    "I have a lot of work to do."

    "Heh. Damn eunuch."

    "Hey."

    Ha-eun puffed out air from her nose and closed the door.

    A serene silence settled down in the living room, but momentster¡­

    [U-uuuuuh¡­ My child¡­]

    A groan like that from a zombie who wandered around in search of meat in an apocalyptic world entered his ears.

    [I¡­ feel sick¡­]

    A celestial suffering from a hangover¡­

    Ohjin wondered if there would have been a single other person amongst the millions of Awakeners who witnessed such a spectacle.

    "You should have drank in moderation."

    Ohjin supported Vega, who was staggering on his shoulder, with his hand. Vega leaned her body on his palm as if she was going to copse.

    He rubbed on her back so that she would feel better.

    [<em>Hwa</em>.]

    "Hm? Does it feel bad?"

    [N-No.]

    Vega quickly shook her head.

    [Uuh. For my head to feel this dizzy¡­ It truly is a scary, poisonous drink. How are humans able to drink this like it''s nothing?]

    "Haha, it''s fine if you drink in moderation."

    [Ugh.]

    Vegaid t on top of Ohjin¡¯s palm.

    [Fufu, it feels snug.]

    "Are you feeling better?"

    [I¡¯m still tired.]

    Vega pouted and soon pulled his index finger over to her stomach.

    [Thisdy shall give you the honor of stroking her belly.]

    ¡®Vega¡¯s starting to talk like Ha-eun. Did she get influenced by staying with her?¡¯

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±

    Ohjin followed her orders and gently stroked her belly.

    [¡­Did you spend time like this with the Vega from your past life?]

    Vega asked suddenly.

    ¡°No. You didn¡¯t stay in this small form back then.¡±

    Ohjin put on a faint smile and continued naturally.

    ¡°We mostly met at the sanctum.¡±

    He looked up as if reminiscing on old memories.

    ¡°You patted me often as you do now. Though you didn¡¯t call me ¡®my child¡¯¡­ you took care of me like one.¡±

    [¡­]

    He disyed false memories like it was nothing.

    [Then what did I call you?]

    ¡°You called me ¡®Ohjin¡¯ from the start,¡± he replied calmly.

    [From the start¡­ How was my first encounter with you?]

    ¡°Our first encounter¡­¡±

    He imagined it.

    ¡ªThe time he had never spent, and the memories of them that didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°I got beaten to a pulp while fighting against the Heavenly Demon¡¯s forces and escaped to the sanctum. I bled too much and thought I was going to die soon¡­ but then, Vega, you appeared and saved me.¡±

    [¡­I see.]

    ¡°Haha. I came by to see you often from that asion, and we became closer.¡±

    Vega, who was quietly listening to his story, avoided his gaze.

    [¡­I¡¯m havingplicated feelings.]

    She mumbled with a deeply sunken voice.

    ¡°About what?¡±

    [When I imagine how the Vega from your past life was with you¡­ my chest throbs for some reason.]

    Was it because the story of the memories she didn¡¯t have felt strange? Vega looked up at Ohjin with a nervous expression.

    [The Vega from back then and the Vega now¡­ are they the same?]

    ¡°They¡¯re different.¡±

    [¡­!]

    Ohjin smiled as he looked at the wide-eyed Vega.

    ¡°You''re prettier now.¡±

    [K-Khm! Buttering up a celestial! H-How impertinent!]

    Despite saying those words, the edges of her lips ascended.

    [¡­Anyways. So the Vega from your past life didn¡¯t call you ¡®my child¡¯?]

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    [Fufu.]

    Vega lightly flew up.

    [Then I shall continue to call you ¡®my child¡¯ in the future.]

    She reached out her hand and patted his head.

    [Hmm~ My child¡¯s hair really is soft. It¡¯s fun to pat.]

    Vega hummed in high spirits.

    ¡°Oh right, Vega. Do you know what ¡®Lightning God Physique¡¯ is by any chance?¡±

    Ohjin recalled how his legs turned into ¡®lightning¡¯ during the fight with the Hydra. He wasn¡¯t able to pay close attention due to the situation back then, but he vividly remembered how his body shot forward with explosive momentum.

    [As per the skill¡¯s name, ¡®Lightning God Physique¡¯ allows your body itself to transform into lightning. A body consisting of lightning can transcend thews of physics and can disy various miracles.]

    ¡°Hm? from the exnation, it sounds like a really powerful skill .¡±

    [It is a very powerful skill in reality. There is the weakness of consuming extreme amounts of mana, but as it disys that amount of power, it is one of top-ranked skills of the stigma of Lyra.]

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was that powerful.¡±

    All he had obtained was a clue. He wasn¡¯t able to use it freely yet. However, if it performed as well as Vega exined it, it appeared that it would be worth investing time into.

    [Naturally, it absolutely isn¡¯t a skill you can learn in your current¡­ state.]

    Vega chuckled briefly and continued.

    [Though I can¡¯t be certain with you.]

    ¡°What Star rank does one usually have to be to learn it?¡±

    [You must be a minimum of a 9-Star.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    This time, Ohjin was the one who couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    ¡®9-Star?¡¯

    Above 9-Star was said to be the realm where you transcended the human race. Though it was nothing but a clue, he had still managed to get a taste of it as a 5-Star.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯ll be incredible once I¡¯m able to use it freely.¡±

    [Don¡¯t be in a rush. This is also the case with Exceed. Using skills that don¡¯t fit your standard will end up ruining your body.]

    As she said, when using Exceed alone made the insides of his body tattered, it was possible that irreversible damage would be dealt to his body if he used Lightning God Physique as well.

    ¡®I should start training this in earnest after I raise my Star rank.¡¯

    Like how one must cut their coat ording to their cloth, nothing good woulde from recklessly learning skills that didn¡¯t match the ¡®Star¡¯.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take this slowly.¡±

    [Fufu. You are a strange child.]

    Vega patted his head once again.

    [Hmm.]

    Whilst patting his head, she rubbed her eyes like she was tired.

    [It appears that thisdy must now go and rest.]

    ¡°Is it because you¡¯re hungover?¡±

    [There¡¯s that, but I also materialized for too long yesterday.]

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡®She was materialized for over six hours yesterday, after all.¡¯

    ¡°Alright, you should go inside and rest.¡±

    [You should restfortably today as well.]

    Vega went inside the pendant.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    ¡®Now that Vega¡¯s gone, let¡¯s proceed with the quest.¡¯

    Ohjin went into the storage room and reached his hand out towards the sack filled with starstones.

    ¡®ck Heaven.¡¯

    The ck clouds that flowed out of his palm started to cover up the starstones.

    ¡®I wonder how many it¡¯ll need.¡¯

    <em>Owooong!¡ª</em>

    Ohjin could feel mana flowing into his body as the ck Heaven absorbed the blue light within the starstones.

    It was in a much smaller quantity than when he absorbed the stigma of Awakeners, but¡­

    ¡®I should still be thankful.¡¯

    With him using Lightning mes so much recently, no matter how much mana he had, it still feltcking.

    -Ring!

    [ording to the starstone absorption, Quest ¡®Star-Devouring Devil of the Sky¢Ù¡¯ will proceed.] [Completion Rate: 2.7%] [Completion Rate: 8.4%]

    Thepletion rate went up every time starstones were absorbed.

    ¡®Jesus, how much is it gobbling up?¡¯

    When it had absorbed approximately 300 starstones, thepletion rate was 32%.

    ¡®It looks like I¡¯ll need to use all 1,000 of them toplete it.¡¯

    Ohjin wondered how long it would have taken if it wasn''t for Jerry Kim and the strange phenomenon where two starstones appeared from monsters at once.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯spleted.¡±

    An ancient constetion¡­

    His curiosity rose from thinking about what kind of ability it would carry.

    <em>Owooong!¡ª</em>

    When it had just about consumed 500 starstones¡­

    -Ring!

    [The star¡¯s power within the starstones is insufficient!]

    [Progress will no longer continue.]

    [Completion Rate: 50%]

    [Starstones with higher quality are required to resume progress.]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    When thepletion rate reached 50%, its progress suddenly ceased.

    ¡°I need starstones with higher quality?¡±

    Ohjin furrowed his brow and took out a ser-ball-sized starstone from his backpack.

    ¡ªThe two starstones obtained from the Hydra.

    ¡®Will I be able to fill up 100% with this?¡¯

    He used ck Heaven and absorbed the mana within the starstones.

    [Completion Rate: 61.2%] [Completion Rate: 72.4%]

    ¡°Goddammit.¡±

    Ohjin swore involuntarily.

    ¡®It isn¡¯tpletable with sheer quantity.¡¯

    He needed starstones that came out of a monster that was at least stronger than the Hydra.

    ¡®Then does that mean I¡¯ll have to hunt 8-Star monsters?¡¯

    As the Hydra was a 7-Star boss, the monsters had to be at minimum an 8-Star monster to obtain starstones with the appropriate quality.

    No, even if it was an 8-Star monster, unless it was a boss or elite monster, it was highly likely that the quality of starstone dropped would be lower than the one from the Hydra.

    ¡®So do I need to hunt elite 8-Star monsters and above?¡¯

    As Korea was rather clean of monsters, it was hard to find gates where monsters that powerful appeared, and even if he could, particr guilds held a monopoly over them most of the time.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Ohjin, who was in the midst of his thoughts, suddenly snapped his fingers.

    ¡®Now that I think of it, I still haven¡¯t received my reward from the Valha guild.¡¯

    As the remuneration for contacting Jang Sukho in the Valha guild¡¯s stead, he would simply have to ask for high-quality starstones. Next, he had to feed the information he received every now and then to the Valha guild to pressure the ck Star Organization.

    ¡°They should have just about recovered by now.¡±

    It appeared that it was time to give the Valha guild a visit.

    <em>¡°Hyup.¡±</em>

    Ohjin packed up the remaining starstones and got up.

    When he raised up his phone in order to contact the Valha guild¡ª

    <em>Bzzt¡ª </em>

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    His vision shook.

    With an intense pain, he felt something flowing into his head.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    Ohjin opened his eyes wide.

    It was now quite a familiar phenomenon.

    [Part of Awakener Lee Shinhyuk was sessfully recovered.]

    Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories unfolded in front of his eyes.

    * * *

    <em>Fwooosh!!¡ª</em>

    <em>-Ahhh!!</em>

    <em>-S-Save me!!!</em>

    It was a city engulfed by Fire Demons.

    The thick, fishy smell of blood stung his nose, and the horrifying sound of screams filled up the city.

    Ohjin looked around and observed the surroundings.

    The western-styled buildings that copsed into debris weren¡¯t ones that could be foundmonly in Korea.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    In the distance, he could see the Colosseum engulfed in mes and starting to copse.

    ¡®Italy?¡¯

    The identity of the city in ruins was Italy¡¯s capital, Rome.

 Chapter 81: Romeâ€™s Saintess (2)

    A city up in mes¡­

    Monsters with sharp fangs were indiscriminately sucking out the blood of humans in the streets that had be ruins.

    ¡­Greedily and ravenously.

    The vampires enjoyed the festival of blood and cackled as they shook their shoulders.

    ¡ªA scene like one would find in the midst of hell.

    Lee Shinhyuk, who was standing on the top of a building, looked down at the rampant killing and roughly clenched his fists.

    <em>-In the end¡­ it turned out like this.</em>

    A low voice mixed with deep regret rang out.

    <em>Click¡ª</em>

    At that moment, the rooftop door opened, and a youth approached Lee Shinhyuk.

    ¡ªA youth with sharp eyes and wless looks.

    It was the ck Lion, Lee Woohyuk.

    <em>-Brother, how''s the situation?</em>

    <em>-¡­it''s toote.</em>

    Lee Shinhyuk shook his head with a deeply sullen expression.

    <em>-The entire city waspletely taken over by the Pseudo Star Cult.</em>

    He closed his eyes tight and strengthened his grip on the spear in his hands.

    Blue mana fiercely zed up on his spear that was engraved with a roaring lion.

    <em>-Brother, there isn''t much time left¡ª</em>

    <em>-I know.</em>

    Lee Shinhyuk dropped his head with an expression of deep regret.

    <em>Zzzzzzzt¡ª</em>

    Then, Lee Shinhyuk''s phone vibrated. He took his phone out of his pocket and answered the call.

    <em>-Yeah, I got it. Woohyuk and I will head there.</em>

    Lee Shinhyuk, who finished a call with an unknown woman, tantly looked down at the phone in his hand.

    The date disyed on the screen was 2023, June 29th.

    <em>-¡­Woohyuk, the date ¡®that incident'' happened was two years ago, on June 30th, right?</em>

    <em>-That''s right.</em>

    After gently looking down at the screen, Lee Shinhyuk looked up.

    A city engulfed in mes.

    Looking down at the street crowded with vampires, he chewed his lips.

    <em>-If¡­</em>

    <em>Grind¡ª</em>

    He fiercely ground his teeth and said as if he was squeezing it out¡­

    <em>-If back then¡­ if I met Isabe on that day¡­ would the present have changed?</em>

    <em>-¡­Brother.</em>

    Lee Shinhyuk looked at Lee Woohyuk with his eyes in an expression of shame.

    <em>Bang!!¡ª</em>

    Crushing the rooftop handrails in his hands, he dropped his head.

    A teardrop ran down Lee Shinhyuk''s cheek.

    <em>-If only I had met her back then¡­!!</em>

    As he cried out¡ª

    -Zzzzzzzzzzt!!!

    ¡ªthe scene began to flicker out with static noise.

    -Ring!

    [¡¶Spearmanship of Pyxis Lv6¡·has increases to ¡¶Spearmanship of Pyxis Lv7¡·]

    "Fua!!!"

    A heavy breath exploded out as if he barely managed to escape from being submerged in deep waters.

    "Ugh¡­ fuck, my head feels like it''s going to burst."

    Ohjin grasped his heated forehead and furrowed his brow.

    ¡®Just what happened?''

    He recalled the streets of Rome that were engulfed in mes. That horrendous future where vampires dug their fangs into peoples'' necks and sucked their blood.

    It was a horrifying scene straight out of a zombie movie.

    "¡­First of all, let''s organize the information I got."

    He traced back Lee Shinhyuk''s memories that had dug into his head and arranged them one by one.

    <ol data-mce-style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li data-mce-style="font-size: 11pt; ; ">

    Italy will be destroyed in two years by vampires.

    <li data-mce-style="font-size: 11pt; ; ">

    The main culprit of the destruction is a group known as the ¡®Pseudo Star Cult''.

    <li data-mce-style="font-size: 11pt; ; ">

    Lee Shinhyuk regretted not meeting up with a woman called ¡®Isabe'' two years in the past, which could have prevented Italy''s destruction.

    "Pseudo Star Cult¡­"

    Ohjin furrowed his brow and spelled out the unfamiliar name.

    ¡®What''s that?''

    Was it that there was another group that wasn''t the ck Star Organization?

    "Damn it."

    When the ck Star Organization alone possessed forces that couldn''t be handled, another unknown group had intervened.

    ¡®Are they the forces the Heavenly Demon led?''

    He didn''t know.

    There was no way he could know when he didn''t even know if the Heavenly Demon existed two years into the future.

    ¡®Let''s think about thister.''

    For now, he had to focus on the rest of the information.

    "¡­Isabe?"

    It definitely felt like he had heard of the name once before, but nothing certain came to mind.

    ¡®I''m not sure what happened on June 30th, but¡­ will that cmity be preventably if I meet Isabe on that day?''

    Ohjin looked at the calendar hung on the wall and checked the date.

    June 24th.

    There wasn''t even a week left until the incident urred.

    "Ugh."

    Ohjin didn''t even know who Isabe was when he didn''t even have a week remaining.

    ¡®I don''t have time.''

    He could only prevent the cmity that would happen in two years if he met her on June 30th.

    "Hmm."

    To be honest, he didn''t really care about the cmity itself.

    Whether Italy was destroyed or hundreds of thousands of humans were massacred, it was none of his business.

    He couldn¡¯t live for the lives of unknown others when the world he lived in already made it hard to protect the handful of warmth within his grasp.

    However¡­

    "A Regressor¡­ should probably prevent it."

    As long as he was pretending to be a Regressor, he couldn¡¯t ignore a future cmity. He had no choice but to exist as the ¡®Heaven-defying Star'' in front of Vega.

    ¡®And¡­''

    Not only for his act, but also¡­

    "They said that the ck Star Organization was recently rapidly increasing their forces in Italy."

    If that was rted to the Pseudo Star Cult¡­

    If the ck Star Organization was hidden within the secret forces that destroyed an entire city¡­

    ¡®I''ll need to prevent it.''

    If he didn¡¯t, it wouldn''t be long until the mes that swept Rome would spread to where he resided.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Ohjin exhaled a deep breath and then exited his house.

    ¡®I should start off by finding out who Isabe is.¡¯

    Before then, there was a ce he had to visit first.

    * * *

    "¡­So this is the information regarding the ck Star Organization."

    Lee Woohyuk¡¯s eyes shone keenly as he received the USB.

    His previous appearance of when he wasid out in the hospital bed on the verge of death was nowhere to be seen.

    A bestial pressure like that of a lion constricted the surroundings.

    "Guild Leader."

    "Ah, sorry."

    The killing intent that constricted the room disappeared with Kim Sunyoung''s words.

    "First of all, we''re very thankful that you took on a dangerous mission in our stead."

    Kim Sunyoung bowed deeply to Ohjin.

    "It''s alright. We''re in a cooperative rtionship, after all."

    "We will continue to track down the ck Star Organization using the information within this USB."

    "I''ll leave it in your hands."

    Although they were hopelessly swept away by Cheon Doyoon''s hands, the Valha guild was a powerful group that became acknowledged as one of the top 10 guilds.

    Ohjin needed their support in order to fight the ck Star Organization.

    "Then, as you have mentioned, you want to be rewarded with starstones?"

    "Yes. Preferably ones thate out from monsters above 7-Star."

    "You won''t have to worry about that," said Lee Woohyuk with a confident voice.

    ¡®It''s nice he''s extravagant.''

    Ohjin felt it once before when he was given therge sum of $3,000,000. Unlike his appearance, Lee Woohyuk had an unreserved personality.

    ¡®He''s different from his brother.''

    Ohjin smiled and moved his eyes to Lee Woohyuk.

    * * *

    * * *

    "Oh right. There are a couple of things I would like to ask that are irrelevant to the ck Star Organization."

    "Do ask. I''ll answer anything that I''m able to answer."

    "Pseudo Star Cult¡­ have you heard of that group before?"

    "Pseudo Star Cult¡­?"

    Lee Woohyuk furrowed his brow and tilted his head. He looked at Kim Sunyoung and sent her a signal.

    "No. It''s my first time hearing that of the group as well."

    Kim Sunyoung slightly raised her sses and shook her head.

    "Hmm¡­ if not even Sunyoung knows, it seems that they''ve been thoroughly hiding their information. Are they rted to the ck Star Organization?"

    "About that¡­ I¡¯m not sure."

    He didn''t have enough information to connect the Pseudo Star Cult with the ck Star Organization yet.

    "We''ll try to investigate it as well. Sunyoung, look into the Pseudo Star Cult for me."

    "Understood."

    Lee Woohyuk handed down an order to Kim Sunyoung and turned his head to face Ohjin.

    "Sunyoung has a lot of connections in the information department. You should be able to receive good news soon."

    "Haha, thank you."

    He had wondered how the Valha guild was good at gathering information despite being an elite guild consisting of a small number of people, and it turned out to be because of Kim Sunyoung.

    "Do you have any other questions?"

    "There''s one more¡­ Have you heard of the name Isabe by any chance? She''s probably Italian."

    The location where the incident took ce was Rome. Hence, it was highly likely that she was Italian.

    "If it¡¯s Isabe amongst Italians¡­ are you perhaps talking about Rome''s Saintess?"

    "Rome¡¯s Saintess?"

    "Isabe Cgrande. She isn''t well known in Korea, but she''s an extremely famous Awakener that doesn''t fall behind you when ites to poprity in foreign countries."

    "Ah."

    Now that he thought of it, he had briefly heard the name on the news before.

    "A picture¡­ ah, here it is."

    Kim Sunyoung meddled with the tablet in her hands.

    Light shone out of the beam projector, which caused a hologram to be created in mid-air.

    "Woah¡­"

    Ohjin involuntarily eximed.

    She had looks like that of a princess who appeared within fairytales.

    ¡­With blond hair that went down to her shoulders, skin as white as snow, and even clear blue eyes.

    The woman had beautiful looks, even to the point where Ohjin¡ªwhose standards had be raised by quite a margin from Ha-eun and Vega¡ªeximed involuntarily.

    "She is one of the super rookies that is famous across the entire world along with you. They say that she''s be a 6-Star within one year after she awakened."

    6-Star within one year after awakening¡­

    It definitely was a speed that could make one be considered as a super rookie.

    "Well¡­ it might be nothing much whenpared with you."

    Kim Sunyoung smiled bitterly and shrugged.

    "In any case, you want to find more about her, correct?"

    "Yes. As detailed as possible."

    "Give me a moment."

    Kim Sunyoung moved up her sses and started typing on her tablet.

    "First off, her stigma is the stigma of Aries; it''s one of the constetions that belong to the 12 Zodiacs."

    Ohjin had already predicted that much.

    There would be no way one would be called a ¡®super rookie'' if they didn''t possess a stigma belonging to the 12 Zodiacs or above in the first ce.

    "It''s a supporting type simr to that of Aquarius¡­ however, it''s not that it doesn''t havebative abilities. No, it''s actually rather on the powerful side."

    An Awakener of Aries.

    Ohjin had heard of them before but never met them in person.

    "But is there a separate reason why she''s called Rome''s Saintess?"

    "Of course. First things first, she''s an incredible phnthropist. Isabe operates dozens of helping centers that take care of children and elders that have lost their guardians due to the circumstances brought about by the opening of gates."

    "Dozens?"

    Even if she was praised as a super rookie, would an individual be able to operate dozens of those kinds of centers? If someone told Ohjin to try doing the same, he most likely wouldn¡¯t be able to with ease.

    "The Cgrande House has an incredible amount of this."

    Kim Sunyoung stuck her index and thumb fingers together and made the shape of an O.

    "Other than what was mentioned, they also say that they treat homeless people in areas where medical support was destroyed for free¡­ Ah, and her looks did y a part in her fame."

    "Indeed."

    What would influence fame more than beautiful looks? And what if the amazing talent of bing a 6-Star Awakener within one year with a stigma of one of the 12 Zodiacs was added on top of that?

    ¡®¡­It''s only natural that she received the extravagant title of Saintess.''

    Rather, he even started to think about whether Isabe would be more popr in other countries than he, a North Star¡¯s apostle, was.

    "And¡­"

    Kim Sunyoung, who continued exining about Isabe, slurred the end of her sentence.

    "Decisive physical evidence for this hasn''t been discovered yet, however¡­"

    <em>Sigh¡ª</em>

    She continued after exhaling a short breath.

    "There have been several assassination attempts targeting Isabe."

    "Ah, I think I''ve heard it on the news before."

    The reason he had heard the name Isabe Cgrande on the news was for that very same thing, though he didn''t remember until just then.

    "Yes, and in addition¡­"

    Kim Sunyoung''s eyes that were seen past the lens of her sses shone keenly.

    "We''re suspecting the culprits to be the ck Star Organization."

    "¡­Pardon?"

    ¡®It''s those fucks again?''

 Chapter 82: Romeâ€™s Saintess (3)

    <strong>Chapter 82: Rome¡¯s Saintess (3)</strong>

    ¡°¡­Is there a specific reason as to why you believe that to be the case?¡± asked Ohjin as his eyes shone keenly.

    ¡°Have you heard about the ck Star Organization increasing its forces in Italy recently?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±

    It was a different faction than the ¡®Owls¡¯ that were active in Korea, but it was true that the ck Star Organization was increasing its forces.

    ¡°It has been confirmed that forces suspected to be from the ck Star Organization showed up frequently near Isabe¡¯s house; it strangely coincides with when assassinations attempts took ce, as well.¡±

    ¡°How did you get that kind of information¡­?¡±

    ¡°We have a trustworthy informant in Italy. The same can¡¯t be said for hisbative abilities, but his informative capabilities are exceptional.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    If it was from someone the vice-leader of the Valha guild would praise with such grandiloquent words, it was likely that the information was trustworthy.

    ¡°Then are you saying that the ck Star Organization has been trying to assassinate Isabe?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ there isn¡¯t any decisive physical evidence yet.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ohjin briefly stood there in silence and narrowed his eyes.

    ¡®The ck Star Organization is targeting Isabe?¡¯

    ¡®Why¡¯ was the first question that popped up in his head.

    ¡°Is there a reason they are targeting her?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about it either¡­ ah!¡±

    Kim Sunyoung, who was shaking her head, suddenly eximed and pped her hands.

    ¡°Now that I think of it, I¡¯ve heard that Isabe¡¯s stigma shows great effectiveness to ¡®demon beasts¡¯.¡±

    ¡®Does that mean she has a certain power that opposes demon beasts?¡¯

    ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure if that alone would be enough for the ck Star Organization to try so hard to kill her.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡®It is enough.¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t think she¡¯s aware yet, but the ck Star Organization¡­ no, the existence of the ¡®ck Stars¡¯ are connected to demon beasts.¡¯

    ¡®If a super rookie that¡¯s the center of attention worldwide has a power that opposes demon beasts¡­¡¯

    It was more than enough for them to target Isabe.

    ¡®So that¡¯s why the Lee Shinhyuk two years into the future said that she would be able to stop the cmity.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk had regretted the fact that he didn¡¯t meet her on June 30th.

    Recently, there were cases of a force suspected to be the ck Star Organization attempting to assassinate Isabe.

    One conclusion could be obtained from the two facts:

    ¡®In the 1st Round, on June 30th, Isabe will die.¡¯

    And If that was the case¡­

    ¡®I have to save her.¡¯

    So that Isabe wouldn¡¯t get killed by the ck Star Organization¡¯s assassins, he needed to go and prevent her death.

    He needed to rewrite a new page into the predetermined destiny.

    ¡°I want to thoroughly investigate the ck Star Organization in Italy as well, but¡­ honestly, we don¡¯t have that leisure,¡± said Lee Woohyuk as he exhaled a deep breath.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to Italy and investigate.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon? You will personally go?¡±

    Ohjin nodded his head.

    ¡°However, with there being no decisive physical evidence yet, the ck Star Organization in Italy should have¡­ much more forcespared to Korea.¡±

    He already knew.

    The Executor that led the ck Star Organization in Italy was ranked 3rd.

    When they couldn¡¯t even think about opposing Cheon Doyoon, who was ranked 6th out of the Executors, going there was an insane act.

    ¡®But¡­¡¯

    If he couldn¡¯t save her¡­

    If the hurricane of blood that swept over Italy two years in the future ended up reaching where he was¡­

    -Aaaaaaaah!!

    -S-Save me!!!

    The screams that filled up the city rang inside his head.

    A street drenched in blood.

    Rampant deaths shimmered right before his eyes.

    ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter up to that point, but¡­¡¯

    He wasn¡¯t a great warrior who had to heroically sacrifice himself to save numerous others, nor was he a hero who had to climb up treacherous roads to y the Demon King.

    ¡­He was a scamming piece of shit who lived off of deceiving others.

    However, at least¡­

    ¡®What I have in my grasp.¡¯

    That handful of warmth¡­

    He would protect it no matter what it cost.

    ¡®There are also plenty of ways Isabe can be used.¡¯

    A super rookie that had be a 6-Star within a year¡­

    Ohjin was certain that if she was an Awakener who possessed a highly effective power against demon beasts, she would be a big help in the future.

    ¡®If I¡¯m able to use this opportunity to get her on my side¡­¡¯

    If he could make her indebted and control her to his liking¡­

    ¡®There¡¯s more than enough value in it to bear that risk.¡¯

    The tip of Ohjin¡¯s mouth tilted up.

    He stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.

    ¡®Thanks, Lee Shinhyuk.¡¯

    How could he have possibly obtained the information that Isabe would be ambushed on exactly the 30th if it wasn¡¯t for him?

    He was able to create a new future thanks to the memories that were passed down.

    ¡°Still, if there¡¯s a possibility that the ck Star Organization is targeting her¡­ there¡¯s a need for me to go there to confirm it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk stood in silence with a contemtive expression.

    His eyes harbored worry that a ¡®North Star¡¯s apostle¡¯ with an incredibly bright future could possibly be lost in vain.

    ¡°Then rather, how about if I go along with you¡­¡±

    ¡°Guild Leader. You haven¡¯t forgotten about this, have you?¡±

    Kim Sunyoung waved the USB containing the information about the ck Star Organization in front of Lee Woohyuk¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t the time to pay heed to Italy right now, is it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, but¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry. I¡¯ll go to Italy alone,¡± said Ohjin with a firm voice.

    ¡®It¡¯ll be more of a hassle if Lee Woohyuk joins in.¡¯

    How would he exin that Isabe would be ambushed on the 30th? He would be able to brush past it with the appropriate words, but it would be difficult to avoid suspicion.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Ah, then take this with you.¡±

    Kim Sunyoung lent out a card that was engraved with a roaring tiger.

    On the back was a contact and a name he had never seen before.

    ¡°Paolo Lanzoni. It¡¯s the contact details of the informant I mentioned before. If you find him and show him that card, he should assist you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s ns would proceed much more smoothly if he had an informant that was very knowledgeable of Italy.

    ¡°And¡­ do you know how to speak Italian by any chance?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    If he was beingpletely honest, he wasn¡¯t even able to speak English properly. There was nothing to be learned in that shitty orphanage.

    ¡°Then this will be much help to you.¡±

    Kim Sunyoung headed to one corner of the room and opened a drawer.

    What she took out was a device that looked like a hearing aid.

    It was an item that Ohjin was also familiar with.

    ¡°Is it a trantion device?¡±

    It was one of the devices made from starstones that were like a miracle.

    Thanks to the fact that it was able to be manufactured with rtively cheap starstones, it was one of the items that was supplied in decently high quantities to people that weren¡¯t Awakeners.

    Naturally, it definitely did not mean that they were cheap.

    They were at least a couple tens of thousands in price.

    ¡°It¡¯s a top-quality trantion device. There should be no problems in understanding and speaking with this alone.¡±

    ¡°¡­I feel like I¡¯m receiving too much.¡±

    A top-quality trantion device on top of an informant¡­

    At that point, he was starting to worry that he was receiving too much.

    ¡°Fufu. This amount of support is only natural when you¡¯re on your way to a dangerous mission. Inpensation, please share the information you obtain in Italy with us.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The Valha guild was his hound that he had made with his own hands.

    Giving the hound some information to chew on was only a matter of course.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go prepare and head off right away.¡±

    ¡°Is there a need to be in that much of a hurry?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always better to be early.¡±

    They didn¡¯t know, but¡­

    ¡®There isn¡¯t much time.¡¯

    There wasn¡¯t even a week left until the 30th.

    ¡°I¡¯ll contact you once I get there.¡±

    Ohjin exited the Valha guild and headed to his home.

    * * *

    ¡°Hm? Italy? Why Italy all of a sudden?¡±

    Ha-eun, who was digging up some ice cream, opened her eyes wide.

    ¡°A request came in from the Valha guild. I ended up having to go there for about a week.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Italy.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s mouth turned into a bright smile.

    ¡°What was there¡­ the Colosseum? Sight-seeing ces like that?¡±

    Her eyes glittered.

    ¡°Kyahaha! I couldn¡¯t even imagine in my dreams that we would go on an overseas trip when we lived in that shitty orphanage!¡±

    It was a manner of speech as if she was going to enjoy traveling abroad.

    She dug out a big spoon of ice cream and held it close to Ohjin.

    ¡°Here, open wide. The ice cream¡¯s going in!¡±

    Her mood was considerably elevated.

    But it seemed that she had a bit of a misunderstanding.

    ¡°We¡¯re not going together. I¡¯m going alone.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression distorted in a heartbeat.

    ¡°Why are you going alone when it¡¯s a request?! It¡¯s only a given that I go as well!¡±

    Indeed.

    Ha-eun interpreted it as them going to Italy together.

    ¡°I need to go alone since it¡¯s an infiltration mission.¡±

    ¡°Infiltration! I-I can do it as well!¡±

    ¡°Ha-eun, you¡¯re not good at hiding your presence.¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes wandered around aimlessly.

    In honesty, it wasn¡¯t a mission where infiltration was a necessity.

    Infiltration was nothing more than an excuse to leave Ha-eun¡ªwho wasn¡¯t good at hiding her presence¡ªbehind.

    There was a separate reason why he didn¡¯t want to take her with him.

    ¡®It¡¯s too dangerous.¡¯

    As long as he didn¡¯t know how many Awakeners the ck Star Organization would invest into ambushing Isabe, it was too dangerous to bring her with him.

    ¡®I can just use ck Curtain to run away if the situation gets out of hand, but¡­¡¯

    The same couldn¡¯t be said for her.

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re going to leave me behind?¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Ha-eun looked away with an extremely sullen expression.

    Munch, munch¡ª

    As if she was stealing it, she shoved the ice cream that she had held out to Ohjin into her mouth.

    Her cheeks puffed out as she kicked his shin with the tip of her foot.

    ¡°Instead, let¡¯s go on a real trip that isn¡¯t rted to businesster.¡±

    ¡°¡­You promise?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    It seemed that she herself knew that she had no talent in hiding her presence, as she didn¡¯t go out of her way to argue in an attempt to follow him.

    ¡°So when are you going?¡±

    ¡°Today.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Right away? What about the airne?¡±

    ¡°Why use the airne? I can just go through the ¡®sanctum¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡±

    Ha-eun pped her hands as if she had just remembered.

    In the ¡®sanctum¡¯, the world where celestials resided, entrances were located all around the world.

    Using the sanctum like a portal, it was possible to easily andfortably travel overseas.

    ¡®Though I don¡¯t know where the entrance to Italy is¡­¡¯

    He simply needed to go and ask Vega.

    ¡°Ugh. So that means you won¡¯t be back for an entire week, right?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Why? Do you feel lonely without me?¡±

    ¡°Oh, my. Are you acting up in front of me again?¡±

    Ha-eun raised her middle finger and fiercely opened her eyes.

    However, momentster, she looked away and mumbled in a low voice.

    ¡°Well¡­ call me frequently when you can.¡±

    ¡®Damn, it feels like I¡¯m a husband going away on a business trip.¡¯

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯tugh.¡±

    ¡°Puhahaha!¡±

    ¡°You bitch.¡±

    After sharing light chats with Ha-eun like that, he packed up his luggage and headed outside.

    He went inside the sanctum and looked for the entrance that led to Italy.

    Thankfully, he was able to arrive in a ce close to Rome, as there was a gate that was located right next to it.

    ¡ªThe time it took for him to arrive in Rome was a mere hour.

    It was so fast that the fact that it was a country that was over a 10-hour flight away felt meaningless.

    ¡°It would have taken longer to reach Busan by car.¡±

    Ohjin smiled and inserted the trantion device that he had received from Kim Sunyoung into his ears.

    The Italian that was no different from alien to Ohjin was tranted into fluent Korean.

    ¡°One, two, three. I wonder if my words are being tranted, as well.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t able to confirm that yet as he didn¡¯t have someone to share a conversation with.

    ¡°Should I start off by meeting Paolo?¡±

    He had already finished contacting Paolo Lanzoni as soon as he arrived.

    After he informed him that he had arrived there with the Valha guild¡¯s introduction, Paolo sent him a link that had disyed his location.

    ¡®It said that he¡¯s near a station called Rebibbia.¡¯

    He started off by mindlessly walking to where Paolo was located on the map.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    The ce he arrived was a Gypsy vige where worn-out apartment buildings wereid out.

    ¡®Does he live in a ce like this?¡¯

    He tilted his head while he entered the Gypsy vige.

    ¡°Damn, just where is he?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t easy to find his way when it was his first time in that ce, with the Gypsy vige itself being additionallyplicated like a maze.

    While he was running in circles within the Gypsy vige¡ª

    ¡°Are you perhaps lost?¡±

    ¡ªa woman with a pushed-down hat approached him.

    She had blue eyes reminiscent of the ocean and an affable smile that seemed to melt one¡¯s heart with just a look.

    The blond hair exposed through the gaps of her hat couldn¡¯t shine more beautifully.

    ¡°You are¡­¡±

    He had only seen her through an image, but he was certain.

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    Ohjin opened his mouth wide with an astonished expression.

    ¡®What the fuck? Does this make any sense?¡¯

    Coincidences also had their limit.

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t finish his sentence in that situation which seemed ridiculous rather than coincidental.

    ¡°O-Oh, my. Do you perhaps know who I am?¡±

    Her cheeks turned red with her slightly surprised expression.

    ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t know since you¡¯re a foreigner¡­¡±

    She took off her hat and held out her hand.

    Her golden hair that flowed down to her shoulders shone radiantly.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Isabe Colegrande.¡±

    Rome¡¯s Saintess smiled brightly.

 Chapter 83: Romeâ€™s Saintess (4)

    "Uh¡­"

    Ohjin was unable to close his widened mouth as he tantly looked at her.

    It wasn''t because his mind was blown by her beautiful looks or anything like that.

    ¡®Just how?''

    The reason he stiffened was the fact that he met her itself.

    His encounter with her was overwhelmingly unlikely to call it coincidental.

    "Uhm¡­"

    "Ah, sorry. I''m Gwon Ohjin."

    He received her hand that was awkwardly hanging in the air.

    "Gwon Ohjin¡­?"

    Isabe, who was submerged in thought after hearing his name, soon pped her hands.

    "Lightning Wolf! Are you the Lightning Wolf by any chance?"

    "Yes, that''s what I''m known as."

    Even Isabe, who was Italian, knew who he was. The title of North Star¡¯s apostle indeed brought a lot of attention to it.

    "Wow¡­! I was wondering why you gave off a good smell!"

    "Excuse me?"

    ¡®Smell?''

    "A-Ah! S-Sorry! Please forget about what I just said!"

    Isabe''s face heated up as she urgently shook her head.

    The fact that she reacted so intensely made Ohjin think deeper into it.

    ¡®A good smell?''

    Then did it mean she traced that smell to find him?

    ¡®It''s not like she has the stigma of the Hunting Dogs.''

    Ohjin chuckled and looked at her.

    "But I don''t have any memories of spraying perfume."

    "D-Didn''t I request that you forget about it!"

    Isabe was flustered as she closed her eyes tight.

    The way her curly golden hair bounced every time she shook her head made Ohjin think he was seeing a sheep with fluffy fur.

    "Hmpf! I was doing volunteer work with the nearby Gypsy people and simply came here to help you because you looked lost. I-It''s not that I tracked down your smell!"

    ¡®So she did track my smell, though I''m not sure why I smell good.''

    In any case, it appeared that his encounter with her wasn''t pure coincidence.

    ¡®Now that I think of it, I did hear that Isabe does volunteer work in treating the homeless.''

    A massive Gypsy vige was a good location for the homeless to gather.

    ¡®So she tracked down my scent whilst she was in the middle of doing volunteer work.''

    Well, even that seemed like an unbelievable coincidence, but it was at least much more usible than meeting coincidentally on the road.

    ¡®Anyway¡­''

    He couldn¡¯t miss this golden opportunity.

    "Yes, I''ve gotten lost as it''s my first time here. Could you help me out?"

    "Of course!"

    Isabe put on a bright smile and nodded her head.

    "So, where are you looking to go?"

    "About that¡­ I¡¯m in a bit of a pickle."

    Ohjin put on a half-witted expression and scratched his head.

    "I originally received a note with the location written on it¡­ but I ended up forgetting about it."

    "Ah, I see."

    They were lies.

    As he received the location as a link in the first ce, he wouldn''t have forgotten about it unless he left his entire phone behind.

    ¡®I need to maximize the time I''m with her.''

    In order to control her to his liking in the future, building up friendship was important.

    "It was roughly¡­ around here. I don''t really remember all that well."

    Ohjin opened up a map and pinned a wacky location.

    "Then let''s head there for now!"

    Isabe beckoned him to follow her.

    Ohjin nodded his head and followed her.

    "Thank you for going out of your way to help me."

    "Fufu. It''s nothing. I wanted to share a conversation with you one day, as well."

    "With me?"

    "Yes! Aren''t you the world''s first apostle of the Star of the Weaver Girl? And¡­"

    Isabe smiled sheepishly.

    "I saw you take down the Hydra through the stream. You fought it on purpose to save the people who couldn''t escape because the entrance was blocked, didn''t you?"

    ¡®Ah, was she watching the stream back then?''

    After all, It wasn''t weird for foreign viewers to be in the mix when there were over a hundred thousand viewers watching live.

    "It''s not like I fought it alone."

    Ohjin superfluously acted humble and shrugged his shoulders.

    "Fufu. But still."

    Isabe looked at him with her sparkly eyes.

    ¡®Hey, it looks like it''ll be easier to get close than I thought.''

    To think that the stream he did back then woulde back and help him in this manner.

    * * *

    * * *

    "I''ve heard a lot of stories about you too, Isabe."

    "Stories about me?"

    "Yes. After all, the stories of Rome¡¯s Saintess are famous in Korea, as well."

    "Ahh¡­ S-Saintess? No, I''m nothing like that."

    Isabe''s face heated up in embarrassment.

    "But aren''t you a saintess when you''re helping out a lost person like me?"

    "No, no, you shouldn''t say that."

    Ohjin and Isabe shared light conversations while they walked to the location pinned on the map.

    Well, it was stating the obvious, but there was no case of them finding his destination.

    When they searched the surroundings for around thirty more minutes¡­

    "Sorry, you''re going through so much hardship because of me."

    "Fufu. Don''t worry about it. By the way, are you unable to contact the person you''re meeting?"

    "It seems like their phone is turned off."

    "That''s too bad¡­"

    Ohjin shrugged towards Isabe, who was looking at him with a worried expression.

    "Well, it can''t be helped. I think I''ll just head to my lodging for now and contact them tomorrow."

    "I think that''d be best."

    "By the way, would you like to share a meal? I feel bad for making you help me out."

    He smoothly proposed a meal.

    The reason he ranps around a weird ce in the first ce was in order to make a reason for them to share a meal.

    ¡®It''s a good thing I didn''t bring Ha-eun.''

    If Ha-eun knew of that fact, her eyes would roll back into her head.

    "Oh, my. There''s no need for you to feel bad. I simply did it because I wanted to."

    "Still, it would make me feel incredibly guilty to send you away like this."

    "Hmm. In that case¡­ ah, how about there?"

    Where she pointed to was a street kebab store.

    Ohjin had heard that she was ady of quite a rich house, but it appeared she ate stuff like that as well.

    "Very well."

    After dly nodding his head, he bought two kebabs, and they both sat down on a nearby bench.

    "Hehe. This almost feels like we''re out on a date."

    Was it because she was Italian?

    Her words were quite aggressive.

    ¡®My heart nearly fluttered.''

    Ohjin zealously reminisced on Ha-eun''s appearance in his head and slightly nodded his head.

    "Well¡­ not that the location is appropriate for a date."

    She smiled bitterly and looked around the Gypsy vige.

    The buildings were so worn-out they looked like they would copse at any moment, and the clothes of the people walking past were also extremely tattered.

    ¡®It''s like the neighborhood I used to live in.''

    The biggest difference was that the size there was several timesrger.

    Wherever you go in the world, the lives of people without power and money would be miserable.

    "Ah! Isabe is with a man!"

    "What? It''s true!"

    The children that were passing by shouted as they pointed their way.

    It appeared that they were acquainted as they addressed herfortably and had a friendly smile.

    "I-It''s not like that!"

    Isabe got up from her seat in a hurry.

    "Hahahahaha!!"

    "Isabe and mister sitting on a tree~ K-I-S-S-I-N-G~!"

    ¡®Damn, how long has it been since I heard that?''

    "You kids!!"

    "Hahahahaha!"

    The children ran far away.

    "I-I''m sorry, Ohjin."

    "Don''t worry about it."

    "<em>Sigh</em>. Indeed, we should have eaten somewhere indoors."

    She exhaled a deep breath and nibbled on the kebab in her hands.

    "It looks like you''re popr with the kids."

    "I''vee here often for volunteer work."

    She had been treating the injured for free.

    "You''re kind."

    "¡­"

    For a moment¡­

    Her expression turned dark.

    "¡­No, that isn''t it."

    She clenched her pants as she dropped her head.

    "I''m not kind in the least."

    If that wasn''t being kind, just what was?

    "¡­This is your first time in Italy, right?"

    "Yes."

    "The Gypsies in Italy are¡­ discriminated against from birth."

    "Is that so?"

    "Well, I''m not saying the people that discriminate are absolutely evil. After all, it''s the truth that the Gypsies have an extremely high crime rate."

    She looked around the worn-out Gypsy vige with somewhat sentimental eyes.

    "It''s the same¡­ for me. I''m kind on the outside, but something deep inside me thinks that I''m ¡®different'' in the end."

    "Is that something bad?"

    Discrimination couldn¡¯t be said to be a good thing.

    However, it was in the realm of problems that could neverpletely disappear.

    Because of a different race, because of a different ideology, because of a different sex.

    As long as one was human, the disappearance of discrimination and conflict was impossible.

    People simply endeavored to reduce it.

    With that in mind, she was one of the people who was trying more than enough.

    "Fufu. It can''t be said to be bad with that alone. However¡­"

    She continued with a deeply sunken voice.

    "To be honest¡­ I involuntarily have these thoughts whenever I help those people."

    <em>Grit¡ª</em>

    Isabe bit her lips.

    "¡ªThat it''s a ¡®relief'' that I wasn''t born as a Gypsy, that I have a powerful stigma, that I possess exceptional talent."

    She continued with a repressed voice as if she was reprimanding herself.

    "The reason I help those people¡­ is, in truth, because I want to feel those vulgar feelings."

    So was that why she said she wasn''t ¡®kind''?

    "Hoho. Saying such useless words to a person I''ve met for the first time¡­"

    "Is that wrong?"

    "Pardon?"

    "Helping others to feel a sense of superiority, is that wrong?"

    ¡®This woman seriously lives while being too uptight.''

    "That''s¡­"

    "A good deed while desiring a reward is still a good deed¡ªwhether that reward is materialistic or psychological."

    "But!"

    "People glorify those who do deeds without a desired reward as a true good deed. Why do you think that¡¯s the case?"

    The reason was simple.

    "It''s because those kinds of people are easy to take advantage of."

    "¡­"

    "The more innocent people with good will don''t desire a reward orpensation, the more advantageous it is to others."

    The more the people with good will lost, the more others would be able to take away.

    "Helping them because you want to feel a sense of superiority and not helping them because you don''t want to feel those feelings. Ultimately, which one is a bigger help to them?"

    "¡­That''s."

    "Only thinking of the result is foolish. However, only thinking of the process is even more so."

    "¡­"

    Isabe''s eyes opened wide.

    After a brief moment of silence¡­

    "¡­You''re a unique person."

    A bright smile like the sunlight was ced on her mouth.

    "I''m not unique."

    It was nothing more than him saying the ¡®words she wanted to hear the most''.

    "Haha, no, you''re plenty unique."

    Isabe got up from her seat and brushed off her bottom.

    "I''ll take my leave now, as there are matters I have to take care of. Ah, and here''s my business card."

    She lent out her business card and smiled brightly.

    "Will we be able to talk again?"

    "Of course."

    Ohjin was nning on asking for her contacts, but she had ended up giving them to him first.

    "Then let''s see each other again, Ohjin."

    She looked at Ohjin gently and mumbled, ¡°Sembra delizioso¡± in a low voice.

    ¡®Hm?''

    Was it because her voice was too silent? The trantion device didn''t work properly.

    ¡®Whatever.''

    Ohjin waved his hand to Isabe, who became more distant, and got up from his seat.

    "Well then¡­"

    It was about time to meet Paolo Lanzon, who would have been eagerly waiting for Ohjin¡¯s arrival.

    T/N: Anyone wanna hit me up with that trantion device? ?

 Chapter 84: Romeâ€™s Saintess (5)

    <strong>Chapter 84: Rome¡¯s Saintess (5)</strong>

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re quitete.¡±

    Once Ohjin knocked on the door of a worn-out house, a middle-aged man with disheveled gray hair came out.

    He had a skinny body and notably high-strung eyes hidden within his thick ss lenses.

    ¡°The way here was veryplicated.¡±

    ¡°You should have called me.¡±

    ¡°I took time to look around to get used to the streets.¡±

    Ohjin gave simple excuses and entered his house.

    The interior of the house, which seemed to be around 100 square meters, was thoroughly organized to the point that it seemed medical.

    The sofa, TV, simple utensils, and even trifling items were all angled to perfection.

    ¡®I got the idea of what kind of personality he has.¡¯

    It was fortunate.

    Rather than azy andid-back informant, an informant who was morbidly thorough was more trustworthy.

    ¡°What information do you need?¡± asked Paolo suddenly without any sort of introduction.

    ¡°I need information about the ck Star Organization.¡±

    ¡°The ck Star Organization¡­ please wait for a moment.¡±

    Paolo went into a room and came out with a bunch of documents.

    ¡°Can you read this?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Ohjin was able to hear and talk with the help of the trantion device, but reading and writing were impossible.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll reprint the Korean ones for you.¡±

    ¡°There are ones that are in Korean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been exchanging info with the Valha guild for a fairly long time, after all.¡±

    Paolo lent out the freshly printed documents.

    Ohjin read through the document that contained information about the ck Star Organization.

    ¡®Starting from a couple of months back, they¡¯ve been increasing their forces in the underworld by pushing out the territory of the Marco Family?¡¯

    ¡®Marco Family?¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s the Marco Family that¡¯s written here?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re a mafia organization that ruled the entire underworld of Italy before the ck Star Organization appeared.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡®A mafia organization¡­¡¯

    ¡°They¡¯re infamous for being extremely brutal. They will kill not only Awakeners but also civilians without hesitation if they¡¯re not to their liking.¡±

    ¡°Then are you saying that the ck Star Organization pushed out the Marco Family?¡±

    ¡°Notpletely. After all, the Marco Family is a powerful group that not even those ¡®Seven Stars¡¯ can recklessly face.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡®The Seven Stars? What kind of mafia group is able to defy the Seven Stars?¡¯

    ¡°¡­Hm. It appears that I must first exin about the Marco Family.¡±

    Paolo raised his thick sses and continued.

    ¡°Marco Giorno. He¡¯s the current boss that leads the Marco Family. Have you heard of his name before?¡±

    Marco Giorno¡­

    Ohjin remembered his name from when it appeared on the news a couple of times a while back.

    ¡ªA high-rank Awakener.

    ¡ªAn existence that had managed to reach or surpass the 9-Star rank that was considered to be in the realm of a non-human.

    ¡­That kind of being was leading the mafia organization.

    ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯ve heard it before.¡±

    ¡°You might not know because you¡¯re Korean, but he was the very person who reigned over Italy like a king before the ck Star Organization appeared.¡±

    Paolo frowned like it was unpleasant.

    ¡°He¡¯s a cruel and vicious person; he is also the reason why Italy wasn¡¯t able to be designated as a ¡®safe country¡¯ despite highly dangerous gates being scarce, unlike Korea.¡±

    He was a human akin to a monster that hunted down and tore up flesh.

    ¡®Well, not that it¡¯s umon.¡¯

    Even before monsters appeared, several thousand years of history showed that the biggest natural enemy of humans was humans themselves.

    ¡°In any case, the situation has changed a lot ever since the ck Star Organization appeared. Marco Giorno, who previously acted without the tiniest bit of fear, is now in hiding without being able to make a sound.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Wait a second¡­ why does his opinion of the ck Star Organization sound so positive?¡¯

    At this point, it was hard to imagine that they were the organization that had the insane goal of killing every single Awakener.

    ¡®No way¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s face stiffened.

    ¡°Um¡­ how is the public opinion of the ck Star Organization in Italy?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Paolo looked at him like he was asking the obvious.

    ¡°Of course, people of all ages and genders are praising the ck Star Organization. Especially the Gypsies, it¡¯s to the point where they now gather up and train in order to join the ck Star Organization.¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Ohjin involuntarily chuckled at how absurd it sounded.

    The opinion about the ck Star Organization was theplete opposite of how it was in Korea.

    ¡®Is this what they nned?¡¯

    One could think that their collision was inevitable, as they were both organizations that acted in the dark, but the ck Star Organization could have also acted with the goal of getting recognition from the start.

    ¡®It¡¯s not imusible.¡¯

    It was the same for scamming.

    ¡ªRather than being considered evil to others, existing while being perceived as good would be several times more advantageous.

    If the ck Star Organization had thought everything through and pushed out the biggest ¡®viin¡¯ to the Italians, the Marco Family¡­

    ¡®They¡¯re considerably intelligent.¡¯

    Most of the time, idiots took the role of viins when heroes could receive the most benefits.

    ¡®No¡­¡¯

    To be more urate, the ¡®villians that pretend to be heroes¡¯ were granted the most benefits.

    ¡°¡­What a pain.¡±

    ¡°A pain?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Ohjin shook his head and avoided answering.

    ¡°Then, changing up the question¡­ have you heard of a group known as the Pseudo Star Cult?¡±

    ¡°Pseudo Star Cult¡­ no. I¡¯ve never heard of them before,¡± answered Paolo as he shook his head.

    ¡®Not even Paolo knows?¡¯

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    He didn¡¯t expect much from Kim Sunyoung, but he thought that at least Paolo would know about the Pseudo Star Cult.

    ¡®Just who the hell are they?¡¯

    Perhaps they were a group that wasn¡¯t even created yet.

    ¡®Or maybe they¡¯ve thoroughly hid themselves, even more than the ck Star Organization.¡¯

    Those were both usible answers.

    In other words¡­

    ¡®Currently, there¡¯s nothing I can do to find out about them.¡¯

    Ohjin decided to forget about the Pseudo Star Cult for the moment.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard from the Valha guild that the ck Star Organization was witnessed frequently near ¡®Rome¡¯s Saintess¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that is the truth.¡±

    Paolo nodded.

    ¡°We can¡¯t say for sure as the ck Star Organization isn¡¯t that well-known in public yet, however¡­ it¡¯s true that they¡¯ve been showing up strangely frequently near her.¡±

    ¡°And were there assassination attempts every time?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. The times they took ce nearly match up, as well.¡±

    Paolo nodded his head.

    ¡®Indeed.¡¯

    The ck Star Organization was targeting her.

    While wearing the mask of a hero, they were secretly disposing of the beings that were a hindrance to their ns.

    ¡°Then could you tell me of all the locations where the ck Star Organization was witnessed?¡±

    Ohjin needed to investigate all he could before the 30th.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Paolo took out a map and pointed out where the ck Star Organization was witnessed in chronological order.

    There was definitely arge amount of unusual movement from the ck Star Organization near the Cgrande House.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Up to here is all I know. And¡­¡±

    Paolo continued with a voice that was filled with confidence.

    ¡°At least in Rome, it¡¯ll be extremely hard to obtain information that isn¡¯t already known by me.¡±

    ¡®What incredible confidence, though he isn¡¯t wrong.¡¯

    Ohjin activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and sensed the presence of the ones nearby.

    It seemed that Paolo was alone at first nce, but in reality, hundreds of his agents were scattered out, surrounding the entire apartment.

    ¡®His skills don¡¯t seem that bad either.¡¯

    It would be difficult to find an information organization that exceeded his magnitude.

    ¡°I understand. Thank you for helping me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure. If it¡¯s the Valha guild¡¯s request, this much is nothing.¡±

    Paolo put on a faint smile and got up from his spot.

    ¡°Then I shall contact you again once I have more questions.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    After exiting Paolo¡¯s house, Ohjin used the map he gave to move to where the ck Star Organization had been witnessed.

    The time left until Isabe¡¯s death was six days.

    There wasn¡¯t much time.

    Dazzle¡ª

    [What are you doing?]

    The silver pendant shined as Vega appeared.

    She flew up and sat down on the top of Ohjin¡¯s head like it was her designated seat and looked down at the map.

    ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of changing a page of destiny.¡±

    [Hmm?]

    Vega opened her eyes wide.

    ¡°A ¡®Saintess¡¯ will be assassinated here in six days.¡±

    Ohjin briefly exined about Isabe and the ck Star Organization, in addition to the cmity that would happen two years in the future.

    [Indeed. So you are nning on saving the child known as a Saintess in order to prevent a future cmity.]

    ¡°There¡¯s that, and¡­ I¡¯m going to get the Saintess on our side.¡±

    Ohjin was certain her power that opposed demon beasts would be a great help in his fight with the ck Star Organization.

    [Fufu. As expected of my child¡­ That sounds like a great idea.]

    Vega patted his head like she was proud.

    ¡°In regards to that, Vega¡­¡±

    [Hm? Is there something you would like to request of thisdy?]

    ¡°Try to avoid materializing yourself during this operation.¡±

    [¡­Why is that?]

    Vega asked as she narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°You might need to use your power this time.¡±

    As Lee Woohyuk cautioned, the current operation was extremely dangerous.

    ¡®I don¡¯t have a single clue on how powerful the forces of the ck Star Organization are here.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t likely, but in the worst-case scenario, the ¡®Executor¡¯ that led them could move personally.

    ¡®And if that happens, I¡¯ll have no choice but to rely on Vega¡¯s blessing.¡¯

    Even if it was impossible to win in a fight with her blessing, it would at least be possible to escape.

    [¡­So you are saying to preserve my power in preparation for an emergency.]

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ohjin nodded.

    ¡°Preserve as much power as you can, and grant me a blessing right away once I call you.¡±

    [Alright.]

    Ohjin didn¡¯t want to give such a request when thinking of the horrifying pain Vega would have to feel after granting a blessing, but¡­

    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    He needed at least some sort of insurance.

    [Call thisdy whenever you¡¯re ced in a dangerous situation.]

    ¡°Well, the best-case scenario is if I save Isabe without having to call you, so let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯te to that.¡±

    [Hmm. Still, you mustn¡¯t overexert yourself.]

    Vega pulled on his hair with a crumpled expression.

    [Even if it¡¯s in order to change destiny, you must keep in mind that it¡¯s all meaningless if you get hurt!]

    ¡°Haha! Alright.¡±

    ¡®She worries too much.¡¯

    [Then I shall stay dematerialized until then and preserve my power.]

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡±

    Vega returned back into the ne.

    ¡°Well then¡­¡±

    Ohjin spread the map out wide and continued his investigation.

    ¡®Starting from where the assassination attempt could take ce¡­¡¯

    And, in the worst-case scenario, nning a route for his escape.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot to do.¡±

    Ohjin diligently focused on his work.

    ¡ªsix days had passed.

    The day for when a new page in destiny would be written had dawned.

 Chapter 85: Romeâ€™s Saintess (6)

    <strong>Chapter 85: Rome¡¯s Saintess (6)</strong>

    ¡°Huff, huff!¡±

    Tatatatak!¡ª

    A woman ran through a dark and narrow alleyway.

    Her blonde hair fluttered as she gasped for breath while her skin, which was originally like white pearl, was stained with dust and sweat.

    ¡°Chase her!!¡±

    ¡°This way!¡±

    Men that gave off a threatening impression chased after the woman.

    ¡°Uht¡­!¡±

    The blonde woman held her breath and quickly hid her body inside a gap in the alleyway.

    Her expression was infused with anxiety and fear.

    ¡°Damn it! Where did she go?!¡±

    ¡°She couldn¡¯t have gone far! Quick, chase after her!¡±

    Each of the men split up and searched for the woman with nervous expressions.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After a brief duration of silence passed¡­

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    The woman who escaped from the men, Isabe Colegrande, spat out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°¡­I was careless.¡±

    She had already known that they were targeting her. However, what she didn¡¯t know was that the ¡®Owls¡¯ had joined in on the hunt.

    ¡®At this rate¡­ it¡¯ll get dangerous.¡¯

    Isabe looked down to her left chest and chewed on her lip.

    A stigma that had lost its light.

    The mana she usually controlled like second nature refused to budge an inch.

    ¡°I can¡¯t contact anyone, either.¡±

    Just how thoroughly had they nned this time? The transmission starstones within her phone were all dysfunctional.

    ¡®I need to run.¡¯

    Other thansting as long as she could to buy time against those people that were encircling Rome, there was no other option.

    However¡­

    ¡®With a body that can¡¯t even use mana¡­¡¯

    How could she possibly avoid the eyes of the assassins that were scattered around and escape?

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Isabe frowned and clenched her fists.

    Despite knowing that the chances were slim, she couldn¡¯t do anything else but desperately try to escape.

    ¡®If I get caught¡­¡¯

    Isabe closed her eyes tightly, as she didn¡¯t even want to imagine what would happen.

    It would be a relief if she died in a neat way. There was a possibility of facing an experience worse than hell if she was captured by them.

    ¡®I need to be careful.¡¯

    Isabe lowered her posture and slowly moved her feet.

    Thankfully, she knew the topography of the Gypsy vige like the back of her hand.

    If Isabe was able to use the characteristics of the maze-like Gypsy vige to her advanta¡ª

    ¡°There!¡±

    ¡°Hurry, chase after her!!¡±

    As soon as the three men discovered her, they quickly rushed towards her.

    ¡°Tch!¡±

    Isabe¡¯s expression distorted as she turned around and sprinted away in a hurry.

    Tatatatata!¡ª

    As Isabe ran deeper into the narrow alleyways, an unknown stench started to sting her nose.

    ¡°Haa! Haa!¡±

    She gasped for air.

    Every step she took, it felt like another massive weight was stacked on top of her shoulders. It was a consequence of a body that wasn¡¯t imbued with mana.

    ¡°Hahahahaha! How slow!¡±

    The men exploded out inughter as they leisurely chased her.

    ¡°Oh, my! What do we have here!¡±

    ¡°Kyaa!¡±

    Although she desperately bought time by using theplicated roads of the Gypsy vige, she was eventually caught by them.

    ¡°I was a bit nervous at first, but it turns out it was no big deal!¡±

    ¡°Kuhuhuhu! Of course, when she¡¯s been hit with the ¡®Curse of the Purple Forbidden Enclosure¡¯.¡±

    The tips of the man¡¯s lips pointed up as he grabbed her thin arm.

    ¡°Let go!!¡±

    Isabe violently thrashed her body in an attempt to release her arm, but it was impossible to break loose from an arm imbued with mana.

    ¡°Shut up, you bitch!¡±

    p!¡ª

    The man roughly swung his palm.

    Her face was quickly sent sideways while her cheek started to turn red.

    ¡°You dare¡­¡±

    Isabe chewed on her lips and red at the man with venomous eyes.

    ¡°Kuhaha!! Don¡¯t look at me like that~¡±

    The man stuck his tongue out as he enjoyed it.

    ¡°¡ªIf you keep doing that, I¡¯ll want to kill you in a more painful way, you know?¡±

    He robustly grasped her thin neck and licked his lips.

    ¡°Augh! Ahk!¡±

    Isabe¡¯s expression distorted from pain, and she scratched the arm that was choking her with her fingernails.

    ¡°H-Hyup!¡±

    The man subconsciously flinched and took steps back.

    However, the man¡¯s lips curved up once he discovered that her fingernails didn¡¯t pierce his arm but instead couldn¡¯t even leave a scratch.

    ¡°Ha¡­ hahahaha!! Wow~! The curse is really effective, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Kuhuhu! Dumbass. Why¡¯d you get so scared if you knew about it?¡±

    ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡±

    The two men raised their voices and started to bicker.

    A gap was created due to them letting their guard down.

    ¡®I need to escape right now¡­!¡¯

    It was an opportunity that wouldn¡¯t arise once again.

    Isabe wretchedly endured the pain in her neck as she was being choked and raised her foot.

    She was nning to kick his groin using the heel of her shoe and escape.

    ¡°Oi, oi. Stop messing around and hold onto that bitch tight so she doesn¡¯t escape.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already holding on t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Huh? Would you take a look at this?¡±

    However, the man on the sideline was able to take notice of her movements before she was able to make her move.

    ¡°Kuhuhu! You¡¯re still thinking of escaping in a situation like this.¡±

    ¡°I guess you really do live up to your name.¡±

    The men looked at her in ridicule.

    ¡°Well, then. Don¡¯t be so sad, miss.¡±

    ¡°Once youe with us, you¡¯ll be able to experience a bunch of pleasant things!¡±

    Their eyes, thick with lust, looked at her.

    ¡®No¡­¡¯

    Her consciousness slowly faded away.

    Isabe¡¯s body gradually started to shake from the encroaching fear.

    ¡®There¡¯s still¡­ a bunch of things I have left to do.¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ want to.¡±

    ¡ªWithout being able to aplish anything.

    ¡ªJust like that.

    ¡ªFutilely.

    ¡ªIn vain.

    She couldn¡¯t let things end this way¡ª

    Bzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª

    Blue lightning filled up her field of vision.

    As if a furious god was giving down divine punishment, blue thunderbolts shot down from the sky into the area.

    ¡°Aaahhh!¡±

    ¡°Wh-What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The men started to panic.

    sh!!¡ª

    ¡°Kugk!! Ahh!¡±

    A spear engulfed in blue mes started to dance.

    While blocking off all routes of escape, while restricting their movement¡­

    The sharp spear upied all eight directions and started to tear the men¡¯s bodies to shreds.

    ¡°Guaaaaaaa!!¡±

    ¡°M-My armmmmm! Kuah! Kruuk!¡±

    The three men were turned into diced-up corpses in an instant and scattered around the ground.

    ¡°¡­huh?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes opened wide as she hadn¡¯t yetprehended the situation.

    She stroked her neck that had been bruised blue and looked up.

    And what she saw was¡ª

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡ªa youth with ck, curly hair and gentle eyes that made one feelfortable with just a nce.

    ¡°Ohjin¡­?¡±

    The Lightning Wolf.

    The Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s Wolf was standing in front of her.

    ¡°How did you find¡­ ugh.¡±

    Stumble¡ª

    Isabe¡¯s body swayed as she tried to get back on her feet.

    Ohjin grabbed her hand and smiled.

    ¡°I found you with your smell.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon? S-Smell?¡±

    Isabe looked around her body with a flushed expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡±

    ¡°Ah! S-Seriously!¡±

    Was it because she recalled her first encounter with Ohjin? Isabe¡¯s cheeks turned slightly red.

    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t chase after your smell back then!¡±

    ¡°Haha! I know.¡±

    Ohjin lightly shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°I happened to be walking by and heard someone scream.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    A short exmation escaped Isabe¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    Tears welled up in her eyes as she deeply bowed her head.

    As Ohjin looked at Isabe bowing¡ª

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡ªthe edges of his lips brightly curved up.

    ¡®Alright.¡¯

    Using the ck Curtain to follow her around starting from the early morning had paid off.

    ¡®The timing was perfect.¡¯

    The goal of his current ns wasn¡¯t simply saving her life but to make her ¡®indebted¡¯ and willing to follow his words from then on.

    ¡®This is different from the Valha guild.¡¯

    Though he was currently in a cooperative rtionship with the Valha guild, it didn¡¯t mean he was able to hand down orders to them as he pleased.

    On the other hand¡­

    ¡®With Isabe¡¯s personality, she won¡¯t be able to refuse the words of the one who saved her life.¡¯

    ¡ªEspecially if that person had risked their life to ¡®desperately¡¯ protect her, then they would thoroughly have her in the palm of their hand.

    * * *

    ¡°First, let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

    Ohjin grasped her hand.

    ¡°Ah, yes!¡±

    Tatata!¡ª

    They held hands as they ran through the alleyways.

    ¡°Over there!!¡±

    ¡°Damn it! Who the fuck is that guy?!¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long for other assassins to show up.

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone keenly as he observed the distinct mana of the ¡®ck Stars¡¯ within them.

    ¡®The ck Star Organization, as expected.¡¯

    The ck Stars¡¯ mana he could feel in the surroundings weren¡¯t from just a couple of people.

    ¡®Just how many are there?¡¯

    The number of assassins that surrounded the Gypsy vige far exceeded what he had imagined.

    ¡®Four¡­ no, five hundred?¡¯

    The fact that they invested so many personnel in eliminating one 6-Star Awakener felt strange, however¡­

    ¡®This is better for me.¡¯

    Thanks to them, he would be able to draw a picture that was a little bit more perfect.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Ohjin took in a deep breath and charged forward. He thrusted the spear and pierced the assassins that were approaching them.

    Pshk!¡ª

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    ¡°Damn it!! Just who the fuck is this guy?!¡±

    The assassins started to throw upints as they went into a panic. Although their unsophisticated demeanor made it hard to think of them as trained assassins, their skills were above average.

    ng! -ng!¡ª

    The assassins barely avoided Ohjin¡¯s barrage of attacks.

    However, that was all.

    The fiercely zing blue lightning gradually pushed them back.

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    ¡°Wh-What¡¯s this?¡±

    Blue lightning ran down the wires that jam-packed the narrow alleyway.

    Bzzzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    ¡°Aaaahh!¡±

    The assassins¡¯ screams rang out with a rising ck smoke.

    Thud!¡ª

    The assassins that blocked the road copsed on the spot.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    Isabe let out a short exmation and briefly looked at Ohjin. She then grabbed his hand and ran forward.

    ¡°There are a lot of crossroads this way!¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    As he had investigated theyout of the area for the past six days in advance, he had a firm understanding of the area.

    ¡°Then quickly¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    He shook his head and approached the assassins that had copsed.

    ¡®As expected.¡¯

    Once he rummaged through a corpse, he discovered a star relic that blinked with a red light. It was most likely amunication device that was nted for the pursuit.

    ¡®And if that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯

    ¡°Ohjin?¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    Ohjin tied the star relic to the tip of his wire shooter.

    Bang!¡ª

    He shot the star relic to a location he had thought of beforehand.

    ¡®It¡¯ll be difficult to track it down over there.¡¯

    As long as they didn¡¯t destroy buildings in a straight line, they would need to run circles.

    ¡°Come this way.¡±

    Ohjin held her hand and went into a worn-out apartment building that was nearby.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t we running away?¡±

    ¡°Even if we run away like this, we¡¯ll get caught eventually.¡±

    The number of assassins that encircled them was a minimum of five hundred.

    That was just the number of assassins he could sense the presence of; it was likely that there would be more of them in reality.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to stay hidden for now and moveter.¡±

    Well, that didn¡¯t mean they would be able to shake them offpletely, but it would at least be better than confronting them head-on.

    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±

    Isabe nodded and entered the worn-out apartment building that Ohjin led her to.

    It appeared that no one lived there, as the interior waspletely empty.

    ¡°Fuu. Let¡¯s rest here for the time being.¡±

    Ohjin sat down on the floor and exhaled a short breath.

    He took off the jacket he was wearing andid it down on the floor.

    ¡°You can sit on top of this.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    Isabe carefully sat down on the floor.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    An abrupt and awkward silence settled down.

    ¡°¡­Ohjin.¡±

    Breaking the awkward silence, Isabe cautiously opened her mouth.

    ¡°Ohjin¡­ why are you helping me?¡±

    She stared at Ohjin with her shaking eyes.

    A light smile was ced on Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that carrying out a good deed while hoping for a reward is still a good deed before?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s just call this somewhat of a good deed as well.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Isabe¡¯s pupils shook.

    ¡°However, there¡¯s no reward I can¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to give me a reward. Isabe, the reason why you volunteered to help those Gypsies wasn¡¯t because you wanted something either, was it?

    ¡°B-But this is different!¡±

    There was no way pretending to be kind while helping others was the same as risking one¡¯s life to protect another.

    ¡°If you insist¡­¡±

    Ohjin put on a gentle smile.

    ¡°There¡¯s one thing I would like to request.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    He slowly stretched out his hand and ced it on her shaking cheek.

    ¡®Look into her eyes, speak in a serene tone¡­¡¯

    Ohjin was able to create the mood he desired as naturally as breathing.

    ¡°Isabe¡­ I want you to stay by my side from now on.¡±

 Chapter 86: Romeâ€™s Saintess (7)

    "Huh¡­? Huh?!"

    Isabe opened her eyes wide as her face turned as red as an apple.

    Ohjin could feel that her previously shaking cheeks had stiffened.

    "W-W-W-W-What d-do you mean?"

    ¡®What do I mean? What I''m saying is that you should work your ass off for me as a demon beast extinguisher.''

    Needless to say, he didn''t actually say the words that crossed his mind. The most important thing at that moment was raising her affection.

    And using that affection as a base, he would thoroughly take advantage of her.

    "Yeah, what do I mean?"

    Ohjin smiled and asked yfully.

    "Aah¡­"

    Isabe dropped her head with her heated up cheeks.

    ¡®It''s effective.''

    He was the benefactor who saved her life in a situation of danger. As their first encounter had also ended on a good note, it would be strange if she didn''t start to develop an affection for him.

    ¡®Well, that doesn''t mean that those affectionate feelings will develop into romantic ones.''

    The feelings that developed for saving one''s life and romantic feelings were not the same. What they felt would probably be closer to ¡®a person I can lean on''.

    ¡®And that''s just about where I want it to be.''

    If those affectionate feelings turned into romantic ones, it would instead put Ohjin in a tough spot, as it would be a pain once Ha-eun found out.

    "Ohjin¡­ you really do say bold words like it''s nothing."

    "Isn''t that the same for you?"

    "Fufu. That just might be so."

    "Let''s stop the small talk here¡­ we should think about how to escape from here safe and sound."

    "Okay!"

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs.

    Thanks to him throwing themunication device far away, he couldn¡¯t sense many presences nearby.

    ¡®Should we start to head out?''

    Ohjin got up from his seat.

    "Are we going?"

    "We can''t stay hiding here forever, after all."

    "¡­that doesn''t sound bad."

    Isabe pouted as if she thought something was a shame.

    "Pardon?"

    "Fufu, don''t mind me."

    Isabe shook her head and got on her feet.

    ¡®She has a strong mind, unlike her appearance.''

    Despite hundreds of assassins in pursuit of her, her expression was rather calm.

    "Which way are we heading?"

    "First of all, let''s set our goal to leaving Rome."

    The ce the assassins were encircling was Rome; they had no choice but to escape from that ce to shake them off.

    "Okay!" she replied brightly.

    Ohjin went outside with Isabe.

    Passing by theplicated alleyways, they headed downtown.

    <em>Step, step¡ª</em>

    They took steps carefully so that they wouldn''t make a sound while even making it so that their breathing couldn''t be heard.

    "Uhm¡­ Ohjin?"

    "Yeah?"

    "Isn''t this direction heading deeper into Rome?"

    "You''re correct."

    As she said, the ce Ohjin was currently headed to was the center of Rome.

    "Then what about what you said before about escaping from Rome¡­?"

    "Even if we escape with our feet, isn¡¯t there nothing but mountains around us?"

    The assassins would instead have an easier time catching up If they went into the mountains.

    "We''re going to ride River Tiber and move to the seaside."

    "Ah."

    River Tiber was like Korea¡¯s Han River as it drew a line across the entire city. No matter how talented the assassins were, they wouldn''t be able to catch up if they used the river.

    "But we don''t have a boat."

    "We should be able to find one there."

    Though Ohjin put it that way, he had actually prepared a boat in advance during the past six days of when he investigated escape routes. They would be able to ride the prepared boat and escape if they went past the Colosseum and arrived at the river.

    ¡®And if we just get near the river¡­''

    There was also the option of utilizing his ¡®Water Affinity'' to fight off the assassins.

    "I understand. I''ll trust in your decision."

    It looked like Isabe couldn''t think of any other method as she nodded her head.

    <em>Step, step¡ª</em>

    They started to carefully advance once again.

    And about an hour of walkingter¡­

    "I-I found them!"

    "Over there!!"

    "Damn it!! Hurry up!! We don''t have much time!"

    Was it impossible to shake off the assassins with predictable moves? Assassins that were prowling around the area started to stick to them the moment they exited the alley into a wide road.

    "Tch. We won''t be able to head there infort as expected."

    There were hundreds of assassins. Ohjin didn''t even think it''d have even been possible to shake them off if it wasn''t for throwing themunication star relic far away in the first ce.

    "O-Ohjin!"

    Isabe looked at him with a panicked expression.

    "We''ll run from here."

    "Kyaa!"

    He lifted her up onto his shoulder and used the wire to attach her to his body.

    They were moving quietly like little rats until then, but now it was a speedpetition.

    <em>Bang!¡ª</em>

    Ohjin used the wire to swing from building to building and moved at a fast pace.

    "Hey! Chase him!!!"

    "Goddammit! What is he, <em>spiderman</em>?!!"

    "We mustn''t lose their tracks!"

    The assassins urgently shouted out.

    "Hyup!"

    <em>Bang!¡ª</em>

    An assassin that jumped up high threw metal pieces that looked like awls.

    <em>C-ng! ng!¡ª</em>

    Ohjin rotated the spear to block off the assassin''s weapon and sprinted in the river''s direction.

    "Huh? What''s going on?"

    "D-Did a gate open?"

    A small number of regr civilians that were just going their way started toe into his sight as he came out of the alleys and sprinted down arge street.

    "Get out of the way, you bastards!"

    <em>sh!¡ª</em>

    "Kugh! Kuk!"

    "Kyaaaaaaaa!!"

    The assassins didn''t hesitate to swing their weapons at the murmuring civilians and continued their chase.

    ¡®Insane bastards.''

    He didn''t think that they would be that brazen.

    ¡®Wasn''t the ck Star Organization in Italy trying to maintain a good image to the public?''

    One would think that they were doing it to remove all the witnesses to finish the job neatly, but it wasn''t even that.

    ¡®It feels more like they''re just removing annoying obstacles.''

    There were even people that were hit by their weapons and didn''t die. In other words, the assassins weren''t even thinking of ¡®removing witnesses'' in the first ce.

    Despite that, they indiscriminately swung their weapons at the people who were blocking the road.

    As if the image of ¡®good'' they built up until then wasn''t any of their business.

    "¡­"

    The discrepancy stimted the back of his neck.

    The development was twisted like a gear that was out of ce.

    ¡®What is it?''

    ¡®What went wrong?''

    ¡®From which point did I calcte incorrectly?''

    ¡ªQuestions that kept connecting to new ones.

    However, a clear answer didn''te to mind at the moment.

    "Ohjin!"

    "Argh!"

    <em>Baaaang!¡ª</em>

    An intense explosion swept the surroundings.

    He narrowly avoided the attack and kicked off.

    ¡®Damn it.''

    There was no spare time to continue his thoughts when hundreds of assassins were chasing after him.

    ¡®Let''s think about this once I shake those bastards off.''

    Ohjin charged forward as he swung his spear.

    <em>Bzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª</em>

    The currents of blue lightning blew away the assassins that were blocking the road.

    "Aaaaahh!!"

    "Block them!! Fuck, I said <em>block them</em>!!"

    The assassins were momentarily pushed back by the overwhelming firepower, but soon they chased after Ohjin like starving piranhas.

    "Kugh!"

    Ohjin roughly swung his spear to fend off the charging assassins.

    "Dieeeeeee!!"

    ¡ªA sharp de targeted Isabe.

    He raised his arm to block the de.

    <em>Pshk!¡ª</em>

    "Kyaa!!"

    The de dug into his forearm as blood sttered out.

    An intense pain came over him, however¡­

    "Lightning Charge."

    "Ugqhagaqgqhaqha!!!"

    He ignored it.

    Ignoring pain wasn¡¯t all that hard.

    "Ohjin¡­ y-your arm!"

    "It''s okay."

    He answered briefly and faced the assassins that crowded up.

    The number of assassins that surrounded them exceeded a hundred before they knew it.

    ¡®¡­Do I have to call Vega?''

    No, not yet.

    ¡®Let''s draw a picture that''s a little bit moreplete.''

    That amount of ¡®danger'' was still too in.

    <em>Bzzt, Bzzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª</em>

    Feathers that were made of lightning fiercely swept the area.

    "Aah!"

    "Goddammit!!"

    He cut down the assassins that blocked the way and sprinted towards the river.

    <em>sh!¡ª</em>

    "Argh!"

    ¡ªOne step, two steps.

    Injuries piled up every time he moved his foot forward.

    Large and small wounds covered his body as his body was drenched in blood.

    "¡­Ohjin."

    Isabe slowly let go of the strength in her arms that wrapped around Ohjin¡¯s back.

    "Leave me and go."

    A trembling voice.

    "We''ve nearly arrived."

    "It''s toote! We can''t escape even if we arrive at the riv¡ª"

    "It''s okay."

    <em>Crunch!¡ª</em>

    Twisting the neck of an assassin that charged at him, he continued.

    "I''ll make it so that it''s okay."

    "¡­Ohjin."

    Isabe''s eyes shook.

    ¡®Alright.''

    The time for the y''s highlight drew near.

    * * *

    * * *

    "W-We''ve arrived!"

    After running for around five more minutes while shaking off the assassins, they were able to arrive at their goal, the riverside.

    The boat Ohjin prepared was floating on the river with a ming sunset.

    "R-Ride the boat¡­ that''s over there."

    "O-Ohjin?"

    Ohjin intentionally gasped for air and stumbled around. Blood sttered on the ground every time he took a step.

    "Hurry up¡­ and ride¡­ the boat. I''ll buy you time."

    Ohjin pushed her towards the boat and turned back as if he was a protagonist sacrificing his life in order to save the heroine.

    "B-But what about you!"

    "¡­Go."

    "No! I can''t leave you behind!"

    "Hurry up and go!"

    Ohjin pushed her towards the boat.

    "O-Ohjin¡­"

    Isabe cried out as she looked at Ohjin.

    And then¡­

    "Ah."

    <em>Stumble¡ª</em>

    Ohjin¡¯s body shook.

    <em>Thud!¡ª</em>

    He got on his knee and copsed onto the ground.

    "O-Ohjin!! Ohjinnnnnn!!!"

    "H-Hurry up¡­ and esca¡­"

    While wringing out with his faint voice on the verge of cutting off¡­

    ¡ªOhjin closed his eyes.

    "Nooooooooooo!!!"

    An ear-splitting scream rang out.

    The footsteps of the assassins that gathered up a distance away could be heard.

    The edge of Ohjin''s lips very faintly curved up.

    ¡®It''s done.''

    He hadpleted all his preparations for the y''s highlight.

    Now all he had to do was stay lying down and receive Vega¡¯s blessing to sweep all the assassins away when she was faced with despair.

    ¡®Indeed, the protagonist should awaken in a situation of desperation!''

    ¡ªA heroine faced with danger.

    ¡ªThe image of a protagonist that seemed to be dead reviving and sweeping away the enemies in a heartbeat!

    ¡®Kyaha! What an amazing build-up!''

    He could feel a great amount of satisfaction as he had spent a lot of effort in nning all this out.

    "¡ªYou really do run around like a little rat, Isabe."

    Ohjin could sense the assassins surrounding them.

    "However, this is the end."

    They looked at her with killing intent in their eyes.

    ¡®Well, then, is it about time I wake up Vega?''

    When Ohjin, who was observing the situation with slightly open eyes, was about to insert mana into his ne¡­

    -Pzzt

    [Part of Awakener Lee Shinhyuk''s memories was sessfully restored.]

    His sight wavered.

    Foreign memories started to rush into his head.

    <em>-If only¡­ I met Isabe back then¡­ would things have changed?</em>

    <em>-¡­Brother.</em>

    ¡®Huh? What''s this? The transmission didn''t finish back then?''

    <em>-If only I had met her back then¡­!!</em>

    Lee Shinhyuk cried out while grasping the rooftop''s rails.

    ¡®Ah, now that I think of it, it did say that transmission would happen in increments as it was restored.''

    ¡®Seriously, showing up now when I''ve already solved everything.''

    <em>-If I met Isabe¡­!!</em>

    ¡®Kuhuhu! Yeah. I''ve saved her just as you wanted.''

    ¡®No, not only did I save her, I acted out a scene straight out of a drama.''

    <strong><em>-If only I had killed her back then!!!</em></strong>

    ¡®Yeah, yeah.''

    ¡®If only you ki¡­''

    ¡®Huh?''

    ¡®Wait.''

    ¡®The fuck did you say?''

    <em>-If only I killed that insane bitch when she was weakened by the ¡®Purple Forbidden Enclosure''s Curse''!!</em>

    ¡®Wait, I wasn''t supposed to save her, but kill her?''

    <em>-I could have prevented this disaster!!</em>

    ¡®Hey, you son of a bitch. Fuck!! You should have said that in the beginning!!''

    He felt a sensation as if a hammer hit him in the back of his head.

    The insides of Ohjin¡¯s head twisted up from the confusion of the situation he couldn¡¯t understand.

    "You mustn''t die, Ohjin!! Ohjinnnnnn!!"

    An ear-piercing scream rang out from Isabe.

    "Hugk!! Huk!! Wuahhhhh!!"

    The sound of sorrowful cries echoed out.

    "There''s no ce to run!"

    The assassins thatpletely surrounded her took out their weapons and approached her.

    "Hey, you won''t get hurt if you''re obedient."

    <em>Gulp¡ª</em>

    The assassins who carefully approached Isabe had nervous expressions.

    "H-Hik!"

    Isabe shed a small amount of tears as her shoulders shook.

    ¡ªA vulnerable appearance like that of a terrified puppy.

    One of the assassins who was gripping tight onto his weapon shouted out with a frown.

    "Throw away that poor act! <strong>Queen of Leeches</strong>!!!"

    "¡­"

    "There''s no use putting on that kind of expression. As the one that brutally ripped apart our members¡­"

    "¡ªOh, my?"

    Frightening killing intent was contained within Isabe''s blue eyes.

    Her previously scared appearancepletely vanished as she slowly got up from her spot.

    "Leeches?"

    Sharp fangs grew as a suffocating force pressed down on the area.

    <strong>"Aren''t leeches a bit unfitting for ady this beautiful?"</strong>

    "Ugh!"

    The faces of the assassins were dyed white in fear from the explosive killing intent.

    "Hmpf."

    Isabe took a quick nce at the assassins that surrounded her and then slowly looked down at Ohjin, who was copsed on the ground.

    "Let''s see¡­ you didn''t actually die, did you?"

    She ced her finger on Ohjin¡¯s neck and tilted her head with an innocent expression.

    "Oh, my. You''re alive as expected. Fufufu. What a relief."

    Isabe licked her lips with an alluring smile after confirming his beating pulse.

    <strong>"How long has it been since I''ve found top-quality prey? I can''t let it be lost in vain."</strong>

    <em>Giggle!¡ª</em>

    Isabe exploded out in uncannyughter and turned around.

    "Fufufu. Quite a lot of you have gathered. Seriously¡­ being so popr is a pain, you know?"

    "S-Shut up!"

    The assassins'' bodies shook as they surrounded her.

    "Now, then¡­ I wonder how your blood will taste."

    Ranked 3rd of the ck Star Organization''s Executors¡ª

    The Queen of Leeches, Isabe Cgrande, smiled coldly.

 Chapter 87: Romeâ€™s Saintess (8)

    ¡®¡ªWhat? Queen of Leeches? Those bastards said Queen of Leeches just now, right?''

    ¡®Isabe is the 3rd ranking Executor of the ck Star Organization?''

    ¡®What kind of bullshit is that? Then who the hell are those bast¡­ ah.''

    ¡ªIt was a sensation as if he had been struck by lightning.

    The misaligned puzzle pieces, the twisted gears, they all clicked into ce.

    <em>-In any case, the situation has changed a lot ever since the ck Star Organization appeared. Marco Giorno, who previously acted without the tiniest bit of fear, is now in hiding without being able to make a sound.</em>

    Paolo''s words came to mind.

    ¡®Holy¡­ shit.''

    ¡®Why was I unable to realize?''

    ¡®Why? Why? Why?''

    ¡®The ones that were targeting Isabe¡­ weren''t from the ck Star Organization.''

    ¡ªAn unsophisticated appearance that made it impossible to think of them as trained assassins.

    ¡ªBrutal to the point where they wouldn''t hesitate to swing their weapons at regr civilians.

    ¡®The Marco Family.''

    They were the ones who were trying to assassinate Isabe.

    ¡®Wait a second. But I definitely felt the ck Stars¡¯ mana from them.''

    Why was the ck Stars¡¯ mana felt from the members of the Marco Family when they were the ones that were being pushed out by the ck Star Organization?

    ¡®No way.''

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    Suddenly, a part of Arshad Khan¡¯s transmitted memories came to mind.

    <em>-Fufu. Poison should be dealt with by poison.</em>

    The one known as the King''s Delegate that led the ¡®Noctua'' faction of the ck Star Organization¡­

    Cheon Woosung.

    Those were the words he had spilled.

    ¡®Dealing with poison by using poison¡­ is this what he meant?''

    Theplete picture was now drawn in his head.

    ¡®The Noctua faction and Marco Family held hands.''

    ¡­And that was the reason the ¡®ck Stars¡¯ mana could be felt from them.

    ¡®Fuck me.''

    The insides of his head that could not think of anything but swears burned up

    ¡®Putting aside the fact that I can''t feel the ck Stars¡¯ mana from Isabe¡­''

    If her true identity really was the ¡®Queen of Leeches'', then the difference between the two of them was literally heaven and earth. Hence, being unable to sense her mana was more than usible.

    However¡­

    ¡®¡­I waspletely fooled.''

    Saying that it was carelessness was an excuse.

    Saying that he couldn¡¯t help but misunderstand was nothing but selffort.

    He had just been deceived like an idiot¡­ by Isabe''s skillful act.

    ¡®Goddammit.''

    As a person who called himself a scammer, being unable to see through a mere act made remorse weigh down his body.

    ¡®I''ll reflect on my actionster.''

    He wasn''t in a situation where he could dwell on his past actions out of regret.

    Ohjin opened his eyes slightly and focused his mind on the conversation the Marco Family and Isabe were sharing.

    "Ha! Are you bluffing now that your king has copsed?"

    "Hm? King? Ah¡­ you''re talking about Ohjin."

    Isabe''s lips curved up bashfully.

    "Certainly, Ohjin is charming like a king."

    <em>Fufufu¡ª</em>

    Her eyes shone as she looked down at Ohjin, who had copsed.

    "Kugh! Y-You dare!"

    The assassins'' bodies shook from herpletelyid-back attitude.

    "¡ªWhat are you all doing?"

    "B-Boss?!"

    At that moment, a youth brushed past the assassins and appeared.

    He had a shaved head and intricate tattoos all over his body.

    "It''s been a while~ Marco!"

    Isabe shook her hand weingly at the youth.

    "Goddamn bitch¡­ let''s see if you''re able to act so frivolously once I tear off that mouth of yours."

    "Oh, my. You''re as vulgar as ever. Is it because you have no hair?"

    "You piece of shit!!"

    <em>Grit!¡ª</em>

    Marco ground his teeth and raised up a bat covered in sharp thorns.

    <em>Owooong!!¡ª</em>

    The stigma on his left chest shone radiantly as powerful mana waves stirred up the surrounding area.

    "She can''t even use mana because of the curse! Hurry up and grab hold of her!"

    "Yes, sir!"

    His underlings bowed down deeply.

    "Fufu. Can''t use mana, huh?"

    Isabe put in a thick smile.

    "It certainly is a dreadful curse."

    She had ended up getting bestowed with a curse much more powerful than she had predicted due to the unexpected intervention of the Noctua Faction.

    ¡ªThat''s right.

    The Executor ranked 3rd in the ck Star Organization.

    Even she, who was a high-rank Awakener that had attained the rank of ''10-Star'', had ended up getting her mana sealed.

    "¡ªBut did you know?"

    Isabe spread her arms wide and looked up to the sky.

    The sky with a zing sunset had already settled down and left only bright starlight shining down.

    "The stigma of Hirudo¡­ bes many times stronger in the night."

    <em>Owooong!!¡ª</em>

    Deep, red light shone out from Isabe''s stigma.

    "¡­What?"

    Marco''s eyes shook.

    "N-No. Th-That can''t be true."

    Unable to ept the reality in front of his eyes, he shook his head while his body trembled.

    "It-It''s the Purple Forbidden Enclosure''s Curse!!! Do you believe that you''ll be able to escape from its effects just because it''s night?!"

    The Purple Forbidden Enclosure''s Curse¡­

    It was one of the best curses.

    No, it was a curse so powerful that it would be fine to call it something else, as it went beyond the ¡®curse'' ssification.

    The organization had poured in multiple years worth of funds and manpower in order toy the foundations of that curse, and because not even that was enough, they were barely able toplete it due to receiving support from the Noctua faction.

    "There''s absolutely no way it has been released already when it hasn''t even been half a day!!!! Not even the Seven Stars can escape from the Purple Forbidden Enclosure''s Curse!!!"

    "Hmpf. Well, I guess you''re right."

    Isabe smiled brightly while nodding her head.

    "However, isn''t that the case of the ¡®Seven Stars''?"

    "¡­What?"

    "Fufu. I''m not one of the Seven Stars, am I?"

    She spoke in a tone like she believed that she was above the Seven Stars.

    "Y-You delusional bitch!"

    Marco shouted out of absurdity and looked at his underlings.

    "What are you all doing?! Hurry up and kill her!!"

    "B-But."

    "It''s all a bluff, you fucking dumbfucks!! What are you being scared for?!"

    "Y-Yes, sir!"

    Marco''s underlings fixed their grip on their weapons even while their bodies trembled.

    "Dieeeeeee!!"

    "Uaaaah!"

    ¡ªAwakeners that numbered in the hundreds charged at her.

    "¡ªOh, my."

    Isabe smiled brightly as she looked at the Awakeners heading her way.

    "You children really don''t value your life, do you?"

    Her fingernails became dyed in red.

    From left to right,

    with her index finger extended out,

    she drew a red line in mid-air.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!!!!

    There was no sound.

    Following the line of blood that split apart the air¡ª

    <em>Pshk!! Phsssshk!!!¡ª</em>

    ¡ªtheir heads dropped down.

    Decapitated heads rolled around the ground.

    Red fountains scattered all around the riverside that was set in darkness.

    "Uh, ah."

    "Ah¡­ ah."

    In an instant¡­

    When not even a second had passed¡ª

    "Aaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

    "M-Monster!! She''s a monster!!"

    ¡ªOver half of the members of Marco''s family that had numbered in the hundreds had lost their heads and died.

    "Fuu. Ha~"

    Isabe looked at the pouring blood fountains and took in deep breaths.

    Soon, she furrowed her delicate eyebrows.

    "Hmpf. They only smell fishy and disgusting. I really do wonder what they go around eating in general."

    Isabe looked at the remaining members who survived with distaste.

    "E-Eeeeeeek!!"

    "Witch!! She''s a witch!!!"

    The members, engulfed with fear, turned away from Isabe and tried to desperately escape.

    "Oh, my. Where are you going?"

    A voice drenched in bloodlust rang out in their ears.

    "Aaaaahhh!! S-Spare me!! Please spare meeeeeee!!!"

    "Wh-What are you bastards doing!! Don''t run away!! I''ll kill the ones that run away!!"

    Marco urgently shouted out to his escaping underlings, but it was toote to stop their movement.

    And in the ce those frightening underlings were going¡­

    <em>Pshk!! sh!!¡ª</em>

    "Kugh!! Kuk!"

    "Krrr!"

    Hundreds¡­ no, thousands of beings wearing blood-red masks were massacring Marco''s underlings.

    "Th-The ck Star Organization!"

    Marco''s expression distorted severely as he looked at the beings that wore red masks.

    "Damn it!"

    He raised up his bat covered in thorns and aimed for Isabe.

    "Die, you fucking leech!!!"

    He roared as he kicked off in ast-ditch effort.

    <em>Bang!!¡ª</em>

    His stigma shone radiantly as his bat made the currents nearby blow violently.

    "Hmpf."

    Isabe frowned as she puffed air out of her nose.

    <strong>"I most certainly¡­ told you not to call me a leech, did I not?"</strong>

    ¡ªA voice that rang out eerily.

    <em>Boooom!!!¡ª</em>

    Red energy started to stir up the surroundings like a tornado.

    "Argh!!"

    <em>S-S-S-Slice!!¡ª</em>

    Small scratches started to pile up on Marco''s body as if his entire body was being sliced by sharp razor des.

    Although they were scratches, as the number of them far exceeded a thousand, they developed into wounds that couldn''t be called scratches anymore.

    "Ah, uha, uh."

    Blood gushed out of Marco''s body as he stumbled while taking steps back.

    Isabe slowly extended her hand towards him.

    The drops of blood bled by Marco floated into the air and slowly flew to Isabe.

    "<em>Nom</em>."

    Isabe licked Marco''s blood and drank it.

    Suddenly, her expression distorted.

    "Twe!"

    She spat out the remaining blood in her mouth as if she had drunk something dirty.

    "I intentionally incited you to use the curse since you all kept hiding like little cockroaches¡­ but it appears that hardship was in vain."

    It was more edible than the blood from his trash underlings, but that was all.

    The taste didn''t make her feel rewarded in the least for sacrificing herself to be the bait.

    "S-Spare me¡­"

    "Hm."

    Isabe grabbed both of Marco''s arms and brutally twisted them off.

    "Uguaguagahak!!!"

    "Even the sound of your scream is vulgar."

    <em>Tch¡ª</em>

    Isabe grabbed onto Marco''s chin this time as if something wasn''t to her liking.

    "¡ªYou said that you would tear off my mouth or whatever, yeah?"

    A beaming smile was ced on Isabe''s lips.

    "Uh, ua, ah, no¡­ Aaaahhhhhhh!!"

    <em>Rrrrrip!!¡ª</em>

    She violently tore off the chin in her grasp.

    Blood spurted out and drenched the ground.

    "<em>Sigh</em>. I went through all that trouble for this?"

    ¡ªOverwhelming.

    Even though Marco was one of the ¡®High-rank Awakeners'' that was deemed to be outside the scope of humans, he was nothing but amonce 3 to 4-Star Awakener in front of Isabe.

    * * *

    * * *

    "I apologize for beingte, your Majesty."

    An old man with finely taken care of gray hair who gave off a well-mannered impression approached her after the Marco Family was annihted.

    "¡­Roberto."

    Isabe looked down at the bowing old man andmanded with a cold voice.

    <strong>"Kneel."</strong>

    "Yes, ma''am!!!"

    <em>Bang!!¡ª</em>

    The old man called Roberto kneeled down on the floor with both knees without hesitation.

    "Chair."

    "Y-Yes!"

    After kneeling down, he ced his hands on the ground.

    <em>Plop¡ª</em>

    Isabe nonchntly sat down on Roberto''s back and twisted her slim legs.

    "Even if themunications went down, weren''t you a little toote?"

    "F-Forgive me!"

    "And you didn''t even notice at all that Noctua intervened¡­"

    "Please kill me, your Majesty!!"

    "Oh? Really?"

    Isabe''s blue eyes shone as she unhesitantly stabbed the back of Roberto''s neck with her fingernail.

    <em>Pshk!¡ª</em>

    "Kugh! Kaah!"

    Roberto''s eyes flipped to the back of his head and he started to throw up blood from his mouth.

    "Should I really kill you?"

    Isabe stirred around the finger that was dug into Roberto''s neck.

    "Kurh! Kuk! Kuuugh!! P-Please, kill me!"

    Roberto''s attitude didn''t break down even as he spat out blood.

    "Fufu. I''m kidding."

    Isabe smiled alluringly and took out her finger.

    She licked her finger that was drenched in blood and continued.

    "In any case, that bothersome Marco Family should be finished with this."

    "I-It''s all thanks to your Majesty''s exceptional scheming."

    "Hmm. Is that so?"

    Isabe furrowed her brow as if something was unpleasant.

    "To be honest, it was quite dangerous this time."

    As she hadn''t predicted that Noctua would cooperate with the Marco Family, she hadpletely fallen into the ¡®Purple Forbidden Enclosure''s Curse''.

    If she had been captured by those men earlier¡­

    ¡®Hmm. Quite some horrifying things would have happened to me.''

    Marco wouldn''t kill her in one go with his personality. Isabe would have been humiliated until night came and then ughtered every person there once the curse was released.

    ¡®Though the fact that the Marco Family would have been annihted doesn''t change.''

    It was most likely that she would have ended up with a new ¡®trauma'' that was hard for even her to bear.

    ¡ªA trauma so horrific that she would lose her grip on the faint thread of rationality.

    "Fufu. In regards to that, Ohjin could be said to be my benefactor."

    "By Ohjin¡­"

    <em>Cr</em>ack<em>!!¡ª</em>

    Isabe used the heel of her shoe to stomp down on Roberto''s hand.

    "Kmpf!!"

    "It''s not Ohjin to you, but ¡®Sir'' Ohjin. Understood?"

    "F-Forgive me!! By Sir Ohjin¡­ do you mean that Awakener who''s famous in Korea?"

    "That''s right."

    Isabe nodded and got up from Roberto''s back.

    "I was simply interested at first¡­ but I didn''t imagine that it would be to this extent."

    With heated eyes, she approached Ohjin, who was lying on the ground.

    She crouched down and sniffed him.

    "Ahhh! This sweet smell¡­! It really is the best!"

    Even whenpared to any other smell she had smelled to date, the ¡®smell'' that Ohjin gave off was overwhelmingly sweet.

    "No, the act ofparing them is insulting in itself."

    Compared to his smell, every smell she had smelled until then was nothing but food waste in the gutter.

    "Well, then."

    Isabe carefully held out her hand and dipped the tip of her finger into the drops of blood that trickled out of Ohjin''s wounds.

    She slightly licked the droplet of blood that formed on her finger with the tip of her tongue.

    "¡ªAh."

    Her soul shook.

    "Ang! Haa¡­ uht!!!"

    Isabe leaked out lewd moans and twisted her body as if she was constipated.

    ¡®Wh-What is this?!''

    The smell was great on its own¡­

    But the taste was in a ¡®league'' of its ownpared to other blood.

    ¡®I-I''ve never imagined anything like this before.''

    It was to the point where she would believe that what she drank until then was not blood but feces.

    "¡­Haa."

    Isabe dipped her finger into Ohjin¡¯s blood and licked it with a rhapsodic expression.

    If Isabe had it her way, she would want to just drink up all the blood that collected on the ground in one go, but¡­

    ¡®If I do that¡ªI might just die from pleasure.''

    The taste of Ohjin''s blood was to that degree.

    "Fu, fufufu, fufufufu."

    The sound of stickyughter rang out from her mouth.

    "Roberto."

    "Yes, your Majesty!"

    "Bring me an elixir."

    "A-An elixir?"

    "Hurry."

    ¡ªA potion of dreams that could only be made by a high-rank Awakener of Aquarius.

    "H-Here it is."

    "Hand it over."

    Isabe poured the elixir into Ohjin''s mouth.

    His wounds were recovered in an instant.

    "Fufufu."

    Isabe looked down at the copsed Ohjin and stroked his cheek lovingly.

    While she stuck out her tongue and licked her lips¡ª

    <strong>"I won''t </strong><strong><em>ever</em></strong><strong> let you go."</strong>

    ¡ªher blue eyes shone with deep greed.

    T/N: Changed ¡®Stigma of the Owl Neb¡¯ to ¡®Stigma of Noctua¡¯, and the ¡®Owl Faction¡¯ to the ¡®Noctua Faction¡¯ to be more astronomically (and story-wise) urate. The other word for Romani has also been changed to Romani. It is what the raws said but more research should have been done on my part. Sorry. s have been updated.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Former_constetions

 Chapter 88: Romeâ€™s Saintess (9)

    "Kneel."

    ¡ªA voice that rang out coldly.

    He could see the old man called Roberto quickly kneeling on the ground.

    ¡®Fuck. What¡¯s going on?¡¯

    Ohjin, who was observing the situation with slightly opened eyes, was shocked.

    ¡®Wasn¡¯t Marco a high-rank Awakener?¡¯

    He had definitely heard that he was a 9-Star Awakener on the news, but he had ended up dying futilely like some newbie 1-Star Awakener on their first trip to a gate.

    ¡®This is the power of the 3rd ranking Executor of the ck Star Organization?¡¯

    Ohjin already had a rough idea of their preposterous strength ever since the Valha guild was annihted by Cheon Doyoon alone, but this crossed the line.

    ¡®Holy shit.¡¯

    Shivers ran down his spine.

    <em>Gulp¡ª </em>

    ¡®I can¡¯t let myself be found out.¡¯

    Isabe didn¡¯t seem to want to kill him at that moment, but he didn¡¯t know how her thought process would change if she found out that he wasn¡¯t unconscious.

    ¡®Breath faintly.¡¯

    Ohjin closed his eyes and rxed his body as much as he physically could.

    He acted like a seriously injured person who was hovering on the line between life and death and focused his mind on listening to the conversation shared between Isabe and Roberto.

    "Please kill me, your Majesty!!"

    "Oh? Really?"

    "Kugh! Kaah!"

    ¡®Holy crap, she¡¯s fucking terrifying.¡¯

    The way she unhesitantly dug her finger into the back of her subordinate¡¯s neck was befitting of the title ¡®Witch¡¯ the members of the Marco Family had cried out.

    ¡®Then¡­ Isabe is the main culprit of Italy¡¯s destruction that will happen in two years?¡¯

    The insides of Ohjin¡¯s head felt like they were all twisted up.

    ¡®But Lee Shinhyuk said that the Pseudo Star Cult will take over Italy.¡¯

    Then did that mean the current ¡®ck Star Organization¡¯ would turn into the ¡®Pseudo Star Cult¡¯ in two years? If so, it was understandable why there would be no information about the group known as the Pseudo Star cult in the present, however¡ª

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯

    ¡ªHe felt a sense of disharmony as if misaligned puzzle pieces were being forcefully fit together.

    How it didn¡¯t all fall into ce made an unpleasant feeling keep poking a corner of his mind.

    ¡®Let¡¯s think about thister.¡¯

    For the moment, he needed to focus on their conversation.

    "To be honest, it was quite dangerous this time."

    ¡®Dangerous, huh¡­ Isabe said that the stigma of Hirudo will grow several times stronger in the night¡­¡¯

    In other words, the way she desperately fled from the Marco Family during the day wasn¡¯t an act but genuine.

    ¡®Then if I didn¡¯t intervene¡­¡¯

    In the world Lee Shinhyuk didn¡¯t regress¡ª

    What kind of life would it have led her to in the 1st Round?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine what kind of things the Marco Family would do after capturing her.

    "Fufu. In regards to that, Ohjin could be said to be my benefactor."

    A benefactor.

    If she really thought of him that way¡­

    ¡®I probably won¡¯t end up dying here.¡¯

    A breath of relief escaped his mouth.

    ¡®I need to avoid getting involved with Isabe from now on.¡¯

    Whether she was the main culprit of the mass murder two years in the future or not, now that he had seen Isabe¡¯s outrageous strength with his very own eyes, he wanted to avoid getting associated with her as much as possible.

    ¡®Well, we probably won¡¯t see each other after this all ends.¡¯

    Ohjin was Korean and Isabe was Italian.

    Unless one of them came to meet each other directly as Ohjin had, there would be no case of them meeting each other for the time being.

    ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯

    Once it all finished, his rtionship with Isabe would naturallye to its en¡ª

    "Ahhh! This sweet smell¡­! It really is the best!"

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    "Ang! Haa¡­ uht!!!"

    ¡®What the fuck? No, no, no¡­ it can¡¯t be¡­ <em>right</em>?¡¯

    Ohjin didn¡¯t actually draw the attention of a slightly¡­ no, very crazy woman, did he?

    ¡®Nah~ no way.¡¯

    No matter how crazy she was, Isabe wouldn¡¯t go following him around just for the simple reason of liking the taste of his blood.

    Yeah.

    That was but a simple urrence.

    Nothing but an incident that could be brushed past.

    ¡®Isabe is an Executor of the ck Star Organization, anyway.¡¯

    Ohjin didn¡¯t know how their organization was run, but she shouldn¡¯t have the spare time to leisurely follow around a random person while leading a huge organization of thousands of members.

    ¡®Of course, of course!¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, everyone!¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m not~~ fucked at all!

    <strong>"I won''t </strong><strong><em>ever</em></strong><strong> let you go."</strong>

    ¡®Hm.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m fucked.¡¯

    * * *

    ¡°Ah, ugh.¡±

    He opened his eyes while letting out low groans and then looked around with hazy eyes as if he was a person who had just regained consciousness.

    ¡°O-Ohjin!!!!¡±

    <em>Rush!¡ª</em>

    Isabe hugged him as her eyes filled with tears.

    ¡°Did you know how worried I was because you wouldn¡¯t wake up for days?!¡±

    ¡®Yeah. Did you know how scared shitless I was because you wouldn¡¯t leave my side for days?¡¯

    ¡°Are you alright¡­?¡±

    Isabe looked up at him with her eyes filled with worry.

    Ohjin might have been quite moved if he didn¡¯t know her true identity, however¡­

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    Now that he had found out, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that it was creepy.

    ¡®Even now, I can¡¯t even tell if it¡¯s an act.¡¯

    The way she held back her tears even felt adorable at first nce. Her acting skills were certainly outstanding.

    ¡®However.¡¯

    When it came down to acting, he wouldn¡¯t fall behind, either.

    ¡°Where¡­ am I?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in a hospital run by the Cgrande House.¡±

    ¡°What happened to the assassins?¡± asked Ohjin as he frowned like he couldn¡¯t remember a thing.

    ¡°The people from our house came to our aid after you passed out, and the assassins ran away as soon as they saw them.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see.¡±

    He knew that it wasn¡¯t the truth, but he looked at her with an expression of reassurance.

    ¡°It¡¯s a relief you¡¯re safe.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡­¡±

    <em>Clench¡ª</em>

    Ohjin¡¯s shoulders shook as he bit his lips.

    ¡°In the end¡­ I wasn¡¯t able to protect you.¡±

    ¡°Not at all! If it wasn¡¯t for you, I¡­¡±

    ¡°No. I passed out pathetically. The one who saved you isn¡¯t me but the Cgrande House.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the face to look at you any longer.¡±

    He helplessly dropped his shoulders and looked away from her.

    ¡®Alright.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s not toote!¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m going to break ties as fast as possible and escape!!¡¯

    <strong>¡°What¡ªdo you mean?¡±</strong>

    For a moment¡­

    Isabe¡¯s voice turned cold.

    A frightening atmosphere filled the room.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say so? To stay by your side from now on.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    ¡°You definitely¡­ said that, didn¡¯t you? Right? Then you¡¯ll keep living in Italy with me from now on, right?¡±

    ¡®Hahaha¡­ Fuck my life.¡¯

    ¡®Things really snowballed this way?¡¯

    ¡°I did. However, I wasn¡¯t able to protect you in the end. The qualifications to stand by your side¡­ I don¡¯t have them.¡±

    ¡®Spare me.¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that! You¡­ you are my hero!!¡±

    ¡®Is that why you kept looking at me while drooling?¡¯

    ¡°¡­When you put it that way, it eases my mind.¡±

    Ohjin smiled faintly and gently held her hand.

    ¡°But even if you¡¯re okay with it, it¡¯s not for me.¡±

    ¡°Ohjin¡­¡±

    ¡°Could¡­ could you give me a little time?¡±

    ¡ªA voice that faintly trembled.

    He stared at her with eyes contained with desperation.

    ¡°Once I feel that I have the qualifications to stand by your side after returning to Korea¡­ I¡¯ll make sure toe back to Italy. I promise.¡±

    ¡®Nope. Nevering back.¡¯

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Isabe looked at Ohjin with her eyes narrowed.

    <em>Gulp¡ª</em>

    A moment of tension passed by.

    And then¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s a promise¡­ right?¡±

    Isabe extended out her pinky finger.

    ¡®Alright!¡¯

    He somehow managed to avoid the livestock captivity ending for the moment.

    ¡°Yes. Once that timees, It¡¯d be nice to go sightseeing the city of Rome together with you, Isabe.¡±

    ¡°Fufu. Leave it to me! Rome is filled with attractions!¡±

    Ohjin smiled brightly like a blooming flower in the fields and locked his pinky finger with hers.

    ¡°You must contact me often in Korea!¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡®Blocked.¡¯

    ¡®Wait, then will shee all the way to Korea to hunt me down?¡¯

    ¡®Fuck, what a dilemma.¡¯¡¯

    "Now that I think of it, you must be hungry."

    Isabe¡¯s eyes shone as she continued.

    "I''ll make you some delicious food!"

    ¡®I''m not one of the ingredients, am I¡­?''

    "Please wait a moment!"

    <em>Rush¡ª</em>

    Isabe ran out of the hospital room.

    "¡­<em>Sigh</em>."

    Ohjin, who finally managed to get alone time, exhaled out a deep breath.

    Lying down t on the bed, he organized his thoughts about her in his head.

    ¡®She doesn''t n on killing me right now.''

    Even if he was prey, Isabe had no reason to use an elixir to heal his wounds if she was nning to ughter and eat him up.

    ¡®It seems that my blood is insanely tasty, judging from her reaction.''

    If her goal was purely ¡®blood,'' she could have locked him up in some kind of medieval torture device and farmed the blood out of him.

    ¡®However¡­''

    Isabe didn''t do that.

    She was discontent, but she was even allowing him to go back to Korea.

    "¡­Just what is she thinking?"

    It wasn''t easy to understand what she truly wanted.

    ¡®In any case, I need to avoid getting involved with Isabe from now on.''

    She was the woman who called him top-quality prey.

    Nothing good woulde from getting involved.

    ¡®Well, we''ll probably meet each other eventually.''

    Isabe was the main culprit of the mass murder that would happen in Italy two yearster.

    He couldn¡¯t let her be.

    But needless to say¡­

    ¡®That''s in the future.''

    The current difference between Ohjin and Isabe was the same as a fly and a toad.

    Unless he quickly flew far away, there was no way to survive.

    ¡®At least she doesn''t know that I know her identity.''

    He knew¡­

    ¡ªAnd she didn''t.

    That was the main factor that would enable him to take the high ground in his rtionship with her.

    "<em>Sigh¡­</em>"

    Ohjin exhaled out a deep breath once again.

    ¡®Ha-eun. Fuck, I want to see you.''

    As heid still for around 20 minutes while reminiscing on Ha-eun''s face in his mind¡­

    "It''s time to eat, Ohjin~"

    Isabe held a tray with steaming pasta on top of it and entered the hospital room.

    "Thank you for the meal."

    "Ah! I''ll feed it to you."

    After Isabe stole Ohjin''s fork, she rolled up the tomato pasta and extended it to him.

    "Here, open wide~ Ohjin!"

    He started to doubt if she really was the same person as the bloodthirsty witch he had seen before as she smiled so brightly.

    ¡®¡­This is an act, right?''

    Despite knowing her true personality, the way she extended her fork with a flowery smile made it seem as if she was a youngdy who had fallen in love.

    ¡®Unless I''mpletely unaware in the first ce, I can usually discern if it''s an act.''

    No matter how outstanding her acting skills were, Ohjin should be able to tell if she was acting or not because he was aware of her true form.

    "Hehe. Is it tasty? I''m not sure if it turned out well as it''s been a while since I''ve cooked pasta."

    But for some unknown reason¡­

    His mind didn''t think that how she smiled so timidly was an act.

    ¡®Man, wake the fuck up.''

    Hadn''t he seen her kill hundreds of Awakeners in one strike and lick his blood? Her current appearance should be nothing but an exquisitely made disguise.

    Her true form was a witch obsessed with blood.

    The ck Star Organization''s 3rd ranking Executor, the Queen of Leeches.

    "It''s delicious."

    "Really? Haa¡­ what a relief. I was worried it might not fit the tastes of a Korean."

    Isabe exhaled a breath out of deep relief and pushed down on her chest.

    <em>Jiggle¡ª</em>

    A certain something with destructive heaviness unted its existence.

    "¡­"

    ¡®One Ha-eun.''

    ¡®Two Ha-eun.''

    ¡®Three Ha-eun.''

    ¡®Alright, I''ve calmed down.''

    "Thank you for the meal."

    "There''s still more left! You should eat more!"

    He had already finished his third te, but new tes filled with pasta kept making their appearance.

    "Here, open wide~!"

    ¡®Huh. Is she fattening her livestock?''

    <em>"Nom, nom."</em>

    Ohjin got up from the bed after he finally finished his fifth te.

    "Then I shall now take my leave."

    "But your body is still¡­"

    "As you can see, it''spletely fine."

    There was no way it wouldn''t be when he had consumed an elixir.

    ¡®Now that I think of it, what a huge waste of an elixir.''

    His injuries back then could have beenpletely restored if he just took a dip in the river.

    If it was not Ohjin, but Ha-eun who consumed the elixir¡­

    ¡®Her leg would have fully regenerated.''

    It was too bad, but¡­

    ¡®I can heal them myself one day, anyway.''

    That was the reason he had gotten his hands on the stigma of Aquarius in the first ce.

    "I''ll see you off at the entrance of the sanctum."

    "There''s no need for you to¡ª"

    "I''ll see you off."

    "Yes, ma''am."

    ¡®It is my honor, your Majesty.''

    * * *

    "¡­When will you return?" asked Isabe carefully while looking at Ohjin, who stood in front of the sanctum.

    "I''ll return once I believe I''m strong enough to stand by your side."

    He gave the vaguest answer he could so that she couldn''t find fault in his reasoning.

    "¡­You must return soon, okay?" said Isabe with tears in her eyes.

    If it was before he knew her identity, he would have felt like he was seeing a puppy that was parting ways with its owner, however¡­

    ¡®That''s not a puppy but a bloodthirsty beast.''

    Ohjin gulped and turned in the other direction.

    At that moment¡ª

    "Ohjin."

    <em>Grip¡ª</em>

    Isabe held onto his shoulder.

    "¡­!"

    ¡®Fuck. Did I make a mistake?''

    His shoulders shook as he nervously turned his head around.

    <em>Smooch¡ª</em>

    Isabe got on her toes and kissed Ohjin''s cheek.

    "Hehe. Th-Then I''ll call youter!"

    She waved her hands wide as she ran far away.

    "¡­"

    The soft sensation remained on his cheek like a fragrance.

    "She¡­ she''s really acting, right?"

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes with confusion and then walked into the sanctum.

 Chapter 89: The Third Memory

    ¡ªBefore returning to Korea with the sanctum.

    "Come to think of it, I wasn¡¯t able to reach out to Vega a single time."

    Ohjin had told her to avoid materializing herself until his call with the reason of preserving her strength for when he needed a blessing, but all his ns went down the drain when Isabe revealed her true colors.

    ¡®It''s a relief, now that I think of it.''

    If Vega had seen Isabe''s true form, the situation would have gotten moreplicated.

    ¡®I should give Vega a visit since I''m already at the sanctum.''

    She would likely be aghast, as he hadn''t contacted her for days.

    <em>Step, step¡ª</em>

    Ohjin followed the road made of blue starlight and climbed up to the highest point of the sanctum.

    ¡ªA road that splits in three ways.

    One of the roads led to the Star of the Weaver Girl''s sanctuary, the ce where Vega resided, and the other two led to sanctuaries of Pris and Deneb, which were ¡®North Stars'' along with Vega.

    ¡®Pris and Deneb¡­''

    Deneb had a total of 12 apostles, while Pris still had none, just like Vega had in the past.

    ¡®I wonder¡­ what will happen if I get the stigmas of other North Stars in my hands?''

    Even the stigma of the 12 Zodiacs could grant him unimaginable strength if they synergized well with each other.

    But if another North Star¡¯s stigma was added on top of that¡­

    "¡­I''m not sure."

    In reality, even with the stigma of Lyra alone, there was such a difference in strength with equivalent 5-Star Awakeners that it made them lookedic inparison.

    Wouldn''t he be able to reach an insurmountable realm if other North Star stigmas were added on top of that?

    ¡®Well¡­ that''s only true if they synergize well with each other.''

    Ultimately, he could only use one stigma at a time. There was a time when he used two stigmas simultaneously, but he couldn¡¯t expect much of an effect if the stigma didn''t synergize well with the ¡®Stigma of Lyra'', as it was his basic foundation.

    ¡®At the end of the day, my main stigma is the stigma of Lyra."

    Other stigmas were just secondary tools he could use whenever the situation called for it.

    ¡®They''re not that important.''

    Not only was he unable to use other stigmas freely in front of Vega; he had still only scratched the surface of the stigma of Lyra.

    "Though I should try to absorb them when the opportunity arises."

    If two North Star¡¯s stigmas didn''t collide with each other and synergized¡­ it was possible that he would reach an unprecedented realm.

    "Well, then."

    Ohjin put away his useless thoughts and headed to the Star of the Weaver Girl''s sanctuary.

    And as he arrived at the sanctuary¡ª

    [My child!!]

    ¡ªVega suddenly ran to him and embraced him.

    [Do you know how worried I was!]

    Frightening pressure like that from a press machine tightened around his entire body.

    "Kugk, uhk!"

    ¡®Fuck, I can''t breathe!!''

    ¡®I''m really going to die!!!!''

    ¡®What is this strength?!''

    [Ah, I''m sorry.]

    Vega released the strength in her arms that had pulled in Ohjin.

    "Fua!"

    Was it because they were within the sanctum? It felt like an industrial press machinepressed his body.

    ¡®Isabe is strong, but¡­''

    The real strength of a celestial was unparalleled, as expected.

    "Grrrr. Rookie, so what happened?" asked Riak as he sauntered to him.

    "Nothing much. It''s just that a situation where I needed a blessing never urred."

    Nothing much wasn¡¯t what happened, but having not needed to use the blessing was indeed the truth.

    [Have you saved the saintess?]

    ¡®¡­Saintess, huh.''

    ¡®Should I keep quiet about Isabe?''

    It didn''t take long for Ohjin toe to a conclusion.

    ¡®Let''s reveal it.''

    As the number of things he kept hidden piled up, not only would his movements be restricted as if he was standing in the middle of a minefield, but there was also the risk of needlessly receiving suspicion.

    ¡®And moreover¡­''

    If it was Vega, there was a chance she would be able to find out that Isabe wasn''t an Awakener of Ares in an instant.

    After all, Isabe didn¡¯t have the ¡®ck Curtain'' trait as he did.

    "I did save her¡­ but the situation is a bit of a pain."

    [What do you mean? Did something happen?]

    Vega asked with a worried expression.

    "The saintess isn''t an Awakener of Ares."

    [What?]

    Ohjin slowlyid out the truth about Isabe.

    "I didn''t know the saintess''s true identity because she died on that day in my past life¡­ I couldn''t have possibly imagined that Isabe was an Executor of the ck Star Organization."

    A Regressor was a being that knew about future incidents through personal experience, not a irvoyant god that could see through all hidden secrets and truths.

    [Th-Then has the situation be worse than your past life?]

    "Not exactly."

    He firmly shook his head.

    "Isabe doesn''t know that I know her true identity. We should be able to dig up information about the ck Star Organization if we make good use of it."

    There wasn''t a need to be unconditionally pessimistic because she was an Executor of the ck Star Organization.

    "And by any chance, if we''re able to get her on our side¡­"

    Though it was currently pushing it¡ªas she still thought of him as tasty prey¡ªif he could get her in the palm of his hand and control her freely¡­

    [¡­We''ll gain an extremely reliable ally.]

    The scariest enemies were always the ones right beside you. If they were able to get Isabe on their side, she would be able to tear apart the ck Star Organization from the inside.

    "Yeah, that''s what I''m nning to do."

    [Hmm. Thisdy is worried.]

    Vega extended out her hand and pat Ohjin¡¯s head.

    [What if you get harmed by that little one?]

    "Don''t worry. I don''t have ns on making contact with that woman any time soon, either."

    In order to carry out his ns, there was a need to grow his strength to the point where he was able to protect himself.

    * * *

    * * *

    "And¡­ I¡¯m sorry."

    His voice trembled faintly, his shoulders helplessly dropped down, and his fists clenched so hard that veins were popping out.

    Ohjin acted as if he was subjected to a great amount of guilt.

    [Wh-What are you sorry about?]

    "I acted rashly without finding things out properly. Because I kept thinking about how I had to change the future¡­ I ended up making a mistake."

    He intentionally showed his weak side.

    Showing that kind of vulnerable state as a Regressor could have potentially made one lose trust¡­

    ¡®But it''s the opposite in this case.''

    The trust between Ohjin and Vega had already built considerably. Revealing his weak side in that kind of situation would only nt a deeper kind of trust.

    It was a scam technique that utilized sympathy.

    [Do not feel down, my child. Thisdy knows best of how much effort you desperately put in.]

    The biggest advantage of this technique was that it¡­

    ¡ªdidn''t need evidence,

    ¡ªdidn''t need reasoning,

    ¡ªand dug deep into the minds of others.

    "¡­Vega."

    [Come here.]

    Vega opened her arms and gently embraced him.

    Her hug felt boundlessly soft and didn''t contain any strength like before.

    [You do not need to try and carry all this weight on your own.]

    She slowly stroked his head and smiled faintly.

    [Fufu. Do you not have me by your side?]

    "¡­"

    [It is alright to take things slow. The pages of destiny already started to be written anew since the moment you met me.]

    "Thank you."

    Ohjin hugged Vega back and answered with a voice that was a step brighter than before.

    "This time¡­ I''ll make sure to change it¡ªthe tragic future where the world faces destruction by the Heavenly Demon."

    [You are more than capable of doing so.]

    Vega patted his back and rested her chin on top of his shoulder.

    When around five minutes of staying in that state had passed¡­

    "Grrr! Lady Vega, if you keep pampering that kid, he''ll develop bad habitster o¡ª"

    [<em>Pshaw</em>.]

    <em>Bzzzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª</em>

    Blue lightning struck down Riak.

    "Kugh! Kuaaaaaaaaah!!!"

    Riak struggled from the pain.

    [Fuu. It''s been a while since I was able to share quality time with my child, but you¡­ you should learn how to read the room.]

    <em>re¡ª</em>

    Vega stared at Riak with displeasure.

    "I-I apolog¡ª"

    [Hmpf. I don''t need it.]

    It seemed that Vega was thoroughly upset as she quickly flicked her head away.

    ¡®I feel bad for Riak.''

    "Then I''ll head home now since Ha-eun''s probably worried. Ah, you can stay materialized like usual now that urgent matters have finished."

    [Hmm. That is truly weing news, but I''ll hold myself back for today.]

    "Hm? Why?"

    [Fufu. Won''t Ha-eun also need time to share the happiness of your reunion?]

    ¡®Ah, so that''s what she meant.''

    [However¡­!]

    Vega''s golden eyes shone.

    [Do not eveeeeeer~ forget that you are nothing but ¡®friends'' with Ha-eun.]

    "Uh, yeah."

    He was caught by the mood, which made him involuntarily nod his head.

    "Then I''ll take my leave now. See you tomorrow."

    [Be careful on your way.]

    ¡®What is there to be careful of in the sanctum?''

    "Phew."

    Ohjin exited the sanctum and headed home.

    "Should I buy some food on the way?"

    It just happened to be around time for dinner. As he looked around, trying to find something suitable¡­

    "Wow. It''s been a while¡­"

    Ohjin looked at a hamburger restaurant at the corner of therge street and smiled.

    Although he didn''t eat them frequently those days, the food embodied quite a lot of memory and sorrow.

    ¡®The first things I bought after awakening were also hamburgers.''

    He reminisced about back then and entered the store.

    "Here are your two Whopper sets~ Have a nice day!"

    Ohjin bought hamburgers and headed back home.

    <em>Step, step¡ª</em>

    His steps became lighter the closer he got to the house. They had only been separated for a mere week, but his legs sped up on their own, wanting to see Ha-eun as soon as possible.

    "Huhu. I bet she''s crying aga¡­"

    ¡ªAt that moment.

    His field of view twisted.

    -Ring

    [Part of Awakener Lee Shinhyuk''s memories has been sessfully restored.]

    ¡®Huh? There was a third?''

    <em>-Brother¡­ Let''s go now.</em>

    <em>-¡­Alright.</em>

    Lee Shinhyuk held onto the rooftop rails as he dwelled on his regrets and then turned back.

    He went down the stairs with Lee Woohyuk.

    ¡ªA heavy moment of silence.

    The one who broke the silence was Lee Woohyuk.

    <em>-The reason the Queen of Leeches lost her rationality and started going on a rampage is because of the incident two years ago, right?</em>

    <em>-Yeah. That''s what I''ve been told by Cheon Woosung.</em>

    <em>-What about what happened?</em>

    <em>-I don''t know about that¡­</em>

    Lee Shinhyuk shook his head with a perplexed expression.

    <em>-Right before that incident, I heard that she tried to save the Italians that were suffering from the mafia¡­</em>

    <em>-How did that kind of woman be a witch that made the entire country soaked in blood?</em>

    <em>-I don''t know what happened back then, but¡­</em>

    <em>Grit¡ª</em>

    Lee Shinhyuk fiercely ground his teeth and gripped his spear.

    <em>-If I could return back in time¡­ I''d make sure to kill her.</em>

    The Queen of Leeches, Isabe Cgrande.

    The tens of thousands of people that died miserably by her hands flickered in front of his eyes.

    <em>-Brother. Let''s up the speed. The Pseudo Star Cult might catch on to us.</em>

    <em>-Alright.</em>

    Lee Shinhyuk activated the stigma of Pyxis and searched for a path after exiting the building.

    <em>-This way.</em>

    Lee Woohyuk and Lee Shinhyuk sped up.

    Lee Woohyuk ran through the roads like a wild beast, and Lee Shinhyuk strenuously followed his trail.

    ¡®Woah, he grew a lot during those two years.''

    Ohjin eximed shortly as he observed the memories of Lee Shinhyuk that flowed into his head.

    Needless to say, Lee Shinhyuk''s growth speed was extremely embarrassingpared to his own, but still, it appeared that he had managed to reach around the 7~8-Star rank within those two years.

    <em>-Do you know where she''s at?</em>

    <em>-She should be looking after the boat at the coast.</em>

    <em>-Let''s head there.</em>

    ¡®I wonder who it is.''

    Ohjin focused on the memories with amusement.

    <em>-Hey! Why were you sote!</em>

    <em>-Sorry!!</em>

    <em>-Hurry up and get on the boat!!</em>

    ¡®Huh?''

    ¨C<em>Then I''m starting the engine!</em>

    <em>-Okay!</em>

    ¡®What''s going on¡­?''

    <em>-Sigh. Italy¡¯s totally done for. Are you hurt anywhere?</em>

    <em>-No. I''m okay.</em>

    <em>-Here, have some water.</em>

    Why? Why? Why?

    Just¡­

    Why?

    <strong><em>-Thank you¡ªHa-eun.</em></strong>

    ¡®Why is Ha-eun with that bastard?''

 Chapter 90: Ancient Constellation (1)

    ¡®Huh?''

    The insides of his head twisted and turned from the iprehensible situation.

    ¡®Why¡­ is Ha-eun there?''

    Not only did Ha-eun and Lee Shinhyuk stick together during the 1st Round, but they were also close enough to speakfortably with each other.

    With his questions still unresolved, the memories continued.

    <em>-Kieeeeeeirk!</em>

    <em>-Damn it! Those bastards are so persistent!</em>

    Ha-eun looked at the vampires that were chasing after the boat and removed the eyepatch that covered her left eye.

    <em>Click¡ª</em>

    The hideous eye of a reptile that was unbefitting of her beautiful looks revealed itself.

    <em>-Ugh.</em>

    Ha-eun groaned from the pain and extended both of her arms forward.

    <em>Fwooooosh!¡ª</em>

    A powerful tornado of mes swept away the vampires that were approaching the boat.

    <em>-Kieeeeeeeirk!!</em>

    ¡ªzing mes.

    The vampires wailed out and jumped into the sea, but the mes that stuck to their skin burned ferociously even inside the water.

    <em>-Huff, huff!</em>

    Ha-eun nodded her head and strengthlessly sat down on the spot.

    Lee Shinhyuk picked up the eyepatch on the ground and handed it over to her.

    <em>-Here.</em>

    <em>-Thanks.</em>

    <em>-Your eye¡­ is it okay? You used it a considerable amount of times today.</em>

    <em>-Yeah. Well, it does hurt, but it''s somewhat bearable.</em>

    Ha-eun equipped the eyepatch once again.

    <strong><em>-But still, I should try to use it to its fullest extent since it''s an eye you bought me for a hefty price.</em></strong>

    Ha-eun looked back at Lee Shinhyuk and fumbled around her left eye.

    <em>-¡­I didn''t buy you the Dragon''s Cursed Eye with that kind of thing in mind.</em>

    <em>-Hm? Then why did you buy it for me?</em>

    <em>-Th-That''s¡­</em>

    The cheeks of Lee Shinhyuk heated up as he slurred the sentence he was about to say.

    <em>-No. It''s nothing¡­</em>

    <em>-Boring.</em>

    Ha-eun smiled and lightly flicked her finger on Lee Shinhyuk''s forehead.

    <em>Smack!¡ª</em>

    A heavy sound rang out.

    <em>-Ow! What was that for?</em>

    <em>-Even if you didn''t buy it for me with that in mind, I''ll make sure to repay this debt one day.</em>

    <em>-¡­</em>

    <em>-Though it''ll be difficult to do that right now.</em>

    Ha-eun gazed at the sea with bitter eyes.

    <em>-Because¡­ there¡¯s someone I need to take care of.</em>

    ¡ªShe spoke in a lonesome and dreadful manner.

    She chewed on her lips and restlessly looked at the endless sea.

    With herst words scattered away by the ocean wind¡­

    -Ring!

    [All of the lost memories have been restored sucessfully.]

    Lee Shinhyuk''s memories cut off.

    "¡­"

    Ohjin stood still on the spot dumbfoundedly and gazed into the air with his eyes zoned out.

    ¡®Lee Shinhyuk¡­ bought Ha-eun the Dragon''s Cursed Eye?''

    ¡®Then what about¡­ me?''

    Just what was he doing at that point in time?

    "¡­What the hell is this?"

    What had happened to Ohjin and Ha-eun in the 1st Round?

    Was the ¡®someone I have to take care of'' she mentioned referring to himself?

    And if Ha-eun was alive¡­

    Just why¡ªdid he destroy the world?

    "¡­Goddammit."

    Ohjin stopped thinking and shook his head.

    ¡®I don''t have enough information."

    It wasn''t possible toe to a conclusion with only fragmental memories.

    "At the moment¡­ I have no choice but to increase the awakening stage of the ck Heaven."

    It wasn''t something he could just ask another because he didn''t know. The only person who possessed the memories of the world in the 1st Round was Lee Shinhyuk.

    "Tch."

    Ohjin clicked his tongue and thought about the memories that remained in his head like a stain.

    Recalling how Ha-eun was with Lee Shinhyuk made irresistible displeasure boil up.

    <em>-Ha-eun!</em>

    The way he smiled so brightly at Ha-eun.

    ¡®Don''t fuck with me.''

    The only person who could be that close to her¡­

    was himself.

    Because she was his¡ª

    "¡­"

    Ohjin shut his lips tight and moved his feet.

    The unpleasant stain stuck to him like a sticky liquid.

    * * *

    * * *

    <em>Click¡ª </em>

    The front door opened.

    "Gwon Ohjin, you bastard! Why didn''t you contact me?! I told you to call me often!"

    The sound of rushed footsteps and a familiar voice was heard the instant the door opened.

    "I''m home, Ha-eun."

    Ohjin roughly embraced Ha-eun, who rushed out to see him.

    ¡®Aah.''

    ¡ªThe warmth that could be felt in his grasp.

    ¡ªThe snug feeling like covering a baby bird with his hands.

    ¡®Yeah.''

    Whatever happened in the world of the 1st Round, the warmth that was felt in the present wouldn''t change.

    "¡­U-Uh?"

    He stroked around Ha-eun¡¯s left eye as her face was burning up with a panicked expression.

    "Wh-What? D-Did you want to see me that badly?"

    Ha-eun raised her nose and asked yfully.

    "Yeah."

    He added more strength into his embracing arms.

    "I wanted to see you so badly I thought I was going to go crazy."

    "¡­Wh-What?"

    The unpleasant feeling that stuck to him washed away, and happiness took over that empty space.

    "Ah, uh, uhm. So¡­"

    Ha-eun''s body shook with a stumped expression.

    A satisfied smile was ced on Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    In the current world, he was the only one who was able to see her adorable appearance.

    "Wh-What''s gotten into you? Did the food in Italy not match your tastes?"

    Ha-eun asked with an expression mixed with worry and excitement

    "No, it''s nothing like that. I''m just d to see you since it''s been a while."

    "K-Khm! Seriously, how would you ever live without me?"

    "¡­"

    Yeah.

    As she said¡­

    "¡­I wouldn''t be able to."

    ¡ªIf he lost her.

    ¡ªIf she was taken away.

    It wasn''t hard to imagine how much he would break down.

    ¡®Whatever happened in the 1st Round doesn''t matter.''

    The important thing was the present.

    The present where she was by his side.

    "¡­Are you really ok? Did something happen?"

    Ha-eun had also felt that something was off at that point and asked with a worried voice.

    "Ha-eun."

    "Y-Yeah?"

    Ohjin carefully reached out his hand to her cheek.

    "Can you smile for me this one time?"

    "¡­Smile?"

    "Yeah."

    "What the¡­"

    Ha-eun looked up at Ohjin with a dumbfounded expression and soon let out a deep sigh while forcefully raising the edge of her lips.

    "Is¡­ Is this okay?"

    Her smile was second to none when it came down to awkwardness, however¡ª

    "¡­Yeah."

    ¡ªit wasn''t a sorrowful smile like the one in Lee Shinhyuk''s memories.

    "This is enough."

    With that alone, he was able to continue living on.

    "¡­"

    Ha-eun looked at him with somewhat dissatisfied eyes.

    "Damn it."

    She scratched her red hair that was tied into a ponytail.

    "I was going to scold you when you came back home, but now I don''t think I can."

    Ha-eun didn''t know what had happened, but she could tell that Ohjin''s current state was very different from usual.

    "Haha. Sorry, I wasn¡¯t able to contact you because I was too busy."

    Ohjin hid the matters regarding Isabe for the moment. Telling her would only needlessly increase the amount of things she worried about.

    ¡®I probably won¡¯t meet her anytime soon.''

    Isabe was currently acting as a ¡®Saintess'' in Italy.

    The number of charities she operated amounted to dozens. She was even participating in volunteer work herself.

    ¡®On top of that, Isabe bears the responsibility of the ck Star Organization.''

    As long as she couldn''t clone herself, it wouldn''t be easy to leave Italy, as she would have to digest that intense schedule.

    ¡®That''s probably also why she asked when I would be able to return.''

    If she was able to freelye to Korea, there was no reason to ask that kind of question in the first ce.

    ¡®In other words¡­''

    As long as he didn''t go to Italy to find her himself, they wouldn''t run into each other in most cases.

    And needless to say, he didn''t have the slightest bit of intent of going back to Italy.

    ¡®I''m not going until I''m fully confident in my ability to protect myself.''

    In any case, they wouldn''t meet Isabe for the time being. It would be best to exin about herter down the line.

    "Heh. That sounds like the excuse of a husband that cheated on a business trip."

    "Then are you thinking of me as your husband?"

    "Oh? You''re acting up again."

    Ha-eun smiled and yfully pinched his side.

    "Well, let''s just say that you''re a candidate."

    "It is my honor."

    "Heh, if you think that way, you should give me more attention."

    Ha-eun smiled bashfully and gently hugged him back.

    "What''s this?"

    Ha-eun, who was leaning her head on his shoulder, pointed to the paper bag that Ohjin was carrying.

    "I bought hamburgers."

    "Wow, hamburgers? How long has it been?"

    "Hehe. You miss them since it''s been so long, don¡¯t you?"

    "I just happened to be craving them. Little bugger, you know me so well."

    They sat on the sofa in the living room and took out their hamburgers.

    "<em>Nom, nom.</em> Kyaha! People talk about the Guinness burger, but the original is still the best!"

    Ha-eun''s body shook as she took a big bite out of the burger.

    After they finished eating and cleaning up the two Whopper sets, they rxed and leaned their backs on the sofa.

    "Now, present to me yourp so I may watch the TV infort."

    "Don''t wanna."

    "Ah,e on! I let you do whatever you wanted today!"

    "Uhm."

    Now that he thought of it, it was true.

    "While you''re epting my requests for today, I want toy on yourp."

    "Ohjin¡­ do you really want to overstrain my one and only remaining leg?"

    "¡­"

    ¡®This is unfair.''

    "Damn it. Alright, alright. Geez,y down."

    "Hehehe! Yay~!"

    Ha-eun cackled out and ced her head on top of hisp.

    "Gosh, your thighs have gotten a lot firmer."

    Ohjin lightly stroked Ha-eun¡¯s hair, who was lying down on hisp.

    The uneasy feeling he got not too long ago, he couldn¡¯t even remember it properly anymore.

    ¡®That''s right.''

    In order to feel that warmth to the end of time¡­

    ¡®I need to be stronger.''

    ¡ªTo the point where not a single person would be able to touch him.

    ¡ªTo the point where they wouldn''t even think about daring to oppose him.

    ¡®Should I focus on clearing the quest for the time being?''

    He had already requested starstones from the Valha guild, but he didn¡¯t have any n on sitting around during that time.

    ¡®It might not amount to enough.''

    With how many starstones were needed toplete the quest being unknown, it was best to secure as many of them as possible.

    "Ohjin, do you have any ns tomorrow?"

    "Why?"

    "I''m going to the Association. Do you want toe with me?"

    "Association? What are you going there for?"

    "Was it Joonman? That person asked if I would like to join the Association withoutmuting to work as you do."

    Joonman had contacted Ha-eun before he knew it.

    ¡®Well¡­''

    Ha-eun had be an 8-Star Awakener. Rather, it''d be strange if he didn¡¯t try to recruit her.

    "There''s no reason to refuse when they''re giving me a sry for free, right? And, well¡­ you''re in the Association as well."

    "Alright, then let''s go together tomorrow."

    Ohjin happened to be nning on checking up on how the internal faction problem was progressing.

    "Hehe. Now even our upations are the same."

    Ha-eun smiled bashfully like something like that was much to her liking.

    "¡­Seriously, you."

    Ohjin smiled like she was a handful.

    Suddenly, he became curious about one thing.

    "Ha-eun."

    "Yeah?"

    "Do you¡­ think that you''re indebted to me?"

    "Indebted? Hm."

    Ha-eun closed her lips while she contemted.

    "I''m not sure. I did think like that back then, but not really anymore."

    Ha-eun, who was lying on hisp, turned her body around to look up at him.

    "Isn''t the debt already cleared by letting you have this pretty and sexy me keep youpany?"

    <em>Kyahaha!¡ª</em>

    She boastfully shrugged her shoulders.

    "¡­I see."

    "Eek. It''s embarrassing if you react that way."

    "It''s alright."

    "What''s alright?"

    "Just¡­ everything."

    Ohjin smiled faintly as he stroked her hair.

    Endlessly¡­

    ¡ªLike stroking a infinitely precious treasure.

 Chapter 91: Ancient Constellation (2)

    "Ha-eun, wake up. It''s time to go to the Association."

    Ohjin, who had woken up at early dawn and finished his light training routine, woke Ha-eun up.

    "Uah. A little longer¡­"

    Ha-eun pulled up the sheets and wriggled around.

    "Seriously¡­ you''re not a child anymore."

    Ohjin smiled and reached out his hand to her side. He was nning on waking her up by suddenly tickling her.

    "Ohjin~"

    However, that n fell apart when she got up half-asleep with a dazed look.

    <em>Grab!¡ª</em>

    "Huh?"

    Ha-eun grabbed Ohjin¡¯s arm that was heading to her side and roughly pulled it in.

    His body tilted helplessly as his face dug into her cleavage that was exposed due to the fact she was wearing light pajamas.

    "Ah, uhk!"

    "<em>Zzzzz¡­</em> Stay still."

    Ha-eun pulled in the body of the struggling Ohjin with both arms and wrapped one of her slim legs around his hip.

    She stuck to him like a cicada and pulled him into the nkets like an ant that was caught in an antlion''s pit.

    "Ehehe. Ohjin~ let''s sleep together?"

    Ha-eun called out his name in a drowsy voice and increased the strength in her arms.

    "Argh¡­"

    Ohjin, who had barely escaped from her cleavage, looked at Ha-eun, who wasid down on the bed with a dumbfounded expression.

    "<em>Zzzzz¡­</em>"

    "Ugh."

    Ohjin was about to shake her awake but stayed still in silence once he looked at how Ha-eun had fallen back to sleep with cute snores.

    ¡®It''s a bit awkward to wake her up now.''

    ¡®I guess I have no choice.''

    Ohjin sighed andid down next to Ha-eun with her arms still wrapped around him. He tantly observed her sleeping face.

    "¡­"

    ¡ªLong eyebrows. Small nose and pink lips. Red hair that flowed down her slim jawline.

    Her breathtakingly beautiful looks that resembled a radiant ruby shone as usual.

    "¡­Ha-eun."

    His heart didn''t beat like a youth who had met his first love.

    The time he had spent together with her was too long for his heart to race from looking at her sleeping face.

    Rather than nervousness or excitement¡­

    A serene happiness like calm pools of water after rain spreading out.

    "Hehe."

    Like a ripple in the quiet and cozy atmosphere¡­ Ha-eun giggled openly with a stupid smile.

    Was it because she was having a good dream?

    "Ohjin¡­ you shouldn''t touch there¡­"

    ¡®What kind of dream is she having¡­?"

    "That ce¡­ is where things are supposed toe out, not go in¡­"

    ?

    "Ah, it won''t go in any m¡ª"

    "STOP!!!! STOP RIGHT THERE!!!"

    "Kyaaaaaa!!! What the fuck!!!!!"

    <em>Smash!!!¡ª</em>

    Ha-eun, who was drunk on sleep, suddenly opened her eyes and kicked Ohjin.

    <em>Bam! Boom! Bang!¡ª</em>

    Ohjin shot off like a cannon, smashed his head into the ceiling, and rolled around on the ground.

    "You surprised me!!!"

    "I was even more surprised!!!"

    ¡®What kind of dreams is this woman having?''

    "Ugh, my ears hurt."

    "My entire body hurts."

    Ha-eun rubbed her ears and red at Ohjin.

    "Seriously, you should have woken me up in a civilized manner."

    "I tried to."

    ¡®It''s just that your mouth wasn''t civil.''

    "So, what''s the time?"

    "Twenty-two past ten o''clock."

    "Woah, when did that happen."

    "Tch¡­ I was having a good dream."

    "¡­"

    ¡®Don''t imagine it.''

    ¡®You must not imagine it.''

    ¡®¡­If that¡¯s a good dream.''

    "Begone!!!!!!!!!"

    "Ahhhhh!!! Why do you keep screaming!!!"

    ¡®That was dangerous. I nearly imagined it in detail inside my head.''

    "Hurry up and go wash up, and also, get dressed."

    "Ugh. Okay."

    Ha-eun sluggishly got up from bed and headed to the bathroom.

    "Phew."

    [Hmm. It''s noisy starting in the morning.]

    Vega appeared from the ne and naturally sat on top of his head.

    "Ha-eun wasn''t getting out of bed."

    [Tch, tch. What an undisciplined child. My proud child had already woken up at early dawn and finished his hard training.]

    Vega patted his head while thinking it was strange, but thankfully, it seemed that she hadn''t heard Ha-eun''s sleep talking.

    [By the way, my child.]

    "Yeah?"

    [Just what is a ce where things are supposed toe out and not go in?]

    "¡­"

    * * *

    "Mmh~! It''s been a really long time since I came to the Association."

    Ha-eun stretched after leaving the car and looked around the tall Association buildings that were lined up.

    "Hey, the buildings look pretty fresh, considering the fact they get looked down on here and there."

    "It''s still thergest agency in regards to Awakeners in this country."

    It was like how the police were looked down upon in the past. It didn''t change the fact that they were an incrediblyrge-scale agency.

    "Hehe. I didn''t ever think a day where I joined the Association woulde."

    "Let''s stop looking around and head inside."

    "Okay."

    They both went into the staff-exclusive elevator and entered General Manager Han''s office.

    * * *

    * * *

    <em>Click¡ª</em>

    "Ah, you came together."

    "I wanted to see you since it''s been a while."

    "Hahaha. You won''t get a bonus or anything like that, you know?"

    ¡®Unfortunate.''

    "Hm¡­ first of all, here is the contract. Please read through it."

    "Alrighty."

    Ha-eun received the contract and sat down on her seat.

    ¡®She really doesn''t know how to speak formally¡­ Well, I guess she does that to celestials, as well.''

    Still, as it could cause problems for one who belonged to the Association, he was nning to warn herter.

    Even in a world where monsters ran wild, there were still people everywhere who would pick a fight over manners.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ it isn¡¯t bad. The sry isn¡¯t high, but that¡¯s only a given since I don¡¯t go to work. Wait, what? Tax exemption??¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I became the Association¡¯s dog.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Then am I their bitch?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Kyaha!! I¡¯m just kidding, man. Don¡¯t give me that serious look.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t say those kinds of things, even as a joke.¡±

    ¡°Alright~¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! The two of you are really close. It¡¯s tough for a single man like me to watch.¡±

    General Manager Hanughed broadly and took a sip out of his coffee.

    ¡°Once I find my partner, I hope that we¡¯ll give off as much of a friendly vibe as the two of you.¡±

    ¡®Hm. Looks like our general manager has a little bit of a misunderstanding.¡¯

    ¡°Ha-eun and I aren¡¯t a couple.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±

    General Manager Han¡¯s eyes opened wide. His face expressed that he couldn¡¯t have imagined it.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Even Ha-eun, who was reading through the contract, suddenly flinched and looked at him with shaking eyes.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Then are you two perhaps¡­ already engaged?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ uh, siblings¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it either.¡±

    They were too affectionate to be called simple couples,

    And cherished one another too much to be family.

    They weren¡¯t couples, siblings, or married.

    He had never treated her as one of those predefined rtionships that could disappear easily at any given time.

    ¡°Then¡­ what kind of rtionship are the two of you in?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    Ohjin had never thought deeply into it.

    Being together with her just went without saying and was as natural as breathing.

    He had never even thought about defining his rtionship with her with a fixed term, but if he were to express his rtionship with Ha-eun in words¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that¡­ we''re in a rtionship where staying together goes without saying."

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    The two of them looked at Ohjin with embarrassed expressions.

    "Ha¡­"

    General Manager Han chuckled and soon covered his face with his wide palm.

    "¡­I didn''t think you were the kind of person that would say such embarrassing words as it''s nothing."

    He shook his head as if he couldn''t listen any longer as he felt more second-hand embarrassment than the one who said it.

    "O-O-Ohjin, seriously, you¡­!"

    Ha-eun covered her reddening cheeks and stepped on his foot.

    "There really is nothing you can''t say!!"

    "What¡­ it''s not like I said anything wrong."

    "Aah!! F-Forget about what he just said!! Okay?! Or else I won''t sign the contract!!"

    Ha-eun pulled on her hair and unreasonably shouted at General Manager Han, who was sitting there doing nothing.

    "Hahahahaha!! It looks like I asked an inconsiderate question."

    "I¡­ I said forget about it!"

    "Okay, okay. I understand."

    Han Joonman smiled and nodded his head.

    "In any case, how''s the internal situation within the Association recently?"

    "Um."

    General Manager Han''s eyes slightly nced past Ha-eun.

    "It''s okay. You can talk about it."

    Ohjin had already exined about Cheon Woosung and the internal factions within the Association to Ha-eun.

    "Hmm. First off, Cheon Woosung has been quiettely."

    General Manager Han''s expression sank heavily.

    "¡­So quiet to the point that it''s worrying."

    It could have been because he didn''t have the spare time to pay heed to the Association due to the incident with Isabe.

    And if that wasn''t it¡­

    ¡®He might be preparing something else.''

    Whatever it was, the fact that he couldn¡¯t be rxed was the same.

    "Well¡­ the biggest thing he''s done recently is expand the Unawakened Safety Management Center."

    "Unawakened Safety Management Center?"

    "It''s a center where they provide support and protect the unawakened who reside in areas susceptible to monsters. The board of directors do everything starting from nning, managing, and even operating the center."

    "¡­"

    ¡®Are they nning to copy what Isabe did in Italy? But considering that¡­''

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    "Are they not advertising? To be honest, I haven¡¯t heard of it even once."

    "As far as I know, they aren''t going out of their way to advertise with the reasoning that it''s public welfare."

    ¡®Just what are those bastards nning?''

    "Well¡­ there isn''t much we can say in regards to the center. Even if that Cheon Woosung bastard did all kinds of vicious deeds until now, not once has heid his hands on the unawakened."

    ¡®I''m starting to get a rough idea.''

    The ck Star Organization''s established n was killing all Awakeners and turning all of the oppressed unawakened into apostles of the ¡®ck Stars''.

    ¡®It''s only natural that they''re preparing measures to increase the quality of life for the unawakened.''

    Whatever their true goals were, as the goal on the surface was based on the sense of inferiority and hatred the unawakened felt towards the Awakeners, it was right to take care of them first.

    ¡®The problem is what their true goals are¡­''

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    ¡®Well, I''ll find that out eventually.''

    The possibility was very slim, but¡­

    ¡®That nonsensical goal¡­ it might actually be their true goal.''

    He didn''t have enough information to deduce the ck Star Organization''s true goal yet.

    "Then we''ll now take our leave."

    "Yes. I''ll notify you when Cheon Woosung and his side make any other moves."

    "Okay."

    He nodded his head and exited the office.

    "Hmm. So what kind of person is Cheon Woosung?"

    "I don''t know."

    He seemed like an extremely twisted person based on what he had seen in the memories, but¡­

    "I''m not sure since I''ve never met him in person."

    It wasn¡¯t possible to grasp what kind of person Cheon Woosung was yet.

    ¡®I should just focus on the quest for now.''

    When he got on the elevator while having those thoughts¡­

    "Huh? You are Ohjin¡­ correct?"

    ¡ªA youth with neat, sharply-measured business attire and a well-kept organized pomade hairstyle.

    The tall, handsome man that gave off a likable impression walked out of the elevator.

    "I''ve always wanted to meet you, but I didn''t think it''d happen like this."

    With an innocent smile like that of a child, he extended his hand forward.

    "Nice to meet you. I''m Cheon Woosung.¡±

 Chapter 92: Ancient Constellation (3)

    He was a handsome man with a likable impression that even someone of the same gender couldn''t help but admire.

    The youth that gave off a dapper look smiled brightly and extended his hand out.

    ¡®Cheon Woosung.¡¯

    ¡ªThe son of the King of Owls, Cheon Doyoon, and simultaneously the one who practically led the ck Star Organization¡¯s Noctua faction.

    In addition¡ª

    ¡°I heard that you were a board member, but you look to be a lot younger than I thought.¡±

    ¡ªhe was a little rat who had infiltrated the Association.

    ¡°Haha! It just happened somehow, as there were many people who supported me. It truly is an honor that I cannot exin with words.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s an honor? Bullshit, he probably upied a board member seat through threats and trickery. But well¡­¡¯

    That in itself could be called one of his capabilities.

    ¡°Anyways¡­ what business did youe to the Association for?¡±

    Cheon Woosung narrowed his eyes and observed Ohjin.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have matters to attend to outside Korea soon, so I came to discuss my schedule.¡±

    Needless to say, he didn¡¯t actually have any ns on leaving Korea. There was just something he wanted to confirm.

    ¡°Hmm. Then are you going to Italy again?¡±

    ¡®He knows that I went to Italy, as expected.

    ¡°Haha. It¡¯s just that Isabe invited me over.¡±

    ¡°An invitation from Rome''s Saintess¡­ I¡¯m simply too envious.¡±

    Cheon Woosung cunningly shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Fortunately, it seems that Isabe <strong>¡®likes me a lot¡¯</strong>.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    <em>Flinch¡ª</em>

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s shoulders faintly shook.

    Ohjin observed his reaction and smiled.

    ¡®Good.¡¯

    As he had predicted, Cheon Woosung was wary of Isabe.

    ¡®Well, it would be strange if he wasn¡¯t.¡¯

    Ohjin recalled how Isabe had smiled creepily and bewitchingly licked the blood of her enemies.

    ¡ªThe overwhelming strength that massacred hundreds of Awakeners with a simple flick of a finger.

    ¡ªThe personality of one who unhesitantly ughtered anyone who was an eyesore.

    Cheon Woosung would be on edge as even his ns to use the Marco Family to eliminate her had failed.

    ¡®In this kind of situation, he won¡¯t be able toy his hands on someone that¡¯s to Isabe¡¯s liking.¡¯

    Whether he confirmed it was true or not didn¡¯t matter. His actions couldn¡¯t help but be restricted by just that ¡®possibility¡¯.

    ¡®Though it¡¯s not like I said anything incorrect.¡¯

    It had a slightly different meaning, but it was true that Isabe liked him very much in one way or another.

    ¡°Then I hope you get well-acquainted and return safely. Bing close to someone like Rome¡¯s Saintess, who¡¯s famous worldwide, will also be a big help to the Association.¡±

    Cheon Woosung quickly came back to his senses and shook Ohjin¡¯s hand with a bright smile.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°By the way¡­¡±

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s eyes headed to Ha-eun.

    ¡°Who is the person beh¡ª¡±

    His eyes opened wide as he looked at her.

    ¡°¡­!!¡±

    Cheon Woosung took steps back with a shocked expression.

    ¡®¡­Huh? Why is he so surprised to see Ha-eun?¡¯

    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ no. Haha. Please don¡¯t mind me. It¡¯s just because she was too beautiful.¡±

    Cheon Woosung tried to brush past it by shaking his head and making an excuse, however¡­

    ¡®He¡¯s lying.¡¯

    The reason why he was shocked wasn¡¯t simply because of Ha-eun''s beauty.

    There was another reason.

    ¡®Just what is it?¡¯

    It was difficult to grasp the reason why.

    ¡°I have no interest in you, so can you mind your own business?¡±

    Ha-eun furrowed her brow like she was displeased.

    ¡°Haha. I apologize. I ended up being discourteous.¡±

    Cheon Woosung politely bowed his head and apologized.

    ¡°At any rate, we¡¯re very honored to be able to have such exceptional Awakeners like you two in the Association.¡±

    He took out a business card from his pocket with a dazzling smile.

    ¡°Please feel free to contact me whenever you feel that my help is needed.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    Ohjin received Cheon Woosung¡¯s business card and slightly nodded his head.

    ¡°Then I hope you two have a wonderful day.¡±

    Cheon Woosung bid his final farewell and walked away.

    ¡°Hm. So that guy¡¯s a spy for the ck Star Organization?¡±

    Ha-eun looked at the back of Cheon Woosung, who was gradually bing more distant, and narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°On the surface, he doesn''t seem like a guy who¡¯s in a crazy organization in the least. His looks arepletely fine, as well.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s rotten on the inside, so don¡¯t ever pay him attention.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s voice became unnecessarily rough as the way Cheon Woosung showed interest in Ha-eun got under his skin.

    ¡°Hm? Wow, are you being jealous right now?¡±

    Ha-eun smirked and poked his nk.

    ¡°You little cutie.¡±

    ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    ¡°Kyahaha! Just how are you nning to live without me?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He wanted to say that she had a misunderstanding, but he hesitated once he looked at how much Ha-eun was enjoying the moment.

    ¡°By the way¡­¡±

    Ha-eun crossed her arms with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°¡­Isabe is that ¡®Rome''s Saintess'', right? How did you get to know her?¡±

    ¡°I met her for a moment during myst mission. Remember when we took down that hydra? She approached me while saying that she saw the stream back then.¡±

    ¡°What about you being close to her?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a lie. We didn¡¯t even talk much.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ha-eun looked at him with a bit of doubt in her eyes but soon nodded her head.

    ¡°So are we going to have to fight with that guy one day?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    There was a chance that there wasn¡¯t even enough time left to use the words ¡®one day¡¯. After all, the ck Star Organization¡¯s movements were gradually bing more aggressive.

    ¡®Though only a select few people know about it.¡¯

    Before long, it was likely that they would be notorious enough in Korea that not a single person wouldn¡¯t know their name.

    ¡®No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯

    The edges of Ohjin¡¯s mouth twisted up.

    Before long, their notoriety would be very widespread by ¡®his very own hands¡¯.

    ¡®Try to hide with all your might¡­¡¯

    It didn¡¯t matter if they tried to hide or avoid him.

    ¡®I¡¯ll grab you by the hair and forcefully pull you up.¡¯

    Ohjin was nning on making the cockroaches that were thoroughly hiding their identities in the dark known to the entire world.

    Furthermore¡­

    ¡®I¡¯ll enjoy a nice meal, as well.¡¯

    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t able to absorb the stigmas of the Marco Family because of Isabe. However, it would be different next time. He would gobble up every single stigma, bit of mana, and star relic in their possession.

    Ohjin would take away everything they had zealously gathered up while hiding within the Demon Realm.

    ¡®They¡¯re making a center to protect the unawakened?¡¯

    Perhaps the ck Star Organization was no different from a savior to the ones who had no power. To them, they might have even been heroes that protected the weak and pointed their weapons at the strong.

    ¡®So what.¡¯

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    Whether they were saviors or heroes had no meaning to him.

    ¡®I¡­¡¯

    He stared at Ha-eun with calm eyes.

    Although she smiled and acted like nothing was wrong, Ohjin could see that her hands were faintly shaking and grasped it.

    ¡°Huh? Wh-What is it?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s cheeks reddened, and she avoided his gaze.

    ¡ªIn order to protect her.

    ¡ªIn order to maintain the warmth in his hands.

    ¡®I don¡¯t need anything else.¡¯

    How many powerless people suffered and were sacrificed was none of his business.

    If he could protect her, he would be more than happy to stomp on the lives of tens of thousands of others with a smile.

    ¡°¡­Ohjin?¡±

    He had lived with that mindset.

    He was living with that mindset.

    And if it wasn¡¯t for that, he didn''t know what else to live for.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t need to fight them.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a hidden card in order to face them.¡±

    Something like that didn¡¯t exist¡ª

    ¡°So all you¡¯ll have to do is sit still.¡±

    ¡ªbut he would make it so that it did.

    ¡°Heh. I was wondering what you were on about.¡±

    Ha-eun pouted and crossed her arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m still way~ stronger than you at the moment, you know? Don¡¯t you know that I became an 8-Star recently?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do.¡±

    Ha-eun boastfully raised her nose and continued speaking.

    ¡°Then you should be the one sitting still. I¡¯ll protect you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t believe me? Do you want to have a fight with me at the sparring grounds?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go get something to eat. I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, that sounds good. What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll treat you in celebration of my first job!¡±

    Ha-eun smiled brightly and pulled on his arm.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin smiled slightly and followed Ha-eun into the elevator.

    * * *

    ¡ªBoard of directors'' office room located within the Association.

    Cheon Woosung, who was seated on a luxurious chair, was sharing a conversation with someone over the phone.

    "Yes, I have found it, Father!"

    [Holholhol. I couldn''t imagine that the one who possesses the ¡®Dragon Eye'' would be in a ce like that.]

    Insidious-soundingughter was heard over the phone.

    [We''ll be able to bring forward our ns a little more with this.]

    "Hehe. The preparations have already all been finished!"

    Cheon Woosung was unable to hold it in and shouted out in an eager voice. He looked like a child that couldn''t wait to dig into their appetizing birthday cake.

    His gentle imagepletely vanished, and all that was left was a boy wearing the mask of a man.

    [Holholhol. It seems that you have been very eager.]

    "Father, you understand how long I''ve eagerly waited for this day!"

    ¡ªA voice in extremely high spirits.

    [Of course, of course. How would I be unaware of how you feel.]

    The old man continued in a low voice.

    [Alright. Execute the n right away.]

    "Yes, Father!"

    Cheon Woosung nodded his head with a bright smile.

    "Ah¡­ however, I believe it''ll be difficult to eliminate the Star of the Weaver Girl''s apostle immediately."

    [Hmm. The reason being?]

    "The Queen of Leeches is showing interest in the Lightning Wolf."

    [¡­]

    The old man shut his lips tight when the name ¡®Queen of Leeches¡¯ was transmitted over the phone.

    [Holholhol¡­ we''ll need to be cautious of her.]

    "Yes."

    [However¡­]

    The old man''s voice sank frighteningly.

    [If he bes a nuisance to our ns, do not hesitate to kill him.]

    "I''ll bear that in mind!"

    <em>ck!¡ª</em>

    Cheon Woosung shouted out and saluted the air.

    [Holholhol.]

    It seemed like his proud and confident response was to the old man''s liking as the sound of hisughter leaked over the phone.

    [Son¡­]

    "Yes, Father!"

    [You haven''t forgotten about what happened to your mother, have you?]

    <em>Flinch¡ª</em>

    Cheon Woosung''s shoulders shook.

    The boy''s bright expression coldly settled down.

    He ground his teeth with eyes containing uncanny hatred.

    "Of course."

    ck mana oozed out of his tightly clenched fist.

    "Ever since that day, I haven''t forgotten about it for a single moment."

    [Holholhol. Alright.]

    The old manughed in satisfaction.

    "For the ck Stars'' grace."

    [For the ck Stars'' grace.]

    The call ended with their short slogan.

    "¡­"

    Inside the room with only stillness remaining¡­

    "Owls."

    <em>Flutter, flutter!¡ª</em>

    ck feathers violently gathered up from his silent call, and ck-robed men appeared inside the office.

    "Execute the n right away."

    "But¡­"

    One of the men looked at him with trembling eyes.

    "If we execute the n right now, arge amount of unawakened will¡ª"

    <strong>"It can''t be helped."</strong>

    A firm voice cut off his words.

    Cheon Woosung slowly walked to the man.

    <em>Thud, thud¡ª </em>

    ck mana overflowed every time he took a step and filled the room.

    "Hyup! Kuk!"

    The man''s body trembled from the suffocating pressure flowing out of Cheon Woosung.

    Cheon Woosung painfully grasped the back of the man¡¯s neck and twisted his body.

    "This is a sublime sacrifice needed to follow the ck Stars'' will."

    "Kugk! Kuk!"

    "You¡­ haven''t forgotten about it, have you?"

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s eyes shone frighteningly.

    "Kruurruk, kuk!"

    The man''s face turned pale.

    "You won''t answer?"

    When Cheon Woosung¡¯s expression was gradually distorting¡ª

    <em>Pshk!!!¡ª</em>

    "Kugh!!"

    ¡ªa long spear pierced through the man''s stomach.

    "Fuu. There is no need to wait for the answer of a useless bastard like him, Sir Woosung."

    The one who had pierced through the man''s stomach with a ck spear was a middle-aged man with a long sword scar engraved down his right eye.

    "Gunwoo."

    Park Gunwoo.

    He was a high-ranking Temr of the ck Star Organization and Cheon Woosung''s right-hand man.

    "¡ªYou have done well!"

    Cheon Woosung smiled brightly and raised his thumb.

    "Huhuhu. We can''t allow the ones who dare to doubt the ck Stars'' will to survive."

    "Haha! Indeed, there really isn''t anyone else but you."

    Cheon Woosung nodded his head again and again in satisfaction.

    Park Gunwoo removed the droplets of blood on his spear with elegant movements and respectfully got down onto one of his knees.

    "Sir Woosung. I''ll take responsibility and lead this operation."

    "Ah, it''ll be reassuring if you''re the one doing it. I''ll leave it to you."

    "Yes, sir!"

    Park Gunwoo answered energetically and got up.

    "Then I shall execute the n right away!"

    <em>Flutter, flutter!¡ª</em>

    He grabbed the corpse of the man who died in despair by having his stomach pierced and disappeared by scattering into feathers in mid-air.

    The Owls who had followed Park Gunwoo there also hid inside the office.

    "Well, then¡­"

    Cheon Woosung looked at the streets of Seoul outside the Association building and smiled.

    "This is the beginning."

    There wasn''t much time left until he would take revenge against the Awakeners he cursed and resented.

    "Haa."

    He spread his arms out wide, looked up, and reached his hands out to the blue sky.

    "Mom¡­ you''re looking, right?"

    An affectionate smile was ced on Cheon Woosung¡¯s mouth.

    But soon after¡ª

    "Please look over me."

    ¡ªhis affectionate smile disappeared, and what reced it was a twisted smile containing hatred.

    "I''ll make sure to take revenge."

    The boy who was wearing the mask of a man mumbled while looking down at the gray streets.

 Chapter 93: Ancient Constellation (4)

    <strong>I¡¯m Not a Regressor</strong>

    <strong>Chapter 93: Ancient Constetion (4)</strong>

    ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± asked Ha-eun as she pulled his arm.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t anything he was craving in particr.

    ¡°How about tteokbokki*?¡±

    T/N: Spicy simmered rice cakes.

    Ohjin had read in a news article that tteokbokki was ranked as the number one food that females in their twenties liked the most.

    ¡®Though she¡¯s not in her twenties anymore.¡¯

    Ha-eun had entered her thirties when the year had passed, but her looks would still pass off as someone in their early twenties.

    ¡®I heard that aging also slowed down as one¡¯s Star rank increased.¡¯

    He had even heard that aging wouldpletelye to a halt for high-rank Awakeners above the 9-Star rank.

    ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter.¡¯

    Nothing would change from the present, even if she became a wrinkly old grandma.

    ¡°Tteokbokki? It¡¯s alright to pick something more expensive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just because I¡¯m craving it.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, alright! Then let¡¯s go with tteokbokki!¡±

    They headed to a nearby casual dining restaurant.

    During their meal of sundae, tteokbokki, and fried food¡ª

    ¡°Did you hear? A new Unawakened Safety Management Center was constructed in Daerim-dong.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? Was it built by the Association?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah. Guilds don¡¯t care about anything other than their own territory.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡ªthe chit-chat of the two men seated next to them could be heard.

    ¡°When you look at things like this, there really isn¡¯t anywhere else other than the Association that takes care of the unawakened like us.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s not exactly correct, either.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Why is that?¡±

    The man with tanned skin sighed and continued.

    ¡°The ones that manage the centers are all board members, but they say that they¡¯ll need to reduce the number of centers because the oh so grand~ Association chairman says that it takes too much of their budget.¡±

    ¡°What?¡¯

    ¡°They say that there were supposed to be two centers built in Guro-dong and Daerim-dong, but due to the chairman¡¯s opposition, the board members spent their own money to construct one of them.¡±

    ¡°Sigh, fucking bastard. Is he basically saying that he doesn¡¯t even see us as humans anymore?¡±

    ¡°That bastard is too busy walking on eggshells aroundrge guilds that he doesn¡¯t even know who the fuck pays taxes.¡±

    The two men kept spouting vulgarnguage towards the Association.

    ¡®¡­The Association chairman opposed the construction of centers?¡¯

    He hadn¡¯t heard that from General Manager Han.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to askter.¡¯

    There was a need to confirm if they were simple rumors or if there really was an opposition due to circumstances.

    ¡®Nevertheless¡­ the Association chairman¡¯s image isn¡¯t positive to the unawakened, as expected.¡¯

    It couldn¡¯t be helped.

    One of the ck Star Organization¡¯s characteristics was continuously increasing the quality of life for the unawakened.

    ¡®The problem is that their goal isn¡¯t to purely help them out.¡¯

    He recalled the document he had received from Jang Sukho.

    The unawakened that became Awakeners through receiving the ¡®ck Stars¡¯ Stigma¡¯ from the ck Star Organization would lose arge portion of their lifespan in return.

    ¡®It would be a relief if the only thing that happened was a reduction in lifespan.¡¯

    Ohjin furrowed his brow.

    Information about the members of the ck Star Organization who weren¡¯t able to adapt to the ck Stars¡¯ stigma had filled the documents that Jang Sukho had given him. They would turn crazy as various spots of their body grotesquely melted down and morphed into something like a monster.

    ¡®It¡¯s only natural that there are side effects.¡¯

    Every person had a different kind of stigma that matched them.

    Forcefully taking in an ipatible stigma would make the blood all over one¡¯s body reflux, causing their instant death.

    ¡®Just like Lee Shinhyuk.¡¯

    There were in fact a lot of instances where an unawakened was unable to be selected by a celestial as their ¡®stigma¡¯ wasn¡¯tpatible with the unawakened¡¯s body.

    It would rather make no sense if there were no side effects when the ck Star Organization was forcefully granting stigmas despite that.

    ¡°Hm? What are you thinking of?¡± asked Ha-eun as she dipped one of the fried foods into the tteokbokki sauce and ced it in her mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Ohjin followed her lead and put the remaining tteokbokki in his mouth.

    ¡°Fua! That was a good meal!¡±

    Ha-eun stretched and patted her belly after paying for the meal and exiting the restaurant.

    ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    ¡°Go back home and train.¡±

    Ohjin hadn¡¯t been able to train satisfactorily as they had to visit the Association that day.

    ¡°Eh, but it¡¯s a shame to go home right away when we took the time to go out.¡±

    Ha-eun pouted and pinched his nk.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a drive!¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    Mixing in rest time with his usual intensive training routine didn¡¯t sound so bad.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s bring Vega and Riak as well.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Why?¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t even let them take a good look around Seoul yet. This is a good opportunity to show them around since they probably feel stuffy inside the sanctum all the time.¡±

    ¡°Aw.¡±

    Ha-eun puffed out her cheeks like something wasn¡¯t to her liking.

    ¡°I wanted it to be just the two of us.¡±

    ¡°Hm? What did you say? I couldn¡¯t hear you.¡±

    It was obviously a lie.

    The words entered his ears easily, thanks to how his hearing had be more sensitive from promoting to 5-Star.

    ¡°Khm! It-It¡¯s nothing!¡±

    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯m calling them.¡±

    Ohjin stopped the car in a parking lot and touched his ne.

    Owoooong!¡ª

    Light scattered out from the silver ne as Vega and Riak appeared.

    [Did trouble arise?]

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing like that.¡±

    Ohjin turned on the car¡¯s engine and continued speaking.

    ¡°We were going to go on a drive, so I called to see if you guys would be interested.¡±

    [Drive¡­?]

    ¡°It¡¯s riding a car and sightseeing the city or going somewhere to have fun.¡±

    [Ooh! That sounds good! I happened to want to take my time watching the human world!]

    Vega¡¯s eyes shone as she sat on top of Ohjin¡¯s head.

    [But¡­ w-will you be the one driving?]

    It seemed like she was reminded of a past nightmare as she asked the question with a worried expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m good at driving now, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    [H-Hmm. I¡¯ll trust in you.]

    Vega gulped and nodded her head.

    ¡°Grrr. It¡¯s been a while since you contacted us, and it was for something like this?¡±

    Riak clicked his tongue and shook his head.

    ¡°A true warrior must not ck on training for even a single day!!! What time do you have to go sightseeing?!¡±

    Click¡ª

    Riak said those words and quickly opened the car door, sat on the backseats, pulled the windows down, and then stuck his face out.

    ¡°Stop pretending that you don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°L-Like it? Do you really think a true warrior would get excited over mere sightseeing?!¡±

    Waggle, waggle¡ª

    Riak¡¯s words didn¡¯t hold much meaning when his tail was shaking so vigorously.

    ¡°Khm! J-Just a little! It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve gained a very tiny bit of interest in the human world!¡± shouted Riak as he quickly lowered his tail.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you been watching TV with Vega recently when only the two of you are at home?¡±

    Riak and Vega had frequently been watching drama, news, movies, and etc., under the reasoning that they were studying the human world.

    It seemed like Riak especially liked the sports channel as he had even once sat in front of the TV all day long and watched sports like baseball and ser that were popr before the appearance of gates.

    ¡®He said he felt the fighting spirit of warriors or whatever.¡¯

    To be honest, Ohjin didn¡¯t even know if Riak was watching while knowing the rules.

    [Fufu. Looking at it through TV and in person is very different!]

    Vega puffed out air from her nose as she gently pulled on his hair.

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    * * *

    Ohjin slowly drove the car around the downtown areas of Seoul.

    ¡ªAround the densely packed skyscrapers and people that were busily walking around the streets.

    [¡­So this many children live in this ce.]

    Vega, who was seated on Ohjin¡¯s head, looked at the streets with somewhat affectionate eyes.

    ¡°Is this your first time?¡±

    [It¡¯s my first time observing this closely.]

    ¡°Hmm. But didn¡¯t you say before that celestials were Earth¡¯s administrators? Shouldn¡¯t administrators know more about what goes around on Earth than humans?¡±

    [What the celestials know is the star¡¯s destiny and vague things like uing danger. The ones who live above the stars do not know how every single person lives their life.]

    ¡®Aha.¡¯

    [Well¡­ there are still cases of celestials with a lot of apostles having profound knowledge of the human world. However, as I have not had a single apostle before you in the past¡­ this is my first time observing humans this closely.]

    ¡°I should have shown you around earlier. I would¡¯ve taken you around more often if I knew about it.¡±

    [Fufu. Do not think of it that way. Rather than the human world, I¡¯m simply happy to be able to share time together with you like this.]

    Vega smiled caringly as she patted his head.

    [Let¡¯s go out and sightsee the world together like this often.]

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Ohjin was reluctant to stay with Vega due to the pressure of having to act like a Regressor in the past, but that pressure had reduced by a lot after the trust they shared thickened.

    Rather, it was to the point that he felt guilty for how she believed in his lies without any suspicion.

    ¡®Should I just¡­ tell her the truth?¡¯

    ¡ªThe fact that he wasn¡¯t a Regressor.

    ¡ªThe fact that he was the owner of the ck Heaven.

    ¡®¡­No.¡¯

    He had already passed the point of no return.

    The feeling of betrayal that would be felt was naturally proportional to the thickness of one¡¯s trust.

    He couldn¡¯t reveal all of the truth just because they had be close.

    [Ooh! My child! What¡¯s that thing called a ¡®PC cafe¡¯?]

    ¡®Let¡¯s just forget about theplicated things for now and enjoy the drive.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s where you yputer games.¡±

    [Computer? Games?]

    ¡°Um.¡±

    ¡®I think there¡¯ll be no end of it once I start exining.¡¯

    ¡°Grrr! Rookie! What¡¯s that ce called Ramen Heaven?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a restaurant specialized in making different kinds of ramen.¡±

    ¡°Is it Valha?!¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡®When did this bastard be such a ramen freak? Appearance-wise he looks like he would gobble down raw meat whole.¡¯

    [My child! What¡¯s that ce called ¡®SlurpSlurpSlurpSlurpSlurp¡¯?]

    ¡°It¡¯s a kalguksu* restaurant.¡±

    T/N: Handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodles served in arge bowl with broth and other ingredients.

    ¡®But what the hell is up with the store¡¯s name?¡¯

    [Then what about the ce called ¡®Kock¡¯?]

    ¡°It¡¯s where they sell kimchi and cockb tea.¡±

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    [Ho. Then what about the ¡®Adult Video¡¯ way~ over there? What do they sell?]

    ¡®I want to know, too. What the hell do they sell toe up with that name?¡¯

    [There are a lot of interesting stores!!]

    ¡®Yeah¡­ I¡¯m not so sure about the rest, but I¡¯m damn curious about the Adult Video store.¡¯

    ¡°¡­How do you keep only pointing out things like that?¡±

    Ha-eun, who was seated next to him, ced her hand on her forehead as if she had a headache.

    ¡®I feel you.¡¯

    [My child! My child! What about¡ª]

    Vega, who was looking outside the window with eyes full of excitement, suddenly cut off her sentence. She looked in a certain direction and narrowed her eyes.

    [My child. Smoke is rising from over there.]

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    As Ohjin looked in the direction she pointed, he could see that ck smoke really was rising up.

    ¡°Did somece catch on fire?¡±

    ¡°That area is Guro-dong, right?¡±

    Ha-eun lowered the windows and stuck her head out.

    And then¡­

    Beeeeeeeeep!!¡ª

    ¡°Wh-What¡¯s going on?¡±

    From the direction of the smoke, cars were driving on the wrong side and fleeing while honking their loud horns.

    Boom! Bang! Crack!¡ª

    The roads became disorderly in an instant.

    ¡°What are you doing?! You crazy bastard!¡±

    The drivers of the car ident exited their vehicles and started to swear.

    ¡°S-Save.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Save meeeeeeee!!¡±

    The young man that exited the car driving on the wrong side of the road started to run away with a pale face.

    ¡°C-Catch that bastard!!¡±

    The driver chased after him in a hurry, but¡­

    Beeeeep!!¡ª

    ¡°Get out of the way!! Fucking move!!!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t block the road, you son of a bitch!!!¡±

    The other cars that were driving in the wrong direction crashed into him and continued to race through the roads.

    ¡°O-Ohjin, this is¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin pulled over on the shoulder of the road with a stiff expression.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay!¡±

    [Alright!]

    Ohjin ran to where the smoke was rising with Ha-eun, Riak, and Vega.

    And in that ce¡ª

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    ¡°S-Save me!!!¡±

    ¡°Aahhhh! M-Monsters!! Why are monsters here!!¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t even any gates nearby!!!¡±

    ¡ªwere people screaming while running away.

    Hundreds¡­ thousands of monsters were wildly chasing after them.

    ¡°Holy shit! Just where did all these monsterse from¡­?!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s mouth fell agape as she looked at the crowd of monsters that covered the entire street.

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone keenly as he shook his head.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t monsters¡­ they¡¯re demon beasts.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s expression distorted severely while feeling the distinct energy of the ¡®ck Stars¡¯ within the monsters.

 Chapter 94: Ancient Constellation (5)

    Thousands of demon beasts filled the street.

    The uncountable number of demon beasts was like a beehive. They ran wild in the middle of a city and ruthlessly attacked civilians.

    ¡®There are more of thempared to what we saw at subjugation in Sokcho.''

    And at least in Sokcho the civilians had already evacuated; the same couldn''t be said for what they were seeing.

    "Krrrrrruk!"

    "Aaaah!!"

    "M-My leg!! My legggggggg!!"

    ¡ªOverflowing blood.

    ¡ªNauseating screams and wailing that rang the eardrums.

    It was a scene simr to that of Italy that Ohjin had seen through Lee Shinhyuk''s memories.

    ¡®No.''

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone keenly.

    ¡®It''s not to that extent yet.''

    The entire city wasn''t taken over by demon beasts like Rome had been in the vision.

    Instead, demon beasts had just begun to run amok.

    ¡®I can prevent it.''

    He had to prevent it.

    Not for the people that would get ripped apart and die from the demon beasts, but to protect thend where he would continue to live with Ha-eun.

    "Ha-eun."

    "¡­Yeah?"

    "Support me from the back."

    "Okay."

    <em>Click¡ª</em>

    Ha-eun moved both her arms to the back of her head and removed her eyepatch.

    The Dragon Eye shone ferociously as mes surged around her body.

    <em>Boom!¡ª</em>

    "Aahhhhh!"

    "T-Taeho!!"

    There were two male teenagers that looked to be in high school.

    A demon beast opened its mouth wide to attack the normal students that would have been enjoying frivolous jokes and contemting whether to go to a PC cafe or karaoke just moments ago.

    "Kirararararak!!"

    "Uahhhhhhhh!!!"

    "A-Avoid it!"

    ¡ªAn ear-splitting scream.

    "Fuu."

    Crouched down, Ohjin took a step forward with his left foot.

    <em>Bzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª</em>

    Blue lightning wrapped around his legs.

    <em>Boooooom!!¡ª</em>

    With a loud noise like that of a cannon, Ohjin¡¯s body shot forward.

    "Hmb!"

    A spear pierced through the neck of the demon beast that was charging at the teenagers.

    <em>Swish!¡ª</em>

    Twisting it, he sliced down.

    ck blood gushed out like a fountain.

    "Ah¡­"

    "T-Thank¡ª"

    Ohjin didn''t have the leisure to listen to the words of appreciation. He turned his body around and headed to the other demon beasts right away.

    ¡®The demon beasts aren''t all that different from the ones in Sokcho.''

    However¡ª

    "Kyarararak!"

    "Goddamit, my ears are going to explode."

    ¡ªit wasn''t an exaggeration to say he waspletely different from back then.

    <em>Bzzzzzzt!!!¡ª</em>

    Blue feathers of lightning wrapped around Ohjin¡¯s right arm. He aimed at the demon beasts and extended his arm forward.

    ¡®Lightning Shot.''

    Hundreds of feathers made of lightning shot forward in a cone.

    The bodies of three demon beasts shredded and exploded as they got caught in the attack.

    ¡®It''s not enough.''

    Despite instantly killing three demon beasts with a single blow, several times that number of demon beasts surrounded him in an instant.

    He needed to push them back with even more speed and power.

    <em>Bzzzzzzt!!¡ª</em>

    The blue lightning at the spear''s de ignited into mes.

    Ohjin could immediately feel his mana deplete at a faster rate once he used Lightning mes.

    "Haa."

    Exhaling out a short breath, he swung his spear.

    ¡ªFrom up to down.

    ¡ªFrom down to right.

    ¡ªFrom right to up.

    <em>sh! sh! Slice!¡ª</em>

    "Krruk!"

    "Kshiauk!!"

    Demon beasts with a hideous appearance¡ªlooking like horrifying experiments conducted by a mad scientist¡ªsplit apart by the fierce torrent of spear strikes.

    "Krrurururraa!!"

    "Kyhaata!"

    "Krieukk!!"

    It seemed that other demon beasts heard themotion as more of them started to gather up in the area.

    The earth shook as if an earthquake had urred as hundreds of demon beasts ranging from two meters to five meters tall gathered up.

    It was as if a tsunami was about to crash down.

    "Fuu."

    Ohjin took in deep, slow breaths.

    <em>Spin¡ª</em>

    He rotated his spear and pierced it into the ground.

    ¡®Blue Lightning.''

    He concentrated mana into the de of the spear that dug into the concrete.

    ¡®A little more¡­''

    It wasn''t enough to sweep away all of those monsters at once.

    He slowly closed his eyes.

    Enormous amounts of mana that could potentially explode his mana circuits spurted out.

    ¡®Lightning Charge.''

    <em>Bzzzzzzzzzzzzt!!!!¡ª</em>

    Blue Lightning and Lightning Chargebined.

    The force that wanted to spread out and the force that wanted to implode at a single point collided, causing each other to amplify.

    "Argh."

    Using so much mana at once caused his mana circuits to swell up like they were about to tear at any moment.

    It was a risky situation like that of a balloon that was inted above its limit.

    [My child! Any further will¡­!]

    Vega shouted out with a pale expression.

    ¡®I can do it.''

    Blue Lightning and Lightning Charge.

    Ohjin hadbined a single skill multiple times to amplify its force several times in the past, but it was his first time attempting to merge two skills with different natures.

    Combining two different skills into one was a convoluted task like drawing a circle on one hand and a star on the other, but¡­

    ¡®If the one doing it is me, It''s possible.''

    There was no way he couldn¡¯t.

    It was intuition that was close to certainty.

    He wasn''t putting trust in his talent.

    ¡ªThe vigorous training he had repeated every single day.

    ¡ªThe days he spent struggling to handle mana freely like it was a part of his limbs.

    ¡ªThe sweat that drenched his body and his body that gasped for air.

    That was what he trusted.

    <em>Bzzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª</em>

    Blue Lightning and Lightning Chargebined.

    "Die."

    The edges of his mouth tilted up as he twisted the spear that was dug into the ground.

    <strong><em>Cr-Cr-Cr-Crack!!¡ª</em></strong>

    The ground split apart.

    <em>Boom! Boom! Rumble!!¡ª</em>

    The concrete ground exploded upwards like shattering ss.

    "Krieekeeeek!"

    "Kiruik! Kkruk"

    "Gruuuuuuaaak!!"

    The hundreds of demon beasts charging towards Ohjin lost their bnce and swayed.

    "Hmpf!"

    <em>Bzzzzzt!¡ª</em>

    As he raised his spear, clusters of blue lightning surged up from the cracks in the concrete.

    A burning smell stimted his nose.

    The lightning that shot up like an ascending dragon ravaged the hundreds of demon beasts.

    -Ring!

    [You have sessfully merged two different kinds of skills!]

    [Your understanding of the two skills increases drastically!]

    [¡¶Blue Lightning Lv4¡·has increased to ¡¶Blue Lightning Lv7¡·]

    [¡¶Lightning Charge Lv4¡·has increased to ¡¶Lightning Charge Lv7¡·]

    Thanks to the sessful merging of skills, several messages appeared in session, and both Blue Lightning and Lightning Charge increased by three levels at once.

    "Phew."

    <em>Stumble¡ª</em>

    Ohjin¡¯s body lightly swayed, as he had poured out too much mana at once.

    [<em>Sigh</em>. You make thisdy''s heart sink every time.]

    Vega generated lightning and wrapped it around Ohjin¡¯s swaying body.

    As the lightning covered his body, he felt afortable sensation like being epassed in fluffy nkets.

    "Grrr. That guy seriously isn''t right in his mind."

    Riak shook his head with a fed-up expression.

    Soon, he looked at the road that had be a mess with sharp eyes.

    Hundreds of demon beasts had turned into ash from Ohjin¡¯s strike, but several times that number was still gathering up.

    "Hmpf."

    Riak puffed air out of his nose and lowered his stance.

    He slightly nced in Ohjin¡¯s direction and spoke,

    "Rookie, you aren''t possibly tired just because of that single attack, are you?"

    "Of course."

    Ohjin, who was wrapped in Vega''s lightning, fixed his grip on his spear and got back on his feet.

    He aimed his spear at the uncountable number of demon beasts that had reced the spots of their fellow dead kind in an instant.

    <em>"Growl!"</em>

    "Krik! Krurik!"

    He faced the crowding demon beasts by relentlessly swinging his spear with Riak.

    The number of demon beasts decreased at a quick pace, however¡ª

    "Ugh!"

    ¡ªthere were simply too many of them.

    "Ohjin!"

    Ha-eun, who was facing the demon beastsing from the opposite direction, quickly stretched her arm out.

    <em>Snap!¡ª</em>

    Waves of mes spewed out as she snapped her fingers and ravaged the dozens of demon beasts that were surrounding Ohjin in an instant.

    "Kirriruk! Kiek!"

    "Kuaaaaa!!"

    "Don''t you dare!!"

    Ha-eun turned around with an angry expression and spread her arms out to epass her entire body in mes.

    She hadn''t been able to use her powers properly in the fear that civilians might get caught up in her attacks, but most of the people nearby had evacuated while Ohjin and Riak were fighting with the demon beasts.

    "Borrowing the name of the Celestial of Draco, Eltanin, I herebymand you¡ª"

    <em>Fwooooosh!¡ª</em>

    With Ha-eun at the center, dozens of me dragons were created.

    "¡ªOh, mes¡­ dance."

    The me dragons that moved around freely like living organisms wrapped around the demon beasts and swallowed their bodies whole with their massive mouths.

    "¡­Wow," Ohjin eximed as he looked at the demon beasts getting helplessly swept away.

    ¡ªThe power of the me dragons was iparable to the ones he had seen before.

    ¡®Is this the strength of an 8-Star Awakener?''

    When it came down to pure destructive force, it was even embarrassing topare the fusion skill he had used only moments before.

    <em>Fwooooosh!!¡ª</em>

    "Kieeeeeeek!"

    "Karak¡­ krru."

    Over three hundred demon beasts turned into ashes from Ha-eun''s firepower.

    However¡­

    ¡®There''s still a lot of them.''

    Demon beasts kept gathering up without stopping, almost as if they were getting mass-produced at a factory.

    * * *

    * * *

    [Argh¡­ where on earth are the other Awakeners!]

    Vega frowned while she bawled out.

    As she said¡ª

    ¡®What are the other Awakeners doing?''

    ¡ªwhen demon beasts were running amok in the middle of Seoul, it made no sense for them to be the only ones facing them.

    Ohjin kept pushing back the charging demon beasts by shing with his spear and observed the surroundings.

    "Y-You''re an Awakener, right?!"

    "Please help those people!!"

    The people who evacuated far away and were in hiding shouted out while pointing towards a woman.

    The woman''s expression distorted violently as the people''s attention focused on her.

    "Are you crazy? It''s already difficult enough to protect my own body. What do you mean, <em>help them</em>?"

    She coldly brushed off the people who stuck to her and ran away.

    "¡­"

    She wasn''t the only one.

    The moment the other Awakeners nearby had seen the demon beasts that numbered thousands, they didn''t even think about fighting and just ran away immediately.

    [Th-Those abominations to god and mankind! How could the ones who have been enlightened by the stars show such an irresponsible demeanor!]

    Vega chewed her lips as she looked at the escaping Awakeners.

    Compared to the furious Vega, Ohjin looked at Awakeners, who gradually became more distant, with a calm expression.

    ¡®Well, this is only natural.''

    No one would want to face off against thousands of demon beasts.

    The world they lived in already made it hard enough to protect one''s own life, let alone taking care of the lives of others.

    ¡®It''s the same for me.''

    What did it matter if other people died or not? The reason he was still fighting with the demon beasts was that it was still manageable. Ohjin was also nning to take Ha-eun and escape once things got out of hand.

    Though once that happened, receiving Vega''s criticism couldn''t be helped.

    ¡®I''m not going to sacrifice my life for people I don''t even know the names of.''

    He had no ns on rationalizing his actions and saying that it was just how the world worked.

    It was fine if others admonished him for being selfish.

    It didn¡¯t matter if others berated him for being a coward.

    If it was to protect the things precious to him, the circumstances of others was none of his business.

    ¡®I should start securing an escape route.''

    Ohjin slowly backed off while fighting the demon beasts.

    As the Awakeners had all run away, there was no way to fend off the endless numbers of demon beasts alone.

    When Ohjin turned around with the same thought¡ª

    <em>Bang!¡ª</em>

    "Ohjin!!!"

    ¡ªaround a hundred Awakeners appeared with a loud noise.

    General Manager Han, who was positioned at the front, quickly approached Ohjin.

    "So you arrived here first!!"

    "How did you¡­"

    "We gathered up our staff and came here as soon as we heard the alert!"

    General Manager Han frowned violently as he raised his fist towards a demon beast.

    As Ohjin looked around, he recognized some familiar faces that he had seen in the Association.

    ¡®Even Choi Woojin came.''

    One of the most skilled individuals within the Association who was known as ¡®The Hound'' had also followed General Manager Han into the battlefield.

    "Other guilds are also on their way here, so you can take this time to catch your breath."

    General Manager Han stretched his arms and walked forward.

    <em>Thud, thud¡ª</em>

    Dozens of people whose footsteps matched exactly appeared as they followed General Manager Han''s back.

    They were faces that were also familiar to Ohjin.

    "Isn''t this much more severe than back in Sokcho?"

    "¡­Who would''ve thought such a huge amount of monsters would suddenly appear in the middle of Seoul."

    Putting aside Park Changhyun, who was making a fuss, Lee Woohyuk approached Ohjin.

    "I''m sorry for beingte."

    Lee Woohyuk gave a light bow and slowly walked towards the gathering demon beasts.

    "We''ll take care of things¡ª"

    <em>Swish, swish, swish!!!¡ª</em>

    Fierce gusts of wind stormed forward as Lee Woohyuk pulled out his sword.

    The charging demon beasts'' bodies tore apart and started to gush out blood as if they were cut by a beast''s ws.

    "¡ªfrom now on."

    The members of the Valha guild behind Lee Woohyuk each took out their weapons.

    [Indeed! This is what you call the ones enlightened by the stars! Fortunately, there aren''t only irresponsible beings.]

    Vega smiled brightly and exhaled a deep breath of relief.

    "¡­Ha."

    Ohjin subconsciously chuckled as he took his time looking around at Han Joonman, Lee Woohyuk, and the Awakeners who had gathered to save the people from the demon beasts.

    ¡®It looks like I''d thought of it too one-dimensionally.''

    There were Awakeners who ran away as their lives were in danger, but there were also Awakeners who ran to the scene in order to save people once they heard the news.

    ¡®They''re people I can''t possibly understand, but¡­''

    Ohjin smiled faintly and looked at the backs of Han Joonman and Lee Woohyuk, who were walking towards the demon beasts.

    "Damn it. They¡¯re pretty cool."

    T/N: Tsundere Ohjin. Also!

    Eltanin, also known as Gamma Draconis, is the brightest star in the constetion of Draco. It has 1.72 times the mass of the Sun and is 154.3 light years away from the Sr System.

 Chapter 95: Ancient Constellation (6)

    <strong>Chapter 95: Ancient Constetion (6)</strong>

    ¡°Just where did all these monsterse from¡­?¡±

    Lee Woohyuk frowned, unable to understand the situation.

    Guro-dong was where the demon beast outbreak had happened, a ce where not evenmonce 1~2-Star gates could be found.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re regr monsters,¡± Kim Sunyoung said while calmly observing the surroundings.

    ¡°If they¡¯re not regr monsters¡­¡±

    ¡°Demon beasts. Ones that were made artificially, at that.¡±

    Kim Sunyoung¡¯s eyes shone sharply as she raised her sses.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s the work of the ck Star Organization.¡±

    Grit¡ª

    Lee Woohyuk fiercely ground his teeth.

    No ce other than the ck Star Organization could have made thousands of artificial demon beasts.

    ¡°Goddamn bastards.¡±

    He looked at the corpses of the ones who failed to escape and were ripped apart by the hands of the demon beasts.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    For a moment, the corpses of the people who were brutally murdered ovepped with the figure of Lee Shinhyuk.

    ¡ªHis one and only family member who was so precious that words could not exin.

    ¡°¡­Brother.¡±

    There was no answer that returned to his sorrowful call.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk barely suppressed the fury that was about to explode at any moment.

    ¡®Think about revengeter.¡¯

    Dealing with the demon beasts that were ughtering the people came first.

    ¡°Sunyoung, evacuate the survivors.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Guild Leader.¡±

    Kim Sunyoung crouched down and grasped the two daggers attached to her thighs with each of her hands.

    With agile moments like a puma jumping from tree to tree, she moved to where the survivors gathered up by leaping through the building debris.

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk¡¯s eyes shone ferociously.

    The eight flicks next to the stigma of Leo zed up as sharp gusts of wind whirled around his body.

    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!!¡±

    ¡°Blow them all away!!!¡±

    The members of the Valha guild raised their weapons and sprinted at the tsunami of demon beasts without hesitation.

    ¡°Krrruurrriuk!!!¡±

    The demon beasts spread out as if they were forming a crane wing formation and surrounded the members of the Valha guild.

    ¡°You dare?¡±

    Lee Woohyuk quickly headed to a section of the formation.

    With his sword raised up high¡ª

    ¡°Mere demon beasts attempting to get into a formation?¡±

    ¡ªhe struck down.

    Boooooom!!!!¡ª

    The st of wind created by his sword shot forward and swept away the demon beasts that were trying to get into formation.

    The demon beasts hit by the wind bled as if they were cut by a wild beast¡¯s ws as they were sent flying back.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk, who ravaged the demon beasts with unstoppable force, slowly inhaled air.

    Focusing mana into his sword, he got into a stance.

    ¡°Whirlwind.¡±

    Sword aura swirled inside the sts of winds that twisted and turned.

    ¡°Kuaaaaaah!!¡±

    ¡°Kreuk! Kreuruk!¡±

    ¡ªA tornado of death.

    The demon beasts hit by the attack were blended into minced meat and scattered around.

    Swish! Swishhhhh!¡ª

    It was as if a wild beast had ended up in the middle of a flock of sheep.

    From one sword strike, dozens of demon beasts were torn apart, and a part of the formation was pierced through.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    Ohjin let out an exmation as he looked at the scene.

    ¡®Is that the real strength of the ck Lion, Lee Woohyuk?¡¯

    He had seen him fight with Yujin once before, but due to Yujin running away before it developed into an actual fight, he hadn¡¯t been able to see Lee Woohyuk¡¯s true strength.

    ¡®I guess he isn¡¯t called a candidate for the Seven Stars for no reason.¡¯

    ording to the rumors, the ck Lion, Lee Woohyuk, was at the peak of the 8-Star rank, just one step away from attaining the 9-Star rank.

    ¡®He¡¯s in a different league whenpared to Ha-eun.¡¯

    The difference in ability between Lee Woohyuk and Ha-eun, who had just be an 8-Star, was iparable.

    Honestly, it was to the point where he wondered if they really were at the same rank.

    ¡®With this¡­ I should have a bit of spare time.¡¯

    The urgent embers were put out with the arrival of the Valha guild and Association members.

    Ohjin shot his wire shooter at the rooftop of a nearby building.

    Bang!¡ª

    After getting on the building¡¯s rooftop using the wire, he activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and observed the battlefield.

    ¡®Even with this, there are a lot of casualties.¡¯

    Casualties couldn¡¯t be helped when thousands of demon beasts had suddenly appeared in the middle of a city.

    It was especially no different from a natural disaster to the unawakened that had been unable to get selected by a celestial.

    ¡°Keeps his hands off the unawakened? Bullshit.¡±

    Ohjin furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue.

    He wasn¡¯t certain if what happened was due to Cheon Woosung¡¯s orders, but as long as he was the one who practically led the ¡®Owl¡¯ faction, it was highly probable that he had ties to the operation.

    ¡®Let¡¯s think about why he decided to do such a thingter.¡¯

    There was another urgent matter he had to focus on at the moment.

    [My child, are you not going to help those people?]

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Ohjin utilized his senses that sharpened through the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and observed the battlefield.

    The demon beasts were advancing endlessly towards the Awakeners while forming a clumsy formation.

    ¡®As expected.¡¯

    It seemed that they tried to hide it by intentionally making it look clumsy, but¡­

    ¡®Someone is secretly controlling the demon beasts.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t that monsters with exceptional intelligence didn¡¯t exist¡­

    However, the demon beasts in the outbreak of Guro-dong didn¡¯t seem like they had intelligence capable of getting into a ¡®formation¡¯.

    ¡®I need to find them.¡¯

    That person was likely to be the culprit of the situation.

    ¡®Where are they?¡¯

    Nothing immediately stood out to his naked eye.

    Even when he tried to sense their energy using the ck Heaven, he wasn¡¯t able to find where they were hiding, as the energy of the ¡®ck Stars¡¯ was overflowing in the area.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    The area where the fight took ce was several kilometers long.

    As long as they didn¡¯t stand out distinctively to his eye, there was no method of finding the person controlling the demon beasts.

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯

    Ohjin turned his head to face Vega.

    ¡°Vega, the unpleasant kind of energy you felt before, can you feel it right now?¡±

    [That is correct. I can feel unpleasant energies overflowing all over the ce.]

    Vega frowned and shook her head with distaste.

    ¡°Is there an area that has an especially thick energy?¡±

    When it came down to sensing the energy of the ck Stars, Vega was several times better than Ohjin.

    Even if she had her powers restricted, she was still a North Star that made other celestials bow down their heads.

    [Hmm¡­ Wait a minute.]

    Bright silver rays of light covered her body and gradually spread out.

    [Haa.]

    Vega, who had returned to her original form, slowly raised her hand and extended out her index finger.

    Crack, crackle¡ª

    Blue lightning formed at the tip of her index finger, and as it slowly moved from left to right as if separating heaven and earth¡ª

    [ck Stars, reveal your unsightly figure.]

    ¡ªA tsunami of lightning covered the earth.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    It was delicate lightning that couldn¡¯t even be seen with the naked eye, but Ohjin could definitely feel it.

    In the blink of an eye, blue lightning had covered several kilometers of the earth.

    ¡®Holy shit.¡¯

    She had covered the entirety of Guro-dong with a slight movement of a finger.

    ¡®What if she was in an unrestricted state?¡¯

    What she had used was delicate lightning that couldn¡¯t be discovered by anyone other than Ohjin, but if all that lightning was real lightning containing lethality, just imagining what would¡¯ve happened gave him goosebumps.

    ¡®Thousands of demon beasts would have been annihted with the slight movement of a finger.¡¯

    Ohjin felt how absurd of an existence the transcendent beings called celestials were once again.

    [Uht¡­]

    Vega frowned as she started to feel the pain of the Commandment¡¯s Restriction.

    However, soon after¡ª

    [I have found them.]

    ¡ªVega pointed to a certain location.

    Where she pointed to was one of the ces where the demon beasts crawled out of nonstop.

    It was the top floor of a skyscraper that was dozens of floors tall.

    ¡®So they were hiding inside a building.¡¯

    It was a great choice when considering the fact that buildings were scattered all over the ce.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­Well then.¡±

    Because he had figured out where they were hiding, all he had to do was go there and kill them, but the problem was that there wasn¡¯t a satisfactory means to head all the way there.

    The building was too high to get there using wire shooters, and there were too many demon beasts to go into the building.

    ¡°What a pain in the ass.¡±

    He could fly there if he had learned the ¡®Lightning Shadow Step¡¯ that Vega mentioned in the past, but he had no skill that allowed him to freely soar the skies at the moment.

    ¡°Rookie! What are you standing around for?!¡±

    Riak, who was fighting with the demon beasts, climbed up onto the rooftop with agile movements and furrowed his brow.

    ¡°Aha.¡±

    Snap¡ª

    Ohjin snapped his fingers as if he had thought of something when he saw Riak.

    ¡°Riak, I have a request.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I need to get to the top floor of the building way~ over there.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about that building?¡±

    Riak looked up at the skyscraper and clicked his tongue.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t take you there. The Commandment¡¯s Restriction on me is weaker that the one on Lady Vega, but I still can¡¯t use Lighting Shadow Step outside the sanctum.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hm? You know? Then how are you nning on getting there?¡± Riak asked as he tilted his head.

    ¡°Riak, you¡¯ve seen a baseball game on TV, right?¡±

    ¡°I have seen it before, but why are you¡­ wait.¡±

    Riak opened his mouth wide.

    ¡°A-Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°Can you do it or not?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost your mind¡­¡±

    Riak shook his head as if he thought it was ridiculous.

    [What kind of method is it for you to be reacting like that?]

    Vega alternated looking between Ohjin and Riak, as she still hadn¡¯t understood what was going on.

    ¡°I¡¯ll exinter. Riak, you don¡¯tck the strength, do you?¡±

    ¡°Grrr! What do you take this body for? That is nothing for the Star Spirit of the Star of the Weaver Girl!¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    Ohjin smirked as he walked forward.

    ¡®A linear distance of around five hundred meters?¡¯

    He wanted to get a bit closer before they attempted it, but there were too many demon beasts to do so.

    ¡°Well¡­ alright. If that is what you want, I shall dly assist!¡±

    Crack! Crunch!¡ª

    Riak turned into his werewolf form.

    He used his sharp ws to cut the floor and robustly tore out sections of rebar.

    ¡°Get prepared, Rookie!!¡±

    Fwoong! Fwoong!¡ª

    He threateningly swung the bat made out of twisted rebars in the air.

    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll count down to three!¡±

    [Wait. Are you¡­]

    Vega¡¯s face turned pale as she just then realized what Ohjin was thinking.

    [M-My child!! There has to be another way!!]

    ¡°Oneeeeee!!!¡±

    Ignoring her words, Ohjin crouched down.

    ¡°Grrrrr!!! Don¡¯t fall off and die!!!¡±

    ¡°Use the time you¡¯re spending on worrying to increase your strength!!!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already using all of my might!!!¡±

    Riak raised the rebar bat up high.

    The triceps of his arm that grasped the bat swelled up.

    ¡°Kughhhh!!¡±

    Groans of pain started to leak out of his mouth as the Commandment¡¯s Restriction took effect.

    ¡°Guaaaaaah!!!¡±

    Boom!!¡ª

    Riak stomped down his foot and roared out fiercely.

    ¡°This amount of pain¡­ is nothing!!!!¡±

    Ignoring the horrifying pain that made him feel like his entire body was getting torn apart, he summoned all of his mana.

    Bzzt!! Bzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Blue sparks violently bounced around his silver fur.

    ¡°Guaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    Blood vessels burst as blood started to flow down from his eyes; his skin started to crack as if a metal ball had been dropped on a ss window.

    However, despite that¡­

    ¡°This Riak¡­ shall never sumb to pain again!!!¡±

    ¡ªThe past where his progression had been blocked by a wall for hundreds of years, forced to waste time every single day.

    ¡ªThe days he had spent rotting away, crushed by the feelings of helplessness and defeat.

    ¡®I¡¯m different now.¡¯

    Though he wasn¡¯t able to ovee the wall yet¡ª

    The human who forced his body back up after experiencing the pain of dozens of deaths¡­

    The Heaven-defying Star that shined radiantly in the ck sky¡­

    He had changed him.

    From that day onwards, he had been born anew.

    ¡°Twooooooo!!!¡±

    ¡°Fuuuuuuu!!!!¡±

    [W-Wait!! There must be a different method!!]

    Ohjin curled his body up like a snail.

    After wrapping his legs around in lightning and putting as much leaping force as he could¡ª

    ¡°Threeeeeeee!!!!¡±

    ¡ªhe lightly jumped onto the bat.

    And then¡ª

    <strong>¡°GOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! LITTLE ROOKIE!!!!!!¡±</strong>

    Boom!!!¡ª

    ¡ªwith the sound of a sonic boom, Ohjin¡¯s body shot into the air like a cannon.

    ¡°AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!¡±

    ¡ªThe fierce winds brushed past his cheeks.

    ¡ªThe sensation of counteracting gravity.

    ¡°I¡¯M FLYING! I¡¯M FUCKING FLYINGGGG!!!¡±

    On the battlefield flooded with thousands of crowded demon beasts¡ªpiercing through the skies filled with ashes and dust¡ªa bolt of blue lightning shot down onto the top of the skyscraper where the ck Star Organization was hiding.

 Chapter 96: Ancient Constellation (7)

    <strong>Chapter 96: Ancient Constetion (7)</strong>

    ¡°The ck Lion, Lee Woohyuk¡­¡±

    The man with a long sword scar on his right eye looked out the window and clicked his tongue.

    Where his eyes headed to was the scene of one young man relentlessly pushing back hundreds of demon beasts.

    Booom!¡ª

    The sound of explosions was so loud that it could even be heard at the top floor of a skyscraper.

    Hundreds of demon beasts were torn apart every time Lee Woohyuk swung his sword.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t imagine that the ck Lion woulde here.¡±

    Park Gunwoo looked down at Lee Woohyuk with a heated gaze.

    He exhaled a breath full of excitement while lovingly stroking the spear equipped on his back.

    ¡®I want to try fighting him.¡¯

    He wondered if the ck Lion¡¯s sword would work against his spear and wanted to jump down right that instant to confirm it himself.

    Owoong! Owooong!¡ª

    ¡°Ahh, it looks like you want to fight, as well.¡±

    Park Gunwoo grasped the spear on his back and talked in an affable voice as if speaking to his lover.

    ¡°Hold on a little longer. You¡¯ll soon be able to taste blood to your heart¡¯s content.¡±

    Putting on a faint smile, he patted the shaking de of the spear.

    ¡®It isn¡¯t time yet.¡±

    The blood of the martial artist in his veins boiled up explosively, but he couldn¡¯t ruin their perfected ns by fighting with Lee Woohyuk.

    Rustle¡ª

    He carefully took out a ck drinking ss from his pocket.

    ¡°Attack while avoiding him as much as possible.¡±

    The energy of the ck Stars within the ck drinking ss fluctuated as he handed down orders in a low voice.

    The energy that had at first seemed to overflow from the drinking ss had decreased to under half before he knew it.

    ¡°Tch. It won¡¯tst much longer at this rate.¡±

    Park Gunwoo clicked his tongue and put the drinking ss back into his pocket.

    He slowly smirked as he looked down at the battlefield where a fierce battle was taking ce.

    ¡®Well, we¡¯ve already aplished our goal.¡¯

    The main point of their n was not to kill Lee Woohyuk and other Awakeners but to ¡®sacrifice¡¯ the unawakened who were unable to be selected by the celestials.

    With that in mind, more than enough unawakened had lost their lives due to the incident.

    ¡°Fufu. Don¡¯t feel so bad. This is all a sacrifice needed to erect the almighty will of the ck Stars into the world.¡±

    Park Gunwoo looked down at the corpses which were the aftermath of their actions and smiled.

    After looking out the window for a while, he turned around without hesitation.

    ¡®I should start to head back.¡¯

    It would be troublesome if he hung around longer and ended up standing out to the eyes of the ck Lion.

    ¡°Hehe. There¡¯s no way that guy will be able to reach this ce, anyways.¡±

    There was currently a crack that led to the Demon Realm underneath the skyscraper he was in. With an endless amount of demon beasts pouring out for as long as it was maintained, not even Lee Woohyuk would be able to break through and arrive at the top floor.

    ¡°No matter how savage a tiger is, it¡¯s not like they have wings.¡±

    With a cold grin on his face, he looked at Lee Woohyuk fighting persistently.

    There were still around 20 minutes left until the crack leading to the Demon Realm would close.

    No one being able to reach that ce for at least that amount of time was inevita¡ª

    <strong>¡°I¡¯M FLYING! I¡¯M FUCKING FLYINGGGG!!!¡±</strong>

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that sound?¡±

    As Park Gunwoo turned his head in the direction of where the noise wasing from¡ª

    Shatter!!!¡ª

    ¡ªthe windowpletely shattered as a young man rolled into the building.

    ¡ªA young man with curly ck hair and meek eyes that didn¡¯t match his fiercely shining pupils.

    ¡°¡­The Lightning Wolf?¡±

    ¡°Goddamn, I thought I was going to die.¡±

    Ohjin brushed off the shattered pieces of ss on his body and got up from the spot.

    He looked around and smirked once he discovered Park Gunwoo.

    ¡°Are you the bastard who¡¯s controlling the demon beasts?¡¯

    ¡°¡­How did you get here?¡±

    Park Gunwoo looked at Ohjin with a confused expression.

    The ce where he had set up camp was on the 50th floor of the building, which was located over 200 meters off the ground.

    But being able to ¡®jump¡¯ up that height?

    ¡°You¡­ what method did you use?¡±

    ¡°We hit a home run.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t know what home run means?¡±

    ¡®Is he a Hanwha Eagles fan?¡¯*

    ¡°Anyways, we¡¯re not in the kind of rtionship to peacefully ask each other questions, are we?¡±

    When there was no way either of them would obediently reply, asking questions was a waste of time.

    Click¡ª

    Ohjin took out the steel rod in his belt and turned it into the shape of a spear.

    ¡°Let¡¯s share a carefree questioning time after we fight each other.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re overflowing with confidence.¡±

    ¡°Then did you expect me to start off by saying ¡®Oh, shit! I¡¯m screwed¡¯?¡±

    Unless he had no ns to fight in the first ce, it was better to erase any thoughts of being defeated from inside his head.

    ¡®And.¡¯

    He hadn¡¯t gone to that spot without doing the calctions in advance.

    ¡®It¡¯s manageable.¡¯

    Ohjin had risen to 5-Star after defeating Arshad Khan; even the stigma of Lyra had be a step stronger with the fourth awakening of the ck Heaven.

    He was confident that he wouldn¡¯t lose that easily, even if it was a Temr ranked higher than Arshad Khan.

    ¡®Vega would have stopped me using whatever means she could if he was an opponent I couldn¡¯t handle.¡¯

    However, Vega had only said that she had ¡®found¡¯ them. Never had she said that he mustn¡¯t go there nor to run away immediately. If a North Star hadn¡¯t said anything along those lines despite detecting him while enduring the Commandment¡¯s Restriction¡­

    ¡®It means he¡¯s an opponent I can defeat.¡¯

    And in addition, he had thought up a ¡®hidden trump card¡¯.

    ¡®¡­Though I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll work in reality.¡¯

    It didn¡¯t matter that much if the hidden card he thought up waspletely ineffective.

    ¡®If it doesn¡¯t work out, I can just run away to Lee Woohyuk.¡¯

    Ohjin wasn¡¯t reluctant to run away.

    ¡ªIt was more idiotic to have a fight to the death with an opponent he couldn¡¯t handle.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s stop the chit-chat and get things started.¡±

    Ohjin raised his spear at Park Gunwoo.

    ¡°A spear? Come to think of it¡­ I did hear that the Lightning Wolf also uses a spear.¡±

    Park Gunwoo grinned and spun the spear in his grasp.

    ¡ªA short spear that wasn¡¯t even two meters long.

    Different from Ohjin¡¯s, it was a spear specialized in stabbing.

    * * *

    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s see just how great the skill of a North Star¡¯s apostle is!¡±

    Without any movements in advance, Park Gunwoo¡¯s body shot forward like a ray of light.

    aang!!¡ª

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Ohjin quickly backed off and fended off the spear.

    His body was pushed back with the clear sound of metal.

    ¡°This is only the beginning!¡±

    Park Gunwoo¡¯s sharp stabs rushed in.

    ck feathers were created near the spear and shot towards Ohjin every time the spear was thrusted forward.

    ng! --ng!!¡ª

    Spear strikes rained down.

    ¡ªEach and every ck feather aimed at Ohjin as if they were spears as well.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ohjin barely blocked the attacks and groaned.

    ¡®As expected, he¡¯s disgustingly strong.¡¯

    The opponent¡¯s skill was definitely higher than Arshad Khan¡¯s.

    At minimum, he was someone at the 8-Star rank.

    Thump, thump¡ª

    Was it because it had been a while since he fought with someone strong?

    The thrilling sense of anxiety he couldn¡¯t feel after the fight with Arshad Khan ran down his spine and spread out.

    ¡°Did you spout those arrogant words with only this much skill?!¡±

    Park Gunwoo continuously pushed back Ohjin as if he was certain of victory.

    ng! ng! aang!¡ª

    Ohjin narrowly blocked the overwhelming spear strikes that rushed in and continued thinking.

    ¡®Should I use Exceed?¡¯

    Unlike a 1~2-Star difference, it was hard to narrow the difference in specs that fundamentally existed between a 5-Star and 8-Star without using Exceed.

    ¡®No, not yet.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t easy to take on attacks while being much behind on both strength and speed, but¡­

    ¡®I¡¯m still¡­ able to hang on.¡¯

    ¡ªThe Spearmanship of Pyxis obtained through Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories.

    Using the spearmanship that could move freely in all directions, he was barely neutralizing the overwhelming difference.

    ¡°¡­Indeed. Your spearmanship ismendable.¡±

    Park Gunwoo looked at Ohjin with admiration but soon smirked wickedly.

    ¡°However, the spearmanship you¡¯re disying is nothing but a fake that has no soul in the end.¡±

    ¡°Soul? What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°What is a ¡®spear¡¯ to you?¡±

    ¡°I think of it as a weapon that cannot use aura.¡±

    ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Sword aura sounds fine, but spear aura sounds a bit inappropriate, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    T/N: The word for ¡®Spear Aura¡¯ in Korean has the same spelling as prostitute.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Park Gunwoo looked at Ohjin with an astonished expression.

    ¡°Looking at the nonsense you¡¯re speaking¡­ I can see why I can¡¯t feel any soul in your spearmanship.¡±

    He stroked the spear grasped in his hand like it was the most precious thing in the world.

    ¡°Bastards like you only think of spears as simple tools for ughter.¡±

    ¡°Then what else is it?¡±

    Park Gunwoo extended out his spear with sunken eyes.

    He gathered up his feet with systemic movements, rotated his spear, and mmed it on the ground.

    ¡°The spear is a principle that pierces through all things in the universe(É­Á_ÈfÏó). It is the horizon that divides what is true(Œg) and what is false(Ì“).¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Possessing both natures of fluidity(Á÷) and solidity(Š), the ways of yin and yang(Ì«˜O)¡ª¡±

    ¡°Lightning Charge.¡±

    Bzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª

    ¡°Kughhhhhhk!!!¡±

    Park Gunwoo¡¯s body was violently sent flying back as he was hit by the exploding lightning.

    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡±

    ¡®The horizon that divides what is true and false? Yin and yang?¡¯

    ¡°A spear is just a weapon that was made to stab and tear, dumbass.¡±

    Even if you talked about how it was a principle or whatever all day long, at the end of the day, it was a weapon used to kill humans.

    ¡°Use the time spouting nonsense to practice swinging your spear one more time.¡±

    Fwoong!¡ª

    Ohjin coldly swung down his spear engulfed in Lightning mes.

    aaaaaaang!!!¡ª

    ¡°Kugh!!!¡±

    Park Gunwoo urgently raised his spear and narrowly blocked the attack.

    ¡°Y-Y-You bastard, you dare¡­!¡±

    Was it because he thought his belief in spears was being ridiculed? Park Gunwoo grasped his spear with a boiling face.

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you try taking me down with pure spearmanship!!¡±

    ¡°Pure spearmanship?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯spete without using our stigmas!¡±

    Park Guneoo aimed the point of his spear at Ohjin and shouted out gantly.

    ¡°With neither of us using our stigmas¡­¡±

    Ohjin nodded his head.

    ¡°Very well. Let¡¯spete fair and square with just our spearmanship.¡±

    ¡°I shall prove to you that you are wrong.¡±

    Park Gunwoo moved his spear with elegant movements.

    The blood of the martial artist engraved on his soul boiled up.

    ¡°A spear¡­ isn¡¯t merely a tool.¡±

    The one and only thing that protected him in a world where monsters run amok wasn¡¯t family, friends, or his lover.

    Just one spear¡­

    That one spear had led him to the ck Stars.

    ¡°The spear is a part of my body.¡±

    One with the spear (Éí˜ŒºÏÒ»).

    The realm one could reach at the peak of spearmanship.

    He had already achieved that realm a long time ago.

    ¡°Come at me.¡±

    Park Gunwoo aimed his spear at Ohjin.

    ¡ªA stance that seemed to be like one drawn on a manual.

    Despite not using his stigma, the pressure he emitted was powerful enough to be suffocating.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting.¡±

    Refusing to yield to the suffocating pressure, Ohjin raised his spear.

    In order for a sh of pure spearmanship without the use of a stigma¡ª

    <strong>¡°Exceed.¡±</strong>

    Bzzzzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª

    The stigma of Lyra radiantly zed up as blue lightning coiled around Ohjin¡¯s entire body.

    ¡°Huh? Wh-What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°What does it fucking look like?¡±

    ¡°I lied.¡±

    T/N: ¡®Hanwha Eagles fan¡¯ is making fun of how that baseball team isn¡¯t ying well.

    *For Paid Readers*: Changed ¡®Stigma of the Owl Neb¡¯ to ¡®Stigma of Noctua¡¯, ¡®Owl Faction¡¯ to ¡®Noctua Faction¡¯, ¡®Stigma of Leeches¡¯ to ¡®Stigma of Hirudo¡¯ to be more astronomically (and story-wise) urate. The other word for Romani has also been changed to Romani. It is what the raws said but more research should have been done on my part. Sorry. s have been updated.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Former_constetions

 Chapter 97: Ancient Constellation (8)

    <strong>Chapter 97: Ancient Constetion (8)</strong>

    ¡°Y-You son of a¡­¡±

    Park Gunwoo took steps back with a pale face.

    Bang!¡ª

    Ohjin dashed forward like a spark and swung his spear before Gunwoo was able to rile up his mana.

    ¡°Kuugh!¡±

    Park Gunwoo urgently tried to raise his spear to block the attack, however¡­

    ¡®Did you really think you¡¯d be able to?¡¯

    Even if there was a difference of three Stars, it was imusible for an Awakener who hadn¡¯t even used their stigma to block an attack used with Exceed.

    sh!!¡ª

    ¡°Kuhak! Kuk!¡±

    The spear engulfed in Lightning mes easily moved Park Gunwoo¡¯s spear aside as it cut a long line across his chest.

    Ohjin was nning to pierce his heart right away but had failed as Park Gunwoo twisted his body at thest moment.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    Ohjin clicked his tongue in shame.

    ¡®I guess he has skill matching that of his words.¡¯

    Judging from his nimble reaction speed in a manaless state, Park Gunwoo was indeed a skilled individual.

    ¡®So what.¡¯

    Ohjin smiled slyly as he looked at the blood gushing out of Park Gunwoo¡¯s chest.

    He had failed to pierce his heart in one go but had seeded in inflicting arge wound that was nearly fatal.

    ¡°Haa, haa!¡±

    Park Gunwoo clutched the wound on his chest and gasped for air.

    ¡°You scamming piece of shit!!¡±

    He continued in a voice boiling with hatred.

    ¡°The King¡¯s Delegate told me to keep my hands off the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s apostle¡­¡±

    Owoooong!!!¡ª

    Park Gunwoo¡¯s stigma fiercely zed up.

    ¡°But this¡­ this I cannot forgive!¡±

    ¡°Yeah~ Yeah~ Do whatever you want, man.¡±

    ¡°Eek!!¡±

    Park Gunwoo¡¯s expression scrunched up like a Yaksha as he kicked off.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    The wound on his chest expanded, causing even more blood to gush out with increased momentum.

    ¡°What are you doing? I thought you couldn¡¯t forgive me.¡±

    ¡°Kuuuh.¡±

    Park Gunwoo clutched his widened wound and chewed his lips.

    With how things were progressing, he wouldn¡¯t be able tost much longer and would copse due to severe hemorrhage.

    There were two options remaining¡­

    Either run away, or¡­

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t think that it¡¯s over yet.¡±

    Bam!!¡ª

    He mmed his spear into the ground.

    ¡°Celestial Noctua!!! Pleasey down a blessing of the ck Stars to this humble apostle!!¡±

    He spread his arms out wide and cried out.

    Crack! Crackle!¡ª

    With the sound of crushing bones, the skin all around his body started to shrivel at a rapid pace.

    ¡°Kahk! Keuk!! Kak!¡±

    ¡ªDised yellow teeth and wrinkly skin like tree bark.

    In the blink of an eye, Park Gunwoo looked decades older as ck mana surged out of his body.

    ¡®Celestial Noctua.¡¯

    The transcendent being known as a ck Star raised up Park Gunwoo¡¯s dying body.

    ¡°Ahh, thank you. Thank you, almighty Noctua.¡±

    Park Gunwoo raised his chin up high and mumbled in a low voice while staring at the ceiling.

    ¡°Following the will of the ck Stars¡­¡±

    Kadududududuk!!¡ª

    ck feathers pierced out of his skin and covered his body.

    It looked as if he was wearing armor that was made out of ck feathers.

    His ck pupils¡ªthe only thing that was exposed in the dense ck feathers¡ª looked at Ohjin.

    ¡°Today on this spot¡ªI shall cause the downfall of the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s prodigy.¡±

    Booom!!!!¡ª

    Park Gunwoo wildly kicked off and approached Ohjin.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    His speed was so fast that it was iparable to before.

    Ohjin narrowly deflected the tip of the spear that was aimed at his neck.

    He quickly retreated to gain distance and observed Park Gunwoo, who was covered in ck feathers.

    ¡®Did he receive a blessing with the price of his lifespan?¡¯

    No, could that be called a blessing?

    ¡®It would be more fitting to call it a curse.¡¯

    In any case, the fight with Park Gunwoo which he had thought to be over ended up continuing a little longer.

    ¡°Yeah, it would¡¯ve been too boring if it finished like that.¡±

    Ohjin smirked and rotated the spear in his grasp.

    The situation had worsenedpared to the beginning, but his mind instead felt at ease.

    ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve met a good opponent. I can¡¯t miss this good opportunity.¡¯

    When looking back at how he had be stronger until then, there were many more instances of gaining explosive growth from dangerous situationspared to consistent training.

    ¡°¡­You look like you¡¯re enjoying this.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Ohjin cackled.

    ¡°What do you find so enjoyable?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t feel this kind of feeling no matter how I train.¡±

    ¡ªThe feeling of dancing on top of sharp des.

    Thump, thump¡ª

    The beating of his heart rang in his ears like thunder as he felt the electrifying feeling of each and every celling to life.

    He could never feel that kind of feeling with mere training.

    Only in fights with his life on the line could he enjoy the privilege of such thrilling bliss and delight.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t right in the mind.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my line. You spear freak.¡±

    ¡°You will meet your end here, anyways¡±

    Park Guneoo aimed his spear at Ohjin.

    He became a wrinkly grandpa as he received the blessing of his celestial, but despite that, his stance was perfect, with no ws that could be pointed out.

    ¡°Die.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to pass.¡±

    Bang!!!¡ª

    Their spears collided, causing a loud tter.

    Ohjin in the Exceed state wasn¡¯t behind in terms of power and speed to Park Gunwoo was after receiving his celestial¡¯s blessing.

    ng! -ng!¡ª

    The sound of shing metal rang out.

    * * *

    The shockwaves that spread out every time the spears collided caused the entire skyscraper to shake.

    ¡°Haa, haa!¡±

    As the fight continued, Ohjin¡¯s breathing gradually became more ragged.

    Ohjin frowned and created distance.

    ¡®I¡¯mcking mana.¡¯

    Though he was confident that his amount of mana wasparable to even high-rank Awakeners, what seemed to be bottomless started to run dry as Exceed and Lightning mes devoured so much mana.

    ¡®It¡¯s almost like I¡¯m trying to fill up a cracked jar.¡¯

    Both Exceed and Lightning mes were skills that couldn¡¯t be used at his level of a mere 5-Star.

    As much as the skills he was using were unfitting for his level, the same amount of enormous mana was consumed as a side-effect.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    ¡°Are you tired already?¡±

    Compared to Ohjin¡¯s gradually progressing ragged breathing, Park Gunwoo was still doing fine.

    ¡°Why the fuck are you taunting when you¡¯re holding on by using a blessing?¡±

    Twe¡ª

    Ohjin spat out the collected saliva in his mouth.

    Even if Park Junwoo was an 8-Star Awakener, it wasn¡¯t possible to avoid getting shortness of breath after all those fierce shes.

    The reason why he wasn¡¯t getting tiredy in the fact that he had received the blessing of ¡®Noctua¡¯.

    It couldn¡¯t be said to be his own strength.

    ¡°Kuhuhu! Then isn¡¯t there no problem if you also receive the star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s blessing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still doing fine, so there¡¯s no need to call my goddess yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re doing fine?¡±

    Park Gunwoo looked at Ohjin with confusion.

    The way he gasped for air seemed to be rather far away from ¡®being fine¡¯.

    ¡°You¡¯re bluffing.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? Whether I¡¯m bluffing or not¡ª¡±

    Ohjin turned his body around.

    ¡°¡ªconfirm it yourself.¡±

    He ran towards the broken ss window with all his might.

    ¡°Wh-What!¡±

    ¡°Catch me if you can.¡±

    Raising his middle finger to Park Gunwoo, who urgently reached out his hand, he jumped off the 50th floor of the building without hesitation.

    Fwooosh!!¡ª

    Fierce winds brushed past his cheeks.

    As a thrilling sensation spread out from his spine, the entire view of the battle with thousands of demon beasts in Guro-dong could be seen with a nce.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Bang! Bang!!¡ª

    He shot his wires at the building walls.

    Like Tarzan swinging through the jungle on vines, he used the wires to fly from building to building while reducing his speed.

    ¡®It was impossible to get up there without Riak¡¯s help, but¡­¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t hard to get down using wire shooters.

    Whoosh! Whoosh!!¡ª

    Moving around buildings at a quick speed, he found his destination.

    ¡®Over there.¡¯

    Ohjin, who found a mountain of demon beast corpses, recalled his wires and twisted his body in the air as if performing aerial acrobatics tond on the ground.

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    Ohjin looked up at the skyscraper that became quite far away.

    He didn¡¯t expect that Park Gunwoo would be unable to chase him.

    ¡®He¡¯ll chase me using whatever the means since he¡¯s gone as far as to use a blessing.¡¯

    It was highly improbable for him to give up when he had given up several decades of his lifespan.

    ¡®I should get prepared in advance.¡¯

    Ohjin climbed up the mountain of demon beast corpses after confirming that there wasn¡¯t anyone nearby.

    It was time to use the ¡®hidden card¡¯ he had thought of.

    ¡®Will it really be possible?¡¯

    It was possible in theory.

    Logic and reasoning also fit into ce.

    However¡­

    ¡®Will I¡­ be able to do it?¡¯

    Was it right to hastilyy his hands on the unknown power that had caused the destruction of the world once before?

    ¡°Ha,¡± he chuckled.

    ¡°Since when have I quibbled over stuff like that?¡±

    Ohjin smirked and opened his hand.

    Flutter!¡ª

    At that moment, Park Gunwoo appeared in front of him as ck feathers scattered.

    ¡°You bluffed that you were doing fine, yet is running away all you can resort to in the end?¡±

    Disappointed emotions were mixed in his low voice.

    ¡°I would have ran to where Lee Woohyuk is if I was nning to run away, you dumbfuck.¡±

    Ohjin cackled out and rubbed his fully opened palm with the sharp de of the spear.

    His flesh tore, causing blood to spill out.

    Mana was contained within the blood of Awakeners.

    And in his case¡ª

    ¡®ck Heaven.¡¯

    ¡ªthere was another kind of power that it also contained.

    Drip, drip¡ª

    ck clouds started to spread out from the center of where the blood dripped down.

    ¡ªTo the extent where it covered the thousands of demon beast corpses scattered out in the area.

    ¡°Come to think of it¡­ I forgot to tell you this.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°Thanks for setting up this unlimited buffet for me.¡±

    Cackle¡ª

    Ohjin¡¯s shoulders shook up and down as heughed.

    He had never used the ck Heaven so widely before, however¡­

    ¡®As expected, it works.¡¯

    There was never a need to have physical contact to absorb using the ck Heaven in the first ce.

    He started to think about the possibility of being able to absorb all the starstones hiding inside the ck demon¡¯s corpses in one go by spreading the ck Heaven¡¯s clouds out wide.

    ¡ªIt was the hidden card that he prepared.

    ¡°Do you know the method of filling up a cracked jar?¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you scheming?¡±

    Growl!!¡ª

    The ck clouds that spread out started to dig into the corpses of the demon beasts.

    Greedily and gluttonously¡­

    The darkness of the ck Heaven devoured hundreds¡­ thousands of starstones.

    <strong>¡°You just need to chuck the entire jar into a pool.¡±</strong>

    The mana that was beginning to run dry started to rise up with explosive momentum.

    -Ring!

    [You have absorbed starstones containing the power of the ¡®ck Stars¡¯]

    [An adjusted value will be applied to the quality of starstones.]

    [Quest ¡®Star-devouring Devil of the Sky¢Ù¡¯ will progress.]

    [Completion rate 76.7%]

    [Completion rate 87.2%]

    [Completion rate 94.8%]

    [Completion rate 100%]

    Rumbleeeeee!!!!¡ª

    ck clouds escaped out of the gap of his torn palm and explosively gushed out while spreading out like fog.

    [You havepleted the quest ¡®Star-devouring Devil of the Sky¢Ù¡¯.]

    [You will obtain a random ¡®Ancient Constetion¡¯ stored within the ck Heaven.]

    [The constetion you have obtained is¡ª]

    A blue message that appeared in the darkness shone like a star.

    T/N: The constetion Noctua is spelled ¡®Owl¡¯ in Korean just like how other constetions are in Korean (ex. Draco->Dragon, Leo->Lion), but as Noctua is a constetion with no ¡®named¡¯ star, the celestial of Noctua has the name ¡®Noctua¡¯ romanized in Korean and the constetion itself is named ¡®Owl¡¯ so both the celestial and constetion share the same name.

    P.S. This might also happen with future constetions with ck Stars as they aren¡¯t well-known enough to have named stars.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Former_constetions

 Chapter 98: Ancient Constellation (9)

    <strong>Chapter 98: Ancient Constetion (9)</strong>

    ¡®Ipleted the quest?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes opened wide as he looked at the blue message that appeared in front of his eyes.

    All he did was absorb the starstones of demon beasts in order to refill his depleted mana, but he had ended uppleting the quest he hadn¡¯t even thought of.

    ¡®I thought thepletion rate wouldn¡¯t rise due to their low quality.¡¯

    There was a shocking number of demon beasts, but each and every one of them was just around the 4~5-Star rank.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that they were weak. The reason he thought it wouldn¡¯tplete the quest was that he had failed toplete the quest before using the starstones of Murlocs, which were at the same rank.

    ¡®Quality adjustment¡­¡¯

    He had thought of the possibility of the ck Heaven and ck Stars being linked in some kind of way a couple of times before.

    ¡®Let¡¯s think about thister.¡¯

    Ohjin stopped his thoughts before they dug deeper and fixed his eyes on the blue message.

    [ Completion Rate 100%. ]

    With the message that he would obtain a random Ancient Constetion, lines of text quickly moved around in the blue message box.

    -Ring!

    [You have obtained ¡®Stigma of Clepsydra¡¯ as the quest¡¯s reward.]

    ¡®Clepsydra?¡¯

    It was the first time Ohjin had heard of that constetion.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s probably a given to have never heard of it.¡¯

    Ancient Constetions were constetions that existed before the world had met its end due to the ck Heaven in the far-away past.

    There was no way a constetion he was familiar with would have appeared.

    ¡®I wonder what kind of ability it¡¯ll have.¡¯

    Ohjin activated the stigma of Clepsydra with eyes full of expectation.

    The stigma zed up brightly as blue rays of light covered the area.

    And then¡ª

    ¡°¡ªWhat?¡±

    ¡ªthe world¡­ stopped.

    ¡ªThe scattering ashes and smoke.

    ¡ªThe thick blood dripping down to the ground.

    ¡ªThe maggots gathered around crushed flesh.

    Everything¡­

    It stopped like the pause button was pressed on a video.

    ¡®What¡¯s¡­ going on?¡¯

    Ohjin opened his eyes wide inside the frozen world.

    He tried to move his arm, but not even that would move properly.

    ¡°Wwwhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.¡±

    At that moment, a voice that seemed to be reying in slow motion was heard.

    As he looked at where the voice wasing from, he saw that Park Gunwoo was standing still with widened eyes.

    ¡®No.¡¯

    To be more urate, he wasn¡¯tpletely ¡®still¡¯.

    It was extremely slow, but he was moving little by little.

    ¡®Ah, so it¡¯s something like that.¡¯

    Ohjin was then able to understand what kind of ability the stigma of Clepsydra possessed.

    ¡®It¡¯s making time feel like it¡¯s going slow.¡¯

    In other words, it was an ability that made everything look like a slow-motion video, excluding his own ¡®cognition¡¯.

    ¡®Holy shit.¡¯

    Ohjin was shocked by the outrageously overpowered ability.

    Making everything slow, excluding his own cognition?

    Then while others thought for a minute, could he think for an hour or even days?

    ¡°¡ªhave you done!!!¡±

    Then Park Gunwoo¡¯s voice returned back to normal.

    The frozen world started to move once again.

    ¡®So it¡¯s not to that extent yet.¡¯

    Ohjin clicked his tongue in shame.

    He was currently able to slow down his perception of time for around five real-time seconds.

    ¡®So I can roughly make five seconds feel like twenty-five seconds.¡¯

    His perception of time was about five times slower.

    -Ring!

    [You can use the ¡®Stigma of Clepsydra¡¯ up to three times a day. The number of limited uses and effects may change ording to the stigma¡¯s proficiency.]

    Three limited uses¡­

    ¡®It¡¯s the best stigma to use in danger.¡¯

    The slowed perception of time could apply as a variable in a fight.

    ¡ªA variable so decisive that it couldpletely turn a disadvantageous situation around.

    * * *

    ¡°You¡­ did you receive the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s blessing?¡±

    Park Gunwoo looked at him with an extremely nervous expression.

    Being that anxious was only natural, as Ohjin¡¯s faint mana that looked like it¡¯d extinguish at any moment had suddenly risen up explosively.

    ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? I don¡¯t need my goddess to lend a hand.¡±

    ¡°Then just where did you get that enormous amount of mana from¡­?¡±

    ¡°I dunno.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t chatter about the ck Heaven. Ohjin shrugged his shoulders and fixed his grip on the spear.

    ¡°¡­Kugh.¡±

    Park Gunwoo chewed his lips, and soon, his eyes shone fiercely.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did to replenish your mana¡ª¡±

    Flutter!¡ª

    The ck feathers that covered his body rose up and wrapped around his spear.

    Mana concentrated at the tip of the de.

    ¡°¡ªbut the fact you will die here on this spot doesn¡¯t change.¡±

    He kicked off towards Ohjin.

    Ferocious bursts of wind surged as the tip of the spear containing frightening power aimed at Ohjin in a blink of an eye.

    ¡®Clepsydra.¡¯

    Once more¡­

    The world stopped.

    Fwooong!¡ª

    He easily avoided Park Gunwoo¡¯s spear that contained all of his power.

    Ohjin¡¯s movements were also restricted inside the slowed time, but it wasn¡¯t hard to avoid the attack when he could take time to observe where the spear was aimed and how close it was.

    ¡°Wh-What!¡±

    Was it because Park Gunwoo couldn¡¯t imagine that he would avoid the attack that easily? His eyes filled with astonishment as he turned around to face him.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    He quickly swung his spear once again¡ª

    Fwooong! Fwoong!¡ª

    ¡ªbut there was no way Ohjin wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid it when he could see the attacks so slowly that he could yawn.

    ¡°Goddammit!! J-Just why?!¡±

    Park Gunwoo anxiously thrusted his spear as his attacks stopped working all of a sudden.

    ang!¡ª

    Ohjin deflected the spear upwards and then kicked his stomach.

    ¡°Kugk!¡±

    Thunk!¡ª

    Park Gunwoo was sent flying back with a dull sound.

    ¡®Lightning Feather.¡¯

    Ttutututu!!¡ª

    Feathers made of lightning shot towards Park Gunwoo, who had copsed on the ground.

    ¡°Eek!¡±

    He urgently rolled on the ground and avoided the feathers of lightning.

    Rolling on the ground to avoid an attack(‘ÐóH´òL)¡­ an act recognized as the most embarrassing thing a martial artist could do.

    It was a method that couldn¡¯t be more disgraceful for one who had pride as a martial artist, but he had no choice, as it was in order to live.

    ¡°Yeah, after your preaching of the spear, this is what ites to in the end.¡±

    Ohjin rushed to where Park Gunwoo was rolling on the ground.

    Getting high into the air by using the shaft of his spear like he was pole vaulting, he struck down, his spear like lightning.

    ¡°Seriously, try fighting me properly.¡±

    Themonce customs andws in Murims were nothing but a delusion.

    You would roll on the ground to avoid a de and crawl in order to avoid a spear.

    ¡ªReal fights were that ugly and disgraceful.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need bravado or vanity.¡±

    Doing everything it took in order to win¡­

    The method and means didn¡¯t matter.

    That was how he had lived.

    And that was how he was living.

    ¡°If you want to kill me, put everything you have on the line.¡±

    Ohjin smirked and struck his spear down at Park Gunwoo.

    Booooooom!!¡ª

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡±

    After Park Gunwoo desperately rolled on the ground to narrowly avoid the attack, he crawled on the ground to create distance.

    ¡°D-Damn it!¡±

    Park Gunwoo got back on his feet with a distorted expression. His pride had been hurt.

    He had disyed such a pathetic appearance even after receiving the blessing of a ck Star.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    The humiliation and insult that a martial artist couldn¡¯t wash off¡­

    Park Gunwoo chewed his lip and grasped his spear.

    He stared at Ohjin with eyes containing killing intent.

    ¡°I will make sure to kill you!!!¡±

    He roared out and charged at Ohjin.

    ¡°Tch, tch. You really aren¡¯t getting what I¡¯m saying.¡±

    Well, there weren¡¯t many things in the world that could be solved with words.

    No one would lend their ears to what others said.

    ¡ªThey viewed things as they wanted.

    ¡ªThey heard things as they wanted.

    ¡ªThey simply made an effort to live inside their own little bubble.

    ¡®Clepsydra.¡¯

    For thest time¡­

    The world stopped.

    Ohjin calmly looked at where the tip of Park Gunwoo¡¯s spear was heading inside the world where time flowed slowly.

    ¡®Right chest.¡¯

    After confirming the direction, he started counting down in his head.

    ¡®Three.¡¯

    Crouching his body, he slipped away and created distance.

    ¡®Two.¡¯

    Slowly raising his left arm, he aimed it at the spear¡¯s de.

    And then¡­

    ¡®Now!¡¯

    Bang!!¡ª

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone as he shot the wire shooter at the spear¡¯s de.

    The weight attached to the end of the wire shed with the spear, causing it to go off course.

    Precisely hitting a spear that was thrusted by an 8-Star Awakener with all of their strength was harder than using a gun and hitting the wing of a fly buzzing around¡ª

    ng!!¡ª

    ¡ªbut with the stigma of Clepsydra, he could do such a stunt without much difficulty.

    ¡°H-Huh?¡±

    Before Park Gunwoo was able to readjust his spear¡ª

    ¡®Back to the stigma of Lyra.¡¯

    ¡ªOhjin grasped his spear with his right hand and smoothly changed his stigma.

    The slowed time returned back to normal as blue lightning threateningly zed up.

    ¡°The one dying here isn¡¯t me¡ª¡±

    Sticking the spear¡¯s shaft to his nk, he slid back his right foot.

    Twisting his body while using his left leg as a pivot, he swung his spear at Park Gunwoo¡¯spletely exposed nk.

    ¡°¡ªbut you, dumbass.¡±

    Pshk!!¡ª

    The perfect counterattack dug deep, starting from Park Gunwoo¡¯s nk and up to his neck.

    ¡°Kugk! Kuk! Kru!¡±

    Blood gushed out of his mouth as his body shivered.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Ohiin twisted out the spear that pierced through Park Gunwoo¡¯s body

    He could see that the light in his eye with a sword scar engraved on it was slowly darkening.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    Catching his slightly ragged breathing, he smirked.

    He reminisced on the sensation of when the world came to a halt.

    ¡®This is better than I imagined.¡¯

    Ohjin had been looking forward to the Ancient Constetion quite a lot from the start, but it was honestly greater than he expected.

    ¡®Well, the three times restriction is a bit of a shame.¡¯

    Still, when taking into ount its potential in the future, as it would change ording to its proficiency, it was an incredible harvest.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Ohjin approached Park Gunwoo¡¯s corpse with a satisfied smile.

    As he had won the battle, it was time to take his reward.

    ¡®ck Heaven.¡¯

    ck clouds covered Park Gunwoo¡¯s body.

    ¡°Indeed, the quantity of mana in an 8-Star Awakener is different.¡±

    An enormous amount of mana flowed into his body through the ck Heaven.

    He wouldn¡¯t have been that happy in the past, as he already had an overflowing amount of mana, but in the present, his lips couldn¡¯t help but curve into a smile, as he had started tock mana with the increase of skills that drained mana like Exceed and Lightning mes.

    -Zzt.

    ¡°¡­Hm?¡±

    In the middle of absorbing mana, the scene changed with a familiar sensation.

    ¡®Is it Transmission?¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone keenly as he focused his mind on the memories that flowed into his head.

    T/N: Normally I¡¯d use the name of the constetion that exists in real life, but this one isn¡¯t a real constetion. The literal trantion of the stigma is ¡®Hourss Constetion¡¯ but to follow the theme of ¡®stigma of XX¡¯ and using it as a skill, it has been changed to ¡®Clepsydra¡¯ which is a time-measuring device using water in Latin. The vast majority of constetions are in Latin so I thought this would be the most fitting.

 Chapter 99: Scammerâ€™s Strategy to Victory (1)

    <strong>Chapter 99: Scammer¡¯s Strategy to Victory (1)</strong>

    ¡ªA neatly organized office room.

    A young man with a neat pomade hairstyle dropped his head with an appalled expression.

    ¡°Is that¡­ really the only method avable?¡±

    ¡°There are, naturally, other methods, but in order to get our hands on the Association as fast as possible¡­¡±

    ¡°Sacrifices¡­ you¡¯re saying that sacrifices are needed.¡±

    Cheon Woosung put on a bitter smile and clenched his fist.

    ¡°We need to act quickly, Sir Woosung.¡±

    Park Gunwoo continued to persuade Cheon Woosung, who was in the middle of contemtion.

    ¡°At this rate, we¡¯ll be the ones suffering instead from that old venomous snake¡­ Han Taeho.¡±

    Association Chairman Han Taeho.

    It seemed like he wasn¡¯t doing much on the surfacetely, but they had heard that several ck Star Organization branches had caught him on the move with several Special Officers.

    They were in a situation where they were already certain that the Association was taking action to find something that linked Cheon Woosung to the ck Star Organization.

    If the Association found that evidence, its n of taking over the Association would go down the drain.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re probably right.¡±

    Cheon Woosung chewed his lips.

    ¡°We need sacrifices¡­ it¡¯s something that can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°It is all in order for the will of the ck Stars.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already aware, however¡­¡±

    Tears welled up in Cheon Woosung¡¯s eyes.

    In a voice filled with worry, he clenched his fist so roughly that his veins popped out.

    ¡°When I think of the innocent people who will die from this incident¡­!¡±

    Bang!!¡ª

    The table split in half.

    ¡°No matter how many Awakeners die, it doesn¡¯t matter! But¡­ but the ones dying this time are¡­!¡±

    Deep sorrow was contained in Cheon Woosung¡¯s distorted face.

    ¡°¡­Sir Woosung.¡±

    Park Guneoo looked at Cheon Woosung with regret.

    He knew well how much Cheon Woosung hated Awakeners and how much he loved and cherished the unawakened.

    ¡°It is a noble sacrifice for the majority. If we¡¯re able to take over the Association, we¡¯ll be able to save the lives of even more unawakened.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Cheon Woosung shut his mouth tightly and nodded.

    ¡°I already know. No matter how much my heart feels like it¡¯s tearing apart¡­ this is something that can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Exhaling out a deep breath, he took out a ck drinking ss from his pocket.

    ¡°This is a star relic that can control demon beasts.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Park Gunwoo received the ck drinking ss and bowed his head.

    ¡°You already know that there mustn¡¯t be casualties outside Guro-dong, correct?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°I trust that you¡¯llplete your task well.¡±

    Cheon Woosung smiled in a way that nearly felt innocent and pat Park Gunwoo¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Fufu. Please leave it to me, Sir Woosung! If you just give me the order, I¡¯ll start the operation immediately!¡±

    ¡°The opportunity wille soon. I¡¯ll leave it to you when that timees.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    Park Gunwoo shouted out in a voice filled with confidence as he got back on his feet.

    ¡°For the grace of the ck Stars.¡±

    ¡°For the grace of the ck Stars.¡±

    And then¡ª

    -Zzzzzzzzzzzt!!!

    ¡ªthe scene changed.

    -Ring!

    [Part of the records of Awakener ¡®Park Gunwoo¡¯ have been sessfully inherited!]

    [Your understanding of spearmanship has risen!]

    [Following the increased understanding of spearmanship,¡¶Spearmanship of Pyxis Lv7¡·has increased to ¡¶Spearmanship of Pyxis Lv8¡·.]

    Blue messages showed up with the sound of a familiar rm bell.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    Ohjin let out a short breath after confirming all of the memories.

    * * *

    With the message of the increased understanding of spearmanship, the spearmanship that Park Gunwoo used flowed into his head, but¡­

    ¡®That isn¡¯t what¡¯s important right now.¡¯

    Ohjin organized the information that was obtained from his memories.

    ¡°¡­They ambushed Guro-dong in order to take over the Association?¡±

    How did letting demon beasts loose and massacring the unawakened connect to taking over the Association? Rather, it was an extremely risky move that could cause them to lose everything they built up if the fact that Cheon Woosung was the culprit of the incident was revealed.

    ¡®Are they nning to make the Association chairman seem like the culprit?¡¯

    No.

    If that happened, the entire group known as the ¡®Association¡¯ would disappear even before they were able to take it over.

    ¡ªImagine a massacre of civilians urring in the middle of Seoul due to the chief of police¡¯s orders.

    ¡®The entire police agency would get pulled out by their roots.¡¯

    Even if it didn¡¯t disappearpletely, the governmental authority that the Association possessed wouldpletely disappear.

    ¡®And if that happens, taking over the Association has no meaning.¡¯

    They would be gaining control of an organization that had already been turned to ashes.

    ¡°That must mean that they¡¯re nning something else.¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin.

    ¡®Wait¡­¡¯

    At that moment, the conversation that took ce in the tteokbokki restaurant resurfaced.

    -They say that there were supposed to be two centers built in Guro-dong and Daerim-dong, but due to the chairman¡¯s opposition, the board members spent their own money to construct one of them.

    The Unawakened Safety Management Centers.

    They were protection facilities that were being built under Cheon Woosung¡¯s instructions.

    ¡°Aha, so that¡¯s what¡¯s going on.¡±

    Snap!¡ª

    Ohjin snapped his fingers as if he understood Cheon Woosung¡¯s ns.

    ¡°So you¡¯re going to make a self-fabricated scenario?¡±

    He didn¡¯t know the reason why, but the Association chairman had opposed the construction of an Unawakened Safety Management Center in Guro-dong.

    ¡®It was probably due to budget.¡¯

    Ohjin had heard that Team Leader Han didn¡¯t have many funds, as the board members¡¯ expenditure was excessive.

    ¡®No matter how good the cause, it can¡¯t be helped when they go over the limit.¡¯

    When there was no money left in the bank, they couldn¡¯t continue donating to the public by taking out loans.

    Well, it could depend on one¡¯s personal beliefs¡­

    ¡®But the leader of arge organization such as the Association can¡¯t make that choice.¡¯

    In addition, Daerim-dong and Guro-dong were located quite close to each other. The Association would¡¯ve likely chosen to avoid making another one at Guro-dong when one was already established in Daerim-dong.

    ¡®And Cheon Woosung spread rumors that it was because of the chairman¡¯s self-centeredness.¡¯

    The unawakened Ohjin met in the tteokbokki restaurant had been busy criticizing the chairman without knowing a thing about the Association¡¯s internal matters.

    It was right to assume that Cheon Woosung had intentionally spread information that was disadvantageous to the chairman.

    ¡®Then what if demon beasts ran amok in only <strong>Guro-dong</strong>?¡¯

    The answer was obvious.

    ¡®The cancetion of the Unawakened Safety Management Center in Guro-dong due to the Association chairman¡¯s opposition¡­ Hundreds of sacrifices for the price of hiscency¡­ News articles like that would probably appear.¡¯

    That would also exin why they limited the casualties to Guro-dong.

    They had to make it so that the only damaged area was the ce where the ¡®Association chairman opposed the center¡¯s construction¡¯.

    ¡°Hah,¡± Ohjin chuckled.

    ¡°Is that why they went on about bullshit like ¡®noble sacrifice¡¯?¡±

    Cheon Woosung had crushed the lives of hundreds like they were bugs, and they deemed it a ¡®noble sacrifice¡¯ needed in order to take over the Association.

    ¡°What a funny guy.¡±

    Ohjin covered his face with his hand and cackled.

    ¡°What a very¡ª¡±

    A frightening blue fen fire burned on the pupil exposed through the gaps of his fingers.

    ¡°¡ªfunny piece of shit.¡±

    Honestly, Ohjin didn¡¯t care much about the fact that hundreds of people had died.

    How miserably they died, how wretchedly they died: It was none of his business.

    However¡­

    ¡°He gets on my nerves.¡±

    That¡¯s right.

    An unbearable disgust was riled up from the human ¡®Cheon Woosung¡¯ itself.

    ¡®A little child wearing the mask of an adult.¡¯

    That mere entity was the one called the King¡¯s Delegate, who practically led the Noctua faction.

    ¡°When you look at things like this, the ck Star Organization really is nothing much.¡±

    Ohjin could understand how the world¡¯s destruction in the 1st Round wasn¡¯t due to them but the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯.

    He couldn¡¯t be sure of the other factions, but he was certain that the Noctua faction didn¡¯t have the capabilities to achieve the tremendous feat of destroying a world.

    ¡°Is this the star relic that controls demon beasts?¡±

    Ohjin took the ck drinking ss out of Park Gunwoo¡¯s pocket.

    ¡ªA drinking ss half-filled with ck mana.

    ¡®Stop.¡¯

    Owoong!¡ª

    As Ohjin gave down an order containing his will to the drinking ss, he could feel the ck mana fluctuating and spreading out in all directions.

    ¡®The demon beasts¡¯ movements stopped.¡¯

    After using his wires to climb up to the rooftop of a nearby building, Ohjin confirmed the fact that the demon beasts that had been fighting with Lee Woohyuk, Ha-eun, and Han Joonman had suddenly stopped moving.

    Everyone stared at the demon beasts that had suddenly froze and then looked around with confused expressions.

    ¡°A star relic that controls demon beasts¡­¡±

    The Star rank was impossible to determine on the spot, but it seemed to be a high-rank star relic judging from the shocking amount of mana that it contained.

    ¡®Should I absorb it?¡¯

    Ohjin thought for a moment.

    ¡®No, I might have a use for itter.¡¯

    He shook his head and put the ck star relic into his pocket.

    ¡°Well, then¡­ How should I solve this?¡±

    Ohjin went back down where Park Gunwoo¡¯s corpse was and crossed his arms while lost in thought.

    ¡®The situation can¡¯t be worse.¡¯

    Using chess as an analogy, it was already a checkmate.

    The chairman¡¯s lineup would go into ruins as soon as Cheon Woosung showed up and said, ¡°I knew this would happen,¡± while shedding tears.

    ¡®It was game over the moment a casualty appeared due to the incident.¡¯

    The amount of damage that took ce wasn¡¯t the main point. The main point was the appearance of a ¡®casualty¡¯ itself and finding who would bear the me.

    ¡®At this rate, the chairman¡¯s lineup will getpletely destroyed, and the Association will be handed over to Cheon Woosung.¡¯

    ¡ªA game with a decided winner.

    He couldn¡¯t change the victor with ordinary methods.

    ¡®Yeah.¡¯

    ¡ªwith ¡®ordinary methods¡¯¡ª

    ¡°Kuhuhuhu!¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s shoulders shook up and down as he cackled.

    He rummaged through Park Gunwoo¡¯s pockets and took out a small marble.

    It was a star relic that was supplied inrge amounts.

    Whether the opposing side was in a gate or on the other side of the globe, the star relic dedicated tomunication could make it possible to freely send and receive information.

    ¡®It¡¯s much better at securitypared to phones.¡¯

    As the information was transmitted at a specific mana frequency, no records remained.

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    Ohjin turned his head to face in the direction of the Association building located in Yeouido.

    He couldn¡¯t see Cheon Woosung, but he was certain that he would be in that tall building¡­

    Convinced of his victory.

    ¡°You think it¡¯s all over?¡±

    Ohjin smiled slyly.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t let that be.¡±

    ¡®If that¡¯s what you wanted, you should have killed me first.¡¯

    Owooong!¡ª

    Themunication marble vibrated in his hands.

    He didn¡¯t even need to confirm who it wasing from.

    ¡®Transformation.¡¯

    His face changed.

    His voice changed.

    ¡°Yes, Sir Cheon Woosung.¡±

    He raised the marble and continued.

    <strong>¡°The operation has seeded.¡±</strong>

    A man with a sword scar on his right eye, Park Gunwoo, bowed respectfully to the King¡¯s Delegate.

 Chapter 100: Scammerâ€™s Strategy to Victory (2)

    <strong>Chapter 100: Scammer¡¯s Strategy to Victory (2)</strong>

    -How¡­ how many casualties are there?

    Woosung¡¯s sadness-filled expression could be seen over the marble.

    Ohjin, who had transformed into the appearance of Park Guneoo, answered in a low voice.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t an exact number yet¡­ but there are at least several hundreds.¡±

    -Several¡­ hundreds.

    Cheon Woosung chewed his lips.

    -I had predicted it¡­ but hearing it directly like this makes my heart feel like it¡¯s tearing.

    A teardrop flowed down his cheek.

    Terrible sadness could be felt in his distorted expression.

    ¡®What a fucking maniac.¡¯

    With cold eyes, Ohjin stared at Cheon Woosung, who was crying.

    He was crying as if he was the victim after killing them with his own hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s a sacrifice needed for a better future.¡±

    -I¡­ I know.

    Cheon Woosung raised his head while wiping away his tears.

    -I heard reports that the ck Lion and Lightning Wolf were heading that way. Did anything happen?

    ¡°They¡¯re too busy facing the demon beasts.¡±

    -I see.

    ¡ªA satisfied smile.

    -I understand. Then return here carefully, and don¡¯t get caught. You¡¯ve gotten rid of the evidence, correct?

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    He nodded his head and smirked.

    ¡°They won¡¯t know a thing about what went on.¡±

    -Hahaha. I knew you would be able to solve things smoothly.

    ¡°Then I shall return right aw¡ªKugk!¡±

    Bang!!!¡ª

    The surroundings shook with the sudden sound of an explosion.

    ¡°D-Damn it!¡±

    Park Gunwoo looked in a certain direction with a pale expression.

    Due to the fact that themunication marble only showed Park Gunwoo¡¯s face, Cheon Woosung couldn¡¯t understand what was going on.

    ¡°¡­Th-The situation has gone awry.¡±

    -Awry?

    ¡°The Hound is on his way here.¡±

    The Hound, Choi Woojin.

    As an 8-Star Awakener of the Hunting Dogs, he was a Special Officer belonging to the Association and possessed abilities specialized in searching and hunting.

    Special Officers could be said to be unit directly under the Association chairman.

    If they caught his tail, it would be a huge setback to their ns.

    -Hurry up and get out of there!

    Cheon Woosung, who realized the seriousness of the imminent situation, shouted out in an urgent voice.

    ¡°Ah, I underst¡ªKuh!!!¡±

    Bang!!! Boom!!¡ª

    The sound of explosions rang out once again.

    -Just how did they find¡ª

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll contact you again after I get out of here!!¡±

    Beep¡ª

    The connection cut off with his urgent shout.

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    The noisy sound of explosions disappeared in an instant.

    Park Gunwoo¡¯s face melted down and returned back to Ohjin¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°I¡¯ve bought time for now.¡±

    As long as the Hound was hunting down Park Gunwoo, Cheon Woosung wouldn¡¯t be able to take action for the time being.

    ¡®The moment Park Gunwoo exposes his information, all of their thought-out ns will fall apart.¡¯

    It was likely that Cheon Woosung would currently be scratching his head while sweating buckets.

    ¡°Kuhuhu!¡± Ohjin cackled.

    ¡°Try racking your brain the best you can.¡±

    He smiled slyly and looked down at Park Gunwoo¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°Hyap.¡±

    Fwoosh!¡ª

    After creating fire by using his lightning, he threw Park Gunwoo¡¯s corpse into the mes.

    He neatly tidied up the corpse to the extent where only pure white ashes remained.

    ¡°Should I proceed to the next part of my n?¡±

    He hummed a tune while ying around with the ck drinking ss in his hand.

    * * *

    After eliminating all of the demon beasts that ambushed Guro-dong, Ohjin looked for General Manager Han.

    ¡°Phew. It seems that we¡¯ve somehow managed to clean up all of the demon beasts.¡±

    General Manager Han touched his short hair and exhaled a deep breath. He folded the sleeves of his blood-drenched shirt and poured a potion over his injury.

    ¡°There are casualties¡­ but we were able to minimize them thanks to you dealing with the situation at its most dangerous time.¡±

    General Manager Han bowed down to Ohjin.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just happened to arrive at the scene first since I was nearby.¡±

    ¡°But still, simply the fact that you didn¡¯t back off and decided to fight after seeing such arge amount of demon beasts is incredible.¡±

    As he said, there weren¡¯t many Awakeners that could think of fighting alone in front of thousands of demon beasts.

    ¡®Though to be honest, I was nning on escaping midway.¡¯

    Ohjin leaked out a smile.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s better for me if he has that kind of misunderstanding.¡¯

    The title of ¡®Hero¡¯ was one that would be useful at all times.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°By the way¡­ weren¡¯t the movements of the demon beasts a bit strange?¡±

    General Manager Han furrowed his brow as he continued.

    ¡°Their movements were quite well-organized, despite being unintelligent demon beasts¡­ and they also stopped moving all of a sudden.¡±

    Indeed, General Manager Han had also noticed that something was off.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I have to talk to you about regarding that matter,¡± said Ohjin with a stiff expression.

    ¡°What do you¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something I can say here. Will it be possible to meet the Association chairman in person?¡±

    ¡°The chairman?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Association Chairman Han Taeho.

    Ohjin had never met him before, but ording to General Manager Han, he was a rather capable individual.

    ¡®The Association chairman himself will need to step up for this matter.¡¯

    Only then would it be possible topletely destroy Cheon Woosung¡¯s ns.

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll try to set up a meeting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    After preparing a meeting with the Association chairman, Ohjin headed to the site where the fierce battle with the demon beasts took ce.

    ¡°Ohjin!¡±

    Ha-eun, who had discovered him, quickly headed his way.

    ¡ªRed hair that swayed like mes.

    There were piles of burnt demon beast corpses around her.

    ¡®Just how many are there?¡¯

    Near a thousand demon beasts were dead¡ªburnt by her mes. Even when taking into ount the fact that the demon beasts stopped moving midway, it was a tremendous number.

    ¡®She really fought hard.¡¯

    Ohjin looked at the ck charcoal stain on her cheek and smiled. He extended out his hand to wipe off the stain and asked.

    ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not hurt anywhere in particr¡­¡±

    ¡°What about your eye?¡±

    ¡°Ah, this?¡±

    Ha-eun fumbled around her left eye with her hand. The gruesome root-like veins around her eye were thicker than usual.

    ¡®Is it a side effect of using the Dragon Eye?¡¯

    Ohjin frowned.

    ¡°It hurts a bit, but it¡¯s fi¡ª¡±

    ¡°Come here.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh? Kyak!¡±

    He pulled in her arm and stuck close to her body.

    Fixing her face with both hands, he pushed his face close to examine her left eye.

    ¡°O-Ohjin?¡±

    His shaking breathing tickled her cheek.

    ¡°Y-Your face is too close.¡±

    ¡°Stay still.¡±

    ¡°Uhh.¡±

    Pulling her in even tighter as she tried to slip away, he carefully stroked around her eye.

    ¡®The mana is slightly unstable.¡¯

    That itself was evidence that she used a lot of power during the fight.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big problem. It should calm down with rest.¡±

    Ohjin took out her eyepatch and helped her put it on.

    ¡°Seriously, are you that worried about me?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s face heated up as she poked his nk.

    ¡°Of course. Who else other than you would I worry about?¡±

    ¡°K-Khm! Y-You¡¯re saying those embarrassing words like it¡¯s nothing again.¡±

    Though she said it as if she was grumbling, he could see that her lips were rising up.

    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Vega and Riak? I couldn¡¯t find them during the middle of the battle.¡±

    ¡°I think they returned to the sanctum.¡±

    As they had both lent their strength by going as far as to endure the Commandant¡¯s Reaction to hunt Park Gunwoo, there was a high likelihood that they were reverse summoned into the sanctum.

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Hmm. Okay.¡±

    She looked around the surroundings¡ª

    ¡°Ah, the strength in my leg.¡±

    ¡ªand then started to stumble with her extremely awkward acting skills.

    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Th-The strength in my legs gave out all of a sudden. Is it because I only have one leg¡­?¡±

    ¡®Wow, she¡¯s abusing the cheat key, again.¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to get home at this rate¡­ is there no one nearby that can give me a hand~?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes shone as she looked at Ohjin.

    Hah¡ª

    A subconscious chuckle escaped Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Want me to give you a hand?¡±

    ¡°No~ I¡¯m not saying you have to. I¡¯m just saying something like that¡¯d be nice, you know?¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    Ohjin extended out his arm to her.

    Ha-eun stuck her body close and pulled tight on his arm.

    A soft sticity stimted his arm.

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    Ha-eun leaned her head on Ohjin¡¯s arm and giggled sheepishly.

    ¡°Now, then! Escort me to the car!¡±

    ¡°Will only lending my arm really be enough?¡±

    ¡°Hm? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be the only thing I do when you¡¯re saying that your legs are ufortable.¡±

    Smirk¡ª

    Ohjin put his opposite arm under Ha-eun¡¯s legs and held her up.

    ¡°Kya?!¡±

    It was the well-known princess carry.

    Though it didn¡¯t look cool due to Ha-eun being so tall, it didn¡¯t really matter since it wasn¡¯t for others to see.

    ¡°O-Ohjin!¡±

    It appeared that it was a little too embarrassing for her as she red at Ohjin with beet-red cheeks.

    ¡°Doing such an act without my permission¡­¡±

    ¡°Why? Should I let you down?¡±

    ¡°¡­is what you did, but since my legs hurt so~ much, I¡¯ll specially forgive you this time.¡±

    Fwip¡ª

    Ha-eun quickly turned her neck around.

    Ohjin could see her lips jerking beneath her reddened cheeks.

    ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re so cute.¡±

    ¡°C-Cute?!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back home.¡±

    When he was headed to the car while holding her in his arms¡ª

    ¡°¡­Ohjin?¡±

    ¡ªLee Woohyuk appeared.

    ¡°Kyaaaaaah!¡±

    Ha-eun yelled out an unidentifiable scream and quickly got down.

    It seemed that her embarrassment peaked as she hid behind Ohjin.

    But naturally, as Ha-eun¡¯s height wasparable to a model¡¯s, her body wasn¡¯t hidden properly.

    ¡°Uh¡­ um. Did I interrupt something?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡±

    Ohjin shook his head and approached Lee Woohyuk.

    ¡°Thank you for helping out in this matter.¡±

    ¡°I only did what had to be done.¡±

    Ohjin lightly received the hand Lee Woohyuk held out and opened his mouth.

    ¡°By the way¡­¡±

    ¡ªEyes of a ferocious wild beast.

    ¡°I believe that the ck Star Organization is connected to this incident.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin tantly looked at Lee Woohyuk and finished the fast calctions in his head.

    ¡®Pulling Lee Woohyuk into this will make things easier.¡¯

    Once his calctions wereplete, there was no reason to hesitate.

    ¡°I happened to have something I want to talk about rted to this matter.¡±

    ¡°¡­Have you found something out?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ohjin nodded with a heavy expression.

    ¡°What kind of¡­¡±

    ¡°I have a meeting with the Association chairman soon and will exin it in detail at that spot. Will you be able to join us?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t hard to pull in the ck Lion.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll contact you at ater date.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ohjin walked past Lee Woohyuk.

    ¡®The Association chairman, Lee Woohyuk, and the drinking ss.¡¯

    ¡ªEverything that he needed to take down Cheon Woosung was prepared.

    ¡®Now all I have to do is punish that presumptuous little brat.

    A cunning smile formed on Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

 Chapter 101: Scammerâ€™s Strategy to Victory (3)

    <strong>Chapter 101: Scammer¡¯s Strategy to Victory (3)</strong>

    The next day¡­

    There was a meeting with the Association Chairman, Han Taeho, arranged on that day.

    Ohjin went to the Association with Lee Woohyuk.

    ¡°You¡¯vee.¡±

    Once they arrived at the Association, General Manager Han came out to greet them.

    ¡°Come this way.¡±

    They entered the Association following General Manager Han¡¯s guide. After going through a couple of security systems, they got on an elevator.

    As the elevator doors opened, a wide office came into view. The old man who was sitting in the middle of the office stood up.

    ¡°This is the first time we¡¯ve met in person like this.¡±

    There was a short old man with a skinny physique. Traces of time could be seen on his wrinkly skin.

    His old eyes emitted heavy pressure that suffocated the area.

    ¡°I¡¯m Han Taeho. I¡¯m sorry our first meeting was thiste. I should have been the one toe greet you first.¡±

    Han Taeho bowed his head in a respectful manner and used his hand to indicate to Ohjin and Woohyuk.

    ¡°We were able to reduce arge number of casualties thanks to both the Lightning Wolf and ck Lion. This isn¡¯t the time to discuss the rewards, but I would just like to say the Association promises to grant you a reward fitting that of your deed.¡±

    Park Gunwoo had called him an old venomous snake.

    ¡®I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s venomous, but¡­¡¯

    Han Taeho was definitely the type of person who knew how to handle people.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass on the reward.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk shook his head and continued.

    ¡°Rather than that, I simply want to catch the culprit who caused this horrendous incident and make it so that they won¡¯t be able to do it again.¡±

    Was it because Lee Woohyuk wasn¡¯t a scammer like him and was a real hero? It was a statement that made Ohjin surprised.

    ¡®I¡¯m definitely taking it. Why wouldn¡¯t you?¡¯

    ¡°In regards to that, I¡¯ve heard that the Lightning Wolf is in possession of information?¡±

    Han Taeho stood up and faced Ohjin.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve arranged this meeting in order to request everyone¡¯s help.¡±

    Ohjin sat on the chair that faced Han Taeho and continued in a calm voice.

    ¡°Back when the attack happened in Guro-dong, I discovered a ck-robed man looking down at the scene from the window of a skyscraper.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. He was calmly looking down at the scene in that situation?¡¯

    ¡°Yes. I thought it was suspicious at the time and chased after him¡­ that was when I discovered this.¡±

    Ohjin ced the ck drinking ss on top of the table.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a star relic that controls demon beasts.¡±

    ¡°¡­!!¡±

    The eyes of the four people suddenly opened wide.

    ¡°I-Is that really true?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve also tried it out. I ordered the demon beasts to stop moving.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ then the reason why the demon beasts stopped moving all of a sudden¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of the order I handed down.¡±

    ¡°¡­wow.¡±

    With expressions of disbelief, they weren¡¯t able to close their gaping mouths.

    ¡ªA star relic that could control demon beasts.

    The ability contained within the star relic was one that had never been recorded to date.

    ¡°In that case¡­ it means that the demon beast incident was intentionally caused by someone.¡±

    Han Taeho¡¯s eyes shone keenly.

    ¡°¡­The ck Star Organization.¡±

    Grit¡ª

    Lee Woohyuk roughly ground his teeth.

    ¡°Did you catch the ck-robed man?¡±

    ¡°I did catch him¡­ but he ended his own life before I was able to apprehend him.¡±

    A deep sigh flowed out of Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°It was probably in order to prevent the true mastermind behind this incident from being exposed.¡±

    ¡°¡­Mastermind.¡±

    Han Taeho¡¯s expression stiffened.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you already know that there¡¯s an individual who¡¯s connected to the ck Star Organization within the Association?

    ¡°No way¡­¡±

    His pupils trembled.

    ¡°Cheon Woosung¡­ are you trying to say he¡¯s the mastermind behind this incident?¡±

    ¡°Is there a reason why that wouldn¡¯t be the case?¡±

    Han Taeho slowly closed his eyes.

    ¡°¡­All things aside, that man doesn¡¯ty his hands on the unawakened.¡±

    ¡°To be urate, he didn¡¯ty his hands on them¡­ All for this moment.¡±

    Han Taeho himself knew best who was in the most danger due to the incident and who would be able to take away the most benefits.

    Whenever an incident urred, the person who gained the most benefits was likely the culprit.

    The logic behind it was extremely simple-minded but true in most scenarios.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Han Taeho shut his lips tight and stood there in silence.

    ¡°I understand that it¡¯s hard to believe.¡±

    It was ironic.

    Everything Cheon Woosung had done until then was ¡®sincerely¡¯ in order to protect the unawakened.

    ¡®Well, though he did go on about bullshit like ¡®noble sacrifice¡¯ and step on them in the end.¡¯

    In any case, from Han Taeho¡¯s perspective, who had continuously watched over Cheon Woosung, it would be hard to believe that the one who cherished the unawakened so much was the mastermind behind the massacre.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be honest, it¡¯s hard for me to believe it,¡± he said as he sighed deeply.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say he really is the mastermind behind the incident. Do you have any evidence that can prove it?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to make it from now.¡±

    ¡°Make it?¡±

    Han Taeho¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    ¡°The method is simple. Open a press conference, hold this item, and state this with your own mouth.¡±

    Ohjin handed over the ck drinking ss to him.

    <strong>¡°¡ªTell them that the culprit has been caught and is under interrogation and that we¡¯ll be able to figure out the mastermind behind the incident soon.¡±</strong>

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone coldly like a hunter who had set up a trap and was waiting for their prey.

    * * *

    A dim office room.

    Only the light emitted from the TV brightened the room.

    [This is the star relic that was used by the culprit.]

    The Association Chairman, Han Taeho, was presenting the ck drinking ss on TV.

    [It is a star relic that has the ability to control demon beasts.]

    With the ck drinking ss in his hands, he walked to a certain location.

    Grrrr, Grah!¡ª

    In a solid iron cage was a demon beast that was captured alive from the Guro-dong incident.

    [Raise your arms.]

    As he ordered with the ck drinking ss close to his mouth, the demon beast in the cage quickly raised its arms.

    The reporters made amotion over the unbelievable spectacle.

    [As I have shown, the culprit controlled the demon beasts and intentionally massacred the civilians.]

    ¡ªUncountable shing lights.

    Themotion soon turned into turmoil.

    [The culprit is currently locked up inside the Association. We will reveal the mastermind that handed down the orders as soon as the interrogation is finished.]

    The press conference ended with his statement full of determination.

    ¡°Damn it!!¡±

    Shatter!¡ª

    Cheon Woosung threw an object at the screen out of anger.

    ¡°Haa, haa!¡±

    ¡ªRough breathing.

    ¡®Park Gunwoo¡­ was caught.¡¯

    It was a situation he hadn¡¯t expected.

    ¡®Just how?¡¯

    In order to carry out the operation in secrecy, Park Gunwoo was the only assigned individual, and the selected location to control the demon beasts was also one that was impossible to discover.

    Additionally, Park Gunwoo was a skilled individual that achieved the position of high-rank Temr.

    Cheon Woosung trusted that he would be able to escape even if he was caught, but he wasn¡¯t able to live up to his expectations and was idiotically apprehended by the Special Officers.

    ¡®There¡¯s no problem if Park Gunwoo doesn¡¯t open his mouth during the interrogation.¡¯

    But Cheon Woosung couldn¡¯t be certain that he wouldn¡¯t open his mouth until the very end.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°¡­Goddammit.¡±

    He needed to intervene.

    ¡ªWhether he helped Park Gunwoo escape or eliminated him.

    ¡®I can¡¯t take action directly.¡¯

    Cheon Woosung was suspected of being connected with the ck Star Organization. The moment his movements were discovered, an irreversible situation would ur.

    ¡®In that case¡­¡¯

    An individual that wasn¡¯t rted to the ck Star Organization in the slightest but also influential enough to get close to Park Gunwoo locked up in the Association needed to be the one to act.

    ¡°¡­Where¡¯s Director Jung?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring him here right away!¡±

    Following Cheon Woosung¡¯s order, an Owl moved quickly.

    After around five minutes¡­

    ¡°Huff! Huff! S-Sir, have you called?!¡±

    A fat man with a half-bald head entered the office.

    Director Jung Seungman.

    He was a man who had been Cheon Woosung¡¯s subordinate ever since he had infiltrated the Association and didn¡¯t know a thing about his true identity.

    ¡®They¡¯ll probably be no problem even if he¡¯s caught.¡¯

    Not only would no evidence be found rting to the ck Star Organization since he was actuallypletely unrted, but he also had the authority capable of getting to where Park Gunwoo was locked up.

    ¡®It¡¯ll be a bit troublesome if he says that he acted on my orders, but¡­¡¯

    It was okay.

    He could shake it off by insisting that he didn¡¯t know a thing about it.

    ¡°Director Jung, could you please do me a favor?¡±

    Cheon Woosung looked at him with his signature innocent smile.

    ¡°What kind of¡­?¡±

    ¡°You know about the culprit that was recently locked up, right?¡±

    ¡°Are¡­ you talking about the culprit behind the demon beast incident?:

    ¡°Yes,¡± he nodded.

    ¡°Kill that man. If killing him is difficult, make it so that he¡¯s able to escape.¡±

    ¡°Wh-What?!¡±

    Jung Seungman¡¯s mouth gaped from his words that were like a bolt from the blue.

    Even if he held powerful authority as a director, setting free the demon beast incident¡¯s culprit who massacred the civilians would be digging his grave.

    ¡°You¡­ will take on my request, won¡¯t you?¡±

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s eyes shone frighteningly.

    ¡°H-Hik!¡±

    Jung Seungman huped with a face pale from fear.

    He sweated nervously like a fountain and nodded his head with difficulty.

    ¡°I-I understand!¡±

    He bowed down his head submissively and headed outside.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Cheon Woosung exhaled out a short sigh and sat on his seat.

    ¡®¡­Mother.¡¯

    He looked out the window and chewed his lips.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Finding it hard to sit still, Cheon Woosung got up from his seat and took out themunication marble hidden inside the vault that was in the office.

    ¡ªIt was amunication marble that was directly connected to his father, Cheon Doyoon.

    Cheon Woosung looked down at the marble in his hand with contemtion.

    ¡®Should I report the situation to my father?¡¯

    The thought crossed his mind, but¡­

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    This was a duty assigned to him by Cheon Doyoon.

    He needed to solve it on his own.

    ¡®Father is probably very busy right now.¡¯

    Not even Cheon Woosung knew what he was up to in detail, but he at least knew that he was busy enough that he wasn¡¯t able to contact him often.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    Cheon Woosung took a deep breath out and sat back in his seat.

    And after several hours of waiting¡ª

    Bzzzzzz!¡ª

    ¡ªThemunication marble vibrated.

    -I¡­ I¡¯ve seeded!

    Jung Seungman¡¯s face, drenched in sweat, was shown through the marble.

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s eyes shone.

    ¡°Have you killed him?¡±

    -N-No. I wasn¡¯t able to kill him¡­ but¡­ I-I secretly turned off the confinement device and set him free!

    Beep!!! Beeeeeeep!!¡ª

    It appeared that he spoke the truth as loud rms started to ring around the entire Association.

    ¡®Alright!¡¯

    Grip¡ª

    Cheon Woosung clenched his fist.

    Now that Park Gunwoo had escaped, there was only one thing he had left to do.

    ¡°Owls.¡±

    Flutter!!¡ª

    ck feathers scattered as dozens of Owls gathered up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go find Park Gunwoo.¡±

    Before Park Gunwoo was apprehended by them once again, they needed to directly eliminate him first.

    Click¡ª

    Cheon Woosung opened the office door and headed outside.

    * * *

    ¡°But¡­ I-I secretly turned off the confinement device and set him free!¡±

    ¡ªA half-bald head.

    The fat man clutched themunication marble and shouted out urgently.

    Beep!!! Beeeeeeep!!¡ª

    Soon, the loud rms started to ring in the Association.

    Boop¡ª

    The connection was cut off.

    ¡°Ub!! Uubbb!! Uub!!¡±

    The faint sounds of suppressed groans could be heard once the connection ended.

    ¡°Old man, didn¡¯t I tell you to be quiet?¡±

    Jung Seungman frowned heavily and turned his body around.

    Underneath him was another Jung Seungman who was tied by wires on the ground.

    Two Jung Seungmans¡­

    The Jung Seungman who wasn¡¯t tied by wires tore off the tape that was blocking the tied Jung Seungman¡¯s mouth.

    Rip!¡ª

    ¡°Puhaa!¡±

    The pale-faced Jung Seungman breathed out raggedly as his body trembled from fear.

    ¡°A-All I did was what he ordered!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. And you did that all for free?¡±

    Director Jung Seungman¡¯s abuse of power was notorious within the Association.

    ¡®Sexually harassing three secretaries, for example.¡¯

    He was a menace to society that had nothing to say even if he was fired on the spot but was somehow able to maintain his position thanks to Cheon Woosung.

    ¡°Th-That is¡­¡±

    Drip, drip¡ª

    Cold sweat ran down his fat right cheek.

    ¡°S-Spare me!! P-Please! I¡¯ll do whatever you want!!¡±

    ¡°Hmm. That is what I want to do, but it¡¯s a bit dangerous to set free such a loud-mouth, you know?¡±

    The unknown man who wore the face of Jung Seungman shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know your real face anyway!! I can¡¯t even expose your identity!!¡±

    As he said, Jeung Seungman didn¡¯t even know the identity of the unknown person who had suddenly jumped him. All he had seen was someone who miraculously wore his own face using an unknown ability.

    ¡°Ah, is that right?¡±

    Droop¡ª

    The face of the unknown man, who looked just like Jeung Seungman, started to melt down.

    The melted face turned into Ohjin¡¯s face.

    <strong>¡°Oops, what should I do now?¡±</strong>

 Chapter 102: Scammerâ€™s Strategy to Victory (4)

    <strong>Chapter 102: Scammer¡¯s Strategy to Victory (4)</strong>

    ¡®Where is he?¡¯

    Swoosh!¡ª

    Cheon Woosung and the Owls jumped from rooftop to rooftop in search of Park Gunwoo.

    No matter where and how much they searched, Park Gunwoo was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°Just where¡­¡±

    When he was nervously chewing his lips¡ª

    Bzzzzz!¡ª

    ¡ªthemunication marble in his pocket vibrated.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    He confirmed that he was getting contacted by Park Gunwoo with his mana.

    Cheon Woosung quickly held up the marble.

    -S-Sir Woosung!!

    On the other side of the marble was Park Gunwoo, drenched in blood.

    ¡ªA distinct vertical sword scar on his right eye.

    ¡ªThick brows, plump lips, and even his sharp jaw.

    It was Park Gunwoo without a doubt.

    ¨CHuff! Huff!

    It seemed that he was still in the middle of running away as the screen projected on the marble shook severely.

    -F-Forgive me! I was caught due to the sudden inference of the ck Lion¡ª

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thatter!¡±

    He didn¡¯t have the time to listen to Park Gunwoo¡¯s insignificant excuses.

    ¡°Where are you right now?!¡±

    -I¡¯m escaping through the sewers!

    Was that why he was nowhere to be seen on the surface?

    ¡°How many pursuers are there?¡±

    ¨CHuff, huff! Fortunately, no one has caught my tail yet!

    Park Gunwoo stopped moving and observed the surroundings.

    The only thing that was transmitted through the marble was a serene silence. There were no people other than Park Gunwoo in sight.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    A breath of relief escaped out of Cheon Woosung¡¯s mouth.

    The fact that there was no one after him took a load off his shoulders.

    ¡°Go to the location I instruct you.¡±

    -Yes, I understand!

    ¡°And keep maintaining the connection.¡±

    Cheon Woosung watched over Park Gunwoo¡¯s movements in real-time and handed down orders.

    ¡®I need to meet him before they catch his tail.¡¯

    He needed to meet him and decide whether to save him or eliminate him.

    ¡®¡­I¡¯ll need to eliminate him, right?¡¯

    Though Park Gunwoo was his right-hand man, he couldn¡¯t let him survive when his face was already known to the Association.

    ¡®And even if I do forgive him, my father won¡¯t.¡¯

    Cheon Doyoon didn¡¯t give mercy to his subordinates that made a mistake. In that case, it was better to kill Park Gunwoo with his own hands.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sadness surfaced in his eyes.

    Park Gunwoo was the subordinate who had stood by his side the longest in the Noctua faction. He was the one and only person who sympathized with Cheon Woosung.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Cheon Woosung slowly closed his eyes.

    His heart hurt as if he was cutting off his own arm, but the mistake Park Gunwoo had made was too severe to give mercy.

    ¡®This is¡ª¡¯

    Grip¡ª

    Cheon Woosung roughly clenched his fists.

    The conversation he shared with Park Gunwoo in the past resurfaced.

    <strong>¡®¡ªa noble sacrifice for the majority.¡¯</strong>

    That¡¯s right.

    As Park Gunwoo had said, it was a noble sacrifice that was needed to save even more lives.

    ¡®If we just take over the Association¡­ we¡¯ll be able to protect many more people than we are now.¡¯

    They would be able to save them from the horrendous beings known as ¡®Awakeners¡¯.

    -I¡¯ve arrived!

    ¡°Stay still until we get there.¡±

    Cheon Woosung moved with firm resolution in his eyes.

    Park Gunwoo was hiding in a hideout that only a very small amount of individuals knew about, even within the ck Star Organization.

    He didn¡¯t have to worry about the pursuers finding him.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Cheon Woosung and the dozens of Owls moved. The Owls were his personal unit that was made up of only the strongest in the Noctua faction.

    With those forces, they would be able to neutralize any variables that could ur.

    Thud, thud¡ª

    Moving past the humid sewers, they arrived at the hideout.

    It was a location where construction had been halted nine years previously due to a sudden gate opening underground.

    ¡ªAn abandoned underground world that nearly no people knew the existence of.

    And in that ce¡ª

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡ªwas only a death-like silence.

    ¡°Where are you right now?¡± Cheon Woosun asked, putting themunication marble near his mouth.

    -¡­

    ¡°Gunwoo? I asked where you are!¡±

    Breaking the long moment of silence¡ª

    -S-Sir Woosung.

    ¡ªa voice containing immense fear rang out.

    -You¡­ you really came here to save me, right?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    -There¡¯s¡­ no way that you¡¯re thinking of s-silencing me, right¡­?

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s expression distorted heavily.

    ¡®Did he hide because he¡¯s scared of dying?¡¯

    It was a truly disgraceful act for someone who was a high-rank Temr.

    ¡°Haha. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Then, as gently as possible, Cheon Woosung continued with the calmest voice he could make.

    ¡°Think about the times we spent together.¡±

    ¡°Our rigorous effort to follow the will of the ck Stars¡­ to me, you are both a good friend and the one and only person who understands me.¡±

    Like a venus flytrap giving off a sweet scent, he lured his prey.

    ¡°Even if you did make a mistake, I have no intention of ming it on you. You were, unfortunately, caught, but you still seeded in the Guro-dong operation, did you not? You didn¡¯t even open your mouth after getting locked up in the Association¡­¡±

    Putting on a warm smile, he spread his arms wide.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the slightest intention of kilingl you, so you can rest assured ande out.¡±

    Rustle¡ª

    As if responding to his words, someone walked out of the darkness.

    ¡ªNot Park Gunwoo, but someone who shouldn¡¯t have been there.

    ¡°¡ªSo you really were the culprit.¡±

    ¡ªA low and thick voice.

    The short, old man red at him with sharp eyes.

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s eyes opened wide and took steps back.

    ¡°¡­H-Han Taeho?¡±

    The Association¡¯s old venomous snake had surprisingly appeared on that spot.

    ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to believe it.¡±

    Han Taeho clenched his fists.

    ¡°No matter how evil of a person you were¡­ I thought that you would at least leave the powerless people alone.¡±

    However, Cheon Woosung had massacred hundreds of people.

    He hadmitted an irreversible crime.

    ¡°Cheon Woosung. You¡¯re under arrest for the massacre of civilians and conducting a terror.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s shoulders faintly shook like he couldn¡¯t believe it.

    An uncanny ominous feeling ran down his spine and spread out.

    ¡®Han Taeho being here must mean¡­¡¯

    There was only one possibility he could think of¡­

    ¡°Park Gunwoo¡­!¡±

    He had betrayed him.

    He had gone against the will of the ck Stars and set up a trap in order to save his own meaningless life.

    Other than that, there was nothing that could exin how Han Taeho was in that spot like he was waiting all along.

    ¡°Y-Y-You sphemous bastard!!!!¡±

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s face scrunched up like a Yaksha as he fiercely yelled out.

    ¡°You dare! You dare to believe that you¡¯ll survive after going against the will of the ck Stars?!¡±

    The rage that boiled up like a volcano rose to the tip of his head.

    ¡ªBloodshot eyes.

    He red at the darkness with eyes containing fury.

    ¡°Come out! Reveal yourself!!¡±

    ording to how things had developed, Park Gunwoo would be pathetically hiding his body in the darkness.

    ¡°I think you have a misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°Misunderstanding?¡±

    ¡°Was it Park Gunwoo? The one who carried out the recent terror incident¡­¡±

    Tch¡ª

    Han Taeho lightly clicked his tongue and continued.

    <strong>¡°He already died a long time ago.¡±</strong>

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡®Already died a long time ago?¡¯

    What kind of nonsense was that when he had been giving and receiving contact from Park Gunwoo himself just seconds ago.

    ¡°What kind of nonsense¡­¡±

    ¡°I really didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be fooled by such a bad impersonation.¡±

    ¡°Bad¡­ impersonation?¡±

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s eyes looked behind Han Taeho.

    ¡°B-Bad? It took three hours just getting my makeup done!¡±

    The person who appeared was General Manager Han, who had disguised himself as Park Gunwoo.

    ¡°That¡¯s an impersonation¡­?¡±

    It looked like they put quite a lot of effort into the scar on his right eye and the shape of his mouth, but that was all.

    It was such a chaotic disguise that even the expression ¡®bad¡¯ was putting it nicely.

    ¡®No.¡¯

    The one he had seen¡­

    The one he had talked to¡­

    The one he had led to that ce¡­

    ¡­Wasn¡¯t General Manager Han disguised as Park Gunwoo.

    ¡°I guess you were really nervous.¡±

    ¡®No¡­¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re wrong.¡¯

    ¡®That¡­ was really Park Gunwoo.¡¯

    There was no way he was mistaken.

    No matter how urgent or nervous he was, there was simply no way he wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize Park Gunwoo.

    <strong>¡°Well, you did appear to be very nervous when you urgently contacted us first.¡±</strong>

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡®I contacted them first?¡¯

    ¡°What¡­ are you talking about?¡±

    That wasn¡¯t true.

    Cheon Woosung had never contacted Park Gunwoo first.

    He had only received the contact that <strong>Park Gunwoo had sent him first during his escape.</strong>

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Cheon Woosung stepped back with his face dyed in fear.

    ¡ªSomething felt wrong.

    Something decisive¡­

    Something critical¡­

    Something was so warped that he didn¡¯t even know from where it all started to go wrong.

    ¡®They¡¯re different.¡¯

    The words that came out of Han Taeho¡¯s mouth and his memories didn¡¯t coincide.

    ¡®How did things turn out like this?¡¯

    It felt like something didn¡¯t fit into ce.

    It was an unpleasant feeling as if a massive invisible hand was controlling him and Han Taeho like a marite.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we stop the chit-chat here?¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Another doll walked out of the darkness.

    The young man with ice-cold eyes emitted the fierce pressure of a wild beast that didn¡¯t match his eyes.

    ¡°¡­The ck Lion.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t only him.

    The Association¡¯s special officers and even the members of the Valha guild¡­

    Everyone had been waiting for him to fall into their trap.

    ¡®Goddammit!¡¯

    When he couldn¡¯t even be certain of victory against Han Taeho and the special officers, even the Valha guild intervened.

    ¡®I can¡¯t die so futilely in a ce like this¡­¡¯

    ¡°Go! Owls!¡±

    After making his subordinates buy time, he quickly moved his body.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lose him!!¡±

    The ck Lion chased after him.

    Baaaaaaang!!!¡ª

    The underground shook with the frightening sound of explosions.

    * * *

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡±

    Drip, drip¡ª

    Cheon Woosung, who was drenched in blood, kept moving while his body swayed as if he was going to copse at any moment.

    ¡°Kugh¡­!¡±

    There was a deep horizontal cut on his side.

    If you were to take minor injuries into ount, there were over dozens of injuries around his body.

    ¡®Still, I somehow managed to escape.¡¯

    Cheon Woosung chewed his lips and looked around.

    He was able to sessfully escape for the moment thanks to his subordinates, who blocked them off with their lives.

    ¡°I-I need to hurry up and contact my father.¡±

    He mumbled in a shaky voice while taking another step forward.

    At that moment¡ª

    ¡°So this is where you were.¡±

    ¡ªa pair of azure fen fires zed at the other side of the dark tunnel.

    ¡°You are¡­¡±

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    Park Gunwoo.

    The person walking to him on the other side of the tunnel was, without a doubt, Park Gunwoo.

    Not General Manager Han in a bad disguise, but the face he had seen through themunication marble.

    ¡°¡­Who are you?¡±

    tter¡ª

    The fear that encroached on his soul made his teeth shiver.

    ¡°You bastard, I asked who you were!!!¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    The edge of Park Gunwoo¡¯s mouth tilted up.

    ¡°I wonder.¡±

    He slowly tilted his head.

    Droop¡ª

    His face warped with a sticky sound.

    His skin melted, and his muscles twisted.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    From Park Gunwoo¡¯s face to Han Taeho¡¯s.

    From Han Taeho¡¯s face to Lee Woohyuk¡¯s.

    From Lee Woohyuk¡¯s face to Cheon Woosung¡¯s.

    His face changed countless times in the blink of an eye.

    <strong>¡°Who do I look like?¡±</strong>

    Cackle¡ª

    The sound of his creepyughter rang out.

 Chapter 103: Scammerâ€™s Strategy to Victory (5)

    <strong>Chapter 103: Scammer¡¯s Strategy to Victory (5)</strong>

    Droop¡ª

    His skin dripped down like ice cream in the summer.

    Flesh and muscle twisted, changing his face in the blink of an eye.

    The face that changed every second turned into one of a young man.

    ¡ªCurly hair.

    ¡ªEyes that looked gentle but also felt corrupt in some type of way.

    ¡ªA man that was like a poisonous apple.

    ¡°¡­The Lightning Wolf?¡±

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since we¡¯ve seen each other, but then again, it hasn¡¯t been short either.¡±

    The azure pupils that shone frighteningly in the darkness looked at Cheon Woosung.

    ¡°Anyways, how were you doing in the meantime, kid?¡±

    ¡°Who¡­ are you calling a kid?¡±

    ¡°You, dumbass. Do you see anyone else here?¡±

    Ohjin giggled briefly and approached Cheon Woosung.

    Thud, thud¡ª

    The low sound of footsteps rang out in the dark tunnel.

    ¡°I¡¯m not at the age where one would be called a kid.¡±

    Cheon Woosung bit his lip and got on his feet.

    Blood continuously flowed out of his side that was cut by the ck Lion, but he was still able to fight.

    ¡°Getting older doesn¡¯t automatically make you an adult.¡±

    Ohjin took out a steel rod from his belt.

    ck!¡ª

    The steel rod that was the size of a shlight turned into a spear once mana was sent into it.

    ¡°Is this all¡­ what you set up?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Ohjin smiled as he rotated his spear.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s eyes shone coldly.

    ¡°Do you believe that you¡¯ll be unscathed after provoking the ck Star Organization?¡±

    ¡°I probably won¡¯t be unscathed.¡±

    And that was why¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to crush you all.¡±

    ¡ªSo that they wouldn¡¯t be able to do as they pleased again.

    Thoroughly¡­

    ¡°¡­Hah,¡± chuckled Cheon Woosung.

    Crush all of the ck Star Organization?

    A mere 5-Star Awakener, alone?

    ¡°Your arrogance really knows no bounds, just because you were lucky enough to get chosen by a North Star.¡±

    Cheon Woosung shot a sharp nce at Ohjin.

    ¡°You¡­ know nothing about the ck Star Organization.¡±

    ¡°Then do you know?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking if you know about me, dumbass.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The azure fen fire in Ohjin¡¯s eyes flickered.

    ¡°An Awakener of the Star of the Weaver¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not something like that.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s shoulders shook as he cackled.

    ¡°Who I am, how I¡¯ve lived, what I have, and what I can do.¡±

    Ohjin didn¡¯t know much about the ck Star Organization yet.

    It was likely that there were still many things that were unknown to him.

    However¡­

    The same could be said for them.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Ohjin looked at Cheon Woosung, who stood there in silence, andughed calmly.

    ¡°You asked if I thought I¡¯d be unscathed after provoking the ck Star Organization, right?¡±

    Then¡­

    <strong>¡°Did you think your organization would be unscathed after provoking me?¡±</strong>

    Bzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Blue lightning brightened up the darkness.

    ¡°¡­Hah.¡±

    Cheon Woosung looked at Ohjin like he was a fool.

    ¡°A mere 5-Star Awakener¡­¡±

    Thick hatred burned in his eyes.

    ¡ªThe hatred that was aimed at all Awakeners.

    ¡°Where do you get that arrogance from!!¡±

    Flutter!!¡ª

    Like an owl spreading its wings, huge ck wings spread out from Cheon Woosung¡¯s back.

    Boom!!¡ª

    With the sound of a powerful explosion, ck feathers shot at Ohjin.

    ¡°Confirm if I¡¯m arrogant or not with your own eyes.¡±

    Ohjin smirked and raised up his spear.

    Fwoong, fwoong!!¡ª

    Ohjin rotated the spear quickly in front of him with both hands. Blue lightning blocked the feathers like it was a wall.

    ---ng!!!¡ª

    The noisy sound of metal rang out.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use!!!¡±

    Cheon Woosung crossed his arms.

    Baaaang!!!¡ª

    The ck feathers that were raining down exploded at once. It was the same skill used by Arshad Khan.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Skrrrrt¡ª

    Ohjin¡¯s body was pushed back.

    The skin on the palm that was holding the spear ripped from the powerful impact.

    ¡°Were you being arrogant¡ª¡±

    Cheon Woosung extended his hand forward.

    ck feathers condensed, causing it to form a long sword with a de that was over two meters long.

    ¡°¡ªwith merely this much strength?!¡±

    p! p!¡ª

    His ck wings moved up and down and made his body slightly hover over the ground.

    Cheon Woosung wildly swung his sword in mid-air.

    ng!¡ª

    Ohjin raised his spear to block the sword strike.

    Boom!¡ª

    The impact felt like he was hit by a truck that weighed dozens of tonnes. The ground that supported his feet copsed, causing him to sink down to his knee.

    ¡°With merely¡­! With merely¡­! With merely this much skill!!¡±

    Bang! Bang! Boom!¡ª

    Cheon Woosung consecutively swung his sword down with a two-handed grip.

    His stance looked like it wasn¡¯t for swinging a sword but rather a hammer.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    A line of blood flowed down from Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    The enormous impact transmitted through his arms shook his insides.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Inhaling in shortly, he concentrated lightning into his two legs.

    ¡®Lightning Charge!¡¯

    Baaang!¡ª

    The legs that were buried to his knees escaped from the ground as he shot back, creating distance.

    Crunch!¡ª

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s sword pierced deep into the ground.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    After making distance, Ohjin narrowed his eyes and examined Cheon Woosung.

    ¡®He still has this amount of strength after all those injuries.¡¯

    Indeed, Cheon Woosung, also known as the King¡¯s Delegate, was as skilled as he expected.

    ¡®But he isn¡¯t a 9-Star.¡¯

    If Cheon Woosung was a high-rank Awakener who was considered a monster outside the scope of humans, he wouldn¡¯t have received those kinds of injuries from Lee Woohyuk in the first ce.

    ¡®An upper 8-Star¡­ or maybe at its peak.¡¯

    He was probably simr to or a little below Lee Woohyuk in terms of skill.

    ¡®Just right.¡¯

    * * *

    * * *

    Ohjin happened to be thirsty for a battle with a strong person as the slightly nerve-wracking fight with Park Gunwoo ended too easily.

    ¡°Exceed.¡±

    Bzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Blue lightning riled up.

    ¡°Ha, so you had a hidden card up your sleeves?¡±

    Cheon Woosung smiled coldly and raised his sword¡­

    ¡°Then let¡¯s see¡ª¡±

    ¡­And swung down.

    ¡°¡ªjust how great your hidden card is!!¡±

    Ttutututututu!!¡ª

    ck feathers gathered up and shot in the direction the sword was swung.

    The scene was simr to that of firing sword aura.

    Bang! Bang!¡ª

    Ohjin kicked back and opened his arms wide.

    The wire shooters shot out wires as they spread out like a in order to block off the tunnel.

    -ng!¡ª

    The ck feathers that were blocked by the wires fell to the ground.

    ¡°Do you really believe these mere wires will be able to stop me!!¡± ridiculed Cheon Woosung.

    Spreading his wings, he swung his sword at the approaching wires that were entangled like a.

    sh!¡ª

    When the de of the sword cut around half of the entangled wires¡­

    ¡®Lightning mes.¡¯

    Fwoosh¡ª

    Blue mes made of lightning ran down the wires and engulfed Cheon Woosung¡¯s sword.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s expression distorted heavily due to the lightning that flowed through his sword.

    The hand that held the sword shook.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Quickly letting go of the sword, he spread his wings and tried to escape.

    TaTaTaTa!¡ª

    Ohjin sprinted along the tunnel walls with the spear in his grasp as he chased after him.

    Bang!¡ª

    He kicked off and swung down at the back of Cheon Woosung¡¯s neck.

    aaaaaang!!!¡ª

    It was a perfect strike straight out of an illustration, but the ck wings sent his spear flying away the moment it approached his neck.

    ¡®Lightning Charge.¡¯

    Ohjin didn¡¯t resist the repulsive force in his hands and instead let his body get carried away.

    With his deflected spear still on the ground, he twisted his body in mid-air and folded his left leg.

    He aimed at the sword cut on Cheon Woosung¡¯s side and kicked there with all of his might.

    Bam!¡ª

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Cheon Woosung groaned in pain as he was kicked right where the wings weren¡¯t protecting.

    Boom! Drrrrrrrr!¡ª

    He was sent flying and disgracefully rolled to the ground.

    ¡°Uuuuugh.¡±

    While he was clutching his injury and trying to get back up¡ª

    ¡®Blue Lightning, Lightning Charge.¡¯

    ¡ªOhjin picked up the spear and thrusted it forward.

    Blue Lightning and Lightning Charge twisted together and aimed at Cheon Woosung, who was on the ground.

    Booom!¡ª

    The explosion shook the tunnel.

    ¡°Aaahhh!!¡±

    Blood st out of Cheon Woosung as he tumbled across the ground. Excluding the ck wings that sprouted out of his back, his entire body was drenched in blood.

    ¡°Haa, haa!¡±

    Cheon Woosung gasped for air.

    He ground his teeth and covered the injury with his hand.

    There was no way he would¡¯ve been pushed back so helplessly if he had fought under normal conditions, but it was hard to fight properly due to his injury.

    Cheon Woosung looked at Ohjin while clutching his injury.

    ¡°¡­Even if everyone rambled on about you being a hero, in the end, your true character was just a scammer who only knows how to deceive and take advantage of others.¡±

    Sway, sway¡ª

    He staggered as he got back on his feet.

    ¡°Well¡­ I was already aware that all Awakeners are scum like you.¡±

    They were arrogant, haughty, and disrespectful.

    ¡°Trash that only knows how to prey¡­ and look down on others.¡±

    Cheon Woosung stared at Ohjin with eyes full of hatred.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Ohjin stood still and looked back at Cheon Woosung with his mouth shut.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ people like you will never change.¡±

    Grit¡ª

    Cheon Woosung roughly ground his teeth.

    The memories from nine years ago resurfaced in his head.

    -R-Run away, Woosung!

    ¡ªScattering ash and dust.

    His mother was urgently extending her hand out to him inside that hell filled with screams and cries for help.

    What brutally killed his mother back then wasn¡¯t a monster¡­

    -Puhahaha!! Iya~ I can¡¯t hold my tears back.

    -Kuhuhu, why? Do you all think this is unfair? Then you should¡¯ve also been chosen by a celestial.

    ¡ªThe ones awakened by the stars¡­

    The superhuman beings selected by celestials aimed their weapons not at monsters but at the powerless unawakened.

    Rather than protecting the weak, they used their superhuman strength as they pleased.

    That¡¯s right.

    That was the true appearance of the ones known as Awakeners.

    It was their true character that would never change.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for people like you¡­ my mother¡­ my mother would be¡ª!¡±

    Transparent tears ran down Cheon Woosung¡¯s cheek.

    He was able to receive the stigma of Noctua at ater date thanks to Cheon Doyoon¡¯s help, but that was after he had lost everything.

    ¡°You¡­! Do you know the despair of someone who has lost the one thing they must protect!!¡±

    All that was left was immense hatred.

    The only thing that drove him to move was his hatred for Awakeners who had made him like that.

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Ohjin stared at Cheon Woosung with sunken eyes.

    ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Why? Did you think I would bawl my eyes out and forgive you after listening to your circumstances?¡±

    Whether he lost his mother or father to Awakeners, Ohjin didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Alright, since it¡¯se to this, let me ask you this question.¡±

    He continued in a cold voice.

    ¡°Why did a guy who hates Awakeners so much kill all those unawakened?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Flinch¡ª

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s shoulders shook.

    ¡°A-A noble sacrifice¡ª¡±

    ¡°For the majority?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°You know, I was there at the scene.¡±

    ¡ªHorrific cries and screams.

    The people who cried whilst clutching their children, their parents, their lovers.

    ¡°What sets you apart from the Awakeners who killed your mother?¡±

    ¡°W-We¡¯re different!¡±

    ¡°I asked ¡®what¡¯.¡±

    Cheon Woosung clenched his fists.

    ¡°That¡­ was a sacrifice that couldn¡¯t be helped.¡±

    If they could take over the Association¡­

    ¡ªThey would be able to construct many more centers.

    ¡ªThey would be able to take all the Awakeners that abused their authority to harass civilians to court.

    ¡ªThey would be able to save more people.

    ¡ªThey would be able to protect more people.

    And that was why it couldn¡¯t be¡ª

    ¡°Stop making excuses, kid.¡±

    Step, step¡ª

    Ohjin slowly walked to Cheon Woosung.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you be more honest?¡±

    He stared down at the shaking Cheon Woosung.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to reprimand you. Revenge against Awakeners? Do whatever you want. Causing a terror and trying to pull down the Association chairman? Sure, whatever.¡±

    Not caring about the means in order to aplish their goals¡­

    It was the same for both Ohjin and Cheon Woosung.

    ¡°But¡­ you know¡­¡±

    Ohjin held up Cheon Woosung by his hair.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to crush the lives of others¡ª¡±

    He held up his fist.

    Bzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Blue lightning fiercely zed up.

    ¡°¡ªat least don¡¯t me it on your absurd beliefs.¡±

    Bam!!¡ª

    The fist wrapped in blue lightning violently struck him across the face.

 Chapter 104: Scammerâ€™s Strategy to Victory

    <strong>Chapter 104: Scammer¡¯s Strategy to Victory </strong>

    Bam!¡ª

    ¡°Kuughk!¡±

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s body was sent flying back after getting hit across the face.

    Blood dampened the floor as his bleeding injuries widened even more.

    ¡°Absurd¡­ beliefs?¡±

    Cheon Woosung clutched his cheek and staggered back up.

    Ohjin clicked his tongue as he watched him.

    ¡®Damn, his body is sturdy.¡¯

    Despite having received all those injuries, his face still felt extremely hard to his hand.

    ¡°You¡­ what do you know to spout out those words?!!¡±

    Cheon Woosung shouted as if throwing a fit.

    ¡°Nothing¡­ you know absolutely nothing¡­!¡±

    ¡ªThe whining of a young child.

    The boy who wore the mask of a man threw up his eruptive currents of emotion at Ohjin.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin silently stared into Cheon Woosung¡¯s eyes.

    ¡ªUntainted, innocent eyes.

    ¡ªExcessively pure and clear emotions.

    ¡®Did it stop?¡¯

    Nine years ago¡­

    After his mother was murdered by an Awakener¡­ Cheon Woosung¡¯s time had stopped.

    With his time still halted, only his body grew.

    ¡®If¡­¡¯

    If Ohjin had lost Ha-eun¡­

    If the thing most precious to him was taken away by the hands of another¡­

    Would he have be like Cheon Woosung?

    ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯

    There was no need to hypothesize something that hadn¡¯t even happened.

    ¡®There¡¯s something else I need to do right now.¡¯

    Ohjin raised the spear that was dug into the ground.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t want to know, either.¡±

    He aimed his spear.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t that the same for you?¡±

    Just like how he didn¡¯t know about Cheon Woosung, Woosung didn¡¯t know about Ohjin.

    ¡°Since we don¡¯t know each other¡ª¡±

    Baang!!¡ª

    He wildly kicked off.

    ¡°¡ªlet¡¯s show each other who¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    ¡ªThe tip of the sharp spear aimed at Cheon Woosung¡¯s neck.

    Cheon Woosung quickly backed off and made a sword out of ck feathers.

    ng!¡ª

    The spear and sword shed, causing the tunnel to shake from the immense impact.

    ¡°Haa, haa!¡±

    Even while gasping for air, Cheon Woosung managed to fend off the surge of spear strikes, but he was still gradually getting pushed back by the spear strikes that aimed precisely at his blind spots.

    ¡®It makes no sense¡­!¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s strength couldn¡¯t be seen as a 5-Star. Even if Cheon Woosung was in a near fatally wounded state, getting beaten up one-sidedly by a mere 5-Star Awakener was nonsensical.

    ¡®The difference between us isn¡¯t one, isn¡¯t two, but three ranks!¡¯

    Additionally, he wasn¡¯t a beginner 8-Star Awakener, but a skilled individual who was one step away from bing a 9-Star.

    Normally, he would be able to destroy a 5-Star Awakener with just the slight movement of his hand.

    ng! Kang! -kang!¡ª

    ¡°Kugh! Kuk!¡±

    ¡ªThe spear strikes that rushed in, giving him no room to breathe.

    ¡ªThe entangling wires, punches, and kicks that were mixed in between his attacks.

    Cheon Woosung started to wonder if he would be capable of blocking all those attacks in his uninjured state.

    ¡®Just why¡­?¡¯

    ¡ªHow?

    ¡°A meager¡­ lucky bastard¡­!¡±

    ¡ªSomeone who didn¡¯t have to go through any hardship.

    ¡ªSomeone who didn¡¯t have to give anything in return.

    ¡ªSomeone who was just lucky enough to be chosen by a celestial.

    Bam!¡ª

    ¡°Kuugh!¡±

    ¡®Just how can he be that strong?¡¯

    Boom! Bang!¡ª

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s body violently rolled across the ground.

    ¡°Haa! Haa!¡±

    His blood wouldn¡¯t even flow out properly anymore as he had lost too much of it.

    ¡°Ah, no¡­¡±

    He pathetically crawled on the ground.

    ¡°Things can¡¯t¡­ end like this.¡±

    Staggering, he got back up.

    Deep darkness settled in the tunnel.

    ¡°¡­Mom.¡±

    Like reaching his hand out to the night sky, Cheon Woosung reached his hand out to the tunnel ceiling with sorrow.

    ¡°Give me strength¡­ Mom.¡±

    Thump, thump¡ª

    The stigma engraved on his left chest started to shine radiantly.

    Owooong!¡ª

    The radiant rays of light covered Cheon Woosung¡¯s body.

    Flutter!¡ª

    The huge wings that spread out on his back covered his body with the goal of protecting him.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Ohjin created distance from Cheon Woosung and narrowed his eyes.

    ¡®Is it another blessing of a celestial?¡¯

    He examined Cheon Woosung while tightening his grip on the spear.

    ¡®¡­No.¡¯

    It was different from the case of Park Gunwoo and Arshad Khan.

    His skin didn¡¯t wrinkle, nor did his back curve.

    Nothing happened besides his body bing wrapped in bright rays of light.

    ¡®No way¡­¡¯

    Ohjin looked at Cheon Woosung with astonishment.

    There was only one thing that exined why the stigma¡¯s light wrapped around his entire body like that¡­

    ¡®Is that bastard bing a 9-Star?¡¯

    Like the cliche of an actionic, he was trying to step into a new realm in a moment of crisis while reminiscing about his mother.

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake.¡±

    Ohjin frowned as he raised his spear.

    ¡®I need to finish him off.¡¯

    Cheon Woosung was an 8-Star Awakener.

    If he reached a realm one step higher from there, he would be one of the high-rank Awakeners who were known to be in a non-human realm.

    ¡®And once that happens, everything¡¯s over.¡¯

    Even if it was Ohjin, he couldn¡¯t face a high-rank Awakener.

    ¡®I have to kill him before he finishes his awakening!¡¯

    Ohjin wasn¡¯t stupid¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t keep still and wait for the enemy to finish awakening like a viin in an actionic.

    If Cheon Woosung was gathering all of his strength while reminiscing about his mother in a moment of crisis, he needed to stab him and send him to his mother¡¯s side.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Ch-hat!¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    He kicked off and sprinted at Cheon Woosung, who was covered in ck wings.

    Concentrating mana at the tip of his spear, he thrusted forward.

    Ka-ka-kang!!!¡ª

    Sparks appeared on the spear¡¯s de that was blocked by the wings.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ohjin added strength in an attempt to cut the wings, but the spear bounced back without even being able to dig into one-third of it.

    Flutter!¡ª

    Ttu! Ttu! Tu!¡ª

    The wings that weren¡¯t cut shot ck feathers and hit Ohjin¡¯s body.

    ¡°Argh!!¡±

    They lodged into his shoulders, thighs, and side.

    Ohjin gritted his teeth and once again thrusted his spear to the same location.

    ng!¡ª

    The spear¡¯s de bounced back with a powerful repulsive force.

    Even worse, the wings that were injured by the continuous spear strikes turned back into their original shape in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    It was disgustingly hard and even regenerated on its own.

    ¡®I can¡¯t pierce it with my current strength.¡¯

    If he couldn¡¯t break through while using both Lightning mes and Exceed, there was no way other skills such as Lightning Charge would work.

    ¡®My only option is to attack while avoiding those wings.¡¯

    But even that wasn¡¯t easy, as the ck wings were covering Cheon Woosung¡¯s bodypletely without a gap in sight.

    Ttutututututu!!¡ª

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    They didn¡¯t only defend, either.

    The ck wings kept shooting feathers at him, making it difficult for him to attack.

    ¡®Goddammit.¡¯

    The rays of light gradually became brighter.

    There was no time.

    Ohjin gritted his teeth and showered attacks at the ck wings that wrapped around Cheon Woosung.

    ng! Kang! -kang!!¡ª

    However, the ck wings would intercept and fend off the spear no matter how many times he struck.

    ¡°Ugh!!¡±

    The feathers shot from the wings dug into Ohjin¡¯s body.

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    Ohjin chewed on his lips with a nervous expression.

    He had resolved himself to attacking the wings without rest while enduring its attacks, but he still wasn¡¯t able to pierce through in the end.

    It felt like he was facing Sigiriya, the rock fortress.

    ¡®Attacking like this is meaningless.¡¯

    Due to the fast regeneration speed of the wings, constantly showering attacks had little to no effect.

    ¡®I need to pierce it in one go.¡¯

    ¡®But how?¡¯

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin was able to fight on even grounds with even a 8-Star Awakener because of the power of the ck Heaven and stigma of Lyra, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was still a 5-Star Awakener.

    He had an abundant amount of mana remaining thanks to what he had absorbed using the ck Heaven, however¡­

    ¡®Ultimately¡­ I¡¯m limited by my narrow mana circuits.¡¯

    ¡ªThe narrow mana circuits that were unavoidable as a 5-Star Awakener.

    ¡ªThat was what held him back.

    ¡®I¡¯m already using Exceed.¡¯

    What Exceed did in the first ce was squeeze his mana circuits to increase the speed and pressure of his mana cirction¡ªit didn¡¯t allow him to use more mana at once.

    ¡®In that case.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone keenly.

    He stopped his attacks and lowered his spear.

    ¡®If there¡¯s a limit to how much mana I can release at once¡­¡¯

    Without releasing his mana, he built it up.

    Hepressed and condensed it.

    Creak! Crunch! Crack!¡ª

    The spear curled up like a pig¡¯s tail as it couldn¡¯t handle the excessive amounts of mana getting pushed into it.

    ¡®This won¡¯t work.¡¯

    The spear wouldn¡¯tst much longer.

    ¡®If the spear won¡¯t work¡ª¡¯

    Ohjin nced down at the spear grasped in his hand.

    He startedpressing mana into not his spear¡­ but his hand.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Tremble¡ª

    Ohjin¡¯s spear-holding hand shook violently.

    -Ring!

    [Warning! Mana has beenpressed beyond your limit!]

    [You will enter the ¡®unstable¡¯ state if you do not release your mana!]

    A red warning message tried to prevent his actions.

    ¡®Unstable state¡­ isn¡¯t that what Lee Shinhyuk died to?¡¯

    Smirk¡ª

    The edge of his mouth rose as he insteadpressed even more mana into his mana circuits.

    ¡°Kugh! Kua, ugh.¡±

    The blood vessels in his eyes exploded, causing blood to run down his eyes.

    ¡ªEven from his nose, mouth, and ears.

    ¡ªRed liquid flowed down and drenched his body.

    -Ring!

    [Warning! Mana has beenpressed beyond your limit!]

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    He got rid of the warning message that popped up in front of his eyes and added strength into his hand that held the spear.

    Crack! Crunch!¡ª

    Was it because it couldn¡¯t endure the mana¡¯spression? His hand twisted with the sound of crunching bones.

    As his fingers twisted as they pleased, his wrist turned at an angle that shouldn¡¯t be possible.

    Bang!¡ª

    He used the wire to tightly tie up his distorted hand with the spear.

    ¡®One more time.¡¯

    He pushed in mana.

    Cruuuunch!!¡ª

    Bone fragments dug out of his flesh and burst out.

    However¡­

    Despite that¡­

    ¡°¡ªHaa.¡±

    One more time.

    Hepressed mana.

    One more time.

    Hepressed mana.

    One more time. One more time. One more time.

    -Ring! Ring! Ring!

    Red warning messages filled his sight of view.

    The horrifying pain of sharp hooks tearing up his flesh ruthlessly tormented his entire body.

    ¡°Fu, haha!¡±

    Ohjin smiled brightly inside the rushing banquet of pain.

    -Ring!

    [You have sessfully maintained your control of lightning in an extreme state!]

    [You have learnt ¡¶Charge Lv1¡· and ¡¶Discharge Lv1¡·!]

    [¡¶Charge Lv1¡· and ¡¶Discharge Lv1¡· have both increased to level 6 due to the influence of ¡¶Lightning&Thunder Lv9¡·]

    Charge and Discharge¡­

    The method of using the newly obtained skills flowed into his head.

    ¡®I¡¯ve already charged as much as I can.¡¯

    And so¡­

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    He looked at Cheon Woosung who was hiding inside the ck wings and right in front of the alley that led to the 9-Star rank.

    ¡°Ahh, Mom¡­ Thank you.¡±

    Was it because he could see his mother weing him? Ohjin could hear Cheon Woosung weep inside the wings.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Ohjin smirked.

    Bzzzzzzzzzt!!!!¡ª

    The blue lightningpressed to its limit, no,pressed exceeding its limit, zed fiercely.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send you to your mom that you want to see so much!!¡±

    Discharge¡­

    The currents of blue lightning surged to Cheon Woosung, who was hidden within the wings.

 Chapter 105: Scammerâ€™s Strategy to Victory (7)

    <strong>Chapter 105: Scammer¡¯s Strategy to Victory (7)</strong>

    Bzzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª

    Currents of blue lightning assaulted Cheon Woosung.

    The ck wings that covered his body were easily ripped to shreds, leaving his bodypletely exposed.

    ¡°¡­Ah?¡±

    Cheon Woosung, who was wrapped in rays of light, looked at Ohjin.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    He stared at the zing blue lightning in front of his eyes with an expression of disbelief.

    ¡°What does it look like?¡±

    Ohjin threw the broken spear to the side and clenched his fist that was crushed frompressing mana over its limit.

    Ignoring the intense pain that radiated from his arm, he punched with all his might.

    ¡°It¡¯s a one-way ticket to your mom.¡±

    Puuuk!!¡ª

    The fist withpressed blue lightning pierced through Woosung¡¯s chest.

    Red flesh pulsated inside Ohjin¡¯s fist that emerged from Woosung¡¯s back.

    ¡°C-Cough!¡±

    Blood gushed out of Woosung¡¯s mouth, whose heart had been torn out.

    ¡°Why, why¡­?¡±

    As if he still hadn¡¯t gotten a grasp of the situation, he helplesslyy on the ground with widened eyes.

    ¡°¡­Fuu.¡±

    Ohjin exhaled out a low breath.

    ¡°Mom¡­ M-Mom¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He looked down at Cheon Woosung, who was looking for his mother on the ground with sorrow.

    Was it because he was an Awakener who was right in front of the 9-Star rank? Despite his heart being torn out whole, Cheon Woosung wasn¡¯t letting go of his thread of life and was holding on desperately.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    It tasted bitter.

    An unpleasant feeling like stepping on mud with bare feet epassed his body.

    ¡®What¡¯s so great about a mom.¡¯

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t understand why Cheon Woosung called out for his mom so pitifullym as he had been abandoned without even knowing his parents¡¯ faces from birth.

    ¡°Mo¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    After shutting up the weeping Cheon Woosung, he sighed and searched through his pockets.

    ¡®Indeed.¡¯

    As expected of a mama boy, there was a photo of his mother inside a small diary deep within his pocket.

    ¡ªA picture of a normal middle-aged Korean woman with permed hair.

    The woman who looked so normal that you would see a lookalike every 30 seconds pass by in the streets was a being so important to Cheon Woosung that she hadpletely changed his life.

    ¡®Transformation.¡¯

    Crunch, crack!¡ª

    His face changed.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Light appeared on Cheon Woosung¡¯s eyes that had begun to fade.

    ¡°M-Mom?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Was there a need to reply? Ohjin looked down at him in silence.

    ¡°Ha, haha! M-Mom!¡±

    Tears ran down Cheon Woosung¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°I-I wanted to see you¡­ I¡­ I really wanted¡­¡±

    Tremble¡ª

    His shaking hands reached out to Ohjin affectionately.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ mo¡­¡±

    Flop¡ª

    The hand that was reaching out to Ohjin stopped mid-way and dropped onto the ground.

    The light in Cheon Woosung¡¯s eyespletely disappeared.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A serene silence settled down.

    Ohjin clicked his tongue again and walked to Cheon Woosung.

    ¡®Doing stuff like this really doesn¡¯t suit me, but I guess I can at least send him off in peace.¡¯

    * * *

    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±

    Ohjin extended out his hand to the copsed Cheon Woosung.

    ¡®ck Heaven.¡¯

    ck clouds covered Cheon Woosung¡¯spletely perforated chest. He was slightly worried that it wouldn¡¯t be able to absorb with his heart torn out whole¡ª

    Rumble¡ª

    ¡ªbut as if saying that his worries were unnecessary, a shocking amount of mana instantly flowed through the ck clouds.

    ¡®It¡¯s tremendous.¡¯

    Rather than the amount, the mana itself was much denserpared to Park Gunwoo, who was also an 8-Star Awakener.

    ¡®With mana this thick¡­¡¯

    It would be possible to exert much more powerful firepower despite using the same amount of mana. That kind of mana couldn¡¯t be more weing to Ohjin, who was going through trouble because of his narrow mana circuits.

    ck clouds gushed out more intensely and increased the speed of mana absorption.

    Owooong!!¡ª

    The radiant rays of light that shot out of his stigma covered Ohjin¡¯s body.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    It was a phenomenon close to what happened to Cheon Woosung.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    The burning pain on his chest made Ohjin groan.

    But soon after¡ª

    -Ring!

    [Stigma of Lyra has been promoted to 6-Star!]

    ¡ªstrength boiled up all over his body as the sixth flick was engraved next to his stigma.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    ¡ªGrowth of the body.

    His bones hardened, and his muscles toughened.

    Transcendental strength that made him feel like he would be able to tear rebar with his bare hands permeated into his body.

    ¡®And¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s lips curved up.

    The growth of the body also signified the widening of the mana circuits that flowed internally in his body.

    Bzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Blue lightning zed fiercely in Ohjin¡¯s hand.

    The amount of mana he could use at once increased substantially once again as he became a 6-Star Awakener.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s still the same as using a garden hose to drain out water from a 100-tonne water tank.¡¯

    But that didn¡¯t mean he wasckingpared to Awakeners of the same rank¡ªit was only because his mana reserve was iparably vast.

    ¡®Looks like our goddess will swoon again once she sees this.¡¯

    Bing a 6-Star without it having been even a year since awakening¡­

    It was an unprecedented speed of growth that would make others suspect him of cheating.

    However¡ª

    ¡°There¡¯s still a long way to go.¡±

    ¡ªhe was far from satisfied.

    In order to act as the savior of humanity, the Heaven-defying Star, he needed even more overwhelming strength.

    ¡®I need to get stronger.¡¯

    ¡ªSo that no one would be able to look down on him.

    ¡ªSo that no one would dare to touch what was his.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    When he was in the middle of setting a firm resolution¡ª

    Bzz¡ª

    ¡®Is it a transmission?¡¯

    ¡ªhis sight of view changed with a familiar sensation.

    Ohjin focused his mind on Cheon Woosung¡¯s memories that flowed into his head.

    -¡­do you need that for?

    -Holholhol. There¡¯s no need for you to know.

    The old man with wrinkly skin smiled gently at Cheon Woosung.

    -Moreover, are the ns proceeding smoothly?

    -Yes. We¡¯ll be able to take over the Association if we seed in the operation.

    -Holholhol. You¡¯re doing well.

    -¡­

    Contemtion clouded Cheon Woosung¡¯s eyes.

    -Father. I think this n is¡­

    -Woosung.

    Like stroking a beloved treasure, the old man ced his hand on Cheon Woosung¡¯s cheek.

    <strong>-Have you forgotten what happened to your mother?</strong>

    -¡­Th-That¡¯s!

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s expression stiffened.

    -Holholhol. Don¡¯t think about useless things.

    The old man stroked Cheon Woosung¡¯s hair with a caring touch.

    -The only thing you need to do¡­ is follow the words of your father.

    -¡­

    Cheon Woosung¡¯s eyes suddenly became blurry as if he was hypnotized.

    -Yes¡­ Father.

    With Cheon Woosung bowing deeply at the end¡ª

    -Ring!

    [Part of the records of Awakener ¡®Cheon Woosung¡¯ have been sessfully inherited!]

    [The stigma of Noctua has beenpletely subordinated by the ck Heaven!]

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s new trait, ¡®Domination¡¯, has been acquired.]

    [You can exert control over Awakeners who possess the stigma of Noctua.]

    ¡ªthe memories cut off.

    ¡°Ooh,¡± eximed Ohjin shortly.

    ¡®Did this happen because I kept absorbing the stigma of Noctua?¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t be sure of its effects as he hadn¡¯t experimented yet, but dominating Awakeners seemed like it would be quite a useful ability.

    ¡®Cheon Doyoon.¡¯

    The King of Owls.

    ¡®Did that guy¡­ instigate Cheon Woosung?¡¯

    Ohjin even started to think of the possibility that the reason Cheon Woosung remained as a ¡®boy¡¯ and only grew on the outside was because of Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡®What¡¯s he scheming?¡¯

    It seemed like, ording to the conversation, Cheon Doyoon was looking for something, but he wasn¡¯t able to figure out what as the front part of the sentence was cut off.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ohjin frowned and kept thinking, but he didn¡¯t have enough clues to deduce what Cheon Doyoon was nning.

    ¡®I guess I have no choice but to stay on maximum alert.¡¯

    Unlike Cheon Woosung, Cheon Doyoon was an opponent he couldn¡¯t face.

    ¡®He¡¯s probably a high-rank Awakener like Isabe.¡¯

    As he was ranked 6th, he would likely be that much weaker than Isabe, who was ranked 3rd, but he would still be incredibly strong as an Executor who led one of the ck Star Organization¡¯s seven factions.

    ¡®If I use Isabe¡­¡¯

    Ohjin stopped his thoughts and shook his head.

    It was too risky.

    Isabe was too powerful of a being for him to control.

    ¡®And with that being the case¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone keenly.

    ¡®The only thing I can do right now is build up as much strength as I can before Cheon Doyoon makes his move.¡¯

    He had to be strong to the extent where he could face a high-rank Awakener ande out on top.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and kept thinking.

    ¡®A method for rapid growth¡­¡¯

    There was one thing he had in mind.

    ¡®I¡¯m not sure if what I¡¯m thinking will work.¡±

    It was still worth a try.

    ¡°Let¡¯s contact General Manager Han first.¡±

    Ohjin smiled as he got back on his feet.

    ¡®The rewards will probably be hefty.¡¯

    Not only had he nned the operation to catch Cheon Woosung, but he had also taken him down during his escape. He had yed such a big role thatparing contributions would make other people embarrassed.

    With the Association chairman¡¯s personality, he would prepare a reward fitting his contribution, even if he didn¡¯t bring it up.

    ¡®I wonder how much he¡¯ll reward me with.¡¯

    Hehehe¡ª

    Just imagining it made Ohjin¡¯s lips curve up.

    He wasn¡¯t in dire need of money, but there was nothing bad about amassing more money.

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    When he moved his arm in order to take out his phone from his pocket¡ª

    Throb!¡ª

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    ¡ªan intense pain rode up his arm.

    Hisplete mess of an arm came into sight as he frowned and looked down.

    ¡®It¡¯s bepletely wrecked.¡¯

    Ohjin had forgotten about it, as a lot of information had rushed in after the fight. Not only his arm but his entire body was in aplete wreck.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    It was like how injuries felt painless until you discovered them. Once he was aware of the state of his body, aches and fatigue weighed down his body.

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    Flop¡ª

    Ohjin wasn¡¯t even able to bnce his body and fell down onto the ground.

    ¡°I need to¡­ contact him.¡±

    Owooong!¡ª

    He activated the stigma of Aquarius and tried to heal his body, but even that wasn¡¯t easy.

    The blue light that built up at the tip of his finger kept falling apart.

    ¡®I¡¯m so sleepy.¡¯

    As the tension was released all of a sudden, intense fatigue and sleepiness rushed in at once.

    ¡°Just¡­ five minutes¡­¡±

    With his body leaning on the tunnel wall, Ohjin slowly closed his eyes.

    * * *

    ¡°¡ªDon¡¯t you think this is a bit much?¡±

    Tap, tap, tap!¡ª

    She temperamentally hit the floor with the heel of her shoe.

    ¡°How could he not send me a message or call a single time?¡±

    ¡°Th-That is¡­¡±

    The woman was chewing her lips with her legs crossed.

    Dragging back her blond hair that shone beautifully as if it was melted gold, she quibbled to the old man who was bowing in front of her.

    ¡°Was there something I didn¡¯t do enough of? I kept staying by his side to nurse him and even personally cooked for him.¡±

    ¡°I-I believe that your Majesty has done everything she could¡¯ve.¡±

    ¡°Then, by any chance, are my looks not to his liking?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!!¡±

    The old man¡¯s eyes widened like he thought the question was absurd.

    ¡°There is no man in the world who wouldn¡¯t fall for your Majesty¡¯s beautiful looks!!¡±

    The old man shouted in a voice so loud that the veins on his neck popped out as his neatly organized white mustache shook.

    ¡°Then¡ª¡±

    The woman¡¯s eyes shone frighteningly.

    A thick, red energy overflowed and spread out.

    Rumble!!!¡ª

    The entire residence shook as if an earthquake had urred.

    ¡°¡ªjust why isn¡¯t he contacting me?¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Roberto, aren¡¯t you the one who said I shouldn¡¯t be the one to contact first in this situation?¡±

    ¡°F-Forgive me, Your Majesty!!¡±

    Gulp¡ª

    Roberto, the old man bowing in front of the woman, gulped out of anxiety.

    His neatly ironed butler outfit became drenched in sweat.

    ¡°Well, whatever.¡±

    The woman twisted her sleek legs while sitting on a luxurious chair.

    Her pure white skin that was exposed through the gaps of her dress shone like gems.

    ¡°Since things havee to this, I¡¯ll just have to go visit him myself.¡±

    She stuck out her tongue and licked her red lips.

 Chapter 106: Ha-eun and the Queen (1)

    <strong>Chapter 106: Ha-eun and the Queen (1)</strong>

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    Roberto quickly looked up with a shocked expression.

    ¡°H-However, if your Majesty bes absent at this important moment¡­¡±

    The bothersome hindrance that was the Marco Family had just disappeared. The ¡®Hirudo¡¯ faction was in desperate need of Isabe¡¯s strength in order to take over Italy.

    ¡°Fufu.¡±

    A pretty smile was ced on Isabe¡¯s face.

    She slowly extended out her hand and stroked Roberto¡¯s chin, who was bowing down.

    ¡°H-Hik!¡±

    Roberto¡¯s face turned pale.

    ¡°Roberto, since when were you allowed toment on my words?¡±

    ¡°Forgive me!!¡±

    Tremble¡ª

    His body shook and soon¡ªBang!, he mmed his head into the ground.

    ¡°Hmpf.¡±

    Isabe looked down at Roberto with cold eyes and ran her fingers through her hair.

    ¡°Well, meeting him isn¡¯t the only reason I¡¯m going there.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°The Owls.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Roberto¡¯s face stiffened from the word ¡®Owls¡¯. The way he appeared as he bowed down beneath Isabe¡¯s feet while shiveringpletely disappeared as killing intent like that of a bloodthirsty serial killer spewed out.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of finding out how they were able to get their hands on the Forbidden Purple Enclosure.¡±

    Isabe narrowed her eyes and continued.

    ¡°After all¡­ there¡¯s a slight possibility that the <strong>¡®Snakes¡¯ </strong>were controlling the Owls in the dark.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I should also¡ª¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just mention that it¡¯s an important moment?¡±

    Isabe going absent was already a big problem. The ns of taking over Italy would basically go down the drain if the second-inmand, Roberto, also left his seat.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Fufu. Roberto, you stay here in Italy and lead the ck Star Organization, okay?¡±

    Isabe put on a faint smile and lightly tapped on Roberto¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°I shall follow the queen¡¯smand.¡±

    Roberto deeply bowed down his head.

    ¡°Hmm. Well, then¡­¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes shone as she slightly licked the tip of her finger.

    ¡°Roberto, there¡¯s something I need you to find out.¡±

    ¡°Give me the word. If it¡¯s about the Owls, I already have a decent amount of¡ª¡±

    ¡°No. Not that.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then?¡± Roberto tilted his head.

    ¡°Get me a list of what Korean males like the most! Everything ranked from 1st to 30th ce!¡±

    Isabe puffed air out of her nose with excitement as she clenched both of her fists.

    ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±

    Robero clutched his head as if he had gotten a headache.

    * * *

    [ording to the results of the Association¡¯s investigation, the mastermind behind the horrifying terror that urred in Guro-dong was one of the board members, Managing Director Lee Woosung, who was also connected to the group known as the ck Star Organization¡­]

    Beep¡ª

    Ohjin pressed on the remote¡¯s power button with his toe and turned the TV off.

    ¡®With this, the existence of the ck Star Organization has be known in earnest.¡¯

    The ck Star Organization¡¯s brutality had beenpletely exposed from the incident. The organization that controlled demon beasts to massacre hundreds of civilians was an abomination to man and god.

    ¡®The other atrocities theymitted are also starting toe to light.¡¯

    And amongst them, the fact that they kidnapped and brutally murdered the brother of Lee Woohyuk was a big shock to people all around the nation.

    ¡°Pieces of shit.¡±

    Ohjin shook his head at the heartless atrocities theymitted.

    He wasn¡¯t the only one who was furious.

    It was easy to tell how overwhelming their fury was when the petition to punish the ck Star Organization had received over hundreds of thousands of agreements without it having passed three days.

    ¡®Well, the ck Star Organization won¡¯t disappear that easily.¡¯

    Though Cheon Woosung had died, it didn¡¯t mean theplete disappearance of the Noctua faction. Not only was there an unknown number of members remaining, their ¡®King¡¯, Cheon Doyoon, was still alive.

    ¡®Although he hasn¡¯t been seentely¡­¡¯

    Once the Association andrge guilds started to make moves to punish the ck Star Organization, Cheon Doyoon would also have no choice but to be exposed.

    Looking at the situation, Ohjin should also be very busy with preparations, however¡­

    [¡ªDo not even think of moving until your arm ispletely recovered.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Vega, who was sitting next to him, flew in front of his eyes and crossed her arms with a stern expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay now.¡±

    [Okay? What part of you is okay!!] Vega shouted out as she ced her hands on her hip.

    [Didn¡¯t you turn the TV off with your toe just now because you can¡¯t move your fingers?]

    ¡°Um.¡±

    As she said, his mana circuits themselves had be wrecked due to excessivelypressing mana into both of his arms during thest fight.

    He was able to move his arm somehow, but his fingers wouldn¡¯t even budge.

    ¡®Water Affinity can only heal external wounds, after all.¡¯

    He had heard that the stigma of Aquarius could heal internal wounds at a higher proficiency, but his proficiency wasn¡¯t there yet.

    Ultimately, Ohjin was in a state where he couldn¡¯t use either of his hands until his mana circuits recovered naturally.

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s a mountain of things I have to do.¡±

    Tch¡ª

    Ohjin clicked his tongue and exhaled a deep breath.

    Not being able to use both of his arms was quite fatal when he needed to get used to his strengthened body and stigma from rising to the 6-Star rank and also had to experiment with the nearly learned Charge and Discharge skills.

    [Why are you in such a rush when you¡¯ve be a 6-Star recently?]

    Vega asked reproachingly.

    ¡°A huge war will happen soon.¡±

    [¡­A war?]

    Ohjin nodded his head.

    Even without Lew Shinhyuk¡¯s memories, it wasn¡¯t hard toe to the conclusion that an all-out war with the Noctua faction would happen soon.

    ¡°Before¡­ I wasn¡¯t able to do anything because I was powerless.¡±

    Ogjin looked at Vega with hazy eyes like he was recalling his past.

    [By ¡®before¡¯, do you mean¡­]

    ¡°In the 1st Round.¡±

    He avoided her gaze with eyes containing sadness.

    ¡°I was a beginner Awakener who just became a 3-Star back then.¡±

    Ohjin created false memories.

    Like writing a novel, the memories of his made-up past came out of his mouth.

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t even know why a fight broke out. Forget about saving others, I was too busy trying to protect myself.¡±

    [My child¡­]

    ¡°However, isn¡¯t it different now?¡±

    Ohjin smiled faintly.

    ¡°My strength has be iparable to back then. Vega¡­ I also have you by my side now.¡±

    And so¡­

    ¡°Can I do training that doesn¡¯t require my fingers¡ª¡±

    [No.]

    Tch¡ª

    ¡®That didn¡¯t work?¡¯

    [My child.]

    Rays of light covered Vega¡¯s body as she erged.

    After Vega returned to her true form, she extended her hands out and pulled on Ohjin¡¯s head.

    ¡ªA gentle touch like an autumn breeze.

    Cozy warmth spread from the skin that contacted his cheek.

    [How are you able to constantly put others before yourself?]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Putting others before himself? Ohjin had decided to let her think of him that way, but honestly, he had never imagined that he would hear someone say those words to him in his life.

    [I understand how you feel about wanting to protect others. However, you shouldn¡¯t overexert yourself to the extent of ruining your body.]

    She continued in a tone of admonishing an immature child.

    [Aren¡¯t you the only one who can change the predetermined destiny? Of course, other people are also important¡­ but you must ce your highest priority on yourself.]

    ¡°Vega¡­¡±

    [Don¡¯t try to shoulder everything on yourself.]

    Boop¡ª

    Vega used the tip of her finger to yfully push his nose.

    [As you have said¡­ aren¡¯t I with you this time?]

    Vega smiled caringly and increased the strength of her pulling arms.

    An unexinable soft sensation pressed down on both of his cheeks.

    [Just like how you are trying to prevent the destiny of my tragic ending, I will also put everything on the line to protect you.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    [Fufu. Are you flustered? Your cheeks have heated up.]

    ¡®¡­How would it be normal in this situation.¡¯

    [There¡¯s no need to be flushed. Put down everything¡­ and leave your body to thisdy¡¯s embrace.]

    Her tender voice rang through his ears.

    Was it because she was a celestial? Some kind of irresistible magic was permeating through her voice.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    A drowsy sensation settled in his body.

    Heavy sleepiness spread out.

    Ohjin slowly closed his eyes in Vega¡¯s embrace.

    [Fufu. You¡¯re strange.]

    She smiled warmly and stroked Ohjin¡¯s hair.

    [Tell me whenever you want to loosen up and act immaturely. Thisdy will take care of you.]

    ¡°Vega¡­¡±

    ¡®Wow, is this the thing called a mother¡¯s love? I can see why that bastard Cheon Woosung became like that.¡¯

    With a somewhat itchy sensation, the craving of wanting to leave everything to her soared up.

    ¡®If it¡¯s for just a moment, isn¡¯t it fine to stay like this?¡¯

    When he left his body to her embrace while having those thoughts¡ª

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡ªHa-eun¡¯s voice woke up his drowsy mind.

    ¡°K-Khm! H-Ha-eun, you¡¯re home.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. I bought some things for you to eat.¡±

    Thud¡ª

    Ha-eun put down the hefty stic bags and nced at Vega sharply.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t hold it in for that small amount of time and went into heat.¡±

    [W-Went into heat?! How impertinent!]

    Vega quickly got back up.

    [Thisdy is simply taking care of her child!]

    ¡°Keep taking care of him like that and there¡¯ll be another child we have to take care of.¡±

    [Y-Your mouth is vulgar!]

    ¡°Heh. It¡¯s better than pretending to be elegant.¡±

    A feisty atmosphere settled down between Ha-eun and Vega.

    However, soon after¡­

    [Fuu. Let¡¯s stop this unnecessary fighting. My child¡¯s body is injured right now.]

    ¡°¡­Tch. Alright.¡±

    Was it because they were used to each other?

    Or maybe because of Ohjin¡¯s injured state?

    Their battle of nerves didn¡¯tst all that long.

    ¡°Ohjin, let¡¯s eat food. I bought a lot of all kinds of stuff.¡±

    ¡°What did you buy?¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Rustle, rustle¡ª

    Ha-eun took out what was inside the stic bags.

    Inside was take-out nutrient porridge, ginseng chicken soup, eel, and various kinds of dishes that were known to be healthy for the body.

    ¡°Why did you get so much?¡±

    As an estimate, the amount of food looked to be close to 10 servings.

    ¡°You need to eat a lot to get better when you¡¯re recovering. Seriously, you alwayse back home injured.¡±

    * * *

    Ha-eun lightly hit Ohjin¡¯s head and pulled him over to the dining table.

    ¡°Open wide~¡±

    Ha-eun sat right next to Ohjin on the right and used her chopsticks to ce a piece of eel close to his mouth.

    ¡°¡­I can eat by myself.¡±

    ¡°How are you going to do that with your arm in that state?¡±

    ¡°If I hold it with my wrist like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense, and open your mouth.¡±

    Ha-eun recklessly pushed the eel into his mouth.

    ¡°¡­nom, nom.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s tasty, right? I bought the most expensive ones while thinking about you.¡±

    Ha-eun smiled sheepishly and picked up a spoonful of nutrient porridge.

    However, before she was able to put the nutrient porridge inside Ohjin¡¯s mouth, a finely cut piece of chicken entered it first.

    [Fufu. Is it tasty?]

    Vega, who had sat on the left, warmly patted the head of Ohjin, who was eagerly chewing.

    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m the one who bought them!¡±

    [Isn¡¯t there too much food for you to feed him alone?]

    ¡°¡­You really are a sly snake.¡±

    [You¡¯ll be wise like thisdy once you gather up experience across your ample life.]

    ¡°Heh. Must be nice to have lived so long, old woman.¡±

    [O-Old woman¡­!]

    ¡°No, is it grandma? Hmm¡­ no, not even that. A celestial should¡¯ve lived a couple thousand years at minimu¡ª¡±

    [Be quiet!]

    Ha-eun and Vega quibbled as usual as they kept cing food into Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡®¡­Should I be liking this?¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t be happier as two shockingly beautiful women were feeding him, but it was hard to enjoy the happiness, as the mood was so intense.

    A feeling somewhat akin to eating food between two extremely pretty bombs?

    ¡®Well¡­ still.¡¯

    A calm smile was ced on Ohjin¡¯s face.

    ¡®It isn¡¯t cold.¡¯

    The cozy warmth that transmitted through his arms spread to his entire body.

    The warmth that he would protect at all costs and that couldn¡¯t be more precious.

    ¡°Now, now! There¡¯s still a lot left!¡±

    [Fufu. Try this out, as well!]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He even felt like he would explode as the warmth felt too hot.

    Nom, nom¡ª

    He smiled as he rigorously chewed through the food that was pushed into his mouth.

    * * *

    ¡°Fua~!¡±

    Ohjin, whose stomach had been filled to the limit, ran away to the bathroom with the excuse that he was going to wash up.

    ¡°Too much is as bad as too little.¡±

    He awkwardly shook his arms that didn¡¯t move properly to take off his clothes and went into the bathroom.

    Shwaaaaa!¡ª

    When he turned on the water and was drenching his body¡ª

    Click¡ª

    ¡ªcarefully, the bathroom door opened.

    ¡°Wh-What?¡±

    Ohjin looked back with a surprised expression.

    ¡°K-Khm.¡±

    In that ce was Ha-eun with a heated face, standing there covered with a thin towel.

    ¡°H-Ha-eun?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to wash with your arm like that, right?¡±

    She twirled her hair with the tip of her finger and entered.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll help you wash.¡±

    ¡°What are you¡ª¡±

    Before Ohjin was able to say anything, Ha-eun entered the shower.

    And then¡ª

    ¡°Stay still.¡±

    ¡ªthe thin towel that was covering her body was thrown off without hesitation.

 Chapter 107: Ha-eun and the Queen (2)

    <strong>Chapter 107: Ha-eun and the Queen (2)</strong>

    ¡°H-Ha-eun?¡±

    As Ojjin freaked out and looked away¡ª

    ¡°Pfft!¡±

    ¡ªsuppressedughter exploded out of Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    Ohjin furrowed his brow and looked back at Ha-eun.

    Ha-eun, who wore a ck off-shoulder bikini and was yfully sticking out her tongue, came into sight.

    ¡°Haha¡­¡±

    A forced chuckle left Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Kyahahahaha!!! Why? Were you looking forward to seeing me naked?¡±

    Finding something pleasing, she clutched her belly and burst out in uncontrobleughter.

    ¡°Hm~? Why don¡¯t you try saying it yourself: ¡®I wanted to see you naked¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Poke, poke¡ª

    Ha-eun poked his face with her finger and giggled.

    Thick veins started to pop out on Ohjin¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°With the rtionship we¡¯re in, there¡¯s no need to cover yourself with this piece of cloth, is there?¡±

    He pulled himself close to her body and pushed her near the wall.

    ¡°U-Uuh?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes looked around with a panicked expression.

    ¡°¡ªHere, take it off,¡± Ohjin said as he pointed to her bikini.

    ¡°A-A-Are you crazy?! What are you talking about!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s face heated up as she kicked Ohjin¡¯s shin.

    ¡°¡­lter.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°Sh-Shut up and sit down here!¡±

    Thud, thud!¡ª

    Ha-eun shouted out as she tapped on the bathroom chair.

    Ohjin looked at her in a dumbfounded manner.

    ¡°You¡¯re actually going to wash me?¡±

    ¡°Then should I pretend to wash you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child, you know?¡±

    ¡°You look like a child to me.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re only two years apart¡­ but¡­ well, I guess your front digit is different from mine.¡±

    Ohjin was still in his energic twenties, while Ha-eun was in her thir¡ª

    ¡°Hm? What did you say just now?¡±

    ¡°Waah. Me baby Ohjin. Wash me.¡±

    ¡°Idiot.¡±

    Ha-eun smiled and raised the towel.

    Ohjin sighed, used the towel that Ha-eun was wearing to cover hisher regions, and sat down on the chair.

    Shwaaaa!¡ª

    He drenched his body in the warm water that came out of the shower head.

    ¡°Your hands¡­ do they still hurt?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t hurt anymore. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t move them.¡±

    ¡°Sigh, seriously.¡±

    p!¡ª

    Ha-eun struck down on his back.

    A distinct red handprint appeared on his back, which was filled with tough muscles.

    ¡°¡­You always head off somewhere and return injured.¡±

    Ha-eun leaned her forehead on Ohjin¡¯s back.

    ¡°Do¡­ do you know how worried I was when I heard you had copsed?¡±

    ¡ªA voice on the verge of tears.

    Ohjin, who had decided to sleep for just five minutes after defeating Cheon Woosung, had ended up staying unconscious for three hours.

    The one who had found him copsed was the Hound, Choi Woojin.

    After finishing the feisty battle with the Owls brought by Cheon Woosung, the Hound had chased after his escaping tracks and discovered Ohjin.

    Back when he was first discovered, Ohjin¡¯s arms were said to be so severely damaged that they were irreparable.

    ¡®Well, I did recover by using Water Affinity after that.¡¯

    His internal injuries certainly did seem to be severe, judging by the fact his fingers wouldn¡¯t budge, even when a couple of days had passed.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the only time.¡±

    Ha-eun pouted and reached her hands out to touch Ohjin¡¯s back.

    There were a bunch of small andrge scars engraved onto his muscr back.

    Scars from before he became an Awakener¡ªduring the days when she was blinded by the Thousand Curse Dragon¡ªwere mixed with the uncountable number of scars earned across his life.

    ¡°¡­You really are an idiot.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot.¡±

    Ohjin smiled slightly and shook his head.

    ¡°Without these, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stay together with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s pupils trembled.

    ¡°Even though I¡¯ve gotten injured a lot of times, not once have I regretted it.¡±

    If it was for her, he would ept those scars with a smile.

    ¡°Ah, y-you, saying those kinds of phrases again.¡±

    Ha-eun hid her cheeks that were starting to be beet-red and hit him on the back once again.

    That time it was a light p that was more like a pat.

    ¡°There really is no stopping you¡­¡±

    With a sheepish smile, Ha-eun put body wash on the towel and softly rubbed Ohjin¡¯s body with it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you until your hands get better, so be obedient, okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­You aren¡¯t going to follow me in every time I wash, are you?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, why? Isn¡¯t it nice to look at my beautiful body?¡±

    It was certainly appealing as Ha-eun, who had a body that most models couldn¡¯tpare to, wore a risque bikini on top of that. However¡­

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to hold it in.¡±

    The destructive power was too high.

    Although he had been with her for a long time, he didn¡¯t have the confidence to hold in his desire as a functional man if she came in every time he needed to wash his body.

    ¡°¡­you don¡¯t need to.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°I-It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Scrub, scrub¡ª

    Ha-eun rubbed the towel roughly as if she was trying to scrub the dead skin off.

    ¡°Come to think of it, where¡¯s Vega?¡±

    ¡°She returned to the sanctum because her time ran out.¡±

    It exined why there was no ruckus.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll tell Riak to help me next time, so don¡¯te in.¡±

    ¡°What? Is it because you¡¯re embarrassed?¡±

    Ha-eun yfully poked his side.

    ¡°What a wimpy man. What is there to hide now when we¡¯ve already seen everything?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Now that he thought of it, his clothes had been forcefully taken off once before by the united force of Vega and Ha-eun.

    ¡°Hehe. Don¡¯t go asking for help from that self-centered wolf just to get reproached. Obediently leave it to me, alright?¡±

    Ha-run giggled as she turned on the tap and scrubbed all around his body.

    Her slender fingers that were felt through the gaps of the towel tickled his body.

    ¡®This is really dangerous.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t hold onto his rationale much longer.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do the rest by myself.¡±

    ¡°Eh? You¡¯re still covered in bubbles. What are you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hurry.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes headed to the towel that was covering what was between his legs.

    ¡°K-Khm!!¡±

    ¡ªA reddening face.

    ¡°Th-Then I¡¯ll head out first!!¡±

    Ha-eun quickly exited the bathroom.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    Ohjin exhaled out a deep breath.

    ¡®I have to go through this every day?¡¯

    He vaguely recalled the figure of Ha-eun wearing a bikini.

    ¡ªThe sensation of the soft fingers that touched his skin.

    ¡ªThe movements of the towel that carefully cleaned his body.

    ¡°¡­I should hurry up and get out.¡±

    Out of all things, he had been confident in his ability to endure, but it seemed that it wasn¡¯t always necessarily the case.

    * * *

    One week had passed since then for his fingers to start moving properly again.

    ¡°Fua!¡±

    It had been a long time since he hadst woken up at early dawn to train. He went to an Awakener-dedicated training facility and exercised his body for six hours without rest.

    ¡°Kya! Now this is living.¡±

    After getting imprisoned by Ha-eun and Vega and forcefully taken care of, he realized how precious the freedom of moving his body around was.

    ¡®Well, it was nice.¡¯

    Rather, it was a problem because it was too nice.

    He wondered if it was really okay to have everything taken care of, starting from simple meals, wearing clothes, and even bathing.

    ¡®I should pull myself together and get my focus back on training.¡¯

    Ohjin needed to get used to the changes in his body and mana from advancing to 6-Star, and also needed time to experiment with his new skills: Charge and Discharge.

    ¡®I got a rough grasp on them during today¡¯s training.¡¯

    Ohjin concentrated mana into his right arm and used a skill.

    ¡®Charge.¡¯

    Bzzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª

    Blue lightning fiercely zed up.

    ¡®Discharge.¡¯

    Crackleeee!!¡ª

    The blue lightning that built up on his right hand shot forward with wild momentum.

    ¡°The force isn¡¯t that strong when I use it once.¡±

    Rather than using Charge once, it was much more efficient to use Lightning Charge or Blue Lightning.

    ¡®I need to stack it up a minimum of three times to see proper firepower.¡¯

    He could stack Charge a maximum of five times without putting harm on his body. Any further than that made him feel pain in his entire hand and burdened his body.

    ¡®There¡¯s also a lot of time required to use Charge.¡¯

    Three stacks was just the right amount to use during a fight.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop the training here for today.¡±

    Ohjin took out the phone in his pocket and looked at his notifications. He brought up the messages sent by General Manager Han onto his screen.

    [Guy who bought me beef: Has your body gotten better?]

    Tap, tap, tap¡ª

    He sent a reply.

    [Ohjin: Yes, I¡¯vepletely recovered.]

    [Guy who bought me beef: Then coulde around to the Association today? The chairman says that he wants to have a word with you.]

    ¡®Hm¡­ is it rted to the rewards?¡¯

    Ohjin quickly typed on the keyboard with eyes full of expectation.

    [Ohjin: I¡¯ll be there at around 2PM.]

    [Guy who bought me beef: Alright! Let¡¯s see each other then!]

    After arranging a meeting with General Manager Han, he exited the training room to head home.

    ¡°The fee for using the private training room for 6 hours and 27 minuteses out to a total of $678 with a 10% discount applied~¡±

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Even if Awakener-dedicated training facilities were expensive, it was quite ridiculous for it to cost nearly $700 to use it for six hours.

    And that was with a discount applied.

    Ohjin shot a nce at the innocent employee and lent out his card.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    For training, there was nothing better than an Awakener-dedicated training facility, but its expensive fees were a w.

    ¡®The facilities aren¡¯t great either.¡¯

    To be more precise, the facilities¡¯ durability felt rtivelycking, as Ohjin had reached too high of a realm.

    ¡®It¡¯d be nice if there was a ce where I could train without worry.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t easy to find that kind of ce in the middle of Seoul.

    He could do simple things such as running and gymnastics on the riverside of Han River, but he couldn¡¯t do serious training that utilized his stigma.

    ¡®Hm¡­ I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Even if he had spare money, he didn¡¯t have enough of it to buy a private training facility that had to be of utmost quality, and one in the middle of Seoul at that.

    ¡°Should I look into training facilities with the reward money I¡¯ll get?¡±

    Although the number of flicks on Ohjin¡¯s left chest was six, he already had skill on par with a peak 8-Star Awakener who was on the verge of bing a 9-Star.

    A minimum of a couple hundred thousand dors was needed to build a facility that could endure his mana.

    ¡®It does seem like a waste, but¡­¡¯

    There was nothing that could be done.

    The training facility he and Ha-eun went to often had expensive fees, and they also had to train while controlling their strength every time, as it wasn¡¯t made to endure the mana of Awakener above the 7~8-Star rank.

    ¡°Tch¡­ Still, I shouldn¡¯t try to save money when it¡¯s needed for training.¡±

    Money was not the goal but a means in the end.

    In a situation where he had to build up strength as fast as possible, continuing to train in difort in order to save money was an ignorant thing to do.

    * * *

    Bang! Thud, thud!¡ª

    During his trip back home, noisy construction noises were heard in the apartment building opposite of their house.

    ¡®Are they in the middle of construction?¡¯

    He faced around to look at the construction site.

    ¡ªA mixed-use apartment building with a height of about 30 floors.

    People wearing yellow safety helmets were moving busily in front of the apartment that had a gorgeous exterior like some 5-star hotel or corporation¡¯s office building.

    ¡°Hmm. Looks like it¡¯ll be noisy for a while.¡±

    Ohjin looked at the construction site for a while and soon turned around and headed into his house.

    Click¡ª

    ¡°Oh, have you finished training?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°You should have rested for a couple more days. You went out right away at dawn just as your fingers started moving.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. I¡¯ve had plenty of rest. I¡¯m fully recovered now.¡±

    ¡°Hmpf. You¡¯re not lying, are you?¡±

    Ha-eun nced over Ohjin as if she was still anxious.

    As he had said, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with Ohjin¡¯s body on the surface.

    ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯ll go to the Association and be right back.¡±

    ¡°What are you going there for?¡±

    ¡°The Association chairman has something he wants to tell me.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, is he giving you a reward? I heard you made significant contributions this time around.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but probably?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes shone as she stepped forward and locked arms with Ohjin.

    ¡°I want to go as well.¡±

    ¡°I can go alone, you know.¡±

    ¡°But what if our little Ohjin follows some strange person?¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    Ohjinughed and headed to the bathroom.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go together after I wash up.¡±

    ¡°Want me to wash you?¡±

    It was a tempting offer¡ª

    ¡°Nah.¡±

    ¡ªbut he couldn¡¯t act like a baby any longer.

    ¡°¡­Aw.¡±

    Ha-eun looked at Ohjin heading to the bathroom with an expression of shame.

    * * *

    Ha-eun and Ohjin head to the Association after showering and sharing a simple lunch meal.

    They followed General Manager Han, who hade out to receive them, and moved to the chairman¡¯s office.

    ¡°Oh, have youe?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ohjin nodded and looked at Han Taeho with eyes filled with expectation.

    ¡°What is it that you wanted to tell me?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. There is a favor that I¡¯d like to ask of you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Um.¡±

    Outright disappointment clouded Ohjin¡¯s face.

    ¡°Hahaha! Don¡¯t look so disappointed. I haven¡¯t forgotten about your rewards. We will reward you with $5,000,000, the prime minister¡¯smendation award, and a star relic Kim Sihoo is in the middle of developing.¡±

    Wow¡ª

    An exmation escaped his mouth on its own.

    He didn¡¯t have much interest in the prime minister¡¯smendation award, but the huge amount of $5,000,000 and the star relic were most certainly desirable.

    ¡°Haha, you know I didn¡¯t do all of that while hoping for a reward.¡±

    ¡°Ho. Then is it okay if we don¡¯t give those?¡±

    ¡®Has this senile old man gone mad?¡¯

    ¡°Haha! I¡¯m kidding.¡±

    Han Taehoughed broadly and shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°So, what is that request you have?¡±

    ¡°Ah, a very important guest hase from overseas. She said that she was your fan and had to meet you, so I was thinking it¡¯d be nice if you gave her a tour around Seoul while building friendship.¡±

    ¡°My fan?¡±

    ¡®Who is it?¡¯

    ¡°Wait here for a second.¡±

    Han Taeho walked to the next room over and knocked on the door.

    Click¡ª

    Behind the door that opened carefully¡ª

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ohjin.¡±

    ¡ªthe brightly smiling Queen of Leeches walked into the room.

 Chapter 108: Ha-eun and the Queen (3)

    <strong>Chapter 108: Ha-eun and the Queen (3)</strong>

    ¡°Isabe¡­?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s pupils shook.

    ¡®Why is Isabe here? Shouldn¡¯t she be busy taking over the Marco family¡¯s extra spot?¡¯¡¯

    In addition, she was operating dozens of centers on the surface in order to maintain her fake identity as a Saintess.

    There was no way she had the spare time toe see him.

    ¡°Why are you¡­¡±

    ¡°Hehe. I came here because I wanted to see you so badly.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®No way, did she throw aside all her duties toe here?¡¯

    Cold sweat ran down Ohjin¡¯s back.

    ¡°Hm? Have you met each other before?¡±

    Han Taeho alternated looking at Ohjin and Isabe with a surprised look.

    Isabe put on a bright smile.

    ¡°Ohjin protected me back when I was going through a lot of trouble with the assassination attempts.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve heard about it on the news before. So there was such an incident¡­¡±

    Han Taeho clicked his tongue.

    ¡°Trying to assassinate Rome¡¯s Saintess¡­ I guess that country is abundant with malicious beings, as well.¡±

    Rome¡¯s Saintess¡¯s warm benevolence was also famous overseas.

    ¡ªThe Saintess who saved the lives of tens of thousands of people.

    Trying to assassinate that kind of woman? It could only be said that they were a disgrace to mankind.

    ¡°How did you know about that before you went to Italy?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know about it at the time. I went to Italy because I had some investigations to conduct and happened toe across her being chased by assassins.¡±

    ¡°Wow. What a lucky coincidence.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Isabe as she shook her head.

    She looked at Ohjin with a gentle smile and ced her hands on her chest.

    ¡°I believe that my encounter with Ohjin wasn¡¯t a coincidence¡­ but destiny.¡±

    ¡ªCheeks that reddened up like beets.

    With her two hands gathered up courteously, she looked at him with a heated gaze like that of a maiden who had fallen in love.

    ¡°Uh, um.¡±

    Unable to imagine that kind of reaction, Han Taeho had a stumped look on his face.

    But soon after¡ª

    ¡°Haha! To receive such passionate attention from the esteemed daughter of the Cgrande House¡­ you must¡¯ve been gifted with great talent.¡±

    ¡ªHe bursted out into heartyughter as he patted Ohjin¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Unlike Han Taeho, who had a broad smile, Ohjin¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t that bright.

    ¡®Rome¡¯s Saintess¡­¡¯

    ¡ªThe woman with a warm heart who gave homes to the ones who had nowhere to go and meals to the starving.

    ¡ªA person who wasn¡¯t known by only their beautiful looks and personality, but also as an Awakener with exceptional skill.

    ¡®I¡¯m not sure how she pretended to be an Awakener of Aries¡­¡¯

    As a super rookie who had be a 6-Star Awakener of Aries in just a year, she was oftenpared with Ohjin.

    ¡®However¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Ohjin?¡±

    ¡ªInnocent eyes.

    ¡ªA gentle smile that emitted a vibe softer than an autumn breeze.

    Isabe was a woman who made people smile with just her appearance.

    ¡®But it¡¯s all a scam.¡¯

    Ohjin knew her identity.

    He was the only one that knew.

    ¡®The Queen of Leeches.¡¯

    ¡ªThe 3rd ranking Executor of the ck Star Organization and a monster who crushed a 9-Star Awakener with a single hand movement.

    ¡ªA witch thirsty for blood.

    That was Isabe¡¯s true identity.

    ¡®I mustn¡¯t get caught.¡¯

    Ohjin needed to hide the fact that he had taken a peek at her true faceid behind the mask of ¡®saintess¡¯, no matter what.

    ¡°Ah¡­ forgive me. I didn¡¯t imagine that you woulde to Korea.¡±

    ¡°Did I cause you any trouble?¡±

    ¡°No. Of course not.¡±

    He shook his head and smiled broadly.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be able to meet you again.¡±

    ¡°An honor¡­ please don¡¯t say stuff like that.¡±

    Isabe took a big step forward and held his hand.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to keep staying by your sidest time?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡®I certainly did say that, but fuck, I wouldn¡¯t have if I knew things would turn out like this.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes trembled.

    ¡°Fufu. I haven¡¯t forgotten about your words for a single moment ever since that day, you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    ¡°Moreover, you really are too mean.¡±

    Isabe pouted her lips cutely.

    ¡°I even gave you my contact, but you didn¡¯t send me a single message or call¡­¡±

    Flinch¡ª

    Ohjin smiled awkwardly and avoided her gaze.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There were just too many things to take care.¡±

    It was ame excuse, but it was true that there were a lot of matters to take care of after returning to Korea.

    ¡°Hoho. I¡¯ve also heard the news from the Association chairman that you made significant contributions.¡±

    Isabe smiled brightly and stuck her body close.

    ¡°You were busy saving people, weren¡¯t you? Just like how you saved me.¡±

    Her eyes sparkled.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not the one who saved you.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t say that.¡±

    Isabe shook her head and held Ohjin¡¯s hand tight with both her hands.

    ¡°Ohjin, you are the savior of my life.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°By the way, was it the ck Star Organization? They¡­ they really are disgusting humans.¡±

    She furrowed her brow like she didn¡¯t even want to speak their name with her mouth and expressed her displeasure.

    Though the way she reacted was shocking to Ohjin, who knew her real identity.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t imagine that such a horrible organization existed in Korea, as well.¡±

    At the end of the day, he couldn¡¯t bring up her identity. He continued the conversation smoothly and exhaled a deep breath.

    ¡°¡­There are also recent rumors of an active group named the ck Star Organization in Italy.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s expression turned dark.

    ¡°The Cgrande House is also in the middle of tracking them, but we haven¡¯t been able to catch their tail.¡±

    Of course they couldn¡¯t.

    After all, the owner of the tail they were tracking was themself.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°Anyways! It¡¯s a relief that Ohjin is safe and sound!¡±

    Isabe smiled like a fully-bloomed flower and tried to pull Ohjin¡¯s hand to her voluptuous chest.

    At that moment¡­

    ¡°¡ªOhjin?¡±

    p!¡ª

    Ha-eun roughly pped Isabe¡¯s hand away and pushed her body in between them.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this girl?¡±

    ¡°¡­You are?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s and Ha-eun¡¯s eyes shed.

    Bzzt!¡ª

    Even though he wasn¡¯t using the stigma of Lyra, it seemed like blue sparks were manifesting in the air.

    ¡®Oh, shit.¡¯

    An ominous feeling ran down Ohjin¡¯s spine.

    He nervously looked at Ha-eun.

    ¡®No!! That woman isn¡¯t sane!¡¯

    His heart wanted to scream.

    Recalling how Isabe brutally crushed hundreds of Awakeners from the Marco Family, he urgently caught Ha-eun¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Ha-eun. This is Isabe, the one I mentioned before.¡±

    ¡°¡­You look quite closer to each other than what you¡¯ve told me.¡±

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and nced up and down Isabe.

    ¡°Hmm. Are you Ohjin¡¯s sibling?¡±

    ¡°Nope~ Can¡¯t you tell by my hair ?¡±

    Ha-eun tauntingly shook her maroon hair in front of Isabe.

    ¡°¡­Oh, my. If you aren¡¯t siblings¡­¡±

    A frightening red appeared in Isabe¡¯s eyes for an instant.

    ¡°By any chance, are you Ohjin¡¯s lover¡­ or something like that?¡±

    ¡°Well, you could say it¡¯s simr.¡±

    Ha-eun shrugged as she raised the tip of her nose.

    ¡°Ha-eun!¡±

    Ohjin urgently pulled back Ha-eun once again.

    He normally wouldn¡¯t mind telling others that he and Ha-eun were lovers, but¡­

    ¡®Not right now¡­!¡¯

    Isabe seemed to be strangely obsessed with Ohjin.

    He couldn¡¯t predict what kind of abrupt move she would make if he introduced Ha-eun as his lover.

    ¡°Wh-What?¡±

    ¡°Ha-eun is someone who I¡¯ve grown up with ever since my orphanage days.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Then are you something like childhood friends?¡±

    Isabe pped her hands and smiled brightly.

    ¡°¡­that¡¯s not it.¡±

    Ha-eun pouted as the answer wasn¡¯t to her liking, but she didn¡¯t say much as she noticed that Ohjin¡¯s reactions were different than usual.

    ¡®Phew.¡¯

    Ohjin rest assured and nodded his head.

    ¡°Well, yeah.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m jealous of your rtionship. I didn¡¯t have many friends when I was young.¡±

    With a gentle smile, Isabe alternated looking at Ohjin and Ha-eun like she was sincerely jealous.

    * * *

    ¡°Khm.¡±

    Han Taeho, who had taken his foot out of the conversation, cleared his throat.

    ¡°In any case, it¡¯s great that you two have met before. Ohjin, can you show Isabe around Seoul? The Association will provide you with anything you need.¡±

    The Cgrande House was renowned not just in Italy and had extremely high authority and influence in Europe.

    From the Association¡¯s position, they wouldn¡¯t want anything more than for the esteemed daughter of the Cgrande House to get close to the Lightning Wolf.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    It seemed that she wouldn¡¯t go away even if he refused, anyway.

    ¡®There¡¯s also something I want to confirm.¡¯

    There was a need to confirm if the reason she came to Korea was simply to meet him.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave Isabe in your hands.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for taking such good care of me.¡±

    Isabe politely bowed her head to Han Taeho and then followed Ohjin.

    Ohjin took Isabe and Ha-eun outside of the Association.

    ¡°Is there anywhere you want to go in particr?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ there is one ce.¡±

    Isabe continued as her eyes shone.

    ¡°I want to visit your house.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±

    ¡®My house?¡¯

    ¡°Fufu. I¡¯m curious as to how the savior of my life is living.¡±

    ¡°Umm.¡±

    Ohjin scratched his head with a perplexed look.

    He didn¡¯t expect his house to be the ce she wanted to go.

    ¡°Hmpf. House? Isn¡¯t it fine to just take people from overseas to Myeong-dong or around N Seoul Tower?¡±

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and shot a fierce nce at Isabe.

    ¡°H-Hik!¡±

    Isabe¡¯s body flinched as she avoided Ha-eun and hid behind Ohjin¡¯s body.

    Peek¡ª

    She slightly stuck her head outside his shoulder and opened her mouth with a cautious voice.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, have I done anything wrong¡­?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve looked like you were a-angry at me since a while ago.¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ha-eun got flustered.

    Isabe¡¯s eyes watered up as she yelled out.

    ¡°Please tell me if I did anything wrong!¡±

    ¡°U-Uhm. So, about that¡­¡±

    ¡°If I was unknowingly impolite, I¡¯ll apologize!¡±

    Bow¡ª

    Isabe deeply bowed down from her hips.

    ¡°Arghhh!¡±

    Ha-eun pulled on her hair in frustration.

    It would¡¯ve been easier if she had rather asked for a fight; she had nothing to say with the way Isabe acted.

    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±

    Ha-eun red at Isabe once more and turned around as she sighed deeply.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°You said that you want to go to Ohjin¡¯s house, right? Then, let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Ah! Really?¡±

    A bright smile was ced on Isabe¡¯s face.

    The pent-up tears on her watering eyes faded like they were never there in the first ce.

    ¡®How sly.¡¯

    Ohjin was astonished by how Isabe talked Ha-eun into doing as she pleased.

    ¡®Indeed, I shouldn¡¯t let my guard down around her.¡¯

    They headed to Ohjin¡¯s home while he was having those thoughts.

    Bang, Drrrrrrr!¡ª

    The loud noises from the construction site were still ringing out.

    ¡°Oh, right! I nearly forgot!¡±

    Remembering something, Isabe pped her hands.

    ¡°A present! I prepared a present for you, Ohjin!¡±

    ¡®Present?¡¯

    ¡°What present?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. I prepared a nice present for you to repay for how you saved mest time.¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head and looked at Isabe.

    Although she said that she had prepared a present, there was nothing in her hands.

    ¡®Isabe isn¡¯t going to say ¡®the present is me¡¯, or something old-fashioned like that, is she?¡¯

    He pictured Isabe smiling lewdly with red ribbons covering her body for a moment but soon shook his head.

    There was no way such a nonsensical thing would happen¡ªreality wasn¡¯t an out-of-date roic.

    ¡°I really hope that it¡¯ll be to your liking.¡±

    ¡°But where is the present?¡±

    ¡°Hm? It¡¯s right in front of you. Over there.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡®What¡¯s she talking about?¡¯

    Ohjin furrowed his brow and looked around.

    Her hands werepletely empty, and she hadn¡¯t brought any bag or luggage.

    The only thing that was there was¡ª

    ¡°¡­Wait.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes headed to the apartment that was in the middle of construction.

    ¡ªA mixed-use apartment building that had an exterior so gorgeous that you would mistake it for a 5-star hotel.

    ¡°Ehehe.¡±

    Isabe twisted and turned her body and yed around with her finger like she was embarrassed.

    ¡°After researching what Korean males liked most, it turned out to be houses! I also heard that they save up money for their whole life to secure one house.¡±

    ¡®Uh, she isn¡¯t wrong, but¡­¡¯

    ¡°So I prepared a moderate house as a present!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®That luxurious mixed-use apartment is a ¡®moderate¡¯ house?¡¯

    ¡°¡­H-How many square meters is the unit you bought?¡±

    ¡°Hm? How many square meters?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡®Do foreigners use other measurements?¡¯

    ¡°I bought the entire apartment building.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡®What the fuck?¡¯

    ¡°Y-You bought that whole apartment?!¡±

    ¡®Not a unit, but the whole apartment building? And she¡¯s giving that to me as a present?¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Hehe. It wasn¡¯t that expensive.¡¯

    Nonsense.

    When just one 100-square-meter apartment unit in the middle of Seoul easily exceeded $1,500,000, he couldn¡¯t even imagine the astronomical amount of money it would take to buy an entire apartment building.

    ¡®Holy shit.¡¯

    That was the financial power of the Cgrande House, one of the most influential in Europe.

    Gulp¡ª

    Ohjin swallowed nervously and looked at Isabe with heated eyes.

    An irresistible impulse shoved his back.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Isabe.¡±

    He approached Isabe and held her hand tight.

    Their faces stuck close enough for their noses to make contact.

    ¡°O-Ohjin¡­?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s cheeks heated up.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, could you buy ice cream for me?¡±

    ¡°¡­pardon?¡±

    T/N: Last bit is a meme in Korea

 Chapter 109: Ha-eun and the Queen (4)

    <strong>Chapter 109: Ha-eun and the Queen (4)</strong>

    After visiting a nearby ice cream store, they headed to Ohjin¡¯s house with an ice cream cone in each of their hands.

    ¡°Is this your house?¡±

    Isabe licked her strawberry ice cream while looking around.

    ¡ªA small home that was a little under 100 square meters.

    It was a normal house with two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a moderately sized kitchen and living room.

    ¡°To be more urate, it¡¯s Ha-eun¡¯s house since she¡¯s the one who bought it.¡±

    Though his own money had bought a portion of it, it was a house bought mostly with Ha-eun¡¯s money that she had saved up and loaned.

    ¡°Wait¡­ a house that Ha-eun bought?¡±

    Isabe narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Do you both live together by any chance?¡±

    She had already known where Ohjin lived through investigating beforehand, but she hadn¡¯t expected him to be living with someone else.

    ¡°Heh. Ohjin and I have always lived together.¡±

    Ha-eun shrugged as if she was pointing out the obvious.

    ¡°Starting from way~~~~ before Ohjin met you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Why? Got anyints?¡±

    ¡°N-No! Of course, not!¡±

    Isabe shook her head with a panicked expression; her curly blond hair shook like the fur of a scared poodle.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I have anyints, but¡­¡±

    Isabe nced around the house a single time and spoke in a worried voice.

    ¡°I was just¡­ wondering if it isn¡¯t a bit ufortable for two people to live in a house this cramped.¡±

    ¡°Uuk!¡±

    That time, Ha-eun¡¯s shoulders flinched.

    ¡°Y-You!¡±

    Ha-eun was just about to say something with a heavily scrunched-up face but suddenly stopped in her tracks.

    What Isabe had just prepared as a present was a luxurious mixed-use apartment building.

    The exterior of the gorgeous apartment building that was like that of a 5-star hotel resurfaced in her head.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was already obvious that a living space the same size as her house would be much more expensive in that luxurious apartment building, but Isabe had straight out bought everything from the first floor to the rooftop of that apartment building.

    Simply attempting topare their value wasical.

    ¡°Hehe. Indeed, it is a bit ufortable, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Ha-eun chewed on her lips and took a step back.

    Thinking about it now, that house was also a house she had given to Ohjin as a surprise present.

    -This is our house now!

    Her face heated up as she recalled the memories of boastfully shouting out in front of the surprised Ohjin.

    ¡°It¡¯s not ufortable.¡±

    The answer came from Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°¡­Ohjin?¡±

    ¡°The house we used to live in was much smaller than this one. I haven¡¯t felt ufortable once while living here.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Isabe¡¯s expression slightly stiffened, and on the contrary, Ha-eun¡¯s lips rose up brightly.

    ¡°Hehe, you heard him, right? Ohjin said that he isn¡¯t ufortable at all~~¡±

    She needlessly stuck close to Ohjin¡¯s body and boasted.

    ¡°Oh, but not being ufortable doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯sfortable, right?¡±

    ¡°Uuk.¡±

    ¡°I believe that a man like Ohjin needs a house fitting of his greatness.¡±

    Thick veins started to pop out on Ha-eun¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Great?! This house is enough for Ohjin!¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Despite having lived with Ohjin for a long time, it appears that you don¡¯t know much about him.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°Ohjin is someone who will soon be a worldwide hero.¡±

    ¡ªA voice filled with conviction.

    Her heated gaze headed to Ohjin without a single wisp of doubt.

    ¡°¡­him? A worldwide hero?¡±

    Ha-eun avoided Isabe¡¯s eyes and mumbled.

    Come to think of it, she had heard simr words from Vega before.

    -This child will be an existence greater than any other.

    They were words that were hard to imagine targeted at the Ohjin she knew and had lived with.

    ¡®Shut up.¡¯

    Why was everyone else talking about Ohjin like they knew better than her?

    ¡®Who in this world knows about Ohjin better than I do?¡¯

    She knew.

    ¡ªHis true appearance.

    ¡ªThe miserable and heartbreaking memories.

    ¡ªHow he looked to be a crane that was floating peacefully on a sereneke but had his legs struggling desperately beneath the surface.

    She was the only one that knew.

    ¡®Ohjin¡­ isn¡¯t anything like a hero.¡¯

    Grip¡ª

    Ha-eun clenched her fists with an anxious expression.

    She suppressed her uneasy mind that was worried that the Ohjin she knew would float far away.

    ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s talk about thatter.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes shone as she examined the house¡¯s interior.

    ¡°Where is your room? I want to take a look around.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s over here.¡±

    Ohjin indicated a certain room.

    ¡°Would it be okay if I went inside?¡±

    ¡°There really isn¡¯t much to see.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Still, I want to take a look.¡±

    Isabe smiled innocently and opened the door of the room Ohjin had indicated.

    ¡°Wow. So this is your¡ª¡±

    Snap¡ª

    Isabe¡¯s eximing words suddenly cut off.

    The two beds that were in the corner of the room¡­

    She rubbed her eyes in disbelief as she looked inside the room once again.

    ¡°D-Do you¡­ both use the same room?¡±

    ¡°Yup. That¡¯s right.¡±

    Ha-run tilted her head like she was getting surprised by the obvious.

    Isabe turned her head around to face Ha-eun with a dumbfounded look.

    ¡°B-But aren¡¯t there two rooms? Then what¡¯s the room over there for?¡±

    ¡°That room is the storage room. Well, it¡¯s pretty much empty though.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then just why?¡±

    Isabe looked at Ha-eun and Ohjin with a stupefied expression.

    ¡°Why? <strong>It¡¯s only natural that Ohjin and I use the same room.</strong>¡°

    It looked like Ha-eun didn¡¯t give a single care in the world about two fully grown-up adults of different gender using the same room.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Isabe¡¯s face stiffened.

    ¡°I¡­ see.¡±

    Click, click, click¡ª

    She bit her fingernails with a somewhat nervous look.

    Her eyes which were soft and gentle like the autumn breeze suddenly cooled down.

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes opened wide as he observed Isabe from the sidelines. An intuition that said ¡®this is dangerous¡¯ ran down his spine.

    Ohjin quickly stepped forward and exined.

    ¡°Ha-eun¡¯s body is a bit impaired. We¡¯re using the same room so I can take care of her.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    A short exmation left Isabe¡¯s mouth.

    Her eyes headed to Ha-eun¡¯s right leg.

    She was standing so naturally that you couldn¡¯t tell on the surface, but it couldn¡¯t fool her eyes.

    ¡°Hehe. So that¡¯s why.¡±

    A soft smile was put on her face, and her cold eyes returned to how they were.

    ¡®Phew.¡¯

    Ohjin was somewhat assured.

    ¡®This is terrifying.¡¯

    It felt like he was holding onto a bomb that could explode at any moment.

    Anxiety several times worse than when Vega and Ha-eun had psychological warfare pushed down on his shoulders.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s about time to eat dinner.¡±

    Isabe, who was looking around the house for a while, suddenly pped her hands.

    ¡°Could I borrow your kitchen for a moment?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but most of the remaining ingredients are for Korean food.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±

    Isabe rummaged around the fridge, took out ingredients, and started to cook skillfully.

    Sizzle!¡ª

    She stir-fried pork and rubbed it in red chili paste, and then put in the vegetables cut into nice portions, sprinkled a slight amount of sugar, and seasoned it with soy sauce.

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t she Italian?¡±

    Ha-eun poked Ohjin and asked while looking at how Isabe cooked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then how does she know how to make stir-fried pork?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Even worse, she was several times more proficient in making the dishpared to Ha-eun.

    ¡°I practiced recipes beforeing to meet Ohjin.

    ¡°Why go out of your way¡­¡±

    ¡°Hehe. I wanted to personally cook a dish for you like before.¡±

    Isabe put on a gentle smile and put tes containing stir-fried pork on top of the dining table.

    ¡°Try it out.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the food.¡±

    Ohjin and Ha-eun sat by the table and picked up their chopsticks to put spoonfuls of meat into their mouths.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°H-Holy crap.¡±

    ¡ªHow the red chilli paste¡¯s spiciness and the smokey vor spread out.

    ¡ªThe sauce¡¯s perfectbination of sweet and salty.

    ¡®Seriously, I think it¡¯s five times tastier than when Ha-eun made it.¡¯

    There was also the fact that Ha-eun was bad at cooking, but Isabe¡¯s cooking skills were also exceptional.

    ¡°N-No way.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s hand that held the chopsticks trembled as she felt a deep sense of defeat.

    ¡°Does it suit your tastes?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s too delicious.¡±

    Ohjin nodded as he shoved stir-fried pork into his mouth.

    ¡°What a relief.¡±

    Isabe didn¡¯t even touch the stir-fried pork and leaned her chin on her hand while tantly looking at Ohjin eat. Her eyes were fond as if she was looking at her adorable lover.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin looked at her with perplexed eyes.

    ¡®Is that an act or is it sincere?¡¯

    Despite knowing her identity, it was hard to tell if her disy was a meticulously decorated act or if she was being sincere.

    ¡®If¡­ if it¡¯s sincere.¡¯

    Her strange obsession with him didn¡¯t seem to be simply as prey.

    Thinking about it logically, someone wouldn¡¯t present something worth dozens of millions of dors to a mere prey, no matter how overflowing with money they were.

    There was also no reason to show outright jealousy of Ha-eun.

    ¡®And if that¡¯s the case¡ª¡¯

    Ohjin looked at Isabe with narrowed eyes.

    If she sincerely felt affection towards him¡­

    ¡®¡ªI can use her.¡¯

    ¡ªThe 3rd ranking Executor of the ck Star Organization.

    ¡ªThe Queen of Leeches, thirsty for blood.

    He could control her to his liking.

    ¡®Though it¡¯ll be difficult to do so at the moment.¡¯

    If he could drag herpletely on his side, he was certain it¡¯d be a massive amount of help when facing the ck Star Organization in the future.

    ¡®And if it happens, the disaster in two years will naturally be prevented.¡¯

    In any case, there were too many reasons for him to maintain a good rtionship with her.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±

    Isabe got up from her seat after they finished their meal.

    ¡°Use the apartment however you like once the construction is finished.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    He was thinking of renovating the gifted apartment to use as his training facility.

    ¡°Oh, right. Could I ask for one favor?¡±

    ¡°Just give me the word.¡±

    There was no request he wouldn¡¯t ept with her having gifted an entire apartment.

    ¡®I¡¯d even breakdance outside in my underwear if she told me to.¡¯

    He even had the confidence to do a windmill and air tricks.

    ¡°Could you speak to me morefortably?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that I feel you¡¯re holding yourself back.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that really it?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Isabe shouted out as her eyes shone.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ohjin smiled while nodding his head.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    A bright smile was ced on Isabe¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Isabe, you speakfortably, as well.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, no. This is morefortable for me.¡±

    Isabe lightly shook her head.

    ¡°How long will you stay in Korea?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nning on staying for a while. There¡¯s something I need to take care of.¡±

    ¡°Something you have to take care of?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s something I want to investigate personally.¡±

    Cold killing intent shed in Isabe¡¯s eyes for an instant.

    ¡®Investigating¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to predict what she was nning to investigate.

    ¡®The Owls.¡¯

    ¡ªThey were the only ones that would get the Queen of Leeches to act directly.

    ¡®As expected, meeting me isn¡¯t the only reason she came to Korea.¡¯

    ¡°Alright. See you next time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get angry if you don¡¯t contact me again, okay?¡±

    She ced her hands on her hip and purposely tried to put on an angry expression.

    ¡°Haha. I¡¯ll contact you often.¡±

    Isabe turned around and walked away. Ohjin¡¯s lips curved up as he looked at her back which gradually became more distant.

    ¡®Those bastards will probably go into panic once they find out the Queen of Leeches is on the move.¡¯

    And if so¡­

    ¡°This is the perfect time to go owl hunting.¡¯

    It was time to put into practice the method of gaining explosive growth in a short amount of time that he had thought upst time.

 Chapter 110: Owl Hunting (1)

    <strong>Chapter 110: Owl Hunting (1)</strong>

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    A groan escaped from Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Damn it¡­ just what am I doing wrong?¡±

    Ha-eun sighted deeply in the kitchen while standing in front of the stacked pile of stir-fried pork and scratched her head out of frustration.

    She had worked hard during the past days to replicate the taste of the stir-fried pork that Isabe had made, but the taste was different, despite being made with the same recipe.

    ¡°Did she put in drugs or something?¡±

    Ha-eun red at the piled-up stir-fried pork like it was unfair.

    When she was sighing deeply¡ª

    ¡°Are you making them again?¡±

    ¡°Uh.¡±

    Flinch¡ª

    ¡ªher shoulders shook as she looked back at Ohjin, who had finished training.

    ¡°Y-You came a bit early today.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I finished early because I need to head to the Association soon.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you still train for seven hours?¡±

    ¡°Nine hours, to be precise. I went there at 3AM today.¡±

    Ohjin had recently made a personal training facility in the apartment Isabe presented and was basically living there. Ha-eun had also often used the training facility with Ohjin, but she didn¡¯t train like crazy from early dawn tote afternoon like Ohjin did.

    No, she couldn¡¯t do it even if she wanted to train that long in the first ce because her mana would run dry before then.

    ¡®What he¡¯s doing is only possible for him.¡¯

    She didn¡¯t understand how it was possible, but Ohjin had much more mana as a 6-Star than Ha-eun, who was an 8-Star.

    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you overexerting yourself?¡±

    ¡°I still take appropriate amounts of rest.¡±

    Ohjin smiled and shook his head.

    [Who is taking appropriate amounts of rest?]

    Vega frowned as she sat on Ohjin¡¯s shoulder.

    [You didn¡¯t even rest for 30 minutes while training for nine hours today!!]

    ¡°Ehh, that¡¯s because I have to go to the Association today.¡±

    [Sigh¡­ Thisdy is worried that you¡¯ll copse again if you continue to train like this.]

    ¡°But we¡¯re in a situation where I must grow my strength intensely.¡±

    [That¡¯s¡­]

    Vega¡¯s face stiffened as she recalled when Ohjin had said that a huge war would happen soon.

    [Fuu. Still, don¡¯t overexert yourself too much. Growing your strength is important, but your body is even more so.]

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Ohjin nodded as his eyes headed to the stir-fried pork made by Ha-eun.

    ¡°Wow, just how many servings is this?¡±

    As he chuckled and tried to grab a bite¡ª

    ¡°N-No!¡±

    ¡ªHa-eun quickly stopped him.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°U-Uh¡­ I mistakenly burnt a bit of it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that burnt.¡±

    Rather, it looked quite appetizing, as there were a moderate amount of burnt parts.

    ¡°Whatever! Don¡¯t eat it!¡±

    Ha-eun shouted as she covered the pile of stir-fried pork with her body.

    ¡°Why? Is it because it doesn¡¯t taste like the one Isabe made?¡±

    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s nothing like that!¡±

    ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re stubborn in the weirdest things.¡±

    In Ohjin¡¯s eyes, the way she acted from feeling apetitive spirit towards Isabe made her look cute.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Ohjin took out a handful of the piled-up stir-fried pork that was in the pot and put it on a te and then ced some in his mouth.

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    Nom, nom¡ª

    ¡°You certainly are bad at cooking.¡±

    The meat was stiff from stir-frying it too much, and it was too salty, which made it seem that she made a mistake while seasoning.

    Still, her few days of practicing seemed to have paid off, as chewing the meat wasn¡¯t a toil like before, but it couldn¡¯t be said to be tasty, no matter how nicely one was to evaluate it.

    ¡°D-Didn¡¯t I say so?! I made a mistake!¡± shouted Ha-eun as her face reddened.

    Munch, munch¡ª

    Ohjin deliciously ced the stir-fried pork that was on the te into his mouth.

    ¡°¡­You said it tasted bad.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It does.¡±

    ¡°Argh. Then why do you keep eating it?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re the one who made it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun pouted.

    ¡°¡­but you threw it away before.¡±

    ¡°You turned it into charcoal back then.¡±

    That thing she made in the past couldn¡¯t be said to be food.

    ¡°This is still edible.¡±

    Though it wasn¡¯t tasty.

    ¡°Hmpf. Then don¡¯t eat it. Ask that Isabe to make it for¡ª¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need delicious food to survive.¡±

    Humans could live off just calorie bars and water. He knew that better than anyone else, as that was how hested for the past couple of years.

    ¡°But I need you.¡±

    Delicious food wasn¡¯t needed.

    Whether it was a deluxe apartment or luxury goods, they were meaningless.

    He could continue living on fine without those.

    However¡­

    He couldn¡¯t live without her.

    Even if he did, his life would have no meaning.

    ¡°Wh-What did you say?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying you don¡¯t need to be good at cooking.¡±

    Like she had until then, all she had to do was stay by his side.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Her eyes widened.

    ¡°Ah, asrsdfgh!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s feet curled up as she let out an iprehensible sound. Her body twisted like she was constipated, and she soon grinned as her body shook.

    ¡°H-Hehe. D-Do you really like me that much?¡±

    She giggled as she pulled on Ohjin¡¯s cheek.

    [Hmm.]

    Vega narrowed her eyes with her arms crossed like she was ufortable but didn¡¯t get between them and pour cold water on the mood.

    ¡°Putting that aside, you really are bad at cooking. Shouldn¡¯t you get better after making this much?¡±

    ¡°Shut up and eat.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    He cackled as he finished cleaning the stir-fried pork off his te.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go now since I have matters to take care of at the Association.¡±

    ¡°Are you going there to get your reward?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also that.¡±

    Ohjin needed the Association¡¯s help in order to start hunting the Owls in earnest.

    ¡°Want toe with me?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    Ha-eun thought for a moment and soon shook her head.

    ¡°Nah. I want to try training intensely today, as well.¡±

    It appeared that she was stimted from looking at how Ohjin trained so rigorously.

    ¡°And with a little more¡­ I feel like I¡¯ll be able to obtain it,¡± said Ha-eun as she smiled and stroked her left eye hidden by the eyepatch.

    ¡°Obtain what?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s a secret. I¡¯ll show you once I¡¯m able to use it properlyter.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    In any case, it seemed that she was also able to achieve some results with her training.

    ¡®Well, she has overpowered talent, even though she looks like that.¡¯

    Ha-eun couldn¡¯tpare to Ohjin, who had the ck Heaven, but her speed of growth was still so explosive that it could be said to be overpowered with normal Awakeners as the standard.

    ¡°Ugh. I would be able to get proficient at it a little faster if I was able to train as long as you can.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have that much mana, after all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who has an unreasonable amount of it, you know?¡±

    Ha-eun objected with an angry expression, but it was true that she had a small amount of mana, even if it wasn¡¯tpared to Ohjin.

    ¡®It could be said to be her only disadvantage.¡¯

    If Ha-eun had a lot of mana, she would probably be several times stronger than she was.

    ¡®Hmm¡­ it¡¯s not like I can give her my mana.¡¯

    There really wasn¡¯t anything he could do at the moment except to continue watching over her.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Then I¡¯m going to the Association now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going already?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s still some time left, but I was thinking of going early to do some light training.¡±

    The Association also had facilities for training prepared within its building, though it was ufortable, as there were many people that used them.

    ¡°You just trained for nine hours, why the hell are you trying to do more?!¡±

    Ha-eun pulled on Ohjin¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Just rest here a little longer before you go.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    [Thisdy is of the same opinion. Haven¡¯t you already trained enough to wear out your mana circuits today?]

    Vega flew over and helped Ha-eun pull Ohjin¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Alright, alright. Then I¡¯ll rest a bit before I go,¡± Ohjin said as he shrugged.

    ¡°Then wake me up in 30 minutes.¡±

    While he was heading over to their room¡ª

    ¡°¡­Wait.¡±

    ¡ªHa-eun grabbed his shoulder.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°If¡­ If you¡¯re going to take a nap, sleep here.¡±

    Ha-eun pointed to the sofa in the living room.

    ¡°¡­Is that necessary?¡±

    ¡°Khm! I-I¡¯ll lend you myp, so hurry up.¡±

    ¡®Ah, so that¡¯s what she meant.¡¯

    ¡°Why, got anyints?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    Of course, he had none.

    [Thisdy has one.]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    [Why are you trying to monopolize my child? Thisdy shall also take care of Ohjin!]

    ¡®Uh, things are developing like this?¡¯

    ¡°Heh, how will you do that with that body?¡±

    [Hmpf. I can materialize my original body for 30 minutes. What about you? How will you pillow yourp with only one leg?]

    ¡°Wh-What did you say?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hey, you two. If you¡¯re going to fight, I¡¯m just going to go sleep on the bed.¡±

    [Ah.]

    ¡°S-Stop!!¡± shouted Ha-eun as she extended out her palm.

    Vega and Ha-eun¡¯s eyes shed in mid-air.

    [Khm. I guess it can¡¯t be helped.]

    Vega and Ha-eun, who had sessfully finished their dramaticpromise, sat down on the sofa side by side.

    ¡°Comey down here.¡±

    Pat, pat¡ª

    Ha-eun patted her left thigh that was in direct contact with Vega¡¯s leg.

    ¡°The positioning is a bit¡­¡±

    Ha-eun and Vega were currently sitting on the sofa side by side.

    In order toy his head down on Ha-eun¡¯s leg, his whole back would have to go on top of Vega¡¯s thighs.

    It would ce him in a very awkward position.

    ¡°Stop the useless talk and hurry up!¡±

    [Come,y down.]

    Eventually, Ohjinid down on the Sofa after getting persuaded by the two women. An unbelievable soft sensation spread out on his back, shoulders, and neck.

    ¡°Well, then, sleep now¡±

    [Fufu. Leave your body to thisdy and close your eyes.]

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡®How am I supposed to sleep in this situation?¡¯

    * * *

    Click¡ª

    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±

    After getting ample amounts of rest(?), he arrived at the Association chairman¡¯s office room and found Han Taeho, Han Joonman, and Lee Woohyuk gathered inside.

    The room consisted of the same members who gathered up in order to catch Cheon Woosung in the past.

    ¡°Then should we get right into business?¡±

    The reason they gathered up there was to share information about the current situation and movements of the ck Star Organization.

    But naturally¡­

    ¡®My goal is slightly different.¡¯

    Ohjin wasn¡¯t nning to stop at simply grasping the situation.

    ¡®In order to rise quickly, a stepping stone is needed.¡¯

    He hade to the Association to prepare that stepping stone.

    ¡°Hm. Before we get into business¡­¡±

    Slide¡ª

    Han Taeho took out a luxurious silver case from the drawer.

    ¡°Take it.¡±

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°Haha. Didn¡¯t I say I was going to give you a rewardst time?¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone.

    Ohjin had expected it to take more time to prepare the star relic, but they had finished the preparations already.

    ¡°It¡¯s a star relic that Kim Sihoo has manufactured himself. The performance¡­ fufu, you¡¯ll know once you try it out yourself.¡±

    Han Taehoughed with a confident expression as he handed over the silver case.

    Click¡ª

    The case opened.

 Chapter 111: Owl Hunting (2)

    <strong>Chapter 111: Owl Hunting (2)</strong>

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    There was a silver gauntlet inside of the case.

    Not an unsophisticated,rge gauntlet like from some anonymous hero movie, but a gauntlet with an exquisite design.

    ¡°Try equipping it.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ohjin contemted which side he should equip the gauntlet on and eventually decided to equip it on his left arm.

    Click¡ª

    ¡®Woah.¡¯

    As he equipped it on his left arm, the size reduced on its own and it transformed into a size that was just right for Ohjin.

    ¡®It¡¯s way morefortable than I thought it¡¯d be.¡¯

    Adding in a bit of exaggeration, it was sofortable that it almost felt like he hadn¡¯t equipped anything. It was as if the gauntlet wasn¡¯t made of metal but cotton balls.

    ¡°It¡¯s a gauntlet Sihoo made while making a fuss after watching a popr hero movie some time ago.¡±

    General Manager Han smiled and added an exnation.

    ¡®So it really was inspired by a movie.¡¯

    It was an act fitting Kim Sihoo.

    ¡°But is there only one gauntlet?¡±

    ¡°He kept insisting that only using a single gauntlet is cool and wouldn¡¯t listen to us.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, as much as that¡¯s the case, it appears that he concentrated all the material and technology into that one gauntlet.¡±

    ¡°What are its effects?¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head as he knocked on the gauntlet equipped on his left arm.

    He could tell that it was extremely sturdy with a nce but couldn¡¯t figure out what other features it was capable of.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Mr. Woohyuk, could you help out for a second?¡±

    ¡°What must I do?¡± Lee Woohyuk nodded his head as he got up from his seat.

    ¡°Try swinging your sword down at that gauntlet. Naturally, with it containing as much mana as possible.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you being serious?¡± Lee Woohyuk looked at General Manager Han with a surprised expression.

    Lee Woohyuk was a skilled individual that was one step away from bing a 9-Star. If he swung down with all his might, he could tear apart a 5m thick iron te like paper.

    ¡°Yes. Mr. Ohjin should try to block Mr. Woohyuk¡¯s attack with the gauntlet.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I understand.¡±

    It appeared that the gauntlet¡¯s durability was outstanding as even General Manager Han, who was generally very cautious, had spoken up with confidence.

    Ohjin got up from his seat and faced Lee Woohyuk.

    ¡°Will this really be okay?¡±

    ¡°Well, since he¡¯s said this much, let¡¯s try it out.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Lee Woohyuk looked at Ohjin with eyes containing conflict.

    Ohjin was his benefactor that caught the nemesis of his brother that he himself had idiotically lost track of. Lee Woohyuk hesitated with worry that he might identally deeply injure his dear benefactor.

    ¡°Haha. There¡¯s no need to worry!¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    General Manager Han shouted out with confidence as he hit his solid chest.

    ¡°¡­If that¡¯s so.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk nodded his head and took out his sword on his belt.

    Fwooong!!!¡ª

    Powerful gusts of wind stormed inside the office.

    The twirling wind concentrated on his de¡ª

    Swisssssssh!¡ª

    ¡ªand shot towards Ohjin with frightening momentum.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Ohjin raised his left arm at the burst of wind while feeling its powerful mana prick his skin.

    Pshuuuu!¡ª

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    With the sound of air escaping from within a balloon, the burst of wind was sucked into the gauntlet.

    The silver gauntlet heated up red as if it was going to melt at any second.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone as he felt the thick mana flowing through the gauntlet.

    Bbrrrrrr!¡ª

    The heated gauntlet vibrated fiercely like it was going to explode.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Ohjin instinctively raised his left arm equipped with the gauntlet forward.

    ¡°Ah¡­ w-wait, Ohjin!¡±

    General Manager Han urgently tried to stop him¡ª

    Swissssh!!¡ª

    ¡ªbut before then, the gauntlet shot out powerful bursts of wind that headed to Lee Woohyuk.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Lee Woohyuk deflected the iing wind with incredible reaction speed.

    Baaaaaang!¡ª

    One part of the office walls waspletely destroyed and fell down.

    ¡°Phew. What a relief. I apologize, I didn¡¯t think you would shoot it out right away like that.¡±

    ¡°This is¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a star relic that was made to absorb and store attacks containing mana and then release them.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    A forced chuckle escaped Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t thispletely overpowered?¡¯

    ¡ªA star relic that could even absorb an attack from the ck Lion, Lee Woohyuk.

    The gauntlet made by Kim Sihoo was an overpowered piece of equipment that far transcended what he expected.

    ¡°Haha. Didn¡¯t I tell you? Even if that kid, Sihoo, has a strange personality, his skill is second to none.¡±

    ¡°But still, this is¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, there is naturally a limit to how much mana it can store. You could also receive damage if mana exceeding the amount it can store rushes in at once.¡±

    ¡°Even considering that, it¡¯s amazing.¡±

    Ohjin hadn¡¯t thought that there would be no limit to what it could absorb in the first ce.

    ¡®The fact that it could block off Lee Woohyuk¡¯s attack already proves that it can absorb a decent amount.¡¯

    Though it wouldn¡¯t be able to endure if he attacked a couple more times, being able to neutralize an enemy¡¯s attack once was substantial, as fights could be decided by a split second.

    ¡®And neutralizing an attack isn¡¯t all it can do, either.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s lips curved up as he looked at the destroyed office wall.

    The star relic performed perfectly as both a defensive and offensive equipment.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll make good use of it.¡±

    ¡°Haha. Aren¡¯t you the ace of our ¡®Association¡¯? Giving a reward like this to you is nothing.¡±

    Han Taeho tantly emphasized the word ¡®Association¡¯ as he smiled.

    * * *

    ¡°Hmm¡­ this puts me in an awkward spot.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk sighed briefly as he looked at the gauntlet equipped on Ohjin¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Awkward?¡±

    ¡°I also prepared an item to give to Ohjin today.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡®Is it the starstones I requestedst time? I don¡¯t need them anymore.¡¯

    As he had unexpectedlypleted the quest, the high-quality starstones were unneeded.

    ¡°Hmm. Well, it really is nothing muchpared to that gauntlet.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk handed over a square-shaped box, and inside, were three starstones the size of fists.

    ¡®Holy shit.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened as he examined the starstones.

    ¡°They are top-quality 8-star starstones.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    8-star starstones were considerably precious items. Even more so if they were top-quality.

    ¡®It¡¯s not like 8-star monsters always drop an 8-star starstone.¡¯

    They were hard to find domestically, but 8-star monsters weren¡¯t actually that rare. The problem was that most 8-star monsters possessed starstones of lower quality than themselves.

    Because of that, even if you hunted a 8-star monster, the chance of it actually dropping an 8-star starstone was unlikely.

    ¡®But there are three of them here.¡¯

    Ohjin had asked for him to obtain starstones of high quality, but he hadn¡¯t expected him to prepare something that precious.

    ¡°Thank you. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d prepare something this expensive.¡±

    ¡°Even though you aren¡¯t one of our guild members, aren¡¯t we stillpanions that basically have the same goal?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Though their rtionship was actually that of a trainer and his hound, there was nothing Ohjin wanted more than for him to think of it that way.

    ¡®By the way, where should I use these?¡¯

    It felt like too much of a waste to simply absorb them. After all, he didn¡¯tck mana.

    ¡®Come to think of it, can¡¯t Awakeners of Aquarius make potions using high-quality starstones?¡¯

    He had heard that the process of making them itself wasn¡¯t all that difficult¡ªit was just that obtaining high-rank starstones was hard.

    ¡®In that case¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone.

    He started to think that he could partially solve the mana shortage that Ha-eun was undergoing.

    ¡®It¡¯ll be perfect if I use these to make potions for Ha-eun.¡±

    Ohjin started to smile already as he imagined how Ha-eun would jump around in joy.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get into business.¡±

    The time for rewards had finished, and it was about time to achieve the goal they gathered up for.

    ¡°First of all, I¡¯ll give everyone a brief exnation of the situation.¡±

    General Manager Han brought aser pointer and turned on a presentation.

    ¡°After the atrocities of the ck Star Organization were announced, numerous guilds signed up for the elimination of the ck Star Organization.¡±

    Names of therge and medium-sized guilds that had signed up were densely packed at the spot theser pointer pointed to.

    ¡°Honestly, it isn¡¯t an exaggeration to say the entirety of Korea is trying to sweep out the ck Star Organization.¡±

    They were an organization that caused a terror attack aimed at civilians in the middle of Seoul. Guilds couldn¡¯t help but sign up just because of how they could be portrayed to others.

    ¡°The most note-worthy amongst them is¡­ that even the ¡®Heaven¡¯s Grace¡¯ guild is on the move.¡±

    ¡°¡­The Heaven¡¯s Grace guild?¡±

    Heaven¡¯s Grace.

    As the guild led by one of the Seven Stars, Cheon Sanggil, the guild was known to be Korea¡¯s strongest guild.

    ¡®But that guild is famous for not intervening in matters that don¡¯t happen inside Paradise.¡¯

    Ganghwa Ind Special Autonomous Zone.

    Also known as Paradise, they reigned over that area like kings.

    Well, it didn¡¯t mean that they ran a tyranny and oppressed the people like kings in the medieval age.

    ¡®It¡¯s just expressing that they reign over like kings as the zone ispletely immune to the nation¡¯s governmental authority.¡¯

    Within Paradise, they were thew and justice itself.

    Was that the reason why? The Heaven¡¯s Grace guild wouldn¡¯t intervene in matters that urred outside in most cases.

    ¡®But even that Heaven¡¯s Grace guild has started to move, huh.¡¯

    It could mean that the recent incidents were that impactful.

    ¡®¡­I¡¯ll have to think deeper into this.¡¯

    Ohjin had no way to know if they were going into action with the pure intention of eliminating the ck Star Organization, as they were an anonymous guild with many secrets.

    ¡°The problem is¡­ even with this many guilds joining up, the ck Star Organization¡¯s tail isn¡¯t getting caught easily.¡±

    General Manager Han¡¯s face stiffened as he continued.

    ¡°Several branches have been exposed thanks to the information given by Ohjin, but we¡¯re still unaware of where the most important headquarters is located.¡±

    ¡°Were we unable to find anything out from the members of the ck Star Organization we apprehendedst time?¡± Lee Woohyuk asked while he frowned.

    ¡°We¡¯ve interrogated them as intensely as we could¡­ but they would never open their mouths, it was as if there was some kind of taboo in ce. A couple of them also had seizures during the interrogation.¡±

    As General Manager Han had said, it was difficult to find a group that was on par with the ck Star Organization at thoroughly hiding their information.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that there is a ck Star Organization in Italy, as well. What if the headquarters doesn¡¯t exist in the first ce?¡¯

    ¡°No,¡± General Manager Han shook his head.

    ¡°The ck Star Organization in Italy is an entirely different faction from the one in Korea, and their movements are too dissimr to say that the same individual leads them. To be honest, only their names are the same. It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that they arepletely different groups.¡±

    He was spot on.

    ¡°And¡­ even if we don¡¯t know the location, we¡¯ve obtained information of the rough estimate of their scale.¡±

    ¡°How much is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­They say that there¡¯s a minimum of 3,000 people inside the ck Star Organization¡¯s HQ.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Lee Woohyuk¡¯s eyes widened.

    The average number of members in a guild categorized as rge¡¯ was around 200~300. A medium-sized guild would have around 50, but the ck Star Organization had over 3,000.

    If you only took the scale into consideration, their numbers were over ten times that of arge guild.

    ¡°There¡¯ll be many more members than that if we include the branches we haven¡¯t discovered yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­Just where did they get that many members?¡±

    Even if they were able to turn the unawakened into Awakeners, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy to secretly make several thousand people into members of the ck Star Organization.

    ¡°There is something we have figured out in regards to that.¡±

    General Manager Han flipped through the presentation and continued.

    The image of a massive prison shined on the screen.

    ¡°Do you remember the incident that happened three years ago by any chance? The Cheorwon Prison¡¯s mass disappearance incident.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it before.¡¯

    It was quite a famous incident three years before.

    ¡®An incident where several thousand wicked criminals disappeared without a trace.¡¯

    Crime rates rose suddenly worldwide after gates started to appear and the number of criminals shot through the ceiling along with it.

    Cheorwon Prison was a prison that gathered up only the most malicious criminals thatmitted crimes such as murder, robbery, and human trafficking.

    ¡°Most of the Owls we apprehended were criminals that disappeared back then.¡±

    ¡°So the ones who caused the mass disappearance back then was the ck Star Organization.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is what we suspect.¡±

    In that case, it would mean that most of the ck Star Organization consisted of criminals that disappeared in the incident.

    ¡®Well¡­¡¯

    Looking back on their past actions, there were certainly many things that couldn¡¯t be done by normal people.

    ¡®So Jang Sukho was a special case.¡¯

    It was right to assume that there weren¡¯t any members that were forced to follow the ck Star Organization.

    ¡°Then the ck Star Organization in Korea must have increased their forces in earnest starting from two years ago.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡®Alright, I¡¯ve got the rough idea now. Records of the stigma of Noctua existed when the gate incident first urred but disappeared without a trace soon after.¡¯

    And ording to Jang Sukho, the ck Star Organization was hiding inside the Demon Realm.

    ¡®In other words¡­¡¯

    Nine years prior, when the gates had first appeared, the ck Star Organization went over to the world of monsters, the Demon Realm, and secretly grew their strength for six years.

    ¡®Then they came out three years ago and started to expand their forces.¡¯

    Ohjin felt that he was able to slightly understand the identity of the ck Star Organization.

    ¡®Well, something else is more important than the identity of those bastards.¡¯

    Ohjin turned his head around to face Han Taeho.

    ¡°You said that there is nearly no progress with Owl¡¯s interrogations, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°Then will it be okay for me to give a shot at interrogation?¡±

    ¡°You personally?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. You have the sufficient rights to interrogate apprehended criminals, as you are a Special Officer¡­ but it¡¯ll be difficult to get promising results with the taboo in ce.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just giving it a try.¡±

    Ohjin lightly shrugged his shoulder and got up from his seat.

    ¡®It¡¯ll be difficult to get promising results?¡¯

    ¡®I wonder¡­ will that really be the case?¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone with uncanny light.

 Chapter 112: Owl Hunting (3)

    <strong>Chapter 112: Owl Hunting (3)</strong>

    Click¡ª

    The door of the interrogation room that was protected by several kinds of star relics opened.

    ¡®I always knew that these kinds of facilities existed in the basement of the Association, but it¡¯s my first time seeing it with my own eyes.¡¯

    Ohjin looked around the dark interior and whistled.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to interrogate the criminals.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir! Your identity has been confirmed, Special Officer!¡±

    The Association member that was protecting the interrogation room saluted in a polite manner as Ohjin showed his identification.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let anyonee inside.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    Creak¡ª

    Ohjin opened the door and entered.

    ¡°Uub! Uuub!¡±

    ¡°Uub! Uuuuuuub!!¡±

    Inside of the interrogation room were nine Owls that had been firmly restrained.

    ¡ªCheon Woosung¡¯s direct subordinates.

    They were powerful individuals that were ssified as elites in the Noctua faction, but weren¡¯t able to endure the coordinated ambush of the Valha guild and Association¡¯s Special Officers.

    ¡®Cheon Woosung ran away as soon as the battle started, after all.¡¯

    When using war as an analogy, it would be the equivalent of themander escaping. Them being apprehended so helplessly couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°Twelve died in the middle ofbat, and there are nine survivors, huh¡­¡±

    Ohjin nced through the document he received from General Manager Han and chuckled.

    ¡®Nine is more than enough.¡¯

    First and foremost, Ohjin was certain that they were in possession of information regarding the ck Star Organization¡¯s HQ since the information that there were 3,000 members at the HQ was retrieved from their mouths.

    ¡®Though we¡¯re in a situation where we can¡¯t find out its location even if they¡¯re willing because of the taboo.¡¯

    There was a method Ohjin thought up that could potentially remove the taboo.

    ¡®The new ability I obtained.¡¯

    He opened his status window and looked at the list of the ck Heaven¡¯s traits.

    [ck Heaven]

    1. State: Fourth Awakening

    2. Trait

    ¢Ù Stigma Absorption : Absorbs the mana of stigmas and stores them within the ck Heaven.

    ¢Ú ck Curtain : Completely shrouds the presence of the user and the ck Heaven.

    This trait can be adjusted by the user¡¯s will.

    ¢Û Transmission : Reads the records contained in stigmas. This trait is influenced ording to the awakening stage.

    ¢Ü One is All : The main stigma¡¯s proficiency will influence other stigmas

    ¢Ý Transformation : You can change the shape of your body without constraint using the stigma¡¯s mana.

    ¢Þ Domination : You can exert control over Awakeners who possess stigmas subordinated by the ck Heaven.

    What used to be only three traits had increased to double that number before he knew it. A cautioning and detailed exnation showed up as he lightly touched where it disyed the trait ¡®Domination¡¯.

    [The target¡¯s resistance to Domination increases the higher their Star rank is.]

    [The effect of Domination weakens the more targets there are.]

    [The effect of Domination increases ording to the mental state of the target.]

    ¡ªThe newly obtained ability, ¡®Domination¡¯.

    ¡®The taboo is probably something simr to a kind of domination, anyways.¡¯

    If that were the case, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t be able to release the taboo when he had the same kind of ability.

    ¡®It said that the effects of Domination increase ording to the mental state, right?¡¯

    In that case, there was a need to pressure the targets enough to make it difficult for them to function normally.

    * * *

    ¡°Uub! Uuuub!!¡±

    Ohjin brought over one of the restrained Owls and took off the muzzle.

    ¡°Fua!¡±

    The man with a grim look exhaled out a ragged breath.

    ¡°Alright, there are a couple of questions I have.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you guys that I said everything I know! Why the fuck are you asking more questions?!¡±

    The man shouted out aggressively, despite being in a restrained situation.

    ¡°Hmm. Is that so?¡±

    Slick¡ª

    Ohjin dragged a chair over and sat down in front of the man while taking a dagger out of the holster equipped on his thigh.

    ¡°Wh-What?¡±

    Flinch¡ª

    The man¡¯s shoulders shook.

    ¡°Hah, are you nning to threaten me with that? Give me your best shot!¡± said the man as he smiled in a triumphant manner and chuckled boastfully.

    ¡°You know what will happen if a public institution directly under the government uses violence and gets exposed, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m well aware.¡±

    Despite possessing great authority, the Association was a public institution under the government in the end. It was obvious that trouble would arise if the fact that they used torture or violence while interrogating criminals became known to the public.

    ¡°Hehe. Then put away that knife immedia¡ª¡±

    Pshk!!¡ª

    Ohjin unhesitantly dug the knife into the back of the man¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Aaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!¡±

    The man tied to the chair struggled and caused the chair to rattle due to the pain.

    ¡°Y-You sons of bitches!! Do you think you¡¯ll all be unscathed aftermitting such an act?!¡±

    ¡°What, are you going to report me?¡±

    Rub, rub¡ª

    Ohjin twisted the dagger that was dug into the back of the man¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Aahhhhhh!! H-Human rights! This is a vition of human rights!!¡±

    ¡°Vition of human rights?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! I want a trial to receive just judgment! Call mywyer immediately!¡±

    It was a surprising fact, but there were actually official human rights that everyone was supposed to be guaranteed, even terrorists that had massacred hundreds of civilians by releasing demon beasts in the middle of the city.

    They had the right to go through procedures to receive a trial and getwyers appointed.

    Naturally, that was only what was stated ¡®officially¡¯.

    ¡°Fuck me. You¡¯re talking about human rights?¡±

    Crack!¡ª

    He twisted the dagger a step more violently.

    ¡°Ugaaahak!! Aahk!!¡±

    ¡°When did you guys ever care about something like human rights to bring it up now?¡±

    ¡°S-Stop! Stooooop!!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t the people you guys killed also have human rights? Am I wrong?¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head and put his face right in front of him.

    ¡°H-Hup!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re trampling on the lives of others, shouldn¡¯t you also be prepared to get your life trampled on?¡±

    ¡°Kuuuuuuuugh!¡±

    The man looked down at his hand that was gushing out blood and chewed his lips.

    ¡°C-Commiting this kind of torture during an interrogation¡­ I¡¯ll make sure to file aint¡­ towards the Association.¡±

    It appeared that he had yet to resolve himself to getting trampled on.

    ¡°Is that right?¡±

    Well, people wouldn¡¯t change easily from just a couple of words.

    ¡°Awyer¡­ immediately¡­¡±

    ¡°My little friend, you think of procedures as incredibly important, don¡¯t you?¡±

    In that case¡­

    ¡°Then I guess I should follow the official procedures.¡±

    Ohjin took out the dagger that was dug into the back of the man¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    ¡°My guy, did you know?¡±

    He cleaned the blood stained on the dagger and put it in the man¡¯s hand.

    ¡°¡­That Special Officers have the right to respond immediately upon getting attacked during an interrogation.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen that kind of thing in movies? Don¡¯t criminals secretly hide their weapons and make a fuss in the interrogation room?¡±

    ¡°B-But there¡¯s no such thing as a hidden weapon here!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Ohjin pointed to the dagger grasped in the man¡¯s hand.

    ¡°There¡¯s one right here.¡±

    ¡°S-Stop spouting bullshit, you bastard! You¡¯re the one who gave me this weapo¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to judge if it¡¯s bullshit or not.¡±

    Ohjin forcefully pulled the man¡¯s hand that grasped the dagger.

    ¡°H-Huh?¡±

    The man urgently twisted his body in order to pull back his hand, but there was no way he would be able to ovee Ohjin¡¯s strength.

    Pshk¡ª

    The dagger dug into Ohjin¡¯s temple; he slowly lowered his hand and cut all the way down to his chin.

    It wasn¡¯t even a minor injury that scratched the surface of the skin.

    It was an injury so deep that his bone was exposed beneath the torn flesh.

    The blood that trickled down his chin drenched his body.

    ¡°Y-You crazy bastard!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t an injury that was just adequate enough to fool others¡ªit could¡¯ve been fatal if the dagger dug a couple of millimeters deeper.

    With that kind of injury, there wasn¡¯t even the need to think of where the arrows of suspicion would head to.

    <strong>¡°What do you think? Don¡¯t you think this is enough to fall under self-defense?¡±</strong>

    Drenched in blood, Ohjin smiled brightly.

    The man¡¯s expression turned pale.

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    After taking back the dagger in the man¡¯s hand¡ª

    ¡°Let¡¯s resume.¡±

    Pshhk!!!¡ª

    ¡°Ahhhhhh!!¡±

    ¡ªhe ruthlessly stabbed the man¡¯s body.

    ¡°A-Ahh!! S-Stop! Stooooop!!¡±

    The man cried out as he screamed pathetically. He waspletely backed up against a wall mentally.

    His pupils trembled as he was devoured by the emotion called ¡®fear¡¯.

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone as he observed his reaction.

    ¡®Right now¡­¡¯

    Ohjin grasped the man¡¯s head with his hand.

    The ck clouds that leaked out of his palm dug into the man¡¯s head.

    [The target¡¯s Star rank is high. Domination resisted.]

    Indeed, as fitting of a subordinate directly under Cheon Woosung, he didn¡¯t surrender himself to Domination easily.

    However¡­

    [The target¡¯s mental state is extremely unstable. Domination resistance is reduced]

    [Domination has sessfully been executed!]

    As expected, it was worth being a little dramatic to nt fear into his mind.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes turned cloudy as Domination seeded.

    ¡°Are you able to answer my questions now?¡±

    ¡°Please¡­ just give me¡­ the word.¡±

    The man, who once shouted aggressively, submissively nodded his head as if he had be a docile sheep.

    ¡°First of all, where is the ck Star Organization¡¯s HQ located?¡±

    ¡®It is¡­ in Seoul¡­ Yongsan.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡®Isn¡¯t Yongsan right in front of here?¡¯

    ¡°How are they staying hidden?¡±

    Yongsan was basically in the middle of Seoul. It was impossible for 3,000 members of the ck Star Organization to go unnoticed when the entirety of Korea was looking for them with fire in their eyes.

    ¡°There is¡­ a gate. O-One that is hidden secretly.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    In other words, it meant that the ck Star Organization¡¯s HQ was within a gate that was located in Yongsan.

    ¡®It¡¯s possible for them to go unnoticed in that case.¡¯

    In cases of very small gates, even ones that were the size of a room door existed.

    Hiding their presence wouldn¡¯t be difficult if they hid the entrance of the gate and made a base inside of it.

    ¡°There is¡­ a seven-floor building called the Changhyun building in Yongsan.¡±

    Ohjin had never heard of that building before.

    ¡°If you press on the elevator¡¯s buttons at that ce in a set order, you¡¯ll arrive at the 8th floor.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck, is it some kind of Konami code?¡±

    ¡®No wonder we weren¡¯t able to find it.¡¯

    Right under one¡¯s nose¡­

    Honestly, Ohjin himself couldn¡¯t imagine that the entrance that led to the ck Star Organization¡¯s HQ would be located in the middle of Seoul.

    ¡®I thought they¡¯d be hiding in the mountains or some kind of underground cave.¡¯

    To think that the HQ was inside a hidden gate¡­

    ¡°Well, alright.¡¯

    It was all good as long as he was able to find out the HQ¡¯s location.

    What was left to find out was¡­

    ¡°Where is Cheon Doyoon?¡±

    ¡°¡­Connection was cut off starting from a couple of weeks ago.¡±

    ¡°Connection was cut off?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ We were informed that he would be absent for a couple of months due to an important matter.¡±

    ¡®Is that why Cheon Doyoon has been so quiettely?¡¯

    ¡°Hm¡­ Then did Cheon Doyoon gone absent alone?¡±

    ¡°No. He went gone absent with the Night Hunters.¡±

    ¡°Night Hunters?¡±

    ¡°They are subordinates directly under Sir Cheon Doyoon that consists of members that belong only to the position of high-rank Temr.¡±

    ¡°Like you guys?¡±

    ¡°That is correct. However, our skill is heavilyckingpared to those beings.¡±

    ¡®Hmm¡­ then doesn¡¯t that basically mean all their main forces are currently absent?¡¯

    Naturally, he couldn¡¯t be certain with the testimony of one person. He needed to dominate the remaining eight people and perform cross-examination.

    ¡®But if he was telling the truth¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be possible¡­ to destroy the Noctua faction in one blow?¡±

    Needless to say, the corpses of the destroyed Owls would be used usefully for filling up his stomach.

 Chapter 113: Owl Hunting (4)

    <strong>Chapter 113: Owl Hunting (4)</strong>

    ¡°Duh¡­¡±

    Nine owls had their mouths opened like idiots with cloudy eyes.

    Ohjin used Domination on every single apprehended Owl and cross-examined the information.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty much certain at this point.¡±

    The Noctua faction¡¯s HQ had a lot of numbers, but it was in a state no different from being a vacant house, as all of its main forces were absent.

    ¡®Perfect timing.¡¯

    Ohjin even thought of giving up on his ns if Cheon Doyoon was there, but it seemed that he would be able to harvest more than he imagined at the rate he was going at.

    Creak¡ª

    He could see Han Joonman as he exited the interrogation room.

    ¡°O-Ohjin, that injury¡­¡±

    ¡°There was a bit of a ruckus inside.¡±

    Ohjin cleaned the blood dripping down his face with a towel and continued.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how they did it, but they suddenly released the restraints, stole my weapon, and attacked me.¡±

    ¡°S-Such a thing!¡±

    ¡°Well, fortunately, I wasn¡¯t hurt that badly.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding this badly, what do you mean!¡± General Manager Han frowned as he lent out a potion.

    It appeared that it was a rather high-quality product, as the injury quickly disappeared with a refreshing sensation.

    ¡°Were you able to get any results?¡±

    ¡°No. I experimented with trying to obtain information while avoiding the taboo¡­ but it didn¡¯t work as I thought it would.¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­ as expected.¡±

    Though he had actually found out the HQ¡¯s location, he didn¡¯t go out of his way to make the information known.

    ¡®I need something bigger to uproot them in one go.¡¯

    A faint smile was ced on Ohjin¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Then I shall take my leave for today.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll make sure to change the restrictions into ones that are even stronger so such an incident doesn¡¯t ur next time!¡±

    ¡°Haha. Thank you.¡±

    Ohjinughed lightly as he exited the Association.

    ¡®Well, then.¡¯

    He rode his car to the Changhyun building in Yongsan where Noctua¡¯s HQ was supposedly located.

    ¡°¡­Is that the Changhyun building?¡±

    ¡ªA shabby building located in a gloomy area.

    Themercial building that looked the same as any other was the headquarters of the terrorist group that had turned Korea upside down.

    ¡®There¡¯s even a convenience store and diner on the first floor.¡¯

    No one would look at that ce and think that it was the headquarters of a terrorist group.

    ¡°Those bastards really used their brains.¡±

    There was a saying in Korea: ¡®If you¡¯re going to hide a tree, hide it in a forest¡¯. It was in a location that would¡¯ve never been discovered if it wasn¡¯t for releasing the taboo with Domination.

    ck¡ª

    Ohjin parked the car nearby and observed the building from a distance.

    ¡®It feels like I¡¯m a detective conducting an undercover investigation.¡¯

    It would¡¯ve been perfect if he had coffee and a donut.

    ¡®I should patiently wait things out since I¡¯m stillcking information.¡¯

    Even if he conducted cross-examination with the testimony of nine people, he couldn¡¯t recklessly infiltrate the ck Star Organization¡¯s HQ.

    ¡®Five days¡­ no, let¡¯s standby and watch over for about a week.¡¯

    Continuously monitoring them from one spot could potentially put them on alert, but thankfully, he had a skill that was perfect for that kind of situation.

    ¡®ck Curtain.¡¯

    With his presencepletely hidden, he stared at the building¡¯s entrance with cold eyes.

    * * *

    One week had passed since he had started to observe the ck Star Organization¡¯s HQ.

    ¡°Yawn.¡±

    Ohjin stretched out his arms and twisted his body.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±

    Ohjin took a rice ball that Ha-eun had prepared for him in the morning and took a big bite out of it.

    The texture of the moist and soggy grains of cooked rice was reminiscent of chewing wet clumps of newspaper, and it lingered in his mouth.

    ¡°Mmh~ As expected of Ha-eun. How is it even possible to make rice balls this bad?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Ohjin discovered a piece of paperid on the bottom of the lunchbox while eating his rice ball. It was a letter written by Ha-eun, judging from the handwriting.

    ¡°Hehe. She¡¯s seriously so cute sometimes. Let¡¯s see what she wrote.¡±

    [This letter¡¯s history starts in Ennd and¡­]

    ¡°¡­What the hell did she write?¡±

    [¡­if you do not kiss a beautiful woman with maroon hair, a horrifying curse will befall you.]

    ¡°What a cute scheme¡­¡±

    [P.S. The curse is sharing a delightful cookingboratory time with Ha-eun.]

    ¡°Shit, I need to get home quickly.¡±

    Even a properly made dish was on the level of barely edible, he couldn¡¯t imagine how treacherous an experimental dish would be.

    ¡®I left my pendant behind so that I wouldn¡¯t be caught by Vega.¡¯

    He had conducted enough prior investigation. All that was left was to put it all into action.

    ck¡ª

    Ohjin opened the car door and headed to the building.

    There were two men outside the building loitering while smoking cigarettes. By no means were they regr passersby, as they went in and out of the building at designated times every single day.

    ¡°Old man, you¡¯re not allowed to smoke on the sidewalk.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    The man that was chain-smoking frowned threateningly.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Your mother, you bastard.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Bam!!¡ª

    Ohjin suddenly low-kicked, causing one of them to fall over.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    When the man to the side quickly reached into his pocket¡ª

    ¡°Hup.¡±

    Crunch!!¡ª

    ¡°Aahhhhhhhhh!!!¡±

    ¡ªOhjin grabbed the hand that tried to take out a weapon and twisted it.

    ¡°M-My hand!! My haaaaand!!¡±

    The man¡¯s face distorted heavily as tears and snot dripped down, which then drenched his thick beard.

    ¡°Wow, seriously, take a look at you two.¡±

    It appeared that General Manager Han¡¯s deduction that most of the members of the Noctua faction were from Cheorwon Prison was correct, as both of them had been born with the faces of serial killers.

    ¡®Looking like that and not being a criminal is a crime in itself.¡¯

    Expressing it as gently as possible, their faces looked like asphalt roads that had vomit and bird poop mixed on top.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ who are you?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to know.¡±

    Ohjin, who had subdued the two men in a blink of an eye, put a hand on either of their heads. The ck clouds that flowed out of his hands were sucked into their heads.

    ¡°Duh¡­¡±

    ¡°Uhe¡­¡±

    Soon, their eyes turned cloudy.

    ¡°Guide me inside.¡±

    ¡°¡­understood.¡±

    Ohjin followed the two men into the elevator.

    As he had heard from the interrogation, the elevator went over the seventh floor and arrived at the eighth floor as they pressed the buttons in a set order.

    Owooong¡ª

    A gate that was around two meters wide could be seen as the doors opened.

    ¡®So the Owls¡¯ headquarters is inside there.¡¯

    Ohjin went in without hesitation.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°¡­Woah.¡±

    He eximed subconsciously as soon as he got out of the gate.

    ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯

    There was a massive dome that was as big as the Seoul World Cup Stadium inside.

    ¡®I thought they¡¯d be living like bushmen since they¡¯re inside a gate.¡¯

    He could tell it was an ultramodern building with every kind of amenity with a nce.

    ¡®Their forces really must be tremendous.¡¯

    Their scale was so massive that it couldn¡¯t be said to be an organization that acted in the dark. Ohjin stuck his tongue out and went into the dome-shaped building.

    ¡°Guide me to Cheon Doyoon¡¯s room.¡±

    ¡°¡­understood.¡±

    The man nodded as he moved his feet.

    ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t it working hours for you guys?¡±

    Although they met several other members of the ck Star Organization once they entered the building¡ª

    ¡°Why are you wandering around here¡ª Argh!¡±

    ¡ªthey were easily subdued by surprise attacks from Ohjin, who stayed hidden by using ck Curtain.

    ¡°Duh¡­¡±

    After making new puppets using Domination¡ª

    ¡°Return back to your working stations.¡±

    ¡°¡­understood.¡±

    ¡°I will follow¡­ your orders.¡±

    ¡ªhe sent the two men he first used Domination on outside the building again.

    ¡®It¡¯s easy to sneak in with this.¡¯

    As long as he had the overpowered abilities ck Curtain and Domination, it wasn¡¯t hard to infiltrate their headquarters.

    ¡°Here is¡­ Cheon Doyoon¡¯s room.¡±

    ¡°Where are the people protecting the area?¡±

    ¡°There are usually guards¡­ but there aren¡¯t anytely, as he has been absent recently.¡±

    ¡®I see, then let¡¯s investigate what¡¯s inside infort.¡¯

    Click¡ª

    ¡ªA room that was in and decorated in a traditional Korean style.

    There were nearly none of themonly found luxury items or furniture.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and started his investigation.

    ¡°There really isn¡¯t much here.¡±

    He investigated every nook and cranny, but couldn¡¯t find anything that stood out in particr.

    When he sighed and was in the middle of looking around¡ª

    ¡®Hm?¡¯

    ¡ªhe discovered a horse requisition tablet hung by a rope next to the wooden bed.

    T/N: Horse Requisition Tablets (Horse Pass) are certificates that permitted the use of government horses kept at stations around the country, which were issued to the Royal family, provincial governors, and armymanders in the Joseon Dynasty. They are made of metal and are shaped small and round with a certain number of horse heads representing the holder¡¯s rank on one side.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    No, it wasn¡¯t exactly a horse requisition tablet(ñRÅÆ).

    <strong>¡°A snake?¡±</strong>

    Did it have to be called a snake requisition tablet(ÉßÅÆ)?

    The palm-sized horse requisition tablet hung by a rope and didn¡¯t have horses engraved onto it, but instead had a curled-up snake engraving.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem to be a star relic.¡¯

    No mana could be felt from the horse requisition tablet, no, the snake requisition tablet.

    ¡°Why is this in this bastard¡¯s room?¡±

    Even if you were being as understanding as you could, shouldn¡¯t it have had the shape of an owl engraved onto it instead of a snake if it was a simple decorative item?

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ohjin continued thinking but couldn¡¯te up with a reason.

    ¡®I should take a photo of it and leave it for now¡¯

    sh¡ª

    He took a photo of the medallion with a snake engraved on it and put it back in its ce.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything more I can obtain from here.¡±

    It was time to collect other information.

    ¡°Where can I find out about the location and scale of the branches of the ck Star Organization?¡±

    The goal of infiltrating the ck Star Organization¡¯s HQ while bearing the risk was to get all the locations of the Noctua branches that were hiding all around Korea.

    ¡®Even if they operate in secrecy, they should have that information in the headquarters.¡¯

    If that information wasn¡¯t, there of all ces, it was safe to say that they weren¡¯t an organization and just a secluded faction.

    ¡°It is recorded¡­ in the server room.¡±

    As Ohjin expected, they had the information.

    ¡°Guide me to that ce.¡±

    ¡°In order to enter that room¡­ a password¡­ is needed.¡±

    ¡°And who knows it?¡±

    ¡°Normally, a high-rank Temr is the one in charge of managing it¡­ but his assistant is managing it currently.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the assistant¡¯s position?¡±

    ¡°She is a mid-rank Temr.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡®A mid-rank Temr is the same rank as Arshad Khan. At that level, I should be able to subdue them easily.¡¯

    Ohjin had gone through enormous difficulty when he fought him a couple of months before, but in the present, he was confident that he could easily subdue ten mid-rank Temrs charging towards him at once.

    ¡°¡­Over here.¡±

    They headed over to where the assistant that managed the server room was staying.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Before going inside, Ohjin took out a tumbler that contained coffee.

    Pop¡ª

    He opened the lid and put the tip of his finger inside.

    ¡®This is still the best way to subdue enemies without causing amotion.¡¯

    Owooong!¡ª

    Purple venom dripped out of his finger once he activated the stigma of Scorpio and mixed with the coffee.

    ¡°Hold this and tell her that you brought something to drink.¡±

    ¡°I will follow your orders.¡±

    The Owl who had be a puppet took the tumbler and knocked on the door of the server room.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    With a hysteric voice, a fairly attractive ck-haired woman with a bob cut opened the door and came out.

    ¡°I have brought¡­ coffee.¡±

    ¡°Hmpf, what? Are you trying to flirt with me?¡±

    The woman smiled in ridicule.

    ¡°Seriously~ it¡¯s such a pain to stay in a ce that¡¯s infested with men.¡±

    She clicked her tongue as she received the coffee.

    ¡°Fufu. I¡¯ll drink it in consideration of your sincerity, so get lost now.¡±

    Bang¡ª

    The door of the server room shut tight.

    ¡°Well done. Return to your working station now, and forget about everything that happened today.¡±

    ¡°¡­understood.¡±

    Ohjin returned the Owl he controlled and patiently waited in front of the door.

    After waiting for about three minutes¡ª

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡°Kugh! Kuh! Wh-What is this?!¡±

    ¡ªthe door opened violently as the woman urgently ran out of the room.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Ohjin quickly lunged forward and roughly swung his fist at the woman¡¯s face.

    Bam!!!¡ª

    ¡°Kyaaa!¡±

    With a brief scream, the woman was sent flying back.

    ¡°Wh-What? Who are you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±

    Ohjin grinned and approached the trembling woman.

    ¡°H-Hik! D-Don¡¯te any closer!¡±

    The woman wasn¡¯t even able to control her body due to the poison as she moved back little by little.

    Click¡ª

    Ohjin took out his spear and threatened her in order to nt a deeper sense of fear.

    ¡°Kyaa! S-Spare me. S-Sorry, please spare me!¡±

    The woman trembled pathetically and rubbed her hands like a fly.

    ¡®This is probably enough.¡¯

    Ohjin extended out his hand in order to use Domination, and at that moment¡ª

    ¡°I-If you spare me¡­¡±

    ¡ªthe woman suddenly slightly lowered the blouse she was wearing and revealed her pale shoulder.

    She looked up to send a seductive look at Ohjin.

    ¡°¡­you can use my body as you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop being fucking ridiculous.¡±

    Bam!¡ª

    He swung his spear at her head.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have even the slightest bit of interest in your body, so obediently keep your lips sealed. I don¡¯t have time.¡±

    Ohjin needed to finish things quickly and return home to dispel a curse.

 Chapter 114: Owl Hunting (5)

    <strong>Chapter 114: Owl Hunting (5)</strong>

    ¡°Duh¡­¡±

    The ck-haired woman¡¯s eyes turned cloudy.

    She twisted her body back on her feet with her mouth open like an idiot.

    ¡®So I can even control a mid-rank Temr.¡¯

    Although he was only able to seed in controlling her after poisoning and threatening her, just the fact that he was able to subdue an Awakener at the same position as Arshad Khan¡ªwho he got beaten up by a couple of months prior¡ªthat easily felt very surprising.

    ¡®I really did get stronger in a short frame of time.¡¯

    In honesty, the woman he subdued seemed to only share the same position with Arshad Khan and had skill that wascking inparison, but Ohjin was confident that he¡¯d be able to subdue someone at the same level of Arshad Khan without difficulty.

    ¡®Thinking about it now, I¡¯m still below Arshad Khan if we¡¯re only taking the ¡®Star¡¯ rank into ount.¡¯

    Arshad Khan had been a 7-Star Awakener at the time; still a rank higher than Ohjin. He had just been fighting so much with 8-Star Awakenerstely that 7-Star Awakeners felt like nothing.

    No, even in reality, 7-Star Awakeners weren¡¯t much of a threat to him.

    ¡®If I¡¯m this strong as a 6-Star¡­¡¯

    How much of an abnormality would he beter on?

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Not even Ohjin himself couldn¡¯t predict what he would be.

    ¡®Well, I¡¯ll know once I experience it personally.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t have any ns on stopping, anyways.

    The reason he was infiltrating the Noctua faction while bearing the risk in the first ce was to prepare a stepping stone that would allow him to grow at an even faster pace.

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    Ohjin looked at the woman who had be a puppet.

    ¡°Will you guide me to the ce where the location and scale of the ck Star Organization¡¯s branches are recorded?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    The woman nodded her head like a machine.

    Ohjin entered the server room and took out a USB from his slingback.

    ¡°Store every bit of information that you can into this.¡±

    ¡°Under¡­ stood.¡±

    The woman nodded as she plugged the USB in.

    ¡°There currently exists a total of 32 ck Star Organization branches spread all across the nation.¡±

    ¡°How many of those arerge-scale branches?¡±

    ¡°There are a total of six branches that are led by high-rank Temrs.¡±

    ¡°And their scale?¡±

    ¡°Large-scale branches have approximately 200 members, and mid-scale branches have about 30 to 50.¡±

    There were certainly a lot of them.

    ¡®So there are over 5,000 members if you add up all of the branches?¡¯

    Number-wise, there were more of them than if he added up the total of the top ten guilds.

    ¡®The ability to grant stigmas really is overpowered.¡¯

    Needless to say, that power came at a cost.

    As those who don¡¯t have the talent to receive a star¡¯s power were forcefully given strength, side effects would beset them ordingly.

    ¡°¡­How many have been sacrificed until now?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sacrificed?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asking how many have died while receiving the stigma of Noctua.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re referring to the defective products.¡±

    ¡°¡­Defective products?¡±

    ¡°That is what we call the people in this faction who weren¡¯t able to endure the blessing of the ck Star.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Defective products? Did this bastard just call people defective products?¡¯

    ¡°You guys¡­ what are your thoughts on the life of a human?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Do you think the life of a human is some kind of tool or spareponent? Huh?¡±

    ¡°Th-That is¡­ it really isn¡¯t ¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fucking spot on.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    <strong>¡°I¡¯m saying that I think that way, as well.¡±</strong>

    Smirk¡ª

    Ohjin¡¯s lips curved up as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Wow~ I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d findmon ground with the ck Star Organization in something like this.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Despite being in the middle of being controlled, the woman looked up at Ohjin with a dumbfounded expression.

    ¡°Then, as people who both think the same way, heart-to-heart,e out clean. How many have died?¡±

    ¡°¡­The number of defective products that died is around 2,000.¡±

    2,000.

    ¡®The sess rate is higher than I thought.¡¯

    Since the number of members of the Noctua faction totalled around 5,000, it meant that just about 3 out of 4 people received a stigma and endured it. Naturally, it simply meant that they didn¡¯t die. There were probably a bunch of other side effects such as reduced lifespan or disabilities that fell upon them.

    ¡®Bing an Awakener is what¡¯s important in the end.¡¯

    With a 75% probability, you could escape from your ugly and wretched life and be a superhuman.

    Wasn¡¯t the gamble worth a shot?

    ¡®That¡¯s why there are so many ck Star Organization members.¡¯

    Whether the ck Star Organization kidnapped children and killed them while using them as hostages or massacred civilians by unleashing demon beasts, it wasn¡¯t important to them.

    Morals were bound to drown out in front of greed.

    ¡°Here is¡­ the information you requested.¡±

    The woman handed over the USB.

    ¡®Alright.¡¯

    If he spread that information, the hundreds of determined guilds that were looking for the ck Star Organization would pounce on them.

    ¡®Even if they have massive forces, they shouldn¡¯t be able to defend themself against the entire nation.¡¯

    If they could, there was also no reason for them to act in the dark like they had until then.

    Ohjin put on a thick smile while he looked down at the USB which contained information that could bring about the destruction of the Noctua faction in one blow.

    ¡°Is there¡­ anything else you have to ask?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    He already had the information he was after in his hands, but¡­

    ¡°Where is Cheon Doyoon, and what is he doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ do not know.¡±

    Even the Temr who protected the ck Star Organization¡¯s core information didn¡¯t know.

    In that case¡­

    ¡°What about the movements of the other factions?¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to confirm the movements of factions other than the Hirudo faction in Italy and the Hippocampus faction in Japan.¡±

    ¡®Hippocampus faction?¡¯

    ¡°What rank is the Executor who leads the Hippocampus faction?¡±

    ¡°That Executor is ranked 7th.¡±

    They were below Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡®Japan is really close, but¡­¡¯

    Ohjin didn¡¯t have the leisure to pay attention to foreignnds.

    ¡®Should I end things here?¡¯

    There were a lot of things he wanted to ask, but there was the danger of being caught if he dragged on any longer.

    ¡®It¡¯s over if I¡¯m caught here.¡¯

    Even if it was an empty house, there were 3,000 members inside the headquarters¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t be able to escape if they surrounded him.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s end things here.¡±

    Ohjin got up from his spot and put his hand over the woman¡¯s head to give his final order.

    ¡°Forget about everything that happened here and don¡¯t pay attention to it.¡±

    ¡°¡­understood.¡±

    He had already gotten rid of the poison he used to subdue her. There was nothing that could get someone on his tail.

    ¡®Let¡¯s get out of here.¡¯

    Ohjin took the USB and headed outside.

    Afraid of bumping into another member on the way back, he was as cautious as he could be, but the hallways were so empty that his worries were put to rest.

    ¡°This is easy.¡±

    Considering that he infiltrated the ck Star Organization¡¯s HQpletely alone, he was able to get through it without encountering much danger.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡®Now, all I have to do is get down¡­¡¯

    When he pressed the button and got on the elevator¡ª

    Owooong!¡ª

    ¡°Damn it, what¡¯s this all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Another branch requested emergency backup.¡±

    ¡ªMembers of the ck Star Organization suddenly rushed out of the gate and entered the elevator.

    ¡®Oh, shit.¡¯

    In an instant, the elevator was filled with ck Star Organization members as if it was a subway in morning rush hours.

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    ¡°It really is a headache with the Queen of Leeches and the Association these days.¡±

    ¡°Sigh, if only we had Sir Doyoon in times like these.¡±

    ¡°He probably has his own ns. We just have to follow orders.¡±

    Fortunately, it seemed that they mistook Ohjin for another member, as they didn¡¯t pay him much attention and shared small-talk.

    ¡®Goddammit.¡¯

    But even that was only a matter of time. The moment one of them recognized who he was, all of his ns would go down the drain.

    ¡®Domination.¡¯

    He urgently used Domination.

    ck clouds spread out in the cramped elevator.

    -Ring!

    [There are too many domination targets.]

    [Domination has failed!]

    ¡®It¡¯s not like I can take down everyone here.¡¯

    Taking them down wasn¡¯t actually that hard, but the problem was the aftermath of creating that much of amotion.

    ¡®Backup would immediatelye out of the headquarters.¡¯

    Since it was basically right in front of him, it wouldn¡¯t even take a minute for thousands of members to crowd him.

    Once that happened, it was over.

    Not even Ohjin could fight that many members.

    ¡®Please don¡¯t recognize me until the first floor¡­¡¯

    Ohjin looked at the digital sign that changed from 6F to 5F with a nervous expression.

    At that moment¡­

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen his face around here before¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he just from a different team?¡±

    ¡°Wait a second.¡±

    One of the members inside the elevator tantly stared at Ohjin.

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    ¡°Huh, wait¡­ I¡¯ve seen his face somewhere before.¡±

    ¡°L-Lightning Wolf! He¡¯s the Lightning Wolf!!!¡±

    ¡°Wh-What? Why is the Lightning Wolf here?!¡±

    The members inside the elevator surrounded Ohjin in a circle.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin looked around at the members with cold eyes.

    ¡°How noisy.¡±

    ¡°¡­huh?¡±

    ¡°Which team are you from?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m in ck Feather Team 3¡­¡±

    ¡°Team 3, huh. I guess that team could be unaware.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    The Owls looked at each other with confused expressions.

    ¡°Seriously, Sir Doyoon restricting information so thoroughly is also a problem in its own way.¡±

    ¡°No way¡­¡±

    ¡°I-Isn¡¯t the Lightning Wolf the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s Awakener?¡±

    Ohjin looked at them and smiled.

    <strong>¡°For the grace of the ck Stars.¡±</strong>

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    The eyes of the Owls opened wide.

    Ding!¡ª

    Simultaneously, the elevator arrived at the first floor.

    ¡°Are you all going to go provide emergency backup?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes, sir! That is correct!¡±

    ¡°Good luck.¡±

    He patted the shoulder of the member and walked outside¡ª

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡ªputting the dumbfounded Owls staring at his back behind him.

    * * *

    ¡°Oh, my god! I couldn¡¯t imagine that the Lightning Wolf was a part of the ck Star Organization!¡±

    The Owls that exited the building got in a car while making a fuss.

    ¡°Then isn¡¯t the story of Sir Cheon Woosung dying also a lie?¡±

    ¡°Ah! You¡¯re right! They said that the Lightning Wolf was the one who chased after Sir Woosung!¡±

    ¡°Puahahaha! What the hell! Doesn¡¯t that mean that those Association bastards are in the palm of our hand?¡±

    The Owls eximed at the situation they couldn¡¯t have imagined to be true.

    ¡°Wow. See? I told you Sir Doyoon had his own ns!¡±

    ¡°Who would¡¯ve known that he was able to recruit the Lightning Wolf?

    The Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s apostle who gathered attention from the whole world was secretly sided with the ck Star Organization!

    ¡°Kyaha! Hasn¡¯t our faction practically already taken over Korea?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Sir Doyoon say so? That the day when the whole world is dominated by ck Stars wille soon.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. And once that dayes, we will also¡­¡±

    The Owls smiled greedily.

    ¡°Wow¡­ the Lightning Wolf. I saw the Lightning Wolf fighting on a stream before. He¡¯s seriously nonsensically strong.¡±

    One of the Owls clenched his fist with a bashful expression.

    ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to get appointed to the team that the Lightning Wolf is in one day.¡±

 Chapter 115: Owl Hunting (6)

    <strong>Chapter 115: Owl Hunting (6)</strong>

    After returning from the ck Star Organization¡¯s HQ, Ohjin started to spread the information contained in the USB to the guilds that were after them.

    Needlessly to say, he thoroughly hid the fact that he was the source of the information.

    ¡®It¡¯ll be troublesome if they ask me where I got the information.¡¯

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t reveal the overpowered ¡®Domination¡¯ skill to others.

    In any case, the information released by Ohjin spread out in an instant. Even the guilds that first doubted the information started to tear away the ck Star Organization without dy once they discovered their branches.

    ¡®The Owl hunting started in earnest.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t hard to predict how a terrorist organization that had all of its hideouts exposed would meet its end.

    In addition, the core members of the Noctua faction were absent along with Cheon Doyoon.

    The Noctua faction wasn¡¯t able to defend against the Awakeners that rushed in like a tsunami and started to copse in the blink of an eye.

    ¡®The Heaven¡¯s Grace guild yed the biggest role.¡¯

    One of the Seven Stars, the Star of Celestial Pivot, Cheon Sanggil, had mobilized personally.

    It was impossible for second-rate Owls to hold on against a member of the Seven Stars when it wouldn¡¯t have been easy if even Cheon Doyoon was there.

    ¡ªIrresistible force.

    The Owls that were exposed under the sunlight were helplessly caught by the hunters.

    [Report from Chollian News! The union ofrge guilds such as Heaven¡¯s Grace, Hwarang, and Starlight Lake haspletely subdued the ck Star Organization¡¯s headquarters!]

    The announcer shouted out with a resonating voice.

    [There are nearly 3,000 ck Star Organization members who have been caught, and this number is simr to all members of the top ten guildsbined.]

    [Just where did that many Awakenerse from? A single celestial making thousands of Awakeners is an unusual urrence.]

    [Regarding the celestial of Noctua, they say a specialist team will be formed to conduct an investigation.]

    The male and female announcers continued the news with their utmost serious expressions.

    When the news that garnered worldwide attention was being reported¡­

    Plop¡ª

    Ohjinid down on Ha-eun¡¯sp and munched on popcorn.

    ¡°Wow¡­ the ck Star Organization got cleaned up in one go.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Ha-eun yfully pulled on Ohjin¡¯s cheeks while watching the news.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take part?¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t look like there was any need for me to go.¡±

    ¡°True. I think I heard that even the Star of Celestial Pivot took action this time around?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    Ohjin was actually nning to participate in the operation and hunt Owls in the beginning, but his ns were shifted after the union of the ten guilds, excluding Valha and Heaven¡¯s grace, rejected assistance from the Association.

    ¡®Well, they¡¯re probably feeling quite anxious.¡¯

    Since the recent terrorist attacks and the Cheon Woosung incident were all solved by the Association and Valha guild, the public media had started to question what the otherrge guilds were so busy taking care of.

    It would¡¯ve been extremely ufortable for them, as they had always thought that the Association was beneath them.

    ¡®They probably wanted to change public opinion by apprehending the ck Star Organization.¡¯

    They would make it seem like they acted out of justice while talking about punishing the ck Star Organization¡¯s atrocities on the surface, but there was a hidden goal twisted in their actions.

    ¡®There¡¯s no justification that¡¯s easier to use than justice.¡¯

    In any case, it was news that Ohjin would wee with open arms.

    ¡®I¡¯m sitting here doing nothing and they¡¯re taking care of things for me.¡¯

    If the ck Lion, Lee Woohyuk, was his loyal hound, it felt like an army of ants were under his control that time.

    He smiled from the feeling of bing a queen ant that didn¡¯t move an inch and received meals for free.

    ¡°Anyways, with this, I guess the ck Star Organization is over.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡±

    ¡°Because of Cheon Doyoon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Even if the Noctua faction was basically destroyed, it wasn¡¯tpletely over as long as the King of Owls remained standing.

    ¡®We need to figure out what that bastard¡¯s nning.¡¯

    The Noctua faction could be said to be over once Cheon Doyoon was dead.

    ¡°Well¡­ won¡¯t the Star of Celestial Pivot take care of that on his own?¡±

    ¡°I wonder¡­¡±

    Even if that was true, Ohjin wouldn¡¯t pass over the delicious prey called Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡®Though it¡¯s still too early for me to target him.¡¯

    One day¡­ no, soon, he would obtain the power that would enable him to hunt Doyoon down.

    ¡®Which is the reason why I caused this incident.¡¯

    Ohjin smirked as he looked at the news broadcasting on the TV.

    ¡°But when are you going to get up?¡±

    ¡°Waah.¡±

    ¡°Waah, my ass.¡±

    Ha-eun held in herughter and pulled Ohjin¡¯s cheeks.

    ¡°I always wonder if you¡¯re the same Ohjin that I knew back then.¡±

    ¡°What time are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s cheeks reddened as she lightly hit his forehead.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°What? Tell me. You¡¯re making me more curious.¡±

    ¡°I ain¡¯t going to tell you, even if you¡¯re curious.¡±

    Ha-eun stuck out her tongue and got back on her feet.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m going to go buy groceries now, so let¡¯s have dinner together in a bit.¡±

    ¡°What, are you going to make it?¡±

    ¡°Fufu. Look forward to challenging a new dish today, alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Didn¡¯t I make sure to kiss her after returning back then? Why hasn¡¯t the curse been dispelled? Is it because I did it on her cheeks?¡¯

    Ohjin recalled how Ha-eun had pouted as if she thought something was a shame.

    ¡°You need to eat while considering your nutrition intake. Having the same thing every day is boring, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡®Then please consider the taste when cooking¡­¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back~!¡±

    Bang¡ª

    Ha-eun went outside.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    Ohjin sat on the sofa and watched the news. The two announcers were still continuing their conversation.

    [There¡¯s a report that the members of the ck Star Organization are criminals from the Cheorwon Prison disappearance incident that took ce three years ago.]

    [That¡¯s right. Identification results say that around 70% of the captured members are criminals that went missing back then.]

    [How terrible. How and where are the captured ck Star Organization members being managed?]

    [ording to the guild union¡¯s official statement, members that were confirmed to be prisoners of Cheorwon Prison in the past are getting sent to other prisons, and they are in the middle of figuring out why the other members joined the ck Star Organization.]

    [That is understandable. They could¡¯ve been forced to join the organization against their will.]

    [But even if that¡¯s the case, it seems that it¡¯ll be difficult to avoid punishment.]

    It was as the announcer said, though it could be used as a certain degree of extenuating circumstance.

    [Then is the guild union managing the ck Star Organization members who are in the process of getting identified?]

    [Yes. They say that the Association offered assistance, but was turned down.]

    [The battle of nerves between the Association andrge guilds really is intense.]

    The two announcers continued their discussion with serious expressions.

    ¡°They really are doing whatever they can to monopolize merits.¡±

    Ohjin shrugged while looking at the news.

    ¡®But I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t let that be.¡¯

    He leaned his back on the sofa and crossed his legs.

    ¡°Because the one monopolizing isn¡¯t you guys¡­ but me.¡±

    A sly smile was ced on his face.

    * * *

    ¡ªAwakener dedicated prison located in Paju.

    The Owls that finished getting identified were imprisoned in that ce.

    ¡ªThe criminals that hid their whereabouts after the Cheorwon Prison disappearance incident three years prior.

    Those who were granted the stigma of Noctua, had be members of the ck Star Organization, and had crushed the lives of countless others were imprisoned in a special straightjacket made for Awakeners.

    ¡°Damn it! Get this off of me immediately, you bastards!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?! We were simply forced into following the ck Star Organization!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re innocent!!¡±

    The imprisoned ck Star Organization members shouted at the prison officer.

    ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±

    The prison officer who was looking at them frowned and exhaled deeply.

    ¡°You¡¯re innocent?¡±

    The prison officer approached the man who shouted out that he was innocent. He flipped through the thick documents in his hands and stopped at the part where the man¡¯s criminal history was recorded.

    ¡°Three acts of robbery, two of rape and murder. Other than that, there are numerous records of theft, violence, etc.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°What the hell makes you think you¡¯re innocent?¡±

    In addition, that record was from before he joined the ck Star Organization. It was hard to imagine how many more horrible crimes he would¡¯vemitted while being under the ck Star Organization for the past three years.

    ¡°The rest of you bastards are all the same. Got it?¡±

    The prison officer red at the restricted ck Star Organization members with fierce eyes.

    It was simply a matter of degree, most of the criminals imprisoned in Cheorwon Prison had simr criminal records.

    Of course he would be left speechless when those kinds of people were saying that they were forced into following the ck Star Organization and that they were innocent.

    ¡°I¡¯ll block all of your mouths if you keep talking nonsense, so keep them shut. Alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The prison officer nced around the prison that became silent and looked up at the clock hung on a wall.

    ¡®It¡¯s about time to change shifts.¡¯

    Deep fatigue was contained in his eyes as he looked at the clock. It wasn¡¯t easy to watch over nearly 2,000 criminals.

    Even more so since the guild union had handed down orders to keep an eye on them as thoroughly as he could.

    When he was looking at the flowing clock in a daze¡­

    Beeeeeeeeeep!!!!¡ª

    The noisy sound of sirens rang out across the entire prison.

    ¡°Wh-What?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The prison officers who were desperately waiting for their shift to end looked around with urgent expressions.

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡°You dumbasses! What are you doing when the siren is ringing!!¡±

    ¡°Ch-Chief?¡±

    At that moment, the door opened violently as a man rushed to them.

    Prison Chief Jeong Jaechul.

    He was the one who had epted the guild union¡¯s request to receive the captured ck Star Organization members and was the chief operating officer.

    ¡°There are arge number of escapees at building B!! Hurry! Hurry up and go get them!!¡±

    Jeong Jaechul furrowed his eyebrows that were as thick as caterpirs and shouted out.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°W-We¡¯ll mobilize immediately!¡±

    The officers that were shocked by the chief¡¯s bawling all ran outside.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Chief Officer, Jeong Jaechul, looked at the backs of the officers who ran out in a hurry and slowly went into the prison.

    The interior of the prison was reminiscent of a chicken farm.

    Inside the densely packed cells were members of the ck Star Organization restrained in special straight jackets.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    Jeong Jaechul held up the thick documents that the prison officer had been carrying and nced through them.

    ¡°A total of 2192 people.¡±

    The Chief Officer smiled slyly as he looked through the criminal records of the captured ck Star Organization members.

    ¡°Should I start getting things prepared?¡±

    Ddddrrrrr¡ª

    Jeong Jaechul dragged a massive gas tank across the floor and brought it inside.

    ¡°H-Huh?¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    The prisoners restricted in straight jackets looked at the strange actions of Jeong Jaechul and frowned.

    ¡°What does it look like?¡±

    Plop¡ª

    Jeong Jaechul sat on top of the massive gas tank and licked his lips.

    <strong>¡°Isn¡¯t it time to cook now that the hunting has finished?¡±</strong>

    ¡°¡ªWhat?¡±

    The prisoners looked at the chief with confused looks.

    Jeong Jaechul lightly shrugged his shoulders and turned the valve on the gas tank.

    Pshhhhhhhh!!¡ª

    Purple smoke started to leak out of the gas tank and fill up the prison.

    ¡°C-Cough! Wh-What is this?!¡±

    ¡°P-Poisonous gas?¡±

    ¡°Y-Y-You crazy son of a bitch!!!¡±

    The prisoners restricted in straight jackets looked at the chief with terrified expressions.

    ¡°Are you nning to kill everyone here?!¡±

    ¡°S-Stop, you crazy bastard!! Ahh! Please, stop it!!!¡±

    Pandemonium broke out in the prison.

    Jeong Jaechul looked at the wailing ck Star Organization members and got on his feet.

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard the words ¡®stop it¡¯ a lot of times, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Wh-What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard the words to stop it, to spare them, so much to the point that it¡¯s tiring, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you ever stop after hearing those words?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s.¡±

    The faces of the ck Star Organization members turned pale.

    ¡°Well, I guess you wouldn¡¯t be here if you had stopped.¡±

    Jeong Jaechul spread out his palm and put it by his face.

    Crack, crunch!¡ª

    His face distorted with the sound of twisting bones; it started to turn into the form of crushed y.

    And in there¡ª

    ¡°Indeed, there are a lot of things we have inmon.¡±

    ¡ªappeared the face of Ohjin, who was smiling brightly.

    <strong>¡°I have also never stopped before.¡±</strong>

 Chapter 116: Owl Hunting (7)

    <strong>Chapter 116: Owl Hunting (7)</strong>

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°Cough. Kuh.¡±

    The sound of dreadful screams gradually decreased inside the prison filled with purple gas.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t died, don¡¯t overreact.¡±

    Ohjin smirked as he looked at the restrained Owls.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you die here.¡±

    To them, death was an excessive luxury.

    ¡°Ah, ugh.¡±

    The Owls looked at him with tears in their eyes like they would prefer death.

    ¡°You need to live and pay for your sins, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Uh, u¡­ ah.¡±

    An Owl he was looking at dropped his head with a groan, on the verge of breaking.

    ¡®This is probably enough.¡¯

    Even if Ohjin didn¡¯t kill them, he would be able to absorb their mana without much difficulty in their weakened states.

    ¡®There was never a condition that required the target to be dead in order to use Stigma Absorption.¡¯

    Although it was still impossible for him to absorb the mana of an energetic target, it was apletely different story if they were on the verge of death.

    ¡®ck Heaven.¡¯

    The ck clouds that crept out of his hand started to mix with the purple gas and spread out across the entire prison. The clouds greedily wiggled around as if they were living organisms and headed to the chests of the Owls.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    Rumble!¡ª

    Mana rode up through the ck Heaven¡¯s clouds and flowed into Ohjin. It was unfortunate that he wasn¡¯t able to obtain new stigmas, as everyone there had the stigma of Noctua, but being able to suck out the mana of over 2,000 Awakeners was an incredible opportunity.

    ¡®Kya! There¡¯s no elixir like this!¡¯

    Needless to say, their mana was verycking in quality, but the overwhelming amount of quantity did more than enough to neutralize that shoring.

    Rumble!!¡ª

    ¡®This is crazy.¡¯

    A bright smile was ced on Ohjin¡¯s face because of the mana that rushed in like a tsunami. It was what he believed to be the fastest method of growing stronger.

    ¡®Constant training is also important, but¡­¡¯

    Indeed, there was nothing better than stealing the efforts of others.

    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any case ofcking mana now.¡±

    Well, it wasn¡¯t like hecked it before. It was just that with the incredible amount of mana he umted, he would now be able to use it without restraint.

    ¡®And¡­¡¯

    If he absorbed the stigma of over 2,000 Awakeners at once¡­

    ¡®¡­Perhaps?¡¯

    Ohjin looked down at the left side of his chest with an expression full of anticipation.

    As if it was responding to him¡ª

    Rumbleeeeee!!!!¡ª

    ¡ªck clouds explosively soared out of his chest.

    -Ring!

    [You have absorbed an enormous amount of stigmas!]

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s Fifth Awakening is starting!]

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Nice.¡±

    Ohjin smirked and snapped his fingers.

    ¡®Of course, this is how things should be. I absorbed the stigmas of over 2,000 Awakeners at once.¡¯

    Ohjin hadn¡¯t made his ns in anticipation of the mana which he didn¡¯t feel much need for but for the ck Heaven¡¯s awakening from the beginning.

    Rumbleeeee!!¡ª

    The ck clouds that twisted around him got sucked into his body.

    [The ck Heaven has reached the Fifth Awakening.]

    [The effects of the ck Heaven¡¯s traits have been enhanced.]

    [A portion of the stigma of Lyra¡¯s sealed power has been released.]

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s new trait, ¡®Heaven Unfolding¡¯, has been acquired!]

    An intense surge of power boiled up with the message of the Fifth Awakening of the ck Heaven.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    Crackle! Crackleeee!¡ª

    Sparks of lightning that were more profound and thicker than before zed up frighteningly.

    Putting the enjoyment of the power heating up his body aside, Ohjin¡¯s eyes headed to the message that said ¡®new trait¡¯.

    ¡®Heaven Unfolding?¡¯

    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡±

    Ohjin opened the status board and confirmed the details of ¡®Heaven Unfolding¡¯.

    [¦¥¦Ô¦Ö¦Á¦Ñ¦É¦Ò¦Ó? ¦Ð¦Ï¦Ô ¦×?¦Öv¦Á¦Ó¦Å, ?¦Ã¦Ñ¦Á¦×¦Á ¦Ï¦Ó¦É¦Ä?¦Ð¦Ï¦Ó¦Å]

    Pzzt!¡ª

    The status board made static noise as imperceivable letters appeared.

    ¡°What?¡±

    He tried a couple more times, but the results were the same.

    ¡®Did some kind of error ur?¡¯

    And if that wasn¡¯t it¡­

    ¡®Or is it information I can¡¯t ess yet?¡¯

    He didn¡¯t know what was correct, as he had never even heard of that phenomenon before.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ohjin tried a couple more times but soon sighed while shaking his head.

    ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can do right now.¡¯

    It was futile to invest any more time into something that couldn¡¯t be solved through thinking.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    Ohjin sat on top of the gas tank and slowly closed his eyes.

    Gaining enormous power wasn¡¯t the only thing he could earn from the ck Heaven advancing. In one way, it could be said to be more important than power to him since he was pretending to be a regressor.

    Pzzt!¡ª

    [Transmission will start ording to the advancement in the ck Heaven¡¯s awakening stage.]

    ¡®Come at me.¡¯

    The memories of what Lee Shinhyuk experienced in the 1st Round started to flow into his head.

    -There¡¯s a star relic buried in Mt. Baekdu?

    -Yeah. It¡¯s confirmed information that Sunyoung brought.

    Lee Woohyuk nodded his head and sat in front of Lee Sinhyuk.

    -I heard that those Pseudo Star Cult bastards are in the middle of desperately looking for that star relic.

    -What star rank is it for them to act that way?

    -I don¡¯t know.

    Lee Woohyuk shook his head.

    -But judging from how the Pseudo Star Cult is frantically in search of it, it¡¯s probably not amon star relic.

    -That¡¯s true. Those bastards aren¡¯t ones to mobilize easily.

    Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s eyes shone.

    -Isn¡¯t it a jackpot if we find it?

    -¡­Brother, that¡¯s not what¡¯s important.

    -Ah.

    Flinch¡ª

    Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s shoulders shook.

    -Rather than finding the star relic, punishing those Pseudo Star Cult bastards is more important.

    -Groan. I already know that, okay?

    -¡­Sigh.

    Lee Woohyuk exhaled deeply while looking at Lee Shinhyuk, who was avoiding his gaze.

    -Well, let¡¯s try looking for it if we have time remaining. We might be able to use it as bait if we¡¯re able to snatch away the star relic they¡¯re so desperately after.

    -R-Right? That¡¯s what I was trying to say!

    -Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, Brother.

    Lee Woohyuk smiled as he nodded his head.

    -By the way, Brother¡­

    -Ah, wait a sec.

    Lee Shinhyuk suddenly took out his phone and stared into his screen. His lip wriggled up.

    -¡­Did Ha-eun contact you?

    -Huh? Y-Yeah.

    -What did she say?

    -Ha-eun said that she¡¯ll sleep after taking care of her little brother and for me to sleep well.

    Lee Woohyuk chuckled and started to click his tongue.

    -Wh-What? Is there a problem?

    -So when are you going to ask her out?

    -Wh-What about you?! You haven¡¯t asked Sunyoung out yet, either!

    -K-Khm!

    Lee Woohyuk¡¯s cheeks heated up as he cleared his throat.

    -By the way, about the person that¡¯s Ha-eun¡¯s little brother.

    -Um, yeah?

    -Have you met him before?

    -¡­No.

    -Hm. You don¡¯t even know his face or name, right?

    -Yeah.

    Lee Shinhyuk exhaled out a deep breath and nodded his head.

    -I¡¯m not sure why, but it seems like that person has a negative opinion of me. He even told her to keep his name a secret.

    -What if Ha-eun and that guy are dating? I heard that he¡¯s not blood-rted with her.

    -N-No, that isn¡¯t it!!

    Bang!¡ª

    Lee Shinhyuk hit the table with his fist and abruptly got up.

    Soon, he scratched his head with an embarrassed expression and sat back down.

    -So¡­ I asked her once before¡­ If she¡¯s in a rtionship with the guy who she¡¯s taking care of.

    -Did she say she wasn¡¯t?

    -Yeah. She said that they weren¡¯t in a rtionship.

    Lee Shinhyuk shook his head.

    -Then is their rtionship something like family? I heard they¡¯ve stuck together ever since her orphanage days.

    -No, she said it wasn¡¯t that, either.

    -Huh? Then just what kind of rtionship are they in?

    Lee Woohyuk¡¯s eyes opened wide as he tilted his head.

    -About that¡­

    Lee Shinhyuk bit his lips tightly and clenched his fist.

    As if he was forcefully saying something he didn¡¯t want to, he hesitated for a while and soon opened his mouth with a deep sigh.

    <strong>-That¡­ they¡¯re in a rtionship where staying together goes without saying.</strong>

    The transmission ended with those words mixed in with his sigh.

    Pzzt!¡ª

    [Part of Awakener Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s records were sessfully inherited.]

    [ ¡¶Spearmanship of Pyxis Lv8¡· has increased to ¡¶Spearmanship of Pyxis Lv9¡·.]

    With the message that the spearmanship of Pyxis was raised to level 9, the transmission waspleted.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    A slight smile was ced on Ohjin¡¯s face as he slowly looked back at the memories that flowed into his head.

    ¡®A rtionship where staying together goes without saying, huh.¡¯

    Did she share the same thoughts as he did?

    ¡°¡­Hah.¡±

    For some reason, it was difficult to contain theughter that slipped past his lips. Ohjin smiled for a while, and then swept back his hair while narrowing his eyes.

    ¡®Let¡¯s start by organizing the information I obtained.¡¯

    First off, about him during the 1st Round¡­

    ¡®They said that she was taking care of me¡­¡¯

    In that case, it could mean that he received an injury so severe that it required him to be taken care of by Ha-eun.

    ¡®Well, I would¡¯ve been thrown away to the herd of Ant-horns.¡¯

    Just being able to survive that was a miracle.

    ¡®And that would exin why I avoided Lee Shinhyuk.¡¯

    Ha-eun wasn¡¯t saved by him, but by Lee Shinhyuk in the 1st Round.

    And if he heard that news¡­

    ¡®¡­I wouldn¡¯t be able to face him.¡¯

    When he heard the news that the bastard who threw him away at a herd of monsters to run away was the one who cured Ha-eun¡¯s eyes, what kind of emotions would he have felt?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t easy for him to imagine, as he hadn¡¯t experienced it personally.

    ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s put this aside for now.¡±

    Ohjin kept thinking for a while but eventually shook his head. He started to think of another bit of information he had obtained from Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories.

    ¡®The star relic buried in Mt. Baekdu and the Pseudo Star Cult¡­¡¯

    Pseudo Star Cult.

    That group didn¡¯t fail to appear once again.

    ¡®Will I be able to meet them if I go to Mt. Baekdu?¡¯

    There was no method to find out precisely ¡®when¡¯ the matters took ce, as there was no information that indicated the time period in the memories that time around.

    ¡®It does seem to be at ater point than now since Lee Woohyuk doesn¡¯t know about the Pseudo Star Cult at the moment.¡¯

    Ohjin still wasn¡¯t able to find out what kind of group the Pseudo Star Cult was and why Lee Woohyuk and Lee Shinhyuk were after them.

    ¡°For now¡­ there¡¯s more than enough reason to try going there.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to obtain the star relic since he had no idea where it was buried, but it was worth a shot.

    ¡®I can take things slow.¡¯

    There was still time remaining since Lee Woohyuk didn¡¯t know the Pseudo Star Cult in the present.

    ¡®It¡¯ll probably be enough time to get my body used to my newly obtained strength.¡¯

    Bzzzzt!¡ª

    Ohjin created lightning on top of his palm and smiled.

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    He turned his head to look around.

    ¡°Ah¡­ uh.¡±

    ¡°Kugh¡­ uk.¡±

    The Owls that had their mana sucked out by the ck Heaven¡¯s clouds were trembling with their eyes turned inside out.

    Ohjin had intentionally left some mana behind.

    Although it was just a handful of mana, there was a reason he left it behind.

    ¡°Domination.¡±

    Once more, ck clouds spread across the prison.

    ¡°¡­Heh.¡±

    ¡°Heh-hehe.¡±

    Soon, the Owls put on dumb expressions with cloudy eyes.

    It could¡¯ve been because his trait was enhanced from the ck Heaven advancing stages or because the Owls¡¯ mental states werepletely destroyed, but he was able to seed in dominating over 2,000 Owls at once.

    ¡°Forget about everything that happened here today.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°I shall follow¡­ your orders.¡±

    ¡°And sincerely repay your sins for the rest of your lives, you bastards.¡±

    Ohjin used the valve to close the gas tank from leaking any more poisonous gas.

    ¡°Now¡­¡±

    Before opening the door to head outside, he looked back and respectfully bowed down to the restrained Owls.

    ¡°Thanks for the meal~!!!¡±

    T/N: ¡®¦¥¦Ô¦Ö¦Á¦Ñ¦É¦Ò¦Ó? ¦Ð¦Ï¦Ô ¦×?¦Öv¦Á¦Ó¦Å, ?¦Ã¦Ñ¦Á¦×¦Á ¦Ï¦Ó¦É¦Ä?¦Ð¦Ï¦Ó¦Å¡¯ Search the meaning of this for an Easter Egg from the author :^ ).

 Chapter 117: Motherless Man (1)

    <strong>Chapter 117: Motherless Man (1)</strong>

    The incident that urred at the prison in Paju turned the nation of Korea upside down once again.

    It was a shocking incident where over 2,000 members of the ck Star Organizations suddenly became crippled for life.

    ording to the prison officers¡¯ testimonies, the culprit of the incident was deemed to be Prison Chief Jeong Jaechul, but because he had a solid alibi where he was out on business in the suspected frame of time, the incident was once again shrouded in mystery.

    In the end, the final verdict was this: Someone disguised themself as Prison Chief Jeong Jaechul and punished the criminals.

    As they weren¡¯t caught by the CCTV or the security magic put in ce, and because not a single one of the ambushed ck Star Organization members would open their mouths for some reason, the culprit¡¯s identity was aplete mystery.

    Large amounts of criticism were pointed at the guild union for being unable to properly manage the apprehended criminals, and the public opinion of the Association had done nothing suddenly became more positive.

    Thankfully, for the guild union, the incident that was a big issue at first soon settled down, and interest quickly dispersed.

    ¡®It¡¯s understandable.¡¯

    Most of the public actually expressed that they felt refreshed because the ambushed ck Star Organization members were all scum from Cheorwon Prison.

    It appeared that the guild union also wanted the incident to be forgotten as soon as possible since they didn¡¯tmence proper investigations to catch the culprit.

    ¡°Everything worked out just as nned.¡±

    Ohjin smirked while looking at the news.

    He was able to get his hands on an immense amount of mana, achieve the ck Heaven¡¯s fifth awakening, and though it was slight, improve what the public thought of the Association.

    ¡®My efforts were worthwhile.¡¯

    It was worth the risk of infiltrating the ck Star Organization¡¯s HQ all by himself.

    ¡°Though my mana¡­ is a little disappointing.¡±

    Ohjin thought that he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about running out of mana due to absorbing the mana of over 2,000 Awakeners.

    ¡®I never knew that there were problems like this from low-quality mana.¡¯

    Though there was no problem with using normal skills, when he used powerful skills such as Lightning mes, Exceed, or Charge, there was nearly a 10 to 20 times difference in mana consumption speed.

    ¡®I guess you could say it¡¯s like having a bunch of health but no armor and magic resistance in a game.¡¯

    He had a lot of mana, but wasn¡¯t all-powerful, as an ording amount of mana was consumed.

    ¡®There probably won¡¯t be much use in absorbingrge amounts of low-quality mana from now on.¡¯

    The efficiency of low-quality mana would be too insubstantial when he considered the fact that the stigma of Lyra and ck Heaven would continue to develop in the future.

    It was better than nothing, but there was no reason to go actively looking for it.

    ¡°Well, with this, the important matters have all been finished.¡±

    Taking a moment to rest and focus on training before going to find the star relic buried in Mt. Baekdu seemed to be a good choice.

    ¡®I also want to know what¡¯s changed with the fifth awakening.¡¯

    There was especially a need to take time to find out the identity of the unknown trait, ¡®Heaven Unfolding¡¯.

    * * *

    ¡®Then, before starting my training¡­ should I go check up on my goddess?¡¯

    He hadn¡¯t been able to see Vega for a while and kept the pendant off of him because he had continuously been doing deeds he couldn¡¯t show Vega such as infiltrating the ck Star Organization¡¯s HQ and absorbing the stigmas of the restrained Owls.

    ¡°Vega.¡±

    Ohjin flowed mana into the pendant and called Vega.

    Owooong!¡ª

    Soon, silver rays of light flickered as a doll sized around 30cm floated in mid-air.

    ¡°Vega?¡±

    [¡­]

    Vega, who had materialized after Ohjin¡¯s call, tantly stared at him with narrowed eyes and her arms crossed.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Vega?¡±

    [¡­Hmpf.]

    Vega puffed air out of her nose and turned her entire body around.

    ¡®What?¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s expression stiffened.

    He wondered if she noticed the acts he hadmitted.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think I made a mistake¡­?¡¯

    Ohjin looked at her with nervous eyes.

    ¡°Um¡­ Vega?¡±

    [Don¡¯t want to.]

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t want to do what?¡±

    [I don¡¯t want to talk with you.]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡®Why is she acting like this all of a sudden?¡¯

    [¡­Do you really not know why?]

    ¡°Uhm, uh¡­¡±

    [Do you really not know why?!]

    Vega fiercely opened her eyes and red at Ohjin.

    Judging from the mood, It appeared that he had made a mistake, but there was nothing that came to mind.

    [Just how long has it been since you called me?! And you left the pendant behind as you pleased for the past few days¡­!]

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡®So she¡¯s upset because I haven¡¯t called her in so long. I got worried for no reason.¡¯

    Ohjin rest assured and smiled.

    [This is noughing matter!]

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Vega. You must¡¯ve been lonely because I didn¡¯t contact you for so long.¡±

    [I-I wasn¡¯t lonely. I-It¡¯s just that¡­]

    Vega¡¯s cheeks reddened as she stuck her index fingers together and twisted her body.

    [¡­the sanctuary is a little too quiet for me to stay alone in.]

    ¡®So she was lonely, since when did she get so cute?¡¯

    The way she appeared solemn and divine when he had first met her was nowhere to be seen with her showing her honest and cute side so oftentely that it made it hard to imagine that she was a goddess.

    ¡®Thinking about it now, this is probably Vega¡¯s real personality.¡¯

    The real face of the woman named Vega hidden behind the mask of a North Star celestial.

    ¡®Does that mean¡­ she trusts me to the extent that she would show it?¡¯

    A bitter smile was put on Ohjin¡¯s mouth, but soon after, he carefully extended his hand out to Vega, who had her cheeks puffed out and was thoroughly upset.

    ¡°Why were you alone? Where did Riak go?¡±

    [About Riak¡­ Hmm.]

    Vega twirled her hair with an expression of hesitation.

    [He did say to keep it a secret from you¡­ but he has recently been focusing on training in order to cross over the ¡®wall¡¯.]

    ¡°Wall?¡±

    Come to think of it, Ohjin had heard about it several times before.

    ¡®Something about hitting a wall for hundreds of years.¡¯

    When he had first met him, Riak was in despair about oveing the wall.

    No, even worse than despair, he had given up entirely.

    ¡®Though I haven¡¯t felt those kinds of emotions yet¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s growth had never stagnated enough for him to feel that he hit a ¡®wall¡¯ yet.

    However¡­

    ¡®I understand¡­ that it¡¯s so painful that it cannot be expressed with words.¡¯

    When simply forgetting where you ced an item and wandering in search of it for an hour was torment, how painful would it be to silently continue training in search of enlightenment that seemed to always escape out of your grasp?

    Riak had repeated that intense suffering for¡­

    a year,

    a decade,

    and over a century¡­

    ¡°¡­Tch.¡±

    Ohjin quietly clicked his tongue.

    It did weigh down on his mind, but it was something Riak himself had to ovee.

    ¡°It really would¡¯ve been very quiet if even Riak wasn¡¯t there.¡±

    Ohjin nodded his head as he recalled how empty her sanctuary was.

    [¡­That¡¯s not it.]

    ¡°It isn¡¯t?¡±

    [There were a lot of times I kept watch over the sanctuary alone. However, back then¡­ it wasn¡¯t this lonely nor gloomy.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    [I¡¯ve only started to feel these emotions after meeting you.]

    Her shaking eyes headed towards Ohjin.

    [I also¡­ do not know why I¡¯ve started to feel these emotions.]

    Vega smiled faintly, and pat Ohjin¡¯s head with her gentle touch.

    [Fufu. Maybe some kind of miracle urred and a part of my past life¡¯s memories were transmitted.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    No, that couldn¡¯t be true.

    The memories that existed between Ohjin and Vega in the past life were lies created by him.

    [Anyways! Call me more often from now on!]

    ¡°Ah, yeah. I got it.¡±

    Ohjin, who was looking at her with perplexed eyes, awkwardly nodded his head.

    [By the way¡­]

    Vega opened her mouth while looking at the news that was broadcasted onto the TV.

    [Was that the war you were referring to?]

    ¡ªThe fight between the ck Star Organization and guild union.

    It was so one-sided that it was embarrassing to call it a ¡®war¡¯, but the big incident was definitelyrge-scale enough for it to be a war.

    ¡°Originally, it didn¡¯t end this easily. There were also way more casualties.¡±

    [What did you do for the war to end this easily?]

    ¡°I spread some information.¡±

    [Ah¡­ so you¡¯re the anonymous informant who spread the locations of the ck Star Organization¡¯s headquarters and branches!]

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Vega¡¯s eyes twinkled as she pped her hands.

    [But how were you able to find out that information? Didn¡¯t you say that you don¡¯t know much about the ck Star Organization?]

    ¡°I also originally didn¡¯t know about their precise locations, but was able to find them out this time after finding a clue.¡±

    [Hmm. I guess if it¡¯s you, it wouldn¡¯t have been that hard since you know everything that happened in the future.]

    Vega nodded as she rubbed her chin.

    [But¡­ then is the person who crippled those 2,000 people also you?]

    Her eyes contained worry.

    ¡°No. That isn¡¯t what I did.¡±

    He acted natural as he shook his head.

    As long as she believed that he was a ¡®hero¡¯, he couldn¡¯t tell her that he had turned over 2,000 people into cripples, even if there were unforgivable criminals.

    [Then just who¡­]

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡¯

    [You don¡¯t know?]

    ¡°This never happened in the 1st Round.¡±

    [¡­]

    Vega¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    [So the future changed once you released information about the ck Star Organization.]

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Ohjin nodded with a serious look.

    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know who turned them into cripples, but I seeded in preventing the war.¡±

    [Then what are your next ns?]

    ¡°There¡¯s a star relic hidden in Mt. Baekdu.¡±

    He recalled the memories obtained from Lee Shinhyuk.

    [Ooh, are you nning on acquiring that star relic before any other this time, as well?]

    ¡°That¡¯s right, but not even I know its precise hidden location.¡±

    [Hmm. Then I guess it would take a bit of time to find.]

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m in a hurry. I¡¯m thinking of taking things slow when looking for it.¡±

    [Fufu. Indeed, you are reliable.]

    Vega stroked his head as she thought he was praiseworthy.

    [If you¡¯re the one doing it, anything should be possible.]

    He could feel infinite trust from his goddess.

    [Just from the recent incident, did you not save the lives of many who were originally supposed to die?]

    ¡°Though it¡¯s not like there¡¯s anyone who¡¯s aware of it.¡±

    [There is me.]

    Vega flew up close to him.

    [How much effort you¡¯ve desperately put in to change the future, how many lives were saved thanks to your efforts¡­]

    Radiant rays of light wrapped around her body as Vega returned to her true form.

    [I shall continue to watch over them¡ª right beside you.]

    Vega extended out her hands and gently pulled in Ohjin¡¯s head.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A soft sensation pressed down on his cheeks.

    How much she trusted him was transmitted through the warmth that touched his skin.

    ¡®It does make me feel a little guilty.¡¯

    Vega trusted him that much, but he was deceiving her.

    ¡®Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    He had already crossed the point of no return.

    At that point, he just had to pretend to be an Awakener until the end.

    ¡°Thank you, Vega.¡±

    [Hmpf! Be a little more thankful!]

    ¡°Thankkkkk youuuu!!! Vegaaaaaa!!¡±

    [Uuh?!]

    Ohjin pulled in Vega¡¯s hips with both of his arms.

    [Fufu. It¡¯s almost as if you¡¯ve be an actual child.]

    Vega received Ohjin¡¯s childish act and smiled sheepishly.

    [Hmm¡­]

    Vega was silent in contemtion with Ohjin for a while.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    [¡­Th-There is one proposal I have for you.]

    ¡°What kind of proposal?¡±

    [C-Could you call me ¡®Mama¡¯ this one time?]

    ¡®Pardon? What kind of insane thing are you talking about?¡¯

    [I-It¡¯s your fault! You unsettled my heart because you kept acting childish!]

    ¡°Since when did I¡ª¡±

    [Shush!! Be quiet! It is punishment for leaving me alone in the sanctuary!]

    Vega got angry with her reddened face.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin looked up at her with a dumbfounded look.

    ¡°Ma¡ª¡±

    He slowly opened his mouth.

    Bang!¡ª

    At that moment, the front door violently swung open.

    ¡°I was going to sit still, but you¡¯re seriously pushing it!! Mama? Did you say ¡®mama¡¯?!¡±

    Ha-eun entered the living room while puffing out rough breaths.

    She shouted out as she roughly pulled in Ohjin¡¯s arm.

    <strong>¡°My Ohjin doesn¡¯t have anything like a mother, okay?!!¡±</strong>

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She wasn¡¯t wrong, but¡­

    ¡®Is that right¡­?¡¯

    ¡®What is this indescribably unpleasant feeling¡­¡¯

    T/N: To add a little context here, in Korea where respecting elders is important, insulting the parents of others is taboo. This is just joking around with that in mind.

 Chapter 118: Dragonâ€™s Resting Ground (1)

    <strong>Chapter 118: Dragon¡¯s Resting Ground (1)</strong>

    [Gasp!]

    Vega¡¯s eyes opened wide while looking at Ha-eun who crash into the room.

    ¡°Always pretending to be elegant and dignified, and now what? Mama?¡±

    [N-No, that isn¡¯t it!]

    ¡°What do you mean! I heard it loud and clear!¡±

    [S-S-So¡­]

    Vega¡¯s golden pupils frantically looked around the empty air.

    [L-Like you have said, hasn¡¯t my child grown up without parents? Even if he pretends to be fine on the surface, he¡¯s probably craving motherly love!]

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you imposed your perverted fetishes onto Ohjin?¡±

    [P-Perverted? How impertinent!]

    When the two of them continued their quarrel for a while¡ª

    ¡°¡­So Ha-eun, since when were you listening?¡± asked Ohjin with a slightly stiffened expression.

    ¡®It¡¯ll be a bit troublesome if she listened from the start.¡¯

    They had talked a bunch about the 1st Round, changes in the future, and whatnot.

    ¡°Hm? I heard from when Vega started to talk about how she would continue to stay beside you or something.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    In that case, she wouldn¡¯t have heard about the regression.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯ting in because the mood seemed a little serious, but¡­¡±

    re¡ª

    Ha-eun crossed her arm and stared at Vega.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t even imagine that she would ask you to call her mama in that situation.¡±

    [K-Khm! Come to think of it, there isn¡¯t much more time I can stay materialized today.]

    Vega forcefully cleared her throat and curled the tip of her long silver hair with her fingers.

    For reference, it hadn¡¯t even been 10 minutes since she materialized.

    [Thisdy shall take her leave!]

    Vega went into the pendant in an escaping manner.

    ¡°¡­Seriously.¡±

    Ha-eun unfolded her arms and approached Ohjin.

    ¡°Um¡­ by the way, Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t actually¡­ craving motherly love like Vega said, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    Ohjin chuckled while shaking his head.

    There was no reason to crave for something he had never received before in the first ce.

    ¡®I don¡¯t need something like that.¡¯

    ¡ªParents?

    ¡ªFamily?

    Not once had he felt the need for them.

    Not when there was someone even more precious than those to him.

    ¡°Anyways, where did you go?¡±

    ¡°Well, I just went to do some light training,¡± Ha-eun said while avoiding his gaze.

    Her face had a grim expression as she looked away.

    ¡°You said you were able to find some resultstely. Are things not working out?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Sigh. It feels like it¡¯s going to work but doesn¡¯t.¡±

    Ha-eun exhaled a deep breath and scratched her head.

    ¡°To put it in words, it¡¯s like the goal is right in front of my eyes, but I¡¯m unable to make it in because Ick stamina.¡±

    ¡®Is insufficient mana the problem? I should start working on those potions.¡¯

    ¡°Wait a little longer. I¡¯ll give you a presentter.¡±

    ¡°Present? What present is it all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when that timees.¡±

    ¡°Ah, tell me.¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and pinched Ohjin¡¯s cheeks.

    ¡°The way you¡¯re acting is making me damn curious.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m acting like this so you get curious.¡±

    ¡°You little shit?¡±

    ¡°Anyways, just wait. I¡¯ll give you something good.¡±

    He smirked and turned around.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be in the storage room for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll just go take a shower.¡±

    Ha-eun pped her shirt drenched in sweat.

    His eyes were subconsciously focused on the white skin and cleavage that were revealed every time her shirt pped.

    ¡°Eyes up here, buddy.¡±

    ¡°My bad.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. If you really want to see, want to go inside with me?¡±

    Ha-eun pointed to the bathroom with a smug grin.

    ¡°No thanks.¡±

    It was obvious that she would get flustered and blush if he really said that he¡¯d go inside with her.

    Though he wouldn¡¯t mind seeing that, either¡­

    ¡®I need to make the potion right now.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s heart fluttered as he imagined how happy she would be after receiving the potion.

    * * *

    Not much preparation was required to make the potion.

    All he had to do was put a starstone inside a water bottle filled with distilled water and use the stigma of Aquarius to melt the mana contained inside the starstone.

    ¡®Though I obviously won¡¯t be able to melt 100% of it.¡¯

    ording to what he had heard, it was deemed a sess if you were able to melt just 10% of its mana.

    ¡°You can melt up to a maximum of 20~30% of it ording to your proficiency in handling mana, huh.¡±

    Ohjin nced over the information disyed on the inte and mumbled.

    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot.¡±

    He coursed mana into the distilled water after activating the stigma of Aquarius.

    Blue rays of light permeated the starstone that was inside the distilled water.

    Owooong!!¡ª

    The mana contained within the starstone started to gradually melt into the distilled water.

    -Ring!

    [You have sessfully melted the mana contained within the starstone.]

    [Dissipated mana is recovered due to your marvelous mana handling capabilities!]

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡®Dissipated mana is recovered?¡¯

    ¡°No way¡­¡±

    Ohjin held in his surprise and confirmed the amount of mana inside the distilled water.

    ¡®There¡¯s no dissipated mana.¡¯

    Melting just 10% was a sess.

    He had heard that even the most talented individuals could only melt 20~30% of the starstone.

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡±

    He couldn¡¯t believe it despite being the one who did it.

    No loss of mana at all?

    And in his first try, at that?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The words of Vega when he first learned Exceed suddenly resurfaced in his head.

    <strong>-It seems almost as if¡­ you were born to hold dominance over all stigmas.</strong>

    Talent that made even a North Star unable to hold back their astonishment.

    He was able to disy that talent once again in an unounted field of expertise.

    ¡®Talent, huh¡­¡¯

    Could it be exined with the simple word ¡®talent¡¯ alone?

    ¡°¡­Is it because of the ck Heaven?¡±

    He didn¡¯t know.

    He couldn¡¯t know when he had never used mana before awakening the ck Heaven.

    ¡®Well, anyways.¡¯

    The potion that was made to give as a present to Ha-eun waspleted, and it was one that performed several times better than what he first expected.

    Click¡ª

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Ha-eun, who had just finished showering, opened the door and entered the room.

    Her wet hair and slightly reddened cheeks couldn¡¯t be more lovely.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Here, drink this.¡±

    Ohjin handed the water bottle that had a starstone melted in it over to Ha-eun.

    Glowing blue colors sshed inside the water bottle.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°I mentioned I was going to give you a present before.¡±

    ¡°This is that present?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes twinkled as she received the water bottle.

    ¡°What kind of drink is this? It¡¯s my first time seeing one that shines this much.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a mana potion.¡±

    ¡°Eeh. A mana potion? Aren¡¯t those potions that raise¡­¡±

    Her eyes opened wide.

    ¡°W-Wait, a mana potion? Th-This is a mana potion?!¡±

    Her mouth opened wide out of disbelief.

    ¡°Is-Isn¡¯t this really fucking expensive?!¡±

    ¡°I guess.¡±

    Whenparing only the price, it would be simr to the Cursed Dragon Eye he gifted her before.

    ¡®And that¡¯s when 10% of the mana is preserved.¡¯

    The potion he made preserved 100% of it. An item of that caliber couldn¡¯t be obtained no matter how much money was paid.

    A potion that increased the amount of one¡¯s mana was an item that every Awakener would desperately want.

    ¡°Wh-Where did you get this from?¡±

    ¡°I received a couple of high-quality starstones for helping the Valha guildst time. I requested an Awakener of Aquarius that I know to make it.¡±

    ¡°Then, Ohjin, you should drink¡ª¡±

    ¡°Even you should know that the effectiveness drops if a person with a lot of mana drinks one.¡±

    At his current state, there would barely be any change even if he chugged down a truckload of mana potions.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±

    Not knowing what to do, Ha-eun grasped the water bottle tightly with both her hands.

    ¡°Th-This is too precious.¡±

    No matter how precious it was, could it be more precious than she was to him?

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that everything that¡¯s mine is yoursst time?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Ha-eun normally acted confident, but actually didn¡¯t know what to do in situations like those.

    ¡®Well, that kind of thing is cute, too.¡¯

    ¡°Anyways, it doesn¡¯t have much meaning to me, so you drink it. Didn¡¯t you go through some trouble due to insufficient manately?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s pupils trembled.

    If Ohjin knew that she was going through trouble due to insufficient mana¡­

    ¡°Then did you get this made¡­ to give it to me?¡±

    ¡°For who else would I have used such an expensive starstone?¡±

    With the potion hugged in tight, she groaned while curling her feet.

    ¡°Y-You really drain the life out of me!¡±

    Considering that, her face was conflictingly full of vigor.

    ¡°Then¡­ I-I¡¯m really drinking it, alright?¡±

    ¡°Hurry up.¡±

    Ohjin was also curious as to howrge of an effect a potion that preserved 100% mana would have.

    ¡°¡­Gulp.¡±

    After carefully opening the water bottle¡¯s cap, Ha-eun slowly drank the subtly glowing blue potion.

    Fwoooosh!¡ª

    Crimson mes wavered around her body¡ª

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡ªand started to slowly permeate into her body.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    Her eyes widened with disbelief.

    ¡°How is it? Is it effective?¡±

    ¡°I-It¡¯s not just effective. Wh-What is this? Is it normally like this?¡±

    Ha-eun mouth fell agape as she felt the mana that filled up her body.

    She had heard about a mana potion¡¯s effects a couple of times in the past, but what happened was on apletely different levelpared to that.

    ¡®I think my mana has increased by double¡­ no, triple.¡¯

    There was the fact that she didn¡¯t have much mana in the first ce, but it was also because there was an enormous amount of mana contained in the potion.

    ¡°¡­Give me a second.¡±

    Click¡ª

    Ha-eun took off her eyepatch.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    She slowly inhaled air while focusing her mind.

    Her Dragon Eye gave off a fierce light as thick veins sprouted around her left eye.

    Fwoooooosh!!¡ª

    Crimson mes overflowed out of her.

    Ha-eun slowly extended her hand forward.

    mes started to gather on top of her spread palm.

    From there, she started to condense the mes.

    The mes that overflowed as if they were going to devour the surroundings started to condense into a small, spherical shape on her palm.

    ¡°Haa, haa.¡±

    Her breathing became rough, and cold sweat dripped down her face.

    Normally, she would¡¯ve failed there due to insufficient mana.

    ¡®But right now¡­!¡¯

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes shone.

    Fwooooosh!!!¡ª

    Even more intense mes poured out and condensed into the spherical me. As she continued to condense, it became a red bead that didn¡¯t even look like fire anymore.

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    A bright smile was ced on Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    An electrifying thrill ran down her spine and spread out.

    ¡ªDragon Bead.

    A me crystal that was made by using the Dragon Eye.

    ¡°Is this¡­ the new technique you learned?¡± eximed Ohjin.

    The size of the dragon bead she made was merely around a 50¡é coin¡ª

    ¡®Holy shit.¡¯

    ¡ªbut the amount of power contained in it gave him goosebumps just by looking at it.

    ¡®I¡¯ll die if I get hit by that.¡¯

    He wasn¡¯t ying around or exaggerating.

    The moment he got hit by that dragon bead, he would literally ¡®vanish¡¯.

    ¡°Finally¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes glistened.

    ¡°I finally seeded!!!!!!!!¡±

    ¡ªA shout full of joy.

    After breaking through her bottleneck, she jumped around from the boiling excitement.

    ¡°Congrattions, Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°Ohjinnnnnn!¡±

    Ha-eun hugged Ohjin tight after removing the dragon bead.

    ¡°I seeded! I fucking seeded!¡±

    ¡°Hehe. I saw it.¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh!!! Finally! Finally!!!¡±

    She consecutively kissed Ohjin¡¯s cheek from her excitement.

    ¡°My precious little Ohjin!!! What should I do for you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡±

    He didn¡¯t give her the potion while expecting something in return.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine?¡±

    Ha-eun held Ohjin¡¯s shoulders and her eyes lost rationality.

    ¡°First, take it off!¡¯

    ¡®What is she saying all of a sudden.¡¯

    ¡°And spread out!¡±

    ¡®Spread what, you crazy person¡­?¡¯

 Chapter 119: Dragonâ€™s Resting Ground (2)

    <strong>Chapter 119: Dragon¡¯s Resting Ground (2)</strong>

    Squeeze, squeeze¡ª

    A soft touch pressed down on his shirtless back.

    As the thumb squeezed the cramped muscles around his back, a pleasant sensation spread across his body.

    ¡°Keep your arms spread out like that. I¡¯ll give you a massage.¡±

    ¡°¡­ So this is what you meant by spreading?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, why? Were you thinking of something lewd?¡±

    Ha-eun giggled slyly as she massaged his upper back in a circr motion.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it weirder to think of something else in that situation?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ i-if you really insist, I could listen to your request just a little~¡±

    She cleared her throat as her cheeks reddened.

    ¡°No thanks.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°That kind of thing doesn¡¯t fit you.¡±

    Ohjin shook his head with an uninterested expression.

    Ha-eun¡¯s brows furrowed.

    ¡°What do you mean by that! Hey, men drool when I walk past them! Even when I went to go get groceries yesterday¡ª¡±

    ¡°Which bastard was it?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°Which bastard drooled while looking at you?¡±

    Ohjin asked out of extreme displeasure with a big frown.

    Frightening killing intent filled the room.

    ¡°It-It¡¯s just a figure of speech! D-Do you think they¡¯d actually drool?¡±

    ¡°Ah, what?¡±

    The killing intent disappeared.

    ¡°Damn it¡­ you surprised me.¡±

    Ha-eun couldn¡¯t conceal her smile and looked away.

    ¡°Anyways, just sit still.¡±

    Ha-eun resumed her massaging.

    ¡°But what¡¯s with the sudden massage?

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just¡­¡±

    She slurred the end of her sentence and closed her lips tightly.

    ¡®There¡¯s nothing else I can do other than stuff like this.¡¯

    The sentence that wouldn¡¯te out of her lips roughly tickled the roof of her mouth.

    ¡°¡­Just.¡±

    She had received a lot of things from him until then.

    She had only been on the receiving end.

    ¡ªExpensive things that she couldn¡¯t possibly pay back.

    Even when she was an undeveloped child, when she first became an Awakener, when she was cursed and trapped inside darkness¡­

    And until the present¡­

    When she looked back to the past, it was always full of memories of what she received from Ohjin.

    ¡®Compared to that¡­¡¯

    What could she do for him?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun was higher than Ohjin whenparing only the ¡®Star¡¯ rank, but what meaning did that hold?

    Ohjin already had strength that was excessively powerful for a 6-Star.

    There was nothing she could do to help him, but even if a small amount of time passed, he would reach a distance she couldn¡¯t reach in the blink of an eye.

    ¡®There¡¯s¡­ not one thing I can do.¡¯

    ¡ªMoney?

    Ohjin was already considered the ace of the Association and earning enormous amounts of cash.

    ¡ªHouse?

    Compared to the house gifted by Isabe, the house Ha-eun prepared for him was no different from a worn-out shack.

    The absolute least she wanted to do was give him delicious meals but was even failing at that every time due to her poor skill.

    The only thing she could think of was massaging his tired muscles after going through a training schedule that was close to self-torture.

    But even that was something anyone else could do.

    ¡®I¡­¡¯

    Her face started to turn sullen.

    ¡°Ha-eun?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Khm! It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Squeeze¡ª

    She increased the strength in her thumb.

    ¡°Ahh! S-Stop!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a grown man, stop overreacting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not overreacting! I think I¡¯m seriously going to die!¡±

    ¡°Be a good boy and take in my massaging.¡±

    ¡°Argh! I¡¯m dying!!¡±

    Squeeze, squeeze¡ª

    Ha-eun¡¯s touch stimted his back.

    While the act that was hard to determine if it was a massage or torture took ce¡ª

    Ding-dong!¡ª

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡ªthe sound of the doorbell rang out.

    ¡°I wonder who it is.¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head and opened the front door.

    Click¡ª

    As the door opened, a dazzling blond-haired woman came into view.

    ¡°Hehe. Hello~!¡±

    The woman with a gentle smile like an autumn breeze bowed down and gave a bright greeting.

    ¡ªIsabe Cgrande.

    The Awakener who was called a ¡®Saintess¡¯, and the esteemed daughter of one of the most distinguished families in Europe.

    In addition¡­ an unpredictable woman who showed a strange amount of interest in Ohjin.

    ¡°¡­Why have youe here?¡±

    Ha-eun red at Isabe with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°Fufu. I have a favor I have to ask of Ohjin.¡±

    Isabe smiled refreshingly and took off her shoes.

    She quickly went to the living room like it was her own house before Ha-eun was able to stop her.

    ¡°Huh? H-Hey! Who said you coulde in?!¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Isabe narrowed her eyes as she looked down at Ohjin, who wasying down shirtless in the living room. He was drenched in sweat as if he had gone through an intense exercise and was gasping for breath.

    ¡°¡­What were you two doing?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes glimmered coldly.

    ¡°I-I was just giving him a massage.¡±

    ¡°A massage? He became like that from a massage?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I did it pretty intensely.¡±

    Ha-eun scratched her head and avoided her gaze.

    ¡°Ugh. Forgive me. I disyed an unsightly sight.¡±

    Ohjin got up with a straight face.

    His sturdy abs and chest muscles were fully exposed, as he was shirtless.

    ¡°¡ªAh.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s pupils erged.

    ¡°Oh-Ohjin, um¡­ your clothes.¡±

    Her shoulders shook while her cheeks gave off a light pink hue.

    ¡°Ah, I apologize.¡±

    ¡°N-No.¡±

    Gulp¡ª

    Isabe looked at Ohjin¡¯s body with a heated gaze.

    As if there was an appetizing delicacy in front of her eyes, she licked her lips while her breathing turned ragged.

    ¡°What kind of request do you have for me?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    Isabe puffed her cheeks and pouted.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would talkfortably to me?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    He had forgotten.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Really¡­ I¡¯m going to get upset if you keep doing this, alright?¡±

    Ohjin chuckled while looking at Isabe puffing air out of her nose with her arms crossed.

    ¡°Understood, Miss Saintess.¡±

    ¡°Ah! You¡¯re doing it again!¡±

    ¡°Haha. I¡¯m kidding.¡±

    He shrugged and chuckled lightly.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°So what¡¯s the request?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ Have you heard of dungeons?¡±

    ¡°Dungeons?¡±

    ¡ªDungeons.

    They were simr to gates but had a distinguishing feature.

    Gates would either stay open forever or disappear after a set period of time. On the other hand, dungeons had the concept of ¡®clearing¡¯. In other words, dungeons were single-use gates that would disappear once the boss was eliminated or a specific condition was met.

    ¡®A dungeon, huh.¡¯

    Ohjin had never entered one before but had heard many stories.

    Compared to normal gates, dungeons had a much higher probability of containing high-quality starstones. And even if you were unable to obtain starstones inside, they were still profitable, as they gave a separate clear reward.

    Naturally, powerful monsters andplicated traps lurked around in dungeons because of how rewarding they were.

    ¡°Why are you mentioning dungeons all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°There was a dungeon discovered around Mt. Baekdu recently.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡®Mt. Baekdu?¡¯

    ¡°¡­Are you certain?¡±

    ¡°Fufu. There¡¯s no doubt since it¡¯s information our house investigated.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Is that where the star relic Lee Shinhyuk mentioned is hidden?¡¯

    That question naturally popped up in his head, but¡­

    ¡®I can¡¯t be certain yet.¡¯

    ¡ªA star relic hidden in Mt. Baekdu.

    ¡ªA dungeon being discovered in the nick of time.

    It seemed too peculiar to say it wasn¡¯t a coincidence, however¡­

    ¡®The time frame doesn¡¯t match up.¡¯

    The group called the Pseudo Star Cult hadn¡¯t appeared yet, nor was Lee Woohyuk frantically chasing after them.

    The hidden star relic being discovered that quickly didn¡¯t make sense.

    ¡®Or¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes settled down.

    ¡®Did the future¡­ change?¡¯

    He had no way of knowing.

    ¡°Ohjin?¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought.¡±

    ¡°Hoho. It looks like you¡¯re a little surprised. Well, dungeons aren¡¯t verymon.¡±

    ¡°Are other people unaware of the dungeon? Or if there¡¯s a group that¡¯s after a treasure hidden inside¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m not sure about that. To start things off, you¡¯re the first person we¡¯ve told about the dungeon.¡±

    Was Isabe also unaware of the Pseudo Star Cult?

    ¡®No.¡¯

    Isabe¡¯s identity was the 3rd ranking Executor of the ck Star Organization.

    She was the being known as the Queen of Leeches.

    She could¡¯ve been hiding it on purpose if the ck Star Organization and Pseudo Star Cult had some kind of connection.

    ¡®Ultimately, I won¡¯t be able to figure it out unless I confirm it myself.¡¯

    Tch¡ª

    Ohjin gently clicked his tongue.

    ¡°So why are you sharing this information about the dungeon with only me?¡±

    ¡°Using the name of the Cgrande House, I would like to officially hire you to explore the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Dungeon exploration?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re a part of the Association, but we heard you take private requests like a mercenary.¡±

    ¡°That is correct, but¡­¡±

    ¡®Dungeon exploration will be worth my time.¡¯

    He would be able to search for the star relic Lee Sinhyuk mentioned inside the dungeon, and even if he wasn¡¯t able to, it was worth going when putting all the incredible rewards inside the dungeon into consideration.

    ¡°Our remuneration is roughly around this much.¡±

    She handed over a check.

    ¡®Oh, shit.¡¯

    ¡®How many zeros are on this thing?¡¯

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be able to hire two¡­ no, three 8-Star Awakeners with this amount?¡±

    Ohjin had recently turned into a 6-Star Awakener.

    He was a world-renowned rookie, but in the end, he was still a rookie.

    ¡°Hehe. But I find you more trustworthy than other people who only have a high ¡®Star¡¯ rank.¡±

    Isabe smiled sheepishly.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡®Does that mean she knows about my strength?¡¯

    Although he was just a 6-Star Awakener, most 8-Star Awakeners couldn¡¯tpare to him.

    ¡®I guess being unaware makes no sense.¡¯

    He recalled the appearance of her he had seen in Italy. There was no way someone who was powerful enough to kill a 9-Star Awakener with the slight movement of the hand wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize his strength.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take the request.¡±

    ¡°Yahoo! It¡¯s our first time partying up together!¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡®We are going together?¡¯

    ¡°You dare party with Ohjin as you please?!¡±

    Ha-eun, who was listening to the conversation quietly, suddenly got up.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you back off so you don¡¯t end up unnecessarily holding Ohijn back?¡±

    ¡°Oh, my¡­ I¡¯m also one who¡¯s quite skilled, you know?¡±

    ¡°Heh, what star are you at? Huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a 6-Star.¡±

    ¡°6-Star? A mere 6-Star is trying to party up with Ohjin?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Ohjin also a 6-Star?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s different!!¡±

    Ha-eun furrowed her brows.

    ¡°In any case, if you¡¯re going, I¡¯m going too.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t have any remuneration that I can give you.¡±

    ¡°Just give me half of Ohjin¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°¡­Stop fighting.¡±

    Ohjin sighed deeply and looked at Ha-eun and Isabe.

    ¡®This is driving me insane.¡¯

    He wanted to go alone, but it didn¡¯t seem like he would be able to get either of them to give up.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Ohjin thought for a moment and then nodded his head while exhaling a breath.

    ¡°Let¡¯s all go together.¡±

    It felt like he was going there with an antimatter explosive next to him, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡®This is just my fucking life.¡¯

 Chapter 120: Dragonâ€™s Resting Ground (3)

    <strong>Chapter 120: Dragon¡¯s Resting Ground (3)</strong>

    They used a helicopter prepared by Isabe to get to Mt. Baekdu. Traversing through North Korea by helicopter was something unimaginable in the past.

    ¡®Well¡­ it has be an abandonednd where no one lives now.¡¯

    North Korea was one of the numerous nations that disappeared from the gate incident nine years prior. There were some lucky survivors who were still living in small towns, but their function as a nation waspletely paralyzed.

    ¡®It¡¯s quite miserable.¡¯

    Ohjin clicked his tongue while looking down at the city from the helicopter. The city that turned intoplete ruins after being abandoned for nine years felt rather dismal.

    ¡°We¡¯ll arrive soon. Get prepared, Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Ttutututututu!¡ª

    A tender voice was heard through the noisy sound of the propeller.

    ¡°By the way, where are wending this thing?¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head while looking around Mt. Baekdu.

    The geographical features of the mountain were so rough that there didn¡¯t seem to be anywhere they couldnd the helicopter.

    ¡°We¡¯rending with this.¡±

    Isabe smiled brightly while holding up a backpack containing a parachute.

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes glittered.

    ¡°Ooh, it¡¯s like we¡¯re special forces.¡±

    ¡°Well, with our members, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to call us special forces.¡±

    An 8-Star Awakener of Draco, a 6-Star Awakener of Lyra, and even a 6-Star Awakener of Ares that was a part of the 12 Zodiacs¡ªtheir mustered strength was enough to sweep away most special forces.

    ¡®Though she¡¯s not actually an Awakener of Ares.¡¯

    Isabe¡¯s real identity was a high-rank Awakener of Hirudo. There was no way to find out her exact star rank, but she was a 10-Star Awakener at minimum judging from how she was able to defeat a 9-Star Awakener, Marco Giorno, before he was even able to retaliate.

    ¡®At her level, forget about special forces, the entire nation would have to mobilize to face her.¡¯

    Ohjin sighed briefly while looking at Isabe, who was handing over a parachute to him with an innocent expression.

    ¡°Ohjin, have you used a parachute before?¡±

    ¡°No, this is my first time.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, then use one with me. I even have a license!¡±

    ¡°Then what about me, you bitch.¡±

    Ha-eun sharply red at Isabe.

    ¡°Ah, a bodyguard from our house will assist you.¡±

    The ck man with arge body structure who was silently sitting in the passenger seat smiled and raised his thumb once Isabe indicated in his direction.

    His white teeth shone overwhelmingly bright.

    ¡°Trust me~!¡±

    It appeared he wasn¡¯t using a trantion device due to how he said it in awkward Korean.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get down with that gentleman. Isabe, go down with Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°Ah, w-why?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason in particr.¡±

    Ohjin felt an ominous feeling after imagining Ha-eun sticking right next to that bodyguard¡­ as if an untitled videotape would be sent to his door at ater date.

    ¡°Aw¡­ okay. Then I¡¯ll go down with Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    Ohjin smiled and jumped down from the helicopter with the bodyguard who had been sitting in the passenger seat.

    Powerful gusts of wind grazed past his face as a thrilling sensation ran down his spine.

    ¡°Wooooooo!!! Do you feel it?! Lightning Wolf!!¡±

    ¡°Feel what?¡±

    ¡°This is the sensation of ¡®flying¡¯ in the skyyyyyyyyyyy!!!¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah.¡±

    ¡°All that falls has wings! This is the undeniable logic of Newton!!¡±

    ¡®What the hell is wrong with this guy?¡¯

    It was a relief he didn¡¯t leave Ha-eun with him for a different reason.

    p!¡ª

    After the short flight, the parachute opened, causing them to descend slowly.

    Different from how he seemed to have a loose screw, the bodyguard¡¯s skill in controlling the parachute was quite good, which allowed them tond precisely on a small plot ofnd.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave now! Come back safe and sound after clearing the dungeon with our miss!¡±

    The bodyguard¡¯s pure white teeth shone as he raised his thumb.

    ¡°Oh right! My name is Vittorio!¡±

    ¡®So what¡­¡¯

    ¡°Feel free to call me ¡®Rioppong¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna.¡±

    ¡°Ehh~ Don¡¯t be like that! Try calling me that one time!¡±

    ¡°Please get lost.¡±

    ¡°Holy moly¡­! The way the Korean wolf swears is also beautiful!¡±

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to ask Isabeter why she has a subordinate like this.¡¯

    ¡°Hahaha!! Then I¡¯m really going this time!¡±

    Ddududududu!!¡ª

    Vittorio turned around on the spot and climbed down the mountains while leaving a path of dust in his wake. Even if his personality was in that state, judging from his frightening speed, he had skill worthy of the Cgrande House.

    ¡®Though I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s a bodyguard of the Cgrande House or an Awakener of the Hirudo faction.¡¯

    In any case, Ohjin didn¡¯t want to see him again.

    [¡­What a truly strange person.]

    Dazzle¡ª

    The pendant shone as Vega appeared.

    ¡°I know right?¡±

    [By the way, my child. Is it really okay to take on this request? Didn¡¯t you say that the child named Isabe is an Executor of the ck Star Organization?]

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll try making a move any time soon.¡±

    [Hmm. Still, I am worried.]

    ¡°It also feels fishy to me, but I don¡¯t want to miss out on this opportunity.¡±

    [Is the star relic you talked about hidden inside that dungeon?]

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    He had to go and find it out for himself.

    ¡°Anyways, Vega. Stay next to me at all times during this clear attempt.¡±

    Ohjin had no choice but to rely on Vega¡¯s powers when worse came to worst.

    [Hmpf! Rely on thisdy! I¡¯ll grant you a blessing as soon as that child tries to do something to you!]

    ¡°Thanks. Ah, you know that you can¡¯t tell Isabe you¡¯re a celestial, right?¡±

    [Of course, I do.]

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Isabe that you¡¯re a guardian spirit, so pretend to be a spirit in a contract with me.¡±

    [Alright.]

    ¡®Let¡¯s group up with Ha-eun and Isabe now.¡¯

    ¡°Ohjinnn! Over here!¡±

    He could hear Ha-eun from a ce not so far away.

    Ha-eun and Isabe came into sight as he headed to where the sound came from.

    ¡°Was there anything that caused you difort on the way down?¡±

    ¡°I guess you could say that.¡±

    ¡°O-Oh, my. Did Vittorio act in a discourteous way?¡±

    ¡®He did.¡¯

    ¡°I apologize. It¡¯s just that Vittorio likes males so much¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I intentionally tried to get someone who rolls that way in case Ha-eun was ufortable.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®You should have told me that in the first ce¡­ then does that mean the main actor of the untitled videotape could be me?¡¯

    ¡ªHoly Moly.

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Isabe smiled sweetly.

    ¡°Vittorio¡¯s tastes are on the ¡®maso¡¯ side.¡±

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    ¡®Damn it, a picture I don¡¯t want to imagine is drawing itself in my head!!¡¯

    ¡°Anyways, where¡¯s the entrance of the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s over here.¡±

    Isabe guided them to a ce with dense bushes.

    Through the gap in the narrow cliff, they could see the entrance of the dungeon that wasabout three meters big.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    Dense mana could be felt starting from the entrance. Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened from the sensation of an enormous river of mana flowing around him.

    [This is¡­ a dragon vein.]

    ¡°Dragon vein?¡±

    [It has no influence on the Earth¡¯s ecosystem despite the gate being opened. Locations that have abnormally thick mana flowing through them are called ¡®Dragon Veins¡¯.]

    ¡®Is the star relic Lee Shinhyuk talked about really here?¡¯

    It felt like an amazing star relic would be hidden inside, as there was a dragon vein flowing through a dungeon that was already known to grant good rewards.

    ¡°That is the guardian spirit contracted with you, right? It¡¯s marvelous that it knows about dragon veins.¡±

    [Thisdy is one who has previously served a celestial. I possess marginal knowledge of stars.]

    ¡°Oh, my. I¡¯ve seen guardian spirits several times in the past, but it¡¯s my first time seeing one with such coherent intelligence.¡±

    ¡°My guardian spirit is a bit special.¡±

    Ohjin put Vega on top of his shoulder and went into the dungeon.

    * * *

    -Ring!

    [You have entered the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Resting Ground¡¯.]

    [The dungeon can be cleared upon satisfying a specific condition.]

    A blue message appeared as soon as he entered the dungeon.

    ¡®Dragon¡¯s Resting Ground¡­¡¯

    Ohjin engraved the dungeon¡¯s name into his head while looking around. He could hear the exmations of Ha-eun and Isabe behind him.

    ¡°Wow, where are we? Everything¡¯s so damn shiny.¡±

    ¡°What a beautiful ce.¡±

    ¡ªA massive cave that seemed to far surpass 200 meters high.

    Like the stars shining in the night sky, the blue crystals on the roof emitted soft light that brightened the cave.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know what will appear, so stay on guard.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    ¡°Heh, I just have to burn whatever appears.¡±

    Ha-eun smirked and strode deeper inside. They were steps full of confidence, but she wasn¡¯t neglecting her guard¡ªshe made several candle-sized mes and spread them out.

    ¡®She has a lot of experience.¡¯

    Even if she was full of confidence, she wasn¡¯t stupid enough for her to let her guard down inside of a dungeon.

    Thud, thud¡ª

    The sound of soft footsteps echoed inside of the massive cave. Ohjin¡¯s party didn¡¯t say a single word and slowly went deeper into the dungeon.

    ¡°¡­Wait.¡±

    At that moment, Ha-eun, who was walking at the forefront, stopped. She extinguished the mes she spread around and stared in front of her.

    ¡°There¡¯s something in front of us.¡±

    ¡°Is it a monster?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    As she said, a group of monsters could be seen once they went a bit farther.

    ¡®Reptilians¡­?¡¯

    They were the monsters he met before in the sewers of Seoul Station. The bipedal lizards were gathered up inside of the dungeon. There were quite a lot of them, but they were merely 3-star monsters.

    Normally, they were monsters that could be swept away with the slight movement of a hand, however¡­

    Munch, munch¡ª

    ¡°What¡­ are they eating?¡±

    The noisy sound of eating echoed out.

    The group of Reptilians with blue scales were gnawing the blue crystals like ants.

    Scrape, scrape, scrape, scrape, scrape¡ª

    They used their awl-like bone to scrape the blue crystals and sucked on the fragments with their long tongues.

    ¡°¡­Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t look like ordinary Reptilians.¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    The energy felt from them was on a different levelpared to the ones he encountered in the sewers.

    ¡®6-star¡­ at minimum?¡¯

    Ojjin couldn¡¯t be certain.

    He wasn¡¯t some kind of master in a Murim nor had he a skill that could reveal the opponent¡¯s skill with just a nce.

    ¡°Heh, Reptilians are still Reptilians at the end of the day!¡±

    Fwoooosh!!!¡ª

    Ha-eun stepped forward and spread her arms out wide.

    Crimson mes spread out like a.

    ¡°It¡¯s Isabe, right? You¡¯re an Awakener of Ares?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then give me some buffs. I¡¯ll sweep them away in one blow.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ but I wanted to give buffs to Ohjin.¡±

    Isabe put on a dissatisfied expression as she raised the staff grasped in her hand. The golden gem stuck to the end of the staff emitted bright light.

    ¡°¡¶Lamb¡¯s Respite¡·.¡±

    A golden light poured out of the gem and covered the ground. They could feel vitality soaring up inside their bodies once they stepped on the floor made of light.

    ¡®Is she pretending to be an Awakener of Ares by using that staff?¡¯

    Ohjin stepped back and examined Isabe.

    Golden rays of light flowed out of her left chest, mixing with the staff.

    ¡®She really does look like an Awakener of Ares on the surface.¡¯

    Starting from the mana to the stigma¡¯s effect¡­ Nothing made it seem that she was an Awakener with the stigma of Hirudo.

    ¡°Kyahaha! The effect is great!¡±

    Ha-eun loudly stomped her feet on the golden floor.

    Boom!¡ª

    ¡°Krrirk?¡±

    ¡°Krrrrrrrrrrk!¡±

    The group of Reptilians that were frantically gnawing the blue crystals turned their heads to face Ha-eun.

    ¡°Take this!!¡±

    Ha-eun shaped her hand into a gun and extended it forward; an enormous me formed at the end of the index and middle finger.

    Fwooooosh!!!¡ª

    The mes started to condense, and an intense heat that made it seem their skin was going to burn started to heat up the entire cave.

    ¡°Receive the baptism of mes!!!¡±

    Booooooom!!!¡ª

    The massive tsunami of mes swept the group of Reptilians.

    ¡°Krrrirrieeeik!!!¡±

    ¡°Kiruk! Kirriruik!!¡±

    ¡°Kishaaaaa!¡±

    They were Reptilians that had be abnormally strong by stuffing down blue crystals, but it held no meaning in front of Ha-eun¡¯s mes.

    Sizzle!!¡ª

    The pungent smell of burning flesh and a savory smell spread out in the cave.

    ¡°I heard that lizard meat tastes simr to chicken. Doesn¡¯t it also smell like chicken?¡±

    Ha-eun grinned while looking back to face Ohjin.

    ¡°Wow! You said you were an Awakener of Draco, right? It¡¯s my first time seeing one in person. You have amazing firepower!¡±

    ¡°¡­Woah.¡±

    Exmations left Isabe¡¯s and Ohjin¡¯s mouths on their own.

    ¡®Do people get this much stronger just by increasing their mana?¡¯

    Even though he knew that she always had amazing skill in handling her stigma, he didn¡¯t expect it to be to that extent.

    She hadn¡¯t even used her ¡®Dragon Eye¡¯ for that attack.

    Though Isabe¡¯s buff needed to be ounted for, Ha-eun was able to sweep away dozens of mutant Reptilians in a single blow.

    ¡°Hehe, how was it, Ohjin? I¡¯m super amazing, right?¡±

    Ha-eun smiled sheepishly and poked Ohjin with her elbow.

    ¡°That was pretty sick.¡±

    ¡°Kyahaha!! Right? Right? I¡¯ll carry you through this dungeon, so sit tight!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one I can depend on.¡±

    Certainly, Ha-eun was much better than him when it came down to using powerful attacks to sweep away enemies in a wide area.

    ¡°Hehe. What should I receive as the boosting fee~?¡±

    ¡°I-I also gave you a buff!¡±

    ¡°Ah, your buff is pretty amazing. To be honest, I also didn¡¯t think they¡¯d all die in one blow.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes glittered as if she saw Isabe in a new light.

    While the two women were momentarily sharing a conversation, Ohjin headed to the burnt corpses of the Reptilians.

    He took out a knife to cut the corpses and harvest the starstones.

    ¡®The starstones are blue¡­¡¯

    It meant that they weren¡¯t mutants.

    ¡®Are they abnormally strong due to the dragon vein?¡¯

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and examined the Reptilians. He wanted to confirm how much stronger he had gotten, but wasn¡¯t able to, as Ha-eun had blown them away all at once.

    ¡°¡­Hm?¡±

    He discovered a spot on the wall where the blue crystals had fallen from Ha-eun¡¯s me storm.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened while looking at the spot that had no crystals.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    His stiffened voice echoed out slowly.

 Chapter 121: Dragonâ€™s Resting Ground (4)

    <strong>Chapter 121: Dragon¡¯s Resting Ground (4)</strong>

    A pure wall of white was exposed on the spot where the blue crystals were blown away.

    No, to be urate, it wasn¡¯t a ¡®wall¡¯.

    ¡®Bones.¡¯

    ¡ªBones of an entity so enormous that its size was unfathomable.

    ¡®Then¡­¡¯

    Ohjin gulped and looked up.

    ¡ªA massive cave that reached 200 meters high.

    ¡®This isn¡¯t a cave¡­ but inside the body of something gigantic?¡¯

    Based on the fact that the interior was covered with solid crystals and Reptilians were running amok, it wasn¡¯t the body of a living organism.

    ¡°Just howrge was this thing?¡±

    The inside of its corpse could be its own ¡®dungeon¡¯. It was hard to estimate howrge its body would¡¯ve been when it was alive.

    [This is¡­ the skeleton of an elder dragon.]

    ¡°Elder dragon?¡±

    [It is a creature that lives in the Demon Realm. One of the beings that are the nearest to ¡®celestials¡¯.]

    A certain being naturally surfaced in his head from the word ¡®dragon¡¯.

    ¡®Thousand Curse Dragon, Barbatos.¡¯

    ¡ªThe 9-star monster that took away Ha-eun¡¯s sight.

    Once the dragon that was no different from a cmity had massacred the hundreds of Awakeners who gathered to subjugate it, it leisurely disappeared to an unknown ce.

    ¡®¡­After cursing Ha-eun, that is.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone coldly.

    ¡°Dragons could get thisrge?¡±

    ording to what he had heard from Ha-eun, Barbatos was around 50 meters. Even that wasrge enough to name it a cmity, butpared to the elder dragon that made up the dungeon, it was the difference between a Golden Retriever and a Chihuahua.

    [Not all dragons are like this. Only an extremely small minority of dragons that were selected can be elder dragons.]

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Anyways, it meant the dragon was made from the corpse of an elder dragon.

    ¡®So that¡¯s why the dungeon is named ¡®Dragon¡¯s Resting Ground¡¯.¡¯

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and got on his feet.

    ¡°Ohjin, what are you doing there?¡±

    ¡°Come over here.¡±

    He exined the identity of the dungeon to them.

    ¡°Wh-What? Then this entire dungeon is the corpse of a dragon?¡±

    ¡°Most likely.¡±

    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s information that not even our house was able to figure out.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes glimmered as she shook her head.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s head a little deeper inside.¡±

    Whether the dungeon¡¯s identity was the corpse of an elder dragon or not, there was a need to head deeper inside in order to clear it.

    ¡°Ugh. Thinking about how we¡¯re roaming inside a corpse feels somewhat unpleasant.¡±

    ¡°Fufu. It feels like we¡¯re in a fantasy movie. I like it.¡±

    ¡°Ehh, you have weird tastes.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my tastes?¡±

    Putting behind him the two women who seemed to have gotten closer than when they first met, Ohjin walked deeper inside the dungeon.

    When they walked for a couple more minutes¡ª

    ¡°¡­Wait.¡±

    ¡ªHa-eun raised her hand once again.

    ¡°Are they Reptilians?¡±

    ¡°There are Reptilians¡­ <strong>but they¡¯re dead</strong>.¡±

    ¡°Dead?¡±

    Ohjin furrowed his brow and headed to where Ha-eun pointed to.

    As she said, Reptilian corpses were piled up there.

    ¡°Did they fight amongst each other?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin attentively examined the corpses.

    ¡®Stigma of the Hunting Dogs.¡¯

    Thousands of smells rushed into his nose as soon as the stigma was activated.

    ¡ªThe smell of moss stuck between crystals, the fishy smell of the Reptilians¡¯ blood, the smell emitted from rotting flesh, and¡­ <strong>the foul smell of sticky mana.</strong>

    ¡®They didn¡¯t fight amongst each other.¡¯

    Someone had killed the Reptilians.

    ¡®And that means¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s party wasn¡¯t the only one that came to that ce. Others had entered the dungeon before them.

    ¡°Ohjin? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Isabe. You said that only the Cgrande House knows the location of this dungeon, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°When was the dungeon found?¡±

    ¡°Two days ago.¡±

    ¡°And there were no traces of anyone else?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It seemed that only then had she sensed something was wrong as she stared at the corpse of the Reptilians.

    ¡°We weren¡¯t able to find any traces¡­ but it seems that some people came in before us.¡±

    ¡°Wh-What? Then the ones who killed those Reptilians are another party?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    Ohjin put his nose near the Reptin¡¯s corpse and sniffed the smell.

    ¡°Seeing how much its rotted, it¡¯s been over three days¡±

    ¡°¡­Then that must mean other people were already in the dungeon when our house discovered the gate.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    He nodded his head and got up.

    ¡®Other people are already inside, huh.¡¯

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and thought of the thick smell of mana.

    ¡®Pseudo Star Cult? Or maybe the ck Star Organization?¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t figure out which one of the two they were¡ª

    ¡°What should we do, Ohjin?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to keep going.¡±

    ¡ªbut he couldn¡¯t go back now.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to clear the dungeon before the people who came in before us.¡±

    Ha-eun grinned and nodded.

    ¡°Let¡¯s up the speed.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s party went deeper into the dungeon at a faster pace than before. Great numbers of Reptilians ambushed them now and then, but they were rid of without much difficulty by Ha-eun, who specialized in eliminating groups of monsters. They even skipped past harvesting the starstones of dead Reptilians and quickly advanced forward.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Ohjin, isn¡¯t something written there?¡±

    Ha-eun pointed to the cave¡¯s wall.

    There were the words of an unidentifiablenguage engraved on the wall she indicated.

    ¡°What does this say?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and approached the wall.

    -Ring!

    [You have obtained a clue about the clear condition of the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Resting Ground¡¯.]

    [This is where the elder dragon, Evergrace, returned back to nature. Stories say dragons confine their heart in mana and turn it into a crystal at the densest area of a dragon vein before they return to nature.]

    [Clear Condition: Obtain the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Heart¡¯.]

    ¡°Dragon¡¯s Heart¡­¡±

    ¡®Is that the star relic hidden inside this dungeon? Just its name makes it sound extremely precious.¡¯

    Ohjin looked at the blue message in front of his eyes and gulped.

    [It appears that obtaining the Dragon¡¯s Heart is the clear condition.]

    ¡°Then I guess that means the people who came in before us weren¡¯t able to find the Dragon¡¯s Heart yet.¡±

    ¡°Hehe! Let¡¯s go get it first, Ohjin!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡ª¡±

    When he was about to suggest speeding up even more¡­

    Ttututututu!¡ª

    Crack!¡ª

    ck feathers that shot from an unknown ce dug into the ceiling.

    Crackle!¡ª

    A huge crack appeared in the cave¡¯s ceiling.

    Rumbleeeeee!!!¡ª

    ¡°Ahh! Wh-What¡¯s going on all of a sudden?!¡±

    ¡°Ugh! Ha-eun!!¡±

    ¡°Ohjin!¡±

    The cave started to rumble as if an earthquake had urred, and the blue crystals that were stuck to the ceiling started to fall down like rain.

    ¡°Damn it¡­!¡±

    Ohjin used his lightning to fend off the raining crystals.

    [D-Danger!]

    Simultaneously with Vega¡¯s yell¡ª

    Boooooooooom!!!¡ª

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    ¡ªthe blue crystals that met with the lightning caused a powerful explosion.

    ¡®Is the mana contained inside of the crystals exploding due to the impact?!¡¯

    In that case, he couldn¡¯t block using lightning.

    ¡°Ohjin!¡±

    ¡°Avoid it, Ha-eun!!¡±

    Bang! Boom! D-Doom!!¡ª

    The blue crystals that fell to the ground caused consecutive explosions. The crystals that fell like a carpet bombing caused a crack in the dungeon¡¯s floor.

    In an instant, the floor started to copse.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    Ohjin stuck to the wall by shooting his wire.

    ¡°Ha-eun! Hold my hand!¡±

    He extended his hand out to Ha-eun.

    Rumble!¡ª

    Ha-eun roughly bit her pink lips and kicked off.

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    Like passing across stepping stones on ake, she stepped on the falling stones in the air using agile movements.

    Tak! T-Tak!¡ª

    The distance between them quickly shortened.

    When the tip of Ohjin¡¯s extended finger lightly touched Ha-eun¡¯s finger¡­

    Crack!¡ª

    ¡°¡ªAh.¡±

    Due to her sudden, intense movements, the prosthetic leg that supported her beneath her right thigh broke into two.

    <strong>¡°Ha-eun!!!!!¡±</strong>

    Ohjin urgently leaned forward but wasn¡¯t able to catch her because of the raining piles of stone.

    ¡°Goddammit!¡±

    He quickly took off the pendant around his neck and threw it in Ha-eun¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Vega!¡±

    [I got it!]

    The pendant floated in mid-air and started to fly to where Ha-eun was.

    [Thisdy shall take responsibility and protect Ha-eun!]

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡±

    Ohjin looked around for Isabe after confirming Vega turning into her original form and catching Ha-eun in the midst of falling.

    ¡®Where did she go?¡¯

    It seemed that Isabe had already fallen under the copsed floor, as she was nowhere in sight.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way she died.¡¯

    Isabe was the 3rd ranking Executor of the ck Star Organization. Dying to a mere explosion of that level was impossible.

    Ohjin furrowed his brow and looked for Isabe.

    Rumble!¡ª

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    However, Ohjin had to stop his search soon after in order to avoid the continuously raining blue crystals and climbed up the cave walls. He passed where the ground copsed and headed to the tunnel that led deeper into the dungeon.

    Booooom!¡ª

    The entrance waspletely blocked off by fallen rocks.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    An eerie silence settled over.

    Ohjin, who was left alone, turned his head around to face the dark tunnel.

    ¡®Is this something Isabe nned?¡¯

    Ohjin furrowed his brow.

    ¡®No, it isn¡¯t Isabe. ck feathers were shot back then.¡¯

    ¡ªFeathers made by Awakeners of Noctua that Ohjin was now tired of encountering had destroyed the ceiling.

    ¡®So the ck Star Organization is the one who came here first.¡¯

    ¡ªCheon Doyoon and his direct subordinates, the Night Hunters.

    He started to think the reason for their sudden absence was because of the dungeon.

    p, p, p!¡ª

    ¡°Wow~ I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d survive that explosion! The capabilities of a North Star¡¯s apostle are extraordinary as expected!¡±

    A young man with a bright smile started to walk towards Ohjin from the other side of the dark tunnel.

    ¡ªSharply raised brow, button nose covered in freckles, thin lips, and the creepy scorpion tattoo engraved on his neck.

    He had a face Ohjin remembered.

    ¡®Thousand Poison Stab, Kang Changhyuk.¡¯

    Kang Changhyuk was powerful enough to be ranked within Korea¡¯s 30 strongest Awakeners, and he was the guild leader of the now nonexistent Pandinus guild.

    ¡°Kehehe. It looks like you know who I am.¡±

    Intense killing intent blossomed as Kang Changhyuk¡¯s lips curved up.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s only natural you know the leader of the guild you caused the destruction of. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin looked behind Kang Changhyuk without responding to his question.

    Thud, thud¡ª

    Mysterious men wearing pressed-down ck robes were walking his way behind Kang Changhyuk.

    ¡®Are they the Night Hunters?¡¯

    Kang Changhyuk being with the Night Hunters wasn¡¯t all that surprising since the Pandinus guild were cooperating with the Noctua faction from a long time ago.

    ¡®There are six of them.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone coldly.

    ¡°Kehe! What? Are you looking for a ce to escape?¡±

    Kang Changhyuk¡¯s shoulders shook up and down as he exploded out in insidiousughter.

    ¡°Look as hard as you can. There¡¯s nowhere to run away, alright? You¡¯repletely locked here with us, dumbass.¡±

    Kehehe!¡ª

    He took out a sharp dagger from his pocket.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m locked here?¡±

    Smirk¡ª

    Ohjin¡¯s lips twisted up as he took out his steel rod.

    Click!¡ª

    The rod turned into the shape of a spear once he surged mana into it.

    ¡°None of you seem to understand¡­¡±

    ¡°Haah? What nonsense are you talking about?¡±

    Cackle¡ª

    His shoulders shook as heughed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not locked in here with you¡­¡±

    Sigh¡ª

    He exhaled out a low breath and raised his spear.

    <strong>¡°You¡¯re locked in here with me.¡±</strong>

    Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!!!!¡ª

    The blue lightning brightened the deep darkness and fiercely zed up.

    T/N: Evergrace is actually a dragon in the game Lost Ark. (The author is still currently ying this game and a top-rank yer in Korean servers.)

 Chapter 122: Dragonâ€™s Resting Ground (5)

    <strong>Chapter 122: Dragon¡¯s Resting Ground (5)</strong>

    ¡°Hah,¡± chuckled Kang Changhyuk.

    His eyebrows raised out of irritation, and he slowly twirled the dagger in his hand with a grin.

    ¡°The way you talk about nonsense hasn¡¯t changed.¡±

    ¡°Hearing those words from a dumbass who got his guild brought to ruins by that nonsense is really scaring me shitless.¡±

    ¡°You son of a¡­!¡±

    Scrunch¡ª

    Kang Changhyuk¡¯s expression distorted.

    He held his dagger in a reverse grip and charged at Ohjin.

    Swoosh!¡ª

    Despite wildly kicking off the ground, it made no sound, and there was no trace left on the ground. As if he had jumped from a fluffy bed, Kang Changhyuk sprinted across the walls inplete silence.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll be able to maintain that demeanor after I impale a hole through your neck!¡±

    ¡°Why is it that all of you bastards have the same pattern?¡±

    ¡®Does their linguisticpetence deteriorate after serving the ck Stars? Every bastard I meet speaks the damn same way.¡¯

    Swoosh!¡ª

    Ohjin curved his back like he was going to fall and avoided the dagger that was aimed at his neck. Pivoting on his right foot, he turned his body around to catch the back of Kang Changhyuk¡¯s head and threw him at the cave¡¯s wall.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Kang Changhyuk quickly somersaulted and narrowly avoided crashing into the wall.

    Bzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª

    Currents of blue lightning rushed to Kang Changhyuk, who had just managed to avoid an attack.

    ¡°A mere attack like this¡­!¡±

    Instead of avoiding the attack, he ran towards the rushing blue lightning. ording to what the Association officially announced, the Lightning Wolf was a 5-Star Awakener. The difference between Kang Changhyuk, who was an 8-Star Awakener, and him was an entire three stars.

    With the difference of three stars, using his body would be more than enough for that pathetic atta¡ª

    Bzzzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª

    ¡°Agugahguah!!!!¡±

    The blue lightning prated from his head to his groin, causing intense pain to spread out. His legs gave in as his entire body was paralyzed for a moment.

    Bam!¡ª

    Ohjin kicked the head of Kang Changhyuk, who was stumbling forward like a ser ball, and his body rotated vigorously and crashed into the cave¡¯s wall.

    ¡°Kugh! Kuk! Cough!¡±

    Kang Changhyuk spat out blood and looked at Ohjin with widened eyes like he was in disbelief.

    ¡°S-Shit, this is the power of a 5-Star?¡±

    At the very least, the power contained in the lightning that smote him should¡¯ve been from an Awakener in the same rank¡­ no, an Awakener who was in a rank higher than he was.

    ¡®8-Stars aren¡¯t that hard to face anymore.¡¯

    Ohjin smiled slyly while looking at Kang Changhyuk, who was shaking from shock.

    As long as it wasn¡¯t someone like Lee Woohyuk, who had top-level skills amongst 8-Stars, defeating someone like Kang Changhyuk, who was, when put nicely, on the thin line between second-rate and average, could be done without much difficulty.

    ¡®The problem is those other guys.¡¯

    He moved his eyes to the five Owls who were silently looking their way.

    ¡ªThe elites of the ck Star Organization named Night Hunters.

    It wouldn¡¯t be easy toe out victorious once they decided to intervene, however¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll wee it.¡±

    Thump, thump¡ª

    HIs heart beat violently, and an electrifying sensation ran down his spine.

    ¡°Are you all nning to sit around all day?¡±

    Ohjin leisurely beckoned with his hand.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Owls who were observing the fight with their hoods pressed down in silence slowly started to move.

    ¡ªDelicate movements that made one think of highly trained assassins.

    Ttututututu!!¡ª

    An uncountable number of feathers surged up in the dungeon. The powerful shockwave caused by the feathers exploding rapidly rushed to Ohjin.

    Ta-Tak!¡ª

    Ohjin concentrated lightning into his legs and kicked off.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    A long trace of connected lightning was left behind.

    While avoiding the feathers that shot at him, he fired his wire shooters at the Owls.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!¡ª

    Six wires were shot and aimed at the Owls.

    ¡°¡­Kugk!¡±

    The Owl who wasn¡¯t able to avoid it was caught by the wires.

    ¡°Lightning Charge.¡±

    ¡°Arghhhhh!!¡±

    Bzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    A current of blue lightning ran down the wire and flowed into the Owl.

    ¡°Kugh¡­ kuk!¡±

    The Owl fainted while spewing out white foam from his mouth.

    ¡°Huh? He fainted in one blow?¡±

    The Night Hunters made a name for themselves but had ended up fainting in one blow. Ohjin had an expression of shock while looking at the Owl flopping around like freshly caught fish.

    ¡®Were these bastards always this weak?¡¯

    No, when considering the energy they emitted, their agile movements, and the shock of when the feathers exploded, the Night Hunters were all above Arshad Khan.

    ¡®It¡¯s not that the Night Hunters are weak¡­¡¯

    He had just be excessively strong.

    ¡°It was worth going through all that trouble.¡±

    Smirk¡ª

    The tip of Ohjin¡¯s mouth was raised along with his spear.

    The remaining Owls split up into four directions and rushed towards Ohjin.

    ¡®Two behind, one above, and one to my side.¡¯

    After using the stigma of the Hunting Dogs to confirm their movements, Ohjin held the spear¡¯s shaft widely and rotated his body.

    ¡®First, two behind me!¡¯

    sh!!¡ª

    He drew a semicircle as he shed his spear, and the wavering Lightning mes on the de spread out in the shape of a fan.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Aah!¡±

    Both of the Owls urgently held up their weapons and blocked the attack, but in the end, the attribute of Lightning mes wasn¡¯t fire, but lightning.

    The Owls groaned as they were shocked by the electricity that ran down their weapons and stumbled while backing off.

    ¡°Hyat!¡±

    An Owl rushed at him from the front and thrusted forward feathers that were crumpled into the shape of an awl.

    Ohjin raised his left arm and blocked the awl made of feathers.

    nk!¡ª

    The gauntlet equipped on his left arm shed with the awl.

    ¡°Die!!!¡±

    The Owl¡¯s stigma zed brightly as an intense explosion urred at the tip of the awl.

    ¡°The one who¡¯s dead is your mother.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?!¡±

    The gauntlet glowed red and started to absorb the explosion.

    Ohjin extended out his gauntleted arm.

    Boooooom!¡ª

    The explosion that was absorbed by the gauntlet attacked the Owl.

    ¡°Kugk!!¡±

    He was sent flying back while gushing out blood.

    ¡®And forst¡­¡¯

    Ohjin slightly raised his head.

    The Owl that flew up with wings made of ck feathers dropped down like he was trying to snatch away prey.

    ¡®This¡¯ll be hard to avoid.¡¯

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    If he couldn¡¯t avoid it, he could just block it.

    Owoong!¡ª

    ¡°Argh! What is this¡­!¡±

    His orange bracelet emitted light and created a translucent barrier in front of Ohjin.

    aaaang! Crack!¡ª

    The barrier was utterly destroyed in just one second, however¡­

    ¡®One second is more than enough.¡¯

    Ohjin rotated the shaft and thrusted it at the stomach of the Owl flying towards him.

    Psshk!¡ª

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    Blood flowed down the de.

    ¡°Arghhh! N-Now!¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    The Owl that was hanging on the spear with his stomach pierced like rotisserie chicken grasped the spear¡¯s de with his hands.

    ¡°Huhu! Goob job!¡±

    Using the brief opening created from the Owl¡¯s sacrifice, Kang Changhyuk sprinted to Ohjin with a dagger grasped in his hand.

    He put his palm on the dagger¡¯s hilt and closed his fingers. As he held it up high in that state, his form was like a scorpion with its tail raised up high.

    ¡°¡¶Thousand Poison Stab¡·!¡±

    His stigma shone vigorously as green-colored light started to form at the tip of the dagger.

    ¡ªA dagger with a thousand kinds of deadly poison.

    The scorpion¡¯s tail that could lead one to death with just a graze aimed for Ohjin.

    Chik!¡ª

    Ohjin threw his spear away to avoid the attack.

    Thanks to his fast reaction speed, he was able to avoid the attack to the degree of his right arm being slightly cut, but¡­

    ¡°Hahaha! This is checkmate, you bastard!!¡±

    An uncontroble burst ofughter exploded out of Kang Changhyuk¡¯s mouth.

    Although he had only lightly grazed his skin, it was enough for the deadly poison on the dagger to lead him to death.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand the meaning of checkmate.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Ohjin grabbed the spear he threw on the ground and <strong>cut his right arm off without hesitation.</strong>

    sh!¡ª

    Blood gushed out of his right arm that was cut just beneath his shoulder.

    ¡°Wh-What kind of insane bastard¡­¡±

    Kang Changhyuk¡¯s face was dyed pale.

    Ohjin smiled brightly and raised his left arm.

    Bang!¡ª

    The wire wrapped around Kang Changhyuk¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Now this is what you call a checkmate, you dickhead.¡±

    Whirrrrrrrrr!!¡ª

    The wire wrapped around his neck unwound at a quick pace, causing Kang Changhyuk¡¯s body to get dragged along.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaahh!!!¡±

    After concentrating lightning on his head, he struck down his forehead like a hammer at Kang Changhyuk¡¯s head.

    Crunch!!!¡ª

    With the terrifying sound of breaking bones, the front of Kang Changhyuk¡¯s head caved in.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    Ohjin exhaled out a low breath while turning his head around.

    There were two Owls remaining. They were the ones who ambushed him from behind in the beginning.

    His eyes, wet from blood, headed to the Owls.

    ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t youing?¡±

    Despite blood gushing out of his cut arm, Ohjin walked towards the Owls with leisure.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    ¡°R-Retreat. We¡¯re retreating!¡±

    The two Owls turned their bodies around and ran away.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    He raised his spear and aimed it at them.

    ¡®Charge x3.¡¯

    Pzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    He threw the spear with condensed lightning at the two Owls who were running away.

    Baaaaaang!!¡ª

    ¡°Ahhhhh!!¡±

    ¡°Ugauagauagagahk!!!¡±

    The Owls who were caught up in the lightning that exploded out of the spear were burned ck and copsed.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    He extended his hand out to the six corpses scattered around the ground.

    Rumble¡ª

    The ck Heaven¡¯s clouds crawled out and absorbed the mana held within the corpses.

    He was able to eliminate the six of them without taking as long as he thought, but¡­

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that I¡¯d lose my right arm.¡±

    Even if his arm was cut off, he would be able to regenerate it in no time with the Water Affinity skill if there was enough water, but there was no way there would be sufficient water inside that cave full of sordid rocks.

    * * *

    ¡®First off, let¡¯s remove the poison.¡¯

    He touched his right arm that had turned purple from Kang Changhyuk¡¯s poison.

    ¡®Stigma of Scorpio.¡¯

    Having the stigma of Scorpio didn¡¯t mean you were immune to being poisoned, but with enough time, getting rid of it wasn¡¯t difficult.

    His purplish right arm returned back to its original form.

    ¡°Hmpf.¡±

    After taking in a short breath, he raised his cut right arm and stuck it to his shoulder.

    He took out an emergency potion from his slingback and poured it over the wound.

    As a potion that Ohjin created himself using the stigma of Aquarius, it performed no worse than most top-grade potions.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Sizzle!¡ª

    While feeling sharp pain, his right arm was poorly stuck together.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t move properly.¡¯

    Top-grade potion or not, as long as it wasn¡¯t an elixir,pletely healing a severed arm in a short frame of time was impossible.

    ¡®The Night Hunters being here means there¡¯s a high likelihood that Cheon Doyoon came with them.¡¯

    The fact that the dungeon clear message didn¡¯t pop up meant that Cheon Doyoon wasn¡¯t able to find the Dragon¡¯s Heart yet, but there was a risk of running into him if he continued exploring.

    ¡®But that doesn¡¯t mean I can turn back.¡¯

    He turned his head to look back.

    The tunnel waspletely blocked off by the rocks that had rained down from the copsed ceiling.

    Even if he went looking for another exit, it had the same risk of running into Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡®If there¡¯s a risk of meeting Cheon Doyoon regardless of my choice¡­¡¯

    He would find the Dragon¡¯s Heart before Cheon Doyoon and run off.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Naturally, he had a method in mind that could save his skin in the worst-case scenario of running into Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡®But my priority is still finding the Dragon¡¯s Heart before him.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone as he walked deeper into the cave.

    He activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and felt the flow of the ¡®dragon vein¡¯.

    In the midst of the shing currents of mana, there was a location where mana gathered up like a huge riverke.

    ¡®There.¡¯

    Ohjin sprinted to the ce he felt the thickest mana. He exited the tunnels that were like a maze.

    Wooooosh!¡ª

    In the cave settled in darkness, he could see a massive cavity that was full of blinding light like the rising sun.

    ¡ªA ce where hundreds of meters were covered in blue crystals from bottom to top.

    And in that ce¡ª

    ¡°Holholhol. Looks like an uninvited guest has appeared.¡±

    <strong>¡ªan old man wearing a ck daopao was smiling with displeasure.</strong>

    ¡®I waste.¡¯

    The King of Owls, Cheon Doyoon.

    As if he hade out for a stroll at a nearby park, the old man had his hands behind him and stood without a worry in the world in the middle of the cavity.

    He narrowed his eyes and stared at Ohjin.

    ¡°You¡¯re known as the Lightning Wolf, right? I¡¯m certain I positioned hunters around this area¡­ how did you get here?¡±

    ¡°I killed them. What did you expect?¡±

    Ohjin answered while shrugging his shoulders.

    ¡°Holholhol!! I see!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon stroked his beard with one hand andughed broadly.

    He looked like a Daoist who built up a lot of knowledge on the surface, but he couldn¡¯t hide the greed and madness contained in his eyes.

    ¡°But your luck has run out at the end.¡±

    He stuck out his tongue and licked his lips while slowly stretching his arm out at Ohjin.

    A frightening amount of mana gathered in Cheon Doyoon¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Die, Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s wolf.¡±

    Slowly and peacefully, as if standing up and reading out the text of an English schoolbook, he dered Ohjin¡¯s death like it simply went without saying.

    <strong>¡°You won¡¯t be able to get out of here alive the moment I die.¡±</strong>

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s eyebrows slightly raised.

    Finding it amusing, he burst out inughter.

    ¡°Holholhol! You talk as if you have a hidden card.¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°I understand that you want to live, but if you thought that bluff would work on me¡­¡±

    ¡°The moment you kill me, that information will be passed down to <strong>my darling</strong> immediately. Everything, starting from the location and the one whoid hands on me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Your darling?¡±

    Cheon Doyoon looked at Ohjin with an expression of confusion.

    Ohjin cackled out while looking back at him.

    ¡°You still don¡¯t get who she is? You should¡¯ve heard of her before.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­¡±

    ¡°The Queen of Leeches.¡±

    ¡°¡­!!!¡±

    <strong>¡°I¡¯m Isabe Cgrande¡¯s husband.¡±</strong>

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s leisurely expression was drowned in astonishment.

 Chapter 123: Dragonâ€™s Resting Ground (6)

    <strong>Chapter 123: Dragon¡¯s Resting Ground (6)</strong>

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    His eyes, full of astonishment, looked at Ohjin.

    ¡°You are the husband of the Queen of Leeches?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s expression stiffened.

    A certain bit information he had heard from his son not too long ago crossed his mind.

    -The Queen of Leeches is showing interest in the Lightning Wolf.

    He couldn¡¯t imagine that her interest in him wasn¡¯t as a ¡®prey¡¯ but as a ¡®man¡¯.

    ¡®That crazy woman¡­?¡¯

    Cheon Doyoon sharply eximed at Ohjin.

    ¡ªUnwavering eyes, steady breathing, and calm lips shaped straight.

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s face roughly and violently distorted.

    ¡®He¡¯s not lying.¡¯

    Cheon Doyoon was called the ¡®King¡¯ andmanded thousands of subordinates. He had exceptionally sharp eyes that could distinguish if one was lying or not from just their expression and bodynguage.

    His intuition that was built up through a long time told him:

    <strong>The young man in front of you is telling you the truth without the slightest bit of lies.</strong>

    ¡®It was impossible for him to be lying from the start since the Lightning Wolf knows Isabe¡¯s identity.¡¯

    The fact that Isabe was hiding her identity more thoroughly than anyone else was well-known within the ck Star Organization. Nothing other than them being in a close rtionship coulde to mind since he knew her identity.

    ¡°Holholhol! Being the mate of that bloodthirsty witch¡­ I really do pity you.¡±

    ¡°Pity? Do you know how well Isabe takes care of me?¡±

    Her taking good care of him was the truth.

    ¡°Holholhol! How long do you think that¡¯llst? The moment the witch loses interest, you¡¯ll just be one of her meals.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been talking quite a lot. So are you going to kill me or not?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s expression hardened.

    If the Lightning Wolf was the husband of the Queen of Leeches like he said, he couldn¡¯t carelesslyy his hands on him.

    ¡°Holholhol. You¡¯ll die once the witch loses interest anyways, so there¡¯ll be no need for me to kill you myself.¡±

    ¡°You sure do ramble a lot for a bastard who got cold feet.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, whatever. So is that the Dragon¡¯s Heart?¡±

    Ohjin looked at the blue sphere grasped in Cheon Doyoon¡¯s hand.

    It was translucent and shone like looking at a massive blue diamond. He could feel an enormous amount of mana prickling his skin from the sphere that was around the size of an apple.

    ¡®It¡¯s extremely small for something called the Dragon¡¯s Heart.¡¯

    The size of the heart was small enough to call it the Dragon¡¯s Snot. Naturally, only its size was small¡ªthe amount of mana itself was abundant enough to call it a ¡®heart¡¯.

    ¡°Are you interested in the Dragon¡¯s Heart?¡±

    ¡°Would I havee to the dungeon if I wasn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Holholhol! That does make sense. However¡­ I cannot hand over the Dragon¡¯s Heart to you.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s eyes glimmered with greed while stroking the blue jewel in his hand.

    ¡°Alright. You can have it.¡±

    After nodding his head, Ohjin turned around without hesitation.

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Cheon Doyoon was surprised because of Ohjin¡¯s attitude which was too nonchnt; it felt suspicious rather than easy-going.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t youe to the dungeon for the Dragon¡¯s Heart?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re giving up without any regrets?¡±

    ¡°Why? Were you going to break a bit of it for me if I didn¡¯t give up?¡±

    Ohjin chuckled.

    Being unable to obtain the Dragon¡¯s Heart after getting that far was definitely unfortunate, but it didn¡¯t mean he could forcefully take the Dragon¡¯s heart out of Cheon Doyoon¡¯s hands.

    ¡®Even if I abuse Isabe¡¯s existence, he won¡¯t hand over the Dragon¡¯s Heart as long as he doesn¡¯t have a loose screw.¡¯

    Obtaining the Dragon¡¯s Heart had already failed from the moment Cheon Doyoon arrived first. Simply being able to save his life by using Isabe was a relief and something he had to be thankful for.

    ¡®It is a shame, but giving up here is the right move.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t fight Cheon Doyoon when he didn¡¯t have Vega and one of his arms wouldn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Holholhol. It seems that you¡¯re still smart enough to know your ce.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon stroked his beard and smiled with satisfaction.

    After putting the precious Dragon¡¯s Heart into his pocket, he turned around.

    ¡°Go and convey this to the Queen of Leeches.¡±

    He red at Ohjin with cold eyes.

    ¡°¡ªIf you keep acting against the will of the ck Stars, you¡¯ll get shredded to pieces by <strong>¡®that¡¯</strong> person.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Does that mean there¡¯s someone controlling Cheon Doyoon from behind the scenes?¡¯

    Flutter!¡ª

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s body turned into ck feathers and disappeared.

    -Ring!

    [The clear condition for the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Resting Ground¡¯ has been met!]

    [A reward will be given to the Awakener who has met the clear condition!]

    [The dungeon¡¯s entrance will close after 72 hours.]

    A blue message appeared in front of his eyes.

    Needless to say, as it wasn¡¯t Ohjin but Cheon Doyoon who met the clear condition, he wasn¡¯t granted a reward.

    ¡°72 hours¡­¡±

    There was a lot of time left until the gate closed. Ohjin leaned on the cave¡¯s wall made of blue crystals and became lost in thought.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡®Indeed. There¡¯s definitely a connection between the Pseudo Star Cult and the ck Star Organization.¡¯

    ording to the information obtained from Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories, the group looking for the star relic hidden in Mt. Baekdu was the ¡®Pseudo Star Cult¡¯. However, the group he ran into inside the dungeon wasn¡¯t the Pseudo Star Cult, but the ck Organization.

    The two groups had too many simrities to think that the future changing was all that happened.

    ¡®Let¡¯s say the ck Star Organization changes their name to the Pseudo Star Cult in the future¡­¡¯

    The time frame that the incident urred in the present and the world of the 1st Round in Lee Shinyuk¡¯s memories didn¡¯t <strong>coincide.</strong>

    ¡®They¡¯re looking for the star relic before they even changed their name.¡¯

    There was no way to find out when they decided to change their name from the ck Star Organization to the Pseudo Star Cult, but at least in the present, they were operating under the name ¡®ck Star Organization¡¯.

    ¡®When did things start to go off course?¡¯

    There were a lot of possibilities he could think of.

    ¡®Yujin and Arshad Khan¡¯s death¡­ Killing Cheon Woosung, who would¡¯ve been alive for at least two more years.¡¯..

    Absorbing the star relic that was supposed to be obtained by the ck Star Organization and eliminating the monster dormant under Seoul Station¡­

    Once heid out each action he took until then, the number of possibilities was uncountable with the butterfly effects and influence he had on the future.

    ¡®Then does that mean I can¡¯tpletely trust Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories now?¡¯

    With the future turning its course, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if an incidentpletely different from Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories of the 1st Round happened.

    ¡®Although I¡¯ll be able to grasp the situation¡­¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t act like it was certain information like before.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Ohjin predicted that such a predicament woulde after killing Lee Shinhyuk and taking his ce as a Regressor, but now that the time had actuallye, he felt like he was lost and without a map.

    There was a chance he would have to act as a Regressor with nothing but his own strength from then on.

    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    If there was going to be no difference from the 1st Round, there was no reason for the ¡®Heaven-defying Star¡¯ to exist in the first ce.

    ¡®Let¡¯s start by going to check if Ha-eun is safe.¡¯

    He had confirmed Vega catching Ha-eun mid-fall¡ªshe shouldn¡¯t have been injured that badly.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    Ohjin pushed his back off of the wall.

    Crawl¡ª

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Without him even realizing, ck clouds emerged from his back and stuck to the cave¡¯s wall. ck clouds connected Ohjin¡¯s back to the wall like it was stretched melted cheese.

    ¡®What?¡¯

    It was Ohjin¡¯s first time seeing the ck Heaven¡¯s clouds going out of his body on their own.

    Ohjin turned around and slowly extended his hand out to the wall made of blue crystals.

    Rumble!¡ª

    The ck Heaven¡¯s clouds came out of his hand and stuck to the wall.

    ¡ªThat¡¯s right.

    As if they had discovered an appetizing prey¡­

    Greedily¡­

    Ravenously¡­

    They stuck tight to the blue crystal and wiggled as if licking the wall.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    The message that shed by his eyes crossed his mind.

    ¡ªStories say dragons confine their heart in mana and turn it into a crystal at the densest area of a dragon vein before they return to nature.

    ¡°The densest area of a dragon vein¡­¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head up and looked around.

    ¡ªA massive cavity that was hundreds of meters wide.

    ¡ªThe blue crystals that stuck to the wall without a gap.

    ¡®Wait¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened.

    With his hands on the wall, he focused his mind.

    Rumbleeee!!¡ª

    Like spilling ck ink on white paper, the ck Heaven¡¯s clouds started to cover the wall covered in blue crystals. The clouds that spread out wide started to absorb the mana contained inside the crystals.

    ¡°Holy crap.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s mouth gaped.

    Even if it was the ck Heaven, he didn¡¯t think it would be able to absorb the dragon vein itself.

    R-R-R-R-RUMBLEEEE!!!!¡ª

    Like a copsing dam¡­

    Like the built-up water of a river pouring down¡­

    A frightening amount of mana flowed into his body.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Ohjin groaned out of pain.

    The expression ¡®too much¡¯ wasn¡¯t enough to exin the problem.

    ¡®Damn it¡­!¡¯

    It was on a different leaguepared to when he absorbed the mana of the apprehended ck Star Organization members. A monstrous amount of mana rode through the ck Heaven and flowed into his body.

    Perhaps¡­ <strong>even more mana than what was inside the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Heart¡¯ Cheon Doyoon took away.</strong>

    ¡®Stop! S-Stop entering my body¡­!¡¯

    Ohjin chewed his lips and barely held onto his gradually fading consciousness.

    As if blowing air into a balloon at its limit, the mana churning inside his body felt like it was about to explode. Little by little, he pushed the mana outside of his body.

    ¡°That much¡­ can¡¯t be absorbed!!!!!¡±

    ¡°Arghhhhhhhh!!!!¡±

    He desperately tried to withdraw the ck Heaven, but the clouds continued feasting on the dragon vein like a starving beast chewing up raw meat.

    ¡°Calm¡­ down. You fucks¡­!¡±

    Ohjin ground his teeth while ring at the ck Heaven¡¯s clouds.

    As if they could actually understand his words, the speed of the absorption slowed down very slightly.

    ¡®Now!¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone.

    ¡°Uaaaaaaaaah!!!!¡±

    He roared out and withdrew the ck Heaven that was absorbing mana from the dragon vein back into his body.

    Rumbleeeeeee!!¡ª

    The ck Heaven sucked out as much mana of the dragon vein as it could and returned to Ohjin¡¯s body.

    -Ring!

    [You have achieved part of the conditions required for ¡®Heaven Unfolding¡¯!]

    [¦¥¦Ô¦Ö¦Á¦Ñ¦É¦Ò¦Ó? ¦Ð¦Ï¦Ô ¦×?¦Öv¦Á¦Ó¦Å, ?¦Ã¦Ñ¦Á¦Õ¦Á ¦Ï¦Ó¦É¦Ä?¦Ð¦Ï¦Ó¦Å]

    With the message that a part of the conditions was met, ineligible letters started to twist and distort.

    Bzzzz¡ª

    The letters were spread out as if there was a static malfunction, and they gradually started to find their original ces like they were puzzle pieces.

    [¦¡¦Ô¦Ó¦Ï? ¦Ð¦Ï¦Ô ¦Ì¦Å ¦Ð¦Ñ¦Ï¦Ò¦Ð¦Å¦Ñv¦Ï?v ¦Ò¦Ó¦Ïv ¦Ê?¦Ð¦Ï ¦Ó¦Øv ¦Áv¦Á¦Ò¦Ó¦Åv¦Á¦Ã¦Ì?v]

    The letters formed a single sentence, though he was still unable to read what it meant.

    ¡®The letters¡­ they changed.¡¯

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and stared at the unidentifiable message.

    Before he was able to think deeper about the meaning behind the sentence¡ª

    -Ring!

    [You have sessfully absorbed the mana of the ¡®Dragon Vein¡¯.]

    [Warning!]

    [The amount of mana you have absorbed is too immense!]

    [The dragon vein¡¯s mana will be limited ording to the ck Heaven¡¯s awakening stage.]

    After informing him that the dragon vein¡¯s mana would be limited, the mana churning inside his body was sucked somewhere else and disappeared.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡±

    Ohjin clutched his left chest and breathed out rough breaths.

    ¡°Fuck¡­¡±

    He looked around with a bewildered expression.

    As if a light switch was flipped off, the blue crystals that covered the massive cavity weren¡¯t shining any longer.

    ¡°I¡­ actually devoured the dragon vein whole.¡±

    Ohjin looked down at his body in disbelief.

    * * *

    [The clear condition for the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Resting Ground¡¯ has been met!]

    [A reward will be given to the Awakener who has met the clear condition!]

    [The dungeon¡¯s entrance will close after 72 hours.]

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    While looking at the message in front of her eyes, the blond-haired woman crossed her arms with an uninterested expression.

    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s as I thought.¡±

    Isabe picked up a round tablet that was on the dungeon¡¯s ground.

    The shape of a <strong>snake</strong> was engraved on the palm-sized medallion.

    ¡°So the one controlling the Owls from behind¡­ was that person.¡±

    She stared at the tablet in her hand with killing intent glimmering in her eyes.

 Chapter 124: Dragonâ€™s Resting Ground (7)

    <strong>Chapter 124: Dragon¡¯s Resting Ground (7)</strong>

    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ not much change in my mana.¡±

    Was it because the dragon vein¡¯s mana was limited by the ck Heaven¡¯s awakening stage? He couldn¡¯t feel much of a difference despite having absorbed the whole dragon vein.

    ¡®It didn¡¯t disappear.¡¯

    He could feel it.

    ¡ªThe fierce currents of mana that were flowing like river water.

    An enormous amount of mana that not even Ohjin, who astonished Vega with his talent in controlling mana, could handle¡­

    The mana of the dragon vein isted itself inside of the ck clouds and silently emitted its power.

    ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s think about how to deal with thister.¡±

    There was something more important than that right then.

    ¡®I need to find Ha-eun.¡¯

    With Vega by her side, Ha-eun shouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt badly, but he couldn¡¯t help getting worried.

    Ohjin slowly closed his eyes and focused.

    ¡®Stigma of the Hunting Dogs.¡¯

    An uncountable number of smells rushed into his nose.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Ohjin frowned from the pain that was like needles were pricking his head. Whenever he used the stigma of the Hunting Dogs, he would often get a headache when too much smell rushed in at once.

    ¡®Found her.¡¯

    ¡ªIt was a familiar smell that always seemed to be beside him.

    Following Ha-eun¡¯s scent, he got moving.

    Ohin went down the copsed dungeon floor debris like they were stairs.

    ¡®Hm?¡¯

    A smell that was different from Ha-eun stimted his nose once he got closer¡­ one that smelled cozy like a spring breeze.

    ¡°O-Ohjin?¡±

    In that ce was Isabe, who was supporting an unconscious Ha-eun.

    ¡°Y-You were safe!¡±

    In the midst of approaching Ohjin with a bright smile, she suddenly stopped.

    Isabe looked at Ohjin¡¯s right arm with a stiff expression.

    His arm, which had only gone through emergency treatment using a potion, hung down like a wet mop, and his shoulder was covered in blood from when his arm was cut.

    ¡°Ohjin, your arm¡­¡±

    ¡°A bit of a fight broke out.¡±

    ¡°Wh-What should we do?!¡±

    Isabe rushed towards Ohjin in a state of panic. Her eyes glistened as if she was going to drop down and cry at any second.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I performed emergency treatment.¡±

    ¡°Give me a second.¡±

    Isabe raised her staff with an expression full of worry.

    Owooong!¡ª

    Radiant rays of golden light shot out the tip of her staff.

    ¡°Celestial of Aries, please grant down your healing light to this youngmb.¡±

    Isabe chanted with a serious attitude. She lookedical from the perspective of one who knew her true identity, but the chant¡¯s effect was for certain.

    Owoooong!¡ª

    Once the golden light wrapped around Ohjin¡¯s droopy arm, it became noticeably easier to move.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Ohjin slightly raised his right arm and shook it.

    ¡°What a relief.¡±

    Isabe put her hands on her chest with an expression of relief.

    She carefully touched Ohjin¡¯s right arm with her hand. No, to be urate, what she touched was his shoulder which was drenched in blood.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Touch, touch, touch¡ª

    ¡°Isabe?¡±

    Touch, touch, touch, touch, touch, touch, touch, touch, touch, touch, touch¡ª

    ¡°Aah, aah¡­ gulp.¡±

    Excited breaths flowed out of the gaps of her lips while looking at the shoulder drenched in blood with a heated gaze.

    Her pink tongue seductively licked her red lips.

    She twisted her body and stroked his shoulder like it was a precious treasure.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Isabe?¡±

    ¡®What the fuck. I¡¯m terrified.¡¯

    ¡°Ah¡­! I-I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    Isabe looked up with a surprised expression.

    ¡°I was just confirming if the treatment worked well.¡±

    ¡°Um, okay.¡±

    No matter how he looked at it, It didn¡¯t look like she was confirming if the treatment worked well in the least, but he decided to brush past it.

    ¡°How is Ha-eun?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s unharmed,¡± said Isabe while looking at Ha-eun, who she was supporting.

    As she said, there wasn¡¯t a scratch on Ha-eun¡¯s unconscious body.

    [Didn¡¯t I tell you to rely on me?]

    Dazzle¡ª

    Silver powder scattered as Vega peeked her head out of Ha-eun¡¯s pocket. Judging from the extreme fatigue on her face, it seemed that she used a lot of strength to protect Ha-eun.

    ¡°Thank you, Vega.¡±

    [Don¡¯t mention it. I only did what had to be done. By the way¡­ where did you leave the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Heart¡¯?]

    Vega looked around and examined Ohjin.

    It seemed that she believed the one who obtained the Dragon¡¯s Heart and cleared the dungeon was obviously Ohjin.

    Ohjin shook his head with a bitter expression.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t leave it behind. It was taken away.¡±

    [Wh-What? You¡¯re not the one who cleared the dungeon?]

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    [I see¡­]

    Vega had a look of surprise as if it was something she hadn¡¯t expected.

    ¡°What happened inside?¡±

    ¡°There was the ck Star Organization.¡±

    Ohjin briefly exined his fight with the Night Hunters and meeting Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡°B-By ck Star Organization, are you referring to the group that caused terror in Korea not too long ago? I heard they were all apprehended on the news¡­¡±

    Ohjin shook his head while looking at Isabe, who was acting like she was scared and knew nothing.

    ¡°Their elites weren¡¯t caught yet.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry, anyways. We came all the way for nothing.¡±

    ¡°No, no. Your safety alone is a relief.¡±

    Isabe took out amunication marble from her pocket.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call in a helicopter right away since we don¡¯t know when the ck Star Organization will appear again.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ddududududu!¡ª

    It appeared that the helicopter was on standby nearby, as it arrived in no time.

    Ohjin carried the unconscious Ha-eun and got on the helicopter.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send the remuneration to your ount soon.¡±

    ¡°Even though we weren¡¯t able to clear the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. You still came all the way here. Of course, you should be rewarded.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ okay.¡±

    There was no reason to refuse when she was willing.

    ¡°It was a bit unfortunate this time¡­ but would it be okay to give you more requests in the future?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re more than wee to.¡±

    Isabe was a woman who waspletely unpredictable, but if the strange obsession she had for him was sincere, there was a good chance he could take advantage of her.

    ¡®She ended up being a big help to me this time, too.¡¯

    Even if he had the ability to tell lies naturally, he couldn¡¯t fool the opponent with words that held no meaning.

    The reason he was able to fool Cheon Doyoon was that he received information from somewhere that Isabe was showing interest in him.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll contact youter, Ohjin.¡±

    After riding the helicopter and arriving back in Seoul, Isabe waved her hand while taking off.

    ¡°Hyup.¡±

    Ohjin carried Ha-eun and arrived back home. Once heid her down on the bed and went outside, Vega flew up and approached him.

    [How has this happened? The Pseudo Star Cult you previously mentioned hasn¡¯t even appeared yet.]

    ¡°The time frame has changed.¡±

    [Then that means¡­]

    ¡°They originally aimed for the star relic hidden in Mt. Baekdu a couple of months in the future at minimum¡­ but that was pulled forward.¡±

    [The time frame isn¡¯t the only thing that has changed.]

    As she said, the time frame wasn¡¯t the only thing that changed since the group that was looking for the star relic changed from the Pseudo Star Cult to the ck Star Organization.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that, and I can¡¯t help but believe the ck Star Organization changed their name to Pseudo Star Cult.¡±

    [They changed their name?]

    ¡°Remember I said that I didn¡¯t know much about the ck Star Organization before?¡±

    [Hmm. I believe that you said you only have a rough understanding of them back then.]

    Vega nodded her head.

    ¡°What I remember isn¡¯t the ck Star Organization but the Pseudo Star Cult.¡±

    And with that, he would be able to exin why he didn¡¯t know much about the ck Star Organization.

    [Ahh, so that¡¯s how things proceeded.]

    Vega rubbed her chin and nodded.

    [You didn¡¯t know about the ck Star Organization before they changed into Pseudo Star Cult¡­ since you would¡¯ve just been promoted from a beginner at this time in your past life.]

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Though the fact he didn¡¯t know about them whether it was before or after they changed name remained the same.

    ¡°I said there was a group led by the Heavenly Demon, remember? That¡¯s the Pseudo Star Cult.¡±

    [But don¡¯t they serve the ck Stars and not the Heavenly Demon?]

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because the Heavenly Demon hasn¡¯t appeared yet.¡±

    [In that case¡­]

    Vega¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    There was one conclusion she coulde up with based on the clues obtained from Ohjin up until then.

    [So they changed names from the ck Star Organization to the Pseudo Star Cult after the Heavenly Demon appeared.]

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    Although there was no way to tell if they actually changed their name due to the Heavenly Demon, making Vega believe that would make things fall into ce.

    ¡®A Heavenly Demon will have to appear in the future, anyways.¡¯

    In order to keep the fact that he possessed the ck Heaven a secret, he needed to turn another person into a Heavenly Demon.

    ¡ªThat was the only way he could survive.

    ¡®Getting caught by Vega isn¡¯t the problem anymore.¡¯

    With his deep rtionship with Vega, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be killed immediately even if he was caught possessing the ck Heaven.

    However, the problem was the celestials excluding her.

    There existed a prophecy that the ck Heaven would devour all celestials, and as long as the celestials firmly believed it, he couldn¡¯t let the existence of the ck Heaven get exposed.

    ¡®And that is why I need to pretend that I¡¯m a Regressor more thoroughly.¡¯

    ¡ªThe Heaven-defying Star, the one said to be the savior of the world from the ck Heaven¡¯s darkness.

    There wouldn¡¯t be many that suspected that same Heaven-defying Star to be the owner of the ck Heaven.

    The more others believed him to be the Heaven-defying Star, the more the celestials wouldn¡¯t be able to help but trust and depend on him.

    [Then isn¡¯t this a big problem? The precious star relic has gone over to the hands of the force that will serve the Heavenly Demon in the future¡­]

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to get it back.¡±

    He backed off that time, as he didn¡¯t have a choice, but he never nned on obediently handing over the Dragon¡¯s Heart to Cheon Doyoon.

    [Do you have a method in mind?]

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    No method existed to steal the Dragon¡¯s Heart from an opponent who defeated Lee Woohyuk without him being able to retaliate.

    But if there was no method, he just had to make one.

    Whether he used Isabe or used whatever the means to get strong enough to defeat Cheon Doyoon, he would get the Dragon¡¯s Heart in his hands.

    [Sigh. The future has started to change already¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I should be liking this or not.]

    ¡°The future will continue to stray from the future I knew.¡±

    Rather, it was good news to him.

    There was no future he knew in the first ce. Even if an unpredicted variable appeared, he could use it as a reliable excuse in the future.

    [But that also means you might fall into unpredictable danger¡­]

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Didn¡¯t Ie back to change the future in the first ce?¡±

    Ohjin smiled brightly and looked back at Vega, who looked at him with worry.

    ¡°This time¡­ I¡¯ll make a future where you can smile without worry.¡±

    [My child¡­]

    Vega¡¯s face slightly reddened as she sat on top of Ohjin¡¯s shoulder.

    [But still, do be careful for the time being. We do not know what those vicious beings will do with the Dragon¡¯s Heart.]

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Ohjin happened to be thinking ofying low for a while.

    [Then thisdy shall take her leave. The restriction is getting worse, as I¡¯ve used too much strength.]

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll see youter.¡±

    Vega went into the pendant.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    After Vega returned to the pendant, Ohjin turned around while exhaling a low breath.

    Ohjin went into the room and looked down at Ha-run, who was on the bed. He took the broken prosthetic leg off of her.

    ¡®I¡¯ll need to order a new one.¡¯

    Like he was covering her empty right leg, he pulled up the nket over Ha-eun.

    * * *

    -Hmm. So the Queen of Leeches has found a mate?

    ¡°Yes. He is the one called the Lightning Wolf.¡±

    -Ah, I have heard of him before. That person became the man of the bloodthirsty witch¡­ it¡¯s hard to believe.

    As the tablet engraved with the shape of a snake was covered in ck light, the giggling voice of a woman came out.

    -Well, anyway. Congrattions. I was a little worried because I heard the Queen of Leeches headed your way, but you were able to secure the Dragon¡¯s Heart safely.

    ¡ªA voice that felt like it contained something like madness.

    ¡°Holholhol. This is all thanks to the Queen of Snakes lighting the path forward.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon deeply bowed his head to the snake-engraved tablet.

    -No. All I did was pass down what the <strong>Heavenly Demon</strong> told me.

    ¡°How is that grand being do¡ª¡±

    -Hoho. Mister Doyoon.

    The voice that felt strangely elevated suddenly cooled down.

    -Shush.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Flinch!¡ª

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s shoulders shivered.

    ¡°F-Forgive me, Queen of Snakes.¡±

    -Fufu. It¡¯s fine, anyone can make mistakes. Then I trust that you¡¯ll be able to find the other one.

    ¡°I have already found where it is.¡±

    -Is that so? That¡¯s a relief.

    Her cold voice was elevated once more.

    -Then I¡¯ll trust you and await the next time you contact me.

    Crack!¡ª

    The tablet that gave off a ck light waspletely destroyed.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon cleaned off the cold sweat flowing down his forehead and got up.

    The edge of his lips tilted up while looking at the blue sphere in his hands.

    ¡°Now that the heart is in my hands¡­¡±

    He held up a picture that was ced on top of the desk. Captured on the square picture was a beautiful woman with maroon hair.

    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s time to secure the eye.¡±

    Holholhol¡ª

    The sound of his peculiarugh rang out creepily.

 Chapter 125: Endless Night (1)

    <strong>Chapter 125: Endless Night (1)</strong>

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    While taking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and focused on his left chest.

    ¡ªDeeply settled darkness.

    Inside the darkness spread out like the night sky shone constetions of various shapes and colors.

    ¡®Stigma of Lyra.¡¯

    Ohjin stretched his hand out to the one that shone the brightest amongst them.

    Blue mana flowed through the constetion and spread out across his entire body.

    Bzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Blue lightning covered his body and sparked out.

    Click¡ª

    He took the spear from his belt and grasped it with two hands.

    The theoretical basics of spearmanship flowed into his head from Lee Sihnhyuk¡¯s memories.

    ¡®I don¡¯t need to chain myself down to these rules.¡¯

    Ohjin got rid of the basic movements of spearmanship from his head. He wasn¡¯t a martial artist who dedicated his life to the spear, anyway. Simply knowing how to sh and stab was sufficient.

    ¡®And what¡¯s more important than that¡­¡¯

    Fuu¡ª

    He slowly breathed out and increased the pressure in the mana circuits around his body.

    [¡¶Exceed Lv5 ¡· has been activated.]

    [You will enter the ¡®Overload¡¯ state if you maintain the skill for an extended duration of time.]

    Blue lightning coiled around his body and zed fiercely.

    Exceed had severe side effects when he¡¯d first learnt the skill. In the past, it would cause him to go unconscious for a couple of days, but using it had be as natural as breathing.

    ¡®Though it¡¯s still hard to maintain for a long time.¡¯

    But still, thanks to his scheduled training, the duration started to increase a lot more ever since it rose from level 3 to 5. If five minutes was his limit in the past, he was now able to maintain the skill for fifteen minutes without overloading.

    It was now no longer a self-harming skill that cut away at his lifespan, but just a skill that was the same as any other buff.

    ¡°Well, then¡­¡±

    Ohjin approached a wall in the training room and flicked on a switch.

    Theser pointers installed on the walls shot out thousands ofsers and spread out nauseatingly.

    Needless to say, they were different fromser weapons that appeared in sci-fi novels. Thesers werepletely non-lethal and basically no different from the dizzying lights used to spice things up in karaokes¡ª

    <strong>¡®I¡¯ll die If I touch thosesers.¡¯</strong>

    ¡ªbut he lied to himself.

    ¡®My flesh will burn, fester, and tear.¡¯

    He imagined it¡­

    The fluctuatingsers in front of his eyes weren¡¯t simply lights emitted from a machine but fatal feathers shot from the King of Owls.

    Again and again¡­

    Again and again¡­

    Again and again¡­

    He repeatedly told himself those lies.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Crackle!¡ª

    Trails of lightning were left behind as his body moved.

    Hundreds¡­ thousands ofsers raved inside the training room in erratic patterns.

    Swoosh!¡ª

    While avoiding thesers, one of them grazed his left forearm.

    Bzzzzt!¡ª

    Lightning suddenly scintited, causing his flesh to burn ck.

    ¡°Huff, huff!¡±

    Cold sweat ran down his forehead.

    Numbing pain spread out along with the sense of excitement.

    It wasn¡¯t simply image training. The moment theser touched his body, mana would move on its own and burn the ce he got hit. As if he was brainwashed, his mana was subconsciously reacting to his ¡®lies¡¯ on its own.

    ¡®It¡¯s like I¡¯m hypnotized.¡¯

    It was a training method Ohjin had recently devised.

    After repeatedly lying to himself for image training, he had reached the point where he would actually injure himself, but even with that, it couldn¡¯t entirely replicate the same tension as real fights.

    ¡°Haa! Haa!¡±

    Ohjin was able to achieve much greater resultspared to thoughtless training.

    ¡®Stigma of Clepsydra.¡¯

    For a moment, the frantically moving lights stopped as if time hade to a halt, and Ohjin moved past them inside his slowed world.

    ¡®Cheon Doyoon¡­¡¯

    Ohjin recalled the old man he encountered.

    The old man with wrinkles and a strange ¡®holholhol¡¯ugh was created in front of his eyes.

    Bzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Blue mes zed up on the spear¡¯s de.

    The spear engulfed in Lightning mes was thrusted at Cheon Doyoon.

    -Holholhol. You are slow, Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s wolf.

    The imaginary Cheon Doyoon avoided his attack while mocking him.

    With Cheon Doyoon¡¯s slight movement of the hand, ck feathers shaped in the form of a long sword were created and shot at Ohjin.

    ¡°Huff, huff!¡±

    Ohjin readjusted his grip on the spear and caught his breath. He swung his spear up at the ck feathers that were aimed at his forehead.

    ng!¡ª

    Although the spear didn¡¯t sh with feathers in reality, a numbing shock ran up his palm.

    ¡®It¡¯s not enough.¡¯

    Currently, he couldn¡¯t face him with what he had.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Ohjin focused on his left chest.

    ck clouds were thickly spread out. He stretched his hand out to the dragon that was coiled up and hidden between the clouds.

    He couldn¡¯t use the dragon vein¡¯s mana freely yet but was still able to use it to an extent.

    Fwoooosh!¡ª

    The blue mes that were burning on his de formed into the shape of a dragon and coiled around the spear¡¯s shaft.

    ¡°Huaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    Ohjin roughly stomped his feet and struck down the spear¡¯s shaft.

    The azure dragon that was coiled around the shaft spread out in six directions; they soon gathered in one spot and shot towards Cheon Doyoon.

    -Holholhol.

    With the sound of Cheon Doyoon¡¯s peculiarugh, he disappeared into thin air after being struck by the azure dragon.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Ohjin turned theser pointers off while catching his ragged breath.

    -Ring!

    [You have seeded in handling a portion of the dragon vein¡¯s mana!]

    [You have learnt the skill ¡¶Azure Dragon Strike Lv1¡·. The skill has increased to ¡¶Azure Dragon Strike Lv4¡· due to the influence of the skill ¡¶Lightnin & Thunder Lv9¡·.]

    [¡¶Exceed Lv5¡· has increased to ¡¶Exceed Lv6¡·.]

    [¡¶Lightning mes Lv4¡· has increased to ¡¶Lightning mes Lv5¡·.]

    ¡°Oh, damn.¡±

    Thanks to the effects of his extreme image training, he was able to increase the levels of several skills.

    ¡®But the most important skill is still at level 9.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t easy to raise Lighting & Thunder to level 10 as Riak had mentioned in the past.

    ¡°He said that I¡¯ll get something special when it bes level 10¡­¡±

    Ohjin didn¡¯t know what he would get since he had already learned how to use Lightning mes, which was supposed to be the reward for attaining level 10.

    ¡®Let¡¯s think about thister.¡¯

    Ohjin scrolled down the status window and stared at the text that said ¡®Heaven Unfolding¡¯.

    ¡®I still have no idea what this is.¡¯

    He had attempted various things during his training sessions but still didn¡¯t know how it was supposed to be used, nor what kind of ability it was.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    He clicked his tongue and closed the status window. Continuously staring at something he didn¡¯t know wouldn¡¯t give him enlightenment.

    ¡°Ow¡­ it fucking hurts.¡±

    Ohjin didn¡¯t notice when he was vigorously moving his body around, but there were quite a lot of burn scars around his body.

    ¡®I should heal myself before I go home.¡¯

    After recovering his injuries by going into arge bath he had prepared in advance, he returned home.

    Click!¡ª

    ¡°Ha-eun~!¡±

    He approached Ha-eun, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room.

    ¡°¡­Did you finish training?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°You must be exhausted.¡±

    Ha-eun looked away with somewhat of a bitter expression.

    ¡®She¡¯s acting this way again.¡¯

    After returning from the dungeon, she had continuously been in that state.

    ¡°Why do you have that agonized look again?¡±

    ¡°Mind your own business.¡±

    ¡°How could I mind my own business when it¡¯s rted to you?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s shoulders flinched. She cautiously looked at Ohjin with shaking eyes and soon got up from her seat.

    ¡°Wait a bit. I¡¯ll prepare you dinner.¡±

    ¡°Spare me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±

    Ha-eun puffed air out of her nose and headed to the kitchen.

    Ohjin, who finished showering after eating dinner,y down on the bed like he was about to copse.

    ¡°Are you sleeping already?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired after training so intenselytely.¡±

    With his body bing a wreck ever since he started image training, his fatigue had built up in no time.

    ¡°¡­Yeah. Go to sleep.¡±

    Ohjin quickly fell asleep.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Silence settled in the room.

    Ha-eun plopped down on her bed.

    A hollow sensation remained beneath her right leg, as the prosthetic leg they¡¯d ordered hadn¡¯t arrived yet.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    She looked up at the ceiling while exhaling a deep breath.

    ¡°¡­How pathetic. Grumbling and all.¡±

    Ha-eun mumbled in a voice mixed with self-reproach.

    After absent-mindedly looking at the ceiling, she carefully got up.

    Ohjin, who fell asleep within just one minute due to his fatigue, entered her eyes.

    Ha-eun sat down next to Ohjin on the bed he¡¯d fallen asleep in and carefully reached out her hand to sweep Ohjin¡¯s hair.

    Stab, stab¡ª

    She felt a throbbing pain that felt like awls were digging into her chest.

    -Ha-eun!!!!

    The incident that took ce in the dungeon crossed her mind.

    ¡ªThe copsing floor.

    ¡ªThe way Ohjin urgently reached his hand out to her.

    ¡®Once again¡­ receiving help is the only thing I did.¡¯

    Ha-eun bit her lips.

    She wanted to be at least a little bit of help but ended up being a burden again.

    ¡®As always¡­¡¯

    Even when she dug through her old storage of memories, there were only memories of receiving protection from Ohjin.

    Every single time, Ohjin stood next to her.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She felt anxious.

    ¡ªFrom the possibility that he would get sick of it and decide to leave her behind.

    ¡ªFrom the possibility that he would leave her, who was nothing but a burden, and go to somebody else.

    ¡®Somebody like Isabe¡­¡¯

    Ha-eun recalled the appearance of the beautiful woman with blond hair.

    The esteemed daughter of one of the most distinguished families in Europe. Although Ha-eun had a higher ¡®Star¡¯ rankpared to her, it was unknown how long that wouldst with Isabe being a super rookie who garnered worldwide attention.

    No, even if Isabe didn¡¯t surpass her, as a support-type that was treated like nobility in parties, she was already a big help to Ohjin.

    But how was Ha-eun inparison to her?

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to imagine it.¡±

    Ha-eun closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.

    When she had somehow managed to prevent splitting up, just imagining the possibility of Ohjin leaving her behind was scary to the point that it was unbearable.

    ¡®Ohjin¡­¡¯

    She became lost in thought while gently stroking his head.

    Suddenly, the memory of when she had first met him resurfaced in her head¡ªit was so old she didn¡¯t even remember when it took ce.

    ¡®He was really gloomy.¡¯

    When Ohjin had first arrived at the orphanage, he was your average, quiet child who nearly didn¡¯t speak at all. Even when Ha-eun, who was basically the leader of the orphanage children at the time, spoke to him on several asions, there was no reply returned.

    But on the day she was severely beaten up by the bald director¡­ Ha-eun, who secretly went to the rooftop in order to avoid the director, was able to share a conversation with Ohjin for the first time.

    ¡®What did he say back then?¡¯

    She couldn¡¯t even remember it all that well anymore.

    All she remembered was that, on that afternoon, Ohjin had started to change little by little ever since he started to call her ¡®sister¡¯.

    ¡°It really has been a damn long time ago thinking about it now.¡±

    With a faint smile on her face, she touched Ohjin¡¯s cheeks.

    ¡®I won¡¯t let him be stolen.¡¯

    Ha-eun gently bit her lips as her eyes shone.

    It didn¡¯t matter if others said she had no shame¡­

    It didn¡¯t matter if they called her selfish¡­

    ¡®Ohjin is mine.¡¯

    She clenched her fist.

    Ha-eun got up from his bed andy back on her bed.

    There was one surefire method to seize Ohjin, who could leave her side at any second.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡±

    She took out her phone and opened the web browser.

    ¡°How¡­ to¡­ ask out¡­ your little brother¡­ what the fuck, not rted, you psychos.¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and opened a new tab.

    ¡°How to ask out¡­ a younger male¡­¡±

    Tap, tap¡ª

    Only the light of the phone shone like the night stars in the room settled in darkness.

 Chapter 126: Endless Night (2)

    <strong>Chapter 126: Endless Night (2)</strong>

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat out?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Have you finally decided to give up on your catastrophic cooking skills?¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. I¡¯m just kidding, but why do you want to eat out all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ uh.¡±

    Ha-eun twirled her hair with her finger and avoided his gaze.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no special reason in particr. I was just thinking it¡¯d be nice to change the mood.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡±

    Ohjin happened to be worried about how Ha-eun was actingtely. If Ha-eun was able to feel just a little better by eating out, he¡¯d apany her as many times as she wanted.

    ¡°Are we going in the afternoon?¡±

    ¡°No, let¡¯s have lunch.¡±

    ¡°Hm. Then I¡¯lle after doing some training.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll text you, so don¡¯te home, and head to the restaurant right away.¡±

    ¡°Huh? We live in the same house; can¡¯t we just go together?¡±

    ¡°Just listen to what I say.¡±

    Ha-eun poked his side.

    ¡°Hmm. Well, alright.¡±

    Ohjin turned around while nodding his head.

    ¡°Then, see youter, Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. I¡¯ll treat you, so leave your wallet behind.¡±

    Ha-eun boastfully raised her nose and ced her hands on her waist.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to eat something expensive.¡±

    ¡°Give me your best shot. I¡¯ve got a hefty amount of money from Isabe¡¯s reward.¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t that my money?¡±

    ¡°Who cares if it¡¯s your money or my money in our rtionship? We just use it together.¡±

    ¡°This is unfair.¡±

    Would that be what husbands felt when their bonus pay was stolen by their wives?

    ¡°Kyahaha! I¡¯m just kidding. I¡¯ll treat you with my own money, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t really worried.¡±

    Ohjin only acted like he was mistreated to y along with her. It honestly didn¡¯t really bother him because, at that point, money wasn¡¯t all that important to him.

    ¡°But what about your prosthetic leg?¡±

    ¡°They said it¡¯spleted, so I was going to go get it at the Association in a bit.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to go together?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll go alone.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t be a big problem, as the Association wasn¡¯t far and could easily be essed by taking a taxi ride.

    ¡°I requested them to make it while focusing on its durability, so there shouldn¡¯t be any cases of it breaking like before.¡±

    ¡°Sweet.¡±

    Ha-eun smiled as she nodded her head.

    Ohjin smiled faintly while looking at her face that looked brighter than before.

    ¡®That¡¯s a relief.¡¯

    He was worried about how dispirited she looked after returning from the dungeon, but it seemed that she had sorted things out, as her expression became much brighter in just a day.

    ¡®This is more like her.¡¯

    The Ha-eun he knew was confident, upright, and couldn¡¯t be held back.

    He recalled the appearance of the brightly gleaming girl from his album of memories that was so old he couldn¡¯t even remember when it took ce.

    ¡®She hasn¡¯t changed at all from back then.¡¯

    As always, she was so beautiful that it was blinding.

    ¡°Send me a textter.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    Ohjin went outside and crossed the crosswalk. He entered the mixed-use apartment that was gifted by Isabe.

    The apartment that was renovated to make it possible for even high-rank Awakeners to train at ease was wide enough to make it reminiscent of a ser field.

    ¡°Vega.¡±

    He sent mana into the pendant hung on his neck.

    [I¡¯m here!]

    Crackle, crack, crack¡ª

    Vega appeared as rays of silver light exploded like fireworks behind her.

    With her arms spread out wide, she rotated her body 360¡ã.

    ¡°Anything good happen?¡±

    [Fufu. Haven¡¯t you called me every day recently? Well¡­ though it is because of training.]

    ¡°Once again, I¡¯m in your hands.¡±

    [Hmm. Getting to see your face every day is nice¡­ but is there something to do other than training?]

    Vega pouted her lips.

    [Working hard is certainly good, but sometimes there¡¯s a need to relieve your built-up fatigue.]

    ¡°I just happened to be nning to train briefly for today.¡±

    [Ho. Until when are you going to train?]

    ¡°Around 1PM?¡±

    [Ohh.]

    Vega¡¯s eyes twinkled.

    [Then will you go sightseeing the city with this¡ª]

    ¡°Ah, let¡¯s do that next time.¡±

    [Hmm? Do you have ns for today?]

    ¡°Ha-eun wanted to have lunch with me.¡±

    [I see. Then are you saying just the two of you will meet?]

    ¡°Well, probably.¡±

    No matter how oblivious he was, he wouldn¡¯t take Vega to a lunch that Ha-eun went out of her way to propose.

    [Hmmm.]

    Vega crossed her arms with narrowed eyes.

    She sat on his shoulder and temperamentally shook her legs.

    [I see¡­ so just the two of you are going to meet up.]

    Vega mumbled in a quiet voice.

    Bzzzzzt!¡ª

    [Let¡¯s start the training.]

    Her golden eyes shone as she floated up into the air.

    Bzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Fierce bundles of lightning raged violently like a storm.

    ¡°Um¡­ Lady Vega?¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m fucking scared.¡¯

    [So do you want me to attack you until you touch me three times while avoiding thesers as we¡¯ve done before?]

    ¡°Uh, yeah. That¡¯s right.¡±

    [Then let¡¯s raise today¡¯s difficulty a bit and continue until you touch me thirty times.]

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡®Since when did a ¡®bit¡¯ mean an increment of 10 times? Is this crypto? Mom, are we going to the moon?¡¯

    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t thirty times too m¡ª¡±

    [We¡¯re starting!]

    Click!¡ª

    As Vega lowered the switch, thousands ofsers shot out in all directions. Although no injuries appeared when thesers hit his skin, as he was in a state where he had yet to use ¡®lies¡¯¡ª

    [Hyaaaaaap!]

    Bzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    ¡ªVega¡¯s attacks were a different story.

    As the celestial of Lyra, she had marvelous skills in controlling lightning meticulously. In other words, she was able to control lightning so that it was extremely painful but left no scar behind.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!!¡±

    Ohjin evaded the nauseatingsers and blue lightning until his back was drenched in sweat.

    * * *

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    After he finished showering in the shower room installed in the training facility, he turned on his phone while drying his wet hair with a towel.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    There were no messages in his inbox.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    He thought that there would obviously be a text sent to him with the decided location.

    -Ohjin: Ha-eun, where are you?

    There was no reply, even when he sent her a message. The same thing happened when he called her. No matter how many times he called her, the only thing that returned was the machine that said the call was missed.

    ¡®Is she sleeping?¡¯

    Ohjin tilted his head and headed to their home.

    Click¡ª

    He opened the door and entered the house but couldn¡¯t feel any presence inside.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Worry gradually started to build up.

    Ohjin confirmed thest message he received from her.

    -Ha-eun: On my way to get my leg~? ¦Å?? (? ¨B ¦Ø ¨B)? ??

    -Ohjin: Ride a taxi.

    -Ha-eun: kk I already called a kakao taxi.

    10:39 AM¡­

    There was nothing other than the message that was sent approximately two hours before.

    Ohjin immediately went into his contacts and called General Manager Han.

    -Ah, it¡¯s been a while. I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve been focusing on trainingtely. How have things been progressing?

    ¡°General Manager, has Ha-eune by the Association?¡± asked Ohjin while cutting off General Manager Han.

    -Yes. Ha-eun came by around two hours ago.

    ¡°When did she leave?¡±

    -She received the prosthetic leg and left right away¡­ is there a problem?

    Beep¡ª

    He hung up without answering.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Cold sweat ran down his back.

    An ominous feeling spread out like ck ink dropped on white paper.

    ¡®I need to go to the Association.¡¯

    Herst confirmed location was the Association.

    Ohjin headed to the veranda¡¯s window. There was no time to leisurely go down using the elevator.

    Crunch!¡ª

    He forcefully pulled off the window that was built to open halfway to prevent people from falling down.

    Bang!!!¡ª

    The wire shooter was shot at the apartment that was on the other side.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    He violently jumped towards the apartment on the other side. While drawing an arc in the air, he used the wire shooter to propel his falling body upwards.

    ¡®Faster¡­!¡¯

    Ohjin bit his lips with a nervous expression and headed to the Association.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!¡ª

    It took him only three minutes to arrive at the Association.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Ohjin stood in front of the Association¡¯s entrance and breathed in deeply.

    ¡®Stigma of the Hunting Dogs.¡¯

    Owooong!¡ª

    The senses in his body amplified to the extreme as light poured out of his left chest.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Countless smells rushed into his nose.

    Ohjin endured the painful headache and searched for Ha-eun¡¯s smell.

    ¡®¡­It¡¯s not here.¡¯

    Two hours had passed since she left the Association. How would there be any smell remaining when she hadn¡¯t been around for a long time?

    ¡®No. I can do it.¡¯

    High-rank Awakeners of the Hunting Dogs were said to be able to track down a person who brushed past them hours beforehand.

    He wasn¡¯t a high-rank Awakener, but it meant that it wasn¡¯t impossible.

    ¡®In that case¡­¡¯

    Ohjin clenched his teeth.

    He shut his eyes tight and focused all his senses on his nose.

    ¡°Fuuuu.¡±

    ¡ªThe uncountable number of smells that rushed into his nose¡­

    ¡°Kugh¡­ Kuk!¡±

    Throb, throb¡ª

    His head radiated pain like it was going to explode.

    His brain couldn¡¯t process the information because too much of it was trying to dig into it at once.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Blood poured out of his nose.

    No, it wasn¡¯t only his nose.

    His eyes got bloodshot as blood tears ran down his cheek.

    Blood dripped down from his ears, soaking his neck.

    ¡®It¡¯s not enough.¡¯

    Even within the current of uncountable information, there was no trace of Ha-eun.

    ¡®More, more, more!¡¯

    Bzzzt!¡ª

    Blue lightning sparked up and spread out wide.

    It was what Vega demonstrated once in the past; a skill that used feeble lightning that was nothing but static electricity.

    -Ring!

    [The stigma of Lyra and the stigma of the Hunting Dogs are resonating!]

    [Combination skill ¡¶Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s Hunting Dog Lv MAX¡· has been acquired!]

    It started to flow in¡­

    The uncountable, the unmeasurable,..

    ¡ªtsunami of information.

    ¡°Huff, huff!¡±

    The smell of smoke from the parking lot¡­

    The smell of a cigarette butt thrown away in the street¡­

    The smell of a half-full cup of coffee¡­

    The smell of ginkgo trees on the roadside. The smell of a dead pigeon that was run over by a car. The smell of shampoo from the hair of a woman that was passing by. The smell of filthy water from the manhole. The smell of ice cream in the hand of a child. The smell of a man¡¯s mouth who was running around. The smell of a bug rotting in the sun. The smell ofundry drying on the apartment¡¯s veranda. The smell of paper stored in a file. The smell of pen ink that was drying. The smell of garbage that was blocking the pipe. The smell of gum stuck to the concrete. The smell of dust built up in the AC unit.

    And, and, and¡­

    A smell that was always by his side.

    The infinitely familiar, and boundlessly precious, smell of her.

    ¡°Found¡­ you.¡±

    A blue fen fire ignited in Ohjin¡¯s eye.

    Bang!!¡ª

    With a loud noise as if a cannon had exploded, his body shot forward.

 Chapter 127: Endless Night (3)

    <strong>I¡¯m Not a Regressor</strong>

    <strong>Chapter 127: Endless Night (3)</strong>

    ¡°It should be much sturdier than before since it was made using whole starstones.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Is that so?¡±

    Ha-eun equipped the prosthetic leg General Manager Han handed over.

    It seemed that it did its expensive price justice, as it felt very stable while being soft at the same time.

    ¡°Ohh.¡±

    Ha-eun jumped up on the spot and eximed.

    The prosthetic leg she used before was also considerablyfortable, but the current one was even more so.

    ¡°Shiho made it by special request.¡±

    ¡°That kid who knows how to make star relics?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I heard about him from Ohjin before. He certainly has good skills.¡±

    ¡°Well, he is a bit of a whimsical kid¡­ but his skill is unquestionable.¡±

    He shrugged his shoulders with a pleased expression.

    Ha-eun grinned as she looked at the dad-like smile on General Manager Han¡¯s face.

    ¡°You seem close to that kid.¡±

    ¡°Uh, well¡­ we got involved in several different matters.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Anyways, pass over my thanks to that kid.¡±

    Ha-eun smiled brightly while moving her right leg around.

    As one might expect, it was inferiorpared to her real leg, but there would be no problem walking around with Ohjin using it.

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s lips raised up into a foolish smile on their own when she thought of meeting him soon.

    ¡®Where should we have lunch?¡¯

    ¡®Where should we go y after eating?¡¯

    ¡®I should take him somewhere with a good atmosphere after having a bunch of fun.¡¯

    ¡®I can already imagine him getting flustered.¡¯

    Although Ohjin appeared mischievous, he was also quite inexperienced.

    He would get flustered if she took him somewhere with a good atmosphere and appealed to him just a little.

    ¡°Has anything good happened today?¡±

    General Manager Han tilted his head while looking at Ha-eun, who was giggling uncontrobly.

    ¡°Hehe. Something like that.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    General Manager Han scratched his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m going now! Thanks for the prosthetic leg, old gori man!¡±

    ¡°G-Gori?!¡±

    ¡°Kyaha! I¡¯m just kidding.¡±

    Ha-eun waved her hand and turned around. She exited the Association as her shoulders excitedly went up and down.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I already made a reservation at the restaurant yesterday.¡±

    There were approximately two hours left until the promised meetup time.

    ¡®Should I buy a present for Ohjin?¡¯

    Since Ha-eun had always received from Ohjin, at least for a day, she wanted to do everything she could do for him.

    ¡°A present¡­ What would be nice?¡±

    Ha-eun rubbed her chin and got lost in thought.

    Her wallet became quite heftytely, but that didn¡¯t mean she had the capability of gifting an entire apartment like Isabe.

    ¡®Let¡¯s get him something that he needs.¡¯

    ¡ªSomething that would make him happy after receiving it.

    ¡ªSomething that was useful and also could also be used for a long time.

    ¡°¡­Should I buy him a tracksuit?¡±

    It seemed that a tracksuit would be perfect since he was working hard on training every day.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Ha-eun hummed a melody while heading to the nearby department store.

    She entered a luxury store that was famous for having expensive tracksuits. After looking around for a couple of minutes, she discovered one with a design that looked like it¡¯d fit Ohjin perfectly.

    ¡°Is this¡­ okay?¡±

    As always, she spoke using awkward formal speech.

    ¡°Ah, yes! That product is a tracksuit built for Awakeners with its incredible durability andfortable fit¡­¡±

    Information about the tracksuit kept pouring out of the employee as if a button had been pressed on a machine.

    Ha-eun, who was listening attentively, put on a slightly bored expression as the exnation seemed like it wouldn¡¯te to an end and decided to cut the employee off.

    ¡°Then please give me this inrge size.¡±

    ¡°Thank you! But this product¡¯s price is¡­ on the expensive side. Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a present for just anyone. If it was for Ohjin, the money wouldn¡¯t feel wasted, no matter how expensive it was.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll assist you with your payment of $7,820~!¡±

    ¡®It is disgustingly expensive.¡¯

    Ha-eun swallowed the words that were about to escape from her mouth and lent out her card.

    ¡®Well, then¡­¡¯

    After buying a present to give to Ohjin, Ha-eun headed to the reserved restaurant with light steps.

    There was still a lot of time left until the promised time, so she was nning to kill time at a nearby cafe.

    ¡°Hum, hum, hum~?¡±

    Humming subconsciously flowed out.

    The smile smudged on her lips wouldn¡¯t go away from the thought of getting to enjoy a date with him for the first time in a while.

    ¡®My preparations are perfect!¡¯

    For that day, she had searched and memorized hundreds of ¡®ways to ask out a younger male sessfully¡¯ on the inte.

    She had even downloaded a $16 dating simtion app targeted towards females and cleared the game.

    ¡®Using this opportunity, let¡¯s take a step out of this sister-brother rtionship.¡¯

    And if that happened, she believed that her anxiety about him leaving her would settle just a bit.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Her excited steps suddenly stopped.

    She fumbled with the shopping bag¡¯s handle that contained the tracksuit and mumbled in an unclear voice.

    ¡°Wh-What if I get dumped¡­?¡±

    ¡ªA sensation of ice-cold water getting poured over her heated head.

    The worst-case scenario that she didn¡¯t take into ount in her world of imagination crossed her mind.

    -Sorry. I don¡¯t see you as a woman but as a good friend.

    ¡ªOhjin¡¯s cold voice.

    Just imagining it made her chest sting as if it was being pricked by awls.

    ¡®N-No!¡¯

    If she actually heard those words by any chance, she didn¡¯t have the confidence to be able to endure it.

    ¡®Now that I think of it, I heard siblings live together starting from a young age because of how they don¡¯t develop any feelings for each other.¡¯

    Feelings not developing because of being together for too long¡­

    Although that story didn¡¯t apply to her, it could be a different case for Ohjin.

    ¡°Arghhhhh!¡±

    Ha-eun pulled her hair and curled her feet.

    She was definitely bloated with anticipation until morning, but negative thoughts started to fill her head the closer it got to the appointment time.

    ¡°Bitch¡­ I dare you to dump me. I¡¯ll grab that thing and tear it off.¡±

    Malice started to build up in Ha-eun¡¯s wavering eyes.

    Ever since Ohjin gifted her the Cursed Dragon Eye¡­ no, since much before then.

    Whether her eyes were opened or closed, only thoughts of him filled her head.

    ¡ªTo the point it felt like nothing else was important other than staying together with him, her life was full of moments with Ohjin.

    ¡®You¡¯re going to dump me after making me this way?¡¯

    She couldn¡¯t permit it.

    Whether it was biting his head off or pouncing on him, she would tie them together at all costs.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Ha-eun calmed down her chest that was shaking from nervousness and moved her feet.

    When Ha-eun was in the middle of walking to the restaurant she made a reservation in¡ª

    ¡°¡­Hm?¡±

    ¡ªshe frowned and observed the surroundings.

    She felt a sense of discrepancy that made her back tingle.

    ¡®Why are there no people?¡¯

    ¡ªA road at 11 AM.

    It wasn¡¯t a time when a lot of people were active, but it was strange that there was not a single person in sight.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression slowly stiffened as she clenched her fist.

    While she was attentive observing the surroundings, she spotted something falling on top of her head.

    ¡°ck¡­ feathers?¡±

    The moment she discovered the ck feathers that rained down like snow¡ª

    Flutter!¡ª

    ¡ªthe feathers turned into the shape of humans and shot towards her.

    ¡°Ah!!¡±

    Ha-eun quickly backed off and extended her right arm forward.

    Snap!¡ª

    Simultaneously with her snapping finger, a powerful wave of mes flooded forward.

    ¡°Kugk!¡±

    The suspicious men that were hit by her mes groaned and backed off.

    ¡°Who are you guys?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Ehh, so you won¡¯t answer me?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s fiercely glistening reptilian eye was exposed as she took off her eyepatch and her lips raised into a smirk.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if your mouths will stay shut after they¡¯re cooked.¡±

    As she stomped her feet and crossed her arms, two me dragons coiled around her arm shot out at the suspicious men.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a mage-type! Don¡¯t be afraid and seize her in close-range!¡±

    The ambushers that numbered around ten surrounded Ha-eun in a circle and quickly closed the gap while shooting ck feathers.

    ¡®Are these bastards the Night Hunters that Ohjin mentioned before?¡¯

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes shone sharply as she red at the men.

    The only Awakeners she knew that used ck feathers like weapons were from the Noctua faction.

    ¡®Why is the ck Star Organization after me?¡¯

    She couldn¡¯t figure out why they were after her¡ª

    ¡°Looks like you bastards can tell what¡¯s pretty, judging from how you¡¯re rushing at me with that determination.¡±

    ¡ªbut she was certain they weren¡¯t approaching her with good intentions.

    Bam!!¡ª

    ¡°Kuuuugh!!¡±

    Ha-eun took light steps and turned her body around to precisely kick the crotch of an Owl who was running at her from behind.

    The Owl¡¯s eyes widened so much that it was on the verge of popping out and he screamed while rolling on the floor.

    ¡°Who said mage-types are weak in closebat?¡±

    Ha-eun lowered her stance after igniting both of her fists.

    Bang!¡ª

    mes exploded along with the sound of a sonic boom as she lightly swung her fist.

    Fwoooosh!¡ª

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Kuh! You goddamn bitch!!¡±

    ¡°God wouldn¡¯t even bother to damn someone like you.¡±

    Ha-eun struck the forehead of an Owl and widely swung her right arm.

    Fwoooosh!¡ª

    The mes that spread out in the shape of a fan swept the Owls.

    The Owls were bewildered and started to step back from the overwhelming firepower that made it hard for them to open their eyes.

    ¡°Why are trash like you bastards aiming for me?¡±

    Ha-eun ferociously asked them.

    Honestly speaking, no matter how stronger she got from drinking a potion, it shouldn¡¯t have been possible to overwhelm the elites of the Noctua faction that easily.

    ¡®These bastards¡­ why aren¡¯t they attacking properly?¡¯

    For an unknown reason, the Owls only used half-hearted attacks to keep her in check and intentionally avoided using attacks that were dangerous.

    ¡®Killing me isn¡¯t their goal.¡¯

    Their goal was to restrain her with her body intact.

    Hah¡ª

    A chuckle flowed out of Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Try it if you can.¡±

    She shot out attacks that were even stronger than before and kept the hunters at bay.

    When they were hesitating without being able to do anything¡ª

    <strong>¡°¡ªHolholhol.¡±</strong>

    ¡ªan ominousughter was heard from an unknown ce.

    ¡°Ugh!!!¡±

    Ha-eun moved her body as her instincts instructed and rolled on the ground.

    A storm of ck feathers surged into the spot she was previously in.

    ¡°Wh-What?¡±

    She couldn¡¯t even track the attack with her eyes.

    Ha-eun looked around with a surprised expression, but she couldn¡¯t spot the owner of the strangeughter, even when she looked left and right.

    ¡®Wait¡­¡¯

    Ha-eun quickly looked up.

    ¡®Above!¡¯

    There, she saw an old man who was leisurely floating in mid-air on top of a ck feather.

    ¡ªWrinkles that were like an old pine tree.

    Unlike how he was wearing a neatly ironed Taoist garment, the old man¡¯s eyes were full of thick greed.

    ¡°You have such a nice eye.¡±

    The old man smiled with satisfaction.

    ¡°Holholhol. It¡¯s difficult to find someone who¡¯s awakened the Dragon Eye to that degree.¡±

    ¡°Who are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Is who I am important?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun gently bit her mouth.

    As the old man said, who he was wasn¡¯t important.

    All that was important was his intent.

    ¡®I need to escape.¡¯

    The noisy rms in her head were shouting that the old man was dangerous.

    When she carefully walked on eggshells and was about to quickly turn around¡ª

    ¡°Holholhol. Where are you trying to go?¡±

    ¡°Hyup!¡±

    ¡ªthe old man appeared in front of her in the blink of an eye.

    He had a bizarre smile on his wrinkly face.

    ¡°Now, now, be obedient.¡±

    The old man¡¯s hand moved slowly.

    Tak¡ª

    He lightly touched Ha-eun¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°¡ªAh.¡±

    With a groan leaving her mouth, her consciousness began to fade.

    * * *

    ¡°Argh¡­¡±

    ¡ªA splitting headache.

    Ha-eun furrowed her brow as she opened her eyes.

    ¡°H-Huh?¡±

    She was in a spacious empty lot in an unknown ce. The Owls that had ambushed her earlier surrounded her in a circle.

    ¡°Eek!¡±

    tter! tter!¡ª

    She quickly tried to get up, but her body that was tied in chains engraved with geometrical shapes didn¡¯t move as she wished.

    ¡°Holholhol. Have youe back to your senses?¡±

    The old man let out the sound of that bizarreughter and approached her.

    Ha-eun opened her eyes sharply and stared at the old man.

    ¡°Cheon Doyoon. You¡¯re Cheon Doyoon, right? The bastard who¡¯s the King of Owls or whatever.¡±

    ¡°Holholhol, you know me well.¡±

    ¡°Did you capture me to use me as a hostage?¡±

    Ha-eun suppressed her chest which was shaking from anxiety and asked nonchntly.

    ¡°Hostage? Holholhol, no, that isn¡¯t the reason.¡±

    ¡°¡­it¡¯s not?¡±

    Then why would the King of Owls go out of his way and take action directly to capture her?

    ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s a beautiful eye no matter how many times I see it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The old man¡¯s wrinkly hand fumbled around Ha-eun¡¯s left eye.

    ¡°¡­!!¡±

    An eerie chill ran down her spine.

    ¡°You crazy bastard, what are you doing!!¡± shouted Ha-eun while she violently twisted her body.

    ¡°Holholhol. Do not struggle.¡±

    Tak¡ª

    The old man lightly patted Ha-eun¡¯s shoulder.

    Craaack!¡ª

    Her left shoulder was twisted in a strange direction with the creepy sound of breaking bones.

    ¡°Aaahhhhhh!!¡±

    A scream full of pain exploded out of Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡±

    She breathed out ragged breaths and chewed her lips. An intense pain was felt from her left shoulder.

    Suppressing the suffocating fear, she ferociously bared her teeth at Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡°You perverted old fuck¡­ how dare you touch me¡­¡±

    The only person who was allowed to touch her body was Ohjin.

    ¡°Holholhol. It seems that you have a misunderstanding. Although you most certainly are a beautiful child that can even make this senile old man tremble¡ª¡±

    The old man¡¯s eyes glistened with greed.

    ¡°¡ªwhat I¡¯m after isn¡¯t your body.¡±

    ¡°Then just¡­¡±

    ¡°The Dragon Eye. Give me your eye, and then I will let you go safely.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s body shook.

    ¡°Wh-What¡­ what d-do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It means exactly what I said. Pull out your eye¡­ and give it to this old man.¡±

    ¡°Shut up you insane bastard!!¡±

    ¡°Holholhol. You are a foolish child. You shouldn¡¯t cherish your eye more than your life.¡±

    The old man clicked his tongue and reached out his hand to Ha-eun¡¯s left eye.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, I shall forcefully pull it out for you.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s face was dyed white from fear.

    An unendurable fear spread out like poison.

    ¡°The left eye first. The right eye hasn¡¯t awoken yet¡­ but I shall take it as well just in case.¡±

    The old man looked at her two eyes with greed.

    ¡®Pull out¡­ my eyes?¡¯

    Would she have to be thrown into the endless night once again?

    ¡°N-No.¡±

    She recalled Ohjin¡¯s face when the darkness faded.

    She remembered the happiness and unforgettable thrill of that moment.

    When she was finally somehow able to see Ohjin again¡­ she couldn¡¯t let her eyes be taken in vain.

    ¡°No¡­!!!¡±

    ¡°Holholhol. It¡¯s useless retaliating.¡±

    The old man¡¯s hand made contact with her left eye. His unpleasant hand that stroked around like touching a coveted treasure slightly touched her eyeball.

    ¡°Ah, uh, ah.¡±

    Fear¡­

    Unbearable fear¡­

    Unendurable fear¡­

    Rushed in like waves.

    ¡°N-No¡­ p-please. Please¡­ s-stop.¡±

    Rather than the fear of getting locked up in darkness again, imagining how Ohjin would despair after finding out was what she truly feared.

    Tears flowed down Ha-eun¡¯s eye.

    ¡°Holholhol. Stay still.¡±

    ¡°Please¡­ please stop¡­¡±

    When her heartbreaking plea was resonating out in vain¡­

    <strong>B</strong>

    <strong>O</strong>

    <strong>O</strong>

    <strong>O</strong>

    <strong>O</strong>

    <strong>M</strong>

    <strong>!</strong>

    <strong>!</strong>

    <strong>!</strong>

    From the clear sky without a cloud in sight, a single strand of lightning shot down.

 Chapter 128: Endless Night (4)

    <strong>Chapter 128: Endless Night (4)</strong>

    A strand of lightning struck down from the clear blue sky as if a god was enraged.

    Fzzzzzzzzzzzt!¡ª

    The lightning that shot down at the empty lot gradually turned into the shape of a human.

    ¡°Oh¡­ jin?¡±

    It was the young man that Ha-eun was tantalizingly waiting for and also the person she wanted to see the most at that moment.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin confidently stood in the middle of the empty lot and looked around with deeply sunken eyes.

    ¡ªThe men who wore ck robes and surrounded the area¡­

    ¡ªThe old man who wore a neat Taoist garment.

    ¡ªAnd Ha-eun, who was crying in a restrained state.

    Scrunch¡ª

    Ohjin¡¯s gentle face distorted like a Yaksha.

    Blue fen fires burned in his eyes and wavered ferociously.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Cheon Doyoon furrowed his brow while turning his head around.

    ¡°What business do you have here?¡±

    ¡°¡­Take it off.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I said take your hand off my sister, you bastard.¡±

    Bang!!¡ª

    Ohjin shot his wire shooters at Cheon Doyoon.

    Six silver wires burning with blue mes shot towards Cheon Doyoon with the intent to wrap around him.

    ¡°Ho.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon let out a brief exmation and lightly jumped back. His nearly ironed ck Taoist garment fluttered as his body skated back.

    ¡°Your sister¡­ It seems that this old man has made a mistake.¡±

    With his eyes blinded by the Dragon Eye, he had done a poor job of investigating the prey¡¯s connections and their rtionships.

    It was an undeniable mistake made from being blinded by greed.

    ¡°Holholhol. Still, your sister¡­ but I¡¯m sure this child doesn¡¯t have any rtives.¡±

    No matter how blinded he was, conducting a basic investigation was a given.

    The woman named Song Ha-eun was abandoned by her parents when she was born and had grown up at an orphanage.

    He couldn¡¯t imagine that she had such a deep connection with the Lightning Wolf that he woulde rushing in with such determination.

    ¡°I heard the Queen of Leeches has a bad case of jealousy problems, but you¡¯ve managed to get by.¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    Holholhol¡ª

    Cheon Doyoon let out his peculiarughter and took a step forward.

    ¡°Let me offer you a proposal.¡±

    ¡°Proposal?¡±

    ¡°The two eyes of this child. This old man will be satisfied with just that.¡±

    His wrinkly mouth twisted up.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be much better than losing your lives?¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Ohjin grasped his spear like it wasn¡¯t even worth considering,

    ¡°Tch, tch.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon clicked his tongue while shaking his head and then stared at Ohjin with his cold eyes.

    ¡°Even if you are the Queen of Leeches¡¯s mate, I cannot let it slide this time.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Bzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Blue lightning coiled around Ohjin.

    ¡°I also have no intentions of letting this slide.¡±

    From the moment heid hands on Ha-eun, he would no longer use lies to pacify the situation.

    ¡°O-Ohjin! Run away!!¡± Ha-eun shouted with a pressed face.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Despite having trembled from fear just moments ago¡­

    Despite having cried pathetically from being overwhelmed by fear¡­

    ¡®Run Away¡¯ was what she shouted.

    ¡°Are you insane?! You already know that Lee Woohyuk got helplessly beaten up by that bastard!! There¡¯s no way you can beat¡ª¡±

    ¡°Why does that matter?¡±

    ¡°What? Wh-What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You want me to run away since I can¡¯t win?¡±

    After chuckling, he rotated his spear.

    There was no need to weigh the odds of victory.

    There was no need to calcte the chance of winning.

    Whether he could win or not wasn¡¯t important.

    If he couldn¡¯t take down the King of Owls on that spot, he would lose his entire meaning in life.

    ¡®And if that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯

    He would squeeze out everything he could,

    scrape up every nook and cranny,

    and struggle with all his might.

    ¡®Like I¡¯ve always done.¡¯

    Boom!¡ª

    He roughly stomped down and shot forward.

    ¡®Exceed.¡¯

    Blue lightning wrapped around his entire body.

    ¡°Holholhol. You are making a foolish choice.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon smiled slyly and stretched his hand forward.

    He lightly shook his palm like he was shooing a fly away, and with that simple movement, thousands of ck feathers rained down at Ohjin.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Ohjin calmly breathed in.

    ¡®Stigma of Clepsydra.¡¯

    Suddenly, the world flowed slowly as if time hade to a halt.

    ¡ªThe thousands of ck feathers poured down like rain.

    He looked for an opening through the gapless rain of death.

    ¡®One step to the right, three steps to the left, and two steps back. Left again and jump.¡¯

    Ohjin imagined the movements in his head.

    The experience he gained through the extreme image training of avoiding thousands ofsers while receiving horrible burns bore fruit.

    Ttutututututu!!!¡ª

    The pouring ck feathers missed Ohjin¡¯s body by a thread as if they were shooting a Hollywood action film.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    It was an attack that could be blocked but was impossible to avoid.

    The Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s wolf avoided all of his attacks with splendid movements and fiercely ran at him.

    ¡°What kind of nonsensical¡­¡±

    ¡°Huaaaaaaaa!!¡±

    Ohjin approached him in an instant and roared out.

    ¡°M-My King!¡±

    ¡°Block him!!¡±

    The Owls surrounding them quickly obstructed Cheon Doyoon¡¯s front.

    ¡°Get the fuck out of my way!¡±

    Ohjin rotated his body and swung his spear down. The spear¡¯s de engulfed in blue mes cut an Owl¡¯s body in half.

    ¡ªBlood poured like rain.

    Through the gap, Ohjin could see Cheon Doyoon¡¯s distorted face and his hand thrusting forward.

    Ktutututu!!¡ª

    ck feathers started to lump together.

    A three-meter-long wedge made out of ck feathers. reminiscent of an owl¡¯s sharp beak. shot at Ohjin, and he blocked the attack using the gauntlet on his left arm.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    A frightening amount of force was felt through his left arm.

    The gauntlet absorbed more mana than it could handle in the blink of an eye and started to redden like it was going to melt at any moment.

    ¡®There¡¯s no gap to use the counterattack.¡¯

    In that case¡­

    Swoosh!¡ª

    He held his gauntlet up at an angle and let the ck wedge slide past.

    After absorbing mana over its allowed limit, cracks started to form on the gauntlet.

    ¡°Ah, ugh.¡±

    Ohjin felt intense pain once his left arm with the gauntlet equipped twisted in a strange direction.

    ¡®Ignore it.¡¯

    Ignoring pain wasn¡¯t anything too difficult.

    ¡°You have enough skill to back up your arrogance.¡±

    Holholhol¡ª

    Cheon Doyoonughed, and his eyes shone coldly.

    ¡°However, that is all.¡±

    His ck garment fluttered as he spread his arms out.

    A ck tsunami appeared out of thin air and approached Ohjin.

    ¡°Will you be able to avoid this as well?¡±

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    ¡ªA ck tsunami that was several meters high.

    The tsunami made of an uncountable number of feathers devoured everything in its path as it rushed at Ohjin.

    ¡°Haa, haa!¡±

    He couldn¡¯t avoid it, even if he went to the right, left, or above.

    ¡®Then¡­¡¯

    Ohjin rotated the spear in his hand and struck the de down onto the ground.

    ¡ªBlue Lightning and Lightning Charge.

    The two skills intertwined and exploded at the tip of the spear.

    Craaaack!¡ª

    The floor split apart, causing a crater to form, and Ohjin threw his body into the gap opened in the floor.

    He could feel the ck tsunami passing by over the top of his head.

    ¡°Ho. Your quick-witted senses leave me speechless.¡±

    A short exmation left Cheon Doyoon¡¯s mouth.

    There was nothing special about breaking the floor to avoid the attack if it wasn¡¯t possible to avoid by going any other direction, however¡­

    ¡®Taking action without a second of hesitation when death is approaching right in front of his eyes¡­¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t possible to grasp how fast one¡¯s decisiveness and situational judgment had to be to disy those movements.

    ¡°You¡¯re too dangerous to keep alive.¡±

    The leisure on Cheon Doyoon¡¯s face disappeared as it stiffened.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    His garment fluttered as he wrote aplicated letter in the empty air.

    ¡°Celestial of Noctua¡­¡±

    Owooong!!¡ª

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s zing stigma sparkled as an immense amount of suffocating mana poured out.

    A stigma with nine flicks was exposed through the gap of his fluttering garment.

    ¡°Please grant me the feathers that will tear your opponent to shreds.¡±

    He spread his arms out wide and swung them down as if he was pping wings.

    ¡°Ten Thousand ck Feather Blossom(ºÚÒíÈf»¨).¡±

    A ck storm raged up in the blue sky that had not a cloud in sight.

    Hundreds¡­

    Thousands¡­

    Tens of thousands¡­

    An uncountable number of feathers poured down in Ohjin¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s flesh tore as his body was grazed by the ck feathers, and his entire body was colored red as if he had taken a shower using blood.

    ¡®Not yet¡­¡¯

    Ohjin endured the intense pain of his sliced body and ground his teeth.

    The difference between Ohjin and Cheon Doyoon was so overwhelming that the act ofparing them itself was embarrassing.

    Even if he was a special case that could face 8-Star Awakeners without much difficulty, it was an entirely different story if the opponent was a ¡®high-rank Awakener¡¯ who was at or above 9-Stars.

    In order to narrow the massive gap that existed between them¡­

    ¡®I need to endure¡­ a little longer.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone as he used his blue lightning to barely fend off the raining ck feathers.

    ¡°Die, Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s wolf.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s cold voice echoed in his ears.

    He announced Ohjin¡¯s death like it was natural with a dull voice.

    ¡°Kugh! Kuk! Cough!¡±

    Stumble¡ª

    Ohjin¡¯s body copsed like a doll that had its strings cut off.

    ¡°Ohjinnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s ear-splitting wail resonated out.

    ¡°Holholhol.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon turned his body around, believing his work to be finished.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will send you to your little brother¡¯s side soon.¡±

    ¡°Y-You son of a bitch!!!¡±

    Ha-eun struggled with all her might.

    ck, ck!!¡ª

    The chains tied around her ttered, making the loud noise of metal.

    ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill you!!!¡±

    ¡°Holholholhol!!¡±

    When Cheon Doyoon took a step forward with a thick smile¡ª

    ¡°Now.¡±

    Boom!¡ª

    ¡ªOhjin, who was copsed on the floor, violently leaped up.

    Blue fen fires lit up in his two eyes soaked in blood.

    ¡°Fuuuuuu!!¡±

    Bzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Ohjin quickly flew up to Cheon Doyoon, who was facing the opposite direction.

    ¡°Hmm, you weren¡¯t dead?¡±

    Cheon Doyoon had a surprised expression for a moment, but it soon turned calm as he raised his arm.

    Wings made of ck feathers covered him for protection.

    No, to be more urate¡­ the ck feathers tried to cover him.

    ¡®Domination.¡¯

    Ohjin lowered his posture and grasped his spear.

    -Ring!

    [The target¡¯s ¡®star¡¯ rank is too high!]

    [Domination has failed!]

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Ohjin didn¡¯t think domination would seed anyways. What Ohjin wanted was to create an opening right before the ck featherspletely covered Cheon Doyoon¡¯s body.

    <strong>¡°Vegaaaaaaaaa!!¡±</strong>

    Ohjin roared out the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s name.

    Bright silver light shone out of the pendant around his neck.

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s eyes widened.

    [I was wondering why you were calling me this urgently.]

    Vega looked at Ha-eun in restraints and Ohjin covered in blood as soon as she materialized and unleashed her power without hesitation.

    [It seems that you are in need of my help.]

    Owoong!¡ª

    Radiant rays of silver light permeated into Ohjin¡¯s body.

    Ohjin¡¯s mana amplified explosively after he received his celestial¡¯s blessing.

    ¡°Kuh!!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon quickly withdrew with an expression of dismay.

    Due to his certainty of victory, he couldn¡¯t prepare for the attack in time.

    ¡®I¡¯m too¡ª!¡±

    Piercing through the wings made of ck feathers, the spear zing with blue lightning shot straight at him.

 Chapter 129: Endless Night (5)

    <strong>Chapter 129: Endless Night (5)</strong>

    aash!¡ª

    The spear¡¯s de burning with blue mes dug through the gap in the ck wings that hadn¡¯t been able topletely cover Cheon Doyoon¡¯s body yet.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon quickly backed off, but he wasn¡¯t able to avoid the sudden attack, as he had believed himself to have already been victorious.

    Bzzzzt!!¡ª

    The spear dug into his chest, and the Lightning mes on the de spread over his body like poison.

    ¡°Kugk! Kuaaaaaa!!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s body shook violently, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head like he was going through electrical torture.

    White foam flowed out of his wrinkly mouth.

    ¡°How is it? It tingles, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Ohjin twisted the spear that was dug into Cheon Doyoon¡¯s chest and worsened the wound.

    Pungent smoke rose up as the injury widened.

    ¡®I need to end things now.¡¯

    Performing a surprise attack after tricking him into lowering his guard would only work once. If he couldn¡¯t kill Cheon Doyoon with that strike, it was unknown when he would be able to find such an opportunity again.

    ¡®Azure Dragon Strike.¡¯

    On top of his explosively amplified mana from Vega¡¯s blessing, he drew out mana from the dragon vein.

    Bzzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª

    Lightning zed so intensely that he couldn¡¯t see in front of him.

    When the spear dug into Cheon Doyoon¡¯s chest tried to pierce through his heart¡ª

    Ptututututu!!¡ª

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    ¡ªa powerful repulsive force pushed on the shaft.

    Flesh started to tear off Ohjin¡¯s hand that was grasping the spear, and blood started to drench the shaft.

    ¡®What?¡¯

    He narrowed his eyes and looked at the tip of the spear that was digging into Cheon Doyoon¡¯s chest. ck feathers covered his chest in an instant like a provoked beehive, and his spear was pushed back.

    ¡°You dareee!!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon exploded out in anger and grasped the spear.

    The ck feathers that started to flood out of his chest covered Cheon Doyoon¡¯s entire body. Rather than an owl, he looked more like a porcupine that had its sharp spikes on edge.

    Ttututututu!!¡ª

    With explosive momentum, Cheon Doyoon scattered the ck feathers that covered his body in all directions.

    Ohjin chewed his lips and slid back.

    ¡°Huff, huff! Cough!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon clutched his chest and coughed up blood.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    Ohjin clicked his tongue and his expression was distorted.

    He had seeded in inflicting considerable damage through a surprise attack, but that was it. His n of killing Cheon Doyoon in a single strike ended up in failure.

    ¡°Vega, support me from the side.¡±

    [Got¡­ it.]

    It seemed that the Commandment¡¯s Restriction had started taking effect already, as Vega frowned while nodding her head.

    Ohjin was worried about Vega, but he had no choice but to borrow her strength at that moment.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°The Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s blessing¡­ hol, hol, hol. So you had a hidden card.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon took something out of his pocket.

    ¡ªA fist-sized blue crystal.

    The Dragon¡¯s Heart that had been recently obtained from the dungeon was brightly emitting light.

    ¡°Then this old man will also have to reveal one of his hidden cards.¡±

    Shove¡ª

    Cheon Doyoon stuffed the Dragon¡¯s Heart into his chest which had an open wound from the spear. Like forcefully fitting together puzzle pieces that didn¡¯t fit, the blue crystal dug into his skin and took root at his sr plexus.

    Owooooong!!¡ª

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    A blinding blue light poured out from around his sr plexus.

    As if resonating with the blue light, the nine flicks that were engraved on his left chest shone even more ferociously.

    ¡°Holholhol!! So this is overwhelming mana¡­!¡±

    Drunk on the overflowing power, thick greed manifested in his wrinkly eyes.

    ¡°If just the heart grants this much, what if I get my hands on the eye that can perfectly control this power¡­?¡±

    His eyes containing greed headed to Ha-eun.

    Flinch¡ª

    Ha-eun, restrained in the chains, flinched.

    ¡°Look away, you bastard.¡±

    How dare he stare at someone who wasn¡¯t his without permission?

    Bzzzzzzzzzt!¡ª

    Blue lightningpressed at the tip of the spear that was aimed at Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡®Charge x8.¡¯

    Lightning waspressed at the spear¡¯s tip a total of eight times.

    Usually five times would be his limit, but with Vega¡¯s blessing, condensing it eight times was as natural as breathing.

    ¡°Discharge.¡±

    Crackleeee!!!¡ª

    Like unleashing a savage beast, the lightning condensed at the de fiercely shot forward.

    ¡°Holholhol! You are struggling pointlessly!¡±

    ¡°Save those words for when you win.¡±

    Baaaang!¡ª

    A frighteningly loud noise rang out as the lightning and feathers collided, and the floor of the empty lot started to tear as terrifying shockwaves swept the area.

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve won just because you wounded this old man one time?¡±

    Cheon Doyoon easily fended off Ohjin¡¯s attacks and started to write using both of his hands. Every time he drew the letter Ó¡(Seal) in the air, ck feathers shot at Ohjin in unusual shapes.

    Sometimes in the shape of a chain, sometimes in the shape of a scythe, sometimes in the shape of a sword¡­ As if throwing weapons out of a massive armory, hundreds of different kinds of feathers shot at Ohjin.

    ng! Kang! -ng!¡ª

    ¡°Kuuuuh!¡±

    Rather than fighting Cheon Doyoon one-on-one, it felt more like he was fighting an army by himself. The feathers of different shapes and sizes sharply aimed for his blind spots and cut his body.

    [M-My child!]

    Vega used as much lightning as she could to reduce the number of feathers, but it was far from enough.

    ¡°Huff, huff!¡±

    There were many¡­

    There were too many¡­

    There were two more feathers when one was dealt with.

    There were four more feathers when two were dealt with.

    As if the entire world was covered in an Owl¡¯s wings, his field of vision was filled with ck feathers no matter where he looked.

    ¡®Sh-Shit¡­!¡¯

    That was the power of a high-rank Awakener that was known to have escaped the boundary of humans. Ohjin was helplessly ravaged in front of the overwhelming power.

    ¡°Kuh! Kuk! Ah!¡±

    ng! -ng! --ng!¡ª

    No matter how desperately he swung, and swung, and swung¡­ the number of his injuries increased.

    It felt like he was trying to fend off rain with just his palm.

    ¡®If this continues¡­¡¯

    Ha-eun couldn¡¯t be sa¡ª

    ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me.¡±

    He cut off the negative thought that popped up in his head.

    ¡®Whether I can do it or not isn¡¯t the problem.¡¯

    ¡ªIt had to be done.

    ¡°It turns out you don¡¯t have enough skill to be arrogant.¡±

    Holholhol¡ª

    The sound of his unpleasantughter rang out.

    Ohjin ignored it.

    He didn¡¯t have the spare time to get distracted by something like that.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    He spread blue lightning in all directions and barely blocked the pouring feathers.

    ¡°Huff! Huff! Huff!¡±

    Ohjin had to catch his breath.

    His consciousness became hazy like he was going to faint at any second.

    ¡®No.¡¯

    Ohjin ground his teeth and gathered even more mana.

    He could feel his mana circuits swelling to the verge of tearing from using too much mana at once.

    He could feel the horrifying pain like that of sharp saws cutting away every part of his body.

    ¡®Endure it.¡¯

    Pain could be ignored.

    Agony could be disregarded.

    ¡®If it can be solved by enduring¡­¡¯

    ¡ªIt was nothing at all.

    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s expression stiffened as he looked at Ohjin, who continued fighting back without rest.

    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯

    When he was pouring out attacks by even using the mana contained inside the Dragon¡¯s Heart¡­

    ¡®How¡­ is he able tost that long?¡¯

    It was something that couldn¡¯t happen.

    It was something that shouldn¡¯t happen.

    The number of flicks seen through the Lightning Wolf¡¯s torn clothes was definitely six.

    Just how¡­ could a mere 6-Star Awakenerst that long against the attack of a high-rank Awakener?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    No, he wasn¡¯t simply sting¡¯.

    ¡°Huff, huff!!¡±

    ng! --ng!!!¡ª

    The spear engulfed with blue mes pushed back the feathers.

    It burnt, crushed, and tore them.

    That¡¯s right.

    He wasn¡¯t simply sting¡¯, he was gradually ¡®pushing¡¯ through.

    ¡°Ho. So the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s blessing was to this extent.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon shook his head out of disbelief.

    With hismon sense, there was nothing other than the celestial¡¯s blessing that could exin the preposterous phenomenon in front of him.

    [No. It isn¡¯t because of thisdy¡¯s blessing.]

    Vega flew up and red at Cheon Doyoon with sharp eyes.

    [This is all but a miracle my child has aplished. It is the power thates from his unwavering conviction to protect the ones precious to him.]

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon quietly looked at Vega and smiled faintly.

    ¡°I see. The Star of the Weaver Girl has excessive trust for her apostle.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s expression waspletely calm despite having a North Star right in front of his eyes. It was because it was a well-known fact that celestials couldn¡¯t use their strength due to the restriction.

    ¡°However¡­ do not forget that Lady Vega isn¡¯t the only one who can grant blessings.¡±

    With his wrinkly mouth rising brightly, Cheon Doyoon spread his arms out wide.

    ¡°Celestial of Noctua.¡±

    ck light explosively poured out of the nine flicks engraved on his chest.

    ¡°Grant the blessing of Noctua to your humble servant.¡±

    Owooong!¡ª

    The ck lights gradually turned into the shape of an owl.

    [Holholhol. I was wondering why you called me. It¡¯s quite an amusing situation, isn¡¯t it?]

    The owl that showed up behind Cheon Doyoon¡¯s backughed in the same strange manner.

    ¡®What is it now?¡¯

    Ohjin, who was narrowly blocking the pouring attacks, looked at the owl that appeared behind Cheon Doyoon.

    It was distinctively different from when other Awakeners of Noctua received a blessing.

    If the others were paying a price in order to borrow the celestials ¡®power¡¯¡­

    ¡®This time¡­ the celestial came in person.¡¯

    The situation in that case was simr to how Vega materialized herself to grant a blessing. It was only possible because they weren¡¯t half-assed Awakeners like the ones he had fought until then, but the ¡®King of Owls¡¯.

    [Holholhol! Even if it¡¯s a North Star, the strength of an unripe apostle only amounts to this much!]

    Noctua marvelously pped its wings and ttered its beak.

    It couldn¡¯t darepare itself to a North Star considering how many leagues apart they were, but in a fight between ¡®apostles¡¯, Cheon Doyoon was still several steps above Ohjin.

    [Now! Hurry up and shred the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s wolf!]

    ¡°Holholhol. I shall follow yourmand.¡±

    Laughing in the same strange way as Noctua, Cheon Doyoon crossed his arms at Ohjin.

    Ttutututututu!!!¡ª

    ¡°Kugh! Kuk!!¡±

    A scream of pain came from Ohjin, who was barely enduring Cheon Doyoon¡¯s attack.

    ck feathers that contained power that was iparable to before shot from all directions and hit Ohjin.

    [M-My child!]

    Vega quickly tried to take action, but¡­

    ¡°Aahhhhhh!!!¡±

    ck feathers dug all around his body.

    Like a puppet that had its strings cut off, his body that had be a wreck plopped onto the ground.

    ¡°Ah, uh.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s blood-soaked body trembled.

    ¡®N-No.¡¯

    He tried to squeeze out as much strength as he could, but not a single one of his fingers would move.

    ¡®If¡­ this continues¡­¡±

    Ohjin chewed his lips and managed to raise his head.

    He could see Cheon Doyoon and Noctua giggling while looking down at him.

    ¡°Holholhol! Your arrogance ends here.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon leisurely moved his feet.

    A sword made of ck feathers was in his right hand.

    ¡°Die, Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s wolf.¡±

    [¡­]

    Vega, who was quietly looking at the sword, clenched her fist.

    As if she had made up her mind, her golden eyes sparkled.

    [Halt.]

    Owooong!!!¡ª

    Rays of light surged up.

    Vega¡¯s body that was merely 30cm materialized into her true form.

    And then¡­ the world burned up in radiant silver light.

    ¡°Wh-What.¡±

    Shiver¡ª

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s legs trembled with his eyes open wide.

    A force pressed down on his body.

    He couldn¡¯t move his body, couldn¡¯t blink his eyes, and couldn¡¯t even breathe.

    All he could do was pathetically tremble and look at the goddess that materialized in front of him.

    [Sh-Shit!!!]

    The owl behind Cheon Doyoon was also in dismay

    [Using Sacred Ground here?! A-Are you thinking of perishing?!]

    Noctua looked at Vega with disbelief.

    [Even if you are a North Star, you can¡¯t use Sacred Ground on Ear¡ª]

    [Noctua, was that your name?]

    Cutting off the owl, the silver-haired goddess slowly moved her feet.

    With her index finger stretched out, she gently raised her hand.

    Like drawing a line in the air, she carefully lowered her hand.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤!

    There was no noisy sound or blinding light.

    One thread of blue lightning dropped down like a droplet of water gently falling down.

    [Kuh!!!!]

    The owl that was pping its wings vigorously crashed down to the ground.

    <strong>[Who gave you permission to speak?]</strong>

    The cold eyes of the goddess looked towards the owl.

 Chapter 130: Endless Night (6)

    <strong>Chapter 130: Endless Night (6)</strong>

    [Agh, uh.]

    Shiver¡ª

    The owl was crushed by the irresistible power and mmed to the ground.

    [H-How are you able to use this much power under the Commandment¡¯s Restriction¡­?]

    Noctua looked up at the silver-haired goddess with its face pale from fear.

    It couldn¡¯t even p its wings, despite being in the same ¡®celestial¡¯ category. Like an ant that was crushed by a human finger, all it could do was writhe its body on the ground.

    ¡ªOverwhelming.

    Not even that word was enough to express the gap between them.

    [So this is¡­ the Star of the Weaver Girl.]

    ¡ªThe three stars that shone the most radiantly in the night sky.

    Noctua was able to receive the enlightenment of the astonishing power possessed by a celestial that was called a North Star.

    [Have you not learnt your lesson on keeping your mouth shut?]

    Vega¡¯s cold eyes headed to Noctua.

    Her white, bare foot that was exposed under her dress lightly tapped the floor.

    [Kuaaaaaaaak!!!]

    Responding to her call, giant arms made of blue lightning that were dozens of meters long broke through the ground and roughly grasped Noctua¡¯s body.

    [Perish.]

    No surging rage or cold killing intent could be felt in her emotionless voice.

    Vega ordered it coldly like announcing the judgment of a criminal.

    Crack! Crunch!¡ª

    [Aak! Kuh! Kuaaaak!]

    The giant arms forcefully tore off the owl¡¯s wings.

    [Wh-What are you standing around for?! H-Hurry up and help me!!]

    Noctua pathetically ttered its beak and shouted to its apostle, but soon, its body became one that couldn¡¯t even ask for help once the giant hand twisted its beak off.

    Crunch!¡ª

    Noctua¡¯s presencepletely disappeared along with its blessing once the giant arm pulled off its head.

    [Fuu.]

    Vega exhaled a low breath and soon swept the cold sweat off of her forehead.

    She couldn¡¯tpletely annihte Noctua¡¯s existence, as it hadn¡¯t materialized its main body, but a lot of damage would¡¯ve been inflicted on its main body with its consciousness being torn apart that badly.

    ¡®It should¡¯ve also made it impossible to grant any more blessings to its apostles.¡¯

    But just because Noctua was sent back didn¡¯t mean everything was over, since the strength of its apostles remained the same.

    In order to protect Ohjin, there was also a need to eliminate the King of Owls, Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡®There isn¡¯t much time.¡¯

    Vega nervously chewed her lips.

    Even in that moment, the area of her Sacred Ground was gradually decreasing as the Commandment¡¯s Restriction worsened.

    Once the Sacred Groundpletely disappeared and the Commandment¡¯s Restriction took full effect, not even she knew what kind of price she would have to pay.

    ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯

    As Noctua said, her existence itself could ¡®perish¡¯ in the worst-case scenario.

    [¡­]

    Vega looked down at Ohjin with doleful eyes and soon shook her head.

    ¡®Even if I do perish, thisdy shall perish after finishing all that she must do.¡¯

    Her cold eyes looked towards Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡°A-Ah.¡±

    Unable to believe the reality that spread out before his eyes, his mouth opened wide as he felt Noctua¡¯s blessing leaving his body.

    ¡°J-Just what¡­¡±

    That was the power of a celestial called a North Star.

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s body shivered as it was crushed by an unfathomable aura that caused him to be unable to move a single finger.

    [You diabolical being.]

    Vega¡¯s white bare feet swept past the floor.

    After having approached Cheon Doyoon, she slowly raised her hand.

    [Pay for your sins¡ª]

    The moment she tried to lower her hand¡ª

    Pzzt¡ª

    ¡ªblue sparks shot out from her body.

    [Uut!]

    Vega¡¯s expression severely distorted.

    The Commandment¡¯s Restriction that was putting pressure on the Sacred Ground suddenly grew stronger.

    [B-But there should be more time left¡­!]

    Vega didn¡¯t know the exact reason why, but the Commandment¡¯s Restriction was getting stronger at a rapid pace.

    [Ah, uh.]

    Crack! Crackle!!¡ª

    Blue sparks kept flickering without any signs of stopping.

    Vega had an expression of pain as her body twisted.

    ¡°Ve¡­ga.¡±

    Ohjin, who was copsed on the ground and soaked in blood, stretched his hand out to Vega, but before his hand was able to reach, her body gradually started to fade.

    [Th-This can¡¯t be¡­!]

    Vega cried out as she looked at her body that was starting to fade.

    [Th-There are still matters thisdy must take care of¡­! Ugh! S-Stop! I said stop!!!]

    Vega mustered her strength and tried to resist the Commandment¡¯s Restriction, but it kept growing stronger like it was ridiculing her plea and trying to send her back to the sanctum.

    [Ahh! My¡­ child.]

    Vega¡¯s body twisted and turned.

    Her voice got fainter while trying to reach Cheon Doyoon despite having half of her body dispersed.

    [I am¡­ sorry.]

    With those words as herst, Vega¡¯s bodypletely disappeared.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Hyuk! Huff! Huff!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon got off the ground and caught his breath after Vega¡¯s suffocating pressure disappeared.

    After confirming that the goddess¡¯s presence was gone, he clutched his belly and exploded out inughter.

    ¡°O-Of course! Even if she is a North Star, she cannot defy the divine providence of the universe!!¡±

    His wrinkly mouth twisted up as he exploded out inughter full of delight.

    ¡°Holholhol! Now, the celestial that protects you has disappeared!¡±

    He advanced toward Ohjin and roughly swung his foot.

    Bam!¡ª

    Ohjin¡¯s body rolled uncontrobly and left a long trail of blood on the ground.

    ¡°Fuu. It has finally ended.¡±

    It appeared that the scene that just took ce was quite shocking to Cheon Doyoon, as he swept off the cold sweat on his forehead with a nervous look.

    The blessing of Noctua had disappeared, but the mana contained within the Dragon¡¯s Heart and the stigma of Noctua¡¯s power remained intact. The one who would be victorious between Ohjin and Cheon Doyoon was basically already determined.

    ¡°A-Argh.¡±

    With his shivering body drenched in blood, Ohjin clenched his teeth and ced his hands on the ground.

    Thump!¡ª

    He tried to get up with all his might, but his arm lost strength, causing his face to fall straight into the ground.

    ¡°Huff, huff, huff!¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s rough breaths were mixed with the scent of blood.

    He wriggled his body like a bug and crawled on the floor.

    ¡°Holholhol! What a truly pathetic sight!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon smiled slyly while he looked down at Ohjin.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you should¡¯ve known your ce before you took action.¡±

    While pouring out words of ridicule to Ohjin, Cheon Doyoon slowly drew closer to him. He made a sharp spear of ck feathers and grasped it in his hand.

    ¡°Now¡­ you shall pay the price for your arrogance.¡±

    When he was going to strike down the spear with a bright smile¡ª

    tter, tter, tter!!!!¡ª

    ¡ªthe loud noise of metal rang out in his ears.

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ you darey your hands on Ohjin, you son of a bitch!!!¡±

    Ha-eun struggled violently as she screamed out.

    At that moment¡ª

    Fwooooooosh!!!!¡ª

    ¡ªa small sphere made of mes proceeded toward Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Despite being the size of a mere coin, Cheon Doyoon¡¯s eyes widened after feeling thepressed power inside of it, and he urgently moved his feet.

    Booooooom!!¡ª

    The ground he stood on disappeared without a trace.

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s mouth dropped as he looked at the ground that had disintegrated without a single piece of dust left behind.

    ¡°H-How are you able to form a Dragon Bead without the heart and just your eye¡­¡±

    The Dragon Eye was just the control unit for the enormous amount of mana contained within the Dragon¡¯s Heart; it should¡¯ve been impossible to form a Dragon Bead with the Dragon Eye alone.

    ¡°Huff, huff!¡±

    Ha-eun breathed out rough breaths and tried to get up.

    ck!¡ª

    The chains that were tired around her body resisted as hard as they could.

    ¡°Hmpf!!¡±

    Boom!!!¡ª

    Once she formed a Dragon Bead and put it close to the chains, the chains that felt like they would never break helplessly exploded.

    ¡°Wh-What¡­!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s face was full of surprise.

    Ha-eun ignored Cheon Doyoon and approached Ohjin.

    ¡®Ohjin¡­¡¯

    ¡ªA blood-drenched young many on the ground.

    Her unexchangeable precious treasure.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun had received protection from him for as long as she could remember. Hidden behind his back, she had simply hoped that he would block the storms that came her way.

    However¡­

    ¡®This time¡­ I¡¯ll protect you.¡¯

    Ha-eun clenched her fist and obstructed the way to Ohjin.

    ¡°Hurry¡­. run¡­ away.¡±

    ¡°Shut up. You also ignored me when I told you to run.¡±

    Ha-eun lowered her body and messed up Ohjin¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Holholhol! What a heart-touching scene!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon neared her while letting out his strangeughter. He was momentarily surprised by the unexpected Dragon Bead, but the situation hadn¡¯t changed. The Dragon Bead alone wasn¡¯t enough to close the gap between Ha-eun and Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡°But your efforts are all meaningless.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon raised his arms up as he announced it coldly, and soon, thousands of ck feathers spread out from his back like a pavilion.

    ¡°They¡¯re meaningless?¡±

    Ha-eun smirked and looked at Cheon Doyoon.

    She raised her right arm and formed a Dragon Bead on top of her palm, and then¡­ <strong>she ced the Dragon Bead right in front of her left eye.</strong>

    ¡°Is it still meaningless?¡±

    ¡°Wh-What are you doing!!!¡± shouted Cheon Doyoon, going into a panic.

    The Dragon Bead had the powerful ability to annihte everything it touched.

    The moment it touched her eye, the Dragon Eye would be annihted without even a trace left behind.

    ¡°Look at you, getting all surprised. Are you a bit scared now?¡±

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    Ha-eun shrugged and ced the Dragon Bead closer to her eye.

    ¡°Back then¡­ you said you¡¯d withdraw if I gave you my eyes, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Ha-eun¡­?¡±

    The eyes of both Cheon Doyoon and Ohjin turned to look at her.

    Ha-eun smirked and nodded her head.

    ¡°Alright. If you want it that badly, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±

    ¡°Holholhol! Are you truly telling me that you will pull out the Dragon Eye?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Ha-eun nced back at Ohjin and continued.

    ¡°However, you need to promise that Ohjin will make it out of here safely.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ fuck with me!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon narrowed his eyes and got lost in thought.

    ¡ªThe Dragon Eye and the Lightning Wolf.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to choose which one his greed desired the most.

    ¡°Very well. I shall take up that offer.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off¡­!¡±

    Ohjin ground his teeth and tried to raise his body, but soon lost his bnce and copsed onto the ground once again.

    ¡°¡­Ohjin.¡±

    Ha-eun smiled faintly and looked down at Ohjin struggling on the ground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go saying such bullshit¡­!¡±

    ¡°How could you say that to your older sister?¡±

    Ha-eun bent down and stroked his hair.

    Though she would lose her eyes and be trapped in the endless darkness again¡­

    Though she might be unable to see his face ever again¡­

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine.¡±

    Just like how the world didn¡¯t disappear because you closed your eyes, even if she couldn¡¯t see, if she could be together with him¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s fine about this¡­?!¡±

    ¡°Ohjin.¡±

    Ha-eun kissed Ohjin¡¯s forehead.

    The words she hid beneath her chest, the words she couldn¡¯t possibly bring herself to say¡­ she whispered them to him.

    ¡°I like you. Not as a little brother, but as a man.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Ohjin looked up at her with a dumbfounded expression.

    ¡°So you need to take responsibility, even if I be blind again, alright?

    Ha-eun raised the edges of her lips and turned her body around to Cheon Doyoon.

 Chapter 131: Endless Night (7)

    <strong>Chapter 131: Endless Night (7)</strong>

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Ohjin looked at Ha-eun¡¯s back gradually bing more distant.

    ¡®No.¡¯

    His two arms pressed on the ground.

    Chewing his lips, he gathered all of his remaining strength into his arms.

    However¡­

    Thud!¡ª

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    The two arms helplessly gave up.

    Blood started to drip out of his nose after his face mmed onto the ground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ go¡­¡±

    Ohjin sorrowfully stretched out his hand to Ha-eun¡¯s back.

    Next, he tried to get up by putting strength into his legs, but it seemed like his Achilles tendon was ruptured, as he couldn¡¯t feel any strength entering his legs.

    ¡°You¡­ mustn¡¯t go.¡±

    He recalled his memories from six years ago.

    ¡ªThe way she shivered from the unfamiliar darkness on the hospital bed¡­ He couldn¡¯t let himself abandon her inside of that horrendous darkness once again.

    ¡°¡­Ohjin.¡±

    Ha-eun bit her lips as she slightly turned her head around to look at Ohjin. With the Dragon Bead ced close to her left eye, she continued.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call people from the Association to take Ohjin away. Giving my eyeses after that.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. But how can I trust that the only thing the Association members will do is take him away?¡±

    ¡°I can call them after we leave this ce. If you still can¡¯t trust me, why don¡¯t you just give up on the Dragon Eye?¡±

    Ha-eun waved the Dragon Bead dangerously right in front of her eye. If it strayed even 1cm off, the Dragon Eye would burn and disappear.

    Cheon Doyoon was able to realize that she wasn¡¯t bluffing without much difficulty.

    ¡°Holholhol. What a confident child. You are very much to my liking.¡±

    His wrinkly mouth tilted up as he nodded his head.

    ¡°Very well. Call the Association to take away the Lightning Wolf after we leave this ce.¡±

    ¡°Alrigh¡ª¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    Cutting off Ha-eun¡¯s words, a dull sound rang out in the empty lot.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ be fucking ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°Ohjin¡­?¡±

    Stagger¡ª

    His shaking legs stepped on the floor. However, his body powerlessly fell to the ground momentster.

    Blood leaked out of his cut wounds and soaked the dry dirt ground.

    ¡°Oh-Ohjin!¡±

    Ha-eun quickly approached Ohjin.

    Due to how ruthlessly he was cut, his clothes were drenched in so much blood you couldn¡¯t even recognize their original color.

    ¡°Y-You son of a bitch¡­!¡±

    She gave Cheon Doyoon a sharp look and chewed her lips, but she couldn¡¯t let herself get blinded by the rage and attack him.

    ¡°Ha-eun¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s muttering voice could be heard.

    Ha-eun closed her eyes tight and got back on her feet.

    ¡°Holholhol! Such a touching sight! Just what kind of existence is this child to you to make you so desperate?¡±

    Cheon Doyoon looked down at Ohjin with ridicule filling his eyes.

    Ohjin barely held on to his fading consciousness and thought about Cheon Doyoon¡¯s question.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®What kind of existence is Ha-eun to me?¡¯

    ¡°Argh, uh.¡±

    Crawl, crawl¡ª

    He wretchedly crawled to Cheon Doyoon.

    It was a dreadful and pathetic sight¡ª

    ¡°Huff! Huff! Huff!¡±

    ¡ªbut it didn¡¯t matter.

    No matter how dreadful or pathetic he was¡­

    Even if people pointed fingers at him for having no parents¡­

    Even if he was beaten up for no reason¡­

    ¡ªIf he had her¡­

    He could endure it. He could withstand it.

    He could take another step forward.

    Because, to him, she was the first thing that¡­

    ¡°Ah, uh, ah.¡±

    He dragged his unmoving legs across the ground and crawled over to Ha-eun, who was standing still.

    * * *

    * * *

    Was it because he had lost too much blood? Memories so old and faded that he didn¡¯t know when they took ce anymore suddenly crossed his mind.

    -You¡¯re the new kid, right?

    ¡ªA young girl with maroon hair.

    The girl who was basically the leader of the orphanage children extended her hand to him with a bright smile.

    -Your name is¡­ Ohjin? What does it mean?

    She confirmed the words written on his name tag with her poor Hanja skills.

    ¡ªThe name he hated to death.

    -Ohjin(›A‰m)¡­? No way, doesn¡¯t this mean ¡®dirty dust¡¯?

    That¡¯s right.

    He didn¡¯t even know how his parents looked, and all they had left him was the name ¡®Ohjin¡¯, which meant ¡®dirty dust¡¯.

    It was a name that couldn¡¯t be more dreadful and cursed that exined what his parents thought of him.

    -So what?

    Thinking about it now, that stupid, insignificant name wasn¡¯t even that important, but he had replied like it was a sensitive topic for no reason.

    -No, there¡¯s no specific reason why I asked you¡­ I was just curious because you never talk.

    -You don¡¯t need to make an effort to pay attention to me.

    As he coldly turned around, the girl scratched her head with a perplexed look and continued.

    -Uh¡­ um. Ohjin¡­ no, since it seems that you don¡¯t really like that name¡­

    While she was lost in thought, her eyes suddenly shone as she pped her hands.

    -Little bro! Yeah, I¡¯ll call you little bro!

    -¡­

    His chest palpitated from it for an unknown reason.

    -So why are you up here? Are you also avoiding that damn director bastard?

    -That¡¯s¡­

    They were on the rooftop of the orphanage that consisted of four floors. The entrance was supposed to be shut tight, but it was left open for a couple of months due to the director¡¯s carelessness.

    -¡­

    He didn¡¯t go there to avoid the director.

    Unlike the girl that always stood up to the director, he was quiet. All that happened to him was getting pped on the head now and then when he was unlucky.

    Despite that, there was a reason why he secretly went up to the rooftop while enduring the risk of getting scolded.

    -It¡¯s because¡­ this¡­ is my secret hideout.

    After finding out that the rooftop wasn¡¯t locked by ident, he had started to decorate that ce as a secret hideout that was only meant for him.

    Though it was a shabby hideout made out of only disposed cardboard boxes and wood nks¡­

    For the boy who had nothing¡­

    For the boy who didn¡¯t have any parents, rtives, and not even friends¡­

    That ce was the very first thing he could call ¡®his¡¯.

    -Kyahaha! What kind of secret hideout is this?

    -¡­

    The young girl exploded out inughter as she clutched her belly.

    He couldn¡¯t do anything but lower his head to hide his reddened cheeks.

    That¡¯s right¡­

    Even though he said it was his secret hideout, he knew the truth.

    ¡ªThe truth that the rooftop wasn¡¯t truly ¡®his¡¯.

    ¡ªThe truth that not a single thing in the world belonged to him.

    He was at a young age where most couldn¡¯t memorize the multiplication table properly, but that was the one thing he was certain of.

    -Hehe. I¡¯m just kidding. Hmm, so this is your secret hideout?

    -N-No.

    -But didn¡¯t you say it was before?

    The girl smiled yfully and approached him, her hair swaying like mes. Her appearance was beautiful to the point that it put him in a daze and caused him to unconsciously gulp.

    -Let¡¯s see¡­ if it¡¯s a secret hideout, you won¡¯t let just anyone in, right?

    -Y-Yeah.

    He avoided the girl¡¯s gaze and clenched his fists.

    ¨CEven¡­ even if mom and dade, I won¡¯t ever let them in.

    Was it just the childish vindictiveness of a child? Even if his parents came looking for him one day, he vowed that thest thing he would do was let them into his secret hideout.

    -¡­Really?

    The girl smiled bitterly while looking at him speaking with his fists clenched.

    That¡¯s right¡­

    The girl and the boy already knew¡­

    They realized it before they had even memorized the multiplication table¡­

    ¡ªThe fact that by no means would their parentse back to look for them.

    -Then what about big sis?

    -¡­Huh?

    -Will you let me in?

    The girl asked as she put on a pretty smile that was like gems.

    -Big¡­ sis?

    -Since I¡¯m two years older than you!

    -¡­

    -I can do what your mom and dad aren¡¯t allowed to do, right?

    -Uh? Y-Yeah.

    After hearing the reply that came in the heat of the moment, she took a big step into the shabby hideout.

    At that moment, she took a step into his worthless life¡­

    -Hehe. Since I¡¯vee in, you need to think of me as your big sis forever, alright?

    The girl smiled brightly.

    Thinking about it now, the words she said probably had no special meaning¡ªthey were probably just words she had said yfully in the flow of the moment.

    In fact, she probably didn¡¯t even remember she said those words in the past.

    However¡­ did she know that single line¡­ that childish brief joke¡­ would be the biggest salvation that came to him?

    ¡°S-Stop it, Ohjin!!¡±

    ¡°Huff, huff, huff.¡±

    Exhaling breath mixed with blood, he pressed against the ground with his trembling arms.

    ¡°Ah, ugh.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s body screamed as it exceeded its limit.

    It creaked, twisted, and cried out that it shouldn¡¯t be moved anymore.

    -Ring!

    [Warning. Your body has been harmed to the extent that it cannot maintain mana.]

    [Your mana is going out of control.]

    [Entering the ¡®Overload¡¯ state!]

    [Entering the ¡®Unstable¡¯ state!]

    ¡°Shut¡­ up.¡±

    He didn¡¯t care if his body broke down.

    He didn¡¯t care if his body was destroyed.

    If he could stand up this one time, he didn¡¯t care if he couldn¡¯t stand up ever again.

    ¡°Please.¡±

    He mmed his fist down at his shaking legs.

    ¡°Please¡­ move.¡±

    For the first time in his life, someone he wanted had appeared.

    For thest time in his life, someone he wanted to protect appeared.

    In his life that was dark like a starless night, she was the only thing that shone.

    ¡°Oh¡­jin?¡±

    Looking at Ha-eun, who was looking at him with shaking eyes¡ª

    Bang!!!¡ª

    ¡°Uaaaaahh!!!¡±

    ¡ªhe got up as he roared out.

    He firmly stepped on the ground and straightened his back.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡±

    Exhaling out ragged breaths, he took a step forward in her direction.

    Even though he staggered and stumbled, he didn¡¯t fall.

    ¡°Ohjin¡­ why¡­? Why won¡¯t you give up?¡±

    ¡°Why¡­ won¡¯t I give up?¡±

    Was that something a woman who was trying to pull out their eyes to save another¡¯s life should say?

    ¡°You entered someone else¡¯s secret hideout as you pleased¡­ so you¡¯re not allowed to go out now.¡±

    ¡°What? Wh-What are you talking about?¡±

    Did she forget about it?

    ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Even if she did forget¡­ I still remember.¡¯

    ¡°Holholhol!! To think that you¡¯d get up in that state!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s ridicule-mixed voice could be heard.

    ¡°However¡ª what changes now that you¡¯ve gotten up?¡±

    Things wouldn¡¯t change easily.

    The thing about the matters of the world was that, even if you endured, it wouldn¡¯t be resolved on its own. Even if he did manage to get back on his feet, the gap between him and Cheon Doyoon still remained distant.

    ¡®However.¡¯

    There was a method he had thought up.

    ¡®I¡¯m certain that bastard said that the Dragon Eye is used to control the mana contained within the Dragon¡¯s Heart.¡¯

    In that case, there was a possibility that the Dragon Eye had the power to control not only the mana inside the Dragon¡¯s Heart but also the mana of the dragon vein.

    ¡°Whatever happens from now on, don¡¯t ever move.¡±

    ¡°Wh-What are you nning to do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to exin.¡±

    Ohjin carefully put his hand next to her left eye.

    Rumble¡ª

    The ck clouds that flowed out of the tip of his fingers gently covered her left eye.

    ¡°Kyaaa! Wh-What is this?!¡±

    ¡°Stay still.¡±

    Controlling the ck Heaven meticulously so that she wouldn¡¯t get hurt, he absorbed a tiny bit of the Dragon Eye¡¯s power.

    And then¡ª

    Owoooong!!!¡ª

    ¡ªthe dragon vein¡¯s mana that had quietly coiled itself within the ck clouds slowly raised its neck.

    -Ring!

    [You have achieved part of the conditions needed to unlock ¡®Heaven Unfolding¡¯.]

    With the sound of clear bells ringing in his head, a line of text appeared in front of his eyes.

    [¦¡¦Ô¦Ó¦Ï? ¦Ð¦Ï¦Ô ¦Ì¦Å ¦Ð¦Ñ¦Ï¦Ò¦Ð¦Å¦Ñv¦Ï?v ¦Ò¦Ó¦Ïv ¦Ê?¦Ð¦Ï ¦Ó¦Øv ¦Áv¦Á¦Ò¦Ó¦Åv¦Á¦Ã¦Ì?v]

    The unidentifiable letters were the ones written in the exnation of ¡®Heaven Unfolding¡¯.

    Ohjin raised his head and looked at the letters.

    He didn¡¯t know why, but it felt like the meaning of the unidentifiable letters was flowing into his head.

    Slowly opening his mouth, he recited the chant that flowed into his head.

    ¡°Through me, you pass into the garden ofment.¡±

    With the chant that rang out ominously¡ª

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡ªthe sky opened.

    Crack!! Crackleeee!!¡ª

    The blue lightning that wrapped around Ohjin¡¯s body gradually lost its color and faded ck.

    The blood that wet the ground turned into ck clouds and was sucked back into Ohjin¡¯s body.

    As if he had drunk an elixir, the cut wounds all around his body quickly disappeared.

    ¡°Wh-What?¡±

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s body flinched as he looked at the zing ck lightning.

    An unidentifiable, ominous feeling pressed down on his body.

    tter, tter, tter!¡ª

    His teeth shivered noisily.

    Not even being confronted by a North Star had caused him to feel that much immeasurable fear.

    ¡®What is this¡­¡¯

    Cheon Doyoon looked at Ohjin with an expression of fear.

    Crack! Crackle!!¡ª

    With his entire body wrapped in ck lightning, Ohjin looked up at the sky with hazy eyes.

    For some unknown reason, despite being able to feel the bright sunlight burning his skin, the sky he looked up to couldn¡¯t be any darker.

    <strong>¡°The sky is too dark.¡±</strong>

    Looking up at the blue sky without a single speck of clouds, he asked with a somewhat rapturous voice.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡±

    T/N:

    ¡°Through me you pass into the garden ofment.¡± is a reference to the Italian narrative poem The Divine Comedy (Divina Commedia), Inferno. (And the garden ofment is probably from Lost Ark)

    Through me you pass into the city of woe:

    Through me you pass into eternal pain:

    Through me among the people lost for aye.

    Justice the founder of my fabric moved:

    To rear me was the task of Power divine,

    Supremest Wisdom, and primeval Love.

    Before me things create were none, save things

    Eternal, and eternal I endure.

    Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

 Chapter 132: Endless Night (8)

    <strong>Chapter 132: Endless Night (8)</strong>

    ¡°¡­What nonsense are you talking about?¡±

    Cheon Doyoon furrowed his brow and gazed at Ohjin.

    Ohjin said that it was too dark when the sunlight was hot enough to tingle his skin at that moment.

    ¡°Have you finally gone bli¡­¡±

    When he looked up at the sky¡ª

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡ªCheon Doyoon could see it.

    The clear blue sky without a dot of clouds was submerged in darkness, and night settled in the day.

    ¡°Wh-What?! What have you done?!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon cried out in an urgent voice and staggered backwards.

    It wasn¡¯t because the blue sky was submerged in darkness.

    No, in reality, the sky was still shining with blue light as usual.

    The thing that was submerged in darkness wasn¡¯t the sky¡­

    ¡°Huff! Huff! Huff! J-Just what is¡­¡±

    Cheon Doyoon rubbed his eyes as his shoulders trembled.

    Nothing could be seen.

    No matter how dark the weather had gotten, it should¡¯ve been impossible for Cheon Doyoon to lose his sight with his superhuman body.

    The pitch-ck darkness stole away his sight and left him as if he was blind

    Bzzt, bzzzzt¡ª

    For a moment, the sound of something crackling was heard inside of the darkness.

    When he quickly turned his head to where the sound came from¡ª

    ¡°A-Ahh.¡±

    ¡ªa pair of azure fen fires were burning in the darkness.

    The only things that shone inside of the thick darkness were blue lights that med like Will O¡¯wisps.

    ¡°Damn it, damn it, damn it!!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon floundered with a panicked expression.

    Vision ounted for more than 80 percent of a human¡¯s perception.

    Cheon Doyoon fell into a panic after he had suddenly been robbed of that sense.

    Thud, thud¡ª

    The sound of footsteps softly echoed out inside of the darkness.

    The frightening sound of footsteps that was like the falling water droplets at dawn caused Cheon Doyoon¡¯s face to go pale.

    ¡°D-Do you think I won¡¯t be able to face you because I can¡¯t see?!¡±

    He put on a poor act and recklessly shot feathers to the ce the azure fen fires were wavering.

    Ttututututu!!¡ª

    The shooting feathers could be heard faintly.

    Still, it seemed that it was effective, as the azure fen fires that were burning at a distance away were extinguished like a match blown away by the wind.

    ¡°H-Holhol!! Didn¡¯t I say so?! I can defeat you easily, even if I cannot see!!¡± shouted Cheon Doyoon in the direction of where the fen fires had disappeared.

    He had no way to confirm if the attack had hit Ohjin, but when he thought about how he was on the verge of death moments before, he felt certain of his death.

    ¡°Holhol!! Hol¡­¡±

    But why was it¡­?

    Even though the ominous azure fen fires couldn¡¯t be seen anymore¡­

    Even though the crackling sounds and his annoying voice could no longer be heard¡­

    Why, why, why¡­ was the world still submerged in such darkness?

    ¡°Goddammit! W-Why am I still unable to see!!¡± Cheon Doyoon screamed in a nervous tone as he rubbed his eyes.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡±

    Anxiety spread like poison.

    ¡ªAnxiety of the possibility of not being able to see ever again.

    ¡ªAnxiety of the possibility of getting trapped inside of the endless night.

    ¡°Damn it! Goddammit!!¡°

    He moved his body around as if he was having a seizure.

    Tak!¡ª

    Did he stumble on a piece of stone? Suddenly, his bnce copsed.

    ¡°Kugh¡­!¡±

    Fortunately, he was able to recover his bnce and avoid pathetically falling over, but¡­

    ¡®What¡­ is this?¡¯

    An ominous feeling ran down his spine.

    The strange feeling he felt starting a while back gradually became clearer.

    ¡°My eyes¡­ aren¡¯t the only thing that¡¯s affected.¡±

    Even if he¡¯d lost his vision, he was a 9-Star Awakener that was evaluated to be outside the scope of humans. His senses weren¡¯t so poor that he would stumble over a small stone on the ground.

    But having stumbled over a stone despite that signified¡­

    ¡®My other senses¡­ are also bing numb.¡¯

    Smell, touch, hearing, and although there was no way to tell, possibly even taste.

    His other senses hadn¡¯tpletely disappeared like his sight, but he could distinctively feel them numbing.

    ¡°Huff, huff, huff!¡±

    The sound of his own breathing felt like iting from far away.

    He felt like he¡¯d been tossed into deep space and leftpletely alone, and that fear started to encroach on his mind.

    Crackle¡ª

    At that moment, a faint sound rang out in his ears.

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    He quickly turned his head around in the direction of where the sound hade from.

    Only pitch ck darkness remained in that area.

    ¡°Wh-Where are you!!¡±

    He cried out, but no answer returned.

    ¡°I asked where you were, you bastard!!!¡±

    Ttutututututu!!!!¡ª

    Cheon Doyoon gathered up his mana and shot out feathers in all directions.

    Hundreds¡­ thousands¡­ tens of thousands of feathers swept the area like a storm.

    ¡°Huff! Huff! Huff!!¡±

    Was he just imagining it? It felt like his stamina was draining quickly, it was as if his body were making intense movements underwater.

    ¡®No¡­¡¯

    He wasn¡¯t imagining it.

    ¡°Huk! Huk!¡±

    Like a drynd absorbing water, he could feel the mana he gathered up quickly drying out.

    ¡°Where are you!! Tell me where you are!!¡±

    However, he couldn¡¯t stop attacking.

    The only thing that allowed him to survive in that pitch-ck darkness was the power of the stigma that took root on his left chest.

    The irresistible anxiety that he would be locked up in that endless darkness forever the moment he stopped attacking suffocated him.

    ¡°Huk! Huh! Huk!¡±

    He needed to catch his breath.

    The vast amount of mana he¡¯d obtained from bing a 9-Star Awakener was disappearing like it was getting sucked out by a sponge.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t it be over now¡­?¡¯

    Cheon Doyoon had no way of finding out where Ohjin was hiding, but he had poured out so many attacks in all directions that it wouldn¡¯t be strange if a mountain had disappeared without a trace left behind.

    With that much power, Ohjin should¡¯ve been caught up in the attack and killed, even if he was in a recovered state.

    ¡°There should be no room to avoid¡­¡±

    When he was subconsciously looking around with a faint smile on his face¡ª

    Crackle¡ª

    ¡ªa clear sound was heard once again.

    ¡°¡ªAh.¡±

    It was different from the previous times when he couldn¡¯t determine where the sound wasing from.

    And that was because¡­ the sound came from right under his chin.

    ¡°Wh-What?¡±

    He quickly lowered his head.

    A pair of azure fen fires were burning ominously right in front of him.

    ¡°A-Ahh.¡±

    stagger¡ª

    He took steps backwards.

    Goosebumps started to spread all over his skin.

    While he was shooting feathers like crazy, had the Lightning Wolf continuously been¡­

    <strong>¡­staring up at him from right below?</strong>

    ¡°Ah, uh.¡±

    Fear sucked the color out of his face.

    Once he imagined the possibility that Ohjin had always been next to him within arm¡¯s reach, irresistible fear crashed down on his mind.

    ¡°Aahhhhhhhhhh!!!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon threw away his dignity as a king and pathetically fell on his bottom.

    He could feel something wet between his legs.

    ¡°Y-You bastard!!!¡±

    With his sense of rationality lost, he iled his arms. ck feathers rained down in the direction of the azure fen fires.

    ¡°T-Ten Thousand ck Feather Blossom! Ten Thousand ck Feather Blossom!!!¡±

    It was an unsightly attack that was shot while he wet his pants, but he was an Awakener who had achieved the realm of 9-Star that only the select few out of an uncountable number of Awakeners could achieve.

    The raging ck feathers containing destructive force shot at the azure fen fires.

    However¡ª

    Bzzzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª

    ¡ªwith a thunderp, lightning stormed out.

    Not the blue lightning the Lightning Wolf always used, but ck lightning that looked like it wasbed with darkness.

    Pitter-patter¡ª

    The feathers containing destructive force suddenly lost their strength and fell to the ground.

    ¡°Eek!!¡±

    Cheon Doyoon clenched his teeth and extended his arm forward.

    Crackle¡ª

    A strand of ck lightning grazed past his extended arm.

    Plop¡ª

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Cheon Doyoon could no longer feel anything beneath his left elbow.

    ¡°A-Ahh.¡±

    A suppressed groan escaped Cheon Doyoon¡¯s mouth.

    Immeasurable fear spread out like ink diffusing in water.

    ¡°Why¡­ just why¡­?¡±

    Because his arm was cut off in vain?

    Because blood was gushing out of the cut surface?

    ¡°Ah, uah.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t it¡­

    That wasn¡¯t the reason why he was shaking in that much fear¡­

    ¡°Uaaaaaaaaaahh!!¡±

    It was because he couldn¡¯t feel any kind of pain, despite having his arm cut off.

    ¡°S-Stop!!! Stop it!!¡±

    Engulfed in fear that drove him crazy, he cried out.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s my loss!! I¡¯ll give up on the Dragon Eye¡­ and even the Dragon¡¯s Heart!!¡±

    They were treasures he had always longed for, but they no longer mattered at that point.

    ¡°S-So please!! Pleaseeeee!!¡±

    He didn¡¯t need the Dragon Eye or the Dragon¡¯s Heart.

    Following the orders of the Queen of Snakes was meaningless.

    ¡°Get me out of this ce!!! Please!!!¡±

    If he could only escape from that demented darkness, those things didn¡¯t matter.

    Plop¡ª

    ck lightning sparked, and that time, he lost sensation in his right arm.

    Nheless, he couldn¡¯t feel pain.

    ¡°A-Ahh. S-Stop. Stop¡­¡±

    ¡ªHave you imagined it before?

    ¡ªThe fear of suddenly losing each sense one by one inside of a pitch ck darkness like switches were turning off.

    ¡ªA mental despair that made you feel like your existence itself was being erased from the world.

    Plop¡ª

    The sensation in his two legs disappeared.

    Plop¡ª

    The sensation below his hips disappeared.

    Plop¡ª

    The sensation in both of his shoulders disappeared.

    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ please¡­¡±

    Cheon Doyoon pleaded as he bawled his eyes out.

    ¡°Do you want to leave this ce?¡±

    At that moment, a low voice was heard inside the pitch-ck darkness.

    Cheon Doyoon opened his eyes wide and nodded his head like crazy.

    ¡°Y-Yes! P-Please get me out of this ce!! I¡¯ll do whatever you ask me! S-So please!!¡±

    He had no idea why the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s apostle had such an abominable ability.

    But what did that matter?

    If Ohjin was willing to take him out of that mental darkness, he would even lick his foot.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s make a deal. You like deals, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Flinch¡ª

    ¡°If you listen to my one request, I¡¯ll let you out of this ce.¡±

    Like the temptation of the devil, Ohjin¡¯s sweet voice rang out.

    ¡°A-Are you being serious? Will you really let me out of this ce?¡±

    Light of hope shone in Cheon Doyoon¡¯s eyes.

    Holding onto the rope dangling at the edge of a cliff, he bowed deeply and looked up at the devil.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m being serious.¡±

    His pure white teeth could be seen beneath the ferociously burning azure fen fires.

    ¡°After all, I don¡¯t know how to lie.¡±

 Chapter 133: Endless Night (9)

    <strong>Chapter 133: Endless Night (9)</strong>

    He felt woozy.

    His vision darkened and the senses around his body felt cloudy.

    But despite that, the ck clouds that covered the sky couldn¡¯t look any clearer to his eyes.

    ¡®Is this¡­ Heaven Unfolding?¡¯

    Ohjin grasped his hazy consciousness and slowly raised his head.

    The sky was shining with blue light without a single cloud as far as the eye could see, but for some reason, it felt dark, as if thick ck clouds were covering it.

    ¡®Haa.¡¯

    He exhaled an exhrating breath.

    Ohjin could feel his mana that ran dry from fighting with Cheon Doyoon slowly filling up on its own as if it were heavy rain falling from the cloudy sky.

    ¡®This happened several times before.¡¯

    ¡ªBoundless mana that knew no end.

    However, it wasn¡¯t like the familiar stigma¡¯s mana he used so far. Ominous mana that felt sticky and slightly different from his stigma¡¯s mana rained endlessly from the ck clouds.

    Crack, crackle!¡ª

    Ohjin raised his hand and created lightning.

    The lightning zed up gently and didn¡¯t shine in blue, instead giving off a deep ck color.

    Despite having used Heaven Unfolding for the first time, he felt a strange feeling¡­ like he had returned to his hometown.

    ¡°Wh-What have you done, you bastard!!¡¯

    He could see Cheon Doyoon clutching his eyes and falling into a panic in the distance. Terrified, he was shaking because of the unfamiliar darkness.

    The way Ha-eun shook while crying on top of the hospital bed suddenly crossed his mind.

    ¡®How is it to be on the receiving end?¡¯

    Ohjin tried to speak to Cheon Doyoon, but his voice wouldn¡¯t emerge from his throat for an unknown reason.

    ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯

    Ohjin furrowed his brow and looked down at his body.

    Parts of his body had seemingly melted into darkness and turned into ck clouds.

    ¡®Is this¡­ also the influence of Heaven Unfolding?¡¯

    A part of his consciousness felt cloudy.

    Ohjin slowly turned his body around to Cheon Doyoon, who was struggling like he was in the middle of a seizure. There was something he had to do before his consciousness faded even more than it already had.

    ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s my loss!! I¡¯ll give up on the Dragon Eye and even the Dragon¡¯s Heart!!¡±

    The fight with Cheon Doyoon ended easily and felt shallow.

    Ohjin wondered if that would be what it felt like to fight a three-year-old child with his eyes blindfolded.

    He cackled out as he looked at how Cheon Doyoon was iling around while engulfed by the thick, ck clouds.

    ¡ªThe ecstatic feeling of omnipotence.

    The sensation of crushing a high-rank Awakener known to exceed the human boundaries without even moving a finger made him feel like he was high on drugs.

    ¡®In my current state¡­¡¯

    He believed that he would even be able to devour all the celestials that shone in the night sky.

    ¡®Ah.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s consciousness faded the drunker he got on the ck Heaven¡¯s power.

    If it wasn¡¯t parts of his body that turned into ck clouds, but his entire body¡­

    If his entire soul was melted into the ck Heaven¡­

    ¡ªHow much more of that ecstatic feeling of omnipotence would he be able to feel?

    ¡®Ah, ugh.¡¯

    The temptation was overwhelmingly enticing.

    The ck clouds covering the sky felt cozy, just like the feeling of going into nkets after finishing a shower.

    Like blotting ink, he could see parts of his body turning into clouds.

    ¡®This¡­ is dangerous.¡¯

    Ohjin zealously held on to his consciousness that grew further away and bit his lips. A sense of crisis warned him that, if this continued, he wouldn¡¯t be able to return to how he normally was.

    ¡®Snap out of it.¡¯

    ¡ªDeeply settled darkness.

    He wandered around inside of the pitch ck darkness in search of light. In his fading consciousness, one strand of blue light stood out in his eyes.

    ¡®The stigma of Lyra.¡¯

    The North Star was emitting radiant starlight, even within a night sky covered by thick ck clouds.

    ¡°Fuu, ha!¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s fading consciousness became clear as if he had resurfaced from deep waters, and he fumbled around his neck once he heard the sound of breath leaving his mouth.

    ¡®It¡¯s there.¡¯

    Unlike from when it had transformed into clouds, his real neck was there.

    ¡®That was dangerous.¡¯

    An ominous feeling ran down his spine.

    If he hadn¡¯t found the stigma of Lyra in that eternal darkness, he might¡¯ve melted into the ck Heaven forever.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡®Anyways¡­¡¯

    He had no time to reflect.

    Ohjin turned his head around and looked down at Cheon Doyoon, who was shivering pathetically on the ground.

    ¡®Is it about time I end this?¡¯

    Before then, he was nning to extract everything he could.

    ¡°If you listen to my one request, I¡¯ll let you out of this ce.¡±

    ¡°A-Are you being serious? Will you really let me out of this ce?¡±

    Ohjin smiled while looking at the hope in Cheon Doyoon¡¯s eyes. He approached Cheon Doyoon, who was on the ground without arms and legs like a fallen roly-poly toy.

    ¡°Tell me the things you know in as much detail as possible.¡±

    ¡°Th-The things I know¡­? Wh-What are you referring to?¡±

    ¡°Anything is fine. About the Dragon¡¯s Heart or the Dragon Eye¡­ About the ck Star Organization¡­ About the celestials of the ck Stars¡­ If you tell me everything you know¡ª¡±

    The blue fen fires in his eyes wavered ominously.

    ¡°¡ªI¡¯ll spare you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Cheon Doyoon gulped out of nervousness and opened his mouth.

    ¡°Th-The Dragon¡¯s Heart exerts its maximum potential when an Awakener of Draco uses it!¡±

    ¡°Next.¡±

    ¡°The celestials of the ck Stars are the ones who were scorned and named ¡®Pseudo Stars¡¯ by celestials in the past.¡±

    ¡°Next.¡±

    Next. Next. Next.

    His low voice rang out fearsomely.

    ¡°Th-The one who ordered me to obtain the Dragon¡¯s Heart is¡­¡±

    ¡°Is¡­?¡±

    Tak¡ª

    Cheon Doyoon¡¯s words suddenly cut off.

    He sweated buckets and avoided his gaze. He wanted to talk about the ¡®Snakes¡¯, but his mouth wouldn¡¯t open, no matter how hard he tried, because of the taboo she¡¯d put on him.

    ¡°Why? You can¡¯t say it?¡±

    ¡°W-Wait! Please wait a minute!!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I get it.¡±

    Cackle¡ª

    The sound of his disturbingughter rang out in his ears.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ve told you everything I could! N-Now get me out of this ce!¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Ohjin hummed a melody and epassed Doyoon¡¯s wrinkly cheek with his hand.

    ¡°Close your eyes slowly and count to a thousand,¡± Ohjin whispered like he was singing.

    ¡°You must count slowly¡­ very slowly. Okay? I¡¯ll make you start over if you increase the pace.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I understand.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon shook his head like crazy.

    ¡°One, two, three¡­¡±

    Following Ohjin¡¯s orders, he started to count numbers.

    Slowly, very slowly¡­

    ¡°One hundred and fifty, one hundred and fifty one, one hundred and fifty two¡­¡±

    It had been only 15 minutes, but that time couldn¡¯t have felt any longer to Cheon Doyoon.

    Nausea soared up from the impatience and anxiety that drove him insane. But ironically, hope started to grow along with it.

    ¡°Five hundred and forty two, five hundred and forty three, five hundred and forty four¡­¡±

    As the numbers increased¡­

    The more he started to hope¡­

    The more he started to crave¡­

    Desperately, only for that darkness toe to an end.

    ¡°Nine hundred and ny eight, nine hundred and ny nine¡­ one thousand.¡±

    The end of the tunnel that seemed tost an eternity could finally be seen, and the scenery beyond the tunnel¡­

    <strong>Was the pitch-ck sky that took away his sight.</strong>

    ¡°A-Ahh.¡±

    Cheon Doyoon twisted his body like a maniac.

    ¡°AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡±

    Tears flowed down his wrinkly face.

    ¡°Why, why, just why¡­! Y-You said you¡¯d let me out if I counted to a thousand¡­!¡±

    ¡°Ah, that?¡±

    Cackle¡ª

    Ohjin¡¯sughter rang in his ears.

    And then¡ª

    ¡°I lied.¡±

    Bzzt!¡ª

    ¡ªck lightning prated Cheon Doyoon¡¯s head.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin slowly stretched his hand out to Cheon Doyoon¡¯s body that¡¯d lost all its strength.

    Rumble¡ª

    ck clouds covered the corpse.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    The mana of Noctua that was on apletely different realmpared to the Owls he absorbed until then rode through the clouds and entered his body.

    -Ring!

    [You have sessfully absorbed the stigma of Awakener ¡®Cheon Doyoon¡¯.]

    [The Noctua constetion has beenpleted.]

    [You are now able to receive the blessing of celestial ¡®Noctua¡¯.]

    [You are now able to set the stigma of Noctua as your main stigma. Will you swap it with your designated stigma?]

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    The offer wasn¡¯t even worth considering. He got rid of the blue message that popped up in front of his eyes like it was an annoying fly.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Sizzle!¡ª

    Simultaneously, as Ohjin got rid of the message, a burning pain started to radiate from his left chest. He could see that the number of flicks next to the stigma of Lyra had increased to seven once he lifted up his blood-soaked clothes.

    ¡®Have I be a 7-Star Awakener?¡¯

    Well, he had devoured a 9-Star Awakener whole. It would be disappointing if there was no change.

    ¡®What about Transmission¡­¡¯

    Nothing happened, even when he waited for it to happen.

    ¡®Is it because I used Heaven Unfolding?¡¯

    There was no way to find out for certain, but he had already extracted the needed information from Cheon Doyoon. There was no need to read through his records using Transmission.

    ¡®Then¡­¡¯

    Ohjin looked around at the ck clouds that were spread out wide and took in a deep breath.

    Putting his hand on top of his left chest, he closed the open sky.

    Rumbleeeeee!!¡ª

    The ck clouds were quickly sucked into Ohjin¡¯s body.

    ¡°Oh-Ohjin!!!¡±

    Ha-eun quickly ran to him once all of the clouds had disappeared.

    ¡°Wh-What was that just now? B-ck clouds wereing out of your body, and¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°You were puffing like a goddamn Weezing¡ª!!¡±

    ¡°Be quiet for a second.¡±

    ¡°Wh-Where did Cheon Doyoon go? And how did you recover from all your injuries?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin when we get home.¡±

    Not only had he been seen using the ck Heaven, but he¡¯d also been exposed using Heaven Unfolding. Even if he was a scammer, he couldn¡¯t fool her with lies in that position.

    ¡°Moreover¡­¡±

    He took one step in her direction.

    ¡°Ohjin¡­?¡±

    Ha-eun flinched and looked up at him.

    Her appearance was cute, like a scared puppy.

    Ohjin gently reached his hand out and ced it over reddened cheeks.

    Warmth ran through the tip of his fingers.

    Like stroking a precious treasure, he caressed her cheek.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to take responsibility since you didn¡¯t go blind, right?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes opened wide into circles.

    ¡°W-Well, a-about that! Wh-What I said before was¡­ um¡­¡±

    It appeared that she¡¯d recalled her proposal to Ohjin, as she started to stutter and got flustered.

    ¡°Khm! I-I guess since my eyes are fine, there¡¯s no need for you t-to take¡­ responsibility.¡±

    She avoided his gaze with a sullen expression.

    Ohjin looked at Ha-eun facing away and smiled.

    ¡°I lied.¡±

    ¡°H-Hm? A-About what¡­?¡±

    ¡°About me not taking responsibility.¡±

    ¡°Wh-What do you¡ªhmb!¡±

    He roughly pulled in her hips¡­

    And their lips met.

 Chapter 134: Interlude- Dragonâ€™s Heart

    <strong>Chapter 134: Interlude- Dragon¡¯s Heart</strong>

    ¡°S-So¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s widened eyes looked at Ohjin.

    Her opened mouth stirred up a strange impulse.

    ¡®Hmm.¡¯

    Ohjin hesitated for a moment and then wasn¡¯t able to endure the temptation as he stuck his index finger into her mouth.

    ¡°Ah! Twe, twe!! What the hell are you doing?!¡±

    ¡°Uh, I was just trying to get you to snap out of it because it seemed like you were in shock.¡±

    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t get shocked after hearing what you said just now?!!¡± shouted Ha-eun as she roughly grabbed Ohjin¡¯s cor.

    ¡°Fuu. So¡­ you¡¯re¡­ a Regressor?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretending to be a Regressor, to be exact.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I fucking thought.¡±

    Ha-eun rested her hand on her head like she had a headache.

    ¡°So¡­ the guy named Lee Shinhyuk was originally a Regressor¡­ and once you absorbed his stigma using the ck Heaven or whatever, Vega ended up mistaking you as a Regressor?¡±

    ¡°Precisely.¡±

    ¡°What kind of damn situation is this¡­?¡±

    Ha-eun slurred the end of her sentence with a stunned expression.

    ¡®Well, this kind of reaction is a given.¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s that ck Heaven thing? Is it something like that Weezing smoke stuff you used back then?¡±

    ¡°Putting it that way makes it seem really damn insignificant.¡±

    ¡®It has the extravagant setting of possessing the power to destroy the world¡­¡¯

    ¡°I also don¡¯t know exactly what the ck Heaven is.¡±

    ¡°You were using a power you didn¡¯t even know?¡±

    ¡°Then are you using your stigma while being fully aware of its identity?¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡±

    Left speechless, Ha-eun scratched her maroon hair and then clicked her tongue.

    ¡°I guess I have nothing to say if you put it that way.¡±

    Even though they were called Awakeners from being ¡®Awakened by the Stars¡¯, there wasn¡¯t a single person who knew exactly what a stigma was.

    ¡°Anyways, so is the ck Heaven something like a stigma?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯spletely different from stigmas.¡±

    Ohjin exined the abilities contained within the ck Heaven.

    ¡°¡­What kind of overpowered shit is that?¡±

    Ha-eun looked at Ohjin like she found it ridiculous.

    Ohjin lightly shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    ¡°Well, anyway. I need to pretend to be a Regressor in order to prevent Vega from discovering the fact that I¡¯m in possession of the ck Heaven.¡±

    ¡°¡­And what happens if you get discovered?¡±

    ¡°I wonder.¡±

    Ohjin smiled and shook his head.

    ¡°I probably won¡¯t be met with a good ending since the celestials firmly believe that this power will destroy the world.¡±

    ¡°B-But Ohjin, there¡¯s no way that you¡¯ll destroy the world!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    He had no memories of it, but he had already ended the world once. Needless to say, he obviously had no ns to destroy the world right then.

    ¡°We can¡¯t be certain. Who knows what I would¡¯ve done if I wasn¡¯t able to save you this time.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s shoulders flinched.

    She fumbled with her fingers as her cheeks slightly reddened.

    ¡°Y-You¡¯re overreacting.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ to be honest, destroying the world might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it would¡¯ve been hard for me to stay sane.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ha-eun sighed and shook her head.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you want me to help with your Regressor act, right?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to help.¡±

    Not being a hindrance was more than enough.

    ¡°What, are you saying that you don¡¯t trust me?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t work since everything you think is written all over your face.¡±

    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not!¡±

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s happening right now.¡±

    Ohjin smiled faintly while he looked down at Ha-eun starting to get angry.

    ¡°In any case, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. I¡¯ll take care of things on my own.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun pouted.

    ¡°Always saying that you¡¯ll do things on your own¡­¡±

    Although he felt reliable for those reasons, it was also upsetting.

    Ohjin sneakily approached Ha-eun while she was murmuring. He lightly poked her protruding lips with the tip of his finger and cackled out.

    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll make sure to inform you when I need help.¡±

    ¡°¡­You promise?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°Haa. Seriously¡­¡±

    Ha-eun ced her hand on her forehead like it was throbbing and pulled on Ohjin¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Ow, ow, ow, ow.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even tell me when all these things happened until now. Are you sorry or not?¡±

    She kept pulling on his cheek and soon carefully kissed it.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll help you out from now on, so don¡¯t try to solve everything on your own.¡±

    The way Ha-eun embarrassingly avoided his gaze looked lovely to Ohjin.

    ¡°Oh right, take this.¡±

    Ohjin took out a fist-sized blue crystal from his pocket¡ªit was the Dragon¡¯s Heart that he obtained after defeating Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡®He said that it exerts its maximum potential when it¡¯s used by an Awakener of Draco.¡¯

    In that case, it was only right for her to be the one using it.

    ¡°Is-Isn¡¯t this that thing¡­? The Dragon¡¯s Heart?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re giving this to me? For nothing in return?¡±

    Ha-eun looked at Ohjin with widened eyes.

    The potion she¡¯d received before was valuable, but it would pale inparison to the Dragon¡¯s Heart.

    ¡ªA star relic so valuable that its worth couldn¡¯t be estimated with money.

    But he was passing it over as nonchntly as if he was giving chocte he bought from the convenience store.

    ¡°Then should I ask for something in return?¡±

    Ohjin smirked and got up close to her.

    ¡°U-Uhh?¡±

    Ha-eun took steps back with a flustered expression.

    But soon, it seemed like she came to an understanding of something, as she approached him while her cheeks reddened.

    ¡°¡­So what do you want?¡± Ha-eun asked seductively as she slightly exposed her cleavage.

    His eyes subconsciously flooded to the single dot on her left chest. Rather, the one who was flustered was Ohjin, as he had never seen her use sexually attractive gestures.

    ¡°K-Khm! I-I¡¯m just kidding.¡±

    Ohjin barely calmed down his palpitating heart and took in a deep breath.

    ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯

    Floundering and getting flustered with those kinds of jokes was usually Ha-eun¡¯s role, but he had ended up receiving an unexpected blow.

    ¡°Anyways, you can have this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Thanks.¡±

    Ha-eun smiled sheepishly and took the Dragon¡¯s Heart.

    ¡°But how are you supposed to use this? There¡¯s no way that you¡¯re supposed to shove this into your chest like that senile old man, right?¡±

    ¡°I wonder¡­ I think there should be a method other than that.¡±

    It was inconceivable to think that such a barbaric way of shoving the jewel into the middle of your chest was the method to control the mana inside of the Dragon¡¯s Heart.

    ¡°Right? No matter how valuable this thing is, I don¡¯t want lightning nipples.¡±

    ¡®What the hell are lightning nipples¡­?¡¯

    ¡°For now, why don¡¯t you try putting it near your stigma?¡±

    ¡°Ohh, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    Since an Awakener with the stigma of Draco was said to be the best for controlling the Dragon¡¯s Heart, it was possible for some kind of change to happen if the Dragon¡¯s Heart came close to her stigma.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes sparkled as if she thought of a good idea while staring into the Dragon¡¯s Heart in her hand.

    She handed over the Dragon¡¯s Heart to Ohjin and put on a mischievous smile.

    ¡°Then, Ohjin, you should hold it close to my stigma.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°If I do it myself, there¡¯s the possibility for something like mana resonance to suddenly arise, causing me to drop it, right? It could be dangerous if procedures like this get canceled midway.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    There was actually a risk of side effects such as the ¡®unstable¡¯ state if the process of obtaining a potion or star relic¡¯s power was unintentionally cut off midway, however¡­

    ¡®Why does it look like she isn¡¯t worried about that at all?¡¯

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes were sparkling with expectation while she handed over the Dragon¡¯s Heart.

    ¡°Sigh. Fine.¡±

    ¡°Yay~!¡±

    He exhaled a deep breath and took the Dragon¡¯s Heart.

    After her proposal, Ha-eun had started to make bold moves that made even Ohjin flustered.

    ¡°Well then¡­¡±

    Gulp¡ª

    Ha-eun swallowed her saliva and slightly lowered her clothes to reveal part of her left breast.

    Her pure white and smooth skin was reminiscent of piled-up snow, and on top of it was the engraved stigma of Draco.

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    Heat flooded to Ohjin¡¯s face.

    Ohjin held up the Dragon¡¯s Heart with shivering hands and carefully brought it close to her stigma.

    Owooooong!!!¡ª

    ¡°Uuht!¡±

    Suddenly, an immense amount of mana poured out of the Dragon¡¯s Heart as it started to ze up with blue light.

    The mana resonance she¡¯d just mentioned as a joke had actually urred.

    ¡°Ha-eun?¡±

    ¡°Ahh! I-I¡¯m okay!¡±

    Ha-eun bit her lips tight while enduring the power rushing into her body.

    The Dragon¡¯s Heart that was emitting fierce blue light started to melt like ice cream as it was absorbed by her stigma.

    The phenomenon was distinctively different from when Cheon Doyoon had used it.

    Click¡ª

    Ha-eun took off the eyepatch that was covering her left eye like it was ufortable clothing.

    ¡°Huff, huff, huff!¡±

    The Dragon Eye poured out ferocious light, and the veins that were like tree roots around her left eye ran down her cheek and even extended out to her neck.

    ¡°Uuh! Ahh! Ugh!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He wanted to give words of encouragement to Ha-eun while she was groaning from pain, but¡­

    ¡®I need to trust her and wait.¡¯

    The moment she lost focus, she could fall into an unstable state after being unable to endure the rushing power¡ªlike Lee Shinhyuk had.

    ¡®And if that happens¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone sharply.

    He summoned the ck Heaven to his other hand and prepared for the worst-case scenario.

    The moment it seemed that she wouldn¡¯t be able to endure the mana contained within the Dragon¡¯s Heart, he would immediately use the ck Heaven to absorb its mana.

    ¡°Huff, huff. Fuuuu.¡±

    However, Ha-eun¡¯s breathing gradually calmed down, extinguishing Ohjin¡¯s worries.

    The thick veins that covered her neck extended farther and eventually reached her stigma.

    And then¡ª

    Fwooooosh!!!¡ª

    ¡ªthe stigma gave off fierce light as crimson mes spread out like waves.

    Even though they were mes, the fire wasn¡¯t feral with the intent of wanting to burn everything nearby, but instead so warm that it felt cozy.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    Ohjin looked around with surprise.

    Despite the mes covering him and all the furniture inside the house, nothing was burning. He eximed unconsciously from the unrealistic sight that was like a scene from a fairytale.

    Owooooong!¡ª

    When the Dragon¡¯s Heart in his hand had been fully melted and sucked into her stigma¡ª

    ¡°Hmh!¡±

    ¡ªthe warm mes covering the surroundings got sucked back into her body, and the ugly veins that had sprouted out to her left chest gradually receded.

    ¡°Ohjin¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Ha-eun staggered with a dazed expression. He grabbed her shoulder and gently embraced her so that she wouldn¡¯t fall down.

    Ohjin could hear deep breathing from Ha-eun in his arms.

    ¡°Did you absorb all of the mana inside the Dragon¡¯s Heart?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I did absorb it¡­ but I don¡¯t think I can use all of it yet.¡±

    She slowly touched her chest and continued.

    ¡°Here, it feels like there¡¯s a lump of it left under my stigma.¡±

    ¡°Like a breast imnt?¡±

    ¡°Man, what kind ofparison is that?¡±

    Ha-eun chuckled.

    ¡°Though my breasts aren¡¯t ones that need imnts.¡±

    ¡®¡­¡¯

    ¡°So does it hurt anywhere? Or maybe feel ufortable?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing like th¡ªah!¡±

    While she was examining her body, Ha-eun suddenly frowned.

    Owooooong!!¡ª

    Her faded stigma suddenly started to ze up with radiant blue light.

    ¡°Ha-eun?!¡±

    Ohjin was going to quickly reach his hand out to her but stopped after discovering something.

    ¡°¡­Wow.¡±

    It was because he discovered an additional flick starting to engrave itself next to the eight flicks on the stigma of Draco.

    ¡°Oh-Ohjin.¡±

    With her mouth opened wide in disbelief, Ha-eun looked down at her chest.

    ¡°I¡­ I think I became a 9-Star.¡±

    It was the moment Ha-eun became a high-rank Awakener.

 Chapter 135: Extinguished Starlight (1)

    <strong>Chapter 135: Extinguished Starlight (1)</strong>

    ¡°Heaven Unfolding¡­¡±

    Ohjin sat on the sofa and opened his status board.

    The text written on the exnation of Heaven Unfolding was still made out of only iprehensible letters.

    He narrowed his eyes as he recalled what happened when he used Heaven Unfolding.

    ¡®Through me, you pass into the garden ofment.¡¯

    The phrase felt more like a chant needed to use a spell rather than something that had a certain meaning.

    ¡®It definitely said that a part of Heaven Unfolding was unlocked.¡¯

    In other words, it meant that the ¡®Heaven Unfolding¡¯ he¡¯d used was an iplete skill. With a skill that wasn¡¯t even halfplete, a 9-Star Awakener, Cheon Doyoon, had been helplessly devoured by the ck Heaven¡¯s darkness.

    ¡®Though Cheon Doyoon wasn¡¯t in his regr state.¡¯

    Noctua, who was basically the source of his power, had been eliminated by Vega, and Cheon Doyoon had also lost some of his strength while fighting Ohjin.

    But even when you took that into consideration¡­

    ¡®It¡¯s still an outrageously powerful skill.¡¯

    Honestly, Ohjin didn¡¯t understand why the celestials were making such a big fuss about the ck Heaven having the power to destroy the world, but he could understand without question now.

    He had seen it with his own eyes ande to a realization.

    ¡ªThe power contained within the ck Heaven was something that could easily destroy a mere world.

    ¡®This isn¡¯t a skill I can use like Exceed, where I can just brace myself to face the consequences on my physical body.¡¯

    Ohjin recalled the memories of when he¡¯d used Heaven Unfolding.

    ¡ªHis hazy consciousness that made it feel like his entire body was melting.

    ¡ªLosing feeling from tip to toe and how it felt like he was bing one with the ck clouds.

    ¡®I can endure it if it¡¯s painful.¡¯

    If all it did was simply cause an enormous amount of pain like Exceed, he could just endure through it.

    Enduring pain was one of his specialties, after all.

    ¡®But this is different.¡¯

    The feeling of his consciousness slowly melting into the ck Heaven like diffusing ink wasn¡¯t the kind of feeling that could be endured. Even back then, he might¡¯ve never been able to return if he wasn¡¯t able to find the stigma of Lyra shining in that deep darkness.

    ¡°¡­Heaven Unfolding should only be used as the absolutest resort.¡±

    Ohjin didn¡¯t know if he would be able to control Heaven Unfolding and have those side effects removedter on, but at least in the present, it was a skill he couldn¡¯t use recklessly.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s also a skill I can¡¯t use even if I want to.¡¯

    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he didn¡¯tpletely absorb the Dragon Eye¡¯s powers, but the power had slowly dispersed as time passed.

    In other words, it meant that in order to control the dragon vein¡¯s mana, he needed to absorb Ha-eun¡¯s power again like recharging an empty battery.

    ¡®I can¡¯t do that.¡¯

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t use the ck Heaven on her every time he used Heaven Unfolding when he didn¡¯t even know what kind of side effects it could cause.

    ¡®Even if I were to use it as thest resort, it won¡¯t be until I¡¯m able to use it without Ha-eun¡¯s help.¡¯

    Since the notification said that he would be able to handle more of the dragon vein¡¯s mana as the ck Heaven¡¯s awakening stage rose, being able to use Heaven Unfolding on his own woulde naturallyter on.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m sealing Heaven Unfolding until then.¡±

    Well, he would have no choice if the situation was seriously doomed without Heaven Unfolding, but it was the wise move if that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡®Then let¡¯s organize the information obtained from Cheon Doyoon.¡¯

    First came the ck Stars.

    ¡®The identity of the celestials of the ck Stars are celestials that were expelled by the others.¡¯

    Cheon Doyoon had said that they were named ¡®Pseudo Stars¡¯ and scorned by celestials in the past.

    ¡°Is that why they became the Pseudo Star Cult in the future?¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head with a confused expression.

    There was something that still weighed on his mind like a misaligned puzzle piece, but¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ need a little more information on this.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t jump to conclusions with the information obtained from Cheon Doyoon being too limited and vague.

    ¡®It¡¯s important that I¡¯ve gotten a clue for now.¡¯

    Now that he¡¯d figured out that the celestials of the ck Stars were expelled by other celestials in the past, discovering countermeasures woulde naturally once he focused his investigations on that clue.

    ¡°Nowes the others¡­¡±

    Other than that, Ohjin also obtained various information about the ck Star Organization and Demon Realm. In particr, the information regarding the Hippocampus faction that was said to be the most active recently was quite detailed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to organize all of that, too.¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    When he was in the middle of looking around for a pen¡ª

    Click¡ª

    ¡ªthe room door opened, and Ha-eun walked out with a sleepy face and unkempt hair like she had just woken up.

    ¡°Is your body doing okay?¡±

    Ohjin stopped organizing the information and approached her.

    ¡°Ah, yeah. I¡¯ve gotten a bit better now.¡±

    Ha-eun had copsed and fallen unconscious on the spot after being promoted to a 9-Star Awakener. It was probably because of the ¡®Body Reconstruction¡¯ that was said to happen once one became a high-rank Awakener.

    ¡®They say that aging stops progressing once their body goes through reconstruction.¡¯

    It was literally taking a step into the realm of a non-human.

    ¡°How is it now that you¡¯re a 9-Star? Does it feel a lot different from before?¡± Ohjin asked with eyes filled with curiosity.

    As the Awakeners who¡¯d managed to be a 9-Star were the extreme minority, there wasn¡¯t much information out there about the change that camepared to before.

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s definitely a big differencepared to when I became an 8-Star.¡±

    ¡°In what way?¡±

    ¡°How should I put this¡­ kind of like molting? Should I say it feels somewhat like that?¡±

    Ha-eun rubbed her chin and continued exining.

    ¡°Other than my body getting better¡­ my mana circuits have also gotten way wider. My mana also moves immediately as I want it to.¡±

    ¡°Ooh.¡±

    There was certainly a big difference starting from 9-Star.

    ¡°I¡¯m not used to it yet since I only just got promoted, but it does kind of feel like it¡¯s super amazing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good news.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ to think that the day I became a high-rank Awakener woulde.¡±

    It seemed like Ha-eun couldn¡¯t believe it herself as she lowered her clothes and stared at the nine flicks engraved on her left chest.

    ¡®Rather than that, why does she keep showing me her chest?¡¯

    ¡®Thank you very much.¡¯

    ¡®No, that wasn¡¯t what I meant to say.¡¯

    ¡°Khm.¡±

    Even though only the upper part could be seen, he couldn¡¯t stop his eyes from looking at her pure white skin.

    ¡°What are you looking so intensely at?¡±

    Noticing Ohjin¡¯s gaze, she put on a mischievous smile and poked his side.

    ¡°This seriously can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    How could he stop his eyes when it wasn¡¯t just any woman, but the person he loved, revealing such a defenseless state?

    ¡°Is looking the only thing you¡¯re going to do?¡±

    With her clothes lowered, Ha-eun slowly stuck her body close to him.

    ¡°Um¡­ you know, we¡¯re also¡­ d-dating now, right?¡±

    Ha-eun fidgeted her fingers as her face turned red as a beet.

    She avoided his gaze with a hesitant expression for a moment but soon gulped and asked carefully.

    ¡°Do¡­ you want to try touching?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®This is driving me crazy. Since when did she be this aggressive?¡¯

    ¡°¡­Later.¡±

    ¡°Why!!¡± shouted Ha-eun with her beet red face.

    ¡°I went out of my way to say it when I¡¯m dying from embarrassment!!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not in a situation where we should be enjoying ourselves as we please.¡±

    ¡°What do you¡­ ah.¡±

    Ha-eun who was about to frown and argue shut her lips tight.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡ªA situation where they shouldn¡¯t enjoy themselves as they pleased.

    As he said, they couldn¡¯t be at ease and act lovey-dovey just because their long desire was finally fulfilled.

    ¡°You¡­ haven¡¯t received contact from Vega, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Ohjin shook his head with a stiff expression.

    ¡ªVega.

    In order to save Ohjin and Ha-eun, she¡¯d used her power while ignoring the Commandment¡¯s Restriction and ended up being dismissed back to the sanctum. They couldn¡¯t make out with their minds at ease when they didn¡¯t know how she was doing.

    Although it was in a different way from Ha-eun, Vega was also one of the beings that were precious to him.

    ¡°¡­But she shouldn¡¯t have perished or something like that, right?¡± asked Ha-eun with a worried expression, as it seemed that she also developed an affection for Vega after all they went through.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t perish.¡±

    The power of stigmas ultimately derived from their celestial. As long as the stigma of Lyra remained, there was no way Vega¡¯s existence had perished.

    ¡°Though I¡¯m certain that she¡¯s not in good condition.¡±

    Ohjin touched the silver pendant on his neck and put on a bitter expression.

    When Vega wasn¡¯t able to leave the sanctum for a month after using only the blessing, It wasn¡¯t easy to imagine how much of the restriction would take into effect in the current case of where she¡¯dpletely unleashed her power.

    ¡°I happened to be nning a visit to her sanctuary.¡±

    Because all of the urgent matters were more or less organized, it was time to check in on Vega¡¯s wellbeing.

    ¡°I want to go, too.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Then let¡¯s prepare right away and head to the sanctum.¡±

    Ohjin was originally nning to go after organizing all of the information obtained from Cheon Doyoon, but since the situation already developed that way, it seemed that it¡¯d be best to check Vega¡¯s condition first.

    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ll brag to my heart¡¯s context to Vega.¡±

    Ha-eunughed yfully while her eyes twinkled.

    Just imagining what kind of reaction Vega would have when she found out that she had be lovers with Ohjin made her shoulders shake with joy.

    ¡°Ah, about that. We need to keep it a secret from Vega.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something I told Vega in the past.¡±

    ¡°Something you told Vega? What did you say?¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head.

    ¡°I lied to her and said that we were in a romantic rtionship in my past life.¡±

    ¡°You fucking what?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s mouth dropped open.

    She recalled the times when Vega had emphasized Ha-eun¡¯s rtionship with Ohjin with a profound expression.

    ¡°S-So that¡¯s why that bitch kept spreading her legs!!¡±

    Ha-eun stared at Ohjin with ferocious eyes.

    ¡°Why did you tell such a lie, you madman!!¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it in order to fool Vega.¡±

    ¡°But still, this is¡­ this is¡­!¡±

    With her fists tightly clenched, her shoulders trembled.

    ¡°NTR!!! This is NTR!!!¡±

    ¡®What the hell is this woman saying?¡¯

    ¡°A silver-haired thug is aiming for my Ohjin!!¡±

    ¡°Though it¡¯s true that Vega cherishes me, they probably aren¡¯t romantic feelings.¡±

    At most, wouldn¡¯t it be the feeling of a mother watching their child growing?

    ¡°¡­Do you really think that?¡±

    ¡°Just because I said that we were lovers in our past life doesn¡¯t mean that the romantic feeling passes on.¡±

    But in the least, Vega probably thought that he hadplicated feelings as the Vega from his past life and the Vega in the present ovepped. If the fact that he¡¯d be lovers with Ha-eun became known in that situation, she could notice that something was suspicious.

    ¡°No matter how I look at it¡­ goddammit. Yeah, what¡¯s the point of me talking.¡±

    Ha-eun, who was about to say something, sighed deeply, and shook her head.

    ¡°¡­Wait.¡±

    While shaking her head, Ha-eun suddenly looked at Ohjin as if she thought of something.

    ¡°No way, that Isabe bitch as well¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ah, we have to hide it from Isabe, too.¡±

    She was disying a strange amount of obsession regarding him.

    Needless to say, it was more likely that the obsession was as an appetizing prey rather than one of the opposite gender, but it was best to hide it as long as they didn¡¯t know what she was thinking.

    ¡°Now there¡¯s even a blond thug¡­¡±

    Ha-eun looked at Ohjin with an expression of despair.

    ¡®Why is this bastard so popr?¡¯

    She wasn¡¯t one to talk, but Ohjin¡¯s style wasn¡¯t one that garnered poprity. Out of all the men out there, he just so happened to have bewitched two women other than her.

    Even worse, one of them was a celestial known as a transcendent, and the other was the esteemed daughter of one of the most prestigious families in Europe.

    ¡®No¡­ other than that, isn¡¯t she also known as the Queen of Leeches or something?¡¯

    Ha-eun had also recently been informed of Isabe¡¯s identity.

    ¡°Ohjin¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Can I punch you in the face really fucking hard?¡±

    ¡°No, why?¡±

    Ha-eun sighed deeply and held tight onto Ohjin¡¯s arm.

    ¡®I won¡¯t ever let him be stolen.¡¯

    She couldn¡¯t let him be stolen¡­ not when she¡¯d marked him as her own starting from before she could even remember.

    ¡°Argh. Well, let¡¯s get going now.¡±

    Ohjin headed to the sanctum with Ha-eun stuck right next to him.

 Chapter 136: Extinguished Starlight (2)

    <strong>I¡¯m Not a Regressor</strong>

    <strong>Chapter 136: Extinguished Starlight (2)</strong>

    They climbed up the road made of the Milky Way that looked like it was made from intertwining the stars in the night sky that spread out to countless crossroads like the roots of a gigantic tree.

    Their final destination was at the end of the long Milky Way, one of the three sanctuaries located in the highest area of the sanctum.

    ¡°Ohjin, over there¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun and Ohjin¡¯s expressions stiffened as they arrived at the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s sanctuary.

    No light wasing out of the sanctuary that had originally emitted a gentle silver light.

    The sanctuary was dark, like an extinguished star.

    Ohjin¡¯s steps quickened.

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡°Vega!¡±

    He roughly opened the door and stepped inside.

    The first thing that stood out to his eyes was a massive wolf with its eyes shining with a fierce light.

    Riak, who was standing alone in the middle of the sanctuary as if he was waiting for Ohjin to arrive, bared his pure white teeth and opened his mouth.

    ¡°Rookie¡­ just¡­ just what happened?¡±

    Riak stared at Ohjin with his eyes that were releasing ferocious killing intent.

    Crack, crackle!¡ª

    Blue lightning zed up around his silver mane.

    ¡°¡­Riak.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself! What¡­ happened!¡±

    Crunch!¡ª

    Riak¡¯s body turned into the shape of a human as he roughly leaped towards Ohjin.

    A loud noise echoed throughout the entire sanctum.

    Riak disappeared in the blink of an eye and violently grasped Ohjin¡¯s neck. He looked at him with eyes that shone fiercely with blue light.

    ¡°Vega saved me.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Ohjin calmly exined the incident revolving around Cheon Doyoon.

    The crisis they¡¯d faced while fighting the King of Owls, the celestial of Noctua using its blessing, and Vega using Sacred Ground to defeat Noctua.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why Lady Vega¡­¡±

    Riak slurred the end of his sentence with a gloomy expression.

    ¡°How is Vega¡¯s condition?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riak turned his body around with a stiff face.

    ¡°Follow me. It¡¯ll be faster to see with your own eyes.¡±

    Following Riak, they went deeper into the sanctuary.

    After walking through the long hall and heading to the edge of the sanctuary, they saw a door that gave off a gentle silver light.

    The light that was supposed to cover the entire sanctuary was blinking as if it would go out at any moment.

    ¡°¡­This is.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s where Lady Vega usually resides. Come in.¡±

    Once the massive door that seemed to be over 20 meters tall opened, an empty space full of silver light came into sight.

    ¡ªA space epassed with silver light.

    They could see Vega tied up by dozens of silver chains. With her body curled up like a pupa, the goddess was bound by chains of light.

    ¡°Vega!¡±

    Ohjin tried to reach his hand out at the chains of light but was stopped by Riak, who was behind him.

    ¡°Even if you are a human that is free from the Commandment¡¯s Restriction, you won¡¯t stay unharmed if you touch it recklessly.¡±

    ¡°¡­What happened?¡±

    ¡°Lady Vega has had her consciousness sealed due to the restriction.¡±

    Ohjin chewed his lips while looking at Vega locked in chains. With her eyes closed as if she¡¯d fallen into a deep slumber, Vega didn¡¯t disy any sort of reaction.

    A chilly sensation ran down his spine from how she looked like a corpse.

    ¡®Does that mean she used her power until she reached this state¡­?¡¯

    He then realized howrge of a sacrifice she¡¯d made back then in order to protect him. Since every time she got restricted until then was being unable to materialize herself on Earth, he vaguely thought that she would at least be able to stay unscathed in the sanctuary.

    It was too big of a careless misunderstanding.

    ¡°W-Wait, there¡¯s no way that she¡¯s going to keep being in this sealed state, right?!¡±

    It seemed that Ha-eun also didn¡¯t expect Vega to be in that state, as she spoke with an urgent expression.

    Riak slowly shook his head.

    ¡°It will be unsealed on its own once time passes.¡±

    ¡°Phew. That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    Ha-eun smoothed down her chest as she exhaled a breath of relief.

    ¡°So how long will it take for the seal to be released?¡±

    ¡°Fifty years.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Ha-eun and Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened.

    Riak indicated the dozens of chains restraining Vega and continued.

    ¡°It takes exactly one year in Earth time for one of those chains to disappear. As fifty is the total number of chains restraining Lady Vega, it will take fifty years for her to regain consciousness.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡ªFifty Years.

    Ohjin and Ha-eun couldn¡¯t even disy any reaction to the time that felt so distant and rooted to the spot.

    ¡°¡­Fifty years?¡±

    It felt like the back of his head was mmed by a hammer.

    Although the constraint of lifespan disappeared once they became Awakeners, fifty years felt like an unimaginably long period of time as they lived their whole life as humans.

    ¡°W-Wait! Is¡­ Is it supposed to be this long? W-Weren¡¯t celestials of the North Stars supposed to be affected less by the restraints?!¡± Ha-eun asked in an argumentative manner.

    Riak nodded his head with his sharp eyes.

    ¡°This certainly isn¡¯t normal.¡±

    ¡°Right? It¡¯s taking this long because there was some sort of error or mistake that urred right?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s the opposite, lizard girl.¡±

    ¡°¡­What? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The restriction Lady Vega received this time is called ¡®Century Chains¡¯. It¡¯s a punishment that is only given to celestials that have used so much of their power that it wouldn¡¯t be strange if they perished.¡±

    ¡ªCentury Chains.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Ohjin furrowed his brow.

    He turned his head around and counted the number of chains tying Vega. As Riak said, the number of chains was exactly fifty.

    ¡°However, right now¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is what I meant when I said that it isn¡¯t normal.¡±

    Riak sighed deeply and approached Vega.

    ¡°What should have originally been a hundred chains has been reduced to fifty.¡±

    ¡°The reason being?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There were only fifty chains remaining when I first discovered Lady Vega bound up.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because she¡¯s a celestial of a North Star? Celestials are supposed to be able to endure the Commandment¡¯s Restrictions better the higher their league.¡±

    ¡°This is unrted to that. If Lady Vega wasn¡¯t a celestial of a North Star, she wouldn¡¯t have received the ¡®Century Chains¡¯ restriction but instead have her soul extinguished in the first ce.¡±

    ording to Riak, it meant that no matter how high a celestial¡¯s league was, the restriction itself would be applied the same to all celestials. In that case, it certainly wasn¡¯t ¡®normal¡¯ for there to be only fifty chains remaining when there were supposed to be a hundred.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes sank down.

    Inside the silence that set down, Ha-eun frowned and shouted out.

    ¡°Whether there are a hundred chains or fifty chains isn¡¯t what¡¯s important right now! Regardless of the reason, how could it be fifty years¡­!¡±

    It felt too harsh, even if it was the price for viting the restrictions.

    ¡°Damn it¡­ if only I didn¡¯t get kidnapped like a fucking idiot back then!¡±

    Feeling guilty for the incident, Ha-eun bit her lips as her eyes glistened like she was going to cry at any moment.

    Naturally, Ohjin felt the same way as she did, however¡­

    ¡®Why are there fifty instead of one hundred chains?¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t toote to cry, regret, and spend time repenting at ater date. Finding a way to get the chains of light restraining Vega off of her came first.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way they were cut in half for no reason.¡¯

    It was a renowned restriction that was known well enough amongst celestials for them to go out of their way and name it ¡®Century Chains¡¯. It wouldn¡¯t make sense for such a phenomenon to happen without any cause and effect.

    ¡®There should be a reason the Commandment¡¯s Restriction was reduced.¡¯

    With his eyes opened sharply, Ohjin examined the fifty chains that were tied around Vega¡¯s body.

    ¡®Riak said that there were only fifty chains when he first discovered her.¡¯

    In that case, it meant that something happened during the time between Vega¡¯s forced return to the sanctuary and Riak¡¯s arrival.

    ¡ªSomething that weakened the Commandment¡¯s Restriction.

    ¡°¡­No way.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    ¡°Is there something you figured out, kid?¡± Riak asked as his eyes shone.

    His expression was bloated with the expectation that a Regressor would possibly know the answer to the unknown phenomena.

    Ohjin looked back at Riak and answered.

    ¡°Riak. Take Ha-eun out and stay there for a while. There¡¯s something I have to confirm.¡±

    ¡°I got it.¡±

    Riak turned around without any remarks.

    ¡°What is it? Why are we going outside all of a sud¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯tment and follow me out, lizard girl.¡±

    ¡°Uht.¡±

    Ha-eun groaned briefly and slowly nodded her head.

    ¡°Call me if you need help.¡±

    Ddrrrrr¡ª

    Riak, who had gone outside, closed the door.

    Only Ohjin and Vega remained in the area filled with silver light.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin approached Vega and slowly reached his hand out at the chains that were restraining her.

    Rumble¡ª

    ck clouds came out of his palm and made contact with the chains of light.

    Bzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª

    As the clouds of the ck Heaven touched the chain, it caused scintition and disyed a fierce reaction.

    However, the light pouring out of the chains of light bounced off the ck Heaven¡¯s cloud and dispersed soon after.

    ¡°As expected.¡±

    If something happened in the short time of Vega returning to the sanctuary and Riak¡¯s arrival that weakened the Commandment¡¯s Restriction, there was only one possible answer:

    ¡®Heaven Unfolding.¡¯

    The ck Heaven unsealing had influenced the Commandment¡¯s Restriction.

    ¡®Come to think of it, Vega also said that the Commandment¡¯s Restriction had suddenly weakened some time ago.¡¯

    It was most likely right after eliminating Arshad Khan.

    Ohjin couldn¡¯te to a conclusion on the spot back then because there weren¡¯t even clues to properly nail down the cause, but¡­

    ¡®Once, you could call it a coincidence, but twice? That¡¯s nearly impossible.¡¯

    The ck Heaven had the power to weaken the Commandment¡¯s Restriction.

    The violent reaction caused when the ck Heaven¡¯s clouds made contact with the chains of light was enough to verify his hypothesis.

    ¡°The problem is¡­ whether or not I¡¯m able to use the ck Heaven to break these chains.¡±

    Ohjin summoned the ck Heaven a couple more times and brought it near the chains, but every time the clouds dispersed along with the strong rays of light.

    The same result urred when he used as much of the ck Heaven as he could.

    He couldn¡¯t break the chains of light by using the ck Heaven in his normal state.

    ¡®I need to use Heaven Unfolding.¡¯

    However, he couldn¡¯t use Heaven Unfolding right then with his own strength. Naturally, it would be possible if he used the ck Heaven to absorb Ha-eun¡¯s Dragon Eye one more time¡­

    ¡®But I don¡¯t know what kind of side effects could ur.¡¯

    If worse came to worst, Ha-eun¡¯s Dragon Eye couldpletely disappear.

    ¡®And if the Dragon Eye disappears, she won¡¯t be able to control the Dragon¡¯s Heart she absorbed recently.¡¯

    If she fell into an unstable state, she could possibly end up losing her life.

    ¡°¡­For now, I guess I can only leave her in this state until I can use Heaven Unfolding using my own power.¡±

    Ohjin looked at Vega, who was in a deep slumber, and sighed deeply.

    He faintly remembered how she¡¯d stroked his head with a caring smile.

    Throb¡ª

    Thick veins popped out on top of his clenched fist.

    Ohjin wanted to use Heaven Unfolding immediately to break the chains of light restraining her, but¡­

    ¡®Be patient.¡¯

    He had to be satisfied with the fact that he found a method to break the restriction.

    It was the right move to break the chains after being able to use Heaven Unfolding at its lowest requirement with his own power.

    ¡°I need to raise the ck Heaven¡¯s stage quickly.¡±

    The core of Heaven Unfolding was the mana of the dragon vein he¡¯d absorbed in the dungeon.

    As it said that the dragon vein¡¯s mana he was able to control would increase along with the ck Heaven¡¯s awakening stage, there was a need to advance the ck Heaven as fast as possible.

    ¡®And there¡¯s something I have in mind.¡¯

    Ohjin put Vega behind him and turned around to face the door.

    ¡®I should start by thinking of how to fool Riak.¡¯

    Needless to say, in order to break the chains without exposing the fact that he had the ck Heaven, the first thing he needed to do was deceive Riak.

    Coming over to break the chains without any prior information would obviously draw suspicion.

    Ddrrrr¡ª

    He opened the massive door and went outside.

    ¡°Is there something you found out, kid?¡±

    Riak, who was waiting outside, approached him with a nervous expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m not certain yet¡­ but I think there might be a way to remove the Commandment¡¯s Restriction.¡±

    ¡°I-Is that really true?!¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    Riak roughly kicked his feet and stepped closer to him.

    Ohjin looked back at Riak who was astonished and asked in a profound manner.

    ¡°Riak, by any chance¡ª the star relic called ¡®Adam¡¯s Apple¡¯¡­ have you heard of it before?¡±

    ¡°N-No. It¡¯s my first time hearing of it! What is it?!¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t know, either. I made it up on the spot.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s a star relic that can reduce the Commandment¡¯s Restriction.¡±

    ¡°I-I never heard of the existence of a star relic with those kinds of powers! Just where did you get this information¡­?¡±

    Riak looked at Ohjin like he couldn¡¯t understand.

    Ohjin smirked and continued.

    ¡°Riak, have you forgotten who I am?¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m a goddamn Regressor.¡¯

 Chapter 137: Extinguished Starlight (3)

    <strong>Chapter 137: Extinguished Starlight (3)</strong>

    ¡°¡ªAh.¡±

    Remembering a fact he had forgotten, Riak¡¯s blue pupils dted.

    ¡°Kyahaha!! Yeah! That¡¯s right!!¡±

    His expression was as if he had discovered a thread of light inside pitch-ck darkness.

    Riak¡¯s body trembled from thrill as he opened his mouth.

    ¡°You were a Regre¡ª¡°

    Flinch¡ª

    Riak, who was going to shout out of joy, suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at Ha-eun with a surprised expression.

    ¡°I already told her that I¡¯m a Regressor.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡­ I see.¡±

    Riak exhaled a deep breath of relief from the stroke of good luck.

    ¡°Y-Yeah! Ohjin¡¯s a Regressor!¡±

    Ha-eun suddenly looked at Ohjin and nodded her head like a broken machine.

    ¡®Please don¡¯t do anything, Ha-eun.¡¯

    Ohjin grasped his forehead like he had a headache as he looked at how overwhelmingly awkward she looked.

    ¡°So, what exactly is this thing called Adam¡¯s Apple?¡± Riak asked as he gulped.

    Ohjin continued exining.

    ¡°When we fought with the Heavenly Demon, he was so strong that even celestials directly participated in the battle. The star relic we used to weaken the restrictions back then is Adam¡¯s Apple.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ve never heard of a star relic like that before¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course you haven¡¯t. It¡¯s a star relic no one had been able to discover yet at this point in time.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Riak narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°But ording to what I¡¯ve heard from Lady Vega, she said that the future has started to change¡­ does that thing called the Adam¡¯s Apple exist for certain?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re able to obtain it right now because the future has changed. Originally, the omen of the ¡®Divine Tree¡¯ is supposed to appear in the distant future.¡±

    ¡°Omen of the Divine Tree¡­?¡±

    ¡°You said that the chains of light restraining Vega suddenly reduced to fifty, right?¡±

    Ohjin looked at the tightly shut door and continued.

    ¡°That is the omen that indicates that the Divine Tree bearing Adam¡¯s Apple has grown. It¡¯s also something we discovered back then after looking for the cause of the Commandment¡¯s Restriction decreasing for no reason.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I see.¡±

    Riak nodded his head with a dumb look.

    It wasn¡¯t easy to believe, but Ohjin was a Regressor who went against the currents of time.

    He was the Heaven-defying Star who would save the world.

    No matter how groundless it sounded, the amount of trust varied infinitely depending on who told the story.

    ¡®He doesn¡¯t have a choice but to ept it, even if it¡¯s hard to believe.¡¯

    Ohjin recalled a psychological experiment he¡¯d seen a while back.

    ¡ªAn experiment where they tested if patients who came to be diagnosed by a doctor would spin around on the spot with their nose blocked if they were told it was needed in order to diagnose the illness by the doctor.

    Despite knowing that spinning on the spot with their nose blocked had no rtion to diagnosing an illness with theirmon sense, surprisingly enough, most people listened to the doctor and conducted the absurd order.

    Was it because the patients were simply stupid?

    ¡®It can¡¯t be.¡¯

    ¡ªThe authority the profession ¡®Doctor¡¯ held.

    They had naturally followed the order because of that authority.

    Riak obviously wasn¡¯t a human, but he had the same intelligence and sociability as humans.

    He couldn¡¯t help but sumb in front of the authority that a mere doctor couldn¡¯tpare to, the Heaven-defying Star.

    ¡®And this isn¡¯t even as out of the blue as diagnosing an illness by having to spin around with their nose blocked on the spot.¡¯

    Riak also knew that there were fifty chains instead of what was supposed to be one hundred. Not even Riak thought that the phenomenon happened for no given reason.

    For a phenomenon with an unknown cause, it was natural to believe when an ostensible reason was presented.

    ¡°Then are you saying that we¡¯ll be able to save Lady Vega from the restriction if we obtain Adam¡¯s Apple?¡±

    ¡°Most likely.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ from where are we going to obtain such a precious star relic?¡±

    ¡°Leave that to me.¡±

    With his eyebrows slightly raised, and unwavering eyes¡­

    Shoulders spread wide, and a voice full of conviction¡­

    It was basic expression acting that was used in job interviews, but an ambitious spirit as if a veteran general was on his way to take over enemy territories emitted out when Ohjin used it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll obtain Adam¡¯s Apple at all costs.¡±

    ¡°Rookie¡­¡±

    Riak looked at Ohjin with shaking eyes like he was touched.

    ¡°Grrr! I cannot stand idle when you¡¯re doing this much! I will lend my hand in the quest to obtain Adam¡¯s Apple!!¡±

    ¡®Huh? Fuck, this isn¡¯t going as nned.¡¯

    ¡°No. You should stay here, Riak.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t a lot of your power restricted since Vega¡¯s affected by the Commandment¡¯s Restriction?¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°And we can¡¯t leave Vega alone here in that state.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ugh.¡±

    Riak, who couldn¡¯t think of any words of refute, groaned silently and dropped his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave Vega to you while I¡¯m out obtaining Adam¡¯s Apple, Riak.¡±

    ¡°Grrrr.¡±

    Riak growled fiercely and nodded his head.

    ¡°Do not worry. This Riak shall personally rip apart anyone who darese to the sanctuary with the intent of harming Lady Vega.¡±

    ¡°I trust you.¡±

    Ohjinughed heartily and extended out his hand.

    Riak put strength in his hands and grasped Ohjin¡¯s lent-out hand.

    Crunch¡ª

    ¡®My bones are going to break, you insane bastard.¡¯

    The pressure on his hands felt like it was going to break his skin, but Ohjin desperately maintained his smile and turned around.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll start trying to find Adam¡¯s Apple right away.¡±

    ¡°How long do you think it¡¯ll take?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, either.¡±

    Not even Ohjin himself knew how much time would be required to be able to use Heaven Unfolding with his own strength.

    However¡­

    ¡°In the least, it won¡¯t take fifty years, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Fifty years? He was confident that it wouldn¡¯t even take a year.

    ¡®I probably won¡¯t need to raise the awakening stage that much.¡¯

    The amount of power he¡¯d absorbed from Ha-eun¡¯s Dragon Eye was an extremely small portion in the first ce. It was likely that there weren¡¯t many steps left until he could use Heaven Unfolding on his own since he was able to use Heaven Unfolding with just that.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m going now, Riak.¡±

    ¡°Hmpf. Don¡¯t mess up like a rookie because you¡¯re not with me,¡± Riak said bluntly as he puffed air out of his nose.

    Ohjin smirked and started to walk away from the sanctuary with Ha-eun.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riak stood in front of Vega¡¯s room like a gatekeeper and stared at Ohjin¡¯s back as it gradually grew more distant.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting, rooki¡­ no.¡±

    Like a knight bowing to their king, he got down on one knee and respectfully dropped his head.

    ¡°Oh, Heaven-defying Star who will brighten the ck Heaven¡¯s darkness.¡±

    * * *

    ¡°¡­Ohjin.¡±

    On the way back home after leaving the sanctuary, Ha-eun, who was walking silently next to him, opened her mouth.

    ¡°That Adam¡¯s Apple thing. Is it real?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, it¡¯s a lie.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hah.¡±

    Ha-eun chuckled with a look that expressed how absurd she thought it was.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re seriously crazy. That was a lie? I believed it despite knowing all about you.¡±

    As Ohjin had said it with an expression filled with such conviction, even Ha-eun, who knew the truth, ended up falling for it.

    ¡®This guy was born with a gift to a scam.¡¯

    Ominously, a worrying thought crossed her mind.

    ¡°Ohjin you¡­ saying that you¡¯ll take responsibility for me wasn¡¯t a lie, right?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Ohjin smiled and pulled Ha-eun, who was walking next to him, in by the hip.

    ¡°Even if I live off lying, I wouldn¡¯t do that to you.¡±

    ¡°K-Khm. Th-The people who say that always end up being scammers.¡±

    Even while poking Ohjin¡¯s side, Ha-eun smiled sheepishly.

    ¡°Well, anyway. So what are you nning to do? You said that the Adam¡¯s Apple thing is a lie. Then how will you get rid of the restriction on Vega?¡±

    ¡°I just need to use Heaven Unfolding.¡±

    Ohjin passed on the truth he found out recently.

    ¡°But aren¡¯t you able to use Heaven unfolding if you absorb a bit of my eye? Then¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Ohjin firmly shook his head.

    ¡°As long as we don¡¯t know what kind of side effects it could cause to you, I refuse to use that method.¡±

    ¡°But there was nothing like thatst ti¡ª¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that there won¡¯t be any side effects because it didn¡¯t happen once.¡±

    Just because you passed across a frozen river once didn¡¯t mean that the ice would be able to endure the load next time.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no other method.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. That ck Heaven thing; is there a method to increase its stage?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The edges of Ohjin¡¯s lips tilted up.

    A smile of a hunter at a prey was ced on his mouth.

    ¡°There has only been one method to increase the ck Heaven¡¯s awakening stage until now.¡±

    ¡ªDevouring more stigmas and devouring stronger stigmas.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t nning to indiscriminately ambush any Awakener, right?¡±

    ¡°Why would I do something so inefficient?¡±

    There was no way that the ck Heaven would awaken by devouring low-rank stigmas.

    ¡°¡­Then putting the efficiency problem aside, what are you going to do?¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head and looked at Ohjin.

    Ohjin shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Ha-eun, have you ever eaten seahorses?¡±

    ¡°¡­Would anyone have eaten something like that?¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    Ohjin licked his lips while his eyes shone.

    ¡°So I was nning to use this opportunity to try them out.¡±

    The Hippocampus faction that was said to be energetic recently in Japan was the prey Ohjin was aiming for next.

    ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking of doing, but you aren¡¯t going to say that you¡¯re going alone this time as well, right?

    Ha-eun stared at him sharply.

    ¡°I need your help this time.¡±

    ¡°Oh, wait! Those Hippocampus guys aren¡¯t in Korea but Japan, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Ooooooh!!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ¡°An overseas trip!! Finally, I¡¯m going on an overseas trip!!¡±

    ¡®And with Ohjin, at that!¡¯

    Ha-eun shouted out of joy and suddenly raised her arms up high.

    She was feeling distressed because of the guilt she felt about Vega bing sealed just moments ago, but it appeared that she was able to return to her original condition once she found out there was a method to get rid of the seal.

    ¡°Hehehe. I¡¯ll have to take a bunch of photos and tease Vega once she wakes up~?.¡±

    ¡°¡­Though we¡¯re not going there to have fun.¡±

    Ohjin put on a bitter smile and walked out of the sanctum.

    At that moment¡ª

    ¡°Are you Gwon Ohjin?¡±

    ¡ªan old man wearing a white garment approached him.

    ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s correct.¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head and looked at the old man.

    The old man had a gentle face that made one reminiscent of a Taoist.

    It was a somewhat familiar face.

    ¡°Hoho. It¡¯s nice to meet you like this.¡±

    The old man respectfully bowed his head and extended out his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m Cheon Sanggil.¡±

    ¡ªStar of the Celestial Pivot, Cheon Sanggil.

    One of the strongest Awakeners known as a Seven Star hade looking for him.

 Chapter 138: Star of Celestial Pivot (1)

    <strong>Chapter 138: Star of Celestial Pivot (1)</strong>

    ¡°S-Star of Celestial Pivot?!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open.

    Star of Celestial Pivot, Cheon Sanggil.

    He was the ruler of the Ganghwa Special Autonomous Zone, alsomonly known as ¡®Paradise¡¯.

    The person who came looking for Ohjin was both Korea¡¯s strongest Awakener in name and reality and also one of the ten strongest Awakeners worldwide.

    And it wasn¡¯t through ordering an attendant or guild member, but the Star of Celestial Pivot himself.

    ¡°What business does the Star of Celestial Pivot have with Ohjin¡­?¡±

    When Ha-eun was alternating looking at Cheon Sanggil and Ohjin with a dumbfounded expression, Cheon Sanggil approached Ohjin with slow steps.

    ¡°Even if I am a dying oldster, thankfully, my ears haven¡¯t gone deaf yet. I¡¯ve heard a lot of stories about the Lightning Wolf.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor.¡±

    Ohjin respectfully bowed his head and epted the handshake offered by Cheon Sanggil.

    He could feel serene energy from his wrinkly palm.

    His mana was clean and pure like distilled water without any impurities mixed within.

    ¡®Is he an actual Taoist?¡¯

    Ohjin hade across many Awakeners to date, but it was his first time encountering such pure mana.

    ¡°I came looking for you because I wish to share a conversation with you. Do you have time?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know what Cheong Sanggil was going to talk about, but he couldn¡¯t say he was busy and turn them down when one of the Seven Stars came looking for him personally.

    ¡®Star of Celestial Pivot¡­¡¯

    The superhuman who he¡¯d heard of countless times to the point it was tiring hade looking for him. Ohjin started to think that the influence contained in the name ¡®Lightning Wolf¡¯ was bigger than he thought.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ve already prepared a location, so follow me.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil turned around with a faint smile.

    ¡°Ohjin, is it really okay for me to go along?¡±

    ¡°Well, it probably doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not like he said wants to meet me one-on-one.¡±

    He followed Cheon Sanggil with Ha-eun.

    The ce Cheon Sanggil guided them to was a quiet teahouse built in a traditional Korean wood-frame style. The store in the middle of Seoul was so luxurious and grand that it made them mistake it for a pce built in the Joseon Dynasty.

    ¡®What kind of teahouse is this big?¡¯

    It was a store that made him wonder if they would be able to maintain upkeep even if they sold decocted opium instead of tea leaves.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start by getting ourselves a cup of tea. Is there any kind of tea you wish to drink?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about tea.¡±

    ¡°Then I shall order something appropriate.¡±

    Once Cheon Sanggil lightly shook the bell on top of the table, the sliding door opened as an employee wearing delicate Hanbok entered the room.

    ¡°Please give us three cups of astral tea.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡®Astral tea? Did that kind of tea always exist?¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s a tea made by deconditioning tea leaves grown from manure that was mixed with finely ground starstones. The taste is exceptional, but it also has the effect of helping mana cirction in the body.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t know what it was, but just listening to it made him think that the tea would be shockingly expensive.

    Slide¡ª

    Soon after, the door opened, and an employee holding three cups of steaming tea came in.

    ¡°Thank you for the tea.¡±

    Ohjin took a sip out of the tea that gave off a gentle blue light.

    The scent of pure mint spread out in his mouth and his head felt like it was bing clear.

    ¡°Is the tea to your liking?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It feels like my head is bing clear.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    With a benign smile, Cheon Sanggil took a sip out of his tea.

    As Ha-eun, who was sitting down next to Ohjin copied the way he drank his tea, her eyes opened wide, and she chugged down the tea in one shot.

    ¡®Ha-eun, that isn¡¯t beer.¡¯

    ¡°First off, the reason I came here to find you is that I wanted to pass on my thanks to you.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡®His thanks?¡¯

    Ohjin didn¡¯t have any memory of doing something that warranted him hearing those words from Cheon Sanggil.

    ¡°It¡¯s only rightful for me to pass on my thanks when you stopped my undisciplined younger brother before hemitted even more heinous deeds.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Pfff!!! Wh-What? Younger brother?¡±

    Ha-eun, who was sneakily drinking Ohjin¡¯s tea, roughly spat out her tea and looked at Cheon Sanggil.

    ¡°¡­Are you the brother of Cheon Doyoon?¡±

    ¡°Yes, although we weren¡¯t in the kind of rtionship where we asked about each other¡¯s well-being.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil held up his cup of tea with a bitter expression.

    ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t even know my younger brother was alive until recently. Eight¡­ no, it¡¯s already been nine years. Please understand that I¡¯ve lost my sense of time due to my old age.¡±

    Tak¡ª

    He lowered his cup of tea and continued.

    ¡°I lost contact with Doyoon after the door leading to the Demon Realm was opened in the North Pole. I thought he was unmistakably dead, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You discovered that he was alive from the recent incident.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I also discovered that he became an Executor of the ck Star Organization andmitted treacherous deeds.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil¡¯s eyes shone coldly.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡®Is that why the Heaven¡¯s Grace guild took direct action in the Owl uprooting operation?¡¯

    It would exin why they suddenly mobilized when they would normally refrain froming out of Paradise.

    ¡°I was going to personally punish my ill-behaved younger brother before hemitted any more deeds¡­ but unfortunately, he escaped to an unknown ce.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil sighed deeply.

    ¡°And during that time, I ended up hearing your story. That is why I came looking for you personally to give my thanks.¡±

    The fact that Ohjin defeated Cheon Doyoon wasn¡¯t known to the public, but it appeared that it couldn¡¯t avoid the Heaven¡¯s Grace guild¡¯s of information.

    ¡°Thank you. You took this old man¡¯s ce and dealt with what I should¡¯ve done.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil got up from his seat and bowed deeply.

    Ohjin attentively observed his expression in case he knew about the Heaven Unfolding he¡¯d used in the middle of the fight with Cheon Doyoon, but it didn¡¯t seem like that was the case.

    ¡°No. I only did what I had to.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Indeed, you¡¯re a young man worthy of being called a hero.¡±

    In any case, It seemed that Cheon Sanggil was mistaken and thought Ohjin had punished Cheon Doyoon because he was engulfed in a burning sense of justice.

    ¡®Better for me.¡¯

    There was nothing better to exploit than the title of ¡®hero¡¯.

    Humans were bound to be attracted to ¡®good people¡¯ by instinct.

    No, to be exact¡­

    ¡®They¡¯re bound to be attracted to people they believe are good.¡¯

    The truth wasn¡¯t important.

    All that was important was making it seem like the truth.

    ¡°How could I possiblypare to the Seven Stars?¡±

    ¡°It is an excessive title for this old man.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil sat back in his seat.

    ¡°No. I¡¯ve heard so much about the feats achieved by the Star of Celestial Pivot that my ears started to bleed.¡±

    In honesty, there weren¡¯t many feats by the Star of Celestial Pivot he knew about, as he didn¡¯t have much interest in the Seven Stars. Out of them, the only thing he knew in detail was the incident that caused him to start being called the Star of Celestial Pivot.

    Ohjin shouted out in a needlessly excited voice.

    ¡°The high-rank Awakener of Capricorn who¡¯s said to be able to control sound as he wills! There shouldn¡¯t be a single person in the whole world who hasn¡¯t heard of the anecdote of you subduing thousands of monsters that escaped out of a gate and indiscriminately attacked people with just a whistle six years ago!¡±

    ¡°K-Khm. Is¡­ Is that so?¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t know, but it is really goddamn famous.¡¯

    It was a story that even Ohjin, who didn¡¯t have the slightest interest in the Seven Stars, knew.

    ¡°To Koreans, Sir Cheon Sanggil is a hero who should be admired to a great degree.¡±

    ¡°Hoho. Stop it. I¡¯m so embarrassed I can¡¯t raise my head.¡±

    Despite saying that, Cheon Sanggil couldn¡¯t hide the smile on his face.

    Indeed, one of the Seven Stars or not, he was still human.

    ¡°So¡­ Did youe to find me just to give your thanks?¡±

    ¡®A Seven Star wouldn¡¯t end things with only words, right?¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s the biggest reason. Ah, naturally, I don¡¯t intend to pass over this with just my thanks. Of course, I have prepared an appropriate reward.¡±

    ¡°N-No!¡±

    ¡®Yeah! This is fucking it!¡¯

    ¡°Being able to meet the hero I admire is more than enough!¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t know what you prepared, but hurry up and take it out.¡¯

    ¡°Take this.¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t need to do this¡­¡±

    ¡®This is what you needed to do.¡¯

    ¡°Fuu. Since I cannot disregard your sincerity, I¡¯ll take it with gratitude.¡±

    Spouting out things that weren¡¯t on his mind, he opened the small box he¡¯d received from Cheon Sanggil.

    Inside was a rectangr card that looked like a passport.

    ¡°It¡¯s an entrance ticket to Paradise.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡±

    Ohjin nodded his head as his expression rapidly cooled down.

    ¡ªThe right to enter Paradise that could be obtained for $10,000,000.

    He might¡¯ve been entranced by it in the past, but the item didn¡¯t really draw his interest in the present.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯d be right to call this an invitation in this case.¡±

    ¡°An invitation?¡±

    ¡°I want to invite you to Paradise.¡±

    Paradise¡­

    He had always wanted to go there at least once since the ce was covered in a veil and was so mysterious, but¡­

    ¡°I apologize, but there is something else I have to do.¡±

    Getting rid of the restriction on Vega came first.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be in a hurry. Just pay me a visit when you have time. It¡¯ll probably be a good experience for you, too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll make sure to visit youter.¡±

    There was no reason to refuse the invitation when Cheon Sanggil went out of his way to invite him.

    ¡°Would it be okay if I asked what you¡¯re preupied with?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ohjin thought for a while and then answered as he narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°There are matters I have to take care of in Japan.¡±

    ¡°Japan, huh¡­ are you going to hunt the ¡®Seahorses¡¯?¡±

    As expected, he also knew about the Hippocampus faction.

    ¡°If so, try paying this guy a visit.¡±

    Once Cheon Sanggil lightly tapped the table, an attendant wearing a delicate Hanbok appeared from somewhere and lent out a piece of paper and pen.

    He took the pen and wrote some contact info on top of the paper as if he was performing calligraphy.

    ¡°He¡¯s an Awakener I¡¯m fairly acquainted with. His personality is¡­ a bit unique, but he¡¯ll probably help you.¡±

    The name ¡®Sakaki Ryo¡¯ was written.

    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll give him a call.¡±

    Ohjin needed to make connections with the natives in order to hunt the Hippocampus faction in earnest anyways. A person who had connections with the Star of Celestial Pivot would be trustworthy.

    ¡°Then this old man shall take his leave now. Ah, I¡¯ll pay the bills in advance, so have a meal with the youngdy before you leave. The Korean cuisine here is very famous for that.¡±

    ¡°That?¡±

    Cheon Sanggil alternated looking at Ha-eun and Ohjin, and then put on a mischievous smile.

    Slightly extending his wrinkly mouth, he whistled.

    -I¡¯m talking about stamina for that!

    A voice echoed out in his head.

    It was hard to believe those words came out of Cheon Sanggil, who looked like a Taoist who¡¯d achieved Nirvana or a guardian spirit of a mountain.

    ¡®¡­What is this old man saying all of a sudden.¡¯

    -Fufu. Enjoy the meal and go out for fun tonight. Your feisty pir will go ¡ªboom!

    Cheon Sanggil suddenly thrusted his tightly clenched fist upwards.

    ¡®Stop it, you bastard.¡¯

    Ohjin urgently looked at Ha-eun, but it seemed that he was the only one who could hear it, as Ha-eun didn¡¯t show any kind of special reaction.

    He looked at Cheon Sanggil with a dumbfounded expression.

    ¡°Hahaha! It seems that his old man was too immodest!¡±

    Cheon Sanggilughed heartily and got up from his seat.

    Slide¡ª

    Right before opening the door and going outside¡ª

    ¡°Oh right, and forst¡­¡±

    ¡ªhe looked back at Ohjin with a serious face.

    -Be careful of the Snakes.

    Simultaneously with his low voice that rang out in his head, the sliding door closed.

    ¡°¡­The Snakes, huh.¡±

    Mumbling the sticky, ominous name, Ohjin shook the bell that was ced on top of the table.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take your order.¡±

    ¡°Please give us the Korean cuisine full-course meal.¡±

 Chapter 139: Star-forsaken Land (1)

    <strong>Chapter 139: Star-forsaken Land (1)</strong>

    ¡°Ohjinnnnnn! Wake uppppppp!¡±

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    A blunt force impacted his belly.

    With his body snapped into the shape of the letter V, he saw Ha-eun on top of his stomach once he opened his eyes.

    It was hard to decide where to look, as she was wearing dolphin shorts that fully exposed her thighs and a baggy white T-shirt.

    ¡°Wh-What is it?¡±

    Ohjin confirmed the time using the phone he¡¯d ced next to his pillow with a surprised expression.

    The time was 5:38AM.

    It was before the sun had even risen.

    ¡°Hehe! We¡¯ll miss the airport bus if we dawdle!!¡± Ha-eun shouted as if she was a grade-schooler on the day before a pic.

    Ohjin looked up at her with a dumbfounded expression.

    ¡°The flight is at 12PM, what are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Heh, you know nothing! Everyone misses their flight like that!¡±

    ¡°Damn it, there are reasonable limits to everything.¡±

    Ha-eun was making a fuss when there were still over six hours left until the flight.

    ¡°Anyways! Stop the small talk, and hurry up and get prepared!¡± she shouted as she forcefully stole his nket and threw it far away.

    Ohjin sighed like it couldn¡¯t be helped and tried to raise his torso up.

    ¡°Ah, wait.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    She had told him to hurry up and get prepared moments ago, but she suddenly pressed down on his chest with her hands when he was trying to.

    Once he tilted his head and looked up at her, he could see that she was hesitating with her cheeks heating up.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°J-Just wait a second, man. I need to brace myself.¡±

    ¡®Brace herself?¡¯

    ¡°Fuu. Alright.¡±

    Ha-eun gulped as she took deep breaths with her hand on top of his chest. Positioned on top of him, she slowly lowered her back and gently made contact with Ohjin¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Mmh.¡±

    ¡ªHair that tickled his cheeks.

    Breathing from his nose, he could feel an unbelievably smooth sensation from his lips that touched hers.

    ¡°Fua!¡±

    Ha-eun broke off of Ohjin as she exhaled the breath she¡¯d held onto.

    She looked away, avoiding Ohjin¡¯s gaze, and hesitantly opened her mouth as she fiddled with the tip of her index fingers.

    ¡°M-Morning kiss¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Haha¡­ where did she learn these cunning tricks?¡¯

    Adding in some exaggeration, his heart beat like it was going to crush his ribs and jump out.

    He thought that there wouldn¡¯t be many events that would cause his heart to palpitate because they¡¯d be lovers after being together for such a long period of time, but as if mocking him for having those kinds of thoughts, his heart beat uncontrobly to every physical disy of affection.

    ¡®Others would puke, saying that it¡¯s cringe, but¡­¡¯

    So what?

    Even if it was cringe-worthy and embarrassing, he felt so happy that he could die.

    ¡°Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah?¡±

    Ha-eun nced at Ohjin as she turned her head around.

    As if the sunlight that hadn¡¯t fully risen yet was beaming into the room, the air started to heat up.

    While slowly extending his hand out and gently stroking her face, he opened his mouth.

    ¡°You¡¯re heavy.¡±

    ¡°You fucker.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression suddenly distorted.

    ¡°Learn to read the room¡­!¡±

    Her ferocious fists struck his chest.

    Even while feeling the radiating pain in his chest, he exploded out intoughter.

    He was happy.

    To the point his brain was melting¡­

    To the extent his tongue had numbed¡­

    -Be careful of the Snakes.

    Cheon Sanggil¡¯s warning ominously crossed his mind.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He gently grabbed Ha-euns arms as she was grumbling and hitting his chest.

    So that the warmth in his hands¡­ wouldn¡¯t stray off to an unknown ce.

    * * *

    ¡°The airport! So this is the Incheon International Airport that I¡¯ve always heard about!!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked around like some country bumpkin that¡¯de to Seoul for the first time.

    ¡°Ohjin! Ohjin! This ce is reaaaaaally damn massive!¡±

    ¡°¡­Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡®Please stop, you¡¯re embarrassing me.¡¯

    ¡°Wow, to think that a day where we go on an overseas trip woulde! Indeed, you really never know where you¡¯ll end up in life!¡±

    Well, back in the orphanage days, they would¡¯ve never imagined that they would go on an overseas trip together like that.

    ¡°I told you, it¡¯s not a trip. Ah, did you bring your trantion device?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve had it equipped since this morning!¡±

    Ohjin smiled and confirmed the ticket for the flight he¡¯d reserved.

    ¡®It would be morefortable if we went through the sanctum, but¡­¡¯

    Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t go to Japan through the sanctum because there wasn¡¯t any leading to Japan in the first ce.

    ¡®Did they call it¡­ the Star-forsaken Land?¡¯

    It was an insult people used when they mocked Japan, where sanctums didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡®Though it¡¯s just that they don¡¯t have ess to the sanctum. It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t have Awakeners.¡¯

    Although it wasn¡¯t certain if that was the cause, Japan stood out for having a small number of Awakeners.

    Even if there were Awakeners, the vast majority of them were at a low star rank. Not a single high-rank Awakener above or at the 9-Star rank existed in the entirety of Japan.

    ¡®Which is probably why it¡¯s been overrun by the Hippocampus faction that is ranked the lowest in the ck Star Organization.¡¯

    ording to the information obtained from Cheon Doyoon, the Hippocampus faction¡¯s forces were so weak that they would pale inparison to the Noctua faction.

    The difference was clear just by the fact that the one called the King of Seahorses, ¡®Kusanagi Sosuke¡¯, was ranked 7th out of the Executors of the ck Star Organization and was an 8-Star Awakener.

    ¡®The difference between someone being a 9-Star or not is heaven and earth.¡¯

    He had be certain of that as he had witnessed Ha-eun recently bing a 9-Star Awakener.

    ¡®In any case, he¡¯ll be the best prey.¡¯

    If Kusanagi Sosuke was a 9-Star Awakener like Cheon Doyoon, he wouldn¡¯t be able to go on the hunt without any hesitation like he was currently. Even if he became a 7-Star, it still wasn¡¯t enough to face a 9-Star Awakener.

    ¡°Ohjin! Ohjin! Let¡¯s hurry up and check out the duty-free shops!¡±

    Ha-eun, who was excited about being in an airport for the first time, dragged Ohjin around.

    A faint smile was smudged on Ohjin¡¯s face.

    ¡®Is there anything you want to buy?¡±

    ¡°Cigarettes! I heard that they were cheap here!¡±

    ¡®Oh right. She was a smoker.¡¯

    He had momentarily forgotten, as she rarely smoked when he was around her.

    ¡°Okay. Then I guess I¡¯ll have a look around to see if there¡¯s anything I want to get.¡±

    Ohjin followed Ha-eun to the duty-free shops.

    He would¡¯ve scolded Ha-eun for smoking even as a joke in the past, but the reason to do that disappeared ever since she¡¯d be a high-rank Awakener.

    ¡®Waste doesn¡¯t pile up in the body after the body goes through reconstruction.¡¯

    In her current state, as long as she smoked while making sure it didn¡¯t cause harm to others nearby, it was a perfect item of personal preference that caused no damage.

    ¡®It really is overpowered.¡¯¡¯

    There were two steps remaining until he became a 9-Star Awakener.

    Suppressing the urge of wanting to quickly climb up the remaining two steps, he followed her inside the shop.

    After buying cigarettes from the duty-free shop, they passed a gate to board the airne.

    In the middle of walking to the tunnel after their tickets were checked, Ohjin looked back at Ha-eun as if he had thought of something.

    ¡°Oh right. Ha-eun, you remember what I told you yesterday, right?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head for a moment and soon pped her hands together as if she had just remembered now.

    ¡°The thing about having to take your shoes off before you board the ne?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Fufu. Bastard¡­ just what do you take me for?¡±

    Ha-eun looked at Ohjin like he was being ridiculous and showed off her left leg that was wearing sneakers.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I wore sneakers that are easy to take off!!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡±

    ¡°Hehe! Now this is what you call ¡®preparedness¡¯!¡±

    Ohjin shrugged and smiled delightfully while looking at Ha-eun walking in front of him.

    * * *

    Just like that, they arrived at Osaka International Airport.

    ¡°O-Ohjin, you son of a bitchhhhhhh!!¡±

    After getting off the ne, Ha-eun stared at Ohjin as her cheeks reddened from embarrassment. From behind, she could see the flight attendants smile while looking at her.

    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d actually believe me.¡±

    ¡°Y-You piece of¡­!¡±

    She devastatingly twisted Ohjin¡¯s side as he wasughing out loud.

    Even while feeling pain that made it seem like his flesh was going to tear off, Ohjin¡¯s shoulders didn¡¯t stop shaking withughter.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t you ever get sick of making fun of me? Huh? Answer me!¡±

    ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s fun and feels new every single time.¡±

    ¡°Goddammit!!!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!!¡±

    Taking along the rampaging Ha-eun, Ohjin went out into downtown Osaka.

    After leaving their luggage behind in a hotel located near Nanba Station, they headed outside.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Well then, shall we start our search for those seahorse or seafood whatever bastards?¡±

    It seemed that her anger had settled down on the way to the hotel, as Ha-eun stretched and cracked her knuckles.

    ¡°That¡¯s new. I thought you¡¯d say that you want us to go y somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Well, I do want to, but getting Vega out of those chainses first.¡±

    Ha-eun smiled bitterly and continued.

    ¡°But are you sure that you¡¯ll be able to use Heaven Unfolding if ck Heaven¡¯s level rises?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that yet.¡±

    In the first ce, he wasn¡¯t even sure if the ck Heaven would go through its sixth awakening after hunting down the Hippocampus faction.

    ¡°Whether it works or not, we¡¯ll have to try everything we can.¡±

    ¡°¡­As I thought, won¡¯t it be best to absorb a little bit of my eye?¡±

    ¡°I said no.¡±

    ¡°But still¡­¡±

    Ha-eun fumbled around her left eye that had an eyepatch equipped and sighted briefly.

    ¡®The way she doesn¡¯t take care of her body still hasn¡¯t changed.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s strange, considering you used to fight with Vega all the time.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ it is technically my fault for getting kidnapped like a fucking moron¡­¡±

    She continued while scratching her head.

    ¡°And what is it¡­ I do also slightly miss her flying around everywhere like a fly and whining ¡®my child~ my child~¡¯.¡±

    When all was said and done, Ha-eun was quite close to Vega.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be able to get rid of the restriction in no time, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Tch. Well, I guess it¡¯ll also be a problem if we return too quickly since we came here after you lied about trying to obtain Adam¡¯s Apple.¡±

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue and nodded.

    ¡°So how are we going to find the Seahorses?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the location of a couple of branches.¡±

    Ohjin was originally nning to secretly infiltrate one of the branches in Osaka and find information leading to Kusanagi Sosuke, but¡­

    ¡°I was thinking of meeting the person called Sakaki Ryo first.¡±

    He looked at the contact info he¡¯d gotten from Cheon Sanggil.

    ¡°Alright. Did you contact him?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He said that he¡¯d send over someone near our hotel and for us to ride the car to him.¡±

    ¡°What kind of person is he?¡±

    ¡°I wonder¡­ there wasn¡¯t anything weird that stood out during the call.¡±

    Other than his slightly blunt voice, there were no other special characteristics to mention.

    ¡®He said that his personality is a bit unique.¡¯

    It appeared that they wouldn¡¯t be able to find out what was unique until they met him in person.

    ¡°Hmm, well, we¡¯ll probably find out once we get there. When will the care?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll arrive soon.¡±

    Ohjin took out his phone and checked the time.

    Since the assigned meeting time was at 4PM, which was an hour from then, it was about time for the car to arrive.

    Vrrrrrm¡ª

    ¡°Ah, is it that car?¡±

    He looked in the direction Ha-eun pointed.

    A cool limousine was approaching them.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s a limousine. How awe¡­ huh?¡±

    ¡®Wait a fucking minute. What¡¯s that?¡¯

    Vrrrrrm!¡ª

    Vrrm!¡ª

    Beeeeep!!¡ª

    As if spreading out into a formation, ten ck vans flocked from behind the limousine.

    Once the limousine came to a stop, the vans surrounded them in an escorting manner.

    Click!¡ª

    The doors of the ck vans opened and intimidating men wearing ck suits flooded out.

    The group of nearly one hundred men spread out into two lines like they were performing military training.

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡°We havee to escort Oyabun¡¯s guests!!!!¡±

    ¡°¡°¡°¡°We will escort youfortably!!!¡±¡±¡±¡±¡±

    The army of men in suits standing in a straight line bowed down simultaneously.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin and Ha-eun looked at them with their mouths wide open.

    ¡°What the fuck¡­?¡±

    ¡®The person he introduced me to was a yakuza?¡¯

 Chapter 140: Star-forsaken Land (2)

    <strong>Chapter 140: Star-forsaken Land (2)</strong>

    Riding the limousine, they arrived at a spacious private property near Osaka. The ce was lined up with traditional Japanese houses like they were in the Edo period.

    Feeling the atmosphere that felt like Tokyo instead of Osaka, Ohjin looked around and discovered a Japanese signboard written with a brush hung next to the main door.

    ¡®How do you read that?¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t understand what it said because the trantion device didn¡¯t allow him to read letters.

    He took a picture of the letters with his phone and used a trantor.

    ¡®Kuroushi?¡¯

    The Japanese meant ¡®ck Cow¡¯.

    ¡°Is the word ¡°Kuroushi¡± the name of the n?¡±

    Ohjin asked the young man named Koshiro who came out with the role of guiding them.

    The intimidating young man with a regent hairstyle answered in a merry voice that was unfitting of his appearance.

    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s correct! The n was named Kuroushi because Oyabun is an Awakener of Tauros!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a nice name.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Doesn¡¯t the name emit the spirit of men?¡±

    Would the young man know that ¡®ck Cow¡¯ meant ¡®pushover¡¯ in Korea? Well, judging by his reaction, it was quite obvious he didn¡¯t.

    ¡®Anyways, an Awakener of Taurus, huh.¡¯

    Even if it was called the Star-forsaken Land, it looked like you needed to be within the ranks of the 12 Zodiacs in order to be the boss of a group thatrge.

    When he was following Koshiro while having those thoughts¡ª

    ¡°Oh-Ohjin, did you know that these guys are yakuza?¡±

    ¡ªHa-eun, who was following next to him, grabbed his arm and whispered in a quiet voice.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know, either.¡±

    ¡°What kind of person introduces someone else to the yakuza?¡±

    Ha-eun forced a chuckle and shook her head.

    It did seem like she was surprised by the unpredicted situation, but there were no signs of her being afraid.

    ¡®Well¡­¡¯

    No matter how intimidating the yakuza were, it was probably like looking at neighborhood hooligans in Ha-eun¡¯s perspective, as she was a 9-Star Awakener.

    Honestly, not even Ohjin felt the least bit afraid.

    ¡°This way.¡±

    Koshiro, who was leading them, opened the sliding-door that seemed to be over 10 meters long.

    ¡°Oyabun! I have escorted the guests here!¡±

    Koshiro went inside and bowed his back at a 90¡ã angle.

    Inside the room, spacious as a ssroom, were intimidating men wearing ck suits sitting in two straight lines, and in the middle was a man in Yukata attire sitting firmly on his knees like a pine tree.

    It was a scene you wouldmonly see in yakuza movies.

    ¡®Is that person Sakaki Ryo?¡¯

    Ohjin looked at the man who sat on the highest seat.

    With a short buzzcut hairstyle, an imposing aura poured out of the distinct scar on his left eyebrow. and eruptious muscles exposed through his baggy Yukata¡­

    Charisma strong enough to overwhelm the group of people could be felt from the man.

    When he was in the middle of inwardly admiring the force that was unlike any other from the yakuza boss¡ª

    ¡°Koshiro.¡±

    ¡ªSakaki, who was sitting still like a tree, slowly opened his mouth.

    And then¡ª

    ¡°¡ªYOU DUMBASS!!!¡±

    Bang!!¡ª

    ¡ªthe boss roared at him.

    An intangible shockwave sted off and struck Koshiro¡¯s body as he was bowing down.

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    Koshiro flew up into the air and spun three times as he acrobatically shot to the ground.

    ¡°H-Huh?¡±

    With eyes that were opened wide from the sudden situation, Ha-eun alternated looking at Koshiro and Sakaki.

    Sakaki suddenly raised his body and his heated eyes that seemed to be on the brink of burning headed to Koshiro.

    ¡°How many times must I tell you that a man shouldn¡¯t carelessly bend down his back for you to understand!!!¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Oyabun!¡±

    ¡°Your voice is too small!!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    ¡°Louder! Shout with vigor to the point it will shake your soul!!!¡±

    ¡°I¡±M SORRYYYYYYY!!!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it! That¡¯s what I wanted, Koshiro!!¡±

    Sakaki, who was sitting down with a blunt expression, smirked as he got up from his seat.

    He stomped over and helped Koshiro get back up.

    ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯mpletely fine, Oyabun!!¡±

    ¡°Yes! That proves you¡¯re a part of our family!¡±

    He exploded out in heartyughter as he hit Koshiro¡¯s back.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done well in escorting our guests! Return and get some rest for today!¡±

    ¡°No, Oyabun! I wish to work more!¡±

    ¡°YOU IDIOOOOOOT!!¡±

    Bang!!¡ª

    Koshiro¡¯s body shot up into the air once more.

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    ¡°A man must also rest to the best of his abilities when rest is given!!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I understand!¡±

    ¡°Your voice!¡±

    ¡°I UNDERSTAAAAAND!!¡±

    ¡®What the hell is wrong with these guys?¡¯

    Ohjin looked at the skit unfolding in front of his eyes with his mouth open.

    Ha-eun stuck close to him and spoke in a low voice.

    ¡°Ohjin, are yakuzas normally like this?¡±

    ¡°No, I think these guys are a bit weird.¡±

    ¡°Are they really even yakuza?¡±

    ¡°¡­I wonder.¡±

    They imagined fierce and threatening gang members on their way there, but whatid in front of their eyes were people who seemed to be straight out of a mediocre yakuza game.

    ¡°In any case, they don¡¯t look like bad people.¡±

    ¡°Though they are weird.¡±

    They realized what Cheon Sanggil meant by him having a unique personality.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll return for today, Oyabun!!¡±

    ¡°Take a good rest, and I¡¯ll see you tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!!¡±

    Koshiro slightly bowed his head that time and went outside as he closed the sliding door behind him.

    Sakaki turned his body around and stretched his hand out to Ohjin.

    ¡°I ended up being discourteous in front of our guests.¡±

    Fortunately, he was aware of the fact that what happened just then was discourteous.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Gwon Ohjin.¡±

    Ohjin tried his hardest to keep a straight face as he epted Sakaki¡¯s handshake. He could feel an unknown, hot energy from his hand that was full of calluses.

    ¡°The Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s wolf! I¡¯ve heard about you a couple times through rumors! Alright, so you came looking for me because the elder introduced you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Kahaha! I¡¯m very indebted to that elder. I wee you!¡±

    Sakaki exploded out in loudughter as he shook his hand up and down.

    Maybe it was because he was an Awakener of Taurus that was second to none in physical strength, but Ohjin¡¯s arm went up and down like a dancing balloon on the streets.

    ¡°Boys!! Prepare two more seats!¡±

    ¡°Yes! Oyabun!¡±

    One of the men that was sitting in the line got up and quickly headed off somewhere. Without even a couple seconds passing, two luxurious cushion seats were brought and ced in front of Sakaki.

    ¡°Come here and sitfortably,¡± Sakaki said as he indicated the cushion seats.

    ¡®Is he telling us to sitfortably there?¡¯

    Ohjin forced a smile as he sat on the seat.

    The atmosphere couldn¡¯t possibly allow them to sit infort when there were intimidating yakuza sitting in two straight lines right beside them.

    ¡°So, how is the elder doingtely?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in very good shape.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Well, there¡¯s no way that the Star of Celestial Pivot would lose his light!¡±

    ¡°How did you two be acquainted?¡±

    ¡ªOne of the Seven Stars and a yakuza boss¡­

    It wasn¡¯t abination that easily came to mind.

    ¡°Are you aware that there aren¡¯t many Awakeners in Japan?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. I am.¡±

    ¡°The situation has gotten better, but it was so severe that monsters used to roam around in packs in the middle of cities due to a shortage of Awakeners back then.¡±

    It was a fact Ohjin was very familiar with, and also the reason why had Japan earned the name of ¡®Star-forsaken Land¡¯.

    Usually, it was normal for countries that had a small number of Awakeners topletely disappear, but could it be called a fortune within misfortune?

    As there were as few gates as there were Awakeners in Japan, they were able to prevent the disaster of their entire nation getting erased from the map.

    ¡°I was busy fighting monsters with a vignte group I made back then¡­ but to be honest, it was a hopeless fight.¡±

    Sakaki put on a bitter smile and continued.

    ¡°But in the midst of that, I met the elder.¡±

    ¡°Did Sir Cheon Sanggil drive out the monsters?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    Sakaki shook his head.

    ¡°Then¡­?¡±

    ¡°Instead, he handed down teachings that enabled us to fight against the monsters.¡±

    ¡®Teachings?¡¯

    ¡°Are you saying he taught you skills?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t impossible for an Awakener to hand down skills to other Awakeners, but that was only valid when both Awakeners were from the same constetion. As every stigma had a different way of controlling mana, it was fundamentally impossible to hand down skills from a different constetion.

    As far as Ohjin knew, Seong Sanggil was an Awakener of Capricorn.

    He shouldn¡¯t have been able to pass down teachings to Sakaki.

    ¡°What he taught us isn¡¯t skills. Should I say he taught us how to control our stigma¡­? No, the expression ¡®taught¡¯ doesn¡¯t fit. He gave us ¡®enlightenment¡¯ on how to control our stigma.¡±

    ¡®He gave them enlightenment?¡¯

    ¡°¡­Is that possible when your stigmas are different?¡±

    ¡°That is the reason why the elder is so outstanding.¡±

    The edges of Sakaki¡¯s lips rose while his eyes shone with respect.

    ¡°Anyways, the vignte group was able to drive out the monsters thanks to his teachings.¡±

    ¡®Then does that mean the vignte group turned into the Kuroushi n?¡¯

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°What kind of rtionship are you in with the elder?¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t much Ohjin could say, even if he asked that question. Rtionship aside, all they had done was meet up a single time and share a conversation.

    ¡°Haha! There¡¯s no need for you to answer if it puts you in a difficult spot. The elder shouldn¡¯t have sent you for no reason.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Ohjin slightly nodded his head.

    ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s the reason you came looking for me?¡±

    ¡°Have you heard of the ck Star Organization?¡±

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s be noisy because of those bastardstely.¡±

    Cold killing intent formed in Sakaki¡¯s eyes.

    Ohjin smirked once he saw his eyes containing killing intent and continued with a stern voice.

    ¡°I havee to eliminate that ck Star Organization.¡±

    ¡°Ho.¡±

    Sakaki¡¯s eyes shone with interest, and soon after, he exploded out in loudughter.

    ¡°I was worried about what kind of help I needed to provide the elder¡¯s guest, but it seems that it was unnecessary!¡±

    He mmed his seat and continued.

    ¡°We¡¯re also chasing after those devilish bastards!!¡±

    Devilish bastards¡­

    Ohjin didn¡¯t know what kind of deeds the Hippocampus faction in Japan hadmitted, but it had be clear that their actions were typical of the ¡®ck Star Organization¡¯, unlike the Hirudo faction led by Isabe in Italy.

    ¡®This won¡¯t take long since we have the same goal.¡¯

    Cooperating with the Kuroushi n would be a big help in hunting the Hippocampus faction.

    ¡°Then how about we cooperate?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    Sakaki epted the proposal right away without needing a second of consideration.

    ¡°Working together with the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s wolf couldn¡¯t make me feel any more reassured!¡±

    Kuhahaha!!¡ª

    Getting excited by being able to obtain an unexpected ally, Sakakiughed out loud. His muscles that were exposed through the gaps of his Yukata could be seen pulsating every time hisugh got louder.

    ¡°What are you guys doing!!! Bring us alcohol immediately!!¡±

    ¡°Yes, we shall prepare it right away, Oyabun!¡±

    ¡°Kokuryu Muni(<strong>Ÿo¶þ)</strong>! Prepare the Muni!¡±

    ¡°Ah, but that¡¯s the one that Oyabun¡¯s wife cherishes¡­¡±

    ¡°You idiot!!!¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    One of the members that was hit by a shockwave was sent flying back.

    ¡°A man should never look back!! We can just tell my wife that Koshiro secretly drank the saketer!!!¡±

    ¡°S-So there was such a method!!¡±

    ¡®What kind of ¡®men¡¯ are you¡­?¡¯

    T/N: The Kokuryu ¡®Muni¡¯ is an actual Japanese sake that is very expensive. The cheapest one I could find online was at $6,264 (USD).

    The reason why ¡®ck Cow(??)¡¯ means pushover in Korean is because of how sport betting sites banned the word ¡®Pushover(??)¡¯, which sounds like Hogu. People started to use a word that sounds simr to Hogu as a recement, which was Heugu(??), and that became more widespread over time.

 Chapter 141: Star-forsaken Land (3)

    <strong>Chapter 141: Star-forsaken Land (3)</strong>

    Drip¡ª

    ¡ªA basement full of humidity.

    The droplets of water that built up on the surface of the wall dropped down onto the floor as if rain was leaking from the roof.

    The only noise that rang out in the dark, gloomy basement was the sound of falling water.

    Tak¡ª

    ¡°Ugh, the smell.¡±

    ¡°No matter how many times Ie here, this ce doesn¡¯t fail to disgust me.¡±

    As the switch of the faintmp was turned on, a man and woman were revealed.

    The woman, who had piercings in her nose and blocked her nose and mouth with her hand, looked around the interior of the basement. The interior looked as if a mad scientist, determined to create the strongest organism, had conducted countless inhumane experiments.

    Large, round tubes filled with clear water were lined up against the walls, and pipes that were installed like veins connected the tubes together.

    Would it have to be called a relief?

    The tubes that appeared like they would normally contain aliens or chimeras made from horrifying experiments werepletely empty.

    ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to clean the digestion facility.¡±

    ¡°Ehh¡­ I can¡¯t be bothered. Can¡¯t we just make the feed we caught do it for us?¡±

    Digestion facility¡­ Feed¡­

    Words that gave off an ominous feeling were mixed in their conversation.

    The man, hearing the woman¡¯s idea of ordering the feed to do it, shook his head in detest.

    ¡°Calm down. What if the feed makes a scene and one of the tubes ends up breaking? The day that happens, Sir Sosuke will have our heads.¡±

    The man drew a line across his neck and shook his head.

    After hearing his words, the woman pouted her mouth, which also had piercings, and shook his head.

    ¡°So what, he nearly never shows himself.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re small fry who just put the feed in the digestion facility.¡±

    ¡°Goddammit, what do you mean by small fry? You¡¯re making the small fry feel unpleasant.¡±

    The woman smiled yfully and cackled out.

    They were joking around by ridiculing each other as small fry, but their positions in the Hippocampus faction were actually considerably high.

    The only ones who were allowed to enter the ¡®digestion facility¡¯ in the first ce were mid-rank Temrs and above.

    ¡°Oh right. Now that I think of it, I get promoted to a high-ranking Temr next week.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? Looks like we¡¯ll have to set up a celebration party.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to use this as the present, right?¡±

    The woman fumbled around the lower half of the man¡¯s body with erotic hand movements as sheughed bewitchingly.

    The skull-shaped piercing in the middle of her extended tongue shone.

    Laughing out loud, the man kissed the woman deeply.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s think about the partyter and finish what we¡¯re here for first.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s tiresome so let¡¯s finish this up quickly,¡± said the woman with an uninterested expression as she pointed with her chin.

    ¡°Wait here for a second. I¡¯ll bring the feed.¡±

    The man smiled and went up the stairs.

    ¡°Uub! Uuuub!! Uub!¡±

    A few momentster, he dragged over a young man who was restrained in a naked state. Unlike the man with handsome looks, the young man wasn¡¯t good-looking.

    His thick sses made his already small eyes look smaller, and his skin full of e was reminiscent of a toad.

    Thick disgust was expressed on the woman¡¯s face as she looked at the restrained young man.

    ¡°Just looking at him is disgusting. Let¡¯s hurry up and shove him in there.¡±

    ¡°Wait, let me take off his sses.¡±

    After the handsome man took the sses off of the youth, he dragged him to a tube filled with water.

    ¡°Hyup.¡±

    Ssh!¡ª

    ¡°Blurgh! Bluruh!¡±

    The young man¡¯s body was thrown into the tube.

    Every time he struggled, the water inside of the tube overfilled and sshed onto the ground.

    ¡°Begin.¡±

    After confirming that the young man waspletely submerged in water, the woman opened the door to the control room that was in the corner of the basement and went inside.

    Inside the control room full of massive mechanical devices stood an extremely skinny young man.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The young man was wearing a white gown likeboratory scientists wore and was looking down at the mechanical devices with shaking eyes.

    The woman approached the young man, who looked like a coward, and frowned.

    ¡°What are you doing? I said to begin.¡±

    ¡°W-Wait¡­¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and start, you bastard!¡±

    Bam!¡ª

    The woman roughly kicked the young man.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    He was sent flying back and crashed into the wall.

    As the white gown he was wearing was slightly removed, the surface of his decapitated left arm could be seen.

    ¡°Do you need to get beaten up again for you to snap out of it, Yuji?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    The young man named Yuji shivered while his expression turned pale.

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as taking care of neers here, so do your work properly. Aight?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Yuji answered with a shaking voice and stood in front of the mechanical devices once more.

    His remaining right arm that was operating the device suddenly stopped.

    ¡°Sob¡­ sob.¡±

    Tears ran down Yuji¡¯s face.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore! Such a horrifying thing¡­!¡±

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    Yuji¡¯s body was sent flying back again.

    ¡°Kugh! Kuk!¡±

    ¡°Would you look at this ridiculous fucking idiot.¡±

    The face of the woman with piercings was heavily distorted as she approached him.

    Slowly stepping on the surface of his decapitated left arm, she continued.

    ¡°I heard you lost this arm to Sir Sosuke because you stood up to him.¡±

    ¡°E-Eek!¡±

    Yuji¡¯s shoulders shook as his face paled from fear.

    The woman stuck out her tongue and shot a frightening nce at him.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want your other arm to be disabled as well, obediently follow my orders. Got it?¡±

    ¡°¡­I-I¡¯ll bear that in mind.¡±

    ¡°Tch. Seriously, I can¡¯t even kill him because Sir Sosuke sent him personally.¡±

    The woman spat on the ground and turned around.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Yuji got up with his staggering body and stood in front of the device. He closed his eyes tightly after looking at the young man who could be seen on the screen.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    Repeating his apologies that couldn¡¯t be heard, he used his right hand to operate the buttons.

    And then¡ª

    Rumble!¡ª

    ¡ªbubbles started to boil up inside the tube.

    The youth¡¯s struggling became rougher, and the stigma engraved on his left chest started to pour out light. However, soon after, his body started to melt like it was dissolving in the water.

    ¡°Hehe. He¡¯s dissolving well~¡±

    The woman with piercings took in the sight of the young man¡¯s melting body while smiling brightly.

    The handsome man approached her and pulled in her hips.

    ¡°Should we get something to eat after this is over?¡±

    ¡°I think we should.¡±

    Even when a horrifying scene was taking ce, their expressions were at peace. Once around five minutes passed, the young man¡¯s body finished fully dissolving.

    The water inside the tube that had an entire human body melted wasn¡¯t red but shone with a gentle blue light.

    The woman looked at the blue fluid inside the tube and smiled.

    ¡°For the reconstruction of the forsakennd.¡±

    ¡°For the reconstruction of the forsakennd.¡±

    The sound of their creepy voices echoed out inside the basement, followed byughter.

    * * *

    ¡°It¡¯s an unfamiliar ceiling.¡±

    Looking at the ceiling made of luxurious wood, Ohjin raised his body up.

    It had been a long time since he¡¯dst slept on the floor with a nket, but his back didn¡¯t hurt thanks to the super fluffy nkets.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ my head.¡±

    He frowned as he rubbed his throbbing forehead.

    Ohjin recalled the alcohol party that¡¯d started as a weing party.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to drink that much, even if it was water.¡¯

    Sakaki¡¯s alcohol intake was as incredible as hisrge build.

    As the alcohol party that started at day extended past night and even continued until dawn, not even Ohjin, who had a superhuman body, could avoid getting a hangover.

    ¡°Well, we were still able to get fairly close thanks to that.¡±

    Once they drank alcohol together, they were able to build up a friendship that was as if they had been best friends for twenty years.

    -Kuhahaha! We¡¯re family from today onwards! Call me Oyabun from now on!

    Ohjin smiled as he recalled how their arms were on each other¡¯s shoulders with them being in an extremely drunk state.

    ¡®There should be no case of them facing difficulties from other territories.¡¯

    ording to Sakaki, the Kuroushi n had strong control over the Kansai region. As even the government couldn¡¯t step up to the group, there would be nothing that caused them difort inside of Japan.

    The capabilities of the members weren¡¯t bad, either.

    Compared to the average skill of Japanese Awakeners, the members of Kuroushi could be said to consist of considerably skilled individuals.

    It was probably thanks to the Star of Celestial Pivot¡¯s ¡®teachings¡¯ that Sakaki mentioned before.

    ¡°They¡¯ll be nice to take advantage of.¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    Ohjin took off the nkets with a thick smile.

    ¡°Uugh.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    He was only then able to discover Ha-eun sleeping next to him.

    Ha-eun, who was basically half-naked, was sleeping while hugging onto Ohjin tightly.

    ¡°Ha-eun, wake up.¡±

    ¡°Uhhh. Don¡¯t wanna¡­¡±

    The thick smell of alcohol gushed out of her mouth as sheined.

    ¡®Ha-eun was no jokest night, either.¡¯

    It¡¯d appeared that she was shy, as she only stuck next to Ohjin at first, but once the mood started to get headed, she started to lead the crowd and chug down drinks.

    -Kyahaha!! Bottoms up! Chug them down, you bastards!

    He recalled how Ha-eun had shouted out while holding a whole bottle of sake.

    ¡°Seriously, she really does like alcohol.¡±

    While Ohjin was smiling bitterly and looking down at Ha-eun, the ck dot on her left cleavage stood out to his eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡ªUnstoppable impulse.

    Looking at the ck dot that moved up and down with her deep breathing, the urge of wanting to push it with the tip of his finger surged up.

    He was thinking of holding it in, but for some reason, his hand moved on its own.

    ¡®No, thinking about it now, there¡¯s no need for me to hold it in, right?¡¯

    They had already confirmed what they thought of each other. Rather, not showing that much physical affection when they were lovers was a potential problem.

    ¡°¡­Khm.¡±

    Ohjin cleared his throat and carefully moved his hand.

    At that moment¡ª

    ¡°Mhh.¡±

    ¡ªHa-eun slightly turned her body around and got in a position that made it easy for Ohjin to touch her chest.

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Ha-eun¡­¡±

    ¡°Mmhhhh.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping, are you?¡±

    ¡°Mmmmhhhh.¡±

    Ohjin could see Ha-eun¡¯s eyebrows flinching.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    Well, there was no way she would be suffering from a hangover like he was when her body had already gone through reconstruction.

    ¡°Wake up, you fox.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    He lightly flicked his finger over the tip of Ha-eun¡¯s nose.

    ¡°Damn it. You nearly fell for it.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t fool me.¡±

    ¡°Heh. I think it was pretty close, considering that.¡±

    Ha-eun giggled yfully and poked his side.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop ying around and get up.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Ah, before that¡­¡±

    Ha-eun closed her eyes and stretched her lips out.

    When Ohjin smirked and tilted his head close to her lips¡­

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡°Have you woken up?! Let¡¯s go relieve our hangovers together!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaa, fuck!!¡±

    ¡°Kugk!¡±

    Ohjin was struck by Ha-eun¡¯s reflexive kick and crashed into the wall.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Sakaki smirked after discovering the appearance of those two.

    ¡°Kuhaha! It seems that I¡¯ve unintentionally interfered with your quality time!!¡±

    ¡°Groan.¡±

    Ohjin scratched his head as he got up.

    ¡°Have you had a good night¡¯s sleep, Mr. Sakaki?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Sakaki? Didn¡¯t I tell you to call me Oyabun?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit¡­¡±

    Calling him Oyabun when he wasn¡¯t in the group could cause unnecessarily misunderstandings.

    ¡°Hmm. Is that so?¡±

    It looked like Sakaki didn¡¯t really mind, as he changed the topic.

    ¡°Let¡¯s cure our hangovers with breakfast and discuss how we¡¯re going to catch those Seahorse bastards!¡±

    Sakaki closed the door and headed out.

    ¡°D-Damn it¡­ I¡¯ll make sure that bastard payster.¡±

    Ha-eun stared at the spot Sakaki was in before he¡¯d left.

    * * *

    After eating the gorgeous breakfast that had all sorts of delicacies on the table, Ha-eun, Ohjin, and Sakaki gathered up in one spot.

    ¡°We¡¯re focusing our investigation in areas where people went missing¡­ but when it feels like we¡¯re on the verge of catching their tails, they somehow find out and disappear like ghosts, which is stopping the investigation from progressing.¡±

    Sakaki unfolded the map of Osaka on top of the table and marked the areas that had missing people cases.

    ¡°All missing people are Awakeners. Other than that, there isn¡¯t anything the missing people have inmon.

    It meant that they were indiscriminately kidnapping them if they were Awakeners.

    ¡°But what are these bastards doing with the kidnapped Awakeners?¡± Ha-eun asked as she furrowed her brow.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know that either.¡±

    Sakaki shook his head and continued.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start by going to find their branch. Koshi just so happened to have discovered a ce that is suspected to be their branch recently.

    ¡°Where is that?¡± Ohjin asked Sakaki, despite having already heard about the location of the Hippocampus faction¡¯s branches from Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡°This ce.¡±

    Sakaki circled a particr building that was on the edge of the city.

    ¡°It¡¯s an asylum that copsed after being attacked by monsters in the past.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the perfect ce for criminals to hide.¡±

    The ce Sakaki pointed out was one of the three branches of the Hippocampus faction that Ohjin had heard about from Cheon Doyoon.

    It meant that the information Koshiro had given was urate.

    ¡°Well¡­ we¡¯ve investigated ces like this a couple times in the past just to find nothing.¡±

    Sakaki clicked his tongue and shook his head.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to catch those bastards this time.¡±

    ¡°Is there a reason why you¡¯re after the ck Star Organization?¡±

    ¡°There are a couple of our family amongst the Awakeners that those bastards kidnapped.¡±

    Cold killing intent gushed out of Sakaki¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let them get away with harming our family.¡±

    Well, it was clear that Sakaki¡¯s personality wouldn¡¯t allow him to sit still when his members were getting harmed.

    ¡°But, old man, shouldn¡¯t there be Awakeners that were kidnapped from other groups and guilds? What are they doing?¡±Ha-eun asked, as she couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Hmpf. Those guilds don¡¯t even think about fighting the ck Star Organization because they¡¯re afraid after getting beaten up by them a couple times.¡±

    ¡°Even though their guild members keep getting kidnapped?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re fucking idiots.¡±

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue as if she thought they were despicable.

    No matter how afraid they were, what kind of guild were they if they just sat back and watched while their ordinary guild members were getting kidnapped?

    ¡°You took the words out of my mouth!¡±

    It seemed that Sakaki had a lot of built-up emotions, as he intensely nodded his head.

    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m nning to investigate this area today. Will you go with me?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Haha! I wish those guild bastards that shiver when they just hear of the ck Star Organization would follow your example.¡±

    Liking the answer that came without hesitation, Sakaki pped Ohin¡¯s back as heughed out loud.

    ¡®By the way¡­¡¯

    Ohjin looked down at the map that was spread out on the table.

    He confirmed the time and position of each incident that Sakaki marked on the map.

    There were a total of fourteen disappearance incidents that happened near the asylum, and all within the past week at that.

    ¡®Something¡¯s strange¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes narrowed as he examined the map.

 Chapter 142: Star-forsaken Land (4)

    <strong>Chapter 142: Star-forsaken Land (4)</strong>

    ¡°Koshiroooo!!!¡±

    An explosive sound swept the area.

    ¡°Yes! Oyabun!!¡±

    ¡°Koshirooooooo!!¡±

    ¡°Yes!! Oyabuuuuuuuun!!¡±

    ¡°Koshiroooooooooo!!!¡±

    ¡°Oyabuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!!!¡±

    ¡®What the hell are these guys doing?¡¯

    ¡°Good! It seems that your voice is full of energy thanks to getting some rest!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Oyabun!¡± answered Koshiro as he stood at attention.

    ¡°Kuhaha! Have you finished your preparations?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Oyabun! I have gathered up the family and surrounded the asylum so that the bastards aren¡¯t able to escape!!¡±

    ¡°As expected of one of our leaders!¡±

    p!¡ª

    Koshiro¡¯s body was sent flying like a cannon as Sakaki pped his back.

    The strength contained in his p was so strong that the nearby wall Koshiro crashed into started to crack and copse.

    Ha-eun chuckled forcefully as she looked down at Koshiro, who was flinching, buried under the copsed wall.

    The scene was like a pooredy skit.

    ¡°Is he dead?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    ¡®Putting that aside, I didn¡¯t know Koshiro was a leader.¡¯

    Bang!¡ª

    Koshiro, who was buried under the wall, suddenly lifted his body up. His clothes were a little torn and covered with dust, but surprisingly, there were no injuries that could be seen.

    ¡°Would a man be able to use that if he got sent back that easily?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Oyabun!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all in the waist! I always say this, but Koshiro, youck strength in your waist! Will you be able to protect your younger sister like that?¡±

    ¡°I will tighten my muscles from now on!¡±

    ¡°Kuhaha! Yeah! That¡¯s how you also meet a good woman! I heard that your younger sister just so happens to be scolding you to get married!¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­¡±

    Sakakiughed broadly as he patted Koshiro¡¯s shoulder.

    Although Sakaki had the kind of personality where he stood on intimate terms with his subordinates, Koshiro was the only one he acted that close to.

    Rather than a rtionship between a boss and subordinate, it felt more like they were uncle and nephew.

    ¡°How did you two end up meeting?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been with this bastard for quite some time. This little guy came looking for me when I formed the vignte group and fought the monsters. Do you know what this kid said to me back then?¡±

    ¡°O-Oyabun! Talking about back then is¡­¡±

    Koshiro stammered with a panicked expression.

    Sakaki smirked and ced his hand on Koshiro¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°This little kid that wasn¡¯t even an Awakener suddenly became a man and bowed down on his knees in front of the vignte group¡¯s base for days, saying he wanted to protect his little sister.¡±

    ¡°Oyabun!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Just thinking of back then still makes meugh!¡±

    Koshiro¡¯s face heated up and turned red.

    Ohjin looked at Koshiro like he was interesting and continued.

    ¡°Then did Koshiro volunteer in the vignte group when he wasn¡¯t even an Awakener?¡±

    Even if Japan was short on Awakeners, dragging an unawakened to fights with monsters would be difficult since attacks that didn¡¯t contain the power of stigmas were nearlypletely ineffective against monsters.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. No matter how many times I told him we couldn¡¯t take in an unawakened and rejected him, he stubbornly told us to ept him.¡±

    Sakaki patted Koshiro¡¯s back with a pleased expression.

    ¡°Well, it seemed that even the heavens couldn¡¯t break his persistence, as he awakened as an Awakener of Scutum not too long after.¡±

    ¡°Uhhh, please stop, Oyabun.¡±

    Koshiro shook his head with a pleading expression.

    ¡®Scutum¡­¡¯

    It was the stigma known for being second to none when it came to defense.

    There was a reason he waspletely intact after crashing into the wall so hard that it copsed.

    ¡°Well then! Let¡¯s go catch those ck Star Organization bastards now that the preparations have beenpleted!¡±

    Sakaki took the lead and walked forward.

    With Koshiro at the front, the members of Kuroushi walked behind him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Ohjin and Ha-eun followed the members of Kuroushi and headed to the asylum where the ck Star Organization was said to be hiding.

    Ohjin activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and observed the area around the asylum.

    Forget about patrolling, not even a single sentry could be seen.

    ¡®Hm?¡¯

    Was their information wrong by any chance?

    As Ohjin started to wonder if that was the case, coincidentally, around fifty people walked out from the asylum.

    They weren¡¯t wearing suspicious ck robes like the Noctua faction, but it wasn¡¯t hard to guess their identities by how they flooded out of an abandoned asylum like that.

    ¡°Who the hell are those bastards?¡±

    The woman who had piercings on her lip, nose, and even eyebrow, looked at the members of Kuroushi that had surrounded the abandoned asylum and furrowed her brow.

    ¡°M-Ms. Miki, aren¡¯t they the Kuroushi n?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The eyes of the woman called Miki widened.

    ¡°It is Sakaki Ryo.¡±

    The man with a handsome appearance next to Miki roughly gnawed his lips.

    ¡°How did those bastards¡­!¡±

    Miki stared at the members of Kuroushi like she couldn¡¯t understand and soon shouted to the ck Star Organization members that looked to be their subordinates.

    ¡°What are you bastards spacing out for! Hurry up and prepare forbat!¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    The Awakeners that¡¯de out of the asylum heeded Miki¡¯s orders and urgently took their weapons out.

    Despite looking like a disorderly crowd, the ck mana emitted from them was strong enough for the whole asylum to slightly shake.

    They were, without a doubt, Awakeners of Hippocampus.

    ¡°Boys! Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Oyabun!!¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    Roughlyunching himself forward, he took out his katana from the sheath on his back.

    Although it was a katana, it wasn¡¯t in a thin and agile shape like normal katanas, and insteadrge with a thick de that made one curious if it was even possible to swing it.

    ¡°What did I say a man is?¡±

    Following Sakaki¡¯smand, the n members of Kuroushi took out their weapons.

    ¡°The ones who protect their family!¡±

    ¡°The ones who protect their people!¡±

    ¡°They are the ones who die while fighting to protect their country!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!!¡±

    ¡®What the hell are they on about this time?¡¯

    ¡°Ohjin, do you think these guys overdosed on drugs or failed to take the drugs they were supposed to take?¡±

    ¡°Since I never heard of drugs with those kinds of side effects, I¡¯d have to say thetter.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    It seemed that Ohjin and Ha-eun weren¡¯t the only ones who thought that way, as even Miki, who was looking at Sakaki with an extremely nervous expression,ughed like they were ridiculous.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, boyssssssss!!!¡±

    ¡°Waaaaaaah!¡±

    The members of Kuroushi roared and rushed forward.

    ¡°Hyaaaaaaa!!!¡±

    Sakaki, who¡¯d taken the lead, swung his massive katana horizontally.

    An intangible shock wave followed the sword strike and struck the members of the ck Star Organization.

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    ¡°Uaaaaaah!!¡±

    The ck Star Organization members were sent flying back like skipping stones after getting hit by the powerful shockwave that caused strong gusts of wind to arise as an aftermath,

    ¡°Sakaki Ryo! Focus your attacks on Sakaki Ryo!!¡±

    One of the ck Star Organization members opened their hand and ced it on the ground; the stigma of Hippocampus engraved on his left started to ze up with ck light.

    Ssh!¡ª

    Large streams of water started to spread out like a from where his hand touched the ground. The strands of water became thick mud by mixing with the dirt and wrapped around Sakaki¡¯s body.

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    Sakaki violently twisted his body and escaped the mud that epassed him.

    ¡°Soar up!!!¡±

    While Sakaki was getting the mud off of him, five members of the ck Star Organization recited a chant as they aimed their weapons at him.

    Splosh!!¡ª

    Massive streams of water shot at Sakaki like water spouting from a firehose.

    ¡°Oyabun!¡±

    Koroshi stood in front of Sakaki and crossed his arms, and a blue shield of around three meters was created and reflected the fierce streams of water.

    ¡°Ugk!¡±

    ¡°Kugh! Kuk!¡±

    The members of the ck Star Organizations who were swept away by their own attack floundered as they rolled on the ground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do such useless things, Koshiro!¡±

    Sakaki yelled at Koshiro, who blocked the water cannons, and looked around at his members, who were in the middle ofbat.

    The number of ck Star Organization members was much smaller, but the Kuroushi n members weren¡¯t able to approach them easily, as they poured out attacks that drained mana in session like they had chugged down potions.

    ¡°Help out that side!¡±

    ¡°B-But¡­¡±

    ¡°A man does not argue!¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    After hesitating for a moment, Koshiro headed to where the other members were fighting.

    Ssh!!¡ª

    Rough streams of water struck Sakaki¡¯s body once Koshiro got out of the way.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    The heavy pressure that felt like he was getting hit by hammers instead of streams of water caused his body to ache all over.

    ¡°Do you think¡ª¡±

    Crunch! Crunch!¡ª

    The muscles all over Sakaki¡¯s body expanded as the Yukata he was wearing stretched like it was about to explode, and the eight flicks engraved next to his left chest poured out radiant light.

    ¡°¡ªthat a mere attack like this can stop a man?!?!¡±

    Sakaki took on the rough streams of water with his body and wildly charged at the ck Star Organization members.

    ¡°Th-That crazy bastard!¡±

    ¡°Block him! I said block him!¡±

    ¡°Ms. Mika! He is too powerful!¡±

    Boom!!¡ª

    The ck Star Organization members who were urgently calling someone were struck by Sakaki¡¯s body and sent flying far away.

    Despite only getting hit by a human, their bodies were in miserable shape as if they had gotten struck by a dump truck.

    ¡°Kuhaha!! I was wondering why the Seahorse bastards were acting so arrogant, but I guess they were nothing much!¡±

    Sakakiughed out loud and swept away the Awakeners of Hippocampus like a wolf in the middle of a flock of sheep.

    ¡°M-Mika. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to face him.¡±

    ¡°Damn it! Are we unable to contact Sir Sosoke?!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not picking up!¡±

    The handsome man shook themunication marble with a nervous expression.

    ¡°Goddammit¡­ why is that crazy Taurus bastard here¡­!¡±

    After grinding her teeth hysterically because of the question that wouldn¡¯t be solved, Mika looked around.

    She could see a man and woman pair slightly outside of her sight who were observing the battle taking ce.

    ¡°Shiranui, you see those people, right?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Those bastards aren¡¯t from the Kuroush ni.¡±

    ¡°Then where are they from?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Mika¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    They were with the Kuroushi n despite not being members of their group¡­

    That fact was important.

    ¡®Since those bastards are so thorough and obsessed with upholding duty and whatnot¡­¡¯

    If those people were the ¡®providers¡¯ of the information that was given to Sakaki, it was certain that, with Sakaki¡¯s personality, he would try to protect the people who¡¯d helped him at all costs.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take those bastards as hostages.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Shiranui turned around and exchanged nces with Mika.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the woman. Miki, I¡¯ll leave the man to you.¡±

    ¡°Bastard, there¡¯s no way you got excited from looking at that woman in this situation, right?¡±

    Miki shot a sharp nce at Shiranui.

    Even though she knew that it wasn¡¯t the time to argue over things like that, she had ended up saying those words subconsciously, as the looks of the girl with the eyepatch were so beautiful that even Mika had ended up eximing on her own.

    ¡°Is this the time for that?¡±

    ¡°Groan. Alright.¡±

    Miki and Shiranui took off simultaneously.

    Ssh! Ssh!¡ª

    Puddles of water appeared under their extended feet and explosively elerated their bodies.

    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±

    Sakaki chased after Miki and Shiranui with a panicked expression¡ª

    ¡°Woah, woah. Calm down there, mister Taurus.¡±

    ¡ªbut Mika, who¡¯d arrived next to Ohjin in an instant pulled him in close from behind, pushed a sharp de made of water near his neck as she red at Sakaki.

    Sakaki, who was urgently rushing towards them, suddenly stopped.

    ¡°Hmm. It appears that I was spot on.¡±

    Judging from Sakaki¡¯s expression full of panic, she started to think that taking them as hostages was an outstanding choice.

    ¡°This bastard¡¯s head gets cut off the moment you take a single step from that spot.¡±

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Sakaki clenched his fists as he groaned.

    ¡°Fufu. Good, good. Stay obedient~ just like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin looked back with a nonchnt expression at the woman who was aiming a knife at his neck while hugging him from behind.

    ¡°What, are you so scared that you can¡¯t speak?¡±

    Miki¡¯s lips tilted up as she looked at Ohjin.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite cute now that I¡¯m seeing you up close.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re my type,¡± she mumbled as she stuck out her long tongue while the skull piercing in the middle of it shone.

    ¡°You won¡¯t get hurt if you do what this big sis says, so stay obedient, alright?¡±

    Mikiughed seductively as she licked Ohjin¡¯s cheek with her tongue.

 Chapter 143: Star-forsaken Land (5)

    <strong>Chapter 143: Star-forsaken Land (5)</strong>

    Slurp¡ª

    ¡ªThe sticky sensation of a tongue crawling up and down the cheek.

    Mika slowly reached out her hand and groped Ohjin¡¯s butt.

    Ohjin opened his mouth with an uninterested expression.

    ¡°Someone will get hurt.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, I already told you that I won¡¯t do any harm if you do what I say.¡±

    ¡°No, not me, but you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    When Mika furrowed her brow, unable to understand¡ª

    Plop¡ª

    ¡ªsomeone ced their hand on Mika¡¯s shoulder from behind.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Shiranui? Are you jealous?¡±

    Miki, who thought that it was obviously Shiranui who¡¯d grabbed her shoulder, turned her head around while making seductive nasal sounds.

    However, Shiranui wasn¡¯t there when she looked back. Instead, Ha-eun, who had her expression crumpled like a Yaksha, had ced her hand on Mika¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    She looked around for Shiranui with a surprised expression.

    Shiranui was copsed on the ground with his arms clutched between his legs far away while white foam overflowed out of his mouth.

    ¡°Wh-What?¡±

    It seemed that an ominous feeling crossed Mika¡¯s mind as she started to take steps back.

    Ha-eun, who grabbed her fleeting cor in the blink of an eye, roughly pulled her in.

    ¡°Oi, you bitch.¡±

    Her eyes shone frighteningly.

    Ha-eun reached out for the piercing in the middle of Mika¡¯s tongue and violently grasped it.

    ¡°How dare you put your disgusting saliva on someone that¡¯s already taken.¡±

    Swoosh!!¡ª

    The skull-shaped piercing ripped her through her tongue and rolled onto the ground.

    ¡°Ueeeeeeeeh!!¡±

    Blood gushed out of her ripped tongue.

    Mika screamed out and shut her heavily bleeding mouth.

    ¡°Y-Youh godhamn bitch!!!¡±

    As if responding to her fiercely surging killing intent, the stigma of Hippocampus poured out ck light. Powerful mana fluctuated from the seven flicks, giving off ck light.

    Fwoosh!¡ª

    The dagger made of water twisted and turned into a spherical shape.

    Rotating violently, the sphere that floated above her palm sshed water in all directions.

    ¡ªSticky humidity.

    Humid fog that was like the dawn of a day that previously had downpour spread out widely.

    The fog didn¡¯t simply cause people to feel an unpleasant sticky sensation.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    ¡°M-My body won¡¯t move!¡±

    A panicked shout came out of the mouths of the members of Kuroushi that were fighting intensely with the ck Star Organization.

    The sticky fog spread out in the radius of dozens of meters.

    Bodies that made contact with the fog started to flounder as if they had fallen into deep water.

    ¡°Yuh dare¡­ touh me?¡±

    Mika talked with awkward speech and roughly grasped the sphere that was spinning on top of her hand.

    The sphere that exploded like a water balloon turned into the shape of dozens of knives.

    ¡°Dieh!!!¡± she shouted as she thrusted her hand out to Ha-eun.

    The dozens of knives made of water shot at Ha-eun, who had her body restricted by the fog.

    ¡°You¡¯re making a fool of yourself.¡±

    Ha-eun smirked and took out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket.

    She grabbed one of the cigarettes and lightly ced it in her mouth.

    Sip¡ª

    Once she took a deep breath in, the end of the cigarette burned up, even though she didn¡¯t use a lighter to ignite it.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Exhaling the smoke she¡¯d inhaled, she flicked off the cigarette.

    ¡°ze up.¡±

    Fwooooosh!!¡ª

    With her low chant, the embers at the tip of the cigarette expanded at a rapid pace and engulfed the surroundings.

    The thickly settled fog and even the dozens of knives that¡¯d shot at Ha-eun like bullets all evaporated once they were engulfed by the mes.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Mika, who was staring at Ha-eun with fierce eyes, had her mouth drop open.

    ¡°Wh-What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The water made from the stigma of Hippocampus was different from normal water, starting from the properties itself.

    Its hardness exceeded steel¡­

    It didn¡¯t boil when it touched fire, and it didn¡¯t freeze, even if you wanted it to¡­

    But it had ended up evaporating without a trace by the mere sparks of a cigarette.

    ¡°What do you think is going on, you bitch?¡±

    Ha-eun smirked heavily and raised her fist.

    Putting her two fists close to her face like a pro boxer, she advanced forward with light steps.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to get a fucking beating.¡±

    After approaching Mika in an instant, Ha-eun thrusted her fists forward.

    Bam! Pow! Pam!¡ª

    One blow on the chest, and two quick blows to the stomach.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    She sent an uppercut towards Mika¡¯s forehead once she bent forward while clutching her belly.

    Bam!!¡ª

    With the blunt sound of breaking bones, Mika¡¯s body that¡¯d be a bloody mess shot up into the air as if she had jumped.

    ¡°Hirachaaaa!!¡±

    Yelling out, Ha-eun twisted her body using her left leg as the pivot and cleanlynded a roundhouse kick on Mika¡¯s stomach as she was dropping down.

    After being sent flying over ten meters away, Mika¡¯s eyes rolled to the back of her head as she fell unconscious.

    ¡°Why is such an insignificant being acting up and shit?¡±

    Twe¡ª

    She spat out saliva and turned around to Ohjin.

    ¡°You too, why did you do nothing but sit still? Huh?¡±

    ¡°I was just confirming what kind of abilities the stigma of Hippocampus has.¡±

    ¡°Hmpf. You¡¯re too good with your words.¡±

    Ha-eun approached Ohjin with a frown and used her sleeve to clean off the saliva on Ohjin¡¯s cheek as if it was a stain.

    ¡°I was worried that we were in big trouble, but it seems my worries were unnecessary!¡±

    Sakakiughed broadly and lifted up his thumb to Ha-eun.

    ¡°I just thought you were the Lightning Wolf¡¯s lover until now, but you were an incredibly skilled individual!¡±

    ¡°Heh, my star rank is still higher than Ohjin¡¯s, you know?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Sakaki¡¯s eyes widened into circles.

    ¡°The Lightning Wolf¡­ was definitely a 6-Star, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a 7-Star.¡±

    ¡°Wow. Then are you an 8-Star Awakener?¡±

    He looked at Ha-eun while exmining.

    Although Sakaki was a 8-Star Awakener himself, he didn¡¯t expect her to be a 8-Star Awakener as well because they were so scarce in Japan.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m a rank that¡¯s one step above that,¡± Ha-eun said as she boastfully straightened her back.

    ¡°A 9-Star¡­? Th-Then aren¡¯t you a high-rank Awakener?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°Woah. To think that I¡¯d see a high-rank Awakener who isn¡¯t the elder!¡±

    Sakaki eximed and exploded out inughter.

    ¡°It looks like being able to receive the Lightning Wolf¡¯s help wasn¡¯t what I should¡¯ve been so happy about!¡±

    ¡°Khm. You¡¯re overreacting.¡±

    Ha-eun cleared her throat and avoided the gazes of envy that flooded her way from all directions.

    She was bound to receive attention wherever she went as a high-rank Awakener, but maybe it was because they were in Japan, which didn¡¯t have a single high-rank Awakener, because the eyes that looked at her seemed to be shining excessively brightly.

    Using a game as an analogy, it was like a diamond-tier yer suddenly showing up in a ce that was only full of bronze, silver, and gold-tier yers.

    ¡°N-No way.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Mika¡­¡±

    Once Mika was defeated easily in vain, the remaining members of the ck Star Organization let go of their weapons as they lost their will to fight.

    The members of Kuroushi didn¡¯t miss that opportunity and quickly restrained the ck Star Organization members.

    ¡°Then, since we¡¯ve finished restraining them, let¡¯s head inside the asylum,¡± Ohjin said as he looked around, the situation was roughly dealt with.

    They needed to confirm just what kind of things they were doing after kidnapping Awakeners.

    ¡°Alright. Boys! Keep watch over them and make sure they can¡¯t escape! We¡¯ll interrogate each one of themter.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Oyabun!¡±

    ¡°Ah, and bring the ¡®Yume Hanashi¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡®Yume Hanashi?¡¯

    Ohjin tilted his head at the word that slipped through without a trantion.

    ¡®It¡¯s the same with Kuroushi, are proper nouns separate and not tranted?¡¯

    ¡°What is the Yume Hanashi?¡± he asked while looking at the members who were running to a certain ce

    ¡°Ah¡­ well. Hmm.¡±

    For some reason, Sakaki slurred the end of his sentence and hesitated when answering.

    Sakai, who was hesitating for a moment, sighed deeply as he opened his mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s a star relic that makes the target¡¯s mind hazy, causing them to be in a hypnotized state. The effect¡¯s time is extremely short, and the target develops a tolerance after a single use, so it¡¯s not enough to get a testimony¡­ but it at least allows us to confirm if the information we obtained is true or false.¡±

    Sakaki clicked his tongue as if it really wasn¡¯t to his liking.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this item because it¡¯s unlike a man, but there¡¯s nothing better than this to pick out false information during interrogation.¡±

    ¡®A star relic with that kind of fantastic effect exists?¡¯

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Then let¡¯s start the interrogationter and head inside for now.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    With the other members of Kuroushi on standby outside, only Ohjin, Ha-eun, Sakaki, and Koshiro went inside.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing much?¡±

    Ha-eun looked around the inside of the asylum.

    There were only traces of the ck Star Organization that¡¯d hid inside there, and nothing that would allow them to find out why they were kidnapping Awakeners.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Ohjin closed his eyes and used ¡®Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s Hunting Dog¡¯.

    Faint lightning spread out from his body and covered the entire asylum.

    ¡°There¡¯s a basement.¡±

    ¡°A basement?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ohjin walked to the stairs that led to the basement.

    Once they went down the stairs, they could see the door to the basement was closed shut.

    ¡°This door is the only thing that looks new. Everything else was rusty.¡±

    ¡°They probably got a new one and installed it here.¡±

    Ohjin examined the security device that was on the door.

    He couldn¡¯t find out what he needed to provide, as it was a security device made with star relics that were unlike modern security devices that scanned fingerprints or the retina.

    ¡°Oyabun. Should I bring over the restrained people?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡±

    Sakaki smirked and stepped forward.

    ¡°Hmpf! Step back!¡±

    The muscles on his right arm inted, and a powerful shockwavepressed over his fist.

    ¡°Uracha!!¡±

    Booom!!!¡ª

    Not only the basement door, but even the wall that held it in ce was torn off by a single punch.

    Just like that, the inside of the basement became exposed.

    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ this?¡±

    The interior that was full of mechanical devices and lined up withrge, circr tubes filled with clear water made one imagine a mad scientist¡¯s experiment room.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t you think these bastards are making chimeras out of monsters or something?¡± Ha-eun shouted while frowning as if just imagining it was disgusting.

    Ohjin looked at the lined-up tubes and narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°The tubes are all too empty for that to be the case.¡±

    And if they were making chimeras to add to their forces, it was strange that no chimeras had made an appearance during the fight.

    ¡°Now that I think of it, you¡¯re right¡­ Then just what are those bastards doing with¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait, Ha-eun.¡±

    Ohjin cut off her sentence and looked to a corner of the basement.

    Click¡ª

    The door that had ¡®control room¡¯ written on it was opened carefully and one young man walked out.

    ¡ªA young man with a skinny build as if he had starved for several days.

    There should¡¯ve been an arm on the left side of the white gown he was wearing, but instead, there was nothing but crumpled-up flesh.

    ¡°You¡­ are?¡±

    Once he discovered Ohjin¡¯spany, his eyes widened, and he started to look around.

    ¡°Wh-Where did those two people go? N-No, wait.¡±

    His eyes that were wandering around headed to Sakaki.

    ¡°S-Sakaki Ryo!! Are you Sakaki Ryo?!¡±

    He ran over with an extremely excited look.

    Sakaki lightly extended his hand out to the young man who was running at him.

    Pow!¡ª

    An intangible shockwave pushed back the young man¡¯s body.

    The young man hit by the shockwave was helplessly shot back and ran into the wall.

    ¡°Kugk!¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Huff, huff. You are Sakaki Ryo¡­ right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°Sob¡­ uh, ughhhh!¡±

    The young man who¡¯d copsed onto the ground started to sadly bawl his eyes out.

    ¡°Relief¡­ What a relief. Finally¡­ hup!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°What situation is this?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I wonder.¡±

    Ha-eun and Sakaki looked at the crying young man without being able to understand what was going on.

    ¡°M-My name is Sakai Yuji¡­¡±

    The crying young man revealed his name and got back on his feet.

    He exined that he¡¯d been confined in that ce after getting captured by the ck Star Organization and forced to do horrifying work.

    ¡°Horrifying work? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡±

    Yuji shut his eyes tight with a pale expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s turning¡­ Awakeners into ¡®nutrients¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Nutrients?¡±

    Sakaki and Ha-eun¡¯s expressions stiffened because of the word that rang out ominously.

    Yuji continued exining.

    ¡°The work involved shoving kidnapped Awakeners into water made from the stigma of Hippocampus¡¯s power¡­ a-and melting them.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    The shocking information caused both Sakaki and Ha-eun to open their mouths wide with astounded expressions.

    Melting entire humans and turning them into nutrients?

    Just imagining it caused gag reflexes and was absolutely disgusting.

    ¡°You!!¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    Yelling out ferociously, Sakaki suddenly grabbed Yuji¡¯s cor and raised him off the ground.

    ¡°Are you saying you dared tomit such deeds after kidnapping our family?!¡±

    Rumble!!¡ª

    The entire basement shook as if it was going to copse once Sakaki¡¯s rage exploded.

    ¡°Calm down, Mr. Sakaki.¡±

    Ohjin approached Sakaki and held him back.

    ¡°Do you think that I¡¯ll be able to calm down right now!!¡±

    ¡°Then are you nning to bring this entire ce down?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ugh.¡±

    Sakaki chewed his lips and put Yuji down.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    Yuji bowed down on the ground and roughly mmed down his forehead.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    He wept as he repeated his heartrending apologies.

    Ohjin approached Yujin as the man was crying and asked in a low voice:

    ¡°You were captured by them and forced to follow their orders?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Th-That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°How can we trust that you¡¯re not lying?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Yuji slurred the end of his sentence with a bitter expression.

    With his head dropped down, he continued.

    ¡°I fully understand, even if you don¡¯t trust what I say. And¡­ even if I was forced to follow their orders, that doesn¡¯t make my sins disappear, either.¡±

    He gnawed his lips with sad eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine for you to kill me on this spot. No, please, kill me.¡±

    Sad tears ran down Yuji¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°But¡­ before you kill me¡­ I have just one¡­ a singlest request.¡±

    Kneeling down on the ground, he roughly mmed his forehead onto the ground.

    ¡°Kurosaki Sosuke¡­ that monster¡­ that devil wearing the mask of a human¡­ please¡­ please kill him!¡±

    The tears that ran down his cheek soaked the floor.

 Chapter 144: Star-forsaken Land (6)

    <strong>Chapter 144: Star-forsaken Land (6)</strong>

    Kurosaki Sosuke¡­

    Yuij, who spat that name out of his mouth, had deep hatred glistening in his eyes.

    ¡°You want us to kill Kurosaki Sosuke?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll provide whatever assistance I can in order to kill him!¡± Yuji shouted while he was on his knees with a desperate voice.

    ¡°I-I may have been sent to a branch as I was deemed useless now¡­ but I was the one who invented the device that makes ¡®nutrients¡¯ and worked directly under him for over a year! There are many things I can tell you!¡±

    Ha-eun frowned at the pathetic plea.

    ¡°And how can we trust that you aren¡¯t saying this just to make it out of here alive?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying this to survive. If you wish, you can hear the information you need and kill me on the spot.¡±

    There was no fear in his expression while he was bluntly telling another to kill him.

    Ha-eun sighed with a perplexed expression.

    ¡°So, why are you going that far to try and kill Kurosaki Sosuke? Is it because he forcefully kidnapped and exploited you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Chewing his lips, Yuji continued as he looked like he was about to cry at any moment.

    ¡°I¡­ I have a little sister.¡±

    His remaining arm trembled.

    ¡°Sosuke kidnapped my little sister and fed her ¡®Seahorse Poison¡¯ so that I wouldn¡¯t be able to use any underhanded moves.¡±

    ¡°Seahorse poison?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a poison that causes death if one does not drink water that Sosuke himself makes once a week. He manages his subordinates by feeding them that poison so that they can never betray him.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then you, too?¡±

    Yuji nodded his head with a stiff face.

    ¡°Yes. Since I drank it three days ago¡­ I¡¯ll die in four days.¡±

    The way he bluntly spoke about his death was still as dry as the desert.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Even if it isn¡¯t in four days, I was destined to die to you people on this spot. However¡­¡±

    He clenched his fists and continued in a shaking voice.

    ¡°My little sister¡­ Please save my little sister! Kurosaki should be in possession of the antidote!¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    mming the floor, he yelled.

    ¡°My little sister¡­ Yoko, has done nothing wrong! E-Everything is my fault!! If¡­ If only I didn¡¯t submit that thesis to the institute¡­!¡±

    ¡°What thesis are you talking about?¡± Sakaki, who was listening with a stiff face, asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s about¡­ a method to artificially open a gate that leads to the sanctum in Japan.¡±

    ¡ªArtificially opening a gate to the sanctum.

    ¡ªReconstructing the Star-forsaken Land.

    Would there be any other words that could be more tempting to the Japanese that were always looked down upon and ridiculed by nearby countries?

    ¡°I-Is there such a method?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Yuji nodded his head that had shadows cast over it.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible if we obtain a gigantic potion and artificially create a dragon vien. Needless to say, the institute didn¡¯t receive it well, calling the thesis unrealistic, as therge-scale magic circle required an absurd amount of resources and manpower¡­¡±

    ¡°So someone who¡¯s trying to aplish that unrealistic thing appeared.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then this thing called ¡®nutrients¡¯ is also¡­¡±

    ¡°A liquid that is a substitute for the potion. Obtaining a potion that¡¯s several tonnes is something that¡¯s impossible for even a Seven Star, after all.¡±

    As Yuji said, no matter how low the quality of a potion made with starstones was, they were all still exchanged at a high price. It was realistically impossible to obtain a potion that amounted to several tonnes.

    It was especially hard to supply potions in Japan, as their national power was hitting rock-bottom along with their name of ¡®Star-forsaken Land¡¯.

    ¡®So is that why they made this device?¡¯

    Ohjin looked at the tubes installed in the basement and narrowed his eyes.

    It felt like the fishy smell of blood wasing out of the tubes that were filled with clear water.

    ¡°¡­Crazy bastards.¡±

    Ha-eun ground her teeth and roughly kicked the tube.

    ¡°No matter the circumstances, does putting whole humans into this thing and melting them make any sense to you?!¡±

    Ohjin smiled bitterly while looking at Ha-eun explode out in rage.

    Would she know that the deeds they weremitting were basically no different from what he did?

    ¡®She probably knows since I told her.¡¯

    However, she probably mistook him as a sort of hero who only killed the bad guys and took away their stigma as the reward.

    ¡®But that isn¡¯t it.¡¯

    Immoral or not didn¡¯t matter to him if it was beneficial.

    The concept of good and evil was bound to be subjective, anyway.

    Hunting down the ck Star Organization was just because the mana of the ck Stars they possessed was helpful for the growth of the ck Heaven.

    ¡®Well, if Ha-eun has that kind of misunderstanding¡­¡¯

    Bing something called a ¡®Hero¡¯ didn¡¯t sound all that bad to him.

    ¡°So what information can you tell us?¡± Ohjin asked as he held back Ha-eun, who was kicking the tube with enough momentum to break it.

    Yuji, who was kneeling down on the floor, slowly got up.

    ¡°Please, follow me,¡± he said as he went into the control room.

    Inside the room full ofrge andplicated devices were twelve monitors giving off light.

    ¡°This person is the King of Seahorses, Kurosaki Sosuke.¡±

    An image of a man appeared on a certain screen.

    ¡ªA middle-aged man with narrow, snake-like eyes and bulging cheeks.

    With his goatee and mean look, he was drawing a dragon.

    ¡°Kurosaki Sosuke¡­¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    That moment was when the appearance of Kurosaki Sosuke was revealed for the first time after he¡¯d gone into hiding.

    Sakaki, who was staring at the photo, narrowly suppressed his boiling rage and clenched his fists.

    Thick veins popped out on the back of his hand that was as big as a pot lid.

    ¡°Oyabun. Isn¡¯t that person that guy? The¡­ the person who was a part of the National Diet.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Now that I look at him¡­¡±

    It seemed that Sakaki was familiar with Sosuke¡¯s face, as his eyes widened.

    Yuji nodded his head.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. Kurosaki Sosuke had a record of being an ultranationalist politician in the past.¡±

    ¡°Is that why he¡¯s gone mad about creating a sanctum in Japan¡¯s territory¡­¡±

    Sakaki looked at the image of Sosuke with eyes that expressed how pathetic he thought the man was.

    The insult ¡®Star-forsaken Land¡¯ would¡¯ve been a dishonor that was hard to endure for those drunk on their former glory.

    ¡°Sigh. It seems that we¡¯ve shown you a pathetic sight.¡±

    Sakai exhaled a deep breath and shook his head.

    ¡°So, where is the bastard hiding?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He is continuously on the move and doesn¡¯t stay in one ce for a long time.¡±

    ¡°Then is this image all the information you have on him?¡±

    There was no method of catching Kurosaki Sosuke with a single picture.

    Yuji calmly shook his head and continued.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is, but I know a method that could draw him out.¡±

    ¡°Draw him out?¡±

    ¡°As I¡¯ve said, Sosuke is kidnapping Awakeners and has made facilities called ¡®digestion facilities¡¯ all around cities in Japan to open a gate to the sanctum.¡±

    Yuji continued exining.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure exactly how much progress has been made¡­ but he probably still hasn¡¯t obtained enough ¡®nutrients¡¯ to open the gate yet. If the established digestion facilities get destroyed in the current situation¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll have no choice but to show himself, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°But how are we going to find the location of the other digestion facilities?¡±

    Several months of time had been consumed to just find a single branch. In a situation where other groups and guilds weren¡¯t giving any assistance because of fear of the ck Star Organization, destroying enough digestion facilities to hinder Sosuke¡¯s ns was nearly impossible.

    ¡°I know the locations of the digestion facilities.¡±

    ¡°You do?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m the one who developed these devices in the first ce. I secretly nted a code in every device which enables me to confirm the locations of the digestion facilities.¡±

    ¡°¡­So you were prepared and waiting for this day toe.¡±

    ¡°That is correct.¡±

    Yuji¡¯s eyes shone fiercely as he nodded his head.

    Clutching the surface of his decapitated left arm, his built-up anger was suddenly released.

    ¡°Ever since I was captured by that devil¡­ I have been waiting for this day toe.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Sakaki stood silently while feeling the distinct emotions of anger that pricked his skin.

    ¡°These are the locations of the digestion facilities. As there is no way to move these massive devices in a short period of time, you should be able to find and destroy them if you mobilize immediately.¡±

    The locations of the digestion facilities were detaily marked on the map Yujin brought out.

    There were a total of five marked locations.

    Amongst them, two of them were on the exact locations as the information of the Hippocampus faction¡¯s branches obtained from Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    Yuji, who handed over the map to Sakaki, smiled faintly as if he had aplished his mission and dropped his shoulders.

    ¡°Now, as promised, please kill me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Suffocating silence settled down.

    With a smile mixed with self-deprecation, Yuji lent out his neck to Sakaki.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to hesitate. No matter how threatened I was¡­ I¡¯m still the one who made these horrible devices.¡±

    Yuji¡¯s clenched fists trembled as he weeped.

    ¡°Every time I saw the captured Awakeners here die¡­ I had these thoughts. Thoughts about how those people would also have their families they wished to protect.¡±

    Tears dripped down as he dropped his head.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m a piece of trash that doesn¡¯t deserve to live. I beg you. Please¡­ kill me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you not regret making that decision?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Ah, and the final thing I would like to request is¡­¡±

    He looked up at Sakaki with a smile mixed with self-scorn.

    ¡°Um¡­ I would like you to send me painlessly. Haha, I know that a piece of trash like me doesn¡¯t deserve to die in peace¡­ but now that I think about dying for real, it is a little frightening.¡±

    They could see his trembling shoulders.

    Yuji gently closed his eyes like he had prepared himself for death.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sakaki looked down at Yuji with his mouth closed shut.

    Intangible shockwaves gathered in his clenched fist.

    Even if he had his heart-wrenching circumstances, he was still one of the people who¡¯d kidnapped and killed his family.

    Sakaki knew better than anyone that he mustn¡¯t ever be forgiven, but¡­

    ¡°Fuu. Koshiro, bring me the Yumehanashi.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Oyabun!¡±

    Koshiro quickly ran outside and brought a white rope that was about as thick as a finger.

    There were severalplicated magic circles engraved on top of the white rope.

    ¡°Tie him.¡±

    Koshiro tightly tied the white rope he¡¯d brought around Yuji¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t resist the mana that flows through. Obediently take it in.¡±

    Yuji gulped and nodded his head.

    Soon, the white rope wrapped around his head poured out blue light, and Yuji¡¯s eyes gradually became cloudy.

    He entered a hypnotized state once the Yumehanashi¡¯s effects were activated.

    After confirming that Yuji was in apletely hypnotized state, Sakaki quickly opened his mouth.

    The Yumehanashi¡¯s effectsted only 10 seconds.

    As someone who had already been affected by it once developed a tolerance, he needed to confirm whether Yuji was telling the truth in a single go.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t lied about anything you¡¯ve said until now, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Everything¡­ I-is the truth.¡±

    Yuji answered Sakaki¡¯s question while stuttering just like how the Owls in the past had when Ohjin had used Domination on them.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    Sakaki sighed deeply and scratched his short hair.

    If he was just lying instead, there would be no reason to feel that heaviness in his chest with those suffocating emotions.

    ¡°¡­There really isn¡¯t anything in the world that goes my way.¡±

    Sakaki sent a signal to Koshiro and ordered him to take the Yumehanashi off of Yuji¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°¡­Yoko.¡±

    Right before taking off the Yumehanashi, the name of a woman left Yuji¡¯s mouth.

    It was the name of his little sister, who was said to be captured by the ck Star Organization.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Yoko¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Simultaneously with the Yumehanashi being taken off, Yuji fell unconscious on the spot.

    Sakaki held Yuji up without saying a word.

    ¡°We¡¯re returning.¡±

    ¡°Oyabun, about that person¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re bringing him with us, for now.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±

    Koshiro lowered his head and took Yuji from Sakaki.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have him tied up in an outbuilding.¡±

    Koshiro headed outside.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to kill him?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m still contemting.¡±

    Ohjin looked at Sakai, who was in deep distress, and slightly nodded his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the choice to you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Ah, I¡¯m thinking of ambushing the branches starting from this afternoon since they could escape, is that okay with you?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I didn¡¯t even do much this time.¡±

    ¡°Haha. Thank you, Ohjin.¡±

    Withughter that contained no energy, Sakaki¡¯s hand patted Ohjin¡¯s shoulder.

    Sakaki¡¯s hand that he used to pat Ohjin¡¯s shoulder to the point it was painful wascking a ton of power.

    ¡ªAfter Sakaki went outside the building.

    ¡°Ohjin, if we think about Jang Sukho back then, by any chance, could his little sister already be¡­¡±

    Ha-eun slurred the end of her sentence with sadness in her eyes.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right?¡±

    Grit¡ª

    Grinding her teeth, she stared at the image of Kurosaki Sosuke that was disyed on the monitor.

    ¡°I thought the Owls were sons of bitches, but these guys are even worse.¡±

    ¡°There are crazy people wherever you go.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just sweep all of them up.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s fighting spirit burned up while she took out a cigarette and put it in her mouth.

    ¡°Ah, Ohjin, you aren¡¯t using that this time? I¡¯m talking about how you make them say what they said in reverse.¡±

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t really a need to do that this time around.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess we used the Yumehanashi or whatever.¡±

    Ha-eun took a big drag out of the lit cigarette.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s destroy this goddamn digestion facility and head outside.¡±

    She flicked the butt of the cigarette into the tube that was filled with water.

    Fwooosh!!¡ª

    mes rose up and covered the digestion facility that had stolen the lives of countless Awakeners.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin looked at the digestion facility that was epassed with mes in silence and slowly turned around.

    On his face was a bitter expression that couldn¡¯t be hidden.

 Chapter 145: Real Man (1)

    <strong>Chapter 145: Real Man (1)</strong>

    To my little sister, whom I love.

    I don¡¯t know if the day where this letter reaches you wille¡­ but I¡¯ll still write this.

    First of all, I want to say that I¡¯m sorry.

    Imitted deeds that someone mustn¡¯t do as a human under the reasoning that I had to protect you.

    I won¡¯t ask for your forgiveness because I already know that what I¡¯ve done cannot be forgiven.

    But I don¡¯t regret what I did.

    Even if I returned to the past¡­ I think I would¡¯ve made the same choice, and that¡¯s because I resolved myself to do whatever it took to protect you.

    Although I probably won¡¯t be in this world anymore by the time you get this letter, I¡¯ll leave one shameless request behind:

    Please live happily.

    Make a lot of nice friends, find somebody you love, get married¡­

    Haha, I didn¡¯t think that a day where I would say such things woulde.

    But still¡­ my wish is for you to live with a smile.

    I¡¯m sorry I was such a bad big brother.

    I¡¯m sorry.

    I¡¯m sorry.

    * * *

    The sudden attack operation on the ¡®digestion facilities¡¯ nearby Osaka and Tokyo started by using the information Yuji had given them.

    It wasn¡¯t easy, as there were a minimum of 50 to 200 members of the ck Star Organization and Temrs above mid-rank in each branch, but with Ha-eun, Ohjin, and Sakaki¡¯sbined might, the ¡®digestion facilities¡¯ were destroyed one by one.

    The one who especially stood out amongst them was Ha-eun.

    The members of the ck Star Organization ran away with fear from the way Ha-eun evaporated the sprays of water created by the Awakeners of Hippocampus with overwhelming firepower.

    ¡ªWhen the number of destroyed digestion facilities became only three¡­

    ¡°Ugh, this is so goddamn tiring!¡±

    Ha-eun, who had returned to the Kuroushi n¡¯s hideout, sat down while pping her shirt drenched in sweat.

    It¡¯d only taken three days to destroy three of the five digestion facilities that Yuji had given them the locations of.

    Although she had a superhuman body, she couldn¡¯t help getting exhausted since she enteredrge-scalebat with hundreds of Awakeners nearly every single day.

    Even more so as she had just be a 9-Star Awakener and wasn¡¯t yet used to her strength.

    ¡°Sigh, this is really hard to handle.¡±

    Ha-eun looked down at her chest with resentment.

    ¡°¡­Your chest is hard to handle?¡±

    Certainly, her chest had more than enough volume to be a big hindrance to intense movements. To be frank, there were probably several cases of people looking at them inadvertently duringbat.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Since Ohjin couldn¡¯t just sit still while Ha-eun was going through all that trouble¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold it for you so it¡¯s easi¡ª¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±

    Ha-eun furrowed her brow and struck Ohjin¡¯s head.

    Ohjin cackled out.

    ¡°What¡¯s hard to handle?¡±

    ¡°The Dragon¡¯s Heart. It¡¯s really damn hard to handle.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because it hasn¡¯t been long since you became a 9-Star Awakener?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also that¡­¡±

    Ha-eun sighed and shook her head.

    ¡°But honestly, I think the bigger reason is because I haven¡¯t be a proper 9-Star yet.¡±

    She had be a 9-Star during the process of absorbing the Dragon¡¯s Heart, but her level was actually still closer to that of an 8-Star.

    ¡®After all, it¡¯s only been a couple months since she became an 8-Star.¡¯

    Even worse, the way she¡¯d be a 9-Star wasn¡¯t through obtaining some special enlightenment or some kind of rigorous training.

    Ha-eun had just be a 9-Star by ident while her body was receiving a nonstandard amount of power from the Dragon¡¯s Heart.

    As an analogy, she was somewhat like a nouveau riche who became a millionaire by winning a lottery rather than an entrepreneur who earned millions through operating an outstanding business.

    The difference was clear when youpared her with Cheon Doyoon, who was also a 9-Star Awakener.

    ¡°You¡¯ll slowly get used to your strength.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. I¡¯m also in the middle of trying various methods to try to get used to it.¡±

    Ha-eun took out a cigarette and continued.

    ¡°Like embodying the image of ¡®fire¡¯ using this.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why you kept taking out a cigarette before fightingtely.¡±

    The most important aspect of handling a stigma was embodying the precise image inside your head.

    Using the stigma of Lyra as an example, if you imagined the spear to be a lightning rod, it would be much easier to gather up lightning.

    Back to the subject of embodying the image of fire using a cigarette¡­ Although he had a rough understanding, Ohjin couldn¡¯t help but think if it was enough.

    ¡°Yup. I was able to handle my stigma easily without doing things like this before, but now I need to do this to get my mana to move more smoothly.¡±

    ¡°I just thought that you suddenly got eighth-grade syndrome at a weird time.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess your age is too¡ª¡±

    Bam!¡ª

    Ha-eun¡¯s fist that swung like lightning struck his sr plexus.

    ¡°Kugh.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s body shook violently due to the suffocating pain.

    Ha-eun smiled brightly and grabbed Ohjin¡¯s hair.

    ¡°My age is what?¡±

    ¡°A fresh age that¡¯s reminiscent of the buds that sprout in spring.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. That¡¯s my nice little Ohjin.¡±

    She gently patted his head that was in her grasp with a satisfied smile.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Hup. If we¡¯re done taking care of things here, let¡¯s get ready to return. We need enough rest for the rigorous fight tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°No, we won¡¯t need to fight tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something like that. Anyways, head back first and get some rest.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well, alright. I¡¯ll wash up and sleep until the afternoon, so wake me up if something happens.¡±

    Ha-eun headed to the bathroom that was in the main building.

    Ohjin looked at her gradually be distant and then turned around in search of Sakaki.

    Sakaki and the members of Kuroushi were holding a bunch of corpses with both arms and moving them outside.

    ¡°How is the situation?¡±

    ¡°As you can see¡­ it is miserable.¡±

    Sakaki put down the shouldered corpses of the ck Star Organization members and sighed deeply.

    ¡°Even if they are atrocious bastards¡­ watching them die in suchrge numbers is making my chest feel heavy.¡±

    He looked at the corpses of the ck Star Organization members that were stacked up like a mountain with bitter eyes.

    They¡¯d died while foaming at the mouths with their eyes rolled back into their heads. Amongst them, there was also Mika, who had provoked Ha-eun and fallen unconscious after getting beat up by her.

    ¡°Is it because of the seahorse poison?¡±

    ¡°Most likely.¡±

    Sakaki nodded with a stiff expression.

    The members of the ck Star Organization who were captured during the process of taking down branches had been locked up in the outbuilding, but once three days had passed, deaths had started to ur continuously because they weren¡¯t able to drink the ¡®water¡¯.

    Naturally, they found a bit of the ¡®water¡¯ that was mentioned before from mid-rank Temrs or safes hidden in the digestion facilities, but they couldn¡¯t save all of them because it wasn¡¯t even close to enough for the number of captured members.

    ¡®There¡¯s no reason to save them, either.¡¯

    Most of the captured members had records ofmitting heinous crimes like the Owl faction. No, even if they didn¡¯t have a record of being criminals, there was no reason to go out of their way to feed them their limited supply of ¡®water¡¯ when they thought about the deeds the ck Star members had done.

    ¡°Yuji said a while ago that Sosuke would start to take action at this point.¡±

    Sakaki clenched his pot-sized hand and emitted ferocious energy.

    ¡°Most likely tonight¡­ we will finally be able to fight with that bastard.¡±

    ¡°So it seems.¡±

    Ohjin looked at the mountain of corpses with a nk look.

    ¡°Have you heard which of the two remaining facilities he would be at?¡±

    There were two digestion facilities remaining amongst the information obtained by Yuji.

    One was located in Osaka, and the other in Tokyo.

    ¡°Yuji says that he¡¯ll probably be in the one in Osaka since the digestion facility¡¯s scale is muchrger than the other one.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, could you pass this over to Yuji?¡±

    Sakaki extended out a small ss bottle from his pocket.

    There was clear water sshing around inside the ss bottle.

    ¡°He should have one day remaining until the deadline of the ¡®poison¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Are you sparing Yuji?¡±

    ¡°I thought about it a lot¡­ and decided to do so.¡±

    Ohjin cackled out while looking at Sakaki, who was nodding with a serious expression.

    ¡°¡­Is this something funny?¡±

    Sakaki frowned like it was unpleasant.

    ¡°Ah, I apologize. Then I shall hand this water over to Yuji.¡±

    After receiving the ss bottle from Sakaki, Ohjin yfully spun it on top of his palm.

    ¡°Ohjin, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Sakaki. So we¡¯re going to ambush the digestion facility in Osaka this afternoon, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°I have something I¡¯d like to say in regards to that n.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Sakaki looked at Ohjin while tilting his head.

    ¡°I think it¡¯ll take a while to exin, so let¡¯s talk inside.¡±

    Ohjin turned around and headed to the main building.¡±

    * * *

    ¡ªThe afternoon of that day¡­

    When the zing sun that brightened the sky settled and curtain-like darkness was cast over the sky, Ohjin slowly headed to the outbuilding.

    Humming a tune while walking, in his hand was a ss bottle that contained clear water.

    Click¡ª

    ¡ªThe basement of the outbuilding.

    He could see the figure of a young man tied up on a chair under the dim light.

    The young man with a skinny build gave off a fragile impression.

    Ohjin dragged a chair over and sat in front of the young man.

    ¡°You¡­ are?¡±

    Yuji, who had his head dropped as if he was unconscious, looked up at Ohjin sitting in from of him.

    ¡°I¡¯m Ohjin. Gwon Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you going¡­ to Osaka?¡±

    ¡°I decided to drop out this time.¡±

    Ohjin took out a ss bottle from his pocket.

    Yuji¡¯s eyes locked onto the clear water within the ss and widened.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Sakaki told me to hand it over to you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Yuji shut his lips tight like he was speechless, and soon tears started to drip down.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ thank you¡­ sob.¡±

    Whatever the circumstances, he was given mercy despite having contributed to capturing and killing Sakaki¡¯s precious members.

    He couldn¡¯t help but cry because of his guilt and gratitude.

    ¡°You said that your little sister was kidnapped by the ck Star Organization, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°I understand how you feel since someone precious to me was also kidnapped before.¡±

    Ohjin leisurely leaned his back on the chair and continued.

    ¡°Everything in front of my eyes turned white¡­ and I thought I was going to go insane at any moment.¡±

    ¡°Ohjin¡­¡±

    Yuji looked at Ohjin with shaking eyes.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I also felt that way.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Did you really feel that way?¡±

    Ohjin recalled the memories of when Ha-eun was kidnapped.

    The memories of how he couldn¡¯t breathe and how his entire body had trembled.

    His head couldn¡¯t think of anything other than saving her.

    ¡°Then why did you do that?¡±

    Ohjin yfully rotated the ss bottle in his hand.

    Yuji looked at Ohjin with a perplexed expression.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do you remember what you said when you said that you had a final request?¡± Ohjin asked while letting out a short giggle.

    The words that Yuji had cried out while kneeled down on the ground.

    -Kurosaki Sosuke¡­ that monster¡­ that devil wearing the mask of a human¡­ please¡­ please kill him!

    The final request he¡¯d shouted out in the midst of fear.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s strange?¡±

    ¡°Just what¡­?¡±

    ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t have asked us to kill Kurosaki Sosuke, but instead to save my little sister.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Yuji¡¯s pupils trembled.

    He shook his head while putting on an awkward smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s because the ¡®Seahorse Poison¡¯ will naturally disappear once Kurosaki Sosuke dies.¡±

    ¡°Is that right? That¡¯s really weird.¡±

    The edges of Ohjin¡¯s lips twisted up.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Kurosaki should be in possession of the antidote?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°If the poison will disappear naturally once Kurosaki dies, isn¡¯t obtaining the antidote unnecessary?¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ohjin pulled out the plug on the ss bottle.

    A clear sound echoed out inside the dimly lit basement.

    -Ah, Ohjin, you aren¡¯t using that this time? I¡¯m talking about how you make them say what they said in reverse.

    -There isn¡¯t really a need to do that this time around.

    He recalled the conversation he had with Ha-eun not too long ago.

    That¡¯s right¡­

    Where was the need to go out of his way to confirm if he was lying or not?

    That is, there was no need when he knew that someone was lying in the first ce.

    ¡°Right? It sounds weird even for you, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Ohjin poured the water inside of the ss bottle onto the floor.

    ¡°Kurosaki Sosuke.¡±

    Ohjin threw the ss bottle to Kurosaki Sosuke, who was staring at him with cold eyes.

 Chapter 146: Real Man (2)

    <strong>Chapter 146: Real Man (2)</strong>

    Releasing the mana wrapped around his left chest, he drew an image in his head.

    ¡ªThe image of a bomb.

    A powerful lightning bomb containing frightening electrivity that would sweep away the area in a radius of dozens of meters.

    While containing that image within the ss bottle, he threw it.

    Bzzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    The ss bottle containing blue lightning caused a small burst of wind as it shot forward.

    Kurosaki Sosuke, who was tied onto the chair, slowly furrowed his brow.

    A clear water droplet floated up in mid-air and epassed the ss bottle that was wrapped in lightning.

    The blue lightning exploding out of the ss bottle wasn¡¯t able to pierce through the thin water droplet and puffed out.

    ¡°Since when¡­ did you know?¡±

    ¡ªCold eyes.

    The impression of how Yuji looked like he was going to fall down from a touch reversed in an instant just because the light in his eyes changed.

    From a prey shaking from fear to a cunning hunter waiting for their prey to fall into their trap.

    Sticky killing intent that was like thick fog settled down in the basement.

    ¡°From the beginning.¡±

    Ohjin smiled leisurely in the midst of the thick killing intent that would¡¯ve choked an ordinary person.

    ¡°¡­How?¡±

    Sosuke looked at Ohjin like he couldn¡¯t understand.

    When even his subordinates didn¡¯t know his identity, how did it make sense for Ohjin to be able to see through his lies in their first meeting?

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you? I said that I would¡¯ve asked to save my little sister.¡±

    ¡°You noticed that I was lying with only that? Do you really expect me to believe that?¡±

    ¡°Naturally, that isn¡¯t the only thing.¡±

    Ohjin smirked and crossed his legs.

    ¡°Through the past few months, you guys acted while thoroughly hiding the location of the ¡®digestion facilities¡¯. But in a timely manner, the location of a digestion facility was exposed coincidentally just as I arrived in Japan?¡±

    Up to that point was understandable¡ªmaybe Kuroushi¡¯s months of effort were just finally bearing fruit.

    However¡­

    ¡°It makes no sense for there to be no security devices and not even any sentries near the asylum.¡±

    It was as if they had opened their doors wide to greet the Kuroushi n¡¯s arrival.

    ¡°¡­Still, that shouldn¡¯t be enough to figure out my identity.¡±

    Sosuke narrowed his eyes.

    As he said, it was difficult to find a way to corrte Yuji with Sosuke just because the security was too careless. In the first ce, Yuji was too differentpared to the Sosuke that the world knew of.

    Who could think that a one-armed skinny developer who looked to be on the verge of copsing was the same person as Kurosaki Sosuke, the one called the King of Seahorses who reigned as an entity of fear?

    ¡°Your arm.¡±

    ¡°Arm?¡±

    Ohjin pointed at the vicinity of Sosuke¡¯s severed left arm.

    ¡°That arm. You said that it was cut off after stepping up to Kurosaki Sosuke, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±

    Humans easily believe the words of beings weaker than themselves by instinct because they judged that it wouldn¡¯t be a big threat even if they were betrayed.

    This wasn¡¯t a matter of ration or logic, but rather emotion and instinct.

    It was the same reason that famous movies with plot-twists made cripples turn out to be the culprit.

    Kurosaki Sosuke made Sakai Yuji one-armed in order to cleverly take advantage of that human mentality. There weren¡¯t many other methods that could make someone seem as distinctively weak as a ¡®defective body¡¯.

    But¡­

    ¡°Why was it the arm?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange?¡±

    ¡°¡­What part of it is strange?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s shoulders shook up and down as he cackled.

    ¡°ording to you, Sakai Yuji is the one and only developer who can reconstruct the ¡®Star-forsaken Land¡¯, isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    In that case¡­

    ¡°You should have cut his leg, not his arm.¡±

    Kurosaki Sosuke¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡ªCutting the leg, and not the arm.

    The words that left Ohjin¡¯s mouth echoed out in his head.

    ¡°¡­Hah.¡±

    Augh subconsciously escaped his mouth.

    Thinking about it now, it was an extremely natural question.

    Rather than severing a developer¡¯s arm and lowering work efficiency, it was much more ¡®effective¡¯ to cut off his leg so that he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape.

    ¡°You¡¯re not in your right mind, either.¡±

    However, that was in the realm of theory.

    How many people would actually look at a one-armed person shaking from fear and think about work efficiency?

    ¡°Just what do you think of other humans as?¡±

    In a sense, that question could onlye to mind if you thought of other humans as not people, but something like livestock or tools.

    ¡°Haha! Wow, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d hear those words from a bastard who kidnaps people and turns them into potions.¡±

    Ohjinughed and pped his hands.

    ¡°Well, anyway. You should know how I was able to figure out your identity now, right?¡±

    ¡°Why did you do this?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Do what?¡±

    ¡°Why did you pretend to be unaware despite knowing my identity this whole time?¡±

    Sosuke furrowed his brow.

    If Ohjin knew about his identity from the start, he could¡¯ve just exposed him right away on that spot, but why did he go out of his way to expose his identity three days after the fact?

    ¡°That¡¯s because I knew you were going to eat away at your own skin.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    Ohjin smiled brightly and nodded his head.

    ¡°You need that many ¡®sacrifices¡¯ to reach your goal.¡±

    For example, the Hippocampus faction that he¡¯d built up until then.

    ¡°Hah, you speak as if you know all of my goals.¡±

    ¡°I do know.¡±

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t be ignorant of it.

    ¡°The fact that Yuji is Kurosaki Sosuke isn¡¯t all that important.¡±

    The important thing was why Kurosaki Sosuke decided to act as Sakai Yuji and let himself get captured.

    ¡°You were trying to erase the existence named ¡®Kurosaki Sosuke¡¯.¡±

    What was the best method for a culprit to get rid of their past criminal record?

    Secretly going into hiding?

    Going through cosmetic surgery on their entire body and disguising themselves as someone else?

    No.

    The best method was making it seem like the ¡®culprit¡¯ was dead.

    After all, there was no way to hunt down a person who was already dead.

    ¡°Why? Did you start to feel the pressure after hearing that Cheon Doyoon died?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sosuke shook his head like he was sick of it.

    ¡°It¡¯s my loss. You win.¡±

    He didn¡¯t think that his n was perfect and impable in the first ce, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to get demolished so thoroughly.

    * * *

    * * *

    When Sosuke leaned his back onto the chair with a frustrated expression¡ª

    Thud, thud¡ª

    ¡ªheavy footstepsing down the stairs could be heard.

    Sakaki, with a stiff expression, and Ha-eun, with eyes containing contempt, walked down to the basement.

    Behind Sakaki were Koshiro and members of Kuroushi trailing down to the basement in a line.

    ¡°Sakai Yuji¡­ no, Kurosaki Sosuke.¡±

    Sakaki¡¯s eyes shone fiercely like he had heard the whole conversation as he stared at Sosuke.

    ¡°What? Were all of you gathered up and eavesdropping outside?¡±

    Sosuke smirked and looked around at the people who¡¯de into the basement.

    ¡°You bastaaaaaard!!!¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    Sakaki shouted out with an ear-splitting scream while he twisted the cor of Sosuke, who was tied to the chair.

    ¡°Are you telling me¡­ that all of that was just an act!!!¡±

    How much had he contemted about Yuji during the past three days? He felt disappointed at himself for being unable to swing down his sword when Yuji had begged him to kill him.

    ¡°Honestly, I was a bit scared, but a man amongst men is certainly different!! I trusted that you wouldn¡¯t kill me!¡±

    Sosukeughed out loud like he was insane while his cor was being grabbed.

    ¡°But¡­ Mr. Taurus, did you know¡­?¡±

    His lips twisted up.

    ¡°That I¡¯m not the only one¡ªwho¡¯s been acting.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Sakaki furrowed his brow.

    Tak!!¡ª

    The sound of feet roughly stepping forward could be heard from behind him.

    Killing intent coldly brushed past the back of Sakaki¡¯s neck for a moment.

    What Sakaki saw when he urgently turned his head around¡ª

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Oyabun.¡±

    ¡ªwas Koshiro, holding a knife with both hands.

    With an expression on the verge of tears and his knife raised up high, he swung the knife down towards Sakaki¡¯s back.

    When the knife that had clear droplets dripping down was about to pierce through Sakaki¡¯s heart¡ª

    Thud¡ª

    ¡ªas if he knew it would happen, Ohjin arrived beside Koshiro before they knew it and caught his arm.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    A breath of relief came out of Koshiro¡¯s mouth once his arm was stopped.

    As if his attack being prevented was instead a relief, a light smile formed on his mouth.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    Ohjin exhaled a deep breath after catching Koshiro¡¯s arm.

    ¡°¡­I hoped that this goddamn situation wouldn¡¯t happen.¡±

    He mumbled swears and roughly kicked Koshiro¡¯s stomach.

    Bang!¡ª

    Koshiro was sent flying back and crashed into the wall, and the knife that had been in his grasp ttered onto the ground.

    ¡°Just what is¡­¡±

    Sakaki¡¯s mouth opened dumbfoundedly with an expression that was several times more in shock than when he¡¯d found out that Yuji¡¯s was Sosuke.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Ohjin looked down at Koshiro copsed on the ground with a bitter expression.

    He wasn¡¯t going to bring it up first if he didn¡¯t make his move, but he couldn¡¯t hide it any longer once he swung the knife at Sakaki.

    ¡°Mr. Sakaki. Do you remember when the Yumehanashi was used?¡±

    ¡°¡­I remember.¡±

    ¡°We most certainly used the Yumehanashi on Sosuke back then.¡±

    But despite that, he hadn¡¯t told the ¡®truth¡¯.

    How was that possible?

    The method was simple.

    It was so in that it was boring, and so nd that it caused yawning.

    ¡°The Yumehanashi was a fake.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°And back then, there was only one person that could swap out the real Yumehanashi with a fake one.¡±

    Ohjin looked down at Koshiro, who had his head dropped down in silence.

    He hadn¡¯t fallen unconscious.

    There was no way he would fall unconscious from crashing into a wall when he was an Awakener of Scutum.

    ¡°Koshiro¡­¡±

    Sakaki looked at Koshiro with trembling eyes.

    ¡°Why? Just why¡­?¡±

    He recalled the way Koshiro called him Oyabun.

    He recalled his voice when he energetically shouted out that he wanted to be a man like he was with sparkling eyes.

    Koshiro wasn¡¯t simply his subordinate¡­

    He was his disciple, and an existence akin to his son.

    ¡°Why, why, why, whyyyyyyy!! Tell me why, Koshiroooooooo!!!!¡± Sakaki cried out.

    ¡°¡­Oyabun.¡±

    Koshiro chewed his lips while his shoulders trembled.

    Ohjin silently looked down at Koshiro and then turned his head to Sosuke.

    ¡°Why do you think Sakai Yuji obeyed Kurosaki Sosuke?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Isn¡¯t Sakai Yuji a nonexistent person made up by¡ª¡±

    ¡°Why¡­ do you think he obeyed Kurosaki?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Sakaki¡¯s expression stiffened.

    It seemed that he realized something as his fist that was holding Sosuke¡¯s cor started to shake.

    Ohjin exhaled a short breath and soon continued with a bitter expression.

    ¡°The one who was poisoned wasn¡¯t Sakai Yuji¡¯s younger sister¡­ but Koshiro¡¯s.¡±

 Chapter 147: Real Man (3)

    <strong>Chapter 147: Real Man (3)</strong>

    ¡°Pfft! Hah! Ahahahaha!!!¡±

    The sound of his clearughter rang out in the basement that was brightened by dim lights.

    ¡°Wow, you really knew about it all?¡±

    Sakaki¡¯s eyes shone with interest while looking at Ohjin. Despite all of his ns going down the drain, his attitude waspletelyid-back.

    ¡®Either he¡¯s not right in the head, or he still has more hidden cards prepared.¡¯

    There was also the possibility that it was both.

    Ohjin calmly looked at Sakaki and Koshiro.

    ¡°¡­Koshiro, is that true?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I asked if it was true.¡±

    Sakak coldly looked down at Koshiro, who was weeping with his head dropped.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Oyabun.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sakaki¡¯s tightly clenched fists trembled, and he exhaled a deep breath as he slowly closed his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    Koshiro repeatedly apologized like a broken machine while tears continued to drip down his face.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you give him mercy if he¡¯s apologizing like that? Just like you did to me.¡±

    Sosukeughed joyfully while taunting Sakaki.

    ¡°Kurosaki Sosuke.¡±

    The thick veins in Sakaki¡¯s forehead popped up as he pulled in his hand that was holding Sosuke¡¯s cor, and he then violently swung his fist.

    His fist containing an intangible shockwave hit the middle of Sosuke¡¯s forehead dead-on.

    Ssh!!¡ª

    A sound that didn¡¯t seem like it was from punching a human¡¯s face but rather a puddle of water rang out.

    Sosuke¡¯s face caved into the shape of a fist and slowly returned to its original appearance as if time was flowing in reverse.

    ¡®What is he, T-1000?¡¯

    Ohjin chuckled as he looked at Sosuke¡¯s body turn into water like a liquid monster.

    It would have normally been impossible to turn his body into liquid form like that because of the handcuffs that restrict the flow of mana, however¡­

    ¡®Koshiro probably released them.¡¯

    The one who¡¯d taken Sosuke to the basement was Koshiro in the first ce. With his younger sister captured as a hostage, there was no way he would properly tie him up.

    ¡°Hahaha! Those kinds of attacks don¡¯t work on me.¡±

    Sosuke cackled while twisting his body.

    Gurgle¡ª

    His body that¡¯d turned into liquid form slid out of Sakaki¡¯s hand.

    ¡°You dare!¡± shouted Sakaki as he raised his fist once again.

    His fist was held back like he was pulling the string of a bow.

    The stigma of Taurus emitted intense light as shockwaves started to condense in his fist.

    If Sosuke could absorb the shock by turning his body into water, Sakaki simply had to have enough power topletely obliterate the water itself.

    Swoosh!!¡ª

    His fist containing condensed shockwaves swung at Sosuke.

    At that moment, Koshiro, who was sitting down, suddenly got up and stood in front of Sosuke. He crossed his arms into the shape of a cross and created a shield of blue light over his arms.

    ¡°Kuh?!¡±

    With an expression of shock on his face, Sakaki tried to stop his fist, but he couldn¡¯t stop a fist that was already on the verge of impact.

    Baaaaaang!!¡ª

    Simultaneous with the loud sound of an explosion, Koshiro¡¯s body skidded back.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    The shield was miserably destroyed while blood started to leak out of the gaps of his mouth.

    ¡°Huh, you protected me? That was so cool that I just might fall for you.¡±

    ¡°Shut¡­ up!¡±

    Koshiro furiously stared at Sosuke, who was making provoking remarks.

    ¡°Hmm? Should you be saying those kinds of arrogant words?¡±

    Sosukeughed slightly and slowly raised his hand.

    ¡°The poison in your little sister will run wild with the slight movement of one of my fingers here, you know?¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s!¡±

    Koshiro¡¯s face became dyed in white from fear.

    ¡°N-No!! Please, anything but that!!!¡±

    He quickly got down on his knees and held onto Sosuke¡¯s pants.

    ¡°I wonder~ What should I do? Should I start by spreading the poison around her waist and make her disabled? Or maybe spread it near her face and make it so that she can¡¯t walk around with her face exposed for the rest of her life?¡±

    ¡°I-I did everything you told me to!!! N-No! Please, anything but my little sister¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha!!¡±

    It appeared that Sosuke found the way Koshiro begged amusing, as he clutched his belly and uncontroblyughed.

    ¡°¡­Koshiro.¡±

    Sakaki looked down at Koshiro, who was bowing his head down under Sosuke¡¯s feet, with a stiff expression.

    His clenched fists trembled.

    When he was about to take a step forward as his patience reached its limit¡ª

    ¡°What a bunch of bullshit.¡±

    ¡ªOhjin moved first and sprinted at Sosuke.

    His tremendous eleration speed made it seem like his body was stretching out, and a trail of blue lightning zed in his wake.

    Ohjin took a steel rod out of his belt while approaching Sosuke and surged mana into it.

    Whirr! ck!¡ª

    The steel rod gave off light and turned into a spear once it received the mana.

    Swoosh!!¡ª

    The tip of the spear was swung with clean movements and pierced through Sosuke¡¯s sr plexus.

    However¡­

    Ssh!¡ª

    Once again, Sosuke¡¯s body turned into water as the spear pierced through him and caused no damage.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say those kinds of attacks are useless?¡±

    ¡°Is that right?¡±

    Ohjin smirked and sent lightning down the spear.

    He imagined a lightning rod in his head.

    Like gathering lightning striking down from the sky, blue lightning started to form at the tip of the spear that was piercing through Sosuke¡¯s body.

    ¡®Blue Lightning.¡¯

    Blue lightning exploded in the shape of a fan and severely spread through Sosuke¡¯s body as it was in liquid form.

    Bzzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    ¡°Kugh!!¡±

    Sosuke¡¯s expression distorted.

    He groaned and urgently stepped back to escape the range of the lightning.

    ¡°Goddammit¡­!¡±

    It appeared that the pain that came from the lightning was rather intense, as Sosuke stared at Ohjin with an enraged expression.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to face him, so you should hold Koshiro back.¡±

    ¡°However¡­¡±

    ¡°Your attacks won¡¯t work on him, anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sakaki looked at Sosuke, whose entire body had turned into a liquid, and dropped his head.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll vaporize that slime bastard so that there¡¯s no trace of him remaining.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes shone fiercely as she stood next to Ohjin.

    After barely escaping out of the lightning¡¯s range, the edges of Sosuke¡¯s lips rose as heughed slyly.

    ¡°But do you really have the time to be fighting with me here?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about time for it to start.¡±

    ¡°¡­For what to start?¡± Ha-eun asked as she was staring at Sosuke with disgust in her eyes.

    Sosuke whistled and answered shortly.

    ¡°The massacre.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s shoulders flinched from the answer that reeked of blood.

    ¡°I ordered my subordinates to standby at the ¡®digestion facilities¡¯ and indiscriminately attack every person nearby if you guys didn¡¯t arrive on time.¡±

    ¡°Y-You crazy son of a bitch!!¡±

    Ha-eun shouted with a shocked expression and quickly took out her phone.

    She couldn¡¯t read Japanese, but could see the broadcast of Osaka in mes on the news in real time.

    ¡°The number of casualties will get out of hand if you don¡¯t deal with it quickly, you know?¡±

    Sosuke grated their nerves and cackled.

    ¡®So this is the hidden card he had prepared.¡¯

    Ohjin clicked his tongue and looked at Ha-eun¡¯s phone to see the state of Osaka.

    He wondered why Sosuke had been so rxed despite his ns getting exposed, and it turned out that he had such a move prepared.

    ¡°Ohjin, this is¡­¡±

    Ha-eun looked at her phone with a big frown.

    ¡ªOsaka engulfed in mes.

    The way the Awakeners of Hippocampus were indiscriminately attacking people was clearly broadcasted through the intensely shaking camera.

    ¡°Those sons of bitches¡­!¡±

    Ha-eun clenched her fists tight and trembled out of anger.

    Unlike Ohjin, who didn¡¯t really care whether other people died or not, she had a good-natured heart. It was hard for her to maintain herposure while looking at thousands of people getting massacred.

    ¡°Ha-eun, take the members of Kuroushi and deal with those bastards.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more than enough to take care of him.¡±

    Ohjin looked at Sosuke and lightly grasped his spear.

    There was a high probability that Sosuke had more hidden cards prepared, based on his leisurely attitude, however¡­

    ¡®That doesn¡¯t mean I can sit still in this situation.¡¯

    There was one conclusion he coulde to after fighting with numerous Awakeners of Hippocampus until then:

    ¡®Those bastards can¡¯t beat me.¡¯

    Ohjin smirked at Sosuke and slightly pushed Ha-eun as she was hesitating.

    ¡°Hurry up and go, Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°¡­You can really deal with him alone, right?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever seen me lie?¡±

    ¡°Too many fucking times.¡±

    ¡°Aha¡­ Anyways, I¡¯m not lying this time, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Don¡¯t you dare get beat up after saying that. I won¡¯t let you rest in peace.¡±

    Ha-eun turned around and quickly ran out of the basement.

    ¡°Follow her,¡± Sakaki said with a stiff expression to his n members that were awaiting his orders.

    Once Ha-eun and the n members of Kuroushi left the basement, there were only Sakaki, Koshiro, and Ohjin remaining.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Ehh, you¡¯re going to face me alone?¡±

    Sosuke looked at Ohjin with ridicule.

    His sr plexus that was pierced by the spear melted and regenerated back into its original form.

    ¡°Have you lost it just because younded a single sessful attack?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think those are the words that shoulde from someone who whined after getting hit.¡±

    ¡°Hah, you¡¯re really on your high horse just because lightning attacks work.¡±

    Sosuke clicked his tongue in a provoking manner.

    ¡°But oh no, how should I break this to you?¡±

    The stigma of Hippocampus engraved on his left chest started to emit light.

    Once the surface of his left arm that was cut off started to wiggle, a whole new left arm was created.

    Bubble, bubble¡ª

    Bubbles started to rise in his body with the sound of boiling water.

    Particles so small that they couldn¡¯t be seen by the naked eye mixed with the bubbles and excreted out of his body.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that lightning doesn¡¯t flow through pure water?¡±

    Tap!¡ª

    Sosuke made his move and sprinted to Ohjin.

    Ohjin swung his spear low and aimed for Sosuke¡¯s knees.

    With the sound of sshing water, the spear went through his body.

    ¡®Lightning Charge.¡¯

    Bzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Ohjin used Lightning Charge at the exact time when the spear was passing through Sosuke¡¯s knee, but the blue lightning didn¡¯t travel through his body and gradually disappeared in vain.

    ¡°I told you it wouldn¡¯t work, dumbass!¡±

    Sosukeughed and struck down using his arms in the shape of an X as they turned into the shape of two sharp scythes.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin activated the ¡®Stigma of Clepsydra¡¯ with a calm expression.

    The world suddenly moved in slow motion.

    Ohjin confirmed where Sosuke¡¯s attack was heading in advance and avoided his attacks with minimal movements.

    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swish!¡ª

    ¡°Eek!¡±

    The attacks futilely split apart the air.

    Ohjin narrowly avoided all of Sosuke¡¯s attacks with not even a 3cm gap between him and the attacks.

    It was like watching a pro boxing athlete mocking and avoiding the attacks of an amatuer.

    Swoosh! Swish! Swoosh!¡ª

    ¡°Y-You fucker!!¡±

    Sosuke swore out of frustration while swinging his arms.

    Even if he wasn¡¯t specialized for close-rangebat, anger soared up when he couldn¡¯t even graze Ohjin¡¯s clothes.

    ¡°Goddammit!¡±

    Sosuke created distance and spread his arms wide. His entire body started to boil again, and spherical droplets of water exited his body.

    Ohjin smiled and looked at Sosuke, who had egg-like droplets gushing out of his body.

    ¡°Come to think of it, don¡¯t male seahorses give birth?¡±

    ¡°Are you pregnant?¡±

 Chapter 148: Real Man (4)

    <strong>Chapter 148: Real Man (4)</strong>

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Bowed down on the ground, Koshiro wasn¡¯t able to raise his head as his body shook.

    ¡®They¡¯re¡­ indiscriminately massacring people?¡¯

    Even while hearing the shocking news that made the insides of his head burn white, he didn¡¯t think of rebelling against Sosuke. The moment he let his body be controlled by his emotions, he would lose someone precious to him forever.

    ¡°Koshiro¡­¡±

    Flinch¡ª

    Koshiro¡¯s shoulders flinched.

    Sakaki¡¯s blunt voice sliced away at his chest like a sharp knife.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡®Oyabun.¡¯

    Memories started to resurface.

    They were the memories of when he¡¯d first met Sakaki.

    Even though he hadn¡¯t been selected by a celestial yet, he¡¯d voluntarily applied to be a member of the vignte group in order to protect his little sister.

    He was denied countless times for being unawakened, but he didn¡¯t back down.

    Around the time he had waited on his knees in front of the vignte group¡¯s base for days¡ª

    -Why are you trying so hard to be a vignte?

    ¡ªa man appeared in front of him when he was exhausted and on the verge of copsing.

    The man had a buzz cut and firm muscles that looked like they would crush bones with just a graze.

    ¡ªSakaki Ryo.

    The leader and the one responsible for the vignte group had personallye out to meet him.

    -I want¡­ to protect my family.

    Straining his lips that wouldn¡¯t open properly, he answered.

    Sakaki stood there for a while in silence, and soonughed out loud and hit his shoulder.

    -Kuhaha! Yeah! A righteous man must protect his people! His family! And his country!

    After helping Koshiro get up, Sakaki smiled brightly.

    -Very well! I shall turn you into a real man!!

    Just like that, Koshiro was the first unawakened to join the vignte group.

    He was in charge of minor chores and errands at first, but was able to awaken the stigma of Scutum not too long after and assisted Sakaki in the front lines.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Nauseatingbat persisted through every single day, but every day Koshiro spent with Sakaki was delightful.

    Koshiro observed the way Sakaki swept away the monsters like a mad taurus and wanted to be like him one day.

    At the end of his desperate efforts, he umted eight flicks on his chest like Sakaki.

    He was finally able to stand beside him with confidence.

    He thought that he would be able to be a cool man like he was.

    ¡®But this is what I turned out to be in the end.¡¯

    With his forehead stuck to the ground,ughter mixed with self-deprecation left Koshiro¡¯s mouth. It seemed that he ran dry of tears, as they wouldn¡¯t evene out anymore.

    It was pathetic.

    The fact that he wanted to be a cool man like Sakaki despite not being able to protect a single member of his family made him retch due to the disillusion he felt.

    ¡®I¡­ couldn¡¯t be someone like Sakaki in the first ce.¡¯

    ¡°Get up, Koshiro.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oyabun.¡±

    ¡°You said you want to protect your little sister, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Sakaki got into a stance with his fists clenched.

    ¡°Then get up and fight like a man.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ am nothing like a man.¡±

    Koshiro¡¯s voice trembled.

    ¡°I¡¯m not like you, Oyabun¡­ I¡¯m a dumbass who can¡¯t even protect his only little sister.¡±

    His shoulders shook with his forehead ced on the ground.

    ¡°¡­Please kill me, Oyabun.¡±

    Would he find peace with death?

    Would he escape the nauseating feeling of misery?

    He didn¡¯t know, but he believed that it would still be much better than living.

    ¡°Get up.¡±

    Sakaki¡¯s cold eyes stared at Sakaki.

    ¡ªA suffocating sensation.

    Koshiro felt like he was going to involuntary cry because of how coldly Sakaki¡¯s voice rang out.

    ¡°Oyabun.¡±

    Stagger¡ª

    Koshiro raised his body up.

    His arms grasped the ground, and his legs stood firmly.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting, Koshiro.¡±

    Sakaki raised his fist.

    ¡°If you want to save your little sister¡­ block me.¡±

    Boom!¡ª

    The ground shook.

    Pebbles shot out in every direction, and the ground caved in as if there was an explosion.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    A blue shield was created in front of Koshiro once he urgently crossed his arms.

    ¡®It¡¯s not enough!¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t block Sakaki¡¯s monstrous power with that alone.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    A threeyered blue shield was created, and Sakaki¡¯s fist collided with the top of it.

    Baaaaaaang!!¡ª

    An ear-splitting noise rang out.

    Koshiro felt the impact of a sledgehammer on his crossed forearms while his body floated up.

    ¡°Are you unable to endure a single mere blow?!!¡±

    Sakaki shouted out and pulled his elbow back.

    He lowered his back, slightly bent his knees, and sprung up to uppercut Koshiro in the air after gathering all of his strength.

    Baaaang!¡ª

    Koshiro quickly made a shield in midair and blocked Sakaki¡¯s fist, but an intense pain as if his bones were broken lingered in his arms.

    Koshiro flew back while drawing an arc in the air and narrowly used a technique tond safely on the ground.

    ¡°Why¡­¡±

    Koshiro opened his mouth with a trembling voice.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting mad at me?¡±

    Even if he was threatened, he¡¯d betrayed the n and tried to stab Sakaki in the back.

    He¡¯d repaid the grace he¡¯d received with betrayal.

    ¡®But why¡­ just why?¡¯

    ¡°Why¡­! Why aren¡¯t you saying anything!!¡±

    If he had gotten angry¡­

    If he had rather criticized and reprimanded him¡­

    Wouldn¡¯t he have been able to feel less misery?

    ¡°You talk too much.¡±

    Sakaki swung his fist.

    Intangible shockwaves crashed down on Koshiro like water.

    ¡°Shield!!¡±

    Koshiro¡¯s stigma emitted light.

    Six shields spread out like petals and obstructed the path in front of him. It was manageable if it wasn¡¯t a fist condensed with mana, but the shockwaves created by them.

    ¡°Send them back!¡±

    Boom!¡ª

    The shockwaves that were reflected by the shields hit Sakaki, and a dull sound like a hammer striking down on a stiff metal sheet rang out.

    ¡°Kuuh!¡±

    Sakaki furrowed his brow.

    The shields created by an Awakener of Scutum had the power to amplify the force of the attacks that were reflected by the shield by adding mana.

    Sakaki¡¯s body shuddered as it was struck by the amplified shockwaves and he felt like he was getting a concussion.

    ¡°Kuhaha! I wonder whose attack could contain this much force!¡±

    Sakakiughed gantly and wiped off the blood that was flowing down his mouth.

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown quite a lot during the time I haven¡¯t seen you, Koshiro!¡±

    He smirked and clenched his fist.

    ¡°However!¡±

    Rumbleeee!!¡ª

    The stigma of Taurus released intense light as the ground started to tremor like an earthquake was uring.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t enough to block me!!¡±

    Like a charging mad taurus, Sakaki lowered his back and sprinted in Koshiro¡¯s direction.

    Powerful shockwaves damaged the area and gathered up in Sakaki¡¯s body.

    ¡°Oyabun¡­¡±

    Koshiro chewed his lips and crossed his arms into the shape of an X. The six shields that spread out like petals surrounded him.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    He exhaled a low breath and gathered up all of the mana inside his body.

    The six shields that covered his body multiplied to twelve¡­

    Twelve shields multiplied to twenty-four¡­

    Twenty-four shields multiplied to forty-eight¡­

    ¡°The shield that protects the stars epasses all directions, thus shan¡¯t there be a single opening in the eight trigrams.¡±

    With his low chant, the forty-eight shields interlocked like gears and turned into a singr shield.

    No, it couldn¡¯t be called a ¡®shield¡¯ any longer; it was closer to a fortress.

    ¡°Koshiroooooooooooo!!!¡±

    A taurus charged towards the impregnable fortress.

    Every time it took a step, a distinct crater that shook the earth was left behind.

    Condensed shockwaves swept the area like a storm.

    Twenty meters, ten meters, five meters¡­

    The distance between Koshiro and Sakaki quickly narrowed.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    The impact even engulfed sound as the ground in a radius of dozens of meters split apart with the two people at the center. Rocks that were several meters long soared up and the ground caved in like there was a sinkhole.

    It was nearly impossible to imagine that the destruction was caused by the collision of two human beings.

    Cloudy dust spread out like fog.

    ¡°Kuh, cough!¡±

    The first thing that could be heard inside the thick cloud of dust was the sound of Sakaki coughing.

    His two fists were miserably crushed like a child¡¯s y toy, and the blood that emerged mixed with his cough and drenched his entire chest.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Sakaki turned his head around with a stiff face.

    The forty-eight shields were utterly destroyed.

    He could see Koshiro, barely able to stand and catching his breath.

    ¡°Oya¡­bun.¡±

    Stagger, stagger¡ª

    Koshiro¡¯s body wavered like he was going to copse at any moment.

    Heid his back against the stone that¡¯d risen up when the ground was twisted.

    ¡°Ha¡­ haha.¡±

    The sound of hisugh echoed out.

    ¡°I¡¯m really¡­ an idiot, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    His vision started to fade.

    The tears that ran down his face gathered up at the end of his chin.

    ¡°I wanted to be a cool man like Oyabun¡­¡±

    At first, he thought Sakaki was just a really childish person. He¡¯d mocked him for talking about being a man in that time and age.

    However¡­

    -Kuhaha! Did you see, Koshiro! This is what a man is!

    When the city was covered by monsters rushing like a tsunami¡­ he recalled the way he¡¯dughed broadly when everyone else was busy running away in fear.

    Sakaki was childish, reckless, and an idiot, but his back looked cooler than anything else in the world when he ran at the monsters.

    Koshiro wanted to be like him.

    He wanted to be a man who could protect the people precious to him.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Strength started to leave his waist.

    ¡°Forget about the country¡­ I couldn¡¯t even protect my people, nor my family.¡±

    In the end, he couldn¡¯t be like Sakaki.

    The time he spent striving to be like him was nothing but a meaningless struggle.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Oyabun.¡±

    His consciousness started to fade.

    Strength left his waist and his back folded forward.

    His body fell forward.

    Tak¡ª

    Sakaki caught Koshiro¡¯s body that was falling down and grabbed his cor to push him against the rock.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Was he nning to end things? Koshiro slowly closed his eyes.

    He didn¡¯t think that he would be able to live after betraying the n.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯

    Koshiro recalled the face of his little sister that¡¯d been poisoned and would be anxiously waiting for his arrival in an unknown ce.

    How scared would she be?

    How frightened would she be?

    The guilt of not being able to protect her in the end cut away at his chest.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­ for being a bad big brother.¡¯

    ¡®For not being able to protect you¡­¡¯

    ¡®For not being able to save you¡­¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m¡ª¡¯

    ¡°How many times do I have to say this for you to understand, Koshiro?¡±

    Sakaki ced his hand on top of Koshiro¡¯s head.

    ¡°A man¡­ shouldn¡¯t carelessly bow his back.¡±

    Sakaki positioned Koshiro to lean his back on the stone and walked past him.

    ¡ªTo where Ohjin was fighting alone against Sosuke.

 Chapter 149: Elemental Property (1)

    <strong>Chapter 149: Elemental Property (1)</strong>

    ¡°The fuck did you say?¡±

    Sosuke¡¯s expression became severely distorted.

    He frowned once he heard Ohjin¡¯s unpleasant words in the midst of creating water droplets with his body.

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®pregnant¡¯ all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ are you trying to deny the fact that you¡¯re bearing children?¡±

    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about.¡±

    ¡°You piece of trash!!!!¡±

    ¡ªTrying to deny being pregnant afterying that many eggs?

    ¡°Bastards like you are the reason why there are parents who irresponsibly abandon their children and run away!!¡±

    ¡°I said I¡¯m not pregnant!!¡±

    ¡°No! You¡¯re pregnant!!¡±

    ¡°What the fuck are you on about?¡±

    ¡°I saw it!!¡±

    ¡°Saw what?!¡±

    Sosuke looked at Ohjin like he had a headache.

    He hadn¡¯t imagined that he would encounter someone who would say those kinds of insane words to the ¡®King of Seahorses¡¯.

    ¡°Have you forgotten, Sosuke? That night¡­ those long and thick tentacles went into¡ª¡±

    ¡°You crazy son of a bitch!¡±

    Believing that discussing any longer would hold no meaning, Sosuke shot the droplets he¡¯d made at Ohjin.

    Was it because he had just heard a bunch of bullshit?

    For some reason, the flying droplets actually looked like eggs and caused him an intolerable amount of displeasure.

    Ttutututu!¡ª

    Droplets shot forward like they were shot from a machine gun.

    After cackling and observing Sosuke¡¯s reaction, Ohjin calmly moved his feet.

    It seemed that the fierce battle he had with Cheon Doyoon made avoiding the pouring droplets rtively easy.

    ¡®The image training I did back then is helping me again.¡¯

    Experience obtained through the training of avoidingsers in a near hypnotized state that was brought upon by using ¡®lies¡¯ gave him the ability to avoid the hundreds of droplets.

    ¡®But honestly speaking¡­ there¡¯s no need to avoid them.¡¯

    He hid his devious smile and started to move.

    Pop! Pop!¡ª

    The water droplets that passed by Ohjin and touched the floor exploded with a clear sound. The sound wasn¡¯t loud, but judging from how the floor looked like it was dug out by an excavator, the force behind them couldn¡¯t be underestimated.

    ¡°You little rat bastard¡­!¡±

    Sosuke swore at Ohjin while he watched him dodge the droplets like a ghost.

    It seemed that he believed things wouldn¡¯t progress at that rate, as he sprinted to Ohjin while simultaneously shooting droplets.

    ¡°Do you think that you¡¯ll be able to continue dodging?¡±

    He turned his arms into a sword shape and swung it at Ohjin, who was avoiding his attacks.

    Bzzzzt!¡ª

    Ohjin created a wall of blue lightning in front of him.

    A cunning smile appeared on Sosuke¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you that it¡¯s useless?!¡±

    sh!¡ª

    The sword made of pure ¡®water¡¯ cut through the lightning wall like paper and left a long cut on Ohjin¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Ohjin tried to avoid it, but it wasn¡¯t easy to avoid the sword in addition to the water droplets. The sword made of water grazed past Ohjin¡¯s chest, causing his flesh to tear and blood to gush out.

    ¡°Hahaha! This is the inevitable advantage thates from elemental properties!¡±

    In most cases, electricity would have an overwhelming advantage in a battle between water and electricity, but that elemental advantage waspletely reversed from the moment he was able to make ¡®pure water¡¯ that hadn¡¯t a single impurity mixed within.

    Needless to say, it didn¡¯t mean the victor would be decided purely on an inherent advantage when it wasn¡¯t a Pok¨¦mon battle, but a fight between Awakeners.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t he a 7-Star?¡¯

    Even if the Lightning Wolf was a North Star¡¯s apostle, he couldn¡¯t be his opponent when the elemental disadvantage was applied on top of the difference in ¡®stars¡¯ that existed in the first ce.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Well then! Where has that arrogant mouth of yours gone?! Huh?!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Sword strikes sharply dug into the openings that appeared as the droplets stormed from all directions.

    Ohjin would be able to avoid them somehow if he used the ¡®Stigma of Clepsydra¡¯, but he had no choice but to keep letting Sosuke attack since he couldn¡¯t endlessly use a stigma that had a limited number of uses.

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    His flesh was torn from the sharp sword strikes, and his skin was crushed by the droplets containing destructive power.

    ¡°Arghh!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try saying that bullshit again!¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    ¡°Stop screaming and try it!¡±

    ¡°G-Goddammit!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡±

    Sosukeughed broadly as he looked at Ohjin, who was getting one-sidedly beaten up without even being unable to retaliate.

    Not only had Ohjin thoroughly ruined his ns, but he had also mocked him with an arrogant expression. The way he was miserably beaten up made a sensational thrill run down his spine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about dying in peace.¡±

    Sosuke grinned and continued attacking while avoiding the vital areas on Ohjin¡¯s body.

    It appeared that damage started to umte in his body, as Ohjin, who once avoided the attacks swiftly like a rat, started to slow down.

    Sosuke continued attacking even more viciously and persistently.

    ¡°I was wondering how strong you were since you killed that Owl bastard, but all of your strength justes from your celestial, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    He¡¯d thought it didn¡¯t make sense when he first heard that the Lightning Wolf had killed Cheon Doyoon, but now, after fighting Ohjin personally, he was certain the reason was entirely because of Vega¡¯s power.

    ¡°But you can¡¯t receive the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s help right now!¡±

    Sosuke was well aware of how big of a punishment would follow after a celestial materialized their true form. Even if she was a North Star, she wouldn¡¯t be able to defy the Commandment¡¯s Restriction.

    In the present, where it hadn¡¯t been long since Cheon Doyoon had died, it would be impossible for her to materialize once again and lend him help.

    ¡°D-Damn it!¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s surprised face expressed that he hadn¡¯t imagined that he would be that much weaker than him.

    Sosuke couldn¡¯t help butugh when he looked at how dumb Ohjin looked.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting beaten up this badly when you said, what was it? That you¡¯re going to face me alone?¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Yeah! I guess getting beaten up like a sandbag is also facing me in a way!¡±

    He spat words of ridicule and continued attacking even more intensely.

    When he had attacked Ohjin without rest for around five minutes, slightly ragged breaths started to leave Sosuke¡¯s mouth as well.

    ¡°Haa, haa.¡±

    Sosuke looked at Ohjin while catching his breath.

    Even if he¡¯d attacked while doing his best to avoid vital spots to grant him the maximum amount of pain, Ohjin was surprisingly still standing after getting clobbered for the entire duration of five minutes.

    ¡®He¡¯s quite persistent.¡¯

    Too much time was passing.

    ¡®I should start to finish things up.¡¯

    Sosuke¡¯s eyes shone as he took in a deep breath, and the stigma engraved on his left chest started to shine with an ominous ck light.

    Fwoooooo!¡ª

    Thick fog flowed out of Sosuke¡¯s body.

    ¡°Spread out.¡±

    Following hismand, the thick fog flowing out of body quickly surrounded the area. The scene looked as if the clouds floating up high in the sky had descended down to cover the ground.

    It was on another levelpared to the fog used by Mika.

    The horrifying fog felt like it was sticking to him like a swamp and trying to pull him into an endless abyss.

    The devilish skill that took away sight, movement, and even respiration, was inflicted onto Ohjin.

    ¡°Kuh! Kuk!! G-Gah! I-I can¡¯t breathe!!¡±

    Sosuke could see Ohjin clutching his neck and groaning out of pain¡ªhe appeared to be in so much fear that he disyed a pathetic show of shedding tears.

    The grin on Sosuke¡¯s mouth grew wider.

    ¡°Now, this is the end.¡±

    He wanted to make sure he rigorously tasted even more pain, but Sakaki or the n members of Kuroushi would chase after him if it continued any longer.

    ¡®Though it won¡¯t be hard to sweep them away if I use all of the potion I gathered.¡¯

    A hidden card would exert its true power when it was hidden.

    If he used hisst resort to destroy the mere Kuroushi n, it would make it difficult for him to survive thepetition that would happen between the ¡®factions¡¯ at ater date.

    ¡°Die, dog of Vega.¡±

    With a cold look in his eyes, Sosuke spread out his arms to Ohjin, who was wrapped by fog.

    Fwoooosh!!¡ª

    The hundreds of droplets that poured out of his body gathered at one ce. It couldn¡¯t be called a ¡®droplet¡¯ anymore, as it bunched up into a ball of water that had a diameter of ten meters.

    ¡®Adding rotation onto this¡­¡¯

    A whirlpool appeared inside of the massive water ball.

    The destructive attack looked like it would suck in a body and tear it apart if just a finger was put near it.

    Boom!¡ª

    The condensed whirlpool of water was shot at Ohjin.

    Cruuuuuunch!!!¡ª

    It was hard to imagine that the origin of the loud noise was a ball of water.

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±

    Sosuke turned around like there was nothing worth seeing.

    At that moment¡ª

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡ªsix wires wrapped around his body.

    Bzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Blue lightning ran down the wires.

    ¡°Kah!¡±

    Sosuke, who released his ¡®pure water¡¯ state after believing that Ohjin had died, quickly liquified his entire body.

    After narrowly escaping from the wire¡¯s range, he turned his head around in Ohjin¡¯s direction.

    Despite his entire body being covered with injuries, Ohjin didn¡¯t copse and remained standing.

    ¡°You persistent bastard¡­!¡±

    Sosuke didn¡¯t know how Ohjin didn¡¯t die from that attack, but an immense amount of frustration soared up, as he was suddenly attacked by the person whom he believed to be dead.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    He aggressively ran to him and poured down attacks once again.

    Even if he somehow managed to endure through that attack, it didn¡¯t mean anything. It was only the difference of dying in one blow or two blows.

    sh! Slice! Bam!¡ª

    Sprays of water whirled around as Sosuke ceaselessly attacked.

    However¡­

    ¡®Why won¡¯t this bastard die?¡¯

    No matter how he thought of it, it was strange.

    He had sessfullynded over tens¡­ hundreds of attacks on him, but just how was he able to keep standing?

    ¡°Goddammit!¡±

    Vulgarnguage left Sosuke¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°I¡¯ll finish you with this.¡±

    He decided to use a little bit of his hidden card.

    Gurgle!¡ª

    A stream of water was created in midair as he stirred his arms widely.

    It was different from the water he¡¯d used until then.

    The water that emitted a gentle blue light was the potion made by melting the Awakeners that were kidnapped.

    A small portion of the potion entered Sosuke¡¯s body.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    Sosuke exhaled a low breath and raised his head.

    What first started in a basement turned into an open space due to thebat between supernatural beings that were called Awakeners.

    Fwooooo!¡ª

    The thickly spread fog rose up and started to pour water down, causing the entire area to be covered in water as if there was a downpour.

    ¡®He won¡¯t be able to endure this.¡¯

    Each single drop of water was a fatal attack containing mana.

    What fell down from the sky was an unavoidable and unblockable cmity.

    ¡°N-No way.¡±

    Ohjin looked up at the pouring rain in shock.

    No, to be urate, he didn¡¯t look up at the pouring rain, but at the blue message that appeared in front of his eyes.

    It was the message that had appeared ages ago.

    [The surroundings are filled with the energy of water.]

    [The effects of ¡¶Water Affinity Lv MAX¡· increase dramatically!]

    Ohjin shook and shouted out with an expression pale from fear.

    ¡°H-How is it possible to gather this much water in a dry area!!!¡±

    The storm containing a bunch of mana poured on top of the fake wounds made by ¡®Transformation¡¯.

    Ohjin desperately suppressed theughter that tried to escape while getting hit by the pouring rain.

 Chapter 150: Elemental Property (2)

    <strong>Chapter 150: Elemental Property (2)</strong>

    Shwaaaaaaa!¡ª

    Heavy rain poured down from the thick fog.

    The downpour rained down like a monsoon and made it hard for one to open their eyes.

    ¡°Haa, haa.¡±

    Rough breaths left of Sosuke¡¯s mouth.

    He looked at Ohjin, who was barely standing while taking in the rain with his body.

    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯

    Something was strange.

    If you thought about the way he was helplessly beaten up, he should¡¯ve normally already been in an unconscious state right around then.

    ¡®Why¡­ won¡¯t he die?¡¯

    Damage was certainly being inflicted.

    His whole body was drenched in blood, and his twisted arms and legs were quaking as they were hit by the rain.

    But¡­ why?

    ¡°Haa! Haa! Goddammit!¡±

    He spat out vulgarnguage and absorbed a little more of the ¡®potion¡¯ that was made by melting the stigma of 1,700 Awakeners throughout several years. Though, naturally, the efficiency fell behind substantiallypared to potions made by Awakeners of Aquarius.

    ¡°Why! Just why won¡¯t you go down!!!¡±

    It didn¡¯t make sense for him to be able to endure so persistently even after getting hit by an attack that contained the mana of a potion that was made by sacrificing an unfathomable number of lives.

    ¡°Huff! Huff!¡±

    He had been shooting meaningless attacks at Ohjin for several minutes, but Ohjin just rolled with them like a roly-poly toy no matter what he did.

    Sosuke gasped for air as he clutched his chest.

    Even if he was able to get his hands on an enormous amount of mana using the potion, he was still the one who had to control it.

    Once he used more mana than he could handle, Sosuke could feel that his mana circuits were tattered, and they felt like they were about to snap at any moment.

    ¡°Are you finished?¡±

    After bing a bloody mess while he pathetically yelled and got one-sidedly thrashed, Ohjin smiled and straightened his curved back.

    His disgraceful face that was pale in fear just moments ago couldn¡¯t be found anymore as he calmly moved his feet.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    A short exmation left Sosuke¡¯s mouth.

    He was then able to realize why Ohjin hadn¡¯t copsed and why he hadn¡¯t died despite him having poured attacks strong enough to wear out his mana circuits.

    ¡°You¡­ it was all an act from the beginning.¡±

    The way he put on an frightened expression like he was on the edge of a cliff¡­

    The way he pathetically screamed¡­

    Everything was just an act to induce Sosuke to overexert himself with attacks that would drain his stamina.

    ¡°J-Just how?! How are you able to stand tall after getting hit by all of those attacks?¡±

    Even if the opponent was a high-rank Awakener of Scutum, they wouldn¡¯t be intact after getting hit by an attack of that caliber without evading or preparing themself to block in advance.

    Nevertheless, not only was the Lightning Wolf he knew not an Awakener of Scutum, but he also was not a high-ranking Awakener.

    ¡°Just¡­ what are you.¡±

    Would it feel the same if a corpse that was stabbed over a dozen times, burned in fire, and crushed, stood back up in apletely fine state?

    Looking at the scene that was straight out of a B-rated horror movie with his own eyes caused his legs to quiver and made cold sweat run down his back.

    ¡°What did you say about elemental property?¡±

    With a thick smile, Ohjin raised his head up.

    Injuries formed on his body every time the droplets containing mana made contact with his skin, but they would then instantly disappear like time was reversed.

    The speed of his regeneration was even faster than when he¡¯d fought with Arshad Khan inside the rainstorm.

    Ohjin had already confirmed that he could use the skill ¡®Water Affinity¡¯ to absorb the water made by Awakeners of Hippocampus while fighting with them during the past three days.

    ¡®My regenerative powers actually increase from their stronger attacks.¡¯

    As one might expect, he felt sharp stings during the short moment it took for his injury to get regenerated, but it wasn¡¯t difficult to tolerate that amount of pain.

    ¡°As you said¡ªI guess an inevitable advantage really exists.¡±

    It was the reason he¡¯d confidently told Ha-eun that he could beat Sosuke alone.

    Whatever hidden card Sosuke had didn¡¯t matter because, as long as his stigma was of Hippocampus¡­

    ¡®Beating me is impossible.¡¯

    Ohjin was hit by the pouring rain water as he slowly raised his spear.

    His n of wearing out a fair bit of Sosuke¡¯s stamina by pretending like he was taking damage was a sess. All he had to do next was finish things up in a way that suited his tastes.

    ¡®Lightning doesn¡¯t work on him, but¡­¡¯

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    The stigma of Lyra wasn¡¯t the only stigma in Ohjin¡¯s possession.

    Owooong!¡ª

    The stigma engraved on his left chest emitted light.

    Nearly a thousand ck feathers spread out of his body like wings.

    ¡°¡­The stigma of Noctua?¡±

    Sosuke¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°H-How do you have that stigma¡­?¡±

    The fact that the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s apostle was using the stigma of Noctua sent shivers down his spine.

    Without even giving him time to find an answer to his questions, the wing made of ck feathers pped broadly.

    ¡°Ten Thousand ck Feather Blossom.¡±

    The skill that Cheon Doyoon frequently enjoyed using was manifested by Ohjin.

    Ttutututu!!¡ª

    The thousands of ck feathers that were shot following the trajectory of the wings rained down on Sosuke.

    ¡°I told you those kinds of attacks won¡¯t work on me!¡±

    Sosuke turned his body into liquid and received thousands of feathers with his body.

    The sharp feathers passed through his body in vain.

    ¡°I wonder¡­ Will it really be ineffective?¡±

    Ohjin smiled cunningly and ¡®stopped¡¯ the movement of the feathers.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    A groan left Sosuke¡¯s mouth.

    The thousands of fathers didn¡¯t pass through his body, but started to twist inside his body while it was in liquid form.

    ¡°D-Damn it!¡±

    He tried to get the feathers out of his body in the same way he excreted impurities to make pure water, but it wasn¡¯t easy, as there were a substantial number of feathers stuck to him.

    Sosuke¡¯s body that had clusters of feathers inside it made him look like a duck feather jacket that¡¯d torn inside of a washing machine.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it safe to say that the water is less pure now?¡±

    Ohjin cackled out and activated the stigma of Lyra once again.

    ¡®Charge.¡¯

    Bzzzzt!¡ª

    The zing blue lightning started to condense.

    Once. Twice. Thrice.

    It gradually emitted more light as the condensed blue lightning gathered at the tip of the spear.

    ¡°Explode.¡±

    Ohjin took in a deep breath and raised his spear. He stepped forward with his left foot and pulled back his right arm like it was the string of a bow.

    Taking advantage of the stic force of his waist, he threw his spear forward with all of his might.

    Bzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Blue lightning flew forward while splitting apart the air.

    Once it hit the middle of Sosuke¡¯s chest, all of the lightning that was condensed inside of the spear was released.

    Rumbleeeee!!¡ª

    The explosion of lightning engulfed Sosuke with the sound of thunder.

    ¡°Ah, ugh¡­¡±

    Sosuke looked down at his trembling body.

    The right side of his torso waspletely blown away by the explosion of lightning.

    ¡°M-Must hurry and regenerate¡­¡±

    With a face that became pale from fear, he slowly moved his remaining arm.

    The potion that was made through several years answered his call and started to congregate in order to heal his injuries.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let that happen.¡±

    Ohjin extended his hand out to the potion that was pooling toward Sosuke.

    Like how dry earth sucks up water, the blue potion created by Sosuke started to get absorbed by Ohjin.

    ¡°S-Stop!¡± Sosuke shouted with a panicked expression as he saw the potion disappear at a rapid pace.

    ¡ªIt was the potion prepared in order to create an artificial ¡®Dragon Vein¡¯.

    He couldn¡¯t let the mass of mana created by sacrificing the lives of 1,700 Awakeners throughout several years get handed over to an inconsequential person.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ our hope.¡±

    Sosuke desperately stretched his arm out at the potion that was being absorbed by Ohjin.

    ¡ªThe hope that would return their faded honor.

    The one and only solution that would allow them to cast away the title ¡®Star-forsaken Land¡¯ was being stolen in front of his eyes.

    ¡°There really is no sucker like you.¡±

    Ohjin put on a thick smile while enjoying the feeling of the potion permeating his body.

    It went without saying, but that mana wasn¡¯t of much significance to Ohjin, who had an unequaled amount of mana.

    ¡®But even if it doesn¡¯t hold significance to me, the same can¡¯t be said for him.¡¯

    He smirked as he looked at Sosuke, who was stretching out his hand with a desperate expression.

    Just like how the value of a million dors was different for an ordinary civilianpared to a wealthy individual whose wealth ounted to hundreds of millions of dors, the mana that didn¡¯t hold much meaning to Ohjin couldn¡¯t be more important to Sosuke.

    ¡°Ahhhhhh!!¡±

    Sosuke, who had all of his potion stolen, lost his mind and sprinted to Ohjin. However, he didn¡¯t have the remaining strength to face Ohjin, as most of his mana was already consumed.

    Grasp¡ª

    Ohjin grabbed Sosuke¡¯s hair.

    It appeared that he ran dry of mana, as his body that had previously sloshed like water returned to its original form.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Fear-struck eyes could be seen through the gaps of Ohjin¡¯s fingers.

    ¡°Charge.¡±

    Ohjin started to use ¡®Charge¡¯ on Sosuke¡¯s head that was in his hand, and blue lightning started to condense.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!¡±

    Sosuke wriggled in pain while trying to escape from Ohjin¡¯s grasp, but there was simply no way he could break out of his destructive grip when he didn¡¯t have much mana remaining.

    ¡°Charge, Charge, Charge, Charge, Charge.¡±

    Bzzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    The blue lightning that condensed over its limit ran wild inside Sosuke¡¯s head, causing it to swell abnormally while his eyes rolled to the back of his head as his pain threshold was exceeded.

    Then¡­

    Scatter!¡ª

    Cerebrospinal fluid, eyeballs, crushed cheekbones, and teeth shot everywhere.

    ¡°Tch.¡±

    Ohjin shook off the blood in his hand and clicked his tongue.

    The fight with Sosuke itself developed just as he expected, however¡­

    ¡°This was too easy.¡±

    No matter how severely he was injured, he would be able to regenerate immediately as long as he had ¡®Water Affinity¡¯, which made the fight have no excitement.

    ¡®There¡¯s a reason he¡¯s ranked 7th.¡¯

    Even if Ohjin was the absolute worst match for him, Sosuke¡¯s prowess was nothing to mentionpared to Cheon Doyoon.

    ¡®If the gap between 6th and 7th is this wide¡­ how powerful will the other Executors be?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    After being lost in thought for a moment, Ohjin slightly shrugged and extended his hand out to Sosuke¡¯s corpse.

    No matter how powerful they were¡­

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter since I can get even stronger by devouring them all.¡¯

    * * *

    * * *

    Rumble¡ª

    The clouds of the ck Heaven covered the stigma of Hippocampus.

    Mana rode through the wriggling clouds and entered his body.

    {All conditions required for the ck Heaven¡¯s awakening have been met!]

    [The ck Heaven¡¯s sixth awakening will start!]

    Pzzzzt¡ª

    Ohjin¡¯s sight started to fade.

    He went along with the sensation he was then ustomed to and slowly closed his eyes.

    The world disappeared as his eyelids closed, and the memories of another world unfolded.

    In front of him was a dazzling night view.

    It was the rooftop garden built on top of the Yongsan Auction House where Ohjin gave the Cursed Dragon Eye to Ha-eun as a gift.

    -Khm! H-Ha-eun!

    In that ce was Lee Shinhyuk, who had an extremely nervous expression. He stood stiff in front of Ha-eun like he was taking a job interview to get into arge corporation.

    He shouted out as he handed Ha-eun a small square box.

    -I¡­ I like you. I have ever since I first met you¡­

    With his face drowned red, he spat out his confession of love that was straight out of an outdated romanceedy show.

    ¡®This son of a bitch?¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s expression became heavily distorted while he was observing Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories.

 Chapter 151: First Date (1)

    <strong>Chapter 151: First Date (1)</strong>

    A Milky Wayposed ofmps embroidered the city as if the night sky was turned upside down.

    The cold night wind breezed through the rooftop garden that had a dazzling night view.

    Looking at the hair that swayed like a gently burning bonfire, Lee Shinhyuk gulped down his saliva.

    ¡ªThe confession he¡¯d held onto for three years.

    He reminisced on the moment his body shook like it was struck by lightning when he¡¯d first met her inside of a gate.

    Before bing a high-ranking Awakener¡­ before he was a man who could confidently protect her¡­ he had forcefully suppressed his feelings, but thanks to recently taking down the ¡®Hippocampus¡¯ faction that was controlling all of Japan, he was able to confess with confidence.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun looked at the palm-sized box that Lee Shinhyuk was holding out with a nk look.

    A beautiful ne could be seen inside the slightly opened box.

    Gentle blue light was flowing out of the ne that looked to be made of expensive starstones.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    A deep breath left Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    She looked up at the night sky with bitter eyes and slowly opened her mouth.

    ¡°Ohjin just so happened to have told me something.¡±

    ¡°¡­What did he say?¡±

    ¡°About how I should consider going out with you since it seems like you like me.¡±

    Lee Sinhyuk widened his eyes and tightly clenched his fist.

    Ha-eun nearly never mentioned anything about her ¡®little brother¡¯ who she usually took care of, which caused Lee Shinhyuk to vaguely believe that he disapproved of him, but he had said such a thing before he knew it.

    ¡°Th-Then!¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk took a step towards Ha-eun with excited eyes.

    Ha-eun vacantly looked at Lee Shinhyuk and slowly shook her head.

    ¡°Sorry. I appreciate the thought¡­ but I can¡¯t go out with you.¡±

    ¡ªA blunt refusal that cut like a knife.

    Like there was not the tiniest bit of hope, her voice and eyes were endlessly cold.

    ¡°I know that you¡¯ve done a lot for me, and I¡¯ll make sure to pay that back no matter how long it takes.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°But¡­ that doesn¡¯t mean that I can go out with you when I have no feelings at all. Shinhyuk, it¡¯s also something that would affect you negatively.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ha-eun.¡±

    Every single word that left Ha-eun¡¯s mouth became a sharp de that dug into his chest.

    Lee Shinhyuk looked at her with trembling eyes.

    ¡ªNo feelings at all.

    Was the fluttering feeling and excitement he felt during the long time he¡¯d spent with her just from his own misunderstanding?

    ¡°And it¡¯s not like we¡¯re in a situation where we can peacefully have a rtionship, right?¡±

    Ha-eun patted Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s head like she was soothing an emotionally wounded child.

    ¡°Those Pseudo Star Cult bastards are running wildtely¡­ and they even say that the ¡®Owls¡¯ and the ¡®Toads¡¯ have joined hands.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°There won¡¯t be much time that we¡¯re able to spend peacefully like this in the future.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk shut his lips tight and bowed down his head.

    The gentle touch on his hair¡­ the words of consolidation¡­ they all felt like they were crushing his heart.

    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t give up on you.¡±

    ¡°Shinhyuk?¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk roughly grabbed her hand that was patting his head and looked at her with determined eyes.

    ¡°Even if it isn¡¯t now, I¡¯ll get you to like me back one day.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I want you to have this until that dayes.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk gave the box containing the ne to her and faintly smiled.

    Ha-eun held the box with an awkward expression.

    ¡°Shinhyuk, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Please ept this. There¡¯s protection magic on it.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Even if your thoughts don¡¯t change¡­¡±

    With eyes containing firm determination, he added strength to clenched fists.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to protect you.¡±

    With those words that rang out gently¡­

    Pzzzzzt!¡ª

    Ohjin¡¯s vision started to twist.

    ¡°Fua!¡±

    Ohjin exhaled the breath he¡¯d held in and fiercely furrowed his brow.

    ¡°Lee Shinhyuk, that fucking bastard dared to go for Ha-eun?¡±

    Simply the fact he dared to ask Ha-eun out caused him immeasurable displeasure.

    Well, though he was dumped right away.

    ¡®Also, I told Ha-eun that it¡¯d be nice if she went out with that Lee Shinhyuk bastard?¡¯

    That part was the hardest to understand.

    Not anyone else, but Ohjin had told Ha-eun to go out with Lee Shinhyuk?

    ¡®Just what the fuck happened back then?¡¯

    His head hurt the more he thought about himself in the 1st round. How unfathomable was the despair he¡¯d felt for him to say those words to Ha-eun?

    ¡°Fuck off.¡±

    Ohjin vaguely imagined himself from his past life and swore.

    How much despair his past life went through didn¡¯t matter.

    Regardless, that miserable future would be changed by the hands of the ¡®Heaven-defying Star¡¯.

    ¡®And in order to do that¡­¡¯

    Ohjin focused his mind while looking at the ck clouds entering his body. Once the clouds were all sucked into his body, the clear sound of bells rang out in his ears.

    -Ring!

    [Part of Awakener Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories have been sessfully transmitted!]

    [You do not have enough understanding of ¡®Spearmanship of Pyxis¡¯ for the skill to level up!]

    Ah¡ª

    An exmation of shame left Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡®Like Riak said, it seems like skills aren¡¯t able to hit level 10 without some special process.¡¯

    He wasn¡¯t dependent on spearmanship, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel that it was a bummer when, deep down, he was looking forward to the change that would ur once it became level 10.

    ¡®But something will probably have changed since the ck Heaven has gone through its sixth awakening.¡¯

    Putting the bummer behind him, he confirmed the other messages that showed up consecutively.

    [The ck Heaven has reached the sixth awakening.]

    [Portions of the sealed stigma of Lyra and dragon vein have been released.]

    Once he was informed of what he was waiting for, a portion of the power that was slumbering in his heart spread out across his body.

    Without even the time to feel the electrifying thrill, more messages showed up in session.

    [The effects of the ck Heaven¡¯s traits have been enhanced.]

    [The effects of ¡®Transformation¡¯ have been enhanced. You can now use transformation on a part of your body that is from your main body.]

    [The effects of ¡®ck Curtain¡¯ have been enhanced. You can now not only hide the presence of the ck Heaven but also transform your presence into one of a different stigma.]

    ¡°Wow, what¡¯s all this?¡±

    After confirming the messages that appeared in front of his eyes, an exmation subconsciously escaped from Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    It was literally a ¡®scam¡¯.

    The effects seemed to tantly spell out ¡°deceive the world to your heart¡¯s content¡±.

    ¡®I can use ¡®Transformation¡¯ on a part of my body that¡¯s separated and even change my presence at will?¡¯

    Ohjin slightly cut the tip of his finger and let his blood drip to the floor for confirmation.

    Swoosh!!!¡ª

    Once he used ¡®Transformation¡¯ on the blood on the floor, it turned into the shape of a sharp awl and soared up.

    ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll be able to use this inbat.¡±

    In the first ce, if you thought of how the demon beast used ¡®Transformation¡¯ in the fight, it was obvious that the skill wasn¡¯t simply for disguising purposes but actually forbat.

    After deciding to find out ways to utilize ¡®Transformation¡¯ inbat at ater date, he started experimenting with the effects of ¡®ck Curtain¡¯.

    ¡°Stigma of Hippocampus.¡±

    Owooong!¡ª

    ck mana that felt sticky and ominous flowed out once he used the stigma of Hippocampus.

    It was the feeling that all stigmas of the ck Stars had inmon.

    Ohjin used ¡®ck Curtain¡¯ on that energy.

    Gurgle¡ª

    ¡°This really works.¡±

    The mana that gave off an ominous and sticky energy and felt like a sweaty t-shirt sticking to your skin in the summer changed into one that felt clean and refreshing.

    From a fierce and angry beast, it turned cold, like a snowstorm in the winter.

    ¡®There¡¯ll be a lot of opportunities to utilize this.¡¯

    Ohjin looked at the clear droplet floating on top of his palm and nodded his head in satisfaction.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ that seems to be about it for the ck Heaven.¡±

    It was hard to immediately confirm if he could use ¡®Heaven Unfolding¡¯ with the dragon vein¡¯s mana that¡¯d been slightly unsealed.

    However¡­

    ¡®I need to confirm if I can use ¡®Water Affinity¡¯ with the stigma of Hippocampus.¡¯

    The truth was, it was the thing he looked forward to the most when he got his hands on the stigma of Hippocampus.

    It seemed that it would synergize greatly with the skill ¡®Water Affinity¡¯, as it was a stigma that could freely create water.

    sh!¡ª

    Ohjin raised his spear and made a long cut on his forearm.

    He put therge bubble of water made using the stigma of Hippocampus next to his torn and bleeding forearm.

    The injury absorbed the water and gradually regenerated.

    ¡°It works!¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    ¡®This is fucking overpowered!¡¯

    Thinking about how he would be able to heal any severe injury instantly using the stigma of Hippocampus made his heart flutter.

    ¡°Uh¡­ but¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes furrowed while looking at the injury that was gradually regenerating.

    ¡®Why is the regeneration speed so slow?¡¯

    Just a few moments ago, he was able to recover as soon as he was injured as if he was a reincarnated slime, but now the speed was very clearly slower.

    ¡®Is it because the surrounding area isn¡¯t full of the energy of water?¡¯

    Or it could also be that there was a penalty on the regeneration efficiency when it was using water made by himself.

    Well, in any case, increasing the ways he could recover injuries regardless of the environment was a big harvest.

    ¡°Should I stop here?¡±

    A lot of time and calm experimenting was needed in order to get familiar with the newly obtained abilities.

    Ohjin looked down at Sosuke¡¯s corpse, the headless body limp in front of him.

    ¡°¡­Hm?¡±

    At that moment, he could see that something circr had fallen out of Sosuke¡¯s pocket.

    ¡®A horse requisition tablet?¡¯

    No.

    Engraved on top of the palm-sized medallion wasn¡¯t a horse, but the shape of a creepy snake.

    ¡®¡­Is this something rted to the Snakes again?¡¯

    Ohjin furrowed his brows and looked down at Sosuke¡¯s corpse.

    He didn¡¯t know if it was because there was a collision with Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories or because of a separate reason, but Sosuke¡¯s memories weren¡¯t transmissed, making it difficult for him to figure out precise information.

    ¡°Should I have done some interrogation?¡±

    Ohjin thought about it for a moment and soon shook his head.

    Even if he¡¯d tried to interrogate him, he would¡¯ve had a limiter on him like Cheon Doyoon.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Snakes, huh¡­¡±

    When Ohjin was lost in thought with the snake medallion in his hands, a loud voice rang out in his head.

    ¡°Ohjin!!! Are you there?!¡±

    He could see Sakaki urgently approaching him.

    With both of his hands crushed, he looked around while catching his breath.

    ¡°Where¡¯s that Sosuke bastard¡­!¡±

    ¡°I killed him.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you saying that you defeated Sosuke by yourself?¡±

    Sakaki¡¯s mouth fell open and his eyes widened in shock.

    Ohjin smirked and nodded his head.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I could beat him alone?

    ¡°Wow¡­ I¡¯ve heard many stories about the apostles of the North Stars being strong, but I didn¡¯t imagine that it would be to this extent.¡±

    Well, Sosuke innately had a severe advantage in this case, but there was no need to point that out.

    ¡°How is Osaka doing?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve finished subduing everyone in Osaka, and we¡¯re in the middle of heading to thest digestion facility in Tokyo.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    Once that ce was dealt with, it was safe to say that the Hippocampus faction was basically annihted.

    ¡°There are still some things left to do¡­ but it seems everything has been more or less tidied up.¡±

    Ohjin smiled slightly while looking up at the night sky.

    Unfit for the name ¡®Star-forsaken Land¡¯, the stars covering the night sky were shining radiantly.

    * * *

    After destroying thest digestion facility in Tokyo, a huge announcement regarding the Hippocampus faction was made by the n members of Kuroushi.

    Ohjin requested that Sakaki take credit for killing Sosuke. If rumors of Ohjin killing Sosuke after Cheon Doyoon spread out, he would stand out to the other factions of the ck Star Organization.

    Especially, with there being a chance of getting intertwined with the ¡®Snakes¡¯ that Cheon Sanggil had warned about, it was best toy low when the opportunity was given.

    ¡®He did make a fuss about how he couldn¡¯t steal someone else¡¯s achievement¡­¡¯

    But at the end of several persuasions, he was able to get Sakaki¡¯s consent.

    -I¡¯ll swear upon my name and make sure to repay this debt!

    It was killing two birds with one stone, as he was able to stay unnoticed by the ck Star Organization and make Sakaki Ryo his reliable ally.

    ¡°So¡­ what happened to Koshiro?¡± Ha-eun suddenly asked while leisurely spending her time with Ohjin after the cleanup thatsted several days was over,.

    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think that they¡¯re killing him for now. Though he was kicked out of the n.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, I guess that¡¯s a given.¡±

    Regardless of the reason, they couldn¡¯t hold onto a n member that had a record of betrayal.

    Before Koshiro had left, he¡¯d said, ¡°I¡¯ll return after bing a real man this time,¡± and taken his recovered younger sister with him.

    ¡°It¡¯s a relief that he didn¡¯t die since that would really leave a bad taste in my mouth.¡±

    ¡°The day we meet him again will probablye.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. I hope he gets along with old man Sakaki when that timees. Watching the two of them being dramatic was kind of fun.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    ¡°Ohjin!! Are you inside?!¡±

    Boom!¡ª

    At that moment, Sakaki entered the room while breaking the sliding door.

    It made them wonder if he didn¡¯t know how to open doors.

    ¡°Has a problem arisen?¡±

    ¡°No, there isn¡¯t really anything going on¡­ and since the urgent matters have all been dealt with¡­¡±

    Sakaki abruptly held out a card andughed out loud.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you twoe all the way to Japan and only seen unsightly things? You can spend as much money as you¡¯d like, so how about you two go looking around the city?¡±

    Ohjin got his hands on the ck Cow¡¯s card!

    T/N: Reminder that ck Cow also means Pushover/Sucker.

 Chapter 152: First Date (2)

    <strong>Chapter 152: First Date (2)</strong>

    Osaka, Namba Station.

    There were so many people crowded near the station that it was hard to believe that there was an indiscriminate terror attack by the Hippocampus faction a few days before.

    ¡°Whoa, there are so many people. There was such a ruckus a couple of days ago.¡±

    ¡°I guess Namba Station is a bit distant from where the terror attacks took ce.¡±

    ¡°Still, people are wandering around just fine when something like that happened.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ maybe they¡¯re used to it.¡±

    They could¡¯ve built up a tolerance to those kinds of situations because they had experienced their cities getting ambushed by monsters numerous times.

    ¡°Khm. Yeah, this is a lot better than having a ghost town for our monumental first date.¡±

    Ha-eun cleared her throat as her eyes sparkled.

    It was the day they would have their first date after bing lovers.

    The stance and connection they had with each other was differentpared to when they¡¯d gone out for fun together in the past.

    ¡®Our first overseas trip! Our first date!¡¯

    Ha-eun puffed air out of her nose like she couldn¡¯t control her boiling excitement and grabbed Ohjin.

    ¡°Was it Dotonbori? I heard that there are a lot of things to eat there! Let¡¯s hurry up and go, Ohjin!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take things slow. We have a lot of time today.¡±

    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no time to waste! We need to go around as much as we can in times like this!¡±

    Sheughed excitedly and made Ohjin hurry his steps.

    Ohjin looked at how ted she was and smiled.

    Well, her being that happy wasn¡¯t unreasonable.

    ¡®This is something we couldn¡¯t even dream of a year ago.¡¯

    Inside the cramped home full of mold¡­ Back when they¡¯d washed their bodies with cold water because hot water wouldn¡¯te out, and when he¡¯d taken care of Ha-eun while she was blind¡­

    Forget overseas trips, it was just one year ago when she couldn¡¯t even leave their house with an easy mind.

    Not even in their dreams could Ohjin or Ha-eun imagine that they would be able to go overseas and happily enjoy a date.

    ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s almost winter already.¡±

    Ohjin smiled faintly while getting hit by the chilly autumn breeze.

    Was it because too many things happenedtely? Winter was already approaching when it felt like it hadn¡¯t been long since the years had changed.

    ¡°Why? Are you cold?¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t exactly my point¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold your hand if it¡¯s cold. Here.¡±

    Ha-eun smiled sheepishly and lent out her hand.

    Ohjin held her extended hand while feeling some kind of unknown ticklish sensation from her attitude that was as if she was confronting a puppy.

    The hand he held was warm like a hot pack.

    ¡°It¡¯s warm, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be even warmer if you hold it like this.¡±

    Ha-eun interlocked her fingers with him, and cozy warmth spread out from their contacting palms.

    Not only from the warmth, but the soft and squishy sensation of her palm also made his head heat up.

    ¡°How does it feel to hold my hand like this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have to worry about the heating bills in winter.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Ha-eun frowned because of Ohjin¡¯s words ruining the mood. She unnecessarily kicked an empty can on the street and red at Ohjin.

    ¡®Just when the atmosphere was nice¡­¡¯

    He was exactly the same as when they weren¡¯t lovers.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that we should keep holding our hands like this through the winter.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes opened like a rabbit¡¯s after being hit by Ohjin¡¯s curveball.

    ¡°K-Khm! Y-You¡¯re making me cringe again.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who started it.¡±

    ¡°Heh. I don¡¯t know about that.¡±

    Ha-eun shrugged her shoulders and pulled Ohjin¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get started! We need to drain out the old man¡¯s cash!¡±

    ¡°Alright. We should take full advantage of this opportunity since we were told to use as much as we¡¯d like.¡±

    Ohjin and Ha-eun cackled out and headed to Dotonbori.

    A date where they could enjoy themselves using someone else¡¯s card?

    What else in the world could be more exciting?

    * * *

    * * *

    A long market street wasid out north of Namba Station.

    After passing through the street that was crowded with people and stores that sold misceneous goods, they arrived at a ce that had a flowing river.

    The first thing they saw once they arrived at Dotonbori Street was a signboard with a huge red crab. Once they walked down the street, they could see that a bunch of restaurants were lined up.

    ¡°Ooh! This street kind of looks like it would sell tteokbokki and sundaes.¡±

    ¡°I bet the atmosphere would be simr as well.¡±

    ¡°Ohjin, is there anything you want to eat? I don¡¯t know anything about Japanese food.¡±

    ¡°I wonder¡­ I¡¯ve never eaten it before, either.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s diet before awakening the ck Heaven was calorie bars that were literally made only for ¡®survival¡¯. Ha-eun also mainly ate frozen hamburgers or sandwiches because other foods were ufortable to eat. She had nearly never eaten Japanese foods that were rtively expensivepared to other foods.

    ¡°Let¡¯s walk around for now and find something we want to eat.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    After all, the main reason she went there in the first ce wasn¡¯t to eat something, but to enjoy her date with Ohjin.

    Ohjin and Ha-eun took their time looking around while walking down the street.

    There were stores that made sizzling sounds while stir-frying noodles on top of a griddle and stores that were barbecuing chicken skewers that were zed with teriyaki sauce.

    In the middle of looking around the stores that made them subconsciously gulp just from the smell¡­

    ¡°Ohjin, how about that?¡±

    The thing that drew Ha-eun¡¯s attention was a store that was rolling around batter in a grill pan with round holes. Using the trantor, he could realize that the word ¡®Takoyaki¡¯ was written on the store¡¯s sign board.

    ¡°It smells good. Do you want to give it a shot?¡±

    ¡°Sure~!¡±

    Ha-eun approached the store with ted steps.

    The closer they got to the store, the more appetizing the smell stimting their noses was.

    Ohjin ced an order to the employee, who was making takoyakis with precise movements like he was a machine.

    ¡°Please give us two tes of takiyakis.¡±

    ¡°What kind of toppings would you like?¡±

    ¡°Everything that¡¯s avable.¡±

    ¡°Everything?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The price was not to be sneezed at for street food, but because they had a reliable weapon that was the sucker¡¯s¡­ no, Sakaki¡¯s card, there was no reason to hold back.

    ¡°Please wait a moment~¡±

    The employee poured the batter that was contained within a jug into the round holes.

    Sizzle!¡ª

    A savory smell spread out with a sizzling sound.

    With long tongs, he putrge pieces of octopus and pizza cheese into the batter. Once the bottom of the batter was cooked, he used skewers to flip the takoyakis around.

    After cing the cooked takoyakis that were the size of a tennis ball on a te, he sprayed teriyaki sauce, mayonnaise, and katsuobushi on top.

    For toppings, he put finely cut green onions, poached eggs with a bit of sugar, and finished it off by sprinkling cheese on top.

    Gulp¡ª

    He could see Ha-eun gulping in front of him.

    If they thought about the food¡¯s quality, the food they were treated to in Kuroushi by Sakaki was dozens of times more expensive, but street food had that strong vor and a special kind of charm.

    To Ohjin and Ha-eun, who had always eaten cheap junk food, the food in front of them felt much more familiar and appetizing than the expensive foods in Kuroushi.

    ¡°That looks damn good.¡±

    After receiving the te full of takoyakis, Ha-eun pierced a takoyaki with a toothpick and put it in her mouth.

    ¡°Hot, hot, hot!¡±

    Ha-eun took deep breaths in and out with her mouth shaped into a circle as the hot batter inside the takoyaki flowed out.

    She let the takoyaki cool down for around ten seconds and started to chew.

    The taste of the strong sauce and cheese spread out in her mouth, and the marvelous harmony of sugared poached eggs and finely cut green onions danced on top of her tongue.

    ¡°Fuaaa.¡±

    Ha-eun took a breath out of happiness and swallowed the takoyaki.

    ¡°Ohjin! This is really good!¡±

    ¡°Street food really is the best for our tastes.¡±

    They¡¯d slightly steered away from their original n of taking advantage of Sakaki¡¯s money, but did it really matter?

    It was all good as long as it was tasty.

    ¡°Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    Once Ha-eun pierced a takoyaki with a toothpick and blew on it, she held it towards Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Here, eat my pearl.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t have one.¡±

    ¡°I do if you look hard enough.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin opened his mouth from the response that seemed to punch him across the face.

    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s tasty, right?¡±

    ¡°It is, but for some reason, I don¡¯t think I should say it is.¡±

    ¡°Well, then! Let¡¯s go looking for the next food if we¡¯re done eating!¡±

    Ha-eun, who had finished clearing up the tes holding takoyakis, pulled Ohjin¡¯s hand.

    Ohjin was dragged around by her with a dumbfounded expression as the shocking conversation that just took ce hadn¡¯t yet been erased from his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try that next, Ohjin!¡±

    He slightly chuckled while looking at her pulling him around with ted steps.

    ¡®I guess it¡¯s fine to get devastated every now and then.¡¯

    Her volubility couldn¡¯t be disregarded, as she took after a certain person.

    * * *

    It had be 5PM before they knew it after they¡¯d filled themselves with the food that looked good while walking past Dotonbori Street, entering a cafe to drink some coffee, and having a bunch of fun at a nearby arcade.

    While walking by the riverside and looking at the sun that was gradually setting¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s check out another ce as well since it feels like a bit of a waste to only spend our time here.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Where do you want to go?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ How about Denden Town? It seems to be quite famous on the inte.¡±

    ¡°Denden Town?¡±

    Ohjin searched out of curiosity and found people talking about that ce being the second sacred ground for Otakus and about it being the Akihabara of the Kansai Region.

    He didn¡¯t have much interest in anime or manga, but¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    It was iffy to have dinner anyways, as they had already eaten so many kinds of foods using Sakaki¡¯s card.

    As they walked to Denden Town while digesting food, stores that had anime and manga posters hung outside gradually started to make an appearance.

    ¡°How is there not a single series I know?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have nearly no interest in things like manga in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°I still read a bit back then, though I wasn¡¯t able to after that incident.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Ohjin frowned as he recalled the times when Ha-eun had been cursed and blind.

    ¡°Do you want to go take a look?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point when I can¡¯t read it.¡±

    Ha-eun shrugged and looked around.

    ¡°Ohjin, what¡¯s that bowling-pin-shaped thing?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡±

    The store she pointed to had a huge bowling pin with red and white stripes.

    ¡®Ten¡­ga? What¡¯s that?¡¯

    Ohjin and Ha-eun tilted their heads as they looked at the store.

    ¡°Should we take a look?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m curious as to what they sell.¡±

    Ha-eun nodded her head as she entered the store.

    Ring¡ª

    The sound of clear bells rang

    -Aaah! Ang! Oshioki!

    Like some broken machine, Japanese that wasn¡¯t tranted properly could be heard.

    Despite not being able to understand the meaning, it wasn¡¯t difficult to understand what kind of products the store sold.

    ¡°Oh, fuck.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Unsurprisingly, the store was stered with posters that showed an excessive ratio of skin.

    ¡°Is this¡­ an adult store?¡±

    Ha-eun, dumbfounded, had her mouth drop open in surprise.

 Chapter 153: First Date (3)

    <strong>Chapter 153: First Date (3)</strong>

    ¡ªAn adult store.

    Literally as its name, it was a store that sold products for adults and lovers that wanted to make love.

    On the first floor, there was lewd underwear that made you wonder if it was really underwear or just a string of cloth and sultry cosys that would make nurses and police officers grasp their napes out of distress.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin and Ha-eun stood still in silence with dumbfounded expressions.

    They¡¯d exchanged lewd jokes now and then, but being confronted with a bunch of actual products in person made them quite flustered.

    ¡°Should we leave?¡±

    ¡°Huh? U-Uhm¡­¡±

    Ha-eun looked around with beet-red cheeks and slowly pulled on the hem of his clothes.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s not like we¡¯re kids. There¡¯s no need for us to act like this. Let¡¯s take a brief look around and leave.¡±

    Ha-eun took the lead and went into the store.

    Despite speaking with confidence, her steps were careful like those of an infiltrating thief.

    Ohjin contemted for a moment and soon nodded his head as he followed her inside.

    ¡®Yeah. like she said, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re kids .¡¯

    After bing lovers with her, he¡¯d obviously also thought about physical intimacy.

    In actuality, she had also actively sent signals to him before.

    There was one reason he had notid his hands on her despite that¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s gaze headed to Ha-eun¡¯s right leg

    There was no difort in running or walking thanks to the top-quality prosthetic that was custom made, but¡­

    ¡®It still can¡¯t bepared with a real leg.¡¯

    He wouldn¡¯ty his hands on her until he fully healed her body.

    ¨CIt was a vow Ohjin had made with himself when he¡¯d started his rtionship with her.

    ¡®If someone achieves everything they¡¯ve ever wanted¡­ they¡¯re bound to getzy.¡¯

    Finishing 90% of the given assignment and continuously putting off the remaining 10% with the thought ¡®I can just do itter¡¯.

    Hasn¡¯t it ever happened to you?

    It felt like he wouldn¡¯t be as desperate to heal her leg if he didn¡¯t put some kind of restriction on himself.

    ¡®I don¡¯t feel the same desperation as when I needed to fix her eyes.¡¯

    In any case, he vowed that he would never make a move until he healed Ha-eun¡¯s leg, however¡­

    ¡®¡­This is driving me crazy.¡¯

    The surroundings were full of adult products.

    His head especially heated up whenever he looked at the sultry underwear and cosy costumes disyed on one side as he imagined Ha-eun wearing them.

    Ohjin tried his best to hide his feelings when he was with Ha-eun, but he was also a healthy man.

    It was impossible for desire to not build up when he lived with a beauty like Ha-eun and stuck together with her nearly the entire day.

    ¡®¡­I need to hold it in.¡¯

    ¡ªAt least until hepletely healed her body, he needed to somehow suppress the desire that felt like it was going to explode.

    ¡°Is this your first timeing to our store?¡±

    At that moment, a female employee approached the two people that were awkwardly looking around the store.

    She eximed as she looked at Ha-eun, and then sent Ohjin a devious smile.

    ¡°There¡¯s a fitting room here. Would you like to try them out?¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    Ha-eun flinched and looked back at the employee who had spoken to her.

    ¡°By trying them out¡­ do you mean those costumes?¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, I really rmend the police costume. I wore it a couple of times with my boyfriend and he really liked it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s ears perked up.

    The employee¡¯s eyes shone as she guided her to where the costumes were hung.

    ¡°Having a couple of these is really nice for stuff like roley.¡±

    ¡°R-Roley?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t you know, something like ¡®I¡¯ll arrest you~¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun gulped as she looked at the lewd cosy costumes.

    Police outfits, nurse outfits, maid costumes¡­ There was a bunch of variety, but something all of them had inmon was that there was so much exposure that they couldn¡¯t function as clothes.

    ¡®He likes it¡­ when she wears something like this?¡¯

    Ha-eun nced at Ohjin, who was standing a bit away.

    He was looking somewhere else and pretending to be uninterested, but she could see that his ears were pricked up as if he was focused on the conversation.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll try it out.¡±

    Ha-eun nodded her head, and her eyes contained firm determination.

    ¡°Yes~ Please wait a moment!¡±

    The employee went inside the storage and came out with a basket filled with cosy costumes.

    ¡°Based on how you¡¯re tall and have a nice body, I think a police outfit will fit you well! Let¡¯s see¡­ we also have a school uniform and a qipao. Please try them all!¡±

    ¡°A-All of them?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Ah, there¡¯s also a bondage outfit for dominatrix y here!! Please, this as well!!¡±

    The employee handed over the costume with an extremely excited expression.

    Rather than the intent of wanting to sell products, the fierce intent of purely wanting to see Ha-eun wear costumes was contained in her eyes.

    ¡°H-How am I supposed to wear something like this!!¡±

    ¡°Please, I beg you! You don¡¯t need to show it to your boyfriend, so just show me!¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are?!¡±

    The employee persistently pushed over the bondage outfit, but soon pouted like it was a shame as Ha-eun took the police outfit that hadparatively less exposure and went into the fitting room.

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡°Huff, huff!¡±

    Ha-eun escaped from the employee and arrived in the fitting room.

    She looked at the police outfit clenched in her hands and gulped.

    ¡®So you¡¯re telling me¡­ he¡¯ll really like this?¡¯

    Even if it had less exposure, she hesitated to wear it as she saw the short skirt that looked like it would expose her butt with the slightest slip.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ if it¡¯s for Ohjin.¡±

    After hesitating for a long time, Ha-eun finally made up her mind.

    She had received a lot of help from Ohjin until then.

    She had only ever received¡­

    When she¡¯d lost her sight from the curse of the Thousand Curse Dragon¡­

    When she was kidnapped by Cheon Doyoon¡­

    No, even from far before then.

    Inside her pitch ck life that was like the night sky, only Ohjin had shone.

    ¡®Now¡­¡¯

    She couldn¡¯t imagine a life without him.

    She didn¡¯t even want to imagine it.

    ¡®I won¡¯t be able to repay the things I got from Ohjin with something like this, but¡­¡¯

    She at least wanted to make him the tiniest bit happier.

    She wanted to make him smile.

    If only he liked it, how could wearing sultry clothes or performing roley that was embarrassing be a tall order?

    If it was for him, she would do things that were way worse as much as he wanted.

    * * *

    ¡°Fua.¡±

    Ha-eun took in a deep breath and changed her clothes.

    After putting on the ck stockings, excessively short skirt, and a top that clearly exposed her cleavage, she put on the tall, ck high heels.

    ¡®A police officer would freak out if they saw this.¡¯

    You seriously couldn¡¯t find the smallest bit of practically in the outfit.

    ¡°Have you finished putting it on~?¡±

    She could hear the voice of the employee who was excitedly waiting outside.

    ¡°¡­Ugh.¡±

    Even if the employee was also a female, receiving a gaze that heated would make her embarrassed.

    No, she didn¡¯t want to show that kind of outfit to someone other than Ohjin in the first ce.

    ¡°Ohjin, Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah?¡±

    She slightly opened the fitting room door and called Ohjin.

    Ohjin, who was hovering outside, flinched his shoulders.

    ¡°Hurry up ande inside.¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy? Go in there?¡±

    ¡°Hurry!¡±

    As Ha-eun opened her eyes wide and red at him, Ohjin awkwardly looked around and went into the fitting room she was in.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A silence that was like death settled down between the two people.

    Ha-eun kept pulling down the hem of her skirt that slid up and carefully opened her mouth.

    ¡°H-How is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin gulped and slowly lowered his head.

    He couldn¡¯t help but observe her clothes, as the fitting room was so cramped.

    Ohjin¡¯s impression of seeing Ha-eun wear the police outfit that was heavily modified to be sexual was¡­

    ¡®Shit.¡¯

    In fact, wasn¡¯t it fine if she was missing a single one of her legs?

    It wasn¡¯t like you couldn¡¯t do the act because it was missing.

    When he would be able to fix her leg if he continued to train as he already did, it wasn¡¯t really necessary to hold himself b¡ª

    ¡°Aaahhhh!!!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaah! Wh-What? Why the fuck are you screaming all or a sudden?!

    With a surprised expression, Ha-eun looked at Ohjin, who suddenly made a fuss while pulling his hair¡­

    ¡°Huff, huff. It¡¯s nothing¡­¡±

    ¡°You scared me.¡±

    Ha-eun sighed and rolled her eyes.

    ¡°So how is it?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ it more or less looks good on you,¡± Ohjin replied with the most dull expression he could make.

    It was a reply that would make others think that he was uninterested¡ª

    ¡®Looks like this bastard really likes it.¡¯

    ¡ªbut it couldn¡¯t fool Ha-eun¡¯s eyes, as she had lived with him for over 20 years.

    Ohjin had a habit of twitching his left eyebrow when he forcefully suppressed himself from liking something.

    It seemed that he liked the police outfit quite a lot judging from how his eyebrow was still zealously twitching up and down.

    ¡®Hehehe, he should just say he likes it. Look at him, being embarrassed.¡¯

    Ha-eun suppressed theughter that tried to explode out and slightly stuck her chest to Ohjin.

    ¡°Specifically what part looks good on me?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ everything.¡±

    ¡°But I want to hear every single bit in detail~¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be outside.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to see me wearing something else? There¡¯s a nurse outfit and a lot of other things.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡±

    It felt like he really wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back his desire if he went there.

    Ha-eun smiled joyfully as she looked at him open the door and leave.

    It had been a while since she¡¯d seen him that flustered.

    ¡®It certainly is effective.¡¯

    Ha-eun took various poses in front of the mirror installed in the fitting room, though it was a bit ufortable, as her chest was a little big.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    The purchase was decided.

    Click¡ª

    She discovered the employee once she changed back into her clothes and left the fitting room.

    ¡°Aw. I also wanted to see it.¡±

    After sighing out of disappointment, she approached her crafty eyes and smirked.

    ¡°How was it? It¡¯s effective, right?¡±

    Ha-eun silently raised her thumb.

    The employee giggled and pped her hands.

    ¡°A-Ahem!¡±

    She unnecessarily cleared her throat and headed to the counter to make her purchase.

    By the time she finished her purchase and went outside, the sky waspletely settled in darkness.

    ¡°Where should we go next?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s start to head back now. We need to make preparations about going back to Korea tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right.¡±

    She¡¯d been having so much fun that she¡¯d forgotten that they were returning the next day.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s just have dinner and return.¡±

    ¡°Wait, let me buy something before that.¡±

    Ohjin took out his smartphone and searched for arge mart near him.

    Ha-eun tilted her head.

    ¡°Is there something you have to buy?¡±

    ¡°Apples.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nning to buy a box of high-quality apples.¡±

    Now that he¡¯d moderately enjoyed his date, it was time to make the ¡®Adam¡¯s Apple¡¯.

 Chapter 154: Adams Apple (1)

    <strong>Chapter 154: Adam''s Apple (1)</strong>

    Ohjin picked an adequate box of apples in the supermarket.

    He took out one of the apples and ced it on top of the table.

    After drawing a long line across his palm using a knife, he lightly coated the apple''s exterior using his blood.

    ''Transformation.''

    The apple that gave off an appetizing red hue changed into an apple that looked to be made out of melted gold.

    A strand of cold sweat ran down Ohjin¡¯s forehead.

    ''It''s not easy to maintain it.''

    Using Transformation on an object that wasn''t connected to his body consumed quite a lot of mental strength.

    ¡ªIt was somewhat like moving his hands using a mouse and keyboard rather than his head.

    It was possible to freely change its shape to a degree, but maintaining that transformed form for a long time took a lot of his mental stamina.

    ''It would''ve been better if it consumed mana.''

    Nothing could be done about its effect on his mind.

    "¡­The problem doesn''t stop here."

    Ohjin frowned and looked down at the golden apple in his hands.

    He couldn¡¯t stick the grand name ''Adam''s Apple'' on an apple that simply had its color changed and make others think it was a divine item.

    Just like the ''Dragon¡¯s Heart'' that was discovered in the dungeon, a star relic containing an abnormal amount of power emitted suffocating pressure just by existing.

    "An overpowered item that can reduce the Commandment¡¯s Restriction shouldn''t give off a nd aura."

    Ohjin sent mana into the golden apple he¡¯d made using ''Transformation''.

    If he used ''ck Curtain'' to change the presence of the mana¡ª

    Crack!¡ª

    The apple in his hand exploded into pieces.

    "Fuck."

    Ohjin sighed and threw the demolished apple into the bowl that already had a ton of ruined apples within it.

    ''A box isn''t even close to enough.''

    He exhaled a deep breath and put a piece of apple in his mouth using a fork.

    ording to Vega, he was said to have marvelous talent in controlling mana, but he was struggling to merely control his mana in a way that wouldn''t destroy the apple.

    ''It would''ve been easy if all it needed was a bunch of mana.''

    The problem was that he needed to make an aura that fit the name ''Adam''s Apple'' using the tiny amount of mana the apple could endure.

    The aura it gave off was too weak with little mana, but the apple would end up breaking if he sent in too much mana.

    "This is driving me nuts."

    Ohjin crushed the empty apple box and sighed.

    "Can''t you just use something that isn''t an apple?"

    Ha-eun, who was observing him, asked as she tilted her head.

    There was no need for it to be in the shape of an apple because its name was ''Adam''s Apple''.

    Using the Dragon¡¯s Heart as an example, it just looked like a translucent crystal that gave off blue light when it had ''heart'' in its name.

    "Still, I want to make it using an apple if possible."

    "Why?"

    "Well, I''m just taking it slow and using it as an opportunity to train."

    ¡ªThe new, enhanced abilities of Transformation and ck Curtain obtained from the ck Heaven¡¯s sixth awakening.

    Those two traits would be Ohjin¡¯s most important abilities in the future, as they were necessary in order to act as a Regressor and deceive the celestials.

    ''I can''t despair because of a mere apple.''

    Ohjin himself knew well that there were other methods to make ''Adam''s Apple'', but he felt like he would regret itter if he didn''t use the opportunity to learn how to meticulously control his ability.

    "Hmm, is that right?"

    Ha-eun, who wasying on the sofa and fiddling with her phone, shook her pale legs and nodded her head with an expression of dissatisfaction.

    When their monumental first date finished on a good note, her boyfriend didn''t pay attention to the police outfit that took a considerable amount of consideration to buy but rather put all his attention on some apples.

    She moved her long legs and poked Ohjin with the tip of her bare, white foot.

    "What?"

    "I''m just a bit annoyed."

    "What did I do?"

    "I don''t know. Anyway, you don¡¯t have anything to do now that you finished the box of apples, right?"

    "I''ll need to go buy more."

    "It''s 1AM. If you''re finished doing everything besides nonsense, why don''t you massage my leg?"

    Ha-eun raised her body from the sofa and ced her left leg on top of Ohjin¡¯sp.

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes, caught the ankle of her slim leg, and started to tickle her sole.

    "Kyaa!! Wh-What are you doing!!"

    "We need to pack our luggage and prepare to go home. What do you mean, massage your leg?"

    Ohjin smirked as he looked at Ha-eun writhing on the sofa with tears in her eyes.

    Thinking about it then, a simr urrence had happened in the past.

    ''I guess not everything changes once you start going out.''

    He liked exchanging jokes like they did before.

    ¡ªIt made his mind be somewhat at peace.

    "Kyaaaa! Stop! I said stoooop!!"

    Though the same couldn''t be said for Ha-eun.

    * * *

    "Hmm. Are you leaving already?"

    Sakaki sat in silence like it was a shame.

    "You should stay a couple more days."

    "There''s something we have to take care of back in Korea."

    "Well¡­ I guess it can''t be helped if there''s something you must do!"

    Boom!¡ª

    Sakaki stomped his foot andughed broadly.

    "A man mustugh the most when they bid their farewells! It was an honor to meet you, little brother!!"

    "I also received a lot of help."

    "Kuhaha! What have I donepared to the help you''ve given me?!"

    He patted Ohjin¡¯s back using hisrge hand.

    Without any exaggeration, a shock that felt like it would cause his intestines to burst out of his mouth shook Ohjin¡¯s body.

    "Then have a safe trip home! Contact me whenever you require my help! I''ll be there in an instant!"

    If it was Sakaki, it really seemed usible for him to sprint across the ocean to help him.

    "I''ll make sure to contact youter."

    "For sure!"

    Putting Sakaki behind them, they entered the airport.

    On the way to drop off their luggage after getting their tickets, Ha-eun stuck right next to him and whispered with a low voice in his ear.

    "You said that the ck Heaven¡¯s stage increased, right?"

    "Yeah."

    "Then will you be able to use Heaven Unfolding without my help now?"

    "It''ll probably be possible."

    He hadn''t experimented yet, but when considering how much of the dragon vein¡¯s mana was released, it seemed like it would be enough to use Heaven Unfolding on his own.

    ''Though that isn''t theplete Heaven Unfolding.''

    An iplete skill had made the 6th ranking Executor of the ck Star Organization wet his pants like a baby¡­

    At that point, it couldn¡¯t even be called a ''skill''.

    ''Should it be considered something like an Authority?''

    Well, whatever its term, it should¡¯ve been possible to remove the Commandment¡¯s Restriction from Vega using Heaven Unfolding with his own powers.

    -My child!

    The appearance of the silver-haired goddess patting his head with a gentle smile crossed his mind.

    Although he wanted to remove the Commandment¡¯s Restriction from her as soon as he could¡­

    ''Making Adam''s Applees first.''

    Ohjin ordered apples through the shopping app before he got on the airne.

    * * *

    "Hey! Gwon Ohjin!!"

    A loud voice rang out in the house starting from early dawn.

    Ha-eun, who came in after roughly opening the room door, pointed at the front door with a shocked expression.

    "Wh-What is all this?!"

    In front of the slightly opened front door were stacks of boxes as if someone was preparing to move in.

    "They''re the apples I ordered."

    "¡­Just how many did you order?"

    "Two thousand boxes, for now."

    "¡­"

    Ha-eun looked at Ohjin like she thought it was ridiculous.

    Despite ordering two thousand boxes, the words that left his mouth were ¡°for now¡±.

    "Argh, seriously¡­"

    Ha-eun shook her head and helped him move the apple boxes stacked in front of the front door.

    "Well, then¡­"

    Ohjin took out an apple from the box and grasped it in his hand.

    He drew a line using a knife and thoroughly smeared his blood on the apple.

    ''Transformation.''

    The apple turned into a radiant gold color.

    Little by little, he sent his mana into that apple.

    ''ck Curtain.''

    When he used ck Curtain to change the aura of his mana¡ª

    Crack!¡ª

    ¡ªthe apple exploded into pieces.

    "Ugh."

    A groan left Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    "Looks like I¡¯ll have to go through some trouble."

    Rather than anything else, the fact that he had too much mana was the problem.

    If you were only taking the amount of mana into ount, Ohjin had such an overwhelming amount that he would easily exceed even high-rank Awakeners.

    ''But ignorantly having only a lot of mana doesn''t make you strong.''

    If victory and defeat was decided from only mana capacity, he wouldn''t have been one-sidedly pushed back by Cheon Doyoon in the first ce.

    An immense amount of mana was one of Ohjin¡¯s strengths, but there also existed problems that were caused by it.

    ¡ªA good example was when he needed meticulous control.

    ''Flowing in mana while trying to not crack the apple is too difficult.''

    Using an analogy, it felt like he was trying to pick up an egg using an excavator that weighed several dozens of tons.

    Due to him having too much mana, the control he needed for meticulous movement was iparable to others.

    "Well, it''ll probably work at some point."

    Ohjin exhaled a deep breath and reached out for another apple.

    Crack, Crack, Crack¡ª

    One by one, apples were destroyed.

    He put destroyed apples on tes because it felt like a waste, but that act didn''tst long.

    The boxes containing apples started to get stacked with sliced apples.

    "Huff, huff."

    Ohjin¡¯s breathing started to get ragged.

    It felt like he was sculpting a tiny grain of rice using the tip of a needle.

    His brain felt like it was going to melt as he concentrated his mind without rest for several hours.

    However¡­

    Crack, Crack, Crack, Crack, Crack¡ª

    He didn''t stop.

    There was no reason to stop.

    After all, anything that could be solved by enduring was nothing to him.

    Even if a head-splitting headache came over him, he concentrated and continued to pick up the apples, one by one..

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    When all he had done besides sleeping was repeatedly grasp and destroy apples in his room for over two weeks¡­

    Owoooong!!!¡ª

    ¡ªAn apple that emitted radiant golden light.

    The object was just an ordinary apple, but the aura it gave off was spiritual and miraculous like the Forbidden Fruit that was told of in mythology.

    "¡­I did it."

    With dark circles deeply settled in his eyes, Ohjin¡¯s shoulders trembled with the golden apple in his hands.

    "I fucking did it!!"

    It wasn''t even possible to count how many thousand¡­ no, tens of thousands of apples they¡¯d eaten during the past two weeks.

    "Apples¡­ no more apples¡­"

    Ha-eun was surrounded by dozens of boxes filled with sliced apples and eating them like a broken machine.

    "Ha-eun! I did it!"

    "¡­What? You did it?"

    Ha-eun''s gaze headed to Ohjin.

    ¡ªA golden apple emitting radiant light.

    Just looking at it was suffocating, and a miraculous energy started to fill the house.

    "H-Holy shit. That''s really an apple?"

    Ha-eun''s mouth was half-opened, as no more words could be formed.

    "How is it?"

    "How is it¡­? I can''t believe it despite seeing it with my own eyes."

    Ohjin smiled with satisfaction after confirming Ha-eun''s reaction.

    ''It''s finished.''

    All he had to do was bring it to Riak and remove the Commandment¡¯s Restriction from Vega.

    ''Before that¡­''

    Ohjin¡¯s body slowly dropped down.

    "O-Ohjin?"

    "Let me get some rest."

    Without being able to confirm the blue message that just happened to pop up, Ohjin fell unconscious on the living room floor.

    -Ring!

    [Your understanding of the stigma¡¯s mana has increased greatly!]

    [You have aplished an unbelievable achievement!]

    [You have achieved part of the conditions needed to unlock ''Heaven Unfolding'']

    Would hee to realize the outrageousness of what he had just done?

 Chapter 155: Adams Apple (2)

    <strong>Chapter 155: Adam''s Apple (2)</strong>

    "So is this¡­ the so-called Adam''s Apple?"

    Golden light flooded out of the item.

    A suffocating miraculous energy filled the surroundings just from it sitting still.

    The golden apple looked so mystical and divine that it seemed like even people who didn''t believe in God would revere it.

    Riak¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the golden apple in Ohjin¡¯s hand.

    "I-Indeed¡­ I can feel a remarkable energy from that star relic!"

    The thick energy of mana pricked his skin.

    A massive amount of mana could be felt from the golden apple as if it was made by directly plucking out a star of the night sky.

    "J-Just where did you acquire such a divine item?"

    "Why bother asking when you already know?"

    Ohjin smirked and tapped on his head.

    "I was able to acquire it because I naturally ''knew'' where it was and how to get it."

    "Grr. Fortunately, it seems that the method of obtaining Adam''s Apple hadn''t changed."

    "Well, it''s not like the future starting to alter means every single thing will change," Ohjin answered as he lightly shrugged.

    "...Rookie."

    Riak''s gaze headed to Ohjin¡¯s face.

    The deeply settled dark circles around his eyes and his pallid cheeks stood out.

    As a veteran warrior, Riak could tell what kind of state Ohjin was in with just a nce.

    ''Extreme anemia and fatigue.''

    Fundamentally, the body of an Awakener was on a different ying fieldpared to ordinary people¡ªit disyed extraordinary vitality and recovery speed.

    Especially so if it was Ohjin, an apostle of the Weaver Girl who was deemed to be one of the strongest amongst several hundred celestials. You wouldn''t be able to tell if he hadn''t slept for days.

    But even with that kind of superhuman body, Ohjin¡¯s face was so haggard that it made Riak feel sorry.

    ''There''s no way it''d be easy to obtain this kind of divine item, even with knowledge of the future.''

    Ohjin looked nonchnt on the surface, but the thick fatigue and anemia on his face was proof that he had fought with his life on the line to get ''Adam''s Apple'' in his hands.

    "Thank you."

    Riak bowed down his head in a modest way.

    Different from star spirits that directly received a portion of the celestial''s soul, it wasn''t a master-ve rtionship in the case of celestial and Awakener.

    Using an analogy, Awakeners and celestials were business partners.

    Awakeners received stigmas from celestials to obtain superman powers, and in return, the ''league'' of the celestial that gave the stigma would increase the more their Awakener performed well.

    Though celestials fundamentally took the role as the employer, they couldn''t forcefully give orders to their apostles, as they were bound by the Commandment¡¯s Restriction.

    In other words, Ohjin going through all that trouble to obtain ''Adam''s Apple'' for Vega was purely his desire.

    ''Didn¡¯t he say that he was in a deep rtionship with Lady Vega in his past life?''

    He¡¯d deemed it nonsense and ignored it when he¡¯d first heard those words, but Riak started to see Ohjin a little differently after seeing how he desperately brought ¡®Adam''s Apple¡¯.

    ''If it''s this kid, maybe he''s worthy of¡ª''

    Riak suddenly flinched as he was lost in thought.

    "Hmpf! Still, I cannot acknowledge you!"

    "What?"

    "It''s nothing, rookie!"

    Riak shook his head with a flustered expression.

    His lustrous silver fur wavered in the wind and shook like wheat.

    "Anyway, so are you saying that we can get the bindings off Lady Vega using this?"

    "If it''s the same ¡®Adam''s Apple¡¯ that I remember."

    "Then there''s no time to waste! Let''s go get those chains off of Lady Vega immediately!"

    "Ah, you should wait outside while I remove the chains."

    "What?"

    Riak furrowed his brow.

    "Is there a reason why we can''t go in together?"

    "In order to use ¡®Adam''s Apple¡¯¡­ you need to perform something like a ritual."

    "Hmm. I see."

    As he used an adequate excuse, Riak nodded his head with an unconvinced expression.

    Riak making that kind of expression was only natural because he said that a ritual was required out of the blue, but it couldn''t be helped.

    ''I can''t show myself using Heaven Unfolding to Riak.''

    The star relic ''Adam''s Apple'' was something Ohjin made up, anyways. Even if a new condition was suddenly added, Riak had no choice but to ept it.

    "Alright. Then I''ll be guarding the door, so call me if something goes wrong."

    "Okay."

    Ohjin nodded his head and headed into the spacious room.

    There he saw Vega restrained by fifty chains.

    "......"

    The silver-haired goddess had her eyes closed gently as if she was alseep.

    Though it had been nearly a month since he hadst seen Vega, her beauty still seemed like it didn''t belong to the world.

    ''Wait a little longer, Vega.''

    Ohjin approached Vega, who was tied up by chains made of light, and carefully reached out his hand to touch her cheek.

    Warmth transmitted through the tip of his fingers.

    Looking at her up close, it seemed most certain that she was asleep.

    ''A long sleep that continues for the entirety of fifty years.''

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and touched the chains of light that were shackling her.

    Crackle!¡ª

    The chain burned his skin and shone ferociously like it was warning him to not touch it.

    That day, he was going to break the Commandment''s chains that were restraining a god.

    "Fuu."

    He slowly breathed in and focused his mind onto the ck Heaven settled inside of his heart.

    ¡ªThe thick darkness akin to a starless night.

    Huge ck clouds with unfathomable size were curled up inside.

    ''I can do it.''

    Ohjin found the dragon vein¡¯s mana that was hiding between the ck clouds.

    He reached his hand out to the clump of mana that was firmly coiled up.

    The dragon vein¡¯s mana that was iparably thicker than when the ck Heaven was at the fifth awakening moved ording to Ohjin''s will.

    After covering his heart with mana in a protective manner¡­

    "Through me, you pass into the garden ofment."

    He quietly recited the chant.

    The ck Heaven curled up in his heart explosively soared out of the slight opening.

    "Argh!"

    It was as if starving wolves locked up in a pen were set free.

    It became difficult to hold onto his consciousness because of the ck Heaven''s mana that flooded out like the waters of a broken dam.

    "Ah, ugh."

    ck clouds coiled around his body.

    Like putting butter on a heated pan, his consciousness started to melt into the ck clouds.

    A part of his head disappeared.

    His right shoulder, left waist, thighs, and calves melted and transformed into ck clouds.

    ''...No.''

    He desperately hung onto the thread of his fading consciousness.

    His natural instinct was warning him¡­

    Warning him that he wouldn¡¯t be able to return if his entire body turned into clouds.

    ''Focus.''

    He focused his mind onto the constetion that was shining brightly inside the ck sky covered by thick, ck clouds.

    ¡ªThe blue constetion that was the only thing that shone in the darkness.

    As he focused his all on Lyra''s light, ck lightning wrapped around his body while the ck clouds slightly receded.

    "Huff! Huff!"

    His breathing turned ragged.

    If it was painful instead¡­ if it was just insanely agonizing and gruesome, he could just grit his teeth and endure it.

    But the sensation of his consciousness melting into the ck Heaven wasn''t something you could simply endure.

    "Fuu."

    He exhaled a deep breath and slowly raised his hand.

    Before his entire body was melted by the ck Heaven, he needed to break the Commandment''s chains that were shackling Vega.

    Crackleeeee!!!¡ª

    The chains of light violently resisted once he put his cloud-wrapped hands near them.

    Ohjin grasped a chain using both of his hands and twisted it.

    Crack!!!¡ª

    A Commandment¡¯s chain that was made to seal transcendent beings known as celestials was helplessly destroyed by Ohjin¡¯s hands.

    "That''s one."

    Ohjin smirked and looked down at the chain that feebly broke.

    ''I shouldn''t forget about using ck Curtain.''

    It was important to keep the existence of the ck Heaven a secret from Riak and Vega; even more important than releasing her from those chains.

    "Fuu."

    He stretched his hand out at the remaining forty-nine chains.

    Crack! Crunch!¡ª

    One by one, he grasped the chains and broke them.

    The Commandment¡¯s Restriction that restrained Vega gradually disappeared.

    "Ugh¡­"

    His consciousness faded away more every time he destroyed another chain.

    Like flicking off a light switch, one at a time, the sensations in his body disappeared.

    Agony, despair, happiness, anger, delight¡­ even they all started to cloud.

    The memories of the orphanage¡­

    The memories of the director swinging his fist¡­

    The memories of the maroon hair that wavered like mes¡­

    The memories of the blindingly beautiful girl¡­

    They all started to disa¡ª

    "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!!"

    He spat out swears and grasped his hair.

    ''What? It''s gotten even worsepared to when I used it before.''

    If 20~30% of his body had turned into ck clouds back then, it was nearly 50% of his body now.

    ''Heaven Unfolding¡­ became stronger?''

    It could be because of the sixth awakening or an entirely different reason.

    The clouds surrounding his body felt more thick than when he¡¯d used Heaven Unfolding before.

    Naturally, he might have weed the enhanced power of Heaven Unfolding in a battle with his life on the line¡ª

    ''Focus on the starlight. It might <strong>disappear</strong> if I don''t concentrate.''

    ¡ªbut all it did right then was increase the speed at which his consciousness faded.

    ''....Focus.''

    Suddenly, he recalled the way Vega looked when she stood in front of him at the battle with Cheon Doyoon.

    Would Vega have known that she would be sealed for this long back then?

    ''She probably did.''

    No, she might''ve even prepared for worse.

    Vega would''ve probably resolved to get her soul torn apart, lose her divinity of a North Star, and perish like a grain of sand.

    ''If that''s the case¡­''

    Shouldn''t he resolve the same?

    Even if he couldn¡¯t do more than he received, shouldn''t he at least do as much as he was given?

    "Vega¡­"

    He desperately held onto his fading consciousness and broke the chains of light.

    Ten chains, twenty chains, thirty chains, forty chains¡­ before he knew it, there was only one final chain remaining.

    And at that moment¡­

    <strong>Crack¡ª</strong>

    The sound of something breaking¡­

    The sound of something tearing¡­

    The sound of something fragmenting¡­

    ¡­rang out in his ears.

    "...Huh?"

    He frowned as he looked around.

    However, no matter how hard he looked, he couldn¡¯t discover a change in the scenery.

    "Kuuugh!"

    Was it because he¡¯d gotten distracted?

    The speed of his consciousness fading sped up.

    ''I don''t have time.''

    It felt like his entire body would turn into clouds if he lost focus again.

    "Thest¡­ one!"

    Crack!¡ª

    He broke the final chain in his grasp.

    With that, all fifty chains werepletely destroyed.

    Ohjin exhaled rough breaths and closed the door of the ck Heaven.

    "Huff! Huff! Huff!"

    His hazy consciousness gradually turned clear.

    With no strength remaining in his legs, he fell right onto Vega.

    When he was piled on top of Vega like a nket¡ª

    [My¡­ child?]

    ¡ªthe voice of the goddess that he longed-for rang out in his ears.

 Chapter 156: Adams Apple (3)

    <strong>Chapter 156: Adam''s Apple (3)</strong>

    "V-Vega¡­?"

    He called out her name with a shaking voice.

    [M-My child!]

    Vega looked at how Ohjin was staggering like he was going to pass out and quickly held him.

    The thick. dark circles around his eyes, his haggard cheeks as if he had starved for days¡­ The way his appearance had turned so pitiful stung Vega''s heart.

    [Just¡­ what happened?]

    Vega held Ohjin¡¯s body and looked around.

    She rummaged through her drawers of memories with her mind in chaos.

    The memories of Ha-eun getting kidnapped, Ohjin being at death''s door due to the King of Owls¡­

    Even the memories of herself materializing in an attempt to kill the King of Owls but failing and getting forcefully summoned back to the sanctum because of the Commandment¡¯s Restriction.

    [What about him?! What happened to you with that evil old man?!]

    Vega asked with a pale face.

    What kind of horrendous things would''ve happened to Ohjin in that situation of despair? Just imagining it made her heart feel like it was being squeezed.

    "Cheon Doyoon died."

    [H-He died?]

    Vega''s eyes widened into circles.

    However you considered the situation, the state of Ohjin''s body back then wouldn''t allow him to defeat Cheon Doyoon.

    [Just how did you defeat him?]

    "Vega, it''s thanks to you."

    [Thanks to me?]

    What did that mean?

    Even if she¡¯d seeded in eliminating Noctua, she couldn''t end the life of the one who was more important, Cheon Doyoon.

    "An opening was made when Noctua was forcefully summoned back, and Ha-eun became a 9-Star in that moment."

    [Ha-eun became a 9-Star Awakener?] Vega asked as her eyes opened like a rabbit''s.

    [B-But even if she became a 9-Star, it shouldn¡¯t have been possible to defeat¡ª]

    "I think he was too distracted by you. He wasn''t able to avoid Ha-eun''s attack and got hit dead-on."

    Indeed¡­

    Vega also knew well of the incredible destructive force behind the ''Dragon Bead'' created by Ha-eun.

    ''If he got hit dead-on by that¡­''

    Even if he didn''t die instantly, he would''ve gotten an injury that was close to fatal.

    "And I also happened to be a 7-Star at that moment."

    Ohjin slightly lowered the shirt he was wearing and showed the stigma engraved on the left side of his left chest to Vega.

    There were seven distinct flicks engraved next to the stigma of Lyra.

    An exmation left Vega''s mouth.

    [Then are you saying that you and Ha-eun both got promoted at the same time?]

    "It does sound like the development of an actionic¡­ but it''s not umon for people to promote in dangerous situations."

    [I guess that''s true, but¡­]

    Vega looked at the stigma engraved on Ohjin¡¯s chest with disbelief.

    [One year? No, it hasn''t even been that long.]

    Only approximately a year had passed since Ohjin had awakened.

    To be precise, it hadn''t even been a year.

    Bing a 7-Star Awakener in under a year with not just any constetion, but with the stigma of the Weaver Girl, who was one of the North Stars?

    [Your¡­ existence is truly hard to believe.]

    After the gate leading to the Demon Realm was opened, Vega had wandered for several years in search of a human who could receive the stigma of Lyra.

    However, no matter how hard she¡¯d searched, she¡¯d been unable to find a capable human.

    Not only was Ohjin able to receive the stigma of Lyra, but he was growing at a speed so fast that it left her astonished.

    ''As if¡­''

    That''s right. As if he was born with the destiny to receive her stigma.

    [¡­]

    After shutting her lips tightly, Vega looked at Ohjin with a nk look.

    When she thought about it, there was something that the celestial of Virgo, Spica, had told her before.

    ording to Spica, there were extremely rare Awakeners that developed their stigmas quickly as if they were destined for them.

    She had also said that there were celestials who believed they were connected to those Awakeners by destiny and took them in as theirpanion.

    ''I scolded her for talking about nonsense when I first heard that story, but¡­''

    A celestial taking their own apostle in as theirpanion? She¡¯d believed that it was something unfathomable.

    ''Then, was I in that kind of rtionship with this child in my past life¡­?''

    Gulp¡ª

    With her cheeks dyed pink, she stared at Ohjin¡¯s face.

    "Vega?"

    [I-It''s nothing!]

    Vega vigorously shook her head with a surprised expression.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    "Hm¡­ anyways. Ha-eun and I took down Cheon Doyoon."

    [Then did youe to find me right after defeating Cheon Doyoon?]

    "No."

    Ohjin smiled bitterly and exined the things that happened during that duration of time.

    ¡ªAbout how Vega was chained by the Commandment¡¯s Restriction, up to how he eliminated a faction of the ck Star Organization that took control over Japan and searched for the Divine Tree to obtain ''Adam''s Apple''.

    Vega''s pupils trembled as she heard Ohjin¡¯s story.

    [No wonder¡­ I was curious what happened, as I couldn''t feel the Commandment¡¯s Restriction. So you saved me.]

    "Well, I didn''t exactly save you. The restriction would''ve been undone on its own after only fifty years."

    Fifty years was a long period of time for humans, but the same couldn''t be said for celestials.

    [That''s not true.]

    Vega gently shook her head and smiled faintly.

    [A celestial''s soul will continue to perish while being under the influence of the Commandment¡¯s Restriction.]

    ''So that kind of penalty also existed.''

    [If it was fifty years from now¡­ it''s likely that I wouldn''t have been able to be called a ''North Star'' any longer.]

    "Then I guess getting the chains off quickly was the best move."

    [Fufu. Besides, ording to the prophecy, the ck Heaven would''ve devoured the world by then. If it wasn''t for you, I would''ve died without even knowing. You have definitely saved me.]

    "Well¡­ in that case, I guess so."

    But prophecy¡­

    Just who had said that prophecy for a top-ranking celestial like Vega to firmly believe without any doubt in mind?

    "By the way, who made that prophecy?"

    [Are you referring to the prophecy regarding the ck Heaven¡¯s resurrection?]

    "Yeah."

    Vega slowly nodded her head and answered.

    [Pris.]

    Pris¡­

    One of the North Stars like Vega and Deneb.

    No, you couldn''t say that they werepletely the same.

    Pris''s alias was ''The Brightest Star''.

    Amongst the North Stars¡­ no, amongst every one of the hundreds of celestials, that celestial stood on the very top.

    ''But even I''ve only heard about Pris. They say that there isn''t a single person who even knows the stigma¡¯s shape.''

    Different from Vega, who''s stigma had been known, nearly everything about Pris was hidden behind a veil.

    There was no way there would be information about Pris when they didn''t even try to make ''Awakeners'' in the first ce.

    ''That''s also different from Vega.''

    If Vega wasn''t able to find a person who could handle her stigma, Pris didn''t even think of finding someone.

    There was an incredibly significant difference between ''could not'' and ''did not''.

    [Pris has the power to look into the future.]

    "Did they prophesize the ck Heaven¡¯s resurrection with that?"

    Vega nodded her head.

    [However, there is one thing not even Pris could not prophesize.]

    "What''s that?"

    A faint smile was put on Vega¡¯s face.

    She slowly extended her hand and gently stroked Ohjin¡¯s hair.

    [You.]

    "¡­Me?"

    [ording to Pris, the Heaven-defying Star was said to have been unable to rise, but haven''t you appeared?]

    "Uh¡­"

    ''About that¡­ the prophecy isn''t entirely wrong.''

    [Your existence itself is proof that a predetermined destiny can be changed.]

    Vega smiled brightly as she spoke in a voice filled with conviction.

    ''Incorrect.''

    Ohjin smiled along with Vega while pretending to be fine on the outside and roughly clenched his fist.

    The prophecy of the brightest star, Pris.

    Everything was flowing ording to their prophecy.

    ''The bastard known as the Heaven-defying Star died as soon as he returned.''

    In that case, did that mean he would destroy the world in the future like in Pris''s prophecy?

    ''No way.''

    No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t find a reason to end the world. Though he naturally had no confidence in staying sane if he wasn''t able to protect Ha-eun and all the ones precious to him died¡­

    ''It''s no problem if I protect them.''

    Ohjin organized hisplicated thoughts and nodded his head.

    "Yeah. Vega, it''s as you said."

    [Fufu. If it''s you, changing a predetermined destiny should be possible.]

    Vega smiled kindly and slowly pulled in Ohjin¡¯s head.

    [By the way, you look very tired.]

    "I am a bit exhausted."

    Not only had he not been able to get proper sleep for the past two weeks, he had even used Heaven Unfolding.

    He tried to act as normal as he could in front of Vega, but he was, in fact, so tired that it wouldn''t be abnormal if he copsed.

    [Then hurry up and get some rest.]

    "What about you, Vega?"

    [I am also tired, as the restriction has just been released. I''ll get some rest ande to find you tomorrow.]

    "Is that so?"

    It would be okay to get some rest, as his goal had been aplished.

    "Then I''ll be returning first."

    [Rest well.]

    Vega touched Ohjin¡¯s chin with both of her hands and lightly kissed his forehead.

    Ohjin smiled awkwardly and rubbed his forehead with his hand.

    "See you tomorrow."

    Ohjin headed outside.

    [Fuu.]

    After being left alone, Vega calmed down her shaking chest and took in deep breaths.

    ''A rtionship between a celestial and human, huh.''

    The words spoken by Spica kept repeating in her head.

    [Ugh! This isn''t the time to be thinking of something like this!]

    Even then, Ohjin was going through intense training everyday in order to stop the Heavenly Demon.

    She couldn¡¯t let herself be distracted by feelings when she couldn''t provide enough assistance.

    "L-Lady Vega!"

    Soon after Ohjin left, Riak sprinted into the room without dy.

    "T-The Commandment¡¯s Restriction has really been undone!"

    [Fufu. Were you worried?]

    Vega smiled faintly and gently stroked Riak''s fur.

    "Khm! I was worried that the ritual had gone wrong¡­"

    [Ritual? What ritual?]

    "Ohjin told me to stay outside, as there was a special ritual needed to use Adam''s Apple."

    ''What ritual is he talking about?''

    There was nothing that seemed like a ritual had taken ce when she¡¯d opened her eyes.

    She hadn¡¯t caught even a glimpse of a ritual magic circle or other tools¡­

    [¡ªWait.]

    At that moment, something crossed her mind.

    ''D-Didn''t Ohjin say that he used something called ¡®Adam''s Apple¡¯ to release the restriction on me?''

    Gulp¡ª

    Vega carefully spoke to Riak.

    [Riak. That thing called Adam''s Apple¡­ what does it look like?]

    "It was a radiant golden apple."

    [¡­!]

    Vega''s eyes opened wide.

    If ¡®Adam''s Apple¡¯ was really in the form of an ''Apple''¡­

    ''C-Could that ritual possibly be¡­''

    Wouldn''t he have put the apple within her sealed lips? And since she wouldn''t have been able to chew the apple, it would have to have been prepared for her by¡­

    [M-Mouth¡­ Ahhhhh!!]

    Vega covered her cheeks with her hands and floundered her legs.

    [S-Such indecent thoughts!!]

    "Lady Vega?"

    [Ah. A-Ahem!]

    Vega, who was twisting her body as if it had been bitten by bugs, cleared her throat awkwardly and straightened her back.

    [I-I''m very tired. Thisdy shall get some rest, so remain outside.]

    "Understood!"

    Riak quickly opened the door and went outside.

    [Phew.]

    After being left alone, Vega crossed her legs and thought about what the ''ritual'' Riak mentioned could possibly be.

    [This isn¡¯t the time to have these indecent th¡­ hm?]

    When she was rolling around on the bed, something touched her side.

    ''This is?''

    It was a fragment of light that was miserably torn.

    And on the edge of that fragment was¡­

    An endlessly ck¡­

    Boundlessly dark¡­

    Cloudy energy.

    [Just why is this here¡­?]

    It felt distinctively differentpared to the energy felt from the celestials of the ck Stars.

    Those two energies couldn''t even bepared with each other, as one of them could even frighten a North Star.

    That''s right¡­

    There was no doubt about it¡­

    [The energy of the ck Heaven¡­ h-how is it here?]

    It was a fragment of the cmity that Pris had prophesied would devour the world.

 Chapter 157: Interlude: Price

    <strong>I¡¯m Not a Regressor</strong>

    <strong>Chapter 157 : Interlude: Price</strong>

    "Hmm¡­"

    After setting Vega free from the Commandment¡¯s Restriction, Ohjin slept for ten hours straight at home.

    ''I''m still a bit tired.''

    Laying on the bed, Ohjin pulled up the cushy nkets with his eyes shut.

    Though he had woken up, he didn''t want to get out of bed due to his entire body aching.

    ''Water Affinity doesn''t work for internal damage and fatigue like this.''

    Sleeping more seemed like a wise move.

    ''Putting that aside, the side effects aren''t that severe.''

    With his eyes shut, Ohjin slightly moved his body to confirm his state.

    Needless to say, his whole body throbbed like it was going to tear, and an unfathomable amount of fatigue was built up in his body, but it was practically the same as having no side effect for ''Heaven Unfolding'', an indescribably overpowered skill.

    "Ohjin, are you asleep?"

    Creak¡ª

    He could hear Ha-eun''s voice as the door was opened carefully.

    Ohjin didn''t open his eyes and closed his mouth tight.

    "He''s already slept for ten hours¡­ he didn''t die in his sleep, did he?"

    Ha-eun crouched next to the bed and extended her finger in front of Ohjin''s nose.

    She exhaled a breath of relief after confirming the breathing that tickled her finger and looked down at Ohjin¡¯s face with a nk look.

    She remained like that,pletely still for over five minutes.

    ''What is this person doing in front of a sleeping person.''

    Ohjin slightly opened an eye while continuously being looked at.

    He could see that Ha-eun was looking at him with her chin leaning on the edge of the bed.

    "Hehe. Ohjin''s sleeping face is cute."

    Ha-eun didn''t notice that Ohjin had woken up and giggled while looking at his face.

    It appeared that she¡¯d gotten a bit bored of looking for over five minutes, as she poked Ohjin''s cheek with the tip of her finger.

    "Hehe."

    After she poked him with yfulughter, she gulped and put on a mischievous smile.

    "If that still hasn''t woken him up¡­ he''spletely out, right?"

    Ha-eun looked around for a moment and then slightly lifted the nkets to slide inside.

    Ohjin could feel the sensation of her arms and legs wrapping around him like a snake.

    Ha-eun, who had hugged Ohjin¡¯s body like a bamboo wife, carefully ced her head on top of his chest.

    "Sniff, sniff."

    With her face dug into his chest, she sniffed like some kind of dog.

    Ha-eun''s body trembled after getting a whiff of Ohjin''s smell as if she was doing drugs, and her cheeks turned red.

    She wiggled her body like she was constipated with Ohjin in her grasp.

    "Ah¡­"

    A lewd voice could faintly be heard.

    ''Shit.''

    Ohjin stayedpletely still with his eyes shut.

    Cold sweat flowed down his face.

    It was impossible to sleep in peace, but that didn''t mean the situation would allow him to open his eyes.

    ''I guess I''ll have to give up on sleeping more today.''

    A rough sigh left Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    When he was having a good time with Ha-eun¡­

    [It is I!]

    "Kyaaaaaah!!"

    Bam!!!¡ª

    Ohjin bounced off the wall and rolled on the floor like a rubber ball.

    "Wh-What? What happened?!"

    Ohjin pretended like he had suddenly woken up from deep sleep with a shocked expression.

    He could see that Ha-eun was looking at him with an awkward smile.

    "Uhm¡­ I-I was just surprised because Vega showed up all of a sudden."

    [What kind of shady thing were you doing to be that surprised?]

    Vega narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

    Ha-eun quickly shook her head like a fan.

    "S-Shady?! I was just checking if he was hurt anywhere because he wouldn''t wake up!"

    [Hmm.]

    Vega didn''t disperse her suspicions and looked towards Ohjin.

    Ohjin rubbed his head that¡¯d hit the floor and shrugged like he didn''t know anything.

    [Well¡­ I''ll overlook this for now.]

    Vega flew through the air andnded on Ohjin¡¯s head.

    [Are you doing okay?]

    "I''m still a bit tired, but I''ve gotten a lot better."

    Ohjin got up and lightly stretched his body.

    The muscles that were asleep for over ten hours gradually started to move like he spraying lubricant on a rusty machine.

    [......]

    Vega looked at Ohjin stretch and shut her lips tight.

    She repeatedly closed and opened her hands with a gaze containingplicated feelings.

    "What''s wrong?"

    [...There''s something I want to confirm for a moment.]

    "Confirm? Confirm what?"

    Vega flew over and slightly lowered the T-shirt Ohjin was wearing.

    She stretched out her small hand and touched the stigma of Lyra that was clearly engraved on the left side of his left chest.

    Bzt!¡ª

    What shot up from her hand was a small spark that permeated into the stigma.

    A faint smile appeared on Vega¡¯s mouth when she was looking at the stigma with a severe expression.

    "Wh-What?"

    [Phew.]

    Instead of a reply, Vega exhaled a breath of relief.

    Ohjin furrowed his brow as something about her actions seemed strange.

    "Did something happen?"

    [No, it''s nothing. It seems that I was just mistaken,] Vega answered while quickly shaking her head.

    "You''re not forcefully pretending to be okay again, are you?"

    Ha-eun also observed Ohjin with eyes containing suspicion.

    "I''m really okay."

    They weren¡¯t empty words used to relieve them.

    His body still felt stiff and hurt in some areas, but it wasn''t so bad that he couldn''t move.

    It was simr to how your body felt the day after doing a delivery warehouse loading & unloading part-time job.

    Naturally, his body couldn''t move properly yet, but he was surprisingly unharmed when considering how overpowered ''Heaven Unfolding'' was.

    ''I actually think the side-effects of using Exceed for the first time were much worse.''

    He¡¯d been unconscious for three days back then, but he remained fine this time around.

    [That is a relief.]

    Vega thoroughly examined Ohjin''s body and smiled.

    [Rest for a few more days, as it seems that you are still fatigued.]

    "Alright."

    If he could have it his way, he would¡¯ve sprinted to the training hall immediately to stretch his body, but he decided to obediently listen to Vega, as there was a chance of there being some other side effect.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    "Let''s have a celebration party since Vega returned!"

    Ha-eun proposed a party as her eyes sparkled.

    [Oho. I didn''t think you''d wee my return this much.]

    "Well, I guess you can even miss the sound of a buzzing fly once you get too used to it."

    [F-Fly?! How impertinent!]

    "Heh, looking at the way you move, a fly is a perfect fit for you."

    [You bastard!]

    "I''m a bitch, not a bastard, you know~?"

    Ha-eun cackled while she bickered with Vega.

    In the midst of their long argument¡­

    "It''s a relief that you were able to return safe and sound. And thank you¡­ for saving me."

    Ha-eun smiled brightly and extended her hand out to Vega.

    Vega puffed air out of her nose and flew on top of Ha-eun¡¯s hand.

    [Don¡¯t misunderstand. I didn''t protect you. I simply protected my child.]

    "What''s with the tsundere concept all of a sudden?"

    [Tsundere? What does that mean?]

    "Comining while liking it on the inside."

    [Wh-What? I have never done such a thing!]

    Vega, who was sitting with her legs crossed on top of Ha-eun¡¯s hand, crossed her arms and flicked her head away.

    Ha-eun smirked and poked Vega''s cheek that was facing away.

    "The way you act is exactly like a tsundere."

    [Didn¡¯t I say that it''s not true?!]

    "Oh no, has our little miss goddess gotten cranky~?"

    Ha-eun cackled and tickled Vega.

    There was probably no one other than Ha-eun who was able to be so at ease in front of a celestial.

    [In any case¡­ you are an arrogant child.]

    "Hehe. Sorry. It''s because I''m d to see you after so much time."

    [Well, since it¡¯s been a while, I guess thisdy also doesn''t feel so bad about seeing you.]

    The two women started to ask about what¡¯d happened during that time and chatted as if they¡¯d never fought in the first ce.

    ''I can''t tell if they get along or not.''

    It didn''t look like they weren¡¯t on good terms when he considered how they chatted.

    "Ohjin, you don¡¯t have anything to do tomorrow, right? Want to take Vega and Riak somewhere fun?"

    "No. There''s somewhere I have to go tomorrow."

    "Eh? Where are you going?"

    Ohjin took out a small box that was inside a drawer.

    Inside the drawer was a rectangr card that looked like a passport.

    Ohjin raised the card and replied.

    "I''m thinking of going to Paradise."

    "Paradise? Why?"

    "There''s something I want to have a proper talk about with Cheon Sanggil."

    He was curious about the ''enlightenment'' he¡¯d given to Sakaki, but even more important than that was the identity of the ''Snake''.

    ''I want to confirm who they are for him to give me such a warning.''

    Ohjin ced the Paradise admission card on top of the snake medallions obtained from Cheon Doyoon¡¯s room and Sosuke.

    "Hmm. Then let''s go together. I''m also super curious about what kind of ce Paradise is."

    "Alright. Let''s go tomorrow."

    [Thisdy shall apany you.]

    A party was formed on the spot.

    "Since going to Paradise is tomorrow¡­"

    Ha-eun smiled and raised Vega¡¯s hands up high.

    "Let''s eat and drink a bunch with our little goddess today!"

    [Ah! What are you doing!]

    "Let''s call that bastard Riak while we''re at it!"

    [Ugh. Alright.]

    A wee back party was thrown using Ha-eun''s excitement from getting to meet Vega after a long time.

    Riak joined in on the patty and Ha-eun joyfully teased Vega about sightseeing Osaka with Ohjin.

    "Was it takoyaki? I had it with Ohjin and it was super~ delicious!"

    [Me too! Thisdy also wants to try it!]

    "Hmpf! A true warrior must swing their fist at least one more time during the time others take to eat¡­ So, where can one obtain that thing called takoyaki?"

    After Ohjin, Ha-eun, Vega, and Riak finished their merry party, Ha-eun rubbed her bloated belly and flopped down on the sofa.

    "Fua! That was fun~!"

    Riak and Vega had already returned to the sanctum with too much time having passed by.

    She looked back at Ohjin, who was cleaning up, and asked.

    "So about that skill where you puff out Weezing Fart."

    "It''s called Heaven Unfolding."

    It felt a bit harsh to call the power that had the strength to end the world ''Weezing Fart''.

    "Ah, yeah that. It''s a relief that its side effects aren''t as big as I thought."

    As she said, the price of using Heaven Unfolding wasn''t that big.

    "Though the process of using it was a bit dangerous..."

    The feeling of his soul melting into thick ck clouds¡­

    With the risk of being devoured by the ck Heaven with a slight mishap, it was dangerous enough to send shivers down his spine, however¡­

    "I think it''ll be nice to use as a special move."

    He believed that it¡¯d be okay to use a third time, as there were no problems during the two times he¡¯d used it.

    "Looks like our little Ohjin has be incredibly overpowered. If you use that, aren''t 9-Stars nothing to you?"

    "Well, I guess."

    It was easy to understand how unreasonable the skill was in the fight with Cheon Doyoon.

    He wasn''t certain of Awakeners at or above the 10-Star rank, but Ohjin believed that there was no 9-Star Awakener capable of defeating him if he used Heaven Unfolding.

    ''I''ve even be more powerfulpared to then.''

    He didn''t know why, but Heaven Unfolding''s power had increased.

    "Then those ck Star Organization bastards will be a piece of cake now!"

    "I''ll need to use it in moderation. They might have Awakeners that are at or above 10-Star."

    Isabe was, at minimum, a 10-Star Awakener.

    Even with Heaven Unfolding, victory couldn''t be ascertained with an opponent like her.

    "But having such an overpowered skill is still reliable!"

    Ha-eun cackled and turned the TV on using the remote controller.

    A middle-aged bald man was makingedic poses and showing off various kinds of talents on TV.

    "Ah, fuck."

    Ha-eun looked at the middle-aged man and frowned while she swore.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "That bastard. Doesn''t he look like the orphanage director?"

    "Really?"

    Ohjin turned his head towards the TV and looked at the man.

    ''Does he look like him?''

    He tilted his head and tried to remember the orphanage director''s face in his head.

    The wretched face of the director who¡¯d beaten him up everyday¡­

    "¡ªHuh?"

    At that moment, he realized¡­

    ''What¡­?''

    No matter how hard he tried to remember¡­

    No matter how many times he dug into his memories¡­

    <strong>He couldn¡¯t recall the orphanage director''s face.</strong>

    "......"

    Ohjin vacantly looked at the TV with a stiff expression.

    Regardless of how long ago the orphanage days had been, being unable to remember the director''s face made no sense.

    "Ah, ugh."

    The director''s face wasn''t the only thing he couldn¡¯t remember.

    The maroon hair that wavered like mes¡­

    The face of the beautiful young girl who¡¯dpletely turned his life around¡­

    He¡­

    Couldn''t. ..

    Remember¡­

    ''So¡­ this is the true price.''

    Ohjin roughly clenched his fist and chewed his lips.

    He felt likeughing due to the sense of shame that crashed in.

    Why was he unable to realize despite living such a shitty life?

    The fact was, a power that was easy to obtain and convenient didn''t exist in the world.

    "What''s wrong, Ohjin?"

    "It''s nothing."

    Ohjin smiled faintly and sat down next to her.

    "He seriously looks exactly like the director."

    "I know right?! That annoying expression is just like that bastard!"

    Ohjin stared at Ha-eun. who was swearing and making a fuss.

    He was covering the face of the young girl he couldn¡¯t remember anymore with hers.

    Again and again¡­

 Chapter 158: To Paradise (1)

    <strong>Chapter 158: To Paradise (1)</strong>

    On their way across Ganghwa Bridge¡­

    The bridge that¡¯d been newly built as the Heaven''s Grace guild settled in was as extravagant and majestic as the bridge to Asgard in Norse mythology.

    "Wow, I wonder how much they spent to build that."

    Ha-eun peeked her head out the window and stuck out her tongue due to astonishment.

    As she said, the bridge leading to Ganghwa Ind Special Autonomous Zone, also known as ''Paradise'', left a strong impression that was fitting of its name.

    "Well, they''re probably swimming in money as the best guild in our country."

    "Who do you reckon is more rich, Isabe or the Heaven¡¯s Grace guild?"

    "I''m not sure."

    Though he couldn¡¯t know for certain, Ohjin was at least sure that they both had an unfathomable amount of wealth that he couldn¡¯t even imagine.

    "By the way, what is Isabe doing these days?"

    "I''m not sure. We just text every now and then."

    He periodically exchanged contact with Isabe, but all she talked about was how she was too busy to meet him and how much she wanted to see him.

    Due to that reason, he had no idea what she was doing and where she was.

    ''There''s probably an uproar in the ck Star Organization.''

    With their 7th and 6th-ranked Executors dying within such a short span of time, it was certain that they were experiencing setbacks in their ns.

    They needed to make some kind of move. Whether that be going intoplete hiding or mobilizing even more proactively.

    "¡­I think it''d be best if you don¡¯t contact her often," Ha-eun said with her eyes narrowed.

    The way she spoke expressed that it wasn''t because of jealousy regarding Isabe but purely out of worrying about Ohjin.

    It was only natural for Ha-eun to be weary of Isabe, as she had been informed of her true identity.

    "Don''t worry. I''m being as cautious as I can."

    That''s what he said for the time being, but Isabe was a variable that was impossible for Ohjin to control.

    ''She''ll be a big help in copsing the ck Star Organization if I can get her on my side, but¡­''

    As much as the rewards were substantial, the risk involved was also hard to disregard.

    Ohjin continued thinking about Isabe as he drove the car.

    When they arrived at the end of the bridge¡­

    "Halt."

    Two people wearing security uniforms stopped the car.

    Judging from their sharp gazes and meticulous movements, they appeared to be skilled Awakeners.

    One of them approached the car.

    "We will confirm your admission rights."

    Ohjin handed over the Paradise Admission Card that was given to him by Cheon Sanggil.

    The guard thoroughly confirmed the card and politely bowed his head and opened the firmly shut entrance.

    "You may enter."

    "Take care."

    Ohjin passed by the massive door reminiscent of a castle gate and went into Paradise.

    What unfolded before them was a neatly decorated road.

    The traditional Korean-style housesid out on each side of the road made them think they were in some kind of folk vige.

    [Is this the ce known as Paradise?]

    "Yeah. I''ve also only heard about this ce. It''s my first timeing here."

    Paradise; the ce you could only enter after paying the enormous price of $10,000,000.

    There were all kinds of rumors floating around, yet there was nearly nobody who knew about Paradise in detail.

    Just what kind of life were the people in Paradise living?

    Ohjin drove the car slowly and looked around.

    The scenery of Paradise seen through their eyes was¡­

    "Uh¡­ hm. Ohjin, we are in Paradise, right?"

    [This ce is rather deserted for a ce named Paradise.]

    As Ha-eun and Vega said, the scenery outside the window couldn¡¯t look any more deserted.

    For a ce named Paradise, they¡¯d imagined a city with neatly dressed nobles walking around going, "hehe, hoho," but it was so deserted that it felt like they were in a ghost town.

    The few people they could see were only Awakeners wearing the uniforms of the Heaven''s Grace guild.

    "It''s a bit different than I imagined."

    Ohjin tilted his head and headed to where Cheon Sanggil was said to be¡ªthe house located at the center.

    It was a small and neat house that feltpletely out of ce for Cheon Sanggil, who held the title of ''Star of Celestial Pivot''.

    It was even much smaller than Kuroushi''s hideout.

    The way lettuce and green onions were being grown in the small garden made it look like any other house in the countryside.

    "Have you arrived?"

    Creak¡ª

    An elder wearing a neatly ironed Hanbok walked out as the worn-out door opened.

    His gaze was full of clear energy like that of a Taoist who¡¯d attained enlightenment.

    The atmosphere he gave off even felt holy and was enough for them to momentarily misunderstand him as not a human, but a celestial.

    The Star of Celestial Pivot, Cheon Sanggil¡­

    The Awakener known as one of the Seven Stars and acknowledged as one of the strongest in the world greeted Ohjin.

    "Hmm?"

    Cheon Sanggil¡¯s eyes headed to Vega, who was sitting on top of Ohjin¡¯s shoulder.

    Without giving him the time to say she was his guardian spirit, Cheon Sanggil politely bowed towards Vega.

    "This old man greets a great being."

    [Ho. Have you recognized who thisdy is?]

    "There are no other souls who emit a ''sound'' this pure other than the gods born from the stars."

    Vega nodded her head with her arms crossed while looking at Cheon Sanggil disying his respect.

    "In any case, for a celestial to be able to personally materialize themself¡­ there truly is a reason why you are called a North Star."

    [It is nothing but a restricted materialization.]

    It appeared that he thought continuing a conversation would be disrespectful, as Cheon Sanggil turned his head around to face Ohjin.

    "I''ve heard about the matters that happened in Japan from Sakaki. Well done."

    "I only did what I had to."

    "Hoho. That makes this old man feel at ease."

    Cheon Sanggil turned around with a satisfied expression.

    "Come inside. It''s disrespectful to leave guests standing outside."

    "Yes."

    Ohjin and Ha-eun followed Cheon Sanggil into his house.

    Like its modest exterior, there was nearly no furniture inside the house.

    "So how was the trip here?" asked Cheon Sanggil as he handed over tea.

    "There were no issues."

    "That''s a relief."

    After taking a sip of tea, he continued with a light smile on his face.

    "Does Paradise look different from what you imagined?"

    "Yes. It''s a lot different from what I heard from the rumors."

    "That''s expected."

    Cheon Sanggil nodded his head.

    "Is there a separate area where the residents of Paradise live?"

    "No. It''s just as you''ve seen. Paradise¡­ no, Ganghwa Ind has nearly no other people besides our guild members."

    "¡­"

    It looked too different from the rumored Paradise.

    Ha-eun, who was silently sipping tea on the side, carefully raised her hand and spoke.

    "Um¡­ then what are all those rumors about being able to live safely while eating three meals a day?"

    Even Ha-eun, who usually talked freely due to how ufortable formalities were, spoke in a calm and mannered fashion in front of Cheon Sanggil, as he gave off a unique sage-like aura.

    After hearing her question, Cheon Sanggil took a sip of the steaming tea and opened his mouth.

    "Those are fake rumors our guild intentionally fabricated."

    Fake rumors¡­

    In other words, it meant that all the stories about the ''Paradise'' people knew were all fake.

    "Why did you create such a rumor?" Ohjin asked while tilting his head out of confusion.

    Cheon Sanggil''s reply was concise.

    "To give them hope."

    Hope? What kind of hope was he talking about?

    "Come to think of it, I''ve heard that it hasn''t been long since you''ve be an Awakener. Is that true?"

    "Yes. It hasn''t been one year yet."

    "Haha. Bing strong enough to kill two Executors of the ck Star Organization in one year¡­ it''s hard to believe despite seeing it with my eyes."

    Cheon Sanggil smiled bitterly and continued.

    "I''m sorry for leading the subject a bit off-track. If you awakened a year ago, you should also be well aware."

    "What are you referring to?"

    "I''m talking about the lives of those who weren''t able to be selected by a celestial."

    "¡­"

    Those who weren''t selected by celestials¡­

    Ohjin knew better than anyone else how intense the lives of the unawakened were.

    It was because he, too, had been one of the people who¡¯d struggled to survive at the very bottom of thedder.

    "The conditions have be a lot better now, but just five years ago, the lives of those people was misery itself."

    "Yes. I''m very aware."

    "Though there are naturally people like you who overcame that rigorous lifestyle, in most cases, peoplepletely give up on life."

    Three years after the gate leading to the Demon Realm was opened in the North Pole, with theck of Awakeners and growth, it was literally the age of chaos.

    The economy had fallen into ruins and jobs no longer existed.

    There were monsters roaming outside, but you couldn''t even earn money to get a meal on your table.

    Who wouldn¡¯t despair in that kind of situation?

    "So the government and I discussed and created the ce known as ''Paradise''.

    "Were you trying to nt hope in the people by spreading false rumors?" Ohjin asked as he narrowed his eyes.

    Cheon Sanggil quietly nodded his head.

    "If there is a heaven in hell, wouldn''t people gain the will to survive in order to go to that ce?"

    "¡­"

    Ohjin frowned after hearing Cheon Sanggil''s words.

    He understood their intent, however¡­

    "How crude."

    If they were trying to save people by utilizing fake ''hope''¡­

    "You should¡¯ve had many better options than that."

    "¡­"

    Cheon Sanggil looked at Ohjin with a surprised expression.

    "¡­Haha. I didn''t think I''d hear this kind of response."

    Be it reproach or me, he thought that his actions would be pointed out, but to think that his response was ''crude''.

    "As you''ve said, it was a crude method. I''m also regretting it a lot at this point in time."

    He¡¯d believed that it wasn''t a bad method back then, but as Ohjin said, the existence of ''Paradise'' didn''t give people much hope.

    A failed lie¡­

    Ohjin¡¯sment dug sharply into his chest.

    Cheon Sanggil changed the subject with a bitter smile on his face.

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    "Well¡­ let¡¯s continue this discussion at ater date. Is there anything else you''re curious about?"

    "There just happens to be something I want to ask¡­"

    Ohjin took a palm-sized medallion out of his pocket.

    The medallion had a fierce pattern of a snake engraved on it.

    Cheon Sanggil¡¯s expression stiffened as he confirmed the ominous pattern.

    "This is¡­"

    "You mentioned previously that I should be careful of the ''Snakes''."

    Cheon Sanggil received the medallion with a serious expression.

    "Did you obtain it from the Executors?"

    "Yes."

    "Fuu¡­ so her strength has already gotten uncontroble in the ck Star Organization."

    He stroked his wrinkly forehead like his head hurt.

    "The reason I came to find you today was to hear about the ''Snakes'' in more detail."

    "Hmm."

    Cheon Sanggil sat in silence and narrowed his eyes.

    "The Queen¡­ no, it might be correct to call her the Empress of Snakes."

    He continued with a low voice.

    "Truth be told, not even I know much about her. Just know that she is an extremely dangerous existence¡­ and is basically the ruler of the ck Star Organization."

    The ruler of the ck Star Organization¡­

    In other words¡­

    "Does that mean she''s ranked 1st amongst Executors?"

    "That''s correct."

    The 1st-ranked Executor¡­

    That position significantly weighed down on Ohjin, as he had nearly been killed by Cheon Doyoon, the 6th-ranked Executor.

    Even Isabe, who was ranked 3rd, was an unfathomably powerful Awakener. Just how strong would the Empress of Snakes be?

    "Are you aware that each faction of the ck Star Organization has different goals and acts differently?"

    "Yes. I already know."

    "She is trying to unite that kind of ck Star Organization into one by any means she can."

    ¡ªBy any means¡­

    In other words, it meant that she would even forcefully suppress her allies and make them follow her.

    "Is that all the information you have regarding the Queen of Snakes?"

    "There is one more thing I''ve heard¡­"

    Sip¡ª

    He took a sip of the tea that¡¯d cooled down and continued in a calm voice.

    "I have heard that she fanatically follows the being known as the ''Heavenly Demon''."

    "Pardon?"

    ''Me?''

 Chapter 159: To Paradise (2)

    <strong>Chapter 159: To Paradise (2)</strong>

    ¡°Heavenly¡­ Demon?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what they called them.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil furrowed his brow and continued.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to obtain any information regarding the Heavenly Demon yet¡­ but this old man spectes that they aren¡¯t human but more akin to a transcendent like ¡®celestials¡¯.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s expression stiffened without making any sort of response to Cheon Sanggil¡¯s words.

    The insides of his head felt like they were getting twisted apart.

    He started to get an intense headache from the sudden appearance of a ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯.

    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯

    Needless to say, there was no way the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ the Queen of Snakes followed was the owner of the ck Heaven mentioned in Pris¡¯s prophecy.

    In the first ce, the title of Heavenly Demon was nothing but a lie made up on the spot to fool Vega.

    ¡®So¡­ you¡¯re telling me there¡¯s actually a person with the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ title in the ck Star Organization?¡¯

    It was an insane coincidence.

    Would it feel the same way if a scammer tried to scam somebody by iming they knew the lottery results but actually got the numbers correct and won first ce?

    It wasn¡¯t on the level of a blind squirrel finding a nut once a while; it was a blind squirrel finding a whole nut factory.

    ¡®Huh? Isn¡¯t this really good for me?¡¯

    Ohjin was nning to create and kill a ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ in the ck Star Organization one day in order to forever conceal his identity.

    ¡ªIt was the same method opted by Sosuke.

    The best way for a culprit to stay out of sight was to make people believe that they were dead, but there wasn¡¯t even a need to put in that much effort for that anymore.

    All he had to do was make people think that Heavenly Demon was the ¡®Owner of the ck Heaven¡¯.

    ¡°Then are you saying that Heavenly Demon is the true master of the ck Star Organization?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what the clues point to, but there isn¡¯t enough information known to call him the ¡®master¡¯ yet. There are also no others except the Queen of Snakes that follow the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    In other words, it was possible that they were a figurehead.

    ¡®They¡­ might actually not be a human, but a celestial.¡¯

    There wasn¡¯t enough information to jump to conclusions regarding the Heavenly Demon¡¯s identity.

    [...Heavenly Demon.]

    Vega mumbled that name with a serious expression.

    For a moment, her eyes headed to Ohjin.

    ¡®Hm? Why is she looking at me?¡¯

    Ohjin frowned as he looked at theplicated feelings reflecting on Vega¡¯s eyes.

    Why did she look at him the moment she heard the words ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯?

    ¡®There shouldn¡¯t be any reason for her to suspect me here.¡¯

    Instead, it would¡¯ve been more normal for her to have trust in her eyes, as a Heavenly Demon appeared just as Ohjin mentioned before.

    ¡®Ah, now that I think about it¡­¡¯

    There was one point that was different from what he¡¯d told her.

    Ohjin had told Vega that the Heavenly Demon would appear in three years, but they had appeared in just one year.

    ¡®I should go over this.¡¯

    Ohjin took a final sip of the remaining tea and opened his mouth.

    ¡°Then is there no information about the Queen of Snakes other than the fact that she frantically follows the Heavenly Demon and that she¡¯s trying to unite the ck Star Organization?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That is all we have for now.¡±

    There was certainly a lot less information than what he expected.

    ¡°So we¡¯ll need to do something before the factions of the ck Star Organization get consumed by the Snakes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    One of the ck Star Organization''s biggest weaknesses was that each faction had their own goals and acted individually.

    Not much thought was required to realize how troublesome it¡¯d be to face them if the remaining five factionsbined their strength.

    ¡°We just happened to be forming a special team to face the ck Star Organization.¡±

    ¡°A team?¡±

    ¡°It is a team, but there are only three people in it so far. Ah, there¡¯s also one person you know amongst them.¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°The ck Lion, Lee Woohyuk.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk was certainly a talented individual that was the most appropriate for Cheon Sanggil¡¯s ¡®Team¡¯.

    Not only was the 9-Star rank right in front of his eyes, he also had an intense desire for revenge due to the kidnapping and death of his only brother.

    ¡°I heard that you two have met before.¡±

    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve fought together a couple of times due to matters regarding the ck Star Organization.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Then that¡¯ll make this quick!¡±

    Cheon Sanggil smiled broadly as he looked at Ohjin.

    ¡°Do you have any thoughts of joining ¡®Guardian¡¯...? The team this old man is forming.¡±

    Guardian¡­

    A team formed specifically to deal with the ck Star Organization.

    As a team personally formed by the Star of Celestial Pivot, who was one of the Seven Stars, it would be possible to receive a lot of resources in several ways.

    Although it was an offer he had no reason to refuse¡­

    ¡°Could you give me some time to think about it?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil got up from his seat.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring some more tea, so you can take your time thinking about it slowly,¡± he spoke as he collected the empty teacups.

    Cheon Sanggil left and closed the door behind him.

    [My child¡­]

    Vega¡¯s low voice could be heard.

    She awkwardly sat next to him and looked at Ha-eun like she couldn¡¯t speak because of her.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I already told her.¡±

    [The fact that you¡¯re a Regressor?]

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Vega looked at Ha-eun with surprise in her eyes.

    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. I-I also heard about it.¡±

    Ahahaha¡ª

    Sheughed awkwardly and scratched her head.

    Ohjin quickly changed the subject out of fear that she might make some kind of mistake.

    ¡°It appears that I misunderstood.¡±

    [Misunderstood?]

    ¡°About the Heavenly Demon appearing in three years.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon was already ruling the ck Star Organization.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that the Heavenly Demon appeared in three years. They were always there but hid their existence until then.¡±

    [...So that¡¯s what happened.]

    Vega nodded her head and looked at Ohjin with somewhatplicated feelings.

    She bit her lips with a nervous expression and then suddenly shook her head left and right.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    [No. It¡¯s nothing.]

    ¡®Hm? She¡¯s been acting a bit strange since yesterday.¡¯

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and looked at her.

    Vega avoided Ohjin¡¯s gaze and answered in a gradually receding voice.

    [It¡¯s just because thisdy is worried about you.]

    ¡°Worried?¡±

    [Hasn¡¯t the Heavenly Demon appeared faster than you predicted? I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll be their target.]

    ¡°......¡±

    The thing contained in her eyes wasn¡¯t simply ¡®Worry¡¯, but Ohjin decided to overlook it for the moment.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Didn¡¯t he say that the only person in the ck Star Organization who follows the Heavenly Demon right now is the Queen of Snakes?¡±

    In other words, it was correct to assume that the existence called the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ was unable to move due to unknown circumstances.

    If that wasn¡¯t the case, there would be no need to use the Queen of Snakes to govern over the ck Star Organization.

    [Then we must increase our force as much as possible before that being starts to mobilize in earnest.]

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Ohjin, are you nning to join Guardian?¡±

    ¡°For now.¡±

    His strength alone was not enough to take down the ck Star Organization. There was no reason to turn down the offer when it was an opportunity to gain assistance.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m thinking of giving some conditions.¡±

    Ohjin had no intentions of joining if the team operated like an army wheremands were handed down, as it would ce a heavy restriction on his action.

    ¡°Then I want to join, too.¡±

    ¡°You too?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Aren¡¯t we going to destroy those ck Star Organization bastards either way?¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess.¡±

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    Around the time when they finished talking about the conditions, Cheon Sanggil walked in with new cups of tea.

    ¡°So, have you decided?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We would also like to join Guardian.¡±

    ¡°Hohoho! Indeed! I believed that you would listen to this old man¡¯s request!¡±

    ¡°However, there are a few conditions.¡±

    ¡°Conditions?¡±

    Ohjin exined the conditions he¡¯d thought of.

    ¡ªHaving no intention of following orders at all costs, even if it is a team.

    ¡ªA mutual rtionship with the goal of cooperating and sharing information.

    ¡°I understand. We¡¯ll try to respect your condition as much as we can.¡±

    ¡°Other than Mr. Woohyuk, who are the other two people?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll inform you once we finish gathering all of our team members.¡±

    Ohjin nodded his head.

    As he finished hearing all the information he needed to know, it was about time to leave.

    ¡°Before you leave, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to request¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Ah, let me rephrase it. It isn¡¯t a request to you¡­¡±

    Cheon Sanggil¡¯s gaze headed to Ha-eun.

    ¡°...but something I would like to request of Ms. Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Me?¡±

    Ha-eun pointed at herself with a surprised expression.

    Cheon Sanggil put on a benign smile and nodded his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ve kept hearing a ¡®sound¡¯ ever since I met you.¡±

    ¡°What sound¡­?¡±

    ¡°The sound of a crying dragon.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil looked at Ha-eun¡¯s covered left eye.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you still inexperienced in handling your power?¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    Ha-eun couldn¡¯t say anything to his spot-on remark.

    ¡°Fufu. This old man has grown to worry quite a bit. Whenever I see Awakeners like you and Sakaki, who I can hear a ¡®sound¡¯ from, I start wanting to teach them something.¡±

    ¡°Sound¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a sound I can hear from Awakeners who possess immense power but aren¡¯t able to utilize it properly. Well, it¡¯s one of this old man¡¯s few talents.¡±

    Thinking about it then, Ohjin had heard something simr before from Sakaki¡­ Something about how Cheon Sanggil could use his power to give Awakeners ''enlightenment¡¯.

    ¡°This old man wishes to teach Ms. Ha-eun personally.¡±

    ¡ªA sudden proposal.

    Vega and Ohjin both directed their gazes at Ha-eun.

    ¡°Possess immense power but aren¡¯t able to utilize it properly¡­¡±

    Ha-eun mumbled in a low voice and fumbled around her left eye.

    It didn¡¯t take long for her toe to a decision.

    ¡°I want to learn.¡±

    Strong determination shone in her right eye that wasn¡¯t covered by an eyepatch.

    Cheon Sanggil smiled faintly after seeing the determination in her eyes.

    ¡°The process won¡¯t be easy. Is that okay with you?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    Ha-eun clenched her fists tight.

    It was an opportunity to receive the teachings of a Seven Star.

    There was no better opportunity for Ha-eun, who couldn¡¯t handle her strength properly after consuming the ¡®Dragon¡¯s Heart¡¯ and bing a 9-Star Awakener.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Naturally, teachings wouldn¡¯t finish in a single day¡ªshe would have to be apart from Ohjin in order to receive Cheon Sanggil¡¯s teachings.

    That fact made Ha-eun hesitate.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ can¡¯t Ohjin join us while you¡¯re teaching me?¡±

    ¡°There is no teaching this old man can give him,¡± Cheon Sanggil answered in a firm voice while he shook his head.

    Cheon Sanggil looked at Ohjin.

    ¡°There¡­ is not even the faintest sound I can hear from him.¡±

    Like a starless night, the sound emitted from Ohjin couldn¡¯t be any more silent.

    ¡®It¡¯s my first time seeing an Awakener who I can¡¯t hear any sound from.¡¯

    No matter how exceptional the Awakener, they were bound to leak a little sound, but as if it was covered by a curtain in a hidden chamber, absolutely no sound came from Ohjin.

    ¡°I understand. Then I¡¯lle back after going home and packing up just the necessities.¡±

    ¡°Will it be okay?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s not like we won¡¯t be able to see each other.¡±

    Ganghwa Ind wasn¡¯t that far away from Seoul, either.

    Ha-eun, who was sullen due to having to be apart from Ohjin, suddenly smiled and poked Ohjin.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go crying because you aren¡¯t able to sleep with me.¡±

    ¡°As if.¡±

    Ha-eun took a big step forward and lightly kissed Ohjin¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯ll return even stronger, so just you wait!¡±

    Hadn¡¯t she always been on the receiving side? Ha-eun wanted to be strong enough to at least repay a bit of what she received.

    ¡®If I don¡¯t, Ohjin will only stray further away.¡¯

    Considering Ohjin¡¯s unfathomable growth speed, she didn¡¯t have much time left remaining to be able to provide assistance.

    After Ha-eun decided to receive Cheon Sanggil¡¯s teachings¡­

    ¡°So¡­ what should I call you? Sir Cheon Sanggil? Mr. Star of Celestial Pivot?¡±

    ¡°Hoho. There¡¯s no need to be so formal to this old man. You can actfortably as you wish.¡±

    ¡°Alright, gramps!! Please take good care of me!!!¡±

    ¡°G-Gramps?¡±

    Ha-eun held Cheon Sanggil¡¯s hand and intensely shook it up and down.

    ¡°...Ha-eun.¡±

    Ohjin furrowed his brow as if he had a headache.

 Chapter 160: The Celestial of Cygnus (1)

    <strong>Chapter 160: The Celestial of Cygnus (1)</strong>

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    He slowly took a deep breath.

    Rotating mana throughout his entire body, he activated the Stigma of the Hunting Dogs and observed his surroundings.

    ¡ªA spacious sanctuary shining with gentle light.

    A silver werewolf stood at the center of the sanctuary.

    ¡°Grrrr!¡±

    Blue lightning ferociously sparked between the gaps in the werewolf¡¯s mane and Riak¡¯s throat rumbled with a low growl.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting, kid.¡±

    With his final warning¡ª

    Baaaaang!!¡ª

    ¡ªthe sanctuary trembled, and Riak¡¯s body shot high up in the air.

    As he exceeded the speed of sound, a powerful sonic boom urred, causing the surroundings to quiver.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Ohjin took in a short breath and thrusted his spear forward.

    ng!¡ª

    There was a fierce sound of shing metal, and Ohjin¡¯s body slid back.

    The intense sh caused a tingling feeling to remain in his hands.

    ¡°This is only the beginning!!¡±

    Riak¡¯s attacks poured down.

    His bulging muscles swelled as blue mes engulfed his sharp ws.

    Fwooosh!¡ª

    Simultaneously, blue mes also started to spread to the spear in Ohjin¡¯s hands.

    ¡ªA sh of Lightning mes and Lightning mes.

    If Riak¡¯s mes were said to be vicious with the intent to devour all, Ohjin¡¯s mes were sharp and precise.

    ¡°Is this all you got?!?!¡±

    Riak easily deflected the spear as he lowered his body.

    Rotating his body, he raised his leg and kicked with his heel.

    Boom!!¡ª

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    With the sound of arge explosion, Ohjin¡¯s body shot towards the ceiling of the sanctuary.

    Bang! Bang!¡ª

    Ohjin used wires in mid-air to twist his body and stood with both feet on the ceiling.

    ¡°As always, the way you move is like a rat!¡±

    Riak looked up and pulled his right leg back. He lowered his body like a track athlete and roughly stomped his foot to shoot into the air.

    Bang!¡ª

    Before Riak¡¯s arrival, Ohjin fixed a wire onto the ceiling and sprinted across the sanctuary¡¯s walls.

    ¡°You should already know that it¡¯s no use!¡±

    Riak suddenly rotated his body in the air to face the direction of where Ohjin was sprinting.

    Bzzzzt!¡ª

    He turned his direction in mid-air by ¡®stepping¡¯ on the blue lightning that appeared out of the air.

    ¡°That¡¯s seriously not fair.¡±

    Ohjin stuck his tongue out as he looked at Riak, who was moving freely through the air by stepping on lightning.

    The moment one learned how to use Lightning Step, two-dimensional battles would turn into three-dimensional battles.

    It was literally an overpowered skill that made it possible to utilize movements that were in another realm.

    ¡®I would¡¯ve helplessly suffered from that technique in the past, but¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone keenly.

    After kicking off the wall back onto the ground, he moved by sliding across the floor.

    Sprinting through the air while stepping on lightning, Riak dropped on top of his head as he swung his ws.

    ¡®Now!¡¯

    The stigma of Clepsydra gave off light.

    ¡ªA still world.

    Inside the slowed world¡ª

    ¡®Think¡¯

    ¡ªOhjin didn¡¯t stop using his head.

    He thoroughly analyzed and gauged Riak¡¯s movements that previously couldn¡¯t be seen by the naked eye.

    ¡®Charge.¡¯

    Bzzzzt!¡ª

    Lightning gathered in his right hand.

    Once, twice, thrice¡­

    The condensed lightning zed fiercely.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Avoiding Riak¡¯s precise attack with minimal movements, he rotated his body and swung his lightning-condensed fist at Riak.

    Baaaang!!¡ª

    ¡°Grrrrr!!¡±

    ¡ªA perfect counter attack.

    Riak was violently sent flying back from the punch.

    Bang!¡ª

    A wire wrapped around Riak as he was in the air.

    ¡°Uaaaaaaaah!!!¡±

    Ohjin roared out and widely swung his arm.

    <strong> Baaang!</strong>

    <strong>Crack!</strong>

    <strong>Thud!</strong>

    <strong>Boom!</strong>

    <strong>Doom! Bang!!</strong>

    Riak, who was tied by wires, consecutively crashed into the sanctuary¡¯s wall and floor.

    ¡®For the finale¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone.

    Vrrrrrr!!¡ª

    Riak¡¯s body drew near as the wire rapidly returned to its shooter.

    Fwoooosh!!¡ª

    ¡ªRadiantly zing blue mes.

    The de of the spear that shone with silver light pierced through Riak.

    ng!¡ª

    ¡°Kuaaaahk!!¡±

    Despite piercing precisely through his stomach, the sound that echoed out was closer to that of a thick metal sheet being punctured rather than flesh.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    Riak took steps back and coughed up blood.

    You couldn¡¯t call it a fatal wound, but he¡¯d seeded in dealing enough damage to undoubtedly call it an ¡®injury¡¯ on a powerful opponent who he couldn¡¯t evenst five seconds against merely half a year before.

    ¡°Kuuh! Kuhahahaha!!! Very good, rookie! Finally, you¡¯re a worthy opponent!¡±

    Riakughed out loud and roughly stomped his foot.

    Bzzzzzzzzt!!!¡ª

    Lightning that was iparably thicker than before wrapped around his body.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s expression distorted due to the shocking energy that emitted out of Riak.

    ¡°Huff, huff!¡±

    Pressure crushed his body.

    His consciousness momentarily shed from the sensation he hadn¡¯t yet experienced before.

    ¡®Holy crap.¡¯

    Ohjin looked at Riak with disbelief.

    ¡ªRiak¡¯s true, hidden skill.

    A suffocating pressure tied Ohjin up.

    The pressure made it hard for him to move his body properly, but¡­

    ¡®It¡¯s not to the extent I can¡¯t handle.¡¯

    He took a step forward and raised his spear.

    ¡°Grrrrr! Good! You can¡¯t call yourself the Heaven-defying Star if you aren¡¯t able to hold your ground to merely this amount of pressure!¡±

    Riak smirked while looking in Ohjin¡¯s direction.

    ¡®Truly¡ª he is growing at a frightening pace.¡¯

    When Riak had first met him, Ohjin was helplessly sent rolling across the floor in just five seconds.

    However, how was it now?

    ¡®Now I won¡¯t be able to face him while suppressing my true power.¡¯

    A chuckle left Riak¡¯s mouth.

    Monster¡­

    There was nothing that described him more precisely than that title.

    ¡®I¡¯m going to lose face as a Star Spirit.¡¯

    ¡ªExistences that inherited a portion of a celestial¡¯s soul.

    They weren¡¯t as powerful as celestials, but the Commandment¡¯s Restriction was also applied to Star Spirits.

    In other words, it meant that Star Spirits were ¡®Transcendents¡¯ like celestials.

    What Ohjin had done was cause a transcendent to use their true strength.

    ¡®Who knows? Maybe that kid will catch up to me soon.¡¯

    Ohjin was just growing at a speed that was that astonishing.

    ¡°Grrr!¡±

    Riak let out a vicious growl and lowered his body.

    ¡®¡ªHowever.¡¯

    Bzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Currents of blue lightning swept across the area.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you catch up to me that easily!!¡±

    Booom!!¡ª

    ¡ªExploding lightning.

    A silver light burning with blue mes sprinted across the sanctuary.

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    Riak appeared in front of Ohjin in the blink of an eye.

    A giant fist aiming for his head was swung.

    Ohjin held his spear at an angle to deflect the force behind the fist away, however¡­

    BOOOOM!!!¡ª

    ¡°Kuugh!!¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s body was sent back like a bullet due to the frightening force, and he mmed into the ceiling.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!¡ª

    His body fell down from the ceiling and bounced back up from the impact when he hit the floor.

    ¡°Fuck¡­ ing¡­ hell¡­!¡±

    Averting the force?

    Despite blocking the attack with all his strength, the remaining power behind the attack was enough to send his body flying like a rubber ball.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Vega¡¯s barrier, his body would¡¯ve already been smashed into a pulp.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    He zealously took a stance even while the insides of his head were shaking around.

    ¡®Focus.¡¯

    He used the stigma of Clepsydra once again and quickly reorganized his mana in the slowed world.

    Owoooong!¡ª

    Thick blue lightning coiled around his body as the dragon vein¡¯s mana flowed out.

    Bzzzzt!¡ª

    ¡ªCondensing lightning.

    ¡®Three times isn¡¯t enough.¡¯

    Not even five was close to enough.

    ¡®But more than that that will put too much stress on my body¡­¡¯

    Ohjin, who sat down for a moment, soon raised the edges of his lips.

    ¡°Since when did I care about things like that?¡±

    He was being protected by Vega¡¯s power inside the sanctuary anyway.

    It didn¡¯t matter if he overexerted himself.

    Bzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    A terrifying amount of lightning condensed in each of his hands.

    ¡°Arghhhhh!!¡±

    Crack! Crunch!¡ª

    The sound of crushing bones rang out from his mana-condensed hands, and intense pain ran through his body.

    ¡°Kuhaha!! Good! A true warrior does not worry about their body inbat!¡±

    Riak stared at Ohjin with eyes full of joy.

    Each time he saw Ohjin try to exceed his limit, something inside his chest wriggled.

    It was spurred on¡­

    The emotion of ¡®fighting spirit¡¯ that hadn¡¯t made the slightest movement for several hundred years.

    ¡°Come! Rookie!!!¡±

    ¡°Here Ie!!¡±

    Boooooom!!!¡ª

    Riak and Ohjin simultaneously rushed toward each other, their steps booming through the room.

    The moment the currents of blue lightning were going to sh¡ª

    [¡ªStop.]

    ¡ªVega snapped her fingers.

    With that light action, the intense currents of lightning disappeared like dust.

    ¡°L-Lady Vega?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    After suddenly losing their strength, Ohjin and Riak looked back at Vega with a confused expressions.

    [It¡¯s gotten too intense for a spar.]

    Vega sighed and stood between them.

    She red at Ohjin and ced her hand on her hip with a stern look.

    [How long has it been since your body has recovered for you to go and overexert yourself again?]

    ¡°Sorry. I guess I got a little excited.¡±

    Ohjin scratched his head andughed awkwardly.

    As she said, things had gotten a little too intense near the end.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    [Haa. You¡¯re so troublesome.]

    Vega sighed and gently touched Ohjin¡¯s cheek.

    [It¡¯s nice that you¡¯ve been staying in the sanctuarytely, but I think that you¡¯re straining yourself too much.]

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really feel right to do nothing while Ha-eun¡¯s working hard to get stronger.¡±

    It had been a week since they had gone to Paradise.

    Not wanting to live alone in his house without Ha-eun, he had just moved his amodations to the sanctuary.

    ¡®I¡¯m also nning to focus on training for the time being anyway.¡¯

    He had drawn too much attention by eliminating both the 6th and 7th ranking Executors of the ck Star Organization in a mere month. Though the death of Sosuke was naturally announced to be the feat of Sakaki to the public, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down.

    ¡®Staying in the sanctuary is the best way to avoid standing out to the Queen of Snakes.¡¯

    Ohjin nned to stay hidden in the sanctuary while focusing on training until the ck Star Organization¡¯s movements became distinct.

    There was no ce safer than the sanctuary, where Vega could use her full power.

    It was killing two birds with one stone as he just happened to need to get used to the new powers obtained from the ck Heaven¡¯s sixth awakening.

    ¡®There is also no better sparring opponent than Riak.¡¯

    Ohjin looked around to find something to sweep the sweat off his forehead.

    [Stay still.]

    Vega quietly flew over and put her hand on Ohjin¡¯s forehead.

    Bzzt, bzzzt!¡ª

    Small sparks instantly covered Ohjin, and in the blink of an eye, the droplets of sweat that drenched his body evaporated.

    ¡®Something like this is possible with lightning?¡¯

    Ohjin opened his mouth in shock.

    He couldn¡¯t even imagine how much meticulous control was needed to evaporate the sweat on the surface of his skin.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    [Here,ey down.]

    Vega sat on the floor and lightly patted herp.

    She told him toy down on herp every time he finished training to the point of exhaustion, but he couldn¡¯t help but hesitate each time.

    [Didn¡¯t I tell you toy down?]

    Seeing Ohjin hesitate, Vega spoke with a stern expression.

    He sighed like it couldn¡¯t be helped and ced his head on top of herp.

    [Fufu.]

    Vega smiled faintly as she patted Ohjin¡¯s head.

    [......]

    But suddenly, her expression stiffened as if she¡¯d remembered something.

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t see herplicated expression from his angle, as he wasid on herp, and Vega¡¯s hands stopped patting his head.

    "Vega?"

    When Ohjin tilted his head and was going to raise his it¡­

    "Hahaha!! Wow, the two of you really get along. Are you pampering him that much because he''s your only apostle?"

    A lively voice rang throughout the spacious sanctuary.

    Looking in the direction of where the young voice came from, Ohjin saw a young boy with dark blue hair.

    His outfit was so extravagant that it even looked bizarre.

    He wore six nes made with gems of different shapes and colors. On each of the boy''s fingers were two rings withrge jewels, which meant that he wore twenty rings.

    There was a reason the saying ''too much is as bad as too little¡¯ existed. No matter how expensive the jewels were, wearing them barbarically around his body was bound to make him look unsightly. However, the boy''s perfect looks as if a god had personally sculpted him erased even that unsightliness.

    [...Deneb?]

    The name flowed out of Vega''s eyes as she looked at the boy in surprise.

    He was the celestial of Cygnus, and one of three celestials known as a ''North Star''.

    T/N: The Cygnus Constetion symbolizes a Swan and the brightest star in it is Deneb like other celestials in their own constetions.

 Chapter 161: Celestial of Cygnus (2)

    <strong>Chapter 161: Celestial of Cygnus (2)</strong>

    "It''s been a while, Vega! Have you been doing well?"

    The boy was wearing clothing so extravagant that he looked bizarre.

    Deneb waved his hand at Vega with a bright smile.

    Behind Deneb, who was cheerfully waving his hand, was a young man who followed him like a shadow.

    The young man with the same dark blue hair as Deneb and a ponytail that reached his hips had a sword on his belt.

    ''That person is¡­''

    He was someone even Ohjin knew well.

    ¡ªOne of Deneb''s twelve apostles and a member of the ''Seven Stars''.

    The Sixth Star, Allen Orca.

    Born in the United Kingdom, his swordsmanship skills were so astonishing that he was better known for his title of ''Sword Saint'' rather than ''Sixth Star''.

    [What business do you have here?]

    Vega narrowed her eyes and stared at Deneb.

    Deneb smiled pleasantly and approached her.

    "What business? I came to see how my close friend is doing!"

    [Close friend, huh¡­? I don''t ever recall us building enough friendship to refer to each other so closely.]

    "Haha! Is that so? Well, I guess you hardly speak to any of us other than Spica.

    Deneb casually shrugged his shoulders.

    Soon, his eyes headed to Ohjin.

    "Wew, so you''re that famous Lightning Wolf. The first apostle of our¡­ oh so great~ Star of the Weaver Girl."

    He whistled and looked at Ohjin, who wasying on top of Vega''sp.

    "It''s nice to see that you two are close. It feels like I''m watching a mother with their child."

    "¡­"

    Ohjin got up in silence.

    They¡¯d just happened to take a visit when he was on Vega¡¯sp.

    Despite notmitting any sins, he felt awkward for no reason.

    [I believe I asked what business you have here.] Vega asked once again with a cold voice.

    Deneb exploded in humorousughter and replied.

    "Hey, don''t be so cold. I only came to see what kind of person your first apostle was like."

    [Then since you''ve finished your business, why don''t you go away now?]

    Vega requested for them to leave in a cold manner.

    "Don''t be like that. Isn''t it alright for us to stay a little longer? It''s not like I''m trying to harass you guys, right?"

    Deneb shamelessly shrugged after Vega''s cold request.

    Vega frowned in silence.

    "Hmm. So it¡¯s been a year since you''ve be the Star of the Weaver Girl''s apostle?"

    He crossed his arms and looked at Ohjin with interest.

    After thoroughly examining Ohjin, he leaked a chuckle.

    "You''ve grown a lot considering it''s only been one year. Well, naturally¡ª"

    He put on a distinct smirk of mockery.

    "¡ªit''s nothing worth mentioningpared to my child¡¯s growth."

    He boastfully put his arm on Allen¡¯s hip.

    The mockery wasn''t made without any grounds.

    ¡ªThe twelve apostles of Deneb¡­

    If you were to consider only their influence, they were the most exceptional Awakeners in the world.

    ''The most notable thing is that three of the Seven Stars are Deneb''s apostles.''

    ¡ªThe seven most powerful Awakeners in the world.

    A total of three of them were Awakeners that had Deneb''s stigma of Cygnus.

    If you were to think about how the remaining four each had different stigmas, it was certain that their influence was out of this world.

    ''I also heard that the remaining nine apostles are at least 7-Star Awakeners.''

    In addition, they weren''t Awakeners with normal stigmas, but Awakeners with the stigma of a ''North Star'' like Ohjin.

    It wasn''t hard to fathom how unreasonable the power contained in a North Star''s stigma was if you referred to the stigma of Lyra.

    [Oho. Are you trying to im that your children are more exceptional than mine?]

    "I''m not trying to im that. Isn''t my children being more exceptional just a fact?"

    Vega and Deneb¡¯s gazes shed.

    Rumbleeee!¡ª

    Simply releasing a tiny portion of their energy made the entire massive sanctuary tremble as if there was an earthquake.

    "Kugh¡­"

    ¡ªA battle of nerves between a North Star and a North Star.

    Ohjin¡¯s face distorted from the massive energy emitted from the two transcendents.

    ¡®Shit.¡¯

    The energy was so overwhelming that it made it hard to breathe properly.

    When he was feeling the crushing pressure on his body¡ª

    ¡°Deneb.¡±

    ¡ªa voice as cold as a winter blizzard rang out.

    Allen¡¯s dark blue hair wavered smoothly as he took a step forward.

    He gently ced his hand on Deneb''s shoulder as if the crushing force emitted from the transcendents was nothing.

    ¡°Calm down.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well, if my Allen says so.¡±

    Deneb smiled brightly and nodded his head.

    The energy pressing down on the area disappeared like melting snow.

    ¡°I apologize for the discourtesy, Goddess of Lyra.¡±

    Allen bowed his head with an elegance that made it seem like his movements were measured precisely by a ruler.

    The dark blue hair long enough to reach his hip dropped down and covered his handsome face that rivaled Lee Woohyuk¡¯s.

    [As long as you understand.]

    ¡°However¡­¡±

    He gently raised his head and gave her an ice-cold look.

    ¡°I hope Lady Vega understands that her actions against Deneb were also enough to be considered discourteous.¡±

    Allen strictly acknowledged their own wrongdoings but also criticized the other party¡¯s the same way.

    Not being able to hear the slightest emotion in his voice made him seem more like a machine.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Are you sure you aren¡¯t mistaken about the definition of ¡®discourteous¡¯?¡±

    [My child?]

    Ohjin took a step forward.

    He couldn¡¯t sit still while Vega was getting reprimanded in front of his eyes.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°This ce is Lady Vega¡¯s sanctuary. The same couldn¡¯t be said if this meeting took ce anywhere else, but isn¡¯t asking unwanted guests to leave a natural right for the owner to hold?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Allen slurred the end of his sentence.

    Deneb cackled out as he stuck out his tongue.

    ¡°This ce is Vega¡¯s sanctuary?¡±

    He spun around and continued.

    ¡°I wonder¡­ How much longer will this ce remain as Vega¡¯s sanctuary?¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    Ohjin furrowed his brow.

    ¡®How much longer will it remain as Vega¡¯s sanctuary? It¡¯s not like the sanctuary is on a lease, can the owner even change?¡¯

    Ohjin looked at Vega with questioning eyes.

    [¡­]

    Vega was staring at Deneb with her mouth shut tight.

    ¡°Vega, you¡¯re also aware, aren¡¯t you?

    [¡­That mouth of yours is as flippant as always.]

    ¡®Huh? Is it actually on a lease?¡¯

    ¡°Vega, what does he mean?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Vega recently receive the Commandment¡¯s Restriction?¡±

    Deneb hummed and continued like it was a delightful subject.

    "Celestials that receive the Commandment¡¯s Restriction lose some of their ''divinity''. Even more so if that celestial merely has one apostle, giving them few methods to protect their ''divinity''."

    The edges of his lips crept up.

    Ohjin frowned.

    He also knew well what ''divinity'' meant amongst celestials.

    ''Celestials aren''t all the same rank.''

    The three celestials possessing the most divinity were the North Stars.

    Beneath the North Stars were the 12 Zodiacs, and under them existed even lower-rank celestials.

    Even the sanctuary''s location was decided ording to the celestial''s ''divinity''.

    Celestials that owned a sanctuary below had that little divinity, and those who owned a sanctuary up high possessed more.

    ''The way celestials can increase their divinity is by¡­''

    Granting a stigma to a human capable of handling it and growing their power and influence.

    As an analogy, it was simr to an orchard.

    They selected humans and nted ''seeds'' called stigmas in and appropriate for growing trees.

    That seed would grow up to be a tree, and the celestial''s divinity would grow ordingly.

    There was only one tree in Vega¡¯s orchard.

    It was growing at an astonishing rate, but it couldn''t help but miserably fall behind celestials that had much higher numbers.

    "Isn''t the North Stars, 12 Zodiacs, or whatever, nothing but a rank that was decided before the Awakeners appeared?"

    Denebughed joyfully and continued.

    "Since times have changed, I think it''s about time for the outdated rankings to change as well."

    [¡­What is it that you wish to say?]

    "Vega, why don''t you step down from the ''North Stars'' now? Haha! The 13 Zodiacs! It sounds perfect!"

    Deneb pped his hands andughed while Vega coldly stared at him.

    ''What nonsense is that?''

    Ohjin¡¯s expression distorted on its own.

    Demoting Vega from the North Stars and putting her with the 12 Zodiacs?

    [Don¡¯t speak nonsense. I still have the divinity to maintain my rank as a North Star.]

    "Is that so? To my understanding, you''re walking on thin ice."

    Deneb smiled slyly.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    "Then let''s do this, Vega. How about a bet with me?"

    [A bet?]

    "Yeah. If you win the bet, I''ll give you some of my divinity and prevent you from demoting a rank."

    [¡­]

    Vega narrowed her eyes with her mouth shut tight.

    [What kind of bet?]

    "There''s only one kind of bet amongst celestials, isn''t there?"

    He cackled out and slowly moved his gaze to Ohjin.

    "I''m saying that our apostles should have a go at each other."

    [Impossible.]

    Vega shook her head like the offer wasn''t even worth considering.

    It was true that Ohjin was growing at an astonishing speed, but he was still far from being able to face Deneb''s twelve apostles.

    "Hey, I naturally have no intentions of matching him up with Allen. I''m saying he should face my younger apostles."

    Though he called them ''younger'', they were still Deneb''s twelve apostles.

    Even the apostle with the lowest rank amongst Deneb''s apostles was like Ohjin, a 7-Star Awakener.

    "Or are you perhaps afraid? Afraid that the only apostle of the great Star of the Weaver Girl will get miserably broken by my children."

    [Shut your mouth!]

    "Wait, Vega."

    Ohjin stopped Vega, who was on the verge of releasing her energy, and stepped forward.

    "Could you exin that bet to me in detail?"

    [M-My child!]

    "Hmm. You''re a bit interesting, unlike your scaredy-cat goddess."

    Deneb smirked and continued.

    "Well, the rules are simple. You win if you beat three of my children in a one versus one."

    Three people in a one-versus-one?

    [How petty, Deneb!]

    "I''m not being petty. Vega, isn''t the reason you weren''t able to make many apostles because you couldn''t find humans that could handle it?"

    Deneb shrugged with a cunning look.

    "An apostle''s skill is important, but as numbers are an equally important factor that makes up ''divinity'', I can''t allow it to end with a single one-versus-one. Truth be told, only having to beat three apostles is already me cutting you a lot of ck."

    He wasn''t wrong.

    You couldn''t say that the enemy was petty for having ten times the number of soldiers in a war.

    ''Giving a part of his divinity to Vega if we win the bet, huh¡­?''

    Ohjin¡¯s gaze headed to Vega.

    She¡¯d said that she still had enough to maintain her rank as a North Star, but based on the fact that she couldn''t refute Deneb properly, it appeared certain that there wasn''t much leeway.

    In the first ce, the reason her divinity decreased was because she¡¯d used her power in the fight with Cheon Doyoon.

    ''It''s partially my responsibility.''

    In that case, returning Vega¡¯s diminished divinity was also his role.

    ''And¡­''

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    He looked at the gems that Deneb wore all around his body.

    They weren¡¯t luxury goods that had no worth besides being shiny like diamonds and sapphires¡­

    Every single one of them was a starstone of the highest quality.

    ''There''s probably no being in existence that possesses as many expensive star relics and starstones as Deneb.''

    A whopping three of his twelve apostles were members of the Seven Stars.

    The start and end of Deneb''s wealth were probably immeasurable.

    ''If so¡­''

    The edge of Ohjin''s lips tilted up.

    "Then let''s do it this way: you will give the promised divinity if I defeat ''three'' of your apostles."

    "Hehe! This is what I''m talking about!!"

    Deneb pped his hands out of joy.

    [Didn¡¯t I say that it''s impossible?!]

    "It''s alright, Vega."

    Ohjin stared at Deneb while Vega tried to hold him back, her expression pale.

    "However, I would like to request for the duels to take ce a month from now."

    "Hmm. Do you believe something will change in a mere month?"

    Deneb mocked him and nodded his head.

    "Alright. I can grant you that much."

    "Thank you."

    "But should you really ept the bet without knowing what you''ll have to do when you lose? Who knows what I''ll request?" Deneb asked with a humorous expression.

    "Ah, there''s no need to inform us."

    "¡­Why?"

    Ohjin looked at the celestial of Cygnus and smirked.

    "Because I''ll win."

    "¡­"

    Deneb''s jolly expression gradually distorted.

 Chapter 162: Celestial of Cygnus (3)

    <strong>Chapter 162: Celestial of Cygnus (3)</strong>

    "Ehh?"

    Different from before, Deneb''s voice was settled and low.

    His eyes which were the same color as his dark blue hair looked at Ohjin.

    "There''s no need for me to inform you since you''re going to win anyway?"

    Grit¡ª

    He fiercely ground his teeth as he stared at Ohjin.

    "Words fitting the apostle of ''that'' celestial."

    It had always been the same for as long as he could remember.

    Despite having the same title of ''North Star'', Deneb was always mocked and ridiculed for not being able to hold a candle to Vega and Pris.

    However, the situation had changed.

    For unknown reasons, Pris had gone into long seclusion after giving their ''prophecy'', and Vega had wasted several years, as she had been unable to find a person fit to receive the stigma of Lyra.

    During that time, Deneb had found talented individuals that were the fittest to develop the stigma of Cygnus and had made twelve apostles.

    Needless to say, it was an incredibly small number of apostlespared to other celestials, but because each and every one of them showed growth with exceptional talent, his divinity had risenpared to the past.

    ''Now¡­ I''m a real North Star.''

    Deneb stared at Vega with fierce eyes.

    He remembered how he was mocked by other celestials about how only Pris and Vega were the real North Stars for many thousands of years.

    The deep sense of inferiority had developed into hatred and settled in his mind.

    "We''ll see."

    Deneb looked back at Vega and Ohjin as he chewed his lips.

    "I''ll make you all regret it!!" Deneb shouted, but due to his appearance as a young boy, it looked cute rather than scary.

    Was it kind of like looking at a hamster that was squeaking while baring its teeth?

    "Stop it, Deneb. You''re making me embarrassed."

    "Hgwak?!"

    Deneb growled and looked like he was on the verge of attacking, but Allen sighed deeply and grabbed him by the back of his neck.

    Deneb hung in the air, as Allen was much taller than him.

    It was reminiscent of how Ha-eun yed around with Vega when she was in her small form.

    "Let me down! Let me down, Allen!!"

    "If you promise to behave yourself."

    "Eek! B-But didn''t you hear what that bastard said?! He said that he could beat my precious children without a thought!"

    "Yeah, yeah. I heard it all."

    Allen lightly patted Deneb''s back like he was soothing a crying child.

    Deneb''s face heated up.

    "S-Stop!"

    Deneb¡¯s eyes started to glisten with tears.

    "I''ll lose face as a North Star¡­"

    "Don''t worry."

    A faint smile was put on the face that felt as emotionless as a machine.

    "Even if you don¡¯t save face, Deneb, you are the greatest celestial."

    "¡­Allen."

    Deneb sniffed and looked up at Allen.

    Ohjin held in hisughter as he looked at the two of them.

    ''It''s different from how I imagined him.''

    He thought that he simply looked young on the outside, but Deneb''s attitude was actually no different from a child¡¯s.

    A deep sigh came out of Vega as Ohjin looked her way.

    [Fuu. You seriously do not change no matter how much time passes by.]

    "What, you got anyints?"

    Deneb red daggers at Vega.

    Vega shook her head and pped her hand as if chasing away a fly.

    [Nevermind. If you''re done talking, take your leave.]

    "Hmpf! You better be prepared to get humiliated in a month!"

    He ground his teeth and faced the other direction.

    With Deneb behind him, Allen sent Ohjin a cold look.

    "Your confidence is impressive."

    "It''s better than whining about losing when we haven''t even fought."

    "That is correct, however¡­"

    Sharp killing intent made his skin feel like it was frozen.

    "I hope you can differentiate courage and temerity."

    "We''ll know if it''s courage or temerity once we see the results."

    "If you make light of Deneb''s apostles¡­ you''lle to regret it."

    After sending him his final warning, Allen turned around and followed Deneb.

    Once Deneb and Allen exited the sanctuary¡ª

    [Why did you ept that unreasonable bet?!]

    ¡ªVega shouted and pulled tight on Ohjin¡¯s arm.

    [Aren''t you already well aware of how powerful Deneb''s apostles are?]

    "It''s not like I''m fighting Allen or another one of the Seven Stars."

    [But still!]

    Vega nervously chewed her lip.

    Ohjin knew well what Vega was trying to tell him.

    ''My chances of winning aren''t that high on paper.''

    It wasn''t a fight with normal Awakeners, but a fight between the apostles of a North Star.

    There was obviously a difference from when he¡¯d easily overwhelmed Awakeners with a higher star rank than him.

    Not only that, it would only be his victory if he beat not one, but three of Deneb''s apostles.

    Vega shouting with a nervous expression was a given.

    However¡­

    ''There''s something that Vega and Deneb both don''t know.''

    ¡ªThe fact that he owned the ck Heaven.

    As you would expect, he didn''t have insane thoughts of using Heaven Unfolding in the middle of a duel with Vega and Deneb spectating.

    But even without it, he had the mana of the dragon vein and an incrediblyrge amount of mana he had absorbed until then.

    Mana was basic stamina if you were to use martial arts as an analogy.

    Simply having a lot of stamina didn''t mean that you would win the fight, but it was definitely an advantage that could be used.

    Moreover¡­

    "Aren''t youcking divinity? Then we''ll have to get it by fighting."

    The match wasn''t something that could have been avoided in the first ce.

    Deneb''s divinity was needed to recover Vega¡¯s.

    [Th-That''s not something you should worry about!]

    "Then who will?"

    [There''s no need for you to worry about it, as I''ll deal with the matters rted to divinity on my own.]

    "Your expression looked pretty dark for something that requires no attention."

    [That''s¡­]

    Vega¡¯s golden eyes quivered.

    It was most likely that she was trying to think of an excuse.

    "Vega, didn''t you resolve yourself to protect me even if it meant perishing?"

    [¡­That''s something I should naturally have done as your celestial.]

    "In that case, this is also something I should naturally do."

    If a celestial protecting their own apostle was their duty, then it was also his duty as an apostle to protect his celestial.

    [My child¡­]

    Vega slurred the end of her sentence and gently looked at Ohjin.

    The sound of her beating heart rang out in her ears.

    In case he might hear the sound, she carefully ced her hand on her chest and calmed down her heart.

    ''Since when did I start to act this way¡­?''

    Since when did his every word cause her heart to palpitate?

    Since when did she start to smile when he smiled?

    Since when did she start to cry when he cried?

    Since when¡­ did his figure start to never leave her mind?

    [¡­]

    It was simply surprising to her at first¡­

    The fact that she¡¯d found a person who could handle her stigma after several years of searching in vain, and the fact that he was also the ''Heaven-defying Star'' that could change destiny.

    After that, she felt proud.

    The way he grew at an astonishing speed¡­

    The way he struggled intensely in order to change destiny¡­

    Her chest fluttered as if she was looking at her real child grow.

    And then¡­

    [Fuu.]

    The story of a ''Destined Person'' she¡¯d heard from Spica.

    Those words messed with the insides of her head.

    Vega looked at Ohjin withplicated feelings.

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    She sighed shortly and changed the subject.

    [So what are you going to do to prepare during the month remaining before the match?]

    The amount of time left before the match with Deneb''s apostles was one month.

    There was only one reason why he¡¯d asked them to give him a month:

    "Well, I''m nning to do some simple training."

    He had yet to getpletely used to the increased mana of the dragon vein and the strengthened stigma of Lyra after the ck Heaven¡¯s sixth awakening.

    ''Even if we fight, it needs to be after I''ve gottenpletely ustomed to those.''

    One more thing¡­

    Bzzzzzzt!¡ª

    Ohjin changed the blue sparks on his hands into the shape of a dragon.

    Meticulous details were disyed on the dragon as if it was made using a 3D printer.

    As he concentrated, the shape of a dragon gradually changed to Ha-eun''s face.

    ''So this really works.''

    It was the meticulous control of mana he learned in the process of making Adam''s Apple. With his increased control, he could change lightning into various shapes and forms like Vega did in the past.

    ''I''ll need to find things that can utilize this.''

    There were unlimited ways to use it in battle with his precise mana control.

    [When did you learn to do that?]

    Vega looked at the lightning that was freely changing shapes on top of Ohjin¡¯s hand with eyes opened wide like a rabbit''s.

    Instead of answering, Ohjin changed the lightning''s shape into Vega.

    [Truly¡­ you surprise me every time I see you.]

    If you were to only consider the ability to control mana meticulously, it seemed that he had already exceeded Riak¡¯s skill.

    "Things like this became possible after learning how to control it well."

    Ohjin moved the lightning that was in the form of Vega and made it jump up and down on the spot.

    [Ahh. Wh-What are you doing!]

    The lightning Vega stopped jumping and suddenly performed a windmill as she started to break dance.

    [Do not y around with thisdy!!]

    Vega¡¯s face reddened while she lightly flicked Ohjin¡¯s forehead.

    Ohjin erased the Vega he had created on his hands and chuckled.

    "Sorry. Don''t be so upset."

    [¡­It seems there''s a need to grow your respect regarding celestials.]

    Vega crossed her arms and flicked her head away while puffing air out her nose.

    Ohjin soothed her and looked at Riak.

    "In regards to that, could you help me do some intense training throughout the month?"

    "Your arrogance pierces the heavens, kid."

    Riak chuckled, but soon after, he smirked and emitted a fierce fighting spirit.

    Crunch!¡ª

    Riak turned into his werewolf form instantly and provoked Ohjin by moving his index finger up and down.

    "Let''s start right away, as there isn''t much time. Instead¡­"

    Riak nced at Vega and continued.

    "If you dare to lose to that bastard''s apostles after my help, I won¡¯t leave you in one piece.¡±

    ¡°I already told you¡­ I¡¯m going to win.¡±

    Bzzzt!¡ª

    Blue lightning wrapped around Ohjin.

    * * *

    Like that, a month passed since the earth-shaking noise echoed out endlessly in the Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s sanctuary.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Ohjin cleaned his body in a pond near the sanctuary and dried his wet hair with a towel.

    ¡°Is it today?¡±

    A month passed before he knew it while he¡¯d trained like crazy.

    The amount of time could be considered short, but the results weren¡¯t all that bad.

    ¡®I¡¯ve certainly be more used to handling my powers.¡¯

    He could proficiently use his powers that were enhanced with the ck Heaven¡¯s sixth awakening.

    Not only had he gotten better at using the ck Heaven''s powers, but he had also gotten better with the stigma of Lyra.

    ¡®Alright.¡¯

    Ohjin put on a satisfactory smile and turned his body around to face the clothes he had left to dry near the pond.

    At that moment¡ª

    [My child! It¡¯s about time to leave!]

    ¡ªVega¡¯s silver dress wavered as she ran out of the sanctuary.

    Ohjin¡¯s naked body entered her sight.

    [G-Gasp!!]

    Vega quickly raised her hands to cover her eyes.

    [I-I¡¯m sorry!]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    [I wasn¡¯t trying to look intentionally!]

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    [I promise!]

    Despite what she said, her eyes could be seen between the gaps in her fingers.

    [It¡­ It is impressive.]

    ¡®What is¡­?¡¯

    [Random Ha-eun Illustration]

 Chapter 163: Next (1)

    Chapter 163: Next (1)

    Ohjin moved to the promised location with Vega and Riak.

    Following the long road made of starlight, they could see an incredibly wide za the size of four to five ser fieldsbined.

    "So there was a ce like this in the sanctum."

    It wasn''t even on the map at the sanctum¡¯s entrance.

    The scene of the spacious za looked like it was taken straight out of Greek mythology and overwhelmed Ohjin.

    Just because it was a za didn''t mean that there were stores selling various items or merchants wandering around.

    There were statues that looked extremely realistic lined up on the wide road, and there was a circr building at the end that looked like a colosseum.

    [Humans are essentially not allowed to enter this ce.]

    "Then do celestials meet up here?"

    [Hmm. Not quite. There is another separate location celestials mainly use to gather.]

    "Hmm."

    ''Then what is this ce used for?''

    Riak opened his mouth as Ohjin looked around with curiosity.

    "This ce is mainly used for when star spirits or celestials want to duel against each other"

    "Celestials dueling against each other?"

    Ohjin looked back at Riak with a surprised expression.

    Celestials weren''t some hooligans, but surprisingly, they measured their strength in singlebat.

    "Disputes amongst celestials aremon urrences, after all."

    Well, even if they were celestials, their mentality wasn''t all that different from a human¡¯s.

    For example, even recently, there was friction between Deneb and Vega when they were supposedly grand beings called ''North Stars''.

    Even so, Ohjin couldn''t have imagined that transcendents like celestials would solve their disputes by duking it out.

    "Eh, excluding celestials with low divinity, there are historically only a few cases of celestials fighting each other directly."

    "Then¡­?"

    "They normally use proxy matches. Each sends out a star spirit that has received a part of their soul to determine the victor."

    "Oho."

    ''So that''s why such an arena was made.''

    As an analogy, celestials were like nobles in the medieval era. It was simr to how nobles would conduct proxy matches using their knights to solve disputes amongst each other.

    "Then I guess you could also call my fight with Deneb''s apostles a proxy match."

    "That''s correct."

    It was quite an interesting fact.

    Celestials solving disputes in the form of something called proxy matches¡­

    ''I never knew that celestials fought amongst themselves this much.''

    Humans imagined celestials to be gods like Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades from Greek mythology. They thought that they normallyughed all day long in their peaceful sanctuaries. Never would they have imagined that they fought behind the scenes.

    ''I guess disputes amongst Greek gods were also quitemon when I think about it now.''

    Whether it was gods or humans, disputes were bound to happen when intellectuals gathered in one location.

    "Looks like I won''t have to worry about the arena breaking during the fight if celestials fought there."

    "To be urate, even if it were broken, it would recover instantly."

    "Like when we fight in Vega''s Sacred Ground?"

    Riak nodded his head.

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    When they were chatting and headed to the arena¡ª

    Murmur, murmur¡ª

    ¡ªthey could hear amotioning from it.

    [Hm¡­?]

    Vega narrowed her eyes.

    Even if all of Deneb''s twelve apostles were standing by in the arena, themotion was too loud.

    [What''s going on?]

    As Vega neared the arena''s entrance¡ª

    "Big sis Vega!! Over here!"

    ¡ªa clear voice came from within the arena.

    "Big sis?"

    Ohjin turned his head to face where the voice came from.

    A woman with curly pink hair was quickly running to them from the building''s entrance.

    The woman emitted fresh and clean energy like a newly-budded sprout.

    [S-Spica?]

    "Long time no see! Has it been a year already? I was worried because you never contacted me after getting an apostle!"

    The woman named Spica approached Vega with a sad smile.

    ''Spica?''

    It was a name he had heard before.

    Ohjin rummaged through his memories and was able to recall the owner of that name without much difficulty.

    ''She''s the celestial of Virgo.''

    It meant that the lively woman who gave off the aura of a university freshman was actually a celestial of one of the 12 Zodiacs.

    [What are you doing here?]

    Vega looked at Spica like she couldn¡¯t understand.

    Instead of answering, she tilted her head at Vega¡¯s question.

    "What am I doing here? I was selected to be the host of the proxy match."

    [¡­Host?]

    "Huh, you haven''t heard? It''s been a month since rumors spread about your proxy match with Deneb''s apostles."

    [Wh-What?]

    Vega¡¯s mouth fell open.

    She had never told any other celestial that there was a duel between Ohjin and Deneb''s apostles.

    The fact that rumors were going around when she never said a word could only mean¡­

    [Deneb, you dare¡­!]

    Vega clenched her fists as her expression heavily distorted.

    "Huh, you''ve only just arrived. You''re a bitte."

    A boy''s humorous voice came from the arena''s upper section.

    Deneb stood atop the wall¡¯s that were as high as a castle¡¯s.

    Vega red daggers at Deneb and shouted out.

    [Exin!]

    "Exin? Wouldn''t it be a waste to have no spectators for a duel amongst North Stars¡¯ apostles?"

    Deneb crossed his arms and smirked.

    Even though he spoke of it that way, it was easy to notice his true intentions.

    ''So he wants to humiliate Vega in front of the other celestials.''

    ¡ªThe apostle the Star of the Weaver Girl obtained through several years of effort¡­

    Deneb was trying to boast to other celestials by showing how Ohjin would lose miserably to his apostles.

    ''His thought process really is like a little child¡¯s.''

    Ohjin let out a smirk.

    It seemed that Vega was surprised, as she hadn¡¯t expected Deneb to go so far, but¡­

    ''It''s just as I thought.''

    As long as Deneb''s goal was to humiliate Vega, Ohjin knew he would try to do something underhanded.

    [¡­Deneb. No matter how shameless you are, I didn''t think you''d fall so low.]

    Cold killing intent started to leak out of Vega.

    She grabbed Ohjin¡¯s hand and turned around.

    [Let''s pretend like the bet never happened.]

    "Hmm. Are you running away? The great Star of the Weaver Girl?"

    [Think of it as you will,] Vega answered coldly and faced away.

    If the match was only about herself and Deneb, even if Ohjin lost, the matter would end with her having to endure a certain amount of disgrace.

    However, with other celestials getting involved, both Vega and Ohjin would have to receive mockery.

    ''I cannot permit such a thing.''

    Ohjin was the Heaven-defying Star. A hero born with the destiny to save the world.

    When it was time for him to lead the charge against the uing doom, the frame of being a ''loser'' would leave others with a negative image of him.

    "Is it really okay for you to run? There are hundreds of celestials in the stands awaiting your arrival."

    [¡­]

    "I think the humiliation of defeat will be much better than running away."

    [¡­You bastard.]

    Vega chewed her lips with a nervous expression.

    As Deneb said, the results wouldn''t be all that different even if Vega took Ohjin away with her.

    All that would change was the title of ''loser'' turning into ''coward''.

    "It''s okay."

    [B-But!]

    "Didn''t I tell you? I''m going to win."

    [¡­]

    Vega shut her lips tight.

    Naturally, she trusted Ohjin¡¯s talent and abilities, but he was a sprout that had only awakened a year prior.

    ''Even if my child is a Regressor, having to face not one, but three of Deneb''s apostles is¡­''

    You couldn''t solve an absolute shortage of time through ''Regression''.

    Even if you were to remake an ount on an RPG game you enjoyed, no matter how profound your knowledge of that game was, it didn''t mean that you could achieve a high level right away.

    "Hmpf. If you''re that confident, don''t run away and hurry up inside."

    Deneb looked down from the top of the walls and beckoned Ohjin with his fingers.

    [¡­Sigh.]

    Vega sighed deeply and turned her body back around to face the arena.

    "Um¡­ it seems that there''s something going on."

    Spica scratched her cheek with an awkward look.

    But soon after, her eyes sparkled as she looked at Ohjin.

    "He''s that famous Lightning Wolf, right? I''ve heard stories about him a couple of times from my apostles, but it''s my first time seeing him like this!"

    "Hello, I''m Gwon Ohjin."

    "Yeah, yeah! I''ve heard! You''re a lot more handsome than I thought."

    Spica''s eyes shone as she approached Ohjin, but Vega quietly stepped in and stopped her.

    [Don¡¯t you already have an Awakener that you im to be your ''destined person''?]

    "Hm? Oh, my¡­"

    Spica''s eyes opened wide, and she alternated looking between Vega and Ohjin.

    "N-No way, Vega¡­?"

    [It¡¯s not the kind of rtionship you''re imagining.]

    "Kyaa! No way! Are you really that stone-cold big sister?!"

    [Didn¡¯t I say that that isn''t it?!]

    Vega blocked Spica''s both with panic.

    ''Destined person?''

    Ohjin tilted his head while looking at the two of them.

    After barely escaping from Vega¡¯s hands, Spica had a thick smile on her face.

    "Sorry, sorry. I was surprised since it''s something I could''ve never imagined.

    [A-Ahem.]

    "Hmm. So big sis Vega got that kind of apostle, huh¡­"

    Spica nodded her head like it was interesting.

    She lightly tapped Ohjin¡¯s shoulder and smiled.

    "I''ll leave her in your care~! She isn''t the best at expressing emotion, but that''s also one of her cute charms."

    [Be quiet.]

    "Hehehe."

    Ohjin was surprised by how close they were.

    ''I didn''t think that Vega had a celestial she was this close with.''

    It was something Ohjin never thought of, as Vega spoke of other celestials very rarely until then.

    "I can''t be on anyone''s side since I''m the host, but I''ll still be rooting for you in my heart!"

    Spica, who had appeared like a storm, sprinted back into the arena.

    [Haa. Seriously¡­ why are there only beings that have no dignity as celestials.]

    Vega sighed deeply and faced Ohjin.

    [Ahem. Anyways, pay no heed to the words ''destined person'' mentioned by Spica just now.]

    "It''s bothering me quite a lot."

    [Didn¡¯t I tell you to pay it no heed?!]

    "Haha. Alright, alright."

    Heughed and went with Vega into where the match would take ce.

    There was an arena exceeding 100 square meters surrounded by grandstands inside of the circr structure that looked like a colosseum.

    Murmur, murmur¡ª

    The spectators that were seated in advance started to make amotion with Ohjin¡¯s appearance.

    He could hear mutters such as, ''So he''s that apostle of Vega,'' and ''Looks like he''ll get put in his ce today.''

    Ohjin leaked a chuckle while looking at the celestials filling the stands.

    ''Looks like everyone has nothing to do.''

    Well, there wasn¡¯t much that a celestial could do inside the sanctum.

    As they had their freedom taken away by the Commandment¡¯s Restriction, there was probably nothing more entertaining than ''proxy matches''.

    ''Even more so if that proxy match is a fight between the apostles of North Stars.''

    Ohjin entered the arena while receiving the attention of hundreds of celestials.

    "Thank you all for gathering in this spot here today!!!" Deneb shouted out while he got up from his high spot with the greatest view of the arena.

    He spread his arms out as he looked around at the celestials that filled the stands.

    "I''m sure everyone knows that Vega was recently able to finally find an apostle!"

    Deneb smirked and looked at Ohjin.

    "I''m sure all of you have been curious as to what kind of person Vega¡¯s apostle is. You''ll be able to confirm it today on this spot."

    He raised his hands up high.

    "Now, everyone, please enjoy the show!"

    Snap!¡ª

    With the snapping of his fingers, a huge hologram appeared high up in the middle of the colosseum.

    The hologram disyed a close-up of Vega¡¯s stiff expression

    "The show of Vega''s hope getting crushed!!!"

    Deneb''s clearughter rang out in the arena.

 Chapter 164: Next (2)

    <strong>Chapter 164: Next (2)</strong>

    A huge hologram floated over the arena.

    The Vega disyed on the hologram nced past the celestials in the stands and sent a cold re at Deneb.

    Ohjin followed Vega''s gaze and looked to the ce where Deneb was seated.

    ''Are those Deneb''s apostles?''

    Behind Deneb, who was seated in an extravagant chair, were a total of ten females and males standing in a line.

    The two people amongst Deneb''s twelve apostles who didn''t show up were those who were a part of the ''Seven Stars'' like Allen Oscal.

    ''Well, I guess there''s no need for all of them to gather.''

    The match was based on defeating three of Deneb''s twelve apostles. As Deneb already stated that he wouldn¡¯t send out apostles belonging to the ''Seven Stars'' like Allen, there was no reason for them to attend.

    ''Let''s see¡­''

    Ohjin activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and observed each and every one of the Awakeners lined up behind Deneb.

    They certainly weren''t Awakeners that had received the stigma of a North Star for no reason. The thick smell of mana emitting from Deneb''s apostles was so strong that it stung his nose.

    "Is he the Lightning Wolf?"

    "Considering he''s the Star of the Weaver Girl''s apostle, he doesn¡¯t look like much."

    "Right? The energy he emits is also pretty normal."

    While Ohjin observed them, Deneb''s apostles were also observing Ohjin. and their eyes shone with interest. They put on expressions of disappointment, as there wasn''t anything about Ohjin that seemed special.

    "Well, I heard that it''s only been one year since he awakened."

    "But does bing a 7-Star Awakener in one year make sense? What if he''s actually not a 7-Star and lying?"

    "We''ll know once we face him."

    Deneb''s apostles observed Ohjin from head to toe while they chatted.

    "Quiet."

    "Ah."

    Deneb''s apostles flinched once Allen Oscal''s ice-cold voice left his mouth.

    "The match is going to start soon. Everyone should focus so that you do not damage Sir Deneb''s reputation."

    "Yes."

    Deneb''s apostles shut their mouths ording to Allen¡¯s orders and started to focus on controlling their mana.

    When the unnoticed battle of nerves was happening between Deneb''s apostles and Ohjin¡ª

    [Ah, ah. Can everyone hear me?]

    ¡ªa voice that rang out in everyone¡¯s head directly got everyone¡¯s attention.

    It was the voice of Spica, the celestial of Virgo that Ohjin had met at the entrance.

    After floating up into the air and flying ap around the arena, she ced a circr marble near her mouth and shouted out with her unique, clear voice.

    [Hello, everybody! My name is Spica, and I have been entrusted with the role of being today''s host~!]

    Her frivolous manner of speaking made it hard to believe that she was a celestial of one of the 12 Zodiacs, but even that frivolity looked cute while she hopped around the air with her wavering pink hair.

    [Today''s proxy match is between Lady Vega and Sir Deneb! It''s no less than a match between the apostles of a North Star!]

    Cheers erupted from the crowd following her lively voice.

    ¡ªA match between the apostles North Stars.

    There was no celestial that wasn''t excited to see the unprecedented match.

    [The rules are simple! Lady Vega¡¯s apostle will be deemed victorious if he defeats three of Deneb''s twelve apostles!]

    "Three?"

    "Hm¡­ isn''t that a bit much when one of them is already hard enough?"

    The celestials started to make amotion once they heard the rules. They had all heard about the rapid growth of Vega''s apostle, the Lightning Wolf, but the public opinion was that he still couldn''t match up to Deneb''s twelve apostles.

    Despite that, he had to take down not one but three of them consecutively.

    The condition felt brutal.

    [Regarding the rules¡­ it was set up this way because Vega only has one apostle!]

    "Hmm. Well¡­ I guess the number of apostles is also important."

    "But still, aren''t three too many?"

    Everyone slowly nodded their heads as if they weren¡¯tpletely convinced but understood to an extent.

    You couldn''t outright say that it was unfair because the number of apostles was also an important factor that made up divinity.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    [Well then! May both celestialse forward before we start the proxy match!]

    Deneb jumped off his seat andnded on the ground while Vega walked to the middle of the arena as her silver dress fluttered.

    [Vow on thine names that thou shall carry out the match with integrity and yield to whatever the result may be.]

    As if her frivolous attitude until then was all an act, Spica looked at the two of them with a serious expression.

    [I vow it.]

    "I vow it."

    Owooong!¡ª

    Blue light poured out Vega and Deneb''s bodies and started to intertwine.

    [Both of you do understand that you have to put your feelings behind you after the end of this proxy match, correct?]

    Vega and Deneb nodded their heads.

    Spica smiled brightly and flew up into the air.

    [Now, shall we get things started right away? First off, the blue corner! Lady Vega¡¯s one and only apostle! The Awakener who is famous for his name of Lightning Wolf! It''s Awakener Gwon Ohjin!]

    p, p, p, p, p!!!¡ª

    Ohjin went up onto the stage with a big apuse.

    The eyes of the celestials that filled up the stands focused on Ohjin.

    ¡ªThe Lightning Wolf.

    They looked at him with excitement like they were looking forward to what kind of show the Star of the Weaver Girl''s only apostle would put on.

    [Next, on the red corner! The youngest of Deneb''s twelve apostles! It''s L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o, an Awakener known for his title of ''Silver de''!]

    The young man with snow-white skin lightly kicked off the railing andnded elegantly like a fluttering swan.

    "Hm."

    After stepping onto the stage, L¨ªu Y¨« H¨¢o red at Ohjin with cold eyes.

    "I heard that Young Warrior is a 7-Star Awakener. Is this true?"

    "Yeah. I achieved it around one or two months ago."

    Ohjin slightly nodded his head.

    An exmation left L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o''s mouth after hearing his response.

    "One to two months ago¡­ it truly is a speed that''s hard to believe."

    It had been around a year since the news of Vega obtaining an apostle spread around, but Ohjin already managed to be a 7-Star Awakener.

    Naturally, Ohjin would''ve been granted a much more dense stigma than L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o had, as he was Vega''s only apostle, but even when taking that into ount, his achievement was no less than marvelous.

    However¡ª

    "You do know that all 7-Stars aren''t the same, correct?"

    ¡ªthere was bound to be a difference between the two of them, as it had already been ages since L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o became a 7-Star Awakener.

    Even more so if the stigmas they owned were both of a ''North Star''.

    "Of course I do."

    Ohjin smirked while nodding.

    L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o grinned after seeing Ohjin''s nonchnt attitude with not a speck of nervousness in sight.

    "It seems that you''ve let the victories against Awakeners with second-rate stigmas get to your head."

    He nodded his head like he understood.

    "I was also like that at first. I was filled with conceit and vanity when I saw Awakeners with a higher star rank than me get defeated easily."

    L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o looked up to the sky with eyes that seemed to be reminiscing on the past.

    "However¡­"

    Exhaling a deep breath, he shook his head.

    "I realized that there was another sky above the one I knew."

    "Are you a liberal arts major?"

    "...What does that mean?"

    "Nevermind. Continue where you left off."

    Feeling unpleasant after getting cut off, L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o continued with a frown.

    "I realized it when I met Great Warrior Allen. The ones I faced until then¡­ were nothing but fakes."

    ¡ªArrogance that couldn''t help but develop as a North Star''s apostle.

    The marvelous sword strike Allen had disyed to L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o had blown away his arrogance.

    "Young Warrior, you will alsoe to realize the truth not far from now."

    L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o looked at Ohjin gently like he was a young child and then got into his stance.

    [Are you two finished preparing?] Spica asked as she came down to the middle of the arena.

    Ohjin nodded his head while taking out and turning the steel rod on his belt into a spear, and L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o did a fist-and-palm salute while deeply bowing his head.

    [Alright! It seems that the preparations are finished!]

    p!¡ª

    Spica pped and spread her arms out wide.

    Owoong!¡ª

    Pastel-pink light spread out of her body and covered the arena.

    [This Sacred Ground is only in use as a precaution! There are no recovery effects, so keep that in mind!]

    Spica continued exining with a cheerful smile.

    [It¡¯s over if one of you loses your consciousness or bes incapable of continuing the fight! It''s also over if the opponent acknowledges their defeat!]

    She emphasized her sentence by raising her index finger like a teacher informing young students.

    [You naturally won''t die, as you''re on a Sacred Ground¡­ but you mustn''t cross the line of killing one another! Understood?]

    "I shall keep that in mind."

    "Yes."

    Even if it was a proxy match to solve disputes amongst celestials, if the match turned into a brutal ughter, grudges couldn''t help but form for various reasons.

    To avoid that kind of scenario, the match needed to be closer to that of a spar rather than a real fight.

    ''Though I''m not sure if things will go that way.''

    With both parties knowing that they wouldn''t die in the Sacred Ground, it was unknown if neither of them would use life-threatening skills.

    [Now, don''t forget that the ultimate goal of this proxy match is to end the dispute!]

    Spica flew high up into the air once again.

    [Let the match begin!!]

    Pop, pop, pop!¡ª

    With countless pink rays of light exploding in the air like fireworks, cheers and apuse erupted from the celestials in the stands.

    "Hmm."

    Schwing¡ª

    L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o slowly drew his sword from his scabbard.

    Fitting his nickname of ''Silver de'', his sword shone with an elegant silver color, and a cold, white aura swooped over the area the moment he drew his sword.

    He looked at Ohjin with a caring smile.

    "Isn''t the culture of seniors and juniors important in the ranks of Awakeners?"

    He slowly lowered his sword and continued.

    "As your senior, I shall yield the first strike to you."

    "Really?"

    The action of yielding the first strike to an opponent was no different than tantly looking down on them¡ª

    "Then I guess I''ll attack first."

    ¡ªbut Ohjin gratefully epted and lowered his stance with a smirk.

    There was no reason to refuse when the opposing side was willing to give him an advantage.

    ''Charge''

    Bzzzzzt!!¡ª

    He condensed lightning into his legs.

    It condensed so much that his legs could be mistaken for blue lightning and zed like mes.

    "Indeed, I feel a powerful energy fitting that of a North Star''s stigma."

    L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o looked at Ohjin with surprise.

    ''You probably shouldn''t be surprised yet.''

    Charge, Charge, Charge, Charge.

    Lightning went through five condensations and wrapped around Ohjin¡¯s legs.

    Ohjin smiled brightly and straightened his body.

    And then¡ª

    <strong>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!¡ª</strong>

    ¡ªA single thread of blue lightning shed across the arena.

    ¡°Wha¡ª¡±

    L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o¡¯s arrogant expression was dyed with shock. Ohjin appeared right in front of his nose before he was even able to react.

    Crack!¡ª

    Ohjin held L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o¡¯s face with his right hand and kicked his legs with a sweeping motion.

    While L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o¡¯s legs lifted into the air¡ª

    Booooooooom!!!¡ª

    ¡ªOhjin mmed the back of his head into the ground.

    Dense clouds of dust spread out.

    L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o was unconscious with his eyes rolled into the back of his head in the middle of the destroyed arena.

    [...Huh?]

    ¡°Wh-What just happened?¡±

    ¡°What is this¡­?¡±

    The celestials froze on the spot while being unable toprehend the situation.

    Ohjin left L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o behind and slowly straightened himself to face Deneb.

    Moving his finger back and forth, Ohjin provoked Deneb, who was looking in his direction with shock.

    ¡°Next.¡±

 Chapter 165: Next (3)

    <strong>Chapter 165: Next (3)</strong>

    "¡­What?"

    "Wh-What was that just now?"

    "He took down Deneb''s apostle in a single blow?"

    The celestials were thrown into a ruckus.

    They looked down at the dusty arena with disbelief countless times, but the result didn''t change.

    ¡ªThe Silver de, L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o¡­

    Even if he was the youngest of Deneb''s twelve apostles, a powerful Awakener whose name was known for his exceptional skill had been knocked out within a second.

    [¡­Uh, hmm.]

    Spica looked down at the arena with a dumbfounded expression but soon put on an awkward smile and lifted her hand up.

    [Th-The victor is Lady Vega¡¯s apostle, Awakener Gwon Ohjin! Did L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o let his guard down? The result is unbelievable!]

    Only once she finished speaking did the celestialse back to their senses and start to apud.

    "N-No way."

    Deneb was also surprised by the unforeseen result.

    Although L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o was his youngest apostle, he was an Awakener in possession of the same Star rank as Ohjin.

    No¡­

    Truthfully, you couldn''t say they were at the same rank, as L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o had risen to the 7-Star rank a year prior.

    Even if they were at the same rank, L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o should''ve overwhelmed Ohjin by far if you considered the considerable difference in proficiency.

    However, the result was theplete opposite.

    Overwhelm? He had been knocked unconscious in one strike without having a chance to retaliate.

    "Eek!"

    Deneb gritted his teeth and red at Ohjin in anger.

    His hand that was on top of the chair trembled, and Allen ced his hand on Deneb''s shoulder.

    "Calm down."

    "¡­I know," Deneb answered bluntly.

    It was obvious that he would only be mocked by the other celestials if he disyed emotion.

    "Bring L¨ªu and heal his injuries."

    "Okay."

    Allen nodded his head and went down to the arena.

    [Well¡­! The next apostle Sir Deneb will send is¡­]

    Spica slurred the end of her sentence and looked towards Deneb.

    "Ivan, you should go next."

    "Understood!"

    Ivan Beroev¡­

    He was the Awakener ranked 9th out of Deneb''s twelve apostles.

    His ranking wasn''t that far from L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o¡¯s, but he was a beginner 8-Star Awakener.

    If you considered how much of a difference was made per star, there was no worry that he would get one-sidedly beaten like L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o.

    ''I did want to send out a child that''s ranked higher, but¡­''

    Deneb nervously chewed his lips and looked at the celestials filling up the stands.

    His twelve apostles were so famous that there was no celestial that didn''t know the hierarchy.

    When there were already a lot of celestials who thought Deneb was petty for the rule of having to take down three apostles, he wouldn''t be able to avoid humiliation if he sent out a high-ranking apostle, regardless of whether he won or lost.

    "Don''t worry, §±§Ñ§á§Ñ!"

    Ivanughed energetically after saying ''Papa'' in Russian.

    "L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o simply let his guard down! I''ll go face him since I already know that his skill isn''t to be looked down on!"

    "Is that so?"

    The edges of Deneb''s lips crept up, and his dark blue eyes headed to Ivan.

    "Then I''ll trust you, Ivan!"

    "Yes!"

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    Ivan lightly held a simple, massive sword with one hand and jumped into the arena.

    Boom!¡ª

    A heavy thud rang out as the man who was almost two meters tallnded on the ground.

    [The next opponent is Ivan Beroev! An Awakener who disys swordsmanship with destructive power!]

    Spica''s clear voice echoed out in the arena.

    Ivan looked at Ohjin and smirked.

    "I''m sorry for boasting without recognizing a skilled individual like you! I''ll apologize in L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o''s stead!"

    "I wonder¡­"

    Ohjin grinned and grasped his spear.

    "Did he truly lose because he let his guard down?"

    Even if L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o paid close attention, he wasn''t Ohjin''s opponent.

    "We''ll know soon enough!"

    Ivan raised the sword up high and the stigma of Cygnus engraved on the left side of his chest emitted bright white light.

    When the rays of light gathered on the unreasonablyrge de¡­

    "Hyaaaaap!!!"

    Boom!¡ª

    He took a heavy step forward and swung his sword down at Ohjin.

    Ivan and Ohjin were over 30 meters apart. Despite its size, it was a distance that the sword could never reach.

    Rumbleeee!¡ª

    White energy gathered explosively.

    The cold energy surrounding therge de gathered and shot an icy de towards Ohjin.

    ng!¡ª

    Ohjin instinctively raised his spear and blocked the sword strike, but his body couldn''t withstand the impact, and he slid back.

    The cold energy spread through the shaft and bruised his palms blue as if they had got frostbite.

    Ohjin slowly furrowed his brow.

    ''Is this the power of the stigma of Cygnus?''

    ¡ªA stigma that allows one to freely control ''coldness''.

    He had heard the rumors, but the way the ability pressured him was still unlike anything he¡¯d encountered.

    ''However¡­''

    Ohjin tensed his bloody hands and smirked.

    It was an incredible ability, but he also had the stigma of Lyra, which would never fall short to the stigma of Cygnus.

    ''Exceed.''

    Bzzzzzt!¡ª

    Blue lightning flowed around his body.

    His mana circuits suddenlypressed and explosively elerated his speed.

    The mana of the dragon vein slumbering within the left side of his chest flowed out and permeated his lightning.

    "Azure Dragon Strike."

    Blue lightning in the shape of a dragon shot at Ivan.

    Ivan calmy raised hisrge sword and swung it towards the approaching lightning.

    "Hirachaaa!!"

    He cut the lightning in half along with his shout, but some of it flowed through the de and shocked his body.

    "Kuuuh! This tingles quite a bit!"

    A groan of pain left Ivan''s mouth after he got shocked by the lightning.

    However, soon after, the white energying out of his stigma repelled the blue lightning.

    "Why don''t you try blocking this!"

    He swung his sword with a confident look.

    Cold energy trailed the sword covered in white light.

    Rumble!¡ª

    A wave of ice tracing the path of his sword shot forwards and caused the ground to tremble.

    ¡ªA destructive sword strike.

    Ohjin looked at the wave of ice approaching him like a tsunami and lowered his body.

    "I wonder¡­ is it really necessary to block?"

    Bzzzt!¡ª

    Lightning zed in his legs as he jumped into the air, and the wave of ice passed by under his feet.

    Ivan smirked as if he¡¯d predicted that scenario and swung his sword towards Ohjin.

    "Blizzard Smash!!"

    Swinging upwards, he sent a horizontal sword strike that soared up with cold energy towards Ohjin.

    ¡°Haha! There¡¯s a reason to block this time, isn¡¯t there?¡±

    Ivan smiled after shooting the sword strike.

    Ohjin was still in the air. As long as he couldn¡¯t move his body in mid-air, he would have no choice but to block the attack.

    And once that happened¡­

    ¡®He won¡¯t be able to endure the attack.¡¯

    If there was one thing Ivan was confident in, it was his destructive force that he believed to be on par with high-rank Awakeners.

    Ohjin¡¯s hands had torn and bled from blocking just a light sword strike moments ago. The amount of strength he put into his attack now was around five times what he used before.

    It wouldn¡¯t end with Ohjin¡¯s palms getting frozen. The amount of force contained within the attack was enough to turn his entire arm into a block of ice.

    Fwaash!¡ª

    The wave of energy shot by Ivan spread out like a and targeted Ohjin.

    Ohjin gripped his spear as he looked down at the solid wall of white energy.

    [It¡¯s been used! Blizzard Smash, the skill that can be said to be Awakener Ivan Bereov¡¯s signature move! Will Awakener Gwon Ohjin be able to block the powerful attack?!] Spica shouted as her eyes shone.

    ¡ªBlizzard Smash¡­

    As a famous unique skill made personally by Ivan Bereov, the force behind it was so powerful that rumors about it had spread amongst celestials.

    When the celestials were looking with interest and anticipation of how he would block the attack¡ª

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    ¡ªOhjin exhaled a low breath and crouched in the air.

    Bzzt, Bzzzt!¡ª

    Blue lightning spread around his body like a fog.

    Explosively straightening his crouched body, he ¡®stepped¡¯ on the foggy blue lightning.

    ¡°L-Lightning Step?¡±

    A celestial who recognized the technique opened their mouth wide in astonishment.

    ¡ªRiak¡¯s famed technique.

    The technique was known to have taken Riak over dozens of years to learn, despite him possessing top-ss skills amongst Star Spirits, but a one-year-old Awakener had disyed it directly in front of their eyes.

    ¡°But there¡¯s no room to avoid¡­¡±

    Was it because he wasn¡¯t used to the technique? Ivan¡¯s attack had already arrived right in front of his nose by the time Ohjin¡¯s feet touched the lightning.

    Ohjin looked at the white sword strike right in front of him¡­ and threw his body into it without hesitation.

    ¡°Wh-What?!¡±

    Ivan¡¯s eyes widened.

    Ohjin threw his body into the attack when it was unknown if he would even be able to block the attack if he used all of his strength.

    Swoosh!!¡ª

    His body went into the sword strike that spread out like a and it appeared like he would get shredded at any moment, but Ohjin¡¯s body slipped through an invisible gap as if the match was scripted.

    There was not a single scratch on his body.

    ¡°I-Impossible!¡±

    An exmation shot out of Ivan¡¯s mouth.

    He couldn¡¯t believe that Ohjin had avoided the air-tight sword strike without an injury. No, even if there was a gaprge enough for a human to fit through, it shouldn¡¯t have been possible.

    ¡®What kind of sane human would attempt that¡­?!¡¯

    Imagine a small tunnel that a human body could use to narrowly escape. If the surface of that tunnel was made out of sharp des, how many people would be willing to throw their body through it without hesitation?

    Even if you wouldn¡¯t die on Sacred Ground, it didn¡¯t mean that you didn¡¯t feel pain.

    It was unknown if he would have his entire body shredded the moment he strayed off-course by even a single millimeter, but Ohjin had still been able to perform the act.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡±

    Bzzt! Bzzzt!¡ª

    Ohjin descended from the air while using the blue lightning like stepping stones as he smirked.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t necessary for me to block.¡±

    Hended in front of Ivan Bereov in an instant and swung his shaft at Ivan¡¯s sr plexus while he was dumbfounded.

    Pow!!¡ª

    ¡°Kuugh!!¡±

    Ivan clutched his stomach after getting hit and fell on the spot.

    ¡°Bleurghhhh!!¡±

    Viscous vomit poured out of Ivan¡¯s mouth, and he copsed on the spot, unable to stand again.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    [¡­]

    Silence settled down in the arena.

    Even the host, Spica, shouted out with a shocked expression.

    [Th-The victor is Awakener Gwon Ohjin!! From the first match to the second, he has managed to overwhelm Sir Deneb¡¯s apostles without any significant injuries thus far!]

    Cheers exploded out of the mouths of the spectating celestials.

    Those who expected Ohjin to be defeated one-sidedly rained down praises at Ohjin for being able to show an unexpected turn of events.

    ¡°Now this is an apostle of a North Star!¡±

    ¡°As expected of Lady Vega¡¯s apostle!¡±

    ¡°Just where did she find a talent like him?¡±

    It wasparable to how humans watched dog fights. The way the celestials showed heated responses throughout the match was beyond his imagination.

    Ohjin listened to the cheers and provoked Deneb using his finger once again.

    ¡°Next.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Deneb¡¯s expression distorted heavily.

    Even Ivan, someone he trusted, had been defeated in an instant.

    There was only one opportunity left remaining¡­ He would have to surrender some divinity to Vega if they lost again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go next.¡±

    At that moment, a woman who was observing the match with calm eyes stepped forward.

    Deneb¡¯s eyes widened, and he looked back at the woman with surprise.

    The cold woman looked like a lone flower in the middle of a snowy field.

    She was the apostle ranked 5th out of Deneb¡¯s twelve apostles, Shaolin.

 Chapter 166: Next (4)

    <strong>Chapter 166: Next (4)</strong>

    "Y-You want to go next?"

    Deneb looked at Shaolin with a shocked expression.

    Shaolin quietly nodded her head with a nk look.

    "Hmm."

    Deneb contemted.

    Shaolin was an 8-Star Awakener like the apostle who¡¯d just fought, but she had an achievement that made her iparable to the likes of Ivan.

    "But still, I don''t think it''ll be right to send out someone who''s defeated a 9-Star Awakener¡­"

    The problem was that she had a record of defeating a high-ranking Awakener with a stigma of the 12 Zodiacs in a one versus one.

    Her opponent wasn''t a beginner 9-Star Awakener, either. They were a true high-rank who had been at the realm of 9-Star for quite a long time, but she had defeated them despite that.

    The incident back then was one of the main cases that made the world realize the power held by North Star Awakeners.

    "Isn''t this ourst chance?"

    "That''s true, but¡­"

    Deneb put on a perplexed expression.

    If he suddenly sent out Shaolin, his 5th-ranking apostle, he wouldn''t be able to avoid getting mocked by other celestials.

    "In that case, wouldn''t it be better to just send me out?"

    The woman who was sitting down next to Shaolin with no manners stood up.

    If the impression Shaolin gave off was that of a lone flower in the middle of a snowy field, hers was like an eye-catching wildflower in a grassy field.

    "¡­Elder sister, you can''t."

    Shaolin looked at the woman who looked to be on the verge of taking off and sighed deeply.

    ¡ªShan.

    The woman was Shaolin''s older sister and was ranked 4th out of Deneb''s twelve apostles.

    Although there was only a difference of one rank, there was a decisive difference between them.

    "You''re a 9-Star Awakener."

    "But haven''t you also defeated a 9-Star before?"

    "That was only possible because my opponent wasn''t an Awakener of a North Star."

    ¡ªA high-ranking North Star Awakener¡­

    The weight that title held couldn''t bepared with any other constetion.

    "Well, regardless of which one of us goes, the results will probably be the same."

    "Still¡­"

    Even if they were willing to endure getting mocked by other celestials, sending out Shan was crossing the line.

    "Hmpf! I want to go fight, too!"

    Shan kicked the air in shame.

    Shaolin looked at her immature elder sister and touched her forehead as if she had a headache.

    "Why do you want to fight him so badly?"

    "I just want to punch that arrogant bastard''s face."

    Shan red at Ohjin, who had tantly made statements that looked down on Deneb''s apostles.

    Shaolin lightly held her shoulder and walked ahead of her.

    "Listen to what others say and stay here. I''ll punch his face for you."

    "Ugh."

    "In any case, am I permitted to go out, Sir Deneb?"

    Deneb looked at Shaolin in contemtion, but soon exhaled a deep breath and nodded his head.

    "Alright."

    As it was hisst chance, it was wise to choose someone who would ensure his victory.

    Shaolin nodded her head and gently stepped on the railing.

    She elegantly drifted down to the arena like a descending swan.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    [His next opponent is¡­ huh? Th-The White Rose?]

    Spica kept blinking with shock while looking at Shaolin, who had gone down from the stands.

    "Hmm."

    "Isn''t sending out Shaolin a bit too harsh¡­?"

    "It appears that Sir Deneb really doesn''t want to lose."

    "Ugh, if it was going to be like this, they shouldn''t have done a proxy match in the first ce."

    The celestials also did not receive it well.

    Even if Ohjin''s skill was outside his predictions and overwhelmed his apostles, sending out his 5th-ranking apostle was uncalled for.

    It was the equivalent of suddenly sending out a national athlete in a youth sportspetition.

    [Um. An unforeseen, powerful opponent has appeared! Sir Deneb''s next Awakener is the White Rose, Shaolin! As everyone already knows, she is famous for defeating a 9-Star Awakener!]

    With no apuse, the celestials looked down with uninterested expressions.

    Their eyes seemed to wonder if there was even a need to carry out the match any further.

    Shaolin ignored their gazes and approached Ohjin.

    "I have had a good look at your skill. I''m looking forward to our match."

    She respectfully bowed her head and raised her hand to the sword held by her belt.

    Ohjin activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and observed her aura.

    ''Looks like he really isn''t holding back.''

    Her aura was so thick and deep that it made him question if she truly was at the same Star rank as Ivan.

    A chill ran down his spine.

    His heart that was calm until then started to thump.

    ''It''s been a while since I felt this way.''

    Anxiety sucked the moisture out of his lips.

    His head heated up and he felt like he was getting high.

    The exhrating sensation Ohjin could only feel when he met a true ''strong person'' made his body tremble.

    "Good. This is what I''m talking about."

    Ohjin smiled brightly and fixed his grip on his spear.

    The nerve-wracking feeling he couldn''t feel at all when he faced L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o and Ivan¡­

    He was someone who¡¯d tasted dozens of deaths against Riak in order to feel that suffocating nervousness.

    There was simply no way he wouldn''t enjoy the moment.

    "This is something I also felt during your fight with Ivan, but it seems that you''re unable to feel fear."

    "What are you saying to apletely normal person?"

    Unable to feel fear?

    "Even right now, my heart feels like it''s about to explode."

    "¡­Then how are you able to smile that brightly?"

    Unable to understand, Shaolin looked at Ohjin with a confused expression.

    "Because fear can be endured."

    "Eh?"

    "Something that can be solved by enduring¡­ is nothing to me."

    Boooom!!¡ª

    He sprinted at her.

    Bzzzzt!¡ª

    A path of zing lightning trailed in his wake.

    Ohjin stepped on the empty air during his sprint towards Shaolin.

    "Hmpf!"

    He twisted his body in the air and struck down with his spear.

    It wasn''t a two-dimensional attack but a three-dimensional attack that utilized Lightning Step.

    The spear shot forward to the middle of Shaolin''s head like it¡¯d been swung by a general on top of a horse.

    "Still, I don''t think ¡®normal person¡¯ is the correct term for you."

    Shaolin casually looked up at the spear strike aimed at her head and drew the sword on her belt.

    Shwing!¡ª

    A terrifying, freezing aura stormed around the area the moment she drew her sword.

    ng!¡ª

    There wasn¡¯t a loud noise or a ground-shaking impact.

    The spear aimeding for her head was deflected with a clear, bell-like sound.

    "Kugh!"

    Cold energy ran up the spear''s shaft in an instant.

    Despite only having shed des once, his entire spear turned white like it was covered in frost.

    "Even if you are able to utilize the space in a three-dimensional way¡­"

    Shaolin slowly swung her drawn sword.

    Her sword strike moved slowly like the stigma of Clepsydra was in effect.

    Following the sword strike that was as elegant as a pping swan, cold energy scattered in the air.

    "It doesn''t mean much, as the attack¡¯s destination won¡¯t change."

    As she said, even if he could freely step on the air or fly, the final destination of his attacks would be her body.

    Ultimately, it meant that it wouldn''t be hard to block his attacks as long as she figured out where Ohjin¡¯s spear was aiming at thest moment.

    In addition to that¡­

    "Your attacks will only get more simple as your body freezes."

    Fwooosh!¡ª

    Cold wind stormed as if they were on the top of a snowy mountain and the countless amount of cold energy in the air spread like poison.

    "Huff, huff."

    The steam of his breath clouded out of his mouth, and the frost that covered his spear covered his entire body before he knew it.

    His movements were distinctively slower.

    Just taking one step forward made it feel like countless needles were stabbing his whole body.

    [Ahh! Awakener Gwon Ohjin''s body has bepletely enveloped in ice! As per everyone''s expectations, will he be unable to disy his past might?!] Spica shouted out in a voice that was more excited than before in order to heat up the cold mood.

    It seemed that her efforts weren''t in vain, as the celestials that¡¯d previously shaken their heads with distaste started to pay a little attention to the match.

    "Fuu."

    Ohjin exhaled white steam and ced his hand on the left side of his chest.

    Fwoosh! Fwoosh!¡ª

    Blue mes zed on top of his palm.

    The Lightning mes that¡¯d only covered his spear until then enveloped his whole body and melted away the frost.

    "Indeed, you aren''t going to go down that easily."

    Shaolin nodded her head with cold eyes and grasped her sword.

    She didn''t think that she would win with a single attack in the first ce. If he was an opponent that could be defeated that easily, L¨ªu Y¨«-h¨¢o and Ivan wouldn''t have lost so helplessly.

    "Even so, the result will not change."

    Shaolin lightly drifted forward with the sword in her hand.

    The shaman outfit that she wore fluttered around her body while she slid across the ground.

    She swung her sword at Ohjin.

    ng! ng!¡ª

    He raised his spear to block the sword strikes, but cold energy ran down his spear every time.

    ''I won''t be able tost long like this.''

    The senses in his hands were gradually numbing every time they shed.

    ''In that case¡­''

    Ohjin''s eyes shined sharply.

    In the midst of enduring the storming cold and sword strikes¡­

    ''Now!''

    Ohjin pulled back his spear.

    A sword strike aimed for the opening that appeared like it was waiting for it all along.

    He extended his left arm to block the strike.

    The gauntlet on his left arm absorbed the mana contained within the sword.

    Ohjin''s gauntlet turned red in an instant and he swung it at Shaolin.

    Boooom!¡ª

    The heated-red gauntlet discharged the mana it had absorbed at Shaolin.

    "Hmm."

    Shaolin furrowed her delicate eyebrows and moved back to avoid the explosion.

    Ohjin quickly chased after her as she slid back and thrusted his spear forward.

    ''Blue Lightning.''

    Bzzzzzt!¡ª

    Lightning spread out in a wide, cone-like shape and shot after Shaolin.

    "It''s no use," she said coldly while drawing a line on the floor with her sword.

    Crunch!¡ª

    Following the line, an enormous wall of ice was created and soared up high.

    The blue lightning that poured down like hail bounced off of the ice wall.

    The ice wall exploded and sent sharp fragments at Ohjin.

    "Damn it!"

    Ohjin took steps back with his face covered in shock.

    Not willing to miss that opportunity, Shaolin quickly dashed at Ohjin.

    Her sword thrusted forward through the gaps between countless fragments of ice.

    Pshk!¡ª

    "Ugh!"

    Shaolin''s sword pierced through Ohjin''s stomach.

    It narrowly avoided his vital spots, but the flesh near the injury quickly started to necrotize due to the cold energy flowing through the de.

    His lips were dyed blue. and his legs quivered uncontrobly.

    When Ohjin''s eyes turned cloudy like a person lost and slowly freezing to death in a spacious, snowy field¡­

    [Danger! Awakener Gwon Ohjin is in danger! At this rate, he won''t even be able to move his body soon!] Spica roared out with an excited voice.

    The celestials that were looking at the fight also eximed and shook their heads.

    Phrases such as ¡®Indeed, was the oue determined from the start?¡¯ and ¡®Still, he¡¯s already proven his skill more than enough¡¯ could be heard throughout the crowd.

    ¡°So this is the end,¡± Shaolin said coldly as she increased the amount of mana in her sword that was piercing Ohjin¡¯s stomach.

    [M-My child!]

    ¡°It¡¯s the end?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s pale-blue lips twisted up as he roughly grasped her sword.

    The moment Shaolin tried to pull out her sword with her eyes widened in shock, Ohjin pulled the sword deeper into his body and grabbed her arm.

    ¡°Who decided that?¡±

    Bzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Blue lightning ran up her arm that he was holding and flowed into her.

    ¡°Kyah!!¡±

    A cute squeak leaked out of Shaolin¡¯s mouth.

 Chapter 167: Next (5)

    <strong>Chapter 167: Next (5)</strong>

    ¡°Kyah?¡±

    It was hard to imagine that the cute scream came from Shaolin, as she was a woman who gave off a haughty and calm impression, and it made Ohjin cackle unconsciously.

    ¡°That was quite a cute scream.¡±

    ¡°Y-You!¡±

    Shaolin red at Ohjin with widened eyes and a beet-red face. Having to face such humiliation was something she couldn¡¯t have imagined.

    She roughly bit her lips and raised her sword up high.

    Freezing cold energy approached Ohjin along with her powerful killing intent.

    ¡°¡­I won¡¯t leave you in one piece.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one who screamed. Why are you taking out your anger on me?¡±

    ¡°Sh-Shut up!¡±

    Shaolin riled up her mana and violently swung her sword. Even though she¡¯d been hit by an unpredicted counterattack, Ohjin was in a critical condition where he couldn¡¯t move his body properly.

    If she was able to keep pouring down attacks a little longer, her victory would be ensured with ease.

    However¡­

    ¡°Uht!¡±

    Shaolin¡¯s expression distorted as she was swinging her sword.

    Bzzt, bzzt!¡ª

    The blue lightning that remained like a fragrance paralyzed her body. She tried to forcefully move her body, but just a single step caused intense pain that was akin to countless needles stabbing into her body.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Finding it hard to move because of the pain?¡±

    Ohjinughed and grasped his spear.

    ¡®Charge.¡¯

    Bzzzt!¡ª

    Blue lightning condensed within the spear.

    One time, two times, three times, four times, five times¡­

    Destructive energy that was like a volcano on the verge of erupting condensed within the spear.

    In the past, the spear would have exploded from not being able to contain so much mana, but¡­

    ¡®This is nothingpared to the process that was needed to make Adam¡¯s Apple.¡¯

    He was doing the same thing as he did with an ordinary apple, but it was with a sturdy silver spear created by mixing starstones.

    It was several times easier to condense mana into the spear than the apple.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    It appeared that Shaolin noticed the immense energy charged in Ohjin¡¯s spear. She gulped and drew a line on the ground with her sword.

    ¡°Mother Earth¡­¡±

    Pure white snow flowers bloomed following the tip of her sword.

    ¡°Freeze.¡±

    The snow flowers that sprouted in the gap made by the sword spread their roots and froze the ground.

    Crunch!¡ª

    The whole ground became covered in transparent ice and pure white blossoms scattered with the storming wind.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to move anymore,¡± she said coldly.

    Regardless of how powerful the attack was, none of it meant anything if it didn¡¯t connect.

    ¡°Is that right?¡±

    Ohjin breathed out steam and smirked.

    As she¡¯d said, the situation didn¡¯t allow him to approach her due to the scattering blossoms.

    ¡°Then I can just do this¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you¡ª¡±

    Ohjin retracted his right arm that was holding the spear.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    He took a deep breath.

    Ohjin ced his left arm in front of him, pulled back his right leg as much as possible, and folded his right arm to its limit.

    Boom!¡ª

    Taking a big step forward¡ª he threw the spear in his hands towards Shaolin.

    Pshkkkk!!¡ª

    A strand of lightning bolted and pierced through the scattering blossoms.

    The spear arrived in front of Shaolin in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Explode!¡±

    The blue lightning condensed within the spear exploded like a volcano and stormed down on Shaolin.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    She furrowed her brow as she looked up at the ferocious storm of lightning that seemed to want to devour her.

    ¡®I just need to block this final attack.¡¯

    ¡ªSpear Throw.

    It was most definitely an incredibly dangerous attack, but the included risk of having to throw your weapon was iparable to any other attack.

    If she managed to deal with that single attack, then Ohjin wouldn¡¯t be able to continue the fight properly without his spear.

    ¡°Huaa!¡±

    Shaolin shouted briefly and held her sword close to her forehead in a two-handed grip.

    The white petals storming the area started to gather around her sword, and once they fully covered her de¡­

    ¡°Snow Flower Strike.¡±

    Rumble!¡ª

    The blizzard that followed the strike shed with the storm of blue lightning and split the ground in half.

    Tall pirs of ice that were several meters high soared up in the area her sword strike passed and even covered the stands.

    The sword strike consisting of white petals pierced through the lightning and reached Ohj¡ª

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Shaolin¡¯s eyes widened.

    Ohjin couldn''t be seen anywhere.

    ''Impossible!''

    She urgently raised her head and discovered Ohjin on top of one of the several-meter-high ice pirs.

    "When did you¡­?!"

    Shaolin quickly swung her sword at Ohjin.

    It wasn''t an attack that concentrated her mana like before, but the white sword strike that shot at him was still rather deadly.

    Tak!¡ª

    Ohjin kicked off the ice pir.

    Shaolin grasped her sword and predicted that he would use ''Lightning Step''.

    ''He isn''t as fast when he uses Lightning Step.''

    It was most likely because he wasn''tpletely used to the technique, but his speed when he moved through the air was much slowerpared to when he was on the ground.

    Her eyes searched for the lightning that would be created in the air.

    Lightning Step was a technique that allowed you to move through the air by stepping on lightning, which meant that you couldnd a hit on the user if you were able to attack the lightning the instant it formed.

    Bzzt!¡ª

    Lightning just so happened to be created in the air at that moment.

    ''Now!''

    When Shaolin swung her sword¡ª

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡ªthe sound of a gun suddenly rang out.

    Shaolin didn''t even have the time to confirm the cause of the sound.

    Whirrrrrr!!¡ª

    Following a mechanical sound, Ohjin¡¯s bodypletely changed direction in the air.

    "Huh¡­?!"

    Shaolin¡¯s eyes widened and she tried to track Ohjin as he zipped out of her vision.

    However, before she was able to get her eyes on him, he stuck a wire to an ice pir andnded behind Shaolin.

    Grab¡ª

    Both of Ohjin''s hands grabbed Shaolin¡¯s shoulders.

    "Ah!"

    She tried to swing her sword with a frightened expression on her face, but¡­

    "Toote."

    Bzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Frightening currents of lightning rushed through his hands and smote her.

    "Kyaaaaaah!!"

    Shaolin¡¯s eyes turned white as she let out a scream that was a bit more dreadful than before.

    Plop¡ª

    She lost her center of bnce and fell to the ground.

    [¡­]

    "H-Holy crap."

    "Th-The White Rose¡­ lost?"

    Astonishment filled the arena.

    Breaking the silence, Spica raised the marble in her hand and shouted.

    [W-We have just witnessed an unbelievable urrence!!!]

    Her voice, filled with excitement, echoed out.

    [Defying everyone''s expectations, Awakener Gwon Ohjin has defeated Awakener Shaolin!!!]

    Whoaaaaa!!¡ª

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    Cheers and apuse rained down.

    [With this, Awakener Gwon Ohjin has taken down three out of Deneb''s twelve apostles and seized victory!!]

    Spica smiled brightly as she looked at Deneb, who had a frustrated expression.

    "Damn it!"

    He was chewing his fingernails and spewing swears.

    "L-Lin!"

    Shan kicked off the railing and quickly rushed towards Shaolin.

    She embraced Shaolin''s unconscious body and red at Ohjin with rage in her eyes.

    "You¡­!"

    Allen spoke to Shan, as it seemed like she was going to rush to attack Ohjin at any moment.

    "Stop. The match is already over."

    "Ugh¡­"

    Ohjin was breathing ragged breaths and remained standing with difficulty.

    Allen looked down at him and sighed deeply.

    "It seems like we were the ones who couldn''t differentiate courage from temerity."

    A new 7-Star Awakener being that strong was something he couldn¡¯t have imagined.

    "Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

    Deneb stomped his foot out of frustration.

    He got up from his seat after throwing a tantrum.

    "¡­Don''t think you''ve defeated my children with this."

    Although Ohjin was the one who won the bet, it wasn''t against his top three apostles that belonged to the ''Seven Stars''.

    "Still, a bet is a bet."

    Deneb red at Vega, who was looking at Ohjin with a proud expression.

    "I''ll give some of my divinity to Vega."

    When he ced his right hand on his chest and was about to extract some divinity¡­

    <strong>"Next."</strong>

    A single, quietly-spoken word silenced the arena that was full of apuse.

    "¡ªWhat?"

    [My child¡­?]

    Deneb and Vega both widened their eyes and looked back at Ohjin.

    Treating their gazes as nothing, he clutched his sword-pierced stomach with one hand and provoked Shan with his finger.

    "Aren''t you next?"

    "¡­"

    The edge of Ohjin¡¯s lips twisted up, and his eyes shone like a predator targeting its prey.

    Ohjin cackled while looking at Shan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? I¡¯m saying you¡¯re next.¡±

    ¡°You crazy son of a bitch!¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    Shan stomped her foot with anger, and the arena¡¯s floor split apart as if it had been hit by a cannon.

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about¡­?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel like a shame to end things here?¡±

    Ohjin stuck his tongue out and licked his lips.

    He faced Deneb¡¯s direction and moved his finger up and down.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that we should have another match.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Cold killing intent was contained in Deneb¡¯s eyes.

    Gritting his teeth, he violently clenched his fists and stared at Ohjin.

    ¡°Are you telling me¡­ that you¡¯ll face a fourth apostle?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Hah¡­ hahahahaha!!¡±

    Deneb exploded out inughter while clutching his belly.

    [M-My child! What are you saying¡­!]

    When Vega tried to rush down to the arena with urgency¡ª

    ¡°Lady Vega.¡±

    ¡ªRiak appeared in front of her and obstructed her way.

    Vega¡¯s eyebrows slowly furrowed.

    [Move.]

    ¡°That rookie wouldn¡¯t have mindlessly offered such a proposal.¡±

    Riak looked down at Ohjin, who was still struggling to catch his breath and clutching his bloody stomach.

    Despite having injuries that were nearly fatal, the bright glimmer in Ohjin¡¯s eyes had yet to be extinguished.

    Feelings of craving and thirst lingered within the bright glimmer over the surface of his eyes.

    ¡°Well¡­ okay, let¡¯s say I already lost the divinity.¡±

    Deneb looked back at Shan with cold eyes.

    ¡°Shan, didn¡¯t you say that you want to punch that arrogant bastard¡¯s face?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    After carrying Shaolin outside of the arena, she stared at Ohjin with eyes zing like fire.

    ¡°I¡¯ll return after thoroughly destroying him.¡±

    Shan took a step into the fighting arena.

    ¡°Yeah. Now this is what I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    Ohjin smiled brightly, and then raised his head with his eyes closed.

    Thump, thump, thump¡ª

    The loud sound of his beating heart resonated in his head like a huge drum.

    His head felt hot¡­ his vision wavered like he was drunk¡­ the intense pain of his injury spread out like ink¡­ but all of that didn¡¯t feel unpleasant.

    Rather, it was the opposite.

    Ohjin¡¯s only wish was for the bizarre feeling of exaltation filling up his head to nevere to an end.

    ¡®A little more¡­¡¯

    It felt like he would be able to grasp something if he went just a little bit further¡­

    It felt like he would be able to tear down the wall in front of his eyes and be enlightened to a scene that he¡¯d neverid his eyes on before¡­

    But in order for all of that to be aplished¡ª

    ¡®I need prey.¡¯

    He felt a burning need to quench his thirst.

    Unfulfilled hunger urged his feet to move.

    Ohjin¡¯s savage gaze was fixed on Shan, who was stepping into the fighting arena.

    Fwoosh¡ª

    Azure fen fires shed in his half-opened eyes.

    [Isabe Art]

 Chapter 168: Next (6)

    <strong>Chapter 168: Next (6)</strong>

    Boooooooo!¡ª

    Booing erupted from the crowd when Shan took a step into the arena.

    The celestials'' agitation only grew.

    Even if they somehow agreed to overlook Shaolin, sending out a high-ranking Awakener like Shan was an act that clearly crossed the line.

    "I ept your proposal, however¡­"

    Shan unclipped the sword hanging on her belt and threw it far away.

    "I won''t use my weapon or stigma."

    Instead of grasping her sword, she clenched her fists.

    Shan''s gaze headed to Ohjin¡¯s stomach. His injury was so severe that the flesh near his sword-pierced skin had started to necrotize.

    "And¡­"

    A sharp icicle was made in her hand once she lightly clenched it.

    Pshk!¡ª

    Shan''s face distorted in pain.

    Blood gushed out of her stomach where she had stabbed it with the icicle.

    After releasing cold energy near the injury and necrotizing it, she threw away the icicle.

    "The conditions are, to an extent, equal with this, right?"

    Shan red at Ohjin while gripping the injury on her stomach.

    Restricting the usage of the sword wasn''t a big deal, but not using her stigma was quite a substantial handicap.

    "There really wasn''t a need to go so far."

    Ohjin shrugged and shook his head.

    Shan''s brow raised.

    "Why don''t you save that talk¡­"

    Boom!¡ª

    She clenched her fist and moved forward.

    Shan lowered her body like a predator hunting for prey and shot off.

    "¡­for after you experience getting hit!"

    Bam!¡ª

    "Ugh!!"

    There wasn''t even a gap to see her movements properly.

    Shan clenched her fist tightly and struck Ohjin on his chest after closing the distance of over dozens of meters in an instant.

    His body curved in like a bow.

    A light hook followed up the punch before the pain resided and directly hit Ohjin¡¯s face.

    Pow!¡ª

    The power behind the attacks was so devastating that it made him wonder whether he was hit by a human or a battering ram.

    His body spun and crashed into the floor.

    "Cough!"

    Blood ran up his neck and poured out.

    Ohjin twisted his body up while chuckling.

    ''This is her without using her stigma?''

    Indeed, it didn''t feel right to categorize the body of a high-rank Awakener as ''human''.

    "What''s so funny?"

    Shan widened her eyes and rushed at Ohjin.

    Pow! Tak! Bam!¡ª

    Her fists were swung at a terrifying speed.

    Ohjin couldn''t even retaliate as he received the pouring attacks while curling his body up like a pill bug.

    [Awakener Gwon Ohjin is getting one-sidedly beaten! As expected, is facing a high-rank Awakener impossible, even without the use of their weapon and stigma?]

    Spica''s frivolous voice was heard.

    As she said, Ohjin was already having difficulty trying to block the attacks, let alone retaliate.

    "Huff! Huff!"

    He had to catch his breath.

    Shan''s fist aimed at him like a sh of light through his blurry vision.

    ''Celestial Stigma.''

    The world slowed.

    Ohjin read the path of the approaching fist and twisted his body ordingly.

    However¡­

    Swoosh!¡ª

    "¡­!"

    The fist changed paths in the middle of the punch.

    Despite not using the stigma of Clepsydra, she was able to change the direction of her punch and follow Ohjin¡¯s movement in that fraction of a second.

    Pow!!¡ª

    "Kugh!"

    Ohjin was hit by her fist and sent flying away.

    "¡­What was that just now?"

    Shan frowned and looked down at Ohjin.

    He had certainly reacted to her punch and twisted his body in an extremely short frame of time.

    ''There''s no way he was able to react to it.''

    Even if she wasn''t using her stigma, she¡¯d obtained a superhuman body while advancing as a high-rank Awakener.

    The difference in physique was just about the same as an adult male and an eight-year-old kid. Being able to react to her punch couldn''t be possible.

    "I don''t know what trick you pulled¡ª"

    Shan fiercely bared her teeth and sprinted to Ohjin.

    "¡ªbut reacting is no use if you can''t avoid it!"

    Bam!¡ª

    Ohjin sprayed blood and was lifted into the air as she kicked his body that was on the ground like a ball.

    Shan grabbed his ankle and violently threw him.

    Bang! Boom! Bam!¡ª

    He bounced on the ground like a skipping stone as he was thrown.

    Drenched in blood, Ohjin powerlessly copsed on the floor.

    "Hmpf."

    Shan crossed her arms and chuckled.

    She was able to attain victory easily, but there was no apuse to be heard.

    Rather, gazes that were closer to contempt were headed toward her.

    ''Damn it.''

    Even though she already knew it would turn out that way, it tasted bitter.

    ''Still, I was able to beat him up to my heart''s content.''

    She thought that the amount of revenge was appropriate when considering the dreadful screams of her little sister.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    [Indeed! There was no twist! The winner is Awakener Shao¡ª]

    When Spica was going to raise her arm in the direction of Shan¡­

    "With whose permission¡­"

    Ohjin slowly raised his body.

    Even though he twisted and stumbled¡­ he didn''t copse.

    "¡­are you dering it over?

    "You¡­"

    Shan looked at Ohjin like she was tired of it.

    She clenched her fist and stomped towards Ohjin.

    "Enough is enough."

    He had already crossed the line several times at that point.

    Shan stared at him with a fed-up expression and lightly swung her fist.

    Swoosh!¡ª

    "Hm?"

    Ohjin tottered as if he was going to copse at any moment but avoided her fist.

    Shan frowned and swung her fist again.

    Swoosh¡ª

    However, Ohjin tilted his head and avoided her fist once again.

    "Huh?"

    No matter how lightly her fist was swung, it should¡¯ve been impossible for him to avoid it in his half-dead state.

    "Yeah¡­ I can finally <strong>see</strong> it."

    Ohjin cackled and slowly opened his bulging eyes that looked like they had been stung by bees.

    Little by little, his eyes started to get used to Shan''s fists that he had been unable to avoid, even with the use of the stigma of Clepsydra.

    He started to do things he couldn¡¯t do before.

    He started to see things he couldn¡¯t see before.

    Even at that moment, despite being in apletely tattered state, he was growing endlessly.

    "You¡­"

    Shan¡¯s eyes widened.

    She chewed her lips and attacked him at a faster speed.

    "I was only going to end things here!"

    Closing in on Ohjin in an instant, she wound herself around his left arm.

    Like wringing a rag, she grabbed his elbow and twisted it.

    Crunch!¡ª

    "Ahhhhhh!!"

    His left arm was twisted at a freaky angle with the frightening sound of crunching bones.

    A shiny white fragment of bone pierced through his skin and stuck out of his elbow.

    [S-Stop! Stop right there!!!] Vega shouted urgently as she stepped into the arena.

    "Ah."

    Shan, who then realized that she had gotten too heated, flinched and stepped back.

    "¡­Sorry. I had no intention of taking things this far."

    Shan turned her head away and avoided his gaze.

    She bit her lips with an anxious expression.

    "I''ll bring a potion from Sir Deneb."

    When Shan turned her body away from Ohjin¡ª

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡ªa wire shot out and wrapped around her body.

    Bzzzzzt!¡ª

    The blue lightning that flowed through the wire smote her.

    "Kyah!"

    A scream that was simr to Shaolin''s left her mouth.

    "Y-You insane bastard!!"

    Shan quickly grabbed the wires that were wrapped around her with both hands.

    They were easily broken and fell to the floor.

    "Huff, huff!"

    Once she turned her head, she could see that Ohjin was raising his body with ragged breathing.

    He approached Shan with his bone-exposed left arm dangling

    "¡­What?"

    Shan spoke with a trembling voice.

    "Just what is wrong with you?!"

    She swung her palm like she was swatting away an insect stuck to her skin.

    Smack!¡ª

    Ohjin rolled on the ground and copsed after getting hit.

    "Huff, huff! What the fuck is this¡­?"

    When Shan wiped the cold sweat off her forehead and faced away once again¡ª

    "Where¡­ do you think you''re going?"

    ¡ªa faint voice on the verge of cutting off¡­ a voice that was sticky and unpleasant like nightmares¡­ rang in her ears.

    "We¡­ can still¡­ do more, right?"

    Crunch!¡ª

    Ohjin grabbed and tore off his dangling left arm like it was an annoyance.

    "Hey¡­ y-your arm¡­"

    Shan stepped back with a pale face.

    Ohjin bared his bloody teeth and staggered towards her.

    [Um¡­ A-Awakener Gwon Ohjin¡­?]

    Spica''s face, which once only expressed a bright smile that was like a colorful flower, stiffened.

    It wasn''t only her¡­

    "D-Did¡­ he tear off his arm just now?"

    "What is going on¡­?"

    The celestials that were watching the fight were also unable to close their mouths at the unbelievable scene.

    "¡­Stop,¡± Shan said while looking at Ohjin with frightened eyes.

    It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he fell unconscious with those injuries. Even when his whole body was drenched in blood and his face was wrecked to the point it was unrecognizable, he didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°I said stop it! Now!!¡±

    When Shan cried out and raised her fist¡­

    ¡°¡­Charge.¡±

    Bzzt!¡ª

    Blue lightning condensed in Ohjin¡¯s clenched fist.

    One time, two times, three times, four times, and five times¡­

    ¡®No.¡¯

    Six times, seven times, eight times, nine times¡­

    Charges repeated without stopping.

    Bzzt! Pzzzzzt!!¡ª

    His right fist emitted a blinding light, and his right arm bloated hideously as if it was going to explode from containing too much energy.

    However, he didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡®Charge.¡¯

    There was no reason to stop.

    He smiled brightly while feeling the horrifying pain that traveled up from his right arm.

    ¡®A little more¡­¡¯

    Excitement heated his head.

    He could instinctively realize that the exhrating feeling that soared up along with his beating heart wouldn¡¯tst much longer.

    ¡°Y-You crazy fuck!!¡±

    Shan quickly rushed towards him after seeing the immense amount of mana gathering in his fist.

    After Ohjin avoided her violently swung fist by bending down in a motion that was simr to stumbling down¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    Brzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    His right arm that had gone through repeated charges exploded forth.

    No, to be urate¡­ it was a new arm that appeared from within his right arm.

    ¡ªThe arm of a lightning god that consisted of zing blue lightning.

    Ring!¡ª

    {¡¶Lightning&Thunder Lv9¡· has increased to ¡¶Lightning&Thunder Lv10¡·!]

    [You have obtained ¡¶Lightning God Physique Lv1¡·!]

    [You have aplished a feat that should not be possible at your current Star rank!]

    [All skills that are influenced by the skill ¡¶Lightning&Thunder¡· have leveled up two times!]

    Blue messages popped up with a noisy ring.

    Ohjin¡¯s swung his blue lighting fist at Shan.

    Storms of lightning shot forward from the body of a lightning god that was said to even transcend thews of physics.

    ¡°Kyaaaaaaah!!¡±

    Bzzzzzt!¡ª

    Shan was sent flying several dozens of meters back and violently crashed into the wall.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She lost consciousness and fainted.

    [¡­]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A deathly silence settled down in the arena.

    Not only the celestials in the stands but even the host, Spica, was unable to speak a word as they all focused on Ohjin with dumbfounded looks.

    From within the silence where not even the sound of breathing could be heard, Ohjin slowly turned his blood-drenched head to face Deneb.

    <strong>¡°Next.¡±</strong>

 Chapter 169: Interlude - Goddessâ€™s Atonement (1)

    <strong>Chapter 169: Interlude - Goddess¡¯s Atonement (1)</strong>

    ¡°Next¡­?¡± Deneb said with a trembling voice.

    Although he was in such a miserable state that the words ¡°half dead¡± were not enough to express it, the azure mes in his eyes were still zing fiercely.

    ¡°Just¡­ what have you turned into your apostle, Vega?¡±

    He felt goosebumps like bugs crawling over his skin.

    The bet no longer came to mind at that point.

    It wasn¡¯t only Deneb.

    The celestials filling the stands were also overwhelmed and unable to open their mouths properly due to the spirit emitting from Ohjin.

    ¡°What¡­ are you waiting for?¡±

    Ohjin smirked and twisted as he walked to Deneb.

    Deneb unconsciously started to step back.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    He flinched as he realized what he had just done.

    A celestial of a North Star¡­ an existence that ranked in the top three of the transcendents born from the stars¡­ had just been overwhelmed and forced to take a step back by a human¡¯s spirit.

    In normal circumstances, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he was mocked by the other celestials, however¡­

    [¡­]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Not a single one of the celestials watching from the stands or even Spica, who had a yful nature, looked at Deneb with mockery.

    The only thing in their sights was Ohjin, who was creepily walking to Deneb as if he was bewitched.

    ¡°Hurry¡­ send out your next¡ª¡±

    Ohjin copsed on the spot.

    The moment his face was going to crash into the ground¡ª

    [My child.]

    ¡ªVega appeared in an instant and caught Ohjin.

    She chewed her lips like just watching was painful and stroked his bloody face.

    [Is Albali present?] Vega asked as she looked to the stands.

    ¡ªThe celestial of Aquarius, Albali.

    No matter how severe the injury, he would be able to heal them without much difficulty as long as they were still alive.

    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m here.¡±

    A young man wearing a monocle who gave off a gentle impression stood up in the stands.

    He went down to the fighting arena and eximed Ohjin¡¯s body.

    ¡°¡­These are horrible injuries.¡±

    Even if he wouldn¡¯t die in the Sacred Ground, it was hard to believe that he¡¯d continued to fight with those injuries.

    [Will you be able to heal him?]

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The injuries were so severe that just looking was enough to cause pain, but he was the celestial of Aquarius.

    It wasn¡¯t hard for him to save someone who was still alive.

    Owooooong!¡ª

    Albali gently closed his eyes and focused.

    The droplets of water floating nearby permeated into Ohjin¡¯s and started healing him in an instant.

    The half-dead Ohjin healed as if a video was being yed in reverse.

    ¡°Uah! Cough! Cough!¡±

    Ohjin woke up and sat upright while exhaling deep breaths.

    He clenched his chest in pain while he coughed.

    ¡°He will need some time to stabilize because his internal injuries have yet to be healedpletely.¡±

    [I understand.]

    Once he finished his treatment, Albali raised his monocle and left the scene.

    ¡°Vega¡­?¡±

    After Ohjin regained consciousness, he blinked his eyes and looked around.

    [You¡­ idiot!!]

    Bam!¡ª

    Vega struck Ohjin¡¯s head in anger.

    An exmation left his mouth.

    [Just¡­ why do you keep tormenting thisdy with worry?!]

    Her eyes glistened as she scolded him.

    ¡°¡­Vega.¡±

    [Wasn¡¯t the match already over?! Wasn¡¯t there no reason to fight while getting this injured?!!]

    She pulled Ohjin into her arms and shouted in a sorrowful voice.

    Ohjin barely escaped from the voluptuous sensation that squeezed his cheeks and smiled awkwardly.

    ¡®Well, there are a couple of reasons.¡¯

    First of all, he was too excited. In a state that was as if he was high on drugs, he¡¯d instinctively craved a battle with a strong opponent.

    Naturally, it didn¡¯t mean that he¡¯d trusted everything to his body and continued the match simply on sudden impulse.

    ¡®I was on the verge of achieving it.¡¯

    A part of why he hadn¡¯t stopped was because his intuition had told him that there was a possibility of leveling up the Lightning&Thunder skill that had stagnated at level 9 for a long time.

    In actuality, he probably wouldn¡¯t have gotten it to level 10 if he had stopped after the fight with Shaolin.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ohjin took a good look at the celestials filling the stands.

    They were whispering amongst themselves and looking at him as if they were seeing a ghost.

    That was another one of the reasons he¡¯d decided to continue the fight with Deneb¡¯s apostles.

    ¡®It seems that I¡¯ve sessfully engraved my existence into the celestials¡¯ heads.¡¯

    Although he¡¯d unintentionally given off the impression of being an insane maniac due to things getting too heated, he believed that he¡¯d disyed more than enough skills to hold the title ¡®Apostle of Vega¡¯ with pride.

    And finally¡­

    ¡°There¡¯s something I need other than divinity.¡±

    [Something you need?]

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    Ohjin twisted back up to his feet.

    He approached Deneb, who was dumbfoundedly looking in his direction.

    ¡°Well then, shouldn¡¯t you give the divinity as promised?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I already know.¡±

    Deneb lent out something simr to a crystal that shone with white light.

    He couldn¡¯t feel anything in it that was worthy of being called ¡®divinity¡¯, but he trusted that he wouldn¡¯t give something fake when there were that many celestials watching.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    If he had it his way, Ohjin would¡¯ve used the ck Heaven to try to devour Deneb¡¯s divinity, but he couldn¡¯t as long as he remained aware that Vega¡¯s rank was in danger of demoting to the ranks of the 12 Zodiacs.

    ¡°And one more thing¡­¡±

    ¡°One more thing?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t defeat three, but four apostles. Shouldn¡¯t there obviously be a separate reward thates with that achievement?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Deneb frowned.

    ¡°Nothing like that was mentioned before!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it justmon sense? Since, originally, winning ¡®three times¡¯ was our victory, there should be an appropriate reward for beating a fourth apostle.¡±

    ¡°Hmpf! You should have said that at the beginning!¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Then are you saying that you won¡¯t give an additional reward?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! I ain¡¯t giving shit to you!¡±

    The edges of Ohjin¡¯s lips crept up as he shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Will that truly be okay with you?¡±

    ¡°For what reason wouldn¡¯t it be okay?¡±

    ¡°There are many onlookers.¡±

    Ohjin looked around at the crowd and continued.

    ¡°In the first ce, weren¡¯t the rankings of the apostles you sent out different from what was discussed previously?¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°You sent out high-ranking apostles in fear that you were going to lose, and then sent out an even higher-ranked apostle with ill intent after losing.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re the one who wanted to¡ª¡±

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re going to shut your mouth and run away with your tail between your legs now that you lost with your apostles that are ranked 4th and 5th?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Deneb¡¯s expression distorted.

    Ohjin put on a leisurely smile and shrugged.

    ¡°I wonder what the other celestials will think of this.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you threatening me?¡±

    ¡°Threatening? Aren¡¯t you the one who invited all these celestials toe and watch so you could humiliate us in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°Argh.¡±

    Deneb had no words.

    As Ohjin said, there were too many eyes nearby to shut his mouth and pretend as if nothing happened.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯

    He had been caught in his own trap.

    Deneb stomped his feet out of anger.

    ¡°Ahh! Goddammit! That bastard really pisses me off!!¡±

    Allen came down from the stands and calmed Deneb as he pulled on his hair and made a ruckus.

    After Deneb exhaled a deep breath, he stared at Ohjin.

    ¡°¡­So what do you want?¡±

    As someone who owned three of the Seven Stars, the treasures he possessed were unfathomable.

    There was a single thing Ohjin wanted out of his countless treasures¡­

    ¡°An elixir.¡±

    ¡°¡­Elixir?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I would like it if you gave me an elixir.¡±

    Ohjin nodded his head with an indifferent look.

    ¡°An elixir out of all things? There are so many other things to choose from.¡±

    Deneb tilted his head, as he couldn¡¯t understand the thought process behind the choice.

    Elixirs were known to have incredible healing effects that people even said could revive a dead person.

    It could even regenerate a ¡®body part that was cut off for extended periods of time¡¯ that even high-ranking Awakeners of Aquarius would have difficulty healing, however¡­

    ¡®I don¡¯t see any injuries like that on his body.¡¯

    He had shown an insane performance of tearing off his left arm, but that injury was alreadypletely healed thanks to Albali¡¯s powers.

    There was nothing that he could think of that would require his need for an elixir, but¡­

    ¡°Well, alright. I just need to give you an elixir, right?¡±

    It was weing news for Deneb, who was worried about getting asked for an unreasonable request.

    Though elixirs were also precious items that you couldn¡¯t put a price tag on, they were still ranked a bit lowpared to the other treasures in his possession.

    Owooong!¡ª

    A ripple opened in the air as the ring on Deneb¡¯s hand gave off light.

    Deneb put his hand inside and then took out a ss bottle that shone with clear, blue light.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Ohjin smiled faintly while receiving the elixir.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    ¡®I was originally thinking of making one myself, but¡­¡¯

    You needed to be at least a high-ranking Awakener of Aquarius in order to make an elixir.

    That wasn¡¯t the end of it.

    Elixirs were known to require several years of preparation and material gathering to make just one.

    ¡®There¡¯s no reason to wait that long.¡¯

    Ohjin carefully put the bottle into his pocket.

    [Are you nning to give it to Ha-eun?]

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    He nodded his head without a second of hesitation.

    [¡­]

    Vega¡¯s eyes trembled as she looked at herself.

    [Truly¡­ how pathetic.]

    ¡°Huh? Me?¡±

    [No. I¡¯m not talking about you.]

    She shook her head with a smile mixed with self-deprecation.

    [What I said just now was targeted toward me.]

    ¡°Why all of a sudden?¡±

    [¡­]

    Vega looked at Ohjin and recalled how he¡¯d wretchedly stood back up even when his body was inplete tatters.

    ¡®The reason why he fought so desperately¡­ was for ¡®others¡¯.¡¯

    At first, he¡¯d fought to obtain divinity for Vega. After that, he¡¯d fought to get an elixir for Ha-eun.

    No matter how painful it was¡­ no matter how arduous it was¡­ he had never yielded and stood back up.

    ¡®Was I¡­ suspecting this kind of child?¡¯

    ¡ªThe energy of the ck Heaven she discovered after Ohjin freed her from the Commandment¡¯s Restriction.

    Even while thinking that it was imusible, she couldn¡¯t erase the seed of suspicion that¡¯d settled deep within her heart.

    [I am embarrassed.]

    She felt so foolish about her inability to trust Ohjin.

    ¡°What are you embarrassed about?¡±

    [My role should be to trust you and take care of you more than anyone else¡­ but it seems that I have foolishly forgotten my duty.]

    ¡°What do you¡­?¡±

    Ohjin stopped in the middle of his sentence as his expression stiffened.

    Vega¡¯s recent actions of suspicion ominously came to mind.

    ¡®Fuck, did I make a mistake?¡¯

    He urgently searched through his memories, but he couldn¡¯t recall anything that would cause Vega to suspect him.

    ¡®What happened?¡¯

    When he was thinking hard to find out what¡¯d caused Vega to start to suspect him¡­

    [It seems like an atonement is in need.]

    ¡°Atonement?¡±

    Vega opened and closed her mouth with hesitation but soon nodded her head with determined eyes.

    <strong>[Hand down your punishment to this sinful celestial!]</strong>

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

 Chapter 170: Interlude - Goddesss Atonement (2)

    <strong>Chapter 170: Interlude - Goddess''s Atonement (2)</strong>

    "What do you mean?"

    [I mean exactly what I said.]

    Vega clenched her fists with determination

    [A foolish deed ought to be followed up with atonement.]

    Ohjin could feel the heat in her gaze.

    [Thisdy must be punished by you.]

    "Uhh, what kind of punish¡ª"

    When Ohjin was taken aback by the unforeseen development¡ª

    "H-Hey!"

    ¡ªSpica carefully approached him with her microphone lowered.

    She stuck close to Ohjin¡¯s body and held his hands tightly with sparkles in her eyes.

    "Would you like to pay a visit to my sanctuaryter?!"

    "Eh?"

    ''What is it this time?''

    "Well, there really aren''t any hidden intentions~ Should I say that I''ve gained a little interest in you after seeing you fight?"

    Spica twirled her foot as her cheeks reddened.

    Although she said that there weren''t any hidden intentions, the way her heated eyes looked like they were staring at a scrumptious feast seemed to say theplete opposite.

    She wasn''t the only one who was interested in Ohjin.

    "Uhm¡­ if it''s possible, could you pay a visit to my sanctuary as well?"

    "Kuhaha! I''ve fallen for your guts! I shall permit you to enter my sanctuary!"

    In an instant, the celestialsing down from the stands crowded around and started to request countless handshakes from Ohjin.

    "Ahh! I called dibs!" Spica shouted while stomping her foot.

    "¡­"

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as he looked at the celestials gathering around.

    ''I didn''t expect them to react with this much enthusiasm.''

    It appeared that the celestials were quite impressed with the show he¡¯d put on during the match.

    Ohjin didn''t realize it back then in the heat of the moment, but thinking about it again, he knew what he¡¯d done was a rather insane act.

    ''Still, I''m surprised that the celestials are reacting this way.''

    He thought that they''d think of him as a maniac and keep their distance from him or look at him with unpleasant gazes, but unexpectedly, they received it well.

    [It''s noisy.]

    Vega frowned and looked at the gathering of celestials.

    The exciting atmosphere cooled down in an instant with her cold voice.

    [Speak to me directly if you wish to invite my child to your sanctuary.]

    "Th-That''s¡­"

    The celestials started to panic and stuttered.

    It was easy to understand how significant the rank of ''North Star'' was amongst celestials with what urred.

    [Is there no one?]

    Vega red at them like she would destroy anyone who dared to speak up.

    The celestials that once showed interest in Ohjin started to step back with awkward smiles.

    [If there is no one, we shall take our leave.]

    She turned away and pulled Ohjin¡¯s arm.

    "Vega, wait¡­"

    [Hurry up.]

    With there being no signs of her stopping, Ohjin had no option but to follow Vega.

    "Grrr. You''ve left a proper mark on those celestials, rookie."

    "It turned out well."

    He thought that he¡¯d made a mistake when he got too excited in the middle of the match, but their reactions weren''t all that bad.

    "Things will be tiresome from now on."

    "I know."

    Regardless of good or bad, it was certain that he would get caught up in a lot of business with therge amount of attention he¡¯d drawn, but it was better than being forced intoying low and hiding his strength.

    "By the way, Vega¡­"

    [What is it?]

    "Regarding what you mentioned about being sorry for suspecting me, could you tell me about that in detail?"

    [¡­Let us speak about that matter once we''re at the sanctuary.]

    Ohjin nodded and hastened his steps.

    He was still fatigued and various areas around his body throbbed with his internal injuries not beingpletely healed yet¡ª

    ''I need to figure this out.''

    ¡ªbut there was a need to confirm where he¡¯d slipped up.

    * * *

    "¡­So that''s what happened."

    Once they arrived at the sanctuary, he heard the story about the fragment stained with the energy of the ''ck Heaven'' being left in her room.

    It was only natural to suspect him because nobody other than Ohjin and Riak had been there.

    ''Damn it.''

    Cold sweat ran down his back.

    Ohjin recalled the sound he¡¯d heard while using Heaven Unfolding.

    ''I did hear something break back then, but I couldn¡¯t have imagined it being a fragment with the ck Heaven¡¯s energy.¡¯

    [Do you understand how things came to be?]

    "¡­"

    Ohjin slowly closed his eyes.

    Somehow, he needed to cover up his vital mistake.

    There was only one method that came to mind.

    "Adam''s Apple."

    [By Adam''s Apple¡­ do you mean the star relic you used to release the Commandment¡¯s Restriction?]

    "Yeah. It seems that the Heavenly Demon¡­ no, the ''Snakes'' to be exact, had already put their hands on it."

    Like forcefully matching disproportionate puzzle pieces, he fabricated a story.

    "I obtained this during the battle with the Hippocampus faction."

    Ohjin took out a medallion that had the shape of a snake engraved on it.

    [It¡¯s what you showed back then.]

    "Yeah. An Executor of the ck Star Organization possessing this must mean that the ''Snakes'' had already spread their influence to Japan."

    [Are you saying that they might have had some kind of influence on the star relic you obtained?]

    "That''s right."

    It was a rather imperfect excuse, but it wasn''t strange for there to be the energy of the ck Heaven on the Queen of Snakes since it was already revealed that she radically followed the being suspected to be the ''Heavenly Demon''.

    [I see¡­ so that''s what happened.]

    Vega exhaled a breath of relief as she pressed down on her chest.

    It seemed that there were some parts she still had her doubts about, but the suspicions she held against him were solved to an extent.

    ''I slid past the subject somehow.''

    It felt like he was barely grasping onto a branch on the edge of a cliff where he could fall with a minor slip.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    [I am sorry. The first thing I should have done was to talk things out with you.]

    Vega looked at herself with guilt.

    Momentster, she held Ohjin¡¯s hands with firm determination.

    [Indeed! Thisdy requires punishment!]

    "What are you talking about?"

    [Did I not distrust and suspect my child?]

    Vega looked at Ohjin with intense eyes.

    [Hand down your punishment so that I can atone for my sins.]

    The way her golden eyes glittered seemed to say that she wouldn''t let go of the matter easily.

    Ohjin looked at her with a perplexed expression.

    "¡­What do you need me to do?"

    Punish a celestial? There was simply nothing that came to mind.

    [First, why don¡¯t you firmly p my cheek?!]

    "I think that¡¯s a bit¡­"

    p her cheek? Well, he wouldn''t leave a scratch even if he used all of his might, but¡­

    ''I don''t want to.''

    It felt like every cell in his body was intensely rejecting the act when he imagined himself carrying it through.

    "The cheek is a bit much."

    [Hmm. Is that so?]

    Vega started to contemte.

    When she was walking around the sanctuary in deep thought, her eyes suddenly opened wide like she thought of a good idea.

    [Then what about the b¡­]

    "B¡­?"

    [N-No. Wait a moment.]

    Vega cleared her throat and calmed down her breathing.

    [R-Riak.]

    "Yes, Lady Vega."

    [Stay outside.]

    "Eh?"

    [D-Did you not hear me the first time!]

    Vega urgently chased Riak out of the sanctuary.

    Clueless as to why, Riak whimpered while he left the sanctuary.

    ''What''s she nning?''

    Ohjin tilted his head and looked at Vega, who had a grim expression.

    Vega swept the sanctuary''s floor with the tip of her foot and opened her mouth.

    [Uhm¡­ d-don''t you know that kind of thing? You know when you hit the¡­ b-butt of a child who''s done something wrong.]

    ''Vega?''

    [Uh¡­ Since this foolishdy has been unable to fulfill her duty as a celestial¡­ is-isn¡¯t she basically the same as a child?]

    ¡®Doesn¡¯t the logic behind that sound a bit off?''

    "So are you¡­?"

    [A-Ahem!]

    Vega¡¯s cheeks reddened and she avoided his gaze.

    It wasn''t hard to imagine what ''punishment'' she had in mind.

    ''So, to put things simply¡­''

    A transcendent born from a star, and one that was a North Star at that, was requesting that he p her butt with the palm of his hand?

    ''Ooh.''

    ''Fuck, ¡®ooh¡¯ my ass!!!''

    "Yeah, I don¡¯t think I can¡­"

    [¡­So this won''t work either?]

    Vega looked at herself with sorrowful eyes.

    [You won¡¯t even give an opportunity for thisdy to atone¡­ do you n on making her suffer from this guilt for eternity?]

    ''Uh¡­''

    [If that is your will¡­ I shall ept it with pleasure.]

    Vega gathered her hands in front of her chest and her eyes glistened with sadness.

    Ohjin pulled out his hair and twisted his body.

    ¡®What the hell does this goddess want me to do!!¡¯

    p her butt? The act that he had never imagined before caused the inside of his head to heat up.

    If it was Ha-eun instead, he could at least slide over the matter and treat it as a yful joke like usual.

    The fact that she insisted so sincerely put him in an awkward spot to refuse.

    ¡®If I knew things would turn out like this, I would¡¯ve just stuck with the cheek!!¡¯

    He thought about changing his mind, but it also didn¡¯t seem right to p her cheek when she looked like she was on the verge of crying.

    [My¡­ child?]

    Ohjin¡¯s reason and instinct shed, going after each other¡¯s throats and messing with his train of thought.

    When he stood still in deep thought for a long time¡­

    [So¡­ you won¡¯t hit me?]

    Vega carefully shook her butt with her body leaning against a wall.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Snap¡ª

    The sound of something snapping rang out in his head.

    He could feel that his instinct had won with a victorious smile as it choked his reason by the neck.

    ¡®Ah, fuck it!!!¡¯

    Ohjin raised his hand up high with firm determination.

    Putting strength into his palm, he looked at her butt and widened his eyes.

    ¡®I guess it¡¯s the silver-haired goddess¡¯s butt-pping time!!!¡¯

    He swung his hand while thinking of words that were too vulgar to be called humannguage.

 Chapter 171: Interlude - Goddessâ€™s Atonement (3)

    <strong>Chapter 171: Interlude - Goddess¡¯s Atonement (3)</strong>

    Ohjin¡¯s palm made contact with Vega¡¯s butt.

    p!¡ª

    [Hmpf!]

    Vega held her breath and quivered.

    The soft sensation remained on his palm.

    Ohjin shook his hand in an attempt to erase that sensation from his head.

    ¡°Is this enough?¡±

    His head heated up to the boiling point.

    The pulse of his beating heart rang out like thunder.

    Ohjin assumed that, since he had hit her butt as she desired, he just needed to calm down.

    When he was about to lower his hand with that in mind¡­

    [Is it¡­ over already?]

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    ¡°Y-You want more?¡±

    [Th-This is not enough to be considered punishment.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He chewed his lips with an anxious expression.

    Just pping it once felt like it would make him lose his sense of reason, but what about multiple times?

    ¡®Ah, fuck it.¡¯

    Ohjin shut his eyes tight and raised his hand once again.

    p! p!¡ª

    The silver dress Vega wore fluttered every time his palm swung down

    [Huu! Uh! Auh!]

    She let out low groans and frowned.

    An intense pain spread across her butt with every p as she removed the protection of her ¡®divinity¡¯ in order to receive a proper punishment.

    ¡®It¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing.¡¯

    However, the embarrassment was worse than the pain.

    The fact that she was getting hit on the butt by someone who she regarded as her own child made her feel intolerable humiliation and immorality.

    Her head heated up to the point she wondered if it would melt down.

    ¡®But¡­¡¯

    That embarrassment was also a part of the ¡®punishment¡¯.

    In reality, there were many punishments that made the target feel psychological humiliation rather than simply making them feel physical pain.

    If it was also considered a part of the punishment, they couldn¡¯t stop because of it.

    [I am sorry¡­ my child.]

    She continuously atoned while getting hit.

    ¡ªThe sin of distrusting her child.

    Despite being proud of him for being the Heaven-defying Star, the one and only hope of saving the world, she had started to suspect him before she knew it.

    ¡®You fool.¡¯

    She didn¡¯t trust him because he was a Regressor who knew about the future¡­

    She didn¡¯t believe him because he was the Heaven-defying Star who would save the world¡­

    The reason she trusted him was that he was ¡®Ohjin¡¯.

    Because he was a hero who fought head-on for the people he wanted to protect, regardless of whatever hardship and adversity he had to face.

    However¡­

    ¡®Even though I continuously looked over what kind of person my child was¡­¡¯

    If others began to suspect him, she should¡¯ve been the one to take his side and protect him.

    ¡®Receiving punishment is only natural.¡¯

    The amount of punishment even felt far too insufficient to her.

    p! p!¡ª

    Her atonement continued.

    Vega¡¯s butt turned red and bloated because it wasn¡¯t protected by her divinity.

    [Haah.]

    Why was it?

    Vega¡¯s voice started to feel like it was slightly wet.

    Ohjin quickly lowered his arm and avoided her gaze.

    "Th-This is enough, right?"

    [¡­]

    She looked at Ohjin like it was somewhat of a shame.

    When she was on the verge of saying "a little more", her face reddened as she shook her head.

    [Thank you for giving an opportunity for this foolish celestial to atone.]

    "¡­It really isn''t something you have to atone for."

    [No. It was my wrongdoing.]

    Vega smiled faintly and pulled Ohjin into her arms.

    In cases like that, the person who¡¯d done the hitting would normallyfort the person who was hit, but Vega was the one tofort Ohjin instead.

    [Hand down your painful punishment like this again if thisdymits a mistake again.]

    "You''re telling me to do this again?"

    Ohjin gulped and urgently shook his head.

    He wasn''t confident in his ability to maintain his rationality.

    [Is¡­ is it impossible?]

    "Ah."

    Vega slightly raised her eyes and looked at him sadly.

    Ohjin groaned at those irresistible eyes.

    "¡­Later."

    [Fufu. I''ll leave it to you when that timees.]

    He smiled awkwardly while looking at Vega hum a tune with an ted smile.

    ''I think she awakened a weird fetish.''

    Just imagining what kind of chaos would be brought about if Ha-eun found out what happenedter made his head hurt.

    [By the way¡­ is the skill you used in the final match Lightning God Physique?]

    "Yes, you''re right."

    He had obtained the skill Lightning God Physique once Lightning&Thunder hit level 10 in the fight.

    [Haa. Despite seeing it with my own eyes, it¡­ it truly is hard to believe.]

    Vega continuously shook her head.

    Lightning God Physique was a skill that transcended thews of physics and transformed the body into lightning itself.

    Even though it was a top-ss skill that you could only obtain a hint of when you became a high-ranking Awakener of Lyra, he had learned the skill when he was merely a 7-Star Awakener.

    "Well, there still seems to be too many problems to use it in realbat."

    He needed to use Charge over ten times and condense lightning to its absolute limit in order to use Lightning God Physique.

    After going through long and treacherous preparation, he could only transform a single arm.

    With its duration alsosting only a couple of seconds, there were many restrictions to its use in realbat.

    [The fact that you learned that skill itself is something that should¡¯ve been impossible in the first ce.]

    Vega continued in a worried voice.

    [I mentioned this before when you used Exceed, but do not recklessly use skills that aren''t fit for your current Star rank since theye with heavy side-effects.]

    "I probably won''t use it in most cases."

    It could be used as an ultimate attack in a situation where all of the conditions fell into ce.

    Lightning God Physique was hard to utilize in a world of superhumans that exchange dozens of blows in a second.

    ''Still, the important fact is that I can use it.''

    The power behind Lightning God Physique was enough to overwhelm Shan in an instant.

    Though she naturally wasn''t using her weapon and stigma, even if that was put into consideration, it was certain that the skill had immense potential.

    "But is level 10 not the end of Lightning&Thunder?"

    Ohjin believed that level 10 would be the final level since he¡¯d heard a big change woulde with it, but the symbol of ''MAX'' that signified the end wasn''t disyed next to his skill.

    [That skill¡¯s maximum level is 12.]

    "Ah, so it''s the same as Star ranks."

    It was known amongst Awakeners that the Star ranks ranged from 1 to 12.

    As one might¡¯ve expected, even amongst the Seven Stars that were known to be the strongest in the world, there was not a single ¡®12-Star Awakener¡¯.

    ¡®An 11-Star Awakener is the highest rank that¡¯s been officially announced to date.¡¯

    Considering how much of a difference a single Star made at higher ranks, it was extremely hard to grasp how monstrous the power of an 11-Star Awakener would be.

    ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to work hard on getting it to level 11 next.¡±

    Ohjin proudly looked at the ¡®level 10¡¯ written next to Lightning&Thunder and smiled with satisfaction.

    Since there was such a huge gap between levels 9 and 10, it was only fair to expect an even bigger change once it hit level 11.

    [Don¡¯t be in such a hurry. Haven¡¯t you only recently reached level 10?]

    ¡°Come to think of it, what level is Riak at?¡±

    Vega would obviously be at level 12 since she was the owner of the stigma of Lyra.

    Ohjin was suddenly curious about what level a Star Spirit that inherited some of her soul would be.

    [He¡¯s at level 10.]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡®Riak¡¯s at the same level as me?¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t have thought that someone who inherited a part of Vega¡¯s soul would be in the same position as he was.

    [Sigh. Do you understand how outrageous your feats are now?]

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Looking at it that way, he could grasp how absurd it was to have Lightning&Thunder reach level 10 when he was still nothing but a mere 7-Star Awakener.

    [Well, there¡¯s probably a big difference between you two even if you¡¯re both at level 10.]

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    There was bound to be an immense difference between a rookie who only just reached level 10 and someone who reached that level hundreds of years ago like Riak.

    [Haa. Riak will also have to break down the ¡®wall¡¯ soon¡­ I¡¯m worried.]

    Vega sighed deeply.

    ¡®So the wall mentioned by Riak was level 11.¡¯

    Ohjin had frequently heard that Riak was in despair before meeting him because he couldn¡¯t break down the wall for such a long time.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that he¡¯ll be able to pull it off.¡±

    [Hmm. Are you saying that because you know about the future?]

    ¡°Who knows?¡±

    Ohjin smirked and shrugged.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    [That¡¯s enough of that. Aren¡¯t you exhausted?]

    ¡°I am a bit sleepy.¡±

    He did get treated by Albali, but it didn¡¯t mean that his built-up fatigue waspletely healed.

    [Thene here and sleep.]

    Vega pulled his hand.

    [Fufu. Thisdy will sing a luby next to you.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Are you an actual mother?¡¯

    * * *

    ¡°Yawn~¡±

    A middle-aged man yawned and stretched his body.

    He trudged through the ruined alleyway settled in deep darkness that was located near Port of Incheon.

    The streets of Yonghyeon-dong gave off a gloomy vibe since they were never reconstructed after getting caught up in a gate ident that took ce nine years prior.

    There were no people other than homeless beggars that roamed the streets.

    ¡°Ugh. Why are they telling me that a demon beast will appear in a ce like this?¡±

    He clicked his tongue and looked around.

    Rumors about the recent disappearance cases in that area being the doings of a demon beast were quickly spreading around amongst Incheon residents.

    The Mirinae Guild couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to those rumors since they were therge guild that managed Incheon.

    ¡®They could¡¯ve just confirmed it by sending a couple who had nothing to do.¡¯

    In order to unt to the residents that they were paying close attention to the rumors, they¡¯d intentionally dispatched the vice-leader of the guild at Yonghyeon-dong.

    ¡°Why does an 8-Star Awakener like me have to step up for something like this?¡±

    He sighed once again and walked down the dark street.

    The unpleasant, rotten smell of trash that was casually left aside on the road stung his nose.

    He wandered around the area for over an hour.

    ¡°Fucking called it. They were false rumors.¡±

    The man swore and spit thick phlegm on the road.

    ng!¡ª

    When he angrily kicked an empty can on the ground and was about to turn around¡ª

    <strong>Hisssssssss¡ª</strong>

    ¡ªthe sound akin to leaking gas could be heard from the other side of the alley.

    The man frowned and looked toward the sound.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    When he took a step forward in that direction¡ª

    Pshk!¡ª

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    ¡ªa dark-blue spear de pierced through the man¡¯s chest.

    Blood gushed out of the man¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Wh-What¡­?¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes trembled.

    He slowly turned his head like a broken doll.

    ¡°Hiss, hisssss¡±

    There, he saw a monster covered in ck armor like a knight from the medieval ages.

    The reason he was able to immediately notice that it was not a human but a ¡®monster¡¯, despite it being covered in armor, was because of the dark-blue mes that zed through the gaps of the armor.

    Fwooosh!¡ª

    Its dark-blue eyes burning through the seams of the helmet looked at the man.

    ¡°A-Agh¡­¡±

    He shivered in fear while looking back at the monster.

    The monster pulled the spear pierced through the man¡¯s chest out and held him by the neck with one hand.

    The lower part of the helmet split apart as it bared sharp teeth and slivered its red tongue.

    ¡°S-Save¡ª¡±

    Before the end of his urgent plea¡ª

    Crunch!!¡ª

    ¡ªthe monster swallowed his head whole.

    The ck armor became drenched in the blood gushing out of the man¡¯s head.

    Crunch! Crunch!¡ª

    The ck-armored monster dug into the decapitated man¡¯s chest with its hands.

    The heart inside of his chest was still intermittently beating thanks to his superhuman body.

    ¡°Hiss, hissssss.¡±

    The monster¡¯s dark-blue eyes shone while it smirked.

    It tore out the beating heart with its hands.

    Gulping down the blood that gushed out like a waterfall, it munched down on the Awakener¡¯s mana-rich heart.

    When it was continuing its ¡®feast¡¯¡ª

    ¡°Fufu. Is it tasty?¡±

    ¡ªa sticky voice rang out from the other side of the darkness.

    ¡°Hisssss!!¡±

    The ck-armored monster quickly turned around and thrusted its spear.

    Tak¡ª

    The dark-blue spear was blocked by a slim, snow-white finger.

    ¡°Be obedient.¡±

    A woman with a figure closer to that of a young girl walked out of the pitch-ck darkness.

    Her slim body was covered by a jet-ck dress, and her wavy, light-blond hair shone in the darkness.

    The woman looked so delicate that it seemed that she would break with a slight touch.

    However, unlike her delicate appearance, a suffocating amount of gloomy energy flowed out of her.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you help me for a moment?¡±

    She smiled brightly and stuck out her tongue.

    Her thin and long tongue went past her chin and even went down to her chest.

    Yes¡­ just like¡­ the tongue of a snake.

 Chapter 172: Gathering (1)

    <strong>Chapter 172: Gathering (1)</strong>

    The embarrassing ''punishment time'' that could not be mentioned to anyone came to an end.

    Ohjin started his recovery in earnest.

    [Here, say ah~]

    Vega lent out a spoonful of abalone porridge with a sheepish smile.

    He ate the abalone porridge whileyed down on the bed.

    Nom, nom¡ª

    The umami of the abalone spread out in his mouth.

    Ojjin turned his head to face Vega, who was sitting next to the bed and looking at him caringly.

    "Where did you get all of this?"

    [I asked Spica to obtain them from outside the sanctum.]

    "¡­"

    Making a celestial of the 12 Zodiacs run errands? Even for a North Star, it was hard to imagine that it was possible.

    [Spica is my one and only friend who understands my feelings.]

    "Yeah, that''s exactly what a bully would say."

    [Hm? What do you mean?]

    "It''s nothing."

    ''I''m sorry I wasn''t able to protect you, Spica.''

    Ohjin finished the remaining abalone porridge while thinking of the bright celestial with poodle-like curly pink hair.

    "Ugh¡­!"

    Once he tried to get up after finishing his meal, intense pain spread out from his belly.

    It was the ce that had been stabbed by Shaolin''s sword.

    [Didn¡¯t I tell you that you have to take it easy?]

    Vega pressed down his chest and spoke with a stern voice.

    "But still, I can''t stayying down all day."

    [Oho. Didn''t I tell you to stay put?]

    She stopped Ohjin from trying to raise his body once again.

    Having no intention of hearing his refute, she lightly touched his sr plexus with a determined look.

    Bzzt!¡ª

    Along with the small smark¡ª

    "Huh?"

    Flop¡ª

    ¡ªOhjin helplessly fell back onto the bed.

    Not only did he fall, his arms and legs wouldn''t budge.

    "Wh-What?"

    [I temporarily paralyzed your body. You must never move until your recovery isplete!]

    Ohjin groaned after hearing her stern voice.

    "Fine. I promise I won''t move, so release me."

    [Impossible!]

    Vega kept shaking her head like she would never do as he wished.

    Her wavering silver hair tickled the tip of his nose.

    "Sigh."

    When he sighed shortly with his head resting on a pillow¡ª

    Click¡ª

    ¡ªthe door of the room opened, and arge, silver wolf walked in.

    His eyes that shone like those of an experienced warrior looked at Ohjin.

    "Rookie, there''s a person who came to meet you."

    "Hm? Me?"

    Ohjin tilted his head on the pillow.

    "He said that he''s affiliated with the Heaven''s Grace Guild."

    "Aha."

    It was likely a messenger sent by Cheon Sanggil.

    There was no choice but to directly send a person to contact someone inside the sanctum because radio waves couldn''t travel inside.

    [Tell him toe back at ater date because thisdy''s child currently cannot move.]

    "That''s what I told him, but I''ve left him alone for now since he said that there''s an urgent message rted to ''Guardian''. Should I chase him out?"

    [Do so¡ª]

    "Wait."

    Ohjin stopped Vega from chasing out Cheon Sanggil¡¯s messenger and barely managed to turn his head to face her.

    "Matters regarding ¡®Guardian¡¯ should be rted to the ck Star Organization. For now, release me from the paralysis."

    [But¡­]

    "Vega¡­"

    [¡­Sigh. You really are so troublesome.]

    Vega sighed and shook her head like a mother with a reckless child.

    She contemted for a moment and then lightly tapped his body.

    Bzzzt!¡ª

    Sparks appeared again, and the lightning that restricted his body disappeared.

    "Hyup."

    Ohjin raised his body off the bed.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    Areas around his body hurt like they¡¯d been hit by baseball bats, but he needed to get up to hear the contents of the message that required someone to visit Vega¡¯s sanctuary personally.

    Ohjin exited the sanctuary along with Riak and Vega.

    "Nice to meet you, Mr. Ohjin. I''m Baek Dongil of the Heaven''s Grace Guild."

    "Hello."

    They exchanged businesslike greetings and shook hands.

    "I heard that you currently reside in the sanctum to focus on your training. I apologize for having to interrupt you like this."

    [Hmpf. It seems that you are aware of your discourtesy.]

    It appeared that Vega didn''t take kindly to the fact that he¡¯d interrupted Ohjin¡¯s rest, as she crossed her arms and red down at Baek Dongil.

    "C-Cough. I¡­ I really do apologize."

    He was overwhelmed by the pressure exerted by a North Star and stuttered while bowing his head again and again.

    "Vega¡­"

    [Haa. I''m sorry.]

    Vega sighed and retracted her pressure once Ohjin slightly pulled down on her arm.

    "I heard that there was an urgent message rted to ¡®Guardian¡¯. Did something happen?"

    "Yes. Recently, a matter that''s suspected to be the doings of the ck Star Organization has arisen."

    "Could you exin in more detail?"

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    Baek Dongil handed neatly organized files to Ohjin.

    "There have been rumors going around in the past month of there being an unidentified demon beast near the Port of Incheon."

    ¡ªA demon beast¡­

    If it was not a ''monster'' but a ''demon beast'', the chances of it being connected to the ck Star Organization were high.

    "Also, the vice-leader of the Miranae Guild that was recently sent to investigate the case has also gone missing."

    "If it''s the Miranae Guild¡­"

    "Yes. It''s therge guild that operates in Incheon."

    He had heard of them before.

    Even if they weren¡¯t ranked high amongst the top 10 guilds, they were still arge guild that made the cut.

    "Isn''t the vice-leader of the Miranae guild an 8-Star Awakener?"

    "That is correct."

    "Hmm."

    A monster that not even an 8-Star Awakener could handle¡­

    It was certainly a mutant of a caliber that couldn''t be found easily within Korea.

    "We''re¡­ currently suspecting it to be a ''named'' monster."

    ¡ªNamed¡­

    ''Named'' was a title people gave to monsters that were given a name like the Thousand Curse Dragon, Barbatos.

    It was different for every entity, but ''named'' monsters typically possessed intelligence and leadership that was iparable to other monsters and were infamous for causing catastrophic damage.

    "Did the ck Star Organization create the named monster?"

    "No, we haven''t been able to confirm that yet."

    Baek Dongil shook his head.

    "However, the time frame of when the rumors spread about the illegal entry of the ck Star Organization in the Port of Incheon and the appearance of the unidentified demon beast match up, to an extent."

    "Illegal entry?"

    "Yes. We suspect them to havee from Vietnam or the Philippines¡­ our sources state that they are from the ''Bufo'' faction."

    ''Following the Owls and Seahorses, is it the Toads this time?''

    When he thought of it, he had heard of them before within Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories.

    ''I heard something about them having held hands with the Owl faction or something.''

    However, that faction had already been exterminated at his hands.

    In that case, it meant that they hadn¡¯t illegally entered Korea wasn''t to create an alliance with another faction.

    ''They could be targeting Korea itself now that the Owls no longer exist.''

    Ohjin wasn''tpletely sure of the situation in Southeast Asia, but that area had been significantly damaged by monsters in the past.

    They could be targeting Korea since it was in way better shape than the countries that were said to have descended into anarchy.

    ''Well, I''ll only know for certain once I confirm it on my own.''

    The important point was that the Bufo faction set foot in Korea simultaneously with the appearance of a powerful demon beast that was suspected to be a named monster.

    "You''ve probablye here to request for me to investigate that case."

    "That is correct, but we naturally have no intention of making Mr. Ohjin do the investigation alone."

    He had previously mentioned that he had news rted to ''Guardian''.

    In that case¡­

    "The members of ¡®Guardian¡¯ are currently gathered up near Ganghwa Ind. Could you pleasee to provide some of your assistance?"

    Baek Dongil respectfully bowed down.

    Ohjin silently closed his eyes and started to think.

    ''I really should go if it''s rted to the ck Star Organization¡­''

    The problem was the state of his body.

    All of his external injuries were healed thanks to Albali, but his internal injuries still remained.

    Since most of his mana control was limited, not only was he unable to utilize his massive mana pool that could be said to be his biggest strength, but he also couldn''t use powerful skills such as Lightning God Physique.

    "I''m pretty much no different from Hawkeye if I just have a bow and arrow."

    "Pardon? Hawkeye?"

    "Ah, I was talking to myself."

    Anyways¡­

    ''They''ll probably hide themselves even more thoroughly if we lose this opportunity.''

    He had to choose between taking a risk and hunting down the Bufo faction or waiting safely until his body waspletely healed.

    It seemed like he came to a decision; he took a step forward.

    "I understand. Then let us head to Ganghwa Ind."

    "Thank you for partaking!"

    Baek Dongil smiled brightly and courteously lowered his head.

    [My child, I don''t think you should chase after the ck Star Organization when your body hasn''t even healed yet¡­]

    "My condition isn''t so severe that I can''t move."

    [But¡ª!]

    "And it''s not like I''m going alone."

    He didn''t know the members of ¡®Guardian¡¯ excluding Lee Woohyuk at the moment, but it was safe to assume that they were skilled individuals because they were picked by Cheon Sanggil himself.

    "I can also just use this if the situation is that dangerous."

    Ohjin took out an elixir from his pocket.

    He had obtained it to heal Ha-eun''s leg, but it would be right to use it on himself in the worst-case scenario where his life was endangered.

    ''My internal injuries should also get healed in one go with an elixir.''

    Needless to say, he really had no ns on using it unless he was on the verge of death.

    He was, fortunately, able to obtain an elixir pretty easily, but it was unknown when he would get the chance to obtain one again.

    [Sigh. You seriously overexert yourself every time.]

    Vega sighed deeply and stuck behind Ohjin.

    [I shall go as¡ª]

    "Lady Vega, where do you think you''re going?" Riak called out to her and sighed.

    "Doesn''t absorbing Deneb''s divinitye first?"

    [Th-That''s¡­]

    Vega''s shoulders flinched.

    She slurred the end of her sentence with an anxious voice.

    [I can just do thatter¡­]

    "Lady Vega, aren¡¯t you well aware that exposed divinity gradually perishes with time? Or are you nning to waste the divinity the rookie obtained through battling while bleeding profusely?"

    [Ugh.]

    Vega clenched the hem of her skirt and roughly bit her lips.

    She red at Riak with resentment and then soon nodded her head with a sigh.

    [Fine, I shall focus on absorbing the divinity for the time being.]

    After finishing her sentence, Vega sneakily clung on Ohjin¡¯s arm.

    [Still, summon me through the pendant if a dangerous situation befalls you¡ªI shall materialize immediately.]

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    It seemed like he shouldn¡¯t call her in most cases based on Riak¡¯s expression. Regardless, he would still have no choice but to seek Vega¡¯s help in a situation of true danger.

    ¡®But it would be best if that kind of situation doesn¡¯te about.¡¯

    A couple of insurances were arranged.

    Each one of them hurt to use, but simply the fact that he had hidden cards he could pull out in dangerous situations put his mind at ease.

    ¡°Then let us go.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ohjin followed Baek Dongil out of the sanctum.

    ¡®I wonder who the other members of ¡®Guardian¡¯ will be.¡¯

    Vroom¡ª

    The engine of Ohjin¡¯s ride started with a smooth sound and sped through the roads.

 Chapter 173: Gathering (2)

    <strong>Chapter 173: Gathering (2)</strong>

    After arriving at Paradi¡­ no, The Ganghwa Ind Special Autonomous Zone, Ohjin headed to Cheon Sanggil¡¯s residence right away.

    In theforting scenery akin to the countryside, a certain old man in a neatly-ironed Taoist robe walked out of the traditional Korean-style house to greet Ohjin.

    His clear eyes and his wrinkles that emitted a profound aura were directed at Ohjin.

    ¡°So you¡¯vee.¡±

    The First Star, the Star of Celestial Pivot.

    One of the seven strongest Awakeners in the world smiled at Ohjin.

    ¡°Have you been doing well in the meantime?¡±

    ¡°Haha. Every day that goes by feels the same to an old man like me. Ah, but still, helping out that child train has made it feel like time passes quickly as ofte.¡±

    There was no need to ask who the ¡®child¡¯ mentioned by Cheon Sanggil was.

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone as he took a step in his direction.

    ¡°How is Ha-eun doing?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s doing so well that I wonder if she could be doing any better. On that matter¡­ she has made a great aplishment.¡±

    ¡°Oho.¡±

    It was impressive for the words of ¡®great aplishment¡¯ to leave Cheon Sanggil¡¯s mouth in just a little over a month.

    ¡®As expected of Ha-eun.¡¯

    Ha-eun¡¯s talent was exceptional to the point that it could be expressed as astonishingpared to other Awakeners.

    ¡°Is she inside?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Ha-eun¡¯s body is currently in such a state that it is unable to move.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡®Unable to move?¡¯

    Cold killing intent started to gather in Ohjin¡¯s eyes.

    If the target wasn¡¯t an Awakener¡­ no, even if they were an Awakener, his frightening killing intent was enough to knock out low-ranked Awakeners with a nce.

    His low voice rang out.

    ¡°Did¡­ something happen to her?¡±

    ¡°Haha. It¡¯s nothing of the sort, so calm down. Didn¡¯t I just say that she¡¯s doing well?¡±

    ¡°Then¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ha-eun is currently ¡®molting¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What? It¡¯s not like she¡¯s a reptile.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she have that eye?¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the Dragon Eye?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The Dragon Eye has awakened a new power.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that what you meant by ¡®molting¡¯?¡±

    Cheon Sanggil nodded his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s uncertain whether it¡¯s because of the Dragon Eye awakening a new power or if it¡¯s a characteristic of Awakeners with the stigma of Draco, but this old man can wager on his name that it isn¡¯t harmful to her body.¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    ¡ªMolting¡­

    He had never heard of such an urrence happening to Awakeners before.

    It could naturally be because the number of Awakeners with the stigma of Draco were simr to that of the apostles of a North Star, but he couldn¡¯t help but worry because the case was directly connected to Ha-eun.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look if you¡¯re worried?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be thankful if you let me.¡±

    Ohjin followed Cheon Sanggil to a house that was located close to his residence.

    No, to be urate, it was a ce that was suspected to have been a house ¡®previously¡¯.

    Fwooooosh!¡ª

    He could feel the powerful mes from a distance.

    Ashes were the only thing left in the open area that was suspected to have once been a traditional Korean-style house.

    Through the gaps in the ashes that were scattering like snow, Ohjin could see Ha-eun epassed by membrane-like mes with her eyes closed.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°It has been around four days since it started.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me that she¡¯s continuously been in that state for four days?¡±

    Cheon Sanggil nodded his head.

    Ohjin approached Ha-eun, who was surrounded by mes.

    Even though she was covered in ferocious mes that seemed to want to melt the entire world, Ha-eun¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t look any more peaceful.

    ¡®Is this why he said that there¡¯s no way it would harm her?¡¯

    Ohjin activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and examined Ha-eun¡¯s state.

    As Cheon Sanggil mentioned, the mes covering her body looked like they were ¡®molting¡¯. The old and withered mes were getting pushed away, and they were getting reced by the new, powerful mes.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°It certainly does look like there''s nothing that would harm her.¡±

    ¡°Haha. Didn¡¯t this old man say so?¡±

    Ohjin smiled awkwardly while Cheon Sanggil was chuckling softly.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that I was doubting your words.¡±

    ¡°I know. It¡¯s only natural that you would want to confirm your lover¡¯s safety with your own eyes.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil nodded.

    ¡°How long will she be in this state?¡±

    ¡°Not even this old man knows the answer to that question.¡±

    Ohjin sighed as he looked at Ha-eun, who had her eyes closed with a peaceful expression. It was unfortunate she was in that state when he was excited about meeting her after being apart for a long time.

    ¡°In any case, why don¡¯t we return to my house if you¡¯re done confirming her safety? There are some people waiting inside.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Of course.¡±

    ¡°Haha. There are some people I¡¯d like to introduce to you.¡±

    ¡°Are they the members of ¡®Guardian¡¯?

    ¡°That¡¯s right. There''ll be a couple of new faces around.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil turned with a confident expression.

    Talented individuals selected personally by the Star of Celestial Pivot¡­

    Ohjin followed him while his eyes shone with expectation.

    Fwooosh¡ª

    Naturally, he kept looking back at Ha-eun as they left.

    * * *

    ¡°Here,e inside.¡±

    He entered the house following Cheon Sanggil¡¯s guidance.

    The first thing that stood out in his eyes was a young man with a handsome appearance.

    The young man with eyes sharp as a beast¡¯s that gave off the impression of a lone wolf noticed Ohjin and approached him.

    The ck Lion, Lee Woohyuk.

    He was Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s younger brother and an Awakener of Leo who was the leader of one of the top 10 guilds, Valha.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk slightly bowed his head as he approached Ohjin.

    ¡°Yes, it has.¡±

    ¡°I have heard the news about your feats in Japan.¡±

    ¡°The Awakeners over there did much more than I did.¡±

    ¡°Ah, was it Mr. Sakaki? The Awakener that recently took down one of the ck Star Organization¡¯s Executors?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    Ohjin smiled brightly and nodded.

    Though Sakaki wasn¡¯t the one who¡¯d actually taken down an Executor of the ck Star Organization, they¡¯d publicly announced that it was Sakaki¡¯s feat in order for Ohjin to avoid getting targeted by them.

    ¡°You are still incredible. To think that you¡¯d even go to foreignnds to fight the ck Star Organization¡­¡±

    Lee Woohyuk sighed deeply with a smile mixed with self-deprecation.

    ¡°I feel like I only go on about avenging my brother with wordspared to you.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a busy person? It can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk was the leader of a guild.

    He didn¡¯t have the leisure to go to other countries to fight the ck Star Organization the moment he heard rumors like Ohjin could.

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    It appeared that Ohjin¡¯sment touched his heart, Lee Woohyuk smiled faintly.

    ¡®He really was blessed with a handsome face.¡¯

    With the exception of one of Deneb¡¯s apostles, Allen Oscal, he had never seen a man with such a handsome appearance.

    Ohjin himself had never heard anyone say that he wasn¡¯t born with looks, but he felt like an ugly squid when he stood next to Lee Woohyuk.

    ¡°Hoho. I see that there¡¯s no need to introduce Lee Woohyuk to you.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil lightly chuckled while looking at Ohjin and Lee Woohyuk before they moved.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    They followed Cheon Sanggil deeper into the humble house.

    ¡°Wow, the Lightning Wolf really came.¡±

    ¡°Hmpf, what¡¯s this? Unlike the rumors, he looks so damn weak.¡±

    ¡°Uhm¡­ Is-isn¡¯t saying that a bit inappropriate for our first meeting?¡±

    What he could see once the sliding door opened were two women and one young boy.

    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce them.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil started to introduce them one by one as if he was introducing guests as the host of a program.

    ¡°First off, the beautifuldy we have here is Jegal Soyoung. She¡¯s an Awakener of Sagittarius that¡¯s famous for her title of ¡®ck Rose¡¯. Have you heard of her before?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Of course.¡±

    The ck Rose, Jegal Soyoung.

    She was half-Korean and half-Chinese and was a skilled Awakener who did work in both Korea and China.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯ve heard a lot of stories about you.¡±

    With delicate ck hair that was like silk, Jegal Soyoung smiled with her eyes and waved her hand.

    She examined Ohjin from head to toe with an interested expression, and then soon smiled lustfully.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to meet you ever since I saw that broadcast. I¡¯m d this opportunity allowed us to meet like this.¡±

    Jegal Soyoung got up from her seat and held out her hand to Ohjin.

    The nails on her pretty hand were painted a pink color.

    Ohjin shook her extended hand.

    ¡°Pleased to meet you. My name is Gwon Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°You can speak more casually, you know?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do so after we get more acquainted with each other.¡±

    He appropriately drew the line because she was trying to stick close to him with her seductive eyes.

    ¡°Is that so? Then how about we get more acquainted right away?¡±

    As if she did not give a care in the world for the line he drew, Jegal Soyoung slightly tickled the palm of Ohjin¡¯s hand with her fingers.

    It was obvious that she was trying to seduce him, but Ohjin let go of her hand so firmly that it felt cold.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we think of another date since we have business to take care of right now?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Is that so?¡±

    Jegal Soyoung¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    She examined Ohjin up and down like a predator hunting its prey and soon shrugged while returning to her seat.

    ¡°Next up is an Awakener of Phoenix, Choi Yuumi.¡±

    Choi Yuumi was a woman with short, orange hair that was cut at ear length. She rested her chin on the table and looked up at Ohjin.

    Rather different from Jegal Soyoung, who responded kindly, Choi Yuumi¡¯s eyes were full of frustration and distrust as she looked at him.

    ¡°He really does look weak. I don¡¯t feel anything special from him, either. Is this fucker really an apostle of a North Star?

    She examined Ohjin as if she really couldn¡¯t trust him and then suddenly got up from her seat.

    ¡°Yeah, I think that I¡¯ll have to test him after all.¡±

    ¡°P-Please stop¡­ Ms. Yuumi.¡±

    At that moment, a young boy with brown hair stopped Choi Yuumi by grabbing her sleeve.

    He looked to be around the age of Kim Sihoo.

    The opposite of Deneb, the boy gave off a weak and delicate impression.

    ¡°Lastly, we have Awakener Oh Hyunbin, an Awakener of Aquarius.¡±

    ¡°H-Hello. My name is Oh Hyunbin! Uhm¡­ I¡­ I apologize for the previous act of disrespect from one of our guild¡¯s members!¡±

    Oh Hyunbin bowed down at a nearly 90-degree angle.

    He was most likely referring to the incident with Choi Jongchul.

    ¡°Is it just the five of us?¡±

    Ha-eun was originally supposed to be with them, but she couldn¡¯t attend because she was in the process of ¡®molting¡¯.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s still one person left.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil shook his head and confirmed the time by looking at the clock on the wall.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s about time for her to arrive¡­¡±

    Knock, knock¡ª

    Speaking of the devil, a low sound rang from the sliding door.

    ¡°Ah, it seems that she¡¯s arrived. Come inside.¡±

    Drrrrr¡ª

    Blond hair that seemed to be made out of gold swayed softly as the door opened.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened after seeing the woman who walked into the room.

    The woman smiled brightly towards Ohjin and respectfully bowed down to the people inside the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m pleased to make your acquaintance. I¡¯m Isabe Cgrande, who recently joined Guardian.¡±

    ¡ªShe had perfect etiquette that was right out of a manual.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The owner of the ck Heaven and the 3rd ranking Executor of the ck Star Organization was affiliated with Guardian¡­

    ¡®What an insane lineup.¡¯

    Ohjin clutched his head as he felt a headacheing on.

 Chapter 174: Gathering (3)

    <strong>Chapter 174: Gathering (3)</strong>

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    After entering the room, Isabe sat down next to Ohjin like it was only natural and smiled with her eyes.

    He thought that Jegal Soyoung¡¯s smile looked quite attractive, but Isabe¡¯s was so powerful that he momentarily forgot what Jegal Soyoung looked like.

    ¡°I wanted to see you.¡±

    Isabeughed sheepishly with an innocent smile.

    ¡°What circumstances led you to join Guardian?¡±

    ¡°I directly contacted the First Star after hearing that you were here!¡±

    ¡®What¡­? She followed me here?¡¯

    Ohjin looked at Isabe with a shocked expression.

    It was unknown if she knew how he was feeling on the inside, but she looked at Ohjin like a puppy expecting to get praised and leaned her head forward.

    ¡®Does she want me to pat her¡­?¡¯

    Due to the silent pressure Ohjin felt from Isabe, he reflexively put his hand on top of her beautiful blond hair.

    Her delicate hair which was as soft as fur slipped through the gaps of his fingers.

    ¡°Mmh.¡±

    Isabe gently closed her eyes and groaned listlessly as if she was savoring Ohjin¡¯s touch and odor.

    ¡°I was surprised when Lady Isabe contacted me. To think that you would also have connections with the Saintess of Rome¡­¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ it somehow happened.¡±

    Ohjin evasively tried to avoid exining his rtionship with her.

    ¡°Mr. Ohjin is my lifesaver.¡±

    ¡°Lifesaver?¡±

    Isabe nodded and smiled brightly.

    ¡°Yes. He is the very person who saved me when I was threatened by the ck Star Organization¡¯s assassinations.¡±

    ¡°Oho. So that¡¯s how you know each other.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil found the situation interesting and looked at Ohjin and Isabe.

    ¡°I guess I won¡¯t have to worry about teamwork.¡±

    He smiled in satisfaction and nodded.

    ¡°I would¡¯ve liked to throw a weing party to get everyone acquainted with each other, but unfortunately, with the situation being like it is, I¡¯ll have to get right to business.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil took out a map from his pocket andid it out on the table.

    It was a detailed map of the Yonghyeon-dong neighborhood that was now a ghost town.

    ¡°What I want to request of you all is the tracking and extermination of the demon beast that''s said to have appeared in Yonghyeon-dong.¡±

    ¡°Is that all?¡±

    ¡°That is all for now, but if possible, I would also like you to confirm its connection to the Bufo faction.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Ohjin nodded his head and confirmed the marks on the map which was where the demon beast appeared.

    The distance between marks was too far apart for six people to search in one group.

    ¡°I think it¡¯d be best to split up into groups of two since the area is too spacious.¡±

    ¡°Heh, is that even necessary? Each one of us can spread out and kill it the instant we discover it.¡±

    Choi Yuumi chuckled at Ohjin¡¯s suggestion and stared at him.

    ¡°Or by any chance¡ª¡±

    A smirk of ridicule was put on her mouth.

    ¡°¡ªare you too scared to go around on your own?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It was an extremely childish taunt.

    Ohjin let out a giggle and started to speak.

    ¡°Rather than that, the problem lies within the bnce of parties. Ms. Jegal Soyoung has the stigma of Sagittarius that¡¯s specialized in long-range fighting. Not only that, but we also have two support-type Awakeners in possession of the stigma of Aries and Aquarius. Despite this, are you suggesting that each of us split up?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Choi Yuumi slurred the end of her sentence in panic. She was so caught up in taunting Ohjin that she hadn¡¯t even thought of the other members.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to pick a fight, I would appreciate it if you thought about what you¡¯re saying beforehand.¡±

    ¡°Wh-What did you say?¡±

    Choi Yuumi ground her teeth.

    Bang!¡ª

    She mmed the table and shot up from her seat while reaching out for the scabbard hanging on her belt.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    ¡°Fucker, you¡¯ve crossed the line!¡±

    The moment she was about to unsheath her sword¡ª

    ¡°Kyaa!¡±

    tter!¡ª

    ¡ªSurprised by Choi Yuumi¡¯s sudden action of standing up and mming the table, Isabe dropped the tea cup that she was given by Cheon Sanggil.

    The hot green tea inside the cup poured out in Choi Yuumi¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Choi Yuumi frowned while looking down at the green tea that soaked her socks.

    She furiously red at Isabe for interrupting her at a decisive moment.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! Are you hurt?¡±

    Isabe urgently approached Choi Yuumi and continuously bowed her head down with a restless expression.

    Her body trembled like a frightened sheep.

    Choi Yuumi recalled how Isabe stuck close to Ohjin moments beforehand and chuckled.

    ¡®This bitch and that bastard are the same¡­¡¯

    When she was in the middle of preparing to curse at Isabe with all of her might in front of Ohjin, Isabe tilted her face close to her ear and whispered in a voice that could only be heard by her.

    <strong>¡°Stop bothering Ohjin and know your ce, fucking bitch.¡±</strong>

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Choi Yuumi¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡®What did I hear just now¡­?¡¯

    Her thoughts temporarily came to a halt because of the unimaginable shocking words said by Isabe, who looked like an innocentmb.

    ¡°F-Fucking bitch?¡±

    Soon after, all that was left remaining after the shock was rage that sprouted up like a volcano.

    When Choi Yuumi stared at Isabe with a fierce expression¡ª

    ¡°¡­!!¡±

    ¡ªit felt like something was crushing her lungs.

    Just as if she had be a frog that encountered a snake, her body froze on the spot.

    Thump, thump¡ª

    Her heart beat like crazy.

    Her ragged breathing started to bereave her sense of reason.

    Her instincts yelled, screamed, and cried out through the gaps of her copsing sense of reason.

    ¡ªRun away. Run away. Run away.

    ¡ªRight. This. Instant.

    ¡°Huff, huff, huff.¡±

    Choi Yuumi clutched her chest in an attempt to calm down her heart that beat like it was going to explode.

    Shiver¡ª

    Cold sweat ran down her back.

    ¡®What¡­ is this?¡¯

    She had never felt such fear throughout her whole life.

    Even when fighting thousands of monsters¡­

    Even when battling countless awakeners with her life on the line¡­

    She had never been so scared before.

    ¡°A-Are you okay, Ms. Yuumi?¡±

    Isabe approached her with worry.

    Choi Yuumi trembled and stepped away from her.

    For unknown reasons, she felt like she could smell the pungent scent of thick blooding from Isabe.

    Choi Yuumi started retching and curled up on the floor like a pillbug.

    ¡°Hugh, uah, ugh!¡±

    She was barely able to block her mouth and stop herself from vomiting, but she couldn¡¯t prevent the area between her legs from getting wet.

    ¡°H-Hup!¡±

    Choi Yuumi huped with a frightened expression.

    No matter how fierce her personality was, she was still a woman.

    There was no way she would be able to keep herself together when she was incontinent in front of others.

    ¡°Ms. Yuumi? Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Yuumi?¡±

    Fortunately, the amount she leaked was not enough for it to be visible to others.

    ¡°I¡­ I need to use the restroom!!¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    Choi Yuumi mmed open the sliding door and ran outside like she was fleeing.

    ¡°I wonder what¡¯s gotten into her.¡±

    Isabe looked at her fleeing back like she couldn¡¯t understand why she was running.

    She paced around and continued in a worried voice.

    ¡°D-Did I perhaps do something wrong¡­?¡±

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil slowly shook his head.

    ¡°Ms. Yuumi is a high-rank Awakener of Phoenix. She couldn¡¯t have been hurt by the green tea.¡±

    ¡°Then why¡­?¡±

    ¡°This old man is also clueless.¡±

    Choi Yuumi¡¯s actions were hard to understand withmon sense.

    ¡°Hmm. It looks like this old man will have to revoke his statement about teamwork.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil sighed deeply and looked around the room that had be a mess.

    ¡°This is all because this old man was in a rush to gather you. Please understand Ms. Yuumi¡¯s action as she¡¯s still unfamiliar to you all.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter as long as she doesn¡¯t be a hindrance to our operation.¡±

    Ohjin looked at Isabe after speaking.

    ¡®Just what did she do?¡¯

    It did seem like she whispered something in her ear, but he couldn¡¯t hear what she said because it was so sudden and inaudible.

    ¡°I apologize for causing amotion, Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    Isabe sat back down next to Ohjin and gently put her hand on top of his hand.

    He was certain that whatever happened to Choi Yuumi was Isabe¡¯s doing, but she was smiling innocently like she was clueless as to what happened.

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    Yuumi wasn¡¯t in the ranks of the 12 Zodiacs, but Isabe had still made a high-rank Awakener like her wet her pants in mere seconds.

    He couldn¡¯t get a grasp on how powerful Isabe was.

    ¡®It¡¯s highly likely that her power even exceeds Cheon Sanggil, the First Star, considering the fact he didn¡¯t notice.¡¯

    In other words, it meant that Isabe could tear off the heads of everyone inside that room if she flipped out.

    It felt like the button to detonate an atomic bomb was right next to him.

    The moment he slipped up and agitated her, the Bufo faction would no longer be the problem, and ¡®Guardian¡¯ would instead be the guardians of the underworld.

    ¡®I need to do my best to act like I didn¡¯t notice.¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not your fault, Isabe. Based on how she tried to pick a fight with me earlier, maybe she isn¡¯t doing great today.¡±

    ¡°I hope that¡¯s the case.¡±

    ¡®Of course¡­ my queen¡ª I mean, Isabe did nothing wrong. This is all that bitch Choi Yuumi¡¯s fault. I just need to go over this matter like this!!¡¯

    Ohjin clenched his fist.

    Since Isabe was strangely obsessed with him, there would be no case of Isabe blowing up if he acted his part.

    ¡°Then should we decide on our groups?¡± Ohjin said in a bright voice to lighten the mood.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do so.¡±

    ¡°This old man also thinks that searching in groups will be better.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk and Cheon Sanggil nodded their heads.

    ¡®Good.¡¯

    He had seeded in securing his opinion.

    ¡°As I thought, I believe the best move will be to make up groups consisting of one support and one vanguard.¡±

    After setting up a logical point they couldn¡¯t refute¡­

    ¡°Since Isabe and I know each other, why don¡¯t the two of us¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I don''t know about that.¡±

    Jegal Soyoung raised her hand.

    She smiled seductively and furtively sat down next to him.

    The thick scent of roses stung his nose.

    ¡°What if I were to say that I want to be in the same group as Mr. Ohjin?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    For an instant, Isabe¡¯s eyes shone coldly.

    ¡®Shit! Fuck off! Please fuck off!!¡¯

    Ohjin screamed in his head.

    The button of the atomic bomb that he¡¯d barely managed to cut the power of was shing with a red light once again.

 Chapter 175: Gathering (4)

    <strong>Chapter 175: Gathering (4)</strong>

    There was a deathly silence.

    The gazes of Jegal Soyoung and Isabe, who were sitting beside him, shed in the air.

    ¡°Was your name Jegal Soyoung?¡± she said in a calm voice as she gently swept her hair behind her ear.

    Isabe smiled and looked at her.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°I heard that you¡¯re a skilled individual, even amongst Awakeners of Sagittarius.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, thank you. I¡¯ve also heard various stories about the Saintess of Rome.¡±

    Jegal Soyoung smiled back at her.

    If you were to only consider their facial expressions and the contents of the conversation, everything seemed to be going well like they were casually sharing a coffee in a cafe, however¡ª

    ¡®Fuck.¡¯

    ¡ªOhjin could sense the fierce battle of wits that was happening between them.

    ¡®The bomb could explode with a slip.¡¯

    Jegal Soyoung wasn¡¯t the problem.

    Ohjin didn¡¯t know much about her, but she didn¡¯t look like someone who would use violence if things didn¡¯t go her way.

    ¡®But¡­¡¯

    Isabe was a different story.

    ¡ªThe Queen of Leeches, the Blood-crazed Witch, and so on¡­

    Considering her crazy personality that she disyed at the pier, he couldn¡¯t possibly predict what she would do if things didn¡¯t go ording to her liking.

    ¡®ording to the future in the 1st Round, Isabe was the one who brought Italy to ruin in the first ce.¡¯

    What was the poption of Italy?

    Even if their poption was reduced severely due to the monsters, they should¡¯ve still at least had a poption of several tens of millions.

    Although it was something that happened in the 1st Round, she was a witch that nonchntly massacred the lives of millions.

    ¡®But I guess I also ughtered several billion if you were to put it that way¡­¡¯

    Anyways, even at that moment, Isabe having the capability to easily kill everyone in that room was a fact.

    The First Star? The ck Lion? The Apostle of Vega?¡±

    None of that mattered.

    ¡®She¡¯s the woman who killed a 9-Star Awakener in a single strike.¡¯

    Truth be told, he wasn¡¯t confident in his ability to defeat her even with the use of ¡®Heaven Unfolding¡¯.

    Ohjin gulped and looked at Isabe.

    It was important to keep her as pleased as possible.

    ¡®Let¡¯s observe the situation a little longer.¡¯

    He carefully observed the situation like he was walking on thin ice.

    ¡°In my opinion, I think it would be best if Ms. Soyoung partied up with Ms. Yuumi rather than Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Why is that?¡±

    ¡°Although you can support Ohjin with your outstanding archery skills, you must understand that his spear isn¡¯t the only thing he uses when he fights. Utilizing his wire shooters, he transitions between close-ranged and long-rangedbat as he wishes.¡±

    Herposed exnation continued.

    ¡°With that being the case, I believe that my stigma that can enhance the strength of others is more appropriate for someone who constantly changes positions rather than an archer who provides support with a bow.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    Ohjin quickly took Isabe¡¯s side.

    ¡°I also happened to have partied with an Awakener of Sagittarius in the past.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are referring to when you streamed with Jerry Kim, correct? I also watched that stream.¡±

    Jegal Soyoung¡¯s eyes sparkled as she nodded.

    Ohjin groaned internally once he heard that she¡¯d even watched the stream. He was wondering why she was being so aggressive, and it seemed like she¡¯d been interested in him for quite some time.

    ¡°I also thought that Ohjin¡¯s fighting style didn¡¯t go well with the stigma of Sagittarius when I watched the stream back then as Isabe mentioned.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes. However, wasn¡¯t that because the person in question was Jerry Kim?¡±

    Jegal Soyoung leaned on her hand and smiled with confidence.

    ¡°Although we¡¯re both the same Awakeners of Sagittarius, you can¡¯tpare me with him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Whether Ohjin flies far away with his wires or fights in closebat with his spear, I¡¯m confident in my ability to match his style.¡±

    It was likely that it wasn¡¯t a bluff.

    The ck Rose, Jegal Soyoung¡­

    It wasn¡¯t right topare an Awakener who was acknowledged by the whole world with an ordinary streamer.

    ¡®You don¡¯t understand, woman. That isn¡¯t the problem right now. The thing that flies far away might not be me but your head.¡¯

    ¡°Even so, I think that it would be best for me to party with Isabe in this operation. We¡¯ve worked together before, after all.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. It seems you cherish Isabe quite a lot.¡±

    She narrowed her eyes and examined Isabe from head to toe.

    ¡ªSnow-white skin.

    ¡ªBeautiful blond hair that almost looked like it was made out of melted gold, and blue eyes that shone like sapphires.

    ¡ªLuscious, dark-red lips that were unlike her innocent appearance.

    Her looks were so beautiful that she could even charm a woman, but¡­

    ¡®Looks-wise¡­ I¡¯m also a pretty fiercepetitor.¡¯

    Though she potentiallycked a tiny bitpared to Isabe, she was still a woman who couldn¡¯t remember having ever fallen behind anyone in looks.

    In the first ce, The ck Rose, Jegal Soyoung, was not only famous worldwide for her skills, but also her looks.

    Considering the line of men determined to just have a single conversation with her, there was no reason for her to feel unconfident about beingpared to Isa¡ª

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    At that moment, Jegal Soyoung¡¯s eyes focused on a certain area of Isabe¡¯s body. She hadn¡¯t noticed until then because she was wearing clothes that were simr to a baggy nun outfit, but¡­

    ¡®Wh-What is that?¡¯

    The volume of that area was astonishing.

    Jegal Soyoung couldn¡¯t even understand how such big things could be attached to her when she had a thin waist.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°N-No. It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Her head drooped down on its own.

    Not once had she ever thought that there was something shecked regarding her beautiful figure¡­

    ¡®This is unfair.¡¯

    It wouldn¡¯t be as big of a deal if they were just unsophisticated andrge. The way they retained a pretty curve and floated like they were defying gravity caused her to feel her solid self-esteem crashing down.

    ¡°Hmm. Did you ask if I cherished Isabe?¡± Ohjin continued in aposed voice.

    ¡°Yes. Of course I cherish her. There are a lot of things she has given to me.¡±

    The statement wasn¡¯t exactly wrong since she had given an entire apartment to him as a present.

    ¡°Isabe¡­ is an extremely important person to me.¡±

    There was absolutely no chance that she wouldn¡¯t be important when his head could be torn off the moment he messed up.

    ¡°O-Ohjin?¡±

    The one who was surprised was actually Isabe.

    She opened her glistening eyes wide like a rabbit and looked at him.

    ¡°I never knew¡­ that you thought of me that way.¡±

    With a blissful expression, Isabe¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    ¡®Oh, shit.¡¯

    Realization settled down for Ohjin.

    He hadn¡¯t expected her to react that intensely to what he said.

    ¡®No way¡­ the obsession she has with me can¡¯t possibly worsen because of this, right?¡¯

    ¡®Nah, it can¡¯t be.¡¯

    ¡®If the hearts of people can be changed so easily from a couple of words, why would there be so many people in the world who aren¡¯t able to find a rtionship?¡¯

    ¡®Right?¡¯

    ¡®Surely, I¡¯m correct.¡¯

    ¡°I want to be in the same group as Ohjin. If that cannot be done, I¡¯m going to quit Guardian.¡±

    ¡®Fuck me. Please don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m wrong.¡¯

    ¡°H-How is that fair?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Guardian means nothing to me without Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Jegal Soyoung quietly bit her lips.

    She had also joined Guardian due to her personal circumstances, so she couldn''t let it fall apart for such an insignificant reason.

    "Sigh. Alright, alright. I just need to party with Ms. Yuumi, right?"

    She sighed and took a step back.

    It felt like the tension in the room was being released.

    "Haha. Ohjin seems to be very popr."

    "He is a charming man."

    Finding the situation rather entertaining, Cheon Sanggil looked at Ohjin with one eye and nodded while Lee Woohyuk added in his remark.

    Ohjin felt somewhat of an unexinable embarrassment and quickly changed the subject.

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    "By the way, is Mr. Cheon Sanggil not going to participate in this operation?''

    "This old man has something else he has to do."

    "Something else¡­?"

    Cheon Sanggil answered in a low voice to Ohjin, who had his head tilted.

    "I''m thinking of chasing after the Snakes."

    "¡­Eh?"

    ''In that case, does that mean the Queen of Snakes is in Korea right now?''

    Ohjin noticed that Isabe flinched when the word ''Snakes'' was brought up.

    "Haha. Don''t wear such a serious expression."

    Cheon Sanggil stroked his beard and continued.

    "Weren''t the Owls and Seahorses all connected to the Snakes?"

    "Are you implying that you think the Toads entered Korea at the Queen of Snake''s orders?"

    Cheon Sanggil nodded.

    "Though it could be nothing but this old man overthinking things."

    "Hmm."

    A chance of the Queen of Snakes being in Korea¡­

    ''Should I have refused the request?''

    The thought momentarily crossed his mind, but he soon shook his head.

    With Cheon Sanggil saying that he''d personally chase the Queen of Snakes, it was highly likely that he wouldn¡¯t run into her during the operation.

    In the first ce, the Queen of Snakes being connected to the Bufo faction was just a spection.

    "Then should the groups be Isabe and me, Ms. Soyoung and Ms. Yuumi, and finally, Ms. Woohyuk and Hyunbin?"

    "Yes. Let''s do it that way."

    "I''m also fine with that."

    Lee Woohyuk and Oh Hyunbin also nodded like it didn''t really matter to them.

    In reality, it was the bestposition if you were thinking of the bnce of parties.

    "Then let us depart once Ms. Yuumi returns."

    After saying so, Ohjin took a sip of the tea that had cooled to room temperature.

    Timewise, it hadn''t even been ten minutes, but he somehow felt more exhausted than training for ten hours without rest.

    "W-Will everything be okay? Maybe¡­ we should ask for reinforcement from our guilds."

    Oh Hyunbin slightly shook with watery eyes.

    Lee Woohyuk looked at him and smiled faintly.

    "Don''t worry. I''ll protect you."

    It seemed like he projected his past with Hyunbin shivering from fear. Lee Woohyuk looked at the boy and put his hand on his shoulder.

    "You don''t have to worry about the Awakeners gathered here because of a mere demon beast."

    Oh Hyunbin carefully raised his head after hearing Lee Woohyuk.

    He could see five Awakeners including Cheon Sanggil.

    ¡ªGuardian.

    The group was created specifically to exterminate the ck Star Organization.

    There wasn''t much known about it since it was only just starting, but there was one thing for certain¡­

    "Yes! O-Of course! Because we are Guardian!"

    Each and every Awakener in Guardian possessed exceptional skill.

    Even Oh Hyunbin himself was evaluated lowly because of his weak appearance and personality, but he was also incredibly skilled to the point he was called the ''Miracle Healer'' within the guild.

    What about the ck Rose, Jegal Soyoung? She was an Awakener of one of the 12 Zodiacs and was regarded as one of the strongest 8-Star Awakeners along with Lee Woohyuk.

    Choi Yuumi with the stigma of Phoenix wasn''t on the level of the Zodiacs, but she was a high-ranking Awakener whopleted her body''s reconstruction after bing a 9-Star.

    The Saintess of Rome, Isabe Cgrande was one of the most famed Awakeners in the nation and known worldwide along with Lee Woohyuk.

    Finally, there was even Ohjin, who had a stigma of a North Star.

    "Hehe. Maybe there wille a day when we''re called the 2nd Seven Stars."

    Oh Hyunbin clenched his fist with an innocent smile.

    He had been mocked countless times because of his weak personality and looks.

    ''It''s going to change now.''

    The boy who yearned to be a hero looked at Lee Woohyuk with sparkling eyes.

    Lee Woohyuk lightly patted his messy brown hair like he was a strange kid.

    "Then should we depart?"

    Not too long after, Choi Yuumi returned after changing her clothes.

    Ohjin put his teacup down and stood up.

    "Hmpf. Why are you acting so big when it''s not like we decided on a leader?"

    "Fufu. Would you like to have dinner with me after this operation is over?"

    Choi Yuumi and Jegal Soyoung each made a remark as they went outside.

    You couldn''t find a speck of nervousness in their faces when they were on their way to hunt a horrendous demon beast that made the whole of Incheon tremble in fear.

    Like that, the first operation of Guardian, the group that would soon unsettle Korea¡­ no, the entire world, began.

 Chapter 176: Living Armor (1)

    <strong>Chapter 176: Living Armor (1)</strong>

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I never knew a ce like this existed in Korea.¡±

    He arrived in the Yonghegong-dong neighborhood along with Isabe.

    The debris of copsed buildings and trash were spread out on the ground. The street gave off a thick, unpleasant scent and looked rather distant from the definition of a ¡®Safe Country¡¯ that Korea was deemed to be.

    ¡°Well, It¡¯s not like damage wasn¡¯t dealt to Korea, it was justparatively less,¡± Ohjin said as he looked around the dreary street.

    Even if the ce looked different from how people imagined Korea to be, he was fairly used to that kind of thing.

    After all, the mood of the street he lived on before bing an Awakener was exactly the same as the one they were on.

    ¡®Maybe this kind of ce feels a bit unfamiliar to Isabe.¡¯

    Isabe was an esteemed daughter of one of the most prestigious families in Europe, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange for her to be unused to an apocalyptic scene.

    ¡°You¡¯re not used to this kind of ce, right?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Ah, no, that isn¡¯t so.¡±

    Isabe smiled brightly and shook her head.

    ¡°I frequently visited ces like this while doing volunteer work.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Ohjin had momentarily forgotten that Isabe often volunteered for the Romanians because what he saw after was too much of a shocking sight.

    ¡°Actually, this ce isn¡¯t that bad inparison.¡±

    ¡°...This isn¡¯t that bad?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gotten a lot better now¡­ but the situation in Italy was more severe than this.¡±

    ¡®Italy¡¯s situation was worse than this ghost town¡¯s street that¡¯s littered with trash and filth?¡¯

    ¡°The whole nation was ruled by the mafia soon after the gate incident took ce in Italy.¡±

    ¡®Is she talking about the Marco Family?¡¯

    ¡°Not only was there filth and trash in streets like this¡­ there were even corpses ranging from children, to adults, to the elderly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    He could thoroughly understand why she said that the situation was more severe.

    Ohjin continued walking with a bitter expression and stared at the side of her face.

    Was the expression she was wearing a mask in order to act as the ¡®Saintess of Rome¡¯, or was that her true face?

    ¡®I really can¡¯t tell.¡¯

    When he thought about it, there was barely anything he knew about Isabe. She was the Saintess of Rome and Queen of Leeches, but he didn¡¯t know much of her as the woman, ¡®Isabe Cgrande¡¯.

    ¡°Why did you decide to join Guardian?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Didn¡¯t I tell you back then? I offered to join after I heard that you were going to be a part of Guardian.¡±

    ¡°What I¡¯m asking is why you decided to join because of me alone.¡±

    There was one question that constantly remained on his mind¡­

    Why was Isabe showing so much interest in him?

    Naturally, he knew that she was extremely obsessed with his ¡®blood¡¯. However, was that reason alone really enough to justify her actions? To be frank, if that was the only thing she was after, there was nothing he could do if she kidnapped him and extracted his blood as much as she desired.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I wanted to see you. Is that reason not enough?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s smile was as beautiful as the stars.

    Ohjin was at a loss for words due to the smile that he couldn¡¯t have imagined being from a blood-crazy witch.

    ¡°It was the first time.¡±

    ¡°First time?¡¯

    ¡°The first time someone protected me like you did.¡±

    Isabe raised her head like she was reminiscing on her past and looked up at the cloudy skies.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you have the people of your household?¡±

    In the first ce, it didn¡¯t make sense for Isabe to say ¡®the first time someone protected her¡¯ when she even had a professional bodyguard.

    ¡°Hmm. Those people only protect me because they receive something in return, but that wasn¡¯t the case for you, was it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You were the first person¡­ The first person to protect me without wanting anything in return.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes showed how happy she was.

    ¡®I was the first person, huh¡­¡¯

    A question naturally surfaced in his mind.

    ¡°...What about your family?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu.¡±

    Isabe lightly chuckled while covering her mouth with her hand because she found what he said somewhat funny.

    ¡°Well, I guess you don¡¯t know much about my family.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°The Cgrande House doesn¡¯t provide any protection to their children. Not until they ¡®survive¡¯, that is.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    He felt an unpleasant tone in her voice.

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and asked for an exnation.

    Isabe opened her mouth with a bitter expression.

    ¡°The children of the Cgrande House are exposed to dangers such as assassination and kidnapping from a young age.¡±

    ¡°But the family doesn¡¯t provide any protection?¡±

    It was basically no different from the parents discarding their children from the moment of their birth. No, it could actually be expressed as worse in one way. Ohjin at least didn¡¯t have to grow up with the danger of being assassinated or kidnapped.

    ¡°You can only receive the protection of the family once you are ten years old. From then on¡­ you also need to survive somehow until you¡¯re chosen as an ¡®heir¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What a fucking dumb family.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes widened due to the unhinged evaluation that left his mouth.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just my first time seeing someone curse at my family that way.¡±

    She mumbled the curse Ohjin said in a small voice several times.

    ¡°Fucking dumb family¡­ fufu. Ahahaha!¡±

    Isabe eventually exploded out inughter.

    Amongst theughs he had seen from Isabe until then, that one seemed the most ¡®real¡¯.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. They¡­ really were incredibly stupid people.¡±

    Considering the fact that she used past tense, all of them might¡¯ve died from the gate incident.

    Or¡­

    Perhaps she killed them herself.

    Isabe rubbed her eyes once tears started to form in them as sheughed so much and nodded.

    ¡°What happens to the children that aren¡¯t chosen as the heir?¡±

    ¡°They are all forcefully deprived of their family name and kicked out.¡±

    ¡°Without a penny?¡±

    ¡°Penny? Oh, you must be talking about money. Yes, you¡¯re correct. They are quite literally thrown away on a street in a distant foreign country so they aren¡¯t able to return.¡±

    ¡°...Hah.¡±

    A chuckle left Ohjin¡¯s mouth on its own.

    There were all kinds of crazy families in the world.

    ¡°Then, Isabe, once you became the heir¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. My sister was also thrown away by my family.¡±

    He felt a sadness that could not be concealed in her calm voice, but soon after, Isabe slyly pulled Ohjin¡¯s arm with her usual innocent smile.

    ¡°Hehe. Do you understand why I look forward to the days of meeting you now?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ohjin felt a soft sensation rise up from his forearm and groaned.

    Everything about her appearance could just be a facade to put him at ease.

    ¡®Isabe¡¯s identity is an Executor of the ck Star Organization.¡¯

    For as long as he didn¡¯t know the goal of the Hirudo faction, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down.

    However¡ª

    ¡°Well¡­ I understand.¡±

    ¡ªhe thought that maybe it¡¯d be alright to trust her at least once.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s start our hunt for the demon beast!¡± Isabe shouted in a valiant voice and strode forward.

    Ohjin chuckled and followed her steps.

    ¡°Is it alright for a supporter to take the lead like that?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    She briefly eximed while her face reddened.

    ¡°I¡­ I got a bit ahead of myself because it was embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°You were quite aggressive considering that.¡±

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t say that!¡±

    Isabe floundered and stuttered.

    Ohjin shrugged his shoulders and took the lead.

    Since they¡¯d finished chatting, it was time to start the hunt for the demon beast as she mentioned.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    ¡®There are no traces that stick out.¡¯

    They looked at every nook and cranny in the alleyway, but there was nothing that seemed to be the trace of a demon beast since the street was heavily damaged in the first ce.

    ¡°I wonder what type of demon it is.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t think that it¡¯ll have arge build since it hasn¡¯t left any traces of such a thing behind.¡±

    If it was a demon beast with a build ranging from 10 to 20 meters, it would''ve been impossible for it to go around without leaving a trace.

    ¡®Even at itsrgest, it should be around the size of a human.¡¯

    It was probable since it wasn¡¯t umon to see demon beasts with builds simr to those of humans.

    ¡°Let¡¯s look around a little longer.¡±

    ¡°Ah, has there been no contact from the other groups?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    It had been 30 minutes since the beginning of the hunt, but themunication marble hadn¡¯t shed once.

    ¡°We should try contacting them after continuing for 30 more minutes.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    Isabe smiled brightly and nodded.

    He unconsciously put a smile on his face because of the way she looked like a puppy wagging its tail.

    Like that, he searched the area for 30 more minutes with Isabe.

    Around the time they were nearly finished with the area they were in charge of¡ª

    Hisssss¡ª

    ¡ªthey could faintly hear a sound.

    A frightening sound of gas leaking out of a pipe hissed out in the dark alleyway.

    ¡°...Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Ohjin took out a short steel rod from his belt.

    Whirrr, ck!¡ª

    The steel rod turned into the shape of a spear once he imbued mana into it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a buff!¡± Isabe yelled as she raised her staff.

    The gold gem stuck to the end of the staff emitted radiant golden light and permeated Ohjin¡¯s body.

    Energy started to enter his body that had internal injuries which weren¡¯tpletely healed yet.

    ¡®It¡¯ll be tough to make up entirely for my internal injuries with this, but¡­¡¯

    It was possible to gather enough mana to fight.

    Click, tter¡ª

    The sound of screeching metal reached his ears.

    Ohjin turned his head in the direction of where the sound wasing from.

    Tension settled in.

    He could feel the demon beast¡¯s movements from across the other alley.

    ¡®It¡¯sing.¡¯

    Bzzzt!¡ª

    Blue lightning zed on the tip of his thrusted spear.

    And then¡­

    Hissssss¡ª

    Like air escaping from a balloon, the sound started to grow distant.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ohjin frowned and quickly dashed to the other alley.

    Was he hallucinating?

    The sound from the dark alley disappeared without a trace.

    ¡®Where did it go?¡¯

    Furrowing his brows, he ran forward.

    He chased the demon beast through theplicated alleys.

    When he jumped over a crumbled wall while chasing after it for around a minute¡ª

    St!¡ª

    ¡ªhe heard the sound of a sticky liquid.

    A familiar, fishy smell stung his nose.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    There was a puddle of coagted blood when he looked down.

    In the center of the coagted puddle of blood was¡ª

    ¡°...Fuck.¡±

    ¡ªhalf of Jegal Soyoung¡¯s head.

    ¡°O-Ohjin, this is¡­!¡±

    Isabe trembled with a pale expression after arrivingte.

    It looked like she was trembling out of fear on the outside, but Ohjin noticed the coldness in her eyes.

    ¡®It¡­ can¡¯t be, right?¡¯

    An ominous thought crossed his mind.

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes naturally headed to Isabe.

    Gulp¡ª

 Chapter 177: Living Armor (2)

    <strong>Chapter 177: Living Armor (2)</strong>

    ¡°Did she get attacked by the demon beast¡­?¡±

    Isabe carefully examined Jegal Soyoung¡¯s head.

    Ohjin stopped letting his imagination run wild and shook his head.

    ¡®Snap out of it.¡¯

    He had reflexively looked in Isabe''s direction, but logically thinking, she couldn¡¯t have killed Jegal Soyoung.

    ¡®She was with me the whole time.¡¯

    No matter how iparably powerful she waspared to Ohjin, there was no way for her to kill Jegal Soyoung from that distance without him noticing.

    No, even if such a method existed, there was no reason for her to kill Jegal Soyoung.

    ¡®It¡¯s hard to believe that she would kill her out of jealousy.¡¯

    If the reason for her death was Isabe¡¯s jealousy, her first target wouldn¡¯t have been Jegal Soyoung but Ha-eun.

    Ohjin focused on the coldness in Isabe¡¯s eyes once again.

    The look in her eyes wasn¡¯t that of a psychopath thatmitted brutal murder, but it was closer to that of a veteran detective investigating a crime scene.

    In other words¡­

    ¡®This is a situation that not even Isab expected.¡¯

    Ohjin examined Jegal Soyoung¡¯s head which had cerebrospinal fluid leaking out of it.

    The other half of her head had disappeared as if someone had taken a bite out of an apple.

    ¡®It must¡¯ve been torn off whole.¡¯

    Ohjin calmly observed the injuries and narrowed his eyes.

    He noticed that Jegal Soyoung¡¯s eye was wide open with surprise.

    ¡°She died without even being able to retaliate.¡±

    Jegal Soyoung had literally lost her life in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Then what happened to Ms. Yuumi, who was with Ms. Soyoung¡­?¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Ohjin sent mana into themunication marble.

    The marble flickered with blue light, but there was no answer.

    ¡°Are you unable to contact her?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Since things hade to that, they had no choice but to search for her themselves.

    ¡°This way.¡±

    ¡°B-Be careful.¡±

    Isabe pulled on his sleeve with a stiff expression as he was about to follow the trail of blood.

    Worry and anxiety were contained in her eyes.

    Ohjin slightly nodded his head and cautiously began to move.

    The trail of blood was renewed at fixed intervals like the breadcrumbs in Hansel and Gretel.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    He kept following the trail of blood, but it suddenly disappeared at a certain point.

    ¡®Did it be a ghost or something?¡¯

    It felt like he was chasing after a phantom.

    ¡°This way. I can smell blooding from there.¡±

    At that moment, Isabe pointed in a direction.

    Ohjin activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and sniffed the scent that was wafting from the direction she indicated.

    Even with his use of the stigma, he couldn¡¯t smell the blood that she mentioned.

    ¡®I guess she is the Queen of Leeches.¡¯

    Not even his ability to detect the smell of blood was on her level.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try heading in that direction.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    They moved in the direction Isabe had indicated.

    Once they marched forward for a long time while paying close attention to their surroundings, he gradually began to detect the iron-like smell of blood.

    ¡®Just how did she smell this from that far away?¡¯

    Ohjin stuck his tongue out and arrived at the source of the smell.

    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±

    Blood sttered the wall like graffiti, and they discovered Jegal Soyoung¡¯s headless corpse on the ground.

    That wasn¡¯t the only thing they discovered¡­

    ¡®Choi Yuumi.¡¯

    The corpse of a high-ranking Awakener of Phoenix, Choi Yuumi, had its torso and lower body torn apart.

    Her intestines were spilling out, and her lifeless eyes stared into the horizon.

    ¡°Fuu¡­¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes while examining the still-warm corpses.

    The brutally murdered corpses of Jegal Soyoung and Choi Yuumi had one thing inmon¡­

    ¡®Their hearts are missing.¡¯

    While all of their other organs were intact, their hearts were nowhere to be found.

    He looked closer at the wounds in the area near their chests and suspected that a hand had destroyed their ribs and torn their hearts out whole.

    Since the torn-out hearts weren¡¯t there¡­

    ¡®It probably ate them.¡¯

    He recalled Jegal Soyoung¡¯s head that had part of it munched off like the apple logo of a famous brand.

    ¡®It stopped at half of her head but left nothing behind of their hearts.¡¯

    To Awakeners, the heart was more to them than just an ordinary organ. Taking Ohjin for example, even the ck Heaven rooted itself in his heart.

    In other words, the fact that it specifically aimed for the ¡®hearts¡¯ of Awakeners meant that¡­

    ¡®It''s hunting Awakeners with the goal of consuming their mana.¡¯

    Ohjin''s eyes shone.

    ¡°There are also some traces of fighting here.¡±

    Confirming the area Isabe indicated, he could see that there was a huge hole in the wall that looked recent and there was the shape of a foot imprinted under it.

    ¡®Star of the Weaver Girl¡¯s Hunting Dog.¡¯

    Ohjin activated his skill and observed the traces in the surroundings.

    ¡°Kugh.¡±

    The flood of information filled the inside of his head like a crashing tsunami.

    Blood, the headless corpse, the huge hole on the wall, and the footsteps imprinted on the ground¡­

    He could vividly imagine what went down in his head using the small traces that were left behind in the ally.

    ¡®Jegal Soyoung attacked first.¡¯

    A sharp mana arrow was shot from outside its field of view.

    The demon beast slightly twisted its body and dodged the arrow that was shot at a speed exceeding sound.

    ¡®And then Choi Yuumi charged in.¡¯

    She took a powerful step forward that left a mark on the ground as she drew her sword.

    Then¡­

    ¡®The fighting continued for around one¡­ no, two minutes.¡¯

    There were numerous traces of fighting left on the floor and walls such as Choi Yuumi raining sword strikes and Jegal Soyoung supporting her.

    ¡®Then they were defeated.¡¯

    They hadn¡¯t been suddenly ambushed, nor had they let their guard down. Instead, they were actually the first to discover the demon beast and take the initiative, but they were defeated despite that.

    Not just defeated, but in an overwhelming manner that left them little room for retaliation.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head back,¡± Ohjin said in a firm voice.

    Isabe¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°What about the demon beast?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something we can handle.¡±

    Naturally, it would be worth observing the situation a little further if Isabe used her true skill or if Ohjin was at least in his normal state, but it was far too dangerous to chase after the demon beast at that moment.

    ¡°¡­Yes, I understand.¡±

    Isabe thought for a moment and nodded her head.

    It seemed like Isabe remembered something while they were returning, and she carefully pulled on his sleeve.

    ¡°Come to think of it, shouldn''t we contact Mr. Woohyuk?¡±

    ¡°Ah, give me a second.¡±

    Ohjin nodded and took out themunication marble.

    It started to flicker brightly like a broken light bulb with blue light once he sent mana into it.

    -Huff, huff!

    The screen violently shook and Lee Woohyuk¡¯s ragged breathing was transmitted through the marble.

    -M-Mr. Ohjin?

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    -Kugh!

    ng! Krrrrrr!¡ª

    Lee Woohyuk roughly swinging his sword was captured on the screen as it shook again. He had Oh Hyunbin on his back, who looked to be unconscious.

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯

    Ohjin chewed his lips while observing the situation through the marble.

    Had the demon beast that disappeared earlier gone to Lee Woohyuk?

    -Bufo! It¡¯s the Bufo Faction!

    ¡°What?¡±

    However, what left Lee Woohyuk¡¯s mouth was something that waspletely unexpected.

    -The Bufo Faction has ambushed us!

    ¡ªThe Bufo Faction¡­

    The faction that was known to have illegally entered Korea had ambushed Lee Woohyuk.

    ¡®So was there a connection with the Bufo Faction and the demon beast in Yonghyun-dong after all?¡¯

    Ohjin frowned like he had a headache.

    ¡°Where are you?¡±

    -Kugh! N-Near the port!

    ¡°We¡¯ll head that way.¡±

    He was nning to avoid the demon beast and run away, but he couldn¡¯t leave for as long as he knew Lee Woohyuk was getting ambushed

    ¡°Isabe, let¡¯s head to the port.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll grant you a buff that increases your speed!¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need it.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    He pulled Isabe to his body.

    ¡°Kya?!¡±

    ¡°Hold still.¡±

    After holding her with one of his arms, he shot a wire at the rooftop of a nearby building.

    Bang!¡ª

    Heunched their bodies high up into the air by wrapping the wire around a piece of jutting rebar.

    With there being no need for them to carefully observe their surroundings, it was much faster to move using the wires.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    Bzzt!¡ª

    Using Lightning Step to kick off of the air, Ohjin shot to the port at rapid speed.

    Boom! tter!¡ª

    He heard loud noisesing from the pier that had a bunch of containers stacked up and headed there.

    ¡°Damn it! H-Hurry up and kill that bastard!¡±

    ¡°Hurry, before we get discovered!¡±

    Dozens of Awakeners that were suspected to be East-Asian were pouring down attacks on Lee Woohyuk, who had Oh Hyunbin on his back.

    Ohjin used Lightning Step to change his direction in mid-air and jumped high up.

    Grasping his spear with one hand, he gathered his mana.

    ¡®Thunder Fall.¡¯

    Bzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Ohjin crashed down like aet.

    A wave of blue lightning stormed the area he fell onto.

    ¡°Aaah!¡±

    ¡° Wh-Who is that bastard?!¡±

    ¡°Goddammit!¡±

    The Awakeners of the Bufo faction went into a panic with Ohjin¡¯s sudden arrival.

    ¡°Mr. Ohjin!¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m alright, but Hyunbin is¡­¡±

    Oh Hyunbin was drenched in a cold sweat and taking rough breaths on Lee Woohyuk¡¯s back. A long, hideous injury on his back stuck out to his eyes.

    ¡°I apologize. We were attacked by their Executor.¡±

    ¡°¡­Executor?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    So even an Executor of the ck Star Organization was there.

    It was unknown what rank the Executor of the Bufo faction was, but considering that he was at least as strong or stronger than Cheon Doyoon, who was ranked 6th, it was already a miracle to have survived after getting ambushed by him.

    ¡°Where is that Executor right now?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. He stopped following us after the first attack.¡±

    ¡®Stop following them, huh¡­ did he leave the tiresome work to his underlings? Hmm, but considering that¡­¡¯

    ¡°Damn it! What are you doing? Hurry up and kill them!!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time!!¡±

    The expressions on the faces of the Awakeners of Bufo surrounding them couldn¡¯t be any more desperate. It almost seemed like they were being chased by something as they charged at Lee Woohyuk and Ohjin.

    ¡°Let¡¯s run away for now.¡±

    They didn''t have the leisure of facing those people with the Executor of the Bufo faction being present

    Bzzzzzt!¡ª

    Ohjin shot lightning at the Awakeners headed towards them and moved toward the city.

    When they were gradually creating distance¡ª

    <strong>Hissssssss¡ª</strong>

    ¡ªan unsettling noise rang out once again.

    ¡°O-Ohjin.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s expression stiffened while she was granting buffs to Ohjin.

    A dreary growl was heard in the direction of where he was headed.

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s expression distorted.

    There were Awakeners of the Bufo faction in front and an unidentified demon beast behind him.

    The situation couldn¡¯t be worse.

    ¡°Hisss, hisssss.¡±

    ¡ªA monster d in ck armor that emitted a gloomy aura showed itself.

    Dark blue mes were ferociously zing through the gaps in the armor.

    The ck-armored demon beast was quickly approaching him with a long spear coiled in dark blue mes.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Ohjin groaned and urgently raised his spear.

    It charged at him at a frightening speed with the dark blue spear in its hand.

    The distance between them quickly narrowed¡ª <strong>and the ck-armored demon beast ran straight past Ohjin.</strong>

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ohjin turned his head in surprise.

    Pssk!¡ª

    ¡°Cough!! Cough!¡±

    Its spear violently pierced through the Awakeners of Bufo that surrounded the area.

    ¡°Hissssss!!¡±

    It munched down on the Awakeners of Bufo whole like eating a chicken skewer as the area near the helmet opened wide.

    ¡°Ahhh!! S-Save me!!¡±

    ¡°That thing is here!! That thing hase!!¡±

    ¡°Run away!! Quick!!¡±

    The Awakeners of the Bufo faction screamed with their faces pale in fear.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Ohjin dumbfoundedly looked at the backs of the ck Star Organization members that were running away in panic.

 Chapter 178: Living Armor (3)

    <strong>Chapter 178: Living Armor (3)</strong>

    ''Huh?''

    Ohjin frowned while looking at the unexpected massacre unfolding before his eyes.

    The ck-armored demon beast that ran past Ohjin was ughtering the members of the ck Star Organization with its zing spear.

    Yes, it was almost as if it¡¯d been given a mission to kill the Awakeners of Bufo in the first ce.

    "Ohjin, this is¡­?"

    "I don''t know."

    Unable to understand the situation, Ohjin shook his head.

    He¡¯d believed that the unidentified demon beast in Yonghyun-dong was on the same team as the Bufo faction when he¡¯d heard that Lee Woohyuk was ambushed by the ck Star Organization, but what was unfolding before him made him have no choice but to admit that his predictions hadpletely missed the mark.

    ''Then¡­ is that demon beast also the reason why they looked so pressed?''

    He recalled how the members of the ck Star Organization had yelled that they had to kill them quickly and how they had no time. When the ck-armored demon beast arrived, they¡¯d also definitely said ''it''s here''.

    In other words, they were already aware of the existence of the demon beast.

    ''And that isn''t all¡­''

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    The ck-armored demon beast chased after the escaping members like it was hunting prey.

    The Bufo faction was being hunted by the demon beast before Ohjin¡¯s arrival.

    Assuming that to be the case was the right call.

    "Hmm."

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone as he carefully observed the ck-armored demon beast.

    It had pitch-ck armor covering its whole body, dreary mes zed through the gaps in the armor, and dark-blue eyes searched for prey; it also wielded a sharp spear.

    It was the first time he had seen one before, but it was a monster that even Ohjin could recognize.

    ''Living Armor.''

    It wasn''t a monster wearing armor, but a monster that was the armor itself.

    It was a powerful monster that was seen and recorded several times in Europe.

    However¡­

    ''Living Armor should be an 8-Star monster.''

    Even if it was a mutant that had more strength than normal, did it make any sense for it to be so powerful?

    Unable to understand, Ohjin looked at the Living Armor fiercely swinging its spear.

    A mere 8-Star monster killing both Jegal Soyoung and Choi Yuumi without them being able to retaliate properly a single time was something that should''ve been impossible, even if it was not a ''monster, but a ''demon beast''.

    "Hm?"

    At that moment, something stuck out to Ohjin¡¯s eyes.

    There was something stuck on the Living Armor''s chest.

    ¡ªIt was a circr medallion that had the frightening shape of a coiled-up ''snake''.

    "Hah."

    A short chuckle left his mouth and the edges of his lips slowly went up.

    "So that''s what''s going on."

    The moment he discovered that the ''Snakes'' were involved, he instantly understood why everything was progressing as it was.

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "The reason the Bufo faction illegally entered Korea wasn''t that they had a separate goal in mind."

    "Eh? Then why¡­?"

    "They were running away."

    The Bufo faction had simply run to Korea to avoid the ''Snakes''.

    ''He said that the Queen of Snakes wasbining the separated factions of the ck Star Organization into one.''

    The Owls, ranked 6th, bowed their heads beneath the Queen of Snake''s feet.

    It was the same for the Seahorses, ranked 7th.

    However¡­

    ''Not all of the Executors will want to obediently follow the Queen of Snake''s will.''

    It was only natural.

    If everyone obeyed the Queen of Snakes, the ''factions'' of the ck Star Organization would''ve never existed in the first ce.

    In other words, the scene he was observing right then was¡­

    ''Purging.''

    The Queen of Snakes was punishing the arrogant faction that dared to go against her will.

    "But if it''s as you said, why did Ms. Soyoung and Ms. Yuumi¡­?"

    "There''s a reason for that."

    As Isabe said, if the demon beast''s goal was the purging of the Bufo faction, it had no reason to attack Jegal Soyoung and Choi Yuumi. It should¡¯ve just left them alone like how it ignored Ohjin and ran right past him just moments ago.

    ''No, no¡­''

    There was a difference between them and Jegal Soyoung''s party.

    Ohjin recalled the traces ofbat he¡¯d examined in the bloody alley.

    "Jegal Soyoung was the one who attacked that demon beast first."

    "Ah."

    In other words, the demon beast wouldn''t have killed them if they hadn''t attacked first.

    ''Well, it''s not like they had any way of knowing.''

    From their perspective, taking the first strike through an ambush would''ve been the best move to make.

    "Then since we''re not what it¡¯s after¡­ should we retreat for now?"

    "Wait.''

    Ohjin¡¯s mouth twisted up.

    Retreating from the scene while the Living Armor was upied with hunting down the Bufo faction was an option, but¡­

    "I have a good idea."

    "What is it¡­?"

    "Evacuate with Mr. Woohyuk to the city until I contact you."

    "A-Are you thinking of going alone?"

    Isabe¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

    Ohjin silently nodded his head.

    "No!"

    "That''s too dangerous."

    Even Lee Woohyuk Ohjin back.

    Ohjin smiled and turned around.

    "It''s okay. There will be no case of ''me'' getting hurt."

    "What?"

    "Mr. Woohyuk, where were you ambushed by the Executor of the Bufo faction?"

    "It was in the area of that pier¡­"

    Lee Woohyuk indicated an extremelyrge crane that was built to load the containers onto ships.

    "Then please evacuate Hyunbin to a safe ce before I contact you."

    "I''ll try to request support from my guild."

    "I''ll also try to contact my bodyguards."

    "No."

    Ohjin shook his head after hearing that they''d requested backup.

    Having more people would actually only be a hindrance to his ns.

    And most importantly¡­

    "We don¡¯t need any more support."

    Ohjin smirked and leaped away.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    Bzzt!¡ª

    A tform made of blue lightning was created in front of his foot.

    He could only create weak tforms that couldn''t endure his full force, but they were more than enough to go high up into the air.

    "Hmpf!"

    Bzzzt! Bzzzt!¡ª

    He used the blue lightning like stairs to sprint across the sky.

    When he neared the crane that was dozens of meters tall¡ª

    Bang!¡ª

    ¡ªthe wire that was shot from his wrist wrapped around the crane.

    Ohjin stood on top of the crane and looked down.

    He could see the members of the Bufo faction who were running away like rats in between the containers and the Living Armor chasing after them at a nce.

    ''Star of the Weaver Girl''s Hunting Dog.''

    Owooong!¡ª

    The stigma engraved on the left side of his chest shone brightly, and information flooded into his head.

    "Kugh!!"

    He experienced a splitting headache.

    Ohjin grasped his forehead with one hand and focused.

    ''Where are you hiding?''

    The location of the Executor who led the Bufo faction¡­ Amongst the flooding information, he looked for the ¡®King of Toads¡¯ who should''ve been hiding himself to avoid the ''Snakes''.

    -G-Goddammit! You''re telling me that monster appeared again?

    -Yes! It''s currently headed this way!

    -H-Hurry up and prepare to set sail!

    ¡ªSet sail¡­

    Ohjin¡¯s gaze headed to the port after hearing those words.

    There was a massive cargo ship that was several hundred meters long, and the voice he heard came from that direction.

    "Found you."

    Ohjin smiled brightly.

    After using ck Curtain to conceal his presence, he jumped off the crane that was dozens of meters tall.

    His altitude dropped at a rapid pace like he was skydiving without a parachute.

    Sharp wind grazed his cheek.

    He controlled his fluttering clothes and used Lightning Step.

    Bzzzt!¡ª

    Ohjin calmly observed the situation afternding on the massive cargo ship.

    "Set sail!! Prepare to set sail immediately!!"

    "Hurry up and move your asses!!"

    The ship was as noisy as a fish market.

    The East-Asian Awakeners of the Bufo faction were running around like crazy on the cargo ship they¡¯dpletely seized.

    Ohjin used Transformation to change his face into one of the people who were after Lee Woohuyk and entered the ship.

    The situation inside the ship wasn''t much better.

    "Move! I said, ¡®move¡¯!"

    "Wh-What should we do about the people outside?"

    "Do you think this is the time to worry about that? Sir Huan told us to set sail immediately!"

    ¡ªHuan¡­

    Was that the name of the King of Toads?

    Ohjin followed the members who were moving urgently with hurried expressions.

    There were posters of a man with a splendid mustache stered on the walls at certain intervals.

    They were most likely photos of the King of Toads, Huan.

    Ohjin couldn''t help but chuckle after seeing the posters.

    ''Did he learn something from our friends in the North?''

    He recalled a certain dictator that had disappeared and be history.

    Well, it wasn''t limited to just North Korea. It was quitemon for nations run by a dictatorship to have posters of their leader everywhere.

    ''I can use this.''

    With him emphasizing his authority by going so far as to ce that many posters, Ohjin could easily grasp how influential Huan''s words were in the Bufo faction.

    "Hurry! There''s no time!"

    "It''s going to arrive on the ship soon!!"

    The members of the ck Star Organization urgently shouted.

    Ohjin walked past them and went deeper into the ship.

    He was worried that someone would know the person he transformed into mid-way, but fortunately, there was no one who recognized him because everyone was in a rush.

    Ohjin¡¯s destination was the cockpit.

    To be urate, it was the cargopartment right below the cockpit.

    "This far is probably enough."

    Once he arrived at the cargopartment, he stood on top of the stacked containers to get as close to the ceiling as possible.

    cing his palms on the rusty ceiling, he slowly riled up his mana.

    Bzzt, bzzzt!¡ª

    The minuscule electricity that flowed out of Ohjin permeated the ceiling.

    It was his new ability to control electrical products that he¡¯d gained from being able to control lightning meticulously.

    "H-Huh?"

    "The broadcasting equipment is broken!"

    He heard a voice through the wall.

    Ohjin smirked and opened his mouth.

    -This is an announcement to all personnel on board.

    The voice of the King of Toads, Huan, left his throat.

    "Huh? Wh-What''s going on?"

    He heard the real Huan, who was in the cockpit located right above him.

    Ohjin continued.

    -Stop preparing to set sail immediately, and prepare forbat with the monster.

    Huan''s voice rang out through the entire ship.

    "What? What the fuck is this?!"

    Ohjin heard Huan scream out in surprise from above.

    Well, just about anyone would show that kind of reaction if they heard their own voice live on a broadcast when they were doing nothing.

    "E-Executor¡­!"

    "Stop the broadcast!! I said, ¡®stop it¡¯!!"

    ''It¡­ It won''t work! It keeps repeating itself even though we turned the power off!"

    Though it was turned off, there was electricity flowing into it from another source.

    -I repeat. All personnel are to stop the preparations to set sail immediately and get ready forbat.

    "Shut up! How the fuck are we supposed to fight that monster?!"

    Crunch!¡ª

    There was the sound of something breaking, and a pungent smell started to spread into the cargo department.

    "Goddammit!!"

    Huan quickly went outside.

    "The broadcast is fake!! Set sail immediately!!"

    "Huh?"

    "S-Sir, what do you mean¡­?"

    The members of the ck Star Organization who¡¯d stopped preparing ording to the broadcast looked at Huan with confusion.

    There was no doubt that the voice that¡¯de out of the speakers was Huan''s.

    "I said, ¡®set sail immediately¡¯!!!!!!"

    "Kugh! Kuk!"

    Huan grabbed the neck of his subordinate who was idling nearby and screamed out.

    However, no matter how loudly he screamed, his voice couldn''t reach all of those in the massive cargo ship that was hundreds of meters long.

    "H-Huh?"

    "What should we do?"

    It was only natural to get confused when one side was telling them to stop preparing while another was telling them otherwise.

    Using war as an analogy, it''d be the equivalent of getting ordered to charge forward and retreat simultaneously.

    In the worst-case scenario where they were too disarrayed to have prepared forbat or set sail¡ª

    Boooom!¡ª

    "Hisssssssssssss!!!"

    ¡ªthe monster arrived on the ship.

    "Ahhhhhh!!"

    ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s here! That bastard is here!!"

    Screams erupted throughout the cargo ship.

    Ohjin listened to the screams that resonated like a harmony and smirked.

    "From this moment forth, kill each other."

 Chapter 179: Living Armor (4)

    <strong>Chapter 179: Living Armor (4)</strong>

    "Hissssssss."

    ¡ªIt was a frightening sound that was like leaking gas.

    It had pitch-ck armor covering its entire body and blue mes leaking through the gaps.

    "It¡­ It¡¯s here."

    "Th-That thing is here!"

    A deathly silence settled down in the cargo ship that was previously as noisy as a fish market.

    The members of the ck Star organization that met eyes with its glimmering dark blue eyes froze in ce and repeated ''it''s here'' like a broken record.

    Living Armor¡­

    It was the grim reaper sent by the ''Snakes'' to punish them for daring to go against their will.

    "A-Ahh."

    Shiver¡ª

    Those that met eyes with the Living Armor started trembling like aspen trees.

    It was the monster they encountered after arriving in Korea while running away from the Snakes.

    At first, they¡¯dughed about how the notorious Snakes sent merely one monster to chase them down. But soon after, the situation changed once hundreds of their members were massacred by the grim reaper d in pitch-ck armor.

    Its strength caused despair.

    Every time its blue-med spear was swung, the Toads futilely lost their lives.

    "S-Spare me. I don''t want to die."

    Huan urgently took action to deal with the Living Armor that far surpassed his expectations, but even he couldn¡¯tst long and had to run away.

    ¡ªA monster not even the 5th-ranking Executor of the ck Star Organization could face.

    The Toads had no choice but to hide from the grim reaper sent by the Snakes.

    They seized and hid inside a massive cargo ship, but their hideout was discovered while they were in the middle of contemting whether they should leave Korea or not.

    "Ahhhhhhh!!"

    One of their pale, shivering members screamed and turned away.

    The moment he took a step while screaming for his life¡ª

    "Hisssssss!"

    ¡ªthe Living Armor''s eyes glimmered, and an ominous sound hissed out.

    sh!¡ª

    The me-engulfed spear pierced through the chest of the escapee in the blink of an eye.

    "Eeek!"

    "Sh-Shit!!"

    They couldn''t even see the motion of it thrusting its spear.

    A sh of dark-blue light was just about all they could see.

    It was no different from having the light switch turned off and on and discovering that someone in the room had died.

    "Ahhhhh!!"

    "D-Damn it!!"

    "Run away! We need to run away!!"

    Fear spread like poison.

    When the panicked members tried to run away like moles exposed to cold¡­

    Ba¡ªng!¡ª

    "Don''t think that you''ll be able to run without my permission!!"

    The impact shook the massive cargo ship that was several hundred meters long.

    Huan, who was previously ordering everyone to set sail after emerging from the bridge, opened his eyes wide and stared at his subordinates that were attempting to escape.

    The muscles in his legs bloated so much that it was bizarre, and ck mana enveloped his body.

    Swish!¡ª

    Huan kicked surged forward and lifted one of the escapees.

    "I will personally punish all those that try to escape!"

    Crunch!¡ª

    He held the body of his subordinate and tore it in half.

    "Eeeek!"

    "A-Ahh."

    They stopped running away and trembled in ce after witnessing a person get torn in half.

    The Living Armor was frightening, but Huan was also an existence of fear to them. After all, he had been brainwashing them for a long time.

    "Fight!!" Huan shouted as the veins in his neck bulged.

    He didn''t know how someone was able to replicate his voice, but the only option he had remaining was to fight since the monster was aboard.

    ''It''s toote to run now.''

    He was able to escapest time thanks to theplicated alleys that were designed like a maze.

    He couldn¡¯t escape in an open location like the port.

    "Killing that monster is the one and only way to make it out of here alive!"

    Huan threw the corpse that was leaking blood and intestines so that his subordinates could see clearly.

    His subordinates that were in the middle of escaping from the Living Armor turned around one by one and gathered their mana.

    Their skins began to turn lumpy.

    The muscles in their legs bloated and pulsed like living organisms.

    "Go forth, my warriors! Do not be afraid of one mere snake!"

    Huan held his hand up high.

    His heated voice rang out on the deck.

    "I am the Heavenly Demon!! I am the one who will be the master of the ck Stars!"

    "Yeaaaaah!"

    They had heard those words so much that they were brainwashed.

    It seemed that Huan''s repeated efforts weren''t in vain, as his subordinates that were once shivering in fear roared out and charged at the Living Armor.

    Bang! Boom!¡ª

    The effect of the stigma of Bufo was body strengthening.

    The strength of their legs was especially amplified.

    It was incredibly simple and in, but that was why it disyed its might regardless of the situation.

    "Die!"

    A power that was as direct and absolute as ''strengthening the body'' didn''t exist.

    A stigma that created lightning? A stigma that brought forth blizzards?

    None of it mattered.

    No matter how special your ability, it was useless if you didn''t have a strong ''body'' to back it up.

    Huan spread his arms wide and shouted out like he was giving a speech.

    "Fight! Die! Don''t forget that the stigma of Bufo that you own is the best and most powerful stigma!"

    ""Woooaaaah!!""

    The members of the ck Star Organization charged forth while roaring.

    "Hisssss."

    However, not much could be solved by spirit and enthusiasm alone.

    Their necks were brutally severed once the Living Armor swung its spear.

    "Hisssssssss!!"

    Crack! Crush! Craaack!¡ª

    After piercing them from their pelvis up to their head while jumping, it caught a de headed to its chest with one hand and twisted it.

    Their swords weren''t able to pierce its armor and bent like chopsticks.

    It pulled the bent sword and roughly grasped the neck of the one attacking it.

    Its helmet opened wide as it revealed its pure white teeth and a tongue drenched in blood.

    Munch¡ª

    The Living Armor turned around in search of its next prey after swallowing half of the man¡¯s head.

    "Ahhhhh!!"

    At that moment, a certain Awakener grabbed onto the Living Armor''s arm.

    When the Living Armor''s eyes shone as it was about to crush that Awakener''s head¡ª

    "Die! I said, ¡®die¡¯, you fucking monster!!"

    "Ahhhh!! Fuuuuuck!!"

    "Dieeeeeeee!"

    The Toads grabbed onto the Living Armor''s body from all directions.

    They shoved their fingers through the armor''s gaps and tried to tear it off with their strength.

    For the Living Armor, which had armor as its body, their act of trying to tear off its armor was basically the same as trying to separate skin and muscle with brute force.

    "Hiss, hissss!"

    The Living Armor twisted its body like it was swatting away annoying bugs.

    Its movements were restricted for a moment.

    "Huaaaaaa!!!"

    Huan didn''t miss that opportunity and leaped forward with a loud roar.

    An opportunity was given to him for the price of his subordinates.

    Crunch! Cruuunch!¡ª

    ck mana wrapped around the muscles of his bloated legs.

    "Die, you fucking monster!!"

    Booooom!!¡ª

    Huan''s leg descended and struck the Living Armor like aet.

    The impact shook the cargo shop and left a big dent in the Living Armor.

    "Uahahahaha! How dare you go against the Heavenly Demon!!"

    Huan smiled brightly and continued raining down his explosive kicks.

    His legs, strengthened by the stigma of Bufo, struck the Living Armor like a cannon.

    The Living Armor was getting pushed back by his attacks.

    "Hiss, hisss, hiss."

    "The way you aren¡¯t able to recognize your own master is expected of that dumb bitch''s servant!!"

    Huan smirked and widened his shoulders.

    ¡ªHuan Sukhothai.

    As a member of the Thai Royal Family, he had lived his entire life with everyone revering and worshiping him.

    It was the same after the gate leading to the Demon Realm was opened.

    Though he wasn''t able to get his hands on one of the 12 Zodiacs or a North Star, he was able to receive a ck Star''s blessing and proudly climb to the ranks of an Executor in arge group known as the ck Star Organization.

    However¡­

    ''I am the Heavenly Demon! Me, Huan Sukhothai!''

    There was a certain existence he¡¯d heard of while desiring to increase his forces and devour the whole ck Star Organization.

    ¡ªThe Heavenly Demon.

    The absolute being who was said to have created the ck Star Organization and made the ck Stars bow their heads down before him.

    There were a lot of rumors about the Heavenly Demon, but there was no one within the ck Star Organization who actually knew anything rted to its existence in detail.

    All they knew was that the ''Snake'' fanatically followed the Heavenly Demon''s will.

    ''The Heavenly Demon is just an illusion created by the Snake."

    If the Heavenly Demon actually existed, it didn''t make sense for them to not show up a single time during what was close to ten years.

    The conclusion he arrived at after a long time of contemting was that the existence known as the ''Heavenly Demon'' didn¡¯t actually exist.

    In other words, there was a throne with no owner.

    "And the only one who can sit on that very throne is me, Huan Sukhothai.''

    From that point forward, Huan started to go around while calling himself the ''Heavenly Demon''.

    There were two reasons behind it¡­

    The first was in order to be the ruler of the ck Star Organization; the second was¡­

    ''Huhuhu. I''ll show that arrogant bitch who her master should be."

    ¡ªThe Queen of Snakes.

    She had emerald eyes and blond hair that looked to be made out of melted gold.

    She was a woman with a delicate-looking, slim body who gave off a luscious atmosphere that was unlike her appearance.

    Huan could not forget the shock on the day he first met her.

    Even as someone who was born into royalty and had experienced countless women, he had never encountered a woman with such a particr charm.

    ¡ªA poisonous apple.

    Yes, she was a woman who possessed both beauty and danger at the same time.

    ''If I be the Heavenly Demon¡­''

    He could get his hands on her.

    He could own the Snake that had the poisonous apple in its belly.

    That was the second reason why Huan decided to im that he was the ''Heavenly Demon''.

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    "Hahaha! Go and inform your master! Tell her that I am the real Heavenly¡ª!"

    Before Huan could end his sentence¡ª

    Fwoooosh!¡ª

    ¡ªdark-blue mes erupted from the gaps in its armor.

    mes engulfed Huan''s subordinates that were stuck to its body.

    "Ahhhhhh!"

    "Kugh! Kuk!"

    The Toads struggled while screaming out loud.

    The Living Armor, covered entirely in blue mes, stared at Huan.

    "H-Huh?"

    Huan stepped back with a shocked expression.

    The moment his eyes met with the dark-blue eyes glimmering in the gaps of the helmet, the thought that something was wrong crossed his mind.

    "Kugh!"

    When Huan urgently leaped backward¡ª

    Fwooosh!¡ª

    ¡ªthe dark mes covering the Living Armor gathered at the de of its spear.

    "Wh-What?"

    The mes gathered at the spear turned into the shape of a ghostly warhorse made of ominously burning dark-blue mes.

    The Living Armor climbed onto the ghostly warhorse and charged toward Huan.

    "Ahhhhhh!!"

    The ghostly warhorse sprinted across the air like it ignored gravity at a frightening speed.

    Once it arrived close to Huan, it raised its front feet of mes and violently stomped down.

    Crunch!¡ª

    "Argh!"

    Huan''s chest caved in as blood spurted out, and the Living Armor raised its spear high to pierce his head.

    Plop¡ª

    The 5th-ranking Executor of the ck Star Organization¡­

    Huan Sukhothai''s dream to be the Heavenly Demon ended just like that.

    "Hiss, hiss, hiss."

    The Living Armor tottered and breathed roughly like it was tired after eliminating Huan. It seemed like the aftereffect of summoning the ghostly warhorse caused the power behind its mes to weaken considerably.

    Fwoosh¡ª

    The warhorse summoned by the Living Armor was absorbed into the spear and disappeared.

    "Hisssss."

    The Living Armor turned around in search of corpses to replenish its mana.

    Crunch!¡ª

    It approached one of the corpses nearby and crushed its ribs to take out its heart.

    Munch¡ª

    It opened its mouth wide and devoured the heart whole.

    The condensed mana within the heart flowed into¡ª

    "¡­Hiss?"

    There was none.

    Despite munching down on the heart, it couldn¡¯t feel any mana in it.

    "Hiss, hiss."

    It tilted its head in confusion and feasted on Huan¡¯s heart next, who it had just killed, but the result was the same.

    There was not a trace of mana left in the corpses, it was like fruit that had only its skin remaining.

    "Hiss¡­ why is there¡­ hiss, no mana?"

    A sullen voice came out through the Living Armor''s helmet.

    When it was searching the surroundings with its dark-blue eyes¡­

    "Oh, what? You can even talk?"

    "¡­!!"

    The Living Armor urgently gripped its spear and turned around.

    There was a man on top of the stacked containers looking down at it.

    He had slightly droopy eyes and half-curly hair.

    Despite having a gentle appearance, he gave off a dangerous, poisonous aura.

    "I''ve had a very~ nice meal thanks to you."

    Ohjin rubbed his belly and cackled out.

    The ck clouds that were spread out like fog slithered back into his body.

 Chapter 180: Living Armor (5)

    <strong>Chapter 180: Living Armor (5)</strong>

    Ring!¡ª

    <strong>[You have sessfully absorbed the ¡®Stigma of Bufo¡¯!]</strong>

    Ohjin got rid of the blue message that appeared in front of his eyes and riled up the power of the new constetion that rooted itself within his heart.

    His skin turned lumpy like a toad and the muscles in his legs bloated grotesquely as they tore the pants he was wearing.

    ¡®I should change this with Transformation.¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s disgusting skin returned to its original appearance and his bloated leg muscles shrunk back.

    With the stigma of Bufo in use, he could feel power increasing in his body that already possessed supernatural strength.

    ¡®It¡¯s nice.¡¯

    It only had the simple effect of enhancing his body, but it was also the reason why it could be utilized in various situations. He couldn¡¯t really use stigmas such as Noctua and Hippocampus as he desired in front of others.

    ¡°Hissssss.¡±

    Ohjin lowered his head and looked down at the demon beast d in ck armor.

    ¡®No, that expression isn¡¯t really correct in this case.¡¯

    The ck armor itself was the demon beast with nothing but dark blue mes on the inside.

    ¡®It massacred the Toads way easier than I thought it would, but still¡­¡¯

    The power of the mes leaking out of the gaps in the armor had decreased significantly.

    Ohjin surged mana into themunication marble and sent a signal to Isabe and Lee Woohyuk.

    He took in a short breath and grasped his spear.

    He had seeded in draining the stamina of his prey.

    ¡®Now then¡­¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s time for round two.¡±

    Bang!¡ª

    He used the stigma of Bufo to strengthen his legs and jumped high.

    Ohjin extended his hand at the Living Armor and activated the stigma of Noctua.

    Flutter!!¡ª

    Feathers of lightning poured down like rain.

    ¡°Hissssss.¡±

    Dark-blue mes destroyed the feathers as the Living Armor lightly swung its spear at them.

    ¡°G-Give it.¡±

    Its eyes glimmered with killing intent.

    A creepy voice could be hearding from the Living Armor¡¯s helmet.

    ¡°G-Give¡­ heart.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can give you mine since it¡¯s owned by Ha-eun. How about this instead?¡±

    Ohjin raised his middle finger at the Living Armor, though there was no way it could understand what it meant.

    ¡°Hissssss.¡±

    It at least understood that he had no intentions of handing over his heart without a fight.

    The Living Armor let out a creepy sound as it grasped its spear, and the weakened dark-blue mes zed fiercely again.

    Boom!¡ª

    It stomped the ground and jumped high.

    Positioned dozens of meters above the ground in an instant, it thrusted its spear.

    "Hmpf!"

    Bang!!¡ª

    Ohjin fired a wire while using Lightning Step to change his direction in the air. The six wires wrapped around the Living Armor.

    "Lightning Charge."

    Bzzzzzt!¡ª

    The current of blue lightning flowed through the wires and stunned the Living Armor.

    "Hisssss."

    A loud noise rang out along with its armor bing slightly deformed, but that was all.

    It acted like it wasn''t even attacked as it grabbed the wires wrapped around its body.

    Fwoong!¡ª

    It used its formidable strength to pull the wires.

    Ohjin sent mana into his wire shooters and disconnected the wires before he was pulled away by the Living Armor''s strength.

    "Hisssss!"

    The Living Armor violently swung down its raised spear in Ohjin¡¯s direction as he was in the middle of escaping.

    Rumbleeee!¡ª

    With the sound of thunder, dozens of containers that were stacked on top of the cargo ship were sent flying in every direction.

    "Holy shit."

    ''This is with it being in a tired state?''

    "No wonder that Toad bastard died so helplessly."

    To be frank, Huan wasn''t that highly skilled. Even if he put it nicely, he was only simr to the King of Owls. However, he had to admit that the Living Armor''s strength was truly astonishing considering the fact that it easily killed an Executor of the ck Star Organization as if it was the main character of a Hollywood film.

    ''ns have gone a bit awry.''

    Though he didn''t expect them to kill each other, he at least hoped that it wouldn¡¯t have that much strength remaining.

    ''No, maybe that isn''t the case¡­''

    "Hiss, hiss, hiss."

    The Living Armor was breathing heavily and was unable to continue attacks properly after using its big attack once.

    It was without a doubt a golden opportunity to eliminate the monster.

    "Hmpf!"

    Rumble!¡ª

    Ohjin avoided the terrifying attacks that the Living Armor rained down and traversed through the sky.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    When he was buying time and draining as much of the Living Armor''s stamina as possible¡ª

    "Ohjin!"

    "We''re here!"

    ¡ªIsabe and Lee Woohyuk arrived at the cargo ship together.

    The two of them looked at the Living Armor that was running wild and took out their weapons.

    "What happened to the ck Star Organization?"

    "That thing killed them all."

    "¡­That monster alone?"

    Lee Woohyuk widened his eyes in shock.

    Ohjin nodded and stood next to him.

    "It''ll be even harder to take it down if it recovers its stamina."

    "So we''ll have to attack it as much as we can right now."

    Lee Woohyuk nodded and raised his sword.

    The stigma of Leo gave off light as the wind that was as sharp as a beast''s ws surrounded his body.

    "Arietis, the celestial of Aries, please shine down your light of recovery for this youngmb."

    The golden light flowing out of Isabe''s staff permeated into the bodies of Ohjin and Lee Woohyuk.

    "I''ll be the vanguard!"

    Lee Woohyuk went in first and swung his sword.

    "Oh, wind!"

    Swoooosh!!¡ª

    Sharp gusts of wind stormed with the sword at its center.

    He took a big step forward and swung his sword from top to bottom with all of his strength.

    "Blow it away!"

    The stigma¡¯s light wrapped around the sword and formed nine shapes.

    ¡ªThe Ninth Wind, Strong Gale.

    The raging wind shot at the Living Armor from all directions.

    "Hissss!"

    ng! Kang! -ng!¡ª

    The Living Armor took a step back and swung its spear.

    With the sound of a hammer striking a sturdy metal sheet, arge crack appeared in its armor.

    ''Damn, is Lee Woohyuk really an 8-Star Awakener?'' Ohjin eximed as he saw Lee Woohyuk overpower the Living Armor.

    Though it could only happen since most of its stamina was depleted from fighting the Bufo faction, even if you put that into consideration, you had to admit that Lee Woohyuk''s skill already transcended the ranks of an 8-Star Awakener.

    ''He''ll be a 9-Star soon.''

    It was good news.

    His hound bing stronger would only help him tear off the necks of the ck Star Organization.

    "Charge."

    Ohjin supported Lee Woohyuk and poured down attacks on the Living Armor.

    The Living Armor which had be noticeably weaker than when it massacred the Bufo faction was pushed back by thebined attacks of Lee Woohyuk and Ohjin.

    Bang! Crunch! Cling!¡ª

    Its armor only became more crumpled as time passed, and its fierce, dark-blue mes started to lose their strength.

    "Huff! Huff!"

    "Just a little more!"

    Even though they were out of breath, Lee Woohyuk and Ohjin didn¡¯t stop attacking the Living Armor.

    However¡­

    "Kugh."

    A short groan left his mouth.

    Intense pain that started from the left side of his chest started to spread like poison.

    ''Goddamnit.''

    His internal injuries that had yet topletely heal after the fight with Deneb''s apostles held him back.

    Ohjin was somehow able to move his body thanks to Isabe¡¯s buffs, but the negative effects of his internal injuries gradually worsened with time.

    "Huff, huff."

    He was out of breath.

    He could feel himself losing control of the mana flowing throughout his entire body with the pain of his mana circuits twisting.

    Even if he could endure the pain, he couldn¡¯t do anything about his mana that started to run wild.

    ''Do I need to use an elixir?''

    The moment he moved his hand to take the elixir out of his pocket¡ª

    "Watch out!"

    Swoosh!¡ª

    ¡ªa dark-blue spear swung at Ohjin.

    Lee Woohyuk quickly got in the way and received the attack.

    "Kugh!"

    Boom!¡ª

    Lee Woohyuk was sent flying back and rolled on the ground after blocking the spear.

    A handful of blood gushed out of his mouth.

    The Living Armor that was fended off by Lee Woohyuk extended its hand out to Ohjin.

    "Get away from him!"

    Isabe thrusted her staff in the direction of the Living Armor, and then golden light shot from the tip of the staff.

    "Hissss!"

    The Living Armor groaned in pain after getting hit by the light containing destructive mana.

    However, even that could only stop it for a short moment.

    It got right next to Ohjin and swung its spear wide over its shoulders.

    He quickly raised his spear and blocked the dark-blue spear.

    "Argh!"

    Crack!¡ª

    Ohjin¡¯s spear bent, and immense shock was transmitted to his body.

    He was sent flying and roughly rolled on the floor.

    "Cough! Cough!"

    He spat out blood and drenched his chest.

    "O-Ohjin!"

    Isabe ran to Ohjin with a frightened expression.

    She dropped to the ground and hugged Ohjin, who was groaning and having trouble catching his breath.

    "¡­¡­"

    ¡ªDark-red blood dripped from his chin and drenched his chest.

    Isabe¡¯s eyes turned cold as she looked at his pale face.

    The light in her blue eyes that shone like sapphires disappeared like night hade.

    "That fucking pile of scrap metal dares¡­"

    Her lightless eyes locked onto the Living Armor.

    She started to emit the pungent smell of blood.

    Isabe cleaned the blood dripping from his mouth and secretly licked the blood that was left on her hand.

    When dark red energy was about to bloom from her body¡ª

    Vrrrrrroooooom!!!!¡ª

    ¡ªa loud exhaust sound rang out from the dock.

    Ohjin, who was catching his breath in Isabe¡¯s arms, looked to the dock.

    Arge motorcycle was gunning it through the gaps in the containers.

    ''Huh?''

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and looked at the bike that was quickly approaching.

    Screeeeeeech!!¡ª

    The motorcycle stopped as it left arge scratch on the ground, and the woman with the body of a model took off her helmet and threw it away.

    Her long maroon hair wavered like fire.

    "Bastard, where do you keep going around without me?"

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue while looking at Ohjin in Isabe''s arms.

 Chapter 181: Living Armor (6)

    <strong>Chapter 181: Living Armor (6)</strong>

    "Ha-eun?"

    Ohjin''s eyes widened when he saw Ha-eun arrive on a motorcycle.

    To his knowledge, she should''ve been in the middle of her ''molting'' process.

    "It''s already finished."

    Ha-eun chortled and approached Ohjin.

    "I asked where you were once I woke up and was told you came here to investigate. I dide here right away, but¡­"

    With narrowed eyes, she stared at Ohjin, who was in Isabe¡¯s arms.

    "It looks like you were having a good time without me."

    Ohjin pointed to his blood-drenched chest.

    "Isn''t being hugged by ady from a rich family who is pretty, good at cooking, and has big breasts having a good time?"

    "I mean, you''re right, but¡­"

    "I''m fucking right?"

    "No, no, no. The time I spent here was truly tiresome and dreadful."

    "Yes. Now that''s more like it."

    With Ohjin on the ground, Ha-eun cackled and ruffled his hair.

    She nced at Isabe and spoke in a small voice.

    "Thank you."

    "Eh?"

    "Thank you for protecting Ohjin."

    "¡­"

    Isabe seemed like she hadn''t expected to hear her say thanks, as she put on a shocked expression.

    Ha-eun stopped looking at Isabe and turned her head to face the Living Armor.

    "So you¡¯re the one who made my Ohjin shit blood."

    "Uh, I never did that¡­"

    "I''ll confirm it a littleter, so sit tight."

    "What?"

    ''You''re going to confirm what now?''

    "For god''s sake¡­"

    She ignored him and took out a cigarette from her pocket.

    After putting it in her mouth, she created a small me at the tip of her finger.

    Sizzle¡ª

    "This is why I can''t take my eyes off Ohjin."

    Killing intent leaked from her cold, red eyes.

    "Hissssss."

    "Why does this fuck keep making the farting sound of a dude who hasn¡¯t been able to shit for three days?"

    The creepy sound it emitted that made numerous Awakeners tremble in fear was turned into a vulgar sound in a heartbeat.

    There was no way it would understand what she said, but the Living Armor aimed its spear at Ha-eun and gave off killing intent.

    "What? Are you mad?"

    She giggled and took a big drag out of her cigarette.

    "But how should I break this to you¡­?"

    Click¡ª

    Ha-eun lifted the eyepatch that was covering her left eye.

    The yellow eye of a reptile hidden underneath the ck eyepatch revealed itself.

    Fuu¡ª

    Light-gray smoke leaked out of her red lips.

    After cing the burning cigarette between her fingers¡ª

    "I''m even more pissed, you dickhead."

    Boom!!!¡ª

    ¡ªit shot off like a bullet as she snapped her finger.

    The small embers on the edge of the cigarette spread their wings and flew.

    Fwooooosh!!¡ª

    ¡ªRadiant mes covered the air.

    The small embers turned into a dragon and wrapped around the Living Armor.

    "Hissssss!!"

    The Living Armor was engulfed in scorching mes hot enough to make opening your eyes difficult and it cried out.

    Its armor was crumpled due to the consecutive battles and started to melt from the searing mes.

    Thud!!¡ª

    The Living Armorunched forward and charged at them before its entire body could melt and disappear.

    Its spear that was aimed at Ha-eun burned with dark-blue mes.

    "Oh, mes¡ª"

    Ha-eun dodged in a slipping manner and avoided the spear.

    She grasped the spear that grazed past the left side of her belly and clenched her fist as she pulled it in.

    Fwoooosh!!¡ª

    The eye of a dragon rooted in her left eye shone fiercely, and mes gathered in her clenched fist.

    "¡ªfucking ze."

    Boooom!!¡ª

    She threw a straight punch at the shape of a snake engraved on the Living Armor''s chest.

    The massive mes condensed in her fist were unleashed like an erupting volcano.

    Three scorching dragons ran up her arm and wrapped around its body.

    "Fuu."

    Taking in a short breath, she grasped the Living Armor''s chestte.

    "Hyaaa!!!"

    Crunch!¡ª

    She yelled and tore off the chestte that was already half-melted by the heat.

    "Hisssss!!"

    The Living Armor struggled as it backed off while violently swinging its spear that Ha-eun held onto.

    "Ugh!"

    Ha-eun, who was gripping the shaft with her left hand, was sent flying back by its astonishing strength.

    She frowned and stared at the Living Armor.

    "Jesus, this bastard is fucking strong."

    If the Living Armor was in its normal state, she wouldn''t have been able to face it, even with havingpleted her ''molting''.

    However¡­

    "It looks like you''re pretty tired."

    The edges of her lips tilted up.

    Ha-eun took another cigarette out of her pack and raised it up high.

    "Oh, mes¡ª"

    With the cigarette at the center, six ming dragons gathered.

    "¡ªze really fucking strongly."

    She lowered the cigarette like she was shing down a sword.

    Fwoooosh!¡ª

    The me dragons that spread in six different directions traversed through the air like living organisms.

    They opened their massive mouths and devastated the Living Armor like a group of hyenas eating a corpse.

    "Hissssss!!"

    One of the me dragons crawled through the gap that was created from its chestte getting torn off.

    mes of different colors entangled together and fought.

    The Living Armor spasmed in pain.

    "Phew."

    Cold sweat ran down Ha-eun''s forehead.

    It wasn''t easy to control six me dragons since she had only recently finished her ''molting''¡ª

    ''I need to end things here.''

    ¡ªbut if an opening was created and the Living Armor escaped, there was no way for her to chase after it because she heavilycked mobilitypared to her firepower.

    And one more thing¡­

    ''You dare hurt my Ohjin?''

    Rage surged up once she recalled Ohjin on the ground and drenched in blood.

    Fwoosh¡ª

    Mana poured out like a tsunami from the Dragon¡¯s Heart that took root in the left side of her chest.

    A spherical marble was created on top of her opened palm.

    The red marble didn''t ze fiercely or rumble.

    Bang!¡ª

    She surged forward with the Dragon Bead in her hand.

    Wind grazed past her cheek.

    Every time she took a step, holes were left on the ground as if she was running on wet cement.

    "Hisss!"

    The Living Armor that was violently struggling raised its spear.

    "Toote, fucker."

    Jumping lightly, Ha-eunnded on top of the spear.

    She extended her left arm and forcefully opened its helmet.

    "Open wide."

    Ha-eun roughly shoved her hand that was grasping the Dragon Bead into its helmet.

    "This is going to be a little hot."

    "Hissssss!!"

    "Hey, no biting back."

    Before the Living Armor munched her arm off, Ha-eun quickly withdrew it and kicked its chestte.

    Once she created distance with a clean backwards somersault, she leisurely took out a cigarette pack from her pocket.

    "Ah, fuck."

    She put thest cigarette in her mouth and put her finger at the tip of it.

    Sizzle¡ª

    When she rxed and took in a puff¡ª

    Fwooooooosh!!¡ª

    ¡ªferocious mes raged out from the gaps of its ck armor.

    They weren¡¯t creepy, dark-blue mes that were like fen fires¡ªthey were mes that were bright red like a dragon''s breath.

    Thud!¡ª

    The half-melted armor copsed onto the ground with a heavy sound.

    The light in its dark-blue eyes gradually faded.

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    "That was tough."

    Ha-eun smirked and turned around.

    She acted like it was nothing on the outside, but there was cold sweat formed on her forehead.

    "Did you bring any potions?" Ha-eun asked after approaching Ohjin.

    "I brought one."

    Isabe took out a potion from the small bag attached to her belt.

    It wasn''t an elixir that was said to regenerate decapitated limbs, but it was a top-quality potion that easily exceeded several hundred thousand dors.

    "I''ll feed it to him."

    With Ohjin¡¯s head on herp, Isabe opened the potion bottle and was going to pour the blue liquid into her mouth¡­

    "Stop right there. What do you think you¡¯re doing, bitch?"

    Ha-eun pulled Isabe''s hair as she was about to put it in her mouth.

    Isabe red at Ha-eun.

    "¡­What are you doing?"

    "If someone''s feeding it to him, it''s going to be me."

    "Oh my, where''s the potion that you brought?"

    When an intense mood was settling down between Isabe and Ha-eun¡ª

    "What am I, on my deathbed?"

    ¡ªOhjin furrowed his brows and got up.

    Numerous ces on his body throbbed from the internal injuries he received from fighting Deneb''s apostles and the wounds he got from the Living Armor, but he wasn''t so hurt that he couldn''t drink a potion by himself.

    "Thank you."

    He quickly took the potion out of Isabe''s hand and poured it into his mouth.

    Was it because it was a top-quality potion priced at several hundred thousand dors? A refreshing feeling spread throughout his whole body as the pain gradually receded.

    "Ah¡­"

    "Aw."

    Ohjin avoided the gazes of the two women that looked to be bummed out and got up.

    He slowly walked over and looked down at the Living Armor''s half-melted corpse on the ground.

    ''It''ll probably be best for me to devour it before the Heaven''s Grace guild arrives.''

    "Could you confirm Mr. Woohyuk''s condition for me?" Ohjin said as he nced at Isabe.

    "Ah. G-Give me a second."

    It seemed that she only just remembered Lee Woohyuk, who was sent flying by the Living Armor''s attack. She nodded her head and hurried away.

    Ha-eun nced at Isabe growing distant and approached him.

    "Are you going to absorb it with the¡­ ck Heaven or whatever it''s called?"

    "Yeah."

    It was a demon beast created by the ''Snakes''.

    He couldn¡¯t let himself miss out on such nutritious prey.

    "Won''t¡­ it be a bit dangerous?" Ha-eun asked with a worried expression.

    It appeared that she was worried that the power of the ''Snakes'' within the demon beast would be harmful to him.

    Ohjin smirked and shook his head.

    "If my power couldn''t handle this, I wouldn''t be a threat to this world in the first ce."

    Regardless of how incredible the power of the Snakes was, it couldn¡¯t hold a candle to the ck Heaven. Not when it was the very thing that devoured the countless constetions in the night sky.

    Rumble¡ª

    The ck clouds flowing out of his hands covered the ck armor.

    -Ring!

    [You have absorbed a portion of the ''Stigma of Serpens''. You must absorb more stigmas in order to use the power of the ''Stigma of Serpens''.]

    [All conditions required for the ck Heaven''s awakening have been met]

    [The ck Heaven''s seventh awakening will start!]

    "What?"

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened after confirming the message that appeared in front of his eyes.

    He couldn¡¯t have imagined that the ck Heaven would awaken.

    [You have achieved the ck Heaven¡¯s seventh awakening.]

    [A portion of Awakener Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories will be transmitted ording to the ck Heaven¡¯s awakening stage!]

    Pzzzt!¡ª

    His field of view twisted, apanied by the familiar sound of static noise.

 Chapter 182: Interlude - For a Better Past (1)

    <strong>Chapter 182: Interlude - For a Better Past (1)</strong>

    Pzzzzt¡ª

    Static noise rang in his ears.

    His field of view distorted as Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories flowed into his head.

    ¡°Ha-eun¡¯s little brother went missing?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk nodded with a stiff expression.

    Lee Woohyuk¡¯s surprised eyes looked at him.

    ¡°Then how is she doing¡­?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s in a state ofplete panic.¡±

    He sighed deeply and sat across from Lee Woohyuk.

    ¡°Ha-eun hasn¡¯t replied since yesterday. I think she¡¯s still looking for him.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sigh.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk grasped his forehead with a shocked expression.

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that her little brother couldn¡¯t even get off the bed?¡±

    ¡°It appears that he ran away as soon as he recovered enough to walk.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk quietly bit his lips.

    The way she was happy like a little child when her little brother was finally able to stand up on the bed crossed his mind.

    ¡ªHer happy smile that would never be directed at him.

    Every time he saw her ted smile, it felt like a knife was slicing away somewhere deep inside his heart.

    ¡°Why did he run away?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk slurred the end of his sentence.

    Unable to bring himself to say it, he dropped his head and sealed his lips.

    Lee Woohyuk looked at him and frowned.

    ¡°But why hasn''t she contacted us? Isn¡¯t it strange?¡±

    It wasmon sense to ask for help from others when someone dear to you went missing, but Ha-eun didn¡¯t speak a word about her little brother.

    His name, appearance, and even age all remained a secret.

    ¡°Just what is she thinking¡­?¡±

    ¡°So this is just my spection, but¡­¡±

    Lee Sinhyuk, who was lost in thought, slowly raised his head.

    ¡°I think¡­ that her brother joined the Pseudo Star Cult.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Lee Woohyuk¡¯s eyes widened.

    Killing intent instinctively flowed out of his body as soon as he heard the words ¡®Pseudo Star Cult¡¯.

    ¡°Then are you suggesting that she isn¡¯t saying anything in order to hide the fact that he¡¯s a part of the Pseudo Star Cult?¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk slightly nodded his head.

    If her little brother really was connected with the Pseudo Star Cult, the way she hid his identity so thoroughly was understandable.

    At that time, the Pseudo Star Cult was literally the mon enemy¡¯ of the world.

    ¡°What other reason could there be for a paralyzed person to suddenly recover enough to walk?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ probably nothing other than awakening.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk nodded his head.

    The Pseudo Star Cult had the ability to grant stigmas to ordinary people who were unable to awaken.

    Needless to say, you would have to pay a hideous price in return, but would that price really mean anything to a paralyzed person who couldn¡¯t move an inch from his bed?

    ¡°No way¡­ to think that her little brother was in the Pseudo Star Cult¡­¡±

    Lee Woohyuk sighed deeply and chewed his lips.

    Ha-eun was a core member of ¡®Guardian¡¯ along with Lee Woohyuk and Lee Shinhyuk. If the fact that her little brother was a part of the Pseudo Star Cult became known, that news would not only unsettle Korea but the whole world.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why she wasn¡¯t saying anything.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still just a theory. I¡¯ll tell you more about it once I gather more information on it.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk got up from his seat.

    Lee Woohyuk called him as he was about to turn around and leave.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I need to go help her.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk smiled sadly.

    He knew that, no matter what he did, she would not look at him as he looked at her.

    But still¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m going. Contact me if there''s an emergency.¡±

    Lee Woohyuk looked at his back with bitter eyes.

    Click¡ª

    Lee Shinhyuk left and went up to the rooftop of the Valha guild house for a moment.

    He wanted to rush to help Ha-eun find her little brother, but resolving hisplicated thoughts came first.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk frequently went up to the rooftop to clear his head and organize his thoughts, but for some unknown reason, it didn¡¯t work on that day.

    ¡°So what if I became a high-rank Awakener¡­? It¡¯s not like that will draw her attention.¡±

    He had be a 9-Star Awakener through treacherous training in order to protect her, but Ha-eun kept her distance from him and rarely spoke to him after she turned down his confession.

    Pain throbbed in his chest.

    The deep sigh that leaked out of his mouth echoed out.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    When he was in a daze on top of the rooftop, he discovered an envelope that was ced upright in the rooftop¡¯s corner.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    It was ced too neatly for it to be an envelope that someone dropped by ident. There was also no way anyone could have dropped it since he was the only one in the Valha guild that used the rooftop.

    ¡°¡®To Lee Shinhyuk¡¯¡­ huh? Me?¡±

    Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s eyes widened as he discovered his name written on the envelope.

    ¡°What?¡±

    He tilted his head and opened the envelope.

    There was a single sentence written on the pure-white letter.

    <strong>-Please take good care of my big sister.</strong>

    It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize who wrote the letter and the person it was referring to.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    His eyes trembled after reading the letter.

    He clenched his fists and desperately suppressed the tips of his lips that were trying to rise on their own.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll make sure to protect her,¡± Lee Shinhyuk vowed with a determined voice to her ¡®little brother¡¯ that he didn¡¯t know the face, age, or even name of.

    With that final scene¡ª

    Pzzzzzzt!¡ª

    ¡ªOhjin¡¯s field of view distorted with the familiar sound of static noise.

    What appeared before him wasn¡¯t the rooftop of the Valha guild house but a pier filled with gray smoke and the smell of something burning.

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin nkly looked at the Living Armor¡¯s half-melted corpse and pursed his lips.

    ¡®What¡­?¡¯

    He chewed his lips as his fists trembled.

    ¡®What the fuck was that?¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t hard to grasp the situation.

    The Ohjin of the 1st Round that was paralyzed and getting nursed by Ha-eun¡­

    He would¡¯ve thought¡­

    He would¡¯ve contemted and suffered¡­

    ¡ªHow can I protect her?

    ¡ªWhat do I have to do to save her?

    ¡®You¡¯re telling me the conclusion I reached¡­ was to disappear from her side?¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ fuck with me.¡±

    Bzzzt!¡ª

    Blue lightning flowed into his fist, and azure fen fires raged deep in his eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me, you bastard!¡±

    He yelled out to his past¡­ no, to his future self.

    Despite knowing better than anyone who she needed next to her the most, the best he could think of was abandoning her and running away?

    ¡®Dumbfuck.¡¯

    Rage heated his head.

    He thought about how idiotic those actions were and questioned if they were really the same person while feeling a wave of nausea.

    Ohjin knew the despair his other self had been in.

    Since he was paralyzed, he was probably living miserably while getting nursed every day by the woman he wanted to protect.

    He would have felt despair.

    He would have felt disheartened.

    He wouldn¡¯t have been able to forgive himself for staining her life that was supposed to shine brightly.

    However, despite all of that¡­

    ¡°You¡­ shouldn¡¯t have given up.¡±

    It felt like his stomach was turning.

    Strength left his legs and his body staggered.

    ¡°O-Ohjin? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Ha-eun approached him and held his arm.

    "¡­"

    Ohjin felt the warm sensation on his arm and looked at her face.

    An indescribable feeling and an irresistible impulse rose up within him.

    "Ohj¡ª hmpf?!"

    He roughly pulled her hips in and kissed her.

    As she tried to walk back with her eyes open wide, he pulled even harder.

    "Hmf¡­ uub."

    He put his tongue in her slightly opened mouth, and Ha-eun carefully sucked on the tongue that dug past her lips.

    Ohjin put strength in his arms as if saying he wouldn''t ever lose her and continued the kiss.

    "Puha! Wh-What are you d-d-doing all of a sudden?"

    Ha-eun''s cheeks grew beet red after she barely managed to escape from his arms.

    She rubbed her thighs like she was constipated and wiggled her fingers in embarrassment.

    "¡­"

    As if washing away the unpleasant memories that flowed into his head, he looked at her lovely gestures.

    A raging azure fen fire zed in his eyes.

    "I''m not going to be the same as you," he firmly said to his other self that abandoned everything and ran away without protecting her.

    "What are you¡ª hmf!"

    He pulled in her hips once again like he would never let go.

    "O-Ohjin, seriously, you¡­!"

    Ha-eun pinched Ohjin¡¯s stomach with her cheeks reddened.

    The way he kissed her ravenously like he desired her made her chest flutter, but there was a time and ce for everything.

    "D-Do stuff like that at h-h-home," Ha-eun said in a muttering voice as she looked away.

    If she could have it her way, she would immediately go home with Ohjin to continue their unfinished business¡­

    "Fuu. First off, let''s report to the Heaven''s Grace guild."

    But they still had a heap of work to take care of such as reporting the matters regarding the Living Armor and Bufo faction.

    Since there were even deaths during the operation, the process would naturally beplicated.

    Common sense told her to return to the Heaven''s Grace guild as fast as possible¡ª

    "No, Isabe will take care of that on her own."

    ¡ªbut Ohjin shook his head like it wasn''t needed.

    His actions were extremely unlike his normal, meticulous, and calctive behavior.

    Ha-eun looked at Ohjin with a shocked expression.

    "You said we should do stuff like this at home, right?"

    Ohjin held her wrist.

    "Let''s go home."

    "Kyaa! W-Wait, Ohjin!"

    Ha-eun yelled as Ohjin pulled her hand.

    She looked around with panic and soon walked right behind Ohjin.

    They walked to the motorcycle that Ha-eun rode there.

    ''You couldn''t protect her, but I did.''

    Within his head, he spat out words to his future self that would never be heard.

    ''You couldn''t save her, but I did.''

    He gently touched the elixir in his pocket.

    The person who returned Ha-eun''s eyes and leg wasn''t Lee Shinhyuk¡ªit was him.

    ''You gave up¡­''

    His blue eyes looked to the ck sky settled in darkness.

    "But I won''t, you son of a bitch."

    For a past that''s better than the future¡­

    For yesterday that''s better than tomorrow¡­

    Ohjin gripped Ha-eun¡¯s hand tighter.

 Chapter 183: Interlude - For a Better Past (2)

    <strong>Chapter 183: Interlude - For a Better Past (2)</strong>

    Vroooom¡ª

    The motorcycle¡¯s exhaust echoed out.

    Ohjin quickly sped through the roads with Ha-eun sitting behind him.

    It was his first time driving a motorcycle, but he was able to keep his bnce without much difficulty thanks to his superhuman Awakener senses.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun lightly pulled Ohjin¡¯s hip and leaned on his wide back.

    Thump, thump¡ª

    The sound of her beating heart thudded so loudly that she couldn¡¯t even hear the motorcycle¡¯s exhaust.

    Her head heated up like there was a hot, wet towel wrapped around her neck.

    ¡®Wh-What is going on?¡¯

    After absorbing the Living Armor with the ck Heaven, Ohjin suddenly changed and started coveting her even more.

    It wasn¡¯t only that¡­

    He¡¯d even pulled her arm in a slightly forceful manner and suddenly said they should head home.

    Ohjin¡¯s actions could only be described to be much bolder than how he usually reacted when she enticed him.

    ¡®Is¡­ it because of Lee Shinhyuk¡¯s memories?¡¯

    She didn¡¯t hear it in detail but knew that he gained the Regressor¡¯s memories as the ck Heaven grew.

    Ha-eun wondered if his actions were rted to those memories.

    ¡°¡­Hmpf.¡±

    She mumbled in a small voice with her forehead leaning on his back.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to pay attention to stuff like that.¡±

    What meaning was there in what you did or what happened to you in a separate life that you had no memories of?

    Ha-eun was there right behind him, hugging his hips.

    She was with him in the past, she was with him in the present, and she would be with him in the future.

    ¡®Well, I¡­ I guess this is better for me.¡¯

    She recalled when he roughly pulled her in and went for her lips.

    They had met lips a couple of times until then, but it was her first time experiencing him wanting her lips so intensely that it was almost like he wanted to devour them.

    ¡°Uhh.¡±

    Ha-eun increased the strength in her hug as her cheeks reddened.

    Her heart beat like she was dreaming, and it refused to calm down because Ohjin acting so aggressively was rare.

    ¡®Wh-When we get home¡­¡¯

    Her face heated up every time she thought about what would be waiting for her at home.

    When Ha-eun gulped and was licking her dry lips with her tongue¡ª

    Skrr¡ª

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    ¡ªa familiar apartment building entered her eyes as the motorcycle stopped.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    It was the house she presented to Ohjin after saving her money and taking out a loan.

    Needless to say, both the exterior and interior looked tackypared to the luxurious apartment building Isabe gifted to Ohjin, but that house meant a lot to the two of them since they had basically lived in a shack.

    ¡°Huh? W-W-We arrived already?¡±

    A nervous expression on her face, Ha-eun nodded and got up from the backseat of the motorcycle.

    Ohjin took the lead, and she nervously followed him.

    ¡®Ahhhh! This is driving me crazy!¡¯

    In normal circumstances, she would¡¯ve made a joke to loosen up the mood, but it didn¡¯t seem appropriate when she considered Ohjin¡¯s stiff expression.

    Ha-eun chewed her lips and followed him with anxious steps.

    The time it took for the elevator to reach floor 7 felt so long that she thought it was taking them to floor 70.

    Ding¡ª

    The doors of the elevator opened with the sound of a clear bell.

    The interior of the house that was more or less 66 square meters entered their eyes.

    It was no different than usual, but the house felt unfamiliar for some unknown reason.

    ¡°O-Ohjin.¡±

    Ha-eun carefully held his sleeve while her eyes quivered.

    Ohjin looked at her and gradually approached.

    When the distance between them was so close that she could hear the sound of him breathing¡ª

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    ¡ªHa-eun closed her eyes tight and jolted.

    She felt something cold on her cheek.

    It was as if a bottle containing a lukewarm drink was ced next to her chee¡ª

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ha-eun opened her eyes and looked at the transparent ss bottle Ohjin ced right next to her face.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    There was a liquid emitting a mystical blue light within the bottle.

    Ohjin opened the bottle and handed it to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s an elixir.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Her mind went nk.

    The word ¡°Elixir¡± that left his mouth quickly swam around inside of her head.

    ¡°W-Wait, what? An elixir?¡±

    It was a potion that was known to be able to restore a patient to health regardless of how critical their condition was. They just had to still be breathing.

    The expensive potion required materials that were hard to acquire for even a high-rank Awakener of Aquarius and it needed to be refined for several years.

    No, the word ¡°expensive¡± wasn¡¯t fit to express it.

    Items on par with the elixir weren¡¯t things you could obtain with money in the first ce.

    ¡°Drink it.¡±

    Ohijin put the bottle close to her mouth.

    Ha-eun stared at him with a stiff expression.

    ¡°Just where did you get this?¡±

    It was impossible to obtain an elixir through ordinary means.

    ¡°I got it from winning a bet with Deneb.¡±

    ¡°Deneb? Are you talking about the Deneb I¡¯m thinking of?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s mouth fell open.

    Ohjin nodded his head and told her about the proxy match he¡¯d done with Deneb¡¯s apostles at the sanctum.

    Ha-eun¡¯s pupils gradually trembled more as he kept talking.

    ¡°You fought Deneb¡¯s apostles¡­? Four of them, one after the other?¡±

    Ha-eun grabbed his cor and cried out.

    ¡°Why?! Why did you do such an insane thing?!¡±

    Not only had he conducted a fight with three people as a bet, but he¡¯d also recklessly fought an additional, fourth apostle.

    ¡°If the proxy match was for Vega, why did you fight a fourth¡­?¡±

    ¡°I would¡¯ve been able to receive Deneb¡¯s divinity with defeating three, but I wouldn¡¯t have been justified in asking for an elixir if I just stopped there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    He was unable to stop after the third match because he¡¯d been thinking of her.

    ¡°Then¡­ a-are you saying you fought a high-ranking Awakener of Cygnus for me?¡±

    Ha-eun looked at Ohjin with trembling eyes.

    Ohjin grinned and nonchntly shrugged like it was nothing worth mentioning.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    A short exmation left her lips.

    That¡¯s right¡­

    It was always the same¡­

    He was a person who would go through hell or high water for her.

    Even if he turned into ash or dust, he would dly sacrifice his body.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Transparent tears gathered near Ha-eun¡¯s eyes.

    She grasped the elixir Ohjin handed over as her shoulders shivered.

    It felt unfair.

    Thoughts of him filled her head so much that she couldn¡¯t live without him starting from long ago, and she believed that she couldn¡¯t possibly love him more than she already did.

    ¡°What¡­ am I supposed to do now?¡±

    Ha-eun ended up falling for him even more.

    Just when she thought that it was impossible¡­

    Just when she thought that there was no more room for him to upy since he filled every nook and cranny deep in her heart¡­

    ¡°Why are you asking the obvious?¡±

    Ohjin smirked and took the elixir out of her hands.

    ¡°Hurry up and drink it. You seriously don¡¯t listen to me.¡±

    After taking in a mouthful, he gently kissed her trembling lips.

    ¡°Hmh¡­¡±

    A blue liquid flowed over her tongue and went down her throat.

    Gentle, blue light emitted from her body.

    ck¡ª

    The prosthetic leg under her right knee dropped onto the floor.

    What appeared where the prosthetic leg used to be¡ª

    ¡°W-Whoa.¡±

    ¡ªwas a pure, white leg.

    ¡°M-My leg! O-Ohjin, my leg really regenerated!¡± Ha-eun shouted out in an excited voice and shook his shoulders.

    Even if the prosthetic leg he gave as a present wasfortable, it couldn¡¯t bepared to a real leg.

    Wriggle, wriggle¡ª

    As if she was a bird pping its wings for the first time, she carefully moved her right toes.

    She felt her pure, white foot move naturally ording to her will.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Tears ran down her cheek.

    The saying that you only realized the importance of things after they were gone existed for a reason.

    ¡®I thought¡­ that I¡¯d never get it back.¡¯

    Ha-eun could at least hope that she would recover her vision one day since curses could be removed, but her leg was something she believed impossible to recover since it had been too long since it was cut off.

    She coped by telling herself that the difort could be endured and life wasn''t all that bad without a right leg. After regaining her leg and the sensations that came with it, she realized how much the difort had bothered her.

    ¡°Are you able to move it ok?¡±

    Ohjin got down on one knee and grabbed her right leg.

    ¡°Eek!!¡±

    Was it because it had only just regenerated? A shocking stimtion spread from her sensitive leg.

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t touch it!¡±

    Her face reddened while she tried to move her leg away¡ª

    ¡°I need to confirm whether it regenerated properly.¡±

    ¡ªbut Ohjin held her leg tight and massaged it.

    Ha-eun floundered and fell on her back.

    ¡°It looks fine to me.¡±

    He smirked as Ha-eun reacted intensely every time he massaged her white leg.

    ¡°Y-You¡­¡±

    Without giving time for her to pour ourints¡ª

    ¡°Then, I don¡¯t need to hold myself back anymore, right?¡±

    ¡ªOhjin picked her up in a princess carry.

    Albeit, it didn¡¯t look as cool as he imagined due to Ha-eun¡¯s tallness.

    ¡°Wh-What are you nning to do?¡±

    The way Ha-eun carefully looked up at him in his arms was more lovely than any way he could have imagined.

    It was a bed that could slide out one more bed if you took out the lower part that looked like drawers¡­

    ¡®But there won¡¯t be a use for it today.¡¯

    Ohjin carefully ced Ha-eun on top of the bed and unbuttoned his shirt.

    Like trying to calm down her subtly shivering body, heid his body over hers.

    * * *

    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±

    After the time for heated pleasure came to an end, Ha-eun took in deep breaths and fumbled with her belly like she couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°S-So that thing really went in¡­¡±

    It was so pleasurable that it made her feel stupid for not having experienced it until then.

    Ha-eun¡¯s face reddened as she recalled how Ohjin ravaged her like a beast.

    It was nice¡­ much nicer than she imagined.

    So much so that it wasn¡¯t easy to recall a time in her life that felt better.

    However¡­

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®What if only I felt good?¡¯

    ¡®What if Ohjin is thinking that it wasn¡¯t as good as he imagined?¡¯

    The seed of anxiety rooted in her mind started to bud rapidly.

    Ha-eun carefully poked Ohjin.

    Ohjin, who was lying down and looking at the ceiling with a nk look, turned his head to face her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°S-So¡­ you know¡­¡±

    She kept stuttering and soon asked in despair.

    ¡°H-How did it f-feel?¡±

    ¡°How did what feel?¡±

    ¡°Y-You know¡­ d-down there.¡±

    ¡°It felt like freshly boiled meat.¡±

    ¡°You piece of shit.¡±

    ¡®What the fuck is this guy saying?¡¯

 Chapter 184: Interlude - For a Better Past (3)

    <strong>Chapter 184: Interlude - For a Better Past (3)</strong>

    There was a saying that finding interest in a particr thing at ate date tended to cause people to be more engrossed in it

    The two people who got a taste of the sweet pleasure that couldn¡¯t bepared to anything else desired each other like newlyweds whenever their eyes met.

    When they met eyes in the morning after waking up¡­

    When Ohjin yfully hugged Ha-eun¡¯s back as she was preparing a meal with her clumsy hands¡­

    When Ha-eun secretly broke into the bathroom in a swimsuit as Ohjin went in to take a shower first¡­

    They shared love all day long to the point it was hard to understand how they lived without indulging in such acts up to that point.

    ¡®It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything else to do.¡¯

    Normally, he would¡¯ve tried to get used to his new power gained from the ck Heaven¡¯s seventh awakening, but he had to focus on recovering from his internal injuries that worsened during the fight with the Living Armor.

    ¡®Isabe and Lee Woohyuk also took care of reporting the case on their own.¡¯

    Isabe did pour outints about him disappearing without a word, but he was able to get her to overlook it somehow by telling her that he had to go get his severe injuries treated as an excuse.

    ¡®It¡¯s about time for me to get some rest.¡¯

    Hadn¡¯t the love he had for Ha-eun finally bore fruit? He wanted to spend a rxing time with her while waiting for his internal injuries to recover.

    ¡°Ohjin, do you want to see a movie with me?¡±

    ¡°A movie?¡±

    There were nearly no opportunities to watch movies because of how poor they were in the past, but now they could watch movies any time they wanted with Ha-eun having purchased a 75-inch TV.

    ¡°What do you want to watch?¡±

    ¡°Was it Squid Game? I heard people saying it was fun.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a drama?¡±

    He had heard on the news that it was a hit worldwide.

    ¡°Ah, is it? Well, let¡¯s watch it together anyways!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes shone while she pulled Ohjin¡¯s arm.

    Ohjin smirked and nodded his head.

    ¡°Hehe! Then let¡¯s start by ordering some chicken!¡±

    She raised her phone with a joyful expression.

    After the chicken that they ordered arrived, the two people sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV.

    ¡°Ah~¡±

    Ha-eun stuck so close to him that their thighs touched and opened her mouth like a baby bird waiting to get fed by its mother.

    All kinds of lewd thoughts filled his head at the sight of Ha-eun having her eyes closed and mouth opened while wearing just a baggy white T-shirt and dolphin shorts that exposed her slender legs.

    Ohjin gulped and handed a drumstick over to her.

    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s tasty.¡±

    The way her cheeks bloated as she ate was so lovely to him that it couldn¡¯t be expressed in writing. Not even if he wrote 100 pages.

    ¡°Have some more.¡±

    He put the chicken box next to her and fed her one piece at a time.

    When she had eaten two drumsticks and one wing, Ha-eun suddenly returned to her senses.

    ¡°Ohjin, you should eat, too.¡±

    ¡°Just watching my daughter eat makes me feel full as a father.¡±

    ¡°What are you on about?¡±

    Ha-eun smiled and rummaged through the chicken in the box.

    ¡°Hmm, there aren¡¯t any legs.¡±

    ¡°Duh, you ate them all¡­ though I was the one who fed them to you.¡±

    ¡°Since there aren¡¯t any drumsticks, do you want to eat this instead?¡±

    Ha-eun extended and ced her slender leg on top of Ohjin¡¯sp.

    He vividly felt the sensation of her smooth leg.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a little big for a chicken leg.¡±

    Ohjin lightly hit her leg that was on his thigh.

    p, p¡ª

    A slight grin appeared on his face every time he saw her right leg that regenerated so wlessly that you would¡¯ve never known that it was cut off before.

    ¡°So you aren¡¯t eating it?¡±

    ¡°How do you expect me to eat this?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. You know, like how you slurped with that tonguest night¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey¡­¡±

    ¡®Is there anything this woman can¡¯t say?¡¯

    He furrowed his brow and slightly tickled her leg.

    As someone weak to tickling, Ha-eun floundered and quickly pulled her leg back.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I can just eat the other pieces.¡±

    When Ohjin was about toy his hands on the dry chicken breasts¡ª

    ¡°Ah, wait a second!¡±

    ¡ªHa-eun shot up from her seat and headed to the front door.

    She opened the door and returned while swinging a stic bag.

    ¡°I actually ordered one more~¡±

    Ha-eun ced the box full of chicken on top of the table in a haughty manner. That time, it was spicy seasoned chicken that was covered in sweet sauce.

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    ¡°Say ahh~¡±

    She grabbed one of the seasoned drumsticks and held it close to Ohjin¡¯s face.

    He smiled and took a bite out of the chicken.

    The ultimatebination of sweet sauce, crispy batter, and tender meat devastated his mouth.

    ¡®It¡¯s so fucking good.¡¯

    Thinking about how hested several years with just calorie bars made him feel dizzy.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it good?¡±

    Ha-eun licked the seasoning left on her fingers and smiled brightly.

    Ohjin took out a tissue and nodded while cleaning her saliva-covered fingers.

    ¡°I feel wrong for living until now without eating this.¡±

    Just a year and a couple of months before, fried chicken was a delicacy that they couldn¡¯t dare to dream of.

    She smiled sheepishly and leaned her head on his shoulder.

    ¡°You can just eat a bunch from now on.¡±

    Ha-eun slightly raised her head and whispered to him, tickling his ear with her breath.

    ¡°Like how you eat me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s expression stiffened at the sweet voice that entered his ear.

    He felt a strong impulse¡ªone that urred several times a day.

    ¡®This woman is seriously¡­¡¯

    They usually exchanged jokes like that, but it felt like the depravity of her jokes had gone up exponentially ever since they shared a bed.

    Forget about the chicken, Ohjin was about to follow his impulse and reach his hand out to her¡ª

    ¡°Hehe. Let¡¯s start watching the drama now.¡±

    ¡ªbut Ha-eun pressed resume on the remote in a teasing manner.

    The drama started ying on the TV once again.

    Ohjin leaned his back on the sofa with a sad expression.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ the story is kind of making me feel PTSD.¡±

    Ha-eun, who was watching the drama with her head leaning on Ohjin¡¯s shoulder, furrowed her brow.

    The drama was about contestants that were deep in debt volunteering to participate in a brutal game and ending up struggling miserably.

    The ¡®poverty¡¯ expressed in the drama was so realistic that it made her remember the days of despair and anguish.

    ¡°But it is pretty entertaining.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    He thought that such a in story wouldn¡¯t be fun since they were living in a world with Awakeners and monsters that ran rampant in the streets, but it appeared that it hadn''t gained worldwide poprity for no reason.

    "There are no such things as monsters in that world, right?"

    "Yeah."

    "Looking at it like this, it feels like the world we live in is even more fictional than theirs."

    Ha-eun put her head on top of Ohjin¡¯sp andy down on the sofa.

    He felt the soft sensation of her cheek and lightly patted her hair.

    "Mmh¡­ this is nice."

    The time spent watching a drama on Ohjin¡¯sp while leisurely consuming a can of beer¡­

    She was so happy that she began to worry if she was even allowed to be so blessed.

    "Ohjin¡­"

    "Yeah?"

    "I love you."

    "¡­"

    Ohjin¡¯s hand suddenly stopped at her sudden remark.

    Ha-eun smirked while she was rubbing her head on hisp.

    "I feel something hard pressing into the back of my head."

    "Shut up."

    She cackled and turned her body.

    Ha-eun looked up at Ohjin with her head resting on hisp.

    "Aren''t you going to watch the drama?"

    "Looking at your face is more entertaining than the show."

    "Well, I guess my face is a pretty sight."

    He just happened to recently begin thinking ''aren¡¯t I pretty handsome?'' every time he looked at the mirror after finishing a shower.

    "No, I''m saying that the way you look is fucking funny."

    "Bitch?"

    "I''m just kidding."

    Ha-eun cackled and then extended her arm to rotate his face.

    Putting in a little strength, she pulled his head down and lightly kissed him.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    Silence settled down between them.

    The silence didn''t feel bad or awkward.

    Ohjin patted Ha-eun¡¯s forehead while she wasying in hisp.

    Not all things had been solved yet.

    In fact, there were many more problems left.

    Even if he had fixed her eyes and leg, there were countless people threatening to ruin a peaceful life.

    The ck Heaven, Vega, Regressors, the ck Star Organization, the Snakes¡­

    Numerous problems that he couldn''t even count individually bounced around in his head¡ª

    ''Still¡­''

    ¡ªbut he wanted to at least enjoy that moment to his heart''s content.

    It was precious time that his past¡­ no, future-self would''ve desired more than anything.

    He desperately pleaded¡­

    ¡­that she wouldn¡¯t disappear.

    ¡­that she wouldn¡¯t be erased.

    ¡­that things would stay the same.

    ¡­that she would be by his side even when he opened his eyes the next day.

    "¡­Want to go?" Ha-eun asked as she nced back at the bedroom.

    The two people got up from their spots and headed to the bedroom without saying a word.

    The remaining chicken and the light shining off the TV shone in the empty living room like the stars that lit up the night sky.

    * * *

    ¡ªA street settled in deep darkness.

    A woman was walking on a pier that had crumbled containers left all around, and her blonde hair fell to her hips.

    The woman with a young, slender figure covered in a pitch-ck dress kept walking with slow steps.

    Rustle, rustle¡ª

    Her long dress sounded like a snake rustling through bushes whenever it made contact with the floor.

    "This area is off limits."

    An Awakener belonging to the Heaven''s Grace guild who was on guard duty near the pier approached her.

    She gazed at the Heaven''s Grace guild member obstructing her path and lightly flicked her finger.

    "What are you doi¡ª"

    Plop¡ª

    The guild member who furrowed his brow and tried to block the approaching woman copsed on the spot as his eyes turned cloudy.

    "Hmm. It ended up breaking."

    The woman looked down at the half-melted ck armor with a sensual smile on her face.

    "Hm?"

    The woman''s eyes widened while she was rummaging through the melted armor with her ck heel extended from under her dress.

    "My, my, my¡­"

    She rummaged through the ck armor several times like she couldn¡¯t understand.

    "Ha, hahaha."

    Soon,ughter filled with insanity left the woman¡¯s mouth.

    "Kyahahahahahahaha!!!"

    The woman smiled brightly as her body shivered from delight.

    "I found you, I found you, I found you, I found you, I found you, I found you, I found you!"

    Her red tongue flopped down to her neck and quivered like it was dancing.

    <strong>"Ahh¡ª so this is where you were, almighty god!"</strong>

    Licking her lips with her long tongue, she spread her arms out like she was embracing the ck sky.

 Chapter 185: Vacation in Rome (1)

    <strong>Chapter 185: Vacation in Rome (1)</strong>

    "Yawn~"

    The sunlight leaking through the slits in the window caused Ohjin to open his eyes.

    He looked at Ha-eun, who was asleep and tightly embracing his arm.

    Long eyebrows, a sharp nose, and soft, wless skin¡­

    Ohjin smiled faintly and stroked her cheek.

    "Hmm¡­?"

    Ha-eun shook her head like she was being tickled and slowly opened her eyes soon after.

    Their eyes met.

    "Did you sleep well?"

    "Not really, thanks to a certain someone."

    She pinched him with a yful smile on her face.

    The mood was so sweet that it felt like their teeth were going to rot.

    "¡­"

    "¡­"

    When their mouths were close to meeting with not a word spoken¡­

    [It is I!]

    Sparkle!¡ª

    Vega appeared from thin air with a strange sound effect and spun around while spreading her arms.

    "Kyaaaa!"

    Ha-eun screamed and kicked Ohjin.

    He was violently sent flying into the ceiling and plopped down onto the ground.

    [¡­What were you two in the middle of doing?]

    "¡­Nothing."

    Ohjin clutched his throbbing stomach and stood up.

    It felt like something like that happened every time Vega showed up.

    [Hmm.]

    Vega frowned with a dissatisfied expression and sat on Ohjin¡¯s head.

    [Have the matters with Guardian been solved well?]

    "Well¡­ more or less?"

    There were two deaths and one had been critically injured, but you could say the matters were solved since the main culprit of the case was eliminated.

    [Could you exin what happened to me?]

    "Of course. Ah, and more importantly, how did things go with Deneb''s divinity?"

    [Fufu. Who do you take me for? Turning an immature kid''s divinity into my own is nothing to me.]

    Vega made a V with her small fingers and shrugged.

    Ohjin smirked and exined what happened during the time she was busy.

    Her expression gradually changed as he told her about the Living Armor, the Snakes, and Toads.

    [Purging a fellow faction of the ck Star Organization¡­ the children of Serpens truly are terrible.]

    "Well, there aren¡¯t factions for no reason."

    [Did youpletely eliminate that demon beast called Living Armor?]

    "Of course! I appeared at the perfect time and finished it off!" Ha-eun boastfully replied.

    [Hmpf. I''m well aware of what humans call people like you.]

    "Huh? What do they call me?"

    [What was it¡­? That''s right! Kill stealers! They call people like you kill stealers!]

    "You stupid little thing!"

    After being insulted, Ha-eun frowned and reached her hand out to Vega, who was sitting on Ohjin¡¯s head.

    Vega avoided her hands and flew up.

    [Your actions are discourteous as usual. Have you ever thought about how sad Eltanin would be if they knew this?]

    "Who cares. It''s not like I''ve ever met them before."

    For reference, Eltanin was the celestial of Draco.

    "What? You''ve never met your celestial?"

    Ohjin put on a surprised expression as he was silently watching the two women bicker.

    He had never heard her speak about the celestial of Draco, but he didn''t expect her to have never met them before.

    "Well¡­ I actually did go to meet them before, but¡­"

    Ha-eun scratched her head and sighed.

    "They were sleeping."

    "Sleeping?"

    "Yeah. It looked like they didn''t give a care in the world."

    "Then what about the next time?"

    "Eltanin remained sleeping for several years."

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue and shook her head.

    [Well¡­ Eltanin has habits simr to that of a dragon. They probably won''t wake up easily once they go into a slumber.]

    "Then how did she receive a stigma?"

    [It¡¯s most likely that Eltanin fell asleep right after granting stigmas to the people they deemed appropriate.]

    ''Is that why there aren¡¯t many Awakeners with the stigma of Draco?''

    [However, Eltanin must¡¯ve granted strong stigmas to a small number of apostles. For example, doesn''t Ha-eun have power that doesn''tck inparison to the 12 Zodiacs?]

    "Ah, so that''s why."

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    He had always thought that Ha-eun was strangely strongpared to the stigma of Draco''s recognition.

    Even recently, she took out the Living Armor that not even Choi Yuumi, a 9-Star Awakener, could inflict damage on.

    [By the way, you overexerted yourself again after getting severe internal injuries¡­ How many times must you hurt me to be satisfied?]

    Vega put on a stern experience and hit Ohjin on the forehead.

    "I happened to be thinking of resting until my injuries were all healed."

    [Of course.]

    Injuries that were not on the body but directly on his mana circuits were not things that could be taken lightly.

    Like how forcefully moving your body with broken bones would cause permanent damageter, his mana circuits would end up getting ruined if he continued to forcefully use mana.

    ''It''d be nice if this was also curable in an instant with something like potions.''

    As long as it wasn¡¯t an elixir, no matter how expensive the potion, internal injuries couldn''t be healed.

    The same went for ''Water Affinity'' that made Ohjin¡¯s body nearly immortal.

    It was hard to find something to heal internal injuries more effectively than time.

    "In any case, since you and Ohjin are going to rest for the time being, how about we all go on a trip with that puppy?"

    [Puppy?]

    "I''m talking about Riak."

    [I cannot believe that you would call my Star Spirit a puppy¡­]

    Vega clutched her forehead like she had a headache.

    Riak was known as the ''Divine Wolf'' amongst celestials and was acknowledged for his strength.

    [It truly¡­ is typical of you.]

    Vega smiled faintly while looking at Vega.

    It made her feel ufortable every time she saw her cling to Ohjin, but she couldn''t get herself to dislike her for some unknown reason.

    "So are we going to go or not?"

    [Where did you have in mind?]

    "I don''t know. I haven''t thought of a ce yet."

    Ha-eun, who had her head tilted and was touching her lips, snapped her fingers like she thought of a good idea.

    "How about we go overseas? You were super upset over me and Ohjin going to Japanst time."

    [I¡­ I was never upset!]

    "Heh, you sure about that~?"

    Ha-eun covered her mouth with one hand and smirked.

    Veins popped out on Vega¡¯s forehead.

    [Y-Y-You ill-mannered little thing!]

    "Ahh!"

    Bzzt!¡ª

    A small thread of lightning left Vega''s finger and caused Ha-eun to yell.

    When round 2 between the women was about to begin¡ª

    Ding dong¡ª

    ¡ªthe sound of the doorbell rang out in the house.

    "Hm?"

    "Are we expecting someone?"

    Ohjin tilted his head and opened the door.

    "Hello, Ohjin."

    Isabe smiled brightly while standing in front of the door with a long box in her hands.

    "I was really surprised when you suddenly disappeared without a word, you know?"

    "¡­"

    Her gentle voice was calming, but for some reason, an ominous feeling ran right down his spine.

    "D-Didn''t I already tell you that it couldn¡¯t be helped because of my internal injuries?"

    "My goodness, did you? I forgot about that. Are your injuries okay?"

    "It''s gotten a lot better now."

    They hadn''tpletely healed yet, but his internal injuries had recovered a lot during the few days he spent resting with Ha-eun while leaving Isabe and Lee Woohyuk to take care of the aftermath.

    "Hehe. You have no idea how worried I was. Didn''t you go home while driving a motorcycle <strong>yourself </strong>when your injuries were that severe?"

    ''Oh, shit.''

    "Uhm, so¡­"

    "What would you have done if there was an ident?"

    Isabe smiled with her eyes and patted Ohjin¡¯s shoulder.

    She looked like a chef confirming whether the meat was fresh, and it made his shoulders flinch.

    "What did Mr. Cheon Sanggil say?"

    Ohjin urgently changed the subject.

    "We haven''t been able to report directly to the First Star yet because he is absent."

    "Absent?"

    "Yes. It looks like he''s still busy tracking down the ''Snakes''."

    "I see."

    ''Maybe he discovered a clue leading to the ''Snakes''¡­''

    "We still reported to the Heaven''s Grace guild, so they are monitoring that area."

    "Is there nothing else?"

    "Hm¡­ a couple of people were disciplined for sleeping on guard the other day, but they say that nothing special has gone missing."

    "A couple of people slept?"

    Ohjin furrowed his brow.

    Sleeping on guard duty was something that could happen¡ª

    ''Not one, but several people?''

    ¡ªbut they were members of Heaven''s Grace, the guild known as the best in Korea.

    "Something''s strange."

    "Yes. I also investigated since I found it suspicious¡­ but I found no clues. There was also nothing out of the ordinary recorded on the CCTVs or the surveince star relics."

    "Hmm."

    Though it was strange, they couldn''t keep investigating a case that had no casualties, clues, or missing items.

    "What about Lee Woohyuk?"

    "He''s nursing Hyunbin. Though his body has fully recovered¡­ it seems that the mental shock was too much for him."

    "It''s not a surprise."

    It was reasonable considering they were nearly wiped out after he looked forward to it so much and dreamt of bing the 2nd generation of Seven Stars.

    ''Anyhow, what will happen to Guardian now?''

    Oh Hyunbin was in mental shock and two had died, so nearly half of the seven members were out of service.

    ''I should bring this up to Cheon Sanggilter.''

    Ohjin clicked his tongue and looked at the long box that Isabe was holding.

    "What''s this?"

    "Ah, I brought this for you."

    Had she prepared a present with an astronomical price again?

    "Didn''t your spear break during the fight?"

    She opened the long box while she spoke.

    Within the box was the pitch-ck spear that the Living Armor used.

    "This is¡­"

    "I thought it''d be best if you were the one to use it."

    Ohjin slowly examined the spear.

    It was about two meters long and had a long de.

    ''It''s pretty good.''

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened from the sensation he felt when his hands wrapped around the spear.

    "This spear isn¡¯t just an ordinary weapon¡­"

    "What do you mean by that?"

    "It''s a conscious ego weapon."

    "Wow."

    Ego weapons were weapons that were aware of their surroundings.

    They were expensive items and considered top-grade, even among star relics.

    "Then am I allowed to just keep this?"

    "Fufu. You''re the one who made the most contributions, after all."

    Isabe smiled brightly and nodded her head.

    "Also¡­"

    She stroked the pitch-ck spear with one hand and continued.

    "I sent some of my mana into it, and it seemed that it wouldn¡¯t acknowledge me as its master."

    "It wouldn¡¯t acknowledge you?"

    "Yes. I think it''s because my stigma isn''t fit for fighting with a spear."

    "¡­"

    Maybe it was possible for the stigma of Aries, but would it also deny the stigma of Hirudo?

    ''No. In this case, she probably said that she wasn''t acknowledged even though she was.''

    Isabe being an ''Awakener of Aries'' was nothing but an act.

    "Then I''ll test to see if I can use this."

    "Be careful. It seemed to have a rather violent personality."

    Ohjin nodded and slowly sent his mana into the spear.

    Bzzzt!¡ª

    Blue lightning zed at the spear''s tip.

    ''Huh?''

    Ohjin looked at the spear with surprised eyes.

    He was certain he didn''t use much mana, but the power of the lightning was stronger than he thought.

    ''Mana amplification.''

    A brief exmation left his mouth.

    The spear possessed an incredible feature.

    "Hm?"

    After Ohjin used lightning extremely easily, Isabe was actually surprised.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "It¡­ It¡¯s nothing. It''s just because it''s much calmer than I thought."

    She gazed at Ohjin with a bewildered look like she didn''t expect there to be no resistance at all.

    "But I guess there''s no voice or anything when it''s an ego weapon," Ohjin said while he lightly swung the spear.

    "It''s probably because its ego hasn''t developed to that extent yet."

    "Is that so?"

    He closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated on the spear, but he couldn¡¯t notice anything that made it feel like it had an ''ego''.

    "Thank you. I''ll use it well."

    "Don''t mention it. It''s not like it was mine."

    Ohjin spun the spear with a satisfied smile on his face.

    ''By the way, it''s quite unfortunate that I can''t make it smaller.''

    A big disadvantage of a spear was the fact that it was ufortable to carry ar¡ª

    Skrrrr, ck!¡ª

    The moment Ohjin thought it was ufortable, the ck spear turned into a small, folding knife.

    "¡­I guess it really does have an ego!" Ohjin eximed and examined the spear that turned into a knife that was about 15 cm long.

    It would be easy to carry around anywhere while it was that size.

    "Anyways, didn''t you say that you¡¯d rest for a while to heal your internal injuries?"

    "Yeah. I n on doing so."

    Isabe¡¯s eyes sparkled as she held his hand.

    "Then let me invite you to my family''s vi! There''s a good location for healing internal injuries!"

    "Where is it?"

    "It''s in a ce called San Fruttuoso. It''ll be a good ce to rest since the beach there is really pretty."

    ''Beach?''

    "Ah, and naturally¡­"

    Isabe smirked as she nced at Ha-eun¡¯s chest, who was standing behind Ohjin.

    "Miss Ha-eun is invited as well."

 Chapter 186: Vacation in Rome (2)

    <strong>Chapter 186: Vacation in Rome (2)</strong>

    ¡ªSan Fruttuoso.

    It was a famous vacation spot in Italy known for its beautiful beach.

    ¡°Are you suggesting we go to a beach?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Isabe smiled brightly and nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure your internal injuries will heal in no time after we soak ourselves in the beautiful sea and apply oil while rxing at the shore.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that has to do with healing internal injuries¡­ but the weather doesn¡¯t seem suitable to go swimming at a beach.¡±

    It was so cold outside that their exhales created smoke-like vapor clouds in the air.

    Though the weather in Italy would be much warmer than in Korea, it still felt like it wouldn¡¯t be enough to enjoy swimming in the sea.

    ¡®Hm. Thinking about it now, maybe it¡¯s not a problem.¡¯

    Putting an Awakener¡¯s superhuman body into consideration, there probably wouldn¡¯t be any issue even if they were to swim or dive at sea in the middle of winter, though the entire thing would feel a fair bit different from ''resting'' like she mentioned.

    "Fufu. Don''t worry. The weather in San Fruttuoso right now is perfect beach weather. In fact, you should make sure to bring short-sleeved shirts and shorts since it could be too hot."

    "Huh?"

    It didn''t stop at being warm but could even be expressed as being too hot?

    ''Isn''t it located in northern Italy?''

    Ohjin tilted his head in confusion after searching up San Fruttuoso on his phone.

    It made no sense for the weather to be warm when it was located so north that it was nearly bordering France.

    ¡°San Fruttuoso is one of the ces that had its climate changed due to the influence of mana.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s a starzone.¡±

    ¡®Starzone¡¯ was the word used to refer to locations that had their terrain or climatepletely changed by the influence of mana after gates and transcendents known as celestials appeared in numerous ces around the world.

    ¡°But will it be okay there? I heard that high-ranking gates and dungeons frequently appear within starzones.¡±

    ¡°There actually is a gate deep in the sea nearby.¡±

    Isabe nodded her head and continued.

    ¡°However, there¡¯s no need to worry because the Cgrande Household has been managing that gate well for several years, and not once has a monster been able to leave it.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    There was no need to worry if the Cgrande Household was managing it themselves.

    ¡°The seawater that has been influenced by mana in San Fruttuoso has excellent effects in healing internal injuries. There are actually a lot of high-ranking Awakeners that go there with the intention of recovering from their injuries.¡±

    ¡°Really? But I didn¡¯t see anything like that on the inte.¡±

    There were extremely few methods to heal internal injuries aside from the passage of time. It would only make sense for a beach that was effective in healing them to be famous worldwide, but despite that, there was no mention of it.

    Isabe smiled with her eyes and nodded her head.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t many people who are willing to share a piece of a great pie with others.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    In other words, it became an attraction that was only known to a select number of people.

    It was likely that only an extreme minority of people who possessed both vast wealth and authority were allowed to enter.

    ¡°How about it, Miss Ha-eun?¡± Isabe asked as she nced at her.

    Ha-eun had a displeased look on her face because it felt like she was walking right into Isabe¡¯s scheme.

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess it can¡¯t be helped if it helps heal internal injuries.¡±

    If it was for Ohjin, she couldn¡¯t miss out on a good opportunity just because she felt displeased.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided.¡±

    Isabe pped and smiled happily.

    ¡°There are vehicles prepared outside. Should we depart right away?¡±

    ¡°Wait. We still need to pack our luggage.¡±

    ¡°Fufu. Don¡¯t worry about it. You only need to bring your body since all the necessities have already been prepared.¡±

    Isabe pulled on their arms.

    The two of them followed Isabe outside like they didn¡¯t have a choice.

    * * *

    After moving to Rome through the Sanctum, they headed to San Fruttuoso on the Cgrande Family¡¯s private jet that was on standby at the airport.

    ¡°Wow, look at the color of the water.¡±

    [It¡¯s a beautiful ce.]

    It didn¡¯t even take them an hour to arrive at San Fruttuoso, and the beach there did its reputation justice.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this like a desktop wallpaper?¡±

    Ha-eun eximed again and again as she looked around like a country bumpkin who had just arrived in Seoul.

    The emerald water that was so clear you could see the bottom, the pure white sand spread out like a snowy field, and the tall, rocky cliffs made for a superb view.

    It was a location so pretty that taking a picture in any direction would make for a great social media post.

    ¡°It¡¯s a relief that everyone likes the location.¡±

    Isabe smiled lightly while looking at Ohjin and Ha-eun, who were consecutively eximing.

    ¡°Come this way.¡±

    She casually walked up the beautiful promenade carved out of the side of arge cliff.

    Once they followed Isabe for around five minutes, they arrived at arge, majestic mansion that was located on the top of the cliff.

    ¡®This is supposed to be a vi?¡¯

    Ohjin stuck out his tongue while looking at therge mansion that was so grand it resembled Vega¡¯s sanctuary.

    Ohjin had noticed it a bit when she nonchntly gave an entire apartment building as a present, but seeing it directly like that really made the Cgrande Household¡¯s enormous wealth sink in.

    Ring¡ª

    Arge door with a detailed rose shape opened along with the sound of clear bells as they approached the mansion.

    Dozens of employees were lined up in the garden¡¯s pure-white marble road.

    ¡°¡°¡°We greet the next matriarch.¡±¡±¡±

    The employees bowed their backs with precise movements.

    They could feel elegance in their clean movements, and it didn''t look like they were unnecessarily overreacting at the presence of the matriarch.

    Ohjin needlessly felt some kind of pressure and walked behind Isabe.

    ¡®So this is a real noble.¡¯

    He saw Isabe in a new light right when he thought that he had gotten a fair bit used to her.

    While he was eximing and following her, he met eyes with Isabe, who had turned her head.

    Isabe¡¯s mouth curved up into a satisfactory smile as she was examining his expression, and she giggled like she was looking forward to that reaction.

    ¡®So she was aiming for this.¡¯

    Isabe was a sneaky woman in several ways.

    ¡°I¡­ I greet the next matriarch!¡±

    In the middle of heading to the residence, they saw a middle-aged man wearing an excessively extravagant outfit running towards them.

    The pot-bellied man wearing a monocle decorated with expensive gems bowed down in session and made a fuss, unlike the employees.

    ¡°Hmm. Hello, Uncle Guilford.¡±

    Isabe slightly frowned while looking at the man.

    ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    Guilford got into a salute with a somewhat frightened look on his face.

    With how he was acting like he was meeting a superior in the army, Isabe couldn¡¯t help but sigh at how deplorable he was.

    She turned to face Ohjin and introduced Guilford.

    ¡°This is my maternal uncle. He manages the gates around the Vi and San Fruttuoso.¡±

    ¡°Are you the Lightning Wolf?¡±

    Unlike how he treated Isabe, Guilford looked at Ohjin with a haughty expression.

    Isabe slightly raised her brow.

    ¡°Uncle, this is ¡®my¡¯ guest. Show some respect.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ F-Forgive me!¡±

    Guilford backed off with just a word from isabe.

    The sight made you instantly understand how influential Isabe was in the Cgrande Household.

    ¡®Maternal uncle, huh¡­ it looks like they don¡¯t kick out family members from the coteral line.¡¯

    ording to what he heard from Isabe, they kicked out everyone without mercy aside from the one direct descendant due to the problem of choosing an heir.

    Still, it appeared that they didn¡¯ty their hands on the maternal side and left them to take care of chores such as managing the vi.

    ¡°Um¡­ how has the Family Head been doingtely¡­?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve been doing well.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I see¡­¡±

    Isabe replied coldly to Guilford¡¯s question.

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone in surprise as he was silently listening to their conversation.

    ¡®It seems that her parents are still alive.¡¯

    He vaguely suspected that they died to her or the gate incident because she said that they were extremely stupid in past tense, but it appeared that they were still alive somehow.

    ¡°Then I hope you all enjoy a great vacation. Please contact me whenever you need something.¡±

    Guilford vishly bowed down in head to Isabe and slowly backed off.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    ¡°Then should we go inside, Ohjin?¡±

    Once Guilford left, Isabe smiled lovingly like she had never put on a cold expression before and was about to hug his arm.

    At that moment¡ª

    ¡°Yeah, why don¡¯t we go see how spacious our richdy¡¯s house is?!¡±

    ¡ªHa-eun pushed her body in between Isabe and Ohjin and shouted out in an excited voice.

    Isabe¡¯s eyes shone coldly for a moment, but she soon smiled like there was nothing wrong while she nodded her head.

    ¡°Yes. First off, let¡¯s eat before we head to the beach. Should I prepare us three servings?¡±

    ¡°No, prepare us four,¡± Ohjin said as he pointed to Vega, who was sitting on top of his shoulder.

    Vega shook her head and opened her mouth.

    [Five¡­ no, prepare six.]

    ¡°You¡¯re going to eat that much?¡±

    [Hyap.]

    Whack!¡ª

    Vega pped Ohjin¡¯s forehead.

    [Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re going to bring Riak as well?]

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    ¡®Come to think of it, we also need to bring that lil pup.¡¯

    He had momentarily forgotten about him since he wasn¡¯t anywhere in sight for so long due to his focus on training.

    ¡°When are you going to call him?¡±

    [I shall call him once the meal is prepared.]

    Ohjin nodded and headed to the dining room.

    He could probably exin to Isabe that he was just a summoned beast.

    * * *

    Once they finished following Isabe for a tour around the residence and did simple introductions after summoning Riak, they had a meal that seemed to be prepared with the intent of breaking the table¡¯s legs.

    ¡°The cooking of humans always surprises me.¡±

    Riak growled in satisfaction after eating all the food on his te with nothing left remaining.

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved that it suits your tastes.¡±

    Even though a massive wolf over two meters tall eating at a table with them was a rather strange sight, Isabe had a peaceful expression and treated Riak like none of it mattered.

    ¡°Then since we¡¯ve all finished eating¡­ should we get ready to enjoy swimming?¡±

    As Isabe stood up, the employees nearby took care of the tes.

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t bring a swimsuit.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, don¡¯t worry, Miss Ha-eun. I prepared everything.¡±

    Isabe smiled and guided them to a dressing room that was wider than most houses, and all kinds of swimsuits were organized neatly inside.

    ¡°You can pick any design you want to wear.¡±

    ¡°¡­There really is a disgusting amount.¡±

    Ha-eun stuck her tongue out while looking at the swimsuits filling the room.

    She gulped after ncing at Ohjin, who was behind her and taking a look at the swimsuits.

    ¡®I need to pick a swimsuit that Ohjin will like¡­¡¯

    Ha-eun would¡¯vefortably picked a revealing swimsuit if it was just the two of them, but she couldn¡¯t when there were Isabe, Vega, and other tourists that were enjoying vacations as well.

    ¡®This one¡¯s alright.¡¯

    While she was walking around the dressing room, she discovered a ck bikini that had the marvelous shape of a rose engraved on it.

    It wasn¡¯t that revealing for a bikini and showed enough of her body at the same time.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with this.¡±

    When Ha-eun grabbed the ck bikini¡ª

    ¡°Goodness, Ipletely forgot about this.¡±

    ¡ªIsabe paced around with an extremely apologetic expression.

    ¡°¡­What did you forget?¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, the swimsuits over here are tailored to my size.¡±

    Isabe nced up and down Ha-eun and then smirked.

    ¡°It¡­ will probably be too ¡®loose¡¯ for Miss Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Pak¡ª

    A thick vein popped out on Ha-eun¡¯s forehead.

 Chapter 187: Vacation in Rome (3)

    <strong>Chapter 187: Vacation in Rome (3)</strong>

    ¡°Wh-What are you talking about¡­?!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s face reddened and her eyes, ring at Isabe, focused on her chest.

    It was a particr area on her body that stood out even when she was wearing a baggy dress.

    ¡®Fuck, was there a bug in the physics engine? How does she have that chest with such a thin waist?¡¯

    Ha-eun was confident that she didn¡¯t fall behind anyone in terms of body figure, but Isabe had an outstanding curve that not even she could stand up to.

    ¡®Is this why so many men are crazy for western women?¡¯

    It was the problem of race that hadn¡¯t been solved even after several thousand years passed since the beginning of civilization.

    When the fact that the difference would never disappear dawned on Ha-eun while she felt a deep sense of defeat¡ª

    ¡°Ah, they said they have the same design in other sizes.¡±

    ¡ªIsabe spoke with a relieved smile after finishing a phone call.

    She looked like a gentledy who was very caring on the outside, but¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that we were able to get you a ¡®smaller¡¯ size, Miss Ha-eun.¡±

    Another vein popped on her forehead at how Isabe emphasized the word ¡®smaller¡¯ with a smile.

    ¡®This bitch¡­ she¡¯s mocking me, isn¡¯t she?¡¯

    However, what could be done?

    They were in the Cgrande Household¡¯s residence.

    In other words, they were in Isabe''s territory.

    ¡®Argh, if only it wasn¡¯t for Ohjin¡¯s recovery.¡¯

    Ha-eun red daggers at Isabe.

    She wouldn¡¯t allow herself to make a fuss because of hurt feelings when the matter of healing Ohjin¡¯s injuries was on the line.

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t to your liking, would you like to change to another swimsuit?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    Yank!¡ª

    The grin on Isabe¡¯s face widened while she looked at Ha-eun roughly pulling the swimsuit away.

    ¡°Have you finished deciding on a swimsuit?¡±

    ¡°Well, more or less.¡±

    What Ohjin picked were basic trunks.

    There was no problem since male swimsuits weren¡¯t all that different from each other.

    ¡®The problem is¡­¡¯

    His gaze headed to Vega and Riak.

    Riak didn¡¯t really need a swimsuit, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for Vega.

    ¡®She can¡¯t return to her true form in front of Isabe, either¡­¡¯

    Having told Isabe that Vega was his guardian spirit, they couldn¡¯t show her what Vega actually looked like.

    When he was contemting what he should do¡­

    [Do not worry about my clothes.]

    Vega raised one hand and spun in the air.

    Bzzzt!¡ª

    Blue lightning wrapped around her body and the silver dress she was wearing started to shine brightly.

    The dress covered in lightning spread out like a ribbon and turned into the shape of a swimsuit.

    [Transform!]

    Vega ced her hands on her hips and shrugged after changing her dress into a one-piece swimsuit.

    ¡®What is she, some kind of magical girl¡­?¡¯

    Ohjin chuckled and looked at Vega.

    Vega, who had changed into her swimsuit, flew over and sat on top of his head.

    ¡°Hmm. You said you¡¯re his guardian spirit¡­ correct?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes shone as she looked at Vega.

    [That is correct.]

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a couple of spirits until now¡­ but it¡¯s my first time seeing a spirit with such a distinct ego.¡±

    [Thisdy is a special spirit.]

    ¡°Fufu. I noticed. By any chance, do you also have a name? I think a spirit with such a clear mind like you would have been given a name.¡±

    [That¡¯s¡­]

    Vega looked back at Ohjin with a panicked expression.

    It looked like she was wondering if she should reveal that her name was ¡®Vega¡¯.

    Ohjin took a step forward and answered for her.

    ¡°I named her Vega.¡±

    ¡°Vega? Isn¡¯t Vega¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. I named her after my celestial since my guardian spirit was gifted by her.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I was wondering why she was so different from other guardian spirits. So it¡¯s because she¡¯s a guardian spirit personally summoned by the celestial of Lyra.¡±

    Isabe shortly eximed and nodded her head.

    Fortunately, it seemed that she didn¡¯t suspect Vega of being the celestial herself.

    ¡®Well, who could possibly think that the celestial of Lyra changed into the shape of a doll to follow her apostle around?¡¯

    In the first ce, a celestial materializing in that limited form was impossible if they didn¡¯t have high divinity like Vega.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go change my clothes. You should wait outside.¡±

    Isabe winked at him and went into the changing room with Ha-eun.

    Around ten minutes passed.

    Ha-eun and Isabe, who had finished changing into their swimsuits, walked out.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡ªA suffocating feeling.

    Time seemed to flow slowly as Ha-eun and Isabe walked out of the dressing room in their swimsuits.

    ¡°Stop staring so much.¡±

    Ha-eun was wearing a ck bikini with the shape of a red rose. She smirked and poked Ohjin, who was frozen in ce and dazed.

    ¡°Fufu. I¡¯m relieved that you seem to like it. I was worried it might be an ugly sight since I¡¯ve been gaining some weight recently.¡±

    Isabe wore a pure-white bikini in contrast to Ha-eun. She slightly pulled on the shoulder strap and looked down at her chest with worry.

    That sly gesture raised the presence of her destructive weapon.

    ''Oh, fuck.''

    Ohjin felt like his throat was drying up and gulped.

    Ha-eun in a swimsuit was destructive enough, but Isabe was in another league.

    "Then since we''ve all gotten into our swimsuits, should we depart?"

    Isabe felt Ohjin¡¯s intense gaze and smiled as she pulled his arm.

    "¡­That foxy bitch."

    Ha-eun chewed her lips and red at Isabe, who was dragging Ohjin away.

    If she could have it her way, she would yell at her for daring to flirt with her lover, but she couldn''t even do that since Ohjin told her to keep their rtionship a secret in front of Isabe and Vega.

    "Sigh."

    The only thing she could do was sigh deeply and follow them.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    Ohjin and hispany followed Isabe into arge van and headed to the beach.

    They arrived after walking down the cliff for around ten minutes.

    There were tourists who were there to enjoy a vacation like Ohjin''s party and were bathing in the sea with parasols on the beach.

    The gazes of the tourists focused on Ohjin and hispany the moment they arrived.

    "Isn''t that Miss Isabe?"

    "R-Really? The Saintess of Rome is here?"

    "Holy crap! To think that a day where I''m able to see Miss Isabe with my own eyes woulde¡­!"

    "Who''s the woman next to her? She''s really pretty¡­"

    The person that drew the most attention was Isabe.

    A couple of people were also very interested in Ha-eun, but it couldn''tpare to Isabe, who was known worldwide as the ''Saintess of Rome'' and had an incredible background of being a part of the Cgrande Family.

    Most of the people gathered at that vacation spot were wealthy and influential individuals.

    Isabe couldn¡¯t help but draw everyone''s attention when she didn¡¯t possess only outstanding looks but also both wealth and authority.

    "M-Miss Isabe! If possible, could you spare me some of your time and share a meal with me¡­?"

    "No, with me!"

    A few of them had the courage to approach Isabe and ask her on a date.

    "I''m sorry. I had a meal before I got here."

    Isabe skillfully turned down the males that asked for dates and walked along the beach with rxed movements.

    "¡­You''re really popr, aren¡¯t you?"

    "Oh my, is that so?"

    Ha-eun looked at the males that only gathered at Isabe¡¯s side and frowned.

    Though, for her, a truckload of people like them couldn''t even bepared to Ohjin¡¯s toenail¡­

    ''What the fuck.''

    She still felt some kind of indescribable sense of defeat and humiliation.

    "It''s probably because they aren''t used to easterners."

    Isabe smiled and patted Ha-eun¡¯s shoulder in aforting manner.

    "Who cares. I have not the slightest interest in losers like them."

    Ha-eun puffed air out of her nose as she grabbed Ohjin¡¯s arm and quickly ran to the shore.

    When they neared the emerald sea that was so clear they could see the ocean floor¡ª

    "¡­This is the sea, right?"

    ¡ªOhjin felt a wave of heat like when you opened the door to a car that was left under the sunlight in summer and furrowed his brow.

    It felt like he hadn''t gone to a beach but to a hot spring.

    Ssh¡ª

    Once he slightly put his foot in the gentle waves, he instantly noticed that the seawater really was warm like a hot spring.

    ¡°The water around this area is warm because of the influence of mana.¡±

    ¡°With its current temperature, it feels more hot than warm.¡±

    It was hard to imagine the quantity of mana required to change the weather and warm up the seawater in the entire area to be akin to a hot spring.

    ¡°Well, well. Let¡¯s see how hot it is.¡±

    Ha-eun copied Ohjin and slightly submerged her foot in the seawater.

    ¡°Damn. How is the seawater like a slightly cooler hot spring?¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡±

    ¡°This ce is amazing.¡±

    Astonished, Ha-eun yed around with the water and submerged herself.

    ¡°Hehe. Ohjin, hurry up and join me!¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    [Hmpf! Thisdy shall enter as well!]

    Vega¡¯s eyes glittered as she somehow got a tube the size of a donut and put it on.

    It looked like she was quite excited about ying at the beach after staying in her empty sanctuary all day.

    ¡®It¡¯s sometimes really hard to tell if she¡¯s a celestial.¡¯

    Well, it didn¡¯t feel bad whenever he saw Vega act that way since it felt like he was taking a slight nce at her true personality that was hidden underneath the thick mask that was her title of ¡®North Star¡¯.

    ¡®Since we¡¯vee all this way, I should also have some fun.¡¯

    Ohjin stretched his body and smiled.

    It was also hard for him to contain his excitement with it being his first time at a beach.

    ¡°Hey! Puppy! Stop hesitating ande in!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, lizard woman! I¡¯m not used to water!¡± shouted Riak, who was reluctantly standing in front of the sea.

    ¡°Oho. Is that so~?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes gleamed and her mouth twisted up.

    ¡°Ohjin! Get him!¡±

    ¡°Hyaa!!¡±

    ¡°Kugh! Wh-What are you doing?!¡±

    Ha-eun and Ohjin grabbed Riak¡¯s legs and tossed him into the water.

    Ssh!¡ª

    Riak was drenched from head to toe and yelled while floundering.

    ¡°Th-The water is salty!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s seawater. Of course it is.¡±

    ¡°Kugh! I must leave this ce! Water is not fit for a warrior!¡±

    [Where do you think you¡¯re going?]

    ¡°L-Lady Vega?¡±

    It appeared that Vega found Riak¡¯s reaction amusing as she swam over and pulled Riak¡¯s fur.

    While they were having fun just like a scene straight out of a drama¡­

    ¡°You should join us, Isa¡­ hm?¡±

    Isabe wasn¡¯t entering the sea and stood in a daze.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    Her expression looked like a frown for a second.

    It wasn¡¯t an expression of hate, jealousy, or anger.

    The way she clutched her chest and breathed heavily almost looked like¡­

    ¡®Is she hurt somewhere?¡¯

    That¡¯s right.

    It looked like she was suppressing some sort of pain.

    ¡°Isabe?¡±

    Ohjin left the water and was about to approach her¡­

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I was just feeling dizzy for a second.¡±

    Isabe smiled brightly like she hadn¡¯t just been frowning and approached Ohjin.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I think it might be a bit difficult for me to y in the water.¡±

    She pointed at a sunbed that was ced under a parasol.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be resting there for now.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°There is a favor I have to ask of you¡­ could you hear me out?¡±

    ¡°A favor?¡±

    Isabe pulled Ohjin¡¯s arm in the direction of the parasol.

    After lying down on the long sunbed, she handed out a bottle of oil to him.

    ¡°Could you apply the oil on me?¡±

    She loosened the string of her bikini and smiled alluringly.

 Chapter 188: Vacation in Rome (4)

    <strong>Chapter 188: Vacation in Rome (4)</strong>

    Ohjin''s expression stiffened with the oil bottle Isabe had given him in his hand.

    ''¡­''

    Isabe had her bikini untied and wasying down on the sunbed in an alluring posture.

    Her white skin was akin to snow, and a smooth curve ran down from her back to her hips.

    Isabe¡¯s breasts being pushed against the sunbed leaked out to the sides and disyed their immense presence even when she was lying down.

    "You¡­ want me to apply oil for you?"

    "Fufu. Yes."

    "¡­"

    It felt like his head had stopped functioning.

    Spit trickled down his dry throat.

    Just looking at her attractive back was enough to take his breath away, but he was being asked to rub oil over it with his hands.

    ''Am I in some kind of outdated ro manhwa?''

    He chuckled whenever he saw protagonists get flustered from an event like that, but he was beginning to understand how they felt.

    Having to rub the back of a woman as outrageously attractive as Isabe with his bare hands was a difficult test of endurance.

    ''Ha-eun¡­''

    He looked back at Ha-eun, who was having fun with Riak and Vega while beingpletely ignorant of what was going on.

    Ohjin knew he shouldn''t ept Isabe¡¯s request out of consideration for her¡ª

    ''What if it makes Isabe go berserk¡­?''

    ¡ªbut Isabe''s mental state was so erratic that not even Ohjin could predict what she would do.

    She was gentle like a meekmb at the moment, but her true identity was the Queen of Leeches, the 3rd-ranking Executor of the ck Star Organization.

    Considering the fact that every Executor he met until then had a few loose screws, it was right to assume that she wasn''t normal, either.

    It meant that there was a risk of her going wild whenever and wherever at an unexpected moment.

    The only thing that could stop Isabe in an unrestrained state at that moment was Vega after she materialized her true form.

    ''Damn it.''

    Ohjin gulped and looked down at her white back with contemtion.

    "Ohjin?"

    "Ah, yeah. I got it."

    "Fufu. Please apply it over every nook and cranny."

    Isabe yfully shook her leg, a thick smile on her face.

    He could see her butt move slightly as she shook her leg.

    ''This is driving me crazy.''

    Ohjin closed his eyes tight and squeezed a bunch of oil on his hands.

    Squish¡ª

    His oily hand left a mark on her snow-white skin.

    "Mmh."

    A lewd groan leaked from Isabe¡¯s mouth.

    Ohjin chewed his lips and continued spreading oil on her back with robotic movements.

    A soft sensation was transmitted through his palm.

    He needed to finish before that addictive sensation corroded his rationality to nothing.

    "Ohjin¡­ a little slower."

    Isabe slightly turned her head and asked for him to slow down, but he felt like he wouldn''t be able tost if he slowed down any further.

    Ohjin went as far as using mana to make it faster.

    "Ahh¡­! O-Ohjin!"

    "I''m finished."

    It only took ten seconds for him to spread oil all over Isabe¡¯s back.

    He quickly finished what had to be done before his sense of reason was taken away.

    "Hmm¡­ already?"

    Isabe fidgeted her feet with an expression of shame.

    "Then¡­"

    Without hiding her expression, her eyes sparkled as she looked at Ohjin.

    Isabe tied up her bikini and turned herself over. She extended her slim legs to Ohjin.

    "Then¡­ could you do my legs as well?"

    Sweet temptation rang in his ears.

    There weren''t many men in his position who would bring up the reasonable argument that she could apply the oil to her legs by herself.

    "¡­Even the legs?"

    He felt like he barely managed to defeat the final boss, but then it revived and went into phase 2 with full HP.

    Ohjin opened his mouth with a dumbfounded look.

    Isabe smiled while her eyes shone like a predator that had captured its prey.

    "Yes. Please do my¡ª"

    When she was about to seductively extend her slim legs¡ª

    "Ah¡­!"

    ¡ªIsabe suddenly clutched her chest and frowned.

    She breathed roughly with a pale face, and her shoulders trembled.

    "Isabe?"

    "Ah¡­ I¡­ I''m sorry."

    Isabe got up from the sunbed with an awkward smile.

    "It appears that my condition isn''t very good today."

    "Are you okay?"

    "Yes. I just have a slight case of anemia. I''m okay now."

    She smiled and hopped on the spot like she was trying to prove she was fine.

    "Still, I''ll leave first and rest in the van just in case. You should bathe in the sea for a little longer."

    "But¡­"

    "You won''t be able to enjoy the starzone''s benefit of healing your internal injuries if you don''t go in the water."

    "Hmm, alright."

    "Then, I''ll be leaving first."

    Isabe turned around and walked in the direction of the van that was parked far away in a slight hurry.

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes while watching her walk away.

    ''Something''s strange¡­''

    She was suffering from anemia when she was not only the 3rd-ranking Executor of the ck Star Organization but also had abilities rted to ''blood''.

    No matter how he looked at it, the story didn''t add up.

    Ohjin looked at Isabe¡¯s back growing gradually distant and took a big step in that direction once she disappeared.

    ''ck Curtain.''

    ck clouds erased his presence.

    * * *

    "Huff, huff!"

    Isabe took in deep breaths and clutched her chest after passing the van and entering a dark alleyway.

    "Ugh¡­"

    She expressed her pain and crouched.

    "¡­Are you okay, my queen?"

    An old man wearing a neat butler outfit appeared from the other side of the alleyway.

    ¡ªRoberto.

    He was the Bufo faction''s second-inmand and Isabe¡¯s most loyal subject.

    "Huff, huff. I''m alright."

    "Here is some blood."

    Roberto took out a blood pack he¡¯d prepared in advance and held it close to her.

    She opened the pack and chugged down the blood inside.

    "Fuu."

    Isabe exhaled a short breath as her condition stabilized.

    However, it appeared that she hadn''t recoveredpletely. Her hair was wet and tangled from the cold sweat running down her forehead.

    "¡­It seems that the influence of the ''curse'' has worsened due to being in close proximity to the starzone."

    "I know."

    Isabe bit her lips and ced her hand over the left side of her chest.

    Owoong¡ª

    Once her cross-shaped ne emitted light, the stigma of Aries engraved on her chest changed into the stigma of Hirudo.

    The stigma of Hirudo was faint in a few areas as though someone had scrubbed at it with a rubber eraser.

    "¡­"

    ¡ªPurple Forbidden Enclosure.

    The curse that she once believed to have disappeared was stuck to her stigma and growing like a parasite.

    "My queen¡­"

    Roberto approached her with worry.

    He looked at the empty blood pack and continued.

    "As expected, we need blood with a higher concentration of mana. If you permit the hunting of Awakeners, I will personally¡ª"

    "Don''t make me repeat myself¡­"

    Isabe looked at him with cold eyes.

    "Like I said before, only use blood from blood donations, not hunting."

    "H-However¡ª"

    "Snap out of it, Roberto."

    Isabe¡¯s expression turned ferocious.

    "If we start obtaining blood through hunting, we won''t be able to endure the Hirudo stigma¡¯s vampiric impulses."

    Once that happened, they would lose their humanity and devolve into a being no worse than a monster.

    "Blood must only be obtained through donations. Why do you think we''ve been taking care of the Romani?"

    The blood she just drank was from the Romani who voluntarily donated blood to the Cgrande Household that provided them with food and a ce to sleep.

    Naturally, the reason they donated blood was to help the unfortunate Romani that weren''t able to get proper medical treatment. Isabe was just siphoning a portion of it and using it to solve the Awakener of Hirudo''s desire for blood.

    In other words, they were using the Romani as some kind of ''cattle'' to obtain blood.

    That was the true reason behind why she used the Cgrande Household to operate dozens of charities.

    "But if this continues¡­!"

    Roberto looked at Isabe with an expression full of worry.

    Blood gathered through donations could reduce the impulse, but what she needed to heal the ''Purple Forbidden Enclosure''s Curse'' was an Awakener¡¯s blood with a high concentration of mana.

    Not only that, but it needed to be the blood from at least a high-rank Awakener.

    There was no way she could obtain that kind of blood through donations, and she couldn¡¯t hunt.

    "It''s fine, Roberto. Who do you think I am?"

    Isabe swiped back the blond hair stuck to her forehead and smiled.

    Roberto''s expression improved after he saw her confidence.

    "You are our queen who is more beautiful and intelligent than any other."

    "Fufu. I''m d you know."

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    It seemed that her condition had gotten better. She leisurely crossed her arms with a thick smile on her face.

    "More importantly, did you see how Ohjin gotpletely charmed by me?!"

    Isabe recalled how Ohjin''s face turned red and how he had been flustered before spreading the oil.

    She continued with a haughty expression.

    "This was all~ only possible thanks to my meticulous preparations!"

    Their vacation ns were all thoroughly calcted.

    Isabe exined her strategy in a boastful manner with a joyful look on her face.

    "First came showing Ohjin my capabilities!"

    ¡ªA massive mansion built on top of a cliff.

    ¡ªDozens of employees and a grand feast.

    For someone like Ohjin, who used to be in poverty and grew up in an orphanage, the lifestyle of the ¡®rich¡¯ would be like a whole new world.

    Plus, the master of that world was nobody other than Isabe herself.

    It wasn''t hard to imagine how ''special'' Ohjin would think she was.

    "I also showed him the difference between me and Miss Ha-eun."

    First, were physical differences that were shown through their swimsuits.

    Second, she disyed the gap in their fame by using the males that tried to approach her as soon as they arrived at the beach.

    Looks, wealth, and authority¡­

    She proved that she was iparable to Ha-eun in every aspect.

    "Lastly, I even got closer to him mentally by using physical contact!"

    The n was near ''perfect'', even for her standards.

    "What do you think? Don''t you think that it was perfect?"

    "¡­"

    Roberto smiled awkwardly while looking at Isabe asking him questions with excitement.

    The old butler scratched his wrinkly cheek and opened his mouth.

    "Um¡­ my queen, how about you stop making these ns and just confess to him?"

    "Wh-What did you say?"

    Isabe¡¯s eyes widened like a rabbit¡¯s, and she was aghast.

    ¡®Confess to Ohjin?¡¯

    <strong>"B-But then what will I do if he turns me down?!"</strong>

    Isabe kicked Roberto''s shin, her face as red as a beet.

 Chapter 189: Vacation in Rome (5)

    <strong>Chapter 189: Vacation in Rome (5)</strong>

    ¡°F-Forgive me!¡±

    Roberto rubbed his shin and urgently bowed his head.

    Isabe puffed air out of her nose and crossed her arms.

    ¡°By the way, has anything worth mentioning happened in Rome?¡±

    ¡°Hm. I just have one piece of information to convey.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Isabe with her eyes narrowed.

    ¡°The Second Star has appeared in Italy.¡±

    ¡°¡­Damien?¡±

    ¡ªThe Second Star, Damien Salvator.

    He was a member of the Seven Stars, the group that was known as the strongest in the world, and an Awakener of Libra.

    Damien was known for opting out of gathering forces and working alone despite being powerful, but what gained him the most fame was his title.

    ¡®The Sword of Justice.¡¯

    Fitting his title, he traveled around the world punishing thousands of criminals as if he had a duty to eliminate evil.

    From the perspective of someone known as the ¡®Sword of Justice¡¯, beings such as ¡®vampires¡¯ that feasted on human blood were¡ª

    ¡°¡­Things have be troublesome.¡±

    ¡ªan ¡®Evil¡¯ that deserved to be punished.

    ¡°Why did he suddenlye to Italy?¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t been able to figure that out yet.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Isabe furrowed her brow as if she didn¡¯t like how the situation was developing.

    The existence of the Hirudo faction was thoroughly hidden using the Cgrande Household as a cover, and there was nothing that made them stick out since, if anything, they helped people instead of harming them, unlike other factions.

    Still, she couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy about the Sword of Justice¡¯s sudden visit.

    ¡°Monitor Damien closely, and find out the goal behind his visit.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I understand.¡±

    Roberto bowed deeply.

    Woosh¡ª

    His body disappeared like it was melting into the darkness.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    A deep breath left her mouth.

    She was very excited about using the opportunity topletely charm Ohjin, but¡­

    ¡®The Purple Forbidden Enclosure¡¯s Curse and even the Sword of justice¡­ there are many obstructions.¡¯

    Isabe roughly chewed her lips and dragged her sandals across the floor.

    She raised her head and looked up at the zing sun.

    ¡°I shouldy low until night for now.¡±

    The effects of the Purple Forbidden Enclosure that tormented her and ate away at her stigma disappeared at night.

    Isabe decided to wait until night and walked towards the van that was parked on the side of the road.

    * * *

    ¡°¡­¡±

    In a dark alley without any signs of life¡­

    After using ck Curtain to eavesdrop on Isabe and Robert¡¯s conversation, Ohjin narrowed his eyes while he watched Isabe walking to the van.

    ¡®So the effects of the curse still remain.¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t have imagined that it was the reason behind why she suddenly clutched her chest and groaned.

    ¡°The Sword of Justice, huh¡­¡±

    ¡ªThe Second Star, Damien Salvator.

    Ohjin had heard of him before.

    ¡®I hope that he doesn¡¯t cross paths with Isabe.¡¯

    There was one more thing he became certain about after hearing their conversation¡­

    The feelings Isabe had for him exceeded friendship.

    Well, it wasn¡¯t hard to figure out if you considered how Isabe treated him until then, but the whole thing felt different since he had confirmed it directly out of her mouth after she had dropped her ¡®Saintess of Rome¡¯ act.

    -B-But then what will I do if he turns me down?!

    ¡°Pfft! Hahaha!¡±

    He involuntarily burst out intoughter as he recalled what she had said.

    It felt like it was his first time hearing the sincere words of not the Saintess of Rome, not the Queen of Leeches, but ¡®Isabe Cgrande¡¯.

    ¡®Though she¡¯s still difficult to understand.¡¯

    Still, he started wondering if it was okay to be at ease around her and approach her not as an apostle of a North Star, not as the Lightning Wolf, but as ¡®Gwon Ohjin¡¯.

    ¡®I should head back before Isabe takes notice.¡¯

    If he remained absent for too long, there was a chance of Isabe encountering Ha-eun in search of him.

    ¡°Hyup.¡±

    Ohjin moved to a ce that couldn¡¯t be seen from the van and arrived at the beach.

    ¡°Grrr¡­ Woof!¡±

    ¡°Ah! You damn mutt!¡±

    ¡°Fufu! A warrior shall not avoid a match that has appeared before them!¡±

    Riak and Ha-eun were ying in the water.

    Rumble!¡ª

    Boom!¡ª

    The pirs of water that soared several meters up into the air made him wonder if it was truly within the borders of ¡®ying¡¯, but it seemed like Ha-eun and Riak were bantering and having a good time.

    [Where are youing back from?]

    Ssh, ssh¡ª

    Vega, who was leisurely enjoying bathing in the sea on a donut-sized tube, headed over to him.

    Ohjin submerged his body into the warm sea and leveled his eyes with hers.

    ¡°I went to help Isabe since she said she wasn¡¯t feeling well.¡±

    [Hmm. There isn¡¯t anything suspicious going on, is there?] Vega asked carefully.

    Her worries were understandable since she too was one of the people who were aware of Isabe¡¯s true identity.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have to be so wary.¡±

    Ohjin recalled the conversation he heard in the alley and shrugged.

    Vega narrowed her eyes.

    His sudden change of heart weighed on her mind.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    [¡­Ah!]

    Vega¡¯s eyes widened as she suddenly thought of something.

    [Breasts! It must be those breasts!]

    ¡°What?¡±

    [That witch¡¯s evil body has charmed my child!]

    She had no way of knowing a human¡¯s aesthetic senses, but she could easily deduce how lethal Isabe¡¯s body was by thinking of how the males reacted when they arrived at the beach.

    [Hurry up and leave my child¡¯s head, you wretched being!]

    ¡°Ow, ow, ow.¡±

    Vega zealously swam over and pped his forehead.

    Ohjin smirked and shook his head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like that.¡±

    [Hmm¡­ Are you sure you weren¡¯t charmed by those wicked things?]

    ¡°Um.¡±

    If he was beingpletely honest, he had definitely taken a nce or two, but¡­

    [Ahh! I¡­ I knew it!]

    He barely got Vega to stop materializing her true form and slowly headed over to the deeper part of the sea where the water went up to his shoulders.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Ohjin took in deep breaths and could feel some kind of warm energy permeating his damaged mana circuits.

    [Do you feel like it¡¯s doing anything to help heal your internal injuries?]

    ¡°Yeah. It feels somewhat warm and refreshing at the same time.¡±

    It was like he was bathing in a natural hot spring that was said to be beneficial to your health.

    The mana mixed with the seawater tickled his skin while it passed by; gently permeating the pores around his body and healing his injured mana circuits.

    ¡°This feels a lot better than I expected.¡±

    Its healing effects were impressive enough to make him instantly understand why the extreme minority of powerful people monopolized the ce.

    [Is that so?]

    Vega had a satisfied smile on her face.

    ¡°I think my internal injuries will recover if I rest well while soaking here for a couple of days.¡±

    [Fufu. That¡¯s a relief. Forget about your worries and use this opportunity to get some well-deserved rest.]

    Vega jumped off her tube andnded on top of his head.

    She smiled gently while sweeping his seawater-drenched hair and continued.

    [Weren¡¯t you always pressured by the title ¡®Heaven-defying Star¡¯¡­ and always forced to overexert yourself?]

    It had been around one year since she first met Ohjin.

    It was nothing but an instant to a celestial, but he had grown incredibly fast during that time by using his knowledge and experience as a Regressor.

    ''No, I didn''t simply get stronger.''

    How much he struggled desperately to be that strong¡­ how miserably he rushed to his current position¡­

    He could understand it all because of the woman who was always with him.

    If just the woman who was watching over him shivered from anxiety, how difficult must it have been for the person in question?

    [You strange little thing.]

    Vega proudly patted his head.

    Ohjin felt Vega¡¯s ticklish touch and smiled bitterly.

    "Should we go a little deeper?"

    [Let us do so.]

    Ohjin swam to a deeper part of the sea with Vega on his head.

    The temperature gradually increased the farther they moved from the shore, and the seawater became so hot that his skin turned red.

    "Hm?"

    At one point, he discovered a warning message floating around the sea in that area.

    ''Is this where that gate is located?''

    Ohjin dived and looked around with interest.

    It appeared that the gate was still quite far away, as he couldn¡¯t see it with his naked eye.

    [There just might be¡­ a dragon vein flowing here.]

    "A dragon vein?"

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened from shock after resurfacing and hearing her suddenment.

    [Hasn''t the sea and weather changedpletely in this area? It wouldn¡¯t be strange for a dragon vein to be here with how much it was influenced by mana.]

    ''Dragon Vein'' was the term used to refer to locations that had an unnaturallyrge amount of mana flowing in that area.

    As she said, there was a chance of a dragon vein being there since it was a starzone that had such arge change in its atmosphere.

    ''In that case¡­''

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone.

    If there really was a dragon vein flowing in that area, it might be possible to absorb that power using the ck Heaven.

    ''It is too much for me right now, though.''

    Not only were his internal injuries notpletely healed yet, but he also couldn''t use the ck Heaven when Vega was next to him.

    ''I shoulde back to confirm itter.''

    He turned to face the shore with that in mind.

    "Let''s return to where Ha-eun and Riak are."

    [Hmm. Thisdy wishes to spend a little more time rxing with you¡­]

    "Haha. We can juste back tomorrow."

    He just happened to be thinking of returning thereter to investigate the possibility of a dragon vein.

    [Okay. Let''s go.]

    He swam with Vega back on his head.

    Ssh!¡ª

    Ohjin moved quickly like he was water skiing.

    Just when they were about to arrive near the shore¡ª

    "H-Help! There''s a person drowning over there!"

    ¡ªthey heard an urgent voice.

    Ohjin quickly turned his head and observed his surroundings.

    He saw someone struggling at sea.

    ''There aren¡¯t any lifeguards¡­''

    It appeared that, in an effort to keep the ce as secret as possible, they didn''t dispatch any lifeguards.

    [My child!]

    Ohjin clicked his tongue as Vega urgently pulled his hair.

    He quickly swam to the struggling person.

    Ssh, ssh!!!¡ª

    A woman was shaking like she was having a seizure.

    He quickly grabbed her arm and swam to the shore.

    "Are you okay?"

    There was no reply.

    ''Hm?''

    Ohjin frowned and looked back at the woman.

    Everything below her belly button hadpletely melted away.

    Her intestines poured out and floated on the seawater.

    "The fuck?"

    ''What is it this time?''

 Chapter 190: Starzone Monsters (1)

    <strong>Chapter 190: Starzone Monsters (1)</strong>

    "Aaaaaahh!!"

    An ear-piercing scream rang out on the beautiful beach.

    Blood gushed out from the melted torso, and the red started to diffuse into the emerald seawater.

    "S-Someone died!"

    "H-How did this happen?!"

    The tourists that were enjoying a rxing vacation ran to the scene after hearing themotion and screamed after discovering the melted corpse.

    "Ohjin?"

    "What''s themotion, Rookie?"

    Ha-eun and Riak approached Ohjin after hearing the noise since they were ying nearby.

    "¡­I don''t know."

    Ohjin looked at the woman''s legless corpse and slowly tilted his head.

    The woman was struggling in the water just moments before, but she suddenly died a miserable death with her eyes rolled back and tongue stuck out.

    ''Then when she struggled earlier¡­''

    Was she not drowning, but was she getting her legs ''eaten'' by something in the sea?

    "Let''s get out of the water first, Ha-eun."

    "Y-Yeah!"

    Ohjin dragged the corpse and went to the shore.

    The people flocked and looked at him with fear.

    Ohjin spoke to the people who were raising their guard around him with a calm voice.

    "She was already dead when I discovered her."

    "Don''t tell me you¡­"

    "No! Th-That person went to save her after hearing her scream!"

    The woman who yelled to Ohjin that there was a drowning person earlier defended him.

    Though, even without her, it should have beenmon sense that someone wouldn''tmit murder in broad daylight.

    "Then just who¡­?"

    "I believe it was the doing of a monster."

    "A monster?"

    Ohjin nodded his head.

    The only answer that he could think of was that something hidden beneath the sea had killed her.

    There was really nothing else he could think of that would ''melt'' a human¡¯s lower half.

    "I''ll bring the Cgrande Household''s manager!"

    "Wasn''t the Saintess of Rome here just moments ago?"

    "How could this happen¡­?"

    While the tourists were panicking and making amotion¡­

    [My child¡­]

    "Got it."

    Ohjin slightly put his hand into the water and concentrated.

    ''Star of the Weaver Girl''s Hunting Dog.''

    A blue current spread out from the tip of his finger.

    "Tsk."

    Ohjin frowned while using his skill to examine the waters.

    Ha-eun looked down at the organs floating in the water and spoke to him.

    "Did it run away?"

    "No, I couldn''t find it in the first ce."

    The skill couldn''t disy its use properly since the mana in the water interfered.

    ''It''s not like there would be a smell left in the water, either.''

    Ohjin looked at the sea with a perplexed expression.

    The clear emerald sea was calm as if nothing had happened.

    "I''ll go take a look."

    Riak decided to be the bait and went into the sea.

    "Come out immediately if you think there''s something!"

    "Hmpf. Just what do you take me for, lizard woman?"

    Riak smirked at Ha-eun, who yelled at him in a worrying manner, and swam to the deeper part of the sea.

    He wandered around the ce where the corpse was first discovered for ages, however¡­

    "It seems that it has run away."

    Ssh!¡ª

    Riak furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue after returning to shore.

    He tried to bait it out by suppressing his mana, but the monster hidden in the sea wouldn''t reveal itself.

    "Is it not reacting because you''re not a human? Should I try going in?"

    Ha-eun stretched and was going to walk to the sea¡­

    Ohjin shook his head and grabbed her shoulder.

    "I don''t think there''ll be a need for us to intervene."

    "Hm?"

    "Look over there."

    It appeared that someone had reported it, as three to four vans that were identical to the one Ohjin¡¯s party rode arrived.

    "What''s going on?"

    Isabe, who was resting in the van, heard themotion and went to see what was going on.

    Ohjin calmly exined the things that just happened to her.

    "¡­So something suspected to be a monster ambushed a tourist?"

    "Correct."

    "I understand. Our household will investigate this case, so you should head back and get some rest."

    "You won''t need any help?"

    "It''s fine. This is our problem." Isabe¡¯s eyes shone coldly as she replied with a firm voice.

    Like she said, the Cgrande Household was in charge of managing San Fruttuoso. Ohjin had no reason to stick his nose into their business when they didn''t even want his help.

    "Got it."

    "There''s a spa that contains the seawater at the residence. You should be able to continue enjoying the healing benefits there."

    Isabe turned to face the Cgrande Household''s employees that emerged from the van.

    "Close the beach immediately and evacuate everyone. Confirm the testimony of the first witness again and search for traces of monsters in the sea."

    She gave orders without hesitation.

    You couldn''t find a trace of Isabe¡¯s past image of a meekmb. In front of him was amanding, charismatic queen.

    ''I guess she isn''t the leader of both the Hirudo faction and Cgrande Household for no reason.''

    Ohjin watched her take care of the scene at a rapid speed.

    She had wless orders, quick judgment, and the charisma to get her subordinates to immediately follow her orders.

    Seizing the situation quickly and giving orders was something Ohjin could also do, but he couldn¡¯t lead people while disying such charisma.

    "Hmm."

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone while he watched her.

    If he could get her to be his ally¡­

    If he could get her in the palm of his hand¡­

    It wasn''t hard to imagine how crucial she would be.

    ''Should I head back for now?''

    There was no reason to be an obstruction to her there.

    "Hm¡­ but going back like this weighs on my mind."

    Ha-eun scratched her head and nced at the sea.

    "It''s better than getting in the way here."

    "I guess. They manage this ce, so they''re probably better at this than us."

    She shrugged and nodded her head.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    Ohjin took Ha-eun, Riak, and Vega to the pathway in front of the residence.

    "It''s empty."

    "They probably went to investigate the case."

    Ohjin went into the ufortably silent residence.

    "Wh-Where is Lady Isabe?"

    At that moment, a middle-aged man walked out of the silent mansion.

    It was Isabe¡¯s maternal uncle, Guilford.

    "She is supervising the scene."

    "¡­Is that so?"

    Guilford nodded his head with an extremely anxious expression.

    Even when there was no way he wouldn''t have heard about the incident at the beach, the person who was supposedly the highest in authority wasn''t getting his ass out of the mansion.

    "Pay it no heed, as the Cgrande Household will take care of it."

    He spoke in a blunt manner and disappeared into his room.

    Ha-eun frowned as she looked at the door of his room which was covered in extravagant decorations unlike the others.

    "Is that bastard really from the same family?"

    "Well, he doesn''t exactly share her blood."

    "Didn''t you say he''s the head manager of this ind?"

    "Yep. That''s what I was told."

    "Heh. I can see why this kind of incident happened."

    Ha-eun furrowed her brow like Guilford really wasn''t to her liking.

    "¡­I wonder."

    Ohjin slurred the end of his sentence and looked at the tightly shut door.

    He did look so incredibly ipetent that it was hard to imagine that he was from the same family as Isabe, however¡­

    ''This ind hasn''t had a single incident to date with an ipetent person like him in charge.''

    It just so happened to be on the day Ohjin and hispanions arrived.

    It felt like he had be an incarnation of disaster that carried cases and incidents around with him wherever he went like Detective Conan or Hajime Kindachi.

    ''Well, Isabe will probably figure something out.''

    It seemed like the best choice would be to leave the case to Isabe and focus on healing his internal injuries.

    "Then, I''ll be at the spa."

    "Hehe. Want me to go with you?"

    Ha-eun smiled sheepishly and gently embraced his arm.

    "Want me to wash your every nook and cranny?"

    He felt a viscous desire in her voice.

    Ohjin smirked and lightly flicked her forehead.

    "Let me heal my internal injuries first."

    "Ugh, fine. Then I''ll be resting in the room, soe out when it''s time for dinner."

    "Ah, I''ll have dinner at the spa. Bring me the food there."

    "Huh? You''re going to eat there?"

    "I feel like I should finish with healing as quickly as possible."

    "Hmm, alright. I''ll bring it there."

    Ohjin nodded and went into the seawater-filled spa.

    He felt warm energy surrounding him the moment he submerged himself.

    ''It does feel a little less effective than the sea.''

    Still, he could feel the mana inside the water that had been brought from the sea.

    Ohjin rxed his body in the spa that was over 30 meters wide and gently closed his eyes.

    The woman¡¯s miserably melted body crossed through his mind.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I need to be in peak condition to deal with unexpected situations.¡¯

    The warm feeling slowly permeated his damaged mana circuits and aided his recovery.

    * * *

    Three days passed in much the same way.

    Isabe didn¡¯t return to the residence since she was too busy investigating the scene, and Ohjin spent most of his time at the spa to focus on healing his injuries.

    If it was less effective than directly using seawater, he just had to submerge himself in it for longer periods of time.

    With the mindset of quantity over quality, he spent the whole three days eating and sleeping in the spa and healing his injuries.

    ¡°All of your skin is going to get wrinkly at this rate, man.¡±

    Ha-eun, in her swimsuit, approached Ohjin and touched his wrinkly skin with a worried expression.

    ¡°Still, this is the best way to recover as quickly as possible.¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t they say that nothing has happened for the past three days?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡±

    He would¡¯ve been more at ease if something had been discovered. The fact that there was nothing found when the Cgrande Household and Isabe were using their full might meant that the case wouldn¡¯t be resolved easily.

    ¡°Are we sure it wasn¡¯t just a random underwater monster that killed someone and retreated?¡±

    ¡°If that was the case, it would¡¯ve been caught by Cgrande Household¡¯s barrier.¡±

    Ohjin recalled the floating warning message that he saw when he went too far out into the sea.

    That buoy wasn¡¯t simply a warning to not go any farther, but it was also a barrier that blocked creatures from entering.

    ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t know. Ah, have your injuries healed yet?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I think I¡¯m nearly fully recovered.¡±

    He stroked the stigma on the left side of his left chest and nodded his head.

    Almost all of his internal injuries had been healed from bathing in the spa¡¯s water for three days.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes shone like a cat''s as she nimbly pulled his arm.

    All that stopped their skin from making direct contact was her thin swimsuit.

    ¡°Do¡­ you want toe to my room for a moment?¡±

    She gently stuck out her tongue and licked his nape while stroking his chest with rxed movements.

    ¡°Or¡­ should we just do it here?¡±

    Whispering into his ear, her hand slowly worked its way down.

    It was just about time for sunrise.

    The sunlight filtering down illuminated her wet hair and body, and her breathtaking beauty made Ohjin gulp.

    What kind of man wouldn¡¯t fall for her cunning seduction?

    When Ohjin was about to slowly reach out to her¡ª

    Saaaaaaaaaash¡ª

    ¡ªthey heard the sound of a massive wave.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    They were located in a mansion built on top of a cliff.

    Regardless of how strong a typhoon was, it would still be impossible to hear the sound of waves from there.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    Ohjin and Ha-eun got up and looked around.

    Was a cloud covering the sun? The sunlight filtering down suddenly disappeared and the surroundings darkened.

    ¡®No¡­¡¯

    He was sure it was a clear blue sky without a cloud in sight just five minutes before.

    ¡°O-Ohjin, wh-what¡¯s that?¡± Ha-eun said in a trembling voice.

    Ohjin faced the direction Ha-eun was pointing with his mouth agape.

    In that ce¡ª

    ¡°¡­Holy shit.¡±

    ¡ªwas something¡­

    Something impossibly massive¡­

    Something that far exceeded the standards of an organism¡­

    And that something was raising its body up from the sea.

 Chapter 191: Starzone Monsters (2)

    <strong>Chapter 191: Starzone Monsters (2)</strong>

    Just howrge was it?

    300 or 500 kilometers?

    No¡­

    It might have been over 1km tall.

    Compared to its monstrous size, its appearance was extremely simple.

    It was a slime made of cloudy, dark-red mucus that was reminiscent ofva flowing down from an erupted volcano.

    Arms? Legs? Facial features? There were none of those things.

    It looked as if a single-cell organism had focused only on increasing its size to the extreme.

    Appearance-wise, it didn¡¯t look threatening at all, but the problem was its overwhelming size.

    ¡°What the fuck is that?¡±

    He had seen many monsters to date, but it was his first time feeling intimidated by nothing other than a monster''s size.

    ¡°Shit¡­ a monster that big exists?¡±

    Ha-eun stepped back reflexively.

    It was excessively simple, but the sheer difference of ¡®mass¡¯ was significant when it came to fighting.

    Imagine having a lightweight go up against a heavyweight in boxing.

    No, there wasn¡¯t even a need to think so far.

    From that gigantic monster¡¯s point of view, humans were nothing but ants.

    ¡°What are we supposed to do, throw oil on it and light it up?¡±

    ¡°There is nothing as good as fire when ites to facingrge foes, but¡­¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    He felt an intense heat despite being located incredibly far away from the monster.

    If the monster¡¯s influence was the reason why the water for several dozen kilometers was heated like a hot spring¡­

    ¡°There¡¯s a high chance that it¡¯s extremely resistant to fire.¡±

    ¡°¡­Th-Then how are we supposed to face it?¡±

    ¡°Give me a sec.¡±

    Ohjin chewed his lips and touched the pendant on his neck.

    Owooong!¡ª

    Vega and Riak appeared with a radiant st of silver light.

    [That¡¯s¡­]

    Vega narrowed her eyes while looking at the gigantic monster outside the window.

    ¡°S-Something that huge suddenly came out of the water!!¡± Ha-eun while grasping Vega¡¯s body with both hands.

    ¡°Hmpf. Something that huge?¡± Riak chuckled as his eyes shone.

    ¡°Come to your senses and look properly, lizard woman. That thing isn¡¯t a ¡®huge monster¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do you call a mass of ants a huge ant?¡±

    ¡°What do you¡­? Ah.¡± Ha-eun eximed and looked at the massive monster rising from the sea.

    Red eyes appeared from the monster¡¯s body that consisted of dark-red mucus.

    It wasn¡¯t just one pair of eyes¡­

    Hundreds¡­ thousands¡­ tens of thousands¡­

    An uncountable number of eyes densely covered the massive monster¡¯s body like the stars that filled the night sky.

    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s what it is.¡±

    Ohjin held back hisughter and stared at the monster.

    As Riak said, it wasn¡¯t a ¡®huge monster¡¯.

    ¡®It¡¯s a mass of monsters.¡¯

    They were in the form of a bacterial colony and consisted of an astronomical number of monsters.

    Roaaaaaaaaar!!!¡ª

    A morbid cry was heard from the window.

    Just like simultaneous yells from the crowd in a stadium, an uncountable number of noises ovepped and transformed into a single, loud roar.

    Rumbleeeeeee!!!¡ª

    Monsters poured down from the kilometer-tall mass of monsters like an avnche.

    Monsters crossed San Fruttuoso¡¯s sea in an instant and charged to the shore. They were running like crazy to the vige built alongside the beach.

    ¡°Ha-eun, hold my arm.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Wh-What are you nning to do?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be toote if we run there.¡±

    Only wearing his swimming pants, he slid on his wire shooter and opened the window.

    The hot sea winds raged and crashed along the bottom of the cliff.

    ¡°Wh-What are you doing?!¡±

    ¡°Hold tight.¡±

    Ohjin pulled in Ha-eun¡¯s waist as she clung to his arm, and they jumped off the window and headed down.

    ¡°Aaaaaahhhhh!!!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s shriek attacked his ears.

    ¡®Lightning Step.¡¯

    He changed direction mid-air by creating a tform of lightning and reached out his hand to a gap in the cliff.

    Bang!¡ª

    The wire stuck to the stone wall lengthened quickly and assisted their fall.

    [People are gathered over there!]

    Vega was on top of Ohjin¡¯s head and raised her tiny hands to indicate the town square.

    It appeared that they gathered after hearing themotion because hundreds of people were in the square near the beach, panicking and screaming.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Ohjin took in a light breath and bent his body.

    The stigma of Lyra engraved on the left side of his chest gave off a bright light while a vast amount of mana spread to every part of his body.

    ¡®Nice.¡¯

    His internal injuries had fully healed.

    He wasn¡¯t able to experiment with the ck Heaven and stigma of Lyra that had been enhanced after the seventh awakening because of his injury, but it was finally his opportunity.

    Crackle!¡ª

    Blue lightning that was even brighter than before spread out like stairs.

    Ohjin roughly stepped on the lightning and headed down to the town square.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    ¡°Roaaaaar!!¡±

    ¡°Grrrrrrrrrrr!!¡±

    Monsters rushed in like waves.

    He wasn¡¯t able to tell when they were united, but he could see that the monsters¡¯ appearances resembled wolves like Riak.

    ¡ªWolves that had a hard shell covering their body.

    Ohjin was very familiar with that type of monster.

    ¡®Ant-horns.¡¯

    ¡ªA low-rank monster that had the appearance of a wolf and the exoskeleton of an ant.

    It was one of the mostmon monsters and was evaluated to be the ¡®weakest¡¯ among therge variety of monsters.

    ¡®Despite that, it¡¯s the monster that has undoubtedly killed the most people.¡¯

    Before the appearance of gates, which animal would have killed the most humans throughout all of mankind?

    Lions? Tigers? Sharks?

    No.

    The animal that killed several dozen times the umted count of those animals were mosquitoes.

    The same went for Ant-horns.

    They didn¡¯t act as one whole group usually, but their insane reproduction rate and poption made them the monster that caused the most human casualties.

    ¡®On top of that, they don¡¯t seem like normal Ant-horns.¡¯

    They contained heat that could be felt from a distance and dark-red exoskeletons that looked like cooledva.

    Though they had the appearance of Ant-horns, he wondered if they were an entirely different species.

    ¡°Kyaaaa!¡±

    ¡°Ahh! Kugh!¡±

    ¡°Wh-What kind of Ant-horns are this strong?!¡±

    Unsurprisingly, there were a lot of armed bodyguards since the vacation spot was frequented by individuals with authority, but they were overwhelmed without even being able to put up a fight.

    Horrendous screams and cries rang out on the beach.

    ¡°Ohjin!¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Ohjin took out a small folding knife from his swimming pants pocket.

    Skrrr, ck!¡ª

    The knife turned into the shape of a ck spear in an instant, and blue lightning gathered at the tip of the spear and zed fiercely.

    ¡®Thunder Fall.¡¯

    He fell from over a dozen meters in the air at a frightening speed.

    A pir of blue lightning crashed into the wave of Ant-horns like lightning raining down from the sky.

    Bzzzzzzzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Like throwing a stone into a calmke, lightning spread out in a circr shape and blew away hundreds of Ant-horns in every direction.

    However, that onlysted for a moment.

    Several times the number that was blown away upied that empty area in a heartbeat and continued their march.

    ¡°Just how many are there?¡±

    Ha-eun looked at the tsunami of Ant-horns with her mouth agape.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this, so you should head over there to help people evacuate.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for me to fend them off?¡±

    She stretched her body and turned to face the herd of monsters.

    ¡°But fire won¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªwork against them?¡±

    Ha-eun smirked and raised her hand, and a gigantic ball of fire floated on top of her palm.

    ¡°Irachaaaa!!¡±

    ¡°Krrrrrr?¡±

    The fireball gave off an intense heat that was several times hotter than what the Ant-horns emitted.

    The Ant-horns that appeared to be resistant to fire were helplessly reduced to ashes in an instant.

    ¡°How about now?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin dumbfoundedly looked at Ha-eun.

    Her way of facing monsters innately resistant to fire was to ignorantly hit them with even stronger fire that they couldn¡¯t endure.

    ¡®How typical of her.¡¯

    He chuckled and nodded his head.

    If their resistance to fire wasn¡¯t a problem, it would indeed be better for Ha-eun to take care ofrge numbers of enemies.

    ¡°Alright. Then fend them off as much as you can.¡±

    ¡°Believe in me.¡±

    Ha-eun pped Ohjin¡¯s butt and turned to face the Ant-horns.

    She took out a packet of cigarettes from a waterproof pack and put a cigarette between her fingers.

    ¡°mes.¡±

    Sizzle!¡ª

    A frightening wave of mes burned from the tip of the cigarette and twisted around her body.

    ¡°Fucking ze.¡±

    Fwoooosh!¡ª

    Massive mes swept away the Ant-horns that were rushing in like a tsunami.

    ¡°Vega and Riak, help Ha-eun block the Ant-horns!¡±

    [I understand!]

    ¡°Hmpf! The nerve of them to rely on their numbers.¡±

    Vega started shooting lightning after flying up into the air, and Riak changed into his werewolf form as he charged at the monsters.

    ¡®I¡¯ve bought time for now.¡¯

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and observed the surroundings after using his wire shooters to scale a tall building.

    He did earn some time thanks to Ha-eun, Vega, and Riak¡¯s help, however¡­

    ¡®We probably won¡¯tst long.¡¯

    There were way too many of them.

    Just like how you couldn¡¯t block rain using your hands, fending off that many Ant-horns with such a small group was impossible.

    ¡°Isabe is¡­¡±

    He looked around in search of Isabe, but he couldn¡¯t figure out where she was since the entire ce was a mess.

    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    Stopping the Ant-horns from causing more damage was the first priority.

    ¡°¡­Though I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m supposed to stop them.¡±

    He sighed deeply and looked at the endless wave of Ant-horns.

    How many were there?

    Thousands? Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands?

    There were so many that counting was meaningless.

    ¡®There¡¯s no way so many monsters grouped up naturally.¡¯

    In that case, there had to be something that could cause such a strange phenomenon.

    ¡®A starzone alone isn¡¯t enough to warrant it¡­¡¯

    At that moment, Vega¡¯s words crossed his mind.

    -There just might be¡­ a dragon vein flowing here.

    ¡ªDragon Vein.

    A location with an unnaturallyrge amount of mana flowing through it¡­

    The power of a dragon vein could be the cause of such a strange phenomenon.

    ¡°In that case¡­¡±

    There was a single method to solving everything.

    ¡°I just have to devour it all.¡±

    Ohjin smirked and looked at the Ant-horns covering the sea.

    Bzzt!¡ª

    He created lightning in the air and shot into the sky.

 Chapter 192: Starzone Monsters (3)

    <strong>Chapter 192: Starzone Monsters (3)</strong>

    Woosh!¡ª

    Ohjin quickly shot across the dark-red sea covered with Ant-horns.

    The intense heat gradually made it hard for him to open his eyes as he got closer to the deeper parts of the sea.

    ¡®It feels like I¡¯m at a volcano.¡¯

    He covered his body in mana and activated the stigma of Bufo.

    His skin turned ash-gray and lessened the heat he felt on his skin.

    ¡®The simple effect of enhancing your body really is useful.¡¯

    Not only did it increase your strength, but it also raised your durability and dexterity, which made it incredibly versatile.

    ¡°Krrrrr!¡±

    ¡°Roaaaaaar!¡±

    The Ant-horns shrieked and quickly swam across the sea.

    Ohjin activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs to enhance his eyesight and examined the crowded group of Ant-horns.

    ¡®Found it.¡¯

    He spotted the buoy that was floating between the Ant-horns and had the words ¡®No Entry¡¯ written on it.

    It was the area managed by the Cgrande Household that he found when he was swimming with Vega.

    ¡®There should be a gate around here.¡¯

    On top of that, the possibility of a dragon vein flowing in that gate was high.

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and looked down at the sea that was so full of Ant-horns that he couldn¡¯t even see the water beneath them.

    ¡°I need to get through them somehow¡­¡±

    What he needed was a powerful technique that would allow him to prate through the Ant-horns.

    He didn¡¯t have to think hard to figure out which skill in his arsenal disyed the most firepower.

    ¡®Lightning God Physique.¡¯

    His eyes turned cold.

    The skill was as burdening to use as it was powerful, but there was nothing else that would be as effective.

    ¡°Charge.¡±

    Bzzzzt!¡ª

    With his left hand holding the spear, he extended his right arm and blue lightning started to gather in it.

    ¡®Charge, Charge, Charge.¡¯

    One time, two times, three times, four times¡­

    The blue lightning in his right arm became fiercer with each sessive Charge.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    The pain made it feel like his muscles were tearing apart and that he was getting skinned.

    His veins twisted, and his mana circuits heated up.

    Just when he started to think that the pain would pass his threshold and that his arm would blow up¡ª

    BZZZZZZZT!¡ª

    ¡ªhis lightning-covered right arm became lightning itself.

    Immense energy poured out of his arm that had turned into the body of the Lightning God from the tip of his finger to his shoulder.

    ¡°Kruu?¡±

    ¡°Kuuu! Krrrrrr!¡±

    Had the Ant-horns felt the intense energy of mana that was zing like the sun over their heads? The monsters that were once busy swimming across the sea like crazy stopped in their tracks to simultaneously look up at Ohjin.

    They trembled while looking at the arm of the Lightning God.

    Gathering up into one spot, they started to ovep their bodies and create a tower.

    Just like how the giant¡¯s body was raised from the sea at the beginning, an uncountable number of Ant-horns gathered up into one entity and moved its body in his direction.

    The mass of monsters tried to envelop Ohjin like an enormous tsunami.

    ¡°Toote.¡±

    Ohjin smirked while looking at the tsunami of Ant-horns approaching him and reached out with his lightning arm.

    ¡°Divide.¡±

    <strong>C</strong>

    <strong>R</strong>

    <strong>A</strong>

    <strong>C</strong>

    <strong>K</strong>

    <strong>L</strong>

    <strong>E</strong>

    <strong>!</strong>

    A blue lightning bolt shot from his arm and divided the Ant-horn army down the middle, and a strong stench stung his nose.

    The Ant-horns¡¯ arms and legs were torn apart and fell from the sky like rain.

    ¡°Huff, huff!¡±

    Ohjin took in rough breaths and bit his lips.

    Just how many had he killed in one blow? A thousand? Ten thousand?

    There was no way to know for sure, but there was one thing that was certain¡­

    ¡®This is insane.¡¯

    It was already a powerful skill that could incapacitate a high-ranking Awakener of a North Star, but it had be even stronger with the ck Heaven¡¯s seventh awakening.

    As powerful as it was, the side effects were, naturally, nothing to scoff at.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Ohjin chewed his lips and looked down at his tattered right arm.

    All he had done was shoot a single lightning bolt, but the pain made it feel like his entire arm was going to tear off.

    His vision distorted for a moment as he nearly lost consciousness¡ª

    ¡®I need to go right now.¡¯

    ¡ªbut he could see the tsunami of Ant-horns wriggling and starting to recover itself.

    About ten thousand Ant-horns were hit by the lightning and died instantly, but there were still a shocking number of them covering San Fruttuoso¡¯s sea.

    If he lost the opportunity he¡¯d gained, finding the gate beneath the sea would be a pipe dream.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    He headed towards the sea that was littered with the corpses of Ant-horns.

    Ssh!¡ª

    A pir of water soared up as his body crashed directly into the sea.

    ''Kugh.''

    An intense heat made him feel like he was in a sizzling pot of oil, and he frowned.

    The death of over ten thousand Ant-horns tainted what once used to be a beautiful emerald sea with their viscous blood and changed it to a ruby color.

    ''Stigma of Hippocampus."

    Swoosh!¡ª

    His body shot forward like he had a motor attached to him once the stigma of Hippocampus activated.

    That wasn''t all.

    ''I can even breathe in the water."

    After realizing that he could breathe in the bloody sea, he swam to the depths without hesitation.

    The heat became even worse as he passed by the buoy containing the warning message and headed deeper into the sea.

    It felt like he had submerged himself inva.

    ''Found it.''

    Ohjin''s eyes shone when he discovered a massive seafloor cavern.

    To be exact, it was what he suspected to have once been a seafloor cavern.

    ''Everything''spletely destroyed.''

    It looked like the pressure of the Ant-horns leaving the gate caused it to copse. The seafloor cavern that should¡¯ve been protecting the gate like a hard shell had crumbled.

    "Krrrrrrr!"

    "Kararak!"

    Hundreds of monsters targeted Ohjin and swam towards him as he neared the gate.

    Ohjin twisted his body and fiercely thrusted his spear.

    Bzzzzzzt!!¡ª

    Blue lightning spread in the seawater and electrocuted the monsters.

    ¡®I don¡¯t have time.¡¯

    Ohjin needed to head to the dragon vein quickly.

    He narrowed his eyes and observed his surroundings.

    There was a gate emitting bright light through the gap in the broken rocks, and there was an enormous amount of mana flowing out like it was going berserk.

    ¡®Over there.¡¯

    He closed his eyes after approaching the gate.

    ¡®Dragon vein¡¯ referred to a ce created by the entanglement of an unnaturallyrge flow of mana.

    He slowly stretched his hand out to it.

    ¡®ck Heaven.¡¯

    Rumble¡ª

    The ck clouds seeped out of his hand and covered the volcano-like red mana.

    ¡®Ugh!¡¯

    He felt a huge amount of mana pulsing into his body through the clouds.

    The ck Heaven gluttonously devoured the dragon vein and the mana permeated his body.

    ¡®Still, there¡¯s not as much mana as before.¡¯

    Ohjin firmly grasped his consciousness and led the dragon vein¡¯s mana to the ck Heaven as it crashed in like a tsunami.

    The endless ck sky absorbed all of the dragon vein¡¯s mana, and he could tell that the boiling seawater¡¯s temperature was gradually decreasing.

    And then¡ª

    Sizzle!¡ª

    ¡ªthe stigma engraved on the left side of his chest gave off radiant light.

    There were seven flicks right next to the stigma of Lyra.

    He felt that a new, eighth flick was being engraved underneath them.

    -Ring!

    [You have sessfully absorbed the dragon vein¡¯s mana!]

    [The ¡®Stigma of Lyra¡¯ has been promoted to 8-Star!]

    8-Star¡­

    He finally set foot in the realm where bing a high-ranking Awakener was just one step away.

    ¡®I did happen to think that it was about time.¡¯

    Ohjin believed that he would be an 8-Star Awakener soon after raising his skill to level 10 and obtaining Lightning God Physique, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to happen via absorbing the dragon vein.

    His eyes shone as he looked down at the eighth flick on his chest

    ¡®By the way¡­ is it over?¡¯

    After absorbing the dragon vein, he could tell that the sea was cooling down and confirmed the disappearance of the insane amount of mana.

    He couldn¡¯t see from his location, but cutting off the dragon vein¡¯s mana should¡¯ve influenced the Ant-horns that were attacking the town.

    Ohjin turned his head to look at the monsters swimming towards him, and their movements felt much dullerpared to before.

    ¡®It ended much easier than I thought it would.¡¯

    Needless to say, it was only possible since Ohjin had an overpowered ability called the ck Heaven that could absorb the dragon vein.

    He put an end to the case without much trouble.

    ¡®Should I head back now?¡¯

    The dragon vein¡¯s mana did disappear, but the Ant-horns wouldn¡¯t die like some severed puppets.

    He had to personally end the lives of the monsters that were weakened after losing their source of power.

    When he was about to turn around to return to the shore where Ha-eun and Vega were¡ª

    ¡®Hm?¡¯

    ¡ªhe saw something in the gaps of the rocky debris.

    ¡­A fragment shining with blue light.

    ¡®¡­A star relic?¡¯

    No, it was the remains of a ¡®used¡¯ star relic.

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and examined the area around the fragmented star relic.

    There was a fragment in every pir that held up the undersea cavern, and he saw traces of huge explosions near those areas.

    Only one conclusion came to mind¡­

    ¡®Its destruction wasn¡¯t a natural urrence.¡¯

    Someone had intentionally made the cavern copse and stimted the dragon vein into going berserk.

    ¡®But why?¡¯

    What could they possibly obtain by causing the dragon vein to run wild?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The seawater epassing his body was slowly losing its warmth as his questions remained unanswered.

    * * *

    ¡°Krrrrr!¡±

    ¡°Roaaaaar!!¡±

    Monsters covered the entire town.

    Isabe tried to fend off the monsters with the household¡¯s employees, but they were getting pushed back by their numbers.

    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±

    A drop of sweat ran down her forehead, and she gasped for breath while holding a staff that shone with golden light.

    ¡®We won¡¯tst like this.¡¯

    Still, that didn¡¯t mean that they could retreat any farther. The moment the line of defense she was protecting fell apart, not only the tourists visiting San Fruttuoso, but also the residents would get torn apart by the monsters¡¯ teeth.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Isabe looked up at the hot sun and chewed her lips with a nervous expression.

    ¡°I¡¯ll block them off. Everyone, head toward the town.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°H-However, we can¡¯t leave Lady Isabe beh¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me that you¡¯re going to defy the next matriarch''s order?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes shone coldly.

    The employees anxiously looked at each other.

    ¡°You¡¯re all fired if you don¡¯t disappear from my sight within five seconds.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes, ma¡¯am!¡±

    They turned around with pale faces and headed off.

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    Left alone, Isabe narrowed her eyes and turned to face the monsters that were approaching.

    She felt an intense pain radiating from the stigma engraved on her chest because of the ¡®curse¡¯.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t want to use my powers during the day, but¡­¡¯

    Isabe was left with no other option.

    ¡°Krrrrrrr!¡±

    ¡°Kruuuuu!¡±

    She coldly looked at the monsters.

    Flinch¡ª

    The monsters that were charging in like crazy suddenly stopped simultaneously.

    <strong>¡°Worthless beings.¡±</strong>

    The thick smell of blood spread out as red energy surrounded Isabe, and she leisurely extended her hand to the monsters.

    Plop! Pop! Crunch!¡ª

    The monsters¡¯ bodies bloated up like overinted balloons and blood exploded out like a fountain from tens of thousands of monsters.

    ¡°Huff, huff.¡±

    The Queen of Leeches clutched her chest with a distorted expression on her face amidst the thick puddles of blood.

 Chapter 193: Starzone Monsters (4)

    <strong>Chapter 193: Starzone Monsters (4)</strong>

    The monster attack finally came to an end.

    What was once a beautiful vacation spot was covered with blood, and there were several ces that were destroyed by the storm.

    ¡°Ugh! These goddamn persistent bastards!!!¡±

    mes coiled through the sky like a living being.

    Two monsters that were struggling to run away were swallowed by the mes and turned to ash.

    ¡°Huff, huff, huff.¡±

    Ha-eun caught her breath while leaning her back against a wall.

    The fight¡­ no, the one-sided massacre hadsted for hours.

    ¡°I¡¯m so fucking tired¡­¡±

    Even if she was able to sweep hundreds and thousands of them away at a time, a long time was required to finish them off because there were too many monsters that participated in the attack.

    ¡®It would¡¯ve been even harder if the monsters didn¡¯t suddenly weaken.¡¯

    Ha-eun had no idea what Ohjin did, but she noticed that their movement abruptly dulled, and it seemed like they lost their boiling energy.

    Thanks to that, she was able to take care of the monsters in a way that was more like crushing ants rather than fighting.

    Due to their massive numbers, it still wasn¡¯t easy.

    ¡°God, it¡¯s finally over.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t do anything about the ones hiding in buildings, but she finished taking care of the ones that she could see.

    Ha-eun swept back her sweat-soaked hair and opened her pack of cigarettes.

    She shook the pack, but unfortunately, there was nothing that came out besides crumbs of tobo.

    ¡°Fuck.¡±

    Irritated, she kicked the empty pack away.

    She walked down the street that had be aplete ruin by herself.

    Vega and Riak had already been forced back to the sanctum after using up all their energy in the fierce fight against the monsters.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    While she was walking down the deste street¡ª

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡ªshe discovered Ohjin walking back from the distant shore.

    It appeared that he also had his fair share of fighting monsters since his entire body was soaked like a drowning rat.

    ¡°Ohjinnnnnn!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes sparkled, and she sprinted towards him and jumped into his arms.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Vega and Riak?¡±

    ¡°They returned to the sanctum because they used too much strength.¡±

    ¡°I see. Are you hurt anywhere?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Do you really think that I¡¯d get hurt by those mutts?¡±

    She shrugged with a smug expression on her face.

    ¡°Where were you in the meantime?¡±

    ¡°Under the sea.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes widened and her mouth fell open like she was a surprised rabbit.

    ¡°Y-You went down there?¡±

    It was hard to imagine someone going down there alone when there were an uncountable number of monsters gathered at sea.

    She fumbled all over his body with a worried look.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like you were hurt anywhere¡­ hm. This area is fine, as well.¡±

    Rub, rub¡ª

    ¡°Hey, where do you think you¡¯re touching?¡±

    ¡°Ehehe! Unlike your insolent mouth, your body is honest!¡±

    ¡®What on earth is this woman talking about?¡¯

    ¡°Fortunately, it appears you weren¡¯t hurt¡­ hm?¡±

    Her eyes suddenly widened while she was checking every area of his body.

    The stigma of Lyra engraved on his chest stood out to her. The eight flicks next to his stigma, to be exact.

    ¡°E-Eight? Ohjin, you became an 8-Star Awakener?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°W-Wow! Damn! You¡¯re an 8-Star already? It hasn¡¯t even been that long since you became a 7-Star!"

    Ha-eun jumped up and down in joy like she was the one making progress.

    Her eyes shone like stars, and she held his hands tightly.

    "You only have one step left until you be a 9-Star!"

    There was a special meaning behind ''9-Star'' for Awakeners because your body would go through reconstruction and grant you immense power that couldn¡¯t bepared to before.

    ''Ohjin took down 9-Stars as a 7-Star Awakener¡­ If he bes a 9-Star¡­''

    Gulp¡ª

    Just imagining it sent shivers down her spine.

    "I only just became a 8-Star. There''s still a long way to go until the next step."

    "You always say that and get promoted in the blink of an eye."

    "Well¡­"

    He did, in fact, have an abnormal growth rate.

    "In any case, let¡¯s talk about thatter. How''s the situation near the town?"

    "I''ve cleaned up this area for now; I''m not sure how things are going over there."

    Ha-eun indicated towards the opposite side of where she had defended with Vega and Riak, to a road that led to another town.

    ¡®I hope the monsters didn¡¯t make it through to that area.''

    Ohjin clicked his tongue as he looked toward the opposite end of town.

    He would¡¯ve taken Ha-eun over there at the beginning if he was familiar with the area, but since it was his first time there, he had no choice but to prioritize defending where he knew there were a lot of people.

    ''Well, we''ve still done enough with this.''

    Though he couldn¡¯t say that they wlessly defended the town from the monsters, they had done more than enough as people who weren''t responsible.

    "Let¡¯s head to the other side and take care of the remaining monsters."

    "Okay."

    When Ohjin and Ha-eun were about to head over¡ª

    "We''ve¡­ taken care of that area."

    ¡ªIsabe walked towards them from the other side of town.

    Her white one-piece dress was drenched in blood, and the way she was having difficulty walking and breathing made it seem like she was on the verge of copsing.

    "Isabe!"

    Ohjin quickly approached Isabe and supported her.

    She put on an exhausted smile and looked up at him.

    "Our employees blocked the roads so that they aren''t able to go to the other towns."

    "¡­"

    Her voice was weak and sounded like it would cut off at any second.

    ''Is it the influence of the curse?''

    It didn''t seem so severe before.

    He furrowed his brow and helped Isabe to a nearby bench.

    "Just what were those monsters?"

    "¡­I don''t know."

    Isabe shook her head and bit her lip.

    "The gate should have been thoroughly managed by us¡­"

    She gripped the hem of her reddened dress with a confused expression on her face.

    Ohjin wondered if he should tell her that someone intentionally stimted the dragon vein, but he soon closed his lips tight.

    ''Not yet.''

    Not only did he have no answer to the question of ''how did you calm the dragon vein?'', but there was also something he personally wanted to confirm.

    "I''ll return to the residence for now. I need to have a talk with Uncle Guilford."

    Her eyes turned cold as she looked towards the mansion.

    It appeared that she wanted to interrogate Guilford on the matter because he was in charge of managing San Fruttuoso.

    Ohjin nodded his head and gently carried her off the chair.

    "O-Ohjin?"

    "I''ll take you there."

    He couldn¡¯t leave her behind when it looked like she was having trouble walking properly.

    "Ah¡­ Th-Thank you."

    Isabe''s cheeks reddened, and she lowered her chin with embarrassment.

    "Ugh."

    Ha-eun clutched her forehead when she saw that.

    She would have butted in and separated them if she could have it her way, but she couldn''t bring herself to do it when she saw the trouble Isabe was having with breathing.

    "Let''s go."

    Ohjin headed to the mansion with Isabe in his arms, passing countless monster corpses in the streets before finally arriving.

    "N-Next matriarch! Are you unharmed?!"

    Guilford''s chubby belly shook while he quickly sprinted to Isabe.

    Isabe coldly pped away Guilford''s hand before he could touch her.

    "Exin."

    "Th-the thing is¡­ I don''t know."

    "You don''t know? Aren''t you responsible for managing San Fruttuoso?"

    "Th-that¡¯s true, however¡­" Guilford mumbled with a nervous expression.

    Anxiety and fear filled his eyes.

    "Sigh."

    Isabe sighed deeply and red at him.

    "A disciplinarymittee will be opened as soon as the situation has been resolved. Don''t think that we''ll overlook this matter."

    "W-wait! Next matriarch?!"

    Isabe passed Guilford, who was urgently calling her, and walked into the residence.

    Ohjin observed him desperately following Isabe and narrowed his eyes.

    ''Was it his doing?''

    Messing with the dragon vein would be easy as the head manager of San Fruttuoso, but it didn''t seem like he had thepetence to stimte the dragon vein considering how he trembled in fear without being able to meet eyes with Isabe.

    ''Even if he could, there¡¯s no reason for him to do so.''

    Why would he make the dragon vein go berserk when he would obviously get kicked out of the family the moment monsters started rushing out of the gate?

    ''Someone who has the authority and power to mess with the dragon vein but is also able to avoid suspicion¡­''

    There was only one person that came to mind.

    Ohjin¡¯s gaze headed to Isabe.

    Couldn''t she easily disrupt the dragon vein?

    Even if there were huge casualties because of it, wouldn''t she be able to push all the me onto Guilford?

    ''¡­No.''

    He shook his head in the middle of his thoughts.

    With nothing to gain from the incident, Isabe was in the same position as Guilford.

    ¡®Then just who¡­?¡¯

    While Ohjin continued contemting¡ª

    Ttututututututu!!¡ª

    ¡ªa helicopter flew from over the horizon, buffeting them with gusts of wind.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Isabe frowned and looked at the helicopter thatnded on the helipad located next to the garden.

    The helicopter door opened, and a middle-aged man with slicked-back light-blond hair exited.

    He had handsome looks and a solid figure that would fit the main character of a noir film.

    ¡ªPaulo Cgrande.

    The middle-aged man was the family head of the Cgrande Household and also Isabe¡¯s father.

    Paulo emitted charisma that made just looking at him suffocating as he approached Isabe, however¡­

    ¡°Ahh! My lovely baby! Were you hurt anywhere?!¡±

    As if the charisma he gave off was just an illusion, he neared her with frivolous movements.

    Jerk!¡ª

    Paulo roughly pulled in and hugged Isabe.

    ¡°I heard all about it¡­! You must¡¯ve gone through a lot!¡±

    He frowned while looking at her one-piece dress that was drenched in blood and red coldly at Guilford, who was looking away and shivering.

    ¡°How dare you cause my princess to get injured¡­! I rmend you prepare for the worst.¡±

    ¡°It¡­ it wasn¡¯t my doing!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t yourck of management the reason this incident happened?¡±

    ¡°Th-that is¡­¡±

    Guilford lowered his head with a perplexed expression on his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, father. This isn¡¯t my blood,¡± Isabe said, smiling brightly.

    ¡°That truly is a relief!¡±

    Paulo shed tears and increased the strength in his arms, squeezing Isabe.

    ¡®Father, huh¡­?¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone.

    He did think their faces looked a bit simr, but he hadn¡¯t expected him to be her father.

    ¡®I thought that they had a bad rtionship based on what I heard from Isabest time.¡¯

    His initial thoughts appeared quite distant from the truth when he considered how her father flew on a helicopter to check up on Isabe as soon as he heard the news.

    The way Isabe smiled andforted him by saying that the blood on the dress wasn¡¯t hers made him think she was also a good daughter.

    <strong>¡°You reek of sweat. Can¡¯t you do it in moderation and get lost, father?¡±</strong>

    Or not¡­

 Chapter 194: Dysfunctional Family (1)

    <strong>Chapter 194: Dysfunctional Family (1)</strong>

    ¡°¡­¡±

    An awkward mood settled in.

    When Ohjin and Ha-eun heard what Isabe said, they froze on the spot, mouths open in shock.

    It was thest thing they expected her to say with how her father flew there on a helicopter as soon as he heard that his daughter was in danger.

    "Haha. It seems that my little princess is very embarrassed."

    Paulo put on a lonesome smile like he was used to it and reached forward to pat Isabe¡¯s head.

    p!¡ª

    Isabe coldly pped his hand away and red at him with sharp eyes.

    "What are you doing here?"

    "What am I doing here? I was curious about how my princess was doing!"

    "Is that so?" Isabe said with a bitter smile.

    Ohjin felt something was off about the conversation¡ªsomething about it was strange and unpleasant, like gears that didn¡¯t quite fit together correctly.

    ''Not because he was worried, but because he was curious?''

    For a father who flew over on a helicopter to check up on his daughter, his expression was strange.

    "Then why don''t you leave now that you''ve satisfied your curiosity?" Isabe said with a cold voice.

    Paulo shook his head like the suggestion was ridiculous.

    "How could I leave so soon when my princess went through such a dangerous situation?! By the way¡­ who are those people?"

    Paulo''s gaze headed to Ohjin.

    Isabe stood in front of him in an obstructing manner and red at her father.

    "They are my guests."

    "Aha! I see! It''s a pleasure to meet you!"

    Paulo walked past Isabe, approached them, and extended his hand with a cheerful smile on his face.

    Ohjin looked at his hand for a moment and then epted his handshake.

    ''He isn''t an Awakener.''

    He sneakily sent mana into his hand, but he couldn¡¯t feel any mana within Paulo.

    "My name is Gwon Ohjin."

    "The Lightning Wolf! Aren''t you the apostle of the Weaver Girl? I''ve heard of you before."

    Paulo vigorously shook his hand and smiled brightly.

    "What kind of rtionship are you in with my princess? By any chance, are you¡ª"

    "Father."

    Isabe cut off Paulo in the middle of his sentence.

    "I''m sure Ohjin is also very tired from the incident. Wouldn''t it be impolite to continue holding him here?"

    "Ah, I see. Haha! I was just too excited! This is the first time my daughter has brought guests over!"

    ''Too excited, huh?''

    The vacation spot his daughter was at was attacked by tens of thousands of monsters along with a dragon vein going berserk. Was ¡®excitement'' appropriate for the situation?

    "I''ll take care of the rest! You should go get plenty of rest with Isabe!"

    Paulo patted Ohjin¡¯s shoulder and walked past him.

    "¡­¡­"

    Ohjin watched him leave.

    "Let''s go, Ohjin."

    Isabe held his arm as they went into the house.

    "Are you not in a good rtionship with your father?" Ha-eun asked as she followed behind her.

    "¡­¡­"

    "He seemed like a nice person. Did something happen?" Ha-eun asked while tilting her head, and then she suddenly eximed, "Sorry! I think I asked something I shouldn''t have."

    Digging into her family matters when she wasn''t even that close with her felt out of line.

    "¡­No."

    "Hm?"

    "No, he isn''t a good person."

    She spoke like she was chewing it out.

    Her hands, closed into fists around her red-stained dress, shook.

    "¡­¡­"

    Ha-eun didn¡¯t ask any more questions and quietly followed her.

    Isabe guided Ha-eun and Ohjin to their rooms and slightly bowed her head.

    "Get plenty of rest, and please feel free to contact me if there''s anything you need."

    ck¡ª

    Isabe closed the door and left.

    "Wow¡­ what a dysfunctional family. Their conversation made me feel like I was suffocating."

    Ha-eun shook her head as Isabe left.

    Ohjin looked at the firmly shut door and recalled the conversation he had with Isabe when they were hunting the Living Armor.

    ''She said that her sister was exiled from the family once she was chosen to be the heir.''

    Had her rtionship with her parents fallen apart due to that incident? Even so, a couple of questions remained.

    ''It appears there''s a need to speak with her.''

    Ohjin rubbed his chin and fell into deep thought.

    He thought that there might be a chance of figuring out why the monster attack had happened if he found the answers to his questions.

    "Bleh, whatever. There''s no reason for me to meddle in someone else''s family matters."

    Ha-eun jumped onto the bed and stretched. She kicked her slim legs like she was swimming.

    "Yan~ I''m so fucking tired."

    "Still, wash up before you go to bed."

    "Hmm."

    Ha-eun spread her arms out and smirked.

    "I''m so tired I don''t think I can move."

    Ohjin chuckled and approached Ha-eun, who was spread out on the bed like a baby looking for her mother.

    There were ck bruises in several areas on her body from the intense fight (which was actually more like a one-sided massacre) thatsted several hours.

    He put his arms behind her back and carefully held her.

    Ohjin could directly feel her smooth skin because she was still in her swimsuit.

    Ha-eun giggled and put her arms around his neck.

    "Ohjin¡­"

    "Yeah?"

    "Can¡­ we trust Isabe? You said that she was an Executor of the ck Star Organization."

    "¡­I''m not sure."

    It was still difficult to give a definite answer regarding Isabe.

    "But¡­ I think it''s worth giving it a shot."

    He recalled her ''true'' nature that he got a glimpse of in the alley. He at least knew that she was different from the ck Star Organization he was familiar with.

    "Really?"

    Ha-eun nodded her head in his embrace.

    If words of trust wereing from none other than Ohjin, she no longer had a reason to suspect her.

    "Then we''ll need to make her our ally at all costs."

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened at her unexpected reply.

    "¡­Are you okay with that?"

    "Hm? Okay with what?"

    "Your rtionship with her isn''t particrly good."

    "Ah, that¡­"

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue and scratched her head.

    "Well¡­ I did dislike how she tried to flirt with my man, but we can''t let this good opportunity go because of that."

    The opportunity to be allies with an Executor of the ck Star Organization, and ranked third at that, wouldn''te again.

    If the goodwill Isabe had shown to Ohjin until then was sincere, the benefits they would gain from getting her on their side could not be fully expressed with words.

    "Obtaining internal ck Star Organization information, using the Cgrande Household''s authority, and there are many others, but¡­"

    Most importantly¡­

    "If that woman is that strong, can''t she protect you when you''re in danger?"

    Boundless danger would be lurking around the corner for Ohjin since he was acting like he was the ''Heaven-defying Star''. Among those dangers, there would be some that Ohjin could not possibly deal with by himself.

    Ha-eun really wanted to protect him with her own strength, but¡­

    ''That¡­ won''t be easy.''

    She had already experienced the fact that her strength wasn''t enough to protect him on several asions.

    If Ohjin could be protected, it wasn¡¯t a big deal to have another woman around him.

    "Well¡­ Ohjin, haven¡¯t you alreadypletely fallen for me?"

    Ha-eun straightened her back with a smug look on her face.

    Ohjin chuckled and nodded his head.

    "You''re right."

    As she said, he had already fallen too deep for her to possibly escape. He had fallen for her so long ago that he couldn¡¯t even remember it.

    "Then you should try to sweet talk her. You have an opportunity right now."

    "An opportunity?"

    "Yeah. There''s¡­ something about her that feels vulnerable."

    Ha-eun touched her lips and narrowed her eyes.

    She recalled how Isabe looked when she was sharing a conversation with her father.

    "Vulnerable?"

    "I saw a couple of children who were like that in the orphanage."

    She was talking about children who weren''t abandoned by their parents but had to go to the orphanage as their family crumpled down¡ªchildren who did everything they could to fix what couldn''t possibly be reversed with their frail hands.

    Ha-run felt that same deep despair from Isabe.

    "Well, I don''t really have anything like evidence."

    "Is it something like a woman''s intuition?"

    "Fufu, don''t you know that I''m sharp?"

    "Haven¡¯t you been oblivious too many times for that to be the case?"

    "Sh-Shut up!"

    In any case¡­

    ''Vulnerable, huh?''

    Ohjin repeated that word in his head while taking Ha-eun to the bathtub.

    * * *

    Moonlight shone through the window.

    The light in the night sky couldn''t be any more beautiful.

    Isabe sat down on the terrace and looked up at the sky.

    "¡­Sigh."

    ''How did thingse to this?''

    When she was repeating the question that wouldn''t be answered countless times in her head¡ª

    Knock, knock¡ª

    ¡ªshe heard the sound of knocking on the door.

    "Who is it?"

    "It''s me."

    It was Ohjin.

    "Ohjin? Is there something you need?"

    "No. I just wanted to sit down and have a talk with you."

    Ohjin raised a bottle of wine that he brought from the kitchen.

    "Oh my, I didn''t think that you would be the first one to suggest a conversation."

    Isabe smiled with her eyes and took out two wine sses.

    Drip¡ª

    Wine that looked like it would easily surpass a couple thousand dors in cost filled the ss.

    The two sses clinked with a clear sound, and the fragrance of the drinks spread over the area.

    "Do people say ''cheers'' in Korea in situations like this?"

    "That''s what I heard."

    "Hmm? Did you avoid doing such things?"

    "It''s just that I''ve never drunk alcohol with someone else before."

    How could he find the opportunity to drink alcohol when he was surviving each day with two calorie bars?

    "Fufu, then am I taking your first?"

    Isabe¡¯s eyes shone as she put on a charming smile.

    Well, he actually did drink alcohol with Ha-eun a couple of times before, but Ohjin didn''t bring that unnecessary bit of information up and took a sip out of the wine.

    Was it because of its expensive price? The fragrance that shot into his nose with just one sip was impressive.

    "Did your rtionship with your father fall apart because of what happened with your sister?"

    "¡­As I expected, you came to ask about that."

    Isabe smiled faintly like she knew it would happen.

    "Yes, that''s right. After it was decided that I''d be the next head of the family¡­ I fought with my father over my sister. However, my sister was exiled from the family in the end."

    A fight between a young girl who wanted to protect her family and her father who wanted to adhere to family regtions.

    Since the incident likely took ce before she awakened, she probably had no way of defying her father since he hadplete authority over the family.

    "Well¡­ I was no different from his puppet back then."

    "That¡¯s not what it looked like."

    "Fufu, I wouldn''t just stand back and listen. Though I may look like this, I take action when it is required."

    He was already well aware of that.

    She couldn¡¯t have be an Executor of the ck Star Organization if she obediently listened to the orders of higher authorities.

    "Then why are you doing nothing about it?"

    "Hm?"

    "Couldn''t you overrule your father and take the seat of the family head whenever you want?"

    Isabe didn''t know, but he was asking the question not to the ''Saintess of Rome'' but the ''Queen of Leeches''.

    ''With that much power, taking the seat from someone who isn¡¯t like Paulo wouldn''t be difficult at all.''

    Even though she looked at her father with grudge-filled eyes, why didn''t she do anything to him?

    "¡­I don''t know."

    Isabe tilted her wine ss and looked up to the night sky with bitter eyes.

    "No matter how much I hate him, I can¡¯t¡­ maybe it¡¯s because he''s my father?"

    Not knowing the answer to the question herself, she spoke with a bitter expression.

    ''Because he''s her father, huh¡­?''

    As someone who didn''t even know what his parents looked like, it was an emotion Ohjin couldn''t understand.

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    "Perhaps there¡¯s a part of me that is still clinging to a thread of hope."

    "Hope?"

    "Hope that¡­ all the built-up hate and misunderstandings will be resolved and that everything will go back to how they were in the past like a miracle."

    She once lived happily like any other family ten years prior, before thepetition to be the heir started in earnest.

    A father who loved his two daughters, a gentle mother, and although weak, a sister who took care of her¡­

    That time was like a sweet dream.

    "Despite knowing that it''s already toote to return things to how it was¡­ I still can''t give up on it easily for some reason. Haha, aren¡¯t I an idiot?"

    Isabe shrugged her shoulders with a smile mixed with self-deprecation.

    "¡­¡­"

    Ohjin looked at her with puzzled eyes.

    A woman who loved her family that much became a witch who massacred tens of millions of humans?

    ''By any chance¡­ is this all an act?''

    When he met eyes with her while having that in mind¡­

    "Ah."

    Was it because he himself was a talented scammer? Maybe it was because her eyes shivered as they reflected the moonlight.

    He didn''t know why, but he noticed that the person in front of him wasn''t the Saintess of Rome or the Queen of Snakes, but ''Isabe Cgrande'' herself.

    "Hm? What''s wrong?"

    "¡­It¡¯s nothing."

    Ohjin chuckled and shook his head.

    ''It''s ironic for me out of all people to argue about what happened in the original timeline.''

    If she was a witch that massacred tens of millions back then, he was the Heavenly Demon that caused the deaths of billions.

    ''ording to choice, you can be the Heavenly Demon that exterminates mankind or a Heaven-defying Star that is the savior of humanity.''

    At the very least, he needed to believe that she could change because the moment he didn''t, he would be contradicting himself.

    "It''d be nice if your hope turned into reality."

    "Haha, thank you."

    ng¡ª

    The sses clinked with a clear sound.

    Though he said that it''d be nice, he already knew.

    Perhaps even Isabe was aware of the fact that hope is only called hope because it cannot be reality.

    * * *

    Standing on a beach shining under the moonlight, Paulo called someone as he walked through the gore-strewn sand.

    "Ahh, it''s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Damien."

    He continued talking to the person on the other side of the phone in an extremely respectful tone.

    "The reason I''m contacting you is¡­"

    A certain video was being yed on a small tablet that was in his grasp.

    "Because there''s something I would like to say about my daugh¡­ no, the blood-crazed ''Witch''."

    Isabe was covered with red energy and grotesquely massacring thousands of monsters in the video.

 Chapter 195: Sword of Justice (1)

    <strong>Chapter 195: Sword of Justice (1)</strong>

    One week had passed since the colossal gate incident where monsters went berserk and attacked San Fruttuoso.

    In the meantime, Ohjin, Ha-eun, and Isabe moved to the main building of the Cgrande Household in Rome.

    The significance of the incident caused rumors to spread at a rapid speed, and Isabe had to keep an insane schedule to smooth over the situation.

    Ohjin and Ha-eun had nothing to do.

    Isabe had set her foot down and told them that she would take care of it on her own since it was the Cgrande Household''s responsibility, and that left the two of them with no work in their massive residence.

    "Yawwn."

    Ha-eun yawned on top of the bed in Ohjin¡¯s bedroom and wrapped herself in his nkets.

    Wiggle, wiggle¡ª

    She wiggled her body like a pupa emerging from its cocoon.

    A few secondster¡­

    "AHH! How much longer do we need to stay here?"

    It appeared that even rolling on the bed was boring for her since she kicked the nket off the bed and sat up.

    Ohjin picked up the nket and approached her.

    "Until the incident has settled down."

    "Can''t we just go home ande backter? It''ll only take a moment since there''s a gate to the sanctum in Rome."

    "You''re not wrong about that, however¡­"

    It would still take longer than expected since there was an immigration office for foreign Awakeners in front of every gate.

    "I''m thinking of staying here until the culprit is found."

    "Culprit?"

    "I''m talking about the one who messed with the dragon vein."

    "Ah."

    Ha-eun groaned and nodded.

    Honestly, there was nothingcking in the Cgrande Household¡¯s residence. The rooms were as spacious as basketball courts, and the food they served was so amazing that it made her wonder if such delicacies always existed.

    As for the bathhouse¡­

    She thought she was setting foot in some Greek god''s pce the first time she entered their bathhouse.

    Everything was excessively luxurious, extravagant, and elegant.

    However¡­

    "I really can''t fucking get used to something about all this."

    Ha-eun sighed deeply andy down on the bed once again.

    Ohjin smirked and replied, "Me too."

    To those two who used to live at the very bottom of the socialdder, staying in Cgrande''s residence felt a bit like they were wearing ill-fitting clothes.

    "It''d be better if we were staying at our house."

    It was like going to y at a friend''s house but them having to leave due to urgent business. They couldn''t help but feel like they were in an awkward position.

    "Endure it for a little longer. Aren¡¯t you the one who said Isabe looked vulnerable?"

    "Well, that is true¡­"

    Ha-eun sighed deeply.

    Maybe she would''ve felt different if Ohjin was able to make progress on getting Isabe to be their ally during that time. Everything felt meaningless since Isabe was so busy that they hadn¡¯t even spent time with her.

    "If you''re that bored¡­ do you want to spar with me?"

    "Spar?"

    Ohjin nodded his head.

    He still hadn''t been able to get used to the new strength that he had gained by bing an 8-Star after absorbing the dragon vein.

    ''I wonder how powerful I am now.¡¯

    To be honest, not even Ohjin himself knew how strong he was.

    Normally, you could get a grasp on an Awakener¡¯s strength ording to their stigma and what star rank they were at, however¡­

    ''I''m different.''

    Ohjin had the ck Heaven and the stigma of Lyra that was known to be one of the strongest stigmas.

    Did it end there?

    He even astonished Vega, a North Star, with the talent he disyed.

    Even he knew how abnormal his existence was.

    [A spar with Ha-eun¡­ it certainly does seem worth giving a shot.]

    Sparkle¡ª

    Vega nodded her head as she chipped away on fruit like a squirrel on top of Ohjin¡¯s shoulder.

    "Oho. A mere 8-Star dares to match up against me?"

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes shone in interest as she got up from the bed.

    She poked Ohjin with a yful smile, but she was aware that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to defeat him regardless of whether she was a high-rank Awakener that had finished body reconstruction or not.

    In fact, some deep part of her believed he would be impossible to defeat.

    "Even I want to see this."

    Riak got up from the wide carpet and approached them.

    "Alright, let¡¯s go out to the garden."

    Ohjin nodded his head and took Ha-eun, Vega, and Riak outside.

    * * *

    He did call it a ''garden'' for the time being, but what unfolded outside the residence was too excessively spacious to be referred to as a ¡®garden¡¯.

    "What the fuck? What kind of people have ake and a mountain on their grounds?" Ha-eun eximed as she looked over the seemingly endless Cgrande Household''s garden.

    The thick smell of capitalism wafted from the house.

    "I want to start a revolution."

    "What are you talking about?"

    Ohjin smirked and found a location that seemed appropriate for a spar.

    "This ce seems pretty good."

    There was a plot of barrennd around the size of a small ser field that was made for bodyguard training that contained training equipment for Awakeners.

    "Should we start right away?"

    Ha-eun clenched her fist and got into a stance.

    [Wait a moment¡­]

    Vega flew up into the air and spread her arms.

    Bzzzt!¡ª

    Blue lightning spread out like a curtain with her at the center.

    "Wait¡­ Don''t tell me that you used Sacred Ground."

    [Don''t worry, that isn''t the case. It''s just a kind of barrier that lessens noise and the damage inflicted on the surroundings.]

    "It isn''t harming your divinity, is it?"

    [Fufu. You worry too much. Do you really think that I wouldn''t be able to control myself?]

    Well, she had no reason to create a barrier that could harm her divinity just for a mere spar.

    "Nice! Then I can run wild to my heart''s content, right?"

    [Control your strength in moderation since the barrier isn''t that sturdy.]

    "Alright, alright."

    Ha-eun nodded her head and snapped her fingers like she suddenly thought of a good idea.

    "Ohjin, only sparring is a bit boring, so do you want to make a bet?"

    "A bet?"

    "Yeah. The loser has to do anything the winner wants."

    He didn''t know what she would wish for, but¡­

    "Sure."

    "Hehe! That''s a promise, alright?"

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    She smiled and took a pack of cigarettes from her pocket.

    After cing a long cigarette between her fingers¡­

    "Oh, mes¡ª"

    She thought, imagined, and yearned for powerful mes¡ªred mes that burned red like a dragon''s breath.

    "¡ªze."

    Fwooooosh!!¡ª

    A massive wave of mes assaulted Ohjin.

    "Ugh!"

    He hadn''t even made contact with the fire, but the heat alone made his skin turn red.

    ''If I get hit by that directly¡­''

    He would be roasted whole.

    ''She¡¯s definitely above me in terms of firepower.''

    Using an old, popr game as an analogy: she was simr to a siege tank.

    Her movements were sluggish, but she had long range and powerful blows.

    ''Still¡­''

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shone keenly.

    He couldn¡¯t match up to her in firepower without using Lightning God Physique, but he didn''t fall behind in any other department.

    No, it didn''t stop there. He was actually confident in his ability to surpass her greatly in everything other than firepower.

    "Exceed."

    Bzzzzt!¡ª

    Blue lightning wrapped around his body.

    He shot into the air.

    "Where do you think you¡¯re going?!"

    Ha-eun aimed the cigarette she was holding at Ohjin.

    Like an orchestra conductor¡¯s baton, the mes changed direction ording to the cigarette and shot up.

    Bzzzt!¡ª

    Ohjin used Lightning Step to avoid the mes and quickly fell to the ground like a meteor.

    ''Thunder Fall.''

    Crackleee!¡ª

    The lightning bolt shot from the sky toward Ha-eun.

    "Hya!"

    Ha-eun eximed and stomped both of her feet.

    mes exploded and sent her body flying backward.

    Thud, thud, thud!!¡ª

    Using the momentum of the fall, Ohjin rapidly sprinted toward Ha-eun.

    He grasped his pitch-ck spear and swung it low in a sweeping motion.

    "Uh!"

    Ha-eun hopped over the spear, extended her right arm forward, and snapped the cigarette in his direction.

    Fwooosh!!¡ª

    The curtain of mes spread and covered Ohjin.

    ''I won''t be able to avoid this one.''

    Sizzle¡ª

    The intense heat of the mes burnt his skin.

    "Heh! You can''t do anything, can you?!" Ha-eun shouted with a confident expression.

    Ohjin looked at the curtain of mes approaching and lowered his body.

    ¡®Nope.¡¯

    ¡°Lightning Charge.¡±

    Baaaang!¡ª

    He concentrated lightning into the tip of his spear and sted it outward.

    What he aimed for was not the curtain of mes but the ground beneath him.

    ¡®Fire is bound to rise.¡¯

    A hole about three meters deep formed from the impact of Lightning Charge; he threw his body into the hole and avoided the mes.

    ¡°H-Huh?¡±

    Ha-eun took a step back with a surprised expression.

    Ohjin didn¡¯t miss that opening and quickly closed the distance.

    Holding the spear backward, he thrusted toward her stomach with the spear¡¯s shaft.

    When it appeared that it was all over for Ha-eun¡ª

    ¡°Did you really think that I¡¯d go down so easily?¡±

    ¡ªher lips curved into a smile like her previous expression was a lie while she twisted her body.

    She caught the shaft that was aimed at her stomach with one hand and clenched her other hand.

    Fwooosh!¡ª

    Fierce mes erupted over her fist.

    ¡°Hyaa!¡±

    Bam!¡ª

    Ohjin was directly hit in the head and violently flew back.

    ¡°Hehe! How was that? I got you properly this time, didn¡¯t I?!¡± Ha-eun shouted with an excited voice.

    He crossed his arms while being helplessly blown away.

    And then¡ª

    Swiiiish!¡ª

    ¡ªsix wires shot out of the hole he made using Lightning Charge and wrapped around her body.

    ¡°Ah!!¡± Ha-eun eximed with a genuinely surprised expression that time.

    Whirrrrrr!¡ª

    She could easily break loose by burning them away, but the wires wrapping around her body gave her no time and quickly tried to return to their shooter.

    Ha-eun urgently stuck her foot into the ground and maintained her bnce. Regardless, it didn¡¯t change the fact that Ohjin was quickly nearing her.

    Bzzzt!¡ª

    The blue lightning covering his spear sparked fiercely.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Realizing that escape was impossible, Ha-eun took six cigarettes from her pack.

    ¡°Oh, mes¡ª!¡±

    Fwooosh!!¡ª

    Six fiery red dragons shot out from the cigarettes and coiled around her body.

    ¡°¡ªfucking ze!!!¡±

    Ohjin and Ha-eun shed.

    <strong>Booooooooom!!!¡ª</strong>

    An ear-piercing sound and intense gusts of wind swept the area away.

    The barrier of blue lightning absorbed the scattering fragments of rock and blocked the wind that waspletely destroying the earth.

    What appeared once the cloud of dust settled down¡ª

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    ¡ªwas Ohjin kneeling down on the ground.

    ¡°Huh? D-Did I win?¡±

    Ha-eun looked around with wide eyes.

    Compared to Ohjin, whose clothing was mostly ruined and who was scorched heavily by mes, Ha-eun¡¯s condition waspletely fine.

    ¡°Ugh. Yeah, you won.¡±

    Ohjin smirked and shook his head.

    ¡°Yay! I won! I really won!¡±

    She cheered and jumped up and down on the spot.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin looked at Ha-eun jump for joy with a pleased smile on his face.

    ¡°A wish! The loser is supposed to grant a wish!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s your wish?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. W-Wait! I¡¯lle up with one, so just wait a moment!¡±

    Ha-eun panicked and racked her brain as if she hadn¡¯t imagined that she would win.

    ¡°¡­Rookie.¡±

    Riak quietly approached Ohjin while Ha-eun was deep in thought.

    Unsatisfied with the situation, he asked him a question with a frown on his face.

    ¡°Why did you lose on purpose?¡±

    Indeed, he wasn¡¯t able to fool Riak¡¯s eyes.

    After smirking and shrugging without a word, he walked up to Ha-eun.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Riak fixed his eyes on his back as he walked away.

    ¡®There¡¯s no doubt about it¡­ He could¡¯ve easily defeated that lizard woman.¡¯

    The truth was that he intentionally held back his strength during theirst exchange of blows.

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t hard to intentionally lose against someone in a spar, however, it was an entirely different story if you were trying to lose without the opponent noticing.

    ¡®Monster¡­¡¯

    Riak looked at Ohjin with quivering eyes.

    It had been a year and a couple of months since Ohjin received the stigma of Lyra. Even if his opponent¡¯s stigma wasn¡¯t on par with a North Star¡¯s, it was hard to imagine that he could go ¡®easy¡¯ against a 9-Star Awakener who¡¯d undergone body reconstruction.

    ¡®Once he bes a 9-Star Awakener himself¡­ how much more of a monster will he be?¡¯

    A chill ran down his spine.

    ¡®But I¡¯m¡­¡¯

    Riak shut his eyes tight and shook his head.

    ¡°Ah! I thought of a wish!!¡±

    Ha-eun smirked and abruptly raised her hand, giving off a humorous smile as she lightly pulled on his arm.

    ¡°My wish is¡ª¡±

 Chapter 196: Sword of Justice (2)

    <strong>Chapter 196: Sword of Justice (2)</strong>

    Murmur, Murmur¡ª

    The street was crowded like an open market.

    Beyond the people-filled street was one of the staple sights of Rome in all its glory that everyone would have heard of at least once: the Colosseum.

    "I thought you''d wish for something big¡­ all you wanted was to go y in the city?"

    Ohjin chuckled while looking at Ha-eun, who was observing the surroundings with excitement.

    What she wished for after winning the bet was for all of them to go have fun in the city.

    It was really nothing more than a normal date request that didn¡¯t deserve to be called a ¡®wish¡¯.

    In addition, what she wanted wasn''t for just the two of them to go have fun but also Vega and Riak.

    "We didn''t get a chance to have proper fun before because of those fucking monsters."

    Ha-eun licked the gto she bought in passing and shrugged her shoulders.

    As she said, the first day of their vacation trip to San Fruttuoso had been immediately ruined by a sudden incident.

    He understood why she was bummed out, however¡­

    "We would¡¯ve apanied you even if you didn''t use a wish, you know?"

    "Well, don''t worry about it. I just wanted to create a reason to go."

    Ha-eunughed like it wasn''t a big deal.

    Truth be told, she was half-joking when she brought up the bet in the first ce, and there was also nothing she wanted badly enough to call a ¡®wish¡¯.

    ''My wishes¡­ have already been granted.''

    Ha-eun slyly embraced his arm and smiled faintly.

    ¡ªThe warmth felt through his muscr arm¡­

    ¡ªThe calming, subtle vani scent of his skin¡­

    Every moment she spent with him, insignificant or not, was what she desperately wished for above all else.

    "Why? Were you looking forward to me wishing for something lewd?"

    She smirked and yfully tickled the side of his body.

    It appeared that a part of him actually did have that in mind since he averted his gaze and cleared his throat.

    "Hehe. What a perv."

    Ha-eun tightened her grasp on his arm while cackling out loud.

    She stood up on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear with a sweet voice.

    "You can do whatever you want to me even without using a wish, you know?"

    Gulp¡ª

    Ha-eun''s deceitful action made his lust build up like gas pouring on a fire.

    When he looked back at Ha-eun¡ª

    [My child! My child! Take a look at this!]

    ¡ªVega excitedly flew over with a three-scoop cone of gto that was bigger than her own body.

    It was gto from the same shop that Ha-eun had bought hers from.

    [The owner gave me this massive~ amount as a service!]

    "So that''s why you were sote."

    Cuteness was universal.

    Despite ordering the same thing as Ha-eun, she received gto that was nearly two times in size.

    Vega hugged the gto that was bigger than her body with a proud expression.

    [Indeed, it appears that I cannot hide my greatness even when I''m in this form!]

    While she giggled and raised her chin, Ohjin swiped away the gto she was hugging.

    [Ahh! What are you doing, my child?! That''s mine!]

    Vega flew to him with a panicked expression.

    "It''ll be hard to eat with how big it is. I''ll hold it for you, so eat itfortably."

    [A-Ahem. Thank you.]

    It appeared that Vega was embarrassed about being unable to notice Ohjin¡¯s consideration since she awkwardly cleared her throat. She sat on top of his hand and started eating the gto.

    "By the way, what was suddenly brought up to that mutt for him to abruptly go back?"

    "That''s¡­"

    Ohjin recalled how Riak shook his head with a bitter expression and returned to the sanctum after being invited to join them on their outing.

    Something in his eyes looked anxious, and his expression looked stiff after he found out that Ohjin lost to Ha-eun on purpose.

    ''Was it a mistake to lose to her?''

    It wouldn¡¯t have happened if he just overpowered her. However, the one feeling down in that case would be Ha-eun instead of Riak.

    ''She already seemed a lot less energetic recently.''

    Ha-eun was feeling less confident from seeing Ohjin grow at a speed that could only be expressed as bizarre.

    He had lost to her on purpose because he could tell just how unconfident she was feeling to tell him to get Isabe on their side.

    Riak experiencing shock from that was something he hadn''t expected.

    ''I did something unnecessary.''

    He regretted making an issue out of something that Ha-eun would eventually find out in the future anyway.

    [Do not worry, my child.]

    Eating her gto, Vega flew over and sat on top of his head.

    Her small hands patted his forehead.

    [Possessing special power itself will influence the beings around you. It is something that is unavoidable and unstoppable, so you must learn to ept it.]

    Vega''s expression looked somewhat bitter.

    She must¡¯ve also experienced several issues until she achieved the status of ''North Star''.

    Ohjin nodded his head with his mouth shut tight.

    "What are you two whispering about?"

    "It''s nothing worth mentioning."

    "Hmm."

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and looked at Vega perching atop his head, but she soon smiled brightly.

    "Anyway, we should y since that''s what we came here to do! Let''s hurry up and go sightseeing!"

    Ha-eun pulled his arm with an excited expression on her face.

    "Hehe. Do you know how sad I was when you said you would be going to Italy alonest time?"

    "I got it, so stop pulling. My clothes are going to stretch."

    Ohjin smirked and followed Ha-eun into the Colosseum.

    "Wow, it feels strange toe to a ce that you''ve only ever seen in photos."

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked around the Colosseum.

    After Ohjin, Ha-eun, and Vega finished looking around, they even went to St. Peter''s Basilica and Trevi Fountain, which were known to be some of the best attractions in Rome.

    "Woah! This ce is also huge! It kind of feels like Vega¡¯s sanctuary."

    "Ohjin! I heard you''re supposed to toss coins into that fountain and wish for good luck!"

    Ha-eun looked around the city of Rome and then suddenly stopped in her tracks.

    "Ohjin¡­"

    "Yeah?"

    "It''s not as fun as I imagined."

    Her eyes that were once filled with excitement from being able to see those sights in person were clouded with boredom.

    It appeared Ohjin thought the same as he nodded his head.

    "I guess that''s just how attractions are."

    Even if you were to say, ''Wow, that''s incredible'' at first, you would naturally be tired of it after seeing it a couple of times.

    "Meh, ying at the beach was way more fun."

    Ha-eun pouted with a disappointed expression.

    Going to ces with Ohin was definitely something she enjoyed, but looking around at cultural heritages she didn''t have much interest in wasn''t her cup of tea.

    "Do you want to go to a restaurant?"

    "Hmm¡­ I''d rather have alcohol than food!"

    "Then let¡¯s look for a pub."

    Ohjin also preferred eating tasty snacks and taking sips of alcohol over sightseeing ces like the Colosseum and St. Peter''s Basilica.

    [Hmm. That''s unfortunate. I enjoyed seeing the old civilizations humans built.]

    "We can juste backter. We''ll have to stay in the Cgrande Household¡¯s residence for a while anyway."

    [I understand.]

    Just like that, he took Vega and Ha-eun with him in his search for a pub.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    At that moment¡ª

    Tap¡ª

    ¡ªa scruffy boy that looked to be around fifteen years old collided with Ha-eun.

    "I''m sorry."

    The boy lowered his head and quickly walked away.

    "¡­Ha-eun."

    "That damn kid''s hands are fast."

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue while looking at the boy¡¯s back growing distant.

    The wallet inside of her pocket had disappeared in the short instant the boy walked into her.

    Well, no matter how dexterous the boy was, there was no way he could fool the eyes of a high-rank Awakener like Ha-eun.

    "You aren''t going to do anything?"

    "Eh¡­ there wasn¡¯t much money in there anyway."

    Ha-eun shook her head with a bitter smile.

    She needlessly felt sympathy for the scruffy boy since he made her recall their own days of youth.

    "Do you think it''d still be best to catch and scold him about how he shouldn''t do such things?"

    "Not really. Not if it isn''t to get your money back."

    Ohjin shook his head.

    If they weren¡¯t going to take responsibility for that boy''s life, simply catching and scolding him would have no meaning.

    ''Even if we tell him not to, it''s not like his situation will allow him to do anything else.''

    As someone who lived in deep poverty himself, he was well aware of the fact that there was no way for that young boy to survive if it wasn''t leeching off of others.

    "Then let''s just go."

    "Alright."

    When Ohjin nodded his head and was about to turn around¡ª

    "Ahh! I-I''m sorry!"

    ¡ªthey saw someone approaching them while dragging the boy by his arm.

    The young man dragging the boy had messy brown hair and gave off an innocent impression.

    He took the wallet from the boy¡¯s grasp and handed it over to Ha-eun.

    ¡°I came across this child pickpocketing by chance.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡±

    Ha-eun received her wallet with a reluctant expression.

    The innocent-looking young man smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s a relief you were able to get your wallet back.¡±

    ¡°Sob! I-I¡¯m sorry! I did something wrong!¡±

    The boy shed tears and lowered his head towards the young man, and he nicely responded to the boy with a gentle smile.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be apologizing to me.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ I-I¡¯m sorry, miss.¡±

    Only then did the boy bow down his head to Ha-eun.

    ¡°My mother is very sick¡­ Th-That¡¯s why I needed money. I apologize!¡±

    Tears flowed down his scruffy face.

    Ha-eun gazed at the boy as she took money from her wallet and handed it to him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much her medicine costs, but hopefully this helps.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    The boy took the money Ha-eun extended and bowed again and again.

    ¡°Could you let go of his arm now?¡± Ha-eun said to the young man that had a firm grip on the boy¡¯s arm.

    The young man slowly shook his head.

    ¡°No. This child has sinned. He stole the belongings of another and caused them harm.¡±

    ¡°But I got my wallet ba¡ª¡±

    ¡°However, the sin of stealing still remains within this child. Committing sins is an evil deed.¡±

    He continued with a sharp and resolute voice.

    ¡°Evil must be punished.¡±

    ¡°So are you saying that you¡¯ll hand this child over to the police?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Do not worry since I will guide him to a ce where he can receive punishment.¡±

    She had no way of knowing how harsh the juvenilew was in Italy, but one thing for certain was that he would have no way of making money to pay for his mother¡¯s medicine the moment the incident was reported to the police.

    ¡°N-No! Then my mother¡¯s medicine¡­!¡±

    ¡°Get a job and earn money after you finish your sentence.¡±

    ¡°Where will I find a job? Even if I do, there isn¡¯t enough time to make enough for her medicine!¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    The young man continued speaking in a voice full of conviction.

    ¡°This is the <strong>righteous </strong>thing to do.¡±

    Rightfully earning what is desired through exhaustingbor without causing harm and desiring the belongings of others¡­

    Like the young man said, it was truly the ¡®righteous¡¯ thing to do.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Only then did Ohjin notice who the young man was.

    ¡®The Sword of Justice, Damien Salvator.¡¯

    He was the Awakener upying the seat of ¡®Second Star¡¯ among the Seven Stars.

 Chapter 197: Fake Kindness And Lawful Good (1)

    <strong>Chapter 197: Fake Kindness And Lawful Good (1)</strong>

    "Then I''ll be taking this child and ensuring he receives the appropriate punishment. You two can continue on your way."

    Damien looked back at Ohjin and Ha-eun with a faint smile.

    "Are you not going to help him?" Ohjin continued while looking at him with rxed eyes, "You should be more than capable of helping him as the Second Star."

    "...So you know who I am."

    "It''d be strange if I didn''t, considering how famous you are."

    Ha-eun looked at Damien, who was nonchntly nodding his head, with shock.

    "Th-the Second Star? H-He''s one of the Seven Stars?"

    Her surprised expression showed that she couldn''t have imagined it.

    Well, Demian''s appearance was extremely normal for one who held the grand title of being one of the ''Seven Stars''.

    It was only natural that she didn¡¯t notice someone with a very in face like Damien when there were many cases of people failing to notice celebrities with eye-catching looks.

    "Yes, you''re correct. Giving this child financial aid wouldn''t be a problem for me."

    Damien nodded his head.

    However, he didn''t stop there but continued in a low voice.

    "Even if I feel sympathetic, I cannot help someone who has sinned. If I did, what about the others who live on through great effort without sinning?"

    He was right¡­ excessively so.

    "There are good people who are in anguish in this world. Helping this child is an insult to those people."

    "I see."

    Ohjin nodded his head.

    What he said was such a sound argument that he couldn''t refute it.

    ''So this is the Sword of Justice.''

    He was wlessly righteous, wasn''t phased by human emotions, and stuck to his convictions.

    Rather than the pain, despair, and cries of the weak, the most important thing to him was the absolute value of ''Justice''.

    "I understand."

    Ohjin smirked and turned away.

    "Then I''ll leave that child in your hands."

    "Yes."

    He left Damien behind and pulled on Ha-eun¡¯s arm.

    "W-Wait, Ohjin!"

    Ha-eun followed Ohjin with a shocked expression on her face.

    "Are you going to let things be?! It''s obvious what will happen if he gets dragged to the police!"

    From Ohjin¡¯s perspective, whatever happened to a child he didn''t even know the name of didn''t matter, but it appeared that it was quite important for a kind-hearted person like Ha-eun.

    In addition¡­ whatever was important to her was also important to him.

    "I''ll talk to Isabeter and tell her to contact the police. I''ll also make sure he gets money for the medicine."

    "Ah¡­ th-thank you."

    It appeared that Ha-eun didn¡¯t even consider such a solution in the heat of the moment since she nodded her head with an embarrassed look.

    She then nced back at Damien dragging the boy away and frowned.

    "In any case, he''s the Second Star, right?"

    "Yeah, I''m pretty sure."

    "I heard a lot about him being the Sword of Justice and whatnot, but it turns out he''s a stubborn bastard."

    "Well¡­ none of what he said is wrong."

    He was just excessively right.

    There was nothing to criticize about Damien''s actions.

    You couldn''t justify the action of stealing someone else''s wallet because your mother was sick.

    "That''s true, but¡­"

    Ha-eun scratched her head with a stuffy look.

    "I guess some people could look at us and say it''s fake kindness."

    They had nothing to say if people said their kindness was fake because sympathy was what drove them to help a criminal.

    However¡­

    "I at least think that having fake kindness is better than acting only by thew."

    Acting only by thew couldn¡¯t save anyone, but fake kindness could save at least one person.

    Even if it wasn''t ''righteous'', it would still be better than saving no one.

    "...That was a very you thing to say."

    Ha-eun smiled and rustled Ohjin¡¯s hair.

    "You know, this is why I like you."

    "Alright, I got it, so let¡¯s hurry up and find a pub."

    "Sure."

    * * *

    Ohjin returned to the residence after having fun and drinking a bunch with Ha-eun.

    He went on a light walk outside to sober up while Ha-eun went to wash up first.

    "Hm?"

    A familiar figure stood out in his eyes.

    "Isabe?"

    He hadn¡¯t been able to see her for several days.

    "Ah¡­ Ohjin?"

    Isabe noticed Ohjin and turned her head, sitting on the bench in the middle of the garden.

    Enough fatigue was built up on her face that he saw it clearly in the middle of the night.

    "Are you alright? You look very tired."

    "I''m okay."

    Isabe moved slightly with a faint smile on her face and made space for him to sit down.

    He sat down next to her and examined herplexion.

    Unlike what she said, her condition didn''t look okay at all.

    ''Is the curse getting worse?''

    Even worse, she was like that when it was midnight. Her condition seemed much more severe than he imagined.

    "I heard that you went sightseeing in the city with Ha-eun today."

    "Hm? Who did you hear that from?"

    "Fufu. No matter how busy I am, I still receive reports of your every move."

    Isabe smiled brightly and continued.

    "I should''ve been there to guide you two around¡­ I apologize."

    "No, it''s alright. Putting that aside, how have things been going on your side?"

    It wouldn¡¯t be easy to settle down the situation after such a massive incident.

    "Firing Uncle Guilford¡­ gathering all the deceased''s families and apologizing¡­ It really has been a mess these past few days."

    "It isn''t something you should be responsible for."

    The incident at San Fruttuoso was a natural disaster akin to a typhoon or earthquake.

    Well, at least that was how it was known to the public.

    Guilford being punished for not carrying out his duties properly could be understood, but Isabe taking full responsibility when she was there for a simple vacation made no sense.

    "I''m still the next family head of the Cgrande Household."

    "I guess being from a noble background isn''t always good."

    "Responsibility is bound toe with authority."

    Isabe looked up to the night sky and smiled bitterly.

    "I''m sorry. Such an ident had to happen when I went out of my way to invite you."

    "It''s fine. I''m resting pretty well."

    "...Thank you."

    Isabe gently ced her hand on the back of his hand and smiled faintly.

    "It''s prettyte. You should head back and get some rest. Hasn¡¯t it been impossible for you to sleep properly these daiys?" Ohjin said while looking at Isabe, who seemed exhausted.

    Isabe nodded her head and got up from her seat.

    "You''re right. Are you going to stay here a little longer?"

    "Yeah."

    "Then I''ll be heading back first."

    Isabe grew distant.

    Left alone at the bench, Ohjin looked up at the sky.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    Ring, ring¡ª

    At that moment, his phone rang.

    ''Come to think of it, it''s about time I got contacted.''

    Needless to say, resting wasn''t the only thing Ohjin did over the week.

    He had handed over the star relic fragments to a trusted informant to figure out where they had originated from.

    "Hello."

    -This is Lanzoni.

    ¡ªPaolo Lanzoni.

    He was the informant he received help from in Rome to find Isabe.

    "How has the case I left you been going?"

    -I did have to go through some trouble¡­ but I traced its origin.

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes gleamed.

    "Where is the star relic from?"

    -It is from the Cgrande Household.

    "...Pardon?"

    ''The star relic that stimted the dragon vein is from the Cgrande Household?''

    -There''s no doubt about it. The traces were nearly erased¡­ but it is definitely an explosive-type star relic the Cgrande Household previously acquired.

    "......"

    In that case, did that mean the stimtion of the dragon vein and the countless monsters escaping from the gate was all the Cgrande Household''s doing?

    ''Why?''

    He couldn¡¯t understand it.

    It would at least make sense if a rival household managed that area, but what kind of crazy person would nt an explosion in their front yard and blow it up themselves?

    -Mr. Ohjin?

    ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you. I¡¯ll send the reward at ater date.¡±

    -Understood.

    Beep¡ª

    The call ended.

    Ohjin closed his eyes and got lost in thought.

    If the stimtion of the dragon vein was the Cgrande Household¡¯s doing¡­

    ¡®First off, it isn¡¯t Isabe.¡¯

    She had no reason to do such a thing when her condition was getting so severe that she was being influenced by the curse at night.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡±

    Ohjin suddenly frowned.

    ¡®When did her condition start to get that bad?¡¯

    When he eavesdropped on her conversation with Robert, she definitely said that it was ¡®okay at night¡¯. Despite that, her condition at night looked much worse than their first day at the beach.

    ¡®It¡¯s because she used her power.¡¯

    She had used the stigma of Hirudo to stop the wave of monsters. Even worse, it was when the curse weakened her the most: the middle of the day.

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    A chuckle left his mouth.

    ¡°I see¡­ so that¡¯s what happened.¡±

    He covered his face with his hand and chewed his lips.

    -I hope that¡­ all the built-up hate and misunderstandings will be resolved and that everything will go back to how things were in the past like a miracle.

    Ohjin recalled the words she said with a bitter smile in the night.

    ¡°Returning things to how they were¡­ is impossible now,¡± he mumbled with a sigh.

    Despite having predicted it already, there was still a bitter taste in his mouth.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    He clicked his tongue and stood up.

    Since he knew the culprit of the incident, it was time for him to move.

    ¡®ck Curtain.¡¯

    After concealing his presence, he returned back to the residence. Ohjin had already grasped the internal structure during his week there.

    Without hesitation, he headed to the ce where Isabe¡¯s father¡ªthe family head of the Cgrande Household¡ªPaulo Cgrande would be.

    He activated the stigma of the Hunting Dog in front of the tightly-shut door.

    ¡®Hm?¡¯

    Paulo should have definitely been inside the room at that time of the day, but there was a suspiciousck of sound from the room.

    ¡®Is there some kind of barrier in ce?¡¯

    Ohjin slightly touched the door with his hand.

    As he thought, mana was covering the door with a systematic flow.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to get through this barrier first.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t a difficult task.

    Ohjin used Transformation and turned a portion of his body into a liquid. The liquid flowed past the small gap beneath the door.

    If the barrier installed on the door was just to prevent sound from leaking outside, he could get past it with such a simple method.

    ¡°I apologize for calling you here at such ate time.¡±

    ¡°No. Night or day does not matter in the face of punishing evil. It also took me some time to cover my tacks.¡±

    ¡°Haha. That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    There was one person other inside the room excluding Paulo, and their voice was very familiar to Ohjin.

    ¡°Is this all the material regarding the witch?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The witch has been using our household¡¯s centers to protect the Romani on the surface while cruelly extracting their blood behind the scenes.¡±

    ¡°...What a vile imposter.¡±

    Damien grasped the sword on his belt, his eyes enraged.

    ¡°I will punish her immediately.¡±

    ¡°No. I believe it would be best to wait until tomorrow.¡±

    Paulo¡¯s eyes shone, and a sly smile was on his face.

    ¡°Let us punish the witch when she is weakened the most¡­ when the sun is at its peak.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯lle back tomorrow.¡±

    Ohjin, who was leaning on the door and eavesdropping on their conversation, created distance before Damien came out.

    Thud, thud¡ª

    He smirked while walking down the dark hallway.

    ¡®A vile imposter, huh?¡¯

    Isabe¡¯s vile, fake kindness had given homes to tens of thousands of people.

    ¡®In that case¡­ I wonder how many people your clean justice has saved.¡¯

 Chapter 198: Fake Kindness And Lawful Good (2)

    <strong>Chapter 198: Fake Kindness And Lawful Good (2)</strong>

    -Hehe, Kasia! Look at this!

    I recalled a memory from when I was young¡ªa page out of a faded album that I could barely remember.

    It was a memory of giving a small crown made of wildflowers from the garden as a present to my sister.

    -Oh my, it¡¯s so pretty.

    My sister, who was born with a fragile body, received the small crown of flowers as she rested in her wheelchair.

    She affectionately stroked the crown and then gently ced it on top of my head.

    -I made this for you!

    -No. I think it looks much better on you, Be.

    -Really?

    She patted my crowned head with a smile on her face.

    I wonder if she was already aware at that point that she would never wear such a crown¡­

    -Hehe. You''re the best in the world!

    I sat on her slenderp and smiled brightly.

    -My little princess, you shouldn''t hurt your sister.

    -I''m not hurting her!

    My father approached the garden.

    His sweet smile and his hand as he patted my head were warm like sunlight in spring.

    -It''s fine, Father.

    -Kasia?

    -I want to be with Be for a little longer.

    Kasia embraced me with her fragile arms.

    -There¡­ probably won''t be much time we can spend together like this.

    -Kasia, are you going somewhere?

    -Fufu, no.

    I couldn''t understand what my older sister was talking about when I was young.

    All I did was rub my cheeks against her because I loved how my sister hugged me so affectionately.

    A page of the faded photo album turned and unfolded the next.

    ''No.''

    I desperately reached out, but I couldn''t stop the page from turning over.

    ''Stop¡­''

    I crouched down and plugged my ears like a young child.

    However, no matter how hard I tried, the voices seeped in.

    -Why?! Why?! Why does Kasia have to be exiled from the family?!

    -¡­It¡¯s the rules of the Household.

    -So what about some stupid rules?!

    Crash!¡ª

    I threw an expensive ceramic and cried out in a desperate attempt to prevent it.

    My father chewed his lips and shouted at me.

    -They aren''t stupid rules! It''s a tradition that has been followed for several hundred years and has protected the prestige of the ''Cgrande'' name!

    -I don''t need it! Hurry up and bring back Kasia!

    -I already told you that''s impossible!!

    My father shed tears with a distorted expression on his face.

    -I didn''t chase out Kasia because I wanted to!

    -Then why?!

    -If¡­ If we do not follow the rules, the tradition of the Cgrande Household disappears! Those from the coteral line will chew away at us like starving hyenas!

    I saw my father trembling as he hugged me.

    -Then we just need to leave this stupid household! All I need is Mother, Father, and Kasia!

    -¡­

    My father''s expression grew fierce when he saw me cry out.

    p!¡ª

    My head turned.

    I tasted blood from my torn lips.

    -Leave the household? Whose money do you think was used to buy the clothes you''re wearing? What about your luxurious food? No, what about this property you''re currently standing on?!

    -That''s¡­

    -Everything! It¡¯s all the wealth of the Cgrande Household that has been umted over several hundred years!

    My father shouted at me in a desperate manner.

    His kind and charismatic nature was nowhere to be seen, and all that was left was a shabby middle-aged man that was scared of losing his authority.

    ''¡­''

    With the taste of blood spreading through my mouth, another page of the faded album was turned.

    Starting from the door leading to the Demon Realm on the North Pole, the world was covered in monsters.

    I met the celestial of a ck Star during my journey to find my sister.

    After obtaining the stigma of Hirudo, my thirst made me spend my days ravenously coveting blood.

    ''Stop¡­''

    While my throat dried out, I barely managed to learn how to control my impulses.

    I''m not sure if it was the ck Star''s curse or blessing, but I grew at over quadruple the speed of others once I seeded in controlling my impulses.

    Like that, I returned to the household.

    -Is-Isabe? Y-You were alive?

    -Fufu. Yes, Father.

    I quickly took over the household with the powerful stigma of Hirudo and the ck Star Organization under my power.

    I subdued the members from the coteral line that were bing arrogant and crushed my father''s authority.

    Once I found my sister, convinced my father, and everything belonging to the Cgrande Household fell into my hands¡­ I believed that maybe¡­ just maybe¡­ there was a chance to return to the first page of the faded albu¡ª

    "Ah!!"

    Isabe got up while exhaling a rough breath.

    She saw a small puddle of sweat between her breasts that had umted over the night.

    "¡­It looks like I''ve been pushing myself too muchtely."

    Isabe sighed as she looked down at her white negligee that was drenched with sweat and stuck to her skin.

    It was her first time getting sleep since the incident at San Fruttuoso a week before. It appeared to be the reason for her nightmare.

    "Ugh¡­!"

    Throb¡ª

    She frowned as a pain that felt like knives digging through her bones surged through her chest.

    She opened the drawer beneath the shelf next to her bed and chugged down a pack of blood.

    It ran down her elegant neck and dyed her white negligee red.

    "Fuu."

    The pain was, to an extent, reduced.

    Isabe extended her arm and fumbled it around the left side of her chest.

    The stigma of Hirudo had faded out in several small spots and looked worse than it did a week prior.

    ''Blood packs aren''t enough anymore¡­''

    She needed blood¡ªnot just any blood, but fresh blood that had a high density and purity of mana that was on at least the level of a high-rank Awakener.

    "Sigh."

    The fresh blood of a high-rank Awakener? There was no possible way of obtaining it other than hunts.

    Isabe clenched her negligee as she contemted.

    If she started hunting, her impulse for blood that she was barely holding back might run wild. However, that didn''t mean that she could continue staying as she was.

    The stronger the curse got, the stronger her thirst for blood would also get.

    "¡­I should start my day."

    Once again, she had busy schedules piled on top of one another.

    After getting off her bed, Isabe took off her blood-stained negligee and changed into a white one-piece that she wore often.

    Her eyes suddenly darted to the drawer underneath the shelf. Inside was a photo she took with her sister, mother, and father when she was young.

    In the photo, she was smiling brightly like she couldn''t be any happier.

    "¡­"

    She carefully took out the old photo and cleaned it with a towel.

    Her sister had gone missing, and her mother lost her life to the gate incident. In addition, her father was desperately holding onto what little authority he had left and had been opposing her for years.

    "Haha. Looking at it like this, our family really couldn''t be more dysfunctional."

    Isabe turned around with a smile of self-mockery.

    After she finished tidying herself up, she started moving to take care of the day''s busy schedule.

    While she was walking down the hallway of the spacious residence, she stopped in front of a certain door¡ªit was the door to Ohjin¡¯s room.

    "¡­Ohjin."

    She recalled the night she shared a bottle of wine with him. As she did, her chest strangely felt excited, and energy returned to her tired body.

    Isabe smiled faintly and put her hands on her beating chest.

    ''I didn''t think it would turn out like this.''

    At first, she approached him because she was drunk on the smell and taste of his divine blood. However, the closer she got to him, and the more she got to know about the man named ''Gwon Ohjin''¡­ something made her attracted to him.

    ''They''re useless emotions.''

    Isabe was going to knock on his door but stopped herself with a bitter smile.

    She couldn''t waste their time for the simple reason of wanting to see his face.

    After turning around, Isabe began her paperwork without being able to eat breakfast.

    There were documents on how they wouldpensate the survivors, documents for approval of over a dozen protection centers, and even encrypted documents from the ck Star Organization.

    "Sigh."

    It wouldn¡¯t have been as bad if at least Roberto was avable.

    After she took care of around half the mountain of documents¡ª

    "Mmh!"

    ¡ªIsabe stretched her back.

    Her plentiful breasts pushed against her one-piece and disyed their overwhelming presence.

    ''Time flies by fast.''

    She checked the time, and it was nearly midday.

    It was time to move on to her next task.

    "Let''s see¡­ next up is the news conference¡­ and the interview."

    Normally, Roberto would have organized the schedule and informed Isabe, but he couldn''t because she had sent him to monitor the "Sword of Justice¡±.

    Isabe clicked her tongue and checked what was after that.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    "Come to think of it, I didn''t receive a report from Roberto today."

    She momentarily forgot about it because of her disturbing dream, but she would normally receive daily reports on Damien Salvator''s movements and whereabouts every morning.

    Strangely, there was no contact at all that morning.

    "¡­What''s going on?"

    Isabe furrowed her brows and contacted Roberto.

    Beep, beep, beep¡ª

    His phone was turned off.

    Even when she tried sending waves of mana that could only be detected by amunication star relic or an Awakener of Lyra, the result remained the same.

    "¡­"

    Uneasiness ran down her spine.

    Isabe narrowed her eyes and cautiously started moving.

    When she tried to leave the residence¡ª

    Rumble!!¡ª

    ¡ªa protective barrier that was prepared for terrorist attacks descended and blocked the entrance.

    "What¡­?"

    Isabe turned with a bewildered expression.

    Rumble!¡ª

    The ceiling of the residence copsed, and concrete debris poured down like rain.

    "Ugh!"

    Isabe furrowed her brows and dodged the debris.

    The hazy gray dust and pungent smell were unpleasant enough on their own, but what bothered her more than anything was the scorching sunlight that shone down from the copsed ceiling.

    "Ah, ugh."

    Throb¡ª

    The curse of the Forbidden Purple Enclosure that was eating away at her stigma began to run wild as she was exposed to direct sunlight.

    "Huff! Huff!"

    Insatiable thirst burned her throat.

    ¡®Blood, blood, blood!¡¯

    She needed fresh blood flowing through a living human¡¯s veins to quench her thirst.

    If she just grabbed someone, choked their throat, sank her fangs into their carotid artery, and gulped down their blood¡­

    ¡®Just¡­¡¯

    Would her tongue melt at its sweetness?

    Would it dissolve her brain with bliss?

    "Huff, argh, ugh."

    She clenched her chest and suppressed the boiling urge.

    At that moment, a sharp smell of blood flowed into her nostrils from beyond the rubble¡ªit was the familiar scent of a blood pack.

    "Where¡­?"

    When Isabe instinctively began searching for the blood pack among the debris¡ª

    ¡°Is this what you¡¯re looking for?¡±

    ¡ªPaulo revealed himself from the wreckage.

    With a sly smile on his lips, he tilted the blood pack and sshed blood all over the floor.

    "Father¡­?"

    Isabe looked at Paulo with a confused expression.

    "¡¯Father¡¯? Did you just call me ¡®father¡¯?"

    Paulo furrowed his brow and gave her a cold re.

    "How dare you call me ¡®father¡¯ with those disgusting lips."

    "Huh? What do you mean?"

    "Your true identity has already been exposed, you dirty witch."

    "¡­"

    ¡ªDirty Witch.

    Those words from Paulo¡¯s mouth left a deep wound in Isabe''s heart.

    Isabe looked up at him with bewildered eyes.

    ¡®Since when was my true identity revealed¡­?¡¯

    "Isabe Cgrande¡­"

    Thud, thud¡ª

    A young man walked out from behind Paulo.

    "I will punish you."

    The young man with messy brown hair who gave off an innocent impression red at Isabe with eyes containing bloodlust that didn''t quite match his rustic appearance,

 Chapter 199: Fake Kindness And Lawful Good (3)

    <strong>Chapter 199: Fake Kindness And Lawful Good (3)</strong>

    "You are¡­ Damien Salvatore."

    Isabe smiled sweetly as she looked at Damien walk out from behind Paulo.

    She suppressed her instinctive reaction and spoke naturally as if nothing was going on.

    "It''s an honor to meet you. I¡¯ve heard a lot about the heroic tales of the Sword of Justice."

    She slightly lifted the hem of her one-piece dress and gave an elegant bow.

    Her graceful movements exuded noble elegance, and her demeanor did not fit the heinous nickname ¡®witch¡¯ at all.

    "Hah," Damien snorted mockingly as he stared at Isabe.

    "Have you been deceiving people with such a shameless attitude?"

    "I believe there is a misunderstanding."

    "Misunderstanding? You call this a misunderstanding?"

    Damien''s expression distorted in anger.

    "Do you not feel guilty when you lie through your teeth in your father¡¯s presence?"

    He took a step back and nced at Paulo, who was standing beside him.

    Paulo nodded and stepped forward.

    "We already have all of the evidence."

    "Evidence? I¡¯m not sure I follow."

    Isabe innocently tilted her head.

    "Will you be able to keep up your act after you see this?"

    Paulo pulled out a remote from his pocket with a sly smirk. As he pressed a button, a projector started ying a video on the wall.

    Krrrrr!¡ª

    Kieek!¡ª

    Isabe was recorded in high definition, surrounded by tens of thousands of monsters as she ughtered them with a bloody aura emanating around her.

    "¡­"

    Isabe''s gaze turned cold.

    Her expression seemed to indicate that she finally understood who was responsible for the monster incident in San Fruttuoso.

    She clenched her fists and red at Paulo.

    "¡­Was it your doing?"

    "Hmm? I¡¯m not sure I follow."

    Paulo nonchntly shrugged his shoulders with an expression like Isabe¡¯s on his face.

    "All I know is that my princess, the ''Saintess of Rome'', is not an Awakener of Aries, but she is, in fact, an Awakener of Hirudo who drinks the blood of humans."

    "¡­"

    Isabe silently bit her lips.

    No matter how you looked at it, in the video, she did not look like an Awakener of Aries in any shape or form.

    "We also caught the agent you attached to Damien."

    Paulo motioned with his eyes, and Damien nodded his head and dragged someone over.

    "Ubb! Ub!"

    ¡ªIt was an old man with gray hair who was wearing a blood-stained butler outfit.

    Roberto struggled in Damien''s hands, and the shining stigma of Hirudo was visible through his ripped clothes.

    Damien released the gag blocking Roberto''s mouth.

    "Fua!"

    "Do you know this woman?"

    "¡­I''ve never seen her in my life."

    Roberto shook his head, showing an indifferent expression.

    "Is that so?"

    When Damien reached out to the sword at his waist with cold eyes¡­

    "That''s right. I''m not an Awakener of Aries¡­ I¡¯m an Awakener of Hirudo."

    "L-Lady Isabe!"

    Isabe nodded her head in acknowledgment, and Roberto looked at her with dismay.

    Victory shed in Paulo''s eyes.

    "So what about it?"

    "¡­What do you mean?"

    "Look at the video. What does my not being an Awakener of Aries have to do with me being a witch? Are you implying that it''s wrong to kill monsters to protect people?" Isabe asked confidently, showing a dignified attitude and straight posture.

    Paulo frowned.

    "Awakeners in possession of the stigma of Hirudo should have to drink human blood periodically. If that isn''t a ¡®witch¡¯, then what is it?"

    "Hah, do you take us for vampires from a movie? The blood pack that my father spilled on the floor is enough."

    Truth be told, she had never killed anyone to drink their blood, not even when her vampiric impulses became uncontroble.

    There were times when she assaulted people to drink their blood, but she¡¯d never killed anyone for it.

    "If requiring other people''s blood to survive makes someone a witch, would you call a leukemia patient a witch?"

    If you dived deeper into the facts, the situation was different for Awakeners of Hirudo since their impulses originated from their stigmas. However, she skillfully avoided mentioning anything about that and continued to argue.

    "¡­"

    Paulo scrunched his eyebrows and red at Isabe.

    Her attitude was so brazen that he couldn''t help but think, ¡®Is she right?¡¯ for a moment.

    ''However¡­''

    Rather than a trial, it was a judgment.

    He had anticipated her acting in such a manner and had prepared something to counter it.

    "This video isn''t the only evidence."

    Paulo lightly flicked his finger.

    People dressed in luxury designer clothes walked out¡ªthey were the family heads of coteral lines who Isabe had personally subdued after she took control of the household.

    "This is a report that states that, every month, a certain amount of blood disappears from the protection center that witch operates!"

    "She runs the protection centers to embezzle blood!"

    "Who knows? That woman may be holding people captive and forcibly drawing blood from them! No, I''m sure of it!"

    "If you heard what the ck Star Organization did in Korea and Japan, you can probably easily imagine what she would do!" the family heads shouted with veins popping out in their necks.

    Most of them were malicious spections without any evidence, but what did it matter at that point?

    All that mattered to them was somehow portraying Isabe as a wicked witch.

    "¡­Hah."

    Isabeughed as she listened to the hatred-filled criticism pouring down on her.

    ''From the very beginning¡­ they had no intention of listening to what I had to say.''

    It was a situation where logic couldn¡¯t prevail in the first ce.

    "Don''t talk nonsense! Lady Isabe has never done such a¡ª!"

    "Quiet."

    Bang!

    Damien fiercely swung his fist and knocked Roberto unconscious.

    "Can you still im that you''re not a witch?"

    "¡­"

    Isabe pursed her lips.

    What would be the point of arguing anymore?

    ''He got me.''

    Ever since Paulo found out that she was an Awakener of Hirudo, her defeat had basically been decided.

    "I also fell into shock when I first found out about it. To think that my beloved daughter was a vampire who kills people to drink their blood¡­"

    His eyes started to tear up.

    "How¡­? How could you do this to your father? How could you deceive me?"

    Paulo''s voice gradually grew more emotional, and tears rolled down his cheeks.

    "Say something! Anything!"

    "¡­You want me to speak?"

    Isabe smiled weakly.

    "Do you even care to listen?"

    "Ah¡­ I really can''t believe it. Why would a kind child like you¡­?"

    Paulo¡¯s face tensed in anguish.

    "This is all my fault."

    Paulo let out a deep sigh and turned his head towards Damien.

    "Sir Damien, please¡­ please bestow salvation upon my daughter who has been stained by evil."

    "Yes."

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    Damien nodded and drew his sword from its sheath on his waist.

    Ring¡ª

    The scales hanging on either side of the sword''s cross-shaped guard made a clear sound.

    "¡­"

    Isabe looked up at Paulo with sorrowful eyes.

    ''How¡­''

    ¡®How did ite to be like this?¡¯

    ''I just¡­ wanted things to go back to the way they were.''

    She recalled the photo she secretly kept in her drawer¡ªthe picture of herself, her father, her mother, and her sister all smiling together.

    All she wanted to do was return to the happiest moment in her childhood. Was that really such a wrong thing to ask for?

    "Kill that witch!"

    Did they be certain of his victory after seeing Damien draw his sword? The family heads of the coteral lines started to shout at Isabe.

    "Kill her! An evil witch like her must die!"

    "You filthy bitch!"

    Criticism echoed through the crumbling residence.

    The family heads who had harbored hatred against Isabe for robbing them of all their privileges and authority after she took control of the Cgrande Household let out their pent-up anger.

    <strong>"Please kill that witch!", "The Sword of Justice will punish you!", "Vampire bitch!", "You evil witch!", "Do you know what happened to us because of you?", "Bitch, it''s all your fault!", "You demon!", "Cold-blooded witch!", "This is all karma!", "Make that witch pay for her sins!", "Tweh! Unsightly woman!", "Die!", "If only you didn''t exist", "Kill the witch!", </strong>they all shouted.

    Malice hidden under the umbre known as righteousness headed towards Isabe.

    They cried out for the witch''s death like they were judges bringing down punishment upon sinners.

    "¡­"

    Isabe slumped down as if her strength had drained away, clutched her chest, and crouched into a ball.

    ''It hurts.''

    Was it because of the curse or was it because the hope she had clung to had shattered into pieces?

    ''It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.''

    Her chest throbbed in pain as if a sharp knife was digging into it.

    ''Ohjin¡­''

    Suddenly, she started to wonder about what he was doing.

    He said he went sightseeing in Rome with Ha-eun the day before. Perhaps he went out early to sightsee again.

    Considering the fact that he hadn''t investigated after the ceiling copsed, it was highly likely that he wasn''t inside the residence.

    ''That''s a relief.''

    She at least didn''t want him to find out that she was a dirty and evil witch that sucked the blood of others to survive.

    "It seems that you don''t n on denying it anymore."

    Thud, thud¡ª

    Damien slowly raised his sword.

    Although there was still a considerable distance between him and Isabe, that distance was no problem for one who possessed the stigma of Libra, which used ''light''.

    Owoooong!¡ª

    The raised sword shone brightly with a dazzling light.

    "Isabe, I know that you took care of many hungry and homeless people who had nowhere to go¡­"

    She operated dozens of protection centers, and there were probably thousands, even tens of thousands of people who she had saved.

    "However¡­"

    If she had done it to secretly extract their blood and hadn¡¯t done it out of pure goodwill¡­

    "You are nothing but a filthy fraud."

    The sword cut through the air like a guillotine¡¯s de.

    The brilliant light coating the edge of the sword shot toward Isabe.

    And then¡ª

    Booooom!!¡ª

    ¡ªa deafening sound rang out.

    A terrifying rumble shook the room, and the residence¡¯s floor cracked open.

    "¡­Huh?"

    Although it was such a tremendous noise, Isabe felt no impact on her body.

    Still crouched down, she slowly raised her head.

    Bzz, bzzz!¡ª

    What she saw in front of her was a pitch-ck spear wrapped in blue lightning¡ªa spear she was very familiar with.

    "What a load of bullshit."

    Tap¡ª

    A young man emerged from the debris and stood in front of Isabe as if protecting her.

    "Fake kindness is also a kind of good. You''re acting all high and mighty for someone who has never given up a cent for someone else."

    Kaa, twe¡ª

    Ohjin spat out a thick glob of phlegm and raised his middle finger at Damien.

 Chapter 200: Fake Kindness And Lawful Good (4)

    <strong>Chapter 200: Fake Kindness And Lawful Good (4)</strong>

    "You are¡­" Damien frowned and stared at Ohjin, who¡¯d blocked his path to Isabe.

    He was the man who had been standing next to the pickpocketed woman the day before.

    ''I''ve seen him before¡­''

    Damien didn''t care about who he was at the time, but it was definitely a familiar face.

    It didn¡¯t take him long to remember where he had seen Ohjin¡¯s face¡ªthe man blocking his path was an Awakener as famous as the ''Seven Stars''.

    "Are you the Lightning Wolf?"

    He had heard that he was the one and only apostle of Vega, a North Star.

    "That''s what they call me." Ohjin nodded and gripped the pitch-ck spear that was firmly imnted in the ground.

    Bzzzt!¡ª

    Blue lightning wrapped around the spear and burned ferociously.

    Damien looked at Ohjin with cold eyes.

    "I happened toe across a news article about the Lightning Wolf being a hero who saved people from the ck Star Organization. Why are you protecting her?"

    "You called me a hero yourself. Shouldn''t I choose the method that saves the most people?"

    "¡­She is a witch who deceived people for their blood."

    "But she is also a saint who saved tens of thousands of people."

    Twirl¡ª

    He leisurely spun his spear.

    "That was nothing more than a means to obtain blood."

    "Isn''t that better than nothing?"

    Damien''s expression distorted heavily. "Then are you iming that nothing matters as long as the oue is good?"

    "Do I have any reason to listen to a bastard who can''t even make good oues?"

    "¡­" Damien clenched his teeth and red at Ohjin.

    Feeling a chilling murderous intent, Ohjin casually raised his head.

    Sunlight poured down like rain through the holes in the ruined roof.

    "Have you ever been poor?"

    "¡­Hm?"

    "I''m asking you if you''ve ever lived in a house full of mold and washed your body with cold water in the freezing winter while worrying about what to eat every day."

    "¡­" Damien shut his mouth tight and lowered his head.

    He wasn''t born with a silver spoon like Isabe, but he had lived a rtively wealthy life thanks to his father being a prestigious pastor.

    "What do you think brings about the most pain for people who have nothing?"

    Was it bloodthirsty monsters or Awakeners who inherit the power of celestials and use supernatural abilities?

    No.

    ¡ªThose were just objects of fear, not pain.

    "Not having a house to sleep in, not having clothes to wear, and not having food to eat."

    That brought about more pain and despair than anything.

    "So are you saying her actions of deceiving people to take their blood are justified?"

    "It''s not a matter of right or wrong."

    He wasn''t a philosopher, and he had only gone up to primary school in education.

    He never thought aboutplicated things like justice or good, nor did he want to.

    There was just one thing he knew¡­

    "For them, the thing you call ¡®filthy, fake kindness¡¯ was their only salvation."

    "Saving a lot of people does not mean your sins are forgiven."

    He was right. Just like how donating $10,000,000 didn''t mean you couldmit murder, saving many people didn''t mean you were exempt from crimes.

    However¡­

    "Her sins, huh¡­ are you talking about taking some blood packs?" Ohjin snickered. "It''s not like she kidnapped people and forcibly extracted their blood. Is it considered burry if you take a bit of donated blood? Maybe embezzlement? Well, I don''t know much about Italianw, but is that why you''re so determined to kill her?"

    "The stigma she possesses¡­ is dangerous."

    "So is mine. If I wanted, I could even kill thousands with a wave of my arm."

    Crackle!¡ª

    Blue lightning crackled around Ohjin''s hand.

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    Damien quietly raised his sword once again.

    "She is a member of an international terrorist organization and an Awakener with a stigma that causes an extremely dangerous side effect of craving blood. If we do not eliminate her now, it is unknown what kind of disaster will fall upon uster."

    "So¡­"¡ªOhjin burst intoughter¡ª"you''re saying that she hasn''tmitted any major crimes yet but that we should kill her in advance since she might be dangerouster? Even though she hasn''t done anything yet?"

    "That''s not what I¡ª"

    "If it''s not what you meant, then what the fuck is it?"

    "¡­"

    "You called Isabe a filthy fraud back then."

    In that case¡­

    "You must be clean and a self-righteous clown."

    "¡­It appears there¡¯s no point in talking further." Bright, white light burst from Damien¡¯s sword.

    "¡­Ohjin."

    Isabe, still crouched down on the ground, looked up at Ohjin with trembling eyes.

    She felt joy from Ohjining to protect her¡­ Fear that he found out about her true identity¡­ Helplessness because her curse left her unable to do anything¡­

    Countless emotions and thoughts intermingled, and she was at a loss for words.

    "I''m¡­ sorry." After a long struggle, what slipped from her lips was an apology.

    She bowed her head as her thin shoulders trembled. "I''ve been¡­ deceiving you all this time."

    She was nothing like a saintess¡ªshe was the 3rd-ranking Executor of the ck Star Association, the Queen of Leeches.

    "It''s alright. I already knew." Ohjin casually shrugged his shoulders.

    "Eh? Y-You knew? What do you mean by that¡­?"

    "I already knew that you were the Queen of Leeches."

    "Wh-What?" Isabe''s eyes widened, and her mouth opened in shock.

    "S-Since when? Since when did you know?"

    "Hmm. I dunno. When was it again?" Ohjin gave her a yful grin and continued. "Was my blood really that delicious?"

    "Ahhhh!" Isabe screamed and fell backward.

    Her pure white skin turned bright red and it looked as if there was steam rising from her. "Th-That''s nearly the very beginning!"

    She had never imagined that Ohjin could be awake at the time. All of the signs had pointed to him being unconscious.

    "B-But you said you didn''t remember anything from that time¡­!"

    "Oh, that?" Ohjin chuckled and turned toward Damien.

    "I lied."

    Bang!¡ª

    He dashed towards Damien, and his pitch-ck spear went toward his neck.

    ng!¡ª

    Damien deflected the spear with a natural, fluid motion, and bone-numbing reverberations shook the spear¡¯s shaft.

    "You knew her identity, yet you did nothing."

    Damien raised his sword up high, giving Ohjin a fierce stare.

    A blindingly intense light shot up into the sky and started to rain down in the form of hundreds of sword des.

    "So you were no different from her after all." Damien looked at him with contempt.

    Ohjin raised his middle finger at him as he dodged the raining des of light.

    Tu-tu-tu-tu!!¡ª

    The terrifying des of light rained down with great force, and as the floor of the building exploded, a powerful shockwave hit Ohjin.

    "Ugh." There was no room to dodge, and the shockwave of light suppressed Ohjin¡¯s mana.

    ''Is this the power of the Seven Stars?''

    Indeed,pared to his spar with Ha-eun, the difference was night and day.

    ''However¡­''

    That didn''t mean Ohjin was so weak that he would simply be defeated.

    Bang!¡ª

    Six wires spread out like a, and Ohjin shot high into the sky.

    "Fuu." He took a deep breath and concentrated.

    ''I can''t use Lightning God Physique.''

    Not only did it take too much time to prepare, but the side effects from using it once were too substantial.

    ''In that case¡­'' Ohjin''s eyes gleamed sharply.

    The stigma of Lyra burned fiercely and waves of mana spread throughout his entire body as he aimed the tip of his spear at Damien and created Lightning mes.

    Bzzzzzt!¡ª

    The blue mes burned brightly.

    ''Condense it into a single point¡­''

    Bzzt! BZZZZZT!!¡ª

    The blue mes burning at the tip of his spear writhed as they were met with strong resistance.

    Normally, it would be impossible to condense Lightning mes any further since it was already apleted technique, but¡ª

    "Calm down, will you?"

    ¡ªThat level of impossibility was no longer a problem for Ohjin.

    Crackleeee!¡ª

    He forcibly suppressed the resisting blue mes, and the sensation was simr to when he condensed his lightning.

    "Hmbf!"

    He threw his pitch-ck spear that writhed with the condensed blue mes with all of his might.

    Roaaaaaar!¡ª

    The mes assaulted Damien, and the building shook.

    "Ugh¡­" Damien frowned and let out a low groan.

    It appeared that not even he couldpletely block the condensed Lightning mes.

    Bzz, bzzzt¡ª

    The blue lightning sparked over him, charring his skin.

    "¡­You''re even stronger than what the rumors had me believe," he eximed.

    It was his first time fighting an Awakener who had a stigma of a North Star, but he could understand why the other constetions praised them and called them ''North Stars''.

    "Still¡­"

    It was simply more than what he had expected. That much of a variable couldn''t really be called a problem, for he had already surpassed a 9-Star and be a 10-Star Awakener.

    "I''m not called a Seven Star for no reason."

    Ring¡ª

    The bncing scale on his sword shook and made a clear sound.

    A brilliant light wrapped around Damien, and he shot toward Ohjin as hended.

    ng! Kang! C-ng!!¡ª

    They exchanged blows faster than the speed of sound, and their superhuman sh split the ground and caused the walls to crumble.

    "Kyaaaa!"

    "Ahh! S-Save me!"

    The family heads of the coteral lines who were eagerly waiting for Isabe''s execution from a distance screamed and ran to avoid the copsing debris.

    Rumble!¡ª

    Before they could run away like little rats, the walls of the building copsed and blocked the exit.

    "S-Sir Damien!"

    "P-Please hurry and kill that bastard!"

    "Eek! I heard all the news about the apostle of the Weaver Girl¡¯s arrogance and whatnot, but look at him siding with that witch!"

    The family heads fell into a state of panic and desperately cheered Damien on.

    Although it probably wasn''t because of their cheers, Damien was gradually gaining ground on Ohjin.

    sh!¡ª

    "Argh!"

    A sharp de cut deeply into Ohjin''s side and passed by; blood flowed from his cut skin.

    ''Stigma of Hippocampus.''

    Even when he quickly created water and healed the wound with Water Affinity, his injury didn''t get much better.

    ''The light¡¯s mana is damaging my mana circuit.''

    To be more precise, it was crystallizing the mana flowing in his circuit as if it were a blood coagnt.

    ''Is this the stigma of Libra¡¯s ability?''

    ¡ªThe power to crystallize mana.

    Ohjin had heard rumors about it several times but had never seen it firsthand.

    "It''s not toote. I won''t hold your sin against you if you back down now."

    "Nah, isn''t itme to get cold feet after all that trouble?"

    "¡­Is that really the problem right now?"

    "Style is important, you know?"

    "Sigh." Letting out a deep sigh, Damien aimed his sword at Ohjin.

    "Then I shall finish this now."

    "Who decided that?"

    "Do you believe that you can defeat me in your condition?"

    "Well, it''ll probably be tough."

    Unless Ohjin used the power of Heaven Unfolding, his strength alone was not enough to deal with Damien.

    ''However¡­''

    That was only the case when Ohjin faced him ''alone''.

    "I wonder if the preparations are almostplete."

    "Hm?"

    It went without saying, but Ohjin hadn''t gone to face Damien without any sort of n¡ªhe raised his right arm and fired lightning up into the air that burst like a firework.

    "Let''s see¡­ was this how it went?"

    Rummaging through his memory¡ª

    "Oh, mes¡­"

    ¡ªhe chanted the spell.

    "ze."

    Fwooooosh!!¡ª

    Searing mes poured down through the copsed ceiling.

 Chapter 201: Fake Kindness And Lawful Good (5)

    <strong>Chapter 201: Fake Kindness And Lawful Good (5)</strong>

    "What¡­?" Damien frowned as he looked up at the pouring rain of fire.

    He was quite some distance away, but the heat was intense enough to sting his skin.

    The power contained within the raging mes was something not even he could ignore.

    "¡­You didn''te alone."

    "Do you think I''m crazy? Of course I didn''t."

    Ohjin knew that he was growing at a speed so incredibly fast that it couldn''t bepared to any other Awakener due to the ck Heaven and the stigma of Lyra.

    He also knew that the stigmas he absorbed so far using the ck Star caused him to be several times more powerful than what was indicated by the number of flicks engraved on his chest.

    Even so¡­

    ''I''m still far from being able to face one of the Seven Stars.''

    He might''ve only received primary education, but he knew the difference between courage and recklessness.

    Since he knew just how absurdly powerful the Awakeners called ¡®Seven Stars¡¯ were, he couldn''t fight Damien without a n.

    Fwoooosh!¡ª

    Upon receiving Ohjin''s signal, Ha-eun''s bombardment rained down through the copsed ceiling.

    Damien''s eyes turned cold as he looked up at the powerful, mana-fueled fireballs.

    The strength within each one was certainly enough to send chills down Damien''s spine, however¡­

    "Did you think that I wouldn''t be able to dodge if you shot at random like this?"

    Damien dodged the falling fireballs with a light jump back.

    The fire was immensely strong, but his movements were not so sloppy to be hit by blind attacksunched from so far away.

    "Yeah, I figured you''d be able to dodge attacks like this easily." Ohjin nodded as he dodged a fireball.

    There was no need to question Damien''s capabilities when even Ohjin could easily dodge the indiscriminate balls of raining fire.

    However¡­

    "What about them?"

    "What?"

    Ohjin smirked and pointed to the second floor of the building.

    People from the coteral line who hadn''t been able to escape due to the copsed hallway were screaming, their faces pale in fear.

    "Kyaaaa! It¡­ it''s hot!!"

    "Save meee!"

    "Aahhhhhh!!"

    The rain of fireballs was not only falling on Ohjin and Damien on the first floor, but they were also assaulting the people on the second floor who had been eagerly cheering for Damien''s victory.

    "Well, shouldn''t you go save those people?" Ohjin shrugged, a twisted smile on his face.

    He was right, even if those people were meaningless and held no value to him, he had to save them because¡­

    "That''s the ''right'' thing to do, isn''t it?"

    He wasn''t a filthy fraud like Isabe. Rather, he was a genuinely ''good'' person who sacrificed himself for the sake of others.

    Bang!¡ª

    Fwoooosh!¡ª

    "Kugh!"

    Damien''s previously leisurely movements as he had dodged the fireball suddenly became urgent, and he jumped up to the second floor.

    "Kyaaa! P-Please save me, Sir Damien!"

    A middle-aged woman with so much makeup on that she could have even been wearing a mask ran toward Damien.

    Fwooosh!¡ª

    A massive fireball fell toward her.

    "Ugh!"

    Boom!¡ª

    Damien protected the woman, who couldn''t even run properly in her high heels, and took the impact of the fireball on his back.

    "Kugh!"

    Despite being coated in a protective sheen of mana, an intense shock damaged his body.

    "Yeah, I thought you''d do that." Ohjin smiled slyly as he looked up at Damien, who had thrown himself between the woman and the ball of fire.

    "Wh-What on earth are you doing?!"

    Damien looked back at Ohjin with a bewildered expression.

    He couldn''t have imagined that a hero revered in South Korea, the Lightning Wolf, would do such a thing.

    "Stop the fire! Everyone here will die at this rate!"

    "So?"

    "¡­What?"

    "What does that have to do with me?" Ohjin calmly dodged an iing fireball and smirked.

    He recalled how they looked as they screamed for the ¡®witch¡¯s death¡¯ and spewed out their hatred.

    It wouldn''t be a problem if they died.

    No, on the contrary, it would be a problem if they didn''t die.

    "You¡­!"

    "Are you sure you can afford to talk?" Ohjin pointed to the people fleeing in all directions as they attempted to avoid the fireballs.

    Among them, a few were already engulfed in mes and writhing in agony.

    "They''ll all die at this rate, you know?"

    "Damn it!" Damien cursed and desperately swung his sword to protect them from the iing fire.

    Swish! Swash!¡ª

    His sword wrapped in brilliant, white light cut through a fireball, which turned into a red crystal and fell to the ground.

    Damien¡¯s stigma of Libra was unmatched in its ability to nullify mana-based attacks, however¡­

    ''There are too many of them.''

    Not only were there too many fireballs, each and every one of them was powerful enough to require effort to block.

    Damien chewed his lip with an anxious expression forming on his face and swung his sword at the attacks.

    It wouldn''t be difficult to block them if he ignored the people shivering behind his back¡­

    ''But I can''t do that.''

    His eyes shone brightly with his firm conviction, and his sword began to emit a brilliant light.

    "There really is no Awakener as helpful as Ha-eun under conditions like these." Ohjin grinned as he watched Damien barely block the endless fireballs.

    Excluding firepower, Ohjin overwhelmed Ha-eun in every aspect such as mobility, battle IQ, and close-rangebat.

    ''In other words¡­''

    Ha-eun surpassed Ohjin when it came to firepower.

    There was simply no way for him topete with her when it came down to indiscriminate AOE attacks.

    ''Though that doesn''t mean that she can keep this up forever.''

    Even if Ha-eun possessed the Dragon''s Heart, she couldn''t maintain such overwhelming firepower indefinitely.

    She must''ve been overexerting herself quite a bit to keep up her onught.

    ''At least I can buy some time with¡ª''

    Just as the thought crossed his mind¡­

    Owoooong!¡ª

    The radiant light flowing from Damien''s body intensified, and wings of light spread out behind him.

    "Hmph!"

    With a low grunt, Damien jumped high and stepped onto the second-floor railing.

    His wings of light spread wide as he raced through the air at a terrifying speed.

    "What the hell?" Ohjin looked up at him with a dumbfounded expression.

    After having soared into the sky, Damien cut through each fireball over a wide range with his sword.

    ''Is he even human?''

    It was the equivalent of standing in the rain and cutting raindrops to keep his clothes dry¡ªnot only his own clothes but also the clothes of others.

    Swish, swash!¡ª

    Rumble!¡ª

    His movement far exceeded the speed of sound, and the resulting sonic boom copsed the building and blew the debris away.

    Just the aftereffects of his movements were enough to send piled-up concrete debris flying.

    Ohjin looked up at Damien with a tired expression.

    "Ahh."

    "S-Sir Damien¡­"

    Even the people who were fleeing in a state of panic couldn''t take their eyes off his incredible movements.

    Around thirty seconds passed, and the intensity of the fireballs began to noticeably weaken¡ªHa-eun''s mana was beginning to run dry.

    "Fuu."

    Even so, Damien was only slightly out of breath. He was still fine and had an easier time cutting through the weakened fireballs.

    ''I guess he isn''t one of the Seven Stars for no reason.''

    Ohjin let out a short exmation and infused his spear with mana. He was pressed for time since Damien blocked Ha-eun''s attacks better than he expected.

    "But still, it wasn''t too bad."

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    Bzz, bzzzt!¡ª

    Ohjin felt the spear vibrate in his hand and smiled.

    Although he couldn''t speak ormunicate using telepathy with his spear, he could feel its will as an ego weapon.

    "Well, then."

    He struck the ground with the spear''s shaft, and the blue lightning wrapping around the pitch-ck spear gathered at its de, transforming into a ghostly warehouse like the one the Living Armor had created.

    Crackle!¡ª

    Naturally, what covered the spectral war horse wasn''t eerie, dark-blue mes but brightly zing blue lightning.

    "Let''s have some fun."

    Mounted on the spectral war horse, Ohjin aimed his spear at Damien, who was flying in the sky with his wings of light.

    Bzzzzzt!¡ª

    The spectral war horse raised its front legs and began to gallop violently toward Damien.

    Rumble!¡ª

    Lightning crackled around them and gathered at the tip of the spear as if it were a lightning rod.

    "Ugh¡­!" Damien''s expression distorted.

    It appeared that the incredible movements he had shown earlier weren''t so easy for him either.

    Unable to dodge Ohjin¡¯s spear as it passed his blind spot, he hastily raised his sword.

    Blue lightning and pure, white light collided.

    Rumbleeeeeee!!!¡ª

    An earth-shattering sound as if dozens of tons of explosives were detonating simultaneously exploded out.

    The massive, ser-stadium-sized mansion of the Cgrande Family crumbled, and thend nearby sank several meters as if into a sinkhole.

    It was hard to believe that it was a sh between humans.

    As the dust cloud gradually settled¡ª

    "Cough."

    ¡ªit revealed Damien, who was coughing up blood and had the spear piercing his left shoulder.

    Compared to Damien, Ohjin stood rtively unscathed.

    "S-Sir Damien!"

    "The Lightning Wolf¡­ d-defeated a Seven Star?"

    The family heads of the coteral line opened their mouths in shock.

    Normally, they would have been caught up in the shockwave of Ohjin and Damien''s sh and died, but they were able to avoid the impact because Damien had positioned himself in a way that shielded them just before the collision.

    "Ugh. Cough! Cough!"

    Damien smiled faintly at Ohjin, who was standing without speaking a word.

    "It appears¡­ that I have won."

    Plop¡ª

    As Damien spoke, Ohjin tilted like a tumbling toy and fell face-first onto the ground.

    Although Damien appeared to have suffered bigger injuries on the surface¡ª

    "Kuh, ah, ugh."

    ¡ªthe mana inside Ohjin¡¯s body did not move at all.

    His mana circuits had been sliced away inside him because they had been crystallized by the stigma of Libra.

    It felt like shards of ss were flowing through his veins instead of blood, and Ohjin writhed on the floor like a bug.

    "O-Ohjin!" Isabe crawled towards him.

    Although the curse wracked her body with pain whenever she moved, she didn¡¯t stop until she reached and embraced him.

    Cradled in her arms, Ohjin lifted his head with great difficulty.

    "Huff, huff. As I expected, he really is disgustingly strong."

    It was hard to think that Damien could beat him so overwhelmingly in a situation where he had to protect others.

    He knew he would be strong, but the Seven Stars were monsters beyond what he imagined.

    "I''m sorry¡­ Ohjin. This is all because of me¡­"

    Putting aside Isabe¡¯s glistening eyes, Ohjin looked at Damien slowly walking towards them.

    After Damien pulled the spear embedded in his shoulder and threw it at the ground, he raised his sword.

    "It''s over now."

    "¡­Yeah." Ohjin nodded his head.

    As he said, he didn''t even have enough strength remaining to move a fingertip, however¡­

    "You''re right. My role is over." Ohjin chuckled and nodded.

    "¡­Hm?"

    His goal had never been to defeat Damien.

    ''Even if I can''t¡­''

    He grabbed a piece of concrete that was nearby and cut a long line in his arm with it.

    Splurt!¡ª

    Ohjin extended his bleeding arm to Isabe.

    "Drink up."

    If it was Isabe¡­

    If it was the Queen of Leeches¡­

    Her defeating the Sword of Justice should be possible.

 Chapter 202: Fake Kindness And Lawful Good (6)

    <strong>Chapter 202: Fake Kindness And Lawful Good (6)</strong>

    "¡­Eh?"

    Isabe looked at Ohjin with trembling eyes.

    Blood dripped down his extended forearm, and he continued speaking with an indifferent expression.

    "Don''t you need the fresh blood of an Awakener to weaken the curse''s influence?"

    "H-How do you know that?!"

    Isabe''s eyes widened in an expression of shock.

    Well, that kind of reaction was only natural since she couldn''t have possibly imagined that Ohjin was eavesdropping on her conversation with Roberto.

    "I''ll exinter."

    Fortunately, they had a bit of time because Damien had yet to recover from thest sh and was slowly trudging toward them, but that didn''t mean he had the leisure to exin how he learned about the curse.

    "Hurry up."

    "¡­"

    Ohjin wasn''t a high-rank Awakener, but due to the concentrated mana in his blood and unidentifiable sweetness she had a taste of before, she knew that his blood would easily weaken the Purple Forbidden Enclosure''s curse.

    However¡­

    "I''m¡­ an Executor of the ck Star Association."

    "I know."

    "I only helped the Romani so that I could use them for their blood."

    "I know that, too."

    "Why¡­ why are you going so far to help me?"

    "Hmm."

    At first, he thought he¡¯d obtained a good chess piece to use like Lee Woohyuk, but was he really offering his blood just to use her?

    ''I don''t know.''

    Not even he knew why he was trying to help her anymore.

    It may have been sympathy, a cunning stratagem, or a whim.

    ¡°Well, the reason doesn¡¯t really matter.¡±

    The important thing was that he could save her with his blood.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Isabe looked at him with shaking eyes and then carefully spoke.

    ¡°¡­In order for it to be fresh blood, I need to extract it directly.¡±

    ¡°So receiving it like this doesn¡¯t work?¡±

    She quietly nodded her head.

    ¡°Then I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Ohjin put his forearm even closer to her mouth as if he was telling her to suck his blood directly out of his skin.

    Isabe opened her mouth with an anxious look on her face.

    ¡°Getting your blood sucked by an Awakener of Hirudo¡­ means that your soul bes subordinate to them.¡±

    ¡°Subordinate?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯ll be a vampire like me, but you won¡¯t be able to refuse my orders.¡±

    In other words, it meant that he would be her puppet.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°B-but what if I¡¯m lying? What if all of this was an act to turn you into my puppet?!¡±

    ¡°It was an act?¡±

    ¡°N-No, but still!¡±

    It seemed like she was trying to question if he could trust her with the risk of bing subordinated to her.

    If that was the case, it didn¡¯t matter to him.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Scammers don¡¯t have those eyes.¡±

    He gently stroked Isabe''s cheek as she looked at him with trembling eyes.

    As a scammer himself, he could be more certain than anyone else that she wasn¡¯t lying.

    ¡°¡­Ohjin.¡±

    Isabe gulped, and he extended his forearm to her without a word.

    "Haa, haa."

    As his bleeding arm approached, Isabe''s breathing grew heavier.

    She stared at his arm with an intense, heated gaze like she was a drug addict with drugs dangling right in front of her.

    Ohjin felt a strange tingling sensation every time her ragged breath touched his arm.

    "Then¡­ I¡¯ll begin."

    Isabe''s canines extended like a vampire¡¯s, she opened her mouth slightly like she was trying to hide her fangs, and then¡­

    "Hmpf."

    Her sharp fangs prated his flesh and reached his blood vessels, but he didn¡¯t feel anything particrly painful.

    "Mmh¡­!"

    In fact, he actually felt a refreshing sensation.

    Thick, sticky mana that was like tar spread through his body from his arm.

    His whole body heated up and blood rushed to the lower half of his body as if he had taken an aphrodisiac.

    ''What the fuck?''

    Ohjin looked at the tent that was set up between his legs and quickly crossed them.

    He couldn¡¯t have imagined that there would be such a side effect from getting his blood sucked.

    "Mmmh¡­ Haa."

    Fortunately, Isabe was so focused on sucking his blood that she didn¡¯t notice.

    ''No way¡­''

    Isabe trembled in disbelief as she ravenously gulped down blood¡ªit was on a different levelpared to when she had tasted his blood before.

    Compared to back then, his mana was several times thicker. In addition, she could also feel the unknown energy mixed in his blood much more intensely.

    ''Th-This is¡­''

    ¡ªA sensation like a bolt of lightning striking down rushed through her head.

    The taste being heavenly wasn¡¯t the issue.

    With every gulp of blood, exhrating pleasure and ecstasy she had never experienced before spread through her body.

    ''Now that I¡¯ve tasted this blood¡­ I¡­''

    She instinctively realized that she wouldn''t be able to drink any other blood again.

    "Hmh, mmh."

    Isabe frantically sucked Ohjin''s blood.

    Could intaking fatal amounts of drugs evene close to the pleasure she was experiencing? The pleasure she felt from drinking his blood was to the point it made her question who was actually bing subordinated to the other.

    "Fua!" Isabe exhaled a rough breath and detached her mouth from his arm.

    She hadn''t drunk that much blood¡ªit was only four or five mouthfuls at most, not even half of the blood pack she usually drank to satisfy her cravings.

    "Are you finished already?"

    "Huff, huff. U-Um¡­"

    Isabe turned her head with her face red as an apple.

    She couldn''t tell him that she wasn¡¯t able to drink anymore because it felt so good.

    "Th-This is enough."

    Her answer wasn''t just a desperate attempt to avoid the question¡ªdespite not drinking much of his blood, it felt as if the Purple Forbidden Enclosure''s curse that had been gnawing away at her stigma was swept away.

    ''No, it''s not just that.''

    The stigma of Hirudo usually reached its peak strength on the darkest nights when even the moonlight was covered in thick clouds.

    But why¡­?

    After drinking Ohjin''s blood, she felt that her condition was even better than on those dark, cloudy nights.

    Her skin was firm as if she had received aesthetic treatment, and each step she took felt extremely light.

    Most importantly¡­

    ''My craving for blood¡­ has disappeared.''

    Her craving for blood that tormented her while she ate, slept, and even breathed hadpletely vanished.

    Normally, sucking fresh blood directly with her fangs should have had the adverse effect of worsening her cravings.

    "Mmmh."

    Isabe let out an ecstatic groan as she embraced herself with both arms.

    When she was tormented by those cravings, she suffered from anxiety akin to walking along the side of a cliff every day¡ªa bottomless abyss from which she could never return with just a single misstep.

    How could she not tremble with joy when drinking his blood turned it into a t surface?

    "Isabe?"

    "Please rest for a moment, Ohjin."

    Isabe momentarily calmed her ted heart andy Ohjin on the ground.

    She hadn''t realized it while she was desperate for blood, but she could see that Ohjin was in critical condition.

    He had dry lips and cloudy eyes, and he took gasping breaths as if they would cease at any moment.

    ''He told me to drink his blood in this state¡­?''

    "¡­"

    Isabe''s eyes grew cold.

    * * *

    Trantor - Mas

    Proofreader - fy

    * * *

    She slowly rose to her feet and looked back at Damien.

    Rumble!¡ª

    A dense, blood-red aura enveloped her body as the surrounding earth trembled.

    "Ugh¡­" Not having fully recovered from his sh with Ohjin, Damien groaned quietly.

    He struggled to lift his sword and aimed it at Isabe.

    "Jubene, the celestial of Libra, grant me the power of light to stand against the darkn©¥"

    Crunch!

    Damien''s sword-wielding arm crumpled.

    "Aaargh!" He clutched his broken right arm and screamed in pain.

    "Does it hurt?"

    Step, step¡ª

    Isabe looked at Damien with cold, heartless eyes and slowly moved her feet.

    The situation might have differed if Damien was in his normal condition, but he was exhausted from his previous battle and stood no chance against Isabe.

    "It was probably more painful for Ohjin."

    Isabe extended her hand toward Damien.

    Was it because she drank Ohjin''s blood? Her mana overflowed like never before.

    sh!¡ª

    The blood-red aura wrapped around her body transformed into a sharp de and shot at Damien.

    "Ugh! You evil witch!"

    Damien desperately held his sword with his remaining left arm and swung it.

    The red de and Damien''s sword collided.

    aaang!¡ª

    He was pushed back.

    "Cough! Cough!"

    The numbing impact that ran through his sword shook his insides.

    "I can''t¡­ fall here¡­!"

    ng! Bang! Cl-ng!

    Despite feeling concussive force shaking his insides, Damien didn''t stop swinging his sword.

    One step at a time, he cut through the barrage of blood-red des and approached Isabe.

    "Hand down divine judgment¡ª"

    Damien charged forward, swinging his sword fiercely with his remaining arm, and the sword emitted a brilliant light as it cut through the blood-red des.

    "¡ªto those tainted by darkness!"

    Owooong!¡ª

    The light bursting out of the sword formed a massive pir that soared upwards.

    When the de of light that extended for dozens of meters struck down at Isabe¡ª

    "Are you finished?"

    ¡ªshe flicked her finger as if she found it tiresome.

    sh!¡ª

    The blood flowing in his crushed right arm moved as if it was alive and wrapped around his body.

    "Ah."

    Damien''s eyes widened as he looked down and saw his own blood wrap around his body.

    Then¡ª

    "Then go ahead and die."

    Crunch!¡ª

    ¡ªThe blood around his body constricted, and Damien was crushed like an empty can.

    "¡­"

    Isabe coldly looked down at Damien''s corpse.

    Uninterested, she walked past him and headed toward the trembling people gathered next to the copsed debris.

    "Um¡­ L-Lady Isabe."

    "Th-The thing is¡­"

    Just moments ago, they had been shouting at Isabe, calling her a filthy witch, but they had turned face, retreating with awkward smiles on their faces as if it had never happened.

    "W-We had no choice but to follow Sir Paulo''s or¡ª"

    Thud¡ª

    Isabe lightly waved her hand and the middle-aged woman''s head, red with anger, imploded.

    "Kyaaaaaaaa!"

    "O-Oh my god!!!"

    Screams erupted from all directions.

    Isabe continued walking, staring at them with ice-cold eyes.

    Thud! Crunch! Squish!¡ª

    With each step she took, strands of blood quickly crushed their skulls.

    How many steps had she taken?

    "Ha, haha."

    She eventually reached a middle-aged man who had been crouching in cover. He staggered to his feet at the deepest section of the copsed debris.

    He spread his arms wide and smiled¡ªit was the same gentle and affectionate smile that remained in her faded album.

    "My beloved little princess¡­ You must have gone through a lot during all that time."

    "Father¡­"

    Isabe bit her lips as she looked at Paulo''s smile.

 Chapter 203: Fake Kindness And Lawful Good (7)

    Chapter 203: Fake Kindness And Lawful Good (7)

    When did it all start?

    When had her gentle father begun to change so drastically?

    Was it when her sister was forced to leave?

    Was it when she returned as an Awakener?

    Or maybe¡­ he¡¯d hidden his true, twisted nature behind a mask of kindness from the very beginning, just like how she pretended to be the Saintess of Rome in order to avoid being discovered as the Queen of Leeches.

    "Why¡­?¡± Isabe forced her to move and opened her mouth. "Why¡­ did you do this?" she asked with great effort.

    It was true that her father''s authority had significantly weakened after Isabe took over the household, but as an Unawakened, Paulo had been oppressed by the coteral line before Isabe¡¯s appearance and was only the family head on paper. In fact, he was able to enjoy more power than before once she returned and crushed the rebelling families.

    So why was he acting like that?

    "Was I such a thorn in your side? So much so that you wanted to get a Seven Star involved to kill me?"

    "¡­"

    "Please, say something. Father, isn¡¯t talking the one thing you¡¯re good at?"

    Isabe gave him a tired expression.

    Paulo dropped his head and clenched his fists without a word.

    "Why¡­ did I do this?" His clenched fist trembled slightly. "Are you¡­ really asking that because you don¡¯t know?"

    "Yes. No matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t wrap my head around it."

    "Because of you¡­ it¡¯s all because of you! Do you have any idea how miserable I¡¯ve been living?!" Paulo cried.

    "The authority of the family head? It was better before you came along! I would rather live without any hope as a puppet of the coteral line!"

    At least his mind was at ease back then. He could at least console himself for not being chosen by a celestial.

    Although his position of being the family head was merely a facade, at least it wasn''t miserable.

    However¡­

    "Since¡­ since you came back¡­ everything has been ruined."

    Isabe waspetent.

    Excessivelypetent, in fact.

    Regardless of her being an Awakener or not, she had a natural talent for dealing with people.

    She didn¡¯t use her hidden power of an ¡®Awakener of Hirudo¡¯ to trample on the family heads of the coteral line.

    First, she¡¯d created disputes among the family heads by usingnd and businesses that only direct descendants of the Cgrande Household could possess as bait.

    ¡ªIt was the equivalent of throwing a sheep into a pack of wolves.

    Blinded by greed, the family heads had nothing but the bait in their eyes, and she stirred up conflicts, worsening their rtionship even more.

    She¡¯d approached Awakeners who showed outstanding talent during that time and created a team of bodyguards that worked directly under the Cgrande Household.

    After that, everything was smooth sailing.

    She¡¯d cunningly absorbed the businesses of the family heads who had exhausted themselves in their fight against each other and then forced them all to submit to her power.

    That¡¯s right¡­

    All of what she did was possible for ''Paulo Cgrande'' as well.

    "Y-You will never understand how miserable I felt!"

    Isabe had aplished what he had deemed impossible and given up on, and she¡¯d done it indifferently as if it were nothing at all.

    His misery had be a sharp dagger and cut away at him.

    * * *

    * * *

    "Do you remember what you made them do after you subdued the family head? Hm?¡±

    "¡­I made them apologize to you."

    "Yes! You made them apologize to me!"

    Ah, how could he ever forget the nightmare of that day?

    How could he forget the appearance of them forcefully bowing their backs and lowering their heads?!

    He could never forget those contemptuous and mocking gazes directed at him for achieving victory thanks to hispetent daughter by doing nothing!

    "If only¡­ I was aspetent as you. If only I possessed the same talent as you."

    If that were the case¡­

    "Kasia¡­ that poor child¡­ could have been saved¡­" Paulo wailed, hunched down on the floor.

    If Isabe had been the family head instead of him at the time when he was pressured from all directions to exile Kasia under the pretext of ''tradition''¡­

    "I didn''t want to know¡­ I didn''t want to find out about any of this."

    If only he lived without knowing that the seemingly unattainable, happy future he imagined was actually something he could have obtained using his own hands¡ª

    ¡ªHe wouldn''t have been so miserable.

    ¡ªHe wouldn''t have been so devastated.

    "I¡­ I hate you. I hate you more than anyone for making me face the truth,¡± Paulo sobbed as he red at Isabe.

    "¡­"

    Isabe looked down at Paulo sobbing with her mouth shut tight.

    It hurt.

    Her heart¡­ It hurt like she was being burned with a hot iron and a sharp knife was digging into her.

    It was painful and agonizing.

    "¡­D-Dad."

    In the end, she resorted to calling Paulo what she had called him as a child.

    She clenched the hem of her blood-soaked dress and bit her lip.

    "I¡­ I¡­"

    Isabe hadn¡¯t intended any of it.

    She hadn''t thought that her actions would make him feel such misery.

    All she wanted¡ª

    ¡®I just¡­ wanted to go back to how things were.¡¯

    ¡ªwas to return to those faded days when the whole familyughed together.

    "Ah, ugh." Isabe clutched her chest and stumbled back.

    ¡®How did ite to this?¡¯

    ¡®How did everything fall apart like this?¡¯

    "Huff, huff!" she gasped for breath.

    Her craving for blood that had vanished after she¡¯d drunk from Ohjin surged again.

    Isabe chewed her lip and raised her arm.

    Swish¡ª

    Blood gathered at her fingertip.

    "¡­Yeah."

    Paulo looked up at Isabe with a nk expression.

    "End my miserable life with your own hands," spoke Paulo with a calm voice as if he had no regrets.

    "¡­"

    Isabe trembled, her hand raised.

    Killing Paulo was as easy as stepping on an ant passing by on the street¡ªPaulo would die if she simply swung down her raised hand.

    "Huff, huff, huff."

    But why¡­?

    Why was she unable to lower her hand?

    At that moment, a photo drifted through the breeze andnded at her feet.

    ''This is¡­''

    It was the photo of her and her family when she was young that she¡¯d kept hidden in the drawer.

    "¡­Ah."

    Had it fallen out of the drawer when the building copsed?

    It felt like God¡¯s intervention, and Isabe sighed at the coincidence.

    ''I have to kill him.''

    She stepped on the photo and took a step towards Paulo.

    Gasping for breath, Isabe raised her hand high.

    ''If¡­ I don''t kill him right now¡­''

    She didn''t know how, but Paulo had discovered that she was the Queen of Leeches.

    ''It''ll also cause trouble for Ohjin.''

    If word got out that he sided with an Executor of the ck Star Organization, it would obviously cause a great amount of harm to someone who was praised as a hero and called the Lightning Wolf.

    She couldn''t let Paulo live.

    Yes.

    The hope she kept deep in her heart would be a forever unattainable dream.

    "Hic, hic."

    Tears welled up in Isabe''s eyes.

    "Why, why, why, why?"

    The shattered pieces of hope turned into tears and flowed down her cheeks.

    "¡­My princess."

    "Stop!" Isabe shouted at Paulo with a re.

    "Don''t¡­ call me that."

    She concentrated mana into her arm as she cried.

    The dark-red blood gathered at her fingertip transformed into the shape of a giant scythe in the shape of a vampire¡¯s fang and touched his head.

    Paulo looked up at Isabe tearing up and gave a faint smile.

    "I''m sorry."

    "¡­"

    "I''m sorry for being a terrible father."

    "Please, shut up. It''s not going to make me spare you."

    Paulo had forcefully stimted a dragon vein in order to make her use the stigma of Hirudo.

    She was somehow able to minimize damages thanks to the help of Ohjin and Ha-eun, but at least hundreds of people lost their lives to the monsters'' attack on that day.

    Those who had died were innocent people who had just gone to enjoy the beach.

    "Do¡­ you have any idea what you''ve done?"

    The wailing faces of families who lost their rtives vividly appeared in her mind.

    Among the victims were pregnant women with newborns, newlywed couples on their honeymoon, and people traveling with their parents.

    She hadn''t lived apletely righteous life herself, but she knew well that she couldn''t defend Paulo''s actions just because he was her father.

    "¡­"

    It seemed like Paulo had nothing left to say as he silently closed his eyes.

    "Huff, huff, huff!" Isabe gasped for breath and raised the bloody scythe.

    ''Swing it down.''

    Yes.

    It was the end.

    If she just lowered her hand by 30cm, she would no longer have to chase after the forever vanished faded days.

    ''This isn''t difficult.''

    It was easier than stepping on an ant crawling on the street.

    ''I¡­ I¡­ I¡­!''

    Isabe closed her eyes tight.

    Tears streamed down her cheeks and dropped to the floor, and then¡­

    <em>Slice!¡ª</em>

    <em>Thud, thud, thud¡ª</em>

    Paulo''s severed head rolled on the floor.

    "¡­Huh?"

    Isabe opened her eyes and looked at her arm in confusion.

    The bloody scythe in her hand was still raised high and remained still.

    "What happened¡­?"

    She turned in confusion to look at Ohjin, who was standing still with a bloodstained spear in his hand.

    After he watched Paulo¡¯s head roll along the floor, he slowly raised his head.

    "I killed him."

    Ohjin approached the trembling Isabe and carefully embraced her.

    "Ohjin¡­?"

    "I''m the one who killed him, not you."

    "Why did you¡­?" Isabe asked with a trembling voice.

    Ohjin gently patted her back and spoke in a low voice.

    "You didn''t do anything."

    That''s right.

    She wasn''t the one who destroyed the hope she kept in her heart or the happiness she had desperately wished for.

    "I¡ª"

    The one who shattered her hope¡­

    The one who crushed it entirely¡­

    "¡ªkilled him with my own hands."

 Chapter 204: Interlude - New Hope (1)

    Chapter 204: Interlude - New Hope (1)

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡± A brief exmation left her mouth.

    Ohjin¡¯s lips were shut tight, and not an ounce of pity reflected on the surface of his eyes.

    As if trying to tell her that Paulo¡¯s death wasn¡¯t her fault, he simply looked at her in silence.

    ¡°Ohjin¡­¡±

    However, there was no way she wouldn¡¯t know that it was undoubtedly a fact that he took direct action and killed Paulo for her sake.

    When she trembled, fearing that she would forever lose the hope she held deep in her heart, he picked up his spear in her stead.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me.¡± Ohjin pushed away her arms and created some distance. ¡°It wasn¡¯t for you. Rather, I did it because I wanted to.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes trembled.

    She couldn¡¯t understand why, but his obvious lie made her anxious mind calm down a little.

    ¡°¡­<em>Sob.</em>¡±

    Tears started to flow down her face once again despite not having shed tears a single time while she was stressed by those horrifying cravings for blood.

    ¡®I wonder when I turned into such a crybaby.¡¯

    For some unknown reason, she loosened up when she was around Ohjin.

    Isabe looked down at Paulo¡¯s headless corpse.

    Her faded memories were left as a faint image crossed her mind.

    Her caring father, gentle mother, and sister who she loved more than anyone were just that¡ªmemories.

    ¡®Now¡­¡¯

    The memories she could never return to floated around her head like a fading fragrance.

    ¡°Ohjin¡­ what do I do now?¡±

    Isabe approached Ohjin and leaned her head on his chest.

    ¡°The hope I dreamed of has disappeared.¡±

    Her sister was missing, and both her father and mother were dead.

    Even if she was miraculously able to find her sister, she could not return to the past she longed for.

    ¡°It¡¯s because of you¡­¡±

    Isabe chuckled, finding the words that left her mouth a little ridiculous herself.

    Ohjin was the reason her hope disappeared? She herself knew best how little sense it made.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s because of me.¡±

    He nodded his head with a calm expression.

    He was the one who killed Paulo andpletely crushed what little hope she had left deep in her heart.

    Isabe¡¯s eyes quivered as she looked at him.

    <em>Thump, Thump¡ª</em>

    It wasn¡¯t like her cravings for blood were acting up, but her heart started to beat like crazy.

    ¡°Then since you¡¯re responsible¡­¡±

    With her head lowered to hide her reddening cheeks, she pulled on his waist with both arms.

    ¡°¡­Please be my new hope,¡± she said in aining manner.

    Isabe knew that she was being childishly unreasonable.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Ohjin stroked her hair.

    Her curly blond hair slipped smoothly in between his fingers.

    ¡°<em>Sob¡­ sob</em>.¡±

    Her shoulders trembled.

    ¡°Waaaaaah!¡± Letting go of her suppressed emotions, she cried like a baby in his embrace.

    Ohjin patted her back in silence so that she could say goodbye to the hope she deeply cherished and send them away along with her tears.

    ¡°<em>S-Sob</em>.¡±

    How many minutes had passed? Isabe raised her head with her eyes swollen and red.

    ¡°Will¡­ I be able to forget this?¡±

    Most likely not.

    The incident would be engraved into her memory and torture her for her whole life.

    Ohjin put his hands on her shaking shoulders and spoke to her. ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll be able to forget.¡±

    He whispered sweet lies into her ears. ¡°Everything¡­ will be alright.¡±

    It didn''t matter if it wasn''t the truth.

    Every now and then, a single lie was moreforting than a thousand truths.

    * * *

    The news of Damien Salvator¡¯s death spread across not only Italy but the whole world in an instant.

    ording to the testimony of the next¡­ no, the current family head of the Cgrande Household, Isabe Cgrande, the summary of the incident went as follows.

    1. The Hirudo Faction of the ck Star Organization had their eyes on the Cgrande Household that basically reigned over Italy.

    2. Paulo Cgrande detected the Hirudo Faction¡¯s movements and invited Damien Salvator to the household to ask for his assistance.

    3. However, the Hirudo Faction had already infiltrated deep into the household and used Paulo and Isabe as hostages to attack him.

    4. Damien fought valiantly but was met with a heroic death.

    Above was the truth exposed through Isabe¡¯s testimony.

    The shocking news was hard to believe, but there weren¡¯t many people who doubted it thanks to Isabe¡¯s absolute reputation in Italy along with the testimony of a guest, the Lightning Wolf, who happened to be at the scene.

    The whole world couldn¡¯t help but be shocked by the news that the ck Star Organization had the might to kill one of the Seven Stars, and the notion that the ck Star Organization must be dealt with as quickly as possible became the object of public discussion.

    While the remembrance of the ¡®Sword of Justice¡¯ was underway and everyone was focused on what the next move of the other Seven Stars would be¡­

    ¡°Mmmh! How long has it been?!¡±

    Ha-eun sloppily took off her shoes and ran inside.

    It had been one¡­ no, nearly two months since they¡¯d been home.

    It wasn¡¯t as severe as Isabe and Ohjin, but she also had to digest a busy schedule while going here and there as one of the main participants of the incident.

    ¡°Ehehe. Our home really is the best.¡±

    There really was no ce more rxing than one¡¯s own home.

    ¡°When¡¯s thest time I got toy on this bed?¡± Ha-eun plopped onto the bed and wriggled her body like a bug.

    Ohjin neatly tidied up the shoes Ha-eun had randomly tossed and entered.

    ¡°Are you that happy?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Ohjin, don¡¯t tell me you prefer Isabe¡¯s hotel.¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    The facilities and room condition were luxurious as expected of a 5-star hotel, however¡­

    ¡°Our home is still the best.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    Ohjin sat down next to Ha-eun and stroked her hair.

    ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s nice to finally be alone together.¡± She rubbed her face on his hand like a cat.

    Ha-eun pulled him down to the bed with a sweet smile.

    When Ohjin was about to pretend like he couldn¡¯t ovee her strength¡ª

    <em>Bzt!¡ª</em>

    ¡ªa blue spark appeared between them.

    [¡®Alone together¡¯? Have you forgotten that I¡¯m here?]

    Vega crossed her arms and frowned from the top of Ohjin¡¯s head.

    Ha-eun looked up at Vega and chortled.

    ¡°Heh, I couldn¡¯t see you because you¡¯re so small.¡±

    [What did you say?]

    Vega flew over and pped Ha-eun¡¯s forehead with her little hand. It was as small a coin, but the power behind it wasn¡¯t to be underestimated.

    ¡°Ahh! Why¡¯d you hit me?!¡±

    [Hmpf. I am simply giving your head a direct lesson on respecting celestials.]

    ¡°Strength is the only thing you have, you little thing.¡±

    [L-Little thing¡­?!]

    Vega trembled and pped her forehead once again.

    [You impertinent thing!]

    ¡°Ahh! Stop! Stop!¡±

    It was a scene he was used to.

    Ohjin looked at the two bickering and smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ll be cleaning, so call me once you guys are finished.¡±

    ¡°Argh! Now you¡¯ve done it!¡±

    [Oho. Are you rebelling against my teachings?]

    It appeared that the two of them were too busy and couldn¡¯t hear him.

    Ohjin smirked and left the room.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    After doing some light cleaning, he went into the empty room that was used for storage.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see.¡¯

    He slowly raised his hand and concentrated.

    <em>Owoong!¡ª</em>

    Radiant light gathered at his palm¡ªit was light created by the stigma of Libra he¡¯d absorbed from Damien.

    ¡°I wonder how I can put this to use.¡±

    Ohjin looked at the bright light and became lost in thought.

    Light created by the stigma of Libra had the power to crystallize mana into a solid form.

    ¡®The problem is that it stands out too much.¡¯

    With there being no power that could crystallize mana other than the stigma of Libra, it was hard to make use of the ability in front of others.

    ¡®I think I¡¯ll only be able to use mana crystallization when Vega isn¡¯t present.¡¯

    On the other hand, he could use the ability to control light in various different ways.

    ¡®In extremely overpowered ways, at that.¡¯

    Ohjin concentrated and moved the light gathered at his palm.

    <em>Owoong!¡ª</em>

    The light gradually took shape and eventually looked exactly like Ohjin.

    ¡®Mirage.¡¯

    With the ability to control light meticulously, he could make mirages that were like holograms using light.

    ¡°This will be useful.¡±

    There were an infinite number of ways to utilize it¡ªeven more so for someone who was born with a talent to deceive others.

    ¡°Well¡­ I still need some practice to get used to it.¡±

    He held out his hand to what looked like a mirror reflecting himself and his hand passed right through it.

    Like throwing a rock on a calm surface of water, ripples appeared on the light and the mirage of himself scattered away.

    Ohjin still wasn¡¯t used to maintaining its shape because creating mirages with light required so much precision.

    ¡®It¡¯ll still be more than useful once I practice enough.¡¯

    He smiled in satisfaction at his newly obtained powers.

    ¡°But I wonder why Damien didn¡¯t make use of such a good ability.¡±

    Sight was the most important of all human senses.

    Just being able to utilize mirages properly to fool others couldpletely change the oue of fights.

    ¡°Ah, could it be?¡±

    Ohjin changed the light on top of his palm into several different colors.

    The light freely changed colors like customizing the hair color of an in-game character.

    Ohjin was finally able to realize why Damein didn¡¯t use such an overpowered ability like ¡®Mirage¡¯.

    ¡®It¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t¡­¡¯

    Damien couldn¡¯t use mirages in the first ce due to having no ability that could adjust light wavelengths to change color like the ¡®Transformation¡¯ ability Ohjin had.

    ¡®Come to think of it, Damien only used the color white.¡¯

    In that case¡­

    ¡°Does that mean I¡¯m the only one who can use mirages?¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes shined as he made a mirage of himself once again.

    The mirage had his pitch-ck spear in its hand and a threatening look on its face.

    ¡°Damn, you are one handsome motherfucker.¡± Ohjin mumbled something that would have made Ha-eun copseughing while he got rid of the mirage.

    He wanted to start practicing making mirages that instant, but he didn¡¯t think Ha-eun would allow that since they had just gotten home.

    ¡°Ohjin! Let¡¯s get some food delivered inmemoration of returning home!¡±

    The moment he thought so, Ha-eun abruptly opened the door and entered.

    Vega was sitting on top of her head like they never fought from the very beginning.

    [Delivered? Are we not making food but ordering it?]

    ¡°Yeah! Pizza, chicken, jokbal*, you name it. Let¡¯s order everything!¡±

    TN: A Korean dish consisting of pig''s trotters cooked with soy sauce and spices.

    [Ooh! That¡¯s a good idea! How unexpected of you!]

    ¡°What?¡±

    When Ha-eun frowned and was about to move her hands near Vega¡ª

    <em>Ding, dong¡ª</em>

    ¡ªthe clear sound of bells rang out.

    ¡°Did you order already?¡±

    ¡°Hm? No, I haven''t yet¡­¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head and opened the front door.

    <em>Click¡ª</em>

    ¡°Hello, Ohjin.¡± Isabe waved her hand with a gentle smile on her face.

    Behind her were bulky bodyguards wearing sunsses and suits lined up with arge trunk in their hands.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡± asked Ha-eun while pointing at therge trunk.

    ¡°My luggage¡±

    ¡°¡­Luggage?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Isn¡¯t there a room open here?¡±

    Isabe entered the house, her eyes sparkling.

    ¡°H-Hey, hey you! Who said you could move in?!¡±

    ¡°Oh my, have you yet to hear the news from Ohjin?¡± She elegantly raised the hem of her one-piece dress and respectfully bowed in Ohjin¡¯s direction.

    ¡°My name is Isabe Cgrande, appointed as Ohjin¡¯s exclusive maid from this day forth.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡®Appointed as an exclusive maid?¡¯

    ¡®By who?¡¯

    ¡°Wh-Who would appoint you?!¡±

    ¡°Fufu. Who else? Ohjin appointed me himself.¡±

    ¡®What?¡¯

    ¡®Me?¡¯

    ¡®¡­When?¡¯

 Chapter 205: Interlude - New Hope (2)

    Chapter 205: Interlude - New Hope (2)

    ¡°Oi¡­¡± Ha-eun¡¯s cold eyes locked onto Ohjin.

    She gestured at Isabe with her chin and red at him. Her gesture seemed to imply that she wanted to see Ohjin give his best shot at exining.

    ¡°I never did such a thing,¡± Ohjin refuted in a mortified voice.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and turned to face Isabe.

    ¡°So he says.¡±

    ¡°Fufu. He¡¯s probably just embarrassed.¡± Isabe shrugged and looked at him in a seductive manner. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would be my new hope?¡±

    ¡°What on earth does that have to do with being my maid¡­?¡±

    ¡®As if that¡¯s her new hope.¡¯

    ¡°Oh my, but what if I say that¡¯s my new hope?¡±

    ¡®How about you fucking don¡¯t.¡¯

    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± Ohjin looked at Isabe as if he found it absurd.

    Her new hope was bing his maid? It¡¯s not like real life was a third-rate porno film. The development was way too out of the blue.

    ¡°Fufu. I was just kidding.¡± Isabe smiled and took a step toward him with her curly blond hair bouncing. ¡°Still, I was sincere about moving into your home.¡±

    ¡°Heh. This house is under my name, you know?¡±

    ¡°Goodness, is that so?¡±

    Ha-eun arrogantly nodded her head. ¡°You need to get permission from me, the owner, first¡ª¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, weren¡¯t you the one who threw mes at our family residence?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ha-eun looked rather dumbstruck. ¡°Y-Yeah, and¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mind me. I don¡¯t know much about the stigma of Draco and I was just thinking that you have much more firepower than I imagined.¡± Isabe smiled brightly and continued in a gentle voice. ¡°Oh, how powerful the mes were, to turn all the valuables and pieces of art to ash.¡±

    ¡°U-Um, a-about that.¡±

    ¡°Fufu. I know. You had no choice but to do so in order to help me, correct?¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s right!¡± Ha-eun urgently nodded her head.

    Though, in honesty, rather than to help Isabe, she just used her powers at Ohjin¡¯s orders with not much else going on in her mind.

    ¡°No matter how rich the Cgrande Household is, the amount of money we lost isn¡¯t to be scoffed at. We¡¯re in a difficult spot since a minimum of one billion dors worth of valuables were burnt by the fire.¡±

    ¡°O-One billion?¡± Ha-eun¡¯s mouth fell open.

    ¡ªOne billion dors.

    ¡®How much even is that?¡¯

    The amount of money she couldn¡¯t even imagine made her head go nk. In the first ce, she had only heard of money exceeding the ¡®millions¡¯ in news or articles, never in real life.

    Even if Awakeners earned a lot of money, it was no easy task to make money in the ¡®billions¡¯.

    No, it was pretty much an impossible amount to attain if you weren¡¯t the master of arge guild or operating arge-scale business.

    ¡®So¡­ you¡¯re telling me I destroyed over a billion dors worth of valuables?¡¯

    Ultimately, the goal of her attacks was to support and protect Isabe from Damien. It wasn¡¯t exactly her responsibility if millions or billions of dors were lost, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little guilty.

    ¡°Um¡­ S-Sorry.¡± The unfathomable amount of money stopped her ability to think as an apology left her mouth on its own.

    ¡°If that¡¯s how you feel, then can I borrow a room in your house while my residence is being rebuilt?

    ¡°Huh? U-Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, Ipletely understand that you used your powers to help me¡­ Still, would you really refuse to lend me a single room after turning my home into ash¡­?¡± Isabe¡¯s eyes gleamed as she cunningly made Ha-eun feel ufortable.

    ¡°I-I guess¡­?¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I won¡¯t forget this favor.¡±

    It was clear that she wasn¡¯t in control of the Cgrande Household for no reason.

    Even when she was one-sidedly gaslighting Ha-eun with words that weren¡¯t entirely logical, her small gestures, the look in her eyes, and the tone of her voice sessfully fooled her.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ming inside.¡± Isabe took off her shoes and walked into the house naturally like it was her own.

    She looked around the house which was more or less 66 square meters.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little small for three people.¡±

    <em>Snap¡ª</em>

    She snapped her fingers.

    ¡°Roberto.¡±

    An old man in a clean butler uniform appeared from between the bodyguards wearing sunsses.

    ¡°Have you called for me?¡±

    ¡°This is the seventh floor, correct? Buy all the units on this floor. Actually, never mind. It¡¯ll probably be better to buy this whole apartment building. I¡¯ll give you a month, so do anything you can to buy out this whole ce.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Roberto gave a nonchnt expression and bowed.

    ¡°W-Wait! What are you going to do with all those units?¡±

    ¡°Hm? What do you think? I want to do some renovation to make this ce more spacious. Isn¡¯t it a bit ufortable for three people to live here?¡±

    Like Isabe said, it was indeed a little ufortable for three people to live in a house that was around 66 square feet.

    ¡°¡­If you want to do some renovating, isn¡¯t just the neighboring house enough?¡±

    ¡°I just dislike the idea of other people living in the same building as Ohjin.¡± Isabe maintained a nonchnt look as she spouted absurdity.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    She wanted to buy out the entirerge apartment building for that mere reason alone.

    ¡°O-Ohjin, what the hell is wrong with her?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she was dropped on her head as a child!¡±

    ¡°Your wording is a bit crude¡­¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ there are more reasons,¡± said Isabe as she continued in a calm voice, ¡°Ohjin and I have most likely be the ck Star Organization''s targets due to the recent incident. Having guards ready at this apartment like a kind of fortress is safer in many ways.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s true.¡±

    There certainly was a high likelihood of the ck Star Organization targeting Isabe and Ohjin, who were at the center of the incident.

    Though it didn¡¯t have to be something as extreme as a fortress, it would be wise to have some precautions in ce.

    ¡°I can use this room, right?¡± Isabe carefully opened the door to the room that was used for storage.

    Though it was used for storage, there wasn¡¯t much stuff stored inside. A few clothes and basic household goods were all there were.

    <em>Snap¡ª</em>

    Once Isabe lightly snapped her fingers, the bodyguards standing by in the corridor crowded inside and started to unpack her luggage.

    Was it because each and every one of them were Awakeners with superhuman bodies? It didn¡¯t even take ten minutes for them to unpack and decorate the room with a luxurious interior that fit Isabe.

    ¡°We have finished, Lady Isabe.¡±

    ¡°Well done. You may leave.¡± Isabe nodded her head and made a satisfied expression.

    The bodyguards crowded back out like a receding wave.

    * * *

    * * *

    Isabe was the one to break the awkward silence that settled down inside the house.

    ¡°Has everyone eaten?¡±

    ¡°No, not yet.¡± Remembering what they were in the middle of doing, Ha-eun opened the delivery app on her phone. ¡°We were going to order food. What do you want to eat?

    ¡°¡­Order?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me that you¡¯re going to feed low-quality delivery food to Ohjin?¡± Isabe furrowed her brow like she¡¯d heard something absurd.

    Ha-eun nodded her head with an embarrassed look on her face.

    ¡°<em>Sigh.</em> I¡­ really didn¡¯t think of you that way. I¡¯m a bit disappointed.¡±

    ¡°B-But Ohjin likes delivery food¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that because you¡¯re bad at cooking?¡±

    ¡°<em>Gasp.</em>¡± Ha-eun was left speechless by the words that pierced her heart.

    Isabe took out fresh ingredients that were stored in a cooler in her trunk as if she knew that would happen and had prepared in advance.

    ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll cook up some food in no time.¡± Isabe headed to the kitchen and diligently started cooking.

    ¡°Ohjin¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Do you really like delivery food because I can¡¯t cook?¡±

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°Of course not. Isabe is just saying that because she doesn¡¯t know the quality of delivery food in Korea.¡±

    ¡°Right? It isn¡¯t because I can¡¯t cook, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. The food you make for me is delicious.¡± Heforted Ha-eun, who was feeling down, and looked back at Isabe.

    ¡®She looks like she¡¯s doing a lot better.¡¯

    Isabe had a speedy recovery considering how she cried when Paulo died.

    Ohjin looked at Isabe¡¯s back with a faint smile.

    ¡°Here, food is ready!¡± She put the food she cooked on the table.

    It was a Korean-style meal consisting of Korean pancakes, stir-fried ss noodles, and spicy soft tofu stew.

    ¡°I also practiced cooking a lot of Korean food. Please give it a taste,¡± Isabe said in a confident voice as she sat right next to Ohjin.

    ¡°Thanks for the food.¡±

    Proving that her confidence wasn¡¯t unwarranted, the food she made was exceptional enough to be served at a traditional Korean restaurant.

    ¡°¡­This game has shit bncing. What am I supposed to do if a rich girl with big boobs is even good at cooking?¡±

    Ohjin heard Ha-eun¡¯s murmuringints from the other side of the table.

    [By the way¡­]

    Vega, who was observing Isabe quietly on top of Ohjin¡¯s head, slowly came down.

    [I heard that you were an Executor of the ck Star Organization.]

    <em>Flinch¡ª</em>

    Isabe¡¯s shoulders slightly shook.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    [Hmm. I heard of your circumstances from my child.]

    ¡°¡­My child?¡± It seemed that Isabe found Vega¡¯s choice of words strange as she tilted her head.

    They had forgotten about it, but they had never told Isabe that Vega was actually a celestial.

    [I am Vega, the celestial of Lyra.]

    ¡°Pardon? Y-You weren¡¯t a guardian spirit but a celestial?¡± Isabe looked at Ohjin with saucer-like eyes.

    Ohjin quietly nodded his head.

    ¡°I never knew that celestials could directly materialize their bodies on Earth.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only possible since Vega is a North Star.¡±

    She looked at Vega with surprise.

    Vega looked up at Isabe with her arms crossed and started to speak.

    [Even if you had your circumstances, I resent you for deceiving my child.]

    ¡°I apologize.¡±

    [Make sure to repent for your actions.]

    ¡°Of course.¡± Isabe pulled on Ohjin¡¯s arms with firm determination in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll seek forgiveness from him for the rest of my life.¡±

    [Hm? There¡¯s no need to go so far.]

    She leaned her head on his shoulder with her body pressed against his.

    ¡°I will offer my body and soul to him.¡±

    [S-Stop! Stop repenting!]

    Vega shook her head with a shocked expression.

    ¡°<em>Haa¡­</em> I thought things woulde to this.¡± Ha-eun sighed and red at Ohjin.

    <em>Thud¡ª</em>

    She kicked Ohjin¡¯s shin beneath the table.

    Ohjin dropped his head like he had nothing to say.

    * * *

    After the meal, Ohjin helped Isabe organize the remaining luggage in her room while Ha-eun and Vega cleaned up.

    ¡°¡­Why did you bring a maid uniform?¡± Ohjin asked as he took a ck maid''s uniform from her trunk.

    Isabe smiled brightly and raised it.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I¡¯ll be your exclusive maid starting today.¡±

    ¡°You said you were kidding.¡±

    ¡°Fufu. I wonder. Was I really kidding?¡± She hugged his arm with a mischievous grin.

    ¡°If you want¡­ I can really be your maid,¡± she whispered into his ear in a seductive voice.

    While Ohjin was hesitating on how he should answer¡ª

    ¡°By the way, did you enjoy your meal?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. It was really delicious.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ it¡¯s also about time for me to have my meal.¡±

    She licked her lips while stroking the nape of his neck.

    ¡°May I eat you, Master?¡±

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    ¡®Me?¡¯

 Chapter 206: Interlude - New Hope (3)

    Chapter 206: Interlude - New Hope (3)

    ¡°<em>Huff, huff.</em>¡±

    Exhrated, her warm and moist breaths tickled his neck.

    ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll begin.¡¯

    <em>Gulp¡ª</em>

    Isabe gulped and carefully stroked the nape of his muscr neck.

    Just looking at his neck made her heart palpitate, and chills ran down her spine.

    ¡°Haa.¡±

    The scent of his skin stimted her nose as she tilted her face closer to him.

    An impulse for blood along with a different kind of desire rose up and made her feel something ticklish between her legs.

    <em>Lick¡ª</em>

    Her long tongue licked his neck.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Ohjin flinched in surprise.

    He cleared his throat and looked at Isabe, who was licking his neck like a puppy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go with my forearm.¡±

    ¡°The nape is more efficient than the forearm.¡± Isabe put on a stern expression and shook her head.

    In honesty, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference between drinking from the nape or forearm. She had just imed that the nape was more efficient because she wanted to be closer to him.

    ¡°But you used my forearm before.¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s because I was overwhelmed by the situation.¡±

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re in better condition thanst time¡­ Is it really necessary to use my nape?¡±

    ¡°Hey¡­¡± She grabbed his shoulders with both arms as he kept trying to move away. ¡°Stay still.¡±

    Red light shone in Isabe¡¯s eyes.

    Ohjin¡¯s body stopped in its tracks while he was trying to avoid her.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    His body stiffened like it had turned into stone.

    ¡®Is this the soul subordination thing she talked about before?¡¯

    As if a switch had been turned off, strength left his body the moment he heard Isabe¡¯s order.

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and tried to forcefully move his body. ck energy poured out of the left side of his chest, and he slightly moved the tip of his finger.

    ¡®Hm? That¡¯s strange.¡¯

    He thought he wouldn¡¯t be able to retaliate at all since she used extravagant terms such as ¡®soul subordination¡¯. If that was all it amounted to, he imagined he would be able to go against her orders with enough time.

    ¡®Is it because of the ck Heaven?¡¯

    While he was moving the tip of his finger, his head tilted¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for using an order.¡±

    ¡ªIsabe extended her tongue and started licking his nape once again.

    ¡°But¡­ this is your fault.¡±

    Her excited breathing tickled his nape.

    Isabe invested her whole mind in licking his nape without even noticing that Ohjin was moving his fingers.

    ¡°Not being allowed to eat something that looks delicious is too harsh.¡±

    She roughly exhaled, and two fangs grew once she opened her mouth.

    ¡°Nom.¡±

    <em>Stab¡ª</em>

    Her fangs pierced his flesh.

    Ohjin didn¡¯t feel pain like thest time, and a dizzying sensation of pleasure stunned him.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    ¡°Mmh¡­ it¡¯s delicious.¡±

    Isabe lovingly embraced his flinching body and sucked his blood.

    <em>Gulp, gulp¡ª</em>

    Every time she took in a mouthful of blood, an unworldly sensation of pleasure and exaltation was sent running through her body.

    ¡®Wow.¡¯

    Isabe shook while she slowly savored the blood filling her mouth. Despite it being only the second time she¡¯d tasted his blood, she was so addicted that she couldn''t imagine living without it anymore.

    ¡®Just¡­ Just three mouthfuls.¡¯

    She had no confidence in her ability to resist the temptation if she drank any more than that.

    ¡°<em>Huff, huff, </em>Ohjin<em>.¡±</em> Isabe whispered to him as she drank his blood.

    A certain part of his body stood out to her.

    Her eyes shone as she licked his nape.

    ¡°Does it feel good?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ you don¡¯t have to hold yourself back.¡± She spoke in a seductive voice and carefully stroked his chest.

    Her hand went past his belly and slowly headed down¡­

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    Ohjin lightly pushed Isabe away and put pressure on the holes in his nape.

    An exmation of shame left her mouth. ¡°¡­Is it because of Ha-eun?¡±

    He avoided her gaze, his lips pursed.

    Isabe nodded with a bitter smile on her face. ¡°Well, I guess you are lovers, after all.¡±

    ¡°You knew?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be stranger if I didn¡¯t?¡±

    He thought they did a good job hiding it, but it appeared that she already knew for a while.

    Isabe pulled a potion from her chest area and carefully poured it over his nape.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind being your second.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Ohjin was surprised by her unimaginable answer.

    ¡°Fufu. I¡¯m just kidding.¡±

    It was unknown if she was really kidding or not.

    She smiled and helped him clean the blood and saliva on his neck. The holes in his nape disappeared in an instant thanks to the effects of a high-quality potion.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Isabe felt refreshed as her cravings vanished. Not only that, but it felt like the mana flowing through her body had be thicker.

    ¡°Well, sharing a couple of mouthfuls of blood is no big deal.¡±

    ¡°Not just that¡­ Thank you for everything.¡± She leaned her head on his back; the warmth of his body radiated against her skin.

    Emotions of the happiness that she thought she would never feel again filled her chest.

    ¡®My new hope¡­¡¯

    Isabe felt like she had received so much from him that she didn¡¯t know how she could possibly pay him back.

    ¡®I¡¯m so jealous of her.¡¯

    <em>Throb¡ª</em>

    She felt pain in her palpitating heart as Ha-eun crossed her mind.

    How nice would it be if she could monopolize Ohjin¡¯s love like she did?

    ¡®That would be too greedy of me.¡¯

    You could tell how deep the rtionship between Ha-eun and Ohjin was with a nce. Their bond was so tight that she couldn¡¯t possibly undo it.

    However¡­

    ¡®I won¡¯t give up.¡¯

    She had no ns of splitting them apart.

    Instead, if she could just put a new tie around what already existed¡­

    ¡°Isabe?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I apologize.¡±

    Isabe cast her thoughts aside and smiled happily at Ohjin.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need any more blood?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be fine for a while.¡±

    ¡°Then, since we¡¯ve taken care of the situation at hand, there are some things I¡¯d like to ask you.¡±

    ¡°Ask me anything.¡±

    Isabe courteously sat on the premium carpetying out on the floor.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°I would like to hear about the ck Star Organization. Everything you know.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    It appeared that she expected him to ask that question because she nodded her head without a change in expression.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where to start.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we start with how you got the stigma of Hirudo?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t much different from normal Awakeners. I heard the voice of a celestial in my journey to find my sister and I ended up receiving their stigma.¡±

    Her words seemed to imply that the celestials of a ck Star didn¡¯t approach Awakeners in a different manner.

    ¡°Where was that?¡±

    ¡°d. It was where my sister was abandoned after being exiled from the family.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s d¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. It isn¡¯t that far from the ¡®First Fissure¡¯.¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    Greend was where the first gate that connected Earth to the Demon Realm, the world of monsters, appeared.

    It wasn¡¯t that far from d.

    ¡®Does that mean that the ck Stars and Demon Realm are connected?¡¯

    Ohjin remembered that he once heard from Jang Sukho that the ck Star Organization hid in the Demon Realm in the past.

    ¡°Isabe, did you also go to the Demon Realm?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ve never been there before.¡±

    It seemed that not all factions of the ck Star Organization went to the Demon Realm.

    ¡°Anyway, so what happened after you received a stigma from a celestial of a ck Star¡­?¡±

    ¡°I roamed around d for several years while suffering cravings for blood. I was determined to find my sister no matter how¡­ but, in the end, I couldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Ohjin sat in silence, his expression hard.

    If her sister was abandoned in a ce so close to the First Fissure like d, it was hard to imagine her still being alive.

    ¡°And then you came back to Italy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°How did you join the ck Star Organization?¡±

    ¡°There was a revtion from our celestial.¡±

    ¡®A revtion¡­¡¯

    ¡°I met Roberto there, and Awakeners with the stigma of Hirudo secretly gathered.¡±

    ¡°Did you meet other factions?¡±

    ¡°We did. We also fought with the Noctua Faction over a couple of shared interests.¡±

    ¡®Aha, so that¡¯s why the Noctua faction called Isabe a witch and freaked out around her.¡¯

    ¡°What factions do the ck Star Organization consist of?

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll write them down in order of their rank for you.¡±

    Isabe took out a small note and started writing down the names of factions.

    1. Serpens Faction.

    2. Musca Faction.

    3. Hirudo Faction.

    4. Felis Faction.

    5. Bufo Faction

    6. Noctua Faction.

    7. Hippocampus Faction.

    The factions ranked 5th, 6th, and 7th on the list were already eliminated.

    ¡°¡­So the Serpens, Musca, and Felis are left.¡±

    ¡°The only one of these we were able to contact was the Felis Faction. The Musca Faction is known to have settled down in South America.¡±

    ¡°What about the Serpens Faction?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know anything besides the fact that they are crazy worshippers of the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    The title ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ garnered more of Ohjin¡¯s interest.

    ¡°Have they met this Heavenly Demon before?¡±

    ¡°No. I also only heard of them in the rumors and never in person.¡±

    As he expected, not even Isabe had met the Heavenly Demon before.

    ¡°Is there anything you know about the Heavenly Demon?¡±

    ¡°First of all¡­ I¡¯ve heard that they created the ck Stars.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡®They made the ck Stars?¡¯

    ¡°Wait, these ck Stars you speak of are celestials, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. They say that the Heavenly Demon gave power to the celestials called ¡®Pseudo Stars¡¯ and turned them into ck Stars.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    The Heavenly Demon creating the celestials of the ck Stars?

    ¡®Does that make any sense?¡¯

    How could a human make celestials?

    No matter how you looked at it, it was beyond understan¡ª

    ¡°Ah.¡± A short exmation left Ohjin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡ªAn answer that solved all of hisplicatedly entwined questions in one blow came to him.

    It didn¡¯t make sense for a human to have the power to make transcendents such as celestials.

    In that case¡­ wasn¡¯t the answer simple?

    ¡°¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯¡­ was never a title given to a human in the first ce?¡± Ohjin asked in a deep voice.

    ¡°Correct.¡± Isabe nodded her head. ¡°The Heavenly Demon is not human.¡±

    T/N: North Pole was changed to the Arctic. They share the same word in Korean and I assumed that they were naturally referring to the North Pole, but it is revealed in this chapter that the first gate was actually in Greend, which is included in the Arctic.

    Musca is ¡®the fly¡¯ in Latin, meaning the Fly Faction.

    Felis, as many of you already know, is cat in Latin.

 Chapter 207: Interlude - New Hope (4)

    Chapter 207: Interlude - New Hope (4)

    ¡°The Heavenly Demon¡­ isn¡¯t human?¡±

    In that case, just what were they?

    ¡®A celestial?¡¯

    No.

    You could think of them as a celestial in the ranks of the North Stars if they were just revered by the ck Stars, but it became apletely different story the moment the word ¡®created¡¯ came into y.

    To his knowledge, there was only one being that could make celestials.

    ¡®Titan¡­¡¯

    He thought of the giant born into existence at the beginning of time that created worlds and celestials to hand the duty of managing those worlds to.

    Titan was undoubtedly the closest being to the ¡®Creator¡¯ thatmonly existed in everyone¡¯s fantasies.

    ¡®The Heavenly Demon is Titan?¡¯

    In that case¡­ had he killed Titan and taken the title ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ from them in his past life?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Ohjin?¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer and continued thinking.

    ¡®Something¡¯s¡­ strange.¡¯

    The puzzle pieces connected, but thepleted image felt hideously distorted.

    An unpleasant sensation ran down his back and spread across his body.

    ¡®I don¡¯t understand. Just what¡­ did I get wrong?¡¯

    It felt like he was walking down a pitch-ck street at night.

    He was able to instinctively realize that something was wrong, but he couldn¡¯t figure out the cause behind it.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Ohjin stopped thinking and raised his head.

    He noticed that Isabe was looking at him with worry.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ohjin shook his head with a bitter smile.

    It didn¡¯t seem like there was anything he could figure out by racking his brain at the moment, but there was one thing he was certain about¡­

    ¡®The Heavenly Demon¡­¡¯

    It was absolutely necessary to find out who and what they were.

    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t happen to know where the Heavenly Demon is, I assume?¡±

    ¡°I heard that they¡¯re in the Demon Realm.¡±

    ¡°The Demon Realm?¡±

    It was thend of demonic beasts that hadn¡¯t even been 5% explored.

    ¡°Yes. They say that the Heavenly Demon is the master of that world.¡±

    ¡°The Master of the Demon Realm, huh¡­?¡±

    There were a couple of things he could ascertain with that.

    ¡®The ck Stars, Heavenly Demon, and ck Star Organization are all connected to the Demon Realm.¡¯

    Visiting the Demon Realm himself would be the best way to find out more concrete information on how they rted to each other, but there was a problem.

    ¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯

    Humanity had little to no information about the Demon Realm.

    Just about the only things they knew were treacherous rumors about how humans should never dare set foot there.

    Either way, it wasn¡¯t a ce Ohjin could go at the moment.

    ¡®I need to get stronger.¡¯

    The bare minimum was being a 9-Star Awakener.

    There was a need to achieve the explosive increase in power obtained after the body went through reconstruction.

    ¡°Come to think of it, what rank are you right now?¡±

    ¡°Ah, me? I¡¯m a 10-Star Awakener.¡±

    ¡ªA 10-Star Awakener.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same as Damien.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡± Isabe nodded her head.

    ¡°Well¡­ there¡¯s still a big difference between us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    Ohjin was very familiar with the fact that the difference in strength between Awakeners of the same rank became more uneven the higher the rank.

    ¡°What do you think would happen if you fought Damien one-on-one?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    Isabe gently touched the end of her plump lips and became lost in thought.

    ¡°I think I would lose in the day and win at night.¡±

    ¡°Does the time of day make such a big difference?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a characteristic of the stigma of Hirudo.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I see.¡±

    That was definitely a restrictive condition.

    ¡°That being said¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t I have you now?¡± Isabe embraced his arm with a charming smile.

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t help but flounder once he felt the indescribable softness of her profound chest.

    ¡°What do I have to do with that¡­?¡±

    ¡°I can use the full extent of my powers regardless of day or night when I drink your blood.¡±

    ¡°My blood lets you use your powers to their full extent?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ to be exact, it does even more than that.¡±

    Normally, she would have a tough time staying sane because she would get an intense desire for blood in exchange for her enhanced powers at night. Since drinking Ohjin¡¯s blood got rid of that issuepletely, she could disy even more might than before.

    Not to mention, his blood also made her mana a degree thicker.

    ¡°Your blood may not make me a match for an 11-Star Awakener, but I could probably be considered a 10.5-Star Awakener.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    There naturally existed no such rank as a 10.5-Star. It just meant that she would have the upper hand against regr 10-Star Awakeners.

    ¡®Is this also thanks to the ck Heaven?¡¯

    He thought that it might have something to do with the ck Heaven since she said her powers were enhanced at night.

    * * *

    * * *

    In any case¡­

    ¡°We¡¯ve obtained a reliable ally.¡±

    Since even her restriction of daytime had disappeared, it was the equivalent of gaining the might of over a thousand soldiers.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ a reliable ally¡­ Is that what I am?¡± Isabe pouted with a sad expression as she pressed herself against Ohjin.

    She slyly put her hand into his clothes and gently stroked the stigma engraved on his chest.

    Blowing warm air over his ears, she whispered in a seductive manner, ¡°I can be even more than that if you want.¡±

    Isabe smiled and quickly removed her hand from his clothes once his expression started to stiffen.

    ¡°Please tell me whenever you need my strength. I will put everything on the line¡­ and fight for you.¡± She spoke in a heroic manner as if she were a crusader about to leave to fight in a crusade.

    Ohjin chuckled when he saw the intense¡ªand almost crazy¡ªfeelings reflecting in her eyes.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go so far.¡±

    ¡°No. My body, mind, my life¡­ all of it exists for you. There is now nothing that''s important to me besides you.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s kind of scary.¡¯

    ¡°You are now my new hope¡­ no, my only hope.¡±

    Ohjin felt that Isabe was somewhat vulnerable from the way she spoke and leaned her head on him.

    ¡°Then do you have any ns going into the future?¡± Ohjin asked to quickly change the subject.

    The vulnerable light in her eyes disappeared, and they returned to their original blue color.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think our faction will have to stay in hiding for a while. The damage the Cgrande Household took was also too severe.¡±

    Isabe stopped in the middle of her thoughts and held his hand, a faint smile on her face.

    ¡°I want to follow you and lend my strength in the fight with the ck Star Organization.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re also a part of the ck Star Organization. Is that fine?¡±

    ¡°Well, we only share the same name. We¡¯re pretty much all different groups, anyway.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s true.¡¯

    ¡°Then should we start with the Felis Faction? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re in contact with them?¡±

    ¡°Ah, the Felis Faction is fine.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Simr to us, they are a faction that isn¡¯t ¡®ck Star Organization-like¡¯.¡±

    ¡®Aha, so that¡¯s what she meant.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to them when the opportunity presents itself.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    If they considered the Felis Faction taken care of, there were only two left.

    ¡ªThe Flies and Snakes.

    ¡°You said that the Musca Faction is located in South America, right?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ shouldn¡¯t go there right now.¡± Isabe shook her head, her expression hardening.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never met him myself, but the King of Flies is famous for being strong even amongst the Executors. People also say that his disposition¡­ is extremely twisted.¡±

    ¡°Is it no use even if you help?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Isabe nodded, a heavy look on her face.

    ¡°Okay. Then let¡¯s head thereter.¡±

    It was wise to avoid going there for the moment. Especially when Isabe was the one to warn him so sternly.

    ¡°Looks like I should focus on getting stronger for the time being.¡±

    He had indeed be stronger at an unprecedented pace, but it was nowhere near enough when he considered the foes he would have to face in the future.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± Isabe pulled his finger and gave him a charming look. ¡°Naturally¡­ I could help you with other things, as well.¡±

    She slowly dragged his hand to her chest.

    The moment it was about to fall into the deep ocean¡ª

    <em>Bang!¡ª</em>

    ¡°How long does it take you guys to organize the luggage?¡±

    ¡ªHa-eun opened the door and entered.

    She discovered Isabe pressed against Ohjin and frowned ferociously.

    ¡°I guess you aren¡¯t called a leech for no reason. Look at this bitch not being able to hold her urges for a second and trying to get close to Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He thought sparks would appear between them again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Cleaning the table alone was tiring, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Sit down here.¡± Isabe quickly stood up and led her to sit down on her bed.

    ¡°Looking at it now¡­¡±

    ¡°Wh-What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really beautiful. This red hair and¡­ oh my, your skin is also so lovely.¡±

    ¡°Eek!¡± Ha-eun stayed guard like a cat that had its tail caught as Isabe suddenly stroked her face.

    ¡°Wh-What the hell?! Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Fufu. It¡¯s just that I want to get closer to you. Aren¡¯t we a family that¡¯ll have to live in the same house now?¡±

    Isabe sat right next to Ha-eun with a gentle smile on her face.

    ¡°Oh, right. How old are you?¡±

    ¡°Me? I¡­ I¡¯m twenty-nine.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re three years older than me. That makes you my senior.¡±

    ¡°H-Huh? Your senior?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ha-eun looked perplexed at Isabe¡¯s sudden change in attitude.

    ¡°Ooh, what lotion do you use?¡±

    ¡°Me? I don¡¯t really use lotions¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh? You don¡¯t use lotions?¡± Isabe raised her brow like she¡¯d heard the unimaginable.

    She rummaged through her trunk and took out cosmetics that clearly looked luxurious.

    ¡°This is a product from Cosme Decorte. Try it out.¡±

    ¡°C-Cornsome Teriyaki?¡±

    ¡°Cosme Decorte. It¡¯s a brand I use often.¡±

    Ha-eun took the lotion Isabe gave her and asked her a question with a bewildered expression on her face. ¡°How much is a bottle of this stuff?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t know the exact amount, but it should be around €3,000 per bottle.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, €3,000 is¡­ what the fuck?! What kind of daylight robbers sell a single bottle of lotion for that much?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s mouth fell open once she searched for the transfer rate on her phone.

    ¡°Fufu. That much is nothing to me. Here, I¡¯ll give you this mist spray and mask pack, too. Ah, don¡¯t you also smoke cigarettes?¡±

    ¡°U-Uh, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±

    <em>Ring¡ª</em>

    Isabe took out her phone and called someone.

    ¡°Ah, Roberto. Didn¡¯t you say before that you were collecting cigars from Cuba? Can you bring all of those here right now? Oh my, you want to know why? Bring every single one of them. Hm? It was hard to build up that collection? Hmm. Since when were you allowed to speak back to me?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes shone coldly.

    ¡°Bring them all. Immediately.¡±

    ¡®¡­Cheer up, Roberto.¡¯

    ¡°Fufu. I¡¯ll also gift you limited-edition cigars from Cuba if you would wait just a moment.¡±

    ¡°C-Can I really ept all of this?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Aren¡¯t we ¡®family¡¯ now?¡±

    ¡°R-Right.¡±

    Ha-eun looked at the cosmetics and gulped.

    Considering her heated gaze, it appeared that she just never had the opportunity to get interested in cosmetics until then.

    ¡°Here, everything here is now yours,¡± Isabe whispered in a sweet voice and handed over the expensive cosmetics she took out from her trunk.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A memory crossed his mind as he watched the two of them.

    <em>-I don¡¯t mind being your second.</em>

    ¡®She¡­ wasn¡¯t serious, right?¡¯

 Chapter 208: Snakes Head (1)

    Chapter 208: Snake''s Head (1)

    ¡°Fuu.¡± He took a deep breath and concentrated mana into his chest.

    <em>Thump, thump¡ª</em>

    The repeated sound of his beating heart rang in his head.

    Ohjin imagined a ck sky¡ªa sky covered by ck clouds with not even a speck of starlight visible.

    Boom, Boom¡ª

    Like a drum, the faint sound grew louder.

    ¡®As I expected, it¡¯s still there.¡¯

    There was a pure white light hiding between the thick clouds¡ªDamien¡¯s mana he had consumed not too long ago.

    <em>Owoong!¡ª</em>

    Once he extended his hands out to the star-like shining light, the tips of his fingers started to burn along as it strongly rejected him.

    As if it knew how to pick its masters, the mana was being stubborn and refused to follow his will.

    ¡®Tsk.¡¯

    Ohjin furrowed his brow and removed his hand from the radiant light.

    Just like the mana from the dragon vein, it was a source of power he couldn¡¯t use at his current level.

    ¡®I think I would be able to rise to a 9-Star in no time if I could just absorb that mana.¡¯

    However, whether it be because of the ck Heaven not being strong enough or Damien¡¯s mana being too simr to its stubborn owner, the mana rejected him like an angry porcupine.

    ¡®Eh, not that it really matters.¡¯

    Ohjin gathered up the immense amount of mana hiding within the ck Heaven and circted it once around his body.

    His mana circuits were iparably wider than before, and his mana easily passed through.

    Simr to the way a river could wear away stone, an extremely small portion of the pure white light fell away.

    The mana circled ap around his body and returned to his heart.

    It was simr to what they called a ¡®cultivation cycle¡¯ that was often mentioned in martial arts stories.

    Albeit only a little, he could absorb Damien¡¯s mana every time he finished a cultivation cycle.

    He could eventually absorb all of the mana with enough time.

    ¡®Though time is the problem.¡¯

    With the amount of mana that he could integrate in a single go being so small, he couldn¡¯t sit down and focus on doing that all day.

    ¡°Fuu.¡± He slowly exhaled and opened his eyes.

    What unfolded before him was his spacious private training room that was the size of three basketball courts end to end.

    Having finished a cultivation cycle that had be a part of his daily routine, he stretched and warmed up his muscles.

    ¡®Stigma of Libra.¡¯

    The gentle light started to form a shape, and a mirage of Cheon Doyoon appeared.

    He was the King of Owls who once nearly killed him in the past.

    ¡°Let¡¯s set the timer to ten¡­ no, fifteen minutes.¡±

    Ohjin took out his phone and set a timer.

    ¡®Then¡­¡¯

    He caught his breath and got rid of any unnecessary thoughts.

    Looking at the mirage of Cheon Doyoon in front of him, he ¡®lied¡¯ to himself.

    ¡°What¡¯s in front of me isn¡¯t a mirage.¡±

    He told himself that it wasn¡¯t a mere mirage but a real and alive ¡®enemy¡¯.

    ¡°It¡¯s the real Cheon Doyoon.¡±

    Brainwashing himself, he repeated the lie to himself hundreds and thousands of times.

    Then¡­

    ¡°Holholhol. It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    The mirage made of light¡­ no, Cheon Doyoon, stroked his beard with his signature bizarreugh.

    ¡°Even thinking about it now, it truly is a shame.¡± Cheon Doyoon grinned slyly. ¡°If only it weren¡¯t for you¡ª¡±

    Hundreds of ck feathers started to float around him.

    ¡°¡ªthat child¡¯s eye would have been mine.¡±

    ¡°Shut the fuck up.¡± Ohjin started to get heated, and rage boiled up inside him.

    The memory of Ha-eun crying desperately in Cheon Doyoon¡¯s hands crossed his mind.

    He was powerless against him back then, but now¡­

    <em>Bzzzt!¡ª</em>

    Blue lightning wrapped around his legs, and Ohjin sprinted forward at a frightening speed.

    ¡°Holholhol.¡±

    <em>Ttutututu!¡ª</em>

    The ck feathers near Cheon Doyoon shot toward him.

    Stepping on blue lightning, he leaped into the air andnced his pitch-ck spear down at the top of Cheon Doyoon¡¯s head like a lightning bolt.

    ¡°You cannot face this old man with that mere strength.¡±

    <em>ng!¡ª</em>

    Doyoon created ck wings from the joints of his shoulders and fended off the spear.

    An intense shock reverberated through the spear and reached Ohjin.

    He lost his grip on the spear and was sent flying back, and Doyoon pped his wings, sending ck feathers shooting toward Ohjin.

    <em>Slit¡ª</em>

    Ohjin¡¯s skin turned red as it was grazed by a feather, and the flesh beneath started to necrotize.

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± Ohjin smirked and extended his hand to the fallen spear.

    <em>Bzzzt!¡ª</em>

    A chain of blue lightning shot out, and the spear floated from the ground.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m more than strong enough to face you now.¡±

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    <em>Stab!¡ª</em>

    The spear flew forward and pierced through Doyoon¡¯s back, sttering crimson blood everywhere

    Doyoon¡¯s wrinkly mouth opened wide as he got down to one knee.

    ¡°Tsk, tsk. This old man talks too much.¡±

    ¡°<em>Hisssss!</em>¡±

    Once Doyoon was defeated, a young man who looked nervous and a demonic beast covered in ck armor appeared.

    It was the ranked 7th Executor, Sosuke, and the Living Armor.

    The two of them put pressure on Ohjin from separate angles as if they had fought together for a long time.

    ¡°<em>Fuu, fuu.</em>¡± His breath became a tad bit ragged.

    Regardless, they didn¡¯t give him time to catch his breath, and dark-blue fire assaulted him from one direction while bubbles came from the other.

    <em>Bzzt! Bzzzzt!¡ª</em>

    They exchanged sessive attacks faster than the naked could see, and Ohjin¡¯s injuries slowly built up.

    ¡°<em>Hiss, h-hiss.</em>¡±

    ¡°<em>Kugh¡­ C-Cough!</em>¡±

    Eventually, Sosuke and the Living Armor copsed to the ground.

    Ohjin gasped for breath as he turned away.

    ¡°Divine justice¡ª¡±

    There, Damian gave Ohjin a piercing re as he raised his sword and it started to give off light.

    ¡°¡ªto those tainted by darkness.¡±

    <em>Boom, boom, boom, boom!¡ª</em>

    Huge streaks of light shot down like a tidal wave.

    The moment his head was about to be split in two by Damien¡¯s sword¡ª

    <em>Ring!¡ª</em>

    ¡ªhis ¡®lie¡¯ to himself was undone with the clear sound of bells.

    The mirage of Damien¡¯s sword passed through his body.

    ¡°Fua!¡±

    Ohjin caught his breath and looked down at Damien¡¯s sword which had slipped right through his body.

    ¡®I¡¯m still not ready for Damien.¡¯

    * * *

    * * *

    <em>Groan¡ª</em>

    He examined his state.

    Despite having fought with mirages that had no physical bodies, there were a ton of injuries that had necrotized on his body.

    ¡°Why does it feel like they keep getting worse?¡±

    His injuries weren¡¯t so severe when he first started image training through lying to himself, but it felt like they¡¯d gotten worse after he started to use the mirages.

    They were simr to the ones he got in real fights.

    ¡®Well, I guess my anger towards Cheon Doyoon earlier was also real.¡¯

    Needless to say, he still kept the thought that they were just mirages for image training deep in his mind, but he felt that he would eventually be able topletely fool himself one day.

    ¡°Is my imagination running a bit too wild?¡± Ohjin smirked and ced his hand on his injuries.

    ¡®Stigma of Hippocampus.¡¯

    <em>Beep, beep, b-beep¡ª</em>

    While he was healing his body with Water Affinity and reviewing his fight with the mirages, the door to the training room opened.

    ¡°Are you still training?¡±

    ¡°Ohjin, how the fuck did you make such a mess training by yourself?¡±

    Isabe and Ha-eun walked through the door.

    He looked back at Ha-eun, who was drenched in sweat just like he was, and conversely asked her a question. ¡°Did you also train, Ha-eun?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even bring that up. I thought I was going to die sparring with this bitch for a slight moment.¡± Ha-eun shook her head like she didn¡¯t even want to think about it.

    Isabe put on a friendly smile and pulled Ha-eun¡¯s arm. ¡°Oh my, how could you use thatnguage toward your cute junior? That was harsh.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, don¡¯t act coy! You attacked me like you were going to kill me earlier!¡±

    ¡°Fufu. That was all for your own good.¡± Isabe covered her mouth and chuckled quietly.

    Though she said it was for her own good, one of Isabe¡¯s goals was most likely relieving her secret jealousy that built up over time.

    ¡°So what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°We came to have lunch together. Do you have time?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that sounds good. I happened to n on getting some rest after finishing one set.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Isabe smiled and took out a lunchbox. ¡°I prepared it in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, I feel like I¡¯m going to starve to death. Let¡¯s hurry up and eat, Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The three of them sat together in the spacious training room and ate lunch.

    <em>Bzzzz¡ª</em>

    At that moment, a phone vibrated.

    They suspected it was just an advertisement like usual and were going to ignore it and continue eating, however¡­

    <em>Bzzz, bzzz¡ª</em>

    ¡°It looks like you got a call.¡±

    ¡°Give me a sec.¡± Ohjin raised his phone.

    ¡®Elder Cheon Sanggil¡¯ was on the caller ID.

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Cheon Sanggil.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s from gramps?¡± Ha-eun stopped her frenzied eating and raised her head with widened eyes.

    Ohjin nodded and changed to speaker mode.

    <em>-Heh, it''s been a while.</em>

    Cheon Sanggil¡¯s voice rang throughout the training room.

    ¡°Ah, yes. How have you been doing in the meantime?¡±

    <em>-This old man had to go through a lot of trouble catching the snake¡¯s tail.</em>

    They could feel how much hardship he¡¯d been through by the fatigue in his voice.

    ¡°Was there any sess?¡±

    <em>-I called you for that very reason.</em>

    Cheon Sanggil continued talking.

    <em>-Haven¡¯t you been to Sokcho before? I¡¯m talking about the demonic beast incident that happened back then.</em>

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    Ohjin recalled the event that happened around half a year prior.

    There¡¯d been a ck energy in the middle of the city that made demonic beasts run away in the same direction.

    ¡°Did something happen there? I¡¯m certain Ha-eun burnt all the ck energy back then,¡± Ohjin asked as he looked at Ha-eun.

    <em>-The energy you burnt back then was merely an extremely small part of it. Another darkness¡­ was hiding deep inside.</em>

    ¡°By another darkness¡­¡±

    <em>-The Demon Realm.</em>

    Ohjin¡¯s expression hardened once he heard the ominous words.

    <em>-There was a fissure connected to the Demon Realm.</em>

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    A fissure that led to the Demon Realm that only existed in the Arctic had appeared in Korea out of the blue.

    <em>-And I found it there¡­</em>

    Cheon Sanggil continued in a low voice.

    <em>-The snake¡¯s tail.</em>

 Chapter 209: Snakes Head (2)

    Chapter 209: Snake''s Head (2)

    ¡°Where exactly did you find their traces?¡± Ohjin asked, his eyes narrowed.

    <em>-It¡¯ll be faster for you toe and see for yourself.</em>

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    <em>-Ah, if this is about the Queen of Snakes, do not be worried. I secretly observed the surroundings myself for around a week, and it fortunately seems that she is not present.</em>

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Ohjin thought about it and nodded his head. Considering how confident Cheon Sanggil was, it would be safe.

    <em>-Weren¡¯t you the one to solve the demonic beast incidentst time? I would like some assistance.</em>

    ¡°That is true¡­¡± Ohjin narrowed his eyes and started to think.

    He couldn¡¯t just sit still and do nothing when he was told that a fissure leading to the Demon Realm had opened in the middle of a city.

    It was right to do whatever he could as fast as possible before an irreversible event happened like in San Fruttuoso.

    ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯

    However, Ohjin felt an unpleasant, strange feeling like there were a few missing pieces of the puzzle.

    ¡°Gramps, how are you doing?¡±

    <em>-Hm? There were other people with you?</em>

    ¡°Ah, yes. I¡¯m with Ha-eun and Isabe.¡±

    <em>-Even better. I happened to be nning on contacting both of them as well.</em>

    It certainly wasn¡¯t something Ohjin could take care of alone.

    ¡°When do we need to be there by?¡±

    <em>-The faster the better. It appears that no demonic beasts have exited the fissure yet¡­ but we don¡¯t know what will happen as long as it remains open.</em>

    ¡°I agree.¡± Ohjin nodded and stood up. ¡°We¡¯ll head over right after we¡¯re finished preparing.¡±

    <em>-Understood. Then I¡¯ll hang up and contact the guild.</em>

    <em>Beep¡ª</em>

    The call ended.

    ¡°A fissure that leads to the Demon Realm¡­ I wonder why it suddenly appeared in Korea of all ces,¡± Isabe wondered with a hardened expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s likely to have to do something with the Snakes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then isn¡¯t it too dangerous to go there right now?¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we can turn a blind eye to it.¡±

    A fissure right beneath a city was the equivalent of a ticking time bomb. Well, it wasn¡¯t likely for Ohjin to take damage if it did explode, however¡­

    ¡®I need to do something, even if it¡¯s just to maintain my hero title.¡¯

    If news that he didn¡¯t participate for fear of his own safety happened to spread, his hard-earned reputation could hit rock bottom in an instant.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let that happen.¡¯

    He felt to the bone how useful the name ¡®Lightning Wolf¡¯ was when he covered up the Damien incident with Isabe.

    If Isabe and Ohjin hadn¡¯t made a name for themselves in the meantime, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to avoid gazes of suspicion when huge news such as a Seven Star dying got out.

    ¡°I also now have a personal reason to chase the Snakes.¡±

    ¡°Is it¡­ because of the Heavenly Demon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡ªThe identity of the Heavenly Demon¡­

    There was probably no living existence who knew more about that being other than the ¡®Queen of Snakes¡¯.

    ¡°It does seem to be pretty serious with how Gramps was acting.¡±

    ¡°Why? Was it different from normal?¡±

    ¡°Mhm. No matter how busy he is, he usually talks about irrelevant stuff a lot. This time, he only brought up the important points.¡±

    To put it nicely, he was flexible in his speech, but one could also say he spoke in a sly manner. Ha-eun would know that best as one who was instructed directly under Cheon Sanggil.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start preparing.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll head home and wash up.¡±

    ¡°Tell me if there¡¯s anything you need and I¡¯ll tell Roberto to get it for us.¡±

    ¡°Alright. It seems that we¡¯ll have to eat from the lunch boxester.¡±

    ¡°Fufu. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make them for you whenever you want.¡±

    Ohjin, Ha-eun, and Isabe individually prepared what they needed before leaving home and inspected their equipment.

    After he finished inspecting his wire shooters, Ohjin took out his spear that was in the shape of a folding knife and carefully polished it with an oiled cloth. Once he was done with that, he prepared the orange bracelet and gauntlet he hadn¡¯t had an opportunity to use recently and recovered the mana that he expended during his short meditation and training.

    ¡°Is everyone finished preparing?¡±

    Ohjin came out to the living room in a fully-armed state.

    Ha-eun, wearing skinny jeans and a rider jacket, along with Isabe, holding a staff embedded with arge golden gemstone, were waiting for him there.

    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re finished.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired from getting beat up earlier, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°Um. That was¡­¡±

    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t have done it if you knew this would happen, so stop putting on that expression.¡±

    Ha-eun smirked and lightly pinched Isabe¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    Like it was her first time getting her cheek pinched, Isabe stroked it with one hand as her eyes widened. Her lips slowly turned into a smile while she was looking at Ha-eun.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time we leave.¡±

    ¡°Will it be okay? Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll eat my fill there.¡±

    It was more efficient to summon Vega once they arrived since her time on Earth was limited.

    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go and catch that snake¡¯s tail in a jiffy!¡± Ha-eun lightly stepped out the door.

    * * *

    ¡°Hmm. So this is Sokcho.¡± Isabe exited the car and furrowed her brow as she took a brief look around Sokcho.

    The downtown area of Sokcho had been damaged severely by the demonic beast incident half a year prior and hadn¡¯t been able to recover yet. The many construction sites seemed to be proof of that.

    ¡°This is an inhabited city¡­ correct?

    ¡°It¡¯s like this due to the attack of demonic beasts gramps mentioned earlier.¡± Ha-eun took out a cigarette from her jacket and bit it with a bitter look on her face.

    There weren¡¯t casualties because they had already evacuated everyone in advance before they went on with their demonic beast subjugation operation, but they couldn¡¯t prevent the destruction of their homes.

    It wasn¡¯t like destroyed buildings could be reconstructed in a day. More time would be needed for the people who live in Sokcho to see the original appearance of their hometown.

    ¡°Ha-eun, where did the ck energy spike up again?¡±

    ¡°Oh, somewhere around there.¡±

    Ha-eun, who was smoking and looking at the people walking lifelessly in the streets, rubbed her cigarette on an ashtray and put it out.

    There was arge hole about 300 meters in diameter in the middle of the city next to the Expo Tower that was in the middle of construction. It was like a sinkhole had appeared.

    * * *

    * * *

    An old man wearing a hanbok waited for Ohjin¡¯s party near the fences with danger warnings all over them.

    ¡°Thank you foring right away.¡± Cheon Sanggil extended his hand towards Ohjin with a friendly smile.

    ¡°Is the Heaven¡¯s Grace guild yet to arrive?¡±

    ¡°I received contact that they¡¯ll be here soon.¡± He turned around and walked past the warning fences.

    There was an unpleasant, sticky energy flowing from beneath the seemingly bottomless hole.

    ¡°¡­Is that where we¡¯re heading?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Cheon Sangil slowly nodded his head.

    Ohjin sighed and waited until the Heaven¡¯s Grace guild members arrived.

    ¡°Come to think of it, what are your future ns with Guardian?¡±

    ¡°Hm? What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t three out of seven members died?¡±

    ¡°Ahh, right.¡± Cheon Sanggil nodded as if he had remembered something he¡¯d forgotten about.

    ¡°Well, casualties can¡¯t be helped during an operation.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ is true.¡±

    His reaction was much more easy going than Ohjin imagined it would be.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to recruit more people after this matter is over. We can think about who to recruit when that timees,¡± Sanggil said while looking down at the ck hole.

    Ohjin nodded and observed the surroundings. ¡°Come to think of it, is Lee Woohyuking?¡±

    ¡°I tried to contact him, but I heard he¡¯s gone into seclusion.¡±

    ¡°Seclusion?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he on the doorsteps of 9-Star?¡±

    It was indeed about time Lee Woohyuk advanced into the ranks of a high-rank Awakener.

    <em>Vroooom¡ª</em>

    While they were looking around and exchanging smalltalk, a couple ofrge vans arrived at the scene.

    Heaven¡¯s Grace members wearing improved hanbok stormed out.

    ¡°Is everyone here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!

    The members stood in a neat line and bowed to Sanggil as if they had gone through army training.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s head in.¡± Sanggil faced away from his guild members and started to move.

    There were stairs around one meter in width on the outskirts of the deep hole.

    Ohjin¡¯s party followed him down the narrow stairs, and when they were around one hundred meters down¡ª

    ¡°Can you feel it?¡±

    ¡ªSanggil turned around and spoke to Ohjin.

    There wasn¡¯t a subject in his sentence, but he didn¡¯t need one to understand what he was referring to¡ªthere was ominous mana rising up like a haze from the hole.

    ¡°Yes.¡± He could realize there was something extremely ominous below even without using the stigma of the Hunting Dogs.

    ¡°That is the fissure I discovered.¡±

    As they went down approximately 30 more meters, they saw a small fissure around one meter in size.

    ¡°What was the trace of the Snakes you mentioned?¡±

    ¡°Come over here.¡± Sanggil pointed to somewhere near the ck fissure.

    There was a bizarre magic circle drawn there, and in the middle of it was a hand-sized medallion engraved with the shape of a snake.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯ Ohjin looked down at the snake medallion in the middle of the magic circle and narrowed his eyes.

    Indeed, it was the exact same medallion as the ones possessed by Cheon Doyoon and Sosuke.

    ¡®Is it about time I call Vega?¡¯

    Vega¡¯s senses were a lot more exceptional than his in that area. Ohjin touched the silver pendant hanging around his neck, and she appeared out of thin air with radiant light.

    [Hmm? Where is this?]

    It looked like she felt the unpleasant mana in the area since she spoke with a frown on her face.

    Ohjin exined what happened in a simple manner.

    [A fissure that leads to the Demon Realm¡­]

    Vega furrowed her brow while looking at the ck fissure leaking the unpleasant mana.

    [How did you find this ce?]

    ¡°I happened toe across it while chasing after the Snakes. It appears to have been here for quite some time.¡±

    [No.] Vega firmly shook her head.

    [It¡­ hasn¡¯t been long since this fissure was created.]

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since it was created?¡±

    [Correct.]

    ¡°Then how long has it been?¡±

    [I can¡¯t give you an exact time¡­ but around ten days? I believe it has only been somewhere around there.]

    That would mean Sanggil discovered the fissure only three days after it was created.

    ¡°¡­¡± Ohjin narrowed his eyes and examined the ck fissure.

    ¡°What¡¯s its state like?¡±

    [Hmm. It¡¯s maintaining an incredibly stable state.]

    ¡°There¡¯s no chance of demonic beasts or anything elseing out?¡±

    [I can¡¯t say that the chances of it happening are nil, but it is indeed low. Don¡¯t monsters normallye out of fissures that are unstable?]

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    It was the same in San Fruttuoso¡ªfundamentally, monsters would only exit a fissure when it was stimted or in an unstable state.

    ¡®Then does that mean it¡¯s safe for now?¡¯

    Ohjin approached the ck fissure and slowly extended his hand.

    Then¡­ the moment the tips of his fingers made contact with the fissure¡ª

    <em>Rumble!!¡ª</em>

    ¡ªthe hole trembled as if an earthquake was happening.

    ¡°Wh-What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Ohjin!¡±

    [My child!]

    Ha-eun looked around with shock while Vega and Isabe urgently called out Ohjin, who quickly took his hand out of the fissure and backed off.

    However¡­

    <em>C-C-C-Crack!!!!¡ª</em>

    Like cracked ss breaking, the ck fissure that was merely one meter in size suddenly started to expand.

    Five meters, ten meters, thirty meters¡­

    The fissure expanded at a rapid speed and swallowed up everyone within the hole in an instant.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    <em>Bang!¡ª</em>

    Even as the fissure swallowed him, Ohjin quickly used his wire shooters and wrapped them around Ha-eun and Isabe.

    His consciousness faded along with the feeling of his body getting sucked into somewhere.

    In his hazy mind¡ª

    <em>-You¡¯vee.</em>

    ¡ªhe heard the whispers of someone¡­ who had a thrilled, ecstatic voice.

    <em>-I¡¯ve been waiting for you.</em>

    Ohjin lost consciousness without any sort of chance to identify who the voice belonged to.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Where he was lying when he opened his eyes¡­ was inside the Demon Realm.

 Chapter 210: Snakeâ€™s Head (3)

    Chapter 210: Snake¡¯s Head (3)

    ¡°Kugh¡­¡±

    It felt like his head was going to split apart.

    Ohjin clutched his aching head and slowly opened his eyes.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    The sky was covered in ck clouds.

    Sharp stgmites jutted out of the ground like giant swords, and bizarre-looking nts that he had never seen before grew between them.

    Between the clouds covering the sky were seven ck stars glowing with an ominous light.

    Normally, one shouldn¡¯t have been able to differentiate the ck stars from the sky because it was like drops of ink against ck paper, but for some reason, he could clearly see the seven ck stars, even in a sky covered in ck clouds.

    You couldn¡¯t see such a strange thing on Earth.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Ohjin to realize where he had ended up.

    ¡°¡­The Demon Realm.¡±

    It was the world of monsters that one could originally only arrive at through the ¡®First Fissure¡¯¡ªan extremelyrge gate with a diameter reaching 50km in the Arctic.

    He had been sucked into that world of unchartednds, and in a ridiculously simple way at that.

    ¡°Hah.¡± Ohjin chuckled and clutched his head.

    ¡®Did I let my guard down?¡¯

    Objectively, saying such a thing was hard. After all, he touched the fissure only after he summoned Vega and made sure it was safe. In addition, he had entered hundreds of gates until then, and it was his first timeing across a gate that expanded and swallowed up its surroundings.

    [My¡­ child?]

    Ohjin helped Vega, who¡¯d copsed near him.

    She touched her head as if it hurt and abruptly flew into the air in surprise after observing the surroundings.

    [Is¡­ Isn¡¯t this the Demon Realm?!]

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    [J-Just how did this¡­?]

    Confused, Vega recalled what had happened: the ck fissure swallowed everyone up like a snake eating prey as soon as Ohjin¡¯s hand made contact with it.

    Her face paled.

    [This is my fault.]

    She was the one who said the fissure was safe.

    ¡°No. We can¡¯t me this on anyone.¡±

    Who could¡¯ve expected that to happen for the simple reason of making contact with it?

    [I¡¯m certain that the fissure was extremely stable¡­ Not even I can understand why this happened.]

    Vega furrowed her brow in frustration.

    There was no way for her to know, but there was one thing on Ohjin¡¯s mind¡­

    ¡®The ck Heaven reacted.¡¯

    The moment his hand touched the ck fissure, it started to expand at a rapid pace, like it was resonating with him.

    In other words, that fissure was a trap specifically designed to suck Ohjin into the Demon Realm from the very beginning.

    There was no need to think about whose deed it was. After all, they left traces of themselves in in sight in front of the fissure.

    The problem wasn¡¯t who had done it, but rather¡­

    ¡®How¡­ do they know I have the ck Heaven?¡¯

    The Queen of Snakes was somehow able to find out something that not even a North Star could.

    Ohjin bit his lip and clenched his fists.

    ¡®Let¡¯s think about thister.¡¯

    Finding a way out as fast as possible came first.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ my back. What the hell happened?¡±

    ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡±

    It was unknown if it was because he quickly wrapped his wires around them before getting sucked in, but he was, fortunately, able to find Ha-eun and Isabe not too far away.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright. What about you two?¡±

    ¡°Other than feeling a terrible headache, yeah.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also fine.¡±

    A breath of relief left his mouth when he confirmed that they were okay.

    ¡®Now that that¡¯s dealt with¡­¡¯

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°By any chance¡­ did any of you hear a voice when you got sucked in?¡±

    ¡°Huh? What voice?¡±

    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t.¡±

    The two women shook their heads.

    ¡°Some whisperings along the lines of, ¡®I¡¯ve been waiting for you¡¯. Seriously, did none of you hear it?¡±

    ¡°Did you have auditory hallucinations or something?¡± Ha-eun tilted her head.

    It seemed that the two women hadn¡¯t heard the voice.

    He turned his head to face Vega, but her answer was the same.

    [I couldn¡¯t hear anything, either.]

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    In that case, who was behind the voice?

    ¡°Maybe it was the Queen of Snakes. It¡¯s likely that she¡¯s also the one who made the fissure.¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡± Ohjin quietly shook his head. ¡°It was a male voice.¡±

    He didn¡¯t remember exactly what kind of voice it was, but he was sure that it was the voice of a male.

    ¡°Maybe the Queen of Snakes has a pair?¡±

    ¡°What are you on about?¡±

    ¡°You know¡­ What did they call it again¡­ oh, right! Futa¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡± He closed Ha-eun¡¯s rambling mouth with his fingers.

    ¡°Uuuub!¡±

    She frowned in displeasure and flicked out her tongue to lick his fingers.

    Ohjin grimaced and moved his hand away. ¡°That¡¯s gross.¡±

    ¡°And who said you could dare touch my lips like that?¡± Ha-eun puffed air out of her nose and looked up at the sky. ¡°What kind of sky is this fucking dark?¡±

    <em>Tsk¡ª</em>

    She clicked her tongue and took a cigarette out of her pocket.

    <em>Sizzle¡ª</em>

    The tip of the cigarette ignited, and res began lighting up the surroundings like fireflies.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°But where did Gramps and the guild members go?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s start by searching the surroundings.¡± Ohjin took the lead and walked past the tall stgmites.

    ¡°Wow, Ohjin. Look at that.¡± Ha-eun pulled the hem of his clothing and pointed.

    There was a tree growing in the small space between the stgmites, and on the tip of the tree was a light-green fruit giving off a mystical light. The fruit was semitransparent and beautiful, like a gemstone.

    ¡°That fruit¡­ is really pretty. Isn¡¯t it?¡± Ha-eun¡¯s eyes went hazy as she looked at the fruit, and she started to walk towards the light-green fruit like she was charmed by it.

    Isabe urgently gripped her shoulder. ¡°Snap out of it.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I smell blood from that fruit.¡± She narrowed her eyes and threw a stone at the tree bearing the fruit.

    <em>Crunch!!¡ª</em>

    Roots suddenly tore out of the ground and split apart the stone before ravenously swallowing it.

    ¡°Wh-What the hell is that?!¡± Her hazy eyes returned to normal.

    Ha-eun looked at the roots destroying the stone and frowned. Finding it unpleasant, she threw the cigarette in her hand at the tree.

    <em>Fwooosh!¡ª</em>

    Fierce mes burned the tree.

    ¡°Goddamn¡­ I would¡¯ve helplessly fallen for it if I was alone.¡±

    She found it disturbing that she had been walking to the tree without even realizing it, and her shoulders trembled. She probably wouldn¡¯t have died due to the sturdy body of a high-rank Awakener she had, but she would¡¯ve still received a serious injury.

    ¡°¡­This ce isn¡¯t called the Demon Realm for nothing.¡± Ohjin activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and raised his guard.

    When he cautiously took the lead¡ª

    ¡°Fuu! So this is where you were!¡±

    ¡ªCheon Sanggil appeared, catching his breath.

    It looked like he had run across a couple of demonic beasts since blood stained his Hanbok.

    ¡°Were any of you hurt?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much happened to us. What about you, Gramps?¡±

    ¡°Phew. I was ambushed by demonic beasts on my way to find you guys¡­ but I was, fortunately, able to take care of them without much trouble.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil exhaled a breath of relief and spoke in a dark tone. ¡°I apologize. I didn¡¯t expect this to happen.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. No one here could¡¯ve expected such a thing to happen.¡± Ohjin took out a canteen from his belt and handed it over to Sanggil.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Could I ask you a few questions?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± He took a refreshing gulp of water and nodded his head.

    ¡°Where were you when you first opened your eyes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ it was quite a distance away.¡±

    ¡°Do you have no estimate of how far it was?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps five kilometers? No, it should''ve been around ten kilometers away.¡±

    Indeed, it was quite far away, considering that they were all sucked into the fissure simultaneously.

    ¡°Then did you start trying to find us as soon as you opened your eyes?¡±

    ¡°That is the case.¡±

    ¡°Approximately how many minutes did it take?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. O-One hour? I believe it was somewhere around there.¡±

    ¡°Then you must¡¯ve woken up at the same time as us.¡±

    It had also been around one hour since Ohjin opened his eyes.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention something about running into a group of demonic beasts on your way here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What kind of beasts were they? Could you describe how they looked or howrge they were?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Please wait a moment. This old man can¡¯t remember that well with how dark and overwhelmed he was.¡±

    Cheon Sanggil took a sip of water once again and continued.

    ¡°They were leopards around three meters tall. Though I call them leopards, that was only their heads. They had human bodies.¡±

    ¡°Like werewolves?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°How many?¡±

    ¡°I believe it was somewhere around one hundred. They were 7-Star monsters at least.¡±

    That would mean he eliminated a group of one hundred monsters that were 7-Star in that short amount of time.

    Ohjin eximed and nodded his head. ¡°As expected of the First Star.¡±

    ¡°Keke. That¡¯s the only thing this old man can brag about.¡± Cheon Sanggil chuckled and handed over the canteen he was drinking from to Ohjin.

    He drank quite a bit of water thanks to being exhausted from his fight, but there was still a lot left since the canteen had its storage enhanced with mana stones.

    ¡°Then could I ask you one final question?¡±

    ¡°Be my guest.¡±

    ¡°Could you¡ª Ah¡­¡± Ohjin identally dropped the canteen he was receiving. The water inside spilled everywhere and drenched Cheon Sanggil¡¯s Hanbok.

    ¡°Oh, my.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Keke. It¡¯s alright. Rather, it¡¯s fortunate because it washed away some of the demonic beasts¡¯ blood.¡± Cheon Sanggil smiled kindly and picked up the canteen for Ohjin.

    ¡°So, what was it you wanted to ask?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing much.¡± Ohjin hung the canteen on his belt and continued, ¡°The questions that I¡¯ve asked until now¡­ could you answer them in reverse order?¡±

    Silence settled down.

    ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± Sanggil looked at Ohjin with confusion written on his face.

    Ohjin stared at him with cold eyes. ¡°Can you answer them in reverse?¡±

    ¡°So¡­ um.¡± He avoided his eyes, and his legs trembled as he broke out in a nervous sweat.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ohjin grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try answering me?¡±

 Chapter 211: Snakeâ€™s Head (4)

    Chapter 211: Snake¡¯s Head (4)

    ¡°Kugh!¡±

    Cheon Sanggil sensed the imminent danger and quickly tried to escape.

    <em>Bzzzzzt!¡ª</em>

    The blue lightning shooting from the tips of Ohjin¡¯s fingers flowed through his drenched hanbok and struck him.

    ¡°Aargh!¡± He copsed on the ground with a painful shout.

    <em>Crack! Crackle!¡ª</em>

    Residential blue sparks burned the surrounding area.

    ¡°Oh-Ohjin! What are you doing to Gramps?!¡± Ha-eun rushed towards them with a dumbstruck expression.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Hm? What do you mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t Cheon Sanggil.¡±

    It was merely an imposter pretending to be him.

    Ohjin looked down at him with cold eyes and continued, ¡°If, on the off chance, he really was Sanggil, he wouldn¡¯t have fallen for an attack of this caliber.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± Isabe, who had followed Ha-eun, nodded her head in agreement.

    ¡°Kugh¡­ H-How?¡±

    Cheon Sanggil looked up from the ground at Ohjin with confusion. It appeared that he wanted to ask how he knew.

    ¡°I thought it was a little strange from the start.¡± Ohjin clicked his tongue.

    He felt that it was strange ever since he was first contacted by him.

    It was just a slight bit of doubt back then, but it had turned into strong suspicion with how the situation developed.

    ¡°Why was I the first person you contacted?¡±

    There was Heaven¡¯s Grace, which he was the guildmaster of, Isabe, who took charge and reported the Living Armor incident in his ce, and Ha-eun, who was the one to destroy the ck miasma back when the demon beast subjugation incident took ce in Sokcho.

    Why, then, of all people, had he been the first person he contacted?¡±

    ¡°You would¡¯ve first contacted Isabe if you wanted to gather the members of Guardian, and you could¡¯ve contacted Ha-eun if you wanted someone who had participated in the demon beast subjugation.¡±

    In addition, he wasn¡¯t even that close to Sanggil.

    Sanggil looked up at him with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°You¡¯re telling me¡­ that you attacked me because of that mere reasoning?¡±

    ¡°Well, I only thought that it was a little strange back then.¡±

    If he knew that he wasn¡¯t the real Sanggil from the very beginning, he wouldn¡¯t have gone to Sokcho in the first ce.

    However¡­

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too outrageous for it to be a coincidence?¡±

    Sanggil had discovered the fissure that opened ten days prior in only three days. Not only that, but he had only contacted Ohjin when there were other people who should have had higher priority, and that particr fissure also happened to be solely made to trap him.

    One could say that they were coincidences if looked at individually, but he couldn¡¯t help but think it was suspicious when so many coincidences ovepped.

    ¡°...Kugh.¡± Sanggil¡­ no, the thing that was disguised as Sanggil groaned.

    It painfully wriggled its body and smirked.

    ¡°Even if you¡¯ve figured me out, it¡¯s already toote.¡±

    <em>Wriggle¡ª</em>

    In an instant, his face distorted like mud and started to change into dozens of different faces. Soon enough, the monster¡¯s whole body turned into ck mucus. Its outer appearance was like the silhouette of a criminal in a cartoon.

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes and looked at the monster consisting of ck mucus.

    There was a particr name that surfaced in his mind.

    ¡®A Doppelganger.¡¯

    It was the name of a monster that had the ability to change its appearance ording to its will.

    There were rumors that such a monster existed in the Demon Realm, but it had yet to be spotted on Earth.

    ¡®Come to think of it, Sokcho was also the ce where I obtained Transformation.¡¯

    He had obtained Transformation through Choi Jongchul, who had turned into a demonic beast. Ohjin wondered if it had something to do with the Doppelganger.

    * * *

    * * *

    He had no way of finding the answer to his question.

    The Doppelganger bared its teeth and spoke.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve already entered the Demon Realm¡­ you will die at the hands of ¡®that¡¯ being.¡±

    After giving him an ominous warning, it quickly got up and tried to escape.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Isabe appeared in front of the Doppelganger in an instant and red at it with ice-cold eyes.

    ¡°Eek!¡±

    A drop of blood gathered at the tip of her pure white finger and fell to the ground.

    ¡°Ohjin isn¡¯t done speaking.¡±

    <em>Ssh!¡ª</em>

    The drop of blood turned into a small puddle. Chains of blood burst out of the puddle and wrapped around the Doppelganger.

    ¡°Ugh! L-Let go!¡± The Doppelganger panicked and struggled with all its might.

    Isabe approached it with leisurely steps.

    ¡°Damn it¡­!¡± A gurgling sound started toe out of the Doppelganger¡¯s body as it began to change shape to look like Ohjin.

    It looked at Isabe with affectionate eyes and opened its mouth. ¡°Isabe. Are you really nning to attack me?¡±

    It was the Doppelganger¡¯s unique ability to change into the person the opponent held most dear so that it could make them lose their will to fight.

    Sight was the sense humans relied the most on, after all.

    Even if the brain knew that they weren¡¯t the real thing, people couldn¡¯t help but get flustered at something that looked exactly the same and had the same voice as their most loved¡ª

    ¡°What¡­ do you¡­ think you¡¯re doing?¡± Her voice turned cold.

    Isabe¡¯s blue eyes, which once shone with a bright light, darkened as if she were an emotionless doll.

    ¡°...Huh?¡± The Doppelganger shivered in fear once it felt the horrendous killing intent suffocating it.

    <em>Crunch!¡ª</em>

    Isabe dug her finger into the Doppelganger¡¯s corbone and through its flesh. ck mucus began to flow out.

    ¡°I asked¡­ what you¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhh! Kugh! Arghh!¡±

    <em>Crunch, crack, crumble!¡ª</em>

    Her finger violently dug into its corbone like it was fruit.

    A horrifying scream left the Doppelganger¡¯s mouth, apanied by the uncanny sound of crushing bones.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you¡­ dare have the audacity to impersonate Ohjin?¡± Isabe mumbled in a murderous voice and thoroughly dismantled the monster that was disguised as him.

    She tore out its corbone, cut the muscle and fat that once held it in ce, and twisted out the shoulder de that was connected to it.

    ¡°Kah! Kugh! Ahh!¡±

    As the brutal dismantling continued, the Doppelganger¡¯s eyes rolled back in its hea, and it frothed at the mouth.

    When Isabe shoved her finger into its other corbone after tearing off its arm¡ª

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    ¡ªOhjin held Isabe¡¯s shoulder.

    Her soulless eyes turned back to normal, and a bright smile formed on her face.

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    It was unthinkable that Isabe¡¯s innocent smile was from the same woman who crushed bones and tore flesh without a speck of mercy just a few moments ago.

    A droplet of ck blood flowed down her smiling face.

    ¡°...Is she really alright in the head?¡± Ha-eun whispered with a horrified expression.

    Ohjin nodded in aforting manner.

    No matter how sharp the fang, it didn¡¯t matter as long as it wasn¡¯t directed toward them.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    At least, to him, it was.

    ¡°Ah, u-ugh.¡±

    Ohjin approached the Doppelganger.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the exit?¡±

    ¡°There¡­ is no exit.¡±

    ¡°Stop with the bullshit.¡±

    <em>Crack!¡ª</em>

    ¡°Ahhhhh!!¡±

    Ohjin violently stepped on where its arm was torn and looked down at it coldly.

    As long as there was a way in, there had to be a way out.

    The reason why only 5% of the Demon Realm was explored in the first ce wasn¡¯t because they couldn¡¯t go in, but because no one wanted to go in.

    ¡°You people¡­ cannot¡­ get out of here alive¡­¡±

    ¡°Isabe.¡±

    ¡°Did you call for me~?¡±

    ¡°Eeek! W-Wait! Wait a moment!¡±

    The Doppelganger¡¯s face turned pale as Isabe approached them with the brightest expression on her face.

    Unable to bear looking her in the eyes, it pointed toward a stgmite with its trembling finger.

    ¡°G-Go straight in the direction of that stgmite. Y-You¡¯ll find a fissure there.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Ohjin nodded and roughly stepped on its legs.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!!¡±

    As if they¡¯d been put through a hydraulic press, its two legs were miserably crushed.

    ¡°Isabe, can you maintain the chains tying this thing up?

    ¡°Yes. They shouldst for around a full day.¡±

    Ohjin nodded and turned to face the direction the Doppelganger pointed.

    ¡°We¡¯ll meet again if you happen to be lying.¡±

    ¡°<em>Sob, sob.</em>¡± The Doppelganger wriggled like a bug and nodded its head.

    [So my child has a brutal side like this.] Vega, who was sitting on his head, spoke with a bit of surprise in her voice.

    As she had only seen him being heroic up until then, that side of him felt rather unfamiliar to her.

    ¡°Are you disappointed?¡± Ohjin asked with a guilty expression.

    [No. A certain amount of brutality is needed in order to save the world. Do not let it get to you.]

    Vega shook her head left and right and patted his head with her small hands.

    It tickled like a feather.

    Ohjin smiled and started to head to the stgmite.

    While they were slowly walking in that direction¡ª

    ¡°Ohjin¡­ over there.¡±

    ¡ªIsabe frowned and looked at a certain ce.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I smell blood¡­ It''s very strong.¡±

    ¡°...Let¡¯s head there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead.¡± Isabe obstructed the way in a protective manner.

    It was quite far, and they only arrived at the ce she mentioned after walking for nearly twenty minutes.

    There was a small, open space between tall stgmites, and there were hundreds of corpses scattered around within.

    ¡°Ohjin, this is¡­¡±

    ¡°Guild members from Heaven¡¯s Grace.¡±

    Ohjin furrowed his brow and examined the brutally torn corpses.

    The corpses were in a horrendous state. It was like they had been sucked into an industrial machine.

    [It looks like they were trying to protect something.] Vega looked at the scattered bodies with pity.

    Just as she said, the corpses looked like they were trying to protect something precious from intruders.

    Ohjin nodded and tried to find what the guild members had been trying to protect with their lives.

    ¡°Ohjin! I think it¡¯s over here!¡± Ha-eun pointed to a small gap between stgmites.

    <em>Fwoosh!¡ª</em>

    mes brightened the area around her.

    In the small gap was¡ª

    ¡°G-Gramps¡­!¡±

    ¡ªthe corpse of Sanggil, who had a hole dug straight through his left pectoral.

    Quite a lot of time had passed since his death, based on the terrible smell of rot.

    ¡°......¡±

    Ohjin looked down at the corpse and slowly closed his eyes.

    He had expected it ever since he discovered the Doppelganger using Sanggil¡¯s appearance, but looking at his corpse directly evoked mixed feelings.

    ¡®Sanggil didn¡¯t catch the Snake¡¯s tail.¡¯

    Rather than that, he had caught the Snake¡¯s head¡­ and one with extremely venomous fangs.

    <em>Rumble!¡ª</em>

    The entire area trembled with a loud noise.

    Ohjin bit his lips and raised his spear.

    ¡°They¡¯reing.¡±

    Hundreds of demonic beasts jumped down from the tall stgmites.

 Chapter 212: Snakes Head (5)

    Chapter 212: Snake''s Head (5)

    <em>Bang! Boom!¡ª</em>

    Demonic beasts withrge builds dropped down into the open space.

    "Ugh¡­"

    "Wh-Why the fuck do they look like that?"

    Looking at the hundreds of demonic beastsnding around them, Isabe covered her mouth in disgust, and Ha-eun¡¯s mouth fell open in shock.

    "Kerrr, kerr."

    The monsters had moist skin that looked to be made out of yellow pus, no eyes, two huge nostrils, and mouths that ran all the way up to their foreheads.

    There were several tentacles wriggling behind their disgusting backs, and their long arms and legs had fur reminiscent of a cockroach''s.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Ohjin also swore once he saw the demonic beasts.

    ¡®Why do those even exist?¡¯

    He had fought many kinds of demonic beasts to date, but it was his first timeing across ones with such an unpleasant appearance.

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know that such a species existed.¡±

    [It is also my first time seeing a monster this disgusting.]

    Even Isabe and Vega, who normally weren¡¯t shaken, frowned. The ugliness was just too hard to endure.

    ¡°Kerrrrrrr!¡± The ugly demonic beasts red their nostrils, lowered their bodies, and started to move the hideous tentacles behind their backs.

    ¡°Fuck, I think I¡¯m going to throw up.¡± Ha-eun looked away as if she couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. It was her first timeing across a demonic beast that caused so much disgust with its ¡®appearance¡¯ alone.

    ¡°Do all the demonic beasts in the Demon Realm look like this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    No one there had been to the Demon Realm before.

    [Stay on guard.]

    With Vega¡¯s warning¡ª

    <em>Rumble, rumble!¡ª</em>

    ¡ªthe ground started to tremble as the demonic beasts surrounding Ohjin¡¯s party began to charge at them.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Kerr! Kerrrr!¡± They widened their torn mouths with a bizarre cry, and their long tongues swung like whips.

    [What unpleasant monsters.] Vega flew up into the air and spread her arms out.

    <em>Bzzzt!¡ª</em>

    Blue sparks appeared and crackled around her body.

    [Go.] Her low voice rang out as the sparks spread outward ording to hermand.

    ¡°Kerr! Ker!¡± A demonic beast hit by the blue sparks wriggled its body.

    <em>Pop¡ª</em>

    A bump on the affected beast¡¯s back exploded, and yellow pus with a disgusting smell spilled out.

    ¡°I seriously can¡¯t!¡± Ha-eun frowned and took a cigarette from her pack.

    <em>Sizzle!¡ª</em>

    The tip of the cigarette lit up as huge fireballs started to form.

    ¡°Die, you disgusting freaks!¡±

    <em>Fwoosh!¡ª</em>

    A huge wave of mes swept over the demonic beasts.

    ¡°Kerr!¡± The demonic beasts hit by the mes rolled on the ground and wailed.

    Smoke rose up along with the sound of burning flesh.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Ha-eun¡¯s victoriously clenched fists and happiness onlysted for a moment.

    The demonic beasts positioned behind the frontline jumped over the burning beasts and charged at them.

    ¡°Kerererr!¡± Their cry sounded like someone spitting phlegm out of their throat.

    Crawling toward them with their long, cockroach-like legs, they attacked Ohjin¡¯s party with the tentacles growing from their backs.

    ¡°Ew!¡±

    Ha-eun barely managed to stop herself from throwing up when she witnessed the pus-covered tentacles. She covered her mouth with one hand and quickly backed away.

    <em>Sizzle!¡ª</em>

    One of the tentacles grazed a stgmite, which started to melt as if the pus was acidic.

    ¡°Fucking hell¡­!¡± Ha-eun extended her arms and bared her teeth.

    Six fiery dragons wrapped around her body.

    ¡°Oh, mes¡­!¡± She stomped and extended her arms forward.

    <em>Bang!¡ª</em>

    ¡°Burn them all away!¡±

    <em>Fwooosh!¡ª</em>

    The six dragons of fire started to dance.

    Floating through the air like living organisms, the dragons swallowed up the demonic beasts approaching them, and the hideous stench from the burning pus made her face pale.

    ¡°W-Wait¡­ Blergh.¡±

    ¡°Ha-eun!¡± Isabe obstructed the monsters¡¯ paths to Ha-eun as she started to stumble. Her eyes turned cold, and a red energy surrounded her as a dark-red scythe formed.

    <em>sh!¡ª</em>

    Every time the scythe swung, a demonic monster¡¯s body was split in two and sent tumbling along the ground.

    ¡°Damn, just how many are there?¡± Ohjin furrowed his brow as he confronted the demonic beasts on the opposite side of Ha-eun and Isabe.

    He was sure there were around two to three hundred demonic beasts that jumped from the stgmites at first, but they wouldn''t stoping.

    If one were to only look at the situation, it was rather simr to San Fruttuoso, with one exception¡­

    ¡®These fuckers are strong.¡¯

    Ohjin sliced a lethal tentacle and stomped on the head of a demonic beast that appeared from the ground.

    The endless waves were somewhat manageable back in San Fruttuoso because the monsters were merely 1-Star Ant-horns, but each and every disgusting demonic beast that appeared in the open space was fast and strong enough to be at least a 6-Star monster.

    That wasn¡¯t all¡­

    ¡®It¡¯s difficult to deal with them since each individual demonic beast has slightly different attack patterns.¡¯

    Some demonic beasts swung their crab-like ws and rushed in, while others shot sharp thorns in all directions.

    Ohjin barely managed to fend off the attacksing in from every direction and frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the ones on this side myself. Please defend the other side with Ha-eun,¡± Isabe said as she took a big step toward the highest concentration of demonic beasts.

    ¡°Will you be alright?¡±

    ¡°Fufu. Are you worried about me?¡± Isabe spun around to face Ohjin with a seductive smile on her face.

    The moment she turned around, dozens of demonic beasts jumped on her.

    Faced away from them, Isabe swung her scythe with a flick of her wrist.

    <em>aaash!¡ª</em>

    A dark red line was drawn in the air that split the demonic beasts in half. Isabe smiled at him as the monsters fell dead behind her.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡±

    ¡°¡­That seems to be the case.¡± Ohjin held in his chuckle and turned to face the demonic beasts.

    There were other things to be worried about.

    He stood in the passage opposite the one Isabe was defending. It wasn¡¯t as bad as the passage at the front, but there were still hundreds of demonic beasts charging in.

    <em>Bzzzzt!¡ª</em>

    Gathering up his mana with Exceed, he strengthened his grip on his spear.

    ¡°Ha-eun, support me from behind.¡±

    ¡°Alright! Leave it to me!¡±

    [I shall also assist!]

    Ohjin nodded and dashed at the group of demonic beasts.

    <em>Bang!¡ª</em>

    He shot his wire shooter at a tall stgmite and flew up into the air as the demonic beasts chased after him and quickly scaled the stgmites.

    ¡°Hmpf!¡±

    Extending the wires, he ran through thin air with Lightning Step as he took ap around the stgmite and wrapped the climbing demonic beasts up in his wire.

    ¡°Kerrrr! Kerr!¡± They struggled and iled their cockroach-like legs as they were tied up in his wire.

    Ohjin frowned at the disgusting sight and riled up his mana.

    ¡®Thunder Charge.¡¯

    <em>Crackle!¡ª</em>

    Blue lightning flowed through the wire and triggered an ensuing explosion. The 30-meter-tall or so stgmite couldn¡¯t endure the impact and crumbled, causing dust to rise up.

    Once the dust settled, the shredded corpses of the demonic beastsy still.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    An awful stench rose from the yellow pus leaking from the shredded corpses.

    Ohjin groaned. He was so disgusted that he felt nauseous.

    ¡®Disgust of this level is no different from a weapon.¡¯

    He wondered if there was anything else that could inflict such pain using only the senses of sight and smell.

    As someone who lived in the lowest social ss for nearly his whole life, he was quite confident in his ability to remain indifferent. Even so, the demonic beasts were so disgusting that they exceeded that threshold.

    ¡°Kerrrr!¡±

    [My child!]

    A demonic beast that had jumped off a fragment of the copsed stgmite fell to the ground after it was hit by Vega¡¯s bolt of lightning.

    ¡°<em>Huff, huff.</em>¡±

    One hour? No, two hours?

    He exhaled a deep breath after swinging his spear like crazy for so long that he lost his sense of time.

    The demonic beasts¡¯ disgusting corpses covered the ce so much that he couldn¡¯t even see a trace of Heaven¡¯s Grace anymore.

    Ohjin took a deep breath and shoved his spear into a demonic beast¡¯s chin.

    ¡®Still, we¡¯re nearing the end.¡¯

    There were around thirty demonic beasts remaining.

    It seemed like there were a bit more left on Isabe¡¯s side, but they would be able to take care of things within ten minutes at their pace.

    Ohjin didn¡¯t take the first strike against the remaining demonic beasts and instead maintained formation, staying by Ha-eun¡¯s side and protecting her.

    Ha-eun, Ohjin, and Vega were all exhausted from the hours-long battle, so he couldn¡¯t charge recklessly at them like he had done in the beginning.

    ¡°¡­Ohjin, do you see those two?¡± Ha-eun pointed to two demonic beasts that were silently looking down at them from the top of the copsed stgmite.

    Unlike the demonic beasts with huge noses and torn mouths, they had ¡®eyes¡¯ that shone with a yellow light.

    ¡°Fuu. What about them?¡±

    ¡°They haven¡¯t moved for a while and have only been watching us.¡±

    After hearing what Ha-eun said, he noticed that the two demonic beasts with ¡®eyes¡¯ were just observing them like onlookers.

    ¡°Are they their leaders or something?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    When Ohjin furrowed his brow and was about to shoot his wire shooter at them¡ª

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Ahhh! What the fuck are those crazy bastards doing?¡±!

    ¡ªHa-eun and Ohjin couldn¡¯t help but simultaneously exim as one of the beasts mounted the other and started violently swinging its hips.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Ohjin spat out swears and quickly turned his eyes away from the two demonic beasts.

    They were hard enough to look at already, and it became near impossible to look with a sound mind once they started copting out of the blue.

    ¡°Oh-Ohjin! What do we do?!?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t fucking know!¡±

    ¡°D-Do something about those fuckers!¡± Ha-eun shrieked from behind.

    Unlike Ohjin, who was unable to bear it and looked away, Ha-eun was the rear support and couldn¡¯t help but look at them with first-ss seats. She had to keep attacking the remaining demonic beasts, after all.

    ¡°Ohjin! Ohjinnnnnn!¡± Ha-eun¡¯s cry echoed out in the open space. ¡°Th-Their tentacles a-are twisting together!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t describe it!¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh! Th-They¡¯ve started to suck on each other and everything!¡±

    ¡°I told you not to describe it!¡± Ohjin held in his rising nausea and kept averting his eyes.

    ¡°Ohjinnnn!!! It¡¯sying eggs! It¡¯s fuckingying eggs!¡±

    ¡°Wh-Why do you keep describing it?!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take the red pill!¡±

    ¡°Why?!?!¡±

 Chapter 213: Snakeâ€™s Head (6)

    Chapter 213: Snake¡¯s Head (6)

    ¡®You can¡¯t be serious.¡¯

    She couldn¡¯t go down alone.

    Ohjin red at Ha-eun with resentment as she continued her detailed ount of what the two demonic beasts were doing.

    [M-My child¡­]

    The unbelievable scene also seemed to have shocked Vega. She swayed left and right while supporting herself on his head.

    [I-I don¡¯t feel so good.]

    ¡°Same.¡±

    Witnessing a brutal bloodbath would¡¯ve been better.

    He would have never imagined the beasts attacking them with such an unthinkable method.

    ¡°Fuu.¡±

    Still, he needed to find out what the two monsters that looked like bosses were nning. He took a deep breath and gathered his resolve before moving his gaze to the two demonic beasts.

    ¡°Urgh.¡±

    As Ha-eun had said, there was an egg about the size of a basketball rolling down from the demonic beast on the bottom.

    As if one wasn¡¯t enough, a second egg started to emerge from the beast¡¯s butt.

    ¡°Ohjin! I can roast these fucks, right?!¡±

    ¡°Kill them in one sweep.¡±

    They needed to make their move before the demonic beasts did something serious.

    Ha-eun nodded and took off her eyepatch before fumbling around her left eye.

    Fierce light shone from her Dragon Eye, and veiny, root-like veins ran down her neck.

    ¡°Fuuuuu.¡±

    She extended her arm forward and opened her hand. An incredible me condensed into a red marble the size of a fist.

    The Dragon Bead, the bead of annihtion that would destroy anything it came into contact with, was aimed at the demonic beasts.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    It shot forward with hardly a sound.

    The moment the Dragon Bead prated the two demonic beasts that had yellow eyes reminiscent of a snake¡¯s, they turned to ash and disappeared.

    The ending was too anticlimactic, considering the demonic beasts had been arrogantly looking down at the battle from the start like bosses of some sort.

    ¡°Eh¡­? Are they really finished with that?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at the ashy remains of the demonic beasts.

    It was true that the Dragon Bead contained immense power in exchange for being difficult to aim, but it still felt strange.

    ¡°¡­That was anticlimactic.¡±

    She didn¡¯t expect them to die so easily.

    ¡°Wait. There¡¯s still one thing left¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm? What thing?¡±

    ¡°That egg.¡±

    Ohjin raised his spear and pulled back his arm.

    He was aiming at the basket-ball sized egg the two demonic beasts had produced from their disgusting deed. It had silently rolled down and was stuck between two stgmites.

    One might have wondered if a new egg was worth making such a fuss over, however¡­

    ¡®We should always eliminate any potential threats.¡¯

    The two demonic beasts illogically deciding to make an egg out of the blue gave Ohjin a bad feeling.

    The moment he was about to finish things¡ª

    <em>Crack¡ª</em>

    ¡ªthe surface of the egg began to split apart.

    ¡®What are they, zerglings?¡¯

    The egg was hatching when it hadn¡¯t even been thirty seconds since it left its mother¡¯s womb.

    Ohjinunched his spear forward without hesitation.

    <em>Boom!¡ª</em>

    A thunder-like boom apanied the spear as it shot forward and prated the egg.

    ¡°<em>Shrieeeeeeeek!</em>¡±

    The thing¡¯s scream rang out through the cracks in the egg.

    Its first cry was itsst, and the newborn beast was fried by lightning before it could even see the light of the world.

    [Hm¡­]

    Vega sat in silence with a troubled expression.

    [I know that it had to be done, but it still weighs on my mind.]

    It might have been done to eliminate a potential threat, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel instinctively repulsed when she saw a newborn getting fried before it even had the chance to do anything.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had no choice.¡±

    [No, this is not something you should apologize for. I would have done the same if I were in your position.]

    Vega flew over andnded on top of his head.

    [I¡¯m a little tired.]

    ¡°You used a lot of your power.¡±

    [Still, I think that I should be able to stay materialized for around thirty more minutes.]

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to hurry up and find the exit.¡±

    Finding the exit would only be easy with Vega¡¯s exceptional ability to detect fissures.

    ¡°Ugh. That was horrible.¡±

    After finishing off the rest of the beasts, Ha-eun swept back her drenched hair and looked through the gap in the stgmites with a bitter expression.

    Cheon Sanggil¡¯s body was lying there with the left side of his chest ruptured.

    His death felt excessively meaningless and petty for a great person who was called the ¡®First Star¡¯ and had countless heroic achievements.

    ¡°¡­Gramps.¡± Ha-eun bit her lip and clenched her fists.

    She hadn¡¯t even had time to mourn in the midst of battle. It felt like knives were digging into her chest as she silently looked at his corpse.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ha-eun.¡±

    Instead of trying to cheer her up, Ohjin pulled on her arm.

    He would have liked to recover Sanggil¡¯s body, but they didn¡¯t have that luxury.

    ¡°Isabe, how¡¯s the situation on that side?¡±

    Ohjin approached Isabe, who had fended off the front tunnel.

    There were hundreds of demonic beasts piled up in mountains around her, almost more than double the amount Ohjin, Ha-eun, and Vega dealt with.

    ¡®She went through that many of them on her own?¡¯

    Ohjin felt chills on his back as he neared her.

    ¡°Ah, has that side been handled?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s face was haggard. It looked like even she found it tough to kill that many of them.

    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re finished.¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, did you see them here too?¡±

    ¡°They?¡±

    ¡°Demonic beasts with ¡®eyes¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Isabe tilted her head in confusion. ¡°No. I don¡¯t believe so. Did something happen on that side?¡±

    ¡°Forget I asked.¡±

    He had no need to go out of his way to exin that disturbing scene.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and find a way out of here.¡±

    Ohjin headed toward where the Doppelganger had pointed.

    Behind the tall stgmites were several narrow roads, each around five meters wide.

    ¡°How about it, Vega? Do you sense anything?¡±

    [Hmm. Wait a moment.] Vega closed her eyes and put her fingers near her temples. [Ah.] A short exmation left her mouth. [Th-There it is! I found a fissure nearby that leads to Earth!]

    Ohjin exhaled a breath of relief as he heard her excited voice.

    [However¡­ its presence is very weak.]

    ¡°Weak?¡±

    [Like a candle me in the wind, it¡¯s in a very feeble state.]

    ¡°We need to hurry up. Where is it?¡±

    [Give me a moment. It¡¯s so weak that it¡¯s a bit hard to pinpoint.]

    Vega touched her temples once again and concentrated.

    [Hm?]

    ¡°Did you find it?¡±

    [No¡­ not that.]

    She furrowed her brow and faced somewhere else.

    Rather than facing in the direction of the split paths, she turned to where Ohjin¡¯s party hade from¡ªwhere they¡¯d fought against the demonic beasts moments before.

    [A Star Spirit¡­?]

    ¡°What?¡±

    [Why do I feel a Star Spirit¡¯s presence from there?]

    Vega looked back at the path with confused eyes.

    [It¡¯s not just any Star Spirit. It¡¯s incredibly dark¡­ and ominous.]

    As if¡­ it was the Star Spirit of a ck Star.

    She shut her eyes and focused.

    [<em>Gasp!</em>]

    Vega¡¯s eyes suddenly snapped wide open, and she shouted, [W-We have to run!]

    ¡°What?¡±

    [Immediately!]

    As her urgent cry rang out¡ª

    <em>Kerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!¡ª</em>

    ¡ªthe ground trembled.

    The earth¡¯s foundation tore apart, and the tall stgmites started to copse and crumble.

    ¡°Ohjin!¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    Ohjin quickly bolted after grabbing Isabe and Ha-eun. The ground they¡¯d been standing on just moments before copsed and fell several hundred meters.

    <em>Crackle!¡ª</em>

    He jumped through the air using Lightning Step and turned his head to face the direction of the sound.

    There, he saw¡ª

    ¡°What the hell¡­?¡±

    ¡ªan unreasonably massive and uneptably atrocious monster.

    It was exactly the same as the monsters from earlier, but several thousand times bigger.

    ¡°Ohjin, could that be¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Right, if the demonic beasts Ohjin fought until then had a ¡®mother¡¯, it would be that monster.

    <em>Rumble! Boom!¡ª</em>

    The hundreds-of-meters tall demonic beast broke through the ground and swiveled its massive head around in search of something.

    Unlike the special demonic beasts he encountered earlier, the mother demonic beast didn¡¯t have a yellow ¡®eye¡¯ that was reminiscent of a snake¡¯s.

    However, it looked like it developed other senses instead of sight. It red its nostrils, and one of the tentacles sticking out of its back picked something up from the ground.

    The lightning-crisped egg crumbled to pieces and fell into the bottomless hole beneath.

    ¡°Ker, ker, ker.¡±

    The mother demonic beast jiggled its body up and down with a bizarre cry and then red its nostrils again.

    It swiveled its head and stopped to face¡­ right toward Ohjin.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!

    A cry beyond a human¡¯s range of hearing caused the surrounding area to tremble.

    <em>Rumble! Bang!¡ª</em>

    The monstrosity destroyed the ground and charged at Ohjin in a straight line as the tens of thousands of tentacles on its back shot at him.

    ¡°Oh-Ohjin!¡±

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Ohjin urgently turned around and stepped on thin air. However, it appeared that holding onto both Ha-eun and Isabe at the same time with Lightning Step was too much. He was much slower than usual.

    ¡°Let me down, Ohjin!¡±

    ¡°Oh-Ohjin! There¡¯s still some ground left there!¡±

    Ohjin nodded andnded on the ground.

    <em>Swish!¡ª</em>

    Dozens of the tentacles closed in on him.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Fuck off!¡±

    Isabe and Ha-eun shed and burned the tentacles.

    ¡°Vega! In which direction is the exit you mentioned earlier?¡±

    [O-Over there!] Vega extended her small hand to point in a certain direction.

    Ohjin saw a ck fissure about one meter in size concealed among the stgmites.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    ¡°Ha-eun!¡±

    At that moment, Ha-eun was hit by a tentacle and sent flying into the ground.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± She let out a painful groan, as if her ribs were broken.

    ¡°Ha-eun!¡± Ohjin headed to the fissure with Ha-eun in his hands while the tentacles relentlessly pursued him.

    ¡®Damn it!¡¯

    It was difficult to avoid them.

    ¡°Vega! Go through with Ha-eun first for me!¡±

    [Understood!]

    Vega wrapped Ha-eun in blue lightning and flew towards the ck fissure.

    ¡°Over here, you fuckers!¡±

    Ohjin used that opportunity to act as bait and draw the tentacles¡¯ attention.

    [You have to catch up without dy!]

    ¡°I got it!¡±

    Vega arrived at the fissure and crossed over with Ha-eun.

    ¡®Good. Now I just need Isabe to go through and we¡¯re¡ª¡¯

    He thought that it¡¯d be over soon, however¡­

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The ck fissure suddenly shrank to around fifty centimeters after Ha-eun went through it.

    Ohjin bit his lip.

    Even if Vega was considered an exception because of her small size, the fissure had shrunk to half its size after just one person crossed over.

    In other words¡­

    ¡°¡­Goddammit.¡±

    It was either him or Isabe.

    Only one of them could make it out.

 Chapter 214: Snakeâ€™s Head (7)

    Chapter 214: Snake¡¯s Head (7)

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ohjin gazed at the shrinking fissure.

    It was him or Isabe¡­

    Only one of them could escape.

    ¡®Whoever is left behind will¡­¡¯

    He bit his lip and shed the many attacking tentacles with his spear.

    <em>sh!¡ª</em>

    Yellow pus gushed out and sttered, giving off a pungent smell and melting into the ground.

    ¡°Kruuuu! Kerrrr!¡±

    Ohjin tightened his grip on his spear as he watched the demonic beast mother gradually closing the distance.

    ¡®Will I be able to kill it?¡¯

    Wouldn¡¯t they stand a chance of defeating that absurd demonic beast with his and Isabe¡¯sbined might?

    ¡°No¡­¡± He gritted his teeth and shook his head.

    Perhaps it would be possible if they were both in peak condition, but they had just finished an exhausting, hours-long fight.

    ¡®Even if it weren¡¯t for that, it wouldn¡¯t be easy.¡¯

    Vega had stated that she felt the energy of a Star Spirit.

    Considering how outrageously strong Riak was, it was ridiculous to think of facing a demonic beast containing a portion of a celestial¡¯s spirit.

    ¡®In that case¡­¡¯

    Ohjin looked back at Isabe.

    She was ferociously swinging her blood scythe and preventing the tentacles from going for him.

    ¡®If one person has to remain¡­¡¯

    Should it be him or Isabe?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t have to think for long.

    Though he had a celestial of a North Star on his side, Ohjin was still merely an 8-Star Awakener. Isabe, on the other hand, was strong enough to rank high even among the 10-Star Awakeners.

    Wasn¡¯t it obvious who would have a higher chance of ¡®survival¡¯?

    The moment the relentless tentacles stopped for a moment, Isabe approached him and pulled his arm. ¡°Huff, huff. What are you waiting for? Please hurry into the fissure!¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± She frowned when she noticed the fissure seemed to have shrunk to less than half the size it was when she first saw it.

    What Vega had said moments ago resurfaced in her head.

    ¡°Ohjin¡­ don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±

    Isabe was easily able to understand why the fissure suddenly halved in size and why Ohjin was hesitant to enter.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Their gazes met in mid-air.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Isabe.¡± Ohjin bit his lip and lowered his head. It was thest thing he wanted to say, and he knew that it was something he shouldn¡¯t. ¡°Please¡­ remain here.¡±

    If one of them had to stay behind, it had to be¡­

    ¡°Ah,¡± Isabe eximed with a slightly shocked look on her face.

    Ohjin urgently continued. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure toe back and rescue you.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t only one fissure that led to the Demon Realm. It wouldn¡¯t be that difficult for an Awakener with transcendent powers on the level of Isabe to escape from that demonic beast and hide.

    If she could just buy him some time, he could gather strength and return.

    ¡°I¡¯ve met Deneb¡¯s apostles before.¡±

    They weren¡¯t on good terms, but if Vega lowered her head to Deneb, he would help out in the end, even if mocked her a bit.

    Ohjin recalled the suffocating pressure he¡¯d felt from Allen Oscal when he first met him.

    Someone who was ranked high even within the Seven Stars like him would be able to face that Star Spirit.

    ¡°¡­I see.¡± Isabe looked at Ohjin with sad eyes, but a faint smile soon crept onto her face. ¡°Yes. If one of us has to remain, it should be me.¡±

    She knew that fact better than he did.

    She was much stronger than he was at the moment, and it only made sense for the one with a higher chance of survival to stay behind.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ohjin clenched his fists and dropped his head.

    Isabe patted his back in a consoling manner. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I understand.¡±

    He could feel her gentle touch.

    ¡°You¡­ have Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Ohjin¡¯s expression stiffened.

    Finding it humorous, Isabe giggled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you do this because you¡¯re worried about her being left all alone?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Fufu. I already know that she¡¯s the most precious thing in the world to you¡­ at the moment.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ make sure toe save you.¡± All that left his mouth were baseless promises.

    Isabe gave him an affectionate look. A part of her mind felt reassured by his guilty look because it meant that she was at least important enough to him to make him feel that amount of guilt.

    ¡®That¡¯s a relief.¡¯

    Isabe put her hand on her chest and smiled.

    <em>Rumble!¡ª</em>

    She felt the ground tremble and saw the demonic beast mother approaching.

    * * *

    * * *

    Isabe looked up at the disgusting demonic beast and chewed her lip.

    ¡®Will I be able to escape?¡¯

    As per his wishes, would she be able to survive alone against such a beast?

    ¡®¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be easy.¡¯

    She had already used a fair amount of her strength in the previous battle. It would be a different scenario if she were in perfect condition, but the chances of her not being able to escape in her condition were still high, still¡­

    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t be that hard for me to escape alone.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. In fact, you¡¯d only be holding me back by staying here,¡± Isabe said in a cold voice.

    <em>Swoosh!¡ª</em>

    At that moment, the tentacles resumed their attack.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    <em>Bzzzzt!¡ª</em>

    Ohjin raised his spear and fended off the attacks.

    Was it trying to get revenge for its dead baby? It felt like the demonic beast was persistently targeting Ohjin.

    ¡®I won¡¯t be able to act as bait like Ohjin did earlier.¡¯

    Isabe put her scythe¡¯s de close to her wrist before cutting it open and pouring blood like a fountain.

    ¡°Fuu.¡± Exhaling a deep breath, Isabe violently started a storm of blood around herself.

    ¡°Is-Isabe?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll protect you up to the fissure.¡±

    <em>sh! sh!¡ª</em>

    The storm of blood around her violently tore apart the tentacles attacking Ohjin.

    She grabbed him as he was giving her a worried look and rushed to the fissure that had halved in size.

    As she led him, he said, ¡°Isabe, I can¡¯t do this¡­¡± like he couldn¡¯t handle it anymore.

    ¡°Fufu. Did you know that¡­¡± Isabe looked at the way he was acting with a bright smile. ¡°If you¡¯d said that you would stay behind, I would¡¯ve forcefully sent you with an ¡®order¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if facing that Star Spirit is too much for me, it won''t be that hard to run away.¡± She spoke to Ohjin like she was trying to persuade him as they arrived in front of the fissure.

    The closer they got to the fissure, the bigger the fear she was trying to ignore grew.

    ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯

    ¡ªFear of being unable to see him again.

    ¡ªFear that it could potentially be theirst meeting.

    Those heavy shackles held her back.

    ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯

    Even if she couldn¡¯t see him again¡­

    Even if she couldn¡¯t meet him again¡­

    If she could use her life to save his¡­

    If she could protect the beautiful and precious new hope that she held within her heart¡­

    ¡ªThat amount of fear amounted to nothing.

    ¡°Kruuuu! Kuu!¡±

    <em>Boom! Rumble! Bang!¡ª</em>

    The ground trembled again as if an earthquake were happening.

    The demonic beast mother that was a considerable distance away at first had used its cockroach-like legs to appear in front of them before they knew it.

    Isabe stood with her back facing the fissure.

    ¡°Hurry up and go. There¡¯s no time.¡±

    The storm of blood around her was gradually getting weaker.

    ¡°¡­¡± Ohjin narrowed his eyes and silently looked at the ck fissure that had shrunk to 50 cm in size.

    After alternating between looking at the ck fissure and Isabe¡¯s back, he slightly nodded his head.

    ¡°Alright. This distance should be enough.¡±

    ¡°Ohjin! What are you doing? Hurry up and go!¡±

    When Isabe looked back in distress¡ª

    ¡°Uub?!¡±

    ¡ªOhjin quickly pulled her hip in and met her lips with his.

    Isabe¡¯s eyes widened, and her body stiffened from the sudden kiss that she couldn¡¯t have imagined.

    ¡°Hyup.¡± Confirming that the strength had left her body, he strongly pulled her in and threw her into the fissure.

    ¡°Oh-Ohjin! What are you¡ª?!¡±

    Isabe disappeared into the ck fissure, which thenpletely vanished.

    ¡°Man, what a tiringdy.¡± Ohjin smirked and turned away from the closed fissure.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to apologize to Ha-eunter.¡¯

    He touched his lips, still carrying a lingering feeling of that soft sensation.

    Ohjin was definitely in the wrong for kissing Isabe while having a lover, but he believed it was the best method of forcing her into the fissure without giving her the chance to use an ¡®order¡¯.

    ¡®I¡¯ll probably get an earful once I make it back.¡¯

    He smirked and raised his head.

    ¡°Kruuu!¡±

    ¡°I really can¡¯t get used to how fucking disgusting you look.¡±

    The demonic beast mother let out a bizarre cry and smiled from ear to ear.

    The yellow pus in its mouth poured over his head like a waterfall.

    ¡°Fuck, you can¡¯t be serious.¡± Ohjin swore and created distance with Lightning Steps, but some of it hit him directly due to its wide range.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    <em>Sizzle!¡ª</em>

    Three barriers appeared in front of him and melted in an instant, and the orange bracelet around his wrist lost its light and snapped.

    ¡°Damn it.¡± Ohjin looked at the bracelet he cherished on the ground and frowned.

    ¡°Kuu! Keruuu!¡± Believing that its prey waspletely cornered, a strangeugh came out of the beast¡¯s torn mouth.

    Ohjin looked at the demonic beast and thought for a moment¡­

    Who had to remain, him or Isabe? Which of them had a higher chance of ¡®survival¡¯ in that ce?

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to think hard.¡±

    Usingmon sense, didn¡¯t he obviously have a higher chance of making it out?

    ¡°Keruuu! Keruu!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think so as well?¡±

    He slowly raised his hand over his chest and recited a chant in a low voice.

    ¡°Through me, you pass into the garden ofment.¡±

    ck clouds exploded into the sky.

 Chapter 215: Snakeâ€™s Head (8)

    Chapter 215: Snake¡¯s Head (8)

    ck clouds filled with darkness surged up as if the night sky had been transferred there.

    "Kerrrk?"

    The demonic monster mother that had been rushing toward Ohjin suddenly stopped. It red itsrge nostrils and tilted its head in confusion. In return for poor vision, it had developed an excellent sense of smell and hearing to detect its surroundings.

    But how could it be?

    "Kerrrk! Kerk! Krrrrrrk!"

    It couldnt smell anything

    It couldnt hear anything

    Neither the smell of its enemy''s blood nor the sound of its escaping footsteps reached it. As if all of its senses had been switched off, it couldnt feel anything at all.

    "Whats wrong?"

    <em>Crunch!</em>

    A noise echoed out from its own body. It was the sound of a spear piercing its skull and cutting through its flesh.

    "Come on, what do you think?"

    <em>Bzzzzzzt!</em>

    "Keeeeek!"

    The demonic beast mother writhed like it was having a seizure. It wasn''t because it felt terrible pain, on the contrary, it was the opposite.

    Despite its body being destroyed, it felt nothing at all, and the demonic beast howled in terror at that realization.

    <em>Rumble!</em>

    Tens of thousands of tentacles swept around wildly.

    Ohjin, whose body had partially transformed into ck clouds, was struck by the blind attack and violently flung backward.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The ck clouds making up his body undted heavily.

    "Ah, ugh." He raised a hand that hadn''t turned into clouds and clutched his head.

    As if it were butter melting in a hot pan, he felt his consciousness fading.

    ''Focus.''

    He had to kill the demonic beast mother before his consciousness entirely faded into the ck clouds.

    "Fuu." He let out a low breath and jumped forward.

    Even without using Lightning Step, his body rose into the air on its own. He floated freely in the air like he had be a real cloud and looked down at the writhing monster mother from the sky.

    ''It seems like the sensory blockage has worked to some extent.''

    Using Heaven Unfolding caused the senses of all foes within a certain radius to vanish.

    It looked like the demonic beasts senses couldnt be cut offpletely due to its enormous size, but it was clear it worked from how it was howling and causing amotion.

    Still, its too hard to approach it.

    Its indiscriminately iling tentacles made it difficult to get close to it.

    "Argh, ugh. Kugh!"

    Normally, it would have been possible for him to approach it while somehow dodging the attacks. In fact, it was hard to even move properly when he was barely holding onto his flickering consciousness.

    ''If I can lure it into attacking a transformed part of my body''

    Nearly half of his body had turned into ck clouds after using Heaven Unfolding, and physical attacks seemed to pass right through those areas like they didnt affect him at all.

    "Huff, huff. I can do this."

    The right side of his chest and right arm were affected the most. The rest of his body wasntpletely transformed, and it would be difficult to let attacks pass through using parts that had only partially turned into clouds.

    "Hmpf!"

    He took a deep breath and flew toward the demonic beast mother. The dark clouds followed him and covered the monsters body.

    Tentacles swung wildly toward him from within the darkness.

    ''To the right.''

    <em>Swoosh!</em>

    A grotesque tentacle swung at his right side. He twisted his body and took in the attack using the cloudy part of his body.

    The tentacle had enough power to crumble even tall stgmites but passed right through him.

    "Alright." Ohjin grinned and made his approach.

    The best mothers head, which had a huge nose and torn lips, still contained the spear that hed thrusted earlier.

    After avoiding the tentacles andnding on its head, Ohjin tightly gripped the spear.

    ''Charge.''

    <em>Buzz! Crackle!</em>

    He condensed lightning into the ck spear.

    Once, twice, thrice As he continued to condense lightning, the spear seemed to tremble in pain.

    ''Not yet.''

    It felt like the spear would shatter at any moment, but it wouldn''t be enough to defeat the beast that was hundreds of meters in size yet.

    ''Charge, Charge, Charge''

    When he finished charging six times andpleted his seventh

    <em>Creak! Crack!</em>

    he saw a slight crack appear in his spear.

    Ohjin thrusted the spear into the mother demonic beasts head and released the condensed lightning.

    "Discharge."

    <em>Bzzzzzzzzt!!</em>

    Currents of ck lightning surged through its head.

    "Kieeeeeek!" Its terrible scream pierced through his fading consciousness.

    "Huff, huff Damn it."

    Despiteunching an attack using everything he had and directly releasing lightning into it after stabbing it with his spear, the beast mother did not die and instead began to writhe more violently.

    ''How tough is this thing?'' Ohjin bit his lip, an anxious expression on his face.

    Even though he had used his most powerful strike aside from Lightning God Physique, it still wasnt enough to kill it.

    ''I can''t use Lightning God Physique right now.''

    How could he possibly use it when he was desperately holding onto his fading consciousness?

    "Huff, huff. Ugh."

    His mind started to melt into the ck clouds. Memories surfaced and then disappeared.

    ''I can''t.''

    There was no time.

    "Fuu." Ohjin exhaled deeply and thrusted his cloudy arm into the gaping hole in the beast mothers head.

    Like a drop of ck ink falling into clear water, the beast mother was invaded by the clouds of the ck Heaven.

    ''If I can''t kill it with a physical blow''

    He could devour it thoroughly until its soul shriveled and withered away.

    <em>Rumble!</em>

    The energy of the ck Heaven burrowed into the body of the demon mother and began to greedily devour its mana.

    ''This is the soul of a celestial.''

    A part of the celestials soul that had been inherited by the Star Spirit was absorbed by the ck Heaven and flowed into his body.

    Ecstasy that made every cell in his body rejoice washed over him from the taste of an immense power he had never experienced before.

    ''More, more, more!''

    His lips twisted into a smile, and he greedily absorbed the demonic beasts mana.

    "Ahh." He never knew that devouring a part of a celestials soul would be such a delightful thing.

    "Ha, hahaha. Hahahaha!" He burst intoughter at the pleasure.

    If a part of a celestials soul he didnt even know the name of could bring him so much pleasure

    ''I wonder''

    If he were to devour ''Vega'' whole

    How enjoyable would it be?

    How happy would he be?

    Just how, how, how, how, how

    "Fuck off!"

    Ohjin violently pulled his arm back, stopped absorbing the mana, and kicked off of its head.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    Falling from a height of hundreds of meters, he rolled on the ground with a heavy impact.

    "Huff, huff, huff. Ohjin exhaled deep breaths and hurriedly closed off the ck Heaven.

    The half of his body that had turned into ck clouds slowly began to return to its original form.

    "Fuck, fuck!"

    He recalled the thoughts that filled his head moments ago and cursed in disgust.

    * * *

    * * *

    <em>-Ring!</em>

    [You have absorbed the soul of Buterin, the celestial of Bufo.]

    [The power of the ck Heaven has been enhanced, and you have acquired a new trait, Vaporize.]

    [You have achieved a part of the conditions required to unlock ''Heaven Unfolding''.]

    Blue messages rapidly popped up in front of him, but Ohjin didn''t have the luxury to read them at the moment.

    "Huff, huff." Sweat poured down his back.

    He sat down on the floor and covered his face with his recovered right hand. He desperately suppressed his boiling desires and thirst and clung to his flickering thread of consciousness.

    "Fuu." After barely calming down the raging energy of the ck Heaven, he let out a low breath and got up.

    "Keeeeeeik!"

    <em>Boom! Boom! Boom!</em>

    The demonic beast mother charged at Ohjin with its mouth wide open.

    "Shit!" He looked back at the beast with horrified eyes.

    Was it because he stopped absorbing it midway? Despite being in tatters, the demonic beast mother was still breathing.

    ''Damn it!''

    He knew he had to get away quickly, but his legs wouldn''t move due to the aftereffects of Heaven Unfolding.

    "Kerarararak!"

    It charged at Ohjin like a tank with its body measuring hundreds of meters, and just as its massive body was about to crush Ohjin

    "What a noisy child."

    <em>Swoosh</em>

    A pitch-ck dress swept the floor, and a slender woman with very light, blond hair stood in front of the beast.

    "Kerek."

    The demonic beast mother, which had been rushing forward with its mouth open, came to a sudden halt.

    The woman stood still and looked at the trembling demon mother with a faint smile.

    "Good girl."<em></em>She reached out with her slender hand and stroked the demonic beast mother.

    "Kerek, kerek, kerek." The mother beast stood still while its body shook as if it were having a seizure.

    Its face had neither a nose nor a mouth, but somehow, Ohjin saw that its face was filled with terror.

    "Your sin is too great to be forgiven."

    Killing intent appeared in the woman''s green eyes as she extended her index finger and lightly tapped its body.

    "Die."

    With that eeriemand, the creature began to harm itself in a fit of madness.

    Kieeeek!

    It tore its innards apart by shoving long tentacles into its mouth and thrusting the ends of its pointy legs into its own head to destroy its brain.

    The gruesome scene reminded him of a horror movie.

    Ohjin gulped and looked back at the light-blond woman who suddenly appeared.

    She appeared to be in her mid-twenties. Compared to her alluring looks, her body looked fragile enough to break with a slight, idental touch.

    However

    ''Oh, shit.''

    The aura emanating from her was overwhelmingly stronger than any of the Awakeners Ohjin had encountered.

    ''I can''t beat her.''

    Had there ever been someone who exerted such overwhelming pressure on him? Ohjin clenched his trembling fists and looked at the woman.

    "Ahh, ahhh!" The woman looked at Ohjin and let out a cry of ecstasy.

    She knelt down on the dirt-covered ground without hesitation and spread her arms wide as if worshiping a deity.

    "Finally, finally, finally I have found you!" She eximed in a fanatical voice.

    "My god, my savior, my master!"

    She looked up at Ohjin with a radiant smile. "I am Kasia, a lowly servant of the Heavenly Demon."

    The woman who introduced herself as Kasia bowed deeply to him.

    Ohjin''s pupils trembled.

    ''Heavenly Demon? Did she just call me the Heavenly Demon? What the hell is going on here?''

    Although he couldn''t understand why she was calling him Heavenly Demon, Ohjin knew of only one person who fanatically followed the Heavenly Demon to that extent.

    ''Could it be the Queen of Snakes?''

    Chills ran down his spine.

    ''Fuck, fuck, fuuuuuck!'' Curses filled his mind.

    Just when he thought he was over one hurdle, another one appeared.

    First, a Star Spirit; now, the Queen of Snakes?

    "Ah, Heavenly Demon. Heavenly Demon. Heavenly Demon. Heavenly Demon." Kasia looked up at Ohjin with yearning eyes. "I have been so eager to meet you."

    "" Ohjin looked down at Kasia, who was kneeling on the floor, and firmly shut his mouth.

    She seemed to be waiting for his response, respectfully looking up at him with her hands sped together.

    "Phew." Ohjin let out a low sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.

    He looked down at Kasia with cold, indifferent eyes and opened his mouth slowly. "You''rete."

    His voice was ice cold. "How long were you nning to keep me waiting?" He narrowed his eyes in apparent disdain.

    "Ahh! I I apologize, almighty one!"

    <em>Thud!</em>

    Kasia smashed her head on the ground and trembled in fear.

    Ohjin looked down at her and gulped.

    ''Shit. What do I do now?

 Chapter 216: Snakeâ€™s Head (9)

    Chapter 216: Snake¡¯s Head (9)

    "I apologize, I apologize, I apologize!"

    <em>Bang! Bang! Bang!</em>

    The woman repeatedly banged her forehead on the floor as she continued to apologize.

    Ohjin looked down at Kasia apologizing and trembling to an extent that even he frowned and gulped.

    ''The Queen of Snakes was said to be fanatically devoted to Heavenly Demon.''

    If that was the case, was she really mistaking him for the Heavenly Demon?

    ''Why?''

    Even if he could be mistaken for such in his previous life, he had neither umted power worthy of the grand title of Heavenly Demon nor behaved in a manner fitting of it.

    ording to Isabe, the Heavenly Demon was a transcendent being who gave birth to the celestials of the ck Stars.

    She must have also seen him almost lose to a Star Spirit that inherited a portion of a celestials soul; why would she make such an absurd assumption?

    ''Could it be?''

    Ohjin ced his hand over the left side of his chest.

    The ck Heaven was slumbering beneath his thin skin.

    Was that what made her mistake him for the Heavenly Demon?

    ''No, that doesn''t make sense.''

    If she mistook him for the Heavenly Demon because of the ck Heaven, it would mean that the being called the Heavenly Demon who gave birth to the ck Stars also possessed the ck Heaven like him.

    ''Then does it mean that there are two ck Heavens?''

    What the hell was going on?

    Ohjin silently bit his lip as he continued trying to figure things out.

    Could it be that the ck Heaven he possessed was notplete and the other half belonged to the Heavenly Demon?

    Could it be that he was something like the reincarnation of the Heavenly Demon?

    Could it be that the one who brought about the destruction of the world in his past life was actually not him, but the real Heavenly Demon?

    ''No.'' Ohjin shook his head. Any further conjectures were nothing but baseless spection. ''Don''t think about it.''

    Making baseless spections could make you believe that the most ''usible'' conjecture was the truth. He had seen countless instances in his life where a baseless assumption turned into conviction, causing people to not even consider other possibilities.

    ''That isnt important right now.''

    Ohjin''s gaze shifted to Kasia, who was lying t on the ground with her head pressed down. She had continued to bang her head on the floor while he was lost in deep thought.

    In any case, she believes Im the Heavenly Demon,'' he thought as a smirk formed on his face.

    The memory of when he first met Vega resurfaced in his head.

    "Lift your head," he said in a curt voice as he looked down at the Queen of Snakes still prostrating herself on the floor.

    "Yes, Heavenly Demon," Kasia replied and lifted her head, which had been pounding the ground like a hammer on a nail.

    Despite the forceful banging, not even a bruise could be seen on her fair forehead.

    "Ah, Heavenly Demon"

    Kasias eyes trembled as they met Ohjins. The emotion filling her emerald green eyes was neither affection nor loyaltyit was a fanatical faith that knew no bounds.

    She was looking up at him withplete awe, as if he were a god.

    "How did you find me?"

    "The first clue was found at the dock," she replied.

    A short exmation escaped Ohjin''s lips.

    ''Right The Living Armor.''

    Had the energy of the ck Heaven leaked out in the process of eliminating her demonic beast?

    "At first, I wasn''t sure, but now Im certain." Kasia crawled toward Ohjin, still on her hands and knees. "You are the one the Heavenly Demon I''ve been desperately searching for."

    With a bright smile on her face, she kissed his shoe.

    The soft sensation he felt through the padding on his shoe made him gulp, and a cold sweat ran down his back.

    ''Shit.'' The situation itself was simr to Vega''s, but the difficulty was on another level. ''I think theres something wrong with her head.''

    He had often heard people call others crazy, but he never imagined there was someone crazy to such an extent.

    The situation was too awkward and ufortable for him to just do nothing.

    Ohjin spoke in a chilly voice while looking down at Kasia, who was kissing his shoe.

    "When did I say you could touch me?"

    "Ah, I-I apologize!" Kasia said, immediately looking up and back down as she nervously bit her nails.

    She looked like a soldier who had identally shredded confidential documents.

    ''W-Was I too harsh?'' he thought.

    When he saw that she was so anxious that it seemed she was about to explode, Ohjin gulped again.

    Maybe she was calling him the ''Heavenly Demon'', but she probably knew better than anyone that he was several hundred times weaker than her.

    ''I need to do something, he thought.

    Ohjin opened his mouth and spoke with all the caution of someone defusing a ticking time bomb. "Stand up."

    "Y-Yes!"

    Kasia immediately stood up. Compared to her slender build, she wasnt that short.

    Ohjin slowly extended his hand toward her.

    "Mh!" she mumbled as she tightly closed her eyes.

    Did she think he was going to p her?

    Instead, Ohjin brushed off the dirt on her forehead.

    "Ah."

    "Stay still," he said. Then she brushed off the dirt on her knees as well.

    "Ahh H-Heavenly Demon, for you to touch this lowly servant''s body"

    Kasia shivered with delight, kneeling down and banging her forehead on the ground again.

    "I cannot express my gratitude in words!" she shouted.

    "" Ohjin didnt know what to say.

    What is she doing? I just brushed the dirt off.

    Finally, he said, "Stand up."

    "Yes!"

    Kasia stood up once again, her emerald eyes sparkling as she looked his way.

    Her gaze was filled with anticipation.

    That time, Ohjin spoke without brushing off the dirt. "You havent forgotten our purpose, have you?"

    "Ah, of course not, Heavenly Demon."

    Is that so? Well, I have.

    "Repeat it."

    "Our purpose is to swallow up all the stars arrogantly shining in the night sky and turn it pitch ck. That is the Heavenly Demons grand n."

    So thats it. This is my first time hearing this. Well, not exactly my first time.

    He had wondered why they were speaking in such convoluted terms when he first heard of it, but he finally understood.

    Their n is to devour the celestials.

    If the Heavenly Demon truly possessed the same ck Heaven he did, he could understand why they set such a goal. The ecstasy and thrill he felt when absorbing a portion of a celestials soul were unlike anything hed ever experienced.

    To put it simply, the Heavenly Demons goal is to use the ck Star Organization to devour all the celestials.

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

    For a group with such a grand goal, none of the ck Star Organizations factions he faced expressed any intentions of fighting a celestial.

    Fighting a celestial is nonsensical in the first ce.

    But if the aim of the Heavenly Demon, the creator of the ck Star Organization, was to fight the celestials, wasnt it odd for the factions to act separately, each with a different objective and course of action?

    * * *

    * * *

    Ohjin turned to Kasia and spoke in a cold voice.

    "Despite knowing the goal so well, you haven''t actually acted on it."

    "Th-That''s!"

    "Is your loyalty merely expressed in words?"

    "N-Not at all!" Kasia lowered her head with a pale face. "During your absence many have dared to doubt your existence. There have even been some who disrespectfully imed to be the Heavenly Demon."

    Was she talking about Huan Sukhothai?

    "I executed those who went against the Heavenly Demon''s will so I could restore the separated factions to their proper form."

    Kasia''s eyes glowed like she was a dog hoping to receive praise.

    "Of course, were not finished yet. There are still the cats, flies, and ah, the leeches."

    She put on a creepy smile, and an ominous aura filled the air as she said, "Do not worry, my god. I shall soon offer you the heads of those sphemous beings who have forgotten the Heavenly Demons will."

    "Hold on," he said. Wait a sec, you crazy woman.

    He continued to speak. "Exclude the leeches."

    "Eh?"

    "That child is currently assisting me."

    "Ah." Kasia''s eyes widened. "Is that so?" she asked in a sullen voice.

    ''It looks like I have a grip on the situation now.''

    Someone named the Heavenly Demon founded the ck Star Organization and then mysteriously disappeared, resulting in its current state.

    ''Not even the Queen of Snakes knows the Heavenly Demons whereabouts.''

    If she had, she wouldn''t have mistaken him for the Heavenly Demon.

    ''If I can leverage this situation''

    He thought he might be able to pull her to his side like he had Isabe.

    "I shall follow the Heavenly Demons will, Kasia said, bowing deeply to Ohjin. Her expression wasnt exactly one of contentment, but she seemed willing to obey without question.

    ''Maybe I can really turn her into an ally.''

    Of course, hed have to keep the fact that she called him the Heavenly Demon and the existence of the ck Heaven a secret.

    ''If I can just get the Queen of Snakes on my side''

    A sly smile appeared on his face.

    He recalled how Kasia made a Star Spirit with a portion of a celestials soul kill itself with only a few words.

    If he could somehow gain her as an ally, she''d be a massive asset against the ck Star Organization and even the real Heavenly Demon.

    ''She does look like shes missing a few screws right now, but''

    Wasn''t it the same when he first met Isabe?

    Who knows, Kasia could be a kind-hearted person like Isabe.

    If he could persuade her somehow before it was toote, then may

    "Ah, I also have a gift for the great Heavenly Demon!"

    "A gift?" he asked.

    "Yes!"

    Kasia, who had been sullen, suddenly lifted her head as if shed thought of something good.

    As she extended her arm sideways, a green snake that was holding something in its mouth slithered out of her shadow and ced the gift on her hand.

    "Hehe. This is the gift this humble servant has prepared," she said as she respectfully extended the gift to Ohjin with both hands.

    ""

    Ohjin''s expression stiffened when he saw the gift.

    "Please enjoy, Heavenly Demon."

    With a face full of anticipation, Kasia extended her long, snake-like tongue.

    <em>Drip, drip</em>

    Red blood dripped between her slender fingers.

    "It is the heart of the First Star," she exined.

    <em>Thump, thump</em>

    Holding the pulsating heart towards Ohjin, sheughed loudly.

    Ohjin looked at the heart in Kasia''s hand and nearly chuckled at the absurdity.

    ''Was I just thinking I could turn her to myself?''

    He scoffed coldly at himself.

    ''It''s toote for her.''

    Unlike Isabe, the Queen of the Snakes was too far gone to be saved.

 Chapter 217: Snakes Head (10)

    Chapter 217: Snake''s Head (10)

    Thump, thump.

    Cheon Sanggil''s heart, savagely ripped out, as if by some form of witchcraft, pulsed like a freshly caught fish.

    "I''ve preserved it so that the life force and star power doesn''t leak out, that way you can eat it fresh!"

    Kasia''s tail wagged back and forth, simr to a dog yearning for praise, her face adorned with a broad grin.

    "..."

    Ohjin clenched his jaw, staring at the thumping, pulsating heart.

    The sight was nauseating, but he couldn''t refuse the offering.

    ''I have to eat it.''

    To keep fooling the Queen of Snakes into believing he was the Heavenly Demon, he needed to demonstrate his use of ck Heaven in front of her.

    "Good."

    "Hehehe. I''m d you approve."

    Kasia flicked her long, tail-like tongue, which extended down to her chest, and twisted her body in a knot.

    Ohjin grasped the heart he was handed in his hands.

    He could feel the warmth of the grotesque, pulsating heart through his hand.

    ''Mr. Cheon.''

    He hadn''t been particrly close to Cheon Sanggil.

    Yet, holding the heart of a man who had aided him in numerous ways stirred a whirlwind of emotions within him.

    Ohjin cleared his mind and conjured ck Heaven.

    Krrrrr.

    Dark clouds billowed out, engulfing the pulsating heart.

    "Ah."

    Kasia let out a low gasp, watching the dark clouds envelop the heart.

    With a reverent expression, she knelt and sped her hands together as if praying to a deity.

    "Oh, darkness of ck Heaven... Save us from the arrogant starlight."

    Krrrrrrrr!

    A distant force pulsed through the dark clouds. The power of the stigma that Cheon Sanggil had wielded in his lifetime was now absorbed into ck Heaven.

    -Ding!

    Much like with Damien, Cheon Sanggil''s power didn''t fully integrate into his body. Instead, it hid within the dark clouds. It was frustrating to absorb such power and yet be unable to harness it.

    ''Can''t help it.''

    What could he do about his currentck of skill? For the time being, he should be satisfied with possessing another stigma of the 12 Zodiacs.

    ''The Stigma of Capricorn... It was a stigma that allowed one to manipte sound freely.''

    Ohjin was itching to try out his new ''Vaporize'' trait and the Stigma of Capricorn. However, he didn''t have the luxury of time to experiment with his new abilities.

    "Did you enjoy the meal?"

    Kasia looked up at Ohjin, her tone unusually formal, as if she were a character in a historical drama.

    Ohjin responded with a slight nod.

    "Ha, ha! Th-thank you!"

    He was on the receiving end, so why was she thanking him?

    "Hehe. In the future... I''ll offer more hearts to you, Heavenly Demon."

    Kasia''s smile turned sinister as she licked her lips.

    Ohjin''s eyes narrowed.

    ''She''s a lost cause.''

    She was beyond control or maniption.

    She was already deeply damaged.

    ''I can''t do what I did with Isabe.''

    His gaze turned icy.

    Kasia''s devotion to him bordered on fanaticism. It seemed so extreme that she wouldn''t hesitate to offer her own heart.

    "I''d rather eat your heart... rather than this shabby one."

    He looked down at the kneeling Kasia and spoke.

    If she was fanatical enough to offer her own heart...

    ''I can kill her right here.''

    There was no need to precariously maintain the pretense of being the Heavenly Demon. He could simply order her to die right here and now.

    "Excuse me?"

    "I said I want to eat your heart."

    He moved towards Kasia, who was wide-eyed, looking startled by his unexpected statement.

    "..."

    Kasia mped her mouth shut.

    A tense silence ensued.

    Kasia slowly rose and approached Ohjin.

    She slowly reached towards her left chest, and then...

    Sssssss!

    A green snake sprang from her elongated shadow, quickly coiling around Ohjin''s body.

    "...!"

    Shock widened Ohjin''s eyes as he found himself bound by the snake, unable to put up a proper resistance.

    ''What, what is this?''

    The unexpected turn of events took him aback, but he did his best to keep hisposure.

    "Hmm, that''s strange..."

    Kasia squinted at Ohjin, who was trapped by the green snake. She slithered closer to him, her hand reaching out to touch his chest.

    "Didn''t the Heavenly Demon mention something like this before?"

    Her forked tongue flicked across Ohjin''s chest.

    "If you ever order me to give up my life, it means you''re not yourself, but someone else."

    Ohjin drew in a deep breath at her words.

    ''Damn it.''

    * * *

    He hadpletely walked into a trap.

    ''So... that Heavenly Demon bastard foresaw all of this?''

    That Kasia would mistake him for the ''Heavenly Demon.''

    That he would exploit her loyalty andmand her death.

    Had all of this been foreseen from the very beginning, from the distant past?

    ''What the hell is he?''

    Is he truly some kind of god?

    Ohjin swallowed hard and spoke in as calm a voice as he could muster.

    "You remembered."

    "Hehe. Of course. I''ve never forgotten a single word that the Heavenly Demon said."

    "I see."

    Ohjin nodded, maintaining hisposure.

    If he panicked and made a fuss here, it would be like a thief tripping over his own feet.

    "Is that all you have to say?"

    Kasia squinted slightly.

    She carefully moved her hand, which was resting on Ohjin''s chest, and stroked his stigma.

    The Stigma of Lyra was engraved on his chest.

    But she knew.

    Whaty dormant beneath this thinyer of skin was an infinitely vast ck sky.

    "If you''re not really the Heavenly Demon then who are you? Why do you have ck Heaven?"

    She asked, changing her overly respectful tone to a more casual one.

    "I am the Heavenly Demon."

    "But."

    "However, a part of my memory is currently sealed."

    "Hmm?"

    Kasia''s eyes widened.

    "There was no other way to prevent the rampage of ck Heaven."

    "Are you asking me to believe that?"

    "If you must."

    Ohjin stared at her with deep-set eyes.

    "Do you think there could be two ck Heavens?"

    Kasia''s expression hardened.

    The im that part of his memory was sealed to prevent the rampage of ck Heaven was hard to believe, but the idea that there were two ck Heavens was too absurd.

    "So, the Heavenly Demon''s weakness is due to the seal?"

    Ohjin nodded.

    Kasia murmured in a small voice, flicking her long tongue.

    "Come to think of it, the Heavenly Demon once said that the ck Heaven he possessed was still iplete."

    Iplete?

    Ohjin had no way of knowing, so he nodded quietly.

    "I apologize for doubting you, my god."

    The green snake that had bound Ohjin slithered back into her shadow.

    Kasia bowed her head at Ohjin''s feet.

    Ohjin helped her up and spoke in a soothing tone.

    "No, I''m grateful for your doubt. It means you haven''t forgotten me."

    "Heavenly Demon..."

    Kasia looked at Ohjin with trembling eyes.

    "Anyway. You don''t need to bring me any more hearts now."

    "But if it''s to break the Heavenly Demon''s seal, more hearts..."

    "I said it''s not necessary."

    He spoke with a slightly irritated expression.

    "I, I''m sorry!"

    He stopped Kasia as she hurriedly tried to bow again.

    "Right now, I''m disguising myself as an apostle of the Weaver Girl to hide my identity. If it''s discovered that I possess ck Heaven, the arrogant Celestials won''t sit still."

    "Ah I see."

    She finally seemed to grasp why he had told her there was no need to bring him hearts.

    "Hehe. Just as I''d expect from the Heavenly Demon."

    Kasia looked at Ohjin, her face filled with reverence, and nodded.

    "No matter how arrogant the Celestials may be, they could never imagine that the apostle of the North Star possesses ck Heaven."

    Exactly. That was the very reason Ohjin had pursued the title of ''hero'' in the first ce.

    "So, the most crucial task now is toplete the unfinished ck Heaven and restore the Heavenly Demon''s memory."

    Kasia''s eyes gleamed as she spoke.

    ''The method toplete the unfinished ck Heaven.''

    If the ''Heavenly Demon'' was indeed in possession of an iplete ck Heaven, as Kasia had suggested, then his goal must be toplete it.

    ''In that case...''

    If Ohjin could prevent thepletion of ck Heaven, then the Heavenly Demon would be stuck with an iplete version.

    ''That''s it!''

    Ohjin''s fist tightened. This was the crucial information he needed right now. If he could somehow prevent the Heavenly Demon frompleting ck Heaven, there might be a chance to avoid the ''end'' that Pris had prophesied.

    ''I thought I was fucked at first, but who knew it would turn out like this.''

    It was a blessing in disguise.

    If he could turn this crisis into an opportunity to screw over the Heavenly Demon, it would be an unexpected harvest.

    Ohjin''s eyes lit up as he asked.

    "What''s the method toplete ck Heaven?"

    "Hmm? Ah, you mentioned your memory was sealed."

    Kasia, who had been tilting her head, let out a short exmation.

    "Tell me."

    "Yes, Heavenly Demon."

    Kasia lowered her head respectfully, then continued.

    "There is only one method toplete the iplete ck Heaven."

    Her emerald eyes shone with a cold intensity.

    "The only way is to kill the Heaven-defying Star and absorb its power."

    What?

    "The Heaven-defying Star?"

    "Yes."

    Kasia confirmed, her gaze lifting to the night sky, her face filled with murderous intent.

    "The Awakener, created by the arrogant Celestials, who holds the power to change fate. The only being that can oppose the ck Heaven that you, the Heavenly Demon, possess!"

    She spread her arms wide, her voice echoing with madness.

    "Only by devouring that disgusting star can the Heavenly Demon''s no, all of our wishese true!"

    Silence followed.

    Kill the Heaven-defying Star toplete ck Heaven?

    ''But isn''t that guy already dead?''

    [You have sessfully absorbed the Stigma of Capricorn.]

    [A power that does not match your current level has been detected.]

    [The power of the stigma will be sealed within ck Heaven.]

 Chapter 218: Snakes Head (11)

    Chapter 218: Snake''s Head (11)

    "That''s correct."

    Kasia politely bowed her head.

    No hint of lies could be detected in her gaze or voice.

    Ohjin grabbed his disheveled hair and bit his lip.

    ''So, to put it simply...''

    The ck Heaven that the Heavenly Demon possessed was iplete.

    Toplete the ck Heaven, he needed to kill and absorb the Heaven-Defying Star.

    However

    ''That damn Shinhyuk has been dead for ages!''

    Ohjin wed at his hair, releasing a silent scream.

    Shinhyuk, who was initially fated to be the Heaven-Defying Star when Ohjin''s ck Heaven first awakened, was now dead.

    ''Wait, what does this imply?''

    Both the ck Heaven he and the Heavenly Demon possessed were in ''iplete'' states. If only Ohjin''s ck Heaven became plete'' by absorbing the Heaven-Defying Star...

    ''The Heavenly Demon''s next target would be...''

    Ohjin''s face turned pale.

    If the Heavenly Demon wanted toplete his iplete ck Heaven, wouldn''t his next target naturally be Ohjin himself, who absorbed the Heaven-Defying Star?

    "Oh, fucking shit!"

    The crude curse slipped out involuntarily.

    The back of his head felt as if it had been struck from behind with a hammer.

    Was this transcendent being, the supposed creator of the Celestials, really targeting him?

    "Lo, Lord Heavenly Demon? What seems to be the problem?"

    "...No, it''s nothing."

    Ohjin steadied his pounding heart and took a light breath.

    ''Calm down.''

    Looking at it positively, as long as he was alive, the ck Heaven possessed by the Heavenly Demon would remain iplete.

    Even if the Heavenly Demon targeted him, with hisplete ck Heaven, he could defeat

    ''Can I really emerge victorious? Against the Transcendent who created Celestials?''

    He questioned whether a method to fight and win against such a being even existed.

    "Haah."

    This situation was driving him nuts.

    For now, he had to hold onto the hope that the Heavenly Demon was so deeply in hiding that even someone like Kasia, who could be considered his confidant, wouldn''t know his whereabouts.

    If the Heavenly Demon were to make his move at this point, Ohjin would be utterly defenseless against him.

    "Have you found out who the Heaven-Defying Star is?"

    "I haven''t yet discovered the identity of the Heaven-Defying Star."

    Kasia apologetically bowed her head.

    "Bu, but if you just give me a little more time, I will definitely find the Heaven-Defying Star!"

    "No, there''s something else we need to do first."

    "Something we must do...?"

    Kasia tilted her head curiously.

    Ohjin continued in a low, sunken voice.

    "Lately, I noticed flies were buzzing and flying around."

    "......."

    Kasia''s eyes shone coldly.

    She gently lifted up her jet-ck dress and bowed at the waist.

    "I do as the Lord Heavenly Demonmands."

    Good.

    Ohjin clenched his fist tightly.

    What was that saying again? To fight poison with poison?

    If he could use her to eliminate the Musca faction, it would be killing two birds with one stone.

    And what shall the Lord Heavenly Demon?

    "I will first return to Earth."

    "Ah."

    Kasia looked at Ohjin with a look of disappointment.

    But that onlysted a moment.

    "Understood. Then I shall have my children safely escort the Lord Heavenly Demon."

    Children?

    Ohjin tilted his head and looked at Kasia.

    Kasia slowly raised her hand and lightly snapped her fingers.

    Snap.

    Gugugugugu!

    When she snapped her fingers, the ground started shaking.

    The earth split open, and ferocious monsters emerged from every direction.

    "Krrrkkk."

    "Kikikik."

    Dozens of them, each radiating a power rarely seen on Earth.

    ''This is insane.''

    * * *

    Ohjin nervously gulped as he surveyed the multitude of monsters. Despite their ferocious appearance, they stood docile, as tame asmbs, their heads bowed.

    ''So this is Kasia''s ability.''

    The power to control demonic beasts.

    Come to think of it, the savage mother beast that charged at him earlier had immediately started hurting itself with its sharp legs at hermand as well.

    ''In that case, are all demonic beasts of the Demon Realm under Kasia''s control?''

    Ohjin looked at Kasia with a tense expression.

    If she could control every living demonic beast in the Demon Realm

    She was literally at a level where she could bring about the end of the world.

    "Have you tamed all the monsters in the Demon Realm?"

    "Hmm?"

    Kasia tilted her head as if she didn''t understand what he meant.

    Soon she smiled lightly and shook her head.

    "Hehe. No, the only monsters I can tame are those outside the influence of the ''Kings''."

    Kings?

    The kings of demonic beasts or something?

    ''Since I know so little about the Demon Realm, I can''t understand what she''s saying.''

    For now, just knowing Kasia couldn''t tame every monster in the Demon Realm was enough.

    "These children will ensure the Heavenly Demon''s safe journey to earth."

    A colossal reptilian demonic beast approached Ohjin and bowed, lying t on its belly. Ohjin hopped onto the beast, its scales shimmering ominously.

    "Are you ufortable in any way?"

    "I am a bit ufortable."

    The beast''s scales were as hard as steel, making it far from afortable ride.

    "It won''t be too difficult to ride..."

    "Why are you still alive? The Lord Heavenly Demon has expressed his difort."

    Kasia frowned, tapping the lizard''s head repeatedly.

    "Karrrh!"

    At Kasia''smand, the lizard bit down on its long, extended tongue. Its sharp ws jabbed into its eyes, prating the brain within.

    ''Holy, what the fuck.''

    Ohjin swiftly dismounted the lizard, staring at Kasia in disbelief. Her readiness to order death without a moment''s hesitation, simply because he had expressed difort, sent a chill down his spine.

    ''She''s absolutely nuts.''

    Even if the subject had been a human, she would have ordered its death without hesitation.

    "Let''s see... which one would be suitable for the noble Lord Heavenly Demon to ride on?"

    Kasia''s gaze darted left and right, studying the demonic beasts lined up in rows. Her eyes settled on a beast with the body of a lion, the tail of a snake, and the head of an eagle.

    "Come here."

    "Krrrling."

    At Kasia''s call, the demonic beast with an eagles head crawled over to her andy t on its belly.

    Like an artisan crafting custom furniture, she stroked the soft brown fur covering the lizard monster''s back.

    "Hmm, you pass."

    Seemingly satisfied, Kasia nodded.

    "Hehe. Lord Heavenly Demon, why don''t you try riding this child?"

    "...Fine."

    Ohjin climbed onto the eagle-headed demonic beast''s back.

    Thanks to the soft brown fur that acted like a cushion, the ride was much smoother than before.

    "How is it?"

    "Good."

    "Ah, that''s a relief."

    Kasia smiled brightly, seemingly pleased as she nodded.

    "There is quite some distance to the nearest gate, excluding the one that is here... It''ll probably take a few days."

    It would take days?

    ''Still, as long as I can return.''

    He only needed to just sit there, without having to consume his energy by running there on his own.

    "I see."

    "Ah... I wish I could be with the Lord Heavenly Demon a little longer...."

    Kasia looked at Ohjin with sad, longing eyes.

    "There will be another chance."

    "Hehe, you''re right. I will visit again soon."

    Kasia elegantly bowed at the waist, grasping the ends of her jet-ck dress with both hands.

    Her graceful and refined posture seemed toe naturally, as if she was from an aristocratic family.

    Ohjin found himself secretly curious about Kasia''s life before she met the Heavenly Demon. However

    ''Now isn''t the time to ask about that.''

    He had to return to the house where Ha-eun, Isabe, and Vega were waiting as soon as possible.

    "Then I''ll be off."

    Ohjin grabbed the mane of the eagle-headed demonic beast.

    Though its head resembled an eagle, the fluffy, lion-like mane around its neck made for a perfect handhold.

    "Grrrling."

    As Ohjin grasped its fur, the eagle-headed demonic beast let out a low whine and shook its body cutely.

    It swayed its snake-like tail as if fawning over him.

    ''It''s kind of cute.''

    Maybe it was because the monsters he had faced before were so grotesque.

    The monster he was riding now felt unexpectedly cute.

    ''From now on, your name is Boppi.''

    Ohjin gently patted Boppi''s head.

    "Oh, right. In case you grow hungry on the trip, take this."

    Kasia held out arge sack from the shadows.

    Inside were various Korean snacks like potato chips and beverages like coke and cider.

    "This is...?"

    "They may not suit the noble Lord Heavenly Demon''s tastes, but these are the simple snacks I enjoy."

    "......."

    The image of Kasia noisily munching on potato chips

    ''I can''t even imagine it.''

    Ohjin let out an emptyugh as he epted the sack of snacks.

    "Alright."

    "Then I bid you safe travels."

    Leaving behind Kasia bowing her head, Ohjin set off on the journey back home to Earth.

    * * *

    In a dark room.

    A woman with luscious tinum hair sat on the bed, knees pulled to her chest.

    "...Mr. Ohjin."

    Isabe murmured his name in a weary voice.

    "I miss you, Mr. Ohjin."

    Her clear tears rolled down her cheeks buried between her knees.

    Before entering the fracture.

    That kiss they shared kept reying in her mind.

    If only she had been more careful back then.

    If only she had been more attentive back then.

    By now, Ohjin would...

    "Hic... huk."

    Her slender shoulders shook.

    Isabe chewed her lip, shedding sorrowful tears.

    "I''m sorry... I''m so sorry, Mr. Ohjin."

    She should have been the one to stay behind.

    She should have forced him into the fracture by ordering him from the start.

    Endlessly regretting what could not be undone, she cried ceaselessly.

    Suddenly...

    m!

    Light flooded into the dark room as the door was thrown open roughly.

    "M, Mr. Ohjin...?!"

    Isabe hurriedly sat up.

    "Like hell its Ohjin-whatshisface."

    "Ah"

    Seeing Ha-eun enter, Isabe plopped back down on the bed.

    "I made food, so eat."

    "...I''m not hungry."

    Isabe turned her head away.

    Ha-eun''s brows furrowed as she approached Isabe.

    "You haven''t eaten anything since you returned."

    "I''m fine."

    "You look half-dead, how is that fine?"

    As Ha-eun pulled Isabe along, her body limply tumbled off the bed.

    "...Mr. Ohjin."

    Whether she fell off the bed or not, Isabe didn''t seem to care.

    Like a broken doll, she simply stared vacantly into space, murmuring Ohjin''s name over and over.

    "Haah."

    Ha-eun let out a deep sigh and roughly grabbed Isabe by the cor, lifting her up.

    "...Ha-eun-ssi?"

    Only then did Isabe look back at her.

    "Bite down hard."

    p!

    Ha-eun fiercely pped Isabe''s cheek.

    "...What?"

    "Don''t ''what'' me."

    Ha-eun continued in a fierce, growling voice.

    "Are you not going to save Ohjin-whatshisface?"

    "......."

    Light returned to Isabe''s empty eyes.

 Chapter 219: Intermission - Reunion (1)

    Chapter 219: Intermission - Reunion (1)

    "You''re going to save Mr. Ohjin really??"

    Isabe bit her lip hard.

    The image of the frenzied mother beast charging recklessly towards the rift shed through her mind.

    Even if they went to save him now, what meaning would it have?

    "Mr. Ohjin, Mr. Ohjin... He''s already...."

    "He''s not dead, Ohjin-whatshisface."

    "How, how do you know that, unnie?!"

    Isabe bolted upright in bed and shouted.

    "Because I do."

    "That isn''t an answer. Not a real one, anyway."

    She clenched her fists tightly.

    "I... I should have stayed. Not Mr. Ohjin, but me!"

    Even if she had stayed, the chances of surviving were extremely slim.

    If it was hard for her, how much worse must it have been for Ohjin?

    "......."

    Ha-eun remained silent, lips pursed as she watched Isabe sobbing with tears streaming down her face.

    "But we still have to go."

    Even if the odds of his survival were slim, they had to cling to that faint glimmer of hope and attempt a rescue.

    "But what if... we get there and find nothing? Or even discover Mr. Ohjin''s dead body? What will you do then?!"

    She cried out in anguish.

    Only now did she allow herself to hope he might still be alive.

    But if they found his corpse...

    Wouldn''t that fragile strand of hope snap entirely?

    "What would I do? I''d follow him, obviously."

    Ha-eun''s response came with a nonchnt shrug.

    "I''ll follow him always, even to death."

    She stated it matter-of-factly, then turned her head, her silence questioning why she would ask such an obvious question.

    "What?"

    Isabe stared at Ha-eun, her mouth agape. She couldn''t fathom how Ha-eun could utter such absurd things with a straight face.

    Would Ha-eun really die for Ohjin if she found him dead?

    "What do you mean?"

    "I meant it when I said that I can''t live without him."

    A life without Ohjin had no meaning or value for her.

    "I''m sure that bastard feels the same."

    Ha-eun smirked confidently.

    "That''s...."

    Seeing her so boldly im something with so much confidence, Isabe could only gape.

    Follow him to death? Their bond seemed unimaginably deep, well beyond her reach.

    "...That''s not okay."

    It infuriated her.

    How Ha-eun could discuss ''death'' so casually and confidently.

    Her utter certainty that Ohjin would feel the same.

    It seemed so cowardly and audacious.

    "I like Mr. Ohjin too, unnie."

    "I know."

    "...Aren''t you two dating?"

    "I guess so? Though we only officially started recently."

    Isabe looked at her incredulously.

    Shouldn''t she be angrily shouting things like ''you little rat'' about now?

    "Are you okay with that?"

    "With what?"

    "The fact that I like Mr. Ohjin too."

    "Well, honestly it doesn''t make me too happy."

    Ha-eun shrugged lightly with arms crossed.

    "What matters isn''t how you feel about him, but how he feels about you, right?"

    "...You''re that confident you won''t lose to me?"

    "If I thought I might, I''d threaten to kill myself or something."

    She giggled.

    "I told you, I can''t live without Ohjin."

    "......."

    Isabe''s forehead throbbed visibly.

    She red at Ha-eun, biting her lip hard.

    "We''ll see about that."

    At first she thought second ce would be fine.

    Even just a portion of his love would be enough.

    But now....

    "Those words, I''ll make you regret them."

    She shook her head. Those words made her think harder about her position.

    If there was to be another, it should be Ha-eun, not her.

    "Yeah, yeah. Go ahead and try your best."

    Ha-eun giggled and ruffled Isabe''s hair.

    "Hey, don''t touch my hair!"

    "Damn, the smell. My nose might fall off."

    "Liar!"

    "But you haven''t showered at all sinceing here, right?"

    "That''s...!"

    Blushing, Isabe rushed into the bathroom.

    Watching her scramble away, Ha-eun chuckled softly.

    "Heh, that''s one interesting girl."

    She brought her hand that had stroked Isabe''s hair to her nose and sniffed, giggling.

    Despite the fierce battle andck of bathing facilities, a delicate rose scent lingered pleasantly.

    "...I should say that it''s unfair, really."

    Sighing, she stared at the firmly shut bathroom door.

    "......."

    A deep silence fell.

    Ha-eun uncrossed her arms.

    Her freed hands trembled violently.

    ''Ohjin.''

    She clenched her shaking hands into fists.

    A vague terror choked off her breath. It felt like she was going to suffocate.

    ''You arealive, aren''t you?''

    Looking up at the pitch-ck night sky through the window, she bit her lip.

    "Noona wille to save you, so hang in there a bit longer."

    Ha-eun''s eyes shed sharply as she turned.

    * * *

    After Isabe showered, she and Ha-eun headed to the Sanctum.

    The majestic temple shone with a faint silver light.

    Inside the utterly empty temple, a silver-haired goddess stood tall.

    [You''vee.]

    Vega, who had been standing with her eyes closed and hands pressed together in a semnce of prayer, gradually opened her eyes. Her mere presence inspired awe, a sacred aura that was beyond words. It was like witnessing a scene straight out of mythology, leaving Isabe gaping in overwhelming awe.

    "You''re... Ms. Vega?"

    Until now, Isabe had only seen Vega''s smaller manifestation. The sight of her true form was shocking.

    [Yes, I am.]

    "Oh...."

    Isabe''s eyes trembled. The sight before her was breathtaking: silvery hair and golden eyes that sparkled, skin as white as freshly fallen snow, and an air of elegance and nobility. She had always been confident in her looks, turning heads wherever she went. But seeing Vega in his true form made her self-assurance crumble away.

    ''Come to think of it, Vega also seems especially fond of Mr. Ohjin.''

    Whenever she manifested on Earth, she would perch on Ohjin''s head and cling to him.

    She assumed it was maternal affection, as Vega would call him ''my child.''

    ''Winning first ce won''t be easy.''

    A deep sigh escaped Isabe''s lips.

    * * *

    "You don''t know where Ohjin is now either, right? Like you told me before."

    [That''s right.]

    Vega nodded heavily.

    The rtionship between Celestials and Awakeners could be simply likened to that between a tree and its seed.

    The Celestials could grant the seed, known as the Stigma, allowing their power to germinate and flourish within the Awakener.

    But ultimately, the Stigma nurtured within the Awakener''s body inevitably transformed into a ''different tree''.

    There was no way to know in real time if the Awakener who received the Stigma was dead or alive, where they were, or what they were doing.

    "What about manifesting in a small form?"

    [After overusing my power previously, manifesting will be difficult for a while.]

    "Hmm."

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue.

    With the urgency of the situation, they couldn''t afford to wait for her restrictions to lift.

    "...Then we have no choice but to go to the Demon Realm."

    [How do you n to go there?]

    "Well, since the Sokcho gate is closed, we''re left with only one option."

    Ha-eun''s eyes shed with determination.

    "The First Fissure."

    The massive gate, spanning 50 kilometers wide, was situated in the Arctic.

    Known as the most dangerous ce on Earth due to the influx of powerful demonic beasts from the Demon Realm, it was their only path in.

    [But.]

    "I know. It''s dangerous."

    Ha-eun continued resolutely.

    "But we still have to go."

    [...Thank you.]

    "Tsk, it''s not like we''re saving him for your sake."

    [Hehe. I know.]

    Vega smiled faintly and nodded.

    She looked at Isabe and Ha-eun.

    [Still, it''s too risky with just the two of you.]

    "Then?"

    [Follow me. There is a Celestial that I could ask for help.]

    Vega slowly walked out of the temple.

    Following the long, starlight path, she arrived at...

    "Whoa... What is this ce?"

    A temple overflowing with all kinds of shy decorations.

    Unlike Vega''s bare temple, this one was crammed full of treasures, as if all the world''s valuables had been gathered into one ce.

    [Deneb.]

    Entering the temple, Vega softly called out that name.

    Woooosh!

    Dazzling lights filled the temple.

    Piercing through the brilliant rays appeared a boy with ck-and-blue hair.

    His small body was heavily adorned with gemstones that glittered brightly.

    The vulgar abundance of jewels initially gave him a gaudy appearance, but his wless features transformed even his bad taste into something profoundly noble and awe-inspiring.

    "...What is this?"

    Deneb jutted out his lips sullenly.

    [I''vee to ask for your help.]

    "Huh? Help?"

    Deneb snorted.

    "Do you... know what I''ve been through since the proxy match?"

    Following his devastating defeat in the previous proxy match, life had be a struggle. The number of Celestials already questioning his worthiness as the ''North Star'' had only grown.

    Just as in human society, when a renowned, influential figure makes even a single error, others swarm like flies, eager to tear them down.

    The Celestials were no different.

    "I could bear it if I was the only one insulted!"

    He was no stranger to scorn and contempt. Despite his long life, he was forever measured against Vega and Pris.

    But his children...

    "My... my children!"

    Deneb sobbed.

    The thought of his children enduring undeserved mockery due to their inferior Celestial father ignited a fire in his chest.

    [You were the one who demanded the proxy match first.]

    "That''s, that''s...."

    [Well, I agree my child went overboard back then. I apologize.]

    "......."

    Deneb pursed his lips tightly and bowed his head deeply.

    Vega approached gently, cing a hand on his shoulder.

    [Don''t be discouraged. Remember, you''re a part of the North Stars, no matter what.]

    "...Hmph. You think just saying that will make me grant your request?"

    Sulkily, Deneb crossed his arms and turned his head away.

    With a hand still on his shoulder, Vega spoke in a low, quiet voice.

    [...My child is trapped in the Demon Realm.]

    "What?"

    Deneb''s eyes widened in shock. The Demon Realm was a mystery, even to Celestials. The implications of being trapped there were dire.

    [Save my child, please.]

    Vega stepped back from Deneb, her movements slow and deliberate. She smoothed out her dress and began to lower herself into a kneel.

    [I kneel and beg you...]

    Before Vega''s knees could touch the ground, Deneb sprang into action.

    "What do you think you''re doing?!"

    He rushed over, preventing her from kneeling and assisting her back to her feet.

    "A Celestial shouldn''t kneel! If your child heard about thister, how do you think they''d feel?"

    Deneb spoke sulkily as he turned away.

    "You said that you are going to the Demon Realm, right?"

    Running a hand through his hair, he snorted.

    "Wait. I''ll gather my children."

    A faint smile crossed Vega''s lips.

    [Thank you.]

    "Tsk! I''m not doing this for you! If that Lightning Wolf punk dies a useless death, it''ll damage the legacy of my children who lost to him!"

    With an irritated look, Deneb grumbled.

    [...]

    Vega gazed at him warmly with a faint smile lingering on her lips.

 Chapter 220: Intermission - Reunion (2)

    Chapter 220: Intermission - Reunion (2)

    "What on earth were you doing to end up in the Demon Realm? And you fell into the very gate Vega imed was safe..."

    Deneb''s voice was a relentless barrage of words.

    With a chuckle, Deneb circled to Vega.

    "As a Celestial, you should be protecting children, yet you''ve put your own child in danger... How could you do such a thing? Huh? Huh? Huh?"

    [.]

    Vega closed her eyes slightly, letting Deneb''s words pass through one ear and out the other.

    Or rather.

    She pretended to be indifferent.

    [I must endure. I must endure.]

    Vega, her beautiful forehead creased with tension, clenched her fist and muttered under her breath.

    "Hehehe! Ah~ I feel so refreshed!"

    Deneb stretched out his arms and yawned.

    Just as Vega was ring at Deneb, trying to suppress her anger, the doors of thevishly decorated temple opened. A young man and two women entered.

    "Are you here?"

    Deneb turned to look at Allen Oscal and the sisters Shaolin and Shan.

    Allen, who was leading the group, gave a small nod.

    He nced coldly at Vega, Ha-eun, and Isabe, then turned his head toward Deneb.

    "What''s the matter all of a sudden?"

    "I have a favor to ask, Allen."

    "A favor?"

    "Go to the Demon Realm."

    "...The Demon Realm?"

    Allen''s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

    "Do you want me to meet the elder Megrez?"

    "No. I want you to retrieve the Lightning Wolf."

    "Lightning Wolf?"

    "Lightning Wolf?"

    At the mention of the Lightning Wolf, Shaolin and Shan''s eyes shed fiercely.

    Deneb subtly gestured with his yes, and Vega stepped forward.

    [Pleased to meet you.]

    "I greet the Star of the Weaver Girl."

    Allen bowed respectfully.

    [Due to my negligence, my child has been trapped in the Demon Realm.]

    "Trapped in the Demon Realm...?"

    Vega slowly exined what had happened in the Demon Realm.

    As the exnation continued, the expressions of Allen, Shaolin, and Shan hardened.

    "If he couldn''t get out of there, he must have already died"

    "Sister, be quiet."

    Shaolin quickly covered Shan''s mouth.

    "I see. I understand the situation."

    Allen sighed deeply and turned to Deneb.

    His eyes were filled with reproach as if to say, ''Are you going to grant that favor?''.

    Deneb flinched and soon nodded.

    "Ha."

    Allen heaved a deep sigh, turning towards Vega.

    "I understand. I''ll help rescue the Lightning Wolf."

    His rtionship with Ohjin wasn''t one of deep friendship or loyalty, the kind that wouldpel him to risk his life by venturing into the Demon Realm for a rescue mission.

    [Thank you.]

    "But it''s because it''s Deneb''s request."

    It was a request from Deneb, who was like a parent to him. There was no reason to refuse.

    "That''s our Allen! I knew I could count on you!"

    Deneb''s eyes sparkled as he grabbed Allen''s arm.

    "Ah, not that it''s a condition or anything... but there is one thing I would like to ask of you in return."

    [Hmm. Go on.]

    Allen looked down at Deneb, who was dangling like a cicada, with a faint smile.

    If Deneb were to find himself in a troublesome situation like Lady Vega now, I hope you''ll help him out then, just once.

    Ah! Why are you suddenly saying that?! There''s no way I''d get into such a dangerous situation!

    Deneb''s shout echoed as Allen gently patted his head. Vega watched the two, a smile slowly spreading across her lips.

    [Of course.]

    "Then, we''ll be on our way."

    As Allen was about to turn around, his hand resting on the sword at his waist, Deneb interrupted.

    Oh, wait a moment.

    Deneb, who had been shouting noisily while pulling on Allen''s arm, suddenly hardened his expression.

    As if he hadn''t been frivolous a minute before, the carefree atmosphere disappeared in an instant, reced by a sharp glint.

    Tch.

    That glint was directed at Isabe, who had quietly withdrawn behind Vega. Deneb red at Isabe with narrowed eyes.

    You, what are you?

    Shhk shhk shhk!

    With a simple gesture, ice pirs burst out of the temple floor, forming a dense prison around Isabe.

    "...."

    Isabe looked at the frozen pirs locking her in ce with an expression hardened like stone.

    * * *

    [Stop.]

    As Deneb tried to approach Isabe, Vega blocked his way.

    [I shall vouch for this child''s identity.]

    ...Are you in your right mind, Vega? She''s an apostle of the ck Star!

    [I am aware.]

    Hmm.

    Deneb nodded lightly, then snapped his fingers. The ice pirs surrounding Isabe copsed with a crash.

    Well, if you''re personally guaranteeing it, Vega, I''ll trust you.

    Since the Star of the Weaver Girl herself had stepped in to confirm her identity, there was no need to nitpick.

    [Thank you.]

    Hey! I told you not to treat me like a kid?!

    When Vega tried to pat his head, Deneb jerked away, as if avoiding an attack.

    Ha-eun chuckled, gripping her forehead.

    I feel like the image I had of the Celestials is shattered.

    We don''t have time for this. We have to hurry, or else...

    Isabe chewed on her nails anxiously, her face uneasy.

    Don''t worry, I told you?

    Ha-eun raised the corner of her mouth in a smirk, pulling Isabe''s shoulder as she bit her nails. She continued, lightly patting the anxious girl''s back.

    Ohjin-whatshisname is not the type to die so easily.

    ...I know.

    Isabe quickly collected herself, blushing as she hid her face. She could feel Ha-eun''s touch trembling on her back.

    ...You''re scared too.

    Huh?

    It''s nothing.

    With a brighter expression, Isabe moved away from Ha-eun.

    She looked to Allen and the Shao sisters.

    Shall we leave right away?

    Yes.

    But how will we get to the North Pole? There aren''t any sanctums nearby.

    Shan tilted her head questioningly.

    The Cgrande House has a private jet prepared. We just need to fly there from the London sanctum.

    Great! Let''s hurry and grab the rascal by the cor and drag him back!

    Ha-eun shouted vigorously as she turned around.

    As Ha-eun was about to leave the temple, Vega approached her.

    [I leave my child in your hands.]

    "Ok."

    Ha-eun smiled wryly at Vega.

    "I''ll bring him back."

    * * *

    The First Fissure.

    At the North Pole was a colossal 50 km wide gate directly linked to the Demon Realm.

    "This is... the First Fissure."

    Isabe swallowed dryly, looking at the ck crevice stretching along the Arctic ice.

    Despite being quite far from the gate, it was so vast that it seemed to extend endlessly everywhere you looked around.

    Isabe quickened her steps anxiously.

    Wait a moment.

    Ha-eun grabbed Isabe''s arm, surveying their surroundings.

    High-ranking monsters notmonly found on Earth roamed around the First Fissure connected to the Demon Realm.

    ...This is the ce with the least monsters around?

    Yes.

    Allen nodded.

    I''ve gone through this route to the Demon Realm before.

    You''ve been to the Demon Realm and back?

    Ha-eun looked at Allen in surprise.

    Allen silently nodded.

    He slowly drew out his sword, continuing,

    The critical thing is speed. The moment we''rete, the horde wille running at themotion.

    The horde won''t follow us into the Demon Realm?

    Yes. Once inside, we''ll be safe.

    ...Like gatekeepers?

    You could see it that way.

    Ha-eun and Isabe''s eyes lightened with relief at these words. Someone experienced in entering the Demon Realm would guide them.

    "Well, if this team can''t even get into the Demon Realm, we''d have a problem."

    Isabe held the rank of third in the ck Star Organization as an Executor, and Allen was a member of the Seven Stars. The Shao sisters held the fourth and fifth positions among Deneb''s 12 Apostles. Ha-eun was a high-ranking awakener of the Draco,parable to the 12 Zodiacs. If this group couldn''t even enter the Demon Realm, the existence of the Demon Realm itself would likely remain a mystery to the world.

    "I''ll take the lead."

    Allen stepped forward, sword drawn, his eyes sharp as he observed the monsters loitering around the First Fissure. With a light step, his figure vanished as if dissolving into the air. Along with the lightly swung sword sh, a nketing frost spread widely, freezing the demonic beasts solid before they could even scream.

    "Whoa..."

    A quiet exmation left Ha-eun''s lips.

    "How about that? How about that? Isn''t Allen oppa awesome?"

    Shan ogled Allen''s back as he took the lead, waving her arms excitedly. Shaolin frowned, ring at Shan.

    "Behave yourself, sister. There are others here."

    Whats with you today? Usually, youd be squealing at the mere sight of Sir Allen.

    S-Sister!

    Shaolin shouted, her face flushed red.

    Quiet.

    At Allen''s softly muttered word, the two women flinched and shut their mouths firmly.

    Well proceed slowly.

    Didnt you say speed was of the essence earlier?

    First well get as close to the First Fissure as possible without being noticed, then make a run for it.

    Leaving the frozen monster statues behind, Allen headed for the First Fissure. The remaining distance to the First Fissure was approximately 10 km. Even for their superhuman bodies, it was too far to cover in one burst.

    As they slowly, silently dispatched the groups of monsters on their cautious approach to the First Fissure...

    ...Whats this?

    Allen, whose expressions barely changed, furrowed his brows and nced around.

    Its...

    Isabe, following behind, also seemed to have sensed something suspicious and pursed her plump lips.

    Ha-eun looked around.

    What is it? Whats going on?

    The demonic beasts movements are strange.

    Allen looked back at the groups of demonic beasts he had frozen into ice statues. He was certain he had handled them swiftly and thoroughly, stifling even their roars.

    The demonic beasts in the vicinity have started converging here.

    What? Why all of a sudden?

    I don''t know.

    Sensing the demonic beasts encroaching from all directions, Allen tightened his grip on his sword. He didn''t understand how the demonic beasts had noticed them and started swarming towards this route, but...

    We''ll break through head-on!

    Since they had already been discovered, there was no other choice.

    Hup!

    Thud!

    Allen charged forward with forceful stomps. Swish, swish, swish, sh! A chill far beyond the cold of the Arctic tore through the demonic beasts bodies as they rushed forth.

    "Kiiirrrr!"

    "Croo? Krrrrwaaah?"

    The demonic beasts converging from all around began unleashing horrifying roars at Allen''s appearance. Their eyes showed panic and shock.

    They hadnt noticed us?

    Allen furrowed his brows in confusion. If they hadn''t been noticed, then why were the monsters suddenly gathering here?

    There must be something else.

    Come to think of it, he vaguely remembered Megrez mentioning something when they had visited the Demon Realm. The demonic beasts guarding the perimeter of the Demon Realm were banished existences, having been unable to join the Kings forces. And most of the banished demonic beasts had been misled by the ''Snake,'' revering her as their king.

    "...Could it be."

    Allen''s expression hardened stiffly. The endless horde of demonic beasts converged like dark clouds from beyond the snowfield. No matter how many intruders appeared, the demonic beasts guarding the 50-km-wide Rift would never gather in one location like this. Well, there was one exception. When their master, the ''Snake,'' personally marched onto Earth.

    "Could the ''Snake'' be...ing this way now?"

    Allen stared with trembling eyes at the legions of demonic beasts filling the vast snowfield.

 Chapter 221: Intermission - Reunion (3)

    Chapter 221: Intermission - Reunion (3)

    O-Oh, what the hell is that?!

    Ha-eun cursed as she stared at the hordes of demonic beasts flooding towards them, so densely packed that the pristine white snowfield was no longer visible. The number of demonic beasts she had faced when trapped in the Demon Realm before was considerable, but this was on another scale entirely.

    "Could all the demonic beasts near the First Fissure have gathered here?

    Even if their attempt to enter the Demon Realm had alerted the beasts there, meeting all of them sounded absurd. It''s like the entire 400,000-strong army swarming towards a single copsed section of barbed wire fencing.

    "This is my first time seeing something like this."

    Shaolin said as he swung his sword, neatly decapitating a charging demonic beast.

    Passing through the First Fissure into the Demon Realm was dangerous, of course, but it had never been this chaotic before. If beasts gathered in forces like this whenever someone tried to enter or leave, how could the handful of Awakeners like Megrez, who lived there permanently, survive?

    "The elder Megrez said that usually, only demonic beasts within a 12-hundred-meter radius would notice if someone tries to breach the gate."

    "This looks like way more than 1-2 hundred meters, though."

    The undting wave of beasts spread out for kilometers, far beyond just one or two, filling the surroundings.

    "And also"

    Ha-eun squinted and gazed at the horde of demonic beasts filling the snowfield.

    "They don''t appear to be heading toward us.

    In fact, the demonic beasts close to them were rushing right by them. The demonic beasts close to the gate started to align themselves in front of the gate, seeming indifferent to them. A lengthy, side-by-side row of demonic beasts formed on each side. The beasts knelt with their heads lowered deferentially, like servants awaiting the arrival of their king.

    "What are they doing?"

    Ha-eun stared nkly at the kneeling horde.

    "Could the Snake being through the gate?"

    Allen muttered just then.

    "What do you mean the Snake ising through?"

    Ha-eun threw a fireball toward the horde of demonic beasts and turned her head toward Allen.

    "I once heard something from Megrez a long time ago. It was that the only time demonic beasts guarding the perimeter of the Demon Realm gathered in one location was when their master, the ''Snake,'' personally visited outside of the Magic Realm."

    "So, does that mean the Queen of Snakes is there?"

    "No, that''s"

    Allen frowned in confusion.

    "I received a report just this morning that the Queen of Snakes is currently in South America."

    "South America?"

    "Yes. A regionpletely under the control of the Musca faction."

    "Then what on earth are we to make of that?"

    If the Queen of Snakes was in South America, who could the beasts be expecting to emerge from the gate?

    "I don''t know. There''s almost no information about the Serpens faction."

    As the ck Star Organization had only recently been recognized as a global threat, detailed intelligence about them still remained scarce.

    "In any case, as we are now, it is too dangerous to take the direct route through them. We should retreat and"

    "We can''t." Isabe shook her head resolutely. "Time is of the essence. We cannot afford any more dys."

    Even now, the wounded Ohjin could be drawing hisst breaths. "But"

    "Then I will go alone if I must."

    ....

    Allen watched Isabe recede as she strode forward. She would have nopromise.

    "You didn''t need to follow me."

    "After being entrusted by Deneb, I cannot simply abandon you both. And" His voice was low. "I understand well the absolute agony of knowing someone precious is dying."

    Allen gazed regretfully into the distance, as though recalling his past. An unmistakable grief shone in his eyes.

    "Thank you."

    Isabe replied softly.

    Allen effortlessly cleaved through two beasts swooping at them withrge wings.

    "The passage into the gate itself shouldn''t pose much difficulty, despite the number of demonic beasts."

    The snowfield was choked with beasts, their count staggering, but the party gathered here could easily raze nations if they so wished. Water may fill a vessel to the brim, but a needle can still pierce through. Breaching their ranks would not prove challenging, as long as they didn''t have to turn to a defensive stance.

    "The issue is breaking through quickly before we''re surrounded."

    "Leave that to me."

    Ha-eun retrieved a cigarette from her pack.

    "We just need to stab through the bastards to start with, right?"

    "The gist is simr."

    "Then buy me some time. I need a bit to prepare."

    Tssst!

    The tip of the cigarette red red. Ha-eun removed the ck eyepatch over her left eye and tucked it into her pocket.

    "Heuup."

    She inhaled deeply, gazing at the cigarette pinched between her fingers. She visualized mes, angrily zing, voraciously devouring all things around themthe searing breath of an enraged dragon.

    "Ugh...!"

    A dizzying painnced through her left eye, as though stabbed by needles. The hideous veins covering her left temple pulsed and crept down her neck.

    ''I can do this.''

    Thump, thump. From within her forcefully pounding left heart, she called upon the Dragon''s Heart slumbering inside. The aloof heart of the dragon, curled defensively as a sullen teenager, refusingmunionnow stirred restlessly.

    Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Massive mes erupted and were sucked back around Ha-eun''s body in repetition.

    "Celestial Draco, Eltanin."

    Invoking the Celestial''s name made the Stigma over her heart ze.

    "Well, not that you can hear me anyway from your slumber."

    Whoosh!

    Nine dragons of fire untangled themselves from the Stigma and coiled around the tip of the cigarette.

    "Bestow upon me a massive and powerful congration."

    Flick!

    * * *

    With a flick, she sent the cigarette flying. Like a spark hitting a pool of gasoline, the surroundings were instantly engulfed in a fiery storm.

    "Go to hell, fuckers."

    The nine entwined dragons opened their maws. Their fiery breath devastated beasts in a straight line.

    "...Are Stigmas supposed to do that?"

    Shan gaped at the cleared path, punched through the encircling beasts. Though invoking a Celestial''s name to push a Stigma to its limits wasmon for Awakeners, such oundish invocations were unheard of.

    "We''re breaking through!"

    Allen charged forward like an arrow loose from a bow.

    "Ah... ugh."

    Clutching her cursed eye, Ha-eun groaned after unleashing the powerful breath. The excessive exertion of mana nearly made her ckout.

    "Get on my back, unnie."

    Isabe crouched down before her, showing her back. "It''s okay, I-I can still move on my own...."

    "If you fall behind, the demonic beasts will surround you. Hurry!"

    "Uh, okay."

    Swaying unsteadily, Ha-eun climbed onto Isabe''s back.

    With Ha-eun on her back, Isabe raced after Allen.

    ''Mr. Ohjin, please hold on a little longer.''

    Isabe gnawed her lip anxiously as she ran. Though the battle in the Demon Realm had reawakened her agonizing thirst for blood, right now, more than the maddening thirst corroding her mind, more than the scorching ache in her throatshe desperately yearned for the warmth of his embrace.

    ''I will definitely, definitely''

    Swish!

    Red streams of blood severed the charging beasts'' bodies.

    "This way!"

    Allen swung his sword precisely, finding direction amidst the beasts swarming from all sides.

    Crack!

    With each swing of his frost-rimed de, the bodies of attacking beasts froze and shattered into fragments.

    "Arge one ising up on the left!"

    Allen''s head turned after hearing Shaolin''s cry.

    "Kroar!"

    A demonic beast with immense aura was sliding his way down fast, letting out a ferocious roar as it hurried towards them

    "I''ll take that one."

    The aura the demonic beast emitted seemed far from ordinary.

    Allen, with his sword clutched, blocked the charging beast''s path. It looked to be about 50 meters in size. The demonic beast''s long, snake-like body was covered in green scales, with four sets of fiery red eyes.

    "A Basilisk."

    The appearance of a single one of these powerful demonic beasts could take out any one city.

    "Heup!"

    Allen gripped his white, frost-rimmed sword and charged at the Basilisk.

    "There are too many here!"

    Shan shouted as he grimaced, holding off beasts from the right. Though not Basilisks, the demonic beasts were uniformly mighty and infamous. They crashed upon them like a tidal wave.

    "Put me down."

    Ha-eun pped Isabe''s back.

    "But"

    "I can''t fight properly when carried."

    Isabe nodded and lowered Ha-eun to the ground.

    "I''ll hold off the onesing from the right. Unnie, break through the front!"

    "Got it."

    The left was guarded by Allen and Shaolin, while Isabe and Shan held the right. With the horde of demonic beasts split into two, they had less numbers directly ahead where the gatey.

    "Raaargh!"

    "Kyaak!"

    The demonic beasts charged with maddened roars.

    "Get the hell out of my way, bastards!"

    Ha-eun roasted the head of a pouncing demonic beast with mes and raced forward.

    ''Ohjin.''

    Watching the gate loom closer, she bit her lips tight.

    ''Noona ising to save you.''

    Please, please, please.

    "Please be alive... Ohjin."

    Since she returned after leaving Ohjin behind in the Demon Realm, the tears she had contained flowed from her eyes and down her cheeks.

    She had told others with confidence that Ohjin would have made it out alive, but deep down, a part of her couldn''t erase her fear of never being able to see him again.

    What if she could never see him again? What if she could never be embraced by him again?

    Every time she had these thoughts, she thought she would lose her mind from the overwhelming anxiety.

    "Ohjin, Ohjin, Ohjiiiin!"

    Ha-eun raced toward the dark gate, yearning for him while she desperately shouted his name. There was only 20 meters between her and the gate.

    Just two or three more steps, and she could go to the Demon Realm where he was trapped.

    "Noona most certainly will rescue you!"

    Her suppressed emotions erupted, and tears flowed down her cheeks.

    "Please... please, I only ask that you be alive Ohjin..."

    As though her anguished pleas had been heard, right before the jump into the dark gate, the gate rippled. An enormous beast emerged from within. The wicked chimera had an eagle''s head, lion''s body, and serpentine tail.

    And

    "Ohjin, Ohjin! Youhuh?"

    Seeing Ohjin sprawled casually atop the chimera, munching on chips like a jobless deadbeat, Ha-eun''s expression twisted in confusion.

    "What the fuck?"

    Why is that shitbag lying there like that?

 Chapter 222: Intermission - Reunion (4)

    Chapter 222: Intermission - Reunion (4)

    "Haaah."

    Ohjin, lying on Boppi''s back, let out a drawn-out yawn as he stretched.

    "Am I almost here?"

    Ohjin sat up, grabbing Boppi''s fur. The Demon Realm''sndscape came into view. A lush, overgrown forest. The forest interior, which should have been pitch ck without sunlight, was illuminated by the firefly-like bugs fluttering around that gave off light. Thanks to the hauntingly mystical atmosphere, the scenery was rather beautiful.

    The Demon Realm isn''t as deste as I imagined.

    What he had seen of the interior these past few days on Boppi''s back differed greatly from what he had envisioned.

    He had pictured a hellish wastnd that stretched endlessly, filled with blood and carnage. But...

    "There are viges and cities of a sort too."

    Although he had only glimpsed them from afar, surprisingly, the Demon Realm interior contained well-organized towns and cities that could be called "civilized."

    Come to think of it, there are existences called Kings here.

    The presence of kings meant a hierarchy and society existed among the demonic beasts.

    I haven''t seen many monsters with that level of intellect, though.

    Up until now, most of the demonic beasts he had encountered were more like primal beasts driven by base instincts. He hadn''t considered that such monsters could build viges and cities, serve kings, and form countries.

    "Well... It''s not like there are no intelligent monsters at all."

    Usually, monsters with unique names, referred to as ''Named'', exhibited intelligence surpassing that of humans. These names were attached to individuals rather than the entire species.

    Before the ck Star Organization appeared, the biggest threat to mankind was the hordes of monsters led by the Named.

    "The Named, huh."

    Ohjin''s voice held a tinge of enmity. The Thousand Curses Dragon, Barbatos. The monster who had taken Ha-eun''s eye was one of the Named.

    "Rrrr?"

    Perhaps Boppi sensed the murderous intent, for he turned his head to look at Ohjin. Ohjin responded with a smile that seemed to ask, ''When did I ever show such intent?'' as he gently stroked Boppi''s fur.

    "Oh, is that it over there?"

    As he continued to pet Boppi, an enormous ck gate came into view through the forest. It was a staggering gate, with a diameter of 50 kilometers.

    That''s the connection to the First Fissure.

    Due to the sheer size, it looked more like a vast ck curtain spanning thend rather than a gate.

    "Time to go home now."

    Ohjiny on his back on Boppi''s spine and ripped open the potato chip bag Kasia had given him. He had thought he would have to fight for his life after being left alone in the Demon Realm. But thanks to Kasia, he coulde and go asfortably as flying in business ss.

    "Can''t wait to see them."

    Ha-eun, Isabe, Vega, and Riak. Only after being left alone did Ohjin fully realize how important they were to him.

    "Rrrr!"

    Perhaps sensing Ohjin''s murmurs, Boppi let out a low cry and picked up speed. Ohjin''s body rocked up and down, but with his superhuman sense of bnce, it wasn''t an issue.

    Woooong!

    What came into Ohjin''s view after returning through the ck gate to Earth was...

    "Kieeeeek!"

    "Rrrr!"

    The scene of Allen, Isabe, Shaolin, and Shaoran fighting and tangled up with thousands, tens of thousands of monsters. And...

    "Oh, Ohjin! Ohji... Huh?"

    Ha-eun hurriedly called for him, then stopped short with a start.

    "Huh?"

    Ohjin''s expression, lying on his back eating chips on Boppi''s spine, froze.

    ''What is this.''

    There was no time to calmly assess the situation. The moment the thought ''fucked'' shed through his mind, his body reacted reflexively.

    "Cough! Cough!"

    Clutching his chest, Ohjin immediately rolled off of Boppi''s back.

    He inflicted wounds through Transformation and caused internal damage by discharging lightning internally.

    "Cough!"

    Dark red blood trickled from his mouth.

    "Mr. Oh, Ohjin?"

    Amid battling monsters on the right, Isabe hurriedly looked his way.

    "H-How is everyone here...?"

    Ohjin raised his head incredulously. Seeing Isabe running over, he urgently yelled, "Ah, don''t!"

    Crawling desperately on the ground, he looked at Boppi in terror.

    "Everyone run away!"

    "Mr. Ohjin...?"

    Isabe''s footsteps halted.

    [Boppi! Attack me!]

    In the short instant that Isabes footstep halted, Ohjin activated his Stigma of Capricorn. With his Stigmas power to control sound, he sent out his voice so that only Boppi could hear.

    Grr?

    At the sudden ringing of Ohjins voice inside his head, Boppi cocked his head.

    [Hurry and attack me! Right now!]

    Krrrr.

    Boppi nodded and smashed the sprawled Ohjin with his massive forepaw.

    Thwack!

    Ohjin''s body flew like a cannonball after being struck by the paw of the monster dozens of meters in size, tumbling across the ground.

    "Oh, Mr. Ohjin!"

    Isabe looked on in horror and ran toward Ohjin.

    Ohjinmanded Boppi amidst the excruciating pain wracking his body.

    [Good, now dont move from there anymore. Glower this way and raise your head.]

    Krrrr!

    Boppi obediently followed Ohjin''s directions, raising his head and glowering at the crumpled Ohjin.

    "You got away this far... Persistent bastard."

    The low voice was flowing from Boppi''s mouth. Of course, it wasn''t Boppi''s actual voice, but a fake one Ohjin created using the Stigma of Capricorn.

    [Look around at the people and scoff.]

    After ncing over Allen, the Shaolin sisters, and Isabe battling nearby monsters, Boppi let out a fierce snort.

    "Sniff!"

    [No, fuck, you didnt have to go so far as to spew snort!]

    Boppi wiped his snout where snot had dribbled with his forepaw.

    "Lucky bastard."

    The low voice rumbled.

    "But no matter how you all struggle, it''s futile."

    He red sharply and cked his beak.

    "This world will find a new order under the ck Star Organizations name."

    * * *

    Woooong!

    Inky ckness coiled around Boppi''s body, flickering ominously. The air was saturated with a murky, sinister energy that would churn ones insides.

    "A minion of the Snake?"

    Allen, who had just beheaded the basilisk, looked at Boppi with chilled eyes. Boppi wrinkled his brows fiercely and glowered at Allen before speaking in a fierce voice.

    "Do not speak of Her so casually, human."

    "I knew it."

    Allen gripped his sword hilt tightly, eyes shing sharply.

    "The rumors that the Snake has deluded even the demonic beasts inside the Demon Realm were true."

    When he had heard that information from Megrez, he doubted the Snake could haveid her hands on even the demonic beasts inhabiting the Demon Realm. But it seemed those rumors were true.

    "You... did this to Mr. Ohjin?"

    Isabe, who had been cradling the blood-vomiting Ohjin, slowly got to her feet. Crimson aura swirled around her body, rocking the surroundings.

    "How dare you, how dare you, how dare you... do this to Mr. Ohjin!"

    Isabe gripped the crimson scythe. Just as she was about to plunge toward Boppi...

    "Cough! Cough!"

    Ohjin writhed, vomiting blood again.

    "Ah...!"

    Isabe quickly pulled Ohjin into her embrace and took out a potion from her bosom. Popping open the lid of the top-grade potion she had prepared anticipating Ohjin''s critical condition, she trickled it into Ohjin''s mouth.

    "Isabe."

    "It''s okay, Mr. Ohjin. I''m here now... I came to save you, so don''t worry anymore."

    Tears rolled down Isabe''s cheek.

    "Hmph."

    Boppi gave an insipid snort as he watched the scene unfold and turned his body away.

    [You can head right back.]

    Krr

    Before he entered the gate, Boppi turned his head slightly and let out a disheartened growl.

    [Its okay, Boppi. There wille a time when we will meet again.]

    Krr!

    Boppi wagged his snake tail and stepped into the portal.

    First lets get out of here.

    Allen clicked his tongue as he watched Boppis shape grow further away and shed his sword at the demonic beasts around him.

    Perhaps because the Snakes subordinate had returned, the nearby demonic beasts that had viciously gathered seemed to lose their will to fight, and their movement grew dull.

    "Hop on my back, Mr. Ohjin."

    "Thankyou."

    "Dont be."

    Isabe gently stroked Ohjins cheeks, which had grown much slimmer, as if to disy the hardships he must have endured the past few days. She almost could not recognize him.

    "I... was so scared."

    She spoke in a trembling voice as she held Ohjin''s head.

    "I was so afraid I''d never see you again... never get to meet you again... I was so scared..."

    Tears flowing down her pale cheek gathered and dripped off her chin.

    "Thank you... for staying alive, Mr. Ohjin."

    The falling teardrops, like dew on the leaves at dawn, dampened Ohjin''s forehead.

    "I won''t... let you go now."

    Isabe strengthened her embrace, whispering her resolve softly.

    ""

    And Ha-eun, watching all this...

    "That fucker''s spouting bullshit again."

    Sighed, holding her forehead as if it hurt.

    ***

    After Ohjin''s safe return to Earth. Rather than going straight home, Ohjin was admitted into the hospital run by the Cgrande Household.

    Despite barely having any injuries to begin with, after receiving intensive care from top medical experts, he quickly recovered fully.

    "Yawn."

    In the VIP hospital room furnished like a luxury hotel suite, Ohjin awoke with azy yawn after a 10-hour deep slumber. Lying in bed, he stared at the ceiling, continuing his thoughts.

    ''Well, that went surprisingly smoothly.''

    When his eyes first met Ha-eun''s, he thought he was doomed. Luckily, no one besides Ha-eun seemed to have seen him leisurely munching chips on Boppi''s back.

    ''I got some solid rest too.''

    Maybe due to the aftereffects of using Heaven Unfolding, fatigue had built up unknowingly. Hence, the thorough care from the top-notch medical team Isabe had prepared was rather wee.

    "Time to get going."

    The moment he tried getting out of the hospital bed...

    nk.

    "...Huh? What''s this?"

    Only then did Ohjin notice the red iron shackles binding his wrists and ankles. He couldn''t break free no matter how hard he pulled.

    "You''re awake?"

    Just then, the door opened, and Isabe entered the room. She approached the shackled Ohjin wearing the maid uniform she had shown him from the trunk.

    "Isabe. What is this...?"

    "Didn''t I tell you?"

    Isabe sat on the bed and gently stroked Ohjin''s cheek.

    "I won''t let you go now."

    Her eyes gazing at Ohjin glowed a vivid crimson.

 Chapter 223: What Dissipates, What Remains

    Chapter 223: What Dissipates, What Remains

    "...Huh?"

    Ohjin gazed at Isabe, his face nk with confusion. Dressed in a maids attire, she sported a captivating smile. She gently caressed Ohjin''s cheek before gradually moving her hand down to stroke his neck.

    "Um You said you were really scared when we were separated, right?"

    "I said... so."

    "I don''t want you to feel that fear again, Mr. Ohjin."

    ''In turn, Im feeling a little scared now, Ms. Isabe.''

    "I''m worried that if I leave you alone, you might just wander off somewhere again."

    "...So you tied me up because of that?"

    "Yes!"

    With a grin that screamed ''Wasnt I clever?'', Isabe looked at Ohjin. A chilly sweat trickled down his back.

    ''What''s up with this girl?''

    Why had she suddenly be like this?

    She had shown some signs of unease before, but it seemed that recent events had caused her suppressed emotions to explode.

    "Shall we start with a meal?"

    "More importantly, can you untie me first?"

    "I''ve made delicious abalone porridge for today~"

    ''This is strange.''

    The conversation wasn''t flowing the way he expected.

    "Now, say ''ah'', Mr. Ohjin."

    Isabe held a bowl of porridge and spooned it towards Ohjin''s lips. He slightly opened his mouth and tasted the steaming porridge, savoring the fragrance of sesame oil and the chewy texture of the abalone that filled his mouth.

    Isabe watched as Ohjin obediently ate, a seductive smile curling her lips.

    "Ah, some has spilled."

    Some porridge trickled down from the corner of his mouth due to his ufortable position.

    "I''ll clean that up."

    As Ohjin reached for a tissue...

    "Stay still."

    Ohjin''s arm froze mid-motion. Using ''Command'', Isabe froze Ohjin''s movement. She took a tissue and wiped the porridge on Ohjin''s chin.

    "There, there. You''re being obedient, aren''t you?"

    She looked at Ohjin, who was frozen in ce, while licking her lips.

    With a soft stroke, she brushed Ohjin''s cheek and set aside the bowl of abalone porridge.

    "I-Isabe"

    "Do you have any idea how much I regretted what happened that day?"

    Leaning down towards Ohjin, Isabe carefully embraced him.

    It was a soft yet substantial sensation.

    "Every day, every hour, every minute, every second, I regretted it ceaselessly."

    She rested her head on Ohjin''s shoulder and gently caressed the stigma engraved on his left chest.

    "...Regret what?"

    "If only I had made you my ve who couldn''t defy mymands back then... Maybe none of this would have happened. That''s my regret."

    "....."

    Noona

    Where are you, noona!

    Pleasee quickly!

    "You think so too, don''t you, Mr. Ohjin?"

    Isabe, who had been caressing him, smiled seductively and pressed even closer to Ohjin and covered him like a nket.

    The hospital bed boasted a soft texture due to its premium material, but because of what he was being forced to wear, it felt no better than rough sackcloth.

    "Answer me."

    The way she lightly bit his earlobes, whisperingmands, she felt more like a queen sitting on her throne than a maid.

    The Queen of Leeches.

    Hed thought this was just a title that executioners of the ck Star Organization normally used to address each other.

    However, the way that she was behaving showed the power of her title the Queen.

    "Please make me... Isabe''s ve."

    His mouth moved independent of his will, echoing themand in his head.

    Isabe, who had forced Ohjin to say this, burst into delightedughter.

    "So, we agree again?

    Her respectful manner of speaking was nowhere to be found now.

    Isabe looked at Ohjin passionately, her eyes ring crimson.

    She slowly tilted her head and seductively licked Ohjin''s neck with her tongue. Feeling the tingling sensation spreading from his neck, Ohjin shuddered.

    "Don''t tense up... just rx."

    Isabe caressed Ohjin''s cheek with a gentle touch and sank her fangs into his neck.

    A thrilling pleasure ran down his spine.

    Along with the sensation of blood being drawn, he could feel Isabe''s mana seeping into his body.

    ''This crazy woman.''

    Could he really end up being Isabe''s eternal blood bank ve?

    Just as Ohjin was bewildered by the unexpected turn of events...

    "Hehe, I was just joking."

    Isabe moved away from Ohjin with a yful smile. She opened a potion and carefully applied it to the wound on Ohjin''s neck.

    "Did I surprise you a lot, Mr. Ohjin?"

    "...How could I not be surprised in that situation?"

    "My, I would never really make you my ve, would I?"

    While touching the instantly healed wound, Isabe grinned broadly.

    "At least not ''now''."

    "...You mean you couldter?"

    "Who knows? That would depend on your actions, wouldn''t it, Mr. Ohjin?"

    In other words

    * * *

    It was a clear threat. If he stepped out of line one more time, she would really make him into her ve on a more permanent basis.

    ''What a harsh warning.''

    The memory of Isabe''s bright crimson eyes shed in his mind.

    As she had said, the next time would not end with a warning.

    "Understood. I won''t do it again."

    Well, if a simr situation were to ur again, he would probably make the same choice, but...

    For now, reassuring her was the priority.

    "...Is it a promise?"

    Isabe poked Ohjin''s cheek and let out a breath.

    Ohjin nodded and pointed to the red chains binding his wrists and ankles.

    "I''ll promise, so first, remove these."

    "Just a moment."

    Isabe reached out to undo the chains.

    But a momentter

    She suddenly stopped her motion as her hands touched the red chain.

    "Isabe?"

    "......."

    Isabe, her hand still on the chain, seemed lost in thought.

    After a moment of hesitation, Isabe swallowed dryly and turned towards Ohjin.

    "Come to think of it, Mr. Ohjin... you kissed me back then, didn''t you?"

    "Huh?"

    Isabe continued in an innocent tone.

    "That was my first kiss."

    "...That was..."

    Ohjins face reddened in embarrassment, as if he had nothing to say.

    It was a fact he had stolen her lips without her consent.

    "Do you know how important chastity is to a member of the Cgrande House?"

    "I mean, we''re not talking about some noble house from the Joseon era."

    And she wasn''t an elementary schooler either. It seemed silly to talk about chastity just because of a kiss.

    "Hmm! Anyway! You stole my kiss, so you need to take responsibility."

    Isabe''s cheeks flushed slightly as she spoke words that even she seemed to know were ridiculous.

    Seeing her adorably sulking, Ohjin let out an identalugh.

    "What responsibility?"

    "That... That is..."

    She trailed off vaguely, avoiding his gaze anxiously.

    The way she fidgeted her fingertips seemed far from the alluring smile of the queen who attempted to make him into a ve just a few minutes earlier.

    "...O-Once more."

    "Huh?"

    "Do it... one more time, please."

    Isabe mumbled in a voice barely loud enough to hear.

    At such an adorable reaction, Ohjin couldnt hold back hisugh.

    Oh! D-Dontugh!

    Isabes cheeks blushed as red as an apple as she pounded Ohjins chest.

    I-Ill force myself on you even if you dont want to, Mr. Ohjin!

    She sighed in excitement and made her way toward Ohjin who was tied up on the bed.

    Haa.

    Her breath was wet.

    Closing her eyes tightly, she slowly tilted her face towards Ohjin''s lips.

    Just before their lips touched...

    m!

    The infirmarys door burst open violently as Ha-eun appeared.

    "F-Finally found you!"

    Ha-eun was breathing roughly, as if she had searched the entire hospital.

    "What are you doing to Ohjin, you witch?!"

    "Tch."

    Isabe clicked her tongue as she looked at Ha-eun.

    "Tch? Did you just go, tch?"

    "Oh my, don''t get worked up, unnie. I would never do something so graceless."

    Isabe shrugged impishly.

    Seeing the crimson chains binding Ohjin''s limbs, Ha-eun grasped her forehead as if she had a headache.

    "Ahh. Wonderful, just wonderful."

    Ha-eun approached Ohjin and flicked his forehead.

    "This is a~ll because of your karma, you punk."

    "Hrmm."

    Ohjin avoided Ha-eun''s gaze, as if he had nothing to say.

    "Hurry up and take these off."

    "Yes, unnie."

    Isabe sadly undid the crimson chains binding Ohjin''s limbs.

    As the chains restraining his body came off, Ohjin stretched and worked out the stiffness in his body.

    "How''s your body?"

    "Good enough to survive even if I fell into the Demon Realm right now."

    "Bullshit."

    Ha-eunughed and flicked Ohjin''s forehead again.

    "You just wanna see noona work up a stroke out of worry again, don''t ya?"

    Ha-eun got on the bed from the opposite side of Isabe and embraced Ohjin.

    Tightly, as if she would never let go again.

    "I thought I''d never see you again, you bastard."

    "...Sorry."

    He gently stroked Ha-eun''s shoulder as she cried, her face buried against him.

    Ha-eun, who had been sobbing, grabbed Ohjin''s hospital gown.

    Ting!

    Hold on

    What is this noona doing to my gown?

    "Well, in any case, that means your body''s perfectly fine, right?"

    "Yeah."

    "Then..."

    Ha-eun''s lips curled up slightly as she nced at Isabe.

    "Could you give my darling and me a little privacy, dongsaeng?"

    "Eek."

    Isabe''s body shook in surprise.

    Her expression showed she roughly guessed what the two of them were about to do.

    "I-I don''t want to."

    "You don''t want to?"

    High-spirited, Ha-eun embraced Ohjin tightly and continued speaking.

    "You know who Ohjin belongs to, right?"

    "....."

    "You''re not going to interrupt a couple''s intimate time, are you?"

    "Ugh."

    Isabe clenched her lips and trembled in frustration.

    She was aware...

    That Ohjin was Ha-eun''s lover.

    That she was still far froming between those two.

    "...You just wait and see, unnie."

    "A line expected from a third-rate viin escaping."

    "S-Shut up!"

    Isabe shouted gruffly before leaving the room in irritation.

    m!

    The door closed forcefully.

    "Isabe''s just so adorably cute the more I look at her."

    Recalling Isabe''s irritated expression, Ha-eun chuckled.

    She jabbed Ohjin''s side with her elbow and continued.

    "But you can''t forget that this noona is your number one, okay Ohjin?"

    "....."

    "Ohjin? What''s wrong?"

    Ohjin looked at Ha-eun vacantly.

    As if lost in a horrible nightmare

    He murmured in a trembling voice.

    "...Couple?"

    Since when

    Were he and Ha-eun dating?

 Chapter 224: What Dissipates, What Remains (2)

    Chapter 224: What Dissipates, What Remains (2)

    He couldn''t remember.

    Nothing came to mind.

    When, where, why.

    When had they be ''lovers''?

    ''Noona was held captive by Cheon Doyoon... I saved her using Heaven Unfolding... And then

    And then.

    What happened after that?

    "Ah."

    He writhed, pulling at his hair.

    No matter how much he thought, how much he retraced, he couldn''t recall the events of that day.

    Did I confess to noona? Or did noona?''

    He wasn''t sure.

    He had known deep down that they had feelings for each other since they were young.

    But due to their deep familiarity, they had been hesitant to rush into bing anything more.

    ''Her and I... were together?''

    His head throbbed painfully.

    It felt like he was trying to piece together a filmstrip with missing frames.

    Overwhelmed by a terrible and sudden sense of difort, he felt nauseous.

    Ohjin?

    Ha-eun caressed Ohjins back with a concerned expression.

    "What''s wrong?"

    It''s nothing.

    "Nothing? Your face changed like you''ve just eaten fish head curry."

    Ha-eun scrunched up her face.

    "Should I call the doctor?"

    "I''m fine."

    Ohjin managed to steady his harsh breathing and shook his head.

    Cold sweat trickled down his spine.

    The pain of a part of his memory being entirely erased was greater than the pain of limbs being severed.

    Noona.

    "Hmm?"

    "Do you like me?"

    "What, what?"

    Startled by his sudden question, Ha-eun jumped up with a surprised expression.

    "Why, why are you all of a sudden asking something like that?"

    Ha-eun repeatedly nudged him in the side as her cheeks were turning auburn like her hair.

    She looked down, meaninglessly tapping the tip of her toes on the ground.

    Well O-of course I like you. I I am your g-girlfriend after all?

    Ha-euns face was discolored in embarrassment as she answered. She narrowed her eyes and stared at him.

    Hold on, but why are you asking something like that all of a sudden, you jerk? Huh? Do you want to see noona die from being shy?

    Ha-eun angrily put him in a headlock and bumped his head with her fist.

    "...I see."

    He had forgotten, but she still remembered.

    The day they confirmed their feelings for each other, one they hadnt expressed for a long time.

    The day they shared bodies, whispered words of love to each other.

    Memories of the days that he could no longer recall.

    She was the only one who remembered.

    The only one who held onto them.

    The only one who kept them alive.

    She would continue to live with these memories.

    Ill be back in a bit.

    "Huh? Where are you going?"

    "Just want to get some fresh air."

    Ohjin shrugged and pulled himself up from his bed.

    "Do you want me toe with you?"

    "No, I''ve got some thinking to do."

    "Dude, what is going on with you? Go and get some fresh air."

    "Yeah."

    Slipping into his slippers from under the bed, he hurriedly stepped outside.

    Tap, tap, tap, tap!

    He ran down the hospital corridor.

    He pressed the elevator button, but it didn''te up, perhaps due to many passengers waiting.

    "Haa, haa!"

    He took to the emergency stairs, panting heavily.

    He sprinted up the stairs as if flying.

    He spotted the firmly locked rooftop door.

    Bang!

    With his bare hands, he smashed the lock and threw open the rooftop door.

    "Bleugh!"

    The abalone porridge he was fed by Isabe sttered across the hospital rooftop.

    "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuuuuuck!"

    Bang!

    He punched the railing, hurling out curses.

    "Haa, haa!"

    His head was spinning.

    It felt as if his life had been erased.

    The disconnected memories were torturing him.

    "Ah, ugh."

    With trembling hands, he felt the left side of his chest.

    The Stigma of Lyra, etched on his chest.

    The ck Heaven, supposedly dormant within it.

    If I continue to use Heaven Unfolding from now on...

    Would his existence disappear forever?

    Not remembering anything, unable to recall anyone, with all the memories until now erased.

    Would he be an entirely different entity?

    "Haa, haa, haa!"

    His limbs trembled in the face of the oing fear.

    His teeth ttered unnervingly.

    He could endure any pain.

    He could withstand any torment.

    But.

    But.

    But.

    This.

    "Damn it, damn it!"

    Tears streamed down his cheeks.

    He had known.

    He had known that the side effect of Heaven Unfolding was memory loss.

    But acent thought had crept into the corner of his mind that ''perhaps it would only make old memories hazy.''

    Those memories that would naturally fade with time anyway.

    He had hoped only memories that could be forgotten without consequence would disappear.

    ''You idiot.''

    Self-loathing started to overwhelm him.

    Ohjin slumped against the railing, resting his back on it.

    He hugged his pitifully shaking legs tight.

    Burying his face between his legs, he continued thinking.

    ''I didn''t know.''

    Until Ha-eun told him about being ''lovers'' herself, he hadpletely forgotten the memory of even being in a rtionship with her.

    ''But.''

    He did not think it was strange.

    He did not even feel awkward about it.

    As if it had always been that way, he had naturally forgotten his rtionship with her.

    If so

    Every time he lost memories from now on, wouldnt he be unable to even realize what memories he had lost?

    "What if... "

    If all memories of Ha-eun disappeared.

    He would have to live a life not even recognizing who she was.

    epting it as ''natural.''

    "......."

    * * *

    The arm hugging his leg trembled faintly.

    Imagining himself living normally without even remembering Ha-eun made him nauseous again.

    ''Can I... avoid using Heaven Unfolding from now on?''

    The Heavenly Demon.

    The Transcendent targeting his ck Heaven would certainly approach.

    Could he face that Transcendent without using Heaven Unfolding?

    No, he didn''t even need to think of the Heavenly Demon.

    Even Kasia alone was powerful enough that he had no way of dealing with her without Heaven Unfolding.

    ''And that''s probably not all.''

    Fundamentally, the enemies of humanity were the monsters of the Demon Realm, not the ck Star Organization.

    Although their activity had decreased recently, if the Named Ones became active again?

    If the ''kings'' ruling the Demon Realm came to Earth?

    Could he protect his loved ones amidst all that adversity without using Heaven Unfolding?

    "Ha, ha."

    A hollowugh escaped Ohjin''s lips.

    He knew.

    Now that he knew of Heaven Unfolding existence, a day would eventuallye when he would have to use it again.

    ''And then.''

    They would be erased.

    Forgotten.

    Happy memories, painful memories, angry memories, sad memories.

    One by one, everything would disappear.

    And finally.

    "I can''t."

    His voice was a choked sob.

    Tears rolled down his cheeks, soaking his clothes.

    "That... can''t happen."

    If every memory was wiped clean, if there was no one left to remember or recall them, could he still consider himself the same person?

    Wouldn''t he simply be a different entity, bearing the name Gwon Ohjin?

    ''If that happens, I would...''

    A suffocating sensation.

    As his mind turned nk, a deep fear crept over him like poison.

    Wooong!

    Just then.

    The pendant around his neck shone.

    [My child! I heard from Deneb you have safely returned!]

    Vega burst out from the pendant, making a fuss as she flew out.

    [Hmm?]

    Sensing something amiss, Vega cocked her head.

    She fluttered over towards Ohjin, who was leaning against the railing, curled up into a ball.

    [What is the matter?]

    "It''s... it''s nothing."

    [Come, now. I can clearly see the tear stains.]

    Vega squinted her eyes with a stern expression.

    [Are you unwell somewhere?]

    "No, I was just remembering some hard times from the Demon Realm."

    [...Is that so?]

    Vega stroked Ohjin''s hair with a sad look.

    [Do not worry. Am I not right here?]

    Ohjin nkly watched Vega stroking his hair.

    "Vega."

    [Yes? What is it?]

    "You forgot all your memories from your past life, right?"

    [...That is correct.]

    "How did you feel when we first talked? You didn''t have those memories, but I did."

    [Hmm.]

    Vega crossed her arms, deep in thought.

    After a long silence, she slowly opened her mouth.

    [At first, I thought you were spouting nonsense.]

    "And then?"

    [Did you not say we had a deep connection in our past life? But I had no such memories, so... it felt strangely empty.]

    Empty, huh.

    [But I am fine now.]

    "You''re... fine now?"

    [Even if the memories are erased, what happened does not disappear, correct?]

    "......."

    Ohjin could not readily reply.

    Because what had happened between her and him had not actually ''happened'' in the first ce.

    [Close your eyes for a moment.]

    "My eyes?"

    [Hurry.]

    Following her words, he closed his eyes.

    Wooong!

    Along with the sound of vibrating light, he felt the soft touch of two arms gently embracing him.

    They were not doll-like small arms, but the arms of a full-grown woman.

    "Vega?"

    [Just because you cannot see me does not mean I am not by your side, correct?]

    "......."

    Ah, she was right.

    As she said, even if the memories are erased, what happened does not disappear.

    Even if he forgot all his memories of Ha-eun, Ha-eun would remain by his side as she was now.

    ''But.''

    Ohjin gnawed on his lip.

    She truly believed the lies he had casually told, the false memories, the false rtionship, the false recollections.

    She was cherishing it in her heart as something that had not ''disappeared.''

    What about him then?

    What would happen to him if all his memories were erased?

    Would he live believing nonexistent things had happened, like her?

    "What if... what had happened was not real?"

    [What do you mean by that?]

    How would you feel Vega If you and I were actually not connected in any way in our past life?

    [That]

    Vega''s eyes shook.

    [It would be... truly sad and heartbreaking.]

    She smiled gently as she stroked Ohjin''s hair.

    [But I suppose it would not matter.]

    "It... wouldn''t matter?"

    [What I know now is not your past self, but your present self, correct?]

    A tender hand embraced him.

    [I love your present self.]

    "......."

    [Ah! Not, not in a romantic sense! Th-Thats right! I love you as my child...!]

    "Vega."

    The emotions he had been holding back exploded out like a sudden impulse, and he broke down crying.

    Wordlessly, Ohjin embraced Vega tightly and buried his head into her shoulder as he sobbed.

    [Oh?]

    Vega nkly watched Ohjin sobbing, then silently wrapped her arms around him as well.

    [I do not know why you are crying.]

    A gentle hand stroked Ohjin''s back.

    [Do not worry.]

    Her voice reverberating in his mind drove out the fear devouring his body.

    [Everything will be alright.]

    The soft whispers warmly enveloped Ohjin as he cried.

 Chapter 225: The Council of the Seven Stars (1)

    Chapter 225: The Council of the Seven Stars (1)

    Huaaaaam Anguid yawn came from the next seat over. Ohjiiinn Ha-eun called out in a rxed tone as she embraced him, and her soft, naked skin slid against his own. Ehehe. I like our Ohjin. She rubbed her cheeks against him like a cat would as her sweet dream continued.

    Ohjiny still and stared up at the ceiling, not wanting to wake her. The day after his breakdown on the hospital roof, hed returned to Korea with her and left Isabe in Italy after the doctor discharged him.

    Ha-eun hadnt been alone with him in some time, so she attacked like a hungry beast as soon as they got home.

    I never thought I would lose my virginity twice. He let out a deep sigh. Hed been surprised to see her take off her clothes so naturally since hed lost his memories of their rtionship. For him, the past few days were a series of firsts.

    Hmmm, Ha-eun hummed.

    Are you up? Ohjin asked.

    She rubbed her eyes and nodded. Ugh. Im so tired. Then, she narrowed her eyes when his arms wrapped around her waist and poked his cheek, giving him an exhausted look. Really, you dont know what restraint is, she cutely pouted. Why were you so wild? Its like youve never done it before.

    Of course, that was because it was his first memory of doing it, but he didnt say as much.

    Hehe. Well, it was nice. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

    Do you want breakfast? he asked.

    No, Ha-eun said. You eat first. Im tired because a certain someone kept me up all night, so Ill get more sleep. She pulled up the nket and waved her hand as if chasing away a fly.

    Ohjin got out of bed with a smirk on his face and dressed himself.

    Time for a simple breakfast. He blended chicken breast and vegetables into a juice and went straight to the training facility. Hed been able to properly rest for the past few days, so it was time to contemte what to do in the future.

    Hup. Fuu. He sat down on the spacious training rooms floor, closed his eyes, and circted his mana once. Although hed absorbed the mother monsters and Sanggils mana, there wasnt a significant difference in how much he could handle.

    I haventpletely absorbed their mana yet. Meanwhile, Damiens mana still stubbornly refused to budge from its ce in the dark clouds of the ck Heaven.

    First, I should absorb this. Ohjin frowned in frustration. Do I have to raise ck Heavens level to properly absorb it?

    Even if he wanted to do that, he didnt know what to do since there was no set method to begin with.

    When I think back to the other times I raised its level The most important thing was to devour something. What could I devour?

    ck Heaven had devoured quite a few things and didnt even react to most prey anymore. Thest thing it had reacted to was The dragon vein and monster mother.

    Neither were things that were readily avabledragon veins were so rare that, even if there were more, most of them were well hidden; in the case of the monster mother, it was a pain in the ass.

    It was a Star Spirit, after all. Where would he find another monster containing a part of a celestials soul?

    This is driving me insane. It was even more troublesome since there wasnt anything he could do.

    Well, lets put this aside for now. When he thought of what he could immediately do Now that I think about it, ck Heaven gained a new trait after I absorbed the monster mother.

    He opened the status window for the first time in a while to check and saw that the Vaporize trait was added.

    Its as the name describes. A small smirk appeared on his face as he read the description.

    Vaporize could turn parts of the body into the ck Heavens clouds for a short time. It was a very intuitive and simple trait, but

    Isnt this super busted? Physical attacks did not work against the ck Heavens clouds.

    Of course, he had only used Heaven Unfolding a total of three times, so there couldve been an attack that worked against the clouds of the ck Heaven, but any physical attacks, even ones containing the power of a stigma, would simply pass through.

    * * *

    * * *

    In other words, being able to transform parts of himself into the clouds of the ck Heaven for even a few seconds meant

    I have a moment of invincibility. It was an OP skill that allowed the opponents attack to pass right through while allowing his attacks to hit without a problem.

    He smiled in satisfaction. The only problem is going to be the activation time, which parts of the body it can be used on, and how many times I can use it.

    There were a lot of things he had to test first. His eyes shone like those of a child with a new toy as he tried it out.

    Krrrrrk

    Sure enough, a portion of his body transformed into dark clouds.

    I can use it on about 30cm of my body? Though he couldnt even fully transform an entire arm, it was enough against most attacks in the real world since they focused on single points anyway.

    The activation time is almost instantaneous. He could use it without any sort of preparation, which made it the best skill to use to avoid attacks or to feint.

    As for disadvantages

    Isnt it using too much mana? Hed only used it once, but arge portion of his mana was used up. If hepared it to an average Awakeners mana pool, then most wouldnt even be able to use it to begin with.

    I can probably use it threeno, four times in a real battle. If he focused only on dodging attacks, he could probably use it six or seven times, but it wasnt like he could win a fight by only dodging. Considering he would have to dodge and counterattack, it made sense to realistically think he could use it three or four times in a fight.

    I can probably use it more after I finish absorbing the mana from Sanggil and Damien. Still, an evasive option that essentially made him invincible was a good harvest. I can also use it to help me attack.

    Another disadvantage he noticed was that it was far too visible when he used it.

    I can just use it along with Mirage. If he used Mirage over wherever he used Vaporize, then nothing would look amissit would be like CG on a green screen. Whoever attacked him would probably think they were up against a ghost after their attacks passed through Ohjin without any effect.

    I like this. He smirked in satisfaction.

    Now He gently closed his eyes and focused. Since he knew how powerful Vaporize was, it was time for him to test it in the field.

    Who would be a good opponent? He thought about it for a moment before activating the stigma of Libra.

    A handsome young man with sharp eyes formed from the stigmas light. His cold eyes shone as he lifted his frost-covered sword at Ohjin. Enemy of Deneb! I will not forgive you!

    Hmm He wasnt that kind of character.

    Do not approach Deneb

    Yeah, this is more like it. Ohjin nodded in satisfaction at the illusion of Allen Oscal. He couldnt create a proper illusion since he rarely saw him in battle, but

    Im tired of dealing with Cheon Doyoons illusion. Sometimes, such a change in pace was important.

    Now He took a folding knife from his waist that formed into a spear. Lets get started.

    Shiik

    Whoong!

    The sounds of their battle roared through the wide training room.

    ***

    Ugh, its hard to move after resting for so long. Later, Ohjin left the training room while rubbing his throbbing muscles. Hed been so immersed in his battle that the sun had set before he knew it.

    Now that I think about it, I didnt even eat lunch. He held his growling stomach and headed home. When he opened the door, he saw Ha-eun sitting on the sofa in dolphin shorts and a baggy T-shirt.

    Are you done training? she asked as she ran over and offered a snack she was eating to him.

    Of course, he epted and asked, Did you rest well?

    Yep, I rested well. She smirked and nodded.

    Then Ohjin gently embraced her and eyed her slim, long legs. He had already showered in the training room, so nothing was stopping him.

    Ha-eun pped his butt with an insidious smile forming on her face. You want to do it again when you just got back?

    Ahem

    Hehe. You bastard, she said. Do you like me that much?

    Well Ohjin didnt finish his sentence as he watched her giggle. How could he tell her that he wanted to make up for the memories he had lost with her?

    You should finish speaking once you start, you punk.

    Shut up, he replied

    Why are you acting so shy? Youre really cute when youre like this. She stretched his cheeks and gave him a bashful smile.

    He pulled her hand from his cheek and gave her a deep kiss, and just when things were starting to heat up

    Oh, wait a sec, she said. I have something to tell you.

    What is it?

    I got a call from the Association earlier.

    The Association? Come to think of it, I havent contacted them in a while. Hed had little contact with them during his time in Italy and in Vegas sanctuary.

    Whats going on? he asked.

    Im not sure, but they said it would be great if you visited them tomorrow.

    Hmm. Well, that wasnt a difficult request. Youlle as well, right?

    I have nothing to do, so lets go together.

    In that case, well have to get up early tomorrow. Ohjin slowly loosened his arm around her and dropped it to his side. Since they had something to do the next day, it was best not to exhaust themselves.

    Where are you running off to? she asked.

    What if you cant wake up again?

    Just dont overdo it. Lets keep it down to 10 times.

    Three times, he said.

    Meet me in the middle at nine.

    Does this woman even know how to do math?

 Chapter 226: The Council of the Seven Stars (2)

    Chapter 226: The Council of the Seven Stars (2)

    Wow, we havente to the Association in quite some time, Ha-eun eximed as she looked up at the high-rise building. Just as she said, they hadnt needed to visit the Association in a long time.

    Ohjin couldnt even remember thest time theyd been there. I wonder if General Manager Han is doing well. He smirked as he recalled the gori-like man. He didnt care much about the others, but Han was a friend of his.

    Oh, right. Lets make the most of the Associations corporate card while were here! Ha-eun eximed.

    Oooh. As expected of her. He didnt know how she was always so smart.

    Should we ask them to buy us Hanwoo(Korean beef)? she asked.

    Eating meat on someone elses dime is always the best. Ohjin agreed.

    The two cheerfully headed toward the Association, excited about using tax dors for a free meal.

    Its been a while, Awakener Ohjin. General Manager Han greeted them outside the building and smiled at Ohjin, looking like some sort of scientist-made, murderous gori. It was hard to believe, but he was purely weing Ohjin since he hadnt seen him in a while.

    I cant get used to him, especially since I havent seen him in a while. Ohjin forced himself to rx and let go of his weapon as he instead opted for a handshake.

    How have you been? Han asked.

    I cant say Ive been doing well with everything going ontely, but Im fine.

    Han nodded wryly. I heard about your feats. I thought you were great when I first recruited you, but I honestly never imagined it would be to this extent. From when he defeated the Owl King, Cheon Doyoon, to his performance in Japan, to dealing with the Hirudo faction alongside Damien at the Cologrande house in San Fruttuoso, they were all incredible achievements.

    Of course, there were rumors that Ohjin intentionally manipted or hid the truth, but either way, each instance was something a lone Awakener whod only had his abilities for less than two years could never achieve.

    It was all possible due to the Associations full support, Ohjin said.

    Haha. We didnt do much, so Im ashamed to hear you say that. Manager Han gave Ha-eun, who was standing by Ohjins side, a simple smile that didnt fit his appearance. Awakener Ha-eun, how are you doing these days?

    Im doing well. She slightly pulled on Ohjins arm as if to show off.

    Seeing how they clung to each other, Han continued to smile and shook his head. When I first met you, you said you werent lovers.

    We werent at the time.

    Haha. Even back then, you seemed to be more than friends. Manager Han looked down at Ha-euns fully restored right leg. Did you know Awakener Ohjin, who is usually stingy with money, insisted on paying the full amount for your prosthetic?

    H-huh? D-did something like that happen? Ha-euns eyes widened in surprise, as if she had never heard the story before. A momentter, she tried to hide her blushing cheeks and tapped the floor with her shoes.

    When did this punk do such a cute thing? She kneaded Ohjins butt from an angle that General Manager Han couldnt see.

    Ohjin sighed as if he were getting a headache. General Manager

    Oh, was it a secret? Im sorry, Awakener Ohjin. Contrary to his words, Manager Han gave the two of them a satisfied look.

    Lets go in already. Ohjin swaggered into the Association, even though he was blushing as he recalled the past. Thank god.

    At least he hadnt forgotten that

    Yet.

    You can go directly to the presidents office, Manager Han said as he led them to an elevator that could only be essed with a special keycard and pressed a button.

    When they arrived in the Association presidents office, they met the old man nicknamed ''Viper'', Han Taeho.

    Youre here? Han Taeho got up from his seat and approached Ohjin.

    Yes, Ohjin said. Why did you call for me?

    Sit down first. Would coffee be alright?

    Yes.

    Wait a moment, please.

    * * *

    * * *

    He could have asked a secretary to get a cup of coffee since he was the Associations president, but Taeho prepared the drinks himself and brought them to the coffee table.

    I heard something bad had happened recently. Im d youre safe.

    Was he talking about how Ohjin was trapped in the other realm?

    The others helped me return safely.

    Dont you think its thanks to the connections youve umted? Taeho took a sip of his coffee and smiled. I wish <em>he</em> hade back alive as well.

    The atmosphere in the room intensified in an instant. It didnt take much to realize who he was.

    By the time I arrived, Ohjin exined, old man Cheon Sanggil was already

    Oh, Im sorry, Taeho said, shaking his head. Im not trying to me you. Just think of it as an old mansints. He seemed to have had a deep rtionship with Sanggil, and his wrinkled face was full of sadness. Anyway, didnt humanity lose two of its Seven Stars recently?

    Thats right

    The news had caused worldwide panic.

    It seems like leaders around the world think special measures are needed, Taeho said.

    By special measures, you mean?

    The Council of the Seven Stars will soon be held.

    The Council of the Seven Stars was a kind ofpetition where candidates from different countries gathered to be tested, and the ones with the highest evaluations would be able to join the Seven Stars.

    Are they going to fill both empty seats with one meeting?

    Thats right. Han Taeho nodded. Since hed summoned Ohjin to his office and told him about the Council of the Seven Stars, that meant I want you to be the candidate representing Korea.

    Me? Ohjin gave him a stunned look. He was going to send him as a Seven Stars candidate?

    Im still only an 8-Star, Ohjin argued. Candidates for the Council of Seven Stars were supposed to be high-ranking Awakeners with at least a 9-Star ranking. No, in fact, the prevailing opinion was that even being a 9-Star was not enough for consideration. Obviously, itd be controversial if he, who was still only an 8-Star, became a candidate.

    There isnt a rule saying that only those who have reached 9-Star or higher can be selected.

    Isnt it an unspoken rule? Ohjin asked.

    It is only implied and not a vition of regtions. As Taeho said, there was no rule that only those who had reached 9-Star or higher could be selected.

    Arent there Awakeners better than me? Although Korea didnt have many high-ranking Awakeners, there were still more than 20 of them throughout the country. Of course, most of them were said to have low-level stigmas,monly called misceneous stigmas, but that didnt mean there were no high-ranking Awakeners with a stigma from a zodiac or above.

    Even Mr. Lee Woohyuk is a 9-Star Awakener. News that Woohyuk had entered closed training and reached 9-Star was so widespread that even Ohjin, whod been lying in a Cologrande hospital, had heard it.

    I already contacted Lee Woohyuk and received his consent, Taeho said.

    Why would you go so far?

    A long time ago, that guy, Cheon Sanggil, said that, sooner orter, a new member of the Seven Stars would emerge from Korea. Taeho turned his deeply sunken eyes to Ohjin. You are the new member Sanggil mentioned.

    ... Had Sanggil said something like that behind his back? I didnt know he thought so highly of me. Objectively speaking, he didnt have a deep connection with the mantheyd only spoken a few times.

    Considering your performance so far, I dont think people would find your selection strange. He was right. Ohjins performance over the past year or so had been so great that other Awakeners couldnt evenpare themselves. Wont you consider attending the Council of the Seven Stars?

    Thats Ohjin squinted his eyes and thought.

    Seven Stars, huh? It was a great opportunity to receive honor and power in an instant, as long as he seeded, but

    I honestly dont feel like it. First, it was too hurried. It had only been a year and a few months since he became an Awakener. Even if hed done great so far, it was still too early to attempt to be a Seven Star.

    Its like a rookie actor trying to get an Academy Award for Best Actor. Skill was important, but experience was also important, and most of all

    Even if I be a Seven Star, I wont gain much. He didnt particrly need the honor and power of being a Seven Star. Of course, he might receive some immediate benefits like Sanggils private, autonomous ind as soon as he joined, but that wasnt very tempting since he was only focused on leveling up the ck Heaven.

    Please. Korea needs a hero like you right now. Taeho bowed his head deeply. Ever since the death of the Star of Celestial Pivot, Cheon Sanggil, Korea had been in a state of chaos. Stock prices had hit rock bottom, crimes and acts of terror had greatly increased, and riots had urred across the country.

    The difference the presence of a Seven Star made to the country was unimaginable, especially since the fear of the terrorist ck Star Organization was at its peak.

    It has nothing to do with me. Despite Taehos plea, Ohjin remained firm in his decision. He was not a patriotic soldier, so there was no reason for him to devote himself to the country.

    He tried to exin his refusal. Im sorry, but

    Of course, I know you wont get much other than the Baptism of Stars after you join them.

    The Baptism of Stars?

    Wait What is the Baptism of Stars?

    Hmm? You dont know?

    Of course, Ohjin never imagined hed be considered as a candidate, so he didnt know much about the process.

    The moment you be a Seven Star, Taeho exined, You will be baptized at the Milky Way Spring in the celestials shrine. The Milky Way Spring is where three dragon veins intersect, so there are cases of an Awakener rising to the next level just from being baptized there.

    Dragon veins Not even a single vein, but an intersection of three of them

    Ohjin tightly gripped Taehos hand and nodded.

    I am always ready to sacrifice myself for the country.

    <strong>We appreciate your patience. With the new trantor on the project, we''ll be going back to five chapters per week. Thanks for reading! </strong>

 Chapter 227: The Council of the Seven Stars (3)

    Chapter 227: The Council of the Seven Stars (3)

    The Council of the Seven Stars was set to take ce in Shanghai, Chinas Shanghai Tower. The stylish, 127-story skyscraper curled upward like a dragon ascending to heaven, and people from around the world crowded around it while broadcasting stations gathered to catch everything on camera.

    Wow the New Years award ceremonies have nothing on this. Ha-eunughed in disbelief and expressed her relief at having dressed up; then, she looked back at the crowd surrounding the tower. Tsk, is it okay for them to be festive when were trying to choose the next Seven Stars?

    They believe its something to celebrate. For the general public, the Seven Stars were symbolic existencesthey were Awakeners who represented humanitys heroic protectors. Since that was the case, they had to be in the spotlight as much as possiblethere was no value in a symbol that nobody knew about.

    Ha-eun looked surprised. Ive seen a lot of these Awakeners on TV. Just as she said, world-famous Awakeners whod made outstanding contributions in subjugating monsters or who were the masters of super-sized guilds exceeding 10,000 members were everywhere she looked.

    You could only count the number of times so many high-ranking Awakeners had gathered in one ce since the first fissure on one hand.

    Ohjin youre pretty famous in Korea, but youre practically invisible here.

    Shut up, Ohjin said. So many celebrities vied for attention that he was rtively overlookedit wasparable to a famous Korean actor going to Hollywood and being ignored.

    Hehe. Ha-eun burst outughing and pped his butt. No matter how ignored you are, this older sister will be by your side, so dont worry.

    This is why I wanted toe alone. Shed insisted on going with him. Its not like she can do anything here. He was the only one sent to represent Korea, so all she could do was cheer him on.

    Those bitches might not be interested in you right now, but theyll be shocked out of their skin during thepetition, Ha-eun said.

    What the hell are you saying? he asked.

    Ill give you a special gift when youe back as one of the Seven Stars, so work hard, okay?

    He couldnt help but feel more motivated with her by his side. What sort of gift?

    Hehe. She winked and gave him a sly smile. Lets leave the pleasure of finding out for after you return.

    In addition to the dragon veins, he suddenly had one more reason to be a member of the Seven Stars. How many candidates are going to participate?

    Last I heard, there are 28, she said.

    Thats quite a lot. Im the only one from Korea.

    Each country has a different number of candidates that they can send out. It made sense that countries with more Awakeners could send more candidates. Of course, that meant China, the US, and the UKthe nations most considered the strongestcould send as many as four people each.

    Is our country that weak? Ohjin asked.

    Were in about the middle of the world rankings. Ha-eun exined. Korea was originally ranked at the top due to Sanggil, but his death and the extermination of his guild, Heavens Grace, were enough to lower their ranking quite a bit. The countries in the lower rankings cant even participate.

    Countries such as Japan, which didnt have high-ranking Awakeners and wasmonly referred to as being abandoned by the celestials, could not send any candidates. In other words, Korea was the lowest-ranked country that could participate in the Council of the Seven Stars.

    Stingy bastards. Ha-eun frowned in dislike. It doesnt make sense to discriminate against countries when picking new Seven Stars to begin with. What she said logically made sense, but

    The Seven Stars have such a great impact that they can shake a whole country, Ohjin said. Considering what happened in Korea after the death of the Star of Celestial Pivot, he could understand why they used such a dirty method of selection.

    That didnt mean he agreed with it, though.

    Well, it doesnt matter if theres one or four; I just have to beat them all, he dered.

    So confident! Ha-eun smiled and elbowed him.

    As the two were talking

    Oh, there you are. General Manager Han Joonman, who was there as Ohjins guide, approached them. I finished registering you as a candidate, so lets go back to our rooms.

    What does thepetitions schedule look like? Ohjin asked.

    Thepetition itself begins in two days. Tonight, there will be a simple opening ceremony, and the candidates will gather tomorrow to be instructed on the detailed rules and precautions of thepetition. Han looked through the schedule hed received. The towers training rooms are free to use for the next two days, and if you need anything, tell management. Theyll get it for you right away.

    In two days, huh? It was quite a tight schedule since the matter was so urgent. Ohjin looked at him in thought. Have you heard anything about how thepetition will be held?

    Yes, it will probably be announced tomorrow.

    He nodded and followed General Manager Han into Shanghai Tower, where he was guided to a room on the fifteenth floor. It was a fairly low floor when you consider the tower was 127 floors tall.

    Im sorry. General Manager Han scratched his head and gave Ohjin an awkward smile. I hoped to get a room on a higher floor, but Our request, um I think it was misunderstood. Haha. He avoided looking into Ohjins eyes.

    Ohjin could hazard a guess as to why Han seemed so embarrassed. We were pushed back by the other candidates.

    A total of 28 candidates would participate in the Council of the Seven Stars, and all of them other than him were high-ranking 9-Star Awakeners or above who had strong stigmas belonging to one of the 12 zodiacs.

    * * *

    * * *

    Even though Ohjins stigma was coveted by all other Awakeners, he was bound to be treated poorly among so many prominent candidates.

    Well, my stigma probably makes it worse. Wasnt there a fine line between envy and jealousy? It was human instinct to be malicious toward someone who had what you wanted.

    Ahem. You have rooms one and two, General Manager Han said.

    Isnt one room enough? Ha-eun returned one of the keys before smiling and waving the key to the first room.

    I see Han looked envious enough to shed tears of blood. Haa You need to go to the banquet hall on the 100th floor by seven oclock in the evening. As he left, they heard him mutter under his breath about the evils of lovers.

    Uh was I a bit tactless? Ha-eun scratched her head with an embarrassed look as she watched him go.

    * * *

    After resting with Ha-eun in their room for three hours, Ohjin went up to the opening ceremony on the 100th floor.

    Its pretty crowded here, too. The 100th floor was filled with reporters and the famous Awakeners he had seen outside the tower. When he entered, many suddenly focused on him.

    Thats him, right? The Lightning Wolf?

    Isnt he the only candidate who''s an 8-Star?

    Ha, I cant believe a guy who couldnt even reach 9-Star would try to join the Seven Stars.

    Derision and mockery poured from every direction, but Ohjin took a seat at a table and ate as if he didnt care. Of course, such a prestigious event had tes full of delicious, luxury foods that melted on the tongue.

    After a few moments, the host arrived on stage with a microphone in hand. Ah ah. We shall now begin the opening ceremony for the Council of the Seven Stars. Before we officially begin, there will be a speech from Mr. Wei Ogak, who helped us hold this council.

    A middle-aged man with a stylish beard stepped on the stage. First, let me thank all the Awakeners who came here to be heroes.

    He continued in a low, thick tone. Thest few months have been a great ordeal for humanity. The Star of Rotating Jade and the Star of Celestial Pivot, who fought evil for humankind, lost their lives at the hands of the evil ck Star Organization, and countless victims around the world suffered at that terrorist organizations hands.

    The man took a breath. Even still, the ck Star Organization is not the only threat to humanity. News is spreading around the world that certain individuals we believed to be inactive have begun to move once more.

    Ohjin thought it was a boring speech.

    At this moment of crisis, a star that can be humankinds guiding light is more urgent than ever. Wei Ogak made a slight gesture, and 28 spotlights illuminated the candidates. Introducing the Awakeners who hold the potential to join the Seven Stars!

    p, p, p!

    Apuse poured in from every side.

    As a representative for the candidates, Awakener Namgung Hui from China will give a speech!

    Namgung Hui was a famous, high-ranking Awakener Ohjin had heard about. Im pretty sure he has the stigma of Leo like Lee Woohyuk. I heard rumors that he reached 10-Star recently.

    Namgung Hui, a beautiful man with a fine jawline and wless skin, approached the podium. Its a pleasure to speak to you all. My name is Namgung Hui. He smiled slightly and bowed his head. As Mr. Wei said, we are now facing an unprecedented crisis that is perhaps even more dire than when the first fissure opened and plunged the world into chaos.

    Namgung Hui clenched his fists. However His hot gaze scanned the audience, and his feverish voice rang out through the banquet hall. As always, we will stand firm and fight against the great evil! Please take a look at the candidates who are here to be the guiding stars of humankind!

    27 lights illuminated the candidates. Jason Hardy, who is famously known for his title of The Iron Fist! Ondo Bale, who is known for his heaven-piercing arrows! Every individual here is more than worthy of joining the Seven Stars!

    Apuse rang out each time the spotlights focused on a new candidate.

    All this staring is going to wear us out, fuck. Ohjin scoffed. It was like he was attending some kind of New Year''s ceremony. Just when he was about to pick up his fork to continue eating, thinking that no one was paying attention

    Oh, right. Namgung Hui looked at him with an evil grin on his face. Except for one.

    The spotlights focused on Ohjin.

 Chapter 228: The Council of the Seven Stars (4)

    Chapter 228: The Council of the Seven Stars (4)

    Whisper~ whisper~

    The banquet hall fell into chaos in an instant as people looked at Ohjin andughed. Of course, some people frowned and thought the open ridicule was distasteful, but most just gave him mocking looks and believed him to be an outlier.

    Namgung Hui savored the crowds reaction and slightly smiled before lifting the mic closer to his face. "Hahaha! I''m just kidding, everyone! Please, calm down." He looked back over at Ohjin. "So what if he''s not a high-ranking Awakener? I think he''s fully qualified to join the Seven Stars."

    Despite having explicitly singled Ohjin out, he proceeded to casually praise him. Havent you all heard about the many feats hes aplished over the past year? Hui clenched his fist and continued to look toward him. "He''s already proven himself to be good enough, even though he isnt a 9-Star. Don''t you think so?"

    The banquet halls joyful atmosphere suddenly turned dismaltheck of apuse was enough to reveal what everyone thought of Ohjin.

    "Wait a minute. Isn''t this a little too rude?" General Manager Han jumped up from his seat and gave Hui a fierce look.

    Of course, theyd predicted that something of the sort would happen the moment Ohjin was sent as a candidate. If youpared it to a game, it was like a rookie with a year of experience being sent to participate in apetition featuring the worlds best yers.

    The atmosphere mightve been less hostile if Ohjins feat of defeating Denebs apostles four times in a row was publicly known, but most of the spectators back then had been celestials, so the word hadnt spread to ordinary Awakeners.

    "Oh, I''m sorry if you feel that way." Namgung Hui bowed his head and looked apologetic. "I was going to say we shouldnt look down on him, but it seems my previous joke went too far.

    "Ha! General Manager Han eximed. Thats your excuse? You were kidding?"

    "Yes, but at the end of the day, I can only apologize if someone found it offensive. I am sincerely sorry.

    Han could only sit down with a frustrated heart after Huis disy of apology.

    Afterward, even more of the Awakeners in attendance began to gossip.

    "Tut, tut."

    "Look at him, getting angry just because the truth was mentioned."

    Are there no talented people in Korea? Dont they have Lee Woohyuk, the ck Lion? Why choose to send someone whos not even a high-ranking Awakener?

    "I guess he wants to be famous like the apostles of Deneb because he is also a North Stars apostle."

    A negative mood settled in the banquet hall, and in the middle of that cold atmosphere

    Wow, this steak is really good. Ohjin cut the delicious steak on the table before him with a knife and ate as if he didnt care. The medium-rare steak melted in his mouth like butter.

    "Haha. Fortunately, Ohjin doesn''t seem to care that much." Namgung Hui naturally smiled and changed the subject. "This time, our candidates will go beyond filling the vacancies of the Star of Celestial Rotating Jade and Celestial Pivot and swear to be heroes who can save the people" A small speech followed. Just like in the opening ceremony, more and more people began feeling bored as the speech continued.

    Namgung Hui waited for the right time and nced at the cameras. "I can see that everyone is bored at this point. Oh, of course, I also hate these boring speeches." He gently beckoned toward Mr. Wei from the side. "I''d like to offer you some light entertainment."

    Hui put down his microphone, stood in the center of the wide stage, and pulled a fan from his sleeve. Im not very good, but I hope you enjoy the show.

    Whoosh!

    Fwoosh!

    A huge stream of water shot from the left side of the stage, and hot mes shot out from Namgung Huis right as he spread his fan open and moved in a sort of dance.

    A gentle, warm breeze blew through the banquet hall, and the water and mes began to move with it, intertwining end over end to form an image of the Korean g.

    "W-wow"

    The beautiful sight of the water and fire moving in a lifelike manner with the wind left people awestruck. More surprisingly, the fire and water intermingled without shing with each other.

    Hui wielded the fan as if he were painting in the air and used the two elements to create Sanggils face out of water and Damiens face from the fire.

    "May the two heroes rest in peace." He said before folding his fan, causing the faces to transform into a shining constetion before the elements gradually dispersed.

    "Wow!"

    "H-how the hell could a human? "

    "I heard he recently reached 10-Star. I think he must have mastered the stigma of Leo!" The people in the banquet hall cheered and apuded the incredible show.

    "Haha. Thank you for enjoying my little show." Hui put his fan away and bowed with perfect posture. Then, he handed the mic back to Mr. Wei, who was standing next to him, and descended from the stage.

    There is plenty of food and alcohol, so please enjoy the rest of the night! Mr. Wei eximed.

    With that, the party began.

    * * *

    * * *

    People were more focused on the other famous Awakeners sitting around them than they were on the delicacies set up on the table. Two of the 28 would join the Seven Stars, so they wanted to build friendships in advance.

    Of course

    "Slurp."

    No one approached Ohjin.

    "I''m sorry, Awakener Ohjin," General Manager Han said.

    "What? Why?" He tilted his head.

    Han clenched his pot-lid-sized hands as his face reddened. "If I knew this would happen, I wouldn''t have brought you to the opening ceremony"

    "No, I''m happy to eat something this delicious for free."

    "B-but!"

    "If youre worried about earlier, then dont sweat it." Ohjin smirked and shrugged his shoulders. Their loud barking bothered him a little, but it wasnt enough for him to make a fuss.

    "Oh, you were here." Namgung Hui, whod been talking to various other celebrities, approached their table. "Im so sorry about earlier." He reached out to shake Ohjins hand and smiled.

    I dont care, so you can go now. Ohjin waved his hand in annoyance and continued to enjoy a dessert on top of sliced tomatoes.

    Namgung Hui slightly grimaced as he was left with his hand awkwardly in the air. After gathering himself for a moment, he smiled again and spoke. Considering the venue, please dont mind it too much if others are disrespectful and dont recognize your qualifications.

    He bowed politely and smirked. "Isn''t there a saying that writing the word patience () three times will save a country?"

    TN: Its an actual saying in Korea, and I couldnt think of an equivalent one in English

    It wasnt difficult to figure out why he had changed the character from person to country.

    Is he saying I shouldnt act out here in China or something? Ohjin burst intoughter without realizing it. The tant warning was kind of funny to him.

    "Did I say something funny? Namgung Hui frowned as he watched Ohjin cry out inughter.

    Just when the atmosphere was starting to worsen

    "Hey, isn''t there a damned smoking room in this fucking huge tower?" The banquet halls doors opened roughly, and Ha-eun entered. It seemed that shed paid attention to her outfit, judging by the stylish ck party dress she wore, and she approached Ohjin with a sparkle in her eyes.

    "Oh, Ohjin, you little bitch. You didn''t eat everything already, did you?"

    "The steak here is delicious."

    "Mine! Where''s mine?"

    "It was twice as delicious since I ate two."

    "You little punk."

    While Ha-eun was insisting that Ohjin give her a share of the food

    Ah" Namgung Hui stared at Ha-eun as if hed been struck by lightning. His mocking smile fell from his lips, and his mouth dropped while his eyes scoured Ha-euns form. "How could such?" He slurred his words and gulped.

    Her beautiful body had unconventional and elegant curves, and her skin was like the finest porcin. Even the ck eye patch over her left eye couldn''t hide her beauty. He had met many women so far, but hed never seen such a stunningly beautiful woman.

    "Huh? What is he doing?" Ha-eun tilted her head and looked back at Namgung Hui.

    The man in question coughed. "Nice to meet you. My name is Namgung Hui."

    "Namgung Hui? I think I heard that name somewhere."

    "Haha. Its embarrassing, but Im called the Wind God."

    "Oh, I remember." Ha-eun flicked her finger and nodded. Shed heard that he was a pretty famous Awakener from China.

    "If you don''t mind, Namgung Hui said, may I ask your name?"

    "It''s Song Ha-eun."

    "Ha-eun" Hui repeated the name a few times under his breath and smiled. Ohjins presence had long since disappeared from his mind. "It seems that there isnt enough food for you at this table How about youe to my table?" He was certain his offer wouldnt be rejectedhis natural good looks and outstanding skill made him confident.

    Born as the eldest son of China''s best family, the Namgung family, he reigned in China like a king even before he became an Awakener. Though Ohjin was the only apostle of the Star of the Weaver Girl, he could notpare.

    ''I think theyre a little close, though.'' Still, if she knew he was the Wind God, she mustve been well aware that he was the most likely Awakener to join the Seven Stars. There was no reason to turn down his offer

    "I don''t wanna," she said.

    "What?" he asked with a bewildered look, as if he didn''t think he would be rejected so coldly. Th-theres no food for you here

    Why wouldn''t there be? Ha-eun sat on Ohjinsp and put her arms around his neck. "I can eat my Ohjin."

    Namgung Hui dropped the facade and gave her an angry look.

 Chapter 229: The Council of the Seven Stars (5)

    Chapter 229: The Council of the Seven Stars (5)

    Haha I didnt realize you two were in a rtionship. Sorry to bother you. Namgung Hui smiled and nervously scratched his neck to the point where the skin reddened. He red at Ohjin and just barely managed to stayposed enough to say, I hope you both enjoy the party.

    After that, he left in a hurry and returned to his seat, but he asionally stole nces back at Ha-eun, who sat firmly on Ohjinsp.

    Crack

    Hui violently gritted his teeth.

    Ohjin smiled and put his arm around Ha-euns waist. He must have a crush on you.

    Fufu. I am a great beauty, after all, she proudly said while flicking her ponytail.

    Ha-eun burst outughing and tightened her arms around Ohjins neck. Arent my clothes pretty?

    Theyre a bit revealing

    Doesnt that only make them better?

    Its best if Im the only one who sees so much of you. He took off his coat and draped it around her shoulders.

    She wrapped the coat around herself and let off a bashfulugh before leaning in close to his ear and whispering, "Okay. I''ll save it just for you."

    He knew how cringey the line was, so why did he smile so much?

    She giggled and stoked his head before frowning down at the empty table. Did you seriously eat it all?

    "Of course not." He held out the food hed been hiding from her, still warm due to the temperature being maintained through faint electromaic waves.

    "When did you learn this skill?" she asked, removing herself from hisp and sitting next to him. "Cut it for me~"

    "No, eat it on your own."

    "Huh. Won''t you listen to me?" She opened her mouth like a baby bird waiting for food.

    Ohjinughed, cut the steak, and ced it in her waiting mouth.

    "Hehe. It''s good."

    "Eat slowly."

    Ha-eun embraced his arm and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder like a cat.

    General Manager Han held back his tears with a deep sigh. Im sad, really sad yeah, its a sin to be single at this age. A sin.

    It was a particrly lonely night for him.

    * * *

    The next day

    After breakfast, Ohjin met with Han and asked him about the days schedule. "So I have to go to the conference room on the fiftieth floor by 12:30?"

    "Yes, that''s what I was told." Han handed over the schedule he had taken from the management team.

    Ohjin couldnt make heads or tails of it since it was written in Chinese. "Did you learn Chinese, Manager Han?"

    "Yes, you can trante with relics, but you can''t read or write. Other than Chinese, I also know a little English, Japanese, and Russian."

    "Oh." Ohjin gave him a surprised look. The man had such massive muscles that his shirt looked like it would burst at any moment, his skin was a healthy copper color, and his face somewhat resembled a gorishe looked as far away from the intelligent type as one could get, but he knew more than fivenguages.

    "Why are you looking at me like that?"

    "No, it''s nothing."

    "Hmm, I might look like this, but Im also an elite yer, you know!"

    "Haha. I know."

    Of course, General Manager Han reached his position in his mid-30s and had the Association presidents full trust. When he thought about it, Han was an elite among elites.

    "Oh, and I reached 7-Star," Manager Han proudly said while pounding the left side of his chest.

    Oh, congrattions, General Manager Han."

    "It feels a little strange to hear congrattions from you." Han sighed and recalled the first time hed met Ohjin. You were only a 2-Star back then, but now youre an 8-Star while Im just a 7-Star.

    "What?"

    "I know. Your case is far from the norm." Honestly, Ohjins growth was unbelievable, even though hed seen it firsthand.

    Ohjin gave a wry smile and nodded. Thinking about it this way, it doesnt make sense. He could understand why the other candidates were giving him jealous looks.

    Other than the Star of Celestial Shining Pearl, no one has ever grown as fast as you. Han shook his head and took the schedule back from Ohjin, who turned his head and checked the electronic clock on the wall.

    It was 11:23, which meant he had almost an hour until the gathering. "Do you know anything about the other contestants?" he asked.

    "Well First of all, I know who people consider to be the leading candidates." Han continued by showing Ohjin pictures of the candidates on his smartphone. "Here we have Namgung Hui, who came out as a representative yesterday. Just as his Wind God title implies, he is famous for his perfect control over wind."

    They have the same stigma, but his fighting style is quite different from Woohyuks. Ohjin was certain Lee Woohyuk used a sword.

    Well, the stigma of Leos main ability is wind control and doesnt have anything to do with the sword, Han exined. Even if Awakeners had the same stigma, there were differences in how they used it.

    The next most promising candidate is nicknamed Iron Fist. Jason Hardy from the United States. He hasnt reached 10-Star like Hui, but hes considerably talented among 9-Star Awakeners.

    "Is Namgung Hui the only 10-Star?" Ohjin asked.

    "Yes." Han continued with a nod. "There are very few people who are 10-Star or higher Even if there are a few, most of them are reluctant to apply to the Seven Stars."

    * * *

    * * *

    I suppose those who have reached such a level dont have much to gain by joining the Seven Stars. Joining the Seven Stars afforded them power and honor, but there were certain restrictions on their behavior in return. Naturally, high-ranking Awakeners were hesitant to restrict themselves in such a way just so the rest of humanity could cling to them for hope.

    Even I was going to decline at first. He wouldnt have even thought of joining if it werent for the dragon veins and the possibility of upgrading ck Heaven. Does that mean there are Awakeners who are equal to the Seven Stars? Since such Awakeners were reluctant to show themselves to begin with, there wasnt much information about them.

    "In addition to Jason Hardy, theres also Ondo Bale. Hes from Ennd and is known as the greatest archer of Sagittarius.

    "As expected, Ohjin said, there are leading candidates from the United States, China, and the United Kingdom."

    "Well that can''t be helped." Han nodded with a wry smile.

    China had thergest number of Awakeners, the United States had thergest number of high-ranking Awakeners, and the United Kingdom had thergest number of Seven Stars, including the Star of the Opening Heat, Allen Oscal; the Star of Celestial Shining Pearl, Reba Bell; and the Star of Jade Sighting Tube, Biance Bet.

    Of course, while many high-ranking Awakanerscked a strong enough sense of patriotism to join the Seven Stars, many didnt want to see the country of their birth ruined by monsters, so a countrys power rose with how many high-ranking Awakeners it had.

    Safety is a sign of national power in a world where monsters run wild, after all.

    Ill have to wait until the start of thepetition to know exactly how good they are, Ohjin said.

    "I believe you have enough ability to join the Seven Stars," General Manager Han sincerely said.

    Ohjin smirked. "I have to." If he failed to join, there was no way to step into the Milky Way Spring. Its almost time.

    "Oh, yes. Have a safe trip."

    Ohjin said goodbye to Manager Han and went up to the fiftieth floor.

    Is it over there? When he tried to enter the conference room after looking at the map on the wall

    "You are not allowed in at this time." Arge man approached and blocked the entrance.

    "I can''t enter?" Ohjin asked.

    "The meeting started at noon. We can''t allow you to enter in the middle of the meeting."

    What was he talking about? "I was informed the meeting would start at 12:30."

    "There must have been a mistake. The meeting started at noon." The man, who had a sturdy frame and square jaw, shook his head with a determined look.

    Ohjin continued to think about what kind of shitty situation it was when the pattern of the Shanghai Tower embroidered on the bodyguards suit caught his eye.

    Wei, was it? Are you working for him?

    Mr. Wei is the sponsor who made the biggest contribution to making sure that the Council of the Seven Stars could proceed smoothly.

    Oh. So that was what happened. So they gave me the wrong schedule from the start, is that it? A disbelievingugh left Ohjin''s mouth. He didnt expect them to do such a cute thing after dissing him in front of so many people.

    This should also be Namgung Hui''s doing. He figured there was a connection between Namgung Hui and Mr. Wei, the sponsor of the Council of Seven Stars after the show with the fans.

    "So you''re not going to let me in now, right? Ohjin asked. Even though Im a candidate?"

    "I''m sorry. I''ll send you separate notes on the meetings contentster." The square-jawed man shook his head and gave Ohjin a wooden expression.

    Haa. Ohjin sighed deeply and swept his hair back. "Let''s see" He folded his fingers one by one. One, two, three "Yes." No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like it had been over three times.

    "What are you doi"

    Exceed.

    Kzzzt!!

    He wrapped his body in lightning and kicked the man blocking the door in the stomach.

    "Keukk!" The man bounced back and smashed through the door before rolling into the conference room.

    "Wh-what?"

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    "What is this all of a sudden?"

    Ohjin strolled through the smashed door and entered the noisy conference room.

    There, he saw a long table with 28 seats. He walked to the empty seat and pulled the chair out. "This is my seat, right?"

    A cold silence fell over the room.

 Chapter 230: The Council of the Seven Stars (6)

    Chapter 230: The Council of the Seven Stars (6)

    "Wh-what do you think youre doing, Ohjin?" Namgung Huis mouth fell open in surprise. How could he kick the guard through the entrance? It wasnt like they were at some back alley market; it was a gathering of Seven Star candidates!

    "That''s what I want to say," Ohjin replied in a cold tone as he red at Hui. "Youre the one who made him deny me entry, right?"

    What do you mean?

    "The guard attacked me when I tried to enter and said I wasnt qualified. He even used his stigma.

    "What?" Hui looked at Ohjin like he thought he was spouting bullshit. Hed ordered the guard to block the entrance on the pretext of time, but hed never told him to attack. On top of that, the guard had even supposedly used his stigma?

    No matter how unqualified he believed Ohjin to be, there were certain lines you couldnt cross when it came to a countrys representative candidate. "I never ordered that," Hui firmly stated.

    "Is that so? He attacked me and said you ordered it."

    "Nonsense!" Hui hit the table and red at Ohjin. "Do you have any evidence?"

    "There''s a CCTV camera in the hallway. You can look at the footage," Ohjin said.

    "You''ll have to take responsibility if youre lying." Hui gave Ohjin a fierce look and contacted Wei on his phone. Shortly after, Wei came into the conference room and held up a tablet with the footage.

    "y it, Hui ordered.

    "Y-yes. Wei wiped the sweat on his forehead and hurriedly yed the video.

    - You cant enter

    They saw a recording of the guard standing in front of the door and swinging his fist at Ohjin. Of course, the telltale blue light of stigma use leaked out of the left side of the bodyguards chest.

    "No, what is this?" Huis mouth dropped open, and he was at a loss for words. Seeing the bodyguard, who seemed to have taken arge dose of drugs, was enough to make him feel like hed been hit in the back of the head with a hammer.

    -You dont deserve to breathe the same air as Mr. Namgung Hui!

    Huis name was clearly mentioned in the video, which even recorded sound.

    Silence fell in the conference room.

    Ohjin looked back at Hui and spoke in a quiet tone. "Are you still going to im you had nothing to do with it?

    "I never gave such an order."

    "That''s strange. Youre saying the guard did it of his own volition?"

    "That''s" Hui struggled to speak.

    I think its best to discuss this at ater date. A woman stood in front of a vivid holographic image that looked to have been created from a relic and calmly said, Arent we here to talk about thepetitions rules and schedule? Her voice was egregiously clerical.

    She pushed up her horn-rimmed sses and looked over the 28 other Awakeners in the room before calmly speaking as if she had no interest in themotion. "My name is Olivia, and I am in charge of this Council of the Seven Stars. I normally work as an aide to Mr. Allen Oscal."

    After her brief introduction, she stiffly continued with, Since Ohjin just arrived, I will briefly summarize what was already said.

    The holographic image showed a wide, birds-eye view. "This is what the tournament dungeon looks like.

    She used aser pointer to highlight certain areas of the image as she spoke. "There are several terrain types within the dungeon, including mountain, underwater, and desert terrain. Your starting point will be randomly determined."

    28 pirs of light appeared in the hologram. The rankings will be determined by points. The candidate who gains the most points within the time limit bes the top scorer. There are two ways to earn points: one is to get rid of a monster within the dungeon and earn points based on its rank.

    "What''s the other one?" Ohjin asked,

    "The council has recruited ordinary people to hide throughout the dungeon.

    Ordinary people?

    "Oh, of course, we have the minimum safety measures in ce. You can earn points if you rescue these people and sessfully move them to the ''safe zone'' in the dungeon. However, in that case, the amount of points you earn depends on how the rescued people evaluate you and is not fixed. You will be tested on whether you deserve to be called humanitys hope by the general public.

    Namgung Hui quietly raised his hand. "May I ask a question?"

    Olivia nodded.

    "What''s the difference between points when you catch a monster and points from rescuing people?"

    "There isnt a definitive answer because each monsters points differ based on rank, but you can earn a huge amount of points in one go if you rescue people and they give you the highest rating.

    "So its a question of whether the Awakener goes for the more stable route and hunts monsters or takes a gamble and goes for a big payout through rescues? Namgung Hui nodded in understanding.

    "Exactly," Olivia confirmed.

    Ohjin gave Hui a surprised look. I thought he would know about the test in advance. Naturally, hed assumed the council had a connection to it when he saw the schedule was wrong, but that apparently wasnt the case.

    "Do you have any other questions?" Olivia asked.

    * * *

    * * *

    A young, blond man with a unique bow on his back that seemed to be made of leaves raised his hand.

    Mr. Ondo Bale, please speak.

    "You said each monster offers points ording to its rank, but how many ranks are there?"

    "There are a total of five ranks of monsters in the dungeon, and you can see the rank by the color of the ne around the monsters neck." The holographic image shone, and five colors appeared: white, green, blue, red, and ck. "The lowest rank is white, and ck is the highest."

    Olivia pointed theser at the ck color. "There''s only one ck-ranked monster in the dungeon, and the moment you subjugate this monster, you''ll be the top scorer in thepetition, regardless of whatever else happens."

    "Seriously?" Ondos eyes shed with interest.

    "Yes, but even the Awakeners in this room will find it difficult.

    "Hmmm."

    Despite her warning, the candidates eyes shone withpetitiveness. A monster so powerful a warning was given in apetition where everyone, excluding Ohjin, was a high-ranking Awakener was certain to gain interest.

    Hehe. Have you caught a Named or something? A bald man with a square jaw and sturdy build smiled. Jason Hardy, also known as Iron Fist was a talented Awakener and a leading candidate.

    "I can''t tell you the details."

    "Haha! Good! I''m going for that ck rank!" Jason clenched his fist as if to threaten the other candidates.

    "Any other questions?" Olivia asked.

    Nobody raised their hand, so she nodded and turned the holograph off. "We will use a warp device we prepared to teleport you there from the banquet hall on the 100th floor where we held the ceremony. The time limit is six hours. You can rescue as many people as possible and hunt monsters within that time."

    Its so simple that it even seems odd, Ohjin thought. Regardless, he liked that it wasntplicated.

    "I''ll see you all at the banquet hall at noon. Things will probably be hectic due to the many spectators who want to watch, so please arrive early and be on standby." With that done, Olivia began to head out of the conference room.

    She turned back around just before she reached the door and said, "Oh, and onest thing Don''t forget that you are here to be heroes who will shine a light on the future of humanity."

    Then, she left, and an awkward silence fell over the room until

    "ck rank! If I get the ck rank, I can join the Seven Stars right away!"

    "No, it''s safer to go after the other monsters"

    "I think there will be a lot of points if you rescue the civilians properly."

    They all began to gather and discuss their strategies, and Hui continued to stare daggers at Ohjin as he gathered with the other Chinese candidates.

    Theyvepletely forgotten about the guard. Ohjin smirked as he recalled how the medics had taken the guard. Well, that was good for him. If theyd taken a closer look at the video, they mightve found out I manipted it with Mirage.

    He wasnt acquainted with any of the other candidates, and none of them were from South Korea, so he got up and left the conference room.

    A hero, huh? Mumbling the word hero, which was as awkward as chewing sand, Ohjin took the elevator.

    * * *

    "Have a good trip!" The next day, Ha-eun embraced Ohjin in front of the warp device that would take him to the dungeon and kissed him on the cheek.

    "I''ll be leaving now," he said.

    "Just so you know, you''ll have to swim home if you dont get the top score."

    "What do you think this issome kind of World Cup?"

    "It''s simr." Ha-eun giggled and patted Ohjin on the shoulder. "I''ll be rooting for you, so let''s have a party afterward!"

    Thepetition hasnt started yet, so dont exaggerate too much.

    "This is all because I believe in you."

    Ohjin smirked.

    [My child.] Vega flew up and settled on his head. [Do you not want thisdy to go with you?]

    "Well, ording to regtions, I have to go in alone."

    [But aren''t we one being?] Vega pouted as if she were dissatisfied.

    Ohjin held up his hand to her. "I''ll go alone since I dont want there to be any rumors of unfairness when I win.

    [Fuu. Alright.] Vega sighed and nodded regretfully. [If youe back as a Seven Star, I promise to bless you.]

    He nodded and moved toward the warp device.

    Whooooong!

    The light from the relic wrapped around his body. It feels different from a gate. He supposed it felt more nauseating. Whatever it was, it didnt feel good.

    "Let''s see" He looked down at the silver bracelet on his wrist that the council had given him. The number 0 stood out clearly.

    Is this the number of points I have now? He pressed the red button next to the bracelet.

    Whoong

    A hologram created a birds-eye view of the dungeonthe same image hed seen the day before.

    "It''s like a mini-map." Thankfully, his location was marked with a red dot on the holographic map. It only disyed his location, though, and not any nearby monsters or civilians.

    If I go this way its the mountain area. Having grasped his approximate location with the holographic map, he slowly moved forward. Let''s go to the underwater area for now. He had water-friendly skills and the stigma of Hippocampus, which made him good at fighting underwateran area most Awakeners shied from.

    He believed he would be able to monopolize the monsters there.

    "Alright."

    ng!

    Using his wire shooter consecutively on high rocks or trees, he swung through the air toward the underwater area. Then

    Kyaaaaaaa! S-save me! A piercing scream reverberated through the forest.

 Chapter 231: A Hero for the Downtrodden (1)

    Chapter 231: A Hero for the Downtrodden (1)

    What the? Ohjins eyes narrowed when he heard the screams. Rather than the reaction being from the scream itself That sounded like a kid. He pivoted in mid-air with Lightning Shadow Step and used his wire shooter to swing toward where the screams wereing from, arriving in about a dozen seconds.

    Fsssshhhh!

    "Aaaahhhhh! Save me! Keuk, ugh, the shouting is making my throat hurt. He saw a girl of about 10 years old with a unique hairstyle streaked with green highlights cowering in the cave.

    Krrrrkk! Growl! A monster snarled about 10 meters in front of her, bared its teeth, and leaped at the girl. Raaaaar!

    Kzzzzt!

    The green ne around the monsters neck lit up, and the monster fell back and retreated.

    "Hehe. It''s annoying, right? Catch me! Catch me~!" The girl stuck her tongue out at the monster, which only further enraged it.

    Ohjinughed in disbelief. Is this how theyre keeping the civilians safe? The red-eyed monster continued to run at the girl, but the ne stopped it each time.

    The girl saw him and waved her hands with a bright smile on her face. Oh, Mister! Over here, over here! Theres a good citizen who is being threatened by a scary monster!

    Hed had no idea how the civilian rescue was supposed to happen at first, but that was enough for him to figure things out.

    "Grrrrr!" Had the monster also spotted him? Its fierce, red eyes turned to him before it leaped toward him at terrifying speed with its leopard-like legs. Though it was a powerful-looking monster one would expect to find in apetition meant for the next Seven Stars

    Blue Lightning.

    it was no match for Ohjin.

    Kzzzzzt!

    Blue lightning fanned out and struck the monster, causing it to writhe in pain. Keuhung!

    He crouched down to avoid its reckless swings and removed his folding knife from its sheath at his waist.

    Whooong! Click!

    The knife almost instantly formed into a spear, prated the monsters neck, and dug deep into its skull.

    -Ti-ring!

    [You have defeated a green-ranked monster.]

    [You have earned 5 points.]

    Rather than the blue message screens he was used to, he received the notification in the form of a voiceing from the silver bracelet on his wrist. When he lowered his head to take a look, he saw the 0 on its disy had changed to a 5.

    "Wow! You killed it in one hit!" The girlughed and pped.

    Ohjin approached her and asked, How long have you been here for?

    "Oh! You got a deduction! Deducted!"

    What, why?

    "You should have asked me if I was hurt first!" she eximed.

    Hed clearly seen that the monster couldnt touch the girl, so she couldnt have been hurt anywhere. So this is how were evaluated As the girl said, it would be best to ask someone if they were hurt in a real-life scenario.

    "Sorry. Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked.

    "Hehe. You apologized quickly, so I''ll pretend there were no deductions. As you can see, I''m not hurt!" The girl quickly stood and brushed the dust off her knees. All he needed to do was take her to the safe zone for points.

    This screws up my n a bit Hed originally intended to monopolize the monsters in the underwater area, but he figured looking for a safe zone was a higher priority since hed rescued someone.

    Uncle, youre the Lightning Wolf, right?

    I am the Lightning Wolf, but Im not an uncle.

    Im totally your fan!

    This bloody little kid "What''s your name?"

    "Oh, my name is Civilian Number Two''!"

    What kind of name is that? he asked.

    "Hehe. I was told not to tell you my name. Hmm but it''s kind of weird to call me Number Two, so please call me ''NT''!" She smiled and raised her hand.

    Ohjin smiled back and nodded. "Let''s move for now." The moment he tried to get moving to search for a safe zone

    "Oh! Thats more points deducted!"

    What, why again?

    "Im such a delicate little girl! You have to hold my hand and guide me! How could you make me go alone?"

    He searched for an appropriate counterargument. "If we hold hands, then itll be hard for me to react to an ambush. Its safer to have you nearby but not in contact.

    Huh?" NTs eyes widened, and she scratched her head. N-now that I think about it, youre right. Ahem. Lets pretend I didnt deduct points!

    "Our examiner''s standards are very strict," Ohjin observed

    "Hehe. The regtions say you need to score well." She almost looked embarrassed.

    I wasn''tplimenting you; I was being sarcastic. Ohjin smirked and led the way down the mountain path. "Do you know where the safe zone is?"

    "We werent told! I heard youd see it on the map if you got close enough, though.

    He looked down at the silver bracelet around his wrist and saw that there were no other indicators on the map yet. Do I have no choice but to wander around?

    Shhhhk!

    He heard movement in the bushes.

    "Uncle?"

    "Quiet." He brought his index finger to his lips and activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs, whereupon he detected a beasts scent.

    Theres one, and its located below!

    Crash!

    A monster soared up out of a pile of dirt. It looked simr to a shark, but it had four limbs withrge ws in ce of fins.

    Ohjin checked the ne around the monsters neck and gripped his spear. Blue

    "Krrrrrrk!" The shark-like monster thumped the ground with its two legs and let out a ferocious cry.

    * * *

    * * *

    The earth surged as a shockwave spread, and fragments of stone shot with bluish mana at the ends toward them.

    Are there even monsters that use mana? Monsters had mana, of course, but it was rare to see one using mana to attack like an Awakener did with their stigma.

    They prepared well.

    Kzzzzzzt!

    spread out and deflected the fragments of stone. Lightning mes. A bluish me surged along the de of his spear, and he struck the rushing monsters head.

    ng!

    The spear nged off of something that sounded metallic, and the shock reverberated through Ohjins arms. Its pretty hard. He frowned and took a closer look at the monster. Though his spear bounced off of it, it looked dazed. If its skin is hard He smirked at the monster and said, "Charge."

    Kzzzzzzt!

    Blue lightning gathered at the end of his spear, and he stacked Charge three times as he waited for the monster to return to its senses. Considering how monsters usually acted, it had a set action after being hit in the head in such a way.

    Sure enough, the shark-like monster shook the blow off and gave him a fierce look. "Grrrraaaaaa!"

    Yeah, open wide. Of course, he expected the roar and lobbed his spear into the monsters mouth. "Discharge."

    Kweeeeeeeeeee! The monster copsed, cooked from the inside out, and ck smoke rose from its mouth.

    -Ti-ring!

    [You have defeated a blue-ranked monster.]

    [You have earned 25 points.]

    Was it worth five times as much as the green-ranked? Thered been a great difference in power.

    "Wow! You''re not a high-ranking Awakener, right? I heard that monsters above green rank would be difficult for even them to deal with! NT pped and praised him aftering out of hiding from behind a nearby tree.

    Hed been worried about the possibility of her getting hit by a piece of shrapnel, but that didnt seem to have happened.

    "Wait a minute," he said as he activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and confirmed they were safe for the moment. Isnt this too dangerous for a kid like you? He remembered how the ones in charge imed theyd put minimal safety devices in ce. She couldve been seriously hurt if hed failed to stop all of the stone fragments.

    That''s right, she said. There was something about how even if we were injured or identally died in the process, we wouldnt hold them ountable.

    "What? Ohjin frowned. How could they make a girl of almost 10 years of age sign something like that? Are they insane? No matter how crazy the world was, it seemed to be a bit much.

    "Hehe. Don''t worry! You''ll save me if I''m in danger, right?" she asked.

    "Didn''t your parents say anything?"

    "I dont have any." NT continued with a big smile. I heard they left me and traveled far away.

    Ohjin gave her a serious look.

    She burst intoughter. "Hehe! Your face is funny!" Then, she mischievously poked his side. "Dont give me such a scary look. The teachers and children at the orphanage are all nice to me!"

    Is that so?" He only had bad memories of orphanages and continued to give her a worried look. Are you saying you applied for this of your own volition?

    "Yeah! I applied after seeing the announcement!"

    "Why do you have to do such a dangerous thing?"

    "Because Ill earn a lot of money!"

    It was a very simple reason, but it was more convincing than anything else she couldve said.

    All I have to do is quietly hide for six hours, and Ill get all the food I want with the others at the orphanage! How could I pass on that?! Her eyes shone as she spoke.

    It left Ohjin with a bitter taste in his mouth. Wasn''t it scary?" he asked, even though he knew it was a stupid question.

    NT shrugged. "Um, I was scared at first, but I''m fine now. It''s a lot scarier to have to eat nothing but tasteless oatmeal every day!" It was not difficult to imagine how poor an orphanage in a world full of monsters would be. Who would donate to something like that when everyone was busy trying to survive?

    Shed probably lived a rough life without regr meals each day. He felt that his heart was on the verge of breaking as he looked down at her bright smile and could almost see Ha-eun at her age.

    "Let''s go," he said. He couldnt afford to get lost in his memories.

    "Yes!"

    They set off in search of a safe zone again.

 Chapter 232: A Hero for the Downtrodden (2)

    Chapter 232: A Hero for the Downtrodden (2)

    Schkkk, shhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    The unpleasant sound of nails on a chalkboard assaulted their ears, and a monster with its front legs bent at 90-degree angles pped above them.

    "Oh! Uncle! A-above!" NT urgently shouted.

    Ohjin gave the monster a calm look and slowly lifted his spear.

    "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Thats when the flying creature, which was about 30 meters above them, swung its front, sickle-like legs and shot a white sword aura toward them with enough strength to cut down an iron gate in a single sh.

    What, monsters can use sword aura now? Ohjin wondered where the hell theyd gotten the monsters before smiling up at the sword aura headed toward him at terrifying speed.

    Stigma of Clepsydra. The world slowed down, and he avoided the white sword aura with a rxed motion by the hair of his skin, minimizing his movements.

    "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhkkk?!" A glimmer of consternation appeared in the monster''s ugly, fly-like eyes. Was it simr to how a person would react if they saw someone stroll down the street during a downpour without their cor even getting wet?

    Instinctively feeling that something was wrong, the monster wildly pped its wings and ascended. "Shhkk! Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhkkkk!

    It was confident that a wingless human would be unable to reach it and gave Ohjin a triumphant look.

    "You might be able to use sword aura, but youre still stupid." Ohjin smirked, pointed his wire shooter at the monster, and fired.

    Taaang!

    Six wires shot toward the monster and wrapped themselves around it.

    "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhkkk!" The winged creature struggled and swung its sickle-like legs around in an attempt to cut the wire, while Ohjin soared toward it.

    U-uncle! Its dangerous! NT shouted, and her face paled as she watched.

    "Youre right" He approached the monster with the help of Shadow Lightning Step andnded on its back. But this bastard is the only one in danger.

    Whiiiiinngg!

    The wires contracted at high speed, and Ohjin and the monster fell with terrifying velocity.

    Thunder Fall.

    Kzzzzzt!

    A streak of blue lightning pierced the monster''s body, cutting it in half and sending the parts tumbling through the air before it could even scream.

    "Fuuu." Ohjin took a breath and smiled at the 300 points hed already umted from the monsters hed hunted.

    Just dealing with the monsters I see on the way is getting me quite a bit of points. Of course, he couldve had more points if hed focused solely on hunting monsters and not guiding NT to a safe zone.

    "You''re the best! That was awesome!" NT cheered.

    His regret disappeared the instant he saw how excited she looked. "Aren''t you hungry?" he asked. Theyd been moving for two hours already. He wasnt sure how long shed waited for rescue, but he judged that her stomach was probably running on empty.

    "I''m hungry!" The thought of food was enough to make her drool.

    "Eat some of this," he said.

    "What''s this?"

    "A calorie bar." He liked them because one bite was enough to make you feel full.

    Do you always carry these around?" she asked.

    "Two of these willst a day." Riak had scolded him, so hed been trying to cut back, but they were just too efficient for the price.

    "Huh. That''s very unexpected," she said.

    "What do you mean?"

    NT bit into the calorie bar and said, When you think of the Lightning Wolf, you think of a natural genius. Naturally, I thought you were an elite born into a good family.

    "Like Namgung Hui?"

    "Oh, yeah! That''s right!"

    He couldnt help butugh at her vigorous nodding. He never imagined ordinary people would think of him that way. "I''m from an orphanage, too."

    "Wow, really?" NTs eyes widened in surprise.

    "Whats up with that reaction? Are you disappointed because Im not what you expected?"

    "No! It''s better!" She bashfully smiled and balled up her fists. "I can be a great hero like you if I Awaken in the future, right?"

    He didnt know if he was worthy of being called a great hero, but Ohjin smiled slightly and patted her head. Yes, of course.

    "Hehe. Meeting you here was fate!"

    He turned away from her and said, Lets get moving.

    "Yes!".

    She followed him closely, and about 10 minutester

    Shwaaaaaa!

    They felt a cool mist wafting over the wind and the sound of a nearby waterfall.

    Ah is this the underwater area? It was the terrain hed first been aiming for. As its name suggested, a wide river surged from the bottom of the towering waterfall.

    "Wow, uncle! Look at the waterfall!" NT jumped up and down, pping her hands like a seal.

    "Be careful where you step." He didnt know what kind of artificial device was being used to create it, but the flow was incredibly strong. Even an Awakener could be swept away if they lost their bnce and fell into the water, let alone a civilian.

    Should I catch some monsters since Im already here? Just as hed initially hoped, there didnt seem to be any other Awakeners around.

    Huh?"

    "Huh? There''s a person flying over there, right?"

    A strong wind blew over the surging river, and they saw a handsome, young man flying along like a noble god of the wind.

    * * *

    * * *

    It was none other than Namgung Hui, someone Ohjin had been seeing quite often.

    Hui looked at Ohjin and smirked. "Hmm. I didn''t expect to see the Lightning Wolf here." Then, he gave NT an interested gaze. "It looks like you''re searching for a safe zone." Heughed and said, "It''s disappointing that you haven''t found a safe zone yet when thepetition started so long ago."

    "Does that mean you found one?"

    Hui shrugged his shoulders and nodded. Fufu. Of course. I just got back from taking someone there." Next, he approached NT and softly asked, "My sweet, littledy, why don''t you follow me instead of him, and I''ll take you to the safe zone right away?"

    He sounded like a dangerous, old man peddling candy from a white van. "Youll bepletely safe there, and I could take you there right away, he proposed in a gentle voice and gave her a big smile.

    It would be a good opportunity for her to enter the safe zone sooner without having to be in danger while following Ohjin, but "I don''t want to!" She hugged Ohjins arm and defiantly red at Hui. "I like Big Brother more than you, Uncle!"

    "Is is that so?" Huis smile cracked, and his fists began to shake.

    Ohjin burst intoughter. "You got dumped twice now."

    Huis face reddened. "Sh-shut up!" he shouted. Hed been born to Chinas best family and lived like a prince, so such firm rejection was rare for him.

    "Who doesn''t know the location of the safe zone?" Ohjin asked.

    "Weren''t you looking for it?"

    "Yes, but now Ive found it."

    Thanks to you

    Star of the Weaver Girl''s Hunting Dogs.

    Kzzz, Kzzzzzzt

    A faint current extended in every direction, and his extremely sensitive sense of smell traced Huis trail in a clear path through his head.

    "It''s three kilometers southeast from here Ohjin said. Thats not that far."

    ! Huis mouth dropped open in dismay. "H-how the hell did you?"

    "How did I find it? You led me there." Ohjin smiled.

    "When did I?!" Hui recalled the faint current from just a moment prior. "You have tracking skills." He began to chew his lips in frustration.

    Ohjin shrugged. "Then thank you for letting me know~ I was having a hard time finding it anyway."

    Huis face stiffened, and a faint bloodthirst suffused the air.

    Ohjin looked at him and said, It would be best if you didnt entertain such thoughts. You know you cant attack other candidates, right?

    "Of course I know." Hui''s mouth twisted up. Dont idents happen in life, though? He removed his fan from his sleeve and gave Ohjin a fierce look. For example What if I say you were caught in a torrent of sudden wind?

    Whoong!

    A gust of wind swept Ohjin into the raging river.

    U-uncle! NT called out.

    Hui continued speaking. Or what if a sudden whirlwind caused a waterfall to copse?"

    Saaash!

    He swung his fan in the direction of the waterfall, forming a swirl of wind that struck the cliff until water poured down as if a dam had copsed.

    Boooom!

    Fufu. Right, many underwater monsters were lurking at the top of the waterfall.

    Dozens of monsters poured down with the surging water like rain and quickly swam toward Ohjin.

    What a shame; you never know what life might bring next. Hui brazenly flew up into the air. Too bad I could only save one person in such a situation.

    His wind lifted NT into the air. "Kyaaaak! Let go of me!"

    Hui smiled down at Ohjin being swept away. "Thats why you should be humble."

    Contrary to what the other man was thinking, Ohjin leisurely let the river carry him and rxed as if he were soaking in a spa.

    -Ti-ring!

    {The surroundings are filled with the energy of water.]

    [ The effects of Water Affinity Lv MAX increase dramatically!]

    [The power of the "Stigma of Hippocampus" increases, allowing you to move and breathe freely underwater!]

    Ohjin looked up at Namgung Huis flying form as he cleared the blue system messages from his vision. You never know what life might bring next. Hui had given him the location of a safe zone and turned the whole area into a sea before driving the monsters to him so he could farm them for points.

    How could you give me so much without taking anything for yourself?

    Ohjin smiled as the monsters approached him from every direction.

 Chapter 233: A Hero for the Downtrodden (3)

    Chapter 233: A Hero for the Downtrodden (3)

    What the? Namgung Hui looked down at Ohjin, whod fallen into the rapids, and seemed confused. From what he knew, the stigma of Lyra was rted to lightning and had nothing to do with water.

    "How the hell?" How was Ohjin moving around underwater like it was second nature? It was as if hed caught a fish that suddenly stood on its fins and walked around. Of course, since Hui was a high-ranking Awakener, he could swim against such a heavy current, but even he couldnt move as easily as Ohjin.

    "Krrrrrrk! A group of monsters surrounded Ohjin within the rapids.

    Ohjin went deeper into the river and spread his arms. Lightning Charge.

    Pzzzzzt!

    Blue lightning exploded out and swept the approaching monsters away. He didnt even need to aimlightning attacks were naturally stronger in the water.

    Even if I attack randomly, Im sure to kill a few.

    Kzzzt! Bzzzt!

    Krrrrk. Keuk The monsters died and slowly floated to the surface of the water.

    -Ti-ring!

    [You have defeated a green-ranked monster.]

    [You have defeated a blue-ranked monster.]

    [You have defeated a blue-ranked monster.]

    [You have defeated a green-ranked monster.]

    His points went up in an instant.

    How sweet! Ohjin smiled and looked down at his silver bracelet before looking back up at Hui, who was still watching from the air. He knew that, since he was submerged, Hui wouldnt be able to clearly see him.

    Not giving him any gifts back would be shameless of me. He grabbed a monster with sharp, de-like scales and injected lightning straight into its body. Charge.

    Kzzzt! Kzzzzzzzt!

    The monsters corpse swelled like a balloon, to the point where it looked like a pufferfish.

    Now! Just before the corpse exploded, Ohjin threw it toward Hui with all his might. The body soared through the air as if it were a bullet.

    Krrrrk?! Namgung Hui urgently lifted his fan.

    Craaaaaackle!

    The lightning within the corpse exploded like a grenade and scattered sharp scales in every direction.

    "Oh, wind!" Namgung Hui spread his fan and sent a gust of wind forward to sweep the scales away. While he was distracted defending himself

    Ssh!

    Ohjin jumped out of the water and closed in on him.

    Poooow!

    Keuk! Hui took a punch right to the nose and, following the dull sound of a club striking leather, fell from the sky and into the rapids.

    "Cough! Cough! Cough!" Though surprised, he was still a 10-Star Awakener and quickly exited the river and rose back into the air. "Wh-what do you think youre doing?!" he yelled.

    idents happen, right? Ohjin smirked and waved his hand. For example what if I identally struck a flying pig with my fist?

    "You" Hui gave him a fierce re, and just when his bloodthirst peaked and he was about to attack

    -zzzt! Zzzt!

    Someone urgently spoke from the square walkie-talkie on his waist.

    -Mr. Namgung! I found the ck-ranked monster!

    Hui quickly switched the walkie-talkie off before the voice could reveal the monsters location. "I''m afraid I''ll have to go," he abruptly said.

    Whoong!

    An intense gust of wind wrapped around him, which he used to send himself soaring higher into the sky.

    "There wont be any point in trying to track me like before, he said. Sure enough, the wind surging around his bodypletely blocked his scent, and he didnt leave anything like footprints since he was flying, which would make tracking him impossible.

    Hui gave Ohjin onest sharp look. Once Ive joined the Seven Stars Ille looking for you. Then, he flew into the distance.

    Did that bastard talk his way into being a 10-Star or something? Ohjin scoffed as he watched the man fly away.

    Uncle! NT ran over and hugged Ohjin. A-are you hurt anywhere?

    "Just as you can see, Im fine." Ohjin shrugged and lightly stroked the whimpering NTs head.

    She looked angry as she stared toward where Hui had flown. How could someone like that be a candidate for the Seven Stars?

    "Id like to ask the same thing," Ohjin said. He had met many people in his life, but he hadnt met someone as petty as Namgung Hui for quite some time.

    NT patted her chest and angrily shouted, I guarantee you that a person like him will never be able to join the Seven Stars!

    Ohjin smirked at how cute she looked and nodded.

    The girl continued on a rant. I mean it! Even if he wins the contest, Ill eliminate him myself!

    "Yes, yes." Ohjin picked her up and patted her on the back. Point farming had been nice, but it was time to get her to a safe zone. "Hold on tight."

    "Aaack!"

    Ta-ang!

    He fired the wire shooter at a rock on the other side of the river and used it to go soaring into the air.

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" NT hugged his neck and screamed.

    After they reached the other side, Ohjin put her down.

    "Wow! Wow! Uncle, that was so much fun!" The girl jumped up and down, her eyes shining in excitement. "One more time! Do it again!"

    Sorry, Ohjin said, but its dangerous, so I cant. He let her walk behind him and hold onto his shirt as he headed toward the safe zone.

    * * *

    * * *

    "Is that a safe zone?" Ohjin wondered as they tracked Huis previous scent to a ce covered by a protective green barrier. He tapped the subtly glowing barrier with the back of his hand. Its hard. The barrier was so strong that even hed be hard-pressed to break it.

    Fuu. Were here, huh? NT lightly kicked a piece of stone around, not wanting to say goodbye yet.

    "I''ll go see you after thepetition," Ohjin said.

    "Oh! Really? Thats a pinky promise!" NT stretched her pinky out to him.

    "Yes, it''s a promise." He locked his pinkie with hers.

    A bashful smile crept onto NTs face as she removed a square device from her clothes.

    "Then your score is drum roll!" She lifted her arms. "BamBamBam! Perfect score! It''s a perfect score!"

    -Ti-ring!

    [You have safely guided Civilian Number Two to a safe zone.]

    [You have earned 1,000 points.]

    1,000 points at once

    The blue-ranked monster hed had difficulty dealing with was only worth 30 points, which meant that saving civilians was far more efficient. Of course, he didn''t know if any other civilians would give him a perfect score like that, but being able to earn so many points at once was quite lucrative.

    "Hehe. I''ll be going in now," NT said.

    Stay there until its over, Ohjin warned her before taking out another calorie bar and handing it over.

    NT nodded and epted the calorie bar. "Okay, but you have to y with me after thepetition, alright?

    "Yes."

    After that, she entered the safe zone. Ohjin saw there were nine other civilians inside, whod probably been rescued by other candidates.

    ''Everyone has a green highlight in their hair. Did they do it to match or something?'' He turned from the bored-looking civilians within the safe zone and focused. I dont have time for this.

    Nine other civilians within the zone meant that up to nine other candidates had rescued them. Of course, they wouldnt have all received perfect scores, but itd be hard for him to keep up with anyone whod rescued at least two.

    "Should I look for the ck-ranked monster?" He narrowed his eyes in thought and crossed his arms. Even if he wanted to do that, he didnt know where it was. Namgung Hui definitely flew in that direction. ording to the map, it was a cial area.

    Well, all I can do is head toward it for now." He activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and quickly followed the route Hui had taken.

    Whoosh!

    Freezing winds assaulted him as he reached the cial area.

    This ce is well-made. Hed only run for a few minutes, but he almost instantly went from one terrain type to another and was surrounded by snow.

    "Huh?" A certain scent caught his attention, and he walked toward it over the icy cier. "Blood?" There were drops of blood on the otherwise spotless ice. When he turned to where the trail of blood led, he saw a massive, icy cave with a gaping entrance about 50 meters high.

    Ah whoever it was didnt go in there, instead

    It was the other way around; whoever the blood belonged to had run away from the cave and whatever was inside of it.

    He followed the blood into the cave made of spotless, white ice, and at the entrance, he found Namgung Hui lying unconscious on the ground.

    "Namgung Hui? What the hell is he doing here?" He tried to tap the unconscious man awake.

    Hui barely wed his way back into consciousness and trembled as he muttered, "M-monster inside A m-monster" Then his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

    Ohjin took a closer look and saw crimson blood trickling from a cut on Huis body that appeared to have been made by a sharp sword.

    He looked into the cave and gulped. That could only mean one thing

    The ck-ranked monster was waiting inside.

 Chapter 234: A Hero for the Downtrodden (4)

    Chapter 234: A Hero for the Downtrodden (4)

    The chill in the air felt sharp enough to prate flesh, and white puffs of breath left his lips like cigarette smoke.

    Thump. thump

    The sound of his heartbeat was like thunder in the otherwise silent cave. Ohjin gulped as he looked down at the unconscious Namgung Hui.

    For him to be like this means that the monster within the cave is at least 10-Star

    Of course, it was true that Hui had just be a 10-Star and was weak inparison to real 10-Star Awakeners like Isabe, but that still didnt mean he would be easy to beat. Putting the mans personality aside, Ohjin couldnt deny that he was talented and had earned the right to be a candidate for the Seven Stars.

    That only went to show how powerful the ck-ranked monster within the cave had to be to overwhelm Namgung Hui and knock him unconscious.

    It looks like their warning was warranted, huh? Ohjin scoffed as he recalled how theyd been warned about the monster. A cold sweat ran down his spine as he clutched his spear and walked deeper into the cave.

    A wide, open cavern appeared at the end of the long, icy passage, and a stream of white light shone from a hole in the ceiling, reflecting off of the ice to light up the interior as bright as day.

    A monster wearing a ck ne stood within the radiance of the sunbeam. Blue armor covered its body, a rusted sword hung from its waist, and dark-red eyes glowed from within its helmet.

    The monster was simr to a human in size and looked almost like it could have just been a person standing in full armor. Rather than a monster, it was more appropriate to call it a knight.

    Living Armor? Thats the first thing that came to his mind, but No. He shook his head. The monster didnt give off the ghost-specific eerie and subtle energy that a Living Armor did.

    Just what kind of monster is this? He frowned and observed the blue-armored knight.

    Seeming to feel his stare, the knight, whod been staring up toward the hole in the ceiling, lowered its head and locked its dark-red eyes onto Ohjin, who was half-hidden behind a pir of ice.

    ! That brief moment of eye contact was enough for Ohjin topletely understand and realize everything he needed to.

    Damn. His teeth chattered, and chills shot through his body like des. He was so cold that he felt like he would freeze to death at any moment. What the? Ohjin swallowed and clenched his trembling fist.

    The blue-armored knight removed its rusty sword from its waist, slowly lifted the weapon, and gently lowered itself into a stance.

    ng!

    A flick of its sword was all it needed to deflect an arrow headed toward it from behind.

    Keuk! N-no way! It wasnt even looking this way! a young, blond man with a distinctive leaf bow eximed from behind a pir of ice on the other side of the caveOndo Bale, a high-ranking archer of Sagittarius.

    "Hmph! You stupid archer! You didn''t even get it right with a surprise attack?" A bald man yelled out as he ran from the pir with a look of disdain on his faceJason Hardy, the high-ranking Taurus Awakener known as the Iron Fist.

    "Shut up! I shot at it from a blind spot. Didn''t you see it?"

    "Hey! That''s why I said I don''t need a surprise attack!" Jason jumped at the blue knight. Befitting his title of Iron Fist, his clenched fist shone silver like steel. "Duck!" His punch broke the sound barrier as it headed toward the blue knight.

    The knight took a slight step forward, and

    Shlink

    Rather than the roar and sh of great forces colliding that one might expect, they heard a sound simr to that of a deting balloon.

    "Huh?" Jason gave his arm, which was severed at the wrist, a wide-eyed look. Wh-what? His so-called Iron Fist rolled across the ice like a piece of rotten garbage. What the hell is this?!

    The fear he felt at that moment overrode the pain he felt from his severed hand. H-how?

    Rattle, rattle

    Jason calmed his trembling legs and clenched his left fist. "Don''t think you''ve beaten the Iron Fist yet, you monster!" His stigma of Taurus shone brilliantly, and a powerful surge of water flowed down his arm and poured toward the blue knight like a tidal wave.

    -Krrrrrrrng! Craaaash!---

    The blue knight vanished like itd been an illusion just before the wave hit it, and it reappeared directly in front of Jason.

    "Huuup!" Jason tried to step back, but the knights gauntleted fist mmed into his stomach before he could dodge.

    Thwump

    The blow sounded like a club hitting wet leather. Afterward, Jason flew back like a cannonball.

    Keuk! He mmed into the ice wall and slid down to the floor, clutching his stomach.

    The blue knight turned its head, no longer interested.

    "Keuk!" Meanwhile, Ondos shoulders shook as he tried to aim his bow at the knight from a distance. Celestial of Sagittarius, Keiron, bestow upon your apostle an arrow that can pierce the heavens!

    A brilliant light red from his leaf-adorned bow, and like a certain, mythical archer who was said to have shot down a star, Ondo released his arrow.

    Swoooooosh!

    A dizzying roar echoed through the cavern as the icy ground of the cier split open behind the arrows path.

    The blue knight stopped in its tracks. Perhaps feeling that the attack would be impossible to avoid, its dark-red eyes burned even more fiercely as it lowered its stance and sheathed its sword.

    * * *

    * * *

    The knight stomped the ground, and a white sword aura flew forward, cutting Ondos arrow in half. As the two halves flew in either direction, the floor tore into a V shape.

    "Heuk, heuk, heuk, heuk! Damn" Ondo panted and cursed as he retreated. Wh-what kind of monster did those bastards from the council release?

    Before Ondo could escape, the blue knight leaped forward and grabbed him by the neck.

    "Keuhuk! keuk!"

    The monster lifted Ondo with one hand and slowly turned its head to look at where Ohjin was hiding.

    Fuck Ohjin cursed, and chills ran down his spine again. He wanted to ask the same thing Ondo hadjust what kind of monster had those council bastards brought out?

    Hed expected the monster to be powerful, but it far exceeded his expectations. Having seen all he needed to, he quickly made a decision: Let''s run.

    Using Heaven Unfolding would be one thing, but he couldnt deal with it otherwise.

    The moment he turned to leave, five other candidates entered.

    "You''re saying the ck-rank is here, right?"

    "For sure!"

    "Do the points go to whoevernds thest hit?"

    It looked like theyd partied together because they thought the monster would be hard to defeat solo; then they saw Jasonwho was lying down with his hand amputatedand Ondowho was being held by the neck.

    "Huh?"

    "Wh-what the hell is this?"

    Isnt that Jason and Ondo?

    Damn! Those two got defeated?!

    There was no sign of damage on the knight.

    Cold silence filled the cave. The five candidates looked at each other and all turned to run at the same time.

    "R-run!"

    "I can''t beat that!"

    They ran without looking back, and Ohjin followed not far behind.

    Its following. He turned to look and nervously bit his lips. Sure enough, the knight was chasing after them.

    Fuck. He looked at the other candidates ahead of him and thought of how he could avoid the knights pursuit. Just buy me a bit of time. Right when he was about to shoot a wire toward the candidates in an attempt to catch up with them

    Gahh, ahh! N-no way! Wh-why is such

    He saw Namgung Hui, who had woken up, at the front of the cave

    The five candidates shouted and ran toward Hui as if they didnt know hed already tried to run from the knight in blue armor.

    "Namgung Hui? That''s Namgung Hui, right?"

    Awakener Namgung Hui! The ck-ranked monster is over there!

    Hui paled and looked at the five candidates. "D-don''t tell me The monster in there? Oh, no, then"

    "Mr. Namgung Hui?" The candidates seemed confused by Huis muttering.

    "Wh-what happened to that monster?" Hui asked them in a trembling voice.

    Its chasing after us!

    Not that! Hui shouted, going blue in the face. "The monster''s ne! Does it still have it?"

    The candidates looked at him like they couldnt understand what he was talking about.

    "What?"

    "Of course it was wearing a ne."

    "Don''t all the monsters in here wear nes?"

    Namgung Hui reached down and lifted a monster that looked like a gori from the floor without saying a word. They all noticed it was missing a ne.

    Why doesnt it have a ne?

    The candidates expressions stiffened.

    -Thud, thud

    The knight walked out of the cave and looked up into the clear sky with its dark-red eyes. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," it cried out as it lifted its rusty sword. "Huhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The cry resonated over the area, and monsters cried back from all over the snowy field as if in response.

    Rather than just being from the snowy area, the monsters were roaring in unison all over the dungeon.

    "Shhhhhh. The blue-tinted knights dark-red eyes burned violently, and it slowly raised its hand to grasp the ck ne hanging from its throat.

    Crack!

    The ne fell to the floor and shattered.

 Chapter 235: A Hero for the Downtrodden (5)

    Chapter 235: A Hero for the Downtrodden (5)

    A death-like silence fell over the area, and the candidates turned whiter than the snow piled outside as they looked at the knight in fear. To be more precise, they were looking at the ruined ck ne at the knights feet.

    "The ne"

    "Did it bre huh?"

    The ne both served as a safety device for the civilians and provided psychologicalfort for the participating candidatesit was a sign that it was all just apetition to pick the new members of the Seven Stars.

    The nes were why theyd been able to act like everything was a game, though the monsters were as real as ever.

    Ah, ugh. With the ne being removed, they realized things were no longer a game.

    D-damn. Fear spread like poison, and the candidates stared into the knights eyes as they stepped back on their pitifully shaking legs. The monster had defeated Jason Hardy and Ondo Bale, the most favored candidates, and it hadnt even taken so much as a scratch.

    Would they be able to beat it when it had even lost the nes constraints?

    "Sa-save m-me!"

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    It didnt take long for them to run away and decide it was hopeless.

    The knight stared into the distance and ignored the fleeing candidates. Thanks to its indifference, they were able to distance themselves without anyone falling behind.

    "Haa, haa! You damn council bastards! How the hell were you managing monsters?" Namgung Hui dropped his usual, gentle tone and cursed.

    As if in response to his terrified yell

    [E-emergency announcement!] The panicked voice of Olivia, the one whod exined the tournaments rules, came from the silver bracelet on each of their wrists.

    [Due to an unidentified malfunction, all of the nes controlling the monsters have stopped functioning!] Was it really the same Olivia as before? Her cold and clerical tone was full of fear.

    [We are temporarily suspending thepetition as of now! Candidates, please return!]

    "What?" Ohjins face stiffened. You want us to leave? What would happen to the civilians still in the safe zone if they left?

    W-wait, what about the civilians? one of the other candidates asked. Unexpectedly, it was none other than Namgung Hui. The civilians should be saved, at the very least! The man, at least, seemed to have a conscience.

    Olivias slightly subdued voice came from the bracelet again after a brief silence. [The safe zone has a barrier installed.]

    Bullshit. Ohjin frowned at the silver bracelet. Even if the safe zone had a protective barrier, that was only a temporary measure. The blue-armored knight would easily be able to smash through such a barrier with its sword and ughter the civilians before they could run.

    [All civilian participants pledged to follow the council foremost in an emergency.] In other words, the civilians had signed liability contracts. If they died during thepetition, the council would be criticized, but they wouldnt be in legal trouble.

    "But" Namgung Huis voice trembled as he prepared to argue, but a loud noise interrupted him.

    -Kruuunng! Kuuuuuu!

    Strangely enough, the noise came from the silver bracelets.

    [M-monsters areing from the warp device!] Faint screams and groans reached them through the bracelets. [Hurry up! Candidates, leave the dungeon and protect the hotel!] Olivia shouted.

    The candidates looked at each other. Even Namgung Hui looked conflicted and anxiously chewed his lips.

    [I''ll deprive you of your qualifications as candidates if you dont leave!] Olivia bellowed. [Didn''t you see how many people gathered to watch thispetition? I''ll take responsibility for anyone in the safe zone. Hurry up!] she howled.

    "Ugh"

    "L-let''s go! There are also people outside!"

    The council said they''d take responsibility for everything!

    The candidates pleaded their case to the hesitant Namgung Hui, who continued to worry as he nodded and raised his fan. "Oh, wind! Clear the way!" A road of wind led away from the safe zone to the warp device that led out of the dungeon.

    "Hurry up! We''re running out of time!" Namgung Hui and the other candidates quickly moved along the road and toward the exit.

    In the end, only one person stayed behind

    Ohjin.

    "Ha." Haltingughter left his mouth as he remembered how the crowd outside had gathered like clouds around the warp device. When he recalled how packed the banquet hall had been with famous international politicians, celebrities, and journalists, it wasnt hard for him to imagine what kind of chaos there would be if the monsters got free.

    "Now" Of course, it only made sense that Olivia was in a panic. As the one in charge of the council, shed be held responsible if any of those international figures were harmed due to one of the councils mistakes.

    Are they sacrificing the people in here to protect the ones outside?

    It was, in a way, the most logical course of action.

    * * *

    * * *

    Powerless civilians whod signed liability contracts, or celebritieswhod gathered and paidrge donations to see the new Seven Stars in person It wasnt hard to figure out which of the two groups was more valuable.

    Contrary to what anyone might have said, human lives did not hold equal value. Thatd never been the case, and there were always those who were more valuable than others.

    -Didn''t your parents say anything?

    -I dont have any.

    -

    -I heard that they left me and traveled far away.

    They didnt believe it was worth it to protect the life of a little orphan girl. If faced with either throwing away a bag of trash or a bag of expensive jewelry, of course, youd throw away the bag of trash.

    The lives outside couldnt even bepared to hers. If he left the dungeon and defeated the rampaging monsters, hed be praised and treated like a hero by all of those celebritieshe could even win a Seven Star title.

    It was dangling right in front of himundeniable fame and power, the dragon veins, and the Milky Way Spring, but

    But

    If he took it

    "Ha, haha." His shoulders shook as he covered his face with his hands. He knew He had known for as long as he could remember

    There was no hero for the downtrodden.

    Protecting the weak wouldnt make you a herothe world was not a cartoon or a novel. Picking up trash wouldnt make you famous.

    "Fuck it." He wasnt a hero, anyway. Being the Hope of Mankind or the Heaven-defying Star? Please, he was only a con artist who knew how to lie.

    -Really, Uncle?! You promised!

    He remembered NTs bright smile and her pinky promise. Though promises shouldnt matter to a con artist

    Sometimes, its okay to be whimsical. He smirked and ran toward the safe zone. Stigma of Bufo. The stigma amplified his power, and blue lightning crackled around his legs.

    Kzzzt, kzzzzzzzt!

    Crash!

    He leaped forward with enough force to split the ice; the cold wind whipped across his cheeks.

    Keeeeeekkk!

    Krrrrk! Keeerrkkk!

    He ran into monsters hiding in the snow that all rushed toward himnot a single one had a ne on.

    "I don''t have time to deal with you bastards."

    Ta-ang!

    A wire fired at a towering cier was all it took for him to soar over them. In the distance, he saw the rock wall thatd copsed from Huis earlier attack. Lightning Shadow Steps. The wind tore at his clothes as he rushed through the air toward the safe zone.

    Kzzzzzt!

    The cold wind soon vanished and was reced by the warm, caressing wind of Spring.

    Kyaaaaaaa!

    "Sa-save me!"

    He heard screams below, and a familiar voice reached him from the chaos

    "E-everyone, get ready to run! The barrier is about to break!"

    "Krrrrrrrrrk! Krrrrrrrrrk!"

    Kruuuuuu!

    Thump, Thump, Thump!

    A group of monsters was attacking the green barrier, screaming and violently striking it with everything they couldexcited to eat the prey right in front of them.

    "Charge." A raging blue lightning formed at the end of his reverse-gripped spear as he soared down from the sky. One was not enough. "Charge, Charge, Charge, Charge." Two, three, four He condensed a total of five Charges.

    "It it''s over. Ahh, we''re all dead now!"

    "Calm down! You''re an adult!"

    "How could I be calm?!"

    S-someone wille to help if we just hold on a little longer! NT cried out to the other confused civilians.

    "Who?! Who will help?! You heard the announcement!" They also each had a silver bracelet on their wrist, though slightly different from the ones the candidates wore. Who do you think we have here?! Orphans, homeless nobodies, and people buried in debt! Were all bottomfeeders to them!

    The others flinched and seemed to lose hope.

    "No one cares about us!"

    "That''s" NT couldnt finish her sentence and bowed her head as her small hands clenched. She knew nobody woulde to their aida hero for the downtrodden was nothing but a fairytale.

    Discharge.

    Ruuummmble!

    Lightning struck from the sky and swept away the monsters in a wave of electricity.

    Ah." NT turned to look with her small mouth open in shock. A young man holding a ck spear stood tall within the torrential blue lightning storm. "Un cle?"

    Ohjin raised his pinky towards NT, who looked back at him through the cracked barrier. I kept my promise.

    That time

    He hadnt lied.

 Chapter 236: A Hero for the Downtrodden (6)

    Chapter 236: A Hero for the Downtrodden (6)

    Uncleee NT cried out with tears in her eyes.

    Ohjin turned and gave her a slight smile. Stay there, and dont leave the barrier. Though it was weakened after the monsters attacked it, the barrier could still block an attack or two, which was enough.

    Huuuuuuuu! Houuuuuu! A monster with a bear''s body and an owl''s head screamed through its sharp beak, and the other monsters that survived his attack began to get back up.

    Did around half of them survive? Ohjin calmly looked at the monsters and gripped his spear. They were all powerful enough for him to believe they came from the Demon Realm, so he couldnt get careless just because hednded a sessful surprise attack.

    Fuu. He took a deep and long breath as the mana from the stigma curled on his chest spread through his body. The thrilling sensation of every celling to life filled him as the condensed mana pressured his mana circuits as if he were about to explode.

    Exceed.

    Kzzzzzzt!

    Blue lightning swirled around him like fire as he held his spear forward and leaped toward the monsters.

    One

    Crack!

    The weapons tip pierced through the bottom of a monsters jaw and shot out the top of its head. He pulled the spear back out in a graceful movement and struck one of the creaturesing up behind him with the butt of the spear.

    Stigma of Pyxis. He was surrounded, but he intuitively knew where to step and swing his spear.

    Krrrrrrrrkk! The monsters screamed in his ear, and the sharp odor of blood and sweat assaulted his nose.

    He continued to fight, not knowing how many he killed or what he was even fighting from one moment to the next as the corpses piled up.

    He felt every vibration through the shaft of his weapon as he pierced flesh and broke bone; the already unpleasant odor grew steadily worse from spilled monster guts.

    "Haa, haa!" Wounds slowly appeared over his body from his assailers ws and teeth. Unfortunately, he didnt have enough time to treat his injuries with the stigma of Hippocampuss water.

    One movement after the other, he fell into a rhythm and continued to mechanically swing his spear at the surrounding monsters.

    U-uncle! The monsters keeping! NT shouted and pointed to one side. "That monster! That monster is suspicious!"

    He turned to where she was pointing.

    Huoo! Huoo! Huoo! An owl-headed monster cried out unpleasantly from the top of a tall tree and avoided participating in the battle.

    That same monster seemed to give instructions to the others earlier Ohjins eyes narrowed. The monster didnt have a ne anymore, but he could easily guess what rank it was.

    A red-rank monster Hed frequently encountered green and blue-ranked monsters during his search for a safe zone with NT, but it was his first time encountering a red-rank enemy. Of course, that showed how few red-ranked monsters were in the dungeon. Just like with the ck-ranked monster, scarcity showed strength.

    If the ck-ranked bastard is a king then that ones like a general. He gave the owl-headed monster a closer look. Unlike its head, its body from the neck down was bulging with rock-hard muscles like an overdosed Hulk on steroids.

    An Owl-bear. He remembered hearing that Owl-bears were powerful monsters that could freely handle mana and had great intelligence. They were second only to named monsters.

    ''It''s still just a monster.'' Ohjin bared his teeth at it and readied his spear.

    Krrrrrrrrrkkkkk!

    "Keuhung!" The green and blue-ranked monsters gathered from the Owl-bears roar and rushed in from every direction.

    Heup! Ohjin reversed the spear and raised it into the air. Lightning Charge! Then, he stabbed it back down, and dirt exploded outward, causing the monsters to slow down and retreat.

    Huo! Huoooo! The Owl-bear observing the battle from its tree seemed to scold the monster, which caused them to throw themselves back into the cloud of dust.

    "Keeeuk?" Perhaps, not expecting the monsters to rush back in so quickly, Ohjin barely maintained his grip on his spear and groaned in surprise.

    Krrrrrkk! A leopard-like monster jumped up andtched its teeth into his neck.

    Ssh!

    Dark-red blood fountained out of the bite, and he fell as he gripped the injury. A momentter, monsters piled on top of him in a small hill.

    U-unnccllllleeeee! NTs piercing scream reverberated through the forest.

    Huo! Huo! Huo! The Owl-bear thumped its chest as it looked down at Ohjin bleeding out on the ground. While it was celebrating its victory and cking its short beak

    You really are a bird-brain, huh? Ohjins lips curved into a smile while blood continued to spout out of his neck. A momentter, he melted into the air like a mirage.

    "Huo?" The Owl-bear turned its head in bewilderment.

    Shlink!

    Following a sharp, mechanical sound, Ohjin soared up the tree andnded in a battle stance behind the creature. Once hended, he pushed all of the mana in his body into his spear and imagined a bolt of lightning piercing through thick, ck clouds.

    -Krrrrrkkk

    It couldve been due to the image of ck clouds in his mind, but ck Heaven unexpectedly gathered with his mana at the end of the spear.

    What the hell is this? He didnt think it would react so suddenly, but he couldnt afford to care about such minor things at the moment and focused his mind as he embodied his mental image.

    In his mind, ck clouds covered the sky, and a beam of blue lightning shot through them like a god punishing the guilty before burning the world below. The best name he could think of for the skill was

    Divine Punishment.

    Craaaaackle!

    * * *

    * * *

    His spear left his hand and turned into a blue bolt of lightning that pierced straight into the Owl-bear.

    -Ti-ring!

    [You have sessfullybined the ck Heaven with the stigma of Lyra!]

    [Your proficiency with the skill Lightning&Thunder Lv10 has increased exponentially!]

    [You have acquired the synthesized skill Divine Punishment Lv MAX!]

    The unexpected harvest made him feel better for a while.

    Huoooooooo! The spear still sticking out of it, the Owl-bear roared and leaped at Ohjin.

    Ohjin clicked his tongue as he pulled his spear back and created some distance between them. So youre not going to die with a single shot, is that it? It seemed that taking the safe route of aiming for its body with his first usage of the skill had been a mistake.

    He calmly lowered his stance and prepared for the fight to continue. It wontst long with a hole in its stomach. Thankfully, it didnt take long for him to realize more fighting wasnt needed.

    Huo, hu, ooo. The Owl-bear noticeably slowed.

    Krrrrrkk!

    Mana flowed into his body and created a sensation that was beyond familiar to himit was the same sensation he felt when he absorbed mana with ck Heaven.

    Why is it? He narrowed his eyes at the Owl-bear and noticed a dark cloud wafting through his spear.

    "Ha!" Heughed as he remembered what the message window had just said. Right, it mentioned a skill resulting from the fusion of ck Heaven and the stigma of Lyra. If blue lightning was Lyras power, then absorption was the ck Heavens.

    In other words, even if whatever he pierced with Divine Punishment survived, its mana would be continuously absorbed by the ck Heaven until it perished.

    Hu, Huoooo The Owl-bear continued to be robbed of its mana and stumbled before falling from the tree.

    This is fantastic. Ohjin smiled as he felt the monsters mana flow through his body, but he could only afford to be happy for a momentthere was still work to be done.

    "Krrrrrrkkkk!" The monsters, still happily biting into his Mirage, roared in outrage as they realized Ohjins deceit and looked up at him.

    "Let''s wrap this up first." He leaped from the try and into the group of monsters, who ran around like headless chickens after they lost their strategist. It was like the roles of hunter and prey were reversed as Ohjin swiftly massacred them.

    Keuhung, krrrrrrrrrkkkk. The leopard monster was thest to fall, and it let out a wild roar as it fell limp to the ground.

    Ohjin tried to catch his breath and leaned on the protective barrier.

    U-uncle! NT ran out and wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug. The blood covering him dirtied her clothes, but she didnt care. "Sniff Waaaaaaahhhh! She cried and didnt let go.

    Ohjin raised a hand to pat her head before noticing how soaked in blood he was and lowering it again.

    "Sniff paeng! Hehe. I was counting on you toe," NT said through tears.

    "Oh? You looked quite surprised when it happened." Ohjin smiled and looked at the civilians within the barrier, who looked back at him in fright. "Let''s get out of here first." It wouldn''t be easy to take care of about 10 people, but they couldn''t stay there.

    The people within the barrier looked at each other for a moment before immediately walking out.

    Uncle, another candidate seems to havee! NY eximed.

    "What?" Ohjin asked.

    "Look over there!" NT brightly smiled and raised her hand to point toward a narrow gorge, where they could see someone approaching.

    When Ohjin recognized the figure, his expression fell.

    Lets ask them toe with us! NT shouted.

    NT, go back into the barrier, Ohjin quietly said.

    "What?" she asked.

    Hurry."

    She tilted her head in confusion while Ohjin pushed her back into the barrier.

    Haa. A deep sigh left Ohjins mouth before he bit his lip and tightened his grip on his spear.

    In the distance, the approaching figures dark outline gradually became visible. It was just as he expected

    Burning, dark-red eyes burned within the blue armor covering the things body, and a rusty sword hung from its waist.

    Damn it all to hell"

    The blue-armored knight was walking toward them.

 Chapter 237: A Hero for the Downtrodden (7)

    Chapter 237: A Hero for the Downtrodden (7)

    Damn it! Ohjin cursed without meaning to and bit his lips as he stared at the slowly approaching blue-armored knight. It looked like it would be out of the frying pan and into the fire for him.

    Of course, hed imagined hed have to fight the knight in the worst-case scenario. I was hoping I was wrong. As always, though, nothing went the way he hoped it would.

    Can I beat it? He thought back to Jason Hardy and Ondo Bale being defeated, and he couldnt think of a way to emerge victorious without using Heaven Unfolding. Shit, I cant use Heaven Unfolding, though

    He already knew that, once he started to rely on it, he would eventually bring about a certain catastrophe. He had to avoid using it unless it was the worst situation. Its not yet to the point where Im out of options.

    He squinted and tightened his grip on his spear. He couldnt think of a way to beat the monster, but there was at least a way to fight it on equal footing.

    The blue-armored knight came to a rxed stop, and its dark-red eyes red at him through its helmet. Without saying a word, it drew its rusty sword.

    Shlink

    A freezing chill spread over the area, and just when the tension seemed thick enough to cut with a knife

    "Namgung Hui, now!" Ohjin shouted as he looked over the knights shoulder.

    ! The knight turned in a hurry but couldnt even see so much as a rat behind it, and there was certainly no Namgung Hui.

    Ohjin smirked and leaped forward. "As expected, you understand humans, dont you? Lightning & Thunder stretched out from the end of his spear and shot toward the knight.

    The monster lifted its rust sword to deflect the attack, but how could someone parry lightning with a sword?

    Kzzzzzt!

    The blue lightning flowed into the sword, electrocuting the knight through its armor. Following the attack, the knight swayed on its legs.

    "Hup!" Ohjin exploited the opening and rapidly closed the gap between them. Since the knight understoodnguage and had some level of intelligence Blue Lightning! His lightning fanned out.

    Pzzzzzzzzzt!

    The knight avoided the lightning with the same, mysterious teleportation step itd used against Jason and swung its sword. Thinking fast, Ohjin wrapped Lightning mes around the de of his spear and moved to block.

    Just before their weapons met

    Taang!

    Ohjin fired a wire into a nearby tree andunched himself into the air as he released his spear and let it bounce off of the knights rusty sword before it rolled on the ground.

    a-aang!

    Since it has intelligence, it can be lied to. Still on an upward trajectory, he spun in the air and used Thunder Fall to drop toward the knight.

    The monster calmly faced Ohjin and swung its sword at him during his rapid descent.

    Ohjin brought his lightning-covered fist down against the edge of the rusty sword.

    Crack!

    "Keuk!" Intense mana surged through the knights weapon and started to tear apart Ohjins fist. He quickly jumped back and created some distance before he lost the exchange.

    Ah, so will it not be that easy to trick? The knights reaction times were too fast. Even though hed used a feint and dropped his weapon, it hadnt helped. He frowned and channeled the stigma of Aquarius to heal his ruined fist.

    This bastard is fucking strong. Experiencing something and observing it were two entirely different thingshe felt just how ridiculously strong the knight was during their fight.

    Thump, thump

    His heart violently pumped against his ribcage, and a thrill went down his spine. When was thest time he felt such excitementthe thrill of dancing on the razors edge? The heat rose to his head while adrenaline surged through him.

    "Haa." He slowly exhaled and reached for his rolling spear, which shot back into his hand as blue lightning continued to spark. Riak had said he was out of his mind, right?

    Ohjin licked his lips. I agree; I think Im a bit crazy. The excitement and heat rushing over his body brought such indescribable pleasure that he felt pure ecstasy. Finally, he smiled and burst intoughter.

    ? The knight tilted its head in confusion, as if it were looking at some sort of strange creature from the depths.

    Ohjin never expected a monster would look at him in such a way, but he didnt care. Now, lets do this again. An upward leap sent air rushing through his hair. A momentter

    Crash!

    His spear collided with the knights sword in a screeching contest of metal. Each second felt like an eternity, and their dance of war continued at a speed a normal civilian wouldve perceived as a blur.

    Its fast The blue-armored knights sword aura was efficient, urate, and, above all else, fast. Even though Ohjin tried mixing feints in with his attacks, the knight parried everything as if it could see the future.

    Ive never seen such a perfect example of efficient swordsmanship. The knight only ever used the absolute minimal movements, force, and speed required to defend and counter the spear.

    sh!

    Though he managed to turn and avoid a fatal injury, he couldnt stop the knights sword from shing open his shoulder. Blood poured from the gaping wound. Its cold Maybe it was because they were near the ice caves again, but he saw his shoulder start turning blue as if it were being affected by frostbite.

    "Fsssshhhh." A low breath left the knights helmet.

    He wasnt sure why, but Ohjin felt like the knight was also enjoying the situation.

    -ng! aaaaang!

    They exchanged blows hundreds more times, and Ohjins wounds built up and turned blue with frostbite as the battle continued. Eventually, he visibly slowed, and white puffs of breath puffed from his mouth like car exhaust.

    Heuk, heuk!

    * * *

    * * *

    Not yet. Ohjin bit his lips as he looked at the knight before firing his wires toward it to create some distance.

    Ta-ang! Ta-ang!

    The knight sidestepped and dodged the wires by a hair as if expecting the attack, and the wires fell limp to the ground.

    Not yet.

    The knight glided up to him and shed its sword at his chest, sending a spurt of blood out and soaking his clothes even more.

    Not yet. He fell backward and dropped his spear again.

    Fuu The blue-armored knight slowly looked down at him, let out a short breath, and sheathed its sword before reaching down to grab him.

    "Now!" Still lying down, Ohjin suddenly opened his eyes and channeled mana into his wires.

    Shllliiiiiinnnngg!

    As they contracted, the wires wrapped around the knights legs and pulled.

    ! Surprised, the blue-armored knight drew its sword and cut at the wires. Using that moment, Ohjin shot to his feet and threw a right-handed punch imbued with Lightning God Physique.

    I only have one chance. It was the moment hed been waiting for since the fight started. Stigma of Clepsydra. The world came to a jarring halt. Strangely enough, the knights sword moved at such high speed that it continued to visibly close in toward Ohjins shoulder.

    It looked like itd hit him before he managed to punch the knight, but

    Shlink!

    The rusty sword passed through his shoulder as if it were air.

    Bzzzzzzzzzt!

    A momentter, his crackling fist seemed to strike the blue-armored knights helmet.

    Bang! Craaaaaaash!

    The knight went tumbling and rolling across the ground.

    "Ha!" Ohjin eximed as he looked at the knight. Shit, it blocked that? At thest second, just before his fist made contact with the knights head, itd changed the trajectory of its strike and blocked with the t of its de.

    Drrrrk

    He saw proof of that in the scattered remnants of the knights rusty sword and gave the fallen knight a solemn look. Damn it His entire right arm was in tatters due to the Lightning God Physiques aftereffects; just when he thought it was time to use Heaven Unfolding

    "Ugh my head." It looked like the sword had failed to absorb all of the shock, and the knights helmet cracked and shattered into pieces.

    He saw a handsome face underneath. Allen?" Ohjin asked.

    Sure enough, Allen, an apostle of Deneb and a member of the Seven Stars, staggered to his feet while groaning and clutching his head. "I expected you to be strong but I honestly never imagined you would be this strong." The man shook his head and wiped the blood from his forehead.

    Ohjin heard the man muttering to himself and wondering if he was really an 8-Star. "Ha" Disbelievingughter left his mouth. If the blue-armored knight was Allen, then

    p, p, p!

    He heard apuse behind him and turned his head to see a woman he didnt recognize. She had dark-green hair, a slim figure, and was about as tall as Ha-eun. As if that wasnt enough, she was undeniably beautiful, and her emerald-green eyes sparkled at him.

    "Wow! That was amazing! I never thought anyone would hit Allen!" She burst intoughter and pped her hands in joy. "Oh, by the way, I''m Reba. You''ve heard of me, haven''t you?"

    Of course hed heard of her She was the Star of Celestial Shining Pearl, Reba Be high-ranking Awakener of Gemini. It would be harder to find someone who didnt know her.

    "Um she said. Would you have an easier time recognizing me if I used the name NT?

    "What?" Ohjin asked.

    A big smile crossed Rebas face, and she bashfully approached and stroked his cheek as he stood still in shock with an unreadable expression.

    "Fufu, she said. Good job, Uncle. I thought I would fall in love when you said youd kept your promise.

 Chapter 238: A Hero for the Downtrodden (8)

    Chapter 238: A Hero for the Downtrodden (8)

    So Ohjin let out a disbelievingugh and looked around. The trembling civilians behind the barrier had vanished without a trace, and the same went for NT, whom hed risked his life to rescue.

    All that remained was a beautiful woman with dark green hair. It looked as if several scattered pieces were mashed together to create the existence of Reba Bell.

    Are you saying it was all an act from the beginning? he asked.

    "Hehe. Sorry for fooling you." Reba smiled and stuck out her tongue. Would NT have looked exactly like that in about 10 years? Even though her body had grown, he felt like he could see NTs face ovepped with hers. "Wed have to be crazy to let ordinary civilians participate, right?

    That was true. He had thought something was off from the beginningespecially when he saw a 10-year-old child participate in apetition to select members of the Seven Stars, who were known as the Hope of Humanity. Does the stigma of Gemini allow people to create clones? he asked.

    All he knew was that it gave the power to freely control vegetation, and he thought it was meant to be used with things like tree trunks, roots, and seeds for attack and defense. What was up with the clones?

    Reba shrugged. "That is my unique skill."

    Ohjin clicked his tongue. I can''t believe I didn''t notice. Even if he didnt know she could create clones, he never thought hed be dragged around to such an extent. His pride as a professional scammer was a bit hurt.

    Allen approached with a wry smile. We got together and practiced for a few weeks so that the candidates wouldn''t notice. To hide their participation, the Seven Stars created a sense of urgency and fear.

    "Is that why you cut Jasons arm apart?" Ohjin asked.

    "Oh yes. I admit it was a bit far. Healing specialists should be by his side right now."

    Ohjinughed and nodded. Though it had been to deceive the participants, cutting someones arm off had crossed a line. Well, thats also why he had never even suspected Allen of being the blue-armored knight.

    "We had to," Reba said in a rxed tone, "so that we could find a ''jewel'' like you in the mud." She approached Ohjin and stretched out her hand as sheughed. "Wee to the Seven Stars."

    He sighed and pulled himself up with her help. Ugh Was it because hed rxed? Pain crashed over his body in waves.

    "Oh, wait a minute, please." Reba flicked her fingers.

    Crrdddddk

    A tree trunk rose from the ground, and something resembling a banana leaf wrapped around him.

    "It''s not as effective as an Aquariuss power, Reba said, but Geminis also have some healing power." Green nt sap flowed from the leaves and soaked into his injuries. His pain subsided rapidly, and the wound visibly healed. Shed said it was worse than an Awakener of Aquarius, but his wound healed considerably quickly.

    "By the way, are you sure you''re an 8-Star, Uncle? she asked with a twinkle in her eyes. Your body hasn''t been reconstructed yet, right?"

    Ohjin gave a bitter smile as NTs face shed through his mind. I dont think our age gap is big enough for you to call me an uncle.

    "Oh, I''m sorry. I didnt realize I was doing it." Reba burst intoughter, muttering that it was already a habit. "Should I call you oppa, then?"

    Arent you older?" he asked. She only looked to be in her early 20s, but he remembered that she was older than Ha-eun.

    A, Oppa She winked at him and said, How could you say that to a beautiful woman?

    Allen gave her a pitying look. Maybe they seemed so friendly with each other because they were from the same country.

    "Oppa Oppa Reba repeated. Well, it doesnt feel quite right. I like Uncle the most!" She reached a decision by herself, lightly tapped Ohjin on the back, and smiled like a little girl.

    Ohjin didnt like her calling him that since she was older than him. I guess it doesnt matter what she calls me anyway. He sighed and pulled himself away from the leaves.

    "Oh, you can stay a little longer," Reba said.

    We should go out now. They couldn''t stay there forever, and he wasnt too happy about being yed for a fool.

    "Hehe. Then I''ll lead you outside, Uncle!" She gave him a yful smile and pulled on his arm.

    Though he still thought it felt awkward for her to call him that, her true body was so beautiful that he didnt find her touch very unpleasant.

    * * *

    "Congrattions." Olivia bowed to Ohjin as he stepped outside through the warp device. With her thick, horn-rimmed sses and neatly tied hair, there was such a business-like atmosphere about her that he started to wonder whether she was the same woman whod been screaming through the silver bracelet earlier.

    Ohjin, you passed the councils test and have been selected as a member of the Seven Stars, she said.

    "Your acting was great," Ohjin said.

    "It''s hmmm. I''m sorry." She seemed quite ashamed as she coughed and avoided looking him in the eyes.

    Meanwhile, the candidates whod rushed out of the dungeon after the announcement gathered in the banquet hall to raise theirints.

    S-scam! This is a scam!

    If you were going to do this, then what was with the announcement a while ago?!

    Some even seemed to be getting violent.

    "Stop." Allens cold voice reverberated through the banquet hall, and everyone seemed to freeze and go silent. "The Council of the Seven Stars does not simply pick based on who can hunt monsters the fastest."

    * * *

    * * *

    "The Seven Stars are the hope of humanity and the lights that will light the way forward." Allens sharp eyes swept over the banquet hall. "Do you think you can call yourselves the hope of humanity by abandoning the weak?"

    The candidates fell silent.

    Allen walked past them as if they werent worth his attention, and Ohjin quickly followed him out, not wanting to awkwardly stand there longer than he had to.

    Allen, who was ahead, looked back at Ohjin and said, The Baptism of Stars will take ce in the sanctuary in a week. Lady Vega and Deneb will probably also join it.

    I expected Vega, Ohjin replied, but not Deneb.

    "Haha. I apologize for Denebs disrespect back then." Allen let out a short sigh and gave him a slight smile. "Even if hes a celestial, he still has emotions. I think the stress thats been umting was expressed in a bad way."

    "Well, I heard about the situation, Ohjin said. Deneb was said to be the weakest of the North Stars and was constantlypared to Vega and Pris. The celestials even treated him like someone whod lucked into his position.

    Allen continued. "No matter what anyone says, Deneb is a North Star. He doesn''t bring his personal feelings into what hes supposed to do as a celestial."

    Ohjin nodded. Although Deneb had a childlike personality, he was well aware that the celestial wouldnt forget his duties.

    "Well, then, I''ve learned a lesson. Ohjin, you can spend the next week however you want, whether it be here at the hotel or home."

    "Yes, understood." Ohjin nodded and headed to the waiting Ha-eun.

    Allen watched him leave.

    A momentter, Olivia walked up and said, "Allen, there is still one vacancy among the Seven Stars, so shall we convene again soon?"

    Thump!

    Allen suddenly fell sideways and held himself up against the wall.

    "A-Allen?"

    "Haa, haa!" he took in a fewbored breaths and touched his forehead. Although hed managed to block Ohjin''sst attack, the effect of the impact still lingered.

    ''If I hadnt stopped it with my sword'' He smiled and wiped the sweat from his forehead before gulping at the ominous chill that ran down his spine. What monster have you created, Lady Vega?"

    "Allen! Are you okay, Allen?!" Olivia shouted when she saw him leaning against the wall and roughly breathing. She turned her head to where Reba had been following them. Reba! Please hurry and treat Huh? Reba?"

    The other woman had already vanished.

    * * *

    "Yes! I knew it would be him!" Ha-eun, watching the news from the hotel room, continued to hug the sofa cushion while swinging her legs. Should his nickname be changed to Something-Something Star instead of Lightning Wolf? Her eyes shone with glee, like she was a wife whod seen an article about her husbands promotion.

    She stood up and opened the trunk shed brought. "Let''s see S-since I said I would give him a special gift once he became a Seven Star She carefully took a set of daring lingerie decorated withce out and looked a bit nervous. H-hed be happy to see me wearing this, right?

    Just looking at it was enough to make her blush, but she thought he deserved an amazing reward for his excellent performance and achievement. Her lips curled into a smile as she imagined what would happenter. "Tonight hehehe. Okay, Ill show him how seductive I can be!

    Shed been wondering how she could show her sensuality as his senior since hed been treating her like a child who needed protection. After changing into the lingerie, she paced near the front door and waited for Ohjin to arrive.

    Thump, thump

    Familiar footsteps moved down the hallway.

    He''s here! She quickly turned the lights off and set the mood with mood lighting before sensually posing against the wall and trying to look as sexy as possible.

    Squeak

    The hotel rooms door slowly swung open.

    Ha-eun, excited for the moment he saw her, fully opened her eyes and seductively whispered, "Haha. Is my baby here?" When she turned her head to look at him

    Huh? She locked eyes with a girl who looked to be about 10 years old. "What?"

    The girl had green highlights in her hair and stood in shock for a moment at the sight of Ha-eun posing in sexyce lingerie; then she turned her head and shouted down the hallway. Uuuunclllee! Theres a nakeddy in hereeeeee!

    Not even a secondter, Ha-eun''s desperate screams rang through the hotel.

 Chapter 239: Baptism of Stars (1)

    Chapter 239: Baptism of Stars (1)

    The awkward silence was only broken by the asional ticking of the clock.

    Finally

    "Pfffft!" Ohjins barely-suppressedugh escaped from his mouth.

    Eeeek! Ha-eun had put on a white gown and moved as fast as light, using one of her long, slender legs to kick him hard in the stomach.

    Craaack!

    Keuhuk! A sound that shouldnt havee from a persons stomach resonated, and Ohjin went flying into the wall.

    Ha-eun, her face red, red at him while he slid down from the wall and sprawled onto the floor. "Sh-shut up! If youugh, youre dead! Got that?!" she yelled.

    Kyahahahaha! So funny! NT, no, Reba burst out intoughter and clutched her stomach.

    "Ugh" Ha-euns shoulders shook, and she chewed her lips since she couldnt kick a girl who looked 10 years old. Her fists shook with rage. "So this kid is the Star of Celestial Shining Pearl?" If looks could kill, Reba wouldve been long dead. The girl just remained sitting on the sofa and patted her legs, though.

    Ohjin moaned in pain as he stood and nodded his head.

    "Nice to meet you; my name is Reba Bell," the girl said, reaching out to shake Ha-euns hand.

    Ha-eun frowned. "Why did the Star of Celestial Shining Pearle here?" she asked in irritation.

    "Hmm. Actually, I followed Ohjin because I was a little interested in him I didn''t expect to see a scene like that." Reba looked back and gave Ohjin the type of smile that a 10-year-old girl shouldve never been capable of.

    "What? In-interest?" Ha-eun stammered. Her jaw dropped in shock. "Y-you punk. You even touched a kid?!" A cat-like leap brought her onto Ohjin so she could shake the cor of his shirt.

    Ohjin gasped as if he were suffocating before giving Reba a sharp look and saying, Thats enough; stop joking around.

    "Hehe. Okay. I''m sorry. I''m sorry." Reba shrugged and flicked her hand, causing a leaf to grow out of a decorative nt in the room before it wrapped around her body, and she slowly transformed into an adult woman.

    "What''s this?" Ha-euns eyes widened. Reba was so beautiful that other women had no choice but to gasp in surprise when they saw her.  She suddenly remembered how Reba had said she was interested in Ohjin, and an unpleasant feeling crawled through her.

    Reba shrugged and shook her head. "If it''s about what I just said, then you don''t have to worry. I''m interested, but that doesn''t mean Im desperate enough to go for a man whos already taken. She looked at Ohjin and added, Well, the story might change if hes interested as well.

    Ohjin smiled beneath her tant stare. "As you can see, I already belong to someone else." He gripped Ha-euns hand and lifted it as if to show off.

    Reba crossed her arms and began to pout. Oh, my Dont you know that a rtionship between a man and a woman is the most unsure thing in the world? Even if they profess undying love for each other, you never know when

    "No." Ohjin shook his head and interrupted her. "Never, ever." Instead of making a determined oath or a motivated deration, he spoke calmly, as if stating a fact.

    "Huh." Rebas eyes shed in interest. Unlike Ha-euns panicked reaction, Ohjins eyes were as calm as a solitaryke at dawn. Upon seeing it, she knew it was impossible to change his mindnot even a celestial could be of help in that regard.

    "I''m a bit jealous." She gave Ha-eun a yful look. Why does he love you so much?

    Wh-what do you mean by that? Ha-eun stammered. Its, um

    "Well, I guess thats bound to happen if you wear such risque underwear and pose seductively in front of the door for him while muttering something about your baby.

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Ha-eun screamed and jumped at Reba, who burst intoughter and took cover behind the sofa. "I I told you to shut up!"

    "Hehe. It''s fun to tease you." Reba acted like shed found an interesting toy.

    Ha-eun frowned. "Now that youve been clearly rejected, why don''t you go back to your room?"

    "Right, Reba agreed. I dont want to disturb your cozy night.

    "I want to ask you something," Ohjin said before she left.

    "Huh? What is it?"

    "I''m going to receive the Baptism of Stars in a week, and I''m wondering what the whole process is like."

    "Oh, that?" Reba nodded. "When you enter the sanctuary, the celestials will guide you to the Milky Way Spring."

    "Is it in the sanctuary?"

    "I don''t know."

    "You don''t know?" Ohjin tilted his head. Shed already been to the Milky Way Spring once, but she didnt know?

    "You go through something like a teleportation spell the celestials have to cast together to move you there.

    "Oh." So theyd be teleporting instead of walking?

    When you arrive, you will have to submerge yourself in the Milky Way Spring for about 10 minutes; then, your celestial will personally recite a prayer.

    "Is that it?"

    "Yes."

    It didnt seem like that big of a deal. What about the rumors of stigmas rising in rank after you enter? What was that about? he asked.

    "Oh, thats a little different from person to person."

    "Different?"

    * * *

    * * *

    Youll be surrounded by a huge amount of mana once you soak in the Milky Way Spring, Reba exined. Of course, Ohjin already expected as much since three dragon veins connected there. "Then, depending on how much the Milky Way Spring ''shines, the mana flowing into you will differ.

    "Hmmm." She was saying there would be a difference in how much mana you could receive depending on how much the spring shone? "How much does it usually shine?" he asked.

    "When it was my turn, it was like a fluorescent light."

    Does a fluorescent light shine a lot? Ohjin wondered.

    "Well, I don''t know much because I haven''t asked the other Seven Stars, but I heard Allens spring shone about as bright as a torch, she said.

    That was enough for Ohjin to understand. A fluorescent light was much brighter than a torch, after all. "So you''re saying the spring shone more for you than for Allen?" Hed thought it would be better for Allen since he was an apostle of a North Star.

    "Well, I''m a unique case, right?" Reba stuck out her tongue and shrugged.

    Ohjin remembered how Manager Han had mentioned the Star of Celestial Shining Pearl a couple of times. Didnt he say the Star of Celestial Shining Pearl became a high-ranking Awakener in just two years? Even when he used himself as aparison, her growth was tremendously fast.

    Well, not as unique as you, Uncle Reba shook her head and gave him a wry smile. She had often heard that she was a genius and had been blessed by the stars, but she couldntpare to Ohjinhis talent was so incredibly absurd that shed even believe it if someone said he was a reincarnation of Titan, the Celestials creator.

    "Anyways, having it be as bright as a fluorescent light was good, right?" he asked.

    "Yes. I went up to 10-Star thanks to that, she confirmed.

    "What?" She became a 10-Star there? Then if things go well, then I can also Did it mean that he could be a 9-Star if he was baptized? Waiting a week is going to be a challenge. He barely managed to suppress his excitement, but a small smile tugged at his lips.

    Do you have anything else youre curious about, Uncle? she asked.

    No, thats pretty much it.

    "Hehe. I''ll be going now. Lets get in touchter."

    "Oh, onest thing" He stopped her again.

    "What?" she asked.

    "Whats my title going to be?" Since the Stars of Celestial Pivot and Celestial Rotating Jade were taken before, did that mean he would receive one of the two titles?

    Um the celestials will decide on that. For you She smiled and shook her head. "No, I''ll leave that forter."

    ? Ohjin looked at her with suspicion. She probably knew something, but he didnt press the issue.

    Ill go now. You two have a good time.

    "Ugh." Ha-eun gulped after Reba left and said, "I don''t like her." She gritted her teeth and continued to re at the closed door.

    "But there''s nothing wrong with getting to know her," Ohjin argued. It wasnt easy to personally meet a member of the Seven Stars, even if one poured a countrys whole budget into it. Well, he had be a Seven Star as well, so it made a bit more sense.

    Haa, howe there are more and more women around you, bastard? Ha-eun sighed and pinched his cheek. "Still" She smiled and leaned in to give him a small kiss on the cheek shed just pinched. I was touched by what you said.

    Ohjin slowly reached for her and pushed the white gown she was wearing up. What was that you said earlier? My baby?

    "Ah! Hey, you said you wouldn''t say anything, you bastard!" Ha-eun eximed.

    He pulled her in by the waist before she could retreat. "There''s no one watching now, right?" he asked.

    "B-but" She did her best to avoid his gaze.

    Then, he pulled her in and kissed her. "You said you''d give me a special reward when I be a Seven Star, didnt you?"

    "Ugh." Ha-eun stopped trying to argue and bowed her head. Shed had to go through indescribable shame, but the n shed buried slowly came full circle. "Fuu" She calmed her thumping heart and stroked Ohjins cheek while trying to rx as much as she could.

    She just barely managed to squeeze out, "What sort of present does my baby want from his big sister?

    Ohjin drily gulped and gave her a deep look before opening his mouth. There was only one thing he could say in such a situation

    "Waa."

    Im just a baby. Give me food.

 Chapter 240: Baptism of Stars (2)

    Chapter 240: Baptism of Stars (2)

    Didnt people say that time flew when you were having fun? A week passed in the blink of an eye while Ohjin spent time at home chatting with Ha-eun and waiting for the baptism.

    Ugh. He woke up early in the morning and stretched before turning to Ha-eun, who was asleep next to him, and lightly stroking her hair. Isabe hadnt bothered them for the past week, and Vega was busy preparing for the baptism, so hed spent the entire time alone with her.

    They watched movies, went shopping, and spent every moment they could in each otherspanyit was such a joyous time that he wouldnt have been able to even dream of it a year or two prior.

    He looked down at her and seemed somewhat sad. Would he forget such joyous memories someday? Its alright. Losing someone precious was much more painful than losing a memory. I can keep making new memories, after all. He smiled and stroked her cheek.

    She curled up like a cat and rubbed her cheek against his hand.

    Still, itd be best to avoid using Heaven Unfolding. Ohjin got up and changed his clothes. It wasnt like he was strictly ruling out using the ability, but he wanted to avoid it if he could I dont want to lose my virginity three times.

    A smirk crept onto his face as he left the room. "Is it spring?" Winter had ended, and a warm spring breeze took its ce. That meant a year and six months had passed since he entered the gate with Shinhyuk and awakened the ck Heaven.

    His life had changed beyond recognition in that time, though it had been for the better so far. Now I have to protect it. He had so many things he enjoyed in life that he needed that much more power to protect them.

    "Let''s go." Ohjin strolled through the drifting cherry blossoms toward the sanctuary.

    * * *

    You''ve arrived! Vega came out to greet him as soon as he entered.

    Why arent you in the shrine? he asked.

    I wanted to see you as soon as possible, she said before giving him a smile as warm as the breeze and stroking his head.

    Ohjin was used to such childish treatment, but he felt a bit embarrassed and couldnt help but awkwardly smile and scratch his cheek.

    Are you embarrassed? Step by step, she moved closer and smiled at him. Fufu. Come here. I havent hugged you in a long time. Just when she was about to wrap her arms around him

    Aack! Vega, youre so mean! A woman with pink, bobbed hair cheerfully shouted and ran toward them.

    Spica, the Celestial of Virgo

    If Vegas atmosphere was reminiscent of the spring breeze, then Spicas was as bright and cheerful as the midsummer sun.

    "Long time no see! This is the first time since the proxy battle." Spicas eyes sparkled as she approached. "Hehe. Do you know how surprised I was back then? You suddenly grabbed your arm and ripped it off!"

    Suddenly, chatter filled their ears.

    Huh? Whats with that expression? Spica stopped her incessant chatter and shuddered.

    Ohjin couldnt see Vegas expression since shed turned away from him, but it wasnt difficult for him to guess what it was based on how Spica was trembling.

    You still talk a lot, Vega said. Too much.

    Oh Um, s-sorry. Spica visibly drooped and faltered.

    Vega gave a deep sigh and pulled on Ohjins hand. Follow thisdy, the celestials wholl be participating in the baptism are waiting for you.

    "Huh? Weren''t only Vega and Denebing?" Ohjin asked.

    There were too many celestials who said they wanted to see you at the baptism, so I had to narrow down the list a little.

    "How many people are participating?

    There are six of us.

    Six was an ambiguous number that couldve both been a lot and a few at the same time.

    "Why exactly six?" Ohjin asked.

    It has a slight ritualistic meaning. Arent there Seven Stars? Six celestials gather to bless you and acknowledge you as the seventh. Its something like that, I suppose.

    "Aha!" Ohjin nodded as if he understood.

    "Oh, Vega added on. Just so you know, the blessings effect also increases depending on who those six celestials are!"

    Spica said, "You can look forward to it since Vega and Deneb are participating in the ceremony."

    "Who else will participate?" he asked.

    Spica smiled brightly, pointing a finger at herself. "First of all, me! Im still one of the 12 zodiacs, so the blessing will have a pretty sweet effect!

    Did that mean that the blessing was more effective depending on the status of the celestials? If so, then it meant that, since two of the North Stars were participating, it would certainly be worth looking forward to.

    "Who else?" Ohjin asked.

    "Hehe. I''ll exin it to you when we meet them!" Spica ran forward with a cheerful smile on her face.

    They guided Ohjin to an area where three other celestials were already waiting.

    Is Deneb not here yet? Ohjin wondered as he approached the three others.

    A middle-aged man with a loud voice came up and gave a boomingugh. Hahaha! So, youre that famous Lightning Wolf! I watched the proxy battle, you know!

    He had red-tinted skin and horns sprouted from both sides of his head. One could mistake him for a devil if they didnt know he was a celestial. "I am Aldebaran, the Celestial of Taurus! Congrattions on being chosen as one of the Seven Stars!"

    "I''m Gwon Ohjin. Nice to meet you." Ohjin bowed his head and shook Aldebarans pot-lid-sized hand.

    "Come to think of it, you seem to have a friendship with some of my apostles!" the celestial eximed.

    "Oh, are you talking about Manager Han?" Ohjin asked.

    "And there''s one more person in Japan, isn''t there?"

    Was he talking about Sakaki Ryo? "Yes, I would consider him a friend."

    "Hehe. Those two are apostles I have great expectations for, so please continue to take care of them!

    Of course.

    * * *

    * * *

    He hadnt been in touch with Sakaki Ryotely, but he had talked to Manager Han on the phone about the baptism just that morning

    "Are you done with your greeting?" A man with a nk expression asked. He had the aura of a sharp and well-maintained de; the long scar across his right eye gave him a charismatic air. I am Regulus, the Celestial of Leo.

    Naturally, he thought of Namgung Hui, whom he had seen a while ago.

    "I heard that there was friction between you and one of my apostles recently," the celestial said.

    Ohjin shrugged his shoulders and maintained a calm expression like it wasnt a big deal. "It was only a slight disagreement."

    Regulus closed his eyes and gently said, A stigma is a seeda seed that leaves the tree and flies far away eventually takes root on its own and begins to sprout independently.

    ? What did he mean to say?

    So Regulus dodged Ohjins gaze and couldnt bring himself to finish his sentence.

    What he means is that theres nothing he can do about the shit his apostle did! Spica eximed.

    Regulus gave her a bewildered look. "Keuk! Shut up, Spica!"

    Spica burst into giggles and stuck out her tongue.

    If its about Namgung Hui, you dont have to worry. Ohjin shook his head and smirked. He knew that celestials couldnt dictate their Awakeners personalities.

    Regulus loudly cleared his throat before continuing. "Still, parents are somewhat responsible for their children''s mistakes. I''m sorry."

    "That''s alright, and it''s not like I have only negative rtions with your Awakeners.

    Oh. Come to think of it, Regulus said, Ive heard that kid talk about you a few times. He was, of course, referring to Lee Woohyuk.

    "Lee Woohyuk That child will rise to a higher peak." A calm smile appeared on Reguluss facelike he was a father thinking about his second son getting epted into the most prestigious national university after struggling to fix the mistakes of the eldest.

    It seems that celestialsmonly consider their apostles to be their children. There were a few exceptions where the celestials didnt seem to care at all, of course, such as with Draco.

    Am I thest one? The woman standing in the back walked forward. She seemed to be a goddess. Blonde hair extended down to her feet, and she was beautiful enough to attract attention anywhere she wentthough slightly inferior to Vega. "Nice to meet you. I am the Celestial of Aries, Ari." She approached Ohjin and warmly smiled.

    Ohjins eyes shook as he noticed how bold her dress wasit resembled something worn in ancient Rome and disyed her cleavage.

    "Fufu. Where are you looking?" Ari gave him an alluring smile and gently cupped her hands over her chest.

    When Ohjin tried to look away and awkwardly coughed

    "I''m kidding. Feel free to look. Or..." She smiled and pulled on Ohjins hand. Would you prefer to touch?

    Thud

    Something knocked Aris hand away.

    Take your hands off! Vega eximed.

    "Oh, my, it was just a light prank. No need to be so"

    I told you to take your hands off!

    Kzzzzzt!

    Blue lightning wrapped around Vegas body, and an eerie light shone in her golden eyes as the area around them started to shake.

    Ldy Vega? Ari looked flustered and quickly distanced herself from Ohjin.

    Vega pulled Ohjin by his arm and gave both Ari and Spica a wary re. It looked like she was a mother kangaroo trying to protect her babies from stray cats.

    With a sigh, a boy wearing expensive treasures all over his body approached. "Really... who is calling who a kid?

    Hmm. Youre here, Deneb?

    What, are you going to keep him by your side forever?

    Shut up. Vega hugged Ohjin''s arm.

    Deneb sighed and took out a blue gem. "Let''s get ready to go."

    Alright.

    Deneb ced the blue gem in the center of the group.

    "Are we going to the Milky Way Spring now?" Ohjin asked.

    Thats right, Vega replied.

    The six celestials reached for the blue gem and concentrated their mana into it, causing the wind to howl.

    Wooooooooong!

    A colorful aurora covered the sky and cracked apart. Ohjin watched in amazement as the beautiful fissure in the night sky unfolded into a sparkling disy of the Milky Way. Such a fissure could only be opened when six celestials joined forces.

    Just where is the Milky Way Spring and why is it so hard to get to? he asked.

    The Milky Way Spring is where the first celestial was born in the distant past, Vega exined.

    "The first celestial?" If it was the first Celestial, then that had to mean

    Thats right. Vega toward the countless twinkling stars in the fissure.

    It is where Pris, the Celestial of the Little Dipper, was born.

 Chapter 241: Baptism of Stars (3)

    Chapter 241: Baptism of Stars (3)

    The Celestial of the Little Dipper, Pris, the first and loftiest celestial, the brightest star

    The ce where Pris... was born?" Ohjin gave Vega a surprised look.

    Vega continued with a small nod. This is Priss sacred ground.

    "Wait, didn''t you say Pris was in seclusion?"

    Yes, but the remnants of his power still linger.

    Did that mean the constetion was maintaining the sacred ground where the three dragon veins intersected with just the remnants of his power?

    Fufu. Are you nervous? Vega asked.

    "Well, Id be lying if I said I wasnt. Ohjin took a step toward the fissure. I have to see it for myself. He had to see with his own eyes what kind of ce it was so that he could get the answers to some of his questions.

    Step by step, he entered the brilliant, starry fissure.

    "Keuk!" A piercing headache immediately assaulted him, and his heart pounded in his chest as if hed just full-on sprinted for hundreds of meters. What. The. Hell...? He frowned and put a hand against his chestit felt like his heart was a rampaging beast in a cage.

    He lifted his head while doing all he could to suppress the pain. "Oh" The Milky Way flowed into a river of stars that intersected and illuminated the dark abyss of the universe.

    Isn''t it beautiful? Vega asked.

    Ohjin nodded without meaning to. The sight before him was so magnificent that the pain in his chest was momentarily forgotten. It looks to be around 100 meters in size. It was slightly toorge to be called a spring, but it was too small to be ake. The size of it wasnt what mattered, though

    Fuck The condensed mana he felt emanating from the spring was enough to send chills down his spine. Hed beenpletely mistaken in his assumption that, since three dragon veins intersected there, the spring would contain three times the power of the veins hed encountered before.

    Simply put his assumption had been wrong. For starters, the dragon veins flowing through there werepletely different from the ones hed encountered before. If the others could bepared to streams flowing through a rural vige, then the spring where the three veins intersected was more like a river winding through a technologically-advanced continent.

    He chewed his lips and gave the spring a nervous look. I cant absorb this. Even considering it was ridiculous. The moment he used the ck Heaven, his body would swell and explode like a balloon thatd been inted beyond its limit.

    Vega tilted her head when she noticed Ohjin standing in a daze. Hmm? Is there a problem?

    He snapped back to his senses and did his best to remain calm. "No, its just so beautiful that I forgot where I was for a moment."

    Fufu. It''s definitely a beautiful ce. Vega smiled at the spring.

    We can appreciate its beautyter, Deneb said. Quickly prepare for the ceremony.

    There''s no need to be in a hurry, right? Vega asked.

    "Hmph! Unlike a certain someone, I have things to do." Deneb walked up to Ohjin. "Well, take off your clothes first."

    "What?" Ohjin asked. Why was the constetion telling him to take off his clothes all of a sudden?

    "You''re going to soak yourself in the spring, aren''t you? Clothes would interfere with your mana absorption."

    Ohjin looked around in embarrassment, unable to believe hed have to remove his clothes in front of so many celestials.

    Don''t worry, my child. Vega approached him and spread her arms, causing a silver curtain to surround the two of them. Now, no one can see your jewels! she confidently said.

    He gave her a look of disbelief. Vega, you''re watching. Whether she knew his thoughts or not, she still approached with a twinkle in her eyes. Thisdy will help you take off your clothes.

    "No, I''m not a child," he said.

    Ahem! Stay still! she ordered before beginning to sternly remove his clothes. Though she looked solemn, her hands shook with barely-contained excitement. His shirt and pants came off in an instant, and when she hesitantly reached for his underwear

    W-wait! he shouted.

    She gave him a heated look and said, You cant have even a thread on you during your immersion in the spring. Then, her hand continued to move toward thatst piece of clothing on his body.

    "Huh? he heard Spica ask from outside their private space. Underwear should be fi Kyaaa!

    Kzzt!

    Thunder echoed along with the constetions sudden scream. Vega just

    Spica must have been mistaken for a second. Vega innocently pretended not to hear and took off Ohjinsst bastion of modesty. Now, enter thisdys arms! Ill carry you safely into the Milky Way Spring!

    Aaack!

    She wrapped her arms around him and lifted him. Without so much as a thread of clothing, Ohjin didnt dare resist and readily fell into her arms. Though she was overwhelmingly strong, it felt incredibly soft.

    Q-quite worthy of a general, She murmured, her face visibly reddening.

    "How did Vega end up like that?" Deneb asked in disbelief as he watched the scene with a smile on his face.

    The other celestials shook their heads in stunned silence.

    Deneb put a hand to his forehead as if he had a headache and moved to the edge of the spring. "Then let''s get started."

    The six celestials interspaced themselves around the Milky Way Spring.

    Its time to start the baptism, Vega said. She looked much more solemn than she had a moment ago when shed been holding Ohjin. A cluster of silver light flowed out of her body and seeped into the spring.

    A momentter, lights flowed from the other celestials as well.

    * * *

    * * *

    With their eyes gently closed, they sent even more of their mana into the spring.

    A low prayer came out of Vega''s mouth. Since there are six stars in front of the spring Come, oh, Seventh star.

    Ohjin slowly closed his eyes and submerged himself in the waters of the spring. The stars neal-limitless mana surged over his skin, and he bit his lips when he felt the unimaginable power.

    I never intended to absorb all of the springs power to begin with, but I think even absorbing a bit of it is going to be harder than I thought. Hed figured the celestials would notice if he absorbed all of the power, but there was just too much. Even a slight miscalction with the ck Heaven would be like a dam copsing.

    ''It''s beyond my control.'' A deep sigh left his mouth. Of course, he coveted the mana filling the spring, but he risked losing everything if he became too greedy there. Let''s give up. I can still absorb some of it without the ck Heaven anyway.

    He carefully cracked his eyes open to see the pale-blue shine of the water. Its about as bright as a torchs light He felt a tinge of disappointment, but Allen, who was also a North Stars apostle, had experienced the same reaction.

    Just when he wasforting himself, a familiar sound reverberated through his headthe sound of the ck Heavens dark clouds moving.

    Krrrrrrrkk

    ! Ohjins eyes shot fully open in shock. Outside of his control, the ck Heaven in his heart had melted into the springs water and started to absorb the mana.

    Keuk! The tidal wave of mana surging into his body was nearly unbearable. What the hell is happening?! The ck Heaven was devouring the springs mana like a hungry beast.

    -Ti-ring!

    [You have absorbed an unimaginably huge amount of mana!]

    [The ck Heavens conditions for the eighth awakening have all been aplished!]

    [The ck Heavens eighth awakening is starting!]

    Blue messages appeared before his eyes, and he desperately tried to hold onto consciousness and not be swept away by the surging mana. A clear bell rang in his ears as messages appeared one after another.

    [The ck Heaven has reached the eighth awakening!]

    [Transmission has been pushed to ater time to avoid mana overflow.]

    Heuk, heuk! He coughed from the shock of the flooding mana suddenly halting. All of his muscles tensed as he raised his head to look at the celestials.

    Wh-what on earth? Vega asked.

    "R-ridiculous"

    They looked back at him with consternation.

    Fuck. Had he been caught using the ck Heaven? When he checked the mana in the Milky Way Spring, he found that itd hardly diminished. It had so much mana to begin with that what hed absorbed was hardly noticeable. ck Curtain shouldve masked it anyway.

    Why did the celestials look so shocked?

    Th-the light

    "I''ve never seen anything like this before."

    The light? Ohjin looked back down at the spring. "Oh" The water was shining as brightly as the sun. They said the intensity of the light varied depending on the amount of mana absorbed, right? Unlike others, who indirectly absorbed the mana, hed done it directly with the ck Heaven, which was why the light was so absurdly bright.

    "Whoa"

    Fortunately, they didnt notice his use of the ck Heaven.

    Whoooooooong!

    The entire spring began to fluctuate with ripples of water.

    This is Vega murmured. N-no way

    The celestials watched as the springs surface rose into the air.

    What is that? Ohjin looked at the egg-like sphere floating above the spring. What the heck was happening? The sphere split in half, and a being covered in the brilliant starlight of the Milky Way appeared. Starlight scattered over the surroundings in such a brilliant cascade that he couldnt tell whether the body was masculine or feminine.

    Pris...? Vega asked in bewilderment.

    Pris? That''s Pris? Ohjins eyes widened.

    The star-like being floated over toward him [It was you.] Its genderless voice reverberated through his head in the same way Vegas sometimes did.

    [Ive been waiting for you for a long time.]

    You were waiting for me?

    [You are an existence that will change fate, a star that defies cause and effect.]

    The feeling was oddly familiar

    [You are the Heaven-defying Star.]

    "What?"

    No, Im not

 Chapter 242: Baptism of Stars (4)

    Chapter 242: Baptism of Stars (4)

    What kind of situation is this? Ohjin wondered as he looked at Pris, who was floating in front of him. The celestials entire body was made of stars, so he couldnt even properly see his features. Priss silver eyes were particrly chilling and seemed to have fathomless depth.

    The other celestials looked shocked, their mouths agape at what theyd just heard.

    Wh-what?

    The Heaven-defying Star?

    Vega was the only celestial who didnt seem surprised. Shed considered him to be the Heaven-defying Star from the start, after all.

    Wh-what? Did you know, Vega? Deneb asked.

    She nodded. Ohjin is thisdys child. Of course, I knew. He was going to hide that he was the Heaven-defying Star until he grew strong enough, but that was meaningless since Pris had already said it. I think its time to reveal the truth, my child. Hed grown enough to join the Seven Stars in just a year and a half, which more than qualified him as being strong enough.

    "I agree. Trying to hide it would be pointless now," Ohjin responded while his thoughts were racing so fast that his head felt hot. Even Pris misunderstands and thinks Im the Heaven-defying Star?

    Vega had said Pris could see the future, but the celestial had still mistaken him as the Heaven-defying Star?

    Ohjins expression stiffened. What if Though he had no reason or evidence to prove it What if Im really the Heaven-defying Star? What if Shinhyuk had never been the one capable of rewriting fate?

    ''No, that doesn''t make sense.'' Vega had exined that the Heaven-defying Star definitely went back in time. If that didnt mean only a regressor could hold the title, then there wouldve been no reason for Vega to immediately assume he was a regressor during their first meeting.

    Was Pris, the first and brightest-shining celestial, really mistaken? ''What the hell is going on?'' Even though he was confused, and his mind was racing, Ohjin spoke as smoothly as ever. There was only one way out of the situation, after all

    "Yes, I am the Heaven-defying Star." His calm acknowledgment of the title only further shocked the other celestials.

    Since the Heaven-defying Star appeared, that means Regulus trailed off.

    "That means that the world has already fallen once, right?" Spica asked.

    "Yes, Ari said. It means that all the stars were engulfed in the darkness of the ck Heaven, as Lord Pris predicted."

    "Huh I honestly can''t believe it." Aldebaran shook his head.

    W-wait! Deneb stuttered, and his eyes faintly trembled. "D-does that mean you''re a regressor?"

    As expected, the celestials believed the Heaven-defying Star to be a regressor.

    "That''s right." Ohjin nodded. "I''m a regressor." Didnt they say a lie led to more lies? Like a truck with broken brakes, things were speeding out of his control.

    "Lies! Deneb yelled. If you''re a regressor, then why did you get trapped in the Demon Real? You expect us to believe a regressor fell for that snakes trap?" Sure enough, shouldnt he have known about the trap ahead of time if he was a regressor?

    Ohjin nonchntly nodded. "Yeah. I had no idea. Such a trap was never set up in my original timeline."

    "How can I believe that?" Deneb asked.

    "I''m a regressor, not an almighty god. The future has alreadypletely changed to the point that my memories are no longer useful.

    "Ha, what was it like in your original world?" Deneb asked, squinting his eyes.

    "First of all, Ohjin exined, the existence of the ck Star Organization was not known to the world as it is now, and it only continued to grow stronger."

    The celestials seemed shocked again, but Deneb just smiled and crossed his arms as if he felt happy about something. "Hmph, then are you saying youre responsible for the ck Star Organization bing known and being weakened?

    Ohjin nodded. "That''s right."

    "Nonsense! Even if you''re a regressor, how could you do everything in a year and a half"

    Ohjin interrupted with, "I killed the King of Owls." Cheon Doyoon, the King of Owls, had died at Ohjins hands.

    "I killed the King of Seahorses. Kusanagi Sosuke, the King of Seahorses, had been decapitated by him.

    "I killed the King of Toads." To be exact, the Living Armor, who listened to Kasias orders, had done the deed. At best, only Lee Woohyuk, Ha-eun, and Isabe knew that.

    Deneb tried to argue. Th-the King of Seahorses, a Japanese Awakener

    "No, I killed him and asked Sakaki to say he had done it so as not to attract the ck Star Organizations attention.

    Deneb was speechless.

    "I killed three of the ck Star Organizations Executors. Other than that, I also turned one of them to my side." He was talking about Isabe. "If you dont think it was my doing, then who do you think has made the ck Star Organization as weak as they are now?"

    "That''s" Deneb had no other arguments.

    "If I wasn''t a regressor" Ohjin gave Deneb a meaningful look. Would I have been able to get here so quickly?

    A year and a half was a short period of time for a celestialthats all it took him to be an 8-Star Awakener and ovee dozens of other high-ranking Awakeners to be chosen for the Seven Stars.

    * * *

    * * *

    "Th-the Star of Celestial Shining Pearl also" Deneb''s voice shrank as he tried to find an argument. He knew that, no matter how great Reba Bell was, she was merely a fireflypared to the sun when it came to Ohjins achievements.

    Vega looked at Deneb and said, That''s enough, Deneb. My childs identity as a regressor is something thisdy would swear on her identity as a star. Swearing on her identity as a star was so serious that, even as a North Star, some of her divinity would vanish if the swear was discovered to be false.

    "Ugh" Deneb groaned and gave a short nod. "Okay uhh. Ill believe you." He didnt seem topletely trust Ohjin yet, but he simply couldnt find anything to refute his ims. It was an undeniable fact that Ohjin had killed three of the ck Star Organizations seven Executors in just a year and a half. "Oh, Allen! Allen could have done it!" he suddenly blurted.

    Then why didn''t he? Vega asked.

    That" As Vega said, even though Allen probably had the power to beat the Executors, Ohjin was the one whod fought them and suppressed the ck Star Organizations power.

    [Are you done talking?] Pris asked in a clear, fine voice A voice much different from how hed been speaking to that point.

    Ohjin''s eyes widened. Did his voice change? The celestials tone had also changed.

    [Let''s get to the point.] That time, it was a deep, masculine voice.

    Ohjin looked up at Pris with surprise. Does he have multiple personalities?

    The celestial slowly descended toward him and watched him with silvery eyes. [Heaven-defying Star] He gently patted Ohjins cheek. [Save us from the darkness of ck Heaven.] Pris held his hands together and bowed his head in reverence, as if praying.

    Ohjin nodded. "That''s why I returned."

    Pris carefully looked back up at him. Though the starlight masked the beings expression, Ohjin believed he was smiling. [I am bound by themandments and cannot give you the light to guide your way but I think Vega is already doing enough.] He nced over at her.

    Vega confidently nodded and said, My child''s future will be brightened by my doing!

    [I''ll trust you.] Pris slightly bowed his head and turned toward Ohjin again. [There''s not much time left until you have to return to reality.] The celestial spread his arms wide, and the Milky Way Spring bubbled up with a bright light.

    "Keuk!" The water permeated Ohjins body. Instead of being sucked in by the ck Heaven, it soaked into him as if soaking into paper. Even if you try to force it, I cant absorb any more! Hed already absorbed so much mana that he worried his body could explode. Even if he didnt explode, his mana circuit could end up being ruined. Just when things looked dire

    [Dont worry. The starlight permeating your body will be absorbed by your soul and protect you.] Priss voice resonated, and the mana running through Ohjins body seemed topletely vanish.

    He imbued it into my soul? He didnt know what that meant, but at least he didnt feel like he was about to explode anymore. Thank you" A puzzled look crossed his face as he bowed to Pris.

    Pris nodded and turned to look at Vega again. [Vega, is it okay if I title this child?]

    Title him? she asked.

    [He should receive a new title as one of the Seven Stars.]

    Oh Vega nodded. I had something in mind, but I''ll take a step back.

    [Thank you.] Pris''s voice turned masculine again, and he stretched out his starry hands and ced them on Ohjins head. [Congrattions on the birth of a new star. To you, who shoulders the fate of the Heaven-defying Star, the most fitting star title is] His silver eyes seemed to bore into Ohjins soul. [I bestow upon you the title of Star of Twinkling Brilliance.]

    The Star of Twinkling Brilliance was the Big Dippers final star, and it was said tomand a heavenly army that could subdue all evil in the heavens and on Earth.

    Fuck. Isnt the Star of Twinkling Brilliance the brightest star among the Seven Stars?

    The watching celestials looked extremely shocked by the turn of events, but Ohjins expression remained quite neutral inparison.

    Star of Twinkling Brilliance, Gwon Ohjin, huh?

    A title like that made it sound like he shouldve been using grand skills like the Four Divine Beast Arts.

 Chapter 243: Baptism of Stars (5)

    Chapter 243: Baptism of Stars (5)

    Ohjin turned and exited the spring that flowed with starlight instead of water. Still naked, he quickly put on his clothes and looked back at the Milky Way Spring. I absorbed so much, but its not even noticeable.

    Both his body and soul (even though he hadnt been responsible for the soul part) had absorbed the mana within the spring, but it still shone as brilliantly as when hed first seen it. Just how much mana did it contain? Even for him and his power of the ck Heaven, it was simply overwhelming.

    Will I be able to absorb that much mana fully if Ipletely awaken the ck Heaven one day? I guess everyone would know I have the ck Heaven if I did something like that, though.

    He made a wry smile and shook his head. Maybe it was because he hadnt encountered something he couldnt absorb with the ck Heaven so far, but he felt oddlypetitive. Ohjin tried to push those useless thoughts away and swept his hair from his eyes.

    Pris raised his head and looked up at the sky. [Now it''s time.] The celestials body gradually faded and melted back into the Milky Way Spring as his voice faintly resonated through the area. [May your road be filled with bright stars.]

    The other celestials silently looked at Ohjin. After learning of his identity as the Heaven-defying Star and hearing his title of the Star of Twinkling Brilliance, they couldnt help but feel awkward.

    Everyone looks confused. Vegas calm voice broke the awkward silence, and she looked at the other celestials as she continued to speak. First of all, I hope you keep the things that happened here a secret.

    "Didn''t you say something about revealing yourself?" Deneb looked grim, his arms crossed.

    Nothing good cane from revealing it to everyone, Vega replied.

    "That''s that''s true," Deneb agreed. Even if others knew Ohjin was the Heaven-defying Star, there was no need to try spreading the information. "The baptism is over, so I''m off." He turned and trudged over to the exit fissure, giving off an atmosphere of heavy emotion from the shock of what hed learned.

    Spica hopped over and poked Ohjin on the shoulder. "Hey, hey, can I ask you a question?"

    Ohjin, who was drying his water-soaked hair, nodded.

    "Do you know what will happen to me and my children in the future?"

    Vega frowned and tried to pull Spica away. Stop it.

    "Oh, why?! I''m curious!" Spica shouted.

    Meanwhile, Regulus, Aldebaran, and Ari also gave Ohjin curious looks. They wanted to know what the future held as well.

    "A-ahem

    Im also quite curious.

    There was only one thing Ohjin could say in such a situation Everyone was eaten by the Heavenly Demon. He didnt know if it was true or not, but it wasnt hard to imagine what the future held if the first time around had gone ording to prophecy.

    The celestials frowned at his answer.

    "Oh well, I see."

    "Hmm. My children are one thing, but even I was eaten by the darkness?"

    It was quite a shocking revtion. If someone had told Ohjin he would die soon, he wouldve probably responded simrly.

    "It will be different this time," Ohjin said, looking back at them. "Ill make sure of it."

    "Oh, my." Ari approached him with a deep smile across her face. "I thought you were a cute puppy, but you were a reliable wolf!" As she got closer, she gently embraced his arm.

    Squish

    Something pressed against his arm. For a moment, he looked down and saw two soft mountains enshrouded in fields of fluffy wool.

    Ahem! Vega pulled her away. Aren''t you tired?

    Ohjin tried to respond. "I''m not very ti

    The baptism of stars is physically and mentally tiring. She dragged him by the arm back toward the fissure. Realizing what was happening, he gave her a bitter smile and followed her. After some time, Vega looked back behind them to see if any of the others were behind them. Spica is one thing, but dont get involved with the Celestial of Aries.

    I wasnt nning on doing so, Ohjin said. What makes you say that, though? Was there an unsettling rumor or something? Has she been secretlymunicating with the ck Star Celestials? Such a thing wasnt impossible. No matter how transcendent celestials were, they werent much different from humans when it came to their emotions.

    Conflict, rejection, reconciliation, love The transcendents'' sanctuary was like a miniature version of human society. That being the case, it only made sense for traitors to also exist. He gave Vega a nervous look.

    In response, Vega desperately shouted, A-arent they big?!

    What?

    Vega put her hands to her waist and gave him a stern look. Anyway! You can''t talk to the Celestial of Aries!

    "I will obey your order, Lady Vega." Ohjin smirked and turned away. If thats all, then Ill be going now.

    Get home safely, she said.

    After their brief goodbye, he found himself on a familiar, gray street.

    * * *

    * * *

    Onlookers and reporters gathered like clouds around the entrance, perhaps due to the rumors that Ohjin was being baptized.

    "I heard the Lightning Wolf is going to be baptized today."

    "Whats his title going to be?"

    "Wouldnt it be something like Dog Star?"

    "Man, that''s not part of the Big Dipper."

    ck Curtain. Ohjin hid his presence and escaped through the crowd. It wouldve been better for him to agree to a light interview to bolster his image as a hero, but he had more important things to do.

    Taang!

    He quickly returned home using his wire shooters and opened the front door. Since the living room was empty, he had no clue where Ha-eun was.

    "Haa" Ohjin sat in the center of the living room, took a deep breath, and slowly closed his eyes. It said the transmission was dyed due to the overflowing mana. If that was the case, then things would probably proceed once his mana calmed down.

    He turned his attention inward and felt the mana from his stigma surging through his mana circuit like a river on the brink of flooding. For the next two hours, he calmed the raging river by guiding the overflowing mana into the ck Heaven.

    -Tiring!

    [Awakener Lee Shinhyuks memory has been sessfully inherited.]

    His vision twisted as he saw the message he had been waiting for.

    * * *

    Haa, haa! Shinhyuk was panting hard, and the ground shook as rocks cascaded like rain.

    This Ohjin has seen the ce before. Isnt this the Dragons Resting Ground? It was the dungeon hidden in Mount Baekdu where Cheon had tried to obtain the Dragons Heart,

    D-damn it! Shinhyuk cursed when he came to a crossroad, and the cave continued to crumble around him.

    "Shinhyuk! We''re running out of time! We have to go save the guild leader!" Kim Sunyoung, the vice-leader of Valha, urged from the side.

    B-but my n-noona!" he tried to argue.

    "Its toote for Ha-eun! The Pseudo Star Organizations officers are already at the resting ground!

    "That''s" Shinhyuk''s eyes shook.

    "We have to hurry and get out! The guild leader is alone, holding off both the owl and the seahorse factions!" Sunyoung, who usually led the Valha guild with cool judgment and instructions, had devolved into hysterical shouting.

    "But b-but." Shinhyuks eyes trembled as he looked down the path toward the resting ground. If he ran to Ha-eun, then maybe just maybe even if it was a one in ten thousand chance Wouldnt he be able to save her?

    Couldnt he protect her?

    "Shinhyuk!" Sunyoung shouted.

    Shinhyuk remained stopped in front of the crossroads, unable to move his trembling legs.

    p!

    His cheeks throbbed with a hot pain.

    "Why are you hesitating?" Sunyoungs eyes zed in anger. "Hes your younger brother! Your only family! She grabbed Shinhyuk by the cor and screamed at him. "How much did Woohyuk sacrifice to protect you?! Are you going to betray him now?!"

    "It''s because of Ha-eun, right?!" Sunyoung''s eyes were filled with contempt. "You know what? Even if you run after her your whole life, Ha-eun will never fall for you."

    Stab

    The words pierced Shinhyuk''s chest, and he silently opened his mouth, unable toe up with an argument. It was just as she saideven though hed gone after her dozens of times, Ha-eun had never even looked at him.

    When he borrowed money from Woohyuk and bought her the Dragons Cursed Eye, when he threw himself into the gray to save her from the Pseudo Star Organization, and even when he mustered the courage to confess to her

    No matter what he said, no matter what he did, she only had eyes for that guy.

    ''Why why isn''t it me?'' He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

    Creak

    That guy, who he didnt even know the name of, passed through his head. That bastard even though he abandoned her and joined the Pseudo Star Organization, she cant stop thinking of him! In exchange for them healing his crippled body, that guy had be the enemys dog and attacked the Guardians.

    Of course, even though hed joined them, he was the lowest of the low ranks without a position, but he was undeniably involved with a worldwide terror organization. Wasnt Ha-eun only in danger at the moment because shed left camp to find that guy?

    I He was at a crossroads, both physically and metaphorically. The left led to Ha-eun; the right side led to Woohyuk. I! Shinhyuk forced his eyes shut and took a step to the right. "I''m sorry."

    As he raced through the crumbling tunnels, he remembered the first time hed met Ha-eun and recalled her reddish-brown hair blowing like a me in the wind. He remembered how shed hunted monsters without being able to see or use her stigma.

    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry." He had vowed to protect her, but despite that vow

    "I''m sorry noona." Shinhyuk ran toward his brother, leaving Ha-eun to fend for herself.

    His apology never reached the person it was meant for.

 Chapter 244: Interlude: Left Path

    Chapter 244: Interlude: Left Path

    Haa, haa! Ohjin panted for breath as blood poured from his gaping wound and soaked his clothes. "Ugh." He poured a potion supplied by the Pseudo Star Organization into his wound. Damn, even over-the-counter pharmacy ointment would work better than this.

    He didnt even expect much from what they gave to a grunt, and he crawled on the floor as he searched the pockets of a dead member whod had his head split apart by someone from Valha.

    At least this bastards potion is a little useful. Ohjin poured another potion on his wound and leaned against the cave wall. Its already been half a year. That much time had passed since he left Ha-eun and became a member of the Pseudo Star Organization.

    During that time, unbearable loneliness weighed on him because he could not see her face or hear her voice. A little more just a little more. He gripped the left side of his chest as the potion healed him until he could move freely.

    His chest didnt have a stigma that could be said to be the symbol of Awakening. The fake stigma of Aquarius that I engraved disappeared during the treatment process. He felt smooth skin at his fingertips. After I be an Awakener Ill definitelye back to you, Ha-eun. With his back still against the cave wall, he swore a silent oath.

    Though he was living as a meat shield because he didnt have a stigma, once he Awakened and made some achievements, he would be able to enter the Moon Pcethe ce where the Pseudo Star Organization kept their precious relics.

    I need to make a big hit there and run for it. Although it was nearly impossible for him, a grunt, to approach the Moon Pce, he had a n in mind. ''Cheon Doyoon no, if only I could deceive the ''snake'' who is manipting him.''

    Hadnt he spent his whole life scamming others? He was quite confident in being able to deceive people. "Well, I don''t know if Ha-eun will ept it, even if I go back shamelessly now." Ohjin smiled sadly and sped his fist. It had been half a year, but he still remembered the day hed left her with a single parting sentence and asked someone to look after her.

    The memory made it feel like someone was digging into his heart with a knife, but he didnt regret his choice. Even if he went back, he would probably make the same choice. ''At least I don''t want to disturb her.''

    He hadnt wanted to be the dirt that smeared Ha-euns brilliantly-shining life after she became a member of the Valha guild and was even selected as a member of Guardian. Hed left and only parted with a letter asking Shinhyuk to care for her. He hadnt even said goodbye.

    "Let''s get moving." Seeing that his wound had stopped bleeding, Ohjin slowly rose to his feet. ''Everyone must have escaped by now.'' During the skirmish with the Valha guild, he had deliberately leaked information that the officers of the Pseudo Star Organization were in the resting ground.

    They mustve been well-aware of the monstrous power of the Executors, who were given power by the "Snake," so they would have escaped immediately after hearing the news. ''There are some troops there, too.'' With Lee Shinhyuk, Lee Woohyuk, and Ha-eun, they would have enough power to take them down.

    Upsy-daisy. Ohjin staggered toward the inner cavity, assuming that, by then, the Executors of Pseudo Star Organization had taken the Dragons Heart and left the dungeon. ''Let''s check if there''s anything I can grab before I go.'' For him, who didnt even have a stigma, even little crumbs left from the Dragons Heart would be useful.

    He crossed the rubble and reached the inner cavity. "Wow." The massive cavern was filled with blue crystals. He couldnt feel mana properly yet, but he instinctively felt in his guts that there was something tremendously powerful there.

    "I think I can really find something useful." His eyes shone as he looked around and saw something strange. "Did it melt?" The floor and walls were ckened and charred, as if theyd been set on fire.

    He followed the trail until he saw a bunch of red threads in the rubble. "This is" It wasnt red threadit was hair. "Huh?" An eerie shudder ran down his spine. "N-no. Ha-eun went outside." Erasing the ominous thought that came to mind, Ohjin removed the crystal debris.

    Every time debris was removed, what was beneath gradually revealed itselfblood-soaked clothes and a woman with hair redder than blood.

    H-huh? He saw a terrifying corpse with its left eye dug out. Half of its face was missing, but the body was all too easy to recognize. "Ha eun?"

    Why?

    Why?

    Why?

    Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?

    "Why is she here? His breath shook, and his trembling hands reached for the body under the rubble. "No" It couldnt be Ha-eun. It shouldn''t be Ha-eun. I told you that theres an Executor in the resting ground.

    With that information, Ha-eun should not have gone there. There was no reason for her to have gone there. "I! told you! I let you know! Why?" If she tried to enter the inner cavity alone, someone should have stepped up and stopped herhe had already asked someone to y the role on his behalf.

    So Why?

    You said You said You said you would protect her! You promised!

    * * *

    * * *

    Ohjin trembled and embraced her body, which was still warm. He painfully felt the fading warmth as death imed its prize. Ha-eun Ha-eun Ha-eun Ha-eun It was odd He was so sad and felt that his heart was being ripped apart, but there were no tears.

    "You''re not dead, are you?" he asked. The whole world felt like a huge theater and turned gray like a ck-and-white movie. Nothing felt real. "Ha, ha, ha, right? Ha-eun" Yes. In fact, his whole life was just one big y.

    The director of the orphanage, whod tormented him terribly, and Lee Shinhyuk, whod taken away his hope All yed a part in the tragedy, and he imagined hering out at the end and saying, Ta-da! Thank you for watching~!

    "Please please tell me you''re lying, huh?" Why wasnt the damned ying to an end?

    Krrk

    Intense pain surged through the left side of his chest.

    Ugh!

    A clear bell rang out in his ear through the pain.

    Ti-ring!

    [The ck Heavens first awakening is starting!]

    [The ck Heaven is absorbing the stigma of Draco!]

    ck Heaven? Ohjin frowned, but that was only for a moment.

    Krrrrk!

    A dark cloud stretched out from the palm of his hand and covered the left side of Ha-eun''s chest; energy he felt for the first time in his life flowed into his body through the dark clouds. It was the mana from the stigma of Draco that Ha-eun originally possessed.

    N-no. He reached for the dark cloud, which was greedily eating away at the stigma. The mana that he had been longing for was filling his body. Dont eat it!

    It was Ha-eun''s

    It must be Ha-eun''s

    Otherwise

    "Don''t eat it, don''t you punk!" He batted at the dark clouds with his hand, and they scattered like smoke before gathering in one ce again and continuing to absorb Ha-euns mana. "Please stop! Please!" He screamed. The dark clouds of the ck Heaven devoured Ha-eun''s mana without a care in the world.

    "Stop, stop, stop. I told you to stop, you fucking bastard!!" Her mana flowed into him, and any remaining warmth in her bodypletely vanished as her limbs went stiff with rigor mortis.

    Ti-ring!

    [You have sessfully absorbed the stigma of Draco!]

    [The Stigma of Draco has been designated as your main stigma.]

    Fsshhhh

    Hot pain, as if he were being burned by a hot iron, shot through the left side of his chest. Ah." He felt his chest with trembling hands and traced the stigma of Draco there with his fingertips. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! The world was falling apartcrushed, ruined, and rotten.

    -Fwoosh!

    The fire burned and wound around his body. The me was familiar to him, and he saw Ha-euns face beyond the zing fire. "Ha-eun" He faintly touched the me, scattering the image of her face like smoke.

    His eyes lost their light, and he gave her body an empty look.

    Then, he heard someones voice. "Hmm, what? There are people left?"

    "I think he''s here to get something, like us."

    "Oh, isn''t that him? You know, there''s that woman in Guardian That''s her brother."

    "Youre right." The voices sounded awkward to himlike they were clumsy actors reciting a script.

    "Ha, haha." A dryugh left Ohjins mouth. Right, it was natural that their voices sounded awkward. "This is all a lie." He knew the truth: the world was a finely-crafted stage. He slowly stood.

    Fwoosh!

    A hot fire, like a dragon''s breath, wrapped around him.

    "What? Didn''t that bastard not have a stigma?

    "Did he get a relic somewhere?"

    Hehe, thats great.

    The Pseudo Star Organization members approached with big smiles across their faces.

    Ohjin returned a simr smile. "Yes" If life was all a y "We have to put an end to it." Blue mes red up in his eyes as he raised his head. Soon after, terrible screams and a blistering smoke carrying the odor of burning flesh filled the cavern.

    What might the future have held if the hero who killed the Heavenly Demon after many hardships and adversities kept his promise?

    What could have been

    If Shinhyuk chose the left path instead?

 Chapter 245: Celebratory Party (1)

    Chapter 245: Celebratory Party (1)

    Ohjins twisted vision faded as the past and presentno, the future and presentintersected, and he returned to the world he knew. He curled up like a bug in a fire in the middle of the empty living room. Oh, eugh. Nausea overcame him, and the acidic sting of gastric bile irritated his throat.

    Damn it He knew Ha-eun had to have died the first time around since thats what had likely made him different. Otherwise, it was hard for him to imagine bing the Heavenly Demon. Haa, haa! Just because he knew and expected it to have happened didnt mean he was fine with watching it.

    Lee Shinhyuk He red at the empty air and violently clenched his jaw. How had he felt in the original timeline if even the memory of it made him want to tear Shinhyuk apart? I dont know if I was there or not, but He wouldve heard the newster. How had he reacted the moment he heard Ha-eun died? How much would it have twisted his mentality?

    "Ugh!" He curled up even more, clutching his head in terrible pain as a pressure akin to a hydraulic press assaulted his skull.

    -Tiring!

    [Part of Awakener Lee Shinhyuk was sessfully inherited.]

    [The ck Heavens eighth awakening has strengthened Transmission.]

    [The ck Heavens new trait, Deja Vu () has been acquired.]

    A message appeared in front of his eyes.

    Deja Vu? He pressed on the blue window with the new skill on it.

    [Deja Vu () - When certain situations and conditions are met, you can acquire some of the absorbed Awakeners memory]

    In other words, it means that Transmission could be activated through methods other than the ck Heavens awakening, but "What are those situations and conditions?" It was a fairly vague exnation.

    He stared at the message window for a while before grabbing the folding knife at his waist. If Deja Vu is literally as its name suggests There was something he wanted to test.

    Shling, click!

    The knife transformed into a long spear after he channeled mana into it. He calmed his breathing and gripped the spear.

    - Its because of me if I were a little stronger!

    For a moment, he envisioned Shinhyuk practicing with the spear in an unknown forest; memories of spearmanship flooded his mind like a broken faucet.

    [Your understanding of the Spearmanship of Pyxis has improved significantly!]

    [Spearmanship of Pyxis has increased to Lv10.]

    Keuk! His head throbbed with hot pain, as if someone had injected his skull with molten iron. He squinted and did his best to suppress the agony. As expected, were these the certain situations and conditions mentioned? Basically, it meant that Shinhyuks memories would flood into his head like deja vu whenever he experienced situations simr to those Shinhyuk had.

    It''s not an easy trait to use. Since the spear was Shinhyuk''s main weapon, a sense of deja vu was triggered just by grabbing the spear, but it was otherwise difficult to simrly reproduce Shinhyuk''s memories since he didnt even properly know the guy.

    "It''s better to hope that the situation oveps by chance, like with real deja vu." Ohjin stood in the living room for a bit and went over the memories before sighing and turning his spear back into a knife.

    A terrible silence fell once he stopped moving.

    Tick tock

    Each tick of the clock echoed like thunder.

    The silence, which should have been normal, felt unbearable.

    Get a hold of yourself. Ha-eun''s death was a matter of her past lifeit was just a page of crumpled fate that had already ''not happened''. There was no reason for him to be so nervous about it.

    Haa, haa. Cold sweat fell from his forehead, and he loudly exhaled while trying to control the trembling in his hands. The unselected left path Ha-eun, who would have died alone there, kepting to his mind like a terrible nightmare.

    "Ha-eun" He missed her. No, he wanted to hear her voice at the very least. Ohjin shakily took out his smartphone and called her number.

    Dudududud

    The beeping sound felt like it went on for an eternity Ha-eun didn''t answer the phone.

    "Fuck!" He violently threw his phone and chewed his lips. Had something happened to her while he was away? Had she been kidnapped, like when he was kidnapped by Doyoon?

    Damnit! Just as he was panicking and about to run to the Association, the front door opened, and a sweaty Ha-eun entered.

    Click

    She turned to Ohjin, a sports towel hanging around her neck, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Is the baptism over?" she asked.

    It felt like his ck-and-white world was being filled with color again, and the terrible fear filling his mind vanished like melting snow. Ha-eun Ohjin walked up to her and wrapped her in a tight hug.

    "H-huh? Im all sweaty from training," sheined.

    Of course, Ohjin didnt care. His shoulders shook as he felt her warmth through the hug.

    Did something happen while you were being bapti Ha-eun suddenly stopped talking and gave him a closer look. "Are you crying?" Tears were flowing down his cheeks, and she reached out to wipe the tears away.

    While she wasnt sure why he was suddenly crying, she smiled and patted him on the back. "It''s okay. Im here." She felt his arms tighten around her. A, my baby. Whats wrong? she asked as if soothing a crying child.

    * * *

    * * *

    Ohjin bowed his head and remained silent for a moment. He didnt mind telling her the truth, but he didnt want to talk about what hed seen. It was all in a different past, yet he didnt want to think about her dying after Shinhyuk abandoned her. "Its nothing."

    "Is that so?" Ha-eun nodded as she stroked his cheek. "If you don''t want to talk about it, then thats okay." She wanted to know why he was so anxious, but even so, she didn''t want to force him to tell her.

    Right now, I just She only wanted tofort him. What should I do? All she could do was embrace him with her sweaty body. Shed been with him for a long time, but thats also why she couldnt think of a way tofort him.

    Come to think of it, I saw something like this onmunity forums before! She remembered an article titled, How to instantly relieve a husbands anger, or something like that. Of course, she wasnt married to him, and he wasnt angry, but ''I''m sure it will work.''

    She gave him a serious look, slowly reached out to stroke his back, and put her face close to his, as if to kiss him. "Ohjin she murmured.

    "Hmm?" he asked.

    She stopped patting his back and gently took his hand. "Do you want to touch my chest?"

    "What?" Ohjins mouth dropped open in disbelief. Her suggestion was so absurd that the tremors in his arms instantly vanished.

    "As expected, it''s effective!" Ha-eun proudly nodded to herself.

    * * *

    After she consoled him, Ha-eun yfully poked his cheek as hey sleeping on the bed. "Hehe. You cute little bitch." She didnt usually feel like she was his senior, but she was full of satisfaction because shed been the one to lead him that time.

    Ha-eun Hed been asleep and turned to his side to call her name.

    "Huh?" She thought she had woken him, so she hurriedly pulled away. Fortunately, his eyes remained closed. Was he just talking in his sleep?

    "Phew," she sighed in relief and looked down at him.

    "Ugh, Ugh" He curled like a shrimp and sweated.

    Was he having nightmares? She gave him a worried look.

    Ha-eun"

    "Yes, yes. I''m right here." She lightly patted his shoulder.

    D-dont he mumbled in his sleep.

    "Huh?"

    "Don''t die, don''t"

    Her expression stiffened. Why was he being so anxious? Didnt he say that he received Shinhyuks memories or something? Did something bad happen to her in those memories? Really, this bitch. Its not even a big deal. Ha-eun smirked and leaned down to hug him.

    Why did it matter if they knew where and how she died in a different life? She was alive and guarding him at the moment, which was all that mattered. I always will be She tightened her arms around him. In the past, when she thought he was saving money for Paradise, shed thought they could live separately.

    That thought had changed. Im not going to let you go again. She would do anything for him, anything he wanted, anything to be with him Ohjin His warmth reached her, and other desires began to take hold as the euphoria of being so close to him spread.

    "Ahem." She coughed at the sudden, insufferable desire. Youre sleeping, right? Ha-eun poked Ohjin''s cheek. It didnt look like he was about to wake up.

    "Haha." An insidious smile formed on her face as she slowly reached down, and

    Ha-eun? Ohjin opened his eyes and turned to her.

    H-huh? Y-youre awake? she cried out in noticeable panic.

    "Why are you so flustered?" Ohjin narrowed his eyes and looked down at her awkwardly-positioned hand.

    "Th-that''s!" she stuttered as she awkwardly pulled back her hand.

    "Did you try to do something weird while I was sleeping?" he asked.

    She jumped up and shouted. "It''s not like that! A-ahem! I mean, I let you touch me!"

    "What?" What was she talking about all of a sudden?

    I I figured it was okay to touch you since we both have two!

    Two what?

    Ill touch gently! she eximed.

    "Shut up."

    "I won''t burst them!"

    "Shut up, please."

 Chapter 246: Celebratory Party (2)

    Chapter 246: Celebratory Party (2)

    A luxurious, Hollywood-like limo drove along one of Seouls busy streets, and Isabe hummed from the passenger seat without meaning to. "Hmmmm~" The warmth and satisfaction were worth more to her than the limos luxury leather seats, which had cost tens of billions of won; her shoulders shuddered with excitement.

    "Oh, I''m sorry, miss." Her maid, who was helping her with her makeup, looked embarrassed and fixed a mistake shed made due to Isabes movements.

    "No, I''m sorry for moving so suddenly. Isabe gave the maid a kind smile.

    "You seem to be in a good mood. You were in bad shape for thest few weeks," Roberto, the old man driving the limo, said as he nced into the back seat.

    "Thats because all of the things Ive been putting off have been more or less solved. After Ohjin escaped from the Demon Realm, she felt a need to reestablish the Cologrande familys power, which shed put off for too long.

    We need power that can help Ohjin in an emergency. Compared to his excellent skills, Ohjin had almost no force to call his own. Of course, that meant he could operate freely since nothing was holding him back, but it also meant that he had nothing to fall back on in the case of an emergency.

    He had the Association, but that was a group that belonged to the state. Thus, shed returned to the Cologrande family to create a force that would be a natural extension of his will.

    * * *

    Itd only taken a few weeks for her to consolidate her familys power after Damien Salvator scattered it. After she heard that Ohjin would be participating in the Seven Stars selection, she focused on her work even more and did not contact him.

    Hmm. Is that the only reason youre so happy? A mischievous smile appeared on the old gentlemans face.

    "What do you want to say?" Isabe asked.

    "Haha, its nothing. I suddenly remembered the first time I met my wife."

    He was about to say that everything was very fresh back then before Isabe cut him off. "Just focus on driving, Roberto." She calmed her excitement a little and looked out the window.

    "By the way, Miss" Melissa, the maid whod been helping with her makeup, gave Isabe an embarrassed look. Even amid her day-to-day work, Isabe was so beautiful that even women found themselves breathless at the sight of her.

    Are you sure you''re going to be okay with that outfit?" The maid was referring to her clothes, which didnt match her noble appearanceit was a ssic maid costume that not even the family maids wore anymore.

    Fufu. He liked this outfit before." Isabe smiled and leaned back in her seat, lightly stroking her open cleavage. Ohjin fell very deeply for me. You could consider this a service for a loyal pet or something like that.

    "Aha! Youre rewarding him!"

    "Yes, this might be what Im wearing, but Im the master of our master-servant rtionship," Isabe smugly said, even though shed been the one to fall deeply for Ohjin. If she wanted to maintain her dignity in front of her subordinates, she had to twist things a bit.

    "As expected of you, Miss!" Melissas eyes shone, and she clenched her fists.

    Isabe lifted her chin at her maids awestruck gaze. When ites to love, the most important thing is to take the initiative and make the other person love you even more. Make it impossible for them to live a day without youthats what I call initiative.

    "Your maid costume"

    "Men tend to delude themselves into thinking they have the initiative, even when they''re dancing on the palm of my hand."

    "Wow," Melissa eximed and nodded constantly. Certainly, no outfit could make a person more deluded into believing they had the lead in a rtionship than a maid outfit. "Then, the Lightning Wolf"

    The Star of Twinkling Brilliance, Isabe interrupted.

    "What?"

    Hes not the Lightning Wolf anymore. Hes the Star of Twinkling Brilliance. You also heard he became a member of the Seven Stars, right? Isabe spoke in excitement, like a devoted wife boasting about her husband''s promotion.

    She continued with, Ohjin was chosen as a Seven Star, beating all other prominentpetitors, such as Wind God Namgung Hui of one of Chinas top families, Jason Hardy of the US, and Ondo Balethe God Archer of the UK. He did it all without being a high-ranking Awakener! Do you know how amazing that is?

    "Oh yes. That Yes."

    "Theres a rumor that the Star of Twinkling Brilliance title is given to the most powerful Awakener among the Seven Stars. This means that many celestials recognize Ohjin''s ability and talent."

    Melissa looked jaded as she listened to Isabe brag. By the way, Ohjin"

    "Melissa?" Isabe interrupted

    "Yes?"

    You should add sir, right? Her eerie blue eyes stared deep into Melissas.

    Melissa shook her head and nodded like a woodpecker.

    Isabe stroked her maids hair and made a satisfied smile. What were you trying to say?

    "So hes already in a rtionship with you?"

    Isabe''s face stiffened, and she looked away while sweeping her hair. "O-of course. I suppose you could say we promised ourselves to each other.

    * * *

    * * *

    She continued to talk, pretending to be as rxed as possible. Hes so in love with me that he asked me to drink his blood. Well, it was true that Ohjin had asked her to drink his blood.

    Oh! Oh, my! He even asked you to drink his blood? Melissa, who had the same stigma as Isabe, was well aware of what blood drinking meant for an Awakener of Hirudo.

    "Yes, and he did so while even knowing about the soul subjugation aspect." Isabe crossed her legs and shrugged.

    Melissa looked at her in envy. I can I also be a wonderful woman who can control men like you?

    "Oh, of course. Youre very cute, arent you?" Isabe smiled and gently touched Melissa''s cheek.

    Melissas shoulder-length chestnut brown hair and freckles gave her a pretty country-girl atmosphere, and her beauty was even apparentpared to the other maids. Cute isnt enough to be like you, though She pouted and sulked.

    Isabe smiled, turned her head, and looked out of the window. In the distance, she saw Ohjins apartment, and her heart started to surge with adrenaline while an impulse other than bloodlust began to heat her body. "Haa" Just when she was feeling frustrated that the 80km/h limo seemed as slow as a turtle

    "We''re here," Roberto announced from the drivers seat.

    "Well done, Roberto," Isabe said, stepping out of the door after Roberto opened it. Of course, everyone nearby couldnt help but watch when a brilliant beauty in a maid outfit emerged from the luxurious limo. Isabe, on the other hand, walked straight to the apartment building as if she didnt care that others were looking.

    "I''ll escort you to the front door," Roberto said.

    "It''s alright. I''ll go up by myself, so you can head back."

    "Yes, ma''am, I''ll be waiting at a nearby hotel." Roberto bowed deeply and went back to the limo.

    Isabe practically jumped into the elevator. When she arrived at Ohjins front door, she took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. "Ahem" She cleared her throat, took out a hand mirror, and checked her makeup. Perfect. Melissa was as skillful as ever.

    She looked into the mirror and gave herself an alluring smile. "It''s been a while, Ohjin. Why a maid outfit, you ask? Of course, its because I''m your maid. Or is the master-ve rtionship not enough?" She practiced her lines in the middle of the hallway and imagined Ohjins reaction. Melissa would be shocked to see her like that.

    ''Okay, just like this!'' Isabe clenched her fists and resolved herself. When she carefully opened the front door

    Click

    She saw Ohjin and Ha-eun clinging to each other in the early hours of the morning.

    Why not?! Its not like itll get worn out!

    "What nonsense are you talking about?"

    Of course, Ohjin wouldve felt that it was unfair for her to think they were showing off, but Isabe couldnt help but view the two naked people as doing anything else.

    Her eyes went cold, and the atmosphere in the room seemed thick enough to cut with a knife. "What are you two doing?" she asked. "Well, that''s it."

    The two were frozen in shock.

    Isabe resentfully chewed her lips. This is what she was rewarded with after working day and night to create a force to support him? Had he been spending every day being all lovey-dovey with Ha-eun?!

    So unfair, Ha-eun! She grabbed Ha-eun, who was still clinging to Ohjin. "I also want to be with Ohjin!" she shouted like a child. Any sort of image shed tried to cultivate of being a queen who held men in the palm of her hand was long gone.

    * * *

    "Have you calmed down?" After the brief scuffle, Ohjin offered her warm coffee as she sulked in the living room.

    "Hmph." Isabe narrowed her eyes and sipped the coffee hed given her. I guess you didnt even miss me while I was away.

    "Thats not it at all." Ohjin shook his head and sat next to her. Hed been happy to spend time alone with Ha-eun for the first few days, but hed started to miss Isabe after about a week.

    I feel like trash managing a fishery. It wasnt wrong for him to think that way, since he knew how much she liked him but still couldnt bring himself to push her away. If he were to make an awkward excuse, hed say it was because Ha-eun had permitted him to stay close.

    ''That''s not the only thing'' Ohjin gave his hand a bitter look. As expected, he was holding on to so many things that he was starting to get greedy.

    "I don''t know" Isabe turned her head away as if she were upset, but that onlysted for a moment. She swept her toes over the floor and carefully turned to him. "You thought of me, right?"

    "The house was pretty quiet without you," Ohjin said.

    "Haha. I''m d you said that, even if it''s just tofort me. A warm smile crept onto Isabes lips.

    Ohjin, on the other hand, was so sure of her anger a few moments ago that he couldnt believe a few words were enough to make her happy.

    Isabe let out a dramatic sigh. I can never tell Melissa. She pped her hands to shake off the depressed mood and spoke to Ohjin again. "Come to think of it, Ohjin!"

    "Huh?"

    "What have you nned for your celebratory party?"

    "What?" He had no clue what she was talking about.

    "Of course, we need to celebrate your joining the Seven Stars!"

    No matter how Ohjin looked at it, Isabes eyes shone like she was a bride, proud of her husbands promotion.

 Chapter 247: Celebratory Party (3)

    Chapter 247: Celebratory Party (3)

    She wanted to throw a party to celebrate his bing one of the Seven Stars? Alright. Then should we order some food for dinner? Ohjin asked. He didnt really care, but he nned to treat Isabe to a nice dinner inmemoration of their reunion after a few weeks of separation. Calling it a celebration of his sess would be killing two birds with one stone.

    What are you talking about, Ohjin? Isabe asked.

    Huh? Whats wrong? Oh, you said you didnt like delivery food before, right? He remembered her yelling about how bad the food was.

    Thats not the problem! Isabe jumped out of her seat and put her hands on her waist. First, I booked a five-star hotel on Jeju Ind. I rented it for the whole day and invited famous chefs

    Wait, what? Ohjin disdainfully shook his head at the growing scale of the party. What did she mean she rented a whole five-star hotel for a party?

    Cmon. Ohjin doesnt like such grandiose things, Ha-eun tutted with a shake of her head.

    Isabes eyes narrowed at Ha-euns mocking tone, and she asked, Isnt it simply because he has never experienced such things before? She also knew that Ohjin had lived in extreme poverty in the past and had heard that there were times he and Ha-eun wore used clothes from a collection box and ate cheap calorie bars.

    I want to give Ohjin a life he hasnt experienced before, she proudly said. Ohjin had been out of poverty for some time and even had enough money to be considered wealthy. Maybe it was because habits were hard to break, but he still never spent much more than he used to. Isabe, who was born into an aristocratic family and enjoyed all kinds of luxury, felt sorry for him.

    Hmm. Ohjin awkwardly smiled at Isabes enthusiasmshe was acting like she would offer her heart and liver to him if she could. I appreciate it, but as Ha-eun said, such grand things dont suit me.

    But Isabe tried to argue.

    Lets keep the party simple at home, Ohjin said. Whether it suited him or not, there was also the problem with his image. Korea was still in chaos following the First Stars death, so what would the public think if he rented a five-star hotel for a party after joining the Seven Stars?

    The kind of reaction Id get is obvious. Thered always been negative opinions about those who unted their wealth. Whether the money was justly earned or not, showing off money was a good way to get criticism from the public. There was a reason why politicians went to the market for food and used the subway around election season, after all.

    Hmm I see. Isabes shoulders drooped. She bit her lips as if she were upset, but she knew they were right. Can I at least prepare the food?

    Looking at her like that, Ha-eun shrugged. Id be happy if you did. Will you be okay? You just got here. Arent you tired?

    Im alright. Isabe rolled up her sleeves. Though she was tired after working day and night for the past few weeks, she felt energized at the thought of Ohjin eating food shed personally cooked.

    Ill help Ha-eun said.

    Youll be helping by staying still.

    So mean! Though Ha-eun sounded upset, she only knew how to cook roasted coal meat and deep-fried squid, neither of which Ohjin would want to eat during his celebratory party.

    How many guests are we inviting? Ohjin asked.

    Lets see Ha-eun mumbled. Definitely Vega and Riak. Lets call Mr. Gori, too.

    You mean Manager Han? Ohjin asked.

    Yeah. He worked hard to guide you.

    Youre right. He owed a lot to Manager Han. Maybe Lee Woohyuk Though he was reluctant to approach Woohyuk recently due to Lee Shinhyuks memories, he felt it was necessary to maintain a proper friendship with the man, regardless of his personal feelings. I should still invite him. Hating Shinhyuk didnt mean he also had to hate Woohyuk just because they were rted by blood.

    Should we invite Allen and that cheeky kid, too? Ha-eun said.

    Cheeky kid? Isabe asked.

    A woman named Reba.

    Reba Isabe muttered. Are you talking about the Star of Celestial Shining Pearl?

    Yeah.

    She was speechless that Ha-eun was calling the Third Star a kid.

    Lets keep it to those people for now, Ohjin said.

    Okay, then should I prepare nine servings? Isabe asked.

    You should make a little more. Considering Riak and Manager Hans appetites, nine servings wouldnt be enough. Then, Ill go contact everyone. Ohjin took out his phone and headed to the room.

    * * *

    -Im sorry. I have an engagement with Deneb today, so I wont be able to attend.

    Oh, I see.

    -Ill visit you another time. Congrattions on receiving your title as the Star of Twinkling Brilliance.

    Yes, then Ill see you around. Allen had said he wouldnt be able to make it due to other business. Nows a busy time, after all. In the end, everyone else expressed their willingness to attend.

    Shall we go grocery shopping first? he asked Isabe upon returning to the kitchen.

    Oh. Its fine. I already told Roberto to prepare the ingredients.

    Ding dong

    As if on cue, the doorbell rang, and Isabe opened the door to see Roberto and Melissa holding boxes of ingredients.

    I have the best ingredients, Roberto said.

    Well done, Roberto.

    Is he the Star of Twinkling Brilliance? Melissa asked as she ced arge box in the living room.

    Isabe stepped up and introduced Melissa when she saw Ohjin giving her a confused look. Her name is Melissa, and shes one of my familys employees.

    Melissa bowed deeply at the waist. Nice to meet you! Im Melissa, Miss Isabes personal maid!

    * * *

    * * *

    Nice to meet you, Ohjin said.

    Hehe. Please speak casually!

    Oh, um alright. Ohjin nodded at Melissas cheerful attitude. She seemed to be about the age of a high school student and was as fresh and innocent as a dandelion.

    Ill help with the preparations, Miss Isabe! she eximed.

    Oh, would you? Isabe and Melissa headed to the kitchen with the boxes of ingredients.

    Roberto looked at Isabes bright and calm smile and watched the two prepare food for a bit before turning to Ohjin. Im Roberto, the head butler of the Cologrande family.

    Oh, yes. Ive heard a lot about you.

    Its nice to finally meet you in person. Roberto bowed.

    Oh! Arent you the grandpa who sent me the Cuban cigars? Ha-eun eximed.

    A pale blood vessel appeared on Robertos wrinkled forehead. Haha. Thats right. I sent you my collection that I worked on for years.

    Oh Ha-euns shoulders trembled at the gloomy energy emanating from the old gentleman. D-dont worry! I didnt smoke that many of them! Ill give them back to you, gramps!

    Roberto shook his head. More importantly The old gentlemans gaze turned to Ohjin. Thank you. He bowed deeply to Ohjin again.

    Ohjin was rather embarrassed by his extremely polite attitude. I dont think I did anything to deserve such thanks

    Ive never seen Isabe smile so sincerely from the bottom of her heart in my years of serving her The old gentleman continued with a bitter smile, Until she met you, Ohjin.

    Ohjin was speechless.

    Youre the reason shes able to smile so happily.

    Well, she also helped me a lot.

    Haha. Im d. Roberto looked over at Isabe as if looking at a beloved granddaughter. Please continue to look after her.

    Yes.

    Oh, and let me tell you one thing. Roberto approached and whispered, The miss has been growing recently.

    Growing what?

    Hahaha! Well have to order her new clothes soon! Roberto happily twirled his mustache. Oh, and do you know?

    What else? Ohjin asked.

    Roberto patted Ohjin on the shoulder and winked. Its stillmon among Italian aristocrats to have more than one wife.

    Ohjin raised a hand to his forehead as he suddenly felt a headache from his image of Roberto being shattered.

    Around 30 minutester, Melissa and Isabe finished preparing the food and returned to the living room.

    Then well be leaving now, Roberto said.

    Ha-eun, who had been chatting with him for the past 30 minutes about cigars, tilted her head. Huh? Why dont you stay and eat with us?

    Hoho. This isnt something the maid and I can partake in.

    But still Ha-eun tried to argue.

    At least have a cup of coffee before you leave, Ohjin insisted.

    Well, that should be fine. Roberto and Melissa took their seats with a nod.

    Ohjin took a couple of Maxim coffee sticks out of the cupboard. I dont know if this will suit the tastes of people who work for a noble family, but He added hot water and stirred with the wrapperfive cups of coffee were done in the blink of an eye.

    Huh? This is good! Melissa eximed as soon as she tried it.

    Its one of the best inventions in Korea, Ohjin proudly stated.

    Huh, I cant believe you can make coffee so easily

    Ill give you a few boxes as a gift, so take them.

    Really? Melissa smiled.

    Ohjin nodded and gave her a couple of boxes of Maxim coffee stacked in the cupboard.

    Hehe. The Star of Twinkling Brilliance is such a kind person.

    Just for this? Ohjin asked with a smirk.

    Melissa wiggled her fingers and carefully said, Um would it be alright if I asked you a question?

    What is it?

    How did you two get together?

    Huh? Ohjins eyes met Ha-euns.

    Ha-eun scratched her cheek with an embarrassed look. Ohjin and I have

    Huh? What are you talking about? Melissa tilted her head and gave Ha-eun a puzzled look, as if she were unable to understand why she was the one answering the question.

    Ack! Isabes eyes widened as if shed just remembered something. M-Melissa! She hurriedly tried to stop Melissa.

    It was toote, though Isnt Ohjin dating Isabe? Melissa asked with an innocent look. Im curious as to how you two ended up together!

    What? Ha-eun asked.

    Silence filled the living room. Ohjin and Ha-eun turned to Isabe.

    Isabe restlessly looked around before closing her eyes and pointing at Ohjin. O-Ohjin! Ohjin confessed first! she stuttered.

    What? Ohjin asked. I did?

 Chapter 248: Celebratory Party (4)

    Chapter 248: Celebratory Party (4)

    "Wow! As expected! You confessed first!" Melissa sped her hands tightly as if she were praying, and she looked envious of Isabe as the lecture in the limo crossed her mind. This is how she took the initiative in love! She winked at Isabe and subtly gave her a thumbs-up to show she remembered the advice.

    Y-yes. O-Ohjin confessed first. Isabe paled and looked away from Melissas awestruck gaze. Lets go cook She tried to change the subject in a hurry and got up.

    "Where?" Melissa asked.

    "What?"

    "Where did you get the confession?" There was no stopping the curiosity of a girl who was just getting to know love.

    "Uhhh I mean." Isabe nced at Ohjin and Ha-eun. They both seemed to have noticed what was going onOhjin was shaking with suppressedughter, and Ha-eun was simrly covering her mouth as if she could burst outughing at any moment.

    Isabe bit her lips and grabbed her skirt. "It it was by the beach."

    "Oh! San Fruttuoso, you mean?!"

    "Y-yes."

    "I can''t believe he confessed on the beach at sunset! It''s romantic!" Melissa shrieked and tightly closed her eyes as she imagined the scene. No one said anything about a sunset, but the girl''s imagination was overwhelming.

    "Melissa, calm down a little" Ohjin tried to say.

    "What was the most important line in your confession? What words of love did you whisper to her?

    "W-words of love?" Isabe''s legs shook, and she barely managed to shamefully say, He said he would be my hope. Of course, those were far different from what Melissa was thinking, but those words had shaken her more than any words of love.

    "Hope? Not love?" Melissa asked.

    Yes"

    "Hmmm." Melissa closed her eyes, thinking the confession was different from what she expected. "Mr. Star of Twinkling Brilliance!" She turned to Ohjin, clenched her fists, and excitedly shouted, "When did you fall in love with Isabe?"

    "Uh I mean" Ohjin started to say.

    O-Ohjin! Isabe turned to him and put her hands together as if praying.

    Ohjin scratched his head and quietly said, "From the first moment I saw her, maybe?"

    "Ah! As expected! You were in love at first sight!" Melissa patted her cheeks, unable to believe such a storybook romance, and shook her head.

    "Melissa, let''s go back now" Roberto said.

    "Oh! H-head butler, I still have questions to ask"

    Roberto sighed and pulled the girl away. The moment she was dragged out of the house like an eight-ton truck with a broken axle

    "Kyahahahahahaha!!!!" Ha-eun burst intoughter and rolled on the floor. "What, what, what? Were you out there swearing you were dating Ohjin?"

    Sh-shut up! Isabe yelled.

    "Hahahaha! It''s so funny!"

    "Ha-eun!" Isabe looked back at Ohjin, blushing. "Ohjin! Please stop her"

    Ohjin looked out the window with a gloomy atmosphere hanging around him and said, "Meeting you for the first time in a while reminds me of what happened at the beach that day under the sunset."

    "What?" Isabe gave him a confused look.

    Ohjin continued, I just barely mustered the courage to confess that I would be your hope.

    Heuk. E-even you, Ohjin!" Isabe turned pale and stepped back.

    Seeing Isabe blush as her usually noble and elegant atmosphere was ruined in such a way made Ohjinugh. "What''s wrong? Weren''t we a couple?"

    "Ahh, ugh, ughhh! She stomped her feet and seemed to be about to cry. Whatever! Youre both so mean! She threw a teacup at them.

    Ohjin plucked the empty cup from the air and looked at the clock. "Anyway, is it alright to stay like this?"

    "What?"

    "There are only two hours until the guests arrive."

    "Oh." Isabe''s eyes widened. Time passed quickly since they were so busy. I Ill start cooking right away! She rushed to the kitchen.

    * * *

    "Congrattions on being chosen as the final star, Awakener Ohjin." The first person to arrive was Manager Han.

    "I''m here, too!" A boy in an ill-fitting whiteb coat followed and raised his handsKim Sihoo, the head of the Associations research division. Even at his young age, he had a genius ability to produce relics.

    "It''s been a while," Ohjin said. Hed been conducting regr weapon inspections with Sihoo until he got the Living Armors spear, but he hadnt seen the boy much since then.

    "There''s a rumor that you have a new relic," the boy said.

    "This?" Ohjin asked as he took the folding knife from his waist and channeled his mana into it.

    Shling, Click!

    The knife almost instantly transformed into a spear.

    "Oh! That''s the famous ego weapon!" Sihoo excitedly reached for the spear.

    Kzzt!

    A blue spark shot from the weapon.

    Only its owner can touch it, Ohjin exined.

    "Hmm, is that so?" Sihoo took a magnifying ss from the pocket of hisb coat. "Can you put it down on the floor for a second?"

    "Yes." Ohjin did as asked and put the spear on the floor.

    Sihoo brought his magnifying ss close to the weapon, and bluish threads of light emerged to wrap around the spear. "Hmm. It''s Dantalian" the boy mumbled.

    "Dantalian?" Ohjin asked.

    "The spears name is etched on the handle."

    "What?" Ohjin tilted his head and took a closer look, but the metal was just pitch-ck, and he saw nothing like a name.

    * * *

    * * *

    "Oh, to be exact, Sihoo said, its carved inside the spear. You can only see it if you use something like this." He waved the relic that looked like a magnifying ss.

    Dantalian, huh? Ohjin gave the spear a curious look. He knew it was an ego weapon, but he didn''t think it would have a name. He hardly ever felt like the spear had an ego, after all.

    He picked the spear back up and called out, "Dantalian."

    Whoooooong!

    His eyes widened the moment he channeled some mana into it, and the dark spear shook and released an intense energy. Huh? Is its output higher than usual? All hed done was call out its name, but its output had somehow increased.

    "It''s because of the name," the boy exined.

    "Because of the name?"

    "The stronger the weapons ego, the better the weapons performance. Sihoo carefully examined the dark spear again, using his relic. "Do you want to take some time toe to theb? I can figure out more with the equipment there."

    "Alright." A smile spread on Ohjin''s face at the unexpected harvest.

    Sihoo smiled and elbowed him. "What do you think? Isn''t this the best gift for a celebratory party?"

    "Eat everything you want to eat today," Ohjin said as he patted the boy on the shoulder.

    "Ugh. I''m suddenly embarrassed about my present," Manager Han, who was holding a fruit basket, murmured.

    "What do you mean? Ohjin asked. Thank you for the food, sir."

    "Haha. I bought this with my own money, notpany money."

    After Ohjin took the fruit basket

    "It''s been a long time, Ohjin. I apologize for not contacting you properly after the Living Armor incidentI was in training." Lee Woohyuk arrived next, and the atmosphere around him had changed beyond recognition.

    Did they say he became a 9-Star? Certainly, Ohjin felt that the energying from the man waspletely different. "You must have had some good training sessions."

    "Haha. Not as good as yours." Woohyuk was also shocked. He thought Ohjin was chosen for the Seven Stars for a reason, but he didn''t think the mans growth would be so insane. Is he really an 8-Star Awakener? Woohyuk shook his head as if he couldn''t believe it.

    "Here''s a congrattory gift." Sunyoung, the vice-leader of the Valha guild who came with Woohyuk, offered Dom Perignon champagne.

    Ohjins eyes shook a bit as he looked at Sunyoung and remembered what hed seen.

    -Why are you hesitating? Hes your brother Your only family!

    He couldnt get the image of her urging Shinhyuk to abandon Ha-eun out of his head and suddenly felt irritated.

    "Ohjin?"

    "Oh, yes. Thank you." He epted the champagne and walked away while doing his best to calm down. Focus. It was already history.

    My child! Congrattions! Vega eximed as she arrived with Riak.

    "Grrr. Hmph, pretty good for a rookie, Riak said.

    Uncle! How have you been? Reba also approached him with a cheerful smile on her face.

    After everyone gathered, Ha-eun lifted her ss for a toast. "Now! To Ohjin and his title of Star of Twinkling Brilliance pfft! Oh, that title is very awkward." She burst outughing. "Do you use divine arts or something?" she joked with Ohjin.

    Shut up and just finish what you were about to say.

    Even their thought processes were simr.

    "Ahem! Anyway! Congrattions on bing a Seven Star! Cheers!"

    The party began with the clear clinking of sses and a lively atmosphere.

    Delicious! Vega eximed. As expected, its iparable to what Ha-eun makes!

    "What?"

    "Did you make all this by yourself?" she asked Isabe.

    Everyone who tried Isabes dish was shocked by how good it was, and just when the party was reaching its height

    Hmm? Ohjin felt a strange sensation on his leg. When he looked down, he saw a thin, white leg slowly caressing him. He hurriedly looked up and across the table and saw Isabe pretending to be nonchnt.

    "What are you doing?" he tried to ask.

    "Do you need anything else, Ohjin?" Isabe skillfully moved her feet and gave him a mischievous smile as she gently stimted his leg in a secretive gesture that couldve been shared between lovers.

    Of course, Ohjin realized why she was suddenly acting like that. Is it because of what happened before the party? It looked like her disgrace in front of Melissa had activated some sort of switch in her.

    When he felt her leg slowly wrap around his, he tried to pull his foot away. "W-wait" What was she doing in such a crowded ce?

    "Stay still," she ordered, and his body halted. Next, she tickled his shins with her feet. No, the movement was much too pleasurable to be described as tickling. "You made fun of me earlier, right?" She moved her feet more rapidly, as if to say she wouldnt forgive him.

    Ohjin screamed inside, barely enduring the rush of pleasure. No, Ha-eun did it, too, but why am I being punished? He looked to Ha-eun for help, but she wasnt paying attention to him and instead was upied with drinking champagne and chatting with the others.

    "Keuk." He chewed his lips and tried to distract himself as much as possible.

    As if to mock his efforts, Isabe''s feet gradually began to ascend to his thighs.

    N-no! Almost everyone there could be called an acquaintance, so he could imagine the kind of aftermath hed be facing if he got caught at such an embarrassing moment.

    I made a sound!

    He squeezed his eyes shut and did his best to endure the pleasure.

 Chapter 249: The Thousand Curse Dragon (1)

    Chapter 249: The Thousand Curse Dragon (1)

    Ohjins party went on for three hours until the atmosphere cooled. Once a certain song rang from the TV in the living room, people naturally felt that it was time for them to go.

    "Haha. I enjoyed the party! I''ll contact you again next time!" Manager Han said as he left.

    "Bye, Manager Gori!" Ohjin eximed.

    "Wh-what do you mean?!" Tears welled up in Manager Hans eyes.

    Take care, Ha-eun! If you need any equipment, please stop by theb!" Sihoo said.

    "Oh, for free?" Ha-eun asked,

    "Err Sihoo scratched his head. If its fun, I guess?"

    Ha-eun smiled and patted the boy on the shoulder. "I''m just kidding. I''ll bring a pile of starstones when I visit."

    "Well be heading out first, Manager Han said as he guided Sihoo out.

    "Yes, get home safely!" Reba said as she poured the rest of her alcohol down her throat and turned to look at Ohjin, who was lying face-down on the table and breathing heavily. "Why is he like that? Did he drink a lot?"

    "Huh? Ha-eun tilted her head. I barely saw him drink anything, though." She tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "What''s wrong with you?"

    "Nothing." Ohjin raised his head and stared at Isabe, who was sitting across the table from him.

    Looking satisfied as if shed eaten a big, hearty meal, Isabe stood from her seat and said, "I''ll start cleaning~" She hummed and took away the tes.

    Ha-eun tilted her head, sensing that there was something strange between the two.

    Meanwhile, Reba smiled. "So there wasn''t only onepetitor, huh?" she mumbled before, still in her chair, she leaned in toward Ohjin and whispered, "Really aren''t you too bold to be doing things like that in front of people?"

    ! Ohjin''s eyes widened as he flinched and turned to give her a stunned look. The woman held her stomach andughed in response.

    Ha-eun was still confused and tilted her head. "What? Why are youughing all of a sudden?"

    "Hahaha! It''s nothing." Reba said before getting up from her seat. "I''ll also be going now. Invite me again next time, Mr. Seventh Star." She winked and walked out the front door.

    "Haa" Ohjin held a hand to his forehead as if he had a headache.

    Are they slowly leaving? Vega, whod eaten her fill, flew over to Ohjin. What? Maybe it was because shed eaten too much, but she lost her sense of bnce in mid-air and fell.

    Thankfully, Riak was quick to react and caught her on his back. "Are you okay, Vega?"

    A-ahem! I lost my bnce because I was drunk! she eximed.

    Cmon, Ha-eun disagreed, just a nce, and I can tell that its because you ate too much. Why are you ming the alcohol?

    Shut up!! Vega flew straight at Ha-eun and yanked on her earlobe.

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

    Just when the living room was getting noisy again, Woohyuk approached Ohjin and said, "Ohjin"

    "Woohyuk, are you going to go home now?" Ohjin asked.

    "Yes. Before that, I have something to ask you, to be precise Its a question for Ha-eun."

    "What?" Ohjin asked.

    Ha-eun whod been y-fighting with Vega turned to look at them with wide eyes. "Huh? Me?"

    Woohyuk gave Ha-eun an embarrassed look. "Well its not something I should be saying at a party, but I''m going on a business trip abroad tomorrow." He gave a deep sigh before getting directly to the point. "Have you heard that named monsters are back in action recently?"

    "Oh, yes. I heard that."

    They didnt know what the connection was, but theyd heard that the named monsters, which had been inactive since the ck Star Organization began their activities, were popping up again.

    Korea didnt suffer as much as some others, but there was a time when we faced a disaster at the hands of a named monster.

    Of course, Ohjin was already very familiar with the aforementioned named monster. No He couldn''t help but know. The Thousand Curse Dragon, Barbatos, he said as his eyes went cold.

    Woohyuk gave a solemn nod. "Yes. Recently, we detected that the Thousand Curse Dragon resumed its activities in North Korea."

    Six years prior, back when Ha-eun had already been an Awakener for six years, a named monster had turned North Korea into a massive swamp and settled there before leading a group of monsters to the south.

    A major war had broken out in the middle of downtown Seoul, causing thousands of people to be ughtered. The guilds, whod been at odds with each other, joined hands in an unprecedented act of unity while the Awakeners gathered to fight the named monster.

    Of course, Ha-eun had also been there. Awakeners had been of much lower level and number back then, so shed directly faced the dragon in the leading group as the most skilled Awakener in South Korea.

    The Thousand Curse Dragon appeared again? Ha-eun asked. She and her allies back then had barely managed to drive the Thousand Curse Dragon out in exchange for dozens of Awakeners lives, but they hadnt managed to kill it. The dragon had also left her with a cruel parting curse thatd stolen her sight.

    "Yes. It''s not moving too much yet, but I''m sure it''s back." Woohyuk took a picture out of his pocket that showed a purple dragon walking through downtown Pyongyang. The picture, which showed the city devastated by a monster invasion, was crystal clear.

    Ha-eun''s expression stiffened when she saw the picture. A dragon with purple scales, symbolizing curses and poison It was the Thousand Curse Dragon, just as she remembered it.

    What?" she mumbled. No, there was one difference "What''s with the ck horns?"

    Two horns sprouted from the dragons head.

    * * *

    * * *

    She didnt remember any horns like that back when shed fought the dragon.

    We dont know why it has horns now, Woohyuk said. However, other than that, it looks exactly like the Thousand Curse Dragon we know of.

    That''s right" Ha-eun slowly nodded.

    Woohyuk continued. "As far as I know, Ha-eun, you participated in the Thousand Curse Dragon subjugation the first time around Is that right?"

    "Yes, that''s right."

    "Can you tell me what you know about the dragon?" Of course, she was the perfect person to ask for information on the named boss. Who could be a better person than the one whod directly faced it?

    "Are you nning to subjugate the dragon again?" Ha-eun asked.

    "Yes. If we wait, then we dont know when hell lead another monster wave." That made sense. It was wisest to wipe out an enemy before they could be a proper force, after all.

    Ha-eun frowned as if recalling a nightmare she didn''t want to remember. "First of all, its curse attacks are very tricky. It used colorful curses, as youd expect from its name."

    The Thousand Curse Dragon used everything from debilitating curses that caused headaches and vomiting, to curses that slowed you down, to curses that caused terrible pain. It had an uncountable variety of curses at its disposal.

    "You have to watch for when its scales shine. The intensity of the curse changes depending on how many scales are shining."

    "I see."

    "Hang on a second, Ha-eun." Sunyoung quickly took out her smartphone and began to record. "Please say that again."

    Compared to its size, its weak in closebat. Its movements were on the slow side.

    "What''s its flight capability?"

    "It can''t fly. It has wings, but I''ve never seen them in use." Ha-eun recounted the terrible memories of the past and ryed all that she knew.

    "Do you happen to know where the nest is?"

    "The nest? I don''t know where the nest is."

    "Hmm Could you at least make a guess?"

    "Well, even if you say that, nothinges to mind. Ha-eun scratched her head with an embarrassed look on her face.

    Woohyuk let out a deep sigh. "As expected, not even you know where its nest could be." Theyd have to find its nest if they wanted to take out the named monster before it gathered more power. Unfortunately, he was at a loss. "If only I knew where the nest was"

    -If only I knew where the nest was

    Bzzt

    Ohjin''s vision twisted, and Woohyuk''s voice, muttering the same words as before, resonated in his head. This His eyes shone as the ck Heavens newest trait activated, and a familiar feeling assaulted him.

    -Woohyuk, O-over there! Th-that''s the nest!

    He heard Shinhyuk yelling in excitement as the nests location naturally flowed into his head.

    "Fuu Woohyuk breathed out a long sigh. I''m sorry to remind you of bad memories on such a good day."

    "No, its fine, Ha-eun said. You''re going on a business trip tomorrow?"

    "Yes, I heard the named monsters also resumed their activities overseas, so I''m going to see what else I can find out."

    "Youre working hard."

    "Haha. Someone has to do it." Woohyuk stood up and grabbed his coat. "Well, we''ll get going. I enjoyed the meal."

    "Yes, go ahead," Ha-eun waved goodbye.

    Meanwhile, Ohjin watched him leave without saying a word.

    Click

    The door closed, signaling the end of the rambunctious party.

    "Shall we clean up now?" Ha-eun asked.

    I''ll help you! Vega eximed.

    As the other two cleaned up, Ohjin closed his eyes and thought over some memories. The smell of medicine wafted into his nose, and he recalled Ha-eun lying in a hospital bed and trembling amidst an unfamiliar darkness.

    He knew where the being whod taken her light from her was, and a blue fire kindled in his eyes as he slowly opened them. "Everyone, I have something to say."

    "What?" Ha-eun asked.

    Vega turned to look at him as well. What are you talking about?

    The only other three people in the roomHa-eun, Vega, and Isabewere all waiting for his next words.

    "You know what we just heard about the Thousand Curse Dragon? he asked them.

    "Oh, yes," Isabe said.

    "Lets ughter that bastard."

    Ohjin felt sorry for the Valha Guild, but if it was something that had to be done, then he would do it himself.

 Chapter 250: The Thousand Curse Dragon (2)

    Chapter 250: The Thousand Curse Dragon (2)

    "What? We''re going to hunt it? Ha-eun asked in surprise. I just said I don''t know where the nest is"

    "I know," Ohjin said.

    "What?"

    "I know where the nest is."

    How?"

    Isabe and Ha-eun gave Ohjin incredulous looks, while Vega and Riak looked fairly indifferent and nodded as if they already expected as much.

    Fufu, that''s what happened, Vega said.

    "Grrrr, Riak growled. This must be something he already went through."

    Isabe narrowed her eyes when she saw how the two reacted. "What do you mean he already went through it? What do they mean, Ohjin?"

    Ohjin hesitated and turned to Vega with a questioning look, as if asking if he could reveal the information.

    Vega shrugged and nodded. Didn''t the celestials find out anyway?

    "That''s right." Ohjin nodded and turned to Isabe. "I need to tell you something, Isabe."

    "Oh, yes. Go ahead, Ohjin."

    "I" He lowered his voice. "I am a Regressor."

    What?" Isabes jaw dropped, but her surprise soon turned to anxiety. "Ohjin, did you drink too much?"

    Vega flew over and said, It''s true.

    "Wh-what do you mean? Isabe asked. If you''re a Regressor you''re saying you''re from the future, right?"

    "That''s right." Ohjin nodded and slowly revealed what hed been hiding. Of course, even if hed avoided telling others, most of it was a lie.

    After he finished exining, Isabe put a hand to her head as if she had a headache. "Wait a minute  wait a minute, give me a moment to think" Her thoughts were colliding in an iprehensible tangle. If anyone else had told her something like that, she wouldve dismissed it as nonsense.

    "Are you sure?" she asked. Since it was the person she trusted and had given her heart to, she had no choice but to believe him.

    Ohjin nodded silently.

    Isabe turned to look at Ha-eun. "Did you also know?"

    "Y-yeah?" Ha-eun flinched and scratched her head as she gave an awkward smile. "Well, that''s right." She supposed she could be ssified as knowing, though she also knew he was merely pretending to be a Regressor.

    How can this bastard lie like this without a single change in expression? she wondered as she gave Ohjin a shocked look. Facial expressions were often the easiest way to tell if someone was lying. Subtle tremors of the pupils, lips, eyebrows, chin, body, and even tonal changes were all things that people would notice.

    Didnt it sometimes happen that you could look at someone else and instinctively realize what they said was a lie? Such times were when you subconsciously picked up on those tells.

    Ohjin didnt have any of that. From what she was seeing, his lies were so natural that she didnt notice anything off about his demeanor. Even she wouldve been fooled if she hadnt known the truth.

    "Why didn''t you tell me before?" Isabe asked, her eyes trembling. Since Vega, Riak, and Ha-eun knew everything, shed been the only one left out. Was it because he didntpletely trust her? "Is it because I''m an Awakener of Hirudo?"

    "No." Ohjin shook his head. "I thought youd dismiss it as absurd and not believe me if I told you."

    "That''s not true" Isabe was about to deny it but suddenly found herself unable to argue as she remembered her first reaction upon hearing he was a Regressor was to ask him if hed drunk too much. Would she have believed him if Vega hadnt confirmed it? Even still, she worried they were making fun of her somehow.

    I cant really argue" she admitted.

    "Well, that''s a given. I would also assume anyone who said they were from the future was spouting nonsense. Ohjinughed. "I can''t hide it forever, can I? Isabe well, we''re like family now."

    "What?" Isabe''s eyes widened, and her face flushed as she nervously moved back and forth on her feet. "D-did you just propose?"

    "What?" Ohjin asked.

    "You proposed, right?"

    "No, that''s not it. I mean, we live in the same house and are close, so were like family."

    "When would be a good time to have the ceremony?"

    "Listen to me,dy." Ohjin flicked her on the forehead to snap her out of her wild daydreams.

    In response, she took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead beforeing to a realization and eximing, "Then you came to Italy to save me!" She hadnt thought about it before, but his timing had just been too good. It all made sense if he was a Regressor.

    "That''s right." Ohjin nodded.

    Isabe narrowed her eyes and quietly asked, "What happened in my past life?"

    "That''s" Ohjin paused for a moment and gave a deep sigh before he said, "You couldn''t ovee the urge for blood and turned Italy into a sea of fire."

    He remembered Italy engulfed in mes. Perhaps she wouldn''t have died there if he hadn''t saved her, but things would have changed a lot.

    "Then if it wasn''t for you, Ohjin, I would have" She went quiet as she recalled memories from back then.

    * * *

    * * *

    Shed tried to lure out the Marco family, who were illegally distributing drugs in Italy, but shed been in a very bad situation thanks to the Purple Forbidden Enclosure. If he hadnt saved her, then she couldve gone insane.

    "You don''t have to think about it now, for a past life is only a past life," Ohjin said.

    "But" she tried to argue.

    "Youve found a way to control your urge for blood now, right?" he asked as he reached out to hold her hand. The warmth she felt from his palm washed away her anxiety. Weird" she mumbled.

    "What?"

    She lowered her head and tightened her grip on her hand. Shed thought she was already so into him that she couldnt fall anymore, but she was somehow still finding new ways to like him "Fufu. It''s nothing. Thank you for your kind words, Ohjin." She smiled and shook her head.

    She wanted to convey all of her feelings to him, but Ha-eun was his lover. ''One day'' She suppressed her simmering emotions and let go of his hand. "Do you n to ask Valha for cooperation against the Thousand Curse Dragon?"

    "No. I''m not going to contact them." Ohjin shook his head.

    "Why not?" she asked. If they were going to hunt the dragon, then it only made sense to have as much backup as possible.

    "This is something I have to do," Ohjin said as he nced toward Ha-eun.

    Oh" Right, Isabe remembered hearing something about how Ha-eun had been cursed by the dragon and lived in blindness for several years.

    Ha-eun tapped Ohjin on the shoulder and asked, "Why is that your job?"

    "Ha-eun?" Ohjin gave her a puzzled look.

    "It''s not your job; it''s my job." Ha-eun''s eyes shone coolly, but her legs were shaking a bit. Of course, she was afraid to confront the being whod trapped her in that terrible darkness.

    "You don''t have to overdo it, Ha-eun," he said.

    "Im not." Ha-eun shook her head and smirked as she calmed her trembling legs. "Thank you for caring about me, but Im not so weak and soft that I would have someone else get revenge for me. She clenched her fist and brought out a subtle me. "I''ll kill that lizard."

    "We can kill it together," Ohjin said. Its not like he needed to fight it one-on-one.

    "Well, anyway. You''re saying we''re going to catch the lizard on our own, right?" Ha-eun asked.

    "Yes. The five of us should be more than strong enough." Although Vega and Riak were not able to use their full power properly due to the constraints, they were still incredibly strong, and Isabe was also there.

    True. The Thousand Curse Dragon looked like it was a 9-Star, right? Six years prior, a 9-Star monster was a disaster. Thankfully, Awakeners had grown stronger since then, so 9-Star monsters werent as big of a threat anymore. Of course, since it was a named monster, it would also have exceptional power and intelligencepared to other monsters of the same rank.

    "Couldnt Isabe defeat it by herself?" Ha-eun asked.

    "Why don''t you stay, and just me and Ohjin will go?" Isabe asked.

    "Huh? Ha-eun grunted. You''re ying tricks again. "I told you, right? I''m going to kill that lizard."

    "Fufu. Okay, I got it." Isabe smiled gracefully, covering her mouth with her hands.

    The Thousand Curse Dragon Even the name gives off a sense of evil, Vega muttered.

    "Grrrrr! Its just a monster." Riak bared his teeth.

    When do you n to leave? Vega asked.

    "We won''t have to go in a hurry," Ohjin replied. The Thousand Curse Dragon had just woken up and was gathering its forces. The sooner, the better, of course, but there was no need to rush to the point of neglecting preparations. "I''m thinking of going to the Association first."

    "Oh, because of what Sihoo said?" Ha-eun asked. He had to examine the Living Armours spear, Dantalian, in detail.

    "Yeah. It''ll be good to get your gear there, too."

    "Then let''s go tomorrow."

    "Isabe, he said, do you need anything else?"

    "I''m fine. I''ll be at full power with you, Ohjin." Isabe smiled deeply as she scanned the back of Ohjin''s neck.

    Thisdy will have to save as much energy as she can until we leave, Vega dered.

    "Grrrrrr! All a true warrior needs is fighting spirit and skill! Let''s go now, rookie!" Riak hadnt had a chance to fight in a while thanks to being locked in the sanctuary for so long and only training, so he was eager to get going.

    "We haven''t even cleaned up the tes yet, man. What do you mean? We cant leave right now." Ohjin got up from his seat and smiled. The Thousand Curse Dragon or whatever could wait, the priority was to clean up the messy table.

    "I''ll do the dishes." Holding up the remaining tes, Ohjin headed to the kitchen.

 Chapter 251: The Thousand Curse Dragon (3)

    Chapter 251: The Thousand Curse Dragon (3)

    The next day, Ohjin, Ha-eun, and Isabe headed to the Associations Relic Research Institute.

    Why are youing along? Ha-eun asked while ring at Isabe.

    Oh, I should check if there are any relics that I can use, right?

    You said you dont need such things because you have Ohjin.

    I changed my mind. Isabe embraced Ohjins arm and smiled. It didnt seem like she was going to the Association to get a relic.

    Ugh. Ha-eun couldnt stop her froming along to see relics before they hunted the dragon, so she swallowed herints and embraced Ohjins other arm.

    Ohjin, caught between the two women, sighed helplessly.

    Ohjin, this way! Sihoo smiled brightly at them and waved as they approached the building, wearing a white gown that went down to his thighs. Youre so popr! The boy said yfully as he nced at Ha-eun and Isabe.

    Haa. Manager Han never had a girlfriend, but you somehow have two

    Isabes not Ohjins girlfriend, Ha-eun argued.

    To be exact, Im not yet his girlfriend, Isabe countered.

    Who said that?

    Ohjins not some item you can give and take at will, right?

    A tense war of nerves sparked between the two women.

    Stop it, both of you. Ohjin sighed and shook their hands off of his arms. They tried to get along at first, but Isabe had shown her willingness to get along with Ha-eun when they first started living together by showering her with gifts, but her behavior had be more brazen since his time in the Demon Realm.

    It was like someone just behind in a race who suddenly decided to speed up for the gold medal.

    That doesnt mean that they dont get along. He would''ve stepped up and stopped them if theyd truly been on bad terms. Other than the few times a day they sparked off of each other, they were basically on good terms. No, they were on pretty good terms since the two went out shopping or to get aesthetic treatmentslike subtly well-intentionedpetitors.

    Love wasnt a sportspetition, though, so Ohjin just felt embarrassed as he was trapped between them. I cant say anything. Its kind of my fault. He held a hand up to his head. He knew he had to push Isabe away, but many reasons were keeping him from doing so; theyd gotten so close that they couldnt go back to how things were before.

    Whatever. Itll work out somehow. Since when had he paid attention to those kinds of things? He would just keep things as they were, so long as Ha-eun was okay with it. Of course, if sheined, hed have to tell Isabe off.

    Is this heroism? Its like something from a martial arts novel, Sihoo said.

    Shut up, brat. How did kids even know about martial arts novels anymore?

    If youre wondering about the martial arts novels thing Its because Manager Han likes them. Sihoo chuckled and turned away. Come in. Ive set everything up already.

    Ohjin followed Sihoo into theb, which could only be entered through threeplicated locks. Inside, dozens of monitors were lined up like a checkerboard.

    Lets start with you, Ohjin! Sihoos eyes glistened.

    Ohjin nodded and pulled out his folding knife. Dantalian. The knifes de trembled when he called its name, and chilling energy filled theb that he imagined couldve been felt in ruins or an abandoned hospital of ghosts.

    Please, put it on that shelf, Sihoo indicated.

    Got it. As soon as Ohjin ced the spear on the shelf, Sihoo moved to the monitors and quickly tapped on a keyboard, causing unknown characters to pour down the monitors like waterfalls.

    Wow. I thought you were just a little kid, but I guess not Ha-eun mumbled.

    Quiet. Sihoo interrupted her. It was like he was a different person.

    Ha-eun didnt seem offended and just quietly watched.

    As he was looking over the dozens of monitors with great focus, Sihoo suddenly slipped from his chair as if hed fainted.

    Hey, kid! Whats wrong? Ha-eun rushed over.

    Ohjin saw that his face was blue, a cold sweat was over the kids forehead, and he didnt seem to be breathing.

    O-Ohjin, ambnce, call an ambnce! Ha-eun yelled.

    Ha-eun Sihoo grabbed Ha-euns arm.

    W-wait! Ill call an ambnce right away!

    Ha-eun, I He continued in a faint voice, as if he would die at any moment. Give me some sweets

    Ohjin! Why arent you calling an ambnce? Huh? What?

    Candy or chocte. Any snack is goode on.

    Ha-eun looked down at him in disbelief.

    Meanwhile, Isabe, whod been trying to call an ambnce, suddenly halted.

    Here. Ohjin nonchntly pulled a calorie bar from his pocket.

    Thank you, Ohjin! Sihoo jumped up and ate the crunchy calorie bar.

    What? Was all that nonsense because you were low on sugar? Ha-eun asked.

    Do you know how important sugar is to a researcher?

    You brat. She frowned and squeezed Sihoos head.

    Argh! Sihoo grabbed his head and shouted as if he were being wronged. I didnt do it on purpose!

    You did.

    Oh, you caught that?

    Ohjin smiled and helped Sihoo up. "So, have you figured anything out?

    Hmm, a few things? Sihoo sat down and pointed to the monitor. First, Dantalian is the name of a king in the Demon Realm.

    What?

    * * *

    * * *

    Demon kings Ohjin knew about them from Kasia, but what did that have to do with his spear?

    To be exact, the soul of a demon king is trapped here, Sihoo exined.

    Then the weapon didnt have ego from the start? Ohjin asked.

    Yes, it gained an ego due to the trapped soul. Would it be easier to understand if I say its a haunted object?

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes. A spear with a demon kings soul? Why would a Living Armor?

    I dont know. Sihoo shook his head.

    Ohjin examined the ck spear. Is it Kasias work? The Living Armor might have been Kasias servant. Considering that it has a demon kings soul, its performance isnt very good

    Second, the inscription inside is not even 10% active yet, Sihoo said.

    Not even 10% of it was active? Are you saying its strength is sealed? Ohjin asked.

    Simply put? I think its low ego is also because of it.

    How can I unseal it?

    I dont know Sihoo shook his head while sweeping his hair up. Once its ego returns as much as it can, its seal will be released, so youd better keep calling its name and use it often.

    Hmm. So there was no way to unseal it in such a short time. Thanks. Still, just knowing that it contained a demon kings soul was a great harvest.

    Oh, and let me show you approximately what Dantalian looks like.

    You can do something like that? Ohjin looked at Sihoo in surprise. He knew the kid was a genius, but not to such an extent.

    The soul is bound to influence the body. This is what Dantalian looked like in life. Sihoo pointed to a monitor, where a monster with a lions body, a snakes tail, and an eagles head was shown.

    Boppi? Ohjin murmured.

    Huh?

    No, its nothing. Ohjin shook his head in bewilderment.

    Ohjin, that monster its the one that chased you out of the Demon Realm! Isabe eximed.

    Huh? Uh, yeah. Looks like it.

    Hmm are they the same species?

    Why is Boppi showing up here? Ohjin was also confused. Why did Dantalian look like Boppi? They could be the same race, as Isabe said. It was unusual for monsters to look alike. Ohjin pushed the thought back and resheathed the spear.

    Should I make a relic for you, Ha-eun? Sihoo asked.

    Yes. Ill give you a lot of money, so please pick a good one.

    Go over there first and move as you usually do in a fight.

    Ha-eun entered the cube with dozens of cameras, as Ohjin had before.

    Can I take out a cigarette here? Her voice came from the speaker.

    That is a no-smoking area why?

    This is my weapon. Ha-eun smiled as she took out a cigarette and lit it. Its odor spread as it burned, and the spark at the end swirled into a me around her body. She moved quickly, firing mes at the wall while doing her best not to damage it.

    Hmm, Sihoo said, analyzing her movements with interest. After about five minutes Thats enough.

    Can I leave?

    Yes.

    Click

    Ha-eun exited the cube.

    First, youre a long-distance mage who doesnt require a separate weapon, Sihoo exined.

    Well, thats why Ive been fighting well without one.

    Embodying the image of fire through the cigarette was also very new. Sihoo reyed the recorded video and nodded. Oh, I dont think you would be bad in closebat. Where did you learn martial arts?

    I learned some boxing. Ha-eun smiled and waved her fist slightly. Then, the form of the relic could be a gauntlet or no, a gauntlet is a little much; I think gloves would be right.

    Gloves are nice.

    Well there are some problems, Sihoo said.

    What problem? Ha-eun tilted her head.

    For you to use the relic effectively, something that can raise the output of the stigmas mana would be best Sihoo scratched his head as if troubled. Its a bit very expensive.

    How much? I have a lot of money. Ha-eun tapped her chest in confidence. Shed umted a million and a half dors thanks to her steady sale of starstones.

    Just the starstones will cost about 22.5 million dors.

    What? Ha-euns mouth dropped open. Did he think 22.5 million was easy toe by? How could a piece of equipment cost hundreds of millions?

    Relics that increase mana output are the most expensive. Even in games, that holds true, right?

    But 22.5 million Ha-eun blurted out with tears in her eyes. That was three times more expensive than her Dragons Cursed Eye. No matter how much money an Awakener made, someone with that much money

    Do you want me to pay for it? Isabe nonchntly pulled a ck card from her purse.

    A spark appeared in Ha-euns eyes. Y-youre going to pay for it? Really?

    Yes, in return Isabe gave Ohjin a deeply seductive look. About 10 dates with Ohjin? Of course, just the two of us.

    Th-thats! Wouldnt she be selling Ohjin? I I cant do that

    Think carefully, Ha-eun. 22.5 million dors? Even if youre a high-ranking Awakener, its not easy to make that much.

    But! Ha-eun angrily balled up her fists. Are you trying to buy Ohjin with money? No! I cant take that money! Still, it was too much money to let go of C-can it be five times? She bowed her head in shame.

    Fufu. Alright. Isabe smiled as she shook Ha-euns hand.

    Ha-eun trembled.

 Chapter 252: The Thousand Curse Dragon (4)

    Chapter 252: The Thousand Curse Dragon (4)

    Tada! Itsplete! Sihoo yelled after Ha-eun and Ohjin returned the next week. He handed them a luxurious silver case.

    Ha-eun carefully opened the case to see ck leather gloves with a simple design. Embedded near the glove''s knuckles were red starstones the size of fingernails.

    Fwoosh!

    Ha-eun put on the gloves and lightly gathered her mana, causing the red starstones to vibrate and heat up, as if resonating with her.

    "Wow!" Ohjin reflexively eximed. He felt that the heat was stronger than when she usually made the me with her bare hands.

    "This is the relic I got after selling your body, Ohjin" Ha-eun said.

    "The expression is very unpleasant." Ohjin, who was standing behind her and observing, frowned.

    Sihoo smirked. "I considered Ha-euns characteristics and made a relic that only amplifies Yang energy! It will be less effective if someone else uses it, but you, an Awakener of Draco, shouldnt be able to find anything better!"

    "Did you make this in a week?" Ha-eun asked.

    "Making it wasnt tricky. Relics with mana amplification properties are expensive because the materials needed are so absurd." Even so, making a relic like that in a week was only possible because Sihoo was a genius.

    "Thank you. I''ll use it well," she said.

    Dont break it every time youre bored, like Ohjin does. If you break it, itll cost at least a few million to repair.

    "I''ll put it in the cab and not touch it!" Wouldnt it be meaningless to spend so much on the relic if she never used it?

    "Come visit me again if you have anything else you need! Oh, you cane even if you don''t!" Sihoo said.

    "Hehe. I''ll buy you something delicious."

    "Thanks!" Ha-eun stroked Sihoo''s head as if she were proud.

    Sihooughed as if he was in a good mood.

    "I''m leaving~!" Leaving theb behind, Ohjin and Ha-eun headed straight home. Theyd already waited a week for the relic to bepleted, so they no longer had time to procrastinate. A Cologrande helicopter was already waiting for them on the roofsnding pad.

    -Dudududud!

    Isabe, dressed infortable clothes instead of her favorite dress, approached Ohjin and Ha-eun. "Did you get the relic?"

    "Yeah. I tested it once, and it was amazing." Ha-eun smiled and raised the ck leather gloves she wore on her hands.

    "That''s a relief. Oh, by the way. Everyone, please take one of these." Isabe offered a bag the size of a palm to Ha-eun and Ohjin.

    When they looked inside, they saw several amulets withplex patterns on them. "Are these relics effective against curses?"

    "Yes, that''s right," Isabe confirmed. Isabe had also been preparing over the week of waiting by traveling the world and finding relics that worked well against curses. "First of all, I prepared something for Riak and Vega," she said.

    "Tell me when they arriveter," Ohjin said. He intended to call Vega and Riak when they got closer to the nest to make things as simple as possible. Carrying the bag in his arms, Ohjin looked at Isabe. "Thank you for following through with my excessive demand."

    From Ha-eun''s equipment to talismans that were effective against curses Though Isabe never mentioned it, it was clear that everything cost an astronomical amount. No matter how much wealth the Cgrande family had, nobody could spend millions lightly.

    "Haha. I can spend as much as I want on you." Isabeughed as if nothing was wrong. She was rich, sweet, good at cooking, and even devoted.

    Didn''t I destroy the world in my previous life? Ohjinughed at Isabe''s kindness. "If we get the Thousand Curse Dragon this time, I''ll leave all of the starstones and the body to the Cgrande family."

    A monster as big as the Thousand Curse Dragon would easily earn at least 7.5 million dors if the remains of the body and starstones were sold. Of course, even if you put that all together, it would be less than half of the amount Isabe spent, but they couldnt just receive, could they?

    "Hmph. I''d rather go on a date with Ohjin." Isabe gave an alluring smile, sticking out her pale pink tongue and licking her lipsit looked like she was peering at a delicious dinner.

    "Thats" Ohjin swallowed saliva and avoided her gaze.

    Dont act like theres just the two of you when the girlfriend is right here, Ha-eun said with a pout as she moved toward the helicopter. "Let''s get going."

    "Yes," Ohjin replied.

    "Yes, Ha-eun," Isabe said as all three of them got into the helicopter.

    "Well, then" Ha-eun, who put out her cigar on a portable ashtray, stretched her arm northward. "Let''s go!"

    North!

    * * *

    * * *

    They soon arrived in Pyongyang, the city where Barbatos the Thousand Curse Dragon had been photographed, by helicopter. "Drop us off somewhere around here."

    "Ugh No matter how much I look at it, I cant get used to this ce." After getting off the helicopter, Ha-eun clicked her tongue and looked around at the ruined city. Pyongyang, formerly the capital of North Korea, was an uninhabited ghost town after being destroyed by the Thousand Curse Dragon and the monsters six years prior.

    Seoul wouldve been in a simr state if it werent for the sacrifices of Ha-eun and other Awakeners.

    "Vega" The first thing Ohjin did when they arrived was call Vega by channeling mana into his pendant, bringing out the celestial and Riak in a sh of silver light.

    Is this where the nest of the magical Thousand Curse Dragon is? Vega asked.

    "Yes."

    "Grrrrrr. I cant smell anything, but where is the nest? Riak sniffed and looked aroundthere was no ce for a dragon to hide itself amidst the stumps of ruined buildings.

    "Here and down." Ohjin pointed to the cracked concrete ground, which looked to have taken arge impact from something falling on it.

    "Under the ground The subway?"

    "That''s right," he confirmed. ording to Shinhyuk''s memories, the Thousand Curse Dragon''s nest was located near an underground railway deep beneath Pyongyang.

    Pyongyang''s underground railway goes down to a depth of 100 meters for wartime air defense purposes. It was just deep enough to hide the dragons enormous size, and it was made of very sturdy materials thanks to its original purpose. If anything, it was almost ideal.

    "It seems like a niceir but Valha couldn''t find it when it was in such an obvious ce?" Ha-eun asked. Valha, which had been searching for where the dragon was, shouldve thought of the subway. Dragon-type monsters liked to build nests in caves and steep canyons, after all, and Valha had also thought of that.

    "Even though they thought about the subway, it would have been hard to get to the station," Ohjin said as he narrowed his eyes. The Thousand Curse Dragons nest is located at a station not on the normal route, after all.

    In the past, North Korea had a secret station that normal people werent allowed ess to, and the Thousand Curse Dragon''s nest was in that hidden station, which didnt even have a name. It would have been extremely difficult for the members of Valha to find the station since they didnt work for the National Intelligence Service.

    Lee Shinhyuk only managed to find it while going around all kinds of railways in personter, Ohjin thought. The Thousand Curse Dragon''sir could not even be essed in a normal way.

    "Should we go down to the station first?" Ha-eun asked.

    "No." Ohjin shook his head. "There''s no reason to fight in its home." The Thousand Curse Dragon was a monster who could, as its name implied, cast a thousand cursesthere were probably a lot of curses around itsir. Looking back on Shinhyuk''s memories, Ohjin saw that he had a tremendously hard time getting into the nest

    "The n is to lure the enemy to the battlefield in our favor, huh? Riak mumbled. Indeed, that''s a good idea for a rookie."

    How are you going to bring the dragon out? Vega asked, flying into the sky and sitting on Ohjin''s head. It was not easy to bring out a monster hiding deep underground.

    "That''s"

    "Oh! I got it!" Before Ohjin answered, Ha-eun pped her hands and smirked. "Couldnt I start a fire?" There was nothing like a fire to bring out the enemy forces hiding in their fortress.

    "That wont be enough," Ohjin said.

    "Not enough?"

    "Smoke rises, remember?" It wouldnt work for smoking out a dragon that was deep underground.

    "If I go down and set the fire myself" she tried to argue

    "As soon as you go down, you will be detected by the Thousand Curse Dragon," Ohjin exined. The dragon was not a monster that only moved on instinct. As expected of a named monster, the dragon was just as, if not more, intelligent than a human. If it had built air underground, of course, it would have prepared.

    "Then what are you going to do?"

    "If a fire doesn''t work, you can use water."

    "Water?" Ha-eun tilted her head.

    "There''s a sewage system down there as well," Ohjin said. Shinhyuk had thoroughly investigated the entire Pyongyang area to find the Thousand Curse Dragon''sir, and since Ohjin had the mans memories, he also knew where the sewer system flowed.

    "If we redirect the sewage and let the water flood the subway, itll have no choice but to crawl out."

    "Is that possible?" Ha-eun asked, narrowing her eyes. Clearly, nning to flood their didn''t make sense to her.

    "Well, I''m a little skeptical, too." Isabe also frowned and shook her head. "Even if you redirect the sewage, you won''t be able to flood the entire station." The water would go up to the ankle at most. It was impossible for the subway to flood unless it rained a rivers-worth of water.

    "Huh? I never said I would flood the station," Ohjin said.

    "What?"

    "I told you, all we have to do is ''direct'' the water toward their."

    "Then why would that make ite out? Isabe asked. There was no reason for the Thousand Curse Dragon to run out of itsir when the water wasnt drowning it out. It may be ufortable for people to be submerged to their ankles, but considering the size of the dragon, that much water would be like a minor spill.

    "No, it wille out," Ohjin said with full confidence. If the Thousand Curse Dragon had the same sort of intelligence as humans, then it wouldnt befortable. "When do you think the sewage treatment facility here broke?"

    "What?"

    The Thousand Curse Dragon destroyed the city lets see, it was roughly six years ago. There was more than just water in the sewage system "That means the water is mixed with filth that has been stagnant for six years."

    Ha-eun and Isabe seemed to realize something.

    "So" Ha-eun put a hand on her forehead as if she were dumbfounded. "You want to pour six years of poop water into that bastardsir?"

    That wasnt the magic n they were expecting.

 Chapter 253: The Thousand Curse Dragon (5)

    Chapter 253: The Thousand Curse Dragon (5)

    Are you ready, Ha-eun? Ohjin asked.

    Huh, yeah Ha-eun nodded, clearly unhappy.

    Ohjin took a step back, lifted a towel to cover his nose, and shouted, Fire!

    Eugh Ha-eun shut her eyes as she threw the Dragon Bead in her hand deep into the manhole.

    Fssshhhhh!

    The red Dragon Bead melted the floor and sank deep into the sewage, its condensed fire spreading throughout thework.

    Rumble!

    The entire area shook as if an earthquake were happening.

    Wh-what? Ha-eun shouted in surprise before looking down at her ck, leather gloves. The explosion had been far greater than she expected it to be. Even taking the gloves into ount, something was off.

    Its because of the gas, Ohjin exined.

    Gas?

    Ohjin nodded and offered her a handkerchief.

    The filth had been sealed in the sewer for six years, so of course the methane gas would have also filled the sewage systemit was like a natural bomb that had been fermenting for six years. On top of that, Ha-eun threw the most powerful Dragon Bead she could make, so the explosion was incredibly powerful.

    Eugh! Ha-eun gagged.

    Hurry up and cover your nose, Ohjin said.

    The exploding gas gave off such a disgusting odor that it could only be described as something created in the foulest reaches of hell.

    Eugh. th-thisdy is dizzy. Vega looked dizzy and climbed onto Ohjins shoulder, holding her nose as the terrible smell spread over the street.

    Grrrr, Arp! Still, she was faring far better than Riak, whose sense of smell was dozens of times better than a humans. Rookie! he shouted, his expression paling like he could copse at any moment. Do something about this horrible smell!

    Just wait and itll disappear, Ohjin said,

    Ugh! How can you expect me to endure this?

    I thought a warrior needed grit?

    This a problem that cant be solved with grit! Riak tensed andined. Though not as much as him, Isabe, Vega, and Ha-eun were also frowning while holding their noses.

    Ohjin felt the need tofort them. If it gets too painful to bear, just think Everyone turned to look at him. You might be having a hard time but our enemy is having it even harder! He smiled and looked down.

    All thatd risen from the cracked ground was the gasit wasnt hard to figure out where the rest had gone. No matter how hard it may be! No matter how painful it may be, its easy to endure if you imagine how much agony our enemy must be in!

    What kind offort is that, you madman? Ha-eunughed at his ridiculousness. Well, it was a crazy thing to say. Youre not wrong, though. Seeing a hot bath may not have been enough to make a cold onefortable, but youd at least feelfort from someone suffering the same situation, especially if it was a mortal enemy.

    Grrrrr!

    As expected, a roar soon shook the ground. It wasnt a Dragon Bead, either something was desperately wing its way out of the depths of the tunnels.

    Grrrraaaaa!

    Crash!

    A dark-purple-haired man covered in filth bolted out from the fissure in the ground like a mole. Wh-what the?! What the hell is this? Eugh! He desperately tried to shake the filth from his body.

    Hmm? Ohjin frowned. The man certainly wasnt a dragon, and just when he was wondering if Shinhyuks memories had somehow been wrong

    Dont worry. Hes just a monster morphed into a human form, Vega said, ring at the man. Dont you see the ck horns on his forehead?

    Oh, youre right, Ohjin muttered. ck horns, like the ones hed seen in the picture, jutted from the mans forehead. Of course, they were much smaller than when he was a dragon.

    But whats with those horns? Even in Shinhyuks memories, the dragon had no such horns on its forehead.

    Eugh! Did you guys do this? The Thousand Curse Dragon roughly finished shaking himself off.

    Ohjin didnt have a chance to continue thinking about it. How did you like our gift?

    Your gift? the man asked.

    No, its nothing. Ohjin chuckled and gave the man a closer look. Though the grime over his body was ugly, the man had a pretty handsome figure.

    I guess you usually go around in human form? Even after you put up such a fuss about us being trivial creatures? Of course, she had never personally spoken to the Thousand Curse Dragon, but he clearly remembered what he had said on the broadcast as he ughtered humans.

    Who are you? The man red at Ohjin. He didnt know who Ohjin was, but it was clear that he was the culprit. His vertically-slit amber eyes burned with anger. How dare you smear me, Barbatos, with filth!

    Hey, are you talking about yourself in the third person? He sounded like a little kid.

    Shut up!

    Crash!

    Barbatos stomped and raged, seeming to cool down a bit when he turned to look at the others. Hmm? His gaze stopped on Ha-eun after scanning past Isabe, Vega, and Riak. You Barbatos narrowed his eyes and smirked. Youre the one who gave me such a hard time back then. His gaze was as insidious as a snake flicking its tongue.

    Ha-euns expression stiffened.

    Hmm. How did you lift the blinding curse? Barbatos tilted his head and slowly looked Ha-eun up and down. The curse he had put on her at the time was not a light one that would naturally fade as time passed. I hoped you would struggle in the darkness until I found you again, Barbatos muttered before frowning.

    Six years prior, he remembered invading a human city with his army. Back then, hed been forced to suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of Awakeners. Even though hed fought dozens or hundreds of them, he couldnt forget that red-haired woman.

    -Go to hell, you lizard bastard!

    Shes never given in to his curses and kept rushing in. He remembered her eyes glistening with a fire-like fighting spirit. Haha. Are you afraid of me? Barbatos stretched out his tongue at her. Her eyes didnt contain the same fighting spirit as back then. No more proof than that was needed to know she was feeling horror when looking at him.

    He didnt need to think much about where that fear originated from, either. You must have been quite distressed amidst your blindness.

    Shut up, she said. He was disguised as a human, but she vividly recalled her memories of that day and the nightmare shed lived throughthe despair of being trapped in unquenchable darkness.

    Hahaha! Did youe all this way to get revenge? Barbatos burst intoughter.

    * * *

    * * *

    An eerie light shone in his slitted amber eyes. I admit, youre very bold, but you chose the wrong opponent. His body glistened purple as dark mana leaked out. I, Barbatos, will lock you in eternal darkness again, you wench. His dreadfulugh reverberated as his purple hair shimmered in the wind.

    Ohjin just looked at him and said, Hey, your mouth smells like shit.

    Crack

    A thick blood vessel throbbed on Barbatoss forehead as he stared at Ohjin, who dared to fearlessly face off against a dragon. You insolent human! As the Thousand Curse Dragon, his self-esteem was sky-high since he could cast a thousand different curses and was even trusted by the Demon Realms king. Still, he couldnt deny that hed scampered from his nest while covered in sewage.

    Thank you for remembering her. Ohjin grabbed Ha-euns trembling shoulder and pulled her back so he could stand in front of her. If you had forgotten we couldnt have even gotten revenge. He looked somewhat apathetic as a blue me burned in his eyes.

    Hmph. What revenge would three mere humans, a beast, and a fly manage? Barbatos asked.

    Did you call thisdy a fly? Vega eximed in fury. Blue lightning began to buzz around her body. How can a lowly lizard say such a thing to thisdy!

    Wait a minute, Vega. Ohjin stopped her from rushing forward. First, he had to check how strong their opponent was. Did they say he was weak in closebat? Of course, that meant engaging in melee would be most efficient, and Ohjin was the best when it came to that.

    Ohjin smirked as he turned to Riak. Beast, are you ready?

    Oh, I can rip that cheeky lizards snout apart at any time. Riaks eyes glowed fiercely as he morphed into his werewolf form.

    Count to three, and then lets go at the same time. Ohjin lowered his stance.

    Riaks leg muscles swelled, and blue lightning shed over his silver fur.

    Hehe! Come whenever you want! Barbatos spread his arms wide with an arrogant smile on his face as he burned with a purple light while clusters of powerful curses formed around him.

    Lets start, Riak! Ohjin shouted, exchanging nces with the werewolf and nodding.

    Im ready, rookie!

    One!!!

    Crash!

    Ohjin used Exceed and rushed forward in a bolt of blue lightning.

    Bzzzzzt!

    Barbatoss aquiline nose took the full impact of Ohjins lightning-imbued fist right when he was in the middle of casting a curse.

 Chapter 254: The Thousand Curse Dragon (6)

    Chapter 254: The Thousand Curse Dragon (6)

    Twack!

    The dull thud of something impacting against a b of meat apanied Ohjins fist, elerated by Exceed, mming into Barbatoss nose. The polymorphed dragon was sent tumbling back.

    Grrrr! Riak sped toward the man before he could recover; the muscles in his right arm swelled shortly before he struck Barbatos in the stomach like a hammer striking a nail, abruptly ending his tumble and embedding him in the ground.

    "Augh!" Barbatos vomited blood. "Eugh!" He raised his arm and sent a band of purple lights toward Riak, holding onto his stomach with his other hand.

    "You''re slow!" Riak deftly somersaulted backward to avoid the purple projectiles.

    Barbatos stumbled to his feet and yelled, "Y-you bastaaard!!" His re bore into Ohjin with furious hatred. Of course, he didnt ask something pathetic like, Why did you charge at one instead of counting to three? The fact that hed fallen for such a petty trick in the first ce damaged his self-esteem.

    "You managed to get the timing right!" Ohjin eximed toward Riak. Hed charged in without warning Riak because fooling your allies was the first step to fooling your enemies. Judging by how Riak reacted, though, hed already expected Ohjin to do that.

    "Who do you think I am?" Riak bared his teeth and snorted. "Youll never be able to catch up to my experience as a warrior, not even with 10 regressions."

    "That''s true." Still, Ohjin knew there were things he was better at.

    "Don''t say silly things. Focus on the battle, rookie."

    "Yes," Ohjin answered briefly and turned his gaze back to Barbatos.

    A shroud of purple light covered him. "Your childish tricks will no longer work!" Barbatos held his arms out wide and sprinkled purple light in every direction. There was no other way to approach him than straight through the cluster of curses.

    "Well, then" Ohjin ran toward the lights with Dantalian in his hand. "Let''s see how powerful those curses of yours are." The moment he threw himself into the purple shroud

    "Ugh!" A sense of heaviness bore down on him, breathing became difficult, and it felt like hed just finished a long march wearing dozens of kilos of military gear. He felt a strong desire to lie down and fall asleep.

    "The Curse of Fatigue" It was a curse hed heard a lot about from Ha-eun.

    Whoong!

    Blue light surged from Ohjins pocket and wrapped around his body, filling him with the dreary feeling that hed drank a cup of coffee while extremely tired. Is this the effect of the lucky charm Isabe gave me?'' It didn''t lift the curse perfectly, but it worked to weaken it to some extent.

    "Huup!" He took a deep breath and continued forward. A horrible stench pierced his nostrils, the sound of the outside world faded, and his sight vanished. All sorts of curses assaulted him during his approach, but he continued right on through.

    "Youre not as bad as the rumors say," he said to the Thousand Curse Dragon, who was giving him a shocked look. "Blue Lightning."

    Bzzzzzt!

    A blue storm stretched from the end of his spear and struck Barbatos, sending the polymorphed dragon rolling along the ground again.

    "You seem to like crawling on the floor; maybe its because you''re a lizard bastard." Riak, who appeared from the other side, kicked Barbatos in the head, sending him rolling even farther.

    "Arrrgggghhhh!!" Barbatos''s face, which had maintained its good looks despite being covered in filth, was disastrously swollen.

    ''Hes certainly terrible at closebat.'' Although the curses were jarring, Barbatos''s movements were much slower and clumsier than the strong opponents Ohjin had been dealing with.

    "Hey, you little bastards" Barbatos wiped the blood flowing from his nose and stared at Ojin and Riak with amber eyes. Soon, a group of purple lights wrapped around his body.

    Whoong!

    As the crowd of lights gradually grew, Barbatos turned into his dragon form. Purple scales covered his whole body, his eyes shone an eerie amber color, and two ck horns emerged from his forehead. It wasnt long until he was a 50-meter colossus of a monster, roaring at the sky.

    KaaaaaaaaaaaaRAAAAAAAAAAA!! The dragons roar shook their eardrums and seemed to even shake their souls. Did it also have a curse embedded in it?

    Ohjin felt nausea and a terrible headache. "I told you your mouth smells like shit. What are you doing, yelling and screaming? He suppressed the feeling and smirked. Since the Thousand Curse Dragon was back to his original appearance, it was time for the real fight to begin.

    For the crime of harming my divine body, you shall pay with your life! Barbatos roared directly into Ohjins head.

    "Oh, I''m scared shitless. What should I do, I''m scared~" Ohjinughed at Barbatos''s lines, which seemed to have been drawn from the most cliche viin lines in history. In fact, hearing such cheesy lines even made him feel rxed.

    Krrrrrr!

    Whoong! Whoong!

    Barbatos pped his two giant wings and soared into the air, darkening the surroundings with the shade of his massive body.

    "Oh, what? I thought you couldn''t fly," Ohjin said. Ha-eun had said the dragon couldn''t fly, but the dragon took flight for the first time in six years right in front of him.

    Now that I have their blessing, even my rotten wings cannot constrain me! Barbatos screamed in an arrogant tone.

    * * *

    * * *

    That persons blessing, huh? Ohjin narrowed his eyes and looked up at the ck horns on Barbatoss head. The horns hadnt existed in Shinhyuks memory Was it proof of the blessing Barbatos had mentioned?

    Crawl on the ground like a bug and struggle in pain! Barbatoss scales emitted clusters of purple light and poured down like rain as he flew.

    Hmm. So you can fly Ohjin mumbled. Being able to fly in battle was a great merit. There was no need to ask if the Air Force would win a war since it was a suretythey could drop artillery from a distance you couldnt reach, so you would have to give in, no matter how powerful you were.

    Riak, Ill go left.

    Then Ill go right.

    The great merit of flying was not a weapon that worked against Ohjin and Riak.

    Boom!

    Ohjin and Riak leaped into the air at the same time. No matter how great they were, they couldnt jump to where the Thousand Curse Dragon was flying, hundreds of meters in the air.

    Lightning Shadow Steps.

    Tadadadada!

    They ran through the air itself. The two were perfectly in sync as they rushed toward the Thousand Curse Dragon.

    What?! Barbatos screamed in frustration at the sight of the two running through the empty air as if it were nothing.

    Keuhuk! Barbatos hastily changed the direction of his curse. He could only aim at one person since Ohjin and Riak were running toward him from opposite directions, and he chose Ohjin. I will let you feel all the extreme pain a human can suffer from!

    Barbatoss scales glowed in a dreary purple, and Ohjin was hit with a pain akin to being cut by a de before having boiling oil poured into the wound. The curse of pain Among the 1,000 curses Barbatos could use, it was one of the handful that were overpoweredit could cause so much pain that the victim went insane or died of shock.

    Usually, terrible screams would follow the curse, but Ohjin continued without care, climbed onto the dragons wings, and reversed his spear before stabbing it down and smiling, his eyes burning with a blue me. You picked the wrong target.

    What? Barbatos gave Ohjin an incredulous look. Had the curse not worked? No, that wasnt it He could clearly see Ohjin biting his lips and looking at him through bloodshot eyes as he trembled in great pain.

    Barbatos had overlooked two things One, the charm in Ohjins pocket was weakening the effect of the curse, and two

    You should have used it on Riak, not me. For Ohjin, pain was not a big deal.

    Kzzzzzzt!

    Blue lightning rampaged at the end of his spear before he shed it down and pierced the dragons left wing, spreading lightning over the appendage.

    Grrraaaaaaa! Barbatos screamed and twisted in pain as his wing was severed and he tumbled down toward the ground.

    Hmph! Even if he cast the curse at me, the result would have been the same, rookie. Below the falling Barbatos, Riak bared his teeth.

    Kzzzt!

    Riaks nails shone with blue lightning. shing Thunder. He turned into a streak of lightning and tore his nails across Barbatoss chest, sending blood cascading down.

    Grraaaaaa!

    Crash!

    Barbatoss huge form crashed into the ground. Huk, huk! Pained gasps left his mouth. Wh-what the hell are these monsters?! There were no monsters like these six years ago! He inwardly screamed and looked around to see a vulnerable-looking woman with tinum-blond hair.

    Krrrr! He quickly dragged himself over to Isabe before Ohjin and Riak reached him and lifted her in his huge hand. Stop! If youe closer, Ill kill her! He abandoned his pride

    Barbatos held the weak woman hostage, abandoning his pride as a dragon. To be more exact He held a weak-looking woman hostage.

    Oh, my Isabes eyes went wide. I was caught?

    A deep smile formed on her face.

 Chapter 255: The Thousand Curse Dragon (7)

    Chapter 255: The Thousand Curse Dragon (7)

    "Ohjin I I''m so scared." Isabe, caught in Barbatos''s grasp, called out in a high-pitched, trembling tone. Contrary to what she was saying, though, her lips were curved into a massive smileas if she could hardly contain herughter.

    Haha. Did you hear that, human? Barbatos, unable to see her expression, arrogantly believed hed already won. Humans were social animals, so he knew just how important rtionships were to themthey would even do irrational things like sacrifice themselves for others.

    ''They''re stupid.'' Dragons didnt have social circlesthey were eachplete and perfect by themselves, so Barbatos believed humans were foolish and ignorant. How could a creature only exist if it was around others? He believed them to be fundamentally weak.

    "S-save me, Ohjin!" The woman caught in his grip pitifully screamed. Barbatos quite enjoyed the scream and smirked as he turned his head to Ohjinthe man whod dared to harm his magnificent self.

    Ohjin was shaking, and he looked pale and tired, but Huh? Barbatos raised his eyebrows in confusion, and his smile vanished. Instead of seeing fear on the face of the man whod destroyed one of his wings, he saw a look of awkwardness.

    "Oh, um, you want me to save you?" Ohjin asked, scratching his head and smiling sheepishly. "I don''t think I can spare Barbatos in the process, though."

    What? Barbatos frowned. Hed taken a hostage, so why was Ohjin saying something like that out of the blue?

    "Oh, is that so?" Isabe asked.

    Also, why was the woman speaking as if she werent being held hostage? What nonsense are you spewing? he asked.

    "Okay, then I''ll kill him." Isabe burst intoughter and gently put her hand on Barbatoss w, which was still wrapped around her. Her soft, seemingly fragile touch glided over his scales.

    "The blood of the dragon... What does it taste like?" she murmured.

    It took less than 10 seconds for the feather-soft touch to turn into a terrible pain. Kaaaaahhhh! His purple scales ripped apart, and red blood fountained from his body. Wh-what is this? Barbatos looked down at his arm to see his scales cracked like bs of ss that had been hit with a hammer, and his hand was severed just as easily.

    "Huh. I was looking forward to it because it was dragon blood, but it just tastes like fish." Isabe, who had fallen lightly on the ground, lightly licked her bloody fingers before frowning in displeasure.

    Blood poured from Barbatoss arms like a waterfall, but every single drop parted around her like Moses parting the Red Sea. I wouldve juste here alone if I knew you were this weak. Isabe waved her arm lightly, as if chasing away a fly.

    Spurt!

    The blood raining from his wound turned into a sharp de and pierced him again. Kaaaaahhh! Barbatos shrieked and faltered before all 50 meters of him copsed.

    Crash!

    The battle ended in less than five minutes.

    Ohjin nodded and approached Barbatos. "I told you, our power was more than enough. The Thousand Curse Dragon was undeniably powerful, but Awakeners had grown so much since hest threatened South Korea that their strength was hardly recognizable.

    Ohjin, a powerful man whod been chosen over other high-ranking Awakeners as one of the Seven Stars, wouldnt even dare to go against Isabe without using Heaven Unfolding.

    ''Im not even the strongest.'' Thanks to the universes constraints on Riak and Vega, they couldnt use all of their power. No matter how great a named monster was, the 9-Star Barbatos simply wasnt strong enough.

    ''We all came together just in case... Was there no need?'' Ohjin narrowed his eyes at Barbatos, who was aplete wreck. He didnt think the dragon had the energy for even a single curse.

    "I''ll wrap it up," Isabe said.

    Ohjin grabbed her shoulder before she could get too close to the dragon and said, "Wait a minute." Rather than logic or reason, his intuition and instinct were telling him something was off. It can''t end like this.

    My child Vega approached and stood next to him. I can feel an unpleasant energy from the horn. She frowned and pointed to the two ck horns on Barbatos''s forehead. The horns, which had grown to a size of several meters once he morphed into a dragon, were flowing with ominous energy that sent shivers down the spine.

    Oh, ugh, aaahhh, Barbatos groaned. Kaaaahhhh! Then the dragon writhed in pain and bashed his head against the ground as the ck horns began to vibrate and glow. The dragon opened his eyes and raised his head. Ah, ah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I can hear you!

    What was that supposed to mean?

    * * *

    * * *

    The dragon nodded at empty air, his face pale. Of course, when Ohjin tried to see what he was looking at, he saw nothing.

    Barbatos politely lowered his head to whatever it was that only he could see. My lord... grace your humble servant... with great darkness. It was like an Awakener praying to their celestial for strength. Would the existence he called lord fulfill his earnest request?

    Whoong!

    The dragons previously purple scales turned a dull ck, and a thick, mist-like aura extended from his body. Krrrrr! Barbatos shuddered and lifted his head. His eyes, which had been shining amber, burned with a grim, blue me. Hahaha! Thank you! Thank you! My lord!

    His entire body dyed ck, the dragon bared his teeth at Ohjin. I''ll admit it You guys are strong, iparably sopared to six years ago. The dragons wing healed itself, and Barbatos fully extended both wings again and stood. Even so

    Rumble!

    The ground shook as breathtaking energy gushed from the dragon. Don''t think Im the same dragon I was six years ago! A ck cluster of lights gathered around him.

    "As expected, he had a trump card." Ohjin clicked his tongue and looked at the ck horns on the dragons foreheadck horns that hadnt existed in Shinhyuk''s memories.

    The horns had felt ominous from the first time he saw them in the picture, and now they were revealing their full strength. He didnt know who had blessed Barbatos, but that didnt matter. I can beat him up and figure it out.'' Ohjin grabbed Dantalian and readied his stigmas mana, sending blue lightning crackling along the pitch-ck spears de.

    "Hmph. Is that the trump card the Thousand Curse Dragon was saving?" Isabe looked at Barbatos, her eyes shining with interest. The thick, dark mana pulsing from the dragon was iparably stronger than before.

    "It''s a little disappointing that it''s only a small amount." Isabe lightly pressed her fingernails against her palms and smiled. Red blood streamed down her hands and formed a giant scythe that she spun in a flourish, smiling like a hunter before taking down their prey.

    "Krrrrr! I don''t know who his lord is, but for him to make such a fuss after borrowing power from another! Riak snorted.

    Ohjinughed when he saw how rxed the two of them looked. ''Well, he might think hes suddenly pretty strong, but'' No matter how blessed he was by a divine being, a cat couldnt be a tiger overnight. ''At the end of the day, the difference in power cant be crossed so easily.''

    Ohjin, who had been ''blessed'' by Vega so far, was more than aware of how the dragons strength was only enough to make the gap in powerparable to the sky and mountains instead of the sky and ground. He had organized the party while considering that Barbatos could have a trump card.

    How dare you? Maybe it was because their reaction was far different than he expected, but Barbatos red down at them. Let''s see if you can still say that as you die a painful death!

    "Let''s start the battle in earnest." Ohjinughed and aimed the end of his spear at the dragon.

    "Ohjin, wait a minute," Ha-eun said as she grabbed him by the shoulder and stepped forward.

    "Huh? What''s wrong?"

    Ha-eun stared at Barbatos in a subdued manner and looked back at Ohjin. "Can I deal with him alone?" she quietly asked.

    "What?" Ohjin frowned as if to ask what she was on about. "You''re going to deal with him alone?"

    "Yes. Please, Ohjin." Ha-eun nodded.

    Ohjin shook his head in firm denial. "If you''re going to say that its for revenge, stop it." He couldn''t have her risk her life for such a petty reason.

    "It''s not for revenge," she said.

    "Then?"

    Ha-eun turned her head towards Barbatoss darkness-shrouded form. Why was it that, even when shed seen him copse on the ground, he was more frightening to her than any other being?

    "If not now" She thought back to when shed been blinded by the dragons curses and the time shed spent crying in that endless darkness. Six yearster, that terrible nightmare still lingered in her mind. I I dont think I can move forward otherwise.

    Just like that day six years ago, her legs shook.

 Chapter 256: The Thousand Curse Dragon (8)

    Chapter 256: The Thousand Curse Dragon (8)

    Ohjin sadly watched Ha-eun as her legs trembled, her lips pursed, she clenched her fists, and her eyes contained a deeply horrified look. Did I push her too much? He thought it might not have been the best idea to bring her with him. He hadnt known shed be so terrified of Barbatos.

    I thought shed be okay. Was the memory of her blindness too big of a trauma? No, maybe he hadnt thought deeply enough about the matter and was wrong for assuming that, since it was her, shed be able to shake the memory off with a smile. Hed made an unfair assumption about her.

    Sorry he mumbled. In hindsight, it was ridiculous for him to think that way. No one could truly understand anothers pain. Though hed tried, it was still something that only she experienced. It was rude of him to assume shed be alright.

    Huh? What are you sorry about? she asked.

    No, its just. I didnt realize you were thinking about it so much. Though theyd been together for more than 20 years, he felt upset that he couldnt figure out her feelings correctly.

    Why is that a problem? Do you need to know everything that goes through my head just because weve seen each other naked? She mischievously smiled and poked him in the side. Its not your problem Its mine. You dont have to apologize, bastard. She patted him on the shoulder.

    He was familiar with that side of her, but her smile felt awkward to him. In the end, though, she was rightit was something only she could resolve. As someone who wanted to empathize with andfort her, hed have to let her ovee the problem on her own.

    Haa, okay. Beat him into the ground for me. Ohjin let out a deep sigh and took a step back. Hed respect her decision, but he wouldnt let her endanger herself. Ill cut if I think it looks too dangerous, though.

    Yeah. Ha-eun nodded and inhaled sharply. Desperately controlling her trembling legs, she turned toward Barbatos.

    What are you doing? Barbatos coldly asked. Didnt they say that, when anger exceeded a certain point, your head felt cold? The dragon red at Ha-eun as she approached by herself. Had he ever experienced such a level of humiliation before? The most intense rage hed ever felt burned within him.

    Well It was natural for him to be enraged when a woman whod been shaking in fear suddenly walked forward by herself and said shed take him on, especially since hed received a special blessing in the name of vengeance.

    What do you mean? Didnt you hear? This shouldnt take long. Ha-eun gave the dragon a rxed smile as she took a cigar from her pocket. Her hand trembled, and a small me burned at the end of the shaking cigar.

    Fuu. Thanks to her superhuman body, nicotine had no effect on her. Maybe it was due to habit that the smoke seemed to slightly calm her anxiety. Now, shall we give it a go? she asked. Her lips crept into another smirk as she loosened the patch covering the left side of her face to reveal an amber eye bulging with blood vessels that red at Barbatos.

    That eye? Barbatos looked at Ha-euns eye in disbelief. How could a human have a dragon eye? Before he could get an answer to his question

    Burn. Ha-eun used her middle finger to flick the cigar in her hand.

    Fwoosh!

    A fierce me leaped from the end of the cigar and swirled around her like a living creature in a whirlwind of heat that soon merged into a dragon and shot at Barbatos.

    Do you think you can deal with a true dragon just because you have that eye? Barbatos snorted and pped his wings, causing a curtain of dark curses to enshroud and protect his body.

    Fwoosh, Fwoooosh

    The raging mes dispersed as they met a curse so strong that it could even trap inanimate objects.

    This is just the beginning, you fucker! Ha-eun clenched her fist and poured a fountain of mes at Barbatos. Unfortunately, she was so far away that the mes spread and were unable to pierce through Barbatoss veil of curses.

    * * *

    * * *

    When she saw her mes stop, Ha-eun thought, Ill have to pierce it myself. She took a step toward the veil of curses, and her legs, which had barely calmed, began to tremble again. She felt that her breath was stuck in her throat and felt unbearably frightened.

    -Ha-eun, are you okay?!

    She recalled her memories of six years prior. After losing consciousness in her fight against the Thousand Curse Dragon, as she was lying on the hospital bed with her world filled with darkness, shed floundered in fear.

    -Huh?

    -Whats wrong with you, Ha-eun?

    Ohjin held her hand, but she couldnt see anything.

    -Ohjin It its weird. I I cant see.

    Shed cried like an abandoned child and curled up in the hospital bed amidst her world as dark as the moonless night.

    I wouldnt have been able to hold on without Ohjin. It wasnt just when she was under the cursehed helped her grow in every manner. Its always been like that. Ohjin was always in front of her, and even as he took all the worlds malice on himself, he didnt back down.

    Was he not scared? Was he not frightened? Even though she knew the answer, she always curled up like a hermit crab and hid behind him. It was morefortable that way. Even if she didnt do anything, he protected her with everything he had.

    Damn Ha-eun gritted her teeth and chewed her lips. Isabe had once told her that Ohjin was her only hope. That mightve been the case, but he was also Ha-euns salvation. Though she bluffed and feigned strength on the outside, she was always protected by someone who was weaker than anyone else.

    Even so, I want him to look up to me. Ha-eun let out a mockingugh. She originally wanted to protect him as his elder, but in truth, she was protected by his shadow. Even so, she wanted to be reliable to him.

    Now I need to step out of my cocoon. She couldnt always curl up and hide behind himshe had to be able to stand by his side so that she could share a life with him. She had to move on.

    Krrrrr! You insolent girl! Do you think youll be able to break through these curses? Barbatos yelled.

    She took a step toward her greatest fear. Haa, haa

    One step, and her whole body became heavy as a terrible fatigue struck her.

    Two steps, and she felt nauseous as a migraine assaulted her.

    Three steps, and a freezing chill struck her.

    Four steps, and pain reverberated through her.

    Five steps, and she was out of breath as if she had climbed a high mountain.

    Six steps, and her skin melted as if she were immersed in a swamp of acid.

    Seven steps, and a horrifying scream filled her ears.

    Eight steps, and the illusion of the parents she had only seen in pictures poured hateful words at her.

    On the ninth step Oh Her sight went terribly darkdarker than a moonless night.

    Kuhahaha! Its been a while since you felt this way, right? Barbatos burst out inughter as he looked down at Ha-eun, whod stopped walking. Six years prior, hed felt exhrating joy after stealing her sight.

    Augh. Ha-eun curled up in that terrible darkness, and the terrible helplessness and despair she had felt after losing her sight filled her once more. Ohjin Ohjin. Instinctively, she called out his name. If she curled up, he woulde to helphe would beat the Thousand Curse Dragon and save her.

    In the end, it looked like nothing would change. No. Ha-eun looked up. Hadnt she decided that she wouldnt keep hiding behind him? Fuu. She took a deep breath and felt a tingling pain in her left eye. A momentter, a beam of light began to seep into the endless darkness.

    Fooooosh!

    One, two, three a total of nine fiery dragons circled her as if to guard her. Their mes lit up the darkness, and she saw the dragons ck scales in front of her.

    Her biggest fear, Barbatos, looked down at her with wide eyes, Y-you burned my curse? Barbatos shook and cried out in fear.

    Ha! Ha-eun scoffed. The Thousand Curse Dragon from her nightmares looked pathetic and ugly. It was like this back then, too. She thought back on her past with the orphanage director, whod beat her constantly. The image of the director waving his fists at her young self felt like a devil or monster from a fairy talelike a god she could never beat.

    When she saw Ohjin lie and deceive the devil, when she saw her biggest fear at the time running away, shoeless, shed burst outughing.

    You werent a big deal. Things ended up the same. Hup. She took the tenth step and felt a burning pain on the left side of her chest. Rather than the pain of Barbatoss curses, it was a pain any Awakener would more than wee.

    A tenth stroke carved itself into her stigma.

    Fwoosh!

    As if connecting the other nine strokes, a tenth dragon appeared and wrapped around her. She clenched her fist as if grabbing the air, and the ten fiery dragons wrapped around her arm and extended over her hand.

    Burn. She pulled her me-covered fist back and leaped forward.

 Chapter 257: The Thousand Curse Dragon (9)

    Chapter 257: The Thousand Curse Dragon (9)

    Barbatos felt that dawn was about to arrive. The night sky was covered in dark clouds, and the red sun rose beyond that abyssal night where not even starlight was visible. The sight was both brilliant and solemn.

    Fuck you, lizard boy. Ha-eun jumped high, clutching her mes that burned like the sun as she swung her fist at him.

    Keuk! Barbatos gave her a wide-eyed look. He hadnt expected her to break through his curses so easily. I need more of their blessing! He focused on the horns on his forehead, feeling the huge amount of power flowing from them. Then What? Every connection to his lord was cut off, and the power stopped flowing.

    Why? Barbatos raised his head and gave the sky a disbelieving look, trembling slightly as he looked at the dark sky and wondered when the sun had set.

    "Euaaaaggghhh!" Ha-eun''s fist, empowered by her mes, mmed into Barbatos''s jaw.

    Keuhuuk!

    This bastards breath fucking stinks. Ha-eun frowned and red at Barbatos, who was screaming in pain. The stench assailing her nose was enough to make her sick, but she couldnt miss her golden opportunity and swung her fist toward his open mouth.

    I need a name for this technique she mumbled. Yeah that would be nice. She thought of the perfect name to embody the image of the technique

    Ten Dragon Radiance. The ten, fiery dragons that had condensed around her fist shot into Barbatoss mouth all at once. No matter how tough a dragons scales were, their insides were still made of flesh. The technique exploded deep within Barbatoss body.

    Keuaaaaah! Barbatos roared as he fell to the floor with ck smoke leaking from his mouth.

    "Haa, haa!" Ha-eunnded and sat down, breathing heavily. "Ugh, Im dead tired!" Shey on the ground. She felt as if her head were spinningmaybe shed used too much mana in one go.

    Ohjin approached, took her hand, and helped her stand. "Good job, Ha-eun."

    "Heehee. Did you see that? I told you I could deal with it myself!"

    "Uh, yeah." Lets change the name of the technique, Ohjin thought. Whats up with that name?

    "Oh, and I became a 10t-Star. Come on! Look at this!" Ha-eun pulled down her shirt with a bright smile on her face. Her white flesh, wrapped in a ck bra, caught his eye. Although notparable to Isabe, she also boasted voluminous mounds that were difficult to hold with one hand.

    Ohjin pulled up her clothes again with a frightened look on his face. "What are you doing?" he asked. Why was it that the small mole on her breastbone attracted his eyes more than the ten strokes carved next to her stigma? He desperately resisted the urge to press on the mole with the tip of his index finger.

    He might not have had to resist since they were lovers, but at the very least, he couldnt do such a crazy thing in front of Vega and Isabe.

    You used to knead my body like dough, but now youre shy? Shame wasnt a word that existed in Ha-euns dictionary.

    "Stay properly dressed for now" Ohjin said.

    "Hehe. Yeah, you can thoroughly check it with your handster. Things other than the stigma, too." She winked at him, seeming several times more excited than usual. Maybe it was because shed ovee her trauma and beat the Thousand Curse Dragon.

    Ohjin looked over at the copsed Barbatos. It was true that Ha-eun reached 10-Star and became strong in one moment. Even considering that, wasnt it too easy? The moment Ha-eun just stepped through the curse shroud and jumped toward Barbatos, the dragons movements had stopped, and hed looked shocked.

    Ugh cough! Barbatos, who was still emitting ck smoke from his mouth, coughed with difficulty.

    "Oh, what? He''s still alive?" Ha-eun frowned and created her me again.

    "Wait a minute, Ha-eun." Ohjin grabbed her by the shoulder and approached Barbatos. He had something to check before they finished the monster off.

    Why why did you throw me away? Barbatos murmured in a despair-filled voice.

    He was thrown away? No one could abandon him except the one he called lord. Ohjins eyes moved toward Barbatoss forehead, and he saw the ck horns were gone. ''Is that why he suddenly stopped moving?'' He narrowed his eyes and said, "Barbatos, what is the name of your lord?

    Oh, ugh, aaaahhh Barbatos was merely shaking, his face blue, and not answering.

    Ohjin gently put his hand on Barbatos''s head. It took a high level of skill to make such a panicked being talk. Blue Lightning. A fan-shaped blue lightning attack prated the dragons body.

    Kaaaaahhhh! Barbatos shook and convulsed.

    "You don''t have to be afraid, Barbatos. It''s alright. It''s alright now." Ohjin spoke in the gentlest voice possible.

    * * *

    * * *

    The most important part of an interrogation was relieving the subjects feelings of extreme tension and panicempathy and understanding were essential.

    Argh! S-stop it! Stoooop!

    Was it because he felt Ohjins sincerity? Barbatos''s eyes, which had been staring nkly into the air, turned to Ohjin. As expected, nothing was more important than sincerity.

    "Finally you''re turning this way." Ohjin carefully stroked Barbatoss scales while the dragons eyes rolled backward. Every brush of his hand returned the scales to their purple color. Maybe it was because the feeling was itchy, but Barbatos continued to convulse.

    I''ll tell you! I''ll tell you! Please! the dragon screamed

    "You don''t have to force yourself. You don''t have to say it if you don''t want to." Ohjin shook his head, looking worried. You couldnt force an answer from someone so scared.

    The Heavenly Demon! He''s the one who gave me the blessing! Barbatos shouted.

    What?" Ohjin''s hand, which was stroking Barbatos'' head, stopped. "The Heavenly Demon? When did you get the blessing?"

    It hasn''t been that long

    "Exactly when?"

    About a month ago That person came to me while I was hibernating.

    It was roughly the same time as the named monsters started to resume their activities.

    For a moment, Ohjin wondered if Kasia had done it, but she had listened to his orders and headed to South America to defeat the Musca faction. She would not have given the Thousand Curse Dragon power out of the blue.

    ''Then'' Even if the Thousand Curse Dragon got a blessing from the Heavenly Demon when it wasnt him, then there was only one possibility "The real Heavenly Demon has started to move?" Ohjin''s expression fell.

    * * *

    A man in thin sses rushed down a humid rainforest path somewhere in South America, clutching his chest as blood flowed out. "Ugh!" Due to his severe wounds, he ended up falling and rolling along the ground after a short run.

    "Haa, haa!" He panted and ced his back against a tree.

    Shhhk, shhhk

    An eerie, snake-like slithering sound was heard from the path hed been fleeing on. "Did you give up?" A woman in a pitch-ck dress appeared. Her body was slim like a girls, but her smile was much too alluring to belong to someone so young.

    "Yes, I think that''s it." The bespectacled man nodded with a self-mocking smile on his face and looked up at Kasia with calm, subdued eyes. "Can I ask you a question?"

    "Of course."

    "Why did you attack us?"

    "Hmm." Kasia licked her lips with a flick of her long, snake-like tongue. The Heavenly Demon said that the sound of flies was annoying.

    "Ha" A scoff left the man''s mouth. Everything hed built up had been torn down in an instant for such a reason? The man smiled and leaned back against the tree. Truly like my stigma, my life is like a flys. My existence, to people like you

    "Do you want to live, Adel?" Kasia asked, looking down at the bespectacled man. Ohjin had ordered her to end him, but she was willing to let him live if he offered to pay his allegiance to the Heavenly Demon.

    "Haha. Do I want to live, huh?" Adel smiled and touched the pendant around his neck. Staring down at a photograph of a woman in the pendant, he slowly raised his head. "Do I want to live? Thats not the right question. The stigma of the Musca constetion on the left side of his chest emitted a ck light. "I must live. I must."

    Shhh, shhhkk!!

    The forest shook, and loud cries rang out from all sides.

    Buzzzz!

    Bodies smelling of terrible rot flooded in through the thick underbrush.

    "Huh All things considered, you don''t seem to want to live." Kasia briefly flicked her tongue and looked at the bodies around her. "I''ll step on you like a fly and kill you" When she tried to lightly wave her hand at the group of oing weaklings and emitted the grim light of her stigma of the Serpent

    Krrruuukk

    A ck crack formed in the air, and a ck cloud flowed through, darkening the sky and blocking the bright sun.

    "This?

    Both Kasia and Adel looked up in surprise at the ck cloud that constantly seemed to shift. A low voice came out from among the dark clouds like a burning firerepeatedly getting louder and softer. It''s been a while.

    As if Adel didnt even matter, the ck clouds approached Kasia.

    Adel looked up at the ck cloud and called out a name. "Heavenly Demon?"

    That''s right The ck clouds moved up and down as if nodding.

    "You''re the Heavenly Demon?" Kasia looked at the ck clouds in shock andughed as if looking at a carefully made piece of fake artwork. "Lies."

    Although it looked like a half-hearted copy, she could tell

    "You are not the Heavenly Demon." Kasia emitted an eerie aura toward the cloud and gave it a slit-eyed re; then, she flicked a finger toward the unidentified being who was impersonating the Heavenly Demon, and a snake shot out of her shadow toward the ck cloud.

    What? A perplexed voice came out of the ck cloud.

 Chapter 258: Interlude - Devil of the Sky

    Chapter 258: Interlude - Devil of the Sky

    Sssssshhhhkkk!

    Following a sharp crackling sound, snakes flooded in and pierced the ck clouds.

    The ck clouds swung wildly.

    "Howe there are so many people impersonating the Heavenly Demon?" Kasia frowned as if she were unbearably dissatisfied. Come to think of it, Huan Sukothai, the King of Toads, had also called himself the Heavenly Demon and forced her to obey.

    "I won''t fall for it anymore." Shed found the real Heavenly Demon and smiled while recalling the man. Ohjins curly, ck hair and decadent appearance had convinced her that he was the Heavenly Demon shed been seeking.

    "How dare such lowly creatures try to impersonate Ohjin" She would kill every one of them with her own hands. Haa. She sighed and raised her arms, summoning shadow snakes from the nearby darkness. The snakes ate up the surrounding light and flooded toward the ck cloud like a tidal wave.

    Hmm A low sound flowed out of the ck cloud. Yeah so thats what happened. As if he understood the whole situation, the ck cloud burst into a lowugh.

    Shhhhkkkkk!

    The shadow snakes rushed in and instantly surrounded the dark cloud. Though it was in a gaseous state, the shadow snakes were able to directly strike at the soul.

    Disappear, the cloud said. With that singlemand, the snakes melted like snow and vanished.

    "What?" Kasias eyes widened in disbelief.

    As I expected, should I say? A lowugh came out of the ck cloud. I''m d I have backup measures.

    Backup measures? Kasia faltered and stepped back from the ominous foreboding running down her spine.

    Come here, Kasia, the dark cloud called her.

    Even though she tried to resist, her legs followed itsmand. Ah, eugh.

    The formless, dark cloud reached out to her. Though it had no hand, she was able to recognize its movement for what it was. The night hase.

    Click

    Kasia froze as if a switch had been flicked. Her dull eyes stared into empty air. The previously clear night sky was covered in darkness.

    Night makes you think of many things. The ck clouds, or the Heavenly Demons, voice reverberated in the darkness. The anger, sadness, desire, and memories that I wanted to forget. The Heavenly Demons hand graciously stroked her cheek. Do you remember what happened that day?

    Even in the thick rainforest, she felt a biting cold. Her teeth chattered together while her face paled. She recalled a snowy, white garden andying on an endless field of snowit was the memory of being thrown away.

    That day, I picked the stars from the night sky and gave them to you, the ck cloud said.

    Oh how could she have forgotten that the stars on the left side of her chest were his gifts to her?

    What can you give me? the dark cloud asked as it gently enveloped her body.

    Her mind felt numb, Kasia felt that the darkness was the mostfortable thing in the world. "Every thing," she murmured.  "My everything to you, Heavenly Demon"

    You don''t have to give everything. Like flowers blooming and withering, the ck clouds rolled back. I only need one favor from you the devil in the sky whispered in a sweet voice.

    "Yes, Lord Heavenly Demon." Kasia''s consciousness sank into the cloud.

    * * *

    "Were hooooommmmeeeee!" Ha-eun kicked off her shoes, ran into the living room, and leaped onto the luxury sofa Isabe had bought for her, which cost more than ten thousand dors. Then, she hugged a cushion and wriggled like a caterpir.

    "Someone would think you just came back from a boot camp." Ohjin approached Ha-eun, who was busyughing.

    It took only three days for them to subdue the Thousand Curse Dragon. Though theyd finished the dragon off on the first day, theyd stayed two more days to investigate other groups of monsters or relics Barbatos might have collected.

    We didn''t get anything else, Ohjin thought. Though they suffered a lot of trouble investigating the shit-coveredir, they didnt get much. Still, the Thousand Curse Dragons body alone was enough to make up for it.

    "How are your eyes?" he asked as he stepped closer and looked at the eye patch covering her left eye.

    "Well I don''t feel any pain." Ha-eun lifted her hand and undid the patch. A subtle, amber light shone from the dragon eye. Her eye had changed after they killed the pleading Thousand Curse Dragon. Afterward, something whiteish had flowed from the dragons body into her eye. In Vega''s words, it was the dragon soul.

    "Are you okay?" he asked.

    "Uh, Im okay," she replied.

    He was worried about side effects since she absorbed none other than the Thousand Curse Dragons soul, but fortunately, that didnt seem to be the case. "Should I say that the performance got better?"

    Ha-eun touched her left eye and opened her eyes wide. "I don''t know if it''s because I became a 10-Star or because I absorbed his soul, but I can handle more of the magic in the dragon heart, and my eyesight has improved a lot."

    "Your eyesight got better?" Ohjin asked.

    "Yes.

    * * *

    * * *

    Ohjin, I can see everything in detail, even the insides of your nostrils."

    Ohjin reflexively covered his nose.

    Ha-eun chuckled and stood. "Anyway! I''m very satisfied!" Shed ovee trauma, reached 10-Star, and even strengthened her dragon eyethe subjugation was nothing short of a Christmas present for her.

    "That''s a relief." Seeing Ha-eun happy like that, even Ohjin smiled.

    "Yes, its a relief, Ha-eun," Isabe said as she walked in after them, smiling and nodding. "Oh, by the way, Ha-eun,e look at this."

    "Huh? What''s that?"

    "It''s the heart of the Thousand Curse Dragon. Oh, even if it''s called a heart, it''s not a real heart, it''s a starstone." Isabe took an ostrich-egg-sized stone from her bag.

    As promised, the disposal of the Thousand Curse Dragon was left to the Cgrande family, and it was the item theyd found in his body. "You said your eye has the power to handle draconic mana, right?" she asked.

    "Oh, yes. That''s what Vega says," Ha-eun replied.

    "Can you absorb the magic in this?"

    "Oh."

    It was likely. "B-but" Ha-eun gulped and looked at the starstone in Isabe''s hands. Since theyd received equipment from her, they had transferred all authority over the Thousand Curse Dragons body to Isabe. She was already in debt of more than twenty thousand dors, so she couldn''t ept the starstone.

    "Oh my, why are you like this now? Its upsetting" Isabe sat next to her and smiled. She hugged Ha-eun''s shoulder as the other woman could not take her eyes off the Thousand Curse Dragons starstone and whispered in her ear, "We''re one family now, right?"

    "What?" In the blink of an eye, Ha-eun, who never had a family to speak of, looked perplexed.

    "Ha-eun What do you say in Korean? Oh, sister-inw! You''re my sister-inw, aren''t you?"

    "I I''m not your sister-inw," Ha-eun timidly refuted, but her gaze did not fall away from therge starstone.

    Isabes smile deepened as she looked at how enamored Ha-eun was with the starstone. "It''s true that you became a 10-Star but there''s still a long way to go, right?"

    It was as she said. It was true that Ha-eun reached the same 10-Star rank as Isabe. Even though they were both 10-Star, the gap between Ha-eun and Isabe was the difference between the sky and the earth.

    For Awakeners, a "Star" was like a weight ss. Even if they had the same heavyweight physique, wasnt there a huge gap between a beginner, who had just started working out, and a professional with a champion belt? Naturally, that gap got wider in the higher ranks.

    "This starstone it will help you grow a lot, right?" Isabe asked.

    "Yess."

    Isabe looked at Ha-eun, who was slumped and slurring the ends of her words, in delight. "Ha-eun, I''ve never been to an amusement park." She stroked her lips and looked at Ohjin. "I want to go to an amusement park with Ohjin tomorrow. Will that be okay?"

    "Ugh," Ha-eun grumbled.

    She didnt even have to say, Just the two of us, for it to be obvious.

    "You didn''t forget the promise you made, did you?" Isabe asked.

    Ha-eun pursed her mouth tightly and avoided Isabe''s gaze before giving Ohjin an anxious look and sighing. "Okay, you two can go."

    "Oh yeah!" Isabe jumped out of her seat and clenched her fist in victory. "Ah" She coughed awkwardly after a moment''s silence. "I''m sorry, I''m a little excited." She sat back in her seat, blushing.

    Ha-eun red at her and said, "Don''t forget, Ohjin is my lover."

    "Of course, I know!" Isabe nodded, desperately trying to hide her smile.

    "Ah, my head." Ha-eun sighed deeply and red at Ohjin. She couldnt say anything to Isabe since she had received so much, so she turned her anger on Ohjin for no reason. "You''re the most problematic thing ever."

    Though he suddenly became the target of her anger, there was nothing he could sayit was his fault for not distancing himself from Isabe.

    "It''s okay for you two to go out and have fun, but" Ha-eun continued, ncing at Isabe''s pale pink lips. "Kissing is not allowed, got it?"

    "Hehe. Of course!" Isabe jumped out of her seat and readily agreed before hugging Ohjins arm and bashfully smiling. "Did you hear that, Ohjin? Let''s have fun together tomorrow!"

    "Okay" How could he argue in such a situation? He sighed slightly as he looked at Isabe, who was as excited as a child the day before a field trip.

    She sped Ohjin''s arm, and her eyes glinted. ''If kissings not allowed''

    It meant other things were okay, right?

 Chapter 260: Date (2)

    Chapter 260: Date (2)

    Didnt they say that time flew by when you were having fun? They went to the arcade, bought ridiculous hair bands,ughed, and talked. The sun started to set before they knew it, and the darkened amusement park twinkled with lights like stars embroidered in the night sky.

    "Haa." Isabe, looking over the sparkling amusement park with a dim gaze, breathed a short sigh. "We should head back." She tapped her toes on the floor as if she were sad and made a bitter smile. Theyd had so much fun that it was almost closing time before they knew it. "I had so much fun today, Ohjin." She smiled and turned to Ohjin.

    Her smile was so beautiful that it felt like the surroundings lit up for a moment, and Ohjin pursed his lips with a conflicted look on his face. With a short sigh, he pulled on her hand. "We still have half an hour left, so let''s ride another one for thest time."

    "What?" Isabe gave him a wide-eyed look. Without waiting for her answer, Ohjin headed back out to the amusement parks Ferris wheel, which was an indispensable ride for amusement park dates.

    "Oh, is it a Ferris wheel?" Isabe, who had never been to an amusement park before, smiled and nodded as if she knew about the ride already. "Fufu, so you had this romantic side, too." She gently leaned her head on Ohjins shoulder as she embraced his arm.

    Again, Ohjin seemed conflicted. He had something he had to tell her since before the start of the date, or maybe even long before that. It was time to face the things hed been avoiding.

    "The Ferris wheel is moving!" the ride attendant yelled.

    As the wheel moved, waves of starlight cascaded from the night sky.

    "It''s pretty" Isabe softly murmured as she watched the beautiful lights through the window.

    "Ohjin?" she asked.

    "Isabe" Ohjin, who was continuing to worry, spoke softly. "I''m dating Ha-eun, you know" Though they were on the date with Ha-euns permission, he wasnt in a position to enjoy it with her properly. "I''ll try to raise 30 billion won somehow, so from now on"

    You''re saying it''ll be hard to go on dates with just the two of us, right?" Isabe nodded and smiled. She knew from the beginning that, no matter how much she loved him, his heart was with Ha-eun. There was no room for her to intervene in the first ce.

    Still

    "Really is it impossible for you?" Isabe''s shoulders trembled as she gave him a tear-filled look.

    "Isabe?" he asked.

    "Isn''t there a ce for me in your heart?" She carefully reached out and ced her hand on Ohjin''s chest.

    Ohjin''s shoulders trembled at the tickling sensation. "Isabe"

    "I know that Ha-eun will alwayse first for you." When he saved her and was trapped in the Demon Realm, Isabe had decided to be his first priority, but even that determination onlysted for a moment. No matter how tantly she seduced him, his eyes were always on Ha-eun.

    Alright It was impossible to begin with.

    "It''s okay if you don''t go out with me," she said. Clear tears ran down her cheeks. "You don''t have to hug me, and you don''t have to kiss me." She pulled on his arm as if pleading. "Just can''t you allow me to be by your side?"

    Ohjin''s expression stiffened. Why did he have to make her miserable to such an extent? "Isabe, if it''s you, there are better men"

    "I don''t need them!" Isabe cried out. "All I have left is you." She couldn''t live without him. That day, when she heard his sweet lie in the copsed mansion, when the hope of "Ohjin" sprouted in her dried-out heart, she had irrevocably fallen for him.

    Ohjin could only watch as Isabe cried.

    Throb. Throb

    It felt like someone was piercing a corner of his heart with a sharp needle. Had she asked if there was somewhere in his heart she could fit? It was a meaningless question because Isabe was already firmly in his heart.

    ''I'' What should he do? How could he make her, Ha-eun, and himself all happy?

    - It''s stillmon for Italian aristocrats to have more than one wife.

    For a moment, Roberto''s words crossed his mind, but Ohjin smiled and shook his head. It was a ridiculous thing to say. Even if he was okay with it, there was no way Ha-eun would be. Thinking about it the other way around, would he be alright if Ha-eun told him she wanted two husbands?

    No way. He knew he wouldnt be okay with that, so how could he entertain the idea of being the only one to have two lovers? It was selfish.

    "H-Ha-eun said it was okay," Isabe stammered as if reading his thoughts.

    "What?" Ohjins eyes widened.

    Isabe grabbed at the hem of her dress, blushing. "Before, when you were trapped in the Demon Realm I asked her if it was okay to like you."

    "What did she say?"

    "She said she wouldply with your decision."

    It was his decision? Ohjin looked at Isabe with his eyes trembling.

    "How do you feel, Ohjin?" Isabe gave him a nervous look, pulled at the hem of her dress again, and tearfully continued. Cant I be next to you?

    * * *

    * * *

    His head was burning hot. The throbbing pain in his heart spread all over his body. What did his heart want? His honest feelings were

    "Both, I cant let go of either of you." Others could call it selfish. It didnt matter if he was shameless garbagehe didn''t want to let go of either Ha-eun or Isabe and wanted to hold them both. "That''s how I honestly feel."

    "Oh, Ohjin" Isabe shivered and looked at him. She could see it was difficult for him to handle the emotions bursting from his heart. When she tried to stand and embrace him

    "But" Ohjin shook his head and stopped her. Although he had expressed his honest feelings "I have to talk to Ha-eun first." She said she would follow his decision, but it was not something he could decide without consulting her first.

    As much as his heart was important, Ha-eun''s heart was also important. If she refused to have a rtionship with Isabe included, then he had no choice but to reject Isabe''s feelings, no matter how much he didn''t want to let go of both.

    Okay, Ohjin" Isabe nodded as she sat back down. "I''ll tell her."

    "I should"

    "No, I''m stepping in between you and Hae-un." Isabe slightly smiled and shook her head. She also didn''t know if Ha-eun would allow it or not. "Right now it''s enough to just know your feelings." She held Ohjin''s hand with a happy look on her face. Just the thought of having a ce by his side made her heart pound.

    ''Come to think of it, it''s very strange'' She couldnt believe she was so happy because shed been told by a man who already had a lover that he liked her, too. If it wasnt happening to her, such a pathetic thing would have made herugh.

    "Hehe." What could she do? Whether it was first or second, he had told her that he didnt want to let her go. Isabes shoulders shook, and she was unable to control the smile her lips curved into.

    This is cheating, Ohjin muttered in his mind as he leaned in close to her.

    "Ohjin" Her eyes widened as he gently lifted her chin and kissed her. "Ugh!"

    Isabe''s breath tickled his lips.

    She looked this way and that with round eyes as she stiffly sat there, looking helpless, but that was only for a while. "Uhm" She embraced him and carefully ced her tongue between his lips, as if she were a sparrow pecking at its prey. At the height of their sweet kiss

    Rattle!

    The Ferris wheel stopped.

    "Oh" Isabe gave Ohjin a sad look.

    "Well, let''s get going. It must be closing time." Ohjin stood up from his seat, blushing.

    Isabe also followed him with her head bowed, as if to conceal her red face. Was it because it was sote? They didn''t see anyone else walking around.

    "Well Oh-Ohjin." Isabe carefully pulled at the hem of Ohjin''s clothing as she walked.

    "What?"

    "Th-there are no people around." She nced at Ohjin and approached his side with small steps. "Before you go out g-give me one more kiss." She leaned in and tightly closed her eyes.

    How could he resist such temptation? Ohjin gulped and slightly pulled Isabe''s waist toward him. When there was barely any distance between them, and their lips were about to ovep

    -Shhhk, shhhk

    An eerie slithering reverberated around them as if a snake were sliding over concrete.

    "Hereyou are," a low voice echoed.

    Ohjin turned his head toward the drunk-sounding voice. Within the otherwise empty amusement park, a woman in a ck dress stumbled from the darkness. "I''ve been looking for you." Her movements were stiff, and she seemed almost like a broken wooden doll.

    Kasia flicked her long tongue like a snake as she gave off a bloodthirsty aura and stared at Ohjin with empty-looking eyes.

    "Why are you?" Why had Kasia, who shouldve been getting rid of the Musca faction in South America, appeared in the amusement park out of the blue? ''That''s'' Ohjin''s eyes focused on Kasia''s forehead, where he saw a ck gem the size of a thumb embedded in her flesh. It was a gem he hadnt seen before.

    "Ah" He wasnt the only one who was surprised. Isabe''s eyes were wide as she watched Kasia stagger toward them.

    "Sister" Isabe whispered, staring in disbelief as she recognized her sister, whod gone missing 10 years prior.

 Chapter 259: Date (1)

    I¡¯m Not a Regressor

    [Trantor ¨C Rainypup ]

    [Proofreader ¨C fy ]

    Chapter 259: Date (1)

    The next day, Ohjin waited for Isabe near Jamsil Station. It would¡¯ve been simpler to leave the house together since they lived in the same ce, but Isabe had wanted a more date-like atmosphere, which was why they¡¯d decided to leave separately and meet at the station.

    "Haa." A deep sigh left Ohjin''s mouth as he sipped the canned coffee he¡¯d bought from a convenience store. Taking the time to enjoy a date when the Heavenly Demon could act at any time was a problem in itself. Waiting in front of the station to go on a date with another woman when he already had a lover also caused him guilt.

    ¡®She said it was okay, though.¡¯ Complicated thoughts intertwined in his head.

    "Oh, Ohjin. Have you been waiting long?" His conflicting thoughts vanished as soon as he saw Isabe emerge from her limousine. She was wearing a chestnut-brown turtleneck and a tulip skirt. Her two, slim legs were wrapped in ck stockings.

    A Hermes-brand bag hung from her left arm. Though her earrings and ne weren¡¯t too shy, they were very expensive and added a subtle presence. More than anything else, her fluffy sweater hugged her body and clearly showed off her curves and the mounds of her chest.

    No, ¡®mountains¡¯ seemed more apt¡­

    "Ohjin?" she asked.

    "Oh, yes. I''m sorry." He returned to his senses and awkwardly smiled.

    "I''m sorry. It took a while to get ready. Did you wait long?"

    "No, I also just arrived," he said. He wasn¡¯t just saying that¡ªhe¡¯d arrived at the station less than ten minutes before her. Since they lived in the same house, even if they left separately, their arrival time wasn¡¯t much different.

    "Hehe. That''s a relief." Isabe smiled and naturally embraced Ohjin''s arm.

    As soon as she got close, the fragrance of lc stimted his nose. "Did you buy a new perfume?" he asked.

    "Fufu. Yes, since it¡¯s spring." As she said, it was a good scent for spring, when the cherry blossoms had just begun to bloom.

    "It smells really good." He didn¡¯t know what brand it was, but it perfectly suited Isabe and her bright, tinum hair.

    "Is¡­ is that so?" she asked before suddenly pulling her smartphone out of her Hermes bag and sending a message somewhere. At a nce, it seemed she was telling someone to buy more perfume. It was probably a message to Roberto.

    ''I''m sorry, old Roberto,'' Ohjin thought. He had a strange feeling that he had increased Roberto¡¯s workload. "Shall we go?"

    "Yes, Ohjin!" Isabe finished her text and vigorously nodded.

    Ohjin and Isabe chose Lotte World for their date. It was a prettymon date location that most people in Seoul would have been to at least once.

    "Are you sure this ce is okay? An amusement park overseas would have better facilities," Ohjin said. Lotte World was a pretty well-made amusement park, but it couldn¡¯t bepared to famous amusement parks abroad. Of course, they¡¯d have to travel for that, but it wasn''t a problem for Isabe, who even had a private jet.

    "It''s okay. If I¡¯m going to keep living in Korea, I have to get used to the culture."

    His thoughts intertwined again when he heard how naturally she spoke of moving to Korea. Once they entered, though, he cast those thoughts aside.

    "Wow." A short exmation left Isabe''s mouth when she entered Lotte World. The inside was cutely created to look like something from a fairy tale, while noises and joyful screams echoed from every side.

    "You said it¡¯s your first time at an amusement park, right?" Ohjin asked.

    "Yes, it''s my first time." Isabe kept looking around in awe.

    Ohjin smiled when he saw how she looked as excited as a child on a pic.

    "Have you ever been here?" she asked.

    "Once." When he was in the orphanage, he had gone under a state aid program. Since it was a program that required a public appearance, the children had been forced by the director to smile despite being tired, but it was still one of the few pleasant memories from his days in the hellish orphanage.

    "Which one do you want to ride first?" he asked.

    "Hmm. Wait a minute." Isabe pulled out her smartphone again and quickly searched for something that looked like a squirrel peeling an acorn. Had she researched the rides in advance? The screen showed all of the rides in Lotte World and their characteristics in detail.

    "Antis! I heard this is the most popr!" she eximed.

    "Shall we go then?" Ohjin smiled and headed out to where the Antis ride was. The fresh spring breeze tickled his sun-warmed cheeks.

    She pointed and said, "I guess it''s there, Ohjin!"

    He saw a line of people waiting to get on. In the past, one to two hours of waiting for a ride was basic, and sometimes, you would have to wait more than three hours, but far fewer people visited amusement parks after the gate breaks began.

    Well, even if it was barren, Korea was a good country to live in, so an amusement park was still in operation.

    "If you wait for about 30 minutes, you''ll be able to ride," he said. "Wait here for a moment. I''ll go get something to eat."

    "Something to eat?" she asked.

    "There''s something you have to eat when you go to an amusement park." Ohjin smiled and bought two churros at a nearby stall. The sugar-sprayed churros had a distinctive cinnamon scent.

    Isabe looked at the food. "This is what you were talking about?"

    "Yes. Try it."

    She took a careful bite. "Oh, it''s delicious."

    "Right?"

    "Yes. It''s a dessert that would go well with coffee." She broadly smiled, perhaps quite pleased with the churros. "Why is it a must-eat food at amusement parks?"

    "Uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure." Was there a particr reason¡­?

    "Well, then this is like a part of Korean culture!" Isabe eximed.

    * * *

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    Isabe¡¯s eyes glistened with excitement as she ate her churros, and the line quickly shortened.

    Rumble¡ª!

    Finally, they reached the front of the line, and the coaster sped past once at such high speed that it sounded like thunder, the cheers and screams of the people aboard following shortly after.

    When it came to a stop, Isabe approached the front and asked, "Should I ride here?"

    "Yes," Ohjin replied as he took a seat at her side at the very front of the coaster.

    "Okay, we''ll be going soon! Hold on to the safety bar, everyone!" the amusement park staff member shouted a few moments before the coaster suddenly elerated to 72 kilometers per hour in 1.5 seconds.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± While everyone else on the ride was letting out thrilled screams, a sour look crept onto Isabe¡¯s face, and she let go of the safety bar. She was a superhuman who could go faster than the speed of sound, let alone 72km/hr. Of course, such a ride wasn¡¯t thrilling to her.

    "It''s not fun, is it?" Ohjin asked.

    ¡°N-no. It''s so much fun!"

    Had it sounded like he was asking her if the date wasn¡¯t fun? She seemed like she was about to cry as she firmly shook her head. "Let''s go ride something else." It turned out that the most popr thrill rides weren¡¯t very interesting to people with superhuman abilities.

    "All the rides I looked into were simr to that¡­" she mumbled.

    "How about a haunted house?¡± Ohjin asked. ¡°Is that too childish?"

    "A haunted house?" Isabeughed. Wasn¡¯t a haunted house one of those ces that deliberately created a scary atmosphere and had part-timers dressed as ghosts scaring people? She had never been to one, but she had a rough understanding of them. "Yes, that sounds good." Even still, she headed to the haunted house.

    Shortly after they entered, she let out a piercing scream. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" She clutched Ohjin¡¯s arms as tears welled up in her eyes. "O-Ohjin! Gh-ghosts!" Her face paled, and she pointed to a maiden ghost in white wobbling toward them.

    "¡­Isabe?" Ohjin asked.

    "H-hurry, let¡¯s go!" she pleaded.

    Heughed at her desperation. It didn¡¯t seem like she was acting.

    "Wh-why are youughing?" Isabe screamed and pped Ohjin on the back to make him move forward.

    Squish¡ª

    The two mounds on her chest, which were showing their strong presence through her chestnut brown sweater, pressed against Ohjin.

    "Ahem," Ohjin coughed for no reason and slowly moved forward.

    "Wow! O-Ohjin! A v-vampire! A vampire!"

    "Really?" ¡®You''re a vampire, too¡­¡¯

    "Ohjiiiinn!! Kyaaaaaaaa!"

    Ohjin hurriedly exited the haunted house as her grip tightened on his arm to the point that it felt like his bones were about to break.

    "Heuk, heuk!" Isabe panted after they just barely escaped. Perhaps it was out of a sense of relief, but Isabe wiped her tears away and spoke as she fixed her messed-up hair with a brush. "It¡­ it wasn¡¯t even that scary."

    "What¡­?" Ohjin asked. Would someone act like she had if they weren¡¯t scared?

    ¡°I¡­ I pretended to be a little scared so that I could touch you. Did you fall for it?" Isabe looked away and avoided meeting his gaze.

    Ohjin yfully smiled and grabbed her hand. "Then, do you want to go in one more time?"

    "N-no!" She cried out as her face paled.

    "Pfft, hahaha!" He burst intoughter when he saw the clear fear on her face. He didn¡¯t know there was such a side to the noble queen.

    "Don''t tease me, Ohjin!" she shouted.

    "Hahaha! I''m sorry, I''m sorry." He managed to hold back hisughter and looked at her as she puffed up her cheeks. "Shall we go eat?"

    "Oh, it''s already time?" It was sote that lunchtime had passed before they knew it.

    "What do you want to eat?" he asked.

    "Um¡­ do you call it street food? I want to eat that!"

    "Street food?"

    "Yes!" she insisted. There was nothing like street food for someone who wanted to learn about Korean culture.

    "Is there a tteokbokki ce here?" Ohjin visited the restaurant street and found a snack bar nearby. Though it was a fantasy-style setup, it was still in Korea, so they found a tteokbokki restaurant without much issue.

    "Yeopgi Tteokbokki?¡± Isabe asked. ¡°That''s a unique name."

    "It''s a pretty famous ce," Ohjin exined as they entered the restaurant. The menu had the options of mild, normal, and spicy vors.

    "I''ll have the spicy one!" Isabe looked at the menu and chose the spicy option without hesitation.

    "Are you going to be okay? Even the mild one is pretty spicy.¡±

    "Phew. Spicy food is part of Korean culture, right? Don''t worry," Isabe continued, puffing out her chest, "I eat spicy food like kimchi stew and stir-fried spicy pork with no problem!"

    "Uh¡­ yeah." Were those even¡­ spicy? Ohjin tilted his head and ordered the same spicy option Isabe had. Before long, the steaming tteokbokki was served to them on a te.

    "Wow! This is tteokbokki!" Isabe¡¯s eyes shone as she forked the food and took a bite of tteokbokki. "Huh? It''s not as spicy as I th¡­" Then¡­ "Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!" Her face turned red, and she began pping her legs. When she urgently reached for the cup of water on the table¡­

    "Uh, if you drink water¡­" Ohjin started to say, trying to tell her that water would only intensify the spiciness of food.

    "Ugh!" Isabe inhaled the water and tensed her whole body, tears streaming from her eyes.

    In the end, Ohjin offered her Coolpis, a traditional, juice-like Korean drink that dealt with spicy vors like magic.

    "Haa, haa!" Isabe, somewhat better after drinking Coolpis, shuddered and angrily cried out, "Ha¡­ don''t you Koreans know what moderation is?!"

    It was an inarguable point.

 Chapter 261: Snowy Fields (1)

    Chapter 261: Snowy Fields (1)

    Why are you? Isabe faltered and stepped back, looking as if she had seen a ghost.

    Kasia Cgrande the older sister who had lost in the session fight (though it was not a fight), was exiled to faraway d. When the fissure from the North Pole to the Demon Realm opened 10 years prior, shed thought that her sister died in the aftermath.

    "Y-you were alive?" Isabes shoulders trembled, and tears gathered in her eyes. She brightly smiled and looked at Kasia as if shed found a long-lost treasure.

    Kasias Isabes lost sister? Ohjin wondered. Isabe wasn''t the only one in shock; his jaw dropped in disbelief at the scene, and it sort of felt like someone had hit him in the back of the head with extreme force.

    What the hell is happening? Who wouldve thought the Queen of the Serpents was Isabes sister? Goosebumps appeared all over his body as his mind went nk for a moment. Kasia mistook him for the Heavenly Demon, so if she suddenly started talking nonsense in front of Isabe, the situation could get out of hand.

    "Isabel"

    "Sister, Kasia!" Before Kasia could even finish saying her name, Isabe leaped forward and opened her arms to embrace the other womans slender form.

    Ssshhhhkkkk!

    A pitch-ck snake rose from Kasias shadow and seemed to be made of the darkness itself. Its mouth opened, revealing sharp, venomous fangs.

    "Dodge!" Ohjin yelled, reacting faster than he could think as he grabbed Isabes shoulder and yanked her backward.

    Shhhaaaa! The snake narrowly missed Isabes stomach and let out a grim cry.

    "S-sister?" Isabes sweater had ripped in the stomach area, revealing her white skin with a single rivulet of blood flowing down. If Ohjin hadnt pulled her back, the snake would have badly wounded her and sent her innards spilling out.

    What do you mean sister? Kasia continued to give Isabe a nk-eyed stare. She spoke in a quiet voice, as if searching through old memories. "Bell?" Awareness crept into her eyes for a moment, and she rocked back and forth. "Be Is it Be?"

    "Yes! It''s me!" Isabe eximed.

    Agh Kasia curled up, swallowing her suppressed cry. "N-no, no. To me" She moaned, and her expression distorted into a grimace of pain as she clutched her head. Her eyes turned red as the blood vessels within them burst.

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" A cry of madness echoed out in the dark amusement park. Kasia raised her nails and began frantically scratching at her face. I I have to kill. I have to kill everyone. Kill, I have to, I have to

    Click, click, click

    She ground her teeth, and her bloodshot eyes opened. They saw shed scratched most of the flesh on her face off with her fingernails. "I have to kill, so I can have it," Kasia muttered before straightening up.

    Shaaaaaa!

    Hundreds of snakes shot up from the long line of shadows behind her.

    "Wh-what''s wrong with you?" Isabe asked as she gave Kasia a confused look. How could the woman be so different from the sweet girl she remembered? It was like she was looking at a different person who had the same face.

    ''Something''s not right'' Ohjin frowned and continued to watch Kasia, who was mumbling like a mad woman. Even though he thought the Queen of Serpents was out of her mind when he first met her in the Demon Realm

    ''It wasn''t to the point where she couldn''tmunicate like this.'' It felt like she had a few screws loose back then, but shed still retained enough sanity formunication. More than anything, though "Stop, Kasia," he said.

    "I have to killeveryone, everything. O-or I I I''ll be thrown away again." She didnt listen to his orders. When hed met her in the Demon Realm, she fanatically did everything he asked of her.

    "That jewel" Ohjin''s eyes turned to the ck jewel embedded in Kasia''s forehead. The mana flowing out of the ck jewel held the same disgusting, tar-like essence hed felt somewhat recently.

    Its just like Barbatoss. The two ck horns that had sprouted on the Thousand Curse Dragons forehead had held the same sort of suspicious mana that the jewel in Kasias forehead. That meant

    The Heavenly Demon he mumbled. The Heavenly Demon, the real Devil in the Sky, not the clumsy fake, had reached out to her.

    Wh-what do you mean, Heavenly Demon? Isabe asked, her face pale.

    "Kasia is now being manipted by the Heavenly Demon," Ohjin exined.

    "What do you mean?" she asked. He was saying her sister, whom shed thought to be dead for the past 10 years, was being manipted by the Heavenly Demon? How did he even know that? Her mind was extraordinary enough to run the Cgrande familys dozens of businesses, but she was having a hard time understanding.

    "I''ll give you a detailed exnationter," Ohjin said. First, they had to solve the situation at hand. He nervously reached for his waist, taking Dantalion from its spot and transforming it into its spear form.

    Shlink, crack!

    He considered his options. ''A head-to-head fight? No.'' No matter how quickly hed grown and been selected for the Seven Stars, he wasnt capable of dealing with the Queen of Serpents yet.

    The same could be said for Isabe. Even if the two of them worked together, it was difficult to predict if they could win.

    I don''t think Isabe is in a fighting state at the moment, he thought. The wisest thing to do was to run away.

    Kasias brooding voice flowed toward them. "I won''t let you go." Even in the dark, her emerald eyes shone with an eerie light as they turned toward Ohjin. Her tongue, which was easily long enough to extend past her chest, flicked out over her hand.

    * * *

    * * *

    Ssasssasssasssa!

    Kasias shadow grew at an explosive rate and formed a huge dome around them.

    "Eugh!"

    Wasnt the expression in the blink of an eye used often? It referred to something happening in the short time it took to close and open ones eyes, but this was a speed that surpassed even that description.

    Ohjin, who was trapped in the huge dome of shadows, nervously chewed his lips. Damn. There was no way to avoid fighting anymore.

    Shhhk, shhhhk

    The sound of hundreds of sounds slithering along the ground flowed around them. Hundreds of pairs of eyes shone in the dark and turned to Ohjin and Isabe.

    "Oh, sister! Wake up!" Isabe yelled out.

    Kasias maddened eyes turned to her. "Be"

    "Y-yes, it''s me!"

    "You know what? The night reminds me of many things." Kasia spun in a circle with her arms open as if she were dancing. Her ck dress fluttered, and a dreary hum left her mouth. After a short dance, Kasia smirked and said, "I hate you."

    "Sister?

    "A sister like you? I''d rather not have one." Those harsh words pierced Isabes heart before the snakes shot at them like bullets.

    "Isabe!" Ohjin swung his spear in Isabe''s direction in the path his stigma of Pyxis directed, cutting a snake in half. Lightning crackled in the air.

    "N-not wanting a sister like me? What do you mean by that?

    "I told you! Your sister is being manipted by the Heavenly Demon!" Ohjin yelled.

    "But"

    "Focus!" He tried to get her to snap out of her shock. If this continues, your sister will keep being the Heavenly Demons puppet!

    Had his urgent plea reached Isabe? She pped her cheeks and calmly said, "I''ll try to break through the wall of shadows, Ohjin. Please buy me a little time."

    p!

    Ohjin nodded and tightened his grip on his spear.

    Shaaaaa!

    The snakes rushed in.

    Exceed. He swung his lightning-imbued spear at the approaching snakes.

    Crack! Crack!

    "Damn it." Dozens of the snakes clung together and wrapped around the spears de as if they were made of paper. Ohjin returned the spear to its folding knife form and extended both arms forward. Lightning Charge!

    Kzzzzzzt!

    The blue lightning created an intense explosion, but it only killed a few snakes at the frontit didn''t stop the tsunami of snakesing in.

    Fuck! He leaped and extended his arms upward,unching a wire shooter into a nearby amusement ride and soaring into the sky. That only worked for a moment. In the next instant, the snakes wrapped around his waist and pulled him to the floor.

    "Keuk!" A groan left Ohjins mouth as he fell from several meters in the air and mmed into the ground.

    Crash!

    Dozens of the snakes swarmed over him before he could stand. "Let me go, you punks!" He stopped them for a brief second with a burst of lightning and slipped out of the mound of snakes.

    ''There''s no end to them.'' He had to attack the main body and used Charge to condense lightning before turning to Kasia. "What?" Kasia, whom he had seen just a few moments prior, was gone.

    An ominous premonition ran down his spine. "Isabe!" He hurriedly called out.

    Over here, Lord Heavenly Demon. Something slithered up behind him before he knew it and tenderly hugged himKasia. Ohjin''s expression stiffened. As if she found his reaction to be funny, Kasia licked him and burst intoughter.

    "Kasia" Ohjin nervously turned his head to see eerie emerald eyes staring back at him. "I am the master you must follow and serve." He spoke in as calm a voice as he could. For a moment, he felt Kasia''s body tremble.

    Did it work? he wondered, preparing to turn around.

    "Liar, she whispered.

    Crack!

    Exerting her tremendous strength, she ripped his arm off.

 Chapter 263: Snowy Fields (3)

    Chapter 263: Snowy Fields (3)

    Rumble!

    Isabe and Kasias duel shook the earth again.

    "Damn!" Ohjin chewed his lips with a nervous look on his face. He wanted to get to Isabe''s side somehow, but his body was going against his will and approaching the portion of the shadow wall Isabe had been attacking.

    In terms of distance, it was about 200 meters away. Since the shadow dome was so big, it allowed him to escape the shockwaves of the disastrous battle.

    "Ugh, ah." When he tried to force himself to turn away, blood poured out again from his right arm, where the potion had previously halted the bleeding. After a moment of being distracted by pain, Ohjin arrived where Isabe had indicated.

    A small gap carved into the shadow wall caught his eye. It was only big enough for a head to fit through, but if he used a little more strength, he could make it big enough for one person.

    Kzzzzt!

    A blue me burned around the knife in his hand. When he pushed the knife into the small gap and sawed back and forth, he saw the gap gradually widening.

    "Keugh!"

    Crack

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    He gritted his teeth and tried to rebel against themand, but his body acted like a puppet and continued to move against his will. Stop. Maybe it was because Kasia was focused on the battle, but the seemingly invincible shadow dome was falling apart faster than he expected it to.

    Ohjin nervously looked down at the knife in his hand. Even at that moment, the lightning-wrapped knife was steadily opening a gap through which he could escape.

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Isabe''s screams reached his ears.

    When he turned around and looked at her, he saw her lying on the ground. Two fist-sized holes were visible in her side. Blood poured from the wounds, and even some of her intestines were visible.

    "Isabe!" He tried calling out to her, but it didn''t work. He pushed his upper body into the gap due to themand. Damn! As he exited the shadow dome, the refreshing night air caressed his cheeks. It was like he was a hatchling breaking through an egg.

    "Stop!" He tried to cry out to get his body to stop, but it steadily followed Isabes order and fled as far as possible from the shadow dome. "Stop it, fuck!" His surroundings passed by quickly. Eventually, he chewed his lips and focused on the left side of his chest.

    If its the ck Heaven It crossed his mind that maybe he could go against her orders with it. "Keuk!"

    Kuuurrrrrruuuukkk!

    A ck cloud began to trickle out from the left side of his chest. As the ck Heavens energy spread through his body, he felt himself gradually slowing down from his high-speed run.

    That was all. ''My body doesn''t move properly.'' He could resist themand, but he couldn''tpletely ignore it. The only way to bring out more of the ck Heaven Ohjin''s expression stiffened. There was still a way out. "But" He swallowed hisints and gave the left side of his chest a teary-eyed look.

    ''If I open the door'' He would forget again. Those joyful, sad, painful, precious memories

    The footprints of his life

    "I don''t want to." He trembled, curled up like a baby, and let out cries of despair. It was scary. Unbearably so. No matter what, he didnt think Kasia would kill her own sister. Right. That was a good point. Even if she was not in her right mind, there was no way she could kill her only blood rtive.

    ''She stopped the attack earlier, too.'' He remembered Kasia struggling and clutching her head. Her consciousness had not disappearedpletely, even in the state of being controlled by the Heavenly Demon.

    Beyond the dark clouds, stars twinkled in the sky. It would be fine. It wouldnt be a problem. Even if he ran away

    Nothing would happen. "Ha" Ohjin scoffed and covered his face with his remaining hand as he burst into giggles. Fucking damn it. What a joke. How ugly. He was afraid to forget, so he wanted to leave Isabe and run away?

    -I dont want to lose either.

    He knew it was selfish and shameless. Like a greedy child who wanted to eat all the candy in his full hands even though his teeth were all rotten.

    -Right now just knowing how you feel is enough.

    He remembered a woman whodughed, saying that she was okay with such childishnessa woman who smiled brightly as if she were happy.

    "I''ll have to go." It was alright if he forgot. It didnt matter if it was erased. Like Vega said that day Closing your eyes didn''t mean the world would disappear.

    Ohjin turned to the shadow dome. With his hand on the left side of his chest, he recited the spell.

    * * *

    * * *

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    "Haa, haa!" Isabe panted as she tried to stop her guts from pouring out of her side.

    Kasia stood before her, staring down with cold, empty eyes like all of her emotions were gone. The ck jewel embedded in her forehead was encroaching on her consciousness like a seed rooted in the ground.

    "Sister" Isabe looked up at Kasia, chewing her lips.

    The cold eyes turned to her. "What''s wrong?" Kasia answered in a dim voice as if she had just woken up.

    Tears formed in Isabe''s eyes. Her sister''s freezing-cold voice felt strange, it was as if she were someone else. "Wake up, wake up sister."

    "What do you mean, wake up? Kasia, with a slight smile, stepped on Isabes injured side.

    Argh! A scream of pain echoed out.

    "I''m fine right now, right?" Kasia flicked her long tongue and spread her arms wide. The hem of her ck dress fluttered around her as she turned in a dance-like motion. "Ah, dear Be. My sweet little sister." She spoke in a sing-song voice. "Do you know how much I hated you?"

    "What are you talking about?"

    "Haha. You didn''t know" Kasia burst intoughter and squatted down while reaching for Isabe''s cheeks. "Every time I saw you smile, I thought Why me?"

    It was like all of the blessings had skipped her and been passed on to Isabe, who disyed extraordinary talent from a young age. She easily digested the tight curriculum for gifted students and was praised as a genius that appeared once in a hundred years in the music and art sectors.

    What about exercise? There was a time when she won an international fencingpetition after practicing simply for the sake of it. A genius It felt like the word existed only for Isabe.

    "I thought over and over again, over and over again, over and over again" Kasia murmured. If Isabe was the shining sun, she was the shadow in the light. The brighter Isabe shone, the darker her shadow grew. Whenever Isabes innocent, bright smile turned to her, Kasia felt the ugly emotions in her heart were being pulled out.

    "Something like you I wish you hadn''t been born." It sounded like Kasia could copse at any moment.

    Isabe gave her sister a sad look. She didn''t know that. No, it would be better to say she hadnt even cared. She had excitedlyughed and talked in front of Kasia, who was terminally ill and couldn''t even stand on her feet. She thought it was okay, that there was no problem, and that things would be fine since she was a sweet sister.

    "I''m sorry, sister." Isabe felt a sharp, knife-like pain in her chest. Her insensitivity during her youthful happiness How much despair had it caused Kasia? Being young was an excuseshe was neither young nor silly enough to not understand people''s feelings.

    "You don''t have to apologize." Kasia smiled and slowly raised her staff. "My wish has alreadye true." All that time ago, during that blizzard in the snowy field, an existence had given her a star from the night sky while the cold was killing her. The presence had approached her at her weakest point.

    After that, she no longer felt the pain or loneliness of her past life as long as she did what he said and followed his will.

    "I''m not going to be abandoned anymore." Her empty emerald eyes bored into Isabe. Kasia raised her staff high and prepared to swing it down in a finishing blow. It was the end. She could finally escape from the shadows cast by the sun.

    Yes

    If only Isabe disappeared

    Once again, Kasia''s arm stopped for a moment. In terms of time, it was less than a second of hesitation, but it was enough to change fate.

    An explosion shook the shadow dome and tore it apart before ck clouds poured in.

    "What?!" Kasia backpedaled with a look of bewilderment on her face.

    Ohjin walked out of the storm of ck clouds.

    "Ohjin?" Isabes eyes widened when she saw how Ohjins body was almost entirely formed of clouds. The dark clouds wrapped around Isabe like a fog.

    "Oh! Th-this is"

    "Stay still," Ohjin said as the clouds pulled her over to him. He frowned as he looked down at the wound on Isabe''s side. "Do you have any potions left?"

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    "I I have one."

    "Ill be using it." Ohjin took a potion out of her handbag and poured it into the wound.

    Perhaps her senses returned as the pain subsided. Isabe stared at Ohjin in iprehension and asked, "Oh, how were you able toe back here? These clouds" She was sure she gave him an "order" and made him run away.

    "I''ll exin itter," he said. Since she had seen him use Heaven Unfolding, he would have to exin anyway. "First, lets finish this.

    He slowly turned to Kasia, his eyes burning with blue fire.

 Chapter 262: Snowy Fields (2)

    Chapter 262: Snowy Fields (2)

    "Keuk, Ugh!" Blood fountained from Ohjin¡¯s mouth, and a searing pain spread over his shoulder as if someone were pressing a red-hot iron into his skin. The pain spread like poison and ate away at his reasoning.

    "Heup!" He did his best to suppress the dizzying pain as he used his folding knife to stab down toward Kasia¡¯s arm, which was still around his waist.

    Craaaack¡ª!

    He felt unexpectedly strong resistance, but had the attack worked to some extent? Her hold on him weakened for a moment, and he used the opportunity to leap away and distance himself from her. Before she could react, he took an emergency potion from the bag he always carried and poured it over the stump of his right arm.

    "Huh. You''re a shrewd liar." Kasia licked the blood flowing from her forearm and threw Ohjin''s right arm to the floor like it was trash.

    "Sis¡­ter¡­?" Isabe, who had been trying to make a hole in the shadow wall, looked down at Ohjin¡¯s arm, her eyes wide with surprise. "What¡­ are you doing?" She gave Kasia a stiff look, and a thickyer of bloodlust rose from her eyes.

    "Huh? I''m just punishing a liar."¡± Isabe''s gaze went cold. Looking down at Ohjin''s arm, she stopped breaking through the wall and turned toward Kasia. "How dare you¡­" The sound of her fingernails breaking cracked through the air. "How dare you¡­ Ohjin''s arm¡­"

    Crack¡ª

    Crimson blood flowed down her ruined nails and formed into a red sickle. Any warmth she held toward Kasia was long gone.

    "Stop, Isabe!" Ohjin yelled.

    She couldn''t stop. She couldn¡¯t let someone who¡¯d dared to harm her Ohjin be, even if that person was her biological sister, whom she had been anxiously trying to find for 10 years. Isabe sped the red sickle and leaped forward.

    Spurt¡ª!

    A blood-red path sprouted before Isabe as she glided forward and swung her sickle.

    ¡°You dare attack your older sister? It seems you¡¯re as bad-mannered as always.¡± Kasia clenched her fist as if clutching the air and let out a coldugh. The shadows climbed up her body and gathered in her hands to form a long staff with two snakes at the end holding emerald bells.

    Ring¡ª

    The bells rang out, and a shadow exploded from the staff to strike Isabe¡¯s sickle.

    Kagagagagak¡ª!

    Isabe was pushed back by the impact. ¡°You¡¯re the one with the bad habit,¡± she said before she drew her palm along the de of her sickle. Her blood welled up into des and shot toward Kasia.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything, and you dare say such a thing?¡± Kasia''s dull eyes bored into Isabe, and the gem on her forehead emitted a grim, ck glow. She swung her staff, sending her shadowy snakes forward in a barrier that collided with Isabe¡¯s projectile. The ground tore apart like paper, and one of the nearby rides copsed, sending up a cloud of dust.

    "Flow." Isabe turned her injured palm downward, causing her blood to gather in a circr puddle that dyed the earth red. Hundreds of bloody flowers bloomed around her, making it seem like she was standing in a garden of blood. She slowly raised her sickle.

    "Hey, those are pretty flowers." Without a moment of hesitation, Kasia walked into the garden of bloody flowers, plucked one of the odd nts from the blood puddle, and burst intoughter. "Come to think of it, do you remember the flower crown you made me when we were children?

    It was a memory from back in the sprawling Cgrande garden. Back then, Isabe had smiled warmly and held a wreath of wildflowers as Kasia sat in a wheelchair and shared the moment. The precious memory was so far in the past that they couldn¡¯t remember exactly when it was.

    "I don''t remember," Isabe said. In truth, she remembered it so vividly that she couldn''t forget it, even in her dreams.

    "Oh? Is that so? I remember it. Fufu. That disgusting gand you put on me back then¡­ Even thinking about it makes me sick.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Isabe chewed her lips. Even though she knew Kasia was out of her mind¡­ "Disgusting¡­ was it ?"

    "Fufu. Why did you think I''d like something like that?" Every single one of Kasia¡¯s words seemed to pierce through Isabe¡¯s heart.

    Isabe felt her warm memories being torn apart. "Shut up." Isabe red at Kasia and swung her sickle. Hundreds more of the bloody flowers bloomed around them at the same time, creating a terrifying explosion.

    Rumble¡ª!

    The ground shook, creating an earthquake-like phenomenon akin to a natural disaster.

    "Huh. I thought it was a pretty flower, but they¡¯re very simr to you in nature." Kasia stood still in the midst of the explosion, undamaged. "It''s my turn now."

    Ring¡ª

    The bells on her staff rang, and the ck snakes flooded toward Isabe in a tidal wave of darkness.

    "Ugh!"

    Dozens, hundreds, thousands¡­ There were so many snakes that they couldn¡¯t even be counted. Isabe did her best to cut down the rushing snakes. How long had it been since she felt such pressure? "Haa, haa!" She panted and leaned on her sickle.

    "Are you tired already?" Compared to Isabe, who was panting as if she were about to copse, Kasia lookedrgely the same as she had looked at the start of their confrontation¡ªshe was just a little out of breath.

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    Kasia smirked and took a step forward, vanishing in a blur of motion as she closed the distance to Isabe. "I should punish you, Be," she said. Her eyes shone with emerald light, and she mmed her staff toward Isabe. To be exact, she tried to m it toward Isabe.

    "Eugh¡­" Kasia halted as if she were a machine that¡¯d suddenly been switched off. She groaned low and chewed her lips. "Ah, ugh." The staff fell from her hands and hit the ground, its bells ringing again. She curled up and clutched her head. "St¡­ op¡­ no, I can¡¯t, stop¡­¡± she muttered.

    With every shudder of her body, the jewel in her forehead glowed ck again. "Ah¡­ uh. Ah." Kasia wriggled on the ground like a fish and looked up toward the darkness-shrouded sky. Memories flooded into her mind that she hadn¡¯t wanted to think of again.

    -I''m sorry. Miss Kasia''s disease¡­ cannot be cured with modern technology.

    Those doctor¡¯s words had felt like a death sentence. She didn¡¯t remember the exact name of the disease, but it caused the muscles of her legs, waist, arms, and body to be dysfunctional and harden like stone. It was an incurable disease that couldn¡¯t be cured by the Cgrande family''s enormous financial power.

    In the end, all she could do was experience the progression of her symptoms and wait for death in her wheelchair.

    -Kasia! Look at this!

    Back when Isabe had smiled and given her the crown of wildflowers, she¡¯d felt miserable and jealous to see her sister running around in good health while she was trapped in a wheelchair.

    Still, she¡¯d smiled and pretended it was okay and that nothing was bothering her. She believed it was the best way to make sure her loved ones weren¡¯t sad. Then, one day, she awokete at night and went into the hallway, which was where she¡¯d overheard a conversation between her mother and father.

    -Still, it¡¯s a relief.

    What was a relief?

    -If even Isabe was afflicted, I¡­ haa.

    Her mother¡¯s sigh had sounded somewhat relieved. The moment Kasia overheard that conversation, her world fell apart. Her life, the life of Kasia Cgrande, was merely something to be relieved about somebody else not having.

    Like nk paper when drawing lots, nobody wanted or hoped for her¡ªshe was fated to be crumpled and thrown in the trash. She lost everything that day. Her sweet father, her sweet mother, and her lovely sister¡­ even herself.

    After some time, ording to family rules, she was ced in a hospital in d. It wasn''t unfair or sad, and she didn''t have anything anyway. All she had was a body that was falling apart. She¡¯d been abandoned by the family once more when a huge fissure leading to the Demon Realm opened.

    No one took care of her when the monsters flooded in like a tsunami. In the end, she¡¯d copsed in the middle of a snowy field, alone in a blizzard on the seemingly endless sheet of white. The cold had felt cold enough to cut her.

    She recalled that freezing memory and looked up at the dark, moonless sky. "Ah." Kasia lowered her head, stumbled, and lifted her staff. "His words¡­ must be obeyed." That recollection had reminded her of the day she waited for death toe¡ªthat unbreakable nightmare.

    ¡°That way¡­¡± If she followed his orders, she would never be abandoned aga¡ª

    "Blue Lightning!¡± Lightning fell from the sky and pierced through her.

    Kasia stepped back and groaned.

    Ta-ang¡ª!

    Ohjin shot a wire toward Isabe and pulled her to him. "Whoo." He held the still-gasping Isabe with his remaining arm.

    ¡°Haa, haa. You''re alright now, Ohjin," Isabe said as she gasped for air and stood. She continued, creating a red sickle again. "I''ll buy you time, so in the meantime, run away. I¡¯ll make a small gap for you in the shadow wall."

    "No." Ohjin shook his head, rejecting her n. "It would be better to fight together." Even if he wanted to run away, he couldn''t¡ªeverything was covered in shadows. Even if Isabe opened the way for him, he couldn¡¯t leave her behind.

    ¡°¡­¡± When Isabe saw Ohjin somehow stand up and prepare to fight with only one arm left, she put a hand on his shoulder and sighed beforemanding, "Run away."

    "Eugh!" Regardless of his will, Ohjin¡¯s body moved on its own ord. "Isabe!"

    "I''m sorry, Ohjin." Isabe gave him a sad smile. "I felt the same way back then." She winked at him, gripped her sickle, and leaped at Kasia again.

 Chapter 264: Snowy Fields (4)

    Chapter 264: Snowy Fields (4)

    ¡°Why are you¡­?¡± Kasia gave Ohjin, who¡¯d transformed into a ck cloud, a confused look. ¡°N-no¡­ there¡¯s no way. Y-you¡¯re a fake¡­ yeah. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re the real Heavenly Demon.¡±

    Kasia shook and took a step back, her eyes wide in shock as she reached up and put her hands on either side of her head. The light from the ck jewel embedded in her forehead shook. ¡°¡­I have to kill him.¡±

    Crack¡ª

    She bared her teeth as she raised her staff. Shadows spread as she mmed her staff into the ground and created something reminiscent of a ckke. Larger snakes crept out of it. If the snakes that had risen from the shadows so far were the size of rattlesnakes, the new ones were the size of anacondas.

    It would not be strange if such snakes were able to swallow a person whole. The snakes flicked their tongues and surrounded Ohjin.

    ¡°Shadow snakes¡­¡± The bells on Kasia¡¯s staff rang, and she pointed the weapon at Ohjin. ¡°Swallow that liar.¡±

    Shhhk, shhhk¡ª!

    The shadowy snakes shot forward like bullets. Ohjin bowed low, stuck out his right arm¡ªwhich had regenerated during Heaven Unfolding¡ªand turned it into a dark cloud. The serpents¡¯ wide-open mouthstched onto his forearm, and their fangs dug deep into him.

    ¡°Keuk?!¡± He had thought that, since neither physical nor magical attacks worked on the clouds of the ck Heaven, the snakes¡¯ fangs wouldn¡¯t harm him, but he was wrong.¡®Their attacks work?¡¯ Even though the fangs dug into the parts of his arm that were clouds, he still felt a dizzying pain spreading. Turning to look down at the fangs piercing his arm, he saw that the clouds of the ck Heaven had dispersed like ink.

    ¡°As expected, you are a fake.¡± Kasia smiled brightly. Seeing that her attack had worked, she seemed more certain as she swung her staff.

    Ring, ring¡ª

    Following the clear sound of bells, snakes leaped at Ohjin.

    ¡°Ohjin!¡± Isabe cried out.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Ohjin lightly waved at Isabe as she tried to approach and observed the snakes¡¯ movements. ¡®Heavenly Unfolding doesn¡¯t work.¡¯ Usually, when he used Heaven Unfolding, all the senses of his ¡®enemy¡¯ disappeared, one by one. Maybe it was because the snakes were mere summons, but it didn¡¯t work on them in the same way.

    ¡®Then¡­¡¯ He turned to Kasia and shot a dark cloud toward her.

    ¡°Oh, are you aiming at me?¡± Kasia smiled as if she had been expecting it.

    Crack¡ª!

    A shadowy snake bit Ohjin¡¯s arm again, and its fangs prated an area of his form that hadn¡¯t transformed yet. A dizzying shot up his arm, but he could not afford to scream.

    Kzzzzt¡ª!

    ck lightning burned the attacking snake¡¯s body, and Ohjin leaped away from the rest of the snakes before they could surround him. Thankfully, one of the other features of Heaven Unfolding still worked, and he disappeared like a mist before quickly reappearing in front of Kasia.

    "Ugh!" Had her senses started to disappear? Kasia frowned and faltered.

    Ohjin reached out and gripped her neck.

    Krruuuk¡ª!

    A dark cloud stretched out from his palm and began to devour her magic; the enormous mana absorbed through the ck Heaven spread throughout his body. No, it wasn''t exactly mana.

    Ti-ring¡ª!

    [Some of ¡®Kasia Cgrande¡¯s¡¯ memories have been inherited.]

    Memories passed through his head like a panorama. ¡®This¡­?¡¯ It had been a while since he obtained memories from someone other than Shinhyuk. He briefly stopped moving and focused on the memory flowing through his head.

    In the memory, he saw a snowy garden and the image of a slender girl, crouched in a blizzard, shivering pitifully. A figure enshrouded in ck clouds appeared in front of the girl.

    ''He''s¡­ the Heavenly Demon.'' Ohjin examined the faint silhouette amidst the ck clouds¡ªall that he could confirm was that it was the silhouette of a person. The clouds were simply too thick for him to identify the person within.

    ¡°What a poor child.¡± The Heavenly Demon continued, stroking Kasia''s bowed head. ¡°To your family, the world, and your own fate¡­¡± Stars twinkled in the dark clouds. ¡°I''ll give you the Serpent.¡± Finally, the starlight from the dark clouds flowed into Kasia''s body.

    "Let¡­ go¡­!" Kasia, who was being held by the throat, fiercely red at Ohjin, hitting him with her staff and causing snakes to rise and wrap around him.

    The snakes constricted, crushing him in their hold. "Keuk! Kuheuk!" He hurriedly turned himself into a dark cloud and escaped the snakes¡¯ grasp.

    Shaaaaa¡ª!

    A giant snake¡¯s tail swung around like a whip and struck him the moment he reappeared, sending him flying back into the Antis rollercoaster¡¯s rail.

    "Keuk!" The rail crumpled like a sheet of paper, and the broken steel bars copsed on top of him. A momentter, Ohjin dug his way out of the rubble, panting in exertion. Ignoring the physical pain, he was distressed by how his consciousness was starting to fade.

    ''How much longer can I hold on?'' He didn¡¯t know exactly, but he knew he couldn¡¯t keep it up much longer. If he kept maintaining Heaven Unfolding, he instinctively knew that he would plunge into an ¡®irreversible¡¯ path.

    He looked at Kasia, who was slowly straightening herself with a nervous look on her face. He thought he had absorbed quite a lot of her mana, but he felt that the mana flowing from her was still extremely thick.

    ¡®She still has that much after I used Heaven Unfolding?¡¯ He didn''t think Heaven Unfolding was a cheat key that could easily trump every enemy, but he¡¯d never fought so hard after using it. He¡¯d thought it would at least guarantee a hard-fought win.

    ¡®Ah¡­ It¡¯ll be hard to beat her.¡¯ Even if he were optimistic, the chances were 50-50, and that was only if he maintained Heaven Unfolding.

    Kurrrrrukkk¡ª

    He couldn¡¯t continue topete with Kasia when his consciousness was in danger of being swallowed up by the ck Heaven. "Kasia¡­" he said. If he had no way to fight and win, then he had to use another method. It was the best method he could think of¡­

    Kuuurrrrrruuukk¡ª!

    ck clouds from Ohjin surrounded the area like Kasia¡¯s shadow dome. It wasn¡¯t wide in scope, but at least Isabe wouldn¡¯t be able to see inside.

    "Haa, haa. What is this?" Kasia asked, looking quite exhausted.

    Ohjin spoke in a calm, subdued voice. "You must have suffered alone." He recalled the memories he¡¯d seen of a terminally-ill girl, abandoned by family and the world. That memory of her being left alone in a cold, snowy field¡­

    "What are you saying¡­?" Kasia mumbled.

    "I''m sorry, I didn''t recognize you before," Ohjin said.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Shaken, Kasia trembled, and she red at Ohjin. "¡­Wh-what do you know?!"

    "I know¡­" Ohjin continued with a pale smile. "Because I was the one who gifted you with the stars that day."

    For a moment, light shone in Kasia''s eyes. ¡°Ah, eugh.¡± It was only a moment, though. After the ck jewel embedded in her forehead shone, the light in her eyes disappeared. "Y-you''re lying!"

    Ohjin slowly walked toward her. "You may think so. No, you have no choice but to think so at the moment¡­"

    * * *

    * * *

    "Now, you''re being deceived by him."

    "¡­I¡¯m being deceived?" she asked.

    "Yes."

    Kasia''s eyes trembled. ¡°You¡¯re the one deceiving me. You¡¯re¡­ not the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    "Then who is the Heavenly Demon?"

    "The Heavenly Demon¡­" Kasia backpedaled, not finishing her sentence. She shuddered, clutching her head. "The Heavenly Demon¡­ The Heavenly Demon, the Heavenly Demon¡­"

    Ohjin grabbed Kasia''s trembling shoulder. Her consciousness was being dominated by the Heavenly Demon¡¯s power, but she hadn¡¯tpletely lost her awareness yet.

    ''Back when she stopped trying to attack Isabe¡­'' She was instinctively showing resistance to the Heavenly Demon¡¯s control. ''She¡¯s still here.'' Kasia''s consciousness was being buried, but it wasn¡¯t gone. All he had to do was bring it back to the surface; to do so, he needed to be the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯.

    ''There''s a good chance she¡¯s being controlled by the jewel in her forehead.'' That meant the Heavenly Demon could only force her to recognize him through the jewel. In other words¡­ ¡®She wants to believe I¡¯m the true Heavenly Demon.¡¯ If that weren¡¯t the case, then the mind-controlling jewel wouldn¡¯t have been necessary.

    ¡°N-no.¡± Kasia shook her head, her face pale. "I¡­ I must obey him¡­ otherwise." She curled up.

    "You think you¡¯ll be thrown away?" Ohjin asked as he looked down and watched her shaking in horror.

    ¡°¡­¡± She was so thin she could be mistaken for a girl. In the end, she was a vulnerable woman who was likely to be shattered like a ss bead if handled incorrectly. That was the true Kasia Cgrande, hidden beneath the terrifying mask of the Snake Queen.

    ¡®It¡¯s due to her past trauma.¡¯ Extreme self-loathing had built up due to her terminal illness, and she still recalled the distant despair from her time in the wheelchair, helplessly waiting for her approaching death.

    The Heavenly Demon had stimted that trauma and turned her into a puppet. For her, being ¡®thrown away¡¯ was a horror far worse than death. That being the case, there was only one thing he had to do¡­

    "I will not abandon you," he said.

    ¡°What?" Kasia asked.

    "I won¡¯t abandon you." He slowly stroked her cheek as if touching a priceless treasure. "You are more precious than anyone else."

    "I¡­ am?"

    "Yes."

    Kasia''s eyes shook. For her, who has been treated as ¡®expendable¡¯ for as long as she could remember, the word ¡®precious¡¯ felt too strange. "No¡­ no." There was no way she could be precious. If that were the case, then she wouldn¡¯t have been left alone in that snowy field. ¡°I¡­ don''t deserve to be told that I''m precious."

    "It''s not you who decides."

    "B-but I¡­" Memories flooded her mind, terrible nightmares.

    -But it''s still a relief.

    She recalled thatte night when her mother¡¯s voice crept past an open door. Those words mixed with relief had turned her struggles to live into nothing. ¡°N-no one¡­ needed me.¡±

    "I need you," Ohjin argued.

    "Everyone¡­ everyone left me alone!"

    "I didn¡¯t leave."

    "For me¡­ there''s nothing."

    "I am here." Ohjin gave her an unshakeable stare.

    A moment passed¡­

    Craa-aack¡ª!

    The ck gem in her forehead cracked, and her empty eyes began to sparkle again with a beautiful emerald color. "Ah¡­" She let out a short exmation and gave Ohjin a pale smile. "You''re not¡­ the Heavenly Demon." Kasia shook her head and looked sad. "The Heavenly Demon is not this kind."

    ¡°¡­¡± Had excessive kindness be poison instead? It was inevitable for Ohjin¡ªhe wasn''t the real Heavenly Demon, he was just a con artist who acted like him. He couldn''t bepletely like the Heavenly Demon.

    The true art behind being a con artist was making someone want to be tricked rather than directly tricking them. "Yes, as you say, I am not the Heavenly Demon." Ohjin nodded.

    Kasia murmured, "As expected." Tears filled her eyes.

    "Not yet, at least," Ohjin admitted.

    "What does that mean?"

    "What is the Heavenly Demon to you?"

    In that endless stretch of snow, the only one who approached her had been the being who plucked the stars from the night sky for her. "He''s my everything."

    "Who''s trying to manipte you?" Ohjin pointed to the cracked gem lodged in her forehead. "The one who threatens to abandon you if you don''t obey orders is your everything?"

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The Heavenly Demon had made one mistake¡ªwhat Kasia needed was not a constetion from the night sky. What the girl who was abandoned in the snowy field wanted was the warmth of a person who could melt the cold snow.

    "Kasia." He wiped away the tears from her eyes. "I swear to you, no matter what, that I will not abandon you." He whispered, "I will never let you go through those cold, painful, lonely memories again. You are more important than anything else in the world."

    He knew what the girl abandoned in the snowy field wanted to hear the most and whispered the words she¡¯d been longing to hear for her entire life. Even if the whisper was just a sweet lie from a con man¡­

    "I''ll be your Heavenly Demon."

    She couldn¡¯t help but fall for it.

 Chapter 265: Snowy Fields (5)

    Chapter 265: Snowy Fields (5)

    <strong>I¡¯m Not a Regressor</strong>

    <strong>Chapter 265: Snowy Fields (5)</strong>

    ¡°Keuhuk!¡± Ohjin felt his head throbbing as if he¡¯d been hit with a club, and he let out a low groan. ¡®This is¡­?¡¯ He sat up in bed and looked around at the white wallpaper, also noticing the smell of disinfectant wafting into his nose¡ªit was a VIP hospital room with quite a luxurious interior.

    "Ah, that¡¯s right¡­" After he dered that he would be the Heavenly Demon, Kasia''s response was a little different from what he expected. If it worked, he thought she would gratefully begin to cry, and if it didn''t work, he thought she¡¯dugh at him and tell him to stop talking nonsense.

    For some reason, she¡¯d stepped back, her face reddening in confusion. -Y-you¡¯re just saying anything because you¡¯re a liar! D-do you think you can be the Heavenly Demon?- After shouting those words, she¡¯d sharply turned and left.

    ''I don''t know if it was a good thing or not.'' His initial n was to y the role of the Heavenly Demon and make her distrust the real one. Unfortunately, that n failed for the rather ridiculous reason of him being too kind.

    ''Well, it''s my fault.'' It was his mistake for failing to properly grasp the nature of the Heavenly Demon and acting in a way that did not match, but that didn¡¯t mean he could give up. He¡¯d changed his strategy to address the trauma Kasia harbored based on the memories he¡¯d seen.

    To put it simply¡­ Instead of a bitter truth, he¡¯d shown her a sweet lie.

    ''I don''t know¡­ if it worked or not.'' Anyway, Kasia figured out he wasn''t really the Heavenly Demon. Of course, it was a failure in that his lies had been discovered.

    "Haa." Leaning back, he let out a deep sigh. When he thought about it, he regretted that, no matter how sweet the lie was, he might have said too much. There was such a thing as something being too sweet, after all.

    ¡°¡­¡± Even though he knew that, it was difficult to control the emotions that seemed to burst forth when he saw her copse into tears in that white, snowy field.

    ¡®She looked too much like Ha-eun used to.¡¯ After being blinded by the Thousand Curse Dragon, Ha-eun curled up in her hospital bed and cried. That image of her shaking and sobbing had ovepped in his mind with the image of Kasia being abandoned in the snowy field. Ha-eun had him; he had Ha-eun, but in Kasia¡¯s case¡­

    "Tsk." Ohjin clicked his tongue and shook his head. Why was he trying to sympathize with her? ''Well, I didn''t die, so that''s enough.'' There was no other choice but to leave things to her.

    "By the way¡­" His expression stiffened as he recalled those events. The side effects of using Heaven Unfolding and the memory loss that came with it weighed on his mind like a heavy burden. What other memories had he lost?

    ¡®I remember being together with Ha-eun, at least.¡¯ It was difficult to know exactly which memories disappeared because humans didn¡¯t have perfect memories to begin with. As he recalled all of his memories with Ha-eun one by one, the hospital room¡¯s door opened, and Isabe entered.

    Click¡ª

    "Have you woken up, Ohjin?" she asked as she approached him with a worried look.

    "Oh, yes. I''m up," he said.

    "Are you hurting anywhere?"

    "Well¡­ I think it would be easier to find a ce that doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±

    "Wait a minute. I''ll call the doctor and tell him to give you more painkillers."

    "No, it''s alright." Suffering was something he could do better than almost anyone else.

    "Are you sure you''re okay?" Isabe gripped his hand, looking as if she were about to cry.

    Her soft touch made the pain throughout his body seem to fade a little. "Yes. It''s just a simple muscle pain," he said. It wasn''t a simple muscle pain, but he didn''t want to worry her.

    "Fuu. That''s a relief." Isabe let out a relieved sigh and lightly patted her chest. Even with that small movement, he noticed her two, fearsome mounds wobbling.

    Ohjin suddenly coughed.

    "Ohjin,¡± Isabe said, ¡°what did you talk about with my sister?" There were a lot of things she wanted to ask him. She wanted to know how he resisted her orders, why half of his body had turned into a ck cloud, and more. Like stars in the night sky, she had countless questions.

    "That''s¡­" Ohjin awkwardly stopped talking. How on earth could he twist things so that he could usibly say he hadn¡¯t been talking about the Heavenly Demon with Kasia? It was not easy for him to lie at that moment, and an awkward silence ensued.

    Isabe calmly waited for his answer but soon breathed a deep sigh and shook her head. "If it''s hard for you to tell me, then you don''t have to ."

    "Sorry."

    Unanswered questions still flitted through Isabe¡¯s head, but she didn''t want to force Ohjin to answer when he was looking so awkward. "After talking to you¡­ my sister told me, before she left¡­ that she was sorry." After the cloud wall disappeared, Kasia walked out with Ohjin in her arms and carefully ced him in front of Isabe.

    She didn¡¯t know what happened in there, but the aftermath was evident in the ck gem being gone from Kasia¡¯s forehead and her sister¡¯s change in attitude before leaving.

    "Has my sister beenpletely released from the Heavenly Demon¡¯s control?" she asked.

    Ohjin slowly shook his head and said, "I don''t know about that."

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    * * *

    For the moment, Kasia seemed to have escaped the Heavenly Demon¡¯s control, but there was no guarantee that it would remain that way. Even the Heavenly Demon wouldn¡¯t want to lose the Queen of Serpents.

    "My sister¡¯s ability¡­" Isabe recalled how Kasia had used shadow snakes. Kasia was so powerful that even she, who was the Queen of Leeches and ranked third among the Executors of the ck Star Organization, lost without even being able to put up a proper fight.

    Since it was almost impossible for someone of such power to not be known to the public, there was only one possibility¡­ "The Queen of Serpents¡­ was my sister."

    Isabe breathed out a light sigh and made a self-mocking smile. Even though she was in the same ck Star Organization, she didn''t know that the Queen of Serpents was her long-lost sister

    Sheughed without meaning to. "It seemed like you knew my sister¡­Did you meet her before?"

    "Yeah,¡± Ohjin said. ¡°I met her when I was stuck in the Demon Realm, even though I never thought she was your sister." He knew she had a missing sister, but he hadn¡¯t known the details and had never even heard Kasia¡¯s name mentioned.

    "That''s what happened¡­?" Although her curiosity was notpletely sated yet, she still felt her confusion melt away a bit. ¡°Haa. Since the situation is like this, I can¡¯t even bring it up to Ha-eun.¡±

    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Ohjin asked.

    "A-ahem. The things we talked about in the Ferris wheel."

    ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, Ohjin¡¯s expression stiffened. He shook his head and gritted his teeth.

    "Ohjin?"

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Isabe approached him cautiously when she noticed his mood suddenly changed, but he stared nkly into the air, distracted by something. "What''s wrong with you?"

    "Huh? Oh, yeah. Nothing. Sorry." Ohjin shook his head and gave her an awkward smile.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Isabe narrowed her eyes. Why did it feel like he was on the verge of breaking, and that even a touch would push him over the edge? "Ohjin¡­"

    He avoided her eyes, so she grabbed his cheek and turned his head toward her. His shaky eyes made it look like he was a crook who¡¯d been caught in the act. "What we talked about on the Ferris wheel that day¡­ Do you remember?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± A brief silence filled the hospital room.

    Isabe smirked and lightly pinched his cheek. "You said that you wanted to go to Lotte World with me someday. Did you forget?"

    "Oh, yes, I did. Sorry, maybe I just woke up. I¡¯m a bit distracted."

    ¡°¡­¡± As soon as she heard Ohjin''s answer, Isabe''s smile vanished.

    Seeing her sudden change in expression, Ohjin trembled and let out a deep sigh as he swept his hair up. ¡°I never said that, did I?¡±

    "Right¡­"

    "Haa." He couldn¡¯t believe he was caught with such a simple trick. A self-mockingugh flowed from his mouth.

    "Tell me, Ohjin¡­ What happened?" Isabe coldly asked. It was clear she wouldn¡¯t let him go without a proper answer.

    "Back then¡­ you saw my body turn into a dark cloud, right?" Ohjin asked.

    "Yes."

    He decided to gloss over telling her about the ck Heaven. That wasn¡¯t the important part, after all. "I guess you could say it¡¯s a double-edged sword¡­ If I use it, some of my memories disappear as a side effect.¡±

    ¡°Y-your memories disappear?" Isabe jumped from her seat in shock. "Why would you use such a dangerous technique¡­?"

    "Because I had to save you."

    ¡°¡­¡± She shut her mouth, lost for words at his casual reply. He was right. If he hadn¡¯t gone back for her, she would have died there. "How many times have you used that technique?" she asked.

    "Two times¡­ No, I¡¯ve used it about three times." The next time would be the fourth time using it.

    "Other memories are gone, then¡­?" Isabe asked.

    "Only some memories disappear. Again¡­ I remember our date." It was the first time a memory rted to Isabe had disappeared.

    ¡°¡­¡± Isabe slumped down, looking as if she were about to cry. His having to use a technique with the absurd side effect of "memory loss" to save her shook her to her core.

    Ohjin gave her a wry smile and turned his head. "Don''t tell Ha-eun."

    "Have you ever lost memories rted to her?" Isabe asked.

    ¡°¡­¡± Ohjin¡¯s lips crept into a bitter smile. The dizzying despair he felt when he lost his memory of being in a rtionship with her came back. Closing his eyes didn¡¯t mean the world would disappear, but the darkness was still strange and frightening. "Anyway, keep this a secret from her."

    "But¡­"

    "I¡¯m begging you."

    "Okay¡­" Isabe relented and gave him a heavy nod.

    Screech¡ª

    Just then, the tightly-closed door of the hospital room opened, and Ha-eun stepped through, a clear frown on her face.

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± she asked.

 Chapter 266

    I am not a returner Episode 266:

    Snowy field (6)

    ¡°Sister¡­?¡±

    Moment.

    Goosebumps ran down my spine along with the feeling that the world had stopped.

    Ha-eun opened the hospital room door and strode inside, ring at him with cold eyes.

    ¡°You lost your memory?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Have you already heard everything?

    Ohjin sighed deeply and nodded.

    ¡°that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°you¡­!¡±

    Ha-eun clenched her fist and raised her hand.

    I closed my eyes tightly, thinking I¡¯d been hit, but there was no subsequent shock.

    ¡°Why¡­ why didn¡¯t you tell me!¡±

    With wide eyes, he grabbed Oh Jin¡¯s cor.

    Shoulders and hands shaking.

    With bitter eyes, Oh Jin wiped away the tears from Ha Eun¡¯s eyes with his hand.

    Is there any other reason why I hid it from her?

    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want my sister to make this kind of expression.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun chewed her lips and rxed her grip on Oh-jin¡¯s cor.

    She stood up hesitantly and turned her head towards Isabe, who did not know what to do.

    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Sister Oh Jin is because of me¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m out.¡±

    A cold voice.

    Isabe, who was moving her lips to say something, looked at Ojin with trembling eyes.

    Oh Jin nodded slightly as if it was okay.

    ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll be out.¡±

    Sweet.

    The door to the hospital room was closed.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Only the two of them were left in the hospital room.

    A cold silence that felt unfamiliar fell.

    Ha-eun opened her mouth quietly, breaking the silence that seemed tost forever.

    ¡°You said you lost your memory of me too, right?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    ¡°¡­What did you remember?¡±

    Ha-eun asks with a trembling voice as if she is anxious.

    Seeing her precarious appearance as if it would shatter and scatter if he touched it, Ojin lightly held her hand.

    ¡°I remember my older sister being my lover.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    He pulled Ojin¡¯s hand, which he was holding, and leaned towards him.

    ¡°Then the reason we¡¯re dating now is¡­!¡±

    ¡°Just because the memories are gone doesn¡¯t mean the emotions are gone.¡±

    Although the memories of being lovers with her have disappeared.

    That didn¡¯t mean my feelings for her disappeared.

    As for that feeling.

    No matter what happens, it won¡¯t be erased.

    In order for all my feelings for Ha-eun to disappear, all my memories from the day I first talked to her on the roof of the orphanage would have to disappear.

    ¡°Since when¡­ ah.¡±

    A short exmation flowed from Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    When Ojin came out from being trapped in the demon world.

    Suddenly, I remembered when he said he was going out to get some air, his eyes shaking nervously.

    I didn¡¯t notice anything strange at the time, but now that I think about it, he seemed a bit different from usual.

    ¡°¡­So the memories before that have disappeared? every?¡±

    ¡°Not everything is gone. ¡°Only the memory of bing lovers has disappeared.¡±

    then.

    ¡°Have you¡­ forgotten what I confessed?¡±

    When caught by Cheon Do-yoon.

    Have I forgotten all the memories of kissing him and confessing the feelings I had kept hidden in my heart?

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin looked at her with sad eyes without answering anything.

    That was enough of an answer.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Ha-eun looked at him with watery eyes, as if she was about to burst into tears at any moment.

    A dark feeling, as if a dark cloud had hung over my mind.

    My heart ached as if it were going to explode when I thought that he had been carrying these feelings alone all this time.

    ¡°¡­Sorry.¡±

    ¡°What am I sorry about, sister?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­ you must have been suffering, but I¡­¡±

    I leaned on him as if nothing had happened.

    Without even knowing what he was carrying alone.

    -Now those ck Holy Society bastards are just gum!

    When I first heard about the technique called Gaecheon from Oh Jin, the words he said ran through my head.

    What emotions did he feel when heughed and said those words so ignorantly?

    ¡°sister.¡±

    Oh Jin smiled slightly as he stroked the cheek of Ha-eun, who was crying.

    ¡°The world doesn¡¯t disappear if you close your eyes, right?¡±

    I whispered to her what I heard from Vega.

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Even if you forget it, it doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯spletely gone. Well, actually, losing your memory isn¡¯t such a big deal, is it?¡±

    ¡°What kind of bullshit are you saying that it¡¯s not a big deal¡­!¡±

    ¡°Then do you remember what the lunch menu was from a month ago?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ha-eun mutters, ¡°It¡¯s not that kind of problem.¡±

    ¡°haha. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Forgetting what I had for lunch a month ago was one thing, but forgetting the priceless memories I shared with her was apletely different matter.

    but.

    ¡°No matter how many times I forget, I will still be by your side like now.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun looked at Oh Jin with trembling eyes.

    He pulled his joined hands and hugged Oh Jin¡¯s body.

    ¡°From now on¡­ never use that technique in the future.¡±

    ¡°¡­well.¡±

    If a situation like thises, can we really not use Gaecheon?

    ¡°Ojini you¡­!¡±

    ¡°okay okay. ¡°I won¡¯t use it in the future.¡±

    ¡°¡­is it a promise?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    Oh Jin chuckled and nodded.

    Ha-eun patted Oh-jin on the back with sad eyes.

    Ha-eun, who had been hugging him in silence for a while, closed her eyes tightly.

    ¡®Wake.¡¯

    Wouldn¡¯t it be scary to lose one¡¯s memory due to a misdiagnosis?

    Even though he knew all that, he used Gaecheon.

    To protect your loved ones.

    I couldn¡¯t just ask him why he used such a dangerous technique.

    If he hadn¡¯t used Gaecheon, Ha-eun wouldn¡¯t have been able to hug him like this.

    ¡°¡­You said you were attacked by the Serpens Queen, right?¡±

    ¡°To be exact, the Serpent Queen who is controlled by the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    ¡°anyway.¡±

    He has now encountered the highest ranked executioner of the ck Star Society and has returned safely alive.

    I couldn¡¯t let only sweet, dark memories remain like this.

    ¡°Hmm. Hey, now that I think about it, when you used Gaecheon before, all your memories of dating me have disappeared, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. It did.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ have you forgotten all your memories of the first time you hung out with me?¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    Perhaps it was a question he didn¡¯t expect toe up in this atmosphere, but Ohjin looked at her with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°No, well¡­ my memory of dating was erased, so I forgot everything.¡±

    ¡°So you lost your virginity twice?¡±

    What are you talking about all of a sudden, this woman?

    ¡°Hehehe. So¡­ if my sister does it one more time, this will be the third time I¡¯ve removed it?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t forget this time¡­¡±

    Grumpy!

    Ha-eun, who was holding Oh-jin¡¯s body, used her strength toy him down on the bed.

    Ha-eun sits on top of Oh Jin and smiles seductively.

    I bent down and was so close to him that the tips of my noses touched.

    ¡°Then from now on¡­¡±

    I reach out my hand and gently touch his chest.

    ¡°I will engrave your memories so you can never forget them.¡±

    Ha-eun smiled deeply and kissed his lips.

    ¡°No, what did this crazy sister do to the patient¡­ Ugh!¡±

    Creak, creak.

    The cold air in the hospital room began to heat up.

    * * *

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Late at night.

    After Ha-eun, who had been clinging to him since broad daylight and wouldn¡¯t let him go, fell asleep with a satisfied expression.

    Oh Jin came out of the hospital room and went up to the rooftop.

    As I came out, the cool night air tickled my cheeks.

    I looked up at the stars in the night sky and took a sip of canned coffee from the vending machine.

    ¡®Cheonma.¡¯

    Who on earth is this guy?

    ¡®At the moment, there is a high possibility that it is a constetion with strong power like Titan or Pris, but¡­¡¯

    Right now, we don¡¯t know the exact information about it yet.

    I couldn¡¯t judge it hastily.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    A deep sigh flowed from Ojin¡¯s leaves.

    In the past, even if there was a being called the Heavenly Demon, I couldn¡¯t see any movement, so I didn¡¯t feel this gloomy.

    ¡®The same goes for Celestial Dragon and Cassia.¡¯

    Gradually, as the movements of the Heavenly Demon began to be noticeable, the burden and fear of him came to me.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it still possible to move directly?¡±

    The only thing that can provide a little bit of relief is his current condition.

    Seeing that Cassia attacked him by doing such a troublesome thing, it was correct to assume that he was still unable to move on his own.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Oh Jin leaned on the rooftop railing and swallowed.

    The wind that blew at that time blew the empty can next to the railing backwards.

    When I turned to catch the coffee that flew away.

    Sreuk.

    An eerie sound like a snake moving.

    A ck snake with an empty can in its mouth that had blown away in the wind slithered across the floor and came towards him.

    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡±

    Cassia walked out from the shadows of deep darkness.

    Oh Jin trembled and looked at her with nervous eyes.

    Cassia smiled slightly and chuckled.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so guarded. ¡°I have no intention of harming Oh Jin.¡±

    While saying that, Cassia glided over to him and whispered in his ear.

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    An eerie breath reached my earlobe.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°I stopped by before I left. ¡°I have something to give to Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving? Where?¡±

    Are you saying that you are going to go to the Heavenly Demon?

    ¡°Hehe. why? ¡°Are you curious?¡±

    Cassia giggles with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°Do not worry. ¡°Because it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going back to Heavenly Demon.¡±

    She looked up at the night sky with somewhat lonely eyes.

    ¡°My own way of atonement¡­ shall we say? ¡°I don¡¯t know if I have the right to say something like that.¡±

    Atone.

    Well, there was a lot of blood on her hands so far.

    but.

    ¡°I did that because my consciousness was controlled by the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    Cheonma cleverly stimted her trauma and turned her into a puppet who fanatically followed him.

    He probably just followed his words in a hazy state of mind without even knowing what he was doing.

    ¡°But even so, I did it.¡±

    Cassia shook her head with a faint smile.

    ¡°But thanks to Oh Jin, I can now figure out what I should do next.¡±

    Cassia approached Ojin with a pretty smile.

    I guess she was Isabe¡¯s older sister, so when she smiled, the corners of her eyes looked a bit like Isabe¡¯s.

    ¡°Do not forget it. ¡°The promises you made to me.¡±

    Cassia said as she carefully hugged Ojin¡¯s body.

    ¡°okay.¡±

    I decided to be her heavenly horse.

    Even if it¡¯s just a dirty lie told by a conman to survive.

    I couldn¡¯t turn my back on the girl shivering in the snowy field.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia trembled slightly while hugging Ojin¡¯s body.

    Am I secretly crying again?

    Anyway, both my younger brother and older sister are secretly tearful women.

    Oh Jin smiled slightly and patted her on the back.

    ¡°¡­Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    but.

    What he said next was a little different from what he expected.

    ¡°You smell like another woman¡­?¡±

    Cassia¡¯s eyes, with her long tongue sticking out like a snake, glowed an eerie green.

 Chapter 267

    I am not a returner Episode 267

    Interlude ¨C Ninth Memory (1)

    A long tongue flutters like a snake.

    Cassia sniffed with narrowed eyes.

    The scent of an unfamiliar woman deeply embedded in Oh Jin¡¯s body.

    ¡°It¡¯s not even Be¡¯s scent¡­¡±

    Emerald eyes, shining with an eerie murderous spirit, turned to Ojin.

    Ohjin¡¯s body stiffened like a frog in front of the snake.

    Cassia licked the nape of Ojin¡¯s neck with her long tongue and narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°Whose smell is it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Cold sweat running down my forehead.

    A chill spreads down my spine.

    ¡®Why are two sisters doing this?¡¯

    Sometimes Isabe would give me a scary look that would make me feel cold, but Cassia¡¯s eyes were even more threatening.

    ¡°Hmm. What happened? Just by looking at what you said to me, I think I know what kind of man Mr. Oh Jin is.¡±

    Cassia nced at Ojin with a fierce look and turned her head with her arms crossed.

    Looks like it¡¯s tightly sprained.

    Oh Jin sighed with an embarrassed expression.

    ¡°So what is the item you said you would give me earlier?¡±

    I urgently changed the topic.

    Cassia red at him with sharp eyes, as if she didn¡¯t like the tant change of topic, but then lightly clicked her tongue and stretched out her hand toward the shadow.

    A cracked ck gem rose from her shadow.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a holy relic that the Heavenly Demon used when he took control of my consciousness.¡±

    ¡°Why are you doing this to me?¡±

    ¡°The power of the ck Sky resides within this. ¡°Same as the one Mr. Oh Jin has.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Two ck cloths.

    I still didn¡¯t know how two powers other than the standard called ck Heaven could exist.

    What the Heavenly Demon possessed was undoubtedly the same ck Heaven as himself.

    ¡°I think Mr. Ojin can figure out why there can be two ck Heavens.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re giving this to me?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    I don¡¯t know if we can really find out the reason just from this shattered jewel.

    ¡°thank you.¡±

    There was no reason not to take it.

    ¡°Oh, and one more thing¡­¡±

    Cassia lightly chewed her lips as she handed the ck jewel to Ojin.

    ¡°Sooner orter, the ¡®kings¡¯ of the Demonic World will make their move.¡±

    ¡°king?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Cassia nodded.

    ¡°Did you know that Named¡¯s movements have be more active recently?¡±

    Know.

    And that the Heavenly Demon exists behind it.

    ¡°Many of the monsters nowmonly called ¡®named¡¯ were subordinates of the king in the past in the Demonic World. ¡°Intelligent, cunning and organized.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying we are no different from humans?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°Because there is something called ¡®civilization¡¯ in the Demonic ssics.¡±

    Come to think of it, when I was heading out of the magic world on Poppy, I came across a huge castle and city.

    ¡°If the kings of the Demon World start to move¡­ a disaster like 10 years ago might happen again.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    10 years ago, the day the gate to the Demonic World opened for the first time.

    The worst disaster in human history, in which dozens of countries copsed and billions of people were massacred.

    Does this mean that the Heavenly Demon is nning to create that terrible hell on Earth once again?

    ¡®Is the next king of the Demon World after the ck Star Society?¡¯

    A deep sigh flowed from Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just leave.¡±

    Cassia slightly lifted the hem of her dress and bowed gracefully.

    ¡°Take care of yourself until Ie back, Mr. Ohjin. No¡­ Heavenly Demon.¡±

    Cassia, with a bright and pretty smile, approached Ohjin.

    side. He stood up and lightly kissed my cheek.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A soft touch on your cheek.

    Looking at Cassia, who was smiling so brightly, I could understand why the King of the Toads had risked his life and pretended to be the Heavenly Demon to get her.

    Slurp.

    Cassia¡¯s body disappeared into the shadows with a sound like a snake crawling on the ground.

    A bitter silence fell on the hospital rooftop, as if something had happened.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Oh Jin leaned on the railing and looked down at the night view below.

    Lights twinkling like stars in the night sky.

    For a moment, I was mesmerized by the brilliant light that I gazed upon, and for no reason, many emotions wereplexly tangled together.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    What is the identity of the Heavenly Demon?

    What is his real purpose?

    The further I went, the more I felt like I was falling into abyrinth.

    Ojin took a deep breath and raised his body, which had been leaning against the railing.

    As the cool night breeze passed through my head, I felt like myplicated mind was clearing up a bit.

    ¡°¡­What clues can we get from investigating this?¡±

    Ojin held up the ck gem he had received from Cassia.

    Although the surface was cracked like a spider web, all the power contained within it did not disappear.

    ¡®Different from what I have¡­another ck cloth.¡¯

    Oh Jin narrowed his eyes, holding in his hand a jewel that sparkled in a soft ck light.

    Is there really a difference between the ck Heaven possessed by the Heavenly Demon and the ck Heaven possessed by oneself?

    ¡®ording to Cassia¡¯s words, the Dark Heaven can only bepleted by killing and absorbing the star of the Dark Heaven.¡¯

    then.

    Does this mean that the ck Heaven that he possesses is already a higher power than the ck Heaven that the Heavenly Demon possesses?

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand once you absorb it.¡±

    Even if the jewel imbued with the power of the ck Sky was taken to the Association or Chilseong for investigation, it was unlikely that any conclusive clues could be obtained.

    Even Cassia, who had the closest rtionship with the Heavenly Demon, did not know his true identity.

    ¡®It¡¯s better to absorb it than to leave it to a clumsy investigation.¡¯

    Ojin held the ck jewel in his hand and unleashed the power of the ck Sky.

    Gurgling.

    A ck cloud flowed from his hand and enveloped the jewel.

    and.

    -Tiring!

    [¡®Piece of the ck Sky¡¯ has been absorbed.]

    [All conditions for the ninth flowering of the ck Heaven have been achieved!]

    [The ninth flowering of the ck Heaven has begun!]

    ¡°What?¡±

    Oh Jin widened his eyes at the blue message window that appeared before his eyes.

    I thought it would be enough if I could find at least a trace of the Heavenly Demon, but here suddenly the ninth flowering?

    I was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected development.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Gurgling!

    ck clouds erupted from his entire body and swirled around him like a whirlpool.

    Just as the awakened person undergoes a tremendous change once he or she reaches theposition, is something special happening to Heukcheon in its ninth flowering?

    The amount of ck clouds spewing out in all directions was much thicker and more numerous than during the eight flowerings so far.

    Gurgling! Kuruk!

    The swirling ck clouds were sucked into Ojin¡¯s body.

    [Heukcheon has reached the nine-star reformation!]

    [Some of the memories of Awakened Lee Shin-hyeok have been passed down!]

    The transmission of memories like any other.

    Cheezy.

    The vision in front of me became distorted, and Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories flowed into my head.

    -Are you feeling better now, bro?

    The first thing I heard was the voice of Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s younger brother, Lee Woo-hyuk.

    -Oh yes. It¡¯s a bit better now.

    Lee Shin-hyuk, who was lying on a hospital bed, got up with an awkward smile.

    Lee Woo-hyuk let out a deep sigh and opened his mouth.

    -From now on, never enter the gate alone. got it?

    -I understand.

    -You shouldn¡¯t ignore Anthorn just because he¡¯s an easy monster. You know that strange phenomena have been increasing at the gate recently, right?

    -¡­huh.

    Lee Shin-hyuk nodded, swallowing his voice in response to Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s continued nagging.

    ¡®Anthorn?¡¯

    Ojin frowned as if he couldn¡¯t understand.

    ording to myst memory, Lee Shin-hyuk had already reached the 9th level and had be a high-ranking awakened person.

    Although Anthorn was a monster that should not be ignored, it was not a monster that could be seriously told to be careful by high-ranking awakeners.

    ¡®Time zone¡­ went back?¡¯

    Oh Jin looked at the electronic clock hanging on the wall of the hospital room.

    November 30, 2020.

    It had been about three weeks since Oh Jin and Lee Shin-hyuk entered the 1-star gate together.

    ¡®You mean the memories didn¡¯t flow in chronological order?¡¯

    Until now, events that would happen in the future were shown sequentially based on the present, but suddenly it returned to a simr time frame to the beginning.

    In November 2020, more than a year and a half had passed since Oh Jin¡¯s perspective.

    ¡®Why do I remember this time¡­¡¯

    Oh Jin frowned and focused again on the memories flowing in.

    -Now that I think about it, what happened before? I heard that a gate has appeared in Mok-dong.

    ¨C Well¡­ something strange happened.

    -strange thing?

    -huh.

    Woohyuk Lee nodded and continued speaking.

    -It seems like the relic we found there was reced by someone else.

    -You were reced?

    -uh. So I did some research, following the traces of the original relic¡­ and found some strange guy wandering around the gate.

    -who?

    -It was a guy named Eugene.

    Eugene.

    As Ojin, it was a name I hadn¡¯t heard in a very long time.

    -What did he¡­ say? Ah, ¡®Satellite Bridge¡¯. He said he was a member of Satellite Church.

    -Something like a pseudo-religion?

    -well. To just say it¡¯s a pseudo¡­ Because something bothers me.

    Lee Woo-hyuk narrowed his eyes.

    -I guess I need to do some more research.

    -I can help too¡­

    -Brother, just get discharged from the hospital.

    Lee Woo-hyuk gets up with a light scolding.

    Despite his nickname, ck Lion, he looked quite rxed in front of his brother.

    Thest thing we see is Lee Woo-hyuk turning around and leaving the hospital room, closing the door.

    Chijijijijik.

    My distorted vision returned to its original state.

    ¡°¡­What is this, the end?¡±

    Oh Jin frowned with a helpless expression on his face.

    Well, there isn¡¯t aw that says only useful memories can be passed down, but this was the first time that useless memories were passed down to a random partner like this.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    A situation that makes you feel disgusted.

    No matter how many times I looked back on my memory, it was a misceneous memory that I couldn¡¯t think of where I could use it.

    ¡®Maybe I was expecting too much.¡¯

    Ojin clicked his tongue and turned around.

    Even if you don¡¯t have any memories gained through transmission, the level of ck Heaven¡¯s Bloom has risen, so that¡¯s all you need to soothe your regrets.

    ¡°¡­uh?¡±

    Something.

    An intuition that cannot be expressed in words.

    An instinct that cannot be expressed in words.

    He held onto his steps.

    ¡°Wait a minute¡­.¡±

    Like discovering that a puzzle you thought you hadpleted was actually misaligned.

    Like when you realize that the first puzzle piece you put up turns out to be a piece from another puzzle.

    Something.

    Something.

    Something.

    Something.

    weird.

    It¡¯s distorted.

    It¡¯s twisted and twisted.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense¡­.¡±

    Yes.

    nonsense.

    It cannot be exined throughmon sense.

    I don¡¯t understand it logically.

    Does not fit.

    It doesn¡¯t fit together.

    ¡°why¡­?¡±

    Nine memories.

    Probably over 10 memories passed down, including the memories obtained through d¨¦j¨¤ vu.

    why.

    Why why why why why

    why.

    Not once.

    Not a single word.

    Not even one letter.

    ¡°The name ck Holy Society¡­ can¡¯t be mentioned?¡±

    Since when.

    Does this mean that Eugene became an apostle of the Satellite Church rather than the ck Holy Church?

 Chapter 268

    I am not a returner Episode 268:

    Interlude ¨C Ah-Hyeok¡¯s first memory (2)

    My head is as hot as fire.

    My heart is pounding as if it will explode, and I am out of breath all the way to my chin.

    Thoughts erupt like a volcano and be tangled together.

    ¡°haha.¡±

    He let out a rough breath and grabbed his head.

    Starting with Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories that were first handed down, I calmly recalled them one by one.

    ¡°¡­.Nothing.¡±

    No matter how much I tried to remember.

    The name ¡®Heukseonghoe¡¯ never came up in Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memory.

    ¡°What the hell¡­.¡±

    Where did it go wrong?

    Since when did it be wrong?

    ¡°¡­Satellite Bridge¡±

    A word that was often heard in Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories.

    Based on his memory, the ck Star Church and the Satellite Church were in fact the same organization, with only a different name.

    There was Cheon Do-yoon, the king of owls, and Isabe.

    therefore.

    Naturally, I thought that the name had changed from ¡®ck Holy Church¡¯ to ¡®Satellite Church¡¯ through some reason.

    I couldn¡¯t help but think that way.

    ¡°But then¡­ that doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    The memories passed down this time are memories from when Lee Shin-hyuk and Oh Jin were bewitched for only three weeks after they first met.

    It was the timing when the gate opened in Mok-dong and Eugene entered, aiming for the ck Star relic inside the gate.

    And then.

    Eugene confidently announced himself as a member of the ¡®ck Star Society¡¯.

    ¡®But why?¡¯

    In Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s inherited memories, did Eugene say that he was a believer of the ¡®Satellite Church¡¯ rather than the ck Holy Society?

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯

    The day Oh Jin and Eugene first met was November 15th.

    And the incident where Lee Woo-hyuk followed the traces of the relic and encountered Eugene happened at least between the 21st and 30th.

    At most, the difference is about 1-2 weeks.

    There is no way the name of the ck Star Church changed to Satellite Church in that short period of time.

    then.

    There is only one possibility left.

    ¡°therefore.¡±

    In the first world experienced by Lee Shin-hyuk.

    Not once.

    This means that the ¡®Satellite Church¡¯ has never been called the ¡®ck Star Church¡¯.

    ¡°What on earth happened¡­?¡±

    Ohjin muttered, chewing his lip.

    My mind was all tangled up.

    Was Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s role wrong?

    Were the memories that had been passed down through Heukcheon so far not actually Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories, but false memories filled with illusions?

    ¡°¡­.no.¡±

    There were too many cases where Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories and future events matched up to think that was the case.

    The gate was opened in Mok-dong, the monster was sleeping under Seoul Station, and their of the Heavenly Dragon Barbatos was located under Pyongyang.

    every.

    It matched Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories.

    ¡®Then what on earth is a satellite bridge?¡¯

    Why did Lee Shin-hyuk call the ck Star Church a Satellite Church?

    Ohjin continued his thoughts with frowning eyes.

    ¡®Did the future change when Lee Shin-hyuk died?¡¯

    no.

    No matter how much I thought about it, the connection between Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s death and Saejeong Church¡¯s name change to Heukseonghoe was too thin.

    Of course, as the saying goes, the butterfly effect, I know that even very small and trivial things can lead to unexpected results.

    ¡®Still, there is no way that the name of an organization could change in a short period of one to two weeks just because Lee Shin-hyuk died.¡¯ The

    ck Star Association is not an organization made up of local city affairs misceneous people.

    It was an organization created by Cheonma himself.

    There was no way such an organization could simply change its name overnight.

    ¡°Satellite Bridge¡­ Satellite.¡±

    Ojin, who was muttering that name while frowning, opened his eyes wide.

    A conversation I once had with Isabe shed through my head.

    -Do you know anything about Cheonma?

    -First of all¡­ I¡¯ve heard that he created a winding star.

    -¡­.what?

    -Wait a minute. The ck cheeks refer to constetions, right?

    -yes. that¡¯s right. It is said that the Heavenly Demon gave power to the constetions called ¡®satellites¡¯ and made them into ck stars.

    The Heavenly Demon made the constetions called satellites into ck stars.

    In other words.

    The beings now called the ck Star Constetions were called ¡®satellites¡¯ before they met the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°So¡­ satellite bridge?¡±

    If.

    What if the Satellite Church that emerged from Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s work was an organization created by constetions called ¡®Satellite¡¯ rather than the Heavenly Demon?

    then.

    then.

    then.

    What about the ck Holy Society?

    ¡°¡­.ah.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes widened.

    A cold shiver ran down my spine and spread throughout my body.

    I had it wrong from the beginning.

    The first piece of the puzzle I put down was misaligned.

    ¡°The ck Star Church¡­ did not be a Satellite Church.¡±

    The ¡®Satellite Church¡¯ changed its name to be the ¡®ck Star Church.¡¯

    How could that be possible?

    Why is it that the name Heuk Seong-hee, which did not even exist in the world Shin-hyuk Lee experienced, can now rece Sae-seong-gyo?

    It cannot be exined by saying that the future has changed.

    The ck Star Society existed before Lee Shin-hyuk died and Oh Jin bloomed into the ck Heaven and absorbed his power.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    If the future had already changed before Lee Shin-hyuk returned.

    What if the past had changed before the future changed?

    Isn¡¯t there only one answer?

    ¡°There was not just one returner.¡±

    Someone.

    He changed the future by going back to the past, which was even more distant than the time when Lee Shin-hyuk returned.

    And the name of that being¡ª

    ¡°¡­¡­..Heavenly Demon.¡±

    Cheonma.

    A being that created the constetions called satellites into ck stars.

    He changed it.

    Originally, the future where ¡®Satellite Church¡¯ should exist has been changed to a future where ¡®ck Star Religion¡¯ exists.

    ¡°under.¡±

    Laughter flowed from Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    stagger.

    His legs lost strength and his body swayed precariously.

    What if the Heavenly Demon is another regressor?

    Who exactly is he?

    Who could go back further than Lee Shin-hyuk and change the future?

    It didn¡¯t take long to find the answer.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one person who can do that¡­¡±

    Why didn¡¯t I notice it earlier?

    Why didn¡¯t I realize it earlier?

    There were plenty of clues from the beginning.

    From the beginning, the answers were written on the question paper.

    They even changed the name ¡®Satellite Bridge¡¯, which did not need to be changed, to ¡®Heukseonghee¡¯ and made it known openly.

    -You¡¯re here. I was waiting.

    When the ck crack exploded and was sucked into the demonic realm.

    He remembered someone whispering to him in a voice full of joy.

    okay.

    The Heavenly Demon was waiting.

    I hope you notice.

    I hope you realize it yourself.

    myself.

    May it reach him.

    ¡°¡­.okay. That¡¯s how it happened.¡±

    The pieces of the puzzle that had been scattered around came together.

    How could it be that in Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memory, he had never once heard of the ck Star Association?

    How could two ck Heavens exist at the same time?

    How was the Heavenly Demon able to corrupt the constetions called satellites into ck stars?

    If you think about it, the answer was simple.

    There was only one possibility that could exin everything that had happened before.

    ¡°You¡­ it was me,¡±

    Ojin muttered quietly, looking up at the dark cloudy sky.

    ***

    ck sky.

    In a fish dom where the sun has faded and even the moon has faded.

    There was a hill covered with countless corpses.

    On that distant mountain of corpses.

    There was a goddess with brilliant silver hair and a young man.

    ¡°good. ¡°Send me back to the past.¡±

    Finally, a voice full of determination.

    A dazzling halo of light enveloped the young man¡¯s body.

    The young man¡¯s body, wrapped in starlight twinkling like the Milky Way, gradually crumbled into powder and flowed away.

    [¡­¡­¡­¡­]

    The goddess touched the silver light fluttering in the air with her hand.

    The brilliantly shining cluster of lights gradually lost its luster.

    A ce where starlight has disappeared.

    There was only a lonely space left there, as if nothing had ever existed from the beginning.

    The goddess, who was silently staring into empty space, slowly turned her head.

    A harrowing hill of corpses filled the surrounding area.

    Countless humans have be heroes and constetions.

    He lost his life on this spot.

    By just one being.

    Looking down at the sea of corpses without even a single ounce of life left, she opened her mouth quietly.

    [The promise¡­ was kept.]

    To whom are these words addressed?

    There was no living thing to be seen other than her on the hill made of blood and flesh.

    The goddess clenched her fists while chewing her trembling lips.

    The beautiful golden sparkling eyes looked towards the hill of corpses.

    Where her eyes were directed, there was the dead body of a young man with a spear stuck in his heart.

    When only the voice of the goddess echoes in vain on a hill of corpses filled with nothing but death.

    Crack.

    The corpse of a young man lying on the hill moved.

    He grabbed the spear stuck in his left chest and slowly pulled out the spear stuck in his heart.

    Panggrang.

    The spear stuck in the young man¡¯s heart rolled down the hill and crashed into the remains of a copsed building.

    The young man¡¯s closed eyes slowly opened.

    Two eyes burning with blue natural flowers.

    He stood up unsteadily and twisted his neck left and right as if to loosen his stiff body.

    ¡°It hurts more than I thought.¡±

    A dry voice came out from between the young man¡¯s lips.

    He looked down at his chest, where a fist-sized hole had appeared, and pped his hand away.

    Grumbling.

    A dark cloud filled my empty chest.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Letting out a soft breath, the young man leisurely looked around at the hill covered with corpses, then the corners of his mouth twitched and he let out a dryugh.

    ¡°Now¡­ the curtain hase down.¡±

    An eerie sound ofughter.

    The golden eyes of the goddess who was looking at the young man shook.

    She pursed her lips and looked at him with sad eyes.

    The young man, who was leisurely looking around, turned his head towards the goddess.

    p, p, p.

    The young man who walked up the hill covered in blood ced his hand on the cheek of the slightly trembling goddess.

    Kindly and warmly.

    Likeforting a scared child.

    ¡°Good job Vega.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon smiled brightly.

    -Part 1pleted-

    [Author¡¯s Note]

    Hello, dear readers, this is Butterfly Valley.

    It¡¯s already been almost half a year since I serialized ¡®I am not a regressor¡¯.

    First of all, Part 1 has beenpleted as originally nned, but I don¡¯t know if readers will like it. Haha

    , of course, just because part 1 is over doesn¡¯t mean Ojini¡¯s story is over.

    There are still more stories to tell in the future.

    However, I think it is time to take a short break for the sake of the content and structure of Part 2.

    Part 2 of ¡®I am not a regressor¡¯ is scheduled to resume serialization on April 14th, one month from now.

    I also think that the break period is too long, but due to schedules ovepping with work on the revised version of my previous work, ¡®Cheat Key yer¡¯, I had no choice but to take a long break.

    We ask for our deep understanding from our readers who are waiting _(__)_

    Then!

    We¡¯ll see you again on April 14th!

    I love all the readers who made it to the end of Part 1. Thank you for your support in Part 2 as well!

 Chapter 269

    Part 2 begins

    I am not a returner Episode 269

    Greed and love (1)

    ¡°Ojinaa~!¡±

    When I opened the hospital room door, I heard a familiar voice.

    A voice that makes you feel happy, as if your body is floating just by hearing it.

    Ha-eun, who I thought had fallen asleep from exhaustion, approached me at a slow pace.

    ¡°Where did you go?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get some air for a moment.¡±

    Oh Jin hung the coat he was wearing on a hanger and entered the VIP hospital room, which was as spacious as a hotel room.

    ¡°huh?¡±

    Haeun tilts her head.

    She walked towards Ojin and gently touched his cheek.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    What¡¯s going on?

    Nothing particrly special happened.

    It¡¯s just that I realized something I hadn¡¯t realized until now.

    But how can I tell Ha-eun that?

    The identity of the Heavenly Demon is none other than himself.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know what they did to get back to the past.¡¯

    It is different from general ¡®regression¡¯.

    Because the consciousness of my past life was not superimposed on me now.

    Rather than a regression, this was closer to going back in time in a time machine.

    Otherwise, the existence of two ¡®misdiagnoses¡¯ at the same time cannot be exined.

    ¡°Are youing?¡±

    ¡°ah. huh. never mind.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    The hand that was smoothing my cheek continues to pull it.

    Ha-eun frowned slightly and put on a stern expression.

    ¡°Do you want to keep lying to your sister? ¡°It¡¯s written all over your face that something happened, but why is it that nothing happened?¡±

    Was it all revealed on his face enough for Ha-eun to notice?

    Oh Jin smiled bitterly.

    Now that it was like this, I had no choice but to use another method.

    ¡°I heard news that the kings of the Demon World are on the move.¡±

    ¡°The king of the devil?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s attention was diverted to other topics, keeping the matter of Cheonma¡¯s identity buried deep in her mind.

    ¡°So¡­ those so-called kings are attacking Earth?¡±

    Ha-eun asked back with a serious expression.

    Fortunately, it seems like they were able to trick Ojin into thinking that the reason his expression was so hard was because of the kings of the Demon World.

    Ohjin nodded and continued speaking.

    ¡°Probably so.¡±

    ¡°Then contact the council right away¡­¡±

    ¡°Probably not right away.¡±

    Until now, the being called the King of Demonic Worlds has never directly invaded Earth.

    No, most people didn¡¯t even know that there was a being called ¡®King¡¯ in the Demonic World.

    That means there was no noticeable movement.

    ¡°There must have been some kind of restriction.¡±

    No matter how much the Heavenly Demon intervenes, they will not swarm into Earth overnight.

    ¡°Okay. ¡°Are they the next ones after the ck Saints?¡±

    Ha-eun shook her head as if she was fed up.

    ¡°Ojina, but you said ¡®kings¡¯ earlier, right? ¡°Are there more than one king?¡±

    ¡°I guess so?¡±

    ¡°So how many kings are there?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    There is only one city that Ojin sees in the Demonic World that can be called a ¡®kingdom¡¯.

    I didn¡¯t know how many such cities there were.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    [Then you can ask Riak.]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden voice.

    While I was preupied with the conversation with Ha-eun, Vega suddenly appeared and was soaring.

    Vega naturally sat on Ojin¡¯s head as if it were a reserved seat.

    She sighed deeply and tapped Ojin¡¯s forehead.

    [I came here to scold you after hearing that you had regained consciousness from the leech child¡­ but I heard something troubling.] I heard you said you could

    n¡¯t see Isabe, so maybe she went to the sanctuary.

    ¡°Anyway, what do you mean, ask Riak?¡±

    Ha-eun asked, tilting her head.

    [Riak is from the Demon Lord.]

    ¡°What?¡±

    [Well, it¡¯s already been over a hundred years, but¡­ that child probably knows more about Demon Lord than the real woman.]

    Ha-eun¡¯s mouth widened.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that the arrogant poop puppy used to be a magic beast?¡±

    [To be exact, he is a member of the beastman tribe.]

    ¡°Huh? ¡°Isn¡¯t it true that only demonic beasts live in the Demon World?¡±

    [Hmm¡­ From the perspective of humans, it would not be wrong to say that the beastmen are also a type of demon beast.] The

    strange creatures that came to Earth after the first crack opened 10 years ago are collectively called monsters or demon beasts.

    In fact, that was the same as calling humans, tigers, rabbits, and bears all mammals without distinction since they are all the same mammals.

    The reason dozens of species are collectively called demon beasts is simply because the information about demon beasts that humanity possesses is poor.

    ¡®Not long ago, there was a lot of talk about whether they should be called monsters or demon beasts.¡¯

    Originally, normal entities were divided into monsters, mutant entities, and demonic entities, but due to the rapid increase in mutant entities, the distinction between regr entities and mutant entities became blurred, so they were called simply magical beasts.

    Anyway, whether it was a monster or a demon beast, it couldn¡¯t be called an urate name.

    ¡°Then can you call Riak right away?¡±

    [Uhm. Please wait a moment.]

    Vega, who had been concentrating with her eyes closed, soon shook her head.

    [It looks like he¡¯s stuck in the training room again.]

    ¡°Can¡¯t you contact me?¡±

    Vega nodded.

    [I guess I¡¯ll have to go and get it myself.]

    ¡°No. ¡°I¡¯ll call you tomorrow.¡±

    Even if I called Riak right now and heard how many demon kings there were, it wasn¡¯t like I coulde up with a n right away.

    ¡°When those kingse to Earth¡­ will it be like it was 10 years ago?¡±

    ¡°Worst case.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun gently bit her lip.

    The first crack opened and the demonic beasts poured out.

    The image of the street bing hell shed through my head.

    Oh Jin lightly ced his hand on Ha Eun¡¯s shoulder, who was clenching her fist with a serious expression.

    ¡°are you okay. ¡°I will stop it before it happens.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any ideas in mind?¡±

    Ohjin nodded slightly.

    He looked around at Ha-eun and Vega and opened his mouth quietly.

    ¡°You can¡¯t wait until the other side hits you right?¡±

    Even if you find out the identity of the Heavenly Demon.

    I didn¡¯t know what his purpose was or what his specific n was.

    But one thing is certain.

    There is no way to stop him by just waiting for the disaster toe.

    [What is that¡­.]

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Oh Jin looked out the darkened window with deeply sunken eyes.

    ¡°To the devil¡¯s eye.¡±

    It was not a problem that could be solved by staying quiet.

    We had to move here first before being fully prepared and attacking from the other side.

    ¡°¡­under.¡±

    Ha-eunughed with an absurd expression on her face.

    I¡¯m going to go to the devil¡¯s pce.

    It wasn¡¯t an easy way to think of it.

    Because the Demonic World was a forbiddennd for mankind that they were reluctant to even mention.

    but.

    ¡°I can¡¯t stop you anyway.¡±

    If he decides to go.

    Ha-eun had no choice but to follow him quietly.

    Even if it were a ce where the limbs had little chance of returning alive, it would be much better than a world without misdiagnosis.

    [¡­No matter how much you may be a returner, you really act as if you have multiple lives.]

    Vega also ced his hand on his forehead and shook his head.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    Magyeong.

    Even 10 years after the first crack opened, it is an unknownnd with less than 5% of it still uncovered.

    Going there was so reckless that it was practically a deration of suicide.

    but.

    ¡°But I have no intention of matching his rhythm.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    It does not matter whether the identity of the Heavenly Demon is his/her past life self or not.

    Whatever he lost in his past life.

    No matter what despair and tragedy you have experienced.

    What do you mean?

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°huh? ¡°Why are youing?¡±

    Oh Jin firmly held Ha Eun¡¯s hand as she tilted her head.

    No matter what happened to you in your past life.

    It is he, not he, who is protecting her by her side now.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on all of a sudden?¡±

    Ha-eun blushed and cleared her throat.

    He nced at Ojin with a coy look and gently leaned in.

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t hold on tight like this, your sister will go with you, so don¡¯t worry?¡±

    Ha-eun stuck out her chest as if showing off.

    The curvaceous curve of the chest was emphasized and stole Oh Jin¡¯s attention.

    Vega, who was looking at Ha-eun with his arms crossed and a sullen expression, opened his mouth.

    [Of course, the main woman will follow too!]

    Vega, who was sitting on top of Ojin¡¯s head, pulled Ojin¡¯s hair.

    Hmm!

    Vega let out a strong snort and red at Ha-eun.

    [I¡¯m not going alone with you!]

    ¡°Heng. ¡°It¡¯s not like we can stay together forever.¡±

    [That¡¯s it.]

    Vega clenched his fists as if he was angry.

    [But aren¡¯t the restrictions weaker than before?]

    ¡°Hmm? ¡°Restrictions have be weaker?¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head as he heard this news for the first time.

    [Oh, by the way, I guess you didn¡¯t hear it.]

    Vega continued, crossing her arms.

    [The restrictions of thew have been weakened a few days ago.]

    ¡°Again? ¡°You were weakst time too.¡±

    [I¡¯m not sure why. A long time has passed since the giants who created thew disappeared¡­]

    Vega narrows his eyes as if he doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.

    ¡°So now the constetions can directly appear in the material world?¡±

    [Not to that extent. Ah, but it is possible to manifest indirectly using a prosthetic body like the original woman.]

    Until now, indirectly manifesting using a prosthetic body was impossible unless you were a constetion of the North Star like Vega.

    [anyway! This means that the time the main woman can remain incarnate has also be longer!]

    Vega, who was flying through the air, sat down on Ojin¡¯s shoulder and broke his leg.

    Ha-eun pursed her lips as if she didn¡¯t like Vega¡¯s smug expression.

    ¡°So when do you n to go to the Demon Lord?¡±

    ¡°There is a lot to prepare, so it will be difficult right now.¡±

    This is the road to Magyeong, not any other ce.

    Since we don¡¯t know how many people will be in the devil¡¯s eye, a lot of preparation will be needed.

    ¡°We need to meet the other Chilseongs and talk about the king.¡±

    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t something that only we know about.¡±

    Ha-eun nodded.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell Manager Gori.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to overexert yourself for the time being and stay quietly in the hospital room.¡±

    Ha-eun dragged Oh Jin to the bed in the hospital room.

    ¡°You¡¯re still a patient, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Who was the person who attacked the patient?¡±

    Oh Jinughed as if it was absurd.

    Well, as she said, it is true that she has not yetpletely recovered from the aftereffects of Gaecheon.

    Even though the heukcheon had bloomed for the ninth time, instead of overflowing with strength, only deep fatigue was weighing down my body.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving then, so get some rest.¡±

    ¡°ok.¡±

    [I guess I should go see Riak too.]

    Ha-eun and Vega left the hospital room.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Left alone, Oh Jiny down on the wide bed.

    ¡®First of all, I need to get some rest like my sister said.¡¯

    Although there was a lot of work to be done.

    This was something that could not be done when the body had not recovered.

    Oh Jiny down on the bed and slowly closed his eyes.

    * * *

    haha.

    A warm breath touches your lips.

    Beautiful tinum blonde hair that looks like it was made of melted gold tickles your cheeks.

    ¡°Oh Jin¡­ will you keep your promise?¡±

    The two peaks boasting incredible volume press on Ojin¡¯s chest as if andslide had urred.

    A soft texture that feels like being surrounded by clouds.

    ¡®what.¡¯

    Is it a dream?

 Chapter 270

    I am not a returner Episode 270

    : Greed and Love (2)

    Seongso (ÐÇÕÙ).

    A world of constetions that only awakened people with stigmata can enter.

    The entrances to sanctuaries located all over the world were so valuable that their mere presence raised the status of a nation.

    A country without an entrance to the sanctuary was often ridiculed and called a nd abandoned by the stars.¡¯

    ¡°ha.¡±

    The noisy streets of Hongdae.

    A woman was taking steps, letting out a short breath.

    Her brilliant tinum hair swayed gently in the night breeze that brushed her cheeks.

    An unrealistic appearance that immediately steals the attention of those around you.

    Hundreds of eyes were focused on her, but no one dared toment on the noble aura that naturally flowed from the woman.

    All they do is just whisper from afar.

    The woman walked down the street with elegant and haughty steps, as if she wasn¡¯t even bothered by all the attention.

    She nced at the entrance to the sanctuary and smiled slightly.

    ¡°Vega must have arrived by now, right?¡±

    Isabe, who was kicked out of the hospital room by Ha-eun, wandered outside the door with a nervous expression.

    No, the expression ¡®anxious expression¡¯ may not be appropriate.

    As she wandered down the hallway, her steps were strangely excited, and the corners of her mouth were twitching upward.

    Maybe this incident could lead to a breakdown in the rtionship between Ha-eun and Oh-jin.

    Oh Jin had been hiding the fact that his memories of Ha-eun had disappeared.

    From Ha-eun¡¯s perspective, she must have felt a sense of betrayal.

    This could easily be seen just by the fact that Ha-eun¡¯s face was so stiff as to be scary as she opened the door and strode in.

    What if there is a difference between the two?

    gulp.

    Isabe swallowed dryly and looked at the tightly closed door.

    I forcibly pulled down the corners of my mouth that were trying to twitch.

    iced coffee.

    Oh Jin will be greatly hurt if he and Ha-eun have a falling out.

    I knew very well how much he cherished Ha-eun.

    To the point where even life feels insignificant.

    He was giving everything to Ha-eun.

    I amforting Oh Jin who is hurt.

    Isabe ced her hand on her pounding heart and let her imagination run wild.

    The image of himself approaching the heartbroken Oh Jin andforting him with utmost sincerity.

    You should hug her gently and pat her head.

    It would be nice to share a sweet kiss likest time.

    Fortunately, she had an attractive appearance that could charm even a monk who had been training for decades.

    And the rtionship has progressed to the point where she can at least take his ¡®second ce¡¯.

    ¡®Of course, Oh Jin, you won¡¯t remember.¡¯

    Still, unless all memories of him had disappeared, it was certain that he had a ce in his heart.

    ¡®perhaps.¡¯

    Isabe¡¯s eyes burned hotly as she stared at the door.

    Maybe maybe maybe.

    I might be able to take his ¡®first¡¯ with this incident.

    The desire that had been suppressed deep in my heart raised its head once again.

    But the time when I was filled with such expectations was short-lived.

    The moment I heard the manly moaning from beyond the door, my swollen heart sank like a balloon being pricked by a needle.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Isabe sighed deeply again.

    She was staring nkly at the hospital room door, then turned and headed towards the sanctuary.

    It was to tell Vega that Ojin had woken up, but deep inside, he wanted to disturb the two people who were having a sweet time.

    Because they both seemed cautious in front of Vega.

    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±

    How dare you call Vega and interrupt the sweet time between the two of you.

    Even when he thought about it, it was an extremely unsightly jealousy.

    Isabe walked down the street with a self-deprecating smile.

    Rather than going back to the hospital right away, I felt like taking a short walk to cool my head.

    When I was walking through a nearby park like a lost person.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s steps suddenly stopped.

    She looked around with sharp eyes and gently traced her palms with her fingernails.

    The blood that flowed from the palm was shaped into a sickle.

    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re so scared.¡±

    A park that has lost its poprity.

    A woman walked out from the shadows of darkness.

    A body type that is more appropriate to be described as a girl rather than a woman.

    The outline of her slender body felt so precarious that I was worried that it would break if I touched it incorrectly.

    However, the woman¡¯s appearance was bewitching and alluring, which did not match the slender figure of a girl.

    A woman who evokes an instinctive sense of immorality, like the forbidden fruit that Adam reached for.

    Cassia Colgrande smiled brightly as she looked at her younger sister.

    ¡°¡­sister.¡±

    Isabe red at Cassia with sharp eyes.

    After talking with Ojin inside the ck curtain, he suddenly stopped attacking, but even before that, he was trying to kill himself with a maniacal smile.

    It is a situation where instinctive caution inevitablyes to mind before the joy of meeting the sister who was thought to be dead.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so cautious?¡±

    Cassia shook her shoulders as if she was very happy to see Isabe looking very nervous.

    ¡°What are you doing here, sister?¡±

    ¡°iced coffee. ¡°I thought I would meet him and see the face of my beloved younger brother for a moment on the way back.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s him¡­ then you really met Mr. Ojin?¡±

    Cassia nods her head silently.

    Isabe bit her lip and aimed the scythe in her hand at Cassia.

    ¡°You must have done something else to Oh Jin, right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. ¡°That person¡­¡±

    Cassia trailed off and looked up at the night sky.

    ¡°Who is he?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia looks up at the dark night sky withplicated eyes.

    She sighed deeply and shook her head.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure yet.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Cassia shook her head, avoiding answering.

    that day.

    The image of Ojin I saw in the ck curtain came to mind.

    A man who said in a cocky and arrogant manner that he would be his ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯.

    The man who turned his back on the Heavenly Demon she was serving and whispered sweet lies to her to follow him.

    My feelings about him were still tooplicated to be summed up in just a few words.

    There was too much blood on my hands so far to be easily deceived by his sweet lies.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Heavy guilt and regret constricting my heart.

    Although she is said to have lost her mind after receiving the ¡®star¡¯ from the Heavenly Demon, she has be the limb of the Heavenly Demon for the past 10 years and has trampled on countless lives.

    That kind of confidence.

    A snake that is extremely dirty and ugly.

    Is it okay now to follow sweet whispers and be happy?

    Or, do you deserve to feel happiness in the first ce?

    Cassia shook her head as if to erase theplicated thoughts from her mind.

    ¡°Anyway, you didn¡¯t do anything to him, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Isabe lowered her scythe, her guard a little lessened.

    ¡°So what is your business?¡±

    ¡°oh. ¡°Do you really need a reason for your sister toe see her brother?¡±

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡±

    He red at Cassia sharply and said coldly.

    Cassia lightly shrugged her shoulders and approached Isabe.

    ¡°Anyway¡­ it looks like he has another woman?¡±

    Startle.

    Isabe¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    Cassia looked at her and burst intoughter.

    ¡°Are you going to take it out?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by taking it out?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know.¡±

    Cassia continued speaking, sticking out her long tongue.

    ¡°Our Be is greedy, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°What do you want to say?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°I know.¡±

    The sinister snake eyes nced at Isabe.

    ¡°Or¡­ should I have it?¡±

    Cassia sweeps her chest with a bewitching smile.

    Although she didn¡¯t have feminine curves, her charm reminiscent of a forbidden apple was so destructive that it took away the attention of even her fellow blood rtives.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even lift a finger at Oh Jin! ¡°I¡¯ll be quiet¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you about that person?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±

    Isabe was speechless.

    No matter how much she was, she didn¡¯t want to reveal that she was Ojin¡¯s ¡®second¡¯ in front of her sister.

    Cassia¡¯s eyes lit up as she looked at Isabe, who was speechless and hesitant.

    Even though they were of the same blood, it was obvious at a nce how attractive Isabe was.

    A voluptuous, curved chest line and a slim waist that would make you think she had such a huge chunk of flesh.

    From skin as wless as a snowy field to beautiful hair that looks like it was made of melted gold.

    Cassia herself was proud of her charm as a woman, but she could notpare to Isabe.

    What a woman who makes such an expression on her face.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Who could it be?¡±

    Cassia narrowed her eyes, recalling the woman¡¯s scent that was thickly buried on Ojin¡¯s body.

    Why?

    When I thought about that woman, my heart boiled.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    It¡¯s not like I really have feelings for him.

    Cassia bit her lip in frustration that was rising for some reason.

    ¡°Well, try your best anyway. Stealing is your specialty, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­Noisy.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just leave.¡±

    Cassia turned around, gently waving her hand.

    ¡°Why did youe really¡­¡±

    Isabe sighed deeply and shook her head.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    I asked Cassia as she disappeared into the shadows.

    Cassia stopped walking and turned her head with a stern expression.

    ¡°The Demon World.¡±

    After giving a short answer, her figurepletely disappeared into the shadows.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Isabe, who had been staring at the spot where Cassia had disappeared, gently bit her lip and turned around.

    The ce she is heading to is a hospital where there is a misdiagnosis.

    I wanted to meet him right now.

    * * *

    When I opened the door to the hospital room, I saw Ojin sleeping.

    ¡®Are they both already gone?¡¯

    After confirming that Ha-eun and Vega were out of sight, Isabe approached Oh-jin with quiet steps.

    Oh Jin is sleeping, breathing evenly.

    -Isn¡¯t stealing something your specialty?

    Cassia¡¯s voice rang in my ears.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Isabe stretched out her hand to the sleeping Ojin.

    I gently touched his cheek and smoothed his lips as he was breathing evenly.

    The feel of soft lips.

    The intense impulse that had been suppressed boiled over.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Did he feel popr?

    Oh Jin, who was sleeping, opened his eyes.

    ¡°¡­Isabe?¡±

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    Isabe gently pressed Ojin¡¯s chest as he tried to get up andid him down on the bed.

    ¡°The promise you shared with me¡­ ¡°Do you remember?¡±

    ¡°promise?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°It¡¯s a promise we made on the Ferris wheel.¡±

    ¡°¡­If that¡¯s the case.¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s expression hardened.

    Due to the aftereffects of Gaecheon, I hadpletely lost my memory of what I had discussed with her on the Ferris wheel.

    ¡°sorry. Like I said before, I remember¡­¡±

    ¡°I just need to tell you, right?¡±

    Isabe climbed onto the bed.

    He looked down at Ojin with breathtakingly alluring eyes and spoke quietly.

    ¡°Oh Jin¡­¡±

    A moment of hesitation.

    Isabe, who was looking down at him with conflicted eyes,id her body on top of Ojin as if she were crushing him.

    ¡°You said you would make me¡­ the ¡®first¡¯.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t remember what happened on the Ferris wheel that day.

    then.

    You could be his first, not his second.

    Not Ha-eun, but yourself.

    You be his most precious person.

    ¡°Oh Jin¡­ will you keep your promise?¡±

    Isabe looked down at him with lustful eyes and let out a hot breath.

 Chapter 271

    I am not a returner Episode 271:

    Greed and Love (3)

    Hot breath tickles my lips.

    Ojin gently frowned as the soft touch took away his reason.

    ¡°What now?¡±

    He said he would leave Ha-eun alone and make her ¡®first¡¯?

    As if there was a dark cloud hanging over me, I couldn¡¯t remember anything.

    What happened on that Ferris wheel that made him make such an absurd promise?

    ¡°Oh Jin said that, right? ¡°Just because the memory is gone doesn¡¯t mean the facts have disappeared.¡±

    Isabe continued speaking with her eyes shining with passionate desire.

    ¡°Oh Jin definitely said that I was more important than Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I?

    You said Isabe was more important than Ha-eun?

    ¡°Of course, you said that doesn¡¯t mean you can break up with Ha-eun and date me. ¡°I also decided to respect Mr. Oh Jin¡¯s opinion in that regard.¡±

    As Isabe continued, my mind became more and moreplicated.

    What Isabe is saying now is as if¡­

    ¡°Instead, you said that I was the ¡®first¡¯.¡±

    okay.

    Doesn¡¯t it sound like he cares more about Isabe than Ha-eun?

    No, it doesn¡¯t sound like that, it was literally something that couldn¡¯t be said without having more feelings for Isabe as a person of the opposite sex.

    ¡®I¡­ said that?¡¯

    Could it be that memories other than those from inside the Ferris wheel have also disappeared?

    Of course, it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have feelings for her.

    It may be a selfish thought, but there was a time when I thought I wanted both Ha-eun and Isabe.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean he put Ha-eun, his current lover, behind and put Isabe first.

    It is a choice that cannot be fully understood based on the memories that remain with him now.

    ¡°So, Oh Jin.¡±

    Isabe stared at Ojin with moist eyes.

    A soft hand snaked down Ojin¡¯s cheek and traced his chest.

    A sweet temptation that feels like your reason will be shattered.

    ¡°Please love me more.¡±

    Isabe let out a hot breath as she swallowed the words, ¡°Better than her sister.¡±

    My heart throbs with guilt.

    The fact that these lies are being whispered to him, who had to endure the terrible price of loss of memory in order to protect himself.

    The fact that, rather than healing the wound, he greedily sucks and drinks the blood that seeps out like a leech.

    It bes a sharp knife and cuts my heart.

    ¡®What a piece of trash.¡¯

    Contempt for myself boils over.

    The reward for his good will, favor, and sacrifice is such a dirty and ugly lie.

    Like her sister said, she was a greedy person.

    You can¡¯t live without stealing from others.

    ¡®It¡¯s not toote.¡¯

    All you have to do is burst outughing and say it was a joke and wonder if Mr. Oh Jin could have made such a promise.

    If that were the case, we wouldn¡¯t be able to see Oh Jin¡¯s face distorted by the feeling of disconnection from his now-vanished memories.

    but.

    ¡°¡­no way.¡±

    but but but but.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to break your promise now, are you, Oh Jin¡­?¡±

    Desire is the most effective cure for the wounds caused by guilt.

    Before I knew it, the pain in my breasts was covered by a boiling desire and turned into a tickling pleasure.

    ¡°¡­Isabe.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I gave everything I had to Mr. Ojin.¡±

    ¡°Now wait a minute. ¡°You gave everything?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Transparent tears flowed down Isabe¡¯s cheeks.

    She put her hands together and ced them on her heart and spoke in a sad voice.

    ¡°Oh Jin took my first one.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    The ident stops.

    So does this mean that he left Ha-eun and mixed up with Isabe?

    ¡°Now wait a minute. ¡°When?¡±

    The memory that is presumed to have disappeared now is the memory of being inside the Ferris wheel.

    To be precise, they were memories of a date with her at the amusement park that day.

    It wouldn¡¯t have been her first experience outdoors during a date at an amusement park, so what she¡¯s talking about now must be ¡®another¡¯ memory.

    ¡°As expected¡­ you forgot that memory too.¡±

    Isabe looked at Ojin with sad eyes.

    Isabe bit her lip tightly without answering Ojin¡¯s question about when.

    ¡°I kept believing in your promise to love me more¡­¡± ¡°

    ¡­¡±

    ¡°Have you all¡­ forgotten?¡±

    Isabe lowered her head as if she was copsing.

    Ohjin looked at her, feeling as if his heart was burning.

    Of course, Isabe could be lying to herself right now.

    But just like I experienced with Ha-eun.

    I could not feel any sense of difort in the memory of disappearing into the stream.

    It was as if he had taken it ¡®for granted¡¯ that he and Ha-eun were not in a romantic rtionship.

    This meant that his feelings toward Isabe now might bepletely different from before he used Gaecheon.

    then.

    If everything Isabe says is true.

    What on earth was he supposed to do?

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to find it difficult.¡±

    Did he notice Oh Jin¡¯s agitation?

    Isabe¡¯s eyes lit up and she stroked his cheek.

    ¡°No matter how jealous I am, it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know how important Ha-eun and Oh-jin are to each other.¡±

    He whispers in a sweet voice that makes you melt.

    ¡°If you just love and cherish me a little more than Ha-eun, just a little more, that¡¯s enough for me.¡±

    The corners of Isabe¡¯s mouth slowly rose.

    The thought that it was done passed through my head.

    Given Ojin¡¯s personality, it would be difficult for him to refuse his offer since he even mixed it up with his body.

    Of course, there were no traces of destruction on her body.

    All you have to do is create that much yourself.

    The pain of having her flesh torn was nothing when she thought about what she would get afterward.

    Isabe waited for his answer with burning eyes.

    Ohjin, who continued to worry, opened his mouth quietly.

    ¡°¡­sorry.¡±

    Oh Jin chewed his lips and shook his head.

    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t have feelings for her.

    The rtionship with Isabe created in pursuit of Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories has now be a precious rtionship that he does not want to let go of.

    However, if you have to push Ha-eun away due to your own greed.

    If I hurt her.

    ¡°The most precious thing to me is my sister.¡±

    Even if it means ruining his rtionship with Isabe.

    Ha-eun must be prioritized.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I felt before I lost my memory.¡±

    He lowered his head like a criminal and continued speaking.

    ¡°But at least now¡­ I don¡¯t want to hurt my sister because of my greed.¡±

    ¡°¡­Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I will somehow take responsibility for taking the first one.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what to do to take responsibility.

    ¡°¡­sorry.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Isabe looked at Ojin with trembling eyes.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Isabe let out a deep sigh and shook her head as if she couldn¡¯t stand it.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Then I am satisfied with the second¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Ojin shook his head.

    It wasn¡¯t something I wanted to say after just saying that I would take responsibility in some way, but I didn¡¯t want to move on and say that if it wasn¡¯t the first, then the second would be okay.

    ¡°That¡¯s actually like insulting your heart.¡±

    For Ha-eun and Isabe.

    It was right to give up the selfish greed of not wanting to miss out on both.

    If you don¡¯t throw it away cleanly this time, this will continue to happen.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know how many more times I¡¯ll have to use the stream in the future.¡¯

    Memories contain emotions.

    What if every time a memory disappears, even your emotions be mixed up?

    This kind of messy rtionship is bound to end in catastrophe.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep some distance from now on. Until we can make up our minds.¡±

    At this time when he had to prepare to go to the Demonic World, it was fatal to lose his rtionship with Isabe, who could be said to be the party¡¯s main force.

    Still, I didn¡¯t want to jump into a life-threatening battle with a bomb of unresolved emotions.

    Although it is unavoidable, I am in a position to tell a woman who has mixed up her body to put her mind in order.

    Ojin looked at Isabe, prepared to get a p in the face.

    However, contrary to Ojin¡¯s expectations, it was not the feeling of anger that appeared in her eyes.

    ¡°¡­uh?¡±

    Two wide-open eyes.

    Isabe, feeling groggy as if she had seen a scene from a horror movie, got up from the bed.

    Isabe climbed out of bed, threatening to fall.

    She trembled and muttered as if she had lost her mind.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­? ¡°Can¡¯t it be like this?¡±

    Her blue pupils, which sparkled beautifully even in the dark, contract.

    He looks at Ojin with eyes that have lost their luster and hesitates to take a step back.

    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want to miss either of them. But why?¡±

    ¡°¡­Isabe?¡±

    ¡°Oh no. I didn¡¯t mean to do this. ¡°I just¡­¡±

    Scribble.

    Isabe crouched down and nervously bit her nails.

    Blood leaked out between broken fingernails.

    ¡°Somehow. I have to do something¡­¡±

    Isabe suddenly raised her head and quickly turned around.

    Quang!

    Before Ojin had time to stop her, Isabe kicked down the door and ran out.

    ¡°What is this¡­¡±

    Oh Jin looked at the wide open hospital room door with a bewildered expression.

    Did the words about sorting out each other¡¯s feelings have had such a big impact on her?

    ¡°¡­ha.¡±

    Ohjin sighed deeply and rubbed his face.

    It is said that you may know the inside of ten roads, but you do not know the inside of a person of one road.

    It was difficult to understand why Isabe reacted like she was so entranced.

    ¡®There is one thing I expect.¡¯

    Oh Jin, who was continuing his thoughts, frowned and shook his head.

    The memories lost due to the aftereffects of the stream were too great to make hasty conclusions.

    It was also a guess that could cause great harm to Isabe.

    ¡°First of all¡­ we should talk more.¡±

    They are the kings of heaven and earth, so something like this can happen when there is a mountain of problems that need to be resolved.

    Ojin frowned as if he had a headache.

    Jump and jump.

    At that time, footsteps were heard in the hallway beyond the wide open hospital room door.

    ¡®Is it Isabe?¡¯

    Ohjin quickly got out of bed and put on his slippers.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    Contrary to the misdiagnosis expectations, the person who entered the hospital room was not Isabe.

    A handsome young man with impressive cold eyes.

    One of the 12 apostles of Deneb and a member of the ¡®Seven Stars¡¯.

    Allen Oscar, the star of martial arts, entered the hospital room.

    ¡°I heard that you were attacked by a ¡®snake¡¯ this time, but I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t suffer any major injuries.¡±

    Allen smiled slightly as he held out the fruit basket in his hand to Ojin.

 Chapter 272

    I am not a regressor Episode 272:

    Greed and Love (4)

    The hospital room was so spacious andfortable that it could be considered a hotel room.

    With a pleasant crunching sound, the beautifully cut apple peel fell into the bowl, twisting its body like a dragon.

    ¡°Please eat here.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. thank you.¡±

    Apples cut into perfectly identical sizes, as if cut by a sophisticated machine.

    Oh Jin took an apple from the bowl and took a bite with his fork.

    The sweet juice exploded in my mouth.

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re thinking of going to the Demon Lord?¡±

    Allen, who heard about the suspicious movements of the demonic kings from Ojin, asked with sharp eyes.

    ¡°yes. ¡°We can¡¯t watch and wash our hands until theye rushing in.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ do you n on leading an army?¡±

    ¡°no. ¡°The first thing to do is to gather information.¡±

    We don¡¯t even know how many kings there are in the Demon World.

    You can¡¯t go to war blindfolded.

    Right now, the priority was to gather information about the unknownnd called Demon World.

    ¡°Mr. Allen, you said you¡¯ve been to the magic world, right?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°I went to see Elder Cheon Gwon-seong a few times.¡±

    ¡°If you are an elder Cheon Kwon-seong¡­.¡±

    Cheon Kwon-seong Baek Mu-gang.

    He was the highest-ranking awakened among the 12 apostles of Deneb and one of the very few awakened who lived in the Demon World rather than on Earth.

    ¡°You may be a bit entric, but you are a good person.¡±

    The corner of Allen¡¯s mouth, which had been drawing a straight line bluntly as if he was thinking of Cheon Kwon-seong, slowly turned up.

    ¡°Then I guess Mr. Allen is also quite knowledgeable about the Demon Lord?¡±

    ¡°I only know what I heard briefly. ¡°Most of them came back immediately after giving necessary items to the elderly.¡±

    They probably don¡¯t know as much as the awakened people who are living on their own.

    Ojin looked at Allen with shining eyes.

    ¡°Can you tell me what those words were?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Come to think of it, you often said that.¡±

    Allen¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Whether you live here or there, everything is the same.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you see the city they made when you were trapped in the demon world?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. ¡°I saw it.¡±

    ¡°The elder said that there are a number of such cities connected to form one kingdom.¡±

    It¡¯s a kingdom.

    And then I saw that there was a building that looked like a ¡®castle¡¯ in the city that Ojin discovered.

    ¡°Probably near the first rift¡­ that¡¯s where the beast people¡¯s kingdom is.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes sparkled at the mention of the beast people.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, I heard that Riak is from the beast people.¡¯

    You could tell just by looking at Riak, but the beastmen are said to have superior intelligence, unlike ordinary magical beasts.

    It must have been thanks to that outstanding intelligence that we were able to create a huge collective society called a nation.

    ¡°Could you please tell me where Elder Cheon Kwon-seong is?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Allen nodded willingly.

    The news that the kings of the Demonic World were on the move was not something he could ignore, even from his position as a member of the Chilseong n.

    However, it is a situation where priority must be given to dealing with the named demon beasts that have started rampaging around the world rather than the enemies who cannot know when they will attack.

    In such a situation, it was good news for him that Oh Jin was investigating Ma Kyung¡¯s condition.

    ¡°If you visit the elder, you will be able to hear a much more detailed story than you do now.¡±

    Allen took out apass from his pocket and held it out to Ojin.

    ¡°This?¡±

    ¡°If you enter the magic realm and channel your magic power, it will point in the direction where the elder is.¡±

    It was a useful device in a demon world wheremunication equipment was not working.

    Ojin nodded and epted thepass.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel good to entrust this kind of work to a patient.¡±

    ¡°Well, I also have no intention of going to the Demonic Pce before my body fully heals.¡±

    ¡°haha. ¡°If you had tried to do that, I would have forced you to do it.¡±

    Allen slightly bowed his head and stood up.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for good news. ¡°Please take care of yourself.¡±

    After saying a brief greeting, he turned around and walked out of the hospital.

    Alone in the hospital room.

    I narrowed my eyes as I gently grabbed thepass that Allen had given me.

    ¡®For now, the n has been roughly decided.¡¯

    The first thing to do is to find Cheon Kwon-seong in the Magyeong and get a detailed exnation of the Magyeong from him.

    You will have to think about the rtionship between the ¡®Kings¡¯ and the Heavenly Demon and how to stop them at that time.

    ¡°¡­Cheonma.¡±

    I say that ominous-sounding name.

    Why did you destroy the world in your past life?

    Why did we return to the past in a world that had turned into a handful of ashes?

    It was not difficult to imagine the purpose of the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°Because you are me.¡±

    There will be only one purpose.

    Both in the past life and in the present life.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin looked out the window with bitter eyes.

    I had a strong urge to meet Ha-eun right now.

    As Iy there nkly thinking about Ha-eun, another woman suddenly appeared in my thoughts.

    Isabe was shaking with a frightened expression.

    When I thought of her, I felt a dark cloud, like a dark cloud.

    ¡®I¡¯m crazy.¡¯

    Wasn¡¯t he supposed to capture his feelings for her?

    Oh Jin sighed and wiped his face.

    Theplex, tangled emotions were not easily sorted out.

    ¡°As expected¡­ it¡¯s be too much.¡±

    At first, I thought it wouldn¡¯t matter as long as Ha-eun was there.

    Even if the whole world burned and was crushed, I thought it would be okay as long as I could save Ha-eun.

    but.

    As time passes, the number of rtionships you don¡¯t want to miss increases.

    There are more things I want to protect.

    Even though he knows very well that this is an extremely foolish thought.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ojin got up from the bed.

    I was worried about Isabe, who had kicked out the door and left me sleeping peacefully.

    ¡°We need to solve this problem first.¡±

    The priority was to definitely sort out my rtionship with Isabe before going to the devil¡¯s pce.

    Oh Jin stretched out his hand toward the smartphone ced on the shelf.

    * * *

    In a dark room.

    A woman was curled up in a narrow room filled with strange heat.

    Crack-crack-crack.

    The eerie sound of nails being crushed.

    The woman with a haggard face nervously bit her nails as if she didn¡¯t care about the blood flowing from them.

    ¡°What should I do? ¡°What should I do¡­¡±

    Isabe crouched down and her shoulders trembled.

    Failed.

    I made a mistake.

    I shouldn¡¯t have been greedy, but I should have been satisfied with the second time.

    In my greed to be first, I did something in vain and everything ended up being ruined.

    ¡°why¡­? Why? ¡°You said before that you didn¡¯t want to miss either of us.¡±

    I thought that even if the n failed, it would just go back to the way it was.

    Is it the price of greed?

    Oh Jin¡¯s answer was different from before.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    Breath rising to the tip of my chin.

    Every time I thought of Oh Jin calmly saying, ¡®Let¡¯s sort out our feelings for each other,¡¯ I felt a pain in my chest as if I was being stabbed with a knife.

    ¡°Oh, no.¡±

    Let¡¯s clear each other¡¯s minds.

    I can¡¯t stay by Ohjin¡¯s side forever.

    That much.

    No matter what happened, I couldn¡¯t tolerate it.

    You have to do something.

    I could no longer imagine life without misdiagnosis.

    Isabe chewed her lips and had tears in her eyes.

    ¡°Well, I have to do something¡­ something.¡±

    But what should I do?

    What can I do to turn his mind back to myself?

    Crack-crack-crack.

    When I was biting my nails and continuing my thoughts.

    ¡°What are you doing in the warehouse room?¡±

    Sweet.

    The door opened and Ha-eun came in.

    She looked at Isabe, who was curled up, and burst out in astonishment.

    ¡°hey! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your nails?¡±

    A scared Ha-eun approached Isabe.

    ¡°¡­Ha-eun unni.¡±

    Isabe looked up at Ha-eun with trembling eyes.

    Starlight appeared in her pupils, which were as dark as the night sky covered with dark clouds.

    ¡°Oh sister! sister! ¡°Please do me a favor!¡±

    ¡°Aaaah! ¡°What?!¡±

    Isabe crawled across the floor to Ha-eun and grabbed her by the leg of her pants.

    Isabe begged, clinging to Ha-eun¡¯s feet.

    ¡°ask? ¡°What request?¡±

    ¡°Oh, please stop Mr. Ojin!¡±

    The reason Oh Jin told her to make up her mind was because he didn¡¯t want Ha Eun to get hurt.

    As long as Ha-eun approves of Isabe, he will turn his heart to her again.

    ¡°Do you want me to stop you? ¡°Ojini, what did this kid do again?¡±

    Could it be that he left for the devil alone?

    Ha-eun held Isabe by the shoulders with an urgent look on her face.

    ¡°Oh Oh Jin¡­¡±

    Isabe trailed off and avoided Ha-eun¡¯s gaze.

    He chewed his lip and spoke in a hushed voice.

    ¡°He said to me¡­ that we should sort out our minds.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t have feelings for me! Oh yeah! aftereffect! ¡°It¡¯s because of the aftereffects!¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    Isabe continued speaking while pulling on Ha-eun¡¯s pant legs.

    ¡°Before you lost your memory, you said you didn¡¯t want to lose me either!¡±

    okay.

    All of this happened because he lost his memory.

    ¡°Oh, you would understand, right? Oh Jin, you said you lost your memory of dating your sister, right? ¡°I¡¯m the same way!¡±

    It was clear that Oh Jin would ept him again if he could just recall the memories on the Ferris wheel.

    At that time, I clearly said, ¡®I don¡¯t want to miss either of you.¡¯

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and looked down at Isabe, who was holding on to the leg of her pants.

    ¡°So¡­ Ojini dumped you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±

    Isabe shook her head roughly.

    ¡°no!¡±

    ¡°I heard you said we should make up our minds with each other?¡±

    ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s because Mr. Ojin lost his memory!¡±

    He clung to Ha-eun¡¯s leg like a cicada and cried out as if pleading.

    ¡°Oh, sister, please go and talk to Oh Jin!¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Please ept my heart! From now on, I will never be greedy for your ce again! I won¡¯t lie from now on! I¡¯m satisfied with the second time! So¡­¡±

    Isabe begs, shedding tears.

    ¡°I will do whatever you ask me to do¡­ please.¡±

    Drops of tears flowed down my cheeks.

    Ha-eun looked down at Isabe, who was shedding tears with cold eyes.

    ¡°So, I just got dumped by Oh Jin, and you want me to tell you to go and get it?¡±

    under.

    Ha-eunughed and frowned.

    ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    His cold gaze turned to Isabe.

 Chapter 273

    I am not a returner Episode 273:

    Greed and Love (5)

    ¡°Uh, sister¡­?¡±

    Isabe looked up at Ha-eun with a pale, exhausted expression.

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression, which was usually as cheerful as a burning fire, was as cold as ice.

    ¡°What did I say before? ¡°You said you would follow Ojini¡¯s decision, right?¡±

    And the decision Oh Jin made was to sort out their feelings for each other.

    Whatever the reason, I couldn¡¯t ignore the decision he made.

    ¡°So, before I lost my memory¡­¡±

    ¡°I decided to ept your feelings at the time, but after I lost my memory, my words suddenly changed?¡±

    ¡°Yes yes! ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    Isabe urgently nodded.

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and looked down at Isabe.

    It didn¡¯t seem like he was cornered and lying.

    ¡°¡­Something is strange.¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and muttered.

    The memories of Ojin that disappeared this time are only a small part of his date with Isabe.

    Of course, I couldn¡¯t know exactly how much of Ojin¡¯s memory was lost, but it didn¡¯t seem like it would be enough to change my usual emotions and thoughts.

    Although the cases are different, his feelings did not change even when all his memories of when he was a lover disappeared.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, you said earlier, ¡®I won¡¯t lie from now on,¡¯ right?¡±

    That would mean that he had lied before.

    Startle.

    Isabe¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    ¡°That is.¡±

    Isabe was breaking out in a cold sweat and avoiding eye contact.

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes shone sharply.

    ¡°What lie did you tell Ojini?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Isabe lowered her head like a criminal entering the courtroom.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. sister.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sorry, but what kind of lie did I tell you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Hearing Ha-eun¡¯s irritated voice, Isabe hesitantly opened up about what happened with Oh-jin.

    As the story continued, Ha-eun¡¯s expression changed moment by moment.

    By the time the confession came out of nowhere.

    ¡°¡­Hey, that¡¯s my goal.¡±

    Ha-eun sighed deeply and touched her forehead.

    ¡°Hey, you pathetic girl.¡±

    He grabbed Isabe¡¯s head as she lowered her head.

    ¡°Would that swindler be fooled by something like that?¡±

    ¡°Ha but definitely.¡±

    ¡°I guess they just believed me even though I knew it was strange. ¡°Because I trust you that much.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°But you tried to deceive Ojini?¡±

    It is an inexcusable fact.

    Isabe chewed her lips, feeling as if her heart was being torn apart by guilt.

    ¡°¡­sorry.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize to me, do you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to my sister too.¡±

    Even though I knew for sure that the two were dating, I tried to use a foolish trick.

    I also had to bow my head and apologize to Ha-eun.

    ¡°¡­I will also apologize to Oh Jin tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do after you apologize? Should I at least go back to Italy?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s expression turned pale.

    I knew it intuitively.

    If I go back to Italy like this, there will never be a misdiagnosis in the future.

    The hope that supported her life will disappearpletely.

    ¡°I have to go back.¡±

    The sin Imitted was too great to shamelessly stay next to Oh Jin.

    ¡°Ah, from now on, I won¡¯t show up in front of Mr. Ojin.¡±

    Tears like chicken shit flowed down my cheeks.

    A feeling as if your breathing is being constricted.

    A distant despair weighed on her at the thought of not being able to be by his side in the future.

    ¡°I heard that¡¯s true?¡±

    Ha-eun, who was looking down at Isabe, who was shedding tears, suddenly opened her mouth.

    ¡°yes?¡±

    Who are you talking to?

    Isabe, who had her head down and tears streaming down her face, suddenly raised her head.

    Ha-eun smiled and took out the smartphone she had put in her pocket.

    A smartphone with a call connection.

    Isabe¡¯s eyes widened.

    I pressed the speaker button on my smartphone in front of Isabe, who opened her mouth while muttering, ¡°No way.¡±

    [That¡¯s a bit troublesome.]

    A familiar voicees from the smartphone.

    For Isabe, it was the voice she wanted to hear the most, but at the same time, it was the voice she hated hearing the most.

    ¡°Oh oh oh Mr. Ojin?!¡±

    [As expected, I thought it was a bit strange, but that¡¯s how it happened.]

    Oh Jin smiled bitterly on the other side of the smartphone.

    Isabe grabbed Ha-eun¡¯s shoulder with a pale face.

    ¡°Oh sister. Could it be that from the beginning¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ojini said he was worried about you and told me to look for you.¡±

    Ha-eun shrugged her shoulders and clicked her tongue.

    ¡°Yeah well¡­ I thought it would happen like this someday.¡±

    Immediately after returning from Demon Lord.

    It was something that Isabe had vaguely expected since she thought Ojin was dead and became aplete wreck.

    ¡°This is all your fault, kid.¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and red at her smartphone.

    ¡°Ah ah.¡±

    Isabe stamped her feet with an expression that did not know what to do.

    Could it be that Oh Jin was listening to the whole conversation with Ha Eun?

    Doesn¡¯t that mean that all of his lies have been discovered?

    ¡°Juju porridge¡­.¡±

    ¡°Porridge?¡±

    ¡°I have no choice but to die now.¡±

    Isabe closed her eyes tightly and dug her sharp nails into the back of her neck.

    ¡°Hey, wait a minute!¡±

    Ha-eun urgently grabbed Isabe¡¯s hand.

    I almost fell for a moment due to the strength of a bull, but fortunately I was able to stop Isabe¡¯s hand before her nails dug into my neck.

    ¡°Why die?!¡±

    ¡°¡­Your sister said that before, right?¡±

    A low voice falls, mixed with droplets of tears.

    ¡°If Oh Jin dies¡­ my sister will die too.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Me too¡­ me too.¡±

    Oh Jin wasn¡¯t dead, though.

    If I couldn¡¯t be by his side, I was practically dead.

    ¡°sorry. ¡°I took your ce without even knowing the topic.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun kept her mouth shut and red sharply at Isabe.

    Seeing Isabe crying pitifully made me very irritated.

    ¡°Why are you doing that? ¡°It wasn¡¯t like this before, right?¡±

    The Isabe she knew had to pretend to be noble at times like this and show a shameless attitude like a snarky serpent.

    But what does she look like now?

    Isn¡¯t it no different from a snake than a leech writhing in muddy water?

    The sight of Isabe¡¯s miserable, drooping figure filled me with a feeling of squishy difort.

    Ha-eun continued speaking while ring at Isabe with fierce eyes.

    ¡°Why did you tell such a useless lie in the first ce?¡±

    If you wanted to be by Ojin¡¯s side, there was no reason to be ¡®first¡¯.

    Isabe chewed her lips and lowered her head.

    ¡°Because¡­¡±

    ¡°huh? what?¡±

    ¡°I was scared¡­ because.¡±

    Actually, I knew it.

    No matter what he does, he can¡¯t take Ha-eun¡¯s ce.

    I was scared because I knew that fact better than anyone else.

    I was so scared and afraid that I felt like I was going crazy.

    Even though Oh Jin lost his memory of being a lover with Ha Eun, he connected with her again as if it was nothing.

    There was a bond between the two that went beyond memories.

    But what about yourself?

    What about yourself, who is only ¡®second¡¯?

    Was there something that could be called misdiagnosis and memories?

    Was there a bond that went beyond memory?

    ¡°Sorry¡­ ugh. sorry.¡±

    If Ojin once again used the technique that turned his entire body into a ck cloud.

    If you forget about yourself again.

    Will he be able to go back to his original rtionship like Ha-eun?

    ¡°Me too¡­ uh, like my sister. ¡°I want to be like my sister.¡±

    That¡¯s why I hoped for the first one.

    Even though I know that it is not a position suitable for me.

    Even though I know that this is not a position that can be obtained by lying.

    I was greedy.

    ¡°sorry.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun looked at the sobbing Isabe and wiped her face in silence.

    ha.

    A deep sigh escaped me.

    ¡°Hey, Kwon Oh-jin.¡±

    Ha-eun turned her head and looked toward the entrance.

    ¡°Are you there?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    Sweet.

    The front door opened and Oh Jin, dressed in a hospital gown, entered the house.

    Isabe trembled as if in a panic and took a step back.

    ¡°Oh Mr. Ojin?!¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin approached Isabe without saying a word and carefully stretched out his hand to wipe away the tears from her eyes.

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue and turned around.

    ¡°You take care of the rest.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do it yourself?¡±

    ¡°I told you, right? ¡°I will follow your decision.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ohjin, who had been thinking with his mouth firmly shut, opened his mouth quietly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sister.¡±

    A deep sigh escaped me.

    ¡°I guess I really am a piece of trash.¡±

    ¡°Do you know that now?¡±

    Ha-eunughed and kicked Oh-jin¡¯s shin.

    ¡°What would you do if I told you to bring another boy and straddle him?¡±

    ¡°After beating that bastard, I¡¯m going to tell him to get away from my sister.¡±

    ¡°What a fucking selfish bastard.¡±

    ¡°I told you. ¡°You¡¯re a piece of trash.¡±

    I¡¯ve given up on thinking about things in aplicated way.

    What does it mean to know the aftereffects of a stream?

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s for you.¡±

    Ojin slowly stood up.

    He held Isabe with one hand and Ha-eun¡¯s hand with the other.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make you happy. ¡°Both of them.¡±

    Even if it means trampling and burning the whole world.

    ¡°¡­Oh Mr. Ojin?¡±

    ¡°Damn.¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and spat out a harsh curse.

    However, unlike her harsh swear words, she did not let go of Oh Jin¡¯s hand that she was holding.

    ¡°Since your sister took care of your situation, will you listen carefully to what she says from now on?¡±

    ¡°I havemitted a sin, so I have to listen to anything.¡±

    ¡°Dance Zero Two in your maid uniform.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Isabe. ¡°I think it will be difficult to ept your feelings.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Isabe¡¯s pupils contracted.

    His shoulders were shaking with an expression full of despair.

    ¡°Hey hey. ¡°If this continues, I¡¯m going to cry again.¡±

    Ha-eun burst intoughter and tapped Isabe on the shoulder.

    ¡°¡­sister?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯d be very upset if some random bitch came and told me I¡¯d take the seat next to her.¡±

    With a faint smile, he lightly stroked Isabe¡¯s hair as she sat down.

    ¡°what is it. To be honest, I don¡¯t really hate it. ¡°It feels like I have a younger sister.¡±

    Although Isabe sometimes made peopleugh because of her bold behavior, Isabe was basically a friendly and kind person.

    It¡¯s like having a smart little sister.

    As a romantic enemy, he was the worst, but as a friend or colleague, it was difficult to find a better person.

    ¡°So, now I¡­ ¡°Are you saying you acknowledge this, sister?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s once empty eyes opened up to the brilliant Milky Way.

    Ha-eun shrugged her shoulders and turned her head towards Oh-jin.

    ¡°You came out of the hospital room without saying a word, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah.¡±

    I didn¡¯t have time to exin anything.

    ¡°There must have been an uproar by now that you disappeared.¡±

    The entire hospital must have turned upside down because the customer in the VIP room suddenly disappeared.

    ¡°for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll call you right away¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it. ¡°I¡¯ll go and go through the discharge procedures.¡±

    Anyway, even though I was dying in the VIP hospital room, the aftereffects of Gaecheon were not cured.

    Ha-eun nced down at Isabe and continued speaking.

    ¡°In the meantime, finish talking to him.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you, sister.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. This is all my fault for not dating a good man.¡±

    Ha-eun sighed deeply and turned around.

    ¡°Oh wait a minute.¡±

    As she was about to go out, she rummaged through the drawers in her room as if she remembered something.

    What I took out of the drawer was a paper box slightly smaller than the palm of my hand.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to do it, write it down and do it.¡±

    Ha-eun threw a cardboard box at Oh-jin.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin and Isabe¡¯s expressions hardened when they saw the number ¡®0.01¡¯ written on the cardboard box.

 Chapter 274

    I am not a returner Episode 274

    Interlude ¨C Two Lovers

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    The next day.

    After leisurelypleting discharge procedures and staying overnight at a nearby hotel, Ha-eun returned home and sat down with the two who had just finished eating breakfast.

    He nced at Ojin and Isabe, who were giving off a strange atmosphere, and raised the corners of his mouth with a grin.

    ¡°Did you do it?¡±

    A fastball thates in without warning.

    ¡°Oh sister!¡±

    Isabe jumped up with a red face.

    Oh Jin cleared his throat and slowly turned his head to avoid Ha-eun¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°I did it, I did it.¡±

    Tsk tsk.

    Ha-eun shook her head and sighed.

    Although it was expected, seeing the two people with red faces and a fresh atmosphere made my stomach twist for no reason.

    Well, what if I regret it now?

    It was he who allowed the rtionship between the two.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, Oh Jin. ¡°The gori man was looking for you?¡±

    ¡°Manager Han?¡±

    ¡°ok. I told you yesterday that you were going to that hospital, but I want to see you in person once you are discharged. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡±

    It¡¯s something to pass on.

    ¡°Is that Kim Si-hoo? ¡°The kid said he made it himself.¡±

    ¡°okay?¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s eyes sparkled when he heard that it was Kim Si-hoo¡¯s item.

    It would be worthwhile to look forward to the product of a genius boy whose ability to produce relics is unparalleled in the country.

    ¡°Did you not hear what it was?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear exactly. ¡°I heard it will be useful when you go to the devil¡¯s eye?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ should I go in person?¡±

    ¡°Take a look. ¡°I¡¯m already worried that you were robbed by Queen Serpens.¡±

    ¡°Why should I get robbed?¡±

    ¡°So did you win?¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    It was a mess.

    ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t at a level I could deal with in the first ce.¡±

    Ha-eun burst intoughter at the sight of Oh-jin muttering.

    No matter how strong the enemy he faced, Oh Jin, who always won like a ghost, showed such a dejected look.

    Ha-eun yfully grabbed Oh-jin¡¯s cheek and pushed him on the back.

    ¡°Go quickly.¡±

    ¡°okay. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go visit the association.¡±

    ¡°Have a nice trip, Oh Jin. Oh, should I ask Roberto for a ride?¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s okay. ¡°It¡¯s nearby anyway.¡±

    Ojin shrugged his shoulders and went out.

    * * *

    ck.

    As the front door closed, a terrifying silence fell into the house.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun and Isabe yed with their smartphones in silence and nced at each other.

    One man and two women.

    In a twisted rtionship that could not be considered normal, Ha-eun and Isabe did not know how to treat each other.

    Even though we¡¯ve known each other for quite a long time, I should say that we feel unfamiliar with each other, as if we¡¯ve just met for the first time.

    There was an extremely awkward atmosphere, as if I happened to be riding the same elevator as a friend of a friend whom I had known only by face.

    ¡°thanks sister.¡±

    Isabe was the first to speak amidst the awkward silence.

    She was wearing an apron as if she had just finished washing the dishes, and spoke with a faint smile on her face.

    ¡°I would have lived my entire life without knowing such happy feelings that my sister did not allow me to have.¡±

    A feeling of happiness as sweet as melted sugar.

    Isabe, who was finally able to see the result of the misdiagnosis she had longed for, smiled beautifully as if she was extremely happy.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. ¡°I just followed what that bastard Ojin chose.¡±

    ¡°But if my sister had been against it, Oh Jin would have changed her mind too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Well.

    If he had strongly opposed his rtionship with Isabe, he would have cut off the rtionship with Isabe mercilessly due to Ojin¡¯s personality.

    The most important thing for Ojini is not Isabe, but me.

    Ha-eun raised the corners of her mouth with a smirk and rxedly leaned back on the back of the chair.

    For some reason, the bridge of my nose rose with an inexplicable feeling of tion.

    ¡°¡­sister?¡±

    ¡°huh? iced coffee. ¡°It¡¯s not even a bad thing.¡±

    Ha-eun shrugged her shoulders with a smug expression.

    ¡°Well, Ojini has been following me well for a long time. ¡°Even when we were at daycare together, he would do anything for me.¡±

    Ha-eun raises her nose and talks about her memories with Oh Jin.

    A long rtionship that has continued since our days at the orphanage.

    It is no exaggeration to say that the castle was literally built up over a lifetime together, and that castle of solid memories was an area that Isabe could not dare to cross.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes frowned slightly, and faint tendons appeared on her forehead.

    When I saw Ha-eun proudly recalling her memories with Oh Jin, something started to boil inside me.

    ¡°Well, if you put it that way, Oh Jin, you risked your life twice for me.¡±

    Once when trapped in the demonic realm and again during Cassia¡¯s attack.

    Ojin threw himself into a ce that was almost like a limb without hesitation to save her.

    ¡°That¡¯s because the situation at the time was so urgent. You don¡¯t have to risk your life to feel that you are valued, right? ¡°In the end, trust in each other takes a long time.¡±

    Ha-eun continued to emphasize ¡®a long time¡¯.

    Isabe smiled brightly and nodded.

    Her mouth was smiling as beautifully as if it had been painted, but her eyes were cold.

    ¡°It¡¯s time, I just need to build it up slowly. Anyway, if you goter, you won¡¯t be much different from me, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s no difference?¡±

    ¡°Why is that so? ¡°When I was a teenager, the difference of one year felt like a big difference, but in my 30s and 40s, a difference of one or two years doesn¡¯t even feel like a difference.¡±

    The longer they spend together, the fewer memories Oh-jin and Ha-eun share.

    ¡°Heng, is it the same as that? No matter how much time passes, there are some things that never change. ¡°You have no idea what that child was like when he was at the orphanage, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, is this what wemonly call tte¡¯ in Korea?¡±

    ¡°Latte?¡±

    ¡°Why are you there? People who always start their speech with ¡®When I was~¡¯.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    The corner of his mouth twitched and he continued speaking.

    ¡°Are you jealous now?¡±

    ¡°Oh, how can that be? ¡°I¡¯m only second, right?¡±

    Isabe bowed slightly and continued speaking.

    ¡°And consideringst night¡­ I guess there¡¯s no need to do that, right?¡±

    I gently ced my hand on my chest and recalled the memories ofst night.

    Hot breath tickling your skin.

    The feeling of two strong arms embracing my body roughly, as if I might break.

    Oh Jin greedily lusted after himself like an animal.

    ¡°Hehe. Mr. Oh Jin¡­ he did that several times even though his body wasn¡¯t fully healed yet.¡±

    Isabe puts her hands on both cheeks and thinks back tost night¡¯s passionate affair.

    ¡°Mr. Oh Jin really liked it. ¡®this¡¯.¡±

    Isabe nced at Ha-eun and subtly pushed her chest forward.

    The voluptuous curves were emphasized and immediately captured attention.

    Ha-eun swallowed dry saliva and took in the curves that were clearly visible even through the wide apron.

    Although she herself was not so small that she could easily be pushed around, she did not dare to reach the peak of a mountain whose sticity and size exceededmon sense.

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression became distorted.

    ¡°Heng. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it properly anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­How does she know that?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s expression stiffened in shock.

    As Ha-eun said, she was so nervousst night that she stiffened like wood and stone and only followed Oh-jin¡¯s lead.

    Considering that she usually actively tempted Oh Jin, it was a very shameful first experience.

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious even if you don¡¯t look at it.¡±

    Ha-eun smiled and raised the corners of her mouth and raised her arrogant nose again.

    ¡°I have a lot of experience with Ojini, so I take the lead these days.¡±

    ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t matter who leads, right?¡±

    ¡°Go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter at all.¡±

    Isabe bit her lip as she saw Ha-eun nodding her head with a winning smile.

    The sight of Ha-eun rxing as if she was saying, ¡®No matter how hard you struggle,¡¯ made me boil inside.

    What caught her eye was Ha-eun¡¯s chest.

    Without a doubt, this was the part where there was the most obvious ¡®difference¡¯.

    She knows very well how childish it is to feel superior because of physical differences.

    Normally, once people get heated up, they be surprisingly childish.

    ¡°Your breasts are so small!¡±

    ¡°I have to speak clearly. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m small, it¡¯s that you¡¯re needlessly big?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not useless! ¡°Don¡¯t you know how much Oh Jin liked you?¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to beat me again? ¡°Did you forget that you got burned once?¡±

    ¡°If you are not confident that you will win, say that you are not confident.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you confident?!¡±

    ¡°Oh, your voice has be a bit louder for something like that?¡±

    The two women jumped up from their seats and red at each other fiercely as if they were going to eat each other.

    An awkward silence fell again.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    About 10 seconds passed in silence.

    The eyes of the two women, or rather, the two lovers, crossed in the air.

    Regardless of who was first, I burst intoughter.

    ¡°ha. ¡°What are you doing in such a childish way that you¡¯re so old?¡±

    ¡°Iknow, right.¡±

    Ha-eun and Isabe sighed and shook their heads.

    ¡°Anyway, this is all because of that bastard.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, sister. ¡°It¡¯s all Oh Jin¡¯s fault.¡±

    The two, who had been growling as if they were going to eat each other just now, looked at each other and burst outughing lightly.

    ¡°Anyway¡­ thank you, sister. ¡°For allowing me to be with Mr. Oh Jin.¡±

    A bright smile appeared on Isabe¡¯s lips.

    ¡°And¡­ you said that yesterday, right? ¡°It feels like you have a younger sister.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. It did?¡±

    Isabe hesitates and turns her head.

    He continued speaking, hiding his apple-red cheeks.

    ¡°Me too¡­ I felt like I had a sister. ¡°I used to have an older sister, but¡­ we¡¯ve been apart for a long time.¡±

    Has it been a long time?

    In her memories, her sweet older sister even tried to kill her herself.

    Of course, it was because I was manipted by the Heavenly Demon.

    Anyway, we didn¡¯t have a friendly conversation when we reunited in front of the sanctuary yesterday.

    ¡°Okay, well, this has alreadye to an end. Please take care of me from now on.¡±

    ¡°me too.¡±

    Ha-eun held hands with Isabe and raised the corners of her mouth.

    ¡°Oh. And if another bitch targets Ojini¡­.¡±

    ¡°Then I will step in and take action.¡±

    Cheer up.

    A creepy smile appeared on Isabe¡¯s lips.

    ¡°I will not allow anyone toe near Mr. Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    Ha-eun nodded with satisfaction, as if she had a trustworthy ally.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, he seems a bit suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Green existence.¡±

    ¡°Are you Reba?¡±

    ¡°Yep. ¡°I heard you just came here and sat on myp?¡±

    ¡°¡­Please tell me in detail.¡±

    For a while, the two women put their heads together and thought about how to keep other women away from Ojin.

    ¡°I guess we should leave for Makyeong as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°right? ¡°If you have to go somewhere anyway, there¡¯s no need to procrastinate, right?¡±

    By receiving the title of Pagunseong, Ojin gained great fame.

    Now that the Awakened One, who has not yet reached the 9th Star, has been recognized as a member of the Seven Stars, the forces targeting him will increase in numbers in the future.

    And the beauty world has been amonly used method ofpetition between powers since ancient times.

    Didn¡¯t they say that even during the Cold War, Russian spies mainly used the beauty world?

    ¡°Then I guess I should get ready to leave quickly.¡±

    ¡°How can I help you?¡±

    Unlike Isabe, who leads a huge force called the Colgrande family, Ha-eun did not have much to prepare.

    Isabe smiled brightly and nodded.

    ¡°yes. ¡°We were already short of workers.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m bad at organizing documents and stuff like that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    The Colgrande family is one of the top five prestigious families in Europe.

    It was a mammoth family that ran dozens of businesses.

    If Isabe is away, it is natural that various forces will attack the Colgrande family like hyenas without her.

    As I have recently been semi-retired from practical work while living in Korea, I have received reports that several families are eyeing the Colgrande family¡¯s business.

    There was only one optimal way to make it so that people like hyenas couldn¡¯t evene close.

    ¡°You just need to¡­burn a few ces.¡±

    Isabe held out her hand with an eerie smile.

    Ha-eun held Isabe¡¯s hand and raised the corners of her mouth.

    ¡°That¡¯s something I specialize in.¡±

    So the preparations to leave for Magyeong began.

 Chapter 275

    I am not a regressor Episode 275

    To Magyeong (1)

    [This is reporter Choi Gyeong-mi of Kukje News, Eyes that See the World. At around 2 a.m. local time on June 8, an organization that was distributing illegal sexual relics on arge scale was arrested in France.]

    [All of the arrested organization members suffered third-degree or higher burns and were immediately transported to a local hospital. Suspicions are being raised that the organization in question is rted to the Duverman family, which has a strong presence in France. ordingly, the Duverman family has announced that the suspicions arepletely untrue and that they will respond strongly to groundless rumors. .]

    [In the past month, a series of arson attacks on illegal businesses in Europe have continued, and the EU side¡­]

    Dang.

    Oh Jin clicked his tongue as he turned off the TV.

    ¡°The world is just as ugly here and there.¡±

    Over the past month, rumors about a serial arsonist active in Europe have often been heard in the ears of Oh Jin, who was busy preparing to go to the devil¡¯snd.

    Did you say that there were 8 illegal businesses that were reduced to ashes in just one month?

    The scale of the incident was toorge to be considered the work of a single arsonist.

    ¡°I think you have to be at least a high-ranking awakened person to be able to do this¡­ right, sister?¡±

    ¡°uh? Yes. yes!¡±

    Ha-eun, who was packing her luggage next to Oh-jin, suddenly raised her head and smiled awkwardly.

    ¡°¡­Why are you reacting like that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing bad! ¡°Have you packed everything before that?¡±

    ¡°ok. ¡°This is going to be overflowing.¡±

    Ohjin grinned, patting the ck backpack on his back.

    Contrary to the saying that it would be ¡®overflowing¡¯, the size of the backpack on my back was not that big.

    At most, it is about the size of a small hiking backpack that can be used when climbing a local mountain.

    It seemed too insufficient to leave for an unknownnd called Demonic Gyeong.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you received from Sihu?¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s right.¡±

    Oh Jin, who stopped by the association a month ago after hearing that he had something to deliver, received this backpack as a gift.

    A relic with a space expansion function, like an infinite pocketmonly found in fantasy.

    It was a functional relic that had the function of reducing the weight of the items inside, so no matter how many items were put in it, it was not that heavy.

    ¡°How much is in it?¡±

    ¡°About 400 to 500 kg? ¡°I put in everything I needed, including half a year¡¯s worth of food, an emergency potion tent, and a cot.¡±

    At this rate, you won¡¯t have to suffer for food, clothing, and shelter when you go to the devil¡¯snd.

    ¡°Wow, I crammed in a lot.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else you need? ¡°Just tell me and I¡¯ll send Roberto to get it right away.¡±

    Isabe, who has a meticulous personality, organized the items in her backpack into a ledger and checked again to see if anything else was needed.

    ¡°This is enough. ¡°You can just get everything else from there anyway.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand. ¡°Oh, by the way, sister, do you need anything?¡±

    ¡°huh? me? ¡°What do I do in particr?¡±

    I already packed a change of clothes and all the necessary items.

    ¡°What about toner, lotion, and mask pack?¡±

    ¡°uh? ¡°Why do you need something like that to go to the devil?¡±

    I didn¡¯t go to Magyeong to enjoy the trip carefree.

    The reason I go to the Demon World is to defeat the kings of the Demon World and block the ns of the Heavenly Demon.

    There was no reason to take care of cosmetics or anything like that.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡±

    Isabe frowned and shouted.

    She stretched out her hand and stroked Ha-eun¡¯s wless skin as she spoke.

    ¡°No matter how high-ranking an awakened person you are, you cannot let down your guard. ¡°How sad would Oh Jin be if your sister¡¯s skin got damaged?¡±

    ¡°Yes? Is that so?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t take up a lot of space anyway, so be sure to take it with you. ¡°The risk of skin damage is especially high in harsh environments like Makyeong.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going on a trip¡­¡±

    ¡°Use it! Follow me, sister. ¡°There are products that have lower performance but are good for portable use.¡±

    ¡°Now wait a minute!¡±

    Ha-eun was caught by Isabe and dragged into the room.

    [¡­I see that their rtionship has improved a lot since we haven¡¯t seen each other.]

    ¡°I see.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what happened while I was visiting the association a month ago.

    Ha-eun and Isabe, who until then had been growling as if they were going to eat each other, began to rapidly grow closer.

    The two of them went abroad together to prepare to go to the pce and did not return for several days, and there were many cases where they were together when they were home.

    Sometimes we even went into the bathhouse together and chatted for hours.

    Ha-eun and Isabe stuck around so much that Oh-jin felt left out.

    ¡°Are you a little sad?¡±

    Ojin looked back at Vega, who was sitting on his shoulder.

    He feels left out, so what about Vega?

    [Chuck. It¡¯s not like that!]

    Vega cleared his throat and shook his head.

    Looking at the momentary panicked expression, it seemed like he was quite disappointed.

    ¡°But if we go to the magic world, we will have more time to spend together.¡±

    Until now, we¡¯ve all been busy preparing various things.

    After entering the Demonic Realm, there will not be many instances where you will fall down.

    [Didn¡¯t you say that¡¯s not the case?]

    Vega pped Ojin¡¯s forehead and pouted his lips.

    ¡°What about Riak?¡±

    [Wait a moment.]

    Vega put her hands together as if praying.

    A silver halo shimmered and light erupted into the air.

    What emerged from the halo of light was a wolf with beautiful silver fur.

    Riak.

    The Holy Spirit, who had inherited part of Vega¡¯s soul, looked back at Ojin and asked in a low voice.

    ¡°¡­Are you really nning on going to the devil¡¯s pce?¡±

    ¡°I have to go.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak kept his mouth shut and slightly averted his gaze.

    The gloomy sunken eyes and drooping ears gave off a somewhat lonely atmosphere.

    ¡°Why are you acting so strangely?¡±

    ¡°¡­It is nothing.¡±

    Riak shook his head quietly.

    It was a far cry from the fiery personality he usually showed.

    ¡°So are you going straight to the Khan Kingdom?¡±

    ¡®Khan¡¯, the kingdom of the beastmen that exists in the magical world.

    It was the kingdom of demonic beasts and Riak¡¯s hometown, located closest to the first rift that connected the Earth and the Demon World.

    ¡°No, before that, I want to meet Cheon Kwon-seong and hear some stories about the Khan Kingdom. ¡°You have no idea what the Khan Kingdom is like right now?¡±

    It is said that Riak became the Holy Spirit of Vega more than a hundred years ago.

    After bing the Holy Spirit, it would not have been easy for him toe out of the sanctuary due to the restrictions of thew, so it was inevitable that he would not know the situation in his hometown.

    ¡°¡­Okay, I don¡¯t know what the situation is there right now.¡±

    Riak lowered his head helplessly and looked down at the floor.

    I could see his front paws on the floor trembling faintly.

    ¡°Riak?¡±

    When Ojin frowned and tried to approach Riak.

    Crackling.

    For a moment, my vision was distorted and a memory appeared in my mind.

    -How could there be beastmen in the sanctuary¡­

    -Crumble, rumble.

    -The wound is serious. Are you okay?

    Inside a sanctuary made of starlight.

    A silver wolf covered in blood and a goddess looking down at him with concern.

    -sorry. I¡¯m sorry¡­ I couldn¡¯t protect you¡­

    The scar-covered wolf mumbled as if in a daze, shedding tears mixed with blood.

    The silver-haired goddess looked down at the fallen wolf and gently furrowed her fair eyebrows.

    -I¡¯ll call you for a part-time job, so please wait a moment.

    The goddess stood up and found the constetion of Aquarius.

    Soon, a constetion called Albail appeared and treated the wolf¡¯s wounds.

    As soon as the silver wolf¡¯s wounds were healed, he stumbled and headed somewhere.

    -The wound is not fully healed yet, so stay still.

    The goddess asked as she carefully caught the wolf.

    -Oh, I haven¡¯t even asked your name yet.

    -¡­.

    The silver wolf looked back at the goddess in silence and opened his mouth.

    -¡­Riak.

    In a voice full of regret and guilt.

    -I am Riak, a warrior from the Silver Mane tribe.

    I answered like I was chewing.

    Crackling.

    My distorted vision returned to its original state.

    I saw Riak lowering his head helplessly, just like the image in my mind.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    Ojin¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    Memories of beings other than your own.

    To be exact, it would be Vega¡¯s memory.

    ¡®Is it a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu?¡¯

    D¨¦j¨¤ vu is a characteristic in which some of the memories engraved in one¡¯s stigmata are passed down.

    It wasn¡¯t necessarily that he was only reacting to Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories.

    ¡®But until now, Vega¡¯s memories have never flowed in.¡¯

    Has something changed since Heukcheon bloomed?

    Ojin frowned for a moment and continued his thoughts, then quickly shifted his gaze towards Riak.

    In my memories, Riak looked as helpless as now, with his head down and full of self-me and regret.

    ¡°Are you doing this because of what happened in the past?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?! ¡°What do you think about that¡­ Ah.¡±

    After a short exmation, Riak let out a low cry.

    If it¡¯s a misdiagnosis, it¡¯s crazy to think that a returner who went back in time might know about his past.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about, kid.¡±

    Riak turned his head coldly.

    ¡°How much longer are you going to procrastinate? ¡°Any warrior must act quickly!¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay, you idiot.¡±

    Oh Jin didn¡¯t bother to inquire further about his past.

    Everyone has a past or two that they don¡¯t want to talk about.

    ¡°sister! Isabe! ¡°Let¡¯s leave quickly!¡±

    ¡°Oh yes!¡±

    ¡°Please wait a moment!¡±

    Ha-eun and Isabe, who had packed a lot of cosmetics, hurried out of the room.

    * * *

    Ojin headed to the North Pole on a private ne prepared by the Colgrande family.

    As always, there was a lot of demonic beasts near the first crack, but it wasn¡¯t at a level that would be difficult for Ojin and his group to pass through.

    ¡°then.¡±

    Ojin stepped into a ck fissure with a diameter of 50 km.

    Along with the floating sensation, my vision went ck.

    and.

    When he opened his eyes, what unfolded in front of him was a world called ¡®The Demonic Scenery¡¯.

    It was and of demonic beasts, not humans.

    -You¡¯re here.

    As I arrived at the Demon Pce, a mocking voice echoed in my head.

    -I was waiting.

    Ohjin took a step forward without hesitation.

    ¡°¡­okay.¡±

    When I first set foot in the magic world, I couldn¡¯t tell whose voice it was.

    ¡°I havee.¡±

    I know now.

 Chapter 276

    I am not a returner Episode 276:

    The Dog and the Wolf (1)

    In the thick bush.

    Two wolves with silver manes were running through the bushes.

    ¡°Huh oh oh oh oh!¡±

    My breath rose to the tip of my chin.

    The two wolves were frantically running forward through the bushes without even thinking about wiping the drool that was dripping between their sharp teeth.

    ¡°Oh brother, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold on just a little longer!¡±

    A wolf that wasgging behind stumbled and fell to the ground.

    The wolf called Oppa quickly turned around to check the condition of the fallen wolf.

    Silver mane with dark spots.

    The beautiful silver fur that would once have shined like silk had be tattered with dust, and its entire body was full of small wounds caused by being swept away by tree branches.

    ¡°Liru! Wake!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Leo. Now I¡¯m more¡­¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The wolf called Leo swallowed a low sigh and fiercely bared his teeth.

    ¡°wait a minute.¡±

    Crack!

    Soon, with a sound like bones being twisted, the wolf¡¯s appearance began to change into a human body.

    A wolf covered in dust but in the form of a boy with neat features.

    The appearance itself was not very different from that of a human, but it had the ears and tail of an animal rather than a human.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Leo, who took human form, hugged the fallen Liru.

    ¡°Oh brother. If this continues, even my brother¡­¡±

    ¡°Be quiet.¡±

    Leo ran through the forest while holding Liru in his arms.

    Although he was so thin that he couldn¡¯t lift a bag of rice, the animal blood flowing through his body gave him incredible strength.

    ¡°Huh oh oh oh oh!¡±

    But in the end, as long as it is a living thing, its physical strength reaches its limit.

    Not only had I not eaten properly for several days, but I was also trying to carry Liru on my back, so my stamina began to deplete quickly.

    ¡°Over there!¡±

    ¡°Catch that bastard!¡±

    A fierce shout pierces my ears.

    Hunters immediately surrounded the surrounding area.

    ¡°Tsk, if only they had fast legs¡­.¡±

    A hunter approached, frowning.

    The human-shaped hunter had the ears and tail of an animal, just like Leo.

    The difference is that, unlike Leo, which is covered with silver fur, it has ears and tail covered with dull brown fur.

    ¡°damn.¡±

    Leo let out a low curse and red at the hunters.

    ¡°Give up now, kid.¡±

    ¡°If you catch it gently, you won¡¯t get hurt.¡±

    The hunters let out mockingughter and narrowed the siege.

    ¡°shut up.¡±

    Leo stood in front of Liru and spread his arms wide.

    Sharp animal ws sprouted from his outstretched hand.

    ¡°I am a wolf of the Silver Mane tribe.¡±

    A boy who burns his fighting spirit as if he will never give in.

    The hunters shook their heads as if they were fed up.

    ¡°Anyway, those silver-maned bastards are still the same.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know what you¡¯re getting into now if you¡¯re stubborn like that?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been like that for a long time.¡±

    He ced his hand on his left chest, as if the hunters had given up trying to calmly subdue him.

    Crack, p, p!

    With an eerie sound, brown manes grew from their bodies.

    ¡°You know you shouldn¡¯t kill, right?¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t it okay to chop off a limb?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure higher-ups would understand that.¡±

    The hunters, who took the form of werewolves with ferocious eyes, long snouts and sharp teeth, rushed towards Leo.

    * * *

    Let¡¯s cross the ck crack that spreads like a curtain.

    What unfolded before my eyes was a vast forest.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    From a distance, it didn¡¯t look much different from the forests on Earth.

    If you look a little closer, it is not difficult to see that this is not Earth, but thend of demonic beasts.

    Is there even a need to look into it in detail?

    Hiss!

    Green stems stretched out like whips from the huge 3-meter-long flower.

    A stem that oozes piercing force and swings with terrifying force.

    ¡°It¡¯s still the same here.¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and snapped her fingers.

    Grumble!

    A fire broke out, igniting the green stalks that were swinging at high speed.

    ¡°Iknow, right.¡±

    Isabe lightly scratched her palm with her fingernail.

    The spot where the blood fell began to boil, and red thorns rose up and stretched out in a straight line.

    Crack.

    The flower, pierced by red thorns, hung down listlessly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait, kid.¡±

    Riak ran forward and swung his front paw towards the drooping flower.

    A blue thunderbolt shed and the ground beneath the flower turned over.

    Inside the overturned soil was a hideous, wriggling root.

    ¡°If the raffle is notpletely treated from the roots, it will regenerate in an instant and attack again.¡±

    Riak said as he cut off the wriggling root with his sharp ws.

    Ha-eun let out a short exmation.

    ¡°¡­You really came from the Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°joy. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already hear from Vega, lizard woman?¡±

    ¡°I heard it, but I didn¡¯t really feel it until now.¡±

    Riak snorted and turned his head curtly.

    [Where should I go now?]

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    Ohjin took out thepass he had received from Allen from his pocket.

    As magical power was poured in, thepass needle began to spin.

    The red needle stopped for a moment and pointed to one side.

    ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡±

    ¡°¡­The side where the kingdom is.¡±

    ¡°If we go this way, we will reach the kingdom of the beastmen?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Riak nodded softly.

    Ha-eun grinned and yfully jumped up onto Riak¡¯s back.

    ¡°Then it would be perfect if the poopy puppy guides you!¡±

    ¡°Ugh! ¡°Come down lizard woman!¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not that heavy, right?¡±

    ¡°joy. Still, it¡¯s easily over 50kg¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up you idiot!¡±

    Ha-eun urgently covered Riak¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Is it because you¡¯re so tall?!¡±

    Ha-eun blushes as she looks back at Oh Jin.

    Ojin smiled and approached Riak.

    ¡°Anyway, if you know the path, can you guide me?¡±

    ¡°Krung ¡­ follow it quietly.¡±

    Riak nodded and walked forward.

    Riak, who was walking ahead, had a somewhat limp look on his back.

    Should I say that he appears to be hesitant about going to Magyeong itself?

    No, in some ways it seemed like he was ¡®fearful¡¯.

    ¡°Why is he doing that?¡±

    Ha-eun looked back at Vega and asked.

    [That¡­]

    Vega, who was looking at Riak¡¯s back with bitter eyes, let out a short sigh.

    [I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something to say from the woman¡¯s mouth. Ask Riak directly.]

    ¡°Hmm. okay?¡±

    Ha-eun fell silent as she sighed withplex emotions.

    ¡°¡­Seeing you droop like that, you really look like a poopy puppy.¡±

    Even though he wasining, he didn¡¯t approach Riak and ask him directly.

    No matter how clueless Ha-eun was, she could tell that Riak was not in the mood to talk to anyone else right now.

    ¡°By the way, Oh Jin. ¡°You said you were going to meet a person named Cheon Kwon-seong first, right?¡±

    Isabe naturally came next to Ojin and asked.

    ¡°huh. ¡°I want to get some information there and get cooperation if possible.¡±

    ¡°¡­Would it be okay? ¡°He is someone not much is known about.¡±

    Cheon Gwon-seong and Baek Moo-gang.

    Although he was a member of the Seven Stars, little was known about him.

    This is because he was an awakened person who did not engage in any external activities at all and even though he held the enormous position of being number one among the 12 apostles of Deneb, he settled down and lived alone in the Demonic World.

    ¡°Well¡­ I heard you have a bit of an entric personality.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be more dangerous then?¡±

    ¡°Well, because there is no other choice.¡±

    Most of the awakened people who settled in the Demon World were those whomitted some serious crime or ran away after being targeted for extermination.

    Fortunately, Cheon Kwon-seong is not such a case, so it would be worth meeting him.

    [Now that I think about it, Deneb has hardly ever heard anything about heavenly authority.]

    ¡°Even from Deneb?¡±

    Still, he is the highest awakened person out of only 12 apostles, but he didn¡¯t hear anything?

    [Cheon Kwon-seong was not selected as number one because of his strong military power. Perhaps, in terms of simple force, Allen Oscar is far superior.]

    ¡°Then?¡±

    [He is ranked high because of his symbolism as the first apostle. Oh, of course, that won¡¯t make him weak.]

    ¡°Well, after all, it¡¯s Chilseong.¡±

    If Ilshin¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t enough, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive alone in the demon world for several years.

    [Uhm. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s a bit strange. When I first made Allen an apostle, the child who came to the main woman¡¯s temple and boasted about it for hours was especially careful to talk about Heavenly Powers.]

    Deneb recalled the memory of when she first introduced Allen.

    Deneb, like her generous father, did not hold back on bragging about Allen.

    He boasted tirelessly not only about Allen, but also about Sister Xiaolin Xiaoran and other apostles.

    ¡®But you said you didn¡¯t say anything about Cheon Kwon-seong?¡¯

    Considering Deneb¡¯s personality, it was an action that was not easily understood.

    [Okay. If I had known this would happen, I would have asked in advance.]

    ¡°That¡¯s okay. ¡°We¡¯re not that close to each other, are we?¡±

    Rather, if you were to consider whether the rtionship is good or not, it would be closer to the bad side.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll know once you meet them in person.¡±

    I followed Ojin¡¯s Riak and walked in the direction thepass pointed.

    * * *

    A week of continuous walking through the thick bushes.

    After camping for some time and walking without stopping, I was finally able to get out of the forest.

    ¡°I finally got out of that damn forest!¡±

    Ha-eun spread her arms out toward the shining sunlight and roared.

    ¡°It¡¯s a really big forest.¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s right. There are too many demonic beasts in the middle¡­¡±

    Isabe also shook her head with an expression of boredom.

    Misin Ha-eun Isabe.

    Even though all three of them have transcendent bodies that are far beyond humans, it took them a week to get out of the forest.

    Even though there were frequent attacks by demonic beasts in the middle, it was too wide.

    ¡°The Forest of Demon Sea is a notorious ce even within the Demon World.¡±

    Riak also looked back at the forest with a quite tired expression.

    ¡°If the first crack had opened somewhere other than the Demon Sea Forest, the damage to the Earth would have been much less.¡±

    ¡°¡­but.¡±

    Even on the outskirts of the forest, the number of demonic beasts had significantly decreasedpared to where they first arrived.

    ¡®When I came here on Poppy before, it wasn¡¯t like this.¡¯

    Even then, it took quite a long time.

    Demonic beasts did not attack from all directions like they do now.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ the Baekmu River, the Cheonmugang, how much is left to get to where Cheon Gwonseong is?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that.¡±

    Apass only tells direction and does not tell you distance.

    ¡°Anyway, now let¡¯s increase our speed and move.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we take a break?¡±

    ¡°You know I don¡¯t have time.¡±

    It¡¯s been a week since I entered the demonic realm, and I haven¡¯t even met Cheon Kwon-seong yet.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°¡­for a moment.¡±

    Riak, who was leading the way, put his nose to the floor and sniffed.

    ¡°It smells human.¡±

    The direction he pointed was exactly the direction thepass needle was pointing.

    Ojin and his party increased their speed and ran in the direction thepass pointed.

    Did you run like that for about 5 minutes?

    I saw a small hut built next to a babbling stream.

    Sweet.

    The person who opened the cabin door and came out was an old man.

    Will the key just barely reach Ojin¡¯s chest?

    His back was bent like a hunchback, and his face was full of age spots.

    An old man so ugly that his eyes are frowned upon.

    ¡°huh?¡±

    The old man who discovered Ojin and his group approached them with shining eyes.

    The old man, who approached with a ratherical gait, perhaps because his back was bent, looked up at Oh Jin andughed.

    ¡°First time with someone other than Allen.¡±

    The old man smiled brightly and raised his hand.

    I thought he was going to shake hands, but he started picking his nose with his raised hand.

    ¡°I am Cheon Gwon-seong¡­ huh? Is this true? Umm. anyway. ¡°My name is Baek Moo-gang. Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s expression hardened as he looked at Baek Mu-gang, who was holding out his booger-covered hand with a wide smile.

 Chapter 277

    I am not a returner Episode 277:

    Dog and Wolf (2)

    ¡°I¡¯ve never had so many guests.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang looks around with his eyes shining brightly.

    Ojin and his group froze and could not open their mouths at the sight of his appearance, which was so different from what they had expected.

    Cheon Gwon-seong and Baek Moo-gang.

    Who would expect that he, a member of the Seven Stars and proudly ranked first among the 12 apostles of Deneb, is an old man suffering from dementia?

    ¡°Nice to meet you, old man. ¡°It¡¯s called a misdiagnosis.¡±

    Even a moment of hesitation.

    Oh Jin smiled warmly as he casually held Baek Mu-gang¡¯s snot-covered hand.

    Hehe, Baek Moo-gangughed innocently and innocently like a child.

    ¡°Call me Mugang.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you talking about Mukan?¡±

    ¡°huh. That¡¯s my real name. ¡°It was built by Baekmugang Deneb.¡±

    It¡¯s a name given by Deneb herself.

    Did they make the name ¡®Baek Moo-gang¡¯ be used instead of the somewhat old-fashioned name ¡®Mu-gang¡¯?

    It was a Deneb-like thing to do, caring a lot about what others thought.

    ¡®Then the reason Deneb was especially reluctant to talk about the Heavenly Authority¡­¡¯

    Was it because he was embarrassed to proudly introduce himself as his first apostle?

    ¡°huh? ¡°Why are you saying this?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Seeing Baek Moo-gang raising the corners of his wrinkled mouth while smiling innocently like a child, I could understand Deneb¡¯s feelings to some extent.

    ¡°Anyway, is it okay if you tell me your real name, as this is my first time meeting you?¡±

    ¡°huh? ¡­ah! That¡¯s right! Deneb told me not to say it!¡±

    Baek Mu-gang is hesitating and sweating.

    Oh Jin spoke in a gentle tone, as ifforting a crying child.

    ¡°I will not tell you about Baek Moo-gang¡¯s real name.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang¡¯s eyes lit up as if he was moved.

    ¡°Ojin is a good person.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    How long has it been since Ist heard that I was nice?

    Oh Jin looked at Baek Moo-gang with aplex and subtle expression.

    ¡°Ojina¡­ Is this okay?¡±

    Ha-eun carefully came next to Oh-jin and whispered in his ear.

    Oh Jin shook his head as if he didn¡¯t know.

    Because I never expected Baek Moo-gang to be in this state.

    ¡®I wonder if this is the only way to get proper information.¡¯

    Still, I came this far and couldn¡¯t go back empty-handed.

    ¡°Can I ask you a few questions about Demon Lord?¡±

    ¡°huh. are you okay. ¡°Oh my goodness, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang turned and entered the small hut.

    Ohjin and his group, who had been watching in silence, took steps when they were told toe in.

    The inside of the cabin was much neater than the outside.

    Rather than feeling like it was well organized, it felt like it wasn¡¯t used much in the first ce.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you something to drink.¡±

    After sitting and waiting for a while, Baek Moo-gang brought out tea.

    It was a pu-erh tea with warm steam rising from it.

    ¡°This is my grandmother¡¯s favorite car back in the day.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang puts down the car with a faint smile.

    Oh Jin bowed and epted the tea.

    Slurp.

    As I took a sip, the delicious scent spread into my nostrils.

    Ohjin asked, putting down his teacup.

    ¡°How many years have you been living here, Baek Mu-gang?¡±

    ¡°hmm. 4 years? 5 years? sorry. ¡°I don¡¯t really remember.¡±

    ¡°Is there any other reason why you live in Magyeong?¡±

    ¡°To find treasure.¡±

    treasure?

    Are you saying that the reason he stopped all external activities and lived alone in the devil¡¯snd was because of the treasure?

    ¡°What treasure is it?¡±

    ¡°huh? ¡°A treasure is a treasure.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang opens his eyes wide and looks at him as if he doesn¡¯t know anything.

    Oh Jin gave up asking further questions and changed the topic.

    ¡°Elder. Do you know about the ¡®Kings of Demonic Sutra¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    ¡°How many demonic beasts called ¡®kings¡¯ are currently in the Demon World?¡±

    ¡°Demon beast?¡±

    Baek Mu-gang tilted his head.

    ¡°They are not magic beasts. ¡°The demon beasts are the kids in that forest.¡±

    He continued, pointing to the forest in the Magic Sea that Ojin and his party had been escaping through over the past week.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same here and on Earth.¡±

    This is what I heard from Allen as well.

    ¡°The beast people, dragon people, and demon people live here. ¡°There is also one king each.¡±

    ¡°So there are three kingdoms?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ please be different.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang took a sip of his tea and shook his head.

    ¡°There are three kingdoms, but they are actually all demons.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s what you said.¡±

    ¡°Reduce the number of demons. But strong. ¡°I inherited the blood of the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    Cheonma.

    Ojin¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°So, are you saying that there are three kingdoms, but the actual rulers are the demons?¡±

    ¡°huh. They say it was different in the past. But they say a big war broke out more than a hundred years ago.¡±

    Crack!

    The floor of the hut broke with a sudden noise.

    All eyes focused on the direction where the noise was heard.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry. ¡°I took a wrong step.¡±

    Riak averted his gaze with a shy expression.

    Although the wooden floor, which had been in good condition, was horribly destroyed, it was hard to say that I had ¡°stepped wrongly.¡±

    ¡°are you okay. ¡°I don¡¯t use the house often anyway.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang shook his head as if it was no big deal.

    ¡°no. Still, it¡¯s our fault. ¡°I¡¯ll fix itter.¡±

    ¡°lol. After all, Ojin is a good person.¡±

    ¡°Then, if you ask the question, is the kingdom closest to here the kingdom of ¡®Khan¡¯?¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°It is the country of the beast people.¡±

    It was just as I heard from Riak.

    ¡°I want to approach the king there.¡±

    ¡°There is no king there.¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    Didn¡¯t we say a little while ago that each kingdom had a king?

    Oh Jin looked at Baek Mu-gang with his eyes slightly frowning, wondering if he was suffering from dementia.

    ¡°Instead, we have the king¡¯s representative. ¡°I am a wolf from the ck Mane tribe called Horus.¡±

    ¡°deputy? Then the king¡­¡±

    ¡°They say the king of the beastmen must inherit the name ¡®Khan¡¯.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang continued his exnation with an innocent smile, like a child chattering about a story he had read in a fairy tale book.

    ¡°The previous ¡®Khan¡¯ disappeared in the war, and since then, there has been no prisoner who has inherited Khan¡¯s name. So the king¡¯s position is now vacant.¡±

    The king¡¯s seat is vacant.

    Ojin frowned and touched his forehead.

    ¡°But the king¡¯s position has been vacant for so long that everyone calls Horus king.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    If so, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal.

    Whether you are a king or a representative, what matters is whether you have some kind of connection with the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°Then is there any way to approach the beastman named Horus?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang shakes his head.

    Oh Jin swallowed his sleep and touched his forehead.

    Now that things were like this, there was no other way than to infiltrate the kingdom directly and find out.

    ¡®It won¡¯t be easy.¡¯

    Although he could hide his presence behind the scenes, it was difficult to hide Ha-eun and Isabe.

    ¡°All you need is ears and a tail.¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    Baek Moo-gang hit his head and buttocks with his hand.

    Oh Jin looked at Baek Mu-gang with a surprised expression.

    ¡°Is that all you need?¡±

    ¡°huh. Beasts have rarely met humans. So I don¡¯t know.¡±

    but.

    Since there are only a very small number of awakened people who settle down in the Demon World, it is natural that they do not know much about humans.

    ¡°Do I just need fake ears and a tail?¡±

    Isabe, who was quietly listening to the story, asked.

    ¡°huh. I have a few too. ¡°Would you like to borrow it?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. ¡°Can you show me for a moment?¡±

    ¡°wait.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang got up and approached the closet with his characteristicical steps.

    He was rustling through his luggage and came back with his arms full of fake ears and a tail.

    It was a model ear and tail with furry fur that would bemonly used in cosy.

    ¡°There are many different types.¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of beasts.¡±

    Isabe looked at the ear and tail model with interest.

    Among them, Isabe picked up a model of brown ears that were droopy like a dog¡¯s ears and put the model on her head.

    ¡°How do you feel, Oh Jin? Does it suit you?¡±

    Isabe looks back at Ojin with a smile.

    Ojin had never been interested in these types of things before, but when he saw Isabe wearing dog ears, he felt his cheeks heating up for no reason.

    ¡°Hmm. Oh, it suits you.¡±

    ¡°Oh my goodness.¡±

    Isabe approached Ojin with a bright smile.

    Isabe gently leaned in and whispered in Ojin¡¯s ear in a low voice.

    ¡°Woof woof.¡±

    crazy.

    Ojin opened his mouth wide and his eyes widened.

    Isabe seemed to really like Ojin¡¯s reaction and burst intoughter.

    ¡°These are salted in broad daylight.¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and red at Oh Jin and Isabe.

    ¡°You should try it too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it. ¡°I¡¯m not interested, that kind of thing.¡±

    ¡°Well, you have to use it to get to the kingdom anyway, right? ¡°I think cat ears would suit you.¡±

    Isabe, who was looking through the model, picked up ck cat ears and ced them on Ha-eun¡¯s head.

    ¡°damn. It¡¯s embarrassing¡­¡±

    Even as she said that, Ha-eun nced at Oh-jin.

    Her gently flushed cheeks felt even more lovely.

    Oh Jin chuckled and looked towards the ear model.

    ¡°Then can I just choose any of these and use them?¡±

    ¡°I like ck.¡±

    ¡°ck?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang nodded and continued speaking.

    ¡°Currently, the Khan Kingdom¡¯s ck Mane Tribe is the strongest.¡±

    The ck Mane tribe.

    ¡®Now that I think about it, you said Riak was from the Silver Mane tribe.¡¯

    Ojin picked up a silver ear model.

    widely.

    Baek Mu-gang grabbed his hand as he picked up the silver ear model.

    Baek Mu-gang shook his head with a stern expression.

    ¡°No silver.¡±

    ¡°Is there any other reason?¡±

    ¡°The Silver Mane tribe is weak.¡±

    Is there such a thing as a ss among beasts based on fur color?

    Ojin¡¯s gaze turned to Riak.

    Riak was silently looking at the silver ear model in Ojin¡¯s hand.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s make it ck.¡±

    Ojin picked up a ck ear model.

    ¡°Even though you have ears and a tail, be careful of the smell. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t know the smell of humans, you¡¯ll be caught if you¡¯re close.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    There was nothing to worry about in that regard.

    It may have been difficult for Isabe and Ha-eun, but Oh Jin had a dark side thatpletely eliminated any traces.

    ¡®But considering we¡¯ll be walking around together, I think you¡¯ll need something to cover up the smell as much as possible.¡¯

    That part can be made with Riak¡¯s help.

    Ha-eun, who was fiddling with the cat ears on her head, looked back at Baek Moo-gang and asked.

    ¡°But the fact that all you need is ears and a tail means that the beast people look almost no different from humans, right?¡±

    Baek Moo-gang nodded in the affirmative.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s gaze turned towards Riak.

    Riak, a fellow beastman, usually has the appearance of a wolf, and even when he changes his appearance during battle, he only changes into the appearance of a werewolf, which ispletely different from a human.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Riak let out a soft sigh.

    ¡°Basically, the beast people look like this the most.¡±

    Crack.

    With the eerie sound of bones, Riak¡¯s body began to change.

    Riak changed his body into a human form rather than a werewolf.

    Soon, Riak transformed into a middle-aged man with a sturdy jawline, bronze skin, and strong muscles.

    ¡°uh¡­?¡±

    Hwaeun looked at Riak with eyes as big as a flowerntern.

    Riak, who had changed his body into human form, frowned.

    ¡°What.¡±

    ¡°No, what is it?¡±

    Ha-eun cleared her throat and slightly turned her head.

    ¡°Cover yourself, man.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Riak quickly turned around.

    ¡°Oh, I just made a mistake by returning to my human form after such a long time!¡±

    Riak shouts in a panic and changes his body back into the wolf form.

    Meanwhile, Ha-eun came up next to Oh-jin and tapped Oh-jin¡¯s thigh.

    Ha-eun smiled and raised the corners of her mouth and gave a thumbs up.

    ¡°You won?¡±

    What can you win?

 Chapter 278

    I am not a returner Episode 278:

    Dog and Wolf (3)

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Is this okay?¡±

    Ha-eun, wearing ck cat ears and a tail, approached Oh-jin.

    Ohjin swallowed dryly at the jewelry(?) that matched his usual cat-like appearance.

    ¡°How about it? Are you okay?¡±

    Ha-eun appears to be quite embarrassed as she strikes a pose with her cheeks turning red.

    The sight of a cat with its butt sticking out and its tail wagging touched Ohjin¡¯s heartstrings.

    Oh Jin expressed his honest feelings.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something I should do when I¡¯m over 30¡­ Wow!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s fist, swung at blinding speed, hit Oh-jin¡¯s sr plexus.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t write it because I wanted to, too?!¡±

    Ha-eun got angry and red fiercely at Oh-jin.

    After bing lovers with Oh Jin, she became quite bold in her expressions of affection, but she also had no tolerance for such manic y.

    ¡°But it¡¯s made much more borately than I thought. ¡°If you pour in magic power, you can give it movement little by little.¡±

    Isabe, wearing brown dog ears and a tail, waggled her tail like a puppy weing its owner back home.

    Every time I see her like that, I think of the crying sound that was whispered in my ear and my cheeks get hot for no reason.

    ¡®I¡¯ll take a few with meter.¡¯

    With a firm resolve in mind, I looked back at Isabe.

    ¡°Anyway, is it okay if I don¡¯t make it really ck?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°If sses are divided based on fur color, I think it would be necessary to camouge them with brown maned tribes that are simr to themoner ss.¡±

    but.

    Just as rich people do not understand the lives of ordinary people, being of a high ss does not necessarily mean that you can know a lot.

    ¡°And isn¡¯t brown a little cuter?¡±

    Isabe smiled and leaned closer.

    As Isabe is a savvy person, she must have learned how to handle the model by now, as she perked up her ears and wagged her tail as if she were a real beast.

    The fluffy dog¡¯s tail tickled Ojin¡¯s thigh.

    Huh.

    Ojin cleared his throat and looked away from Isabe.

    A sound ofughter was heard from next to me.

    ¡°Vega¡­¡±

    [¡­There is no size that fits the main woman.]

    Vega pouted her lips with a sullen expression.

    Of course, there was no model that Vega, which was only the size of a palm, could use.

    Even if I could use it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to im it since I¡¯m a beastman.

    ¡°Then Vega is hiding in my inner pocket.¡±

    [Is that okay?]

    ¡°If you feel frustrated, you can go back to the sanctuary for a while.¡±

    [Keuhum! How could the woman leave her child and go back alone?]

    Vega quickly slipped into Ohjin¡¯s jacket pocket and hid himself.

    With only her face exposed, she looked around with her eyes sparkling as if she was quite satisfied with the ride(?).

    ¡°Riak¡­¡±

    Ojin frowned as he looked at Riak, who had changed back into his wolf form.

    In the first ce, Riak, a beastman, did not need any special makeup.

    The problem was the brilliantly shining silver hair.

    ¡°What do you want to do? Are you just going to keep going?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak, who had been contemting with his mouth firmly shut, shook his head.

    ¡°No, if possible, I would dye my hair.¡±

    ¡°I have dyeing materials.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang rustled through the closet again and brought out ck hair dye.

    ¡°You can¡¯t change your body shape.¡±

    From what I heard from Riak, the beastmen can change their bodies into three forms.

    One is in the form of a beast like Riak, the other is in the form of a human with only ears and a tail, and thest one is in the form of a half-human and half-animal like a werewolf.

    Among them, the form that consumes the most stamina is half-human, half-animal.

    It is said that it is mainly used only in battle because it can gain explosive power in an instant.

    It is said that they usually take the form of beasts or humans, but since it is convenient in many ways to be in human form, most of them take on human form.

    ¡°The beast people. If you change your body, your hair will grow back. ¡°The dye is gone.¡±

    ¡°Know.¡±

    Riak nodded as if it was a well-known fact.

    Perhaps because we live in a society where sses are divided based on fur color, it seems that people have often changed their color through dyeing since ancient times.

    ¡®Then is it possible to be a noble, amoner, or amoner just by changing the color of one¡¯s fur?¡¯

    It was a very sloppy looking system.

    If you think about it, human society was not much different.

    Why is there such a thing as Kapoor?

    Wasn¡¯t it to make one¡¯s social status appear high by driving an expensive foreign car that doesn¡¯t fit the budget?

    Of course, dyeing one¡¯s fur was much easier than driving a foreign car, but there was a risk of being caught that easily.

    ¡®If you ask me to change my appearance once, that¡¯s it.¡¯

    anyway.

    It would be better to dye your hair than to walk around with silver fur.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you dye your hair. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡±

    Baekmu-gang, who dissolved ck dye in water, approached Riak.

    Then he suddenly tilted the container filled with dye as if he was about to pour it in.

    Isabe managed to grab Baekmu-gang¡¯s arm just before the dye poured down on Riak¡¯s head like a waterfall.

    ¡°Now wait a minute!¡±

    ¡°yes? ¡°Why are you saying this?¡±

    ¡°I will do it myself.¡±

    Isabe smiled awkwardly and took the dye container from Baek Mu-gang¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m good at it¡­¡±

    Baek Mu-gang muttered with a sullen expression.

    ¡°Go outside, Mr. Riak. Let me help you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Please, leech woman.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me a leech.¡±

    ¡°Then can I call you an earthworm?¡±

    ¡°Oh, should I leave it to Baek Moo-gang again? ¡°You seem confident.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Let¡¯s get out quickly.¡±

    Riak quickly turned around and went outside, probably because he didn¡¯t want to get covered in dye.

    Isabe followed Riak outside.

    Oh Jin approached Baek Moo-gang, who was looking at the door with a sad expression.

    ¡°Elder.¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°Could you please help me meet Horus?¡±

    At first, I was embarrassed because it was so different from what I had imagined.

    When we actually talked, it turned out that Baek Moo-gang had quite a thorough knowledge of the ecology of the Demonic Land.

    If Baekmugang cooperates, it will be much easier to contact the King of Demonic World.

    ¡°no.¡±

    The answer that came back was a sharp rejection.

    Baek Moo-gang shook his head resolutely with an innocent smile.

    ¡°I have to go find the treasure.¡±

    How great of an object is it that Baek Moo-gang is so tied up in it?

    ¡°What treasure are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°A treasure is a treasure.¡±

    It was the same answer as before.

    ¡°It¡¯s precious, so you must find it.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang smiled brightly like a child.

    ¡°Do you have any clues?¡±

    ¡°A bad guy stole the treasure. We have to find the bad guy.¡±

    ¡°¡­If he¡¯s a bad guy.¡±

    ¡°A bad guy is a bad guy.¡±

    The conversation didn¡¯t go well.

    Anyway, there is one thing I found out through the short conversation.

    Someone stole Baek Moo-gang¡¯s treasure, and Baek Moo-gang is chasing after him.

    In this farawaynd of magic.

    For a long time of 5 years.

    alone.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I was curious about the identity of the treasure, but looking at Baekmugang¡¯s condition, it seemed difficult to get a proper answer.

    ¡°Then thank you, old man.¡±

    It¡¯s a shame that we couldn¡¯t get Baek Moo-gang¡¯s cooperation.

    Thanks to this, I was able to obtain a lot of information about the ¡®Khan¡¯ kingdom.

    After this, it would be quicker to find out on your own.

    ¡°hmm? ¡°Are you leaving already?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°There was a long dy as we left the forest.¡±

    ¡°lol. ¡°It was nice to meet you.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang held out his hand with a simple smile.

    Oh Jin held his wrinkled hands together.

    Even though his hands were as thin as a skeleton, I could feel some strength in them.

    ¡°Are you going to look for that treasure?¡±

    Ha-eun, who was next to me, asked.

    ¡°huh! ¡°I¡¯m going on a treasure hunt!¡±

    ¡°¡­I hope I can find it.¡±

    Did I feel something about his smile that was as bright as the twinkling stars?

    Ha-eun cheered him on with a sincere voice.

    ¡°thank you! ¡°I¡¯ll definitely find it!¡±

    Baek Mu-gang clenched his fists.

    ¡°Oh, you really have apass, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah.¡±

    ¡°If you follow that, you can find me. ¡°If you have anything else to ask,e see me.¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    Oh Jin exchanged a brief greeting with Baek Moo-gang and came out.

    Outside, there was Riak, whose fur was dyed ck.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that strange person going with you?¡±

    ¡°He said he had something else to do.¡±

    Ojin looked back at Riak and asked.

    ¡°Anyway, how far does it take to get to Khan Kingdom from here?¡±

    ¡°You can go in half a day. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Riak turned and walked forward.

    Ojin and his party followed behind Riak.

    ¡°What exactly is the treasure that installments are looking for?¡±

    ¡°well?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as if she had no idea.

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a bit shocking. It was so different from the image I had imagined¡­¡±

    Who would have imagined that Cheon Gwon-seong and Baek Moo-gang would be an old man with dementia?

    [I understand why Deneb was reluctant to talk. That child tends to be overly concerned about what others think.]

    Vega clicked his tongue and shook his head.

    ¡°No matter what, isn¡¯t this too much for an apostle? ¡°Paying in installments is not a crime.¡±

    [Even if you don¡¯t say anything, you will be helping me in many ways. Didn¡¯t you send Allen on an errand to the Demon Lord?]

    Of course.

    If Baek Moo-gang was thought of as a child who had been discarded from the family register, there was no need to have Allen send the necessary items to Magyeong.

    ¡°Anyway, that kid also has a strange personality. ¡°If you¡¯re going to help me anyway, I¡¯ll help you a little more.¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and said, as if she felt sorry for Baek Moo-gang, who lived alone in Magyeong and wandered around looking for treasure for several years.

    Oh Jin smiled and lightly patted Ha Eun on the back.

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s just focus on our work for now.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. ¡°That¡¯s how it should be.¡±

    Ojin and his party followed behind Riak and entered the dense forest again.

    Even though it was a forest, it wasn¡¯t attacked by all kinds of demonic beasts like when I went through the ¡®Forest of the Demon Sea¡¯.

    Rather, I should say that it is so quiet that I feel a sense of tension.

    Ojin activated the stigmata of Canis the Hound and slowly moved forward, looking around.

    As I was passing through the forest little by little.

    ¡°Oppaaaaa!¡±

    A tearing scream rang out.

    The fishy smell of blood tickled my nose.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin and the others exchanged nces in silence.

    Regardless of who should go first, I kicked my feet in the direction from where the screams wereing from.

 Chapter 279

    I am not a returner Episode 279:

    Dog and Wolf (4)

    ¡°Be quiet, you bastards!¡±

    Wow!

    With a violent cry, the young beastman girl¡¯s head turned.

    The girl¡¯s cheeks were red and swollen, with a trickle of blood as if the inside of her mouth had been torn.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hit me in the face. ¡°The value of the product is dropping.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. ¡°Stop running wild.¡±

    A beastman with brown ears and a tail bowed to the beastman who appeared to be the leader.

    ¡°Liru!¡±

    The beastman boy who was watching the scene let out a fierce roar and kicked his feet.

    m!

    The thick iron chains that tightly bound the boy¡¯s body made a nging sound.

    ¡°Aaaaa!!¡±

    The boy let out a wild roar and twisted his entire body, but was unable to escape from the chains as thick as his forearms.

    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you telling me to be quiet¡­ ugh!¡±

    The beastman, who was frowning and trying to cover the boy¡¯s mouth, screamed and grabbed his forearm.

    The boy bit his forearm with his sharp teeth and red fiercely at the hunters with his eyes wide open.

    Tsk.

    The boy¡¯s eyes, spitting out bits of bitten flesh, still had a fierce glow of fighting spirit burning in them.

    ¡°ha. Anyway, all silver-maned bastards are like this.¡±

    One of the beastmen who appeared to be the leader approached the boy with a frown.

    ¡°You damned little bastard!¡±

    Bah! Sigh!

    The leader hunter knocks the boy to the ground and kicks him roughly.

    ¡°haha! ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me not to touch you?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that guy going to be dragged to the dog fighting ring anyway? ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t it be better to get beaten up in advance and develop tenacity?¡±

    ¡°Hehehe. ¡°That is also true.¡±

    The brown-furred beastmen burst intoughter as if the sight of the boy being beaten wasical.

    A scene of violence filled with soggy malice.

    Ojin and his party, who heard the screams and ran, hid in the bushes and took in the scene.

    ¡°Those bastards¡­¡±

    Ha-eun let out a harsh curse and tried to get up.

    ¡°Wait a minute, sister.¡±

    Oh Jin grabbed Ha Eun¡¯s shoulder and pressed it, as if she was about to run forward at any moment.

    Ha-eun red at Oh Jin fiercely.

    ¡°Are you telling me to look at that and stay still?¡±

    ¡°Just wait for now.¡±

    Oh Jin narrowed his eyes whileforting Ha-eun, whose head was feverish.

    Two young beastmen being kidnapped by brown-furred beastmen.

    ¡®Is this why they said silver was not allowed?¡¯

    The young beastmen chained up had silver ears and tails.

    Ojin narrowed his eyes and looked at the brown furred beastmen.

    The number is eight.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult toe forward and subdue them right away.

    ¡®If I do well, I can use it.¡¯

    I thought that I could use it as a good guide for Ojin and his group who need to infiltrate the Khan Kingdom in the future.

    ¡°Sister Isabe.¡±

    ¡°¡­why?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    ¡°They are standing behind me and bowing their heads slightly. ¡°As calmly as possible.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you going to do again?¡±

    What are you trying to do?

    Isn¡¯t there only one thing for you to do?

    ¡°Follow me and you¡¯ll find out.¡±

    Ojin grinned and turned his head towards Riak.

    Riak was looking at the young beastman boy and girl with eyes full ofplex emotions.

    ¡°Riak, you just need to stand still next to me and watch those guys.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Instead of answering, Riak slightly moved next to Ojin.

    Oh Jin nodded lightly and got up from the bushes.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Did you hear a rustling sound?

    One of the hunters quickly pulled out a mace from his belt.

    Ojin didn¡¯t care and walked towards them.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Keep your back straight.

    Step without hesitation.

    So that there is a lot of arrogance in your voice and eyes.

    ¡°Who are you¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you just asking me a question? dare?¡±

    He frowned and red at them fiercely.

    The hunters looked at each other and kept their mouths shut.

    ¡°answer.¡±

    Oh Jin spoke briefly to those who were watching.

    He could feel the eyes of a group of hunters watching him.

    What they see reflected in their eyes is a young man with ck wolf ears and tail who looks at them with arrogant eyes.

    Behind him, two eye-poppingly beautiful women were quietly bowing their heads, and next to him was arge wolf ring at them so fiercely as if he would tear them to death at any moment.

    One of the two women even had ck ears and a tail, and the wolf that appeared to be the guard also had ck fur.

    There is only one conclusion that can be drawn from this.

    The other person is a ¡®noble¡¯ who holds a high position among the ck Mane tribe.

    ¡°I meet you, a nobleman of the ck Mane tribe.¡±

    A beastman who appeared to be the leader of a group of hunters urgently bowed his head.

    Ojin smiled slightly as he looked at them bowing their heads like gentle sheep.

    ¡®As the old man said, it¡¯s the same here and on Earth.¡¯

    Obedience to authority.

    It was a phenomenon that inevitably urred in a society where sses exist.

    Regardless of whether there is truth or not, if the person appears to be a person of high rank and rank, they naturally have no choice but to feel intimidated.

    It would be especially effective for those living in the underworld by kidnapping young beastmen and engaging in human trafficking.

    ¡°We are from the Brown Mane tribe¡­¡±

    ¡°I asked what they were doing here. ¡°Is there any reason I need to know who you guys are?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing!¡±

    The saying that a good word is good only when it is good can be established only when both are on equal footing.

    When the ups and downs are clear, the more strict and rude you speak, the more polite your words be.

    Because respectes from fear.

    ¡°So¡­ that¡¯s it.¡±

    The hunters nced at the chained boy and girl, sweating profusely.

    Oh Jin clicked his tongue at the sight of him hesitating and not being able to speak properly.

    ¡®Still, it doesn¡¯t seem like kidnapping a member of the Silver Mane n is legal.¡¯

    If kidnapping and buying and selling members of the Silver Mane tribe were legal, there would be no reason to sweat and pay attention like that.

    Ojin looked back at the two captured boys and girls and frowned in displeasure.

    ¡°Did you capture those fabrics to sell?¡±

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    The hunters¡¯ eyes sparkled as they heard Ojin¡¯s next words.

    With a single word uttered in passing, it was determined that Oh Jin was a high-ranking official who was one of their ¡®major customers¡¯ and did not have a strongw-abiding spirit.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Have you already decided who to sell to?¡±

    ¡°Males have reservations, but females do not!¡±

    The head hunter answered with a bright smile.

    Oh Jin crossed his arms and his eyes lit up with interest.

    ¡°Who decided to buy the male?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    The hunter trailed off and avoided eye contact.

    The head hunter, who continued to ponder, slowly shook his head as if he had made up his mind.

    ¡°sorry. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that.¡±

    Buying and selling Silver Wolf Mane ispletely illegal.

    For hunters, revealing who the buyer was was one of the taboos.

    ¡°Right.¡±

    Oh Jin grinned as if he was satisfied.

    ¡°thank god.¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    ¡°If you had told me who was living, you would all have died right here.¡±

    The head hunter¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    A line of cold sweat ran down my spine.

    ¡°ha ha ha! ¡°Who can survive on this floor if they speak lightly!¡±

    ¡°by the way.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes turned to the girl called ¡®Riru¡¯.

    The corners of the mouth turn up in a mean way.

    ¡°Did you say there are no reservations for females?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    The head hunter approached with shining eyes.

    He raised the corners of his mouth and opened his mouth in a soft voice.

    ¡°How are you? Are you trying to save a ve this time?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Is there really any reason for me to buy that lowly thing?¡±

    ¡°haha! ¡°You haven¡¯t rescued a Silver Mane ve yet!¡±

    The hunter¡¯s words, who thought he had seized the opportunity, continued like a clear stream.

    ¡°The Silver Mane Tribe may be fierce, but once you tame them, they are very useful in many ways.¡±

    ¡°is it?¡±

    ¡°sure! ¡°Because their physical abilities are so superior, depending on their training, they can be used as escorts or servants!¡±

    A frivolous tone of voice like a home shopping host.

    ¡°And again¡­¡±

    The head hunter took a step closer to Ojin with a sinister smile.

    He nces at the two women standing behind Oh Jin and continues speaking.

    ¡°There is no tribe as beautiful as the Silver Mane tribe, is there?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s fist was clenched roughly.

    Although I expected it from when I told you not to touch your face earlier.

    The Silver Wolf Mane tribe was also being exploited ¡®that way¡¯.

    ¡°You may be young now, butter¡­¡±

    I felt a sickening feeling in my stomach.

    A putrid, rotten smell mingled with every word he spoke.

    ha.

    A deep sigh flowed from Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    Baek Moo-gang¡¯s words came to mind once again.

    ¡°Really¡­ there¡¯s no difference whatsoever.¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    ¡°No, keep talking.¡±

    ¡°Ah hmm. ¡°Of course, I know that it¡¯s ufortable to touch cloth.¡±

    Did he notice that Oh Jin was not interested in the young girl?

    The head hunter cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject.

    ¡°But if you buy one, it will be useful in many ways! Look at that beautiful silver fur! ¡°Don¡¯t you know that shearing the fur of the Silver Mane tribe and making it into jewelry is very popr among nobledies these days?¡±

    The head hunter¡¯s gaze turned to Ha-eun, who was standing behind Oh-jin.

    ¡°Maybe your wife will like it¡­.¡±

    ¡°Ojina.¡±

    Ha-eun, who had been standing behind Oh-jin with her head bowed, raised her head.

    Two eyes that are burning as if they are on fire.

    Ha-eun gritted her teeth and took a step forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t stand it anymore.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment, sister.¡±

    If you can¡¯t hold back here, the lies you prepared with so much effort will be useless.

    Of course, it is possible to force cooperation by subduing someone by force, but unless there is a technique that canpletely suppress the mind, such as ¡®domination¡¯, the risk is too great.

    ¡°Just hold on a little longer¡­¡±

    When Oh Jin tried to stop Ha Eun from exploding.

    Wood tter!

    With the sound of bones crunching, the head hunter¡¯s body bounced as if it had been hit by arge truck.

    ¡°Wow! Wow! What?!¡±

    The leader hunter is spewing blood and panicking.

    ¡°uh?¡±

    Ha-eun turned her head in surprise.

    ¡°Krrrrrrr.¡±

    Riak is howling fiercely with his pure white teeth exposed.

    He moved his legs, which were standing strong like a pir, and slowly approached the fallen chief hunter.

    The head hunter crawled on the floor with a pale face.

    ¡°Cough!¡± Now wait! Why suddenly¡­ ¡°Wow!¡±

    Quack!

    Sharp teeth digging into the back of the head hunter¡¯s neck.

    Riak chewed and swallowed the piece of flesh he had bitten off and nced back at Ojin.

    ¡°I know you have other ns, kid.¡±

    The whole reason for this ridiculous act is probably to take advantage of those hunters.

    ¡°I know that it is efficient and that there is a lot to be gained.¡±

    but.

    ¡°There are times in this world when you must not tolerate it.¡±

    The wolf¡¯s burning eyes turned towards the hunters.

 Chapter 280

    I am not a returner Episode 280

    Dog and Wolf (5)

    Ojin kept his mouth shut as he looked at Riak¡¯s back, covered in blood and trotting forward.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    If you think aboutmon sense, it would be better to use the hunters as guides while appropriately adjusting the rhythm to the hunters.

    Of course, the period of despair that children must feel will be longer.

    All you have to do is rescue him after sessfully infiltrating the kingdom.

    That way is much more rational and efficient.

    but.

    ¡°There are times when you shouldn¡¯t hold back.¡±

    Oh Jin turned his head with a self-deprecatingugh.

    I saw a girl trembling while being captured by hunters and a boy covered in blood trying to protect her.

    Can it really be said that ignoring them and pursuing the immediate benefits is ¡®efficient¡¯?

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Being rational and efficient is not always right.

    The world.

    It wasn¡¯t made that simple.

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±

    Oh Jin let go of Ha Eun¡¯s shoulder and turned around.

    I followed behind Riak and created a blue thunderbolt in both hands.

    ¡°I was still a little annoyed because I had to endure it.¡±

    No matter how much of a con man he was, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nothing when he saw the scum trying to capture children and sell them as ves.

    ¡°These bastards¡­!¡±

    When the leader hunter died, the panicked hunters took a step back.

    ¡°Oh don¡¯te! If youe, this kid will have no life!¡±

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    The hunter holding Liru shouted as he ced his sharp nails on the nape of her neck.

    Ojin and Riak¡¯s footsteps suddenly stopped.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡°Stay there.¡±

    ¡°If you take even one step, these kids will fall behind!¡±

    Did they think hostage taking was effective?

    The hunter who was holding on to the boy also exchanged one of his arms for the beast¡¯s and shouted urgently.

    Ojin and Riak stopped and their gazes crossed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the boys.¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    The two kicked their feet at the same time as if they were having fun.

    Just before the frightened hunter cut the girl¡¯s neck with his fingernails.

    Taang!

    The wire shooter fired fire.

    The wire fired at high speed caught the hunter¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Ugh! ¡°Damn it!¡±

    The hunter twisted his body roughly to untangle the wire from his arm.

    His muscles bulged and his brown mane covered his entire body.

    Ttuduk!

    Tremendous pressure transmitted through the wire.

    Is it for no reason that they are not residents of the Demon World?

    The beastmen, who changed their form into a half-human, half-animal form, were showing outrageous strength to the extent that they could cut wires that had been strengthened by mixing holy gemstone powder with their bare hands.

    but.

    Squeeze!

    Blue lightning flowing through a wire.

    ¡°Kaaaaaa!!¡±

    The hunter who tried to tear off the wire with his bare hands screamed in pain and twisted his body.

    Ohjin¡¯s body, dragged by the power of the wild beastmen as if having a seizure, floated in the air.

    ¡°I¡¯m dead!¡±

    The hunter barely withstood the shock of the lightning and violently swung Wire¡¯s tied arms.

    Oh Jin floated into the air like a tin can in Jwibulnori.

    The hunter threw Ojin towards the protruding rock.

    ¡°The strength of one bastard is extremely strong.¡±

    Ohjin, who was flying in the air, attracted by the beastman¡¯s strength, raised the corners of his mouth.

    The beastmen did not have stigmata like the awakened people, but had physical abilities that were beyond the standard.

    but.

    Is it possible to win a battle simply because one is strong?

    Siiiiing!

    The stretched wire is pulled taut.

    Ojin¡¯s body, which was flying towards a sharp rock, was dragged by a wire and turned towards the hunter.

    ¡°uh?¡±

    The hunter¡¯s eyes widen.

    Before the hunter could react, Ojin sprinted through the air using the Thunder Stamp.

    The hunter took out a Dantalian in the form of a folding knife from his waist and struck it between the eyes.

    Phew!

    Blood spurted out from between my split eyebrows.

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    Liru, who was being held by the hunter, looked up at the blood pouring out and screamed.

    Ojin pulled Liru¡¯s waist and stopped the blood pouring out.

    Blood gushing like a fountain poured down Ojin¡¯s back.

    ¡°Ah¡­ thank you.¡±

    Liru nods her head with a bewildered expression.

    Ojin gently stroked the silver hair of the frightened girl, as if trying to reassure her.

    The girl, who trembled at the unfamiliar touch, soon blushed gently and epted the touch calmly.

    Did it work?

    I felt the girl¡¯s pathetically trembling body calm down a little.

    ¡®Riak¡­¡¯

    He turned his gaze towards Riak.

    ¡°Krrrrr!¡±

    Riak lowered his nails as if tearing the air.

    Lightning.

    A blue lightning de was created in the air following the traces of the fingernails.

    A thunderp erupted and the de of a thunderbolt was fired.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The hunter who was holding the boy twisted his body with an expression of admiration.

    The sharp de narrowly missed the hunter.

    ¡°Huh oh oh oh oh!¡±

    When the hunter looked relieved, as if he had lived in a cold sweat.

    Crash.

    The thick chain binding the boy was cut sharply and fell to the floor.

    A burning glow emanated from the eyes of the boy who had been beaten to the point of being covered in blood.

    ¡°Krrrrr!¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh! ¡°You damned little bastard!¡±

    The boy shed the face of the hunter who was holding him with his nails.

    The hunter violently swung his fist at the boy even though his face was bleeding.

    Just before the brown fur-covered fist crushed the boy¡¯s head.

    ¡°Good job, kid.¡±

    Riak, running at blinding speed, bit off the hunter¡¯s neck and twisted it like he was catching a fish.

    Crack!

    A hunter with a broken neck fell to the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯m crazy!¡±

    Unrest spread among the hunters due to Ojin and Riak¡¯s inaction in rescuing the hostages in the blink of an eye.

    They looked at each other, then turned and started running away without anyone saying anything.

    ¡°Where are you bastards trying to stand out?¡±

    Ha-eun took out a cigarette from her pocket and waved it like a cane.

    A wall of mes was created and surrounded the area.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Where did this firee from¡­?¡±

    The hunters step back from the pain of their fur burning.

    ¡°I will finish it.¡±

    Isabe approached the hunters at a leisurely pace.

    The hunters, whose escape route was blocked, exposed their sharp teeth towards Isabe, who was walking leisurely.

    The number of remaining hunters is five.

    It wouldn¡¯t take a long time to tear a seemingly delicate woman to pieces.

    The hunters, who changed their bodies into half-human and half-animal forms, rushed towards Isabe at the same time.

    Isabe raised her fingernails and leisurely traced her palms.

    Drop, drop.

    Drops of blood fell to the floor.

    When the hunters running at incredible speed surrounded Isabe.

    ¡°Die.¡±

    A quietmand.

    The blood droplets that fell on the floor swelled tens to hundreds of times, creating a thin blood nd.

    Blood lines spread out in all directions, as if unraveling a bundle of threads.

    ¡°Kukkuk keuk!¡±

    ¡°Kerrruk!¡±

    The bodies of the hunters that grazed the blood line were chopped into cubes.

    Inhaling the thick scent of blood rising, Isabe stuck out her tongue and traced her lips as if to taste.

    ¡°¡­Hey, that look on your face is scary.¡±

    ¡°oh. ¡°What do you mean by that, sister?¡±

    Isabe changes her expression slyly.

    Ha-eunughed and turned towards Ojin and Riak.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t there any other guys around?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    Ojin nodded and untied the chains that bound the trembling girl.

    ¡°Liru!¡±

    ¡°Le Leo oppa!¡±

    The boy who was freed from his chains quickly ran towards Liru.

    ¡°Are you okay? ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?!¡±

    ¡°Yes. are you okay.¡±

    Liru nodded slightly while being held in Leo¡¯s arms.

    Leo, who was sighing in relief when he saw Liru without a single drop of blood, suddenly turned around and red at Ojin and the others.

    ¡°Who are you all?!¡±

    Eyes full of caution.

    Leo fiercely bared his teeth and red at Ojin.

    To be exact, his ears and tail covered in his ¡®ck fur¡¯.

    ¡°Why did the ck Mane tribe save us?¡±

    A voice that exudes fierceness.

    No matter how much Ojin and his group were the benefactors who saved his life, they were still an object of caution to Leo, who had always suffered from other tribes.

    ¡°Oh brother. Still, they are the ones who saved us¡­¡±

    ¡°Liru, stay still. They¡¯re the ck Mane tribe. ¡°There might be some kind of n!¡±

    A boy standing in front and taking a fighting stance as if protecting Liru.

    Oh Jin swallowed a short sigh and frowned.

    ¡®I feel like I¡¯m more wary of this because of the color of the fur.¡¯

    The model he wore to easily blend into the beastman society was actually holding his ankles back.

    After contemting for a moment, Oh Jin took off the ear model he was wearing on his head.

    ¡°There is no need to be so guarded. ¡°We are not from the ck Mane tribe.¡±

    ¡°¡­?!¡±

    Leo opened his eyes and opened his mouth wide.

    ¡°Stand, are you sure you¡¯re human?¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    ¡°Hi! ¡°Oh brother!¡±

    ¡°Why are the demons beyond the veil here?¡±

    Leo and Liru take a step back as if to start a fight.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Ojin tilted his head in response to a more intense rejection reaction than when he saw the ck mane tribe.

    ¡°What are the demons beyond the veil?¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! ¡°Demons from the ck curtain beyond the forest of the Demon Sea!¡±

    Leo shouted, clearly terrified.

    ¡°I heard it from Chief Joe! ¡°Humans are something we need to be more careful about than the ck Mane tribe!¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I thought they wouldn¡¯t be very wary of humans, but I guess my thoughts were too short-lived.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so scared.¡±

    Isabe opened her mouth in a soft voice, as ifforting a crying child.

    ¡°If we were going to harm you, why would you save us?¡±

    Isabe slowly approaches the children while giving a logical exnation.

    Leo and Liru¡¯s expressions instantly softened at the gentle atmosphere emanating from her.

    Leo, whose expression had rxed as if he had been drugged, suddenly shook his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±

    ¡°We are not bad people, so don¡¯t be afraid.¡±

    Isabe approached Leo and gently stroked his cheek.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡±

    Leo pped away Isabe¡¯s hand caressing his cheek and red at her fiercely.

    Isabe did not give in and grabbed Leo¡¯s head again and carefully hugged him.

    ¡°You were very scared, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    Isabe whispered in a warm voice and hugged Leo.

    With the hand gently stroking his back, the fierceness emanating from Leo quickly calmed down.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be fooled just because of that¡­¡±

    Shocking.

    Leo¡¯s cheeks were touched by a soft, unbelievably soft touch.

    Even though they are beastmen, or rather, because they are beastmen, is it because they have stronger male instincts?

    Leo raised the corners of his mouth with a smirk, melting at the soft touch pressing against his cheeks.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fooled¡­ hehe.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The boy crawls into Isabe¡¯s arms without realizing it.

    ¡°Oppa¡­ that¡¯s mean.¡±

    Liru red at Leo with disdain.

 Chapter 281

    I am not a returner Episode 281:

    Dog and Wolf (6)

    Ojin took out a bottle of potion from his backpack and approached Leo.

    Little by little, the potion was poured onto the boy¡¯s body, which was covered in wounds as if he had been in a fierce battle.

    Leo, who had refused the potion with wary eyes, soon calmly took the potion and drank it as his wounds healed quickly.

    ¡°Have you calmed down now?¡±

    ¡°joy! And this is all I can do¡­¡±

    ¡°It was so good, it looked like it was about to die.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so noisy!¡±

    Leo stood up suddenly, his cheeks turning bright red.

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and clicked her tongue.

    ¡°Anyway, all boys are the same. ¡°What good is that lump of fat?¡±

    Ha-eun res at Isabe¡¯s chest with a look of disapproval.

    Isabe slightly raised the corners of her mouth and crossed her arms.

    As we linked our arms, the two mountain peaks, which were already huge, showed off their presence even more.

    ¡°well? ¡°I don¡¯t know why I like this too?¡±

    ¡°This bitch.¡±

    Ha-eun grabbed the back of her neck as she saw Isabe slyly brushing her hair as if she didn¡¯t know anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡±

    Leo shouted with an expression of frustration.

    Leo, whose body had recovered to some extent with the potion, jumped back, widened the distance, and took up a fighting stance again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move from there! Move even one step¡­¡±

    ¡°Oppa.¡±

    Liru approached Leo, who was on high alert with his ears and tail pricked up.

    Liru calmly patted Leo on the back to calm him down.

    ¡°You know that they don¡¯t have any bad intentions, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­that.¡±

    ¡°Stop it now, brother. ¡°Because I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Liru smiled brightly and showed off his biceps.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Leo rxed his fighting stance and suddenly turned his head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to say to them?¡±

    ¡°There is nothing like that.¡±

    ¡°brother.¡±

    Liru looks at Leo with stern eyes.

    Leo, who had turned his head and was avoiding eye contact, hesitated and pursed his lips.

    ¡°¡­More.¡±

    ¡°huh? What~? ¡°I can¡¯t hear very well~?¡±

    Ha-eun smiled and poked Leo¡¯s side.

    Leo shouted with a red face.

    ¡°Thank you! ¡°For saving me!¡±

    ¡°ha ha ha! ¡°You¡¯re finally being honest, little guy.¡±

    Ha-eun burst intoughter and hit Leo on the head.

    Leo got angry and showed his teeth as if he was going to bite Ha-eun¡¯s hand.

    ¡°By the way, when you looked at us earlier, you called us ¡®the devil beyond the veil,¡¯ right?¡±

    ¡°Yes? that¡¯s right. ¡°That¡¯s what humans are called among us.¡±

    ¡°They say that if you do something bad, they wille at night and eat you whole!¡±

    Is it a goblin or something?

    Ohjinughed out loud at the treatment that was so far from what he thought.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of the ck Star Society?¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    Now that I think about it, I heard that the ck Star Society was hiding in the Demon World.

    ¡°Well¡­ among the executioners, there are rare awakened people who actually lived in the Demon Realm.¡±

    Isabe didn¡¯t even go near the devil.

    ¡°But anyway¡­ Cassia was in the demon world.¡±

    In the first ce, more than 90% of the awakened people who crossed over to the Demon World were people who hadmitted heinous crimes or had run away after being targeted for extermination.

    In a way, it is natural that there are evil rumors going around about the ¡®devil beyond the veil.¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s ironic.¡¯

    The beings of the demonic world, which can be said to be the greatest object of fear for humans, are actually afraid of humans.

    This was a piece that showed how ignorant mankind was about the Demonic Sutra.

    ¡°But Ojin oppa doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person!¡±

    Liru¡¯s eyes shining brightly as she looked at Ojin.

    Ha-eun snorted and shook her head.

    ¡°This guy is a bad guy. ¡°He¡¯s such an out-of-this-world son of a bitch.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think so¡­¡±

    Liru muttered while shrinking.

    Ohjin stood up with a bitter smile.

    ¡°Which side is the house? ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the bar.¡±

    Even if it wasn¡¯t as dense as the forest in Mahae, I couldn¡¯t leave my children behind in such a dense forest.

    ¡°¡­There is a vige where our tribe lives together. ¡°This way.¡±

    Ojin and his party followed Leo to the vige of the Silver Wolf Mane tribe.

    * * *

    The vige was located quite far from where the kingdom was located.

    ¡°Le leo! Liru! ¡°You¡¯re safe!¡±

    ¡°dad!¡±

    When they arrived at the vige, a beastman man ran out and hugged Leo and Liru.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    A man looks at Ojin and his group with wary eyes.

    Leo and Liru began to exin their encounter with Ojin and the others.

    The beastman man, who had shown hostility at first, seemed to have changed his mind upon seeing the two children desperately defending Ojin and his group, and bowed his head politely towards Ojin and his group.

    ¡°Thank you for saving the children. ¡°My name is Leoru and I am in charge of the Silver Mane Tribe.¡±

    ¡°If you are in charge¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes. ¡°He is a poor man who cannot properly protect his own children, but he holds the position of chieftain.¡±

    Leoru is hugging her two children with a bitter expression.

    ¡°¡­was your father the chief?¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s right! ¡°My dad is the chief of the Silver Mane Tribe!¡±

    Leo looked at Leoru with eyes full of respect.

    Leoru lightly stroked Leo¡¯s head and approached Ojin and the others.

    ¡°Please eat inside first. ¡°I will exin it well to the vigers.¡±

    As I followed Leoru into the vige, eyes full of caution and hostility poured in from all directions.

    ¡°Pleasee in.¡±

    Leoru opened the door of the old cabin and went inside.

    The house is too shabby to be called a chief¡¯s house.

    It was a smaller and older hut than the hut where Baekmugang lived.

    ¡°Leo Liru. ¡°Go outside for a while.¡±

    ¡°huh! ¡°I¡¯ll tell the vigers that you¡¯re safe!¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    Leo and Liru hurried out.

    Leoru, who was looking at the back of the two with a bitter expression, opened his mouth.

    ¡°Thank you for saving the children.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you receive a thank you message earlier?¡±

    ¡°No matter how many times you do it, it¡¯s not enough.¡±

    I thought he would be angry since he is Leo¡¯s father.

    Leolu had a more gentle personality than I thought.

    ¡°I heard that Mr. Ojin is human¡­ What brings you to the Demonic World?¡±

    ¡°I havee to meet Horus.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Leoru¡¯s face hardened.

    A chilly sense of death filled the cabin.

    ¡°The king of the ck Mane Tribe¡­ what do you want to meet for?¡±

    ¡°This is to check if there is any connection between him and the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    ¡°Cheonmara¡­.¡±

    Leoru frowned and continued.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the Heavenly Demon, but there is definitely a connection with the Demon Race.¡±

    Wow.

    Leoru spoke as if chewing, showing his pure white teeth.

    ¡°He¡¯s the bastard who sold the kingdom to the demons.¡±

    A strong sense of death swirled within the cabin.

    If he were a human without magical powers, his life was so intense that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if his heart stopped.

    Leoru¡¯s once gentle face suddenly changed into that of a vicious beast.

    ¡°¡­Can you tell me what happened?¡±

    Ojin asked in as calm a voice as possible to prevent Leoru from exploding.

    After taking a moment to catch his breath and calm down his anger, Leoru spoke quietly.

    ¡°A hundred years ago¡­ no, more than a hundred years ago, there was a great war between the Khan Kingdom and the Majin people.¡±

    This is what I heard from Baek Moo-gang.

    ¡°The beast people fought desperately against the invasion of the demon people. But the power of the demon race was too strong.¡±

    A long war.

    To the Beastmen, who were in deep defeat, the Demons gave a sweet offer.

    The race that surrenders first will not only survive but also gain wealth and honor.

    ¡°¡­So Horus surrendered to the demons?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Leoru bared his teeth and growled fiercely.

    ¡°He betrayed ¡®Khan¡¯, who had led the beast people until now, and became the loyal dog of the beast people.¡±

    ¡°The Silver Mane tribe¡­.¡±

    ¡°They fought until the end.¡±

    The results are now.

    Are you saying that after being exiled from the kingdom, they built a vige in a remote forest and lived in hiding?

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a shame.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s an honorable thing to do.¡±

    Leoru¡¯s eyes were shining brightly as he shook his head.

    He ced his hand on his chest with a proud expression.

    ¡°We are wolves. I will never be a dog.¡±

    A voice that conveys determination to die.

    Ohjin nodded and asked.

    ¡°So the Khan Kingdom is now ruled by the demons?¡±

    ¡°¡­To be exact, to the followers who follow them. ¡°The number of demons living in the actual kingdom is small.¡±

    ¡°How many people?¡±

    ¡°Five.¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    Even if the Majins were an elite minority, their numbers were far from sufficient to upy a country.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t originally written like this. ¡°It¡¯s because recently the demon race has begun to leave inrge numbers.¡±

    ¡°Is there any other reason?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡±

    Mass migration for unknown reasons.

    ¡®Is it rted to the Heavenly Demon?¡¯

    Ojin frowned and shook his head.

    There was still too little information to make hasty conclusions.

    ¡°Oh,e to think of it, strange rumors have been going around recently about the demons escaping.¡±

    ¡°A strange rumor?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°There are rumors that they are preparing for war.¡±

    ¡°¡­War?¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Horus is the devil beyond the veil¡­ Oh, I¡¯m sorry. There are rumors that they are gathering troops to prepare for war with humans.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    War with humans.

    ¡®Is this what Cassia said?¡¯

    Anyway.

    It was a rumor that could not be ignored.

    ¡°Of course, this is still just a rumor. ¡°There was no separate call-up order.¡±

    ¡°thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to obtain good information.¡±

    Oh Jin bowed his head.

    ¡°You are the benefactor who saved my children, but this is nothing. By the way¡­ Mr. Ojin, what do you n to do when you meet Horus?¡±

    ¡°well. ¡°First, we have to check whether it is rted to the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    ¡°¡­if there is?¡±

    ¡°I have to kill him.¡±

    Before a bigger disaster strikes.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Leoru¡¯s eyes shed sharply for a moment.

    He moved his lips for a moment as if he wanted to say something, but then shook his head.

    ¡°Then restfortably in the vige until you go to your kingdom. ¡°I will provide you with a ce to sleep.¡±

    ¡°thank you.¡±

    ¡°haha. ¡°The Silver Mane tribe never forgets vengeance and grace.¡±

    Leoru smiled kindly.

    ¡°Then I will show you the house. Follow me¡­¡±

    ¡°One thing.¡±

    Riak, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, opened his mouth.

    ¡°I want to ask you one thing.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes.¡±

    Leoru slightly clenched his fist as if he was wary of the ck-furred Riak.

    ¡°regret¡­ Don¡¯t you?¡±

    Like chewing it up and spitting it out.

    A question that is a condensation of numerous emotions mixed together.

    ¡°What regrets¡­.¡±

    ¡°Because you did not give in, you are now hiding in misery in this remote forest.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°They are trembling in fear of being kidnapped and sold into very at any moment, and suffering from starvation without being able to properly clothe or eat. Still¡­don¡¯t you regret it?¡±

    ¡°¡­you.¡±

    Leoru frowned and red at Riak.

    ¡°I have no regrets. He¡¯s passed away now, but ¡®Khan¡¯ used to say that.¡±

    Leoru ced his hand on his chest and spoke in a voice full of pride.

    ¡°We are proud wolves.¡±

 Chapter 282

    I am not a returner Episode 282

    Dog and Wolf (7)

    ¡°Then rest in peace.¡±

    Leoru, who guided Ojin and the others to the empty cabin, nodded lightly and turned around.

    The empty cabin that Leoru introduced was narrow and old, but the interior itself was very clean, as if it had been put together with great care.

    ¡°Huh! ¡°In the end, I couldn¡¯t enter the kingdom today.¡±

    Haeun unpacked her luggage andy down on the bed.

    Even though it was a wooden bed, it was far from soft, but it was still a blessing for Ojin and his group, who had been camping in the forest for several days.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m tired.¡±

    Ha-eun, lying down on the bed, began to take off her shoes, like a chrysalis molting.

    ¡°What are you doing so rudely, sister?¡±

    ¡°why. ¡°It¡¯s annoying to move.¡±

    ¡°Write it. No matter what, you can¡¯t do this. ¡°What would Mr. Oh Jin think?¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll like Ojinin?¡±

    Ha-eun, who took off her socks,y down on the bed and stretched out her slim legs and poked Oh-jin¡¯s thigh.

    It seemed like the corners of my mouth would naturally go up at the sight of her defenseless appearance.

    ¡°My sister¡¯s feet smell.¡±

    ¡°what? Don¡¯t lie, you bastard! But I still washed my feet in between¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it true?¡±

    Oh Jin held Ha Eun¡¯s bare feet in his hands and brought his nose closer to her.

    As she said, it didn¡¯t smell much, considering she had been wearing hard boots for a long time, but she mischievously said that she wanted to tease her for no reason.

    ¡°look. The smell of savory Cheonggukjang¡­.¡±

    ¡°What is this crazy guy doing!¡±

    Ha-eun screamed and kicked Oh-jin in the face.

    Ha-eun, whose face was so hot that steam gushed out, jumped up from the bed and went outside.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to wash up!¡±

    ¡°Oh, sister. ¡°I¡¯m going with you.¡±

    [The main woman needs to wash too. Because I kept hiding in my pocket, there was a lot of dust.]

    Of course, there were no bathhouses or shower facilities in the old cabin.

    Since there was a stream flowing nearby, washing up was not a problem.

    ¡°If you steal it, I will kill you.¡±

    Before getting a change of clothes and going out, Ha-eun opened her eyes and red at Oh-jin.

    ¡°What can I do while I¡¯ve already seen everything I need to see and what I don¡¯t want to see?¡±

    ¡°That and this are different?!¡±

    As Ojin chuckled and nodded, Isabe gently came next to him.

    She hugged her arm and pressed her body close to him and whispered with an alluring eye smile.

    ¡°Is it okay if you take a look at my body?¡±

    A sweet voice as if made from melted sugar.

    Isabe lightly licked the back of Ojin¡¯s neck and gently tickled his chest with the tip of her index finger.

    ¡°Stop ying tricks ande quickly, bitch.¡±

    ¡°oh! ¡°Oh sister!¡±

    Isabe is dragged by Ha-eun.

    [Wait!]

    Vega also took a bath towel (it was originally a handkerchief) and flew away.

    Inside the house, only Ojin and Riak remained.

    When all the noisy women disappeared, there was quite an awkward silence.

    ¡°¡­bantling.¡±

    Riak was the first to break the silence.

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°When you returned¡­ weren¡¯t you afraid when you were given another chance?¡±

    A voice full of conflict.

    Ojin shifted his gaze to Riak, who was looking at the old wooden floor with his head down.

    His usual spirit was not visible in his deeply troubled eyes.

    ¡°Is it because of what happened in the past?¡±

    Even if you are not a regressor.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to notice that Riak¡¯s condition had been strange ever since he entered the Demon Realm.

    Even what the cause is.

    ¡°¡­okay.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a worry that¡¯s not like you.¡±

    ¡°The poem is noisy, kid! ¡°What do you know¡­!¡±

    ¡°know.¡±

    Riak¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°¡­Is that because you are a returner?¡±

    ¡°You would have known even if you weren¡¯t a regressor. ¡°What are you hesitating about?¡±

    Riak was extremely bad at hiding his true feelings.

    ¡°I asked you earlier if you were scared, right?¡±

    Although there has been no regression.

    There was a time when I was given another chance.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m scared. ¡°I¡¯m so scared I¡¯m going crazy.¡±

    What if I repeat the same mistake again?

    What if I repeat the same failure again?

    then.

    Because there will be no turning back.

    ¡°But you can¡¯t do nothing, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s the truth.¡±

    ¡°Just because it¡¯s obvious doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s wrong.¡±

    Ojin shrugged his shoulders.

    Riak looked at Ojin with trembling eyes.

    ¡°How¡­¡±

    I bowed my head.

    He says it like he¡¯s squeezing.

    ¡°How can you do that?¡±

    I remember the first time I met Oh Jin.

    The sight of him struggling to get up despite being beaten and trampled miserably by himself.

    Despite being wounded to the point of death, he held the spear again as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°How on earth¡­¡±

    I remember the battle between Ojin and the Apostle of Deneb.

    That was enough.

    There would be no need or reason to buy it and suffer.

    He woke up again, covered in blood and unable to open his eyes properly.

    How could that be?

    It doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t feel pain.

    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t feel fear.

    But how?

    Could I stand up again?

    ¡°Because it¡¯s nothing that can be resolved through patience.¡±

    Oh Jin smiled bitterly and sat down on the bed.

    ¡°You can endure the pain. You can endure scary things. No matter how painful and difficult it is, it will be okay as long as I endure it.¡±

    That is nothing.

    In his life so far.

    Because it was full of problems that couldn¡¯t be solved by just enduring it.

    ¡°Are you saying you won¡¯t even care about your body to get what you want?¡±

    ¡°It was difficult to protect something precious while also caring about my own body.¡±

    With a bitter smile, he ced his hand on Riak¡¯s head, which was bowed.

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak closed his mouth tightly and scratched the floor with his ws.

    ¡°I¡­ was ¡®Khan¡¯ who led the beast people in the past.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    It was something I expected to some extent after seeing Riak having a conversation with Leoru.

    ¡°We fought against the invasion of the demons, but in the end we were defeated without being able to protect anything.¡±

    The image of a wolf lying down covered in blood and sobbing that it could not protect anything came to mind.

    ¡°Do you know how many of my own people died because of my stubbornness¡­ because of my foolish belief in living as a wolf?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Everyone is dead.¡±

    Those who were family.

    Those who were lovers.

    Those who were colleagues.

    every.

    He died while following in his footsteps.

    ¡°The survivingpatriots are also struggling with hunger and fear.¡±

    At first nce, the life of the Silver Mane tribe was miserable.

    They live together in an old, crumbling hut.

    I was living every day filled with hunger and fear.

    ¡°Just once¡­¡±

    Tears flowed from Riak¡¯s eyes as he lowered his head.

    ¡°Just once¡­ I just need you to break your stubbornness.¡±

    Many more of theirpatriots would have survived.

    The lives of thepatriots left behind would not have been this miserable.

    ¡°If only I knelt down once!¡±

    Just once.

    If only I had be a dog instead of a wolf.

    ¡°So they said they regretted it?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak¡¯s expression hardened.

    The image of Leoru smiling brightly, saying he was a proud wolf, came to mind.

    ¡°It¡¯s all¡­ my fault.¡±

    Because he taught useless beliefs.

    Because it instilled false ideals.

    They continued to lead miserable lives without even being able to me themselves.

    ¡°Then Riak.¡±

    Ojin looked at Riak with deeply sunken eyes.

    ¡°Are you a dog or a wolf now?¡±

    Riak¡¯s body trembled.

    ¡°I, I¡­¡±

    When I tried to continue speaking in a trembling voice.

    Quang!

    ¡°Aw~! ¡°It¡¯s refreshing!¡±

    ¡°As expected, I feel much fresher after taking a bath.¡±

    [It has be soft!]

    The three women who had gone out came back inside the house.

    ¡°Eh? what? ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the atmosphere?¡±

    ¡°never mind. ¡°How was the creek?¡±

    ¡°It was quite cold, so I warmed it up a bit.¡±

    Ha-eun flirted and ced her foot on Oh-jin¡¯s thigh, who was sitting on the bed.

    ¡°how is it? ¡°You don¡¯t smell it anymore?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± Let me check it out¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t really smell it, you bastard!¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and kicked Oh-jin in the stomach.

    ¡°By the way, Oh Jin. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you eat soon?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a little hungry.¡±

    Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t eaten a single meal since leaving the forest of Demon Sea.

    ¡°please wait for a moment.¡±

    Isabe rummaged through her backpack and took out ingredients.

    The backpack that Kim Si-hoo gave as a gift not only had the function of expanding space, but also had the function of storing ingredients to prevent them from spoiling, so it was possible to make food with fresh ingredients even whening to the distantnd of Magic.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make pasta for you today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m craving Korean food.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so do you want to make it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°I would like rose pasta, please.¡±

    Isabe put water in a pot and started chopping vegetables.

    Of course, there was no convenient appliance like a gas fire in this old cabin, but Ha-eun was able to solve that problem easily.

    When a delicious smell wasing from the kitchen.

    smart.

    The cabin door opened with a cautious knock.

    ¡°Liru?¡±

    The person who opened the door and came in was a slender beastman girl.

    When I first saw her, the girl was covered in dust all over her body, but she looked soft as if she had just taken a bath.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry foring to the bar sote at night!¡±

    ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    Liru fiddled with the basket in her hands and nced at Ojin.

    ¡°I picked some fruit.¡±

    What was in the basket was fresh fruit, as if it had just been picked.

    On the outside, it was a fruit that looked simr to a raspberry or blueberry.

    ¡°Oh, Oppa, please eat it¡­.¡±

    Liru nces at Ohjin with her cheeks slightly blushing.

    ¡°Ojiniman?¡±

    ¡°Of course, everyone else too!¡±

    Liru, with his ears pricked up, quickly changed his words.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so cute. ¡°Did you pick some fruit for Mr. Ojin?¡±

    Isabe smiled brightly and approached Liru.

    Holding a kitchen knife in one hand.

    ¡°Hey hey hey! wait for a sec!¡±

    Ha-eun was scared and grabbed Isabe.

    Ha-eun snatched the kitchen knife from her hand and let out a rough breath.

    ¡°You, man, no matter how much you do it, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Sister, too. What are you misunderstanding? ¡°I just forgot to bring it because I was cooking?¡±

    Isabe shrugged her shoulders with a pretty smile.

    ¡°thank you. ¡°I¡¯ll eat well.¡±

    Ojin epted the basket and stroked Liru¡¯s head.

    Liru¡¯s cheeks turned red like raspberries.

    ¡°Oh yeah. ¡°Enjoy your meal, brother.¡±

    I picked up one of the fruits in the basket and ate it.

    Sweet juice spread in my mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you got it right.¡±

    Liru smiled and quickly waggled his tail.

    ¡°Oh, by the way¡­and.¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°I want to tell you something.¡±

    Liru clenched both fists with a very nervous expression.

 Chapter 283

    I am not a returner Episode 283:

    Dog and Wolf (8)

    ¡°What are you saying?¡±

    The eyes of Ojin and the others focused on Liru.

    Liru averted his gaze here and there with a hesitant expression and then cautiously opened his mouth.

    ¡°Now the vige adults¡­¡±

    When Liru was about to continue speaking.

    Quang!

    The door opened roughly.

    ¡°Liru! ¡°Is Liru here by any chance?!¡±

    Leo came in, breathing heavily.

    Leo, who found Liru with Ojin and the others, flopped down in his seat and let out a sigh of relief.

    That too for a while.

    Leo suddenly got up from his seat and approached Liru with angry steps.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say you shouldn¡¯t go outside without saying anything?!¡±

    Leo raised his arm as if he was about to p him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry oppa.¡±

    Liru closed his eyes tightly and flinched.

    Leo, who raised his arm, bit his lip.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Leo hugs the cowering Liru with a deep sigh.

    ¡°¡­I was worried.¡±

    ¡°I was just trying to give you the fruit I picked from the stream earlier.¡±

    ¡°Then you should have told me earlier.¡±

    ¡°¡­sorry. ¡°I thought it would be okay since it was right next door anyway.¡±

    Liru lowers her head, looking sullen.

    Leo patted her back as if he had no choice.

    Ojin and the others burst into smallughter at the sight that was so heartwarming just to look at.

    ¡°So Liru. ¡°What were you trying to say earlier?¡±

    ¡°huh? ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s it.¡±

    Liru shook his head in confusion.

    ¡°I meant that I told the vige elders about Ojin and her sisters.¡±

    Liru hesitates with an awkward smile.

    ¡°¡­okay?¡±

    Anyone can see that it seems like he hastily changed the topic, but I decided not to dig into it.

    It might be an awkward thing to say in front of Leo.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go back quickly. ¡°The chief might be worried.¡±

    Leo grabbed Liru¡¯s shoulder, using the title ¡®Chief¡¯ rather than ¡®Dad¡¯.

    Liru nodded and turned around.

    When the two siblings were about to go out.

    Grumble.

    A scream of hunger erupted from Leo¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°Oh this! ¡°It¡¯s not because I¡¯m starving!¡±

    Leo shook his head urgently, his face red.

    Isabe smiled and pointed to the bubbling pot.

    ¡°Do you want to have dinner together?¡±

    ¡°¡­Bah but home.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk to Mr. Leoru separately.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t far from Leoru¡¯s house anyway, so I was able to get there quickly.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    ¡°I want to eat together!¡±

    Leo was troubled and Liru jumped up with shining eyes.

    The smell of pasta filling the house already made the salivary nds of the two boys and girls, who were growing up eating it, on the verge of exploding.

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat dinner together.¡±

    Leo blushed and quietly came to the table and sat down.

    Isabe covered her mouth and shook her shoulders as if the two of them were very cute.

    ¡°Then I guess I should grill some meat.¡±

    ¡°Meat is the best for kids in their prime.¡±

    Ha-eun burst intoughter and took out a piece of pork belly from her backpack.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll grill the meat.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you confident you won¡¯t burn it, sister?¡±

    ¡°Mr. ¡°Even if I can¡¯t cook, I can now at least grill meat, right?¡±

    Ha-eun ced the meat on the frying pan and lightly snapped her fingers.

    A small me began to burn and heat the fan.

    Cheeeeeeeee!

    The fantastic sound thates out when meat is ced on a heated pan.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    ¡°Go meat, oppa.¡±

    Leo and Liru looked at the grilled meat with drool flowing from their mouths, as they said.

    When the pork belly was roughly cooked, Ha-eun raised her eyebrows and took out a red container from her backpack.

    ¡°Look carefully, babies. ¡°This is the ultimatebination that can only be tasted in Corea.¡±

    ¡°Corea¡­?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s in the barrel?¡±

    Ha-eun opened the container with an arrogant attitude.

    The sour smell of sour kimchi spread throughout the room.

    ¡°Ugh! ¡°What is this rotten food!¡±

    ¡°You eat something like this?¡±

    As a beastman with a sensitive sense of smell, the smell of kimchi I smelled for the first time seemed repulsive.

    Leo and Liru jumped up from the table and stared at the container containing kimchi with wary eyes.

    ¡°Oh, it definitely might smell a little different when you smell it for the first time.¡±

    Among foreigners, there are many people who have an aversion to kimchi, but what about residents of other worlds?

    ¡°but.¡±

    Ha-eun lifted the tongs with an energetic expression.

    She grabbed a handful of kimchi and ced it on the pan with the pork fat still simmering on it.

    Cheeeeeeeek!

    Kimchi being stir-fried in pork fat.

    I took out the sesame oil and poured a few drops on the kimchi.

    ¡°¡­uh?¡±

    ¡°Suddenly it smells good!¡±

    The disgusting sour smell of the kimchi stir-fried in pork fat was barely noticeable.

    ¡°Come on, wrap it with meat and kimchi and eat it! Churai Churai!¡±

    Leo and Liru rushed to the meat and kimchi with sparkling eyes.

    Children holding forks instead of chopsticks dipped kimchi and meat into their mouths.

    ¡°it is delicious!¡±

    ¡°What kind of meat is this?¡±

    They fell in love with thebination of pork belly and kimchi.

    Isabe, who had just finished making pasta, said with regret.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any room for what I made.¡±

    ¡°Why should I eat that?¡±

    Ojin epted the pasta bowl from Isabe.

    Isabe smiled brightly and hugged Ojin¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Oh Jin is the only one who thinks about me.¡±

    ¡°haha. ¡°Let¡¯s all eat quickly before it gets cold.¡±

    After the noisy meal was over, Ojin and the others took afortable sleep in their beds for the first time in a long time after wrapping up the remaining food and telling them to take it to Leoru.

    And the next day.

    ¡°Are you leaving already¡­?¡±

    After preparing to leave in the morning, Ojin and his party stood at the entrance to the vige.

    Liru and Leo, who came out to meet Ojin and the others, had their eyes filled with regret.

    ¡°I have to go to the Khan Kingdom soon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯lle over to y after work is over, so take care?¡±

    As I lightly stroked Liru¡¯s downcast head, she smiled brightly like a sunflower.

    ¡°yes! ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re taking good care of your little brother, too, kid.¡±

    Ha-eun patted Leo¡¯s back, who was turning his head as if trying to stop crying.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a little kid!¡±

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter. ¡°The guy who moaned at a woman¡¯s chest.¡±

    ¡°I am the proud wolf of the Silver Mane n!¡±

    Ha-eun bursts outughing as she sees Leo getting upset.

    ¡°The Silver Mane Tribe will always wee benefactors.¡±

    Leoru smiled slightly and held out his hand towards Ojin.

    The moment I held hands with him.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A light of conflict appeared in Leoru¡¯s eyes.

    He looked down at his sped hands with trembling eyes, then sighed and shook his head.

    ¡°Then I have work to do, so I¡¯ll go first.¡±

    Leoru turns and walks away.

    Ojin narrowed his eyes as he watched his back moving away.

    ¡®It¡¯s been a little strange since yesterday.¡¯

    There¡¯s something I want to say, but it looks like I¡¯m holding it in forcibly.

    Come to think of it, Riru, like Leoru, was trying to say something to himself.

    ¡®I guess I¡¯ll find out if I stay here a few more days.¡¯

    There wasn¡¯t enough time for that.

    ¡°Liru.¡±

    Instead, Ojin lightly gestured towards Liru.

    Liru scurried towards Ojin.

    ¡°Why are you doing this, brother?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you this, so keep it.¡±

    ¡°This¡­?¡±

    Liru tilted her head as she took in the orb emitting blue light.

    ¡°It¡¯s amunication bead.¡±

    It was one of the relics that Ojin had prepared with the greatest care beforeing to the Demon World.

    The moment we were torn apart within this vast demon world, there was no way to meet again without a means ofmunication.

    ¡°The scope is not very wide. ¡°It will be enough to reach the kingdom from here.¡±

    Of course, it was not possible tomunicate with ces tens or hundreds of kilometers away like on Earth.

    Even though it was amunication device, it was closer to a walkie-talkie than a smartphone.

    ¡°If anything happens in the vige, please contact us through that.¡±

    ¡°yes! all right!¡±

    After lightly stroking the head of Liru, who nodded vigorously, Ojin and the others walked towards the Khan Kingdom.

    * * *

    As Baek Moo-gang said, once he was equipped with fake ears and a tail model, it was not difficult to enter the Khan Kingdom.

    Of course, the Khan Kingdom also had sentries checking identities in front of the castle gate.

    They, who do not have a systematic system like the Earth, fell for Ojin¡¯s three-inch tongue and opened the door obediently.

    Arriving at a nearby inn, Ojin and his party paid with the money they obtained from the hunters and began investigating in earnest.

    For a week, each person would spread out and gather information.

    Ojin¡¯s group, who had been scattered to investigate, gathered again at the inn to share the information they had gathered.

    ¡°Then who would you like to speak first? ¡°It¡¯s okay even if it¡¯s something trivial, so if you find out anything, please tell me.¡±

    Oh Jin took out a pen and notepad and looked back at the group.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you first.¡±

    Isabe raises her hand like a smart model student who is always present in the ss.

    In her hand was a sheaf of paper filled with information she had researched over the past week.

    ¡°First of all, the ones who currently hold real power in the Khan Kingdom are the beastmen belonging to the ¡®pro-Main faction¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    ¡°But what¡¯s a bit difficult to understand is¡­ they actually said that Horus is not a pro-Main faction.¡±

    ¡°Horus?¡±

    Are you saying that Khan¡¯s representative who sold the country to the Ma¡¯in people and took over real power is not from the pro-Main faction?

    ¡°yes. ¡°It is said that even though he was under the rule of the Majins, he did not follow their orders very well.¡±

    [Isn¡¯t it because you are afraid that your power will weaken?]

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m not sure about that.¡±

    Isabe frowned as she turned over the papers she had prepared one by one.

    ¡°Do you remember how the hunters said earlier that they were going to take Leo to the ¡®dog fighting ring¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah.¡±

    I definitely remember hearing it.

    ¡°It¡¯s like an underground fighting arena that is secretly operated within the kingdom¡­ ¡°They say it was Horus who legally banned this ce.¡±

    An underground fighting arena where members of the Silver Mane tribe are secretly kidnapped and forced to fight.

    Just like the Colosseum in the past, duels involving blood and flesh have long been one of the best forms of entertainment.

    It is even more popr entertainment for the beastmen who still have the instincts of beasts.

    From the ruler¡¯s point of view, the Colosseum served as more than just a ce for entertainment.

    ¡®Because it allows people to vent their umted dissatisfaction and stress through entertainment.¡¯

    In the past, wasn¡¯t Korea also doing something called the 3S Project to reduce public dissatisfaction?

    As such, ¡®entertainment streets¡¯ used to y a significant role in running the country.

    ¡°But Horus himself banned it?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°It¡¯s not just that.¡±

    Isabe narrowed her eyes and continued speaking.

    ¡°Mr. Ojin, you know that buying and selling Silver Mane is illegal, right?¡±

    ¡°know.¡±

    It was an easy inference, considering that the hunters had previously been unable to openly say to whom they would sell Leo.

    ¡°It was Horus who created thatw.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes frowned.

    ¡®Horus.¡¯

    He who betrayed the kingdom and sold it to the demons, for what purpose is he protecting the Silver Wolf Mane tribe?

 Chapter 284

    I am not a returner Episode 284

    Dog and Wolf (9)

    A spacious pce.

    After passing through the hallway where the skins of various magical beasts were stuffed and disyed on the walls, there was an empty throne lying lonely in arge, unadorned hall that felt deste.

    Next to the throne.

    A ck-haired man with a rugged look was staring at the empty throne in silence.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for you to sit on the throne?¡±

    A young man walked into the hall and asked sarcastically.

    A tingly voice, as if a man was forcing himself to imitate a woman¡¯s voice.

    The man turned his back on the young man without answering.

    ¡°Hmm. Are you ignoring me again?¡±

    The young man took out a white powder from his pocket and dabbed it on his face.

    The bright red lips and purple eye make-up that looked like she had eaten a rat made her look so pale that you could believe she had stered her face, creating a soggy unpleasant feeling.

    The young man asked, touching the ck horns growing on his forehead.

    ¡°Are preparations for war going well?¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    The man stood like a tree and answered briefly.

    ¡°Hmm, can you be more specific?¡±

    ¡°I did as I was told.¡±

    The young man¡¯s eyes frowned slightly.

    ¡°Ha, Horus. ¡°You know you¡¯re in trouble if you show up uncooperative like this, right?¡±

    ¡°I just did what I was told.¡±

    As always.

    The man swallowed his words and clenched his fists.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, did you hear? ¡°I heard that the movements of the Silver Mane tribe members have been a bit suspicious recently¡­¡±

    The man¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    ¡°¡­they don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter? ¡°Aren¡¯t the Silver Mane tribe also a proper beastman tribe?¡±

    The young man continued speaking with a deep sneer on his face.

    ¡°We must gather them together under the name of ¡®Khan.¡¯¡±

    ¡°I am not Khan.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re doing that again. ¡°It¡¯s been over 100 years since the previous khan died, so does it make sense to leave the position vacant?¡±

    ¡°Say it again.¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes turned to the young man.

    ¡°I am not Khan.¡±

    The young man¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    He took out red lipstick and nervously applied it to his lips.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you are Khan or not. ¡°After all, we are the Demons who own this kingdom.¡±

    He twisted his grotesquely red-painted lips.

    ¡°anyway. Recruit those Silver Mane tribe bastards into your army as well. If you say it won¡¯t be a military force¡­¡±

    A ck cloud spewed out from the horn on the young man¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Kill them all.¡±

    A voice full of eerie madness.

    The young man burst intoughter and shook his shoulders.

    ¡°Is that what ¡®Cheonma¡¯ means?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The man looked away again without saying a word.

    Thick tendons sprouted from the clenched fist.

    ¡°Oh, are you going to hit me?¡±

    A young man bursting intoughter.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve made a special ¡®arrangement¡¯ to prevent you from killing those silver-maned guys.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you nning to do?¡±

    ¡°well? ¡°Isn¡¯t that what they n to do?¡±

    A young man who speaks vaguely andughs darkly.

    ¡°Horus. Do not forget it.¡±

    The young man who came closer to the man whispered in a tickling voice.

    ¡°You are our loyal ¡®dog¡¯ who will do whatever you ask him to do.¡±

    The young man¡¯sughter echoed throughout therge hall.

    * * *

    ¡°Horus protects the Silver Wolf Mane tribe.¡±

    Ojin frowned as if he didn¡¯t understand.

    Probably not to protect his power.

    Protecting the Silver Mane n would only diminish his power and would be of no help.

    [¡­Could it be because of guilt?]

    ¡°Guilt?¡±

    Vega nodded quietly.

    Vega flew in and sat on Ojin¡¯s shoulder.

    [Didn¡¯t he betray the Silver Wolf Mane tribe, who fought against the demons until the end, and surrender to the demons?]

    ¡°¡­That may be a possibility.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s gaze turned to Riak.

    Riak kept his mouth shut and was deep in thought.

    Eyes mixed with sadness, regret, and anger.

    How did ite to him that the traitor who had pushed his people into the abyss of despair was now the only shield protecting them?

    Ojin didn¡¯t know what to say to Riak, who lowered his head in silence.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough of the story about Horus for now.¡±

    I changed the topic and turned my gaze towards Ha-eun.

    ¡°Did you get anything, sister?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I didn¡¯t get much out of it.¡±

    Ha-eun scratched her head and opened her mouth.

    ¡°The atmosphere here is a bit scary? ¡°There are quite a few guys who argue even though they have ck fur.¡±

    ¡°I also felt that overall security was not very good.¡±

    Isabe nodded in the affirmative.

    She continued speaking, flipping through the densely written paper one by one.

    ¡°I think the biggest reason is probably the massive exodus of demons.¡±

    ¡°Eh? ¡°Is that why it was like that?¡±

    Ha-eun opened her eyes wide as if she had no idea.

    ¡°yes. ¡°As the Mains fled inrge numbers, a conflict began between the pro-Main faction and the anti-Main faction.¡±

    ¡°Did you say there are five demons left now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, sister.¡±

    The Demon people were the part that Ojin investigated in the most detail.

    Ohjin took out a map, unfolded it, and said.

    ¡°This is where the mansions of the demons remaining in the kingdom are located.¡±

    The mansion where the demons lived was so luxurious andrge that it felt foreign, so it didn¡¯t take long to investigate.

    ¡°But there are only four?¡±

    ¡°They say one of them is in the royal castle because he is the Prime Minister of the kingdom.¡±

    [Isn¡¯t it actually a surveince station?]

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    It was likely that the actual power was held by the chancellor rather than Horus.

    ¡°They said the chancellor¡¯s name was Caliche.¡±

    Oh Jin took out a portrait and held it out.

    Since he was always staying in the royal castle, it was difficult to confirm it in person, but I was able to obtain a portrait from a beastman who knew him.

    ¡°Ugh, what is this, you bastard?¡±

    As soon as she saw the portrait, Ha-eun¡¯s face crumpled.

    The portrait depicted a man¡¯s face wearing heavy, burdensome makeup.

    ¡°What, Kabuki? ¡°What are you doing with your makeup?¡±

    These days, it is said that it is natural for men to wear makeup.

    This was so much makeup that it felt ufortable regardless of whether it was a man or a woman.

    ¡°He¡¯s already famous for his unique appearance.¡±

    ¡°Are all demon bastards like this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    I found several portraits of other demons, but none had a unique appearance like Kalyke.

    The only thing they have inmon is that they have ck horns on their foreheads.

    ¡°anyway. ¡°Of all the demons remaining in the kingdom, this one is the one with the highest rank.¡±

    Calice had served as prime minister and ruled as the de facto ruler for the past hundred years.

    ¡°Oh, and about the demons here. ording to Riak, it¡¯s not a very high level.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not at a high level, what kind of level is it?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re an awakened person, you¡¯ve just reached 9 stars?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not high?¡±

    Augh escaped Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    If you have just reached 9 stars, you are still at the level of a high-level awakened person, but that is not a high level.

    ¡°Considering the level of the average demon race, they said even 9 stars is not high.¡±

    ¡°This is a crazy race.¡±

    Ha-eun shook her head as if it was absurd.

    ¡°Well, anyway, they are not difficult enemies to deal with at our current level.¡±

    ¡°So that guy named Kalyke is also a 9-star?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably a little higher than that.¡±

    Still, it was the highest rank among the remaining demons, so there was a high possibility that it would be higher than 9 stars.

    ¡°But they won¡¯t be people we can¡¯t deal with.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    I nodded as I looked through the portraits of Isabe Mines.

    As for the power of the demons who were said to have received the power of the Heavenly Demon, their power was still unclear.

    In the first ce, Oh Jin and Isabe Ha-eun were at a high level, one of the highest among awakened people.

    [Then do you n to deal with the demon race before the beast race called Horus?]

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The demons can be said to be the actual rulers of the kingdom.

    You will be able to gain more by dealing with the demons first rather than Horus.

    ¡°First, let¡¯s catch the people living in the mansion one by one.¡±

    ¡°It would be better than going straight to the castle.¡±

    The more you reduce the power of the Majin tribe, the more the ¡®anti-Majin faction¡¯ within the kingdom will be active and the more freely they will be able to move.

    ¡°Then shall we move right away?¡±

    It is said that even the bull¡¯s horn was removed because it was sweet.

    As long as what had to be done was decided, there was no reason to procrastinate.

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°Is it okay if I make the babies whole roast?¡±

    Ha-eun smiled and stood up.

    Ojin and his party headed to the nearest Majin mansion.

    [The main woman will go in first and take a look inside.]

    Not only was Vega small in size, but she had no body odor because she was using a magical body instead of her actual body.

    The optimal conditions to ovee the surveince of the beastmen, who have a sensitive sense of smell.

    Even if they were caught, they could just return to the sanctuary, so the risk was low.

    ¡°Please.¡±

    [Huh! Trust me and wait!]

    Vega put her arms around her waist and snorted.

    It climbed over the high wall and flew into the Poror mansion.

    About 10 minutes passed like that.

    Vega returned with a slightly sullen expression.

    ¡°why? ¡°What happened?¡±

    [There was no one.]

    ¡°Huh? ¡°Inside the mansion?¡±

    [There wasn¡¯t a single ant to be seen outside the mansion.]

    Ojin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed.

    Until I checked a few days ago, I had confirmed that there were demons living there.

    ¡°Maybe the timing was a little off.¡±

    ¡°Tsk. ¡°He¡¯s a lucky guy.¡±

    ¡°Shall we go somewhere else first?¡±

    ¡°OK.¡±

    Ojin and his party headed towards the next mansion.

    but.

    [There was no one here either.]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin frowned as if he couldn¡¯t understand.

    Anyway, two demons vacated the mansion at the same time?

    ¡°¡­Something is strange.¡±

    I was just crossing my arms and thinking about what was going on.

    Kwaaaaaaaa!

    A loud explosion was heard from afar.

    ck smoke rose as if a bomb had exploded.

    ¡°Oh Jin, is that¡­?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s expression hardened.

    A ce where ck smoke is rising.

    It is no exaggeration to call it the center of Khan¡¯s kingdom and everything else.

    It was royal.

 Chapter 285

    I am not a returner Episode 285:

    Dog and Wolf (10)

    ¡°Why is Wangseong¡­?¡±

    Ha-eun looked at Wang-seong, where smoke was rising, with frowning eyes.

    ¡°for a moment.¡±

    Ojin fired a wire shooter toward the roof of the mansion and climbed up.

    As I climbed onto the roof, I was able to see exactly where the explosion urred.

    ¡®The hunting dog of Jiknyeo Castle.¡¯

    By activating the stigmata of the constetion Canis, I raised my senses to the limit.

    Along with a crushing headache, the ce where smoke was rising in the distance looked magnified as if using a telescope.

    ¡°That is¡­¡±

    What can be seen from the smoke rising castle is a fierce battle between a beastman with a silver mane and a beastman with a ck mane.

    When I saw Leoru, the chief of the Silver Mane Tribe, taking the lead and charging fiercely toward the capital, I could immediately understand what was going on.

    ¡®Rebellion.¡¯

    A week ago.

    An image of Leoru trying to say something to himself about going to see Horus shed through his mind.

    ¡®Is this what you were trying to say then?¡¯

    Leolu was nning a rebellion.

    Considering the current state of the Khan Kingdom, it would not have been an impulsive choice.

    ¡®Confrontation between the pro-Main faction and the anti-Main faction due to the massive departure of the Majin people.¡¯

    The Majins who had ruled the Khan Kingdom for the past hundred years disappeared from the kingdom for some reason.

    The remaining demons are at most five.

    In such a situation, public sentiment, which was already scary, reached its peak due to the sudden news of war preparations.

    The ¡®anti-Mains faction¡¯ decided that now was the perfect opportunity topletely drive the Majins out of the kingdom.

    And at the center of the ¡®anti-Main faction¡¯.

    ¡®There was Leolu.¡¯

    Now it feels like things areing together a bit.

    That day, when Leoru saw himself saying that he would kill Horus if he had anything to do with the Heavenly Demon, it must have been about this rebellion that Leoru was trying to say something.

    ¡®But I wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell.¡¯

    The anti-Majin faction, which was rtively underpowered, would have desperately needed the strength of Ojin and his party who had the same goal as themselves.

    While preparing for the grand n of rebellion, it would not have been possible to attract foreigners whom one met for the first time.

    ¡°¡­I have to go to the royal castle.¡±

    Oh Jin came down to the roof of the mansion and looked at the smoke rising from the castle.

    The fact that the demons who were supposed to be in the mansion right now were not visible meant that their n had already reached the demons¡¯ ears.

    It was not difficult to imagine how this rebellion would end if it had been discovered in advance, in a situation where it was impossible to know whether an unexpected surprise attack would seed or not.

    ¡°These idiots¡­!¡±

    Riak also seemed to have sensed the situation and fiercely exposed his teeth and red at Wangseong.

    When you are about to kick your feet and run towards the royal castle at any moment.

    Wooooow!

    I felt a small vibration in my arms.

    Oh Jin took out amunication bead that was vibrating and emitting light from his pocket.

    [Oh Ojin oppa!]

    Liru¡¯s voice is out of breath.

    [Please help me too, brother! There are demons and the ck Mane tribe in the vige¡­!]

    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s expression became rough.

    As soon as the rebellion began, the Demon Tribe and the ck Mane Tribe attacked the vige as if they had been waiting.

    What this meant was clear.

    ¡®They¡¯re going to use the vigers as hostages.¡¯

    If the demons already knew that a rebellion would ur.

    Is there any reason to engage in a bloody battle with the warriors of the Silver Mane tribe to suppress the rebellion?

    ¡°Are you home now?¡±

    [Yes yes! I¡¯m hiding in the warehouse with Leo!]

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there soon, so don¡¯te out of there.¡±

    [Ah, I understand!]

    After cutting off contact, Oh-jin turned his head towards Isabe and Ha-eun.

    The two¡¯s expressions hardened when they heard Liru¡¯s urgent voice.

    ¡°You two, please go towards the vige.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you nning to go to the royal castle alone?¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    Ojin looked back at Riak and continued.

    ¡°I¡¯m going with Riak.¡±

    And of course.

    Vega, who was hiding in his pocket, will also go to the castle with him.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±

    Isabe shook her head and continued.

    ¡°I will go to the vige alone. ¡°There won¡¯t be many people attacking an empty vige anyway.¡±

    The only people in the vige where the warriors left were children like Liru Leo and old beastmen.

    No matter how fierce the Silver Mane tribe was, there was no way theirrge army would head out to subdue the helpless elderly and children.

    Surely it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for Isabe alone to wipe them out.

    but.

    ¡°It would be difficult to rescue the captured beastmen and deal with them at the same time alone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not the end just killing the people who attacked the vige, right?¡±

    Isabe chewed her lips and lowered her head.

    As Ojin said, wiping out the group that attacked the vige was a very simple task for her.

    However, protecting the captured beastmen and wiping them out at the same time is apletely different matter.

    No matter how strong Isabe was, it was difficult to protect her and deal with them at the same time.

    Of course, it would be difficult to rescue all of the captured Silver Mane tribe members even if Ha-eun went with her, but at least she would be able to save more Silver Mane tribe members than if Isabe went alone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to procrastinate.¡±

    Oh Jin urged Ha Eun and Isabe.

    ¡°Haha, I really can¡¯t live.¡±

    ¡°¡­all right.¡±

    The two looked at Ojin with worried eyes and turned around with a sigh.

    ¡°I wille to help Mr. Oh Jin right after it¡¯s over. Until then¡­ please don¡¯t overdo it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, just trust me.¡±

    Oh Jin grinned and raised his thumb.

    Ha-eun and Isabe, who were looking at the misdiagnosis with eyes full of disbelief, soon kicked their feet toward the vige of the Silver Wolf Mane tribe.

    The back of two women walking away quickly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go towards the royal castle.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you okay, kid?¡±

    Probably all of the core forces of the demon tribe as well as the pro-Majin faction are gathered in the castle.

    Even though the number of demons remaining in the kingdom is notrge, each and every one of them is a powerful being who has inherited the power of the Heavenly Demon.

    It would be okay to attack them one by one while they were separated, but attacking them from the front was too risky.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be okay.¡±

    Oh Jin looked at the smoke rising from the castle and smiled.

    As Riak said, it was reckless to head to the royal castle in the current situation without Isabe and Ha-eun.

    Even if Riak and Vega went together, they were bound by the restrictions of thew and could not use their true strength.

    ¡°¡­Then why?¡±

    ¡°I told you before.¡±

    The day I learned about Riak¡¯s past.

    We¡¯ve already had a simr conversation.

    ¡°Problems that can be solved by patience are nothing.¡±

    ¡°¡­This is not a problem that can be solved by enduring it.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to do my best even more.¡±

    Puzzle!

    Blue lightning appeared on Ojin¡¯s legs.

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    Ojin looks back at Riak.

    It was time to hear the answer I couldn¡¯t hear back then.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak looks at the royal castle with deeply sunken eyes.

    [Riak.]

    Vega flew to Riak and gently stroked his head.

    [It reminds me of the first time I met you.]

    Even though I was sopletely ruined that it wouldn¡¯t be strange if I died right away.

    A silver wolf sobbing that no one could protect it.

    [I have watched you regretting your past for a long time.]

    The goddess¡¯s voice permeates you warmly.

    [Go the path your heart takes. This time¡­ I don¡¯t want you to regret it.]

    ¡°¡­Vega-sama.¡±

    Wow.

    Riak ground his teeth fiercely.

    His stopped steps took a step forward.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, kid.¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    Squeeze!

    Two streams of blue thunderbolts were fired towards the king.

    * * *

    ¡°Heo, heo, heo!¡±

    Leoru gasped, his breath filling his chin.

    The bloody silver fur was matted unpleasantly.

    In front of him, out of breath, there were hundreds of warriors from the ck Mane tribe and two demons lying covered in blood.

    As if to prove that they were the tribe to which ¡®Khan¡¯ once belonged, the silver maned tribes that attacked the castle showed incredible majesty.

    ¡°Chief Joe!¡±

    ¡°As it is¡­!¡±

    The voices of the tribes, full of urgency, were heard.

    No matter how great the Silver Mane warriors were, they could not ovee their overwhelming numerical inferiority.

    Leoru, who had fought more courageously than anyone else at the forefront, copsed.

    ¡°Now¡­ stop.¡±

    A ck-haired man standing in front of Leoru, who was out of breath.

    He was looking down at the fallen Leoru with bitter eyes.

    ¡°Horus¡­!¡±

    Leoru red at Horus with eyes burning with hatred.

    Horus slowly turned his head to avoid Leoru¡¯s burning eyes.

    ¡°Why are you doing that~?¡±

    There, Kalyke, a man with unpleasantly heavy makeup on his face, was smearing powder on his face and bursting intoughter.

    Horus clenched his fists and red at him.

    ¡°¡­Did you do this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about~?¡±

    Kalyke shrugs with a sly expression.

    Horus red at Kalyke with cold eyes.

    ¡°The gate was open.¡±

    In order to enter the royal castle, it was necessary to cross two gates.

    The outer castle outside the capital and the inner castle surrounding the royal castle.

    Even though the outer castle is poorly guarded, the inner castle is strictly guarded by warriors of the ck Mane tribe 24 hours a day.

    There was no way such arge army could enter the castle without being detected if there were no coborators inside.

    In other words, someone pushed the Silver Wolf Mane tribe¡¯s back.

    To cause a ¡®rebellion¡¯.

    ¡°Ho ho ho! Iknow, right. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll need to punish the guardster for this, right?¡±

    Kaliqu¨¦ twists her red lips with a brightugh.

    Thick tendons appeared above Horus¡¯s clenched fist.

    ¡°Kalike¡­!¡±

    Horus is shaking his fist with red bloodshot eyes.

    Looking at Horus like that, Kalyke snorted.

    ¡°Anyway, you have to catch those guys quickly, right? ¡°Then, when we go to the world beyond the curtain, won¡¯t we be able to save warriors who will bravely fight at the forefront?¡±

    ¡°Do you think they will give in?¡±

    Horusughed and shook his head.

    Leoru, who was wounded and copsed, still had a strong fighting spirit shing in his eyes.

    ¡°We will not be dogs like you, Horus!¡±

    Leoru stood up shakily, wiping his bloody mouth.

    ¡°Hohohohoho!¡±

    Kalyke shook her shoulders and burst outughing, as if she found this situation unbearably enjoyable.

    ¡°well. Would you really be able to do that even if your children¡¯s lives were at stake?¡±

    ¡°what¡­?¡±

    Leoru opens her eyes wide.

    ¡°What are you doing to your vige¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ho Ho. ¡°It¡¯s so hot~?¡±

    ¡°Ah ah ugh.¡±

    Leoru steps back with a pale, exhausted expression.

    Kalyke slowly approached Leoru and stuck out her long tongue.

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense and kneel down, you bastards.¡±

    An eerie voice rang out.

    ¡°How dare the bastards not recognize their owners and show their teeth¡­¡±

    While Kalyke was continuing to speak.

    Taang!

    A gunshot came out of nowhere, and six wires shot out from all directions and wrapped around Kalyke¡¯s body.

    Kalyke frowned as she looked down at the wire wrapped around her body.

    ¡°What is this¡­?¡±

    ¡°What are you doing, bastard?¡±

    It¡¯s a joke!

    ¡°Gyaggyaggyaggyaggya!¡±

    A torrent of blue lightning flowed through the wire and struck Kalyke¡¯s body.

 Chapter 286

    I am not a returner Episode 286

    Dog and Wolf (11)

    Pajijijijik!

    A torrent of swirling blue lightning.

    The tsunami of lightning transmitted through six wires viciously engulfed Kalyke¡¯s body.

    ¡°Gyaggyaggyaggyaggya!¡±

    As the pain tore through her entire body, Kalyke rolled over her eyes and jumped around like a freshly caught fish.

    ¡°How dare someone¡­!¡±

    But even for a moment.

    As the two ck horns on Caliche¡¯s forehead radiated a sinister light, his inverted pupils returned to their original positions.

    Kalyke held onto the current-carrying wire with her hands, each finger shining with colorful nail art.

    Grumble!

    ck mes burned in both his hands and cut the wire.

    After being freed from the restraints of the wire, Kalyke red with wildly wide eyes at the criminal who had inflicted such terrible pain on him.

    ¡°Tsk, your face looks even more like X in real life.¡±

    A young beastman who dares to look down at himself, the prime minister and true ¡®owner¡¯ of the Khan Kingdom, clicking his tongue as if he had seen dirty filth.

    Kalyke¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the words that were too obscene to say.

    ¡°Are you saying this just looking at my face?¡±

    ¡°Then who else is here besides you?¡±

    ¡°profit! ¡°To spit such obscene words at a beautifuldy¡­!¡±

    Kalyke¡¯s face is distorted and she¡¯s ring at Ojin as if she¡¯s going to kill him at any moment.

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    Ojin couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes and be shocked at the shocking truth that came out of Kalyke¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°A woman? you?¡±

    Although I put on so much makeup that it could even be called a mask.

    The overall facial contour, the protruding uv, and the masculine skeleton.

    No matter how you look at Kaliqu¨¦, he had the body of a ¡®man¡¯.

    ¡°Hmm, is there any problem?¡±

    Kaliqu¨¦ turns his head with his arms crossed as if he¡¯s about to make a fuss.

    ¡°There is nothing but trouble.¡±

    ¡°Hoo, what¡¯s the problem?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a man, you bastard.¡±

    ¡°Ho Ho. ¡°Even though her body belongs to a man, she has a beautiful heart, right?¡±

    ¡°We decided to fucking call it a man.¡±

    I had no intention ofing to a distantnd and discussing sexual identity or the rights of sexual minorities.

    Of course, it is true that all sexual minorities in the world, whether on Earth or in the Demon World, are beings who deserve respect.

    ¡°A bastard who wants to take kids and use them as hostages has no rights.¡±

    The sight of him wearing nothing on his insides was even more disgusting than the unpleasantly thick makeup.

    ¡°You¡­ are not a beastman.¡±

    Kalyke looked Ojin up and down with narrowed eyes.

    His behavior, way of speaking, and even the way he treated himself all felt very different from the beastmen he was familiar with.

    ¡°Or what? ¡°Will anything change?¡±

    The purpose of wearing ck ears and a tail model was to reduce unnecessary disputes.

    In a situation like now where it is clear that there is an enemy to fight, there is no reason to hide the fact that you are a human.

    ¡®Is there only one remaining Majin called Kalyke?¡¯

    Ojin activated the stigmata of Canis the Hound and looked around.

    Except for the two demons that the Silver Wolf Mane tribe defeated, there were no other demons in sight.

    ¡®Did they send three people here and two people to the vige?¡¯

    In that case, if only Calice and Horus are defeated, this situation will be sorted out.

    ¡°Riak. ¡°You take charge of Horus.¡±

    ¡°¡­I get it.¡±

    Ojin took out Dantalian from his belt and held it.

    Chack!

    Dantalian changed into the form of a spear, and blue lightning zed around the de.

    ¡°Use it.¡±

    Take a deep breath.

    It bounces its slightly bent legs and shoots towards Kalyke.

    Rumbling!

    A blue thunderbolt rushing with the sound of thunder.

    ¡°Where¡­!¡±

    Kalyke waved his hand in the direction where Ojin was running.

    ck mes spread out like a curtain, blocking Ojin¡¯s path.

    I felt a dizzying heat that felt like my skin was burning.

    ¡°Depth charge.¡±

    Kwaja Jajajak!

    Oh Jin chose to attack head on.

    The thunderbolt at the tip of the spear exploded, creating a crack in the curtain of me.

    I threw myself into the crack, holding back the heat burning my skin.

    Kalyke¡¯s shoulders tremble.

    However, as if he had expected this for a while, he lightly turned his body to avoid the spear de aimed at his neck.

    ¡°You sure have the skills to be cocky.¡±

    Kalyke grabbed Dantalian¡¯s spear as it passed by his neck and twisted it roughly.

    Ojin¡¯s palm was torn and the spear flew far away.

    Huh!

    A fist engulfed in ck me swung, aiming for Ojin¡¯s philtrum.

    He urgently raised his arm to block the attack.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Quang!

    With a loud noise like a shell exploding, the ground Ojin was standing on caved in.

    The skin on the forearm that blocked Kalyke¡¯s fist was distorted hideously.

    Ojin stepped back, took out a potion from his sling bag, and poured it on his forearm.

    ¡°The penalty for hurting the heart of a delicate girl.¡±

    Kalyke took out a sword from his belt and pointed it at Ojin.

    ¡°I will take it with your life.¡±

    ¡°Break the gue, really.¡±

    Wow.

    He spat out thick phlegm and strengthened his grip on the spear.

    [Be careful, my child. Even though it looks like that, I can feel an unusual energy.]

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Maybe it¡¯s some other demon race.

    I never thought that the skills of Kalyke, who had been the de facto king of the Khan Kingdom for the past hundred years, were any good.

    ¡°Sigh!¡±

    Take a short breath and kick your feet.

    I stretched out my hand towards Dantalian, who had been thrown away.

    A jet-ck spear that floats in the air as if it has its own will and returns to the hand.

    Ojin aimed the spear¡¯s path back into his hand at Kaliqu¨¦¡¯s back.

    If this continues, it will pierce Kalyke¡¯s back and return to his hands.

    ¡°You¡¯re showing some tricks.¡±

    Kalyke swung his sword towards his back without even looking, as if he had eyes in his back as well.

    Jangkang!

    The spear blocked by the sword bounced far away again.

    ¡°well.¡±

    Ojin fired a wire towards the spear that bounced far away.

    Three strands of wire wrapped around Dantalian.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you what real talent is.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Ojin¡¯s body, pulled by the Dantalian that bounced backwards, rose into the air.

    Oh Jin swung his arms while his body was turned upside down, as if performing acrobatics.

    The spear tied to the wire swung at Kalyque like a tree ringing a bell.

    Quaaaang!

    Kaliqu¨¦ is pushed away by the explosive power contained in the spear.

    Oh Jin used the thunderbolt step while his body was upside down in the air.

    Ohjin fell quickly as if he was bungee jumping and grabbed Kalyke¡¯s shoulders.

    Squeeze!

    The blue thunderbolts in both hands violently prated into Kalyke¡¯s body.

    ¡°Gyaggyaggyaggya!¡±

    While Kaliqu¨¦ was unable toe to his senses from the thunderstorm, he grabbed Kaliqu¨¦¡¯s horn and pulled with all his might.

    I tried to rip out the horn, which is the source of the demon race¡¯s power and contains the power of the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯.

    A gloomy ck light emanated from the horn that Ojin was grasping, and ck mes created from all directions poured towards him.

    [Be careful!]

    Vega, hidden in the inner pocket, flew up.

    Vega spread his arms wide and created a blue lightning barrier as if protecting Ojin.

    The lightning and mes collided, creating an intense shock wave that swept through the surroundings.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ojin¡¯s body was thrown away by the shock.

    A dizzying pain spreading throughout my body.

    Transparent fluid was leaking from the burnt skin.

    ¡°I guess this is your first time fighting the Ho-Oh Mine tribe.¡±

    Caliche¡¯s eyes lit up and he smoothed the ck horns on his forehead.

    ¡°For demons, the horn is the source of power given by the Heavenly Demon and also the most powerful weapon, right?¡±

    Weren¡¯t the horns a weak point?

    Ojin clicked his tongue and stretched out his hand towards Dantalian.

    The wire retracted, and the jet-ck spear returned to his hand.

    ¡°Okay¡­ then let¡¯s warm up like this.¡±

    Kalyke¡¯s mouth was cut open.

    The two horns on its forehead radiated a gloomy ck light.

    A blue ghost fire burned in the two eyes that had turned ck.

    ¡°Shall we start off properly?¡±

    Quang!

    Calique¡¯s new model wasunched at high speed.

    Swordsing from all directions.

    The sword attack, which was clearly only a single sword, was split into dozens of pieces, as if the sword had split apart.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Ka-ga-ga-ga-gang!

    Oh Jin barely managed to deflect the barrage of sword strikes using thepass spear technique.

    As the attack continued, Oh Jin¡¯s body was pushed back one step or two.

    ¡°Ho ho ho! ¡°This is a blessing given to us by the Heavenly Demon!¡±

    An unpleasant sound ofughter ringing in my ears.

    Oh Jin smiled even as he was being pushed back.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    It is the blessing of the Heavenly Demon.

    If there is a Heavenly Demon behind Kaliqu¨¦.

    [O high rising star of Lyra.]

    Vega put her hands together as if praying.

    [Brighten the darkness that lies ahead of my child with the brilliant starlight.]

    Behind me is Vega.

    Wooooow!

    The brilliant silver light emanating from Vega seeped into Ojin¡¯s body.

    Explosively boiling power.

    Kaang!

    Ojin, who threw away his sword, stepped on Jinggak roughly and swung his clenched fist.

    A fist zing with blue lightning hit Kalyke¡¯s sr plexus.

    ¡°Wow¡­!¡±

    Kalyke, whose body was bent like a bow, was thrown back roughly.

    * * *

    On the other hand, the battle between Ojin and Kalyke continues.

    ¡°Krrrrrrr!¡±

    A ck wolf running at high speed.

    Riak jumped up nimbly and swung his front foot roughly towards Horus.

    Kagak!

    Horus unleashed a heavy attack with the gauntlets on his forearms.

    A fist swinging while emitting explosive force.

    Riak used the Thunder Stamp to spin around in the air and hit Horus on the cheek with his tail.

    It was a tail covered in fur, but the power contained within it was incredible.

    Horus¡¯ head turned after being hit by the tail.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Horus twisted his body in the direction his head was turned and struck Riak, who was in the air, with a back kick.

    Horus¡¯ leg, swinging at dizzying speed, slightly grazed Riak.

    Paang!

    Even though it wasn¡¯t hit properly, Riak¡¯s body bounced as if it had been hit by a cannonball.

    Riak, whonded in shock after falling,ughed.

    ¡°¡­Luckily, my body didn¡¯t freeze.¡±

    He muttered quietly and gently lifted his front paw.

    Coo!

    He kicked his feet again with sharp ws.

    It moved brilliantly in the shape of a Z and swung its front paw towards Horus¡¯ nape.

    ¡°Crumbling!¡±

    Horus twisted his body to avoid the ws and hit Riak with his shoulder.

    The moment when Riak was about to be hit by a powerful shoulder attack that could turn even hard rocks into powder.

    Riak twisted his front paw, which was swinging at the nape of the neck, and hit Horus on the shoulder.

    A technique that is like an art, like breaking a fist that is swinging with all its might at a right angle in an instant.

    Riak lowered his shoulder and jumped over Horus¡¯ head as if tumbling, aiming for his back.

    ¡°Where!¡±

    Horus fell forward and ced his hands on the floor.

    With both arms on the ground, he swung his foot towards Riak¡¯s forehead, who was behind his back, like a horse kicking his hind foot.

    Riak, who was trying to aim for the back, clicked his tongue and twisted his body.

    Riak ced his back foot exactly on Horus¡¯ swinging leg.

    Like a stone lifted from a catapult, Riak¡¯s body fell in a parabolic curve.

    A dazzling movement that could more urately be called acrobatics rather thanbat.

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    Leoru, who was watching the battle between the two, opened his mouth in astonishment.

    I heard from Leo that one of the beastmen who goes with Ojin is a very talented person.

    I never thought he was strong enough to fight Horus.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Horus¡¯ voice trembled.

    Why?

    The ck wolf¡¯s movements felt somewhat familiar.

    Yes, like when I opened an old album photo.

    ¡°Oh no, that can¡¯t be possible.¡±

    Horus shook his head, denying the thoughts that came to his mind.

    There is no way ¡®he¡¯ is here right now.

    because.

    ¡°But you died then¡­¡±

    Horus looked at the ck wolf in front of him with trembling eyes.

    Although the color of his fur and his appearance were slightly different from the ¡®him¡¯ in my memories.

    I knew it instinctively.

    I was able to realize it intuitively.

    ¡°Riak¡­?¡±

    The ck wolf in front of him was killed by his own hands more than a hundred years ago.

    The fact that they are ¡®close friends¡¯.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak stared at Horus in silence.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Horus.¡±

    Horus opened his eyes wide as he heard a familiar voice softly ringing in his ears.

 Chapter 287

    I am not a returner Episode 287

    Dog and Wolf (12)

    One hundred years ago.

    The Majin army invaded the Khan Kingdom.

    The power of the demons who inherited the power of the Heavenly Demon was powerful, and the legions of demon beasts they led were numerous enough to cover the vast ins.

    When only shouts and screams echoed in the once peaceful kingdom.

    Two wolves appeared.

    Horus of the ck Mane tribe.

    Riak of the Silver Mane tribe.

    The two wolves united the beastmen warriors and waged war against the demon tribe.

    Thanks to the two wolves who fought against the demons more courageously than any other warrior, hope began to sprout again in the kingdom that was on the verge of fall.

    Lively young people, children who were running around ying, and old people who were spending quiet time turning their backs on the world participated in the war.

    The spark of hope created by Horus and Riak spread throughout the kingdom and burned like wildfire.

    An endless war.

    The Majin army, which was confident that it would destroy the kingdom in one year, was unable to upy the kingdom even after five years due to the activities of the two wolves.

    But even that eventually reached its limit.

    The two wolves continued their desperate fight against the demons, but they were unable to defeat the demons with the power of the Heavenly Demon and the endless crowds of demon beasts.

    Defeat loomed before our eyes.

    The demons, who had suffered unexpected damage due to Horus and Riak¡¯s activities, offered a proposal to the two cornered wolves.

    A sweet offer to spare the tribe¡¯s lives if they be their dogs.

    Riak resisted fiercely, but Horus was different.

    He bowed his head at the feet of the demons and dered surrender.

    Another condition that the demons put on Horus.

    A cruel order was given to stab Riak in the back to prove his loyalty.

    In this way, Horus attacked and killed Riak, his preciousrade and indispensable friend.

    no.

    I thought he killed it.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re alive, Riak.¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    Riak nodded softly.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Horus and Riak looked at each other with eyes filled withplex emotions.

    They were long-time friends,rades who had their backs, and brothers who shared their souls.

    Now a hundred years have passed.

    The two met again.

    Be a dog and a wolf.

    ¡°Me¡­¡±

    Horus opened his mouth with a trembling voice.

    ¡°Do you me me?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak closed his mouth tightly and raised his ws.

    A traitor who stabbed an invaluable friend in the back.

    How can we not resent the traitor who sold out his country?

    But more than that.

    I was unable to do anything until I was in that situation.

    I feel even more resentful.

    I regret it infinitely.

    A past that nothing could protect.

    ¡°I¡­ had to protect it.¡±

    Horus¡¯ shoulders trembled slightly.

    To protect the family, children, and tribe.

    I had no choice but to kneel to them.

    He had no choice but to be a loyal dog.

    ¡°Know.¡±

    ¡°then!¡±

    Coo!

    Horus stamped his foot roughly.

    ¡°Why¡­ why didn¡¯t you give in!¡±

    If only Riak had surrendered with him then.

    He would never have stabbed his friend in the back with his own hand.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you already know that this is an unwinnable war!¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    ¡°No matter how hard we struggle! ¡°No one could protect it!¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    ¡°only once! All you have to do is break your damn pride once!¡±

    then.

    Many more of ourpatriots would have been able to survive than we do now.

    ¡°But why didn¡¯t you¡­ kneel!¡±

    Horus red at Riak with burning eyes.

    Before attacking Riak.

    He tried to convince him again and again.

    Even if we fight like this, nothing but death will happen.

    In order to protect our people, we must surrender.

    but.

    Riak did not give in.

    It didn¡¯t be a dog.

    Even while countless of ourpatriots were turning into cold corpses on the battlefield.

    He didn¡¯t stop fighting the demons.

    ¡°Why¡­ didn¡¯t you be a dog¡­ Riak?¡±

    Although my pride as a wolf was trampled.

    Because he became a dog, the Khan Kingdom was able to survive without being destroyed.

    The beastmen were able to survive because they knelt and surrendered.

    ¡°You¡­ do you think you¡¯re the only one who didn¡¯t want to be a dog?¡±

    ¡°¡­Horus.¡±

    Riak looked at Horus with sad eyes.

    Horus chewed his lip until it bled.

    One hundred years.

    The emotions that have been suppressed in my heart for that long time.

    Words that I couldn¡¯t bear to say out loud exploded like a volcano.

    ¡°me too!¡±

    thud! thud!

    He hits his chest roughly with his clenched fist.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be a dog either!¡±

    I wanted to fight until the end.

    As a warrior, I wanted to face death full of pride.

    but.

    but.

    but.

    Then what about the remainingpatriots?

    What about children who have just been born into the world?

    What about therades who are injured and can¡¯t even fight properly?

    ¡°Leaving them all to die! Are you saying that all you have to do is remain a noble wolf?¡±

    The trampled and crushed emotions that have been trapped for a hundred years burst out in a scream.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak looked at Horus, who was panting, with deeply sunken eyes.

    A cry I have repeated to myself countless times over the past hundred years.

    The words that flowed out as a scream cut through my heart even more sharply.

    ¡°so.¡±

    Looking at my friend who chose to be a dog to protect everyone.

    Riak asked in a heavy voice.

    ¡°After surviving like that¡­ what is left for us?¡±

    The past week spent in the kingdom.

    When Ojin and his party were wandering around here and there to gather information.

    Riak wandered around the kingdom aimlessly and observed the daily lives of the beastmen living here.

    The beastmen live somewhere with a look of fear on their faces.

    In a way, the beastmen living within the kingdom lived in more fear than the Silver Wolf Mane tribe living in hiding outside the kingdom.

    A life of holding one¡¯s breath and living in fear every day, watching what the ¡®owner¡¯ thinks.

    That.

    Can we really say that we survived?

    ¡°When you die¡­ not even that remains.¡±

    ¡°Does anything change just because you live?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Horus lowered his head, chewing his lips.

    ¡°There is one thing I would like to ask, Horus.¡±

    Riak took a step toward Horus, who lowered his head.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t it be ¡®Khan¡¯?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°If you really thought the path you chose was right.¡±

    Even though I was shaking with fear.

    If a life of simply being grateful for being ¡®alive¡¯ was what he truly wanted.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sitting on the throne?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Horus¡¯s words trailed off.

    Throbbing.

    The words that flowed from Riak¡¯s mouth became a sharp dagger and pierced his chest.

    When you are avoiding gaze without being able to find an answer to return.

    ¡°What are you doing now?! ¡°Kill them quickly!¡±

    Kaliqu¨¦¡¯s sharp voice was heard.

    Horus looked towards Caliche.

    He was panting as if the fight against the unknown human who came with Riak was quite difficult.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t kill me right away, I¡¯ll activate the ¡®leash¡¯!¡±

    snood.

    It was a holy relic stuffed around Horus¡¯ neck to prevent him from betraying him.

    If the cor is activated, you will experience terrible pain and lose consciousness.

    In the worst case, he could have died from shock.

    Even the leash wasn¡¯t just for Horus.

    All of Horus¡¯s immediate personal guards, who were closest to him and followed him, were on leashes.

    ¡°¡­I get it.¡±

    Horus gritted his teeth and nodded.

    He shouted to the SS awaiting orders.

    ¡°Suppress the Silver Mane tribe!¡±

    ¡°yes!¡±

    Following Horus¡¯ orders, his personal guard began to move.

    Horus¡¯s personal guard was created by gathering only strong warriors from various tribes, including the ck Mane Tribe, the Red Mane Tribe, and the Brown Mane Tribe.

    The Royal Guard, who took on the form of a half-man and half-animal, surrounded the Silver Mane tribe.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Riak rushed towards Horus¡¯s personal guards, but because they were so numerous, he was unable to defeat them all at once.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Let it go!¡±

    The Silver Wolf Mane tribe, already exhausted from one fierce battle with hundreds of ck Mane tribesmen guarding the castle, was helplessly captured by the Royal Guard without even a single proper resistance.

    ¡°Namdeuuu!¡±

    Among them, Leoru was the only one who took down several of the attacking SS troops.

    ¡°Get out of the way!¡±

    When Horus entered the war, Leoru could not hold out for long and was captured by him.

    ¡°Ho Horus¡­ you¡­!¡±

    ¡°quietly.¡±

    Wow!

    He bared his teeth and roughly hit Leoru¡¯s cheek as he rushed towards him.

    Leoru slumped down in his seat and lowered his head.

    Horus turned toward Riak, clutching Leoru¡¯s neck.

    ¡°If they move, their lives are gone.¡±

    ¡°¡­Horus.¡±

    After defeating all of Horus¡¯s personal guards that were attacking him, Riak, who was about to kick his feet to help Leoru, stopped abruptly.

    Riak red at Horus, who had taken the Silver Mane tribes hostage, with cold eyes.

    ¡°I also want to ask you something, Riak.¡±

    Horus continued speaking in a heavy voice.

    ¡°Even though you weren¡¯t dead¡­ why didn¡¯t you appear for a hundred years?¡±

    ¡°¡­that.¡±

    ¡°Where have you been and what have you been doing all this time, and now you¡¯vee and imposed your standards on us!¡±

    Over the past hundred years.

    It was Horus who protected the kingdom that fell to the Demons.

    ¡°I am¡­ while you are away.¡±

    Horus clenched his fist until it bled.

    The demons who became the owners of the kingdom exhausted their finances through endless luxury and pleasure.

    There were countless beastmen who starved to death, and if they offended the devils even a little, they were executed on the spot.

    Children who smiled brightly.

    Young people who were full of pride.

    Wise old people.

    He died as a mere ything of the demon race.

    ¡°All of that¡­ my despair that I had no choice but to watch¡­ what are you talking about!¡±

    Horus lowered his head with a distorted expression.

    ¡°The despair I felt¡­ I will make you feel that misery too.¡±

    Staring at Riak with eyes full of hatred.

    Horus slowly lifted the hand holding Leoru¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Whoops whoops!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Leoru cried out in pain and struggled.

    ¡°Kneel, Riak.¡±

    The burning eyes turned towards Riak.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t be a dog here and now¡­ I will kill all of your remaining kin before your very eyes.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak¡¯s expression hardened.

 Chapter 288

    I am not a returner Episode 288:

    Dog and Wolf (13)

    ¡°Ugh¡­ let go!¡±

    Leoru, whose neck was grabbed by Horus, twisted his body as if in pain.

    He looked back at Riak and shouted as if he was squeezing.

    ¡°If you kneel¡­ you are not allowed!¡±

    Riak¡¯s shoulders trembled at Leoru¡¯s sorrowful cry.

    ¡°I told you to be quiet.¡±

    Bah!

    Horus pped Leoru¡¯s cheek again.

    Leoru, who was struggling, lowered his head, spurting blood.

    ¡°Now kneel, Riak.¡±

    Horus red at Riak with burning eyes.

    ¡°If you kneel here, I promise to release all of the captured Silver Manes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Horus.¡±

    ¡°It means you have to choose!¡±

    The choices you made.

    A choice I had to make.

    force him

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak chewed his lip and gritted his teeth.

    Horus burst intoughter as he looked at his conflicted appearance.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­ the same in the end, Riak?¡±

    To protect precious beings.

    Is that kind of pride a problem?

    No matter how miserable and ugly it is.

    Even if it¡¯s a dog and not a wolf.

    If only I could protect my precious being.

    It¡¯s nothing like kneeling.

    ¡°Sometimes¡­ you need to be a dog.¡±

    Horus spoke to Riak, who lowered his head.

    no.

    Maybe he was talking to himself.

    ¡°¡­sometimes you need to be a dog.¡±

    Augh flowed from Riak¡¯s mouth.

    Horus frowned and looked at him.

    ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to worry, Horus.¡±

    because.

    Already myself.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been living like a dog for too long already.¡±

    Riak looked up at the sky with a bitter expression, as if reminiscing about the past.

    ¡°¡­What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°I mean it literally. ¡°For the past hundred years, I have lived as a dog, not a wolf.¡±

    I was denying it and saying it wasn¡¯t.

    I was ignoring it because it was something that could not be helped.

    I know now.

    What have you been doing for the past hundred years?

    ¡°Did I ask you what you did for thest hundred years?¡±

    ¡°¡­okay.¡±

    ¡°nothing.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°Nothing was done.¡±

    It is an excuse to say that one could note out of the sanctuary due to the restrictions of thew.

    Even if it was the Holy Spirit himself, the Holy Spirit could be active outside the sanctuary to some extent.

    but.

    He did not go out of the sanctuary.

    After bing the Holy Spirit of Vega, he stayed in the sanctuary and trained like crazy to be stronger.

    Because I don¡¯t want to regret it this time.

    In the name of needing the power to protect those precious to us.

    If I can ovee the ¡®wall¡¯ and surpass the level of the past, I will leave to make up for my past mistakes.

    So I swore in front of Vega.

    ¡°It was nonsense.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t get over the wall.

    Even though I practiced like crazy, I never grew.

    It¡¯s natural.

    because.

    Because I never once had any intention of climbing over the wall.

    ¡°I was afraid of repeating failure.¡±

    When he was given the chance again.

    I was unbearably afraid of repeating the same failure.

    ¡°Once again, I was afraid that my people would die because of my choice.¡±

    So I gave up trying again.

    I crouched down, surrounded by the ¡®wall¡¯ I created myself.

    If only I could ovee that wall someday.

    If only I could be a little stronger.

    at that time.

    Repeating empty promises to go out.

    ¡°I¡­ chose to be a dog, not a wolf.¡±

    Just like Horus.

    Packing myself with all kinds of excuses.

    Justifying yourself for the same reasons.

    That¡¯s how I lived.

    A long time of one hundred years.

    ¡°¡­Riak.¡±

    ¡°At that time, I met a crazy kid.¡±

    I still remember it vividly.

    Oh Jin stood up shakily, his whole body soaked in blood.

    A crazy guy who smiled brightly as if nothing had happened even after receiving several fatal wounds.

    Are you saying there is nothing that can be solved with patience?

    Where in the world can you find such crazy sophistry?

    No matter how hard you try to ignore it.

    Pain is real.

    Fear is real.

    It is not a problem that can be solved by enduring it.

    but.

    ¡°That kid did it.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you want to say?¡±

    ¡°Ever since I met that kid, I couldn¡¯t help but look.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean you had no choice but to see it?¡±

    ¡°Something I didn¡¯t want to see.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Actually, I¡¯ve known it for a long time.

    no.

    Maybe he knew from the beginning.

    That he is just a coward making cowardly excuses.

    Even though I knew, I was ignoring it.

    He was turning his head with his eyes down.

    Because I was afraid of failing again.

    Because he was afraid of taking responsibility for those who would die because of his failure.

    But after meeting Ojin.

    After facing the brightly shining star in the dark cloudy sky.

    He could no longer look away.

    I couldn¡¯t live with my head turned away from things I didn¡¯t want to see.

    -Are you a dog or a wolf now?

    A question I couldn¡¯t answer.

    Now it was time to answer that question.

    ¡°This is my answer, Horus.¡±

    A blue thunderbolt enveloped Riak¡¯s body.

    His ck-dyed fur burned away in the blue thunderbolt and new fur covered his body.

    Fur that shines with brilliant silver.

    Creep, boom, boom!

    With an eerie sound of bone fracture, Riak¡¯s body transformed into the form of a werewolf.

    ¡°Krrrrrrr!¡±

    Couuuuuuuuck!

    When I stamped my foot roughly, a huge crater ripped through the ground, as if I had hit the window with a hammer.

    The entire castle shook as if there had been an earthquake.

    ¡°I swear in the name of Riak Khan!¡±

    A ferocious roar rang out.

    ¡°I am!¡±

    Even if I repeat the same failure again.

    Even if precious people lose their lives due to your choices.

    ¡°I will be a wolf.¡±

    Let¡¯s go!

    A storm of blue lightning swept around Riak¡¯s body and spread widely.

    Coo!

    He stamped his feet roughly and sprinted towards Horus.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Riak¡¯s fist rushed in at terrifying speed and struck Horus right in the palm of his hand.

    Bah!

    Horus¡¯s body violently bounced around as his head turned violently.

    Horus flies, bouncing on the ground like a swallow due to the incredible power contained in his fist.

    ¡°Horus!¡±

    Horus¡¯s mighty personal guards rushed towards Riak.

    ¡°Chahaha!¡±

    The SS warrior with the red mane swung his fist at Riak.

    Riak dodged the fist by slightly twisting his head and roughly grabbed the SS warrior¡¯s arm.

    Wow!

    The arm was bent at a bizarre angle with the sound of bones breaking.

    ¡°Get out of the way, kids.¡±

    Riak violently swung the arm he was holding and threw it at the SS warrior running after him.

    The SS warrior who was running was tangled and fell as the body was fired as fast as a cannonball.

    ¡°Stop it! ¡°If they move, these guys will lose their lives¡­!¡±

    An SS warrior thrusting his sharp ws into the throat of a captured Silver Mane tribesman.

    Without even responding, Riak swung his ws at the SS warrior holding the Silver Mane n hostage.

    Lightning¡¯s fingernails are made along the traces of fingernails drawn in the air.

    A blue-ming thunderbolt was fired at the SS warrior at blinding speed.

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    The eyes of the SS warrior holding the hostage widened in shock.

    Lightning¡¯s ws were not aimed at just him.

    A blow that pierced even the Silver Mane tribe he was now holding hostage.

    ¡°You crazy bastard!¡±

    Seeing Riak firing an attack as if he was nning to kill the hostage, the SS warrior let out a harsh curse and threw himself to the side.

    ¡°Kaaaaaa!¡±

    The Silver Mane tribe member who was held hostage was unable to avoid the attack and was hit by Thunder¡¯s ws.

    A terrible scream broke out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t die.¡±

    Riak threw himself to the side and ran toward the SS warrior who had dodged Thunderbolt¡¯s ws.

    Wow!

    He kicked the SS warrior in the stomach as if he were kicking a ball.

    ¡°Kuhuheook!¡±

    An SS warrior flew tens of meters and crashed into the castle wall.

    ¡°Liakuuu!¡±

    Horus rushed towards Riak, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

    thud! Coogung! Kugugoogung!

    shing fists.

    Even though it was simply a sh of fists, a series of explosive sounds shook the entire castle.

    ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t care if your own people die?¡±

    Horus¡¯ fist hit Riak harshly on the cheek.

    ¡°Even if all those who believed in and followed you die! ¡°Are you the only wolf who wants to protect his pride?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s left in your life when you throw away your pride?!¡±

    Riak¡¯s fist struck Horus¡¯ chin.

    Horus¡¯ head tilted back.

    Horus grabbed Riak¡¯s shoulders and struck his forehead like a hammer.

    ¡°There is life left!¡±

    ¡°There is only life left!¡±

    With blood pouring from his torn forehead, Riak grabbed Horus¡¯ shoulder this time and hit him on the forehead.

    Bah!

    With a dull sound, Horus fell backwards, spewing blood.

    ¡°You became a dog to save your people?¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    He roughly trampled on Horus¡¯s fallen ship.

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense, Horus.¡±

    zing hot eyes turned to Horus.

    ¡°You were just afraid of fighting.¡±

    Because he cannot bear the weight of mortal life due to his own helplessness.

    I just gave up fighting.

    ¡°What are you talking about that you know!¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten who I was?¡±

    Her silver mane fluttered in the swirling wind.

    ¡°I am ¡®Khan¡¯ Horus.¡±

    The weight of life that I had to carry more than anyone else was distant.

    Nevertheless.

    No, that¡¯s why.

    ¡°I had to be a wolf.¡±

    If I give in, everyone else will give in.

    If I break, everyone else breaks.

    If I fall, everyone else falls.

    ¡°that is.¡±

    Riak¡¯s fist came down harshly towards Horus¡¯ face.

    ¡°It is a weight that ¡®Khan¡¯ must bear.¡±

    Coo!

    Just before Riak¡¯s fist came down.

    Horus barely managed to avoid Riak¡¯s fist by twisting his head.

    Riak¡¯s fist hit the floor and the ground caved in and copsed.

    Horus rolled on the floor to distance himself from Riak.

    ¡°Huh oh oh oh oh!¡±

    A trickle of blood flowed down the corner of Horus¡¯s mouth as he exhaled harshly.

    Riak slowly walked towards Horus, who was out of breath.

    ¡°You would know if you had been there for a hundred years.¡±

    ¡°I am¡­¡±

    ¡°Not Khan?¡±

    Eat.

    Riak let out augh.

    He red at Horus with cold eyes.

    ¡°How long are you nning on running away like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°I have given you the answer, Horus.¡±

    Now it¡¯s his turn to give the answer.

    ¡°Are you a dog or a wolf?¡±

    Riak looked at his old friend and asked quietly.

 Chapter 289

    I am not a returner Episode 289:

    The Dog and the Wolf (14)

    Horus¡¯ expression hardened.

    Horus blurted out his words and avoided his gaze.

    Riak red at Horus with cold eyes.

    ¡°I am¡­¡±

    When I was trying to answer.

    ¡°Horus!¡±

    A hysterical voice pierced my ears.

    Caliche, who was continuing the battle with Ojin, was ring at Horus with her eyes wide as if they were torn apart.

    ¡°What on earth are you doing?! ¡°I¡¯m sure I told you to kill them, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Whether you use hostages or whatever you do, kill them quickly! ¡­Ugh?!¡±

    Kalyke frowned and blocked Ojin¡¯s fierce spear strike.

    Horus chewed his lip and looked back at Kalyke.

    ¡°Hostages¡­ are useless.¡±

    Riak had already made up his mind.

    He won¡¯t stop even if you kill the Silver Mane n he captured.

    ¡°under! Can¡¯t you tell just by looking at it that it¡¯s a bluff? ¡°Don¡¯t just talk loudly, set an example!¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Horus clenched his fists and looked toward the SS.

    Thanks to Riak¡¯s actions, several captured members of the Silver Mane tribe were released, but that was it.

    Most of the Silver Mane tribe was still held in the hands of the SS.

    No matter how Riak is, he won¡¯t be able to save that many people at the same time.

    ¡°Why are you hesitating!¡±

    ¡°I am¡­¡±

    ¡°Horus!¡±

    My clenched fist is shaking.

    As Kalike said, Riak¡¯s attitude might change if he saw hispatriots dying right in front of his eyes.

    No, even if it doesn¡¯t change, it will at least shake his mentality.

    ¡°I am.¡±

    It¡¯s simple.

    As always.

    All you have to do is do as you are told.

    ¡°Horus!¡±

    ¡°Order!¡±

    Horus¡¯s guards plunged their sharp ws into the neck of the captured Silver Mane tribesman.

    As soon as themand is given, the heads of dozens of Silver Mane tribe members will be torn off by sharp nails in less than a second.

    ¡®okay.¡¯

    If you don¡¯t kill the Silver Mane n now ording to Kalyke¡¯s orders, he will activate the ¡®Leash¡¯.

    If the leash is activated, even the only bodyguard in the kingdom who trusted and followed him will be lost.

    ¡®It¡¯s a choice I¡¯ve already made several times.¡¯

    In order to protect the lives of ourpatriots, we must follow Kalyke¡¯s words.

    Be his loyal dog.

    No matter how miserable it is.

    No matter how miserable it is.

    All I have to do is kneel.

    All I have to do is surrender.

    Then you can save it.

    Everyone.

    -You were just afraid of fighting.

    Riak¡¯s words became a sharp knife and cut into your heart.

    ¡°Who¡­ are you saying is Khan?¡±

    The person who said that also said that he had not done anything for a hundred years.

    Now youe here and brazenly call out your wolf pride?

    ¡°You could have just turned away!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t turn away.

    I was ovee by helplessness as I watched mypatriots dying before my eyes.

    ¡°What I want to hear is not an excuse, but an answer, Horus.¡±

    ¡°I am!¡±

    Coo!

    Horus stamped his foot roughly.

    I red at Riak with two wide-open eyes.

    Even though all of hispatriots would die if he gave a singlemand.

    Riak¡¯s eyes did not waver at all.

    ¡®It¡¯s a bluff.¡¯

    okay.

    It¡¯s just as Kaliqu¨¦ said.

    Since none of the capturedpatriots have died yet, they are just acting as if nothing has happened.

    Riak is not a wolf.

    He¡¯s just a cowardly bastard like himself.

    ¡°Ugh! ¡°If you don¡¯t give me an order right now, I¡¯ll activate the leashes around your men¡¯s necks!¡±

    Kalyke¡¯s voice is heard.

    A voice that had bound him for a hundred years.

    It¡¯s no different from then.

    My knees are already worn out from kneeling so many times.

    What difference will there be if it happens one more time?

    therefore.

    ¡°damn! ¡°Why are you hesitating?¡±

    The answer is.

    ¡°Kill me quickly!¡±

    It¡¯s decided¡­

    ¡°¡­hit it.¡±

    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±

    Horus¡¯ eyes turned to Caliche.

    ¡°I told you to shut up, Kalyke.¡±

    Even if your knees are already worn out.

    Even if your pride has been burned to ashes.

    -That is the weight that ¡®Khan¡¯ must bear.

    Horus looked at his old friend standing in front of him.

    Cowardly bastard.

    Iughed and muttered softly.

    After hearing that.

    How can one remain a ¡®dog¡¯ any longer?

    ¡°SS listen!¡±

    Horus looked back at his guards and shouted.

    Each and every one of their faces that I may never see again.

    Engrave in your heart the weight of life you must carry.

    ¡°Imand in the name of Horus Khan!¡±

    The name that has been ignored for a hundred years.

    Now is the time to shoulder it.

    ¡°Free the Silver Mane n from their hold!¡±

    ¡°¡­Horus.¡±

    The eyes of the SS focused on Horus.

    He gently adjusted the leash around his neck and lowered his fingernails to the nape of the silver-maned tribesman¡¯s neck.

    Jump and jump.

    The footsteps of the SS headed towards Horus.

    The SS soldiers lined up in front of him straightened their backs, clenched their fists, and thumped their left chest three times.

    An old custom that has now disappeared.

    It was an oath of loyalty only to ¡®Khan¡¯.

    ¡°I will follow Khan¡¯s orders.¡±

    With that said, finally.

    Rumbling!

    ck clouds spewed out from the nes the SS wore around their necks.

    The SS soldiers trembled with their faces turning ck.

    They rolled over their pure white eyes and fell down with their tongues sticking out.

    ¡°haha. ¡°Any bastards who dare to show their teeth to their masters should die.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°I saved half of it. If you want to save even the remaining subordinates¡­!¡±

    When Calice turns to Horus and is about to shout.

    Quack!

    Ojin¡¯s spear pierced Kalyke¡¯s sr plexus.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    ¡°Do it in moderation, kid.¡±

    Kalyke, who unleashed the power of the Heavenly Demon, was strong.

    Even Ojin, who received Vega¡¯s blessing, was struggling.

    Perhaps, if it had been done properly, it would have been impossible to subdue Vega before his blessing went out.

    ¡°Did you think you could survive even if you fought like that?¡±

    Because Caliche¡¯s mind was diverted, he was able to plunge the spear into Vega¡¯s sr plexus before his blessing ended.

    ¡°Kukkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!¡±

    The blue glow in Kalyke¡¯s eyes gradually faded.

    Kalyke, who was spewing out blood while clutching her empty sr plexus, fell forward.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Ojin sighed deeply and pulled out the spear stuck in Kalyke¡¯s sr plexus.

    The brilliant silver light surrounding his body gradually diminished, and Vega appeared with a tired expression.

    [Is this over now?]

    Vega is clutching her chest and gasping as if in pain, as if the restrictions of thew have begun.

    Ojin nodded, carefullyying Vega down on his palm.

    ¡°okay.¡±

    [There is still one person left named Horus¡­.]

    ¡°That is not something I should do.¡±

    Ojin shook his head softly and looked down at Horus¡¯ men who were lying on the ground with their faces turning dark.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A bitter taste spread in my mouth.

    I wanted to kill him somehow before Calice activated his leash, but even with Vega¡¯s blessing, all I could do was push him a little.

    Perhaps, if Callie had known that Vega¡¯s blessing did notst very long, she could have been the one to be a cold corpse with her sr plexus pierced.

    ¡®This is the power of the demon race.¡¯

    I could understand why they became the rulers of the Demon World.

    Ojin sighed deeply and turned his head towards Horus.

    Horus looking down nkly at his dead subordinates.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Horus looked down at his fallen subordinates with bitter eyes.

    As Kalike said, half of them were alive.

    In other words, the remaining half died.

    Because of your own choices.

    For my petty pride.

    ¡°¡­was this the weight you had to carry?¡±

    Hehehe.

    Horus shook his shoulders andughed.

    ¡°It¡¯s so¡­ so heavy.¡±

    no.

    I cried.

    ¡°Krrrrr.¡±

    Crack!

    Horus grew in size and a ck mane covered his entire body.

    But Kalyke is already dead.

    He still had work to finish.

    ¡°Come, Riak.¡±

    The ck wolf¡¯s eyes turned to Riak.

    ¡°Let¡¯s settle the matter.¡±

    ¡°¡­Horus.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t really want to say that it¡¯s the end because Kalyke is dead, do you?¡±

    Riak clenched his fists with a bitter expression.

    As Horus said, it cannot be the end just because Caliche is dead.

    ¡°If you want to get Khan¡¯s name back!¡±

    The corners of Horus¡¯ mouth rose fiercely.

    ¡°Kill me!¡±

    Quang!

    The ck wolf galloped away.

    A fist filled with terrifying power split the air and struck Riak¡¯s cheek.

    Blood flowed from Riak¡¯s mouth.

    Riak grinned, wiping the blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.

    ¡°under! ¡°Is this all it takes?¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re a cat now, not a dog!¡±

    ¡°As long as the mouth survives!¡±

    What kind of cat is this, with blood dripping from its mouth?

    Horus grabbed Riak¡¯s shoulder with a bewildered expression.

    He lifted his knee like lightning and tried to hit Riak in the stomach.

    ¡°Crumbling!¡±

    Riak pressed down on Horus¡¯s knees with his palms and struck his head like a hammer.

    Quack!

    Horus staggered back as blood sttered out.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ It¡¯s as hard a head as ever.¡±

    ¡°There are so many things in my head.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense again. ¡°Who was it that ran away into the forest as soon as ss started?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you cut it too?¡±

    ¡°You dragged me by force!¡±

    My immature childhood.

    It brings back memories of when there was still peace in the Khan Kingdom.

    Unlike the mouths that burst intoughter and warmly told old stories, the two wolves¡¯ fists were swinging mercilessly at each other.

    Fist and fist shing.

    Blood and sweat sshed out, and the two wolves tangled fiercely.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Bah!

    Riak¡¯s fist dug into Horus¡¯ sr plexus.

    Horus slid back as if he had expected an attack and grabbed Riak¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡±

    Horus beats Riak while holding his arm.

    The ground caved in due to the huge impact, and dust flew in all directions.

    Riak, who was pinned to the floor, gritted his teeth.

    Riak flipped his hips and kicked Horus with both feet.

    Horus held his legs and rotated his body as if he was waiting.

    Horus spins so fast that the scattered dust turns into a small whirlwind.

    Horus, who was spinning as fast as a top, let go of the leg he was holding when the centrifugal force reached its peak.

    Riak¡¯s body, thrown like a shot put,nded in the fountain in the castle garden.

    Kugugoogung!

    The statue erected in the center of the fountain copsed, and debris poured down on Riak.

    ¡°Kuhhh¡­¡±

    Riak groaned and staggered out of the rubble.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t the cat do something earlier?¡±

    Horus grinned as he looked at Riak, who was moaning.

    ¡°Has it been so long that you forgot, Riak?¡±

    My fingernails grew long like swords.

    ¡°You went tobat sparring ss with me and never won.¡±

    The ck wolf fiercely bared its teeth and kicked its feet.

 Chapter 290

    I am not a returner Episode 290:

    Dog and Wolf (15)

    ¡°When will we talk about enemies¡­!¡±

    Riak kicked the attacking Horus in the stomach.

    Horus¡¯ body was pushed backwards.

    I tried to push Horus even further without letting go of that gap.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    My clenched fist was shaking.

    A dizzying pain ran through my body, as if sharp needles were cutting into the flesh of my body.

    ¡®Is it a restriction of thew?¡¯

    He had not yet used the power of stigmata to the extent of being restricted by thew.

    then.

    [Ha, ha, ha.]

    In the distance, Vega could be seen lying on Ojin¡¯s palm, panting heavily.

    When Riak took a step towards Vega with a worried expression.

    ¡°Where are you looking?¡±

    Horus rushed forward like a thunderbolt and hit Riak¡¯s chin over his shoulder.

    Riak¡¯s body, which floated nearly 5 meters, fell into the remains of the broken fountain.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how Kalyke died earlier?¡±

    Horus red at Riak with burning eyes.

    Selling one¡¯s mind elsewhere during battle was no different from sticking one¡¯s neck out for death.

    Riak, who had been stuck in the fountain, staggered to his feet.

    He nodded softly, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

    ¡°I apologize.¡±

    Now is not the time to worry about Vega¡¯s condition.

    What he needs to focus on is the enemy in front of him.

    They were close friends andrades-in-arms who had grown up together since childhood.

    ¡°Goes.¡±

    Squeeze!

    A blue thunderbolt burned between the silver mane.

    After Horus and Riak¡¯s gaze crossed in the air.

    Quaaaang!

    The two wolves kicked their feet without regard for who would go first.

    Two wolves running towards each other.

    It was Horus who drew his sword first.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    His fingernails, which had grown long like des, were cut diagonally.

    ck aura covered the nails and burned like fire.

    Riak stamped his feet with the same momentum as he had lunged forward.

    The surrounding ground caved in and Riak¡¯s body rose high.

    ¡°Where!¡±

    Horus raised his head and stamped his feet as he traced Riak¡¯s location.

    I brought my ws together andshed out at Riak, who was floating in the air, as if stabbing a spear.

    Puzzle!

    Riak twisted his body in the air by stepping on the thunderbolt and clenched his fists to avoid Horus¡¯ ws.

    A lightning-zing fist struck Horus in the sr plexus.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Coo!

    Horus fell like a meteorite.

    He looked up at Riak, who created a tform for lightning in the air and changed direction at will, andughed.

    ¡°When did you learn those skills?¡±

    ¡°A hundred years is a long time.¡±

    It¡¯s true that I locked myself up against the wall.

    However, that didn¡¯t mean we were just sitting there ying and eating.

    ¡°indeed.¡±

    Horus nodded and chuckled.

    ¡°As you said, a hundred years is a very long time.¡±

    His ck mane stood stiffly and his body crouched low.

    A posture with all four feet on the ground.

    A red light appeared in Horus¡¯s eyes like a will-o¡¯-the-wisp burning in the dark night.

    ¡°Krrrrrrr!¡±

    Horus turned his red eyes towards Riak and let out a low cry.

    Is this what it would feel like to enter a cage of hungry wolves?

    Just looking at it was so dense that it took my breath away, swallowing up the surroundings like a swamp.

    ¡°¡­that.¡±

    Riak¡¯s expression hardened.

    Berserk.

    It seemed like the beast power inherent within the beastmen had been raised to the limit.

    In order to enter the wild state, several conditions were necessary.

    One is that the blood of the animal must be thick enough to use berserk.

    Among the beastmen, only purebloods with the darkest animal blood could use it.

    The two have enough stamina to withstand the berserk state.

    For most beastmen, the moment they go berserk, their entire body¡¯s blood boils and they die instantly.

    Thest three will have a full moon in the night sky.

    Berserking could only be used under the full moon, when the animal¡¯s blood was at its strongest.

    but.

    ¡°How on earth did you use berserk fire in broad daylight?¡±

    It was bright daylight, with not even a sunset yet, let alone a full moon.

    Even if the first and second conditions are met, Berserk cannot be used.

    Horus used some kind of magic in broad daylight when the sun was shining.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me? ¡°A hundred years is a very long time.¡±

    He even maintained his senses to the point where he was able to have a normal conversation while using Berserker.

    ¡°Hehehe. Right.¡±

    Riak swallowed hard and clenched his fists.

    I watched Horus¡¯ movements with nervous eyes.

    The eerie red eyes, burning like a will-o¡¯-the-wisp, waved back and forth.

    Coo!

    A sudden sharp pain runs through my body.

    It is no exaggeration to call it a brief moment.

    Horus disappeared like a ghost and appeared in front of Riak.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Embarrassed, Riak urgently raised his arms and covered his face.

    A defense that is close to instinct rather than a movement based on sight and reaction.

    The fist of Horus hits the forearm.

    Drurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    The ground Riak was stepping on was deeply dug out as if it had been dug up by an excavator, and he was pushed back.

    ¡°Krrrrr!¡±

    The attack did not end with just one attack.

    Horus moved at a speed so fast that the eye couldn¡¯t even follow him, and swung his fist at Riak.

    The power and speed are iparable to before using Berserker.

    Riak¡¯s entire body was in tatters as his fists swung non-stop and he was thrown back.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    His internal organs must have been turned to mush, and a handful of dark red blood poured out.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal for shouting out loud, Riak.¡±

    Horus¡¯ red eyes looked down at Riak.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak wiped away the blood and stood up.

    I clenched my fists and tried to remain silent.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Pajik Pajijik!

    Blue sparks flew out and Riak¡¯s body swayed.

    The restrictions of thew that bound the constetions began to exert their influence in earnest.

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Horus also seemed to have noticed that Riak¡¯s condition was not normal, and looked at him with frowned eyes.

    ¡°Nothing¡­ Ugh! ¡°Kaaaa!¡±

    Riak knelt down on one knee and crouched.

    A pain so distant and unimaginable wracked my entire body.

    As if threatening to leave him alone if he moves even a single footstep.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, Riak.¡±

    Ojin approached Riak, who was crouching.

    I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back slightly.

    Riak shook his shoulder and red sharply at Ojin.

    ¡°What are you doing, kid?¡±

    ¡°The restrictions of thew have begun, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll finish it.¡±

    Ojin looked at Horus and grabbed his spear.

    It may be difficult to fight Horus head-on now that the blessing¡¯s duration is over.

    ¡°Mr. Ojin!¡±

    ¡°Ojina! ¡°I¡¯ve cleared out all the people in the vige!¡±

    Just then, Isabe and Ha-eun, who had sorted out the situation in the vige, arrived.

    If the three join forces, they will be able to easily deal with even a berserk Horus.

    ¡°You¡¯ve endured enough.¡±

    It is said that the Holy Spirit is less restricted by thew than the Holy See.

    That meant receiving less, not not receiving anything at all.

    If he uses more power than this, the restrictions of thew will tear Riak to pieces.

    ¡°¡­You said you endured enough?¡±

    but.

    Riakughed and stood up.

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense, kid.¡±

    He gritted his teeth and took a step toward Horus.

    Just by taking one step, I felt a sharp pain as if my whole body was being cut with a knife.

    ¡°This is a fight between wolves.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t let anyone interfere.

    Even if the object is the rules of the world created by the transcendent.

    It¡¯s a joke!

    The blue thunderbolt that had lost its luster burned fiercely again, as if oil had been poured on it.

    Riak¡¯s body began to crack like broken ss.

    Blood flowed out from between the gaping flesh.

    ¡°Hey hey! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your body?¡±

    Ha-eun shouted with a shocked expression.

    It looked as if the window had been hit with a hammer.

    The body was cracked like a spider web, and it felt like it would shatter into pieces if I even touched it wrongly.

    ¡°Keuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu me us me ou¡­?

    As the strength of the stigmata increases, the pain doubles.

    Riak chewed his lip and took another step forward.

    Ojin looked at Riak¡¯s back as he walked away with a stiff expression.

    ¡°Riak¡­.¡±

    ¡°You did that, kid.¡±

    Riak turned his head and grinned.

    ¡°Nothing can be solved by enduring it.¡±

    If pain is the price.

    I¡¯ll take whatever it takes.

    Just like you did.

    ¡°Seueueueueueu.¡±

    Riak took a deep breath and raised his head.

    An illusion of a ¡®wall¡¯ appeared before his eyes.

    A wall that has not been ovee for a hundred years.

    The shackles of fear that bound me.

    ¡°Hehehe!¡±

    Laughter burst out inadvertently.

    It was a high wall that seemed impossible to ovee.

    Looking back now, I couldn¡¯t believe it looked this poor.

    ¡°Was it only this much?¡±

    Clench your fists.

    zing blue thunderbolt.

    The stigmata engraved on his left chest shone brightly like a star.

    A terrible pain followed him as if threatening him.

    It¡¯s as if they dare think of crossing the ¡®wall¡¯.

    ¡°It¡¯s not over.¡±

    As the restrictions of thew became stronger, the flesh broke like cubes and fell down.

    The pain that felt like my head was burning white burned my reason.

    ¡°At best! ¡°This much!¡±

    Coo!

    It stamps its feet roughly and roars.

    It¡¯s okay to break.

    It doesn¡¯t matter if it copses.

    ¡°Do you think you can tie up this Riak Khan!!!¡±

    I swing my fist at the wall in front of me.

    Damn.

    The wall that had imprisoned him for a hundred years cracked and began to copse.

    And beyond that wall.

    ¡°Hehe! ¡°You are as ignorant as ever!¡±

    Horus was looking at him with a bright smile.

    ¡°Horusuuuuuu!!¡±

    ¡°Liakuuu!¡±

    Two wolves run away.

    Kuguguguguguguggung!!

    The ground shook and the castle, which was tens of meters high, began to copse.

    The bodies of the two wolves, running towards each other in a straight line, intersected.

    and.

    ¡°Cool luck!¡±

    Horus with a basketball-sized hole in his chest.

    Riak¡¯s fist was sticking out of his back.

    ¡°Hehehe!¡±

    Horus burst intoughter as his fist pierced his chest.

    ¡°It was a wonderful¡­ hit, Riak.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about finding form.¡±

    Cough.

    Blood poured from Riak¡¯s mouth.

    Horus smiled slightly and ced his hand on Riak¡¯s arm, which had pierced his chest.

    ¡°Born as a wolf¡­ ¡°I lived like a dog.¡±

    A voice full of regret and guilt.

    ¡°But thanks to you.¡±

    A bright smile appeared on Horus¡¯s lips.

    ¡°But at least at the end¡­ I can die as a wolf.¡±

    Thank you, Riak.

    With a final murmur.

    Horus¡¯s eyes, which had been burning red, lost their shine.

    Slurp.

    Horus¡¯ body copsed.

    ¡°¡­Rest.¡±

    Riak closed his old friend¡¯s eyes that had lost their light with his hands.

    With my back straight, I clenched my fist and struck my left chest three times.

    thud.

    thud.

    thud.

 Chapter 291

    I am not a returner Episode 291

    Interlude ¨C Banquet (1)

    ¡°Now then, everyone raise your sses.¡±

    Leoru raises his ss with a heavy expression.

    He nced around at the silver-maned tribe gathered around him.

    Silver-maned tribal warriors with bandages tied all over their bodies came forward and raised their drinks one by one.

    The ce they are heading to is a tomb built on one side of the vige.

    It was the ce where the warriors who died fighting the Majin faction in this rebellion were buried.

    ¡°The first drink is for the warriors who left.¡±

    A drink is poured over a grave with a tombstone erected on it.

    Clear liquor flowed down like tears and wetted the tombstone.

    ¡°The second cup is for the warriors who couldn¡¯t leave.¡±

    The injured people filled their sses and gulped them down.

    There were warriors who were so seriously injured that they could not even lift their drinking sses properly, but they all poured strong alcohol down their throats as if they did not care.

    ¡°Thest drink is for ourselves.¡±

    The vigers drank together at the same time.

    Among them were young beastmen like Leo and Liru, but they drank strong alcohol with their eyes tightly closed.

    Leoru looked back at the Silver Mane n and opened his mouth quietly.

    ¡°For the past hundred years, our tribe has been deprived of its home and lived in fear and hunger.¡±

    As if the sadness had exploded, the number of silver-maned tribes shedding tears began to increase one by one.

    ¡°but!¡±

    Coo!

    Leoru stomped his foot roughly, attracting attention.

    ¡°No matter how much the demons plundered our lives, they couldn¡¯t take even one thing from us!¡±

    Light shone in the eyes of the silver-maned tribesman who was shedding tears at his passionate voice.

    ¡°Warriors who have maintained their pride as wolves! ¡°I¡¯m more proud of you guys than anyone else!¡±

    I raised the clinking ss of wine high.

    ¡°I will dere it here!¡±

    A hot roar rang out.

    ¡°The Silver Mane tribe¡­ no, all the beast people have finally been liberated from the demon people! ¡°I have be a proud wolf!¡±

    Waaaaaa!

    The whole vige was filled with cheers.

    Leoru watched with warm eyes the vigers shedding tears of joy and hugging each other, and as time passed and the shouting died down, he opened his mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame, but liberation from the demons was not achieved solely through our own efforts.¡±

    Leoru moved away from the podium and gave Ojin a look.

    Oh Jin walked up to the podium with an embarrassed expression.

    ¡°This is the great warrior who pierced the heart of the vicious Caliche.¡±

    Leoru introduced Ojin to the vigers who did not participate in the battle.

    Oh Jin slightly lowered his head as he felt countless eyes on him.

    ¡°If the brave warriors of the Silver Mane Tribe had not fought at the forefront, we would not have been able to kill Kalyke.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just a remark made to show humility.

    If the warriors of the Silver Mane Tribe had not defeated two demons before Ojin arrived at the castle, it would have been impossible for Ojin to fight three demons at the same time with his own strength.

    ¡°The Silver Mane Tribe will never forget the kindness we received from Mr. Ojin.¡±

    Leoru bowed deeply towards Ojin and showed respect.

    ¡°You two, pleasee up.¡±

    Leoru looks back at Ha-eun and Isabe.

    ¡°Eh? Ooh, us too?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they the benefactors who protected the vigers who were almost taken hostage?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ha-eun and Isabe also came up to the stage due to Leoru¡¯s strong attitude.

    Leoru looked around for Riak, but he was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°As you all know, these people are the benefactors who saved the vige from the hands of the evil demons while the tribe¡¯s warriors were away.¡±

    Waaaaaa!

    Once again, loud cheers erupted.

    The Silver Mane Tribe, who were initially wary of Ojin and his party as foreigners, weed Naruto with the same enthusiasm as the Leaf Vige ninja who weed him as Hokage.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I mean.¡±

    Ha-eun scratches her head as if feeling burdened by the cheers pouring in from around her.

    Isabe stepped forward on behalf of Ha-eun.

    She bowed her head towards Leoru with a graceful movement and opened her mouth.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the kindness of the chief who kindly weed strangers, we wouldn¡¯t have achieved our goal.¡±

    Isabe smiles brightly and beautifully.

    ¡°Thank you for inviting me to this banquet.¡±

    The beastman tribe was agitated by its beautiful appearance, which was awe-inspiring.

    ¡°We have plenty of food and alcohol avable, so please enjoy itfortably.¡±

    Leoru smiled slightly and nodded.

    Another round of cheers erupted, and Ohjin and his group went down the stage amidst cheers.

    ¡°And¡­¡±

    Leoru¡¯s gaze turned to the other side.

    Outside the vige, several tribes gathered, including the ck Mane Tribe, the Brown Mane Tribe, and the Red Mane Tribe.

    They were all members of the ¡®anti-Main faction¡¯ that resisted the rule of the Mains.

    Although they did not fight against the Majin tribe like the Silver Mane tribe, they were the ones who helped behind the scenes, such as secretly freeing the Silver Mane tribe that had been sold to the Demon tribe and treated like ves, and providing them with supplies that werecking in the vige.

    Representatives from each tribe came out one by one and stood in front of Leoru.

    ¡°The ck Mane Tribe will recognize the wolf Leoru of the Silver Mane Tribe as ¡®Khan.¡¯¡±

    ¡°The Red Mane Tribe will recognize the wolf Leoru of the Silver Mane Tribe as ¡®Khan.¡¯¡±

    ¡°The Brown Mane Tribe will recognize the wolf Leoru of the Silver Mane Tribe as ¡®Khan.¡¯¡±

    They straightened their backs and struck their chests three times with their clenched fists.

    Leoru looked back at the anti-Main faction¡¯s beastmen and nodded slightly.

    ¡°We have been fooled by the wicked tongues of the demons and have pitted our teeth against each other, but we are all proud beastmen with the same wolf blood flowing through us.¡±

    Although Kalyke and the Majin people who followed him died, there still remained a pro-Main faction within the kingdom that had enjoyed power on the side of the Majin people.

    In order to purge them and rebuild the kingdom, it was necessary to prevent conflicts among the remaining beastmen as much as possible.

    However, no matter how anti-Main tribe the faction was, the emotional rift between the different tribes was deep.

    So this banquet was prepared.

    Dancing and chatting while drunkenly makes up for the emotional rift that has deepened over the years.

    ¡°Today is the day of liberation, when the beast people regained their freedom for the first time in a hundred years!¡±

    There are still many unresolved issues.

    No, it¡¯s just unresolved issues.

    At least for today.

    ¡°Let¡¯s forget everything and get drunk!¡±

    Waaaaaa!

    The banquet began with loud cheers.

    * * *

    As the strong smell of alcohol wafted from the vige, the banquet began.

    A man with silver hair was standing tall in the forest a little ways away.

    ¡°¡­ha.¡±

    A man sighing deeply.

    Riak looked down at the grave of his old friend and chewed his lips.

    ¡°You idiot.¡±

    He cursed in a somber voice and ced his hand on the tombstone erected in front of the grave.

    ¡°Is it okay for a guy named Khan to die and be buried in a ce like this?¡±

    Originally, the beast people who inherited the name ¡®Khan¡¯ would be buried in a ce called the Warrior¡¯s Tomb under the royal castle.

    However, in the case of Horus, he was not buried in the warrior¡¯s tomb because he did not officially inherit the name of Khan and surrendered to the demons and handed over the kingdom.

    The ce where he was buried was in a remote forest away from the royal castle.

    This was the ce where Horus was dragged out by Riak when he skipped ss and ran away.

    ¡°Hmph, now that I think about it, such an unsightly tomb would be perfect for an idiot like you.¡±

    Riak poured a bottle of alcohol he brought from the vige onto the tombstone.

    In less than a few seconds, the bottle of alcohol was empty.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A drop of water other than alcohol fell on the wet tombstone.

    Riak¡¯s shoulders trembled as he lowered his head.

    ¡°Are you crying?¡±

    ¡°Whoosh!¡±

    Riak suddenly raised his head and turned to where the voice came from.

    Ohjin was seen trudging along, holding a bottle of alcohol in one hand.

    ¡°Why did youe here?!¡±

    ¡°I came to watch you cum.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t cry!¡±

    Riak shook his head with an urgent expression.

    Ojin burst intoughter and sat down next to him.

    ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Even if I hand over Khan¡¯s position to Leoru.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The long-awaited liberation of the beast people was achieved.

    You would want to remain Khan and see the kingdom that has restored peace.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there something more important left for me now than remaining Khan and leading the kingdom?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anything will change just because you¡¯re not there.¡±

    ¡°joy. ¡°Don¡¯t show off your clumsy bravado, kid.¡±

    ¡°Did you get caught?¡±

    Oh Jin chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

    After dealing with the Majins this time, I was able to realize that Riak was an indispensable force.

    ¡°The ce I should be is next to Vega.¡±

    Riak smiled slightly as he thought of the goddess.

    ¡°How¡¯s Vega doing?¡±

    ¡°He is resting in the sanctuary. ¡°You will be able toe back soon.¡±

    ¡°It looks like the restrictions of thew have really weakened.¡±

    Originally, once you used a blessing, you had to stay in the sanctuary for several weeks.

    Perhaps thanks to the weakening of the restrictions of thew, the period has been greatly shortened.

    ¡°Huh cha.¡±

    Ojin put down the bottle of alcohol he had prepared and held out the empty ss to Riak.

    Riak received a drink from Ojin.

    Jang.

    The two filled their drinks and clinked their sses in silence.

    ¡°Wow Mr. Why are you so drunk?¡±

    As I took a sip, the strong scent of alcohol spread into my mouth.

    Riak looked at Ojin, who frowned and shook his head, and drank the alcohol in his ss in one go as if it was funny.

    ¡°Hehehe. ¡°It looks like the traditional water of the beast people was a bit too much for him.¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    ¡°Alcohol is something you should use as much as your life.¡±

    ¡°Crazy old bastard.¡±

    Augh escaped Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, this is the first time the two of us have been drinking together like this.¡±

    ¡°¡­Did it never happen in your past life?¡±

    ¡°well?¡±

    Oh Jin shrugs and fills his ss.

    The two sat in front of Horus¡¯s tomb and quickly emptied a bottle of alcohol.

    ¡°I guess I should go back soon.¡±

    Ohjin stood up holding an empty liquor bottle.

    Since he came without telling Ha-eun and Isabe, they must be looking for where he is right now.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡±

    ¡°I will stay a little longer.¡±

    ¡°okay?¡±

    Ohjin nodded and turned around.

    When I was about to go back to the vige.

    ¡°bantling.¡±

    Riak called out to Ojin, who turned around.

    ¡°why?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak bowed his head in silence.

    He muttered in a voice that sounded like he was crawling.

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    ¡°huh? what?¡±

    ¡°Ugh! ¡°I said thank you!¡±

    ¡°Hmmmm~? I can¡¯t hear you very well? ¡°Can you say that again?¡±

    ¡°You little bastard!¡±

    Riak fiercely opened his eyes and red at Ojin.

    Ojin burst intoughter and waved his hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak, left alone, looked up at the dark night sky.

    In the night sky, a single star was shining brightly even in the darkness.

    ¡°¡­In any case, I¡¯m simr to you when ites to worrying about unnecessary things.¡±

    Riak smiled as he looked at his friend¡¯s gravestone.

    * * *

    After parting ways with Riak, Ojin headed straight to the vige.

    As if the banquet was in full swing, the voices of the drunken beastmen could be heard inside the vige, talking loudly and loudly.

    When you are walking and feeling the heated atmosphere on your skin.

    ¡°Oh Jin~? ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°Ojini, you bastard! ¡°Where did you go, leaving your pretty sister behind?!¡±

    As expected, he was able to find Ha-eun and Isabe looking for him.

    However, their condition was not expected.

    ¡°¡­Are you drunk?¡±

    Ha-eun and Isabe, whose faces were red, discovered Oh Jin and came running.

    Two women standing in front of Ojin.

    Isabe nced at Ha-eun and gave her a wink.

    Even though Ha-eun was drunk, she blushed and turned her head as if she was embarrassed.

    ¡°Sister,e on. ¡°We decided to do it together, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed.¡±

    Ha-eun hesitates with her twisted pronunciation.

    ¡°Then will I do it alone?¡±

    Isabe took a step forward and raised her arms like a dog weing its owner who has returned from home.

    ¡°Woof~? Are you back, master?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    Oh Jin opened his mouth wide at the line that made him doubt his ears.

    Ha-eun, who was turning her head as if she was embarrassed, opened her mouth as if squeezing.

    ¡°Nya Meow. Did youe back too?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    What a crazy situation this is.

 Chapter 292

    I am not a returner Episode 292

    Interlude ¨C Banquet (2)

    Basically, awakened people do not get drunk easily.

    This is because, as they ept the stigmata, their physical abilities be strong enough to exceed the scope of humans.

    Moreover, in order to get drunk, high-ranking awakened people of 9 stars or higher, whose bodies were reorganized, literally had to drink alcohol from a bucket.

    Even if you try to get drunk on purpose, it¡¯s not easy for a high-ranking awakened person to get drunk like this.

    ¡°How much alcohol did you drink¡­ ah.¡±

    Oh Jin, who was looking at the two drunk women, looked down at the empty liquor bottle in his hand.

    Come to think of it, I thought this was the traditional liquor of the beast people.

    ¡°lol. ¡°After drinking a ss of alcohol from the vigers, I felt better.¡±

    ¡°I feel like my eyes are spinning~ hehe.¡±

    By looking at the two womenughing, Oh Jin was able to roughly guess what was going on.

    What the two women drank was not ordinary alcohol, but the traditional liquor of the beast people.

    And of course, in the category of ¡®physical ability¡¯, the traditional liquor of the beastmen was a drink made for the beastmen who had a body strong enough to p a high-ranking awakened person in the face.

    If they didn¡¯t know that and drank it cold, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising that they ended up in the state they are in now.

    ¡°Oh Jin~¡±

    I¡¯m touched.

    Isabe hugged his arm and whispered in his ear in a melting voice.

    A softness that was not of this world and that one could only think of wrapped around Ojin¡¯s arms.

    ¡°How was it? ¡°I used it onest time before leaving the beastman kingdom.¡±

    Now there is no reason to hide the fact that we are human.

    Isabeughed, wagging her dog¡¯s tail from side to side.

    Is it possible to have such detailed control even while drunk?

    Dry saliva went down Ojin¡¯s throat and he swallowed it.

    ¡°¡­Is this thest time?¡±

    What should I hide in a situation like this?

    Isabe¡¯s appearance, wearing dog ears and a tail, had too subversive charm to bebeled ¡®thest¡¯.

    ¡°oh?¡±

    Isabe smiles brightly with her eyes wide open.

    ¡°Of course, if Mr. Ohjin wants, it¡¯s okay to keep wearing it, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bit awkward to keep wearing it.¡±

    I don¡¯t want to show it to other people as much as possible.

    ¡°Hehehe. Mr. Oh Jin too.¡±

    Isabe smiled pretty eyes and moved her tail gently, tickling Ojin.

    ¡°Tonight¡­ how about wearing this?¡±

    Isabe tempts with her sweet voice.

    Ha-eun, who didn¡¯t seem to like the sight of the two fooling around, pressed herself in between Oh-jin and Isabe.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­ am I the first one?¡±

    The sight of Ha-eun pulling Oh Jin in with her protruding lips looked like a real cat getting angry at its owner.

    ¡®What should I do with this?¡¯

    Even though I knew that I was drunk and couldn¡¯t think clearly, it was difficult to control the desire that was boiling deep inside.

    ¡°First, drink some cool water ande to your senses.¡±

    Oh Jin handed out a nearby canteen to Ha-eun and Isabe.

    The two of them gulped down the water that Oh Jin handed them with cheerful expressions.

    ¡°Ehehe. Ojinaa~ Something is making the world spin?¡±

    ¡°The water tastes very bitter.¡±

    The two women staggered as they drank water, their speech bing even more tongue-in-cheek.

    ¡®what is this.¡¯

    Ohjin took a sip of water from the canteen.

    The aroma of alcohol spreads in your mouth.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re crazy. ¡°Who poured alcohol into the canteen?¡±

    I¡¯m not even a college student MT. What is this?

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±

    ¡°Do you want to drink some water? huh?¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­ these crazy silver mane tribe bastards¡­!¡±

    Not far away, I saw a beastman with a red mane pouring out vomit on the floor, and I thought I knew who the culprit was.

    ¡®Anyway, I guess it¡¯s the same tribe as the Riak bastard.¡¯

    Ojin looked at the silver-maned tribe members who were giggling with an absurd expression.

    ¡°Hi! Ojina¡­ I¡¯m dizzy.¡±

    Was the alcohol in the canteen the final blow?

    Ha-eun leaned against Oh-jin with rolling eyes.

    ¡®It can¡¯t go on like this.¡¯

    Oh Jin lifted Ha Eun into a princess sitting position.

    ¡°Ah. Mr. Oh Jin, I also suddenly felt a headache¡­¡±

    Isabe, who looked quite finepared to Ha-eun, suddenly fell to the floor.

    I saw her lying down with her eyes closed, the corners of her mouth turning up in anticipation.

    ¡®This youngdy.¡¯

    Ojin narrowed his eyes and called out to the boy who was carrying alcohol to the vige adults from afar.

    ¡°Leo! ¡°Come here and give me a piggyback ride!¡±

    ¡°ok? who?¡±

    Leo pricked up his ears and ran towards me.

    Leo gasped in shock when he saw Isabe copsed.

    ¡°Do you want me to carry this Isabe sister?¡±

    The boy trembled and swallowed his saliva.

    The memories of being held in Isabe¡¯s arms reyed endlessly in Leo¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m feeling better now.¡±

    When Leo was hesitantly taking steps toward Isabe.

    Isabe, who had been lying down, suddenly got up.

    She clicked her tongue as she looked at Ha-eun, who was being held by Oh-jin.

    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m d. ¡°The alcohol made by the Silver Mane tribe is very strong, so don¡¯t drink a lot.¡±

    Leo turned around with a sullen expression.

    Isabe stroked Leo¡¯s head a few times as if it was cute and then snuggled up to Ojin.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re really drunk, right?¡±

    ¡°well?¡±

    Isabe gave Ojin a sweet wink and hugged him by the arm.

    Ojin lightly tapped the canteen that Isabe had been drinking from and ced on the floor with his foot.

    The canteen was overflowing and the alcohol inside was gushing out.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, your sister¡¯s condition looks very bad. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the cabin quickly.¡±

    Isabe smiled slyly and grabbed Ojin¡¯s arm.

    ¡°That tongue bro!¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    Leo clenched his fists as he looked at Oh Jin, who was holding Ha-eun and clinging to Isabe.

    ¡°I want to be a great warrior like my brother! please!¡±

    A boy with bright eyes and determination.

    Oh Jin burst intoughter at the voice full of passionate desire.

    but.

    It would be natural for the energetic boy to be envious of his current appearance.

    ¡°cheer up.¡±

    Ojin left Leo behind and headed to the cabin.

    ¡°Ugh. Oh my gosh.¡±

    When Iid Ha-eun down on the bed, she opened her arms like a baby bird looking for its mother bird.

    ¡°Take off your clothes.¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    Didn¡¯t you hear well?

    ¡°stuffy! ¡°Take off your clothes!¡±

    no.

    Why is this sister¡¯s drinking habit so damn bad?

    ¡°Isabe¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to wash my face in the stream for a moment~¡±

    Isabe quickly runs away outside.

    ¡°clothes!!!¡±

    Ha-eun is shaking like a 5-year-old child begging to buy a three-stage transformation robot at a toy store.

    Oh Jin first took off Ha Eun¡¯s boots and socks.

    ¡°Hehehe. Cool.¡±

    Ha-eun wiggles her toes and writhes like a caterpir.

    Oh Jin took off Ha Eun¡¯s jacket, deciding that when Ha Eun sobers up tomorrow, he will reveal everything that happened today.

    ¡°Is this enough?¡±

    Right now, Ha-eun is wearing only a white t-shirt and a tight ck leather skirt.

    It was a bit ufortable for her, who usually sleeps in a tank top and dolphin pants that reveal her stomach, but she couldn¡¯t take off her clothes any further.

    ¡°more.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°Take off more.¡±

    You want me to wash you at all?

    ¡°And wash me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to turn.¡±

    What should I do with this?

    You may be wondering why something like this is just between lovers.

    This wasn¡¯t a real house, it was a hut belonging to the Silver Mane tribe.

    And now, the drinking party is in full swing.

    There was a risk that the Silver Mane tribe, drunk with alcohol, would burst into the cabin looking for Ojin.

    ¡®If you look at those bastards drinking earlier, it could really be like that.¡¯

    From the beast people¡¯s point of view, Ojin was a hero who killed Kalyke, the actual owner of the Khan Kingdom.

    For the beast people who worship warriors, attention is inevitably focused on Ojin.

    Just like crazy fans storming into an idol¡¯s house, drunken beastmen could storm into the house.

    I don¡¯t know if I could at least knock.

    Is there any spirit left in those who drink alcohol so strong that it would make a high-ranking awakened person drunk?

    ¡°Ojina~ Hurry up!¡±

    Ha-eun pulled Oh-jin¡¯s body.

    The strong smell of alcohol assaulted my nose.

    Looking at Ha-eun who was clinging to him tenaciously, Oh-jin strengthened his decision.

    ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Do you really need to kick down the door ande in?

    ¡°Take it off then?¡±

    ¡°huh!¡±

    ¡°Now, long live.¡±

    ¡°Long live~!¡±

    When I grabbed Ha-eun¡¯s tee and lifted it up with both arms raised.

    Jump up!

    The door opened roughly and a heavily drunk Leoru came inside.

    ¡°haha! Are you here Mr. Oh Jin? Even so, the warriors of our tribe really want to talk to Mr. Ojin¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Leoru cleared his throat and quietly closed the door.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    An apology heard from beyond a tightly closed door.

    Ojin touched his forehead as if he had a headache.

    ¡°ha. ¡°I knew it would be like this.¡±

    ¡°Ohe on.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, sister. ¡°But since I was covering it with my body, nothing could have been seen.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh? ¡°Other than that?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I have something I really want to tell you.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Important¡­ I mean.¡±

    Ha-eun hugs Oh Jin with watery eyes.

    Gentle warmth spreads throughout your body.

    Ha-eun hugged Oh-jin, her shoulders shaking slightly as if she was sobbing.

    Oh Jin¡¯s expression hardened.

    ¡°Sister¡­¡±

    The first thing that came to Ojin¡¯s mind was about Isabe.

    She affirmed her rtionship with Isabe as if it were nothing.

    After that, he seemed to get along quite well with Isabe.

    ¡®What if it wasn¡¯t actually that?¡¯

    What if there are still unresolved feelings left in her heart?

    What if you try to confess your deep-rooted feelings under the influence of alcohol?

    ¡°Ojina¡­ me.¡±

    ¡°are you okay. ¡°Don¡¯t hide it, just tell me.¡±

    Oh Jin hugged Ha Eun, who was shaking, as if tofort her.

    ¡°Just as my sister understood my heart, I will try to understand her heart.¡±

    Wasn¡¯t she a woman more precious than her own life?

    If there are still feelings buried in her heart.

    I wanted to ept it all.

    ¡°Ojina me¡­!¡±

    Ha-eun is in tears.

    She strengthened her arms around Oh Jin and whispered in a hot voice as if confessing her love.

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to throw up.¡±

    what?

    ¡°Whoop whoop!¡±

    Now just wait a minute!

    ¡°Hey hey hey hey hey!!!¡±

    stop!!!

    ¡°Uwaeeeeeeek!¡±

    Ugh.

 Chapter 293

    I am not a returner Episode 293

    Interlude-Banquet (3)

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    After putting Ha-eun to bed, I headed to the stream and found Isabe who had finished washing her face.

    She looked at Ojin covered in vomit with clearer eyes andughed.

    ¡°¡­Smile?¡±

    Ojin, covered in sour vomit, red sharply at Isabe.

    Isabe covered her mouth and shook her shoulders as if trying to suppress herughter as much as possible, but then burst out intoughter, clutching her stomach.

    ¡°It looks like she drank a little too much.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like much.¡±

    Oh Jin sighed and shook his head.

    As I approached the stream, I checked Isabe¡¯s condition and found that she looked much better than Ha-eun.

    But the fact that the two people drank together and only Ha-eun was so drunk that he was like a rice cake¡­

    ¡°¡­ Are you sure you are Mac?¡±

    ¡°Oh my gosh, is that possible? ¡°I think my sister drank it because she was a little excited because the banquet atmosphere was so good.¡±

    Isabe shrugs her shoulders with a sad expression.

    Oh Jin swallowed hard and took off his vomit-covered shirt.

    The upper body exposed under the moonlight.

    Although he was not as tall as Allen or Lee Woo-hyuk, he had a body that stood out with a clear six-pack that seemed to have been delicately sculpted by a craftsman.

    ¡°¡­gulp.¡±

    Isabe swallows her saliva as she looks at Ojin¡¯s upper body exposed under the moonlight.

    She crossed her thighs as if she was tickled somewhere.

    ¡°How are you?¡±

    Isabe nced away from Ojin as if to hide her red face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sleeping now.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°I wonder what my reaction will be when I wake up tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tease me too much.¡±

    Because I will make fun of you.

    ¡°Give me your shirt. ¡°I¡¯ll suck it for you.¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t make Isabe wash her vomit-covered shirt.

    Ohjin squatted down by the stream and washed his shirt.

    I didn¡¯t have the spirit to bring detergent or something like that, so I just washed with water and spread out my shirt and ced it on the stone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower then.¡±

    Oh Jin gives a quick nce while pointing at the vomit on his body.

    It was a nce that meant that I would go wash up first, so go first.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you wash up.¡±

    Rather, Isabe swooped towards Ojin with her eyes shining like a bird of prey that had caught its prey.

    ¡°No, even help with washing up¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh Jin, your body hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet, right?¡±

    Just like she said.

    The constetion¡¯s blessing ced quite a burden not only on Vega but also on Ojin.

    It¡¯s not like it was difficult to lift a finger like it was after using Gaecheon, but it¡¯s true that my physical condition is not normal.

    ¡°Or¡­ you don¡¯t want to go in with me?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s sad eyes filled with tears.

    Even though I knew that these were the tears of a crocodile trying to get into the stream with Ojin, his expression was so realistic that my heart sank involuntarily.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    It might have been before, but now that he had epted Isabe as his lover, he couldn¡¯t think of any excuse to refuse.

    ¡°okay. ¡°Oh, let¡¯s get dressed and go in instead.¡±

    Just like before, there was a risk that drunken beastmen woulde to the stream.

    ¡°yes!¡±

    Isabe smiled brightly and followed Ojin into the stream.

    The ice-like temperature water chilled the two people¡¯s bodies.

    ¡°Wow Mr. ¡°It¡¯s really cold.¡±

    Oh Jin trembled as he wiped away traces of Ha Eun (?) from his body.

    Because I am an awakened person, I can withstand heat and cold to some extent, but the feeling of cold itself remains and it is quite painful.

    ¡°My sister heated the water for me before.¡±

    ¡°I came here because I wanted someone to heat the water.¡±

    Although you can heat water with electricity as well.

    It was impossible to use lightning in Isabe¡¯s yard, which was within the stream.

    ¡°Then¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be okay to do this?¡±

    Isabe smiled seductively and hugged Ojin to her chest.

    The feel of warm skin felt through thin fabric.

    ¡°Now wait a minute.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t move, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    Isabe added strength to her arms around Ojin¡¯s waist and brought their bodies closer together.

    A warmth spread along with an unbelievable softness.

    ¡°oh?¡±

    Isabe nces down at a specific part of Ojin that is radiating heat beyond warmth.

    She smiled yfully and slightly moved her close body up and down.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Oh Jin chewed his lips and swallowed.

    ¡®There is one Riak, there are two Riaks, there are three Riaks.¡¯

    I pictured Riak desperately running around the wide grasnd in my head, but once my body got heated, it hardly cooled down.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t have to endure it¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­You never know who wille.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Well, if another bitch even sees Mr. Oh Jin¡¯s body, we have no choice but to kill him.¡±

    No, why kill me?

    ¡°Stay still.¡±

    Isabe, slightly away, began to wash Ojin¡¯s body with gentle hands.

    Ojin¡¯s shoulders trembled every time he was touched by a delicate touch.

    Isabeughed as if she was enjoying his reaction and thoroughly wiped her already vomit-covered body several times.

    ¡°It seems like everything has slowly washed away.¡±

    ¡°wait a minute.¡±

    Isabe pressed herself against Ojin again, holding him as he tried to get up.

    She ced her cheek on Ojin¡¯s chest and ced her ear on his left chest, where the stigmata were engraved.

    My heart is pounding.

    I could hear my heart pulsating.

    ¡°¡­I feel calm when I hear this sound.¡±

    ¡°Heart sound?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°I feel like Mr. Oh Jin is alive.¡±

    Isabe smiles brightly.

    She gently closed her eyes, listening to Ojin¡¯s heartbeat.

    The two people hugged each other in silence for a long time.

    Isabe carefully opened her closed eyes and opened her mouth.

    ¡°¡­sorry.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°Because I lied to Oh Jin before.¡±

    Is that it again?

    After that incident, it was an apology that made my ears tingle.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay now. ¡°Well, it worked out well in the end.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Isabe closed her eyes again, feeling Ojin¡¯s hand patting her back as ifforting her.

    ¡°Oh Jin¡­ I never thought there woulde a day in my life when I would be this happy.¡±

    After having the stigmata of a ck star engraved on my left chest.

    No, maybe even before that.

    Deep down, I was giving up on being happy.

    Days when I sobbed, clutching the shattered fragments of hope with my hands.

    Then I met him.

    Someone who will sprout happiness among the fragments of broken hope.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Oh Jin.¡±

    What would have happened now if it wasn¡¯t for him?

    If Ojin is correct, his previous life was captured by the Marco Family and killed.

    Even if he miraculously survived, would he really be able to live as happily as he does now?

    Could we have spent our days filled with hope?

    ¡®no.¡¯

    It¡¯s all thanks to a misdiagnosis.

    Her life was reborn the day she met Oh Jin.

    so that.

    ¡°Mr. Oh Jin¡­ is my everything.¡±

    I would do anything for him.

    I will sacrifice my body, mind, and even soul to him.

    ¡°¡­Isabe.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Isabe, who had been putting her ear to her chest, gently lifted her head and ovepped her lips with Ojin.

    A quiet stream illuminated only by moonlight.

    Isabe clung to Ojin like a leech and sucked his tongue greedily.

    ¡°lol.¡±

    Isabe falls with a smile after a long kiss.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin felt a strong urge boiling from deep within his heart.

    I tried to hold back for a while.

    Isn¡¯t this too severe?

    ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Oh Mr. Ojin?¡±

    Ojin strongly hugged Isabe¡¯s waist.

    When I tried to explode my boiling urge by grabbing arge amount of the voluptuous peak.

    ¡°Ojin!¡±

    ¡°Where are you! ¡°Come here and have a drink!¡±

    ¡°I want to hear the saga of a great warrior!¡±

    The sound of searching for Ojin was heard from afar.

    ¡°¡­They¡¯re a bunch of clueless puppies.¡±

    Isabe red in the direction from which the sound wasing with murderous eyes.

    A voice that is getting closer and closer to ignore.

    She sighed and got away from Ojin.

    ¡°Shall we go back?¡±

    ¡°¡­I guess so.¡±

    Oh Jin, who regained his senses, also came out of the stream with an awkward smile.

    After returning to the cabin and changing out of his wet clothes, Ojin headed towards the ce where the Silver Mane tribe was looking for him, shouting out loud.

    I asked Isabe if she wanted to go with me, but she said she would stay in the cabin and take care of Ha-eun, who had fallen asleep.

    The center of the vige that Ojin visited alone.

    At the ce where the grandest banquet was being held, there were a lot of beastmen gathered, drunk and making noise.

    ¡°Are you here!¡±

    ¡°A great warrior has arrived!¡±

    ¡°The warrior who defeated Kalike!¡±

    As soon as Ojin arrived, the Silver Mane tribes rushed towards him with their eyes shining.

    ¡°Now, everyone, I know how you feel, but please calm down first.¡±

    Leoru blocks the Silver Mane tribes that gather around like moths.

    Leoru poured alcohol into arge ss and handed it to Ojin.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink first.¡±

    ¡°thank you.¡±

    Oh Jin drank the alcohol in a bowl-sized ss in one shot.

    The hot scent of alcohol spread down my throat and throughout my body.

    ¡°Haha! As expected, the great warrior is different!¡±

    ¡°Hwiiik!¡±

    ¡°Only at this level can we defeat that Caliche!¡±

    The silver-maned tribe members pped their hands and cheered at the sight of Ojin gulping down his drink.

    Oh Jin, who does not usually drink strong alcohol, felt a sick feeling in his stomach.

    ¡®You have to match the atmosphere here.¡¯

    From the perspective of Ojin, who had fought against a powerful enemy called the Demon Tribe, it was important to build friendships with the Beastmen Tribe.

    In order for Ojin¡¯s party, which was only five people, to fight against the demon race in the future, the power of the beast people was indispensable.

    ¡°I heard that the great warrior came from the world beyond the veil. What kind of ce is that?¡±

    ¡°I heard it was a ce teeming with terrible demons¡­¡±

    The beastman warriors gathered around Ojin asked a barrage of questions with excited eyes.

    Oh Jin smiled and told them a story they would like.

    ¡°Like your kingdom, the world I lived in also experienced a great threat.¡±

    Well, what do the beast people who worship warriors and power want to hear most?

    Ojin exined the story of the time when the first crack appeared and demonic beasts flooded like a tidal wave, with appropriate fleshing out.

    ¡°also! ¡°Only by surviving in such a barren ce can you be as powerful as a warrior!¡±

    ¡°Warriors who inherited the power of the stars who rose up against the demonic beast¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a touching story.¡±

    Isn¡¯t it said that there is nothing better for building friendships than forming a consensus with each other?

    Ohjin exined the demonic beasts that invaded the Earth byparing them to the demon race and slowly told the story of the awakened people who fought against them.

    At the time when the atmosphere of the drinking party was ripening.

    ¡°We¡¯re all out of snacks.¡±

    Leoru stood up, holding his empty te.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring some fruit to snack on.¡±

    ¡°Chief! If you ask Leo to do that¡­¡±

    ¡°Haha. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for the kids to go to bed?¡±

    Leoru smiled kindly and left for a moment to go get some snacks.

    While Leoru was away for a moment.

    ¡°huh? ¡°Isn¡¯t that Liru?¡±

    ¡°Why are you doing there instead of going to bed?¡±

    Silver Mane tribe members found Liru hiding far away.

    Liru, who was crouching next to a barrel the size of her body and ncing in this direction, jumped up and looked around with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    Liru stutters while looking at Ojin.

    ¡°Riru, do you also want to hear the warrior¡¯s saga?¡±

    ¡°Oh no! ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡±

    Looking at Liru shaking her head with a bright red face, one of the beastmen warriors raised the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°Come here and sit down.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes.¡±

    Liru rushed over and sat down at the drinking table.

    The beastman warrior with his arm on Liru¡¯s shoulder gave Ojin a coy look.

    ¡°So, how is our Liru?¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    What do you mean?

    ¡°Compared to the warrior¡¯s wives, she is still a baby¡­ but she has a very bright future.¡±

    ¡°haha! ¡°When she was alive, the chief¡¯s wife was the most beautiful woman in the vige!¡±

    The drunk men started talking nonsense.

    ¡°What are you talking about to Ojin oppa?!¡±

    Liru swung his fists with an expression of admiration.

    The beastman warrior who was hugging her shoulder whispered into Liru¡¯s ear.

    ¡°So are you going to just watch and wash your hands like this?¡±

    ¡°Ha, but.¡±

    Liru lowered her head with a face as hot as an apple.

    ¡°Oh, you already have wives¡­.¡±

    ¡°A great warrior is bound to have many females.¡±

    A beastman warrior who encourages Liru with a soft voice.

    ¡°There¡¯s something my wife said before she married me¡­¡±

    The beastman warrior whispered something in Liru¡¯s ear.

    Upon hearing his words, Liru jumped up from her seat and shouted.

    ¡°How can you say something like that?!¡±

    ¡°Hehe! Should I just give it a try? ¡°If it¡¯s a male, it¡¯lle down to 100!¡±

    What on earth do you mean that you¡¯re reacting like that?

    Ojin was also quite drunk, so I couldn¡¯t hear what he said.

    ¡°Is this really true¡­?¡±

    ¡°okay. ¡°I¡¯m stuck on those words too, so now¡­ haha.¡±

    A married man sighing deeply and pondering his regrets.

    Liru nced at Ojin and stood up carefully.

    ¡°Hey, brother over there¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Liru approached Ojin and clenched her fists.

    ¡°I want to be that brother¡¯s bitch!¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    What did I just hear?

    When Ojin¡¯s hair burned white at the bombshell that came out of Liru¡¯s mouth.

    Clink!

    The sound of a te breaking was heard.

    ¡°Now¡­what?¡±

    There, Leoru, who had a kind smile on his face, was seen everywhere, a wolf with the ferocious spirit of a yaksha ring at Ojin with murderous eyes.

 Chapter 294

    I am not a returner Episode 294

    Interlude ¨C Banquet (4)

    An intense killing that pierces the skin.

    The sharply torn silver eyes turned to Ojin.

    ¡°Are you going toy hands on my daughter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡±

    Oh Jin couldn¡¯t even imagine that such a bombshell woulde out of Liru¡¯s mouth, so he couldn¡¯t help but feel unfair.

    However, how can a father maintain his senses when he sees his daughter, whom he raised with great care, spouting obscene words in front of his eyes that he is reluctant to even say?

    Even Leoru has been drinking quite a bit right now.

    It was difficult to expect a normal ident.

    ¡°No matter how beautiful our Liru is like an angel¡­!¡±

    Crack!

    Leoru changes his body into the form of a werewolf.

    The evil energy spread out in all directions.

    ¡°How dare you! ¡°Riruruuuuu!¡±

    ¡°Oh dad! ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡±

    ¡°Calm down Jin, Chief!¡±

    The Silver Mane tribe members who were drinking together rushed in and caught Leoru, who was screaming with his eyes rolled back.

    After the drinking party got so hot that there was amotion that caused it to burst into mes.

    ¡°¡­sorry.¡±

    Leoru lowers his head after hearing the whole story.

    Next to him, Liru looked at him with a hesitant expression.

    ¡°Liru.¡±

    ¡°Hibb?!¡±

    ¡°¡­never say such a thing from now on.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Liru lowers her head in despair.

    Leoru let out a deep sigh and red at the subordinate who had inadvertently cheated on Leeru.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to tell this to your wife.¡±

    ¡°Chief Joe, that much!¡±

    ¡°noisy!¡±

    He kicked away the clinging load and stood up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s drink here for today.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t drink any more because Leolu was so violent that the table and chairs were all destroyed.

    ¡°Mr. Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    ¡°What is your next destination?¡±

    ¡°¡­well.¡±

    There were some twists and turns, but for now, things werepleted well in the Beastman Kingdom.

    Now the remaining ces are the kingdom of the dragon people and the kingdom of the demon people.

    I had to decide where to go first.

    ¡®In my heart, I want to go to where the demon kingdom is.¡¯

    After fighting with Kalyke, my thoughts changed.

    ¡®It¡¯s dangerous to head straight to the demon kingdom.¡¯

    No matter how much Ojin and his group had powerparable to a one-man army, the same was true for the Majins.

    Even if they wanted to request support from Earth, they were busy dealing with the Named Demon Beasts who had begun to move in earnest on their own terms.

    So what are the options that Oh Jin can choose now?

    ¡°I n to go to the dragon kingdom first.¡±

    Fighting against the demon race by borrowing the power of the beast people and dragon people.

    That was the only way to fight against the demons.

    ¡°Are you talking about the Dragonian Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°It was that kind of name.¡±

    ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t even know my name?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Since it had been less than a month since I came to Magyeong, there was still too little information.

    ¡°hmm. ¡°Then of course you don¡¯t know how to get there.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever been there, Chief?¡±

    ¡°no. ¡°I have never been there myself.¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    I was hoping that I could get some useful information from Leoru.

    Oh Jin clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed.

    ¡°But I know the way to go. But¡­¡±

    ¡°Is there some problem?¡±

    ¡°It takes a very long time because we have to go around the Sky Mountains.¡±

    ¡°Sky Mountains?¡±

    What does that mean?

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°I guess I should exin that first.¡±

    Leoru opened his mouth with an embarrassed expression.

    ¡°There are three prohibited areas in the Demonic Sutra. ¡°It is a ce called the Forest of the Magic Sea, the Sky Mountains, and the Dry Valley that Mr. Oh Jin came across.¡±

    Forest of the Demon Sea, Sky Mountains, Dry Valley.

    ¡°The location is¡­ roughly like this.¡±

    Leoru draws a map on the ground by pointing to a nearby tree branch.

    The Forest of Mahae was a ce Ojin had passed through, so it was naturally familiar to his eyes, but there was one terrain other than the Forest of Mahae that was quite familiar.

    ¡°¡­was this a dry valley?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. ¡°Did you know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve actually been there before.¡±

    This is where Ojin first arrived in the Demon World after being sucked into the ck crack.

    It was a dry valley where demonic beasts so hideous that it made you feel nauseous just to look at them.

    ¡®So you¡¯ve already been to two of the three forbidden ces in the Demonic World?¡¯

    Ojinughed and looked at the map drawn by Leoru.

    ¡°Just beyond the Sky Mountains is the kingdom of the dragon people, right?¡±

    ¡°yes. However, I do not rmend crossing the Sky Mountains.¡±

    Leoru shook his head with a stern expression.

    ¡°The Sky Mountains are the domain of the Behemoth.¡±

    ¡°Behemoth?¡±

    ¡°It is a powerful demonic beast that dominates the Sky Mountains area. ¡°It is a magical beast that has received the grace of the ck Star.¡±

    It¡¯s the grace of the ck star.

    Ojin¡¯s eyes shone sharply.

    The image of the mother monster I faced when I first fell into the demon realm shed through my head.

    ¡®It¡¯s the Holy Spirit.¡¯

    Like Riak, a being who inherits part of the constetion¡¯s soul.

    Considering the absurd power the mother monster showed, it would have been better to avoid it as much as possible.

    ¡°How long does it take to go around the mountains?¡±

    ¡°The Sky Mountains are so wide¡­ even if you travel quickly, it will take close to two months.¡±

    In the current situation where the Majins were preparing arge-scale invasion of Earth, wasting two months was too fatal.

    ¡°¡­Can you exin more about Behemoth?¡±

    ¡°Are you really nning on crossing the mountain range?¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t have much time.¡±

    We have already crossed the forest of the Horse Sea and the dry valley.

    There is no reason to avoid the Sky Mountains.

    ¡°Well, I have no intention of catching Behemoth or anything like that.¡±

    The reason for crossing the Sky Mountains was to arrive at the dragon kingdom as quickly as possible.

    There was no reason to fight against the Holy Spirit of the ck Star.

    ¡°¡­hmm.¡±

    Leoru swallowed his sleep and nodded.

    ¡°Behemoth is a magical beast blessed by Felis, the constetion of Cat. ¡°It is also called ¡®the ck storm¡¯ because of its frightening speed.¡±

    ¡°Is there any way to avoid him?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ all I can say is that you have to be lucky.¡±

    Leoru shook his head with an embarrassed expression.

    ¡°It roams around the Sky Mountains as if it were its home, so the only way to avoid it is to cross the mountains and hope to avoid encountering it as much as possible.¡±

    ¡°¡­okay.¡±

    Oh Jin clicked his tongue and frowned.

    It was very annoying to know that the only way was to pray and pray that we wouldn¡¯t encounter each other.

    ¡®I have no choice if there is no other way.¡¯

    In the worst case, I had to quickly go to the Dragonian Kingdom to fight Behemoth.

    ¡°Thank you for good information.¡±

    ¡°no. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t help you.¡±

    Leoru lowered his head with a stiff expression.

    I wanted to attach a bodyguard to help Ojin, but since I couldn¡¯t even deal with the pro-Main faction that still remained in the kingdom, I couldn¡¯t take out my precious power.

    ¡°it¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°¡­Once the work within the Khan Kingdom is over, I will definitely help Mr. Ojin.¡±

    ¡°Just saying those words makes me feel reassured.¡±

    Oh Jin chuckled and got up from his seat.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just go to bed.¡±

    The banquet is over.

    Now is the time to stock up on stamina to cross the Sky Mountains.

    * * *

    next day.

    ¡°Ah¡­ my head hurts¡­¡±

    Ha-eun walked out like a zombie, holding her head as if her hangover wasn¡¯t going away.

    Even with her messy hair and clothes, her appearance did not fade at all.

    ¡°Are you okay, sister?¡±

    ¡°Ugh. ¡°I¡¯m going to die.¡±

    Ha-eun found Oh-jin packing his luggage and rushed over.

    Clinging to Ojin like a cicada, she slowly lifted her head and closed her eyes.

    ¡°kiss.¡±

    Why is this older sister acting like this this morning?

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°why.¡±

    ¡°Your breath stinks.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s bad breath again.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember throwing up yesterday?¡±

    ¡°What what? ¡°Did I even throw up?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    Also on my body.

    ¡°What is it Mr. ¡°It really stinks?¡±

    Although she roughly rinsed her mouth yesterday, Ha-eun frowned as if the smell hadpletely disappeared.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to wash first!¡±

    ¡°ok.¡±

    ¡°Come back and kiss me!¡±

    Oh Jin burst intoughter as he watched Ha-eun¡¯s back as she quickly walked out.

    If other people saw this, they would grab the back of their necks and say that their hands and feet would be crushed.

    What can I do?

    My sister asked me to do it, so I have to do it.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Then I go first today.¡±

    Before I knew it, Isabe was next to me, closing her eyes and sticking out her lips.

    As Ojin lightly kissed her, Isabeughed.

    ¡°Are you leaving today?¡±

    ¡°ok.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to stay a little longer¡­ but it¡¯s a shame.¡±

    ¡°Because I did everything I had to do.¡±

    There was no reason to remain here.

    ¡°I guess I should say hello to the vigers.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps Mr. Leoru will gather the tribe members a littleter.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a long meeting, but I couldn¡¯t just leave without saying goodbye.

    Ojin and Isabe packed their bags and came out.

    The vige was bustling from the morning as they were cleaning up after yesterday¡¯s banquet.

    Ojin smiled slightly as he watched the beastmen running around busily.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you and my sister, I wouldn¡¯t have seen this peaceful scene.¡±

    Just because someone is a fraudster doesn¡¯t mean that their human sensibilities have all been withered.

    Perhaps because I lived in Seoul, which is full of buildings and apartments, the scenery of this quiet rural vige strangely stimted my emotions.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even have a hard time.¡±

    ¡°Now that you think about it, who were the demons who invaded the vige?¡±

    I was so distracted that I didn¡¯t even check.

    ¡°There¡¯s a mansion we visited first, right? ¡°They were the demons who lived there.¡±

    ¡°Ah. ¡°He was the one with the weakest power.¡±

    but.

    There would have been no need to send a strong force to attack a vige where all the warriors had fled and only the elderly and children remained.

    ¡°What about the other one?¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    ¡°There must have been two demons who attacked the vige. ¡°One was the one from the mansion we first visited, and who was the other?¡±

    Two demons were killed by the Silver Mane tribe in the capital city.

    There was one demon killed by Ojin.

    It was said that there were a total of five demons in the kingdom, so two others would have headed to the vige.

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    Isabe frowned and tilted her head.

    ¡°There was only one demon in the vige?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s expression hardened.

    If there was only one demon in the vige.

    ¡®what.¡¯

    Of the five demons in the Khan Kingdom, four died.

    then.

    Where is the other one now?

 Chapter 295

    I am not a returner Episode 295

    Sky Mountains (1)

    ¡°Huh! ¡°Huh!¡±

    My breath rose to the tip of my chin.

    A demonic woman with two ck horns sprouting from her forehead was climbing a rugged mountain path.

    ¡°Where on earth did such monsterse from?¡±

    I was well aware that there were beings called awakened people in the world beyond the veil.

    I never expected that it would be strong enough to dare to fight and win against the demon race.

    ¡°If only we had an army¡­¡±

    The woman chewed her red lips nervously.

    Because arge number of the Demons stationed in the Beastman Kingdom had escaped under the orders of the Heavenly Demon, there was too little power to deal with the awakened people from the world beyond the veil.

    The only thing I could trust was Kalyke.

    ¡®You idiot.¡¯

    The woman cursed as she thought about Kalyke, who had died in vain while she was wiggling her lips.

    ¡°ha. ¡°I wonder how long it will take to go back to the Sky Mountains¡­¡±

    A deep sigh flowed from the woman¡¯s mouth.

    Niflheim, the kingdom of the Demons, was located in the deepest part of the Demon World.

    If we crossed the Sky Mountains, it was still a distance that could be covered within a month, but otherwise, we would have had to travel for over three months.

    I was walking along while grumbling andining.

    Slurp.

    The sound of something crawling through the bushes was heard.

    An eerie feeling spread down my spine.

    ¡°Who is it?!¡±

    The embarrassed woman turned her head.

    A snake crawled out from between the bushes.

    The snake with ck scales approached her with its long tongueshing out.

    ¡°Ha¡­what? It was just a snake.¡±

    Just because it is a demon world does not mean that only demonic beasts are living a busy life.

    Common nts and animals also lived in the forest, although their species and forms were slightly different from those living on Earth.

    For most people, the sight of a snake on a forest path would have been enough to make them wary, but she was a demon who received the blessing of the Heavenly Demon.

    From her perspective, there was no difference between snakes and earthworms.

    ¡°You¡¯re surprising me for no reason.¡±

    The demon woman looked annoyed and raised her foot to stomp the snake that was flicking its tongue.

    at that time.

    Shrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    The ck snake soared at explosive speed and wrapped around her body.

    It was only a snake as thick as two fingers wrapped around her body, but a huge force was pressing on her, as if she was being held in the grip of a giant.

    ¡°What is it? what is this?!¡±

    A demonic woman looking around with a terrified expression.

    The shade under the tree wriggled like a living creature, and a woman walked out from it.

    A woman with an alluring appearance that does not match her slender, girlish body.

    A woman wearing a jet ck dress so long that it dragged on the floor approached the demons tied to a ck snake.

    ¡°hi?¡±

    A cold hand caressing your cheek.

    My body reacted before my head to the eerie shiver running down my back.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    A fear that seems to suffocate one¡¯s breath.

    The demonic woman trembled as she felt the pants she was wearing bing wet.

    Die.

    My head was filled with intuition that was close to certainty.

    ¡°I have a quick question¡­ can you answer me?¡±

    ¡°Yes yes yes¡­.¡±

    The demonic woman stammered and nodded.

    Cassiaughed darkly, waving her long tongue like a snake.

    ¡°Where is Heavenly Demon now?¡±

    The emerald eyes were eerily shiny.

    * * *

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±

    In front of the vige of the Silver Mane tribe.

    Silver-maned tribe members came out to see off Ojin and his group as they prepared to leave.

    ¡°Come back anytime, warrior!¡±

    ¡°The Silver Mane Tribe will await the safe return of our warriors!¡±

    Beast-human warriors bursting into heartyughter and beating their chests.

    Ohjin nodded with a faint smile.

    ¡°Oh Jin, this.¡±

    Leoru held out a horn the size of his palm to Ojin.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°This is a flute that emits a sound that demons dislike. ¡°It¡¯s not very effective, but you can use it to buy some time.¡±

    It must have been made hastily after hearing that they were nning to cross the Sky Mountains.

    ¡°thank you.¡±

    Ojin lightly blew on the horn given to him by Leoru.

    Beep.

    Contrary to what I expected, the sound came out quite clearly.

    ¡°Does the demonic beast hate these sounds?¡±

    I heard it was a sound that demons disliked, so I thought it would sound like fingernails scratching an iron te, but it waspletely different.

    ¡°yes. Of course, there are so many species of demonic beasts that the effects vary widely, but it will definitely be effective if you are a demonic beast with developed hearing.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. All right.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure about the principle, but since Leoru speaks loudly like that, it must be effective.

    ¡°Then I pray that you cross the mountain range safely.¡±

    Leoru bows politely.

    ¡°I hope that Mr. Leoru can rebuild his kingdom safely.¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ you remember what I told you, right?¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that there may be one Demon race left?¡±

    Of the five demons remaining in the kingdom, four died.

    Looking at the data previously researched in the kingdom, I found that the missing Majin was the only female demon among the five.

    I wanted to search the entire kingdom to find it and end things neatly.

    As Ojin had to arrive at the Dragonian Kingdom as quickly as possible, he couldn¡¯t waste time looking for a single demon who might be alive or dead.

    ¡°Haha! Don¡¯t worry, warrior! ¡°Even if it¡¯s Kalyke, our silver mane tribe is enough for at least one normal demon race!¡±

    The beastman warrior who had given Liru some harsh words at a drinking partyst night was thumping his chest andughing heartily.

    but.

    As he said, one demon race wouldn¡¯t be a big problem.

    It was the Silver Mane tribe that killed two demons in the castle this time.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just leave.¡±

    When Ojin nods his head and tries to turn around.

    ¡°Sniff. ¡°Sigh!¡±

    ¡°Are you really¡­ going?¡±

    Leo and Liru, who were hiding behind Leoru, walked out crying.

    The time we met didn¡¯tst long, but it seems like we became quite attached during that time.

    Oh Jin chuckled and patted the two children¡¯s heads.

    ¡°I wille back once the work in the Dragon Kingdom is over. How are you doing until then?¡±

    ¡°Whoosh¡­ Whoosh! ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you, bro!¡±

    Leo wiped his tears and shouted bravely.

    ¡°Oppa Ojin¡­.¡±

    Liru, who was ncing at Leoru, took a step towards Ojin.

    side.

    A girl who unexpectedly kisses Ojin on the cheek.

    ¡°Li Liru!¡±

    Leoru jumped up with a scared expression.

    Liru smiled shyly, twisting her beautifully braided silver hair with her hands.

    ¡°See you again, brother! ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting!¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡±

    Oh Jin hurriedly turned around as he felt a cold, murderous energy rising from Isabe and Ha-eun who were standing behind him.

    ¡°¡­Now are you going to seduce a little kid?¡±

    Ha-eun poked Oh-jin¡¯s side with her elbow and red at him sharply.

    Isabe bit her nails and muttered in a cold voice.

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°He was a good kid¡­ but it¡¯s a shame.¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    When you say that, it seems like Liru is dead.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s leave.¡±

    ¡°Crumbling. ¡°Do you know the way there, kid?¡±

    ¡°I only heard about it yesterday.¡±

    Ojin walked in the direction of the Sky Mountains.

    ¡®It would be nice to have something to ride.¡¯

    Having the body of an awakened person made it possible to move faster than a horse, but because it traveled such a long distance, the loss of physical strength was bound to be significant.

    ¡®I miss you, Poppy.¡¯

    Ohjin clicked his tongue as he remembered Poppy, who showed no sign of fatigue even after running for 12 hours a day.

    While I was walking towards the Sky Mountains.

    Wooooow!

    Light began to emanate from the pendant on the ne.

    [It¡¯s the real girl!]

    Vega appeared, spinning her body in a motion that seemed to fit the sound effect of ¡®bba-bam¡¯.

    Oh Jin waved his hand with a happy expression.

    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡±

    [After a good rest, the restrictions have been lifted to some extent. Of course, I won¡¯t be able to give you my blessing for a while¡­ but we will still be able to hang out together like this.]

    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±

    It was a bit disappointing that I couldn¡¯t give him a blessing, but just having Vega by my side made me feel reassured.

    [By the way, has the Khan Kingdom¡¯s affairs been handled well?]

    What Vega remembers is that Ojin seeded in defeating Kalyke.

    After that, I was immediately summoned back to the sanctuary, so I didn¡¯t know how the situation unfolded.

    ¡°huh. ¡°It worked out well.¡±

    Ojin exined to her what happened after she was backsummoned to the sanctuary.

    [¡­Something like that.]

    Vega looked at Riak with a sad expression.

    Vega flew over to Riak and stroked the silver wolf¡¯s head with a gentle smile on her face.

    [He must have been very heartbroken.]

    ¡°¡­Hmph, it was a fitting end for an idiot.¡±

    Riak walked away with a bitter smile.

    Vega climbed on top of Riak¡¯s head and repeatedly stroked Riak¡¯s head as if she was proud of him.

    [By the way, it hasn¡¯t been long since the Khan Kingdom¡¯s affairs were resolved, so you¡¯re leaving right away?]

    ¡°Because we don¡¯t have time to rest in peace.¡±

    [But¡­]

    Vega looked at Ojin with a worried expression.

    The constetion¡¯s blessing ces a great burden not only on the constetion itself but also on the awakened person.

    Especially if it is a blessing given by the constetion of the North Star.

    Although he is pretending like nothing has happened on the outside, Ojin¡¯s physical condition is probably not normal right now.

    [ha. How much do you really have to upset your wife to be satisfied?]

    Vega let out a deep sigh and shook her head.

    Instead of answering, Ohjin lightly shrugged his shoulders and hurried his steps.

    How many hours did it take to walk like that?

    When I couldn¡¯t even get out of the forest surrounding the kingdom, let alone the Sky Mountains.

    ¡°stop.¡±

    Riak, who was ahead, suddenly stopped.

    Riak, who was sniffing the ground, looked ahead with sharp eyes.

    ¡°A demonic beast?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    As I activated the stigmata of the constetion Canis, I felt a demonic beast approaching from afar.

    ¡°It seems like he¡¯s a pretty big guy, huh?¡±

    The sound of footsteps was quite heavy, like a monster of some size.

    thud! thud! thud!

    The sound of footsteps pounding the ground quickly got closer, as if Ojin and his group had been spotted over there as well.

    ¡°Ready for battle.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    ¡°Mr¡­ ¡°The hangover hasn¡¯t gone away yet.¡±

    Ha-eun grumbled and took out a cigarette pack from her pocket.

    When embers flicker from the tip of the tobo held between your fingers.

    ¡°Crumbling!¡±

    A huge demon with an eagle¡¯s head, a lion¡¯s mane, and a snake¡¯s tail appeared, smashing the trees.

    ¡°uh?¡±

    ¡°Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes widened.

    A demonic beast approaches, quickly waving its snake tail from side to side like a puppy meeting its owner.

    ¡°Poppy?¡±

    I was about to wave happily at Poppy who was running towards me.

    ¡°You¡­ the one who attacked Mr. Ojin back then¡­¡±

    Isabe red at Poppy with cold eyes.

    Crack.

    Isabe, gritting her teeth fiercely, produced a bloody sickle and rushed at Poppy.

    ¡°Oh, no!¡±

    Poppyaaaa!

 Chapter 296

    I am not a returner Episode 296

    Sky Mountains (2)

    Flowing tinum hair.

    Isabe approached Poppy in the blink of an eye and swung a huge scythe made of blood.

    ¡°Crung?¡±

    Poppy¡¯s steps running toward Ojin suddenly stopped.

    When Poppy was trembling as if she was frightened by the explosive murderous energy flowing from Isabe.

    ¡®Exceed!¡¯

    Squeeze!

    Blue thunderbolts burned on Ojin¡¯s legs.

    He roughly kicked his feet and pulled out the folding knife from his waist.

    He grabbed Dantalian, which instantly changed its form into a spear, and blocked Isabe¡¯s path.

    ¡°Oh Mr. Ojin?¡±

    Embarrassed, Isabe urgently tried to stop the scythe, but she was unable to suddenly stop the scythe that had already been swung.

    Kwaaaaang!

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    With the explosion of alcohol, Ojin¡¯s body bounced like a cannonball.

    Ojin, who broke five trees and flew away, rolled on the ground, vomiting blood.

    ¡°Are you okay, Oh Jin?!¡±

    Isabe approached Ojin with a pale, exhausted expression.

    Because of the aftereffects of the blessing, I hit Ojin, who was not in normal physical condition, with a full swing as if he was hitting a grand m, so there was no way he could maintain his sanity.

    When I was running toward the fallen Ojin with trembling steps.

    ¡°Krrrrrrr!¡±

    Poppy, with a fiercely distorted expression, blocked Isabe¡¯s path.

    Poppy stood and clicked her sharp beak as if protecting Ojin.

    ¡°Move¡­!¡±

    When Isabe tried to swing the scythe again at Poppy, who was blocking Ojin¡¯s path.

    ¡°Wait a minute, wait a minute!¡±

    Ha-eun came runningte and grabbed Isabe from behind.

    ¡°Let it go, sister! That demon is Mr. Ohjin¡­!¡±

    ¡°Oh Ojinin, it¡¯s okay! ¡°All that shit that Ojini did back then, when she was vomiting blood, is all trash!¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    Isabe looks back with a confused expression.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Ojin, who had fallen, staggered to his feet.

    ¡°Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm¡­¡±

    Poppy approached Osin, stuck out her tongue and licked his body.

    Sticky saliva stuck to Ojin¡¯s body.

    ¡°Hey hey hey. ¡°Stop it, man.¡±

    ¡°Crung Crung.¡±

    ¡°I said it was done.¡±

    I tapped the beak of Poppy, who was licking her body with a worried expression.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Isabe looks at Ojin with a bewildered expression.

    She narrowed her eyes and red at Ojin.

    ¡°How on earth did this happen?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Oh Jin exined the tearful butt-show(?) he put on in front of the first crack the other day.

    ¡°¡­therefore.¡±

    A deep sigh flowed from Isabe¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Not only is it dangerous, but you put on such a show because you were worried that it would be discovered that you were returning with the escort of that magical beast?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s it.¡±

    Honestly, isn¡¯t it a bit like that?

    If I were topare it, it would be like a mother hugging a child at the front door, shedding tears, as she told him that her son had worked hard aftering back from cutting palm trees and having fun ying games in the PC room.

    In that desperate atmosphere, I couldn¡¯t just lie down on Poppy¡¯s back and eat potato chips.

    ¡°ha. Oh Jin, really¡­!¡±

    Isabe must have been unable to bear this incident, so she smashed Ojin¡¯s back with a frown.

    p!

    A burning pain spread down my back at the spicy taste.

    ¡°I hope you tell your sister properly! ¡°No one except me this time!¡±

    p! p!

    What can a fraudster who has been caught lying have anything to say?

    Oh Jin, who was guilty of the crime, quietly lowered his head and received a blow to the back.

    ¡°Crumbling!¡±

    As he continued to hit Ojin on the back, Poppy cried fiercely and became angry.

    Isabeughed and looked back at Poppy.

    ¡°Anyway, why is the demon following Mr. Ojin?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    At first, I vaguely thought that he was following Cassia¡¯s orders.

    Seeing that he was being followed this much, it seemed like there was some other reason.

    ¡°Is it because of this?¡±

    Ojin looked down at the spear in his hand.

    ording to Kim Si-hoo¡¯s interpretation of the technique, Dantalian¡¯s appearance before being made into an ego weapon was simr to Poppy.

    Well, Dantalian died a long time ago and was made into a weapon, so Poppy couldn¡¯t be Dantalian.

    ¡°¡­Dantalian¡¯s child?¡±

    Seeing how they followed him like a parent made me think that might be the case.

    ¡°Well, anyway, it¡¯s good.¡±

    Ojin grinned as he touched Poppy¡¯s neck.

    I already had a lot of trouble with the slow movement speed, but I was able to solve it with Poppy.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to ride him?¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°You¡¯re so big that you can all sit down, right?¡±

    The ride was not bad because the back was wide and covered with soft fur.

    ¡°Crumbling!¡±

    Poppy let out a happy cry and lowered her body so that Ojin could easily climb on her.

    Ha-eun opened her eyes wide as if she was surprised.

    ¡°Oh what. ¡°Do you understand this guy?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Like the demon beast called Named on Earth, Poppy also possessed quite an outstanding intelligence.

    ¡°¡­When these kidse to Earth, they are ssified by name.¡±

    Ha-eun approached Poppy as if she was curious.

    A short exmation flowed from Ha-eun¡¯s mouth as she carefully stretched out her hand and stroked Poppy.

    ¡°Wow Mr. ¡°Look at how soft the fur is.¡±

    It felt as soft as touching a high-quality carpet.

    ¡°Crumbling?¡±

    Poppy tilted her head and looked back at Ojin.

    An expression as if it were okay if I just let him touch me.

    Ojin nodded and climbed on Poppy¡¯s back.

    ¡°Sister,e up too.¡±

    ¡°ok. wait for a sec.¡±

    Sigh.

    Ha-eun, who was riding on Poppy¡¯s back, hugged Oh-jin¡¯s waist as if she were riding on the back of a bike.

    ¡°Oh, this is really good?¡±

    ¡°right?¡±

    Ha-eun, who was hugging Oh-jin¡¯s waist, had a sinister smile on her lips.

    ¡°If I¡¯m bored, I can y around like this.¡±

    The hand that hugged her waist slowly crawled down to Ojin¡¯s thigh.

    ¡°¡­Poppy.¡±

    ¡°Crumbling!¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    Poppy deftly flipped her hips and knocked Haeun off her back.

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­ I was just joking around and he was so mean. ¡°Will it wear off if I touch it?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t wear out, but it gets bigger.¡±

    And if it grows from here and now, it will be very difficult.

    ¡°Can I try it too, Oh Jin?¡±

    Isabe walked towards Poppy.

    When she tried to cautiously reach out, Poppy avoided her body, ring sharply at her.

    It seems that he is wary of Isabe because he attacked Ojin earlier.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Poppy.¡±

    ¡°Crumbling¡­¡±

    Poppy hesitantly walked towards Isabe.

    Isabe burst outughing and stroked Poppy¡¯s fur.

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of cute.¡±

    ¡°right?¡±

    ¡°Did Mr. Ohjine up with the name Poppy?¡±

    ¡°ok. It suits you, right?¡±

    ¡°Ho Ho. ¡°If I have a child in the future, I shouldn¡¯t leave the naming to Oh Jin.¡±

    why not.

    What¡¯s wrong with Poppy?

    [It¡¯s amazing that a demonic beast follows a person like this.]

    Vega also flew around Poppy as if she was interested.

    [Then do you n to travel on this child?]

    ¡°Yes. ¡°Our Poppy is all about physical strength.¡±

    With Poppy, Ojin and his group were able to move quickly while preserving their stamina.

    ¡°Grrrrrrrrr!¡±

    Poppy clicked her beak and jumped lightly, as if she was happy to be praised.

    Coo!

    A heavy tremor shook the ground.

    ¡°Then shall we leave soon?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ming, so why don¡¯t you sit in the back!¡±

    ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll sit in front of Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°oh.¡±

    Before Ha-eun could stop her, Isabe quickly jumped on Poppy and took Oh-jin¡¯s front seat.

    ¡°¡­Slutty bitch.¡±

    Ha-eun sits behind Oh Jin, ncing slightly at Isabe.

    Even though there were three people on board, it didn¡¯t feel cramped because Poppy was so big.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you riding Riak?¡±

    ¡°done. ¡°I will walk on my own feet.¡±

    Riak, who was looking up at Ojin and Haeun Isabe who were huddled on top of Poppy, shook his head with a fierce look in his eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Poppy. ¡°Do you know where the Sky Mountains are?¡±

    ¡°purr!¡±

    Poppy nodded vigorously and kicked her feet.

    * * *

    ¡°First of all, shall we pitch a tent here today?¡±

    No matter how much I traveled on Poppy, I couldn¡¯t reach the Sky Mountains in one day.

    While passing through the forest, Ojin found a stream and stopped Poppy.

    Since we are losing even if we take it slow, it would be right to finish preparing for camp quickly.

    ¡°Ugh. ¡°Now I¡¯m homeless again.¡±

    Ha-eun shook her head as if she was bored.

    Even though we brought the highest quality camping equipment from Earth, we still couldn¡¯t just sleep at home.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll make a seat first.¡±

    The side of the stream was full ofrge pebbles and nts, so there was no ce to pitch a tent.

    But if you don¡¯t have a ce, you just have to make it.

    Isabe slightly cut her palm with her fingernail, drawing blood.

    ¡°Bloom.¡±

    Sigh!

    The blood droplets that fell on the ground spread out like a flower in full bloom,pletely blowing away the surrounding pebbles and nts.

    In an instant, a wide open space measuring about 30 meters was created.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡±

    Isabe, who destroyed everything within a 30-meter range, smiled brightly and turned around.

    Oh Jin stuck out his tongue at the terrifying power he always saw.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take out the tent.¡±

    Ojin takes out two tents from his backpack and sets them up.

    One was the tent that Oh Jin used, and the other was the tent that Ha-eun and Isabe shared.

    Riak and Vega returned to the sanctuary in the evening, so there was no need for a separate tent.

    ¡°¡­It would be nice if you could just sleep with us.¡±

    Isabe regained her appetite as if she couldn¡¯t resist.

    It was tempting, but we couldn¡¯t use the same tent outdoors since we weren¡¯t there to have fun.

    ¡®Because it will definitely be unbearable.¡¯

    Whether it¡¯s Oh Jin, Isabe, or Ha Eun.

    It was obvious what would happen if we shared the same tent.

    [Then I guess I¡¯ll just go now.]

    ¡°I¡¯ll go too, kid.¡±

    ¡°huh. See you tomorrow.¡±

    Vega and Riak¡¯s bodies glowed and disappeared as if scattered in the air.

    ¡°Huh cha.¡±

    After setting up all the tents, Oh Jin finished a simple dinner with Isabe Haeun.

    ¡°Then, see you in the morning, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to sleep first~¡±

    ¡°Sleep well.¡±

    Ha-eun and Isabe entered the tent.

    In the dark forest, only the sound of insects echoed quietly.

    ¡°Where then?¡±

    After finishing cleaning up, Oh Jin stood up.

    Because the aftereffects of the blessing had not yet gone away, my bones creaked like an unlubricated machine.

    ¡®But I can¡¯t just sleep.¡¯

    Didn¡¯t you desperately feel that your strength was stillcking while fighting with Kalyke this time?

    Ojin took a seat in a vacant lot far away from the tent.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Ohjin slowly breathes in and closes his eyes.

    With your eyes closed, create the image of Kalyke in your mind.

    Disgustingly thick makeup and cracked voice.

    Engrave each and every one of them in your mind.

    ¡°I am fighting with Kalyque now.¡±

    Concentrate and whisper ¡®lie¡¯ to yourself.

    and.

    ¡°Hohoho! I just lost because I was careless before?¡±

    Kalyke¡¯s voicees from the darkness.

    An eerie shiver ran down Ojin¡¯s spine.

    The unpleasant voice in my ear and the sight of Kalyke in front of me.

    It was all an illusion created by Ojin himself.

    ¡°¡­Kalike.¡±

    From Oh Jin¡¯s perspective, who hypnotized himself with ¡®lies¡¯, all those illusions felt real.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Ojin let out a nervous breath and grabbed the spear.

    This time, there is no blessing from Vega.

    The moment you lose concentration even for a moment, you will be the one who will have your heart pierced.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Quang!

    The wee sh between Ojin and Kalyke has begun.

    At night, when everyone was asleep, Oh Jin remained alone and continued training, risking his life.

    [¡­My child.]

    Under the dark night sky.

    Without realizing that there was a pair of golden eyes watching him.

 Chapter 297

    ??I am not a returner Episode 297

    Sky Mountains (3)

    [Then the main woman will leave.]

    After saying hello to Ojin, Vega returned to the sanctuary.

    Returning to the familiar temple, she lightly stroked Riak¡¯s head.

    [You probably haven¡¯t finished clearing your mind yet, so go in and rest.]

    ¡°Yes, Vega.¡±

    Riak nodded and returned to his residence.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The lone temple left.

    Is it because I was making a fuss with Oh Jin just a moment ago?

    For some reason, an unknown loneliness filled my heart.

    [¡­In the past, I didn¡¯t mind being alone for years.]

    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m feeling this way just a few minutes after returning to the sanctuary.

    Vega stared nkly at the temple wall with a self-deprecating smile.

    How many hours have passed like that?

    [He must be sleeping by now.]

    Suddenly, I had the urge to look at Oh Jin¡¯s face while he was sleeping.

    Vega, who was looking around her head as if she was watching for no reason in the empty temple, soon cleared her throat and concentrated her mind.

    Her body glowed silver and dispersed like fog.

    What was seen in front of Vega, who appeared in a artificial body.

    ¡°I am fighting with Kalyque now.¡±

    Oh Jin is concentrating with his eyes closed.

    Vega, who naturally thought Ojin was sleeping, trembled.

    Without realizing it, she flew behind a nearby tree and hid herself.

    Fortunately, I didn¡¯t notice that she had materialized, perhaps because I was concentrating with my eyes closed.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    The sight of Ojin taking a deep breath, stamping his feet furiously and throwing a spear into the air.

    As if he was fighting a real battle, he blocked an invisible attack and was hit and rolled on the floor.

    If someone I didn¡¯t know saw it, they would haveughed and asked what kind of live show I was putting on.

    [My child¡­.]

    She knows.

    The fact that Ojin is ¡®really¡¯ fighting right now.

    [¡­.]

    Image training reached its limit.

    No, can this really be dismissed lightly as ¡®training¡¯?

    ¡°Ugh! ¡°Wow!¡±

    As Ohjin groans in pain, the wounds on his body increase.

    Although my clothes weren¡¯t torn or blood was gushing out.

    The injured area turned dark and the flesh appeared to be necrotic.

    I feel pain and get hurt.

    As thest line of defense, you just won¡¯t die.

    That was the essence of the training Ohjin repeated alone at night when everyone was asleep.

    Every day.

    Without taking a single day off.

    [My body isn¡¯t fully healed yet, so why¡­]

    Vega clenched his fists with a nervous expression.

    I wanted to run out and stop him right away.

    I wanted to scold him and scold him, telling him that he should rest when he was resting.

    But how can that be?

    ¡°haha! ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±

    Ojin talking to someone invisible.

    He grabbed the spear and twisted the corner of his mouth fiercely.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t do this, you won¡¯t be able to protect anything.¡±

    And sh.

    Ohjin, who was engaged in a fierce battle with an imaginary enemy, fell to his knees clutching his chest.

    ¡°Wow! Wow! Uweeeeeek!¡±

    Ojin is vomiting and struggling in pain.

    Ojin, who had been lying on the floor and trembling like an epileptic patient, stood up shakily.

    ¡°Ai¡­ you¡¯re so strong. ¡°The difference between whether there is a blessing or not is really big.¡±

    After taking a bottle of potion from his sling bag and drinking it, Ojin continued meditating with his eyes closed, as if reliving the battle just before.

    That too for a while.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s fight while keeping the distance apart this time.¡±

    Even though I was struggling in pain to the point of nausea.

    He calmly created an imaginary enemy again, as if nothing had happened.

    [¡­.]

    How many times do I have to repeat this to be that calm?

    How ustomed do you have to be to be so calm?

    What kind of time was he spending while she was spending meaningless time guarding the temple alone?

    ¡®It¡¯s my child.¡¯

    My heart throbbed as if a nail had been driven into it.

    Vega, who was hiding behind a tree and looking at Ojin endlessly, canceled his appearance and returned to the sanctuary.

    [¡­It was such a pain not to be able to do anything.]

    I wanted to hand over at least part of my power to Ojin.

    The role of the Constetion was to nt the seeds of stigmata in the awakened.

    It is up to the awakened person to take root there and spread out the stem.

    It was an area in which the Holy See itself could not or should not intervene.

    [Sigh.]

    Vega sighed deeply and walked out of the temple.

    There wasn¡¯t really anything to do.

    I just wanted to sort out some of the emotions that had be clouded with thoughts about the misdiagnosis.

    I walked slowly as if I was taking a walk along the road leading to the Milky Way.

    Constetions were rarely seen wandering the streets.

    Most constetions like to stay locked up in their temples and not move, but that doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t go out at all.

    Constetions also have emotions, and beings with emotions are bound to find someone to share them with.

    Among them, there was a constetion that preferred wandering around the sanctuary rather than being in the temple at all.

    ¡°Vega-nee?¡±

    okay.

    Like the constetion of Virgo, which discovers Vega from afar and runs like an excited cow.

    ¡°No, you¡¯reing out of the temple! ¡°Is the sanctuary going to be swallowed up by the ck sky tomorrow?!¡±

    Spica, the goddess with the freshness of buds blooming in spring, made all kinds of fuss as if she couldn¡¯t believe that Vega hade out of the temple.

    [I just wanted to get some air.]

    ¡°Hey. ¡°Your sister?¡±

    He had never been seen at arge banquet or festival where many constetions gathered, and he suddenly came out wanting to get some fresh air.

    Spica looked at Vega up and down as if suspicious.

    As the constetion of Virgo, which represents purity and love, I intuitively noticed the pink emotions secretly flowing from Vega.

    ¡°Is it because of that kid?¡±

    [¡­I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.]

    ¡°That¡¯s right! ¡°I¡¯ve already heard a rumor that you¡¯re traveling to the devil¡¯snd with that kid these days!¡±

    Spica ps her hands and bursts intoughter.

    Vega¡¯s expression immediately frowned.

    [I don¡¯t know where I heard that rumor, but I¡¯m not having a carefree time that could be called a trip.]

    ¡°But we¡¯re together, right?¡±

    [That¡¯s true, but.]

    ¡°Ah~ The noble star of Jiknyeo Castle has fallen into the hands of a single person like this~!¡±

    Spica wipes away tears with exaggerated movements as if in a musical y.

    Vega shouted with a red face.

    [Now, don¡¯t y around! How can a constetion be connected to its own child?!]

    ¡°Huh? Why not? ¡°I have a cute darling, right?¡±

    [What?]

    I¡¯ve heard people talk about people of destiny before.

    I would have guessed that they were so close that they called each other by the sweet title ¡®darling¡¯.

    ¡°Besides me, there are many constetions that are connected to their apostles. ¡°It increased even more after the restrictions of thew were weakened.¡±

    [How can people called the Constetions touch their own children¡­!]

    ¡°It¡¯s not aw that says you can¡¯t touch humans, right? And didn¡¯t you say that you had a special rtionship with that child in your past life?¡±

    [That¡¯s it.]

    Vega bit her lip and avoided Spica¡¯s gaze.

    [Perhaps¡­ it was a misunderstanding on the part of the original woman.]

    ¡°A misunderstanding?¡±

    Ojin and his past life had a special rtionship that went beyond the rtionship between an ordinary constetion and an awakened person.

    It must be true because I heard it directly from Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    but.

    [¡­Doesn¡¯t a special rtionship necessarily mean a rtionship between lovers?]

    What Oh Jin said was that the two had a ¡®special rtionship¡¯.

    He did not say exactly what the rtionship was.

    [And even if they were lovers, it was only a past life after all.]

    Vega smiled bitterly and shook her head.

    Spica¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Then how are you feeling now?¡±

    [What do you mean?]

    ¡°Putting past life and everything else aside, what are your feelings about that child now?¡±

    [That¡­]

    Vega averted his gaze withplicated eyes.

    [¡­I don¡¯t know.]

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    [When I think of that child, there are times when my heart is overwhelmed with pride, and there are times when I am so worried that my heart breaks as if a nail has been driven into it. I want to protect and protect her, but sometimes I also want to rely on her.]

    Her life continued from the distant past.

    To the point where I can no longer even remember how long ago I existed.

    However, for most of that long time, he stayed alone in the temple and silently performed his duties as a ¡®constetion¡¯.

    A life like a machine.

    At that time, her life was full of colorless colors, like a ck and white movie.

    and.

    I met that child.

    Like a windlesske, a ripple of misdiagnosis arose in an inorganic life.

    The ripples that were just a breeze gradually became a huge typhoon, swirling in her heart.

    [What kind of existence that child is to her¡­ she doesn¡¯t even know.]

    It¡¯s an extremely unfamiliar feeling.

    In terms of emotions, she was like a child who had just started walking, and had no idea where her heart was headed.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    A short exmation came from Spica¡¯s mouth.

    [Why are you doing that?]

    ¡°Oh, yes. never mind. ¡°Even if it¡¯s me, this is a bit embarrassing.¡±

    Spica shook her head as if she couldn¡¯t bear to listen any further.

    I never thought Vega would be this sincere.

    It was a confession of love so shameful that it made the listener even more distressed.

    ¡°Well anyway! Now that things have be like this, I can¡¯t just sit still as the goddess of purity and love!¡±

    Spica approached Vega with her eyes sparkling like stars.

    [What are you nning to do?]

    ¡°It¡¯s not me, but you who have to do it!¡±

    Her role is only to give advice.

    ¡°Let¡¯s think together about how to confess!¡±

    [What a confession! What are you talking about!]

    Vega shakes his head with a red face.

    Spica pounded her chest in frustration.

    ¡°No, if you want to do anything, you have to confess first! Or, I can secretly attack you while you are sleeping and make it a fait apli!¡±

    It was too radical a way of thinking to be considered a goddess of purity.

    [Oh, Oh-jin is just a precious child to me.]

    ¡°Heng. Are youing now? ¡°You said you didn¡¯t know?¡±

    [And¡­]

    Vega lowers her head with a downcast expression.

    [That child¡­ already has a lover named Ha-eun.]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Spica, who had never thought that Vega would have a man in her heart, opened her eyes wide.

    ¡°Hey. what? ¡°Could it be that you were targeting a man who owns it?¡±

    [You¡¯re aiming for me! Didn¡¯t you say that¡¯s not the case?]

    ¡°This is interesting.¡±

    Spica raises the corner of her mouth with a grin.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry, sister! Just because you have a goalkeeper doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t score a goal! ¡°I don¡¯t know who Ha-eun is, but in front of her, she¡¯s no better than the starlight next to the full moon, right?¡±

    Vega is someone.

    Isn¡¯t the North Star constetion one of the three among hundreds of constetions?

    There was no constetion that couldpare to her in both ability and appearance.

    [¡­and.]

    ¡°Huh? What else?¡±

    [It seems like he recently found a lover named Isabe.]

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Two goalkeepers?

 Chapter 298

    I am not a returner Episode 298

    Sky Mountains (4)

    ¡°Oh my oh my!¡±

    Spica opens her mouth like a crucian carp and says ¡®Oh my¡¯ over and over again, as if she doesn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t look at it like that, but this kid waspletely ck on the inside!¡±

    Spica trembled as if inciting a match.

    When I saw him engaging in a proxy war with Deneb, I was shocked to see how these two idiots existed.

    Later, when I met him to be selected as a member of the Chilseong and given the name ¡®Pagunseong¡¯, my impression was a bit different.

    Should I say that I can feel the spirit of a hero?

    After learning that Oh Jin was a star in the sky, even the crazy actions he showed during the proxy war were thought of as heroic actions based on strong determination and belief.

    After this or that incident, the image of Ojin that came to her mind was that of a monk who was out of touch with the world and setting out on a journey of asceticism with noble beliefs in his heart.

    But I have not one but two lovers.

    Isn¡¯t he an apostate monk who is not inmunication with the world, but in fullmunication with it?

    [The inside is pitch ck. What do you know about that child when you say something like that?]

    Vega¡¯s tone became somewhat harsh and a sharp, murderous tone came out.

    A dark night when everyone is asleep.

    In it, the image of Ojin swinging a spear alone and overworking his body to the point of self-harm came to mind.

    Oh Jin continues his training by cutting off his own flesh to protect his loved ones.

    How can you say such cruel things to a child like that?

    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. Calm down, sister. ¡°Because I was wrong.¡±

    This girl is really seriously ill.

    Spicaughed awkwardly, swallowing the words that were about toe out of her mouth.

    [¡­If you knew, it¡¯s okay.]

    ¡°Anyway. Let¡¯s first organize the situation. ¡°What do you want to do with those kids?¡±

    [You mean those kids?]

    ¡°Why are those two people called lovers? ¡°If you want to win love, you have to do something with those two first.¡±

    [¡­.]

    What should I do with those two first?

    Do we have to force Ha-eun and Isabe away from Oh-jin?

    [I will not do such a thing.]

    So far, we have seen what Ojin has done to protect his precious people.

    Even though I was vomiting and writhing in pain.

    The sight of him standing up shakily.

    ¡°Hmm. Then, I should naturally let my feelings move to my sister.¡±

    [There is no need for that.]

    Vega smiled slightly and shook her head.

    There was a bittersweet emotion in his golden eyes.

    [Didn¡¯t I tell you? I have no intention of bing involved with that child.]

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s happening again. It is entirely possible for a constetion and a human to be connected¡­¡±

    [That¡¯s not why.]

    Vega shook her head softly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not because of that? ¡°Then what is it?¡±

    I know that a constetion and a human can form a rtionship.

    The only difference is the responsibility and power they have.

    In the essential realm, both constetions and humans were creatures born from the Titans.

    Just as Ojin epted Isabe, if she works hard, she might be able to be a rtionship with him.

    You might find yourself in his arms, intoxicated by the happy feeling of love.

    but.

    That couldn¡¯t be possible.

    That shouldn¡¯t be the case.

    [I don¡¯t want to burden that child anymore.]

    Didn¡¯t you see it with your own eyes?

    How harshly he pushes himself. How many things are we sacrificing to move forward?

    How could a child like that be made to carry an even heavier burden?

    [The main woman values that child immensely.]

    That is why.

    therefore.

    therefore.

    [I hope that child is happy.]

    Even if there is someone other than himself next to him.

    I hope he is happy.

    ¡°¡­sister.¡±

    Spica tightly closed her mouth, feeling so intense that it almost took her breath away.

    There were many things I wanted to refute.

    In that case, I wanted to ask what would happen to the sister¡¯s heart and whether the child would be happier because she had a sister.

    but.

    I was convinced by looking at the resolute emotions engraved in his golden eyes.

    No matter what I say now, Vega¡¯s thoughts won¡¯t change.

    [I wish there was something the main woman could do for that child¡­]

    Vega lowered her head with a gloomy expression.

    Spica¡¯s eyes sparkled as she watched her.

    ¡°Why is there nothing I can do for you?¡±

    [Hmm? But don¡¯t you know that there is no way to give the power of stigmata to an awakened person?]

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not the only thing you can do for that child, right?¡±

    [Hoo. Then what is there?]

    Vega was a precious being to her.

    Vega, who rarely spoke to other constetions, was the only one who allowed the friendly title ¡®sister¡¯ to Spica.

    so that.

    I don¡¯t want Vega to rot like she is now, with her emotions buried deep in her heart.

    ¡®If not me, who else can help that frustrated sister?¡¯

    It is impossible to persuade people through traditional methods.

    It was clear that Vega would open his eyes and refuse.

    If so, there is only one way.

    It provides a very small ¡®excuse¡¯ for that extremely frustrating way of thinking.

    ¡°Sister¡¯s heartfelt support! constion! encourage! ¡°You just have to do something like that!¡±

    [¡­Is that what you meant?]

    Vega pursed her lips as if she was disappointed.

    I was secretly looking forward to it, but all I could think of was support and encouragement.

    Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not important, but it¡¯s still of real help.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know, sister! ¡°If you do as I say, you can double or triple the power of the awakened person with just support andfort!¡±

    [Is there such a way?]

    ¡°Go ahead! ¡°It¡¯s especially effective if you¡¯re a male awakener!¡±

    Seeing him nod his head with such a confident expression, it seemed like he had a sure bet.

    [What is that method?]

    Vega asked, her eyes shining with interest.

    I got caught.

    Spica grinned inwardly and gently approached Vega.

    ¡°sister. ¡°You said you went to the Beastman Kingdom a while ago, right?¡±

    A sinister smile appeared on the lips of the goddess of purity and love.

    * * *

    ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m dying.¡±

    ¡°Ho ho ho. ¡°Is it over already?¡±

    I let out a tired groan, like an office worker going to work on Friday morning after a Thursdaypany dinner.

    Ojin felt the fatigue weighing down his entire body and released the ¡®lie¡¯ he had told himself.

    The figure of Kalyke, who was frowning before my eyes, disappeared.

    ¡®Now I can use it without having to create an illusion.¡¯

    In the past, in order to use ¡®Lies¡¯ to hypnotize yourself, you had to prepare in many ways, such as creating an enemy¡¯s appearance with an illusion and imitating his voice with the stigmata of Capricorn.

    As I started doing this, I got used to it and was able to create a virtual enemy that was close to perfection just by imagining it.

    ¡®Thanks to you, I can now focus more on the battle.¡¯

    By devoting all the effort needed to manipte illusions and sounds tobat, I was able to engage in battles that were closer to actualbat.

    Well, because of that, there were more injuries suffered during training.

    ¡°¡­If this was going to happen, I shouldn¡¯t have had dinner.¡±

    Ohjin clicked his tongue as he looked down at the vomit spread on the floor.

    His record against the imaginary Kaliqu¨¦ is 5 wins and 5 losses.

    It was a time when I could keenly realize how great Vega¡¯s blessing was.

    ¡®Actually, even with the blessing, it didn¡¯t overwhelm me.¡¯

    I pushed it to some extent, but I couldn¡¯t say I overpowered it.

    If the situation had been overwhelming to begin with, Calice would not have had time to be so distracted by Horus.

    ¡°There is still a long way to go.¡±

    Ojin sighed lightly and got up.

    As I was concentrating on my training, quite a bit of time passed by.

    ¡®I have to go back before my sister catches me.¡¯

    If they find out that I was training alone at night, they will nag me again.

    Ojin turned around due to fatigue and moved to the ce where he had set up his tent.

    ¡®Are you sleeping?¡¯

    As I listened to Ha-eun and Isabe¡¯s tent, I heard small breathing sounds from inside.

    Oh Jin went into his tent, took off his sweaty clothes, and piled them in a corner.

    Ohjin, who had even unwrapped the pendant he had received from Vega, gathered a change of clothes and came out.

    It was much smaller than the stream that flowed next to the Silver Mane tribe vige, and the water only reached knee-high, but this should be enough to wash one¡¯s body.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ I guess I can live now.¡±

    As I took a dip in the stream that was up to my knees, my water-friendly skill activated and healed my body.

    Image training using ¡®lies¡¯ was clearly effective, but because it was so effective, it put a lot of strain on the body.

    Just today, if it weren¡¯t for the potion I made myself on Earth and the power of the stigmata of Aquarius, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to fight Caliche five times.

    ¡°¡­But I still have to do it.¡±

    No matter how painful and painful it is to the point of death.

    If he didn¡¯t do this, there was no way to get through the thick darkness that fell on his path.

    Although he didn¡¯t know exactly about the power of the Heavenly Demon.

    At least it won¡¯t be at a level he can deal with now.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    After washing his body thoroughly and regaining his stamina, Oh Jin changed into the clothes he had prepared in advance.

    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m so sleepy.¡±

    The water-friendly skill can only recover from trauma.

    It did not solve the internal injuries and physical fatigue caused by excessive use of magical power.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ If I sleep now, I can still sleep for three hours.¡±

    The amount of sleep was not enough to recover from fatigue, but what could you do?

    I couldn¡¯t recover until I ruined my itinerary to the Sky Mountains.

    ¡®But since I have Poppy, I can get some sleep while moving.¡¯

    With that in mind, he approached his tent.

    ¡°¡­huh?¡±

    I could feel the excitement inside the tent.

    ¡®what.¡¯

    Ojin carefully opened the tent, grabbing the Dantalian he had taken with him when he went to wash his body.

    What caught the eye of Oh Jin, who was fully prepared to respond immediately to whoever came out.

    [Wow, wow, wow, did youe?]

    It was Vega wearing what ismonly called a ¡®bunny girl¡¯ outfit.

    High heels, ck stockings, and a tight-fitting leotard.

    This costume, which boldly revealed her white shoulders, was a costume that was difficult to encounter in real life, even on Earth, except in special ces such as Halloween or cosy shops.

    But I never thought I would see a bunny girl costume in a demonic world that is not even on Earth.

    [Bobonnyeo is your rabbit!]

    A goddess jumping around with a rabbit ears headband on her head.

    Because it was in its original form rather than a small body, something shook greatly as it moved.

    Ojin rubbed his eyes and walked to where the sleeping bag was.

    ¡°You must have been very tired today.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know it would turn out to be nothing.

 Chapter 299

    I am not a returner Episode 299

    Sky Mountains (5)

    [Huh, it¡¯s not in vain!]

    He shouted as he saw Ojin walking towards the sleeping bag, ignoring himself.

    Ojin¡¯s head turned to Kigi Geek¡¯s side like a rusty machine.

    ¡°¡­is it really Vega?¡±

    A light of astonishment in two wide-open eyes.

    Vega huped and shook her head urgently.

    [Oh no! It¡¯s nonsense! You are dreaming!]

    What should I do?

    ¡°Where on earth do you get these clothes¡­?¡±

    There were things like dog and cat ears in Baek Moo-gang¡¯s house, but there were no manic costumes like Bunny Girl¡¯s.

    No, upon closer inspection, the headband with rabbit ears on her head was a simple cosy essory that, unlike the borate model at Baek Moo-gang¡¯s house, could be seen as fake at first nce.

    [That¡­]

    Vega lowers her head with blushing cheeks.

    [I borrowed it from Spica.]

    ¡°¡­from the constetion of Virgo?¡±

    Why does the goddess of the constetion Virgo wear such a skimpy outfit that clearly shows off her body lines?

    ¡®Was it not Virgo but Virgo?¡¯

    No, that¡¯s right.

    Let¡¯s make a hundred concessions and say that Spica had bunny girl clothes, so what reason is there for Vega to borrow them and wear them?

    [I wanted to cheer you on.]

    ¡°Cheering?¡±

    [Spica said so! If you wear these clothes, your strength will be two to three times stronger!]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    What kind of nonsense is this crazy constetion talking about to our goddess?

    If you wear a bunny girl outfit, your strength will increase two or three times?

    under.

    I¡¯m really dumbfounded.

    No matter how pretty our goddess is, do you know how simple creatures men are?

    Do you feel energized just by seeing a bunny girl outfit?

    [So¡­ how do you feel? Do you feel strong?]

    ¡°Yes. ¡°I feel so fucking powerful.¡±

    I think I can break the Kaliqu¨¦ earthenware pot now.

    [Thank goodness.]

    Vega sighed in relief and stroked her chest.

    When I received the clothes from Spica, I was wondering if wearing them would actually give me Ojin¡¯s power.

    Looking at his shining eyes, fortunately it seemed to have had an effect.

    ¡°But why the sudden cheering?¡±

    Anyway, isn¡¯t it too unexpected to be waiting in a tent in the wee hours of the morning dressed as a bunny girl?

    [I just suddenly felt like that.]

    How can I say that this happened because Spica discovered the feelings I had been keeping in my heart alone.

    ¡®But this is all to support my child.¡¯

    I definitely didn¡¯t wear this shameless outfit to seduce him.

    Didn¡¯t Oh Jin himself say that he feels strong?

    ¡®Now that I think about it, Ha-eun and Isabe were quite happy when they disguised themselves as beastmen.¡¯

    no way.

    A dizzying thought shed through Vega¡¯s head.

    [It¡¯s my child.]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    [Are you¡­ aroused by animals?]

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    what?

    [There is no need to hide it!]

    ¡°Hide means hiding something.¡±

    [She can understand and ept everything about you!]

    ¡°No.¡±

    What are you talking about, you goddess?

    [But didn¡¯t you say that seeing my mother¡¯s rabbit appearance gave me strength?]

    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±

    I was at a loss as to where to begin to resolve Vega¡¯s misunderstanding.

    [Didn¡¯t you stare as intently as you did now at Ha-eun and Isabe disguised as beastmen before?]

    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s my sister and Isabe.¡±

    [Now that I think about it, I once heard on TV that there is a being with twisted desires called ¡®Furbak¡¯!]

    Some crazy bastard said something like that on TV.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I like animals, it¡¯s that¡­ what is it? ¡°Do you think it¡¯s good to imitate animals? No, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m asking you to imitate me now.¡±

    I grabbed Vega¡¯s shoulder and pressed him as he tried to jump up like a rabbit again.

    ¡°So¡­ that.¡±

    What can I do to wash away the terrible stigma that has been ced on me?

    She was hopelesslycking in knowledge about human society, so she had no confidence in logically exining the manic charm of animal ears and tails.

    Ohjin continued speaking with a deep sigh, as if he was giving up on giving a detailed exnation.

    ¡°I gained strength because I like you, Vega, not the rabbit.¡±

    [¡­What?]

    Vega shakes his shoulders and opens his eyes wide.

    She hesitantly pursed her lips and avoided Ohjin¡¯s gaze.

    [Is that something like that?]

    ¡°Huh. So, I don¡¯t have any strange tastes like that.¡±

    [Keuhum! I will believe it because you are saying it!]

    The goddess repeatedly cleared her throat and blushed.

    As if my excitement had subsided and I hade to my senses, I let out a deep sigh and gently clenched my fists.

    [¡­It¡¯s truly pathetic.]

    ¡°No, I really don¡¯t like that.¡±

    It¡¯s so unfair.

    [I didn¡¯t say you were pathetic!]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    So who is pathetic?

    [I was saying that it was pathetic that the main woman could only do this for you.]

    Vega smiled bitterly and shook her head.

    It¡¯s definitely a serious atmosphere.

    When I heard that the only thing I could do while wearing a bunny girl costume was something like this, harsh thoughts kept filling my head.

    ¡°do not say that.¡±

    [One¡­]

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the blessing this time, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat Kalyke.¡±

    I was able to realize this painfully through image training with Kalyke.

    ¡°And even if it¡¯s not necessarily a blessing, it¡¯s always helpful.¡±

    [¡­]

    Vega smiled slightly and ced her hand on Ojin¡¯s cheek.

    [As expected, you are kind.]

    Vega caresses your cheek carefully as if stroking a treasure.

    A feeling ofnguid fatigue along with a warm feeling weighed down Ohjin.

    ¡°Haam.¡±

    [Oh, now that I think about it, I¡¯m really tired.]

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±

    [What does it mean to be okay?]

    Oh Jin¡¯s eyes were half-closed, as if he would fall asleep at any moment.

    [Lie down here.]

    Vega tapped her knee.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit¡­¡±

    [Uh-huh. Didn¡¯t I tell you to lie down? Or are you nning to go against the words of the Constetion?]

    Vega pulls Ojin away with a stern expression.

    Ojin, who was already suffering from fatigue that was weighing down his body, could not resist that power.

    When I ced my head on Vega¡¯s thigh, I could vividly feel the soft texture of her skin through the thin stockings.

    I think this is the only way I¡¯ll wake up.

    When I tried to separate my head from that thought.

    [Stay still.]

    Vega gently pressed Ojin¡¯s head.

    It¡¯s not like I can use mands¡¯ like Isabe.

    For some reason, all the strength left my body.

    [Didn¡¯t you push yourself too hard today? ]

    A gentle hand strokes my hair.

    Thefort of birds flying and chirping on a warm spring day.

    I didn¡¯t even take sleeping pills, but my eyes naturally closed.

    Vega lightly kissed Ojin¡¯s forehead as he closed his eyes.

    [Dream sweet dreams, my child.]

    That day, a rabbit appeared in my dream.

    * * *

    ¡°Is that the Sky Mountains?¡±

    Thanks to Poppy, Ojin and his group escaped from the forest much faster than expected, and a huge mountain range appeared in front of them.

    To be exact, the shape is presumed to be a ¡®mountain range¡¯.

    ¡°I was wondering why it was called the Sky Mountains, but when you look at it from the forest, you can¡¯t even see a snout.¡±

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue and looked up at a shape that seemed to be a mountain range.

    Even if I looked up, I couldn¡¯t see it clearly.

    ¡°There is a very thick fog over the entire mountain range.¡±

    Isabe frowned and looked around the Sky Mountains.

    Dense fog covered the entire mountain range.

    A hazy fog was covering the mountain range, as if we had entered the clouds on an airne.

    When I heard the term ¡®Sky Mountains¡¯, I vaguely thought that it was called that because there were so many high mountain peaks.

    It seems that the reason this ce is called ¡®Sky Mountains¡¯ is because of the fog that was as thick as those clouds.

    [I¡¯m worried that only this way I¡¯ll be able to find my way properly.]

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I have Riak.¡±

    Riak, with his sense of smell and senses developed like an animal, would be able to urately find his way even in ces where visibility is blocked.

    ¡°¡­No, this isn¡¯t regr fog, kid.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not normal fog?¡±

    ¡°Try activating your energy.¡±

    There was no way to dexterously expand one¡¯s spirit like a martial artist from a martial arts magazine.

    There was something that could have a simr effect.

    Ojin activated the Stigmata of Canis the Huntsman.

    My whole body became more sensitive, and the surrounding terrain was pictured in my mind.

    No, to be precise.

    It should have been drawn.

    ¡°what is this.¡±

    Even though I activated the stigmata of the constetion Canis and raised my senses, nothing changed.

    Visibility is at most 20 to 30 meters.

    There was no smell of grass or trees, or the cries of insects or birds, which should exist in a mountain range.

    As the expression says, it feels like swimming in clouds where there is nothing.

    Ojin frowned and looked at the thick fog surrounding him.

    ¡°Is this fog blocking my senses?¡±

    ¡°I guess so¡±

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    The environment was so bad that I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡°There was no ce like this a hundred years ago¡­ I don¡¯t know when it came into existence.¡±

    Riak frowns and looks around.

    ¡°Children, do you know nothing about the Sky Mountains?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I heard from Leoru.¡±

    Ojin clicked his tongue and raised his head.

    Even though the fog was thick, the outline of the mountain range could be seen to some extent from a distance.

    As the name of the mountain range suggests, mountains with low peaks were connected like stairs next to the mountains with high peaks.

    Anyway, the goal is to cross the Sky Mountains and go to the Dragonian Kingdom, so if you pick the lowest peak, you can easily get over it.

    ¡®The problem is that you can¡¯t tell what the low peak is by looking at it.¡¯

    When I was squinting and looking up at the mountain range.

    Sara rock!

    The sound of something quickly crawling on the floor passed my ears.

    Something dark rushed towards Ojin as if it were being shot.

    ¡°Mr. Ojin!¡±

    Isabe quickly swung her hand, and the blood-red de pierced something dark.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    Is it about 1 meter in size?

    It was a magical beast that looked simr to a spider and had bizarrely protruding jaws.

    What¡¯s unusual is that there are no eyes at all.

    Originally, the eyes of a spider should have been reced by ugly antennae like snails.

    Sarah! Sarah! Sara rock!

    A sound echoing from all directions as if it were not the end.

    Because of the thick fog, it was impossible to determine how many demons were surrounding the area.

    ¡°Ojina.¡±

    An unidentified fog that blocks the senses.

    Demonic beasts start flocking from the entrance as if waiting for a mountain peak that seems to reach the sky.

    And even the Behemoth that lives here.

    Now I know why the Sky Mountains are called ¡®forbidden¡¯.

    ¡°¡­Can¡¯t we just go back?¡±

    I agree.

 Chapter 300

    I am not a returner Episode 300

    Sky Mountains (6)

    ¡°Fire.¡±

    At the end of the year, mes like fireflies appear.

    He shoots it forward as if flicking a tobo stick stuck in his middle finger.

    ¡°Burn up.¡±

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    The mes spread like a fan and became a fierce storm that swept the surrounding area.

    A terrible roar echoing from all directions.

    The thick smoke flowing out from burning flesh mixed with the hazy fog.

    ¡°Keeeeeeek!¡±

    The spider demon rushed through the mes and rushed towards Ha-eun.

    Ojin and Riak, who were waiting next to her, blocked the crowd of spider demons.

    The spear and ws filled with blue lightning tore apart the spider beast.

    ¡°Please both of you step back for a moment.¡±

    Isabe, who was scattering blood around the area, spoke to Riak and Ojin.

    Ojin and Riak, who were taking the lead in wiping out the spider demons, nodded and stepped back.

    ¡°Bloom.¡±

    A red flower bloomed from the blood drops that fell on the floor.

    The fluttering blood-flower leaves spread widely around like cherry blossoms.

    ¡°Kiik! ¡°Keeeeek!¡±

    The body of the spider demon that touched the blood flower leaf dried and crumbled like a mummy.

    A quiet silence settled in the ce where the blood ze had swept over.

    ¡°Did you get rid of it?¡±

    Ha-eun, who was about to take out the tobo, nced around and looked around.

    at that time.

    Among the withered corpses of the spider beasts, one that survived jumped towards her.

    ¡°Grrr!¡±

    Poppy hit the jumping spider beast with her front paw as if catching a cockroach.

    Quick.

    Unpleasant green fluid burst out from the spider demon¡¯s body.

    Oh Jin patted Poppy¡¯s back and red at Ha Eun.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there one more one that came out at the end because my sister said that?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my sister¡¯s fault.¡±

    In fact, isn¡¯t it the same as memorizing a resurrection spell?

    ¡°It¡¯s worse than that.¡±

    Ha-eun looked down at the corpses of the spider beasts covering the area, took out a piece of tobo and put it in her mouth.

    Although it was only arge number, it was not a difficult magical beast to deal with.

    The problem was that this was only the beginning of the Sky Mountains.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to really get this back on track?¡±

    This evil came from the beginning of the mountain range, and I felt dizzy just imagining how many demonic beasts I would be tormented if I went deeper inside.

    ¡°I want to do that too, but it takes too much time.¡±

    Just arriving at the Sky Mountains had already wasted several days.

    I didn¡¯t know how long it would take to go back the way we came and avoid the mountains, even if Poppy was there.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, doesn¡¯t Mr. Ojin have the skill to fly?¡±

    Are you talking about stepping on the scars?

    ¡°It¡¯s a little different from mine. Even if you use it, it will be difficult to cross the mountain range.¡±

    In the first ce, stepping on brain marks was a good skill to use when taking a free position in battle or showing movement that transcends thews of physics, but was not a skill suitable for use as a means of transportation.

    Just like throwing a mulsujebi, if you step on the thunderbolt a few times, it falls straight to the bottom.

    It was even more difficult to use as a means of transportation if you had to carry Ha-eun and Isabe.

    [I don¡¯t think I would rmend using the Thunder Stamp, either.]

    Vega frowned and looked at the thick fog surrounding her.

    [This fog was not created naturally.]

    Well.

    To say that the fog that blocks the senses was created naturally would make no sense.

    ¡°then?¡±

    [Like the dragon vein, there may be a hidden power powerful enough to distort natural phenomena.]

    The dragon vein.

    [The important thing is that if you try to fly and cross the mountain range, you run the risk of being caught up in its power.]

    ¡°In any case, you have no choice but to turn back or break through on foot.¡±

    Which one to choose has already been decided.

    ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­ those spider babies are so disgusting.¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and grumbled, but followed up next to Oh-jin.

    ¡°purr!¡±

    Poppy bent down as if to get on his back.

    Ojin stroked Poppy¡¯s head and shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk from here.¡±

    ¡°That Grung?¡±

    Did you take it as a sign that you were going to leave me here?

    Poppy¡¯s round eyes were filled with tears.

    Ojin chuckled and tickled Poppy¡¯s chin.

    ¡°Can you follow me carefully from behind?¡±

    ¡°Grung! purr!¡±

    Poppy stepped back with bright eyes.

    ¡°I will take the lead.¡±

    Riak stepped forward.

    Even if the thick fog surrounding the area dulled one¡¯s senses, it was most efficient for Riak, who had excellent basic acumen and quick movements, to take the lead.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, everyone gather around for a moment before we leave.¡±

    Ohjin pulled out a long wire from the wire shooter on his forearm.

    ¡°Let¡¯s all connect ourselves with this.¡±

    ¡°Ah, this is a method that mountain climbers often use.¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°If this is the case, it will be okay to be some distance away from each other.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°I just want to stick close to Mr. Oh Jin.¡±

    Isabe smiled mischievously and wrapped Ojin and her body around the wire.

    ¡°Isabe.¡±

    ¡°lol. ¡°It¡¯s a joke.¡±

    Isabe stuck out her tongue cutely and reconnected the wire properly.

    Ojin and his group, tying each other with wire, entered the Sky Mountains.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Everyone walked carefully with nervous expressions on their faces.

    As we entered the Sky Mountains, the fog surrounding us became thicker.

    ¡°I¡¯m really going crazy because I can¡¯t see anything.¡±

    As Ha-eun said, the pressure and tension she felt because she couldn¡¯t see her surroundings was no joke.

    How many hours did it take to walk like that?

    ¡°Shall we take a short break?¡±

    Ojin and his group had enough stamina to walk for only a few hours, so there was no need to rest.

    As I was constantly in a state of tension due to the fog surrounding me, fatigue set in quickly.

    ¡°okay. ¡°Let¡¯s eat something while we take a break.¡±

    Oh Jin took out ingredients from his backpack.

    ¡°I will do the cooking.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll install some rms around the area.¡±

    Even though it was an rm, it was a simple device made by connecting a wire between trees and attaching a bell, but it was still much better than nothing.

    Oh Jin, who finished installing rms around the area, ate the food prepared by Ha-eun and Isabe.

    ¡°Ha~! Still, I think I¡¯ll buy something since it contains something!¡±

    Ha-eun stretched out her feet.

    ¡°Oji~ It¡¯s better~¡±

    As her stomach filled up, Ha-eun seemed to have rxed a bit and came closer to Oh-jin.

    Without any time to stop, Ha-eun put her head on her thigh and curled up like a cat.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired so I¡¯m going to sleep for a bit, so wake me up in 20 minutes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can you sleep in this situation?¡±

    ¡°People have to sleep and live, man.¡±

    In a way, I envied this peaceful personality.

    He sighed and stroked Ha-eun¡¯s head, rubbing her cheek like a cat showing affection.

    Come to think of it, it¡¯s a cat.

    ¡°Isabe, do you know anything about the constetion Cat?¡±

    ¡°The constetion Cat?¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°You said you knew the executor of Cat before.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes. ¡°It was like that.¡±

    Isabe nodded and continued speaking.

    ¡°I know almost nothing about the ck Star constetion. ¡°The ck Star Constetion cannot be found in the sanctuary like other constetions.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Even if they were able to meet, very few awakened people actually went to the sanctuary to meet the Constetion.

    Because a constetion was not something you could meetfortably like a friend.

    ¡°Oh, but I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re very jealous.¡±

    ¡°Are you jealous?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°Most of the awakened cats are very jealous, and they say that is due to the influence of the constetion.¡±

    Among the awakened, there were quite often cases where they were influenced by the personality or some characteristics of the constetion that gave them the stigmata.

    The reason Isabe suffered from the urge to suck blood was because she was influenced by the stigmata.

    ¡°I am very jealous.¡±

    Ojin continued to think for a moment and turned his head towards Vega.

    ¡°Has Vega never met the constetion of Cat?¡±

    [There is no such thing. The main woman mostly stayed at the temple.]

    Well.

    From the beginning, even among the constetions with strong individualism, Vega was in a poor position.

    There is no way he could be acquainted with the constetion of Cat, which was expelled from the sanctuary in the distant past and downgraded to a ¡®satellite¡¯.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, why were the constetions previously called satellites expelled from the sanctuary?¡±

    [There are several reasons. Either the personality is too vicious, or it caused a big dispute with another Constetion, or the stigmata itself has a big problem, such as a vampiric impulse.]

    I didn¡¯t know anything else, but I thought I knew who the Constetion was that was expelled because of the vampiric impulse.

    [I don¡¯t know the details, but that was the reason.]

    ¡°¡­You really weren¡¯t close to the other constetions.¡±

    Sometimes during conversations, I didn¡¯t know so much that I doubted whether Vega was really a constetion.

    [But there are still constetions that can be called close friends!]

    ¡°Oh, I know Spica¡­ but who are the other constetions?¡±

    [That¡­!]

    Vega lowers his head with a downcast expression.

    I think it was a question that was too harsh for Assa.

    ¡°Mr. Oh Jin. ¡°I can¡¯t use it if you say things like that.¡±

    ¡°sorry. Vega. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a constetion I was close to other than the real Spica.¡±

    [You¡¯re so noisy!]

    When I offered my sincere constion, Vega blushed and shouted.

    [The maindy just did her best in her responsibilities and duties as a Constetion!]

    Gorum Gorum.

    Whoever our goddess is, she could make as many friends as she wanted.

    It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t date, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t date.

    [Don¡¯t look at the real woman with those eyes!]

    Snap!

    Vega¡¯s palm struck Ojin¡¯s forehead.

    Ojin burst intoughter and nodded.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s start again soon¡­¡±

    Jing.

    A faint sound of bells was heard.

    Ojin quickly stood up, pulling Dantalian from his waist.

    Argh!

    Ha-eun, who was lying on her thighs, screamed and fell down.

    ¡°It¡¯s over there.¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Ojin and Isabe turned towards the direction from which the sound came.

    The fact that you could hear the sound of bells even in the fog that dulled your senses meant that you were that close.

    When preparing for an attack by channeling magical power throughout the body.

    ¡°Nyaa.¡±

    A ck cat walked out from beyond the fog.

    ¡°cat?¡±

    A cat walked out of the fog, licking its fur with its tongue and gently wagging its tail.

    It was a cute gesture that made me lose my guard for a moment.

    ¡°¡­bantling.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    There was no way there would be a cat in the Sky Mountains, which are called ¡®forbidden¡¯ even in the Demonic ssics.

    Puzzle!

    As I put a thunderbolt on the tip of the spear, the gaze of the cat that was licking its fur turned to Ojin.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    Fluent words flowed from the cat¡¯s mouth.

 Chapter 301

    I am not a returner Episode 301

    Sky Mountains (7)

    ¡°¡­What is this again?¡±

    Ha-eun opened her mouth with a bewildered expression.

    A talking cat.

    Of course, I have encountered many creatures so bizarre in appearance that I couldugh off a talking cat.

    The sight of a cat speaking like a human, which is amon sight, felt bizarre beyond just how it looks.

    Especially if the ce where the talking cat appeared is the Sky Mountains, one of the three major prohibitions in the Demonic Sutra.

    ¡°Yes? ¡°Are you saying you can¡¯t hear me?¡±

    ¡°No, I can hear you fine.¡±

    Ojin looked at the ck cat and spoke calmly.

    I thought for a moment about whether I should use the honorific or not.

    I couldn¡¯t speak informally without knowing whether the person in front of me was an enemy or an ally.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°My name is Felice.¡±

    ¡°¡­If it¡¯s Felice.¡±

    ¡°If I say it¡¯s the constetion of the constetion Cat, do you understand?¡±

    Ojin looked at the ck cat in front of him in disbelief.

    ¡®A constetion?¡¯

    Did he appear in a prosthesis like Vega?

    There was no sense of power or presence so great that it could be called a constetion.

    ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn to answer my question.¡±

    The ck cat approached Ojin at a leisurely pace.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°¡­My name is Kwon Oh-jin.¡±

    ¡°Like a human?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I saw a human in the demon world.¡±

    Felice circles around Ojin, her eyes shining with interest.

    Of course, Isabe and Ha-eun were also there, but they were only interested in Oh-jin.

    ¡°You smell nice.¡±

    Felice, who wasing close to Ojin, jumped up onto Ojin¡¯s thigh.

    Felice, who was sitting on his thighs, pressed Ojin¡¯s stomach in a motionmonly called a ¡®nudge¡¯ and ced his nose near his left chest.

    ¡°What are you doing here, Constetion?¡±

    ¡°This mountain range is an area ruled by my Holy Spirit. ¡°Is it strange that I¡¯m here?¡±

    As she said, it was not strange for the constetions to be present where the Holy Spirit was.

    But the key question is not why you are here, but why you approached me.

    Oh Jin changed his words and asked again.

    ¡°What I wanted to know is why you came to see me.¡±

    ¡°Ah. ¡°That¡¯s what I meant.¡±

    Felice nodded and pressed Ojin¡¯s chest.

    ¡°I saw amotion at the entrance to the mountain range earlier.¡±

    Did you fight against spider monsters?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t really want to pay attention to it, but it smelled really, really nice, so I decided to give it a try.¡±

    It smells good.

    ¡®Is it ck heaven?¡¯

    It is said that the Heavenly Demon gave power to the constetions that were downgraded to ¡®satellites¡¯ and expelled from the sanctuary, turning them into ¡®ck stars¡¯.

    What if the power given to the constetions at that time was rted to the Dark Sky?

    It was natural for Felice to show interest in Ojin.

    ¡®Come to think of it, it was like that when I first met Isabe.¡¯

    When she first met Oh Jin, she followed him around because he ¡®smelled nice¡¯.

    The problem now is that the target is not an awakened person, but a constetion.

    Even when we decided to cross the Sky Mountains, the owner of the Behemoth that we were most wary of was Felis.

    ¡°Sniff. ¡°It smells good, after all!¡±

    Felice continued to smell Ojin in a rxed voice.

    ¡°But why did humanse to the Sky Mountains?¡±

    Felice, who was rolling around on Ojin¡¯s thigh,pletely intoxicated with the smell, asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the Dragonian Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Like the kingdom of the dragon people?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you want to go there, but¡­ it¡¯s going to be hard to see anything good there.¡±

    ¡°What is the reason?¡±

    I was going to ask you if you knew anything about the Dragonian Kingdom.

    ¡°It¡¯s annoying to talk about.¡±

    Like a free-spirited cat, he immediately avoided answering.

    ¡°I smelled something better than that and I was hungry. ¡°Prepare something to eat.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    There is no such thing as a real cat.

    I was momentarily irritated by the shameless act of suddenly appearing and offering food out of the blue, but I couldn¡¯t say anything bitter towards the Constetion.

    ¡°Then would you like to try this?¡±

    Ohjin, who was wondering what the cat might like, took out a can of tuna from his backpack.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    I opened my eyes wide and sniffed, as if it was my first time seeing a can of canned food.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t smell anything. ¡°Is this something to eat?¡±

    ¡°You can open the entrance here like this.¡±

    Ojin opened a can of canned food and held it out to Felice.

    Felice twitched her tail and perked up her ears.

    ¡°It smells delicious!¡±

    Felice quickly rushed to the can of tuna as if someone was going to steal it and munched on the tuna.

    While Felice was eating a can of tuna, Ojin and the others exchanged nces.

    -What do you n to do?

    Isabe¡¯s eyes seemed to be asking.

    It was a sudden situation, but it didn¡¯t mean I hadn¡¯t thought about it.

    Ojin asked Felice, who was greedily devouring a can of tuna, as he opened another can of tuna.

    ¡°Felis, are you familiar with the topography of the Sky Mountains?¡±

    ¡°Yes? ¡°Of course I know.¡±

    Felice answers while eating canned tuna.

    She ate a can of tuna in an instant and then started eating the new can of tuna Ojin had opened for her.

    Ojin narrowed his eyes as he looked down at Felice, who was eating canned tuna with the intention of chewing the entire aluminum can.

    ¡®If I¡¯m good at it, I might be able to use it as a guide.¡¯

    Not only did I know the topography of the Sky Mountains intimately, but I didn¡¯t have to worry about being attacked by Behemoth if I went with Felice.

    ¡®The problem is how to coax that unruly cat.¡¯

    It didn¡¯t seem like the level of difficulty would be as high as I thought.

    ¡°I liked you! ¡°Be my butler!¡±

    Felice, who had eaten all of the canned tuna, jumped on Ojin¡¯s thighs with bright eyes.

    Oh Jin lightly stroked Felice, who was sitting on his thigh, with the friendly smile he had on his face during his days as a conman.

    ¡°You have grease on your mouth.¡±

    ¡°Yes? ¡°Like that?¡±

    ¡°yes. Please wait a moment.¡±

    He took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped Felice¡¯s mouth.

    Felice purred as if she was happy and curled up on Ojin¡¯s thigh.

    ¡°I¡¯m full¡­ and it smells good. ¡°I¡¯m happy.¡±

    ¡°Have you been alone here all this time, Felice?¡±

    ¡°I was with Behring.¡±

    Does Bechring refer to Behemoth?

    ¡°Well, even though we were together, it wasn¡¯t long before we actually started living in the Sky Mountains.¡±

    ¡°Not long ago?¡±

    ¡°In the past, you couldn¡¯t manifest like this even in a prosthetic state.¡±

    ah.

    Now that I think about it, before the restrictions of thew were weakened, Vega was the only one who was able to appear in a prosthetic body.

    ¡®Then, are other ck Star constetions now able to manifest in a prosthetic form like Felis?¡¯

    It was quite a troubling situation.

    There was a high possibility that the ck Star Constetions were following the Heavenly Demon who gave them power.

    ¡®First of all, I think it¡¯s clear that he can¡¯t exert much power in his prosthesis like Vega.¡¯

    Still, I couldn¡¯t let down my guard.

    Because the Holy Spirit, not the constetion, is rtively less restricted by thew.

    ¡°Ugh! ¡°I had a good rest for the first time in a while!¡±

    Did he roll on Ojin¡¯s thighs for about 30 more minutes?

    Felice jumped down as if she was satisfied.

    ¡°Did you say you were going to the Dragonian Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think so.¡±

    ¡°Then I will guide you.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even ask you first, but I told you that I would guide you on your own.

    I wondered if there was such a windfall.

    ¡°Yes? Don¡¯t look at me with those eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not a lie.¡±

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t doubt you, Felice.¡±

    Actually, I doubted it.

    Suddenly, a constetion I had never met appeared and offered to show me the way, but I couldn¡¯t just nod my head.

    ¡°I swear in the name of the cat that I will guide you out of the mountains.¡±

    Felice said, looking back at Ha-eun, Isabe Riak, and finally Poppy.

    Ohjin is well aware of how important the oath in the name of the star is to the constetions.

    The nagging doubts that remained in my mind disappeared to some extent.

    ¡°thank you.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°I can do this much for my butler.¡±

    Felice walked ahead, wagging her tail as if she was happy.

    Ojin and the others, who watched Felice walking ahead for a moment, slowly followed behind her.

    ¡°bantling.¡±

    Riak carefully followed Ojin next to him.

    ¡°Memorize your return route. ¡°I will check to see if there is an ambush along the way.¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    No matter how much he swore in the name of the star, Felice¡¯s words could not bepletely trusted.

    Ohjin nodded and left traces that only he could recognize along the way.

    But was it just a coincidence?

    Felice took Ojin and his party across the lowest peak of the mountain range and guided them to where the Dragonian Kingdom was located.

    ¡°Can you see the road beyond the fog over there?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. ¡°I can see it.¡±

    Even though it was a low peak, once I got up to the high point, I could see a path below that was not covered in fog.

    ¡°If you go straight there, you can reach the kingdom of the dragon people.¡±

    ¡°¡­thank you.¡±

    I never thought he would lead the way so obediently.

    I felt a little guilty for continuing to doubt Felice.

    ¡°If you go, I won¡¯t be able to enjoy a happy time with peace of mind.¡±

    Was the time spent with Behemoth that happy?

    I wanted to ask a variety of questions, including information about the Dragonian Kingdom and the Heavenly Demon, but I didn¡¯t know when Felice¡¯s mood would change randomly again.

    ¡®From here, let¡¯s just quietly get out of the mountains.¡¯

    With Felice¡¯s help, we were able to break through the Sky Mountains much faster than expected, so it would be better to go to the Dragonian Kingdom and obtain the necessary information directly.

    ¡°Go quickly.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll just leave.¡±

    When Ojin nodded and turned around.

    ¡°huh?¡±

    Felice raised her ws and grabbed Ojin¡¯s pants.

    ¡°Where are you?¡±

    Where are you going?

    Are you saying that the person who guided you here is asking that?

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say you were going to the Dragonian Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°You are no longer my butler. Let¡¯s send the other kids away ande y with me quickly!¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    okay.

    Somehow, I felt like things were going to be resolved too easily.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you swear in the name of the star earlier?¡±

    ¡°huh! I swore! ¡°I swore to my wife that I would guide the children who came with me out of the mountains!¡±

    Felice looked back at Ha-eun and Isabe Riak Poppy as if looking at an intrusive intruder.

    ¡°¡­under.¡±

    Augh thates out of nowhere.

    ¡®So, the reason he offered to show me the way in the first ce was because he wanted to get me and the other kids away as quickly as possible.¡¯

    Now I felt like I could understand why the unruly cat obediently led the way.

    ¡°You will now receive the stigmata of the cat and be my butler!¡±

    Felice shouted in a voice full of anticipation.

    Before Ojin could say anything.

    [That won¡¯t work.]

    Vega, who was hiding in Ojin¡¯s pocket, flew up and red sharply at Felis.

    [This child is the original daughter¡¯s child who has already inherited the stigmata of Lyra.]

    Vega said, sitting casually on Ojin¡¯s shoulder.

    and.

    ¡°Lyra¡­?¡±

    Felice¡¯s face is distorted fiercely.

    The ck cat red at Vega and revealed its sharp teeth.

    The emotions engraved in the wide-open cat¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Why is the North Star constetion here?¡±

    It was an extremely disgusting jealousy.

 Chapter 302

    I am not a returner Episode 302

    Sky Mountains (8)

    [What a foolish question.]

    Vega red sharply at Felice and shrugged his shoulders.

    [Isn¡¯t it natural for Jiknyeo to be next to the only apostle who inherited the stigmata of Lyra?]

    ¡°Apostle of Lyra¡­?¡±

    Felice¡¯s gaze turned to Ojin.

    ¡°You were an apostle of the North Star?¡±

    A voice with a clear sense of hostility, unlike before, which was friendly.

    Ojin nodded, slightly rotating his right arm back so that he could pull out Dantalian at any time.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed! ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I found someone I wanted to be my butler, and it turns out he was an apostle of the North Star!¡±

    Felice fiercely bared his teeth by pping his front paw down as if he was angry.

    She red at Vega with eyes full of jealousy, then raised her fingernails and nervously scratched the ground.

    ¡°Give up the stigmata of Lyra right now and be my butler!¡±

    Are you saying you want toe out now?

    I¡¯ve heard that the constetion of Cat is very jealous, but I never thought that they wouldckmon sense.

    When Ojin pulled out Dantalian and was about to say something.

    [¡­Did you tell your child to give up the stigmata of Lyra?]

    A voice as cold as swirling frost.

    Just like when he first met Vega, his inorganic gaze, as if his emotions had been worn away, turned towards Felice.

    ¡°Huh huh?!¡±

    Felice, who felt a cold sense of death, stood back with his fur standing on end.

    Vega red at Felis, who was retreating, and spoke coldly.

    [Why would her child give up the stigmata of Lyra and acquire the stigmata of Cat?]

    ¡°What are you saying?¡±

    [You may have been expelled from the sanctuary, but you must have been a member of the Constetion at one time.]

    There was a light of mockery in your inorganic eyes.

    [How dare a satellite challenge the authority of the North Star?]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Felice¡¯s expression hardened.

    ¡°Just now¡­ what did you say?¡±

    [She said that her child is not someone who would dare to be fooled by satellites.]

    The same tone of voice as the strict chaebol mother-inw in morning dramas.

    It was a bloody atmosphere, as if an episode woulde out right away if you shouted, ¡®This cat thief!¡¯

    Ojin looked between Vega and Felice and clicked his tongue.

    ¡®It¡¯s hard to solve this with words.¡¯

    Felice was also Felis.

    This time, it wasrgely because Vega was more excited than necessary.

    From the perspective of Felis, who was expelled from the sanctuary in the past and downgraded to a ¡®satellite¡¯, Vega¡¯s words now must have been literally repulsive.

    ¡®I guess I got too excited when I was told to give up the stigmata of Lyra.¡¯

    I had no intention of ming Vega.

    Ojin himself was quite upset by Felice¡¯s reckless attitude, and he didn¡¯t think Felice would listen to him talking calmly in the first ce.

    In times like this, it would be a good tactic to use provocations to cloud their judgment.

    ¡°Sister Riak Isabe.¡±

    While Felice was distracted by Vega, Ojin quietly looked back at the group.

    ¡°Did you see the way down earlier? When I give the signal, run straight there.¡±

    ¡°Leave that swarming bastard alone?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a prosthetic body anyway, so what¡¯s the point of fighting?¡±

    And since Felis was here, there was a high possibility that Behemoth was waiting nearby.

    I wanted to avoid fighting the Holy Spirit in this fog.

    ¡°Even if we fight, we have to get out of the fog first.¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°I do that.¡±

    ¡°okay. ¡°Then it¡¯s okay to just jump out?¡±

    Ojin took a deep breath and counted one, two, three in his mind.

    Felice was about to shout while ring sharply at Vega.

    ¡°now!¡±

    Ojin and his party began to run quickly towards the outside of the Sky Mountains without even looking back.

    Of course, Vega, who was the only one in the group who had not heard the exnation about the operation, was unable to follow the fleeing Ojin group and looked embarrassed.

    ¡®Vega just needs to go back to the sanctuary ande back!¡¯

    The location where Vega is summoned is around the silver pendant she gave.

    And that pendant was now hanging around Ojin¡¯s neck.

    Even if you be separated from the group, you can meet Vega if you return to the sanctuary.

    ¡°This way, kid!¡±

    In the lead, Riak ran quickly through the thick fog.

    When the distance widens to the point where the wires that bind each other¡¯s bodies be taut.

    Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!

    The bushes beyond the fog were shaking greatly and I could see something rushing towards me at high speed.

    ¡°Just trying to run away!¡±

    Felice¡¯s sharp cry was heard from afar.

    ¡°Ojina! ¡°Those are the spider babies I saw back then!¡±

    ¡°damn.¡±

    I expected Felice to have nned something, but I never thought she would react so quickly.

    ¡°I will break through the siege!¡±

    Isabe stretched her wrist forward with her fingernails, and a bloody storm swept away the approaching demonic beasts.

    In an instant, the bodies of hundreds of demonic beasts were torn apart and a path was created.

    but.

    ¡°There are too many babies!¡±

    In an instant, a horde of hundreds or thousands of demonic beasts swarmed in and blocked the road again.

    The number of magical beasts was several times greater than when I first faced them.

    Not only were there spider demons, but there were also demons I had never seen before.

    ¡®Have all the demonic beasts in the Sky Mountains flocked here?¡¯

    Ojin frowned and looked around.

    I couldn¡¯t figure out where to go because of the thick fog and the demonic beasts surrounding me on all sides.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you the way from above! ¡°Go that way!¡±

    ¡°Oh Ojina!¡±

    Ohjin cut the wire connected to the group with a knife and flew high using the thunder step.

    ¡®Jiknyeo Castle¡¯s hunting dog!¡¯

    Squeeze!

    Blue thunderbolts spread out in all directions, surrounding the surroundings, and the movements of a group of demonic beasts flowed into my mind.

    Although my senses were dulled due to the fog, it did notpletely block all my senses like the clouds in the ck sky, so I was able to see which side had fewer demons.

    ¡°100 meters to the right! Then turn left and run!¡±

    ¡°yes!¡±

    Isabe ran forward and spread her arms wide.

    des made of blood poured out in all directions, indiscriminately wiping out the demonic beasts that stood in the way.

    ¡°Fire!¡±

    As if Ha-eun couldn¡¯t lose, she took out a candle and aimed it at the group of demonic beasts.

    A huge fire, like a tidal wave, attacked the demonic beasts.

    ¡°This way!¡±

    Compared to Ha-eun and Isabe, Riak¡¯s ability to deal with arge number of people was much lower, and he took on the role of a guide and led the group in the direction instructed by Ojin.

    ¡°Ojina! ¡°You too,e down quickly!¡±

    ¡°okay!¡±

    Ojin released the stroke of the thunderbolt andnded on the floor.

    Ojin, who joined the group, followed Riak¡¯s footsteps while wiping out the crowd of demonic beasts.

    When the thought crossed my mind that I would be able to escape the siege without difficulty if I continued like this.

    ¡°I told you not to think about running away!¡±

    Felice¡¯s cry rang out again.

    At the same time.

    Wooooow!

    The ck aura spread widely, covering a certain area in a circle.

    ¡®This.¡¯

    It was a sight that Ojin had seen several times.

    ¡°Crazy¡­ using sanctuary?¡±

    Sanctuary.

    A space made up of the power of the constetions.

    An absolute realm that distorts not only thews of physics but also the order of life and death has engulfed Ojin.

    ¡®You crazy cat!¡¯

    What if it were a sanctuary without the restrictions of thew?

    You probably don¡¯t know what the price will be if you use sanctuary outside of the sanctuary.

    Even Vega, the constetion of the North Star, is subject to restrictions that cannot be moved for as many as a hundred years.

    A Felice of a much lower rank would be so severely restricted that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if her existence were to cease to exist.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ojin struggled to get out of the sanctuary, withstanding the strong force pulling his body.

    ¡°joy! ¡°It¡¯s no use!¡±

    Felice, who hade right behind me, snorted.

    ¡°Mr. Ojin!¡±

    ¡°Ojina!¡±

    Isabe and Ha-eun ran to Ojin, who was being sucked into Felice¡¯s sanctuary.

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    ¡°Damn it! ¡°The wire!¡±

    The wires tied to my body got tangled together, so my steps slowed down slightly.

    I cut the wire in one second and ran to where Ojin was.

    Wooooow!

    The sanctuary that Felice had opened had already disappearedpletely.

    of course.

    With Ojin swallowed up inside.

    * * *

    ¡°Big.¡±

    Ojin opened his eyes, clutching his throbbing head.

    A forest covered in thick fog.

    It was clear that it was the Sky Mountains, but it was not the space it had been in just a moment ago.

    ¡®Has it moved in space?¡¯

    Before the question of where to go even crossed my mind.

    [My child!]

    The pendant glowed and Vega appeared.

    As Ojin thought, it seemed like he returned to the sanctuary and reappeared.

    [Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?!]

    Vega flew in quickly and touched Ojin¡¯s face.

    Ojin calmed down Vega, who was panicking, and nodded.

    ¡°don¡¯t worry. ¡°Because there are no injuries.¡±

    [ha. Thank goodness.]

    Vega looked around as if her head had calmed down a little.

    [This is¡­]

    ¡°This is the ¡®nest¡¯ we¡¯re staying in.¡±

    Felice¡¯s voice came through the fog.

    Vega distorted her expression fiercely andshed out at Felice.

    [You can¡¯t believe I¡¯m using the sanctuary! Do you know what that means!]

    ¡°Hmph! ¡°Do you think I used Sanctuary without even thinking about it?¡±

    Felice snorted and shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°With his power, the power to slightly move space can be used without restrictions~¡±

    His power.

    ¡°¡­Are you talking about the Heavenly Demon?¡±

    Now that it was clear that Felice was the enemy, there was no reason to use honorifics.

    ¡°oh? ¡°Did you know?¡±

    Felice smiles slyly and twists the corners of her mouth.

    Ojin chewed his lips and frowned.

    I knew that it was rted to the ck Star Constetion and the Heavenly Demon.

    I never thought that I would have the power to use ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ without being restricted by thew.

    ¡°So why did you even use the sanctuary to drag me here?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you earlier?¡±

    Felice¡¯s eyes lit up as she licked up and down Ojin¡¯s body.

    ¡°I will make you my butler.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    This crazy cat.

    Oh Jin suppressed the urge to get angry and sighed.

    ¡°I have no intention of bing your apostle?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°I¡¯ll see how long I can say things like that.¡±

    Felice smiles leisurely as if she has a secret hidden away.

    And her hidden ¡®move¡¯ revealed itself faster than expected.

    Thump thump thump.

    The sound of heavy footsteps heard through the fog.

    ¡°Krrrrrrr.¡±

    An eerie cry that seemed to strangle the soul was heard beyond the fog.

    Although it was still obscured by fog, it was not visible.

    Even without looking, it was not difficult to figure out who was beyond the fog.

    ¡°¡­Behemoth.¡±

    The ruler of the Sky Mountains was walking out through the thick fog.

 Chapter 303

    I am not a returner Episode 303

    Sky Mountains (9)

    Is it about 3 meters tall?

    It was a magical beast that looked like an exquisite mix of a leopard and a bull.

    A body as slender as a cat and rough-shaped horns that don¡¯t match it.

    Fast, strong, flexible, yet sturdy footsteps shook the ground.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The moment I saw the ck demonic beast walking through the thick fog, I knew it intuitively.

    ¡®Strong.¡¯

    More than any demonic beast I¡¯ve ever faced.

    [I am my child.]

    Vega¡¯s anxious voice was heard.

    I wanted to at least brag and tell her not to worry in order to reassure her.

    In front of the red glowing ck magic beast, it was not easy to let out even boastful bravado.

    ¡°Hehe! ¡°This kid is Behiring!¡±

    Felice naturally stands on two feet with her arms crossed, even with the body of a cat.

    The Behemoth walked next to her, its eyes shining viciously, and it lowered its body as if it was ready to pounce at any moment and bite Ojin¡¯s neck.

    It doesn¡¯t look too cute to be given the cute nickname ¡®Behering¡¯.

    Ojin bit his lip while holding Dantalian in the form of a spear.

    ¡°Huh? ¡°Are you really nning on fighting Behiring?¡±

    Did you think he would tremble as soon as he saw the Behemoth and surrender to be its butler?

    Ojin chuckled and aimed the spear he was holding at Behemoth.

    ¡°I told you, right? ¡°I have no intention of bing an apostle of ¡®satellites¡¯ or something like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Felice¡¯s expression distorted grimly at the word satellite.

    She scratched the floor nervously with her sharp nails.

    ¡°If you¡­ didn¡¯t smell so good, I would have just killed you.¡±

    Does that mean I have no intention of killing him yet?

    It was a wee sound to hear.

    If Behemoth had decided to rush in to kill me, I wouldn¡¯t have the confidence tost long.

    ¡°Behring! ¡°Even if I cut off the limbs, I can just reattach themter, so please take care of that guy¡¯s hands!¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re trying to find a butler, right?¡±

    This crazy cat didn¡¯t just eat the Donggang Donggang fruit, but cut off its limbs and reattached them.

    ¡°Krrrrrrr.¡±

    A Behemoth ring at us while crying fiercely.

    As I stared into those blood-red eyes, a chill of fear spread down my spine.

    This was not the first time I encountered the ¡®Holy Spirit¡¯, a being that inherited part of the constetion¡¯s soul.

    Because right now, Riak was the same spirit as Behemoth.

    If we were to consider the actual ¡®status¡¯ between the Holy Spirits, Riak would be stronger than Behemoth.

    but.

    ¡®Riak can¡¯t exert his strength due to the restrictions of thew.¡¯

    Inparison, Behemoth will be able to use all of its power without being restricted by thew.

    Even though the Constetion uses the ¡®sanctuary¡¯ in a ce that is not a sanctuary, it is fine, because there is no way that the Holy Spirit, who is subject to significantly fewer restrictions than the Constetion, will not be able to use its power.

    [The main woman will give her blessing¡­.]

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    Due to a reaction to the blessing given a while ago, Vega is now unable to use the blessing.

    Perhaps, if I force the blessing, I might be bound by chains of light likest time.

    [Ha but!]

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. ¡°You say you have no intention of killing me.¡±

    As long as you don¡¯t die, you can stand up.

    Even if my arms are cut off or my legs are torn apart.

    You can fight.

    [What kind of nonsense are you talking about?]

    ¡°Vega.¡±

    Ojin grinned and walked towards Behemoth.

    ¡°You know me.¡±

    Although some of them are just lies of a fraudster.

    But that didn¡¯t mean that everything she had seen of herself so far was a lie.

    Ojin stood in front of the Behemoth holding a spear.

    Just looking at those fierce red eyes makes my legs tremble.

    Nevertheless.

    so that.

    e.¡±

    I have no intention of backing down.

    ¡°Krrrrr!¡±

    Coo!

    The ground is shaking.

    Before I can hear the sound of the earth cracking, a dull shock hits my body.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    What was faintly visible was the ck wind.

    Even though I didn¡¯t rx even for a moment, I couldn¡¯t follow the Behemoth¡¯s movements.

    thud! thud! thud!

    Ohjin bounced like a swallow and rolled on the floor.

    Did the blow just break my ribs?

    A sharp pain presses against my chest.

    ¡°Exceed!¡±

    Ignore the pain and forcefully contract the magic circuit.

    Stigmata¡¯s magical movement speeded up and gave it instantaneous explosive power.

    ¡°Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡±

    This time, a ck wind blows.

    ¡®The hunting dog of Jiknyeo Castle.¡¯

    As the thunderstorm spreads in all directions, surrounding information flows into my head at random.

    If you can¡¯t see movement with your eyes, you have no choice but to follow it with your other senses.

    A shock that shakes the ground, a slight movement of air, and the smell of an approaching animal.

    ¡®right!¡¯

    Lower your body as if rolling on the floor.

    I feel a huge front paw passing over my waist.

    It¡¯s a joke!

    Fill the tip of the spear with the energy of a depth charge and swing it from bottom to top.

    An explosion of blue lightning urs from the spear de that touches the Behemoth¡¯s belly.

    ¡°Kuhuhuhhh!¡±

    Behemoth retreated urgently.

    Although it failed to pierce the belly skin, it seeded in causing damage.

    But there was no time to rx.

    The Behemoth that had retreated was showing its teeth with an angry expression.

    ¡°Krrr!¡±

    A ck aura covered the Behemoth¡¯s body.

    He lowered his head as low as touching the ground and pointed the sharp horn on his forehead at Ojin.

    He kicked the ground roughly and rushed in a straight line like an excited bull.

    The movement was simple, but the speed was too fast.

    Sigh!

    A handful of flesh from my thigh was torn off.

    Ojin endured the pain rising from his thigh and fired the wire and tied it to the Behemoth¡¯s horn.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    My body was lifted up by a terrifying force.

    He stepped on the thunderbolt with his thigh where the flesh had been torn off and concentrated the thunderbolt on both hands.

    ¡®charge!¡¯

    Squeeze!

    Blue lightning condensed into both fists.

    When six charges ovep.

    ¡°Discharge!¡±

    Kwajajajajajajag!

    A torrent of blue lightning flowed through the wire.

    ¡°Kaaaa!!¡±

    The Behemoth began to writhe in pain and riot.

    Oh Jin¡¯s body, connected by wires, was thrown to the floor mercilessly.

    A heavy pain spread throughout my body.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    It was such an overwhelming force that even the expression of ignorance was insufficient.

    It wouldn¡¯t be possible if it were just strong.

    Even while he was struggling in pain, he even hit his back foot sharply, aiming to misdiagnose.

    Huh!

    He kicked the air with a stomp and narrowly avoided being kicked with his back foot.

    Sigh!

    He cut the wire and slid across the floor to increase the distance.

    ¡°Hmm, you really have skills worth shouting about.¡±

    Felice, who was watching the battle between Behemoth and Ojin, had her eyes sparkling.

    I have seen many battles so far, but not many have fought Behemoth as tightly as this.

    ¡°But that¡¯s it.¡±

    It¡¯s just that there weren¡¯t many, but it didn¡¯t mean that there weren¡¯t any beings who had been in a tight fight with Behemoth so far.

    And all of them.

    Trampled under Behemoth¡¯s feet, it became a cold corpse.

    ¡°Behring! ¡°Use more strength!¡±

    Behemoth nced back at Felis.

    The ck beast nodded slightly as if it understood, then fiercely bared its teeth and kicked its foot towards Ojin.

    The ck winds began to ovep and form a huge storm.

    ¡°Wow! ¡°Keuuu!¡±

    Ojin groaned and desperately resisted the onught of Behemoth¡¯s attacks.

    The oue of the battle was already clearly visible.

    [¡­.]

    Vega watched with his fists tightly clenched as Ojin flew away, spurting blood.

    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re not helping me?¡±

    Felice approached Vega as if offering medicine.

    ¡°You boasted about it being the constetion of the North Star, but in the end you just watched without being able to do anything?¡±

    Felice giggles and mocks Vega.

    Felice was excitedly mocking Vega as if she had seized the opportunity, but in fact, she knew it too.

    As long as there are restrictions from thew, all Vega can do is just watch.

    Of course, you can use your power despite the restrictions of thew.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he such a precious child?¡±

    What kind of crazy constetion would throw a gamble that could lead to the extinction of existence itself in order to save one human being?

    The responsibilities and obligations given to the North Star constetion are enormous.

    There is no problem with the disappearance of a ¡®satellite¡¯ whose starlight is faint, but if the North Star disappears, the entire sanctuary will be in great confusion.

    Although I¡¯ve never seen it in person.

    The Vega that Felice knew was a constetion that would never make such a choice.

    [¡­No.]

    Vega calmly shook his head.

    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not?¡±

    [That child is a precious child who must be protected even if the true woman¡¯s existence disappears.]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Felice snorts as if telling him not to talk nonsense.

    ¡°You just talk about a topic that doesn¡¯t do anything!¡±

    All the constetions are the same.

    He was obsessed with a superficial reputation and deceived his ears with lip service.

    These old guys are so frustrating.

    Felice watched the battle approaching its end with a bitter sneer.

    ¡°Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡±

    Ojin¡¯s body, hit by the front paw of the Behemoth, flew backwards as if bouncing.

    The damage already umted in his body is considerable.

    There were fingernail marks on his chest that were deep enough to expose his ribs, and his left leg was torn off below the knee.

    It was such a fatal wound that it would not be surprising if he died immediately.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±

    Felis, who decided that Ojin would die if he continued any further, stopped Behemoth.

    The Behemoth, which had opened its mouth to bite Ojin¡¯s fallen arm, suddenly stopped moving.

    ¡°Krrr.¡±

    Behemoth licks his appetite and closes his mouth as if he is disappointed.

    Felice looked down at Ojin, who was lying covered in blood, and raised the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°Are you thinking about bing my butler now?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°What? ¡°Did you faint?¡±

    As if her excitement had cooled down, Felice turned her head towards Vega again.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to see your child get hurt anymore, give up!¡±

    [¡­.]

    Vega looked down at the fallen Ojin in silence.

    ¡°joy! Are you ignoring me again?¡±

    [¡­Ah.]

    Vega nodded with a short exmation.

    [That¡¯s really what she said.]

    A faint smile appeared on her lips.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    [Did you say you liked my child?]

    ¡°I only chose you as my butler because you liked the smell.¡±

    [It smells¡­ hehe.]

    Vegaughed softly, covering her mouth.

    Felice frowned at her iprehensible appearance.

    ¡°¡­Why are you smiling?¡±

    [no. Now I know for sure.]

    Vega looked back at Felis and had a cold sneer on his lips.

    [You really don¡¯t know anything about your child.]

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Crumbling!

    At that time, Behemoth¡¯s urgent voice was heard.

    Felice turned his head towards where the Behemoth was.

    Ojin, who thought he had fallen and fainted, was now raising his upper body, holding the Behemoth¡¯s mouth and horns with both hands.

    Ojin, holding Behemoth¡¯s head, tilted his head and opened his mouth wide.

    ¡°What are you doing now¡­!¡±

    Felice opened her eyes wide.

    Before her words continued to the end.

    Quack!

    Ojin¡¯s teeth dug into the Behemoth¡¯s red eyes.

 Chapter 304

    I am not a returner Episode 304

    Sky Mountains (10)

    ¡°Kuuuuuu!¡±

    A resounding scream.

    Red blood leaked from the crushed eyeball.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Ojin spat out the remaining Behemoth eyeballs in his mouth and lifted himself up using his spear as a staff.

    Behemoth, who had lost one eye, was seen taking a step back in a panicked motion.

    Well, it¡¯s understandable to be embarrassed.

    The prey, which was dying, suddenly jumped up and bit its eyelids off.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t carelessly say that you won¡¯t kill him.¡±

    Ojin twisted the corner of his blood-soaked mouth.

    If you can¡¯t win by fighting head on, there is only one way.

    The only way for Ojin to deal with Behemoth was to catch the enemy off guard and surprise them.

    In such a situation, the confidence that I would ¡®not die¡¯ became a greater strength than anything else.

    Because without having to take on the risk of death, I was able to draw the enemy¡¯s guard by walking a tightrope into a dangerous area.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that crazy?!¡±

    No matter how sure you are that you won¡¯t die, you can¡¯t believe they let down your guard by causing you to suffer a wound so big that your ribs are exposed and you lose one of your left legs.

    It was not something a sane person could do.

    [Didn¡¯t I tell you?]

    Vega chuckled, looking at the embarrassed Felice.

    [You don¡¯t know anything about your child.]

    The moment I saw Oh Jin lying inplete disrepair.

    Vega was able to realize it without even realizing it.

    Ojin doesn¡¯t fall down like this.

    Even if he gets hurt so badly that his bones are clearly exposed, he will never give up.

    If you tell others, they mightugh like Felis, as if it was ridiculous.

    -You know me, right?

    okay.

    I have been with Ojin so far.

    I learned more than I thought.

    Not a misdiagnosis as a regressor.

    It is not a misdiagnosis as a star in the reverse sky.

    Now I can see what kind of person ¡®Kwon Oh-jin¡¯ in front of me is.

    ¡°Krrrrr!¡±

    Behemoth, who had lost one eye, let out an angry scream and rushed at Ojin.

    Ojin extended his right arm towards the charging Behemoth.

    Quack!

    Sharp teeth digging into flesh.

    In an instant, the bones were crushed and the flesh was torn off.

    but.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Hold the Dantalian with your left hand.

    Dantalian, which was a ck spear, turned into a folding knife the size of a palm.

    The eye he just bitten off was Behemoth¡¯s right eye.

    That is, in a situation like now where he is biting his right arm.

    ¡®You won¡¯t be able to see the left arm.¡¯

    He thrust the Dantalian in his hand into Behemoth¡¯s eyelid.

    ¡°Krrrrr!¡±

    As soon as the pain was felt, Behemoth quickly turned its head.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡±

    Quack!

    Dantalian, who was stuck in the Behemoth¡¯s eye, changed its appearance into the shape of a hook.

    Dantalian was fixed, digging into the flesh as hard as a fishing hook.

    Ojin stuck Dantalian into the Behemoth¡¯s eyes and poured a thunderbolt into it.

    Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go!

    Blue mes sprang up and the thunderbolt flowed directly into the Behemoth¡¯s body.

    ¡°Coooooo! ¡°Choooooo!¡±

    A behemoth writhing in pain and swinging its front paws.

    Ohjin¡¯s body, hit by the front paw of the Behemoth, rose high like a baseball going over the fence and then fell down.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    A pain that felt like it was on fire spread throughout my body.

    There was no ce on my body that did not feel pain.

    Ojin struggled to get up, holding on to his tattered right arm that had been bitten by the Behemoth.

    ¡°Kaaaa!¡±

    Behemoth was seen struggling to remove the Dantalian stuck in the corner of his right eye.

    Ojin burst intoughter even as his head felt like it was burning white.

    ¡°It won¡¯t fall off easily, right?¡±

    Dantalian had an ego.

    Even if you are not holding it in your hand, it will change its shape and dig into the Behemoth¡¯s flesh.

    ¡°Krrrrr!¡±

    Behemoth must have decided that Dantalian could not be taken out easily, so he turned his head towards Ojin and let out an angry roar.

    A ck aura erupted like an explosion.

    ¡°Beh behring!¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡±

    Felice shouted with a shocked expression.

    The life felt by the Behemoth right now was extremely creepy, as if it hadpletely forgotten its order not to kill Ojin.

    If this continues, Ojin will be killed by the enraged Behemoth.

    ¡°Krrrrr!¡±

    Behemoth kicked its feet, ignoring themand to wait.

    The Behemoth approached Ozin with a swift movement that made it difficult to believe that it had lost one of its eyes, and pointed its sharp horn at Ozin.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Taang!

    Ojin fired a wire at a nearby tree and quickly distanced himself from Behemoth.

    ¡°Behring! ¡°I told you to stop!¡±

    ¡°Kaaaa!¡±

    Behemothpletely out of control.

    Felice looked back at Vega with an urgent expression.

    ¡°What are you doing if you don¡¯t stop me quickly?¡±

    [Hmm? Isn¡¯t that your Holy Spirit?] Unlike

    Felis, who had an urgent expression, Vega¡¯s expression as she watched the battle was quite rxed.

    Felice shouted in frustration.

    ¡°If you continue like that, your child will die. Are you okay? ¡°Didn¡¯t you say earlier that you would protect that child even if it means breaking thew?!¡±

    [That¡¯s right.]

    And that hasn¡¯t changed even now.

    If Ojin is truly in danger of death, I will protect him even at the risk of extinction.

    but.

    [Don¡¯t panic.]

    Vega smiled slightly as he looked at Ojin, who was calmly observing the Behemoth while increasing the distance through the wire.

    [The woman¡¯s child will win.]

    A voice full of utmost confidence.

    Felice frowned as if he was dumbfounded.

    ¡°Can you say that even after looking at that thing?¡±

    Although Behemoth was greatly injured, Ojin was not without any consequences.

    No, simply considering the severity of the wound, Oh Jin¡¯s condition was much more serious than that of Behemoth.

    His left leg was torn off below the knee and he could not move properly unless it was moved by a wire, and blood was still pouring from therge wound on his chest.

    What about the arms?

    He gave up his right arm and seeded in sticking Dantalian right in the corner of the Behemoth¡¯s eye, but in the end, not only his leg but also one of his arms was damaged.

    How can a warrior with one broken leg and arm win against an excited Behemoth?

    ¡°That kid is going to die!¡±

    Felice, who didn¡¯t want to lose Ojin even though it was because of the smell, shouted with a nervous expression.

    However,pared to her nervous shaking, Vega¡¯s expression remained calm.

    It wasn¡¯t simply because they trusted the misdiagnosis.

    Although Felice couldn¡¯t see it, she was now seeing the ¡®change¡¯ taking ce within Ojin¡¯s body.

    [Now that I think about it, it¡¯s been a while since you reached the 8th level.]

    Considering other awakened people, the expression ¡®quite a bit of time¡¯ has passed doesn¡¯t seem appropriate.

    Considering Ojin¡¯s growth so far, it was true that he had not been able to ovee the 9-star barrier for quite a long time.

    For the awakened, the walls of the nine castles were so distant.

    but.

    If it¡¯s a misdiagnosis.

    If it is the star in the sky that she has been seeing all along.

    It was certain that it would shine most brightly in the dark, with no future in sight.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Ojin stood up, clutching his tattered right arm.

    ¡®It¡¯s not easy to stand up.¡¯

    As I tried to support myself on one foot, my bnce kept getting lost.

    If you use the stream, your body will turn into a dark cloud and your severed limbs will be regenerated.

    ¡®You can¡¯t use the stream in front of Vega.¡¯

    Even if it was not in front of Vega, it could not be used because it was a bit dangerous considering the aftereffects of the stream.

    ¡®then.¡¯

    There is only one way left.

    ¡°Use it.¡±

    Take a deep breath.

    ¡®charge.¡¯

    Blue lightning condenses on the right arm and left leg.

    ¡®Charge charge charge charge.¡¯

    The condensed lightning shed beyond its limit and burned fiercely as if screaming.

    A thunderbolt struggling like a wild animal trapped in a fence, begging to be released quickly.

    Ojin ignored the struggling thunderbolt and continued to charge.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    My body swelled like a balloon that had been inted beyond its limits.

    A terrible pain was gnawing away at my reason, warning me to release the thunderbolt immediately.

    but.

    ¡°Stay still, bastard.¡±

    It doesn¡¯t stop.

    There was no reason to stop.

    This level of pain is now almost a daily urrence for him.

    Let¡¯s go!

    The right arm, which was torn apart by the Behemoth, exploded, creating an arm made of lightning inside it.

    The same goes for the torn off left leg.

    Brain body.

    A skill that turns a mere human body into that of a god.

    Unlike before, where at most one arm was turned into a thunderbolt, this time even the left leg below the knee and a part of the chest that had been torn off to the point where the bones were exposed were transformed into blue thunderbolts.

    ¡°Krrr?¡±

    Behemoth stopped walking as if it felt an unusual energy.

    The single blood-red eye looked Ojin up and down.

    ¡°why?¡±

    Ojin grinned as he looked at the stopped Behemoth.

    ¡°Are you scared?¡±

    It was an incredibly childish provocation.

    For Behemoth, who reigned as the ruler of the Sky Mountains and received only fear-filled gazes from countless demonic beasts, there was no more effective provocation than this.

    ¡°Krrrrrrr!¡±

    He let out a ferocious roar and lowered his body.

    The ck aura erupted like an explosion and began to suck in the surrounding fog.

    Grrrrrrrgh!

    The entire mountain range shook as if an earthquake had urred.

    The ground around where the Behemoth was standing began to crack and copse like a dry desert.

    A ck light storm began to rage around the body of the Behemoth, which had sucked in the surrounding fog.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t it called a ck storm only because it moves quickly?¡¯

    Until now, if we had referred to it as a ck storm in the idiomatic sense that it moves so quickly that it looks like a ck storm is raging.

    What was now swirling around the Behemoth¡¯s body was a real storm made up of the magical power of stigmata.

    A ck storm so powerful that even steel is torn apart like a piece of paper the moment it touches it.

    Behemoth, wrapped in a storm, rushed toward Ojin.

    Until now, the Behemoth¡¯s movements had been agile like a cat, but now it was charging in a straight line like an angry bull.

    ¡°Yes, it shoulde out like that.¡±

    Ojin looked at the running Behemoth and raised the corners of his mouth.

    Although it was sessful in making arms and legs into brain bodies, it was still impossible to move them naturally like real limbs.

    In that sense, Behemoth¡¯s movement, which seemed to simply use ¡®force¡¯ to press down on itself, was rather wee.

    Clearly, the ck storm swirling around Behemoth¡¯s body contains enormous power.

    ¡®Because if it¡¯s my strength, I won¡¯t be pushed back.¡¯

    Ojin tightly grasped his right arm, which had turned into a blue thunderbolt.

    He extended his right arm as if pulling a bowstring and stared at the running Behemoth.

    Pajik! Pajijik!

    The eight strokes engraved next to the stigmata of Lyra radiated light.

    no.

    The strokes, now nine lines, were burning with a fierce light.

    [¡®Stigmata of Lyra¡¯ has been upgraded to 9 stars!]

 Chapter 305

    I am not a returner Episode 305

    Sky Mountains (11)

    My body is so hot it feels like it¡¯s burning.

    I can feel each cell shaking.

    Every time the blood flow starting from the heart travels through the body, the body that was up until now begins to change into something ¡®different¡¯.

    Old and weak cellr tissue disappears and is reced by new cells made up of the magic of stigmata.

    To use a metaphor, it would be like remodeling the interior of an old apartment.

    There wasn¡¯t much difference on the outside, but the inside was being rebuilt into somethingpletely new.

    ¡®Is this a reconstruction of the body?¡¯

    The reorganization of the body that an awakened person who has reached the 9th star undergoes.

    The sensation of each cell being created anew was a unique sensation that even Ojin had never experienced before.

    [Due to the reconstruction of the body, the avable power of ¡®Dark Heaven¡¯ is greatly increased!]

    A message appears before my eyes.

    It was an interesting story, but irrelevant right now.

    There was no need to use the power of the ck Sky right now.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    He let out a low breath and clenched his fists.

    He swung his right arm, which had been pulled back, roughly as if pulling a bowstring.

    Kwajajajajajajag!

    With a simple punch, blue thunderbolts poured out like a tidal wave and swept across the front lines.

    ¡°Kaaaaaa!¡±

    Behemoth rushed towards Ojin without stopping even though it was swept away by a tidal wave of blue lightning.

    Although he had a strong appearance befitting the title of ruler of the Sky Mountains.

    ¡°Shall we try the ¡®leg¡¯ side this time?¡±

    Ojin lifted his left leg, which had turned into a blue thunderbolt, and stamped his foot roughly.

    As if a rock had been thrown into a calmke, the earth shook and lightning erupted.

    ¡°Coooooooo!¡±

    Was it the cause of the trouble that he was rushing like a bull?

    The Behemoth, unable to avoid the sudden thunderbolt that erupted from under its feet, screamed and was thrown away.

    ¡°Be behering?¡±

    A bewildered voice came out of Felice¡¯s mouth as he watched the battle.

    I thought Ojin would be torn to pieces by the enraged Behemoth and die, but parts of Ojin¡¯s body suddenly turned into thunderbolts and the entire situation turned upside down in an instant.

    ¡°What on earth is that?!¡±

    He turned his head towards Vega as if questioning.

    [My child¡­.]

    There, I saw the goddess sitting down on the ground, as if she had rxed.

    Vega wiped her moist eyes with her hand and calmed her pounding heart.

    Felice looked at Vega with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you know this would happen?¡±

    [Not that I knew.]

    Vega shook her head softly.

    [I was just trusting that it was my mother¡¯s child.]

    If it was a misdiagnosis.

    She knew that if it was a star in the sky, it would burn most brightly in this hopeless situation.

    [¡­You always fulfill the woman¡¯s trust.]

    Vega smiled faintly as she looked at Ohjin, who was now starting to push Behemoth.

    In a situation where it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if other people had already given up several times, you stand up again by oveing the 9-star barrier.

    What a majestic and unique appearance this is.

    [¡­.]

    Now my heart was pounding in a different way.

    Vega looked at Ojin nkly with a red face.

    Every time I saw his brilliantly shining appearance, my heart was filled with unknown emotions.

    no.

    It¡¯s not that it¡¯s unknown.

    Even though I already know, I¡¯m just trying to ignore it.

    ¡°Are you sure¡­?¡±

    Felice opened her mouth as if she noticed something.

    ¡°Are you going crazy? ¡°You can¡¯t believe you have such feelings for your own child!¡±

    Despite his seemingly free-spirited personality, does he have a surprisingly stubborn side?

    Felice red at Vega with a look in her eyes as if she had seen a bug crawling out of the food she was eating.

    ¡°under! ¡°The reason you broke thew and everything for the sake of your child was all because of your dark intentions?¡±

    Feliceughed and red sharply at Vega.

    Although perceptions have changed a lot recently, in the past, it was taboo among the Constetions to have personal feelings for one¡¯s own child.

    If Ipare it to human society, should I say it feels like incest?

    Of course, as time passed, the perceptions of the Constetions gradually changed, but from the perspective of Felis, who had been expelled from the sanctuary in the distant past, there was no way he could have noticed the change.

    [¡­Maybe so.]

    Vega ced her hand on her chest with a bitter expression.

    Originally, it was the duty of the North Star constetion to act for the good of the world or for the greater good.

    He was determined to break thew and perish based on his personal feelings.

    ¡°It¡¯s pathetic! ¡°How can a constetion think of being rted to its own child¡­!¡±

    [She knows that it is pathetic.]

    She knew better than anyone else that she should not harbor such feelings.

    but.

    [Emotions¡­ don¡¯t disappear as easily as the heart.]

    I put my hand on my pounding heart.

    The goddess of Jiknyeo Castle gazed at her child with passionate eyes.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m crazy.¡±

    Felice hesitated and took a step back.

    Vega looked back at Felice with a faint smile.

    [The day wille when you too will know.]

    The life of a constetion is long.

    Even if it is the constetion of Cat, which has now be a ck star, there maye a day when we will be aware of these feelings.

    ¡°joy! ¡°In a world ruled by the Heavenly Demon, something like that will never happen!¡±

    Felice snorted and shook her head.

    [No, such a world will note.]

    Because.

    [The Heavenly Demon will die at the hands of her child.]

    Vega said with a confident voice.

    Felice¡¯s expression became distorted.

    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you talking about now¡­ Hnyang?!¡±

    Felice, who was about to fiercely show his teeth, suddenly jumped up.

    She urgently turned her head towards Behemoth.

    ¡°Be beheering!¡±

    While briefly distracted by the conversation with Vega, Behemoth fell to the floor, panting heavily.

    ¡°Get up, Behring!¡±

    The Holy Spirit possessed a part of the soul of the constetion.

    If the Holy Spirit were to die, it would be a huge blow to the Constetion.

    However, despite Felice¡¯smenting call, Behemoth was unable to wake up.

    ¡°haha.¡±

    Ojin took a deep breath and walked towards the fallen Behemoth.

    ¡°Now¡­ it¡¯s over.¡±

    Let¡¯s go!

    A ferocious blue thunderbolt zed from the arm of the Thunder God.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    Felice urgently blocked Ojin¡¯s path.

    Ojin ignored Felice and walked towards Behemoth.

    ¡°I told you to stop!¡±

    [Who will stop even if you just tell them to stop?]

    Vega quietly flew towards Felice and looked down at her with her arms crossed.

    [If you want to save your child like that, can¡¯t you use Sanctuary to save it?]

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Felice¡¯s expression hardened.

    It is said that the restrictions of thew can be weakened with the power of the Heavenly Demon, but it was impossible to use Sanctuary twice in a row.

    No, to be precise, it was ¡®possible¡¯.

    The price may be the extinction of existence.

    [Are you afraid of the restrictions of thew?]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Vega chuckled, looking down at Felice, who was trembling with anger with her mouth closed.

    What did you say to yourself earlier?

    As I looked back on the memories, a cold sneer appeared on my lips.

    [I guess he¡¯s not that precious of a child?]

    ¡°This profit!¡±

    Felis ran towards Behemoth with a frown on his face.

    He bared his teeth fiercely, blocking Ojin¡¯s path as he walked towards him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move! If you move one step further¡­ I will use the sanctuary!¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s steps, which were walking towards Behemoth, suddenly stopped.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to use the sanctuary to protect your child?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°Existence might disappear?¡±

    ¡°Huh! ¡°I can take that risk as long as I can save Behiring!¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin let out a chuckle.

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying like that.¡±

    From the shaking eyes, the raised voice, and the hesitant expression.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to figure out that Felice was ¡®lying¡¯.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a lie!¡±

    ¡°okay?¡±

    then.

    ¡°Try to stop it at least once.¡±

    As far as Ojin knows, there has been no crazy constetion except Vega that is willing to risk extinction to protect the Apostle of Lament.

    Let¡¯s go!

    A torrent of blue lightning formed on the right arm and poured towards the Behemoth.

    ¡°Oh no!¡±

    Felice shouted in an urgent voice.

    There was no use of the sanctuary until the end.

    ¡°Krrrrr¡­.¡±

    Behemoth¡¯s breathing gradually became lighter and then stopped.

    ¡°Beh behiriiiiing!¡±

    Felis screamed and ran towards the fallen Behemoth.

    Could it be the effect of the Holy Spirit dying?

    Felice¡¯s body was gradually fading and disappearing.

    ¡°Just wait and see! ¡°I¡¯m going to kill youter, whether it¡¯s to buy a house or something!¡±

    Felice is ring at Ojin with murderous intent.

    [If you can, try it.]

    Veganded in front of Felice.

    [At that time, I will use my power to stop you.]

    Even so.

    Even if in return his existence disappears.

    ¡°¡­Huh, that¡¯s bullshit! In the end, you won¡¯t be able to do anything by then!¡±

    [Do you think so?]

    Vega smiled slightly and ced her hand on her left chest.

    [Then I swear by the name of Lyra. When my daughter¡¯s child is in danger, I will save this child even if my existence disappears.]

    ¡°¡­Are you sure you swore on the name of the stars?¡±

    An oath in the name of a star.

    To the Constetion, this was not just a superficial oath.

    If an oath is broken, some of its power as a constetion will disappear and its ¡®status¡¯ will drop.

    The moment I break that oath.

    Vega can no longer remain as the ¡®North Star¡¯.

    Even though you probably know that better than anyone else.

    Vega calmly uttered an oath in the name of the star.

    ¡°You two are out of your mind!¡±

    Felice shook her head as if she was bored.

    ¡°Let¡¯s never see each other again!¡±

    Felice turned around without even looking back, wondering where he had sold the revenge he had just given.

    The body of the corpse, which had gradually be fainter,pletely dispersed and disappeared.

    ¡°¡­be gone.¡±

    Has the tension eased?

    Oh Jin fell down on the spot.

    [Are you okay?]

    Vega quickly changed his form back to his original form and caught Ojin as he fell.

    Perhaps it was because the body was reorganized in the middle of the process, but the wounds were not as severe as I thought.

    The wound on his chest, which was severe enough to expose his ribs, had healed, and the limbs that had been bitten off had also regenerated.

    [Hmm?]

    Vega looked at Ojin¡¯s regenerated limbs as if he couldn¡¯t understand.

    No matter how much one reaches the 9th level and reorganizes the body, I have never heard of a severed limb being regenerated.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    [Oh, wait a moment. I will give you the potion.]

    Vega took out the potion from Ojin¡¯s sling bag, carefully tilted the bottle and poured it into his mouth.

    ¡°thank you.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes slowly closed, as if the potion¡¯s pain-relieving effect had begun.

    Vega ced Ojin¡¯s sleeping head on her thigh and carefully stroked his head.

    [This time too¡­I couldn¡¯t help you.]

    Vega ced her hand on Ojin¡¯s forehead with sad eyes.

    I bit my chapped lip and ced my hand on my chest.

    My heart is pounding.

    I felt my heart beating violently.

    Uncontroble emotions boiled up from deep within.

    [It¡¯s not easy to suppress one¡¯s feelings.] I can¡¯t believe that

    the day wille when the North Star¡¯s constetion will be so heartbroken because of its love for a mere human.

    It was something I couldn¡¯t even imagine when I was alone in the vast temple, pondering the solitude.

    [My child.]

    I whisper to the sleeping Ojin.

    [The original woman loves you.]

    Put the suppressed emotions into your voice.

    Of course, this voice will never reach him in the future.

    It didn¡¯t matter.

    Just by putting my suppressed feelings into words, I felt such happy feelings.

    [Rest in peace my child.]

    Vega bent down to kiss Ojin¡¯s forehead.

    Stop.

    The lips that were about to touch my forehead suddenly stopped.

    [¡­.]

    Vega, who was looking around with her head, swallowed dry saliva and shifted her gaze.

    In the direction of his sleeping lips.

 Chapter 306

    I am not a returner Episode 306

    Interlude ¨C Deviation of the Goddess (1)

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    A sharp pain rose up as if a sharp needle was flowing through my blood vessels.

    I groaned and opened my eyes with difficulty.

    ¡°Oh Ojina!¡±

    A crunching sound could be heard from afar along with Ha-eun¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Are you okay? huh? ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t shake it.¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    A sigh of relief flowed from Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    Oh Jin raised his head and looked around.

    The scenery inside the spacious tent caught my eye.

    ¡°¡­Where am I?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still the Sky Mountains.¡±

    ¡°How did you find where I am?¡±

    It was unclear on which side of the Sky Mountains the Behemoth¡¯s nest was located.

    It wouldn¡¯t have been easy to find because of the thick fog.

    ¡°The fog here suddenly got sucked in somewhere.¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    Come to think of it, the Behemoth absorbed the fog before making its final charge.

    ¡°And Vega helped.¡±

    ¡°Vega?¡±

    ¡°huh. A little re in the sky? ¡°They kept shooting the same thing.¡±

    ¡°I see. How was it on your sister¡¯s side? ¡°There were a lot of demonic beasts there too.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Be got really angry here and killed everyone.¡±

    At that moment, the image of Isabe, soaked in blood and spattering stters of flesh, shed through my head.

    A chill ran down my spine.

    Perhaps if Felice had seen Isabe¡¯s rolled-back eyes, she would have run away.

    ¡°By the way, did you defeat Behemoth alone?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°¡­Did you use that technique?¡±

    Ha-eun shakes her shoulders slightly with a stiff expression on her face.

    Oh Jin chuckled and unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing, showing her the stigmata engraved on his left chest.

    ¡°What is it? Why are you suddenly showing me the top?!¡±

    ¡°no. ¡°Look at the stigmata.¡±

    ¡°Our Ojini Kokjitsu is cute.¡±

    Poke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stab me, you crazy sister.¡±

    ¡°Then do you want me to lick it?¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    I feel like I¡¯m going crazy.

    ¡°Luckily, I was able to win by getting 9 stars.¡±

    ¡°So you didn¡¯t use that technique?¡±

    ¡°ok.¡±

    ¡°¡­Whew.¡±

    Ha-eun rxes her stiff expression and pats her chest.

    Ha-eun, who had a rxed expression on her face as if all her worries had been resolved, picked up a towel soaked in water and carefully wiped Oh-jin¡¯s body.

    ¡°Really¡­ I told you not to worry sister, right?¡±

    ¡°sorry.¡±

    ¡°Well, this was something that couldn¡¯t be helped, so I¡¯ll just let it go.¡±

    How could anyone have predicted that Felis would use the sanctuary and kidnap Ojin to the Behemoth¡¯s nest?

    ¡°Oh, by the way, where is that cheeky kitten?¡±

    ¡°I went back.¡±

    The ce I returned to was not the sanctuary but somewhere else.

    ¡°Ah! ¡°Anyway, the next time I see you, I¡¯m going to have that bastard neutered first!¡±

    Ha-eun gritted her teeth with a bitter expression.

    Oh Jin smiled slightly as he looked at Ha-eun, who was getting angry.

    It didn¡¯t feel too bad to see someone else getting so angry at him.

    ¡°Isabe?¡±

    ¡°I went to look around to see if there were any remaining demonic beasts nearby. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    ¡°How long has it been since I fainted?¡±

    ¡°About a day?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a long timepared to how big the wound was.

    ¡®Is it because of the reconstruction of the body?¡¯

    I felt that the overall physical ability increased dramatically, as if for no reason those who awakened after reaching 9 stars were categorized separately as ¡®high-level awakened¡¯.

    Is it just physical ability?

    The horsepower circuit, which was rtively narrowpared to Ojin¡¯s enormous horsepower, was also widened, as if road construction had taken ce.

    ¡®It¡¯s still very narrowpared to the amount of magical power it has.¡¯

    It was not because Ojin¡¯s magical power circuit was narrow, but because the amount of magical power he possessed was absurdlyrgepared to other awakened people.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely different now that I¡¯ve reached 9 stars.¡±

    ¡°right? ¡°The reconstruction of the body seems a bit fraudulent.¡±

    Ha-eun, who had already reached 10 stars before Oh Jin, nodded and agreed.

    ¡°No, but even when you were an 8-star, didn¡¯t you just go around beating up 10-stars?¡±

    So how strong has he be now that he has reached 9 stars?

    ¡°Out of the 10 stars, I only won at the very beginning. ¡°I couldn¡¯t win against Isabe and Allen.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think it makes sense to beat a 10-star when you¡¯re just starting out and you¡¯re an 8-star.¡±

    Certainly, until now, Ojin has fought and won against awakened people who are one or two stars higher than him.

    ¡°Then aren¡¯t you stronger than Be now?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess that¡¯s not it?¡±

    Even if you reached 9 stars, you were just getting started.

    No matter how fast a sports car you purchase, it will be difficult for it to perform to its full potential if the driver¡¯s skills are poor.

    Even if your body bes stronger through reorganization, it will take time to get used to it.

    ¡®The problem is that I don¡¯t have much time.¡¯

    It was around this time that I sighed, wondering if I should extend my training time.

    Squeak!

    ¡°Oh Mr. Ojin!¡±

    Isabe came in, tearing open the tent with her hands, as if she didn¡¯t even have the mind to open the tent zipper, and was suddenly hugged by Oh Jin.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ do you know how worried I was?¡±

    I gently patted the back of Isabe, who was sobbing with tears like chicken shit.

    After some time passed, Isabe seemed to have calmed down a bit and rxed the arms she was hugging.

    ¡°You¡¯re feeling okay, right? ¡°You couldn¡¯t have used that technique¡­ And where did that cat that you wouldn¡¯t mind chewing to death went?¡±

    Isabe keeps asking questions.

    Oh Jin chuckled and told Ha Eun the exact same answer he gave her.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    Isabe sighed deeply and rubbed her chest.

    The two peaks, towering like mountain ranges in the sky, swayed greatly.

    Huh.

    I cleared my throat and averted my gaze.

    ¡°¡­What is this idiot doing as soon as he wakes up?¡±

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and pinched Oh-jin¡¯s side.

    I endured the tingling pain and quickly changed the subject.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, what about Vega? ¡°Are you back in the sanctuary?¡±

    ¡°no. ¡°Stay outside.¡±

    ¡°okay?¡±

    If he had heard themotion inside, he would have realized he was awake.

    Ohjin, who had thought that Vega woulde in in tears like Isabe, felt sad for no reason andy down on the mat again.

    ¡°Are you very tired?¡±

    ¡°ok. ¡°I feel a little sleepy.¡±

    Since the wound wasn¡¯t fully healed yet, I felt very tired even after talking a little.

    Isabe quickly covered Ojin¡¯s body with a sleeping bag and sat on his head, stroking his forehead.

    ¡°I will stay by your side so that Mr. Oh Jin can sleepfortably.¡±

    ¡°No, not a 3-year-old child.¡±

    ¡°Shall I sing you a luby?¡±

    That¡¯s it,dy.

    ¡°Hehe. just joke. My sister and I will go out, so please restfortably. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll cover the torn entrance with a waterproof cloth for now.¡±

    ¡°please.¡±

    Ojin lightly waved his hand at the lovers going out of the tent and closed his eyes.

    Deep fatigue set in, and my consciousness gradually sank to a deeper level.

    * * *

    [Ugh?!]

    Vega looked from afar at Ha-eun and Isabeing out of the tent and dodged as if running away.

    Vega climbed up a nearby tree and looked down at Ojin¡¯s tent below.

    [Ha.]

    A sigh so deep that it feels like the earth is falling apart.

    The silver-haired goddess touched her pink lips and trembled with her hands.

    The feel of your lips still remains vivid.

    In the past, I had ovepped my lips to feed a potion to a fainted Ohjin, but this was the first time I had ovepped my lips of my own volition like this.

    ¡®You did something terrible.¡¯

    Unable to ovee the boiling urge, I ended up locking lips with Oh Jin, who was sleeping.

    It was an unspeakable and shameful act not only to Oh Jin but also to his lovers, Ha-eun and Isabe.

    [¡­.]

    But why?

    The pounding in my chest did not calm down at all.

    The feelings that were kindled gradually became a huge fire and filled her heart.

    A feeling of immorality for having touched one¡¯s own child.

    As I looked at Ha-eun and Isabe who were getting along with Oh-jin, I felt my inner disappointment melt away.

    ¡®It shouldn¡¯t be like this.¡¯

    But how can emotions work the way you think they do?

    Every time I constantly remembered the feeling left at the tip of my lips, my emotions gradually swelled.

    The overflowing emotions wandered around in her chest as if they didn¡¯t know where to go.

    What did you do before?

    -Sister¡¯s heartfelt support! constion! encourage! That¡¯s all you need to do!

    At that moment, Spica¡¯s shout passed through my head.

    [Hmm.]

    Vega continued to think for a moment and then shook her head.

    There was no atmosphere for support or encouragement right now.

    After doing such a terrible thing to Oh Jin while he was sleeping, what kind of support and encouragement can he give?

    It was something that deserved to be punished.

    [¡­Bee?]

    A memory shes through Vega¡¯s head for a moment.

    The memory of being spanked by Ojin like a child who had done something wrong came to mind.

    [Kukkukhum!]

    Vega¡¯s face turned red and he repeatedly cleared his throat.

    When I remembered that time, an indescribable shame welled up in me.

    [Ah, no matter what, that is¡­.]

    The emotions that made my heart race and the reason that this was not the case shed with each other.

    A fierce conflict between emotion and reason.

    Vega bit her lip and looked down at the tent where Ojin was sleeping.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t there a sin that the original womanmitted?¡¯

    If youmit a crime, you deserve corporal punishment.

    ¡®Ha just one more time¡­ just one more time.¡¯

    gulp.

    I swallowed dry saliva and clenched my fists.

    For a moment, the faces of Ha-eun and Isabe appeared in my mind.

    ¡®Weren¡¯t the two of you rted to my child?¡¯

    I¡¯m suppressing the feelings I have in my heart so as not to be a burden to him.

    Didn¡¯t those two always show off their affection in front of him?

    [This was the mistake of the two children.]

    Vega convinced herself by nodding repeatedly.

    The emotions that were swelling up to the point of exploding found a very good way out called ¡®excuses¡¯ and started toe out to the fullest.

    ¡®I¡¯m just being punished for my misdeeds.¡¯

    I never intended to connect with Ojin or convey my suppressed emotions through this.

    This is¡­ yes, a ¡®deviation¡¯ for one night.

    This is just something I am doing to finally sort out my feelings about the misdiagnosis.

    Wooooow!

    A brilliant silver light enveloped her body, and Vega¡¯s body, which was only the size of a small doll, returned to its original state.

    The goddess carefully flew up, slightly lifted the tarp over the entrance to the tent, and approached the sleeping Ojin.

    [Huh.]

    Why?

    I could already feel my butt tingling.

 Chapter 307

    I am not a returner Episode 307

    Interlude ¨C Deviation of the Goddess (2)

    I felt a warm touch.

    The feeling of being covered in fluffy cotton candy.

    A feeling of happiness as sweet as sugar spread throughout my body.

    Is this what a child in his mother¡¯s arms feels like?

    Of course, the existence of ¡®mother¡¯ was nothing more than a stranger to her, worse than a stranger.

    I was able to vaguely guess that this was probably what it felt like to be held in my mother¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I opened my eyes with a drowsy feeling.

    I felt like the fatigue weighing down my body had disappeared and my mind had be clearer.

    I could see the now familiar ceiling of the tent and silver hair as fine as silk.

    ¡°¡­Vega?¡±

    [Are you awake?]

    Vega, who was sitting at the bedside, ced her hand on the forehead of Ojin, who was lying down, and was stroking his forehead as carefully as if he were caressing a treasure.

    [How are you feeling?]

    ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯m feeling a lot better.¡±

    [Hmm? The main woman did not specifically use healing magic.]

    ¡°Why are you saying that?¡±

    Mom¡¯s hand is said to be weak.

    [Hehe. Are you thinking of her as your mother?]

    Vega kept stroking the forehead of Ojin, who was lying down with a faint smile.

    Although it felt quite nice when Isabe stroked my head.

    As expected, I felt the most cozy feeling when Vega did this.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t this really going to lead to infantile regression?¡¯

    For some reason, Ha-eun and Isabe are like that these days.

    I felt like the frequency of people treating me like a child had increased significantly.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s not a particrly bad feeling.¡¯

    Which one would be closer to the good side?

    I¡¯m not the macho type who throws a fit when I¡¯m treated like a child.

    ¡°What about your sister and Isabe?¡±

    [It looks like he fell asleep early because he was tired.]

    Well.

    He probably started moving his body without stopping after fighting a group of demonic beasts looking for himself.

    Even after finding her, she must have stayed up all night taking care of her.

    ¡°Is it okay if I don¡¯t go back to the sanctuary?¡±

    [It will be okay for a few more hours.]

    It was a wee sound to hear.

    Because I slept all day, I felt like I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep anymore.

    I wasn¡¯t in a good physical condition to train, so if Vega wasn¡¯t there, I would have spent a lot of time alone without apanion.

    While I was thinking about that and thinking about what to talk about with Vega.

    [Keuhum! Ha one thing. There is something I would like to ask of you.]

    Vega stuttered as her face turned red.

    ¡°What?¡±

    [Well¡­ didn¡¯t she do a lot of things wrong this time?]

    ¡°Huh? ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Even if I look back on my memories, I have never seen Vega do anything that could be considered wrong.

    Of course, it did not provide direct help in the battle against Behemoth.

    That was unavoidable due to the restrictions of thew.

    [Oh no! [You have made so many mistakes!]

    Vega shouted in an urgent voice with a red face.

    Oh Jin looked at her nkly as if he couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on.

    [So.]

    Vega stuttered in a confused voice.

    Looking at his golden eyes moving back and forth, he seemed to be desperately thinking about the ¡®mistake¡¯ he had mentioned.

    [Ah!]

    He let out a short exmation as if a good idea urred to him.

    [At first, weren¡¯t you overly angry when the Cat constetion said it would make you an apostle!]

    ¡°Oh, that?¡±

    Although Vega definitely overreacted to Felice¡¯s words.

    ¡°But to that extent¡­¡±

    [If the main woman hadn¡¯t provoked the constetion of Cat, wouldn¡¯t it have been possible to resolve it more amicably through dialogue?]

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve seen her personality.¡±

    Would Felice, who has an extremely self-indulgent personality as a Cat, change her mind just by talking to her?

    [Couldn¡¯t I have at least bought you more time to deal with it?]

    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s right.¡±

    Certainly, if Vega had not stepped forward and provoked Felice, a different way of dealing with it would have been possible.

    [Then isn¡¯t it true that it was her fault?]

    ¡°No, with that. And it was resolved well anyway, right?¡±

    There was too much I had received so far to criticize Vega for just this amount.

    [no! If you havemitted a mistake, you deserve to be punished ordingly!]

    Vega leaned in with a strong attitude.

    As the face got closer, I saw that it was blowing hot nasal air with an expression full of anticipation.

    ¡°¡­corporal punishment?¡±

    There¡¯s something unsettling about this.

    [Why¡­ didn¡¯t something like this happen once before?]

    No way.

    ¡°¡­hip?¡±

    A memory I had forgotten, or to be more precise, was trying to forget, slowly appeared in my mind.

    [Keuuk hum! That¡¯s right!]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin looked at Vega, who was coughing repeatedly and blushing, with narrowed eyes.

    The waist shakes as if it needs to urinate.

    Eyes full of strange anticipation and hot breath.

    ¡®¡­no way.¡¯

    Are you doing this because you want to get spanked?

    ¡®Oh no, I guess that¡¯s a bit much.¡¯

    Although Vega looked strangely excited when I spanked her before.

    no way.

    Vega.

    The constetion of the North Star reigns over hundreds of constetions.

    ¡°I heard you liked getting your butt spanked¡­.¡±

    [It¡¯s not that I like it!]

    The words came out of my mouth in an instant at the fact that it was so shocking.

    [It¡¯s a misunderstanding! ¡°Bonnyeo Bo is not that kind of shameless woman!¡±

    Seeing her desperately denying it somehow made me feel even more suspicious.

    ¡®Yes, because there are many tastes in the world.¡¯

    Wasn¡¯t he ovee with strange emotions when he saw Ha-eun and Isabe wearing animal ears and tails?

    No matter how much Vega is the constetion of the North Star, inside she is just a woman, so you have to understand her unique tastes¡­

    [Didn¡¯t you say no! Don¡¯t look at me with an expression of understanding!]

    Vega shouted and pped Ojin on the back.

    [anyway! Since you havemitted a crime, if you do not receive corporal punishment, your heart will be unsatisfied!]

    ¡°So, do you want me to spank you likest time?¡±

    [That¡¯s right.]

    Vega trailed off and gently turned around.

    The hip line slightly exposed through the dress made my heart beat.

    ¡®This is going crazy.¡¯

    I never expected that Vega would suddenly ask me this kind of request.

    ¡®I can¡¯t not say that.¡¯

    Even just now, your cheeks are blushing like you¡¯re about to explode, but if you just reject me right now, it will be an awkward atmosphere, like an ex-lover meeting at a ssmate¡¯s wedding.

    [Aren¡¯t you going to help me?]

    Vega opens her eyes as if she¡¯s anxious.

    Oh Jin stood up as if there was nothing he could do.

    p!

    Late in the morning, when even the grass bugs are asleep.

    Clear sounds and screams rang out quietly in the fog-covered forest.

    * * *

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    A low sigh flowed from Riak¡¯s mouth.

    He wiped the sweat from his forehead and changed his body into the form of a wolf.

    ¡°As expected, it is not easy to move one¡¯s body in a ce other than a sanctuary.¡±

    Although it is said that the restrictions of thew have been weakened to some extent.

    Still, I couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated because I couldn¡¯t fully exert my own strength.

    ¡®But my movements have gotten much better.¡¯

    The ¡®wall¡¯ that had been blocking him for a long time.

    I felt like I had risen to a higher level by breaking the wall I had created while fighting Horus.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Even though he broke the wall and reached a new level, it was not something he achieved purely through his effort and will.

    Although I didn¡¯t want to admit it.

    Without the misdiagnosis, I would not have been able to break down the ¡®wall¡¯ and shake off the guilt that had persisted from the past.

    ¡°So, I thought you said you came to your senses?¡±

    I heard that he went back to sleep right away because he was tired.

    ¡°Hmph, weak guy.¡±

    It¡¯s like you¡¯re lying t after only dealing with a big cat.

    Riak grumbled and grumbled, mumbling things he didn¡¯t really mean.

    ¡°I guess I should go take a look at your pathetic appearance.¡±

    I went around the tent and cleared out all the demon beasts.

    I couldn¡¯t go back to the sanctuary because I felt ufortable for no reason.

    Anyway, while grumbling that he was only going through all the trouble because of a little boy, Riak once again approached the tent where Ojin was sleeping.

    p!

    ¡°huh?¡±

    As I got closer to the tent, I heard a strange sound.

    It sounds like hitting water-soaked leather with the palm of your hand.

    Just because the sound wasn¡¯t that loud didn¡¯t seem to mean it had a lot of power.

    ¡®Has a buge in?¡¯

    I tilted my head and looked at the tent entrance covered with a tarp.

    Isabe had torn the entrance to the tent, allowing a glimpse inside through the tarpaulin.

    What you see there.

    [Ugh! Now, you were wrong!]

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it Vega who said that if you did something wrong, you should be punished?¡±

    The sight of Ojin pping Vega¡¯s butt as she turns around.

    ¡°What¡­!¡±

    Riak¡¯s eyes widened.

    Rumbling!

    A shock like a thunderbolt striking my head.

    My mind burned brightly at the sight I couldn¡¯t believe even after seeing it with my own eyes, or even because I didn¡¯t want to believe it.

    ¡®What the hell is going on?¡¯

    Riak held his breath and listened to the conversation between Vega and Ojin.

    [Forgive me, my child!]

    ¡°No.¡±

    Forgiveness?

    What crime is Vega asking for forgiveness from Ojin?

    No, even if you say you did something wrong.

    Does it make sense for a mere human being to be punished by stabbing the body of a constetion?

    ¡®Why did Vega¡­?¡¯

    What I don¡¯t understand even more is Vega¡¯s behavior.

    Vega would know better than anyone else that Ojin¡¯s actions now are beyond rude and deserve punishment.

    Why is she so meekly epting his stabbings without even being able to resist?

    ¡®No way!¡¯

    Riak¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    Maybe Vega has some kind of weakness towards Ojin?

    I have no idea what Vega¡¯s weakness is.

    Vega¡¯s current behavior waspletely iprehensible unless his weakness was discovered.

    ¡°This is an outrageous act¡­!¡±

    I even thought of him as a benefactor because I received help during the time of Horus.

    I would never have thought that such a despicable thing was being done in an unseen ce.

    ¡°Krrr.¡±

    Anger rose to the top of my head.

    Seeing Vega, who had saved his dying life and made him a holy spirit, screaming pitifully, a hot fire burned in my heart.

    Creep, boom, boom!

    Riak transformed into a werewolf and tore the tent apart with his sharp ws.

    ¡°Yes Inooooom! ¡°What are you doing to Vega now?¡±

    Vega and Ojin¡¯s astonished eyes turned to Riak.

 Chapter 308

    I am not a returner Episode 308 Interlude

    ¨C Goddess¡¯ Deviation (3)

    Snap!

    A sound that resonates clearly.

    Even though she was wearing a dress, it was impossible to erase the feel of her swollen flesh like a peach with just a thin piece of cloth.

    [Sigh!]

    Vega trembled with his eyes tightly closed.

    The indescribable bounciness and softness felt in the palm of your hand.

    Vega¡¯s voice was wet and her face was flushed with shame.

    ¡®what.¡¯

    Boom boom.

    In response to Vega¡¯s request for corporal punishment, Ojin lightly pped her buttocks and his heart began to beat violently.

    It feels like I have taken a step into something new.

    ¡®No, no, this is not it.¡¯

    Oh Jin closed his eyes tightly and shook his head urgently.

    No matter how many different tastes there are in the world, you would never have thought that such a ridiculous and outrageous desire would lie deep inside you.

    ¡°Hehehe. ¡°That¡¯s enough now, right?¡±

    Oh Jin cleared his throat and slightly averted his gaze.

    Vega looked back at him with sad eyes.

    [Is it over already?]

    ¡°One hit is enough.¡±

    [¡­It¡¯s not enough! If you weren¡¯t careful, you could have lost your life!]

    Vegains that ¡®corporal punishment¡¯ is still not enough.

    driving me crazy.

    Oh Jin muttered to himself and nodded slightly.

    ¡°okay. ¡°Then I¡¯ll hit just five.¡±

    I felt like I wouldn¡¯t be able to control it myself if I didn¡¯t set the number in advance.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    After taking a deep breath, I raised my hands.

    Due to the reorganization of the body, the muscles became stronger, so delicate control of strength was necessary.

    ¡®Don¡¯t hurt too much.¡¯

    However, it should not be without any shock at all.

    It was a moderate shock that only felt tingling.

    I delicately concentrated my strength and swung my arm.

    Wow!

    The clear sound of skin hitting skin rang out.

    The sound was quite loud, but the pain itself was not that great due to the delicate force control.

    no.

    Should we really call this ¡®pain¡¯?

    [Sigh!]

    Vega closed her eyes tightly and let out a faint moan.

    First one.

    Ohjin swallowed dryly and quickly swung his arms.

    Wow! Wow! Wow!

    Sounds rang out one after another, and gradually a gasping sound came from Vega¡¯s mouth.

    A moist, wet voice.

    An unbelievable texture that you can feel in the palm of your hand.

    Vega was seen blushing and looking away as if she was embarrassed.

    st.¡¯

    Fifth generation.

    Wow!

    The ¡®corporal punishment¡¯ ended with a clear sound.

    [Ha.]

    Vega let out a heated breath and muttered in a crawling voice.

    [I¡¯m sorry for asking such a shallow request.]

    Even though he was full of shame, his expression seemed somewhat satisfied.

    The desire that had been sleeping deep inside Ojin burned as strongly as if oil had been poured on it.

    ¡®You want me to endure this?¡¯

    There are some things in the world that cannot be resolved if you endure them.

    This was one of them.

    Wow!

    [Hi!]

    Vega¡¯s eyes widened and she trembled greatly at the unnned sixth shock.

    I felt the stinging shock hitting my butt be more intense.

    [Am I my child?]

    Vega looks back with a puzzled expression.

    Ojin raised his arms with red, bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°Did you think you could be forgiven for just five strokes?¡±

    [Ha, but you said I would only hit you with five¡­.]

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡±

    He lightly reversed what he had said earlier and applied the seventh ¡®corporal punishment¡¯.

    Slightly more force than the previous corporal punishment.

    ¡®Okay, I have to show my true self this time.¡¯

    Only then will our goddesse to her senses and never ask such strange requests again.

    okay.

    This was also for Vega.

    What would you do if someone else noticed you like this?

    It was better to let him experience the sting this time so that something like this would never happen again.

    p!

    Is it because of the added strength?

    Vega let out a slightly high-pitched scream and trembled.

    I crossed my legs as if something was tickling.

    ¡°Are you sure you like it?¡±

    [Oh no!]

    I shouted urgently and desperately shook my head.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to notice the vivid heat in her golden eyes.

    ¡°Are you trying to lie to me now?¡±

    Ojin looked down at Vega with cold eyes.

    Vega swallowed while looking at Ojin¡¯s cold eyes.

    I could see her eyes filling with strange anticipation.

    [I¡¯m sorry. Actually, a little¡­ oh, just a little! It felt good!]

    ¡°I clearly remember that I was giving out ¡®corporal punishment¡¯ right now.¡±

    [That is¡­]

    ¡°If it feels good, isn¡¯t corporal punishment meaningless?¡±

    [Ugh.]

    Vega hesitantly avoided eye contact with an expression filled with shame.

    The image of the goddess with a red face and tears in her eyes.

    ¡®ah.¡¯

    I heard the sound of something snapping in my head.

    ¡°If it¡¯s corporal punishment.¡±

    Ojin raised his arms.

    ¡°You can¡¯t like it!¡±

    Wow!

    I pped her butt with more force.

    Vega¡¯s body jumped up with a dull sound, like hitting water-soaked leather with a club.

    [Ugh! Now, you were wrong!]

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it Vega who said that if you did something wrong, you should be punished?¡±

    Once the desire began to burn, it destroyed Ojin¡¯s reason with aughable ease.

    Ojin, caught up in the atmosphere, continued to inflict ¡®corporal punishment¡¯ on Vega¡¯s buttocks.

    [Please forgive me. My child!]

    ¡°No.¡±

    Vega desperately asked for forgiveness, but did not avoid Ojin¡¯s touch.

    Even though my body wasn¡¯t tied down and I could have easily avoided it if I wanted to.

    ¡®This disgusting goddess!¡¯

    Ojin snorted excitedly and raised his arms again.

    The moment I tried to hit her ass with all my force.

    ¡°Yes Inooooom! ¡°What are you doing to Vega now?¡±

    Riak¡¯s angry roar struck like a thunderbolt.

    ¡°¡­uh?¡±

    [Li Riak?]

    Vega and Ojin looked at Riak who suddenly came in with a shocked expression.

    [How could you be here¡­?]

    Before Vega¡¯s questions could continue.

    ¡°How dare you, Vega!¡±

    Riak rushed at Ojin with red, bloodshot eyes.

    Oh Jin urgently wrapped his arm around his thunderbolt and blocked his fist.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Coo!

    The heavy shock transmitted beyond my forearm shook my insides.

    A dizzying shock, as if I had been hit by a battering ram rather than a fist.

    Ojin¡¯s body floated up and flew out of the tent.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±

    Ha-eun and Isabe, who were sleeping in another tent, rushed over.

    Riak rushed like a ferocious beast towards Ojin, who had jumped away without even looking at the two women.

    [Stop!]

    ¡°Get out of the way, Vega.¡±

    Riak fiercely opened his eyes as he looked at Vega, who was blocking his path.

    ¡°I know that that dastardly bastard is taking advantage of Vega¡¯s weaknesses and threatening him.¡±

    [Hey, weakness? Threat? What are you talking about?]

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie! ¡°I saw it clearly with my own eyes!¡±

    Riak pointed his finger at the fallen Ojin.

    ¡°See that little brat touching Vega¡¯s body!¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°¡­What does that mean?¡±

    Ha-eun and Isabe looked at Vega and Oh-jin with narrowed eyes.

    Riak snorted and turned his head towards the two women.

    ¡°Inside the tent, the brat was shouting insults at Vega and stabbing him with his hands!¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cold eyes turned to Ojin.

    [It¡¯s not like that!]

    Vega shook his head in a panic and desperately defended Oh Jin.

    [My child did nothing wrong! [Bo¡¯s original daughter¡­ she asked for it!]

    ¡°Vega asked for it¡­ what do you mean?¡±

    [So. That¡­ corporal punishment.]

    ¡°Corporal punishment? What did Vega do wrong to ask for corporal punishment?¡±

    Riak shook his head firmly, as if telling him not to lie.

    ¡°Even if you did something wrong, Vega, there is no reason to ask for forgiveness by getting stabbed by a child!¡±

    A mere human punishes the constetion of the North Star by spanking it?

    It was something that couldn¡¯t happen, it shouldn¡¯t have happened.

    In the past, even among humans, nobles of noble status had servants who would take care of them if they made a mistake.

    But the transcendental person who protects and runs the constetion of the world directly punishes him for doing something wrong?

    This is nonsense.

    [That¡¯s it!]

    Vega bit her lip with a blush that threatened to explode.

    Even if I kept making excuses further, there was no way Riak would listen.

    ¡°Get out of the way, Vega. Beat up that arrogant brat¡­¡±

    [I asked for it because I liked it!]

    I had no choice.

    Vega had no choice but to spit out the truth with her eyes tightly closed.

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    Riak looked at Vega with wide eyes.

    [Because the girl I saw wanted to get spanked! I asked Ojin to help me!]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak¡¯s expression distorted.

    ¡°Are you saying this is what Vega asked you to do?¡±

    [That¡¯s right.]

    ¡°Are you saying that it was a ¡®pleasant thing¡¯ for you, Vega, to have a baby spank your butt?¡±

    [That¡¯s it!]

    Vega, who was trying to make an excuse, soon closed her eyes tightly and muttered in a hushed voice.

    [That¡¯s right. [I asked her to hit me because I like her.]

    Vega lowers her head with a face that looks like it¡¯s about to explode.

    Riak fiercely bared his teeth and shouted! I stamped my foot.

    ¡°Are you telling me to believe that now!¡±

    Soft y, such as a light p on the buttocks, wasmon in the human world.

    For Riak, who was so ignorant of such information that it wouldn¡¯t be strange to say ¡°nothing¡±, this was an uneptable excuse.

    [That¡¯s not a lie!]

    ¡°Now!¡±

    Coo!

    ¡°Vega! Getting spanked by a kid! Humiliatingly asking for forgiveness! Are you saying it was all what Vega wanted?¡±

    [Stop that! Stop talking!]

    Vega urgently rushed towards Riak.

    ¡°¡­uh um.¡±

    ¡°You had that kind of taste.¡±

    Still, Ha-eun and Isabe, who had a bit more knowledge about this type of y than Riak, blushed and averted their gaze from Vega.

    [¡­Ah.]

    And that was the final blow.

    The shame that had gone far beyond her breaking point destroyed her reason.

    [The main woman¡­ Hi! You did everything wrong¡­ Stop this now.]

    Vega fell to the ground with tears streaming down her face.

 Chapter 309

    I am not a returner Episode 309 Faded

    Promise (1)

    Three days have passed since that day when something stormy(?) happened in many ways.

    Ojin and his party were able to escape from the Sky Mountains and reach the long canyon heading to the Dragonian Kingdom.

    ¡°ats!¡±

    After confirming that the terrible fog had disappeared, Ha-eun raised her arms as if she was roaring.

    Even if the Behemoth died, the fog covering the Sky Mountains did not disappear, so it took quite a bit of time to find the way.

    ¡°Now all I have to do is keep going this way, right?¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°If it¡¯s what you see on the map.¡±

    Ojin nodded, remembering the map Leoru had drawn.

    ¡°Anyway¡­¡±

    Ha-eun trailed off and scratched her head.

    ¡°Has Vega been in the sanctuary ever since?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ about that.¡±

    Oh Jin cleared his throat and avoided Ha Eun¡¯s gaze.

    After the events of that day, Vega locked herself in the sanctuary and did not appear.

    ¡°Because something like that happened.¡±

    but.

    His tastes were exposed so tantly in front of hispanions that even Vega would not have been able to bear it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not call unless it is absolutely necessary for the time being.¡±

    ¡°Yes I do.¡±

    Anyway, the priority was to check the status of the Dragonian Kingdom right now, so I didn¡¯t really need Vega¡¯s help.

    ¡°By the way, Oh Jin.¡±

    Isabe hugged Ojin¡¯s arm with a pretty smile.

    Isabe was whispering in my ear with a seductive voice while holding her body tightly.

    ¡°Can you spank my butt too?¡±

    ¡°¡­I really don¡¯t like that kind of thing.¡±

    Although he almost stepped into a new world(?) because of Vega, Ojin basically didn¡¯t have the unique tendency to enjoy being spanked.

    ¡°Hehe. well? ¡°What about it?¡±

    Isabe smiled mischievously and pressed her body closer.

    ¡®This is why Vega stays locked in the sanctuary.¡¯

    Ojin sighed and walked through the canyon.

    Since the incident three days ago, Riak and Vega had been confined to the sanctuary (it is said that they wanted to ask for forgiveness from Vega), so Ojin took the lead.

    ¡®Stigmata of the constetion Canis.¡¯

    With my senses raised, I climbed onto Poppy¡¯s back.

    ¡°purr!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go slowly.¡±

    Poppy nodded and took a step forward.

    I moved slowly while looking around, but once I left the Sky Mountains area, the movement speed itself was not that bad.

    How many hours did you run without stopping?

    ¡°Atta, I guess I¡¯ll live a little longer now that there¡¯s no fog and demon beasts.¡±

    Ha-eun flirted and added strength to the arm that hugged Oh-jin¡¯s waist.

    At first, she looked around with a nervous expression, but after not seeing a single rat for several hours, she seemed to rx somewhat.

    ¡°Shall we camp around here today?¡±

    The sun was slowly setting, and I found a nearby valley suitable for taking a dip.

    They said they had to reach the kingdom of the dragon people as quickly as possible, but they couldn¡¯t force a march without sleeping.

    ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s pitch the tent first!¡±

    Ojin and his party got off Poppy¡¯s back, created an open space and pitched a tent as usual.

    ¡°Then let me just talk for a moment!¡±

    After tent setup ispleted.

    Ha-eun waved her hand and ran somewhere.

    While Ha-eun was burning the tobo, Isabe approached and asked.

    ¡°How much further do we have to go from here?¡±

    ¡°well. If you look at the map, it¡¯s not that far.¡±

    However, all that is visible around is a huge canyon that is reminiscent of the Grand Canyon.

    Artificial structures worthy of being called a ¡®kingdom¡¯ were nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to look some more first.¡±

    Thanks to crossing the Sky Mountains, I had some time to spare.

    ¡°yes. That¡¯s how I do it. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going to prepare dinner soon, so could you please bring me over?¡±

    ¡°ok.¡±

    Oh Jin nodded and looked for Ha Eun who had gone to burn the cigarettes.

    After activating the stigmata of the constetion Canis, I followed the scent of tobo and saw Ha-eun burning tobo in the distance.

    ¡°Did youe all the way here and smoke?¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    As misdiagnosis approached, Ha-eun hurriedly finished rubbing off the remaining half of the New Year¡¯s Eve.

    ¡°It¡¯s such a shame, why did you stop blooming?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡­¡±

    Ha-eun hesitates and looks away.

    ¡°I heard men don¡¯t like women who smoke.¡±

    Where did you hear such a strange rumor again?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it meaningless to hide it now? ¡°I stayed with my sister for several years.¡±

    ¡°No, well¡­ but it feels a bit different to show me smoking it myself.¡±

    Ha-eun scratched her head in confusion.

    These days, whenever I smoke, I go somewhere far away. Is that why?

    ¡°I like it.¡±

    ¡°ok? Really?¡±

    Should I say something sexy?

    Ha-eun, who is tall like a model and has fierce eyes, looks a bit like a gangster when she sees her burning tobo, so it suits her quite well.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the smell of tobo.¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s hand, which was trying to take a piece of tobo out of the cigarette pack with a smile, suddenly stopped.

    Ha-eun let out a short sigh and put the tobo back into the cigarette case.

    ¡°Ojini,e and sit here for a moment.¡±

    Ha-eun patted the seat next to her.

    ¡°I came to invite you to eat.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve just started preparing, right? ¡°I¡¯ll have about 10 minutes.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Oh Jin nodded and sat down next to Ha Eun.

    Ha-eun made a quick movement like a cat andid down on Oh-jin¡¯s thighs.

    Beautiful stars were shining in the dark night sky.

    ¡°Ojina.¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°Vega also has feelings for you, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­that.¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s expression hardened in shock.

    He had known for a long time that he was not the clueless male protagonist that often appears in romanticedies, and that Vega had a crush on him.

    but.

    ¡°Probably not.¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°Even if I had feelings, it would be closer to maternal love.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s motherly love¡­¡±

    Ha-eun herself knows full well that that doesn¡¯t make sense.

    ¡°¡­Okay, let¡¯s leave it at that for now.¡±

    Just because she is, doesn¡¯t mean she doesn¡¯t have a desire to be exclusive.

    It¡¯s been a while since I epted Isabe, so I couldn¡¯t just ask Vega to ept me too.

    ¡®I feel sorry for Vega, though.¡¯

    little bit more.

    I wanted to enjoy my time with him.

    I wanted to share our own memories.

    ¡°Being like this reminds me of the old days.¡±

    ¡°A long ago?¡±

    ¡°Why did you avoid the director and go to the roof of the orphanage and lie down like this often?¡±

    ¡°iced coffee. ¡°I remember.¡±

    On days when I lied to the bald director, I used to hide on the rooftop.

    Ha-eun giggled and began to bring out old memories that only the two of them could share.

    ¡°Do you remember that time when the director made fun of your name and we got angry and fought? ¡°You threw a rag in that director¡¯s face.¡±

    ¡°Of course I remember.¡±

    ¡°Kya! ¡°The director¡¯s expression was so fucking funny back then!¡±

    At the time, I was quite traumatized by the name ¡®Ojin¡¯, so when people made fun of me for it, I would get angry like fire.

    Well, now that I think about it, I wonder why I reacted so sensitively to something like a name.

    When I was young, the fact that thest name left by my parents who abandoned me was ¡®dirty dust¡¯ felt like more despair than anything else.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, my sister has been calling me by my name intentionally since then.¡±

    When I think back now, wasn¡¯t that quite delicate consideration for a child who didn¡¯t know anything?

    ¡®Ojin¡¯ and ¡®Ojini¡¯.

    There wasn¡¯t much difference other than slightly slurring the pronunciation.

    To him, who had been greatly traumatized by the name itself at the time, the slight difference felt extremely significant.

    ¡°how is it? ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to kill your senses?¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s no need to call me that now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s morefortable because I¡¯m used to it.¡±

    As always, Ha-eun smiled brightly as she called out the name with a short pronunciation.

    Among the people who knew Ojin, he was the only one who called him ¡®Ojini.¡¯

    Other people may not even be able to guess why it is called that.

    That¡¯s why I felt proud because it felt like a nickname that only Oh Jin and I could share.

    ¡°In that sense, my sister¡¯s name has a really good meaning.¡±

    ¡°Heaven¡¯s grace?¡±

    ¡°ok.¡±

    Ha-eun, short for ¡®heaven¡¯s grace.¡¯

    If you interpret the meaning of the name, what a pretty name it ispared to yourself, who is ¡®dirty dust¡¯.

    ¡°My sister said something like that before. As his name suggests, he will be ¡®heaven¡¯s grace¡¯ and shine on me¡­¡±

    ¡°Yayayaya! ¡± stop!¡±

    Wow!

    Ha-eun screamed and twisted her body, as if recalling the dark history of the past.

    ¡°How could you say something like that so calmly back in the day?¡±

    ¡°Because I was at that age.¡±

    When I think about it now, wasn¡¯t I at an age when I thought the meaning of a meaningless name was important?

    ¡°Wow, thinking about it now makes me feel embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°why? Now that you¡¯ve be ¡®heaven¡¯s grace,¡¯ have you no longer had any intention of shining on me?¡±

    ¡°Hey, I told you to stop.¡±

    ¡°No, honestly, it¡¯s much better than dirty dust.¡±

    A misdiagnosis meaning dirty dust.

    Ha-eun means heaven¡¯s grace.

    There was no need to think about which of the two was better.

    ¡°The parents who gave it that name threw away the grace of heaven.¡±

    Ha-eun smiled bitterly and slowly raised her hand to touch Oh-jin¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°But now that I think about it, I¡¯m d.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°If those bastards hadn¡¯t thrown away Grace, I wouldn¡¯t have ever met you, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Has he be so precious to her that he can say that he was ¡®lucky¡¯ that he was abandoned by his parents?

    Along with the indescribable emotion, a heavy feeling of guilt weighed on my shoulders.

    Does he really deserve to hear those words from her?

    ¡°Are you thinking about useless things again?¡±

    Ha-eun stretched Oh-jin¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go get something to eat soon!¡±

    Ha-eun, who was lying on Oh-jin¡¯s thighs, suddenly got up.

    Ha-eun smiles brightly, pulling Oh Jin¡¯s arm as he sits.

    Is it because I just talked about old times?

    I had the illusion that the face of a young girl slightly ovepped Ha-eun¡¯s brightly smiling face.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Of course, even if they ovepped, it¡¯s not exactly her old face.

    All memories of Ha-eun¡¯s face as a child have disappeared beyond the dark clouds of the dark sky.

    ¡°Eh? what? ¡°Why are you crying like that?¡±

    Ha-eun approached Oh-jin with a worried expression.

    ¡°No, nothing.¡±

    She doesn¡¯t know that she has forgotten all her childhood memories of her face.

    Oh Jin turned around, burying the torn album of memories deep in his heart.

    ¡°let¡¯s go eat.¡±

    ¡°wait for a sec.¡±

    Ha-eun carefully pulls his arm.

    When I turned my head and tilted my head, Ha-eun slightly stood up and pressed her lips together.

    A kiss as light as a bird pecking at feed.

    ¡°How do you feel better when your sister gives you a kiss?¡±

    Ha-eun pped Oh-jin¡¯s butt with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°¡­under.¡±

    Augh flowed from Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    Seeing her smiling yfully made me feel as if a heavy stone had been ced on top of me.

    ¡®I also have a very simple personality.¡¯

    Oh Jin walked away with a much more relieved expression.

    After having dinner with Isabe Ha-eun and finishing the training that became my daily routine.

    Out of exhaustion, Iy down in my sleeping bag.

    ¡°It is a grace from heaven.¡±

    I closed my eyes, thinking that this was indeed a fitting name for Ha-eun.

 Chapter 310

    I am not a returner Episode 310:

    A Faded Promise (2)

    A night where thick darkness descends like a curtain.

    On the rooftop of the fourth floor of an old, shabby orphanage, two boys and a girl were looking up at the night sky.

    ¡°Ah, that damn bald bastard. Even if you hit me, do you hit me in the eye?¡±

    The girl with auburn hair carefully stroked the skinny boy¡¯s bruised eyes.

    The director usually doesn¡¯t hit prominent ces like the face, but today he felt so hot that he even touched his face.

    It¡¯s a dangerous ce where you could lose your eyesight if you¡¯re not careful.

    ¡°You bastard! ¡°I¡¯ll definitely report it to the police!¡±

    ¡°¡­You know it¡¯s no use even if you try.¡±

    The boy shook his head with a bitter expression.

    I had already reported it to the police a few times, but they only half-heartedly investigated whether bribes had been exchanged before turning back.

    Even if you show the bruises around your eyes, it will just be assumed that you fell and got hurt.

    ¡°Anyway, since I¡¯m getting old, I¡¯m making fun of my kids¡¯ names!¡±

    The girl seemed to be unable to let go of her anger and continued to curse at the director, grinning furiously.

    ¡°I should have held back.¡±

    ¡°What are you holding on to? ¡°Ojini, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡±

    A faint smile appeared on the boy¡¯s lips as he heard the girl¡¯s decisive words.

    ¡°But thanks to my sister¡¯s help, I wasn¡¯t hurt too much.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt that much! Noontaeng became Bamtaeng!¡±

    ¡°I would have been beaten even more if my sister wasn¡¯t there.¡±

    The boy continued speaking while gently holding the girl¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Thank you, sister.¡±

    ¡°joy! ¡°Thank you and I hope you get well soon!¡±

    The girly down on the boy¡¯s thighs and looked up at the night sky.

    The brilliant starlight was shining beautifully like a blessing from the sky.

    The boy stroked the hair of the girl who was lying on her thighs, with beautifully shining stars in her eyes.

    Like stroking a precious treasure.

    carefully.

    ¡°sister.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    A girl tilting her head and looking up at the boy.

    The boy continued speaking with a faint smile.

    ¡°Let¡¯s live together when we get out of the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°Huh? ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s live together.¡±

    The girl gaped as if she had been hit on the head with a hammer.

    He nodded with a face as red as his hair.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡°Let¡¯s go live together.¡±

    ¡°I will protect my sister then.¡±

    The boy touched the girl¡¯s red cheeks and spoke as if she were swearing.

    The girl who was lying on her thighs jumped up and snorted.

    ¡°Heng! ¡°How do you protect me?¡±

    A girl who puts both hands on her hips andughs as if it¡¯s funny.

    ¡°In the first ce, older sisters protect their younger siblings!¡±

    ¡°okay?¡±

    ¡°Gorum! ¡°How can you be so arrogant and say that your younger brother will protect your older sister?¡±

    The boy burst outughing and nodded.

    ¡°Then I will help you protect me.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by helping me?¡±

    A girlughing and pulling the boy¡¯s cheek.

    The boy was too thin and emaciated to ept the words ¡®I will help you¡¯ without hesitation.

    ¡°You idiot, you always lie every time you open your mouth.¡±

    The girl who was yfully pulling the boy¡¯s cheek soon turned around.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go down slowly. ¡°If there¡¯s more, I¡¯ll get caught.¡±

    The boy muttered quietly as he watched the back of the girl walking away.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a lie.¡±

    Is it because my voice was too small?

    The boy¡¯sst murmur did not reach the girl.

    * * *

    The tent shook in the chilly wind blowing through the canyon.

    Ojin opened his eyes and got out of the sleeping bag like a caterpir shedding its skin.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s because I talked about old times with my sister yesterday.¡±

    The promise we shared on the rooftop of the orphanage a long time ago came out in a dream.

    A faded promise that she probably won¡¯t even remember.

    Oh Jin chuckled as he recalled his childhood memories.

    ¡®Help me protect myself.¡¯

    There was no specific n or goal.

    It was just something I said impulsively, swept up in the mood.

    ¡°If you think about it now, it¡¯s a lie.¡±

    Ojin shrugged his shoulders and walked out of the tent.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    Isabe, who was preparing breakfast, approached Ojin with a bright smile.

    ¡°You woke up so early?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°The early bird catches the worm, right?¡±

    Isabe smiles brightly and gently kisses Ojin¡¯s lips.

    A nice scent along with a soft texture tickled the tip of my nose.

    ¡°Are you saying my lips are bugs?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I guess I have to eat it carefully so it doesn¡¯t spread throughout the house.¡±

    Isabe, who had been away for a moment, slyly pressed her lips together again.

    After kissing their lips one more time, Ojin walked towards the bonfire and looked around.

    ¡°What about your sister?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still sleeping.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wake you up.¡±

    ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll just prepare breakfast.¡±

    A conversation that a newlywed couple who just had a child would have.

    A sweet atmosphere spread between the two, as if they were watching a scene from a melodrama.

    Of course, because the person who wakes up here is not a child but another lover, it turns into a bad morning drama instead of a melodrama.

    ¡°Sister, wake up.¡±

    Oh Jin stood in front of the tent and called Ha Eun.

    I called several more times, but only the sound of steady breathing could be heard from inside the tent, and Ha-eun showed no signs of waking up.

    ¡°Even if you tell me to get up.¡±

    Oh Jin had no choice but to go directly into the tent.

    Ha-eun was seen sleeping in a white t-shirt and dolphin pants with her belly button clearly exposed.

    Ha-eun falls asleep scratching her stomach and drool dripping from her mouth.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, if you sleep here, your mouth will turn.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Ha-eun suddenly opens her eyes.

    Ha-eun, who was still looking at Oh-jin with half-asleep eyes, wrapped her around him like a squid and pulled him into the sleeping bag.

    ¡°Hehehe. Oh my gosh.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing when I tell you to wake up?¡±

    ¡°Just 5 more minutes~¡±

    Ha-eun wrapped her long limbs around Oh-jin as if she were a bamboody, and pressed her body against him.

    Ohjin sighed as if he had no choice andy down next to her.

    ¡°I have to eat breakfast, so wake up quickly.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we eat Ojini instead of breakfast?¡±

    He answered in a sleepy voice and added strength to his wrapped limbs.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ha-eun bit Oh Jin¡¯s cheek and moved her mouth softly.

    It didn¡¯t hurt because I bit it with my lip instead of my teeth, but my entire cheek instantly became covered in saliva.

    ¡°¡­This sister is the real one.¡±

    He pinched the flesh on Ha-eun¡¯s side and twisted it with force.

    ¡°Gyaggyaggyaggya!¡±

    Ha-eun jumps up and screams as if struck by lightning.

    Ohjin stood up, wiping his cheek with a wet tissue.

    ¡°Are you awake now?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lee¡­ wake me up gently, man.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll get eaten if I don¡¯t wake him up quickly.¡±

    He tidied up Ha-eun¡¯s messy hair and handed her the eye patch she had taken off next to her sleeping bag.

    As Ha-eun, who was wearing an eye patch, came outside, Isabe waved lightly.

    ¡°For breakfast, I prepared a simple fried egg and Spam.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re all Korean.¡±

    Ha-eun quickly sat down and picked up a spoon.

    Cut a fried egg on top of pure white rice and take a bite with a piece of spam.

    The taste of happiness filled my mouth.

    ¡°Huh. Good, good. After all, this is the rule for breakfast.¡±

    ¡°At first, I was surprised to hear that they eat grilled Spam.¡±

    ¡°Because they don¡¯t eat well abroad.¡±

    ¡°But it was delicious when I ate it with rice.¡±

    Before you know it, your taste buds have adapted to Korea.

    Isabe cut the spam with skillful chopsticks and ate it with rice.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the backpack that kid made, I would have been in real trouble. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to eat beef jerky or something like that every day?¡±

    I agree.

    The fact that I was able to enjoy a meal like I did on Earth even aftering to a distantnd was entirely thanks to the space-expanding backpack made by Kim Si-hoo.

    ¡°If you¡¯re done eating, let¡¯s move on.¡±

    After finishing the meal and cleaning up the tent, Ojin and his group climbed on Poppy¡¯s back.

    For reference, Poppy was given the corpse of a demonic beast caught nearby for breakfast.

    ¡°purr!¡±

    Poppy let out a happy cry as if she had finished her meal and kicked her feet vigorously.

    How many more hours did we spend wandering around the canyon?

    ¡°Look over there.¡±

    Haeun sits on Poppy¡¯s back and points her finger.

    Where she pointed, there was only a dull rock and nothing else to be seen.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing?¡±

    ¡°Eh? What are you talking about? ¡°There¡¯s something like a firefly floating around over there, right?¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    He tilted his head and pulled up the stigmata of the constetion Canis, but all he could see was the dull rock.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see anything.¡±

    ¡°wait for a sec.¡±

    Haeun kicked Poppy¡¯s back and jumped.

    He went near the rock and pointed.

    ¡°You really can¡¯t see anything?¡±

    ¡°uh. ¡°All I can see is a rock.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head and stretched out her hand toward the blue light floating around the rock.

    When Ha-eun stretched out her hand, the blue light, floating like a fairy of light, seemed startled and started flying somewhere.

    ¡°Oh, he ran away.¡±

    ¡°Is it only visible to you?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    Ha-eun put her hand behind her head and took off the blindfold.

    If she could see herself but Ohjin could not, there was a high possibility that the cause was the ¡®Yongan¡¯ she possessed.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    A low exmation came from Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    Before I took off my eye patch, I saw that the surroundings were filled with blue lights that had been seen sparsely.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go over there.¡±

    There was a ce where rays of light flowed like a stream.

    ¡°for a moment. First, judge whether it is dangerous or not¡­¡±

    ¡°It is not dangerous.¡±

    Ha-eun said with a confident voice.

    ¡°Something¡­ I don¡¯t know exactly what it is, but I know it¡¯s not dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Is there something else I feel because I have the Dragon Eyes?

    Oh Jin did as she said and walked along the ray of light that only Ha-eun could see.

    How far did you walk like that?

    ¡°¡­here.¡±

    A building that looks like it was carved out of a huge canyon.

    A city so magnificent that my jaw dropped at its overwhelming scale unfolded before my eyes.

    ¡®Is this the Dragonian Kingdom?¡¯

    As expected from the kingdom of dragons, it was a city with a heart-pounding grandeur just by looking at it.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s the Dragonian Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Huh what? ¡°Is this the road to the kingdom?¡±

    I just followed a group of blue lights, but when I suddenly arrived at my destination, Ha-eun looked embarrassed.

    Ohjin nodded and continued speaking.

    ¡°There is no way such a huge city could not be seen from afar¡­ Was it hidden behind some sort of barrier? And my sister found it all at once with the dragon eye.¡±

    The veil that was hiding the kingdom of the dragon people was revealed so easily that Ha-eun¡¯s dragon eyes made peopleugh.

    ¡°What is it? ¡°Are my eyes a little bright?¡±

    Instead, Ha-eun traced the corner of her left eye with a puzzled expression.

    Around the eyes, ugly tendons sprout like roots.

    The vertically split pupils, like the eyes of a reptile, were emitting an intense glow.

    ¡°Shall we take a look outside first?¡±

    Even once you found the kingdom, you couldn¡¯t just enter it without taking precautions.

    Because they were able to show their rejection of humans like they did during the beastman tribe.

    ¡°Wait here for a moment. I¡¯ll go upstairs and take a look inside the city.¡±

    Because of the walls surrounding the outskirts of the city, I couldn¡¯t see inside from here.

    Taang!

    Ohjin climbed up a nearby rock wall using a wire shooter and jumped high, using the brightness of the brain scar in session.

    ¡°¡­what is this.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s expression hardened as he looked down at the city with the power of the stigmata of the constetion Canis the Hound.

    What caught his eye was the sight of a kingdom so horribly destroyed that it could be said to be ruins.

    The dragon people were nowhere to be seen, and groups presumed to be demon people were wandering around the ruined city.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s expression distorted fiercely.

    ¡®Is it toote?¡¯

    The Dragonian Kingdom, which came with great difficulty, had already been destroyed by the Demons.

 Chapter 311

    I am not a returner Episode 311:

    Faded Promise (3)

    As soon as I looked down at the ruined interior of the royal castle, I felt disgusted.

    Smoke rising faintly from the copsed houses that were reduced to ashes.

    The residual heat, which was clearly felt even from a distance, made it clear that not long had passed since the Dragonian Kingdom fell into ruins.

    ¡®Did they dispatch an army after hearing the news of the Beast Man Kingdom?¡¯

    Looking at the map, the Demon Kingdom¡¯s ¡®Niflheim¡¯ was much closer to the Dragonian Kingdom than the Beast People Kingdom, which was blocked by the Sky Mountains.

    That¡¯s why I tried to get to the kingdom quickly, even taking the gamble of crossing the Sky Mountains.

    ¡°what? ¡°What do you think the situation is like inside?¡±

    Ha-eun approached Oh-jin, who hadnded after the duration of the stroke of the thunderbolt had expired.

    Ojin let out a deep sigh as he recalled the situation in the Dragonian Kingdom seen from above.

    te.¡±

    ¡°¡­are youte?¡±

    ¡°The inside of the kingdom has already beenpletely taken over by demons and demonic beasts.¡±

    The only people wandering around the ruined city were various demonic beasts and the demons who led them.

    There was no sign of the Yongin tribe anywhere.

    ¡°Are you saying that the demons moved faster than us?¡±

    ¡°Maybe so.¡±

    Oh Jin nodded with a heavy expression.

    Still, I thought I had saved a lot of time by crossing the Sky Mountains.

    Even that wasn¡¯t enough?

    ¡°No matter how strong the demons are, how can they already¡­¡±

    Isabe trailed off as if she couldn¡¯t understand.

    It took only about 10 days for Ojin and his party to cross the Sky Mountains.

    The long journey, which would normally have taken more than a month, was shortened by one-third, but we arrived at the Dragonian Kingdom quickly.

    The Dragonian Kingdom was destroyed in just 10 days?

    ¡°There must be a reason. ¡°Either the demon race was that strong, or conversely, the dragon race was too weak.¡±

    ¡°What do we do now?¡±

    Originally, like during the Khan Kingdom, the n was to eradicate the demons that were parasitic within the dragon people and then join forces with the dragon people.

    Because the demons moved first, the n came to nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go up one more time and check the situation inside.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know that there might still be dragon people alive.

    Ojin soared into the air again using the Thunder Step.

    Beyond the high walls, I could see a city carved entirely out of a huge rocky mountain.

    The city of dragons, which once had a brilliant civilization, was now reduced to ashes and trampled under the feet of the demons.

    ¡®The hunting dog of Jiknyeo Castle.¡¯

    A faint, invisible blue thunderbolt spread widely in waves.

    Countless amounts of information pouring in like a flood.

    A headache that felt like it was going to split my head came flooding back along with the information, but in order to obtain as much information as possible in a short period of time, there was no skill better than the hunting dog of Jiknyeo Castle.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    A picture of the inside of the kingdom in my mind.

    There were an iparably greater number of demons and demonic beasts roaming around the city than during the Khan Kingdom.

    A movement that seems to be looking for the Yongin tribe who may still be left.

    Among them, there was a group of demons raising a toast as if to celebrate victory.

    at that time.

    Something caught Ojin¡¯s senses.

    ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯

    the center of the city.

    I saw thousands of Yongins gathered inside a huge circr building reminiscent of the Colosseum.

    The movements of the Yongin people, who were caught as if they were tightly restrained by something, could hardly be felt.

    ¡®Are they gathering all the captured Yongins in one ce?¡¯

    Still, I guess I should say I¡¯m d that they didn¡¯t kill everyone without hesitation.

    Oh-jin, who was looking down at the ce where the Yongin people were captured, came down to the rock wall where Ha-eun and Isabe were waiting.

    ¡°I found the ce where the dragon people are being held.¡±

    ¡°But fortunately, it looks like they didn¡¯t kill everyone.¡±

    Isabe narrowed her eyes and looked at the tall castle walls.

    ¡°Are you nning to rescue the captured dragon people?¡±

    ¡°If I could, I¡¯d like to, but¡­¡±

    Ojin crossed his arms and was lost in thought.

    Ohjin, who continued to think for a moment, shook his head quietly.

    ¡°I think it will be difficult to rescue them.¡±

    The situation was different from the time of the Khan Kingdom.

    At that time, there were only five demons and there was no demonic army led by them.

    Now, at first nce, there were over a hundred demons and thousands of demonic beasts guarding the area around the circr building where the dragons were captured.

    Breaking through them head-on and rescuing the captured dragons would not be easy, even if Ojin and his party had a strength close to a hundred.

    ¡°So you¡¯re going to go back like this without doing anything?¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and asked as if she was not sure.

    Oh Jin nodded with a heavy expression.

    What if there was a helper?

    There was nothing we could do with just the people here now.

    ¡°Okay. ¡°Something makes me feel a little ufortable.¡±

    I¡¯ve never even had a conversation with the dragon people before.

    Is it because I developed quite a close rtionship with the beastmen who were in the same situation?

    My heart felt heavy, as if a heavy stone had been ced on my chest.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s look around to see if there are any dragons who escaped.¡±

    Oh Jin also did not want to leave like this without any gains.

    ¡°huh.¡±

    ¡°Yes, first take a look around.¡±

    Like that, Ojin and his party began circling around the Dragonian Kingdom to find the group of dragon people who escaped.

    How long did you wander around?

    ¡°Look over there.¡±

    Ha-eun suddenly stopped and pointed to a ce.

    This time too, it was a blob of blue light that only she could see.

    ¡°What I saw near the kingdom is also here.¡±

    Of course, the number of lights was significantly lower than what was seen in the kingdom.

    In any case, the fact that a clue was found was important.

    e here.¡±

    Ha-eun took the lead and led Oh-jin and his group.

    The ce she was heading to was a narrow path that crossed through a maze-like canyon.

    Ojin and his group walked along a narrow road that was only about 10 meters wide at most.

    ¡°Grrr.¡±

    Poppy narrowed her shoulders and cried in frustration, as if she was ufortable in the narrow street.

    Could it be that we passed about halfway through the canyon?

    Wooooow!

    Arrows began raining down on the heads of Ojin and his group along with a sharp crack.

    Even though it was an arrow, it was not made of iron and wood.

    Blue arrows made of magical energy, from arrowhead to feather, fell like a meteor shower in the night sky.

    ¡°Gather around me!¡±

    Despite the sudden surprise attack, Ojin did not panic and took out Dantalian from his waist.

    When Dantalian, which had changed into the shape of a spear, was swung like a windmill, the blue lightning that formed on the spear spread wide like an umbre.

    Coo! Googoo googung!

    A magical arrow that explodes in a powerful explosion when it touches the blue thunderbolt.

    The impact of the explosion shook the surrounding ground, and the high rock walls of the canyon began to copse.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Hundreds of tons of rubble fell like rain.

    ¡®charge.¡¯

    He raised the magic power of the stigmata and condensed lightning on the tip of the spear.

    Just before a pile of rocks rained down on my head.

    I stepped on the heavy stepping stones and raised my spear high.

    Kwajajajajajajag!

    The thunderbolt condensed on the tip of the spear exploded, like a wild animal trapped in a cage jumping out.

    Hundreds of tons of rubble fell, breaking into small pieces and scattering in all directions, apanied by a roar that shook the eardrums.

    A destructive power that far exceeds human standards.

    Ohjin, who turned hundreds of tons of rubble into a pile of gravel in the blink of an eye, turned the tip of his spear in the direction from which the arrow came without any sign of fatigue.

    I tried to get close to the guys who shot magical arrows at once using the wire shooter.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this.¡±

    Before the misdiagnosis urred, Isabe took a step forward.

    ¡°You can¡¯t kill me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    I could tell who was in charge of this sudden surprise attack without even looking at it.

    Isabe smiled slightly and cut her palm with her sharp fingernails.

    Drop, drop.

    Blood dripped from my cracked palm.

    ¡°Flow.¡±

    With a low chant, the blood that fell on the floor began to multiply explosively.

    A chain made of blood stretched out from the wide expanse of blood and was shot in the direction from which the magical arrow hade.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    A scream heard from afar.

    Soon, the attackers who were hiding in the canyon were tied up in chains and brought in front of Ojin and his group.

    The identity of the chained attacker was, as expected, a dragon race.

    The beast people were like that too.

    The appearance of the Yongin tribe itself was not much different from that of humans.

    The only differences are the vertically slit pupils reminiscent of reptiles and the scales covering the nape of the neck and parts of the cheeks.

    ¡®On the outside, it looks more like abination of a lizardman and a human than abination of a dragon and a human.¡¯

    I had seen the Yongin people being held together as a group from afar earlier, but the distance was so far back then that this was my first time seeing what the Yongin people looked like.

    ¡°Kill the Lord!¡±

    ¡°Dirty demons¡­!¡±

    The number of Yongin people who were caught in chains was twenty.

    The Yongin people, who were helplessly caught by Isabe¡¯s formidable power, red at Ojin and the others with eyes full of hatred and anger.

    ¡°¡­uh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not from the demon race, are you?¡±

    The dragon people, who were ring at Ojin and his party with murderous eyes as if they would tear them to pieces at any moment, soon realized that they were not the demon people.

    The Yongins look back at Poppy, who is standing calmly after Ojin with a puzzled expression.

    ¡®I guess because I was with Poppy, I thought I was a demon.¡¯

    but.

    Except for Cassia, the only demons who can treat ferocious demonic beasts like minions are the demons, so it would have been natural for them to have mistaken Ojin and his party for being demons.

    ¡°Why are humans here¡­?¡±

    The Yongin people looked at Ojin and the others as if they couldn¡¯t understand.

    Unlike the beastmen who feared humans, calling them ¡®the devil beyond the veil¡¯, they did not seem to have any particr aversion to humans.

    No, he was looking at Ojin and the others with a look of awe that went beyond showing no resistance.

    ¡°Hey, are they from the Yongin tribe?¡±

    Ha-eun, perhaps preparing for the esction of the battle, removed the blindfold covering her left eye and approached the captured Yongins.

    The Yongin people looked at the corner of Ha-eun¡¯s left eye after removing her eye patch, and their eyes widened.

    ¡°Yo Yongan¡­?¡±

    ¡°A woman with dragon eyes wille¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes, a prophecy! ¡°It¡¯s just as Cailus prophesied!¡±

    The Yongin people make a fuss with expressions of astonishment.

    When Ojin and his group are taken aback by the unexpected reaction.

    ¡°Are you¡­ the ¡®dragon maiden¡¯?¡±

    A Yongin tribe member asked Ha-eun cautiously.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Ha-eun frowned as if wondering what he was talking about.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a virgin?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A heavy silence fell in the narrow canyon.

 Chapter 312

    I am not a returner Episode 312

    Faded Promise (4)

    ¡°What is it? ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    Ha-eun looks embarrassed, as if she feels burdened by all the attention focused on her.

    The Yongin people looked at the Yongan located at the corner of Ha-eun¡¯s left eye with eyes filled with awe.

    ¡°iced coffee.¡±

    ¡°Yo dragon maiden.¡±

    The Yongin people who were caught in chains bowed their heads in tears, like religious people who had witnessed theing of Jesus before their eyes.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not a virgin. What did you say earlier¡­¡±

    ¡°Sister, be quiet for a moment.¡±

    Oh Jin covered Ha Eun¡¯s mouth with his hand as she chattered as if she had a headache.

    ¡°What do you mean by prophecy?¡±

    ¡°¡­that.¡±

    The Yongins hesitate, looking at each other.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let the old man exin that.¡±

    The answer came from a different direction from where the captured Yongins were gathered.

    ¡°purr!¡±

    Poppy fiercely shows her teeth and takes a fighting stance.

    On top of the copsed rock wall, a group of hundreds of dragon people surrounded Ojin and his group, aiming magic arrows at them.

    An old dragon man in the center of them approached Ojin and the others, holding a cane.

    ¡°My name is Kelion. Although he iscking in stamina, he is leading the dragon people.¡±

    The Yongin with gray hair finished his brief self-introduction in a polite tone.

    ¡°My name is Kwon Oh-jin.¡±

    ¡°I heard. ¡°You were a hero from the world beyond the veil.¡±

    ¡°¡­Did you hear that?¡±

    Who did you hear your story from?

    ¡°It¡¯s because I have a pretty close rtionship with Baek Moo-gang.¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    I never would have thought that Baekmu River and the being who leads the Yongin tribe have a connection.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move our seats first. After hearing themotion, a chase team from the demon race may follow.¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Ojin and his party walked deep into the canyon following Kelion¡¯s guidance.

    Ugh.

    After passing a certain area, I felt like my body was floating, as if I had passed a gate, and the terrain in front of me changed.

    Ohjin moved from a narrow canyon to an open space in an instant.

    In arge open space sparsely overgrown with vegetation, dozens of barracks that appeared to have been hastily installed were lined up.

    ¡®Were they using this ce as a temporary shelter?¡¯

    Looking at the traces around the barracks, it seemed that it had been built only 2-3 days ago at most.

    ¡°You guys, watch the area around the canyon to see if the demon tribe¡¯s chase team catches up with you.¡±

    ¡°yes!¡±

    ¡°Even if you spot a chase team, don¡¯t attack right away, but report first.¡±

    ¡°I understand, Elder!¡±

    The Yongin unit that had been caught in Isabe¡¯s chains turned back and headed toward the canyon.

    ¡°Pleasee in here.¡±

    Kelion, who guided us to the barracks in the center, entered the barracks first.

    In the center of the barracks was a wooden table that looked crudely made.

    ¡°The nobleman of prophecy hase, and I am sorry for having to host him in such a shabby barracks even though I cannot give him a warm wee.¡±

    Kelion bows deeply towards Ha-eun.

    His attitude was so extreme that it was iparable to when he spoke with Oh Jin.

    ¡°Uh¡­yeah. It¡¯s okay. But what did you mean by a dragon maiden or a noblewoman?¡±

    Ha-eun asked, leaning slightly toward Oh-jin, as if she felt burdened by Kelion¡¯s extreme attitude.

    ¡°¡­I think the exnation will be long.¡±

    Looking at Ha-eun, who had a puzzled expression as if she didn¡¯t know anything, Kelion sighed softly.

    ¡°The Yongin people had a guardian deity called ¡®Dragon God¡¯ in the past.¡±

    This is how the story began.

    100 years ago from now.

    When therge-scale invasion of the demons began, the Dragonian Kingdom was also attacked by the demons, just like the Khan Kingdom.

    The attack on the Yongin tribe was so powerful and thorough that the Khan Kingdom could not even bepared to it.

    At that time, the one who fought against the forces of the demon race was the dragon god Kaleios, who was the guardian deity of the dragon race.

    Unlike ordinary dragons who enjoy living alone, he created a rare for the Dragonian Kingdom himself and imed to be its guardian.

    ¡°And the hero who fought with Kaleios against the demonic army during the war a hundred years ago is none other than ¡®Kailus Benedict.¡¯¡±

    Cailus Benedict.

    It was a name I had never heard of.

    ¡°Were you of the Yongin tribe?¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    Kelion shook his head quietly.

    ¡°Master Cailus¡­ was a human.¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes frowned.

    It was a human who helped the dragon god Kaleios fight against the demon army 100 years ago?

    ¡®That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯

    Although there is some difference in the flow of time between Earth and the Demon World.

    Even so, 100 years ago, in the magic world, the ¡®first crack¡¯ leading to the Earth itself would not have been opened.

    But how can a ¡®human¡¯, who is not another being, help the dragon race and fight against the demon race?

    ¡°Kaylus said that he ¡®flowed into¡¯ this world.¡±

    It flowed in.

    So does this mean that a passage existed between the Earth and the Demon Realm even before the first crack opened?

    ¡®It¡¯s not out of the question.¡¯

    If it was a huge crack with a diameter of several kilometers like it is now, there is no way it wouldn¡¯t have been discovered, but if it was only a few meters wide like when Ojin was first sucked into the demonic world, it might not have been discovered by people.

    Humans often mistakenly believe that they know everything about Earth.

    In fact, if you look at just the area, the area without human touch is overwhelminglyrger than the area touched by humankind.

    ¡°Kailus was the de facto leader and savior of the dragon people.¡±

    Kelion said in a voice full of awe.

    Ojin frowned as if he couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°¡­How could you do that?¡±

    How can a human who came from another world be the savior of the dragon race?

    No, apart from the savior and nabalgo, how on earth could a human being who was not an awakened person live in the demon world?

    ¡°Because he had the ¡®stigmata¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­Stigmata?¡±

    A shortugh escaped Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    There is no way a human who was not an awakened person could have survived the Demon World.

    The answer to that obvious question was so simple that it made meugh out loud.

    ¡®The Awakened have existed 100 years ago?¡¯

    It feels like all themon sense I previously knew is being disorganized.

    ¡°yes. He was an awakened person with the ¡®stigmata of Dragon¡¯.¡±

    It was the same stigmata as Ha-eun.

    ¡°Master Cailus distributed the stigmata of the dragon, which was given by the Constetion, to the dragon people.¡±

    ¡°¡­You gave it away?¡±

    Among the awakened, there was no one who had the ability to share stigmata with others.

    ¡®No.¡¯

    Constetion of ck stars.

    The awakened members of the ck Star had the ability to pass on their stigmata to another being.

    ¡®But the constetion Draco won¡¯t be a ck star.¡¯

    At that time, my mind became confused as to what was going on.

    ¡°Yes, He blessed us with stars.¡±

    Kelion lifted up the old robe she was wearing and showed off her left breast.

    There was a clear ¡®Stigmata of Dragon¡¯ engraved on the left breast, simr to Ha-eun¡¯s.

    ¡°At the time, the Yongin people were gradually losing the ability to properly handle the powerful magic contained in their blood. ¡°This is because the magic passed down by dragons has been lost over time.¡±

    In the distant past, the Dragon race and the Dragon race were born from the same roots.

    Although the analogy is not urate, it is said that in the past, the rtionship between the dragon race and the dragon race was simr to that between worker ants and queen ants.

    In other words, they were a race created to worship and serve the ¡®dragon¡¯.

    But the dragons did not need the help of the dragon people.

    Because each object was too powerful and had a clear subjectivity, group living was avoided.

    The dragons abandoned the dragon people and scattered far away.

    Until then, he had worshiped the dragons and learned their magic little by little, but after all the dragons except the dragon god Kaleios left the kingdom, magic gradually began to be lost.

    This is because Kaleios¡¯ magic alone could not digest all the magical powers with various characteristics.

    ¡°Then Kylus appeared in our kingdom.¡±

    Through the Stigmata of Dragon, Cailus taught the dragon people how to control the powerful magic power remaining in their bodies.

    ¡°He was literally a savior to us who were dying of fever at the time because we could not properly handle the magic power within our bodies.¡±

    Kelion clenched his fists tightly.

    The eyes that were as hot as fire and the reverence in them told them well what kind of being Cailus was to them.

    ¡®Is that why he didn¡¯t show any resistance when he first saw us?¡¯

    Since the savior who saved the dying race was none other than a human, it would be natural for apletely different reaction from that of the beastmen.

    ¡°So what does this have to do with the prophecy you mentioned earlier?¡±

    I understood why a man named Cailus became the savior of the dragon race.

    But what does Ha-eun have to do with that?

    ¡°After the war with the Demon Race, the Dragon God fell into a deep sleep. And Kylus¡­¡±

    Kelion¡¯s expression darkened.

    ¡°He suffered serious injuries and passed away.¡±

    Are you thinking of Cailus?

    His tightly clenched fist was shaking slightly.

    ¡°Caelus Benedict¡­ He was the savior of the dragon people and the dragon god¡¯s best friend. Before he passed away, he left a prophecy.¡±

    The end of the long story has reached the prophecy.

    ¡°When darkness falls on the kingdom, a woman with dragon eyes wille.¡±

    The surrounding attention was focused on Ha-eun.

    ¡°The dragon¡¯s eyes will draw the soul of the dragon god into the body and awaken the sleeping dragon god¡­ That was thest prophecy left by Cailus.¡±

    Dragon God Kaleios.

    Thest dragon who remained until the end to protect the dragon people who were nothing more than ves.

    Could it be that Ha-eun¡¯s ¡®Yongan¡¯ is the key to awakening him from a deep sleep after being wounded?

    ¡°Uh¡­ were my eyes really that amazing?¡±

    Even Ha-eun tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

    Suddenly, the face of an old man who showed his ugly greed to take over her ¡®dragon eye¡¯ shed through my head.

    ¡®I thought the power of the dragon¡¯s eye was just enough to allow me to handle the dragon¡¯s magic more easily.¡¯

    It seems that the power in her eyes far exceeded Ojin¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°When the kingdom was reduced to ashes and countless of mypatriots lost their lives due to an attack by the Majin army¡­ I realized that the time for prophecy hade.¡±

    Kelion got up from his seat and approached Ha-eun.

    He knelt in front of her and bowed his head low like a priest praying to God.

    ¡°Dragon Maiden¡­ Please bring the soul of the Dragon God to her body and wake our god from his long sleep.¡±

    Kelion¡¯s shoulders were trembling slightly as he bowed his head low.

 Chapter 313

    I am not a returner Episode 313:

    Faded Promise (5)

    ¡°No¡­ that.¡±

    Ha-eun suddenly hid behind Oh-jin¡¯s back like a cat, as if she felt burdened by Kelion, who was kneeling in front of her and bowing his head.

    First of all, she understood why the dragon people reacted so harshly towards her.

    Suddenly, people I had never seen in my life came rushing towards me, bowing their heads and talking about me being a savior and a dragon maiden, asking me to save the fate of my family. There was no way I could not be embarrassed.

    ¡°please.¡±

    Kelion bowed his head at Ha-eun¡¯s feet and pleaded with a trembling voice.

    After the dragon god fell into a long sleep.

    The Dragonian Kingdom gradually began to walk down the path of destruction.

    They were born to serve the dragon from birth.

    Just as ants dying after losing their queen, they also lost their focus as ¡®dragons¡¯ and were running towards catastrophe.

    ¡°We¡­ need a savior.¡±

    Transparent tears flowed down Kelion¡¯s cheeks.

    Without the dragon¡¯s protection and knowledge, the dragon people cannot withstand the magical power remaining in their bodies and die.

    In the days when Cailus was around, the runaway magic power was somehow suppressed by the stigmata of the constetion Dragon.

    Now that he is dead, there is no one other than the sleeping dragon god who can save the dragon race heading towards destruction.

    ¡°Over the past hundred years¡­ countless dragon people have died, unable to withstand the surge of magical power.¡±

    I remember.

    reminds me of

    A girl who smiled brightly, a boy who yed energetically, a young man who bravely wielded a weapon, and an old man who wisely led the kingdom.

    dead.

    Writhing in pain, unable to control the runaway magic power.

    ¡°I¡­ all of that¡­¡±

    I had no choice but to watch.

    I waited for the dragon god who would not wake up and cried out for salvation that did note.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin looked down at the sobbing Kelion and made a bitter expression.

    ¡®Is this the reason why the dragon race suffered in vain from the demon race¡¯s attack?¡¯

    There may be a reason why the Majin army was so strong.

    In the first ce, the kingdom of the Dragon people gradually lost its power and weakened over a hundred years.

    All the demons did was forcefully remove oxygen from the dying patient¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Are there no other dragons?¡±

    Oh Jin asked, remembering the Heavenly Dragon he fought beforeing to the Demon World.

    If the existence of a dragon was essential to save the dragon race, there was no reason for it to be a dragon god.

    ¡°Dragons¡­¡±

    Kelion chewed his lips as if swallowing bitter medicine.

    The wrinkles covering his old face were distorted in sadness.

    ¡°Most of them are already dead. Even if it¡¯s alive, it¡¯s hiding in their and noting out.¡±

    ¡°¡­Most of them are already dead?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Dragons were a powerful raceplete with their very existence.

    Who on earth drove these monsters, each of which was a strategic weapon, to destruction?

    ¡°One thousand miles.¡±

    Is it you again?

    An unpleasant sensation spread in my mouth, like chewing sand pebbles.

    Oh Jin let out a deep sigh and lowered his head.

    ¡°The evil god revered by the Demon Race¡­ The Heavenly Demon killed the dragons.¡±

    ¡°Did you kill him yourself?¡±

    Kelion shakes his head.

    Unless the Heavenly Demon killed him directly.

    ¡°I heard that you ordered a ¡®snake¡¯ to kill it.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia Colgrande.

    A woman who, after being saved by the Heavenly Demon, had her consciousness controlled by his ¡®lies¡¯ and became a puppet.

    ¡®Did you do something like that while you were in the Demon Lord?¡¯

    Come to think of it, I¡¯ve said something like that before.

    While living as a puppet of the Heavenly Demon, he has had countless blood on his hands.

    I already knew this, but I never would have guessed that the slimy blood on her hands was mixed with the blood of dragons.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Suddenly, a memory with Cassia came to mind.

    The rooftop of a hospital in the dark.

    A woman who said she would leave to make atonement with sad eyes as if she would shed tears at any moment.

    In a distant sense of shame and self-reproach.

    With only the longing to not be abandoned.

    How much blood has been on those delicate hands so far?

    Ojin gritted his teeth as he remembered the existence of the Heavenly Demon who made Cassia like that.

    To deceive others with sweet lies and turn them into puppets.

    ¡®Is that your way?¡¯

    Indeed.

    Isn¡¯t this a ¡®Kwon Oh-jin¡¯-like method?

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A bitter taste spread in my mouth.

    My chest felt heavy, as if a heavy stone had been ced on it.

    ¡°Well¡­ So all I have to do is wake up that dragon god?¡±

    Ha-eun, who was quietly listening to the story, scratched her head and asked.

    Kelion, who had been bowing his head, suddenly raised his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! ¡°If you have the power of the Dragon Eye that the Dragon Maiden possesses, you will be able to guide the Dragon God¡¯s soul into her body!¡±

    There was hope in Kelion¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°If only the Dragon God awakens, we will be able to drive out the army of demons that have covered the kingdom!¡±

    ¡°But where is the dragon god¡¯s soul?¡±

    ¡°In their where the Dragon God is sleeping, there is a huge crystal called a soul stone.¡±

    ¡°Then all I have to do is find it and take it?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even need to look for it.¡±

    Kelion shook his head and continued.

    ¡°Because the soul stone is right next to the sleeping dragon god. Once you reach that ce safely, all you have to do is lead the soul to the body of the Dragon God through the power of the Dragon Eye.¡±

    The method itself was extremely simple.

    There¡¯s just one problem.

    ¡°¡­How do you get to that rare?¡±

    Ojin recalled the interior of the Dragonian Kingdom, where a group of demons and beasts were roaming around.

    The number of Demons at first nce alone is more than a hundred.

    The group of demonic beasts numbered more than a thousand and was close to ten thousand.

    ¡°Where is the Dragon God¡¯s Lair?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hidden deep inside the kingdom. ¡°It¡¯s protected by a strong barrier, so the demons wouldn¡¯t have been able to invade.¡±

    Kelion speaks with a confident expression.

    ¡°Do you know how to get there?¡±

    ¡°Is it for no reason that I have led the dragon people until now? ¡°Of course I know where the Dragon God¡¯s rare is located.¡±

    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t there any other dragon people who know the location of Lair?¡±

    ¡°There is none. ¡°To prevent external intrusion, the location of their has been secretly passed down only to the elders.¡±

    So does this mean that only Kelion knows the location of the rare?

    ¡°Do you by any chance have a map?¡±

    ¡°You mean the map of the kingdom?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    Kelion ced his fingers lightly on the wooden table.

    A halo of blue light sparkled, and a map made of magical energy unfolded on the table.

    ¡®Is the map stored like this?¡¯

    Certainly, there was nothing safer than keeping a map directly in your head.

    ¡°Which side exactly is the rare?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s this way.¡±

    As Kelion said, it was located in the innermost part of the city, which was carved out of an entire canyon.

    ¡°But even if you go here, you won¡¯t be able to find any rares.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of the barrier?¡±

    Kelion nodded.

    ¡°I have to go there myself and unlock the barrier to enter their.¡±

    In other words, Kelion himself is the key that can open the entrance to their.

    Ohjin, who was looking down at the map, narrowed his eyes.

    ¡®It¡¯s difficult to prate from the front.¡¯

    I don¡¯t know the extent of the dragon people¡¯s power.

    First of all, considering that they could not withstand the army of the demon tribe for less than 10 days and were tragically destroyed, even with the help of the dragon tribe, a head-on breakthrough was impossible.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any other way than to sneak in?¡±

    Isabe, who was standing next to us and looking at the map together, frowned and said.

    ¡°If they weren¡¯t stupid, they would have kept watch.¡±

    If you are going to infiltrate Ojin alone, you can enter using ¡®ck Shield¡¯.

    However, if you have to go with Kelion and Ha-eun, it¡¯s a different story.

    ¡°That¡¯s the best method to use in a situation like this¡­ that¡¯s all.¡±

    A deep sigh flowed from Isabe¡¯s mouth.

    I could tell what method was in her mind without having to hear it from her mouth.

    The optimal method to use to enter the enemy¡¯s main base.

    It¡¯s an effective method, but you have to take risks.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have no choice but to use bait for this.¡±

    After focusing the attention of the demons on that area through bait, Ha-eun and Kelion had to infiltrate Lair.

    ¡®But we can¡¯t send just the two of us.¡¯

    What if Ha-eun is attacked while she is leading the Dragon God¡¯s soul into her body?

    Unless Kelion was in a situation where she could bepletely trusted, someone who could protect her had to go with her.

    ¡®I have to go with you.¡¯

    In terms of simple force, Isabe is still stronger than him.

    He had a transcendent power called ck Heaven.

    Although there is a risk, he is the one who can protect Ha-eun more safely in an emergency situation.

    The problem is that if you fall in, the ¡®bait¡¯ side bes that much more dangerous.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the bait.¡±

    Isabe raised her hand willingly.

    ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡±

    Serving as bait against a group of over a hundred demons and tens of thousands of demon beasts was a big risk, even for Isabe.

    ¡°yes. ¡°It may be difficult to fight directly against an army, but it is quite possible to attract attention and run away.¡±

    ¡°¡­But we still need more people.¡±

    No matter how powerful she was, it was impossible for Isabe to attract the attention of an army that upied an entire city on her own.

    ¡°We will also increase our strength.¡±

    Kelion clenched his fists with a look of firm determination.

    Ojin looked back at him and warned in a low voice.

    ¡°¡­I will die.¡±

    Isabya Ilsin¡¯s military power is excellent, so she will be able to escape even if she is chased by the demons.

    But other dragon people.

    ¡°Even if you are lucky and escape, most of you will die.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Kelion¡¯s expression darkened.

    After contemting for a moment, he opened his mouth with a faint smile on his wrinkled face.

    ¡°I was prepared to die.¡±

    The old dragon man stood up, feeling the stigmata on his left chest.

    ¡°Hehe. Still, isn¡¯t this the ce we¡¯ve lived in? There is no greater glory than being able to protect it by shedding blood.¡±

    That¡¯s what I said, though.

    Kelion¡¯s eyes were dark and sunken.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin let out a short sigh as he looked at the old dragon race elder who was strengthening his resolve.

    For a group, having a ce to live is just as important.

    Sometimes to the point where you have to sacrifice your life to protect it.

    ¡°There are ways to reduce the number of victims.¡±

    ¡°¡­What method?¡±

    ¡°You just need more bait than one.¡±

    Ojin pointed to three ces on the map spread out on the table.

    It was around a huge circr building where the captured Yongin people were tied up.

    ¡°It will cause trouble in three ces in total.¡±

    ¡°In that case¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes. ¡°If amotion breaks out here, the demons will think they havee to rescue the captured dragons.¡±

    In that case, their forces would have no choice but to disperse towards the building where the Yongins were being held.

    ¡°In that situation, if you run to the outskirts rather than the city center, the chaos will be even greater.¡±

    From the Demon Race¡¯s point of view, the force that caused the disturbance should naturally havee to the building where the Dragon Race was captured, but since they ran to the wrong ce, there was bound to be confusion.

    ¡°There will still be victims, but at least the chances of survival will increase.¡±

    ¡°But even if the entrance near the castle gate is okay, the other two locations are inside the kingdom¡­ How do you n to infiltrate troops here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that.¡±

    There was a way to attract the attention of the enemy without sacrificing the Yongin tribe.

    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    Kelion lowered his head with a trembling voice.

    Not only did he help awaken the dragon god, he even thought of a way to minimize the sacrifices of the dragon people.

    It was difficult to think of this as consideration from a stranger I had only met for a few hours.

    ¡°Is it okay if I ask one question?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why are you helping us like this?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t something I should say as someone who asked me to save my family.

    In the case of the decoy operation, it was actually a problem that could have been passed on to the Yongin tribe.

    Originally, the more lives you put into it, the more effective the bait was.

    ¡°¡­well.¡±

    Oh Jin chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

    Suddenly, Cassia¡¯s face, distorted by tears, crossed my mind again.

    He muttered in a low voice as if he was talking about someone else.

    ¡°Maybe I want to change.¡±

    With a person named ¡®Kwon Oh-jin¡¯.

 Chapter 314

    I am not a returner Episode 314:

    Faded Promise (6)

    Now that the goal has been decided, it is time to make the n concrete.

    Ojin and Kelion Isabe worked together to coordinate movement routes and personnel times to increase the details of the decoy operation and minimize sacrifices.

    I was worried that the demons would make the first move.

    Fortunately, there were no raids by the demon tribe¡¯s chase team during the few days of nning.

    [Hmm. Is it okay to use the most shy techniques?]

    Vega asked, tilting his head after hearing Ojin exin the strategy.

    ¡°huh. There¡¯s no need to break anything or anything. ¡°You can just use it as if you were setting off a firecracker.¡±

    [If that¡¯s the case, I think she can do it too.]

    Just as she used to fire lightning as a signal to reveal Ojin¡¯s location in the Sky Mountains, using lightning simply to attract attention was fully possible for Vega now.

    ¡°On the other hand, are you saying I can just go here and destroy everything I can?¡±

    After hearing the details of the operation, Riak turned to Ojin.

    ¡°It would be better if you let out a roar in the middle.¡±

    A way to cause trouble somewhere deep inside the kingdom.

    The method Ojin chose was to infiltrate Vega and Riak separately.

    It would be impossible to infiltrate the kingdom with all the dragons, but Vega and Riak alone would be enough to infiltrate the kingdom.

    Of course, since there are demons everywhere, it won¡¯t take long for them to be discovered.

    It didn¡¯t matter because the goal itself was to get caught in the first ce.

    ¡®Because Vega and Riak can escape no matter how many troops they are surrounded by.¡¯

    The two had a perfect escape that could be called ¡®absolutely¡¯.

    ¡°You can gather as many people as you can, and if it bes dangerous, just return to the sanctuary.¡±

    Return to the sanctuary.

    This was an absolute escape that could not be stopped unless there was a constetion sanctuary or a special barrier.

    [I understand!]

    ¡°You can do anything as long as you destroy it.¡±

    Vega and Riak nodded willingly.

    When the n was decided and I first called Vega, I was worried that he would cooperate properly because he couldn¡¯t make eye contact and just ran away.

    After hearing the story about the situation in the Dragonian Kingdom and the Dragon God, he listened to the strategy with a serious attitude as if he had never run away.

    No matter how natural it is to distinguish between public and private things.

    Ohjin internally eximed at Vega¡¯s mental strength to immediately change her attitude towards important matters even after being caught screaming in pain while being beaten on the buttocks by a person of the opposite sex who harbored feelings for her.

    [Hehehe. That and my child.]

    Vega approaches carefully and whispers in my ear.

    [Well¡­ don¡¯t forget that it was all a misunderstanding. never! The main woman is not a woman with such shameless tastes!]

    Hmm.

    I haven¡¯tpletely sorted out my feelings yet.

    I swallowed a bitter smile and turned my head.

    The dragon people with nervous expressions were looking at Ojin.

    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t forget. The most important thing in this operation is order and timing.¡±

    The n was roughly like this.

    1. Vega and Riak, who have infiltrated the kingdom, cause a disturbance.

    2. Blow down the castle gate and run towards the circr building where the Yongins are being held.

    3. If the demons make a move to take or protect the captured dragons as hostages, they will make a U-turn and flee out of the kingdom.

    It was a simple operation to put it into words, but if the gears do not move together at the right time, casualties will continue to follow.

    ¡°Are you all ready?¡±

    There was no loud shouting.

    The Yongin people nodded with solemn expressions.

    ¡°great.¡±

    The first step is for Vega and Riak to sneak into the kingdom.

    [Could you confirm the personnel on the castle wall watching?]

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Just like when he first inspected the inside of the kingdom, Ojin climbed onto a high rock wall and used the Thunder Step.

    The sight of a kingdom in ruins unfolding beneath our feet.

    ¡®what?¡¯

    Ojin frowned as he concentrated on checking the castle wall.

    Did he even think that the Dragonian Kingdom waspletely destroyed?

    The demons guarding the castle walls were not visible.

    There are only a few demonic beasts wandering around on the castle walls.

    In any case, it was wee news that surveince wasx.

    ¡°You can go over there.¡±

    Ojin pointed to a ce where there was no surveince.

    Vega and Riak flew at high speed and crossed the castle wall.

    Vega was able to fly in the first ce, and Riak could also use Thunder Step like Ojin, so he was able to climb over the high walls surrounding the kingdom as easily as the fence in front of a school.

    ¡°The operation will begin in exactly 15 minutes.¡±

    Ojin walked towards Isabe.

    ¡°Can I leave it to you to blow up the castle gate?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Sure.¡±

    Guarding the entrance to the Dragonian Kingdom was a huge 30-meter-high castle gate.

    It had already been damaged once by the invasion of the demon race, and there were ugly holes in various ces.

    If you concentrate your firepower and attack at once, you won¡¯t be able to hold out for long and will copse.

    ¡°Please take care of Be.¡±

    Ojin lightly tapped the neck of Poppy, who was carrying Isabe on her back.

    ¡°Grrr!¡±

    Poppy clicked her beak and nodded.

    Just looking at speed, Isabe would be faster if she ran at full speed than Poppy.

    In order to deal with the legions of demons and demon beastsing from all directions, it was better to get on Poppy¡¯s back and focus only on attacks.

    ¡°Oh Jin, you¡¯re going to go halfway, right?¡±

    ¡°uh. ¡°When we change direction and make a U-turn, my elder sister and I will leave separately and go to the Dragon God¡¯s Lair.¡±

    ¡°¡­Be careful, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    ¡°Who needs to be more careful than me?¡±

    The core of this operation was the Yongin tribe unit, including Isabe.

    Vega and Riak are said to cause amotion first, but that will only be a temporary distraction.

    ¡®If they see the gate being broken, they will immediately flock to Isabe.¡¯

    In any case, when ites to things to be careful about, there is no role as dangerous as Isabe.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Are you worried?¡±

    ¡°of course.¡±

    Who wouldn¡¯t be worried that their lover is willing to act as bait against tens of thousands of armies?

    ¡°Oh, be happy!¡±

    Isabe screams with her hand on her cheek.

    Are you making a fuss on purpose?

    I felt like the tension that had been so tense as if it would break at any moment was loosening a little.

    ¡°Oh Jin, can I ask you a quick favor before we leave?¡±

    ¡°ask?¡±

    With less than 5 minutes left until the start of the operation, what can I ask you for?

    ¡°Give me your hand for a moment.¡±

    Isabees down from Poppy¡¯s back and asks for her hand.

    When he held out his hand, Isabe grabbed Ojin¡¯s hand with both hands.

    He looked up at himself with hot, wet eyes and let out a strange breathing sound.

    ¡°Please give me something hot and rich, Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    What do you want?

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    The feel of the soft tongue tickled my fingertips.

    A sharp tooth pierced my fingertip, apanied by a tingling pain.

    Blood flowing from the fingertips.

    Isabe licked the blood and drank it and fell with a bright smile.

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°No worries about this.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°If you need blood, say blood.¡±

    ¡°oh? ¡°If it wasn¡¯t blood, what did you think?¡±

    ¡°Noisy.¡±

    Ojin averted his gaze, remembering the feeling of the soft tongue that remained like a lingering scent.

    Even though she knew that her blood acted like a kind of buff to her, why did such a harsh thought cross her mind?

    Isabe burst outughing, finding Ohjin avoiding her gaze very funny.

    ¡°Anyway, if it¡¯s dangerous, get out right away.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Yes, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    ¡°If you do well, I¡¯ll give you a reward.¡±

    ¡°¡­oh? ¡°A prize?¡±

    Isabe is the key to this operation and the most dangerous bait.

    Wouldn¡¯t it be a good idea to offer a reasonable reward to ease tension and encourage motivation?

    ¡°You like my blood. ¡°After I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll let you drink as much as you want.¡±

    He said it like a manager saying that if this project is sessful, he will offer a Korean beef course.

    Oh Jin couldn¡¯t figure out what was so delicious.

    Seeing her trembling with an ecstatic expression every time she drinks blood, her blood must be more than a Korean beef course to her.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°It¡¯s good to drink blood freely.¡±

    Isabe gently came next to me and whispered seductively.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to drink something else?¡±

    crazy.

    Oh Jin jumped up like a cat pricked by a needle and widened the distance.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be looking forward to it?¡±

    Isabe licked her lips and climbed on Poppy¡¯s back again.

    ¡°y well. y well.¡±

    Ha-eun, who was watching the two, frowned and clicked her tongue.

    Hold on!

    Haaaaa!

    A dazzling sh of lightning shed like a thunderbolt, and at the same time, the roar of a hungry beast rang out.

    ¡°How good is your voice?¡±

    Even if it was a thunderstorm, I can¡¯t believe I heard a roar from this distance.

    Iughed and looked towards the distant castle wall.

    ¡®It moves.¡¯

    No matter howx the surveince was, the Tang Dynasty army was unable to deal with such amotion, as the demonic beasts guarding the castle walls were seen reacting and moving immediately.

    [The Demon Army ising this way!]

    A real-time situation report was received through themunication device given to Vega in advance.

    ¡°We prepare too.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Kelion ced his hand on his left chest.

    The Yongin warriors lined up behind them also prepared for the attack by raising the magic power of the stigmata.

    ¡°Flow.¡±

    Isabe raised her hand toward the gate.

    Drops of blood flowing down the palm.

    The blood flower that grew in the blood was in full bloom, and blood-red leaves swirled.

    ¡°now!¡±

    Coo goo goo goo goong!

    Artillery fire fired simultaneously.

    The huge castle gate, which was about 30 meters long, was torn apart like a piece of paper.

    ¡°Proud dragon warriors!¡±

    In the lead, Kelion raised his staff high.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go take our home back!¡±

    ¡°¡°Waaaaa!¡±¡±

    A roar that erupts.

    Doo doo doo doo doo doo!

    Running through a narrow canyon as if it were a in.

    Although there were only a few hundred people, the ground shook as if tens of thousands of troops were advancing.

    ¡°Krrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡±

    ¡°Shaaaat!¡±

    The group of demonic beasts remaining at the gate quickly gathered together.

    ¡°Where!¡±

    When Isabe lightly waved her hand, the crowd of charging demonic beasts turned into small pieces of meat and poured out.

    Blood gushing out.

    Shouts and screams that resonate in your eardrums.

    The operation to awaken the Dragon God has just begun.

    ¡°Flow!¡±

    Isabe took the lead and ughtered the crowds of demonic beasts that flocked to her.

    A thick puddle of blood soaked the floor where she passed.

    The sight of Isabe cutting down dozens of charging demonic beasts while holding a huge blood-red scythe is pure terror.

    ¡°Kkkkkkkkk!¡±

    ¡°Kiik!¡±

    The magical beasts that moved ording to their instincts began to hesitate and retreat, probably because they judged Isabe to be a dangerous person.

    If I just fought like I did now, I felt like I could fight and win the war without having to awaken the Dragon God.

    ¡®The real thing starts now.¡¯

    Ojin ran after Isabe, secretly hiding his presence, and chewed his lips.

    ording to the calctions, it was time for the ¡®real¡¯ to move.

    [My child! The Majins are heading that way!]

    Vega¡¯s voice is heard just in time.

    Ojin clutched the spear and his eyes glowed coldly.

    The Demons began to appear in the distance.

    e.¡¯

    I wonder if the number is around thirty.

    Considering that the original number of people was over 100, it was less than half of the troops.

    ¡®The problem is that Isabe has to deal with it alone.¡¯

    Ohjin and Haeun, who had to take advantage of the confusion and go to Lair, were unable to fight directly.

    Currently, the only one in the party who can fight the demons is Isabe, who acts as a ¡®bait¡¯.

    It is said that the strength of each demon race is at least 9 starspared to awakened ones.

    ¡®High-ranking awakened person is thirty.¡¯

    When I thought about it this way, I realized how ridiculously powerful the Majins were.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    Isabe¡¯s voice sounded in my ear.

    Ojin chewed his lips at the heavy sigh.

    ¡®No matter how Isabe is, she must be scary.¡¯

    Even if it¡¯s a bait, it would be strange if fear didn¡¯t arise when you have to fight against 30 demons.

    ¡°Mr. Ohjin¡¯s hot¡­ thick¡­ huhu huhuhuhu.¡±

    And it is true that Isabe is strange.

 Chapter 315

    I am not a returner Episode 315

    Faded Promise (7)

    Oops!

    Sticky blood sshed out.

    Hot shouts and screams that sound like they will be torn apart.

    Weapons were intertwined, and the thick smell of blood covered the battlefield like fog.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°You crazy witch!¡±

    Thirty demons ran towards the main force led by Isabe.

    Their eyes, which sparkled with joy in anticipation of massacre and screams, soon turned into despair.

    What brought them despair was the tinum-haired woman who wasmanding the dragon people from the front.

    The witch, fluttering blood-red flower petals and swinging a huge scythe to cruelly tear apart the body of the demon beast, was overwhelming even the demon race, which was second to none in terms of ferocity.

    -Kang! Kagak! Ga-ga-ga-ga-gak!

    A resounding metal sound.

    Blood-stained petals and ck mes were entangled in the air.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Kill! ¡°Kill that witch!¡±

    The demons surrounding Isabe attacked fiercely.

    purr!

    Poppy, who was running at full speed, quickly turned to the right angle and dodged the barrage of attacks.

    ¡°No matter how much you struggle, the kingdom of those stupid ves has already been destroyed!¡±

    Isabe was riding on Poppy like a knight on a horse, continuing a tense battle with the thirty-year-old demons.

    At first, it was Isabe who cut down five demons in an instant with her overwhelming power.

    As time passed, the battle gradually became more and more sluggish.

    Even if you kill five right from the start, the difference is still more than twenty times that.

    Considering that the power of each demon race was at the level of a high-ranking awakened person, the very fact that the battle was bing ¡®slow¡¯ was proof of how absurdly powerful she was.

    ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡±

    Isabe smiled darkly and looked back at the ¡®ves¡¯ they had mentioned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they think so?¡±

    ¡°What¡­.¡±

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    Arrows made of mes apanied by intense heat were fired targeting the demons.

    The magical arrows that rained down caused a strong explosion and created thick dust.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ you damn ves!¡±

    The demons, who had been showered with magic arrows by the dragon race, turned around fiercely baring their teeth.

    ¡°Oh, you can¡¯t look away.¡±

    ¡°Hee hee!¡±

    Isabe suddenly appeared behind the demons as they turned, like a scene from a horror movie.

    The bloody scythe touched the nape of my neck.

    A cool feeling from the de.

    The demon race opened its mouth like a crucian carp and begged as if squeezing.

    ¡°Save me¡­¡±

    Damn!

    Hot blood gushed out like a fountain from the cracked nape.

    Isabe¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as she dabbed the blood sttered on her cheek with her fingertip and lightly ced it on the tip of her tongue.

    ¡°It tastes like beer without the carbonation.¡±

    Tsk.

    He spat out blood mixed with saliva as if he was disgusted.

    The demon¡¯s head, dripping with blood, was thrown to the floor like trash.

    ¡°You damn bitch¡­!¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you know that the Demons can be angry at the death of their own people?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes shine as if she is interested.

    The Majin¡¯s expression distorted at the tant ridicule.

    ¡°How long do you think you can rx like that?¡±

    A demon n muttering in a murderous voice and ncing back.

    The Majin army, which had been divided due to themotion caused by Vega and Riak, was seen btedly receiving reinforcements.

    It wasn¡¯t easy to fight against thirty demons, but if the divided forces werebined, there was no chance of victory.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Isabe slowly raised the corners of her mouth as she looked at the demon race running in the distance and the demon beast army they led.

    ¡°Then I give up.¡±

    When I knocked on Poppy¡¯s neck a couple of times, she turned around without hesitation and started running away.

    Following her, the dragon warriors also turned and fled toward the outside of the kingdom.

    ¡°Chase!¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can run away!¡±

    The demons ran after Isabe and the dragons.

    ¡®now.¡¯

    A situation where confusion has reached its peak.

    Ohjin, who was looking for an opportunity to escape, looked towards Haeun and Kelion.

    While Isabe and the warriors of the dragon race captured the attention of the demon race, the three quickly ran towards the dragon god¡¯sir.

    ¡°Come this way!¡±

    Kelion, who was familiar with the kingdom¡¯s geography, took the lead.

    The decoy operation must have worked well, as there were no sightings except for a few demon beasts along the way.

    Did he run like that for about 20 minutes without stopping?

    When we arrived at the end of the kingdom, there was a huge rock wall blocking our way.

    ¡°¡­Is this rare?¡±

    On the outside, it looked like just an ordinary rock.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know it from the outside.¡±

    indeed.

    As Kelion said, it was a ce that could not be considered the entrance to Lair where the Dragon God sleeps.

    ¡°Immediately unlock the barrier¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    I approached the rock wall, stopping Kelion from approaching the rock wall.

    Ohjin knelt down on one knee, ced his hands on the floor, and examined the traces.

    ¡°¡­there was someone there a little while ago.¡±

    There were traces of not just one or two people, but quite a lot of people wandering around.

    Kelion asked with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°Are you saying that the demons found the entrance to Lair?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°It seems like we haven¡¯t been able to break the barrier.¡±

    Although it seems like he¡¯s away now because of themotion Isabe caused.

    The fact that arge number of people were moving around the rare meant only one thing.

    ¡®Are these guys also aiming for the Dragon God¡¯s rare?¡¯

    Ojin¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°¡­I guess we should hurry.¡±

    ¡°I will lift the barrier right away.¡±

    Kelion approached the rock wall and mmed his staff down.

    The wide-spread magical power of the stigmata radiated light and the surrounding ground shook.

    Grrrrrrrgh!

    The huge rock wall split on both sides, revealing a wide entrance.

    A cave covered in darkness, as if a dragon had its mouth open.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, sister.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh.¡±

    Ha-eun, who had been gaping for a moment at the overwhelming scale, nodded and took a step forward.

    Hwareuk.

    The me created by Ha-eun illuminated the dark interior of the rare.

    ¡°It¡¯s unusually wide.¡±

    Ha-eun looks around her head like a girl who has juste to Seoul from the countryside.

    ¡°Which way should I go?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s this way.¡±

    Fortunately, Kelion walked ahead and seemed to understand the structure of the inside of their.

    The structure inside the rare was not thatplicated.

    As I continued down the winding, spiral-shaped road, an open cavity unfolded.

    Gun in the center of a wide cavity.

    ¡°¡­Dragon God Kaleios.¡±

    An absurd size of up to 100 meters.

    Red scales that seemed to be made from condensed mes covered its body, and six horns sprouted from its forehead.

    An entity that feels like a huge structure rather than a living thing.

    Hot mes could be seen periodically spewing out from between the nostrils of the dragon god whose eyes were closed.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t it called God for nothing?¡¯

    An overwhelming presence felt even while asleep.

    Every time he took a step closer, a feeling of intimidation that made him suffocate weighed on Ohjin.

    But why?

    ¡®what?¡¯

    The feeling of looking at a puzzle piece that is misaligned.

    I felt a strange sense of heterogeneity that I could not exin in words.

    ¡°Ah, great dragon god.¡±

    After seeing the sleeping dragon god, Kelion copsed on the spot and bowed his head low.

    ¡°Open our eyes from our long sleep and save us.¡±

    A voice trembling earnestly.

    Ojin approached Kelion, who was praying.

    ¡°Where is the soul stone?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Carlion, who had been sitting down and bowing his head, quickly got up from his seat.

    ¡°That is the soul stone that contains the soul of the Dragon God.¡±

    The ce he pointed to was a huge red gem on the wall of the cavity.

    Hot mes were swirling inside the red gem.

    ¡°Is this a soul stone?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Ha-eun walked slowly toward the red jewel.

    Even though the distance was quite far away, the scorching heat irritated my skin.

    ¡°So what should I do now?¡±

    ¡°You can use the Dragon Eye to guide the spirit of the Dragon God residing within the soul stone into the body.¡±

    ¡°Even if you ask me to lead you, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head and took off her eye patch.

    That moment.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Throbbing pain.

    The dragon¡¯s eyes began to heat up as they looked at the red gem.

    ¡°Are you okay, sister?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. are you okay.¡±

    Ha-eun gestured to Oh-jin, who was approaching, saying it was okay, and then turned her gaze back to the Dragon God¡¯s Soul Stone.

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    I felt the enormous power residing within the red jewel.

    ¡®Is this¡­ the soul of the Dragon God?¡¯

    Ha-eun frowned and walked closer to the red gem.

    As she slowly stretched out her hand and stroked the jewel, mes flowing from the red jewel enveloped her hand.

    Ha-eun stared at the mes wrapped around her palm.

    Ha-eun stands still and tilts her head.

    ¡°why?¡±

    ¡°huh? Ah¡­ I heard that the dragon god¡¯s soul resides in it, so there¡¯s something about it¡­ will? ¡°I thought you would feel something like that.¡±

    Ha-eun slowly looked up and down at the me burning inside the red gem.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t really feel any will. Does it just feel like a huge lump of power?¡±

    ¡°Like the heart of the dragon you absorbed before?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes! that! ¡°That¡¯s exactly what it feels like!¡±

    Of course, the power contained within it was so enormous that it could not bepared to the dragon heart it had previously absorbed.

    ¡°It seems that the Dragon God has not yet awakened from his long sleep.¡±

    Kelion said as he approached.

    ¡°Well, I guess we can move it first. ¡°Everyone, please stay away for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Can you move it?¡±

    ¡°ok. ¡°After touching it myself, I can get a feel for how to do it.¡±

    The power of the dragon¡¯s eye is the ability to freely control the dragon¡¯s magical power.

    As I removed the blindfold and got closer, I was able to instinctively understand how to handle the magic contained within the red jewel.

    ¡°Of course! Cailus¡¯ prophecy was true!¡±

    Kelion¡¯s eyes were red with emotion.

    The prophecy that a woman with dragon eyes would appear and save the dragon people was not wrong.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡±

    Ha-eun ced her hand on the red gem and closed her eyes.

    The mes flowing from the jewel gradually began to engulf her body.

    When the ritual to awaken the dragon god began.

    Coo!

    The cavity shook with a great vibration.

    Footsteps echoed and I felt someone approaching at high speed.

    ¡°¡­Have you noticed it already?¡±

    Ohjin clicked his tongue as he heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

    Unless the demons were stupid, they would have realized that Isabe and the dragons were ¡®bait¡¯ to attract their attention.

    Since they only ran away without rescuing the captured dragon people or engaging in a final struggle with the demon people, it was inevitable that time would pass and they would find out.

    ¡°Ugh! ¡°Please open your eyes!¡±

    Kelion looked at the sleeping Dragon God with a nervous expression.

    Can¡¯t you hear his sorrowful voice?

    The Dragon God¡¯s eyelids were tightly closed and had no intention of opening.

    ¡®Do I still need more time?¡¯

    but.

    It wouldn¡¯t be possible to transfer that much magical power as easily as boiling instant cup ramen.

    ¡°For now, I will buy some time.¡±

    Ojin pulled Dantalian from his belt and headed toward themon entrance.

 Chapter 316

    I am not a returner Episode 316

    Faded Promise (8)

    ¡®It¡¯sing.¡¯

    The sound of footsteps getting closer.

    Ojin added strength to the spear he was gripping and raised Stigmata¡¯s magical power.

    The blue thunderbolt burned fiercely and let out the howl of a wild beast.

    ¡°Use it.¡±

    I took a slow breath and activated the stigmata of the Canis Hound.

    The sound of footsteps heard is five.

    The number was not thatrge, perhaps because they came to briefly check on Lair¡¯s condition while chasing after Isabe.

    but.

    ¡®They¡¯lle rushing in soon.¡¯

    Now that it has be clear that the purpose of the turmoil within the kingdom was the Dragon God¡¯s Lair, all the troops chasing Isabe will flock to Lair.

    ¡®as soon as possible.¡¯

    When demons start piling up, there is no answer.

    Unless we knew how long it would take to awaken the Dragon God, we had to do it as quickly as possible.

    then.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Pajijijijijik!

    Blue thunderbolts condense on the tip of the spear.

    The thunderbolt on the tip of the spear let out a ferocious roar, as if a rampaging beast had been forcibly confined in a cage.

    I saw demons running beyond the spiral passage.

    Quang!

    He stamps his foot roughly and pulls the arm holding the spear back to its limit.

    The image is a shooting star crossing the night sky.

    The condensed blue thunderbolt erupts like an explosion.

    As if letting go of a tautly pulled bowstring, bring your arm forward, which was bent back to its limit.

    and.

    Throwing.

    Kwajajajajajajag!

    The thunderbolt spear flew with a roar and pierced the head of the demon race running ahead.

    ¡°careful¡­!¡±

    The other demons who saw the head of the demon race running ahead exploded opened their mouths with a horrified expression.

    Before his warning continued to the end.

    Siiiiing!

    Six strings of wire wrapped around his body.

    The lightning that flowed through the wire spread throughout my body.

    A terrible scream bursting from my throat.

    The musty smell of burning skin spread throughout the cavity.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    One of the demons following him pulled out a sword from his waist.

    Grumble!

    ck mes formed on the de.

    The Majins, who had drawn their swords, threw away their spears and rushed towards Ojin, who was left with his bare hands.

    A sword swing that explodes.

    The ck mes burned wildly, spreading out terrible heat.

    Like a hungry beast biting its prey, ck mes spread widely and covered Ojin.

    ¡®The Stigmata of the Hourss.¡¯

    Moment.

    The world stopped.

    In a world that flows slowly, as if watching a slow-motion video, Ojin calmly observed the movements of the demon race.

    A world elerating again.

    A wide ck me engulfed Ojin.

    ¡®Bottom left.¡¯

    I lowered my body as if I was going to fall.

    Hot mes passed by, burning the skin of my back.

    Although I couldn¡¯tpletely avoid the mes.

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    He lifted up his bowed body and grabbed the demon¡¯s neck.

    The eyes of the demon being held by the neck widened.

    The corners of Ojin¡¯s mouth rose fiercely.

    ¡°charge.¡±

    A thunderbolt that condenses in the head of the demon race.

    A terrible scream soon burst from the demon¡¯s mouth, and its body began to flutter like a freshly caught fish.

    and.

    Poseok.

    The head, unable to withstand the pressure of the thunderbolt, exploded and blood poured out like a fountain.

    ¡®There are two left.¡¯

    Beyond the pouring blood, I could see the demons running towards me.

    Two demons split on both sides and approached quickly.

    The corpse of a dead demon with its head exploded was thrown in one direction.

    While he hesitated for a moment as the corpses of hispatriots were shot out like cannonballs, the demon tribe on the other side swung his sword.

    ck mes burned as if ink had been painted in the air.

    A me imbued with the power of the Heavenly Demon.

    It is said that the ck mes used by demons not only burn the flesh of the target, but also steal their magic power and vitality.

    The lightning that Ojin reflexively fired was sucked into the ck mes and disappeared.

    The ck me that absorbed the thunderbolt burned even more intensely.

    A me that seems to have sublimated the ¡®ck sky¡¯ into a me.

    ¡°I¡¯m dead!¡±

    The demon race, which had absorbed all the thunderbolts with ck mes, shouted with a fierce expression.

    Fiercely burning mes poured toward Ojin.

    ¡®Absorb.¡¯

    Ohjinughed and lightly clenched his fist.

    Blue lightning condensed under the elbow of his right arm, and his entire arm turned into lightning.

    ¡°Can you absorb this too?¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡±

    The fist that turned into a blue thunderbolt struck the ck mes.

    The thunderbolt exploded like an explosion, tearing ck mes to shreds and striking the approaching body of the demon race.

    ¡°Kaaaaaa!¡±

    A demon race that twists its body like crazy while being engulfed in lightning.

    Ojin turned around, returning his arm, which had momentarily turned into blue lightning, back to its original state.

    Brain body.

    In the past, it was a technology that could not be used carelessly because the preliminary work was long and the aftereffects were too severe each time it was used.

    As the stigmata of Lyra has risen to the 9th level, the level has risen and now it is possible to freely change any part of the body to that of the Thunder God.

    Of course, if you use it informally without prior work like now, it onlysts a few seconds.

    ¡®That¡¯s enough.¡¯

    With a single punch, you can unleash a barrage of crazy thunderbolts, like dozens of depth charges, but you can¡¯tin about the short duration.

    ¡°I¡¯m crazy.¡±

    One of the remaining Demons took a step back with a pale, tired expression.

    Ourpatriots suffered in the blink of an eye.

    Although they were just scouts, they did not have the great power of some Demon Race officials.

    Nevertheless, they were ¡®demon people¡¯.

    The strongest race that inherited the power of the Heavenly Demon.

    The Demon Race is a race so powerful that each individual can fight against hundreds of warriors.

    What exactly is that monster that allows it to overwhelm the demon race so much?

    ¡°Ha, I surrender.¡±

    He put his weapon down on the floor and raised his hands.

    No matter how much I racked my brain, there was no way to beat that monster by fighting head on.

    ¡°Surrender?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I will do anything you ask me to do! Please, at least¡­ save my life. ¡°If you help me, I might be able to get out of here before the main force arrives!¡±

    The demons bowed their heads in a frightened voice.

    ¡°Hmm, really?¡±

    Ohjin continued to think for a moment and nodded.

    ¡°I still wanted to say something, but it¡¯s good.¡±

    Did you ept surrender?

    Ojin approached the demon race with his arms crossed.

    The corner of the Majin¡¯s mouth, which was bowing its head, twisted up.

    There was clearly no way to fight that monster head on and win.

    then.

    ¡°Look back, human!¡±

    The eyes of the Majin, who was trembling with a look of fear, suddenly changed.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    ck mes burned fiercely on the palm of my hand.

    Although the weapon was thrown to the floor, the powerful body of the demon race itself was a great weapon.

    When he tried to swing his fist wrapped in ck mes at Ojin who was approaching.

    ¡°When you lie, it¡¯s better to look the other person straight in the eye.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    What does that mean?

    Before I could even ask a question.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Phew!

    The spear de dug into my back, pierced my heart, and came out.

    It was the spear that Ojin first threw.

    ¡°If you avoid eye contact, your lies will be easily detected.¡±

    ¡°how¡­?¡±

    Ojin approached the demon who had fallen and was vomiting blood and extended his hand towards Dantalian.

    Dantalian, who flew through the air on his own like a swordmonly seen in martial arts, returned to his hand.

    Wow!

    I lightly swung the spear and brushed off the blood on the de.

    ¡°Here you go.¡±

    Kelion looked at Ojin with his mouth wide open.

    Even though they were scouts who came to check on Rare¡¯s condition, they were able to overwhelm five demons like this.

    For a moment, the illusion that the savior in Cailus¡¯s prophecy might not be Ha-eun but Oh Jin crossed my mind.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ohjin was equally surprised as he looked down at the fallen demons.

    ¡®I thought I got a lot stronger after bing 9-star.¡¯

    I never thought I would be this strong.

    Not only his physical abilities, but also the power of thunderbolts, magical movements, and techniques using the stigmata of Lyra have all risen to an iparable levelpared to before.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t this really simr to Isabe?¡¯

    Around the time such arrogant thoughts crossed my mind.

    Ride, ride, ride!

    Footsteps were heard from afar again.

    The sound was 10 times louder than the footsteps I heard a moment ago.

    ¡®damn.¡¯

    The main force of the demon race was approaching.

    ¡°How much more time do we need?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know about that.¡±

    Kelion shakes his head.

    Ojin sighed deeply and strengthened the hand holding Dantalian.

    The sound of footsteps is heard.

    No matter how strong he became, he was not a number that could be easily overwhelmed like just now.

    ¡°I will do my best too.¡±

    Kelion grabbed his staff with a solemn expression.

    It was impossible to overwhelm several demons like Ojin, but since he also had the stigmata of Dragon, he could deliver a powerful blow if the time was right.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    Ojin ran forward holding his spear.

    Soon, the main force of the Majin race rushed into Lair.

    Coo! Kwajajajajajajag!

    That¡¯s how a fierce blood battle began.

    Ojin went on a rampage against as many as fifty demons.

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Spattering blood.

    ck mes and blue thunderbolts intertwined, creating an intense heat storm.

    The cavity shook as if an earthquake had urred.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    Oh Jin, who was desperately fighting, let out a sweet breath from his mouth.

    Although Kelion added his strength.

    As expected, it was not easy for him to fight head-on and win against a demon race that was 50 years old, even if he had reached 9 stars.

    ¡®when¡­!¡¯

    When I looked at Ha-eun with nervous eyes.

    Pakak!

    The soul stone that Ha-eun was touching began to crack and break apart.

    The red mes released from the soul stone burned so fiercely that they threatened to cover the entire cavity.

    ¡°Oh Ojina it¡¯s over!¡±

    Ha-eun, who had been concentrating with her eyes closed, turned around with a bright expression.

    ¡°iced coffee.¡±

    Kelion knelt down in tears.

    ¡°Finally¡­ finally.¡±

    After the dragon god fell into a deep sleep.

    How long have I been eagerly waiting for this moment?

    ¡°Great Dragon God! ¡°Save us!¡±

    Keliony face down and bowed his head.

    Rumbling!

    The entire cavity shook, and the mes released from the soul stone wandered around the cavity as if dancing.

    and.

    ¡°Huh? What what? ¡°Why is this like this?¡±

    The mes that were dancing in the air began to gather towards Ha-eun instead of the sleeping Dragon God.

 Chapter 317

    I am not a returner Episode 317:

    Faded Promise (9)

    A brightly burning me.

    The mes that filled the wide cavity began to swirl and flow into Ha-eun¡¯s body.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression distorts.

    A huge tsunami of magical power was flowing into her body.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°What kind of heat!¡±

    The demons who were continuing their fierce battle with Ojin groaned and took a step back due to the terrible heat radiating from Haeun.

    ¡°sister!¡±

    Oh Jin ran toward Ha Eun, who was absorbing the mes with an urgent expression.

    Cheeeeeeeek!

    Every time I approached Ha-eun, I felt my skin burning from the extreme heat.

    ¡°Kellion¡­!¡±

    In a development that was different from the ¡®prophecy¡¯, Ojin red at Kelion with a fiercely distorted expression.

    Of course, when nning this strategy, we also took into ount the risk of Kelion betraying us.

    Nevertheless, the reason why the operation was carried out was because after calmly examining Kelion over the past few days, it was not determined that he was ¡®lying¡¯.

    Even though it was a misdiagnosis, it didn¡¯t mean you could see through all the lies at a nce.

    At least, even though we thoroughly investigated the suspect over several days, we never failed to detect a lie.

    ¡®Kellion didn¡¯t trick us.¡¯

    So how on earth did this situatione about?

    ¡°Why¡­ why?¡±

    Kelion was staring nkly at Ha-eun, who was absorbing the Dragon God¡¯s soul, with a pale, exhausted expression.

    ording to Cailus¡¯ prophecy, a woman with dragon eyes had to wake the dragon god from his sleep.

    but.

    Even now that the Dragon God¡¯s soul was freed, the Dragon God¡¯s tightly closed eyelids had no intention of opening.

    No, it wasn¡¯t just that he wasn¡¯t keeping his eyes open.

    Grumble, rumble.

    The sleeping dragon god¡¯s body was melting in the heat that filled the cavity.

    The breath that was periodically blowing out of the nose stopped, and the overwhelming feeling of being suffocated just by looking at it faded.

    okay.

    The dragon god Kaleios was dying now.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this different from the prophecy?¡±

    Something is wrong.

    It¡¯s like putting together a scattered puzzle and ending up with apletely different picture.

    ¡°Lord Kaleios¡­¡±

    Tears flowed down Kelion¡¯s cheeks.

    He got up and staggered towards the dying dragon god.

    Cheeeeeek!

    The pain of burning flesh.

    Even though his head felt like it was burning white, he didn¡¯t stop walking.

    Dragon God Kaleios.

    A dragon who remained in the kingdom alone to save the dragon people who were nothing more than ves.

    A merciful god who did not give up on the dragon people even though he was pointed at by other dragons.

    Was it when arge army of demons came?

    Although more than a hundred years had passed, the conversation he had with Kaleios back then was still clearly engraved in his heart.

    -This ce is dangerous!

    In response to the urgent warning, Kaleios nodded quietly as if he already knew.

    -You must abandon your kingdom and run away!

    Although it was not as long as the dragons that lived forever, the lifespan of the dragon people was also quite long.

    Kelion was leading the dragon tribe when the demon tribe invaded a hundred years ago.

    At that time, Kelion suggested abandoning the kingdom and running away with the remaining survivors.

    but.

    -Isn¡¯t this your home of life?

    Kaleios¡¯ answer was decisive.

    He, who was born as a noble being called a dragon, dered that he would risk his life to protect the home of the dragon people, who were born to serve them.

    It was a foolish dragon.

    It is like a king pulling out his sword and heading to battle to protect his subjects.

    No, maybe even more than that.

    The rtionship between the dragon and the dragon people was not aplementary rtionship like the rtionship between the king and his subjects.

    A king cannot exist without subjects, but a dragon can exist even if there are no dragon people.

    To the dragons, the dragon people were nothing more than ves that could be conveniently manipted.

    For such a worthless being.

    Why did he risk his life?

    -You are not ves.

    In response to Kelion¡¯s question, Kaleios continued speaking with a warm smile.

    -I am the proud children of Kaleios.

    Even after a hundred years have passed.

    -It is an invaluable treasure.

    Those words that never fade.

    ¡°Why¡­ why¡­ won¡¯t you open your eyes?¡±

    The tears flowing down Kelion¡¯s cheeks evaporate in the heat.

    When a woman with dragon eyes came to visit him.

    I was filled with hope that I would finally be able to meet the Dragon God again.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that if you have the Dragon Eye¡­ you can open your eyes?¡±

    It was said that hope is the greatest seasoning of despair.

    Deep despair filled the ce where hope had disappeared.

    Kelion looked at the dragon god¡¯s body gradually melting away with empty eyes, as if he had lost his soul.

    One step, two steps.

    I take steps towards the dying dragon god in the searing heat.

    When his whole body was covered in burns.

    ¡°Come to your senses, you bastard!¡±

    The hand holding his shoulder pulled Kelion towards him.

    Kelion fell backwards like a wooden doll whose strings had been cut.

    ¡°¡­damn.¡±

    Oh Jin chewed his lips with a nervous expression as he watched the mes being absorbed into Ha-eun¡¯s body.

    Looking at Kelion¡¯s distraught reaction, it was clear that he did not intend for this situation to ur.

    then.

    who.

    ¡®Now is not the time to think about that.¡¯

    Rather than who intended this situation, we had to check whether the current situation was harmful to Ha-eun or not.

    ¡°sister!¡±

    He called out to Ha-eun, who was engulfed in mes and couldn¡¯t even be seen.

    Did he lose consciousness due to the huge tsunami of magical power?

    There was no answering back from the mes.

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯

    Oh Jin took a step towards Ha Eun, who was engulfed in mes.

    The terrible heat pushed him away, as if warning him not toe any closer.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±

    One more step through the burning heat.

    Gurgling!

    As I walked into the burning mes, I raised the power of ¡®ck Heaven¡¯.

    ¡®The only way is to absorb fire with ck cloth.¡¯

    It¡¯s unclear what effect the enormous magical power contained in the dragon¡¯s soul will have on Ha-eun.

    There was no other way than to consume all that power on his own.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    ce your hand on your left chest.

    The ck sky sleeping within the pulsating heart beyond the pale skin.

    The power of the ck Sky awakened and ck clouds spewed out.

    The ck sky clouds began to devour the fiercely burning mes.

    ¡®do.¡¯

    I could feel the magic contained in the mes flowing through the ck stream.

    It was good news that he could absorb the mes flowing into Ha-eun instead.

    ¡®It¡¯s not enough.¡¯

    The amount absorbed was unreasonably insufficient.

    No, to be precise, the magic contained within the mes was so great that it was excessive.

    Oh Jin chewed his lips.

    In the end, there is only one card left.

    ¡®You have to use Gaecheon.¡¯

    There was no other way than that.

    ¡°He who passes by me¡­¡±

    Ojin quietly chanted with his hand on his left chest.

    at that time.

    ¡°Oh Ojini, you want to use that technique?!¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s voice was heard from the mes.

    ¡°¡­sister?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, so don¡¯t use that!¡±

    Are you okay?

    How can one be okay while epting such enormous magical power into one¡¯s body?

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying, you bastard! ¡°You¡¯re good at telling whether people are lying or not!¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Just like she said.

    Ha-eun¡¯s voice, heard through the mes, seemed ¡®healthier¡¯ than expected.

    ¡°Wait a minute, this is almost over, so just wait!¡±

    The fire that was burning so fiercely as if it would burn the entire world gradually began to fade.

    Ha-eun was seen walking out of the subdued mes.

    ¡°¡­sister.¡±

    Ha-eun, who walked out of the fire, looked closer to a dragon than a human.

    Red scales cover the nape of the neck and parts of the cheeks.

    Pointed ears and vertically slit pupils reminiscent of a reptile.

    Hot mes were burning around Ha-eun¡¯s body, which had taken on the form of a dragon.

    No, to be precise, part of her body itself had turned into ¡®fire¡¯.

    Is it simr to using Gaecheon or Brain Body?

    Her body was burning like a me, and tremendous heat was radiating out in all directions.

    ¡°Wow, I thought you were suddenly absorbed by me and getting cold feet. ¡°Is this really what it is?¡±

    Ha-eun looked around with a confused expression.

    The body of the dragon god melting into her eyes appeared.

    ¡°uh? ¡°Why is he dying?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is it because of me?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin kept his mouth shut.

    Although it seemed like it happened when the soul that should have gone to the dragon god came to dwell in Ha-eun.

    In the first ce, it was unclear why the soul was absorbed by Ha-eun rather than the Dragon God.

    ¡°I¡¯ll adjust the firepower for a moment.¡±

    Ha-eun must have thought that she had to stop the dragon god¡¯s body from melting, so she captured the mes that were spewing out everywhere inside her body.

    The heat that had been heating up the entire cavity disappeared in an instant.

    but.

    ¡°¡­are you dead?¡±

    Once the breath of the dragon god was cut off, it could not be continued again.

    Even the mes that periodically shot out of his nostrils, which proved that he was still alive, no longer came out.

    The dragon god Kaleios.

    The merciful god who sacrificed his life for the Yongin people.

    It waspletely dead.

    ¡°Ah ugh. iced coffee¡­!¡±

    Kelion approached the half-melted corpse of the Dragon God.

    ¡°Lord Kaleios¡­! Lord Kaleios!!¡±

    In the end, he could not open his eyes and sobbed while holding the dead god.

    A sorrowful crying sound.

    Ha-eun looked at Kelion, who was crying with a confused expression.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    ¡°What is that heat just now?¡±

    The Demons, who had retreated from the terrible heat, approached again.

    ¡°¡­I see that you guys are still left.¡±

    Ha-eun, who was looking at the crying Kelion, turned to the demons.

    Grumble!

    The me that had been absorbed into her body burned again, emitting fierce heat.

    ¡°Ojina, I¡¯ll try to deal with those guys alone.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to be okay?¡±

    Although their numbers had decreased considerably during the fight against Ojin, there were still close to thirty demons remaining.

    If it had been Ha-eun before, it would have been a force that she wouldn¡¯t have dared to face alone.

    ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯ll be okay. ¡°If only now.¡±

    Ha-eun nodded with a confident voice.

    Ha-eun slowly walks towards the demons, leaving Ojin behind.

    The more she took a step, the more the fire absorbed within her burned wildly.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    ¡°Juktaek!¡±

    The Demons, who were hesitating due to the terrible heat, took out their weapons and rushed at Ha-eun.

    and.

    ¡°I¡¯m crazy, I¡¯m so strong, but am Iing?¡±

    It didn¡¯t even take 10 minutes for the thirty demons to be reduced to ashes.

 Chapter 318

    I am not a returner Episode 318

    Faded Promise (10)

    The fire burns.

    Fierce and rough, as if it would devour the whole world.

    The mes were swimming freely in the air as if they were alive, entwining the charging demons and burning their bodies.

    ¡°Aaaahhh!¡±

    The thick smoke flowing out from burning flesh covered the cavity like fog on a mountain range in the sky.

    Due to the heat that seemed to burn their souls, the demons could not even approach Ha-eun and screamed in pain.

    ¡°You have to kill that bitch quickly!¡±

    Among them, there was a demon tribe that reached Ha-eun through the fire.

    ¡°Why are you calling this bitch and that bitch from the first moment?¡±

    Ha-eun took a boxing stance and stepped lightly.

    Although she had a stigmata that specialized in long-distance and ranged attacks, she also possessed enviable close-quarters martial arts skills thanks to her natural reflexes and consistent training.

    Bah!

    He jumped lightly, as if in rhythm, and struck a straight punch at the approaching demons.

    With a crunching sound in the nose, the demon race that was running was thrown back.

    ¡°yes!¡±

    The body is as light as a feather.

    Even a lightly stretched out fist is loaded with tremendous power.

    Taking brisk steps, he struck the demons running through the mes one by one with his fists.

    ¡°Kaaaa!¡±

    A scream as terrifying as the roar of a demonic beast.

    Swept up by the mes burning everywhere, the demons began to fall one by one.

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy. ¡°I¡¯m so fucking strong, are youing?¡±

    Ha-eun looks down at the fallen body of the demon with wide-open eyes, as if she can¡¯t believe she did it herself.

    When she was intoxicated by the exhrating shiver running down her spine.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°uh? ¡°What is it?¡±

    One of the Demons, who was lying down with terrible burns all over his body, grabbed Ha-eun¡¯s ankles.

    Grumble!

    ck clouds began to spew out from the horns on the demons¡¯ foreheads.

    ¡°I¡¯m dead¡­!¡±

    When the ck clouds flowing from the horn gathered into the hand that was clutching Ha-eun¡¯s ankle.

    Quack!

    The ck spear that flew at high speed pierced the demon¡¯s head.

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t let your guard down until the end, sister.¡±

    ¡°Okay. sorry. ¡°You seem too excited.¡±

    Ha-eun scratches her head with a embarrassed expression, perhaps because she was disappointed with the ending.

    Oh Jin let out an exmation in his heart as he approached Ha-eun, who had transformed into the form of a dragon.

    ¡®I¡¯ve be incredibly strong.¡¯

    Originally, Ha-eun¡¯s st name¡¯ itself was higher than Oh-jin¡¯s.

    In fact, she had the weakest strength among the group.

    It was not because Ha-eun wascking in skills, but because Isabe and Oh-jin had powers beyond the standard.

    but.

    ¡®I think the me I just used is stronger than Isabe¡¯s, isn¡¯t it?¡¯

    To reduce as many as thirty demons to ashes in less than ten minutes.

    That was impossible even as Ojin without using Gaecheon.

    ¡®Now I won¡¯t be able to follow my sister in dealing with the majority.¡¯

    From the beginning, Ha-eun had abilities optimized for the majority.

    This time, as it absorbed the dragon¡¯s soul, its power grew to the level of a strategic weapon.

    ¡®It still seems like one-on-one isn¡¯t enough.¡¯

    In terms of the game, Ha-eun is a type of wizard who pours out powerful magic from a long distance.

    Although he was said to have learned some closebat skills, his skills were stillckingpared to a warrior who specialized in closebat like Ojin.

    Although I may have let my guard down, I went into a state of panic just because a half-dead demon grabbed my ankle.

    ¡®But as long as you have a strong front line to keep you safe.¡¯

    Ha-eun¡¯s power is that of an awakened person who has reached level 11, or perhaps even higher.

    ¡°how is it? how is it? ¡°Am I going to be a bitch?¡±

    Ha-eun seemed to think that she had acquired tremendous power, and she raised her sassy attitude.

    Oh Jin smiled and nodded.

    ¡°Are there any other symptoms?¡±

    ¡°Other symptoms?¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°The voice of the Dragon God resonates in my head.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ no, there¡¯s nothing like that.¡±

    Ha-eun shakes her head.

    ¡°What about that body now?¡±

    ¡°Oh this?¡±

    She touched the red scales that covered the nape of her neck and part of her cheeks.

    Slurp.

    Ha-eun returns to her original human form as her scales are sucked into her body.

    ¡°I think this only happens when you use the power of the Dragon Eye.¡±

    ¡°Can you freely control that?¡±

    ¡°ok. Yongan is what I originally used. ¡°It just gets a little tiring if you use it for a long time.¡±

    then.

    Does this mean that Ha-eun has now acquired enormous power without any risks or after-effects?

    Without even much effort.

    Without any special trouble.

    Like the main character who found a mystery in a cave that fell from a cliff.

    ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯

    The feeling of looking at gears that do not mesh together.

    Oh Jin frowned and chewed his lips with a somewhat nervous expression.

    ¡°Are youing?¡±

    ¡°Oh sorry. never mind.¡±

    I forced myself to cut off the thoughts that came into my head.

    There was still work left to do.

    It won¡¯t be toote to think about itter.

    ¡°Huh¡­ ck. ¡°Mr. Kaleios.¡±

    Kelion was still shedding tears, clutching the half-melted corpse of the Dragon God.

    Ha-eun hesitated and approached Kelion.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry about that. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would be like this.¡±

    Although it wasn¡¯t my intention.

    Because the soul of the dragon god sleeping in the soul stone identally resided in Ha-eun, it seemed certain that the dragon god had died without being able to wake up from his sleep.

    ¡°¡­no. ¡°I was the one who brought the dragon maiden here.¡±

    Kelion, who was shedding tears, shook his head with a helpless expression.

    He broke the barrier with his own hands and brought her to the ce where the Dragon God was sleeping, but now he couldn¡¯t me her.

    If you are responsible.

    It must be because he was helpless and could not do anything while the dragon god was dying before his eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move outside first.¡±

    I wanted to leave the disappointed Kelion alone for a bit longer.

    As long as there were still demons invading the kingdom, there was no way to waste time here.

    ¡®Even if fifty people die here, there are still that many more left.¡¯

    If you include the legions of demonic beasts that did note to the rare side, their power would be greater than that.

    and.

    ¡®None of those who came to Rare were at the executive level.¡¯

    Like Kalyke, who Ojin faced in the Kingdom of Khan, these are executive-level demons with greater power than ordinary demons.

    There must be amander leading a group of over 100 demons, but he did not appear here in Lair.

    ¡®There is no way this many people would have invaded the kingdom without amander.¡¯

    He is probably still outsidemanding the remaining demonic troops.

    ¡®If only I could join Isabe.¡¯

    Now that Ha-eun has received the power of the Dragon God.

    If we can join the dragon tribe led by Isabe, it will be possible topletely drive out the demon tribe from the kingdom.

    ¡®Let me contact Isabe first.¡¯

    Ohjin took out amunication relic from his chest.

    at that time.

    Wooooow.

    Did they even have feelings for each other?

    Before Ojin could contact me, amunication came from Isabe.

    -Did you seed in awakening the dragon god?

    Isabe suddenly asks if the Dragon God has awakened.

    ¡°No, waking up the dragon god failed.¡±

    -yes? You failed?

    A voice full of embarrassment.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell youter. ¡°How¡¯s the situation outside?¡±

    -But that¡¯s why I contacted you because I had something to tell you.

    Isabe continued speaking in a low voice.

    -Now the Majin troops are retreating.

    ¡°what?¡±

    Suddenly the Majin troops are retreating?

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    -I don¡¯t know either. Just a moment ago, some troops were chasing us¡­ but suddenly they said they had received an order to retreat, and they are rushing out of the kingdom. That¡¯s why I thought Mr. Oh Jin seeded in awakening the Dragon God.

    Is that why you were embarrassed when you were told you failed?

    ¡°Anyway, does this mean that the Majin troops have retreated now?¡±

    -yes. The Yongin people are in apletely festive mood, saying that the Dragon God has awakened from his sleep.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A feeling of difort spread, as if a grain of sand was being chewed.

    Now, should we pour cold water on them who are excited about the festival atmosphere by going out and saying that the dragon god actually died without being able to wake up?

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll tell you something.¡±

    ¡°Sister?¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°Even if you say it, I think I should say it.¡±

    Ha-eun clenched her fists with a stern look on her face.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    Kelion stood up, supporting himself with his cane.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin looked at the back of Ha-eun and Kelion walking toward the outside of their with a bitter expression.

    The war was won.

    There were few casualties and the lost kingdom was regained.

    but.

    Their god, whom they had been anxiously waiting for for the past hundred years, will never open his eyes again.

    From now on, forever.

    * * *

    Although the kingdom was recovered from the hands of the demons.

    The atmosphere within the kingdom was so dark that it was reminiscent of a mourning house.

    The death of the dragon god.

    It was a bigger shock to the Yongin people than Ojin expected.

    Not a god that we abstractly believe in and follow.

    The Yongin people fell into great despair at the death of the merciful god who actually sacrificed his life for them in the past.

    The Yongin people, who seemed to have lost the will to restore their broken kingdom, were sitting on the streets like dolls whose souls had been taken away.

    ¡°Huh¡­ Huh!¡±

    ¡°Lord Kaleios¡­ How can you leave us behind¡­¡±

    ¡°I believed you would wake up¡­!¡±

    The sound of wailing echoing throughout the kingdom did not cease even as several days passed.

    Although they won the war, they looked like defeated soldiers.

    For them, the existence of the dragon god Kaleios was literally ¡®hope¡¯.

    The despair that filled the ce where hope had disappeared engulfed the Yongin tribe faster than any other disease.

    Among them, there are even Yongin people who make extreme choices.

    ¡°ha. ¡°How do you really do this?¡±

    Ha-eun let out a deep sigh as if she was frustrated.

    Just today, as many as three Yongin peoplemitted suicide.

    ¡°¡­Is God that important?¡±

    Ha-eun, squatting on the bed, muttered as if she couldn¡¯t understand.

    Isabe stroked Ha-eun¡¯s shoulder as ifforting her.

    ¡°For the dragon people, the existence of the dragon god is closer to a parent than a god.¡±

    A being who stayed until the end to protect those who were nothing more than ves.

    For the dragon people, the dragon god Kaleios was more than just a god they believed in and followed.

    The only hope and salvation.

    The pir that had supported them for a hundred years had copsed, so it was no wonder they fell into such deep despair.

    ¡°And the dragon people are a race that was born to worship the dragon in the first ce, right?¡±

    It is engraved in their souls and in their lives.

    The mindset that you can only survive by serving someone.

    ¡°They definitely need a dragon¡­ a ¡®god¡¯ to believe in and follow.¡±

    but.

    That god is already dead.

    ¡°¡­there is no way.¡±

    A deep sigh flowed from Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°No, there is a way.¡±

    ¡°ok? ¡°What way?¡±

    Oh Jin, who had been sitting quietly in a chair and lost in thought, stood up.

    He gently ced his hand on Ha-eun¡¯s shoulder and spoke softly.

    ¡°Sister can be ¡®God¡¯.¡±

    If God died.

    All you have to do is create a new god.

 Chapter 319

    I am not a returner Episode 319:

    Faded Promise (11)

    ¡°¡­are you saying that I am a god? ¡°What kind of nonsense is that?¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and tilted her head.

    ¡°You said the dragon people need a god to believe in and follow.¡±

    therefore.

    ¡°I just want my older sister to be that god.¡±

    ¡°How can this not be a survey of future aspirations, but something you want to be?¡±

    You can suddenly be a god.

    What nonsense is that?

    ¡°It can be done.¡±

    Oh Jin continued speaking with an unwavering voice.

    ¡°The soul of the dragon god Kaleios resides in you, right?¡±

    ¡°I told you. Even if it is a soul, there is no such thing as hearing a voice or anything like that.¡±

    Even if the Dragon God¡¯s soul was absorbed, as long as there was no will within it, it was nothing more than a lump of pure power.

    To put it bluntly, the Dragon God¡¯s soul was nothing more or less than an elixir that was good for her body.

    but.

    ¡°The dragon people don¡¯t know that.¡±

    Ha-eun is the only one who knows that the Dragon God¡¯s soul has no will.

    The dragon people could not tell whether the spirit of the dragon god residing within her had will or not.

    ¡°So now¡­ you¡¯re trying to scam the dragon people?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s mouth dropped open in an unexpected way.

    ¡°It¡¯s about giving them what they need most.¡±

    ¡°¡­is lying the most necessary?¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    What they need.

    ¡°It¡¯s hope.¡±

    That the dragon god they believe in and follow is still alive.

    It¡¯s not that he melted to death in the mes, but he was never able to open his eyes.

    That it ¡®exists¡¯ in some form.

    That may be the only hope left for the Yongin people who are currently dying under the weight of despair.

    ¡°¡­but.¡±

    Ha-eun chewed her lips.

    Oh Jin¡¯s intention was understandable.

    but.

    Isn¡¯t that ultimately a deception of their faith?

    ¡°The truth doesn¡¯t matter, sister.¡±

    Not once.

    It has never been important.

    ¡°Only what appears to be true is important.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s voice rang softly in her ears.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    My clenched fist was shaking.

    As Ha-eun continued to worry, the image of the Yongin tribe shed in her mind.

    The Yongin people are sitting down like dead people who have lost their souls.

    What they need is the truth that the Dragon God will never return in the future, or the lie that the Dragon God¡¯s will still remains somewhere.

    ¡°Really¡­ is that enough to save the dragon people?¡±

    I didn¡¯t have any particr affection for the Yongin people, whom I had only recently met.

    However, he was not a phnthropist who was heartbroken by the sorrow of everyone in the world.

    but.

    ¡®Because I was the one who absorbed the dragon god¡¯s soul.¡¯

    Whether it was intentional or not.

    She quickly absorbed the power that should have awakened the sleeping Dragon God.

    They received too much for nothing in return to confidently say they were not responsible.

    cost.

    Yes, this may be the price for consuming the power of the Dragon God without any effort.

    Just as being lucky and winning the lottery does not eliminate the obligation to pay taxes.

    She also had a duty to save the dragon people who were in despair.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s a price and a duty, so even if you forget theplicated stuff.¡¯

    Every time I saw the Yongin people in such despair that they made extreme choices, my heart throbbed.

    Although she was not a phnthropist who was heartbroken by the sadness of everyone in the world, she was not a cold-blooded person who could easily ignore the sadness that was clearly visible in front of her eyes.

    ¡°okay. ¡°You can do whatever you want.¡±

    A being called ¡®God¡¯.

    ¡°Good choice.¡±

    Oh Jin smiled slightly and nodded.

    ¡°But what specifically should I do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about thatter.¡±

    The method itself was not thatplicated.

    What is more important than how to y the ¡®Dragon God¡¯.

    ¡°We need to find a helper.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes lit up as he looked back at Kelion, who was busy running around trying to somehow cheer up the heartbroken dragon people.

    * * *

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    A low voice echoed throughout the shabby house.

    The old Yongin with a white beard twisted his wrinkled eyes and red at Ojin sharply.

    ¡°Are you telling me to deceive my own people?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Ohjin nodded without hesitation.

    Ha-eun, sitting next to him, hesitated before opening her mouth.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not necessarily saying deceive.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s not cheating, what is?¡±

    Kelion did not hide his unpleasant feelings.

    To save the dragon people, pretend that the already dead dragon god is alive.

    As one of the dragon people who had been anxiously waiting for the dragon god to wake up, it was a difficult offer to ept.

    ¡°That offer cannot be epted¡­¡±

    ¡°Then do you n to keep leaving it like this?¡±

    Ojin looked into Kelion¡¯s eyes with deeply sunken eyes.

    ¡°Just today, three dragon people made extreme choices. ¡°Yesterday and the day before yesterday, two peoplemitted suicide.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you think this is the end?¡±

    Emotions are poison.

    Despair will continue to eat away at them.

    ¡°The number of Yongin people making extreme choices will continue to increase.¡±

    ¡°The dragon people are not that weak.¡±

    ¡°How many more people will have to die to prove that you are not weak?¡±

    A chain of despair that will never end.

    Should we just wait and see with the belief that we will be able to ovee it?

    ¡°we are¡­!¡±

    ¡°I was passing by today and saw a child crying.¡±

    ¡°¡­kid?¡±

    ¡°They said the child¡¯s mother died after being attacked by a demonic beast during a decoy operation.¡±

    Although we tried to reduce the number of victims as much as possible.

    It wasn¡¯t that no one died.

    ¡°He said he did that before his mother died. Even if you don¡¯te back, the Dragon God will take care of you.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Then what happens to that child who has lost his parents to protect him and the god he can trust and follow?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Should I ovee my sadness and stand up on my own? ¡°The child who has nothing left?¡±

    Cold eyes turned to Kelion.

    Kelion chewed the corners of his wrinkled mouth and clenched his fists.

    ¡°The false god cannot take care of that child.¡±

    ¡°But it might give you hope.¡±

    ¡°What meaning is there in hopes that cannote true?¡±

    thud!

    Kelion stood up and hit the table harshly.

    ¡°What was the reason the Yongin people were able to endure for the past hundred years?¡±

    ¡°¡­we are.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it because of the hope that the Dragon God would open his eyes again?¡±

    In the hope that the sleeping dragon god will open his eyes again.

    With the belief that the dragon god who opened his eyes would save them.

    They were able to endure a long time of one hundred years.

    ¡°What is the meaning of a hope that cannote true?¡±

    Ojin looked up at Kelion and smiled.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it the Yongin people who proved that such hope has meaning?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Kelion¡¯s expression hardened.

    He sat down with a stern expression and lowered his head.

    ¡°Really¡­ ording to you, it is possible to save the dragon people?¡±

    ¡°No, I cannot save you.¡±

    No matter how perfectly Ha-eun yed the dragon god.

    In the end, the fact that the Dragon God died does not change.

    It was impossible for her topletely rece the Dragon God¡¯s vacancy.

    but.

    ¡°What the Yongin people need now is not salvation. ¡°It¡¯s a small stepping stone to stand on.¡±

    And the hope that Yuji of the Dragon God does not disappear but exists somewhere.

    It will be a great stepping stone for them to stand up on their own.

    ¡°How long do you n on waiting for someone else to save you?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Now is the time for the Yongin people to stand up on their own.¡±

    There was determination in Kelion¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°¡­What should I do?¡±

    Ohjin smiled slightly at the answer he received.

    ¡°The method itself is simple. ¡°If your sister ys the dragon god, you can respond ordingly.¡±

    ¡°response?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°It¡¯s a kind of wind catcher.¡±

    In a scam targeting the crowd, nothing was more important than the wind catcher.

    Because emotions are contagious.

    If someone responds to Ha-eun¡¯s words, the absurd lie that ¡®the dragon god is not dead, but is alive in the body of a human woman¡¯ can be made effective.

    ¡®And if the wind catcher is the elder of the Yongin tribe that has led so far.¡¯

    The effect will be even greater.

    ¡°Besides, it will be much easier if you tell us about Kaleios¡¯s speaking style, habits, and memories that the dragon people can rte to.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Kelion nodded heavily.

    ¡°Then¡­ I will tell you everything I know about the Dragon God.¡±

    Kelion¡¯s story continued for hours.

    There is even a story about how the dragon god took care of the dragon people and treated them like his children, not ves. Even in response to his warning to run away before the final battle, he smiled mercifully and headed to the battlefield.

    The story filled with sadness continued without stopping.

    ¡°I think this is enough.¡±

    I got a lot of information about Yongshin¡¯s personality, way of speaking, and what he has done.

    ¡°Then, please gather the Yongin people at the grand banquet hall tomorrow.¡±

    For reference, the grand banquet hall was a huge circr building where the Yongin tribe was held together as a group.

    It is said that the Yongin people gather at the grand banquet hall every year and hold a festival to awaken the dragon god.

    ¡°¡­I thought it was a ce I wouldn¡¯t use in the future.¡±

    Kelion nodded with a bitter smile.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, sister.¡±

    Ha-eun also had a few things to prepare.

    ¡°uh? Yes. okay.¡±

    Ha-eun, who could hardly participate in the conversation, stood up with an awkward smile.

    ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s going to be okay. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    Ha-eun seems to be worried about Kelion¡¯s dark expression and gives him a little encouragement.

    Kelion nodded with a faint smile.

    ¡°I will trust the dragon maiden.¡±

    ¡°huh! Then, see you tomorrow!¡±

    Ha-eun waved her hand with a strong expression.

    Ha-eun, who came out of Kelion¡¯s house, followed Oh Jin with aplicated expression.

    ¡°Ojina uh¡­.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s that kid you mentioned earlier. Where did you see him?¡±

    A child left alone after losing his mother.

    The heavy responsibility of having to be that child¡¯s ¡®hope¡¯ for life weighed on her shoulders.

    ¡°doesn¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°Eh? ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a child like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin walked away, leaving behind Ha Eun, who was frozen in a daze.

    I turned my head and said to her who was standing still.

    ¡°I told you, right?¡±

    The truth doesn¡¯t matter.

    Only what appears to be true is important.

 Chapter 320

    I am not a returner Episode 320

    Faded Promise (12)

    Murmur.

    After Yongshin¡¯s death became known.

    The Dragonian Kingdom, which had the atmosphere of a mourning house, became busier for the first time in a long time.

    The main banquet hall was crowded with Yongin people who had gathered after hearing the news that there was an important announcement.

    ¡°Thank you everyone foring together.¡±

    Kelion, who stood on the podium, opened his mouth.

    A low voice spread through a microphone with voice amplification magic and echoed throughout the banquet hall.

    Tens of thousands of eyes were focused on Kelion.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know that this is a difficult time for all of us.¡±

    A grand banquet hall filled with silence.

    In the cold silence where not even a small murmur echoed, Kelion spoke softly.

    ¡°The reason I called you today is because the Dragon Maiden said she had something important to say to us.¡±

    Kelion took a step back from the podium and turned around, like a host introducing a guest singer.

    Ha-eun, who was waiting at the bottom of the podium, slowly walked up.

    An expression that clearly shows signs of nervousness.

    Ha-eun swallowed her dry saliva and stood in front of the microphone.

    ¡°Keukheuhum.¡±

    I cleared my throat once.

    ¡°Not long ago, the soul of the dragon god Kaleios came to me¡­ no, I was possessed.¡±

    The eyes of the Yongin people were wide open.

    I heard that the dragon god died without being able to wake up, but this was the first time I heard that the dragon god¡¯s soul resided in the dragon maiden.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t hear the Dragon God¡¯s voice at first. ¡°After the spiritpletely settled in me, I began to hear his voice little by little.¡±

    ¡°What is the voice of the Dragon God?¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the Dragon God¡¯s soul hasn¡¯t disappeared?!¡±

    The shocking announcement caused a stir among the Yongin tribe.

    ¡°Be quiet.¡±

    Kelion stepped forward and calmed themotion.

    Silence again.

    Ha-eun opened her mouth, licking her dry lips with her tongue.

    ¡°He said he would like to speak with you for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Borrowing your body¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that possible?¡±

    The dragon people¡¯s eyes were colored with disbelief.

    The dragon god, who I thought was going to die, but who actually died, suddenly says he wants to talk to me directly in the body of a human woman, so I can¡¯t believe it.

    Before Ha-eun¡¯s disbelief grew further, she put her hands together as if praying.

    ¡°Then I will call him from now on.¡±

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    A hot fire began to burn around Ha-eun¡¯s body.

    The hot mes that enveloped her body took the form of giant wings and spread wide.

    It looks like a dragon with its wings spread wide.

    The Yongin tribe was instantly overwhelmed by the majestic sight of me wings stretching tens of meters wide.

    and.

    [It¡¯s been a long time.]

    A voice rings solemnly.

    ¡°uh?¡±

    ¡°Ka Kalleios¡¯ voice?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡±

    Astonishment spread across the faces of the Yongin tribe, who were filled with disbelief.

    The voice that came out of the mouth of the human woman who was said to have dragon eyes was clearly the same as the voice of the dragon god that remained in their memories.

    ¡°How on earth did this happen¡­¡±

    Did the Dragon God reallye to heaven through the body of a human woman?

    When confusion grows in an unbelievable situation.

    ¡°Ah, Kaleios!¡±

    Kelion, who was standing next to the podium, knelt down towards Ha-eun.

    The old dragon trembled slightly and had an expression filled with emotion.

    ¡°I wanted to see you so¡­ so much.¡±

    A single tear runs down my wrinkled cheek.

    The expressions of the Yongins, who were looking at each other and wondering what the situation was, began to change one by one.

    It was none other than Kelion who knelt down and bowed his head.

    The elder who led the dragon people while the dragon god was asleep recognized the dragon god¡¯s soul, which was said to be residing in a human woman, as ¡®real¡¯.

    The atmosphere of distrust that had built up so high suddenly began to copse, as if a dam had burst.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°Ka Kalleios!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely true! ¡°This is Kaleios¡¯ voice!¡±

    I¡¯ve been eagerly waiting for it.

    Even in faded memories, it remained indelible and clear.

    The voice of Kaleios.

    [I¡¯ve kept you guys waiting for too long.]

    I can hear you.

    The voice of God that could not be reached.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    ¡°Huhhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Kaleios!¡±

    The Yongin people fell to their knees with tears in their eyes.

    He used Ha-eun¡¯s body to bow to the strong Kaleios.

    [It breaks my heart to think about how much suffering you have endured over the past hundred years.]

    A voice filled with sadness.

    [And the pain¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be over yet.]

    Ha-eun turned her head and nced at the Yongin tribe.

    The appearance of the Yongin tribe, whose skin and bones are close to each other due to not eating properly.

    They looked even more devastated than when the demons invaded the kingdom.

    [Listen, my children.]

    Ha-eun opened her mouth, looking at the Yongin people who bowed their heads.

    No, to be exact, I opened my mouth.

    The Dragon God¡¯s voice that was currently echoing in the grand banquet hall was not made by her, but by Ohjin hiding behind the podium.

    [Although my body has melted and disappeared, my soul and will remain here.]

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    ¡°Dragon God¡­.¡±

    Tears flowed from the eyes of the dragon people who bowed their heads.

    Dragon God Kaleios.

    The news that the god they had been waiting for so anxiously was still alive instantly blew away the feelings of despair that had been encroaching on them.

    ¡°Kaleios¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, this moment¡­ I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment all along!¡±

    A pir called ¡®Hope¡¯ rose in their copsing hearts.

    ¡°Please take care of us again, Kaleios!¡±

    One of the dragon people shouted.

    Ha-eun shook her head at the Yongin who shouted and opened her mouth.

    [With nothing but a soul left, I cannot take care of you like I used to.]

    ¡°That kind of thing.¡±

    ¡°Then what should we do now¡­¡±

    The dragon people¡¯s eyes trembled.

    What should I do in the future without the care of the Dragon God?

    ¡°We need the Dragon God¡¯s care!¡±

    An urgent cry rang out.

    [No, you no longer need my care.]

    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡±

    ¡°Without the Dragon God¡­¡±

    [Didn¡¯t you guys firmly protect the kingdom without me for the past hundred years?]

    Even though the kingdom was taken over by the demons.

    [You did not give up and fought against the demon race to protect your own home.]

    They no longer needed ¡®care¡¯.

    ¡°That was because of the belief that the Dragon God would awaken¡­¡±

    [Even that belief would not havee true if you had not moved.]

    If you had not sacrificed your own lives to be bait.

    The dragon maiden would not have been able to reach Lair so easily.

    [The reason I can remain here as a soul is all thanks to your courageous fight.]

    ¡°¡­Kaleios.¡±

    [Thank you.]

    The Yongins all bowed their heads in unison at that sincere voice.

    How could I not be thrilled?

    The dragon god himself said ¡®thank you¡¯ to them, who were merely ves born to serve the dragon.

    [Don¡¯t forget.]

    The voice of a merciful god rang out.

    [You are not ves.]

    The Dragon God¡¯s answer to Kelion¡¯s warning to run away in the past.

    [I am the proud children of Kaleios.]

    The voice of a god who cared for and loved the dragon people more than anyone else filled the hearts of the dragon people

    . [It is an invaluable treasure.]

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± A low voice

    came from the mouths of the dragon people. An exmation flowed out.

    A single tear flowed down my cheek.

    [My children.]

    Tens of meters of fire wings sprouted from Ha-eun¡¯s back and pped majestically.

    [Do not be sad. Don¡¯t be afraid. Don¡¯t be lonely.]

    An incredible heat filled the grand banquet hall.

    [I, the dragon god Kaleios, will always be by your side.]

    Grrrrrrrrrrr!

    The me that had been burning fiercely gradually died out.

    The wings, which had spread out to tens of meters in size, returned to Ha-eun¡¯s body.

    ¡°Ahhh.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ ck!¡±

    The Yongin people shed tears as they recalled the words left by the Yongshin.

    A long wait of a hundred years.

    The warm constion that came from the bottomless pit of despair lifted them up.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I mean.¡±

    Ha-eun continued speaking awkwardly, looking at the grand banquet hall soaked in tears.

    ¡°These were the words of the Dragon God.¡±

    Wow!

    A loud cheer erupted, loud enough to leave the main banquet hall.

    Even though it was a borrowed human body.

    The Yongin people cheered full of hope at the news that the god they thought was dead was still alive.

    ¡°Dragon Maiden¡­!¡±

    ¡°Oh no, shouldn¡¯t I call you ¡®shaman¡¯ now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°Dragon shaman!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for listening to the words of the Dragon God!¡±

    Ha-eun suddenly bes a dragon shaman.

    Ha-eun could not hide her embarrassed expression from the hot gaze pouring towards her.

    ¡°Miko!¡±

    ¡°Please let Kaleios¡¯ voice be heard once again!¡±

    Among them, some of the excited Yongins even tried to climb up onto the stage.

    ¡°Everyone calm down!¡±

    Coo!

    Kelion mmed his staff down and shouted at the excited dragons.

    ¡°Inviting the soul of a god directly into one¡¯s body would be a great burden even for a shaman!¡±

    ¡°Ha, but.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning on losing the shaman as well?¡±

    The excited atmosphere cooled down.

    For them, who had already experienced the despair of the Dragon God¡¯s death once, losing the shaman was an unimaginable disaster.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    The Yongin people bowed their heads and looked at Ha-eun.

    He looks like a loyal subject waiting for orders.

    ¡°Uh¡­ So.¡±

    Ha-eun smiled sheepishly, scratching her cheek as if feeling burdened by their gazes.

    There was no information from Ohjin about what to do after this.

    ¡°Shall we repair the house first?¡±

    The priority was to rebuild the kingdom that was in ruins due to the Majin attack.

    ¡°I will follow the shaman¡¯s orders!¡±

    A powerful answer echoed throughout the banquet hall.

    Ha-eun burst intoughter as she saw the eyes of the Yongin people, who were like dead people who had lost their souls, regaining life.

    ¡°Good! ¡°I¡¯ll help too, so let¡¯s start repairing it quickly!¡±

    Ha-eun rolled up her arms and raised her fist vigorously.

    Although she had other intentions of helping the dragon people.

    ¡°Oh no!¡±

    ¡°Miko, please rest!¡±

    ¡°We will do it!¡±

    The Yongin people shook their heads with shocked expressions.

    ¡°Huh? ¡°No, I can help too.¡±

    ¡°What should I do if the shaman¡¯s oracle is damaged?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re very hungry, so I¡¯ll treat you to a meal!¡±

    ¡°Pleasee this way, miko!¡±

    Ha-eun was instantly treated like royalty.

    ¡°Why are they suddenly¡­ Argh! Ah Okay! ¡°I¡¯m going! Don¡¯t pull me, you bastards!¡±

    She was caught by the dragon people and dragged somewhere with a tearful expression on her face.

 Chapter 321

    I am not a returner Episode 321

    Interlude ¨C Caelus Benedictio

    ¡°Whew.¡±

    Oh Jin, who was behind the podium, put down the microphone in his hand and smiled slightly.

    ¡®It went better than I thought.¡¯

    There was some confidence.

    Even though the Dragon God¡¯s soul does not contain will, the power contained within it is real.

    When I saw the wings of fire stretching tens of meters, I couldn¡¯t help but think of the ¡®Dragon God¡¯.

    ¡®Even my older sister is an awakened person from the Stigmata of Dragon.¡¯

    The Dragon¡¯s Eye, the Stigmata of the Dragon, and even the Dragon¡¯s Heart and Dragon God¡¯s soul that I obtained from Mt. Baekdu.

    ¡®This feels like the Bing a Dragon God bundle set.¡¯

    Ha-eun took all the power rted to the dragon, as if collecting Exodia limbs, but if she couldn¡¯t fake it, there was a problem.

    The conditions were already in ce.

    Ha-eun¡¯sck of acting skills was covered by Oh Jin imitating Yongshin¡¯s voice, so there wasn¡¯t really a problem.

    ¡®And there was help from Kelion.¡¯

    As the elder of the Yongin tribe, he personally took on the role of wind catcher, so he was rarely viewed with suspicion.

    If you don¡¯t seed despite all these good conditions, you¡¯re disqualified as a fraudster.

    ¡°Well, anyway, this is all settled.¡±

    The Yongin tribe gained hope for life.

    Ha-eun gained the power of the Dragon God.

    Is that it?

    There could be no ending more perfect than this, as there were tens of thousands of people who believed in and followed Ha-eun.

    ¡®Because what my sistercked was vanguard.¡¯

    If thousands of Yongin warriors protected her, Ha-eun¡¯s powerful firepower could be utilized 100%.

    At this level, it would be safe to say that the benefit was much greater than expected.

    ¡®What remains is a way to control the runaway magical energy of the dragon people.¡¯

    Until now, I had somehow managed to suppress it with the stigmata of Dragon.

    As time passes, the number of dragons who cannot control their magical power will increase.

    ¡®That too can be resolved to some extent if you have patience.¡¯

    Controlling the magical power of the Dragon¡¯s Eye.

    He was able to control the soul of the dragon god, but there was no way he could not control the magical power within the dragon people.

    ¡°It seems like it worked out just as you said.¡±

    Kelion approached Ojin, who was hiding behind the podium.

    His eyes were mixed, as if he felt bad about lying, but his expression was much brighter than before.

    ¡°Yes, now the Yongin people will have hope for survival.¡±

    Although you will not be able to receive direct care from the Dragon God like before.

    They will escape from the care of the Dragon God and live as a single subject called the ¡®Yongin Tribe¡¯ rather than as ves.

    ¡®Right now, it feels like my older sister has just taken over the role of the Dragon God.¡¯

    As time goes by, won¡¯t they change too?

    No, it will have to change.

    Because the Demonic World was not an easy world where one could live with the help of someone else forever.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s particrly wrong.¡±

    Kelion looked up at the sky and muttered in a faint voice.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about Cailus¡¯ prophecy.¡±

    A prophecy that a woman with dragon eyes will save the dragon people.

    Of course, the Dragon God did not awaken, but didn¡¯t the prophecy he lefte true exactly?

    ¡°It was a little different from the salvation we had imagined¡­ But seeing him smiling so brightly makes me wonder if this was the real salvation that Cailus had prophesied.¡±

    Kelion smiled kindly and looked at the dragon people rushing out of the grand banquet hall.

    A race called the Yongin people, born to worship and serve dragons.

    Wouldn¡¯t it be true that now that they have freed themselves from the shackles of very and taken a step forward on their own?

    Ojin chuckled as he looked at Kelion, who was soaked in appreciation.

    ¡°Well, if you think about it that way, it makes sense¡­¡±

    Stand tall.

    Ojin¡¯s movements stopped.

    ¡®¡­uh?¡¯

    okay.

    In the end, his prophecy is roughly correct.

    To the point of excessiveness.

    To the point of awkwardness.

    urately.

    ¡°Elder. ¡°What exactly did Cailus¡¯ prophecy say?¡±

    ¡°huh? ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me at the beginning?¡±

    Kelion tilted his head and continued speaking.

    ¡°It was a prophecy that a woman with dragon eyes would wake up the sleeping dragon god and save the dragon people.¡±

    Among them, the only thing missing is ¡®awakening the sleeping dragon god¡¯.

    The rest was roughly what Kelion said.

    ¡®wait for a sec.¡¯

    My head is hot.

    A chilling shiver ran down my spine.

    ¡°Elder¡­ What was the reason the Dragon God fell asleep?¡±

    ¡°They said it was because you used too much power in the battle with the demons.¡±

    ¡°Who said that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Cailus. ¡°He fought with the Dragon God until the very end in the final war.¡±

    Isn¡¯t something strange?

    He ¡®fell asleep¡¯ because he used too much force in the middle of the war.

    ¡°¡­Then, the Dragon God¡¯s soul was transferred to the soul stone.¡±

    ¡°Of course you are Cailus.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Click, click, click.

    The feeling of gears that were misaligned turning into gear.

    Oh Jin gritted his teeth, clutching his heated forehead.

    why.

    Could it be that the prophecy of ¡®awakening the sleeping dragon god¡¯ was wrong?

    ¡®What if there was no intention from the beginning to wake up the sleeping Dragon God?¡¯

    no.

    What if it was his intention to have the Dragon God ¡®fall asleep¡¯ in the first ce?

    ¡®Then what is Cailus¡¯ identity¡­¡¯

    Ojin chewed his lips.

    There was one more thing.

    ¡°What did the human prophet¡¯s name¡­ say?¡±

    ¡°Caelus. ¡°I am Cailus Benedict.¡±

    Cailus Benedict.

    ¡°¡­Benedick.¡±

    It was a word that felt somewhat familiar.

    Oh Jin jumped up from his seat and quickly ran out of the banquet hall.

    Kelion¡¯s panicked voice was heard from behind.

    ignored.

    ¡°Damn it¡­!¡±

    Why didn¡¯t I notice it earlier?

    Why didn¡¯t I notice it sooner?

    The ce Oh Jin ran to after leaving the banquet hall was the house where he and Ha-eun Isabe were staying.

    It is one of the few houses that remains intact in a city that was devastated by the invasion of the Demon Race.

    Quang!

    When I roughly opened the door and went inside, I saw Isabe with a surprised expression.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    She did not have a particr role to y in this fraud, but was quietly waiting for Oh Jin and Ha Eun at home.

    Ojin took a deep breath and looked at Isabe.

    ¡°Have you ever heard the word Benedict?¡±

    ¡°Benedict?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    If even he, who had not received a proper elementary education, remembers hearing a word somewhere, Isabe, who has received education for gifted children since she was young, would definitely know the meaning of the word.

    ¡°It¡¯s a word often used in Catholicism.¡±

    ¡°Catholic?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°The previous Pope¡¯s name was Benedict.¡±

    Isabe nodded and wrote ¡®Benedictio¡¯ in her notebook.

    ¡°It means ¡®grace¡¯ in Latin.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A soggy difort spreads down my spine.

    Ohjin continued speaking while clenching his fists.

    ¡°What about Cailus?¡±

    ¡°hmm. If Caelus is also Latin¡­.¡±

    This time, what I wrote down in my notebook was the word ¡®Caelus.¡¯

    ¡°ah! It means ¡®sky¡¯!¡±

    Cailus Benedict.

    Caelus Benedictio

    Heavenly grace.

    Heaven¡¯s grace.

    ¡°¡­Haeun.¡±

    under.

    A drowsyugh flowed from between Oh Jin¡¯s lips.

    He put his hand on his forehead and shook his shoulders.

    ¡°Why sister?¡±

    Isabe tilts her head.

    She doesn¡¯t know.

    The meaning behind the name ¡®Haeun¡¯.

    The only people in the world who knew that were Oh Jin and Ha Eun.

    ¡®no.¡¯

    There is one more person.

    I don¡¯t know if I should express it as ¡®three people¡¯.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll go out for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Oh Mr. Ojin?¡±

    I kicked down the door and went out.

    I activated the stigmata of the constetion Canis and found Ha-eun¡¯s location.

    ¡°Ahh! Let go! Let go of these! ¡°I can work too!¡±

    ¡°You need to rest, miko!¡±

    Ha-eun is surrounded by the Yongin tribe, making a fuss.

    Ojin leaned his back against the wall, looking at her from afar.

    I looked up at the sky and let out a lowugh.

    It¡¯s a blessing from heaven.

    ¡°¡­Did you hope that your sister would know?¡±

    Or maybe it was just self-satisfaction.

    ¡°Why did you¡­¡±

    As I was trying to continue asking why I did that, a memory from the past suddenly shed through my head.

    A rooftop filled with starlight.

    The promise I made with the girl there.

    The oath engraved in my heart.

    -I will protect my sister.

    okay.

    I said those words out of intoxicated sensitivity.

    ¡°under.¡±

    Augh escaped me.

    Protecting something does not necessarily mean stepping forward and protecting it.

    She herself bes stronger.

    Creating tens of thousands of followers and making them follow her.

    Broadly speaking, it falls under the act of ¡®protection¡¯.

    ¡°How many people did you need for that¡­!¡±

    Lightning-like anger rose up.

    What if it was you who put the Dragon God to sleep a hundred years ago?

    What if all of this was just a scam for Ha-eun?

    What happens to the Dragon people who believed in the prophecy that he would wake up and endured that distant time?

    -The truth is not important, sister.

    The words he said to Ha-eun turn his head to face him.

    What does it matter whether you fooled a few people?

    The truth doesn¡¯t matter.

    because.

    ¡°¡­because only what appears to be true is important.¡±

    Oh Jin gritted his teeth and chewed his lips.

    okay.

    Could know.

    There was no way I didn¡¯t know.

    Because you were me.

    Because I was you.

    * * *

    Grumble, rumble.

    ck storm clouds change shape like sticky tar.

    A body so distorted that its shape is unrecognizable.

    Like a child kneading mud, the body continues to copse and regenerate.

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    The price of going back in time.

    The punishment for going against the natural order of the stars ate away at his body like poison.

    but.

    Nevertheless.

    ¡°ha ha ha.¡±

    He let out a quietugh.

    Amidst the dark clouds that change their shape every second, a blue natural flower shes.

    ¡°Okay¡­ you¡¯re in.¡±

    I felt that the gift I had prepared for a long time had found its owner.

    A dryugh escaped through the dark clouds.

    ¡°I kept my promise¡­?¡±

    however.

    Who was the promise made with?

 Chapter 322

    I am not a returner Episode 322:

    Treasure hunt (1)

    The rebuilding of the Dragonian Kingdom went smoothly.

    Due to the death of the Dragon God, the Yongin people, who had been sitting on the streets like dead souls without their souls, got up from their seats as if they had never done so and contributed to rebuilding the kingdom.

    The Yongin people are basically a race that possesses strong magical power and can freely use a variety of magic.

    Although there was no modern building equipment, the rebuilding process using magic was faster than using the most modern building equipment used on Earth.

    ¡°Ah¡­ what am I, Rapunzel? ¡°They lock you up in the house and don¡¯t let you touch them, you bastards.¡±

    Ha-eun beat her chest as if she was frustrated with being stuck inside the house.

    Due to her personality, it was better to go out and sweat rather than quietly stay indoors, but due to the overprotection of the Yongin people, she was unable to do even a single finger on the reconstruction work.

    ¡°For the dragon people, my sister is like a god.¡±

    You can¡¯t ask the god you worship to carry bricks.

    ¡°Well, they say Jesus was a carpenter too.¡±

    If you think about it that way, I have nothing to say.

    ¡°Are you that frustrated?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m dying. ¡°Even if these kids really try to practice, they foam at the mouth and try to stop you?¡±

    Does the trauma of losing the Dragon God remain?

    Even from Ohjin¡¯s perspective, the Yongin people¡¯s behavior seemed a bit excessive.

    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Eh? why?¡±

    ¡°I was nning on moving slowly.¡±

    Now that the events in the Khan Kingdom and the Dragonian Kingdom have been sorted out, all that remains is to head to Niflheim, the kingdom of the demons.

    ¡°Are you going straight to ¡®hell¡¯?¡±

    ¡°What is Hell again?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Nipple¡¯ Heim.¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    Has this sister been stuck at home and finally gone crazy?

    A smile escaped Ojin¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Ai¡­ You shouldn¡¯tugh at things like this.¡±

    ¡°Hi-Hi. ¡°How are your senses?¡±

    Honestly, what I just said was a bit funny.

    ¡°¡­Anyway, you too. ¡°What kind of crude joke are you telling?¡±

    Isabe sighed and shook her head.

    ¡°why. ¡°It¡¯s frustrating to be stuck at home, but you can¡¯t even tell a joke?¡±

    Ha-euny down on the sofa and ced her slender legs on Oh-jin¡¯sp.

    ¡°Anyway, the rebuilding work hasn¡¯t beenpleted yet. Is it okay to leave?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ no, I keep thinking about it because of my sister.¡±

    ¡°Hihi.¡±

    What the heck?

    ¡°Okay. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not going to Niflheim right away.¡±

    More preparations were still needed to confront the demon race head on.

    ¡°But after fighting with them this time, I think I can just stick with them, right? Even though he received the power of the Heavenly Demon or something, he didn¡¯t seem to be that strong.¡±

    ¡°The people I dealt with this time are low-level people even among the demons.¡±

    ¡°Eh? really?¡±

    Did you say that when you watch the ending of the movie again, you see foreshadowing that you didn¡¯t know about?

    After learning that what happened in the Dragonian Kingdom was a ¡®hoax¡¯ arranged by the Heavenly Demon, things that I could not understand began to make sense one by one.

    ¡®First of all, not a single executive-level demon came to Rare.¡¯

    The Majins already knew of the existence of Lair.

    They couldn¡¯t have known that if the Dragon God woke up, the favorable situation of the war would be overturned in an instant, so why didn¡¯t any of the high-ranking demons like Kalykee?

    ¡®Everyone at the executive level knew this.¡¯

    In the first ce, all of this was a kind of ¡®show¡¯ to strengthen Ha-eun¡¯s power and create a following for her.

    In addition, the surveince of the castle wall was toox, and as soon as Ha-eun absorbed the power of the Dragon God, he retreated as if he had been waiting.

    Thinking back, the movements of the demon race were full of questions.

    ¡®Now that everything is over, what are you going to think about?¡¯

    Oh Jin let out a short sigh and shook his head.

    ¡°Then where are we going?¡±

    The dragon race still needed time, and the beast race also found it difficult to use it with all its might right away.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of going to see old man Cheon Kwon-seong.¡±

    ¡°¡­That strange installment, huh?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    I know that the reason he is ranked first among Deneb¡¯s apostles is simply because he was the first to be Deneb¡¯s apostle.

    Still, since he was considered a member of the ¡®Chilseong¡¯, his level is by no means low.

    ¡®We can¡¯t leave our seven-star strength and go to Niflheim.¡¯

    Even if it is the Khan Kingdom or the Dragonian Kingdom.

    Going to the kingdom of the Demon Race, who can be said to be the culprit of everything that happens in the Demon World, it was not possible to infiltrate with just Ojin and his group like now.

    That ce is likely to be touched more by the Heavenly Demon than any other ce.

    ¡°But didn¡¯t Elder Cheon Kwon-seong say that he was looking for something called treasure?¡±

    No matter how much power Ojin and his party desperately need right now.

    Cheon Kwon-seong himself was not a person who could be persuaded with words.

    ¡°So, let¡¯s look for it together. ¡°That treasure.¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    ¡°¡­but. ¡°When I thought about it, there was a way.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what Cheon Kwon-seong¡¯s ¡®treasure¡¯ is.

    If you¡¯ve been wandering the magic world looking for that one thing for the past few years, you¡¯ll have made some progress.

    If you help him find the treasure.

    ¡®I guess I can pull it in with all my might.¡¯

    Last time, there was so little information about the demonic realm and every second was urgent, so I couldn¡¯t afford to help Tian Quansheng find the treasure, but now the situation has changed.

    In any case, both the dragon and beast tribes needed time to reinforce their forces, and even if Ojin and his party were stuck together in the meantime, they could not help separately, so it was more efficient to do something else with that time.

    ¡°Good! ¡°Then let¡¯s leave right away!¡±

    Ha-eun jumps up from the sofa and lets out a hot snort! I exhaled.

    It looks like he¡¯s already excited at the thought of being able to escape this stuffy corner of the house.

    Oh Jin chuckled and shook his head.

    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving right away. ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to the elder first.¡±

    ¡°With installment payments?¡±

    ¡°ok.¡±

    Kelion said he had a personal rtionship with Baek Mu-gang.

    Perhaps he might know what the ¡®treasure¡¯ Cheon Kwon-seong is looking for is.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you. ¡°Before I go, I still have to see the payment n face to face.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll go with you too.¡±

    Originally, I was nning to meet Kelion alone.

    The two women naturally followed suit.

    ¡®It¡¯s fortunate that Vega and Riak are in the sanctuary.¡¯

    The two said they were worried about the restrictions of thew because they had been outside for too long recently and decided to stay in the sanctuary until they left the kingdom.

    ¡°okay.¡±

    Oh Jin took Ha-eun and Isabe and headed to where Kelion was.

    ¡°Miko Mu!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to go outside!¡±

    As soon as Ha-eun came out, the Yongin warriors guarding the house gathered around.

    Ha-eun opened her mouth while looking at the Yongin people surrounding her.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to meet the installment n. Move.¡±

    ¡°We will call the elder here!¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression waspletely distorted.

    The dragon people trembled at the ferocious gaze of a wild beast.

    ¡°You brats are arrogant and tell adults toe and go?¡±

    Although Ha-eun usually acted as if manners and etiquette were to be thrown away.

    Still, as she was born and raised in the country of etiquette in the East, she felt strong resistance to the idea of calling an old man.

    ¡°Get out of the way before the Confucian dragon inside me goes crazy.¡±

    ¡°Confucian dragon¡­?¡±

    ¡°Are there other dragon souls besides the Dragon God?¡±

    ¡°Ah-oh! stuffy!¡±

    Ha-eun, who rushed in like a thunderbolt, delivered a drop kick that seemed like a painting to the Yongin warrior who was blocking her path.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you turn it off quickly?!¡±

    Ha-eun runs wild like a drunk tyrant.

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time here, go out and work!¡±

    ¡°We have the sacred task of guarding the shaman¡¯s temple¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense, you idiots!¡±

    Ha-eun broke through the guard by kicking the butts of the Yongin warriors.

    I wondered if no matter how much of a shaman she was, she could go out so recklessly.

    ¡°iced coffee.¡±

    ¡°Heo, heo, heo¡­ The shaman Mu gave me a kick¡­!¡±

    ¡°Such a valuable reward for us lowly people!¡±

    Uh um.

    ¡°They are people like Vega.¡±

    Isabe gives a cold look to the Yongin people who are having fun(?).

    ¡°¡­Never say that to Vega.¡±

    Ojin shook his head and headed towards where Kelion was.

    Kelion was directly directing the reconstruction site while looking at arge design drawing created through magic.

    ¡°Instalments~ It¡¯s out!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Ojini said he wanted to ask me something.¡±

    Ha-eun points to misdiagnosis with her thumb.

    Kelion approached, destroying the magically created design drawings.

    ¡°Are you going to ask?¡±

    ¡°You said you were acquainted with old man Cheon Kwon-seong before, right?¡±

    ¡°Cheon Kwon Seong? Ah¡­ Are you talking about Baekmu River?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Kelion nodded and continued speaking.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve known each other.¡±

    ¡°How did you two get to know each other?¡±

    ¡°I once came to the kingdom looking for something called treasure. ¡°He may be a bit of an unusual human, but he was the one who eliminated all the demonic beasts that lived nearby, so I invited him to the kingdom.¡±

    I heard there were almost no demons in the canyons around the kingdom.

    Was it because Baekmugang cleared out the demonic beast once?

    ¡°Have you ever heard of what ¡®treasure¡¯ he is looking for?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a treasure¡­¡±

    Kelion shook his head, stroking his long gray beard.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t specifically tell me what treasure you were looking for.¡±

    ¡°is that so?¡±

    It seems that Kelion also doesn¡¯t know the identity of the ¡®treasure¡¯ that Baek Mu-gang is desperately looking for.

    ¡°Ah, but I know who stole his treasure.¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Golden Deimos. ¡°He is one of the highest ranking officials of the Majin race.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of the highest-ranking executives¡­¡±

    Are you saying that you are higher in rank than Kaliqu¨¦?

    ¡°He is one of three people with the title of ¡®Grand Duke¡¯ among the demon race.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    It was a moment when I understood why an awakened person as powerful as Baek Moo-gang was unable to retrieve the stolen treasure even after several years.

    ¡°Is he in Niflheim?¡±

    ¡°No, the Great Supply Demons are given a separate territory and rule over it. ¡°It used to be a home for other minority races, but it was taken away when they were defeated in the war.¡±

    Certainly, the dragon people near Niflheim had better information about the demon people than the Khan Kingdom located far beyond the Sky Mountains.

    ¡°Where is that ce?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a ce called ¡®ck Rock Mine¡¯ where a race called Smanders once lived. However¡­ even if you go there, it will be difficult to find Baekmu River. ¡°You know that he is a very unpredictable person.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±

    Oh Jin smiled slightly and took out apass from his pocket.

    ¡°If there¡¯s a way to find the old man, I have it.¡±

    As I poured in the magic power, the spinningpass stopped.

 Chapter 323

    I am not a returner Episode 323

    Treasure Hunt (2)

    [It¡¯s the real woman!]

    Grumpy.

    Vega appeared with a silver halo, raised both arms and spun around.

    Riak, who appeared with her, stretched his body as if stretching.

    [Are we leaving for that ce called ck Rock Mine today?]

    ¡°Huh. ¡°What about the restrictions of thew?¡±

    [Thanks to a good rest in the sanctuary, almost all of it has disappeared!]

    Vega lifted her straw-thin forearm and made a bud the size of an acorn.

    Vega flew into the sky andnded on Ojin¡¯s head.

    [Hehehe. Sitting here makes me feel like I¡¯m back home.]

    Vega sits on Ojin¡¯s head and gently strokes Ojin¡¯s forehead.

    A faint smile escaped Ojin¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Where should I put my temple and is my home above my head?¡±

    [It¡¯s¡­ not as warm as here.]

    ¡°Hmm. okay?¡±

    Ojin, who felt strangely embarrassed by the fluffy hand stroking his forehead, cleared his throat and turned towards Isabe.

    ¡°Have you packed all your luggage?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°I heard that the area near the mine is a volcanic area, so I brought some cooling equipment.¡±

    ¡°Cooling equipment?¡±

    ¡°This is it.¡±

    Isabe held out a vest with scales on the outside.

    Each scale on the vest had aplex magic form engraved on it.

    ¡°It¡¯s a vest with scales on the outside that are enchanted with fire resistance. ¡°The elder prepared it.¡±

    ¡°okay?¡±

    Ojin epted the vest with shining eyes.

    After the reconstruction of my body, I became almost unaffected by the surrounding temperature, but even so, I was bound to be affected if I went to an extremely hot ce like around a volcano.

    He tilted his head as he epted the vest from Isabe.

    ¡°But why two?¡±

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be fine even if you swim in magma?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I guess so.¡±

    The heat was no longer a problem for Ha-eun, who had absorbed the soul of the Dragon God.

    [By the way, the preparations are over, but where is Ha-eun now?]

    ¡°What are you doing, sister¡­¡±

    Oh-jin slowly turned his head and looked at the group of Yongin people gathered like clouds in the distance.

    Sad cries could be heard from the group of Yongin people who had gathered so that Ha-eun could not be seen.

    ¡°Miko Mu¡­ How can you leave us behind¡­¡±

    ¡°I will go with you!¡±

    ¡°I heard that the mines are full of dirty dust. ¡°If even dust gets on the shaman¡¯s body¡­!¡±

    The Yongin people who had gathered like a cloud were holding onto Ha-eun¡¯s feet and begging her not to go, almost like a three-year-old child asking to buy a toy doll.

    ¡°Let go! ¡°Let go of these!¡±

    Ha-eun was in tears as she roughly shook off the hands of the Yongin people.

    Oh Jin, who couldn¡¯t see what was happening, walked up to Ha Eun and grabbed her shoulder.

    ¡°Oh Ojina! ¡°Guys, do something!¡±

    ¡°Do you remember when you acted back then?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Try acting like you did back then.¡±

    In the end, only after Ohjin came forward and spoke in the voice of the dragon god likest time, was Ha-eun able to be freed from the dragon people.

    ¡°If this is the Dragon God¡¯s will¡­ I will follow.¡±

    [Thank you for understanding.]

    Like Conan, who put Detective Mori to sleep with a tranquilizer gun, Oh-jin imitated the voice behind Ha-eun, who was pouting, holding her hand and leading her.

    ¡°Huh. ¡°I really thought I was going to die.¡±

    Ha-eun was carried by Oh-jin like melted pudding.

    ¡°How long do I have to do this shaman thing?¡±

    ¡°At least I have to endure it until the situation with Demon Lord is resolved.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ha-eun, who had her arms around Oh-jin¡¯s neck, jumped up and got on his back.

    Munchul.

    A springy feeling spread across my back.

    The sense of mass was nothingpared to Isabe¡¯s, but Ha-eun won by andslide in terms of sticity.

    ¡®No, this is not the time topare things like this.¡¯

    What is this sister doing even before she leaves?

    ¡°It¡¯s hard, sister. ¡°Stop it.¡±

    Ha-eun hugs your neck and whispers a sweet voice in your ear that makes you melt.

    ¡°How can a woman over 30 act so cute¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Kuuk.

    Pressure tightening around the neck.

    ¡°Where shall I take you?¡±

    ¡°All the way to the mine.¡±

    ¡°No, then what should Poppy do?¡±

    ¡°You can take Isabe there.¡±

    Is it because he lived a royal life that did not suit his body while in the kingdom?

    Ha-eun¡¯s voice was somewhat excited, perhaps because of the thought of finally leaving the kingdom.

    I felt like an inmate who had just been released from prison.

    ¡°Wow, whoever raised it, our Ojini has such a wide back.¡±

    ¡°At least my sister didn¡¯t raise me.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, man? ¡°I¡¯ve raised you with needles since you were little.¡±

    Ha-eun smiled and yfully ced the tip of her tongue on the back of Oh-jin¡¯s neck.

    A tickling shiver ran down the back of my neck.

    ¡°What are you doing now, sister?¡±

    [Can¡¯t you see that my child is ufortable?]

    Isabe and Vega opened their eyes and approached Ha-eun, who was riding on O-jin¡¯s back.

    ¡°Ah, why couldn¡¯t I even be with Ojini this time because of them? ¡°I¡¯ll stay a little longer.¡±

    [joy! A woman who is old enough to be old is not good at anything!]

    ¡°Hmm, is that what you are saying?¡±

    Ha-eun twists her lips and spits out the word ¡®ass¡¯.

    Vega¡¯s body jumped up as if it were on fire.

    [Didn¡¯t I say it was a misunderstanding?]

    ¡°Oh my gosh. ¡°You must be mistaken.¡±

    ¡°Stop it, sister.¡±

    Oh Jin sighed and bent down to put Ha Eun down.

    Ha-eun didn¡¯t seem to really intend to carry Oh-jin all the way to the mine, so she calmly got off his back

    .

    [Hi hi! The main woman is not that kind of shameless woman.]

    Vega, who had said something to Ha-eun for no reason and was countered with a proper counter, lowered her head with a sullen expression.

    Ha-eun burst intoughter and wrapped both hands around Vega, who was sobbing on Oh-jin¡¯s head.

    ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I¡¯m kidding. Sorry.¡±

    [That¡¯s it.]

    Vega snorts and turns his head.

    Ha-eun felt the urge to bite Vega¡¯s cheek at that cute gesture.

    ¡®With this difference in size, if you bite your cheek, it won¡¯t be Atamamma, it¡¯ll be the beginning of Attack on Titan.¡¯

    Right now, Vega was incarnated in a prosthetic body that was at most slightlyrger than the palm of her hand, so she couldn¡¯t bite her cheek.

    instead.

    ¡°Uh huh. ¡°Oh my God, why is everything she does so cute?¡±

    [What are you doing!]

    Ha-eun is tickling her stomach with her thumb while cing Vega on her palm.

    Vega screamed and struggled with her limbs, but with her body¡¯s extremely limited strength, she was unable to escape from Ha-eun¡¯s grasp.

    [How reckless! Come on, let¡¯s let go of the real girl¡­ Sigh! It tickles!]

    Vega begs with tears streaming down her face.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak, who was watching this from afar, let out a deep sigh and shook his head.

    ¡°ha. ¡°If other constetions had seen this, they would have foamed at the mouth and fainted.¡±

    ¡°My older sister is being too strict with Vega.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that what you¡¯re going to say?¡±

    Huh.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave quickly, sister!¡±

    ¡°Oh yes! okay!¡±

    [I am my child! Ha-eun¡¯s body¡­!]

    Vega, freed from Ha-eun¡¯s grasp, flew towards Ojin.

    Vega res at Ha-eun while holding Oh-jin¡¯s hair tightly in her hand.

    Ohjinughed and climbed on top of Poppy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Poppy.¡±

    ¡°purr!¡±

    Poppy hit her beak vigorously and kicked her feet.

    * * *

    Did I run like that for about 3 days straight?

    I could feel the surrounding temperature gradually rising, and the pungent smell of sulfur irritated my nose.

    ¡°Ugh, what¡¯s that smell?¡±

    Ha-eun frowned, holding her nose, as if she could bear the heat but couldn¡¯t bear the smell.

    ¡°I heard there¡¯s a volcano nearby.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say this ce is a mine? ¡°Can we dig a tunnel near a volcano?¡±

    This is something you should never do, as toxic gas or magma may explode if you are not careful.

    ¡°Well, how should I know what the demons are thinking?¡±

    In the first ce, it was the first time I had heard that the demons were mining mineral veins.

    ¡°You said the reason you mine is for gold, right?¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°They say that this guy named Deimos is a bastard with an eye for all kinds of gold and silver treasures.¡±

    Golden Deimos.

    As the title ¡®Golden¡¯ prefixes his name, he is said to have a fanatical obsession with gold and other treasures such as expensive jewels and weapons.

    ¡°But is gold a valuable mineral to the demons?¡±

    ¡°well.¡±

    In human society, ¡®gold¡¯ is a mineral whose value is recognized globally.

    Even in the Magyeong, it was not known whether gold was a valuable mineral.

    ¡°The gold of the Demonic World is a slightly different mineral than the gold of the human world.¡±

    Riak, who was walking ahead, turned his head and answered.

    ¡°Different?¡±

    ¡°The appearance and rarity itself are simr, but the magic gold contains the power of a star.¡±

    It¡¯s the power of stars.

    ¡°Like Seong Yu-seok?¡±

    ¡°okay. In particr, I have heard a rumor that the golding out of the ck Rock Mine here is imbued with very powerful magic.¡±

    So, does Deimos now have a virtual monopoly on gold, which is said to contain powerful star power?

    ¡°Then, the reason why Mugang stole Halbuji¡¯s treasure¡­¡±

    ¡°I think I probably heard a rumor about Deneb.¡±

    As you can see just by looking at the temple decorated with colorful jewels and relics.

    When ites to ¡®treasure¡¯, Deneb is something that cannot be overlooked.

    Of course, he could not have stolen the treasure directly from Deneb in the sanctuary, so it makes sense to think that he stole it from his apostle instead.

    ¡°Anyway, this guy is obsessed with money, right?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know if I should call this ¡®money.¡¯ In any case, it seems certain that he is a man with a maniacal obsession with valuable and valuable items.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s like a director.¡±

    Wow.

    Ha-eun spit thickly as if an unpleasant memory came to mind.

    ¡°But it looks like we will soon be entering a full-fledged volcanic area. Shall we stay here overnight today and leave early in the morning?¡±

    ¡°I think it would be a good idea for me to do that too.¡±

    The sun wasn¡¯tpletely set, but even if we went further, there was still some distance left to reach the ck Rock Mine.

    If you¡¯re going to have to pass by anyway, it would be better to spend the night at the entrance, where the sulfur gas is still less active.

    ¡°I¡¯ll set up the tent.¡±

    ¡°I will prepare a meal then.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡­¡±

    Ha-eun jumped down from Poppy¡¯s back and took out a cigarette pack from her jacket pocket.

    ¡°I¡¯ll smoke one~¡±

    Ha-eun hums and runs away.

    Oh Jin looked at Ha-eun¡¯s back as she walked away and swallowed augh.

    ¡°I heard from my sister before that Oh Jin likes women who smoke¡­ is that true?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I like women who smoke, I just said that the way my sister smokes suits me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Then what about me?¡±

    Isabe put her index and middle fingers together and brought them to her mouth and pretended to smoke.

    I feltpletely awkward even though I was just pretending that I had never even put tobo in my mouth.

    ¡°I think it would be funny if Be smoked.¡±

    ¡°Oh why why?¡±

    ¡°It just doesn¡¯t suit me.¡±

    ¡°I can smoke sexy too!¡±

    I lightly stroked the hair of Isabe, who was shouting with an agitated expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like smoking, but I don¡¯t like the smell, so don¡¯t smoke.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll try the vitamin stick next time.¡±

    I think that would be even funnier.

    Oh Jin swallowed a bitter smile and turned around.

    at that time.

    Doo doo doo doo doo!

    Ha-eun, who had gone to burn cigarettes in the distance, came running like an angry rhino.

    ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Oh Ojina!¡±

    She shouted, her eyes sparkling like stars.

    ¡°There¡¯s a hot spring over there!¡±

    Spa?

    Why a hot spring all of a sudden?

 Chapter 324

    I am not a returner Episode 324:

    Treasure hunt (3)

    ¡°It¡¯s a real hot spring.¡±

    As I followed Ha-eun, a hot spring with smoke rising from behind a wide rock was revealed.

    ¡°Then do you think your sister would have said something?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a bit surprising to think that there is such a healthy hot spring in Magyeong.¡±

    Of course, there are forests and streams in Magyeong, so there is no reason for there not to be hot springs.

    For some reason, when I thought of the hot springs of the Demon World, I imagined something like a swamp of death with bubbling magma or poisonous gas spewing out.

    On the outside, it was a very normal hot spring, so much so that you couldn¡¯t tell the difference from hot springs on Earth.

    ¡°The temperature is just right.¡±

    The water temperature was a bit hot, perhaps because it was a hot spring near a volcano.

    It was a temperature that was not a problem for Ojin and his group, who had the bodies of superhumans.

    Actually, if it isn¡¯t this hot, it won¡¯t cause any irritation.

    ¡°And if you look closely, doesn¡¯t something shine?¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Because the sun hadn¡¯t set yet, it wasn¡¯t very visible.

    As Ha-eun said, a faint halo of light was flowing from the hot spring water.

    Ojin dipped his hand into the hot spring water and activated the stigmata of the constetion Canis.

    ¡°The magic of stigmata is melted inside.¡±

    They say that the gold found in the ck Rock Mine contains a lot of star magic.

    I never would have thought that the hot springs nearby were imbued with magic.

    ¡®Is there a dragon vein around here?¡¯

    Seeing that this level of magical power was overflowing, there was a high possibility that this was the case.

    ¡°Oh what? So, like something out of martial arts, if I soak here, my magical power will increase?¡±

    ¡°No, not to that extent.¡±

    You can only expect a fatigue recovery effect.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°It¡¯s about recovering from fatigue.¡±

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and raised the corners of her mouth.

    ¡°how is it?¡±

    Ha-eun gives Oh Jin a subtle look and pokes Oh Jin¡¯s side.

    ¡°What can I do?¡±

    ¡°Look at you, bastard, even though you know, you¡¯re still pretending not to know.¡±

    Just like she said.

    It was not difficult to guess what her intentions were by looking at her passionate gaze, which went beyond being explicit and it was no exaggeration to say that she was sending telepathy with her eyes.

    but.

    ¡°We didn¡¯te here to have fun.¡±

    ¡°Who gets to y? Let¡¯s go and relieve our fatigue~ That¡¯s what it means. ¡°You¡¯re going to that ce where Deimos or something is tomorrow, right?¡±

    He¡¯s good at saying who he resembles.

    ¡°Okay, okay. ¡°Then we¡¯ll be setting up the tent, so take Be and Vega and go to the hot springs first.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to go in, you should go in together.¡±

    No, this sister?

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even bring a swimsuit.¡±

    ¡°You can just put on a towel and go. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take off your clothes ande in with me?¡±

    Ha-eun twitches the corner of her mouth with a smirk and pulls her arm.

    Oh Jin sighed and shook his head.

    Even if she held on like this, it seemed like Ha-eun¡¯s stubbornness would not be easily broken.

    ¡°okay. ¡°Let¡¯s go in together.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t like we were strangers to each other.

    Isn¡¯t it a particrly unpleasant thing for lovers to go into a hot spring together?

    ¡®Of course, Begar and I are not in a romantic rtionship yet.¡¯

    Well anyway.

    ¡°At least wear underwear.¡±

    If I went in with a towel wrapped around my naked body, I wasn¡¯t confident that I would be able to maintain my senses.

    ¡°Eh. ¡°I don¡¯t want my underwear to get wet.¡±

    ¡°You can stop meter.¡±

    With Ha-eun¡¯s ability, it only took a few seconds to dry wet underwear.

    ¡°But it still feels ufortable.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to get dressed and go in together, or don¡¯t you want to get dressed and go in separately?¡±

    ¡°Would you like me to wear ck?¡±

    I quickly epted the offer, as if I had no intention of being unreasonable.

    ¡°Good! ¡°Then let¡¯s pitch the tent first!¡±

    Ha-eun clenched her fists and ran to where Oh-jin was setting up the tent.

    After quickly setting up the tent.

    Ojin and his group changed their clothes and gathered in front of the hot spring.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re really wearing underwear, right?¡±

    I narrowed my eyes at Ha-eun and Isabe, who were wrapped in towels.

    I was clearly told to wear underwear, but for some reason I couldn¡¯t see the underwear straps going over my white shoulders.

    Isabe approached Ojin with a sly smile.

    ¡°Instead of underwear, I wore a small piece of sportswear that I had packed for training.¡±

    [The remaining fabric was used to make a swimsuit for the original girl!]

    Vega, dressed in a swimsuit, flew up.

    It looked like it had been made in a hurry, as it was made from spandex, a material used in sportswear, but it didn¡¯t feel particrly out of ce, perhaps thanks to the excellent hangers.

    ¡°And what about Riak?¡±

    I turned my head and looked around, but I couldn¡¯t see him anywhere.

    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t want toe in together, so you went out on patrol with Poppy.¡±

    ¡°Do you hate water?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡±

    Isabe smiled awkwardly and scratched her cheek.

    ¡°Anyway, even if you stay here, you¡¯ll just feel nauseous¡­¡± ¡°

    ¡­.¡±

    Of course.

    Ha-eun and Isabe were lovers to begin with, and Vega also had an obvious crush on him, so having a third party enjoy a hot spring bath together was no different from torture.

    There was no need to imagine the miserable feelings that Friend 1 would feel after being forced to go on a couple¡¯s date.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Then let¡¯s go in by ourselves.¡±

    Ojin, who had unintentionally fucked Riak, cleared his throat in embarrassment and turned to the steaming hot spring.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    As I soaked in the warm hot springs, the voice of a middle-aged man tired from working overtime naturally flowed out.

    I felt as if my fatigue waspletely gone, and the strong smell of sulfur irritated my nose.

    [Oh, so this is a hot spring.]

    Vega soaked in the hot spring with sparkling eyes.

    Haha.

    After soaking in the hot spring water, Vega trembled and let out a drowsy moan.

    [It feels different from just soaking in hot water!]

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Using Ha-eun¡¯s power, even without Ha-eun, making hot water was simple.

    It was impossible to reproduce the peculiar smell of sulfur and the slightly different water quality that is unique to this hot spring.

    [My child! Please raise your hand for a moment!]

    ¡°Like this?¡±

    [A little lower.]

    Vega swam over to Ojin¡¯s palm andy down on his palm, which was half filled with hot spring water, as if lying on a tube.

    [Hehe. It¡¯s just right.]

    The goddess smiles brightly, as if satisfied.

    Ojin chuckled and leaned back, cing Vega on his palm.

    The rough texture of granite and the warmth spreading throughout your body.

    The muscles rxingnguidly gave me a pleasant feeling of pleasure.

    ¡°I can¡¯t remember thest time I soaked in a hot spring like this.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t there hot springs in Italy?¡±

    ¡°It exists, but I¡¯ve never visited it separately.¡±

    Isabe smiled tiredly as she scooped up the hot spring water that was up to her waist and poured it on her body.

    I have been to countless baths filled with high-quality scented oils and bath additives, but this was the first time I had entered a hot spring that seemed to contain nature itself.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s good.¡±

    Enjoy a picturesque hot spring bath while watching the sun set.

    How could you be happier than this when you have a lover right next to you who loves you so much?

    ¡°Do you really feel like your fatigue is going away?¡±

    Ha-eun pped her feet and looked at the hot spring water with a soft glow.

    Is it because the hot spring water is imbued with magic, or is it simply because the atmosphere is so nice?

    For some reason, I felt like my heart, not just my body, was getting hot.

    ¡°Ojina, give me a refreshing massage on your shoulders.¡±

    Ha-eun quickly swam towards Oh-jin and held out her back.

    Although she said she was wearing underwear underneath, on the outside she only looked like she was wearing a towel, so Ha-eun¡¯s white shoulders caught Oh-jin¡¯s eye.

    ¡°What am I doing in the bathroom?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simr.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Why did I fall in love with this woman?

    ¡°Can you at least give me money for my trouble?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 100 kissester.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    If that¡¯s the case, then what?

    [¡­I understand why Riak said he wouldn¡¯te in with me.]

    Vega sighed and shook his head.

    Although she was one of the women who loved Ojin, it was a sight that made her cringe so much that it was difficult to open her eyes and look at it.

    ¡°It¡¯s only for 5 minutes.¡±

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t have the confidence to endure any more than that.

    Oh Jin ced his hand on her pale white shoulder and began massaging it with appropriate force.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make strange noises.¡±

    I put pressure on the tip of my thumb and rubbed the area where my muscles were tight.

    Every time Oh Jin¡¯s fingertips moved, Ha Eun let out a strange moan and twisted her body.

    ¡°Oh Ojina, it¡¯s so rough¡­ Ugh!¡±

    ¡°No, sister, please.¡±

    Severe thoughts kept running through my head.

    ¡°end. ¡°Five minutes have passed.¡±

    Oh Jin, who no longer had the confidence to hold out any longer, hastily withdrew his hand.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°I¡¯m a bit disappointed about something.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always best to end something when you feel sad.¡±

    He pped Ha-eun on the back and pushed her away.

    I thought I could finally enjoy a leisurely hot spring bath.

    Isabe quickly entered the empty space where Ha-eun had left.

    ¡°Oh Jin, me too¡­.¡±

    [Bo Bonnyeo too! [Please do the same for the real woman!]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    In the end, Ohjin, who had given a straight massage to Isabe and Vega¡¯s shoulders (which had returned to his original form when receiving the massage), copsed fromplete exhaustion.

    ¡®¡­I¡¯m dying.¡¯

    It felt like my mind, not my body, was melting and dispersing in the hot spring water.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time getting a horse massage, and you¡¯re really good at it.¡±

    [frame. [You¡¯re a technician.]

    Isabe and Vega, who had experienced Ojin¡¯s technician(?) movements, became as mushy as raw eggs dipped in hot water.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go out first.¡±

    When Oh Jin, feeling his limit, tried to hurriedly get up.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    Ha-eun pulled Oh-jin¡¯s arm and dragged him back into the hot spring.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m tired so I¡¯ll just leave. Why?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not good for you if you wake up now, right?¡±

    Are you saying it¡¯s not good?

    What could be worse than being here?

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you think that towel rack will be exposed outside?¡±

    Ha-eun slightly blushed and avoided Oh-jin¡¯s gaze.

    Ojin¡¯s eyes frowned.

    ¡°Towel rack? ¡°What nonsense¡­ ah.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes inadvertently turned downward.

    The corners of Ha-eun¡¯s mouth quirked up.

    ¡°Can you hang one or three?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    help me.

    I feel like I¡¯m going crazy.

 Chapter 325

    I am not a returner Episode 325:

    Treasure hunt (4)

    ¡°Huh. ¡°It¡¯s so good, really~!¡±

    Ha-eun stretched out her slim legs.

    In the end, Ojin, who was unable to leave the hot spring due to a sharp warning (?) from being a towel holder, had no choice but to chew his lips at her smooth skin exposed on the hot spring water.

    ¡°Oh! ¡°I forgot about that!¡±

    Ha-eun, who was stretching her legs, pped her hands.

    ¡°¡­what.¡±

    Ojin looked back at her with tired eyes.

    ¡°I put this in the hot spring when I was setting up the tent earlier!¡±

    Ha-eun swam to the corner of the hot spring.

    What was pulled out from under the heavy stone was a round basket.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°When ites to hot springs, you can¡¯t miss this!¡±

    He grinned as he took out eggs from the basket he had brought with him.

    Steam was rising from the egg that was ced in the hot spring.

    [Why did you bring eggs?]

    ¡°Originally, the rule was to eat boiled eggs in hot springs.¡±

    [¡­Do humans even have that kind of culture?]

    Vega tilts his head and looks back at Ojin.

    Ohjin smiled and shook his head.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a sauna and not a hot spring?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    Ha-eun peeled off the eggshells she took out of the basket.

    The plump boiled whites were revealed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Kyaha! ¡°It¡¯s just soft-boiled!¡±

    Ha-eun gently split the boiled egg in half and raised her thumb.

    ¡°If you add a little salt to it¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s mouth softened as she put the soft-boiled egg into her mouth.

    ¡°The dog is really delicious!¡±

    Oh Jin smiled and took out the egg in the basket and cracked the shell.

    Ha-eun sprinkled a bit of salt on top of the steaming boiled egg and took a big bite, filling her mouth with the taste of melted yolk.

    ¡°Wow Mr. ¡°It would have been perfect if only sikhye was avable.¡±

    I brought a lot of eggs, which are semi-necessary for cooking, but I couldn¡¯t even bring sikhye.

    [¡­Is it that delicious?]

    ¡°Does something change if I boil it in hot spring water?¡±

    Vega and Isabe appeared to be amazed by the two people eating while continuously letting out exmations of exmation as they approached.

    Ojin took two eggs out of the basket, peeled them cleanly, sprinkled them with salt, and handed them to the two women.

    [Where then¡­]

    Omnyomnyomnyom.

    After receiving the massage, Vega returned to a smaller size and gnawed on boiled eggs like a squirrel stockpiling food for the winter.

    Isabe, who was next to her, also took a bite of an egg sprinkled with salt.

    [Hmm. It has a subtle taste.]

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s just an egg boiled in hot water?¡±

    The two women looked at each other as if wondering if they had toe all the way to the hot springs to eat this.

    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t know much about Correa¡¯s culture either!¡±

    Ha-eun clicks her tongue and shakes her head.

    For some reason, it looked like there was a hat on her head that she wasn¡¯t wearing.

    ¡°You eat hot spring eggs with your chest, not your mouth!¡±

    ¡°¡­Breasts?¡±

    [How can you eat with your breasts?]

    Two women naturally looking down at their own breasts.

    Vega¡¯s gaze, which had been staring down at her chest, slowly moved to Isabe¡¯s chest.

    [How much would you like to eat¡­.]

    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡±

    Isabe blushed, covering her breasts with both arms.

    ¡°No, the chest is not the chest¡­¡±

    Oh Jin touched his forehead as if he had a headache.

    Cultural differences were too difficult to exin in one or two sentences.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Then how about eating it like this?¡±

    Ha-eun, who was dexterously spinning a boiled egg on her fingertips as if spinning a basketball, nced back at Isabe.

    A yful smile forms on your lips.

    Ha-eun swam like a cat to where Isabe was.

    ¡°Eight.¡±

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    Crispy!

    Haeun hit the egg in her hand on Isabe¡¯s head, breaking it.

    ¡°What are you doing, sister?!¡±

    Isabe, who was elegantly enjoying a hot spring bath, looked back at Ha-eun with a puzzled expression.

    Ha-eun burst intoughter and peeled the shell of the boiled egg.

    ¡°In Korea, we usually eat cracked eggs like this.¡±

    ¡°Do not lie!¡±

    Eating a boiled egg by hitting it on someone else¡¯s head.

    There is no way such a ridiculous culture exists.

    ¡°Is that really true?¡±

    ¡°joy! ¡°I¡¯ve been in Korea for a long time, so do you think I¡¯d be fooled by such nonsense?¡±

    Isabe turned to Ojin and demanded the truth.

    ¡°Uh¡­ So.¡±

    Oh Jin smiles embarrassedly.

    ¡°There was a culture of doing that in saunas, not hot springs.¡±

    You can only see it in entertainment programs or old dramas, but these days it is almost a dead culture.

    ¡°¡­What kind of country is Korea?¡±

    Isabe looked at Ha-eun, who was happily eating eggs, with an expression of iprehension.

    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that, Be, try it too.¡±

    Ha-eun said, patting the top of her head.

    ¡°Hmm. Okay, I¡¯ll try it too.¡±

    She held a boiled egg in her hand and made a solemn expression.

    Learning Korean culture is essential for living with Ojin in the future.

    No matter how difficult their culture was, it had to be epted for the future.

    ¡°no. Why, with such a serious expression¡­¡±

    ¡°Haap!¡±

    Arms swinging through the wind.

    The egg in Isabe¡¯s hand hit Ha-eun¡¯s head and shattered.

    Argh!

    A scream came out of Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Hey you bitch! ¡°I told you to break the eggshell. Who told you to smash the egg?!¡±

    ¡°Oh my? ¡°Isn¡¯t this how you do it?¡±

    Isabe tilted her head, looking down at the miserably crushed egg in her palm.

    [Even the original girl! I want to try it too!] Vega,

    who must have been interested in the culture of breaking a boiled egg into someone¡¯s head and eating it, lifted the egg with sparkling eyes.

    ¡°¡­stop. now stop.¡±

    Ojin muttered in a voice like a dead man who had lost his soul to the women¡¯s tireless stamina.

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯

    I should also go on patrol.

    It was a moment when I felt envious of Riak, who was not here for no reason.

    * * *

    ¡°ha.¡±

    After the stormy egg crisis(?) ended.

    Only then was Ojin able to leisurely enjoy the hot spring bath.

    No, more urately, I thought I would be able to enjoy a leisurely hot spring bath.

    but.

    ¡°Oh, it really doesn¡¯te.¡±

    Ha-eun whispers with her lips close to the ear.

    ¡°I asked you earlier if you were wearing underwear, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­I heard you were wearing sportswear.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what Be is like.¡±

    Ha-eun slightly pulled down the towel wrapped around her body and smiled mischievously.

    ¡°Shall I show you inside?¡±

    A towel that barely came down.

    If she lowered it a little more, her pure white skin would be clearly exposed.

    Ha-eun stopped lowering the towel, took a step toward Oh-jin, and looked at him with deep eyes.

    ¡°What is that, Heimerdinger? A famous philosopher said: ¡°You can¡¯t know the reality until you observe it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Schr?dinger, sister.¡±

    And he¡¯s a physicist, not a philosopher.

    ¡°Oh anyway! Ojini, I need to make sure you¡¯re wearing underwear yourself!¡±

    Ha-eun cleared her throat and ced the end of the towel wrapped around her body in Oh-jin¡¯s hand.

    ¡°now! ¡°Take it off as if you were peeling off the wrapping paper of a Christmas present!¡±

    What is a Christmas present? Another Christmas present.

    Ojin smiled and shook his head.

    I covered Ha-eun¡¯s body again with the towel she gave me.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you check?¡±

    ¡°Seeing that you are so confident, I can roughly predict the oue.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Ha-eun pouted her lips as if she was bored.

    I was nning on picking on Oh Jin as much as I could, but it ended up being duller than I expected.

    ¡®then.¡¯

    You can¡¯t simply give up just because you failed once.

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes sparkled like stars as she thought of the next move.

    ¡°Ojina Ojina. ¡°Come here.¡±

    Ha-eun gave him a hand gesture.

    ¡°why?¡±

    ¡°Quick.¡±

    As Oh Jin approached, Ha-eun quickly hugged him by the arm and leaned her head on his shoulder with a bright smile.

    ¡°Atta~ Good.¡±

    Moist skin touching your shoulders.

    Water-soaked reddish-brown hair clung to Ojin¡¯s body.

    ¡°I can hear your heartbeat.¡±

    Ha-eun, leaning her head on his shoulder, smiled brightly and leaned closer.

    She loved hearing Ojin¡¯s heart pounding like this.

    Because I could feel that he was here.

    ¡°Ojina.¡±

    ¡°¡­huh?¡±

    ¡°love you.¡±

    A feeling of suffocation.

    Every single word she said made my heart pound.

    to be honest.

    My heart pounded several times more than when she tempted me by showing me her inner skin.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the only one doing that to me?¡±

    Isabe, who was spying on the two cuddling, hugged Ohjin¡¯s other arm.

    ¡°I love you too, Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin kept his mouth shut at the strange kindness shown by the two lovers.

    [Ugh.]

    Only Vega, who had not yet conveyed her feelings to him properly, was left alone, looking at Ha-eun and Isabe with envy.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Oh Jin cleared his throat when he felt the soft sensation running down his arms.

    With Ha-eun and Isabe clinging to either side of me, wearing only a thin towel, I was in no condition to enjoy the hot springs or anything.

    [Everyone seems to be too attached to each other!]

    ¡°Hey, what do you think? ¡°It¡¯s not even like a man and a woman.¡±

    [Still, isn¡¯t there something that a woman must protect?]

    Vega puffed out her cheeks and red at the two women who were clinging to Ojin.

    Ha-eun raised the corners of her mouth and looked at Vega.

    ¡°Well~? ¡°Unlike others, I don¡¯t ask to be spanked, so I¡¯m not sure about that, right~?¡±

    [This profit!]

    Vega, in tears, rushed at Ha-eun.

    Once again, a loudmotion echoed through the hot springs.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Ojin leaned his back against the stone wall and raised his head as if he was tired.

    I soaked in the warm hot spring water and looked up at the stars that decorated the night sky.

    Although I was a little distracted, I felt a warm feeling spreading in my heart.

    ¡®Good.¡¯

    I can¡¯t believe I can feel this happiness even in the middle of the devil.

    To be honest, it was something I couldn¡¯t even imagine when I just arrived at Magyeong.

    ¡®Because it¡¯s not where you are, but who you¡¯re with, that¡¯s important.¡¯

    Even if this is a demonic world and not Earth.

    Next to him were Ha-eun and Vega Isabe.

    but.

    Who remains by ¡®him¡¯ side now?

    When Oh Jin¡¯s expression slowly hardened.

    Couuuuuuuuck!

    A cloud of dust rose in the distance along with a roar that shook the ground.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°This is where Mr. Riak is patrolling.¡±

    Ohjin quickly got up and looked in the direction where the roar came from.

    Ha-eun and Vega, who were bickering with each other, also red sharply in the direction from which the sound was heard with serious expressions as if they had never done so.

    Crrrrrrrrr!

    Riak¡¯s cries can be heard from afar.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Ojin clicked his tongue and ran out of the hot spring.

    The sweet break is over.

    As if they were matching each other, Ojin and his group started running towards the direction from which they heard the sound.

 Chapter 326

    I am not a returner Episode 326:

    Treasure Hunt (5)

    I kick my feet in the direction from where I heard Riak¡¯s cries.

    The water droplets that wet my body scatter.

    Without even having time to properly pack my clothes, I ran out wearing a towel over the shorts I wore when entering the hot springs.

    In the distance, I could see Riak and Poppy confronting a group of people.

    ¡°What are those bastards?¡±

    Is it because I was interrupted while I was having a private time with Oh Jin?

    Ha-eun red fiercely at the group confronting Riak.

    ¡°Wait a minute, sister.¡±

    ¡°ok? why?¡±

    ¡°Come here. Isabe and Vegado.¡±

    Before intervening, Ojin hid behind a nearby rock and looked at the group confronting Riak.

    ¡®Demon race?¡¯

    Unlike ordinary demons, a group of demons with dark red horns and dark skin were aiming their weapons at Riak and Poppy.

    A demon was lying on the floor with the back of his neck bitten off, as if he had already been involved in a fierce battle.

    ¡°Why are the beastmen here¡­?¡±

    ¡°How are you controlling the demon beast?¡±

    The group of demons confronting Riak frowned as if they could not understand.

    ¡°be careful. ¡°That wolf bastard is no ordinary.¡±

    The gray-haired demon who seemed to be the leader of the group calmly raised his spear.

    Grumbling.

    Dark red energy flowed down from the dark red horn on its forehead, likeva dripping, and condensed on the tip of the spear it was holding.

    Intense heat swept through the surroundings.

    ¡°Use it.¡±

    In contrast to the radiating heat that threatened to devour the surroundings, the gray-haired demon gazed at Riak with ice-cold eyes.

    ¡°My name is Jackal. ¡°He is a servant of the great Heavenly Demon and a knight who serves Deimos.¡±

    Mine, who revealed his name as Jackal, nodded and pointed at Riak with the tip of his chin.

    Now that you¡¯ve finished your introduction, you¡¯re making a gesture that suggests you should introduce yourself.

    Riak sneered and looked at the jackal as if he were the same.

    ¡°Do you need to know names to fight?¡±

    ¡°¡­it is courtesy of a knight to reveal his name.¡±

    ¡°I am not a knight, but a warrior, kid.¡±

    Crack!

    Riak¡¯s body changed into the form of a werewolf.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are or who you serve.¡±

    One important thing.

    ¡°Are you my enemy?¡±

    The silver wolf¡¯s eyes turned to the jackal.

    The jackal felt the ferocious murderous feeling spreading down his spine and added strength to his grip on the spear.

    ¡°As a knight of Deimos, I can¡¯t just leave alone someone who invades his territory without permission.¡±

    ¡°is it?¡±

    The corners of Riak¡¯s mouth twisted up fiercely.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    Coo!

    The silver wolf kicked his foot roughly.

    A silver ray of light crossing the ck rock.

    The muscles of my entire body swelled as if they were about to explode.

    ¡°Krrr!¡±

    Riak reduced the distance of tens of meters to zero in the blink of an eye.

    He reached within the range of the spear and clenched his iron-like fist.

    A fist zing with blue lightning.

    With a loud noise like a bomb exploding, his fist swung at the jackal.

    ¡°What a beast.¡±

    The jackal remained unfazed and calmly turned his spear to block the fist.

    A fist hitting the pole.

    Even though I only collided with my fist, I felt a heavy impact as if I had been hit by a siege weapon.

    A low growl flowed from between the jackal¡¯s lips.

    My hands were momentarily paralyzed by the lightning that flowed through the spear, but I quickly spread my magic to relieve the paralysis.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Spears dripping withva rush in like awls.

    Extremely refined movements, unlike the violent heat burning everywhere.

    A clean spear strike that could have been included in a spearmanship textbook was aimed at Riak.

    Riak¡¯s fingernails grew long and struck away the spear de.

    Kaang! Kang! Let¡¯s go!

    Spears and ws shing.

    Riak tried to somehow get into the range of the spear, but on the contrary, Jackal slid backwards to somehow increase the distance.

    ¡°Do you know the ideal distance for the window?¡±

    While the fierce battle continued, the jackal opened his mouth quietly.

    ¡°Five steps. ¡°That is the ideal distance for someone holding a spear.¡±

    The distance between him and Riak now is approximately 5 meters.

    The jackal took a step forward and closed the distance.

    ¡°Watch your feet for one step.¡±

    I took another step while watching Riak¡¯s movements.

    ¡°I look at my eyes for two steps.¡±

    and.

    Hiss!

    The de of a spear is fired at a distance of three steps.

    The de of theva spear aimed at Riak between the eyes.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The de of a spear passes by your cheek.

    Theva scattered where the spear de passed burned the flesh.

    Hideous burn marks were etched on half of Riak¡¯s face.

    Even in the pain of his flesh burning, Riak smiled, showing his white teeth.

    ¡°Do you fight with your snout, not your spear?¡±

    What is the most ideal distance, looking at your feet and looking at your eyes, or having a long tongue during battle?

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡±

    Coo!

    The ground shook and the silver wolf sprinted away.

    The jackal reflexively raised his spear to defend the front.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen.¡±

    Riak jumped high while running.

    He flipped his body in the air as if performing acrobatics.

    Puzzle!

    Riak, using the Thunder Step, turned sharply in the air and grabbed the jackal¡¯s back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    The jackal was caught behind in an instant and quickly turned around.

    ¡°Fighting is an instinct, kid.¡±

    Couuuuuuuuck!

    A heavy fist was thrown out, tearing the surrounding air.

    Riak¡¯s fist collided with the jackal¡¯s spear, which was unable to take a proper stance as it turned its body.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    A jackal flying away due to shock.

    His body bounced on the floor like a water swallow and hit a nearby rock wall.

    Dozens of tons of granite copsed and rained down.

    ¡°Jackal!¡±

    The demons who were watching the battle between the two moved btedly.

    ¡°purr!¡±

    Poppy quickly blocked the way of the demons.

    ¡°Get out of the way!¡±

    ¡°How dare a demonic beast stop the golden knights!¡±

    Unlike the free-spirited and individualistic Demons so far, the Demons who identified themselves as ¡®Golden Knights¡¯ pressured Poppy with borate joint attacks like knights who had received systematic training.

    Poppy swung her front foot fiercely at the demons, but it was not enough to stop the demons from joining forces on her own.

    The demons quickly drove out Poppy and surrounded Riak.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    The jackal, who had been pinned to the rock wall after being attacked by Riak, also got up, drooling.

    There were many wounds here and there on his body, but he must have avoided a fatal wound, and the intense fighting spirit was burning in his eyes as he red at Riak.

    ¡°Indeed¡­ for an animal, you have excellent skills.¡±

    The jackal wiped the blood flowing from the corner of his mouth and held his spear.

    His spear collided with Riak¡¯s fist and was folded into an L shape, but as magic power was poured into it, it quickly returned to its original shape.

    ¡°But no matter how strong one¡¯s power is, it is useless in front of an organized army.¡±

    The demons surrounding Riak aimed their weapons.

    Aplete siege where it is difficult to find a way out.

    Riak looked at the demons surrounding him and snorted.

    ¡°What happened to the knight¡¯s manners earlier?¡±

    It seems like it would be hard to deal with him alone, so he tried to enlist the help of his subordinates.

    ¡°Acknowledging the enemy and doing the best you can is also a courtesy of a knight.¡±

    The jackal let out a faint sneer and aimed his spear at Riak.

    He was not foolish enough to give up the powerful advantage of superiority in numbers and insist on one-on-onebat.

    ¡°is it?¡±

    Riak raised the corners of his mouth and turned his head.

    He clenched his fist as he looked at therge rock.

    ¡°Then, let me learn some manners.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    When he frowned as if he couldn¡¯t understand what was being said.

    ¡°Now is the time, baby!!¡±

    Rumbling!

    Riak stamped his feet roughly and roared.

    The surrounding earth cracked apart, and the demons surrounding him lost their bnce.

    When bewilderment appeared on the faces of the demons.

    It¡¯s a joke!

    A bolt of lightning shot up from behind the rock and struck the demons.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Aaaahhh!¡±

    Ojin dug in among the demons and violently swung his spear.

    ¡°How to keep form when dealing with a poopy puppy!¡±

    Following Oh Jin, Ha Eun stood on the rock where she was hiding and poured out a barrage of fire.

    ¡°This human?¡±

    ¡°Why are humans here¡­!¡±

    ¡°Damn the rain! Could it be that they are subordinates of an old ghost?¡±

    ¡°Ugh! ¡°You devilish human bastards!¡±

    The demons start to fight when they see Ojin and his group.

    They were looking at Ojin and the others with eyes full of fear, as if they were looking at zombies straight out of a horror movie.

    ¡°Eh? ¡°Why are these kids reacting like this?¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head at the fierce reaction of the demons.

    The demons now looked as if they were afraid of the race called ¡®humans¡¯ themselves.

    ¡°¡­Iknow, right. ¡°Is something a little strange?¡±

    A demon that trembles in fear at the sight of humans.

    Isabe frowned at the sight that was difficult to imagine.

    ¡°Think about your reactionter.¡±

    Ojin spun his spear around and struck the head of the demon who was trying to attack him from behind.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take care of these guys first.¡±

    ¡°I understand!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    When Ha-eun and Isabe entered the war in earnest, the situation quickly turned around.

    The knights of Deimos were stronger than the lower-level demons they had faced in the previous Dragonian Kingdom, but with only about 10 people, they were far from enough to deal with the entire Ojin party.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°You monster-like humans!¡±

    In addition, they were scared while their rtive power was being lost.

    The knights of Deimos began to fall one by one, unable to even make the slightest resistance.

    It is no exaggeration to say that the battle was overwhelming, but there was only one w.

    ¡®The outfit is a bit¡­¡¯

    Even though they were wearing sportswear underneath, my face got hot when I saw Ha-eun and Isabe fighting with just a towel on.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s not a paid avatar.¡¯

    When the two women¡¯s skin was clearly exposed every time they moved, I started to feel dizzy.

    ¡°Ohe on! ¡°That bastard is flying!¡±

    In the distance, I saw a jackal running away with his back turned.

    ¡°I will chase you. Sister, please clean up this ce as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes! okay!¡±

    Oh Jin decided that it would be better to get away from Ha-eun and Isabe and quickly chased after the jackal.

    ¡®It¡¯s fast.¡¯

    I felt it while watching the battle with Riak, but that demon race called Jackal definitely had executive-level skills.

    The distance between Ojin and the jackal gradually widened.

    When the jackal¡¯s appearance is so far away that it cannot be clearly seen with the naked eye.

    ¡°Exceed.¡±

    Squeeze!

    Blue lightning exploded and Ojin¡¯s steps became faster.

    It became a bolt of lightning and chased after the jackal.

    and.

    Sigh!

    ¡°Wow! ¡°Wow!¡±

    A jackal¡¯s voice full of pain was heard from beyond therge rock.

    ¡°As expected of you, old ghost¡­ it was you who did it.¡±

    A voice that sounds like it¡¯s being squeezed out.

    The jackal fell to his knees, ring at someone with eyes full of hatred.

    ¡°No ghost¡­?¡±

    Ojin looked at an old man standing in front of a kneeling jackal.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The old man, holding an old iron sword in one hand, looked at Ojin and tilted his head.

    Soon, a bright smile appeared on the wrinkled lips, like a flower in full bloom.

    ¡°Wow! A good person, a good person!¡±

    A being that the knights of Deimos trembled with fear and called an ¡®old ghost.¡¯

    Cheon Kwon-seong Baek Moo-gang was waving his hand vigorously towards Oh Jin.

 Chapter 327

    I am not a returner Episode 327:

    Treasure Hunt (6)

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    Baek Moo-gang approached with a bright smile.

    The rusty iron sword in my hand swayed gently like a tail.

    Ohjin answered in a calm voice, hiding his agitation.

    ¡°I came to look for the old man.¡±

    ¡°Huh? me?¡±

    Baek Mu-gang opens his eyes wide and tilts his head.

    ¡°How did youe to me?¡±

    ¡°I used thepass you gave mest time.¡±

    ¡°Compass¡­? ah! ¡°I gave it to you!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang ps his hands as if he hadpletely forgotten.

    Baek Moo-gang, who was pping his hands like crazy, extended his hand to Oh Jin.

    ¡°Nice to meet you again! Uh, so¡­ what was the good guy¡¯s name?¡±

    Did you even forget the name?

    ¡°It¡¯s a misdiagnosis.¡±

    ¡°Oh right! Misdiagnosis! lol. ¡°I remembered!¡±

    Baek Mu-gang¡¯s eyes sparkle as if asking for praise.

    For a moment, the question crossed my mind as to whether it would have been a good idea to help Baek Moo-gang find the treasure and then ask for his cooperation.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    The jackal, who was kneeling and watching, groaned and got up.

    The jackal lifted himself up using the half-broken spear as a cane and started running away without even looking back.

    When Ojin frowned and tried to chase after the jackal.

    ¡°Just wait a moment.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang took a step forward.

    Churrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    An ice sheet was created in an instant starting from his toes.

    Baek Mu-gang¡¯s body slid forward as if skating.

    ¡°You can¡¯t run away.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang caught up with the fleeing jackal in an instant and cut off his shin with his sword.

    A jackal with its leg cut off rolled on the floor.

    Baek Mu-gang approached the fallen jackal and aimed his sword at his neck.

    ¡°Where did you hide my treasure?¡±

    ¡°What on earth is that treasure?!¡±

    ¡°A treasure is a treasure.¡±

    ¡°This crazy guy!¡±

    The jackal looked up at Baekmu-gang with a pale, tired expression.

    ¡°A bad person stole my treasure. ¡°The treasure is precious.¡±

    Thin tendons sprouted from Baek Mu-gang¡¯s hand as he held the sword.

    Baek Moo-gang red at the jackal with burning eyes.

    ¡°Where is the bad guy now?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you talking about Deimos?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what treasure the old ghost was looking for.

    I could vaguely tell that the ¡®bad person¡¯ he was referring to was Deimos.

    Deimos¡¯ greed for priceless treasures was famous.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the name. But my treasure was stolen. ¡°We have to get it back.¡±

    ¡°under. ¡°Are you asking me where Deimos is?¡±

    The jackal snorted and grabbed the broken spear.

    He asked me, a knight of Deimos and not another demon, where he was.

    ¡°Glory be in gold.¡±

    The jackal stabbed himself in the neck with a broken spear.

    Cough.

    The jackal¡¯s body, which vomited blood, copsed.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang approached the screaming jackal, but the jackal had already stopped breathing.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it again!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang stamps his feet in frustration.

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe Minemitted suicide.¡¯

    Oh Jin was equally surprised.

    I never expected that Majin would have such loyalty that he would kill himself for the master he served.

    ¡®Even if they¡¯re demons, they¡¯re not all the same.¡¯

    Ohjin, who was looking down at the jackal¡¯s corpse with aplicated expression, turned his head towards Baekmugang.

    ¡°Are you looking for treasure while killing demons here?¡±

    ¡°huh. There¡¯s a bad person here. But it doesn¡¯t tell you where it is.¡±

    Is that why they were searching for Deimos while ruthlessly capturing and stomping on demons?

    Now I think I understand why the knights of Deimos were frightened when they saw humans.

    ¡°Do you mind if I help you find the treasure?¡±

    Although I briefly considered whether to ask Baek Moo-gang for cooperation or not.

    Seeing Baek Moo-gang¡¯s skill in chasing the jackal and cutting off its leg in an instant, I was inclined to help him find the treasure.

    ¡°You want to help me find the treasure?¡±

    ¡°yes. But if you find the treasure,e with me¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow! After all, a good person! Oh Jin is a good person!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang jumps up and down, pping his hands like a child without listening to what is being said.

    Oh Jin swallowed his sleep and turned around.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back and make a n first.¡±

    ¡°huh! okay!¡±

    Hehe, Baek Mu-gang nods his head with an innocent smile.

    ¡°Oh, can you wait here for a moment?¡±

    ¡°Huh? why?¡±

    ¡°I have some work to do. ¡°It only takes 10 minutes.¡±

    Right now, Ha-eun and Isabe were wearing only a towel.

    If Baek Moo-gang was suddenly taken away, a very embarrassing situation would arise.

    ¡°Uhm¡­ okay! ¡°I¡¯ll wait here!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang sits down with his butt on the floor.

    Oh Jin nodded and returned to where Ha Eun and Isabe were.

    ¡°Did you catch the guy who was running away?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve cleaned up everything here.¡±

    When he returned, Ha-eun and Isabe, who had been waiting for him, approached him.

    ¡°What about Riak and Vega?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Riak returned to the sanctuary due to his wounds, and Vega went with him to take care of Mr. Riak.¡±

    ¡°okay?¡±

    but.

    It is said that Riak had the upper hand in the fight itself, but the burn on his cheek was not a wound that could be overlooked lightly.

    ¡°I have something to talk about more briefly.¡±

    ¡°huh? ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Oh Jin told the two women about his meeting with Baek Moo-gang.

    ¡°You met that strange installment?¡±

    ¡°huh. So, I¡¯m thinking of calling you over and making some future ns together¡­¡±

    He continued, ncing at the two women¡¯s clearly exposed shoulders and legs.

    ¡°First, put on your clothes properly.¡±

    ¡°Oh right.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    The two women nodded and hurried back to the tent.

    After changing my clothes, I returned with the two women to where Baek Moo-gang was waiting.

    ¡°You¡¯re here! ¡°I kept my promise!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang, who had been quietly sitting in his seat and waiting without even a hint of confusion, suddenly stood up.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I paid installments.¡±

    ¡°Have you been okay so far?¡±

    ¡°Mutari? What is Mutari?¡±

    Isabe smiled awkwardly as she looked at Baek Mu-gang, who was tilting his head and sucking his fingers like a child.

    ¡°It means that you had a good time without any idents.¡±

    ¡°huh! ¡°I¡¯m doing well!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang nods his head brightly.

    ¡°thank god.¡±

    ¡°lol.¡±

    Although his back was bent like a hunchback and his face was full of age spots, he had an ugly appearance.

    The innocent smile on the corner of her wrinkled mouth felt somehow beautiful.

    ¡°There¡¯s a tent over there. ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡±

    ¡°huh!¡±

    Oh Jin took Baek Mu-gang and returned to the ce where the tent was set up.

    Baek Mu-gang¡¯s eyes sparkled when he saw the tent.

    ¡°house! It¡¯s home! ¡°Does Ojin live here?¡±

    ¡°No, this is not a house, it¡¯s a tent.¡±

    ¡°tent?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin continued speaking in a slightly tired voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a mobile home.¡±

    ¡°Wow, there¡¯s something like that.¡±

    ¡°How do you usually sleep?¡±

    ¡°me? I sleep lying down. Like this.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang is lying down on the bare floor.

    Although I vaguely expected it, it seems that Baek Moo-gang was wandering around the demonic world alone and without any proper equipment.

    ¡®Is it such a precious treasure that I have to go to such lengths to find it?¡¯

    No matter how high-ranking Awakened people are, they are basically ¡®humans¡¯.

    Sleeping on the bare floor with the starlight as a nket may be enough for a day or two, but after just a few days, you will experience extreme mental stress.

    Homelessness itself is an act that is instinctively repulsive to people who have lived in a civilized society.

    Even though he has dementia, Baek Mu-gang is still human.

    He was wandering around in a distant magicalnd, even sleeping on the bare floor.

    Over several years.

    To find lost ¡®treasure¡¯.

    ¡°Elder. ¡°What treasure are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°huh? ¡°A treasure is a treasure.¡±

    Another answer:

    ¡°So, even if it looks simple and what the treasure is¡­¡±

    ¡°Treasure is precious.¡±

    Baek Mu-gangughed as he cut Oh Jin off.

    ¡°You must find it.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    It seemed difficult to find out what treasure he was looking for right now.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    When I was sighing and wondering what to do with this unpredictable old man.

    Grumble.

    The sound of thunder was heard from Baekmugang¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°Are you hungry?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m hungry. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to eat here.¡±

    ¡°Since when have you been starving?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been ten nights since Ist ate! ¡°It¡¯s been ten nights!¡±

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s eat first.¡±

    Starving for ten days was difficult for even a high-ranking awakened person to endure.

    ¡°Mr. Oh Jin. Well¡­ I was going to the hot springs earlier, so I didn¡¯t get any preparations done¡­¡±

    Isabe trailed off with an embarrassed expression.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s just eat some instant food.¡±

    ¡°Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°You said you starved for ten days.¡±

    You must be so hungry that you could even chew on a rebar.

    ¡°Let me see, then¡­ Oh, I brought some frozen dumplings. Should I eat this?¡±

    Haeun rummaged through her backpack and took out arge pack of frozen dumplings.

    The backpack Kim Si-hoo gave me also had a thermal instion function, so the frozen dumplings were frozen just as they were when I first put them in them.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll boil the water right away.¡±

    Ha-eun slightly ripped off the opening of a frozen dumpling and dipped it into bubbling water.

    After waiting for about 5 minutes, delicious steaming dumplings were created.

    ¡°dumpling? ¡°Are these dumplings?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°There is a lot, so let me know if you want more.¡±

    Isabe put a dumpling on a te and handed it to Baek Moo-gang.

    ¡°Here are chopsticks¡­.¡±

    ¡°Wow! dumpling! ¡°I like dumplings!¡±

    Before Baek Moo-gang could receive the chopsticks, he picked up the hot dumplings with his bare hands and stuffed them into his mouth.

    ¡°lol.¡±

    A smile full of happiness spread across the wrinkled lips.

    Isabe asked in a kind voice as she took out another pack of frozen dumplings and put them in the pot.

    ¡°Did you like dumplings?¡±

    ¡°huh! ¡°Grandma used to make this often!¡±

    Baek Mu-gang, who was stuffing dumplings until his cheeks were full, nodded vigorously.

    ¡°It seems like your wife took good care of you.¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°My grandmother is a good person.¡±

    ¡°Then where is your wife now¡­?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡±

    Startle. Isabe¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    ¡°A bad person killed my grandmother.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    He let out a low exmation and avoided eye contact.

    ¡°¡­sorry.¡±

    ¡°huh? what?¡±

    Baek Mu-gang tilts his head as if he doesn¡¯t know why he¡¯s apologizing.

    Ha-eun, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, cautiously opened her mouth.

    ¡°If that bad person¡­ Deimos killed him?¡±

    Not only did they steal the treasure.

    Did they even kill Baek Moo-gang¡¯s wife?

    ¡°My grandmother?¡±

    ¡°¡­huh.¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang shook his head and had a faint smile on his lips.

    ¡°I killed him.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    ¡°My grandmother.¡±

    A smile filled with sadness, as if there were dark clouds in a clear sky that was different from before.

    ¡°I killed him.¡±

    As if looking for a star hidden by dark clouds.

    The old man¡¯s eyes wandered lonely into the night sky.

 Chapter 328

    I am not a returner Episode 328:

    Treasure Hunt (7)

    ¡°That¡­ what do you mean? ¡°The installment n killed me?¡±

    Ha-eun continued speaking in a stern voice.

    ¡°I heard that a bad person killed him earlier¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. ¡°I am the bad person.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang looked down at the dumpling he had taken a bite of and smiled sadly.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m stupid. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do alone.¡±

    so.

    ¡°My grandmother suffered a lot because of me.¡±

    Because it¡¯s hard and painful.

    Because the pain was unbearable.

    ¡°My grandmother has a bad disease. So¡­ he died.¡±

    Not anyone else.

    ¡°I killed him.¡±

    Saying that, Baek Mu-gangughed bitterly.

    Why?

    Ha-eun seemed to vaguely understand the distant emotions contained in that smile.

    ¡°¡­Instalments.¡±

    Because she did too.

    He became blind and had one of his legs cut off, making him unable to walk.

    Because it has be a heavy burden that weighs down Ojin¡¯s life.

    I still remember it vividly.

    Oh Jin, who stubbornly saved money for himself.

    The smell of tattered clothes you picked up and the sound of peeling off the stic of a 500 won calorie bar.

    Having to watch that miserable life from the sidelines without being able to do anything was a despair like falling off an endless cliff.

    ¡®if.¡¯

    What if Oh Jin had an ident and died while making money for himself?

    What happened to myself?

    Baek Mu-gang¡¯s image was reflected in Ha-eun¡¯s eyes.

    The shoulders of the old man, who was called Cheon Kwon-seong and should have been revered, felt infinitely miserable.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Silence descended like a curtain.

    Ha-eun pursed her lips as if she didn¡¯t know what to say, but then bit her lips.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not your fault if you pay in installments.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡±

    He shook his head, cutting off the words firmly.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, my grandmother could have lived happily ever after.¡±

    Ha-eun clenched her fists as the words continued calmly, as if she wasying out exnations written in an exnation book.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true¡­!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±

    Oh Jin opened his mouth before Ha Eun.

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s caring for someone or being cared for. ¡°Just having a precious person by your side makes you happy.¡±

    Happiness is not that far away.

    Because stars shine even beyond dark clouds where not a single ray of light can be seen.

    No matter how painful it is, no matter how painful it is.

    It would be better than life without Ha-eun.

    ¡°lol. ¡°I¡¯m an idiot so I don¡¯t know such difficult words.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang smiled brightly and started eating the dumplings again.

    Oh Jin looked at Baek Moo-gang with bitter eyes.

    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand.

    It¡¯s not trying to understand.

    He felt guilty about his dead wife and could only atone for her.

    Because it might have been the only way to ease the sadness.

    ¡°¡­Is the treasure you are looking for rted to your wife?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Baek Moo-gang tilted his head with his mouth full of dumplings.

    He chewed and swallowed the dumpling and smiled innocently.

    ¡°A treasure is a treasure.¡±

    Why?

    His bright, child-like smile seemed dangerous, as if it would break and scatter somewhere.

    ¡°Whew. ¡°Let¡¯s start by finding Deimos.¡±

    Whatever the identity of the treasure.

    In order to gain Baekmugang¡¯s cooperation, he had no choice but to find something called treasure.

    ¡°huh! ¡°I want to find a bad person!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang got up from his seat with the momentum of jumping and nodded.

    * * *

    next day.

    Full-scale exploration of the ck rock mine has begun.

    We searched through a mountain range covered with ck granite, crossing the thick nket of sulfur gas.

    ¡°Huh. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything around.¡±

    ¡°Iknow, right.¡±

    Short break time.

    Ha-eun sat down on the rock and sighed with a tired expression.

    The surrounding heat wasn¡¯t a problem, but the nauseating smelling from the sulfur gas was difficult for her to bear.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going back to the sanctuary for a moment, kid.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±

    Riak sighed, looking even more exhausted than Ha-eun.

    He, who had the most sensitive sense of smell among the group,ined of particr pain from the thick smell of sulfur.

    ¡®It must be hard to bear.¡¯

    Even if it¡¯s just a misdiagnosis, I feel pain like my head is breaking every time I use the stigmata of Canis the Hound.

    The pain that Riak, who has a more sensitive sense of smell than the misdiagnosis using the stigmata of the constetion Canis, would feel is so great that it is difficult to imagine.

    [This is the worst ce for Riak.]

    Vega, who was sitting on Ojin¡¯s head, let out a short sigh as she watched Riak disappear into a silver halo.

    ¡°Is it okay if Vega doesn¡¯t go back with me?¡±

    [The main woman can still bear it.]

    Vega held Ojin¡¯s hair and slowly turned her head.

    ¡°Wow! It¡¯s a centipede! centipede!¡±

    Where her eyes were directed, she saw Baekmu-gang jumping up and down like a child, catching and lifting an insect that had escaped from a crevice in the rock.

    [¡­But is the author really okay?]

    Baekmu-gang was so full of energy that one wondered if something had happened to his head from drinking too much sulfur gas.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be okay¡­ probably.¡±

    Ohjin stood up with a bitter smile.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move again slowly.¡±

    ¡°Okay. already?¡±

    ¡°Just because you rest here doesn¡¯t mean the sulfur gas will disappear.¡±

    Ha-eun sighed and got up.

    Isabe stood up following Ha-eun and lightly clicked her tongue while adjusting the vest she was wearing.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that sulfur gas would be more of a problem than the heat.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    If I had known this would happen, it would have been better to bring an oxygen respirator rather than a vest with fire resistance magic.

    Of course, there was no way there would be oxygen respirators in the Dragonian Kingdom.

    ¡°But is this Deimerson? ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was that bastard¡¯s territory?¡±

    Ha-eun shook her head and looked around.

    All you see around you is billowing sulfur gas and ck granite.

    There were no signs of civilization anywhere, such as roads or buildings that were maintained enough to be called a ¡®territory¡¯.

    ¡®Is this why the old man couldn¡¯t find Deimos¡¯ location and kept wandering around here?¡¯

    It might be better if there were demons patrolling the area likest time.

    This time, not even the demons were visible.

    ¡°If he had been interested in valuable treasures, he would not have abandoned his territory to the wastnd like this¡­¡±

    A guy so greedy that his eyes would turn to treasures would have abandoned his territory like this?

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯

    Basically, aren¡¯t treasures often used as a show off to show off to others?

    While Ojin was frowning and continuing his thoughts.

    ¡°Maybe there is territory under this mountain.¡±

    Isabe, who was calmly looking around, opened her mouth.

    ¡°Under the mountain?¡±

    ¡°Exactly inside the mountain.¡±

    ¡°You mean it was carved out of the inside of the mountain?¡±

    Isabe nodded and continued speaking.

    ¡°They say treasures have the purpose of showing off, but you don¡¯t put them out there in public, right?¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    After hearing it, it made sense.

    ¡°Of course, things like gold bars are usually stored in safes.¡±

    ¡°Of course, as Mr. Oh Jin said, the desire to show off is notpletely absent. ¡°Treasure is a contradictory entity in the first ce.¡±

    Just like she said.

    ¡®Treasure¡¯ basically contained duality.

    The desire to show off to others and the desire not to be taken away by others.

    In order to satisfy one¡¯s desire to show off, one must disy one¡¯s treasures externally, but the risk of it being stolen increases.

    Walking the tightrope between the desire to show off and the desire to protect.

    The mere existence of a treasure was bound to be contradictory.

    ¡®No, you have to have something expensive to know.¡¯

    In Ojin¡¯s case, he had never had anything that could be called a treasure, so he couldn¡¯t even think about it.

    ¡°Then all I have to do is dig?!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang¡¯s eyes sparkled and he raised his rusty iron sword.

    He sunk the iron sword into the hard granite and dug deeply into the granite as if he were digging soft soil.

    ¡°I¡¯m good at digging!¡±

    ¡°Oh no. But you can¡¯t dig the ground.¡±

    Isabe stopped Baek Mu-gang with a puzzled expression.

    Baek Mu-gang sucked his finger and tilted his head.

    ¡°why? ¡°I heard it¡¯s down here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not certain that it¡¯s under the mountain, and if you go straight through, you can¡¯t tell what¡¯s down there.¡±

    In the worst case, it could have fallen right in the middle of Deimos and his knights.

    ¡®We need to find the entrance to the mine.¡¯

    What if an underground city was created by carving out the inside of a mountain?

    The entrance must be outside.

    ¡°Then where should we go?¡±

    ¡°If there really is a territory under the mountain, you can enter and exit through the mine entrance.¡±

    ¡°okay?¡±

    The problem is that it is difficult to even find the entrance to the mine.

    ¡®Should I use Jiknyeo Castle¡¯s hunting dog?¡¯

    A technique that indiscriminately epts surrounding information into one¡¯s mind.

    It was possible to scan the interior, which cannot be seen with the naked eye, just like a CT scan.

    ¡®The problem is that information is received indiscriminately.¡¯

    Even if I use it in an empty field, I feel a pain that feels like my head will break.

    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t confident that I would be able to handle it if I used the hound of the Orihime Castle in this ce, which was filled with so much sulfur gas that even Riak couldn¡¯t hold on and fell over.

    ¡®It¡¯s a good thing that it ends with me vomiting.¡¯

    For some reason, I had an ominous feeling that the aftereffects would be much worse than that.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    When you continue to worry with no answer.

    ¡°I know where the mine entrance is.¡±

    An explosive statement came out of Baek Mu-gang¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    You know?

    ¡°huh! I¡¯ve been in there before! ¡°I came back because there was nothing!¡±

    ¡°Why on earth are you saying that now?¡±

    No, then doesn¡¯t that mean I¡¯ve been doing nothing until now?

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Baek Mu-gang tilted his head as if he didn¡¯t understand what was happening.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh yeah.¡±

    I didn¡¯t ask.

    ¡®I really want to hit you in the back of the head.¡¯

    I was so angry, but when I saw Baek Moo-gang looking at me with bright eyes as if he didn¡¯t know what he did wrong, my anger cooled down.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the mine entrance.¡±

    ¡°huh! I remember the entrance! ¡°Did you do well?¡±

    Baek Moo-gang smiles brightly, as if asking for apliment.

    ¡°¡­ha.¡±

    Was it really a good idea to get his cooperation?

    Remembering the concerns he had revisited over and over again, Oh Jin followed Baek Moo-gang toward the entrance of the mine.

 Chapter 329

    I am not a returner Episode 329:

    Treasure hunt (8)

    ¡°There! ¡°Over there!¡±

    As I followed the Baekmu River, I could see the entrance to the mine between tall rocks.

    ¡°If you go in there¡­ KEEP!¡±

    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±

    Oh Jin, who caught Baek Moo-gang who was trying to run away, hid behind a rock and looked at the entrance to the tunnel.

    ¡®There are no separate security forces.¡¯

    I endured the headache and activated the stigmata of Canis, but there were no demons that looked like security forces.

    ¡°What should we do, Oh Jin?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to go in first.¡±

    There was no other way to check whether Deimos¡¯ territory was inside the mountain than by entering it directly.

    ¡°It looks like the entrance to an ant cave.¡±

    ¡°It will be quiteplicated inside as well.¡±

    I haven¡¯t gone in yet.

    There was no way the inside of the tunnel, which was carved entirely out of such a huge mountain, would not beplicated.

    ¡°Poppy, keep an eye on whoes in from around here.¡±

    ¡°purr!¡±

    Poppy¡¯s size did not allow her to enter the narrow tunnel, so she was left waiting outside.

    Oh Jin lowered his voice as he carefully entered the entrance to the mine.

    ¡°Everyone, stop using magic from here on.¡±

    There could have been a relic installed that senses magical power.

    Ha-eun and Isabe nod their heads instead of answering.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Shh. ¡°You can follow me quietly.¡±

    In the case of the uncontroble Baek Moo-gang, Isabe decided to take charge of the mark.

    p, p, p.

    I walked inside the damp tunnel.

    Since I couldn¡¯t use magical power, I wondered if I should make a simple torch, but there was a lighting device installed inside the tunnel, so there was no problem with visibility.

    Cough! Kang! Cough!

    I guess I went inside for about 10 more minutes.

    The faint sound of a pickaxe could be heard from afar.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin raised his hand to stop the group and then got down on one knee.

    Ohjin, who was fiddling with the dirt at the bottom of the mine, grinned and raised the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°It is true that there is a road leading to Deimos¡¯ territory within here.¡±

    I muttered in a low voice.

    ¡°huh? ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an abandoned mine, but ore is still being mined for a long time.¡±

    ¡°¡­so?¡±

    ¡°The ore is still being mined, but there is no sign of it being taken outside.¡±

    The gold was not buried in the form of gold bars.

    The familiar gold was created by breaking the gold veins with a pickaxe and going through several refining processes on the dirt mixed with gold.

    However, there is no sign that the gold-mixed earth pile was taken out of the mine shaft.

    in other words.

    This means that gold is being taken inside the mine, not outside.

    ¡°Oh oh. ¡°When I think about it, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Ha-eun nodded with a low exmation.

    She swallowed dry saliva as she looked down at Ojin, who was squatting on the floor and examining the traces like a detective from some mysteryic.

    ¡°Woah, why does Ojini look so sexy all of a sudden?¡±

    What are you talking about?

    ¡°Can I cosy as Conanter?¡±

    ¡°I think if you cosy that, people around you will die.¡±

    And the culprit must be in here.

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t make any great deductions, so why are you making such a fuss?¡±

    ¡°No, I just wanted to see Ojini cosy.¡±

    Why do you want to see something like that?

    ¡°It¡¯s noisy. Let¡¯s go over there.¡±

    I carefully approached the ce where I heard the sound of the pickaxe.

    As I walked inside the winding tunnel, I saw a group of people working hard with pickaxes.

    ¡®Lizardman?¡¯

    Of course.

    Mine, a valuable force, was not directly working with the pickaxe.

    A demonic beast that looked simr to a lizardman was chained and silently continuing to use a pickaxe.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s Smander.¡±

    A minority race that originally lived in the ck Rock Mine.

    Unlike the beastmen and dragon people, they were not highly intelligent, but they were still intelligent enough to form a primitive tribal society, and were forced into mining very by Deimos.

    ¡®It¡¯s like the old colonial times.¡¯

    When I saw the Smander chained up and continuing to use a pickaxe, I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.

    Now was not a time to even think about their lives.

    ¡°Kiruk! ¡°Girl!¡±

    Two smanders were seen pulling a minecart full of dirt somewhere.

    Ojin and his party followed Smander without any trace.

    Perhaps the Smanders did not notice the presence of Ojin and the others, perhaps because they did not have much ability to detect presence, or because they did not have enough time to care about anyone else in the first ce.

    Let¡¯s walk down the long shaft following the mine cart.

    ¡®This is¡­ the territory of Deimos.¡¯

    Beyond the sign that said ¡®Glory to Gold¡¯, an underground city was visible.

    ording to Isabe¡¯s guess that she had created a fiefdom within the mountain, several buildings were located beneath the ck Rock Mine.

    ¡®The scale itself is not that big.¡¯

    Perhaps because the number of demons was so small, Deimos¡¯ territory built underground was not veryrge.

    Only the splendid castle, presumed to be that of Deimos, boasted its own majesty, but the rest of the buildings had a fairly in appearance.

    ¡®Is it because he wants to make hisst name stand out?¡¯

    It was a city that perfectly fit Deimos¡¯ greedy personality.

    ¡°¡­The entire crazy castle is made of gold.¡±

    Ha-eun stuck her tongue out as she looked at the golden castle illuminated by colorful lights.

    Just by looking at that castle, I could immediately understand why Deimos is called ¡®Golden Deimos¡¯.

    ¡°Bad people! ¡°Is there a bad person in that castle?!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang¡¯s eyes twinkled as he grabbed a rusty iron sword and tried to charge into the castle.

    Ojin quickly grabbed Baekmugang by the back and hid himself in a crevice in the rock.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    ¡°why? ¡°I heard there¡¯s a bad person over there?¡±

    Baek Mu-gang tilts his head as if he doesn¡¯t know why he¡¯s holding him back.

    ¡°It is dangerous to attack head-on.¡±

    In a situation where there was no information about how strong Deimos was or how powerful the knights under his direct control were, it was impossible to attack the castle blindly.

    ¡°Wow. okay. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to what Ojin says.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang, who thought he would go out of his way to find the treasure, obeyed Oh Jin calmly, unexpectedly.

    ¡°My grandmother said you should listen to good people.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang sits quietly on the floor with a bright smile.

    Oh Jin left the Baekmugang River behind and looked at the view of the underground city once again.

    ¡®There is no need to fight Deimos.¡¯

    The goal is to recover Baekmugang¡¯s stolen treasure.

    ¡®First of all, I need information.¡¯

    The treasure could not be stolen without any information.

    I was looking around to see if there was anything I could get information about.

    ¡°Mr. Oh Jin. ¡°I think that¡¯s a gold refining facility.¡±

    Two Smanders pulling a mine cart were seen entering what looked like a huge factory.

    ¡°Let¡¯s follow along.¡±

    Since he was said to be fanatical about gold, it was clear that he must have put a lot of effort into the gold refining facilities.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t these moving fast?!¡±

    When entering the factory, unlike the tunnel where there were no surveince troops, several demons were seen urging the Smanders.

    ¡°That means the delivery date is today!¡±

    ¡°Move quickly!¡±

    Wow!

    The demons holding whips hit the Smander on the back.

    The Smander ve threw the pile of dirt he had brought on the cart into the mechanism with a contorted expression of pain.

    Ojin slowly looked at the faces of the demons who were watching the Smanders.

    Although most of them were showing less force than the ¡®Golden Knights¡¯ they had faced before.

    One of them.

    There was a demon looking down at the Smanders with his arms crossed.

    ¡®Are you the manager of this factory?¡¯

    The armor the demon was wearing was ted with gorgeous gold, just like the one the jackal was wearing.

    A demon race that appears to be at least an executive level or higher.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    As if it was indeed different from Smander, Ohjin and his group detected its presence as soon as they entered the factory.

    Mine, who was looking down at Smander with his arms crossed, turned his gaze to Ojin and the others.

    ¡°Sister Isabe.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Two women preparing for battle as if they knew without having to say anything.

    Before full-scalebat.

    ¡°Vega can you block out the surrounding sounds?¡±

    [It will be possible if you expand the sanctuary.]

    Using the sanctuary in the material world ces a great burden on the constetion.

    If the sanctuary had a minor effect of blocking sound, it could be fully expanded with some restrictions.

    [Then I will spread my sanctuary first.]

    Vega flew high and spread her arms wide.

    A silver halo spread around and covered the factory.

    ¡°It¡¯s an intruder!¡±

    ¡°human? ¡°How can a human be here¡­?¡±

    The demons guarding the factory quickly took out their weapons.

    ¡°Is it okay if I scold them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can scold me as much as you want.¡±

    ¡°lol! okay!¡±

    Baekmugang rushed towards the demons with a bright smile.

    That¡¯s how the fighting began.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°Aaaahhh!¡±

    The battle itself didn¡¯t take long.

    There were quite a lot of troops guarding the factory, as much attention was paid to the factory facilities, but it was not enough to stop Ohjin and his group, who were ipetent.

    ¡°Ugh! No matter what, the old ghost came all the way here¡­¡±

    The captured executive-level Mine must have recognized Baek Moo-gang and opened his eyes fiercely, chewing his lips.

    He took out amunication relic from his chest and urgently tried to send a telegram to the main office.

    ¡°It won¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Quack!

    Ojin hit the spear and shattered Mine¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Now, put this in your mouth.¡±

    To prevent him frommitting suicide like a jackal, he stuffed a towel in his mouth.

    ¡°town! ¡°Ugh!¡±

    A mine that twists its body like an insect.

    ¡°Mr. Oh Jin.¡±

    After suppressing all the demons, Isabe went outside and looked around, then returned inside the factory.

    ¡°Luckily, I don¡¯t think they noticed the situation here. But¡­¡±

    Right now, it wasn¡¯t discovered that Ojin and his group had invaded the territory.

    ¡°If this continues, it¡¯s only a matter of time before we get caught.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    As news from the factory is cut off, information that an intruder has entered will spread within a few hours.

    ¡®then.¡¯

    Ojin¡¯s eyes shone sharply.

    ¡°We have to rob the warehouse before we get caught.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re opening a warehouse?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    Since he is so fanatical about uncovering treasures, the amount of treasures he has umted so far must be considerable.

    Unless you are carrying it around in a bundle, there will be a ce in the castle to store the treasure.

    ¡°But that ce will be the most heavily guarded.¡±

    Robbing a treasure trove was more dangerous than sneaking into Deimos¡¯ bedroom.

    ¡°are you okay.¡±

    Ojin chuckled and turned his head towards Isabe.

    ¡°Do you know when people are most easily fooled?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    Isabe tilts her head at the sudden question.

    Without answering, Ojin lightly shrugged his shoulders and approached Mine, who was lying down with both broken arms.

    ¡°hey.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    The fallen Mine looked up at Ojin with a pale, exhausted face.

    Ohjin squatted down in front of him and tapped his shoulder in a friendly way.

    ¡°Can you help me?¡±

    Hehehe.

    A frightened hup escaped from Myne¡¯s mouth.

 Chapter 330

    I am not a returner Episode 330

    Treasure Hunt (9)

    [Analyzing unique magic power patterns. Please wait a moment.]

    Golden Castle.

    The entrance to the golden treasure trove, where the treasures Deimos had collected so far were stored, was tightly locked with a huge iron door.

    There are three doors you have to pass through to get inside.

    Each door was protected by dozens ofyers of barriers, and his knights stood guard 24 hours a day, making it a ce not even a rat could pass through. This was the ¡®Golden Treasury¡¯.

    The first door guarding a treasure trove of gold.

    There was a demon standing in front of a door that was impossible to enter unless you were a member of the security guard.

    [The identity of ¡®Orcal Del¡¯, a member of the Golden Knight Guard, has been confirmed.]

    ¡°Glory be to the gold.¡±

    A gruff-looking demon called Orcal saluted with a sharp gesture toward the iron gate.

    Sigh.

    The tightly closed iron door opened.

    ¡°Ah, are you here, Commander Orcal?¡±

    ¡°Glory be to the gold!¡±

    As he entered, the two Mines standing guard saluted him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte.¡±

    Orcal nodded slightly towards the guards.

    ¡°The captain is waiting inside.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    I turned and went into the security office.

    Sitting inside was a man with a handsome face and a handsome mustache.

    ¡°You¡¯re 10 minuteste for your shift.¡±

    ¡°sorry.¡±

    Orcal bowed politely towards the guard captain.

    The guard captain looked back at Orkal and spoke softly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to criticize you for beingte. ¡°I¡¯m just curious as to why you werete, even though you usually came 20 minutes before your shift.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Orcal¡¯s voice trembled.

    The guard captain continued speaking with a low sigh.

    ¡°Is it because of the jackal?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Orcal silently avoided the guard captain¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°You said you were attacked by an old ghost?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to chase him, you¡¯d better stop.¡±

    The guard captain stood up and approached Orcal, who was standing silently.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t our role to protect Deimos¡¯ report?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    The guard captain breathes a sigh of relief.

    Rather than worrying about Orcal, it seemed like he was worried about the impact his ident would have on him.

    The guard captain took his coat and went out.

    ¡°If anything happens, please contact me.¡±

    ¡°Glory be to the gold!¡±

    After bowing curtly toward the guard captain¡¯s back, Orcal took off the sword from his waist and sat down in his office chair.

    ¡°¡­.¡± He

    sat down in the chair and looked over the handover report with heavy eyes. He put the sword that was standing next to the table back on his belt and stood up.

    After all, it was more certain to see it with your own eyes rather than receiving the handover through a report.

    As he went out of the office, two Mines from the security team followed behind him.

    ¡°Is there anything special?¡±

    ¡°yes! doesn¡¯t exist!¡±

    Orcal nodded heavily and took out a sacred stone with aplex magic engraved on it from his chest.

    ¡°I will go on patrol. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    ¡°Glory be to the gold!¡±

    He took the Holy Youseok out of his chest and ced it in front of the huge door.

    Grrrrrrrgh!

    The Seongyu-seok and the door resonated, and the second door guarding the treasury opened.

    Orcal entered the door and looked at the third door, which was firmly locked.

    With his authority, he can only enter through the second door.

    In order to open the third door, the holy oil stone carried by the guard captain was needed.

    ¡°egg nt.¡±

    ¡°yep!¡±

    Of course, there was no need to open the third door to patrol.

    Orcal walked down the long hallway with two guards to check if there was anything wrong.

    ¡°¡­hmm?¡±

    While walking down the hallway, Orcal¡¯s steps suddenly stopped.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The security guard following behind tilted his head.

    Orcal silently scanned the floor and walls of the hallway with his hands.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s humid.¡±

    A faint moisture felt on the fingertips.

    Originally, Deimos¡¯ territory, where the gold refining factory was located, was full of moisture even though it was underground and never rained.

    The ¡®Golden Treasury¡¯, where Deimos¡¯ treasures were stored, was an exception.

    ¡°Do you mean moisture?¡±

    ¡°Look here.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    The security guard¡¯s expression turned pale as he touched the wall to check for moisture.

    Due to the nature of the treasury, which contained countless treasures, moisture was like a poison that should never be present.

    ¡°It looks like there¡¯s a problem with the humidity control system.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll contact the captain right away!¡±

    One security guard quickly ran outside.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to call the facility manager.¡±

    Orcal frowned and walked to the office.

    I urgently tried to contact the facility manager at the main headquarters through themunication relic, but for some reason I was unable to get in touch.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    A low sigh came out.

    ¡°The manager isn¡¯t responding.¡±

    ¡°I will go directly to the workshop!¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    The role of the guards is not only to guard the gold treasure trove, but also to maintain the treasures stored within in the best condition.

    The management facilities had to be brought back to normal as quickly as possible.

    ¡°Who is the executive who is good at controlling relics?¡±

    ¡°I heard that Aktur has outstanding skills.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s Aktur¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an executive who manages the gold refinery.¡±

    I¡¯ve heard it before.

    Did you say that it was Arctur who designed the factory¡¯s facilities?

    ¡°I will contact Acutur right away!¡±

    ¡°I will do it myself.¡±

    Executive-level mines were often arrogant.

    It would be difficult to talk properly unless it was from the same executive.

    ¡°Glory be to the gold. ¡°I am themander of the Orcal unit of the security forces.¡±

    Orcal sent a message to Ahktur.

    -Oh yes. Woe be glory to gold.

    Aktur¡¯s voice was heard through themunication relic.

    ¡®hmm?¡¯

    Orcal frowned at the sound of his voice sounding like he was scared of something.

    I wanted to ask what was going on, but I didn¡¯t have the time right now.

    ¡°Bogo¡¯s management facility is broken. ¡°Can youe and take a look in person?¡±

    -All right.

    Aktur readily epted the offer without even asking why he was being called and not the facility manager.

    ¡°¡­Do you understand?¡±

    I was momentarily taken aback by such a willing eptance.

    -yes. I¡¯ll go right there.

    ¡°Oh yeah. All right.¡±

    As a person asking for help, it was impossible to question why the request was epted so easily.

    Afterpleting themunication, I put down the relic.

    ¡°The humidity management device is broken?¡±

    The office door opened and the security chief came in.

    ¡°yes. ¡°I checked it while patrolling.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure when I checked, it wasn¡¯t like that¡­¡±

    The guard captain trailed off and bit his lip with a nervous expression.

    Seeing him sweating profusely and avoiding eye contact, it was not difficult to notice that the guard captain had not been patrolling properly.

    ¡°It looked like the device had just broken down.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°haha. okay! ¡°There was definitely nothing wrong when I checked!¡±

    The guard captain patted Orcal¡¯s shoulder with a look of relief.

    ¡°So did you call the manager now?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t contact you, so I called in another executive who is skilled in adjusting relics.¡±

    ¡°Another executive?¡±

    Orcal nodded and told the captain that he had summoned Aktur.

    ¡°Hmm. Arctur¡­ can he really fix the device?¡±

    ¡°They say they built the factory facilities themselves, so I think it will be possible.¡±

    They also builtplex gold refining factory facilities, so there was no way they couldn¡¯t fix a relic with a simple humidity-maintaining function.

    ¡°And even if a problem arises¡­¡±

    it could have been put on the fault of the facility manager and Arctur, who had not been contacted.

    ¡°Hehehe. ¡°I see.¡±

    The guard captain nodded and turned around.

    ¡°Captain! Im here!¡±

    Arctur quickly arrived at the golden treasure trove, as if waiting for contact.

    ¡°Glory be to the gold.¡±

    Aktur salutes with a very intimidated expression.

    The guard captain approached Arctur with his signature warm smile.

    ¡°Oh, thank you foring. ¡°I told you to trust that you could fix it and leave it to me, right?¡±

    ¡°As far as telling you to believe and get hit¡­.¡±

    ¡°Haha! There is no need to be humble! ¡°You can do it!¡±

    The guard captain subtly passed the me to Aktur and patted him on the back.

    ¡°The humidity management relic is inside. ¡°I can open the door, but a guard wille in for security reasons.¡±

    ¡°yes? ¡°You¡¯re going in with the guards?¡±

    Arctur shook his head with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°Oh no. ¡°It¡¯s not aplicated matter anyway, so I¡¯ll go in alone and fix it ande out soon.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. That might be a bit difficult. ¡°Is there a reason why I have to go in alone?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±

    Cold sweat formed on Aktur¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°All right. ¡°I¡¯ll go in with you.¡±

    ¡°haha. ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡±

    The guard captain took Aktur and headed to the third door.

    He took out the holy oil stone from his chest and held it close to the door©¥

    ¡°Wait a moment!¡±

    Orcal¡¯s urgent voice echoed through the hallway.

    ¡°Why but you?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    An ominous feeling runs down my spine.

    Intuition, not logic, was warning me.

    Interest must not be allowed in here.

    Orcal kept his mouth shut and red at Ahkhtur, who was terrified.

    ¡°¡­eight.¡±

    ¡°eight?¡±

    ¡°What happened to that arm?¡±

    Orcal, who was watching Ahktur closely, approached him and roughly grabbed his forearm.

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    A scream of pain burst from Ahktur¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡±

    ¡°We treated it urgently, but this is clearly evidence of a broken arm.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    Orkal tore off Ahkhtur¡¯s clothes, exposing his arms.

    Abnormally swollen forearm.

    It was a wound that was visible when the broken arm had just regenerated.

    ¡°Why did you break your arm?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    In response to Orcal¡¯s sharp interrogation, Arctur took a step back with a pale, tired face.

    ¡°There was an ident¡­¡±

    ¡°ident?¡±

    A cold sneer appeared on Orcal¡¯s lips.

    ¡°There was an attack.¡±

    There was no way that an executive-level mine could have broken his arm just because of an ¡®ident¡¯.

    ¡°If it¡¯s an attack¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know, Captain, that the Jackal unit was attacked not long ago?¡±

    ¡°¡­Could it be that an old ghost has invaded the territory?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably not just the old ghost.¡±

    Considering the old ghost¡¯s mental state, there was no way he could have nned such a cunning n.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, it means that rats looking for Deimos¡¯ treasure have sneaked into the territory.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The guard captain¡¯s eyes shone coldly.

    He turned his head to the guard who was standing nkly and said.

    ¡°Contact the main management office right now and check whether the gold scheduled for delivery today has arrived.¡±

    ¡°yes!¡±

    The security guard rushed somewhere and returned in less than 5 minutes.

    ¡°They say the gold scheduled to be delivered today hasn¡¯t arrived yet!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    The corner of the guard captain¡¯s mouth twitched.

    The gold that was supposed to arrive has not arrived yet.

    That meant only one thing.

    ¡°It looks like rats have taken over the factory.¡±

    Startle.

    Aktur¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so¡­¡±

    ¡°Quiet.¡±

    A huge amount of magical power was released from the body of the guard captain who had covered Aktur¡¯s mouth, as if he could not breathe.

    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid enough to be fooled by your poor acting.¡±

    ¡°town! ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Cheeeeeek!

    The guard captain¡¯s hand holding Aktur¡¯s mouth began to burn hotly.

    ¡°Can you guide me to where the rats are right now?¡±

    ¡°Ugh. town!¡±

    Arctur rolled his eyes with a look of horror and quickly nodded.

    ¡°good.¡±

    The guard captain held out the sacred stone he was holding in his hand to Orkal.

    ¡°I will catch the rats. ¡°You will report and check that the items inside are not damaged.¡±

    ¡°No, me too¡­.¡±

    ¡°Commander Orcal. ¡°Was it difficult for you to understand what I said?¡±

    The guard captain red at Orcal with eyes shining with greed.

    His eyes were filled with the desire to catch all the rats that had invaded the territory and take all the credit.

    ¡°¡­All right.¡±

    ¡°Haha. I¡¯ll be sure to tell Deimos that you yed a significant role in catching the rats.¡±

    The guard captain smiled kindly and gathered all the guards inside.

    ¡°We are going to catch rats now!¡±

    ¡°yes!¡±

    The security guards rushed towards the factory.

    ¡°¡­ha.¡±

    Orcal, who was left alone, sighed and brought the holy stone in his hand to the third door.

    Grrrrrrrgh!

    The final door opened, revealing countless treasures stored within the golden treasury.

    Orcal entered the golden treasury and closed the door.

    and.

    Creep, boom, boom!

    With an eerie sound, Orcal¡¯s face began to twist and turn like crushed y.

    The jumbled and distorted face returned to that of a young man.

    ¡°That¡¯s when people are most easily fooled.¡±

    Oh Jin looked at the treasures filled inside and twisted the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°Just when you thought you weren¡¯t stupid.¡±

    The sound of gigglingughter echoed within the golden treasury.

 Chapter 331

    I am not a regressor Episode 331:

    Treasure Hunt (10)

    The n itself was simple.

    First, after hearing information about Orkal, themander of the guard unit, from Aktur, he and his party attacked him.

    Although he possessed formidable skills as a unitmander, there was no way he could withstand Ojin¡¯s party, which was filled with monster-like strongmen, and even in a one-sided surprise attack.

    After subduing Orcal, it was a breeze.

    Ojin used transformation to y Orcal and leisurely infiltrated the golden treasury.

    Cold moisture inside?

    A facility manager who suddenly lost contact?

    There was no need to even bother with this.

    ¡®I was the one who discovered the moisture inside in the first ce and the one who contacted the facility manager.¡¯

    The moisture was created using the stigmata of the Hippocampus constetion, and the facility manager was not even contacted in the first ce.

    The only variable was calling Arctur, but in this case, I was lucky.

    This is because he was a magician with excellent skills in adjusting relics.

    ¡®Even if it wasn¡¯t for that, you could have brought him in for another reason.¡¯

    anyway.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to get inside while acting as Orcal.

    ¡®Rather, it was more difficult to hide the transformation from Vega.¡¯

    Because he didn¡¯t want Vega to find out about the true nature of the transformation, Ojin had no choice but to carry out most of this n alone.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    An exhausted sigh flowed from Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡®How long can this go on?¡¯

    The more things I was carrying, the more difficult it became to hide the existence of ck Heaven.

    Because there was no way to fight against the Heavenly Demon without using the power of the ck Heaven.

    ¡®Someday.¡¯

    The thought crossed my mind that the day mighte when I would have to tell her who I was.

    ¡®Not now.¡¯

    Ohjin shook his head and took out amunication relic from his pocket.

    When magical energy was poured into a fist-sized crystal ball, a hologram emerged with a faint halo of light.

    -Wow! treasure house! It¡¯s a treasure trove!

    I saw Baek Moo-gang looking around with his eyes sparkling.

    -You really seeded.

    -How on earth did you get through the security and get inside?

    The voices of Isabe and Vega were heard from beyond Baekmu River, whose face was pressed close to the crystal ball.

    ¡°I told you there was a way.¡±

    Ohjin walked slowly, avoiding giving a specific answer.

    ¡°Is there any treasure you are looking for among these?¡±

    Ojin held out his crystal ball toward the mountain of treasure.

    There are hundreds of types of treasure.

    All kinds of treasures were gathered, from sparkling gold and jewels to swords such as spears and swords.

    -Ugh¡­ wait a minute.

    Baekmugang looking closely at the mountain of treasure.

    He was staring intently with his finger in his mouth, then shook his head softly.

    -No, not here.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Because the treasure trove of gold was so vast, there were still many ces to visit.

    Ohjin slowly walked around the inside of the golden treasury while holding a crystal ball.

    ¡°What about here?¡±

    Apartment filled with essories such as nes and rings.

    Each piece of jewelry was studded with sparkling jewels that seemed to easily cost hundreds of millions of won.

    -Hmm¡­no. My treasure is not here.

    Baek Mu-gang, who was looking at the treasure intently, shook his head again.

    ¡®As long as it¡¯s not an ornament.¡¯

    Oh Jin this time moved to a ce filled with jewels.

    but.

    -no.

    Baek Moo-gang shakes his head again this time.

    Oh Jin sighed and moved to the ce where swords such as swords and spears were disyed.

    -Uhm¡­no.

    Is it a failure this time too?

    A deep sigh naturally flowed out.

    ¡°Could you tell me a little about the treasure you are looking for?¡±

    Out of frustration, I asked a question I had been asked many times before.

    Just when you think you¡¯ll get another useless answer like ¡®treasure is treasure¡¯ anyway.

    -My treasure is more square and lighter.

    Square and light?

    ¡®Is it like a box filled with jewels?¡¯

    No, the jewelry box won¡¯t be light.

    ¡®What treasure are you looking for?¡¯

    Oh Jin walked around the inside of the golden treasury to find the treasure that Baek Moo-gang had mentioned.

    However, no matter how much I looked and looked around inside, I could not find the treasure that Baek Moo-gang had mentioned.

    ¡®damn.¡¯

    At this point, I was starting to wonder if Deimos had actually stolen Baekmu River¡¯s treasure.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you in here by any chance and you missed it?¡±

    -no. You can know me when you see the treasure.

    Baek Mu-gang answers firmly.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Oh Jin, who never thought that the treasure that Baek Moo-gang was looking for was not even in the warehouse, let out a deep sigh as if he had a headache.

    ¡®If not here, where on earth are you?¡¯

    Could it be that it is one of the items that Deimos keeps separately?

    ¡®Then there¡¯s no way to sneak it out.¡¯

    If it is a ce with tight security, like a treasure trove of gold, it is possible to steal the treasure.

    If you were secretly storing it in a private safe that only you knew about, there was no way to steal it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just take one morep.¡±

    There was still time until the guard captain arrived at the factory.

    Ojin returned to the entrance to the Golden Treasury to look around once again.

    at that time.

    Grrrrrrrgh!

    A door that suddenly begins to open.

    A tall demon slowly walked in through the slowly opening door.

    ¡°I wondered if someone had opened the door without permission¡­ and a rat had sneaked in.¡±

    A body so thin that you can see the bones.

    Eerie blue eyes sparkled within the hollow eyelids, like a person on the verge of starvation.

    Let¡¯s go!

    As soon as Ojin saw the tall demoning inside, without hesitation, he pulled Dantalian from his waist and threw it away.

    Dantalian, who instantly changed his form into the form of a spear, fired with a st.

    widely.

    The tall demon lightly grabbed the spear with the blue thunderbolt burning with his bare hands.

    Myne¡¯s eyebrows twitched faintly as the blue thunderstorm flowed through her hands.

    ¡°It is the stigmata of Lyra¡­ Why does the apostle of Vega do this?¡±

    Rattling!

    Mine threw the spear in his hand to the floor and red at Ojin with burning eyes.

    Even though he did nothing but re, a feeling of suffocating pressure was pressing down on him.

    A presence that is on a different level from the demons I have faced so far.

    It didn¡¯t take long to figure out who the tall demon standing in front of me was.

    ¡°¡­Deimos.¡±

    Golden Deimos.

    There are only three Mines with the title of ¡®Grand Duke¡¯.

    The ruler of the underground city located beneath the ck Rock Mine was ring at him.

    ¡°You are the person who is said to be wandering around in the demonic world these days.¡±

    Deimos must have heard the news about the misdiagnosis, and a cold sneer appeared on his lips.

    ¡°Do you think that people who cried out for justice with their mouths ended up being blinded by greed when they saw the treasure?¡±

    Did they mistakenly think that Ojin¡¯s purpose for hiding inside was because he was blinded by his treasure?

    Deimos moved an arm as thin as a dry twig and grabbed a handful of gold nearby.

    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think there is anyone who wouldn¡¯t be greedy for something this beautiful.¡±

    Deimos looks at the gold in his hand with hazy eyes, as if he is drunk on drugs.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin wordlessly stretched out his hand toward the window lying on the floor.

    Dantalian rose into the air and returned to his hand.

    Now that we had encountered Deimos directly, there was no longer any way to avoidbat.

    ¡°Change of ns.¡±

    I wanted to avoid directpetition as much as possible.

    Now that it was like this, there was no other way.

    ¡®Knock down Deimos and find the treasure.¡¯

    Ojin let out a low breath and added strength to his grip on the spear.

    -I¡¯ll go there right now!

    -Just wait a little while!

    An urgent voice was heard from the crystal sphere.

    ¡°Are you nning on calling the rats together?¡±

    ¡°He seems like a guy who would be a bit difficult to deal with alone.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s so petty, like a thief trying to get his hands on someone else¡¯s treasure.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a leftover treasure.¡±

    Most of the treasures here were looted or stolen by Deimos.

    ¡°Why is the stolen treasure yours, you bastard?¡±

    Is it Ennd?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the reason they couldn¡¯t protect the treasure because they were weak? ¡°I just received the treasure rightfully from those who did not deserve it.¡±

    It¡¯s Ennd.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s see if you have what it takes.¡±

    A torrent of blue lightning rushed towards Deimos.

    Deimos lightly twisted his body to avoid the torrent of lightning.

    ¡®Quick.¡¯

    When I heard that he was fanatically obsessed with treasure, I imagined him as a slightly overweight and greedy demon.

    Surprisingly, Deimos was an assassin-style demon with a thin body and quick movements.

    ¡®then!¡¯

    Coo!

    He stepped on the ground roughly and stretched out his arms.

    The thunderstorm burning throughout my body condensed into the window.

    To catch a fast-moving enemy, a wide range attack was the most effective.

    He extended his arm forward, which had been bent back to its limit, and threw the spear at Deimos once again.

    and.

    ¡®Discharge!¡¯

    The blue lightning condensed inside the window spread everywhere like a wild animal released from a cage.

    It was a range attack with the intention of getting hit at least once.

    ¡°no!¡±

    Deimos threw his body and caught the blue lightning that was spreading in all directions head-on.

    Like a parent protecting his child, Deimos threw himself in and caught the thunderbolt, and a cry of pain flowed from his mouth.

    ¡°dare¡­! ¡°Are you nning on damaging my treasure?¡±

    Deimos res at Ojin with eyes full of hatred.

    ¡®Why are there all these crazy people?¡¯

    Augh escaped Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°If the treasure is that precious, just keep an eye on it, you bastard.¡±

    The moment when you are about to attack the gold piled up like a mountain around you.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    In an instant, the burning white me was shot towards Ojin.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ojin hurriedly dodged away, but his arm was slightly grazed by white me.

    Pure white frost settled where the white salt had passed, and the skin began to die.

    ¡®What is this?¡¯

    Ojin frowned at the ridiculousbination of cold fire and cold fire.

    ¡°Those who do not value treasure have no right to have it.¡±

    Deimos pulled out the sword at his waist with a hand as bony as a dry twig.

    A pure white sword, as if made from condensed snowkes.

    Just by taking the sword out of its scabbard, a freezing chill swept over the surroundings.

    ¡®Could it bebined with the power of that sword to create white me?¡¯

    Ojin frowned as he poured the potion onto the frostbitten, necrotic arm skin.

    at that time.

    -My treasure!

    Baek Moo-gang¡¯s voice was heard from the crystal ball where the connection had not yet been disconnected.

    -that! It¡¯s my treasure!

    Baek Moo-gang made a fuss and pointed at the sword of Deimos with his hand.

    ¡®That sword is the treasure the old man was looking for?¡¯

    Baekmugang¡¯s treasure was finally discovered.

    It looked very different from what Ojin had imagined.

 Chapter 332

    I am not a returner Episode 332:

    Treasure hunt (11)

    A sword as white as a snowy field.

    The body of the sword, which stretched out in an elegant curve, was so beautiful that an exmation flowed involuntarily, and the surface of the sword was engraved with a delicate snowke pattern that seemed to have been crafted by a famous craftsman.

    A famous sword that doesn¡¯t even need to be exined in words.

    No, even the expression ¡°famous sword¡± was too in in the face of that white sword.

    ¡®Divine thing.¡¯

    A sword made by the hands of gods, not humans.

    Just as the sword was pulled out of its sheath, a stinging chill ate away at my body like poison.

    The exhaled breath turned into pale frost and dispersed, and the muscles of my entire body stiffened as if I had been in ice water.

    ¡®I never thought I¡¯d feel this cold inside a volcano.¡¯

    If I had known this would happen, it would have been better to take a vest with cold resistance rather than a vest with fire resistance.

    Ojin looked at the white sword in Deimos¡¯ hand with sharp eyes.

    ¡®When I look at it, it looks square.¡¯

    I couldn¡¯t tell if it was light or not because I hadn¡¯t heard of it, but at least the description of it being square didn¡¯t fit that sword at all.

    -My treasure! Give it back!

    Baek Moo-gang, inside the crystal ball, shouted in an excited voice.

    Deimos turned his head in the direction where the voice wasing from, and a low exmation flowed from his mouth.

    ¡°Is that really what happened?¡±

    A bitter sneer appeared on Deimos¡¯ lips.

    ¡°In the first ce, the purpose was to be the ¡®Holy Sword of Deneb.¡¯¡±

    Deimos lightly lifts the white sword in his hand.

    Deneb¡¯s Holy Sword was the most valuable treasure among the tens of thousands of treasures he possessed.

    How hard did you go through to get this sword?

    It was a holy sword that was acquired by finding the first apostle of Deneb with great difficulty, despite the restrictions of thew.

    No matter how much I tried to get it back, there was no way I could get it back.

    ¡°Persistent guy.¡±

    Deimos red at Baek Moo-gang, who was visible through the crystal ball, as if he was bored.

    Even though he was beaten several times and pushed to the brink of death, the crazy old man did not give up and chased after him.

    ¡®If I knew he was this tough, I would have killed him right away.¡¯

    Although he endured killing to avoid Deneb¡¯s wrath.

    When he saw Baek Moo-gang following him to his territory, his unbearable murderous will boiled over.

    ¡°It¡¯s still good. ¡°I wanted to kill him with my own hands someday.¡±

    Deimos stared at the crystal ball with eyes full of life.

    In the past, I couldn¡¯t kill him because of Deneb, but now things have changed.

    ¡®If he wakes up, all the constetions will be eaten.¡¯

    He raised the holy sword, sprinkling thick murderous energy.

    First of all, before killing Baek Moo-gang, I nned to deal with the person who appeared to be his helper first.

    ¡°It¡¯s the holy sword of Deneb¡­¡±

    Ojin muttered quietly as he followed Deimos and raised his spear.

    I knew at a nce that it was not a simple sword, but I never expected it to be a sword made by Deneb himself.

    ¡®It¡¯s worth turning on your eyes and looking for it.¡¯

    It was such a valuable item that even the expression ¡°treasure¡± felt inadequate.

    If it is not only valuable but also proves your qualifications as Deneb¡¯s ¡®first apostle¡¯, you will be even more obsessed with it.

    ¡®But there¡¯s something¡­¡¯

    A strange sense of heterogeneity, like gears that don¡¯t mesh.

    Oh Jin, who was squinting his eyes and continuing his thoughts, soon shook his head.

    ter.¡¯

    There was no time for useless thoughts.

    Ojin added strength to the spear in his hand and raised the magic power of Stigmata.

    The stigmata of Lyra engraved on the left chest radiated light, and a distant magical power spread throughout the body.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Coo!

    As if they were timing each other, Ojin and Deimos kicked their feet at the same time.

    Intersecting blue thunderbolts and white mes.

    A strong shock swept through the inside of the golden treasury.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Deimos looked at the treasures lying on the floor and looked sad, as if he was about to shed tears at any moment.

    This time, he did not protect the treasure by throwing himself at his feet.

    ¡°Your gnome¡­!¡±

    He just continued to attack Ojin more fiercely with eyes filled with hatred.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Baekyeom dances.

    Every time the holy sword is swung, a fierce me burns as if it will engulf Ojin.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    Every time I touched the pure white me, my skin died and a dizzying chill prated my body.

    ¡®It¡¯s so strong.¡¯

    Is it not for nothing that he is called the ¡®Grand Duke¡¯?

    Deimos¡¯ power was so strong that even Ojin, who rose to be a high-ranking awakened, could not deal with it.

    ¡°die.¡±

    The white me that spewed out from the holy sword poured towards Ojin.

    I tried to avoid it by throwing my body to the side.

    ¡®damn!¡¯

    Before he knew it, the white frost had covered his ankles and hindered Ojin¡¯s movements.

    When the strong white me tried to swallow Ojin.

    ¡°Give me my treasure!¡±

    Quaaaang!

    With a harsh roar, Baekmugang saw it and flew inside.

    Baek Mu-gang, holding a rusty iron sword, blocked Oh Jin¡¯s path and swung his sword.

    The brightly burning stigmata of Cygnus.

    The white frost that spewed out from the iron sword mixed with the white me.

    h h h!

    A chill spreading in all directions.

    The inside of the gold treasury, which was maintained at the optimal temperature to store hundreds or thousands of treasures, was frozen as if it had be a frozen warehouse.

    ¡°Mr. Ojin!¡±

    ¡°Ojina! I¡¯m here!¡±

    [Are you okay!]

    Ha-eun and Isabe Vega arrived next.

    The three women who approached Ojin hardened their expressions as they looked at the necrotic skin with a dark glow.

    ¡°A bastard like a dried squid dares to attack us Ojini¡­!¡±

    Isn¡¯t dried squid a bit harsh?

    ¡°Please stay still for a moment.¡±

    Isabe took out a potion from her handbag and poured it on the necrotic skin.

    Although the highest quality potion was poured generously, once necrotic skin was not easily restored even with potions.

    ¡°How dare you treat my Mr. Ohjin¡­¡±

    Crackling.

    He gritted his teeth eerily and red at Deimos with eyes that had lost their luster.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay now.¡±

    Ojin shook his head and grabbed the spear again.

    In any case, wounds caused by white salt were almost impossible to treat.

    It would be better to join forces and attack Deimos at a time like this.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Is it toote?¡±

    Deimos looked at Ojin and his group and clicked his tongue.

    I wanted to deal with Ojin as much as possible before his colleagues arrived, but the resistance was stronger than expected, so I failed.

    ¡°then.¡±

    Deimos took out a golden card from his chest.

    A golden que engraved with the symbol of a devil with horns.

    ¡°Come, my knights.¡±

    Wooooow!

    When I lifted the card in my hand high, intense golden light erupted in all directions, as if the sun had risen.

    Demons dressed in golden armor walked out in a golden glow.

    About a hundred knights were spread out and lined up inside the golden treasury.

    Oh Jin frowned as he looked at the knights lined up.

    ¡®I was wondering why you left the knights and crawled alone.¡¯

    I never would have guessed that he had a relic that summoned knights.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Although the numbers themselves were smaller than the demons they faced in the Dragonian Kingdom, they were qualitatively on a different level.

    ¡®It seems like there are a few executives in the middle.¡¯

    Deimos raised the holy sword and opened his mouth quietly.

    ¡°Kill the rats that dare sneak in for my treasure.¡±

    ¡°¡°Glory be to the gold!¡±¡±

    The golden knights rushed towards Ojin and his group.

    ¡°Sister, please take care of those guys.¡±

    ¡°OK. ¡°I¡¯ll bake it whole.¡±

    There was no one better suited than Ha-eun to deal with Da-su¡¯s Majin.

    Ha-eun fiercely exposed her teeth as she took out a pack of tobo from the cigarette pack.

    ¡°Be, please protect your sister.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather¡­¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes.¡±

    In order for Ha-eun to attack with confidence, she needed a strong front line to stand in front of her.

    Of course, there was also a way for Ojin to lead the vanguard and for Isabe to deal with Deimos.

    ¡®You can¡¯t just get hit and then fall back.¡¯

    Ojin looked down at the necrotic skin and lifted the spear.

    And like before, I wasn¡¯t dealing with Deimos alone.

    [The main woman will assist from behind!]

    Vega, of course.

    ¡°treasure! ¡°I have to find my treasure!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang was also there, stamping his feet with a restless expression.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, old man.¡±

    ¡°huh! ¡°Will you punish the bad person?¡±

    As soon as Ojin gave permission, Baekmu Gang rushed towards Deimos.

    As the swords crossed, a loud metal sound rang out.

    ¡°Give me the treasure!¡±

    Baekmugang attacked Deimos with a flowing sword strike.

    but.

    ¡°You¡¯re still a noisy guy.¡±

    Pakak!

    The rusty iron sword in Baek Moo-gang¡¯s hand shattered into pieces.

    ¡°Uh huh?¡±

    Baek Mu-gang is embarrassed as he looks at the broken sword.

    ¡°Use this!¡±

    Oh Jin grabbed a sword and threw it at Baek Moo-gang.

    It was a sword lying around nearby, but it was a famous sword that could not even bepared to the rusty iron sword he was using.

    ¡°I¡¯m not used to this.¡±

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re not familiar with it, you should use it.¡±

    You can¡¯t fight Deimos with your bare hands, right?

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    The battle with Deimos has begun again.

    Vega¡¯s thunderbolt, which flew into the air, put appropriate pressure on Deimos, and Baek Moo-gang, holding a new sword, added his strength.

    ¡°Keuuu!¡±

    Deimos swallowed his sleep and took a step back.

    ¡®It¡¯s much more worth it.¡¯

    It was difficult to deal with Deimos alone, but with the addition of Vega and Baekmugang, things became easier.

    ¡®If only I could find the right time to use my brain and body.¡¯

    If you can use the proper brain body rather than the brain body that is loosely deployed, you will be able to give it a proper blow.

    ¡°Buy me a moment!¡±

    [I understand!]

    ¡°Yes! ¡°I¡¯ll listen to good people!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang stepped forward and put pressure on Deimos.

    Ojin took a step back and concentrated his magic power on his right arm.

    ¡®Charge charge charge.¡¯

    Ovepping more than ten times.

    A dizzying amount of magical power began to condense in his right arm.

    The right arm, where magical power was concentrated, swelled as if it would explode.

    A terrible pain shot through my arm.

    ¡°charge.¡±

    Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!

    The right arm exploded, creating an arm made of lightning.

    ¡°Get out of the way!¡±

    He ran past Baekmu River and swung the Thunder God¡¯s arm.

    Rumbling!

    A tidal wave of blue thunder struck Deimos.

    ¡°Kaaaaaa!¡±

    Deimos rolled over his eyes and screamed in pain.

    ¡°Ah ah ah.¡±

    Deimos copsed, drool flowing from his mouth.

    ¡°My my treasure. ¡°My gold.¡±

    He crawled towards the gold that had been swept away by the torrent of lightning.

    Most of the gold that had been swept away by the torrent of lightning was badly broken into pieces.

    ¡°Ahhh.¡±

    Deimos crouched down with his hands full of fragmented gold.

    and.

    Crunch munching.

    He greedily stuffed the gold he had grabbed into his mouth.

    ¡°No one¡­¡±

    Eyes sparkling with madness turned to Ojin.

    ¡°No one can take my treasure.¡±

    Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

    The more gold he ate, the more Deimos¡¯ body, which was like a dry twig, swelled like a hell spear on some kind of steroid.

    ¡°What is that¡­¡±

    Ojin gaped as he watched Deimos grow bigger every time he ate the gold.

    If only the size were bigger.

    The magical power emanating from Deimos was also exponentially amplified each time the gold was consumed.

    It was going so smoothly, but I never thought I would increase my strength by eating gold.

    ¡®Why, does every bastard I deal with have a second phase?¡¯

    Is it Dark Souls?

 Chapter 333

    I am not a returner Episode 333:

    Treasure hunt (12)

    Wagjak, wagjak.

    Like crushing candy, the broken gold disappears into Deimos¡¯ mouth.

    Muscles and flesh swelled to a grotesque degree.

    A terrible sight that seems to embody the word ¡®greed¡¯.

    ¡°Huh huh.¡±

    Eyes that are hazy, as if drunk on drugs.

    Sticky saliva flowed from between the open mouth.

    ¡°We need more¡­ more treasure.¡±

    The eyes, shining with madness, turned towards Baekmugang.

    His gaze was directed at the sword held in Baek Moo-gang¡¯s hand.

    The sword that Ojin roughly threw was just one of his collection of famous swords, which numbered hundreds and thousands of types.

    ¡°My treasure¡­ how dare you¡­!¡±

    Crack! Wow!

    A bloated body, swollen to several meters in size, moved with the sound of bones twisting.

    A scream of ugly greed and madness rang out.

    ¡°How dare you covet this treasure of Deimos!¡±

    Not even a single treasure can be given away.

    Not even a single piece of gold can be given away.

    All the treasures of the whole world must be his flesh, bones, and blood.

    because.

    -Are you hungry?

    A voice echoes in my head.

    In the distant past, a young man approached him as he was starving to death in a dark tunnel.

    I think of eyes sunken like an abyss and the blue fire burning fiercely within them.

    -Would you like me to tell you how to not be hungry?

    He whispered in an extremely kind voice.

    He promised in an extremely kind voice.

    -This is the refined form of the rock you were digging up every day. They call it gold.

    iced coffee.

    How could I forget?

    The brilliant golden light that illuminated the dark and dull interior of the tunnel.

    The sight that was so beautiful that tears seemed to flow.

    -Isn¡¯t it strange? You are the one digging for gold while enduring the pain of your body breaking apart, but this is your first time seeing gold.

    It was strange.

    It was unreasonable.

    It was absurd.

    -There is a way for you to have all this gold¡­ Shall I tell you?

    It was a sweet offer that made you melt.

    I had no choice but to reflexively shake my head.

    It was because it was so absurd that I thought he was lying.

    ha ha ha.

    The young man smiled brightly and with a clear voice.

    -I have never lied. never.

    Couuuuuuuuck!

    A huge shock shook the inside.

    ¡°Krrrrrrr!¡±

    Deimos let out a scream that sounded like scraping phlegm and swung the holy sword towards Baekmu River.

    Kwajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajaja!

    A tsunami of white mes engulfed the surrounding area and hit Baekmugang.

    ¡°Aaaahhh!¡±

    ¡°Elder!¡±

    The flesh on Baek Mu-gang¡¯s entire body, swept away by the white me, began to turn dark and necrotic.

    Ojin hurriedly kicked off his feet and swung his fist at the pouring white mes.

    The blue thunderbolts that poured out from Raijin¡¯s arms bounced off the white mes.

    ¡°Vega! ¡°Give me your blessing!¡±

    [I understand!]

    A brilliant silver light seeped into Ojin¡¯s body.

    The stigmata engraved on his left chest radiated a fierce light as if it were burning.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    The boiling magical power was condensed into his right arm.

    Arm stretched back as if pulling a bowstring.

    He stepped on the ground roughly and threw his fist out.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥!

    A tidal wave of thunder that swallowed up even sound struck Deimos¡¯ body.

    ¡°no use!¡±

    Deimos took the tsunami of lightning head-on and rammed Ojin with his massive body.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    A shock like being hit by a dump truck.

    Ojin threw up blood and fell backwards.

    ¡°Good guy¡­don¡¯t bully!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang shouted and swung his sword.

    Although he had suffered serious injuries to the point where his entire body turned dark.

    The magic of the stigmata contained within the swinging sword contained an even sharper chill.

    h h h!

    The frozen ground along the road crossing the road.

    The cold sword energy tore through Deimos¡¯ grotesquely erged body.

    ¡°Keuuuuu!¡±

    From the corbone to the pelvis.

    A sword wound sorge that internal organs were visible crossed Deimos¡¯ body.

    Munch, munch!

    When I picked up a handful of gold and shoved it into my mouth, the cracked flesh regenerated in an instant.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Deimos, who had regenerated his wounds, roughly kicked the charging Baekmu River.

    Coooooo!

    With a heavy explosion, Baek Moo-gang¡¯s body was thrown against the wall.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    The sword in Baekmugang¡¯s hand fell to the floor and rolled to Deimos¡¯ feet.

    Deimos lifted the sword off the floor and opened his mouth.

    Crack, p, p!

    Deimos, who chewed and swallowed the sword whole, slowly walked towards the fallen Baekmu River.

    ¡°Do you want to get the holy sword back?¡±

    He yfully shook the Holy Sword of Deneb in his hand as if offering medicine.

    ¡°My treasure¡­ give it back!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang crawled across the floor and stretched out his hand toward the holy sword.

    Deimos raised his heavy foot and trampled on Baekmu Gang¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Aaaahhh!¡±

    Crack!

    With the sound of bones crunching, Baek Moo-ga¡¯s arm was bent at a strange angle.

    ¡°It hurts¡­ my arm hurts.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang curled up like a shrimp, clutching one of his broken arms.

    ¡°Are you still not going to give up like this?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Without answering, he stood up shakily.

    I was so devastated that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if I copsed at any moment.

    ¡°Treasure¡­ it¡¯s precious.¡±

    The pupils located in the wrinkled corners of the eyes were sparkling with a strong will.

    ¡°I have to find the treasure.¡±

    Baekmu-gang said, looking intently at the pure white sword held in Deimos¡¯ hand.

    ¡°under.¡±

    Deimosughed out loud at those unwavering eyes.

    ¡°So¡­ what will you do if I eat your treasure?¡±

    Wow.

    Deimos holds the Holy Sword of Deneb in front of his mouth with his mouth wide open.

    ¡°Oh, no!¡±

    Baekmugang shouted urgently and threw himself towards Deimos.

    Wow!

    Baek Moo-gang was kicked once again and rolled around on the floor miserably.

    Deimos looked down at the Baekmu River lying on the floor with cold eyes and opened his mouth quietly.

    ¡°Treasure belongs to the powerful.¡±

    It has always been like that.

    From the narrow and dark tunnel.

    All along.

    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve this treasure.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang¡¯s eyes trembled when he heard that he was not worthy of having the treasure.

    He chewed the corners of his wrinkled mouth and forced his tattered body up.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    From when I first received the treasure.

    I knew very well that I had no right to have treasure.

    Because I was a fool.

    Because I was an idiot who didn¡¯t know how to do anything on my own.

    but.

    but.

    but.

    ¡°It was given to me by someone precious.¡±

    never.

    ¡°Treasure¡­ give it to me!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t give up.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Letting out a roar, he rushed towards Deimos with his bare hands.

    All of the weapons lying around were destroyed by the tsunami of lightning, and the ck Deimos that Ojin had given them chewed them up and ate them up.

    Wooooow!

    The stigmata of Cygnus burned with bright light and made snowkes bloom in the air.

    Pure white snowkes gathered together to form a sword.

    A snowke sword that feels more noble than the holy sword of Deneb.

    The white snow sword swung towards Deimos.

    Kwajajajajajajag!

    A tsunami of snowkes hit Deimos.

    ¡°I said it was no use!¡±

    The white me that spewed out from the holy sword collided with a tsunami of snowkes.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    The shock created by the snowke and the white me colliding hit Deimos and Baekmugang.

    It was such a big shock that both of them could not avoid serious injuries.

    ¡°Hehehehe!¡±

    Deimos chewed the gold greedily and regenerated the wound.

    Because the wound was so severe, it could not bepletely regenerated, but it was still in much better condition than thepletely devastated Baekmugang.

    He grabbed Baek Moo-gang¡¯s body with his massively swollen hands.

    ¡°Ahh! ¡°Ah ugh.¡±

    Creep, boom, boom!

    The pressure, as if being crushed by a high-pressure press, was pressing down mercilessly on Baek Moo-gang¡¯s body, causing him to moan in pain.

    The corners of Deimos¡¯ mouth twitched fiercely.

    ¡°No matter how hard you struggle.¡±

    With eyes filled with madness, he added strength to his arms that were clutching Baekmu River and shouted.

    ¡°The treasure is mine¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Deimos opened his eyes and turned his head.

    Oh Jin, who had beenpletely forgotten because he was so focused on the battle with Baek Moo-gang, was suddenly behind him.

    ¡°No matter what, don¡¯t you think people don¡¯t care too much?¡±

    Phew!

    The ck spear pierced Deimos¡¯ back.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    Deimos stumbles, vomiting blood.

    Following Baekmugang¡¯s attack, he received another fatal wound without being able to fully regenerate, so even if he was a demon with the title of ¡®Grand Duke¡¯, he could not be safe.

    ¡°Keuuuu!¡±

    Deimos was impaled by the spear and desperately crawled across the floor, reaching for the gold.

    Taang!

    Six strings of wire held his arms.

    ¡°Ahhh. ¡°My my¡­¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s not yours, you bastard.¡±

    Ojin walked towards Deimos.

    ¡®I have to finish it this time.¡¯

    There was still plenty of gold and treasure left inside the treasury, which would be Deimos¡¯ prey.

    He had to be sent to a room so that he could never regenerate his body again.

    [I am my child! It would be dangerous to use more magical power there!]

    Vega¡¯s urgent warning was heard.

    As she warned, Ojin¡¯s physical condition was now in a critical state.

    ¡®I kept my brain body for too long.¡¯

    The brain body, which can be maintained for at most 30 seconds or a minute at most, was maintained for more than 5 minutes.

    Even with Vega¡¯s blessing, it was dangerous to maintain the Brain Body any longer.

    but.

    -It was given to me by someone precious.

    The image of Baek Moo-gang standing up unsteadily with his tattered body shed through my mind.

    Ohjin chuckled and raised his magic power to the fullest.

    ¡°Keuuuu!¡±

    Is it because I used too much magical energy?

    I felt pain from the stigmata carved into my left chest, as if a piece of flesh was being pricked with an iron.

    [stop! Stop it! No more¡­!]

    ¡°They say it¡¯s precious.¡±

    So much so that he endured alone for years in a far-off magic world and searched for it.

    Even though the skin on my whole body was necrotic and my arms were broken and bent, I couldn¡¯t give up.

    ¡°I know that feeling.¡±

    Although it is not an object like Baekmugang¡¯s treasure.

    You also have treasures that you want to protect.

    Even if I had to exchange it for everything in the world.

    Hold on!

    The right arm, transformed into a thunder body, burned with blue lightning.

    ¡®If I can¡¯t do it with just one arm.¡¯

    Ohjin, who changed his arms into brain bodies, sped his hands together.

    He sped his hands together as if striking a hammer.

    ¡°Kaaaaaaaa!¡±

    A torrent of blue lightning burned Deimos¡¯ entire body.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    Deimos¡¯ body, which had be grotesquely erged, returned to its original state.

    Ojin took the Holy Sword of Deneb from the hands of the fallen Deimos.

    ¡°Hehehe. Hehehehe.¡±

    Deimos turned his head towards Ojin with a dark smile.

    ¡°Struggle as much as you want.¡±

    The light in Deimos¡¯ eyes gradually went out.

    ¡°Soon¡­ He will wake up¡­¡±

    The stammering voice cut off before he could finish.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin, who had been looking down at Deimos in silence for a while, turned to Baekmugang.

    ¡°Here is the treasure you were looking for.¡±

    I handed Deneb¡¯s holy sword to Baek Moo-gang.

    ¡°Ahhh.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang epted the holy sword and his shoulders trembled.

    I carefully smoothed the area around the hilt of the holy sword.

    Hehehe.

    When I grabbed the base of the sword hilt and turned it, a small space was revealed inside.

    and.

    Clink!

    The holy sword was lying on the floor.

    ¡°what¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang smiled brightly while holding something in his hand that he took out from the hilt of his sword.

    Square and light.

    A scruffy letter envelope.

    ¡°Elder, that¡¯s¡­.¡±

    ¡°My grandmother wrote a letter before she died. Because I¡¯m stupid. ¡°I put it in the hilt of my sword so I wouldn¡¯t lose it.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang smiled brightly, holding the dirty envelope of the letter.

    ¡°This is my treasure.¡±

    Given by a precious person.

    Holding your one and only treasure in your arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­Grandma.¡±

    Memories of the day she died.

    Memories of the day I killed her.

    I remember.

    reminds me of

    -I¡¯m sick of dumplings! I¡¯m not going to eat!

    The sad eyes that looked at me while I wasining.

    The hard calluses embedded in the wrinkled hands that stroke my back as if admonishing me.

    The lonely sight of me heading to work with my sick body.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I found you sote.¡±

    I crouched down, hugging the envelope of the letter.

    I sobbed and whispered in vain.

    Sorry for keeping you waiting.

    I¡¯m sorry for being stupid.

    Sorry forining about the side dishes.

    I¡¯m sorry for making you have a hard time.

    I¡¯m sorry for not being able to protect you.

    I¡¯m sorry for not being able to make you happy. ¡°

    I¡¯m sorry for making you meet me.

    ¡±

 Chapter 334

    I am not a returner Episode 334:

    Treasure Hunt (13)

    After Deimos dies.

    The demons of the underground city, including the Golden Knights, began to urgently retreat out of the tunnel.

    It was only natural that the ¡®Grand Duke¡¯, who could be said to be their focal point, was dead.

    ¡°Where are these bastards going to run away?!¡±

    ¡°Die quietly?¡±

    Of course, the decisive reason why they hurriedly left was because of Ha-eun and Isabe¡¯s outstanding performance.

    Thanks to the blood of Ha-eun and Oh-jin, who have obtained the power of the Trinity, including the heart of the dragon and the soul of the dragon god, and have a power equivalent to that of an awakened person who has reached the 11th star in terms of simple fire power, he stands at the end of the 10th star and now hopes for the 11th star. Isabe is watching.

    The Golden Knights were left helpless by thebined efforts of two women with superhuman strength.

    After all the demons in the underground city retreated.

    After freeing the captured Smanders, Ozin and his party decided to take a short rest in the empty castle of Deimos.

    ¡°Wow, there really isn¡¯t a single ce that doesn¡¯t sparkle.¡±

    Ha-eun let out a short exmation and looked around.

    She approached Ojin, carrying a golden teacup and candlestick.

    ¡°Would you like to take this with you?¡±

    ¡°What should I do with it?¡±

    ¡°I have to sell it! ¡°I heard there¡¯s star magic inside here?¡±

    If you go back to Earth and sell the gold, you could make a huge amount of money.

    ¡°it¡¯s okay. ¡°I don¡¯t really need money.¡±

    Even if I didn¡¯t have to sell the gold, I had enough money to make a living.

    ¡°Wow¡­ I never thought I would hear people say that they don¡¯t need money after living so long.¡±

    It was an unimaginable thing to say when thinking about misdiagnosis in the days when I was working hard to save money.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I saved up for my sister.¡±

    Now that Ha-eun has recovered, money is no longer needed.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Ha-eun blushes for no reason and scratches her cheek.

    In the warm atmosphere between the two, Isabe opened her mouth quietly.

    ¡°Where is Cheon Kwon-seong?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s probably in his room.¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s face darkened when he thought of Baek Moo-gang.

    ¡°¡­Shall we go see it together for a moment?¡±

    ¡°okay. ¡°I need to eat sometime soon.¡±

    Oh Jin and Ha-eun Isabe headed to the room where Baek Moo-gang was staying.

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang was smiling brightly while holding a dirty, dirty letter envelope in his hand.

    ¡°ah! nice person! ¡°A good person has arrived!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang, who was lying on the bed, jumped up and O-do came running too.

    ¡°How are you feeling, sir?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t move my arm very well yet, but it doesn¡¯t hurt!¡±

    Baek Mu-gang smiles brightly, lifting the arm that was trampled by Deimos.

    ¡°thank god.¡±

    Ohjin looked around the room with a faint smile.

    I saw the Holy Sword of Deneb lying around in the corner of the room.

    When I saw the holy sword lying shabby on the floor, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡®The Holy Sword wasn¡¯t a treasure.¡¯

    The feeling of difort that Baek Moo-gang felt when he first saw the holy sword and shouted that it was his treasure.

    The gears that had been out of sync were now finally starting to turn.

    ¡®There was no need for a holy sword in the first ce.¡¯

    What was more important to him was not the holy sword given to him by the Constetion, but rather the kinky letter envelope he kept inside the hilt of that holy sword.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t know that the inside of the sword hilt was empty.¡¯

    If it were a normal sword, there was no way it would have been empty in the hilt.

    In the case of Deneb¡¯s Holy Sword, there was a separate empty space inside the sword hilt in order to engrave the magic spell.

    ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for Denebna who made it herself, I wouldn¡¯t have even known there was an empty space inside.¡¯

    Oh Jin also tried holding the holy sword as a test, but it showed perfect weight and bnce to the point where you wouldn¡¯t think the hilt was empty at all.

    Since it is a holy sword that is said to be a sacred object, its weight and bnce are probably adjusted in detail to suit the user.

    ¡°If you leave your holy sword like that, won¡¯t you be scolded by Denebter?¡±

    ¡°ah! ¡°I forgot!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang suddenly turned around and neatly ced the holy sword lying on the floor on the bed.

    ¡°Is this a secret? ¡°Can¡¯t we reach Deneb?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I promise.¡±

    Ohjin smiled and nodded.

    When I was trying to tell Baek Moo-gang that we should go get something to eat.

    ¡°Um¡­ can I ask you something about the installment n?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Yep! ask!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a letter envelope there.¡±

    There was one part of the letter envelope that was stained with hand stains that made me feel ufortable.

    ¡°Why¡­ didn¡¯t you open it?¡±

    The opening of the letter envelope, which was covered in hand stains, was tightly closed with no sign that it had ever been opened.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang¡¯s expression, which had been smiling brightly, hardened.

    He paused for a moment and then smiled faintly.

    A precarious smile that looks as if it will break if you touch it wrongly.

    ¡°I did a lot of bad things to my grandmother.¡±

    therefore.

    ¡°Grandma must be very angry with me.¡±

    A voice that cowered like a frightened animal.

    The hand holding the envelope of the letter I had never opened trembled slightly.

    Thest letter she left behind.

    I tried to open it several times, but I couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Bad words¡­ will be written.¡±

    I wonder if herst words were full of hatred towards herself.

    I¡¯m afraid that the life I spent with her will be denied.

    ¡°So¡­ you can¡¯t open it.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang crouched down, hugging the envelope of the letter.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun looked at Baek Moo-gang with sad eyes, unable to offer him any constion.

    Not only Ha-eun, but also Oh-jin and Isabe, who were in the room, could not bring themselves to offer words offort to Baek Moo-gang.

    Because they didn¡¯t know what was written in the letter.

    Oh Jin sighed deeply and looked at the letter in Baek Moo-gang¡¯s hand.

    ¡®Did you say you helped yourself for five years?¡¯

    Baek Mu-gang¡¯s wife died just before the ¡®first crack¡¯ appeared on Earth.

    In other words, it was a time when Baekmugang had not yet be Deneb¡¯s apostle.

    It is said that because his wife was infertile and they had no children, he took care of Baek Mu-gang, who suffered from dementia, alone.

    ¡®Then he got sick and died before you.¡¯

    It was a story that left a bitter taste in my mouth just hearing it.

    ¡°Ah, dinner is ready. Would you like to eat first? ¡°We also have dumplings that you like.¡±

    ¡°Wow! dumpling! ¡°I want to eat dumplings!¡±

    It was Isabe who broke the awkward silence.

    Baek Mu-gang nodded with a bright smile, as if asking when he had started to shrink.

    ¡°Mumbling. lol. ¡°The dumplings are delicious!¡±

    ¡°Eat it slowly.¡±

    After the meal was over.

    Ojin and his party dispersed to the remaining rooms in the castle and spent time on their own.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Ohjin returned to the room and sat in front of the window with a sigh.

    Because it was a castle built inside a mountain, all I could see outside the window was dull granite.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Why?

    The image of Baek Moo-gang looking frightened while holding the letter was not easily erased from my mind.

    smart.

    A cautious knock was heard.

    I opened the door thinking it was Ha-eun or Isabe, but unexpectedly, the person standing in front of the door was Baek Moo-gang.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡±

    ask?

    ¡°this.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang held out the envelope in his hand to Oh Jin.

    ¡°¡­Can you watch it for me?¡±

    Baek Mu-gang looks at Oh Jin with trembling eyes.

    Ohjin asked, carefully epting the envelope.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to open it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang nodded with sad eyes.

    ¡°I thought a lot on my own.¡±

    After losing the treasure.

    How many times have you regretted it?

    How terrified I was that I might never know herst words.

    ¡°You have to see it.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know when I would lose my treasure if I didn¡¯t see it this time.

    ¡°Ha, but. ¡°I¡¯m a little scared.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re asking me to look at it for you?¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°Because you can trust good people.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know how to read Chinese¡­¡±

    It was possible to have a conversation using an interpretation device.

    I couldn¡¯t even read the text.

    ¡°My grandmother is Korean. ¡°Grandma doesn¡¯t know Chinese characters well, so the letters will be written in Korean.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    Oh Jin looked down at the kinky letter envelope in his hand.

    Why?

    Even though it was supposed to contain a light letter, the envelope felt extremely heavy.

    ¡°All right.¡±

    Considering how many times Baek Moo-gang had thought about it before he asked her to look after him, he couldn¡¯t refuse the offer.

    ¡°Yes. Please.¡±

    Baek Moo-gang took a step back and looked at Oh Jin with a nervous expression.

    Oh Jin carefully opened the envelope.

    A neatly folded piece of paper came out of an envelope.

    On paper as white as a snowy field.

    There was hard writing on it that said ¡®Divorce Consent¡¯.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A feeling of suffocation.

    Oh Jin chewed his lips when he saw the words written on the letter or document.

    ¡°This letter¡­ did your wife hand it to you personally?¡±

    ¡°Huh? no. ¡°My grandmother fell down while going out to work and couldn¡¯t get up again.¡±

    ¡°Then this letter¡­¡±

    ¡°It was in the pocket of my grandmother¡¯s clothes.¡±

    therefore.

    This means that this was not a ¡®letter¡¯ in the first ce.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    It is not something that cannot be understood.

    It must not have been easy to take care of my husband with dementia for several years.

    It would have been even more hellish if I had suffered so much from life that I had to go to work with a sick body.

    No matter how much you love your husband, there are some things in the world that cannot be solved with love alone.

    It must have been painful.

    It must have been painful.

    You probably wanted to give up everything and run away.

    ¡®Because in this world¡­ there are only things that cannot be resolved by enduring it.¡¯

    The world is not a movie.

    Life is different from drama.

    There were only a few people who were able to stand up and endure endless pain and despair.

    ¡°What does it say?¡±

    With his eyes tightly closed, Baek Mu-gang asked in a trembling voice.

    Oh Jin looked down at the document in his hand and answered quietly.

    ¡°It says that I was happy to meet the old man.¡±

    I ran my hand over the document and used transformations.

    A dark cloud erased the letters written on the document and created new letters.

    ¡°Really? Really?!¡±

    Baek Mu-gang suddenly opened his eyes and snatched the letter from Oh Jin¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    A clear teardrop flowed from the corner of my wrinkled eye.

    I cherished the letter I had never read before and held it in my arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m lucky¡­ hehe, really¡­ I¡¯m really fortunate.¡±

    Oh Jin smiled bitterly as he looked at the sobbing Baek Mu-gang.

    ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m d.¡±

    The truth is so bitter that sometimes it needs a seasoning of lies.

 Chapter 335

    I am not a returner Episode 335

    Interlude ¨C Encounter (1)

    Three days have passed since the defeat of Deimos and the Golden Knights.

    Ojin and his party had not yet left the territory and remained in Deimos Castle.

    In the case of Ha-eun and Isabe, they were not seriously injured, but Oh-jin, who suffered aftereffects from the blessing, and Baek Mu-gang, who had one of his arms crushed, have not yet fully recovered.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ojin opened his eyes to the lighting through the window.

    As the city was built underground, the sun did not rise of course, but at a certain time, the relics installed on the ceiling emitted light, so it felt as if morning hade.

    ¡°Oh, are you awake, Oh Jin?¡±

    A sweet voice that tickles my ears.

    When I turned my head, I saw Isabe lying on his arm, smiling brightly.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Her appearance is so beautiful that it takes my breath away for a moment.

    The tinum hair that seemed to have been made by melting gold, the white skin like a snowke, and the plump lips that shined in red stole all eyes.

    Ojin swallowed dry saliva as he felt the soft touch on his arm and the breath tickling his ear.

    ¡°Why are you here¡­¡±

    ¡°Shh, you might wake up.¡±

    sister?

    ¡°Hmm. Oh my gosh.¡±

    When I looked to the side, I saw Ha-eun sleeping with her arm resting on the other side.

    ¡®When did youe in?¡¯

    Oh Jin let out a shortugh as he looked at Ha Eun who was sleeping with his arms around him.

    ¡°We came together to wake Mr. Oh Jin up, and he was sleeping so soundly that wey down next to him for a moment. ¡°My sister had already fallen asleep again.¡±

    Was he so deeply asleep that he didn¡¯t notice the two people entering the room?

    It certainly seemed like the aftereffects of the blessing were significant.

    ¡°Okay. what time is it? ¡°I think I slept for quite a while.¡±

    ¡°Oh wait a minute.¡±

    Isabe came close to Ojin, gently pressing his chest as he tried to get up.

    ha.

    Isabe exhaled excitedly and licked the back of her neck.

    I felt a tickling sensation and the sensation of sharp fangs digging into the back of my neck.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Even though the fangs dug in, I didn¡¯t feel any pain.

    Rather, an intense feeling of pleasure spread throughout my entire body.

    Ojin suppressed his moans and endured the pleasure that heated his whole body.

    ¡°Gumph. Gulp.¡±

    After drinking two or three sips of blood, Isabe dripped from the back of her neck.

    She wiped her mouth with a white handkerchief and nodded as if she was satisfied.

    ¡°As expected, drinking Mr. Ohjin¡¯s blood in the morning is even more special.¡±

    ¡°Is it okay to say that like hitting a cup of morning coffee?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. These days, I feel like my day doesn¡¯t start without this.¡±

    I think it¡¯s an addiction at that level.

    ¡°that¡¯s right. I¡¯m addicted. ¡°Not just the blood, but everything about Mr. Ojin.¡±

    ¡°Uh um.¡±

    ¡°why?¡±

    ¡°No, that line you just said was a little¡­¡±

    It¡¯s very cringy.

    ¡°Ugh! ¡°It was because I just sucked blood and my head was so hot!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m addicted¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh Mr. Ojin!¡±

    Thinking back, Isabe must have realized that the line was quite cringe-inducing, and she blushed and punched Ojin¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Ah¡­ what are you doing making noise this morning?¡±

    Ha-eun, who was sleeping soundly next to me, woke up rubbing her eyes.

    ¡°Sister, sister. Do you know what Be just said?¡±

    ¡°ok? ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°Aaaah! Stop it! right now!¡±

    Isabe screamed and covered Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    Ojin burst out inughter and stood up.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I slept too long, but I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh Jin, there is no food today.¡±

    ¡°why not.¡±

    I didn¡¯t even ask you to say it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Isabe was so upset that she let out a breath, mmed the door shut, and left.

    ¡°what? ¡°What did you say earlier?¡±

    ¡°No, they just said my blood tastes better these days.¡±

    I thought that if I told him the truth, I would starve all day, so I changed my mind.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Is it really that delicious?¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head, looking at the nape of Oh-jin¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Ojina. ¡°Slit your throat with a knife so I can drink your blood.¡±

    ¡°What crazy things are you talking about?¡±

    Why did you slit your throat?

    ¡°No, I¡¯m telling you to draw just a little bit. You idiot, did you just draw so sharply like in some horror movie?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, man.¡±

    He pped Ha-eun¡¯s buttocks with his palm and stretched her.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Is it because of the aftereffects of the blessing?

    Even though I slept much longer than usual, I still felt dizzy.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still soggy.¡±

    ¡°Wow, who would dope so carelessly?¡±

    Doping with the blessings of the constetion.

    No, actually, if you look at the effects, they are somewhat simr.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, I saw a poopy puppy earlier?¡±

    ¡°Riak?¡±

    ¡°ok.¡±

    It seemed that Riak, who had taken refuge in the sanctuary for a while due to the terrible sulfur gas, had returned this time.

    ¡®Well, there is a purification device in the territory.¡¯

    Even Ohjin doesn¡¯t know exactly how it works.

    The air inside the territory, which should have been extremely harsh, was maintained as clear and refreshing as if it had descended into a rural mountain valley.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go eat, sister.¡±

    ¡°ok. ¡°Just get some sleep and clear your head.¡±

    Ha-eun, with her waist-length red hair tied up, followed Oh Jin out of the room.

    ¡°ah! nice person! did you sleep well?!¡±

    As I walked down the long hallway, I heard a bright voice.

    ¡°Did you sleepfortably?¡±

    ¡°Yep! ¡°I slept very well!¡±

    Baek Mu-gang nods, pping the letter in his hand.

    Ha-eun grinned and approached Baek Moo-gang.

    ¡°I heard about installment payments. ¡°I heard you finally read the letter?¡±

    ¡°huh! ¡°Ojin helped me!¡±

    A calm smile formed on Ha-eun¡¯s lips as she saw Baek Moo-gang nodding his head with a bright smile.

    Seeing him so excited, fortunately, it seemed like there were no bad words written in the letter.

    Ha-eun smiled mischievously and poked Baek Moo-gang on the shoulder with her elbow.

    ¡°Where and where was it written? ¡°Isn¡¯t there something embarrassing written there?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ hehe secret!¡±

    ¡°Oh why~ You can tell me the installment n.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell you!¡±

    Baek Mu-gang shakes his head, and Ha-eun chases after him and persistently asks about the contents of the letter.

    The sound of boisterousughter echoed through the hallway.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin looked at Baek Moo-gang¡¯s back and bit his chapped lip.

    I let out a deep sigh and followed the two towards the restaurant.

    When we arrived at the gorgeous hall, which was called a restaurant for convenience but could be used for a ball, we saw Isabe preparing a meal and Riak sitting next to her.

    ¡°Are you awake now, kid?¡±

    ¡°ok. ¡°When did youe?¡±

    ¡°I came here a few hours ago, but I was waiting for you because you were sleeping oblivious to the world.¡±

    Riak clicked his tongue and started the boring nagging that started with ¡®What about warriors?¡¯

    Oh Jin waved his hand as if he was annoyed.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s okay. ¡°What brought you here?¡±

    ¡°Okay. ¡°Vega sent me to check on your condition.¡±

    Did youe here because Vega told you to?

    ¡°How¡¯s Vega doing?¡±

    It was only enough to block sound, but since I used Sanctuary and Blessing at the end, it would be quite a blow.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not something you need to worry about.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±

    ¡°Still, you won¡¯t be able to manifest for a while.¡±

    Ohjin nodded and sat down at the table.

    Today¡¯s menu is simple frozen pork cutlet.

    It was an easy dish to just take out and fry in oil in a frying pan.

    ¡®But again, the quality is good for a frozen product.¡¯

    When you¡¯re waiting for the pork cutlet to be fried while quenching your appetite.

    ¡°Enjoy your meal, Oh Jin.¡±

    Isabe smiled brightly and ced something charred on Ojin¡¯s te.

    ¡®what is this.¡¯

    Is it coal?

    ¡°I¡­ Ms. Isabe.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to eat it without leaving any behind?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I guess it¡¯s wrong to eat properly for the time being.

    * * *

    ¡°Where then?¡±

    After finishing the meal(?), Ojin came down to the Golden Treasury where the fierce battle with Deimos took ce.

    Inside, traces of a fierce battle remained intact, creating a mess reminiscent of a battlefield.

    Ojin gathered all the treasures that Deimos had collected in one ce.

    Most of them were broken or crushed in the aftermath of the battle.

    ¡®The magic power still remains within.¡¯

    Even if your smartphone breaks, the battery inside it is still alive.

    Although its function as a holy relic was broken, the magic power contained within it remained.

    ¡®and.¡¯

    Ojin¡¯s eyes turned to Deimos¡¯ fallen body.

    Even though several days had passed since Deimos¡¯ death, the powerful magic of stigmata was emanating from his corpse.

    ¡°I can¡¯t just leave this behind.¡±

    Oh Jin raised the corners of his mouth with a grin and closed the door to the office tightly to prevent anyone else from entering.

    The dozens ofyers of barrier that protected the treasury were not damaged in the aftermath of the battle, so it would not be possible to enter without the Seongyuseok, which acts as a key.

    Oh Jin, who carefully checked that no one was around, stood in the middle and gently closed his eyes.

    ¡®Heukcheon.¡¯

    Gurgling.

    A ck cloud spewed out from Ojin¡¯s body and covered the surroundings like fog.

    The dark clouds that flowed from the ck River ravenously ate up the magic contained in the hundreds or thousands of relics that Deimos had collected so far.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    A torrent of magical energy asrge as when absorbing the dragon vein rushed into my body.

    ¡®Is this beyond your imagination?¡¯

    If you look at the pure amount of magical power, it is an enormous amount of magical energy that you might think would be simr to the soul of the Dragon God that Ha-eun absorbed.

    Of course, the quantity is just ridiculouslyrge, but in terms of quality, it is far less than the dragon god¡¯s soul.

    ¡®I mean, I haven¡¯t even eaten the main dish yet.¡¯

    The relics collected by Deimos were merely appetizers.

    Gurgling.

    The ck clouds that had consumed all the magic contained within the relic began to gather around Deimos¡¯ corpse like a swarm of ants on sugar.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Deimos¡¯ magic flowed into his body.

    Is it because it contains the power of the Heavenly Demon?

    A magical power that felt somewhat familiar, different from the magical power contained within the relic, gathered in my heart.

    and.

    Rurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    ck clouds exploded out from the pores of the entire body.

    Swirling ck clouds.

    A blue message window appeared in front of me with a clear sound of bells.

    The tenth flowering of Heukcheon.

    The ck sky curled up in my heart boiled like an active volcano.

    [The ck Sky has reached the Ten Star Enlightenment!]

    When I quietly closed my eyes, wondering what kind of memories woulde flooding back this time.

    [Some of the memories of Awakened Lee Shin-hyeok have been passed down!]

    Grumble, rumble.

    The swirling ck clouds began to disperse and clump together repeatedly, as if having a seizure.

    ¡®what?¡¯

    When I frowned at a sensation I felt for the first time.

    [An unidentified force intervenes in the lore.]

    [An error has urred.]

    [The lore is cancelled.]

    ¡°Uuuuuuuuuu!¡±

    Chijijijijijik!

    My vision is distorted and dark.

    When I opened my eyes, I found myself in darkness without a single ray of light.

    ¡°What¡­this ce?¡±

    When I was looking around in a dark space.

    ¡°Is this your first time talking directly like this?¡±

    A voice came from beyond the darkness.

    A voice that was so familiar, so familiar.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Oh Jin turned his head in the direction the voice came from with a stiff expression.

    Grumbling.

    Blue natural flowers burned in the darkness.

    ¡°You know, right?¡±

    A young man with the same appearance as himself walks out of the dark clouds.

    ¡°I am you.¡±

    Cheonma looked at Oh Jin and smiled brightly.

 Chapter 336

    I am not a returner Episode 336 Interlude

    ¨C Encounter (2)

    I am you.

    The low voice echoing in the darkness takes my breath away.

    ¡°¡­Cheonma.¡±

    With trembling eyes, Ojin looked at a young man whose appearance was identical to his own, as if reflected in a mirror.

    No, it may be a bit unreasonable to use the expression ¡®reflected in a mirror¡¯.

    The appearance itself was simr, but the atmosphere that came out waspletely different.

    Eyes filled with deep fatigue.

    When a piece called a human being is worn to the extreme, it probably takes on that form.

    I felt a sense of alienation, as if I was encountering a human-shaped doll rather than a human.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really like that name.¡±

    Embarrassingly, what is Cheonma? Cheonma.

    A young manughing and shaking his head.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t it a bit much to call it a misdiagnosis?¡±

    ¡°Well, we need to make a distinction.¡±

    The Cheonma nodded quietly and sat down as naturally as if there was an invisible chair in the air.

    ¡°You sit down too, right? ¡°I think the story will be a bit long.¡±

    The Cheonma is nodding its head and pointing in the opposite direction with its chin.

    Oh Jin shrugged his shoulders as calmly as possible, hiding his confusion.

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you at least make me a cup of tea?¡±

    ¡°This is the space of your unconscious. ¡°If you need it, you can make it.¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t know how to make it.¡±

    ¡°okay?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon nodded and lightly flicked his hand.

    In a space filled with darkness, a steaming teacup was created along with a table.

    Ojin¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡®Is it possible to intervene in my subconscious as well?¡¯

    Oji clicked his tongue inwardly as he watched the Cheonma creating things without any hesitation even though it was inside his subconscious.

    Cheonma chuckled, taking a sip from the teacup on the table.

    ¡°I used that method often too.¡±

    ¡°¡­What method?¡±

    ¡°Talking about meaningless things while trying to embarrass the other person.¡±

    widely. The teacup that I put down on the table disappeared.

    ¡°Actually, you can make it too, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­under.¡±

    Oh Jinughed and sat down opposite Cheonma.

    Just right.

    With a light flick of his hand, the teacup that had disappeared was recreated.

    The Heavenly Demon smiled as if he had expected it.

    ¡®Tsk.¡¯

    Does that mean shallow water doesn¡¯t work?

    In that case, I had no choice but to ask directly without any need to go.

    ¡°How did it get into my subconscious?¡±

    ¡°I did some work on Deimos.¡±

    ¡°If I absorb his body, will I be able to intervene in the ck Sky?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    then.

    From the moment Deimos received power from the Heavenly Demon decades ago, did he anticipate that he would kill and absorb Deimos?

    ¡°I believed you could reach this far. ¡°No, should I say ¡®I¡¯ here?¡±

    The Cheonma smiled and leaned back against the backrest.

    Oh Jin asked in a deep voice.

    ¡°So you did something like that to the Dragonian Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Dragonian Kingdom?¡±

    Cheonma frowned and touched his forehead.

    ¡°Ah, yes. ¡°A promise¡­ To keep a promise¡­ Who was the promise you made for a moment?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Ohjin narrowed his eyes at the sight of Cheonma muttering something with a confused expression.

    That expression.

    I remembered seeing it somewhere.

    No, more urately, he had a memory of ¡®doing¡¯ it himself.

    ¡°Could it be¡­ you lost your memories?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon kept his mouth shut.

    He smiled bitterly and nodded slightly.

    ¡°Because there were so many things I couldn¡¯t do without giving up something.¡±

    ¡°How many memories¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon shakes his head quietly.

    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t forget the most important thing.¡±

    The most important thing to him.

    The most precious thing to you.

    The two won¡¯t be any different.

    ¡°So why did you go so far as to invade my consciousness?¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to talk to you.¡±

    ¡°talk?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was curious about what I would look like in a different future.¡±

    Cheonma shrugged her shoulders and looked at Ojin.

    ¡°I felt relieved after talking to him in person this time.¡±

    ¡°Are you relieved?¡±

    What do you mean relieved?

    ¡°Even if the future is different, in the end, you are me.¡±

    Even if the past has changed.

    Even if the present is turned upside down.

    Even if the future is twisted.

    you.

    It was me.

    ¡°Well, I think a little differently.¡±

    Oh Jin continued speaking while ring at Cheonma with sharp eyes.

    ¡°I am different from you.¡±

    Exactly, it had to change.

    Because as long as you live a life like that, the future will not change.

    ¡°So, if you and I are the same, are you nning on taking my body away?¡±

    When I realized the identity of the Heavenly Demon.

    I thought for a moment about what his purpose was.

    The first thing that came to mind was that he was trying to take over Ha-eun by stealing her body.

    From the Heavenly Demon¡¯s perspective, his current appearance must have been the future he desperately wanted.

    ¡°huh? Push! Ha ha ha ha ha!¡±

    What¡¯s so funny?

    The Cheonma held her stomach and burst intoughter.

    ¡°I don¡¯t n on doing that, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    ¡°Then what is your purpose?¡±

    If you want Ha-eun¡¯s happiness.

    If the existence of ¡®Cheonma¡¯ itself disappears, all problems will be solved.

    ¡°well?¡±

    Cheonma shrugged as if she had no intention of talking.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll find out naturally anyway.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon rose leisurely.

    ¡°Time is running out.¡±

    As if it couldn¡¯t remain in someone else¡¯s unconscious space, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s appearance gradually turned into a dark cloud and began to disperse.

    ¡°Wait, we¡¯re not finished talking yet.¡±

    Are you going toe in on your own and then leave with only vague answers?

    ¡°Even if I wanted to stay longer, I¡¯m reaching my limit.¡±

    ¡°¡­you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯ve prepared a gift for you, so there won¡¯t be any time to be bored.¡±

    Have you prepared a gift?

    ¡°¡­What have you done?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the beauty of a gift that you don¡¯t know until you open it?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon smiled and waved his hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to see you again soon anyway.¡±

    ¡°What is that¡­¡±

    Before Ojin could finish his sentence.

    The Heavenly Demon¡¯s bodypletely disappeared into the darkness.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Ojin looked into the darkness where he could see nothing and let out a deep sigh.

    Apletely unexpected encounter with the Heavenly Demon.

    Cheonma¡¯s impression upon first conversation was a little different from the image Ohjin had imagined of him.

    ¡®It was better than I thought.¡¯

    I vaguely thought he was a crazy maniac because he destroyed the world in his past life, but my expectations were surprisingly wrong.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking.¡±

    Ojin touched his forehead as if he had a headache.

    First of all, he said he wasn¡¯t targeting his body.

    ¡®You have to be able to trust it.¡¯

    Isn¡¯t the other person none other than a ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯?

    Honestly, I couldn¡¯t believe anything that came out of his mouth.

    ¡°I never thought karma would explode in a ce like this.¡±

    Is this exactly the situation for the shepherd boy?

    As I lived a life of telling lies as if I was eating, I couldn¡¯t tell what was real and what was a lie.

    ¡®But if we assume it¡¯s real.¡¯

    What is the purpose of Cheonma?

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Even though I continued to worry, I couldn¡¯t find an easy answer.

    If Ha-eun¡¯s happiness was really the only goal, there was no reason to gather the forces of the Demon Lord and invade Earth.

    ¡®What is certain is that we can¡¯t trust him and remain silent.¡¯

    I couldn¡¯t just go along with his n just because he looked better than I thought.

    Even if he looked fine on the outside, he was ultimately a ¡®Heavenly Demon.¡¯

    Because it was a monster that ate countless lives and destroyed a world.

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that what I¡¯m saying?¡±

    Oh Jin let out a self-deprecatingugh and let out a short sigh.

    In any case, I couldn¡¯t rx unless I knew what the Heavenly Demon¡¯s purpose was.

    ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s a gift.¡¯

    Normally, when you hear the word ¡®gift¡¯, your heart should be pounding and your heart flutters.

    The moment the modifier ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ was added in front of it, I felt nothing but an ominous feeling.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know what kind of trick he might have pulled.¡¯

    Pretending to disappear but actually still remaining.

    Or, he could have nned to make ck Heaven run away or forcefully control it.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Oh Jin quietly closed his eyes and looked for the ¡®gift¡¯ he had left behind.

    Spreading the energy of the ck sky throughout the body, he checked detailed changes from the unconscious space to the physical body.

    ¡®Something has changed, though.¡¯

    That was because the energy of the ck Heaven became stronger as Ojin bloomed for the tenth time, but there was no change that felt like the Heavenly Demon¡¯s masterpiece.

    ¡°What the hell¡­?¡±

    I checked several times to prepare for any possible risks, but the results did not change.

    Oh Jin tilted his head and slowly opened his closed eyes.

    ¡®Should I go out soon?¡¯

    There was nothing more to be gained by remaining alone in this empty darkness.

    Ojin concentrated his mind and awakened his consciousness.

    The darkness surrounding me dissipated and the surrounding scenery came into view again.

    Rumbling!

    When I opened my eyes, I saw dark clouds covering the surroundings.

    When I captured the dark clouds that covered the report like fog back into my heart.

    Quaaaaaaaaaaa!

    With a loud noise, the tightly closed door of the report burst open.

    A ck shadow poured out like a tidal wave beyond the wide open door and enveloped Ojin¡¯s body.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    In the sudden situation, Ojin quickly raised the magic power of the stigmata, but the unidentified attacker climbed on top of his body one step faster.

    ¡°You are here. ¡°I thought you would hide a little tighter this time?¡±

    A long, iling tongue.

    Brilliant tinum hair and eyes that shine like emerald green.

    In an instant, a woman with a slender figure who did not seem to have overpowered Ojin raised her arm.

    Slurp!

    A snake¡¯s head made of shadows was created at the tip of a pure white finger.

    The woman¡¯s emerald eyes shone coolly.

    ¡°Die, Heavenly Demon.¡±

    The shadow snake approached with its mouth wide open.

    ¡°Wait a minute, wait a minute!¡±

    Oh Jin shouted urgently and shook his head.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see the person well, Cassia!¡±

    ¡°¡­Mr. Ojin?¡±

    Cassia opens her eyes wide with an embarrassed expression.

    ¡°Huh? weird? There is definitely a sign of Cheonma here¡­¡±

    Seeing her tilting her head as if she couldn¡¯t understand, Ohjin was able to realize what the ¡®gift¡¯ Cheonma had prepared was.

    ¡®It was better than I thought?¡¯

    gibberish.

    Even if Cheonma was crazy, just as Oh Jin first thought, he was definitely a crazy person.

 Chapter 337

    I am not a returner Episode 337:

    ck Sky (1)

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    After escaping from Cassia¡¯s sudden attack(?).

    Ojin let out a deep sigh and sat down on the treasures that had lost the magic contained within them, leaving only empty shells.

    ¡°So how did this happen?¡±

    I looked at Cassia, who was twirling her hair with her index finger, as if feeling sorry for suddenly attacking Ojin.

    ¡°It¡¯s just like I said. ¡°I was mistaken because I felt the presence of Heavenly Demon here.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon and himself had the same ck Heaven.

    Nevertheless, looking at the simple ssification as ¡®the presence of the Heavenly Demon¡¯, it did not seem to be a reaction to the Dark Heaven that Ojin possessed.

    in other words.

    It would be correct to think that the Heavenly Demon deliberately let his presence be known to lead her here in the first ce.

    ¡°Have you been following the Heavenly Demon until now?¡±

    Although I knew she was in the demon world.

    I didn¡¯t even know what I was doing wandering around in the devil¡¯s eye.

    ¡°¡­To be exact, it is the Heavenly Demon¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°The artificial body?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°The Heavenly Demon¡¯s true body is currently sealed in Niflheim due to the restrictions of thew.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s sealed?¡±

    Is that why you approached it by interfering with your subconscious rather thaning to meet him in person?

    ¡°yes. Well, it hasn¡¯t been long since I found out about this.¡±

    Cassia lets out a short sigh and shakes her head.

    It seemed like a lot of things happened to Ojin while she was traveling around the kingdoms.

    ¡°So why are you chasing that corpse and trying to kill it?¡±

    ¡°That way, we can dy the release of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s seal just a little longer.¡±

    Slows the release of the seal.

    The words I heard from Cheonma, ¡®I¡¯ll see you again soon,¡¯ ran through my head.

    ¡°I already found and killed it three times¡­ but this time Ipletely missed the mark.¡±

    Cassia sighs and shakes her head.

    ¡®Is that why you said earlier that you thought you would hide a little more closely this time?¡¯

    Instead of hiding from Cassia, the Cheonma was guided to aim for Ojin.

    To release the seal that is imprisoning oneself.

    ¡°How long until the seal is released?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly about that. However, looking at the recent movements of the demons in Niflheim¡­.¡±

    ¡°I guess there isn¡¯t much left.¡±

    He even personally said, ¡°I¡¯ll see you again soon.¡±

    The day when the seal of the Heavenly Demon will be released will not be long.

    ¡°¡­yes.¡±

    Cassia nodded with a bitter expression.

    Oh Jin looked at her smiling bitterly with her head down and asked quietly.

    ¡°Why¡­ were you preventing the Heavenly Demon¡¯s seal from being released?¡±

    In a pure white snowy field.

    The being who saved her from death was the Heavenly Demon.

    Of course, the reason she was saved was because she needed a puppet to remove the disturbing beings on her behalf, as she was unable to move due to the restrictions of thew.

    Anyway, from her perspective, Cheonma was a benefactor who saved her life.

    ¡°Oh, is that what Mr. Ojin is saying?¡±

    Cassia smiled mischievously and came closer to Ojin.

    ¡°You told me. Oh Jin said he would be my new Heavenly Demon.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Although I definitely said that.

    I couldn¡¯t tell how much Cassia believed those words.

    Cassia lightly covered her mouth with her hand and burst intoughter.

    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not the only reason. ¡°This is my own kind of atonement.¡±

    expiation.

    I had heard all too well about what she did while her mind was being controlled by the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°I¡¯ve killed too many things.¡±

    I have lived with countless blood on my hands.

    Even if it was not entirely one¡¯s will, it cannot be said that there is no sin.

    ¡°¡­Cassia.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. I know that too. ¡°What I¡¯m doing is abominable.¡±

    Even if she atones, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that she took countless lives.

    An action that is nothing more than self-constion.

    The empty space left by the loosening of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s control is simply being filled with the convenient method of atonement.

    Ojin spoke softly to Cassia, who was smiling dangerously as if she would break if she touched something wrong.

    ¡°There is no need to live with suchplicated thoughts.¡±

    Although I didn¡¯t have blood on my hands.

    It was the same for him, who lived by deceiving others and sucking their blood.

    I don¡¯t think my actions were honorable.

    I have no intention of making excuses just because I can¡¯t help it.

    but.

    ¡°It¡¯s too painful to live only in atonement.¡±

    What if it¡¯s abominable?

    Too many people live selfishly to be punished for being selfish.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay to live a little more shamelessly. Well, if you find yourself in hellter, you can go and think about it then.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia opened her eyes wide as if she didn¡¯t expect such an answer.

    He gently bit his lip and ced his hand on his pounding chest.

    It was my first time.

    The person who told me that it was okay to live a little more shamelessly.

    ¡°You¡¯re really¡­ a reprehensible person, Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°No, what on earth?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so scandalous that I want to punish him by tying him up in a ce where no one knows.¡±

    ¡°I will take back the advice to live shamelessly.¡±

    After all, if a personmits a sin, he or she must live with the punishment.

    ¡°Hehe. just joke.¡±

    Cassia smiled mischievously and took a step back.

    ¡®It looks like she¡¯s really Isabe¡¯s older sister.¡¯

    Her smile and mischievous tone were identical to Isabe¡¯s.

    ¡°So what do we do now? Are you going to keep chasing the Heavenly Demon¡¯s body?¡±

    ¡°No, no matter how much I kill the corpse, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s seal will eventually be broken.¡±

    So what should I do?

    ¡°They say a big ceremony will be held in Niflheim in a month.¡±

    ¡°Consciousness?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°It¡¯s probably a ritual rted to unsealing the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    One month.

    Oh Jin chewed his lips with a nervous expression.

    ¡®Time is running out.¡¯

    I thought it would take a few more months even if I couldn¡¯t fully get my power back on track.

    There is only one month left.

    ¡°I n to go to Niflheim and stop the ritual.¡±

    ¡°alone?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mr. Ohjin, will youe with us too?¡±

    Ojin nodded to Cassia, who yfully asked.

    ¡°Of course we should go together.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    Cassia was rather taken aback by the answer without hesitation.

    ¡°Do you know what kind of ce Niflheim is?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve never been there myself, but I¡¯ve heard vaguely about what the ce is like.¡±

    The kingdom of the demon race.

    A ce where followers of the Heavenly Demon gather, several times more dangerous than the three most forbidden ces in the Demon Worldbined.

    ¡°No, Mr. Oh Jin, I don¡¯t know. How dangerous is that ce¡­¡±

    ¡°So, since it¡¯s dangerous, you¡¯re telling me to wash my hands and watch as the Heavenly Demon¡¯s seal is released?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia bit her chapped lip with a nervous expression.

    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t n on going alone.¡±

    Haven¡¯t you been preparing for this time?

    Of course, not all power was avable yet.

    They even acquired the powerful forces of the Beast-human tribe, the Dragon-human tribe, and the Baekmu River.

    I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s enough, but it¡¯s not enough to give up without a fight.

    ¡°Ha, you are such a stubborn person. ¡°The new Heavenly Demon.¡±

    Cassia let out a short sigh and shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I still think it¡¯ll be difficult to go with you.¡±

    ¡°why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s Mr. Ohjin, but other people would be reluctant to be with ¡®Bam¡¯.¡±

    Cassia speaks in a bitter voice.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ohjin kept his mouth shut, unable to refute anything.

    As she said, there were many people who would feel ufortable if they said they would apany Cassia to Niflheim.

    ¡®Right now, it¡¯s the same with my sister.¡¯

    Although Cassia was under the control of the Heavenly Demon at the time, she had a record of killing Tamrangseong with her own hands.

    From the perspective of Ha-eun, who lived with Tamrang-seong for a while while receiving his teachings, it would be difficult to look at Cassia without any emotions.

    ¡°I will take action to block the consciousness in my own way.¡±

    Cassia smiled brightly and continued.

    ¡°Oh, I really have a favor to ask, could you please do it?¡±

    ¡°say it.¡±

    ¡°Can you leave without Be this time?¡±

    Are you going without Isabe?

    ¡°I think that would be difficult.¡±

    Isabe was the best in the group, except for Ojin, who used Gaecheon.

    In the first ce, the n to attack the Kingdom of Niflheim and stop the sealing ritual could not be aplished without her.

    ¡°But why are you asking me to leave it out?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia twisted her hair with her fingers and gently avoided Ojin¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°If we fail to prevent the ritual and the seal is released, the area around it will be filled with the energy of the ck Sky.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem with that¡­ ah.¡±

    A short exmation flowed from Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    Isabe was an awakened person who received power from the constetion Leech, one of the ¡®ck stars¡¯.

    ¡®And it was Cheonmaji who turned the constetion, which was originally called a satellite, into a ck star.¡¯

    If wepare it to a family genealogy, I wonder if Heukcheon¡¯s grandparent and ck Star are her parents.

    in other words.

    This means that a certain amount of the power of the Heavenly Demon already resides within her, just like the inheritance between children and parents.

    ¡®If the Heavenly Demon is released from the seal in that state.¡¯

    Oh Jin recalled one of ck Heaven¡¯s characteristics, ¡®dominance¡¯.

    In the worst case, there was a risk that Isabe would be a puppet of the Heavenly Demon, just like Cassia.

    ¡°Then you too¡­¡±

    Of course, Cassia, the awakened ck Star, was also at risk of bing a puppet.

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°I¡¯m used to living as someone¡¯s puppet.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Are you going to go and stop the ritual even at the risk of it being controlled by the Heavenly Demon again?

    ¡°ha.¡±

    I wanted to stop the ceremony without using Isabe or Cassia¡¯s power.

    ¡®It¡¯s impossible.¡¯

    Both have too much power to give up.

    To the point where it would be better to give up the n to block the ritual itself than to give up both.

    ¡°First, let¡¯s somehow prevent the ritual.¡±

    If you fail and the seal of the Heavenly Demon is broken.

    ¡°At that time, Cassia, take Isabe with you and run away.¡±

    ¡°¡­all right.¡±

    Cassia nodded with a heavy expression.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just leave then. ¡°If you¡¯re caught with me, Oh Jin, you¡¯ll be in trouble too.¡±

    Cassia turned around, elegantly lifting the hem of her ck dress.

    Oh Jin turned around and looked at her and smiled.

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s surprising.¡±

    ¡°Surprising?¡±

    ¡°I thought you and Be weren¡¯t on good terms, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be this worried.¡±

    ¡°Tsk¡­!¡±

    Cassia shakes her shoulders with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°I was just afraid that he would ruin the n, so I asked him to leave. ¡°He¡¯s stubborn and greedy, so he¡¯ll force himself even when he needs to get out.¡±

    Cassia snorts and turns her head.

    As he said those words, his earlobes that were slightly sticking out through his tinum-blonde hair turned red.

    Ojin smiled slightly as he looked at Cassia¡¯s back as she walked away.

    ¡®I hope someday the day wille when our rtionship will be good again.¡¯

    Ojin walked outside, imagining Cassia and Isabeughing together.

 Chapter 338

    I am not a returner Episode 338:

    ck Sky (2)

    Ojin returned to the group and ryed the information he had heard from Cassia.

    From the fact that the Heavenly Demon is currently sealed in Niflheim, to the fact that a ritual to unseal it will be held in a month.

    ¡°Consciousness¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ha, a month?¡±

    Ha-eun and Isabe¡¯s expressions hardened at the shocking news that there was only one month left until the seal on the Heavenly Demon was released.

    Riak, who was quietly listening to the conversation, turned his head towards Ojin and asked.

    ¡°Where on earth did you get that information, kid?¡±

    ¡°When I searched Deimos¡¯ body, I found this.¡±

    Ohjin took out amunication relic from his pocket.

    As magic power was poured into the relic, a hard voice came out and instructions rted to the sealing ritual came out.

    A directive that orders Deimos to provide tribute or relics to be used in rituals.

    Of course, the voiceing from themunication relic was a fakemand recorded by Ojin, but it could not be said honestly that he had heard information about the ritual from Queen Serpens.

    ¡°Then you¡¯re in big trouble, aren¡¯t you? ¡°There¡¯s only one month left, right?!¡±

    ¡°We have to block the ritual.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t let the Heavenly Demon break the seal and crawl out.

    ¡°How do you n to stop it?¡±

    ¡°For now, I n to gather as much power as I can.¡±

    The help of the beast people and dragon people was needed.

    No matter how strong Ojin and his party were, they were too few in number to attack a single ¡®kingdom¡¯.

    ¡°me too! ¡°I will help good people too!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang raised his hand and smiled brightly.

    Ohjin smiled and nodded.

    ¡°Please, old man.¡±

    ¡°huh! Believe me!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang is pounding his chest and pulling out the Holy Sword of Deneb hanging from his waist.

    Because of this incident, a powerful relic called the Holy Sword of Deneb has been recovered, so Baekmugang will be the force Ojin had hoped for.

    Since Baekmugang readily epted the offer, all that was left was to convey this n to the dragon and beast tribes and ask for their cooperation.

    ¡°Even if the Dragonian Kingdom is close to here¡­ the problem is the Khan Kingdom.¡±

    Limited time of one month.

    In order to gather all the power of the Khan Kingdom within that time, several conditions were necessary.

    One is to know the path of the Sky Mountains and be able to cross them.

    The two of them must have fast legs that can reach the Kingdom of Khan within a week.

    Even if the three had to appear out of nowhere and attack Niflheim, they would have such a strong influence that the beastmen would dly lend their strength.

    Among the group, there was only one person who met all of those conditions.

    ¡°There is no one but Mr. Riak.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Riak frowned as if he had a headache.

    With excellent senses, he perfectly remembers the roads he once passed, has quick mobility, and at the same time has a strong influence as a former ¡®Khan¡¯.

    There was no one better than Riak to gather the beastmen of the Khan Kingdom.

    ¡°Phew, I understand. ¡°Let me go.¡±

    ¡°Are you okay alone?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, who is worrying about whom, kid?¡±

    Riak snorted and looked at Ojin with disapproving eyes.

    Oh Jin chuckled and nodded.

    ¡°Then go back to the sanctuary. I¡¯ll call you when we get out of the volcano. ¡°Please tell Vega about this incident.¡±

    ¡°i get it.¡±

    A silver light shed from Riak¡¯s body and soon disappeared into thin air.

    ¡°Let¡¯s pack our bags and go outside.¡±

    ¡°Ojini, are you okay? ¡°I heard there are still some aftereffects.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not all better yet, but there¡¯s no problem with moving.¡±

    In fact, I felt tired even if I moved even a little, so I wanted to rest in the castle for a few more days.

    With only about a month left until the ceremony to unseal the Heavenly Demon, there was no time to rest in peace.

    ¡°Would you like my sister to carry me?¡±

    ¡°What do you carry on your back?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so strong, no matter what happens?¡±

    Even if Ha-eun is an awakened person who specializes in long-distance attacks, since she is a high-ranked awakened person, it would be easy to carry one Ohjin.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, olddy.¡±

    As I imagined myself carrying Ha-eun on her back, I felt a sense of shame that was difficult to describe in words.

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue with an expression of disappointment at Oh-jin¡¯s sharp refusal.

    ¡°I thought we were going to massage some bread on the way.¡±

    What are you talking about, sister?

    ¡°It¡¯s just a joke, Sasha.¡±

    Ha-eun giggled and lightly pinched Oh-jin¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. ¡°Everything will be fine.¡±

    Was Ha-eun trying to relieve Oh Jin¡¯s tension in his own way?

    Whatever the method, it worked.

    Oh Jinughed and looked at Ha Eun.

    On the outside, I was pretending like nothing was wrong, pretending to be rxed, and joking around.

    Oh Jin, who had lived with her all his life, could clearly see how much she cared about him.

    ¡®sister.¡¯

    A ray of starlight fell into his life, where nothing was visible like a ck sky.

    A woman who is infinitely precious and infinitely lovely.

    I would do anything for her.

    ¡®I guess it¡¯s the same for you too.¡¯

    Oh Jin smiled bitterly as he remembered the young man with the same face as him.

    ¡°What is it? ¡°Why are you looking at me so intently, making people feel burdened?¡±

    Ha-eun flinched, her shoulders shaking and her cheeks blushing.

    Did he sense something in Oh Jin¡¯s eyes?

    I nced at him with an expectant expression.

    ¡°never mind. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly and pack our bags.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nd.¡±

    Ha-eun returns to her room, pouting as if her anticipation has cooled.

    Ohjin looked at her back as she walked away and smiled faintly.

    ¡°¡­Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    A cold, subdued voice was heard.

    I flinch.

    This time, Ojin¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    Of course, unlike Ha-eun, she was shaking in pure fear.

    ¡°Can you two talk for a moment?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Uh oh. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±

    I swallowed dry saliva and followed Isabe.

    click.

    Isabe entered the room and locked the door.

    ¡°Hey¡­ Ms. Isabe?¡±

    When I looked at her with a nervous expression, wondering if my jealousy toward Ha-eun had exploded likest time.

    ¡°Did you hear the information you heard earlier from your sister?¡±

    What came out of Isabe¡¯s mouth were different from Ojin¡¯s expectations.

    ¡°¡­how did you know?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think such an importantmand would have been sent through amunication relic. And¡­¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    Isabe, who came close to Ojin, sniffed.

    ¡°Oh Jin smelled like another woman.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    What, a dog?

    Oh Ji-eun looked at Isabe with a puzzled expression.

    Now that I think about it, I remembered Cassia saying the same thing before.

    ¡®Why are sisters simr in even these parts?¡¯

    How can a ghost smell something that even Riak, a beastman, could not smell?

    ¡°Are you meeting your sister?¡±

    ¡°¡­ha. that¡¯s right.¡±

    Ohjin continued to think for a moment and nodded as if he had lost.

    I knew it would be like that!

    Isabe stomped her feet in frustration and came closer to Ojin.

    ¡°Oh, she didn¡¯t do anything, did she?¡±

    Isabe said and groped Ojin¡¯s thigh.

    ¡®Why are you groping there?¡¯

    Ojin sighed deeply and shook his head.

    ¡°Nothing happened, don¡¯t worry. ¡°I only gave you information about the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    ¡°¡­is it true?¡±

    Isabe looks at Ojin with suspicious eyes.

    Ojin asked, looking at Isabe who was as nervous as a cat on fire.

    ¡°But weren¡¯t you on good terms with Cassia?¡±

    ¡°It used to be like that, but¡­¡±

    Isabe trailed off and bit her chapped lip.

    Memories of thest time I encountered Cassia beforeing to Demon Lord came to mind.

    -Or¡­ should I have it?

    Cassia¡¯s eyes were sinister as she boldly dered that she would take Ojin away in front of her.

    The gentle appearance of the past was no longer visible in her appearance.

    And even if Cassia approached her as warmly as she did when she was young, Isabe could not ept her meekly.

    ¡°You¡­ tried to kill Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit of the Heavenly Demon¡­¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    I knew that Cassia was not in her right mind at that time.

    However, even though I knew it in my head, when I remembered that Oh Jin almost died at that time, I felt a deep sense of death.

    Ojin stroked Isabe¡¯s cheek, who was licking her lips with aplicated expression.

    ¡°Anyway, nothing happened, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes.¡±

    As I stroked her cheek, Isabe¡¯s fierce expression brightened.

    I briefly considered telling her that Cassia was worried about Isabe, but I quickly gave up the thought.

    ¡®This is a job for two people to solve.¡¯

    Although their rtionship as sisters was entangled in one way or another.

    If given the right opportunity, it will be possible to return to the original rtionship.

    ¡°My breasts are also small¡­ What do you have?¡±

    You cane back¡­ right?

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Let¡¯s pack our bags soon.¡±

    The Dragonian Kingdom wasn¡¯t that far away, but it still didn¡¯t mean there was enough time to rx.

    There is one month left until the ceremony takes ce.

    There was a mountain of preparation to be done in the meantime.

    * * *

    A space filled with dark clouds.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    A low sigh echoed hollowly in the distant darkness.

    Eyes filled with deep fatigue.

    A dry smile appeared on the man¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Still¡­ I¡¯m d we can talk about it.¡±

    The man muttered in a subdued voice andid down on the ck clouds.

    Grumbling.

    A ck cloud approached and enveloped his body.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    A man groaning as if in pain.

    His body, enveloped in ck clouds, gradually began to melt away.

    It¡¯s like ink dissolved in water.

    The man¡¯s body gradually began to be engulfed by ck clouds.

    As the ck clouds engulfed me, I remembered another ¡®Ojin¡¯ I had just met.

    ¡®Like you¡­ if I had the Lyra stigmata, would things have been different?¡¯

    A lowugh came from the man¡¯s mouth.

    Now, it was a meaningless assumption.

    No matter how strong rebar was added to a building that had already begun to copse, the copse could not be prevented.

    but.

    ¡°little bit more.¡±

    There is not much time left until the seal is released.

    A dry smile appeared on the man¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Okay¡­ now the preparations areplete.¡±

    Grumbling.

    Even as it was engulfed by dark clouds, the blue natural light in the man¡¯s eyes was burning fiercely.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to keep your promise, Vega.¡±

    A low voice echoed in the darkness.

 Chapter 339

    I am not a returner Episode 339:

    ck Sky (3)

    Time passed quickly.

    Ojin and his party, who sent Riak to the Khan Kingdom and returned to the Dragonian Kingdom, quickly began preparing for war.

    Niflheim Kingdom.

    There were some Yongin people who expressed their opposition to Ohjin¡¯s words about attacking the main camp of the Majin people, saying that it was nonsense, but when Haeun came forward, they raised their weapons as if they had never opposed anything before.

    Since there was no separate means of contact with Riak, I was worried about whether I would be able to arrive on time while preparing for war, but fortunately, the beastman warriors were able to join the main force in time.

    A month passed by, one day before the ceremony to unseal the Heavenly Demon was held in Niflheim.

    Ojin was undergoing final maintenance ahead of the final battle.

    ¡°Write it. Phew.¡±

    Take a deep breath and repeat.

    I felt the magical power of the stigmata flowing from my heart and spreading throughout my body.

    A tsunami of magic so distant that one wonders if it will ever end.

    The magic power absorbed through the ck Heaven had now reached an enormous amountparable to the ¡®Fountain of the Milky Way¡¯ seen in the sanctuary.

    ¡®Of course, it only has arge amount, but the magic power it can handle is limited.¡¯

    As the stigmata of Lyra became 9 stars, the area of the magic circuit was greatly expanded.

    It was not enough to use all the endless magic power sleeping within Ojin.

    It¡¯s simr to how you can¡¯t empty the seawater no matter how thick a hose you bring.

    ¡®Still, with the tenth flowering of ck Heaven, the quality of magical power itself has improved significantly.¡¯

    Previously, the quantity was ignorant, but with the tenth flowering of the ck Heaven, the quality of magical power increased significantly.

    Even with the same amount of magical power, greater power could be produced, so there was no better news than this in a situation where an important battle was about to happen.

    ¡°¡­ha.¡±

    No matter how strong I became, every time I thought about the final battle tomorrow, I felt frustrated, as if a heavy stone had been ced on my chest.

    ¡®If you fail this time, the seal of the Heavenly Demon will be released.¡¯

    I still didn¡¯t know what the Heavenly Demon¡¯s purpose was.

    But what was certain was that if his seal were to be released, Ojin would never be able to handle it.

    ¡®We have to stop it.¡¯

    Whatever it takes.

    Oh Jin chewed his lips with a nervous expression.

    [Were you here?]

    A beautiful voice like jade beads rolling around.

    When I turned my head in the direction the voice came from, I saw Vega flying through the air.

    ¡°huh. How are you feeling, Vega?¡±

    [Uhm. The restrictions have notpletely disappeared yet, but it seems that it is okay to manifest in a artificial body.]

    Vega was trapped in the sanctuary for a while without being able to manifest in return for giving Ojin a blessing in thest battle with Deimos.

    It was only a week ago that I was able to reappear, albeit in a prosthetic form.

    It was also a forced manifestation while the restrictions had not yet beenpletely lifted.

    ¡°If it¡¯s really hard, you can skip it this time¡­¡±

    [How could that be?]

    Vega shook her head with a stern expression.

    It is true that the restrictions of thew have notpletely disappeared yet, but in such a critical situation where the seal of the Heavenly Demon could be released, we could not use the restrictions as an excuse to hide ourselves.

    ¡°thank you.¡±

    Ohjin nodded with a faint smile.

    They said it was okay if Vega was left out, but in reality, Ojin would be in trouble if Vega was left out.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t necessarily a blessing, Vega¡¯s presence was a great help.

    ¡°What about you and Be?¡±

    [They both fell asleep early.]

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Since awakened people are essentially human, sleep was important.

    Sufficient sleep not only keeps your body but also your mind in optimal condition.

    [By the way, I heard about this n from Be¡­ Didn¡¯t I entrust you with a too dangerous role?]

    Vega looked at Ojin as if he was worried.

    It goes without saying that Ojin and his party, who were overwhelmingly underpoweredpared to the Demons, could not choose an all-out war.

    However, time was too short to devise aplex tactical strategy.

    There was only time for joint training in preparation for war once.

    ¡®Different races are also a big problem.¡¯

    Since there had been no exchanges between the dragon race and the beast race, the rtionship between the two races was so awkward that it was breathtaking just to look at it from the side.

    Even though the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

    To put it bluntly, would you be able to fightfortably, leaving your back to a stranger you¡¯ve known for less than two weeks?

    An extremely simple tactic was needed to allow entry into the Kingdom of Niflheim with minimal damage.

    The n that was created that way.

    [How can you sneak into the kingdom alone!]

    Vega climbed on top of Ojin¡¯s head and pulled his hair as if he was frustrated.

    ¡°Ahhh. ¡°It hurts, it hurts.¡±

    [You deserve to be scolded even more!] Vega

    scolds Ojin with a stern expression, like a mother admonishing an immature child.

    Although he was verbally saying that he should be scolded more, the force pulling his hair was gradually weakening.

    [ha. Why do you always upset my wife like this?]

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Ojin raised his hand above his head and ced Vega on his palm.

    Vega, with a sulky expression, was seen snorting and turning his head.

    ¡°But this was the only way.¡±

    [But what will you do after you sneak into the kingdom alone? Even if you¡¯re lucky and don¡¯t get caught, others¡­]

    ¡°I have a way to think about it.¡±

    He raised the corners of his mouth and made a confident expression.

    [Whoa. I will trust you.]

    Vega shook her head as if she couldn¡¯t stop him and let out a deep sigh.

    [Then you too, go to bed early today. Don¡¯t you have a lot to do tomorrow?]

    ¡°Just a little more.¡±

    I was nning to take a break from training today and take a good rest.

    I couldn¡¯t sleep at all thinking about what would happen tomorrow.

    ¡®If I move my body a little, I¡¯ll fall asleep.¡¯

    When I thought like that and tried to continue my training.

    [¡­My child.]

    Vega carefully flew up and ced her hand on Ojin¡¯s cheek.

    The feel of soft skin against your fingertips.

    Vega looked sad as she smoothed her cheeks, which had be as rough as a dry desert over the past month.

    Even though he has the superhuman body of a high-ranking awakened person, how harsh a training must he be undergoing to the point where his skin bes rough like this?

    I couldn¡¯t even scold him because I knew why he was pushing himself so hard.

    [Don¡¯t worry too much.]

    He gently stroked Ojin¡¯s cheek and lightly kissed the bridge of his nose.

    [Aren¡¯t you a star in the sky?]

    ¡°¡­Vega.¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s gaze wavered.

    From Vega¡¯s perspective, it was probably something he said to encourage himself.

    ¡®The problem is that I am not a star in the sky.¡¯

    A bitter smile spread across his lips.

    I looked at the goddess who still firmly believed that she was a ¡®returner¡¯.

    ¡®¡­until when.¡¯

    How long can I deceive her?

    No, how long will I have to live with deceiving her?

    ¡°Vega¡­ what if?¡±

    A sudden urge boiled over.

    ¡°What if I¡­¡±

    My lips are getting dry.

    My heart is pounding as if it¡¯s going to burst, and dry saliva flows down my throat.

    If I tell you the truth here, how will Vega¡¯s expression change?

    As I imagined him, a dizzying fear spread down my spine.

    ¡°No, nothing.¡±

    [Hmm? Why are you doing this all of a sudden?]

    Vega tilted his head and pped Ojin on the bridge of his nose.

    [Speaking of which, aren¡¯t you curious about the real woman? Go ahead and say it.]

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    [Uh huh. How can you pretend that nothing has happened when your expression is so dark?]

    Vega put her hands on her hips with a stern expression.

    [Is there a secret between you and your wife that you can¡¯t tell? Don¡¯t worry about it and just speakfortably.]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    When I heard that there were no secrets between the two that couldn¡¯t be told, my heart throbbed as if it had been cut with a sharp de.

    I can not say.

    There was no way I could say it.

    Because now I¡¯ve told too many lies to tell the truth.

    A lie is like a truck falling off a cliff with broken brakes.

    Once I started, I couldn¡¯t stop or slow down.

    ¡®Until it hits the floor and shatters.¡¯

    The only way is to keep telling more lies.

    ¡®¡­are you okay.¡¯

    I have lived my whole life repeating lies.

    I don¡¯t know any other way than to live like that.

    therefore.

    It will be okay.

    It won¡¯t matter.

    At least one more lie on top of the mountain of lies.

    ¡°What would you think if I told you I wanted to spank Vega¡¯s ass?¡±

    He asked, covering his face with a yful expression.

    [What?!]

    Vega suddenly flew up with a bright red face.

    [You mean here and now? Oh no, more than that, why did I suddenly see the main girl¡¯s butt¡­]

    Vega hesitated, licking his lips and looking around his head.

    Vega, who continued to worry, closed her eyes tightly and opened her mouth as if she had made a firm decision.

    [I understand. If that¡¯s what you wish¡­]

    ¡°I¡¯m just kidding.¡± [No joke?]

    ¡°I thought you were too worried, so I was joking to lighten the mood.¡±

    [Ugh!]

    Vega pped his hands and feet and pped Ojin on the bridge of his nose.

    [This shameless thing! There is nothing you dare not say in front of the Constetion!]

    ¡°Hahaha. sorry.¡±

    Ojin, who was guilty, was gently beaten until her anger was relieved.

    [Ha, ha, ha.]

    Vega excitedly pped Ojin on the bridge of his nose and pulled his hair, then turned his head, exhaling heavily.

    [She will return to the sanctuary.]

    ¡°Are you upset?¡±

    [Ugh¡­! Isn¡¯t that because you told a strange joke?]

    ¡°I said I was sorry.¡±

    Ojin carefully ced Vega on his palm.

    ¡°Nothing will happen, Vega.¡±

    okay.

    Just like it has been so far.

    You will be able to ovee it well.

    [¡­Please don¡¯t get hurt, my child.]

    Vega smiled slightly and gently stroked the bridge of his nose that had been pped just a moment ago.

    [Then the main woman will return to the sanctuary. You too, go to bed early.]

    Vega¡¯s body was scattered in the air along with a silver light.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin looked nkly at the spot where she disappeared and then slowly turned around.

    I climbed up the sharp rock and looked at the kingdom of Niflheim in the distance.

    Although it was a kingdom, its shape was not clearly visible.

    The Kingdom of Niflheim was shrouded in dark clouds, like a hazy fog covering the Sky Mountains.

    ¡°Did I say I¡¯d see you again soon?¡±

    I¡¯m sorry.

    ¡°You and I will never meet again.¡±

    Ojin clenched his fists, ring at the ck clouds descending on the kingdom.

 Chapter 340

    I am not a returner Episode 340:

    ck Sky (4)

    A city covered in dark clouds as thick as fog.

    Niflheim, the kingdom of the demons, had neither high walls nor tightly closed gates.

    ¡®If you¡¯re going toe in,e in and see.¡¯

    Ohjinughed out loud as he looked at the gray buildings peeking through the dark clouds.

    but.

    Who would think that Niflheim would be attacked?

    ¡®Unfortunately.¡¯

    Such arrogant thoughts will end as of today.

    ¡°Shall we go?¡±

    Ojin walked towards the city covered in ck clouds.

    They used ck cover to hide their presence and entered Niflheim leisurely.

    ¡®Is this Niflheim?¡¯

    A city full of dull gray.

    The scene covered in dark clouds was reminiscent of a European street during the industrial era.

    I slowly walked down the street holding my breath.

    I tried to catch any demons wandering nearby and find out about the ce where the ceremony was held.

    ¡®There¡¯s no one.¡¯

    In the empty streets, not a single demon race or the demon beasts they worked with were visible.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Now that it was like this, I had no choice but to find it myself.

    Ojin lightly jumped on top of the building and activated the Stigmata of the Canis Hound.

    I feel like my sense ofputing is expanding.

    A view of the city covered by dark clouds came into view along with a musty odor.

    ¡°¡­What is that?¡±

    The center of Niflheim.

    Dark clouds were seen gathered together in the shape of a huge dome.

    No, not exactly a dome.

    ¡®heart.¡¯

    The rumbling ck clouds were pulsating as if the heart of a giant had been ripped out.

    ¡®Did the dark clouds covering the citye from there?¡¯

    A huge mass of dark clouds, estimated to be several kilometers across, was spreading out across the entire city like blood flowing from the heart through the veins.

    ¡°¡­over there.¡±

    It was not a conclusion reached through instinctive intuition or keen insight.

    If you were to ask a three-year-old passing by, he would probably tell you that that was the ce for the ceremony.

    ¡®I had no intention of hiding it in the first ce.¡¯

    Should I say I am d that I saved myself the trouble of finding it?

    Still, I wondered if it was okay to perform this ceremony so openly, even though it was a ritual to unseal the Heavenly Demon, and approached the dark cloud that was pulsating like a heart.

    and.

    ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t that I had any intention of hiding it.¡±

    As I approached the ck clouds, I felt a huge force that took my breath away.

    This wasn¡¯t something I could hide and sleep on.

    A storm of magical power so strong that even if a barrier is ced around it, it will blow away without the barrier.

    Ojin slowly walked towards the ck clouds.

    Grumble, rumble!

    I raised my hand to the pulsating ck cloud.

    When Ojin raised his hand, the magical power that was swirling so fiercely as if it would tear everything that came near to pieces became quiet like a gentle sheep.

    I felt a familiarity, like an old friend, in the dark clouds that gently wrapped around my hand.

    ¡®It has to be that way.¡¯

    The energy that was wrapped around his hand right now was none other than the energy of the ck Sky.

    ¡®Simr¡­ but different.¡¯

    The ck Heaven that one possesses and the ck Heaven that the Heavenly Demon possesses.

    The external energy itself was simr, but if you close your eyes and concentrate, you can see that the energies of the two dark heavens are clearly different.

    ¡°Something¡­¡±

    Is it correct to say it¡¯s dangerous?

    It was an energy that felt weak, as if I was touching a castle made of sand.

    ¡®Did you say that the dark sky possessed by the Heavenly Demon is iplete?¡¯

    When I first heard that from Cassia, I didn¡¯t understand what imperfection meant.

    When I directly touched the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Heaven, I was able to see the difference.

    ¡®How were we able to survive in such a precarious condition?¡¯

    Dealing with the ck sky in such an unstable state was like running throughnd made of sponge.

    The moment you slip and fall, the ground falls down an endless cliff.

    ¡°¡­What on earth do you want to do by doing this?¡±

    Oh Jin, who was looking at the dark clouds with shaking eyes, bit his lip and stepped into the dark clouds.

    There was no time to think about the Heavenly Demon¡¯s purpose right now.

    ¡°This ce¡­¡±

    The inside of the dark clouds, which I thought would be pitch ck, turned out to be brighter than I expected.

    I looked up and saw countless stars twinkling.

    ¡®Is this the stigmata that ck Heaven has absorbed so far?¡¯

    An enormous amount of starlight that can¡¯t even bepared to Ojin¡¯s.

    Why?

    The stars shining tightly between the dark clouds gave me a sense of eerie fear rather than beauty.

    ¡°¦È¦Ô¦Ì¦Ç¦È¦Å?¦Ó¦Å ¦Ó¦Ç¦Í ¦Ç¦Ì?¦Ñ¦Á ¦Ð¦Ï¦Ô ¦Ô¦Ð¦Ï¦Ò¦Ö¦Å¦È?¦Ê¦Á¦Ì¦Å.¡±

    ¡°¦È¦Ô¦Ì¦Ç¦È¦Å?¦Ó¦Å ¦Ó¦Ç¦Í ¦Ç¦Ì?¦Ñ¦Á ¦Ð¦Ï¦Ô ¦Ô¦Ð¦Ï¦Ò¦Ö¦Å¦È?¦Ê¦Á¦Ì¦Å.¡±

    As I went inside, I saw hundreds and thousands of demons gathered in a circle and muttering some unknown spell.

    Is this what the gatherings of Satan-worshiping cultists are like?

    The sight of thousands of demons lying face down on the ground and mumbling incantations was truly bizarre.

    ¡®Is this the ritual?¡¯

    Ojin narrowed his eyes and looked at the demons lying on the ground.

    Aplex magic circle was engraved on the ce where the demons were lying down, and as the spell of unknown meaning continued, it sparkled with a dark red light.

    ¡®Is it okay if I destroy that magic circle?¡¯

    A short sigh of relief flowed from Ojin¡¯s mouth as he observed the ceremony taking ce.

    Fortunately, the method of preventing the ritual itself seemed to be quite simple.

    then.

    ¡®Let¡¯s prepare this side soon.¡¯

    When Oh Jin put his hand into his bosom as if he was trying to take something out.

    ¡°¡­human?¡±

    I saw a demon looking in this direction with his eyes wide open as if he couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Didn¡¯t all demons participate in the ritual?

    I was so focused on the magic circle that I didn¡¯t even notice the guard approaching.

    ¡°How could a human being be here¡­?!¡±

    A demon racer with a confused expression trying to pull out the sword on his belt.

    Before the sword waspletely drawn out of its scabbard, Ojin kicked his feet and rushed towards the demon race.

    Puzzle!

    After using the Stigmata of Capricorn to silence the sound of footsteps, he struck the hilt of the sword that was trying to escape from its sheath with his palm.

    ¡®Quickly and quietly.¡¯

    Noisy techniques such as depth charges or spear lightning could not be used.

    He grabbed the back of his neck to prevent him from screaming and then threw a lightning bolt directly into his head.

    ¡°Whoops whoops!¡± ¡°Kruk!¡±

    A demon racer who fainted with his eyes turning white.

    Fortunately, I was relieved that I had subdued it before themotion grew.

    Gurgling! Kuruk!

    The ck horns on the demon tribe¡¯s forehead trembled and ck clouds began to escape.

    The ck clouds floating leisurely in the air were sucked into the magic circle where the demons were lying face down.

    ¡°Intruder, intruder!¡±

    ¡°How can a human break through the dark clouds?!¡±

    ¡°How dare you disrupt the ceremony!¡±

    Several demons who saw the ck clouds seeping into the magic circle turned their heads towards where Ojin was.

    Darkness is the ability to hide one¡¯s presence.

    If you see it with your own eyes, it will hide its presence and end up being discovered.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Ojin clicked his tongue and pulled out Dantalian from his belt.

    The palm-sized folding knife instantly changed into the shape of a spear.

    ¡®I wanted to watch the ceremony a little longer.¡¯

    I was nning on making a n on where and how to attack, but since I was caught, I had no time to leisurely observe the magic circle.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stop worrying about that and keep doing what you were doing? ¡°It¡¯s an important ritual, right?¡±

    ¡°How do humans get information about consciousness¡­?¡±

    Demons frowning as if they don¡¯t understand.

    The appearance of a human being who seemed to know about the ceremony being prepared in utmost secrecy as if it were natural caused a stir.

    ¡°How did you get in here in the first ce?¡±

    A demon approached Ojin and frowned.

    ck clouds surrounded the area where the ceremony was held.

    Even if he were a demon with the title of ¡®Grand Duke¡¯, it would be impossible to prate the clouds of the dark sky.

    A human could break through the dark clouds ande inside alone.

    It was a situation that was difficult to understand throughmon sense.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you hiding around here before the ritual started? ¡°I don¡¯t know where I heard it, but I knew about the ritual.¡±

    ¡°Ah, there was a way.¡±

    The demons, who could not even imagine that Ojin had directly manipted the dark clouds covering the area and prated them, began toe up with usible inferences among themselves.

    ¡°So what were you doing hiding like a rat, human?¡±

    Mine came closer and asked in a threatening voice.

    Oh Jin shrugged his shoulders with a rxed expression.

    ¡°Of course I came to disrupt the ceremony.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    The seemingly carefree answer causedughter among the demons.

    ¡°Has this human gone out of his mind¡­!¡±

    A demon with a wildly distorted expression rushed towards Ojin.

    Grumble!

    ck light flowed from the horn on the demon¡¯s forehead, and ck mes burned.

    Fiercely burning ck mes were aimed at Ojin.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s damned even if the bastards give an answer.¡±

    Ojinughed and swung his spear, splitting the shooting ck me in half.

    Kugugoogung!

    When the ck me, split in two, hit the floor, a heavy explosion rang out.

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    ¡°Kill that arrogant human!¡±

    Did he sense that Oh Jin¡¯s skills were unusual from the way he easily split the ck me?

    The demons surrounding him exchanged nces with each other and simultaneously rushed toward Ojin.

    Pajijik Pajik!

    The blue lightning is burning.

    Every time the spear was swung, a torrent of lightning erupted explosively, burning the bodies of the charging demons.

    ¡°As expected, this is better than handling it quietly.¡±

    The magical power of the stigmata became even stronger through the tenth flowering of the ck Heaven.

    The demons were helplessly pushed back by the powerful thunderbolt emitted from the highly concentrated magical power.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ ¡°Where on earth did such a monstere from?¡±

    The demons looked embarrassed as they saw Ojin¡¯s inaction, which was stronger than expected.

    ¡°Are you sure you have the ability to make arrogant remarks about interfering with consciousness?¡±

    A demon who had been thrown away by Ojin¡¯s vicious attack approached, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

    ¡°Still,pared to his skills, he¡¯s a bitcking in intelligence.¡±

    The inaction of a human being who suddenly appeared to interfere with the ritual was truly surprising, but that was all.

    The demons surrounded Ojin and twisted the corners of their mouths.

    ¡°No matter how strong you are, what are you going to do on your own?¡±

    The eyes of thousands of demons were focused on Ojin.

    ¡°Be alone.¡±

    Ohjin smiled and nodded.

    As they said, no matter how much Ojin had superhuman strength, he couldn¡¯t face thousands of demons alone.

    ¡°So that means I don¡¯t have to be alone?¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    The demons urgently look around to see if there are any reinforcements nearby.

    But no matter where I looked, I couldn¡¯t see anyone other than Ojin.

    ¡°What nonsense¡­.¡±

    ¡°Before I came here, I had a fight with a guy named Deimos.¡±

    Oh Jin grinned and put his hand into his bosom.

    An extremely simple tactic that allows entry into the Kingdom of Niflheim with minimal damage and requires no training.

    It was a ridiculous order, like making hot ice.

    The answer was surprisingly simple.

    ¡°If it¡¯s Deimos¡­ really?¡±

    ¡°She has a very nice item.¡±

    With a bitter sneer on his face, he took out a golden que with the devil¡¯s symbol engraved on it.

    Wooooow!

    When light was blown into the golden que, brilliant golden light spread out in all directions.

    In the golden light, heavily armed beastmen and dragon tribes walked out.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°Why are you sote in calling me?¡±

    Isabe and Ha-eun, who were standing in front of the heavily armed armies of the beast and dragon tribe, approached Oh Jin.

    ¡°Oh, right. I should have said this, but I forgot.¡±

    Haeun, who had her arm around Ohjin¡¯s shoulder, raised her thumb and winked.

    ¡°On Your Left.¡±

    What are you talking about?

 Chapter 341

    I am not a returner Episode 341:

    ck Sky (5)

    ¡°What is this¡­?¡±

    Thousands of troops appeared with a group of brilliant golden lights.

    The faces of the demons, who had been holding a fishy sneer until now, hardened.

    They looked around at the beast-human and dragon-human warriors, who were heavily armed and holding weapons with solemn expressions.

    He opened his mouth in a trembling voice, as if he couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°No way now¡­¡±

    ¡°Have they invaded Niflheim?¡±

    under.

    Starting with someone¡¯s emptyugh, the entire ceremony hall immediately became a sea ofughter.

    The demons held their stomachs and bowed like shrimp, shaking their shoulders.

    ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha!¡±

    ¡°Do bastards and lizards dare to go to Niflheim?¡±

    ¡°These kids are cute!¡±

    The demons looked at the beastmen and dragon warriors with an expression that said they were not the same.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been trampled on like bugs, but now that you step out of your way, you think the world is yours?¡±

    The Khan Kingdom has been under the rule of the demons for the past hundred years, and the Dragonian Kingdom, although not under direct rule, hid like a rat in a narrow and rugged canyon to avoid the demons.

    ¡°How can bastards not recognize their owners and show their teeth?¡±

    A demon with red hair walked towards the ce where the beastman warriors were gathered.

    His name is Chaldene.

    He was a Majin who ruled the Khan Kingdom before Kalique.

    A powerful demon who ughtered countless beastman warriors and trampled them a hundred years ago.

    He looked at the beastmen looking at him with trembling eyes and raised the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°Do you remember me, you poopies?¡±

    Startle.

    The shoulders of several beastmen trembled.

    Chaldene¡¯s notoriety during his time as prime minister was so famous that it is still remembered decades after he stepped down from the position.

    Caldene burst intoughter when she read the feelings of fear in the eyes of some of the beastman warriors who remembered her.

    ¡°Anyway, isn¡¯t it so touching that dogs that don¡¯t even know the subject can¡¯t stand it and run to their owners just because they let their leash off for a moment?¡±

    He walked towards the beastmen with a bitter sneer on his face.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong.¡±

    At that time, a beastman with silver fur blocked his path.

    Caldene¡¯s eyebrows furrowed.

    ¡°Riak¡­? No, that kid is already dead.¡±

    Caldene, who was tilting her head, clicked her tongue.

    ¡°They all look so simr that you can¡¯t tell the faces of the bastards apart.¡±

    He shook his head and tapped the cheek of the beastman blocking his path.

    ¡°So what am I doing wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Tak.

    Riak grabbed Caldene¡¯s arm as she patted his cheek.

    An enormous amount of pressure was pressing down on Caldene¡¯s arm, as if it were caught between a high-pressure press machine.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ this bastard?¡±

    Caldene looked embarrassed and tried to pull out the arm that was caught, but the arm that was caught in Riak¡¯s grip did not even move.

    Riak¡¯s deeply sunken eyes turned towards Caldene.

    ¡°Listen carefully, kid.¡±

    Sigh.

    His pure white teeth were fiercely exposed.

    ¡°We are wolves, not dogs.¡±

    Sigh!

    Chaldene¡¯s arm sticking out from the shoulder.

    Dark red blood gushes out like a fountain.

    ¡°Aaaahhh!¡±

    A scream erupts.

    The silver wolf¡¯s eyes glowed ferociously through the pouring blood.

    Quack!

    Riak grabbed Caldene¡¯s neck and threw him like a shot put.

    Caldene flew like a cannonball and rolled on the floor miserably.

    ¡°Wolves! ¡°The time hase to avenge the humiliation of a hundred years ago!¡±

    The cries of Leoru, who had be the new ¡®Khan¡¯ following Riak, rang out loudly.

    The cowering warriors let out a ferocious roar and transformed into half-human, half-beast figures.

    ¡°Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡±

    ¡°Kill the demons!¡±

    The beastman warriors begin to charge violently towards the demonic tribe.

    The inside of the ceremony hall, which had a gloomy atmosphere like a gathering of cultists, quickly turned into chaos.

    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot with something hot too!¡±

    ¡°Yes, miko!¡±

    While the beastmen charged in and fought head on, the dragon people also used magic to fire from a distance.

    Hot mes swept everywhere and burned the demons.

    ¡°Kaaaa!¡±

    ¡°Ugh, kill the little lizards first!¡±

    ¡°Where!¡±

    Abination of the beast people who are good at closebat and the dragon people who can pour out powerful firepower from a distance with the dragon stigmata.

    Although they did not have much experience working together, thebination itself was so bnced that it showed great power.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Wow! Shaman¡­¡±

    Of course, no matter how good the bnce was, it was impossible to push the demons unterally.

    Even though the numbers were simr, the difference in skill of each member was very obvious.

    ¡°Elder!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will scold the bad guys!¡±

    Of course, I did not think from the beginning that we could fight and win against the demons with only the power of the dragon and beast people.

    Baekmugang jumped among the demons, pulling out the holy sword.

    A sword attack like a wild beast.

    Unlike Allen, who used a sword with the utmost precision as if he had measured it with a ruler, Baek Moo-gang¡¯s sword strikes were so violent and ferocious that one wondered if he had been born as a beastman in his previous life.

    h h h!

    Every time the holy sword was swung, white snowkes flew wildly.

    It was a snowke so beautiful that it captivated me without even thinking about it, but it would be difficult to dare to use the expression ¡®beautiful¡¯ if I knew that the moment I touched the white petals, my skin froze and crumbled into flesh.

    ¡°Aaaahhh!¡±

    ¡°Crazy, where did such a monstere from¡­!¡±

    The inaction of the Baekmu River was so powerful that even the demons were shocked.

    Although he was a little behind Allen Oscar, he was skilled enough to be a member of the Baekmu Gangdo Chilseong.

    In addition, when he got hold of the sacred object called the Holy Sword of Deneb, he began to sweep away the demons like a fish in water.

    ¡®good.¡¯

    So far, everything has been smooth.

    Of course, if the demons who were in confusion due to the surprise attack soon came to their senses and the demons of executive level or higher were deployed in earnest, there was no way to know what would happen to the war situation.

    ¡®All you have to do is block the ritual.¡¯

    The purpose ofing here was not to kill all the demons in Niflheim.

    In any case, the goal is to prevent the Heavenly Demon¡¯s seal from being released.

    ¡®The magic circle must be destroyed.¡¯

    I approached the magic circle where the demons were lying down with their heads bowed.

    A magic circle emitting light with geometric patterns.

    Hundreds and thousands of magic circles were interlocking and spinning around as if they were borately crafted mechanisms.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Let¡¯s go!

    Ojin, who condensed the thunderbolt at the tip of the spear, held the spear in his hand backwards and struck the magic circle engraved on the floor.

    Rumbling!

    Starting from the point where the spear was struck, the ground cracked for tens of meters.

    As the ground split, part of the magic circle engraved on the floor was also damaged.

    ¡°what?¡±

    Even though part of the magic circle was broken and disappeared, it was still spinning and emitting light.

    ¡®Wouldn¡¯t consciousness stop if you break some parts?¡¯

    Since they interlock and rotate like cogwheels, I thought that even if just a part broke, it would affect the whole, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.

    ¡®Then where should I destroy it¡­¡¯

    Since I had no knowledge of the magic circle, I had no idea where or how to destroy it to stop the magic circle from operating.

    When you frown and look at the magic circle.

    [My child! Were you here?]

    Vega, who was looking for Ojin in the war zone, heard the explosion and flew to Ojin.

    [This is¡­]

    Vega, who was flying toward Ojin, saw a magic circle rotating in contact with a gloomy light.

    A magic circle that gives off an aura so distant that even she, the constetion of the North Star, feels a chill down her spine for a moment.

    [What on earth is this?]

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what the magic circle was.

    but.

    ¡°That magic circle is probably the key to unlocking the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    [Then I guess we have to stop that magic circle as soon as possible.]

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±

    Ojin¡¯s expression darkened.

    He knew he had to stop, but he had no idea how he could stop the huge magic circle engraved across several kilometers.

    [Wait a moment.]

    Vega flew into the air and spread her arms wide.

    Blue thunderbolts spread out in all directions and traveled through a magic circle that stretched several kilometers.

    [¡­Great triangle.]

    Vega¡¯s eyes shine as if he knew something.

    She shouted as she flew back towards Ojin.

    [I found a way to stop the magic circle!]

    ¡°How?¡±

    [There are a total of three cores in that magic circle.]

    She marked the location of the core with a blue thunderbolt.

    Great triangle.

    As she muttered, the three cores that made up the magic circle were located near the vertices of a huge triangle.

    ¡°Can I just destroy that?¡±

    [That¡¯s right. However, you have to destroy all three at the same time topletely stop functioning.]

    Three cores at the same time.

    Oh Jin chewed his lips as if he was bothered.

    ¡°I will destroy the core over there, Mr. Ojin!¡±

    Was he fighting while listening to Vega nearby?

    Isabe, covered in the blood of demons, approached Ojin.

    ¡°okay.¡±

    If you and Isabe destroy the core one by one, there will be only one core left.

    Ojin nodded and turned his head towards Vega.

    ¡°Can you break the remaining one?¡±

    [That¡¯s¡­]

    Vega¡¯s expression darkened.

    [It seems that it will be difficult with the main woman¡¯s current strength.]

    A powerful blow was needed to destroy the core of the magic circle, but as she was currently incarnated in a prosthetic body, she could not use enough power to destroy the core.

    ¡°My sister and Riak¡­¡±

    I turned my head towards Ha-eun and Riak, but it seemed difficult to get out of the way because they were fighting against demons while leading the dragon and beast tribes, respectively.

    Baek Moo-gang also finds it difficult to lose weight.

    He was surrounded by dozens of demons who appeared to be executive level and engaged in a fierce battle thatsted every second.

    ¡®damn.¡¯

    If both Ha-eun and Riak Baek Moo-gang are unable to move, there is no one who can destroy the one remaining core.

    [The main woman will use the sanctuary.]

    Vega, who continued to worry, opened her mouth as if she had made a decision.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ojin¡¯s expression hardened.

    The ¡®sanctuary¡¯ used this time is different from the one used informally before to block out sounds spreading around.

    In order to use a force strong enough to destroy the core of a magic circle created over several kilometers, you would have to be subject to restrictions that are more severe than any restrictions you have ever faced.

    In the worst case, the constetion ¡®Vega¡¯ itself could have disappeared.

    ¡°That¡¯s not allowed.¡±

    [There is no other way.]

    ¡°I will call the elder.¡±

    [My child.]

    Vega blocked Ojin¡¯s path.

    She smiled faintly and stroked Ojin¡¯s cheek.

    [It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry.]

    ¡°¡­Vega.¡±

    Oh Jin chewed his lips and clenched his fists roughly.

    Just one person.

    If only one more person had the power to help him.

    ¡°Oh, so I don¡¯t have to break thest one?¡±

    Slurp.

    The shadow on the floor spread wide, apanied by an eerie sound like a snake crawling across the floor.

    Cassia, sitting on a chair made of hundreds of snakes, looked down at Ojin and smiled mischievously.

 Chapter 342

    I am not a returner Episode 342:

    ck Sky (6)

    ¡°Huh, sister? ¡°Why are you here¡­?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden appearance of Cassia.

    Cassia covered her mouth and burst intoughter as she looked at Isabe who was embarrassed.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Be?¡±

    ¡°¡­I asked why my sister was here.¡±

    Sharp eyes, as if forged from a whetstone, were aimed at Cassia.

    Cassia shrugged her shoulders and answered slyly.

    ¡°Why did youe, of course, to help the West?¡±

    ¡°Seobang-nim¡­?¡±

    Isabe jerked her head towards Ojin and gritted her teeth.

    They said nothing happened¡­!

    I felt a sense of betrayal that I could not express in words.

    ¡°ha. ¡°Do you want to make a joke like that in this situation?¡±

    Oh Jin sighed and shook his head.

    Cassia yfully stuck out her long snake-like tongue and burst intoughter.

    ¡°No kidding?¡±

    ¡°As expected, our Be has fun teasing us.¡±

    ¡°sister¡­!¡±

    Isabe red at Cassia with fierce eyes.

    Why did my sister, who was so kind and kind, end up like this?

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to be like this.¡±

    There was no time to leisurely enjoy the nervous battle between Isabe and Cassia.

    ¡°Exnationter. ¡°Let¡¯s destroy the core first.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    ¡°all right.¡±

    Isabe and Cassia, who were growling as if they were going to eat each other, soon put aside their war of nerves and turned to their respective cores.

    [Uhm. There are many things I want to ask you, but for now, my wife will bear it.]

    Taesan wanted to ask why Queen Serpent, who can be said to be the actual head of the ck Holy Society, is helping Oh Jin.

    As Oh Jin said, there was no time to focus on anything else right now.

    [The main woman will continue to indicate the location of the core!]

    A mark made of blue thunderbolts was disyed in a huge magic circle spanning several kilometers.

    Ohjin nodded and turned towards the core he had decided to take charge of.

    He kicked his feet towards the core of the magic circle and shouted.

    ¡°let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Yes Mr. Ojin!¡±

    ¡°Please leave it to me.¡±

    Ojin and Isabe Cassia kicked their feet toward their respective cores.

    ¡°Mak!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t let it interfere with my ritual!¡±

    Demons rushed out and blocked the way.

    ¡°Move.¡±

    Without stopping, he ran and hurled his spear.

    A spear pierced the chest of the demon blocking the front and protruded from behind his back.

    He threw the skewered corpse towards the group of demons following him.

    ¡°Where!¡±

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    One demon followed closely behind Ojin, using ck mes to burn the corpse of the flying demon in the air.

    Just before the hand, zing with ck me, touches Ojin¡¯s back.

    Taang!

    Ojin fired a wire shooter and flew high into the air.

    Mine, who instantly became a dog chasing chickens, stretched out his arms towards Ojin, who flew into the air.

    ¡°Shoot the ck me and drop it!¡±

    The demons that followed fired ck mes at the same time.

    Puzzle!

    Ohjin, who used the Thunder Step in the air, turned in a Z shape and avoided the pouring ck mes.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Chase him!¡±

    The demons swarmed after him, shooting out mes without stopping.

    ¡®not good.¡¯

    Ojin frowned as he dodged the mes shooting out from below.

    Stepping on thunderbolts is a deceptive technique that allows you to move freely by creating a tform for thunderbolts in the air, but it has the disadvantage of not being able to be used continuously for a long time.

    Moreover, if you use the stroke of the thunderbolt while turning sharply instead of in a straight line, you cannot use it for a long time.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    When the duration of the stroke of the thunderbolt reached its limit, a lump of ck me flew from behind and struck Ojin¡¯s back.

    I managed to create a wall of lightning to protect my back, but I was unable topletely cancel out the impact.

    ¡°He¡¯s falling!¡±

    Ojin falls towards the floor.

    Even as he was falling, Ohjin used wire shooters on both pirs to reduce the impact of the fall, and as soon as hended on the floor, he immediately ran towards the core.

    but.

    ¡®There are too many numbers.¡¯

    Before he knew it, demons were crowding around him.

    Fortunately, there were no ¡®anti-aircraft¡¯ level mines like Deimos among them, but it was still difficult to break through them with force.

    When Oh Jin was chewing his lips with a nervous expression.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    Suddenly, a huge fire dragon whose entire body was made of red mes appeared and burned the demons blocking Ojin¡¯s path.

    ¡°Aaaahhh!¡±

    Horrible screams and thick smoke.

    There was no need to look back to see who hadunched the huge fire dragon at the demons.

    ¡°Ojina now!¡±

    ¡°thank you!¡±

    A short gap created by Ha-eun.

    Oh Jin bent down low and stretched out his legs, like an athlete preparing to run a 100-meter sprint.

    ¡®Brain body.¡¯

    My legs turned into blue thunderbolts, and my entire body was filled with magical power.

    When the condensed thunderstorm reaches its peak.

    Quaaaaaaaaaaa!

    With a huge roar, Ojin¡¯s body rushed forward like a cannonball being fired.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The speed is such that even misdiagnosis is difficult to control.

    A sonic boom was created and the wind swirled at a speed far beyond human limits.

    I momentarily lost my sense of direction, but by activating the stigmata in thepass constetion, I was able to find the correct direction even in the midst of confusion.

    After breaking through the siege of demons, they arrived at the core that Vega had mentioned.

    The core of the magic circle is a Seongyuseok the size of a basketball.

    Aplex magic form was engraved on the surface of the stone, and a huge amount of magical power was emanating from around it.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    Arriving at the core, Ojin took a deep breath and turned his head.

    Because the magic circle was sorge, Isabe and Cassia could not be seen.

    ¡°Vega!¡±

    [Everyone has arrived!]

    Vega, who was flying high in the air and watching the situation from above, ryed the situation.

    [The main woman will tell you the timing!]

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    Ojin aimed his spear at the core of the magic circle.

    Squeeze!

    Lightning condensed on the tip of the spear.

    [Three!]

    I catch my breath.

    Concentrate your entire body¡¯s magic on the tip of the spear.

    [Two!]

    I lifted the spear I was holding with both hands high.

    There are no second chances.

    The nucleus had to be destroyed at once.

    [One!]

    Let¡¯s go!

    The spear and the core collided.

    I closed my eyes tightly, expecting a huge shock to follow.

    Poseok.

    It¡¯s so simple that it¡¯s so easy and frustrating.

    The nucleus, which was about the size of a basketball, shattered into pieces.

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    Ojin frowned as he looked down at the fragments of the shattered core.

    Something is wrong.

    An ominous intuition passed through my spine.

    ¡®The magic circle¡­ has stopped.¡¯

    Did Isabe and Cassia also seed in destroying the core?

    The operation of the magic circle had stopped.

    No, it wasn¡¯t just the magic circle that stopped.

    ¡°What is it? Why did these suddenly stop?¡±

    ¡°What have you done, kid?¡±

    The demons who were fighting together with the beastmen and dragon people stopped like a machine that had been turned off.

    [Sess¡­?]

    Vega, which was floating in the air, came down.

    Ohjin passed through the frozen mine like a mannequin and returned to his original ce.

    ¡°Mr. Ojin!¡±

    Isabe, who discovered the misdiagnosis, came rushing over.

    ¡°It was sessful¡­ right?¡±

    Did she also sense that something was strange?

    Even though the magic circle disappeared and the demons stopped moving, they were squinting their eyes and looking around as if something was strange.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Inside the ceremony hall, silence fell.

    The battlefield, where a fierce battle had just taken ce, was as quiet as the inside of the theater where the movie started.

    ¡°Ah, the dark clouds¡­¡±

    The dark clouds covering the surroundings gradually began to disperse.

    Bright sunlight was shining from the sky where the dark clouds had disappeared.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s dazzling.¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and approached Oh-jin.

    ¡°Good job, our Ojini! ¡°I believed it!¡±

    Ha-eun ps Oh-jin on the back and smiles brightly.

    Obviously, looking at the situation, the ritual was blocked and the reason is unknown, but the demons were neutralized, so it was a situation worth celebrating.

    ¡®Strange.¡¯

    Even if it was solved easily, it was solved too easily.

    Oh Jin looked around with a nervous expression.

    I saw Cassia standing nkly looking up at the clear sky.

    ¡°Cassia?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia¡¯s body, which was looking up at the sky nkly, began to tremble slightly.

    ¡°why? Boo, you definitely blocked it. But why¡­?¡±

    Cassia trembles with a pale, exhausted expression.

    Ohjin grabbed her shoulder as she mumbled as if she had lost consciousness.

    ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I can hear you.¡±

    What do you hear?

    ¡°My wife, Heavenly Demon,¡¯s voice¡­ continues from before.¡±

    at that time.

    Kurrrrrrrrrrr!!

    The earth shakes as if there was an earthquake.

    The ground at the center of the Great Triangle split apart, and ck clouds rose up like an erupting volcano.

    like.

    As if it would swallow up the sky.

    ¡°What is this¡­¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s expression hardened as he looked at the rising ck clouds.

    The clear, sunny sky suddenly began to be covered with rising ck clouds.

    ¡®I destroyed the magic circle, why?¡¯

    My mind is confused.

    I couldn¡¯t understand what was going on.

    ¡°¡­damn!¡±

    There was no time to understand the situation.

    ¡°Run away!¡±

    Grumble!

    The ck clouds that were covering the sky began to pour down as a huge tsunami.

    ¡°Oh Ojina, what kind of situation is this¡­.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, so just jump out!¡±

    Ojin picked up Cassia, who was covering her ears with a pale, tired expression, and kicked her feet.

    Like a tsunami, a tidal wave of ck clouds was rapidly approaching Ojin and his group.

    ¡°Aaaah! ¡°Please save me!¡±

    ¡°what¡¯s this!¡±

    The beast and dragon warriors who could not escape the tsunami of ck clouds screamed and were swallowed up by the dark clouds.

    ¡°Fucking fucking damn it!¡±

    Ojin cursed as he ran with Cassia in his arms.

    ¡®Where did I start thinking wrong?¡¯

    Anyone could see that the magic circle was the key to unlocking the Heavenly Demon.

    When he tried to destroy the core, didn¡¯t the demons urgently stop him?

    In other words, the demons also think that the ¡®magic circle¡¯ is an important key to unlocking the seal of the Heavenly Demon.

    then.

    What on earth are those ck storm clouds?

    ¡®There was a separate device to break the seal?¡¯

    No, that doesn¡¯t make sense.

    ¡®To lift the restrictions of thew, such enormous power is needed. ¡®You can¡¯t lift restrictions like this without spilling any energy around you.¡¯

    Ojin himself knew it best, having once used Gaecheon to break the chain that was sealing Vega.

    It was impossible to rx the restrictions of thew in such a wide-open ce, secretly preventing any energy from leaking out.

    ¡®Then how on earth¡­!¡¯

    A thought crossed Ojin¡¯s head as his face was distorted fiercely.

    ¡°ah.¡±

    Stand tall.

    Ojin, who was running, stopped.

    ¡°No way¡­¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s expression turned pale.

    Even though consciousness was blocked, the voice of the Heavenly Demon continued to be heard and ck clouds began to cover the sky.

    Isn¡¯t there only one answer?

    ¡°You¡­bastard!¡±

    Cheonma.

    It had never been ¡®sealed¡¯ in the first ce.

 Chapter 343

    I am not a returner Episode 343:

    ck Sky (7)

    ¡°¡­Are you saying it was all a y from the beginning?¡±

    Crack.

    I stared at the approaching tsunami of ck clouds and chewed my lips.

    ¡°haha. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s a y?¡±

    Cassia, who was being held by Ojin, asked while breathing heavily.

    The area around his slightly bitten red lips was trembling as if he was still hearing the Heavenly Demon¡¯s voice.

    ¡°everything.¡±

    The magic circle was just a trick.

    The role of the magic circle was not to unseal the Heavenly Demon, but to control the demons.

    ¡®So when I first killed the demon, something like the soul came out and returned to the magic circle.¡¯

    in other words.

    This means that the magic circle had nothing to do with unlocking the Heavenly Demon from the beginning.

    ¡°Now wait a minute! ¡°What does that mean!¡±

    Cassia shouted in an embarrassed voice.

    ¡°The Heavenly Demon clearly said that he was sealed!¡±

    ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡±

    ¡°To the demons of Niflheim¡­.¡±

    ¡°To those puppet mannequins?¡±

    Ojin pointed with the tip of his chin at the demons swallowed up by the ck clouds.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia¡¯s expression hardened.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean she thoughtlessly believed the demons¡¯ words.

    ¡°But then¡­ why didn¡¯t Heavenly Demon make a move yourself?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon has not appeared in person for the past several decades.

    In any case, he intervened indirectly using a prosthetic body or, as he did with Cassia, created a puppet through the ¡®domination¡¯ of the ck Heaven to cause an incident.

    If the Heavenly Demon had not been sealed, would there have been a need to use such a troublesome method?

    Given the circumstances, I had no choice but to believe that he had been sealed.

    In fact, he has never shown up until now.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Even Oh Jin couldn¡¯t figure out what the purpose of the Heavenly Demon was.

    One thing is certain now.

    ¡®We have to run away from those dark clouds.¡¯

    Ojin picked up where he had stopped and ran quickly.

    The blue lightning that wrapped around my legs burned fiercely.

    Rumbling!

    A tsunami of ck clouds approaching, engulfing everything around, like a scene from a disaster movie.

    The speed of the tsunami was fast, but fortunately it was not enough to chase Ojin and his group.

    ¡®If things continue like this, I¡¯ll be able to escape.¡¯

    When I looked back at the tidal wave of ck clouds that followed, I let out a short sigh of relief. at that time.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Isabe, who was running next to him, suddenly stumbled and fell.

    ¡°What is it? what¡¯s the matter?!¡±

    Ha-eun came to Isabe, who had fallen, and helped her up.

    Isabe covered her ears with a pale look on her face.

    ¡°I hear a certain voice¡­ a strange voice.¡±

    ¡°A voice? ¡°Whose voice are you hearing?¡±

    ¡°This voice¡­¡±

    Isabe¡¯s gaze turned to Ojin.

    Eyes trembling as if they couldn¡¯t understand.

    The voice echoing in her head was one that was all too familiar to her.

    ¡°Oh Jin¡¯s voice¡­?¡±

    ¡°what? ¡°Why do I suddenly hear Ojini¡¯s voice?¡±

    Ha-eun frowned in frustration and put Isabe on her back.

    ¡°There is no time for this! ¡°Let¡¯s jump out!¡±

    Ha-eun, carrying Isabe on his back, kicked his foot again.

    ¡°¡­damn.¡±

    Ohjin¡¯s face, who was following him, was distorted.

    Beforeing here, Cassia¡¯s warning crossed my mind.

    ¡®The influence of domination is growing.¡¯

    This probably means that the energy of ck Heaven has be stronger.

    ¡®If it continues like this.¡¯

    Cassia and Isabe might have their minds taken over by the Heavenly Demon and be puppets.

    If that happens, it¡¯s over.

    Just running away was too much, but if Cassia and Isabe attacked the group, it was impossible to escape the tsunami of ck clouds.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin gently bit his lip and turned his head towards Riak, who was running next to him.

    ¡°Riak.¡±

    ¡°If you have time to talk, just run, kid.¡±

    ¡°Take Cassia and run away.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    Riak looked at Ojin as if he was talking nonsense.

    Ojin handed Cassia he was holding in his arms to Riak.

    Even while running with all his might, Riak nimbly caught Cassia.

    ¡°Now wait a minute! ¡°Then you are.¡±

    ¡°We have to stop that.¡±

    Ojin stopped walking and turned towards the tsunami of ck clouds.

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense, kid! Are you thinking aboutmitting suicide?!¡±

    ¡°If this continues, we will all die together.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, we all die together?¡±

    Riak distorted his expression fiercely.

    The tsunami of ck clouds was fast, but not so fast that it was impossible to avoid.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    There was no time to exin to Riak about the ¡®dominion¡¯ of the ck Sky.

    Ohjin turned around with a faint smile.

    ¡°request.¡±

    ¡°You damned brat!¡±

    I tried to urgently call out Ojin, who was approaching with a tsunami of ck clouds, but even at this moment, the dark clouds were getting closer and closer.

    ¡°damn!¡±

    Riak eventually kicked his feet while holding Cassia.

    ¡°Don¡¯t die, little one¡­¡±

    The sight of Oh Jin¡¯s back as he was walking away was vaguely visible to my eyes.

    * * *

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Ojin looked up at the approaching tsunami of ck clouds, emitting a roar.

    My legs were shaking from the enormous power that made me feel awe.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    scary.

    afraid.

    I want to turn around and run away right now.

    Wouldn¡¯t it be better to run away now?

    ¡°¡­under.¡±

    Ojin swallowed a lowugh and held his shaking legs.

    If I run away from here.

    Everyone else is swallowed up by the dark sky of the Heavenly Demon.

    Isabe, Cassia, Riac, and Vega.

    and.

    Haeun too.

    ¡°Fuck you.¡±

    He let out a harsh curse and raised his lowered body.

    There was only one way to stop that tsunami with one¡¯s own strength.

    ¡®A stream.¡¯

    Of course, even if you use a stream, you won¡¯t be able topletely stop the tsunami of those ck clouds.

    At best, I can tie my feet.

    ¡®That¡¯s enough.¡¯

    If only I could buy time to escape.

    Nothing else mattered.

    Oh Jin ced his hand on his left chest and chewed his lips.

    ¡°He who passes by me¡­¡±

    I was about to say a quiet spell.

    [My child!]

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    I saw Vega flying this way.

    Ojin trembled and lowered the hand he had ced on his left chest.

    ¡°Vega?¡±

    Why is she, who I thought ran away with the rest of the group, here?

    [¡­He was here as expected.]

    Vega looked at Ojin with sad eyes.

    If she knew Ojin, she expected that she would stand in front of the Heavenly Demon alone for the sake of others.

    ¡°Vega! Don¡¯t stay here either, run away quickly¡­¡±

    [My child.]

    Vega¡¯s body glowed with brilliant silver and returned to its original form.

    A goddess with silver hair as beautiful as the Milky Way and golden eyes that sparkle like stars.

    Vega gently hugged Ojin and gently stroked his back.

    [You always try to carry too much on your own.]

    What?

    Why are you doing this all of a sudden?

    Now is not the time to be like this.

    [Do you know?]

    I don¡¯t know.

    I don¡¯t even want to know.

    Please run away quickly.

    Since it¡¯s a body anyway, all you have to do is return to the sanctuary.

    Why do you keep staying here?

    [How happy was she when she met you?]

    What do you know?

    Can¡¯t you see the dark cloudsing now?

    Why¡­

    why are you saying that in this situation?

    [There is something I really want to say to you onest time.]

    It sounds like thest time.

    Who would hear it and think I was leaving a will?

    [The main woman¡­ is in love with you.]

    Vega caresses her cheek with a gentle smile.

    Ojin looked at Vega with trembling eyes.

    ¡°Vega you now¡­.¡±

    [Hehe. This way I can¡¯t even nag Spica.]

    Vega, who blushed with embarrassment, passed Ojin and walked towards the ck cloud.

    Oooooh!

    The brilliant silver light flowing from her body spread widely, covering the surroundingnd.

    A breath-taking, huge energy emanated from Vega.

    ¡°What are you doing now!¡±

    Ojin urgently ran towards Vega.

    Coo!

    Ojin¡¯s body bounced around as if it had been blocked by a huge barrier.

    ¡°Oh, no.¡±

    There was no need to even think about what Vega was going to do now.

    Sanctuary.

    The n is to use the sanctuary here and now to prevent the ck Sky.

    ¡°it¡¯s crazy?! Vega, you know best what happens if you use the sanctuary!¡±

    The moment the Sanctuary was used to block the Heavenly Demon¡¯s Dark Heaven, it was over.

    Are the restrictions of thew weakened?

    The restrictions of thew have been weakened, not disappeared.

    If you can bring out all your power enough to block the Heavenly Demon¡¯s Dark Heaven.

    Vega is.

    disappears.

    They will be destroyed by the restrictions of thew and disappear forever.

    ¡°Vega! Vega!! Fuck you! ¡°Stop!¡±

    Ojin tried to somehow enter the sanctuary by pounding his fist on the transparent wall blocking his path.

    With his strength, it was impossible to enter Vega¡¯s sanctuary.

    ¡®A dog stream. ¡®You have to use the stream.¡¯

    There was nothing but the power of the stream to prate Vega¡¯s sanctuary and stop her.

    but.

    ¡®If you write Gaecheon¡­.¡¯

    all the lies you¡¯ve told so far will be exposed.

    You can¡¯t unleash the power of the ck Sky right in front of her and then start talking bullshit about ¡®the Star of the Red Sky¡¯ in front of her.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    The hand ced on my left chest is shaking.

    Sensation as if vision is distorted.

    Cold sweat ran down my spine as my breathing became rapid.

    ¡®How¡­what should I do?¡¯

    When you¡¯re curled up and shaking.

    The world goes ck.

    Everything stopped, as if the pause button had been pressed.

    The ck tsunami approaching, swallowing everything, the silver sanctuary unfolding brilliantly, the wind tickling the cheeks, and the dust fluttering about.

    Everything.

    It stopped as if a power switch had been turned off.

    ¡°¡­what.¡±

    In a world that had stopped, Ojin woke up in a daze.

    I didn¡¯t know why the world suddenly stopped or whether I was mistaken in thinking that it had stopped.

    Grumbling.

    In the dark world, I saw someone walking towards me.

    A man with the same face as himself.

    The Cheonma smiled, looking at Ojin, who was frozen in a daze.

    ¡°Did you tell me?¡±

    A dry, cracked voice.

    ¡°I hope I¡¯ll see you again soon.¡±

 Chapter 344

    I am not a returner Episode 344:

    ck Sky (8)

    ¡°Now, rx your expression. ¡°Because today is ourst chance to talk to each other like this.¡±

    The Cheonma came next to the frozen Ojin and lightly snapped his fingers.

    Just right.

    A chair was created in a space where there was nothing.

    Ojin looked down at the chair created from nothing and muttered.

    ¡°¡­the space of the unconscious.¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s right. ¡°But this time, I invited you into my subconscious, not yours.¡±

    Cheonma sat on a chair and rxedly crossed her legs.

    Oh Jin red sharply at Cheonma, who was sitting on a chair.

    ¡°What do you mean today is thest chance to talk?¡±

    ¡°I mean it literally.¡±

    Cheonma snapped his fingers to make coffee and took a leisurely sip.

    ¡°It¡¯s all over now.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon sighs with a somewhat relieved expression.

    Eyes filled with fatigue turned to Ojin.

    ¡°It was long¡­ too long.¡±

    reminisce about the past

    Ojin cannot remember the memories of a world that has already been destroyed.

    The Heavenly Demon covered his face with his palm andughed softly.

    It was a sound ofughter that felt somewhat empty.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s expression became distorted.

    ¡°Was it your goal to destroy Vega?¡±

    Now that it¡¯s over, it means that the goal has been achieved.

    In the current situation, the only thing he could think of as his goal was Vega¡¯s extinction.

    ¡°To be precise, the purpose was to invite Vega to this ce.¡±

    ¡°You spent decades pretending to be sealed for that?¡±

    ¡°There is no easier way to deceive others than by waiting.¡±

    This is a known fact.

    No matter how gifted a conman he was, the lies he just came up with were bound to be flimsy.

    A perfect lie inevitably requires a long wait.

    but.

    ¡°¡­You crazy guy!¡±

    Holding on for that long time just for this one moment wasn¡¯t the sane thing to do.

    Oh Jin leisurely squeezed the cor of Cheonma, who was sitting on a chair.

    ¡°Vega did something to you that¡¯s why you¡¯re doing this!¡±

    ¡°I made a promise.¡±

    promise?

    ¡°Send me back to the past, and in return, I want you to eat the star of Jiknyeo Castle.¡±

    ¡°¡­What kind of bullshit is that?¡±

    Instead of sending the Heavenly Demon back to the past, he asked her to eat the star of Jiknyeo Castle?

    Asking for the horse to eat it up is essentially the same as asking it to be killed.

    My head heated up at the nonsense that was so far beyondmon sense.

    ¡°The promise is to ask you to kill yourself in exchange for sending you back?¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be damned, you bastard!¡±

    I raised the hand that was grasping my cor.

    So lightly.

    The Heavenly Horse was dragged up like a doll with its strings cut.

    Cheonma was grabbed by the cor and looked down at Ojin with eyes full of fatigue.

    ¡°When you touched my ck sky, did you feel something different from your ck sky?¡±

    ¡°¡­that.¡±

    felt.

    It¡¯s a somewhat unstable and dangerous energy.

    ¡°I guess so. ¡°The dark sky I have is ¡®overflowing¡¯ right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean by overflowing?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. To put it simply, wouldn¡¯t it be easier to understand if I said it was just before a runaway?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon smiled bitterly and snapped his fingers.

    A small water cup and a water bottle were made.

    He picked up the water bottle and poured it into the ss.

    The water in the small water cup overflowed and wet the floor.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you saying you can¡¯t withstand the power of the ck Sky?¡±

    ¡°Because unlike you, the ¡®vessel¡¯ itself was small to begin with.¡±

    Cheonma with a self-deprecating smile.

    Ojin frowned and ced his hand on his left chest.

    There will be no fundamental difference between the ck Heaven that one possesses and the ck Heaven that the Heavenly Demon possesses.

    Because it was the same ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯ for him and me.

    Nevertheless, a difference was created between the two.

    ¡°¡­A star in the sky?¡±

    ¡°I knew it.¡±

    I remember hearing this from Cassia.

    In order toplete the ck Sky, you need the Star of the ck Sky.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing? ¡°That idiot has the power to change fate.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon burst intoughter and shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°¡­why.¡±

    Ohjin looked at Cheonma, unable to understand.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you absorb the Heavenly Star? ¡°You went back to the past even more than Lee Shin-hyuk, right?¡±

    ¡°I am already a finished vessel, so there is no use in absorbing the stars of the heavenly sky.¡±

    iced coffee.

    so.

    ¡°Did you make me¡­ absorb the star of the heavens?¡±

    On behalf of myself who is alreadyte.

    Toplete Heukcheon.

    ¡°Thanks to you, your ck Heaven was able to remain stable and not overflow, unlike my ck Heaven.¡±

    ¡°¡­What happens when the ck Sky goes into overdrive?¡±

    ¡°The world will be destroyed with only the desire to devour the stars. As before.¡±

    ¡­Previous?

    ¡°Have you never heard from Vega? ¡°The constetions have already been destroyed by the Dark Sky once.¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve heard it before.

    It is said that in the past, the constetions were once destroyed by the ck Heaven.

    And the constetions including Vega are said to have been created after that.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin kept his mouth shut and red at Cheonma.

    okay.

    I understand that if the Dark Heaven of the Heavenly Demon runs rampant like this, we will all perish.

    ¡°So what does that have to do with killing Vega¡­ Ah.¡±

    Moment.

    A shiver like a thunderbolt ran down Ojin¡¯s spine.

    The Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck water was overflowing out of the bowl.

    What would happen if a waterfall called ¡®Jiknyeo Castle¡¯ poured into it?

    if.

    Won¡¯t the ¡®te¡¯ break as a whole?

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    Why didn¡¯t I notice this easy thing?

    Why didn¡¯t I notice this simple thing?

    Oh Jinughed and rubbed his face with his hand.

    If the ck River runs wild, the world will be destroyed.

    then.

    Isn¡¯t there only one answer?

    ¡°Are you saying you did this¡­ to get behind me?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon smiled brightly.

    He opened his mouth in a voice as dry as the desert.

    ¡°If only I die, my sister will be happy.¡±

    As if nothing was wrong.

    As if it was nothing.

    With a relieved smile on his lips.

    He spoke of his own death.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A feeling of suffocation.

    My legs were momentarily shaken by the torrent of distant emotions.

    My stomach was pounding and I felt nauseous.

    Even though they obviously had the same face on the outside, the Cheonma¡¯s face felt extremely unfamiliar for some reason.

    ¡°What the hell are you¡­¡±

    How broken and worn out a piece of human being is before you can say something like that.

    ¡°If the situation were reversed, you would have made the same choice.¡±

    Cheonma burst out inughter and tapped Ojin¡¯s stiff shoulder.

    ¡°Because you are me.¡±

    The life we have lived is different.

    atst.

    Because they are both people named Kwon Oh-jin.

    ¡°¡­So you¡¯re telling me to let Vega die?¡±

    Ohjin roughly pped away the hand on his shoulder and red at Cheonma.

    He continued speaking, clenching his fists roughly.

    ¡°If you go after me, I will kill you, so leave Vega alone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not allowed.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon shook his head softly.

    ¡°Even if you kill me, ck Heaven will continue to run wild.¡±

    ¡°¡­then.¡±

    ¡°In order topletely destroy the ck Heaven, there is no other way than to absorb the Orihime¡¯s nature.¡±

    ¡°Why¡­ why does it have to be Vega?¡±

    If you want to destroy the ck Sky, isn¡¯t there another North Star?

    ¡°Jiknyeo Castle has the ability to control the power of the dark sky. Haven¡¯t you experienced it too? ¡°You must have seen Jiknyeo Castle when using the stream.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I definitely remembered seeing it.

    The sight of Jiknyeo Castle shining brightly in the sky covered with dark clouds.

    By using Gaecheon, I was able toe back to my senses by following the starlight in my blurred consciousness.

    ¡®Then, was it because of Vega that I was able to use Gaecheon and be fine?¡¯

    Although there were no aftereffects.

    There was no case where the ck Heaven ran rampant like the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°Only with the Orignyeo Castle can the ck Sky avoid runaway and be destroyed.¡±

    then.

    Does this mean that the world can be saved only if Vega sacrifices himself?

    ¡°are you okay.¡±

    ¡°¡­what.¡±

    What does it mean to be okay?

    ¡°If I die, there is no need to worry about the ck Star Constetion or the Demons.¡±

    ¡°What is that¡­.¡±

    ¡°I prepared for everyone to die together when my ck sky disappears.¡±

    You prepared for us all to die together?

    ¡°You may not remember, but in my past life, the ¡®satellite¡¯ children also bullied my sister a lot. ¡°Ah, since you inherited Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories, do you want to know?¡±

    ¡°wait for a sec. Then the reason you turned the satellite into a ck star¡­¡±

    Cheonma nodded with a chuckle.

    ¡°I took precautions in advance so that when I die, they too will die with me.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Only then did Ojin understand the meaning of what Cheonma first said, ¡®It¡¯s all over now.¡¯

    When the Heavenly Demon dies, all beings who inherit his power die together.

    There are no more threats, no more hardships.

    Literally the end.

    This is the ending of the story.

    That¡¯s how Ha-eun and Oh-jin lived happily ever after.

    ¡°Damn it¡­don¡¯t do it.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes trembled.

    Wow.

    He chewed his lips and struck the Cheonma¡¯s cheek with his fist.

    Bah!

    The Heavenly Demon was thrown back and fell to the floor.

    Oh Jin climbed on top of the Cheonma and swung his fist as if striking a hammer.

    ¡°Stop fucking with me, you bastard!¡±

    You want me to just sit back and watch Vega get eaten by the ck Sky?

    The world can be saved with just Vega¡¯s sacrifice?

    Haeun.

    You can be happy?

    ¡°If Vega dies! Riak will die too! know?!¡±

    Since the Holy Spirit inherited part of the Constetion¡¯s soul, it was natural that Riak would die as well when the Constetion died.

    ¡°And what? Are you saying that all beings who received the power of the ck Sky will die together?¡±

    The images of Isabe and Cassiaining of pain while covering their ears came to mind.

    ¡°Then Isabe! What about Cassia?! ¡°If you lose, you¡¯ll die together, you crazy bastard!¡±

    If all beings affected by the ck Sky die.

    Isabe and Cassia, who received the stigmata from the ck Star Constetion, also could not avoid death.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The Cheonma, who was lying still and receiving a p on the cheek, frowned.

    Dry eyes turned to Ojin.

    ¡°I understand Cassia, but¡­ Riak? Isabe?¡±

    He muttered one by one the names that Ojin had just shouted.

    He tilted his head as if he couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s fist stopped abruptly.

    A chilling shiver runs down my spine.

    Cold sweat formed on my forehead and ran down my cheeks.

    ¡°who¡­ ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of Riak, but I don¡¯t know anything about Isabe.¡±

    I have no choice but to know.

    In her previous life, she would have been more famous with the title ¡®Blood Witch¡¯ rather than the name Isabe.

    ¡°Well, anyway.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon shrugged his shoulders and continued speaking calmly.

    ¡°What does it matter?¡±

    ¡°What does it matter¡­¡±

    ¡°Whether they die or not is none of your business.¡±

    ¡°What kind of bullshit is that?¡±

    The Cheonma stood up, smiled brightly, and ced a hand on Ojin¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°You don¡¯t mind if everyone but your sister dies, right?¡±

    As if nothing was wrong.

    As if it was nothing.

    Like when he talked about his own death.

    He spoke of death so calmly.

 Chapter 345

    I am not a returner Episode 345:

    ck Sky (9)

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    I feel dizzy.

    Nausea rises.

    A strange feeling of foreignness spreads down your spine, as if you were encountering a mannequin modeled after yourself.

    ¡°Why are you so excited?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon tilted his head as if he truly did not understand.

    So calmly, so leisurely.

    He said it as if it were obvious, as if he was reciting a mathematical form.

    ¡°You feel the same way, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°If I can protect my sister, it doesn¡¯t matter what happens to other people, right?¡±

    A ray of starlight that illuminated a life that seemed like a ck sky.

    Yes, Ha-eun was an irreceable and precious person to Oh Jin.

    I don¡¯t mind sacrificing everything else as long as I can protect her.

    That¡¯s what I thought.

    That¡¯s how I lived.

    Misdiagnosis in my past life and misdiagnosis now.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin kept his mouth shut.

    Now I can be sure.

    Only now was I able to say for sure.

    ¡°I¡­ am different from you.¡±

    Even if it¡¯s the same misdiagnosis.

    The times we have lived are different.

    The events I have experienced are different.

    The weight of the life held in one¡¯s hands is different.

    ¡°I am not you.¡±

    Oh Jin red at Cheonma with sharp eyes.

    The Cheonma chuckled as if wondering what he was talking about.

    ¡°No you are me. ¡°No matter how different your life is, that doesn¡¯t change.¡±

    He shook his head and spoke quietly.

    ¡°Why did you ask why it was Vega earlier?¡±

    ¡°¡­Why is that?¡±

    ¡°You asked if I could eat another North Star instead of Vega, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I was speechless.

    What if Deneb or Pris had to sacrifice instead of Vega?

    Was he this angry?

    Did it feel this unreasonable?

    ¡°Right now you¡¯re just whining.¡±

    Because I have something I want to protect other than Ha-eun.

    He was just throwing a tantrum like a child.

    ¡°You know what¡¯s most important, right?¡±

    If only I could protect her.

    If only I could save her.

    It doesn¡¯t matter what happens to everything else.

    ¡°ining?¡±

    Just like he said.

    I may be going overboard.

    He may be acting unreasonably because he wants to protect not only Ha-eun, but also Vega, Isabe, Riak, and Cassia.

    but.

    ¡°so?¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°Why not be forceful?¡±

    It doesn¡¯t have to be just one thing that is precious.

    There is no reason to throw away something else to protect one thing.

    Life is not a mathematical form.

    Happiness cannot be calcted by adding and subtracting.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re stubborn as expected.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon stood up with a chuckle.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter whether you force yourself or not.¡±

    Vega will die.

    You will also disappear.

    ¡°Now¡­ it¡¯s all over.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon looked back at Vega performing her ministry with a relieved expression.

    When stopped time flows again.

    She will be swallowed up by the Dark Heaven, her entire sanctuary.

    ¡°Who wants it to end?¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s expression became harshly distorted.

    I couldn¡¯t leave everyone to die like this.

    ¡®We have to stop it.¡¯

    We had to save Vega before the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Heaven swallowed her up.

    The Cheonma shrugged her shoulders as she looked at Ojin, who was ring fiercely.

    ¡°Do you think you can breach Vega¡¯s sanctuary now?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Or should I try to persuade you with words?¡±

    A bitter sneer appeared on the corner of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s mouth.

    No matter how much I try to persuade her, she won¡¯t listen to Oh Jin.

    ¡°Because Vega thinks of you as a star in the sky.¡±

    You will think that the only way to save the world is through misdiagnosis.

    He would not hesitate to throw himself into the dark sky to protect Ojin.

    ¡°You have already be too precious to Vega.¡±

    Just like he gave up his life to save Ha-eun.

    Vega will also choose to sacrifice himself without hesitation if it is to save the Star of Reverse Heaven.

    ¡®Because you tried to protect this world even by sending the Heavenly Demon back to the past.¡¯

    The Heavenly Demon smiled faintly as she looked at the star of Jiknyeo Castle burning brightly in the darkness.

    As long as Vega knows that Ojin is a star in the sky, she will never stop.

    Oh Jin chewed his lips and clenched his fists.

    ¡°I¡­ am not a star in the sky.¡±

    ¡°At least Vega thinks of you as a star in the sky.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon burst intoughter and continued speaking.

    ¡°You know that, right? ¡°The truth doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    The important thing is.

    ¡°Only what appears to be true is important.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Know.

    There¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t know.

    Because the life of a person named Kwon Oh-jin has always been full of lies.

    ¡°Do you think you cane now and tell Vega the truth?¡±

    The Cheonma approached Oh Jin with a bitter sneer.

    A lie is like a bird falling without wings.

    You can¡¯t stop or slow down along the way.

    ¡®Until it hits the floor and shatters.¡¯

    The only way is to keep adding more lies.

    Cheonma opened her mouth with her face close enough to touch Ojin¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°You are me.¡±

    so that.

    It would be impossible to say.

    You won¡¯t be able to stop it.

    It will be unstoppable.

    ¡°You¡­ no, because we have lived like that.¡±

    Because I didn¡¯t know any other way than to live like that.

    ¡°Now it¡¯s time to part ways.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon smiled bitterly and turned around.

    Oh Jin stared at his back, frozen in a daze.

    ¡°Still, it was quite fun to talk to you onest time.¡±

    I burst into dryughter and walked into the dark clouds.

    ¡°Take care of your sister.¡±

    With that said, finally.

    Time that had stopped began to flow again.

    Wooooow!

    Brilliantly burning silver.

    Vega raised his body¡¯s strength with his hands together as if praying.

    [Ugh¡­!]

    The restrictions of thew struck her, and a terrible pain followed.

    [My¡­ child.]

    If only I could keep Ojin.

    If only I could save the star in Yeokcheon.

    This level of pain was nothing.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin was frozen in a daze, looking at the brilliantly burning silver light.

    If you just stay like this, all problems will be solved.

    Although you will lose Vega.

    Riak and Isabe Cassia disappear.

    still.

    ¡®My sister stays.¡¯

    Isn¡¯t it okay as long as Ha-eun is safe anyway?

    Whether the other person dies or disappears.

    Isn¡¯t it none of your business?

    ¡°ha ha ha.¡±

    A dryugh escaped between my lips.

    Once the Heavenly Demon dies and all beings with the power of the Dark Heaven disappear, there is nothing to worry about after that.

    Even if the monsters that havee to Earth are not misdiagnosed, other awakened people will take care of them.

    There is no need to fight anymore.

    There is no reason to struggle anymore.

    It¡¯s not worth suffering any more.

    All I have to do is go home and live alone with Ha-eun.

    Now that you don¡¯t have to worry about money, it would be nice for the two of you to spend the rest of your life leisurely traveling to resorts around the world.

    okay.

    Just as the Heavenly Demon said.

    It¡¯s all over now.

    ¡°¡­don¡¯t be a damn thing.¡±

    Crack.

    Grind your teeth and chew your lips.

    Who wants to end the story on their own?

    Wooooow!

    I step towards the brilliantly burning silver light.

    The body bounces as if blocked by a transparent wall.

    The strong repulsive force tears the skin and blood flows out.

    Again and again and again.

    Repeat the same actions.

    [Stop that!]

    I saw Vega urgently turning towards me.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who has to stop, Vega.¡±

    Ojin spoke in a low voice.

    ¡°Release the sanctuary.¡±

    [That¡­ must be difficult.]

    ¡°Solve it.¡±

    [My child¡­.]

    Vega looked at Ojin with sad eyes.

    It flew slowly towards Ojin while maintaining its sanctuary.

    [My wife doesn¡¯t want to be separated from you either.]

    Tears form in her golden eyes.

    I don¡¯t want to break up with Ojin.

    I know it¡¯s shameless, but haven¡¯t I just conveyed to him the feelings I¡¯ve been keeping hidden in my heart?

    I want to be together a little longer.

    And if possible, I want to get Ha-eun¡¯s approval like Isabe and be a little closer to him.

    I want to glower in his warm embrace and whisper love like any other lover would.

    but.

    [Before she is a woman, she is the constetion of the North Star.]

    The constetion has the duty to manage and protect this world.

    We could not allow the ck Heaven to swallow up the star of the Heavenly Heaven, which would prevent the destruction of the world.

    [Don¡¯t you have a more important mission?]

    ¡°¡­Mission?¡±

    Vega smiled slightly and nodded.

    [Did you not once see the world being swallowed up by the ck Heaven?]

    Ojin was a regressor who returned to the past through time.

    [A returner who came back in time¡­ Only you, who has a destiny of reverse heaven, can stop the dark heaven.]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    [Don¡¯t worry. Even if you don¡¯t have a true wife, you will definitely be able to save the world.]

    Salvation of the world.

    A star in the sky.

    regressor.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    Ohjin pursed his lips with a pale expression.

    I wanted to deny it, but for some reason my voice didn¡¯te out.

    -you¡­ No, because we have lived like that.

    The Heavenly Demon¡¯s low voice echoed in my head.

    It was as he said.

    The truth was so bitter that I could only swallow it mixed with sweet lies.

    ¡°¡­Vega.¡±

    [There is not much time left now.]

    Vega turned to look at the approaching tsunami of ck clouds.

    [My child.]

    With a faint smile.

    [Be happy.]

    Vega headed toward the dark sky.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin stared nkly at her back as she walked away.

    In my drugged, hazy consciousness, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

    ¡®What should I tell my sister?¡¯

    What should I say to trick her without hurting her?

    ¡°¡­under.¡±

    A dryugh escaped from Ohjin¡¯s lips at the question that came to him like instinct.

    Again.

    I think about lies again and again.

    ¡®like this.¡¯

    As usual.

    As always.

    Do I have to live without being able to tell even a single bit of the truth?

    Oh Jin¡¯s expression twisted as if he was sick of it.

    ¡®Why is it because we have lived like that?¡¯

    Although it is packaged nicely.

    Aren¡¯t they just cowards who are afraid to face the truth and try to ignore it at all costs?

    If that were the life of a person named Kwon Oh-jin.

    ¡°Say fuck you.¡±

    I put my hand on my left chest.

    ¡°He who passes by me¡­.¡±

    He utters a low incantation.

    Grumble!

    A ck cloud spewed out from Ojin¡¯s body as if it were exploding.

    Blue natural flowers burned between the dark clouds.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Damn it!

    I grabbed Vega¡¯s sanctuary with both hands and opened it.

    I felt the transparent wall blocking my path split.

    [Am I my child? What is this¡­?]

    Vega looked back at Ojin, who was covered in ck clouds, with an expression filled with astonishment.

    Ohjin walked towards her and opened his mouth quietly.

    ¡°no.¡±

    [What do you mean it¡¯s not? More than that, it¡¯s¡­.]

    I¡¯ve lived a life full of lies.

    They denied the truth and only followed what seemed like the truth.

    I didn¡¯t know any other way to live other than that way.

    No, I didn¡¯t even try to find out.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Now.

    ¡°I am not a regressor.¡±

    I won¡¯t live like that.

 Chapter 346

    I am not a returner Episode 346

    Interlude ¨C I am not a returner (1)

    [That¡­ what do you mean?]

    A feeling as if time has frozen.

    Vega looked back at Ojin with a stiff expression.

    Are you saying you¡¯re not a regressor?

    What does that mean?

    [Aren¡¯t you asking what I mean!]

    Vega shouted with a nervous expression.

    I remembered the first time I met Ojin.

    A young man who confidently identified himself as a returner.

    A human who remembered a past life that she could not remember.

    In her life that spanned thousands of years, her encounter with Ojin was only a short period of time, not even a handful.

    -I missed you, Vega.

    I remember it.

    The eyes that looked at her with affection.

    The lips that called to her in a trembling voice.

    How could I forget?

    however.

    It was all a lie?

    [Don¡¯t lie.]

    Vega shook her head with an awkward smile.

    I could guess why Ohjin was suddenly saying such absurd things.

    [Did you think that if you said something like that, your wife would receive sanctuary?]

    He shook his head as if to stop himself from thinking such nonsense.

    [Didn¡¯t I tell you? The main woman will protect you no matter what happens¡­]

    ¡°Vega.¡±

    Interrupting Vega¡¯s continued words, Ojin stared at her with deeply sunken eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a lie.¡±

    [Such nonsense again¡­!]

    ¡°You can tell by looking at this.¡±

    The appearance of Ojin wrapped in ck cloth.

    Or, to be more precise, it is Oh Jin¡¯s appearance with part of his body changed to ¡®ck sky¡¯.

    [My wife, Cheonma, loves you¡­.]

    ¡°No.¡±

    There is no way she wouldn¡¯t be able to distinguish between the Dark Heaven that the Heavenly Demon possesses and the Dark Heaven that she possesses.

    ¡°Vega.¡±

    With a bitter smile on his face, he carefully ced his hand on Vega¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°I am not a regressor.¡±

    I am once again revealing the truth that I have been hiding and trying to ignore.

    ¡°I lied about knowing the future and having a special rtionship with you in my past life to deceive you.¡±

    [Stop that. Stop talking!]

    Every word thates out of Oh Jin¡¯s mouth sharply pierces my heart.

    Vega shouted, her eyes watering as if she had shed tears.

    [Didn¡¯t you know what would actually happen in the future?]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The future seen through Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories.

    In reality, Ojin used that memory topletely deceive Vega.

    Predicting the future was something that couldn¡¯t be done unless you were a ¡®regressor¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Vega.¡±

    There was no exnation for theme use of Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories.

    Anyway, if you look at yourself now mixed with the ck Heaven, you will know that he is the ¡®master of the ck Heaven¡¯, just like the Heavenly Demon.

    [¡­.]

    Vega bit her lip and red at Ojin with shaking eyes.

    widely!

    He fiercely swatted away Oh Jin¡¯s hand that touched his cheek.

    [You¡­]

    The end of the sentence bes blurred.

    A sharp sense of betrayal cuts through my heart.

    [Are you really¡­ not a regressor?]

    Until now.

    [Are you¡­ deceiving your true wife?]

    Transparent tears are flowing down my cheeks.

    The man I trusted more than anyone else.

    The only person I gave my heart to in a long life spanning thousands of years.

    The shattered trust turned into sharp fragments and cut her to pieces.

    Grumble!

    A huge tsunami of dark clouds was just around the corner.

    Ojin walked past Vega and opened his mouth quietly.

    ¡°okay. ¡°I was faking it to take advantage of your power.¡±

    therefore.

    ¡°There is no reason for you to sacrifice for me.¡±

    He spoke in a cold tone and extended his hand towards Vega.

    Pajik Pajijik!

    ck thunderbolts rained down on Vega.

    [Ugh!]

    Vega hesitates and retreats to avoid the ck thunderbolt.

    ck Heaven, which became even more powerful after its tenth flowering, was able to easily push away Vega, who used Sanctuary.

    [I am my child¡­!]

    Vega¡¯s steps, which were urgently trying to approach Ojin, suddenly stopped.

    Slightly trembling fingertips.

    The sharp sense of betrayal that pierced her heart became a shackle that bound her feet.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin looked back at Vega with a faint smile.

    Okay, that¡¯s it.

    Burying the words that came to mind in a corner of my mind, I turned towards the dark clouds.

    Rumbling!

    He stretched out his arms towards the tsunami of ck storm clouds.

    I stared at the dark clouds with deeply sunken eyes.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    ck clouds spouting out as if exploding.

    Compared to what the Heavenly Demon had, the amount was insignificant.

    ¡®In terms of quality, my ck cloth is superior.¡¯

    Rumbling!

    ck Heaven and ck Heaven sh.

    The earth was twisted and torn apart violently.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    A strong shock shook my whole body.

    Would this be what it would feel like to face a natural disaster like a typhoon or tsunami with your bare body?

    At the far-off gap, I let out augh without even realizing it.

    ¡°¡­Mi Chin.¡±

    An overwhelming amount of difference that makes qualitative superiorityughable.

    ¡°How on earth¡­ how bad have you been?¡±

    I thought I had devoured quite a few things with the ck Heaven, but when I saw the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Heaven, I found myselfughing at it.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    Pressure that weighs down your entire body.

    Is this how As, holding up the sky, feels?

    My legs were shaking from the pain that felt like my bones and flesh were being crushed.

    ¡®It looks like this even after using the stream¡­!¡¯

    Opening is a magical power that virtually reduces all physical shocks to zero.

    Against the same ck Heaven, his deceptiveness was not working properly.

    ¡®Sensory blocking is useless.¡¯

    Gaecheon¡¯s other power, the ability to blind the target¡¯s eyes and ears, also had no effect against the ck clouds.

    ¡°Ugh! little bit more¡­!¡±

    We had to buy time until Ha-eun and Riak could escape.

    Ojin chewed his lips, desperately trying to block the tsunami of ck clouds.

    I wanted to turn my head back and see how far Ha-eun and Riak had run away and whether Vega had returned to the sanctuary.

    ¡°Wow! Ugh! Damn it, damn it!¡±

    I had to focus all my attention just on stopping the ck tsunami, so I couldn¡¯t afford to look elsewhere.

    Grrrrrggrrrrrrgh!

    A huge shock shakes the earth.

    The surroundingnd for several kilometers turns over and splits.

    Soaring ck clouds engulf the sky.

    A sky stained with darkness.

    Under a pitch-ck sky without even the light of stars, Ojin stood tall, blocking the tsunami of ck clouds with his whole body.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    sick.

    The pain of crushing bones and crushing muscles rips through my entire body.

    It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.

    It¡¯s so painful that I feel like I¡¯m going crazy.

    but.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    Must endure. You have to hold on.

    ¡®If I get swallowed up.¡¯

    Next, other people will be swallowed up by the ck Heaven.

    ¡°Keuuu!¡±

    How much time has passed?

    It feels like hours, even days, have flown by.

    But that¡¯s just a feeling.

    I instinctively knew that not much time had actually passed.

    ¡®how much more.¡¯

    Do I have to struggle in this pain?

    Gurgling.

    I felt the tsunami of ck clouds gradually engulfing my body.

    If I ampletely consumed by the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Sky like this, what will happen next?

    Without any time to continue the questions that arose, another sharp pain hit Ojin.

    ¡°Kkkkkkk ah ugh.¡±

    I was over my breaking point and couldn¡¯t even scream due to the pain.

    In the ck blinking consciousness.

    Grumbling.

    The sound of dark clouds wriggling was heard.

    ¡®¡­Heavenly Demon?¡¯

    no.

    The source of the sound is the left chest.

    It was a sound that came from his own dark heaven, not from the Heavenly Demon.

    Grumble, rumble, rumble!

    The ck sky nestled within the heart growls like a caged beast.

    He struggles violently, as if asking to be released from here at any moment.

    ¡®What more do you want me to solve here?¡¯

    Hasn¡¯t the ck Heaven already been liberated using the Open Heaven?

    Ojin frowned and red at the left chest.

    Grumbling.

    The ck sky trapped within the heart fiercely spewed out dark clouds.

    As if it wasn¡¯t enough yet.

    As if there was still more to open.

    ¡®You can¡­ open more?¡¯

    Does this mean that the opening is not the end?

    Is there something more to it?

    Oh Jin chewed his lips and ced his hand on his left chest.

    ¡®Even if we can liberate more ck Heaven from here.¡¯

    What is the price?

    How many memories will be lost?

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    My chewed lips trembled.

    The more you liberate the Dark Heaven, the more memories will be swallowed up by the Dark Heaven.

    perhaps.

    All my memories of Ha-eun¡­

    [Oh, the rising star of Jiknyeo Castle.]

    As I continued to imagine sinister thoughts.

    Vega¡¯s voice came from behind.

    ¡°¡­Be gone?¡±

    You mean you didn¡¯t go back to the sanctuary?

    [Bless your child.]

    A brilliant silver light dwelled in Ojin¡¯s body.

    Grumble!

    I felt Heukcheon writhing as if he was having a seizure.

    ¡®see.¡¯

    In the ck, flickering consciousness, a faintly shining ray of starlight was visible.

    ¡°Keuuuu!¡±

    Ojin stretched out his hand toward the starlight shining in the ck sky.

    and.

    Rurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    With a huge roar, everything around was covered in ck clouds.

    ¡°What¡­ what happened¡­¡±

    Ojin frowned and looked around.

    A ck space without a single ray of light.

    It was a ce I had already been to once before.

    ¡®Space of unconsciousness.¡¯

    Ojin lightly snapped his fingers.

    Chairs and tables were created out of thin air.

    ¡®It¡¯s my subconscious.¡¯

    Unlike Cheonma, who was able to intervene in his unconsciousness, Ojin could not intervene in his unconsciousness.

    Being able to create something at will means that this is not the Heavenly Demon, but your own subconscious.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    As I was sighing, wondering how I had ended up in a ce like this again.

    Grumble, rumble.

    ck clouds began to swirl in the empty air.

    Dark clouds that repeat chaotic expansion and contraction.

    Soon the dark clouds gathered in one ce and formed a shape.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    The appearance of a dry and worn-out young man who looked just like him.

    ¡°You bastard!!!¡±

    The Heavenly Demon rushed towards Ojin with a distorted expression like a demon.

 Chapter 347

    I am not a returner Episode 347

    Interlude ¨C I am not a returner (2)

    Bah!

    A harsh punch hit my cheek.

    Even though it was probably a ce of unconsciousness and not reality, the inside of my mouth was torn and a fishy, bloody smell was spreading.

    Ohjin looked up at Cheonma, who was sitting on top of him and pounding his fists like crazy.

    ¡®It¡¯s the opposite of before.¡¯

    Even though the inside of my mouth was torn and a sharp pain was spreading, the corners of my mouth went up for some reason.

    Just because Cheonma, who was carefree in the world, was so excited, I could tell that his n had gonepletely wrong.

    ¡°you! ¡°Do you know what you just did?!¡±

    The Heavenly Demon ms its fist down with a distorted expression.

    ¡°I was able to finish it all!¡±

    If only Jiknyeo had absorbed it.

    He was able to gain control of the ck sky and destroy it.

    The long wait that seemed like it would never end was able toe to an end.

    however.

    however.

    however.

    ¡°you! ¡°You ruined everything, you bastard!¡±

    Instead of throwing himself into the ck Sky, Vega chose to stop Ojin by giving him a blessing.

    It was impossible to extinguish the ck Heaven with just the blessing of the Orknyeo Castle that resided in Ojin.

    When will an opportunity like thise again?

    No, perhaps this opportunity would nevere again.

    Even now, his dark heaven was overflowing fiercely and eating away at his soul.

    ¡°This was thest time! ¡°It was myst chance!¡±

    Last chance to protect Ha-eun.

    Thest chance to save her from theing destruction was blown away.

    ¡°Why why why did you say you were not a regressor!¡±

    It screams like a scream.

    He held on to the cor of Oh Jin, who had fallen, and let out all the anger he had built up.

    ¡°Then¡­ it doesn¡¯t work.¡±

    Tears flowed down the Cheonma¡¯s cheeks.

    Despair lingered in his dry, worn-out eyes.

    ¡°Others can do that¡­ but you shouldn¡¯t have done that to yourself.¡±

    Even if the life we have lived is different.

    Even if the path we took was different.

    If it¡¯s the same misdiagnosis.

    ¡°You¡­ it had to be me.¡±

    The Cheonma¡¯s hand that was gripping his cor went limp.

    My slumped shoulders trembled slightly.

    Oh Jin wiped the blood flowing from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand and looked up at Cheonma with deeply sunken eyes.

    ¡°You had to be me?¡±

    Isn¡¯t that kind of an awkward thing to say?

    It is understandable that he was angry about ruining his long-nned n.

    I could understand why he made a hundred concessions and said he would use Vega as a scapegoat to protect Ha-eun.

    If you were in his position, you might have had simr thoughts.

    but.

    ¡®You had to be me.¡¯

    Ojin¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    The strange feeling of alienation I felt when I first saw Cheonma.

    I once again felt the unpleasant sensation of seeing a mannequin that looked exactly like a human.

    ¡°¡­you.¡±

    It¡¯s distorted somewhere.

    Something is twisted.

    It¡¯s misaligned and twisted.

    A bizarre difort, as if encountering a person walking on arms rather than legs.

    Ohjin looked into the Cheonma¡¯s trembling eyes and could tell where the difort came from.

    ¡°under.¡±

    A dryugh escaped between my lips.

    Oh Jin pushed away the Cheonma who was on top of him and stood up.

    With cold eyes, I looked down at the Cheonma, who was lowering her head like a doll whose strings had been cut.

    ¡°You¡­ were trying to be me.¡±

    Just as parents project their unfulfilled dreams onto their children.

    He was projecting onto himself the ideal of a dream that could note true.

    Even if he himself disappears along with the ck sky.

    With the thought of living with a ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯.

    ¡°So are you so obsessed with the fact that you and I are the same?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Because I had to be you?¡±

    Only then could he beforted about his miserable death.

    Even if I die.

    Because you will be able to live as you.

    ¡°¡­shut up.¡±

    The Cheonma red at Ojin with a face distorted like a yaksha.

    ¡°You¡­ what do you know that makes you talk like that?¡±

    To save Ha-eun, he went against thews of time and returned to the past.

    My mind was eaten away by the crazy ck Heaven, and I lost all my precious memories one by one.

    I lived my life holding on to a tiny bit of hope amidst the wear and tear of my memories.

    someday.

    The hope that I can be with Ha-eun.

    ¡°I am I¡­.¡±

    But.

    It wasn¡¯t long before I realized it.

    That he can protect her only if he dies.

    That the existence of the Heavenly Demon is nothing but an obstacle to her happiness.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t do that¡­¡±

    The Heavenly Demon fell to her knees as if she was copsing.

    I lowered my head and clenched my fists.

    ¡°¡­I couldn¡¯t bear it.¡±

    Without projecting yourself onto Ojin.

    Unless I think of you as me.

    He could not bear the distant despair that was weighing him down.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin looked down at Cheonma, who lowered his head, and closed his mouth tightly.

    A bitter taste spread in my mouth.

    I didn¡¯t approve of his life, but I could empathize with it.

    If I were in his position, I would have thought the same thing.

    ¡°It probably started the same way for you and me.¡±

    We do not know whether human nature is innate or changes as we live.

    I did not receive higher education or devote myself to studying enough to be able to answer such philosophical questions.

    But one thing is certain.

    ¡°I won¡¯t live like you anymore.¡±

    I will not follow the same path he took.

    To walk the same path.

    Because the path I have taken so far has been so different.

    ¡°I will not be you.¡±

    He spoke firmly, as if striking with a sword.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon¡¯s shoulders trembled as he lowered his head.

    Grumbling.

    The ck cloud that started in his left chest gradually began to encroach on his entire body.

    ¡°¡­okay?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon slowly raised his lowered head.

    His blue eyes, which were like a dry desert, burned fiercely.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to change our ns.¡±

    The corners of his mouth twitched and he slowly raised his arms.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    A pitch-ck me burned on his hand.

    ck mes engulfed Ojin.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ojin quickly rolled over to avoid the mes.

    Although it was an unconscious space, not reality, I could feel it instinctively.

    ¡®If you reach it, it goes behind you.¡¯

    Either you will be trapped in the space of unconsciousness forever, or you will burn up in this space.

    In any case, an intuition crossed my mind that I couldn¡¯t stay alive.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Let¡¯s go!

    The blue lightning zed and shed with the ck me.

    ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡±

    With the Heavenly Demon¡¯s mocking voice, the blue lightning disappeared as if scattered in the air.

    ¡°This is crazy¡­!¡±

    Even though it collided with the thunderbolt, there was not the slightest blemish or hesitation in the ck me.

    It was like throwing a ball made of cotton in front of a speeding truck.

    ¡°Burn up.¡±

    With a low order.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    ck mes began to swirl, burning everywhere.

    The mes floated freely in the air like living creatures, attacking Ojin from all directions.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ojin swallowed his sleep and desperately dodged the flying mes.

    ¡®This.¡¯

    I chewed my lips as I watched the mes freely flying through the air.

    A very familiar sight to Ojin.

    ¡°Why do you¡­ have the stigmata of Dragon?¡±

    He quickly rolled over and shouted.

    Grumble!

    ck mes swept through the ce where I was standing just moments ago.

    ¡°Well why?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon smiled bitterly and snapped his fingers.

    The mes flying wildly through the air suddenly disappeared.

    and.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    A huge wall of fire rose up around Ojin.

    ¡°damn!¡±

    No matter where I looked, there was no ce to run to.

    ¡®If Vega¡¯s power doesn¡¯t work!¡¯

    A ck thunderbolt spewed out from Ojin¡¯s hand with terrifying force.

    The thunderbolt that collided with the curtain of fire disappeared so easily that it seemed in vainpared to its force, but it created a very small gap that a person could barely pass through.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Oh Jin manages to throw himself into the gap created by the thunderbolt.

    While passing through the tent, my whole body was scorched by fire.

    I felt terrible pain from my skin, which had been distorted by burns.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    Oh Jin took a deep breath and red at Cheonma.

    Although I expected it.

    The gap with the Heavenly Demon was so far that it made youugh.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Even though it showed such an overwhelming gap.

    The Heavenly Demon frowned and looked at the ck me burning on the palm of his hand, wondering what he was displeased with.

    ¡°After all, isn¡¯t it difficult to use your power properly within another person¡¯s unconsciousness?¡±

    The low muttering sent chills down Ojin¡¯s spine.

    Is it difficult to use your strength properly?

    Just did that?

    ¡®¡­Damn it.¡¯

    I got chills thinking about how much more the gap would widen if the Heavenly Demon used his power properly.

    The Cheonma turned towards Ojin and walked slowly.

    ¡°Did you tell me earlier that you were trying to be me?¡±

    There is no longer a need for that.

    Because Ojin and Cheonma are different.

    Because you weren¡¯t me.

    ¡°You have be so precious.¡±

    Even though I can end everything.

    The reason Ojin revealed the truth to Vega was because Vega was a precious person to him.

    It¡¯s not just Vega.

    ¡°Riak and Cassia¡­ did you say Isabe again?¡±

    under.

    A cold mockery flowed from between the Heavenly Demon¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Is this guy who couldn¡¯t properly protect even one person¡­ being greedy?¡±

    I red at Ojin with burning eyes.

    ¡°The reason you can be with your sister now is all because I helped you.¡±

    If you hadn¡¯t sent Lee Shin-hyuk to the past and given him the Star of Reverse Heaven.

    Oh Jin couldn¡¯t even be standing here right now.

    ¡°What you are enjoying now! What you have! ¡°Everything that makes youugh, talk, and have fun!¡±

    Grrrrrrrrrrr!

    The space of unconsciousness shook as if an earthquake had urred.

    ¡°Everything, everything, everything!!! ¡°It¡¯s because I was there!¡±

    The faintly burning blue natural flower gazed at Oh Jin.

    ¡°¡­done. ¡°I don¡¯t need you anymore.¡±

    Grumbling.

    A ck cloudpletely engulfed his body.

    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to be around your sister.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon, whose entire body had turned into a ck cloud, spoke as if chewing at Ojin.

 Chapter 348

    I am not a returner Episode 348

    Interlude ¨C I am not a returner (3)

    Rrrrrrrrrrr!

    The mes dance.

    It burns the unconscious space and burns brightly as if it will devour the whole world.

    ¡°Huh oh oh oh oh!¡±

    Sweat running down my spine.

    The attacks unleashed by the Heavenly Demon, whose entire body had turned into a ck cloud, were as precise as a cunning poisonous snake and as violent as a hungry beast.

    but.

    ¡®You have to hold on.¡¯

    What if I die here?

    All efforts to tell Vega the truth go to waste.

    Oh Jin took a deep breath and red at Cheonma sharply.

    If I had stuck with him properly, I would have had no chance of winning.

    ¡®This is my unconsciousness.¡¯

    In the space of consciousness, not reality.

    Even if the gap between him and him was as big as that between an ant and an anteater,

    at least the ¡®owner¡¯ of this space was Ojin.

    ¡®If only I could adjust the space ording to my consciousness.¡¯

    Ojin looked at the ck mes rushing wildly and snapped his fingers.

    Grumble!

    A wall of ck clouds rose up and blocked the mes.

    ¡°yes!¡±

    There was no need to create lightning strikes and fight in a space that was not real.

    This is a space of unconsciousness.

    The ck clouds covering all directions were not the Heavenly Demon, but Ojin¡¯s ¡®Dark Heaven¡¯ clouds.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Coo!

    Ojin took a short breath and stamped his feet roughly.

    Gurgling! Kuruk!

    ck storm clouds swirled and covered the Heavenly Demon.

    I felt the energy of the Heavenly Demon being absorbed through the ck clouds.

    ¡°You¡¯re struggling in vain.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon frowned and waved his hand lightly.

    The dark clouds that had been covering him dispersed in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Although he escaped the attack once, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s expression did not rx.

    No matter how much he was a Heavenly Demon, it was impossible for him to properly demonstrate his power in the unconsciousness of Ojin, who possessed a more plete¡¯ Dark Heaven than his own.

    It¡¯s a level where you fight while carrying a piece of metal on your body, not a sandbag.

    ¡°still.¡±

    The Cheonma let out a low sigh and turned her sparkling blue eyes to Ojin.

    The dark clouds that formed his body parted, revealing pure white teeth.

    ¡°You still have a long way to go.¡±

    Gurgling!

    The body of the Heavenly Demon rushed towards Ojin.

    A very close fight that took ce as the distance quickly narrowed.

    A fist made of ck clouds struck Ojin in the sr plexus.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Ojin bounces around with his back bent like a shrimp.

    Even though it was only a single blow, the internal organs burst and blood poured out.

    ¡®no.¡¯

    This is a space of consciousness, not reality.

    There was no way there were internal organs.

    ¡®The wounds I suffered just now are all of my own making.¡¯

    It¡¯s simr to when you use ¡®lying¡¯ to yourself and end up getting hurt when in reality you weren¡¯t hurt.

    ¡®then.¡¯

    Ohjin quietly closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    If all of this is a lie of your own making.

    ¡°I am invincible.¡±

    All you have to do is put a new lie on top of it.

    ¡°I am immortal and I do not feel any pain.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±

    Cheonma looked at Ojin with a puzzled expression.

    While fighting for a while, I suddenly burst outughing when I saw him hypnotizing himself by saying he was invincible.

    ¡°I am faster than light and harder than steel.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you focus on fighting when you¡¯re doing useless things¡­¡±

    Couuuuuuung!

    Ojin¡¯s body was shot out with a loud noise that seemed to tear his eardrums.

    At a speed far exceeding the speed of sound, the unconscious space made up of ck clouds split apart like the Red Sea.

    The speed is much faster than the speed at which actual misdiagnosis can ur in ¡®reality¡¯.

    The clenched fist struck the Heavenly Demon in the face.

    Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

    A sound that doesn¡¯t sound like it was hit by a human fist.

    Hundreds and thousands of meters of earth made up of ck clouds caved in, and the Heavenly Demon¡¯s body flew backwards like a cannonball.

    thud! thud! thud!

    A heavenly horse that flew away, bouncing on the ground like a water swallow.

    Grumble, rumble, rumble!

    About half of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s body, which was made up of ck clouds, disappeared with a single blow.

    Of course, Cheonma¡¯s upper body, which had been blown away by the punch, was restored to normal within a few seconds.

    ¡°Ugh! ¡°Cluck, cluck, cluck!¡±

    The Heavenly Demon was gasping for breath while clutching her regenerated chest, as if she could notpletely get rid of the shock.

    ¡°What is this¡­¡±

    Cheonma looked at Ojin in disbelief.

    Suddenly, I thought he was muttering nonsense, but then he began to disy overwhelming power, as if the person hadpletely changed.

    ¡°What, you can¡¯t use this?¡±

    ¡°¡­This?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon frowned and tilted his head.

    What kind of lies are you talking about all of a sudden?

    ¡°Oh well. ¡°I also had a hard time getting used to it.¡±

    It was understandable that the Heavenly Demon could not be used if it had not undergone continuous training like Ojin.

    Even if both are the same ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯.

    Just as Ojin could not do everything that Cheonma could do, the converse was also true.

    ¡°You control your unconscious mind by lying to yourself¡­?¡±

    Cheonma, who was thinking deeply about what Oh Jin had just said, looked at him with a puzzled expression.

    How can you manipte your unconscious mind by lying to yourself?

    Cheonma himself, who had been in the unconscious space for many years, knew best how absurd that was.

    The unconscious is not something you can control as you want.

    For example, when you hear the words, ¡®Don¡¯t imagine an elephant,¡¯ what do you think of?

    Even if you don¡¯t consciously want to imagine an elephant, you unconsciously think of it.

    The same principle applies to getting hurt in the unconscious space.

    Since it is not reality, you are not actually hurt, but unconsciously you judge that you are ¡®hurt¡¯, so you are hurt in the space of consciousness, not reality.

    ¡®however.¡¯

    Oh Jin was inplete control of that unconsciousness through ¡®lies¡¯.

    ¡°¡­surely.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon twisted the corners of his mouth and nodded.

    ¡°You are not me.¡±

    Cheonma, seeing a technique that he could not imitate, hung his arms with a helpless expression.

    Grumbling.

    The ck me that was burning fiercely returned to his body.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t trying to kill me, were you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you. But¡­¡±

    It was impossible, at least in the space of unconsciousness.

    There was little that Cheonma, who was not the owner of this space, could do against Ojin, who could freely manipte the unconscious.

    ¡°¡­are you going to return to reality and kill me?¡±

    Oh Jin narrowed his eyes and red at Cheonma.

    I was pretending to be as calm as possible, but inside, my mouth was burning with tension.

    There was no way for him to fight and win against the Heavenly Demon in real life, not in the space of his unconsciousness.

    ¡°That also seems difficult right now.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon ced her hand on the left side of her chest with a bitter expression.

    Grumble, rumble, rumble!

    As time passed, the erosion of Heukcheon became too strong.

    Even if you return to reality, it will be difficult to regain your sanity for a while.

    ¡°Well, in the end, it¡¯s a question of whether it¡¯s toote or too early.¡±

    The eerily burning blue natural flower stared at Oh Jin.

    ¡°You have no right to protect your sister.¡±

    Now that he knows that he is different from himself.

    I couldn¡¯t leave Oh Jin by Ha Eun¡¯s side.

    ¡°We will meet again.¡±

    Grumble, rumble.

    As dawn broke, the dark clouds covering the surroundings gradually dispersed and light began to seep in.

    ¡°No matter when that happens, definitely.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon dispersed as if it were melting into thin air, leaving behind those words.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The ck clouds dispersed and Ojin¡¯s consciousness was forced back to reality.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    When I opened my tightly closed eyes, what appeared before my eyes was the ruins of Niflheim.

    The huge tsunami of ck clouds that seemed to engulf the world had disappeared.

    ¡®Where did they go?¡¯

    Ojin frowned and activated the Stigmata of the Hound to look around, but he could not feel the Heavenly Demon¡¯s energy anywhere.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    The tension melted away and a deep sense of fatigue washed over me.

    ¡°Oh Ojina!¡±

    I saw Ha-eun running towards me in the distance.

    ¡°sister?¡±

    ¡°You you bastard! ¡°I suddenly said I couldn¡¯t see you, but you were still here?!¡±

    Ha-eun grabbed Oh-jin by the cor with a distorted expression.

    When I heard from Riak that Ojin had gone alone to stop the tsunami of dark clouds, I was so shocked that my heart almost dropped.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ ck! ¡°Do you want your breasts to turn into asphalt gum, you bastard?¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    Ha-eun shed sad tears while hugging Oh-jin.

    Oh Jin ced his hand on Ha Eun¡¯s back, patted her, and smiled slightly.

    -You don¡¯t deserve to be around your sister.

    The words Cheonma left behind sharply rang through my mind.

    ¡®Maybe so.¡¯

    As he said, his greed may have been too much.

    Maybe I was trying to carry too much.

    but.

    ¡°¡­sister.¡±

    ¡°Ugh why?¡±

    Wow!

    Ha-eun, who vigorously blew her nose on Oh-jin¡¯s clothes, looked up at him with tearful eyes.

    ¡®No, what is this sister doing so shamefully?¡¯

    Oh Jin, who was frowning as he looked down at the thick snot on his clothes, soon burst intoughter.

    If this unadorned appearance was like Ha-eun, it was the most like Ha-eun.

    Oh Jin added strength to the arm that hugged Ha Eun¡¯s waist.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯

    I had no intention of leaving Ha-eun¡¯s side.

    ¡°Please stay by my side forever.¡±

    Even if another ¡®I¡¯ appears.

    He bitterly swallowed his words and buried his head on Ha-eun¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Uh huh?¡±

    Ha-eun rolled her eyes with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°Now¡­ what is it? ¡°Did I get proposed to?¡±

    No, I didn¡¯t mean it that way.

    ¡°Hey, you bastard! What is this?! In a more atmospheric ce! uh? Give me a ring too! And what if I tell you here and now?!¡±

    Because I didn¡¯t propose.

    ¡°Anyway, bastard. ¡°He suddenly said something strange¡­¡±

    Ha-eun fanned her red cheeks with her hand.

    She looked around, took a step away from Ojin, and carefully opened her mouth.

    ¡°I¡­ I like that group.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I didn¡¯t particrly propose.

    ¡®Well, should I just leave this as is?¡¯

    Oh Jin smiled and lightly kissed Ha Eun on the lips.

    Not everything was resolved, though.

    No, nothing really important was resolved.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back home.¡±

    It was time to end the long journey.

 Chapter 349

    I am not a returner Episode 349

    Starlight (1)

    ¡°Our Korea¡¯s proud hero! ¡°We sincerely wee the return of Pagunseong!¡±

    A loud voice bursting from arge body.

    Gori, or rather Manager Han Jun-man, weed the return of Ohjin and his group by continuously pping with one hand the size of a pot lid.

    ¡°What is this¡­¡±

    Oh Jin, who returned to Korea through the first crack after finishing his work in Niflheim,ughed out loud as he looked at the crowd of people lined up at the airport entrance.

    ¡®When did you make that card again?¡¯

    At the airport exit, there was arge card hanging that could easily be over a hundred meters long, and it said, ¡®¡ïGyeong¡ï Wee the return of Korea¡¯s pride, Awakened Kwon Oh-jin! There was a text written saying ¡®¡ïCongrattions¡ï¡¯.

    I was embarrassed by this grand reception because I had not specifically announced this trip to the Magyeong to the public.

    ¡°What is all this?¡±

    ¡°haha! After hearing the news that Mr. Oh Jin had returned from the Demon World, the association produced it ourselves! How is it?!¡±

    Ohjin looked up at therge card and clicked his tongue.

    These tax thieves.

    Are you doing a separate study to see how creatively tax money can be wasted?

    ¡°Anyway, is it okay for me to let everyone know that I went to the magic world like this?¡±

    I didn¡¯t really have any intention of hiding anything.

    Still, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth making such arge card and advertising it.

    ¡°Oh Jin, you¡¯re saying that because you don¡¯t know!¡±

    ¡°What don¡¯t you know?¡±

    ¡°This time, after Mr. Ojin went to the Demon Realm, the number of demonic beasts crossing the crack has dropped by less than half!¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    but.

    After wandering around the demonic world like that, it would be natural for the number of demonic beastsing to Earth to decrease.

    ¡°Of course, there was confusion all over the world as the Named Demon Beasts who had been inactive began to be active again, but the damage was minimized as the number of Demon Beastsing from the existing Demon World decreased significantly.¡±

    therefore.

    Is it because I went to the Demon World that I was able to focus on dealing with the Named Demon Beasts who had started their activities again?

    ¡®That¡¯s enough to advertise it.¡¯

    Well, looking at the fact that such arge card was made, it seems that it has a greater political purpose rather than expressing gratitude.

    From Ojin¡¯s perspective, it didn¡¯t matter anyway.

    ¡°What is your schedule after that? ¡°If you need anything, the association will provide you with all the support!¡±

    A manager smiles brightly, pounding his chest with a fist the size of a pot lid.

    Looking at the smile on his face, it seemed that Korea benefited significantly from this trip to the devil.

    Ohjinughed and shook his head.

    ¡°I want to go home and rest first.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then we will take you there! ¡°We¡¯ve already prepared a ceremonial vehicle at the entrance!¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to do that¡­¡±

    I get more tired if I attract attention from people around me for no reason.

    With that in mind, I was about to decline the offer.

    ¡°Oh Jin, from here we just take the association vehicle and go back.¡±

    Isabe said as she approached Ojin.

    ¡°Okay. ¡°I don¡¯t like making a fuss.¡±

    ¡°But you prepared it for Oh Jin, right? ¡°If we refuse here, the association will also be in an awkward position.¡±

    but.

    There will be an uproar again for not being able to properly escort a national hero.

    ¡°okay.¡±

    Oh Jin nodded and went out of the airport.

    A red carpet wasid out at the exit and countless shutter sounds exploded from all directions.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s an international film festival.¡¯

    When I put my feet up on the red carpet,ughing as if it was ridiculous.

    ¡°Oh Jin, wait a minute.¡±

    Isabe quickly approached and gently wrapped her arms around Ojin.

    The sound of shuttersing from all directions became more intense.

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes sparkle and she smiles with satisfaction.

    It was a very natural move, as if they had had this in mind from the very beginning when they said they would ride in a ceremonial vehicle.

    ¡°Why do youe naturally and stand next to me?¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and grabbed Isabe¡¯s back.

    Isabe rolled her eyes and looked back at Ha-eun.

    ¡°You stayed with Oh Jin the entire time you came to Earth.¡±

    ¡°Is that Cassia? ¡°It¡¯s because you and him are fighting.¡±

    ¡°Still.¡±

    After the work in Niflheim waspleted, Cassia returned to Earth with Ojin and the others.

    Whileing to Earth, Isabe and Cassia gave off a bloody atmosphere as if they were cutting each other with a sword, making the atmosphere extremely hostile.

    ¡°At best, the intruder has disappeared, so please make some concessions today.¡±

    After returning to Earth, Cassia suddenly disappeared somewhere, saying she had something to do.

    Isabe, who was able to spend time with Ojin for the first time in a long time without Cassia¡¯s check, took the seat next to him, even being somewhat forceful, unlike usual.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ha-eun had also seen the bloody war of nerves between Isabe and Cassia, so she retreated without saying anything.

    ¡°thanks sister.¡±

    Isabe lightly presses her breast against Ohjin¡¯s arm, who is hugging her with a bright smile.

    A humming song escaped through theughter flowers in full bloom.

    ¡°Are you that happy being away from Cassia?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°I feel so happy because I don¡¯t have that stubborn gummy sister.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    It seemed like it would take a little more time for their rtionship to recover.

    ¡°Besides that, it¡¯s nice to see Mr. Oh Jin weed like this.¡±

    Isabe looks around with a proud expression.

    Seeing people looking at Ojin with eyes filled with admiration and awe made my heart swell, as if it were their own work for no reason, no, it was even more than my own work.

    ¡°There was a lot of talk about Mr. Oh Jin bing a member of the Seven Stars even though he was not a high-ranking awakened person.¡±

    Now Ojindo has be a 9-star and has be a high-ranking awakened person, but before leaving for the Demonic Realm, there was a lot of talk about it even in Korea.

    To use an analogy, it would be like a politician with a high school diploma who did not even graduate from college took the position of Minister of Education.

    Because the impact of a high-ranking awakened person was so great, it was inevitable that there would be controversy regarding their qualifications.

    ¡°When I see this wee now, I feel like there are even voices trying to disparage Mr. Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you have a track record, any controversy over your qualifications will go away.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, it feels really good to see Oh Jin being recognized.¡±

    Looking at Isabe with a proud expression, Oh Jin burst intoughter.

    ¡°Hey, Awakened Kwon Oh-jin! ¡°Can I request an interview?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to hear what happened in Demon Lord!¡±

    ¡°What is your rtionship with the Roman saint?!¡±

    As I crossed the middle of the red carpet, reporters came from all directions like bees.

    ¡°Uh-huh! What are you doing now? ¡°I¡¯m sure they said interview requests were prohibited.¡±

    ¡°Heehee¡­!¡±

    ¡°Escape from the of the Apes?¡±

    As a manager came out with a grim frown, the reporters who were flocking around stopped in shock.

    ¡°Who said it was of the Apes?¡±

    As Manager Han opened his eyes wildly and looked around with his head, the reporters who were noisily asking questions became a group of people and kept their mouths shut.

    ¡°Whew. ¡°Please get in the car, Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. thank you.¡±

    Oh Jin and his group boarded a luxurious limousine, escorted by a manager.

    I used to feel ufortable in the limousine, but I got used to it after riding it a few times while traveling with Isabe.

    ¡°Di dipta is a big car!¡±

    Unlike Oh-jin and his group who were used to limousines, Baek Moo-gang looked around with his mouth wide open as if it was an unfamiliar sight to him.

    ¡°Is this your first time in a limousine, sir?¡±

    ¡°Wow. ¡°No, Allen gave me a ride before, but I was surprised because it had been so long.¡±

    but.

    I spent a few years in the devil¡¯s garden, so it¡¯s worth forgetting.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, I also received a call from Mr. Mugokseong.¡±

    ¡°Waveness? What is Wugokseong? Are you eating it?¡±

    Baek Mu-gang tilts his head while sucking his finger.

    Manager Han continued with an embarrassed smile.

    ¡°This is Awakened Allen Oscar.¡±

    ¡°Allen! ¡°Did you contact our Allen?!¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°I asked Elder Cheon Gwon-seong toe to the sanctuary.¡±

    ¡°Shall we go! Shall we go! ¡°I want to see Allen, Deneb, and¡­ Saffron and Saffron too!¡±

    ¡°¡­This is Syaoran and Xiaolin.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. lol.¡±

    Baek Mu-gang scratches his head with an innocent smile.

    Oh Jin looked back at Manager Han who was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat and said.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the sanctuary first before going home.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    Manager Han immediately drove the limousine and headed to the sanctuary.

    It takes about an hour to get to Hongdae, where the entrance to the sanctuary is located.

    When I arrived at Hongdae, I saw Allen Oscaring out to greet me in front of the sanctuary.

    ¡°Allen! long time no see!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, old man. ¡°Have you been safe so far?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    Baek Mu-gang runs towards Allen with a bright smile.

    He took out the envelope with the letter he had kept in his chest and held it out to Allen.

    ¡°I found treasure! ¡°Ojin found it!¡±

    ¡°I heard about it.¡±

    A faint smile appeared on Allen¡¯s face, which had been as expressionless as ice.

    Allen, who had been talking briefly with Baek Moo-gang, approached Oh Jin.

    ¡°Thank you, Awakened Kwon Oh-jin.¡±

    Allen bows politely and ces his hand on his left chest.

    I felt a strange sense of pressure as the handsome young man, who looked like he stepped out of a cartoon or movie, bent down in a stern posture.

    ¡°Really¡­ I don¡¯t know how I can repay you for this¡­¡±

    An expression I had never seen before appeared on Allen¡¯s face, which was as cold as ice.

    ¡®Still, it seems like you value your elders.¡¯

    but.

    Otherwise, he would not have gone to Magyeong alone and delivered the necessary supplies to Baek Mugang.

    ¡°As far aspensation, I have already received enough from the elders.¡±

    Even though it was a trap of the Heavenly Demon, Baek Moo-gang went all the way to Niflheim to help Oh Jin.

    From the beginning, Ojin helped Baek Moo-gang to obtain the power needed for the war, so he achieved his goal.

    ¡°lol! ¡°If a good person calls, I¡¯ll help you at any time!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang raises his hand with a bright smile.

    Allen looked at Baekmugang with kind eyes and then turned his head towards Ojin.

    ¡°If you¡¯re in trouble, we¡¯ll help you, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    ¡°Thank you just for your words.¡±

    Following Baekmugang, the other apostles of Deneb.

    For Oh Jin, who had to prepare for a battle with the Heavenly Demon, this was news that would be weed with open arms.

    ¡°Anyway¡­¡±

    Allen trailed off, frowning slightly.

    ¡°Why are you doing that?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°It may be presumptuous, but did anything happen with Vega?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s expression hardened at the word Vega.

    ¡°¡­Why is that happening all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°I heard from Deneb this time that Vega¡¯s temple has beenpletely closed.¡±

    ¡°Closed?¡±

    ¡°yes. They said they locked the door and prevented anyone from entering¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin clenched his fists with a bitter expression.

    ¡°As expected, what happened?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing happened¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin, who was shaking his head in response, suddenly stopped talking.

    ¡°Mr. Oh Jin?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin nodded with a bitter smile.

    ¡°Yes, there was. What happened.¡±

 Chapter 350

    I am not a returner Episode 350:

    Starlight (2)

    A residentialmercial apartmentplex near Hapjeong Station.

    The door of Ojin House, which was originally a house of about 20 pyeong but boasted an area of over 50 pyeong through expansion work, was opened within a few months.

    ¡°It¡¯s home!¡±

    Ha-eun raised both arms, threw off her shoes, and ran into the house as if she were flying.

    ¡°Huhhh~ Haha. ¡°This familiar sofa smell.¡±

    Ha-eun, who was lying face down on the living room sofa, hugged the cushion (usually used by Oh-jin) like a bamboody and hugged her body.

    Oh Jin looked at Ha-eun who was making a fuss and let out a chuckle.

    Although not as much as Ha-eun, he was also quite upset.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice toe home after a long time.¡±

    Is this what it feels like when you return home after being deployed overseas for several months?

    A smile spread across my face as the events I experienced in the Demonic Scenery passed through my mind like a panorama.

    ¡°Let¡¯s unpack tomorrow and get some rest today.¡±

    It is no exaggeration to say that I carried the space-expanding backpack with me this time, and I unpacked the equipment I was wearing and ced it in the corner of the living room.

    The relief of arriving home after a long time filled me with a sense of fatigue that felt like my body was about to melt away.

    ¡°I think I need to go out for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°I got a call from Roberto a while ago saying that there are some urgent matters that need to be dealt with.¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    As the Colgrande family runs dozens of businesses, the work that has umted during her absence must be considerable.

    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to go to work as soon as you get back, right?¡±

    ¡°I will only take care of really urgent matters. ¡°Let¡¯s eat dinner together.¡±

    Isabe gently approached and kissed Ojin¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Because of this, I feel like I have be a pir of life who ys and eats with the money my wife earns.

    ¡°Then, see you in the evening, Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°ok. ¡°Oh, my sister and I will prepare dinner, soe leisurely.¡±

    ¡°¡­With your sister?¡±

    Isabe looks down at Ha-eun rolling around on the sofa with eyes full of suspicion.

    Ha-eun spun around, hugging the cushion.

    ¡°I can cook too?¡±

    ¡°Anyone can do it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Ha-eun curled up like a shrimp and looked downcast at the pumpkin-like answer.

    ¡°¡­too bad.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s just a joke, sister. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to dinner?¡±

    Isabe patted Ha-eun¡¯s downcast shoulder for a moment and then went out of the house.

    In the living room, only Ha-eun and Oh-jin remain.

    Ha-eun tapped the seat next to the sofa with her hand as if to tell Oh-jin to sit down.

    As Ha-eun sits down, she naturally ces her slender legs on Oh-jin¡¯s thighs and lies down on the sofa again.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve been together like this.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Oh Jin leaned against the back of the sofa and lightly massaged Ha Eun¡¯s legs on her thighs.

    Ha-eun¡¯s body trembles with a melting expression.

    ¡°Huh. There, there. ¡°Just a little harder.¡±

    ¡°Please refrain from using lines that may be misunderstood.¡±

    When someone hears it, it seems like they are doing something other than a massage.

    ¡°Huh? ¡°What kind of misunderstanding is this?¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head, but then her eyes sparkled as if she understood, and a deep smile appeared on her lips.

    She gently rubbed Ojin¡¯s thigh with her heel and gave him a heated gaze.

    ¡°Then you just have to make sure it¡¯s not a misunderstanding, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s get some rest today.¡±

    ¡°Eh, tsk. ¡°If you¡¯re going to do that, take it off, you bastard.¡±

    What do you have to take off?

    When I red at him as if it was absurd, Ha-eun turned her back with a nk look on her face.

    Ojin chuckled and picked up the remote control lying nearby.

    ¡°Should I at least turn on the TV?¡±

    ¡°no it¡¯s okay.¡±

    Ha-eun, who had turned her back and was silently looking at the screen that was turned off, cautiously opened her mouth.

    ¡°¡­Ojina.¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ you told me about the Heavenly Demon before.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    On the way back to Earth after finishing work in Niflheim.

    Oh Jin revealed all the facts he had been hiding to Ha-eun and Isabe.

    About the ck Heaven, about the Returner, the identity and purpose of the Heavenly Demon, etc.

    ¡®We were both very surprised.¡¯

    Although it wasn¡¯t as good as Vega.

    Both Ha-eun and Isabe red at Oh-jin with angry expressions, as if asking why he was hiding that fact.

    Because of that, I wasn¡¯t able to talk to the two women properly for the next few days, but I was forgiven before I returned to Earth.

    ¡®Because the situation was a little different with Vega.¡¯

    Unlike Vega, who deceived everything from beginning to end, Ha-eun and Isabe still knew his identity to some extent.

    I can say it¡¯s thanks, but the shock I received was probably less than that of Vega.

    Especially in Ha-eun¡¯s case, she knew that Oh-jin had the Dark Heaven and that he was pretending to be a regressor.

    ¡°So there are two of you now?¡±

    Ha-eun turned again and looked up at Oh-jin from her lying position on the sofa.

    Ohjin nodded quietly and answered.

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Misdiagnosis of past life and misdiagnosis of present life.

    The lives and ways of living are different.

    It was true that two Ojins existed at the same time at the same time.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°There are two Ojinis¡­¡±

    Ha-eun trailed off, moving her legs on Oh-jin¡¯s thighs.

    Then, as if he had a good idea, his eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers.

    ¡°Shall we share?¡±

    What are you sharing, you crazy sister?

    ¡°Look at the kid with a straight face? ¡°I¡¯m kidding, man.¡±

    Ha-eun burst intoughter and poked Oh-jin¡¯s side with her toe.

    ¡°¡­How are you?¡±

    ¡°huh? ¡°How are you?¡±

    ¡°That there is another me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that?¡±

    Ha-eunid her head on her sped hands and let out a sob.

    ¡°Actually, even if there is another you, I don¡¯t really feel it. ¡°I¡¯ve never actually seen it or talked to it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    In the opposite position, even if someone tells you that Ha-eun from your past life is alive now, you might think, ¡®Oh, is that so?¡¯ All you will have is an impression of what you want.

    ¡°To be honest, I was a little sad when I heard about it, but¡­¡±

    Ha-eun slowly got up from the sofa and gently rested her head on Oh-jin¡¯s shoulder.

    A pleasant smell that tickles the tip of your nose.

    Ha-eun hugged Oh-jin¡¯s arm with a faint smile.

    ¡°But since I¡¯m here, I want to stay with you.¡±

    Ojin knows that the Heavenly Demon has suffered terrible pain and made countless sacrifices for him.

    To be honest, I felt sympathy.

    but.

    The current ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯ was already too deep in her mind to choose him out of sympathy.

    ¡°¡­Still, you¡¯ll only give the Heavenly Demon for your sister, right?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°After hearing it, I find it a bit disturbing.¡±

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and pinched Oh-jin¡¯s side.

    ¡°Mr. Oh-jin in the past life said that just me is enough, but I guess you just have to make three wives and four concubines to be satisfied?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t have anything to say about that part.

    As Oh Jin lowered his head with a sullen expression, Ha-eun burst intoughter.

    She continued speaking while gently rubbing Ojin¡¯s stomach with the hand that had been pinching his side.

    ¡°But I prefer a man who takes responsibility for precious people like you, Ozini, rather than a man who doesn¡¯t care if everyone else dies just for me.¡±

    ¡°¡­sister.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. ¡°Were you scared that our cute Ojini sister would leave?¡±

    Ha-eun holds Oh-jin¡¯s cheek and yfully stretches it.

    ¡°You promised. ¡°Let¡¯s continue to be together from now on.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Seeing Ha-eun smiling brightly, the corners of Oh-jin¡¯s tight mouth loosened.

    but.

    ¡°¡­So what are you going to do Vega?¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s mouth hardened again at Ha Eun¡¯s next question.

    Vega.

    When I thought about her, my heart felt heavy, as if a dark cloud had gathered over it.

    ¡°I have to go to the sanctuary.¡±

    I heard that the temple door was closed, but I couldn¡¯t just wait for her toe out.

    ¡°Well, Vega will fully understand. ¡°He likes you too.¡±

    ¡°¡­did you know?¡±

    ¡°No, then you¡¯re showing it off like that, but you don¡¯t understand?¡±

    Just by looking at Vega¡¯s eyes as she looked at Ojin, it was a woman¡¯s instinct, and it was obvious at a nce that she had feelings for Ojin.

    ¡°ha. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you would even seize the constetion.¡±

    Ha-eun touched her forehead as if she had a headache.

    She climbed onto Ojin¡¯sp and pushed him onto the sofa.

    ¡°Now wait a minute, sister!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t do this. ¡°The more I think about it, the more disgusting I feel, so I have to punish him.¡±

    He said he was tired today, so I tried to let him rest for a while.

    As we talked, my head got hot and I couldn¡¯t stay still.

    ¡°Until my sister calms down¡­ you know?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    How can I refuse since I havemitted a sin?

    Oh Jin swallowed his sleep and strongly pulled Ha Eun¡¯s waist as she climbed onto the boat.

    * * *

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    next day.

    Arriving at the sanctuary, Ojin sighed deeply.

    The steps toward the temple were as heavy as a thousand pounds.

    ¡®What do I have to apologize for?¡¯

    When I thought about the betrayal that Vega must have felt, I felt like I had a rock on my chest.

    ¡°¡­I have to meet you first.¡±

    Even if you stop here and think about it, you won¡¯t find an answer.

    Ojin ascended the sanctuary along a path that resembled the Milky Way.

    The temple of Vega is located on the top floor of the sanctuary.

    Among the three paths, I walked up to the ce where the temple of Jiknyeo Seong was located.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Just as Allen said, the temple door was seen to be tightly closed.

    Oh Jin bit his lip gently while standing in front of the door.

    I carefully knocked on the temple door with my clenched fist.

    ¡°¡­Vega.¡±

    There is no answer.

    Thump thump.

    I knocked on the temple door with a little more force.

    ¡°Vega has something to tell you.¡±

    Ugh.

    The temple door, which had been tightly closed, was seen opening little by little.

    When a sigh of relief escaped Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    Ugh! Ugh!

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    With a strong impact, Ojin¡¯s body was thrown backwards like a cannonball.

    A strong shock that feels like your internal organs are being shaken.

    Ojin lifted his head, clutching his stomach as a terrible pain surged through him.

    ¡°¡­Riak?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    What came out of the temple door was a wolf with a silver mane.

    Riak looked down at Ojin with cold eyes and opened his mouth.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been using Vega for your own good until now, so how dare you shamelessly ask me to open the door?¡±

    I could feel the deeply condensed anger in his ice-cold voice.

    Ojin stood up shakily and said.

    ¡°¡­I have something I want to tell Vega.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to say?¡±

    Riak snorted and approached the fallen Ojin.

    ¡°Vega said there was nothing more to talk about with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°go away.¡±

    Instead of answering, Ojin took a step toward the temple.

    ¡°okay¡­ ¡°I knew you woulde out like that.¡±

    Riak fiercely twisted the corner of his mouth, revealing his pure white teeth.

    ¡°If you want to meet Jeong Vega.¡±

    Creep, boom, boom!

    With an eerie sound of bone fracture, Riak¡¯s body changed into the form of a werewolf.

    ¡°Beat me and go, kid.¡±

    The beast¡¯s eyes, shining with life, turned towards Ojin.

 Chapter 351

    I am not a returner Episode 351

    Starlight (3)

    Rumbling!

    With the sound of thunder, Riak¡¯s new form rushed to Ojin like a thunderbolt.

    That speed is iparable to that of Riak, whom Ojin had seen well in the Demonic World.

    Instinctively, I crossed my arms in an X shape to block my face, but Riak¡¯s fist crashed into my crossed arms.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The body rose into the air with a bone-breaking impact.

    Oh Jin managed to fall andnded on the floor while minimizing the impact as much as possible.

    Scream!

    Even though the impact was reduced by falling, the power contained in Riak¡¯s fist was so great that the floor he stepped on cracked.

    ¡®It¡¯spletely different from when I was in the demon world.¡¯

    At that time, due to the restrictions of thew, he could not properly exercise his power as the ¡®Holy Spirit¡¯, but this was not a magic scripture, but a sanctuary.

    It was a ce where you could increase your strength without restrictions.

    ¡°Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡±

    With a ferocious howl, Riak¡¯s new form disappeared as if scattered in the air.

    Squeeze!

    A blue thunderbolt shed, and Riak¡¯s massive body arrived in front of Ojin in an instant.

    A fist swinging.

    Ojin took Dantalian out from his waist and shaped it into a spear, blocking his body at an angle.

    Kwaaaaaaaa!

    A strong shock transmitted through the spear pole.

    The palm was torn and red blood flowed down the spear.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    The stigmata in thepass constetion was activated, and the tip of the spear moved gracefully.

    A spear zing with blue lightning pierced Riak¡¯s thigh.

    ¡°Slow, kid.¡±

    Riak jumped lightly andnded on the spear that was thrusting at a speed exceeding the speed of sound.

    Augh escaped Ojin¡¯s lips at his movements that were almost acrobatic.

    That too for a while.

    Riak leapt once again from the top of the pole and did a back tumble, lifting and kicking Ojin¡¯s chin.

    Bah!

    Ohjin¡¯s head tilted back with a dull sound.

    The chin is one of the most vital points that directly transmits shock to the brain.

    For a moment, my consciousness blinked in white, along with the sensation of a thunderbolt striking my head.

    ¡®The Stigmata of Aquarius.¡¯

    Stigmata specialized for healing protected the ritual as it blinked white.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    I let out a low breath and red at Riak sharply.

    Riak narrowed his eyes as he looked at Ojin, who had healed his wounds in an instant.

    ¡°Is that the power of the stigmata that has been devoured by the power of the ck Sky?¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    Until now, Riak had been unable to use his original power due to the restrictions of thew.

    Ojin had not been able to properly utilize the stigmata he had absorbed in battle in order to avoid Vega revealing his true identity.

    ¡®but.¡¯

    It¡¯s different now.

    It¡¯s a joke!

    Feathers made of thunderbolts were created around Ojin¡¯s body.

    Hundreds and thousands of feathers were fired at Riak like machine guns.

    ¡°The remaining tricks¡­!¡±

    Riak moved quickly in a Z shape and easily dodged the flying feathers.

    Squeeze!

    Leap using Thunder Stamp.

    In a wonderful movement that seemed to mock inertia, Riak¡¯s ws hit the top of Ojin¡¯s head.

    ¡°Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡±

    Riak, who was shing his nails at the top of his head, slightly changed direction and aimed at Ojin¡¯s shoulder.

    The fingernails dug into his shoulder and cut off Ojin¡¯s arm.

    ¡°It¡¯s over, kid.¡±

    Riak snorted as he coldly looked down at Ojin, who was falling down while holding his shoulder where blood was pouring out.

    When Riak tried to turn away as if there was nothing more to see.

    ¡°hmm?¡±

    Riak frowned as he looked down at his fingernails, which did not have a single drop of blood on them.

    You could clearly feel the fabric being torn apart, but there wasn¡¯t a single drop of blood on it?

    Shhh!

    ¡°Ugh?!¡±

    I twisted my body in a movement that was almost instinctive.

    A spear de passes through my chest.

    The spear de containing the thunderbolt struck the ground, causing a powerful explosion.

    Ojin¡¯s body, which was lying down with his arm cut off, was swept away by the explosion and disappeared like a mirage.

    ¡°¡­were you even able to handle illusions?¡±

    Riak clutched his bleeding chest and red at the direction the spear came from.

    ¡°Because I have absorbed quite a lot of stigmata so far.¡±

    of course.

    Compared to the Heavenly Demon, this was like new blood.

    ¡°Heung, you did a good job of avoiding Vega¡¯s eyes.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin looked at Riak and sighed deeply.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s stop, Riak.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop?¡±

    ¡°I just came here because I wanted to talk to Vega.¡±

    ¡°If you want to meet Vega, I would have told you to defeat me first, right?¡±

    Riak showed off his violent spirit as if he had no intention of backing down.

    ¡°¡­Riak.¡±

    Ojin looked at Riak with bitter eyes.

    Suddenly, the conversation I had with Riak in front of Horus¡¯s tomb after the work in the Khan Kingdom came to mind.

    -Thank you¡­

    The silver wolf expressed his gratitude in an awkward voice, as if he were wearing clothes that didn¡¯t fit.

    ¡°Take up your weapons, kid.¡±

    At that time, the wolf¡¯s eyes were ring at Ojin everywhere, burning with burning anger.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The lies that Ojin had been repeating not only ruined his rtionship with Vega, but also his rtionship with Riak.

    ¡°sorry.¡±

    ¡°There is no need for an apology.¡±

    Riak scoffed and clenched his fists.

    ¡°If you are a warrior, speak with your fists rather than your mouth.¡±

    Quang!

    The conflict has begun again.

    The shock spread out in all directions, apanied by a roar that resounded like thunder.

    As the fierce battle continued, the wounds on Oh Jin¡¯s body gradually increased.

    Ojin smiled slightly as he received Riak¡¯s fierce attack.

    ¡®When I first met Riak, it was a 3 second cut.¡¯

    It felt surprising that I could now continue a fierce battle with Riak, who had raised all of his original strength.

    ¡°Huh huh huh krrrr!¡±

    A rough breath flowed from Riak¡¯s mouth.

    The misdiagnosis is also not good.

    The two, their bodies covered in blood, kept their distance and red at each other.

    ¡°¡­let me ask you one thing, kid.¡±

    Riak opened his mouth, wiping the blood flowing from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

    ¡°say it.¡±

    ¡°Was it the power of the Dark Sky that allowed us to continue to rise when we fought in Vega¡¯s sanctuary?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not right.¡±

    Ohjin, who had been thinking deeply, shook his head quietly.

    The reason I was able to ovee the fear of ¡®death¡¯ was not because I had the Dark Heaven.

    Because ck Heaven did not have the function of erasing fear like some kind of stimnt.

    ¡°¡­is it?¡±

    Riak, who remained silent for a moment, clenched his fist again.

    ¡°Once you¡¯ve had enough rest, let¡¯s start again.¡±

    ¡°No, did you just rx?¡±

    Ojin looks at Riak with a puzzled expression.

    Instead of answering, Riak kicked his feet and rushed towards Ojin.

    Once again, a bloody battle ensued, and a roar rang out.

    ¡°Whoosh whoosh!¡±

    As I continued my battle with Riak, I calmly observed his movements.

    In the past, one could not dare to imitate Riak¡¯s amazing movements and use of magic, but now the situation has reversed.

    ¡®When ites to technique itself, I have the upper hand.¡¯

    I could clearly picture in my mind how Riak¡¯s beast-like movements and the magical power of his stigmata worked and what results they produced.

    but.

    ¡®Even if you know, it¡¯s difficult to avoid.¡¯

    Ojin had the upper hand in technique, but Riak was superior in strength and speed.

    ¡®little bit more.¡¯

    If you raise the power of the ck Sky, you will be able to deal with Riak without difficulty.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Thirst that feels like your throat is burning.

    Grumble, rumble!

    The ck sky nestled inside my heart began to struggle violently, as if asking to be freed.

    ¡®Again?¡¯

    Since using Gaecheon in thest battle with Heavenly Demon, there have been cases where ck Heaven runs rampant like this.

    It was as if he was asking me to free myself.

    It¡¯s as if he¡¯s asking to be taken out of this stuffy cage.

    A ck sky that fluctuates violently.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ohjin ced his hand on his left chest.

    There is no need to use the stream.

    I was confident that I could easily defeat Riak if I used just a little bit of the power of ck Heaven, which hadpleted its tenth flowering.

    but.

    ¡°¡­You arrogant bastard.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not about you.¡±

    Oh Jin raised the corners of his mouth and activated the stigmata of Lyra.

    The star of Jiknyeo Castle rising between the dark clouds.

    The energy of ck Heaven, which had been running wild, became calm like a beast that had been shot with a tranquilizer gun.

    Patsutsutsu!

    Blue sparks erupted from Ojin¡¯s body and spread thickly around the area like fog.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Riak looked at the thunderbolt that enveloped Ojin¡¯s body with deeply sunken eyes.

    I could feel it without having to exin it in words.

    The power of the Lyra constetion that is now flowing from Ojin¡¯s body is a power that has nothing to do with the fact that he possesses ¡®Dark Heaven¡¯.

    This is a state that a person named Kwon Oh-jin achieved through his own efforts.

    ¡®You guy¡­¡¯

    Actually, I knew it before I asked.

    The battle in Sanctuary that first imprinted on him the human name Ojin.

    Even after dozens of deaths, it was not the power of the dark sky that allowed him to stagger to his feet.

    -Because it¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be resolved through patience.

    Ah yes.

    I knew it.

    I was realizing it.

    Feeling betrayed that I had been deceived, I simply turned my eyes away from the truth.

    ¡°¡­bantling.¡±

    Before it is a star in the sky.

    Before being the owner of the ck Sky.

    He said it was a ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯.

    And that his beliefs that he had observed until now were not lies.

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish with another shot.¡±

    A torrent of blue lightning swirls.

    Ojin and Riak¡¯s bodies became entangled in a thunderbolt.

    Rumbling!

    With a roar, an incredible force swept through the surroundings.

    And of starlight that was horribly distorted as if a ck hole had appeared.

    ¡°Cough! ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    It was Oh Jin who walked out through the thick smoke.

    Ojin, now in tatters, looked down at Riak, who was lying unconscious.

    ¡®I won.¡¯

    The Holy Spirit, who brought out the power of the original body, fought against the Holy Spirit of the constetion of the ¡®North Star¡¯ and won.

    ¡°Oh shit. ¡°It hurts so bad.¡±

    Of course, it was difficult to say that O-diagnosis was in good condition.

    Still, I couldn¡¯t just sit there and stop.

    ¡°Vega¡­¡±

    Ojin passed by the fallen Riak and staggered towards the temple of Vega.

    at that time.

    ¡°bantling.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Ojin urgently turned to the direction where Riak had fallen.

    I saw Riak¡¯s back lying on the floor with his back turned.

    Riak continued speaking quietly without turning his head.

    ¡°Please take care of Vega.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Oh Jin, who was about to say something, soon smiled and nodded slightly.

    I turned my body and forcefully opened the slightly ajar door of the temple.

    ¡°Vega.¡±

    The inside of the temple is so empty that it almost feels empty.

    I saw a silver-haired goddess turning around and putting her hands together as if praying.

 Chapter 352

    I am not a returner Episode 352

    Starlight (4)

    ¡°Vega.¡±

    The low voice echoed in the empty temple.

    The silver-haired goddess turned around silently, as if she couldn¡¯t hear Ojin¡¯s call.

    Jerk.

    One step.

    Take a step towards her.

    [Stop.]

    Wooooow!

    Silver light burning brightly.

    Ojin¡¯s body, which was approaching Vega, stopped tall as if blocked by a transparent wall.

    ¡®sanctuary.¡¯

    Oh Jin carefully smoothed the transparent wall blocking his path with his hand.

    Pajik Pajijik!

    Even if I just lightly touched it, I felt a strong repulsion that felt like my palm would be torn apart.

    Vega continued speaking in a cold voice without even giving Ojin a nce.

    [If you take even one step closer than that, you will be seriously injured¡­]

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    Without any hesitation.

    Without the slightest hesitation.

    I took a big step towards the sanctuary that Vega had opened.

    Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!

    ¡°Wow! ¡°Wow!¡±

    A blue thunderbolt that strikes the entire body.

    A tremendous torrent of lightning tore through Ohjin¡¯s body as if he had thrown himself into a fence carrying high-voltage current.

    Ojin¡¯s body, already in tatters from the battle with Riak, was violently thrown back.

    With a terrible pain, the wound that had not yet healed opened and blood flowed out, soaking the clothes.

    [I am my child!]

    A frightened Vega turned and tried to run to where Ojin was, but then he bit his lip and turned back again.

    [Didn¡¯t you say that everyone will get hurt if theye too close?]

    He shouted in a reproachful tone.

    Ojin, who had been thrown away, staggered to his feet.

    And then take another step.

    I walked towards Vega¡¯s sanctuary.

    Let¡¯s go!

    When it touched the transparent membrane, it bounced back with strong repulsion.

    [Oh, don¡¯te!]

    ¡°¡­Vega.¡±

    Ojin stood up, holding down his shaking legs with his hands.

    If I used the power of the ck Sky, I would be able to resist Vega¡¯s Sanctuary to some extent, but I didn¡¯t need to.

    Suppressing the pain, I took a step closer to her again.

    Let¡¯s go!

    Blue lightning zed and Ojin¡¯s body rolled on the floor.

    [¡­How.]

    Vega looked back at Ojin, who was lying in tatters on the floor, and bit his chapped lip.

    The image of Ojin being wounded was engraved in my mind and did not disappear.

    [How¡­ How can he not listen to his wife like this!]

    I looked at him with sad eyes and clenched my fists.

    [Didn¡¯t I tell you not toe?]

    It hurts.

    Every time I utter a single word, my heart throbs as if I was being stabbed by an awl.

    [Now that you¡¯vee¡­ Now that you¡¯vee and said that you have something to talk about!]

    He shouts like he¡¯s crying.

    [You deceived your wife! Continue from the beginning!]

    From the time I first met him at the gate that day.

    Ojin has been deceiving her all along.

    He wore a mask to hide the fact that he was the owner of ck Heaven and treated her.

    okay.

    The image of him she had in her mind.

    His appearance that made my heart tremble desperately.

    They were all just wearing masks.

    [There is nothing more to talk about with you!]

    A heart-wrenching sense of betrayal.

    The memories she had shared with Oh Jin so far passed through her mind like a panorama.

    Memories of the first time I met Ojin.

    The sight of him caressing his cheek with a trembling hand and saying that he missed him.

    Even the sight of him regretting the future he couldn¡¯t protect and vowing to save the world this time.

    Every time I turned a page of memories, I felt like I was going crazy thinking that it was all a lie.

    [The main woman is you¡­]

    Vega chews her lip, unable to continue speaking.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ohjin slowly approached her.

    In silence, without even making any excuses.

    [Profit!]

    Vega twisted his expression fiercely and stretched out his hand towards Ojin.

    Rumbling!

    A torrent of blue lightning was fired towards Ojin.

    A torrent of lightning with a force that was on a different level from that used in the Demonic World.

    The lightning of Jiknyeo¡¯s nature, which can only be expressed in a sanctuary without the restrictions of thew, surged as if it would engulf Ojin.

    Coo!

    Ojin received the torrent of lightning with his body without even trying to defend himself.

    Ojin¡¯s body, which was thrown roughly,nded on the temple wall.

    Smoky smoke that burns flesh.

    The skin of the whole body was distorted hideously, and the internal organs were cooked by the lightning that had prated into the body.

    [Ah¡­]

    Vega approached Ojin, who was pinned against the temple wall, with a pale, exhausted expression.

    [Why didn¡¯t you stop it?]

    The attack you just made was so dangerous that it could have cost you your life.

    Even if it was a misdiagnosis, there¡¯s no way they wouldn¡¯t have known.

    why.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Without answering anything, Ojin stood up, holding the spear like a cane.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    ck, dead blood poured down my throat.

    Pieces of charred internal organs were mixed with blood and rolled around on the floor.

    ¡®ah.¡¯

    This could really kill me.

    As if it wasn¡¯t called the constetion of the North Star for nothing, Vega¡¯s power, free from restrictions, was nothing short of amazing.

    ¡®still.¡¯

    Another step.

    He approaches her.

    I bounced off the sanctuary blocking my path and rolled on the floor again.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    I don¡¯t even have the strength to stand up anymore.

    Taang!

    He raised his trembling arm and fired the wire shooter into the ceiling.

    I stood up, dangling from the wire like a doll tied by strings.

    [Stop that.]

    Vega hesitates and takes a step back.

    Ojin grabbed his fading consciousness and took a step closer to her again.

    His wire-bound body moved closer to the sanctuary step by step.

    When I was blocked in the sanctuary again and tried to escape.

    [stop! Stop now!]

    Her screaming voice echoed throughout the temple.

    [So, you said there was something you wanted to say to your wife, right? [Tell me something!]

    What did he want to say even though he was in tatters like that?

    Vega red at Ojin with fiercely opened eyes.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin slowly raised his head.

    He moved his blood-soaked lips with difficulty and opened his mouth as if squeezing it.

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    With a waning smile, I took a step closer to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for tricking you so far.¡±

    I know that this isn¡¯t something that can be solved by apologizing.

    I don¡¯t even think I can be forgiven for deceiving her.

    but.

    Still, I wanted to say it.

    I thought I had to say it.

    [Are you just saying you¡¯re sorry for being like that?]

    Vega looked at Ojin with a bewildered expression.

    A body torn by fingernails and scorched by lightning, in tatters.

    Even though I was hurt so badly that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if I died right away, the only thing I wanted to say was that I was sorry.

    ¡°huh.¡±

    Oh Jin nodded with a somewhat relieved expression.

    As if there was nothing more to say.

    [This¡­]

    Vega furrowed her pretty eyebrows and raised her arms.

    [You idiot!]

    Ouch!

    He pped Oh Jin on the cheek and grabbed his cor roughly.

    [There must be a reason why he deceived his wife!]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    [Make up some excuse! At least try to say that it wasn¡¯t because you wanted to and that you had no choice!]

    A thinly trembling voice.

    A transparent tear flowed down Vega¡¯s cheek.

    [Why¡­ Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?]

    The hand holding Ojin¡¯s cor loosened.

    Vega copsed into her seat and shed tears.

    [Ugh¡­ ck.]

    When I first realized that I had been deceived by him.

    When I realized that everything I had seen of him so far was a lie.

    Because of the overwhelming sense of betrayal, I swore I would never see him again.

    [So¡­ that¡¯s why I even closed the door to the temple¡­]

    Just like my life before I met him.

    I spent time in a temple with no one around.

    Without meeting anyone.

    Without talking to anyone.

    As always.

    alone.

    [With that¡­ I thought it was okay.]

    At most, I¡¯m back to the life I had a few years ago.

    All I had to do was think of my meeting with Oh Jin as a lie, as he said.

    It was all illusion and fake.

    Life alone must be much more familiar to her.

    [Your image¡­ kepting to mind.]

    No matter what I did, Ojin¡¯s image was engraved in my mind like a stigma and would not go away.

    Rather, it continued to be clearer as time passed.

    [So when you came¡­ you opened the door without her knowing.]

    Vega shook her shoulders with a self-deprecating smile.

    When he realized that Ojin had arrived in front of the temple to meet him.

    When I carefully knocked on the temple door.

    Despite Riak¡¯s warning not to open the door, he immediately opened the door to the temple.

    [Whoa. What a foolish woman. Even though I was deceived like that¡­ I can¡¯t give up on you.]

    Vega smiled lonely and held the hand of Ojin, who was keeping his mouth shut.

    Even though I swore I would never meet him again or even talk to him.

    I knew from the beginning that it was impossible.

    Oh Jin has already be like a thorn in her life that cannot be removed.

    [Please¡­ say something.]

    He said as if he was begging, holding Ojin¡¯s hands together.

    Why has he been lying to himself all this time?

    It doesn¡¯t matter what the reason is.

    [Just say there was nothing I could do¡­]

    ¡°No.¡±

    Ojin, who had kept his mouth shut, slowly shook his head.

    You couldn¡¯t help it?

    At first, I thought it was possible because I didn¡¯t know anything about Vega, butter it was different.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t something that could be helped.¡±

    There would have been plenty of opportunities to talk.

    If it were Vega, he would have trusted me regardless of whether he had the ck Sky or not.

    The reason I couldn¡¯t say anything until now was simply because I was a coward.

    [¡­.]

    Vega¡¯s expression hardened.

    She turned her head with bitter eyes.

    [You are so foolish, too.]

    Didn¡¯t you already say that you opened the door to the temple?

    [It¡¯s okay to lie, so if you said that, she would have believed you¡­]

    ¡°No.¡±

    Ojin continued speaking as he ced his hand on Vega¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I don¡¯t lie anymore.¡±

    I didn¡¯te to her to makeme excuses.

    ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t give up, right?¡±

    I carefully grabbed the chin of Vega, who was avoiding eye contact with her head turned.

    ¡°So do i.¡±

    He pulled Vega¡¯s chin and ced his lips on her mouth.

 Chapter 353

    I am not a returner Episode 353

    Starlight (5)

    [What¡­what¡­!]

    Vega steps back with his eyes wide open like a startled rabbit.

    Her cheeks turned bright red as she touched her lips in disbelief.

    [What have you done!]

    Vega shouted with a red face as if steam was blowing out from the top of her head.

    Oh Jin smiled slightly as he looked at her struggling.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not sure, can you do it again?¡±

    [That¡¯s it!]

    Vega shakes her shoulders slightly, remembering the feeling of lips that remained like a lingering scent.

    She lowered her head, touching her lips with her fingertips.

    [Ha.]

    My mind is dizzy.

    So many emotions were mixed and tangled, and I didn¡¯t know what kind of expression to make.

    I looked at Ojin with trembling eyes, listening to the sound of my heart beating louder than anything I had ever heard before.

    [You really¡­]

    A faint smile spread across Vega¡¯s lips as she was trying to say something.

    Vega let out a deep sigh and approached Ojin.

    He carefully reached out and ced his hand on Ojin¡¯s forehead.

    Ojin¡¯s body trembled.

    [Stay still.]

    Ugh!

    A brilliant silver light seeped into Ojin¡¯s body, and his tattered body began to recover quickly.

    The pain that had been felt throughout my body disappeared quickly.

    [Are you okay?]

    ¡°Uh, yes. are you okay.¡±

    Oh Jin nodded with a puzzled expression.

    Vega gently stroked Ojin¡¯s cheek with a faint smile.

    [When I heard that Spica had given her heart to his child, I scolded him for being truly foolish, but there was something else that was truly foolish.]

    Even though I knew that he had been deceiving me ever since they first met.

    Even though I realized that the image of him that I had seen so far was a false image hidden behind a mask.

    I couldn¡¯t cut out my feelings for him.

    ¡®You truly are a foolish woman.¡¯

    With a self-deprecating smile, he stroked Oh Jin¡¯s cheek.

    The warmth that passes through your fingertips.

    Seeing him with his eyes wide open and avoiding his gaze as if he was embarrassed by the current situation, an indescribable feeling of happiness spread within my heart.

    To borrow a clich¨¦ expression, I felt like my body was going to fly.

    [I want to ask you a few things.]

    ¡°Yes, tell me.¡±

    [Why did you lie to the woman you first met and say you were a returnee?]

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Oh-jin looks embarrassed.

    [I said that because I wanted to hear an exnation, not an excuse.]

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ohjin continued to think for a moment and nodded.

    ¡°Well, I did it because I was scared at first.¡±

    [The original girl? No, what is there to be afraid of?]

    Vega looks at Ojin with a look of injustice.

    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t know Vega well at the time. And¡­ I thought there would be a misunderstanding that I killed Lee Shin-hyuk.¡±

    [Lee Shin-hyuk¡­?]

    Vega frowned at the name he heard for the first time.

    ¡°When you first met me, a man was dead, right?¡±

    [Ah, I remember.]

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me who was the returner, it was him.¡±

    [What?]

    Vega opens his eyes wide at the unexpected twist.

    Oh Jin smiled bitterly and slowly exined what happened with Lee Shin-hyuk.

    While walking around the gate together, they encountered a group of Enthorns. Suddenly, Shin-Hyuk Lee suffered a seizure and died. At that time, the ck Heaven bloomed and absorbed the stigmata of Lyra that had been in Shin-Hyuk Lee.

    [Ha.]

    An absurd sigh flowed from Vega¡¯s mouth after hearing the story about the subsequent misdiagnosis.

    [How on earth could such a ridiculous coincidence happen¡­]

    ¡°To be exact, it¡¯s not a coincidence.¡±

    [Not a coincidence?]

    Oh Jin nodded with a heavy expression.

    ¡°All of this was created intentionally by ¡®Cheonma¡¯.¡±

    [¡­What does that mean?] Unlike

    Ha-eun and Isabe, Vega, who stayed in the sanctuary immediately after the work in Niflheim, was never told about the identity and purpose of the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°The Heavenly Demon is me, to be exact, me in my ¡®past life¡¯.¡±

    [What?]

    Vega¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected bombshell.

    [What does that mean?!]

    Vega approached Ojin and asked in an urgent voice.

    Oh Jin calmly exined the identity of the Heavenly Demon.

    [Such¡­ this is ridiculous.]

    The identity of the Heavenly Demon was Oh Jin in his past life, and he sent Lee Shin-hyuk to the past to bloom Oh Jin¡¯s Dark Heaven.

    Vega touched her forehead with a confused expression.

    [For what reason did you do that¡­?]

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think this is going to be a long story.¡±

    In order to properly exin the purpose of Cheonma, the story about Ha-eun could not be left out, and then the story had to start from her past.

    [It¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t matter how long it takes, please tell me everything I haven¡¯t told you until now.]

    Vega held Ojin¡¯s hand with hot eyes.

    The truth that Oh Jin has been hiding all this time.

    The thought of wanting to know his story that had been hidden behind the mask filled my head.

    ¡°okay.¡±

    That¡¯s how the story of misdiagnosis began.

    Stories I couldn¡¯t tell her all this time.

    [¡­Ah.]

    Vega focused on his story, letting out a short exmation or sighing sadly.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s why Cheonma sent Lee Shin-hyuk to the past to protect his sister.¡±

    The end of a long story.

    [¡­.]

    After hearing the whole story, Vega looked at Ojin with trembling eyes.

    None of the stories were shocking, but the most shocking of them all was the story of what happened in the Kingdom of Niflheim.

    [So¡­ you gave up the opportunity to kill the Heavenly Demon to save your wife?]

    Vega asked, holding the hem of her dress tightly.

    Oh Jin avoided answering with an embarrassed expression.

    [¡­My child.]

    Tears flowed down Vega¡¯s cheeks.

    How on earth can I put this feeling into words?

    A torrent ofplicated emotions stole Vega¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will stop him.¡±

    Although he spoke with a confident expression, Vega knew how big a burden Ojin was carrying.

    ¡®If I died at the hands of the Heavenly Demon.¡¯

    The ck Sky would have disappeared, and all the ck star constetions and demons threatening the world would have disappeared.

    Ojin turned away from the opportunity to end everything.

    To protect yourself.

    [Bonnyeo Bo¡­ didn¡¯t know.]

    In the past, she made a promise to the Heavenly Demon and decided to destroy the Dark Heaven by dying to him.

    Would you have dared even imagine it?

    The truth was so shocking that I felt like my hair was going to turn white.

    ¡®Then Oh Jin revealed the truth at that time¡­¡¯

    Was it to save himself?

    [¡­.]

    Vega put her hands together and ced them on her heart.

    It hurt.

    My heart throbbed as if I was cutting it with a sharp knife.

    ¡®She didn¡¯t even know that¡­¡¯

    Just because Oh Jin had deceived her, she was alone in the temple and vowed to never meet him again.

    [Ah ugh.]

    My head feels hot.

    I feel like my heart is breaking with a searing sense of guilt.

    What a foolish and selfish woman who only cares about herself.

    ¡®I can understand why Oh Jin deceived his wife.¡¯

    Oh Jin said it was not something that could be helped, but if you think about it from his perspective, it was actually closer to an ¡®inevitable situation.¡¯

    To the constetions, the ck Sky is the most evil force that brings about the destruction of the world.

    It was something that had to be eliminated first and foremost at any cost.

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t have known that either, but would he have been able to confidently tell the constetions that he was crazy about the North Star, which was at the top of all the constetions, and that he possessed the Dark Sky?

    [Isn¡¯t it true that it couldn¡¯t be helped¡­]

    Vega shed tears and hugged Ojin.

    [It is she who should apologize.]

    I could not even imagine that Oh Jin was carrying such a huge burden alone.

    [It must have been a lot¡­ very difficult.]

    Vega shed tears as she stroked Ojin¡¯s head as she hugged him.

    [I¡¯m sorry. Without knowing anything¡­ youined for no reason, iming that you lied.]

    ¡°No, no matter what the reason was, it is true that I deceived you.¡±

    Ojin shook his head and carefully got away from Vega.

    ¡°I wish I could have told you sooner¡­ but I was scared to tell the truth.¡±

    Because that¡¯s how I lived.

    Because I didn¡¯t know any other way than to live like that.

    He continued to hide the truth from her.

    ¡°I will never deceive you again.¡±

    [¡­My child.]

    Golden eyes filled with tears.

    Vega asked, carefully cing her hand on Ojin¡¯s left chest.

    [So, does that mean there is a dark heaven like the Heavenly Demon inside this?]

    Strangely enough, even though I put my hand on it, I did not feel the energy of the dark heaven at all.

    All that Oh Jin can feel is the energy of the Lyra stigmata that he himself gave him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly the same. ¡°Because I have your stigmata.¡±

    ording to the Heavenly Demon¡¯s expression, Ojin¡¯s ck Heaven was in a plete¡¯ state.

    I don¡¯t know if I can really say that it¡¯splete, seeing as it¡¯s been running wild these days.

    [¡­I see.]

    I wonder why.

    When he realized that Ojin was not controlled by the power of the ck Sky thanks to his stigmata, a smile appeared on his face with a sense of pride.

    ¡®Until now, I didn¡¯t even know that the stigmata of Lyra contained the power to control the power of the ck Sky.¡¯

    anyway.

    The reason Ojin can stay fine even with the ck Sky now is because he is confident.

    [¡­.]

    I was so happy that I couldn¡¯t bear it.

    [I swear on the name of Orignyeo Castle.]

    Vega ced her hand on Ojin¡¯s cheek and slowly pulled his face closer.

    [Even if the ck sky is sleeping inside you.]

    Gently kissing Ojin¡¯s forehead.

    [She will be the starlight that illuminates the ck sky and shine on you.]

    Forever.

    I engraved an unchanging oath in my heart.

    ¡°¡­Vega.¡±

    [Hehe. If other constetions knew about this, they would be deprived of their position as the North Star.]

    Since they swore in the name of the star to protect the owner of the ck Sky, it was a serious treason that would not be surprising if they were expelled from the sanctuary like the ¡®satellites¡¯ of the past.

    ¡°That will never happen.¡±

    Ojin said with his eyes shining sharply.

    [I will trust you.]

    Vega nodded with a faint smile.

    [And. One more thing.]

    ¡°Huh? why?¡±

    Vega blushes and slowly turns her head.

    He moved his fingertips and opened his mouth in a hushed voice.

    [Didn¡¯t shemit a crime against you?]

    Without knowing Ojin¡¯s circumstances, she locked herself in the temple and put him in trouble just because he had been deceiving her.

    Is that all?

    He unterally refused to talk to Oh Jin and even hurt him greatly.

    [Woah, doesn¡¯t this require ¡®punishment¡¯?]

    The goddess approaches closely with shining eyes.

    As the distance became unnervingly close, Ojin hesitated and took a step back without realizing it.

    ¡°¡­also?¡±

    No, why do you always want to be punished, this goddess?

    Ojin swallowed dry saliva and naturally moved his gaze to Vega¡¯s butt.

 Chapter 354

    I am not a returner Episode 354

    Interlude ¨C Three-way face-to-face

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    The living room has been expanded through expansion work.

    Ha-eun, sitting on the sofa, narrowed her eyes as she looked back at Oh Jin and Vega next to her.

    Perhaps it could be called a woman¡¯s intuition, but it was not difficult to notice that the atmosphere between Ojin and Vega had changed.

    ha.

    A deep sigh flowed from Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°After Isabe, is Vega next?¡±

    ¡°¡­that is.¡±

    Oh Jin trailed off, avoiding Ha Eun¡¯s gaze.

    Ha-eun red sharply at Oh-jin, who was avoiding her gaze, and twisted the corner of her mouth fiercely.

    ¡°You went to the sanctuary alone and came back together as a group?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°If two of you go in, will youe out as three?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    It was the same with Isabe, but even if there were ten mouths, there was nothing to say.

    When you bow your head reverently like a criminal standing in front of a judge, waiting for the verdict.

    [It¡¯s not my child¡¯s fault!]

    Attorney Vega raised his hand and came to his defense.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°It¡¯s not Ojini¡¯s fault?¡±

    [The original woman confessed her feelings first.]

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    [It¡¯s the main woman¡¯s fault for not being able to bear it even though she knew you were lovers.]

    Vega swallowed her dry saliva and looked intimidated.

    Ha-euny down on the sofa and touched her forehead as if she had a headache.

    ¡°Ha, okay. I thought it would be like this. ¡°I knew it.¡±

    I had a vague guess when Ojin headed to the sanctuary saying he was going to apologize to Vega.

    Maybe he could have one more lover.

    But there was a big difference between knowing with your head and epting with your heart.

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s a bit¡­ awkward?¡±

    ¡°I will ept any punishment.¡±

    Oh Jin could not ovee his guilt and bowed his head calmly like a criminal who had surrendered himself.

    [Oh no! If it¡¯s a punishment, the original woman will receive it instead!]

    ¡°Our Majo Goddess is in.¡±

    [¡­What is Majo?]

    Ojin gently approached Vega, who was tilting her head, and conveyed his meaning in a whisper.

    Vega jumps up like a rabbit on fire.

    [Bonnyeo Bo is not that kind of shameless woman!]

    ¡°How did you do that?¡±

    Ha-eun twitched her lips and slowly walked up behind Vega.

    [What are you trying to do?]

    ¡°Use it. ¡°Just stay still.¡±

    I grabbed Vega¡¯s dress, which appeared in its original form instead of a small prosthetic body, and lifted up the skirt like an elementary school student ying a prank on a girl he liked.

    The dress flipped over, revealing the goddess¡¯s white and luscious buttocks to the world.

    [Kyaaaaaaaa!]

    A scream that I had never heard before came out of Vega¡¯s mouth.

    [What are you doing?]

    Vega blushes with shame and kisses her parents¡¯ lips.

    Ha-eun looked at Vega¡¯s red, swollen buttocks and raised the corners of her mouth as if she knew that would happen.

    ¡°I guess you two had a great time together beforeing here?¡±

    [It¡¯s not like that!]

    ¡°No, there¡¯s a handprint on this ce saying you did such a great job, but that¡¯s not true.¡±

    [What a shameless thing!]

    ¡°The cruel thing is that she is a goddess who has been sulking for a while, locking the doorknob, and bragging about it, but as soon as they reconcile, shees in with her ass.¡±

    [¡­.]

    Factual violence at a level beyond imagination.

    Vega copsed with empty eyes as if he had lost his soul due to the harsh words that made him think that it would be better to be hit with a weapon at this level.

    [Bonnyeo Bo¡­ something like that¡­.]

    ¡°Vega.¡±

    [Huh. What did she do so wrong¡­]

    ¡°Vega!¡±

    No reaction.

    It looks like it¡¯s just a corpse.

    ¡°¡­sister.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. ¡°I guess this was a bit harsh.¡±

    I red at Ha-eun as if reprimanding her, but Ha-eun smiled awkwardly and scratched her head.

    Vega¡¯s reaction was so great that I ended up crossing a line without even realizing it.

    Ha-eun approached Vega, who was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees and sobbing.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ming, so please take care of me.¡±

    [Does that mean¡­ you will acknowledge Bo¡¯s original daughter?]

    Golden starlight twinkled in his empty eyes.

    Ha-eun sighed deeply and nodded.

    ¡°Because I was the one who said that I wouldpletely follow your choice after admitting it anding to sleep.¡±

    Still, I guess it¡¯s fortunate that it¡¯s Vega who¡¯s been with me for a long time, rather than bringing in a girl I¡¯ve never heard of before.

    No, it was a bit embarrassing for everything to pass so smoothly.

    ¡°You should just cut it off.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    Ha-eun strongly pinches Oh Jin¡¯s side while muttering harsh words.

    My eyes widened at the pain that felt like my flesh would be torn off, but since I stillmitted a crime, I calmly epted Ha-eun¡¯s anger out on me.

    Sweet.

    at that time.

    The front door opened and a woman came into the house.

    A woman so beautiful that it feels like her surroundings are brightening for a moment.

    Isabe came inside, neatly organizing her shoes.

    ¡°I¡¯m back~¡±

    A voice as warm as the spring breeze was heard.

    ¡°hmm?¡±

    Isabe, who spotted Vega, tilted her head.

    ¡°Oh, are you two reconciled?¡±

    ¡°Do you think they just reconciled? They just love each other and want to die.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean, sister?¡±

    Isabe looked back at Ojin and Vega with cold, sinking eyes.

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue and spread three fingers.

    ¡°Now there are three of us.¡±

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    A low exmation flowed from Isabe¡¯s mouth.

    [Well¡­ I¡¯m sorry.]

    ¡°Oh my, what do you have to be sorry for me?¡±

    Isabe smiled brightly and shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit hard to say it on my own, but my position is not that different from Vega¡¯s, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Even though she knew that Oh Jin and Ha Eun were lovers, Isabe herself intervened between them.

    [I see. Thank you for saying that¡­]

    ¡°But.¡±

    Her mouth is smiling, but for some reason her eyes are not smiling at all.

    ¡°Of course, I think things like this need to be clear up and down.¡±

    [¡­Up and down?]

    ¡°Simply put, it¡¯s hierarchy.¡±

    ¡°No, what is the hierarchy?¡±

    Oh Jin, who was quietly listening to the story, tried to intervene as if it was absurd.

    ¡°Oh Jin, please stay still.¡±

    Oh Jin was rejected at once and became squat in an instant.

    ¡°First of all, without a doubt, Ha-eun. ¡°She was the first person I met with Mr. Oh Jin and the first person we became lovers was my sister.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    Ha-eun cocks her nose as if she¡¯s showing off.

    It was like seeing a scarecrow emperor whose real power had been taken away by the prime minister.

    Isabe gently hugged Ojin¡¯s arm and spread two fingers.

    ¡°And the second one is me.¡±

    [Well¡­ I guess that¡¯s the case considering the order in which they became lovers.]

    Vega nodded as if she wasn¡¯t particrly interested in ranking.

    ¡°therefore.¡±

    Isabe hugged Ojin¡¯s arm with a mischievous smile and pressed her body against it.

    ¡°It means there are no seats left next to Mr. Oh Jin.¡±

    If Ha-eun took up the other side, there was definitely no space left on either side.

    [Hmm. Is that what you wanted to say?]

    Vega narrows his eyes at Isabe, who is clinging to her like a puppy marking its territory.

    Wooooow!

    Her body glowed and transformed into a palm-sized artificial body.

    [Then, the maindy¡¯s seat will be here.]

    Vega flew over andnded lightly on Ojin¡¯s shoulder.

    It was her own reserved seat where she could reach out and pull Ojin¡¯s earlobe or stroke his cheek.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°There was a way.¡±

    Isabe swallowed hard, looking like she had been hit.

    Isabe, who continued to think for a moment as if she felt resentful that something was going on like this, snapped her fingers as if she had a good idea.

    ¡°And from now on, Vega, you will have to call us ¡®sister¡¯.¡±

    [¡­What?]

    Vega¡¯s expression hardened.

    The constetion of the North Star, which is at the top of hundreds of constetions, has to use the honorific title ¡®sister¡¯?

    It was a terribly alien title, even worse than the Minister of National Defense calling freshly enlisted active-duty soldiers ¡®brother¡¯.

    ¡°Oh yes, yes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you call me sister once?¡±

    [Why are you even doing that?]

    Ha-eun poked Vega¡¯s side, her eyes shining as if she was having fun.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Looking at the two women teasing Vega with shining eyes, I felt like I was watching a senior officer picking on a newly enlisted soldier.

    [I am my child.]

    ¡°Hmm. Well¡­ it¡¯s not something I want to get involved in.¡±

    Honestly, I want to hear it.

    The scene where the honorific title ¡°sister¡±es out of Vega¡¯s mouth.

    [Uuuuu.]

    Vega frowned, bit her lip, and carefully opened her mouth.

    [Whew.]

    Take a deep breath.

    [Please take care of me in the future¡­ Uh, sisters.]

    ¡°Puhup!¡±

    ¡°Phew!¡±

    Ha-eun and Isabe covered their mouths at the same time and twisted their entire bodies as if there were bugs inside their clothes.

    ¡°Kyahahahaha! Sister! sister! Did you hear that?!¡±

    ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha! ¡°It doesn¡¯t suit me any more than I imagined!¡±

    Ha-eun and Isabe burst intoughter and make fun of Vega.

    [That¡¯s why you said no!]

    Vega shouted and blushed.

    Isabe wiped away the tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes and patted Vega on the shoulder.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Vega. ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t think it would suit me this much.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve got chicken skin.¡±

    Although I tried tofort him btedly, his already shattered pride as a constetion could not be restored.

    [Everyone is so cruel!]

    Vega returned to his original form from his small body with a somewhat stern expression on his face.

    [No matter howfortable the realdy treats you, the real girl is a constetion!]

    Vega speaks passionately about how much she has umted so far.

    [A constetion is something divine that was born from a giant in the beginning¡­!]

    Ha-eun and Isabe look at each other with an expression as if they have stepped on andmine while listening to the nagging that has started.

    ¡°Oh Mr. Ojin?¡±

    ¡°Where has this bastard gone?¡±

    The two sent a look of salvation towards Oh Jin, but before they knew it, Oh Jin had disappeared like a ghost.

    [Uh huh! Where are you looking? Aren¡¯t they just exining the birth and history of the constetions!]

    The deep sighs of the two women captured by Vega echoed faintly.

    ¡®Still, I¡¯m d it was resolved well.¡¯

    As soon as he saw Vega about to explode, Ojin sneaked out and used the ck screen to hide his presence, looking at the three lovers with a faint smile.

    -A guy who couldn¡¯t properly protect even one person¡­ is being greedy?

    Suddenly.

    I remembered the Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes ring at me with eyes full of hatred.

    Oh Jin chuckled with bitter eyes.

    ¡®As you said, I may be being presumptuous and greedy.¡¯

    but.

    What if you are greedy? What if you are selfish?

    ¡®I don¡¯t give up.¡¯

    Unlike you.

    certainly.

    With a firm oath engraved in my heart, I approached the three women, no, the three lovers.

 Chapter 355

    While Lee Han was running, other sociable students in White Tiger Tower also received simr messages.

    ¡°Professor Ingalldell wants you toe?¡±

    ¡°Tell them I broke my leg.¡±

    Giselle said grumpily as she sank into the armchair.

    Dergyu asked with a face full of worry.

    ¡°Still, Moradi. ¡°What if the professor needs our help?¡±

    ¡°Then you go.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Durgyu hesitated.

    To be honest, I was a bit reluctant to deal with Vice-Captain Jean Cliff.

    Among the White Tiger Tower students, all who had met Sir Jean Cliff at a gathering knew. What a difficult enemy Sir Jeancliffe is to deal with.

    Once captured, it was impossible to escape even if you cut off its arms, so it may have been a more terrible enemy than the ogre.

    ¡°Sir Jeancliffe is still a great knight. Wouldn¡¯t there be a lot to learn if we talk to him?¡±

    ¡°Then you go.¡±

    ¡°You go, dude. ¡°Don¡¯t send Moradi.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    A student I had never met before sneaked in and was scolded by his friends as a group, causing him to copse.

    Is it¡­ that bad?

    Giselle frowned and bit her lip.

    ¡°Just thinking about it gives me a headache¡­ I¡¯m invited to a meeting this week anyway, so there¡¯s no need to get tired because we¡¯ve already met.¡±

    ¡°Moradi. ¡°Can I ask one question?¡±

    Dergyu opened his mouth cautiously.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°This may be an impolite question¡­¡±

    ¡°Then why not ask it?¡±

    As Giselle quipped, Durgyu cleared his throat.

    ¡°Well¡­ you said Lee Han invited you.¡±

    Giselle nodded with an expressionless face, pulled out a dagger and put it on the table next to her.

    ¡°??¡±

    ¡°I n on putting one in each time you excuse me. There are too many to try to memorize them all.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    All I said was my name!

    Still, Dergyu held back and spoke.

    ¡°I was wondering if there was some kind of friction between you and Lee Han.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Batrek, who was next to me, looked puzzled.

    As someone who was also invited, I did not understand what the question meant.

    ¡°Friction?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s what I mean.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s it.¡±

    Giselle said, twirling her hair with her fingers.

    ¡°Wardanaz invited me, but there¡¯s no way he would just invite me without a reason. There must be some trap. So why would that trap be created? There must have been friction. ¡°Is this what it sounds like?¡±

    ¡°Not necessarily¡­ hmmm. ¡°Hmm.¡±

    When Dergyu was embarrassed, Batrek protested as if it was unfair.

    ¡°There¡¯s no friction¡­ um¡­ that. ¡°Wodanaz almost got captured because we escaped, but that¡¯s like a natural disaster that can¡¯t be helped!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    All White Tiger Tower students, including the student who was reading a magazine in the break room, the student who was eating a sweet potato with a knife, the student who was wrestling, and the student who was reading a hard-fight strategy book, all stopped.

    ¡°hey. If you see Wardanaz, it would be better to avoid him for a while¡­¡±

    ¡°I think the poison must have really risen.¡±

    ¡°shit. ¡°I was nning to do some bartering.¡±

    ¡°That bastard has to release supplies quickly to stabilize the market.¡±

    Giselle shook her head as she looked at her whispering friends and sighed.

    ¡°Who cares if Wardanaz is angry or not? ¡°He¡¯s always a pissed off guy.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s because you tried to press Moradi first¡­¡¯

    Durgyu thought so, but out of consideration for Giselle¡¯s face, he held it in silence.

    ¡°The important thing is that you can¡¯t not go to a knight¡¯s meeting unless you¡¯re invited to it. Choi, could you not go?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ no.¡±

    It was a great honor for those who were still only apprentice knights to be invited to the knights¡¯ gathering.

    If it were Dergyu, he would have gone there even if there was a skeleton principal there.

    ¡°Then um¡­ just remember this.¡±

    Instead of answering, Giselle prepared to stick another dagger on the table and signaled for him to speak.

    ¡°If you go and keep as much distance between you and Wardanaz as possible, avoid him until the meeting is over, and stick with the other knights¡­¡± ¡°

    ¡­Why don¡¯t you just tell him to carry a white g?¡±

    Giselle was dumbfounded, but Bartreck was honestly intrigued.

    If there were other knights around, wouldn¡¯t they show some restraint no matter how angry Wardanaz is?

    * * *

    When Lee Han studied under Professor Bdi, he thought about how good it would have been if the professor had been a little more talkative.

    If you exin something that can be exined in words with attack and attack, isn¡¯t it a beast?

    But when I met someone who really talked a lot, my thoughts changed a little.

    ¡°I heard a lot of stories. From then on, I wanted to meet him once and hear his story in person, and this is actually surprising. When ites to the Wardanaz family, isn¡¯t it the greatest magic family in the empire? I remember seeing from afar the head of the Wardanaz family visiting on official business quite a while ago. When a great drought urred in the western part of the empire due to a backflow of magic, the head of the family moved the entire sea water, drained the salt, and created a reservoir. Did you know that the reservoir still remains today? The name of the reservoir is¡­¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m going to be amazed.¡¯

    Lee Han looked at Professor Ingerdel with eyes full of betrayal.

    He called me so urgently that he came to see me!

    Are professors ultimately people who inherently betray their students?

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯

    Professor Ingalldel also apologized with his eyes.

    I couldn¡¯t think of any other way.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, you were the son of the Alpha family. How is it? What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Uh.¡±

    Angago, who had been brought with her and had been sitting with her and listening to the conversation, dozed off and then got scared.

    What were you talking about?

    ¡®Help me¡­!¡¯

    When Angago looked at him with tearful eyes, Lee Han sighed and joined the conversation instead.

    ¡°By the way, Jean Cliffe.¡±

    ¡°oh. ¡°Do you have any questions?¡±

    Jean Cliff paused for a moment and adjusted his clothes.

    As a parrot, Jean Cliff had colorful and colorful feathers, and his clothes were just as bright and colorful.

    Anyone who sees him will think he is a dancer and not a knight.

    ¡°You will be attending a meeting of the Knights Temr this week. Since this is a gathering of knights, I don¡¯t think we should show shame with our swordsmanship.¡±

    At Lee Han¡¯s words, Professor Ingalldel became astonished and nodded.

    We had been talking for hours and I thought we would finally move on to swordsmanship.

    ¡°There is nothing to worry about. because? Above all, aren¡¯t you from the Wardanaz family? The Wodanaz family is originally a magic n, and the fact that you showed this level of sword skill alone made the knights present¡­¡± ¡°

    Still, I want to prepare!¡±

    Lee Han urgently cut off his words.

    Even if you let your guard down just a little bit, you could be robbed of your words by Jean Cliff.

    Just as an excellent swordsman monopolizes the lead and attacks unterally, so did Jean Cliff.

    ¡°In that case, I will exin the swordsmanship of the participating knights one by one¡­¡±

    ¡°Why not show it to you yourself, Sir Jeancliffe?¡±

    Professor Ingalldel also shouted desperately as if this was his chance.

    Jean Cliff hesitated for a moment. Professor Ingalldel didn¡¯t notice, but Lee Han was able to figure out what it meant.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t talk more!¡¯

    Sometimes there were people like that among professors.

    I want to chat more one-sidedly, but I¡¯m disappointed that I can¡¯t¡­

    ¡°Good. ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    Fortunately, Jean Cliff stood up holding a long sword decorated with luxurious pure gold.

    When Lee Han looked at the back, he suddenly felt puzzled.

    ¡®Is he really a skilled prosecutor?¡¯

    Although Moradi said so, basically, what he said was viewed with suspicion.

    Moreover, among the people Lee Han had met so far, all the outstanding swordsmen had the appearance of being crazy about swordsmanship.

    Wearing a sword in a shabby coat and shining brightly in his eyes made him look like a great expert, but when I saw the splendid robes without a speck of dust on them and the sword with decorations on it, I strangely didn¡¯t trust him¡­

    * * *

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Lee Han flew back.

    Just as he had been attacked by Professor Ingalldel, Jean Cliff came in, breaking Lee Han¡¯s rock-like sword skills.

    Surprisingly, Jean Cliff was as strong as Ingaldelle or Arron.

    Jean Cliff was surprised and pped.

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would be this bad!¡±

    Lee Han chuckled and coughed. Even though I threw my body backwards, exploding as much magic as I could into my sword, and finally injected magic into my body to block it, the impact was not normal.

    ¡®What a strong sword¡­!¡¯

    Contrary to his appearance, Jean Cliff was a swordsman who wielded a fiercely strong sword.

    A swordsmanship that discards all tricks and tricks and uses only the shortest range of attacks.

    Each of those attacks contained terrible power.

    If this attack was blocked, it would be dangerous for the prosecutor, but Jean Cliffe didn¡¯t seem to care about that at all.

    ¡°Among knights, there are very few who wake up as quickly as Wardanaz after being attacked. Apprentice drivers need to see this. really. Do you know this? Magic power is not only used for magic, but can also be used topletely control one¡¯s own body. ¡°Like you just blocked an attack¡­¡±

    Lee Han immediately kicked up his foot. As the dust rose, Jean Cliff looked at Professor Ingalldel with admiration.

    How can a boy from a great family like the Wardanaz family even use such tricks?

    There was only one reason.

    ¡°You even teach this!¡±

    ¡°Oh no¡­¡±

    Professor Ingalldel was embarrassed.

    I didn¡¯t teach you anything in particr?

    Jean Cliff once again blew away Lee Han. Lee Han rolled around and prepared for a counterattack right away.

    ¡°I know rlong¡¯s Byeokam Sword well. I wonder if there is another sword as heavy as this in the empire. Wardanaz, you probably learned the five herbal skills in the first half, right? ¡°You haven¡¯t mastered Auror skills perfectly.¡±

    Compared to other sword techniques of the empire, Byeokam Sword had fewer herbal techniques and was simple.

    rlong didn¡¯t even teach the mid orte herbivores. The point was that it was dangerous before learning Aurors.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Byeokamgeom has many aspects that are in line with my swordsmanship. So, seeing Wardanaz reminds me a lot of the old days¡­¡±

    Lee Han was nervous.

    Could it be that he wants to start talking about the past now?

    Fortunately, Jean Cliff did not do that.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to rmend a technique. ruler. ¡°Look.¡±

    Jean Cliff condensed the muscles of his entire body, raised his magic power, and threw a thrust as if it were shooting out.

    The attack exploded with a roar that tore through the air. The technique was simple, but the flow of magical power contained within was extremely brutal.

    ¡°You might be wondering why I¡¯m showing you this herbivorous behavior now. you¡¯re right. ¡°You are already learning Byeokam Sword well, so there is no need to learn other sword techniques separately.¡±

    ¡®I learned all the catching techniquesst time.¡¯

    ¡°But the reason I rmend this herbivore is because I know how to raise your magic power to a significant level.¡±

    As they shed swords, Jean Cliff was surprised to learn that Lee Han knew how to draw out magical power.

    It is not simply drawn out and contained, but to the point where the magic power is visible.

    If you use it that way without any skills, your magic power will quickly deplete and you will be a useless person. Only a swordsman who knew how to circte magic power to some extent could do that.

    If you go a little further from here, the materialization of Aurors bes possible!

    To that extent at that age.

    ¡®This is truly amazing!¡¯

    ¡­Of course, Lee Han did not realize it until he became an auror, but was just ignorantly wasting magical power and infusing it, but Jean Cliff did not even notice that.

    ¡°This herbal diet will be a great help in not only increasing your magical power, but also in learning the senses that make you an Auror.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ is it okay for me to ept something like that?¡±

    Lee Han was slightly embarrassed.

    There is nothing more terrifying than an unpaid favor.

    ording to what Jean Cliff said, he probably taught her one of his swordsmanship techniques, but this was by no means a light favor.

    ¡°of course. Shouldn¡¯t every knight be sincere in raising young knights for the empire? Have a great article! I hope to meet you one day when you have established a reputation!¡±

    Jean Cliff was intoxicated by the atmosphere, spoke solemnly and turned around.

    Now that you¡¯ve delivered it in style, it¡¯s time to leave in style.

    Lee Han and Professor Ingalldel, who had been dazed as they watched Jean Cliffe walking away, finally came to their senses and spoke.

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°This is¡­ Einroguard, which raises wizards¡­?¡±

    No matter how hard I taught swordsmanship, no knights came out.

 Chapter 356

    I am not a regressor Episode 356:

    Vacation divided into thirds (2)

    ¡°Dividing the days¡­?¡±

    A voice trembling with soggy fear.

    Ojin looked back at Isabe, who was smiling brightly with a pale, tired expression.

    Why?

    It seemed as if eerily shining fangs were visible in her eyes, which were no different from usual.

    ¡°Since there are three days of vacation, we should each split one day.¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    okay.

    If you think about it withmon sense, that¡¯s certainly what it means.

    ¡°I thought you were cutting off limbs and dividing them?¡±

    Ha-eunughs and shakes her head.

    Ojin also followed her and turned to Isabe with a smile.

    I was going to say sorry for the misunderstanding.

    ¡°¡­oh?¡±

    No, why is this youngdy making an expression like, ¡®What is such a good method?¡¯

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°If I were to divide my arms and legs, which would I rather have¡­¡±

    Please don¡¯t worry seriously.

    ¡°Hmm! Then, can we just see each other one day during the vacation?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ thinking like that makes me suddenly angry?¡±

    Ha-eun frowned fiercely and pinched Oh-jin¡¯s side.

    ¡°Are you no Casanova and change women every day?¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh. ¡°It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.¡±

    I felt like I was a fish swimming in a fishing ground called Ojin, and my fever rose for no reason.

    [Then what is the order?]

    ¡°Um¡­ shall we draw lots equally here?¡±

    If we were just going to enjoy Ojin and vacation one day at a time anyway, the order didn¡¯t really matter.

    [That would be good!]

    ¡°Then I will prepare the swallow.¡±

    Without even having time to reflect on Oh Jin¡¯s intentions, the three women put their heads together and began to decide on the order.

    ¡®¡­Didn¡¯t you tell me to rest?¡¯

    Seeing the lovers drawing lots with their eyes shining, it seemed far from ¡®rest¡¯ no matter how I looked at it.

    Oh Jin looked at the lovers with a sigh and then shook his head.

    ¡®Well, I guess this is all for my karma.¡¯

    Wasn¡¯t he the one who wasn¡¯t satisfied with just Ha-eun and reached out to other women?

    It is also his duty to ensure that they are all satisfied.

    ¡°okay! So this is how it goes?¡±

    [I understand.]

    ¡°Yes, I like it too.¡±

    It looks like the lottery is over.

    Ojin approached the three women.

    ¡°So what should I do?¡±

    ¡°You can spend the first day with Be, the second day with Vega, and thest day with me.¡±

    ¡°Is there somewhere you each want to go?¡±

    Oh Jin looked around at the three women and asked.

    Isabe smiled faintly and gently shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about that tomorrow.¡±

    [The main woman will tell youter.]

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Is it because I¡¯m nning on going somewhere that I¡¯m taking so much time?

    Oh Jin, who tilted his head for a moment, quickly gave up his thoughts.

    ¡®How about somewhere?¡¯

    His role is simply to give them a satisfying day.

    ¡°Well, since it¡¯ste today, let¡¯s start tomorrow morning!¡±

    ¡°ok.¡±

    After such a happy dinner, Ojin felt tired and went to sleep early.

    * * *

    The next morning.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ojin opened his eyes at the feeling of a tickling sensation on his cheek.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    As soon as I opened my eyes, what I saw was Isabe¡¯s face sitting on the bed looking down at my sleeping figure.

    As consciousness slowly returned to my sleepy head, the events of yesterday came to mind one by one.

    The first day of my vacation was spent with Isabe.

    ¡°huh. What time is it now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s 7 o¡¯clock in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Eh? already?¡±

    For Oh Jin, who usually wakes up around 4 a.m. and goes to early morning training without missing a beat, it was a fairlyte wake-up.

    ¡°I turned off the rm and everything so you can sleep well today.¡±

    ¡°Okay. okay?¡±

    Anyway, it¡¯s 7 o¡¯clock.

    I had no intention of training while on vacation in the first ce, but somehow I felt like I was at a loss.

    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯ve umted a lot of fatigue.¡±

    ¡°but. ¡°Even though I slept like that, I still feel a little queasy.¡±

    ¡°Would you like to sleep a little longer?¡±

    ¡°no it¡¯s okay.¡±

    Ojin stretched and turned his head towards Isabe.

    Only then did I notice her clothes.

    Isabe wearing a cozy beige apron.

    There was no exposure that went beyondmon sense, such as wearing only underwear or nothing underneath the apron.

    ¡°Mr. Oh Jin?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Her shy attire was enough to make me think that Oh Jin might have married her without her knowledge.

    gulp.

    Dry saliva running down my throat.

    Even though there was no explicit exposure, for some reason, an impure desire began to well up deep in my heart just from the atmosphere.

    ¡°¡­honey?¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    As expected of Isabe, who is quick-witted, she easily peered into Ojin¡¯s mind, which was full of baskets.

    She elegantly covered her mouth with her hand and burst intoughter.

    ¡°So you liked this?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡±

    ¡°Hehe. I like it too, honey.¡±

    Isabe leans towards Ojin with a bright smile.

    A heavy feeling that could not be hidden even with a loose sweater and an apron worn over it gently pressured Oh Jin.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get up quickly.¡±

    I myself couldn¡¯t figure out why my heart was shaking so much because I was experiencing this situation, which from other people¡¯s point of view would be so cringe-inducing that my hands and feet would be crushed.

    ¡°Oh wait a minute.¡±

    Isabe stuck out her tongue and licked her lips seductively, pressing her body closer to Ohjin as if riding him.

    Looking at her heated eyes, it was not difficult to see what Isabe wanted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have a little bit of joe.¡±

    gulp.

    Isabe is licking her lips and licking the back of Ojin¡¯s neck with her tongue.

    An exhrating shiver ran down my spine along with the feel of the slippery tongue.

    ¡®Why can¡¯t I get used to this?¡¯

    The dizzying pleasure she felt every time she sucked blood was something she could never get used to, even though the number of times she had sucked blood had already reached three digits.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Isabe pursed her lips while sinking her sharp fangs into the nape of Ojin¡¯s neck.

    He looked ecstatic and trembled as if he had inhaled an illegal drug.

    ¡°ha. ¡°Really¡­ Mr. Ojin¡¯s blood is the best.¡±

    After about five sips, Isabe opened her mouth and covered her flushed cheeks with her hands.

    There was only a small amount of blood, not enough to fill a paper cup, but that alone gave me the ultimate pleasure and joy, as if I had been to heaven.

    ¡°Is it that delicious?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°No matter how exquisite the cuisine is, it is nothing more than food wastepared to Oh Jin¡¯s blood.¡±

    Isabe nodded without hesitation and picked up a soft handkerchief to wipe away the saliva and blood on the nape of her neck.

    The wound pierced by the sharp fangs healed immediately the moment she opened her mouth.

    ¡°And the taste is delicious, but¡­ look at this, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    Isabe suddenly begins to take off her clothes.

    ¡°Now wait!¡±

    Ojin was astonished at the two huge peaks that filled his field of vision and the lotus flower blooming at the top of them.

    Even though the two are already in a rtionship, isn¡¯t this a bit too bold?

    ¡°Here, here.¡±

    Isabe held the cheek of Ojin, who was staring intently at the lotus flower blooming on the peak, and pointed to the stigmata engraved on his left chest.

    The moment he saw her stigmata, Oh Jin¡¯s expression hardened.

    ¡°This¡­?¡±

    Ten strokes engraved next to the stigmata of Leech.

    and.

    The eleventh stroke half-engraved next to it caught my eye.

    ¡°You really reached level 11?¡±

    The 11th level was a level that not even five of the currently existing awakened people could reach.

    Isabe shook her head softly and continued speaking.

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t reached 11 stars yet.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°If I just keep drinking Ojin¡¯s blood like this¡­ I think we¡¯ll be able to reach it soon.¡±

    Looking at the stigmata already half engraved, it seemed like Isabe had not long left until she reached the 11th star, just as she said.

    ¡°her.¡±

    You can reach the 11th level simply by drinking your own blood.

    Augh escaped from Oh Jin¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t it be better to increase the amount of blood sucked?¡±

    The amount of blood she sucks at one time is barely enough to fill a paper cup.

    It also didn¡¯t suck blood every day, but only about once every 3-4 days.

    Increasing the number of times or increasing the amount sucked at one time was not a big burden for Odiagnosis, who provided the blood.

    Because Isabe lost more blood during personal training than she lost each day.

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    Isabe trailed off and slowly turned her head.

    He hid his cheeks, which had turned red all the way to his earlobes, and opened his mouth in a low voice as if he was crawling away.

    ¡°You can do that, but then it¡¯s a bit¡­ difficult.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±

    ¡°Oh no. ¡°It¡¯s not Oh Jin¡­ it¡¯s me.¡±

    All you have to do is suck the blood, so what¡¯s the problem?

    ¡°Well¡­ if you suck Mr. Ojin¡¯s blood, the urge to suck blood disappears¡­ but other urges be stronger.¡±

    ¡°Another impulse? ¡­ah.¡±

    Seeing Isabe writhing around with a red face, it was not difficult to figure out what type of impulse she was talking about.

    ¡®So you can suck more blood, but to do that, you also have to satisfy your sexual desires?¡¯

    Considering the pleasure I felt when I had my blood sucked from her, I could understand why my sexual desires were stimted.

    ¡°Still, if I can reach 11 stars quickly with that, I think it would be a good idea to increase the amount of blood absorption.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that I wasn¡¯t in a rtionship with her, and it wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t have any experience with her.

    If it is possible to gain enormous power just by blending one¡¯s body, wouldn¡¯t it be strange not to do it?

    ¡°Really? ¡°Is that still okay?¡±

    Isabe came closer, her eyes sparkling.

    Oh Jin tilted his head and nodded, wondering if this was something he should react so strongly to.

    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then please wait a moment.¡±

    Isabe went outside for a moment, took off the apron and sweater she was wearing, and came in wearingfortable pajamas.

    When I was tilting my head, wondering if I really needed to change my clothes.

    ¡°I brought clothes that I don¡¯t mind being torn.¡±

    ¡°¡­are your clothes torn?¡±

    ¡­why?

    ¡°Then let me begin.¡±

    Isabe buried her face in the back of his neck again and sucked the blood.

    I felt the blood draining out along with the exhrating pleasure.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    A happy sigh escaped Isabe¡¯s lips as she drank three times more blood than usual.

    ¡°¡­Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes, which had been blue like sapphires, gradually began to turn red.

    Eyes stained with bright red blood.

    Isabe licked the blood from the corner of her mouth with her tongue and lightly flicked her hand.

    Churrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    Blood-red chains created in the air wrapped around Ojin¡¯s body.

    ¡°Wait a minute, why are you suddenly tying it up¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not tying it up.¡±

    ¡°ok?¡±

    No matter where you look, it seems like the body is bound with chains.

    As Ojin looked at Isabe with an expression asking what she was talking about, the chains binding his body began to gently unfold as if wrapping around his entire body.

    A chain that appears to be used to protect the body rather than to restrain it.

    It was like wearing chain armor.

    Isabe looked down at him with blood-stained eyes and raised the corners of her mouth.

    ¡°Because if you¡¯re not careful¡­ it could break.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    Is it broken?

    What¡¯s broken?

    ¡°Please hold on¡­ Oh Jin.¡±

    Isabe came over with a smile that gave off a thick bloody smell.

    and.

    ¡°Wow! ¡°Now wait a minute! Stop just a moment!¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long for me to realize what she meant by ¡®could be broken¡¯.

 Chapter 357

    I am not a regressor Episode 357:

    Vacation in 3 Parts (3)

    ¡°Is¡­ are you okay?¡±

    It was around 3pm when Isabe¡¯s rampage due to bloodsucking stopped.

    Her binge-watching, which started at 7 a.m., barely came to an end after eight hours.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s appearance is as dried as a squid dried in the sea breeze.

    Ohjin looked up at the ceiling with zed eyes and recalled the memories of the past eight hours.

    ¡®It wasn¡¯t human.¡¯

    Would it be better to call him a hungry beast or a blood-crazed vampire?

    Anyway, the sight of Isabe, with her eyes stained blood-red and greedily lusting after him like a devil in hell, was enough to send shivers down my spine just thinking about it.

    ¡®I almost died.¡¯

    It was not an act of affectionate confirmation of love between lovers.

    It must have been like a wild beast ravenously devouring its captured prey.

    Even though he had the superhuman body of a high-ranking awakened person, his entire body was sore as if he had been hit with a hammer, so there was no need to think about how big the impact must have been.

    ¡°¡­I guess I¡¯ll have to buy a new bed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! ¡°I¡¯ll order it right away!¡±

    Looking at the horribly shattered bed and muttering like a patient waiting for thest leaf to fall, Isabe got up and quickly ran out of the room.

    Ojin looked at Isabe¡¯s back and sighed deeply.

    ¡®First of all, it would be impossible to do this every day.¡¯

    Time is time, but the consumption of physical and mental power is too great.

    Even so, it would be better to do it after your body has fully recovered.

    ¡°The order is finished, Mr. Oh Jin¡­¡±

    When I went outside, I saw Isabe with her head down, looking very intimidated, holding the smartphone in her hand.

    She continued speaking in a voice that seemed to be crawling.

    ¡°sorry. I also didn¡¯t think I would have this much impulse¡­¡±

    ¡°No. ¡°I was the one who asked to do it.¡±

    ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡±

    ¡°I got some rest and got better.¡±

    Actually, my legs are still shaking.

    He couldn¡¯t show his difficult appearance in front of Isabe, who was looking at him with worried eyes.

    ¡°ha. ¡°I ruined Oh Jin¡¯s vacation.¡±

    Isabe sighs deeply and feels guilty.

    ¡°It¡¯s only 3 o¡¯clock. ¡°You can leave now.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t mind?¡±

    ¡°I heard it¡¯s okay.¡±

    Ojin chuckled and lightly ced his hand on Isabe¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Is there somewhere you want to go?¡±

    ¡°Oh, wait a minute, there¡¯s a ce I¡¯ve been looking for.¡±

    Isabe, who was checking the smartphone screen, opened her mouth with sparkling eyes.

    ¡°Namsan Seoul Tower! ¡°I want to go here!¡±

    ¡°Seoul Tower?¡±

    Although it is a popr date spot, it was a much better ce than Ojin expected.

    ¡°yes! ¡°Go shopping and eat delicious food!¡±

    ¡°Are you okay with that?¡±

    A thought crossed my mind that this might be too simple a dating course for an aristocraticdy like Isabe to enjoy.

    For that matter, the amusement park I went to before wasn¡¯t a ce a nobledy would go.

    ¡°Yes, I really want to go.¡±

    Isabe smiled brightly as she gently hugged Ojin¡¯s arm.

    Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s not Seoul Tower.

    I wanted to walk the streets with him and spend a normal day like a couple that would be everywhere.

    ¡®Because there aren¡¯t many opportunities like this.¡¯

    She was the head of the Colgrande family, which owned dozens of the world¡¯s leadingpanies, and was an awakened person with 11 stars in her sights.

    In a daily life that is inevitably far from ¡®normal¡¯, the vacation spent with Oh Jin was a day more valuable than any other treasure.

    ¡®I wasted half my vacation.¡¯

    Bted regrets came flooding back, but you can¡¯t turn back time that has already passed.

    The corners of Isabe¡¯s mouth twitched as she thought about enjoying a flirty date with Ojin from now on.

    ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s go to Namsan.¡±

    ¡°Shall I call Roberto?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll drive.¡±

    I haven¡¯t had a chance to ride it recently, but there is still a luxury foreign car that the association got for free in the underground parking lot.

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°Suddenly I think of Poppy.¡±

    Poppy helped in many ways in horse riding with a smooth rideparable to that of foreign cars and tireless stamina.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be doing well.¡±

    Poppy had been left behind in the Khan Kingdom before returning to Earth.

    Because it was impossible to raise a demon beast that was several meters tall on Earth.

    Oh Jin left his longing for Poppy behind and took the car keys that he had not taken out for a long time.

    ¡°Shall we go?¡±

    ¡°yes!¡±

    Isabe smiled brightly and leaned her head on Ojin¡¯s shoulder, which she hugged.

    * * *

    It didn¡¯t take long for us to arrive at Seoul Tower.

    ¡°Oh wait a minute.¡±

    Before getting out of the car, Ojin used illusion to cover Isabe¡¯s and his own faces.

    ¡°If you do this, you won¡¯t need to wear separate sunsses or masks.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Is it true that your face is covered?¡±

    Even when I took out a hand mirror and checked my face, there was no difference from usual.

    ¡°It only looks different to other people.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s convenient.¡±

    A smile bloomed on Isabe¡¯s lips at the fact that she could hang out with Oh Jin without having to worry about what others thought.

    Isabe did not enter the tower right away, but headed to a nearby department store first.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start by buying a few clothes, Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better to just order it cheaply online.¡±

    To Oh Jin, clothes are literally consumer goods.

    Since I usually train so hard, my clothes be tattered after only a few wears, so I just buy them in bulk at once, use them sparingly, and then throw them away.

    ¡°No. Mr. Oh Jin has now be a world-ss hero, so he needs to dress formally.¡±

    Isabe said with a somewhat stern expression.

    Oh Jin couldn¡¯t help butugh because it was like a wife taking care of her husband who was getting dirty.

    ¡°okay. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave the coordination to Be.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°Just trust me.¡±

    Having belonged to the culture of high society since she was young, she knew better than anyone else what brand of clothes she should wear to have the dignity and formality appropriate for her background.

    ¡°Pleasee here, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    Isabe heads to the luxury store in the department store, pulling Oh Jin by the arm.

    ¡®No, what are the prices of the clothes¡­¡¯

    The clothes are so expensive that one wonders if they added an extra ¡®0¡¯ to the price tag by mistake.

    It was a misdiagnosis that we could now buy those kinds of clothes by the truckload, but since it was an ingrained habit, a rejection reaction urred at the cellr level.

    ¡°I think this shirt will suit you, Oh Jin. Oh, this coat too. Oh my. ¡°Come here, Oh Jin!¡±

    Isabe is dragging Ojin around with an extremely excited expression.

    She started randomly picking out luxury items that cost hundreds of thousands of dors just for one piece, as if she was sweeping up clothes at a store that was going out of business.

    ¡°No, calm down for a moment¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, what should we do, Mr. Ohjin?! ¡°They all fit together so I can¡¯t choose!¡±

    No matter what Ojin wore, it looked so good that I couldn¡¯t choose just one.

    Although Isabe¡¯s eyes were tightly closed, Oh Jin¡¯s fit was so perfect that most models couldn¡¯t even show off their business cards.

    A body perfected through extreme training and consistent management.

    He¡¯s not tall, but he¡¯s above average in height and has a slightly decadent face.

    Since the hangers were so good, it was harder to find clothes that didn¡¯t match everything from casual to formal.

    ¡°I¡¯ll buy everything!¡±

    Hmm!

    Isabe snorted excitedly and took out a ck card from her wallet.

    The employees, who had spent almost all the clothes in the luxury store, approached with a restrained gesture, like servants attending an audience with a king.

    ¡°Please send all the clothes hometer.¡±

    ¡°yes!¡±

    Isabe turned around, leaving behind the employee who responded vigorously with the intention of saluting.

    Later, Isabe returns to Ojin humming a song, probably excited at the thought of dressing her up to her taste.

    ¡°The shopping ended faster than I expected~?¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay. ¡°If you buy everything, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±

    Oh Jin, who was trying to point out Isabe¡¯s consumption that went far beyondmon sense, quickly turned away after realizing again that her wealth was worth well over trillions in Korean Won.

    ¡®I remember someone saying that Bill Gates was frugal in an article saying he spent 5.5 billion won on vacation.¡¯

    From Isabe¡¯s point of view, shopping for clothes in the luxury section of a department store is an extremely frugal(?) consumer lifestyle.

    ¡°I finished shopping early. Should I stop by a nearby cafe?¡±

    ¡°yes! great!¡±

    Oh Jin went into a cafe inside a department store with Isabe.

    ¡°What would you like for coffee?¡±

    ¡°Same thing as Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    Oh Jin stood at the ordering counter and looked through the menu.

    As expected from a famous brand, it was full of all kinds of coffee.

    ¡®Of course, coffee is iced Americano.¡¯

    If you¡¯re Korean, wouldn¡¯t you naturally say ¡®aha¡¯?

    Of course, Isabe is Italian, not Korean.

    ¡®I guess it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯

    Isn¡¯t coffee there anyway?

    ¡°Two cups of iced Americano are here~¡±

    Perhaps because there was no one waiting, I grabbed the coffee that came out quickly and took it to Isabe.

    ¡°¡­What is this, Mr. Ojin?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s expression hardens as she looks at the iced Americano on the tray.

    ¡°huh? ¡°Iced Americano?¡±

    ¡°Oh my.¡±

    Isabe smiled brightly and looked back at Ojin.

    Why?

    I even felt an eerie sense of life in her brightly smiling face.

    ¡°This is water, not coffee, right?¡±

    Was the iced Americano water?

    ¡­Since when?

    ¡°Hehe. Koreans are really nice too. ¡°This is being sold under the name coffee.¡±

    Isabe, who was looking at the coffee cup as if she were looking at a cup filled with sewage water, looked back at Ojin and continued.

    ¡°Do you understand, Oh Jin? ¡°There are only two types of coffee:tte and espresso.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. sorry.¡±

    Now that I think about it, I remembered seeing it on the inte before.

    Most Italians only drink coffee as espresso andtte.

    ¡®Just because you¡¯ve lived in Korea for a few years doesn¡¯t mean the ingrained culture will change.¡¯

    Now, Isabe has be ustomed to Korea to the point where she can speak Korean fluently without having to use an interpretation device.

    She was definitely not Korean, but Italian, born and raised in Italy.

    Since the environments we lived in were different, there were bound to be differences in culture.

    ¡°I¡¯ll order it again.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±

    Isabe is drinking iced Americano with a straw in her mouth, as if she wants to take this opportunity to challenge herself.

    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±

    Seeing her gently frowning as if it didn¡¯t suit her taste made me feel nervous for some reason.

    It felt like I was making gambas for my girlfriend who is allergic to shrimp.

    I even felt guilty about the menu selection that did not take into ount the fact that she was Italian.

    ¡°What would you like for dinner instead?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mr. Ojin, do you want to eat something?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    No matter what I do, I have to make up for this painful mistake.

    ¡°pizza. okay¡­ ¡°I¡¯m craving pizza.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s so good.¡±

    Isabe smiled brightly at the word pizza.

    For her, who had always insisted on a Korean diet to amodate Oh Jin and Ha Eun, she couldn¡¯t help but be happy to try traditional Italian food for the first time in a while.

    ¡®yes!¡¯

    Oh Jin is inwardly delighted when he sees Isabe¡¯s rxed face.

    ¡°let¡¯s hurry.¡±

    ¡°hmm? ¡°Already?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even eat lunch properly earlier.¡±

    Couldn¡¯t I have just had lunch?

    I was held captive by her without even being able to eat breakfast.

    ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s right.¡±

    Ojin took Isabe to a nearby famous pizza chain.

    ¡°Sit here. ¡°I¡¯ll order it for you!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    Oh Jin, who entered the pizza restaurant, enthusiastically headed to the ordering counter as if he wanted to make up for his earlier mistake.

    There were quite a few different types of pizza, but what caught my eye the most was the menu that said ¡®Today¡¯s Pick!¡¯

    ¡°Please give me this.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about Hawaiian pizza, right?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    A pizza topped with delicious pineapple.

    Oh Jin, who ordered additional meatball spaghetti, smiled brightly and headed to the table where Isabe was waiting.

    ¡°¡­What is this, Mr. Ojin?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s expression hardened when she saw the pizza that Ojin had brought.

    ¡°huh? ¡°It¡¯s pizza?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s pizza. Why is there pineapple on it?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s Hawaiian pizza, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    Isabe looks back at Ojin with cold eyes.

    A cold shiver ran down my spine at the sight of his eyes, which were as cold as the snowy fields of permafrost.

    ¡°Kneel down.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    Here?

    ¡°Kneel.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what it is.

    Rather than making up for his mistake, it seems he woke up the sleeping Blood Queen in her coffin.

 Chapter 358

    I am not a regressor Episode 358:

    Vacation in Thirds (4)

    After such a sweet and bloody dinner.

    Oh Jin and Isabe headed to the Seoul Tower observatory.

    The night view of Seoul unfolds beyond the window.

    A brilliant cluster of lights filled the streets, as if the night sky had been turned upside down.

    ¡°You are pretty.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Is there a need for any special appreciation?

    In fact, the night view of the city was simr whether you saw it in Seoul or Italy, so there was no room for other impressions other than that it was pretty.

    Ojin and Isabe sat on a nearby bench and looked down at the night view through therge window in silence.

    There was no separate conversation, but it didn¡¯t feel particrly awkward.

    Rather, I would say that this quiet silence feels good.

    The warmth of the other personing through our hands gently holding each other while sitting on the bench created a feeling of tired happiness that cannot be expressed in words.

    ¡°¡­Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    Isabe opened her mouth, breaking the quiet silence.

    She looked back at Ojin with a smile as warm as the spring breeze.

    ¡°I had so much fun today.¡±

    ¡°¡­today?¡±

    The memory that came to mind was Isabe lusting after him roughly with her eyes stained with blood, and Isabe giving him a murderous look over iced Americano and Hawaiian pizza.

    ¡°It was fun¡­ right?¡±

    If you were to consider the sess or failure of a date, wouldn¡¯t it be closer to a huge failure?

    ¡°Oh, forget about what happened earlier.¡±

    Isabe pouted her lips and lightly pinched Ozin¡¯s side.

    ¡°Well¡­ the date didn¡¯t go as well as I expected, but I still liked it.¡±

    It was an uneventful day, though.

    No, on the contrary, it was a day full of mistakes and regrets.

    That¡¯s why I felt like this time holding hands with Oh Jin was even more precious.

    Nothing special, nothing special.

    A daily life that is nothing short of ordinary.

    ¡°Before I met Oh Jin, I couldn¡¯t even imagine it in my dreams.¡±

    From the time he lived as the heir of the Colgrande family to the time he served as an executive officer of the ck Star Society.

    Her life so far has been very far from normal.

    Days when I suffered from a pressure that felt like it was crushing my whole body and an urge to suck blood that felt like my soul was drying up.

    A life that seemed like walking forever through an endless dry desert.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Oh Jin.¡±

    In that dry life, an oasis called Ojin appeared.

    Bright flowers bloomed, moistening the dried earth.

    ¡°Thanks to meeting Oh Jin, I was saved.¡±

    Like a prince on a white horse from a fairy tale.

    He simply solved all the problems that were wreaking havoc on her life.

    ¡°So at the same time, it¡¯s scary.¡±

    ¡°Are you scared?¡±

    ¡°Because I have been receiving too much from Oh Jin.¡±

    Isabe looks back at Ojin with a faint smile.

    I could feel Isabe¡¯s hands trembling slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m jealous of Ha-eun.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why is my sister suddenly here?¡±

    ¡°Because my sister and Oh Jin were irreceable to each other.¡±

    Unlike myself, who only received.

    Ha-eun became the ¡®purpose of life¡¯ for Oh Jin.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh Jin from your past life, you said you didn¡¯t know me, right?¡±

    ¡°That was¡­ like that.¡±

    Cheonma doesn¡¯t know about Isabe.

    In her past life, she couldn¡¯t ovee her urge to suck blood and became a blood witch.

    ¡°That makes me think that, to Oh Jin, I was someone who didn¡¯t care if I didn¡¯t exist in the first ce.¡±

    Just as Isabe was so worthless to Ojin in her past life that she couldn¡¯t even remember.

    Wasn¡¯t he actually of no use to the current Oh Jin?

    No, it was true that it actually interfered with his life.

    The reason Ojin rejected the Heavenly Demon¡¯s offer was not only to save Vega, but also to protect her, who would disappear along with the Heavenly Demon¡¯s Dark Heaven when it disappears.

    ¡°If Mr. Oh Jin hadn¡¯t met me¡­ you might have felt a little morefortable than you are now.¡±

    The fear that she might be a burden to Ojin gnawed at her like a silverfish.

    That¡¯s why I envied Ha-eun.

    Because she was Ojin¡¯s irreceable purpose, both in his past life and in this life.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±

    Even if Ojin denied it with a firm voice, Isabe¡¯s expression did not ease easily.

    ¡°To say no is that I only brought inconvenience to Mr. Oh Jin.¡±

    Isn¡¯t that the case just today?

    In order to relieve the desire that boiled over due to blood sucking, Ojin had to be abused for 8 hours.

    No matter how much it takes to reach 11 stars.

    He was forced to shoulder another burden as he repeated harsh training that bordered on asceticism every day.

    ¡®If you do this¡­¡¯

    Isn¡¯t that literally a leech?

    A being that lives by sucking the blood of others.

    A pest that just exploits without any benefit whatsoever.

    To Oh Jin, the fear of having be such a pest was unbearable.

    gulp.

    Dry saliva flowed down Isabe¡¯s throat.

    A sudden thirst tickled my throat.

    ¡°Ho, is there anything you need? ¡°You¡¯re going to ask me for a favor¡­¡±

    Isabe held Ojin¡¯s arm tightly and brought her body closer.

    Ojin made a bitter expression as he looked at Isabe¡¯s eyes, which were trembling nervously as if someone was chasing her.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to figure out what she was feeling right now.

    ¡®My sister said the same thing before.¡¯

    A feeling of debt weighing down my entire body.

    She must be feeling a burning thirst at the fact that she has nothing to give back to the benefactor who saved her life.

    The timing felt a bit sudden, but in fact, it was highly likely that the emotions that had been building up were exploding now.

    Because in the rtionship between Isabe and Ojin, this feeling of debt was almost inevitable.

    ¡®Because one side provides an unlimited amount of blood and the other side receives that blood.¡¯

    As long as the act of bloodsucking existed, the rtionship between the two was close to that of a predator and prey.

    However, the problem here is that romantic feelings exist between the predator and the prey.

    In this case, the predator, who was in the position of exploitation, had no choice but to feel a sense of debt.

    To use an analogy, this is what an unemployed husband who doesn¡¯t make a single penny feels when he sees his wife working hard.

    I wouldn¡¯t know if Isabe was the type of person who could shamelessly ignore such a debt.

    For her with a delicate heart, a rtionship in which one party had to sacrifice unterally was bound to be a heart-gnawing pain.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll do anything. ¡°Anything Mr. Ohjin wants.¡±

    Isabe looked at Ojin with hot eyes.

    There were some twists and turns, but I don¡¯t know why the day changed from a heartwarming review of a good day to this.

    From Ojin¡¯s perspective, there was only one thing that could be said.

    ¡°Then I want to touch your breasts¡­.¡±

    No. Not this, fuck.

    Huh.

    Oh Jin cleared his throat and continued speaking.

    ¡°Be, there¡¯s one thing you¡¯re mistaken about.¡±

    ¡°¡­is it an illusion?¡±

    ¡°Cheonma and I are different.¡±

    For Cheonma, the only purpose of life was Ha-eun.

    ¡°Of course my sister is precious, but Be you and Vega are both precious too.¡±

    So much so that I can¡¯t even think about recing it.

    The two women were already deeply rooted in his life.

    ¡°So don¡¯t ever tell me again that it would have been easier if I hadn¡¯t met you.¡±

    My rtionship with Isabe was not one offort and difort.

    There is no need to consider who exchanged more with each other.

    Just by her presence.

    Because it was the ultimate happiness for him.

    ¡°¡­Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    Isabe bit her lip and looked at Ojin.

    Kuuk.

    Isabe hugged Ojin¡¯s arm,id her head on his shoulder, shook her shoulders, and began to sob.

    ¡°Look over there.¡±

    ¡°Did you fight?¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk. Anyway, this is why couples are the problem.¡±

    When I saw Isabe sobbing, I heard whispering around me.

    Even though the face was covered by an illusion, the action itself could not bepletely hidden.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go down slowly.¡±

    Ojin came down from the tower with Isabe, who was sobbing.

    The cool night air tickled my cheeks.

    Ojin, who took Isabe to a nearby park, wiped the tears from her eyes with his hand and asked.

    ¡°Are you okay now?¡±

    ¡°Sniff¡­yeah, I¡¯m a little calmer now.¡±

    Isabe nodded and smiled.

    ¡°I think my emotions got stronger without me realizing it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience.¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    Perhaps her emotions that had been building up for a long time exploded this time.

    ¡®I¡¯m strangely weak in this area.¡¯

    Although Isabe always gave off the atmosphere of a rxed queen.

    Her hidden appearance was no different from that of a delicate girl.

    ¡°¡­By the way, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    Isabe wiped away her tears, opened her eyes calmly, and hugged Ohjin.

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°What did you say you wanted to touch earlier?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I will correct it.

    She is not a woman pure enough to be called a ¡®girl¡¯.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Let me see, the time is¡­ It¡¯s still 9pm.¡±

    It was still too early to end the day.

    ¡°I found a good hotel nearby¡­ would you like to go?¡±

    Isabe gave a coy look.

    Oh Jin shook his head with a pale, tired expression.

    ¡°no. ¡°I had a lot of fun earlier¡­¡±

    ¡°I was out of my mind at the time.¡±

    Rather than confirming the love between lovers, it was merely the act of a hungry animal devouring its prey.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t forget what you said about me being just as important as your sister, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ohjin sighed deeply as he saw Isabe smiling cutely while sticking out her tongue.

    A smile bloomed on Isabe¡¯s lips at the sight of Ojin nodding his head.

    ¡°I was supposed to shift with Vega at 7 a.m., so there are still 10 hours left!¡±

    ¡°¡­How about sleep?¡±

    Do not sleep?

    ¡°It¡¯s okay to stay overnight for at least a day!¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes shine brightly like stars in the night sky.

    Ojin had no choice but to keep his mouth shut as his eyes sparkled with pure desire.

    ¡®It¡¯s vacation!¡¯

    He said he would let me rest¡­!

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go, Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    Ojin was caught by Isabe and dragged to the hotel.

    * * *

    And the next morning.

    [It¡¯s the real girl!]

    A fanfare-like sound effect rang out and Vega appeared with both arms raised.

    [I had a good vacation yesterday¡­ Hmm?]

    Vega tilted his head as he looked at Ojin, who was sprawled out on the bed like a dried squid.

    [What on earth happened yesterday?]

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Ojin looked back at Vega with wide eyes with deep dark circles.

    For some reason, I felt more tired than when I devoted myself to training.

    Still, I couldn¡¯t just lie in bed and leave my time with Vega behind.

    ¡°So where do you want to go today?¡±

    Ohjin asked as he got up from the bed.

    Vega shouted, putting her hands on her waist.

    [It¡¯s a sanctuary!]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Why there again?

 Chapter 359

    I am not a returner Episode 359:

    Vacation divided into three parts (5)

    Sanctuary.

    Like the Demonic World, it is a world that exists in a different dimension from Earth and the only ce where the constetions can use all of their power without the restrictions of thew.

    The structure of the sanctuary resembled a giant tree.

    Near the root, several star stems connected to various parts of the Earth, creating a gate through which awakened people could enter and exit.

    After passing near the root, the wide Milky Way Road, which became the center of the sanctuary, unfolded, and as you continued up along the road, the road again branched into several branches and led to the temple of the constetions.

    Another characteristic of the sanctuary is that it is incredibly beautiful, befitting its name, ¡®The World of the Gods.¡¯

    It was amon sight in the sanctuary for awakened people who first visited the sanctuary to be so overwhelmed by the majestic scenery created by countless starlight that they froze in silence without even thinking about visiting the temple.

    However, no matter how beautiful the sanctuary was, there was no crazy awakened person who chose this ce as a date spot between lovers.

    Because this was a world of transcendental beings called constetions, not humans.

    ¡®however.¡¯

    Oh Jin smiled awkwardly as he walked slowly along a beautiful path that seemed to have been made by connecting starlight.

    I never thought I would live and use the sanctuary as a date spot.

    And next to it is the constetion of the North Star, which can be said to be the pinnacle of this sanctuary.

    [Hmm? Did you not like the sanctuary?]

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine using this ce as a date spot.¡±

    It felt like going to Jerusalem on a date.

    Well, the appearances of God and constetions in Christianity are quite different.

    ¡®In other words, I would rather be closer to the gods from Greek mythology.¡¯

    In that case, it would be like choosing Olympus as a date spot, but this felt just as strange.

    [They say it¡¯s not that umon these days.]

    ¡°Using the sanctuary as a date spot?¡±

    Ojin looked back at Vega with an expression filled with astonishment.

    no.

    What kind of crazy awakened people enjoy dating in the sanctuary?

    [Didn¡¯t you say before that the restrictions of thew have been weakened so that constetions other than the North Star can appear on Earth in the form of artificial bodies?]

    ¡°Ah, yes. It did.¡±

    [I heard that some of them have deep rtionships with awakened people and often stay together in the sanctuary.]

    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±

    When I became a lover with Vega, I thought there was no other crazy person who would be a lover with a constetion other than me.

    It seems that there are more insane people in the world than I thought.

    ¡®It¡¯s not something I would say.¡¯

    Well, actually, if you take off your colored sses for a moment, it was difficult to find a candidate for a lover as good as the constetion.

    First of all, basically, the constetions were all handsome men and women.

    ¡®Among them, Vega is special.¡¯

    anyway.

    In addition to their perfect appearance, even though their sanctuary was limited, each and every one of them possessed the power and authority worthy of the name ¡®Transcendent¡¯.

    Of course, the constetions cannot directly help the awakened person grow.

    Unlike Vega, if a constetion had hundreds or thousands of awakened people, one could be treated as nobility among the awakened people with the same stigmata just by having a deep rtionship with that constetion.

    ¡®Actually, at this point, you have to bow down and be the constetion¡¯s lover.¡¯

    After breaking away from the stereotypes, I was able to somewhat understand why the awakened people became lovers with the constetions.

    ¡°So are you going to the temple like this?¡±

    [Didn¡¯t youe to this woman¡¯s temple often? I¡¯m thinking of going somewhere else today.]

    ¡°Somewhere else?¡±

    The only time I went to a ce other than the temple of Vekah in the sanctuary was when I had a proxy war with the apostles of Deneb.

    [Hehe. There are many ces in the sanctuary other than the temple.]

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Since the only thing I knew about the sanctuary was that it was a world of constetions, I had no chance to go anywhere else.

    No matter how much you could hide your energy, it was dangerous to walk around the sanctuary while holding the ck Sky.

    [Well¡­ Actually, this is my first time going there in person.]

    Vega smiled awkwardly and briefly looked away.

    Even among the constetions who did not engage in much external activity, she was exceptionally shy and had only been to ces other than her own temple.

    Nevertheless, the reason I chose Seongso as my date spot was because there was a ce I really wanted to take Ojin.

    ¡®The Lord¡¯s preparation is perfect.¡¯

    Although it was a ce she had never been to in person, she knew the route and location in advance.

    And I practiced it several times so as not to forget the ¡®myth¡¯ rted to that ce, which is more important than anything else.

    Vega took a deep breath and calmed her trembling heart.

    ¡°So where are you going?¡±

    [Follow the main woman.]

    Vega took the lead and walked forward.

    [¡­.]

    Vega, who was walking forward with a stride, stopped and looked at Ojin.

    To be exact, Ojin¡¯s hand.

    ¡°why?¡±

    [Oh, it¡¯s nothing.]

    Vega turns his head in a hurry.

    Ojin chuckled and gently held Vega¡¯s hand.

    [Tsk.]

    Vega flinched and trembled at the warmth flowing through our joined hands.

    Vega, whose face was dyed peach-colored, lowered her head and pursed her lips.

    Vega¡¯s reaction, which felt refreshing, brought a smile to Ojin¡¯s face.

    ¡®No, I¡¯m not a teenage girl.¡¯

    I can¡¯t believe he reacted so shyly by just holding hands.

    Vega¡¯s reaction actually made my heart flutter even more, perhaps because she had such close skinship with the other two lovers.

    ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±

    [Ah, I understand.]

    Vega slowly added strength to her joined hands and took a step forward.

    [Hehe.]

    Vega smiles, twitching the corner of her mouth as if the warmthing from her hand feels quite good.

    My steps became slower, as if I was trying to enjoy this time as much as possible.

    Ojin walked slowly to match Vega¡¯s slower pace and looked around.

    ¡°There was a path like this in the sanctuary.¡±

    If we were to think of it as a tree, it would be around the branches extending from therge trunk.

    As I walked along the winding road that branched into several directions, a scene so beautiful that I couldn¡¯t help but gasp, unfolded before my eyes.

    A wide square made of starlight.

    The aurora was twinkling in the sky, and the buildings reflected in the aurora were shining with various starlight.

    Basically, the sanctuary is a beautiful ce, but this ce was especially amazingly beautiful.

    ¡°Is this the ce you want to take me?¡±

    [No, we have to go a little further from here.]

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Where on earth are they trying to take me?

    With doubts in mind, I went to the starlit square and saw several constetions and awakened people walking around.

    ¡®Is this what you said earlier?¡¯

    Just as Vega said, the constetion and the awakened were seen clinging to each other like lovers.

    [Come here¡­.]

    ¡°Sister Bega?!¡±

    When Vega pulled Ojin¡¯s hand and tried to pass through the square.

    A voice full of astonishment echoed from afar.

    The voice of a constetion that Ojin had heard several times.

    Among the hundreds of constetions, she is the only goddess who friendly calls Vega ¡°sister.¡±

    It was Spica, the constetion of Virgo.

    [Yes, what are you doing here?]

    Vega stepped back with a very embarrassed expression.

    Spica ran towards Vega, shaking her fluffy pink hair.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to ask! ¡°Unni, what is going on at ¡®Starlight za¡¯?¡±

    It¡¯s Starlight Square.

    It¡¯s a name that¡¯s intuitive enough to be somewhat insincere.

    ¡°That too with Pagunseong¡­ huh?¡±

    Spica¡¯s gaze turned to Vega and Ojin¡¯s hands held together.

    ¡°Oh my oh my!¡±

    Spica¡¯s eyes begin to shine like stars.

    Vega hurriedly let go of Ojin¡¯s hand, but was unable to escape from the beast that had already captured its prey.

    ¡°You finally seeded, sister!¡±

    [The poem is noisy!]

    ¡°Hehehe! ¡°You said that you had no intention of bing lovers, but in the end, you couldn¡¯t help it when it came to love!¡±

    Spica pats Vega on the shoulder and raises the corner of her mouth.

    ¡°Ever since I heard that the temple doors had been reopened, I wondered if it was possible, but I guess spring ising for that girl who was like a stone!¡±

    [Didn¡¯t I say it was noisy?]

    Vega shouted and roughly pped Spica¡¯s hand that was tapping her shoulder.

    Spica grinned and leaned close to Ojin.

    ¡°so? so? Who confessed first? huh?¡±

    Spica asks, making a fuss like a teenage girl.

    Oh Jin replied with a bitter smile.

    ¡°I confessed first.¡±

    Actually, if you were to ask who came first, it was Vega who confessed first.

    To put it bluntly, I didn¡¯t want to add one more thing to Vega¡¯s teasing.

    ¡°How did you confess? ¡°How long have you been dating?!¡±

    Spica pulled Ojin¡¯s arm, brought their bodies closer together, and asked questions.

    [Stop it. Doesn¡¯t my child feel ufortable?]

    Seeing Spica clinging to Ojin, Vega frowned and pulled Spica¡¯s back.

    Spica got away from Ojin and raised the corners of her mouth.

    ¡°Oh my, look at my sister. ¡°Are you mad at me for talking to your lover?¡±

    [Who says you¡¯re angry?]

    ¡°You just got angry.¡±

    [Isn¡¯t that because you made my child ufortable?]

    ¡°Aaaah! ¡°My sister is so cute when she gets angry!¡±

    Spica screams, twisting her whole body with her hands on both cheeks.

    The reason why I used the excuse of asking questions to cling to Ohjin so much was probably because I wanted to see Vega like this.

    [¡­.]

    Vega¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    [Eight.]

    Let¡¯s go!

    The blue thunderbolt burned fiercely.

    ¡°huh? ¡°Sigh!¡±

    A scream came out of Spica¡¯s mouth, and a golden-yellow smell wafted out.

    Spica trembles with her eyes closed.

    ¡®Is this something we should do with the cute spirit of Eight?¡¯

    Ojin felt a cool sensation running down his spine.

    After a while, Spica recovered and looked back at Vega with wide eyes.

    ¡°Ugh. ¡°Oh, it hurts, sister!¡±

    [joy. So who told you to y with your mouth so righteously?]

    Spica swallowed her silence and then turned to Ohjin with her eyes shining again.

    ¡°Anyway, I heard you had two lovers before. Why did you break up with them and choose your sister?¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    ¡°Well, the reason is obvious even if you don¡¯t listen.¡±

    Spica nodded with her arms crossed.

    Isn¡¯t it obvious why she gave up two lovers and came to Vega?

    ¡°As expected, the bunny girl outfit I rmended back then¡­¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t break up.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°All three of you are my precious lovers.¡±

    Spica looked at Ojin with an expression as if she had been hit with a hammer on the back of the head.

    ¡°¡­So you¡¯re on three legs now?¡±

    The Virgo goddess red at Ojin with a disdainful gaze, wondering what kind of garbage this was.

 Chapter 360

    I am not a regressor Episode 360:

    Vacation in Third Parts (6)

    ¡°No, what the heck¡­¡±

    Spica gaped like a carp, unable to close her mouth.

    That too for a while.

    He red at Ohjin sharply and shouted in a very angry voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m really disappointed that you didn¡¯t see it that way!¡±

    As a Virgo goddess who symbolizes pure love, Spica does not hide her difort.

    In front of such a goddess, Oh Jin answered in a calm voice that was almost shameless.

    ¡°This is a decision I made after much thought and consideration.¡±

    ¡°Heng! If the decision was made after much thought and consideration, is there any guilt at all? Rather, this is a nned crime, a nned crime!¡±

    ¡°Love is not a sin.¡±

    what.

    Before this line, it was a line spoken by a trashy male protagonist I saw in a drama.

    ¡°Three legs are a sin, you bastard! ¡°What nonsense excuse are you making?!¡±

    but.

    If you¡¯re like me, you might think what bullshit I¡¯m talking about if my cheating lover says that being in love isn¡¯t a sin.

    but.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what someone who suggested that Vega hide in the tent dressed like that, even though she knew I had two lovers, would say.¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    In fact, wasn¡¯t it Spica himself who encouraged Vega behind the scenes?

    Now it didn¡¯t make sense toe here and say that having three legs was a sin or something.

    ¡°And looking at the people passing by, it seems like there isn¡¯t just one lover over there?¡±

    Ohjin slowly shifted his gaze and nced at the constetions moving around in ¡®Starlight Square¡¯.

    There were cases where men and women walked around one by one, but it was also not umon to see one man and several women and one woman and several men walking together.

    ¡®Well, there are probably multiple awakened people attached to one constetion over there.¡¯

    As mentioned earlier, the constetion had good conditions that could be called the best as a lover.

    It ismonly said that alpha men and alpha women have superior specifications that they cannot even dare to show off their business cards.

    Is there any reason for them to be attached to just one lover?

    Wouldn¡¯t there even be a social norm or legal restriction that constetions should only have one lover?

    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s a constetion.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that constetions can do it, but humans can¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the story, isn¡¯t it? A constetion can have multiple lovers at once, but how dare you, a human being, arrogantly get on your feet?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this racism¡­ no, human discrimination?¡±

    You

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Spica, who had been subjected to Ojin¡¯s shy gaslighting, looked back at Vega with eyes of injustice.

    ¡°Are you okay with that? ¡°Three people, three people!¡±

    And Vega, the great North Star constetion, was not the first, but the third!

    If wepare it to medieval ss society, wouldn¡¯t it be the same as if the Empress had be a ruralmoner¡­ or rather, the concubine of a rural nobleman?

    [The main woman is rather grateful to Oh Jin. [It was unreasonable for him to ept the woman¡¯s heart.]

    However, when the Empress, who had be his concubine, was saying such outrageous words, Spica could not help but feel dizzy.

    [Hehe. Don¡¯t make that face. This is what the mother had hoped for, and the other two children are very kind and good children.]

    Vega smiles brightly as she says that.

    Even Spica, who had been watching Vega for hundreds of years, looked so happy that she was seeing it for the first time.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter as long as she¡¯s satisfied, but¡­¡±

    The parties say they like it, but what can you do?

    Spica let out a deep sigh and then asked again with a bright smile, as if she had shaken off her worries.

    ¡°So where are you going? ¡°Looking at the road I took earlier, it doesn¡¯t seem to be towards Starlight Square.¡±

    [That is¡­]

    ¡°If we go this way¡­ a grave? ¡°Are you sure you want to go to the Star Grave?¡±

    Spica looks back at Vega with surprised eyes.

    Vega looked back at Ojin with a puzzled expression, then let out a short sigh and nodded.

    [That¡¯s right.]

    ¡°No one goes there, so why bother¡­?¡±

    [There is such a thing.]

    Vega hurriedly turns around and pulls Ojin¡¯s arm.

    [Let¡¯s go quickly.]

    ¡°Woah, what is it? Please let me know~¡±

    [¡­Do you want to get lost in a thunderstorm again?]

    ¡°Hee! ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±

    Leaving behind Spica, who was jumping up and down with a pale, tired expression, Vega took a long stride.

    Ojin gave a light nod to Spica and followed behind Vega.

    ¡°What is Star Grave?¡±

    [That¡­ you will find out if you follow the woman.]

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what on earth was going on in the Star Tomb that was causing such a stir.

    ¡®Well, you¡¯ll find out when you get there.¡¯

    Ojin followed Vega to a ce called ¡®Star Tomb¡¯.

    It was quite a distance from Starlight za to the Star Tomb.

    I felt like I would waste too much time walking leisurely, so in the middle, Vega created a sphere made of lightning and rode on it.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    The starlight that was shining throughout the sanctuary disappeared and the surroundings gradually began to darken.

    In the distance, a huge ck crack was visible, sucking in the surrounding starlight like a ck hole.

    [That is the tomb of the stars.]

    Vega lightly flicked his hand and destroyed the thunderbolt that came with Ojin.

    [Follow the main woman.]

    Vega carefully holds Ojin¡¯s hand and leads him to the ck crack.

    This is what you see when you cross the crack.

    ¡°¡­Wow.¡±

    Countless starlight embroidering the ck space.

    I felt as if I had entered a space where every direction was covered with the night sky of autumn.

    Without realizing it, Ojin stretched out his hand and touched the empty space filled with starlight.

    Grumbling.

    Something soft was touched in the air where there should have been nothing.

    ¡°This¡­?¡±

    [It¡¯s a ck sky.]

    ¡°What?¡±

    ck sky?

    Heukcheon?

    Ojin looked back at Vega with his eyes wide open, wondering if he had heard something wrong.

    [To be more precise, it would be correct to say that it is the remnants of the ck Heavens¡­]

    ¡°What do you mean the remnants of the ck Heavens?¡±

    [Didn¡¯t you say that the Dark Heaven once swallowed up all the constetions in the distant past?]

    ¡°Ah, yes. ¡°It was like that.¡±

    A past so distant that even the time cannot be known.

    Before Vega and other constetions were born.

    I once heard that there were constetions called ¡®ancient constetions¡¯.

    ¡®And they were all eaten by Heukcheon.¡¯

    After all the stars were eaten by the ck Sky, new constetions were created.

    [This is the trace created in the past when the ck Sky swallowed up the stars.]

    ¡°Huh¡­¡±

    Is that why it was called the ¡®Graveyard of Stars¡¯?

    ¡°So this is the dark heaven that destroyed the world in the past?¡±

    Ojin stretched out his hand and touched the ck clouds filling the surroundings.

    I tried to slightly create a ck sky and absorb the dark clouds.

    ¡®There¡¯s no energy left.¡¯

    Should I say that only the shell remains?

    There was not even an ounce of energy left in the remnants of the past ck Heaven.

    [In fact, it is not known exactly what happened in the distant past.]

    Why was ck Heaven born?

    For what reason did they devour the constetions?

    There was a lot of spection, but nothing was actually revealed.

    ¡°Well¡­ because records are something that someone has to keep.¡±

    Ojin looked back at the corpses of stars filling the tomb and clicked his tongue lightly.

    [Still, among the several possible guesses, there was this one.]

    ¡°What guess?¡±

    Vega continued speaking while looking intently at the star tomb.

    [The spection is that the dark sky may exist for the birth and death of stars.]

    The birth and death of stars.

    Here, the star refers not to a star that exists in the universe, but to a ¡®constetion¡¯ created by a creator called Titan.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    [The Dark Heaven is the being that destroyed the past constetions, but it is also the power that gave birth to the current constetions.]

    ¡°¡­If that¡¯s the case for a moment.¡±

    Vega nodded.

    [All the constetions, including the original woman, were born in this ¡®Star Tomb.¡¯]

    The death and birth of the constetions.

    What if ck Heaven is involved in all of that?

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say before that beings called titans created the constetions?¡±

    A primordial giant who is said to have created this world.

    In terms of the game, I thought the titan was the creator and the constetions were the operators who ran it.

    [What they created were ancient constetions, not current constetions.]

    Then.

    ¡®The ck sky is kind of like a reset button.¡¯

    A force that destroys the world once and then regenerates it, like the great flood in the Bible.

    [Hmm. You don¡¯t look surprised at all.]

    ¡°Somehow, the scale is so big that I can¡¯t even feel it at all.¡±

    Ohjinughed and shook his head.

    Even when I heard that the power within me was the power to destroy and regenerate the world, the scale of it was so absurd that there was nothing to be surprised about.

    [Hehe. In fact, the same goes for the main woman.]

    It was a story that felt distant even to her, the constetion of the North Star.

    [Well, everything she said just now is nothing more than groundless spection.]

    Vega shook her head with a smile.

    [Still, why did I have to tell you this¡­]

    Vega slowly approached Ojin and stroked his cheek with a kind expression.

    [I want you to know that the Dark Heaven you possess is not necessarily an ominous entity that only destroys and destroys the world.]

    ¡°¡­Vega.¡±

    [I¡¯ve been thinking about that recently.]

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    Vega¡¯s hand, which was stroking his cheek, touched Ojin¡¯s left chest.

    [I am thinking that you may be the real star of the inverted sky.]

    ¡°The star of the inverted heaven is not me¡­¡±

    [Isn¡¯t it possible that the star of the inverted heaven may not necessarily refer to a returner?]

    ording to the prophecy, the star of the inverted heaven is A being of salvation who goes back in time and rewrites the fate of the world.

    Although the misdiagnosis did note back in time.

    Isn¡¯t it true that he changed his fate by absorbing the stigmata of Lee Shin-hyuk, who came back in time?

    [Unlike the ck Heaven that the current Heavenly Demon possesses, the ck Heaven was created for birth, not for the destruction and destruction of the world. The main woman¡­ thinks that is the dark sky that you possess.]

    Vega smiled slightly and gazed at the countless starlight floating in the ck space.

    A silver-haired goddess looking up at the starlight.

    Ojin stared at her nkly, forgetting what to say for a moment due to her breathtaking beauty.

    ¡°Is that why you brought me here to tell you that?¡±

    [That¡¯s right.]

    Vega nodded with a smile as warm as the spring breeze.

    Even though it was a date for her, Oh Jin¡¯s heart began to beat loudly at the sight of her being considerate of him.

    [Oh, and one more thing.]

    Vega opens his mouth with a hesitant expression.

    [I wanted to tell you about a myth thates down here.]

    ¡°Myth?¡±

    [Rather than a myth, it¡¯s a kind of legend passed down among the constetions¡­ No, it¡¯s probably closer to a superstition.] It

    ¡®s a superstition passed down among the constetions.

    [that¡­ Isn¡¯t this the ce where stars are born?]

    Vega, who nced at Ojin¡¯s notice, grabbed the hem of her dress.

    [There is a story¡­ that the stars that form here¡­ stay together forever.]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Wait.

    I can¡¯t believe it will end.

    [So¡­ that¡­]

    Vega, who was stuttering, clenched her fists and shouted as if she had made up her mind.

    [I want to have star contact with you here!]

    ¡­Star contact?

    ¡°ah.¡±

 Chapter 361

    I am not a regressor Episode 361:

    Vacation in three parts (7)

    Intersection of stars.

    At first nce, it was a term that seemed to be used in astronomy, but it was not difficult to sense the true meaning behind it.

    ¡°¡­Uh, so.¡±

    Ojin looked at Vega with an expression as if he had been hit in the back of the head with a hammer.

    ¡°W: Let¡¯s do it here? now?¡±

    Still, Ojin, who had never thought that Vega, who was much more passive than the other two women, would make such a suggestion, looked at Vega with a puzzled expression.

    Outdoor y from the first experience.

    Vega, who blushed just by holding her hand, had doubts about whether the words that came out of her mouth were really true.

    [Ooh, ooh.]

    Vega pursed her lips, even her ears turning red.

    [You and the two children already have experience with drawing.]

    Just by looking at the way Ha-eun and Isabe approached Oh-jin without hesitation, it was not difficult to imagine what happened between them.

    Oh Jin nodded with an embarrassed expression.

    ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s true.¡±

    It was natural for lovers to mix their bodies.

    Because physical distance is just as important as mental distance.

    Vega slowly turned his head and spoke with a somewhat lonely expression.

    [The fact that I am the only one with no experience¡­ makes me feel a bit lonely.]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes trembled as he looked at Vega.

    Oh my god this is crazy.

    I¡¯ve been tempted by Ha-eun and Isabe many times before, but this was the first time that I was tempted to shake my heart like this.

    It felt like I was consistently catching fastballs that were shot in a straight line, and then suddenly a breaking ball came flying at me.

    ¡®damn.¡¯

    Rough breathing.

    My heart began to beat as if it would burst, and heat rose to my head.

    [Why are you looking at the real woman with those eyes¡­?]

    Vega trembled as she looked at Ojin¡¯s red, bloodshot eyes.

    Ojin took a slow, deep breath and desperately tried to cool his hot head.

    I wanted to embrace Vega right now, but there was one problem that needed to be resolved before that.

    ¡°But what if other constetionse? ¡°They say this is a ce with superstitions.¡±

    It was an empty superstition with no basis or cause and effect, like ¡®kissing under the mistletoe at Christmas will make you happy¡¯.

    In fact, this superstition was believed and followed by quite a few people on Earth.

    Certain spots have be tourist attractions and are bustling with people every year.

    ¡®Of course, what we do here is more than just kissing.¡¯

    In any case, if it was a famous ce like Vega said, there was a risk of other constetions breaking in.

    Even though it is a bit far away, I saw the constetions having a cozy time with their lover at Starlight za earlier.

    [Don¡¯t worry about that!]

    Vega shouts with confidence.

    I looked at him with questioning eyes as to what basis he was so sure of.

    [Uh¡­ I mean.]

    Vega, who was looking around while rolling her eyes, took a short breath and spread her arms wide.

    Oooooh!

    The brilliant silver light flowing from Vega¡¯s body brightened up the star tomb.

    sanctuary.

    The power that only the constetion possessed spread widely throughout the surrounding area.

    ¡°You¡¯re even using the West Sanctuary?¡±

    Ojin looked at Vega with bewildered eyes.

    Even though it is a sanctuary without the restrictions of thew, it is expanded to a sacred area just for the purpose of intercourse with the stars.

    Isn¡¯t this as crazy as buying an entire hotel just because you couldn¡¯t find a hotel room?

    [haha. No one will be able toe in with this.]

    Vega, whose breathing had be heavy because it had just begun the sanctuary, swallowed dry saliva and looked back at Ojin.

    The two tightly clenched fists seem to be saying, ¡®There¡¯s no problem now!¡¯

    ¡°¡­No, that¡¯s true.¡±

    Ojin looked at Vega with a puzzled expression.

    I thought it was pointless to ask what to do if another constetion came in the middle, but there was nothing I could do since I had already begun my ministry.

    ¡®Eh, I don¡¯t know.¡¯

    There was a limit to how much I could tolerate.

    ¡°Come here Vega.¡±

    [¡­Ah.]

    I carefully grabbed Vega¡¯s hand.

    I could feel Vega¡¯s hands trembling slightly.

    Oh Jin didn¡¯t know whether the emotion contained in this trembling was anticipation or fear.

    ¡®Because it will be the first time.¡¯

    It would be considerate for her to be as kind as possible so as not to be scary.

    ¡°for a moment.¡±

    Ojin stretched out his hand towards the surrounding space.

    Grumbling.

    The remnants of the ck Sky gathered on his hand.

    Even though it was nothing more than an empty shell, with all the energy inside it drained out.

    ¡®Maybe that¡¯s why it¡¯s quite soft.¡¯

    I lightly grasped the remnants of the ck Heaven that had gathered in my palm with my hand.

    Crumbling.

    A soft sensation spread as if I was holding a ball of cotton in my hand.

    ¡°Lie down here.¡±

    Ohjin made a small bed by lumping the remains of the ck cloth into a ball.

    When I took Vega¡¯s hand and tried toy her on the bed as gently as possible.

    [I¡­ that¡¯s my child.]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Vega lowered her head, her face as red as an apple.

    [¡­It works.]

    ¡°What?¡±

    The voice was so low that I couldn¡¯t hear it well.

    Vega hesitated and stuttered, muttering in a low voice as if an ant was crawling.

    [It¡¯s okay even if it¡¯s a little rougher¡­]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Hmm.

    I can¡¯t stand it anymore.

    [Sigh!]

    Ojin roughly pushed Vega and knocked him down.

    * * *

    A ce where the death and birth of stars intersect.

    After the ¡®Meeting of the Stars¡¯ ended in a space covered with the remnants of the ck Sky.

    [¡­.]

    Vega fell asleep, as if fainting, on a cot made from the remnants of the ck Sky.

    New liquid, new liquid.

    A low nasal sound tickled Ojin¡¯s ears pleasantly.

    Ojin sighed as he remembered the hot star encounter that had just urred.

    ¡®I knew that Vega had taste(?) in that direction, but.¡¯

    I never thought I would demand love so intensely even from my first experience.

    ¡®At this level, it¡¯s not a meeting of stars, but a collision of stars.¡¯

    When I carefully stroked the cheek of Vega, who was sleeping while thinking nonsense.

    [Uhm. I am my child¡­ I did something wrong¡­ Please forgive me.]

    Am I remembering the impulse of the star that happened earlier in my dream?

    Vega let out an excited breath and tossed and turned.

    ¡°¡­If my sister finds out about this, she¡¯ll cause an uproar.¡±

    Maybe they¡¯ll tease Vega until he locks the temple door again and locks himself in.

    I wanted to see Vega crying after being teased for a long time, but I couldn¡¯t tell Ha-eun about the secret night between them.

    ¡®For now, let¡¯s wait until Vega wakes up.¡¯

    Meanwhile, when I got up to take a closer look at the Star Tomb.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Cheeeeeek!

    A searing pain spread across my left chest.

    Pain that feels like your skin is being pricked with a hot iron.

    It was not an unfamiliar pain to Ojin.

    Because it was a pain I had already experienced nine times.

    ¡®Wait, can this be¡­?¡¯

    Ojin¡¯s eyes widened.

    I unbuttoned the shirt I was wearing and looked down at my left breast.

    ¡°This is crazy.¡±

    The tenth stroke clearly engraved next to the stigmata of Lyra.

    As soon as the tenth stroke was engraved, the magic power of the stigmata began to boil over the entire body.

    ¡®Have I reached 10 stars now?¡¯

    A situation you cannot believe even when you see it with your own eyes.

    Rather than the joy of reaching the 10th level, which only a very small number of awakened people can achieve, I felt absurd about the current situation itself.

    The only thing he had done just now was his passionate love affair with Vega.

    ¡®No, probably not. That can¡¯t be possible.¡¯

    Even though Vega is a constetion of the Lyra constetion, does it make sense for him to reach the 10th star just because he mixed himself with her?

    Oh Jin looked into whether this space called ¡®Star Tomb¡¯ contained some special power.

    ¡®Stigmata of the constetion Canis.¡¯

    I raised my whole body¡¯s senses to the maximum and looked at the surrounding space as if scanning.

    Grumbling.

    In addition, it even spread the ck clouds and absorbed everything around it.

    And the result is.

    ¡°¡­no.¡±

    The remnants of the ck sky filling the surroundings and the dead bodies of stars brightening the darkness.

    They were all just empty shells.

    It makes no sense to reach 10 stars with energy like leftover shrimp shells.

    If so, there is only one possibility left.

    ¡°Really¡­ did you reach 10 stars with Vega?¡±

    No, this is ridiculous.

    A hollowugh flowed from between Oh Jin¡¯s lips.

    No matter how hard I tried to deny it and say it was nonsense, honestly, there was no other way to get to 10 stars.

    ¡°¡­Now that I think about it, after I became a lover with Vega, the power of the Lyra stigmata suddenly became stronger.¡±

    It was not without warning.

    After bing a lover with Vega, I felt that the power of Lyra¡¯s stigmata was growing significantly stronger.

    But even so, I didn¡¯t think that the reason was because he really became a lover with Vega.

    As Vega said before, the constetions could not directly help the awakened person grow.

    ¡®I thought it was because of the ck sky.¡¯

    I thought that the energy of the Lyra constetion released during the tenth flowering of Heukcheon made it suddenly stronger.

    It seems that the guess was spectacrly wrong.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    A deep sigh flows from between lips.

    I don¡¯t want to admit it, but I couldn¡¯t continue to ignore the truth when a clear cause-and-effect rtionship had been established up to this point.

    ¡®Every time I get closer to Vega¡­ the power of the Lyra stigmata bes stronger.¡¯

    It was unknown whether it was the influence of the ck Sky or the special characteristics of the stigmata of Lyra.

    In order to check, you have topare it with someone else, but how can you check in a situation where the only one who possesses ck Heaven besides yourself is the Heavenly Demon?

    ¡®There is no other awakened person who has the stigmata of Lyra other than me.¡¯

    In a situation where there was an absoluteck of samples to analyze the phenomenon, there was nothing we could do other than simply ept the truth in front of us.

    ¡°Then I get stronger every time I work with Vega¡­¡±

    In Isabe¡¯s case, she gets stronger every time she sucks Ojin¡¯s blood and squeezes him to her heart¡¯s content.

    ¡°No, what kind of pornographic setting is this¡­¡±

    Oh Jin sighed deeply and pulled out his hair.

 Chapter 362

    I am not a returner Episode 362:

    Third Vacation (8)

    [Hmm.]

    Vega, who was lying on a bed made from the remnants of the ck Sky, suddenly opened her eyes.

    He carefully fumbled around for the seat next to him, and when he couldn¡¯t find anything, he stood up with a sad expression on his face.

    [Is it my child?]

    Not far away, I saw Ojin sighing deeply and tearing out his hair.

    [I am my child!]

    I wonder if something happened to Ojin.

    Vega jumped up with a shocked expression and instantly flew to where Ojin was.

    [Oh, where does it hurt?]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Oh Jin, who was tearing out his hair, shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in any pain.¡±

    [Then why were you pulling your hair out so hard just now?]

    ¡°Uh¡­ about that.¡±

    [Why can¡¯t you answer!]

    ¡°No, that¡¯s it.¡±

    No matter how much Ojin is a tough guy, how can he say that he became a 10-star after enjoying intensive intercourse with stars?

    Oh-jin just purses his lips, unable to continue speaking.

    [Answer me quickly!]

    Please wait a moment. Goddess.

    There is a story I cannot tell.

    [Are you going to hide the truth from your wife again?]

    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±

    [How¡­ How can you not trust your true wife so much?]

    ¡°No.¡±

    [If it hurts, if it hurts, if it hurts, why is it so difficult to say it¡¯s painful?]

    ¡°Calm down and listen to me.¡±

    [Is this the time to calm down?!]

    Vega, with tears in her eyes, pulled Ojin¡¯s head and held it to her chest.

    The sight of Oh Jin pulling his head as if in pain.

    Perhaps that was a side effect of the ck Sky that she didn¡¯t know about.

    As always, he must have suppressed the pain inside, not saying a word to others that he was in pain, so as not to be noticed that he was suffering alone.

    [Please¡­ I don¡¯t want to see you embracing the pain alone anymore.]

    Vega spoke in a sad voice, her eyes moistening.

    Ojin opened his mouth, buried between her soft cleavage.

    ¡°Ha Hiphun did it.¡±

    [Hmm? What do you mean?]

    ¡°Puh-ha!¡±

    Ohjin, who barely escaped from her embrace, cleared his throat and responded to the soft touch that remained like a lingering scent on his cheek.

    ¡°I got 10 stars.¡±

    [What?]

    Vega¡¯s eyes were wide like a rabbit.

    10 stars?

    Suddenly reaching 10 stars?

    [Could it be because of the energy in the Star Tomb?]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Yes.

    If you hear that you suddenly got to 10 stars, of course you would react that way.

    ¡°¡­ha.¡±

    In the past, I would have said that in moderation.

    ¡®Because I decided not to live like that anymore.¡¯

    Ojin let out a short sigh and looked back at Vega.

    [Why are you suddenly sighing? As expected, it hurts¡­]

    ¡°It¡¯s not the effect of the Star Grave. ¡°Even so, the power of the Lyra stigmata has been getting stronger recently.¡±

    [If it¡¯s recent¡­]

    ¡°After Vega became a lover with you.¡±

    [¡­!]

    Vega¡¯s shoulders trembled at the still unfamiliar word ¡°lover.¡±

    That too for a while.

    [Now wait a minute. If that¡¯s the case¡­]

    Vega also seems to have realized the reason why Ojin was able to reach 10 stars.

    The goddess¡¯s cheeks began to turn bright red, as if they had been heated by fire.

    [Are you saying that you reached the 10th star because of the mating of rice and rice stars?!]

    ¡°¡­Probably.¡±

    Ohjin answered by shaking his head as if he could not believe it.

    Although he doesn¡¯t know the exact cause.

    It was clear that Lyra¡¯s stigmata became stronger by mixing with Vega.

    [In that case, if you and the original woman continue to have intercourse¡­]

    ¡°The power of the stigmata will be that much stronger.¡±

    [¡­!!!]

    The wide open eyes of the goddess.

    Vega stamped his feet with an expression of not knowing what to do, then clenched his fists and cheered.

    [Nice!]

    ¡°¡­huh?¡±

    [Oh no! It¡¯s not nice!]

    Which one is it?

    What country is Ann Nice?

    [Keuuk hum! Then I have a reason to continue having sex with you in the future!]

    ¡°First of all, I just reached 10 stars, so it¡¯s okay for the time being¡­¡±

    [What are you talking about!]

    Vega put her hands on her waist andined about the side dishes. He continued speaking in a stern voice, as if scolding a child with a beak.

    [Don¡¯t you have an important mission to change the fate of the world?]

    ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t mean¡­¡±

    [Uh-huh!]

    Vega shakes her head resolutely.

    [This isn¡¯t just for the two of us, it¡¯s also for the two children!]

    ¡°¡­That.¡±

    Well, it is not wrong to say that the stronger the power of the Lyra stigmata, the more securely you will be able to protect Ha-eun and Isabe.

    [Hmm, this can¡¯t be helped!]

    Vega cleared his throat awkwardly and slowly turned his head.

    [Although this is not what I saw! Even for the fate of the world and two other children! The main woman will have to sacrifice this one body!]

    The corner of Vega¡¯s mouth trembled, as if she couldn¡¯t control the corners of her mouth that twitched even though she was saying such a tragic line.

    Oh Jin smiled and shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t have to force a reason like that.¡±

    [Oh, that¡¯s not unreasonable!]

    ¡°Even if Lyra¡¯s stigmata doesn¡¯t get stronger, we can always be together in the future.¡±

    [Sigh.]

    As I lightly ced my hand on Vega¡¯s waist and kissed her, sparks began to fly above Vega¡¯s head.

    [Let¡¯s go back quickly.]

    Vega hurriedly turned around and walked out of the Star Tomb.

    Ojin followed her with a faint smile.

    [You cane a little closer.]

    Is it because we confirmed our love for each other?

    He pulled Oh Jin¡¯s hand, looking much more rxed than when he first started dating.

    [Uhm.]

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Vega, who was looking down at their joined hands and contemting something, soon carefully hugged Ojin¡¯s arm.

    Their bodies came closer together, and a soft touch spread along their arms.

    Vega slowly turned her head and opened her mouth urgently as if making an excuse.

    [Don¡¯t you always do this when you see Be or Ha-eun?]

    Just like she said.

    Both Ha-eun and Isabe preferred hugging Oh-jin¡¯s arms and keeping their bodies close to him rather than holding his hands.

    ¡°There is no need to be so conscious of the two.¡±

    Doesn¡¯t Vega have its own charm?

    There was no need to be conscious of Isabe and Ha-eun¡¯s actions and force them to match their actions.

    [¡­It¡¯s not like I did it with those two kids in mind.]

    ¡°But just now¡­¡±

    [You¡¯re so noisy!]

    Vega pinched Ojin¡¯s side and turned his head.

    Ojin looked at Vega, who turned his head andughed.

    ¡®He spoke as if he was conscious of Be and his sister.¡¯

    Did I just need a good excuse to put my arms around him?

    ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±

    Realizing that he was worried for no reason, Ohjin shrugged his shoulders and turned around.

    When I came to the Tomb of the Stars, I created a sphere of lightning and moved around as if riding a cloud, but on the way back, I walked slowly, remembering the sweet afterglow that still remained.

    [I had a great day today.]

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    [Hehe. It will get busier in the future, but I hope there will be a day like this again someday.]

    ¡°It¡¯s an opportunity, just make it happen.¡±

    When I was enjoying the afterglow of happiness, resting my head on Oh Jin¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Sisyyy!¡±

    From far away, the goddess of Virgo came running, her pink hair flying.

    Vega quickly let go of Ojin¡¯s arm that he was hugging and looked at Spica with an embarrassed expression.

    [Uh, uh, how could you be here¡­.]

    ¡°I was waiting for you toe out because I was curious!¡±

    Spica looks at Vega and Ojin with her eyes shining like stars in the night sky.

    For a girl who likes stories of love so much that she wakes up even in her sleep, she couldn¡¯t help but be curious about the details of Vega and Ojin¡¯s secret tomb date.

    ¡°How was the Star Tomb? huh? huh? ¡°It¡¯s a bit weird there, but it¡¯s a very pretty ce.¡±

    Spica is approaching with a squeak.

    Vega frowned slightly and stretched out his hand toward Spica.

    Let¡¯s go!

    A blue thunderbolt burned at the tip of my finger.

    ¡°Gyaggyaggyaggyaggya!¡±

    [Excessive curiosity leads to anger.]

    Vega, who had grilled Spica, snorted in amusement and turned his head.

    Vega¡¯s expression was not very good as she turned her head, as if she was very ufortable with having her intimate time with Ojin interrupted.

    ¡°Ugh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, unnie¡­ But I was so curious that I couldn¡¯t hold back.¡±

    Spica also knows very well that she interrupted the intimate date between the lovers.

    I was so curious that I couldn¡¯t bear it.

    ¡®The goddess of Origami is dating a human lover!¡¯

    The North Star constetion is located at the peak among hundreds of constetions.

    Among them, how could one remain silent upon the news that Vega, who was cold and blunt to the point that some even said that she might be more suited to the constetion of Cygnus than Deneb, the constetion of Cygnus, which is actually a constetion that deals with ¡®cold air¡¯, is dating.

    ¡®That¡¯s a disqualification for the Virgo constetion, a disqualification!¡¯

    Spica snorted excitedly and approached Vega.

    ¡°5 minutes! ¡°I won¡¯t bother you if you just talk for 5 minutes, so please!¡±

    [Uh huh. How can a constetion behave so rudely in front of a child?]

    When Vega tried to reprimand Spica with a stern expression.

    ¡°¡­huh?¡±

    Spica opened her eyes wide and tilted her head.

    Sniff.

    Suddenly, Spica, which came close to Vega, as if it were the constetion of the constetion Canis Hunting, began to smell.

    Vega¡¯s expression became even more vicious.

    [What are you doing now¡­]

    ¡°Sister, did you really¡­ do it in the Tomb of the Stars?¡±

    [¡­!]

    Vega¡¯s mouth widened and he took a step back with a shocked expression.

    [Oh, how, how could you¡­.]

    ¡°Have you forgotten which constetion I am?¡±

    The constetion of Virgo.

    As the goddess of purity and love, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to notice Vega¡¯s changes.

    ¡°Not only did I have this human lover, but ying outside¡­¡±

    [That¡¯s not it!]

    Spica looked at Vega with trembling eyes as if she couldn¡¯t believe it.

    Just before Vega lost his senses in shame, Ojin intervened between the two.

    ¡°I asked to do it first.¡±

    Thinking that if things continued like this, Vega might end up locked in the temple again, he turned the arrow at himself.

    ¡°¡­you?¡±

    Spica narrowed her eyes and looked back at Ojin.

    Oh Jin nodded and continued speaking in a calm tone.

    ¡°Spica, don¡¯t you know well about the legend surrounding the Star Tomb?¡±

    She is a goddess with a personality simr to that of an adolescent girl who is fascinated by love stories.

    There is no way that Spica, like any other constetion, does not know the legend that lovers who meet in the tomb will live together for 100 years.

    okay.

    It¡¯s true that there¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t know.

    ¡°huh? ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    [Now wait! Wait a moment, my child!]

    Vega, who was trembling in shame, covered Ojin¡¯s mouth with a horrified expression.

    Spica tilted her head and looked at Ojin with an iprehensible expression.

    ¡°What is the legend about the Star Tomb?¡±

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    A low exmation flowed from Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡®Fucked.¡¯

 Chapter 363

    I am not a regressor Episode 363:

    Vacation divided into three parts (9)

    Of course.

    It wasn¡¯t that Vega was good at lying.

    The story of the Tomb of the Stars had many loopholes and ws.

    But then Oh Jin didn¡¯t really doubt her words.

    ¡®Then the legends about the Star Tomb are all false¡­?¡¯

    This was because the person who lied was none other than Vega.

    [I am my child. That¡¯s it.]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Someone is Vega.

    Isn¡¯t it the constetion of the North Star, one of only three out of hundreds of constetions, and a constetion famous for being cold and blunt even among constetions?

    Of course, in front of Oh Jin, he often showed a slightly awkward and cute side rather than a cold and blunt side.

    Basically, she was a goddess with an extremely just and moral character who knew nothing of lies.

    But the superstition about the Star Tomb that Vega talked about was an outright lie.

    The absurdity was greater than the anger of being deceived.

    ¡°¡­her.¡±

    Augh escapes from between my lips.

    I swallowed hard, feeling a tingling sensation as if I had been hit in the back of the head with a hammer.

    ¡®why?¡¯

    Was it really necessary to lie to oneself and lie to oneself in the grave?

    Looking back at Vega with questioning eyes, he hesitated and lowered his head like a captured criminal.

    [I thought that would be more likely.]

    ¡°Possibility?¡±

    What possibilities?

    [¡­The possibility of being with you.]

    Vega answered in a hushed voice with her eyes tightly closed.

    ¡°What does that mean¡­ ah.¡±

    A low exmation flowed from between Oh Jin¡¯s lips.

    ¡®therefore.¡¯

    Uiminga is said to have done some sort of ¡®making a cause¡¯.

    Ojin smiled as he looked at Vega, whose shoulders were shaking with her eyes tightly closed.

    From his perspective, the first thought was that there was a need for some kind of justification for mixing bodies between lovers, but Vega¡¯s perspective was probably a bit different.

    Unlike Ojin, who had a lot of experience, this would have been the first time for Vega in his long life of hundreds or thousands of years.

    furthermore.

    ¡®Vega isn¡¯t as active as his older sister or Be.¡¯

    Perhaps the trick she worked hard toe up with was the superstition rted to the Tomb of the Stars.

    [I¡¯m sorry for tricking you.]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Should I say it¡¯s dark under themp?

    It was a n too foolish to be called a ¡®trick¡¯, so people were fooled without even suspecting it.

    I thoughtcently, ¡®Oh, they could have said this was a lie?¡¯

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t really matter to me whether you were fooled or not.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes turned to Spica.

    She was trembling, covering her mouth as if trying to suppressughter.

    and.

    bread.

    ¡°Kyahahahahaha! What is it, sister? ¡°Did you tempt Pagunseong by creating a superstition that didn¡¯t exist?!¡±

    Spica burst intoughter with tears in her eyes.

    Vega hesitated and took a step back, his face red with shame.

    [The poem is noisy!]

    ¡°Oh my~ Look at how cute my sister is! ¡°There is no such thing as a girl. A girl!¡±

    [Ugh.]

    ¡°What~? ¡°Lovers who meet in the tomb of the stars will live together for a hundred years, right?¡±

    [Stop that.]

    ¡°That¡¯s strange~? ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a rumor~?¡±

    [¡­.]

    Vega¡¯s golden eyes began to lose their shine, as if dark clouds were hanging over them.

    ¡®uh?¡¯

    A chilling shiver spread down Ojin¡¯s spine.

    My instinctive intuition was warning me that there was danger.

    [¡­okay. You¡¯ve never heard of it.]

    The atmosphere was as cold as if liquid nitrogen had been poured into it.

    Vega¡¯s eyes, as cold as frost, turned to Spica.

    ¡°Huh, sister?¡±

    Spica also seemed to sense that something was going wrong and stepped back with a trembling expression.

    Vega smiled brightly and walked briskly towards Spica.

    [Then the main woman will have to tell you directly.]

    Pajik Pajijik!

    Blue thunderbolts burned fiercely around Vega¡¯s body.

    Spica shook her head with a pale, tired expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sister!¡±

    [What are you sorry about? Not knowing is not a sin. It¡¯s a sin to not know and not want to know.]

    ¡°Hi!¡±

    Spica ran towards Ojin like a rabbit with its tail on fire.

    ¡°Papapgunseong! ¡°Please stop Vega!¡±

    Seeing her terrified expression, Ojin put his hand on Spica¡¯s shoulder as if telling her not to worry.

    and.

    ¡°You reap what you sow.¡±

    I pushed Spica towards Vega with all my might.

    ¡°You uuuuu!¡±

    Wow! Save me!

    Ojin turned around with a relieved expression, leaving behind Spica, who was screaming in despair.

    ¡®Shall I go back?¡¯

    Thest day of vacation was approaching.

    * * *

    ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m dying.¡±

    As I left the sanctuary, exhausted, I saw people busily starting their day under the shining morning sun.

    Oh Jin took out his smartphone and checked the time.

    6:36 AM.

    ¡°¡­There are about 20 minutes left.¡±

    ording to the agreement(?) shared between his lovers, the shift time is 7 am.

    In about 20 minutes from now, I had to start my day with Ha-eun, who was myst person.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    A deep sigh flowed from between Ojin¡¯s lips.

    In the end, I couldn¡¯t sleep properly for two days, and now I¡¯m on my third day.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Even though I didn¡¯t use the word ¡®lie¡¯, it felt like an illusion of the Heavenly Demon appeared in front of me and was sending me a sinister taunt.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ they¡¯re all better than my karma.¡±

    What can I do?

    Since he was the one who was greedy, he couldn¡¯tin.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s true that I¡¯m tired, but I don¡¯t feel that bad.¡¯

    As I recalled the events of the past two days, a faint smile appeared on my face.

    Although my body and mind were exhausted, I gained a lot of time.

    ¡®Thanks to you, I was able to reach 10 stars.¡¯

    Not only herself, but also Isabe was able to reach the threshold of 11 stars through blood sucking.

    ¡°¡­I feel a little bad because I didn¡¯t get stronger through training or something like that.¡±

    Isn¡¯t there a saying that no matter how far you go, you only have to go to Seoul?

    To be honest, I thought this was more effective than being locked in a training room and practicing.

    ¡®But you can¡¯t neglect training.¡¯

    If the power gained through Vega and Isabe was a kind of bonus, training was like a sry that could steadily be stronger.

    You can¡¯t just get a bonus and not get paid.

    ¡®And just because the stigmata gets stronger doesn¡¯t mean you can win the battle.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t some kind of Blue Marble game, and the side with the strongest magic of Stigmata did not necessarily win.

    No matter how sharp the sword is, if the skill of the wielder is poor, it is no different from a stic sword bought at a souvenir shop.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    While I was thinking about this and that, I arrived at the front door.

    ¡°Huh cha.¡±

    He lightly pped both cheeks to wake up his tired mind.

    No matter how tired and tired I was, I couldn¡¯t ruin my day with Ha-eun.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, sister.¡±

    Sweet.

    When I opened the front door and went inside, I saw Ha-eun sitting on the sofa, chewing on a snack and watching TV.

    ¡°How are you?¡±

    Ha-eun, wearing dolphin pants and a white crop top, waved her hand at Oh Jin.

    ¡°How was Begarang?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I had a good rest.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bear to tell Ha-eun what happened in the sanctuary because I thought it would make her look like Spica, who was pale and screaming.

    ¡°Hmm. okay?¡±

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and moved her hips to get closer to Oh-jin, who was sitting next to her.

    Ha-eun, who was looking at Oh Jin with coy eyes, clenched her fist and ced her thumb between her index and middle fingers.

    ¡°Did you do this?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hey, ma¡¯am.¡±

    The hand movements are so vulgar.

    ¡°You did it, you did it!¡±

    Ha-eun burst intoughter and poked Oh-jin¡¯s side with her elbow.

    ¡®Where did the soul of a middle-aged mane from?¡¯

    Oh Jinughed as if it was absurd.

    ¡°Vega, you pretended to be all noble, but then you immediately pounce on me just because we¡¯ve been dating for a while.¡±

    ¡°Never say that in front of Vega.¡±

    Because it might be an electric grill.

    ¡°I know, man.¡±

    Hi-eun shrugged her shoulders andughed.

    ¡°I¡¯m d though.¡±

    ¡°What are you happy about?¡±

    ¡°I think the matter with Vega has been resolved well.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    In the meantime, he was still worried about the rtionship between himself and Vega.

    ¡°¡­sorry.¡±

    My heart became heavy when I thought about what Ha-eun had to endure because of her greed.

    ¡°If you¡¯re sorry, be kind to me, man.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it at headquarters, sister.¡±

    If there was such a thing as conscience, I couldn¡¯t neglect Ha-eun.

    In fact, it was all thanks to Ha-eun¡¯s consideration that he was able to enjoy this luxury.

    ¡°Have you eaten breakfast?¡±

    ¡°No, not yet.¡±

    I haven¡¯t eaten anything since I went to the sanctuary with Vega, let alone breakfast.

    ¡°Would you like my sister to make it for you?¡±

    ¡°Actually, I just ate breakfast.¡±

    I¡¯m so full right now.

    ¡°why not! ¡°I¡¯m also good at cooking now?!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t let water get on our noble sister¡¯s hands.¡±

    There is something else to believe in.

    I couldn¡¯t believe Ha-eun¡¯s cooking skills.

    ¡°I will make it.¡±

    Oh Jin opened the refrigerator and checked the remaining ingredients.

    Ha-eun pulled Oh Jin¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Uh huh. ¡°Hands off, you bastard.¡±

    ¡°I said I made it?¡±

    ¡°Sweet! ¡°I¡¯m going to show you my skills, so stay still.¡±

    Ojin was kicked out in tears due to Ha-eun¡¯s strong attitude.

    Ha-eun grinned and raised a thumbs up at Oh-jin, who was looking at her with anxious eyes.

    ¡°Noona is going to make something amazing, so just wait patiently, man!¡±

    The breakfast Ha-eun prepared with such a confident expression.

    ¡°¡­ramen?¡±

    It was bubbling ramen.

    It also failed to control the water, so the soup shrunk like a dry desert.

    ¡°What are youining about?¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    okay.

    This is better.

    Oh Jin slurped the noodles and ate them with a resigned expression.

    The moment I put the noodles in my mouth, the image of the wide-open sea came into my mind.

    ¡°How about it?¡±

    ¡°make.¡±

    I feel like I¡¯m scooping up salt pans.

    ¡°You bastard, you don¡¯t know thetest trends! What is this¡­ Ah! Kujirai-style ramen? That¡¯s it, man!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t just stick to it.¡±

    I just added less water.

    ¡°Ssi¡­¡±

    Ha-eun dropped her shoulders with a gloomy expression.

    Oh Jin smiled and took a bowl of rice from the rice cooker and mixed it into the ramen.

    I mixed a bowl of rice with it, but it became something between dog food and porridge rather than ramen.

    ¡°Oh, this is delicious.¡±

    ¡°right?¡±

    There is nothing better than rice when ites to salty boiled ramen.

    After eating ramen with Ha-eun, Oh-jin sat down on the living room sofa again.

    ¡°So where do you want to go today?¡±

    Now that my stomach was full, it was time to start my day with Ha-eun in earnest.

    ¡°Uhm¡­well, that¡¯s okay.¡±

    Ha-eun, who had been contemting with her index finger on her lips, raised the corner of her mouth with a grin.

    ¡°house.¡±

    ¡°house?¡±

    ¡°ok. ¡°Let¡¯s just stay at home today.¡±

    Oh Jin looked embarrassed at Ha-eun¡¯s unexpected answer.

    ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s still a break at best.¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t even rest properly because you were being harassed by Be and Vega, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s shoulders trembled in shock at her point that got straight to the point.

    Ha-eun giggled knowingly and lightly pinched Oh-jin¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere today, let¡¯s get some rest.¡±

    ¡°¡­sister.¡±

    Oh Jin looked at Ha Eun with wide eyes, as if he was looking at an oasis discovered in the desert.

 Chapter 364

    I am not a returner Episode 364

    Interlude ¨C End of Vacation

    Ohjin, whose eyes were bright as if he had found an oasis in the desert, soon cleared his throat and shook his head.

    ¡°No, no matter what, it¡¯s a break and I¡¯m not going anywhere¡­¡±

    Didn¡¯t I swear just a few minutes ago that I wouldn¡¯t make Ha-eun as upset as she was?

    I couldn¡¯t ruin my precious vacation with Ha-eun just because I was tired.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, kid. ¡°My face has be half full, so what am I supposed to do?¡±

    Ha-eun chuckled and lightly stroked Oh-jin¡¯s head.

    Ha-eun came close to Oh-jin and leaned her head on his shoulder.

    ¡°And I really like being stuck at home like this and just rolling around.¡±

    It was nice to go somewhere with a nice atmosphere or eat something delicious together.

    There was something charming about wasting time like this, leisurely sitting on the sofa and doing nothing.

    ¡°Should we call it a staycation? ¡°It¡¯s simr to something like that.¡±

    ¡°This is not a hotel, this is a house.¡±

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it a hotelpared to the house we used to live in?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess so.¡±

    Oh Jinughed as he recalled the moldy studio apartment that wasn¡¯t even 5 pyeong in size.

    When I think about it now, it seems like so much time has passed that I don¡¯t even remember.

    Until just a few years ago, I lived with Ha-eun in that room-like house.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The days of struggling desperately day after day, taking care of Ha-eun, who lost one eye and a leg.

    Comparing then and now, I was able to realize how much my life had changed.

    ¡°Ojina.¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you happy now?¡±

    A voice that seems to tremble with anxiety somewhere.

    Oh Jin nodded, gently pulling Ha Eun¡¯s waist as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

    ¡°huh.¡±

    So much so that there is nothing more.

    To an infinite extent.

    In fact, it got to the point where I worried every night that I might be having a long dream.

    happy.

    ¡°okay?¡±

    A bright smile spread across Ha-eun¡¯s lips at the answer without hesitation.

    Sigh.

    Ha-eun lifted her head off Oh-jin¡¯s shoulder and stood up.

    I gently pushed Ojin¡¯s chest as he sat on the sofa with my hand and spread his legs to the sides.

    ¡°Go back, man.¡±

    ¡°Do what?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re just resting at home, you¡¯re going to want to sit in a special seat.¡±

    Without even having time to ask what special seating was, Ha-eun quickly sat back between Oh-jin¡¯s legs.

    Oh-jin, who was in a sitting position with Ha-eun hugging him behind him, frowned as he looked at the back of Ha-eun¡¯s head filling his field of vision.

    ¡°I¡¯m so ufortable.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay because I¡¯mfortable.¡±

    ¡°No, this kind of picture only appears when I am tall or when my sister is short. what¡¯s this.¡±

    While Oh Jin was just slightly taller than the average adult male, Ha-eun was taller than most models.

    When she wears heels, her eye level is higher than Ojin.

    Ha-eun, who is so tall, was leaning between her legs and leaning back like a backrest, making it a very ufortable and awkward position.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep and put your hands on my waist.¡±

    Ha-eun, who wrapped Oh Jin¡¯s arm around her waist as if she were wearing a seatbelt, leaned against the backrest (Oh Jin) with an expression that made her feel at ease in the world.

    ¡°Ha, the fluffy one is just right.¡±

    Unlike Ha-eun, who muttered in a tired voice as if she had just soaked in a hot spring, Oh-jin was having a more ufortable time in the world, with his face being rubbed by Ha-eun¡¯s reddish-brown hair.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Unlike the ufortable view, Ha-eun¡¯s back is pressed against her chest, or the feel of her skin through the arm around her waist.

    In particr, Ha-eun¡¯s outfit was very revealing, consisting of dolphin pants and a crop top, so the feel of her skin touching her was even more vivid.

    ¡°Huh~? ¡°It¡¯s not just fluffy, is it?¡±

    ¡°Noisy.¡±

    How can one maintain one¡¯s sanity in a situation like this?

    Oh Jin frowned and tickled Ha Eun¡¯s side.

    ¡°Aaaah! ¡°Stop that, you bastard!¡±

    I could clearly see Ha-eun making a fuss and shaking her legs.

    ¡°haha. ¡°Mr. Lee¡­¡±

    Ha-eun, who was breathing heavily and with tears in her eyes, pped Oh-jin¡¯s thigh.

    ¡°Is this bastard being arrogant and messing with my sister?¡±

    ¡°You started first.¡±

    ¡°But man!¡±

    They bickered and bickered for a while.

    Ha-eun, whose excitement had subsided, pulled Oh-jin¡¯s arm again and wrapped it around her waist,ughing.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to be like this.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    A feeling of melting happiness spread.

    Ha-eun opened her mouth, gently cing her hand on Oh-jin¡¯s arm wrapped around her waist.

    ¡°¡­Ojina.¡±

    ¡°ok?¡±

    Ha-eun hesitated for a moment before speaking carefully.

    ¡°This time¡­ what memories are gone?¡±

    A heavy silence fell.

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes, trembling with anxiety, stared at Oh-jin.

    Oh Jin gently squeezed her trembling hand and gently bit his lip.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    Because the memories that were cut out by the ck cloth could not feel a sense of difort, it was difficult to figure out for oneself what memories had disappeared.

    ¡°Do you remember that you and I are dating?¡±

    ¡°Of course I remember.¡±

    If I had forgotten that in the first ce, I wouldn¡¯t have done something crazy like splitting my vacation into three and meeting a different lover each day.

    Ha-eun nodded and continued speaking.

    ¡°Where did you get your sister¡¯s eyes fixed?¡±

    ¡°Yongsan Auction House.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Then what about the legs?¡±

    ¡°With the elixir I received after fighting Deneb¡¯s apostles.¡±

    The memories of that day remained vivid in my mind without being swallowed up by the dark clouds of the dark sky.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Ha-eun is deep in thought, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her chin.

    Ha-eun, who continued to think for a moment, asked, snapping her fingers as if she remembered something.

    ¡°What was the first experience you had after losing your memory?¡±

    ¡°I remember.¡±

    ¡°Kabi.¡±

    What kind of cabbage is it?

    ¡°Still, I seem to remember quite a few things.¡±

    ¡°So, I don¡¯t know what memories have disappeared.¡±

    A deep sigh flowed from between Ojin¡¯s lips.

    If a big memory disappears, like when I forgot that I was a lover with Ha-eun, I would feel ufortable. It was frustrating because I didn¡¯t even know what kind of memory had disappeared.

    ¡®What kind of memory¡­¡¯

    Even going back to the memory of when I first met Ha-eun, there was no gap that made me feel ufortable.

    Disappearing without even knowing what memories were lost.

    That aroused fear that seemed to strangle Ojin.

    Could it be that all memories disappear like this?

    Without even feeling a sense of difort or even realizing the gap.

    one two.

    Like falling into a swamp.

    The very existence of ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯ is erased©¥

    ¡°Atta, you bastard. Are you tired of pooping in your pants? ¡°Why is your expression so serious?¡±

    Ha-eun snaps her finger at Oh-jin¡¯s forehead, who is immersed in worry while chewing his lip.

    Sigh!

    A sharp pain spread across my forehead along with a clear sound.

    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±

    As Oh Jin red while rubbing his forehead, Ha Eun burst intoughter and shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°I guess it wasn¡¯t a very important memory because I didn¡¯t feel anything strange while talking about it. ¡°You¡¯re not going to take it that seriously, are you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m such a bastard, I don¡¯t even remember what I ate yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that dementia?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to rummage?¡±

    Ha-eun pulled Oh-jin¡¯s cheek and made a grim expression.

    A lowugh escaped Ojin¡¯s lips.

    Her tone of voice is harsh, but she may be trying tofort herself in her own way.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve really forgotten all my old memories. ¡°Where did we meet before when we first met?¡±

    ¡°Rooftop of the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right!¡±

    Ha-eun pped her hands and nodded.

    Ha-eun, who was recalling memories from a long time ago, tilted her head and asked.

    ¡°But what did we talk about then?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    I went back to my memory.

    Memories of the first time I met Ha-eun.

    The boy¡¯s ugly secret base he built on the rooftop and the girl¡¯s memories of entering it.

    -Let¡¯s see¡­ If it¡¯s a secret base, they won¡¯t let just anyone in, right?

    -Even if mom and dade, they won¡¯t let you in. never.

    I don¡¯t remember the girl¡¯s face, though.

    I still clearly remember what I said while smiling brightly.

    -Even if you can¡¯t be mom and dad, you can still be a sister, right?

    okay.

    She stepped into her secret base using such absurd force.

    -lol. Now that I¡¯m here, I have to keep calling you noona from now on?

    I remember.

    reminds me of

    Can¡¯t be reced with anything.

    Memories that shine brightly like stars in the night sky.

    ¡®I¡¯m d.¡¯

    A smile spread across Ojin¡¯s lips as he realized that the memory of being eaten by Heukcheon was not the memory of when he first met her.

    Oh Jin looked back at Ha Eun and opened his mouth quietly.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    Although Ha-eun doesn¡¯t remember.

    Or rather, because Ha-eun doesn¡¯t remember.

    I wanted to bury the memories of when I first met her entirely in my own memories.

    ¡°Look, you don¡¯t remember much either.¡±

    In the end, Ha-eun, who failed to recall the memories of when they first met, swallowed heavily and patted Oh-jin on the shoulder.

    ¡°Well, what¡¯s important about old memories? ¡°What¡¯s important is now.¡±

    ¡°¡­okay.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just keep your face straight.¡±

    Oh Jin smiled slightly and nodded at Ha Eun¡¯s words.

    He strengthened his arms around Ha-eun and buried his head in the crook of her neck.

    ¡®ah.¡¯

    I could feel Ha-eun¡¯s shoulders trembling slightly.

    Although I¡¯m pretending like nothing¡¯s wrong.

    Although I¡¯m pretending it¡¯s nothing.

    ¡®That can¡¯t be possible.¡¯

    In fact, she probably knows it too.

    The fact that memories of the past disappear is not something that can be ovee with just one word, ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯

    Nevertheless, Ha-eun smiled brightly for herself.

    Because he knew that he would also suffer as much as she suffered.

    ¡°¡­sister.¡±

    ¡°ok?¡±

    He continued speaking quietly.

    ¡°thank you.¡±

    ¡°Huh? ¡°What do you say you have to be thankful for?¡±

    ¡°Just everything.¡±

    Just the fact that I can now hug Ha-eun from behind like this.

    I thought that it didn¡¯t matter what happened to the memories that were swallowed up by ck Heaven.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Ha-eun, who was drooling with a bright red face while being held in Oh-jin¡¯s arms, soon turned around and sat on Oh-jin¡¯sp.

    ¡°It won¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°What can¡¯t be done?¡±

    Oh Jin cleared his throat and turned his head to see Ha-eun¡¯s face, who was so close that their noses were touching.

    It was difficult to maintain my senses when I was in the position of hugging her from behind, but it was even more difficult to bear it when I was in the position of sitting facing her like this.

    Ha-eun, who was sitting on Oh-jin¡¯sp and looking down at him, smiled mischievously and licked her lips like a wild beast that had caught its prey.

    ¡°I told you to let me get some rest today, but¡­ is this pretty thing going to beat you up?¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    What do you mean you hit your tail?

    ¡°Hehe! ¡°Even if you say no with your mouth, your body is honest!¡±

    ¡°Now wait a minute. ¡°Ahh! My clothes are torn and torn!¡±

    Toad duduk!

    The sound of a button falling off a shirt and fluttering on the floor signaled the end of a three-day vacation.

 Chapter 365

    I am not a returner Episode 365:

    Constetion of the ck Star (1)

    After the three-day vacation, busy daily life began again.

    As always, Ojin woke up early in the morning and headed to the personal training facility that Isabe had purchased and built an entire stadium for him.

    The training started at 4 a.m. and ended around 8 p.m.

    He went through a devastating training schedulesting 16 hours and steadily mastered the power of the Lyra Stigmata, which raised him to 10 stars.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just leave then, Mr. Ohjin. ¡°I made as many side dishes as possible of each type and put them in the refrigerator, so take them out and eat them.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. thank you.¡±

    Oh Jin was not the only one with a busy schedule.

    Isabe was also spending a busy life traveling around the world to manage dozens of businesses run by the Colgrande family, along with personal training.

    ¡°You said you were going to Italy this time, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. ¡°I¡¯m nning to visit my parents¡¯ house for a while.¡±

    ¡°How much do you have?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I have a lot of work to take care of, so I¡¯ll probably have to stay a little longer this time.¡±

    Isabe speaks with a sullen expression, perhaps because she thinks she will have to stay away from Ojin for a while.

    The sight of her with slumped shoulders made me feel like a puppy getting caught in the rain, and I smiled involuntarily.

    ¡°what? Are you sure you want to stay away from me?¡±

    Isabe shoots a sharp look at Oh Jin, who isughing.

    Ojin shook his head and gently stroked her cheek.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±

    ¡°ha. ¡°I feel like I want to get rid of everything, including the business¡­¡±

    Isabe looked at Ojin with anxious eyes and sighed deeply.

    I really wanted to give up everything I had to do to manage the business and stick to Oh Jin and carefully manage everything from his diet to his nightly schedule.

    ¡®For the sake of Oh Jin¡­ I¡¯ll have to endure it.¡¯

    The enormous wealth and power thates from running dozens of businesses will be a great help to Oh Jin, who has no backing of any kind except the association.

    Even in a world where cracks leading to the outside world were created and demons were infested, the power of capital was still enormous.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will take good care of Ojini while you are away.¡±

    Ha-eun grinned, raising the corners of her mouth and subtly groping Oh-jin¡¯s buttocks.

    Isabe¡¯s eyes turned sharp.

    ¡°sister¡­!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I¡¯m kidding. ¡°You know I¡¯m busy these days too, right?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±

    Isabe bit her lip as if she didn¡¯t like it at all.

    I know that Ha-eun has been very busytely, concentrating on training to manipte the spirit of the Dragon God obtained from the Demonic Sutra.

    ¡°¡­Still, it¡¯s disgusting.¡±

    At least you don¡¯t have to go abroad like you did.

    Isabe sighed deeply and shook her head.

    We couldn¡¯t keepining like children when everyone was busy.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go, Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°huh. Have a safe trip. ¡°Get in touch.¡±

    Ojin lightly kissed Isabe and waved as she left.

    ¡°I will take you to mydy.¡±

    Roberto and his attendants dressed in ck suits, who had been waiting outside the entrance, left with Isabe.

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue as she watched Isabe leaving.

    ¡°You seem really busy these days.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    No matter how talented you were, running dozens ofpanies couldn¡¯t have been easy.

    Even if most of the practical work is handled from below, there will be many things that require her to make decisions.

    ¡°Okay. ¡°I have to get ready to go out soon.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go together, Ojina.¡±

    Although Ha-eun was not confined to the training center for 16 hours a day like O-jin, Ha-eun was also working hard on her training.

    When I have free time, I eat the packed lunch I brought with me or help Ojin with his training.

    ¡°Please call Vega first.¡±

    Unlike Ha-eun, who helped Oh-jin whenever she had time, Vega was quite systematically helping Oh-jin with training to deal with the stigmata of the Lyra constetion.

    Thanks to this, the technique of fusing the power of the Lyra Stigmata and the ck Sky, which Ojin is now focusing on, was developing rapidly every day.

    In the past, I would never have dreamed of receiving help from Vega in the training of weaving the ck Heaven and the Lyra Stigmata.

    Since the identity of the ck Sky was revealed anyway, there was no need to train while avoiding Vega¡¯s eyes.

    Wooooow!

    As I poured magical energy into the pendant around my neck, a silvery glow came out.

    [It¡¯s the real girl!]

    Bababam!

    Vega appeared in the same posture as me.

    She looked around at Oh Jin and Ha Eun, who had changed into training clothes, and let out a short sigh.

    [Are you going to train again?]

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    [ha. Yesterday, you trained for such a long time that you became a rag¡­ I am worried that your body may be ruined.]

    ¡°If you get hurt, just take a good dip in the swimming pool.¡±

    As it is a training facility built by remodeling the entire stadium, there is also arge swimming pool inside for underwater training.

    Of course, Ojin¡¯s main purpose of using the training facility¡¯s swimming pool was for simple treatment, not training for underwaterbat.

    [Did I say that the technology that absorbs water and heals the body is called water affinity?]

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    [But doesn¡¯t that technology only treat trauma?]

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    Still, there is something about trauma that can bepletely healed.

    ¡°But as the flowering stage of Heukcheon increased, the internal injuries were also healed to some extent.¡±

    Although it was literally only ¡®to a certain extent¡¯, it was not a skill suitable for treating internal injuries.

    ¡®Even if you pour a bucket of elixir, the wound won¡¯t regenerate this quickly.¡¯

    Although this is limited to trauma, in terms of simple recovery, the water-friendly skill was not at all inferior to the legendary potion elixir, which is said to be able to revive the dead.

    ¡®Thanks to you, it¡¯s nice to be able to train without worrying about damaging your body.¡¯

    As long as there is enough water, no matter how serious the injury, the wound can regenerate as if it were an immortal slime. For Ohjin, who enjoyed training so intense that it was almost torture, there was no better recovery skill than this.

    [ha. I really can¡¯t live.]

    Vega touched her forehead as if her head was pounding.

    The Holy Spirit Riak, who inherited part of her soul, was also a training fanatic simr to Ojin, but at least Riak did not train ignorantly to the point that his body was damaged like Ojin.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s leave quickly.¡±

    Today I couldn¡¯t go out early in the morning to see Isabe off to Italy.

    When I opened the front door, I thought I should stay a little longer as it waste.

    Jiiiiiiing.

    The smartphone I had in my pocket vibrated.

    ¡°Who¡¯s calling?¡±

    ¡°for a moment.¡±

    When I turned on the smartphone screen, Manager Junman Han¡¯s name appeared.

    ¡°Yes, Manager.¡±

    -haha! Oh Oh Jin, is it okay to talk to you right now?

    The voice of a manager who seems somewhat urgent.

    -Well¡­ could youe to the association right now?

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    -I¡¯ll exin that when youe.

    ¡°Hmm. Yes, I understand. ¡°Let¡¯s go right away.¡±

    -thank you!

    Manager Han hung up the phone without even saying hello properly.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°well. ¡°It sounded like something very urgent.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, really?¡±

    ¡°I guess I should go first.¡±

    ¡°Oh wait. ¡°They called me too.¡±

    Soon Ha-eun¡¯s smartphone also started vibrating.

    It looks like they are calling not just one person, Oh Jin, but all the awakened people who are connected to the association.

    ¡°Yes, Manager Gori. ¡°I heard about it from Ojini, so I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    After a short phone call with Manager Han, Ha-eun headed straight to the association with Oh Jin.

    * * *

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here!¡±

    When I arrived at the association, a manager, sweating profusely, came to meet me at the entrance.

    Oh Jin approached Manager Han and asked in a quiet voice.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Unlike Manager Han¡¯s anxious expression, the expressions of employees and awakened people walking around the association looked calm.

    In other words, the fact that Manager Han is trying to convey is an incident that has not yet been made public within the association.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Manager Junman Han looked around and then turned around.

    ¡°Just follow me first.¡±

    The ce we arrived at after Han Jun-man was a conference room within the association where only the association president and other high-ranking executives could enter.

    Oh Jin tilted his head at the feeling of poprity he could feel inside.

    ¡°hmm? ¡°Who came first?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. ¡°He is the guild leader of the Valha guild.¡±

    Valha Guild?

    When I narrow my eyes to a name I haven¡¯t heard in a long time.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    The door to the conference room opened and Lee Woo-hyuk appeared.

    ¡°Ah¡­ yes. ¡°It¡¯s been a really long time.¡±

    Oh Jin shook hands with Lee Woo-hyuk and remembered thest time he met him.

    ¡®Is it Living Armor time?¡¯

    It was so old that I barely even remember it now.

    ¡®hmm?¡¯

    At that time, I saw something the size of a doll being ced on Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s shoulder.

    A man with prayers as heavy as a sharply forged de.

    However, since it was so small that it barely exceeded the palm of your hand, much of its unique intimidation had disappeared.

    [It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw you, Pagunseong.]

    The doll-sized man sitting on top of Lee Woohyuk opened his mouth.

    He gave a light greeting to Ojin, then turned towards Vega, who was sitting on Ojin¡¯s shoulder, and bowed his head politely.

    [I see the star in the constetion Lyra.]

    [Aren¡¯t you¡­ Regulus?]

    Regulus.

    It was the constetion of Leo, which was responsible for one axis of the 12 signs of the zodiac.

    [How could youe to Earth¡­?]

    [After the power of the restriction weakened, I was able to manifest in a prosthetic body.]

    [Ah.]

    A low exmation flowed from Vega¡¯s mouth.

    I had heard that constetions could appear outside after the restrictions were weakened, but this was the first time I had seen it with my own eyes.

    ¡®Did the constetion of Leo choose Lee Woo-hyuk?¡¯

    He already said that he was keeping an eye on him, but it seemed like he chose to stay by Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s side.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say helloter¡­ Manager?¡±

    ¡°Yes, pleasee inside.¡±

    A manager opened the door to the conference room and went inside.

    ¡°First of all, I already told awakened Lee Woo-hyuk, but¡­ Please take a look at the video here.¡±

    An image appeared through the beam projector.

    The video showed a deste beach with no people.

    ¡°This¡­?¡±

    ¡°This is a video sent by the Kuroshi organization.¡±

    Kuroshi was a yakuza organization that had previous ties to Ojin.

    Ohjin nodded and focused on the video ying in front of him.

    -Gurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    ck cracks forming on the beach.

    I could see something rushing out of it.

    ¡°¡­Demon beast?¡±

    Its head resembled that of a horse, but it walked on two legs and had webbed arms and legs that protruded from its body.

    And another feature.

    ¡®horn.¡¯

    It has two horns growing on its head, which looks simr to a horse.

    It was simr to the horns on the foreheads of the demons I had seen so many times in the magic world.

    ¡°What¡¯s important is whates next.¡±

    A manager quickly rotated the video.

    After hundreds and thousands of horse-headed demonic beasts walked out of the crack.

    -Write it down. This is Earth.

    A horse-headed monster walking out of a ck crack.

    However, unlike the horse-headed demon beast that had appeared so far, an indescribably strong sense of intimidation was radiating from him.

    Neither a demon beast nor a demon.

    A distant sense of encountering a transcendent being far beyondmon sense.

    Coo goo goo goo goong!

    As soon as I lightly stepped on the sandy beach, the surroundings shook and the sea water violently churned as if an earthquake had urred.

    [That author¡­]

    [That¡¯s right, Vega.]

    Regulus nodded, looking back at Vega, whose eyes were wide.

    Regulus spoke quietly, frowning at the corner of his right eye where a sharp sword was engraved.

    There is one thing you can learn from this short video that is less than 10 minutes long.

    [The constetion of the Hippocampus constetion¡­Ancdus.]

    The constetion of the ck star.

    Appeared on Earth.

 Chapter 366

    I am not a returner Episode 366:

    Constetion of the ck Star (2)

    [That¡¯s nonsense!]

    Vega shook her head with a horrified expression.

    [How can the constetion of the ck Star appear on Earth?!]

    It also did not appear in a false body like Vega or Regulus, but in the form of its true body.

    Of course, Vega was able to appear as her true self on Earth for a short period of time, but this was only possible because she was the constetion of the North Star.

    It was impossible for them, who were merely satellites expelled from the sanctuary in the past, to manifest as their true selves on Earth, which was not a demonic world.

    No, not exactly.

    It had to be impossible.

    ¡°¡­If you look at me, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case.¡±

    Ohjin gently bit his lip as he looked at the Hippocampus constetion beyond the video.

    An intense feeling of intimidation that is vividly felt even though it is not directly encountered.

    It was an energy that could only be exuded by a true transcendent that could not be felt by a constetion incarnated in a false body.

    ¡°So the reason you called us here is because of the ck star constetion that appeared in Japan?¡±

    ¡°To be precise, an official request for support hase from the Kuroshi organization. ¡°It was only Oh Jin who spoke there, but it seemed like it would be difficult for Oh Jin to do it alone, so I also contacted Woohyuk and Haeun.¡±

    As Manager Han said, Oh Jin was not something he could handle alone.

    ¡°First of all, I contacted the other Chilseong members, including Mr. Allen and Reba, but¡­ I heard that they are all away due to other matters.¡±

    So it was Lee Woo-hyuk and Ha-eun who asked for help?

    Oh Jin clicked his tongue and nodded.

    ¡®This is probably the limit to the number of awakened people that can be gathered through the power of the association.¡¯

    Although it was said that the association¡¯s presence in Korea grew due to Oh Jin¡¯s activities, this was only limited to Korea.

    With various interests intertwined, it would not have been possible to bring together the ¡®Seven Stars¡¯ who were tied to different countries and factions.

    ¡®But there¡¯s no point in gathering up random people.¡¯

    Since the ck Star Constetion has appeared and not just an ordinary demonic situation, the power of at least a high-ranking awakened person must be invested.

    [That¡¯s why you leave the responsibility of the ck Star Constetion to your own child! This is absolutely irresponsible!]

    Vega fiercely opened his eyes and red at Manager Han.

    Manager Han hurriedly opened his mouth, shaking his shoulders in a way that was not appropriate for his size.

    ¡°Of course, I have no intention of leaving this matter to Mr. Ojin alone! In the first ce, ording to the terms of the contract between the Association and Mr. Oh Jin, no orders or instructions can be given.¡±

    Manager Han continued speaking quickly while observing Vega¡¯s feelings.

    ¡°I just wanted to tell you that a request for support came from Japan along with this video!¡±

    Does this mean that the choice is ultimately up to Oh Jin?

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Ohjin sighed deeply and nodded.

    ¡°All right. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Japan.¡±

    It was said that the constetion of the ck Star had appeared on Earth, but they could not sit still and wash their hands due to ack of personnel.

    [Ha, but it¡¯s my child! This is too dangerous!]

    ¡°I know.¡±

    The very foundation of the constetion was something transcendent, different from humans.

    In addition, the ck Star Constetion is a being that has received the power of the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯.

    It was literally on a different level from the enemies we had fought so far.

    but.

    Or rather, that¡¯s why.

    ¡°We have to move first before he does anything.¡±

    It was not a heroic determination to reduce innocent sacrifices.

    There is no way the ck star constetions suddenly came to Earth without any reason.

    It wasn¡¯t the ck star constetion that started moving.

    ¡®It started moving.¡¯

    Cheonma.

    I quietly closed my eyes, remembering my past life.

    I didn¡¯t know why he sent the ck Star Constetion to Earth without moving directly, but I was certain that he was involved in the manifestation of the ck Star Constetion.

    [Huh, but¡­]

    Vega seemed to be well aware of that fact as well, but instead of trying to make a rebuttal, he lowered his head with a deep sigh.

    [¡­I understand.]

    Nodding his head with difficulty, Vega looked back at Manager Han and said.

    [Can you y the video again?]

    ¡°Oh yes! of course!¡±

    Manager Han jumped up and grabbed the beam projector remote control in his hand.

    The video will soon start ying again.

    Even if I looked at it twice, I didn¡¯t really see anything different.

    All that is shown is a ck crack opening on a deste beach, and the constetion of the Hippocampus, along with a group of strange horse-headed beasts, walking out from within.

    -Hmm?

    Chijijijijiji!

    The video ended with the constetion Ancdus in the Hippocampus constetion turning its head in the direction of the camera.

    ¡°When was the video taken?¡±

    Oh Jin, who was staring at the video, turned his head to Manager Han and asked.

    ¡°It was around 2pm three days ago. ¡°They say it was filmed by a member of Kuroshi¡¯s organization who went out after seeing a strange wave of magical power.¡±

    ¡°Who is that gang member¡­?¡±

    ¡°He died at the scene.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Immediately after Ancdus turned his head, the screen seemed to crackle and shake, and it seemed like he had been discovered while secretly filming.

    ¡°Has there been any other movement over the past three days?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°First of all, there are no signs that it has gone beyond the coast, but it is not clear where exactly it is hiding.¡±

    The number of horse-headed beasts seen at a nce in the video was close to a thousand, but no trace of them can be found.

    ¡®It¡¯s a pain in the ass.¡¯

    It would have been more difficult to deal with magic beasts that moved in such an organized manner, as if they had acted recklessly based on their instincts.

    [Watch the video back for a moment.]

    ¡°Oh yeah.¡±

    A manager turned the video back.

    Vega, who was looking at the video with narrowed eyes, opened his mouth.

    [Again.]

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    [Stop.]

    ¡°Are you talking here?¡±

    The scene where the video stops is right after Ancdus walks out of the ck crack.

    As I stepped on the sandy beach, the surrounding sea water was turbulent.

    [This is¡­]

    Vega, who was staring intently at the video, brightened his eyes sharply.

    [There is no sanctuary.]

    ¡°There is no sanctuary?¡±

    [The surrounding sea water is turbulent. It is simply responding to Ancdus¡¯ magic rather than the influence of the Sanctuary.]

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s different about that?¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head as if he couldn¡¯t understand.

    Ha-eun and Manager Lee Woo-hyuk, who were listening together, frowned as if they could not understand what was being said.

    Of those gathered here, there was only one other than Vega who understood.

    [Hmm. That¡¯s how it happened.]

    It was only Regulus, the same constetion.

    [When a constetion fully manifests with its own power, a sanctuary is naturally created around it unless it is intentionally destroyed.] A

    sanctuary is an area where the power of the constetion can be freely exercised.

    It was something simr to an aura.

    Of course, in order to properly use the power of the sanctuary, it was necessary to ¡®unfold¡¯ the sanctuary wrapped around the body, as Vega showed before.

    What Vega is pointing out now basically means that you can¡¯t even see the sanctuary surrounding the body.

    ¡°Then the fact that there is no sanctuary¡­¡±

    [It means that the ck Star Constetion has not fully manifested itself with its own power.]

    In other words.

    Although there is a difference in degree, does this mean that the ck Star Constetion is also notpletely free from the restrictions of thew?

    ¡°So, even if it¡¯s a constetion, you¡¯re saying that you can attack it if you want?¡±

    Ha-eun asked, clenching her fists.

    Vega smiled bitterly and nodded.

    [Even if there is no sanctuary, it is still powerful¡­ but the true power of the constetion cannot be brought out.] Does

    this mean that it is not an opponent to which there is no answer?

    ¡°Well¡­ Anyway, I guess I have no choice but to go and see for myself.¡±

    Oh Jin let out a short sigh and stood up.

    There was no time to dawdle here anymore than I knew that the ck Star Constetion had appeared.

    ¡®There is no gate leading to the sanctuary in Japan, so it would be difficult to go directly.¡¯

    Just as I was about to ask Manager Han to catch the ne.

    ¡°It will be faster to take a private ne owned by the Valha Guild than to catch a separate ne.¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk slowly raised his hand and suggested.

    ¡°Are you going with us, Woohyuk?¡±

    Unlike Oh Jin, who was born alone, Lee Woo-hyuk was a guild leader in charge of a guild.

    Just looking at it, I didn¡¯t think I would silently participate in something that has no return and only risks.

    ¡°Before I am the guild leader of the Valha guild, I am an awakened person who inherited the power of the constetion.¡±

    Awakener.

    The chosen heroes who took up arms for humanity when the first rift opened and demons overtook the entire world.

    Nowadays, most people who are awakened act for personal interests and gain, so half of it has been erased from memory.

    The Awakened were basically heroes who fought to protect humanity.

    ¡°Instead, it seems difficult to invest all of the Valha Guild¡¯s power.¡±

    Does this mean that you can¡¯t put the entire guild in danger because of your choices?

    ¡®I guess not all blood rtives have the same personality.¡¯

    He was very different from Lee Shin-hyuk, whom we could glimpse through folklore.

    ¡°Then, I will tell the Kuroshi organization that Ojin will be arriving soon!¡±

    ¡°please.¡±

    ¡°If there are any necessary equipment or supplies, the association will prepare them!¡±

    It¡¯s a necessary item.

    ¡®There isn¡¯t anything in particr.¡¯

    Although I am jealous of Kim Si-hoo¡¯s equipment.

    Even if you request it right away, it will take too long to bepleted.

    Even if you use a ready-made product rather than a custom one, it will be difficult to see much of an effect.

    ¡°Do you need anything?¡±

    ¡°ok? me?¡±

    Ha-eun crossed her arms and was lost in thought.

    After thinking for a while, she snapped her fingers as if a good idea struck her.

    ¡°Duty-free shop cigarettes?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin stood up and pulled Ha Eun¡¯s back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just go home and change my clothes.¡±

    ¡°why not! ¡°What¡¯s wrong with duty-free shop cigarettes?¡±

    ¡°Noisy.¡±

    Oh Jin headed home, dragging Ha Eun.

    * * *

    Kansai International Airport arrived on Valha Guild¡¯s private ne.

    It was Osaka who had returned for the first time in a long time after fighting with Sosuke Kusanagi, the enforcer of the Hippocampus constetion.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s over there.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ it looks that way just by looking at it.¡±

    When I went out of the airport, there were dark-looking men dressed in ck suits lined up on both sides.

    Laid out on the floor in the middle was not a red carpet, but a huge piece of paper with unidentifiable Chinese characters scrawled on it.

    At first nce, it seemed to have Chinese characters for ¡®loyalty¡¯ and ¡®loyalty¡¯ written on it.

    ¡®Oh please.¡¯

    Ojin stopped in shock at the shameful sight that made the back of his head feel hot just by looking at it.

    ¡°uh? ¡°Oh, you havee!¡±

    One of the members of the Kuroshi organization shouted out in a fuss as if he had discovered the misdiagnosis.

    OK.

    ¡°¡°See you Oyabung!¡±¡±

    Hundreds of yakuza bowed their heads towards Ojin and shouted in loud voices.

    The attention of people walking around the airport instantly focused on Ojin.

    Ojin looked at the Kuroshi organization members with an expression of bewilderment.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m your Oyabung?¡±

    Since when?

 Chapter 367

    I am not a returner Episode 367:

    Constetion of ck Stars (3)

    ¡°Hahaha! Isn¡¯t Oh Jin the brother with whom I shared a cup? Oyabung¡¯s younger brother is also Oyabung!¡±

    After receiving guidance from members of the Kuroshi organization, we arrived in front of arge traditional Japanese house and saw Ryo Sakaki there to meet us.

    It¡¯s so big that you¡¯d believe it was a cow covered in human skin.

    Ryo Sakaki, who holds the title of Japan¡¯s Strongest Awakening, was exuding a sense of intimidation that waspletely different from when I first saw him.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Mr. Sakaki.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh! Why is there something between us, brother? Instead of using such a stiff title, please feel free to call me brother!¡±

    Oh Jin smiled bitterly and nodded.

    It¡¯s been a long time since we stopped contacting each other to call it ¡®between us¡¯, but it didn¡¯t feel too awkward, perhaps because of Sakaki¡¯s unique cheerful atmosphere.

    ¡°I understand, brother.¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha! How are you, little brother?¡±

    Sakaki burst out inughter and waved at Ojin.

    ¡°I heard about Oh Jin¡¯s younger brother¡¯s activities so much that it burned my ears! ¡°I heard you went to the magic world this time, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that happened.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I never thought I would go all the way to the devil¡¯s eye! From the moment I first saw my younger brother, I thought he was no ordinary man!¡±

    Sakaki made a fuss that was not appropriate for his size, and pped Ojin¡¯s back with a hand the size of a pot lid.

    ridge! ridge!

    Even though I was patting my back lightly, a heavy impact, along with a sound like a drum, shook my insides.

    ¡®also.¡¯

    I felt the same way when I first saw Sakaki

    : ¡°It looks like you have achieved some aplishments.¡±

    ¡°hmm? Hahaha! This is so embarrassing. ¡°It¡¯s nothingpared to younger brother Ojin¡¯s aplishments!¡±

    Although it was said to be no big deal, the magic power flowing out of Sakaki was so fierce and powerful, like an angry bull struggling.

    ¡®Is it at least 9 stars?¡¯

    When I first met Sakaki, he was an 8-star awakened person, so it was quite possible for him to reach 9-star.

    Ryo Sakaki was a rare and talented awakened person in Japan, which is called ¡®thend where the stars abandoned¡¯.

    ¡°There are now high-ranking awakened people in Japan.¡±

    Although it was not clear what the rtionship was, countries like Japan that did not have gates leading to sanctuaries tended to have lower numbers of awakened people and lower average ¡®sex¡¯.

    Because Japan is such a country, it has not yet had what the world calls ¡®high-ranking awakeners¡¯ who have ovee the nine-star barrier.

    A huge tree called Sakaki Ryo had firmly rooted its roots in this barrennd.

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°I am not the only one who has be a high-ranking awakened.¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    Other than Sakaki, is there another awakened person in Japan who can reach 9 stars?

    ¡°Koshirooooo! How long do you n on hiding like a rat?¡±

    Coo!

    Sakaki turned around and shouted, stamping his feet roughly.

    A young man with his head down among the Yakuza in ck suits shook his shoulders in shock.

    A gang member who betrayed Sakaki in the past by holding his younger sister hostage.

    Koshiro was seen leaving, saying, ¡®This time, I wille back as a real man.¡¯

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a while.¡±

    Koshiro walks out hesitantly.

    ¡°You idiot!¡±

    Bah!

    Sakaki¡¯s palm gently hit Koshiro¡¯s back.

    Koshiro¡¯s body, which flew in an acrobatic mid-air rotation, broke and rolled over on the hard marble floor.

    Sakaki shouted, looking down at Koshiro with burning eyes.

    ¡°What kind of voice is that! ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that a true man should always speak in a loud and booming voice?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Oya-bung!¡±

    Koshiro, who had been rolling around on the ground roughly as if he had been hit by some kind of truck, suddenly got up without a single scratch.

    Oh Jinughed at the conversation between the two people, which seemed like they were watching a skit from some outdatededy program.

    ¡®It looks like he¡¯s back in the organization.¡¯

    Even under certain circumstances, it would not have been easy to wee back into the organization a traitor who had once betrayed the organization.

    Well, considering Sakaki¡¯s personality, he would haveughed it off as a trivial matter.

    ¡°Anyway, Mr. Koshiro, did you know that there are other high-ranking awakened people besides Mr. Sakaki?¡±

    ¡°ha ha ha! That¡¯s right! ¡°There was no contact for a while about whether he was dead or alive, but he came back as a high-ranking awakened person!¡±

    He added that he was a foolish bastard, but Sakaki¡¯s eyes as he looked at Koshiro were filled with pride, as if he was seeing his son who had worked hard to get into a prestigious university.

    ¡°Haha¡­ Because I had a debt to pay.¡±

    Koshiro smiled awkwardly and scratched his cheek.

    He clenched his fists and his eyes sparkled.

    ¡°anyway! ¡°I will definitely repay the kindness I received from you both, even if it means sacrificing my body!¡±

    Koshiro shouts with a voice full of firm determination.

    Since he, who has the stigmata of the shield and specializes in defense, dered that he would repay the favor even at the cost of his life, I should have felt reassured first.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know if it will be able to withstand the ck Star Constetion.¡¯

    In this case, even though the opponent was bad, it was too bad.

    ¡®Well, if you are a high-ranking Awakening of the Shield constetion, you can trust his tanking ability.¡¯

    In the first ce, the more extreme the Stigmata¡¯s abilities are toward attack, defense, or defense, the more powerful it is in that field.

    Just as Ha-eun¡¯s stigmata in the constetion Dragon exerted more power than the stigmata in the constetion Lyra in terms of simple firepower, the stigmata in the constetion Koshiro in the constetion Shield also demonstrated more power than the stigmata of the North Star in the area of ¡®defense¡¯.

    ¡°Oh, and there is one more person I would like to introduce to my younger brother.¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    Who is it that Sakaki, Kuroshi¡¯s boss, even uses an honorific title?

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    Sakaki touched the prayer beads around her neck with her hands.

    Wooooow!

    The red light flowing from the prayer beads coalesced in the air, creating a shape the size of the palm of one¡¯s hand.

    Red skin and two horns protruding from the forehead.

    A being whose entire body is covered with bursting muscles like armor.

    [Hahaha! It¡¯s been a while!]

    Aldebaran, the constetion of Taurus, pounded his chest with his clenched fists and burst intoughter.

    [Hoo. Have you also appeared on Earth?]

    [There is someone I like.]

    Aldebaran looked back at Sakaki with a grin.

    [joy. The father said he was his son, but he brought someone simr to him from somewhere.]

    [Aang?]

    Regulus and Aldebaran¡¯s gazes crossed.

    Aldebaran pointed to Lee Woo-hyuk and Regulus pointed to Ryo Sakaki, and a sudden argument began.

    [What kind of nonsense is this guy who brought in a gisaeng brother who looks like he¡¯ll break if he hits it as his apostle?]

    [What?]

    [Look at my childpared to yours! Those wide shoulders and chest! Can¡¯t you feel the spirit of the bull!]

    [You¡¯re talking nonsense. What is it about my child that makes me say that he is being sloppy? [Don¡¯t say that until you see the look in my eyes like a beast hiding its ws!]

    Are you doing a Pokemon battle?

    Ojin looked at the two constetions who wereughing and raising their voices as if it was absurd.

    [What are they doing now?]

    Vega¡¯s angry shout rang out loudly.

    [Isn¡¯t it embarrassing for children to see things that are called constetions?]

    [Quaaaah.]

    [Quaaaaaah!]

    Regulus and Aldebaran, who were raising their voices, cleared their throats as if they were embarrassed.

    Ojin nodded as he looked at Vega, who had made the two constetions unable to even make a sound in an instant.

    okay.

    After all, Vega is not called the constetion of the North Star for nothing©¥

    [And no matter how you look at it, isn¡¯t the mother¡¯s child the most beautiful!]

    Vega confidently shouts while raising both arms on her waist.

    [With this handsome face and strong body! Doesn¡¯t he look different from your children who are ignorant muscle lumps and parasitic brothers?] [

    ¡­What are you talking about now?]

    [No matter how much Vega said, you can¡¯t ignore what you just said!]

    Now even Vega has been added. The constetions begin to raise their voices with each other.

    ¡°Uh¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk and Sakaki looked at the constetions raising their voices with expressions of not knowing what to do.

    Ojin touched his forehead as if he had a headache.

    ¡®What kind of Daechi-dong parents¡¯ meeting is this?¡¯

    Seeing the constetions engaged in a heated argument over which child was better, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh.

    ¡°Hey¡­ why would someone without a constetion use this because they feel sad?¡±

    Ha-eun, who was observing the stars¡¯ fierce¡­ or rather petty, argument from the side, shook her head and let out augh.

    Should I call this fortunate or unfortunate?

    Eltanin, the constetion of Dragon, was currently in a deep sleep, so he could not participate in the argument that made his face burn just by looking at him.

    Ha-eun yfully raised the corners of her mouth and grabbed Oh-jin¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Ojina, I¡¯m sad.¡±

    ¡°what.¡±

    ¡°Do I not have parents who can brag about their children like that?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯m lucky I don¡¯t have any parents.¡±

    When I said something, it sounded like a great pad lip.

    These were words that directly expressed the feelings of Ohjin, Lee Woohyuk, and Sakaki, who were currently observing the constetions¡¯ argument from the side.

    ¡°Haha¡­ I didn¡¯t know Regulus had that kind of side.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Aldebaran thought that much.¡±

    Woohyuk Lee and Ryo Sakaki clear their throats and make awkward expressions.

    Although they were shaking their heads, there was a faint smile on their lips.

    Well, to be honest.

    My face felt hot, but it didn¡¯t feel too bad.

    Because I was able to see that the Constetions truly care about children.

    ¡®It¡¯s much better than calling yourself a transcendent and looking down on humans.¡¯

    Oh Jin also shrugged his shoulders as if there was nothing he could do.

    Just as there are no parents who can stop their children, it was not easy for children to stop their parents.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re really fighting and something won¡¯t happen just because we raise our voices.¡¯

    While thinking that, I tried to turn around.

    [joy! If it¡¯s a boy, isn¡¯t it great! As for my own children, I already have three, three!]

    Aldebaran spreads three fingers and proudly shrugs his shoulders.

    No, now you¡¯re even bragging about having many children.

    [Inparison, those two kids are so ipetent as if they can¡¯t even work at night!]

    There¡¯s nothing that bull bastard can¡¯t say.

    What if I do? I have three lovers, you three.

    [Uh huh! What do you know to say such cruel things to the woman¡¯s child?]

    Yes, that¡¯s right.

    What do you know about such nonsense¡­.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    An ominous feeling ran down my spine.

    ¡°sleep¡­!¡±

    [You can¡¯t even imagine how good her child is at working at night!]

    [Hmm?]

    Aldebaran looked back at Vega and Ojin with iprehensible eyes.

    [Vega, do you know how the child is good at working at night?]

    [Of course, she experienced it herself¡­ Ah.]

    Ah.

 Chapter 368

    I am not a returner Episode 368:

    Constetion of ck Stars (4)

    ¡°Hahaha! I can¡¯t believe that Ojin¡¯s younger brother became a lover with a constetion! ¡°I couldn¡¯t even imagine this!¡±

    ¡°¡­ha.¡±

    thud! thud!

    Palms tapping on the back.

    Ojin sighed deeply, looking like a rotten old tree.

    ¡°Anyway¡­¡±

    Sakaki, who wasughing heartily, nced back at Ha-eun and whispered in her ear.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your Jesu Miss Ha-eun?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well¡­ there are some circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Huh. ¡°So you really broke up with Ha-eun?¡±

    ¡°no. ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­hmm?¡±

    Sakaki, who was tilting his head, then flicked his hand as if he understood and burst intoughter.

    ¡°Hahaha! ¡°It¡¯s not for nothing that the term ¡®heroic lechery¡¯ exists!¡±

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s stop talking about this now.¡±

    I sighed deeply again and turned my head towards Vega.

    [Ugh¡­ a misunderstanding¡­ a misunderstanding.]

    Vega sobs, hiding her face between her knees.

    He was as dejected as nched spinach, as if he felt unbearably shameful for having so innocently blown himself up in front of Ragulus and Aldebaran.

    [Vega has a lover.]

    [And a human lover¡­]

    Regulus and Aldebaran were speechless, their mouths gaping in shock.

    Among the constetions, Vega is considered an object of reverence, so the news that she had a human lover must have been quite shocking.

    ¡®Should I leave it as is for now?¡¯

    Even if you go and say something now, it will only make things worse.

    Ojin shook his head and approached Sakaki.

    ¡°Can we please go inside?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. ¡°Pleasee inside.¡±

    Following Sakaki¡¯s guidance, we entered the Kuroshi organization¡¯s mansion.

    The mansion, built in a traditional Japanese style, had a noble and elegant atmosphere, as if you were staying in a luxury ryokan.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s eat first.¡±

    ¡°No, you can start by talking about the ck Star Constetion¡­¡±

    ¡°No matter what you do, don¡¯t you need to have a strong stomach?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. All right.¡±

    First, following Sakaki¡¯s suggestion, I decided to fill my stomach first.

    ¡°Now, take afortable seat!¡±

    Ojin and his group were guided to arge tatami roommonly seen in Yakuza movies, and each took their seats and sat on cushions.

    Sakaki naturally sat down at the head of the table and let out a short sigh.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you, so I¡¯d like to have a drink¡­ but let¡¯s do that after everything is resolved.¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Instead, I got a good car that helps circte horsepower, so I¡¯ll quench my thirst for now.¡±

    Sakaki shouted outside for the car toe out.

    Grumble.

    The sliding door opened and a woman dressed in a kimono came in.

    I guess he¡¯s just turned 20.

    She was a neat-looking beauty with ck hair as fine as silk and skin so white that it felt pale.

    ¡®Are you Mr. Sakaki¡¯s wife?¡¯

    no.

    However, he looked too young to be that way.

    ¡°Tea has been served.¡±

    A woman in a kimono walked around the table using a teapot with a luxurious pattern on it and poured tea into a teacup.

    So, they went around one by one when it was Oh Jin¡¯s turn.

    ¡°Are you Mr. Kwon Oh-jin?¡±

    The woman in the kimono looked at Ojin and asked.

    ¡°Oh yeah. That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the trouble my ugly brother caused you before.¡±

    ¡°Brother?¡±

    As I was tilting my head, Koshiro with a bright red face jumped up from his seat.

    ¡°Yo Yoko! ¡°What are you saying all of a sudden in a ce like this?¡±

    ¡°Onii-sama, please stay still.¡±

    The woman called Yoko red at Koshiro with cold eyes.

    Koshiro flinched, trembled his shoulders, instantly crouched, and sat down again.

    ¡°If it¡¯s Mr. Koshiro¡¯s younger sister¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. ¡°Thanks to Mr. Ojin for defeating Haejamari¡¯s executioner, I was able to detoxify the poison.¡±

    Yoko bowed to Ojin with a faint smile and an elegant gesture.

    Ohjin, who had never thought she would even bow, as if she was just bowing her head in greeting, shook her head with an awkward smile.

    ¡°I just did what I had to do.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Oh Jin is the savior of my life and the one who prevented my ugly brother from going down a worse path. ¡°I should have repaid you separately¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but all I have is this unsightly body.¡±

    Yoko looks down at herself with sad eyes.

    The sight of her slowly lowering her gaze with wet eyes was so beautiful that I was speechless for a moment.

    ¡°If necessary, I would like to take care of Mr. Ojin while you are here.¡±

    ¡°no. it¡¯s okay.¡±

    Oh Jin urgently shook his head and rejected her offer.

    Even though Sakaki was already looking at her with heroic lecherousness and all, she couldn¡¯t just ept Yoko¡¯s offer.

    And it¡¯s not like I need support in the first ce.

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    Yoko bit her chapped lip with sad eyes.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need my help?¡±

    ¡°Just saying thank you is already enough.¡±

    ¡°ha. ¡°Yes, Oh Jin, if that is what you want, I will follow it.¡±

    Yoko carefully stood up and bowed deeply towards Ojin once again.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just leave. ¡°We will be waiting outside, so if you need any food, please feel free to call us.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. All right.¡±

    Oh Jin, who was not used to receiving such generous treatment, nodded with an awkward expression.

    Yoko, who was about to go out after filling all the tea cups, stopped and approached Koshiro who was sitting.

    ¡°Your shirt is wrinkled, brother.¡±

    ¡°Oh, huh? ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really¡­ I¡¯m not good at painting.¡±

    Yoko knelt down in front of Koshiro and spread Koshiro¡¯s crumpled shirt with her hands.

    A faint smile appeared on Yoko¡¯s lips as she adjusted Koshiro¡¯s shirt.

    ¡°Thank you, Yoko.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. After all, you can¡¯t do it without me.¡±

    Yoko lightly pinched Koshiro¡¯s cheek and stood up again.

    ¡°then. Everyone, enjoy your meal.¡±

    Yoko cautiously stepped back outside and closed the sliding door.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°The atmosphere ispletely different from that of siblings.¡±

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and looked back at Oh-jin, who was sitting next to her.

    He asked sharply, lightly pinching Ojin¡¯s side.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I flirt with him too?¡±

    ¡°Why are you hitting your tail again?¡±

    ¡°joy.¡±

    Ha-eun snorts and eats stewed potatoes with chopsticks.

    ¡°Wow what? ¡°Does it taste good?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s all made by Yoko. ¡°After Koshiro returned, he took charge of our organization¡¯s kitchen.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ha-eun frowns as if she doesn¡¯t like something.

    Yoko¡¯s face, which resembles a painting of a traditional Japanese beauty, shed in my mind.

    ¡®Could it be¡­ no?¡¯

    I shook my head and tried to erase the anxiety running down my spine.

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat quickly and talk about that brat!¡±

    Ha-eun stuffed rice into her mouth, thinking that she had to take care of business as soon as possible and leave Japan.

    * * *

    After the meal was over.

    I got to the point after drinking the tea that Sakaki had prepared for me, which was said to be good for magical energy cirction.

    ¡°Has everyone seen the video?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I saw it.¡±

    ¡°ording to what Aldebaran said¡­ it appears that a constetion of ck stars has appeared in Japan.¡±

    The incarnation of the ck Star Constetion.

    Of course, it is not a perfect incarnation, but in any case, a transcendent person who is fundamentally different from humans has appeared on Earth.

    He also leads a legion of demonic beasts that appear to be his subordinates.

    ¡°Have you figured out where the seahorses are now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly known, but¡­ there is a ce where we presume they are.¡±

    Sakaki took out the tablet from his pocket and opened the map app.

    ¡°hmm? ¡°Why is your expression like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­no. ¡°I had the image that Mr. Sakaki would use an analog map.¡±

    ¡°haha. ¡°Who would use such an old-fashioned map these days?¡±

    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something a person from a country where Pax is still active would say.

    Well anyway.

    ¡°Do you see the little vige here on the coast?¡±

    He pointed to a vige taken from a satellite photo.

    It was a small fishing vige with probably over 200 households in total.

    ¡°It¡¯s the vige closest to the coast where they appeared.¡±

    ¡°Are they hiding here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that yet¡­ Two days ago, we received a report that a vehicle transporting food materials to this vige suddenly lost contact.¡±

    then.

    ¡°¡­There is a high possibility that the entire vige has already been affected.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how we judge it too.¡±

    Sakaki nodded with a heavy expression.

    ¡°I think it would be best to start investigating from this vige first.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±

    Since the information avable was limited, I had no choice but to go there in person.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t treat you properly when I arrived¡­ Can we leave right away?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    I wanted to start the investigation by gathering information a little more slowly, but there was no time to sit back and do nothing as there was a high possibility that civilians would be harmed.

    Even if it was a misdiagnosis, he wasn¡¯t so cold-blooded that he could watch without a care in the world as ordinary people who didn¡¯t even have stigmata were massacred at the hands of magical beasts.

    ¡°Hahaha! ¡°I thought you would say that!¡±

    Sakaki stood up with a heartyugh.

    ¡°I already prepared a vehicle outside! ¡°Let¡¯s leave right away!¡±

    ¡°All right.¡±

    Ojin and the others followed Sakaki and headed out of the mansion.

    ¡°Are you leaving already?¡±

    Yoko followed behind and asked with a worried expression.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not a problem that can be solved even if we just sit here and die.¡±

    ¡°But as soon as you arrive¡­.¡±

    ¡°I was treated to a hearty meal, so that¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Yoko looked at Ojin with an expression of regret.

    Ha-eun stepped forward and grabbed Oh-jin¡¯s arm as if snatching it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of our Ojini, so don¡¯t worry about it, right?¡±

    Ha-eun res at Yoko with wary eyes.

    Yoko tilted her head as she felt wary eyes directed at her.

    ¡°Oh yeah. Are you Oh Jin¡¯s wife? Please take good care of your benefactor.¡±

    ¡°ok? Yes. ¡°But you¡¯re not married yet?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°If you look at the two of them, they already seem like a good couple.¡±

    Yoko smiled brightly and looked back at Oh Jin and Ha Eun.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Ha-eun, who thought Yoko was showing interest in Oh-jin, tilted her head at the unexpected reaction.

    ¡®Did I think of something wrong?¡¯

    When you think of such questions.

    ¡°Onii-sama, be careful too.¡±

    ¡°huh! don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Yoko approached Koshiro and grabbed his cor with tears in her eyes.

    ¡°You can¡¯te back hurt again, brother.¡±

    ¡°haha. Have you forgotten what stigmata I bear? ¡°I wille back unscathed, so don¡¯t cry.¡±

    Koshiro smiled brightly and wiped away the tears from Yoko¡¯s eyes with his hand.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Yoko bit her lip and hugged Koshiro.

    ¡°Woah, it won¡¯t work! ¡°Don¡¯t go, brother!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°I saw that video too! To think that your brother is fighting such terrible monsters¡­¡±

    ¡°Haha. ¡°Yoko too.¡±

    Koshiro stroked Yoko¡¯s hair as if he couldn¡¯t stop her.

    ¡°It¡¯s about protecting people.¡±

    ¡°¡­Brother.¡±

    ¡°Since Oyabung has epted me again, I have to fight as hard as I can. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Yoko?¡±

    ¡°Huh. all right.¡±

    Yoko wiped the tears from her eyes and held Koshiro¡¯s cheeks in her hands.

    and.

    ¡°Approach carefully, my love.¡±

    I kissed Koushiro¡¯s lips.

    ¡°¡­uh?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Sakaki showed no reaction as if he was used to it, but Ojin and Haeun opened their eyes with nk expressions, as if they had been hit in the back of the head with a hammer.

    ¡°Oh Ojina, weren¡¯t they siblings?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I think so.¡±

    No matter where you looked at the way they were kissing their lips, it looked like they were lovers, not a man and a woman.

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes widened in shock and she violently pulled Oh-jin¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Oh Ojina! What is this?! ¡°Is this the culture of Seongjin-guk?!¡±

    no.

    ¡°This is what you call it¡­ Front entrancebination! Entrancebination, right?!¡±

    No.

 Chapter 369

    I am not a returner Episode 369:

    Constetion of ck Stars (5)

    ¡°Hmm? Hahahaha! Everyone, don¡¯t panic! ¡°Koshiro and Yoko are not biological siblings!¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    What does that mean?

    As I looked at him with questioning eyes, Sakaki raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°There¡¯s a story. ¡°Although we are not rted by blood, we have been brother and sister since childhood.¡±

    ¡°is that so.¡±

    I didn¡¯t really ask about the story.

    Not only was it useless to find out, but I wasn¡¯t in a position to worry about that right now.

    There is only one thing that Ojin needs to do now.

    ¡°¡­what? ¡°Tick your tail?¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s shoulders tremble.

    She cleared her throat with an awkward expression.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would be like this~¡±

    ¡°Ha. Anyway¡­.¡±

    ¡°No, the only thing I have is my own body. How can I not be mistaken when I say things like that?¡±

    what.

    To be honest, it was an expression that left a lot of room for misunderstanding.

    ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Okay. okay.¡±

    Ojin and his group boarded a vehicle prepared by the Kuroshi organization and headed to the coast where the Hippocampus constetion first appeared.

    Even after leaving the paved road, you have to go a long way further into the countryside.

    We arrived at a quiet fishing vige along a road filled with nothing but spreading rice fields and the sound of insects.

    ¡°eww.¡±

    Before getting out of the car, Ha-eun let out a low moan and closed her eyes tightly.

    A group of demonic beasts appeared in a vige with less than 200 households.

    Even leading them was the ck Star Constetion, which inherited the power of the Heavenly Demon.

    It was an enemy that was questionable as to whether or not it could be fought even if the entire nation¡¯s power was mobilized, and it was not difficult to imagine what a terrible ending ordinary people without even awakened people would have faced.

    ¡°¡­But I still have to go.¡±

    Ha-eun took a deep breath and opened the car door.

    Nothing would change even if I stayed here anyway.

    Just as the world does not disappear when you close your eyes, turning your head away because you do not want to see it does not change what has already happened.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Is it because everyone expected the disaster that would have urred in the vige to some extent?

    There was only heavy silence between Ojin and his group who got out of the car and headed towards the small fishing vige.

    Sakaki and Koshiro, who usually like to talk loudly, kept their mouths shut at this moment.

    In the vige we arrived at like that.

    ¡°Where are you from? ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen outsiders.¡±

    An old man with dark skin was looking at Ojin and the others with a puzzled expression.

    Basket in hand and fluttering fish.

    Dark, tanned skin and a sturdy body that makes it hard to think of him as an old man.

    No matter how you look at it, he was an ordinary fisherman living in the countryside.

    ¡°¡­Eh? what?¡±

    Ha-eun looked around with a puzzled expression.

    A small fishing vige with a rural feel.

    Outsiders visiting the vige for the first time in a long time could see vigers sticking their heads out between the old and shabby houses as if they were curious.

    Sakaki also walked up to the fisherman, who was looking nkly in this direction with an expression of confusion, probably because he hadn¡¯t expected this kind of situation.

    ¡°Hmm! It came from Kuroshi¡­¡±

    ¡°Kuroshi? ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s a fun name.¡±

    ¡°¡­Surely you don¡¯t know Kuroshi?¡±

    Sakaki looked at the fisherman with wide eyes as if he couldn¡¯t believe it.

    Where is Kuroshi?

    Even if it was originally a Yakuza organization, isn¡¯t it an organization with such strong power and force that it can be said that Sakaki and Koshiro have risen to high-ranking awakenings and are now virtually ruling Japan?

    ¡°Yes? Where are the famous people? haha. ¡°We¡¯re from the countryside, so we don¡¯t know much about such things¡­¡±

    The old man shakes his head with an easygoingugh.

    Ojin and the others looked at each other andughed.

    ¡°The situation is a little different from what I thought.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like the walruses attacked this vige.¡±

    So what does this mean about the transport vehicle that suddenly lost contact?

    ¡°I want to ask you one thing.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if I can answer in an ignorant way.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a car thates here every week?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? iced coffee! When I asked where he came from, he said he came from the samepany?¡±

    The old man let out a short exmation, then frowned and red at Sakaki with somewhat fierce eyes.

    ¡°Why, if you don¡¯te for two days without saying anything, are we going to call it a joke? huh? ¡°Do you have any idea how many fish we caught thanks to you have died?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s thepany¡¯s fault that you¡¯rete without saying anything, so you should definitely get the money you promised!¡±

    From what the old man said, it seemed like the vigers didn¡¯t know about the vehicle that was said to have lost contact.

    Sakaki calmed down the excited old man and spoke calmly.

    The information obtained after a short conversation was as follows.

    1. The vehicle that regrlyes every week to deliver necessary food ingredients and supplies to the vige and receive fish suddenly stopped arriving this week.

    2. Even when I called the person in charge, I didn¡¯t get a call back. Even when I asked thepany, they said they would look into it, but there was no response yet.

    3. For the past two days, not even the cries of animals, let alone monsters, have been heard.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Then where on earth are those horse-headed bastards hiding?¡±

    Ha-eun frowned as if she had a headache.

    ¡°We have to find out about that now.¡±

    ¡°For now, I will tell the vigers to evacuate.¡±

    Sakaki came forward as a representative and warned the vigers that they needed to get out of this ce quickly.

    At first, the vigers questioned where they were going and left their homes, but when they saw the Kuroshi gang members stampeding out of the car, they remained silent.

    Most of the vige members are vigers who have lived their entire lives by fishing, but as yakuzas dressed in ck suits storm into the vige, they must have had no choice but to obey quietly.

    ¡°Oh ya bung! ¡°We have been contacted by the transportpany that contracts with this town!¡±

    ¡°So, the location of the vehicle that lost contact has been located?¡±

    ¡°no. ¡°Thepany said they had been looking for him for two days, but could not contact him at all, so they reported him missing.¡±

    So, did the missing persons report from thepany trickle down to the Kuroshi organization?

    ¡°Okay. ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is hiding.¡±

    Sakaki scratched his short-cut head and frowned.

    Ojin turned his head to Vega, who was sitting on his shoulder, and asked.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you feel the energy of the ck star?¡±

    [Hmm. I¡¯ve been trying to find the original woman since a while ago, but¡­ I don¡¯t feel any unpleasant energy.]

    ¡°Regulus¡­?¡±

    [Okay. I don¡¯t know either.]

    Regulus, who was standing upright on Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s shoulder and keenly looking at his surroundings, shook his head with a short sigh.

    [Ugh! You cheeky walrus! Don¡¯t hide like a rat,e out! Come out and have a fight with this Aldebaran!]

    Aldebaran kicked Sakaki¡¯s shoulder and flew up, shouting in a loud voice.

    Of course.

    There was no answer back.

    ¡®No matter how artificial it is, there are three constetions, but I can¡¯t even feel the presence of the ck Star Constetion.¡¯

    Either they are far away from here.

    or not.

    ¡®He used a dark secret or something.¡¯

    If you use the power of the ck Sky to hide your energy, you will be able to hide yourself from the eyes of the constetions.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Ojin lightly clicked his tongue and turned his head towards Sakaki.

    ¡°First, let¡¯s go to the coast where the video was first filmed.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Since I knew they weren¡¯t attacking the vige, there was nothing I could gain even if I kept hanging out here.

    Ojin and his group got back into the car and headed to the coast where the first video was taken.

    The distance is approximately 15 minutes by car.

    Considering that this was a dirt road that was difficult for vehicles to travel on, it was not far from the vige.

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    click.

    After Ojin got out of the car, he activated his hunting position and looked around.

    As if I was on the west coast of Korea, I saw wide footprints on the muddy mud t, as if I had stepped on the ground wearing flippers.

    p.

    ¡°Wow, the dirt is up to your knees.¡±

    Ha-eun followed Oh-jin and stepped into the mud t, frowning and looking down at her bridge submerged in mud.

    If I had known that the mud would be this deep, I would have brought boots, but I didn¡¯t have time to bring them because I didn¡¯t expect to reach the mudts.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk, who was examining the footprints next to Oh Jin, frowned and said.

    ¡°Is it strange?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t there footprints left here? ¡°I don¡¯t see any signs of trying to hide it or anything.¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk pointed to clearly marked footprints.

    As he said, it was a proud footprint that showed no intention to hide.

    Ha-eun, who was quietly listening to Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s story, crossed her arms and tilted her head.

    ¡°Is there anything strange about it? ¡°Didn¡¯t they just give up hiding it because there were so many of them?¡±

    ¡°No, if that were the case, I wouldn¡¯t be hiding like I am now.¡±

    If only there had been no intention of hiding the footprints in the first ce.

    It didn¡¯t make sense for him to be lying dead and hiding like he was doing now.

    Because they didn¡¯t even attack viges that were only a few kilometers away from here.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A soggy feeling of difort runs down my spine.

    Ojin narrowed his eyes, looking down at the mud that was submerged up to his knees.

    at that time.

    ¡®for a moment.¡¯

    I felt a strange sense of difort.

    ¡°¡­Mr. Sakaki. ¡°Can I watch the video you shot before again?¡±

    Ojin, who had been quietly watching the noisy footsteps of the magical beasts, turned his head towards Sakaki.

    ¡°Oh, of course.¡±

    ¡°thank you.¡±

    Ojin took the tablet from Sakaki and slowly looked at the video again.

    A deste beach with no one around.

    A ck crack opens and horse-headed beasts pour out.

    And even the constetion Ancdus in the constetion Hippocampus.

    It was a video shot with the exact sameposition as where Ojin is currently standing, except that there were no demonic beasts and constetions.

    Just one thing.

    There was something different from the video.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    A harsh curse flows from Ojin¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Why but?¡±

    ¡°doesn¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean there isn¡¯t one¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a mudt.¡±

    A muddy mudt that sinks your feet up to your knees.

    However, what was seen in the video was not a mud t, but a pure white sandy beach.

    To say that it was a difference in tides, the current time was at most 30 minutes different from the time the video was filmed.

    and.

    Rurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    The muddy mud began to sway like waves.

 Chapter 370

    I am not a returner Episode 370:

    Constetion of ck Stars (6)

    ¡°What is this again?!¡±

    Ha-eun screamed while standing on the mud that shook like waves.

    A body shaking back and forth like an intable doll in front of a store that opened for kidney surgery.

    Even if you had a superhuman body, it was difficult to maintain your bnce while the mud that was up to your knees was shaking like waves.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Ojin clicked his tongue while barely maintaining his bnce on the shaking mud.

    Should I say I let my guard down?

    No, I had no choice but to admit that this was just a short thought.

    ¡®The reason they didn¡¯t erase their footprints.¡¯

    Isn¡¯t there only one reason why he hid himself even though he didn¡¯t proudly erase his traces?

    ¡®Was the footprint itself a bait?¡¯

    They must have known that they would move when the ck star constetion appears.

    I ended up getting caught on the bait.

    ¡°Hehehehehe!¡±

    A group of horse-headed beasts escaped onto the turbulent mudts.

    They had wide flippers on the soles of their feet, like flippers, and were gliding over the turbulent mud as if they were riding surfboards.

    After crossing the ck crack three days ago and arriving on Earth, they had been hiding under this mudt without going anywhere.

    ¡®This is why I can¡¯t find it.¡¯

    Did you say that it is dark under themp?

    I never thought that they would be waiting for me at the ce I first arrived without moving a single step.

    ¡®by the way.¡¯

    Ohjin looked at the horse-headed beastmen who were now making horse-like cries.

    A horse¡¯s head, webbed body covered in hard scales, and hands and feet with sharp nails.

    Although I had already seen it in the video.

    ¡°Is it because it¡¯s a seahorse that it looks like that?¡±

    Wow.

    It looks so insincere.

    There¡¯s something about ¡®seahorse¡¯, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s like a magical beast created with the crude idea, ¡®Then I can just change the appearance of a fishman to a horse¡¯s head!¡¯

    ¡°Hehehehe!¡±

    I don¡¯t know if you know Ojin¡¯s thoughts like that.

    The seahorses surrounded Ojin and his group, who were struggling in the mud, and let out bizarre cries as if mocking them.

    A leading seahorse raised its scaly arms.

    Damn.

    The forearm split and sharp thorns like awls sprouted.

    A fishy odor emanated from the purple liquid that formed on the tip of the thorn.

    ¡®Is it poison?¡¯

    Ojin looked at the purple liquid on the tip of the thorn with narrowed eyes.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same type of seahorse poison that Yoko suffered from before, but it¡¯s sure to be quite annoying if poisoned.

    Churrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    A seahorse gliding on rippling mud as if riding a wave.

    A sharp thorn aimed at Ojin¡¯s uv and dug into it.

    It was an attack that was difficult to avoid since I was stuck up to my knees and couldn¡¯t move my body properly.

    ¡°The attack is as insincere as it appears.¡±

    Ojin used the Thunder Stamp to rise into the air and easily dodge the thorns.

    ¡°Use it.¡±

    He pulled Dantalian out of his belt, shaped it into a spear, held it backwards, and struck it down.

    The spear pierced between the seahorse¡¯s eyes prated its body and stuck in the floor.

    Instant death without even a chance to scream.

    Ojin came down to the beach again and stretched out his hand toward the spear stuck between the seahorse¡¯s eyes.

    Kuddeuk!

    After breaking the skull, the spear stuck in the seahorse¡¯s head slipped out as if it was still alive and returned to Ojin¡¯s hand.

    ¡®It¡¯s true that it¡¯s difficult to move, though.¡¯

    I haven¡¯t lived a life so soft that I couldn¡¯t even use it just because it was difficult to move.

    of course.

    The same goes for his group gathered here to fight the ¡®ck Star Constetion¡¯.

    ¡°Hwaaaaaaaap!¡±

    Sakaki let out a roar that was close to a roar and grabbed the shoulder of the rushing seahorse.

    He grabbed my shoulder so tightly that I couldn¡¯t escape and hit my forehead like a hammer.

    ¡°Uraachaaaa!¡±

    Quad deuk!

    The sunken head of a seahorse.

    Sakaki grabbed the caved-in seahorse¡¯s head and threw it towards the group of seahorses that rushed after it.

    The massive body of a seahorse weighing hundreds of kilos was fired like a cannonball.

    ¡°Are you watching, Koshirooooo! A man can ovee even this much of a disadvantage with spirit!¡±

    ¡°Yes oh yabung!¡±

    Koshiro answered with a strong voice and spread his arms wide.

    The stigmata of the Shield constetion radiated light, creating dozens of translucent shields around his body.

    ¡°Defend!¡±

    Dozens of shields stretched out like a curtain in the air and shot towards the group of seahorses.

    Heeheeheehee!

    The seahorses, pushed by the translucent shields flying from all directions, bounced back and rolled on the muddy mud.

    The attack power itself seemed to be almost non-existent, but it only did enough to make the group of seahorses that surged in like a tidal wave step back for a moment.

    That alone was enough to create an opportunity for a counterattack.

    ¡°Let me borrow your shield for a moment!¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk pulled a sword from his waist and jumped onto the translucent shield floating in the air.

    Lee Woo-hyuk climbed onto the shield with agile movements like a cat and raised his drawn sword high.

    ¡°Push away!¡±

    The stigmata of Leo radiated intense light and a fierce gust of wind blew.

    Each and every one of them was a gust of sharp sword energy.

    A fierce gust of wind gathered around Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s sword raised high.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk jumps and runs from shield to shield as if crossing stepping stones.

    He fiercely swung his sword with gusts of wind towards the seahorses lying about, blocked by the shield.

    Quad deud deuk!

    The body of a seahorse being torn apart as if bitten by a lion¡¯s teeth.

    Red blood poured down on the mud.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk, who wiped out dozens of seahorses with a single sword, let out a short breath andnded on the mud again.

    ¡°Get out of the way, out of the way!¡±

    ¡°hmm?¡±

    The urgent voice heard at that time.

    Lee Woo-hyuk followed his instinctive intuition and quickly escaped.

    and.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    A huge me swept away the seahorses crawling out of the mud.

    A heat storm so intense that the wet mud instantly dried out like a dry desert, sweeping the surrounding area.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    A soft sigh came out of Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s mouth.

    Even though he was quite far away, a heat that was enough to scorch his skin attacked him.

    His skin, which had the body of a high-ranking awakened person, was so scorched that if he had been an ordinary awakened person, he would have been roasted just by the heat spreading around him.

    ¡®What kind of power is this¡­!¡¯

    Lee Woo-hyuk looked back at the ce where the fire had poured out with eyes filled with shock.

    There, Ha-eun, with her eye patch removed, was scratching her head with an awkward smile.

    ¡°Ehehe. Sorry, I still have a hard time controlling my fire power~¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    You just created that tsunami of fire with that carefree expression on your face.

    Lee Woo-hyuk shook his head with an expression that seemed absurd.

    ¡°Grunt. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s so ufortable to move.¡±

    Ha-eun frowned as she looked down at the mud that had soaked up to her thighs.

    She looked back at the dried dirt where the water had been blown away by the hot mes and shouted.

    ¡°Ojina! ¡°Are we going to burn everything here and dry it out?¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡±

    With Ha-eun¡¯s power, she could sweep this area with fire and dry up the dust, but if she did that, everyone else would be swept away as well.

    ¡®and.¡¯

    Oh Jin narrowed his eyes and looked at the spot where Ha-eun shot out the mes.

    All the moisture had been blown away by the extreme heat, and the dried mud was instantly bing wet again and turning into sticky mud.

    ¡®It¡¯s no use trying to evaporate the moisture.¡¯

    This is a ce facing the sea.

    If it flies, you just have to fill it up.

    ¡°Ugh! Oh Mr. Ojin! ¡°The mud is getting deeper!¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk, who was furiously ughtering a seahorse, frowned and shouted.

    As he said.

    My legs, which had been submerged up to my knees, were now submerged in mud up to my thighs.

    As if being sucked into a swamp.

    ¡®for a moment.¡¯

    It¡¯s getting deeper?

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin looked around with narrowed eyes.

    one thing.

    I couldn¡¯t see what I needed to see.

    ¡°¡­Where is it?¡±

    [What are you looking for?]

    ¡°Why that constetion of Hippocampus?¡±

    Now, seahorses crawling out of the mudts are flocking toward Ojin and his group like a swarm of bees.

    Now would be the perfect time to defeat the party members individually.

    Where is Ancdus, the constetion Hippocampus?

    [Aren¡¯t you just sitting back and watching? If you are a constetion, they will tend to ignore you because you are human.]

    ¡°A guy like that would set a trap like this?¡±

    If Ancdus was ignoring Ojin and his party.

    There was no reason to set up such an annoying trap in the first ce.

    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m ignoring you, but it doesn¡¯te out even when it¡¯s not¡­

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    Oh Jin, who was continuing his thoughts, let out a lowugh and wiped his face.

    ¡°¡­I was thinking wrong.¡±

    I chewed my lip as I looked at the group of seahorses crawling out of the mud.

    ¡®They weren¡¯t trying to surprise us by using their geographical advantage.¡¯

    I was thinking wrong.

    I was mistaken.

    Because it is in contact with the sea, it is made of muddy mud.

    Of course, I thought this was a mudt.

    ¡°This is not a mud t.¡±

    Here.

    It is a ¡®swamp¡¯.

    ¡°Those seahorses were bait to keep us here in the first ce.¡±

    It was not an attempt to make a surprise attack using geographical advantage.

    The geographical advantage itself was the most threatening attack.

    Grumble!

    My body, which had been immersed in mud up to my thighs, was suddenly submerged up to my waist.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    Ha-eun tried to get out of the mud with a confused expression, but her body did not move, as if a huge monster was pulling her down.

    ¡°Mr. Oh Jin, this is¡­.¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk looked back at Oh Jin with a stiff expression.

    No matter how difficult it was to get out once you got stuck in the mud, that was the standard for a normal person.

    Each and every one of Ojin¡¯s group gathered here is a high-ranking awakened person who has reached 9 stars or higher.

    They are superhumans who can easily escape even if they are buried in the dirt up to their necks rather than their waists.

    but.

    ¡°Ugh! ¡°Oh my body¡­!¡±

    ¡°Koshiro! It¡¯s spirit! ¡°Hold on with spirit!¡±

    The swamp that was devouring them¡­ no, the swamp was holding on tightly and pulling fiercely, preventing even such superhuman bodies from escaping.

    A supernatural phenomenon as if the entire earth, several kilometers long, was alive.

    There must be only one being that can cause this phenomenon.

    And the being was now hiding in the swamp below, pulling them along.

    ¡°Vega.¡±

    [I am my child! We have to get out of here quickly!]

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Ojin took out the wire shooter on his wrist and handed it to Vega.

    [Is this¡­?]

    ¡°Tie other people¡¯s bodies with wire and deliver them to Mr. Sakaki.¡±

    In order to get out of the swamp, it was impossible without the strength of a Taurus awakened person.

    [Ah, I understand!]

    Vega quickly moved through the air, tied Ha-eun and Lee Woo-hyuk Koshiro¡¯s bodies with wire, and then delivered the wire shooter to Sakaki.

    Sakaki epted the wire-connected shooter and turned his head toward Ojin.

    ¡°What are you asking me to do with this, little brother Ojin?¡±

    ¡°Please take on Mr. Koshiro¡¯s shield and get the others out of the swamp!¡±

    ¡°But even so¡­¡±

    Sakaki looked around with an embarrassed expression.

    The extent of the swamp encroaching on the coast is several kilometers.

    No matter how much you get out of the swamp, unless you can fly, you will fall into the swamp again.

    ¡°It only takes 10 seconds.¡±

    ¡°Okay. ¡°I understand.¡±

    Sakaki nodded and shouted towards Koshiro.

    ¡°Koshirooooo! ¡°Send the shield this way!¡±

    ¡°Yes oh yabung!¡±

    A translucent shield flew towards Sakaki.

    ¡°Hmm!¡±

    The Taurus stigmata burned brightly and Sakaki¡¯s legs broke through the mud.

    Sakaki, standing on the shield created by Koshiro, stamped his feet roughly.

    ¡°Errachaaaaaa!¡±

    Couuuuuuuuck!

    Sakaki soared tens of meters into the air.

    ¡°Aaaah! Fly! Fly!¡±

    ¡°Tsk¡­!¡±

    The bodies of Ha-eun and Lee Woo-hyuk Koshiro, who were connected to the wire, also rose into the air along with Sakaki.

    Unless you can fly, it won¡¯t be long before you fall into the swamp again.

    ¡°Okay then.¡±

    That amount of time is enough.

    It¡¯s a joke!

    A fiercely burning blue thunderbolt.

    Ojin¡¯s right arm exploded, and an arm made of lightning appeared inside.

    Ojin twisted the corners of his mouth as he plunged Raijin¡¯s arm deeper into the swamp.

    ¡°Stop hiding ande out, you horse-headed bastard.¡±

    Kwajajajajajajag!

    A torrent of lightning imbued with incredible power spread throughout the swamp.

 Chapter 371

    I am not a returner Episode 371:

    Constetion of ck Stars (7)

    zing Blue Lightning.

    A thunderbolt of incredible power spread throughout the swamp along with a shing halo of light.

    The seahorses that were crawling out onto the beach rolled their eyes and foamed at the mouth, and the beach, which was shaking like waves, stopped moving for a moment.

    Grumbling.

    Mud bubbling like a hot spring.

    The mud rose up in a round shape and a gigantic figure slowly rose up.

    It looked simr to the seahorses that were wandering around and blinking, but the energy flowing out was of a different ss.

    A presence so huge that it takes your breath away just by appearing.

    Blue eyes that were sinking as deep as an abyss stared at Ojin.

    [It is as he said.]

    The seahorse muttered quietly and shook its head.

    [¡­Ancdus.]

    Vega bit her lip gently as she looked at the being that crawled out of the mud.

    Ancdus slowly turned his head towards Vega.

    [This is my first time seeing youe out of the temple, Constetion of the North Star.]

    [¡­What purpose did youe to Earth for?]

    [Purpose.]

    Ancdus twitched the corner of his mouth and shook his shoulders.

    [There is only one reason we came here.]

    A voice like soggy mud continued.

    [I will erase all of your disgusting stigmata from this world.]

    [What do you mean by erasing them¡­]

    [There used to be this analogy between the constetions. Stigmata are seeds and humans are the soil that will germinate those seeds.]

    Then.

    [If all the soil dries out and dies¡­ wouldn¡¯t the seeds never sprout?]

    In other words.

    Are you saying that you are going to kill all humans and erase the possibility of a being called an ¡®awakened person¡¯ being born?

    [This gnome!]

    Vega scolded with a fiercely distorted expression.

    [No matter how much you have touched the power of the Dark Sky, have you even forgotten what your essence is!] Even though

    they were expelled from the sanctuary in the past, their essence was clearly a ¡®constetion¡¯.

    [To protect the fate of this world and guide the children living on this to the right path! You probably don¡¯t know that it is the duty of the Constetion!]

    [It is the duty of the Constetion¡­]

    Ancdusughed as if he had heard something different.

    [Isn¡¯t it your fault to expel us?]

    [That¡­]

    Vega was momentarily speechless.

    Before they obtained the power of the ck Sky and became the ¡®ck Star¡¯, it was the current constetions who expelled them from the sanctuary and turned them into ¡®satellites¡¯.

    Of course, Vega, who had always been confined to the temple, did not know why Ancdus was expelled from the sanctuary.

    In any case, it was certain that the past constetions had expelled him from the sanctuary and turned him into a satellite.

    [Bullshit!]

    At that time, a ferocious scolding burst out from the mouth of Regulus, who was quietly listening to the story.

    [Have you forgotten why you were expelled from the sanctuary?]

    [It was out of necessity.]

    [Ha, necessity? What kind of sophistry is this guy who melted the bodies of the children who inherited your stigmata and turned them into a solution that fills the magic power of the stigmata?]

    The roar of an angry lion rang out.

    ¡®The human being was melted into a solution.¡¯

    Ojin frowned and thought of Sousuke, the executor of Hippocampus in the past.

    Apparently, Sousuke also melted the awakened person¡¯s body and turned it into a solution that filled his power, but the origin of that was the constetion.

    [When growing crops, isn¡¯t it inevitable to use fertilizers to create fertile soil?]

    [Crops¡­! What on earth do you think of children?]

    Blue sparks burned around Vega¡¯s body.

    However, even in the face of the wrath of the North Star constetion, Ancdus¡¯ expression was extremely calm.

    [Yes, Innoom!]

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    Ojin was filled with anger and caught Vega, who was about to attack Ancdus.

    [I am my child.]

    ¡°Anyway, nothing will change even if you talk to that guy.¡±

    Knowing its purpose, there was only one thing to do.

    Ojin grabbed the spear and aimed it at Ancdus.

    ¡°Hey, you fucking head.¡±

    [¡­He was arrogant in front of the Constetion.]

    ¡°What kind of constetion is this guy who was kicked out for talking nonsense?¡±

    He smiled and raised Stigmata¡¯s magical power.

    Blue lightning covered Ojin¡¯s body and burned fiercely.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too tired and shake your mouth for no reason.¡±

    The burning blue lightning that covered his entire body gathered at the tip of the spear.

    Lean back the arm holding the spear.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do our jobs together.¡±

    Throwing.

    Sigh!

    The spear was fired, cutting through the muddy mud.

    [Hmph, he is as cocky as a child of the North Star.]

    Ancdus frowned in displeasure and stretched out his hand toward the spear that was being fired at him.

    Rumbling!

    The mud on the floor rose up and blocked his path like a wall.

    The spears collided, scattering muddy mud everywhere.

    [You miserable by-products of the, still bound by the restrictions of thew!]

    Rumbling!

    The muddy mud swirled and gathered towards Ancdus.

    Ancdus roared as he red at the three constetions floating in the air.

    [Watch your children die horribly while bound by restrictions!]

    Ouch!

    Ancdus ran at high speed, cutting through the muddy mud.

    ¡°Ojina!¡±

    Ha-eun aimed the tobo between her fingers at Ancdus.

    The mud up to her waist hindered her movement.

    ¡°Burn up.¡±

    Anyway, her greatest strength is her incredible firepower from a long distance.

    Even though the mud up to her waist was ufortable, it did not diminish her strength.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    What was created in the air was a huge fire dragon tens of meters long.

    The dragon¡¯s eyes stared at the fire dragon through the thrown off eye patch.

    The me that contained the Dragon God¡¯s soul was twisting its body wildly, as if it was trying to escape her control.

    When I first awakened this power, I could not properly control the rampaging power of the fire dragon.

    ¡°Write it. ¡°Stay still, bastard.¡±

    As Ha-eun clenched her fist threateningly, Hwa-ryong flinched and trembled.

    She grinned in satisfaction and pointed towards the end of the year at Ancdus, who was running toward Ojin.

    ¡°Do you see that horse¡¯s head?¡±

    Grumble!

    ¡°Burn the whole thing.¡±

    With a lowmand, a fire dragon tens of meters long opened its huge mouth and flew away.

    With the terrible heat, the surrounding mud dried.

    [Sigh.]

    The me created by Ha-eun had such powerful firepower that even the ¡®constetion¡¯, which could be said to be an entity outside the standard, stopped and urgently took a defensive stance.

    [Ihiiiiing!]

    A ck aura exploded from Ancdus¡¯ body along with a bizarre scream.

    The sea water stirred, rose, and enveloped Ancdus¡¯ body.

    Cheeeeeeeee!

    When the seawater and the fire dragon collided, the thick fog that was created instantly covered hundreds of meters ofnd.

    [Go, lion child!]

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    A thick fog swirled and began to gather at the tip of a sword.

    A strong gust of swords as sharp as a lion¡¯s ws rushed towards Ancdus.

    [Hey!]

    Ancdus hesitated and took a step back due to the fierce gust of wind.

    ¡°Koshiro! ¡°Please provide cover!¡±

    ¡°Yes oh yabung!¡±

    Sakaki¡¯s skin turned red and the muscles of his entire body swelled.

    ¡°Whoosh whoosh whoosh!¡±

    Sakaki, breathing heavily like an angry bull, charged through the muddy mud that was up to his waist.

    Coo goo goo goo goong!

    The earth shakes as if an earthquake has urred.

    ¡°Break down!¡±

    Sakaki roughly swung his clenched fist towards Ancdus.

    Coooooo!

    With a heavy hitting sound, Ancdus¡¯ body was pushed backwards.

    [These guys¡­!]

    Ancdus, with his face distorted fiercely, swung his arm, but soon a translucent shield flew out and blocked his arm.

    and.

    ¡°charge.¡±

    Ojin ran toward Ancdus, who was being pushed back, and stretched out his arms forward.

    Dantalian, who had been stuck in the mud, rose into the air and returned to his hand.

    ¡°Charge charge charge.¡±

    Pajik Pajijik!

    Condensing and condensing the blue lightning.

    In the past, the magic circuit screamed as if it would burn out after only five charges.

    ¡®Ten times, eleven times, twelve times.¡¯

    Now that the stigmata of Lyra has reached the 10th star.

    Even though the thunderbolt was condensed a whopping twelve times, the magic circuit was holding on unscathed.

    Now, I thought it was possible to charge it more than 20 times.

    ¡®If this goes on, Dantalian won¡¯t be able to stand it.¡¯

    The spear in my hand trembled as if it was screaming in pain.

    It seemed as if he was screaming, ¡®Do it in moderation, please!¡¯

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Ojin clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed and kicked his foot towards Ancdus.

    He sprinted through the air by stepping on the thunderbolt and hurled his spear towards Ancdus¡¯ chest.

    Ancdus crossed his arms reflexively.

    The sea water rising from all directions tangled together and protected Ancdus¡¯ chest.

    ¡®The Stigmata of the Hourss.¡¯

    A world that flows slowly as if in slow motion.

    A wall of water protecting Ancdus¡¯ body.

    Perhaps because it was made hastily, the walls were thick in some ces and thin in others.

    ¡°Use it.¡±

    The Stigmata in the Compass constetion was activated at the same time as the Stigmata in the Hourss constetion.

    The tip of the spear moved as if attracted by a ma, aiming for the thinnest wall.

    ¡°It seemed like a thread in the gap.¡±

    Squeeze!

    The spear pierced through the wall of water and pierced Ancdus¡¯ heart.

    The condensed thunderbolt was released at once, causing a huge explosion.

    Ancdus was thrown back tens of meters and rolled on the ground.

    ¡°Nice our Ojini!¡±

    Ha-eun cheered and raised her thumb toward Oh-jin.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    But unlike Ha-eun, who was cheering, Oh-jin¡¯s expression was not good at all.

    ¡®I can¡¯t feel anything piercing my heart.¡¯

    Although he seeded in breaking through the wall of water and piercing the heart, the only feeling left in his hand was a blunt sensation, as if he had pierced a hard rock with a spear.

    [Indeed¡­ you have enough skill to shake off arrogance.]

    Ancdus, who had fallen backwards, slowly got up.

    Even though the thunderbolt that had condensed as many as twelve times was released at once.

    The scales protecting Ancdus¡¯ chest were slightly cracked, but no other injuries were visible.

    [But even so, it is nothing more than the struggles of a lowly mortal.]

    Ancdus twisted the corners of his mouth fiercely and stretched out his arms.

    [This Ancdus will tell you.]

    Rurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    The sea water swirled, and a long trident rose up from within it.

    [The reason why constetions are called transcendents.]

 Chapter 372

    I am not a returner Episode 372

    Constetion of the ck Star (8)

    ¡°Why is that crazy horse-headed bastard so tough?¡±

    Ha-eun looked at Ancdus, who stood up unharmed, with an expression of disbelief.

    The joint effort of five high-ranking awakened people.

    They were not high-ranking awakened people who had barely reached the 9-star threshold, but each and every one of them were powerful people who lightly trampled on other high-ranking awakened people.

    however.

    ¡®It¡¯s just that the scales are slightly split?¡¯

    Ojin looked at Ancdus with a puzzled expression.

    I expected that the ck Star Constetion would be on a different level from the enemies I had fought so far.

    But no matter how powerful the attack was, it didn¡¯t even cause a single scratch.

    ¡®It¡¯s not a problem if you¡¯re strong and sleepy.¡¯

    Absurd would be the best word to describe it.

    The only damage that could be considered effective to Ancdus were Ha-eun and Oh-jin.

    Neither Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s gust of wind nor Sakaki¡¯s fist did any damage at all.

    ¡®Is this a constetion?¡¯

    It felt like I was fighting a tank with a sword.

    [Oh, how could this be¡­ ridiculous!]

    Vega looked at Ancdus with wide eyes in astonishment.

    ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    [It is a sanctuary.]

    ¡°Sanctuary?¡±

    [Didn¡¯t they say that when a constetion fully manifests itself with its own power, a sanctuary naturally surrounds its body?]

    Vega chewed her lip with a nervous expression.

    [Clearly, when you look at the video, there was no sanctuary around the body, so how could it be¡­]

    ¡°¡­It was hiding its power from the beginning.¡±

    but.

    It is so meticulous that it deliberately left footprints in the mudts to set up traps.

    Whether that idea came from the Heavenly Demon or Ancdus came up with it himself.

    There was a good chance that he had hidden his powers from the moment he first arrived on Earth.

    ¡®So you¡¯re saying we need an attack that can prate the sanctuary and cause damage?¡¯

    Ojin frowned and clicked his tongue.

    It might be possible for Ha-eun and herself, but for Lee Woo-hyuk and Sakaki, it was impossible.

    [There is a way.]

    At that time, Vega said with a determined expression.

    ¡°What way?¡±

    [Ancdus¡¯s sanctuary, unlike the sanctuary that the original woman had spread before, was spread out extremely finely only around the body. At that level¡­ if you receive the blessing, you will be able to break through.]

    The blessing of the constetion.

    In addition to Vega, Regulus and Aldebaran were also present here, so a total of three people were able to receive the constetion¡¯s blessing.

    ¡®In my sister¡¯s case, she has the power to pierce the constetion¡¯s sanctuary with simple firepower.¡¯

    If there¡¯s a problem.

    ¡°¡­How long can youst?¡±

    [Approximately 10 minutes would be the limit.]

    The constetion¡¯s blessing does notst indefinitely.

    Unlike Ancdus, other constetions bound by the restrictions of thew were extremely limited in the power they could use on Earth.

    Of course, you can use your own power if you are willing to pay the price.

    ¡®The problem is that the price is the extinction of existence.¡¯

    Even if a constetion the size of Vega could avoid extinction, it was impossible for the other two constetions.

    in other words.

    ¡°Is this something called Time Attack?¡±

    The time limit is only 10 minutes.

    ¡®I have to kill him within 10 minutes.¡¯

    Ojin clicked his tongue as he looked at Ancdus, who was holding a trident and looking down at the surroundings with arrogant eyes.

    ¡°If there is no other way, there is nothing we can do.¡±

    [Can you really defeat the author in 10 minutes?]

    ¡°It would be difficult with just a blessing.¡±

    [Then¡­]

    ¡°¡®Blessing¡¯ alone.¡±

    Ojin grinned and raised the corner of his mouth.

    When I heard about the blessing from Vega, a n came to mind.

    ¡°Vega, from now on, follow whatever I say.¡±

    [¡­I understand.]

    Vega, who was moving her lips as if to ask something, soon nodded silently.

    Isn¡¯t it Oh Jin¡¯s n and not anyone else¡¯s?

    As a parent who suffered misdiagnosis and stigmata, and as a lover who shared her heart, she could not help but trust and follow him.

    ¡°My n is¡­¡±

    He used Capricorn¡¯s stigmata to adjust his voice so that only Vega could hear it so that Ancdus could not hear it.

    As Ojin continued, Vega¡¯s expression gradually became distorted.

    [Ah, anyway, that method is¡­.]

    ¡°This is the best for now.¡±

    [Ugh.]

    Vega frowned, as if she didn¡¯t like Ojin¡¯s n at all.

    ¡°Please, Vega.¡±

    [Ha¡­ I understand.]

    Vega sighed deeply and nodded.

    [The sound of your head pounding hard can be heard up to here.]

    Ancdus walked in a leisurely manner with a bitter sneer on his face.

    He looked at the three constetions floating in the air and nodded as if provoking them.

    [You know what you have to do if you want to save your child, right?]

    The look on their faces shows that they already know what the constetions are thinking.

    Vega red at Ancdus with cold eyes.

    [Your child will tell you directly who is making a fuss.]

    Uuuuuuuung!

    The brilliant silver light flowing from Vega¡¯s body dwelled in Ojin¡¯s body.

    [Go, my child.]

    The magical power of the stigmata throbbed as if it was boiling over, and an exhrating shiver ran down my spine.

    [Show that arrogant constetion how brightly the starlight you embrace shines!]

    Along with Vega¡¯s shout, light also emanated from the bodies of the other two constetions.

    [Blessings of the wind to the brave lion.]

    [Crush that horse¡¯s head, Sakaki!]

    The light emanating from the two constetions dwelled in the bodies of Lee Woo-hyuk and Sakaki.

    ¡°Hey, what do you think, people without constetions would live in sorrow?¡±

    Ha-eun smiled and turned her head towards Koshiro.

    ¡°What is your shield constetion doing?¡±

    ¡°I heard from Aldebaran that the Shield constetion does not yet have the power to appear on Earth.¡±

    ¡°okay? Still, it¡¯s better than someone who doesn¡¯t even show his nose because he¡¯s sleeping in bed.¡±

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue and took out a piece of tobo from the cigarette pack.

    Grumble!

    A huge fire dragon coiled around the tip of the stem as if it were a baton.

    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t have teeth, you have to bite at least with your gums.¡±

    Even if she didn¡¯t receive the constetion¡¯s blessing, it didn¡¯t matter to her.

    The me created by Ha-eun was powerful enough to burn down the constetion¡¯s sanctuary.

    ¡°Me and Mr. Sakaki will join the vanguard!¡±

    ¡°Khaha! Jesu, please prepare a hit with something hot!¡±

    Thus began the time attack with a limit of 10 minutes.

    Quang! thud! Kuddeuk!

    A blood clot that continues fiercely.

    A series of explosions were powerful enough to devastate hundreds of meters ofnd around the area.

    Oh Jin and Lee Woo-hyuk and Sakaki, who received the constetion¡¯s blessing, pushed Ancdus without a break, and Koushiro¡¯s appropriate support and Ha-eun¡¯s one-shot firepower were added.

    [Whoosh whoosh. Now time is running out.]

    Ancdus took a deep breath and raised the corners of his mouth.

    There were wounds from spears, swords, and fists all over his body, which was protected by the sanctuary.

    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡±

    ¡°Chu blessing.¡±

    Ancdus eventually survived alone for 10 minutes.

    [Ugh¡­ No more¡­]

    [Fight¡­! Hold on with all your might, Sakaki!]

    The expressions of Regulus and Aldebaran, who were giving blessings, distorted harshly.

    As if the restrictions of thew had begun, noise began to appear around the bodies of the two constetions, as if an old video tape was being yed.

    [Woohyuk¡­!]

    ¡°Just a little bit¡­ please hold on just a little longer!¡±

    Regulus¡¯s body bes blurred and he begins to be back-summoned to the sanctuary.

    Lee Woo-hyuk looked back at the disappearing constetion of Leo with anxious eyes and kicked his feet roughly.

    ¡°Push away!¡±

    A sword that squeezed out thest of its power.

    Lee Woo-hyuk, who turned into a fierce gust of wind, swung his sword towards Ancdus¡¯ neck.

    [Ugh!]

    Ancdus, who was exhausted after 10 minutes of bloodshed, took a step back with an urgent look on his face.

    te!¡±

    One step faster than Ancdus, who is taking a step back.

    Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s sword cut Ancdus¡¯ neck horizontally.

    and.

    Kaaaaang!

    The sound of metal resounding loudly.

    Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s sword, which was swinging at Ancdus¡¯ neck, bounced off violently and rolled on the floor.

    Lee Woo-hyuk looked back at the sword that flew out of his hand and looked pale.

    ¡°Oh, no.¡±

    [Keuuuuuu!]

    Joy shed in the eyes of Ancdus, who was taking a step back.

    [I guess you¡¯re the one who¡¯ste, young lion.]

    ¡°Damn it¡­!¡±

    Ancdusshed out his trident at Lee Woo-hyuk, who was frozen with a pale expression.

    Just before the three sharp spear tips pierced Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s body.

    ¡°Hwaaaah!¡±

    Sakaki ran with a roar and threw himself at Lee Woo-hyuk, hugging him.

    Sigh!

    The trident passed by, tearing the skin of Sakaki¡¯s back.

    ¡°Kaaaaak!¡±

    ¡°Sakaki-san!¡±

    ¡°Oh ya bung!¡±

    A scream came out from the mouth of Sakaki, who suffered a wound so deep that his vertebrae were exposed.

    Sakaki staggered to his feet, cing his hands on the soggy muddy floor.

    ¡°A good man doesn¡¯t fall down like this¡­.¡±

    Absolutely.

    Sakaki, who had been struggling to get up, fell down on the mud.

    ¡°Oyabuuuung!¡±

    Koshiro¡¯s scream rang out.

    [Hee hee hee hee!]

    Ancdus let out a characteristic neighing sound and shook his shoulders.

    [Now then.]

    Among the awakened people who received the blessing of the Constetion, there is only one remaining.

    Eyes shining with life turned towards Ojin.

    ¡°Huh oh oh oh oh¡­!¡±

    Misdiagnosis is also dangerous.

    Because Vega was of a higher rank than the other two constetions, there was still some blessing left, but that was gradually disappearing.

    [My child¡­]

    Vega gasped heavily, clutching her chest.

    [No matter how much it is the constetion of the North Star, it seems there is nothing we can do as long as it is bound by the restrictions of thew.]

    [Yes, Inomom¡­!]

    [Heeheeheehee! Watch your child dying there in misery, O star of Orihime!]

    Ancdus rushed toward Ojin with a bitter sneer.

    ¡°Ojina!¡±

    Ha-eun urgently blocked his path, but Ha-eun, who was rtively weak in closebat and had poured almost all of her firepower over the past 10 minutes, could not stop Ancdus.

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    Ha-eun, who was kicked by Ancdus¡¯ foot, screamed and rolled on the mud floor.

    ¡°Noona!¡±

    [Hehehe! Do you have time to worry about other people right now?]

    ¡°This bastard¡­!¡±

    Ojin kicked his feet with burning eyes, as if a fire was burning.

    The sharp tip of the spear pierced Ancdus¡¯ chest.

    Wow!

    The window bounced away with a heavy metal sound.

    ¡°ah.¡±

    The blessing energy disappeared from Ojin¡¯s body.

    and.

    [Die, human.]

    Pugh!

    The three-pronged trident pierced Ojin¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°Cluck cluck!¡±

    Ojin fell to his knees, vomiting blood mixed with internal organs.

    Intense pain traveling through the stomach.

    In my fading consciousness, the urgent screams of Ha-eun and Vega rang out.

    and.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    The corners of Ojin¡¯s blood-covered mouth turned up with a grin.

    Ojin grabbed the pole of the trident stuck in his stomach and pulled it roughly.

    [What¡­?]

    Ancdus frowns as if he doesn¡¯t understand what Ojin is trying to do now.

    Ojin clenched his fist and swung it towards Ancdus¡¯ heart.

    [What a terrible bastard.]

    Ancdus shook his head as if it was absurd.

    Even with a spear pierced through my stomach, I still have the strength to swing my fist.

    Even the Constetion couldn¡¯t help but exim in admiration at that willpower that bordered on madness.

    [This guy who has already lost his blessing will be able to break through Ancdus¡¯ sanctuary¡­]

    Purge!

    Just before Ojin¡¯s fist touches Ancdus¡¯ chest.

    The lightning shed wildly, as if concentrated power was being released.

    Quad deud deuk!

    It¡¯s not the blue thunderbolt you¡¯ve seen before.

    A ck lightning that burns with pitch-ck light.

 Chapter 373

    I am not a returner Episode 373:

    Constetion of ck Stars (9)

    Quad Deuk!

    When the fist covered in ck lightning touched Ancdus¡¯ chest, the sanctuary protecting his body was torn like a piece of paper.

    The clenched fist prated Ancdus¡¯ body, piercing his heart.

    [What is this¡­?]

    Ancdus looked down at Ojin with wide eyes in astonishment.

    He could see Oh Jin looking up at him with a bitter sneer.

    [Nonsense¡­]

    Cough.

    ck powder poured out of Ancdus¡¯ mouth as if a bag of flour had been torn.

    What makes up the body of the constetion is not blood and flesh, but the magical power of stigmata.

    The magical power of that stigmata was now being torn apart by ck thunderbolts and spewed out.

    No one saw exactly what Ojin had done.

    The reason why the ck lightning shed was because it was just before his fist touched Ancdus¡¯s chest when he split the candle.

    An angle that is not visible from the perspective of Lee Woo-hyuk and Sakaki Koshiro.

    At least Vega, who was closest, could see it.

    It goes without saying.

    It was no coincidence.

    A lie built up in a limited time of 10 minutes.

    A fraud designed to deliver a fatal blow at a critical moment.

    Ancdus, who firmly believed that Ojin could not prate his ¡®sanctuary¡¯ without the blessing of the Constetion, or to be more precise, from the position of Ancdus who ¡®believed¡¯ that way, there was no way to avoid the ck thunderbolt.

    [Cough!]

    ck powder continued to pour out from between Ancdus¡¯ lips.

    Even in the fierce battle thatsted for about 10 minutes, my legs, which had been firmly nted on the ground, faltered and broke.

    The trident fell from the hand of Ancdus, who fell down on one knee.

    ¡°haha.¡±

    Even though it wasn¡¯t like Ancdus, whose heart had been pierced, Ojin¡¯s condition couldn¡¯t be said to be normal.

    Because the trident prated the stomach and the internal organs were crushed into a mess.

    If it weren¡¯t for the awakened person¡¯s superhuman body, the wound was so severe that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he died instantly the moment his stomach was pierced.

    In fact, thest attack was an attack that could have been avoided.

    ¡®Because I had to do something like this to fool Ancdus.¡¯

    Ancdus was arrogant and arrogant, but he showed a very meticulous side in battle.

    Or, more urately, should I say it is petty.

    The fact that he initially set a trap to lure Ojin and his men in and used his subordinates as bait to lure them into the swamp was also part of his pettiness.

    Even in a battle with a time limit of 10 minutes, he talked loudly about showing the true power of a transcendental person, but he tried to waste time by focusing on defense as much as possible until the constetion¡¯s blessing was extinguished.

    A lie is at its sharpest when it is hidden among the truth.

    In order topletely deceive Ancdus, Ojin had no choice but to suffer a fatal wound.

    [Are you okay, my child?!]

    Vega looked at Ojin¡¯s stomach pierced by the spear and cried.

    ¡°¡­are you okay.¡±

    Although the wound was severe, recovery should not be difficult as long as you have water-friendly skills.

    To treat trauma of this magnitude, tons of water would be needed, but since there was an ocean nearby, there was no way there would be a shortage of water.

    ¡®The problem is that the distance to the sea is quite far.¡¯

    As I was trying to avoid the swamp as much as possible, I had no choice but to go deep ind.

    Still, it wasn¡¯t a distance that couldn¡¯t be reached if only Ancdus was sessfully dealt with.

    [Keuuuuu noom¡­!]

    Ancdus res at Ojin with wide-open eyes.

    He stood up shakily, putting pressure on the spot where his heart had been pierced with his hand.

    He red at Ojin with an expression of disbelief.

    [How can you use his power¡­!]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Didn¡¯t the Heavenly Demon tell you that he possessed the Dark Heaven?

    ¡®but.¡¯

    If it were discovered that he also possessed the same, or even more perfected form of the Dark Heaven, as the Heavenly Demon, the position of the Heavenly Demon, who had been ruling the constetions of the ck Star with the power of the Dark Heaven, would be quite embarrassing.

    [Ugh¡­ damn¡­!]

    Ancdus let out a painful groan while clutching his chest.

    Even though I wanted to heal my wounds by concentrating the magic of stigmata, I couldn¡¯t recover as I wanted.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy to treat.¡±

    The ck lightning contained the power to destroy the magic of stigmata.

    It would be difficult to find a more fatal attack than that for a constetion whose body was made of stigmata magic rather than fabric.

    [Insolent¡­ Don¡¯t be nervous!]

    Ancdus gritted his teeth fiercely and red at Ojin with murderous eyes.

    The unbearable humiliation burned as anger suppressed the pain that pierced my heart.

    It was not just because the being who had caused such great harm to him was a ¡®human¡¯.

    [The dregs of this arrogant star¡­!]

    I remember the past.

    The constetions looked at themselves with cold and disdainful eyes.

    He appealed to the constetions.

    I cried desperately.

    -Why why don¡¯t you understand! This is the only way to prevent destruction!

    Not all humans can ept stigmata.

    Only a small number of people could ept stigmata, and even those were different.

    In that case, I thought that the only way to prevent the prophesied destruction would be to give strength to the most talented child.

    He believed that there was no way to save the world without sacrifice.

    but.

    -Ancdus, the constetion of Hippocampus.

    His beliefs were brutally trampled by other constetions.

    To the idiots who believe they can save the world without making any sacrifices.

    -I expel you from the sanctuary.

    So he was banished from the world of stars.

    With the insulting title ¡®satellite¡¯.

    so that.

    [Only for you¡­!]

    The pinnacle of the arrogant stars who banished him.

    Only for the child of the North Star, who is said to be the brightest star.

    Couldn¡¯t be defeated.

    Wooooow!

    A cloud of ck light shot up like an explosion.

    [Kaaaaaa!]

    Ancdus¡¯s scream of pain rang out.

    h h h!

    Every part of his body began to crack and shatter like shards of ss.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ojin¡¯s expression hardened.

    A wide cluster of ck light spreads around Ancdus¡¯ body.

    It was a scene that Oh Jin also remembered seeing a few times.

    [The ministry is unfolding!]

    The ministry is unfolding.

    A ¡®sanctuary¡¯ in the true sense of the word, where the power of the constetion can be fully exercised, rather than an extremely small sanctuary surrounding the body.

    It was the same area that Vega had used before to block the Heavenly Demon.

    [Run away, my child!]

    Vega shouted in an urgent voice.

    For the Holy See, carrying out ¡®sanctuary work¡¯ was not an easy task, even in the sanctuary where there were no restrictions of thew.

    As difficult as it was, the power of the constetion within its own domain was so strong that it could be said to be absolute.

    [Hehehe. It¡¯s already toote to run away!]

    Ancdus twitched the corner of his mouth and spread his arms wide.

    A cloud of ck light emitted from himrgely surrounded Ojin.

    [Huh, huh, huh, huh!]

    Even for Ancdus, who was rtively free from the restrictions of thew, carrying out his ministry was too much for him, and he was panting with his breath welling up to his chin.

    but.

    [Now¡­ Be in awe, humans.]

    Nheless, he seeded in trapping Ojin within his sanctuary.

    Googoo googung!

    The ground trembled and water began pouring out like an explosion in a cloud of ck light.

    [This is the ¡®Dragon Pce¡¯, the sanctuary of the Hippocampus constetion.]

    The water that reached the ankles quickly passed through the waist and chest andpletely engulfed Ojin¡¯s body.

    In the blink of an eye, the ce that wasnd just a few seconds ago turned into the sea.

    A miracle that far surpasses thews of physics.

    The expression on Ojin¡¯s face as he was trapped inside the sanctuary opened by the Constetion.

    [¡­What is it?]

    Ancdus¡¯ expression distorted.

    Surely he deserved to be trapped in the ¡®Dragon Pce¡¯ and struggle in pain without being able to breathe.

    [Why¡­ are you smiling?]

    The expression on Ojin¡¯s face while he was trapped in the water was extremely calm.

    No, should I just be calm?

    There was even a bitter sneer on his lips.

    Ancdus frowned at his carefree appearance, which could not have been thought of as being trapped in the sanctuary.

    [Ah, can you hear now?]

    Ohjin opened his mouth a few times in the water, and then, as if he had figured out the trick, he used the magic of stigmata to create a voice.

    [Wow¡­ I wasn¡¯t expecting this.]

    Ojin leisurely looked around the ¡®Yonggung¡¯.

    As the name Dragon Pce suggests, a huge temple made up of the magic of stigmata rose nearby, and countless groups of seahorses emerged from the temple, holding weapons and surrounding Ojin.

    Perhaps because they were underwater, their movements seemed agile and on a different level from those seen onnd.

    [Why do you choose the water?]

    [What does that mean?]

    [Do you remember S¨­suke?]

    [¡­I know.]

    Although he is dead now, among the children who inherited his stigmata, he had some decent talent. It was.

    [Do you know how he died?]

    [I don¡¯t know.]

    I knew that he was called an executioner and led other children, but at that time, before the ¡®restrictions¡¯ were weakened, I didn¡¯t know how he died.

    [Really?]

    Ojin shrugged his shoulders and grabbed Ancdus¡¯ spear, which was still piercing his stomach, and roughly twisted it out.

    His organs, crushed along with the spear, were pulled out and scattered in the water.

    [What are you doing now?]

    Ancdus looked at Ojin as if he couldn¡¯t understand.

    Even if you pull out the spear as carefully as possible, you don¡¯t know if your life will be saved or not, so you pull the spear out roughly as if you were pulling a nail out of a tree.

    [You want to die before you even fight¡­ huh?]

    Ancdus¡¯ expression as he looked at Ojin hardened.

    It was seen that the fist-sized hole in his stomach was filling up in an instant.

    No, not just the wound on his stomach, but everything fromrge wounds to small scratches covering his body were disappearing.

    [It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t know anything.]

    Ohjin chuckled, shrugged his shoulders and twisted the corner of his mouth fiercely.

    [Because you will find out from now on.]

 Chapter 374

    I am not a returner Episode 374:

    Constetion of the ck Star (10)

    Sanctuary Dragon Pce in Hippocampus.

    A ce where the power of the Hippocampus, which freely handles water, can be disyed to its fullest potential.

    What filled this area was not just water.

    ¡®Seahorse Water¡¯, where every drop is made by melting the power of the Seahorse constetion.

    Just by taking a sip, the deadly poison spreads throughout your body, and you feel like you are trapped several kilometers beneath the deep sea.

    Even if they were the same constetion, let alone an awakened person, it would be impossible to survive in his sanctuary on their own.

    how.

    why.

    [Whoop whoop.]

    ck powder flowed from Ancdus¡¯s eyes, nose, and mouth and mixed into the water.

    He looked at the human¡­ no, the monster in front of him with wide eyes.

    [What are you¡­?]

    My whole body is crushed by the water pressure, and each cell is poisoned by the extreme poison.

    As if he had turned back time, his body regenerated in an instant and came towards him, scattering ck thunderbolts.

    [Uh, how¡­]

    Yes.

    As far as yback goes, let¡¯s say that.

    Even if he had special powers or magical powers that he didn¡¯t know about and could quickly restore his body, how could a person endure death more than dozens or hundreds of times?

    Regardless of whether the body could endure it or not, the mind deserved to copse first.

    The human mind is not built to withstand death.

    No, regardless of whether you are a human or not, this is a pain that would cause even a constetion to copse and go crazy.

    but.

    [They say horse meat is that tough, but it doesn¡¯tst as long as you think.]

    Is that because it¡¯s a walrus, not a horse?

    Ojin, who was clutching Ancdus¡¯ neck with a cold sneer on his lips, looked perfectly fine.

    [Already¡­ you¡¯re a crazy monster¡­!]

    [I don¡¯t want to hear that from a guy who turns his own child into a nutritious magic solution.]

    The hand grabbed Ancdus¡¯ neck whileughing. added strength.

    Grumble!

    The ck clouds that erupted from his entire body flowed down his arms and covered Ancdus¡¯ body.

    [Wow! Wow! Ahhh!]

    Wood-duk-duk-duk-duk!

    Until now, it was a dark heaven that had only absorbed the magical power of the stigmata residing within the body.

    In the case of the constetion, since the body itself was made of the magical power of stigmata, it began to eat the constetion like a carnivore eating its prey alive.

    [Oh, no! Save me¡­ gasp!]

    Is life precious even for transcendental people who live eternal life?

    Ancdus cried out in fear and twisted his body.

    [I¡­ I can¡¯t die¡­!]

    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to die, it¡¯s that I can¡¯t die.

    Ojin tilted his head and continued absorbing.

    and.

    -Why why don¡¯t you understand! This is the only way to prevent destruction!

    Memories flowing into my head.

    The image of Ancdus crying desperately was pictured in my mind.

    Ohjin chuckled as he sorted out the memories that flowed like shbacks.

    [The world cannot be saved without sacrifice. So, are you talking about turning the awakened people into magic solution?]

    [How did you do that¡­?!]

    Ancdus looked at Ojin with his eyes wide in astonishment.

    [Sacrifice¡­ sacrifice. Yes, you are right.]

    The world cannot be saved without sacrifice.

    It¡¯s not wrong.

    therefore.

    [Don¡¯t worry, I will use you as a ¡®sacrifice¡¯ to help save the world.]

    [What kind of nonsense is that¡­]

    [If I be stronger and kill the Heavenly Demon with the power I gained from eating you, then how would that be a sacrifice?]

    [That¡¯s bullshit. Don¡¯t do it!]

    Ancdus shouted in an urgent voice.

    Ohjin shrugged his shoulders and stared at him with cold eyes.

    [Why do you hate it when you actually sacrifice it?]

    [That¡­]

    [Yeah, yeah. I know it even if you don¡¯t say it.]

    He continued, bursting intoughter.

    [For someone who says sacrifice is necessary, there is no one who meekly epts it when he bes the target.]

    That¡¯s how everyone lives by forcing others to do things they don¡¯t want to do.

    Constetions and humans.

    [Actually, the reason you tried to create a magical solution and raise strong awakened people was not to prevent destruction, but simply to raise your ¡®status¡¯, which is lower than that of other constetions, right?] [

    No! I will make the necessary sacrifice to prevent destruction¡­]

    [Then why did you feed the magic solution to your child?]

    [¡­What?]

    Ojin continued speaking with deeply sunken eyes.

    [You said you would give strength to a talented awakened person? In that case, it¡¯s right to give the solution to the awakened person of another constetion, not the awakened person of the Hippocampus constetion, right?]

    The constetion of the Hippocampus constetion was a constetion that was quite ¡®low in ss¡¯ among the hundreds of constetions.

    then.

    Isn¡¯t it natural that it would be more effective to feed the magic solution made by melting the awakened person to an awakened person with a different constetion rather than feeding it to an awakened person in the same Hippocampus constetion?

    [But you didn¡¯t do that.]

    If you pass on the magical solution created by sacrificing your own child to an awakened person from another constetion, your ¡®level¡¯ will drop even further.

    [That¡¯s it.]

    Ancdus¡¯ eyes wavered.

    Oh Jin shook his shoulders and burst intoughter.

    He probably had no doubts that he believed himself to be ¡®just¡¯ until he pointed it out.

    Because there is nothing that resembles belief more than desire disguised as a lie.

    [Don¡¯t pretend to have faith by lying, you idiot.]

    [What do you know¡­!]

    [I know.]

    Ohjin smiled brightly and grabbed his wide open hand.

    [A lie is actually the sweetest when told to yourself.]

    Rurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    The ck clouds rose up like an explosion and engulfed Ancdus¡¯ body.

    [Oh no¡­ gasp! Wow! [Kaaaa!]

    With a deathly scream, an enormous amount of magical energy flowed through the ck sky that had swallowed Ancdus.

    ¡®Ugh.¡¯

    Ojin frowned and endured the power of the constetion flowing into his body.

    ¡®After all, a constetion is a constetion even if its status is low.¡¯

    The magical power flowing into my body was so thick and massive that it sent chills down my spine.

    ¡®but.¡¯

    No matter how powerful the magical power was,pared to when it absorbed part of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Heaven, this was enough to endure.

    Ojin gritted his teeth and endured to prevent his consciousness from being swept away by the magic power that surged like a tidal wave.

    and.

    -Tiring.

    The clear sound of bells, which I had not heard in a long time, rang in my ears.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    Ojin¡¯s eyes turned to the blue message window that appeared in front of him.

    [The constetion of the Hippocampus has been sessfully absorbed!]

    [The eleventh flowering condition of the ck Sky has been achieved!]

    Rurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    The ck clouds that spewed out from Ojin¡¯s entire body enveloped his body like a whirlwind.

    A sense of distant omnipotence filled me, along with a shiver running down my spine.

    [Due to the eleventh flowering of ck Heaven, the effects of ck Heaven¡¯s characteristics be stronger!]

    [The new attribute ¡®Sanctuary Expansion¡¯ has been acquired!]

    Sanctuary Expansion?

    Oh Jin¡¯s eyes lit up as he looked at the new feature, which had a fraudulent smell right from its name.

    When I clicked on the message window to check the detailed exnation of the sanctuary development.

    [The memories of Awakened Lee Shin-hyeok are passed down ording to the flowering stage of the ck Sky!]

    ¡®It¡¯s been a long time.¡¯

    How long has this been passed down?

    Well, I don¡¯t know how useful the memories from the first episode will be now.

    Oh Jin quietly closed his eyes and focused on the memories flowing into his mind.

    -Why why are you doing this!!

    Lee Shin-hyuk was seen crying.

    -Why on earth are you doing this to me!!!!

    Miserably, miserably.

    Hugging Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s severed head.

    He screamed at the masked devil in front of him.

    -well?

    Inside the pure white mask.

    Blue, burning eyes gazed at Lee Shin-hyuk.

    -If you hadn¡¯t¡­ left me there then, wouldn¡¯t this have happened?

    A voice that resonates eerily.

    Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes trembled.

    -I abandoned you¡­? What does that mean?

    -Hmm. I guess I don¡¯t remember either.

    The masked devil Cheonma looked down at Lee Shin-hyuk and shook his shoulders.

    -but. Basically, memories disappear easily.

    For example, the lunch menu I had the day before yesterday.

    For example, an overseas trip you went on when you were young.

    For example, an incident where a person was pushed aside by a group of Enthorns to escape.

    As if melting into the passing time.

    Memories disappear and memories fade.

    -But you know what?

    Cheonma grabbed Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s neck as he copsed.

    -No matter how much I try to forget it, no matter how much I try to erase it.

    never.

    -There are also unforgettable memories?

    Blue, burning eyes gazed at Lee Shin-hyuk.

    Why?

    Those eerie eyes made me feel lonely and pitiful.

    -What¡­ What do you mean?

    -haha. What I¡¯m saying is that I wanted to make an unforgettable memory for you too.

    Cheonma let out a lowugh and touched Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s head, which Lee Shin-hyuk was holding tightly, with his hand.

    A spark shed in Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s eyes.

    -You bastard!

    Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s hand grasped the spear with a scream of anger.

    The tip of the spear, moving smoothly following the guidance of thepass, was aimed at the Heavenly Demon¡¯s neck.

    -This is true.

    The Heavenly Demon waved his hand lightly, as if swatting away a troublesome fly.

    Kagang!

    The sharp de of the spear aimed at his neck bent and broke like a stick of taffy.

    -I was just going to give him a gift and move on quietly, but this is getting on my nerves again?

    In an irritated voice, he added strength to the hand that was clutching Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s neck.

    -Whoosh whoosh! Wow!

    By the time Lee Shin-hyuk let out a painful groan and his eyes turned white.

    -Let¡¯s stop there.

    A man appeared from the side and grabbed Cheonma¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡®¡­that.¡¯

    The man who firstes to mind when the word whitees to mind.

    The man with pure white hair and pale skin pulled the Cheonma¡¯s shoulder with a gentle smile on his lips.

    -Isn¡¯t that child important to your ns?

    -¡­Tsk.

    The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue softly and rxed his grip.

    Puha!

    Lee Shin-hyuk fell to the floor, breathing heavily.

    -okay okay. Now, have you put your hands down? This is enough, right?

    -Do not forget it.

    The white-haired man stared at the Heavenly Demon with eyes shining with emerald green.

    -That you and I have only one purpose.

    -I know.

    The Heavenly Demon nodded quietly and turned around.

    Just like that, the two disappeared beyond the dark clouds, leaving behind the fallen Lee Shin-hyuk.

    and.

    Chijijijijiji!

    The memory was cut off along with the noise.

    -Tiring!

    [All the memories of Awakened Lee Shin-hyeok recorded in the Lyra Stigmata have been passed down!]

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ojin clutched his throbbing head and frowned.

    A white-haired man seen through Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories.

    ¡®It has the same purpose as the Heavenly Demon?¡¯

    I bit my lip, remembering the face of a man whose gentle smile had an eerie strangeness to it.

 Chapter 375

    I am not a returner Episode 375

    Interlude ¨C Serpent Master (1)

    After Ancdus is defeated.

    Ojin and his group, who were lying around, were taken to a nearby hospital by members of the Kuroshi organization who were waiting far away.

    Due to the aftereffects and wounds of receiving the constetion¡¯s blessing, Woohyuk Lee and Ryo Sakaki entered the intensive care unit, and Ojin also spent a period of time recuperating in the hospital due to internal injuries that he could not recover from due to his water-friendly skills.

    Ha-eun and Koshiro were only in a state of temporary exhaustion because they had squeezed the stigmata¡¯s magical power until it was depleted, and although they did not necessarily need hospitalization, they remained at the hospital to take care of Ojin and Sakaki, respectively.

    For your information, Lee Woo-hyuk was cared for by Kim Seon-young, the deputy guild leader of the Valha guild, who flew in from Korea immediately after hearing the news.

    3 days like that.

    Ojin, who recovered before the other two thanks to his water affinity skill, came out of the intensive care unit and went to the beach where he had a fierce battle with Ancdus.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not Jesus. Is it okay to turn around like this in three days?¡±

    Ha-eun approached Oh-jin with a worried expression.

    I followed him because he said he was going out, but Oh Jin, who left the treatment room after only three days, was frowning as if he didn¡¯t deserve it.

    ¡°You keep saying it¡¯s okay. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m feeling better than before?¡±

    It was not wrong to say that the eleventh flowering of the ck Sky made it even stronger.

    ¡°It¡¯s a disaster. ¡°I touched him while he was sleeping earlier, and he couldn¡¯t even stand up properly.¡±

    ¡°what.¡±

    What on earth doesn¡¯t work?

    When Oh Jin looked at Ha Eun with a stiff expression, she winked and shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°I know~¡±

    ¡°No, shit.¡±

    What are you doing while people are sleeping, sister?

    ¡°Well, anyway. ¡°Why did youe here again?¡±

    ¡°I was curious about what happened.¡±

    Ojin let out a low sigh and looked back at the beach where he had fought Ancdus in a fierce battle.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t even remember what this ce originally looked like.¡±

    The beach where the fierce battle took ce was very different from what I first saw.

    There were dozens of meter-long craters here and there, as if some kind of meteorite had fallen, and in some ces, they were melted and stuck, and in other ces, huge coastal caves had been created.

    ¡°Even when I look at it, it seems a bit absurd.¡±

    Ha-eun shook her head.

    ¡°The constetions are really strong.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a constetion.¡±

    ¡°So you slurped up that constetion this time?¡±

    That¡¯s a very ssy expression, sister.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Ha-eun let out a deep sigh and dropped her shoulders.

    Is he ming himself for not being of much help this time?

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my sister and the others, he wouldn¡¯t have developed a sanctuary in the first ce.¡±

    These are not empty words tofort her.

    If Woohyuk Lee, Ryo Koshiro Sakaki, and others had not been able to push Ancdus, he would not have been able to defeat the Constetion so easily.

    ¡°What are you doing tofort me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­¡±

    ¡°This won¡¯t work since we¡¯re here.¡±

    Ha-eun grinned and leaned in closer.

    He stretched out his hand and massaged Ojin¡¯s firm buttocks with a sinister smile.

    ¡°I think my sister should reward our kind-hearted Ojini with a lot of rewards~?¡±

    ¡°Where did you pick up such a vulgar line again?¡±

    Oh Jin looked at Ha Eun as if it was absurd.

    Still, the shadow on Ha-eun¡¯s face seemed to have faded, perhaps because she felt a little better after saying those words.

    ¡°So this time, ck Heaven became stronger again after eating that constetion?¡±

    ¡°ok.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t control my power, right?¡±

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t anything like that in particr. ¡°Well, there are some things that are a bit more difficult to deal with than before.¡±

    That was a problem that would naturally be resolved if the stigmata of Lyra gradually became stronger in the future.

    Because the stigmata of Lyra contained the power to control the ck Sky.

    ¡®Wait a minute, but to increase the power of Lyra¡¯s stigmata¡­¡¯

    Oh Jin, who was continuing his thoughts, touched his forehead as if he had a headache.

    ¡°why? Head hurts?¡±

    ¡°¡­no.¡±

    ¡°Look, you bastard. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to just stay calm and stay in the hospital?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    How can I say it?

    In order to increase the power of the stigmata of Lyra, you must have a ¡®star coption¡¯ with Vega.

    It would be morefortable to just pretend that the aftereffects of the internal injury still remain.

    ¡°For now, I¡¯ll just test out the newly acquired characteristics and then go back.¡±

    ¡°Is¡­ is it a sanctuary development or something?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    Sanctuary deployment.

    This was a new trait I acquired while blooming the Eleventh Star.

    When I first got it, I didn¡¯t have time to read the description in detail because Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories were immediately transferred, but I was able to check the description of the characteristicster while receiving treatment in the intensive care unit.

    ¡®The sanctuary of the absorbed stigmata can be developed.¡¯

    The exnation is simple, but the content contained within it cannot be ignored.

    ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ was a power that only the constetions could have and was the foundational ability that made the constetions transcendent.

    In other words, it means that sanctuary can be developed.

    ¡®It would be safe to say that it has be a constetion itself.¡¯

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that his body would be made up of the magical power of stigmata like a constetion.

    In any case, it was good news for Ojin to be able to develop sanctuary, which was the foundation of the constetion.

    ¡°But then, if we can expand to the Sanctuary, does that mean our Ojini will be a Constetion?¡±

    ¡°It may not be a constetion, but it will be something simr to it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Ha-eun smiled sinisterly and hugged Oh-jin¡¯s arm.

    ¡°I am the Constetion of Ojin~ My Constetion is always abandoning me to sleep with his wife. Can you take care of me instead~?¡±

    Ha-eun makes a noise and subtly presses her breasts.

    Oh Jin could only react to her sudden cuteness.

    ¡°¡­Ouch.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing, you idiot?¡±

    ¡°No, how could it not be this catastrophic?¡±

    ¡°You bastard! ¡°Be would have been so excited to do it!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s Isabe.¡±

    Aegyo with Ha-eun.

    Isn¡¯t it abination as ipatible as mint and chocte?

    ¡°Ssi. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t fit in, you idiot.¡±

    Ha-eun kicked a rolling stone with a dissatisfied expression.

    Oh Jin couldn¡¯t hold back and burst intoughter as he muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll never see you again.¡±

    ¡°Stopughing you idiot!¡±

    ¡°Oh, my sister is so cute, so what should I do?¡±

    In my heart, I wanted to hold Ha-eun¡¯s hand and walk along the beach.

    There was still work left to do.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±

    Ojin concentrated his mind and used ¡®Sanctuary Deployment¡¯.

    ¡®The stigmata¡­ are the stigmata of Lyra.¡¯

    Pajik Pajijik!

    A soft silver light enveloped Ojin¡¯s body, and blue sparks flew out.

    As soon as I ced a sanctuary around my body, I felt my magic draining away at an incredible speed, as if a hole had been breached in a dam.

    ¡®Can¡¯t it spread out widely around like Vega?¡¯

    The sanctuary can only expand to about 5cm around the body.

    At this level, if it were a constetion, it was just a sanctuary naturally worn around the body like a passive one.

    ¡°It¡¯s still embarrassing to call it a sanctuary development¡­¡±

    Like the ¡®Dragon Pce¡¯ used by Ancdus, changing the topography of the surrounding area and creating a space where he could optimally use his powers was still a distant task for Ojin.

    ¡®Well, I guess I¡¯ll be able to do that eventually.¡¯

    I didn¡¯t really feel it before, but now I know for sure.

    What an unusual talent you have.

    If you continue to refine your ¡®Sanctuary Expansion¡¯ characteristic, it will be possible to spread your sanctuary widely around you like Vega.

    ¡°Sister, try shooting a fire at me.¡±

    ¡°Eh? now?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    Ojin stood still without any defensive stance.

    The sanctuary surrounding the body was like a solid armor in itself.

    Even among the high-ranking awakened ones, Lee Woo-hyuk and Sakaki Ryo, who were quite powerful, were not able to inflict even a scratch on Ancdus before receiving the constetion¡¯s blessing.

    ¡°okay.¡±

    ¡°Shoot without controlling your strength.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m serious?¡±

    ¡°Then should I make a joke in this situation?¡±

    Although Ha-eun¡¯s attack was powerful enough to pierce the sanctuary.

    Still, it would be much less shocking than getting hit without a sanctuary.

    ¡°Okay. ¡°Don¡¯t regret itter.¡±

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue and took out a cigar from her pocket.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    A zing fire sprang forth from the tip of the candle.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡±

    A huge fire dragon charged towards Ojin.

    and.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Heat prating the sanctuary.

    The pain of burning skin spread throughout Ojin¡¯s body.

    ¡°Hey hey! are you okay?!¡±

    Ha-eun hurriedly put out the fire.

    Oh Jin ran towards me with a worried look on his face, wondering if his body had been burned to a crisp.

    ¡°uh? what?¡±

    Although he suffered some burns on his skin, Ojin was in good condition.

    ¡°Whoa¡­ the performance is solid.¡±

    Ojin seemed satisfied and took back the sanctuary wrapped around his body.

    Although Ha-eun¡¯s fire could not bepletely prevented, the same was true for Ancdus.

    ¡®First of all, the defense performance is solid.¡¯

    I haven¡¯t tested it properly yet, but it seems like it could be used well for offense.

    ¡®If Vega had been there, I would have been able to hear more details about the sanctuary.¡¯

    The constetions, including Vega, were summoned back to the sanctuary due to the cost of using the blessing.

    There is no gate leading to the sanctuary in Japan, so you will only be able to meet her once you return to Korea.

    ¡°Then shall we go back soon?¡±

    ¡°huh? ¡°Are you done already?¡±

    ¡°I came here in the first ce to test the development of the sanctuary.¡±

    In any case, the internal injuries had not fully recovered yet, so there was no need to push harder.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Ha-eun approached with a sinister smile.

    ¡°Why again?¡±

    ¡°Bute on¡­ It¡¯s quiet here and there¡¯s no one there. right?¡±

    ¡°If you were like me, would you want toe here?¡±

    Due to the battle with the Constetion, the entire area was in a state of chaos as if it had been hit by a natural disaster, so there was no way for people toe.

    No, in the first ce, members of the Kuroshi organization were controlling entry.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    Ha-eun gave Oh-jin a coy look and secretly traced Oh-jin¡¯s thigh.

    ¡°You said earlier that your sister would give you an award, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    No, I said I wouldn¡¯t stand earlier.

 Chapter 376

    I am not a returner Episode 376

    Interlude ¨C The Snake Master (2)

    ¡°Hey little brother Ojin! ¡°Where have you been like that?!¡±

    When I returned to the hospital, Sakaki, dressed as a patient, was out in the garden in front of the hospital.

    Behind Sakaki, who was smiling and waving his hands, Koshiro was seen fidgeting.

    ¡°Oh ya bung! ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave the hospital room without permission!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! ¡°If you¡¯re a man, you¡¯ll survive with your spirit, Koshiro!¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Is that something like that? Oyabung?¡±

    Koshiro opens his eyes wide and trembles as if he has gained new insight.

    ¡°What do you mean by that? Brother.¡±

    Yoko followed, opening her eyes and pulling Koshiro¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Oh, it hurts!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re a little sick!¡±

    Yoko sighed deeply and red at Sakaki.

    ¡°Sakaki, please go back to the hospital room quickly. ¡°You¡¯re not fully healed yet, right?¡±

    ¡°haha! If a man were to suffer a wound of this magnitude with courage¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­are you going to tell the hostess?¡±

    ¡°omg.¡±

    Sakaki¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    ¡°That much¡­¡±

    Does even the bull chosen by Aldebaran turn into a calf in front of his wife?

    Sakaki, who was looking around while stuttering, approached Ojin as if running away.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Sakaki, who was examining Ojin¡¯splexion, frowned.

    ¡°What happened little brother?¡±

    ¡°¡­no.¡±

    ¡°Why not!¡±

    Drawn cheeks and pale face.

    His shaky legs, like those of a runner after finishing a long distance marathon, told him that his current condition was not normal.

    ¡°Is it possible that the seahorse poison still remains in the body?¡±

    no.

    To be precise, the problem is that there is nothing left in the body.

    ¡°If that¡¯s not the case, then the internal injuries haven¡¯tpletely healed yet!¡±

    It¡¯s true that it hasn¡¯tpletely healed.

    It¡¯s not because of that.

    ¡°Please answer me!¡±

    this.

    Well¡­ it¡¯s a bit awkward to say, but that¡¯s the reason.

    ¡°Does Jesu know why Ojin¡¯s younger brother is in this condition?!¡±

    ¡°Yes? me?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we just go out together ande back?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡°That¡¯s it¡­¡±

    Ha-eun whistles awkwardly and slightly averts her gaze.

    Ha-eun¡¯s cheeks turned red as if they were on fire.

    Oh Jin sighed and opened his mouth.

    ¡°I thought my internal injuries were all healed, so I went out for a moment to get some air, but suddenly I felt dizzy.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh. ¡°What should I do if a patient who hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet goes out and shoots?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Is that what you¡¯re going to say?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to call a doctor right now! ¡°Sit here and wait!¡±

    ¡°Oh no! it¡¯s okay!¡±

    Secretly with Ha-eun outside¡­ or public? No, that¡¯s not important.

    In any case, if you are taken to the emergency room just because you two had a hot time together, you will have a dark history that willst a lifetime.

    ¡°¡­Can you really not go to the intensive care unit?¡±

    ¡°yes! ¡°It was because I felt dizzy for a moment. I¡¯m very energetic, bro!¡±

    Ojin, like Sakaki, burst outughing and pounded his chest with his fisted hand.

    Actually, I wasn¡¯t in good physical condition because I was exercising too much while my internal injuries weren¡¯tpletely healed.

    ¡®no way.¡¯

    I really wanted to avoid going into the intensive care unit for that very reason.

    ¡°Oh, Ojini is okay too! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take you to the hospital room!¡±

    Ha-eun also seemed to have the same thoughts as Oh Jin and supported Oh Jin with an awkward smile.

    Sakaki crossed his arms and sighed.

    ¡°Well, if even Mr. Jesu says that, I can¡¯t help it.¡±

    ¡°haha. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just¡­ ah.¡±

    ¡°hmm? Is something happening?¡±

    ¡°I have one favor to ask of you.¡±

    Ojin took out a piece of paper from his pocket and held it out to Sakaki.

    On the paper was a clear image of a white-haired man, as if it had been taken from a photograph.

    ¡°I want you to investigate this person.¡±

    To be honest, I don¡¯t expect Sakaki to be able to find the white-haired man.

    If you can get even the smallest clue¡­ or even if you can¡¯t find any clues, it would be a good idea to at least ask for a favor.

    At least in Japan, there was no organization that could match Kuroshi¡¯s intelligence power.

    ¡°Who is this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know any other information other than appearance.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Sakaki swallowed heavily and frowned softly.

    No matter how good Kuroshi¡¯s information was, it was difficult to find a person with just a photo.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best¡­ but honestly, I think it¡¯ll be difficult to find it with just this.¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m also asking you a favor just in case. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry too much.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! ¡°Still, it¡¯s a request from my proud younger brother, so I need to let the kids go.¡±

    Sakaki let out a heartyugh and looked at the white-haired man drawn on the paper.

    ¡°By the way, did your younger brother draw this himself?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you also have a talent for drawing! ¡°If someone sees it, they might mistake it for a photograph rather than a painting.¡±

    In fact, the appearance of the white-haired man that Lee Shin-hyuk saw in his memory was transferred onto paper using the illusion skill, so it was closer to a printed photo than a drawing.

    There is no need to exin every single thing.

    ¡°Then please do me a favor.¡±

    ¡°Oh, by the way, the kids reported the damage and the remaining remnants this morning. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have much content, but take a look.¡±

    Sakaki held out some documents from his pocket.

    It didn¡¯t look like there was a lot of paper, as they said it didn¡¯t have much content.

    ¡°thank you.¡±

    After receiving the documents from Sakaki, Ojin headed to the hospital room.

    Ha-eun, who was following behind, stroked her chest and exhaled in relief.

    ¡°Wow Mr. ¡°I thought you were scared because you said you were calling a doctor.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I told you not to do it.¡±

    ¡°From the middle of the sentence, Ji started to get more excited.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Nope.

    Oh Jin swallowed his sleep as if he had nothing to say to make an excuse.

    Sweet.

    Oh Jin returned to the hospital room and immediatelyy down on the bed.

    ¡°Huh. ¡°Of course the bed is the best.¡±

    Comfort as if you were lying down in bed after a hot shower.

    I felt the fatigue that was weighing down my body slowly melting away.

    ¡°Are you talking like a guy who works overtime?¡±

    ¡°shut up.¡±

    Who is this all because of?

    ¡°Would you like my sister to peel the apples for me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat an apple with only the core left on it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good at cutting now?!¡±

    Ha-eun huffed and picked up the sword.

    ¡°Huh? ¡°Why is this like this¡­¡±

    As he expected, Ohjin looked sadly at the flesh being cruelly chopped off along with the skin, and thought of a white-haired man.

    ¡®Who is it?¡¯

    A man who seems to have been transported to a pure white snowy field.

    I frown, remembering the emerald eyes shining with an eerie light.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Even if I kept wrapping my head around like this, there was no way I could figure out the man¡¯s identity.

    Ojin lightly clicked his tongue and opened the document he had epted from Sakaki.

    The scale of damage caused by this battle was written in detail.

    As I was looking through the documents, an apple with a crooked heart came to my lips.

    ¡°Now, Aang~¡±

    ¡°¡­the apples have be a bit thin?¡±

    Did you get any petty food?

    ¡°Shut up and eat.¡±

    ¡°yep.¡±

    ¡°Did you give it to me earlier?¡±

    ¡°ok.¡±

    ¡°Give it to me so I can take a look.¡±

    Ha-eun took the document and flipped through the papers.

    After seeing the damage, Ha-eun sighed in relief and opened her mouth.

    ¡°Still, we fought and created that mess, but I¡¯m d there were no casualties.¡±

    ¡°Because we evacuated in advance.¡±

    The aftermath of the battle was so great that the beach, which was their home, was devastated.

    Anyway, the vigers were evacuated in advance, so fortunately there were no casualties.

    ¡®The only casualties that can be said to be¡­.¡¯

    Could it be the Kuroshi gang member who first filmed Ancdus¡¯ appearance and the missing truck driver?

    The number is not important, but considering that the ck Star Constetion directly appeared on Earth, it can be said that there was almost no damage¡­

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    at that time.

    An eerie shiver ran down my spine.

    Oh Jin snatched the document Ha Eun was reading and looked at it closely again.

    ¡°what? what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°¡­doesn¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything?¡±

    ¡°truck.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t paying attention at all due to Ancdus¡¯ surprise attack.

    ¡°The truck that was said to be missing¡­ where is it?¡±

    Why?

    An ominous feeling spread throughout my body like sticky tar.

    * * *

    ¡°What do you think about disasters?¡±

    In the dark forest.

    A man as white as a snowy field was sitting on a rock, looking at a thicket of shadows.

    In the forest with no one around, the man continued talking softly to himself.

    ¡°Something you can¡¯t anticipate, deal with, or avoid¡­ doesn¡¯t it resemble fate?¡±

    Emerald eyes looked somewhere in the bush.

    There was a truck lying there, torn to pieces as if it had been torn apart by giant ws.

    ¡°So, the fact that he met me¡­ and the fact that we met him, may have been fate.¡±

    The man let out a softugh with a gentle smile on his lips.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think so? Cassia.¡±

    Sara rock.

    The bushes shook and an eerie sound, like a snake crawling across the ground, echoed through the forest.

    A woman walked out from the deep shadows.

    At first nce, this woman is so slender that one might mistake her for a girl.

    However, unlike her slender figure like a girl, her spine-chillingly beautiful appearance had a bewitching lustfulness that could not be called a girl.

    Cassia approached the man, dragging her ck dress across the floor, and bowed politely.

    ¡°I meet Mobius, the constetion of Ophiuchus.¡±

    ¡°haha. ¡°There is no need to be so polite.¡±

    The white-haired man called Mobius shook his head with a gentle smile.

    ¡°I gave her my stigmata, but Cassia is not my ¡®child.¡¯¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The words were as firm as if they had been cut with a sharp de.

    Cassia clenched her fists with a somewhat nervous expression.

    He swallowed dry saliva and opened his mouth in a nervous voice.

    ¡°¡­I want to ask you something.¡±

    ¡°is it so? This is such a coincidence. Ah, maybe this too could be fate.¡±

    Moebius let out a lowugh and turned his head.

    Eerie sparkling emerald eyes turned towards Cassia.

    ¡°I also want to ask Cassia something.¡±

 Chapter 377

    I am not a returner Episode 377:

    Sister (1)

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll just go back.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°I wanted to have a drink with Oh Jin¡¯s younger brother, but it¡¯s a shame.¡±

    Two days after leaving the intensive care unit.

    Sakaki, who hade to the airport to pick up Ojin and his group returning to Korea, ate his food with a sad expression on his face.

    Ojin smiled slightly and held Sakaki¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Anyway, won¡¯t we have a chance to meet again next time?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! ¡°I will make time to go to Korea soon!¡±

    Sakaki nodded, letting out his characteristic boisterousugh.

    After saying hello to Oh Jin, he turned to Lee Woo-hyuk, who was heading to the Valha Guild¡¯s private ne while being supported by Kim Seon-young.

    ¡°Woohyuk, you also had a hard time this time. The Kuroshi organization will never forget the favor it received from the Valha Guild.¡±

    ¡°It was hard¡­ I couldn¡¯t even hurt him properly.¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk gave a self-deprecating smile and a despondent expression.

    The battle with Ancdus must have been quite a shock, as the de, which was sharp as a wild beast, had be dull as if its ws had been cut off.

    Sakaki let out a livelyugh while patting Lee Woo-hyuk on the back.

    ¡°haha! ¡°If that were the case, wouldn¡¯t I have been hit and just flew away?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°The important thing is that you picked up the sword for the helpless. Even though it is close, it is definitely for people from other countries.¡±

    It¡¯s a misdiagnosis, and since we¡¯ve met each other before, let¡¯s say I cane help him.

    In fact, in the case of Lee Woo-hyuk, he followed Oh Jin to Japan even though there was no need toe.

    He did it alone because he couldn¡¯t get his guild members involved.

    ¡°I am also the head of an organization. ¡°I know how difficult your decision is to make.¡±

    To save the helpless.

    How many people can actually keep this statement, which seems obvious at first nce?

    Basically, humans only move when their understanding and calctions are aligned.

    When you see people sacrificing themselves and going to faraway countries to volunteer, they say they are amazing, but in reality, very few people even donate 1,000 won.

    There was an instinctive reluctance to do things that required sacrifice without any benefit.

    ¡°But you did that.¡±

    Whether Lee Woo-hyuk was active or not, I couldn¡¯t help but admire his actions.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s eyes wavered.

    He raised his head for a moment, looked up at the sky, and then spoke in a low voice.

    ¡°¡­I had an older brother.¡±

    ¡°brother?¡±

    Sakaki blinked at the sudden change of topic.

    ¡°When my brother had just be an awakened person, I left him half-way behind because I wanted to focus on growing the guild.¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk continued speaking with a bitter expression.

    ¡°And my brother died. ¡°I was kidnapped by the ck Star.¡±

    Startle.

    Oh Jin, who was quietly listening to Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s story, trembled.

    ¡°I thought a lot after my brother died. ¡°If I had been a little more¡­a person who could look out for others, my brother would not have died.¡±

    I swore in front of Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s grave.

    I will never live like before again.

    I will be a person who can hold up the sword for others.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Is that why you came to Japan alone?¡±

    ¡°There was a reason why I wanted to repay the favor I received from Oh Jin, but that was the biggest reason.¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk smiled slightly and unclenched his fists.

    I straightened my shrunken shoulders and straightened my back proudly.

    ¡°Thank you for your words. ¡°Thanks to Mr. Sakaki, I feel like I remembered something I had forgotten.¡±

    The ws of the wild beast that had been cut off began to grow again.

    ¡°Hahaha! ¡°This isn¡¯t just a handsome guy!¡±

    Sakaki patted Lee Woo-hyuk on the back and burst intoughter.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Was it not only his own future that was changed by Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s death?

    Ohjin smiled bitterly and shook his head.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll just leave.¡±

    ¡°haha! ¡°Go back carefully!¡±

    He lowered his head and turned towards Sakaki.

    After saying goodbye to Sakaki, Ojin and his group returned to Korea on the Valha Guild¡¯s private ne.

    Lee Woo-hyuk asked as he and Oh Jin left Incheon International Airport.

    ¡°Where are you going, Oh Jin?¡±

    ¡°For now, I n to go home.¡±

    ¡°Shall we take you to the beach in our guild vehicle?¡±

    ¡°no. it¡¯s okay.¡±

    Anyway, all I had to do to go back was take the vehicle provided by the association.

    Lee Woo-hyuk nodded and held out his hand to Oh Jin.

    ¡°Next time, I will be stronger so that I can help Mr. Ojin.¡±

    ¡°What if next time¡­?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Ancdus the only ck star constetion?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    As Lee Woo-hyuk said, the total number of ck star constetions was seven.

    ¡®Have we finally dealt with one of them?¡¯

    Ojin sighed deeply as he remembered a fact he had tried to forget.

    It is unknown how many more ck Star constetions wille to Earth in the future, but since the Heavenly Demon directly intervened, I did not think that the situation would be easily resolved.

    ¡®No, maybe.¡¯

    Not only Ancdus but other constetions may have alreadye to Earth.

    The reason why Ancdus was able to find out that he had appeared was because the Kuroshi organization was lucky enough to discover the anomaly of the magic wave in advance.

    ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll see you next time.¡±

    After saying hello to Lee Woo-hyuk, Oh Jin returned home with Ha-eun.

    ¡°hmm?¡±

    When I arrived home, I saw an old man wearing a neat butler¡¯s uniform standing in front of the front door.

    It was Roberto, Isabe¡¯s closest associate and the real second-inmand of the Colgrande family.

    ¡°uh? ¡°What¡¯s going on here with the installment n?¡±

    ¡°I was waiting for you two after hearing that you arrived in Korea.¡±

    ¡°Us?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Roberto bent down with a neat movement that seemed straight out of a textbook, then took out a tablet from his bag and handed it to Ohjin.

    The tablet¡¯s screen turned on, and Isabe¡¯s face with a very angry expression appeared on the screen.

    -I heard the news, Mr. Oh Jin. I heard you fought against the ck Star Constetion?

    Was the story of misdiagnosis spread through the association?

    Isabe red at Ojin beyond the screen, her eyes shining fiercely.

    -Why didn¡¯t you contact me?

    ¡°Be was busy too. ¡°The distance from Italy to Japan is too far.¡±

    Since there is no gate to the sanctuary in Japan, I had no choice but to fly there myself.

    No, even if there was a gate leading to the sanctuary, it would be difficult for Isabe, who has the stigmata of Leech, to use the sanctuary to travel between countries.

    -Ah, no matter how much it is! A constetion of ck stars?! You should have at least contacted me!

    Isabe screamed with bright eyes.

    Her trembling lips and pale expression conveyed how much she was worried about him.

    ¡°¡­sorry.¡±

    Oh Jin lowered his head as if he had no excuses.

    Even if we had no choice but to rush to Japan due to the circumstances at the time, it was right to at least tell Isabe in advance.

    -ha. Really¡­ do you know how worried I was when I heard the news?

    ¡°There is no excuse.¡±

    -anyway.

    Isabe continued, ring at Ojin.

    -I¡¯ll be returning to Korea tomorrow, so you know that.

    ¡°Are you done with your work?¡±

    -There is no need for you to worry about that, Mr. Ohjin.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    It¡¯s not over.

    ha.

    Ojin sighed and shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, so if there¡¯s anything left to do,ter¡­¡±

    -My work. I aming. You know, right?

    Isabe smiles brightly and clearly emphasizes the two letters ¡®tomorrow¡¯.

    Ojin was struck by the eerie thrill of a beautiful smile that took his breath away, and without even realizing it, he took a posture of alertness.

    ¡°I will pick you up at the airport tomorrow.¡±

    -Ha¡­ First of all, you must have just returned home, so get some rest.

    Have you lost your temper yet?

    Isabe sighed and told me to rest, with a smile as calm as ake on her lips.

    -You won¡¯t have time to rest tomorrow.

    hmm.

    I think I still need more time to let go of my anger.

    -Oh, Oh Jin, you know you have toe alone, right?

    ¡°alone?¡±

    I was nning on picking her up with Ha-eun, but whye alone?

    When I looked at Isabe with questioning eyes, she smiled and continued speaking.

    -yes. I booked a hotel near the airport.

    hotel?

    ¡°Why the hotel¡­?¡±

    -See you tomorrow, Mr. Ohjin.

    Pop.

    The video call has ended.

    ¡°I will let you know tomorrow when the youngdy will return home.¡±

    Roberto bowed politely and put the tablet back into his bag.

    Roberto, who was about to turn and leave, looked back at Ojin with pitiful eyes.

    ¡°Please¡­ I hope you¡¯re safe.¡±

    ¡°No, wait a minute.¡±

    What is that look on your face as if you are looking at a death row inmate who is about to go to execution?

    ¡°Restfortably!¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment¡­!¡±

    Without any time to stop, Roberto quickly walked away.

    Oh Jin turned his head towards Ha Eun as if holding thest rope.

    ¡°Sister, let¡¯s go to the airport with me tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°What should I do because I¡¯m lonely? It¡¯ll be hard to see your face for the next few days since we¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    Oh Jin red at Ha Eun with an expression full of betrayal.

    Ha-eun smiled awkwardly and turned her head to avoid his gaze.

    ¡°what is it. ¡°I don¡¯t have the confidence to handle Be when she¡¯s upset.¡±

    It seemed wrong to expect Ha-eun¡¯s help.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Oh Jin sighed and turned around in front of the front door.

    ¡°What is it? Are you really trying to stand out?¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s crazy? ¡°How are you going to take care of it?¡±

    ¡°So where are you going now?¡±

    ¡°Sanctuary.¡±

    Originally, I had nned to rest well today and leave for the sanctuary tomorrow, but the n went awry.

    ¡°Are you going to see Vega?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to go see if it¡¯s okay. ¡°I have something else to ask you.¡±

    All three constetions who used the constetion¡¯s blessing, including Vega, were unable to appear again due to restrictions of thew after being backsummoned to the sanctuary.

    ¡°Are you going to ask?¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head and looked at Oh-jin.

    Oh Jin took out a piece of paper from his pocket.

    The same paper that was given to Sakaki, depicting a man with hair as white as a snowy field.

    ¡°If you¡¯re Vega, you might know about this guy, right?¡±

    Why?

    The words that Lee Woo-hyuk had said, ¡®The constetion of the ck Star is not one,¡¯ suddenly crossed my mind.

 Chapter 378

    I am not a returner Chapter 378:

    Sister (2)

    [My child!]

    As soon as he entered the temple, Vega (body version) instantly flew over and hugged Ojin as if pounced on him.

    She had tears in her eyes as she groped Oh Jin¡¯s whole body like an airport checkpoint employee.

    [How are you feeling? Is there any pain anywhere?]

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    Ojin shrugged his shoulders and gave a light jolt.

    Blue sparks floated in the air, freely changing their forms as if they were alive.

    A sigh of relief flowed from Vega¡¯s mouth at the natural, flowing operation of magical power.

    ¡°Vega, how are you? Have all restrictions been lifted?¡±

    [There is still some left. Still, I think I¡¯ll be able to manifest within the next week or so.]

    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±

    Ohjin smiled slightly and looked around.

    ¡°What about Riak?¡±

    ¡°Here, little one.¡±

    Riak strolls out from the stairs leading to the temple¡¯s basement.

    Maybe he had been training just a moment ago, but the silvery fur covering his body was soaked as if he had been in and out of the water.

    ¡°You said you fought the ck Star Constetion?¡±

    ¡°uh. ¡°That¡¯s how it happened.¡±

    ¡°Huh, I never

    thought we would win against the Constetion¡­¡± Riak shook his head with an expression of disgust.

    Oh Jin smiled and continued speaking.

    ¡°I have to fight and win against the Heavenly Demon, but it¡¯s about a constetion.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ that isn¡¯t wrong either.¡±

    Riak continued speaking while looking at Ojin¡¯s left chest.

    ¡°So you ate up the ck Star Constetion? With your ¡®ck sky¡¯.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Oh Jin hesitated to answer for a moment and then nodded without saying a word.

    Anyway, since it was already discovered that he had the ck Sky, there was nothing more to hide.

    ¡°Crumbling.¡±

    Riak red sharply at Ojin, who nodded.

    Even though he was ring at me, it wasn¡¯t a particrly hostile look, but rather a look of confusion.

    ¡®It¡¯s worth it.¡¯

    Although Vega said that they had many opportunities to open up their feelings to each other as they became lovers, that was not the case with Riak.

    It is also true that after his true identity was discovered, his rtionship with Riak became quite awkward.

    ¡°¡­Okay, I got it.¡±

    Riak turns around with aplicated expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m not done with my training yet, so I¡¯ll just leave.¡±

    ¡°Ria¡­¡±

    Ojin, who was trying to catch Riak as he trudged towards the temple basement, soon lowered his raised arm with a bitter expression.

    Whatever the reason, it was entirely my fault that my rtionship with him had be so awkward.

    He was not in a position to say anything just because Riak was avoiding him.

    When Vega was also looking at the two and sighing sadly.

    ¡°bantling.¡±

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll spar with youter.¡±

    Huh.

    Riak cleared his throat awkwardly and avoided eye contact.

    A smile naturally spread across Ojin¡¯s lips.

    It felt like the awkward atmosphere disappeared in an instant like snow melting.

    ¡°You should be embarrassed, kid.¡±

    ¡°Who are you saying were embarrassed?¡±

    Riak fiercely bared his teeth and growled.

    Ojin burst intoughter and walked up to Riak and lightly patted his back.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s meet upter. Even if we fight in the sanctuary this time, I¡¯ll win, right?¡±

    ¡°joy. ¡°You¡¯re so arrogant for a kid who couldn¡¯t evenst 5 seconds before falling out.¡±

    ¡°Hey, that was already a few years ago, right?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that wrong?¡±

    Riak raises the corners of his mouth as if showing off.

    Ojin¡¯s eyebrows rose high.

    It felt like hearing a close friend say, ¡®You¡¯re so bad at games.¡¯

    Oh Jin, who usually did not flinch from even the slightest provocation, boiled over like fire.

    ¡°Then shall we join now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m excited.¡±

    ¡°What are you scared of?¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    Ojin and Riak re at each other fiercely.

    [Both of you, stop.]

    Vega intervened between the two as if he couldn¡¯t stop them.

    [ha. How can men really be like children no matter how old they get?]

    Vega sighs and clicks his tongue.

    Ojin and Riak, perhaps ovee with shame, avoided each other¡¯s gaze and repeatedly cleared their throats.

    ¡®Keuyeah.¡¯

    Ojin swallowed deep sleep as the wise man¡¯s time surged.

    Maybe it was because I grew up without any same-sex friends until now, but it felt unfamiliar.

    Well, whatever.

    ¡°I¡¯m just going to go in now, kid!¡±

    It didn¡¯t feel too bad.

    Ojin looked back at Riak as he went down to the temple basement and smiled slightly.

    [Whoa. Friendship between men is really simple.]

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the only advantage.¡±

    Ojin shrugged his shoulders and approached Vega.

    I took out a piece of paper from my pocket and held it out to Vega.

    ¡°Vega, do you know who the person drawn on this paper is?¡±

    [Hmm?]

    Vega tilted his head and took the paper with a white-haired man drawn on it.

    [¡­!]

    Vega¡¯s eyes widened.

    She stared at Ojin with quivering golden eyes.

    [Where did you see this interest?]

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    [Didn¡¯t you ask me where I saw it?]

    Vega shouts as if urging.

    Ojin¡¯s expression hardened at the vivid fear and anxiety conveyed in her eyes.

    Who on earth is that white-haired man that causes Vega to be so excited?

    ¡°I saw it in Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories.¡±

    [Then¡­ I guess I didn¡¯t see it in person.]

    Sigh.

    Vega sighs in relief and rubs her chest.

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    [Uhm.]

    Vega hesitated for a moment and opened his mouth in a low voice.

    [His name is Moebius. It is the constetion of Ophiuchus and the first constetion to break the w¡¯ and appear on Earth.]

    The first constetion to break thew.

    A being that broke the rules, twisted them, and destroyed them.

    ¡°Please exin in more detail.¡±

    [I understand.]

    Vega nodded and continued.

    [This happened not long after the first crack opened.] At a

    time when the whole world was covered in chaos.

    It was such a desperate time that demonic beasts pouring out of the demon world covered more than half of the earth.

    [I don¡¯t know the reason, but I heard that Moebius vited thew and used the ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ on Earth.]

    ¡°If he used the Sanctuary back then¡­¡±

    It is only now that the restrictions of thew have be somewhat weaker. However, at that time, it was difficult to appear in a prosthetic form unless you were a constetion of the North Star like Vega.

    If only I had used the sanctuary back then.

    ¡°How did you not disappear?¡±

    [Even I don¡¯t know about that.]

    Vega shook her head and continued.

    [Anyway, unlike now, the Constetions at the time considered breaking the w¡¯ a very serious sin.]

    Well, thew that now restricts the Constetions was a kind of regtion created by the Creator, so it was a ¡®sin¡¯ for the Constetions to break it. It wasn¡¯t strange to think about it.

    ¡®In terms of Christianity, it¡¯s like the Ten Commandments.¡¯

    The holy rule that the power of the Constetion should not be used in ces other than the sanctuary.

    I woke up.

    Trampled and crushed.

    ¡°So you were expelled from the sanctuary?¡±

    [I heard so.]

    ording to Vega, the current 12 signs of the zodiac were created when ¡®Mobius¡¯, who was a member of the 13 signs of the zodiac at the time, was expelled from the sanctuary.

    [Actually, I have never seen or talked to her in person, but¡­ rumor has it that she is powerful enough to rival the constetion of the North Star, and is very cunning and vicious.]

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    Before meeting Ojin, Vega, who had secluded herself in the temple and never stepped outside, must have been quite infamous even among the Constetions to have heard such a rumor.

    ¡®It¡¯sparable to the constetion of the North Star.¡¯

    Just by looking at Vega¡¯s expression, you could tell that it was a powerful constetion that could not even bepared to Ancdus, whom it had faced not long ago.

    ¡®There¡¯s one more person to worry about besides the Heavenly Demon.¡¯

    Ojin touched his forehead as if he had a headache.

    ¡°Thanks for letting me know, Vega.¡±

    [Are you really nning on chasing Moebius?]

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I can beat him right now even if I chase him.¡±

    If the rank of the ck Star¡¯s executive officers matches that of the ck Star Constetion.

    Moebius is probably the most powerful being among the ck Star constetions.

    I had just captured Ancdus, the lowest ranked person, but I couldn¡¯t just aim for the leader.

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s not an RPG game, so it¡¯s not like you can meetter if you want to.¡¯

    At least I had no intention of going after Moebius directly.

    [It¡¯s a wise idea.]

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll just go back.¡±

    [Are you going back already?]

    Vega looked at Ojin with a sad expression.

    Oh Jin told the story about Isabe with a bitter smile.

    [iced coffee. It must be quite disappointing for that child.]

    Vega also gently pinched Ojin¡¯s cheek as if he sympathized.

    [Anyway, he¡¯s a bad kid.]

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    [Hehe. Then, go tomorrow andfort the child well.]

    ¡°Okay. ¡°I¡¯ll see you when the Vega restrictions are over.¡±

    [Can¡¯t it be done before then?]

    Are you saying you don¡¯t want to wait even a week?

    Oh Jin chuckled and nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯lle visit you one more time before then when I have time.¡±

    Although I hate to admit it.

    In any case, in order to increase the power of the stigmata of Lyra, it was necessary to periodically engage in ¡®star coption¡¯ with Vega.

    [Take care, my child.]

    Ojin walked out of the temple, leaving behind Vega, who smiled brightly and waved his hand.

    and.

    He would not return to the sanctuary until Vega¡¯s restrictions were lifted.

    * * *

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I said I¡¯d arrive at 8:20 p.m., right?¡±

    Oh Jin drove the car to Incheon International Airport and checked the estimated arrival time of the ne received from Roberto.

    It waste in the evening when Isabe, who seemed to have left everything behind, including her family, as she still had a lot of work left to do in Italy, returned home.

    ¡®There¡¯s no need to force yourself toe.¡¯

    He says he wille though, so what can I do?

    Oh Jin arrived at Incheon International Airport with a short sigh.

    I went to the exit I was scheduled to arrive at and waited for Isabe.

    ¡°Why is there no one at the airport?¡±

    Isabe wasing on the Colgrande family¡¯s private ne, not a regr ne, so no one was seen at the exit where she was supposed toe out.

    Oh Jin put down the shopping bag containing the expensive wine he bought as a gift and as an apology next to the chair and waited for Isabe toe out.

    So it was 8:30.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be arriving soon and going through immigration.¡±

    9 o¡¯clock.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s taking a little longer than I thought. ¡°It¡¯s a private ne, so you won¡¯t have to look for luggage.¡±

    9:30.

    ¡°Is the ne dyed?¡±

    no.

    If you think about it, there is no reason for a private ne to be dyed.

    When Ojin was frowning and staring at the airport exit with no oneing out.

    Wooooow!

    The smartphone I had in my pocket vibrated.

    The name that appeared on the screen was Roberto.

    ¡°hello?¡±

    -Oh Mr. Ojin! Have you arrived there?!

    ¡°no. I¡¯ve been waiting, but it hasn¡¯te out for an hour. ¡°What is this situation?¡±

    -Ahhh. How could something so ridiculous happen like this?

    Roberto¡¯s voice was heard, filled with fear.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Ojin asked, suppressing the ominous feeling that spread down his spine.

    Roberto continued with a trembling voice.

    -The ne thedy was on¡­ went missing.

    what?

 Chapter 379

    I am not a regressor Chapter 379:

    Sister (3)

    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡±

    A low voice.

    A soggy difort spread down my spine and stuck to my entire body.

    -The signal from the private ne she was on suddenly disappeared just before it arrived in Korea. At first, I thought it was a simple transmission error, but the fact that you haven¡¯t arrived yet¡­ is

    missing.

    It meant that the ne carrying Isabe suddenly disappeared as if it had evaporated.

    ¡°How close are you to arriving in Korea?¡±

    -We will send you a text message with the location where the signal wasst confirmed.

    Soon the smartphone vibrated and a photo was sent to Roberto.

    Thest ce where the signal was confirmed was near the West Sea.

    There was at most only about ten minutes left untilnding.

    ¡®But it suddenly disappeared?¡¯

    Oh Jin chewed his lips and put the smartphone to his ear again.

    ¡°Were there any strange magic waves?¡±

    -Yes, I also checked with the Korean Association, wondering if a crack had opened in the air¡­ but no special magic wave was detected.

    If it weren¡¯t for cracks, what would be the reason for an airne that was flying safely to disappear?

    -First, we will seek cooperation from the Korean coast guard and investigate mainly the location where the signal wasst detected.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go right there too.¡±

    Even if he disappeared off the coast of the West Sea, it was definitely not a distance that a person could swim to, but Oh Jin was already a superhuman who far exceeded human standards.

    It even has water-friendly skills, so swimming in the sea for long periods of time was no problem.

    ¡°damn.¡±

    I was naturally disgusted by the ominous foreboding that was clinging to me.

    When I was walking out of the airport with a nervous expression.

    Slurp.

    An eerie sound was heard, like a snake crawling on the floor.

    A unique sound of footsteps that I have now be ustomed to after hearing it several times.

    Ohjin turned his head in the direction from which the sound came.

    ¡°¡­Cassia?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Ojin.¡±

    Kasia slightly lifted her toe-length ck dress and bowed gracefully.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°ha. ¡°Of course it¡¯s because of my ugly younger brother.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Ojin quickly kicked his feet and ran in front of Cassia.

    He roughly grabbed her delicate shoulders and shouted at her.

    ¡°Do you know where Isabe is now?!¡±

    ¡°Tsk¡­ Joe, calm down a little.¡±

    ¡°Do you look calm now?!¡±

    The ne Isabe was on suddenly disappeared as if evaporating, and there was no way she could maintain herposure.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know where Be is.¡±

    ¡°¡­Whew.¡±

    Only after hearing Cassia¡¯s answer did Ojin sigh with a slightly relieved expression.

    But that didn¡¯t mean the questions were resolved.

    First of all, the biggest question thates to mind right now is:

    ¡°How did you find out about this ce?¡±

    As soon as he heard the news of Isabe¡¯s disappearance, he showed up as if he had been waiting for him.

    Isn¡¯t the timing too odd to be considered a coincidence?

    ¡°That¡¯s it¡­¡±

    Cassia¡¯s eyes turned to Ojin.

    No, more precisely, in the shadow cast beneath Ojin¡¯s feet.

    Slurp, slurp.

    Cassia lightly gestured, and a ck snake snaked out from Ojin¡¯s shadow.

    ¡°I had a ¡®snake¡¯ attached to it without Ohjin¡¯s knowledge.¡±

    A ck snake crawled out from Ojin¡¯s shadow and climbed onto Cassia¡¯s body.

    ¡®What is that?¡¯

    Since when have you been together?

    Ojin looked at Cassia with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°What about that¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of like a familiar.¡±

    ¡°No, I understand that. ¡°Since when has it been in my shadow?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. well?¡±

    Cassia narrowed one eye and shrugged her thin shoulders.

    Looking at that expression, it seems like we¡¯ve been together for a while.

    ¡°¡­Could it be that you¡¯ve been keeping an eye on me this whole time?¡±

    ¡°Oh, surveince? ¡°Can you please refrain from using such unpleasant expressions?¡±

    ¡°If this isn¡¯t surveince, what is?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ love?¡±

    It sounds like love.

    Ojin touched his forehead as if he had a headache.

    anyway.

    I understand why Cassia was able to arrive with perfect timing.

    ¡°So this ¡®snake¡¯ is also attached to Isabe?¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Where is Be now?¡±

    He asked in an urgent voice.

    Cassia raised her hand and pointed north.

    ¡°Is there a ce where you hunted the Heavenly Dragon before?¡±

    ¡°Pyongyang?¡±

    Why did the private ne that wasing to Incheon suddenly go to Pyongyang?

    ¡®And now Pyongyang¡­¡¯

    It was a ghost town where no one lived.

    ¡°Someone hijacked a private ne and flew there.¡±

    ¡°¡­who on earth?¡±

    Isabe was an awakened person who was on the verge of reaching 11 stardom.

    Even if it¡¯s just Ojin, she¡¯s a strong person that can¡¯t be dealt with unless she uses ¡®Gaecheon¡¯, so who would dare hijack the private ne she¡¯s on and divert it to Pyongyang?

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Cassia trailed off for a moment and bit her lip.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you looking at me as a ¡®snake¡¯ nted on Isabe?¡±

    ¡°The farther the distance, the less sense you can share with your familiar.¡±

    ¡°¡­okay?¡±

    Something.

    I felt a strange sense of difort.

    ¡°First of all, we have to get to where Be is quickly.¡±

    Without having time to think about the unpleasant feeling of difort, like gears not meshing together, Cassia grabbed Ojin¡¯s arm.

    ¡°okay.¡±

    As she said, there was no time to worry about anything else right now.

    If the real Isabe had been kidnapped by someone, they had to find her as quickly as possible for her safety.

    ¡°Hold my hand tight. We will move beyond the shadows.¡±

    ¡°Moving beyond the shadows?¡±

    ¡°yes. How many times have you seen it?¡±

    Do you mean it goes in and out as if disappearing into the shadows?

    ¡®Was it possible to travel the distance from Seoul to Pyongyang?¡¯

    Ojin looked at Cassia in surprise.

    Cassia let out a short sigh and shook her head as if she knew what Ojin was thinking.

    ¡°No matter how much I do, I can¡¯t travel such a long distance at once. ¡°I wille out ande back in from time to time.¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    In any case, it would be much faster than running with both feet.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let go of my hand.¡±

    I nodded and took Cassia¡¯s hand.

    Hands so thin that they look like they might break if you apply a little too much force.

    It was a hand that did not fit the evil nickname, Queen of Serpents.

    ¡°¡­hmm?¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes frowned slightly as he grabbed her hand.

    I felt that Cassia¡¯s magic power transmitted through her hands was extremely unstable.

    As if he had been in a fierce fight with someone and suffered internal injuries.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m wearing this¡¯, it¡¯s like I¡¯ve actually suffered internal injuries.¡¯

    The internal injuries were so fatal that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he copsed at any moment.

    ¡°Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssaps

    expression of Cassia, who was raising the magic power of Stigmata, was momentarily distorted as if Ojin¡¯s guess was wrong.

    She naturally turned away from Ojin and walked slowly into the shadows, as if trying to hide the cold sweat running down her forehead.

    ¡®With internal injuries of this magnitude, it would be difficult just to stand.¡¯

    When I secretly injected magic power into Cassia using ¡®ck screen¡¯ and examined her insides, I found that the magic circuit was so distorted that it would be difficult to describe it as a mess.

    Who on earth did I fight with beforeing here to make me feel so damaged inside?

    Slurp, slurp.

    Before he had time to express his question, a ck shadow covered Ojin¡¯s entire body.

    When I opened my eyes with the feeling of my body floating, as if I had entered outer space,

    I thought, ¡°¡­this ce.¡±

    An unknown forest spread out before my eyes.

    ¡°haha. ¡°We only need to move about three more times.¡±

    ¡°¡­are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡±

    Cassia shrugged her shoulders and sneered naturally.

    From Ojin¡¯s perspective, who knew what her physical condition was like, her face was clearly distorted from the pain hidden beneath the sly smile.

    ¡°Cassia. ¡°I want to ask you¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time. ¡°If we don¡¯t hurry up, Be will get hurt.¡±

    Cassia cut off Ojin¡¯s words and prepared for the next ¡®move¡¯.

    A ck shadow enveloped their bodies, and they felt as if their bodies were floating in space again.

    After three moves like that.

    Oh Jin saw the ne crashing in front of him.

    ¡°Ha ha ha ha!¡±

    ¡°Wait here for a moment.¡±

    Ojin hurriedly approached the ne, leaving Cassia, who was panting heavily, behind.

    Inside the ne, which was smashed beyond recognition, the corpses of those who appeared to be Isabe¡¯s crew were strewn about.

    I was anxious that Isabe¡¯s body might be among them.

    ¡°¡­Whew.¡±

    Should I call this fortunate?

    Isabe could not be seen among the corpses of the crew members scattered around.

    Oh Jin let out a short sigh and looked at the corpses of the crew members lying around.

    ¡®Are they from the Colgrande family?¡¯

    There was a high possibility that this was the case since the ne itself was not owned by a general airline but owned by the Colgrande family.

    After looking at the scattered corpses a little more, I learned one more new thing.

    ¡®He didn¡¯t die because the ne crashed.¡¯

    All of the bodies here had already been killed by someone else before the ne crashed.

    ¡®¡­He¡¯s probably the one who kidnapped Isabe.¡¯

    After roughly examining the surrounding situation, Oh Jin turned around.

    ¡°Where is Isabe?¡±

    ¡°Whew. wait a minute.¡±

    After catching her breath, Cassia pointed to an old abandoned building not far from the crashed ne.

    ¡°I can sense Be¡¯s presence over there.¡±

    Ojin nodded and unleashed the magic power of stigmata.

    After wrapping my entire body in fiercely burning lightning, I carefully entered the abandoned building.

    What caught my eye as soon as I entered the entrance of the building.

    ¡°Isabe¡­!¡±

    The image of Isabe unconscious and tied up by something that looks like a ck shadow.

    Ojin urgently activated the stigmata of Canis the Hound and checked her condition.

    ¡®There are no wounds¡­¡¯

    His hair and clothes were a little messy, but fortunately he didn¡¯t look like he was injured.

    Ojin grabbed the spear and carefully looked around Isabe.

    As I got closer to Isabe, I could see the identity of the ck shadow that was binding her.

    ¡°¡­snake?¡±

    A ck snake made of shadows.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    Yes.

    Just like the ¡®snake¡¯ created by Cassia©¥

    ¡°Don¡¯t move, Ojin.¡±

    at that time.

    Along with a cool sensation, something sharp touched the back of my neck.

    When I turned my head and looked back, I saw Cassia looking at me with cold eyes.

    ¡°¡­Cassia?¡±

    ¡°If you move even one step, Be will lose her life, right?¡±

    What kind of situation is this?

 Chapter 380

    I am not a regressor Episode 380

    Sister (4)

    I didn¡¯t hate that child from the beginning.

    When that child was born, I was the one who was more happy than anyone else because I had a younger sibling.

    but.

    As time passes and the child grows older.

    I could tell that the child was ¡®different¡¯ from me.

    What I don¡¯t have.

    What I couldn¡¯t enjoy.

    What I couldn¡¯t do.

    The child took it so easily, as if it was natural.

    iced coffee.

    No one will know.

    When you are trapped in a wheelchair that feels like a prison, suffering from twisted bones and muscles.

    The moment I saw the wreath made by the child who was ying in the garden with a bright smile.

    The misery that was cutting into my flesh was so miserable.

    Ugly emotions like bugs exposed under the sun.

    How dare I express it in just one word.

    -I will be your heavenly horse.

    A day when a ray of starlight twinkled in a life as dark as the ck sky.

    The moment she met the ¡®Fake Heavenly Demon¡¯ who saved her from the voice of the Heavenly Demon that was eating away at her mind.

    A long-forgotten hope began to sprout in my heart.

    Maybe this time, I might be able to get what I want.

    That¡¯s what I thought.

    but.

    but.

    but.

    -I love you, Oh Jin.

    The child who took everything from him.

    Shamelessly, this time I stood next to him and affectionately leaned my head on his shoulder.

    ¡®Abominable bitch.¡¯

    I¡¯ve taken everything so far.

    I had everything to myself without leaving out anything.

    The starlight that I finally found in a life where I couldn¡¯t see anything.

    The salvation I had so desperately longed for.

    You take it?

    Why why why why why

    why.

    Only you have it all.

    Only you can go.

    They¡¯re sisters.

    The same blood flows through you and me.

    then.

    Just one¡­ just one.

    Am I not allowed to have it?

    ¨C Sister Cassia!

    But why?

    The more the ugly jealousy and hatred that settles in one side of my heart grows.

    -lol. I really like you!

    Does your smile, which bloomed brighter than wild flowers,e to mind more clearly?

    why.

    I want you¡­.

    * * *

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Ojin felt the sharp fangs touching the nape of her neck and red at Cassia with deeply sunken eyes.

    ¡°Why? ¡°Can¡¯t you see it?¡±

    Cassia smiled brightly and shrugged her shoulders slyly.

    It flicked its long tongue like a snake and whispered in a seductive voice.

    ¡°You still don¡¯t know who the culprit who kidnapped Be is?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes turned to Isabe, who was unconscious and tied up in the air.

    A ck snake that binds Isabe¡¯s entire body.

    It clearly had the same appearance as the snake that crawled out from its shadow.

    ¡°¡­why?¡±

    The words came out of my mouth naturally.

    If Cassia was the culprit who kidnapped Isabe, wouldn¡¯t there be a reason?

    At least in Ojin¡¯s mind, there was no reason why Cassia would suddenly kidnap Isabe.

    ¡°Because Be has everything I don¡¯t have.¡±

    Cassia looked back at Isabe who was tied to the ¡®snake¡¯ with a faint smile on her lips.

    ¡°A healthy body, outstanding talent, and recognition from the family¡­ That child got what I wanted so much without any effort.¡±

    A delicate hand caressed Ojin¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°And one more thing.¡±

    A cold sensation, like snake scales, ran across my cheek.

    ¡°Even you.¡±

    An eerie look of life shined in Cassia¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re such a greedy kid, right? ¡°You have everything, but you don¡¯t give up anything to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­So you kidnapped me?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°Do you need any more reasons?¡±

    Cassia shrugs her shoulders with a seductive smile.

    Ojin stared at Cassia with narrowed eyes.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The feeling of difort I felt earlier.

    A twist that makes you sick.

    I was going through my mind in a jumbled mess.

    ¡°So what do you want to do now?¡±

    Isn¡¯t there a reason why he kidnapped Isabe and brought her here?

    ¡°Of course¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not trying to tell me toe to you because I¡¯ll spare Isabe¡¯s life right now, are you?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, is it not possible?¡±

    ¡°You call that a horse?¡±

    I looked at Cassia with a puzzled expression.

    No matter how crazy she is, she probably knows that such a ridiculous threat would never work.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame.¡±

    She seemed to know it well, too, as she flicked her long tongue with a nonchnt expression, as if she had no regrets at all.

    and.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Phew!

    The shadow de that was touching my neck narrowly grazed my neck.

    If I hadn¡¯t instinctively turned my body, my entire neck would have been torn off.

    Ojin looked at Cassia, suppressing the blood rushing from his neck with his palm.

    Cassia smiled eerily as she licked Ojin¡¯s blood on the de with her tongue.

    ¡°Then if I can¡¯t have it¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have no choice but to destroy it.¡±

    Emerald eyes sparkling with madness.

    Ojin frowned and red at Cassia.

    ¡®I¡¯m not under the control of the Heavenly Demon¡­ no.¡¯

    The energy of the ck Heaven, which can be said to be the symbol of the Heavenly Demon, was barely felt in her.

    His eyes weren¡¯t dizzy as if he was drugged, and his voice wasn¡¯t shaking.

    then.

    ¡°¡­what are we going to do now?¡±

    Now, Cassia is trying to kill herself ording to her will with her sanity.

    ¡®why?¡¯

    My rtionship with Cassia wasn¡¯t as smooth as with other women.

    But still, I thought there was absolutely no way for us to point swords at each other like this.

    ¡°Be is bad.¡±

    Slurp, slurp.

    Cassia walked leisurely toward Ojin and continued speaking.

    ¡°It shines so brightly that I feel like I¡¯m going to burn up.¡±

    A child born with everything he never had.

    To her, Isabe was like the sun.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about it that way¡­ but it keeps reminding me of it.¡±

    If Isabe was the brightly shining sun, she was a shadow beneath the shadow.

    The shadows where ugly and disgusting bugs hide themselves from the sun.

    Every time I see Isabe.

    Every time the bright sunlight illuminates the shadows.

    You realize how dirty and disgusting your desires and jealousy are.

    Even if you don¡¯t want to think about it.

    It makes me think.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin chewed his lips as he looked at Cassia, who was approaching with a dangerous look in her eyes, as if she would copse at any moment.

    Grabbing the spear, he unleashed the magical power of stigmata.

    Blue lightning zed and enveloped his entire body.

    Ojin red coldly at Cassia and opened his mouth.

    ¡°So¡­ you can kill me with that body?¡±

    Even though Heukcheon is the eleventh flowering.

    Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible to win against Cassia, but as we confirmed earlier, Cassia¡¯s body was currently suffering from internal injuries.

    The internal injuries were so fatal that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he copsed immediately and vomited blood.

    ¡°Oh, I thought you hid it, but how did you know?¡±

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s not important how you know now, is it?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°It is true.¡±

    Cassia nodded slightly and raised her hand toward Ojin.

    Shuuuuuk!

    A ck snake rose from the shadows and shot towards Ojin.

    Sigh!

    He twisted his body slightly and lifted the spear upwards.

    The de of the spear, zing with blue lightning, split the snake¡¯s body in two.

    ¡°If you mistake that, you¡¯re in trouble.¡±

    Cassia lightly snapped her fingers with a bitter sneer.

    ¡°Even in this physical condition, it¡¯s not a problem to deal with Ojin alone, is it?¡±

    Starting with those words.

    e.¡¯

    Shaaaaa!

    Dozens and hundreds of ck snakes crawled out from Cassia¡¯s shadow and rushed toward Ojin at the same time.

    Although the speed was fast, the durability of each animal was not very strong.

    ¡°Use it.¡±

    The stigmata of Lyra engraved on the left chest glowed brightly, and a huge magical power spread throughout the body.

    After focusing the burning blue thunderbolt that wrapped around his entire body on the tip of the spear, he held the pole with both hands and swung it wide horizontally.

    Hold on!

    A bunch of thunderbolts spread out like a fan, burning the ck snakes that came in like a tidal wave.

    The bodies of the snakes that touched the lightning exploded into pieces and fell on the bottom of the patter.

    ¡®It¡¯s definitely weak.¡¯

    Compared to when I fought Cassia at the amusement park the other day, I felt that my strength had weakened significantly.

    It was neither too fast nor too powerful to be blocked.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Have you be stronger again?¡±

    Cassia looked at Ojin with interest, her eyes shining.

    ¡°Well, you swallowed Ancdus in one gulp.¡±

    ¡°¡­Cassia.¡±

    Ojin slowly lowered the spear he had aimed at her and shook his head.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop.¡±

    ¡°Should we stop?¡±

    ¡°Such a meaningless fight.¡±

    It is said that there will be a life-threatening battle with her here.

    Who on earth can be happy?

    ¡°It¡¯s meaningless¡­¡±

    Cassia burst outughing and nodded.

    ¡°that¡¯s right. ¡°This is a fight that will make no one happy.¡±

    Regardless of win or loss.

    The three people gathered here are in a fight where they have nothing left to lose.

    No one canugh.

    No one can be the winner.

    A stupid and foolish fight.

    ¡°But.¡±

    Wouldn¡¯t this be the most appropriate fight for the ugly desires hiding under the shadows?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it so fun to imagine?¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s fun?¡±

    ¡°What if¡­ what if.¡±

    He hummed a tune, twirled his body as if he were dancing, and spread his arms wide.

    ¡°If Be opens her eyes and sees the dead body of Ojin in front of her¡­ ¡°It¡¯s so fun to imagine what kind of facial expressions you¡¯ll make, right?¡±

    Crackling.

    The sound of maniacalughter echoed throughout the old abandoned building.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin chewed his lips gently and raised the tip of the spear again, aiming it at Cassia.

    I was still extremely confused, as if my mind was all jumbled up.

    One thing was clear to me.

    ¡®It¡¯s not a problem that can be solved with words.¡¯

    Once I subdued Cassia, I felt like I had no choice but to find out why she suddenly took such extreme action.

    ¡®He said it was because of his inferiorityplex toward Isabe.¡¯

    Is it really possible to do something so extreme just because of a sense of inferiority?

    And at such an unexpected timing?

    ¡°It looks like there might be some other reason.¡±

    Cassia nodded in understanding and flicked her long tongue like a snake.

    ¡°Unfortunately, there is no such thing, Ojin.¡±

    The shadow beneath her feet exploded and covered the inside of the abandoned building.

 Chapter 381

    I am not a returner Episode 381:

    Sister (5)

    Slurp, slurp.

    Inside an abandoned building covered in shadows.

    The eerie sound of a snake crawling across the floor rang out.

    It¡¯s noting from either side.

    Front, back, top, bottom and both sides.

    Sounds echoed from all directions, as if trapped in a giant cage made of snakes.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Ojin added strength to his hand gripping the spear with a nervous expression.

    By activating the stigmata of the constetion Canis, the senses of the entire body were heightened.

    Slurp, slurp, slurp©¥

    When the eerie sound suddenly quieted down.

    e!¡¯

    Swarms of ck snakes began to explode from all directions.

    ¡®right.¡¯

    The first thing I reached was a snake rising from the moldy wall.

    It turned the window like a windmill and exploded the thunderbolts that had been condensed inside the window.

    Crumbling!

    With a sound like thunder, hundreds of snakes were swept away by lightning.

    Shaaaaaaa!

    While he was defending against a snake attacking from the right, a snake approached Ojin and attached itself to his left arm.

    In an instant, the snake wrapped around the left arm opened its huge maw and bit into Ojin¡¯s forearm.

    Crack.

    As the sharp, awl-like teeth dug into my flesh, a tingling sensation spread down my arm.

    ¡®Is it poison?¡¯

    Even if it were a poison, it wouldn¡¯t be a lukewarm poison like a neurotoxin.

    Even though the neurotoxin was a deadly poison that could cause death to an ordinary person, to an awakened person with a superhuman body, it was only a light poison that caused a brief numbness.

    ¡°Big.¡±

    As expected, the snake¡¯s venom that had prated inside began to run wild, tearing apart Ojin¡¯s magic circuits in a wild manner.

    The skin along the area where the fangs had dug in was seen to be dark and necrotic.

    As the magic circuit is the path through which the stigmata¡¯s magic moves, even light damage can lead to fatal internal injuries.

    ¡®If it¡¯s like this.¡¯

    Let¡¯s go!

    The magic power of the stigmata mixed with lightning burned the poison that had prated the circuit and instantly reduced the snake that had bitten the forearm to ashes.

    ¡®charge.¡¯

    Ohjin moved to the right, where there were rtively few snakes, and concentrated a thunderbolt on his left arm.

    ¡°st.¡±

    Crumbling!

    The thunderbolt condensed in his left arm burst out like an explosion and swept away the snakes that were running towards him.

    Although it was nothing more than a thunderbolt with about five ¡®charges¡¯ stacked on top of each other, the durability of the snakes was not that strong, so there was no problem in wiping them out in one go.

    ¡®the problem is.¡¯

    Slurp, slurp.

    No matter how much you sweep away, new snakes keep emerging from the shadows.

    ¡®It won¡¯t end like this.¡¯

    There was a way to lead the fight into a war of attrition, but it was unclear what Cassia, who had already suffered internal injuries and was unable to fight for a long time, would do to Isabe.

    Ojin ignored the rushing snakes and kicked his feet towards Cassia.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re finally looking at me.¡±

    Cassia smiled brightly and lightly snapped her fingers, as if she had been waiting.

    A huge arm emerged from the shadows and blocked Ojin¡¯s path.

    Ojin¡¯s eyes shined sharply as he looked at the huge arm swinging with terrifying force.

    Are you going through it?

    Are you going back to avoid it?

    The worries didn¡¯tst long.

    ¡®It pierces.¡¯

    He clenched his fists, drawing on his stigmata¡¯s magical power.

    In an instant, a huge amount of lightning condensed, and the clenched fist turned into blue lightning.

    The part that has been transformed into a brain body is from the fingertips to the wrist.

    Since it was created in a simplified way, its destructive power and durability are far short of the original brain body.

    It would be easy to break through the shadow of Cassia, who cannot use her powers properly due to internal injuries.

    Kwajajajajajajag!

    A huge arm made of shadows exploded like an explosion.

    I threw myself through the scattered shadows and swung the spear towards the spot where Cassia was standing.

    ¡®what.¡¯

    Cassia¡¯s appearance, which was visible until the shadow arm exploded, disappeared like a ghost.

    ¡°Are you looking for me by any chance?¡±

    A voice heard from behind.

    Even without looking back, I could tell that her voice wasing from ¡®my own shadow.¡¯

    ¡®This is crazy.¡¯

    I never thought I could even use other people¡¯s shadows.

    Ojin quickly rolled forward and swung his spear towards the back.

    Huh!

    It contained quite a lot of power for a spear that was swung while rolling forward, but this time it cut through the air in vain.

    ¡°Be rough~¡±

    This time Cassia¡¯s voice came from overhead.

    When Ojin raised his head with a puzzled expression, he saw Cassia standing upside down on the ceiling of an abandoned building.

    ¡®Is this a ghost from some horror movie?¡¯

    To be honest, it was a much scarier entity than a ghost or something.

    Ojin looked up at Cassia, who was standing upside down on the ceiling, and said.

    ¡°And then I see your panties.¡±

    ¡°oh?¡±

    The ck dress that Cassia was wearing didn¡¯t flip over at all even though she was standing upside down, as if some kind of adhesive had been applied to it, but even so, unless shepletely escaped the influence of gravity, if she moved too hard, the dress would just flip over.

    ¡°Do you want to see the panties?¡±

    Cassia smiled seductively, lifted the hem of her ck dress that was sticking to the ceiling, and flipped it over.

    The ckce panties that did not suit her snow-white legs and slender figure were clearly exposed.

    ¡°You can watch as much as you want.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin touched his forehead as if he had a headache.

    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s just a joke.¡±

    Cassia burst intoughter and let go of the hem of the dress she had lifted.

    The ck dress slowly rose upward, as if defying gravity, and spread widely across the ceiling like ink.

    and.

    Huh!

    Long ck whips rained down from the ceiling and swung at Ojin.

    No, to be more precise, it was not a ¡®whip¡¯.

    ¡®Snake¡¯s tail.¡¯

    Dozens of snake tails made an eerie sound, aiming to misdiagnose.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    A snake¡¯s tail flew in from the side and grazed my side.

    The flesh caught on the sharp hook-like scales was torn off in chunks and blood poured out.

    Ojin activated the stigmata of the Hourss to elerate the ident and escaped through the tails of snakes flying from all directions.

    ¡®This is the power that can be achieved with internal injuries.¡¯

    Ojin stuck out his tongue at the dizzying feast of attacks that made him burst intoughter.

    At this point, I was starting to doubt whether Cassia really suffered internal injuries.

    ¡°Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssmouth

    of though Cassia was standing on the ceiling momentarily frowning anding down to the floor again, I could see that she wasn¡¯t in a good condition either.

    Ojin adjusted his spear and looked at Cassia, who was out of breath.

    ¡°Are you feeling a little tired?¡±

    ¡°haha. oh? ¡°Even though you look like this, you¡¯re pretty confident in your physical strength, right?¡±

    Cassia smiled calmly as she ran her hands over her slender body, but she seemed to have failed to notice the cold sweat running down her forehead, and her beautiful tinum-blond hair was soaked with sweat.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Cassia took a deep breath and gently closed her eyes.

    Slurp, slurp!

    The ck dress she was wearing spread wide, as if absorbed into the floor, and began to cover the inside of the abandoned building with ck shadows.

    The sound of snakes begins to echo from all directions once again.

    This time, the sound was echoing several times more than before.

    ¡®Are you trying to make a quick decision?¡¯

    Ojin narrowed his eyes and strengthened his grip on the spear.

    ¡®It¡¯s hard to stop inside the building.¡¯

    It¡¯ste at night.

    The inside of the abandoned building, which had no lights, was covered in dark shadows.

    For Cassia, who deals with shadows, there is no better battlefield than this.

    ¡®I guess that¡¯s why I called you here in the first ce.¡¯

    No matter how I tried to avoid it, everything from the floor to the ceiling was covered in shadows, so there was no room to avoid it.

    ¡®There is nowhere to escape from the realm of shadows here.¡¯

    then.

    ¡°Use it.¡±

    Ojin spread his arms and fired a wire towards the wall.

    Taang!

    The wire fired from the wire shooter dug into the rusty wall and became stuck.

    At the same time.

    Shaaaaaaa!

    ck snakes began pouring out from the shadows like a tidal wave.

    Ojin kicked his feet to avoid the snakes pouring out with terrifying force.

    Like a scene from a famous science fiction movie, hundreds of snakes rushed after Ojin, who was running up the wall.

    ¡°haha. ¡°There¡¯s no use running away, right?¡±

    Cassia gasped and frowned as if in pain.

    His body was staggering as if he would copse at any moment, but even in that state, the momentum of the snakes attacking him from all directions was not decreasing at all.

    Squeeze! Pajik!

    Ojin continued to run inside therge abandoned building, cutting down the fiercely charging snakes with his spear.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°You¡¯re fast.¡±

    Cassia narrowed her eyes as she looked at the snakes that were having a hard time catching Ojin.

    ¡°But what if it were like this?¡±

    The stigmata engraved on Cassia¡¯s left chest radiated light, and gloomy magic seeped into the shadows.

    Sigh!

    The snake¡¯s long, whip-like tail rose up as if it were exploding.

    Not the floor, the ceiling, or the shadows on the walls.

    In the shadow of Ojin, who is running away from the charging snakes.

    ¡°No matter how fast you are, you can¡¯t be faster than your own shadow, right?¡±

    Just like she said.

    No matter how quickly you move, you cannot move faster than your own shadow.

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    Ojin nodded as if he knew and stood tall in ce.

    There were so many ck snakes everywhere that it was difficult to even find a ce to escape.

    ¡®If running away is impossible.¡¯

    Ojin stretched out his hand and grabbed the wire in front of him.

    As he climbed the walls and walked around the inside of the abandoned building, wires filled the inside of the building like spider webs.

    ¡°Just burn it all and that¡¯s it.¡±

    He raised Stigmata¡¯s magical power to its limit and sent a lightning bolt through the wire he was holding.

    Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!

    A blue lightning bolt runs along a wire spread inside an abandoned building.

    The snakes that touched the wire stretched out tightly like a spider¡¯s web burst into pieces, and the dark inside of the abandoned building instantly became as bright as day.

    ¡°Tsk¡­¡±

    Cassia takes a step back with her eyes narrowed.

    His body was staggering backwards, perhaps due to internal injuries.

    Coo!

    Without missing the opportunity, Ojin rushed in and grabbed Cassia¡¯s delicate neck.

    ¡°Big!¡±

    He looked down at her gasping for breath with a contorted expression in pain and opened his mouth in a cold voice.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop this bullshit, Cassia.¡±

 Chapter 382

    I am not a returner Episode 382:

    Sister (6)

    An abandoned building in the darkness.

    Through the thick smoke rising like a haze, two burning blue eyes turned towards Cassia.

    Ojin held Cassia¡¯s neck and spoke in a low voice.

    ¡°No matter how hard you struggle, you can¡¯t be Isabe. ¡°There is no reason for it to happen.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia smiled faintly while Ojin grabbed her by the neck.

    A dangerous smile that looks like it might break at any moment.

    ¡°¡­I know.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already toote.¡±

    It¡¯ste.

    What on earth is sote?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ojin. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t give up.¡±

    ¡°Cassia¡­!¡±

    Quack!

    A ck snake bit Ojin¡¯s hand holding Cassia¡¯s neck.

    I lost my strength momentarily and lost sight of Cassia.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    After burning the snake that bit my hand with a thunderbolt, I quickly widened the distance.

    I was nning to avoid Cassia¡¯s subsequent attack for now.

    ¡°Huh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!¡±

    Cassia was just clutching her chest and breathing heavily as if she was in pain.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    If you think about it, this is a natural result.

    Even before the fight, she had already suffered such severe internal injuries that it would not have been surprising if she copsed immediately.

    ¡®Actually, I wonder if it¡¯s great just to have endured until now.¡¯

    Honestly, I thought I could subdue her much more simply.

    ¡®To put it bluntly, I was fighting with a patient who should be lying in the intensive care unit on a venttor.¡¯

    Cassia¡¯s condition was so miserable.

    ¡®It must be Isabe, right?¡¯

    There wouldn¡¯t be many beings who could inflict such fatal internal injuries on a powerful awakened person like Cassia.

    Ojin sighed deeply and lowered the spear aimed at Cassia.

    ¡°haha. ¡°Why are you rolling down the window?¡±

    ¡°You should know better that you can¡¯t fight anymore in that condition, right?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°I decide whether to fight more or not.¡±

    Cassia looked towards Isabe, who was tied to the shadow snake, with a cold sneer.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t lift the window, Be will get hurt?¡±

    ¡°¡­Cassia.¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and fight me!¡±

    Ohjin bit his lip as he watched Cassia screaming hysterically.

    He looked back at Isabe, who was unconscious and tied to the shadow snake, and tightened his grip on the spear again.

    ¡°is it so. ¡°If you want to save Be, there¡¯s no other way than to kill me, right?¡±

    Cassia was out of breath but had a satisfied smile on her face.

    Ojin gritted his teeth and looked at Isabe, who was unconscious and tied up.

    Only now she was unconscious and no injuries were visible, but there was no way to know what would happen to Isabe¡¯s life if she did not follow Cassia¡¯s instructions.

    ¡®I can¡¯t help it¡­.¡¯

    At that time.

    The strange feeling of difort he had felt since he first saw Cassia spread down Ojin¡¯s spine once again.

    ¡®uh?¡¯

    Kklik kklik.

    Like gears that don¡¯t mesh together.

    Like misaligned puzzle pieces.

    A soggy unpleasant sensation heats up my head.

    ¡®¡­what?¡¯

    What, when and where did it go wrong?

    What was I missing?

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I turn my head and look at Isabe again.

    A clean face without a single scar.

    The sight of her unconscious with her eyes closed felt breathtakingly beautiful even in this situation.

    and.

    ¡°ah.¡±

    A low exmation flowed from Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    A smile that naturally escapes from between your lips.

    I shook my shoulders and covered my face with my hands, barely suppressing the urge to burst intoughter.

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t I notice this simple thing?¡¯

    The identity of the sense of difort I felt from the beginning was so simple that it made meugh out loud.

    To the point where I feel a bit ashamed of the fact that I didn¡¯t realize it until this happened.

    ¡®Yes, that¡¯s how it happened.¡¯

    Ojin looked at Cassia with bitter eyes.

    A woman who is ring at herself sharply while out of breath, as if she will copse at any moment.

    How much has that body, as slender as a girl, carried?

    ¡®I have to finish it now.¡¯

    Such a crude y that isn¡¯t even funny.

    He will close the curtain with his own hands.

    Ojin slowly raised his spear and aimed it at Cassia.

    Pajik Pajijik!

    The stigmata engraved on his left chest burned brightly, illuminating the darkness.

    ¡°okay. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, there¡¯s nothing you can do.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Are you finally willing to listen to me?¡±

    Cassia lightly shrugged her shoulders with a rxed smile on her lips.

    His expression was rxed, but I could tell he was misdiagnosed.

    Underneath that mask ofposure, a face distorted in pain is hidden.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Exhale softly and focus your mind on the left chest.

    It awakens the ck sky sleeping beneath the stigmata-carved chest.

    Grumbling.

    ck storm clouds stirred and mixed with the blue thunderstorms that covered the entire body.

    ck thunder.

    ck Heaven¡¯s thunderbolts, tearing apart even the constetion¡¯s sanctuary, gathered at the tip of the spear.

    ¡°There will be no pain.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re talking as if you won everything.¡±

    Cassia frowned in displeasure.

    A ck snake slithered out from the shadows and coiled itself as if to protect her body.

    ¡°I¡¯m not that easy of a girl, am I?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    okay.

    I guess so.

    I¡¯ve been involved with quite a few women so far, but I¡¯ve never met a woman as twisted as her.

    Ojin lowered his posture, pulling back the spear he was holding.

    ¡°Goes.¡±

    It rushed forward with explosive eleration, as if letting go of a tautly pulled bowstring.

    Shaaaaa!

    A ck snake rose up and blocked the way.

    Ojin charged at the oing snakes, hitting them with his shoulder.

    ck thunderbolts covered their entire bodies, and small pieces of snakes fell onto the bottom of the patter.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia smiled faintly as she watched the snake barrier break through in vain.

    After letting out a short sigh, he opened his arms towards the fiercely approaching ck thunderbolt.

    As if he was telling me to kill him.

    ¡°¡­lol.¡±

    Why?

    I felt like tears were about to fall.

    It was something I was prepared for, but it was also something I expected.

    I can¡¯t believe I came here and regret it now.

    A self-deprecating smile appeared on my lips.

    ¡®Sorry.¡¯

    Cassia looked back at Isabe, who was tied up for thest time, and gently closed her eyes.

    Pajik Pajijik!

    The sound of thunderbolts burning fiercely gets closer.

    Should I call it a blessing among misfortunes?

    Considering the enormous energy contained in that ck thunderbolt earlier, it would be true to say that there would be no pain.

    It¡¯s over now.

    All the pain that had been tormenting her for so long.

    Let¡¯s go!

    Ojin threw out the spear he had pulled back with all his might.

    The moment when the spear, zing with ck thunderbolts, was about to pierce Cassia¡¯s body.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Coo!

    He stepped roughly forward and rotated his body half a turn around the foot he stepped on.

    And then the javelin that follows.

    Where did the spear that left Ojin¡¯s hand go?

    It was on the side where Isabe was tied up in the air.

    Let¡¯s go!

    The ck lightning on the spear spread out in all directions and pierced the ck snakes that were tying up Isabe.

    The snakes that were pierced by the ck lightning turned ¡®white¡¯ and fell to the floor.

    ¡®now!¡¯

    Taang!

    Ojin fired a wire and quickly caught Isabe¡¯s falling body.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Ojin, who safely received Isabe, breathed a sigh of relief.

    Cassia, who had closed her eyes waiting for death toe, shouted with a panicked expression.

    ¡°What are you doing now?!¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Ojin handed the fainted Isabe to Cassia and looked back at the ce where the white snake fell.

    ¡°We¡¯re putting an end to this damn y.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia¡¯s expression hardened when she heard the word ¡°y.¡±

    p p p.

    Inside an abandoned building where silence falls.

    Soft apuse rang out.

    The white snake that had been lying in pieces and rolling around on the floor began to gather together and change into a human shape.

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡±

    The first thought thates to mind is a man with white hair.

    The man with snow-white skin and hair looked at Ojin and smiled kindly.

    ¡°I was quite confident in hiding my presence¡­ but how did you know I was here?¡±

    ¡°wound.¡±

    ¡°Wounds¡­? Umm. ¡°What kind of wound are you talking about?¡±

    The white-haired man tilted his head as if he couldn¡¯t understand.

    Ojin looked back at Isabe, who was unconscious in Cassia¡¯s arms, and continued speaking.

    ¡°There are no wounds.¡±

    Isabe had her eyes closed, and not even a small scratch was visible.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange?¡±

    Cassia suffered from serious internal injuries that made it difficult for her to walk properly.

    But the Isabe she kidnapped didn¡¯t have any wounds?

    If Cassia¡¯s internal injuries were not exined by saying there was no physical fight between the two, Isabe¡¯s condition was too fine.

    Of course, in order to subdue Isabe without a single injury, he could have suffered more internal injuries than necessary.

    ¡®There¡¯s no reason for that.¡¯

    If Cassia¡¯s purpose was to kill herself and cause Isabe despair.

    There was no reason to subdue her without even hurting her.

    ¡°Hmm. There are no wounds. ¡°When I think about it, that¡¯s true.¡±

    The white-haired man nodded as if he realized his mistake.

    Ohjin looked back at the white-haired man and spoke quietly.

    ¡°Cassia¡¯s internal injuries were not sustained when she subdued Isabe.¡±

    Quite the opposite.

    It was a wound sustained while fighting with a white-haired man to prevent Isabe from being kidnapped.

    ¡®And it must have failed.¡¯

    After that, it was obvious without having to look.

    The white-haired man who captured Isabe must have suggested it to Cassia.

    If you want to save your younger brother, lure him here.

    Lure them to death.

    ¡°yes? Mobius.¡±

    It was not he who was being threatened with Isabe held hostage.

    It was Cassia.

    ¡°haha. ¡°It is an honor that the Lord of the ck Sky recognizes such a lowly constetion.¡±

    Moebius, a man as white as a snow field, let out a lowugh and bowed politely.

    ¡°He said he was ¡®different from me¡¯, so I guess I should say it¡¯s my first time seeing him?¡±

    Beyond the gentle smile that brings peace just by looking at it.

    ¡°It¡¯s called Mobius, the constetion of Ophiuchus.¡±

    The eerie emerald eyes, like those of a poisonous snake, were shining.

    * * *

    ¨C Sister Cassia!

    But why?

    The more the ugly jealousy and hatred that settles in one side of your heart grows.

    -lol. I really like you!

    Does your smile, which bloomed brighter than wild flowers,e to mind more clearly?

    why.

    I¡­

    can¡¯t I hate you?

 Chapter 383

    I am not a returner Episode 383:

    Sister (7)

    A forest filled with unpleasant moisture.

    When I went looking for him along the wreckage of a truck that had been torn to pieces so much that it was difficult to even find its shape.

    -I also want to ask Cassia something.

    The constetion Ophiuchus offered her a deal.

    -Did you call it Pagunseong? I want you to bring him to me.

    -¡­Why do you want to meet Oh Jin?

    -haha. It¡¯s just a mild curiosity. I want to see who the other owner of the ck Heaven is that ¡®that person¡¯ mentioned.

    Cassia shook her head resolutely at Moebius, who spoke with a gentle smile.

    -I will refuse.

    -is it so? This is¡­ so sad.

    Moebius shook his head as if he was truly regretful and continued speaking.

    -Cassia had a younger sister named Isabe, right? She was a very beautiful child, just like Cassia.

    -¡­Why is the story about Isabe suddenlying up?

    -well?

    The sight of Moebius smiling brightly gave me a chill.

    * * *

    Cassia was not foolish enough to not know that he was now making threats under the pretext of a deal using Isabe.

    -Unfortunately, I have a bad rtionship with Be.

    -is it so? So you¡¯re saying it doesn¡¯t matter what happens to that child?

    -That¡¯s¡­

    the pressure that feels like a huge snake is tightening around your body.

    Cassia trailed off and bit her chapped lip.

    -Kasia is a very good child.

    Moebius continued speaking with a kind smile.

    -Even if everything was taken away from that child, you can¡¯t hate him, right?

    -What do you know¡­

    -The affection between blood and flesh is truly amazing. As a constetion with no concept of flesh and blood, it would be a feeling that I would never experience in my entire life.

    -¡­.

    Looking at the eerily shining emerald eyes, Cassia clenched her fists with a nervous expression.

    -I won¡¯t let you have your way.

    -This is¡­ so unfortunate. Even though it wasn¡¯t my child, I didn¡¯t want to hurt Cassia, who gave me the stigmata.

    Moebius clicked his tongue lightly and slowly stood up.

    Pure white snakes crawled out from the shadows and filled the forest.

    And¡­.

    ¡°Ha ha ha! ¡°No, Ojin.¡±

    Cassia was breathing heavily and staggered towards Ojin, who was confronting Mobius.

    She pulled Ojin¡¯s arm with a nervous expression.

    ¡°Fighting with Moebius¡­ is not allowed.¡±

    Cassia tries to stop misdiagnosis with an expression distorted in pain.

    Cassia¡¯s expression was pale as she pulled his arm, wondering what had happened when she fought him before.

    ¡°Hmm? ¡°Does Cassia have the right to say that?¡±

    Moebius looked at Cassia with an expression as if asking what she was talking about.

    ¡°Did you forget? ¡°It¡¯s not me who brought him here, it¡¯s Cassia?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    Cassia¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    ¡°It was Cassia¡¯s will to betray him and lure him here, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s you Be¡­!¡±

    ¡°Are you saying there was nothing you could do to protect Be?¡±

    Mobius smiled brightly and nodded.

    ¡°Hmm. okay. So you¡¯re saying that her younger brother was more important to Cassia than Pagunseong?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­¡±

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t like that, you shouldn¡¯t have called Pagunseong here, right? No, I should have just called. ¡°Didn¡¯t you even tell me that you would kill Cassia with your own hands?¡±

    A white snake shrugging its shoulders with a fishy sneer.

    ¡°If that¡¯s not betrayal, then what is betrayal?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia, who had bepletely mute, tightly pursed her lips.

    As he said, even though he knew that Mobius was here, it was none other than Cassia¡¯s own will to invite Ojin.

    ¡°I think I would have been quite upset if I had been Papunseong. ¡°He helped Cassia escape from ck Heaven¡¯s control, but Cassia actually tried to kill him.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Cassia took a step back with a pale, tired face.

    The hand that was pulling Ohjin¡¯s arm rxed.

    Ojin nced back at Cassia, who was taking a step back, and then turned his head towards Moebius with a chuckle.

    ¡°If I listen quietly, I can¡¯t stand the smell of gas.¡±

    There are degrees of gaslighting. Does the person who kidnapped and threatened Isabe have the right to me Cassia now?

    ¡°What makes your tongue so long? ¡°Is it because it¡¯s a snake?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Are you defending Cassia? This is true. ¡°Unlike him, you are definitely quite withdrawn.¡±

    ¡°It was your head that fell down.¡±

    I clicked my tongue, swallowing the double curse that came out of my mouth.

    ¡°Cassia didn¡¯t do well, and I¡¯m the one who decides whether to do it or not, not you.¡±

    Strictly speaking, it is true that Cassia¡¯s actions could be called ¡®betrayal¡¯.

    It is true that Isabe is being held hostage and that she left Anigo to trick him and lure him to where Mobius is.

    ¡®Did you say you said you would kill me yourself?¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess what Cassia was thinking when she said those words.

    ¡®You probably didn¡¯t really intend to kill me.¡¯

    If you were nning on killing him, you should have slit his throat instead of first holding a de to his throat and making a clumsy threat.

    But Cassia couldn¡¯t do that.

    I couldn¡¯t do that.

    To her, neither Ojin nor her younger brother were entities she could give up on.

    so.

    therefore.

    so that.

    He chose to die.

    If you push him thoroughly and die from an unexpected counterattack.

    If you fail rather than make a mistake.

    He said he could save both Ojin and Isabe.

    You would have thought so.

    Although it is stupid and foolish.

    There is no other way.

    It would have been the curtain-raiser for a crude y.

    ¡°is that so? So what do you think about Pagunseong? Are you going to be lenient and say that there is nothing you can do since your younger brother is being held hostage?¡±

    ¡°No way.¡±

    Cassia¡¯s shoulders trembled at the sight of Ohjin shaking his head resolutely.

    ¡°Whatever the reason, what Cassia did this time is unforgivable.¡±

    ¡°Ojin¡­¡±

    Cassia looked at Ojin¡¯s back with sad eyes.

    Although she knew full well that she had done something unforgivable.

    When I heard the words ¡®I cannot forgive¡¯ directly from Ojin¡¯s mouth, my heart sank.

    ¡®it hurts.¡¯

    A sharp pain that feels like being stabbed in the chest with a sharp awl.

    A sticky mixture of guilt and self-reproach constricted my throat.

    ¡®I am.¡¯

    Just like he said.

    What you did is unforgivable.

    This is something that should not be forgiven.

    ¡®Anyway, I lied to Ojin.¡¯

    Isabe lied about being kidnapped by Mobius and lured him here.

    He pretended to have kidnapped Isabe himself and attacked her.

    ¡®I betrayed Ojin¡­¡¯

    The days when I lived as a puppet, covered in dark clouds.

    The person who first reached out to her, who had suffered from extreme istion and loneliness all her life.

    I couldn¡¯t express warm gratitude to the person who gave me a favor that I couldn¡¯t repay, but I thrust a cold de at him.

    It would be sphemous to even expect to be forgiven.

    but.

    Nevertheless¡­

    ¡°Oh Jin. ¡°Take Be and leave here.¡±

    Cassia stood in front of Ojin with unsteady steps.

    He red at Moebius, who was leisurely sitting on the remains of the building, and summoned ck snakes.

    Fighting with a dying body would have been tantamount to suicide against Moebius, who could not have dared to fight him even when he was in good health.

    ¡°At least we can take some time.¡±

    With a solemn determination in mind, he spread his shadow wide.

    ¡°haha. Are you trying toe and protect him now?¡±

    Moebiusughed and shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s toote to regret it. ¡°Just as the world does not disappear when you close your eyes, even if you change your position now, it will not change the fact that you betrayed him.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    I have no intention of being forgiven.

    I also know that it is just masturbation to relieve the boiling guilt.

    But if, with your help, you can buy him some time to escape.

    If only my life of being like an ugly bug hiding in the shadows could be of any help.

    I am willing to give this life for him.

    ¡°You want to buy time?¡±

    ¡°yes. It won¡¯tst long. Just as quickly as now¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same as a younger brother or an older sister, both of whom make people explode.¡±

    A simr thing happened with Isabe before.

    Ojin clicked his tongue, remembering the time when he was trapped in the demon world.

    One step.

    He stepped forward and grabbed Cassia¡¯s back.

    ¡°Ojin¡­? ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    They tied her body with wire and threw her back roughly.

    Cassia screamed and rolled on the floor with Isabe, who fainted.

    ¡°What are you doing now?!¡±

    ¡°I put it aside because it was a hindrance to fighting.¡±

    Ojin stood in front of Cassia, frowning as if he didn¡¯t like it.

    As if he was trying to protect her.

    Cassia¡¯s eyes trembled slightly as she looked at the broad back.

    ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t forgive me earlier¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t forgive you.¡±

    In particr, I could never forgive his foolish act of trying to take his own life.

    ¡°So I¡¯ll scold you a lotter.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m prepared to be beaten until my butt turns red.¡±

    I also have some experience in this field.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia looked at Ojin with a puzzled expression.

    Prepare to be beaten until your butt turns red?

    ¡°Ojin¡­ are you stupid?¡±

    I was so shocked that I couldn¡¯t even speak properly.

    ¡°I betrayed Ojin! ¡°They used Be as bait to lure Ojin here!¡±

    Is that all?

    ¡°You even hurt Ojin!¡±

    Ultimately, I nned to die to him.

    The attack that wasunched to deceive him contained the magic power of the violent stigmata.

    In fact, he suffered quite a few injuries on his body.

    however.

    Are you going to fight the Constetion to save yourself?

    Where in the world is such a stupid thing?

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Then why¡­!¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ So.¡±

    Oh Jin thought about what to say for a moment and then answered abruptly as if he was annoyed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like how it looks.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    ¡°Look at that guy, he looks like a fraudster, right?¡±

    To other people, he may just look like an impressive handsome guy.

    Ojin could clearly see the sharp fangs hidden in that gentle smile.

    ¡°I hate cheaters the most.¡±

 Chapter 384

    I am not a returner Chapter 384:

    Sister (8)

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia looked at Ojin without being able to close her mouth.

    Although I didn¡¯t say it with my mouth, if I put into words the vague look in my eyes, I would say, ¡®Is that what you¡¯re going to say?¡¯ It will be about that much.

    ¡°Why on earth¡­ would you do something like that for someone like me?¡±

    She wasn¡¯t oblivious to the point where she didn¡¯t know that the reason she was going to fight because she didn¡¯t like the way it looked was just a loosely given reason.

    Cassia clutched her chest, feeling a sinking sense of guilt.

    Transparent tears flowed down my cheeks, as white as snowkes.

    Being protected by someone else.

    The unfamiliar sensation stimted her like a tickle.

    Funny.

    Even in this situation, my heart was pounding like it was going to explode and my body was hot.

    If I were to express the emotions welling up in my heart right now in one word¡­ yes, the closest emotion would be ¡®happiness¡¯.

    ¡®Crazy bitch.¡¯

    He spat out a double curse towards himself.

    There is a level of shamelessness in feeling happy while being protected by the man you betrayed.

    Nausea leaked out at the disgusting sight of myself.

    but.

    Nevertheless.

    ¡°Why¡­ are you protecting someone like me?¡±

    Why?

    Every time I saw that broad back blocking my path, I felt an indescribable sense of relief and happiness.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°Literally, I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m doing this.¡±

    Oh Jin let out a short sigh and shook his head.

    If we thought aboutmon sense, it would have been right to take Isabe with us and get out of here.

    There is no need to feel guilty or responsible for her sacrifice.

    Because it was Cassia who dragged her here.

    however.

    why.

    Is it as if a nail has been driven in and my steps are not falling?

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    You can give as many reasons as you want.

    If I run away from here, I don¡¯t know what Mobius will do next, or if Cassia dies, Isabe will be sad.

    Or, you can give a stupid reason that Cassia, who is crying and shaking pitifully, is so beautiful that you can¡¯t stop walking.

    It doesn¡¯t matter if you have a shallow sense of justice or a mediocre moral sense.

    ¡®I don¡¯t even know why.¡¯

    It is not a judgment based on perfect logic or an action based on thorough calction.

    I just want to do that.

    Yes, this reason would be just right.

    ¡®That¡¯s enough.¡¯

    Didn¡¯t you make a decision when you faced the Heavenly Demon under the ck sky?

    Without giving up even a single thing.

    Without sacrificing even a single person.

    Without letting go of anything I was holding in my hands.

    I will protect them all.

    therefore.

    ¡°Don¡¯t show off for no reason, just lie there quietly.¡±

    Ojin walked slowly, leaving behind Cassia, who was trying to stand up.

    ¡°¡­under.¡±

    A lowugh came from the mouth of Mobius, who was sitting on the remains of the building and watching the situation.

    He looked at Ojin with a look of disbelief.

    ¡°Are you really the same person as the Heavenly Demon?¡±

    How can two people be so different?

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories about it, but¡­ it¡¯s amazing to see it in person.¡±

    Moebius shook his head with an expression of boredom and let out a soft sigh.

    ¡°I thought I¡¯d seen a lot of people before, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone as greedy as you.¡±

    Without sacrificing anything and without giving up even a single thing.

    Trying to deal with a constetion that was oncepared to the North Star?

    It was an act that could only be considered insane.

    ¡°So how long are you going to flutter with only your snout?¡±

    Ojin stretched out his arm and gestured towards Moebius.

    The spear stuck in the wall floated into the air and was held in his hand.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to use Gaecheon.¡¯

    The problem is proper timing.

    As long as it was not yet clear exactly what level of power Mobius had, it was not possible to hastily use Gaecheon.

    ¡®Then for now.¡¯

    I used Sanctuary Expansion while raising the energy of the ck Sky.

    Oooooh!

    The stigmata of Lyra radiated light, and Ojin¡¯s whole body was engulfed in a soft silver light.

    The sanctuary, which can be said to be the basis of the power of the constetion, was unfolded through the body of a mere human.

    ¡°¡­sanctuary?¡±

    Mobius let out a low exmation as if he was surprised.

    This was only the second time in my long life that I had seen humans using the sanctuary.

    ¡°Even though their personalities are different, the power they possess is the same.¡±

    Moebius nodded his head and slowly got up.

    Sararak Sararak.

    With a sound like the rustling of a cor, pure white snakes crawled out from his shadow.

    e.¡¯

    Ojin swallowed dry saliva and strengthened his hand holding the spear.

    I wanted to start the battle as quickly as possible because a lot of magical power was required to develop the sanctuary, so much so that it could be said to be ignorant.

    ¡®yet.¡¯

    Unless you knew Moebius¡¯s abilities, you couldn¡¯t hastily attack him first.

    Ojin activated the stigmata of the constetion Canis and observed the movements of the pure white snakes.

    and.

    Sigh!

    A burning pain felt in the side.

    A pure white snake approached him without a blink of an eye and bit off a handful of his flesh.

    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t see it.

    Even though he was using the stigmata of the constetion Canis, the flesh on his side was bitten off so quickly that it was impossible to tell when or where he was attacked.

    ¡®It¡¯s not at a level that can be said to be fast.¡¯

    This was a speed that would not be surprising considering it could surpass space itself.

    ¡®It¡¯s toote when you see it with your own eyes.¡¯

    It is correct to say that it would be impossible to follow Moebius¡¯ attack with the eyes if you could not see it even with your senses heightened by the Stigmata of the Constetion Canis.

    then.

    Pajik pachutsutsu!

    A faint thunderstorm, invisible to the naked eye, spread around Ojin like fog.

    Ohjin closed his eyes and concentrated on the thunderbolt spread around him.

    ¡®right!¡¯

    Sigh!

    I twisted my body to avoid the white snake that wasunched at terrifying speed.

    I felt sharp fangs barely grazing my cor.

    Coo!

    Ojin, who dodged the attack, continued his momentum and kicked towards Moebius.

    The spear de filled with ck lightning was aimed at Moebius¡¯s neck and stabbed in.

    Quack!

    The feel of fabric passing through your hands.

    The ck lightning that prated the sanctuary of Ophiuchus began tearing Mobius apart like a hungry beast.

    ¡°Kukkuk keuk!¡±

    Moebius, whose throat had been pierced, opened his eyes white and gurgled out blood.

    Moebius¡¯ body copsed and rolled around on the floor.

    ¡°¡­Tsk.¡±

    As soon as Ojin pulled out the spear from Moebius¡¯s neck, he quickly jumped back to increase the distance.

    ¡®Was it a artificial body?¡¯

    Ojin himself, who had dealt with the Constetion not long ago, knew best that this was not the end of him.

    ¡°Incredible.¡±

    As expected, Moebius¡¯ voicees from somewhere else.

    When I turned my head, I saw Moebius standing with a rxed expression.

    Slurp, slurp.

    Mobius¡¯ body, which had been rolling around on the floor just now, turned into a group of pure white snakes and disappeared into the shadows.

    ¡°No matter how artificial it was, there must have been a sanctuary¡­ I didn¡¯t expect it to be breached so easily.¡±

    Mobius lets out a soft exmation.

    He was genuinely admiring it, not ridiculing it.

    ¡®It¡¯s different from what I heard from the Heavenly Demon.¡¯

    Is it possible that he has be this much stronger in the short time since he left the Demon World?

    The growth rate was so absurd that it made meugh out loud.

    ¡°Not long ago, a rather tasty piece of food rolled in.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you mean Ancdus?¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    Ojin twitched the corner of his mouth and looked Moebius up and down.

    ¡°But snake meat is better to eat than seahorse meat, right?¡±

    ¡°Haha, be scared. ¡°I think they are both the same master of the ck Sky, so they say simr things to him.¡±

    Moebius looked at Ojin with a low smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have no intention of bing your prey right now. ¡°There¡¯s something I have to do.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any ns to be prey in the future?¡±

    ¡°well? ¡°Maybe it won¡¯t matter once the work is done.¡±

    As he said that, Mobius smiled slightly.

    Why?

    The smile on Moebius¡¯s lips felt lonely, as if he was left alone in an endless snow field.

    ¡®Did you say it has the same purpose as the Heavenly Demon?¡¯

    Ojin, who was thinking about the ¡®what must be done¡¯ mentioned by Mobius, soon shook his head and raised his magic power again.

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡±

    It was difficult to maintain the sanctuary for a long time because it consumed so much magical power.

    I had to figure out the timing to use ¡®Gaecheon¡¯ before all my magical power was depleted.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe quickly? Are you going to keep standing there?¡±

    Ojin waved his hand and prepared to dodge Mobius¡¯ attack by spreading lightning around the area.

    ¡®You can avoid it if you concentrate.¡¯

    When I was reading the movements of a pure white snake one by one with my eyes closed.

    ¡°No, let¡¯s stop here.¡±

    The pure white snakes disappeared, melting into the shadows like melting snow.

    ¡°¡­are we going to stop here?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, my purpose was to find out what kind of person you are.¡±

    Mobius shrugged his shoulders as if he had already achieved his goal.

    ¡°You did something like this to test what kind of person I am?¡±

    Ohjin watched Moebius¡¯ movements with sharp eyes without letting go of his nerves.

    Even if they said that, I didn¡¯t know when they would attack again.

    ¡°haha. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so nervous.¡±

    Moebius smiled softly and turned around.

    ¡°We will meet again soon anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be long now¡­ it will all be over.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    ¡°haha. well? ¡°You will know when that happens.¡±

    Even if you don¡¯t want to know.

    Leaving behind an eerie statement, Mobius¡¯ body disappeared as if melting into the shadows.

    The suffocating energy that filled the abandoned building disappeared.

    ¡°¡­ha.¡±

    A low sigh escaped Ojin¡¯s mouth as he continued to look around his surroundings without letting go of tension even after Moebius hadpletely disappeared.

    ¡®What is this guy doing?¡¯

    In a way, he was even more unknown than the Heavenly Demon.

    Ojin frowned as if he had a headache.

    ¡®Anyway, Cassia¡­¡¯

    Let¡¯s turn around to check Cassia¡¯s condition.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Cassia was seen staring nkly at the spot where Mobius disappeared.

    Her emerald eyes were as empty as an empty ruin.

    ¡°are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Oh Ojin.¡±

    She looked up at Ojin with a tear-soaked face.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    She was walking backwards with a pale, exhausted expression, but suddenly she crawled on the floor on all fours toward Ojin.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. sorry. please forgive me. I don¡¯t want to be left behind anymore. I don¡¯t want to be alone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Cassia hugs Ojin¡¯s leg and repeats the same words like a broken machine.

    ¡®no.¡¯

    Why is he like this again?

 Chapter 385

    I am not a regressor Episode 385

    Sister (9)

    ¨C Don¡¯t show off for no reason, just sit there and squint.

    The moment you listen to his words that are blunt yet somehow warm.

    thud.

    A heavy explosion urred in my chest, which was already beating wildly.

    As if I had inhaled a can of stimnts, endorphins surged and a thunderbolt struck my head.

    If I were topare the thrill she feels now, would it be simr to that of a blind person who has lived blind all his life when he sees the world for the first time?

    no.

    Maybe it was bigger than that.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    Cassia bowed down, clutching her heart that was pounding as if it was going to explode.

    I remembered my mother¡¯s voice, heard in a quiet hallway in the distant past.

    -I¡¯m d though. If Be did that too, I really¡­ Sigh.

    The sound of a mother sighing, as if she was somewhat relieved.

    After the sigh that shattered her lifepletely.

    Her life was as dark as a shadow beneath a shadow.

    It was cold, lonely, and lonely.

    Although I pretended it was nothing.

    It wasn¡¯t like it was nothing.

    ¡°Huh¡­ ck.¡±

    Loneliness is a disease that cannot be cured.

    A disease that eats away little by little as time passes, rotting away from the soul.

    Even when I left the family and was taken to a hospital in d.

    Even when wandering through a snowy field to avoid the flocking demonic beasts.

    Even when he became a puppet of the Heavenly Demon and went around killing those who got in the way of his ns.

    ¡®No one¡­¡¯

    There was no one by her side.

    Her life was always solitary and lonely as if it would never end.

    All you can do is cut away your heart like you would cut off your own flesh.

    Repeating the flimsy excuse that I¡¯m fine alone and that I don¡¯t need anyone else.

    but.

    ¡®Ojin.¡¯

    There is a man who steps into her life without hesitation.

    There is starlight that brightens the dark and gloomy shadows.

    For the first time in my life.

    There is someone who stayed by her side.

    -I don¡¯t know.

    -¡­You don¡¯t know?

    -Literally, I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m doing this.

    When asked why he was protecting him, he clearly answered, ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯

    He told me that the reason wasn¡¯t important.

    ¡®iced coffee.¡¯

    Could know.

    I could feel it.

    He is now willing to risk his life to protect himself,

    not Isabe.

    Just for yourself.

    ¡®It¡¯s warm.¡¯

    My heart, frozen like a snowy field, melts.

    The starlight burning brightly in the shadows drove away the loneliness that was eating away at her soul.

    ¡°haha.¡±

    Cassia took a deep breath and stood up shakily.

    Due to the internal injuries sustained while fighting Mobius, it was difficult to even stand properly.

    ¡®Now¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose it.¡¯

    For her, who had tasted the warmth of human warmth, the crushing internal wounds of her body were not important.

    All she can see now is Ohjin confronting Moebius.

    In particr, every time I saw his side, which had been bitten by a pure white snake and the blood was flowing out, I felt anxious as if my heart was burning.

    ¡®I¡­ have to protect Ojin.¡¯

    Warmth found in the endless cold.

    It made her more desperate than the oasis she found in the dry desert.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    Slurp.

    Cassia¡¯s legs tangled and her body rolled around on the floor.

    No matter how desperate it is, deep internal wounds that are so deep that even death would not be surprising do not suddenly heal.

    Cassia bit her lip and crawled on the floor.

    I tried to get to where Ojin was, even if I had to crawl miserably on the floor.

    at that time.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I made eye contact with Moebius.

    Mobius found her crawling on the floor and smiled brightly.

    ¡°No, let¡¯s stop here.¡±

    Moebius shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head.

    After a short conversation with Oh Jin, he turned around as if he had no regrets.

    Just before his body disappears into the shadows.

    -Cassia.

    Moebius¡¯ voice rang in Cassia¡¯s head.

    -How did I get through this time¡­ but will this really be the end?

    The snake¡¯s tongue tickled my ear.

    -The memory of Cassia betraying him will always remain in his memory.

    A chilling shiver spread throughout Cassia¡¯s body.

    -Kasia will be abandoned. As always.

    Come visit me then, Cassia.

    Moebius let out a softugh as he said that.

    The snake¡¯s voice echoing in my head disappeared.

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    Cassia trembled with a pale face.

    Mobius¡¯st words filled her mind.

    ¡®I¡­ will be abandoned by Ojin.¡¯

    If you think about it, isn¡¯t it natural?

    Just as the world does not disappear even if you close your eyes.

    The memory of her betraying Ojin will never fade from his mind.

    ¡®If you are abandoned by Ojin¡­¡¯

    As always.

    As always.

    also.

    Again and again and again.

    In that terrible loneliness©¥

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    at that time.

    Ojin, with a worried expression, approached her.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    Cassia, who was walking backwards with a pale, exhausted expression, crawled on all fours toward Ojin.

    The only thing that fills my mind are the words ¡®you will be abandoned¡¯ left behind by Moebius.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. sorry. please forgive me. I don¡¯t want to be left behind anymore. I don¡¯t want to be alone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Cassia begged with a desperate expression, hugging his leg.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to lie. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. ¡­Oh, I¡¯m not trying to make excuses! sorry! sorry! ¡°I¡­¡± He

    stuttered in gibberish as he strengthened his arms holding his legs.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Looking down at Cassia, Ojin frowned.

    No matter how you look at it, Cassia¡¯s condition right now was not normal.

    ¡°Please forgive me¡­ please.¡±

    Cassia fell off Ojin¡¯s leg, fell t on the floor, and lowered her head as if to kiss the top of his foot.

    ¡°stop.¡±

    Ojin grabbed Cassia¡¯s shoulders as shey on the floor.

    Emerald eyes filled with tears turned towards him.

    It looks precarious, as if it will break if touched somewhere.

    Ojin narrowed his eyes and asked.

    ¡°What did you hear from him?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    I felt Cassia¡¯s shoulders shaking.

    ¡®Was it the right answer?¡¯

    I wondered why he retreated so calmly.

    Oh Jin clicked his tongue and his expression distorted.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything¡­¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t say something now, don¡¯t think about seeing me again in the future.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±

    Cassia suddenly raised her head and made an urgent expression.

    ¡°I said I would be abandoned¡­ abandoned.¡±

    ¡°Abandoned?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°Ojin will never forgive me.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jinughed with an absurd expression on his face.

    Honestly, I didn¡¯t understand why Cassia was so obsessed with me.

    ¡°Please¡­don¡¯t abandon me.¡±

    No, I threw it away and never had it in the first ce.

    Ojin looked down at Cassia, who was holding on to her pants with a desperate expression, and let out a deep sigh.

    ¡®What on earth did I do to be this obsessed?¡¯

    okay.

    I freed him from being manipted by the Heavenly Demon intomitting unwanted massacres.

    Even in the demonic world, I helped install the Heavenly Demon Seal to prevent it from being released on my own.

    This time, I just ignored the fact that he was going to hit me in the back to save my younger brother, and saved the person who was about to die¡­

    ¡®Huh? what.¡¯

    Did you do more than you thought?

    ¡°Oh Ojin¡­?¡±

    Cassia is silent for a while and looks up at her with an anxious expression.

    Oh Jin looked down at her eyes filled with nervousness and swallowed.

    ¡®Well, even so, it¡¯s not normal to look like this right now.¡¯

    Perhaps the reason she is so obsessed with herself is also intertwined with her past.

    A life where one had to wait day after day for death while suffering from an incurable disease that distorted the muscles and bones of the entire body.

    Even if she had been born into a noble family called Colgrande¡­ or rather, the misery she felt would have been greater because she was born into such a family.

    ¡®And it probably got worse as Isabe grew up.¡¯

    An older sister with an incurable disease and a younger brother with natural talent.

    Even the cat raised at home would have known which of the two would bear the name ¡®Colgrande¡¯.

    ¡®In that situation¡­¡¯

    Was there really even one person who took her side?

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin still had Ha Eun.

    Since I had Ha-eun since I was young, at least I never felt lonely.

    But what about Cassia?

    Was there such a person for the girl who was trapped in a narrow wheelchair and waiting for her death toe?

    ¡°¡­ha.¡±

    okay.

    Now he seemed to understand why Cassia was so obsessed with him.

    All that¡¯s left is your choice.

    ¡®Do you ept it or push it away?¡¯

    The answer was decided from the moment I stood before Moebius on her behalf.

    ¡°Do you want me to forgive you?¡±

    ¡°Yes yes! I will do anything Ojin tells me to do! So please¡­¡±

    Cassia nodded urgently.

    The corners of Ojin¡¯s mouth turned up with a grin.

    ¡°Then you will have to receive the ¡®punishment¡¯ I mentioned earlier, right?¡±

    I asked in a yful voice to calm down Kasia, who was looking desperate as if there was a knife hanging around her neck.

    ¡°If it¡¯s the punishment I mentioned earlier¡­.¡±

    ¡°On the butt.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­ uh butt?¡±

    Cassia opens her eyes wide with a puzzled expression.

    I don¡¯t know if I should call this fortunate, but the expression on my face that looked like it would shatter like a ss bowl with a single word from Oh Jin has disappeared, covered in surprise.

    ¡°Oh, if it is Ojin¡¯s order.¡±

    Cassia blushed and hesitantly turned around and stuck out her buttocks towards Ojin.

    Well, even if she stuck out her butt, it couldn¡¯t be seen properly because it was covered by the tight ck dress.

    ¡°You should take off your dress too, right?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not necessary¡­¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s a punishment.¡±

    Cassia held the hem of the dress with both hands and slowly lifted it with an expression full of shame, unlike when she had lifted the dress before.

    When the pure white buttocks and ckce panties covering them slowly reveal their seductive figure.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I wonder if Mobius had done something to it. As soon as he disappeared, Isabe, who had fainted, stirred and woke up.

    ¡°This ce¡­¡±

    Isabe looked around, and what she saw was Cassia lifting the hem of her dress with her butt towards Oh Jin, and Oh Jin standing close behind her.

    ¡°¡­Is it a dream?¡±

    Isabe rubbed her eyes and shook her head.

 Chapter 386

    I am not a returner Episode 386

    Sister (10)

    ¡°¡­Haa.¡±

    A heavy sigh that felt like the earth was falling apart.

    Isabe touched her forehead as if she had a headache.

    ¡°I¡­ was kidnapped?¡±

    He asked with a trembling voice, as if he had difficulty understanding the current situation.

    ¡°huh. I do not remember?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything¡­ Oh, wait a minute.¡±

    Isabe frowned, recalling the events on the ne, and bit her lip.

    ¡°I was on a private ne¡­ when suddenly my vision went dark.¡±

    ¡°and?¡±

    ¡°I heard a scream¡­ Ah, a snake. ¡°I saw a snake.¡±

    ¡°It was a white snake, right?¡± ¡°that¡¯s right.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s shoulders trembled as if memories were slowlying back to her.

    ¡°White snakes covered the inside of the ne¡­ and¡­ ugh.¡±

    Isabe moans as if in pain.

    Ojin carefully ced his hand on Isabe¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to think too much about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­sorry. ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything after that.¡±

    Isabe sighed deeply and shook her head.

    Ojin patted her back and narrowed his eyes.

    ¡®Then Isabe was hit so quickly that she can¡¯t even remember properly?¡¯

    Considering that Isabe was a powerful awakener who had just reached the 11th level, I couldn¡¯t even guess how powerful Mobius was.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t there no answer to using Gaecheon at this level?¡¯

    A thought like that suddenly crossed my mind.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t n on making excuses for that, but I wasn¡¯t in a normal state at the time.¡±

    Isabe cautiously opened her mouth as if she knew what Ojin was thinking.

    ¡°You mean it wasn¡¯t normal?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I haven¡¯t drank blood since I went to Italy, so I was much weaker than usual.¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    Come to think of it, I had heard that if an awakened person with the leech stigmata does not drink blood regrly, their strength will rapidly weaken.

    ¡®After going to Italy¡­¡¯ Are you

    saying that he went to Japan, had a fierce battle with Ancdus, went into the intensive care unit, recovered from his internal injuries, and didn¡¯t even bleed until he came back to Korea?

    ¡®It definitely deserves to be weakened.¡¯

    I heard that not drinking blood for just three days can weaken the strength of the stigmata, but since she had not even touched blood for over two weeks, her physical condition must have been close to the worst.

    ¡°But why didn¡¯t you drink the blood until that happened?¡±

    It is said that in order to get rid of the urge to suck blood, one must suck blood directly, but in order to simply maintain the power of the stigmata, there was no need to suck blood.

    Why were there so many blood packs stored in Isabe¡¯s room at the Colgrande family mansion?

    If he had at least ingested animal blood, he wouldn¡¯t have been kidnapped by Moebius so helplessly.

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    Isabe trailed off with an embarrassed expression.

    Isabe, who was licking her lips and stamping her feet, slowly averted her gaze and opened her mouth.

    ¡°¡­Come on.¡±

    ¡°ok?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because it tastes bad!¡±

    Isabe cried out with a red face up to her ears.

    Oh Jin looked at her with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t drink blood because it wasn¡¯t tasty?¡±

    ¡°But¡­ Now I¡¯ve be a body that can¡¯t be satisfied except with Ojin¡¯s blood?¡±

    It sounds like something dirty, but if you think about it, it¡¯s a really scary thing.

    ¡°No matter what, what if I don¡¯t drink until my body bes like that?¡±

    ¡°But¡­ it tastes much better if you hold the tea in before eating it.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Is this a bit simr to intentionally starving before going to a buffet?

    ¡®No matter what, I won¡¯t starve for two weeks, girl.¡¯

    Ojin touched his forehead as if he had a headache.

    It would be better if you didn¡¯t eat for two weeks.

    For an awakened person with the leech stigmata, cutting off blood was something that entailed extreme pain along with thirst that withered the soul itself.

    ¡°Oh Jin is bad!¡±

    Isabe jumped up from her seat and shouted.

    ¡°Oh, Oh Jin, your blood is so delicious that you can¡¯t even eat other blood!¡±

    ¡°Why is it my fault?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t born delicious(?) because I wanted to.

    ¡®What am I?¡¯

    I sighed deeply as I remembered the unfortunate animal that was intelligent enough to recognize its owner, possessed both charm and a cute appearance, but was unable to be a pet because it was too tasty.

    ¡°anyway! I never thought I would be attacked on the return flight. sorry.¡±

    Still, Isabe seemed to admit that she had made a mistake and sighed and sat down again.

    ¡°Well¡­ that can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Honestly, who could have predicted that we would suddenly be attacked by a constetion on the return flight?

    It was true that the situation was too unexpected to use me of beingcent.

    ¡°By the way¡­¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes turned to Ojin.

    To be precise, to a woman who was clinging to Ojin¡¯s side like a leech.

    ¡°¡­Why is your sister like that?¡±

    Isabe red at Cassia, who was silently rubbing her cheek on Ojin¡¯s shoulder while holding Ojin¡¯s arm throughout the conversation.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°I was proudly exposing my ass in front of Mr. Oh Jin just now. Does it make sense that you don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°No, I really don¡¯t know.¡±

    Although he could vaguely guess why Cassia was hanging on him, he couldn¡¯t figure out why she didn¡¯t fall away, clinging to him as if she had suddenly suffered some kind of infantile regression.

    ¡°Stay away for a moment, sister.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°hey? ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me?¡±

    ¡°ha. Oh Jin¡­ it¡¯s so warm.¡±

    ¡°This bitch?¡±

    Sparks flew out of Isabe¡¯s eyes.

    Even though I grabbed Cassia¡¯s shoulder and tried to force it away, I couldn¡¯t get it off because it was clinging to Ojin¡¯s arm like a coiled snake, even with Ojin¡¯s arm between her legs.

    ¡°No, stay away! ¡°What are you doing to someone else¡¯s lover?!¡±

    ¡°¡­no.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t fall.¡±

    Cassia red at Isabe with venomous eyes.

    ¡°Now Ojin is mine¡­ no, my body and mind are Ojin¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden bombshell.

    ¡°What kind of nonsense is that?¡±

    Cassia slowly raised an eyebrow at her, who was looking at her with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°While you were unconscious¡­ you had a deep physical conversation with Ojin?¡±

    ¡°wait for a sec.¡±

    There¡¯s something strange about saying that we hit and fought.

    ¡°I tried to hold on somehow¡­ but in the end, I was unable to ovee Ojin-nim¡¯s strong strength and my body and mind¡­ gave in to Ojin-nim.¡±

    You¡¯re expressing in a very different way what it means to be beaten and lose, aren¡¯t you?

    ¡°I realized it and threw it away. ¡°Now I have be a body that cannot live without the warmth of this person.¡±

    Cassia hugs Ojin¡¯s arm with a drugged, hazy look in her eyes.

    ¡°¡­Mr. Ojin?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes lost their shine as she looked at Ojin.

    ¡°What is this¡­ situation?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡±

    A word of respect thates out naturally.

    ¡°What are you doing wrong?¡±

    ¡°This is¡­ Even if it¡¯s the same word in Korean, the meaning changes a lot depending on how you say it.¡±

    Since I¡¯m Italian, it might be a bit difficult to understand.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you had a physical conversation with your sister while I was unconscious?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡­ speaking of physicalmunication sounds a bit strange. We fought. We fought. I told you earlier. ¡°At first, I thought it was my sister who kidnapped Be.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not some kind of shonen cartoon. This happens because people got into a fight? Be honest. Are you really ¡®just fighting¡¯?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s it.¡±

    Ojin avoided Isabe¡¯s gaze with an embarrassed expression.

    In fact, he did not tell Isabe that he fought Mobius on behalf of Cassia, who was trying to block Moebius¡¯s path.

    ¡®Because it¡¯s obvious that I¡¯ll get criticized if I tell you.¡¯

    There was no need to even imagine what Isabe¡¯s reaction would be if she found out that he had fought the ck Star Constetion to protect Cassia.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s only natural to help your lover¡¯s older sister.¡¯

    When thinking about the rtionship between Cassia and Isabe, the problem was that even such ¡®obvious¡¯ things became no longer natural.

    ¡°So, how did this happen¡­¡±

    ¡°Ojin saved my life.¡±

    Cassia opened her mouth, cutting Ojin off.

    Isabe¡¯s expression distorted fiercely.

    ¡°¡­Saving your sister¡¯s life? ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°To protect me, you fought bravely against Mobius and the constetion of Ophiuchus.¡±

    ¡°That was to protect Isabe¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh? If you wanted to protect Be, you should have left me and run away with her, right? ¡°I said I would buy me time, but it was Ojin who threw me back, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Damn it.

    Since you say that, I have nothing to say.

    ¡°So¡­ are you so attached to Oh Jin because he saved your sister¡¯s life?¡±

    ¡°oh? ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural to have feelings for someone who saves your life?¡±

    Of course, the reason she became obsessed with Ojin was not simply because he was a ¡®lifesaver¡¯.

    The loneliness that had been bothering her ever since.

    The person named Oh Jin who appeared in her life, which was as cold and lonely as an endless snow field, was not just a lifesaver, but a savior who saved her rotting soul itself.

    Even if Oh Jin, the person involved, did not even think of such things and saved her.

    ¡°I decided to give my all to Ojin.¡±

    As a result, she was saved.

    A brightly shining starlight appeared in my heart, which was sick from cold and loneliness.

    ¡°Is that what you would say to your younger sister¡¯s husband?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ we¡¯re not married yet.¡±

    ¡°Oh Jin, please shut up.¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Isabe continued, ring sharply at Cassia.

    ¡°Because Oh Jin has me, there is no room for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Be, aren¡¯t there two more people besides you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ uh anyway! ¡°My sister says no!¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

    Kisa shrugged and continued speaking as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t really want to be a lover with Ojin.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes widened at Cassia¡¯s calm words.

    ¡°You said earlier, Be, that you have be unable to live without Ojin¡¯s blood, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­what is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simr to that.¡±

    It¡¯s okay to not be Oh Jin¡¯s lover.

    It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re not loved.

    ¡°As long as I can be by Ojin¡¯s side¡­ Even if you consider me a servant, I am a good tool to use¡­ Yes, I am satisfied even if you consider me as a foot wipe to use after washing.¡±

    Isabe touched her forehead as if she had a headache as the dizzying words flowed from Cassia¡¯s mouth.

    Why?

    The reason why Cassia¡¯s appearance, which even feels like madness, oveps with her former self.

    ¡®I wonder if someone is my real sister.¡¯

    I guess.

    Cassia¡¯s condition seemed to be more serious than expected.

 Chapter 387

    I am not a regressor Episode 387

    Interlude ¨C Still,

    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t admit it.¡±

    Isabe bit her lip and red at Cassia.

    ¡°Does it matter whether you admit it or not?¡±

    ¡°You tricked Ohjin and brought him to the ck Star Constetion!¡±

    For some reason, Moebius meekly retreated, so Ojin wasn¡¯t seriously hurt.

    It was a situation where his life could have been in danger if he was not careful.

    No, even if he survived the fight against Mobius, Ojin would have had to use ¡®that technique¡¯.

    And she also knew the price of using that technique.

    ¡®Mr. Oh Jin¡¯s memories¡­ may have disappeared again.¡¯

    Even if it¡¯s not a memory of yourself.

    I couldn¡¯t take it lightly when I thought about how much pain he must have felt as his memories were forcibly cut out.

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°It was for me?¡±

    A cold sneer appeared at the corner of Isabe¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°If you really cared for me, you shouldn¡¯t have done that, sister.¡±

    * * *

    Cassia would also have known how precious the existence of Ojin was to her.

    Nevertheless, she tricked Ojin into bringing him here.

    Into a dangerous trap where the constetion of ck stars is hidden.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°why? ¡°Did you think you would be grateful that I saved you?¡±

    Isabe res at Cassia with venomous eyes.

    It was not the attitude he would show to his older sister, who was willing to sacrifice her life to save her kidnapped younger brother.

    To say ¡®thank you¡¯, what Cassia did was something Isabe could never tolerate.

    ¡°Why did you try to save me in the first ce? ¡°When did you stop trying to kill me because you hate me so much?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Cassia, who was thinking about what to say, soon sighed deeply and shook her head.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°I forgot why I was trying to save you?¡±

    Cassia shrugs her shoulders with a faint smile.

    Isabe bit her lip and frowned.

    ¡°¡­What is that.¡±

    ¡°Well, anyway, the results are good, so it¡¯s okay, right? ¡°Be, you are safe and Ojin is not seriously injured.¡±

    ¡°You mean as long as the results are good?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the oue better than having a bad oue?¡±

    Cassia and Isabe¡¯s gazes intersect.

    The harsh lifestyle created by the sisters filled the abandoned building.

    ¡°stop.¡±

    Oh Jin, who was waiting quietly for the two to resolve the issue, let out a deep sigh as if it couldn¡¯t go on like this.

    The eyes of the two sisters, who were in a tense standoff, turned to Oh Jin.

    ¡°Let¡¯s first sort out the situation. Cassia, are you feeling okay?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Only then did Cassia realize that she had suffered serious internal injuries and shook her head with an awkward smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s less painful than before because I don¡¯t use magic power, but¡­ it¡¯s hard to say it¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Come here.¡±

    ¡°yes? ¡­Aaaah!¡±

    Ojin wrapped his arms around Cassia¡¯s waist, sat her on his thighs, and ced his hand on her left breast.

    ¡°Oh Ojin?¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±

    Cassia avoids gaze with blushing cheeks like a girl in her first love, and Isabe stands up with an angry expression on her face.

    The voices of the two sisters mixed with different emotions rang in my ears, but now was not the time to pay attention to him.

    ¡°Stay still. ¡°I¡¯m not used to the Aquarius stigmata because I don¡¯t use it often.¡±

    Ojin activated the stigmata of Aquarius by cing his hand over the stigmata of Ophiuchus engraved on Cassia¡¯s left breast, to be exact.

    In the case of the stigmata of Aquarius, it was a stigmata specialized for manufacturing potions and medicine rather than direct healing, but that did not mean it had no healing ability at all.

    ¡®And to maximize this healing ability.¡¯

    With my eyes closed, I slowly unleashed the power of the ck Sky.

    ¡®Sanctuary deployment.¡¯

    Wooooow!

    A soft halo of light covered the body.

    It was the first time to create a sanctuary with the stigmata of Aquarius, but the principle itself was simr to when creating a sanctuary with the stigmata of Lyra.

    I felt a sense of omnipotence that tingled down my spine, along with the sensation of an enormous amount of magic flowing out like an ebb and flow.

    ¡°Ah¡­ internal injuries.¡±

    Magical power as clear as water drops flowing through the stigmata.

    I could feel the messily torn magic circuit healing little by little.

    After Aquarius¡¯ magical power circled Cassia¡¯s body once.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Ohjin released the sanctuary with a clear look of exhaustion.

    The subtle light that covered his body disappeared as if scattered in the air.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯tpletely cured, but the pain would have been much better.¡±

    ¡°¡­thank you.¡±

    Cassia looked up at Ojin with hazy eyes, as if she was somehow drugged.

    The touch of Aquarius¡¯ magical power still lingers in the body like a lingering scent.

    As the internal injuries healed, a tingling feeling of happiness filled the ce of the pain.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    Cassia grabbed Ojin¡¯s hand that was about to fall from her chest and pressed it.

    My heartbeat, as if it was going to explode, was transmitted through my palm.

    ¡°Please stay like this just a little longer.¡±

    Cassia smiled brightly at the warmth flowing through her chest.

    Unlike her slender hands, his wide hands made me feel like he was a man.

    The warmth flowing through his palm was so warm that I thought it would be nice if time could stop like this forever.

    ¡°Uh¡­ do you want me to stay like this?¡±

    Oh Jin cleared his throat with an embarrassed expression.

    Although it didn¡¯t bother me much when I touched it for therapeutic purposes.

    As I quietly raised my hand like this, I could feel the soft touch of my palm trying to assert itself to some extent despite its slender body.

    ¡°Just a little more, just a little more? ¡°Won¡¯t ite off quickly once the treatment is over?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s expression twisted fiercely as she pulled Cassia, who was sitting on Ojin¡¯s thigh.

    Cassia, who was forced to leave, touched her left breast, where Ohjin¡¯s hand had touched, as if she felt regretful.

    ¡°It was a good time¡­ right, Ojin?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, what¡¯s so good about chewing gum like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­What did you say just now?¡±

    Cassia¡¯s emerald eyes shone eerily.

    ¡°What do you say? ¡°You just called a gum scab a gum scab?¡±

    Isabe raised the corners of her mouth and crossed her arms.

    Above the crossed arms, the two huge peaks exuded a massive presence.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Cassia wasn¡¯t smallpared to her body type, but that was just a general standard.

    In front of that unconventional peak, all she had was a bump for traffic.

    ¡°The first thing I thought about was bragging about our physical differences. It¡¯s so childish that I don¡¯t even think about responding.¡±

    ¡°Yes, gum.¡±

    ¡°Ha, where did you learn to do that with long hair? ¡°Really, Be, you haven¡¯t changed at all since you were running wild in the garden.¡±

    ¡°Your next gumball.¡±

    ¡°this person¡­!¡±

    Sometimes the most childish provocation is effective.

    Especially between brothers and sisters, such primitive and base provocations were bound to shine.

    ¡°You cheesy little boy!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear this from a sister who clings to her younger brother¡¯s husband?!¡±

    Now I don¡¯t even have to worry about losing face.

    The two sisters rushed towards each other and started fighting, pulling their hair.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Seeing the sight of the two women, who he could hardly bear to open his eyes to see, Oh Jin quietly got up from his seat and walked out of the abandoned building.

    The moonlight shining brightly in the night sky beat down on him.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    want to go home.

    ¡°haha.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ what is this, really?¡±

    After a fierce battle(?), the twoy on the floor of an abandoned building, panting heavily.

    ¡°¡­a gum scab.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, that lump of fat has a snout?¡±

    Sisters staring at each other while lying on the floor of an abandoned building.

    They seemed as if they were going to attack each other again at any moment, but neither of them made the first move.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are we doing?¡±

    Did you say that the end of war is always in vain?

    The two women turned their backs to each other, keeping their mouths shut amidst the onught of jealousy.

    Isabe was the first to break the silence.

    ¡°sister.¡±

    ¡°why?¡±

    ¡°Why were you trying to save me?¡±

    ¡°¡­You said you forgot, right?¡±

    ¡°lie.¡±

    Cassia¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    I felt Isabe¡¯s stinging gaze behind me.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hate me?¡±

    ¡°I hate it.¡±

    How can I like it?

    What she doesn¡¯t have, Isabe has as if it were a given.

    ¡°Then why¡­¡±

    ¡°Still.¡±

    Cassia turns around.

    Cassia smiled slightly as she stroked Isabe¡¯s head.

    -lol. I really like you!

    A memory that I could not forget even if I tried to forget it.

    Memories that could not be erased even if I tried to erase them.

    Although it was old, rusty, and faded.

    ¡°You are my sister, right?¡±

    Cassia smiled brightly, recalling a precious time.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Isabe opened her mouth with a dazed expression, as if she had been hit on the head with a hammer.

    Isabe moved her lips as if about to say something, but then turned her head with a blush on her face.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Anyway, won¡¯t you get up soon?¡±

    Breaking the awkward silence, Cassia stood up.

    Cassia took out a small hand mirror from inside her dress and frowned at her messy hair and ruined makeup.

    When I thought that this was the result of a fight with my own younger brother while holding my head, I felt a shame that I couldn¡¯t express in words.

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve felt this miserable.¡±

    Isabe pursed her lips as she looked back at Cassia, who was grumbling.

    ¡°Then why are you hitting on someone else¡¯s husband?¡±

    ¡°If anyone hears it, they will think that Oh Jin is really your husband. So, Be, aren¡¯t you the second one too?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡±

    ¡°And it looks like the silver-haired constetion joined us not long ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­Tsk.¡±

    Cassia let out a softugh as she looked at Isabe biting her lip.

    ¡°The first time is difficult, but wouldn¡¯t the second time be easier? Oh, is this the third time?¡±

    ¡°Are you out of your mind? ¡°You and I are sisters!¡±

    Isabe screams.

    ¡°Oh, is there aw that says sisters can¡¯t like the same guy?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ this is strange.¡±

    ¡°There are some things that are even better because we are sisters?¡±

    ¡°¡­What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°well? What do you think it means?¡±

    Cassia burst outughing and shrugged her shoulders.

 Chapter 388

    I am not a returner Episode 388

    Star of Reverse Heaven (1)

    ¡°Finally¡­¡±

    In front of the entrance, Oh Jin had tears in his eyes with an expression full of emotion.

    The entire time I brought Isabe from Pyongyang, I had to deal with a fierce war of nerves between the two sisters, so even though I wasn¡¯t gone for that long, the front door of the house couldn¡¯t have felt more weing.

    ¡°¡­yes. ¡°Please do that, Roberto.¡±

    Isabe, who had been following Roberto on the phone, hung up and sighed deeply.

    ¡°What did Roberto say?¡±

    ¡°I barely managed to stop them from saying they were going to increase the number of security guards tenfold right now.¡±

    It was a natural reaction, considering how embarrassed Roberto, who was usually polite, was at the news of Isabe¡¯s kidnapping.

    ¡°Well¡­ honestly, increasing the number of security guards would be meaningless.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The opponent was the constetion Ophiuchus, which was once powerful enough to bepared to the North Star.

    It would be meaningless whether the number of security guards was increased tenfold or a hundredfold.

    ¡®There¡¯s no need to go to Mobius, just Isabe will be enough to wipe them out.¡¯

    What good would a security guard weaker than Isabe herself be of any use?

    ¡°So, I just asked you to provide as muchpensation as possible to the families of the crew members and bodyguards who died this time.¡±

    Isabe sighed with a somewhat dark expression, probably thinking of the people who were on the same ne.

    Even if Isabe was released from Moebius¡¯s hands without a scratch, the others were not.

    They were already brutally murdered by Mobius even before the ne crashed in Pyongyang.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, I know.¡±

    Isabe nodded with a faint smile as Ojin¡¯s hand stroked her head.

    This time, all of the people who boarded the Colgrande family¡¯s private ne were those who had pledged to sacrifice their lives for the Colgrande family.

    In the first ce, it was inevitable that casualties would ur during security missions.

    For the woman who carried the name of Colgrande, such casualties were familiar.

    ¡°Still, I don¡¯t feelfortable.¡±

    When I thought about the people who died in vain at the hands of Moebius, I felt frustrated, as if a heavy stone was pressing down on my heart.

    ¡°Our Be still has a naive side.¡±

    Cassia smiled and brushed her long tinum-blonde hair.

    ¡°How could you properly lead the Colgrande family if you were so shaken by every bodyguard dying?¡±

    ¡°joy. Don¡¯t you know that the better a leader is, the more important he is to the lives of his subordinates? Oh well. ¡°Your sister was expelled from the family, so there¡¯s no way she would know?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, isn¡¯t that what a leader who cut off blood without thinking and then lost his subordinate without even trying would say?¡±

    Isabe and Cassia red at each other with murderous eyes.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯re home, you both stop.¡±

    Oh Jin shook his head as if he had a headache and opened the front door.

    After the fight while holding the head of one¡¯s head, the atmosphere between the two changed and I expected that their rtionship would be better as before, but things like that in shonen cartoons did not easily happen.

    ¡°Sister, I¡¯m here.¡±

    As soon as I got home, I immediately looked for Ha-eun.

    ¡°hmm?¡±

    Ha-eun was nowhere to be seen.

    Feeling anxious that Ha-eun might have been kidnapped after Isabe, I urgently searched for amunication relic that was directly connected to Ha-eun.

    Wooooow.

    Unlike a smartphone, a relic that allowsmunication even when inside the gate emits light.

    -uh? what¡¯s the matter?

    A hologram emerged from themunication relic and Ha-eun was seen with her eyes wide open.

    Oh Jin let out a sigh of relief and opened his mouth.

    ¡°Where are you now, sister?¡±

    -I am a sanctuary.

    ¡°Why the sanctuary?¡±

    -No, I heard you were with Be today, so I came here to have a snack with thedy because I was bored.

    -Who is thisdy?

    Beyond the hologram, Vega was seen with an angry expression.

    In her hand was a beer can that Ha-eun seemed to have taken with her.

    -Oh, of course. Considering your age, is it right to call you grandma?

    -Didn¡¯t I tell you not to talk about my age?

    -Hehe, it¡¯s a joke. Don¡¯t be upset, my constetion.

    -joy. I don¡¯t remember having an apostle like you.

    Ha-eun is peacefully chatting with Vega.

    ¡®Didn¡¯t you hear that Isabe was kidnapped?¡¯

    but.

    If he had been at the sanctuary since Oh Jin came to pick him up at the airport, Roberto would have had no means of contacting Ha Eun as he did not have amunication relic that could connect him directly with her.

    -Anyway, why is he at my house again?

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes as she looked at Cassia, who was standing behind Ojin.

    No matter how much she was being controlled by the Heavenly Demon at the time, she could not look kindly on Cassia, who killed Tamrangseong, who had once taught her how to deal with stigmata.

    Cassia stepped in front of Ojin and bowed her head politely.

    ¡°This is my first time greeting you formally like this. ¡°My name is Cassia Colgrande.¡±

    -Uh¡­yeah.

    Ha-eun nodded with an awkward expression.

    ¡°I still deeply regret the things I did when I was under the control of the Heavenly Demon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for harming Ha-eun¡¯s teacher.¡±

    -Well, it wasn¡¯t your will.

    It was not difficult to guess just how strong the Heavenly Demon¡¯s control was just by looking at Cassia and Isabe, who wereining of pain when they escaped from Niflheim.

    Of course, even if I understood it intellectually, I couldn¡¯t leave behind any feelings.

    Still, all responsibility could not be ced on her, who had been brainwashed and was close to being a tool of the Heavenly Demon at the time.

    If Cassia was a sword, the one who held the hilt and swung it was Cheonma.

    -Anyway, what¡¯s going on at my house?

    ¡°I decided to stop by for some reason.¡±

    -circumstances? Did something happen?

    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ll tell you in detail when I get back from the sanctuary.¡±

    It was too long-winded to exin the story of Isabe¡¯s kidnapping through videomunication.

    -Oh, okay. Then go back and listenter.

    ¡°yes. Please take care of me in the future, Ha-eun.¡±

    -ok? from now on?

    ¡°Hehe. it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Cassia steps back with a bright smile.

    Ha-eun looked at Cassia walking away, feeling an ominous feeling for some reason.

    Ojin cleared his throat and stepped forward.

    ¡°When will your sistere?¡±

    -uh¡­? Oh, I¡¯ll just wait a little longer and then go. Our constetion must have been bored alone, so we kept getting stuck together.

    -Who are you saying is stuck?

    -Well, I¡¯ll contact youter when I get back.

    ¡°ok.¡±

    Communication was cut off with a loud noise.

    ¡°¡­Still, I¡¯m d you understand.¡±

    Was he keeping the incident of killing Cheon Sang-gil in his mind?

    Cassia sighed in relief and stroked her chest.

    ¡°I told you in advance that it wasn¡¯t your will.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Ojin.¡±

    ¡°By the way¡­ I have something to ask you about Moebius.¡±

    He continued, recalling the constetion with ominous shining emerald eyes.

    ¡°Do you know what the ¡®purpose¡¯ Moebius was talking about?¡±

    A purpose that I heard even in Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories.

    Of course, I didn¡¯t know whether my previous life¡¯s purpose and my current purpose would be the same.

    I wondered what his purpose was to be like the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°no. ¡°I don¡¯t know about his purpose either.¡±

    ¡°okay?¡±

    ¡°All I know is that I absolutely hate the Constetions.¡±

    ¡°You hate the constetions so much?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Cassia nodded.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    It was difficult to guess Mobius¡¯ purpose just because he disliked constetions.

    Just like Ancdus, the ¡®satellites¡¯ who were expelled from the sanctuary in the first ce were basically antipathetic towards the constetions.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t help you.¡±

    ¡°No, whatever. ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡±

    Cassia continued speaking with a self-deprecating smile.

    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know much about Mobius. Although I received the stigmata of Ophiuchus¡­ I was not recognized as his ¡®child.¡¯¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t recognized as a child?¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head with an expression of iprehension.

    Basically, the Constetions called the human who shared their stigmata ¡®child¡¯.

    Of course, only the name was the same, but the attitude toward the ¡®child¡¯ was different for each constetion.

    ¡°yes. ¡°There was only one person he called his ¡®child.¡¯¡±

    So, does that mean there are other Ophiuchus awakened people besides Cassia?

    ¡°who?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about her other than her name is ¡®Eve¡¯.¡±

    The name of the awakened person who received the stigmata of Ophiuchus is Eve.

    Naturally, a scene from the Bible came to mind.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Have you ever met that awakened person called Eve?¡±

    ¡°no. Even if I want to meet you, I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You mean we can¡¯t meet?¡±

    ¡°I heard he died a long time ago.¡±

    ah.

    A low exmation flowed from between Ojin¡¯s lips.

    ¡°I heard that that awakened person was the first awakened person to receive the stigmata of Ophiuchus.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Eve doesn¡¯t recognize anyone other than the awakened person as her ¡®child¡¯?¡±

    ¡°As far as I know, yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±

    It would have been nice to have more information about the awakened person called Eve.

    Oh Jin soothed his regrets and gave up thinking about Moebius.

    There was something more important than Mobius¡¯ purpose right now.

    ¡®This makes it clear that the ck star constetions are moving in earnest on Earth.¡¯

    It¡¯s not just Ancdus and Moebius.

    Other ck star constetions, including Felis, the constetion in the constetion Cat that we encountered in the Demonic Scene, would have also appeared on Earth.

    ¡®I need to get stronger faster.¡¯

    At the current speed, there was no way.

    Faster and more reliably.

    I needed a way to build up strength.

    ¡®First of all, you need to get used to it from the start.¡¯

    A thin sanctuary spread around the body was not enough.

    Only when we can develop a sanctuary powerful enough to change the surrounding environment, like the ¡®Dragon Pce¡¯ used by Ancdus, will we be able to engage in a proper battle with the ck Star Constetions.

    ¡®In order to do that.¡¯

    Ojin¡¯s eyes turned to Isabe and Cassia.

    ¡°I want to ask you two something.¡±

    ¡°Please speak, Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°Is it okay if I give you an order rather than a request?¡±

    The two women nodded willingly without even listening to what was being asked.

    ¡°Help me practice my sanctuary.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ what kind of help are you talking about specifically?¡±

    ¡°First, please start with a simple sparring.¡±

    In order to properly practice sanctuary, an awakened person was needed who was strong enough to pierce the ¡®sanctuary¡¯ of the constetion.

    ¡°Hehe. Oh Jin, I would be happy to help you. ¡°Then would you like me to deal with you first?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll deal with both at the same time.¡±

    In order to deal with the Constetion, I needed to learn how to use the Sanctuary as quickly as possible, so I couldn¡¯t do regr training like I had done so far.

    ¡®It would be impossible to deal with Isabe and Cassia at the same time without using Gaecheon.¡¯

    Since it was impossible, I needed to push myself even harder.

    ¡°Oh my, at the same time¡­ ¡°You have great strength~¡±

    Cassia¡¯s cheeks turned red and her body twisted like a snake.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Why is he like this again?

 Chapter 389

    I am not a returner Episode 389:

    Star of Reverse Heaven (2)

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go straight to the training facility.¡±

    Isabe, as if happy that Ojin had asked for her help, pulled Ojin¡¯s arm with a slightly flushed expression.

    ¡°Right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you need to practice that sanctuary as soon as possible, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­ will you be okay?¡±

    Isabe was kidnapped by Moebius and had just been released.

    Even if there were no injuries, there would have been quite a bit of mental shock.

    No matter how urgent it is to learn how to handle the sanctuary, isn¡¯t it a bit much to head to the training facility with Isabe, who has just been kidnapped and released?

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt anywhere.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind either.¡±

    Cassia smiled seductively and hugged Isabe¡¯s other arm.

    ¡°No, Isabe, but not Cassia.¡±

    Just a little while ago, wasn¡¯t Cassia suffering from internal injuries that were close to fatal?

    Even if Ojin treated her with the stigmata of Aquarius, it was only a temporary solution and not all of her internal injuries were recovered.

    * * *

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. ¡°Thanks to Oh Jin¡¯s treatment, your internal injuries have recovered to some extent?¡±

    ¡°To some extent, but notpletely.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°But you¡¯re in much better condition than when you fought with Ojin earlier, right?¡±

    Cassia shrugged her shoulders with a rxed smile, as if telling her not to worry.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Ohjin continued to think for a moment and nodded slightly.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s do something other than sparring today.¡±

    The purpose of this training is to be familiar with how to handle the sanctuary.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t sparring, there were many ways to cultivate the sanctuary, which was still an unknown area for Ojin.

    ¡°You mean something else?¡±

    ¡°Come to the living room first.¡±

    There was a training method I had thought of in advance.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the training facility?¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°This is a method that doesn¡¯t require you to go that far.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Isabe and Cassia tilted their heads and followed Ojin into the living room.

    Standing in the center of the spacious living room, Ohjin held Isabe and Cassia¡¯s hands with both arms.

    I could feel the texture of different hands on both hands.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°What on earth are you trying to do?¡±

    To call it training, isn¡¯t it an attitude that seems like it should be some kind of ganggangsue?

    Oh Jin spoke with a serious expression towards the sisters who were looking at them with puzzled expressions.

    ¡°From now on, when I deploy the Sanctuary, I will use the magic power of the two of you to forcibly break through the Sanctuary.¡±

    The sanctuary was close to a kind of unique barrier that was unfolded by maximizing the power of the stigmata.

    A barrier is something that blocks the powering from the outside to the inside.

    However, as we saw in the previous fight with Ancdus, this barrier called ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ was not apletely wless barrier.

    ¡®If you hit it with more than a certain amount of magic power, it will break through.¡¯

    Sakaki and Lee Shin-hyuk were unable to pour out enough magical power to prate the sanctuary, but in the case of Ha-eun, she was able to pierce Ancdus¡¯ sanctuary with pure magical power even without the constetion¡¯s blessing.

    There is no way Isabe and Cassia can¡¯t do what Ha-eun can do.

    In particr, if we were to join hands and not in an urgent battle situation like now, destroying the sanctuary would be much simpler.

    ¡®First, I need to know how much magic power I can withstand.¡¯

    The training method of Sanctuary that Ojin thought of was extremely simple.

    Just like pounding iron to make it hard, the sanctuary he had spread was destroyed and rebuilt again and again through the intervention of powerful magic.

    It was simr to growing muscles by repeating the process of tearing and regenerating muscles through strength training.

    ¡®Honestly, I don¡¯t know if this ignorant method will work.¡¯

    Ohjin wasn¡¯t sure whether destroying and rebuilding the sanctuary would make it stronger.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean I came up with this ignorant training method without any basis.

    ¡®If Sanctuary is a unique barrier that maximizes the power of stigmata.¡¯

    It was clear that the more it was ¡®eroded¡¯ by the power of other constetions, that is, the magical power of stigmata, the more it would react violently to maintain its original nature.

    To use an analogy, it would be simr to pouring water into hot oil.

    Even if it was not a ¡®sanctuary¡¯, it was amon phenomenon for the powers of different stigmata to rebel and cause a violent shock.

    ¡®Of course, there are abilities that are created by harmonizing the power of stigmata and stigmata, such as hydraulic affinity.¡¯

    This was because ¡®ck Heaven¡¯ itself had the ability to fuse the magic power of different stigmata.

    In general, just as one awakened person cannot possess two stigmata, the magic power of different stigmata caused a strong rejection reaction.

    ¡®In the case of sanctuaries, the rejection will be even stronger.¡¯

    Sanctuary is a unique barrier that maximizes the power of the stigmata, so it was natural that there would be a stronger bacsh than the general sh of stigmata¡¯s magic power.

    and.

    Such strong opposition will actually strengthen the power of the sanctuary.

    ¡®It¡¯s the difference between a wild animal that grew up eating only food given at the zoo and a wild animal that grew up in fiercepetition in the wild.¡¯

    anyway.

    All you have to do is test yourself to see if the reasoning you came up with in your head is correct.

    Oh Jin looked at the two women who nodded as if they were ready, and slowly raised the power of the ck Heaven.

    ¡®Sanctuary deployment.¡¯

    Whates to mind is the stigmata of Lyra, which is the most familiar and has made him who he is today.

    The sacred area of the constetion Lyra unfolded as a soft silver light enveloped the entire body.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Even if it is spread out, it is an extremely small area of only 5 centimeters based on the skin.

    Right now, this area was the maximum Ojin could expand into.

    ¡®This won¡¯t work.¡¯

    The light ministry he was currently performing had no other function than simply amplifying the power of the stigmata and protecting the body.

    With my eyes closed, I pictured the ¡®Dragon Pce¡¯ created by Ancdus in my mind.

    A tsunami that suddenly starts pouring down from empty space.

    A huge pce rising from the sea and an army of thousands.

    A true sanctuary transforms everything from the surrounding terrain to the environment with the power of the constetions.

    A power truly worthy of the name ¡®constetion¡¯.

    In order to obtain that power that seemed to mock thews of physics, it was necessary to expand the sanctuary to a wider area.

    ¡°Then start slowly.¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a matter of pouring in magical energy?¡±

    Cassia and Isabe¡¯s magic flowed through their joined hands.

    Wooooow!

    The sanctuary surrounding Ojin¡¯s body strongly resisted, pushing away the magic power of the two women.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s amazing.¡±

    Cassia let out a low exmation as she saw her magic bouncing around as if it were blocked by a huge barrier.

    Is it possible to perform a ministry through the human body?

    I had already seen it once when fighting Mobius, but seeing it up close and personal like this made me feel a new sense of wonder.

    ¡°But just because it¡¯s a sanctuary doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s invincible?¡±

    Cassia¡¯s eyes glowed eerily and her magic power increased even further.

    Isabe, as if she would not lose, pushed the magic of stigmata even further through the hands she held with Ojin.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The powerful magical power of stigmata transmitted through both hands.

    An image of a huge snake rushing from one side and hundreds or thousands of leeches rushing from the other shed through my mind.

    ¡°Whoosh whoosh!¡±

    Although I concentrated all my efforts on maintaining the sanctuary to withstand the magical power pouring down like a tidal wave.

    Kwa-duk, kwa-duk, kwa-duk!

    The subtle silver light that covered their entire bodies swayed violently, and the magical power of the two women surged through the sanctuary.

    Like enemy soldiers digging into a copsed castle wall, violent magical energy swept through Ojin¡¯s entire body.

    ¡°Keuuuu!¡±

    A dizzying pain spread throughout my body.

    A nosebleed broke out along with the sensation that the magic circuit in my entire body was being distorted.

    ¡°Mr. Ojin!¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    The two women urgently gathered their magic power.

    ¡°Huh oh oh oh oh!¡±

    Ojin copsed on the floor, panting heavily.

    The reaction when the sanctuary was forcibly breached was more violent than expected.

    ¡®but.¡¯

    To use an analogy, Ojin is now in a house he built himself, and Isabe and Cassia were in a simr situation as swinging a huge hammer towards the house he had built.

    When the house copsed, it was natural for Ojin, who was inside, to be shocked.

    ¡°Now wait a minute! ¡°I¡¯ll get you some water right now!¡±

    Isabe, who knew that Ojin had a recovery skill called water affinity, tried to rush to the bathroom.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s done?! ¡°I¡¯m still bleeding¡­!¡±

    ¡°Anyway, internal injuries can¡¯t be treated with hydropower.¡±

    Of course, pouring arge amount of water was effective in treating internal injuries to some extent, but it was difficult to obtain that much water at home, not at a training facility.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Ojin calmed down the boiling magic and used Sanctuary Deployment again.

    Wooooow!

    A silver halo covered his body, shining beautifully.

    ¡®It works.¡¯

    I felt that the sanctuary had be more solid than when I first opened it.

    ¡®The range¡­ has increased, albeit slightly.¡¯

    The corners of Ojin¡¯s mouth turned up with a grin.

    Now that I knew it was working, I knew what to do next.

    ¡°Please one more time.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you out of your mind?¡±

    Cassia frowned and red at Ojin.

    I just saw you pass out with a bloody nose. Are you asking me to do that again?

    ¡°It¡¯s an order, Cassia.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia¡¯s shoulders trembled at the wordmand.

    She bit her lip nervously and looked back at Isabe as if asking for help.

    Isabe shook her head as if to give up.

    ¡°Once Mr. Ojin is stubborn, no matter what you say, it¡¯s useless.¡±

    ¡°¡­What is that?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it, too.¡±

    Isabe sighed and approached Ojin and held his hand again.

    Cassia held the other hand as if she had no choice.

    ¡°¡­Can¡¯t we at least reduce the amount of horsepower?¡±

    ¡°Then the training has no effect.¡±

    You have to push in enough magic power to prate the sanctuary.

    ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°¡­ha.¡±

    ¡°I guess what you said about being stubborn was true.¡±

    The two women sighed deeply and frowned as if they had a headache.

    ¡°Oh, can you hold your body a little closer?¡±

    ¡°Like this?¡±

    ¡°little bit more.¡±

    ¡°It¡­ touches your heart?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s easier to transmit magic power this way.¡±

    Basically, the ce where the stigmata¡¯s magic is stored is the stigmata carved on the left chest, so if you pour in the magic while keeping your body in close contact, you can see a greater effect with a smaller amount of magic.

    Cassia and Isabe hugged Ojin¡¯s arms and brought their bodies close together.

    ¡°Then¡­ let me begin.¡±

    ¡°If you can¡¯t bear it, please tell me, Ojin.¡±

    And so the training to develop the sanctuary began again.

    ¡°Okay. ¡°I drank too much because of the poopy bastard.¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and scratched her head at the strong smell of alcohol permeating her body.

    While Ojin was away, Vega and I went to relieve our boredom by drinking a beer, but things got worse when Riak joined us.

    ¡®Anyway, why was Cassia at my house?¡¯

    Ha-eun stood in front of the front door, leaving behind the ominous feeling that was rising for some reason.

    Sweet.

    When I opened the front door, the thick scent of blood irritated my nose.

    ¡°Oh Ojina!¡±

    As soon as she smelled the scent of blood, Ha-eun¡¯s expression turned pale.

    Has Cassia done something?

    When I headed to the living room with hurried steps.

    ¡°Huh oh oh oh oh!¡±

    Ojin is sandwiched between two sisters who are clinging to each other¡¯s arms like patties in a hamburger.

    Ojin, sandwiched between the sisters, was breathing heavily and continuously bleeding from her nose.

    ¡°¡­How are you?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression became grimly distorted.

 Chapter 390

    I am not a returner Episode 390:

    Star of the Reverse Sky (3)

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    A chilly living room lingers in the air.

    In the cold atmosphere that seemed to freeze at any moment, a zing me was aimed at Ojin.

    ¡°Were you training to develop a ministry?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. sister.¡±

    In front of the two eyes burning brightly like mes, Oh Jin bowed his head calmly.

    The hot gaze that I could feel on my skin sent a chill down my spine.

    I once saw a ridiculous technique called ¡®Cold me¡¯ when I was dealing with Deimos in the Demon World, and I never thought Ha-eun could use the same technique.

    ¡°You want me to believe that now?¡±

    What Ha-eun saw when she came into the living room was Oh-jin, sandwiched between two sisters, bleeding from his nose.

    Yes, no matter how you look at it¡­

    ¡°Well¡­ what do you call it? Sister¡­ fried rice?¡±

    Why fried rice all of a sudden?

    ¡°I forgot what you call me. Anyway, it looks like you¡¯re getting a nose bleed doing that!¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    * * *

    okay.

    Honestly, I will admit that there was room for misunderstanding.

    However, the reason she was sandwiched between the two sisters Cassia and Isabe was to transmit the magic of the stigmata more easily.

    Since the magic power of stigmata basically emanates from the ¡®stigmata¡¯, isn¡¯t it natural that magic power can easilye and go while touching the part of the body with the stigmata engraved on it?

    ¡®The problem is that the stigmata is engraved on the left side of my chest.¡¯

    That¡¯s not what Ojin wanted and it was engraved there. What on earth should be done with the engraving on the left chest that all awakened people of all countries have?

    ¡°I had no choice because of the real sanctuary training.¡±

    Since I already had a lot of criminal records(?), I wanted to just say I was wrong about most things and move on, but isn¡¯t this a bit unfair?

    ¡®If I don¡¯t clear up any misunderstandings here, it will be a hassleter when I practice sanctuary.¡¯

    Although it was an ignorant method, the practice of pouring the magical power of other awakened people into the sanctuary to forcibly destroy it and then create a new one, making the sanctuary stronger and wider, was quite effective.

    Of course, since it is not a normal training method, the pain is great and there is no way to know what aftereffects there will be, but isn¡¯t it a situation where you can gain strength by considering such things?

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°Did you see me lying?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so much.¡±

    oh.

    ¡°Hmm! It¡¯s not really a lie this time. ¡°It was just held in close contact to make it easier for magic to flow in.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°You know that magic can be transmitted more easily when your bodies are in close contact, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but.¡±

    Ha-eun nodded, but couldn¡¯t erase the suspicious look in her eyes.

    Ohjin must have thought that things couldn¡¯t go on like this, so he turned to Cassia, who was quietly sitting on the living room sofa, and asked for help.

    ¡°Right, Cassia?¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±

    ¡°uh?¡±

    Cassia, who was sitting on the sofa, suddenly turned her head, wiping away tears.

    ¡®no.¡¯

    What should I do if I suddenly cry at this time?

    ¡°I refused at first¡­ but Ojin said it was an order and forced me¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no, no. ¡°Hold on a minute,dy.¡±

    What should I do if you say that?

    ¡°I said it touched my heart¡­ but I actually liked it better¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey?¡±

    If ites out like this, I¡¯ll be in a lot of trouble.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I knew that Ha-eun was Oh Jin¡¯s lover¡­!¡±

    Cassia began to cry and lowered her head.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun, who was looking at Cassia with narrowed eyes, soon sighed deeply and shook her head.

    ¡°You really trained.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, did you get caught?¡±

    ¡°No matter how much Ojini is like an animal in heat, she is not a piece of trash that can be forcibly touched.¡±

    ¡°There is a lot of trust.¡±

    ¡°Do you know that I¡¯ve been with Ojini for 1 or 2 years?¡±

    This is a lot of trust, right?

    ¡°Well, anyway. Now that you¡¯re home, exin. ¡°Why is Cassia here?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°Let me exin.¡±

    Leaving behind Cassia, whose expression suddenly hardened, Oh Jin slowly told Ha Eun about what had happened with her.

    From Isabe being kidnapped by the ck Star Constetion to Cassia tricking and luring Ojin to save her sister.

    First of all, I did my best to defend Cassia, but I did not hide what happened.

    Because that wouldn¡¯t have been what Cassia wanted.

    ¡°So¡­ you tricked Ojini into taking her to the ck Star Constetion?¡±

    Ha-eun, who heard the whole story, red at Cassia with fierce eyes.

    Startle.

    Cassia¡¯s shoulders were shaking and her eyes were lowered like a sinner.

    ¡°I won¡¯t make excuses. ¡°My thoughts were short.¡±

    ¡°¡­okay?¡±

    A heavy silence fell like a curtain.

    The silence is so quiet that the ticking sound of the second hand of a clock can be heard like thunder.

    Like a prisoner waiting for a judge¡¯s decision, Cassia clenched her fists and swallowed dry saliva.

    After minutes that felt like hours passed.

    Ha-eun, who had been lost in thought with her eyes closed, slowly opened them.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    Cassia¡¯s eyes as well as Ojin and Isabe¡¯s eyes widened at thepletely unexpected words.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s eat first.¡±

    Ha-eun turned to the kitchen.

    ¡°Noona!¡±

    ¡°Ha-eun sister!¡±

    Oh Jin and Isabe urgently grabbed Ha Eun¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Huh? ¡°Why are you doing this all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Cassia made the inevitable choice to save Isabe!¡±

    ¡°No matter how much you deceived Oh Jin, this is too harsh a punishment!¡±

    ¡°No, what did I do?¡±

    Oh Jin bit his chapped lip and shouted at Ha Eun.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to torture Cassia by force-feeding her the food your sister made herself!¡±

    ¡°No shit. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, you bastard!¡±

    ¡°Do not lie! Then why are you suddenly going to the kitchen?!¡±

    ¡°I have leftover chicken from yesterday, so I¡¯m going to take it out! No, and why is it torture to feed them the food I made!¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    Only then did Oh Jin let go of Ha Eun¡¯s arm and sighed in relief.

    ¡°Whew. ¡°I thought my sister was trying to catch someone.¡±

    ¡°No matter how wrong my sister did, it was too much.¡±

    ¡°Why are you doing this to me!¡±

    Oh Jin burst intoughter as he looked at Ha-eun, who was shouting with an angry expression.

    ¡°Thank you, sister.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know why Ha-eun suddenly asked to eat.

    At least it was clear that he had no intention of reprimanding Cassia and throwing her out.

    ¡®Because there¡¯s no way I¡¯d ask someone who¡¯s going to kick me out to eat with me.¡¯

    anyway.

    It must have been Ha-eun¡¯s decision to eat.

    ¡°thank you.¡±

    Cassia bowed her head towards Ha-eun with a trembling voice.

    Although she was pretending to be rxed on the outside, she must have been worried on the inside.

    If Ha-eun had refused to let Oh-jin be with Cassia, Oh-jin would probably have followed her advice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, I haven¡¯t forgiven you.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°but.¡±

    What if Cassia was really willing to give up her life to save Isabe?

    ¡°I just thought it was okay to give it a chance.¡±

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    ¡°The more people there are to protect Ojini, the better.¡±

    Although it is true that Cassia was put in danger of being misdiagnosed.

    It was also true that she risked her life to protect Ojin and Isabe.

    ¡°So, if you continue to help Ojini in the future¡­ I don¡¯t mind if we stay together.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    Cassia nodded urgently, her eyes sparkling like a brother and sister discovering a rope.

    ¡°I am Ojin¡¯s servant! From now on, I will sacrifice my life to protect Ojin!¡±

    ¡°Yep. OK got it? ¡°What did you just say?¡±

    ¡°I will sacrifice my life to protect Ojin¡­¡±

    ¡°No, before that.¡±

    Ha-eun looked at Cassia with doubtful eyes as to whether she had heard wrong.

    ¡°¡­A body servant?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah! ¡°I am Ojin¡¯s loyal ve?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Grumble!

    A fiercely burning me.

    Intense heat filled the spacious living room.

    ¡°What did you say earlier? what? misunderstanding?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Damn it.

    The meal that followed was, contrary to expectations, quite harmonious.

    ¡°Oh my, is this chicken?¡±

    ¡°Is this your first time eating it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve often eaten simple fried chicken dishes, but¡­ doesn¡¯t this taste different from anything I¡¯ve ever eaten?¡±

    Cassia continued to exim in exmation as she ate chicken heated in an air fryer.

    The crispy fries and salted chicken thighs were in perfect harmony, filling my mouth with juicy meat.

    Ha-eun clicked her tongue in disappointment as she watched Cassia eating wagu wagu chicken.

    ¡°Oh, should I have ordered fresh chicken?¡±

    ¡°Is the taste that different from eating it right away?¡±

    ¡°It makes a huge difference. ¡°Would you believe it even if it was apletely different food?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, are you looking forward to that?¡±

    A noisy and harmonious meal.

    Cassia, who has a brilliant sense of humor as Isabe¡¯s older sister, continued her conversation with Ha-eun very naturally.

    Isabe also put aside her war of nerves with Cassia and created a friendly atmosphere.

    It was a meal where everyone was in harmony¡­ or, to be more precise, it was a meal where everyone was in harmony except for one person.

    ¡°¡­I know how to eat chicken too.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just quietly chewing on chicken bones.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    too bad.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Ohjin looked down at the chicken bones piled up on his bowl and sighed deeply.

    Although he had almost no desire for food, it was quite refreshing and miserable to just look at a bowl full of chicken bones while other people were excitedly eating chicken.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t ask you to be a ve.¡¯

    He calls himself a ve because he wants to, so what can I do?

    Feeling filled with resentment, I picked up a chicken bone from the bowl and chewed it.

    ¡®Well¡­ I¡¯m d we avoided the worst.¡¯

    In fact, if Ha-eun had vehemently rejected Cassia, the situation would have been quite troublesome.

    In terms of single power, Cassia was powerful enough to easily defeat a considerable number of Chilseong.

    Even if he just misdiagnosed right now, he wasn¡¯t confident that he would win the fight against Cassia without using Gaecheon.

    no.

    Even if it¡¯s not just because of that reason.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we all gathered together for a meal like this.¡±

    ¡°okay? Ah, but aren¡¯t you going to sit here anyway?¡±

    ¡°¡­If only Ha-eun would allow it.¡±

    ¡°Well, thanks to So-and-so¡¯s expansion project, there are a lot of spare rooms.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­!¡±

    ¡°If the time permits, let¡¯s gather together and eat like this.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes! ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡±

    When I saw Cassia nodding her head repeatedly with a bright smile, the corners of my mouth naturally rxed.

    It was much nicer to see the bright smile on her lips now than the forced smile that was filled with loneliness and solitude.

    ¡°Oh right. ¡°I forgot to tell you.¡±

    As the meal wasing to an end, Ha-eun looked back at Oh-jin as if something had urred to her.

    ¡°Vega said toe to the sanctuary when you have time.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not difficult¡­ After all, wouldn¡¯t the restrictions of thew be lifted if there was a little bit?¡±

    If the restrictions of thew were lifted and one could appear in a physical body, there was no need to go to the sanctuary to meet Vega.

    ¡°To be exact, they said that another constetion, not Vega, was looking for you.¡±

    ¡°Another constetion me? who?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ just sleep. ¡°Who was it?¡±

    Ha-eun, who narrowed her eyebrows and continued thinking, snapped her fingers.

    ¡°Oh right. ¡°Pris. It was called Pris.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    Pris, the constetion Ursa Minor.

    The first and highest constetion.

    The being located at the pinnacle of the Pris, which is said to be the most brilliant star.

    ¡°Why is she looking for me¡­?¡±

    Ojin frowned as if he couldn¡¯t understand.

 Chapter 391

    I am not a returner Episode 391

    Star of the Reverse Sky (4)

    A few days after hearing the unexpected bad news from Ha-eun.

    Ojin woke up early in the morning, finished training at the sanctuary, which had now be a daily routine, and changed out of his blood-and-sweat-covered clothes.

    ¡°So, are you nning to go to the sanctuary today?¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°I have to go.¡±

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t want to go.

    A star in the constetion Ursa Minor that is said to have the power to predict the future.

    Pris is the constetion that holds the highest position among the three constetions called the North Star.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    If he were a normal awakened person, there would be no need to be this nervous.

    ¡®The problem is that I have the ck Heaven.¡¯

    Of course, when I encountered Pris in ¡®Fountain of the Milky Way¡¯ before, fortunately I passed without any problems.

    No, there are no problems.

    Thanks to Pris¡¯s direct announcement in front of the constetions that he was the ¡®star of the heavens¡¯ that would change future fate, he was able topletely escape the suspicions of other constetions.

    ¡®Because no one would think that the star in the dark sky is the owner of the dark sky.¡¯

    Who could imagine that the Star of Salvation, who was destined to save the world, and the owner of the Dark Sky, who would devour and destroy the world, are the same person?

    * * *

    That was why he kept emphasizing the fact that he was a star in the sky before his identity was discovered by Vega.

    ¡®But even if we got through it safely before, we can¡¯t be sure that it will happen this time too.¡¯

    Even Vega was in anguish wondering what to do next when he first found out that he was the master of the Dark Sky, but other constetions have nothing to think about.

    In the worst case, he could have rushed at her, threatening to kill her on the spot.

    ¡®I still feel a little safer with Vega by my side.¡¯

    It is only a temporary measure, and the fact that it bes an irreversible situation the moment one¡¯s identity is revealed remains unchanged.

    ¡°¡­Are you still worried?¡±

    ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t not go.¡±

    You can¡¯t just say that Pris, not another constetion, is looking for you.

    ¡°Do not worry. ¡°Nothing will happen.¡±

    Isabe patted Ojin on the back as if to reassure him.

    It feels a bit strange, like a mother encouraging a child who ispeting in a presentationpetition.

    ¡°Then I¡¯lle back.¡±

    ¡°Oh wait a minute.¡±

    Isabe came close to Ojin, who was putting on his shoes and going out.

    Did I spray some perfume?

    The faint scent of roses tickled my nose.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Isabe pressed Ojin¡¯s cheeks to open his lips and looked closely at the inside of his mouth.

    ¡°Why hehe?¡±

    Ohjin, who instantly turned into a carp, looked embarrassed.

    ¡°Mr. Oh Jin, I can smell blood in your mouth?¡±

    ¡°ah. ¡°I guess I chewed the wrong part of my mouth earlier.¡±

    The sanctuary training was so painful that I often had wounds inside my mouth as I clenched my teeth.

    ¡°If you put acupuncture on something like this, it will get better quickly.¡±

    In fact, since it is a wound in the mouth, there is no need to apply saliva.

    When he tried to pull away, waving his hand to tell me not to worry.

    ¡°Stay still.¡±

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    Isabe pulled Ojin¡¯s head.

    Isabe spread her lips by pressing both cheeks once again and pushed her tongue into her mouth as if preying on prey.

    The soft tongue roughly explored the inside of the mouth.

    When I touched the torn wound with the tip of my tongue, I felt a sharp pain and a strange sense of pleasure.

    ¡°Puh-ha!¡±

    Isabe¡¯s tongue, which had been probing in her mouth for a while, created a long string and slipped out.

    Isabe rolled her tongue in her mouth as if eating sweet candy.

    Saliva mixed with Ojin¡¯s blood flowed down my throat.

    ¡°Hmm, as expected, Oh Jin¡¯s blood is the best.¡±

    ¡°¡­I ate it for breakfast too.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s different from that again?¡±

    Isabe smiled slyly and lightly stroked Ojin¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Anyway, since my needle touched it, the bleeding should have stopped with this.¡±

    ¡°hmm? Did the leech stigmata also have the ability to stop bleeding?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a stigmata that deals with blood, so it¡¯s natural. Oh, on the other hand, you also have the ability to make your bleeding not stop until you die?¡±

    I¡¯d like to avoid that.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll go to the sanctuary soon.¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°Please be careful.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what about you and Kasia?¡±

    ¡°Ha-eun is still sleeping, but she said she has work to do and went out.¡±

    What to do?

    What else is there to do early in the morning?

    ¡°They said they were nting ¡®snakes¡¯ around here.¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    Are you referring to the ck snake that was in the shadow before?

    ¡®That¡¯s the core of Cassia¡¯s information power.¡¯

    Perhaps Cassia is also preparing for battle with the ck Star Constetion in her own way.

    ¡°OK got it. ¡°Then I might bete today, so eat dinner first.¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Leaving Isabe behind to see him off, Ojin headed to the sanctuary.

    ¡°Wow¡­ crazy. Who is that awakened person? ¡°Isn¡¯t it ridiculously pretty?¡±

    ¡°Hey you idiot, do you see that as an awakened person?¡±

    ¡°No, then who is it?¡±

    ¡°Just by looking at it, it¡¯s a constetion!¡±

    ¡°Why did the Western Constetione down here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that!¡±

    As I entered the entrance to the sanctuary, I could see the awakened people gathered in groups of twos and threes making a fuss.

    I tilted my head and looked back at the ce where the awakened people¡¯s eyes were focused.

    ¡°¡­Vega?¡±

    I could see Vega standing somewhere.

    Oh Jin approached her with quick steps, conscious of the gaze around him.

    ¡°It¡¯s in the temple. Why did youe all the way here?¡±

    [Hehe. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you, but it¡¯s hard to just wait at the temple.]

    ¡°Anyway, this is a bit¡­¡±

    The constetion hase out of the temple and is waiting at the entrance to greet its child.

    It¡¯s not even just a constetion, it¡¯s the constetion of the North Star.

    ¡®I¡¯m grateful, but¡­ I¡¯m too attracted to aggro.¡¯

    If he shows up like this in such a noisy situation as he is a hero after going to the Demon Lord, there will only be more useless rumors.

    I was going to tell them to just wait at the temple from now on.

    [¡­Have I been inconvenienced by you?]

    Seeing the goddess hesitating with an anxious expression, those words disappeared into my mouth.

    ¡°no. ¡°I¡¯m so happy that I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±

    [Thank goodness.]

    Vega slowly approaches Ojin¡¯s side with a faint smile.

    For a moment, my heart shook at that lovely gesture.

    ¡®This is not the time.¡¯

    Ojin asked, activating Capricorn¡¯s stigmata to block sound from escaping to the surrounding area.

    ¡°You said Pris called me, right?¡±

    [That¡¯s right.]

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear why I called you?¡±

    [That¡­ I don¡¯t even know.]

    Vega continued with a perplexed expression.

    [In the first ce, this is the first time Pris has called someone separately like this.]

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    For some reason, hearing that story makes me even more anxious.

    ¡®Why on earth are you looking for me?¡¯

    No matter how hard I tried to think, I couldn¡¯t figure out why Pris was looking for me.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll find out once we meet.¡±

    [Don¡¯t worry too much. By any chance¡­ if your identity is revealed, the maindy will personally persuade Pris.]

    ¡°Well¡­ first of all, let¡¯s hope that we don¡¯t get caught.¡±

    Hoping that the worst would not happen, we headed to the ¡®Fountain of the Milky Way¡¯ where Pris is located.

    Oooooh!

    What we saw, enveloped in brilliant silver light, was a wideke.

    In the center of a beautiful spring where tens of thousands of stars twinkled as if reflecting the night sky, there stood a being made of starlight.

    [You have arrived.]

    Pris, the constetion of Ursa Minor, slowly bowed its head towards Ojin.

    [I¡¯ve been waiting for you, star of the heavens.]

    A unique voice that makes it impossible to tell whether it¡¯s a woman, a man, an old man, or a child.

    Ojin swallowed his dry saliva at the presence that felt more than distant but also awe-inspiring.

    ¡®Still, I¡¯m d.¡¯

    Considering that he still calls himself the ¡®Star of the Dark Sky¡¯, fortunately, it doesn¡¯t seem like he called it because he was aware of the existence of the Dark Heaven.

    ¡°I heard you were looking for me.¡±

    [Yes, I have a favor to ask you.]

    I continued speaking in a calm voice, unfolding the ¡®ck story¡¯ as much as possible.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯te see you right away. Something happened a while ago¡­¡±

    [I know.]

    ¡­You know?

    [You met the star of the Ophiuchus constetion, right?]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    At that moment, Ojin¡¯s expression hardened.

    I have never even told Vega about my encounter with Moebius.

    [Did you meet a star in the constetion Ophiuchus? What does that mean?]

    ¡°I¡¯ll exinter.¡±

    He looked back at Vega, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression, and bit his lip.

    ¡°Yes, Moebius came to see me and wanted to see my face.¡±

    [Mobius¡­ That¡¯s a nostalgic name.]

    I couldn¡¯t tell what its expression was because it was made of starlight.

    The low muttering voice was somehow immersed in sadness.

    [If you meet him again, can you tell him that you were sorry that time?]

    That you were sorry that time.

    Did I do something wrong to Moebius?

    ¡°What happened between you two?¡±

    [That¡­ I think it would be difficult to say. Because I¡¯m not the only one involved in this.]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes slightly frowned.

    ¡®What on earth are you hiding?¡¯

    I wanted to force myself to find out what happened with Moebius, but it was difficult to force myself to go out because I was the other person.

    Oh Jin clicked his tongue and changed the topic.

    ¡°What is the favor you mentioned earlier?¡±

    [Before I say anything¡­ could you pleasee inside the spring for a moment?]

    ¡°¡­Sure.¡±

    Oh Jin doesn¡¯t know what Pris¡¯ request is.

    Having the opportunity to enter the Milky Way Fountain was also a good opportunity for Ojin.

    ¡®Looking at it again, it¡¯s incredible magical power.¡¯

    Of course, it was not possible to absorb the magic power that filled the spring using the ck cloth in front of Pris, but the magic power of the stigmata dissolved in the spring was so enormous that the magic power could gradually flow into the body just by immersing the body.

    ¡®It¡¯s not just that there¡¯s so much food.¡¯

    The stigmatic magic that filled this spring contained a stronger magic than any other stigmatic magic that Ojin had absorbed so far.

    Should I say that it feels like gathering hundreds or thousands of stars and squeezing out their magical power like oil?

    It was mind-boggling to think that water boasting such an extremelypressed magical concentration could fill the spring.

    [O star in the sky.]

    Pris¡¯ hand touches the arm.

    Unlike the unique body made of starlight, the touch felt as warm as human skin.

    [There is only one thing I would like to ask of the star in the sky.]

    As if caressing a precious treasure.

    Pris grabbed Ojin¡¯s arm with both hands and carefully pulled his arm.

    Ojin¡¯s hand touched Pris¡¯ left chest.

    [This miserable constetion, bound by the torrent of fate and unable to get out of the spring¡­ Please eat it yourself.]

    ¡­Yes?

    What should I eat?

 Chapter 392

    I am not a returner Episode 392:

    Star in the sky (5)

    The awkward silence flowed like the Milky Way.

    Ohjin looked at the constetion made of starlight and asked in a confused voice.

    ¡°Just¡­ what did you say?¡±

    I want you to eat yourself.

    What kind of nonsense is that?

    ¡®for a moment.¡¯

    Asking to eat may not mean a meal to be chewed and swallowed.

    Much less can it be a sexual metaphor.

    then.

    Isn¡¯t there only one possibility left?

    [You know what that means, right?]

    Yes.

    Know.

    There¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t know.

    [With your ck sky¡­ swallow up this miserable constetion.]

    Pris spoke in a different tone, as if her personality had been reversed.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s expression hardened.

    Oh Jin, who had been thinking with his lips tightly closed, slowly tried to open his mouth.

    [For Pris!]

    Vega hurriedly flew in and blocked Pris¡¯ path.

    [The main woman will exin everything! The ck Heaven that the original woman¡¯s child possesses is different from that of the Heavenly Demon¡­!]

    ¡°Wait a minute, Vega.¡±

    He pulled Vega¡¯s shoulder and shook his head.

    Vega looked back at Ojin with an excited expression.

    [What do you mean it¡¯s okay? The maindy will talk directly to Pris, so you¡­]

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. ¡°I think Pris already knows anyway.¡±

    If he really thought he was a heavenly demon who would destroy the world, he wouldn¡¯t have asked for his constetion to be eaten.

    no.

    He probably wouldn¡¯t have called himself ¡®Star of the Reverse Sky¡¯ in the first ce.

    [¡­Ah.]

    Only then, as if her head had cooled down a bit, did a low exmation flow from between Vega¡¯s lips.

    ¡°How did you know¡­ No need to ask this.¡±

    The ability of the Stigmata of Ursa Minor is to see into the future.

    There was no need to ask how Pris found out his identity.

    The important thing is not ¡®how¡¯.

    ¡°Since when did you know I had the ck Heaven?¡±

    Starlight was captured in eyes as dark as the ck sky.

    The constetion made of starlight answered in a calm voice.

    [From the time I first met you. No, to be precise¡­ even before that.]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    So, you mean to say that you made a futile attempt to hide it in a situation where everything was already discovered?

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    Augh escaped me and a deep hyung-tae struck me.

    Ohjin asked as he lifted the ¡®darkness¡¯ spread around his body.

    ¡°You know that I am the master of the dark sky, but why do you call me the star of the dark sky?¡±

    [Isn¡¯t it simple?]

    The starlight that made up Pris¡¯ body gave off a soft light.

    The gaze, made up of countless starlight, twinkled as if piercing my soul.

    [Because you are the ¡®star of the reverse sky¡¯ who will change the fate that has been decided.]

    The star of the reverse sky.

    A being of salvation who goes back in time and rewrites the fate of the world.

    Vega once said something like that.

    ¡®The star in the sky may not necessarily indicate a returner.¡¯

    But there remained one unresolved question.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been back in time?¡±

    The decisive reason for thinking that actual constetions were ¡®stars in the sky = returners¡¯ was because of the saying that they came back in time.

    And the only beings that Oh Jin knew of that ¡®defended time¡¯ were Lee Shin-hyuk and Cheonma, and he was not one of them.

    in other words.

    In the first ce, it means that there is a logical contradiction in saying that you are a star in the sky.

    [But you went back in time and embraced the entire constetion in the dark sky.]

    ¡°¡­So, now I have absorbed Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s stigmata and be a star in the dark sky?¡±

    Oh Jinughed with a helpless expression.

    okay.

    There is no logical contradiction if it is said that he became a star of the reverse heaven because he absorbed Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s stigmata.

    ¡®But anyway, does that make sense?¡¯

    There¡¯s no way the star in the sky is so simple that you can just pick it and say it¡¯s mine.

    I looked at Pris with questioning eyes, but the answer that came out of his mouth was different from what I expected.

    [What do you think about fate?]

    ¡°Fate?¡±

    What do you mean, fate suddenly dictates?

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you talking about a certain future?¡±

    As someone who didn¡¯t really believe in fate in the first ce, the answer that could be given was extremely poor.

    [I am not asking about the definition of fate. What I want to ask is about the nature of fate.]

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    You¡¯re saying something dirty.

    I cursed internally and frowned.

    [Change the question. Do you think you can change fate?]

    ¡°If you can¡¯t change it, there wouldn¡¯t be an existence called a star in the first ce.¡±

    [Then what do you think we need to do to change our fate?]

    I was slowly getting irritated.

    ¡°Did you call me because you wanted to answer a Zen question like this?¡±

    Ojin red at Pris sharply.

    Pris shook her head softly and continued speaking.

    [Someone says this about fate. Just as the slightest pping of a butterfly¡¯s wings can cause a typhoon, fate can change with just one small action.]

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess that¡¯s right?¡±

    Oh Jin also agreed with this.

    Unless the future has been decided in the first ce, isn¡¯t it natural for it to change with every small action?

    For example, let¡¯s say a person who always took the right road took the left road that day and got into a car ident and died.

    What that person did was simply a very small action that led them to take a different path than the one they usually took.

    Didn¡¯t thatpletely change the fate of him and the people around him?

    ¡®Yeah¡­ like.¡¯

    Just as he did not be the Heavenly Demon because Lee Shin-hyuk died.

    [No, fate is not something that can be changed that easily.]

    Pris shook her head and continued.

    [Didn¡¯t you say it with your own mouth? Destiny is a ¡®predetermined future.¡¯]

    He raised his hand made of starlight and slowly moved his arm from left to right.

    Starlight was drawn in a straight line along the tip of the finger.

    [Fate is not a straight line.]

    This time, I lowered my hand from top to bottom.

    Streams of starlight poured down like a waterfall.

    [Fate is like a torrent that pours down violently.]

    ¡°¡­What did you want to say earlier?¡±

    [Do you think that throwing a small stone into the rushing torrent will change the flow?]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Now I think I know what Pris wants to say.

    ¡°Do you want to say that fate is not something that can be easily changed?¡±

    [Yes.]

    ¡°Why are you twisting such a simple word like that?¡±

    What Socrates?

    [Sometimes an appropriate metaphor is needed to understand an urate concept.]

    ¡°To me, it only sounds superficial.¡±

    What is it?

    I know what you want to say.

    but.

    ¡°At least my fate ispletely different from my previous life?¡±

    It¡¯s not just his fate.

    Ha-eun¡¯s fate, Vega¡¯s fate, Isabe¡¯s fate, and Cassia¡¯s fate.

    no.

    Perhaps even the fate of the world.

    Didn¡¯t his every action lead to apletely different trajectory from his previous life?

    [That¡¯s why I called you ¡®Star of the Reverse Sky¡¯.]

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Now the question and answer he had asked for the first time were continued.

    The reason why Pris called itself ¡®the star of the heavens¡¯.

    ¡°So¡­ it means that I am a star in reverse because I changed fate, right?¡±

    [That¡¯s right.]

    In the first ce, it wasn¡¯t important other than going back in time.

    Because I changed something that couldn¡¯t be changed.

    Because it twisted the pouring torrent.

    It is said that it has earned the right to be called a star of the reverse sky, a being that goes against thews andws of heaven.

    ¡®The order was reversed.¡¯

    Because it is a star in reverse, it does not change its fate.

    Because he changed a fate that could not have been changed, he became a star in reverse.

    ¡°So¡­ are you saying we should absorb Pris-sama¡¯s constetion into the ck Sky?¡±

    [Are you trying to be polite bying now?]

    ¡°I confirmed that there is no hostility.¡±

    [There is no need to be polite to me.]

    Pris continued speaking in a gloomy, subdued voice.

    [After all, I am¡­ a miserable constetion who can only watch the passing of fate.]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Did you describe yourself earlier as being tied to the torrent of fate?

    ¡°¡­are you bound by the restrictions of thew?¡±

    [no. What I am tied to is even worse than that.]

    Pris shook her head with bitter eyes.

    [God gave me the eyes to see the future, but took away the limbs that could change them.]

    A voice full of deep self-destruction and guilt.

    Although his face could not be seen because of the starlight, it was not difficult to imagine what his expression would be like now.

    [Even back then, I just¡­ had no choice but to stay tied up here and watch fate unfold.]

    ¡°¡­ At that time?¡±

    [Don¡¯t you know that the world was already destroyed once by the Dark Sky in the distant past?]

    The Star Tomb that went with Vega.

    A destruction that urred in the distant past that even the current constetions cannot remember.

    From Ohjin¡¯s perspective, it only seemed like a statement about dinosaurs bing extinct in the past.

    ¡°Could it be¡­ you¡¯ve been trapped in this spring since then?¡±

    [Yes.]

    How much distant emotion must be contained in that calm answer of ¡®Yes.¡¯

    [Watching the process of the world¡¯s destruction and new birth¡­ I have continued to wait.]

    In the eons of time that we cannot dare to count.

    Like Prometheus chained to a rocky mountain.

    Pleading desperately, longing desperately, cursing myself for being helpless.

    Waiting.

    Waiting.

    I waited.

    [I hope someone will change this future.]

    Someone who will prevent the endless despair and pain unfolding before my eyes.

    [Even if you split your copsing mind into several pieces and keep waiting for someone to change your fate.]

    No one.

    No one.

    [No being has appeared that can change the predetermined fate.]

    But.

    Meanwhile.

    [I saw you¡­]

    A ray of starlight shining brightly in the ck sky.

    A star in the sky that will defy fate.

    [Now is the time to put an end to this endless waiting.]

    As she said that, Pris let out a lowugh.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Knowing everything but not being able to change anything.

    There is no choice but to watch in silence theing destruction.

    It was difficult for Ojin to imagine how much despair that would have caused Pris.

    ¡°All right.¡±

    I raised my voice again.

    Although I said there was no need to be polite, I couldn¡¯t help but express awe at the weight of the distant life Pris had endured so far.

    ¡°I want you¡­ ¡°We will put an end to the story of the Ursa Minor star.¡±

    When I first heard about it, I thought it was a random suggestion.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel that way.

    Because all Ojin saw was Pris, worn and worn over countless periods of time.

    He even asked me to kill him.

    I didn¡¯t dare imagine how far-off despair he must have endured.

    Not only do we not know, but even if we knew, we wouldn¡¯t be able tofort him.

    ¡®That¡¯s all I can do now.¡¯

    Of his long story.

    All it does is put an end to a life full of despair, regret, sighing, and self-reproach.

    [¡­Thank you.]

    The tone of voice changed again.

    Ohjin doesn¡¯t know whether Pris¡¯s originally quiet tone of speech was Pris¡¯s tone of voice or the solemn tone of voice was Pris¡¯s tone of voice.

    We probably won¡¯t know in the future.

    The real ¡®Pris¡¯ would have already been worn out and crumbled in a distant time.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡±

    The ck clouds that flowed from Ojin¡¯s body enveloped the constetion of Ursa Minor.

 Chapter 393

    I am not a returner Episode 393:

    Stars in the sky (6)

    The fountain of the Milky Way, where beautiful starlight is twinkling as if it were cut out of the night sky.

    Grumble, rumble!

    ck clouds covered the spring water and covered the night sky.

    Fluctuating dark clouds.

    Through the ck Heaven, the enormous magical power of the stigmata that had filled the spring began to flow into Ojin¡¯s body.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    A magic circuit that intes like a balloon blown to its limit.

    Sam¡¯s magical power, which had been condensed for an immeasurable amount of time, far exceeded Ojin¡¯s imagination.

    ¡®There are too many¡­!¡¯

    It was difficult to maintain my sanity due to the torrent of magical energy rushing through my entire body.

    Oh Jin chewed his lips and desperately held on to the strings of reason amidst the magic of stigmata that surged like a tsunami.

    Gurgling! Kuruk!

    Whether he was aware of the state of Ojin or not, the ck Heaven nestled in his heart voraciously ate Pris¡¯ magic as if it were some kind of high-end buffet.

    [I am my child!]

    ¡°Don¡¯te!¡±

    He urgently shouted at Vega, who was approaching with a worried expression.

    ¡®When ites, even Vega will be swept away.¡¯

    Heukcheon, which found the ultimate prey, escaped Ojin¡¯s control and began to run wild.

    ck storm clouds spread out around the area in the shape of a huge dome, absorbing the stigmata¡¯s magical power.

    The spring water that sparkled with beautiful starlight was covered in murky darkness, as if ck ink had been spilled.

    It looks like the entire surrounding space has been swallowed up by ck clouds.

    It was a sight as if the unconscious world that had encountered the Heavenly Demon had been realized in reality.

    ¡®This¡­¡¯

    The world of unconsciousness is realized in reality.

    A scene where fragments of thought, which are mere images, distort thews of physics and manipte reality.

    It was an unknown force that was impossible to understand with the mind even if one could see it with the eyes.

    Ojin could easily understand the scene unfolding before his eyes.

    ¡®Sanctuary deployment.¡¯

    That¡¯s right too.

    Because what he has been concentrating on most recently is the power that is unfolding right in front of his eyes.

    ¡®Heukcheon is changing the surrounding environment and making it its own territory.¡¯

    Before we knew it, the brilliantly shining fountain of the Milky Way had disappeared without a trace, and only gloomy dark clouds filled the surroundings.

    okay.

    As if I had entered a ck sky without a single light.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    Heukcheon, who colored the surroundings with his own world, slowly closed his eyes and rushed towards Pris, who was waiting for the end of his long life.

    ¡®stop.¡¯

    I knew it instinctively.

    If ck Heaven, which is now out of his control, absorbs the stigmata of Ursa Minor, it will nevere under his control again.

    Gurgling! Kuruk!

    Heukcheon stops in front of Pris and struggles like a wild beast tied to a leash.

    Oh Jin let out a heavy breath while barely maintaining control of Heukcheon, which he was barely holding on to.

    ¡°Stop, you bastard¡­!¡±

    Rumbling!

    As if it didn¡¯t like being held by a leash, the ck cloud that was trying to devour Pris changed its target and rushed towards Ojin.

    ¡°Ugh! ¡°Wow!¡±

    Pain as if my whole body was being bitten by sharp teeth.

    Along with the feeling of my mind bing blurred, my body swayed like an ear of rice blowing in the autumn wind.

    ¡°Huh! ¡°Huh!¡±

    I desperately tried to hold on to my spirit amidst the ck clouds that violently attacked my body.

    The feeling of standing alone in a huge rapid.

    The harsh clouds of the ck sky grabbed his body and shook it as if mocking him.

    ¡®it hurts.¡¯

    It was a terrible pain, as if sharp hooks were moving around inside my blood vessels.

    ¡®It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts.¡¯

    The body is being eaten away.

    My mind is being eaten away.

    My soul is being eaten away.

    ¡®I¡¯m going crazy.¡¯

    When will this pain end?

    Or is it ever going to end in the first ce?

    The flow of time stops.

    A vast ck sky with no end in sight.

    He hears an auditory hallucination in which the dark clouds surrounding him burst intoughter as if mocking him.

    -What if I just give up like this?

    -You¡¯ve been patient enough, right?

    -You can escape this pain if you take just one step back.

    -ept me.

    It is probably not something that is said out of the will of the real ck Heaven.

    Because Oh Jin knows best who is emitting the auditory hallucinations he is hearing right now.

    ¡®It¡¯s my¡­ voice.¡¯

    The auditory hallucination ringing in my ears was not the ck Heaven, but my own voice whispering to myself.

    ¡°Ah¡­ ah.¡±

    Because it hurts.

    Because it¡¯s painful.

    Because it¡¯s hard to bear.

    It¡¯s tempting you to just give up everything and throw yourself into those dark clouds.

    Part of me is telling myself to ept the temptation.

    No matter how much you are used to enduring pain.

    As long as he was human, there was a limit to what he could endure.

    For example, let¡¯s say you put your hand on a hot iron te.

    How many people can rub their palms on an iron te without hesitation even while the flesh on their palms is burning?

    It wasn¡¯t a question of whether one had good mental strength or not.

    There was a limit to how much pain could be endured unless a human had no sense of pain.

    ¡®anyway.¡¯

    Even if it wasn¡¯t for him, Ha-eun would be safe.

    As long as the Heavenly Demon¡¯s identity is ¡®Odiagnosis¡¯ like himself, there is no way he will harm her.

    If Ha-eun spoke well, she might be able to protect the lives of Isabe and the other lovers.

    okay.

    It will be okay.

    If you take just one step back.

    If you just take one step and stop.

    This hellish pain will end¡­.

    What will happen if I give up here?

    Suddenly.

    Such questions crossed my mind.

    ¡®I won¡¯t die.¡¯

    Your consciousness will be consumed by the ck sky, but you will not die immediately.

    However, once the ck sky has swallowed your consciousness, it will spread like poison and gradually devour you.

    Memories be blurry and memories fade.

    One by one, our precious past will be swallowed up by ck clouds.

    In the future, we may suffer from endless thirst and hunger, and only the primal desire to eat all the stars in the world will remain.

    okay.

    like.

    ¡®Like that guy.¡¯

    Oh Jin clenched his fists.

    ¡°Damn it¡­don¡¯t do it.¡±

    Cut out the heart that bes weak.

    I chewed my lip until it bled and red fiercely at the ck clouds that covered the surroundings.

    If I was going to give up in vain like this, I wouldn¡¯t have persisted this far in the first ce.

    ¡®I said it was different.¡¯

    I am different from you.

    I swore I would never end up like you.

    Even if it is childish greed or a shallow sense of justice.

    I will save everyone I can get my hands on.

    I confidently dered it in front of him.

    ¡°therefore.¡±

    Oh Jin raised his head and looked up at the ck clouds covering the sky.

    The ck clouds were shaking violently as if they were going to tear him to pieces.

    ¡°Kneel down, bastard.¡±

    Rurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    The dark clouds covering the sky split in half and poured down.

    He took a step forward, trampling on the t ck clouds as if he were bowing his head.

    [Hehe¡­ As expected.]

    Pris, who had been waiting for death with her eyes closed, was suddenly seen looking at her with her eyes sparkling.

    She¡­ or rather, he put his hands together as if praying and had a bright smile on his face.

    [Star of the inverted sky¡­ I hope this miserable starlight can brighten your path just a little bit.]

    With thosest words, Pris threw herself towards the clouds of the dark sky spread widely on the floor.

    Pris¡¯ body disappeared beyond the ck sky clouds.

    and.

    -Tiring!

    Grumble!

    The cloud of ck heaven spread out on the floor stirred and was sucked into Ojin¡¯s body.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    Ojin desperately maintained his sanity amidst the intensifying torrent of the ck sky again.

    The endless ck clouds came to a halt as if caught in a bump.

    Another message came to mind, saying that the power of the ck Sky was limited.

    The message that followed was that the stigmata of Lyra had be 11 stars.

    Ojin frowned, remembering the message that came to mind earlier.

    ¡®Even though Lyra Stigmata has reached 11 stars, does this mean that the power of ck Heaven is limited?¡¯

    Simply looking at the numbers, this was the twelfth flowering of ck Heaven, so it may be difficult to control it with the power of Lyra Stigmata, which is still only at 11 stars.

    ¡®I¡¯ve controlled it well so far.¡¯

    Even when ck Heaven bloomed for the 11th time, the stigmata of Leech was one level lower, at 10, but the message that its power was partially limited did note to mind.

    ¡®Does that mean the power gained through the twelfth flowering is enormous?¡¯

    Just as the power of stigmata changes greatly when it rises from 8 to 9 stars, ck Heaven may also have gained more power than before.

    ¡®And because of that power, it went wild beyond my control earlier.¡¯

    If you think about it that way, it makes sense.

    [I am my child! Are you okay?!]

    When Pris¡¯ absorption was finished, Vega flew to Ojin with an urgent expression.

    She looked at Ojin with worried eyes and continued speaking.

    [In her eyes, it looked as if the energy of the ck Sky was devouring you.]

    ¡°That¡¯s true to a certain extent.¡±

    It was true that the sudden increase in the power of the ck Heaven almost caused his entire consciousness to be instantly eaten away.

    [Like that!]

    ¡°But it¡¯s okay now. ¡°For now, we seeded in calming down Heukcheon.¡±

    In fact, rather than calming him down, it was more like suppressing him and making him quiet.

    In any case, he was able to avoid the worst case scenario of having his consciousness eaten away by ck Heaven.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know how long I can hold out.¡¯

    Because he somehow calmed down the rampaging ck Heaven, he ended up with a ¡®partial limitation of his power¡¯. If he had failed to control it, he would have been swallowed up by the ck Heaven.

    ¡®The leash needs to be tied tighter.¡¯

    It was necessary to increase the power of Lyra¡¯s stigmata in order to remove partial power restrictions and fully deal with the ck Sky.

    And the way to increase the power of Lyra¡¯s stigmata right now is¡­

    ¡°Vega, it¡¯s not something I should say in this situation, but¡­ I have a favor to ask you to listen to.¡±

    [I will listen to any request you make, so feel free to tell me!]

    Vega pounded her chest as if telling her to trust only herself.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    The burning gaze was directed at Vega.

    [Hmm?]

    Vega¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    [Why are you looking at the real woman with those eyes?]

    Vega unknowingly backed away from Ojin with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.

    [You have sessfully absorbed the constetion of Ursa Minor!]

    [The new attribute ¡®Future Vision¡¯ has been acquired!]

    [The conditions for the twelfth flowering of the ck Sky have been achieved!]

    [Warning.]

    [Completely control the ck Heaven. The power of the Stigmata of Lyra necessary to do so is insufficient.]

    [The power of the ck Sky is partially limited.]

    [Due to the enormous magical power of the Stigmata, the Stigmata of Lyra is upgraded to 11 stars!]

 Chapter 394

    I am not a returner Episode 394:

    Star of the Reverse Sky (7)

    In conclusion.

    The grand n to control the power of the ck Heavens through star contact(?) ended in failure.

    ¡®The magic power of the Lyra Stigmata no longer increases.¡¯

    To be precise, it has increased.

    However, that amount is simply not enough to control the Heukcheon, which has just bloomed for the twelfth time.

    ¡®Well, if Heukcheon had been so easy to control, he wouldn¡¯t have be like that.¡¯

    I couldn¡¯tpletely erase the regret, but if you think about it, it was natural.

    Oh Jin ced his hand on the Lyra stigmata engraved on his left chest.

    ¡®In order topletely control the ck Sky¡­ you must be 12 stars.¡¯

    12 stars.

    Even though many awakened people have appeared since the first crack appeared, not a single one has been able to climb to this level.

    Even the awakened people called the Seven Stars and even Cassia, who proudly upied the position of leader of the ck Star, have not yet reached the level of the Twelve Stars.

    Now, I didn¡¯t even know if the 12-star realm actually existed.

    ¡®I guess so.¡¯

    * * *

    A stroke is engraved in a semicircle next to the stigmata every time the ¡®stigmata¡¯ goes up.

    Next to the stigmata with as many as eleven strokes, there was only one empty spot.

    Not only Ohjin, but most of the awakened people were also convinced that a state called ¡¯12 Stars¡¯ existed.

    No one has ever reached that level.

    A level that none of the awakened people, as numerous as grains of sand, have been able to reach.

    The destination that Ojin had to reach was an unexplored area that no one could reach.

    ¡®Well, if you want to be called a star in the sky, you have to do something like that.¡¯

    You can¡¯t reach a level that anyone can reach and make grandiose noises about being the savior of the world and the star that will rewrite destiny.

    When you think like that and make up your mind.

    [Why are you looking so serious?]

    Vega, who was wearing a dress, grabbed Ojin¡¯s cor with an anxious expression.

    [Ho¡­ Are you not satisfied with the sexual intercourse with the main woman?]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Vega is stamping her feet with her eyes downcast.

    Only then did Ohjin realize that he had not been considerate of her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±

    [Ha, but didn¡¯t he look somewhat disappointed?]

    ¡°No, that¡¯s it.¡±

    Ojin felt cold sweat running down his spine and hurried tofort Vega.

    ¡°It¡¯s not because of Vega.¡±

    [Then why did you make that expression?]

    ¡°It was because the strength of the stigmata didn¡¯t increase as much as I expected.¡±

    [¡­.]

    Vega¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    [Are you mixing bodies with the original woman solely for the purpose of increasing stigmata?]

    ¡°That can¡¯t be possible.¡±

    [joy! For something like that, didn¡¯t he immediately look disappointed?]

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡±

    It took quite a long time to soothe Vega, who was very upset.

    Only after hugging Vega, patting her back, and even kissing her a few times did her anger subside a little.

    [From now on, when you have sex with the rice star, think only of the original woman and not other things.]

    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±

    Still, Ohjin, who somehow seeded in relieving Vega¡¯s anger, sighed in relief and stroked his heart.

    [Anyway.]

    Vega looked around and opened her mouth in a slightly subdued voice.

    [The fountain of the Milky Way¡­ has disappeared.]

    The fountain that sparkled with brilliant starlight has now beenpletely absorbed into the clouds of the dark sky.

    Ojin looked back at Vega, who was looking down at the dried bottom of the spring with somewhat bitter eyes.

    ¡°If Sam disappears, will there be any problems in the sanctuary or anything like that?¡±

    [Well¡­ I¡¯m not sure because this is the first time the fountain of the Milky Way has dried up since my daughter was born.]

    Ah.

    but.

    If Pris had been alive before the world was destroyed by the ck Sky, the sight of the Milky Way fountain drying up would have been the first sight even for Vega.

    ¡®It¡¯s not like the sanctuary will copse or anything, right?¡¯

    A sense of uneasiness crept up on me.

    [There is no need to worry so much. The ce where the Milky Way Fountain is located is a different space from the sanctuary.]

    ¡°Another space?¡±

    [You didn¡¯t walk when you came here, did you?]

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Come to think of it, it was like that.

    [This ce itself may disappear¡­ but it won¡¯t affect the sanctuary.]

    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing.¡±

    I nodded and looked at the spot where Sam had dried up.

    ¡®It¡¯s¡­ smaller than I thought.¡¯

    When the spring was full of water, I felt a sense of distance and awe, as if I was looking up at the Milky Way in the real night sky.

    The Milky Way Spring, where all the water had dried up, looked much narrower and shabby than I thought.

    ¡®Have I endured countless hours alone in a ce like this?¡¯

    Bitterness spread in my mouth as I recalled the image of the constetion throwing itself toward the clouds of the dark sky.

    [¡­Pris.]

    Vega seemed to be thinking the same thing as he looked at the dried up spring and muttered quietly.

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go back soon.¡±

    [Wait a moment.]

    Vega walked to the spot where Pris first stood in the center of the dried up spring.

    [The star of Ursa Minor, who has endured suffering alone for a long time.]

    Put your hands together as if praying.

    The brilliant silver that flowed around Vega¡¯s body dyed the dried up spring silver.

    The shabby, dry spring sparkled with dazzling silver.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    An exmation escapes naturally.

    Ojin looked back at the silver light that filled his surroundings and swallowed dry saliva.

    ¡®This is the sanctuary of Lyra.¡¯

    It could not even bepared to the crude ministry he was performing.

    I bent down and touched the floor, which shined with brilliant silver, as if silver had been melted and poured into it.

    Pajik Pajijik!

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Even if I just lightly touched it, blue sparks flew out.

    [If you touch it carelessly, it will be dangerous no matter how you are.]

    Vega, who had finished deploying the sanctuary, slowly walked towards Ojin.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    [Still, we can¡¯t just leave the spot where the North Starst rested dry.]

    This must be a kind of homage from Vega to Pris.

    Ojin smiled slightly and held Vega¡¯s hand.

    The warmth felt through the palm of my hand seemed to show Vega¡¯s considerate heart.

    Even though she is called the North Star, she is a woman with a warm heart who can offer sincere condolences to the death of Pris, who in fact had no special rtionship with her.

    There was only one thing Ohjin could say to her.

    ¡°For that matter, we had a hot star intercourse here just a moment ago¡­¡±

    [Profit!]

    Boom!

    Vega¡¯s fist fiercely struck Ojin¡¯s sr plexus.

    ¡°Wow! ¡°Cluck, cluck, cluck!¡±

    If other lovers saw this scene, they would probably say something together.

    He deserved to be beaten.

    Ojin, who absorbed the stigmata of Ursa Minor, came out of the sanctuary with Vega.

    ¡°Are all restrictions gone now?¡±

    [There¡¯s still a little bit left, but it¡¯s not a problem as long as it¡¯s in a prosthetic body.]

    Vega, who was on Ojin¡¯s head in a prosthetic form, pulled Ojin¡¯s hair like a coachman pulling a carriage.

    ¡°why not.¡±

    [I keep thinking about the rude joke you told me earlier.]

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°I said I was sorry.¡±

    The atmosphere was so serious that I ended up making a joke without realizing it.

    [It¡¯s it¡¯s it. I cannot forgive you.]

    Vega continues to pull her hair, as if she is still angry.

    Ojin swallowed his sleep and headed home with Vega on his head.

    [By the way, what do you mean by meeting the Ophiuchus constetion earlier?]

    ¡°Oh, that?¡±

    On the way back home, Ohjin told Vega in detail what happened with Moebius.

    Vega listened to the whole story.

    [Hey! Hey!]

    He pulled Ojin¡¯s hair even more violently.

    ¡°If you keep doing this, all your hair will be pulled out, Goddess.¡±

    [Huh! A disobedient child like you can go bald!]

    No, that¡¯s a bit much.

    [Didn¡¯t my wife warn me to be careful with Moebius?]

    ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t meet him because I wanted to.¡±

    Strictly speaking, misdiagnosis was also a victim.

    [ha. [He is really¡­ a child you can¡¯t take your eyes off of for even a moment.]

    Vega sighed deeply and gently stroked Ojin¡¯s hair, which he had been pulling excitedly just a moment ago.

    [Still, I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe.]

    ¡°You were lucky.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t be sure what would have happened if I had fought Mobius to the end.

    ¡®When we meet again, things will be a little different.¡¯

    Oh Jin opened the front door, remembering the strength he gained this time.

    ¡°oh? ¡°You came sooner than I thought?¡±

    ¡°huh? Vega came too? Are all restrictions lifted now?¡±

    ¡°I was waiting.¡±

    Upon entering the house, Isabe and Haeun Cassia weed Ojin.

    ¡°Did anything happen at the sanctuary?¡±

    ¡°Speaking of work, there was some.¡±

    Ojin exined to the three women what had happened in the sanctuary.

    ¡°Huh¡­ So you¡¯re saying you were really a star in the sky?¡±

    ¡°They said so.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess she¡¯s not the Ojini I know because she¡¯s got such a grand title.¡±

    Ha-eun looked Oh-jin up and down with her arms crossed.

    ¡°Never mind. ¡°After all, just because it¡¯s a star in the sky doesn¡¯t give you an extra piece of rice cake.¡±

    ¡°So, do the Constetions now know that Mr. Ojin is the owner of the ck Sky?¡±

    [That¡¯s not true.]

    Vega shook her head at Isabe¡¯s water.

    [I know that my child is the star of the dark sky, but other constetions will only know the ¡®star of the dark sky¡¯ as a returner.]

    ¡°Then, should I hide from the constetions that Mr. Ojin is another master of the dark sky? ¡±

    [Maybe¡­ I guess I should do that. Even if there was the testimony of the original woman, everyone would still have aversion to the Dark Heaven.]

    Vega, who had a deep bond with Ojin, and Pris, who could see the future, did not express much hostility to the fact that he was the owner of the Dark Heaven.

    ¡®Other constetions will be different.¡¯

    He had to hide the fact that he was the master of the Dark Heaven, like the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a little early, but shall we start preparing dinner?¡±

    Regardless of the many things I gained from the sanctuary, time itself did not pass that long.

    ¡°No, I have something else to do before that.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Oh Jin stroked the eleventh stigmata engraved on his left chest and raised the corners of his mouth.

    Even if some of its power was limited, Heukcheonpleted its twelfth flowering.

    The stigmata of Lyra ascended to the 11th star.

    In addition, the newly acquired trait ¡®Future Poetry¡¯.

    ¡°If you get something, you should try it out.¡±

    Ojin said with a somewhat excited expression.

 Chapter 395

    I am not a regressor Episode 395:

    Star of the Sky (8)

    Ojin-only training facility located in Mapo-gu.

    The training facility, which was built bypletely renovating a building that had previously been used as a stadium, was one of the few ces where he could move his body to his heart¡¯s content, far exceeding the level of an ordinary awakened person.

    It is so spacious that it would be embarrassing to use it alone and has various state-of-the-art facilities.

    Even the location is not too far from Ohjin, who lives near Hapjeong Station.

    The reason he was able to have such a sweet training facility for his own use was entirely thanks to the astronomical wealth of the Colgrande family.

    Although the stadium was left half-ruined due to theplete disappearance of the sports market after the first crack, in the past, this stadium was a huge building that could amodate more than 60,000 spectators.

    Converting such a mammoth building into a training facility for one individual would not be easy, even if he were a member of the ¡®Chilseong¡¯.

    In particr, it was an extravagant facility that Ojin, which had little base powerpared to the value of the name Chilseong, could not even dream of.

    ¡®Is this why you say you have to be good at meeting women?¡¯

    Oh Jin cleared his throat and coughed at the overwhelming scale he felt every time he came.

    I felt like I was a pir of the world, sticking a straw into my lover¡¯s spine and drinking sweet water.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s not a feeling.¡¯

    In reality, if you look at yourself now from someone else¡¯s perspective, it would be a great reflection.

    ¡°Okay¡­ It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t make money.¡±

    Who said that earned ie can never catch up with asset ie?

    Although she receives a sry worth hundreds of millions of dors every month from the association, it does not evene close to Isabe¡¯s wealth.

    ¡°Why the money all of a sudden?¡±

    Isabe, who was following next to me, tilted her head and asked.

    ¡°not a big deal. ¡°Every time I see that training facility, I wonder if it¡¯s too much.¡±

    ¡°Oh, this is a facility for Mr. Ojin? Of course it has to be like this.¡±

    Isabe calmly shrugged her shoulders and continued speaking.

    ¡°Actually, I wanted to purchase all the surroundingnd and build arger facility, but Roberto was very reluctant to do so.¡±

    Thank you, Roberto.

    ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s absolutely no need to feel burdened, right? From now on, even if Mr. Oh Jin is unemployed, I will feed him for the rest of his life.¡±

    ¡°¡­First of all, I¡¯m not unemployed.¡±

    An anecdote about how a world-ss professional baseball yer was told by his father-inw, a wealthy family member, ¡®Even though my son-inw doesn¡¯t make money, he¡¯s a very nice person~¡¯ suddenly shed through my mind.

    Although it felt somewhat unfair, I naturally lowered my head in front of the reality before my eyes.

    How can capital make people so miserable?

    ¡°It¡¯s typical of the Colgrande family to try to lure men with money because they have nothing to show off.¡±

    ¡°¡­isn¡¯t that sister from Colgrande too?¡±

    ¡°oh? ¡°It was Be who banished me from the family, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because my father forced me¡­!¡±

    Two sisters begin to raise their voices at each other.

    It was such a familiar sight that it had now be a part of daily life.

    ¡°Hey, they never get tired of it and fight all the time.¡±

    [They say sisters grow bigger by fighting with each other.]

    It seems like they are both already big.

    ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s no need to follow me like this.¡±

    [I want to see with my own eyes how much you have grown since receiving the stigmata of Ursa Minor.]

    ¡°Well, there is nothing to do even if you stay at home.¡±

    Unlike my initial n to go to the training facility alone and check out my newly acquired strength, the number of people turned out to be quiterge.

    Ohjin let out a short sigh and entered the training facility.

    The interior of the facility was clean and dust-free because managers hired by the Colgrande family maintained it every day.

    After changing intofortable sportswear, Oh Jin stood in the center of arge field created by remodeling a ser field.

    ¡°¡­I feel like I was exhausted even before I started.¡±

    While I was changing clothes in the locker room, there was a briefmotion as Kasia suddenly barged in, offering to help me change.

    Oh Jin let out a tired sigh and finished his warm-up lightly.

    ¡®then.¡¯

    I quietly closed my eyes and focused my mind on my left chest.

    Grumble, rumble.

    The first thing that was brought up was the power of ck Heaven, which had justpleted its twelfth flowering.

    Although it is said that the power of the Lyra Stigmata is still weak and cannot be used at its full power, even just a part of it is enough to feel that its power is iparable to before.

    ck clouds spewed out from the pores of my entire body, covering me like fog.

    Parts of Ojin¡¯s body turned into ck clouds and were recreated repeatedly.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    A thrilling feeling spreads down your spine.

    The sense of omnipotence that I could only feel when using Gaecheon heated up my whole body.

    The spacious training facility, which had once felt majestic, suddenly began to look like a sand castle that would copse at the touch of a finger.

    ¡®This is the power of the twelfth flowering.¡¯

    It was a moment when the prediction that there would be a huge gap between the eleventh and twelfth flowering was exactly correct.

    Gurgling!

    First, like the Heavenly Demon did, he fired an attack into the air using only the power of the ck Heaven.

    The ck clouds, thick as fog, became a powerful tsunami and swept through the air.

    Crumbling!

    The sonic boom created by the air exploding roared like thunder.

    Even though it struck empty space, the entire huge facility shook with just the shock waves that were emitted in all directions.

    ¡®I¡¯ve definitely gotten stronger.¡¯

    It was so powerful that it was hard to believe that its power was limited.

    If you just look at the power, it¡¯s about an attack using ¡®brain body¡¯.

    Considering that it can be used almost instantlypared to Brain Body, which requires a considerable amount of time to cast, the power contained in the ck Sky Cloud was incredible.

    ¡®but.¡¯

    Oh Jin looked at the ck sky clouds that were freely changing their shapes as if they were alive, as if he was not satisfied at all.

    ¡®It¡¯s so inefficient.¡¯

    It feels like swinging a piece of unprocessed iron.

    It¡¯s not that the power is weak, but the attack itself was too honest and monotonous.

    ¡®And above all.¡¯

    Grumble, rumble!

    He could see the dark clouds surrounding him getting out of his control and scratching the floor or hitting the walls.

    This means that the clouds of the dark sky cannot bepletely controlled yet.

    ¡®No matter how powerful it is, it is meaningless if you can¡¯t control it.¡¯

    Ojin summoned the ck Heavenly Clouds into his body again and this time raised the power of the Lyra Stigmata.

    Wooooow!

    The stigmata engraved on his left chest radiated light, and blue thunderbolts enveloped his entire body.

    ¡°Okay, this is it.¡±

    It feels like I drank a cool soda when my stomach was bloated.

    The corners of Ojin¡¯s mouth rose as he felt the magical power of the stigmata moving freely under his control, as if his limbs were extended.

    ¡®As expected, the most familiar one is the Lyra Stigmata.¡¯

    Lastly, I mixed the power of the ck Sky with the stigmata of Lyra.

    Pajik Pajijik!

    The thunderbolt that had turned ck burned fiercely.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Afterpleting the inspection by using his power once in a while, Ojin took a deep breath and collected the magic that had spread throughout his body into his heart.

    [¡­Amazing.]

    A low exmation came from the mouth of Vega, who was watching Ojin from the side.

    [Although there is a variable called Sanctuary¡­ no constetion would even dare to think of confronting you.]

    ¡°Because you absorbed the entire North Star.¡±

    If this level of achievement had not been achieved, Pris, which was absorbed into the ck Sky, would have been caught in the back.

    ¡°But it¡¯s still very immature.¡±

    Is it because it went up to 11 stars not long after it got to 10 stars?

    Even Ojin, who has a natural talent for manipting the magical power of stigmata, has not yet mastered his power perfectly.

    ¡®You just have to gradually get used to it.¡¯

    First of all, nothing but exmations came out about the power of the newly acquired power.

    The power of the ck Heaven as well as the Lyra Stigmata had grown significantlypared to before.

    ¡°Now all that¡¯s left is this feature called ¡®future poetry¡¯¡­¡±

    I couldn¡¯t figure out exactly how to use it.

    ¡®Originally, once you acquire a new characteristic, you can naturally learn how to use it.¡¯

    For some reason, I couldn¡¯t picture how to use this feature called ¡®future poetry¡¯.

    Cassia walked leisurely toward Ojin, who was in trouble.

    ¡°Then how about moving your body lightly?¡±

    ¡°Move your body?¡±

    ¡°Of course¡­¡±

    Cassia slightly raised the corners of her mouth and gave a dirty look.

    ¡°It means let¡¯s have a deep physical conversation.¡±

    Cassia, with her chest pressed against Ojin¡¯s arm, whispered, flicking her long tongue.

    ¡°sister!¡±

    With a thunderous shout, Isabe pulled Cassia¡¯s neck.

    ¡°What are you saying in front of everyone else right now?!¡±

    ¡°Oh, so does that mean it¡¯s okay when you and Ojin are alone?¡±

    ¡°no it¡¯s not!¡±

    Isabe stamped her foot with an angry expression.

    ¡°Hehe. Don¡¯t be so excited. ¡°You¡¯re just saying let¡¯s have a little sparring, right?¡±

    ¡°Great sparring?¡±

    ¡°Oh my Be, what were we thinking to be so embarrassed~?¡±

    Cassia pokes Isabe¡¯s side with a snake-like sly smile.

    Isabe¡¯s cheeks turned as red as an apple.

    ¡°Oh sister, really¡­!¡±

    ¡°Ho ho ho. ¡°It¡¯s a joke~¡±

    Cassia burst outughing and turned to Ojin again.

    ¡°So, how are you, Ojin? Would you like to have a ¡®physical conversation¡¯ with me?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    A sparring match with Cassia.

    ¡®It will bepletely different from when we fought in an abandoned building.¡¯

    At that time, Cassia had suffered internal injuries to the extent that it would not be surprising if she died due to the battle with Moebius.

    Now that he has recovered from all his internal injuries, it is clear that he will be iparably stronger than when he fought in the abandoned building.

    ¡®It¡¯s perfect for checking how strong I¡¯ve be.¡¯

    The same goes for Ojin, who has be stronger than when he fought in the abandoned building.

    There was nothing better than meeting her in person to see how strong she had be.

    ¡®Like Cassia said, you might get a clue on how to use future tense.¡¯

    After thinking, Ohjin nodded.

    ¡°okay.¡±

    ¡°great.¡±

    Cassia nodded with a satisfied smile.

    ¡°¡­I will contact the administrator and raise the protection barrier level to maximum.¡±

    Isabe took out her smartphone and contacted someone.

    Light emanated from the floor and walls of the wide training hall, and a powerful protective shield was spread.

    ¡°Is there any popcorn here?¡±

    [Don¡¯t forget that it¡¯s a sparring match.]

    Ha-eun is excited to witness the sparring between Ojin and Cassia, and Vega looks at her with worried eyes.

    Ojin slightly distanced himself from Cassia and took out the Dantalian from his waist.

    Churrrrrrrruk!

    Dantalian, who instantly changed into the form of a spear, vibrated violently as if he was starving.

    ¡°Okay then¡­¡±

    Ojin aimed his spear at Cassia and raised the magic power of the Lyra Stigmata.

    Blue thunderstorms enveloped my entire body and burned fiercely.

    ¡°Shall we start a deep physical conversation?¡±

    Cassia lightly snapped her fingers with a bewitching smile on her lips.

    Just right.

    With a clear sound.

    The ck dress Cassia was wearing flowed to the floor as if melting.

    Cassia¡¯s pure white naked body was clearly revealed in the spacious training hall.

    ¡°No, wait a minute.¡±

    That¡¯s not what I meant by having a physical conversation.

 Chapter 396

    I am not a returner Episode 396

    Star of the Reverse Sky (9)

    Arge training hall that is easily hundreds of pyeong in size.

    Ohjin¡¯s eyes widened at the pure white naked body that suddenly appeared in the middle of it all.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s sparring!¡±

    Why did you suddenly take off your perfectly fine dress?

    No, I didn¡¯t exactly take it off, but the dress itself melted and flowed down to the floor like liquid.

    Either way, it was true that Cassia¡¯s naked body was clearly exposed in the middle of the wide training ground.

    Of course, Cassia seemed to have at least some conscience(?), but she stood guard as thest bastion, with traces of her dress remaining between her small, swollen breasts and legs.

    Rather, the slightly obscured part ovepped with Cassia¡¯s slender figure, creating an unbelievable sense of immorality.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, sparring.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    Cassia looked at Ojin, who had a puzzled expression on his face, with a deep smile on his face.

    and.

    Slurp slurp.

    An eerie sound echoing in my ears.

    When her dress melted to the floor, hundreds and thousands of snakes crawled out of the ck shadow created.

    ¡®This.¡¯

    I didn¡¯t even notice because my eyes were caught up in Cassia¡¯s naked body.

    Before he knew it, the ce where he was standing waspletely surrounded by ck shadows.

    ¡°¡­Tsk.¡±

    Come to think of it, when I had a fight with her in an abandoned building before, I saw the hem of her dress melting onto the floor, creating a shadow.

    ¡®Is the entire dress I was wearing made of shadows?¡¯

    Using a dress to make your surroundings ¡®favorable¡¯ to yourself.

    It was a simr technology to the ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ used by the Constetions.

    ¡®Of course it¡¯s not a real sanctuary.¡¯

    If Sanctuary is said to change the surrounding environment by creating something from nothing, the method she used was to release the shadows condensed inside the dress and cover them over the surrounding environment.

    Although the phenomenon itself seemed simr, it was fundamentally different from the sanctuary.

    But if there is one thing simr.

    ¡®The area around here has now be Cassia¡¯s territory!¡¯

    Shaaaaaaa!

    Snakes crawled out of the shadows and shot at Ojin at terrifying speed, baring their sharp teeth.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    The de of the spear, zing with blue lightning, split the charging snake¡¯s head in half.

    The thunderbolt that spread like a fan along the path of the spear de burned the snakes.

    As I confirmed when I fought before, the snakes that crawled out of the shadows had poor durabilitypared to their fast movement.

    ¡®If it is the power of the Lyra Stigmata now.¡¯

    He swiveled the spear and pointed the de downward.

    Quad deuk!

    A torrent of blue lightning spread around the spear that dug into the floor.

    Shadow snakes swept away by a storm filled with powerful thunderbolts were reduced to ashes and swept away like a swarm of ants struck by a methrower.

    Overwhelming firepower that makes youugh out loud.

    With just one attack, the training facility protected by a state-of-the-art barrier shook as if it would copse.

    Even though he created an explosion worthy of a tactical weapon, Ojin ran towards Cassia while holding his spear without even having time to catch his breath.

    ¡®We have to drive away the shadow snakes before they crawl out again.¡¯

    Even while suffering from internal injuries, she summoned hundreds and thousands of snakes.

    Now that his body is in good condition, he will definitely summon more snakes faster than before.

    Now that the snakes had been wiped out in one go, it was the best time to target her.

    Shoooooooo!

    The spear, which followed the direction of thepass, was aimed at Cassia.

    It only took 3 seconds to wipe out all the shadow snakes and reach Cassia.

    It was difficult for even a high-ranking awakened person to properly understand the situation, let alone react.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Cassia raised her arms with interest shining in her eyes.

    A wide-spreading shadow ascended her body and coalesced into the shape of a sword.

    Contrary to his rxed expression, the sword swings like a thunderbolt.

    Crumbling!

    A roar that was so powerful that it was hard to imagine that it was the sound made by swords and spears shing, echoed throughout the training hall.

    ¡°her.¡±

    Oh Jinughed at the numb shock he felt through the spear pole.

    ¡°Did you know how to use a sword?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, no matter how weak I look, I can at least swing a sword?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. ¡°You haven¡¯t used it before.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°I was a little sick at the time.¡±

    Cassia holds a sword made of shadows with a faint smile.

    ¡®I never thought closebat was possible.¡¯

    Ojin, who had until now thought that Cassia was a long-distance mage, raised his spear with the expression that he had taken a hit.

    ¡°Then, shall we check your skills?¡±

    Coo!

    He took a rough advance and rushed towards Cassia.

    Kaang! Kagak! Squeak!

    Spears and swords shing.

    A fierce attack and defense ensued at a speed that no decent awakened person could even dare to follow with their eyes.

    ¡®You¡¯re stronger than you think.¡¯

    The power contained in the shadow sword was so threatening that one wondered where such power wasing from that slender body.

    Sssssssssssssshhhh!

    I twisted my body to avoid the fierce sword strike.

    Although the swordsmanship itself was not very sophisticatedpared to the power and speed of the sword.

    ¡®It¡¯s meaningless in the first ce.¡¯

    Except for special cases such as Wugokseong Allen, awakened people who excelled in pure ¡®martial arts¡¯ were rare.

    To put it bluntly, there is no way that people who lived ordinary lives before bing Awakened would suddenly acquire martial arts talent just because they received stigmata.

    And above all, the value of martial arts in the fight against the awakened was not that high.

    In the first ce, martial arts were created based on fighting between humans.

    It was a technique unsuited to the fight of awakened people with physical abilities and strength that far surpass those of humans.

    In the fight against the Awakened, the most important thing was not the skill to use the weapon, but how harmoniously the weapon and stigmata could be linked.

    And in that sense, Cassia¡¯s skill in linking the sword and the stigmata was so excellent that it made people gasp.

    Sigh!

    The shadow sword that was passing by suddenly coiled like a snake and suddenly changed direction.

    She spread out her sanctuary to protect her body, but her sword, Ojin, easily dug into her open sanctuary and cut her side.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    Along with the tingling pain, I felt the magic circuit starting from the wound cut by the shadow sword being tightly blocked.

    A poison several times more severe than when bitten by the shadow snake before spread through the wound.

    ¡°So, how are your skills? ¡°Not bad, right?¡±

    Cassia asks with a slight smile.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Oh Jin could only swallow his silence and nod.

    Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect Cassia to be this good at closebat.

    ¡®but.¡¯

    Squeeze!

    As the stigmata¡¯s magical power was further increased, the poison spreading within the body burned into the brain and disappeared without a trace.

    ¡®It¡¯s not something I can¡¯t deal with.¡¯

    Cassia was obviously much stronger than when she fought in the abandoned building before.

    Ohjin was also stronger than then.

    Pajijijijijik!

    A fierce thunderstorm.

    The silver light flowing from Ojin¡¯s stigmata slowly began to encroach on the shadows.

    It wasn¡¯t enough to color the entire surrounding area like Vega, but the extent was iparable to when the sanctuary was first used.

    ¡°Tsk¡­!¡±

    A thunderbolt erupted from the silver-stained earth and struck Cassia.

    Lightning starts to rush in all directions, as if you are standing in the middle of a storm.

    The scars from the thunderbolts on Cassia¡¯s body increased one by one.

    ¡®If things continue like this¡­ I won¡¯tst long.¡¯

    A long-term battle was at a disadvantage for her as she could not use the sanctuary.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Cassia took a deep breath and raised the magic power of Stigmata even more.

    and.

    ¡°hmm?¡±

    Cassia¡¯s body disappears as if melting into the shadows.

    Ojin¡¯s spear, which had been relentlessly pushing Cassia, had no ce to go and split the air.

    ¡®Where is it?¡¯

    When you turn your head and look around.

    ¡°This way?¡±

    A voiceing from right behind me.

    ¡°Tsk¡­!¡±

    Ojin urgently swung his spear towards the back.

    No, not exactly.

    I tried to swing it.

    -Hehe, you were fooled, right?

    Just as I was about to turn and swing the spear in the direction where Cassia¡¯s voice wasing from.

    Suddenly, an image appeared in my head of Cassia rising from the front and swinging her sword with a deep smile on her face.

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    There was no time to think about such things.

    Ojin trusted his instincts and swung his spear towards ¡®front¡¯ rather than ¡®back¡¯.

    Pow!

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    Cassia was urately hit by the spear and was thrown backwards with a scream.

    Ojin did not miss the golden opportunity and rushed towards Cassia, who was thrown back.

    ¡°Tsk¡­!¡±

    Cassia urgently stretched out her arms forward and blocked her path with a shadow curtain.

    Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go!

    A thunderbolt dyed in ck light lightly tore through the shadow curtain.

    ¡°haha. ¡­ I lost.¡±

    Cassia took a deep breath and looked down at the spear pointed at her neck.

    She stood up again, creating a ck dress from the shadows.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we would really lose.¡±

    Even if Ojin reached 11 stars, I thought he would win unless he used ¡®Gaecheon¡¯.

    To my surprise, my expectations were wrong.

    ¡°That¡¯s because you treat it with the right amount of attention.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same for Mr. Ojin?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s true, but.¡±

    What Ojin and Cassia did was just sparring.

    No matter how much it was done in realbat, there were bound to be differences since the attacks were notunched to kill the opponent.

    ¡°But how did you know that I was in front of you at the end?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    The moment I turned around, the image of Cassia smiling passed my head.

    Perhaps, if Ojin had really swung his spear towards the back, the same future would have unfolded.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of ¡®future poetry.¡¯¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the future¡­ do you mean that you gained a new trait after absorbing Pris?¡±

    ¡°huh. I¡¯m not sure yet what the exact activation conditions are. ¡°Once I¡¯m in a crisis, it seems to show me a short future of just a few seconds.¡±

    Considering the meaning that one second has in a battle between superhumans that can be misdiagnosed, it was an incredible ability.

    ¡®My fault is that I can¡¯t use it freely.¡¯

    anyway.

    With this, the ability of ¡®future vision¡¯ has been confirmed.

    ¡®It¡¯s huge.¡¯

    The power gained from absorbing Pris far exceeded Ojin¡¯s expectations.

    ¡°It shows the future¡­ ¡°It¡¯s an absurd ability.¡±

    Cassia let out a low exmation and took a step forward.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Is it because of the influence of Dalian?

    At that moment, Cassia¡¯s body swayed.

    ¡°are you okay?¡±

    Ojin urgently helped Cassia up.

    With a yful smile on her lips, Cassia wrapped her arms around Ojin¡¯s waist and pressed their bodies together.

    ¡°Oh, are you worried?¡±

    ¡°¡­Did you do that on purpose?¡±

    When Ojin smiled and ced his hand on Cassia¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡®hmm?¡¯

    A strange feeling spread down my spine.

    ¡®what?¡¯

    Ojin narrowed his eyes and slightly added strength to the hand he ced on Cassia¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°sister! ¡°What are you doing, clinging to Oh Jin again?!¡±

    ¡°Oh my~ I just felt dizzy for a moment so Ojin helped me. Why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s dizzy. ¡°You just stumbled on purpose, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why our Be doesn¡¯t trust me so much~¡±

    Cassia burst intoughter as she saw Isabe approaching with an angry expression.

    ¡°Then will the joke end here?¡±

    I must have fully enjoyed the warmth of Ojin that heated up after the sparring.

    The moment I stepped back to get away from him.

    ¡°Just wait a moment.¡±

    Ojin grabbed her shoulder and pulled her.

    ¡°Huh? ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±

    Cassia looked at Ojin with a puzzled expression.

    Ojin looked at her intently and then carefully ced his hand on her left breast.

    ¡°Kyaaa?!¡±

    Cassia trembled and blushed at Ojin¡¯spletely unexpected actions.

    ¡°Oh Oh Ohin?¡±

    Cassia was so embarrassed that she even bit her tongue.

    ¡°What are you doing all of a sudden, Mr. Oh Jin? You¡¯re not going to say that I¡¯m treating internal injuries again this time, are you?¡±

    [You¡¯re so shameless!]

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re saying there¡¯s something to touch that piece of gum?¡±

    When the three women frowned and said one thing at a time at the sudden action of misdiagnosis.

    ¡°I feel the energy of the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    The crowd froze coldly as the words flowed from Oh Jin¡¯s mouth.

 Chapter 397

    I am not a returner Episode 397:

    Star of Reverse Heaven (10)

    ¡°That¡­ what do you mean?¡±

    Cassia¡¯s expression hardened.

    Cheonma.

    A chill ran down her spine as she remembered the person who had been using her as a puppet for the past ten years.

    ¡°Are you really saying that there is a Heavenly Demon around here right now?¡±

    ¡°No, Cassia, I can feel it inside your stigmata.¡±

    If the energy of the Heavenly Demon was felt around him, Vega would have noticed it before Ojin did.

    ¡°¡­My stigmata?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    It was not difficult to guess why the energy of the Heavenly Demon was suddenly felt within the stigmata of Ophiuchus.

    ¡®In the first ce, the stigmata of the ck Star Constetion contains the power of the ck Sky.¡¯

    The constetion that gave her the stigmata epted the power of the Heavenly Demon, so it is natural that the energy of the Heavenly Demon can be felt from the stigmata she carries.

    ¡®That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been living as a puppet of the Heavenly Demon for the past 10 years.¡¯

    As soon as Ohjin heard the word ¡®Cheonma¡¯, he smiled bitterly as he looked at Cassia, who was gently grabbing his cor with an anxious expression.

    ¡°What do you mean, I can feel the energy of the Heavenly Demon within my stigmata?¡±

    ¡°There is no need to be so scared. Cassia, you know that the stigmata of the ck Star Constetion contain the power of the Heavenly Demon, right?¡±

    Having lived as a puppet of the Heavenly Demon for over 10 years, you probably know better than anyone else.

    ¡°Oh yeah. ¡°I know that¡­¡±

    Cassia suddenly tilted her head with a look in her eyes as if asking why she was asking that.

    Didn¡¯t Ojin already know that the stigmata of Ophiuchus contain some of the power of the Heavenly Demon?

    Ohjin opened his mouth, carefully touching the stigmata of Cassia, who was looking at him with questioning eyes.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t felt the energy of the Heavenly Demon until now.¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    ¡°Even if it contains the power of the Heavenly Demon, it¡¯s only a small portion, right?¡±

    ording to the genealogy, the power was transferred from Heavenly Demon -> Constetion -> Stigmata, so the power of the ck Heaven that came to awakened people like Cassia and Isabe was only a small part.

    Of course, it seems that just that amount is sufficient for ck Heaven¡¯s ¡®dominion¡¯.

    In any case, the power was not at a level that Ojin could sense until now.

    but.

    ¡®I can feel it now.¡¯

    Could know.

    I could feel it.

    The energy of the ck Heaven resides within the stigmata of the constetion Ophiuchus engraved on her chest.

    ¡®Something that didn¡¯t exist didn¡¯t suddenly appear.¡¯

    It¡¯s probably been there ever since the moment Mobius first bestowed the stigmata on her.

    but.

    It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t been able to feel it at a level until now.

    In other words, in other words.

    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that you¡¯re feeling an energy you¡¯ve never felt before¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. ¡°Now it¡¯s at least at a simr level.¡±

    This probably means that he has now caught up to the level of the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯.

    ¡®Honestly, I¡¯m not sure if I should like the fact that I¡¯m keeping up with my toes.¡¯

    It was quite encouraging to be able to hang on to the edge of a cliff with one¡¯s hands resting on it, rather than just staring up at a cliff that was so far away that I couldn¡¯t even reach it.

    ¡°You are so amazing. Ojin!¡±

    Cassia shouted with admiration, her emerald eyes sparkling brightly.

    As someone who knew better than anyone else here about the amazing state that the Heavenly Demon had achieved, she couldn¡¯t help but feel pure awe.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to make such a fuss.¡±

    Hearing Cassia¡¯s excited voice, Ojin cleared his throat as if he was embarrassed.

    No, it wasn¡¯t really that he was on the same level as the Heavenly Demon, he was barely at the level of holding on to his pants, but it was a bit weird to hear that he was this great.

    ¡°no! ¡°What a great thing that is!¡±

    ¡°I told you not to do it.¡±

    I shook my head and sighed.

    ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s something I want to test.¡±

    ¡°You want to try it out?¡±

    ¡°Just stay still for a moment.¡±

    Ohjin held his hand on Cassia¡¯s stigmata and slowly increased the power of the ck Heaven.

    Grumbling.

    A ck cloud spewed out from the fingertips and flowed into the stigmata of Ophiuchus.

    ¡°Tsk¡­!¡±

    Cassia¡¯s body trembled.

    Oh Jin quietly closed his eyes and concentrated.

    ¡®I can feel it.¡¯

    A constetion rising in the night sky.

    I saw dark clouds hiding within the brilliantly shining starlight.

    Ojin slowly extended his energy towards the dark heaven of the Heavenly Demon hidden within the stigmata of Ophiuchus.

    I grabbed the ck cloud that had settled inside the stigmata like a parasite and forcibly pulled it out.

    ¡°Ah! Ugh¡­!¡±

    Cassia¡¯s body began to jump and tremble as if she was having a seizure.

    The sensation of the dark energy that had been rooted in her stigmata being uprooted was a pain that shook her as if a part of her soul had been cut out.

    ¡°Hold on a little.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ Yes Oh Oh Jin.¡±

    Cassia bit her lip as she heard a warm voiceing from the pain of her head turning white.

    Ojin carefully removed the energy of the Heavenly Demon located within the stigmata of Ophiuchus.

    but.

    ¡®Magic power is too unstable.¡¯

    As the energy of the ck sky disappeared, the magic power of the stigmata began to fluctuate wildly and ravage her entire body.

    It was as if the ground he was standing on suddenly gave way and he was struggling.

    ¡®The energy of the Heavenly Demon has already be part of the stigmata.¡¯

    In that case, it was impossible to return Cassia¡¯s stigmata to their original state through simple ¡®removal¡¯.

    Even if it was a malignant tumor, if it was forcibly cut out as a part of the body, blood would be seen.

    ¡®then.¡¯

    Ojin poured in his energy and filled the space where the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Heaven had fallen.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    The wildly fluctuating magic calmed down and Cassia¡¯s breathing became stable.

    ¡°Whew. it¡¯s over.¡±

    Ojin got off Cassia, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

    ¡°Now I will never be ¡®dominated¡¯ by that guy again.¡±

    When the Heavenly Demon appeared in the Demon World, Cassia and Isabe copsed in pain due to the influence of his ¡®Dark Heaven¡¯.

    but.

    Since the energy of the Heavenly Demon in the stigmata has beenpletely cut out and reced with your own, you will no longer be affected by his ¡®domination¡¯.

    ¡®and.¡¯

    Even if the Dark Heaven possessed by the Heavenly Demonpletely disappears, Cassia and Isabe will not die along with them.

    All the shackles that were binding her were nowpletely gone.

    ¡®Of course, those shackles were reced with me.¡¯

    In any case, it was a shackle that was as good as nothing unless he used the ¡®Dominance¡¯ trait.

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    Cassia¡¯s green eyes widened.

    She carefully stroked the stigmata and opened her mouth in a trembling voice.

    ¡°So¡­ are you saying that the Heavenly Demon¡¯s energy haspletely disappeared from within me?¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A shiver spreads down my spine.

    Tears began to form in Cassia¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°What is it? what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±

    Seeing Ojin in panic, Cassia couldn¡¯t help but burst out in tears.

    Does he know?

    As long as he said it was nothing, how much his actions meant to her.

    ¡°I was always¡­ always anxious.¡±

    The fact that the energy of the Heavenly Demon remains within him.

    The fact that the Heavenly Demon could always turn her into a puppet again if he wanted to.

    And above all.

    ¡°I was constantly worried that I might hurt Ojin again with my own hands.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Were you worried about that?

    Ojin smiled bitterly and patted Cassia¡¯s sobbing back.

    ¡®Unlike his usual rxed appearance, he is quite soft-hearted.¡¯

    Cassia and Isabe may not have been sisters, but they also looked simr in this regard.

    ¡°are you okay. ¡°I don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore.¡±

    ¡°Sniff¡­ thank you.¡±

    Cassia leaned her head on Ojin¡¯s chest and smiled brightly.

    I was in the middle offorting Cassia, who was sobbing.

    ¡°How long are you going to cling to Oh Jin?¡±

    Isabe came over and pulled Cassia¡¯s shoulder.

    Cassia narrowed her eyes and nced at Isabe, as if she didn¡¯t like it at all.

    ¡°The atmosphere was nice for a while, so why are you disturbing me?¡±

    ¡°joy. ¡°Then, are you just going to quietly watch the scene of the affair?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, if someone heard this, would they think I was already married?¡±

    The two sisters start growling again.

    Oh Jin sighed and shook his head.

    ¡°Stop fighting, both of you.¡±

    ¡°Why is it fun?¡±

    Ha-eun burst intoughter as she chewed popcorn.

    ¡°¡­Is now your time to have fun?¡±

    In fact, shouldn¡¯t Ha-eun be more ufortable with this situation than anyone else?

    ¡°Because of Mr. Gumnu, I have be a bit more mentally disciplined in this area.¡±

    ¡°¡­Keuhum.¡±

    Oh Jin, who had no words to rebut, cleared his throat and shook his head.

    Isabe came towards him.

    ¡°Oh Jin, then you can also erase the energy of the Heavenly Demon within my stigmata?¡±

    ¡°of course.¡±

    Although the types of stigmata they both possess are different, they both contain the power of the Heavenly Demon, so it was not difficult to rece them with your own ck Heaven.

    ¡°Then can I ask you a favor?¡±

    Isabe smiled brightly, took Ojin¡¯s hand and ced it on her left chest.

    Mulkyung.

    An overwhelming presence transmitted through the palm of your hand.

    At that moment, the illusion of a huge mountain range blocking my view passed through my head.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh, why are you doing that?¡±

    Isabe burst outughing and gave a yful look in her eyes.

    Cassia¡¯s expression, who was watching this from behind, suddenly became distorted.

    ¡°Why is your reaction so different from when you touched mine?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious, sister?¡±

    Isabe smiled like a winner and raised her shoulders as high as possible.

    Cassia nervously bit her nails and red at Isabe with fierce eyes.

    ¡°I need to concentrate, so stop.¡±

    Ojin ignored the sensation passing through his palm as much as possible and raised the energy of the ck sky.

    Just like with Cassia, he eradicated the energy of the Heavenly Demon within Isabe¡¯s stigmata and reced it with his own.

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    A soft sticity leaking out between the lips.

    Isabe smiled brightly as she touched the stigmata on her left breast.

    ¡°I feel like Mr. Oh Jin hase inside me.¡±

    ¡°You mean Heukcheon, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s somehow warm and cozy.¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    Hey,dy.

    Why are you doing this to me?

    When Ojin was holding his forehead as if he had a headache.

    ¡°Ugh¡­! ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Isabe¡¯s expression distorted and blood-red magic began to spurt out fiercely.

    Magical power spreads widely like fog.

    Isabe let out a painful moan while clutching her left breast.

    ¡°¡­This.¡±

    A sight that no awakened person can recognize.

    It was an ¡®elevation of stigmata¡¯ that I had recently experienced as a result of a misdiagnosis.

 Chapter 398

    I am not a returner Episode 398

    Interlude ¨C Fate is like a torrent (1)

    The blood-red magic that surged like an explosion spread like fog.

    Isabe, who had been crouching in the blood-red fog, slowly got up.

    The magic that was thick like fog flowed into her body.

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    Isabe came to her senses and slightly pulled down the white blouse she was wearing, letting out a low exmation.

    The stigmata of leech engraved on pure white skin.

    The eleventh stroke engraved next to it was tinged with blood and was emitting red light.

    ¡°Oh Mr. Oh Jin¡­!¡±

    Isabe rushed towards Ojin with an excited expression.

    Isabe jumped up and clung to Ojin like a cicada with her arms and legs and rubbed her cheek against Ojin¡¯s head, screaming almost like a scream.

    ¡°Kyaaa! 11 stars! ¡°It really has reached 11 stars!¡±

    Isabe, who shed her usual elegant and polite appearance, let out a scream of excitement.

    but.

    She drank Ojin¡¯s blood and reached the threshold of the 11th castle, but was eventually blocked by a wall and could not cross the threshold for quite a long time, so she could not help but be excited.

    * * *

    ¡°Whoop whoop whoop whoop.¡±

    Isabe jumped up and clung to her like a cicada, causing Ojin, who was caught between the overwhelming mass of flesh, to shake his body without even being able to say a word of congrattions.

    The strong scent of roses fills my nose and the heavy pressure felt through my thin blouse.

    Even though I couldn¡¯t even breathe properly, the vain thought that it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to just suffocate and die like this filled the top of my head.

    ¡°What are you doing so rudely?¡±

    Cassia frowned and pulled away Isabe, who was clinging to her like a cicada.

    ¡°Huh, sister?¡±

    ¡°I understand that you are happy to have be 11, but will the Colgrande family be able to save face if you stick to it without any hesitation?¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Isabe bit her lip at the sharp words.

    Ojin lightly patted Isabe¡¯s shoulder, who was looking gloomy.

    ¡°congrattions.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m sorry, Oh Jin. I got so excited without realizing it¡­¡±

    ¡°No. ¡°I¡¯ve reached the 11th star I had hoped for, so it¡¯s worth getting excited.¡±

    And what.

    To be honest, it wasn¡¯t a bad experience enough to warrant an apology.

    ¡°But has it really be 11 stars?¡±

    Ha-eun approached Isabe and gently pulled down her blouse to examine her stigmata.

    The 11 strokes carved next to the stigmata were clearly visible.

    Ha-eun stamped her feet and shouted as if she was being unfairly treated.

    ¡°How can you possibly get 11 stars just by touching me once?!¡±

    ¡°Hey, sister.¡±

    The expression is too vulgar.

    ¡°me too! Strengthen me too with that ck cloth or something!¡±

    ¡°What kind of reinforcement NPC am I?¡±

    ¡°No, if I got stronger by sucking your blood and touched the stigmata and got to 11 stars, is that a strengthened NPC or what?¡±

    ¡°uh?¡±

    what?

    After listening to it, it seems usible.

    ¡°anyway! ¡°If we can imbue the stigmata with the power of the ck Heaven, isn¡¯t it also possible to have the Stigmata of Dragon?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    It¡¯s probably possible.

    The trick itself for imbuing the stigmata with the power of the ck Heaven will be the same.

    However, in that case, Ha-eun will be affected by her ¡®domination¡¯.

    ¡®That¡¯s right, even if it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯

    The Heavenly Demon said that if his Dark Heavenpletely disappears, all beings who received the power of the Dark Heaven will die together, so the same would probably be true for him as well.

    in other words.

    This time, it means that if Ojin¡¯s ck Heaven, not the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Heaven, disappears, Cassia and Isabe will die along with it.

    If Ha-eun¡¯s stigmata is imbued with the power of the ck Heaven, she will also die along with it.

    ¡°¡­no.¡±

    ¡°why!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what the side effects will be, right? And the constetion of Dragon may be angry that they touched his stigmata.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter that she just sleeps in the temple.¡±

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t work.¡±

    In the case of Isabe and Cassia, they were under the influence of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s dark heaven from the beginning, so even if there was nothing they could do, they could not cover Ha-eun¡¯s stigmata, which was shining cleanly, with ck clouds.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    [Don¡¯t force yourself to say no. And doesn¡¯t it mean that receiving the power of the ck Sky will make you stronger?]

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s a bit unfair that I¡¯m the only one with a 10-star rating.¡±

    [Power easily gained can easily disappear. Like your child, you too should not hope for a lucky break and work hard to improve your strength on a regr basis.]

    ¡°¡­For that matter, isn¡¯t it because Ojini became 11-star this time because she received strength from Pris?¡±

    [That¡­]

    Vega is speechless and looking at Ojin¡¯s thoughts.

    Oh Jin chuckled and nodded.

    ¡°Well, honestly, I also became stronger by chance.¡±

    It¡¯s not that the efforts I¡¯ve made so far haven¡¯t been of any help.

    It was also true that it was embarrassing to call it a state that Oh Jin had achieved on his own.

    ¡®therefore.¡¯

    He needed time topletely make the power he gained by chance his own.

    No matter how sharp a sword you have, if the skill of the swordsman wielding it is poor, it will be no better than a kitchen knife.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ okay. Why not give up receiving the power of the ck Sky?¡±

    Ha-eun sighed and turned around.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go back and have dinner. hungry.¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    I shook my head quietly.

    ¡°why? ¡°Will youe backter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it and I n to stay here for a while.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should call this a closing training, but¡­ I¡¯ve gained a lot, so I¡¯m going to focus on training until it¡¯spletely mine.¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s eyes lit up as he touched the stigmata engraved on his left chest.

    As there is no way to know when the Heavenly Demon will move again.

    He had to make this powerpletely his own as quickly as possible.

    After Isabe reached level 11, Ojin elerated her training even further.

    A crazy training schedule of up to 20 hours a day.

    Even if an awakened person possessed a superhuman body, the training continued for over two months with a terrible schedule that would have caused him to fail in just a few days.

    Oh Jin devoted himself to training, even providing lodging and food within the facility, as if it was a waste of time to travel to and from the training facility, which was only 15 minutes away.

    From dealing with the power of Stigmata, which had grown significantly upon reaching the 11th level, to expanding the scope of the development of the control sanctuary of ck Heaven, which had bloomed for the 12th time.

    Even during the training, where it would not be surprising if he fell out of exhaustion, the smile on Ojin¡¯s lips never left.

    How could it not be fun?

    The biggest reason why the repetitive act of ¡®training¡¯ is stressful in the first ce is because growth is so slow that it is difficult to feel.

    My body is so tired that I copse from exhaustion, but I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m making any progress day by day, so who can enjoy training?

    Of course, everyone knows that each day umtes and bes the foundation for growth, but humans easily lose motivation when there is no reward in sight.

    However, in that respect, Ojin¡¯s ¡®training¡¯ was a bit different.

    Because he achieved such rapid growth at once by absorbing the springs of Pris and the Milky Way, he was able to be stronger day by day just by learning how to handle powers he was not yet familiar with.

    It felt like thetest weapons were suddenly supplied to the military, which had only old, rusting weapons.

    It felt like my level was rising rapidly by simply learning ¡®how to handle it¡¯ without needing to increase my strength.

    For three months, I devoted myself to training in the personal training room, forgetting about day and night with the power of endorphins gushing out of my head.

    Even Oh Jin, who had been training in a closed facility without even going out as the seasons changed, also reached a limit.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Ohjin woke up and clutched his head, feeling a crushing headache.

    ¡®Where¡­ is this?¡¯

    A mattress and nket that gently wraps around your body.

    It was not the sleeping room attached to the training facility where I had been sleeping for the past three months.

    It wasn¡¯t such a soft bed.

    With that thought in mind, I looked around and what I saw was¡­

    ¡°¡­is it my room?¡±

    Although I had been confined to a training facility for three months, it felt a bit unfamiliar.

    It was clearly his room.

    Ohjin got up from the bed and looked around the room, where not a single dust had umted, as if someone had been cleaning it consistently while he was away.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    A pounding headache.

    When I frowned and grabbed my head.

    Sweet.

    The door opened and Isabe came into the room.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    ¡°Why am I in my room?¡±

    When I said it out loud, it seemed like something strange.

    It was a question that could easily havee up from the perspective of Oh Jin, who had been confined to a training facility for the past three months and had been practicing day and night Jangcheon.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Isabe let out a deep sigh and red at Ojin with fierce eyes.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t remember?¡±

    ¡°¡­memory?¡±

    After washing up at the end of the sanctuary development training, Iy down on the bed in the sleeping room and closed my eyes for a moment.

    ¡°After that, we received a report that Ms. Oh Jin¡¯s vitals were abnormal, so we urgently sent her sister to bring her home.¡±

    ¡°Your vitals are abnormal?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°The training facility is equipped with sensors that can always check Oh Jin¡¯s physical condition.¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t really paying attention, but maybe something like that was installed?

    ¡®Then, something suddenly happened to my body while I was sleeping.¡¯

    Ojin narrowed his eyes and was lost in thought.

    ¡°¡­Did deploying the sanctuary put a strain on the magic circuit?¡±

    After three months of training, we seeded in increasing the range of the sanctuary to tens of meters around us.

    As the amount of magical power input increased, a problem may have urred in the magical power circuit.

    ¡®If not, it could be the influence of the ck Sky.¡¯

    Although he was barely able to control it with the power of the Lyra Stigmata, the ck Heaven he possessed was in a precarious state where it would not be surprising if it exploded at any time.

    Perhaps, while he was asleep, Heukcheon went on a rampage to take over his body.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡±

    Isabe shook her head resolutely.

    ¡°ording to the analysis of Mr. Oh Jin¡¯s current condition by Col Grande¡¯s professional medical staff, it is not a problem of sanctuary development or ck sky.¡±

    ¡°then?¡±

    What on earth happened to his body without his knowledge?

    Oh Jin swallowed his dry saliva with a nervous expression.

    ¡°Mr. Ojin¡¯s current condition is¡­¡±

    After a brief pause, Isabe continued speaking with a distorted expression on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m overworked.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s overwork, overwork! No, do you know what a device is?! ¡°Of course, it takes a toll on your body as you sleep for 2 to 3 hours a day!¡±

    Isabe¡¯s nagging poured out like rapid fire.

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s absolutely stable for the time being! Do you understand?!¡±

    Ojin had no choice but to nod calmly as Isabe¡¯s eyes filled with anger.

 Chapter 399

    I am not a returner Episode 399

    Interlude ¨C Destiny is like a torrent (2)

    ¡°Okay, go ahead, Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    A voice as warm as a spring breeze tickled my ears.

    The fragrant scent of sesame oil flowing from the abalone porridge in the spoon stimted my nose.

    Ohjin looked at the spoon in front of his mouth and smiled awkwardly.

    ¡°I heard you can eat alone.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely stable.¡±

    An upromising will was conveyed through the words uttered one syble at a time.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t forget, right?¡±

    Isabe smiled and brought the spoon to her mouth.

    Even though his mouth was smiling, his eyes weren¡¯t smiling at all. It felt like if he refused one more time, he would just shove the spoon in his mouth.

    ¡°yep.¡±

    He quickly raised the white g and quietly opened his mouth to receive the abalone porridge.

    ¡°Oh, this is amazing! Is it delicious?¡±

    What kind of three year old am I?

    I wanted to shout at Isabe, who was stroking her head so kindly, but because I felt guilty, I swallowed back the words that were in my throat.

    By the time I started eating all the abalone porridge like a baby bird eating its feed.

    ¡°How are you feeling, Ojin?¡±

    The door opened and Cassia came inside.

    ¡°He¡¯s still eating, so don¡¯t disturb him and leave.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, other than that, I think you¡¯ve eaten everything?¡±

    Cassia walked towards Ojin, ncing at the bowl on the floor.

    Slurp slurp.

    Cassia glided onto the bed with a sound like a snake crawling across the floor, stuck out her long tongue, and licked Ojin¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°¡­what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m checking to see if you have a fever.¡±

    Not with your hands, but with your tongue?

    ¡°A snake can tell temperature with its tongue?¡±

    ¡°I know that, but¡­¡±

    ¡°And my tongue can detect not only temperature but also magical power.¡±

    Saying that, Cassia moved her tongue and licked Ojin¡¯s forehead, cheeks, and the back of his neck.

    At the time, the tickling feeling of the tongue touching the skin aroused a strange delusion.

    ¡°Eight.¡±

    Isabe hit Cassia¡¯s tongue, which was continuously licking Ozin¡¯s body, with a spoon.

    Cassia frowned as she put her long tongue back into her mouth.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see that we¡¯re checking Ojin¡¯s condition right now?¡±

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t, you should do it in moderation! How long are you going to lick it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°It was a good time, but unfortunately there was a disruption.¡±

    Cassia licked her lips as if she couldn¡¯t help but put her mouth close to Ojin¡¯s ear.

    Hot breath tickled my earlobes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do thister.¡±

    What¡¯s next?

    ¡°ha. So, how is Oh Jin?¡±

    ¡°My magic power has be much more stable than yesterday.¡±

    ¡°okay?¡±

    Isabe smiled with relief, as if she was d.

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°But training is prohibited for a while! ¡°Did you know?¡±

    ¡°yep.¡±

    It seemed wrong to return to the training facility until my body fully recovered.

    ¡®I¡¯ve definitely been overdoing it over the past three months.¡¯

    How can you not overdo it when you see your level rising rapidly every day?

    I haven¡¯t reached a satisfactory level yet, but since I passed out from overexerting myself, it would be better to rest for a while, as Isabe said.

    ¡°okay. ¡°I¡¯ll rest well at home this week.¡±

    ¡°Whew. If you sneak out, will you have Roberto shut down the training facility?¡±

    ¡°No matter what, don¡¯t do such a shameful thing.¡±

    Tsk.

    Did you get caught?

    ¡°Anyway, has anything special happened so far?¡±

    In order to focus on my training as much as possible, I blocked out news from the outside world, so I had no idea what was going on in the world these days.

    ¡°yes. ¡°Recently, the movement of named demons has been quiet, and there have been very few instances of demonic beasts pouring out of the gate.¡±

    ¡°What about the constetions of the ck Star?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for the ¡®snakes¡¯¡­ but I can¡¯t figure out where they are or what they¡¯re doing.¡±

    Cassia sighed and shook her head.

    ¡°So it¡¯s a lull for the time being?¡±

    From Ojin¡¯s perspective, it wasn¡¯t a very bad situation.

    Because there were still many thingscking in dealing with the ck Star constetions.

    ¡°And what about your sister?¡±

    ¡°You are in the sanctuary.¡±

    ¡°Sanctuary?¡±

    No, the sanctuary is not my home, and every time I ask, it¡¯s in the sanctuary.

    ¡°I heard you¡¯re training with Mr. Riak these days.¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    Oh Jin was not the only one who devoted himself to training over the past three months.

    Of course, she didn¡¯t have a crazy schedule like Ojin, but other women were also steadily improving their strength through repeated training.

    ¡°So, Oh Jin, don¡¯t worry and get some rest.¡±

    Isabe pressed Ojin¡¯s chest and forced him to lie down on the bed.

    ¡°Oh, Mr. Ojin. Would you like to lie down for a moment?¡±

    ¡°why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a massage.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why the massage all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing better than a massage to relieve fatigue, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, but¡­¡±

    The thought of getting a massage from Isabe made me feel more embarrassed than excited.

    ¡°Come on.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ojin, swept away by the irresistible atmosphere, turned around and fell on the bed.

    Isabe took off the slippers she was wearing and climbed onto the bed.

    ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll take your clothes off.¡±

    ¡°Why the clothes again?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easier to massage if you take it off, right?¡±

    Of course, taking it off didn¡¯t mean taking it offpletely.

    Isabe gulped as she looked down at the strong back muscles that were revealed as she removed Ojin¡¯s T-shirt.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­.¡±

    Is this the first time we¡¯ve seen Oh Jin¡¯s bare skin in a while?

    The corners of my mouth naturally rxed and a half-heartedugh escaped me.

    Isabe ced her hand on her reddened cheek and shook her head.

    ¡®Kyaaa! how?! ¡®Isn¡¯t our Mr. Oh Jin so cool?¡¯

    A body with no unnecessary b due to extreme training and diet management.

    The firmly established back muscles were perfectly shaped, as if they had been sculpted by a master.

    When I unconsciously poked it with my fingertip, I felt that it was as hard as a rock.

    This time, I spread my palm out and ced my hand on my back as if I was stroking it, and a warmth that felt beyond the hard texture came up my palm.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    A happy sigh flowed from between Isabe¡¯s lips.

    I felt a burning thirst and the thought of wanting to suck Ojin¡¯s blood filled my mind.

    ¡®You have to endure it.¡¯

    Isn¡¯t Ojin just now waking up after copsing from overwork?

    Although I couldn¡¯t relieve my fatigue, I couldn¡¯t suck my blood.

    Isabe suppressed her boiling impulses and climbed on Ojin¡¯s back as if riding a horse.

    ¡°Then let me begin.¡±

    Coo coo coo coo.

    As Isabe¡¯s thumb pressed against her back, a pleasantnguor spread throughout her body.

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    A sound like a man entering a sauna spontaneously escaped from between my lips.

    ¡°Are you feeling good?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the best.¡±

    Who would feel bad when their lover gives them a thorough massage?

    A feeling of exhaustion and happiness spread down my spine, as if my whole body was melting, as if I was drying off after taking a shower.

    ¡®It seems like a lot of fatigue has built up.¡¯

    I thought I got enough sleep, but soon I felt drowsy again.

    While I was dozing off while receiving Isabe¡¯s massage.

    ¡°I want to do it too.¡±

    Cassia¡¯s sudden deration of war.

    Cassia, who was ring at Isabe who was sitting on Ojin¡¯s back with a sullen expression, slowly climbed onto the bed.

    A new weight was added to my back.

    ¡°What are you doing, sister?¡±

    ¡°joy. I guess who isn¡¯t greedy? Are you trying to keep it all to yourself again?¡±

    ¡°No, there aren¡¯t enough seats for this!¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you get out of the way?¡±

    The sisters start fighting with each other while riding on Ojin¡¯s back.

    ¡°Sister, get out of the way.¡±

    ¡°Nope?¡±

    Crossing eyes.

    The two women, who were exuding a bloody murderous spirit that would not have been surprising for an ordinary person to faint on the spot, moved at the same time as if they were working together.

    Sigh!

    As if it were a bnce game, they started pushing each other on Ojin¡¯s back.

    ¡°Vicki¡­ say!¡±

    ¡°Really¡­ I¡¯ve been so greedy since long ago!¡±

    A battle unfolded as they pushed and pulled each other¡¯s arms to get the other person off their backs.

    ¡°Hey hey hey wait a minute!¡±

    It¡¯s as if a sudden lightning strike fell on Ojin, who was crushed under the two sisters.

    Creak, creak, creak!

    The bed began to creak as if it would break due to the two sisters¡¯ struggle.

    ¡°Wow! Wow! ¡°Stop that!¡±

    Both of them appeared to be slender women on the outside, but in reality, they were powerful enough to lift an 8-ton truck with one hand.

    From Ojin¡¯s point of view, who waspletely shocked by the physical fight, the pressure felt like two elephants running wild on his back.

    The fatigue and pressure umted in my body ovepped, and my consciousness flickered in a blur.

    -Anyway, it¡¯s absolutely stable for the time being! Do you understand?!

    Before I lost consciousness, Isabe¡¯s cry suddenly passed through my mind.

    ¡®Absolutely stable¡­¡¯

    Before a deathly scream filled with resentment came out of my mouth.

    Ojin¡¯s consciousness waspletely immersed in darkness.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I got to spend some alone time with Mr. Ohjin¡­! Why are you interrupting me?!¡±

    ¡°But you often met me with the excuse of making your blood bleed faster! ¡°I was so busy scattering snakes all over the ce that I couldn¡¯t even get a good look at his face!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re not dating Oh Jin, how about not seeing him?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, my my, what are you talking about to your sister?¡±

    ¡°what? Cheap? ¡°You¡¯re the one giving me the tail off to my younger brother¡¯s lover!¡±

    Isabe red fiercely at Cassia and stretched out her arms.

    Cassia snorted in disapproval and pped Isabe¡¯s arm away.

    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re the one who taunted someone else¡¯s lover like that!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s different from that one!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean different? ¡°When Ojin lost his memory, he even lied about being the first and all?¡±

    ¡°Huh huh!¡±

    When the past, which is still the worst dark history for Isabe, was brought up, her movements suddenly stopped.

    Isabe stammered with a pale expression on her face.

    ¡°Where did you hear that story?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, Ha-eun told you everything?¡±

    ¡°profit! ¡°That girl with the missing eye patch!¡±

    Due to the pain inflicted by the dark history, Isabe spews out harsh swear words that she would not normally say.

    When Cassia was letting out a victoriousugh.

    ¡°What¡¯s so loud?¡±

    The door burst open and Ha-eun came in.

    She let out augh as she looked at the devastation(?) in the room.

    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Ha, Ha-eun?¡±

    ¡°Uh, when did youe?¡±

    ¡°Just before.¡±

    Isabe quickly got off Ojin¡¯s back and smiled awkwardly.

    ¡°My sister and I were giving Oh Jin a massage to relieve his fatigue. ¡°Right, sister?¡±

    ¡°Yes. yes.¡±

    The two sisters exchanged nces and nodded.

    Massage.

    Ha-eun¡¯s gaze was directed at Oh-jin, who was lying limp like a corpse.

    ¡°He fainted?¡±

    ¡°I think you fell asleep because you felt so good. ¡°It¡¯smon to fall asleep while getting a massage, right?¡±

    Isabe must havee to her senses in that short period of time and answered naturally while shrugging her shoulders.

    ¡°Hmm, really?¡±

    ¡°I guess Mr. Oh Jin is still very tired.¡±

    ¡°but. ¡°Because I pushed myself to the point where I copsed from overwork.¡±

    ¡°ha. ¡°Really¡­ I understand how you feel, Oh Jin, but I think it¡¯s too much.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. ¡°This bastard needs to be scolded.¡±

    Ha-eun nodded in agreement.

    Isabe smiled slightly and looked down at Ojin with warm eyes.

    ¡°Yes. But¡­I still want to help as much as I can because I know it¡¯s for our sake.¡±

    ¡°Be is so kind.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, you too.¡±

    ¡°But why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    Ha-eun smiled brightly, putting her arm around Isabe¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Who is the eyepatch girl with the missing screw?¡±

    Moment.

    The air in the room was frozen.

 Chapter 400

    I am not a returner Episode 400

    Interlude ¨C Fate is like a torrent (3)

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s all because of my sister.¡±

    ¡°So who would be so greedy?¡±

    The two sisters, who were kicked out of the room by Ha-eun, red at each other fiercely.

    That too for a while.

    A deep sense of self-destruction that I had not felt when I was excited came flooding back to me.

    ¡°Haa¡­ I wonder what this is doing.¡±

    ¡°For some reason, I think the same thing.¡±

    It was natural for me to feel a sense of self-destruction because an adult who was old enough was arguing like a 6-year-old fighting over a piece of cake.

    ¡®It¡¯s like this when I¡¯m with my sister.¡¯

    Isabe bit her lip and looked back at Cassia.

    Why?

    If Cassia was involved in something that I would normally pass over as if it were nothing, my head would heat up and I couldn¡¯t stand it.

    It feels like I¡¯ve gone back to the days when I was a child and yed immaturely in the garden.

    I was filled with shame at the thought that I had shown an unsightly side in front of Ojin.

    ¡®I feel like I want to go back.¡¯

    There is no need to wait years or decades.

    How great it would be if we could turn back time, even just for 2-3 hours.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Even if I regretted itter, I had already shown all kinds of indecent behavior in front of Ojin.

    My shoulders slumped with a deep sigh.

    Cassia smiled and approached Isabe.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a short truce while Ojin is home?¡±

    ¡°¡­Truce?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s shoulders, which had been sagging like boiled spinach, rose slightly.

    She opened her mouth, ring at Cassia with a disapproving look in her eyes.

    ¡°You started an argument one-sidedly on your side, and now you¡¯re telling me not to fight?¡±

    ¡°When do you say I started a fight?¡±

    ¡°A while ago¡­!¡±

    ¡°Just as you hoped for time with Mr. Ojin, I just hoped for time with him.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say before that you had no intention of bing Oh Jin¡¯s lover?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°But I did.¡±

    Cassia smiled faintly and stroked her hair.

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it true that, unlike you, I haven¡¯t seen you once in the past three months?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    As she said, unlike Isabe and Haeun Vega, who often visited the training facility where Ojin was training, Cassia only focused on traveling around the world and chasing down the constetions of the ck Star.

    Unfortunately, there was no particr result.

    Still, her efforts could not be discounted.

    ¡°ha. okay. ¡°Let¡¯s not disturb each other while Oh Jin is at home.¡±

    Isabe sighed and nodded.

    Although she said she had no intention of bing lovers, she was not oblivious to the extent of not knowing what feelings Cassia had for Ojin.

    The thought itself of valuing Oh Jin is not at all different from your own.

    ¡®That¡¯s why Ha-eun also forgave Cassia.¡¯

    Was it when Ha-eun recognized him as her lover?

    He once said that he would ept him because the more people around him who value him, the safer he will be.

    And even if you search the entire Earth, you will not be able to find an ally as dedicated and skilled to Ojin as Cassia.

    ¡®I have to endure it. ¡®If it¡¯s for Mr. Ojin.¡¯

    Although every time I saw Cassia and Ojin clinging to each other, heat rose in my head.

    I needed to control my emotions just to prevent a misdiagnosis.

    Just like Ha-eun did.

    ¡°Hehe, our Bemunicates well.¡±

    ¡°When did you never say no and call me greedy?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a difference between being greedy and being good atmunicating?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±

    ¡°And.¡±

    Cassia smiled kindly and stroked Isabe¡¯s head.

    It wasn¡¯t a very good picture because of the height difference.

    ¡°Even though Be is greedy, you don¡¯t particrly dislike her?¡±

    Cassia¡¯s touch on the head was clearly filled with warmth.

    ¡°¡­joy.¡±

    Isabe snorted, but bent down slightly to allow Cassia to stroke her head.

    Cassia, who was stroking her head, burst intoughter.

    Even though they bicker with each other every day, they still cherish each other in their hearts.

    The rtionship between the two, hidden behind the name Colgrande, was not much different from that of any other sisters.

    ¡°Do you know how to cook?¡±

    ¡°Why are you cooking all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go grocery shopping to prepare lunch.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. But didn¡¯t you just eat breakfast?¡±

    ¡°I want to cook you a dish that is good for recovering from fatigue.¡±

    What I¡¯m thinking about is samgyetang.

    It was a traditional Korean dish made by boiling whole chicken and healthy herbs in rich broth.

    ¡°Making samgyetang takes a long time, so you have to prepare it in advance.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve be a real housewife.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, are you going together or not?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already excited to go out with Be after a long time~¡±

    Cassia hummed and followed Isabe outside.

    Sweet.

    With the sound of the front door closing.

    ¡°¡­Did you go?¡±

    The door opened and Ha-eun stuck her head out.

    Ohjin, who was standing next to him, nodded.

    ¡°It looks like he went out.¡±

    ¡°See, I said that, right? Even though they bicker all the time, they actually get along well with each other?¡±

    ¡°¡­are all sisters like that?¡±

    The atmosphere outside was so warm that it made you wonder if they had been fighting while holding each other¡¯s heads just 30 minutes ago.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Well, anyway, I guess I¡¯ll survive now.¡±

    Oh Jin stretched out and came out to the living room and sat on the sofa.

    I turned on the TV and turned on the news channel.

    As Cassia said, there was news on the news that the appearance of demonic beasts had recently decreased drastically.

    ¡°Hey. What kind of news is this morning? ¡°Why don¡¯t you turn it off quickly?¡±

    Ha-eun sat down next to her and turned off the TV.

    ¡°why. ¡°I want to see how the world is going.¡±

    ¡°Are you a guy who bought stocks? ¡°Nothing happened while you were gone, man.¡±

    He chuckled and ruffled Ojin¡¯s hair.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°I still feel a bit dizzy.¡±

    ¡°So who wants to practice until that happens?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well.¡±

    Honestly, I had nothing to say.

    No matter how rapid his growth was, it was clearly his mistake to continue training to the point of ruining his body.

    ¡°I heard Vega and Riak will being soon.¡±

    ¡°¡­I guess I should call Be and ask her to buy more ingredients.¡±

    Even though Vega didn¡¯t know, Riak was a glutton befitting his size.

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve been here, so it¡¯s nice to see your face.¡±

    Ha-eun naturallyid down on the sofa with her slim legs on Oh-jin¡¯s thighs.

    It was a posture that Isabe often used before and even after they lived together.

    ¡°Wow, it feels like this! ¡°Something that¡¯s moderately warm is best for putting your legs up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still a patient.¡±

    ¡°What kind of patient is this idiot who copsed from overwork?¡±

    ¡°too bad.¡±

    Still, I said I would try my best.

    ¡°So, have you achieved enough to copse from overwork?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    The range of sanctuary deployment has also increased to several tens of meters, and handling the rapidly stronger Stigmata of ck Heaven and Lyra has also be very familiar.

    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±

    Ha-eun stood up with a faint smile.

    She ced her hand on Ojin¡¯s head and stroked his head with a gentle hand.

    ¡°Our Ojini is great~¡±

    ¡°If someone sees it, will they think it¡¯s my sister¡¯s child?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve raised you with you since you were young, so you can say they¡¯re simr.¡±

    what.

    Were we close rtives?

    [Don¡¯t call yourself a mother over your daughter!]

    At that time.

    Ojin¡¯s pendant radiated light, and a goddess the size of a palm appeared in the air.

    She pped Ha-eun¡¯s hand away andnded on Oh-jin¡¯s head.

    Hmm!

    He climbed on top of Ojin¡¯s head and crossed his arms with an arrogant expression.

    [Ojin has no mother other than his original daughter!]

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a mother.¡±

    After saying something out loud, it feels like a ridiculous pad lip.

    It is true that I grew up without knowing the face of my actual mother.

    Well, I don¡¯t feel any regret or thirst for that part.

    Thanks to you, I was able to meet someone more important than my parents.

    [Uh huh. There is an old saying that a child who grows up without knowing his or her parents¡¯ love is likely to go astray.]

    ¡°¡­So, you will take on that role for me?¡±

    [Hehe. Of course!]

    But as far as taking on the mother¡¯s role¡­ it¡¯s not like that.

    Oh Jin, who was about to say something, soon smiled and shook his head.

    There is no need to criticize Vega¡¯s thoughtfulness.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re shaking like crazy as soon as you wake up.¡±

    Riak, who appeared after Vega, clicked his tongue as if he was pathetic.

    ¡°long time no see. How are you?¡±

    ¡°joy. ¡°That lizard womanes to visit me every day and I¡¯m not doing well.¡±

    Riak continued speaking while ring at Ha-eun, who was sitting next to Oh-jin.

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s so pitiful that a so-called warrior copses because he failed to even take care of his body, kid.¡±

    ¡°Why were you worried?¡±

    ¡°The worry is, who was worried?¡±

    Riak growled viciously and frowned.

    The corners of Ha-eun¡¯s mouth quirked up.

    ¡°Even if you say it like that, the poop puppy was really worried about you?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about!¡±

    ¡°You said your stigmata might have been damaged, so you had to bring it to the sanctuary, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±

    Riak stepped back with a puzzled expression.

    Of course, contrary to his concerns, Vega had already confirmed that there was no damage to the stigmata while Ojin was unconscious.

    ¡°young. ¡°If you¡¯re worried, say you were worried.¡±

    ¡°Everyone shut up! ¡°Isn¡¯t this because you were a child who couldn¡¯t even take care of his own body in the first ce?¡±

    Ohjin burst outughing as he saw Riak shouting in an angry voice for no reason.

    ¡°Oh my god, are you awake already?¡±

    ¡°I went shopping with Be~¡±

    After chatting for a while, Isabe and Cassia returned with arge envelope in their hands.

    ¡°please wait for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll make it for you right away.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine because I ate porridge earlier.¡±

    ¡°The porridge gets full quickly. ¡°In times like these, you need to eat heartily.¡±

    Isabe headed to the kitchen with an enthusiastic expression on her face.

    ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡±

    Cassia shrugged as if she couldn¡¯t stop her and followed Isabe to the kitchen.

    Soon, there was a bustling sound and the smell of chicken broth being made.

    ¡®Good.¡¯

    Is this the first time I¡¯ve felt peace in some time?

    Oh Jin leisurely leaned back on the sofa with a faint smile on his lips.

    A warm feeling of happiness filled me with the feel of the soft leather.

    I changed it.

    The reason Isabe and Cassia got along so well.

    Riak was able to ovee trauma and ovee the ¡®wall¡¯.

    The fact that Vega came to embrace the feeling of love outside of the temple.

    Ha-eun regained her eyes and legs and was able to smile happily.

    It was because he had changed his fate.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t do it all on my own, though.¡¯

    It was a change that would never have urred without him.

    ¡®therefore.¡¯

    can do.

    You can change it.

    The ending of the story with a predetermined fate.

    With your own hands, by your own strength, by your own will.

    New.

    To an ending where everyone here can smile happily like now.

    ¡®Because I am a star in the sky.¡¯

    Although it is still not enough to deal with the Heavenly Demon.

    Even now, aren¡¯t you getting stronger every day?

    If we continue to grow like this, we can change our future¡­

    ¡°Um¡­ Oh, Oh Jin.¡±

    Isabe, who was in the kitchen, approached me with a pale expression, holding a smartphone in one hand.

    ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°T-TV. Turn on the TV quickly now!¡±

    Hearing the urgent cry, I tilted my head and turned on the TV.

    -We bring you urgent breaking news.

    A city engulfed in mes can be seen behind the announcer with a stern expression.

    -Currently, Rome has been attacked by a group of unknown demonic beasts.

    As he looked at the city burning in mes, Ojin felt something ¡®familiar¡¯.

    -Rome and all of Italy have suffered damage close to annihtion due to a horde of hundreds of thousands of demonic beasts that appeared without any warning¡­

    Where did you see this before?

    Ah yes.

    The sight of Rome engulfed in mes as seen in Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories.

    The appearance of the city at that time and the appearance of the city beyond the screen now were exactly the same.

    -Experts estimate that this incident may have resulted in at least one million civilian casualties.

    Contrary to Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories, the ¡®Blood Witch¡¯ did not exist.

    Italy was destroyed.

    Millions of people burning in mes and crushed by sharp teeth.

    Like fate.

    As fate would have it.

    The ending hase to an end.

    -What do you think about fate?

    Suddenly.

    Pris¡¯ words came to mind.

    ¡°¡­torrent.¡±

    Although I didn¡¯t understand it at the time.

    Now I know what that means.

    Destiny is like a torrent, no matter how hard you try to stop it, it flows fiercely in a certain direction.

    And yet.

    The fact that he could not change the flow of the great torrent called ¡®fate¡¯.

 Chapter 401

    I am not a returner Episode 401

    Call to Order (1)

    The cold, frozen air.

    Is it because I was filled with a warm feeling of happiness just a moment ago?

    The chilly atmosphere felt as if ice water had been poured into it.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Ha-eun, who was staring nkly at the TV, opened her mouth as if she couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°W You didn¡¯t turn on the movie channel properly, did you?¡±

    It was such an unexpected situation that she ended up ordering a movie, but she also knew full well that the image ying on TV was not a movie.

    A city engulfed in fire.

    Terrible screams and screams heard beyond the video.

    There was a vivid despair there that could not be created with artificial images.

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    Isabe stepped back with a pale, exhausted expression.

    Cassia supported her stumbling body.

    ¡°Why¡­ oh why?¡±

    ¡°Calm down.¡±

    Italy was Isabe¡¯s hometown where she was born and raised, so the shock was bound to be even greater.

    Oh Jin bit his chapped lip and took in the burning scenery of Rome in the video.

    There were a few differences from the scene seen through Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories.

    ¡®I¡¯m not a vampire.¡¯

    In Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories, Rome was destroyed by a legion of vampires led by a ¡®blood witch¡¯, but now Rome was being attacked by a group of demonic beasts of different races instead of vampires.

    ¡®Masuras of different races.¡¯

    Just because it¡¯s a demonic beast doesn¡¯t mean there are no ¡®species¡¯ differences.

    Just as animals are divided into countless species, such as lions, rabbits, and tigers, there were tens or even hundreds of species within the category of ¡®demon beasts¡¯.

    Just as lions and rabbits do not get along well, they also instinctively reject other species.

    ¡®but.¡¯

    Although the group of demonic beasts seen in the video were of different species, they were moving in unison like a trained army.

    A being that can control demons of different species like puppets.

    As far as Ojin knew, there were only two people who could do such a thing.

    ¡°¡­Cassia.¡±

    Ojin turned his head to one of the ¡®two¡¯ he knew.

    Cassia, who was supporting Isabe and looking at the TV with a heavy expression, nodded softly.

    ¡°Moebius is probably right.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Huojin fiercely curled his lips and touched his forehead.

    A self-deprecatingugh escaped between my lips.

    ¡®What can be changed?¡¯

    He was arrogant and arrogant.

    It wascent andfortable.

    Over the past three months, my body has grown explosively, but my mind has be rusty and dull from the peaceful daily life.

    Deep, sunken eyes stared at the burning me.

    ¨C Regarding the current situation, the Seven Star Council is¡­

    chijijijijijik.

    At that moment, noise appeared on the screen and the video became distorted.

    Like a broken radio, the announcer¡¯s words cut out and the screen flickered with ck light.

    ¡°Hasmunication been lost?¡±

    When Ha-eun frowns and tilts her head.

    Slurp, slurp.

    An eerie sound like a snake crawling across the floor was heard through the speaker.

    The screen, which had been blinking ck, regained light and a man appeared.

    A man as white as a snow field.

    The face with a faint smile looked so gentle that it would melt your heart just by looking at it, but the two poisonous green eyes were shining with an eerie madness.

    -Ah, can you hear me well?

    The man smiled awkwardly as if the broadcast was awkward and bowed in a polite motion.

    -My name is Mobius, the constetion of Ophiuchus.

    A smile that conveys the naivety of a young boy.

    What I hear beyond the voice is like a spring breeze that makes my mouth rx just by hearing it.

    -Aaaah! OMG! Wow!

    Screams filled with screams and pain.

    The sight of Moebius standing against the backdrop of a city engulfed in mes created a strange, grotesque feeling.

    -Hehehehehehe!

    At that time, a man came out of the fire, gasping for breath.

    Grabbing the sword in both hands, he spotted Moebius and opened his eyes.

    -You¡­ you bastard¡­!

    The stigmata engraved on the man¡¯s left chest radiated light.

    Blue sword energy burned on the twin swords held in both hands.

    ¡°Vittorio Calvani¡­?¡±

    The man¡¯s name came out of Isabe¡¯s mouth as she watched the video.

    ¡°Do you know someone?¡±

    ¡°He is a quite famous Cancer awakener in Italy.¡±

    Cancer was a powerful constetion within the 12 signs of the zodiac.

    The characteristic of the Cancer Stigmata is that it gives the weapon a cutting power so powerful that it is said to cut through space itself.

    The twin swords held in Vittorio¡¯s hands glowed eerily.

    -I thought they were all dead, but there were still awakened people alive.

    Mobius looked back at Vittorio and smiled.

    Vittorio¡¯s expression became distorted.

    He shouted, crossing the twin swords in both hands in an X shape.

    -Tarp, the constetion of Cancer! Please give me the strength to condemn that evil devil!

    Wooooow!

    Vittorio¡¯s stigmata burned fiercely, and the blue sword energy on his twin swords grew long as if surging.

    -Hahaha, it¡¯s no use.

    Moebius let out a lowugh and shook his head.

    -No matter how much you beg, no matter how much you long for it, no matter how desperate you are.

    He continued speaking with low-pitched eyes.

    -The constetions will never save humans.

    A voice as dry as the desert rang out.

    -shut up!

    Vittorio let out a harsh curse and rushed towards Mobius.

    The blue sword energy soared, intersecting in an X shape and splitting the space.

    The sword strike was so fast that it couldn¡¯t be captured on camera, splitting Mobius¡¯ body.

    and.

    -Wow! Wow!

    Moebius suddenly moved as if skipping the video and grabbed Vittorio¡¯s neck.

    Moebius smiled gently and extended his hand toward Vittorio¡¯s left chest.

    Crack.

    A hand dug into the stigmata-carved chest and pulled out the beating heart.

    -Can you hear Tarp¡¯s voice now?

    -Kuhkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!

    -haha. Look, am I right?

    Mobius shrugged and roughly grabbed the heart that was fluttering in his palm.

    My heart exploded and the red blood that flowed out soaked my hair as white as a snowy field.

    Moebius, soaked in blood, walked leisurely in the direction of the camera.

    -Well, with this, all the awakened people in this city are dead.

    Moebius, holding the camera in his hand, had a refreshing smile on his face.

    -Don¡¯t worry though. There are many people still alive, right?

    Just right.

    He flicked his hand, and pure white snakes crawled out from the wide spread shadow.

    I saw people tied up by tens of thousands of snakes.

    From old people with wrinkled skin to children who look no older than 10 years old.

    Countless people were unconscious and bound by snakes.

    -Uhm. Somehow, this line seems like a cheap viin, so I don¡¯t want to say it.

    Mobius continued speaking with a chuckle.

    -If you want to save these people,e to Italy.

    He politely ced his hand on his chest and bowed like an emcee announcing the end of the stage.

    Eerie, glowing green eyes stared straight ahead.

    -I¡¯ll be waiting. Those who have received the ¡®blessing of the stars¡¯.

    Crackling, crackling!

    Once again, noise appeared and the video changed.

    -iced coffee! We apologize for having a different video sent due to a suddenmunication failure!

    The announcer was seen repeatedly bowing his head with an embarrassed expression.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A heavy silence fell in the living room.

    ¡°That video¡­ was broadcast across the country, right?¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    Ohjin sighed deeply and touched his forehead.

    The image of the city engulfed in mes was engraved in my head like a brand and could not be erased.

    ¡®I never thought they would dere war at this timing.¡¯

    There would be no country that did not receive breaking news that Italy had been invaded on arge scale, so it was literally a deration of war against awakened people around the world.

    To the point where he was so tantly told toe to Italy while holding a hostage.

    ¡®It means that preparations have already beenpleted.¡¯

    Wow.

    My clenched fist was shaking.

    ¡°Oh no¡­ this¡­¡±

    Isabe staggered towards the TV with a pale look on her face.

    Isabe sat down in front of the screen, lowered her head and trembled her shoulders.

    ¡°Fate¡­ hasn¡¯t changed?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t be a blood witch¡­ then¡­ wasn¡¯t it okay?¡±

    I thought it would be okay.

    I was confident that I had changed my fate.

    but.

    In the end, nothing changed.

    ¡°¡­sorry.¡±

    Ojin ced his hand on Isabe¡¯s shoulder as she sat down.

    ¡°That little bastard is Moebius, right?¡±

    Ha-eun fiercely turned around, baring her teeth.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Italy.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°There are people still alive.¡±

    ¡°To be precise, there are people who ¡®didn¡¯t kill¡¯.¡±

    Cassia sighed deeply and shook her head.

    ¡°This is a trap. ¡°To bring awakened people to Italy.¡±

    Heading to Italy now was literally like jumping into a pit of fire.

    ¡°So let¡¯s just leave those people alone?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this, but the people who were caught are practically dead.¡±

    ¡°What is that¡­!¡±

    ¡°Think about it calmly. Even if we rushed to Italy right now, do you think those people would survive?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°For Mobius, those hostages are a means to bring in awakened people. ¡°Once it¡¯s done its useful work, it will be thrown away.¡±

    Cassia continued with bitter eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s already toote to save.¡±

    ¡°¡­that.¡±

    Ha-eun lowered her head while chewing her lip.

    She also knew.

    Now, Mobius hasid a trap and is waiting for them.

    but.

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re telling me not to do anything?¡±

    Are you telling us to stay still even after seeing people tied up and unconscious?

    ¡°¡­If it¡¯s necessary, then so be it.¡±

    Cassia bit her lip gently, avoiding Ha-eun¡¯s gaze.

    [¡­My child.]

    The surrounding eyes were focused on Ojin.

    Ohjin ced his hand on Isabe¡¯s shoulder and opened his mouth quietly.

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    ¡°Be, what do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s lips were tightly closed.

    She also knew that Mobius¡¯ deration was a trap.

    Even if they go to Italy, the chances of the captured people surviving are slim.

    ¡°I think it would be good¡­ to watch the situation.¡±

    A suppressed voice leaked out between tightly closed lips.

    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate for those who were caught¡­ It¡¯s too dangerous to follow Mobius¡¯ will¡­¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask that.¡±

    Ojin shook his head.

    I wasn¡¯t asking what the situation was like now.

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I¡¯m speechless again.

    Isabe¡¯s hand holding Ojin¡¯s cor trembled slightly.

    ¡°I want to save it.¡±

    Even if I know the chances are slim.

    ¡°If there is hope¡­I want to save you.¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    Ojin smiled slightly and stroked Isabe¡¯s head.

    ¡°I will save you.¡±

    If that¡¯s Isabe¡¯s wish.

 Chapter 402

    I am not a returner Episode 402:

    Summoning Order (2)

    ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s go beat up that stupid guy!¡±

    Ha-eun grinned and clenched her fists.

    I was going straight to Italy, even if I had to swim the sea.

    ¡°No, not right now.¡±

    Oh Jin shook his head quietly.

    Although the people gathered here were powerful people who would not be surprised if they wiped out a country, they could not just recklessly charge into a city where Moebius had already established itself and was fully prepared for battle.

    ¡°What do you n to do?¡±

    ¡°Even if I don¡¯t do anything, they will contact me first.¡±

    ¡°That one?¡±

    Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.

    Did they say that even tigers wille if you tell them what to do?

    The smartphone I had in my pocket vibrated.

    The name that appeared on the screen was Manager Han, as expected.

    ¡°yes.¡±

    -Oh Mr. Ojin! Italy now¡­!

    ¡°I saw the news too.¡±

    Moebius did not single out one person, Ojin, but dered war on all of these awakened people who received the ¡®Blessing of the Stars¡¯, so other people must have watched the same broadcast as he did.

    With the global chaos, it was natural that the association would immediately contact us.

    -Currently, a summons has been issued from the Seven Star Council regarding this incident.

    Order to convene the Seven Star Council.

    A summons order that requires all awakened people with the title of ¡®Seven Stars¡¯ to set aside what they are doing and gather without exception.

    Of course, it was free to refuse the summons, but in that case, the title of ¡®Chilseong¡¯ would be taken away, so it was actually a semipulsory order.

    Although it is said to be a semipulsory order, in fact it only exists in name only, and since the creation of the actual ¡®Chilseong¡¯, no formal convocation order has been dered.

    This was because beings called ¡®Chilseong¡¯ were not easy enough to obediently follow someone else¡¯s orders.

    If (even if that is unlikely) one of the members of the Seven Stars bes dissatisfied with the summons and leaves, the Seven Stars Council would be criticized worldwide, so who would dare to issue a summons so rashly?

    ¡®The summons was issued.¡¯

    This means that this incident brought shock to the whole world.

    ¡®Well, if it¡¯s natural, it¡¯s natural.¡¯

    Within hours of the raid, the country¡¯s capital burned to the ground.

    What if Italy, like the countries of the American continent, suffered a crushing blow from the ¡®first crack¡¯ incident and lost half of its national functions?

    The United States, Russia-China alliance, and the European Union.

    Among the powers currently dividing world power into thirds, Italy was a country that yed a central role in the European Union along with the United Kingdom.

    Since the capital of such a country burned down overnight, it would be natural for global chaos to ur.

    ¡°Where can we gather?¡±

    -First of all, it is a sanctuary¡­

    It was the perfect ce for the ¡®Seven Stars¡¯ scattered across the country to gather in one ce.

    ess to the sanctuary was possible through gates that were open all over the world like roots.

    -The other Chilseongs have all expressed their intention to participate¡­ What will Mr. Oh Jin do?

    ¡°I have to go.¡±

    This case cannot be solved alone.

    No matter how powerful each member of Ojin¡¯s group is, the six of them cannot enter and fight in a city upied by hundreds of thousands of demonic beasts.

    ¡®Even among them, Riak and Vega are restricted and have difficulty using their true powers.¡¯

    The only ones that can be said to have real strength are Ojin, Haeun, Isabe, and Cassia.

    Of course, three of them were 11-star and one of them was a monster party with the power of a 10-star in terms of firepower alone, but even so, it was impossible to fight the ¡®war¡¯ with only 4 people.

    ¡®Even more so if the purpose is to rescue captured hostages.¡¯

    Only after the power of the ¡®Seven Stars¡¯ scattered all over the worlde together in one ce will the rescue operation be able to be carried out.

    -All right. Then, I will see you in front of the sanctuary by 3 PM.

    ¡°Is Manager Haning too?¡±

    -Sure. Well¡­ Even though he doesn¡¯tmute to work, isn¡¯t Mr. Oh Jin formally a member of the association?

    ¡°ah.¡±

    That¡¯s right, now that I think about it, I belong to the association, right?

    As I was notmuting to and from work every time and just received the monthly sry, I even forgot that I belonged to the association.

    -No way¡­ you forgot, right?

    ¡°Oh, it can¡¯t possibly be like that.¡±

    -Let¡¯s see, Mr. Oh Jin, how much your next sry will be¡­

    ¡°Shall we meet in advance and have lunch, Manager? ¡°I¡¯ll take a shot.¡±

    -haha. I will receive that once this case is sessfully concluded.

    ¡°I know a really famous house. ¡°The menu is diverse.¡±

    I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard of Kimbap Heaven.

    -Yes, I¡¯m looking forward to it. Then, I¡¯ll see you in front of the sanctuary at 3 o¡¯clock.

    The phone was disconnected.

    Oh Jin checked the time on the smartphone screen.

    The time disyed on the digital clock was just past 12 PM.

    ¡°¡­3 hourster.¡±

    It was definitely a short time to bring together the big names called ¡®Chilseong¡¯.

    Since the matter is serious, everyone will quickly head to the sanctuary.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get ready and go out.¡±

    As Ojin said that, he turned around.

    Kuuk.

    Isabe held his cor and lowered her head.

    ¡°¡­Thank you, Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°What are you thankful for?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for listening to my stubbornness.¡±

    Isabe, as if the shock had not yet subsided, tried to put on a smile on her listless expression.

    ¡°I know very well that this is a Moebius trap. But¡­¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Ojin chuckled and stroked Isabe¡¯s hair.

    The reason why Isabe asked to ¡®save¡¯ the captured people even though she knew it was clearly the enemy¡¯s goal.

    Even Ojin had an idea as to the reason.

    That was the ce where I first met Isabe.

    ¡°Is it because of the gypsies?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Isabe opened her eyes wide with a surprised expression.

    ¡°How did Oh Jin do that¡­?¡±

    ¡°Even after you came to live with me, you often went to Italy to do volunteer work.¡±

    A huge gypsy vige located in Rome, Italy.

    Isabe was running several shelters there under the name of Colgrande.

    A facility that provides warm food and a ce to sleep to poor Gypsies who have nowhere to go.

    Isabe said that the ce was no different from a factory where ¡®blood¡¯ was provided to the gypsies in the name of protection.

    ¡®If that were the case, there would have been no reason to go and do volunteer work in person even after drinking my blood.¡¯

    Although Isabe tries to show herself as a cool-headed ¡®queen¡¯ with no trace of humanity on the outside.

    Oh Jin himself knew best that she had a softer and kinder heart than anyone else.

    ¡°Oh, did you know?!¡±

    ¡°Then I knew.¡±

    ¡°Who said that!¡±

    ¡°I heard it from Roberto.¡±

    ¡°How could you, Roberto¡­!¡±

    Isabe, who had been betrayed(?) by her most trusted subordinate, stamped her feet with a red face.

    A grin flowed from Oh Jin¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Ha¡­ I really can¡¯t stop you.¡±

    Cassia shook her head as if she couldn¡¯t stop him.

    ¡°After bing the head of the family, how can you be obsessed with such personal affection¡­ isn¡¯t it a waste of the name Colgrande?¡±

    Although he scolded Isabe and scolded her.

    There was a smile that couldn¡¯t be hidden on Cassia¡¯s lips.

    She asked, leaning in close to Ojin.

    ¡°Then do you n to unite the power of the Seven Stars?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly the power they have.¡±

    This is beyond what a few high-level awakened people can solve with a small number of people.

    What he needs now is great power.

    To be exact, it was a high-level ¡®army¡¯ that would block the hundreds of thousands of demonic beasts upying the city.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Who was Chilseong that Oh Jin was friends with?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Allen, Mr. Baek Mu-gang, and¡­¡±

    A green-haired woman with the stigmata of Gemini.

    We didn¡¯t meet often enough to be considered ¡®close¡¯, but at least we weren¡¯t like the other three without seeing each other once.

    ¡°Reba Bell. ¡°I know these three.¡±

    ¡°They are Mugokseong, Cheonkwonseong, and Nokjonseong.¡±

    Cassia asked, touching her red lips with her index finger.

    ¡°Oh Jin, you said what you need is ¡®power,¡¯ right?¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Cassia¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as if something was wrong.

    ¡°¡­Then we¡¯re in a bit of trouble.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    Are you in trouble?

    Even if I¡¯m not friends with everyone, I¡¯m still friends with 3 out of 6 people, so what¡¯s the problem?

    ¡°Mugokseong has something that can be called a force to some extent¡­ but Cheonjeongseong and Nokjonseong have nothing that can be called a force at all.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    No, but does it make sense that the Awakened One, who has the title ¡®Seven Stars¡¯, has no power at all?

    ¡°Oh my, is it time to react like someone else said? Oh Jin, you don¡¯t really have anything that can be called a power.¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    Sharp criticism gets to the bottom of the problem and strikes at you.

    As Cassia said, there was nothing in Ojin that could be called ¡®power¡¯.

    Even though he was part of the association, he only ¡®belonged¡¯ to the extent that Ohjin did not have the final decision-making authority.

    ¡°I have you guys, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, that sounds like something from a boy¡¯s cartoon. ¡°When I was young, I often read it without my parents knowing.¡±

    ¡°Noisy.¡±

    ha.

    He dropped his shoulders with a deep sigh.

    Of these, Isabe was the one who had what could be called ¡®power¡¯, but it was impossible to use the power of the Colgrande family since Rome, the origin of the Colgrande family, had been reduced to ashes.

    ¡®Then, now I have to somehow gather the power of the other Seven Stars.¡¯

    In fact, except for Allen and Reba, whom I already knew, I knew almost nothing about the other three ¡®Seven Stars¡¯.

    Before awakening, I thought of stigmata as something from another world, so I didn¡¯t pay any attention to it. After awakening, I was so busy finding my future that I couldn¡¯t pay attention to it.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know much, so I¡¯ll exin it to you.¡±

    Cassia continued speaking, extending her index finger.

    ¡°First of all, Bianca Bet from Ennd. As an awakened person with the stigmata of Aries, I enjoy wandering around the world like a wanderer, so I also have no power.¡±

    Then the middle finger was extended.

    ¡°Secondly, Edward Walton from the United States. As a Sagittarius awakened person, he is also active as a businessman who owns severalrgepanies in the United States. ¡°Perhaps the Colgrande family should take a step back when ites to financial resources?¡±

    ¡°Then there must be something to call a force.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ the problem is the characteristics of the United States.¡±

    American characteristics?

    ¡°The United States is the country with thergest number of high-ranking awakened people in the world, but because everyone values freedom so much, there is no organized force like the ¡®army¡¯ that Ohjin wants. ¡°At best, it¡¯s just a small group of mercenaries.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    A soft sigh flowed from between Ojin¡¯s lips.

    ¡°And finally, Alina dimir, a native of Russia. ¡°This is the person that Oh Jin needs to recruit as a top priority.¡±

    ¡°How much power do you have?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia, who paused for a moment in response to Ohjin¡¯s question, soon opened her mouth with a short sigh.

    ¡°National song.¡±

    ¡­what?

    ¡°She currently serves asmander-in-chief of the Russian-Chinese alliance forces.¡±

 Chapter 403

    I am not a returner Episode 403:

    Summoning order (3)

    Commander-in-chief of the Russian-Chinese alliance forces.

    Taeeulseong Alina dimir.

    He was a famous awakened person, so much so that even Ojin, who had no particr interest in Chilseong, had heard his name a few times in passing.

    ¡°So, if we seed in capturing Alina, we can move the army?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. ¡°Shepletely controls the military power of the Russian-Chinese alliance.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    The military.

    Ojin folded his arms and was deep in thought.

    ¡°Roughly what is your military strength?¡±

    They wouldn¡¯t have gathered a few hundred awakened people and given it a grandiose name ¡®army¡¯, so we can expect at least a thousand or more.

    ¡®If we do well, it could be over 2,000.¡¯

    If there were more than 2,000 awakened people, that alone would be an enormous amount of power.

    An army of 2,000 awakened people.

    At first nce, it is true that the number of people was insufficient to be called an ¡®army¡¯, but that was because the number of people was limited to ¡®awakened people¡¯.

    It varies from country to country, but on average, the ratio of ordinary people to awakened people is 1,000 to 1. In other

    words, one in a thousand people bes an awakened person, so even if only 2,000 people gathered, it could be said to be a huge number of people.

    ¡®And it must be very difficult to gather awakened people.¡¯

    Basically, awakened people tend to think that they are ¡®special¡¯ regardless of their ¡®star¡¯ level.

    It is not for nothing that there is a prejudice in the world that all awakened people are arrogant and arrogant.

    ¡®Well¡­ that can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    With the stigmata given to him by the Holy See, he could perform miracles that ordinary people could not even dream of, so he had no choice but to avoid feeling among the chosen people that he was ¡®special¡¯.

    Gathering awakened people with such a sense of being the chosen people and forming an army?

    ¡®I feel dizzy just thinking about it.¡¯

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t know that if I was asked to take on that role, I might copse with a vase.

    ¡°Hmm. wait a minute. ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact number of people.¡±

    Cassia, who had been calcting in her head for a moment, continued.

    ¡°There will be at least 10,000 people.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    Ten thousand people?

    Not a thousand, but ten thousand?

    Does that make sense?

    ¡°What, are you forcibly conscripting awakened people? ¡°How did those peoplee together?¡±

    ¡°You are correct.¡±

    ¡°What is urate¡­ ah.¡±

    no way.

    ¡°that¡¯s right. ¡°The Russian-Chinese alliance forcibly conscripts awakened people who are adults or older, regardless of their ¡®gender¡¯ level.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Mr. Iya.

    This is it.

    ¡°Of course, they are not put in one ce and forced to live in a group like in the regr military, but they are basically part of the military. Creating something like a guild is also prohibited. Well, actually, I guess I¡¯m closer to a civil servant than a soldier.¡±

    ¡°her.¡±

    I never thought there would be a country that forcibly conscripts truly awakened people.

    Of course, Oh Jin was born and raised in a country with a conscription system, but enforcing the conscription system for the general public and enforcing the conscription system for the awakened werepletely different.

    Ohjinughed and shook his head.

    Whatever the reason.

    It was a good opportunity for Ojin, who needed the military right away.

    ¡°So, what are the stigmatas that Alina dimir has?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the stigmata of Cygnus.¡±

    ¡°Cygnus?¡±

    If it were the constetion Cygnus, wouldn¡¯t it be Deneb¡¯s stigmata?

    ¡®Was Alina one of the 12 apostles of Deneb?¡¯

    For that matter, I have never seen him near Deneb before, not even during the proxy war, nor since.

    Well, anyway, if she¡¯s one of the 12 apostles of Deneb.

    ¡°Good. ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t I just ask Allen to help me recruit him?¡±

    If you ask Arlen Oscar, the de facto leader of the 12 Apostles of Deneb, you will be able to recruit her without difficulty.

    Still, Allen already owed money to Baek Moo-gang.

    [That¡­ will be difficult.]

    Vega shook her head softly.

    ¡°Is it difficult?¡±

    [I once heard Deneb grumble that there was a disgraceful apostle among her apostles who never visited the temple.]

    ¡°¡­Are you saying she¡¯s Alina?¡±

    [After hearing the name, it seems to be correct. I heard that even though Deneb put aside his pride and invited him to the temple several times, he was rejected, saying he did not want to be associated with the Constetion.]

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Are you saying that you only received the stigmata from Deneb and did not follow him?

    ¡®It¡¯s not umon.¡¯

    In fact, among the Awakened, it was rare to find an Awakened person who served a constetion like a religious priest.

    ¡®Even if you worship the constetion like a god, there is no practical help.¡¯

    The expression ¡®stigmata¡¯ is literally ¡®seed.¡¯

    Once the stigmata took root in a human being, the constetion could not directly help or influence the growth of the awakened person, so there was nothing to be gained by dedicating one¡¯s liver and gall to the constetion.

    ¡®Although there is a blessing.¡¯

    What if there was only one apostle like Vega?

    A constetion with hundreds to thousands of apostles could not give blessings carelessly.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s difficult to hope for Allen¡¯s cooperation?¡±

    Still, an awakened person with the same stigmata as the arms are bent inward may be able to help.

    The issue was too big to rely on such a superficial rtionship.

    ¡®For the awakened, having the same stigmata only feels like being from the same school.¡¯

    Imagine if someone came to the current militarymander and told him to send troops to help him because he was from the same school as us.

    It was also in a dangerous area infested with a horde of demonic beasts so powerful that an entire city disappeared in an instant.

    ¡®You¡¯ll be lucky if you don¡¯t get shot on the spot.¡¯

    anyway.

    There was no way to ask Allen for help.

    ¡°Then they say I have to recruit Alina myself¡­¡±

    The information I had about her was too poor to do that.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, please leave it to me.¡±

    Cassia stepped forward confidently.

    ¡°I already have all the basic information about Alina dimir.¡±

    ¡°Huh, when did you gather that information?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°I haven¡¯t been just ying around for the past three months, have I?¡±

    Cassia proudly sticks out her chest and tilts her head toward Ojin.

    It felt like a puppy begging for praise, so Oh Jin unconsciously ced his hand on her head and stroked it.

    ¡°Oh sorry.¡±

    Oh Jin, who btedly remembered that women most dislike having their hair touched carelessly, lowered his hand with a brief apology.

    widely.

    Cassia urgently grabbed the hand that was going down.

    ¡°Joe, please pet me a little more.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    How could I refuse a request made with shining emerald eyes?

    Ohjin stroked Cassia¡¯s head as she wished.

    ¡°lol.¡±

    The corners of Cassia¡¯s mouth loosened and her bodies pressed closer together as if she was showing off her charms.

    Oh Jin was stroking his head for a moment, mesmerized by the feel of the smooth and soft hair, but when the gaze of the women around him became increasingly bothersome, he took his hand away.

    ¡°Hmm. So what information do you have about Alina?¡±

    Cassia, who was looking at Ojin¡¯s hand as if she was disappointed about something, stretched out her hand toward the shadow.

    The shadow moved slowly, and a photo emerged from within it.

    The person pictured is a woman with short silver hair that reaches her shoulders.

    His tight lips and dark eyes gave off the spirit of a strong warrior.

    ¡°Alina dimir. It is said that he came from a Russian military family and was active as a soldier even before the ¡®first crack¡¯ opened.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a born soldier.¡±

    ¡°yes. After awakening the stigmata of Cygnus, I grew up quickly by leading a military unit made up of awakened people and hunting down demonic beasts. ¡°I became a member of Chilseong about six years ago.¡±

    Six years ago, it was not long after ¡®Chilseong¡¯ was created.

    ¡®So he¡¯s almost an original member.¡¯

    If so, it would be proof that his level as an awakened person was also high.

    ¡°So what castle is it now?¡±

    ¡°There is no exact information, but¡­ it is presumed to be an 11-star, the same as us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s 11 stars.¡±

    He was certainly at a high enough level to upy the position ofmander-in-chief of the allied forces.

    ¡°Let me see some pictures.¡±

    Ha-eun, who was quietly listening to the conversation next to him, suddenly stretched out her hand and snatched the photo.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°This is Tae-eul-seong.¡±

    Ha-eun, who was looking at the photo closely, whistled.

    ¡°Is it pretty?¡±

    Because of her tall height, strong shoulders, and strong eyes, the word ¡°dignified¡± came to mind first rather than ¡°pretty.¡±

    Looking at her appearance alone, Alina dimir had quite a beautiful appearance.

    ¡°You mean we have to bring him to our side? Ojini came forward directly.¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ha-eun, who was staring at the photo, swallowed her sleep and narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°why?¡±

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this something that has something to do with him?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±

    Why does something like this suddenlye up here?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your criminal record a bit shy for you to say something like that?¡±

    Ha-eun crossed her arms and looked through them in that order: Isab Vega and Cassia.

    Oh Jin, who had hit the nail on the head, shook his shoulders in shock.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    Cassia burst outughing and approached Ha-eun.

    Another photo came up from her shadow.

    The picture taken was of a middle-aged woman.

    Perhaps because he suffered a lot when he was young, his skin was as rough as a desert and his face was full of wrinkles.

    ¡°Who is thisdy again?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a photo of Alina dimir from 10 years ago.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s mouth opened wide.

    Just by looking at the photo, it was impossible to believe that the two were the same person.

    Cassia shrugged her shoulders and continued.

    ¡°Now she has be a high-ranking awakened person and has reorganized her body to be younger, but she is already over 50 years old.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. But if you put it that way, Vega is older¡­¡±

    [Can¡¯t he just shut his mouth!]

    Vega hurriedly flew over and pulled Ha-eun¡¯s hair.

    [I told you not to mention her age!]

    ¡°Ah, sorry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Ha-eun, who barely escaped Vega¡¯s hand, looked back at Cassia and opened her mouth.

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s too early to let down your guard just because you¡¯re old.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Ha-eun. ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡±

    ¡°ok? What?¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s a constetion, most people in their 50s are starting a family, right?¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    A low exmation came from Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Alina dimir also has a son who is already an adult.¡±

    ¡°aha. I see.¡±

    Ha-eun sighed in relief, as if she felt relieved only then.

    No, more urately, I was trying to sigh in relief.

    Until I heard Cassia¡¯s next words.

    ¡°Oh, of course, I think I lost my husband a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes turned to Oh-jin.

    A beautiful widow in her 50s with a child.

    An ominous feeling that cannot be expressed in words crept up my spine.

    ¡°¡­isn¡¯t it?¡±

    I trust you that we are here.

 Chapter 404

    I am not a returner Episode 404

    : Summoning order (4)

    A cold silence fell.

    Eyes filled with anxiety focused on Ojin.

    ¡°What do you mean no?¡±

    Oh Jin frowned as if asking what nonsense he was talking about.

    Ha-eun slowly turned her head and hesitantly opened her mouth.

    ¡°No¡­ why is that¡­ you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    no way.

    Are you worried that you might seduce a married woman with a child?

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s this woman. ¡°What kind of nonsense are you talking about?¡±

    Oh Jinughed as if it was absurd and snapped his finger at Ha Eun¡¯s forehead.

    Just right. Ha-eun¡¯s scream rang out with a clear sound.

    ¡°why not! ¡°Honestly, isn¡¯t it worth worrying about?!¡±

    ¡°You should be worried, why would I go crazy and seduce a married woman with children?!¡±

    ¡°But I heard you lost your husband!¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with it?¡±

    ¡°Why¡­what is it? ¡°There¡¯s a story about filling the empty space in your heart after losing your husband!¡±

    * * *

    * * *

    What, is it a cheap domestic adult movie?

    ¡°ha. ¡°No matter how many criminal records I have, I¡¯m not as crazy as you think, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°¡­is it real?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re lying, I¡¯ll cut you.¡±

    There was no need to say where to cut.

    [Oh, that¡¯s¡­]

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a bit difficult for my sister¡­?¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    Why are you saying it as if it¡¯s confirmed that it¡¯s a lie?

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking nonsense and get ready to go to the sanctuary.¡±

    Ohjin shook his head as if he was tired and turned around.

    ¡°Do you need any information about the other Seven Stars?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll listen to that slowly as I go.¡±

    Even if there was no need for information about Allen and Reba Baekmu-gang, information about the remaining two Seven Star Jade Stars, Bianca Bet and Yao Guangseong Edward Walton, was necessary.

    Even if you can¡¯t expect the two of them to have an ¡®army¡¯ level of power, it¡¯s certain that as long as they are members of the Seven Stars, they have the skills of a hundred.

    ¡®We must gather the power of the Seven Stars in one ce.¡¯

    Since we did not yet know exactly how powerful Moebius was, we had to gather all the power we could.

    In front of the sanctuary located in Hongdae.

    The streets, which were always crowded with numerous awakened people and merchants targeting them, were so quiet that not a single ant could be seen.

    ¡®Is the entrance blocked because of the Seven Star Council?¡¯

    Ohjin looked around at the association employees spread out around the entrance to the sanctuary and walked forward.

    ¡°You¡¯re here!¡±

    In the distance, I saw arge gori¡­ no, Manager Junman Han running towards me.

    ¡°yes. ¡°Is the entrance here controlled by the association?¡±

    ¡°It would be a big deal if a terrorist broke into a ce where the Seven Stars gather.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ well, that¡¯s right.¡±

    It¡¯s not Chilseong that¡¯s in big trouble, but the terrorists.

    In any case, it was important to make sure that there was as little unnecessary noise as possible at the ce where Chilseong gathered.

    Because right now was not the time to worry about such noise.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go in, Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ except for Vega, everyone else will have to wait outside while the meeting is in progress. Is that okay?¡±

    Manager Han looked back at Cassia and Isabe Ha-eun and asked.

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression crumpled slightly when she was told that she would have to wait outside.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I just watch and not participate in the meeting?¡±

    ¡°yes. Since the matter is a serious matter¡­ I, who follows Mr. Oh Jin as his attendant, also have to wait outside.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ha-eun frowns and crosses her arms as if she doesn¡¯t like it.

    Isabe, who had been listening quietly, narrowed her eyes as if she did not understand.

    ¡°You said earlier that you excluded Vega. What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Ah, in the case of the Constetions, you can observe the meeting. Of course, there are no separate voting rights.¡±

    ¡°Why are only the Constetions allowed to listen?¡±

    Even the attendants had to go outside and wait, but the fact that only the constetion was allowed to watch was bound to raiseints.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a ¡®constetion.¡¯¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The following manager¡¯s answer dismissed theint very simply.

    ¡°ha. all right. ¡°Let¡¯s wait outside.¡±

    Isabe sighed deeply and nodded.

    [Well¡­ I feel sorry for something.]

    ¡°It¡¯s not for Vega to apologize. Anyway, please help Oh Jin finish the meeting sessfully.¡±

    [Huh! Just trust the real woman!]

    Vega nodded, snorting with enthusiasm.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s head to the conference hall.¡±

    Ohjin and his group followed Manager Han into the sanctuary.

    The meeting ce was held in a building believed to be the Holy See¡¯s temple.

    The temple, which had a pink exterior wall, had a cluster of sparkling lights floating around as if some special effect had been turned on.

    [It¡¯s Spica¡¯s temple.]

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    no wonder.

    The atmosphere was so bright that it felt ufortable, and it turned out to be the temple of the constetion Virgo.

    ¡°Why did you choose this ce as the meeting ce?¡­¡±

    We have to hold a meeting on countermeasures against the demonic army and Mobius that destroyed Italy in a temple with a bright atmosphere like a princess¡¯ castle in a fairy tale.

    I felt a deep sense of disconnect, as if a court trial was being held at an amusement park.

    [Is there any constetion that would readily vacate its temple just because there is an emergency meeting of the Seven Stars?]

    ¡°Well, in that sense, Spica¡¯s temple would be perfect.¡±

    Due to Spica¡¯s personality, he would not have been able to miss such a special event, so he would have willingly allowed the rental of the temple.

    And in return, they would have offered permission to attend the meeting.

    ¡°Then, Ojin. ¡°We will be waiting here.¡±

    ¡°I have to do well in the meeting?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Oh Jin.¡±

    The moment I was about to enter the conference hall while being seen off by three women.

    ¡°Have a nice trip, Mom!¡±

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t I tell you to call me Commander outside?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry. ¡°Commander!¡±

    When I turned my head to hear a voiceing from next to me, I saw a young man sitting in a wheelchair and a woman with short silver hair.

    Next to the woman in a neat uniform, people in military uniform were lined up in perfect rows and rows, as if they were measured with a ruler.

    ¡°To Commander Alina dimir©¥ Salute!¡±

    ¡°insect! castle!¡±

    ¡°Loyalty.¡±

    The woman, who received the salute with perfect movements that could have been included in a ritual textbook, turned and entered the temple.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Is he that Tae-eul-seong?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    Ojin nodded and looked at Alina¡¯s back as she entered the temple without even looking in this direction.

    Ohjin¡¯s gaze, which was looking at Alina¡¯s back, soon shifted to the young man sitting in the wheelchair.

    The young man with the same silver hair as Alina had a sickly appearance, as if he would copse if touched, unlike Alina, who had the air of a man¡¯s boss even though she was a woman.

    ¡°The man sitting in that wheelchair is Alphonse dimir, the son of Alina dimir I told you about.¡±

    ¡°¡­Your impression is very different from your mother¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°I heard that a few years ago, I fell ill with an unknown disease and was unable to walk on my own.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    It¡¯s a disease of unknown cause.

    Ojin¡¯s eyes naturally turned to Cassia.

    As she also suffered from an incurable disease in the past and was confined to a wheelchair, there were questions about whether she knew anything about the ¡®disease of unknown cause¡¯ that Alina¡¯s son was suffering from.

    In response, Cassia shook her head softly.

    ¡°It¡¯s a different disease than the one I had. ¡°I had a disease that caused the muscles of my entire body to stiffen, but Alphons dimir was only unable to walk properly, and I had never heard of his muscles stiffening.¡±

    ¡°okay? ¡°You don¡¯t know what kind of disease it is?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. ¡°Alina was so protective of her son that she was unable to find out any information about Alphonse.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be sorry about.¡±

    Still, wasn¡¯t it possible to get direction for the n thanks to Cassia gathering all kinds of information over the past three months?

    Rather, I expressed my gratitude and could not criticize him for not being good enough.

    ¡°Thank you for helping me in many ways. ¡°Thank you, it helped me a lot.¡±

    Ojin smiled slightly and stroked Cassia¡¯s head.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡±

    When Ojin¡¯s hand touched her head, Cassia trembled and her cheeks blushed.

    The warmthing from his hand spread through the top of my head and throughout my body.

    When Cassia smiled a tired smile that seemed to melt and felt the warmthing from his touch with her whole body.

    widely.

    Isabe removed Ojin¡¯s hand from Cassia¡¯s head.

    ¡°Leave it at that, Mr. Ohjin. ¡°Because my sister might get horny.¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you saying to your sister like that?¡±

    ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±

    Oh Jin swallowed a bitter smile as he looked at the sisters who began to growl.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go.¡±

    [I will definitely gather reinforcements to rescue the people captured by Moebius!]

    Ojin and Vega walked towards the temple.

    ¡°First of all, before we start the meeting, I would like to thank all of you at Chilseong for taking time out of your busy schedule toe here.¡±

    A business-like woman wearing thick horn-rimmed sses stood on the podium.

    This was the woman who exined the rules at the ¡®Seven Star Council¡¯ held by Ojin before.

    She pushed up her sses and looked back at Chilseong sitting around the round table with nervous eyes.

    Taeeulseong Alina dimir.

    Infinite Allen Oscar.

    Yogwangseong Edward Walton.

    Green Rebekah Bell.

    Cheon Gwon-seong and Baek Moo-gang.

    Jade Fortress Bianca Bet.

    and.

    Even Kwon Oh-jin, a traitor.

    It was her first time seeing seven stars gathered in one ce like this, even as she had led the ¡®Council¡¯ until now.

    ¡°My name is Olivia and I am representing the council to help run the meeting.¡±

    She bent down at a 90-degree angle and ced a transparent crystal ball on the table.

    The light flowing from the relic created an image in the air like a hologram.

    What you see in the video is the streets of Rome engulfed in fire.

    Chilseong¡¯s expression, sitting around the round table, hardened as he watched the terrible video filled with screams and screams.

    ¡°The reason we have invited you here is to prepare countermeasures against therge-scale terrorist incident that urred in Italy and the person named ¡®Mobius¡¯ who is presumed to be the leader of this terrorist attack. First of all, regarding the case¡­.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    Someone raised a hand, interrupting Olivia¡¯s exnation.

    The person who raised her hand was Alina dimir, known as ¡®Tae-eul-seong¡¯.

    ¡°Before we get into the actual meeting, I have one thing to say.¡±

    She opened her mouth, looking around at the Chilseong sitting around the round table with cold eyes.

    ¡°The Russian-Chinese allies, including Taeeulseong Ali and dimir, will not intervene in any way in this Italian terrorist incident.¡±

    A cold atmosphere descended on the conference hall as the deration was as decisive as cutting with a knife.

 Chapter 405

    I am not a regressor Episode 405:

    Summoning Order (5)

    ¡°¡­What does that mean now?¡±

    A voice that was as cold as frost.

    Allen continued, ring at Alina dimir with cold eyes.

    ¡°Alina, I¡¯m sure you know very well how many people are currently being held captive by Mobius.¡±

    Although it wasn¡¯t included in the video Olivia yed yet.

    Everyone gathered here, no, people from all over the world must have watched live the images of people being held captive by Mobius.

    ¡°Most of them are ordinary people who have not even been given the stigmata.¡±

    Is that all?

    Among the hostages captured in the video, there was even a child who appeared to be no older than 10 years old.

    Even after seeing that shocking video full of terrible screams and wailing, how can they say that they ¡®do not intervene in any way¡¯?

    ¡°Are you sure you couldn¡¯t see the video?¡±

    ¡°no. Of course I saw it.¡±

    ¡°Then how could that be¡­!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying this because I saw the video.¡±

    Alina continued speaking with a calm expression.

    ¡°Mobius took the hostages and told them toe to Rome if they wanted to save them. ¡°No matter how you look at it, isn¡¯t it an enemy trap?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t send our precious unit members to a battlefield that is clearly a trap.¡±

    He shook his head with a stern look in his eyes, as ifpromise was impossible.

    ¡°The lives of our unit members are as precious to me as the lives of the captured hostages. ¡°We cannot force them to die in vain.¡±

    ¡°A vain death¡­! ¡°Is saving people in vain?¡±

    ¡°I want to say that sacrifice cannot be forced in the face of humanity and morality.¡±

    We cannot be forced to make sacrifices in the face of humanity and morality.

    Alina¡¯s argument also made sense.

    A being who destroyed a city in the blink of an eye proudly issued a provocation against the entire world, but to meekly ept that provocation was, in some ways, reckless.

    ¡°¡­Would you say that even if it happened inside Russia or China?¡±

    Allen asked, looking at Alina with sharp eyes.

    Alina shook her head in a blunt manner without any change in her expression.

    ¡°If something happened within the alliance, it would be right to send the military.¡±

    ¡°In other words, since the incident urred in Italy, the Alliance will not be involved?¡±

    ¡°Is there any reason to get involved on the contrary? ¡°This is a problem that must be resolved within the European Union.¡±

    ¡°under.¡±

    Allen red at Alina with contemptuous eyes.

    Despite the appearance of a clear ¡®enemy¡¯ of humanity, the Constetion of Demonic Beasts and ck Stars.

    Humans confine each other within the framework of the nation and dismiss it as ¡®other people¡¯s business.¡¯

    As it was in the past.

    Public utility always bows down to individual desires.

    [It¡¯s pathetic.]

    A voice echoes softly in the conference room.

    The boy¡¯s voice, with a somewhat youthful feeling, echoed directly in the minds of the awakened people.

    Outside the conference room with a round table.

    A boy walked out from behind the pir supporting the temple.

    A boy who wears treasures whose value we cannot even guess, like clothes, all over his body.

    Deneb, the constetion of Cygnus, red at Alina with a cold gaze.

    [Why do you think I gave you humans the stigmata?]

    Deneb continued speaking as she nced at the awakened people sitting at the round table.

    [The stigmata were given to us to save humanity and protect the world on behalf of those of us who are bound by the restrictions of thew and cannot move freely.]

    But.

    [Why are we all gathered here now and saying that we won¡¯t get involved because it¡¯s another country¡¯s business? Huh?]

    Driven by the constetion¡¯s emotions, the magical power of the stigmata spread throughout the conference hall.

    A frosty wind blew inside the conference hall, which was filled with gentle warmth like a spring breeze.

    The pink wall froze and white frost settled on the floor.

    An extreme cold that seemed to freeze even the exhaled breath pressed upon the awakened people.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    Olivia clutched her neck as if in pain at the overwhelming presenceing from Deneb.

    Deneb took a step toward Alina without even looking at Olivia, who wasining of pain.

    [Are we now splitting sides?]

    When the waves of white frost began to spread out in all directions along with the angry constetions.

    [Stop it.]

    Silver energy blocking the frost.

    The energy emanating from Vega calmed the frosty wind that was swirling in the conference hall.

    Deneb twisted her face fiercely and red at Vega.

    [Why are you blocking it?]

    [Isn¡¯t our role to watch over children so that they can find their own way?]

    [Now is the time¡­!]

    [Or. Are you going to ignore the children¡¯s will and force them to follow?]

    Vega stared at Deneb with deeply sunken eyes.

    Deneb¡¯s body trembled.

    [A constetion is a leader who cares for children like a parent and gives them direction to go down the right path, not a ruler who grabs children by their hair and forces them to follow.] [Well, I know

    that, but¡­]

    [Then, a little more. Trust the children and watch quietly.]

    [¡­.]

    Deneb bit her lip.

    [I also agree with what Vega said.]

    [Hahaha! Don¡¯t worry, our children will find a wise answer!]

    Regulus, the constetion in Leo, and Aldeberand, the constetion in Taurus.

    [I don¡¯t think this is the ce for the Constetion to step forward.]

    [Yes, yes! The promise I made when lending my temple was that I would not directly participate in the meeting!]

    Aris, the constetion of Aries, and Spica, the constetion of Virgo, also added a word from the side.

    [Okay. Okay.]

    Deneb sighed and stepped back as if there was nothing he could do.

    ¡°¡­Then can we proceed with the meeting?¡±

    Olivia, who was clutching her neck andining of pain, looked back at the constetions while breathing heavily.

    The constetions nodded and nced at Alina and Allen.

    Alina let out a short sigh and opened her mouth.

    ¡°Just because we are, that doesn¡¯t mean we aren¡¯t worried about the people captured by Moebius.¡±

    but.

    ¡°Even so, I cannot send my men to a battlefield where the enemy¡¯s trap is clearly evident.¡±

    ¡°I think the same as her.¡±

    A blond man with a grave look who was sitting next to me raised his hand.

    Yogwangseong Edward Walton.

    He was a Sagittarius awakened person and a businessman ranked among the top five conglomerates in the world.

    ¡°It may be possible to send relief supplies, but it seems difficult to send mercenaries. ¡°Even if you are a mercenary who follows money, who would go if you were told to go to a dangerous ce?¡±

    ¡°Even Mr. Edward¡­¡±

    Allen chewed his lip with a nervous expression.

    ¡°I vote for Mr. Allen¡¯s opinion.¡±

    A green-haired woman who was listening to the meeting with her arms crossed raised her hand.

    Green Rebekah Bell.

    He was an awakened person with the stigmata of Gemini and the fastest awakened person to reach 9 stars, excluding Ojin.

    ¡°What was the thing we emphasized most when selecting Chilseong¡¯s candidate? ¡°Didn¡¯t you feel like reaching out to the powerless?¡±

    The name ¡®Chilseong¡¯ was not something that could be obtained simply by having strong power.

    A person who can take responsibilitymensurate with his/her power.

    Wasn¡¯t the reason they took the test by deceiving the prominent candidates who participated to be Chilseong to find a talent who could take on such responsibility?

    ¡°Even if everyone else turns their backs on them, you, who bear the name of Chilseong, should not do the same.¡±

    Reba erased her usual yful expression and cheerful smile and looked at Alina and Edward with serious eyes.

    ¡°me too! ¡°I want to help Allen too!¡±

    Cheon Kwon-seong Baek Moo-gang raised his hand with a simple smile.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m against it. As the militarydy said, it¡¯s being advertised as a trap, but what if you blindly go there and the awakened people end up dying in droves? ¡°Then what do you do after that?¡±

    Jade Fortress Bianca Bet shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

    Allen opened his mouth, ring at Bianca.

    ¡°¡­Wasn¡¯t Bianca from the same UK?¡±

    ¡°When did you say it has nothing to do with the country?¡±

    Bianca twirled her fingers through her curly blonde hair and shrugged as if she wasn¡¯t interested.

    Ohjin frowned as he stared at the meeting that did not interlock like parallel lines.

    ¡®Is it 3 to 3?¡¯

    If he took Allen¡¯s side here, he would have a majority of 4 to 3, but this was not a ss president election, and even if he had a majority, he could not force the opposition, including Alina, into the war.

    ¡®Both sides are not without logic.¡¯

    Allen emphasizes humanity and morality and his responsibility as a Chilseong.

    On the other hand, Alina emphasizes rational choices by emphasizing risks and practical benefits.

    It was a situation where neither of them could just say that the other was ¡®wrong.¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s why opinions were divided in half, as if they were plotting against each other.¡¯

    Ojin narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Seven Stars, who were divided in half and began raising their voices at each other.

    A thought passed through my head.

    ¡®Is this what he was aiming for?¡¯

    Chilseong and other awakened people are divided and confront each other.

    Conflicts over humanity, utility, morality, and selfishness.

    As always.

    Just like it has been all along.

    Conflicting, opposing, hating and resenting each other.

    ¡°¡­under.¡±

    A smile escaped Ojin¡¯s lips.

    In fact, the story of Moebius, who could be said to be the culprit of this incident, did not evene out of the mouths of the awakened people.

    They are just busy pushing each other away, hiding behind the solid wall of logic.

    ¡®If this is what you wanted.¡¯

    That wall of logic.

    You have no choice but to destroy it with your own hands.

    ¡°Two days after the Italian raid, the awakened members of the European Union gathered around Mungok Castle head to the battlefield to recapture Rome.¡±

    The eyes of the Seven Stars, who were raising their voices at each other, turned to Ojin.

    ¡°What is that¡­¡±

    ¡°Due to the overwhelming power difference, the recapture operation failed and Mobius quietly disappeared.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°A simr thing happens in Moscow exactly 36 days after the failed operation.¡±

    He continued speaking, ignoring the awakened people who were looking at him with expressions asking what kind of nonsense he was talking about.

    ¡°The awakened people in the European Union poured out criticism, saying they knew this would happen, and China ended its alliance with Russia and deployed military units made up of awakened people in each city.¡±

    ¡°Are you writing a novel?¡±

    Alina dimirughed and red at Ojin.

    ¡°67 dayster, on the 100th day, Korea will be attacked. Here, the Seven Stars gather once again to propose resolving their previous debt and creating a world union, but it fails.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°The United States falls on the 152nd day, and the United Kingdom falls on the 218th day. The damage grows out of control, and Mobius uses the bodies of the dead awakened people to create a new army.¡±

    and.

    ¡°Exactly one year after the raid on Rome. ¡°There will no longer be any countries on this Earth that can be called ¡®nations.¡¯¡±

    With those words, Oh Jin kept his mouth shut, as if he had said everything he wanted to say.

    An awkward silence filled the conference room.

    ¡°¡­I heard what you said.¡±

    It was Alina dimir who broke the silence.

    The blue pupils staring at Ojin were as cold as ice.

    ¡°I have to ask this question first before asking any other questions.¡±

    Alina red at Ojin with eyes that showed even subtle anger.

    ¡°Why are you talking as if you know everything that will happen in the future?¡±

    ¡°Because I know.¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    Ojin took a deep breath and looked around at each of the awakened people sitting around the round table.

    Phew.

    Exhaling the breath that had filled my lungs.

    ¡°I am a regressor.¡±

    The ¡®truth¡¯ that had been hidden until now was revealed.

 Chapter 406

    I am not a returner Episode 406:

    Convocation Order (6)

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    A low sigh awakened the silence in the conference room.

    Alina dimir, a woman with an impression as strong as steel, let out augh with an absurd expression.

    How can you notugh?

    I met a crazy person right in front of me who called himself a ¡®regressor¡¯.

    ¡°Did you hurt your head while going to the devil¡¯s eye?¡±

    Although it can be rude if it is rude between people of the same gender.

    Alina was now looking at him with a serious expression, as if she was truly worried about a misdiagnosis.

    The story that there was something wrong with the mind of the person with the title of ¡®Bagunseong¡¯ was a problem that even Alina, who belonged to the same Seven Stars as him, could not ignore.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean that what you just said¡­¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to believe.¡±

    He suddenly lists events that will happen in the future as if he were a prophet and calls himself a ¡®returner¡¯ from the future. Who would believe that?

    Not only Alina but the other Seven Stars also had simr reactions.

    An expression that makes you doubt your ears as to whether you heard correctly.

    Among them, only Baek Mu-gang said, ¡®Wow! He was just expressing pure admiration, saying, ¡®This is amazing!¡¯

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s a natural reaction.¡¯

    If you were in the same situation, wouldn¡¯t you have reacted simrly?

    Nevertheless, there is one reason why he suddenly called himself a ¡®regressor¡¯ here.

    This is because there are people in this conference hall who actually believe that crazy sound.

    And they aren¡¯t just idiots who don¡¯t know where they came from.

    There are transcendent beings called ¡®constetions¡¯.

    ¡°The Holy See knows best that what I say is true.¡±

    ¡°¡­constetion?¡±

    Ojin¡¯s gaze turned to the constetions gathered a little distance away from the round table.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    I flinch.

    Vega¡¯s shoulders trembled.

    She nodded repeatedly like a broken machine.

    [That¡¯s right! Bo¡¯s child is a regressor¡­]

    [Why are you so embarrassed? You already knew that Pagunseong is a ¡®star of the sky¡¯, right?]

    Deneb scolded Vega, who was so embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t even speak properly.

    [That¡¯s right! Of course, the woman herself knew this! So¡­ the original woman¡¯s child¡­]

    [Sigh.]

    Is it because it was suddenly announced to the world that her child was a regressor?

    Deneb stepped forward, leaving Vega in confusion.

    [Everything Pagunseong said just now is true.]

    ¡°¡­Are you saying that Mr. Oh Jin is a regressor?¡±

    [That¡¯s right.]

    Deneb nodded softly and turned to Ojin.

    [That child is the ¡®Star of the Reverse Sky¡¯.]

    ¡°The Star of the Reverse Heaven¡­?¡±

    Alina frowned and tilted her head as if it was her first time hearing the word.

    ¡°Now wait a minute. Are you saying that Mr. Oh Jin was a star in the sky? ¡°That¡­ appears in Pris¡¯ prophecy?¡±

    Allen looked at Deneb with a puzzled expression, wondering if he had heard anything about the ¡®Star of the Reverse Sky¡¯.

    As Deneb nodded softly, Allen¡¯s mouth opened wide.

    The colorful changes in facial expressions shown by Mugokseong Allen Oscar, who is famous for being blunt and cool-headed, caused a stir even among Chilseong.

    ¡°What on earth is a star in the sky?¡±

    Reba frowned slightly and turned her head to Allen, keeping her arms crossed.

    Allen swallowed dry saliva and opened his mouth.

    ¡°ording to Pris¡¯ prophecy¡­ this world has already experienced destruction once.¡±

    An exnation about the stars in the sky continued.

    The world has already been destroyed once, and Pris¡¯s prophecy states that a star from the reverse sky that travels back in time can change the fate that is heading toward destruction.

    The Seven Stars¡¯ expressions gradually became distorted as they heard a story that seemed like something out of a pseudo-religious book.

    ¡°You want me to believe that now?¡±

    Rebaughed as if it was ridiculous and shook her head as if it was nonsense.

    [I understand that it¡¯s hard to believe, but everything Allen said just now ispletely true.] I

    couldn¡¯t help but be dumbfounded by Deneb¡¯s continued affirmation.

    The Holy Seees out and says it¡¯s true, but you can¡¯t tell them to stop talking nonsense to their face.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Alina let out a sigh and touched her forehead as if her head was pounding.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re a returner from a destroyed future?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Oh Jin nodded calmly.

    Alina¡¯s sharp eyes looked up and down as if she was looking right through him.

    She lived as themander-in-chief of the Russian-Chinese alliance, meeting and leading countless people.

    so that.

    I was confident in my ability to see people.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯

    It feels like looking up at the night sky covered in dark clouds.

    Even with my long-honed eyes, I could not confirm his authenticity.

    However, that does not mean that we can simply believe the absurd statement that his identity is a returner from the future.

    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you revealed the truth until now?¡±

    Alina narrowed her eyes and asked interrogatively.

    ¡°If Mr. Oh Jin is really a regressor, doesn¡¯t that mean he knew about this incident in Italy in advance?¡±

    Then why?

    Even though you knew, you couldn¡¯t prevent the disaster?

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin kept his mouth shut in response to the straight-forward question.

    He remained silent with his eyes closed, then quietly opened his mouth.

    ¡°¡­Yes, I knew.¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you warn me in advance?¡±

    ¡°If I had warned you, would you have believed me?¡±

    It is said that a city with a poption of millions will be attacked by the ck Star Constetion and an army of demonic beasts and destroyed overnight.

    Did they really take it seriously?

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you were quietly watching the destruction happen without doing anything?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    A cold mockery leaks out as the lips twist.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the ones who didn¡¯t do anything?¡±

    ¡°¡­I beg your pardon?¡±

    Alina¡¯s expression distorted fiercely.

    Oh Jin opened his mouth with a calm expression.

    ¡°When the ck Star first appeared in the world. Do you know who killed their bailiff?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°I killed him.¡±

    The person who killed Cheon Do-yoon, the king of owls, was none other than Oh Jin.

    ¡°Who killed the King of Seahorses that appeared after that?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what the Japanese awakener killed?¡±

    Bianca Bet, who was quietly listening to the meeting, tilted her head and asked.

    ¡°¡­no.¡±

    The answer came not from misdiagnosis, but from Alina.

    In the world, it was believed that Ryo Sakaki, the leader of Kuroshi, killed the King of the Seahorses, but ording to a report heard through an intelligence organization under the alliance, the awakened person who actually killed the King of the Seahorses was someone else.

    The awakened person who killed the King of Seahorses was¡­

    ¡°¡­Mr. Ojin killed him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I killed him.¡±

    Oh Jin nodded quietly and continued speaking.

    ¡°Then then. ¡°Who killed the Toad King?¡±

    ¡°¡­Guardian castle.¡±

    The name of the now disintegrated organization flowed from Alina¡¯s lips.

    Did you say that it was an organization created by Tamrangseong himself?

    Of course, immediately after the decision, the organization disappeared as casualties urred in the first operation and Tamrangseong died in the Demon World.

    It was true that they killed the king of toads.

    And the most important figure in the guardian castle is.

    ¡°It was me.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Alina¡¯s expression hardened.

    ¡°Recently, ck star constetions have begun to appear.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s about Ancdus, I know.¡±

    ¡°Then you probably know who killed him.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Druk.

    Oh Jin stood up and looked around at each of the Seven Stars sitting around the round table.

    ¡°I killed three executioners of the ck Star Society, went to the Demon World to prevent the resurrection of the Heavenly Demon, and even killed the ck Star Constetion.¡±

    Among those sitting here, there was no one who could even follow the countless achievements that Ojin had achieved.

    ¡°Then now it¡¯s my turn to ask.¡±

    The burning gaze was directed at Alina.

    ¡°What on earth have you been doing all this time?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Alina¡¯s lips tightened.

    It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t have anything to say.

    Just because it was another Chilseong, it didn¡¯t mean he was ying around and washing his hands.

    He hunted down named demons that were active all over the world and used the power of stigmata to punish evildoers whomitted terrible crimes.

    but.

    Even taking that into ount, it was nothing short of shabbypared to Oh Jin¡¯s achievements.

    ¡°¡­there was not enough information.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that Ojin couldn¡¯t do what he could do because the people gathered herecked the strength.

    Or rather, if we were to consider simple ¡®force¡¯, the power of the awakened people gathered here was by no means inferior to Ojin.

    The reason they had been unable to punish the ck Star Council¡¯s executioners until now was simply because they did not know where they were hiding.

    The same goes for Cheonma.

    Although knowledge of his existence was spread through the constetions, the fact that the Heavenly Demon was preparing for resurrection in the Demon World was information they had no way of knowing.

    okay.

    Unless you literally know the ¡®future¡¯¡­

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    A low sticity flows from between Alina¡¯s lips.

    Oh Jin looked at her eximing and twisted the corner of his mouth.

    ¡°Do you really think all of this is a coincidence?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    surely.

    Ohjin¡¯s achievements were not exined to be dismissed as a mere ¡®coincidence¡¯.

    ¡°But¡­ in the end, you weren¡¯t able to prevent the Italian attack in advance, right?¡±

    If his aplishments were due to his knowledge of what would happen in the future.

    Why couldn¡¯t the disaster in Italy be prevented?

    ¡°Alina, what do you think about fate?¡±

    He remembers a question the constetion Ursa Minor once asked him.

    ¡°¡­fate?¡±

    ¡°Yes, fate.¡±

    ¡°The future has already been decided¡­ isn¡¯t it something like that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking about the definition of fate. ¡°I want to ask about the nature of fate.¡±

    He slowly raised his arm and moved his hand from left to right.

    ¡°Fate is not a straight line.¡±

    This time he lowered his hand from top to bottom.

    ¡°Fate is like a rushing torrent.¡±

    ¡°¡­What on earth do you want to say?¡±

    ¡°Would throwing a rock or two into a rushing torrent change the flow?¡±

    ¡°Fate cannot be easily changed. What do you want to say?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Oh Jin nodded with a bitter expression.

    ¡°I tried to stop it. No, I thought I actually blocked it.¡±

    Arrogantly and arrogantly.

    I thought I had changed my fate.

    but.

    ¡°The raid took ce in a different way.¡±

    ¡°In the original future, then¡­¡±

    ¡°Mobius does not appear. ¡°This was done by an awakened person called the ¡®Blood Witch.¡¯¡±

    ¡°So what happened to that bloody witch?¡±

    ¡°I used to handle it myself. Before she became a ¡®blood witch.¡¯¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Nevertheless, Italy was destroyed.

    That¡¯s right.

    ¡°Are you saying that even if you change the cause¡­ the result won¡¯t change?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t change it at all. ¡°Then there would have been no reason for me to struggle to change the future.¡±

    Even if you throw a rock into the rushing torrent, you can¡¯t stop it.

    The flow could be changed by stacking several rocks to block it.

    ¡°To be honest¡­ it¡¯s hard to believe.¡±

    Alina, who had been thinking with her eyes closed, sighed and shook her head.

    No matter how great his achievements so far are.

    It was not easy to ept that Oh Jin was a returnee from the future.

    To put it bluntly, wouldn¡¯t achieving great achievements be proof that one came from the future?

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°If it were anyone else, Alina, you would have to trust me.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Do you have a son?¡±

    ¡°¡­Why is the story about Alphonse suddenlying up?¡±

    Alina¡¯s expression distorted fiercely.

    ¡°36 days¡­ No, it¡¯s 36 days since the operation failed, so it would be 38 days from now.¡±

    Ojin lightly shrugged his shoulders and sat down.

    ¡°On that day, Alphonse dimir will die.¡±

    Quang!

    The table shattered with a violent explosion.

 Chapter 407

    I am not a returner Episode 407:

    Summoning order (7)

    Scattering fragments.

    The round table made of solid wood was shattered and a bitterly cold wind blew through the temple.

    Although there was less pressure than when Deneb was angry earlier, Alina was more likely to feel a chill running down her spine.

    ¡°Just¡­ what did you say?¡±

    Is this what it would feel like if ice were on fire?

    Magical power bubbled and fluctuated along with a white frosty wind, as if a huge piece of dry ice had been dipped into a puddle of water.

    In the howling frosty wind, Ohjin opened his mouth with a calm expression.

    ¡°They said that in the not too distant future Alphonse dimir will die.¡±

    ¡°you¡­!¡±

    A hand that shoots out like a sh of lightning.

    Alina grabbed Ojin by the cor and fiercely exposed her teeth.

    The magic power of the overflowing stigmata bloomed with a life that took my breath away.

    ¡°If you thought we would stay quiet just because we are the same Chilseong, you would be sorely mistaken.¡±

    ¡°I never thought about it like that.¡±

    Ojin stared at her with bitter eyes.

    * * *

    ¡°I understand. ¡°It must be hard to ept.¡±

    ¡°What do you know¡­!¡±

    ¡°I know. ¡°Because I saw it firsthand.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Because I saw, heard, and experienced it.¡±

    therefore.

    ¡°¡­I can see.¡±

    Alina¡¯s expression distorted fiercely.

    ¡°gibberish.¡±

    ¡°You are devastated by the loss of Alphons dimir. ¡°I ended up resigning from the position ofmander-in-chief with my mind broken.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°And you¡­.¡±

    Ojin chewed his lip as if he was in pain.

    ¡°You betray humanity¡­ and follow the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    Words that are squeezed out.

    There was not the slightest hint of falsehood in his voice, which was pickled with deep sadness.

    ¡°under.¡±

    A smile escaped Alina¡¯s lips.

    ¡°I thought it was a bit strange when I first heard it, but this makes it clear.¡±

    A low voice.

    ¡°You just made one mistake.¡±

    Alina continued speaking while stroking her silver hair.

    ¡°I am not as weak a person as you think. Even if I lose my son, I will never follow the enemy like you said.¡±

    She knew that best.

    ¡°And there is a logical contradiction in what you say in the first ce.¡±

    Alina continued speaking in a cold voice.

    ¡°The being who killed my son is a servant of the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ you mentioned, right? ¡°Then you have to avenge your son, so there¡¯s no reason to follow that guy out of nowhere, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Or. ¡°Is there any good reason for me to betray humanity?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin gently bit his lip and shook his head.

    ¡°The reason¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    Eat.

    A cynicism flowed from between Alina¡¯s lips.

    ¡°It seems like you went to great lengths to gain the cooperation of your allies.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether you are an actual regressor or not. ¡°You yourself proved that even if you know the future, you cannot change it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alina.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk to a swindler like you anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll just go back now.¡±

    Alina sneered and turned around.

    Ohjin looked at her retreating back and clenched his fists.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s right.¡±

    A voice that was oppressed as if it were being squeezed out.

    ¡°yes?¡±

    Alina turned her head as if she couldn¡¯t hear clearly.

    ¡°You said that back then too!¡±

    As if exploding the umted emotions.

    Shout out.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Don¡¯t worry! I will avenge Alphonse! ¡°That¡¯s what you said.¡±

    But why?

    ¡°Why¡­ did you do that? ¡°Why did you betray us?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you asking me that now?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! ¡°I don¡¯t know why you betrayed humanity!¡±

    Like screaming.

    I let out a lump of emotion that was stuck in my chest.

    ¡°Do you know if everyone knows it¡¯s me? I told you. ¡°You can only know what you see, hear, and experience!¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°I thought I could stop it. ¡°I thought I could change it!¡±

    He covered his face with both hands and sobbed.

    ¡°But¡­ I couldn¡¯t have done anything on my own.¡±

    Although I struggled to change my fate.

    His strength alone could not change the course of the great torrent of fate.

    ¡°¡­Help me. ¡°No, please help me.¡±

    Oh Jin lowered his head, clenching his fists so roughly that blood appeared.

    ¡°In order to change the future, we need the power of Alina¡­ no, the power of all of you gathered here.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Alina looked down at Ojin, who lowered his head, and bit her lip.

    Alina, who was looking at him with trembling eyes, soon shook her head and turned around.

    ¡°The Allies will not cooperate in this case unless you present reasonable evidence to believe what you say.¡±

    Alina turned and walked out of the conference room.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A cold silence fell in the conference room where Alina left.

    Ohjin, who was looking at the spot where Alina had walked away with nk eyes, copsed into a chair and sat down.

    I let out a deep sigh and ran my hand down my face.

    ¡°Hmm. But are you really a regressor? ¡°From the future?¡±

    Bianca approached Ojin with her purple eyes shining with interest.

    ¡°Then what will happen to me in the future?¡±

    ¡°¡­I heard that he died at the hands of the Heavenly Demon while protecting the survivors until the end.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I? ¡°You die protecting the survivors until the end?¡±

    Biancaughed heartily, clutching her stomach.

    ¡°I understand why that woman was angry. ¡°Do I look like that type of person?¡±

    She, who is famous for traveling the world freely without belonging to any organization, sacrifices herself to protect the remaining survivors to the end.

    It was so absurd that I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    Bianca shook her head and continued.

    ¡°Anyway, even if you lie, you have to say something somewhat believable to be believed¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s not true?¡±

    Ohjin asked, staring intently into Bianca¡¯s purple eyes.

    ¡°Even as countless countries disappeared and refugees with no ce to go died like bugs on the road¡­ Do you think you were leisurely wandering around the world?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°As the world changes, people also change.¡±

    He spoke as if chewing and let out a deep sigh.

    He looked at Bianca with tired eyes and smiled slightly.

    ¡°And you¡­ are the person who would have reached out to those who were hurt even if you didn¡¯t have to change.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Aren¡¯t you looking at the wrong person?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you, Bianca, know best that what I said was not wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Bianca pursed her lips as if she had nothing to say in response.

    Just like he said.

    If people around the world die in droves like in Italy, creating countless refugees, will she really be able to roam the world as freely as she does now?

    She knew the answer to that best.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°First of all, I think it would be better to end today¡¯s meeting here and meet again tomorrow.¡±

    Edward cleared his throat and cleared up the awkward atmosphere.

    ¡°Yes, then let¡¯s meet again tomorrow.¡±

    Ojin nodded and walked out of the temple without hesitation.

    The gazes that were looking at him as he left made my back tingle.

    [Now wait a moment!]

    Vega hurriedly followed Ojin.

    Oh Jin-eun came out of the temple with Vega.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done this, so I¡¯m having a hard time rolling my tongue.¡±

    He stretched out with a calm expression, as if he had just let out a heartbreaking scream.

    [Could it be¡­ that everything you said so far was a lie?]

    Vega opened her mouth wide and opened her eyes wide.

    ¡°huh? What are you talking about now? ¡°Vega knows that I¡¯m not a regressor, right?¡±

    [No, I knew that, but¡­ she thought you saw the actual future through ¡®future poetry.¡¯]

    ¡°Hahaha. ¡°I told you before that it¡¯s not an ability you can use when you want.¡±

    And what I could see through future vision was the future just a few secondster.

    I could never know what would happen in the future like I did now, as if I experienced it firsthand.

    [Now wait a minute, then what does it mean that a child named Alphonse will die¡­?]

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s a lie.¡±

    The only time I saw his face was in passing in front of the temple before the meeting started, so how can I know when he will die?

    [Huh¡­]

    Vega looked at Ojin as if he was dumbfounded.

    [Then how could you speak with such confidence about the future of the Jade Fortress?]

    ording to the information brought by Cassia, the Jade Fortress was an awakened person who was busy wandering the world rather than helping others.

    In fact, wasn¡¯t there opposition to rescuing people captured in Italy at this meeting?

    ¡°Because it is a ¡®jade formation.¡¯¡±

    [¡­What did you mean by that?]

    ¡°If she was a person who couldn¡¯t think of anything but herself, she wouldn¡¯t have be a member of the Seven Stars in the first ce.¡±

    Oh Jin, who took the test himself, knew best that simply having great power does not mean you can receive the title of ¡®Seven Stars¡¯.

    ¡°There may be differences in degree, but basically, an awakened person who has received the title of Seven Stars is likely to be a person of character who can lend a hand to the weak.¡±

    It¡¯s a test you can¡¯t pass if you don¡¯t do it in the first ce.

    [¡­So you were talking about that kind of future?]

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that usible?¡±

    Seeing Ojin shrug his shoulders, Vega let out a deep sigh.

    [But in the end, didn¡¯t you fail to attract a child named Alina?]

    ¡°Huh? ¡°You failed?¡±

    [¡­Did you forget what that kid said on his way out?]

    ¡°I said I would cooperate if I brought solid evidence that I was a returner.¡±

    [Ah.]

    Vega snapped his fingers and nodded as if he knew that would happen.

    [Then you already have that ¡®evidence¡¯!]

    ¡°No? ¡°There isn¡¯t any evidence?¡±

    [What?]

    This guy?

    Vega frowns and res at Ojin.

    Oh Jin smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can find the evidence now.¡±

    [¡­Isn¡¯t it time to rx like that?]

    Vega looked at Ojin as if he was worried.

    [What if the child walks away before you find the evidence?]

    ¡°That will never happen.¡±

    [¡­How can you be so sure?]

    Considering Alina¡¯s appearance right before leaving the meeting room, you wouldn¡¯t know right away whether she would attend tomorrow¡¯s meeting or not.

    ¡°Vega. Do you know why people fall for lies?¡±

    [Hmm¡­ I¡¯m not sure.]

    ¡°Because I doubt it.¡±

    [¡­is it because you doubt?]

    Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to be deceived by a lie if you don¡¯t doubt?

    ¡°No matter how confident you are, somewhere in your mind, the question ¡®what if?¡¯ is bound to arise.¡±

    Once doubt is established, it will not go away no matter what you do.

    ¡°Even if you try not to care, you can¡¯t help but think about it every time you see your son.¡±

    Her child will die in a month.

    The words of the ¡®regressor¡¯.

    ¡°Alina won¡¯t leave.¡±

    How can you just not leave?

    ¡°Rather, they wille looking for me from there.¡±

    Ojin twitched his lips and looked at Alina and his soldiers camped in the distance near the temple.

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s something I want to talk about.¡±

    Alina dimir came to Ojin, who was staying at the temple of Vega.

 Chapter 408

    I am not a returner Chapter 408:

    Summoning Order (8)

    -36 days¡­ No, it is 36 days since the operation failed, so it would be 38 days from now.

    I hear a voice.

    -On that day, Alphonse dimir died.

    Like a stain on a white t-shirt.

    No matter how much you try to ignore it, that voice keeps getting noticed.

    With an ominous prophecy that his son, whom he loved more than anyone else in the world, would die.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Alina let out a deep sigh and got up from her sleeping bag.

    The dull rubber smell characteristic of military tents faintly irritated my nose.

    The ce where she is currently staying is the vacant lot in front of Spica¡¯s temple.

    There was a spare room in the temple, so he declined Spica¡¯s offer to use it, and instead set up a military barracks and stayed there.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s just nonsense.¡±

    Trying to erase the voice that remained in my head like a stain, I put a kettle of water on the stove installed in the center of the tent.

    If it were a typical military tent, there would not have been space to ce a separate stove inside, but since it was a spacious tent specially made for high-ranking officers, they were able to enjoy this luxury.

    * * *

    * * *

    Grumble.

    I tried to calm my mind by taking a sip of warm ck tea.

    Why?

    There was no scent of ck tea at all.

    This can¡¯t be happening.

    Tea was one of her few, if not only, hobbies.

    In particr, the tea leaves used this time are Golden Tips, which are produced only in a few teaus in Sri Lanka.

    It was her favorite tea leaf.

    Obviously, just by taking a sip, your entire mouth should be filled with the strong scent of tea.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I can¡¯t feel any taste.

    The inside of my throat is burning as if I had a mouth full of sand.

    The only voice he hears in his head is an ominous prediction that his son will die.

    ¡®no.¡¯

    Even though I desperately tried to deny it, the question ¡®Perhaps?¡¯ could not be erased from a part of my mind.

    What particrly bothers me the most is the reaction of the constetions, including Deneb.

    ¡®Did you say it was a star in the sky?¡¯

    They calmly confirmed the fact, as if they had known for a long time that Ohjin¡¯s identity was a returner from the future.

    It may be just one or two people, but if most of the constetions gathered in the conference hall are saying that he is a returner, there must be a good reason for that.

    ¡®No matter what, it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯

    A returner from the future?

    Isn¡¯t this a being that would only appear in a cartoon or novel?

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not the world to say such things.¡±

    In a world where demonic beasts run rampant, constetions and awakened people exist, what kind of cartoon or novel are you arguing about?

    Alina sighed with a self-deprecating smile.

    anyway.

    There was no intention of moving troops unless they could provide solid evidence that Ojin was a returnee.

    It wasn¡¯t pointless stubbornness or stubbornness.

    She is themander-in-chief of the alliance army, leading about 10,000 awakened people.

    If the military is greatly reduced due to a wrong decision, who will protect the security of the country?

    ¡®Just because the ck star constetion appears doesn¡¯t mean the demon has disappeared.¡¯

    Even though their activity became less active than before, the magical beastsing out of the cracks continued to exist.

    To ordinary people who did not have stigmata, the ck Star Constetion and the 1st-star demon beast were both equally threatening, so the troops essential to maintaining public order could not be sacrificed in vain.

    ¡°We should talk more first.¡±

    The reactions of the surrounding constetions kept bothering me enough to just dismiss Ohjin¡¯s words as nonsense.

    Alina came out of the tent and headed to the temple of Jiknyeo Castle, where Ojin was staying.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Alina¡¯s steps toward the temple stopped suddenly.

    After contemting for a moment, she soon sighed and headed to the tent located in a corner.

    This was the tent where her son Alphons dimir was staying.

    ¡°Are you in?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah! ¡°It¡¯s in there, Mom!¡±

    A cheerful voice came from inside the tent.

    As soon as she heard Alphonse¡¯s voice, Alina had to force herself to hold the corners of her mouth that were about to loosen.

    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±

    ¡°lol. Yes, the bed was a little ufortable, but I slept well.¡±

    Alphonse nodded with a bright smile, probably d to see his mother visiting him even though she was busy.

    Alina smiled slightly and gently touched Alphonse¡¯s leg.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it ufortable?¡±

    ¡°are you okay. Even your mother knows. My leg isn¡¯t actually injured¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    Alina shook her head with a stern expression.

    ¡°I told you not to talk about the bridge outside, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ yes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Alphonse shook his shoulders and lowered his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. sorry. ¡°I won¡¯t do that again.¡±

    A pale face and shoulders shaking like an aspen.

    Alina bit her lip gently at the desperate look of Alphonse, as if he was being chased by a ghost.

    She gently hugged her trembling son.

    ¡°are you okay. ¡°I¡¯m not going to scold you, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°haha. I¡¯m sorry, Mom¡­ Oh no. ¡°Commander.¡±

    ¡°When it¡¯s just the two of us, you can call me mom.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Only after stroking his head a few times andforting him did Alphonse stop shaking and smile brightly again.

    Alina smiled bitterly and carefully stroked Alphonse¡¯s cheek.

    -On that day, Alphonse dimir died.

    A voice echoing in my head again.

    Alina¡¯s expression distorted fiercely, and the stigmata on her left breast radiated light.

    ¡°¡­mom?¡±

    ¡°Oh, huh? I¡¯m sorry. ¡°I thought about something else for a moment.¡±

    Alina, who suddenly came to her senses at her son¡¯s call, patted Alphonse¡¯s head with an awkward smile.

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going out for a moment, so why don¡¯t you wait in the tent?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°Can my son be alone?¡±

    ¡°lol! of course! ¡°I¡¯m a grown adult now!¡±

    Alina smiled slightly as she looked at Alphonse, who nodded with a confident expression.

    ¡°Then I¡¯lle home mom.¡±

    Alina turned and walked out of the tent.

    In front of Alphonse, his once very kind face became hard again and gave off a strong expression.

    Phew.

    After steeling my mind, I walked up the path made of the Milky Way toward the Temple of Vega without hesitation.

    ¡°Ha¡­ I made another mistake.¡±

    Alphonse, who was left alone in the tent, let out a deep sigh as he remembered how he had been shivering unsightly just moments ago.

    ¡°Now I have to ovee it little by little.¡±

    Alphonse looks down at his motionless legs and bites his chapped lip.

    Although my body had be an adult, my mind still felt pitiful for not being able to escape the ¡®nightmare¡¯ of my childhood.

    When you keep ming yourself that never ends.

    -Jiik.

    The entrance to the tent opened and someone came inside.

    ¡°mom?¡±

    The person who came in was Alina dimir, who had just finished saying hello and left.

    ¡°Are you forgetting something?¡±

    ¡°They said the meeting would bete, so I had some time. ¡°So I came here to talk a little more with my son.¡±

    aha.

    That¡¯s how it happened.

    ¡°Alphonse. ¡°I have a few questions to ask, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah! ¡°Of course, Mom!¡±

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    Alina dimir smiled broadly and stroked Alphonse¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Good boy, my son.¡±

    Why?

    Alphonse felt a little creeped out by the sight of his mother looking at him with kind eyes.

    ¡°Are you saying that Pagunseong was away for a while?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The temple of Jiknyeo Castle.

    Riak, who was guarding the front of the temple like a gatekeeper, nodded softly.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t much time left for the meeting, so where on earth¡­¡±

    ¡°He said he needed to find out something and left. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, so just wait.¡±

    Alina sighed and nodded.

    Did I wait like that for about 10 minutes?

    I could see Ojining up in the distance.

    ¡°Mr. Alina?¡±

    Ojin opened his eyes wide, as if he didn¡¯t know that Alina woulde to visit him.

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s something I want to talk about.¡±

    Alina opened her mouth in a stern voice.

    ¡°You definitely said to me yesterday, ¡®It was like that back then,¡¯ right?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes.¡±

    ¡°Past life¡­ So, did you know me before you regressed?¡±

    ¡°Do you believe me?¡±

    Ojin¡¯s expression brightened and his eyes sparkled with anticipation.

    Alina shook her head with a cold expression.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken. ¡°I¡¯m just asking based on the ¡®what if¡¯ situation.¡±

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    ¡°Then please answer whatever I ask. ¡°Did you know me?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°I have met Alina in a past life.¡±

    ¡°What kind of rtionship was it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ohjin paused for a moment before answering.

    ¡°Alina¡­ was my boss.¡±

    ¡°Does it matter?¡±

    ¡°yes. Of course, it was not from the Allied Forces, but from the World Allied Forces.¡±

    ¡°¡­What is the World Allied Forces?¡±

    ¡°It was said to be a world alliance, but in reality, it was just a crude army made up of the surviving awakened people. ¡°Alina was the captain of the unit I was in.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Alina¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Your words don¡¯t make sense again.¡±

    joy.

    He snorted and crossed his arms.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I¡¯ve been living like a wreck ever since I lost my son? But how were you able to take on the position of captain?¡±

    ¡°Because I was crazy about avenging my son.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Regardless of their title, what else would you call someone who is drunk every day and can¡¯t even sleep without medicine, other than a junkie?¡±

    Oh Jin smiled bitterly as if recalling the memory of that time.

    Alina bit her lip as he looked at her as if he felt sorry for her.

    ¡°High-ranking awakened people are not affected by alcohol and drugs¡­¡±

    ¡°No matter how high-ranking awakened people are, if they forcibly suppress the magical power of the stigmata, they will be affected by alcohol and drugs. Of course, you still have to drink several times more than the average person.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin sighs deeply and shakes his head.

    There was a deep sense of return in his eyes as he recalled the past.

    ¡°You always mixed ck tea with alcohol.¡±

    ¡°Is it ck tea?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you like it, right? ck tea. ¡°You especially liked Golden Tips the most.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Alina bit her lip.

    ¡°With just a little research, you can tell that I have a hobby of collecting ck tea.¡±

    I definitely don¡¯t know because he¡¯s a ¡®regressor¡¯.

    Alina gathered her shaking heart and clenched her fists.

    ¡°Then, if I tell you something that you cannot know no matter how much you research, will you believe me?¡±

    ¡°¡­try it.¡±

    ¡°Alphonse¡¯s Bridge.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    Alina¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a physical problem that Alphonse¡¯s legs aren¡¯t moving, right?¡±

    ¡°How did you do that?!¡±

    A voice full of astonishment echoed throughout the temple of Jiknyeo Castle.

    Oh Jin continued speaking in a bitter voice.

    ¡°I heard that there was abuse by my ex-husband.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Due to the nature of Alina¡¯s job as a soldier, she had no choice but to be away from home for a long time.

    Her ex-husband, whom she married through her father¡¯s arrangement, abused young Alphonse while she was away from home, and Alphonse suffered mental aftereffects that paralyzed his legs from the shock.

    The only people who know that fact are Alina, Alphonse, and Alphonse¡¯s psychologist.

    This is a fact that was thoroughly hidden because it was thought that if the attention of those around him was drawn, it would have a negative effect on Alphonse¡¯s already unstable mental state.

    That he knows information that can never be found out.

    ¡°You really are¡­ a regressor.¡±

    Alina looked at Ojin with trembling eyes.

    ¡®done.¡¯

    The corners of Ojin¡¯s mouth twitched up.

    From Alina¡¯s trembling eyes, I could see that she had beenpletely deceived.

    but.

    From her perspective, how could she know that she had taken on the form of ¡®Alina dimir¡¯ and approached Alphonse?

    ¡®It¡¯s simple after that.¡¯

    If you had a firm belief that you were a regressor, you had no choice but to follow his words unconditionally.

    ¡®With this, we can gain the strength of our allies.¡¯

    When you¡¯re celebrating victory like that.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Alina continued, gently avoiding Ojin¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Did you¡­ really have a rtionship with me that was simply that of a superior and his subordinate?¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    What are you talking about all of a sudden?

    ¡°No matter how mentally cornered I was, I wouldn¡¯t have told anyone my secret.¡±

    Especially when ites to Alphonse.

    If it wasn¡¯t someone I could really ¡®trust,¡¯ I would never have said it out loud.

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    Alina hesitated and slowly blushed.

    ¡°Did you ever have a special rtionship with me?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Why is thisdy like this?

 Chapter 409

    I am not a returner Episode 409

    : Summoning Order (9)

    Cold sweat running down my spine.

    Ha-eun¡¯s voice passed through my head as I saw Alina¡¯s eyes showing a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.

    -No way¡­ right?

    Her eyes were filled with concern.

    Ojin sighed deeply and shook his head.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the special rtionship Alina thought it was.¡±

    Since he had already proven himself to be a regressor, there was no need to get closer to Alina than necessary.

    No, to be precise, there is nothing wrong with maintaining a good rtionship with her.

    ¡®Because I don¡¯t want to cut it.¡¯

    Oh Jin chuckled as he recalled the oath he made in front of Ha-eun.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡±

    Alina turns her head with a shy expression.

    She cleared her throat and averted her gaze.

    * * *

    ¡°Bah, please forget what I just said.¡±

    ¡°haha. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a romantic rtionship or anything like that, but it wasn¡¯t a typical rtionship between a superior and a subordinate either.¡±

    ¡°Then what on earth was your rtionship with me in my past life?¡±

    ¡°Comrade in arms¡­ would be the most appropriate term.¡±

    ¡°Comrades?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Comrades who had each other¡¯s backs and protected a world heading towards destruction.

    It would be appropriate to draw a line at just this level of rtionship.

    ¡°I see¡­rades in arms.¡±

    Alina smiled slightly and nodded.

    ¡°If he had told me about my secret¡­ he must have been a reliablerade in arms who could have each other¡¯s backs.¡±

    ¡°At least in battle, we were trustworthy colleagues.¡±

    He was a colleague.

    Suddenly, Ojin¡¯s scream that I heard before leaving the temple came to mind.

    ¡°You¡­ betrayed a colleague like that.¡±

    ¡°Never mind. ¡°Because it hasn¡¯t even happened yet.¡±

    Ojin continued speaking, cing his hand on Alina¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°and. ¡°Isn¡¯t the reason I came here to prevent that future?¡±

    ¡°¡­I did.¡±

    Alina nodded and let out a deep sigh.

    Now that she knew that Ojin was definitely a regressor, there was only one thing she had to do.

    ¡°Please tell us. ¡°What should I do?¡±

    Even if it is not a grand goal to protect the world.

    Right now, she had to cooperate with Ojin to protect her son.

    ¡°With Alina¡¯s authority, I would like you to send troops to Italy.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you sure you want to go?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°If we don¡¯t stop it this time, the same future will just repeat itself.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Alina, who continued to worry with her eyes closed, soon nodded slowly.

    ¡°All right. ¡°We will send troops toward Italy, leaving behind a minimum amount of troops to maintain security.¡±

    yes.

    Oh Jin secretly raised the corners of his mouth in pleasure.

    First of all, we have secured a strong force to deal with the demonic beast army.

    ¡®next.¡¯

    All we have to do is raise the funds necessary to move the army.

    ¡®The military is a whale that makes money just by its existence.¡¯

    It is not for nothing that they say that the country that loses a war is the country that runs out of money first.

    An astronomical amount of money was spent to secure the basic food and water needed to maintain troops and equipment to fight the enemy.

    Of course, there may be a way to leverage capital from allies.

    ¡®Then there will be dissatisfaction from the Russian-Chinese alliance.¡¯

    It is a simr situation to a group assignment where one person has to research data and create a PPT presentation.

    In the global group task of defeating the ck Star Constetion and rescuing the captured people, the Russian-Chinese alliance could not be forced to make sacrifices.

    ¡®Well, it won¡¯t be difficult to raise funds.¡¯

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s coincidence or fate.

    ¡°Then, shall we go to the conference hall?¡±

    One of the world¡¯s most wealthy men happened to be a member of the ¡®Chilseong¡¯.

    ¡°The Russian-Chinese alliance will send arge army towards Italy.¡±

    A bombshell statement made as soon as the second day of the meeting began.

    ¡°What is that¡­?¡±

    ¡°Your speech ispletely different from yesterday, huh?¡±

    Edward Walton and Bianca Bet, who were members of the anti-war faction along with Alina, looked at Alina with embarrassed expressions.

    She was so steadfast in her opposition that just yesterday it made me question whether or not it would be right to hold this meeting again. But I can¡¯t believe she would send in the military overnight.

    The eyes of the people gathered in the conference room naturally turned towards Ojin.

    Ohjin nodded, looking at all the gazes directed at him.

    ¡°I showed Alina the ¡®proof¡¯ that I am a regressor.¡±

    ¡°¡­What is that evidence?¡±

    ¡°That might be hard to tell.¡±

    As Ojin said that, he nced towards Alina.

    ¡°It is just as Mr. Oh Jin said. He presented me with evidence and I decided to believe that he was a ¡®regressor.¡¯¡±

    [See, I told you it was right!]

    When Deneb, who was watching the meeting, tried toe towards me, Vega grabbed him by the back of his neck.

    [Be quiet.]

    [No, be quiet and sleep, and now it¡¯s clear that Pagunseong is a regressor, so isn¡¯t this the end of the conversation?]

    [Still, the choice is up to the children.]

    Vega sighed and pulled Deneb, who wasining, by the neck and put her in the seat. I sat down.

    ¡°Hmm. So¡­ are you and Miss Bianca the only opponents now?¡±

    ¡°No, I want to go to Italy too.¡±

    Bianca said, crossing her legs in an awkward posture.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to Italy too?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of the ¡®future¡¯ that Pagunseong spoke of yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ there¡¯s that too.¡±

    Bianca nced at Allen and continued speaking.

    ¡°As Mr. Who said, are we part of the same union?¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand that the rtionship between Ennd and Italy is not very good.¡±

    ¡°Better than the French bastards.¡±

    Bianca giggled and shrugged.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Edward swallowed his sleep and sighed.

    Since the opinions of six of the ¡®Seven Stars¡¯ were unanimous, he was now the only one left in the opposition.

    ¡°As I said before, I have no intention of participating in the war except for financial assistance.¡±

    Edward shook his head with a stern expression.

    Allen¡¯s expression slightly distorted.

    ¡°Are you nning on going out alone?¡±

    ¡°You can me me. But that doesn¡¯t mean a person who is a businessman in name can follow in his footsteps just because everyone else is doing it.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s about saving people.¡±

    ¡°It also means people dying.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Mr. Oh Jin said yesterday? If this continues, we will all die anyway.¡±

    Allen red at Edward with a freezing cold gaze.

    A deep sigh flowed from Edward¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Just because it¡¯s me doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know that. But even if I wanted to help, there¡¯s no way to mobilize arge army like Miss Alina.¡±

    The United States is a country with many talented people, so much so that it has the title of having thergest number of high-ranking awakened people.

    Because the country was so vast and had a free-spirited atmosphere, each country had its own ¡®guild¡¯ and was divided into dozens or hundreds of organizations.

    No matter how much Chilseong was, there was no military authority that could force them to move.

    ¡°If we can¡¯t force them to move, can¡¯t we just force them to move on their own?¡±

    Oh Jin, who was quietly watching the meeting, opened his mouth.

    ¡°Are you trying to offer a reward?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°under. ¡°If I were to give them $1 billion, would they move?¡±

    Even if a reward of more than 1 trillion won in Korean money were offered, which crazy guild would head to the battlefield where the enemy is the ¡®constetion¡¯ and the army of magic beasts that turned the Italian capital into a wastnd overnight?

    ¡°So how about $10 billion? No, let¡¯s just take it easy and set it at $100 billion.¡±

    If there is something that cannot be solved with money.

    Shouldn¡¯t we first consider whether we might be short of money?

    ¡°¡­Do you think $100 billion is a joke?¡±

    Even though Edward was ranked among the world¡¯s richest people, he did not have more than 100 trillion won.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the only thing you can help us with is money?¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s a certain amount to it. Shouldn¡¯t I use almost my entire fortune as a reward?¡±

    Edward shouted with a bewildered expression.

    Ohjin shrugged his shoulders as if nothing was wrong.

    ¡°If you think about the future, does $100 billion really matter?¡±

    ¡°You take money too lightly. ¡°With that money, we could save a hundred times¡­ no, a thousand times more people than are currently being held captive in Italy.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you misunderstood what I said. I have no intention of forcing Mr. Edward to make a sacrifice. Hmm¡­ it would be better to think of it as an ¡®investment.¡¯¡±

    ¡°invest?¡±

    Ohjin nodded and continued speaking.

    ¡°If this matter goes well¡­ I will increase Mr. Edward¡¯s wealth by three times¡­ no, five times.¡±

    ¡°Huh, what kind of confidence do you have when you say that?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I was a regressor?¡±

    Edward himself probably knows best how much value knowing the future has in business.

    but.

    ¡°¡­If the future changes, won¡¯t all your knowledge be useless?¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    Ohjin calmly nodded as if this was an expected rebuttal.

    ¡°But what if I had the ability to see the ¡®future¡¯?¡±

    ¡°¡­You can see the future?¡±

    ¡°Of course, just because you can see the future doesn¡¯t mean you can know what will happen in the distant future. ¡°The future I can see is at most a few seconds or minutes.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    It is said to be a few seconds or minutes in the future at most.

    From the perspective of Edward, who had reigned in the world of capital, he was well aware that this was not an ability that could be disparaged as ¡®maximum¡¯.

    This is the world of capital, where you can multiply your assets infinitely by knowing the future for just one minute.

    ¡°Is that¡­ true?¡±

    ¡°Is that right, Vega?¡±

    Edward¡¯s eyes turned to Vega.

    [Huh? You mean the girl you saw?]

    Vega suddenly shook her shoulders and looked embarrassed, then quickly nodded.

    [It is true that her child can see the very short future.]

    ¡°¡­It is the first time that the Lyra stigmata has such an ability.¡±

    [This is because Pris, not the power of the Lyra Stigmata, gave the blessing to the original woman¡¯s child.]

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    It¡¯s Pris¡¯ blessing.

    Edward narrowed his eyes and was lost in thought.

    Normally, I would have scoffed and told him not to say such nonsense.

    ¡®Alina dimir also suddenly changed her attitude this time.¡¯

    It was unclear what kind of ¡®evidence¡¯ Oh Jin presented, but the fact that the woman who seemed to have iron instead of blood changed her attitude overnight gave credibility to the statement that he was a regressor.

    Additionally, if it is an ability recognized by ¡®Vega¡¯, the constetion of the North Star.

    ¡°I understand. ¡°I trust you and let me participate in this project.¡±

    Edward thought it was a worthwhile investment and held out his hand.

    Ojin held Edward¡¯s hand and raised the corners of his mouth.

    Now that the funds were in ce, all that was left to do was elerate preparations for full-scale war.

    ¡®My wealth is over a hundred million¡­ ¡®There will be no shortage of money.¡¯

    With that amount of money, not only could it cover the amount needed to mobilize the allies, but it could also provide a reward to attract American awakeners.

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Edward.¡±

    Ojin smiled brightly as he looked at Edward, who had made a huge ¡®investment¡¯ in him.

    ¡®Then what else is this but an investment?¡¯

    I didn¡¯t lie to him.

    Even if you don¡¯t have the blessing of Pris, isn¡¯t it true that you have ¡®future vision¡¯?

    Of course¡­

    ¡®I can¡¯t use it of my own will.¡¯

    Well anyway.

    I didn¡¯t lie, so it doesn¡¯t matter, right?

    ¡®Or not.¡¯

    After all, it¡¯s Edward who¡¯s going to waste all his money, not me.

 Chapter 410

    I am not a returner Episode 410:

    War of the Stars (1)

    The dispatch to Italy was unanimously decided.

    The news that humanity¡¯s heroes had joined forces to save people captured by the evil Constetion quickly spread around the world.

    Some revered them, some mocked them.

    Someone else followed Chilseong and grabbed a sword, while someone else hid in fear.

    The wave of chaos that started in Italy covered the entire world.

    ¡®Well, if it¡¯s natural, it¡¯s a natural reaction.¡¯

    Because humanity has already experienced a terrible war like this once.

    Four years after the ¡®first crack¡¯ opened in the North Pole.

    When the front line of humanity, which had been pushed back helplessly, began to gradually drive out the demonic beasts due to the presence of the awakened people.

    Now, demonic beasts with outstanding intelligence called ¡®Named¡¯ have begun to move around the world, forming legions to attack humanity.

    The awakened people joined forces to desperately confront the demonic beast army and were able to achieve victory against them.

    The name given to that fierce battle was ¡®The War of the Stars.¡¯

    * * *

    It was a war on a global scale in which not only the Awakened but also some Constetions participated.

    ¡®And at that time¡­ my sister also lost her eyes and legs to the Heavenly Dragon.¡¯

    Although the war itself was won by driving out the famous demon beasts.

    There were countless people who lost precious things as a result.

    Overflowing despair and tragedy.

    Even after the war ended, people had to endure terrible aftereffects.

    ¡®Chilseong¡¯ was created to calm some of that confusion.

    The Seven Stars, created by a group of awakened people who showed outstanding performance during the Star Wars, became a beacon of light for humanity that was in chaos.

    Now, 6 years have passed.

    The second star war was about to begin under the leadership of the Seven Stars.

    An enemy that is iparably more powerful than before.

    A war against the ¡®constetion¡¯.

    It¡¯s been a week since the meeting ended.

    The sanctuary, which should have been quiet and full of sacred energy like a religious facility, was crowded like a market ce.

    The cause of themotion was the 10,000-strong Russian-Chinese alliance army, the awakened members of the American guild who entered the war aiming for a huge prize, and the awakened people who gathered from all over the world to participate in the war.

    The beautiful road made up of the Milky Way was filled with supplies for war, and the temple where the constetions stayed became a temporary barracks for the awakened.

    Ojin and his party were looking down at the awakened people who had gathered for war at the ce where Vega¡¯s temple was located, the highest point of the sanctuary.

    ¡°Wow¡­ how many people are here?¡±

    Ha-eun sighed and looked down at the awakened people gathered under the sanctuary.

    It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve seen a crowd like this gather.

    Considering that each and every person gathered here was an ¡®awakened person¡¯ who had been given the stigmata, it was a sight that could not help but exim in admiration.

    ¡°A total of 32,782 awakened people have gathered as of today, including all the awakened people who came from all over the world after hearing the news of the guild war between the Russian-Chinese alliance and the United States.¡±

    Cassia answered, flipping through the documents.

    ¡°Wow crazy. ¡°30,000 people gathered?¡±

    ¡°The important thing was that the gathering ce was a sanctuary. ¡°No matter where you are in the world, there is a door that leads to the sanctuary.¡±

    Originally, it would have been impossible for this many awakened people to gather in just one week, but thanks to permission from the constetions to set up a sanctuary as a gathering ce, preparations for war were able to bepleted much faster than expected.

    ¡°The full-scale operation is tomorrow, so Ha-eun, please take this opportunity to get some rest. ¡°It¡¯s going to be hectic starting tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°ok. I¡¯ll hit the dam a bitter and then go in. By the way, are you attacking through the gate in Rome? ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything about where I¡¯m going.¡±

    ¡°To prevent the entry route from being discovered in advance, we will keep it ssified until just before the operation begins tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Oh oh. ¡°For a hastily constructed unit, it¡¯s very systematic, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Alina¡¯s contribution was great. ¡°Most of tomorrow¡¯s operations came from her head.¡±

    ¡°Well, the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces is not something that was obtained by chance.¡±

    Ha-eun nodded and stretched.

    Ha-eun moves to a corner to smoke some tobo, as if she has finished all her questions.

    Meanwhile, Ojin approached Cassia.

    ¡°thank you.¡±

    ¡°Yes? ¡°Are you thankful all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°You gathered the information needed for the war on my behalf.¡±

    Over the past week, Cassia has served as Ojin¡¯s eyes and ears, utilizing her excellent information gathering ability.

    If it weren¡¯t for her, the preparations for war wouldn¡¯t have proceeded so smoothly.

    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t it natural for a ve to sacrifice his whole body to work for his master?¡±

    Cassia must have been very happy with Oh Jin¡¯spliment, so she brushed up her round sses that she didn¡¯t know where she got them from.

    ¡°Where did you get the sses again?¡±

    ¡°I went out of the sanctuary for a moment and bought it. How do you feel about it? Does it suit you?¡±

    Cassia said that and looked back at Ojin with bright eyes.

    Because the original body was good, the off-white color did not fade at all even when wearing ssesrge enough to cover half of the face.

    However, the difference is that Cassia, who had a sexy appearance unlike her slender body, somehow looks like a cute girl.

    Of course, either way it was breathtakingly beautiful.

    ¡°Yes, it suits you well.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, right?¡±

    Cassia twitched the corners of her mouth and slowly approached Ojin.

    Cassia gently tilts her head towards Ojin with her arms neatly folded together.

    If she had a tail, it wouldn¡¯t have been swinging furiously from side to side by now.

    Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.

    In response to the now somewhat familiar request for a ¡®reward¡¯, Ohjin reached out his hand and stroked Cassia¡¯s hair without saying a word.

    Soft tinum-blonde hair, as if it had been extracted from melted gold, tickled my fingers.

    ¡°Ehehe.¡±

    Cassia is smiling with a bright expression.

    ¡°Hmph, I really don¡¯t have any pets. ¡°If it had a tail, would it have been wagging hard?¡±

    Isabe narrowed her eyes and clicked her tongue, as if she didn¡¯t like seeing her sister like that.

    Cassia looked back at Isabe with a smile on her lips.

    ¡°Oh, wouldn¡¯t it be better to be a loyal and loving puppy than a useless leech who procrastinates all week doing nothing?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Tsk¡­¡±

    The words ¡®useless leech¡¯ became like a sharp awl and pierced Isabe.

    In fact, there was almost nothing she could do to help with war preparations over the past week.

    Originally, she should have taken on the role of information gathering that Cassia is currently doing, but the source of her information power was the Colgrande family.

    Since Italy, the origin of the Colgrande family, was destroyed at the hands of Moebius, it took time for the lost power of the family to recover.

    At the very least, it might have been helpful in nning tactics and operations using the experience of leading various forces.

    And thanks to the presence of such an outstanding talent as Alina dimir, there was absolutely no ce for her to step forward.

    Even though she had experience leading a huge force called the Colgrande family, leading an army was apletely different matter.

    in other words.

    Currently, she is a ¡®surplus¡¯ within the Allied Forces, with no duties to do or duties to fulfill.

    ¡°Are you trying to tell me that I¡¯m like Ha-eun?!¡±

    Isabe shouted with an angry expression.

    Ha-eun, who was burning cigarettes in the corner, lowered her head with a gloomy expression and muttered, ¡®Why me again?¡¯

    ¡°Ho Ho. I know it well. That¡¯s right, you are Ha-eun herself now?¡±

    ¡°How could you say such harsh things to your little brother?!¡±

    How could he put Ha-eun, who usually does nothing but lie down on the sofa and cling to Oh-jin whenever she gets the chance, bewildering him by asking him to do this or that, on the same level as himself?

    Even if she was my real sister, this was an intolerable insult.

    ¡°Kids, I¡¯m still here¡­¡±

    Ha-eun crouched and tried to raise her hand to appeal for her presence, but once the argument between Isabe and Cassia started to get heated, it wouldn¡¯t end easily.

    ¡°Well, doesn¡¯t this prove it? ¡°You are nothing without the Colgrande family.¡±

    ¡°Due to the nature of stigmata, it is inevitable that what you can do is limited. Or should we have created some vampires and sent them to the enemy camp?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, isn¡¯t it a bit ugly for an excuse? ¡°It just happened purely because of yourck of ability.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°I heard you went to Taeeulseong Castle not long ago to help n a strategy, but came back without being able to do anything?¡±

    ¡°How did you do that?!¡±

    As Kasia said, I even went to see Alina to see if there was anything I could do, but there was a time when I came back with a euphemistic refusal.

    The same thing happened when I changed the route and went to Ojin.

    There was nothing she could do to help Ohjin, who yed the role of a ¡®returner¡¯ for a while and met various constetions with Vega.

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop admitting it?¡±

    Cassia crossed her arms and had a winner¡¯s smile on her face.

    ¡°What are you asking me to admit?¡±

    ¡°You did nothing to help prepare for this war and spent your time sitting in the temple like an unemployed person with nothing to do.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh!¡±

    Even though I wanted to object, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything.

    It was an undeniable fact that she had no role in preparing for this war.

    ¡°Even in this war, didn¡¯t Ojin personally take the risk to listen to your foolish actions? ¡°He even lied that he was a regressor.¡±

    ¡°That is.¡±

    ¡°Ah~ Our Be would be happy~ Even if I just sit still and don¡¯t do anything, my husband will grant my wishes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so noisy!¡±

    Looking at Isabe, who was trembling with tears in her eyes, Cassia delivered the finishing blow.

    ¡°How about you be Ha-eun¡¯s younger sister instead of my younger brother from now on? ¡°I think the two have more simrities.¡±

    ¡°Huh huh¡­!¡±

    With those words, it sinks.

    Isabe knelt down with an expression full of disappointment.

    And Ha-eun was watching from the side.

    ¡°I¡­ am here¡­¡±

    He was scratching the floor of the temple with the end of a dead tobo leaf, with his face buried between his knees.

    Oh Jin approached Ha-eun, who was squatting, and patted her shoulder.

 Chapter 411

    I am not a returner Episode 411:

    War of the Stars (2)

    A city full of gray.

    Amid the flying ash, dust, and smoke, a man stood tall.

    A man looking up at the dark cloudy sky with an expression deep in thought.

    In a city covered in dark ash, the man was strangely shining white.

    ¡°Are you almost ready?¡±

    Who is this question asking?

    The white man looked up at the sky covered with dark clouds and raised the corners of his mouth.

    It was a long wait.

    Who on earth said that the wounds of the past will heal over time is nonsense?

    After that day his fate changedpletely.

    I have never forgotten the nightmare of that day, not even for a single day.

    The memories engraved in my mind like a stigma festered, rotted, and oozed juice.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Letting out a low breath, the man took out a ne from his pocket.

    * * *

    A ne shaped like a crude apple.

    The leash was made of stic instead of hard metal, and the red dye applied to the apple model had faded and some parts were falling off.

    The man smiled slightly as he held in his hand a crude ne that looked like it would have been attached to a child¡¯s y house set.

    ¡°Please wait a little longer, Eve.¡±

    The day to end the long wait is not far away.

    ¡°Soon¡­ the war will start again.¡±

    Second interest.

    The war of stars that will be thest.

    The day of the decisive battle dawned.

    The Allied forces who woke up early in the morning andpleted maintenance were lined up.

    Alina dimir, standing on the podium, looked down at the lined up Allied forces and opened her mouth.

    ¡°Rome is entered through a total of seven routes.¡±

    It is clear that the enemy is preparing in advance.

    It was too risky to enter Rome with only one entry route.

    ¡°Two each by sea and two bynd. Two from the air¡­ and finally, one unit enters through the ¡®entrance to the sanctuary¡¯ in Rome.¡±

    As Alina continued, my excitement grew.

    Aside fromnd, sea, and air, how can you enter Rome through the entrance of the sanctuary?

    ¡°¡­Now, isn¡¯t that suicidal?¡±

    ¡°At the entrance to the sanctuary, enemies will definitely be encamped.¡±

    Like every other country except the ¡®Land Where the Stars Abandoned¡¯, there were several entrances to the sanctuary in Italy.

    Although there was an entrance to arge sanctuary in Rome, the destination of this operation.

    The problem is that the entrance to the sanctuary is located right in the middle of enemy territory.

    Unless Mobius was a fool, there was no way he would have left the entrance, which was a direct hotline from the sanctuary to Rome, idly.

    ¡°quiet.¡±

    The noisy atmosphere became quiet as if cold water had been poured on Alina¡¯s short words.

    ¡°The role of the unit entering the sanctuary entrance will be to create chaos inside and help other units enter.¡±

    In other words, the unit entering the sanctuary entrance acts as a decoy.

    There was a lot of tension among the Allied awakeners lined up.

    The awakened people swallow their dry saliva while looking at each other.

    Everyone here knew that this war was so dangerous that they had to risk their lives, but that did not mean they wanted to y the role of bait in the middle of enemy territory.

    Because losing your life while fighting fiercely on the battlefield is different from being killed as a bait.

    ¡°There is no need to be so agitated.¡±

    Alina continued, looking around at the Allied Forces.

    ¡°The unit entering the sanctuary entrance is a special unit made up of Pagunseong, Mugokseong, Cheonwonseong, Nokjonseong, and a few high-ranking awakened people. ¡°Ordinary soldiers are not organized, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    As Alina continued, sighs of relief flowed from here and there.

    After the suffocating tension was relieved, a question came to mind.

    Is it really worth sending in as many as four of the Seven Stars as bait?

    Of course, excluding Chilseong, the Allied Forces¡¯ strength was considerable, but the most important thing was ¡®Chilseong¡¯, who was praised as a hero of humanity.

    It was a clear overinvestment to put in four of those Chilseongs as bait.

    ¡°Do you have any other questions?¡±

    ¡°doesn¡¯t exist!¡±

    Of course, there was no awakened person who actually asked such a question out loud.

    Just as when you ask students if they have any questions right before the end of ss, very few people actually raise their hands, individuals who blend in with the crowd tend to have an instinct not to stand out.

    ¡°Then, before we begin the operation, I would like to say something to you.¡±

    He opened his mouth quietly as he looked down at the allied forces, which wereprised of numerous nationalities and races.

    ¡°Is there anyone here who doesn¡¯t know about the Star Wars?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes, no one has forgotten that terrible war.¡±

    Alina nodded and continued speaking.

    ¡°that day. ¡°Humanity took up arms to protect itself and won.¡±

    Although it left many scars.

    Although there was immeasurable despair and tragedy.

    atst.

    It was humans who drove out the demonic beasts and won.

    ¡°Because some belong to the military, some will be here to win a huge reward, while others will be here to achieve justice and save those who have been captured.¡±

    The strong charisma contained in the calm tone of voice overwhelmed the atmosphere of the audience.

    ¡°Even though the reasons are different, no one can deny the fact that you are standing here and not running away.¡±

    Just that.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough to call you ¡®heroes.¡¯¡±

    Who said words contain power?

    A hot fire began to ignite in the hearts of the awakened people who were lined up as they listened to the charismatic Alina¡¯s speech.

    It¡¯s called heroism.

    If you think about it, it¡¯s the hardest fire to burn.

    ¡°Look around for a moment.¡±

    The awakened people turned their gaze to each other.

    ¡°The total number of people gathered here is 32,782. Have you ever seen so many awakened people gathered in your life?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯ve never seen it before. ¡°I never imagined that this many people would gather.¡±

    Alina raised her arms.

    ¡°one week.¡±

    He spread his index finger as if pointing to the sky.

    ¡°Only a week has passed since war was decided.¡±

    There is not enough time to prepare for war.

    ¡°What do you think is the reason why so many people were able to gather? Because the allies have moved? Because there was a huge reward at stake? ¡°Is it because the gathering ce is a sanctuary?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    He shook his head quietly and spoke in a powerful voice.

    ¡°The reason so many people were able to gather here is because each and every one of you is a hero who is not afraid of death.¡±

    In fact, it was something close to sophistry.

    Most of these people were forced to participate in the military because they were in the military or were awakened people who participated in the war with the goal of receiving huge prize money, which was no different from winning the lottery.

    As she said, there were only a few ¡®heroes who were not afraid of death.¡¯

    but.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The fire of heroism that was kindled in my heart burned even more fiercely as it absorbed the fuel of crowd psychology.

    Rough breathing and adrenaline rushing like crazy.

    A passion burned in the eyes of the awakened people gathered here, as if they were dancing as a group to club music.

    ¡®Is this enough?¡¯

    Alina, thinking that it was time to end this, opened her mouth to the awakened people who were looking at her passionately.

    ¡°Where we are headed from now on, a group of terrible demonic beasts and an evil constetion are waiting.¡±

    ¡°Maybe half of the awakened people gathered here¡­ no, all of them could die.¡±

    Alina¡¯s stigmata burned with the bright rays of light.

    ¡°but.¡±

    As she nced back and looked, the Seven Stars standing behind the podium all spewed out magical power.

    Wooooow!

    The magical power of the stigmata emitted by the Seven Stars at the same time suddenly rose up into a gigantic pir of light.

    Looking up at the pir of magical power surging through the awakened people, I unconsciously opened my mouth.

    ¡°We will be with you on your path ahead.¡±

    ¡°If we fight, we will fight first, and if we die, we will die first.¡±

    ¡°Even if countless corpses pile up, I will carry them forward and move forward.¡±

    and.

    ¡°I will remember. ¡°The 32,782 heroes gathered here.¡±

    Waaaaaa!

    An explosive roar rang out as if it would shake the temple of the sanctuary.

    Alina waited until the shouting subsided and took out a fist-sized orb from her pocket.

    ¡°Then, we will inform you of the entry route for each unit through themunication relic, so move quickly ording to themander¡¯s orders.¡±

    ¡°Loyalty!¡±

    ¡°yes!¡±

    ¡°All right!¡±

    Even in the Allied Forces, the answers varied as to whether more than half of them were non-soldiers.

    But in this current atmosphere, what is the importance of learning something?

    The awakened people waited for instructions toe from themunication relic with hot eyes as if they were spouting fire.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    After finishing her speech, Alina let out a tired sigh from between her lips.

    Giving morale-boosting speeches before preparing for war was one of her specialties, but given the circumstances, even as a veteran, she couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous.

    ¡°Thank you for your effort. ¡°You¡¯re good at public speaking, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Ojin pped his hands and approached her.

    In fact, if you look at the content of the speech, there was nothing particrly special about it, but thanks to Alina¡¯s unique sense of intimidation and charisma that overwhelms the audience, it was more effective than expected.

    ¡°It¡¯s something I¡¯ve always done. And I didn¡¯t force myself to say something I didn¡¯t mean to say.¡±

    ¡°Well, whatever the reason, the people gathered here are people who have made up their own minds.¡±

    ¡°¡­Not as bad as Mr. Ojin.¡±

    Alina continued speaking with worried eyes.

    ¡°Anyway, are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±

    ¡°You mean acting as bait?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°I know you have a n, but¡­ it¡¯s too risky.¡±

    ¡°The return is that big.¡±

    Alina let out a deep sigh as if she couldn¡¯t stop it.

    ¡°¡­Please take care of yourself.¡±

    ¡°of course.¡±

    Ohjin nodded and walked slowly.

    The awakened people belonging to the ¡®bait unit¡¯ followed him and gathered one by one.

    A special team made up of high-ranking awakened individuals with the ability to fly and fly together.

    They followed Ojin towards the entrance to the sanctuary leading to Rome.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The ¡®War of the Stars¡¯ was named as it meant that awakened people of different nationalities and races joined forces to fight.

    The second and final war hase to an end.

 Chapter 412

    I am not a returner Episode 412:

    War of the Stars (3)

    The entrance to the sanctuary leading to Rome.

    In the face of a crack that could take you to a country on the other side of the world in an instant if you take just one step, the special lease team that took on the role of ¡®bait¡¯ stopped for a moment.

    ¡°Whew. ¡°When I think about going, I feel like I¡¯m going crazy.¡±

    Ha-eun let out a deep sigh with an expression filled with tension.

    If you cross that ¡®gate,¡¯ you are right in the middle of Rome.

    As I thought about going to the city full of screams and screams that I had seen on TV, a heavy tension took my breath away.

    ¡°Oh my, isn¡¯t that like Ha-eun? ¡±

    ¡°¡­What on earth do you think of me?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. ¡°I think you are a respecteddy, right?¡±

    What kind of madam is this?

    Ha-eun looked back at Cassia, touching her forehead as if she had a headache.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you nervous?¡±

    ¡°How can it not be possible?¡±

    ¡°Not to mention that¡­ ah.¡±

    Only then did I see Cassia¡¯s shoulders faintly shaking.

    okay.

    Even if you try to pretend like everything is fine, there¡¯s no way you won¡¯t be nervous.

    What was waiting for them beyond this door was the ¡®Constetion of Ophiuchus,¡¯ known to be the strongest among the constetions of the ck Star.

    ¡°Hey, you too are human.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that? ¡°Of course it¡¯s a person.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that humanity? ¡°Something like that iscking.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you think of me, Ha-eun?¡±

    The two of them continued chatting to relieve tension.

    ¡°Let¡¯s prepare quickly.¡±

    Oh Jin turned around and looked back at the special rental unit.

    The number of people in the special rental unit is approximately thirty.

    Compared to the entire Allied Forces, the number of people was so small that not even a single toon was produced, but in terms of actual strength, it was so powerful that it could fight the entire Allied Forces.

    First of all, even Chilseong and Ohjin, who were the core of their power, were actually strong enough to erase a fairlyrge country from the map overnight.

    In addition, many talented yers who are world-renowned, if not Chilseong, such as Lee Woo-hyuk and Ryo Sakaki, were also in the special loan unit, so in fact, if you look at their strength alone, you could say that their strength was better than the main unit.

    ¡°As for the operation¡­ are you really going as you said before?¡±

    Allen asked in a heavy voice.

    ¡°yes. ¡°It¡¯s a special lease for that purpose.¡±

    ¡°ha.¡±

    A deep sigh flowed from between Allen¡¯s lips.

    Perhaps the awakened people who heard the briefing about the operation also had doubts.

    This time, the special team that took on the role of ¡®bait¡¯ was so powerful that it seemed excessive.

    There are as many as four Chilseongs included in the special lease.

    And although it is not well known to the public, Cassia and Isabe Ha-eun, who have powers no less powerful than Chil-seong¡­ or perhaps even more, were in the special lease unit.

    Too much power to act as a bait.

    Therefore, the role of the special rental unit was not limited to a simple bait role.

    no.

    Considering the real purpose of the special lease, perhaps the real ¡®bait¡¯ role is not the special lease, but the main unit with over 32,000 people.

    ¡°¡­Honestly, I¡¯m not sure whether Mr. Ojin¡¯s n will work.¡±

    To that extent, the operation that Oh Jin had in mind was an absurd operation.

    ¡°It will work. No, you have to make it work.¡±

    Ohjin turned his head and looked at the awakened members of the special unit that would be carrying out this operation together.

    Although they are not members of Chilseong, they are still talented people who are making a name for themselves around the world.

    Most of them were awakened people who received the constetion¡¯s favor and expectations to the extent that the ¡®constetion¡¯ embodied them and followed them around.

    Lee Woo-hyuk, who was called the ¡®ck lion¡¯ and was also mentioned as a candidate for Chilseong.

    Ryo Sakaki is recognized internationally as a high-ranking awakened person in Japan, which is despised as and abandoned by the stars.

    Among the 12 apostles of Deneb, Sister Syaoran Xiaolin ranks 4th and 5th in rank.

    Even ¡®Tekken¡¯ Jason Hardy and Ondo Bale, who previously participated in the test to select Chilseong together with Oh Jin.

    Although it is true that her skills are definitely inferiorpared to strong yers outside the standard such as Chilseong and Cassia Isabe.

    They were definitely not awakened people who could never be fooled anywhere.

    ¡°As you know, you are the key to this operation.¡±

    In order for Ojin¡¯s operation to proceed sessfully, their role was more important than Chilseong¡¯s.

    ¡°I understand the gist of the n, but¡­ will it work out as you think, little brother?¡±

    Sakaki sighed as if no matter how much he thought about it, this was not the case.

    ¡°Even though I think about it, I don¡¯t think this is right.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not toote, so why don¡¯t you change your strategy?¡±

    Sisters Xiaolin and Xiaoran also shook their heads.

    ¡°This is the best method for now.¡±

    In any case, Oh Jin had full authority over the operation.

    ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s follow my brother¡¯s n.¡±

    ¡°Ha¡­ if it weren¡¯t for Allen¡¯s words.¡±

    The awakened people sigh and approach the entrance to the sanctuary.

    ¡°I trust Mr. Oh Jin.¡±

    Meanwhile, only Lee Woo-hyuk came out in support of Oh Jin.

    ¡°So far, Mr. Oh Jin has shown countless miracles that made no sense.¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk looks at Oh Jin with eyes full of trust.

    Oh Jin felt his heart being pricked by his gaze and cleared his throat for no reason.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s move on first ording to the n.¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk took the lead, pulling out the sword from his waist.

    Following him, Sakaki, Sister Xiao, and other awakened people crossed the entrance to the sanctuary.

    ¡°Like this for 30 minutes. ¡°I will wait.¡±

    Ohjin stood in front of the entrance and held themunication relic in his hand.

    The relic showed the images of Lee Woo-hyuk and other awakened people who had just passed the entrance to the sanctuary.

    -Krrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    -Coooooo!

    As expected.

    A huge group of demonic beasts were camped in front of the entrance to the sanctuary.

    A group of demonic beasts discovered the awakened people who had crossed the entrance and rushed towards them, screaming fiercely.

    ing!

    -Everyone, don¡¯t scatter as much as possible and stick together!

    Lee Woo-hyuk cut down the charging beast with his sword, and Sakaki grabbed the beast¡¯s head and threw it away.

    The blood clot continued so fiercely that even through the screen, I could smell the fishy smell of blood.

    -Ugh! How many of these are there?

    -There are too many numbers!

    Shouts and cries are heard.

    The special team, including Lee Woo-hyuk, continued to cut down the hordes of demonic beasts that rushed at them, but the number of demonic beasts surrounding the entrance to the sanctuary was sorge that there was no way to tell.

    Like a huge tsunami made of demonic beasts.

    Demonic beasts with wildly different appearances, characteristics, and races were flooding in.

    -Hehehehehehe!

    -Ugh!

    There is a limit to human physical strength.

    No matter how high-ranking an awakened person was with superhuman physical abilities, it was impossible to fight non-stop against the endless hordes of demonic beasts.

    Especially if the crowd of demonic beasts that are flooding in are powerful demonic beasts whose physical abilities have been greatly enhanced by the power of the ¡®snake¡¯.

    The special team, which had swept away the group of demonic beasts with ease at first, gradually began to let out heavy breaths and fall back.

    Among them, there was an awakened person who copsed on the floor due to magical exhaustion.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    Allen, who was watching the situation through the relic, stepped forward.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°If we go now, the operation will be in vain.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Allen stepped back, biting his lip gently.

    ¡®little bit more.¡¯

    Ohjin looked at the screen with deeply sunken eyes.

    Although it is precarious.

    It was still holding up well.

    -Wow! Cough!

    at that time.

    ¡®Iron Fist¡¯ Jason Hardy, who was hit by a magic beast¡¯s arm, spewed blood and was thrown away.

    The barely maintained formation rapidly copsed and a horde of demonic beasts poured in.

    ¡°Mr. Ojin!¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡±

    I needed a little more time.

    When I was watching the situation while biting my lip.

    Wooooow!

    The other holy relics I kept in my arms vibrated.

    A message reading ¡®Entryplete¡¯ appeared on the surface of the relic.

    ¡®done.¡¯

    Fortunately, it appears that the first objective, ¡®role of bait¡¯, was sessfully carried out.

    While the special lease attracted the attention of the demonic group, the main force led by Alina was able to sessfully enter Rome.

    ¡®The movements of the demonic beasts¡­ are there any changes yet?¡¯

    Has the fact that the main force has entered not yet beenmunicated to the demonic beasts?

    The army of demonic beasts rushing in like a tidal wave showed no signs of abating.

    ¡®then.¡¯

    Now it¡¯s time to move on to the ¡®second¡¯ operation.

    ¡°Me and Be will enter first. ¡°The others are waiting here ande out when I give the signal.¡±

    Ojin crossed the entrance to the sanctuary while holding Isabe¡¯s hand.

    Wooooow!

    Along with the sensation of my body floating, the panoramic view of the ruined city covered in ash and dust unfolded before my eyes.

    ¡°Push away!¡±

    In the distance, Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s voice was heard along with the beast¡¯s cries.

    ¡°Hold your hands tight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Ojin.¡±

    Oh Jin spread a ¡®ck screen¡¯ and hid his presence.

    Originally, the ability of the darkness could only be applied to one person, Oh Jin, but as the darkness achieved its 12th flowering, the abilities of its characteristics increased, and it became possible to erase the presence of other people holding hands.

    ¡®If you even use illusions here.¡¯

    A silver halo enveloped Ojin and Isabe.

    With this, it was possible topletely hide not only the presence but also the appearance.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    If the core of the first operation were the Awakened, including sisters Woohyuk Lee and Ryosha Sakaki.

    The core of the second operation was Isabe and Ojin.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready.¡±

    Isabe nodded with a nervous expression.

    Ohjin held hands with Isabe and crossed the battlefield where a fierce battle was taking ce.

    ¡°Huh oh oh oh oh! ¡°I can¡¯t hold on any longer!¡±

    ¡°Hwaaaaaap! ¡°A man can ovee hardships like this with spirit!¡±

    ¡°I am a woman. ¡°He¡¯s got a brain full of muscles!¡±

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t it been 30 minutes yet?!¡±

    The voices of Sister Xiao and Sakaki were heard.

    They were busy blocking the oing magical beasts without noticing the presence of Ojin and Isabe, even though they were just a stone¡¯s throw away.

    -It¡¯s only been 30 minutes now.

    Ojin¡¯s voice, which flowed through Capricorn¡¯s stigmata, echoed in the special rental¡¯s head.

    ¡°Is your brother here too?¡±

    ¡°Where are you?¡±

    I nced around and looked around, but Ojin, who used ckness and illusion, was nowhere to be seen.

    -Don¡¯t look around and focus on the battle.

    Only the voice echoing in my head lets me know that he is here.

    -Everyone has endured well so far.

    now.

    -Just die ording to the n.

 Chapter 413

    I am not a returner Episode 413:

    War of the Stars (4)

    ¨C Now you can die ording to the n.

    The first to react to orders like a cold-heartedmander in a military dictatorship was Lee Woo-hyuk, better known by his nickname ¡®ck Lion¡¯.

    ¡°Wow! ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk suddenly clutches his chest andins of pain.

    Without missing the opportunity, a demonic beast rushed forward and swung its sharp, sickle-like ws.

    Sigh!

    My chest was cut and blood spurted out.

    A huge amount of blood soaked the floor, making one wonder if this was really the amount that coulde out of a human body.

    ¡°Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! ¡°Kruk!¡±

    The demon beast cries out in victory as it looks at Lee Woo-hyuk, whose blood is pouring out.

    Considering the vivid sensation felt when Lee Woo-hyuk¡¯s body was cut with fingernails and the amount of blood pouring out, there is no doubt that it was a fatal wound.

    Lee Woo-hyuk, who was wounded, swayed as if he would copse at any moment.

    -great. I don¡¯t think the blood and wounds for camouge were noticed, so just lie down.

    I heard Ojin¡¯s voice in my head.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ damn it.¡±

    In order to fool the enemy¡¯s eyes perfectly ording to the n, it was necessary to put in a little more effort.

    ¡°After this battle¡­ I was going to propose to her.¡±

    -Mr. Woohyuk?

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t kill it¡­¡±

    -Hey? Could you stop falling down?

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you guys.¡±

    -Please shut up and fall down quickly.

    What are you doing against demonic beasts?

    ¡°Ugh! ¡°Wow!¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk fell to the floor clutching his chest.

    I was worried that it would be perceived as acting because the movements were so exaggerated.

    ¡°Crrrrrrr!¡±

    Luckily, it wasn¡¯t a highly intelligent beast, so it quickly turned around after seeing that Lee Woo-hyuk had fallen.

    ¡°Hmm! ¡°I can¡¯t stand this any longer!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaah. ¡°I¡¯m dying.¡±

    -No, what about the elementary school school festival?

    When I saw the acting skills that were not only awkward but terrible, I got a headache.

    ¡®Whew. ¡®Yes, I expected this much.¡¯

    In the first ce, I didn¡¯t even expect that beginners who had never acted before would be able to act properly.

    -Please don¡¯t talk and just open your mouth.

    Ojin used Capricorn¡¯s stigmata to create a fake scream.

    The scream, which was extremely awkward, turned into a desperate scream that felt like it was squeezing out one¡¯s soul.

    ¡°Keuheuk!¡±

    ¡°Kuhuhuhuhuh!¡±

    The awakened people begin to fall one by one, screaming.

    The fishy blood gushing out of their wounds was so simr to the real thing that even magic beasts with sensitive senses could not distinguish it.

    ¡®Because Isabe made it herself.¡¯

    For her, who had the leech stigmata, creating blood that resembled real blood was not a task.

    One by one, the demonic beasts screamed in triumph as the blood smelled different from the fake blood made from animal blood.

    Originally, this would have been the time to enjoy the winner¡¯s rights by eating the corpses here.

    -Rurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    A loud roar echoed throughout the city and clouds of dust rose.

    While the special team was acting as a decoy, the main unit led by Alina sessfully entered Rome.

    ¡°Crrrrrrr. Enemy¡­ attack.¡±

    ¡°The intruder¡­ he¡¯s here again.¡±

    The demon beasts, who were mumbling in slurred speech as if they had just woken up from a sleep endoscopy, turned their heads in the direction from which the roar wasing from.

    ¡°Intruders¡­ will be killed.¡±

    A group of demonic beasts rushed out in the direction from which the roar was heard.

    The group of demonic beasts that had been guarding the entrance to the sanctuary like an iron bar disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    All that remains in front of the entrance to the sanctuary are the corpses of the awakened people who served as bait and sacrificed themselves bravely.

    no.

    Exactly.

    ¡°You can stand up now.¡±

    They were awakened people who were pretending to be dead.

    ¡°Whoa!¡±

    ¡°Is it done now, little brother?¡±

    ¡°Hey, what kind of blood is this? ¡°Did you really use human blood?¡±

    One by one, the awakened people shook off the sticky blood that stuck to their bodies and let out a single word.

    ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t know that this strategy would really work.¡±

    Syaoran swallowed augh as if it was absurd and looked around at the ce where the group of demonic beasts had escaped.

    To be honest, when I heard the instructions to pretend to be dead in front of the demon beast, I thought that the bastard had regressed and even his intelligence had regressed, but the ¡®double bait¡¯ operation was more sessful than I imagined.

    ¡°Because their intelligence has degenerated.¡±

    ¡°You say it¡¯s degenerated?¡±

    ¡°When under the ¡®domination¡¯ of a snake, even demonic beasts with some intelligence will have their intelligence degenerated to the level of an infant. ¡°Like someone under hypnosis.¡±

    ¡°¡­How on earth do you know that?¡±

    I only found out because there was someone with experience controlling a group of real demon beasts next to me.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you I was a ¡®regressor¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Only then did Syaoran nod his head with a low exmation.

    The ¡®real power¡¯, including Allen and Reba Baekmugang, who were waiting inside the entrance, came out one by one.

    ¡°¡­It was really sessful.¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Allen looked at the empty entrance and blinked in disbelief.

    When the special lease unit was first created, there were two tasks given to them.

    One is to act as a decoy so that the main force can easily enter Rome.

    And the remaining one.

    ¡°Now let¡¯s go catch the ¡®snake.¡¯¡±

    Killing the ck Star constetion Mobius, who can be said to be the mastermind behind this incident.

    For that purpose, it was necessary to turn the attention of the Demonic Beast Corps towards the main force.

    ¡®But that makes it impossible to achieve our first goal, which is to act as bait.¡¯

    The assassination mission, which involved entering secretly and beheading the enemy leader, and the decoy mission, which required making as much noise as possible to draw the enemy¡¯s attention, could not mix like water and oil.

    Of course, it was possible to take on the role of bait at the expense of the main team.

    ¡®Then the entrance to the sanctuary wouldn¡¯t have been so empty.¡¯

    The reason the demonic beasts guarding the entrance to the sanctuary left was because they thought that all the awakened people who came out of the entrance were dead.

    If it weren¡¯t for that, no matter how low their intelligence was, all the troops guarding the entrance to the sanctuary would never have escaped.

    ¡®No, if you think about it now, isn¡¯t that true?¡¯

    Although I had heard about it from Cassia, the intelligence of the magical beasts under the control of the ¡®snake¡¯ was lower than I had imagined.

    It feels like ying a game against aputer AI.

    It felt like I couldn¡¯t even think about doing anything other than what I had been instructed to do in advance.

    ¡°I said there was no need to use suchplicated methods, right?¡±

    Cassia, who came out of the entrance, touched the corpse of the demon beast lying on the floor with her foot and spoke in a low voice so that only Ojin could hear.

    ¡°The orders that can be given to a magical beast whose mind has been controlled by the stigmata of Ophiuchus are extremely limited. ¡°These demonic beasts are probably only carrying out orders such as ¡®Kill the intruder.¡¯¡±

    ¡°It seems so.¡±

    Well anyway.

    More is more, so having too much is better than not having enough.

    ¡®How has everything worked out so far?¡¯

    The problem is next.

    We had to defeat ¡®Mobius¡¯ and rescue the people captured by him.

    ¡°We¡¯re moving slowly.¡±

    ¡°Do you know the location of Moebius?¡±

    ¡°I have to start looking for it now.¡±

    Of course, I had no intention of wandering around the city ignorantly looking for it.

    ¡°Please, Vega.¡±

    [I understand!]

    Vega appeared in a artificial body and flew into the air.

    [We will also help.]

    [Leave it to us to find Moebius!]

    In addition to Vega, the constetions that appeared in artificial bodies, including Regulus Spica, Aldebaran, and Aris, all flew into the air.

    Faint waves of light spread out from the bodies of the constetions, like stars rising in the night sky.

    If Vega had been alone, he would have had a hard time finding Moebius¡¯s presence, but the number of constetions gathered here was in the dozens.

    It was no exaggeration to say that all the constetions that could manifest in artificial bodies had been gathered together.

    When the constetions joined forces, it was easy to detect the presence of Mobius without being restricted by the w¡¯.

    [It¡¯s over there.]

    Vega came down and sat on Ojin¡¯s shoulder and pointed the direction with his hand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The special rental unit moved at high speed in the direction indicated by Vega.

    Perhaps thanks to the main unit¡¯s ability to attract aggro, we didn¡¯t encounter any other groups of demon beasts on the way.

    The ce we arrived at was a square whose name I do not know.

    ¡°Please save me!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s here! here!¡±

    ¡°Hwaaaaaaa!¡±

    In the center of the square, children who appeared to be less than 10 years old were tied up.

    ¡°Tsk¡­!¡±

    Isabe, seeing the captured children, tried to approach them while chewing her lip.

    ¡°wait a minute.¡±

    Seeing the children gathered in the center of therge square like that, there was a high possibility that it was a trap.

    As I activated the stigmata of the constetion Canis and looked around, a pure white snake glided out from among the rubble of the copsed building.

    The snake soon changed its appearance into a human and leisurely sat down on the fountain in the center of the square.

    ¡°haha. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the main unit was the bait.¡±

    ¡°¡­Moebius.¡±

    Considering he didn¡¯t know anything, he seemed quite rxed.

    ¡°I was counting on you toe. ¡®Star of the inverted sky.¡¯¡±

    Mobius stood up, ced his hand on his chest and bowed politely.

    ¡°Are you the constetion of Ophiuchus?¡±

    Allen stepped forward, pulling a sword from his waist.

    The stigmata of the Cygnus radiated light and a sharp murderous force spread along with white frost.

    ¡°Release the children immediately. Otherwise¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    Before Allen could finish speaking, Mobius released the ¡®snake¡¯ that was binding the children.

    ¡°uh¡­?¡±

    ¡°Can I go?¡±

    The released children also looked around as if they could not believe what was going on.

    Mobius smiled brightly as he looked at the children.

    ¡°Go quickly.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    I hesitated for a moment.

    The children who were caught in the square began to run towards Ojin and his group with watery eyes.

    The number of children held captive was in the hundreds.

    The quiet square was immediately engulfed in chaos as the children started running at once, just like the front gate of an elementary school after vacation.

    ¡°Dangerous!¡±

    ¡°It must be his trap! Everyone, stay away from the kids!¡±

    Some awakened people decided that it made no sense to release the children so easily and pointed their weapons at the approaching children.

    ¡°Hi!¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything!¡±

    The children who were running trembled and stopped.

    Moebius smiled as he looked at the awakened people who had drawn out their weapons.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a trap or anything, so you can rest assured.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Even if it wasn¡¯t a trap, how can we be at ease since the person who said that was the one who captured the children?

    The awakened people looked at each other without raising their weapons aimed at the children.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and check.¡±

    The one who broke the silence was Reba, the awakened star of Gemini.

    Reba stepped forward and chanted lightly.

    Her stigmata glowed green, and clones that looked exactly like Reba were created.

    Reba¡¯s clones approached each child who stopped and examined them.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think they did anything.¡±

    Reba, who had carefully inspected the children, frowned as if she could not understand.

    How could they so obediently release the hostages they had captured?

    To begin with, you might think that he was showing mercy, but the person who massacred hundreds of thousands of people living in Rome overnight was Mobius.

    ¡°Huh¡­.¡±

    ¡°You are the Awakened, right? ¡°Please save my dad!¡±

    ¡°Home¡­ I want to go home.¡±

    The children hugging Reba¡¯s alter ego began to shed tears.

    It would be natural for him to burst into tears as he would have lost his home and parents overnight and been held in an unknown ce for more than a week.

    ¡°Are you okay? You were very scared, right? ¡°Have you done anything bad?¡±

    Reba¡¯s clones hugged each child and asked in a kind voice.

    ¡°Oh no.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything bad.¡±

    ¡°I ate delicious food at the bar.¡±

    The children who were released seemed to be in very good condition, whether they had been starved or abused.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin narrowed his eyes and turned his head towards Moebius.

    ¡°¡­What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°Why did you release the children?¡±

    No matter how hard I try to think of a reason.

    There was no benefit for Moebius to gain by releasing the hostages so easily.

    ¡°ha ha ha. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take it so seriously.¡±

    Moebius shook his head with a gentle smile.

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re children, right? Pure and unspoiled. ¡°You can¡¯t hurt kids like that.¡±

    His gaze passed through Ojin and towards the constetions.

    ¡°You all think so too, right?¡±

    [Hmm.]

    Vega frowned and crossed her arms.

    Of course, releasing the children could not absolve him of what he had done.

    [It looks like at least some conscience remains.]

    ¡°It¡¯s more of a duty than a conscience.¡±

    [¡­Duty?]

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the duty of the Constetion to protect the bnce of the world and protect the precious soil where the stigmata will sprout¡­ that is, humans?¡± [A person who knows so well couldmit such a terrible act?]

    Vega red at Moebius as if scolding him.

    ¡°Haha, of course.¡±

    Mobius bursts outughing as if it were someone else¡¯s business.

    ¡°Then, are those Constetions keeping their duties well?¡±

    [Of course. If I had forgotten my duty, so many constetions would not have appeared here.]

    ¡°Haha. Yes, yes. But¡­¡±

    The vertically slit pupils of the green eyes staring at the constetions were shiny.

    ¡°Then why did you do that then?¡±

    A terrifying deadly force encroached on the surroundings as if exploding.

 Chapter 414

    I am not a returner Episode 414:

    War of the Stars (5)

    -Ophiuchus stigmata¡­?

    There was a girl.

    -So, did I be an Awakened?!

    Unspoiled and pure.

    A girl as beautiful as a jewel.

    -Nice to meet you, Constetion! My name is¡­ Eve.

    And abandoned by stars.

    As soon as the girl who lived in a remote countryside where there was no door to the sanctuary for the first time saw me, she bent her waist 90 degrees and trembled.

    How cute that look was.

    I could understand why other constetions called humans who inherited their stigmata ¡®children¡¯.

    -Moebius! Moebius! I made a lunch box!

    Unlike other awakened people, the girl did not focus on hunting down demonic beasts or increasing her ¡®sex¡¯.

    The girl who moved from a remote rural vige to a ce where there was a gate to the sanctuary visited my temple every day as if it were her own home.

    -Mom and dad? Hehe¡­ They both died in an ident when I was young. So far, I¡¯ve been staying with my grandfather!

    * * *

    He was a child as bright and cheerful as the stars shining in the night sky.

    -Wow! Moebius! Look at this! I can finally summon a snake!

    When the girl smiled excitedly, a smile appeared on my face.

    -Sniff¡­ It¡¯s Mobius. Another awakened person saw the snake I made and ran away because he was scared. It¡¯s so cute, but why¡­

    When the girl makes a sad expression, my heart aches.

    -Why do you alwayse to the temple? Hehe¡­ That¡¯s because I like Moebius! Mobius is kind, cool, caring, and¡­ like a father.

    My heart trembled so much when I heard the girl say ¡®dad¡¯.

    I still vividly remember the girl holding her stomach and bursting intoughter at my embarrassed appearance.

    -¡®My child¡¯¡­? Oh my. Please call me ¡®Eve¡¯ instead of that stiff title!

    I swore.

    To the stars floating in the Milky Way flowing in the night sky.

    -I like Moebius the best!

    This girl.

    my child.

    I will definitely protect it.

    I will make this girl happy, even if it means breaking the chains of discipline and restrictions that are binding me.

    That is my ¡®duty¡¯ as a Constetion.

    That¡¯s what I thought.

    and.

    and.

    and.

    -Mobius¡­ I¡¯m cold.

    That girl.

    My child, whom I loved so much.

    -Please hug me tight so I don¡¯t get cold¡­?

    With you in my arms.

    I quietly closed my eyes.

    [Why did you do that back then¡­ What did you mean?]

    Vega frowned and looked at Moebius.

    ¡°haha. Oh, sorry. I got excited for a moment. Yes, Vega, you probably don¡¯t know. In fact, there is no need to know.¡±

    Moebius smiled bitterly and looked up at the smoke-covered sky.

    ¡°It¡¯s already¡­ it¡¯s over.¡±

    I painfully realized that spilled water cannot be put back again through countless regrets and agony over the years.

    Being able to put back spilled water¡­ well, it would be impossible unless you were a ¡®returner¡¯ who came back in time.

    And defying time was impossible, even for someone with powerparable to the North Star.

    Regret is always toote and failure cannot be undone.

    Now there was only one thing left for him.

    ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s get started quickly.¡±

    ¡®War of the Stars¡¯.

    Sigh!

    Moebius¡¯ shadow spread widely and instantly covered the entire wide square.

    Five shapes slowly began to emerge from the wide spread shadows.

    The magic of the distant stigmata filled the square and spread throughout the city.

    [This¡­]

    Vega¡¯s eyes wavered.

    An unidentified figure began to emerge from the shadows.

    A far-off magical power that cannot be possessed by an ordinary magical beast, and the number ¡®five¡¯.

    It didn¡¯t take long to guess what it was.

    [No way¡­]

    Five shapes emerged from the shadows.

    Two of them were ones that Ojin had also seen before.

    One was the constetion Noctua in the constetion Owl, and the other was the constetion Felis in the constetion Cat.

    They had ssy eyes, as if their souls had been robbed.

    [Did you make the ck Star constetions¡­ your puppets?]

    ¡°Because I can¡¯t fight the war alone. ¡°Just as you all need reliable colleagues, don¡¯t you think I need one too?¡±

    Moebius shrugged his shoulders and looked back at the constetions that had emerged from the shadows.

    The constetion Moose in the constetion Paris.

    Hirudo, the constetion of Leech.

    Butenin, the constetion Toad.

    Felis, the constetion of Cat.

    Noctua, the constetion of Owl.

    They were all ¡®satellites¡¯ that had been expelled from the sanctuary in the past and were newly born ck star constetions with the power of the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit disappointing that Ancdus isn¡¯t there¡­ but someone killed him before I could find him.¡±

    Moebius shrugs his shoulders and turns his head towards Ojin.

    Ohjin clicked his tongue as he looked at the ck star constetions that appeared from the shadows.

    ¡®This is the reason why no traces of the ck Star constetions could be found.¡¯

    Like Ancdus, they came to Earth and encountered Mobius before they could leave a trace.

    and.

    ¡®I was defeated by that bastard and became a puppet.¡¯

    I never would have guessed that the reason the ck Star constetions had not been visible for a while was because of Moebius.

    Although it was a variable I hadn¡¯t thought about.

    ¡°I did something stupid.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Are you saying this is stupid?¡±

    ¡°Instead of making him a puppet, how about controlling him in some other way?¡±

    Just like the demonic beasts did.

    Beings whoe under Moebius¡¯s ¡®domination¡¯ be puppets that have almost lost their sense of reason.

    It may be that the intelligence itself is not that high in the first ce.

    It was an obvious loss of power that turned the powerful force called ¡®Constetion¡¯ into a puppet that could not even use its original power properly.

    ¡®It¡¯s actually better from my point of view.¡¯

    The ck Star constetions were enemies that would all have to be dealt with one day.

    How can we not wee such enemies as they have appeared as puppets who have lost their sense of reason?

    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting opinion.¡±

    Mobius crossed his arms and nodded.

    ¡°So, for example, how were we supposed to control them?¡±

    ¡°well? ¡°It¡¯s a lie or something.¡±

    ¡°ha ha ha! Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have that level of speaking skills.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t a snake a creature that represents lies?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are talking about the snake that appears in human beliefs.¡±

    Since ancient times, ¡®snakes¡¯ have been considered creatures with cunning wisdom and skills in lying.

    ¡°A myth is just a myth.¡±

    ¡°For that matter, you seem to be pretty good at joking around.¡±

    ¡°This is all thanks to Cheonma¡¯s teachings.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    also.

    Was it Cheonma who was controlling Mobius from behind?

    ¡°My true self doesn¡¯t fit the description of cunning.¡±

    ¡°okay? ¡°Then what were you like originally?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ nice, cool, and caring would be a better description.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of confidence.¡±

    ¡°haha. ¡°Because that kid said so.¡±

    Mobius¡¯s faint smile, as if recalling the past, certainly seemed far from the expression ¡®cunning.¡¯

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Ojin sighed deeply and gripped his spear.

    ¡°I know you have a story.¡±

    Even if it wasn¡¯t the conversation we just had.

    Just by looking at Moebius¡¯ eyes, one could tell that he had not waged this war without any reason or purpose.

    but.

    ¡°What does it matter now?¡±

    ¡°¡­okay.¡±

    Isn¡¯t war inherently a me that burns with story as fuel?

    There was no way to extinguish the burning me since it had already been ignited.

    Unless one side¡¯s ¡®story¡¯pletely disappears in mes.

    ¡°I will take charge of Moebius.¡±

    Ojin grabbed his spear and took a step forward.

    Shaaaaaaa!

    With an eerie sound, pure white snakes crawled out from the shadow of Moebius.

    Hundreds of thousands of snakes were shot like bullets towards Ojin.

    When I first faced Moebius, the snakes were so fast that they couldn¡¯t be seen with the naked eye.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t sit still while you were ¡®making friends¡¯ for the past three months.¡±

    Wooooow!

    The Lyra stigmata radiated light, and a silver halo enveloped Ojin¡¯s body.

    The same sanctuary that Vega showed.

    Within this silver area, lightning possesses absolute power.

    Kwajajajajajajag!

    A strong thunderstorm swirled around Ojin¡¯s body.

    Hundreds and thousands of snakes rushing towards him instantly turned to ashes and scattered in the air.

    ¡°her.¡±

    Moebius, who saw this,ughed as if it was absurd.

    ¡°Has it been 3 years, not 3 months, without me knowing?¡±

    To that extent, it waspletely different from the sight of Oh Jin I saw a few months ago.

    Now, it feels like I¡¯m dealing with the same ¡®constetion¡¯ rather than a ¡®human¡¯.

    ¡®No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯

    It couldn¡¯t even be called a constetion.

    That was a ck sky greedily devouring stars¡­ It felt like confronting the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯.

    ¡°It¡¯s just as he said.¡±

    Moebius smiled slightly and slowly raised his arms.

    Three white snakes crawled out of his shadow and entangled themselves in his arms, turning into a single sword.

    ¡°Okay then, enough of the entertainment¡­ shall we get started properly?¡±

    When Moebius drew his sword, the ck star constetions that were standing in ce and staring nkly into space began to slowly move their bodies.

    Her eyes were like a doll, with no emotion whatsoever.

    The distant magical power flowing from them vividly proved that they were transcendental beings called ¡®constetions¡¯.

    ¡°I never thought the day woulde when I would point my sword at the Constetion.¡±

    ¡°Those guys aren¡¯t just any constetions. What are they? Corrupted constetions? ¡°It¡¯s the same thing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to punish the bad guys!¡±

    Pure white frost spewed out from Allen and Baekmu Gang¡¯s swords.

    ¡°I will evacuate the children to a safe ce.¡±

    ¡°please.¡±

    Leaving behind Reba, who was evacuating the children, Isabe took a step forward, holding a sickle made of blood.

    ¡°Have you ever tried to beat that bastard called Ancdus or something before? ¡°If you want to make a dent in their bodies, you have to hit them with every ounce of magical power you have, so don¡¯t even throw away this stupid check.¡±

    Ha-eun released her eye patch and created a huge fireball.

    ¡°Oh, wasn¡¯t it Ojin who hit Ancdus back then, not Ha-eun?¡±

    ¡°I, too, have been set on fire a few times!¡±

    ¡°Ho Ho. just joke. As Ha-eun said, you can¡¯t prate the constetions¡¯ sanctuary with a clumsy attack. Right, Constetions?¡±

    Cassia looked back at Vega and raised the corners of her mouth.

    [If it¡¯s a blessing, I¡¯ll use it at the right time, so don¡¯t worry.]

    ¡°I¡¯m d. Well, unfortunately¡­ Coincidentally, the Constetion who is supposed to give me a blessing is in enemy territory.¡±

    Cassia took out a sword from the shadows and her eyes shined sharply.

    and.

    Kwaaaaaaaaaa!

    With a roar that shook the square, the war between the Constetions and humans came to an end.

 Chapter 415

    I am not a returner Episode 415:

    War of the Stars (6)

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    The one who ran at the forefront was Allen Oscar of the Ungokseong, who was actually ranked first among the 12 Apostles of Deneb and was known as the strongest among the Seven Stars.

    ¡®Ohjin said he would take charge of Moebius.¡¯

    What he has to target are the constetions that have turned into Mobius¡¯ puppets.

    Among them, it was the constetion Moose in the constetion Paris.

    If the ranks of the ck Star¡¯s constetions are the same as the ranks of the ck Star¡¯s executive officers, then the constetion with the next level of power after Moebius would be Moose.

    Of course, what meaning does rank have when you have lost your sense and be a puppet?

    Still, wouldn¡¯t he be the most threatening among puppets?

    ¡®The constetion Moose of Paris.¡¯

    Although I¡¯ve never seen one before, it wasn¡¯t difficult to tell which of those five was the ¡®Constetion of Paris¡¯.

    ck hair and dark skin.

    Ugly red eyes covered half of the face.

    As if reminiscent of the eyes of a fly, the tens of thousands of pupils looked like they were wearing a visor helmet rather than eyes when viewed from a distance.

    * * *

    ¡®Process it as quickly as possible and join Mr. Oh Jin.¡¯

    It was my first time dealing with a constetion, but I wasn¡¯t particrly nervous.

    Looking at Moose¡¯s drugged, blurry eyes, I doubted whether he would be able to fight properly.

    [It would be unstable to maintain the ¡®sanctuary¡¯ if the mind was not sound! [Push forward without any mercy, Allen!]

    Deneb, who flew in after Allen, pointed at the moose and shouted.

    Allen nodded lightly and raised the power of the Cygnus Stigmata.

    -Kwajajajajajajag!

    The ground freezes with every step you take.

    A white frost storm raged, and a sh-like sword strike was aimed at the moose.

    [Ah ugh.]

    Moose let out an inexplicable groan and stared nkly at the approaching sword attack.

    For a moment, light shed in the eyes covering his face.

    Ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-gak!

    The ck thorns that sprouted from Moose¡¯s arms deflected Allen¡¯s sword.

    Allen frowned and stepped back from the heavy shock that passed through his hand that was holding the sword.

    ¡°¡­Even if you be a puppet, a constetion is still a constetion?¡±

    Moose, who was staring into space with bleary eyes as if he had lost his senses, saw Allen¡¯s sword approaching and flicked his sword away with agility as if he had never been still.

    [¡­The Awakened One.]

    A gloomy voice flowed from Moose¡¯s mouth as he looked down nkly at the frost covering the part of his arm that hit the sword.

    [Kill the Awakened¡­

    with a low murmur.

    Wooooow!

    Like a mechanical device being turned on, explosive magical energy covered Moose¡¯s entire body.

    The skin on its back split and its transparent wings spread out.

    And one step.

    Shoo, shoo! Shush!

    The moose approached by turning at a right angle in the air as if performing a three-dimensional maneuver.

    The ck thorns on the moose¡¯s arms pierced Allen like an awl.

    Allen¡¯s body, which barely raised his sword to defend itself, was thrown back roughly.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Allen, who was thrown about a hundred meters, crashed into the exterior wall of the building.

    A clear human-shaped mark, like something out of a children¡¯sedy cartoon, was engraved on the exterior wall.

    [Allen!]

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay.¡±

    Allen stood up shakily, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

    ¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to give up my n to process it as quickly as possible.¡¯

    I thought it would be easy to subdue a constetion that had be a puppet.

    Even if only the shell remained, the constetion was still a constetion.

    Even leaving aside its sanctuary, its basic strength and speed werepletely different from humans.

    ¡®but.¡¯

    The stigmata of Cygnus radiates light as if burning.

    ¡®It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t deal with it.¡¯

    Allen, an awakened person who reached the 11th star, also had specs that werepletely different from those of humans.

    In addition, if the constetion is in a state where it cannot fully use the ¡®stigmata¡¯ ability, which can be said to be the core of its power.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    I took a deep breath and held my sword backwards.

    The image thates to mind is a snowy field.

    The sight of a knife-like snowstorm swirling across the endless whitend.

    The stigmata of Cygnus resonated with the image I had created in my head.

    ¡°Freeze!¡±

    He let out a chant and shed his sword backwards.

    The ground froze around the sword digging into the ground.

    Snowkes swirling on the frozen ground.

    It may be a beautiful sight on the outside, but if you know that each and every fluttering snowke is made of sharp sword, you will never feel ¡®beautiful¡¯.

    [Ah ugh.]

    The swirling snowkes tore into the moose¡¯s body.

    Instead of blood, an ugly green fluid flowed from the wound.

    But even for a moment.

    Maggots boiled like bubbles between the cross sections of the wound, and in an instant, the gaping flesh adhered again.

    [Ugh¡­ those stigmata are always unpleasant to see.]

    Deneb nauseated and shook her head.

    [Allen! The Stigmata of Paris has excellent regenerative abilities, so you have to push it without stopping.]

    ¡°I know¡­ uh!¡±

    He created an even stronger snowstorm and put pressure on the moose, but Allen alone was unable to keep up with the regenerative ability of the Stigmata of Paris.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bad person too¡­ huh? Oh, that¡¯s right, it¡¯s not a person. ¡°I will punish the bad constetion!¡±

    Baek Moo-gang helped Allen and swung his sword at Moose.

    The fierce attacks of the two Seven Stars poured down on the constetion.

    Allen and Baek Moo-gang were not the only ones continuing the fierce battle with the Constetion.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    The fiercely burning fire aimed at the owl covered in ck feathers.

    [Dragon Eyes¡­ Awakened One.]

    Noctua, the constetion of Owl, looked at Ha-eun and opened her mouth in a stuttering tone.

    ¡°Even if you be a prick, do you still remember it?¡±

    Ha-eun grinned and twisted the corner of her mouth and aimed the tobo in her hand at Noctua.

    ¡°I had a hard time because of your kid.¡±

    How could I forget?

    I remember being caught by Cheon Do-yoon and almost having my eyes gouged out.

    If Oh Jin had not awakened ¡®Gaecheon¡¯ at that time, she would have been trapped in the dark without a single light.

    ¡°Well, thanks to that, I was able to confess to Ojini and things went well.¡±

    Just because the results were good, it didn¡¯t mean that what I experienced that day was a fun kidnapping story (that I suffered).

    [I¡­ don¡¯t remember¡­ kidnapping you.]

    ¡°In the first ce, parents bear the responsibility of their children. I did not know?¡±

    The light that formed at the end of the year gradually grew in size and turned into the shape of a huge dragon.

    ¡°Burn up.¡±

    A huge fire hit Noctua like a tidal wave.

    As if the tsunami of mes that hit Noctua was not enough, it spread out in all directions and swept the surrounding area.

    ¡°Tsk¡­! Ha-eun, please control your firepower.¡±

    Isabe, scorched by the mes spreading in all directions, frowned and turned her head to Ha-eun.

    Ha-eun smiled mischievously and scratched her head.

    ha.

    Isabe sighed deeply and looked again at the ¡®enemy¡¯ she was dealing with.

    A hideous looking constetion with a long slit mouth and sharp fangs.

    He looked at Isabe with hazy eyes and muttered as if he couldn¡¯t understand.

    [My¡­ child. Why are you attacking me¡­?]

    ¡°It¡¯s not like your child.¡±

    Isabe looked at the constetion Hirudo in the constetion Leech and grabbed the blood-red scythe.

    ¡°For me, this stigmata¡­ was nothing short of a terrible curse.¡±

    Only now, thanks to misdiagnosis, have I been able to free myself from the urge to suck blood.

    In the past, she had to suffer every day from the terrible urge to suck blood brought on by the leech stigmata.

    A terrible thirst that made my soul feel dry.

    For her, who had suffered from that thirst for several years, the constetion of Leech was not a benefactor who bestowed stigmata, but an enemy to be hated.

    [I¡­ why¡­ ugh¡­ ugh.]

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame. ¡°If I were to get revenge, I wanted to do it on you in a more normal state.¡±

    Isabe swung her scythe towards Hirudo, creating blood-red chains around her body.

    ¡°Everyone is fighting hard.¡±

    Moebius raised his eyebrows as he looked at the battlefield where a fierce battle had begun.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the time to act like it¡¯s someone else¡¯s business¡­!¡±

    Let¡¯s go!

    A spearhead filled with blue thunderbolts was aimed at Mobius.

    Moebius glided across the floor, dodging the spear, and lightly swung the sword in his hand.

    An ordinary sword strike with no special skills or overwhelming power.

    It was a sword attack that could have been avoided with Ojin¡¯s skills even with his eyes closed.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ojin¡¯s chest was cut long and blood flowed out.

    ¡®What the hell?¡¯

    I clearly dodged the sword and opened a reasonable distance.

    It would have been a distance that even the sword wind created when the sword was swung couldn¡¯t reach it, let alone the de.

    What on earth cut my chest?

    [A shadow!]

    ¡°¡­A shadow?¡±

    Ojin¡¯s gaze turned to the bottom of the sword.

    I could see the long shadow of the sword Mobius was holding.

    ¡®Was it this?¡¯

    The stigmata of Ophiuchus is the stigmata that deals with ¡®shadow¡¯.

    It was his own fault for not being able to catch the shadow that had been cast because his eyes were focused on the sword.

    ¡°Haha, you are Vega as expected. ¡°You figured out my abilities all at once.¡±

    Moebius shrugged his shoulders and lowered his sword arm.

    The fluctuating shadow spread widely along the sword pole.

    ¡®Shadow.¡¯

    I felt it when dealing with Cassia, but it was definitely a tricky ability.

    Because it was impossible to eliminate the existence of shadows as long as there was light.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s the same even if there is no light.¡¯

    The shadow created by Mobius¡¯ ability was not an actual shadow, but somethingpletely different with the characteristics of a shadow.

    Even if you block all light, the shadow itself will not disappear.

    ¡®then.¡¯

    All you have to do is go to a ce where that shadow can¡¯t reach.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    After jumping high, I stepped on the air using the thunder stamp.

    In the first ce, ¡®air¡¯ is a ce where shadows cannot reach.

    As long as the stigmata of Mobius had its essence in the shadows, it could not affect the air.

    ¡°This is the method you used on Cassia before.¡±

    Moebius shrugged his shoulders and smiled bitterly.

    ¡°Did you think the method that worked for her would work for me too?¡±

    A leisurely swing of the sword.

    The air split along the path of the sword and a shadow spread out like smoke.

    A shadow floating in the air like smoke.

    Although it was physically impossible.

    ¡°When dealing with constetions,mon sense can sometimes be poison.¡±

    It is an extremely natural mon sense¡¯ that a shadow will not reach the sky.

    However, mocking and distorting such obviousws was the power of the constetion¡¯s sanctuary.

    -Chaaaaaaaa!

    A de rose from the shadow cast in the air.

    Ohjin¡¯s body, which rose into the air, was cut to pieces by dozens of des.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Ojin was lying on the floor, vomiting blood.

    ¡°Hmm. Was it too overrated?¡±

    Moebius walked towards Ojin, who had fallen on the floor, looking disappointed.

    Arms and legs cut off by the shadow de.

    Ojin, whose limbs had been cut off, was lying on the floor like a broken roly-poly doll.

    ¡°Ah ugh! Argh! My my my paaaaal!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand. You must be sick. But¡­.¡±

    ¡°My my my paal!!¡± ¡°My arm!¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Moebius frowned as if he couldn¡¯t understand.

    Although it is true that his arm was cut off.

    If it had been cut off, the same would have happened to the leg, but I couldn¡¯t understand why only the arm was crying like that.

    Mobius¡¯ gaze naturally turned to Ojin¡¯s severed arm.

    At that ce.

    Ohjin¡¯s severed arm was lying on the floor with his middle finger raised.

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    Before the question even came out of my mouth.

    Phew.

    The spear pierced Moebius¡¯ chest and came out.

    ¡°What are you doing, bastard?¡±

    I¡¯m saying fuck you.

 Chapter 416

    I am not a returner Episode 416:

    War of the Stars (7)

    ¡°Cool luck¡­!¡±

    Blood vomited down the throat.

    Red blood spread across Moebius¡¯ sickly white skin, like red paint sttered on pure white drawing paper.

    Moebius raised the corners of his mouth as he looked down at the spear that pierced his chest.

    ¡°Indeed¡­ it was an underestimation, not an overestimation.¡±

    His body seemed to melt and be mushy and disappeared into the shadows.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    silence.

    Mobius disappeared into the shadows and did not reappear, and silence continued.

    There is no sign of any presence or even a trace of magical power.

    It was as if the very existence of ¡®Mobius¡¯ had disappeared from this world.

    When there is such suffocating tension that you don¡¯t know when it will explode.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    A vision of the ¡®future¡¯ shed through my mind like a lightning bolt.

    Ojin twirled the spear in his hand and shed at his shadow without hesitation.

    Ka-ang!

    The sword rising from his shadow bounced and Mobius appeared again.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡±

    He tilted his head, looking down at the sword in his hand as if he was surprised.

    ¡°How did you know toe out of Mr. Ojin¡¯s shadow?¡±

    ¡°well?¡±

    There is probably no reason to bring up the existence of ¡®future poetry¡¯ out loud.

    ¡°haha. I got hit twice in a row with this. ¡°The constetion¡¯s reputation is not true.¡±

    ¡°It will get more crumpled in the future.¡±

    Ojin turned around, raising the strength of his stigmata.

    Phew.

    I let out a low breath and focused my mind on the stigmata.

    The silver light that subtly covered the body gradually expanded and spread out.

    The spread of the silver light halo has a radius of approximately 5 meters.

    It wasn¡¯t wide, but it fit perfectly within the window.

    ¡°The scope of the sanctuary has expanded significantlypared to what I saw before.¡±

    ¡°Because I practiced.¡±

    ¡°¡­That can¡¯t be achieved by practicing, right?¡±

    ¡°It worked.¡±

    He shrugged his shoulders and aimed the spear he was holding at Mobius.

    A thunderbolt zing around the de of a spear.

    Ojin turned into a bolt of lightning and shot towards Moebius.

    Rumbling!

    As the spear and sword shed, a thunderous roar rang out.

    A tsunami of blue lightning burned the shadows and engulfed Mobius¡¯ body.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Moebius, who slipped out of the thunderstorm, swung the white sword in his hand low.

    It was an absurdly long distance for the sword to reach.

    A long shadow cut in, aiming for Ojin¡¯s side.

    ¡°They say a technique that works once doesn¡¯t work?¡±

    He swung his spear long enough to swat away the shadow de and at the same time extended his arm forward.

    The wires fired from the wire shooter wrapped around Moebius¡¯ body.

    Just before the lightning flowed through the wire, Mobius threw the sword in his hand towards Ojin.

    Let¡¯s go!

    I managed to hit the sword that was fired at incredible speed with a spear.

    ¡°Here it is.¡±

    Moebius¡¯ body emerged from the ¡®shadow¡¯ of the thrown sword.

    Ojin, who had just swung his spear and deflected the sword, was unable to react.

    Mobius spun around and struck Ojin in the sr plexus with a back kick.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    A heavy shock prating the sanctuary.

    My heart stopped beating for a moment, along with the pain of my internal organs being crushed.

    Ojin jumped back and ced his hand on his left chest.

    Squeeze!

    An electric current was sent to the stopped heart.

    As the shock shook my entire body, my heart, which had stopped moving, began to beat again.

    ¡°¡­hmm?¡±

    Just because it was a misdiagnosis didn¡¯t mean it was just suffering.

    Mobius is looking at the leg that hit his sr plexus with a frown.

    Before he knew it, silver wires were coiled like snakes around his legs.

    Lightning flowing through a wire.

    It was not the blue thunderbolt that Oh Jin had used so far.

    Rather, it is a ck thunderbolt that feels like a much more ferocious, ferocious and hungry beast.

    A thunderbolt containing the power of the ck Sky tore through Mobius¡¯ sanctuary and electrocuted his legs.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    No, should this really be called ¡®electric shock¡¯?

    His leg, which had been hit by ck lightning, was in a miserable state, as if the flesh had been dug into by a sharp hook.

    ¡°¡­is it abination of the power of Lyra Stigmata and ck Heaven?¡±

    Although it was a technique I had seen before when fighting in an abandoned factory.

    As I was attacked directly with the main body rather than the artificial body, I could clearly see how absurd that ck thunderbolt was.

    It¡¯s a technique thatbines the power of the stigmata of Lyra and the power of the ck Sky.

    ¡°You have done something that not even a thousand demons could aplish.¡±

    Moebius shook his head as if he found it hard to believe.

    ¡°Cough¡­ Cough!¡±

    Ohjin, who had been hit in the sr plexus and flew backwards, stumbled upright, clutching his chest.

    Although we exchanged arguments with each other once in a while, if you look at the bill, it could be said that the misdiagnosis side actually suffered a little more loss.

    Ojin still hasn¡¯tpletely recovered from the shock that made his internal organs feel like they were shaken, but Mobius¡¯ legs have already regained their original shape.

    ¡®As expected, you can¡¯t even deliver a proper blow unless it¡¯s the heart.¡¯

    This didn¡¯t just happen because Ojin¡¯s attack was weaker.

    Ultimately, what constitutes the essence of a constetion is the stigmata it carries.

    In other words, as long as the heart with the stigmata was not destroyed, the body of the constetion would be infinitely restored no matter where it was destroyed.

    Sanctuary could be used, but in the end, it was an unreasonable fight between humans and Ojin in the first ce.

    In order to catch up with this ¡®disadvantage¡¯.

    [If you send a signal, the main woman will give you a blessing!]

    The power of Vega, the same constetion, was needed.

    [If it is the original woman¡¯s blessing, it could cause a bigger blow to the author¡¯s ministry.]

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Unless the constetion¡¯s blessingsted indefinitely, it needed to be used in a more optimal situation.

    ¡°It¡¯s the constetion¡¯s blessing¡­¡±

    Moebius looked back at Vega, who was standing behind Ojin, with a bitter sneer on his lips.

    ¡°What do you think about the existence of constetions?¡±

    ¡°The existence of a constetion?¡±

    It was a random question.

    ¡°Does that matter now?¡±

    ¡°Yes it is important. ¡°A lot.¡±

    Mobius nodded and continued speaking.

    ¡°The constetions give stigmata to humans and make them awakened. And he cherishes the awakened person who received his stigmata, calling him his ¡®child.¡¯¡±

    ¡°So what are you going to do?¡±

    I was wondering what he was going to say, but he said he already knew everything.

    ¡°Does the Constetion truly think of the Awakened as its ¡®child¡¯?¡±

    Moebius¡¯ voice sank low.

    ¡°Should we shower our parents¡¯ affection and love on our child, like a child born with a stomachache?¡±

    ¡°At least I never thought Vega¡¯s love wascking.¡±

    If anything, it was too much.

    The infinite affection that Vega gave her was literally worthy of being called ¡®mother¡¯.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Vega¡¯s case is definitely different from other constetions.¡±

    [There is no difference between the original woman and other constetions.]

    Vega continued speaking in a stern voice.

    [Isn¡¯t it natural for any constetion to pour infinite affection into their child?]

    ¡°It¡¯s natural.¡±

    Mobius¡¯ shoulders shook.

    ¡°Mr. Oh Jin. Do you know why the Constetion began imnting stigmata on humans?¡±

    ¡°So that we can fight the demonic beasts that crossed the first crack¡­¡±

    ¡°No. ¡°The reason for the crack ispletely unrted to the demonic beast that crossed over.¡±

    Moebius continued chewing his words.

    ¡°The reason the Constetions bestowed stigmata on humans¡­¡±

    His eyes turned to the Constetions gathered in the distance, watching the battlefield.

    ¡°Because they wanted to live.¡±

    The reason the Constetion gave humans stigmata was because they ¡®wanted to live¡¯?

    ¡°What doesn¡¯t that sound like?¡±

    What does the Constetion¡¯s granting of stigmata to humans have to do with their survival?

    [You¡­]

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know about the prophecy of Pris? A prophecy that the ck Heaven will be born and devour all the stars in the world.¡±

    [Shut up.]

    ¡°You seem to mistake this for ¡®the end of the world¡¯ or ¡®the end of humanity.¡¯¡±

    Illusion¡­?

    ¡°What Pris predicted was not the destruction of the world. ¡°It was only a prediction of the destruction of the ¡®constetions¡¯.¡±

    [I told you to shut your mouth!]

    A prophecy about swallowing up all the stars in the world.

    Certainly, considering the content of the prophecy, it had nothing to do with the destruction of ¡®humans¡¯.

    ¡®No, wait a minute. ¡®It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯

    In his past life, as seen through Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories, didn¡¯t not only the constetions but also humanity perish?

    ¡°The ck Sky swallowed not only the constetions but also humans.¡±

    If only the constetions were what ck Heaven was aiming for.

    Why did humanity perish along with the constetions in the past life?

    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±

    Mobius burst outughing, clutching his stomach.

    ¡°You still don¡¯t know why?¡±

    ¡°How can you say you don¡¯t know¡­.¡±

    [Yes, Innoom¡­!]

    Aaaah!

    The shadow rose up and pushed back Vega, who was flying towards Moebius.

    ¡°Because we gave you a ¡®star¡¯!¡±

    Coo!

    Moebius stamped his feet roughly and shouted as if screaming.

    ¡°To those of you who had nothing to do with star power! We do it ourselves! With our own hands! By our will! Because he gave me the ¡®stigmata¡¯!¡±

    so that.

    Heukcheon¡¯s goal has moved from ¡®constetions¡¯ to ¡®humans¡¯.

    ¡°You may have heard that in the past, all the stars were eaten by the ck Sky once.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I¡¯ve heard it all before.

    I have even seen its remnants in person.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you think it was strange?¡±

    What does Moebius want to say?

    It was vaguely predictable.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t there traces of past destruction left on Earth?¡±

    All the stars¡­ to be exact, all the constetions except Pris were swallowed up by the Dark Sky and reborn.

    Yet, no traces of such ¡®destruction¡¯ could be found anywhere on Earth.

    Before, I vaguely thought it was something that happened in the distant past, before the Earth was even created.

    now.

    I could understand why.

    ¡°¡­Because it has never been destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±

    Moebius smiled proudly, as if he was looking at a child who answered the correct answer on a workbook.

    ¡°It was not humans who were destroyed, but the constetions.¡±

    The constetions who heard Pris¡¯ prophecy thought.

    How can I survive in the hands of ck Heaven?

    ¡°So the way we came up with it was to find the ¡®star in the sky.¡¯¡±

    A star in the reverse sky cannot be born from a constetion.

    Because they were bound by the restrictions of thew, they could not use the power to directly defy time or change their fate.

    The method they chose, tied to that fact.

    ¡°The most suitable creature to bear stigmata¡­ The idea was to bestow stigmata on ¡®humans.¡¯¡±

    Mobius twisted the corner of his mouth fiercely and spread his arms.

    ¡°in other words.¡±

    Humanity.

    ¡°It was destroyed due to the selfishness of the Constetion.¡±

 Chapter 417

    I am not a returner Episode 417:

    War of the Stars (8)

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    It felt like I had been hit in the back of the head with a hammer.

    Ojin was lost in thought for a moment, forgetting to attack Mobius with a thunderbolt.

    ¡®Because the constetion gave him the stigmata, the ck Sky even targeted humans.¡¯

    okay.

    Well, I could understand this part.

    If ck Heaven¡¯s essential desire was to eat all the stars, it was natural for that desire to extend to the person who gave the stigmata.

    ¡®but.¡¯

    One question remained unresolved.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    ¡°What doesn¡¯t fit?¡±

    ¡°Humans were already on the verge of extinction even before the constetions appeared.¡±

    ¡°aha. ¡°You mean the first crack?¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    It is incoherent to say that humanity is on the verge of extinction due to the selfishness of the Constetions.

    From the time the constetions themselves did not appear on Earth in the first ce, humanity was already closer to ¡®destruction¡¯ than anything else.

    ¡°If the Constetions had not given humanity the stigmata at that time, we would have perished at the hands of the demonic beasts.¡±

    Without the existence of the Awakened,rge-scale wars such as the first ¡®War of the Stars¡¯ that drove out arge number of demonic beasts would not have urred.

    If the Constetion had not bestowed the stigmata, humanity would have slowly perished as if poison had been spread.

    ¡°Hmm. So, if you save a drowning person, does that give you the right to use that person as you wish?¡±

    ¡°¡­When you say that, I don¡¯t have anything to say.¡±

    As Mobius said.

    Even if the Constetions saved humanity from destruction, it did not give them the right to use them.

    but.

    ¡°You can¡¯tter use me of sexual harassment just because I kissed you for artificial respiration, right?¡±

    For the constetions bound by the restrictions of thew, the only way to save humanity was to give up the ¡®stigmata¡¯.

    Although he miraculously escaped destruction through the power of the stigmata, it was impossible to question why he was given the stigmatater.

    ¡°ha ha ha. That¡¯s an interesting analogy. Hmm. But what if the person who drowned was the Constetion himself?¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    then.

    Are you saying that the reason the ¡®first crack¡¯ appeared on Earth was because of a constetion?

    [Bullshit!]

    Vega red at Mobius with a fierce scowl.

    [Didn¡¯t Pris say that the cracks opening in the Earth had nothing to do with the constetions?]

    ¡°That is just Pris¡¯ opinion.¡±

    [¡­He has the power to predict the future.]

    ¡°Just because you know the future doesn¡¯t mean you can know the truth of all things, right? In fact, it is true that the rift opened immediately after the constetions showed interest in humans.¡±

    [You can¡¯t say for sure that there is a causal rtionship just because the timing ovepped.]

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you can lump everything together with the convenient term ¡®coincidence.¡¯¡±

    The argument between Vega and Moebius intensified.

    ¡°stop.¡±

    He took a step forward and got between the two.

    ¡°So, to sum it up¡­¡±

    The first crack opened right after the constetions became interested in Earth.

    The story is that the stigmata were hurriedly bestowed upon humanity, which could be said to be thest hope of the Constetions, was in danger of extinction due to the pouring out of demonic beasts.

    in other words.

    This probably means that the constetion is not a savior-like being who appeared to save humanity.

    ¡°I guess we can roughly summarize it like that.¡±

    Moebius shrugged his shoulders and continued.

    ¡°The Constetion¡¯s care for the child who gave it stigmata as if it were its own child, and its care and protection of humans are all just measures to save one¡¯s own life.¡±

    Eyes shining with hatred turned towards the constetions.

    ¡°Even if they talk about their duties as a Constetion and all that, if something happens that puts them in danger, they will turn their backs without hesitation.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    [No!]

    ¡°No? So what are you doing now?¡±

    A battlefield where fierce battles continue.

    The constetions were watching the battlefield filled with screams, screams, and the smell of blood.

    okay.

    All I could do was ¡®watch¡¯.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you just watching and doing nothing while your children fight for their lives?¡±

    [That¡¯s because of the restrictions of thew.]

    ¡°Hahaha! Again and again! ¡°Is it that damn restriction?¡±

    Mobius burst outughing, holding his stomach.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±

    The fierce burning eyes turned towards Vega.

    ¡°You know that, right? ¡°If you risk ¡®annihtion,¡¯ you can break the restrictions of thew.¡±

    [¡­.]

    Just as Mobius said.

    If the constetions themselves made sacrifices, they could ignore the restrictions of thew and use their power even on Earth.

    Of course, the cost is¡­ in the worst case, it will lead to the ¡®annihtion¡¯ of Seongjon himself.

    ¡°Do you think being an awakened person doesn¡¯t mean fighting for your life? ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t risk death to stand here?¡±

    however.

    ¡°Why do you only hope for salvation without any sacrifice or reward? ¡°Is that the proud ¡®constetion¡¯s duty¡¯ that you speak of?¡±

    [Let¡¯s hear it and let¡¯s hear it. There¡¯s nothing this guy can¡¯t say!]

    Spica, the constetion of Virgo, who was listening to the story, flew over here.

    [Do you think we are just watching? He is fighting with the children while giving them blessings!]

    ¡°Blessing! okay! Blessing of the Constetion! You are making a very great sacrifice! Well, now that I¡¯ve given you the blessing, you can pretend to scream in pain due to the restrictions of thew and then go back to the sanctuary and get some recuperation!¡±

    [That¡­]

    ¡°You guys!¡±

    Coo!

    Mobius stamped his feet roughly and red at the constetions with eyes filled with hatred.

    ¡°You don¡¯t n on making any sacrifices in the first ce!¡±

    Even if your children die before your eyes.

    Even if it is torn to pieces and trampled miserably.

    They don¡¯t ¡®sacrifice¡¯.

    Because they were constetions.

    Because he was a transcendent being born from a different from his fundamentals than insignificant mortals like humans.

    ¡°Now you understand, right?¡±

    Moebius¡¯ gaze turned to Ojin.

    ¡°This¡­ is the truth about the constetion you believe in and follow.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin kept his mouth shut and turned his gaze to the constetions behind him.

    Their expressions were stiff, as if what Mobius said was true to some extent.

    ha.

    A deep sigh escaped Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    Even if what he says is undeniable truth.

    There was only one reason to say this at this time.

    ¡®What separates the constetions from humans.¡¯

    Creating distrust between the two is probably Moebius¡¯s goal.

    [I am my child.]

    Vega looked at Ojin with somewhat uneasy eyes.

    Oh Jin turned his head towards her and chuckled.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to look so nervous. ¡°I have no intention of being swayed by his words.¡±

    It is too difficult to dismiss the Constetion as a mere bystander.

    I have received so much from Vega so far.

    ¡°Even after hearing the truth, are you still on the side of the Constetion?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡±

    Ojin looked back at Mobius and smiled.

    ¡°The truth is you ughtered people who didn¡¯t even have stigmata and we are here to stop that.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t act like a victim. ¡°The threat to us now is not the constetions over there, but you.¡±

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Mobius sighed deeply and shook his head.

    ¡°is it so. ¡°You can¡¯t understand it just through words.¡±

    He continued speaking, cing his hand on his left chest.

    ¡°Then I will show it to you myself. ¡°Their¡­ real faces.¡±

    Wooooow!

    A cloud of ck light exploded from Moebius¡¯ body and covered the surrounding area.

    Shadows covered the ground as if ck ink had been spilled on white paper.

    A shadow rose from the floor and floated in the air like fog.

    A phenomenon that cannot physically exist.

    The power of God that shakes thews and mocks the rules.

    ¡°Sanctuary development ¡®dark moon¡¯.¡±

    A pure white snake opened its eyes in a world covered in shadows.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The sensation of having your whole body entangled by dozens or hundreds of invisible snakes.

    Not only could I not breathe properly, but I couldn¡¯t even move my fingertips.

    [My child!]

    Vega hurriedly flew to Ojin.

    [I will give you a blessing right now!]

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    It is still too early to use blessings.

    Ojin took a deep breath and focused his mind on the stigmata.

    The silver light burned brightly and drove away the shadows surrounding the body.

    ¡°Whoa!¡±

    Only then can you breathe.

    Ojin grabbed the spear and looked around.

    ¡®Where is it?¡¯

    Mobius was nowhere to be seen in the shadows that covered the surrounding area like fog.

    In times like this, it would be nice to at least activate ¡®future vision¡¯.

    Even Ursa Minor Stigmata did not react, as if it could not see beyond this pitch-ck shadow.

    When the soul-drying silence continues like that.

    [It¡¯s dangerous!]

    The shadow fog stirred and a pure white sword appeared within it.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    He urgently raised his spear and struck down the sword.

    [It¡¯s not over yet!]

    ¡°I know!¡±

    The sudden swing of the sword from the shadows did not end in just one attack.

    A sharp sword strike from outside the field of vision.

    Each and every one of them contained a powerful enough force to be fatal.

    Kagang! Kaga River!

    Sparks leapt out of the shadowy fog.

    I parried dozens, hundreds, and thousands of sword strikesing from all directions, but the sword strikes continued without interruption.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    How much time has passed?

    At a time when it was bing difficult to tell where I was and whether this was the reality.

    [Come to your senses!]

    With Vega¡¯s shout, my consciousness, which had faded as if melting, suddenly returned.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Ojin took a deep breath and violently shed the spear he was holding towards the ground.

    Wooooow!

    A silver ray of light spread out around the spot where the window was lowered, brightening up the space covered in dark shadows.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°It¡¯s a shame.¡±

    The appearance of Mobius revealed as the fog clears.

    ¡°But it¡¯s already toote.¡±

    What on earth is sote?

    Without any time to continue questioning, Mobius swung the sword in his hand.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ojin quickly stepped back and dodged the sword.

    ¡®what?¡¯

    In the first ce, the person Moebius¡¯s sword was targeting was not him.

    Moebius¡¯s sword was pointed at the ¡®shadow¡¯ beneath his feet.

    ¡°This is the end.¡±

    Mobius plunged his sword into Ojin¡¯s shadow without hesitation.

 Chapter 418

    I am not a returner Episode 418:

    War of the Stars (9)

    Since ancient times, humans have believed that the soul resides in the shadows.

    Your image under the moonlight as you walk down the street at night.

    ck and huge.

    A somewhat gloomy shape extending from beneath the feet like branches.

    Believing that a part of one¡¯s soul resides there is an idea that anyone would have tried at least once, even if they did not have magical or religious beliefs.

    Cut that shadow with a ¡®sword¡¯.

    Under normal circumstances, it would have been a meaningless act of just cutting the bare ground with a sword, which had no meaning at all.

    It would be a different story if the act took ce within a ¡®sanctuary¡¯.

    ¡°Wow!! ¡°Wow!¡±

    Ojin got down on one knee, clutching his chest.

    A strange sensation that I felt for the first time in my life,pletely different from when my flesh was cut by a knife.

    The feeling of part of his soul being cut off by the sword was far beyond his imagination.

    As if the ground I was standing on disappeared in an instant while I was walking down the street.

    * * *

    It felt like something that made up the existence of ¡®Ojin¡¯ had disappeared.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    Ojin clutched his chest and bowed down as if retching.

    [I am my child!]

    Vega hurriedly approached Ojin.

    [This¡­]

    Ojin¡¯s body was seen bing translucent like a ghost and gradually fading away.

    ¡°It¡¯s already toote.¡±

    Mobius looked back at Vega and spoke softly.

    ¡°A shadow is a concept that forms part of the soul. ¡°Now that that concept has been cut, Ojin, the owner of the shadow, will also disappear from the world.¡±

    [Yes, you bastard¡­!]

    Vega¡¯s golden eyes turned towards Mobius.

    [I will not let you have your way!]

    ¡°Hmm. Are you nning on developing Vega¡¯s ministry at the risk of ¡®annihtion¡¯?¡±

    [That¡¯s¡­]

    ¡°Hahaha! Of course you can¡¯t do that. ¡°Aren¡¯t humans too insignificant to pay the price of ¡®annihtion¡¯?¡±

    [¡­.]

    Vega¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    She crossed her arms and stared at Mobius as if it were ridiculous.

    [There must be some misunderstanding.]

    ¡°Misunderstanding?¡±

    [The reason the woman has no intention of performing her ministry here is because there is no need to do so.]

    ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡±

    Even at this very moment, the very existence of ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯ is disappearing, so there is no need to go to such lengths?

    [Do not look down on your child.]

    Vega¡¯s gaze turned to Ojin, who was curled up clutching his chest.

    A faint silver glow appeared around his body, which was bing translucent like a ghost.

    [This woman¡¯s child is the ¡®star of the reverse sky¡¯ that will change the fate that has been decided.]

    It¡¯s a joke!

    Blue sparks flew out mixed with the silver halo.

    Ojin, who had been curled up and moaning, staggered to his feet.

    [How dare an insignificant constetion arbitrarily discuss the ¡®end¡¯ in front of a star in the sky?]

    Rumbling!

    A thunderbolt struck and shook the sanctuary of Moebius.

    The shadowy fog parted and a brilliant silver light exploded.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    Mobius stepped back as if he found it hard to believe.

    Prating the ¡®Dark Moon¡¯ sanctuary he had developed, a silver ray of light began to engulf the surrounding area.

    ¡®Nonsense.¡¯

    I knew well that Ojin could handle the sanctuary.

    Being able to use the sanctuary and being able to deploy it were issues ofpletely different levels.

    A sanctuary is a unique area that embodies the original source of stigmata.

    It was absurd that a single awakened person, not a constetion, could develop it.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    I let out a soft breath.

    Blue sparks bounce between brilliantly sparkling silver particles.

    A dizzying sense of omnipotence running down my spine.

    My heart was pounding with a simr feeling as when I used ¡®Gaecheon¡¯.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, does this Vega sanctuary also have a different name?¡±

    Ancdus¡¯ sanctuary had a name that seemed to have something to do with it, ¡®Dragon Pce¡¯ and Mobius¡¯ sanctuary had a strange name, ¡®Dark Moon¡¯, so wouldn¡¯t Vega¡¯s sanctuary also have a separate name?

    I looked at Vega with questioning eyes, and Vega nodded quietly.

    [The name of the sanctuary of the Lyra Stigmata is ¡®Milky Way.¡¯]

    ¡°I like it.¡±

    ¡®Eunha¡¯.

    Isn¡¯t it a perfect name for the sanctuary spread by the constetion of the North Star?

    ¡°Now then, shall we begin the second round?¡±

    Ojin aimed the spear engulfed in silver light at Moebius.

    Silver particles spread out in all directions, burning the shadow fog that covered the surroundings.

    The sanctuary embodies the origin of the stigmata in reality.

    Giving actual physical force to images or concepts that remain abstract.

    Just as Moebius captured the abstract concept of ¡®soul¡¯ in the shadow.

    Oh Jin, who developed ¡®Gxy¡¯, was also able to give actual physical force to the abstract concept contained in the stigmata.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    There are two concepts that can be contained in the stigmata of Lyra.

    ¡®One is these silver particles.¡¯

    Silver has been associated with many images since ancient times.

    Among them, the clearest and most intuitive image was ¡®purification¡¯.

    The power to destroy what is unclean.

    The energy of perm, which burns evil and drives away demons, dwells in the silver light.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Cheeeeeeeek!

    The shadows that covered the surroundings like fog burned away, and a terrible pain shook Mobius.

    Pain as if the soul itself was being cut out or burned.

    The silver particles emitted from the sanctuary developed by Ojin invaded the realm of ¡®Dark Moon¡¯ and burned down the sanctuary of Moebius.

    ¡°This much¡­!¡±

    Even though it was Mobius, it did not sit still.

    By further increasing the power of the stigmata, he was able to somehow prevent the silver particles from invading the sanctuary.

    Rumbling!

    The two sanctuaries collided, causing a shock that seemed to shake the entire city.

    Dozens or hundreds of buildings copsed, creating a dizzying roar.

    An enormous impact, as if a meteorite had collided.

    Amid the dizzying torrent of power, the shadows and silver particles continued a tense tug-of-war.

    ¡°Huh oh oh oh oh!¡±

    The tug-of-war, which seemed tost forever, gradually tilted toward Moebius.

    The shadow fog absorbed the silver particles spread everywhere and steadily reduced Ojin¡¯s sanctuary.

    When the thought crossed my mind that if just a little more time passes like this, I couldpletely destroy his sanctuary.

    Let¡¯s go!

    A blue lightning shed between the silver particles.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    Mobius frowns and takes a step back.

    [Now!]

    Vega¡¯s blessing rested on Ojin.

    A huge silver tsunami flooded the surroundingnd.

    Ojin grabbed his spear and stamped his feet roughly.

    I soared into the air, stepping on the footsteps of the brain scar created in the air.

    I pulled my grasped spear back to its limit and captured the second ¡®concept¡¯ in the spear.

    ¡®If silver contains the concept of purification.¡¯

    The second concept he incorporated into his sanctuary.

    The image contained in the ¡®lightning¡¯ piercing the sky, a zing blue thunderbolt wrapping around the window.

    ¡®Referee.¡¯

    The concept of judgment, which is merely an abstract image, is mixed with the sanctuary and realized in reality.

    The power of God to punish evil.

    A thunderbolt struck from the sky and struck the window.

    ¡°Knock it down!¡±

    With a roaring chant, a bolt of lightning pierced the sky and struck Moebius.

    Kwajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajajaja!

    For a moment, an intense swarm of light filled the area, as if my vision was disappearing.

    ¡°Wow! cup! AA AA AA!¡±

    A thunderbolt strikes from the top of the head.

    The Dark Moon realm was torn apart, and a blue thunderbolt struck Moebius¡¯ body.

    ¡°Huh oh oh oh oh!¡±

    After the thunderbolt, which was like punishment from God, passed.

    Ojin took a deep breath and called back to the sanctuary he had deployed.

    Slurp.

    Ojin, out of breath, fell to the floor.

    [I am my child!!]

    Vega approached Ojin with a worried expression.

    The sanctuary that Ojin had just developed was at a level of perfection that even she could not easily use.

    Since he unfolded it with a human body, an enormous aftereffect would be wreaking havoc on his entire body.

    Fortunately, Ojin was not a ¡®constetion¡¯. If it had been a constetion restricted by thew, the stigmata would have burned away.

    ¡°Ugh¡­.¡±

    [Are you okay?!]

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m okay.¡±

    I should answer that it¡¯s okay just to put Vega at ease.

    My physical condition was so miserable that I couldn¡¯t even show off like that right now.

    ¡®Aren¡¯t I also restricted by thew?¡¯

    A terrible pain and a feeling of helplessness weighed down my body to the extent that such questions crossed my mind.

    ¡°What about Moebius?¡±

    [Probably in that state¡­ it will soon disappear.]

    Vega¡¯s eyes were on Mobius, who was lying on the floor, motionless, like a corpse.

    Mobius¡¯ body was gradually turning into powder and scattering like grains of sand.

    Since he was struck by the ¡®thunderbolt of judgment¡¯, it would be difficult for him to survive, no matter how much he was a constetion of Ophiuchus.

    [Let¡¯s go back to the sanctuary and get treatment quickly.]

    Vega grabbed Ojin¡¯s clothes and pulled him away.

    -Moebius! There are a lot of bad demons out there right now!

    One day.

    A group of demonic beasts invaded the vige where the girl lived.

    -Don¡¯t go¡­?

    I grabbed the girl¡¯s arm and begged her not to go.

    -No. If I don¡¯t go, many people will die.

    The girl shook her head resolutely and continued.

    -What Mobius said? The reason they gave me a ¡®star¡¯ is because it means protecting as many people as possible.

    The word ¡°no¡± stuck in my throat.

    The reason I gave you the stigmata was simply to avoid the prophecy.

    It¡¯s because of my base selfishness in trying to protect myself.

    I wanted to say that.

    but.

    -I am Mobius¡¯ proud child!

    I couldn¡¯t tell.

    I was afraid that the girl¡¯s eyes, sparkling like starlight, would be filled with feelings of hatred.

    My mouth didn¡¯t drop.

    -I¡¯ll go out then! Do not worry! Other Awakened people are also fighting together!

    The girl turned around, showing off her biceps with her thin arms.

    I had no choice but to quietly look at the back of the girl leaving.

    Ah yes.

    As always.

    I am.

    just.

    I have no choice but to watch©¥

    ¡°Huh!¡±

    My breath catches in my dry lungs.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    In the blurry flickering of consciousness.

    I stood up shakily, following the figure of the girl shining like starlight.

    [How¡­?!]

    I saw the silver-haired goddess looking at me with eyes filled with astonishment.

    ¡°Eve¡­.¡±

    Calls the girl¡¯s name.

    Once again.

    Memories sh through my head.

    -The child¡¯s situation has be unfortunate. Did you say her name was¡­ Eve?

    A human with ck hair and burning blue eyes.

    He introduced himself as ¡®Cheonma¡¯.

    -sorry. I knew there would be a war of stars¡­ but I didn¡¯t know that your child would die here.

    He put his hand on my shoulder with sad eyes.

    -Although there is no way to revive a dead child¡­ I think there¡¯s one thing I can help you with.

    He smiled brightly and held out his hand to me.

    -plural. Let me help you get revenge on those who left your child to die.

    that day.

    The starlight that twinkled inside me was swallowed up by the ck sky.

    -Now, Moebius. If you encounter an enemy that you cannot deal with with your own strength, try reciting this spell.

    It¡¯s an order.

    I put my hand on my left chest.

    I spoke the ¡®spell¡¯ he told me.

    ¡°He who¡­passes by me.¡±

    and.

    The ck sky that had been dwelling within me opened wide.

 Chapter 419

    I am not a returner Episode 419:

    War of the Stars (10)

    Rurrrrrrrrr!

    The ck clouds that spewed out from Moebius¡¯ whole body rose up fiercely.

    Moebius¡¯ body, which had been reduced to powder and scattered, returned to its original form, and an eerie blue naturalization burned in its green eyes.

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    Ojin opened his eyes wide and looked at Mobius, who was enveloped in ck clouds.

    A very familiar look.

    But at the same time, it was a very unfamiliar sight.

    ¡°A stream¡­ how?¡±

    How can Mobius use a technique that only those with the Dark Heaven can use?

    [My child!]

    Vega urgently pulled Ojin.

    Gurgling!

    A ck cloud swept over the ce where Ojin was standing.

    The solid earth was ¡®eaten up¡¯ as if pudding had been scooped up with a spoon.

    ¡°crazy¡­!¡±

    Those marks that looked like they had been eaten were characteristic marks that appeared when a stream was used.

    ¡®A real stream?¡¯

    How can Moebius, who doesn¡¯t even have the ck Heaven, use the Open Heaven?

    Even if you received some of the power of the ck Heaven from the Heavenly Demon, using the Open Heaven¡­

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    A low exmation flowed from between Oh Jin¡¯s lips.

    Mobius wakes up, panting heavily.

    I felt something ¡®foreign¡¯ in his appearance with ck clouds wrapped around his body like a cape.

    ¡®Yes, that¡¯s how it happened.¡¯

    Ojin¡¯s eyes shone sharply.

    [It¡¯s my child. How could the author create a stream¡­]

    ¡°No.¡±

    [No?]

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not a stream.¡±

    Gaecheon is a technique that unleashes the power of ck Heaven within the body.

    Moebius could not see the phenomenon that would inevitably appear when using a stream.

    ¡®No part of the body has turned into a cloud of ck sky.¡¯

    Mobius just has the ck clouds wrapped around his body like a cloak.

    The body itself did not turn into a cloud of ck sky.

    ¡°By causing the ck Heaven that I received from the Heavenly Demon to run away¡­ I am imitating the Gaecheon.¡±

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t as simple as it sounds.

    In order to do this, he had to possess arge amount of ck heaven to enable ¡®runaway¡¯ and had control over its power.

    in other words.

    ¡®It¡¯s impossible without the help of the Heavenly Demon.¡¯

    It is impossible without the help of the Heavenly Demon.

    In other words, it is not impossible if you have the help of the Heavenly Demon.

    That means one thing.

    ¡°¡­You damn bastard.¡±

    It would be correct to say that Heavenly Demon intended this situation in the first ce.

    ¡°ha ha ha. ¡°This is the power that the Heavenly Demon spoke of.¡±

    Mobius looked down at the ck clouds covering his body and twisted the corner of his mouth.

    ¡°Is this the power to bring about the destruction of the constetion¡­ Gaaaak gagaak!¡±

    While speaking, Mobius clutches his chest and lets out a painful scream.

    The stigmata of Ophiuchus engraved on his left chest was seen gradually losing its luster and disappearing.

    [That¡­]

    ¡°It must be the price of opening a river.¡±

    Just like Cassia and Isabe did.

    The power of the ck Heaven given by the Heavenly Demon encroaches and mixes within the target¡¯s stigmata like cancer cells.

    To cause such a ck sky to run wild.

    ¡®It means the disappearance of stigmata.¡¯

    And for the Constetions, the disappearance of the stigmata meant the disappearance of existence itself.

    ¡°haha! ¡°It¡¯s a little more painful than I expected.¡±

    Mobius seemed to be unaware of this fact as he let out a chuckle while panting heavily.

    ¡°Now then¡­ shall we start again?¡±

    Gurgling!

    ck clouds spread out like a curtain and hit Ojin like a tsunami.

    I tried to hurriedly expand my sanctuary and block the clouds of the dark sky.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Quad deuk!

    The silver sanctuary was torn apart like a piece of paper, and the ck clouds arrived in front of Ojin.

    Taang!

    Ojin narrowly escaped the ck cloud by firing a wire at the remains of a nearby abandoned building.

    ¡°Cough¡­ Cough! Cough!¡±

    The aftereffects of deploying the Sanctuary had notpletely subsided, and when the Sanctuary was deployed again, the magical power of the entire body was screaming and boiling over.

    Fishy blood rising up the throat.

    A terrible pain shot through my entire body, as if sharp pieces of metal were flowing through my veins instead of blood.

    ¡®If it goes on like this¡­¡¯

    Oh Jin was chewing his lips with a nervous expression.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaah!¡±

    Another scream was heard from the other side.

    When I turned my head to where the scream came from, I saw the awakened people who were dealing with the other constetions rolling around on the floor.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ ohe on. Why are these bastards suddenly doing this?¡±

    Ha-eun looked back at Oh-jin while holding his bleeding shoulder.

    When I looked at Noctua, the constetion Owl, who was fighting with her, I saw a ck cloud covering Noctua¡¯s body.

    ¡°¡­no way.¡±

    Did other constetions, not just Moebius, unleash the power of the ck Sky contained in the Stigmata?

    I quickly turned my head and looked around, and as expected, I saw clouds of ck sky floating around the bodies of the ck star constetions.

    Of course,pared to the ck clouds that covered Mobius¡¯ body, the quantity and quality were much lower.

    Quad deud deuk!

    ¡°Keuuuuuuu!¡±

    [Ah alleeeenn!]

    With an eerie sound of bone fracture, Allen¡¯s arm was seen being torn off by the ck clouds.

    Deneb¡¯s screams echoed across the devastated battlefield.

    The situation wasn¡¯t good for the other side either.

    ¡°Tsk¡­ Oh Mr. Ojin! ¡°Suddenly the constetions are in a strange state!¡±

    Isabe was also fighting against Hirudo, the constetion of Leech.

    ¡°Ojin, why are the constetions using the power of the Dark Sky¡­?!¡±

    Cassia, who was dealing with Felis, the constetion of Cat, and Butenin, the constetion of Toad, also retreated with a look of confusion at the sudden change in the constetions.

    ¡®Shit.¡¯

    Ojin chewed his bloody lips and clenched his fists.

    No matter how many blessings there were from the constetions, there was no way to stop the constetions that had run wild in the Dark Sky, risking ¡®annihtion¡¯.

    ¡°You look nervous.¡±

    Mobius looked at Ojin and smiled slightly.

    He continued speaking while looking back at the constetions floating in the air far away, looking down on the battlefield.

    ¡°The blessings of the constetions alone will not be able to resolve this situation.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I already know that much.

    There is only one way to turn the situation around, which is rapidly bing unfavorable.

    ¡®A stream.¡¯

    Ohjin himself also used the open stream by causing the ck stream to run away.

    As he used on Isabe and Cassia before, the ck Heaven he possesses is of a ¡®higher¡¯ level than the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Heaven, so he will be able to absorb the ck Heaven that has been flooded by the ck Star Constetions.

    but.

    ¡®It¡¯s hard to use the stream here¡­¡¯

    Dozens of constetions floating in the air, looking down on the battlefield.

    Even if Vega knew that he was the master of the Dark Heaven, the other constetions did not know that he possessed the Dark Heaven.

    However, if you even use ¡®gaecheon¡¯ in front of them.

    ¡®I¡¯ll get caught.¡¯

    No matter how good Ojin was at lying, he couldn¡¯t use the technique of causing the ck Sky to run away and hide his identity.

    ¡®It¡¯s not just about being discovered.¡¯

    Another reason why he couldn¡¯t use Gaecheon willingly was his current physical condition.

    Due to the aftereffects of deploying the sanctuary of Lyra Stigmata, if you use ¡®Gaecheon¡¯ while your entire body¡¯s magical power circuit is in tatters as if it has been cut with a knife.

    ¡®You could lose all¡­ your memories.¡¯

    Even with a healthy body, Gaecheon is difficult to handle, but if you use it in a state close to the worst, you may not be able to withstand the storm of ck Heaven and your consciousness may bepletely consumed.

    ¡®Damn¡­ what¡­ what should I do¡­¡¯

    When you just keep worrying about not being able to do this or that.

    [Don¡¯t worry, my child.]

    A gentle touch on your shoulder.

    Vega¡¯s original form, which was in a prosthetic state, returned with a brilliant silver light.

    ¡°¡­Vega?¡±

    [I can tell what you¡¯re worried about just by looking at your expression.]

    Vega smiled slightly and gently stroked Ojin¡¯s head.

    [You don¡¯t have to carry everything on your own.]

    What it means to him to use the stream.

    She also knew how much he had to sacrifice something precious.

    [Now that I think about it, I¡¯ve only been cared for by you.]

    Originally, the constetion was supposed to protect its own child.

    Rather, he overcame the crisis under the child¡¯s protection.

    but.

    [Now it is the main woman¡¯s turn to protect you.]

    Uuuuuung!

    A silver tsunami covered the surroundings and drove away the ck clouds.

    Vega¡¯s golden eyes turned towards Moebius.

    Mobius looked at the brilliant silver waves coloring the surroundings and raised the corners of his mouth as if interested.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°You know what it means to use the sanctuary ¡®out there,¡¯ right?¡±

    [Of course.]

    ¡°Haha. Are you willing to risk ¡®annihtion¡¯ for your child?¡±

    [It is the duty of the Constetion.]

    ¡°It is the duty of the Constetion¡­¡±

    Moebius chuckled and shook his shoulders.

    ¡°Other than Vega, is there any other constetion that wants to uphold that ¡®constetion duty¡¯?¡±

    No matter how much Vega is said to be the constetion of the North Star.

    It was impossible for her to turn the situation around on her own.

    Constetions overlooking the battlefield from afar.

    Without their ¡®sacrifice¡¯, it was impossible to stop the ck Star Constetions that ultimately unleashed the power of the ck Sky.

    [Of course.]

    Vega continued in a stern voice.

    [It is not only the original woman who cherishes her child.]

    To other constetions, the human who gave the stigmata was as precious as a child.

    So obviously.

    [They will also keep their ¡®duty¡¯.]

    Vega turned her head with a confident expression.

    The constetions were standing behind her and watching the battlefield.

    They¡­

    [¡­.]

    with their lips tightly shut.

    He was turning his head, trying hard to avoid Vega¡¯s gaze.

    [Why is everyone¡­ turning their heads?]

    Vega shouted with a puzzled expression at the constetion¡¯s reaction, which was different from what she expected.

    [Aren¡¯t the children in danger!]

    [¡­.]

    [How¡­ How can they just stand there and watch without anyone thinking of stepping forward!]

    [¡­.]

    [Say something!]

    Vega¡¯s The constetions who heard the shouting lowered their heads and chewed their lips with conflicted eyes.

    ¡°Puhup puhahahahaha!¡±

    Mobius burst outughing, clutching his stomach.

    ¡°Look. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡±

    He swept up his pure white hair and red at the constetions with burning blue eyes.

    ¡°In the first ce¡­ you didn¡¯t intend to make any sacrifices.¡±

    The snake¡¯sughter echoed throughout the devastated battlefield.

    It somehow sounds like sobbing.

    It was a sadugh.

 Chapter 420

    I am not a returner Episode 420:

    War of the Stars (11)

    ¨C I guess I¡¯ll have to go see it in person.

    How many days have passed since Eve left?

    While anxiously awaiting news of victory at the temple, I finally decided to go ¡®outside¡¯.

    Going out of the sanctuary was a great burden for the Holy See, but if he went out in his body, he could still withstand the restrictions of thew to some extent.

    -Do you have any constetions to go with you?

    Before leaving the sanctuary, I visited the constetions of the awakened people who were said to have headed to the battlefield with Eve.

    They also readily agreed to leave the sanctuary, perhaps because they were worried about their children heading to the battlefield.

    The battlefield we visited with the constetions.

    -Ahhh.

    I couldn¡¯t help but despair as I looked at the vige covered in blood and corpses, as if it symbolized hell.

    I frantically walked around the battlefield looking for Eve.

    Should I call it a blessing among misfortunes?

    It wasn¡¯t long before Eve was found copsed.

    -Mobius¡­?

    I quickly approached her and hugged her.

    The fact that I couldn¡¯t even hold that little girl in my arms in the condition of my prosthetic body brought about a terrible sense of self-destruction.

    * * *

    -It¡¯s¡­ dangerous here.

    The girl told me to run away even though she was covered in wounds and couldn¡¯t even stand up properly.

    Did he even hear the girl¡¯s voice?

    An enormous horde of demonic beasts instantly surrounded the surrounding area.

    I urgently deployed ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ while looking at the approaching group of demonic beasts.

    -No¡­ Moebius.

    The girl knew what I was trying to do and quickly grabbed my cor.

    ¨C Constetions¡­ are not allowed to use their power outside the sanctuary.

    iced coffee.

    I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve said this to the girl.

    The Holy See must not use its power carelessly outside the sanctuary.

    That is the w¡¯ established by the great creator of the constetions.

    but.

    What¡¯s the importance of thatw?

    I was able to breakws many times that even a child dying in front of me could not keep.

    -Don¡¯t worry.

    I left the anxious girl behind and looked back at the constetions that hade with me.

    -You must use the Sanctuary.

    No matter how much they prepared for ¡®annihtion¡¯, the Constetion could not produce even half of its original power outside the sanctuary due to the restrictions of thew.

    The help of other constetions was needed to protect the girl from the hordes of demonic beasts that surged in like a tidal wave.

    but.

    Among them, there was no constetion that reached out for the children.

    ¨C Our children are dying!

    No matter how much you cry.

    ¨C Are you saying that discipline is more important than the lives of children?!

    No matter how much you scream.

    -Please¡­ please help me. I can¡¯t protect my children on my own.

    No matter how much you beg.

    They were silent.

    With my head down like a criminal.

    I turned my eyes away from the deaths of my children.

    and.

    and.

    and.

    -Please hug me tight so I don¡¯t get cold¡­?

    The girl is dead.

    Miserable and miserable.

    Without receiving help from anyone, even the gods he believed in were turned against him.

    like that.

    The child quietly closed his eyes.

    And I¡­

    ¨C Expel Ophiuchus constetion Mobius from the sanctuary.

    He became a satellite for breaking thew.

    A crushing silence.

    The constetions exchanged nces with each other amidst such heavy tension that even the air seemed to harden.

    Developing ministry ¡®outside¡¯ the sanctuary.

    They also knew full well what the price was.

    [But¡­ carrying out a sanctuary outside¡­.]

    [Isn¡¯t it against thew?]

    The reason why they couldn¡¯te forward wasn¡¯t just the ¡®price¡¯ issue.

    Just as humans also havew and order.

    Constetions also had rules that should not be broken.

    The ¡®Law¡¯ created by the Creator who gave birth to the stars.

    That was the rule that maintained order among the constetions.

    Of course, unlike in the past, the idea that thew must be observed has decreased significantly even among the Holy See.

    In fact, strictly speaking, just giving ¡®blessings¡¯ to the awakened was a vition of thew.

    However, even though it is the same illegality, the punishment for jaywalking and murder are different.

    Even though it was an act that vited thew, the meaning of giving blessings to the awakened and carrying out ministry outside the sanctuary was different.

    [Wasn¡¯t it the Constetions of the North Star who said that the Sanctuary should not be used outside of the Sanctuary?]

    That is exactly what Pris said.

    Vegana Deneb merely agreed with Pris¡¯ opinion.

    At the time, I thought Pris was right.

    I thought it was an unchanging truth.

    Until I met Ojin.

    She had no doubts about following the w¡¯ set by the Creator.

    [you¡¯re right! Isn¡¯t that why you kicked out the constetions that broke thew from the sanctuary?]

    [¡­.]

    Vega¡¯s eyes wavered.

    Before meeting Ojin, there was one piece of news that even she heard during the time when she was alone in the temple and refused tomunicate with other constetions.

    There is a constetion that was expelled from the sanctuary for viting thew and using ¡®sanctuary¡¯ outside the sanctuary.

    That constetion is Mobius, the constetion in the constetion Ophiuchus.

    [Ah.]

    A low sigh leaking from between my lips.

    Now she could understand why Mobius had developed such hatred towards the constetions and why Pris had asked Mobius to say ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ before it disappeared.

    [That¡¯s how it happened.]

    Vega looked back at Mobius and smiled sadly.

    [You¡­ were our ¡®karma¡¯.]

    The time when we didn¡¯t meet Ojin.

    The foolish constetion, who did not even know the feeling of cherishing his own child, simply followed the given rules, considering them to be the truth.

    Those who did not follow thew were ostracized and condemned.

    The ¡®karma¡¯ from those foolish and foolish times has nowe back to her as a sharp awl.

    [It¡¯s all her fault.]

    She had no intention of making the cowardly excuse that she was just agreeing with Pris¡¯ opinion.

    Even if you stand by and do nothing, you will be held ountable.

    [I¡¯m sorry.]

    Vega bowed deeply towards Moebius.

    Mobius looked at Vega, who lowered her head, and smiled.

    ¡°Now what does that mean?¡±

    Eve is dead.

    He joined hands with the Heavenly Demon.

    It was already too far to be solved by just bowing down.

    ¡°Nothing will have changed since then.¡±

    Moebius twitched the corners of his mouth and spread the ck sky clouds wide.

    ¡°All of the awakened people here will die right here. And¡­¡±

    As always.

    ¡°You will just watch.¡±

    Bound by the shackles of thew.

    I will curl up in a miserable prison of my own making.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you call the ¡®duty of the Constetion.¡¯¡±

    [¡­.]

    Vega kept his mouth shut and took a step forward.

    Brilliant silver waves spread widely.

    Vega, who was walking forward, stopped for a moment and looked back at the constetions.

    [Do you love your children?]

    The constetions who were exchanging nces nodded quietly.

    [[Yes, I love you.]]

    A time when I didn¡¯t really know about humans.

    The Constetions simply thought of the human race as the soil where stigmata could take root.

    But as I got closer to them and learned about humans.

    Looking at them fighting and making up, shedding tears and smiling brightly.

    An emotion that waspletely unexpected even for the constetions sprouted in my heart.

    A heart that cherishes and loves the child who inherited the stigmata¡­ and furthermore, the human race itself.

    No one forced it.

    It wasn¡¯t something anyone ordered.

    Naturally, as if water seeps into it.

    The constetions have be closer to humans.

    [The main woman also loves her child. Not as a constetion¡­ but as a woman.]

    Vega¡¯s explosive remarks spread shock among the constetions.

    [Vega¡­ Are you talking about Vega?]

    [With this human?]

    [I heard that there are a lot of constetions dating humans these days, but

    I can¡¯t believe Vega¡­] The constetions widen their eyes with an expression of disbelief.

    [Among these, are there any constetions who became lovers with your child?]

    Several constetions who were paying attention to her question cautiously raised their hands.

    [Do you remember? Just a few years ago, it was unthinkable for a constetion and a human to be lovers.]

    How shocked I was when I heard that Spica was dating a human child.

    A constetion and a human be lovers.

    I shook my head, saying it was absurd.

    but.

    What was unthinkable just a few years ago has now be a familiar part of daily life.

    [Ugh¡­!]

    The restrictions of thew that immediately responded to the unfolding of the ministry.

    The shackles created by the Creator God were gradually constricting her breathing.

    Vega continued speaking, suppressing the pain that was constricting her breathing.

    [She once thought that thisw was the truth that must be followed.]

    It is natural for a Constetion to follow thew.

    That¡¯s what I thought.

    [But I no longer think that way.]

    After meeting Ojin.

    She has changed so much that she has surprised herself.

    [I will no longer force you to fulfill your duties as a Constetion.]

    Even if all the Constetions here turn their backs on you.

    She had no right to criticize them.

    [However.]

    One step.

    Take a step forward again.

    [If only the main woman had changed.]

    If only other constetions had encounters like hers.

    [If you value your children not as a duty as a constetion, but as a close friend, lover, or parent.]

    They too.

    What if it changed like you?

    [Pleasee forward for the children.]

    Looking at the wounded and fallen awakened people, Vega slowly increased his strength.

    Pajik Pajijik!

    Blue charges bounced between the silver tidal waves.

    As her ministry progressed, the restrictions of thew became increasingly strict, putting pressure on Vega.

    It may even lead to the extinction of existence.

    The absolutew of the Creator God.

    The goddess, who once followed thew more faithfully than anyone else, rebelled against the creator god.

    ¡°haha! Do you think that will make them break thew and help you?¡±

    [I don¡¯t think she knows that.]

    But one thing was certain.

    [Just as you did, she will sacrifice everything to protect her child.]

    Even if the price is the extinction of existence.

    [Sanctuary development ¡®Gxy (ãyºÓ)¡¯.]

    Brilliantly sparkling silver waves filled the surroundings.

 Chapter 421

    I am not a returner Episode 421:

    War of the Stars (12)

    Silver waves rising elegantly.

    Unlike the ¡®gxy¡¯ used by Ojin, there was no harsh silver tsunami that seemed to be rushing fiercely, nor was there any blue lightning shing between the silver particles.

    Calm like a windlesske.

    As quietly as the drizzle falling in the early morning.

    The surroundingnd is dyed silver.

    ¡°¡­You have truly carried out a ministry.¡±

    Mobius smiled as he looked at the ground where the silver waves settled.

    Unlike himself, who was somewhat free from the ¡®restrictions¡¯ through the power of the ck Heaven, there was no way for Vega to escape the restrictions of thew.

    Although the restrictions of thew are much weaker than they used to be.

    Even after deploying the sanctuary, it was not weakened to a level where it would be safe.

    ¡°Vega-sama, you probably know what the price is, right?¡±

    [Of course.]

    The disappearance of the existence of a ¡®constetion¡¯ itself.

    It is certain that the restrictions of thew have be weaker than in the past, so it may be possible to avoid extinction, but there is no doubt that its ¡®status¡¯ as a constetion will be fundamentally lowered and the stigmata itself will suffer permanent loss.

    For a constetion whose body was made up of the magical power of stigmata, the permanent loss of stigmata was equivalent to the disappearance of a body part such as a limb for a human being.

    perhaps.

    The day when Vega will be called the ¡®Constetion of the North Star¡¯ may never return.

    ¡°Are you giving up your position as the North Star for a mere human?¡±

    [I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what you should say, having sacrificed everything for that mere human. ¡­No, maybe that¡¯s why you can have doubts.]

    Vega smiled bitterly and nodded.

    She ced her hand on Ojin¡¯s fallen shoulder with warm eyes.

    [If it were for this child, would the position of the North Star be so important?]

    Even if existence itself were to disappear.

    I was willing to disappear for the sake of misdiagnosis.

    ¡°Vega¡­¡±

    Ojin, who was barely able to suppress his seething magic while panting heavily due to the aftereffects of using the Sanctuary, staggered to his feet.

    Just by raising my body, the tattered magic circuit screamed and a terrible pain struck my whole body.

    ¡°no.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t let Vega sacrifice herself like this.

    When she tried to use ¡®Gaecheon¡¯ rather than take the risk of disappearing.

    [My child.]

    Vega¡¯s warm hand touched Ojin¡¯s forehead.

    [I¡¯m sorry for making you carry this burden alone.]

    Thinking about the terrible burden and responsibility that Ojin must have felt under the name of the Star of Reverse Heaven, my heart sinks.

    ¡°Bullshit¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡±

    [Take a break.]

    Tak.

    Vega¡¯s fingertips lightly hit Ojin¡¯s forehead.

    Ojin, who had been struggling to get up, fell to the floor like a doll whose strings had been cut.

    Vega, who was looking down at the unconscious Ojin with eyes full of love, slowly turned around.

    [My wife will share the burden you are carrying.] It is

    the duty and responsibility of the Constetion, so I have no intention of talking about grandiose goals.

    I just couldn¡¯t stand watching Oh Jin suffer alone any longer.

    Decisions made based on emotion, not reason, and impulse rather than logic.

    If my past self saw me now, I would click my tongue and say it was foolish.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯

    Compared to when I spent time alone like a stone statue in a vast temple, I am so happy now that evenparisons are meaningless.

    Because I met someone who taught me this feeling of happiness.

    If only for him.

    I am willing to take any cost.

    [Come, snake.]

    A blue electric charge burned among the quietly rising silver waves.

    ¡°ha ha ha.¡±

    A dryugh flowed from between Moebius¡¯s lips.

    if.

    What would it have been like if Eve had been by her side the day she lost her?

    Maybe his and Eve¡¯s fates could have changed.

    ¡°These are all¡­ meaningless assumptions.¡±

    Gurgling!

    The ck clouds spread fiercely, cutting through the silver waves.

    ¡°Eventually you will feel it too.¡±

    The pain of losing your child right in front of your eyes.

    That miserable helplessness of not being able to do anything.

    ¡°Just like I did.¡±

    Quang!

    Mobius stamped his feet roughly and shot forward.

    Pure white snakes climbed up the arms raised high.

    A dazzling white sword created by snakesing together.

    A sword that was just over a hundred meters long was held in Mobius¡¯ hand.

    Grumble, rumble.

    A cloud of ck sky appeared around the pure white sword raised high enough to pierce the sky.

    A sword de of white light shining elegantly between dark clouds as thick as fog.

    The white de of the sword, emitting light like moonlight in the night sky, fell, cutting through the silver waves.

    [What a beautiful sword strike.]

    Vega smiled slightly as he looked at the sword of white light approaching, cutting through the silver waves.

    [But.]

    I snap my fingers lightly.

    The blue charge burning between the silver waves instantly burned the sword of white light.

    Even the dark clouds that had been covering the sword of white light turned into fog and dispersed due to the blue electric charge.

    [It would have been more beautiful if there were no dark clouds.]

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    The thunderbolt transmitted through the sword struck Moebius¡¯ body.

    Heughed with an absurd expression on his face.

    It¡¯s obviously a condition where he can¡¯t use his full power due to ¡®restrictions¡¯, but he can¡¯t believe it¡¯s like this.

    ¡®Is this really the constetion of the North Star?¡¯

    but.

    That doesn¡¯t mean it couldn¡¯t have been left behind.

    ¡°Dark Month of Sanctuary Development.¡±

    The sanctuary, once torn apart by misdiagnosis, is being developed again.

    The shadow beneath my feet spread out like a curtain, covering the silver waves.

    Plus.

    Grumble, rumble, rumble!

    ck storm clouds poured out from within the shadow that hung like a curtain.

    The clouds of the ck sky devoured Vega¡¯s sanctuary, devouring the silver waves like hungry beasts.

    Abination of Sanctuary and ck Heaven.

    Just as Ojin contained the energy of the ck Sky in his thunderbolt, Moebius also mixed his sanctuary with the ck Heaven to put pressure on Vega¡¯s sanctuary.

    ¡°No matter how much you are the constetion of the North Star, this will be difficult to stop.¡±

    From the beginning, the ck sky cloud, which had the property of absorbing the magical power of stigmata, was like a fatal poison to the constetions.

    Since that power is mixed into the ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ that changes the surrounding space itself, its power must be beyond imagination.

    This space, now covered in shadows, was no different from a zing fire pit for the constetions.

    ¡°Your child disappears in front of you¡­ big!¡±

    of course.

    Containing the dark clouds in the sanctuary could not be aplished without any cost.

    The ck Sky Cloud, which eats up the magic power of stigmata like a hungry beast, even ate up the user¡¯s own sanctuary.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    Something crazy like using your own body as firewood to start a fire.

    Rumbling!

    However, as the price was great, one thing was certain: its power.

    The ck clouds that poured out of the shadows ate up the silver waves and arrived in front of Vega.

    and.

    [Disappear.]

    Brilliantly burning silver waves.

    The silver wave, which was quickly disappearing due to the dark clouds, soared through the ck clouds as if burning.

    It is not about performing special tricks or using outstanding techniques.

    With just a release of pure power, Vega burned down all the dark clouds consuming her sanctuary.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    A hollowugh escaped Moebius¡¯ mouth as he watched the scene.

    I already knew that the North Star constetion was absurd, but to this extent?

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡±

    Pushing away the dark clouds with the magical power of the stigmata, which could be said to be its pr opposite, was the same as extinguishing a zing fire by crushing it with a haystack.

    If you¡¯re not careful, you can do something crazy that will only lead to the clouds of darkness growing.

    It was an overwhelming sight that even the burning desire for revenge could die down in one go. [

    Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

    ¡­

    Although he seeded in driving out the clouds of the dark sky with overwhelming magical power, it was difficult to withstand the restrictions of thew that followed like a tag.

    ¡°Vega, you¡¯re at your limit too, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    A fight between Vega, who is restricted by thew, and Moebius, who is free from the restrictions.

    When the battle between the two dragged on, there was no need to think about which side would be at a disadvantage.

    ¡°Your noble sacrifice¡­ I will trample on it cruelly.¡±

    He had just used too much force, so he couldn¡¯t continue his attacks right away.

    He had a panion¡¯.

    A reliable colleague who will carry out the mission even if it means burning the stigmata if it is his order.

    ¡°Now, please bring rest to the suffering goddess.¡±

    Moebius snapped his fingers.

    The eyes of the ck star constetions that were pushing the awakened people turned to Vega.

    Gurgling!

    The ck clouds flowing from their bodies attacked Vega.

    [Ugh¡­!]

    As other constetions joined in, the brilliantly burning silver waves gradually began to lose their shine.

    ¡®As it is¡­¡¯

    Even though she was the constetion of the North Star, she could not prevent the merger of the ck Star constetions on her own while being restricted by thew.

    [My¡­ child.]

    Vega¡¯s gaze turned to Ojin.

    I chewed my lips as I looked at Ojin, who had fallen unconscious.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯

    Vega took a step forward and raised the stigmata¡¯s magical power even further.

    When the iing clouds of ck sky were about topletely swallow her up.

    [Sanctuary unfolds in a snowy field.]

    A fierce snowstorm swept away ck storm clouds.

    [Deneb¡­?]

    [Hmph, I can master all the forms by myself.]

    The constetion of Cygnus steps forward.

    [Sorry, sister! I¡¯m a littlete because I had to evacuate the other children!]

    The constetion Virgo flew in with a lively smile.

    [Woohyuk. That¡¯s enough.]

    [Hahaha! It was a manly fight, Sakaki!]

    The constetion of Leo and the constetion of Taurus walked with shining stigmata.

    Following in their footsteps.

    [It is just as Vega said.]

    [Just as we have changed, thew must also change.]

    [Like before, we cannot just sit back and watch this time.]

    One by one, the constetions that had lowered their heads and were avoiding gaze stood around Vega.

    [You guys¡­]

    Vega looked at the constetions around her with trembling eyes.

    [Why did you think you were the only one who could sacrifice for your child?]

    Deneb burst intoughter and tapped Vega on the shoulder.

    [¡®If you value your rtionship with children, pleasee out¡¯? No, what will our children think of the constetions if we keep quiet after hearing those words?]

    Even as I grimaced in pain, as if the restrictions of thew had begun.

    Deneb expanded the ¡®sanctuary¡¯ that had been developed to its fullest extent even further.

    [Now, let¡¯s show this clearly to our children.]

    Brilliant starlight rose from the bodies of the lined up constetions.

    [Why we are called ¡®constetions¡¯.]

    The rising starlight split the ck sky.

 Chapter 422

    I am not a returner Episode 422:

    War of the Stars (13)

    A brilliant cluster of lights split the sky covered with dark clouds.

    Sanctuaries and sanctuaries spread out like flower petals in full bloom, ovepping to create a flower garden of starlight.

    ¡°Why¡­¡±

    Mobius wiped his face as he looked at the shining starlight.

    The question of why filled my mind.

    ¡°You guys¡­ are not like that.¡±

    I recall the memories of that day, like a stain on a white shirt, deeply engraved in my mind.

    A girl lying down and dying.

    The eyes that used to shine brightly like starlight turned a dull gray, and the limbs that were thin like branches were bent in strange directions.

    No one came forward for that girl.

    I beg like that.

    I long for it so much.

    I cried at the top of my lungs.

    ¡°At that time, no one¡­ came forward.¡±

    With my head down like a criminal.

    As I turned away from the dying children.

    Now you¡¯re saying you¡¯re going toe and protect the children?

    ¡°It¡¯s not possible¡­.¡±

    It¡¯s unreasonable.

    It¡¯s absurd.

    It¡¯s unequal.

    ¡°If you guyse out like this, what will happen to that child?¡±

    I shout like a scream.

    [Did you say Eve? The names of the four children who died in the past war of stars.]

    Deneb asked as he walked toward Moebius.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention that child¡¯s name in your mouth.¡±

    [¡­I feel sorry for your child.]

    Although Deneb was not there.

    However, this did not mean that there was no responsibility.

    The karma for being silent that day was something that all constetions had to share.

    ¡°sorry¡­? ¡°Are you sorry?¡±

    under.

    Moebius covered his face with his hands and shook his shoulders.

    I heard Vega say ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ earlier, but it feltpletely different then.

    That¡¯s because I just wanted her to think she was special.

    All he had to do was expect her to experience the same despair he experienced in the past.

    but.

    Isn¡¯t this a different story?

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize.¡±

    Don¡¯t repent.

    Don¡¯t repent.

    Don¡¯t regret it.

    ¡°You just¡­ remain the same trash you were then.¡±

    They even turn their backs on their own children before the rules of the Creator God.

    Just stay like those bastards.

    No, you have to stay.

    Only then can I help you©¥

    [That seems difficult.]

    Deneb shook her head softly.

    [It may be the same in your eyes, but it is different now and then.]

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡±

    [Us.]

    Deneb ced her hand on her left chest and looked around.

    The constetions were seen holding the fallen awakened people carefully in their arms and evacuating them to a safe ce.

    [We have changed.]

    At a time when meeting humans was still unfamiliar.

    The reason the Constetions tried to protect humans was ultimately due to their duty as Constetions.

    Since it was a simple duty, I did not try to follow it even by going beyond the prescribed rules.

    okay. To put it a little more directly.

    At the time, there were not many constetions that thought their children were that ¡®precious¡¯.

    [But now it¡¯s different.]

    Meeting them, getting closer, fighting and making up.

    Protecting humans has be more than a simple duty.

    ¡°¡­no.¡±

    Moebius stared at the constetions with fiercely shining eyes.

    ¡°You guys haven¡¯t changed. ¡°Then and now.¡±

    Grumble!

    The clouds of the ck sky shook violently.

    ¡°I will prove it myself.¡±

    That you guys haven¡¯t changed at all.

    Quang!

    The entire city shook with a loud noise.

    ck storm clouds throbbed wildly as they struck the sanctuary spread out by the constetions.

    [It¡¯sing!]

    With Deneb¡¯s shout, the sh between the constetions and the ck Star constetion began.

    The brilliantly shining sanctuary and the ck storm clouds biting at him greedily.

    The number was much greater among the Constetions, but they were restricted by thew and were falling one by one, feeling terrible pain just by carrying out their mission.

    [If time passes, this is at a disadvantage!]

    [I know!]

    Deneb and Vega flew high into the sky.

    A fierce snowstorm and silver waves mixed together to drive the ck star constetions.

    [sister! The cat is going that way!]

    I turned my head at Spica¡¯s shout and saw Felis, the constetion of Cat, running through the air.

    Vega¡¯s eyes narrowed.

    Suddenly, a memory of meeting Felice in the demonic realm shed through my head.

    [Hmm. Now that I think about it, I coveted the original woman¡¯s child.]

    Of course, since his consciousness was under the control of Mobius, there was no trace of the cat that was so arrogant back then.

    The memory of calling Oh Jin his ¡®butler¡¯ and trying to take him away was still clearly etched in my mind.

    [You may havemitted great disrespect towards your child, but as the constetion of the North Star, how could you harbor resentment over such a personal matter?]

    Vega continued speaking with a benevolent smile on her lips.

    [I will forgive your rudeness for daring to covet my wife¡¯s child and free you from the snake that is binding you.]

    [What? Was there a way to get rid of Moebius¡¯ rule?]

    Deneb looked back at Vega with a surprised expression.

    [Of course.]

    [If there was such a method, why didn¡¯t you use it before?]

    [I couldn¡¯t use it because the process itself was a bitplicated.]

    [Queez. So what is the method?]

    If the ck Star constetions were able to escape Moebius¡¯ control, there was a high possibility that infighting would ur among them.

    No one likes the experience of being manipted like a puppet.

    [It¡¯s simple.]

    Vega smiled brightly as she looked at Felice who was running towards her while nibbling.

    [Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to escape from control if the stigmata were destroyed without leaving even a trace?]

    [¡­No, that¡¯s the way?]

    Deneb touched her forehead as if she had a headache.

    ¡°Nyaaaaaaa!¡±

    Felice, engulfed in silver waves, screamed and fell headlong to the floor.

    Kwajajajajajajag!

    A huge blue thunderbolt struck from the sky and pierced the fallen pce.

    [God¡¯s punishment!]

    Vega clenched his fists as he looked down at Felis, who was burning with blue lightning.

    ha.

    Deneb sighed deeply and shook her head.

    [Well¡­ in that sense, there is one person I want to take care of.]

    Deneb¡¯s gaze was directed at a constetion with ugly legs made of crustacean.

    It was a constetion with such a disgusting appearance that it would be more appropriate to call it a demonic beast rather than a ¡®constetion¡¯.

    [You made Allen¡¯s arm like that, right?]

    Deneb twisted the corners of her mouth fiercely and stretched out her arms towards the constetion Moose in the constetion Paris.

    A fierce snowstorm tore apart the moose¡¯s entire body.

    ¡°Ah ah.¡±

    A moan like a broken machine escaped from the lips of a moose trapped in a snowstorm that tore through its entire body.

    The Stigmata of Paris is the stigmata that deals with ¡®disease¡¯.

    Originally, it would have been a strong stigmata that could spread the lung rotting disease everywhere just by breathing.

    [You¡¯re not a good match for me, are you? Isn¡¯t that right?]

    Even the gue that could ughter tens of millions of people lost its power in the cold of the ¡®snow field¡¯ where even the soul seemed to freeze.

    ¡°It¡¯s cold¡­¡±

    The moose urgently looked around to find help, wondering if his survival instinct had disappeared.

    The situation was simr on the other side.

    [Errachaaaaaaat!]

    Kugugugugugung!

    A huge wave of power swept through the city, destroying it.

    Aldebaran, the giant Taurus constetion whose entire body was covered in red muscles, let out a wild roar and struck Butenin, the Toad constetion, with his fist.

    Butenin¡¯s body bounced violently as white steam came out between his hypertrophied muscles.

    [Is this all you can do, Butenin?]

    Aldebaran burst out inughter, grabbed Butenin¡¯s fallen leg and threw him like a shot put.

    Coogung! thud! Rumbling!

    Butenin¡¯s body, which flew through dozens of buildings, rolled on the ground.

    [Don¡¯t go too wild, Aldebaran. If you expand your sanctuary like that, you won¡¯t be able tost long.]

    Regulus, the constetion of Leo, warned quietly.

    [joy! At best, I can fight in front of children, but I¡¯m saving my strength like a coward¡­ Ugh! Whoops!]

    [¡­Didn¡¯t I tell you?]

    Regulus clicks his tongue as he looks pitifully at Aldebaran, who isining of pain due to overextending his ministry.

    While he was calmly examining the battlefield, an unexpected presence entered his field of vision.

    [¡­Woohyuk?]

    The child who had inherited his stigmata was standing up shakily.

    A ck lion heading towards the battlefield, holding its sword tightly even though its body was already in tatters from the previous battle.

    [I should have told you to rest!]

    ¡°¡­How can you rest in this situation?¡±

    Lee Woo-hyuk aimed his sword at the ck star constetions.

    ¡°If I can swing my sword just one more time¡­ we will fight too.¡±

    [We¡­?]

    Regulus turned his head with a puzzled expression.

    In the distance, I could see the awakened people who had retired from the battlefielding back one by one.

    ¡°Okay, but I feel better after lying down for a while!¡±

    ¡°We have prevented the seriously injured froming, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    Although most of the awakened people were in poor physical condition.

    From the point of view of the Constetions, who had to finish the battle as quickly as possible, they could not help but wee the addition of the Awakened.

    ¡°¡­damn.¡±

    Mobius chewed his lips with a nervous expression as he watched the victory gradually decline.

    As the constetions and the awakened people joined in, no matter how many of the ck Star Constetions received the power of the ck Sky, they had no choice but to be pushed back.

    ¡®But if only I could pass the time like this.¡¯

    The constetions that could not ovee the restrictions of thew would fall on their own.

    The problem was that it was bing increasingly impossible to take the time.

    ¡°How¡­what should I do?¡±

    When you are biting your nails and trying to squeeze out your thoughts.

    ¡°Stop it, Moebius.¡±

    A woman with white blonde hair stepped out of the ck shadows.

    Although she has a girl-like slender body, she has a certain charm and maturity.

    It was another child who inherited his stigmata.

    ¡°¡­Cassia.¡±

    ¡°Enough is enough.¡±

    Cassia continued with sad eyes.

    ¡°Eve would hope so too.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Moebius¡¯ expression distorted.

    ¡°I thought you told me not to mention that name¡­?¡±

    ¡°Mobius.¡±

    ¡°Enough? ¡°What is enough?¡±

    I shout like I¡¯m vomiting.

    ¡°Because you saw the constetions sacrificing themselves for the child? Because I¡¯ve seen people break the boringw and move forward? ¡°Did you see the heartwarming sight of the Constetions and children fighting together?¡±

    therefore.

    now.

    Satisfied?

    ¡°I am!¡±

    It cries out like a scream.

    ¡°I lost everything!¡±

    Still now.

    Still unchanged.

    ¡°My beloved child, my hometown to return to, not even the revenge I have endured for so many years! ¡°There¡¯s not a single one left!¡±

    Everything.

    Not a single thing is left behind.

    It disappeared.

    ¡°What on earth¡­is enough?¡±

    Transparent tears flowed down the snake¡¯s cheeks.

 Chapter 423

    I am not a returner Episode 423:

    War of the Stars (14)

    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t stop here.¡±

    Even for the sake of that child who could not receive any salvation.

    I am.

    ¡°If only for that child¡­ Eve.¡±

    Make them pay for their sins at any cost.

    Grumble, rumble!

    The ck cloud that was wrapped like a cloak prates his body.

    Ugly ck blood vessels sprouted like roots on Mobius¡¯ skin, which was as white as jade.

    [You¡­]

    Vega looked at Mobius with trembling eyes.

    Ugly ck blood vessels like tree roots sprouting all over the body.

    There was only one reason why the constetion¡¯s body, made up of the magical power of stigmata, underwent such a ¡®transformation¡¯.

    [That crazy bastard, is he giving away his stigmata on purpose?]

    Throwing the stigmata, which can be said to be the essence of the constetion, to the clouds of the dark sky as food.

    This was not just like using the body as firewood to start a fire, but it was the same as pouring oil into the burning body.

    Rurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    ck clouds spewed out from Mobius¡¯ pores.

    ¡°Kukkuk keuk!¡±

    A ck cloud spewed out from the pores of the entire body and engulfed Moebius and his body.

    [Phat!]

    With Deneb¡¯s urgent cry, the ck sky cloud that had swallowed Mobius twisted towards the constetions.

    The sanctuary developed by the constetions was torn apart like a piece of paper by the ck sky clouds that shot out at an incredible speed.

    [Whoa!]

    [Whoa!]

    The constetions whose sanctuaries were torn apart turned into powder due to the recoil and ¡®annihted¡¯ on the spot.

    [What is that?! It¡¯s much stronger than before!]

    Deneb looked at the fiercely moving ck clouds with an expression filled with astonishment.

    The form of the ck cloud that swallowed Moebius whole is¡­

    [¡­snake?]

    A dark cloud that takes the shape of a huge snake.

    [It ate the stigmata of Mobius andpletely fused with it!]

    Vega turned her head towards the constetions with an urgent cry.

    [Sanctuary must not touch that ¡®snake¡¯!]

    [B But!]

    How can we deal with that snake without deploying Sanctuary?

    [Deneb! Please hold on to that ¡®snake¡¯ just a little bit! Other constetions, gather towards the main woman!]

    Vega entered the chant with her arms spread wide as if there was a way.

    A cluster of silver lights gathered towards her, and blue sparks burned.

    [Okay. Okay!]

    Deneb nodded and ran as if sprinting through the air.

    A huge snake made of ck clouds turned its head towards Deneb.

    Gurgling!

    The snake followed closely behind Deneb at incredible speed and opened its huge mouth as if to swallow him whole.

    [Damn¡­ this thing is expensive!]

    Deneb took off the ring on her middle finger and threw it in the air.

    A crack was created in the empty space, like a broken ss window.

    [Tsk!]

    The crack healed instantly as soon as Deneb came out.

    The snake, which was fiercely chasing me with its mouth open, tore through the air.

    [Here you stupid reptile!]

    Deneb reappeared hundreds of meters away and shouted at the ¡®snake¡¯.

    However, the snake turned its head towards Vega as if it did not even care about such trivial provocations.

    [Uh huh? I shouldn¡¯t be doing this?]

    Deneb, who had failed to extinguish the aggro, urgently looked around and asked for help.

    [Children! Drag that guy¡¯s aggro!]

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say earlier that you would tell me why they are called the Constetions?¡±

    Isabe sighed andunched an attack towards the huge ¡®snake¡¯ swimming in the air.

    ¡°Push away!¡±

    ¡°this way! ¡°Look this way!¡±

    Following Isabe, other awakened people also attacked the snake, but were unable to divert his attention.

    The snake approached Vega, who was chanting, with its long tongueshing out.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡±

    Cassia narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

    ¡°That snake is moving ording to ck Heaven¡¯s instinct.¡±

    ck Heaven¡¯s instinct is to covet the stars.

    The purpose of that ¡®snake¡¯ was to devour as much of the stigmata¡¯s magic power.

    In order to divert the snake¡¯s attention, you must have the magical power of stigmata, which is enormous enough to stimte his instincts.

    ¡®Right now, there is no one with the magic of stigmata stronger than Vega.¡¯

    in other words.

    No matter what they did here, the snake¡¯s aggro was bound to be focused on Vega.

    ¡°Now that it¡¯s like this, I have no choice but to give up trying to attract aggro and block it from the front¡­¡±

    ¡°Ride!¡±

    At that time, the fire created by Ha-eun hit the snake.

    Cassia sighed deeply and shook her head.

    ¡°Ha-eun, there¡¯s no need to lose your strength. There¡¯s no way to get that snake¡¯s attention right now¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh? ¡°Is he looking this way?¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    The snake, which was approaching in a straight line towards Vega, suddenly stopped moving and began to turn its head towards Ha-eun.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡®Snake¡¯, who had not even made a nce while being attacked by other awakened people (even Deneb¡¯s attack), suddenly turned towards Ha-eun.

    Grumble!

    A huge snake rushed towards Ha-eun fiercely.

    ¡°Why are you acting like this all of a sudden, you bastard!¡±

    Ha-eun ran away with a scared expression.

    However, Ha-eun, who had the Stigmata of Dragon and specialized in long-distance firepower, had no means of movement that could ovee the ¡®snake¡¯s pursuit.

    [Catch me!]

    Deneb hugged Ha-eun¡¯s waist and flew into the air to avoid the snake.

    Rumbling!

    A snake swept past the spot where Ha-eun was standing just moments ago.

    ¡°Aaaah! No high! ¡°Fuck that¡¯s too high!¡±

    A fierce scream burst from Ha-eun¡¯s mouth as she flew hundreds of meters high while being held by Deneb.

    [Don¡¯t make a fuss and hold on tight so it doesn¡¯t fall off!]

    ¡°Hey, hey! ¡°Where are you touching, you sloppy little boy?¡±

    [Hmph, don¡¯t be mistaken. Because I¡¯m not interested in a human woman¡¯s body.]

    ¡°What, did you like men?¡±

    For some reason, I got so attached to Allen.

    [Don¡¯t mistake it for tea! Isn¡¯t that the kind of rtionship you have with Allen?!]

    ¡°He¡¯s gay¡­¡±

    [Oh! Shut up before I drop you!]

    ¡°Geegaeiya¡­.¡±

    [Ahh! Why on earth does Pagunseong like this kind of person?]

    Rurrrrrrrrrrr!

    The snake flew hundreds of meters into the air, chasing after Deneb.

    [Ugh¡­!]

    Deneb desperately widened the distance to avoid the snake, but even as a constetion of the North Star, he could notpletely resist the snake¡¯s pursuit.

    [Damn it!]

    When I looked back at the snake that was getting closer and closer and was crying out loud.

    ¡°Throw your sister this way!¡±

    Cassia shouted, spreading her arms.

    Without hesitation, Deneb threw Haeun, who was hugging her, towards Cassia.

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    [Nice catch!]

    ¡°It was a good pass.¡±

    Cassia, who epted Ha-eun, gave Deneb a thumbs up and then went into the shadows to shake off the snake¡¯s pursuit.

    ¡°What am I, a basketball, you bastards?!¡±

    ¡°Shh. ¡°Please be quiet.¡±

    Cassia appeared hundreds of meters away, grabbed Ha-eun¡¯s hand and ran to avoid the ¡®snake¡¯ flying towards her.

    When the snake caught up with Cassia at incredible speed and opened its huge mouth.

    [You did well!]

    A ray of blue lightning shot into the snake¡¯s wide-open mouth.

    Crumbling!

    With a thunderous roar, all the ck clouds that made up the snake¡¯s body burned away.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    The dark clouds cleared and what remained was the tattered appearance of Moebius.

    ¡°I am¡­¡±

    Grumpy.

    Moebius, kneeling on the ground, stretched out his arms towards Vega.

    ¡°Ramen for you¡­¡±

    A white snake crawled out of the shadows and climbed onto his arm.

    The white snake, which changed its appearance with a pure white de, continued to grow and fired at Vega.

    [Ugh¡­!]

    Vega closed his eyes tightly as he looked at the approaching white de.

    I just used up all my strength. Because I burned the clouds of the ck sky, I had no power to block or dodge the ensuing attack.

    When the elongated de was about to pierce Vega¡¯s stigmata.

    Kaaaaaaaa!

    A spear fell like a thunderbolt and its de bounced off.

    ¡°ah.¡±

    A low exmation flowed from between Moebius¡¯ lips.

    [Am I my child?]

    ¡°Good job, Vega.¡±

    Ojin, who was unconscious, walked towards Moebius.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    I sighed deeply as I saw Mobius staring into space with empty eyes, as if he had lost his soul.

    Like the scream he shouted.

    What can I say to someone who has lost everything?

    ¡®huh?¡¯

    Ojin, who was looking down at Moebius in silence with his mouth tightly shut, saw something in his eyes.

    A ne shaped like a crude apple.

    A crude ne that would have been included in a child¡¯s y set had fallen out of the pocket of Mobius¡¯ clothes and was lying on the floor.

    ¡°Is this yours?¡±

    Ojin gave the ne that had fallen on the floor and held it out to Moebius.

    A ray of light appeared in his empty eyes, as if he had lost his soul.

    ¡°why?¡±

    Does this mean why the ne was returned?

    ¡°well.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know why I was doing such a useless thing.

    Maybe it was because the image of the Heavenly Demon ovepped with his appearance as he stared nkly into space with soulless eyes.

    A picture of myself from a past life where I couldn¡¯t protect Ha-eun.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    Mobius curled up like a snake curled up, hugging a ne shaped like a faded apple.

    ¡°Eve¡­ Eve¡­ Eve¡­.¡±

    Crying out the name of the girl he couldn¡¯t protect.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t protect you¡­ my beloved¡­ my child.¡±

    Looking down at the sobbing Mobius, Ojin turned his head bitterly.

    Suddenly.

    Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯sst memory, which I had heard about through tradition, came to mind.

    -Don¡¯t forget that you and I have only one purpose.

    Was Eve the ¡®purpose¡¯ that Moebius was talking about at that time?

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    In both his previous life and this life, Moebius had sacrificed everything for Eve.

    Just like you did.

    Just like the Cheonma did.

    Likewise with him©¥

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s eyes widened as he bitterly pondered the memory.

    A shiver like a thunderbolt went down my spine.

    Something.

    It was strange.

    The back and forth was incoherent.

    It didn¡¯t fit together.

    Twisted and misaligned.

    What is it?

    What did I miss?

    ¡°ah.¡±

    As Lee Shin-hyuk remembers, if the Heavenly Demon and Moebius had been moving with the ¡®same¡¯ purpose since their previous lives.

    ¡°Why¡­is Eve dead?¡±

    Ha-eun lived.

    Why did Eve die?

 Chapter 424

    I am not a returner Episode 424

    Interlude ¨C Escape (1)

    ¡°Why¡­ did Eve die?¡±

    Mobius, who was sobbing while holding the ne in his arms, red at Ojin with sharp eyes.

    ¡°Do you still not know why the child died aftering all the way here?¡±

    Moebius¡¯ gaze turned to the constetions.

    ¡°Because of your dirty and selfish beliefs! ¡°That child is going to die!¡±

    ¡°¡­no.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not? If the Constetions had helped back then like they do now¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    Clearly, in Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memory, Moebius told Cheonma that our purpose was ¡®the same.¡¯

    The purpose mentioned here is not ¡®revenge¡¯ against the constetions.

    It can¡¯t be revenge.

    because.

    ¡®Because the purpose of the Heavenly Demon is not revenge.¡¯

    The Heavenly Demon had only one purpose from the beginning.

    Turning back time.

    Changing ¡®fate¡¯ by sending Lee Shin-hyuk to the past.

    and.

    Changing the fate of Ha-eun, who would have originally faced death.

    That was the purpose of the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡®Wouldn¡¯t Moebius in his previous life know that?¡¯

    no.

    There¡¯s no way I didn¡¯t know.

    I couldn¡¯t have known.

    -Isn¡¯t that child important to your ns?

    Moebius clearly said that while trying to stop the excited Heavenly Demon.

    Lee Shin-hyuk is an important child in your ns.

    Those were words that could never have been said if one had not been aware of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s n.

    ¡®then.¡¯

    Oh Jin¡¯s expression hardened.

    ¡°What do you mean no?¡±

    Moebius frowned as if he couldn¡¯t understand what Ojin was saying.

    ¡°What on earth do you want to talk about¡­ Ugh!¡±

    at that time.

    I felt a sharp pain in my stigmata and felt the energy of the ck Sky draining out.

    The energy of the ck Heaven that is now escaping is the energy that was first received from the Heavenly Demon.

    If you were topare Heukcheon to a tree growing by taking root in the stigmata, it was the part corresponding to the ¡®seed¡¯.

    ¡®This energy leaving¡­.¡¯

    means that one¡¯splete ¡®annihtion¡¯ is not far away.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s all over now.¡±

    A self-deprecating smile appeared on Moebius¡¯s lips.

    In the end, without being able to do anything.

    This is how it came to a vain end.

    ¡°ha ha ha.¡±

    Mobius sighed deeply and held the crude apple ne made of stic in his hand.

    An image of a girl with a smile as bright as starlight appeared in my mind.

    ¡°Can we¡­ meet¡­ soon?¡±

    When I slowly tried to close my eyes, thinking over my memories of Eve.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to end it on your own.¡±

    Ojin ced his hand on his stigmata and began to infuse him with the energy of the ck Heaven.

    Ojin¡¯s ck Heaven filled the ce where the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Heaven had left.

    ¡°What¡­ are you doing¡­ now?¡±

    Are you suddenly trying to save your enemy?

    ¡°If it¡¯s sympathy¡­ there¡¯s no need¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the reason.¡±

    With a nervous expression, Ojin continued to infuse the power of the ck Sky into Moebius¡¯s stigmata.

    Moebius¡¯ body, which had been reduced to powder and scattered, returned to its original form and scattered again and again, as if a stone had been thrown onto the surface of the water.

    ¡°I have something to ask you.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to ask me why Eve died?¡±

    Mobius continued speaking with difficulty amidst the pain that made him faint.

    Why did Eve die?

    What¡¯s the reason you¡¯re asking that now?

    ¡°That¡­ child died¡­ because of our greed.¡±

    What if I had forcibly caught that child heading to the battlefield that day?

    No, if he hadn¡¯t given the child the stigmata in the first ce.

    Eve would not have died.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ killed that child.¡±

    okay.

    The person who killed Eve was none other than himself.

    ¡°If only I had known it would be like that.¡±

    okay.

    If he were a ¡®returner¡¯ like the Heavenly Demon, he would never have given that child the stigmata©¥

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    at that time.

    A strange sense of difort spread down Moebius¡¯s spine.

    As Ojin¡¯s ck water flowed into him, an unfamiliar memory appeared in his mind.

    -Do not forget it.

    A picture of myself having a conversation with the Heavenly Demon.

    -That you and I have only one purpose.

    -I know.

    The Heavenly Demon turned around with him, leaving behind the human he had beaten up.

    ¡®What is this¡­?¡¯

    It¡¯s an unfamiliar memory.

    It¡¯s a memory I don¡¯t have.

    The self in the memories flowing into my head right now.

    ¡®I¡¯m not.¡¯

    He had never had such a conversation with the Heavenly Demon or even walked around with him.

    The first time I encountered the Heavenly Demon was when I first received power.

    After I received the power of the ck Sky and became a ck star, I asionally contacted him, but we onlymunicated to a limited extent and never met in person and went out together.

    So who is the person in this memory?

    He was too simr to himself to be called a simr person.

    To say it was me, I had no memory of having such a conversation.

    then.

    The remaining possibilities are¡­

    ¡°No¡­ that can¡¯t be possible.¡±

    The front and back do not match.

    Cause and effect are not connected.

    When Cheonma first met him, he said that he ¡®didn¡¯t know¡¯ that Eve would die.

    I didn¡¯t doubt his words.

    Just because you¡¯re a regressor doesn¡¯t mean you know everything.

    In the first ce, I never thought that there would be contact between me and him in my past life.

    It was natural.

    Because there was no connection between the Heavenly Demon and Eve¡¯s death.

    Immediately after bing a ck star, there was a time when I suspected that the sudden attack by a group of demonic beasts might have been an order from the Heavenly Demon, but upon direct investigation, it turned out that was not the case.

    The sudden attack by a group of demon beasts is only a result of changes in the demon world¡¯s ecology.

    It wasn¡¯t something that someone caused with intent.

    In that regard, I was confident that I had more information than anyone else.

    So I thought the reason Eve died was simply because the constetions ignored the child.

    ¡°What on earth is this memory?¡±

    Mobius shouted, grabbing Ojin by the cor.

    ¡°you¡­! What have you done to me? uh?!¡±

    ¡°The memories received through tradition¡­ were shared?¡±

    This was something that even Oh Jin could not have expected.

    ¡°¡­transmission? share? ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    anyway.

    If the memories of the past life passed down through Lee Shin-hyuk were also passed down to Mobius, the story would be rather convenient.

    ¡°What you just saw was your memory from your past life.¡±

    ¡°In my past life¡­me?¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    Cheonma and Lee Shin-hyuk did not return.

    The world before fate was twisted.

    ¡°Ah uh.¡±

    Mobius leaned down, clutching his pure white hair as if tearing it out.

    ¡°Then¡­ you and the Heavenly Demon knew each other in a past life?¡±

    ¡°I wonder if I just knew.¡±

    The rtionship between the two didn¡¯t seem that good to call them colleagues¡­

    ¡®Coborator¡¯ would be appropriate.

    ¡°Then¡­ why why why¡­! You didn¡¯t protect Eve! I told you we have the same purpose! then! ¡°Why on earth hasn¡¯t that child¡¯s fate changed?¡±

    Mobius shouts like a scream.

    Oh Jin looked at him with bitter eyes and opened his mouth.

    ¡°I kept you alive because I wanted to know that.¡±

    ¡°Ah ah ah.¡±

    Mobius¡¯ body trembled as if he was having a seizure.

    The torrent of excessive emotions burned fiercely, burning reason.

    ¡°Why why why why why¡­ why!¡±

    When I was tearing my head out and crying like crazy.

    Damn it!

    The air distorted and a ck crack appeared.

    A man walked out from the pitch-ck crack with leisurely steps.

    ¡°¡­you.¡±

    Although they have the same appearance.

    Another misdiagnosis with a different destiny.

    It was a thousand horses.

    ¡°Youoooooooo!!!¡±

    ¡°hmm?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon tilted his head and turned towards Moebius.

    ¡°Huh what? ¡°Are you still alive?¡±

    He muttered, ¡°I thought he would have died by now.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon shrugged his shoulders leisurely.

    ¡°Did you¡­ know that Eve would die?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°I guess you told me everything, right?¡±

    Cheonma looks back at Ojin and smiles darkly.

    That alone was enough to answer the question, ¡®Did you know?¡¯

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you save me?¡±

    Mobius cried out as if he was throwing up, clutching the ne in his hand until it broke.

    ¡°I told you we have the same purpose! ¡°You promised me that I would save that child in exchange for helping you!¡±

    however.

    why.

    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t that child¡¯s fate changed?¡±

    ¡°for a moment¡­!¡±

    Quang!

    Without Ojin able to stop him, Moebius kicked the ground and sprinted.

    The stigmata of Ophiuchus, which barely escaped extinction by absorbing Ojin¡¯s ck Heaven, burned brightly.

    ¡°Answer me you bastard!!!¡±

    A sanctuary where you squeeze out thest of your strength.

    The shadow that covered the earth stretched out, aiming for the Heavenly Demon.

    Just right.

    The Heavenly Demon looked at the charging Moebius and lightly snapped his fingers.

    A ck ember burned where he snapped his fingers, as if he had struck flint.

    Grumble!

    As soon as the small ember that fell on the floor came in contact with the shadow of Mobius, it burned fiercely as if it had been poured with oil.

    ¡°Aaaahhh!¡±

    In the blink of an eye, the entire sanctuary of Moebius was engulfed in ck mes.

    Moebius, whose entire body was covered in ck mes, screamed in pain and rolled around on the floor.

    ¡°Answer me¡­ why¡­ that child.¡±

    Even though his whole body was on fire, Mobius crawled across the floor and approached the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°Oh, that?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon grinned, twisting the corner of his mouth and cing his foot on Mobius¡¯ head.

    ¡°It is a lie.¡±

    Poseok.

    Mobius¡¯ head, trampled by the Heavenly Demon¡¯s feet, exploded into pieces.

    The ne Moebius was holding fell from his hand and rolled on the floor.

    The Heavenly Demon, who lightly trampled on Moebius¡¯s head and burst it open, looked at the constetions with a leisurely gaze.

    ¡°With this, all the variables regarding ¡®sanctuary¡¯ have been sorted out.¡±

    Because the restrictions of thew were weaker than expected, most of the constetions did not go to extinction.

    In return for breaking thew, you will probably have to spend the next few years¡­ or even decades, locked up in the sanctuary.

    And that¡¯s about it.

    It was enough time to bring the curtain down.

    ¡°hi?¡±

    Cheonma turned her head towards Ojin and smiled brightly.

    ¡°Did I tell you?¡±

    That we will meet again.

 Chapter 425

    I am not a returner Episode 425

    Interlude ¨C Escape (2)

    ¡°Sanctuary¡­¡±

    A low exmation flowed from Ojin¡¯s lips.

    okay.

    It was a sanctuary.

    ¡°¡­I guess you expected it.¡±

    That the Constetions will break thew, break the rules, and develop a ministry to protect humans.

    Leave behind the regrets of the past and take a great step toward the future.

    He had expected it all.

    no.

    It is awkward to express this as ¡®expectation¡¯.

    Rather than what I expected.

    ¡°I guess ¡®I knew¡¯ would be a more urate expression, right?¡±

    okay.

    I knew it.

    Because, unlike Ojin, the Heavenly Demon in front of me was really a returnee who went back in time.

    Even if I lost a lot in return.

    As he assured, he did not forget the ¡®most important thing¡¯.

    Rather, by cutting away unnecessary memories, I prepared a sharper and sharper shot.

    ¡°When I got hit before, it was really close. Well, in the end, I took my time and won.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon looked at the sanctuary spread out by the constetions and shrugged his shoulders slyly.

    ¡°Going through that kind of trouble once is enough, right?¡±

    [At best¡­]

    Vega¡¯s golden eyes zed like a fire.

    [Are you saying they used Mobius for just that reason?!!!]

    A ferocious scolding broke out.

    The image of Moebius screaming while clutching an ugly apple ne came to mind.

    To use that bottomless despair, a tragedy so cruel, as if it were a tool.

    ¡°Using it? ¡°When are you saying I used Mobius?¡±

    [You were the one manipting this situation from behind!]

    ¡°No, no. ¡°It¡¯s difficult for you to take your anger out on the wrong person, goddess.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon burst intoughter and shook his head.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. Attacking Italy and provoking the Awakened, turning the ck Star Constetions into puppets and starting a war with you were all Moebius¡¯s will?¡±

    [This wouldn¡¯t have happened if you had saved the child of Moebius!]

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have happened even if the constetions hadn¡¯t turned away the child at that time.¡±

    [That is¡­]

    ¡°It was you, the constetions, who made Moebius like that, not me. right?¡±

    [¡­.]

    Vega narrowed her eyes at the sight of the Heavenly Demon calmly shrugging her shoulders as if she had done nothing wrong.

    [¡­It¡¯s definitely different.]

    Even though he had the same appearance as Ojin, it was hard to tell from the outside.

    Could know.

    I could feel it.

    The ¡®Cheonma¡¯ in front of me and Oh Jin arepletely different people.

    ¡°Well, maybe your child would have done the same thing as me?¡±

    [Bullshit.]

    Oh Jin also often shows himself deceiving and using others for his own gain.

    There was something decidedly different from Cheonma.

    [Your child does not cowardly avoid responsibility like you do.]

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit funny to me a cheater?¡±

    [Do not mock your child with that dirty tongue.] A

    brilliant silver light emanated from Vega¡¯s whole body.

    [How can you understand the pain of the one who carries it?]

    Ojin¡­her proud child continued to move forward without stopping even though he was weighed down by the heavy responsibility and pressure of being a star in the sky.

    I keep going without even thinking about lightening the burden on my back.

    How dare someone like the Heavenly Demon ridicule the will that deserves respect?

    ¡°Haha, you¡¯ve done everything. ¡°You used to be a bit more blunt.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon chuckled and shook his head.

    [Well, dealing with a pathetic person like you, wouldn¡¯t it have been natural for you to be blunt?]

    ¡°Oh, this hurts my pride a little?¡±

    [You and Oh Jin are strangers with no connection whatsoever, so there is no reason to be proud.]

    ¡°¡­But isn¡¯t it a bit too much to say that there is no connection whatsoever?¡±

    First of all, I am also in the same ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯ situation.

    The Cheonma grumbled and grumbled as if it was absurd.

    [Hmph, these are the words of the child¡¯s mother, the original woman.]

    ¡°Ha, if someone hears it, will they know if it¡¯s really a blood-rted child?¡±

    [Aren¡¯t stigmata connected instead of blood?]

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there something else besides stigmata connected?¡±

    [Chuck. Isn¡¯t this all ¡®motherly love¡¯?]

    ¡°I think there is a social agreement to call it a different word¡­¡±

    It¡¯s a bit of a word for me to say.

    [I guess I¡¯ve had enough nonsense.]

    The silver wave created by Vega shot towards the Heavenly Demon.

    In response to her attack, other constetions also exerted their sanctuaries by squeezing out their remaining power.

    but.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    The ck me created by the Heavenly Demon so easily destroyed the sanctuary spread by the constetions.

    [Ugh¡­!]

    [Ugh!]

    [Vega¡­ No more¡­!]

    The ck me created by the Heavenly Demon was not powerful enough to overwhelm dozens of sanctuaries.

    Nevertheless, why was the attack blocked so vainly?

    [Ha ha ha¡­ No way.] This

    was because the constetions that were carrying out their ministry while resisting the restrictions of thew hade to a limit.

    Wooooow.

    The sanctuary that the constetions had expanded gradually began to shrink in size like a deted balloon.

    [Still a little more¡­]

    Vega gritted his teeth and tried desperately to maintain sanctuary.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use. No matter how weakened the restrictions of thew are, the constetions cannot escape the shackles created by the giant of creation.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon smiled bitterly and shook his head.

    ¡°There are things in this world that cannot be aplished with will alone, Goddess.¡±

    [Ugh¡­ Haa haa!]

    The sanctuary that Vega had developed lost its light, and her body gradually began to fade.

    Reverse summons to the sanctuary.

    The time we can remain on Earth hase to an end.

    [I¡¯m sorry, my child. But soon¡­]

    ¡°Soon? What is it soon?¡±

    Before Vega could finish her words, her body disappeared into thin air.

    Starting with Vega, the constetions were summoned one by one to the sanctuary.

    A cold silence fell on the battlefield where all the constetions had disappeared.

    Ha-eun stamped her feet and chewed her lip with a nervous expression.

    ¡°Ojina this¡­ I think it¡¯s fucked up?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The situation is the worst.

    All the constetions that could be said to be thest bastions were summoned back to the sanctuary.

    All of the awakened people were in a semi-fainting state due to the battle with the ck Star Constetions.

    Ojin himself only barely regained consciousness, but the aftereffects of developing ¡®Gxy¡¯ in a human body still remained.

    ¡®Everyone is in no condition to fight.¡¯

    Immediately after fighting the tens of thousands of demonic beasts that covered the city, there was a series of battles with the ck Star Constetions and Mobius, who even used the stream.

    In terms of ser, it¡¯s like ying three 90-minute full-time games in a row without a break, but out of nowhere, it¡¯s like a thousand horses.

    ¡°Let¡¯s jump.¡±

    His stamina and energy were so low that he didn¡¯t know if he could even fight and win, let alone the Heavenly Demon, even the 1-star monster Enthorn.

    There was no other way than to run away.

    ¡°Where are you going to run away?¡±

    ¡°Sanctuary.¡±

    Although Ojin himself does not know the condition of the constetions that were back-summoned to the sanctuary.

    No matter how heavenly demons are, they will not be able to directly enter the sanctuary, which can be said to be the realm of the constetions.

    Because there, all the ¡®shackles¡¯ that bind the constetions will be loosened.

    ¡®If I hadn¡¯t been wary of the constetions in the first ce, I wouldn¡¯t have tricked Moebius into using Sanctuary.¡¯

    Right now, the only safe ce from the Heavenly Demon was the sanctuary.

    ¡°Even if I run away¡­ will the Heavenly Demon stay still?¡±

    Isabe gently bit her lip and looked at the Heavenly Demon.

    The Heavenly Demon was staring at them with his arms crossed and a rxed expression.

    He had a rxed attitude, as if he could easily catch you guys whenever he wanted.

    but.

    All of the awakened people gathered here are as exhausted as dried squid, so it would be natural for them to rx like that.

    ¡®Someone needs to tie his feet.¡¯

    But who?

    Who can dare to hold the Heavenly Demon¡¯s feet?

    ¡°I will do it.¡±

    Cassia took a step forward with determined eyes.

    ¡°no. ¡°You¡¯re tired too.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Just holding your feet is enough, right?¡±

    It¡¯s a lie.

    Although she was shrugging her shoulders, pretending to be rxed, Cassia¡¯s face had already turned pitifully pale.

    ¡®It¡¯s not unreasonable.¡¯

    Not only Cassia but all the awakened people here were so exhausted that it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if they fell unconscious right away.

    ¡®It¡¯s impossible to even hold his feet like this.¡¯

    There is only one card left for Oh Jin now.

    There was only ¡®a stream¡¯.

    ¡®But if I use Gaecheon in my current state¡­.¡¯

    Maybe.

    This time, I might forget ¡®all¡¯ memories.

    Not a single thing is left behind.

    Without a single ounce of room.

    Everythingpletely.

    It might disappear.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin chewed his lip until blood leaked out.

    I felt my legs shaking from a distant fear.

    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±

    I closed my eyes tightly and suppressed the rising fear.

    but.

    but.

    but.

    ¡®scared.¡¯

    I don¡¯t want to forget.

    I don¡¯t want to lose it.

    How the fuck have I been living?

    The emotion when I first met my sister on the rooftop of the orphanage, the thrill when I received the stigmata from Vega, the intensity when I met Riak, the absurdity when I found out Isabe¡¯s identity, and the fear when I was caught by Cassia.

    Everything, everything, everything.

    It¡¯s a memory I don¡¯t want to forget.

    ¡°I¡­ how.¡±

    When I lowered my head and clenched my fists.

    ¡°Why are you procrastinating like that again? bantling.¡±

    A familiar voice was heard.

    ¡°¡­Riak?¡±

    When preparing for war against Moebius in the sanctuary.

    Vega said that since he had given special orders to Riak, it would be difficult for him to participate in the war right away.

    It was a very busy situation at the time, and like the Constetions, Riak was also restricted by thew, so I decided that there would be no major power loss anyway, so I answered that I knew and thenpletely forgot about it.

    ¡°Hmph, I thought I¡¯d be more like a warrior now, but I still have a long way to go.¡±

    ¡°Krrr. Don¡¯t say that ¡®Khan¡¯. ¡°Isn¡¯t he the hero who saved our n?¡±

    ¡°I would have said I was no longer ¡®Khan¡¯?¡±

    Riak wasn¡¯t the only one who suddenly appeared.

    Beastman warriors lined up behind Riak.

    At the forefront was Leoru Khan, who had be the new ¡®Khan¡¯ after Riak, standing bravely.

    ¡°purr!¡±

    Poppy approached, snorting, clicking her beak and pping her wings.

    ¡°You guys¡­¡±

    ¡°I came across the veil right away after hearing the news from Earth, but it seems a littlete.¡±

    Kelion, an elder of the dragon race, walking with a cane.

    Behind him, dragon wizards were in formation, pointing their staffs at the Heavenly Demon.

    When they found Ha-eun standing next to Oh-jin, their eyes sparkled.

    ¡°Sorry for beingte, miko!¡±

    ¡°damn¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t believe the shaman arrived in such rags!¡±

    ¡°We are bastards who have no right to call Ha-eun ¡®shaman¡¯!¡±

    The Yongin people begin to shed tears as they look at Ha-eun, who has traces of a fierce battle left all over her body.

    ¡°Dragon Maiden! ¡°We are here!¡±

    ¡°We will hold the Heavenly Demon¡¯s feet, Dragon Maiden!¡±

    The Yongin people shouted loudly, using the title they had originally called her instead of ¡®shaman¡¯.

    Among them, one of the wise Yongin people raised a question.

    ¡°Ah, but didn¡¯t you sayst time that you weren¡¯t a virgin?¡±

    ¡°iced coffee! ¡°You definitely said that!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! ¡°I forgot about that! Ha-eun wasn¡¯t a virgin!¡±

    The muttering voices of the dragon race echoed throughout the silent battlefield.

    The eyes of the awakened people instantly focused on Ha-eun.

    ¡°No, wait.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s face turned pale as she received the attention of the people around her.

    ¡°Sorry for the misunderstanding!¡±

    ¡°shut up.¡±

    ¡°From now on, I will correct it and call you ¡®Dragon¡¯s Reflection Girl¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    ¡°¡®Dragon Rain Maiden¡¯, we are here to help!¡±

    ¡°Hey you fucking bastards.¡±

    Please shut up your mouth.

 Chapter 426

    I am not a returner Episode 426 Interlude

    ¨C Escape (3)

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a development I didn¡¯t expect?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon smiled and looked back at the beast and dragon tribe troops that followed Riak.

    When I asked why I couldn¡¯t see him, I couldn¡¯t have guessed that he would bring reinforcements directly from the Demon Lord.

    It was somethingpletely unexpected even for him.

    No, to be more precise.

    ¡°So, are you going to try to stop me with the dragon and beast tribes?¡±

    It was something that there was no need to even anticipate.

    ¡°But do you think that¡¯s possible?¡±

    Aren¡¯t the dragon and beast people weak beings who were helplessly defeated even by the ¡®demon race¡¯ that he created for moderate use?

    Blocking one¡¯s path with warriors from the dragon or beast tribe was like trying to block a dump truck with a bump made of Styrofoam.

    ¡°You and a child are just as cocky.¡±

    joy.

    Riak snorted in disapproval and changed his body into the form of a werewolf.

    Bursting muscles covered his entire body like armor.

    ¡°Do not ignore the power of the great warriors who have lived in the barrennd of the Demon World for hundreds of years.¡±

    Crumbling.

    He walked forward, crying fiercely.

    When I just passed by Oh Jin like that.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able tost long, so quickly escape to the sanctuary.¡±

    A small voice, almost like a whisper, came to Ojin¡¯s ears.

    ¡°¡­Riak.¡±

    In front of the Heavenly Demon, he showed off his confidence and told people not to ignore the strength of the warriors.

    Riak also knew very well how absurd it was to fight the Heavenly Demon with only the power of dragon and beast warriors.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    It was obvious what kind of end the dragon and beast people would face if he ran away to the sanctuary.

    ¡°joy. ¡°Since when do you make that kind of face just because you think so much about others?¡±

    Riak raised the corners of his mouth as if he wasughing.

    ¡°Stop being annoying and get out of here.¡±

    ¡°¡­Riak.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that because it makes me feel bad.¡±

    ¡°This bastard until the end¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a dog, it¡¯s a wolf.¡±

    Riak grinned and pped Ojin¡¯s back loudly.

    ¡°Go, kid.¡±

    That¡¯s thest word.

    Riak let out a ferocious roar and turned into a ray of silver lightning, shooting towards the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°let¡¯s go! Warriors! ¡°It¡¯s time to show the power of the beast people!¡±

    ¡°The blessings of the dragon god and shaman will protect our dragon people!¡±

    With a shout that seemed to shake the heavens and earth, the armies of the beast and dragon tribe rushed towards the Heavenly Demon.

    Rumbling!

    A harsh roar echoed throughout the city.

    ¡°Mr. Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°You have to go.¡±

    Isabe grabbed Ojin¡¯s hesitant hand.

    ¡°There is no one other than Mr. Oh Jin who can defeat the Heavenly Demon.¡±

    Know.

    Now I have to survive somehow, even if it means sacrificing others.

    Other than the ¡®star in the sky¡¯, there is no one who can change the fate that has been decided.

    but.

    Although everyone knows it.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    Oh Jin chewed his lips and turned around.

    ¡°This way, Ojin!¡±

    So Cassia and Ohjin Isabe Ha-eun ran towards the entrance of the sanctuary.

    I thought I would be able to get to the entrance of the sanctuary without any problems since there were no hordes of demon beasts covering the streets and the Heavenly Demons were being held by warriors of the dragon and beast tribe.

    Rumbling!

    ck clouds rising from the remains of the building targeted Ojin.

    ¡°Mr. Ojin!¡±

    Isabe shouted urgently and stretched out her hand.

    Her palm split open and the red blood that spurted out hit the ck cloud shooting towards Ojin.

    Grumbling.

    The ck clouds covered in blood dispersed like fog.

    ¡°This is¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a cloud of ck sky.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Heavenly Demon currently being held by Mr. Riak?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re fighting Riak and spreading the clouds of the ck Sky at the same time.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon must know that Ojin and his party are running away toward the sanctuary, so they n to cover the road leading there with a cloud of ck heaven.

    ¡®damn.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t just Ojin and his group that the ck Sky Cloud was targeting.

    ¡°Ahh! ¡°What is this again?!¡±

    ¡°Please save me!!¡±

    The clouds of the dark sky were mercilessly attacking and devouring even the awakened people who were fighting against the demonic beast group.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be agitated and fight! The formation must not be broken!¡±

    From a distance, Alina could be seen giving instructions to the awakened people.

    Alina, who spotted Ojin and his group running away, approached them with her silver hair waving.

    ¡°Did you fail to kill Moebius?¡±

    ¡°No, that was a sess.¡±

    ¡°Then what is this¡­¡±

    ¡°There is no time to exin. ¡°Alina, please lead your army and retreat to the sanctuary.¡±

    ¡°Shh¡­ I understand.¡±

    The ck cloud spewed out by the Heavenly Demon instantly began to spread throughout Rome, like ck ink sprinkled on a puddle of water.

    ¡°Maintain the formation and retreat slowly!¡±

    At Alina¡¯s shout, the awakened people turned in the direction of the entrance to the sanctuary.

    but.

    Rurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    ¡°Aaaahhh!¡±

    ¡°How are we supposed to stop this?!¡±

    ¡°Come on, you¡¯re going to get eaten!¡±

    The amount waspletely different from the ck clouds emitted by Moebius.

    The ck clouds spread hundreds and thousands of meters and engulfed the awakened people like a tidal wave.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ojin desperately tried to drive away the clouds of the dark sky by emitting thunderbolts.

    It was impossible to stop the ck clouds pouring down like a tidal wave while I was so exhausted that I could barely control myself.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    The spear I was holding was as heavy as a thousand pounds.

    As if he had fallen into a swamp, his steps became slow and his already tattered magic circuit screamed in pain.

    I felt pain as if I was being stabbed with a knife from the stigmata carved into my left chest.

    ¡®No more¡­¡¯

    It was difficult to even take a step from this ce, let alone the entrance to the sanctuary.

    While I was breathing heavily and desperately trying to cut down the iing clouds of ck sky.

    ¡°Ojina. ¡°Just stay still for a moment.¡±

    Ha-eun approached Oh-jin.

    As I hugged Ojin closely, the dark clouds that had been rushing fiercely stopped moving for an instant.

    Ha-eun nodded, her eyes shining.

    ¡°also.¡±

    ¡°¡­What happened?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t approached me since a while ago.¡±

    The reason why the clouds of the dark sky do not show their ferocious teeth only to Ha-eun.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess why.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know about anyone else, but there¡¯s no way I wouldy a hand on my sister.¡¯

    Even if we have had different fates.

    The starting point of Cheonma and Ojin was the same.

    The rooftop of an old and shabby orphanage.

    When she set foot in the insignificant secret base.

    Because his life has begun.

    ¡®Even if my sister haspletely forgotten the memory of when we first met on the rooftop.¡¯

    There was no way the Heavenly Demon could have forgotten that memory.

    ¡®Because you were me.¡¯

    Oh Jin added strength to the arms holding Ha Eun.

    Even if the dark clouds don¡¯t attack, it¡¯s only Ha-eun.

    Even now, the screams of the awakened people who had been swallowed up by the clouds of the ck Sky were echoing endlessly from all directions.

    I had to escape to the sanctuary as quickly as possible.

    ¡°Ojina. ¡°Get on your back.¡±

    ¡°Put him on his back? ¡°To my sister?¡±

    ¡°Is there any other way than that?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    He hesitated at the fact that he would have to run away while carrying the person he was supposed to protect.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn and get on your back quickly.¡±

    ¡°¡­Okay. okay.¡±

    Even though the time was running fast, I couldn¡¯t be stubborn and slow down my steps.

    ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°Phew. Oh my baby. ¡°You¡¯ve grown a lot since I haven¡¯t seen you in a while.¡±

    Ha-eun, carrying Oh-jin on her back, burst intoughter and patted his butt.

    ¡°sister.¡±

    ¡°I know, Sasha. ¡°I¡¯m going to stop ying around, so hold on tight so you don¡¯t fall off?¡±

    Ha-eun, carrying Oh-jin on her back, kicked her feet toward the entrance to the sanctuary.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡±

    Cassia created a shadow and removed the ck clouds blocking the way, and Isabe cut down the remains of the buildings blocking the way with a blood-red scythe.

    ¡°sister! hurry!¡±

    ¡°okay!¡±

    That¡¯s how we arrived at the entrance to the sanctuary.

    In a city covered in ash and smoke, Ojin and his group kicked their way toward the crack that maintained a beautiful blue color.

    and.

    Quad deud deud deuk!

    Before Ojin and his group entered the entrance to the sanctuary.

    Soaring ck clouds surrounded the entrance to the sanctuary.

    A terrifying shock shook the surroundings along with a loud noise.

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m crazy!¡±

    In the ce where the shock swept past, the entrance to the sanctuary was seen, twisted like crumpled paper.

    ¡°Oh, no!¡±

    Isabe hurriedly approached the entrance to the sanctuary and put her hand inside.

    Isabe¡¯s arm slips backwards through the twisted crack.

    ¡°The entrance to the western sanctuary¡­ is damaged.¡±

    Isabe turned her head with a pale expression.

    The entrance to the sanctuary, which could have been the only way out, disappeared.

    ¡°You¡¯re broken? So what do we do now? ¡°Isn¡¯t this the only entrance to the sanctuary in Rome?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A cold silence fell between the group.

    As Ha-eun said, there was only one entrance to the sanctuary in Rome.

    Of course, there were several other entrances to the sanctuary throughout Italy, but the nearest entrance was over a hundred kilometers away.

    in other words.

    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±

    The escape route waspletely blocked.

    ¡°What about running away from the city?¡±

    ¡°It will be difficult.¡±

    Isabe shook her head darkly.

    A dark cloud had already spread not only around the entrance to the sanctuary but also throughout Rome.

    Now that my mana was almost depleted, there was no way to get out of the city through the ck sky clouds.

    ¡°If I¡¯m there, you might be able to break through, right?¡±

    Surely, if Ha-eun is safe from the clouds of the dark sky, there might be some way to get out of the city.

    ¡°Even if you run out of the city, the Heavenly Demon will catch you in no time.¡±

    Unless it was a sanctuary, there was no reason for the Heavenly Demon to give up the chase.

    ¡°Then what now¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡±

    When deep despair appeared on Oh Jin and Ha Eun¡¯s faces.

    ¡°I have a way.¡±

    Cassia stared at the broken crack with deeply sunken eyes.

 Chapter 427

    I am not a returner Episode 427 Interlude

    ¨C Escape (4)

    ¡°How?¡±

    Ohjin and Haeun Isabe¡¯s eyes were focused on Cassia.

    What solution is there when the entrance to the sanctuary is damaged and the escape route ispletely blocked?

    ¡°Do you remember that you went to the Demon World through my ¡®shadow¡¯ before?¡±

    ¡°ah.¡±

    As far as I remember.

    While I was looking for traces of the ¡®snake¡¯ to find the missing Tamrangseong, I was swept away by a ck shadow and went to the devil¡¯s pce.

    That was the first time Ojin had ever experienced a magical scene.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you can open a crack leading to the Demonic Realm?¡±

    Although it is not as good as the sanctuary, the Demon World is also a ¡®different world¡¯, so it will be much safer than being in this city.

    ¡°yes. By connecting the ¡®shadow¡¯ to the other world, you can create a crack that can be crossed. But¡­ I need some time.¡±

    ¡°How much do you need?¡±

    ¡°About 30 minutes.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    30 minutes.

    It wasn¡¯t a very long time to create a rift between one world, but in a situation like now where one hour is urgent, it was such a distant time that it felt like an eternity.

    * * *

    * * *

    ¡°okay. ¡°I¡¯ll try to hold on until then.¡±

    However, since the entrance to the sanctuary was damaged, there was no other way out other than Cassia¡¯s shadow.

    Ojin took a deep breath and grabbed his spear.

    He twisted his body, letting out the magical power of the stigmata that had been forcibly squeezed out of the magic circuit that was as dry as a desert.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ bitter. Phew.¡±

    Just spreading magical power throughout my body caused terrible pain, as if a sharp piece of metal had been thrust into my blood vessels.

    Pajik Pajijik!

    Suppressing the surging pain, I let out a blue thunderbolt.

    Is it because the mana is almost depleted?

    Thunderbolt, which usually burned fiercely like a hungry beast, lost its momentum as if its teeth had fallen out.

    ¡®If you don¡¯t have teeth, you have to chew with your gums.¡¯

    I swung my spear and swatted away the gathering ck clouds.

    ¡°I will help too.¡±

    ¡°I like it. So I just have to hold on for 30 minutes?¡±

    When Isabe was about to step forward with Ha-eun.

    A ck ¡®snake¡¯ crawled out from their shadow and climbed up their leg.

    ¡°sister?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Mobius is already dead, so the ¡®snake¡¯ that crawls out of the shadows now must be Cassia¡¯s.

    Isabe and Ha-eun tilted their heads and turned towards Cassia.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia, who nced at me, turned without saying a word and continued chanting to open the ¡®crack¡¯.

    ¡°What are you doing all of a sudden¡­¡±

    Isabe frowned and tried to argue, but her words were cut off.

    The snake that climbed up her leg whispered something near her ear.

    ¡°Hmph, I know.¡±

    What did I hear?

    Isabe snorted and quickly turned her head as if it was not the same.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Instead of answering, Ha-eun sighed deeply and nodded.

    She took out a cigarette pack from her pocket and then took out a candle.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sick of it.¡±

    I lifted the candle, ring at the gathering ck clouds.

    Grumble!

    The tip of the candle burned red and fierce mes floated in the air like a will-o¡¯-the-wisp.

    It wasn¡¯t a me burning so fiercely as if it would set the world on fire.

    Still, the condition was a little better than the misdiagnosis that left him in total disrepair.

    ¡°Burn up.¡±

    With a low chant, the mes floating in the air were shot at high speed toward the ck clouds.

    Gurgling!

    The ck clouds scorched by the mes twitched and retreated.

    Even if it had been driven away once, the ck clouds would have attacked again fiercely, but stopped moving like a gentle sheep in front of Ha-eun.

    ¡°¡­So, even in this situation, I want to protect you, right?¡±

    Ha-eun chewed her lips with aplicated expression, remembering the owner of this dark cloud.

    Another Ojin, different from the Ojin she loves.

    When I thought about Cheonma, who had to live apletely different life due to mixed fates, I felt the bitter taste of blood from my chewed lips.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you will hear me saying this now.¡±

    Ha-eun sighed deeply and bowed low.

    ¡°thank you.¡±

    Because without you, fate wouldn¡¯t have changed.

    ¡°And I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Although I know you gave everything for me.

    I also know that I have endured loneliness and emptiness, pain and despair so distant that I dare not imagine.

    Nevertheless.

    ¡°To me¡­ Ojini is more important now.¡±

    Quang!

    He bounced his lowered body and kicked his feet.

    He jumped as if throwing his body towards the ck stream that was rushing toward Ojin.

    Grumble!

    The dark clouds were pushed back like a wolf among a flock of sheep.

    ¡°haha! ¡°Please take care of Cassia rather than me!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡±

    Ojin¡¯s safety is important, but right now, protecting Cassia, who is creating a ¡®crack¡¯, was the top priority.

    Ha-eun circled around the ruined entrance to the sanctuary and drove the iing dark clouds back as much as possible.

    However, no matter how much the dark clouds evaded her, there was a limit to how much Ha-eun could stop them alone.

    Grumble!

    A cloud of ck sky rushed in, aiming for Ha-eun¡¯s absence.

    Since Ha-eun was close to Cassia, who was creating a crack, the aggro of the ck Sky Cloud was naturally directed towards Ojin.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ojin narrowed his eyes as he barely managed to deflect the ck clouds that were blowing in from all directions.

    But now I¡¯m somehow holding on.

    ¡®If it continues like this¡­¡¯

    It won¡¯t be possible tost even 5 minutes, let alone 30 minutes.

    ¡°Oh Jin, please excuse me for a moment.¡±

    at that time.

    Isabe leaned closer to Ojin and hugged him from behind.

    ¡°Excuse me, what do you mean¡­.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s fangs dug into the back of her neck.

    A feeling of pleasure like a thunderbolt spread down my spine along with the feeling of blood leaving my body.

    ¡°Tsk¡­!¡±

    ¡°haha. ¡°Please be patient just a little longer.¡±

    Isabe exhaled happily and drank Ojin¡¯s blood.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Her body, exhausted from the battle with the ck Star Constetion, surged with vitality.

    The deep dark circles around the eyes disappeared, and the dry, dry skin regained its smooth glow.

    ¡°Huh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! ¡°If this happens¡­ what should I do?¡±

    Of course, Ojin¡¯s body, which was already in a state ofplete disrepair due to the aftereffects of carrying out the mission, was in an even more miserable state as his blood was sucked by Isabe.

    ¡°Do not worry.¡±

    Isabe¡¯s condition was able to regain its vitality before the Star Wars took ce¡­ or even beyond that.

    ¡°I will protect Mr. Ojin.¡±

    I put the tip of my sharp nail on my wrist and drew it down for a long time.

    Blood flowing out as the flesh splits.

    The red blood flowing over my skin, which was as white as a snow field, dripped onto my fingertips and onto the floor, drop by drop.

    The blood that fell on the floor spread across the floor like paint, creating a small puddle of blood.

    ¡°Bloom.¡±

    The blood flowers that grew from the blood pool were in full bloom like wild flowers in spring.

    Blood-red petals fluttering in the wind formed ck clouds.

    Grumble!

    ck clouds scattering after being cut into pieces by blood-red flower petals.

    Isabe, who regained her vitality with Ojin¡¯s blood, pushed the clouds of the ck sky without hesitation.

    ¡°haha.¡±

    How much time has passed?

    When the vitality that had filled my body began to run out again.

    Googoo googung!

    ck mes rose up along with a harsh roar.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    The ce where the Heavenly Demon first appeared.

    It was a battlefield where warriors from the beast and dragon tribe risked their lives to tie the legs of the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°¡­I guess it¡¯s over.¡±

    Instinctively, I could tell that all the warriors of the beast and dragon tribes who were holding the Heavenly Demon¡¯s feet had fallen.

    Now that the troublesome hindrances that were holding him back are gone, there is only one ce for the Cheonma to head next.

    ¡°Sister, are you there yet?!¡±

    ¡°little bit more!¡±

    Cassia answered, wiping away the sweat from her forehead.

    Isabe looked at the ce where the ck pir of fire had risen with a nervous expression.

    Jump and jump.

    The sound of leisurely footstepsing from afar.

    The dark clouds covering the street parted like the Red Sea, and the Heavenly Demon appeared.

    ¡°Are you still holding on?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon smiled as he looked at Ojin and his group gathered in front of the ruined entrance to the sanctuary.

    ¡°Honestly, I thought I could wipe them all out quickly, but this wolf bastard was a bit persistent.¡±

    He threw Riak, who had been dragging him, on the floor.

    Ojin¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Riak!¡±

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t kill him.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon shrugged his shoulders and looked down at Riak, who had fallen to the floor.

    ¡°Because I have a ce to use thister.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ what on earth are you nning to do?¡±

    ¡°I told you I would change my ns.¡±

    Cheonma¡¯s eyes turned to Ha-eun.

    For a moment, his eyes as he looked at Ha-eun slightly wavered.

    Cheonma, who had been staring at Ha-eun for a while, turned his head forlornly.

    ¡°If, as you say, you and I are different.¡±

    The blue natural flower burned with an eerie light.

    ¡°I have no choice but to make it the same myself.¡±

    A chilling shiver ran down Ojin¡¯s spine.

    ¡°They make it the same¡­ what does that mean?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a little while.¡±

    The Cheonma twitched the corner of its mouth fiercely and walked briskly towards Ojin.

    When the distance with the Heavenly Demon is gradually narrowing.

    ¡°That¡¯s Okay!¡±

    Damn it!

    A small crack was created in the air that could barely fit a person through.

    ¡°¡­hmm?¡±

    The Cheonma¡¯s expression distorted as she discovered the crack.

    ¡°Everyone run away first! ¡°I¡¯ll follow you at the end!¡±

    Crumbling!

    Ojin threw the spear in his hand at the Heavenly Demon and shouted at Isabe and Cassia Ha-eun.

    and.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Oh Jin.¡±

    ¡°What are you sorry about¡­ Ugh?!¡±

    Isabe suddenly locked lips with Ojin.

    When Ojin widened his eyes with a puzzled expression.

    ¡°Hwacha!¡±

    Ha-eun hugged Oh-jin from behind and threw herself toward the crack with Oh-jin.

    ¡°Now wait¡­!¡±

    Oh Jin urgently stretched out his hand and tried to grab the entrance to the crack, but his arm, which was tightly restrained by Ha Eun¡¯s arm, did not move as intended.

    Oh Jin and Ha Eun¡¯s bodies were sucked into the crack.

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    In Ojin¡¯s gradually darkening vision, he saw Isabe smiling brightly.

    She winked at Ojin and stuck out her tongue.

    ¡°Is this revenge for that time?¡±

    Along with Isabe¡¯s yful voice, Ojin¡¯s bodypletely disappeared into the crack.

    ¡°Hmm, I guess we¡¯re sisters, so in the end it¡¯s just the two of us left?¡±

    After the crack closes.

    Cassia wiped the sweat from her forehead and approached Isabe.

    Isabe narrowed her eyes and nced at Cassia.

    ¡°¡­Couldn¡¯t you have gone with me too?¡±

    ¡°I told you, right? ¡°We can only move two people in 30 minutes.¡±

    ¡°therefore. ¡°You could have gone instead of Ha-eun.¡±

    In fact, it was safer for the person who created the rift to move together rather than a third party, Ha-eun, so if Cassia had wanted to, she could have left Ha-eun behind instead of herself.

    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯ll be separated from our beloved Be?¡±

    ¡°joy. ¡°Are youing here now and pretending to be my sister?¡±

    ¡°I was always your sister?¡±

    Cassia covered her mouth and stood next to Isabe,ughing.

    ¡°I won¡¯t admit my rtionship with Oh Jin just because of this.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, isn¡¯t that a bit too much? Still, I risked my life for Ojin.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Isabe, who was trailing off, soon took a deep sigh and opened her mouth in a low voice as if she was crawling away.

    ¡°¡­If Ha-eun says it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    ¡°Oh my Be, why is she so cute?¡±

    Cassia burst outughing and pped her hands.

    ¡°Now then¡­ before that¡­¡±

    Her eyes turned to the Heavenly Demon.

    Cheonma was looking at the two sisters with her arms crossed and a helpless smile on her face.

    Cassia smiled brightly and took a step toward the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°Should I go scold that fake Oh Jin first?¡±

 Chapter 428

    I am not a returner Episode 428:

    Lies (1)

    The Second Star Wars where over 30,000 awakened people gathered.

    The epic war in which the Seven Stars, the heroes of mankind, and dozens of constetions participated, ended in a crushing defeat due to the appearance of the Heavenly Demon.

    The number of awakened people swallowed up by the ¡®cloud of ck sky¡¯ that covered the entire city was approximately 20,000.

    Even that was only the number of victims counted, but the actual number of victims was estimated to be higher than that.

    Chilseong, who was called the hero of humanity, was all eaten by the clouds of the dark sky, except for Okseong Bianca Bet, Yao Gwangseong Edward Walton, and Gwon Ohjin, who managed to escape, who were in the rear unit.

    It wasn¡¯t just the sacrifices of the awakened people.

    The constetions that broke thew and developed sanctuaries to stop the ck Star constetions, including Moebius, also had to pay the price.

    Because the restrictions of thew were weaker than in the past, the number of constetions that reached the point of ¡®annihtion¡¯ was extremely small, but most of the constetions with low levels of stigmata were bound to chains of light, lost consciousness, and were sealed in the temple.

    Constetions with powerful stigmata from the 12 signs of the zodiac or higher also suffered permanent loss of stigmata and were unable to appear on Earth even in a physical body for at least a year.

    A gap between the awakened and the constetions.

    If wepare the Earth to a body, the beings of the awakened people were white blood cells that fight against virusesing from outside.

    As the number of awakened people to hunt down the demonic beasts crossing the rift became extremely low, global chaos began.

    All parts of the peaceful city were on fire, and various crime rates soared.

    In this situation, many new awakened people could have been born to fill the void. Since most of the constetions were sealed, no awakened people to fill the empty space appeared.

    When chaos and despair spread throughout the world.

    Oh Jin was sitting on the floor in the house, his eyes closed, and his back against the wall.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Hair that hasn¡¯t been washed for a long time and is caked with sweat and oil.

    Deep dark circles around the eyes and sunken cheeks.

    He had such a haggard appearance that one wondered if anyone could think of him as a ¡®star in the sky¡¯ who would save the world from destruction.

    Squeak.

    The door was carefully opened, and the light that came through the door cut through the darkness in the room.

    ¡°¡­Ojina.¡±

    Ha-eun, a woman with an eyepatch around her left eye, looked down at Oh-jin, who was sitting on the floor, with a bitter expression.

    After barely returning alive from Rome, Ojin seemedpletely devastated and could not take a single step out of his room.

    All Ojin does is mumble something iprehensible into his smartphone in his room.

    Other than that, he was quietly secluded in his room, doing nothing else.

    ¡°I brought some beef porridge.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Misdiagnosis with no answer.

    Ha-eun brought the porridge from the spoon to her mouth and chewed her lips.

    ¡°I ordered it for delivery, so don¡¯t worry about the taste.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Ojina.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Eat at least a spoonful.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Please eat something! How long are you going to stay like this?!¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already been over a month since I came back home! ¡°I should have continued like this.¡±

    ¡°¡­I should have.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°I should have used Gaecheon.¡±

    There was a chance.

    When the Heavenly Demon first appeared, when Riak brought warriors from the dragon and beast tribes, and when Cassia asked to buy time to open the rift.

    It ended without thest card called ¡®Gaecheon¡¯ being used.

    No, it¡¯s not that I couldn¡¯t write it.

    It was ¡®not¡¯ used.

    ¡°¡­Because I was scared.¡±

    Losing all memories.

    Precious memories and memories disappearingpletely.

    I was so afraid that I couldn¡¯t take thest step.

    ¡°That¡­ couldn¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°There was nothing I could do.¡±

    ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t help it. Even if you use that technique, it doesn¡¯t mean you can always defeat the Heavenly Demon, right?¡±

    ¡°At least everyone wouldn¡¯t have been eaten by the dark clouds like now.¡±

    Crack.

    Oh Jin lowered his head, recalling the memories of that time.

    Ha-eun sighed deeply and looked down at Oh-jin, who lowered his head helplessly.

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re just going to sit there in the corner of your room doing nothing and regretting it?¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    ¡°No? ¡°So what are you doing now?¡±

    Ha-eun roughly grabbed Oh-jin¡¯s cor.

    ¡°Stuck in the corner of the room all day, not eating, not washing, and not going out! Muttering strange things to yourself into your smartphone! ¡°What on earth are you doing right now and you¡¯re saying no?!¡±

    Ojin slowly raised his bowed head at the sound of a thunderbolt.

    Startle.

    Ha-eun¡¯s body trembled when she saw Oh Jin¡¯s face when she raised her head.

    His eyes, which I thought were filled with nothing but emptiness, were burning with an eerie blue fire.

    ¡°I was lying.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°Because only I can use this.¡±

    You were lying?

    What kind of nonsense is that?

    ¡°Regretting once is enough.¡±

    ¡°¡­what on earth does that mean?¡±

    ¡°You can think of it as a kind of insurance.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    The words are so rambling that I wonder if I¡¯ve lost my mind somewhere.

    However, it would be hard to say that she had lost her mind, but Oh Jin¡¯s sparkling blue natural eyes were staring at her clearly.

    like.

    As if I wanted to say that all of this was ¡®intended¡¯.

    ¡°Well, thanks to putting in a month, I was able to finish it on time.¡±

    ¡°Why did you finish it on time¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you say kill the beef?¡±

    Oh Jin picked up Ha Eun¡¯s bowl of porridge from the floor and ate it hungrily.

    ¡°Cluck cluck cluck!¡±

    Is it because I haven¡¯t eaten anything for a month?

    Suddenly, I could not ept the food that entered my stomach and started coughing.

    ¡°Eat it slowly, man.¡±

    Ha-eun picked up a towel and wiped Oh-jin¡¯s mouth.

    I scooped up the porridge with a spoon and carefully put it into Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    Mumbling.

    Oh Jin calmly took the porridge she gave him and ate it.

    ¡°So¡­ you didn¡¯t just give up everything and lock yourself in your room?¡±

    ¡°What are you giving up?¡±

    There was too much to hold in my hands to be miserable and brood over regrets.

    ¡°I told you before that I won¡¯t give up on anything.¡±

    Everything I hold in my hands.

    I will protect you without losing anything.

    I swore like that.

    ¡°ha. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re finally being yourself now.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what Oh Jin was thinking as he stayed locked in his room for over a month.

    Still, unlike what she had feared, she did not fall into despair and be a ruined person.

    ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡±

    ¡°I have to save it.¡±

    ¡°Rescuing you¡­ are you talking about Be and Cassia?¡±

    ¡°Riak too.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun kept her mouth shut and avoided Oh-jin¡¯s gaze.

    Even with her misdiagnosis, he was barely able to survive thanks to the gap created by Cassia.

    Inparison, the other people left in the city¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte¡­¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Ojin shook his head resolutely.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have killed him.¡±

    A voice full of confidence.

    ¡°¡­How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Because that guy¡¯s goal is to make ¡®me¡¯ just like him.¡±

    Like a heavenly horse.

    If his goal is to turn her into a person who has nothing to protect except Ha-eun.

    ¡°Everyone will be alive.¡±

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it the other way around?¡±

    ¡°In his past life, Cheonma didn¡¯t just lose his sister.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying you didn¡¯t just lose it?¡±

    ¡°After begging, giving up, and struggling to protect my sister, I lost her.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The distant despair felt beyond the short sentence weighed heavily on Ha-eun¡¯s heart.

    ¡°So¡­ he¡¯s going to try to do the same thing to me.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re going to kill me after seeing you struggle to protect others?¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    Because that was the only way to make ¡®you¡¯ into ¡®me¡¯.

    ¡°If I didn¡¯t mean to do that, I wouldn¡¯t have done anything to save Riak¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why on earth are you doing such a thing?¡±

    Ha-eun clenched her fists as if she couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°That bastard¡¯s purpose is to want me to be happy! ¡°Then why on earth are they doing this to you!¡±

    ¡°Because if I¡¯m different from myself, it means nothing.¡±

    All he wants is for ¡®Oh Jin¡¯, who is just like him, to protect Ha-eun by his side.

    However, the fate of the two changed and the current Ojin and Cheonma became very different.

    so that.

    ¡®I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll try to change it.¡¯

    me.

    As you.

    ¡°There is no need to try to understand his actions logically. ¡°The guy¡¯s mind is already half consumed by the ck Sky.¡±

    ¡°¡­but.¡±

    ¡°don¡¯t worry. ¡°I told you, right?¡±

    Ohjin stroked his hair and smiled slightly.

    ¡°Regretting once is enough.¡±

    What on earth does that mean?

    Before Ha-eun could continue her thoughts, Oh-jin stood up shakily.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I need to wash up a bit. ¡°I¡¯m going to meet him soon, but I can¡¯t go out looking like this, right?¡±

    Shoot.

    Oh Jin took off his clothes and entered the shower room, turning the water flow to maximum.

    As the pouring water was absorbed into his skin, his haggard body gradually returned to its original appearance.

    ¡°Oh, the smell.¡±

    Because I hadn¡¯t washed for over a month, my body had a musty odor.

    Afterpleting his recovery by using a lot of water, Oh Jin finished his shower by wiping every inch of his body.

    Oh Jin changed into new clothes and came out with a towel wrapped around his neck.

    Ha-eun was waiting for him outside.

    ¡°Do you know where the Heavenly Demon is?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then how are you going to meet me?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to go see him.¡±

    Because they wille there first.

    ¡°How do you know¡­¡±

    ¡°Sister, do you know what day it is?¡±

    ¡°ok? for a moment.¡±

    Haeun took out her smartphone from her pocket and turned on the screen.

    ¡°It¡¯s November 5th?¡±

    ¡°Then there is only one day left.¡±

    ¡°day? ¡°What¡¯s left for one day?¡±

    ¡°The day his and my fate changed.¡±

    November 6th.

    It was the day I entered the gate with Lee Shin-hyuk.

    ¡°¡­Surely you¡¯ve been waiting for this day for the past month?¡±

    ¡°Because there was no way I could find him first.¡±

    When Ojin quietly nodded.

    Ding dong.

    The doorbell rang.

    ¡°Delivery~¡±

    ¡°Delivery?¡±

    Ha-eun tilted her head and went out to the front door.

    ¡°The porridge has been delivered. ¡°I¡¯mte because there was an ident in front of me.¡±

    ¡°Eh? ¡°I already received it earlier?¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    The delivery man tilted his head as if asking what he was talking about.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s right here?¡±

    After checking the receipt, the delivery man handed out the porridge in the bag.

    ¡°I think you made a mistake and ced your order twice. Just take it.¡±

    The delivery man who handed me the porridge closed the door and left.

    ¡°weird¡­ Surely payment was made only once?¡±

    When Ha-eun was frowning as she received the envelope.

    ¡°Do you have the bag of porridge you received earlier?¡±

    ¡°uh? Yes, it¡¯s over there.¡±

    Oh Jin rummaged through the empty envelopes on the table.

    A piece of paper stuck between leaflets.

    On the white paper was a sentence written in a familiar handwriting.

    ¡ºI¡¯ll be waiting at the ce where your fate and mine diverged¡»

    The familiar handwriting written on the paper was his own.

 Chapter 429

    I am not a returner Episode 429

    Lie (2)

    Sanctuary.

    It is the world of constetions and the only ce where the w¡¯ of the Creator God does not reach.

    The shape of the sanctuary, made up of countless starlight as if it were created from the Milky Way across the night sky, looked like a huge tree lying on the ground.

    The paths corresponding to the roots of the trees were connected to various parts of the earth, allowing the awakened people who had received the stigmata to go to and from the sanctuary, and the wide boulevards near the trunks became the roads that led the awakened people to the temples of the constetions.

    If you walk up the Milky Way Road, what you see at the end is a road divided into three branches.

    It was a road leading to the temples of constetions, each called the ¡®North Star¡¯.

    If you go up one of the paths, you will see a huge silver temple.

    It¡¯s not decorated with fancy decorations or made with an borate structure that would make you gasp.

    Anyone who sees the temple shrouded in brilliant silver will feel a sense of awe that will take their breath away.

    This silver temple is called ¡®Jiknyeo Castle¡¯.

    Because it was the temple of Vega, the constetion Lyra.

    Jump and jump.

    Ojin approached the front of the temple and slowly opened the door.

    ¡°Vega.¡±

    He mentioned the name of the constetion who was the owner of this temple and who gave him the stigmata.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    There was no answer.

    ¡°ha. See, I told you there was no use ining to see me, right?¡±

    Ha-eun sighed deeply and shook her head.

    During the month that Ojin was confined to the corner of the room, she visited Vega¡¯s temple frequently to check on Vega¡¯s condition.

    ¡°It¡¯s been like this ever since I first came here.¡±

    Ha-eun looked at Vega, who was quietly closing her eyes as if she was asleep, bound by chains of light.

    restrictions of thew.

    She vited the rules set by the Creator God and began her ministry on Earth, and in return, she was bound by chains of light and imprisoned in the temple.

    ¡°You said most of the constetions are tied to this ¡®chain¡¯ right now, right?¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°Everyone is in this state except for the constetions that did not participate in the war at all.¡±

    Fortunately, thanks to the weakening of the restrictions of thew, it did not lead to the extinction of existence itself.

    In the war against the ck Star Constetion, the constetions that had developed a ministry to protect the awakened were locked away in the temple with their stigmata and rituals sealed away.

    ¡®I¡¯ve been like this before.¡¯

    At that time, I used Gaecheon to forcibly break the chain of light that was binding Vega.

    From Ojin¡¯s perspective, who was about to face Cheonma tomorrow, he could not hastily use Gaecheon.

    ¡®Even if I use Gaecheon to break the chain, I won¡¯t be in a state where I can manifest right away.¡¯

    Nevertheless, the reason I came here was because I wanted to see it with my own eyes.

    The result of being yed into the hands of the Heavenly Demon.

    The words of a coward who was so ovee with fear that he was unable to take a single step.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Vega.¡±

    If you used Gaecheon without hesitation.

    As a result, Vega and other constetions would no longer need to use ¡®Sanctuary¡¯.

    Could this oue have been avoided?

    When I¡¯m once again crushing the regret I¡¯ve been mulling over for a whole month.

    [How¡­ are you apologizing?]

    A soft voice rings in my ear.

    ¡°Vega¡­?¡±

    Ojin turned his head with his eyes wide open.

    Vega, who was bound by chains of light, was looking at him with difficulty opening her eyes.

    ¡°Huh what is it? ¡°Has the seal been broken?¡±

    Ha-eun approached Vega with a puzzled expression.

    Squeeze!

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    Sparks bounced from the chain of light and pushed Ha-eun away.

    [If youe close¡­ it¡¯s dangerous.]

    ¡°Ugh. ¡°This hurts terribly.¡±

    Ha-eun frowned and pped the hand that was touching the chain like a fan.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    [haha. I heard your¡­ voice.]

    Vega was chained up with a faint smile on her face.

    Ha-eun pursed her lips and grumbled, ¡®When I called, there was no answer.¡¯

    [You¡­ don¡¯t need to apologize¡­ It was the woman¡¯s choice to carry out her ministry.]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    [I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Until the end¡­ I can¡¯t protect you¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ Cough!]

    ¡°If it¡¯s hard, you don¡¯t have to say more.¡±

    What Vega wanted to say has already been fully conveyed.

    Ojin slowly approached Vega.

    Pajik Pajijik!

    Sparks flew out of the chain of light and immediately tried to push him away.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to meet Cheonma tomorrow.¡±

    I ignored the pain running through my hand and caressed Vega¡¯s cheek.

    [Going to see my wife Cheonma¡­? What do you mean¡­?]

    ¡°Now I have to end this awful rtionship.¡±

    Misdiagnosis in the past life and misdiagnosis in the present.

    The time hase to put an end to the story of the two ¡®Ojins¡¯ separated by fate.

    ¡°I came to say onest hello before I go.¡±

    [It¡¯s thest time¡­ What does that mean?] The goddess¡¯s

    eyes tremble with anxiety.

    Oh Jin chuckled and shook his head.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going somewhere to die, so there¡¯s no need to make that face.¡±

    [But¡­]

    ¡°When I¡¯m done, I¡¯lle back and break this chain. ¡°Hold on a little.¡±

    Ojin looked at the chains binding Vega and shrugged his shoulders.

    [Are you really going toe back?]

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    [Can you promise?]

    ¡°As much as you want.¡±

    [This time¡­ isn¡¯t it a lie?]

    ¡°Haha, I told you before.¡±

    Ojin smiled slightly as he stroked the cheek of the goddess who was trembling with anxiety.

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell any more lies.¡±

    The low voice covered the anxious, trembling body of the goddess warmly like a nket.

    Vega¡¯s eyes, which were shaking with anxiety, gradually calmed down.

    [I will believe in your promise and wait.]

    ¡°Yes. ¡°Then I¡¯lle back.¡±

    When I nodded and tried to turn around.

    [Oh, wait a minute.]

    ¡°Huh? why?¡±

    [That¡­]

    Vega nced back at Ha-eun and gently pursed her lips.

    The goddess, who continued to worry, soon closed her eyes tightly and opened her mouth.

    [Give me this kiss¡­]

    The goddess asks with her cheeks softly blushing.

    As Oh Jin looked back at Ha Eun with an embarrassed expression, a deep sigh echoed through the temple.

    ¡°Ah, yes, I will remove any intruders so you two can livefortably.¡±

    [Jjjujjju¡­ I didn¡¯t want it to that extent!]

    ¡°Then I guess you wanted it on the other side?¡±

    [That¡¯s¡­.]

    ¡°It¡¯s the most outrageous thing, and it makes all kinds of decent people tremble.¡±

    [How rude!]

    Ha-eun burst intoughter as she looked at Vega, who was shouting with a bright red face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be out first, soe out when you¡¯re done.¡±

    Ha-eun tapped Oh-jin on the shoulder and walked out of the temple.

    As soon as Ha-eun left, an awkward silence fell in the temple.

    [¡­I¡¯m sorry.]

    Vega slightly avoided Ojin¡¯s gaze, probably thinking he was being immature and foolish.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Although I promised to e back¡¯.

    Perhaps she also had a vague intuition.

    perhaps.

    That I might not be able to keep that promise.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    There is no certainty that one can defeat the Heavenly Demon.

    I¡¯ve thought of a few ways, though.

    There is no guarantee that you will be able to win even if you do not know how much of it will work.

    ¡®but.¡¯

    I will no longer hesitate or run away.

    So I decided.

    I swore like that.

    Locking yourself in a dark room.

    I promised myself again and again.

    ¡®Let¡¯s get this over with.¡¯

    Because of a boring rtionship.

    To a bitter fate.

    It is the moment to put an end to it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back, Vega.¡±

    Pajik Pajijik!

    Ignoring the trembling chain of light, I took a step closer to Vega.

    A warm feeling against your lips.

    Her emotions were conveyed through the skin that touched her.

    A mix of anxiety, anticipation, worry, and regret.

    A lump of unstable emotions, like looking at yourself in a mirror.

    [My child¡­]

    Our lips fell apart.

    [No matter how dark the clouds are in the sky, do not forget that the starlight of the original woman is always with you.] The

    goddess closes her eyes as if praying, with her hands folded neatly together.

    Ojin nodded wordlessly and turned around toe out of the temple.

    ¡°Are we finished talking?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even get up and give me a kiss, so I¡¯m going to have to scold you.¡±

    Ha-eun pouted her lips and pinched Oh-jin¡¯s side.

    ¡°Would you like to do it now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    joy.

    Haeun snorts and turns her head.

    ¡°Later, when it¡¯s all over¡­ do it then.¡±

    A faintly trembling voice was heard.

    Oh Jin nodded quietly and took a step forward.

    ¡°But you¡¯re not nning on going alone tomorrow, are you? ¡°Then am I really angry?¡±

    ¡°don¡¯t worry. ¡°Because there is something I want to ask my sister.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to ask me a favor?¡±

    Ha-eun opened her eyes and tilted her head.

    Then he let out a short exmation and snapped his fingers.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, I told you before that you were lying and all.¡±

    Did you say that he stayed in his room for the past month and made a n to deal with the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯?

    ¡°What should I do?¡±

    ¡°nothing.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression distorted fiercely at the firm answer.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    Although it is far less than a misdiagnosis.

    Still, she has the power to burn down even the Constetion¡¯s Sanctuary, so she shouldn¡¯t do anything?

    ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m no help?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    There were only a handful of awakened people at Ha-eun¡¯s level, even if you searched around the world.

    He could probably do a great job in the battle with the Heavenly Demon.

    but.

    ¡°My sister has a more important role than that.¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    Ha-eun frowned as if she couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go back today and exin it to you slowly.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I get it.¡±

    Ojin wouldn¡¯t have said something like that without thinking.

    ¡°Anyway, do you know where to go tomorrow? ¡°I heard there were some really strange things written about a ce where fate diverged and all.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    How could you not know?

    -I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the ce where your fate and mine diverged.

    The ce where the fates of the two ¡®Ojin¡¯ diverged.

    The ce created by Cheonma, who lost everything, and herself, who was burdened with too much.

    ¡°He will be waiting for me at the ce where I first met Lee Shin-hyuk.¡±

    ¡°¡­That one-star crack?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    His and his fate.

    There that day.

    Because we split up.

 Chapter 430

    I am not a regressor Episode 430:

    Lies (3)

    Densely lined up trees.

    Between the trees, strong bushes grew like rakes, and vines hanging between the trunks created a gloomy atmosphere.

    A cemonly referred to as a ¡®crack¡¯ by awakened people.

    It was a ¡®forest¡¯ field that was evaluated as the mostmon and safe even within the crack where all kinds of unusual terrain existed.

    The only demonic beast roaming around in the forest is Anthorn, a 1-star demonic beast.

    Of course, Anthorn was given the uglybel of ¡®the demonic beast that killed the most awakened people¡¯, but that was abel given to a fledgling awakened person who could not yet properly use the power of the stigmata while hunting demonic beasts without knowing anything about it.

    A crack where insignificant demons live who can be easily hunted even if they only reach 3 stars.

    There are no features whatsoever.

    In this ce where there is nothing special.

    The fates of the two ¡®misdiagnosed¡¯ people diverged.

    Like straight lines drawn in opposite directions.

    Thoroughly and cruelly.

    It went astray.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Oh Jin let out a deep sigh as he walked along a familiar forest path.

    Memories of that day spread through my mind like ink dropped into water.

    ¡®It started from here.¡¯

    Lee Shin-hyuk, who is attacked by a group of Enthorns and runs away after pushing himself away, suddenly suffers a seizure while running away and dies. Lee Shin-hyuk and the flowering of the dark sky.

    and.

    Meeting with Vega.

    ¡®This is where it all started.¡¯

    A mere swindler who lived day after day by eating off other people¡¯s backs.

    The day I became a ¡®returner¡¯ who would change the fate of the world.

    Of course, even if all of that is a lie created from Sechi¡¯s tongue.

    It was true that his life waspletely changed here.

    and.

    ¡®I guess it¡¯s the same for you too.¡¯

    Imagine.

    What ¡®another Ojin¡¯, who had a different destiny than himself, must have experienced here.

    ¡®He must have been abandoned by Lee Shin-hyuk¡­ and attacked by Anthorn.¡¯

    Luckily, he was able to save his life, but he became a hemiplegic and couldn¡¯t even eat properly on his own, so he had to be looked after by Ha-eun.

    and.

    I must have screamed out of extreme helplessness.

    and.

    He must have bowed his head to the enemy who abandoned him and ran away, asking him to protect his precious person.

    and.

    You must have lost everything.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I recall the past of ¡®Cheonma¡¯ one by one through Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories.

    Horrible memories that make you feel nauseous even if you remember them only for a moment.

    He walked forward, pondering one by one the memories he might have experienced.

    ¡°Oh Jin, are you really here?¡±

    ¡°huh.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t even see that bastard¡¯s nose.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon.¡±

    I cut off the thoughts in my head and crossed the forest path with Ha-eun.

    The ce where they fled after being chased by a group of Anthorns.

    Now time has passed and no trace of that ce can be found, but I was able to move towards that ce as if my body remembered it.

    As I walked through the bushes that grew like rakes, a small clearing appeared.

    The center of the vacant lot.

    A man was looking up at the sky nkly.

    ¡°I¡¯m here?¡±

    The man who was looking up at the sky nkly slowly turned his head.

    Same look, same voice.

    but.

    The man who felt so ¡®unfamiliar¡¯ looked at himself and smiled slightly.

    ¡°I was waiting.¡±

    Past life and present life.

    Two Ohjins whose fates can never meet.

    We stood face to face in one ce.

    ¡°Did you find it without getting lost?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s a ce that has no choice but to be like that.¡±

    ¡°haha. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon let out a lowugh and nodded.

    ¡°Because this is where the story between you and me began.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°So, I thought this was the only ce to end the curtain.¡±

    close the curtain

    ¡°What about Cassia and Isabe?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so upset that you start asking that as soon as you meet Three?¡±

    ¡°Just answer the questions.¡±

    ¡°haha. Don¡¯t look at me so scary. ¡°Because you¡¯re both safe.¡±

    Just right.

    When the Heavenly Demon snapped his fingers, ck clouds spewed out from his entire body.

    Cassia and Isabe were seen unconscious and tied up in a dark cloud.

    Should I call it a blessing among misfortunes?

    Cassia and Isabe, who were caught in the dark clouds, were in good condition without even a single scratch.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    Although it was expected that the Heavenly Demon would not kill Cassia and Isabe right away.

    Still, seeing the two of them in person like this, a sigh of relief escaped between my lips.

    ¡°These two are your new ¡®precious people¡¯, right?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon looked back at Cassia and Isabe and smiled.

    ¡°Oh¡­ did you say Riak? ¡°Was he there too?¡±

    Grumbling.

    A wolf with a silver mane emerged from among the dark clouds.

    ¡°¡­Riak.¡±

    The back of my neck felt hot when I saw Riak, who usually showed a strong side, hanging down so helplessly.

    ¡°There are three like this, right? Or was there more?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Haha sorry. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really ¡®remember¡¯ what happened with you before.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon scratched his head with an embarrassed expression.

    ¡°So, just in case¡­ I brought them all in.¡±

    ¡°¡­You brought them all?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you, so just wait a moment.¡±

    Just right.

    The Heavenly Demon snapped his fingers once again.

    Rumbling!

    ck storm clouds rose high like a tidal wave, and awakened people appeared, unconscious and tied to the storm clouds like flying insects caught in a spider¡¯s web.

    From familiar faces to Ojin, such as Allen Oscar, Baek Moo-gang, Alina, and dimir Reba Bell, as well as the same Chilseong, Lee Woo-hyuk, Sakaki Ryo, and awakened people with faces he has never seen before.

    In this war, there were about 20,000 awakened people who were swallowed up by the clouds of the dark sky.

    ¡°Is there a ¡®precious person¡¯ among these people?¡±

    ¡°¡­If there is, what do I n on doing?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t need anyone except your ¡®precious person.¡¯¡±

    The Heavenly Demon shrugged his shoulders and continued speaking with a calm expression.

    ¡°I tried to ¡®eat up¡¯ the useless trash in advance.¡±

    There was no emotion in that calm voice.

    It¡¯s not because I¡¯m angry.

    It¡¯s not because I¡¯m resentful.

    Because I just don¡¯t need it.

    Because it has no value.

    Like cleaning up trash left on the side of the road.

    It¡¯s about taking people¡¯s lives.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Oh Jin chewed his lips and clenched his fists.

    A way of thinking that I can¡¯t possibly think of as the same person¡­ no, I don¡¯t want to think about it.

    ¡°Why on earth¡­ did it end up like that?¡±

    What must a person go through to fall that low?

    Through Lee Shin-hyuk¡¯s memories, I was able to indirectly know what kind of life Cheonma had to go through in his past life.

    What Oh Jin knows is only indirect information.

    Even he had no idea what kind of life the real Cheonma had led to end up like this.

    ¡°well?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon slowly raised her head with a faint smile.

    He looked up at the sky nkly, as if trying to remember something, then opened his mouth quietly.

    ¡°I forgot.¡±

    A heavy silence fell.

    A dry voice that did not even convey sadness continued.

    ¡°Why did I be like this, when did I start like this, what did I originally think¡­¡±

    Not a single thing.

    even alittle.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    Cheer up.

    The Heavenly Demon smiled brightly as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry though. ¡°I told you this before, right?¡±

    His eyes turned to Ha-eun.

    ¡°Even if I forget everything else¡­ I still remember the most important thing.¡±

    Even as my memories are torn apart by endless dark clouds.

    As much as her.

    As much as Ha-eun.

    I didn¡¯t forget.

    ¡°I have to protect my sister.¡±

    Whatever it takes.

    Even if I sacrifice everything.

    ¡°I¡­ no, now you have to protect my sister on my behalf.¡±

    A world where she can be safe.

    A world where you can smile happily and live without worries.

    She.

    cry.

    A world where you don¡¯t have to.

    ¡°That is the world you must create from now on.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s expression distorted fiercely.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it would be difficult to create such a world even without you.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon shook her head and looked back at Isabe and Cassia Riak whom she had caught.

    ¡°It¡¯s not me who should disappear, it¡¯s them, right?¡±

    The blue fire in the eyes burned eerily.

    ¡°I definitely gave you a chance. ¡°If I sacrifice just one Vega, I canpletely extinguish the dark heaven within me.¡±

    A world where Ha-eun can live safely.

    I went back in time and prepared everything, hoping only for that world.

    Day by day, my memories are being eaten away.

    In terrible pain like death.

    Hoping for just that.

    ¡°But you ruined it all.¡±

    Just Ha-eun is enough.

    I don¡¯t need anything else.

    ¡°Because of that ¡®precious person¡¯¡­ I kicked away myst chance.¡±

    Crack.

    I gritted my teeth fiercely and red at Ojin.

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, ¡®that¡¯s it.¡¯ Cassia? Isabe? And even an asshole that doesn¡¯t know what it is.¡±

    How on earth can you think something like that is ¡®precious¡¯?

    ¡°Still don¡¯t know what¡¯s important? ¡°There should be only one person who can tell you that you are precious.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s just your opinion.¡±

    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not it. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you for them to understand?¡±

    you.

    It¡¯s me.

    It has to be me.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t even protect your sister! ¡°In the end, you would have been nothing without my help!¡±

    You should not dare to call another person ¡®precious¡¯.

    ¡°The only person who can tell you that you are precious is your sister. You shouldn¡¯t use those words to anyone other than your sister. Do you understand?¡±

    Even though I gave up everything, I couldn¡¯t even protect my older sister.

    How on earth can you be so greedy to protect others?

    ¡°All you have to do is think about your older sister¡­¡±

    ¡°If you listen to it, there is nothing this bastard can¡¯t do.¡±

    Ha-eun stepped forward, cutting off Cheonma¡¯s words.

    ¡°Can you even be my mother? ¡°Why are you deciding on Marnie, saying that all you have to do is think about me?¡±

    ¡°¡­sister.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to call you sister.¡±

    Tap, tap, tap.

    Ha-eun approached Cheonma with rough steps and grabbed his cor.

    ¡°Listen carefully, you idiot.¡±

    He put his face close to me and growled fiercely.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who gave Ojin permission to cheat on me, so don¡¯t tell me this or that. okay?¡±

    Cheonma¡¯s expression turned cold at Ha-eun¡¯s explosive remarks.

    ¡°¡­sister.¡±

    Oh Jin looked at Ha-eun, who was holding Cheonma¡¯s cor, and covered her face with both hands.

    ¡°If you say that, it makes me sound like trash¡­.¡±

 Chapter 431

    I am not a regressor Episode 431

    Lie (4)

    ¡°¡­Ha.¡±

    A smile escaped from between the Heavenly Demon¡¯s lips.

    He red at Ojin with eyes full of contempt.

    ¡°What on earth did you do to make your sister say something like this?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I was speechless at the point-nkment.

    When I tightly closed my lips and gently avoided the stinging gaze.

    ¡°Why do you think Oh Jin used some kind of hypnosis app?¡±

    Ha-eun smiled and approached Oh-jin.

    Ha-eun came closer and yfully tapped Oh-jin¡¯s butt.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing Ohjin did.¡±

    Her eyes turned to the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°I tried not to live like you.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes turned cold.

    ¡°I am my sister¡­¡±

    ¡°You are saying that to protect me?¡±

    Ha-eun looked at Oh Jin with deeply sunken eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was like in my past life, but¡­ was what you did really what I wanted?¡±

    Destroying the world.

    After countless deaths, I was able to turn back time.

    ¡°Do you really think that¡¯s what I wanted?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I wanted.¡±

    I changed my fate by turning back time.

    ¡°It was what you hoped for.¡±

    okay.

    Turning back time and changing fate.

    I say it¡¯s for Ha-eun¡¯s sake, but

    ¡°It¡¯s just that you¡­ couldn¡¯t bear it.¡±

    The loneliness and despair he must have experienced due to his own death.

    He couldn¡¯t ept it.

    ¡°So¡­ what do you want to say?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop.¡±

    I look at the Heavenly Demon with bitter eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s been painful enough. ¡°It was so hard that it was overwhelming.¡±

    now.

    Anymore.

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to suffer alone.¡±

    Even if we kill Ojin¡¯s precious people now and make him like the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯.

    In the end, Cheonma is not misdiagnosed.

    He can never return to his original life, as most of his consciousness has already been eroded by the ck Sky.

    Just without being able to hold anything in my hand.

    Writhing in pain and despair, you will be eaten by the ck Sky.

    ¡°If Ojin helps you, you might be able to control your dark heaven.¡±

    If what is needed to control the ck Sky is the Lyra Stigmata.

    With Ojin¡¯s help, he might be able to be saved.

    Heavenly horse.

    It may be possible to reverse it as a ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯.

    ¡°You¡­ will save me?¡±

    It seems like it was something I never thought of.

    Cheonma looked at Ha-eun with wide eyes.

    ¡°okay. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the chances are, but if you don¡¯t do anything, your fate won¡¯t change.¡±

    His entire consciousness is swallowed up by ck Heaven, and he is destined to die alone without even remembering who he is.

    Isn¡¯t it too much of a sad ending to call it the end of a story?

    ¡°Are you satisfied with that ending?¡±

    ¡°¡­Satisfaction.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon muttered softly andughed.

    ¡°Then what kind of ending would be best?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°A happy ending where everyone is happy? Or is it an open ending that reminds us of a hopeful future?¡±

    okay.

    Perhaps, as she said, with Ojin¡¯s help, we might be able to find a way to control the imperfect ck Heaven.

    You may be able to regain lost memories or burned memories.

    Maybe maybe maybe.

    I can¡¯t even remember now.

    There maye a day when we can feel the feeling of ¡®happy¡¯ again.

    but.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t suit myst name.¡±

    destroyed a world.

    It chewed and swallowed the constetions and tore the awakened ones to death.

    My hands were covered with countless deaths and blood.

    To change the fate of just one person.

    I trampled and shattered countless fates.

    To myself.

    What is the most suitable st¡¯?

    ¡°That¡¯s the most fitting ending to this damn y.¡±

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    A ck me burns.

    ¡°It¡¯s a sad ending without an ounce of hope.¡±

    Rumbling!

    The surrounding ground shook with a violent explosion.

    ¡°sister!¡±

    Oh Jin rushed forward like a lightning bolt and stood in front of Ha Eun.

    Fiercely burning ck mes morphed into the shape of a dragon and attacked.

    Let¡¯s go!

    The torrent of blue lightning that fell on the spear split the dragon made of ck me in half.

    ¡°Go back.¡±

    ¡°Ha, but.¡±

    ¡°You promised me before you came, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun bit her lip and nodded.

    Oh Jin swiveled the window, leaving Ha-eun widening the distance with a worried expression.

    ¡®That technique from just now.¡¯

    I narrowed my eyes, recalling the appearance of a dragon that felt somewhat familiar.

    ¡°As expected¡­ your representative stigmata was that of the constetion Dragon.¡±

    The stigmata that was first absorbed when the ck Heaven bloomed.

    Just like a baby bird waking up from an egg recognizes the first person it sees as its mother.

    Heukcheon also designates the first stigmata it absorbs at the time of flowering as the ¡®representative stigmata¡¯ and is affected by that stigmata.

    Just as Ojin can create ck thunderbolts under the influence of the stigmata of Lyra, the Heavenly Demon can also create ck mes under the influence of the stigmata of the constetion Lyra.

    The owner of the stigmata that he absorbed for the first time was¡­

    ¡°Is that your sister¡¯s stigmata?¡±

    There are not many awakened people in the constetion Dragon.

    There are no more than ten people in the world, and most of them are not even active as awakened people.

    If the stigmata of Dragon is the ¡®representative stigmata¡¯ of the Heavenly Demon.

    There was a high possibility that the owner of the stigmata he absorbed was Ha-eun.

    ¡°that¡¯s right. ¡°The first time I saw ck Heaven bloom was when my sister died.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon smiled and nodded calmly.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    My heart throbbed at the distant despair I felt beyond that calm smile.

    Before fate changes.

    What kind of life did he have to endure?

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t pity me.¡±

    Cheonma took a step forward, cutting off Ojin¡¯s words.

    Grumbling.

    ck mes spread out like a curtain behind the Heavenly Demon¡¯s back.

    ¡°You will find out soon anyway.¡±

    A tidal wave of ck mes poured down on Ojin.

    A me made of ck clouds.

    The hungry me, greedily seeking starlight, opened its huge maw as if to swallow Ojin whole.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    I let out a quiet breath as I looked at the approaching mes.

    The thunderbolt, which had been burning with vivid blue light, soon began to gradually turn ck.

    Rumbling!

    Crashing thunderbolts and fireworks.

    Cracks were created here and there as if the space was being crushed by the distant impact of the two ck streams.

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°You¡¯ve definitely be stronger than when I saw you in the Demon World before.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes lit up as if he was interested.

    The Cheonma, who was looking Ojin up and down, raised the corners of his mouth with a sigh.

    ¡°You ate Pris.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    After all, you can¡¯t fool the Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes, right?

    Ojin clicked his tongue and twirled the spear in his hand.

    ¡°Well, even if I absorbed the stigmata of Ursa Minor, the result would be the same.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon smiled fiercely and created an even bigger me.

    ¡°The stigmata of Ursa Minor has the ability to see the future, but it does not have the ability to change it.¡±

    Hwareuk.

    For a moment, as if a haze was rising, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s body distorted and instantly appeared in front of Ojin.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    I hurriedly deployed ck lightning to block the way.

    ¡°Is it possible to be that clumsy in handling the ck sky?¡±

    When the ck me touched the ck lightning, the lightning instantly turned to ¡®blue light¡¯ and the power of the ck sky was forcibly dispersed.

    A fist filled with ck mes tore through the blue lightning barrier like a piece of paper, digging into Ojin¡¯s sr plexus.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    A dizzying heat spreading through the sr plexus.

    A terrible pain spread, as if not just the flesh but the soul itself was burning.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so harsh.¡±

    Wow!

    Cheonma kicks Ojin, who falls down after being punched.

    A terrifying shock shook his entire body, and Ojin¡¯s body rose into the air.

    When the Heavenly Demon lightly stamped his feet, his body disappeared into a haze again and appeared in the air.

    Bah!

    Ojin¡¯s body, which had risen tens of meters high due to a fist hitting like a hammer, fell towards the ground like a meteor.

    Blood spewed out from Ojin¡¯s mouth as he fell through several meters of floor.

    ¡°Keu¡­!¡±

    The gap is too big to even say overwhelming.

    Even though the ck Heaven he possessed was of a higher rank than the Heavenly Demon¡¯s, the reality was that it was difficult to even follow the Heavenly Demon¡¯s toes in terms of his ability to handle the ck Heaven.

    ¡®but.¡¯

    He had a weapon that the Heavenly Demon did not possess.

    Wooooow!

    A brilliantly shining silver pir rose from the floor where Ojin was buried.

    A power beyond the standards that only a constetion can possess.

    The Sanctuary swallowed up the surroundingnd and trapped the Heavenly Demon in a cloud of silver light.

    ¡°Knock it down!¡±

    A blue thunderbolt burning among the silver halo.

    The thunderbolt spear imbued with the power of ¡®judgment¡¯ pierced the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    The thunderbolt of judgment that neutralized even Moebius, who used ¡®Gaecheon¡¯, with a single blow, burned the Heavenly Demon¡¯s entire body.

    ¡°This¡­ it stings a bit¡­!¡±

    The Heavenly Demon also frowned as if it was an attack he could not take lightly.

    ¡°Whew¡­ did you say ¡®gxy¡¯?¡±

    Although I experienced this before ¡®reversion¡¯.

    Clearly, the Holy See carried out by the Constetion was a threatening weapon.

    Especially if that sanctuary is the sanctuary of Lyra.

    but.

    ¡°You know that? ¡°This is meaningless in our fight.¡±

    Grumbling.

    A ck cloud spewed out from the Heavenly Demon¡¯s body and engulfed the silver light that covered the surroundings.

    The dark clouds that clung to the sanctuary like a swarm of ants flocking to honey water quickly ate up the silver light.

    ¡°¡­Tsk.¡±

    Ojin clicked his tongue as he looked at the sanctuary disappearing in an instant.

    As the Heavenly Demon said.

    Sanctuary did not exert much power among beings with ¡®dark heaven¡¯.

    ¡°Okay, I think we¡¯re done tasting each other¡­ Shall we get started properly?¡±

    Cheonma raises the corners of her mouth and ces her hand on her left chest.

    Oh Jin himself knew very well what he meant by ¡®let¡¯s start off right¡¯.

    Ojin slowly stood up and ced his hand on his left chest.

    ¡°Yeah, because this fight is meaningless anyway.¡±

    What if the two masters of the ck Sky faced each other?

    If only one of them has to survive.

    Isn¡¯t there only one way to determine superiority or inferiority?

    Ojin and Cheonma looked at each other and twisted the corners of their mouths fiercely.

    ¡°¡°He who passes by me.¡±¡±

    Two heavens opened.

 Chapter 432

    I am not a returner Episode 432

    Lie (5)

    Opening Heaven.

    The door to the ck Sky opened wide, and the greedy dark clouds curled up inside were liberated.

    The ck whirlpools fluctuated and exposed their ferocious teeth towards each other.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Ah ugh.¡±

    The consciousness bes blurry as soon as I use the stream.

    My consciousness sinks in a dark cloud, with a hazy feeling as if I am drunk on drugs.

    It feels like stepping into a muddy swamp.

    Consciousness lost its footing and quickly fell into the ck clouds.

    Let¡¯s go!

    ¡°Keuuuu!¡±

    A blue lightning shed in the hand ced on the left chest.

    An exhrating thunderbolt spread throughout my body, forcibly awakening my sinking consciousness.

    Crack.

    If you let go of the strings of consciousness here, it¡¯s over.

    ck Heaven will greedily eat the very existence of ¡®Ojin¡¯.

    If all the memories were eaten by ck Heaven, what would happen after that was obvious.

    ¡®I will be a puppet of the ck Sky.¡¯

    Both the constetion and the awakened person who inherited the stigmata of that constetion.

    It will turn into a monster that will devour you like a starving animal.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    I barely managed to control the boiling energy of the ck sky and got up.

    When I turned my head, I saw the Cheonma looking this way and shaking her shoulders as if she was happy.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re not used to using streams yet?¡±

    Cheonma, who was smiling leisurely while saying that, looked as peaceful as if she were in the living room of her own home.

    ¡®Is that the one that used the stream?¡¯

    How can one be so rxed when one is in such a precarious state that it seems as if one will fall off an endless cliff if one lets one¡¯s guard down?

    ¡°I wonder why and how it can be like this?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon looked down at his body that had turned into a ck cloud andughed.

    ¡°You can do it too. If you ¡®lose¡¯ it like I did.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ah, that¡¯s how it happened.

    ¡®Because you have so little, you have rtively nothing to lose.¡¯

    Since most of my consciousness has already been consumed by the ck Heaven, I can be less affected by it.

    It was not difficult to guess how precarious the Cheonma¡¯s current condition was.

    ¡°don¡¯t worry.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon smiled brightly and slowly raised his arm, which had half turned into a ck cloud.

    ¡°No matter how much I lost, no matter how much I disappeared.¡±

    Just one thing.

    ¡°Because I will never forget.¡±

    Rumbling!

    The ck clouds swirled and the body of the Heavenly Demon shot towards Ojin.

    ¡®stomach!¡¯

    I extend my hand towards the ck clouds pouring down like a waterfall.

    Rumbling!

    Ojin¡¯s ck Heaven and Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Heaven collide, and a terrifying roar shakes the surroundings.

    Thend is being torn apart and the trees that were growing thickly are uprooted and blown away.

    Overwhelming destruction that cannot be thought of as a fight between humans tears the surroundingnd apart.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    Two tangled ck cloths.

    The ck thunderbolts and mes fiercely exposed their teeth and ate each other.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    He took a short breath and threw out his spear.

    Just before the spear engulfed in ck lightning pierced the Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s body scattered in the air like a haze.

    and.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    The image of the ¡®future¡¯ that passes through my mind.

    Ojin turned his body around with his right foot and thrust his spear upward.

    Let¡¯s go!

    The Heavenly Demon that appeared from above quickly crossed his arms and blocked the window.

    ¡°That¡¯s the ability you got from Pris.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes sparkled with joy, and he spread his arms crossed in an X shape.

    ¡°I showed you what you have, so now it¡¯s my turn, right?¡±

    The ck mes spread wide like a spider¡¯s web and entangled Ojin¡¯s body in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Big!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a stigmata called reticulum. ¡°It¡¯s useful, right?¡±

    ¡°This is all¡­!¡±

    Ojin¡¯s body turned into a ck cloud and ¡®eaten up¡¯ the ck mes that were tangled like a.

    The made of mes broke and Ojin soared towards the Heavenly Demon.

    He threw his spear with his arm stretched back to its limit.

    ¡°Knock it down!¡±

    Crumbling!

    The ck thunderbolt condensed inside the spear pierced the Heavenly Demon¡¯s me and burrowed into his right shoulder.

    The Heavenly Demon frowned as he looked down at the spear that pierced his right shoulder.

    ¡°It hurts.¡±

    Wow.

    He grabbed the spear pole and slowly pulled it out.

    ck clouds flowed like blood through the pierced flesh.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it back to you.¡±

    Grumble!

    ck mes burned fiercely through the window.

    Originally, Ojin¡¯s spear was an ego weapon that could not be used by anyone other than those recognized as its owner.

    ¡®You can¡¯t tell the difference.¡¯

    It seems that Ego Weapon does not have the ability to distinguish between ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯ and ¡®Ojin¡¯.

    The Heavenly Demon filled his spear with ck mes and threw it at Ojin.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    The ck me within the window fiercely targeted Ojin.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Ojin quickly rolled over to avoid the spear filled with ck mes.

    In the nick of time, the spear passed him and hit the ground.

    ¡°Okay. ¡°I¡¯m not used to using weapons after all.¡±

    Especially if it is a ¡®window¡¯.

    The Heavenly Demon looked down at the stray window and shook his head.

    ¡°Now then, shall we continue?¡±

    Coo!

    Before Ojin could retrieve the spear, Cheonma kicked his feet and ran quickly.

    A dragon made of ck mes rose from the clenched fist.

    Ojin urgently twisted his body to avoid the dragon, but was unable to avoid the following punch.

    Bah!

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    Ojin¡¯s body bounced like a ball and rolled on the floor due to the blow that was struck precisely in the face.

    Cheonma clenched and opened his fist and smiled.

    ¡°hmm. After all, I feel mostfortable with bare hands.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    A moan escaped me from the dizzying shock that shook my head.

    I barely managed to hold on to my fading consciousness and continued my battle with the Heavenly Demon.

    Rumbling! Coogung!

    Crossing spears and fists.

    Just as tangled beasts chew each other¡¯s flesh, the clouds of ck heaven chewed and swallowed each other.

    The tense tug-of-war, in which one side could not be said to have the advantage, gradually began to lean toward misdiagnosis.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    ¡°Hmm. As expected, when ites to ck Heaven¡¯s ¡®level¡¯, it is no match for it.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue as he looked at his own ck Heaven, which was gradually being engulfed by Ojin¡¯s ck Heaven.

    Even though they both had the same dark heaven, there was a critical difference between the ck heaven possessed by Cheonma and the ck heaven possessed by Ojin.

    ¡°¡­the Lyra Stigmata.¡±

    What Ojin has but Cheonma does not have.

    Among dozens and hundreds of stigmata, the stigmata of the constetion Lyra is the only one with the power to control the ¡®ck sky¡¯.

    Ojin¡¯s ck Heaven, which possessed it, had a ¡®grade¡¯ that was one level higher than the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Heaven.

    And that difference created an absolute gap in the fight between Heukcheon and Heukcheon.

    No matter how skilled the Heavenly Demon is in handling the ck Heaven, as time passes, he will be eaten by the rtively higher-ranking ck Heaven of Ojin.

    ¡°This is so¡­ unfair.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon sighs and shakes his head.

    Oh Jin opened his mouth, holding on to his consciousness that was constantly trying to disintegrate.

    ¡°Why now that I think about it, do I regret that the first stigmata I absorbed was not the stigmata of Lyra?¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be possible.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon smiled faintly and stroked the dragon stigmata engraved on her left chest.

    ¡°Because this is the stigmata my sister gave me.¡±

    Because it was thest gift she left behind as she died.

    Even if this stigmata does not contain the power to control the ck Heaven.

    Even if you don¡¯t have the ability to get yourself out of being swallowed up in the dark clouds.

    Even if it is weak, crude, and shabbypared to Ojin¡¯s ¡®Lyra stigmata¡¯.

    ¡°I can be here now because I had this stigmata.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s definitely at a disadvantage if it continues like this.¡±

    ¡°For something like that, I think you¡¯re pretty rxed?¡±

    ¡°is it? Well¡­¡±

    The Heavenly Demon raised the corners of his mouth and nodded.

    ¡°Because you won¡¯t be able to beat me anyway.¡±

    Even if he had a higher level of ck heaven.

    Even if he had stronger stigmata.

    ¡°You can¡¯t beat me.¡±

    It is not full of arrogance or arrogance.

    Like listing math forms written in a textbook.

    He continued speaking in a calm tone.

    ¡°You won¡¯t know that unless you fight.¡±

    Of course, this was after several short battles had already taken ce.

    As of now, it has not been possible to clearly say which side is more advantageous.

    No, in fact, looking at the engagement so far, the misdiagnosis side had a higher chance of winning.

    ¡°No, I can tell.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon shook his head and spoke quietly.

    ¡°I told you before, right? ¡°There are so many things that are precious to you.¡±

    ¡°Whatever that is¡­¡±

    ¡°Because having a lot of precious things means having a lot to lose.¡±

    Grumbling.

    Cheonma once again ces her hand on her left chest.

    His body, which had half turned into a ck cloud, gradually began to expand in scope.

    ¡°This is crazy¡­¡±

    You¡¯ve already used the Gaecheon, but you¡¯re raising the power of the ck Heaven even more?

    ¡®If so.¡¯

    It was difficult to hold on to consciousness just because half of the body had turned into a dark cloud. If the area of the dark sky grewrger, the result was obvious.

    ¡®I can¡¯te back.¡¯

    It is impossible to return to the state it was in before using the stream again.

    Like falling off an endless cliff.

    All consciousness will be torn apart by the ck clouds.

    ¡°What are you doing now¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you know what is more important than ¡®attack¡¯ in the fight against ck Heaven?¡±

    ck clouds are eating away at the Heavenly Demon¡¯s body.

    Now most of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s body has turned into ck clouds, to the point where it is difficult to even recognize his face.

    ¡°Which one can give up more?¡±

    throw it away

    Let go.

    Useless memories, meaningless memories, etc.

    Throwing everything into the ck clouds.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    ck clouds encroach on my body.

    Arms, legs, head and chest.

    Everything is swallowed up by the ck clouds.

    There is only one ce that has not turned into ck clouds.

    There was only a heart engraved with the stigmata of the constetion Dragon.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    The Heavenly Demon took on a bizarre form with only a pulsating heart floating in a mass of ck clouds shaped like a human being.

    Looking at him, who could no longer be called a ¡®human¡¯, Ojin took a step back without realizing it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything else. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t forget the most important thing.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon, who had be a dark cloud, burst intoughter.

    He stroked his heart, which was strangely floating among the dark clouds, as if it were precious.

    ¡°Okay, now it¡¯s your turn.¡±

    A blue natural flower zed between the gloomy, swaying dark clouds.

    ¡°How much can you give up?¡±

 Chapter 433

    I am not a returner Episode 433

    Lie (6)

    A ck shape that seems to have copied the night sky.

    Cheonma, who took the form of a ck human like a criminal from a famous mystery cartoon, walked leisurely towards Ojin.

    Kuruk Kuruk.

    Every time I took a step, the ck clouds covering my entire body stirred and made an eerie sound.

    ¡°This is crazy¡­¡±

    A heart pulsating strangely through the dark clouds and a blue fire burning eerily.

    Oh Jin gently bit his lip as he looked at the image of the Heavenly Demon, engulfed in the ck sky to the point where he could no longer be called a ¡®human¡¯.

    Currently, the percentage of ck heaven in Ojin¡¯s body that uses ¡®gae spring¡¯ is approximately 30%.

    If you increase your power as much as possible, you can increase the ratio of ck heaven to about half.

    ¡®No more than that.¡¯

    Although the ratio of ck heaven has never exceeded half.

    I knew it instinctively.

    If you pass this way, it¡¯s ¡®the end¡¯.

    I¡¯ll never be able toe back again.

    ¡°Do you¡­ do you know what you did?¡±

    ¡°Do you know what you did?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon, who had turned into a ck sky, burst intoughter.

    The pure white teeth that appeared with swirling ck clouds made it even more bizarre.

    ¡°Then you know it well.¡±

    He ces his hand on the heart with the stigmata of Dragon engraved on it and speaks quietly.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you say you can¡¯t go back. ¡°I don¡¯t care if I lose everything and don¡¯t even remember who I am.¡±

    Just one memory.

    If I could only keep one memory that is more important than anything else.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything else.¡±

    Grumbling.

    ck storm clouds are swirling.

    The fog-like ck clouds gather towards Ojin like a swarm of hungry ants.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    He urgently raised the power of ck Heaven and blocked the gathering clouds of ck Heaven.

    The ck cloud that spewed out from Ojin¡¯s body collided with the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck sky.

    Grumble, rumble, rumble!

    ck river tangled wildly.

    Ojin¡¯s ck Heaven, which had a rtively high ¡®level¡¯, pushed away the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Heaven with ferocious force.

    That too for a while.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡±

    ¡°Fuck¡­ Eat!¡±

    The ck thunderstorm surrounding Ojin turned into sparks and dispersed.

    A tsunami of ck clouds rushed towards Ojin.

    He quickly kicked his feet backwards to increase the distance, but as Cheonma said, it was useless.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ck mes rose between the dark clouds and covered the entire body.

    With a terrible pain, parts of the body turned into ck smoke and dispersed.

    ¡®I¡¯m being eaten.¡¯

    His own ck Heaven, which was said to have a rtively high ¡®level¡¯, was being pushed aside by the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Heaven.

    ¡°Oh Jin!¡±

    With Ha-eun¡¯s urgent cry, my distracted mind came back in an instant.

    ¡°Whoa.¡±

    I took a slow breath and ced my hand on my left chest.

    ¡®calm down.¡¯

    Didn¡¯t the Heavenly Demon himself say it with his own mouth?

    Of the two, he is the one with the highest rank of ck Heaven.

    Even though he increased his power by dedicating his very existence to the ck Sky.

    ¡®do not forget. ¡®I have what the Heavenly Demon doesn¡¯t have.¡¯

    I repeated to myself and raised the power of the Lyra stigmata.

    Wooooow!

    Brilliant silver light leaked through the dark clouds.

    A power that the Heavenly Demon does not possess.

    The only stigmata that can control the ck Sky.

    ¡°Sanctuary development ¡®Milky Way¡¯.¡±

    A brilliant silver wave rises.

    The ck mes covering the earth are quickly cooled down by the silver waves.

    ¡°Haha yeah. Come to think of it, you were even able to use Vega¡¯s sanctuary.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon burst intoughter and nodded repeatedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, after all, deploying to the sanctuary while using the stream. In this case, should I say ¡®I¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I would have said I was different from you.¡±

    ¡°Ah, well. In the first ce, Vega¡¯s stigmata seemed to me¡­ hmm? ¡°What was the name of Vekah¡¯s stigmata?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon tilts its head.

    He continued to think for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

    ¡°Well, anyway. ¡°Because there are no stigmata.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°But. ¡°Did I tell you?¡±

    An eerie blue fire burned between the dark clouds.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡±

    Cheonma took a leisurely step as if she was going for a walk.

    A body made of ck clouds dispersed like fog and then gathered again in front of Ojin¡¯s sanctuary.

    The Heavenly Demon approached in front of the brilliantly shining silver waves and slowly raised his arms.

    and.

    Quad deud deud deuk!

    He grabbed ¡®Eunha¡¯ with both hands and tore it to pieces.

    ¡°This is crazy¡­!¡±

    Tear the sanctuary apart with your bare hands?

    ¡®Nonsense.¡¯

    Of course, Ojin himself had the experience of breaking through a sanctuary with the power of the ck Sky.

    However, that was just a matter of concentrating the power on one point and temporarily prating the sanctuary.

    Topare it, it was closer to piercing a solid steel te with something sharp like an awl.

    Just saying that the iron te was pierced with an awl doesn¡¯t make enough sense.

    If you were to grab it with both hands and ¡®tear¡¯ it instead of ¡®piercing¡¯ it, it was beyond the point of making no sense.

    ¡°Why are you looking so surprised?¡±

    The Cheonma smiled brightly as she looked at the astonished Ojin.

    ¡°You knew it too, right? ¡°The sanctuary cannot stop the ck Sky.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Ah, did you think it would be a little different in Vega¡¯s sanctuary?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon twitched the corners of his mouth and shook his head.

    ¡°If you could stop the Dark Sky with something like that sanctuary, why would the constetions be so scared?¡±

    zing blue naturalization.

    An arm made of ck clouds slowly approached Ojin.

    ¡°damn¡­!¡±

    Ojin raised the power of ck Heaven to its limit and poured out ck thunderbolts.

    A fiercely burning ck thunderbolt struck the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not enough.¡±

    The ck thunderbolt that struck disappeared in an instant.

    no.

    Rather than saying it disappeared, it would be more appropriate to say it was ¡®eaten up¡¯.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    If the power of the Lyra stigmata alone is not enough.

    ¡®Scorpio Stigmata.¡¯

    Next to the Lyra stigmata engraved on the left chest, another stigmata radiated light.

    ¡®Canis Stigmata Owl Stigmata Aquarius Stigmata.¡¯

    The stigmata that had been consumed since the flowering of Heukcheon emerged one by one from the dark clouds.

    ¡®Stigmata of Hippocampus Stigmata of Toad Stigmata of Libra Stigmata of Capricorn.¡¯

    From the stigmata that I used often to the stigmata that I never used to the point where I wondered if I ever had stigmata like that.

    I used the power of the stigmata that I had devoured so far at the same time, feeling like I was scraping up every grain of rice that stuck to an empty bowl.

    ¡°Then, just give it a try, you bastard!¡±

    Like the starlight that brightens the night sky.

    The stigmata floating in the dark clouds all shone brightly.

    Brilliant silver light emanated from Ojin¡¯s body once again.

    Silver light did not mean that the ¡®gxy¡¯ that was used just now was deployed again.

    ¡°Sanctuary deployment!¡±

    Instead of just one, the sanctuary of the stigmata that had been absorbed so far was unfolded all at once.

    Multiple sanctuaries.

    An unknown territory that no constetion could ever attempt.

    The brilliantly shining starlight cut through the dark clouds and shot towards the heart of the Heavenly Demon.

    and.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to force it.¡±

    A sanctuary spanning dozens ofyers.

    With a single wave of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s hand, everything was broken and scattered.

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°It¡¯s all¡­ broken?¡±

    I knew that ck Heaven had the power to destroy the Sanctuary.

    Even so, you can destroy dozens ofyers of sanctuary with a single blow?

    It was not an ordinary sanctuary, but a sanctuary containing the power of Ojin¡¯s dark heaven.

    ¡°This¡­ doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­¡±

    Ojin took a step back with a pale, tired expression.

    The Cheonma grabbed Ojin¡¯s neck as he retreated.

    ¡°I told you I wasn¡¯t good enough, right? ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what that means?¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    A groan filled with pain flowed from Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Why did you think you could defeat me if youbined the power of the stigmata you¡¯ve consumed so far? ¡°Did you know that if you poured out everything you¡¯ve built up, you could surpass me?¡±

    Crack.

    With an eerie osteost sound, Ojin¡¯s neck began to bend in a strange direction.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken.¡±

    The eerily burning blue natural flower stared at Oh Jin.

    ¡°Did you think I¡¯d never done what you did? ¡°Did you think I couldn¡¯t do what you could do?¡±

    The path you walked.

    Do you think I wouldn¡¯t have walked?

    ¡°I told you this from the first time we met. There was no other way but to ¡®give up¡¯. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m giving up because I want to give up?¡±

    No matter how much I struggle and struggle.

    ¡°Don¡¯t expect a miracle. ¡°Don¡¯t expect salvation.¡±

    Then and now.

    This damn y didn¡¯t allow for even a single twist.

    ¡°There is no story in this world that is so convenient that a protagonist who is cornered awakens and takes down the devil.¡±

    The hand holding his neck dug into the nape of Ojin¡¯s neck.

    Tearing the flesh and crushing the cervical vertebrae, the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck water flowed directly into Ojin¡¯s body.

    ¡°Wow! Wow! Hehehe!¡±

    Oh Jin was struggling on his feet with his eyes turning white.

    ¡°ha. ¡°It¡¯s such an ugly sight that I don¡¯t want to think of myself as the same person.¡±

    Cheonma looked at Ojin with irritated eyes.

    In my heart, I wanted to immediately engulf Ojin¡¯s entire dark heaven and ¡®annihte¡¯ his very existence.

    ¡®You can¡¯t do that.¡¯

    Oh Jin had the role of protecting Ha Eun on his behalf.

    ¡®I¡­ won¡¯t be able tost much longer.¡¯

    The person who could remain by Ha-eun¡¯s side until the end was not him, but the current ¡®Oh Jin¡¯.

    ¡°Do you understand what I mean by saying that if you have more precious things, you won¡¯t be able to protect your sister?¡±

    ck Heaven continually forces its owner to ¡®give up¡¯ something.

    It means that you have to cut off the flesh of a starving animal to fill its stomach without losing the most important thing.

    You can¡¯t protect the most precious thing with the mindset of not giving up on anything like you do now.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to answer. ¡°This is a problem that will be solved if all your ¡®precious things¡¯ disappear anyway.¡±

    Unless he can give up on his own.

    All I could do was force myself to give up.

    Cheonma clicked his tongue and threw Ojin on the floor.

    ¡°Take a good look from there. ¡°Seeing all your precious things disappear.¡±

    Grumbling.

    The Heavenly Demon slowly walked towards the awakened people caught in the ck clouds.

    Oh Jin, who was thrown to the floor, looked at the back of the Heavenly Demon¡­

    ¡®It¡¯s done.¡¯

    He grinned and raised the corners of his mouth.

 Chapter 434

    I am not a regressor Episode 434

    Lie (7)

    I knew it.

    The point is that you can¡¯t defeat the Heavenly Demon in a head-on fight anyway.

    No matter how much you say you are a ck Heaven with a higher ¡®status¡¯pared to a Heavenly Demon.

    It was impossible to surpass the skill of the Heavenly Demon, who had been with ck Heaven for dozens, hundreds¡­ perhaps more years.

    ¡®No matter how talented I am.¡¯

    No matter how desperately you tried.

    No matter how desperately you struggled.

    ¡®The path I have walked.¡¯

    Because you would have walked too.

    ¡®therefore.¡¯

    Can¡¯t win.

    There is no way we can win.

    As for ¡®head-onpetition¡¯.

    ¡®In order to win the fight against him, you have to take a path that he has not taken.¡¯

    A path I would never have taken if I had been ¡®misdiagnosed¡¯ in my past life.

    There was no way to win the fight against the Heavenly Demon except by walking.

    In order to do that¡­.

    * * *

    We¡¯ll have to continue this damn y a little longer.

    ¡°stop.¡±

    Ha-eun blocked the Heavenly Demon as it approached Cassia and Isabe Riak, who were tied up in the ck Heaven.

    She looked with sad eyes at the Heavenly Demon, who had taken the form of a ck cloud, and gently bit her lip.

    ¡°Now¡­ please stop.¡±

    Ha-eun begs with a trembling voice.

    Cheonma looked at Ha-eun carefully and shook her head softly.

    ¡°Get out of the way, sister.¡±

    ¡°Please stop! ¡°If you¡¯ve done this much, it¡¯s enough!¡±

    ¡°¡­is that enough?¡±

    Augh flowed from the Heavenly Demon¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°What is enough?¡±

    ¡°You fought Ohjin and won! ¡°You trampled on the child as much as you wanted right before he died!¡±

    Oh Jin is lying on the floor, breathing heavily.

    Even at a nce, his condition, which had been engulfed by the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Sky, seemed to be in danger.

    So much so that I can¡¯t even think about continuing the fight.

    What more are you going to do in a situation where the winner and loser are already clearly decided?

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t end when you kill the awakened people tied up in the dark clouds over there!¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon shook his head resolutely.

    ¡°As long as there is anything precious left in him, he will never be able to protect his sister.¡±

    As a result of failing to extinguish the ck Sky.

    Soon, he will bepletely engulfed in the ck sky and run wild.

    At that time, in order to save Ha-eun from the runaway ck sky, it was necessary to take away all of Oh-jin¡¯s ¡®precious things¡¯.

    ¡°Only then can I protect my sister.¡±

    ¡°Even without that, Ojin has protected me until now! ¡°And how many times!¡±

    He shouted fiercely.

    ¡°Be, Riak, Cassia¡­ and the other awakened ones¡­ have all been fighting to protect them.¡±

    Oh Jin has a habit of saying that he is a fraudster who only knows how to ruin other people¡¯s backs.

    she knew

    Oh Jin doesn¡¯t just lie to take advantage of others.

    ¡°You¡­ do you know what happened to Uncle Baek Mu-gang? ¡°What did Oh Jin do then?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that your subordinate did it?¡±

    ¡°¡­My subordinate?¡±

    The Heavenly Demon frowned as if he couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Did I have a subordinate?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression hardened.

    It was not his tone of voice that he did not acknowledge Deimos, the Majin official who stole Baekmugang¡¯s ¡®treasure¡¯, as his subordinate.

    The way he speaks is as if he doesn¡¯t know if he really has a subordinate.

    okay.

    ¡°You¡­ forgot everything.¡±

    It¡¯s not just about Deimos.

    The Demon Race, who until now had revered and followed the being called the ¡®Heavenly Demon¡¯¡­ hadpletely forgotten the existence of the ck Star Constetions.

    ¡°I guess it wasn¡¯t that important.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon calmly shrugged his shoulders and touched his heart, which was pulsating through the dark clouds.

    ¡°don¡¯t worry. ¡°Because I keep all my memories of my sister.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    I forgot everything except the memory of myself.

    Even the warm heart and kindness hidden under the mask of lies have been cut out.

    He looks like a doll filled with cotton balls instead of flesh.

    ¡°Is that¡­ what you want from Ojin?¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    Cheonma nodded quietly and walked past Ha-eun.

    ¡°If I have to do this to save my sister¡­ I can give up as much as I want.¡±

    ¡°stop.¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to ept. ¡°Unlike me, my sister is a kind person who doesn¡¯t know how to deceive others.¡±

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    ¡°There is no need to be sad. ¡°I¡¯m probably thinking the same thing over there.¡±

    ¡°I told you to stop, Kwon Oh-jin!!!¡±

    Stand tall.

    The Heavenly Demon¡¯s steps stopped.

    His eyes, which were burning with an eerie blue glow, trembled slightly.

    Ohjin Kwon.

    The name that Ha-eun abandoned when she died and decided to be Cheonma.

    When I heard the name that I thought would never be called from her mouth again, my entire body, except for my heart, heated up.

    My heart is pounding.

    My heart was pulsing wildly, as if trying to drive away a dark cloud.

    ¡°You too¡­ you too have the same ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯.¡±

    Although the fate of the two people changed.

    There was no change in the fact that it was also a ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯.

    ¡°Why should I take something precious from you? You, me, and Oh Jin! ¡°Why do I have to do something that will make no one happy?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Answer me!¡±

    The Heavenly Demon quietly closed her eyes at her scream-like cry.

    ha.

    A deep sigh escaped from between lips that had turned into ck clouds.

    ¡°No one will know. And the ¡®me¡¯ over there.¡±

    How painful and painful it is to lose something precious.

    How terrible it is to be left alone.

    They won¡¯t know.

    ¡°Soon my entire consciousness will be swallowed up by the ck Sky.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°And I will be a monster whose only desire is to eat the stars.¡±

    It was a fate that had already been decided.

    A fate that cannot be prevented or stopped.

    ¡°Before that happens¡­.¡±

    ¡°Suicide is meaningless. ¡°Just because I die doesn¡¯t mean the dark sky inside me disappears.¡±

    ¡°Oh no. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you shouldmit suicide.¡±

    ¡°why? Like I said earlier, do you want to tell me to join forces with ¡®me¡¯ over there and find a way to fight against the ck Sky?¡±

    ¡°¡­huh.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡±

    It¡¯s already toote to turn back.

    From the time he used the stream¡­ no, even before that, he had already crossed a river that he could not return from.

    ¡°When that timees, ¡®I¡¯ will have to make a choice.¡±

    Are you giving up?

    Don¡¯t you give up?

    ¡°The more you have¡­ the harder it will be to give up.¡±

    And if you don¡¯t give up.

    There was no way to stop himself from bing a monster.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to take it away with your own hands before then? So that I can give up easily?¡±

    ¡°You can me me. ¡°It¡¯s okay to criticize and curse.¡±

    The Cheonma left Ha-eun behind and approached the awakened people caught in the dark clouds.

    ¡°As long as I can protect my sister¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter what else happens.¡±

    When he slowly raised his hand and tried to make a fist as if grasping the air.

    ¡°Oh Jin.¡±

    Ha-eun ran after him and hugged Cheonma.

    ¡°It must have been hard¡­ alone.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what his past life was like.

    I don¡¯t know how long ago he went back in time.

    but.

    One thing was clear.

    ¡°Alone¡­ it must have been very painful and lonely.¡±

    Until he gave up the name ¡®Ojin¡¯ and became Cheonma.

    How long would I have had to endure loneliness?

    Would I have had to endure the pain of nausea just imagining it?

    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s stop now.¡±

    Convince Cheonma once again.

    ¡°If it¡¯s a misdiagnosis, we can ovee it without having to kill those people.¡±

    Even if ck Heaven eats all of Heavenly Demon¡¯s consciousness and turns him into a monster.

    If it is a misdiagnosis, it can be prevented.

    ¡°¡­sister.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ there¡¯s no need for you to take on this role.¡±

    Does that mean we want to see the same ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯ suffering?

    Do you want to be an object of resentment and hatred towards yourself?

    ¡°There must be another way.¡±

    Cheonma, Ojin, and himself.

    There must be a way for everyone not to be sad.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cheonma gently closed her eyes while stroking the back of Ha-eun, who was hugging her.

    and.

    ¡°Puhup.¡±

    Laughter leaking from between lips.

    ¡°Puhup puhahaha! Hahahahaha!¡±

    Laughter, which went fromughter toughter, rang out.

    ¡°Oh, Oh Jin?¡±

    Ha-eun fell from Cheonma with a puzzled expression.

    Cheonma roughly grabbed Ha-eun¡¯s neck as she tried to walk away.

    ¡°Wow! ¡°Wow!¡±

    A moan full of pain came out of Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    Cheonma raised the corners of her mouth as if she were frowning and red at Ha-eun, who was struggling.

    ¡°I was wondering what you had prepared and it was just something like this?¡±

    ¡°Big¡­ Wow!¡±

    ¡°Did you think you could fool me with something like this?¡±

    Coo!

    He stamped his feet roughly and added strength to the hand that was gripping Ha-eun¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Oh Oh Jin-ah, why¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®Oh Jin-ah¡¯!!!!!¡±

    I cried out like a cry.

    ¡°My sister doesn¡¯t call me that.¡±

    I remember.

    meeting her.

    Memories with her.

    Even if I be a miserable figure with only my heart left.

    How could I forget?

    ¡°It¡¯s not Oh Jin-ah¡­ It¡¯s Oji-na, right?¡±

    Knowing that she had aplex about the name ¡®Ojin¡¯, which she inherited from parents whose faces she did not even know, she deliberately called him by his name in a slurred manner.

    I said Ojina.

    If other people hear it, they¡¯ll probablyugh at it and ask what the difference is.

    He knows.

    How much of a salvation that ¡®just¡¯ was for him.

    How much hope her small consideration gave to a 9-year-old boy who was worried about nothing like his name.

    Even if no one knows.

    Even if no one sympathizes with me.

    I know.

    As you know.

    ¡°Why did you think I would be fooled if you pretended to be my sister? ¡°Did you think that if I treated you a little kindly, you would follow my advice and say it was right?¡±

    Cheonma gritted his teeth and red at Ha-eun¡­ or rather, ¡®Oh Jin¡¯ in front of him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, kid.¡±

    you also.

    me too.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same ¡®misdiagnosis.¡¯¡±

    Did you really think you could fool me?

 Chapter 435

    I am not a regressor Episode 435:

    Lies (8)

    ¡°My I am a misdiagnosis¡­ Ugh! What are you talking about?¡±

    Ha-eun asked, frowning in pain.

    under.

    A smile escaped from the Heavenly Demon¡¯s lips.

    ¡°Are you still acting when we¡¯ve already been caught?¡±

    Maybe I didn¡¯t expect you to notice?

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue with an annoyed expression.

    ¡°Why do you feel a bit unfair when your true identity is discovered with just a title?¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­ I called her Ojina¡­¡±

    ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to point out your other mistakes one by one.¡±

    He shook his head and continued speaking.

    ¡°If you are my real sister. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Ie forward and help you fight?¡±

    A dragon eye that can freely control the dragon¡¯s magical power.

    And Ha-eun, who possesses the heart of a dragon and the soul of a dragon god with almost infinite magical power, had a powerful power that could not be defeated even by Oh Jin, who used Gaecheon, in terms of pure ¡®fire power¡¯.

    Of course, there was little chance that the oue of the battle would change just because she added her strength.

    At the very least, it would have been possible to prevent Ojin from being defeated by such an overwhelming margin.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°For your sister¡¯s safety? ¡°You know very well that I would never hurt my sister, right?¡±

    We can¡¯t use Ha-eun¡¯s safety as an excuse.

    Even Oh Jin knows that no matter how much his consciousness was swallowed up by the dark sky, he would never attack Ha-eun as much as he did.

    When running away from Rome, wasn¡¯t there a time when he used it as a shield to take advantage of the fact that Heukcheon didn¡¯t attack Haeun?

    however.

    ¡°Even though you knew that, you did nothing during the entire fight.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°Why did you do that? ¡°Why did it have to be that way?¡±

    The answer to that question was simple.

    ¡°Because you do not bear the stigmata of Dragon.¡±

    therefore.

    In order to y Ha-eun, she had no choice but to sit still and watch the battle.

    ¡°And decisively.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon burst intoughter and shook his shoulders.

    More than the fact that Ha-eun did not get involved in the fight, more than the fact that Ha-eun did not get involved in the fight.

    There was another reason why I was certain that the Ha-eun in front of me was a ¡®fake¡¯.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t lie, right?¡±

    ¡®Oh Jin¡¯ and no one else.

    How would a conman who has lived his entire life with a knack for deceiving others be able topete fairly?

    ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t a bad attempt.¡±

    I suspected it from the first time I saw it, but I wasn¡¯t sure.

    That¡¯s because the Ha-eun in front of me seemed ¡®real¡¯.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯ve been practicing hard for a month?¡±

    Honestly, if what I was fighting with right now wasn¡¯t a ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯, I might have been fooled.

    But as long as the opponent is misdiagnosed.

    No, as long as you are ¡®yourself¡¯.

    There was no way he wouldn¡¯t have lied.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ that¡¯s not true!¡±

    ¡°ha. ¡°I can¡¯t understand you.¡±

    The Heavenly Demon¡¯s voice was filled with irritation.

    No, it would be more correct to express it as ¡®anger¡¯ rather than irritation.

    The blue natural flowers burned fiercely as if oil had been poured into the Heavenly Demon¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about a hungry bastard like you. ¡°How shitty do I feel right now?¡±

    I¡¯m not hoping for a miracle.

    I don¡¯t even hope for salvation.

    But still.

    Before all consciousness is swallowed up in the clouds of ck heaven.

    When you still remain as a ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯.

    ¡°¡­I wanted to see my sister¡¯s face onest time.¡±

    I don¡¯t know where Ha-eun is now, but at least she won¡¯t be in this crack.

    It would have been impossible to y fake Ha-eun in front of the real Ha-eun.

    Oh-jin probably came here alone, bragging that she didn¡¯t need to do anything.

    This is it.

    In order to continue the same mediocre y.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Of course, even if he sees Ha-eun, all of his memories will be swallowed up by Heukcheon.

    Nevertheless.

    I wanted to keep Ha-eun¡¯s appearance as myst memory.

    ¡°Was that¡­ that big of a desire? huh? ¡°What about seeing your face onest time?¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­ gasp!¡±

    ¡°you!¡±

    Coo!

    The Heavenly Demon stamped his feet roughly and shouted as if screaming.

    ¡°Because I never lost a sister! ¡°I will continue to be with you from now on!¡±

    How cold and lonely the world is without her.

    Even if he goes on for the rest of his life, he won¡¯t even be able to imagine it.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I can say without any hesitation that I¡¯m going to protect others!¡±

    Vega? Cassia? Isabe? Riak?

    Even more so, are you going to protect other awakened people whose names you don¡¯t even know?

    Because they have suchcent thoughts, they are putting on such absurd ys.

    ¡°Did I tell you?¡±

    He grabbed the neck of Oh Jin, who transformed into Ha-eun, and raised the power of Heukcheon.

    Grumbling.

    ck storm clouds boiled like hungry beasts.

    ¡°The path you walked is the path I also walked.¡±

    ¡°Wow! ¡°Wow!¡±

    A ck cloud flowed into Ojin¡¯s body.

    If she was transformed into Ha-eun using ¡®transformation¡¯, she would be able to undo the transformation by flowing in the energy of the ck Sky.

    Ojin, who was caught, trembled as if in pain.

    and.

    ¡°Ozzy¡­ me.¡±

    A familiar name leaked from Ojin¡¯s lips.

    no.

    It is not a ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯.

    This is¡­

    ¡°¡­Sister?¡±

    why?

    Why?

    ¡°Why¡­ why is my sister here¡­!¡±

    When she urgently summoned the ck clouds that were engulfing her body.

    Quad deud deuk!

    The de of a spear engulfed in ck lightning pierced my heart.

    The Heavenly Demon turned his head back, looking down at the spear de that had pierced through his back.

    At that ce.

    There was Ojin, out of breath, holding the spear.

    ¡°why?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t understand.

    I couldn¡¯t understand it.

    Why is the ¡®real¡¯ Ha-eun here, not the ¡®fake¡¯ one created through transformation?

    If she is the real Ha-eun.

    Misdiagnosis means that he did not lie at all in his fight with himself.

    ¡°ha ha ha. That can¡¯t be possible. huh? ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    If you are ¡®me¡¯.

    If you are a fraudster who has lived a life full of lies.

    I can¡¯t help but lie¡­

    ¡°Because I am not you.¡±

    Ojin stared at the Heavenly Demon with deeply sunken eyes.

    ¡°Me¡­ Cough! ¡°Did you trick me?¡±

    ¡°No, you are the one who was deceived.¡±

    All he asked Ha-eun to do was to stay still and never get involved in the battle.

    Other than that, I didn¡¯t give any instructions.

    ¡°But¡­ this name.¡±

    ¡°You called me ¡®Oh Jin-ah¡¯ instead of ¡®Oji-na¡¯?¡±

    Oh Jin burst outughing.

    ¡°Come to your senses, you human. ¡°My sister kept calling me ¡®Ojina.¡¯¡±

    Oh Jin-ah and Oh Ji-na.

    In fact, it was such a difference-making title that if you didn¡¯t listen carefully, it would just sound the same.

    ¡°Oh no! ¡°It¡¯s definitely ¡®Oh Jin-ah¡¯¡­!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I may have called you that a few times along the way. But so what?¡±

    Since Ha-eun is also a person, Oh-jin and Cheon-ma are engaged in a desperate struggle, and they may have forgotten about pronunciation.

    A minor mistake that normally I wouldn¡¯t have even paid attention to.

    There was one reason why the Heavenly Demon was so concerned about the difference in titles, which could not be called a mistake.

    ¡°Because you were sure I was going to lie.¡±

    The reason wasn¡¯t important.

    From the beginning, he came to the conclusion that he was ¡®lying¡¯ and pieced together each and every clue that he suspected¡­ or rather, ¡®thought to be suspicious¡¯.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I was sure you were lying because I suspected it, but I was suspicious because I was sure you were going to lie.¡±

    That is why.

    I focused on minor differences that I wouldn¡¯t normally pay attention to.

    It¡¯s nothing.

    It was packaged as if it was a very important difference.

    ¡°Even if I pronounced it correctly from beginning to end, you would have suspected something else. yes?¡±

    Because from the beginning, the reason wasn¡¯t important.

    ¡°Cough¡­ Cough!¡±

    The Heavenly Demon bit her chapped lip, clutching her heart that had been pierced by the spear.

    ¡°How¡­ were you sure I would suspect this?¡±

    ¡°Because you thought I would walk the same path as you.¡±

    You probably wanted to believe that you had no choice but to walk the same path.

    ¡°I thought no matter what lies I told, you wouldn¡¯t expect at least one thing.¡±

    There is only one possibility: ¡®not lying¡¯.

    No matter how much I was a Heavenly Demon¡­ no, I thought I would never be able to think about it because I was a Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    A lowugh came from the Cheonma¡¯s mouth.

    Grumble, rumble, rumble!

    The ck clouds that made up his body began to melt and flow down like ink in contact with water.

    The Heavenly Demon looked down at his body that was slowly starting to fall apart and burst intoughter.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I didn¡¯t expect that.¡±

    He nodded with bitter eyes.

    ¡°As expected, you¡­ are not me.¡±

    The eerily burning blue fire gradually faded.

    ¡°Puh-ha! haha!¡±

    Ha-eun, who was freed from Cheonma¡¯s hand, quickly widened the distance and red at Cheonma with a very nervous expression.

    Cheonma looked at Ha-eun, who was out of breath, and smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m d though.¡±

    Grumbling.

    The dark clouds that formed the Heavenly Demon¡¯s body flowed down and formed a ck puddle.

    Cheonma, who had now even lost her human form, smiled broadly as she looked at Ha-eun.

    ¡°I was able to see my sister for thest time.¡±

    That¡¯s thest word.

    The blue fire that was burning between the dark clouds waspletely extinguished.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Ha-eun bit her lip gently as she looked down at Cheonma, who had turned into a ck puddle and disappeared.

    Why?

    Even though I know that he is different from ¡®Ojin¡¯.

    My heart ached so much that it was unbearable.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Ha-eun sighed deeply and approached the ck puddle.

    Grumbling.

    Does the Heavenly Demon¡¯s consciousness still remain?

    As Ha-eun approached, the ck puddle retreated and avoided her.

    As if warning, ¡®If youe any closer, it¡¯s dangerous.¡¯

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun muttered in a low voice as she carefully stretched out her hand towards the ck puddle.

    ¡°Now rest in peace.¡±

    like that.

    The long y hase to an end.

    no.

    I thought the curtain hade down.

    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet, sister.¡±

    With a quiet warning of misdiagnosis.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    The ck puddle boiled and a huge column of dark clouds rose high into the sky.

 Chapter 436

    I am not a returner Episode 436

    Lie (9)

    A pir of ck clouds soaring into the sky.

    The sun-drenched blue sky suddenly began to darken, as if ck ink had been spilled.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°Heukcheon is running wild.¡±

    The heart that contained the consciousness of thest remaining Heavenly Demon.

    As its heart was pierced and destroyed by the spear, all of the Heavenly Demon¡¯s consciousness sank into the dark clouds of the ck Sky.

    Rumbling!

    ck storm clouds swaying wildly.

    What was there was no longer the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡®Heukcheon.¡¯

    It is a darkness born from the beginning and a mass of distant power made up of only the desire to devour all the stars in the world.

    Oh Jin doesn¡¯t know why such power came to him and the Heavenly Demon.

    I don¡¯t even know when it first took root in my heart.

    But one thing is certain.

    ¡®When the consciousness of the Heavenly Demon disappears and the Dark Heaven runs wild, this world will be destroyed ording to Pris¡¯ prophecy.¡¯

    In front of that dark cloud full of greed, even Ha-eun, whom the Cheonma wanted to protect so much, would be nothing more than prey.

    ¡®In order to stop the runaway ck sky¡­¡¯

    Ojin gently closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.

    You already know how.

    Because I heard it directly from the owner of the rampaging ck Sky.

    ¡®You can only stop it if you give up.¡¯

    This is true.

    Isn¡¯t this an incredibly ironic thing?

    I fought so desperately not to lose any of the happiness I held in my hands.

    In the end, you have to give up everything to protect those in your hands.

    ¡°¡­You knew everything.¡±

    How difficult it is to give up.

    Is it painful and painful?

    He knew it all.

    Because I knew that, I tried to make it ¡®easy to give up¡¯.

    ¡°ha ha ha.¡±

    A dryugh leaked from between Oh Jin¡¯s lips.

    at that time.

    Ha-eun¡¯s urgent voice was heard from far away.

    ¡°Oh Oh Jin, what are you idly doing? ¡°Let¡¯s quickly take the kids and run away!¡±

    Ha-eun rushed over and grabbed Oh-jin¡¯s arm.

    ¡°I told you this before you came here! If the Heavenly Demon¡¯s ck Heaven begins to run wild, I will run away to the sanctuary and see if I have another chance!¡±

    okay.

    I definitely remember saying something like that.

    Although most of the constetions are under ¡®restrictions¡¯ due to thest war, there is still no safer ce than the sanctuary where the constetions can express their full power.

    ¡°sister.¡±

    ¡°Move quickly because we don¡¯t have time to take the other kids too!¡±

    ¡°¡­sister.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t just stay here, move quickly!¡±

    Ha-eun pulled his arm roughly and shouted fiercely.

    Her expression is somewhat filled with anxiety.

    maybe.

    Ha-eun must be feeling this as well.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not trying to tell me that you¡¯re going to be left alone here, are you?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin smiles without saying a word.

    Ha-eun¡¯s expression hardened.

    ¡°You said it yourself first, let¡¯s run away! huh? ¡°You promised me!!!¡±

    ¡°sorry.¡±

    Oh Jin gently stroked Ha Eun¡¯s cheek, which was shedding tears.

    ¡°It was a lie.¡±

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    A low moan flowed from between Ha-eun¡¯s lips.

    ¡°You, you bastard¡­!¡±

    She approached with unsteady steps and roughly grabbed Ojin by the cor.

    ¡°You know very well what will happen if you stop that!¡±

    Didn¡¯t the Heavenly Demon tell us directly?

    What should we do to stop the runaway ck River?

    What should I give up?

    ¡°¡­Yes, I know.¡±

    I probably won¡¯t be able to return to my current ¡®misdiagnosis¡¯ again.

    All memories sink into ck clouds.

    Only an empty shell will remain.

    ¡°Then why! Why do you want to stay here?!¡±

    ¡°Because I am a star in the sky.¡±

    Because he is the only one who can change his fate.

    ¡°This is what I have to do.¡±

    This is something only I can do.

    ¡°¡­no.¡±

    Ha-eun grabbed Oh-jin¡¯s cor and shook her head.

    ¡°I hate it, I hate it! What on earth is a star in the sky? ¡°Other awakened people and constetions are alive and well, so why do you have to sacrifice yourself?¡±

    ¡°sister.¡±

    ¡°Do you really know what it means to lose all your memories? Memories of meeting at our orphanage, memories of living together, memories of me losing my eyes due to a curse, and memories of you getting them back! ¡°You¡¯ll forget everything!¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Know.

    There¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t know.

    What does it mean to lose your memory?

    What does it mean for memories to disappear?

    ¡®You¡¯ll¡­ forget everything.¡¯

    Things that happened with Ha-eun.

    What happened with Vega, Isabe, and Cassia.

    Memories of countless people I have met so far.

    Quarreling, making up, fighting, forgiving, sad, happy, hating, loving.

    happy.

    Memories of being ¡®misdiagnosed¡¯.

    It will disappear without leaving anything behind.

    ¡®scared.¡¯

    All traces of the past life are erased.

    The whole path I walked is falling apart.

    So unbearable. So unbearable.

    I felt like I was going crazy with fear.

    -Are you the new kid here?

    Suddenly.

    I remembered the first time I met Ha-eun.

    The rooftop of the orphanage where you ran away from the director¡­ no, from everything in the world.

    To the secret base of a small and unsightly kid.

    Something a girl stepped on.

    -Let¡¯s see¡­ If it¡¯s a secret base, they won¡¯t let just anyone in, right?

    -Yes. Even if Mom and Dade, they won¡¯t let us in. never.

    The little boy, abandoned by his parents and left alone in the world, was rejecting everything that came his way with thorns erected like a hedgehog.

    -Then what about your sister?

    -¡­uh?

    -Are you going to let your sister in?

    I remember.

    The image of a girl with a smile as beautiful as the starlight in the night sky.

    -Sister¡­?

    -Because I¡¯m two years older!

    -¡­.

    -Even if you can¡¯t be mom and dad, you can still be a sister, right?

    -uh? Uh huh.

    It¡¯s unsightly.

    insignificant.

    Memories of childhood.

    -lol. Now that I¡¯m here, I have to keep calling you noona from now on?

    Now that I think about it, it probably didn¡¯t have any special meaning.

    Just kidding.

    It was probably just a joke thrown out in passing.

    ¡°¡­under.¡±

    A smile escaped between my lips.

    Oh Jin looked at Ha-eun, who was shedding tears, and asked.

    ¡°By the way, sister, do you remember when we first met?¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ when we first met?¡±

    ¡°huh. Why did we meet on the rooftop of the orphanage? Do you remember what we said back then?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ that thing.¡±

    Ha-eun stuttered with a puzzled expression.

    Oh Jin had a faint smile on his face as he looked at Ha Eun who was embarrassed.

    Know.

    The reason she doesn¡¯t remember the conversation she had when she first met him.

    It wasn¡¯t that she had a poor memory or that she didn¡¯t value meeting him.

    Doesn¡¯t everyone remember every single thing that happened in the past?

    Although it is naturally forgotten and erased with the passage of time.

    What happened doesn¡¯t mean it never happened.

    ¡®Just like the world doesn¡¯t disappear when you close your eyes.¡¯

    Although Ha-eun doesn¡¯t remember the conversation she had that day.

    Oh Jin still remembers it clearly.

    ¡°Mr. ¡°How important is that in the current situation?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s important.¡±

    ¡°So what on earth¡­ ugh!¡±

    He hugged Ha-eun and kissed her deeply.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°are you okay.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean it¡¯s okay?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay to forget everything.¡±

    okay.

    It was something there was no need to worry about in the first ce.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The things I talked to my sister about that day. ¡°I remember everything.¡±

    Every single one.

    I remember it.

    I haven¡¯t forgotten.

    ¡°therefore.¡±

    Even if you forget.

    As I remembered.

    ¡°Even if I forget.¡±

    You just have to remember.

    Rurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    ck clouds are rising.

    The ck sky cloud that upied half of the body gradually expanded its area.

    All that remains is a pulsating heart.

    Ojin¡¯s entire body became a ck cloud.

    ¡°Oh Ojina¡­.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯lle back.¡±

    I turned and walked towards the pir of ck clouds rising high in the sky.

    Heukcheon is running rampant, swallowing up another ¡®Ojin¡¯ who has had a different fate than himself.

    Take a step towards him.

    Grumble, rumble, rumble!

    As Ojin approached, the ck clouds soaring high in the sky poured down like a waterfall.

    The hungry beast, left only with desire and greed, bared its ferocious teeth at him.

    The two ck heavens became violently entangled and began to run wild to devour each other.

    Rumbling!

    The earth turns over and space is torn apart.

    A huge shock beyond recognition engulfed the entire crack.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    The pendulum of victory, which had been tightly bnced, gradually swung towards the runaway Heukcheon.

    The ck Heaven that swallowed Ojin¡¯s body whole greedily ate his ck Heaven.

    ¡°Is this really what you meant?¡±

    Considering the ¡®level¡¯ of ck Heaven, the misdiagnosis would be high.

    That alone was not enough to stop the runaway ck sky.

    ¡°under.¡±

    A smile escaped Ojin¡¯s lips.

    Suddenly.

    A question that the Heavenly Demon had asked him came to mind.

    -How much can you give up?

    If you can only win if you give up.

    Isn¡¯t there only one answer?

    ¡°ha.¡±

    I slowly stretched out my hand and grabbed the heart that was pulsating among the dark clouds.

    It¡¯s different from the Heavenly Demon¡¯s.

    A heart engraved with the stigmata of Lyra.

    Ohjin smiled brightly, clutching his heart.

    ¡°This is my answer.¡±

    Crack.

    My clenched heart burst out, and ck clouds covered the sky.

 Chapter 437

    I am not a returner Episode 437

    Lie (10)

    Two years have passed since the end of the Second Star War that shook the world.

    The huge gap of 20,000 awakened people that urred immediately after the war caused global chaos.

    Should I call it a blessing among misfortunes?

    All the awakened people who had gone missing after being captured by the dark clouds returned safely a monthter.

    The awakened people who returned gathered around Chilseong and went on a rampage all over the world and began arge-scale extermination operation of the demonic beasts.

    New awakeners who had not appeared for a while also reappeared as the constetions that had been tied up in the temple due to the restrictions of thew began to be released one by one.

    In this way, the Awakened who returned from being captured by the Heavenly Demon and the Awakened who received the stigmata and the Constetions who were freed from the restrictions of thew joined forces and the Third War of the Stars was fought.

    Unlike the Second Star War, which left humanity with a bitter defeat, the Third Star War that immediately followed brought an overwhelming victory, enough to wash away the humiliation of the previous defeat.

    Less than half a year after the war was dered, most of the demonic beasts upying various parts of the world were massacred, and the few surviving demonic beasts fled into the rift.

    * * *

    A world that has be unprecedentedly peaceful since the first crack opened.

    As the chaos subsided, people¡¯s interests began to shift elsewhere.

    The first question thates to mind is, of course, ¡®Who killed the Heavenly Demon and rescued the captured awakened people?¡¯

    It didn¡¯t take long to find the answer.

    The hero of mankind who saved the awakened people who were captured by the Heavenly Demon was Pagunseong Kwon Oh-jin.

    He was a member of the Seven Stars and an awakened person who identified himself as a ¡®returner.¡¯

    There was little information revealed about the battle between Cheonma and Pagunseong.

    The awakened people who returned from captivity testified that Pagunseong, who fought against Cheonma alone, became apanion to him after a fierce battle.

    A hero who returned from the future, changed fate and saved the world.

    This sweetener, more pungent than any MSG, instantly attracted people¡¯s attention, and soon a wave of global tributes spread to Korea, the country where Pagunseong Kwon Oh-jin was born and raised.

    The Korean government may have felt that this was the right time to honor his heroic sacrifice by erecting a statue in the likeness of Oh Jin when he was alive in front of the 1-star crack where the battle between Pagunseong and Cheonma took ce.

    The 30-meter-tall statue, built with arge amount of money, was destroyed by a sudden fireball less than a day after it was erected.

    The culprit who broke the statue was Song Ha-eun, the awakened dragon, who was in love with Pa Gun-seong when he was alive.

    When asked by reporters why she destroyed the statue, she raised her middle finger and answered:

    We¡¯re still alive, you motherfuckers.

    The rift where the final battle between Cheonma and Ojin took ce.

    A huge column of dark clouds rose into the sky as if a volcano had exploded from the crack, which was engulfed in a ck aura that gave off a gloomy energy.

    The ck Heaven of the Heavenly Demon and the ck Heaven of Ojin.

    The aftereffects of the two ck streams not only swallowed up the entire space within the crack, but also escaped through the crack, covering several kilometers around with dark clouds.

    Even in broad daylight when the sun is high in the sky, thend is covered in gloomy darkness like a moonless night.

    Under a streetlight that illuminated the darkness like amp, a woman was looking up nkly at the towering pir of ck clouds.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Reddish-brown hair tied back tightly.

    Although the entire area around her left eye was covered by an eyepatch, it was not difficult to guess that the woman had a breathtakingly beautiful appearance just by looking at the face revealed through the eyepatch.

    ¡°It¡¯s already been 2 years, 2 years you idiot. ¡°When do you want toe back?¡±

    Ha-eun let out a deep sigh and tapped the ground with her toe.

    Water formed around the right eye, which was not covered by the eye patch.

    ¡°Ugh. I heard that military service doesn¡¯t even take two years these days. What does this mean? ¡°If I keep making you wait, you¡¯ll end up wearing your rubber shoes backwards?¡±

    Ha-eun looks up at the dark clouds and clenches her fist as if threatening.

    As always.

    There was no answer back.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A lonely silence descends like a curtain.

    When Ha-eun sighed deeply again and turned around.

    ¡°You¡¯re here as expected, sister.¡±

    A woman with beautiful tinum-blonde hair that looked like it was made from melted gold approached Ha-eun.

    ¡°uh? Wasn¡¯t it in Italy? ¡°I heard they are working on a Roman reconstruction project or something.¡±

    ¡°I took some time toe here. ¡°It¡¯s easy to get through the sanctuary.¡±

    Isabe sat next to Ha-eun with a faint smile.

    Just like Ha-eun did.

    Isabe looked up vaguely at the pir of ck clouds rising high into the sky.

    ¡°It¡¯s already been two years.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    A bitter smile appeared on Ha-eun¡¯s lips.

    She continued toin, kicking a rock rolling nearby with her toe.

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s okay to make a bastard wait. ¡°Seriously, what if I end up seducing another guy like this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so I¡¯ll be the first?¡±

    ¡°Wake up from your dream, youngdy.¡±

    Ha-eun narrowed her eyes and pinched Isabe¡¯s side.

    Isabe smiled gracefully, covering her mouth.

    ¡°¡­Still, I¡¯m d that your condition seems to be improving.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Then who else is there?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a particrly bad state¡­¡±

    ¡°What the hell. ¡°When I first heard about Ojini, who was the one who forced her to drink water when she didn¡¯t drink it for over a month?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you decided not to talk about it then.¡±

    Isabe cleared her throat and averted her gaze.

    ¡°Your sister was also very upset because she thought they were sisters.¡±

    In fact, Cassia was in more serious condition than Isabe.

    Because I had to barely stop myself from jumping towards the ck clouds.

    ¡°ha. ¡°I wonder what would have happened if it hadn¡¯t been for Vega at that time.¡±

    ¡°Stop that, really.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t Ha-eun¡¯s care or the passage of time that saved thepletely devastated sisters.

    Isabe and Cassia were able toe to their senses when Vega was released from her restraints.

    To be precise, it was because of a single word she said.

    [It is alive.]

    Vega, who came out of the temple and appeared on Earth, dered with a confident voice as soon as he saw the pir of ck clouds.

    [Although it is faint¡­ the energy of the Lyra stigmata is clearly felt.]

    Vega¡¯s words were of great salvation to the two women¡­ no, to the three women.

    Isabe and Cassia, who had been devastated by the news that Ojin was still alive, were also able to stand up with hope.

    ¡°And what about Cassia? ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you went to the Demon Lord before?¡±

    Cassia was thoroughly searching not only the Earth but also the Demonic World and the Sanctuary to see if there were any clues that could lead Ojin out from the dark clouds.

    ¡°I received a call not long ago that I had returned to Earth.¡±

    ¡°The clue to take out Ojini is¡­.¡±

    ¡°This time, it¡¯s all in vain.¡±

    The answer came from behind.

    Slurp, slurp.

    Cassia approached Ha-eun and Isabe with a sound like a snake crawling on the floor.

    ¡°I found a few documents about the ck Heaven that remain in Niflheim, but I couldn¡¯t find any clues to get Ojin out of those dark clouds.¡±

    Cassia sighs deeply and chews her nails with a nervous expression.

    Ha-eun nodded as if she had expected it.

    ¡°Because there is no such thing as a record of two dark heavens colliding.¡±

    ¡°¡­As expected, I will go in there myself¡­¡±

    ¡°And what if you get trapped in there too?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Cassia¡¯s expression darkened.

    Ha-eun looked at the pir of dark clouds and bit her chapped lip.

    ¡°Now there is no other way than to trust Ojini and wait.¡±

    ¡°¡­but.¡±

    [Don¡¯t worry.]

    Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.

    Brilliant silver light gathered in the air and a silver-haired goddess appeared.

    Vega, who appeared as his real body instead of his palm-sized body, slowly flew towards Ha-eun.

    [Who is your child? Even if you don¡¯t fuss, he wille back.]

    ¡°¡­Yes, of course.¡±

    ¡°If you are Oh Jin, you wille back one day without any worries.¡±

    ¡°I will also look for other clues.¡±

    The shadow on the faces of the three women who answered bitterly did not go away.

    Absence of misdiagnosis.

    The empty space where he disappeared became a hole in women¡¯s hearts that could not be filled.

    ¡°Please check one more time to see if I can still feel the energy of the Vega Lyra stigmata.¡±

    [¡­I understand.]

    Although this request has already been made dozens and hundreds of times.

    The only hope they could rely on now was the energy of the Lyra Stigmata flowing out from those dark clouds.

    Vega slowly flew up and approached the pir of ck clouds.

    and.

    [¡­!]

    The goddess¡¯s eyes widen.

    She trembled with a pale look on her face.

    [How¡­ How can this¡­.]

    I can¡¯t see it.

    Even though it was covered with dark clouds, the starlight was faintly leaking out.

    ¡°what? why? ¡°Why are you doing that?¡±

    [Oh no. This can¡¯t be happening!]

    Vega shook her head with an expression that went from white to blue.

    ¡°No way¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t mean to say that Ojin¡¯s presence disappeared or anything like that, right?¡±

    Isabe and Cassia¡¯s faces turn blue along with Vega.

    ¡°Oh, no!¡±

    Cassia hurriedly ran towards the dark clouds without Ha-eun having time to stop her.

    Just before her hand touched the pir of ck clouds.

    Rumbling!

    With a terrifying roar, the pir of ck clouds began to be sucked into the crack again.

    ¡°Tsk¡­!¡±

    ¡°Oh sister!¡±

    ¡°damn! ¡°What happened to this¡­!¡±

    Before I even realized what was happening.

    Grumbling.

    The ck crack closed and formed into the shape of a human being.

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    [I. That is¡­.]

    ¡°Ohe on!!!¡±

    Ha-eun was the first to run away.

    She ran like crazy towards Ojin who appeared where the crack had closed.

    ¡°Oh Ojina! Come on! ¡°Ojini, that¡¯s you, right?!¡±

    Is this the first time I¡¯ve seen Oh Jin¡¯s face in a while?

    Ha-eun sobbed while hugging Oh-jin.

    ¡°iced coffee. ¡°Finally.¡±

    ¡°Ojin is finally back!¡±

    [Can you hide it? Are you breathing?]

    Cassia and Isabe Vega also hurriedly approached the fallen Ojin.

    When asked if he was breathing, Ha-eun put her ear to Oh-jin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Yes! Rest! ¡°We¡¯re breathing!¡±

    ¡°Oh sister! Quickly move the shadow and bring Aquarius Awakening quickly!¡±

    ¡°okay!¡±

    [no! It would be better for the main woman to go to the sanctuary and call the constetions!]

    In the midst of the noisymotion.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Ojin pursed his lips and slowly opened his eyes.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin opened his eyes and looked around at the four women surrounding him one by one.

    ¡°who are you?¡±

    I asked, tilting my head.

 Chapter 438

    I am not a returner Episode 438 Lie

    (11)

    The party who moved Ojin to Vega¡¯s temple through Cassia¡¯s shadow carefully examined Ojin¡¯s condition.

    ¡°So¡­ my name is Ojin?¡±

    Ohjin gently narrowed his brows and swallowed, as if trying to recall a memory.

    Ohjin, who continued thinking, soon shook his head.

    ¡°sorry. ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t even remember your name?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Oh Jin, who returned after two years, could not remember anything.

    As if it had be pure white paper.

    Also about them.

    Also about yourself.

    ¡°Who you are¡­ who I am. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A heavy silence fell like a curtain.

    Isabe approached Ojin with unsteady steps.

    ¡°Oh Mr. Ojin. I¡¯m¡­ Isabe. ¡°Isabe.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ yes.¡±

    An unfamiliar look in your eyes, as if you were looking at someone you are meeting for the first time.

    Isabe stepped back in disbelief.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t remember anything?¡±

    ¡°sorry.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ha-eun grabbed Oh-jin¡¯s shoulder with a trembling hand.

    ¡°Ojini, are you lying again? huh?¡±

    okay.

    Wasn¡¯t the other person Ojin?

    All of this could have been a lie to tease them.

    no.

    It has to be a lie.

    ¡°also¡­? ¡°Have I ever lied before?¡±

    ¡°ha ha ha. Why do youe here? None of this is fun. ¡°Are you going to keep doing this again andter say, ¡®It¡¯s a lie?¡¯¡±

    ¡°sorry. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Looking at Oh Jin shaking his head, Ha-eun chewed her lip until it bled.

    I knew it.

    I was prepared.

    Even if Oh Jines back, he won¡¯te back as the ¡®Oh Jin¡¯ they remember.

    but.

    No matter what.

    ¡°This¡­ is too much.¡±

    I never expected that I would even forget that I was ¡®misdiagnosed¡¯.

    No, it¡¯s not unexpected.

    Like a pheasant hiding its head in the grass. It was an effort to avert one¡¯s eyes from theing tragedy.

    With the vain hope in my heart that it would be okay if it was a misdiagnosis.

    ¡°How¡­how could this be?¡±

    [Calm down.]

    Vega put his hand on Ha-eun¡¯s sobbing shoulder.

    [After being in the dark sky for two years, you just came out. If you calm down and rx, your memories wille back soon.]

    ¡°¡­Yes. Yes, that¡¯s right. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will.¡±

    okay.

    As Vega said, hasn¡¯t he just returned?

    I couldn¡¯t hastily conclude that I had lost all my memories yet.

    ¡°is it so. If you are Ojin, you will definitely recall the memory. ¡°For now, I¡¯m d you came back alive, right?¡±

    Thank goodness.

    Can we really call it ¡®fortunate¡¯ that we have forgotten who we are?

    Ha-eun nodded her head with difficulty, suppressing the anxiety that was eating away at her heart.

    ¡°okay. Thank goodness¡­ Izzy.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A gloomy air flowed inside the temple.

    Vega let out a deep sigh and opened her mouth.

    [First of all, I have summoned Aris, so please wait a moment.]

    ¡°By Aris¡­ do you mean the constetion of Aries?¡±

    [That¡¯s right.]

    ¡°If you want to check Mr. Ohjin¡¯s physical condition, wouldn¡¯t it be better to use the constetion of Aquarius?¡±

    [The purpose was not specifically ¡®treatment¡¯, right?]

    There were no external injuries or internal injuries on Ojin¡¯s body.

    The stigmata of Aries was perfect for stabilizing the mind and allowing forfortable rest.

    [I¡¯m here, Mr. Vega.]

    Did I say that even the tiger wille if I tell it to do so?

    A blonde goddess walked into the temple.

    [What did you call me for¡­ huh?]

    Aris, who discovered the misdiagnosis, opened her eyes wide.

    [Didn¡¯t Pa Gunseong die in the fight with the Heavenly Demon?]

    [I¡¯ll exin the detailster. For now, please help this child find peace.]

    [Hmm. I understand.]

    Aris nodded with a confused expression and approached Ojin.

    He ced his hand on Ojin¡¯s forehead and opened his mouth quietly.

    [Rest in peace to you.]

    A soft golden light flowed into Ojin¡¯s mind.

    Oh Jin¡¯s expression, which was shaking with anxiety like a cat picked up from the side of the road, became much more rxed.

    [Then I¡¯ll just leave.]

    [Thank you.]

    [Do you really need to exin what the situation ister?]

    [I understand.]

    Aris went out of the temple.

    ¡°How are you feeling, Oh Jin?¡±

    ¡°¡­I feel drowsy.¡±

    ¡°Are you in any pain or anything like that?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Ojin looked back at Isabe and nodded.

    Isabe smiled and continued speaking at the sight of Ojin calling her by an unfamiliar honorific title.

    ¡°Are you not hungry by any chance?¡±

    ¡°no. ¡°I¡¯m not particrly hungry.¡±

    ¡°Still, you should eat something. Wait a minute. ¡°I will make Mr. Oh Jin¡¯s favorite stir-fried pork.¡±

    ¡°Did I like stir-fried pork?¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I know what kind of food stir-fried pork is, but I don¡¯t remember whether I liked it.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s right.¡±

    The smile I worked so hard to put on began to crumble little by little, as if cracks were appearing.

    ¡°Okay¡­ you did. ¡°I made it for them often.¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll make it right away!¡±

    Isabe turned and went down to the basement of the temple as if she was running away.

    As it is a constetion that basically does not need to eat, there was originally no ce for cooking inside the temple.

    As Ojin and Haeun stayed at the temple for long periods of time for training, Vega personally built a kitchen in the temple¡¯s basement.

    While Isabe went to make food.

    Cassia cautiously approached Ojin.

    ¡°Oh Jin. ¡°Could you please take off your top for a moment?¡±

    ¡°¡­here?¡± ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ I understand.¡±

    After thinking for a moment, Oh Jin took off his t-shirt.

    The upper body, full of solid muscles, was revealed as if it had been delicately sculpted by a craftsman.

    Cassia touched the Lyra stigmata engraved on Ojin¡¯s left chest with her hand.

    ¡°Eleven stars¡­¡±

    A total of eleven strokes were clearly engraved next to the stigmata of Lyra.

    ¡°Vega.¡±

    [Why are you doing that?]

    ¡°You said before that the Stigmata of Lyra has the power to control the ck Sky, right?¡±

    [That¡¯s right.]

    Vega himself doesn¡¯t know by what principle the Lyra Stigmata can control the Dark Sky.

    I had definitely seen Ojin use the power of Lyra to control the ck Sky.

    ¡°Then, if you use the Lyra Stigmata, won¡¯t Ojin¡¯s memoriese back?¡±

    [Oh!]

    ¡°That¡¯s right! ¡°There was a method like that!¡±

    Vega and Ha-eun¡¯s eyes sparkled like stars.

    If the Stigmata of the Lyra constetion has the power to control the ck Sky, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to restore Ojin¡¯s lost memories if used well?

    ¡°Ojina! ¡°Use the stigmata quickly!¡±

    Ha-eun, full of excitement, hurriedly called out to Oh-jin.

    ¡°¡­Stigmata?¡±

    Oh Jin tilted his head with an iprehensible expression.

    ¡°How can I use it?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Could it be that he even forgot how to write the stigmata?

    Ha-eun gently bit her lip and shifted her gaze towards Vega.

    Vega nodded and approached Ojin.

    [This engraved on the left chest is the stigmata of Lyra.]

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±

    [Close your eyes and concentrate on the stigmata.]

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ojin did as Vega told him and closed his eyes.

    [Now imagine a blue lightning bolt burning in your head.]

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Oh Jin narrows his eyebrows and concentrates.

    ¡°Blue thunderbolt¡­ blue thunderbolt.¡±

    Just as Vega had told me, a fiercely burning blue thunderbolt came to mind.

    ¡°¡­Nothing happens?¡±

    No light emanated from the stigmata carved on his chest.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s because I¡¯m not used to it yet. If you practice a little more, you can use it¡­¡±

    [¡­No, that¡¯s not true.]

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡¯s not true?¡±

    [¡­.]

    Vega¡¯s expression darkened.

    She gently stroked Ojin¡¯s stigmata and bit her lip.

    [I can¡¯t feel the stigmata energy at all.]

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    [No matter how much I practice like this, I won¡¯t be able to use the stigmata.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes sparkled like stars. It was covered with murky dark clouds.

    ¡°Please eat.¡±

    Isabe, who had gone down to the basement, came up carrying a steaming pot.

    Oh Jin stopped concentrating to use Stigmata and took a bite of stir-fried pork in the pot.

    ¡°Does it fit your mouth?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. Delicious.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t particrly hungry, but the Jeyuk Bokkeum, with its exquisite spiciness and sweetness, was so delicious that I couldn¡¯t help but exim.

    ¡°How amazing.¡±

    ¡°Amazing?¡±

    ¡°Did¡­ did you say Ms. Isabe? Even though you are a foreigner, you know how to cook Korean food.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ I practiced.¡±

    ¡°You like Korean food.¡±

    ¡°¡­no.¡±

    The one I like is you.

    I force myself to swallow the words that have filled my throat.

    ¡°For that matter, it tastes great¡­.¡±

    ¡°Stop talking about that!¡±

    If I said any more, it seemed like the smile I was trying to pretend to be calm would copse.

    ¡°Ah¡­ yes. All right.¡±

    Ohjin nodded and silently moved the spoon.

    He hurriedly emptied his bowl as if he was ufortable with all the attention from those around him, then got up and turned around.

    ¡°Well¡­ can I go take a nap? ¡°I¡¯m a little tired.¡±

    ¡°Yes. ¡°There¡¯s a bedroom downstairs, so sleep there.¡±

    ¡°thank you.¡±

    Oh Jin bowed his head and went down to the basement.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    [¡­.]

    As Ojin descended, a suffocating silence filled the temple.

    ¡°¡­Huh.¡±

    A soft cry breaks the silence.

    Isabe copsed on the floor and shed tears.

    ¡°Really¡­ have you really forgotten everything? every?¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s unfamiliar eyes were looking at him.

    His eyes, as if he was looking at someone he had never seen before, became sharp daggers and cut into her heart.

    ¡°calm down.¡±

    ¡°how! How can you calm down?! Oh Jin has lost all his memories!¡±

    Isabe shouted, ring sharply at Cassia.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure your sister will be fine! ¡°Because the time I met Mr. Oh Jin was also the shortest!¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°why? Did I say something wrong? On the contrary, don¡¯t you like it? ¡°Now that Mr. Oh Jin¡¯s memories are gone, a new opportunity has arisen, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you know what you¡¯re saying right now?¡±

    A deep murderous look flowed from Cassia¡¯s eyes.

    The shadow spread wide and ck snakes crawled out.

    ¡°It¡¯s me¡­ ¡°There¡¯s no way it would be okay if it were me!!!¡±

    ¡°lie!¡±

    Not to be outdone, Isabe covered herself in blood-red energy.

    ¡°stop.¡±

    A low voice came out of Ha-eun¡¯s mouth.

    She looked back at Isabe and opened her eyes sharply.

    ¡°Is it okay since we only met for a short time? ¡°Are you serious about that?¡±

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    if so.

    Among them, the person who was most ¡®not okay¡¯ was none other than Ha-eun.

    ¡°¡­sorry. ¡°I was so excited that I made a mistake.¡±

    Isabe bowed her head towards Ha-eun and took away the blood-red energy surrounding her body.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sister.¡±

    ¡°ha. No, because I understand how you feel.¡±

    Cassia also drew back her widely spread shadow and let out a deep sigh.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to take a break too.¡±

    Ha-eun trudged down to the basement with a tired expression on her face.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Looking toward the bedroom, I saw Ojin lying down and sleeping soundly.

    Ha-eun approached Oh-jin, who was sleeping, and carefully stroked his head.

    Memories with Oh Jin pass through my head like a panorama.

    Memories of when I first met him at daycare.

    Memories of when I started living with the orphanage.

    Memories of when I lost my eyes and legs and leaned on him for life.

    Memories of seeing him for the first time in years after breaking the curse with the Dragon Demon Eye.

    Memories of when I was captured by Cheon Do-yoon.

    Memories of when I confessed my feelings that I had harbored for a long time.

    and and and.

    Countless memories.

    Countless memories.

    It¡¯s rising.

    disappears

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    Only then did I realize it.

    ¡®I was always with Ojini.¡¯

    No matter where you look in life.

    He was always by her side.

    always. everywhere.

    but.

    ¡°Really¡­did you forget everything?¡±

    Her image no longer existed in his memories.

 Chapter 439

    I am not a returner Episode 439

    Lie (12)

    A month has passed since Ojin returned from the rift.

    The news that a hero of humanity thought to be dead had returned alive was enough to turn the entire world upside down.

    Because Oh Jin¡¯s lovers, including Ha-eun, hid the fact that Oh Jin was alive, the world did not turn upside down.

    The only people who heard the news of Ojin¡¯s return were a few constetions with whom he was acquainted and a few awakened people, such as Baekmugang Sakaki Ryo Han Jun-man.

    When they heard that Ojin had lost all his memories, they tried many ways to revive his memories.

    They couldn¡¯t aplish the things that even those who were in a romantic rtionship with Oh Jin, like Ha-eun and Isabe Vega, couldn¡¯t seed.

    It was an ordinary morning when all desperate efforts to revive Ojin¡¯s memories were in vain.

    ¡°Vo! ¡°This morning, it¡¯s white rice, Spam, a fried egg, and seaweed!¡±

    Delicious food prepared on the table.

    The ultimatebination, which every Korean would know, was presented in a pretty bowl and was stimting the appetite.

    ¡°Ah¡­ yes. Thank you every day, Isabe.¡±

    However, despite the ultimatebination, Ojin did not show any reaction and sat at the table with an awkward smile.

    For a moment, Isabe¡¯s eyes wavered.

    She shook her head and tried to smile brightly.

    ¡°Hey, I told you before that you should feel free to call me ¡®Isabe¡¯ instead of ¡®Mr. Isabe,¡¯ right?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even need to be polite.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Okay¡­ no, I understand.¡±

    Ojin nodded with a stiff posture, like a wooden doll moving.

    Isabe continued speaking while gently stroking Ojin¡¯s stiff back.

    ¡°There is no need to be so stiff in front of me. ¡°Did I tell you before that Oh Jin and I were lovers¡­ no, we were lovers who were infinitely closer to a ¡®couple¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It did.¡±

    ¡°So please treat me a little morefortably! That way, Oh Jin¡¯s memories wille back quickly.¡±

    ¡°¡­okay.¡±

    At the word ¡®memory¡¯, Oh Jin¡¯s mouth stiffened for a moment.

    But even for a moment.

    He smiled awkwardly and moved the spoon to the carefully prepared table.

    Munching.

    Oh Jin eats his food in a hurry, as if he is starving.

    [Eat slowly. Isn¡¯t it like someone is chasing you?]

    Vega flew towards Ojin.

    After the two ck Heavens shed.

    As the restrictions of thew were weakened further, she was now able to remain in her original state on Earth, but now she was deliberately changing her appearance to the state of a prosthetic body.

    This is probably the one that Oh Jin is more familiar with.

    Now his lovers were doing their best to create an environment as familiar to Ojin as possible so that his memories could return.

    That¡¯s why I returned from the temple of Vega to the apartment located in Hapjeong.

    Everything from furniture arrangement to sleeping clothes and meals were prepared based on what Ohjin usually wore and ate.

    In addition, he also wandered around looking for ces that would remain strongly in his memories of the past.

    For example, the orphanage where he stayed until he became an adult.

    Like the mold-filled studio apartment I lived in with Ha-eun.

    [Did you say you were going to the beach you went to before this time?]

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m nning to go to San Frutuoso. A lot of things happened there too.¡±

    The memory of going to a famous resort in Italy with Ohjin was quite a powerful experience among the countless memories I had with him.

    [But¡­ wasn¡¯t it ruined by the demonic beasts¡¯ attack at that time?]

    ¡°We restored it to an environment as simr to before as possible.¡±

    Although a huge budget was spent to restore the resort.

    Italy, which was the starting point of the Second Star War, was able to quickly restore it to its original state because relief funds and manpower had arrived from all over the world.

    [Hoo. Then I guess I¡¯ll have to invite Riak too this time.]

    ¡°If it¡¯s San Frutuoso¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have to leave.¡±

    Cassia let out a deep sigh and lowered her head.

    In order to recreate as closely as possible what Ojin experienced in the past, Cassia had to be left out.

    Because she had never gone on vacation with Ojin at that time.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, sister.¡±

    ¡°joy. Okay, it was my mistake to meet Ojinte.¡±

    Cassia pursed her lips as if she couldn¡¯t bear it and muttered in a low voice.

    ¡°I wanted to show Ojin in my swimsuit¡­¡±

    ¡°Hehe.¡±

    ¡°¡­What is thatugh?¡±

    ¡°No~ I was wondering if seeing a washboard like that would irritate Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    Two sisters bickering as usual.

    Looking at the familiar scene that has been repeated over the past month.

    ¡°¡­I want to stop now.¡±

    Ohjin, who was eating hastily, opened his mouth with difficulty.

    ¡°yes? ¡°You don¡¯t want to go?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go around trying to refresh my memory anymore.¡±

    [What does that mean?]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin bit his lip as he looked at the embarrassed women.

    Kuuk.

    He clenched his fists and opened his mouth as if squeezing.

    ¡°Even if I¡¯m going there anyway!¡±

    thud!

    He hit the table roughly and cried out.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to think of anything again!¡±

    Even when I went to the daycare center.

    Even when I visited the studio I used to live in.

    He couldn¡¯t recall any memories.

    ¡°Oh Jin¡­.¡±

    ¡°I also want to remember what I call my memories! Things that happened with you! Memories! Memories! ¡°I want to remember everything!¡±

    but.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. ¡°No matter how much I rack my brain, I can¡¯t remember anything.¡±

    Oh Jin shakes his shoulders and sobs.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to disappoint you anymore.¡±

    The sad look in their eyes whenever they can¡¯t recall their memories.

    I couldn¡¯t bear it anymore.

    ¡°I¡­ do you know how I feel?¡±

    As soon as you open your eyes, what you see is a world where everything is unfamiliar.

    Unfamiliar eyes.

    Voices you¡¯ve never heard.

    People you see for the first time.

    and.

    A stranger to myself.

    ¡°You were in a rtionship with me? You want me to be easy on you? Do you think I can treat youfortably?¡±

    Ojin red at Isabe and shouted fiercely.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about you! How can I befortable with you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Clink.

    The spoon I was holding in my hand tumbled to the floor.

    Ohjin covered his face with both hands and lowered his head.

    ¡°Nothing¡­ I don¡¯t remember anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    [¡­.]

    A heavy silence fell.

    The women could not say anything as they looked at Ojin sobbing.

    I knew it.

    At least it¡¯s cruel to force ¡®familiarity¡¯ on Oh Jin, who has lost her memory.

    But still I couldn¡¯t stop.

    Because I wanted to hold on to thest straw, even if it was just a rotten rope.

    Him.

    Because I didn¡¯t want to lose it like this.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ozina.¡±

    Ha-eun, who had been quietly looking at him, stood up and approached Oh-jin.

    She gently hugged Ojin and smiled slightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay to stop.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    ¡°Regaining memories. ¡°It¡¯s okay to stop now.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Before heading to the runaway ck River.

    I remembered the words Oh Jin left behind.

    ¡°Even if you forget¡­ I remember.¡±

    Memories so far.

    Memories we made together.

    Everything.

    Because I keep it.

    ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s okay. Even if you don¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Ojin¡¯s eyes trembled.

    He looked around at the four women gathered at the table one by one and opened his mouth with difficulty.

    ¡°¡­no. ¡°I¡¯ll try a little more.¡±

    Had my thoughts changed?

    Oh Jin continued speaking, clenching his fists tightly.

    ¡°I also want to bring back the memories I had with you.¡±

    ¡°But just now¡­¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard. ¡°It actually suffered a lot.¡±

    He continued speaking with a bitter smile.

    ¡°But still¡­ didn¡¯t you treat me so preciously even though I couldn¡¯t remember anything?¡±

    In a world as white as drawing paper.

    Only they became the paint and brightened the world.

    ¡°I want to remember you too.¡±

    ¡°Ojina¡­.¡±

    The four women approached Ohjin with bright eyes.

    When we hugged each other and tried to strengthen our resolve.

    -Ding dong.

    The doorbell rang.

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Did you order a delivery?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t order it.¡±

    As I tilted my head and approached the inte, I saw Manager Junman Han standing there with an awkward expression.

    Ha-eun tilted her head and opened the front door.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on this morning?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s it.¡±

    Manager Han smiled awkwardly and held out a square box.

    ¡°I came here because I have something to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to tell me? ¡°Who sent it?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    A manager who was watching opened his mouth quietly.

    ¡°It was sent by Oh Jin. No, more urately, it was left to me. ¡°2 years ago.¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    Craddangtang!

    The chair rolled around on the floor, and Isabe and Cassia came running crying.

    ¡°What did you say just now?¡±

    ¡°If it were two years ago¡­!¡±

    ¡°Calm down!¡±

    Manager Han closed his eyes tightly, as if he knew this would happen.

    Ha-eun opened her mouth, ring fiercely at Manager Han.

    ¡°Why are you giving me now what I gave you two years ago?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Oh Jin asked for it. ¡°I don¡¯t know when, but when he wakes up, wait for about a month before handing me this.¡±

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    Ha-eun opened the square box.

    What was in it.

    ¡°Smartphone?¡±

    It was the smartphone that Oh Jin used two years ago.

    ¡°Then I delivered it as promised, so I¡¯ll go to work now!¡±

    A manager turned and walked out as if running away.

    ¡°What the hell is this¡­¡±

    When Ha-eun tried to turn on her smartphone, a screen appeared that required fingerprint recognition.

    Ha-eun swallowed her voice and held out her smartphone to Oh-jin.

    ¡°You try turning it on.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes¡­¡±

    Ohjin tilted his head and ced his thumb on the screen.

    and.

    -iced coffee. Can I do this like this?

    A video that ys as soon as the screen is turned on.

    Two years ago.

    This was Ojin¡¯s appearance before he went to fight the Heavenly Demon.

    -Well¡­ I don¡¯t know how much time has passed now. If you¡¯re watching this video, you¡¯ve already woken up, right?

    Oh Jin, who was on the smartphone, raised the corners of his mouth and continued speaking.

    -All memories were swallowed up by the ck sky and disappeared. Even if I ate a dish I liked, wore clothes I liked to wear, or walked around a ce I was familiar with, I wouldn¡¯t have remembered anything. yes?

    In the video, he stared at Oh Jin beyond the screen as if he were right in front of him.

    -Okay then, let¡¯s get started.

    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m starting.

    What on earth are you starting?

    To Oh Jin, who looks at the screen with eyes full of doubt.

    In the video, Oh Jin twisted the corner of his mouth.

    -Thest ¡®lie¡¯.

 Chapter 440

    I am not a regressor Episode 440 Lie

    (13)

    ¡°Thest¡­ lie?¡±

    Oh Jin looked at himself in the video with an expression of iprehension.

    Are you suddenly lying?

    What is there to lie about in this situation?

    -Well, even if I say this, if I were you at the time of watching this video, you wouldn¡¯t understand anything about what I¡¯m saying.

    urate.

    ¡°This¡­ is it really me who took the picture?¡±

    How can you predict your situation so urately two years in advance when you don¡¯t even have a face-to-face conversation?

    ¡°That¡¯s right. If it¡¯s Ojini, it¡¯s definitely¡­¡±

    Ha-eun clenched her fists with trembling eyes.

    Two years ago.

    I remembered Ojin being locked in his room for a month, mumbling something into his smartphone.

    ¡®This is it.¡¯

    Oh Jin knew from then on.

    That he would lose all his memories.

    -Then, before we begin, I should first give a brief exnation.

    In the video, Oh Jin opened his mouth quietly.

    -I am now¡­ Is this what I call you? Um¡­ Anyway, for convenience, I¡¯ll call you ¡®you¡¯. Anyway, right now you probably don¡¯t remember anything about me.

    Heavenly Demon Did that bastard feel like this?

    Ohjin continued speaking in the video, muttering as if grumbling.

    -Not long ago, I had an encounter with Cheonma. To be precise, rather than confronting him, I was unterally ying into his hands.

    Heavenly horse?

    Who is the Heavenly Demon again?

    -Even if you don¡¯t understand, just listen. You¡¯ll all ¡®find out¡¯ anyway.

    ¡°¡­under.¡±

    A smile escaped Ojin¡¯s lips.

    Did your past self even know what you were thinking now?

    -I didn¡¯t fight properly. Looking at him this time, there is one thing I can be sure of.

    In the video, Oh Jin¡¯s voice became heavy and subdued.

    -There is no way to stop him right now unless I give up everything.

    everything.

    Among them, perhaps even ¡®oneself¡¯ is included.

    -How could it be possible if the opponent you have to block is just the Heavenly Demon? There is one way I have thought of this.

    Ha-eun¡¯s shoulders were shaking as she was watching the video.

    She knew better than anyone else what the ¡®method¡¯ that Oh Jin Young was talking about was.

    -The problem is the darkness he possesses. Even if the Heavenly Demon dies, his Dark Heaven will not disappear.

    ¡°You all¡­ knew.¡±

    I just thought that Oh Jin had given up on everything and was a ruined person, stuck in a corner of his room.

    He knew it all from the beginning.

    -In the end, there is no other way to stop the ck Heaven from swallowing the consciousness of the Heavenly Demon than to give up.

    You can stop the Heavenly Demon only if you give up everything.

    then.

    The reason I left this video¡­

    -But I don¡¯t want to give up anything?

    The day I first faced the Heavenly Demon in the Demon World.

    Ojin made up his mind.

    I swore and resolved.

    He grabbed everything he could get his hands on.

    I will protect it all.

    -So I thought. How to deal with an enemy that can only be defeated by giving up everything without giving up anything.

    A way to deal with an enemy that can only be defeated by giving up everything without giving up anything. ¡°

    There¡¯s no way something like that could exist.

    ¡±

    -Once I came here, I tried a few things. To conclude, there is no such method.

    Isn¡¯t it obvious?

    There is no way a solution can be found when the proposition of the problem is contradictory to begin with.

    -therefore. I¡¯m going to change the order.

    ¡°Change the order¡­?¡±

    In the video, Oh Jin raised the corners of his mouth as if to answer the question that came out.

    -Once you give up everything. I will get back everything I gave up.

    indeed.

    Did you mean that?

    If there is a door that can only be opened by putting down the treasure in your hand.

    All you have to do is put it down for a moment, open the door, and then pick it up again.

    -Listen carefully. Because starting now is important.

    In the video, Oh Jin calmed down his slightly rough voice and continued speaking.

    -There are only two things that I have and that the Heavenly Demon does not.

    Existing between two misdiagnoses.

    Difference between the two.

    -One is ¡®Lyra Stigmata¡¯. Thanks to Vega¡¯s stigmata, I can handle the ck Sky much more easily than that guy.

    Now that I think about it, did Cassia tell her to use ¡®Stigmata¡¯ when she first woke up?

    but.

    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t wear the stigmata.¡±

    I¡¯ve been putting in a lot of effort over the past month to try using Stigmata.

    In the end, the Lyra stigmata engraved on his left chest showed no response.

    -The second is ¡®Lie¡¯. I can lie to myself and create false memories or illusions. Well, you can think of it as a kind of self-brainwashing.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    When I said that I would tell thest ¡®lie¡¯ earlier, did I mean brainwashing myself?

    ¡°¡­creating false memories through lies.¡±

    then.

    Is it okay for one to live believing false memories made of lies as the ¡®truth¡¯?

    ¡°Is that¡­ a way to get back everything you gave up?¡±

    Memories that are made up of false memories.

    Is it really possible to say that living by believing that this is real can be said to be ¡®recovered¡¯?

    -why? Don¡¯t you like it?

    It was as if he had anticipated this kind of reaction.

    In the video, Oh Jin chuckled.

    -Of course you won¡¯t like it. Memories that can be obtained through lies are just ¡®fake¡¯ anyway.

    -No matter how good I am at lying, I can¡¯t live my life believing fake memories to be real.

    -Eventually, as time goes by, the lies will unravel. It will be back to square one.

    then.

    What on earth should I do?

    -therefore.

    In the video, Oh Jin spoke softly.

    -You¡¯re not the one trying to trick me this time.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not?¡±

    So what on earth is this lie for?

    -The ck Heaven I possess knows that I can use lies. Because I used it until I got sick of it every time I trained.

    but.

    -The Dark Heaven possessed by the Heavenly Demon does not know that I can create false memories.

    The ck Heaven that Ojin possesses and the ck Heaven that Cheonma possesses.

    The two dark heavens have mixed and now be one.

    Even if they be one, it cannot be said that the dark heaven that the Heavenly Demon possesses haspletely disappeared.

    Just as if you mix blue y and red y, it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll bepletely stained with either color.

    -If a false memory created by a lie enters. The consciousness of the Heavenly Demon will know if it is real and will rush in to eat it.

    but.

    -The ck Heaven I originally had wouldn¡¯t attack me because I knew it was ¡®fake¡¯.

    in other words.

    That moment.

    At that point.

    -Heukcheon will split in two again.

    Even if it splits, it does not mean that it is cut cleanly in half as if cut with a knife.

    What was mixed and became one is now split into two.

    It will most likely be torn apart in a messy and violent manner.

    -Of course, the time it is split in two won¡¯t be very long. The ck Heaven possessed by the Heavenly Demon is probably not that stupid.

    Soon you will realize that the new memories are fake and you will return to your original position.

    -Before that happens.

    In the video, Oh Jin stared at the screen with burning eyes.

    -Get out with my memories that are eaten inside.

    ¡°¡­ah.¡±

    A low exmation flowed from Ojin¡¯s mouth.

    I couldn¡¯t tell exactly what the things he was talking about in the video, such as Heukcheon and Cheonmani, were.

    But one thing.

    I knew for sure that there was a way to get back everything I had lost.

    ¡°Is this possible?¡±

    Ha-eun looked back at Vega as if it was hard to believe.

    [I don¡¯t know much about it either. But¡­]

    Ugh.

    He clenched his fists and his eyes shined like stars.

    [If it¡¯s Oh Jin¡¯s lie, it might be possible.]

    ¡°But even so, this¡­¡±

    [You haven¡¯t seen Oh Jin training that much, so you don¡¯t know.]

    Vega goes outside while Ha-eun and Isabe are asleep and is alone. I remembered Ojin practicing.

    Oh Jin was gasping for breath with the skin on his entire body dead, as if he had been injured.

    [Even though the lies this child is telling are fake, he is able to create an illusion that is infinitely closer to the truth.]

    That¡¯s right.

    Just as he nned, it was an illusion so perfect that ¡®Heukcheon¡¯ was fooled.

    ¡°But wasn¡¯t the lie itself a skill obtained through the power of the ck Sky in the first ce?¡±

    [No. Although he used the ability of the ck Sky to help him concentrate, it is essentially a technique unrted to the ck Sky.]

    Vega shook his head resolutely.

    This was neither the power of ck Heaven nor the power of Stigmata.

    It was a skill he acquired solely through Oh Jin¡¯s efforts¡­ no, it was a skill he learned through his ¡®life¡¯ itself.

    He didn¡¯t even get the Heavenly Demon, which had a different fate than him.

    His own.

    ¡®Ojin¡¯s¡¯ unique technology.

    -You only get one chance.

    In the video, Oh Jin spoke in a deep voice.

    -If it¡¯s toote to find my consciousness in the split ck sky¡­ or if I can¡¯t get out. Even the memories you have of that month will disappear.

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Oh Jin¡¯s expression hardened.

    A month of memories.

    To others, it may be nothing.

    At least for me now, everything was at stake.

    -What are you going to do? You can turn off the video if you don¡¯t want to. Unlike him, I won¡¯t force my thoughts on you.

    ¡°¡­I am.¡±

    Ohjin looked down at the smartphone screen and bit his chapped lip.

    The reason he gave himself ¡®one month¡¯.

    I was finally able to realize the reason.

    ¡®You¡¯re asking me to choose.¡¯

    Just like you did.

    no.

    Just like ¡®I¡¯ did.

    ¡°under.¡±

    A smile escaped Ojin¡¯s lips.

    ¡°You bastard, do you even know what decision I¡¯m going to make?¡±

    asked Oh Jin in the video.

    In the video, Oh Jin burst intoughter as if answering his question.

    -Now then, the fact that I didn¡¯t turn off the video up to this point can be seen as a decision, right?

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Ohjin sighed deeply and nodded.

    -Of course, it won¡¯t be as easy as I described.

    no.

    I can tell that it¡¯s not easy just by listening to the exnation.

    -Even though it is a conscious space, the pain will be the same as in reality.

    -It must be painful enough to die, and even more painful than that.

    -are you okay. Since it is a ritual space, if you can endure it, you will never actually die.

    It doesn¡¯t look good at all.

    Oh Jin swallowed a bitter smile and looked at himself in the video.

    -If it were you¡­ no, if it were me, I could do it.

    because.

    -Something that can be resolved with patience¡­

    I wonder why.

    What do you want to say next?

    It suddenly popped into my head.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    -Because it¡¯s nothing.

 Chapter 441

    I am not a returner Episode 441

    Interlude-Deal

    ¡®This is¡­¡¯

    Oh Jin slowly opened his closed eyes.

    A world covered in extreme darkness like a moonless night.

    I can¡¯t reach it even if I stretch out my hand, and I can¡¯t take a step even if I struggle with my feet.

    A distant feeling of helplessness weighed on my body, as if I was swimming in an endless universe.

    ¡®Ah ugh.¡¯

    It¡¯s not visible.

    I can¡¯t hear it.

    I don¡¯t feel it.

    As if I was thrown alone into the dark night sky.

    It¡¯s extremely empty.

    ¡®I am.¡¯

    Who was I?

    I don¡¯t remember.

    I don¡¯t even know where this ce is or why I was thrown into these dark clouds.

    Nothing¡­.

    ¡®No.¡¯

    I desperately held on to my consciousness as it sank into the dark clouds.

    I chew my lip and think about why I came here.

    ¡®To get back everything I gave up¡­¡¯

    okay.

    Isn¡¯t that why you came to this space without a single light?

    Rumbling!

    When I was floating aimlessly in the dark clouds, barely holding on to my consciousness.

    With a huge roar, a tsunami of dark clouds began to shake violently.

    ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯

    The tsunami of dark clouds that were shaking wildly slowly split in half.

    no.

    The expression ¡®torn apart¡¯ is more appropriate than the expression ¡®splitting¡¯.

    The ck cloth was violently split in two, as if a giant cotton doll had been violently pulled with both hands.

    ¡®There are memories I lost there.¡¯

    Oh Jin kicked his legs as hard as he could and headed toward the space created between Heukcheon and Heukcheon.

    no.

    To be precise, I was trying to move forward.

    ¡®Keuuk keuk!¡¯

    My consciousness was swept away by the torrent of ck clouds that had begun to split in half, and my body was pushed backwards.

    It is something that mere human will cannot dare to go against.

    The darkness that split from the beginning.

    It¡¯s not that Heukcheon senses his n and resists, telling him not to approach.

    Like stepping on an ant while walking down the street without realizing it.

    You are pushing yourself far away with just one extremely basic and simple act of ¡®moving¡¯.

    ¡®I have to go.¡¯

    There is only one chance.

    This was the only moment when the ck sky, which had be one after being mixed together, was torn in two.

    Ojin sailed up the clouds of the ck River like a salmon swimming up a rapid stream.

    and.

    ¡®Ah ugh.¡¯

    A terrible pain as if tens of thousands of ants were eating your flesh alive.

    A thrilling pain that made him faint weighed on him.

    In less than a second, my body was torn into pieces and put back together repeatedly, as if it had been pushed into a shredder.

    ¡®Aaaaaaa!!¡¯

    Just as he said.

    It doesn¡¯t die.

    No, it is ¡®but not dead¡¯.

    ¡®It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, fuck!!!¡¯

    Every time I tried to swim against the torrent of the ck River, a maddening pain spread throughout my body.

    The body made up of consciousness is broken, torn, crushed, splintered, and split endlessly.

    sick.

    So much so that I feelpletely out of my mind.

    To the point where my head feels weird.

    It¡¯s so painful.

    ¡®I just need to endure this¡­?¡¯

    dog sound.

    Because they have never experienced it themselves, they can say such nonsense without any hesitation.

    Even if it does not lead to death, pain is real.

    Pain that feels like your flesh is being crushed by a huge hammer, or pain that feels like your whole body is being cut open with a sharp de.

    It¡¯s so vivid that you don¡¯t even think that this is a conscious space rather than reality.

    ¡®Why do I have to endure this pain?¡¯

    Suddenly, the sight of myself stumbling around in a torrent of ck clouds felt even more pitiful.

    After all, the memories you have now onlyst about a month after you opened your eyes.

    Even most of them were filled with miserable struggles to recall memories of the past.

    Such terrible memories.

    Can¡¯t I just throw it away?

    Isn¡¯t this a memory worth remembering?

    ¡®okay.¡¯

    There is no reason to struggle to endure such pain.

    Didn¡¯t he say that himself in the video?

    I will leave everything to my choice now.

    ¡®I¡¯m giving up.¡¯

    Every single one.

    Not even a handful left.

    every.

    All you have to do is give up.

    Then you can be free from this pain.

    You can feel morefortable if you just take a step back.

    -It¡¯s okay to stop.

    Suddenly.

    Ha-eun¡¯s voice echoed in my head.

    -Regaining memories. It¡¯s okay to stop now.

    Toward him who was struggling to force himself to remember his lost memories.

    She said with an extremely kind smile.

    Even if you forget, I remember.

    So there is no need to recall the memories.

    Suppressing your emotions and crushing your heart.

    That¡¯s what he said.

    ¡®¡­.¡¯

    One step.

    Take a step forward.

    The terrible pain bes more intense.

    ¡®Ah ugh.¡¯

    sick.

    So unbearable.

    So unbearable.

    It¡¯s painful.

    but.

    ¡®I am.¡¯

    Grumble!

    The clouds of the ck sky shook violently, as if they were struggling.

    Between two ck streams.

    I saw something in the dark clouds that had been torn into pieces.

    ¡®That¡¯s it.¡¯

    Faint starlight.

    Even though I am trapped in thick dark clouds.

    The brightly shining starlight was revealing its presence.

    ¡®Ah¡­¡¯

    As if guided by instinct, I headed toward the faintly shining starlight.

    Why?

    It was definitely the starlight I was seeing for the first time, but it felt familiar, as if it had been by my side my whole life.

    ¡®Stigmata of Lyra.¡¯

    The moment Oh Jin¡¯s fingertips stretched forward touch the stigmata.

    Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

    The brilliant silver light burned brightly, illuminating the ck sky.

    With the feeling of warm starlight surrounding your body.

    ¡°ah.¡±

    It flows in.

    Ites to mind.

    Memories that were forgotten, memories that were erased.

    Each one is engraved in my mind.

    ¡°under.¡±

    A smile escaped between my lips.

    Ojin stretched out his hand toward the stigmata engraved on his left chest.

    The ¡®twelve¡¯ strokes carved next to the stigmata.

    ¡¯12 stars.¡¯

    I have stepped into an unexplored state that no awakened person has ever reached.

    Oh Jin gently closed his eyes with a silver halo surrounding his body.

    ¡°¡­sister.¡±

    Memories of Ha-eun and memories with her fill my mind.

    Among them were memories that had disappeared before the final confrontation with the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°Vega Isabe Cassia Riak.¡±

    I remember it.

    I haven¡¯t forgotten.

    ¡°Everyone¡­ came back.¡±

    Even the pain that was crushing my body was erased by the swelling emotions that threatened to explode.

    But it was only for a moment that I was filled with emotion.

    Rumbling!

    With a roar, the ck sky that had been split into two began toe together again.

    ¡°Did you notice?¡±

    Ojin frowned and raised his head.

    He could see a tidal wave of ck clouds rushing in as if it was going to eat him up.

    ¡®Where should I go?¡¯

    With dark cloudsing in from all directions, I didn¡¯t know where to go to get out of this ce.

    at that time.

    Oooooh!

    A ray of light emanated from the Lyra stigmata carved on his left chest and pointed to a certain location like apass needle.

    I knew it instinctively.

    If you follow this path of starlight, you can get out of the dark sky.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    Grumble!

    As he took a step, a dark cloud wrapped around his body like a snake and pulled him back strongly.

    ¡°This is it¡­!¡±

    Let¡¯s go!

    Blue lightning shed and burned the ck clouds that were entangling the body.

    But even for a moment.

    The ck clouds that rolled in again caught him.

    As if you can¡¯t get out of here.

    ¡°It¡¯s dirty¡­ it¡¯s soggy!¡±

    Step by step.

    I moved forward little by little, burning away the ck clouds that were entangling my body.

    ¡°haha!¡±

    Breath rising to the tip of my chin.

    My left chest, where the stigmata were engraved, felt like it was being stabbed with a knife.

    ¡®little bit more!¡¯

    There are only ten steps left topletely escape the Heukcheon River.

    Ojin gritted his teeth and focused all his attention on the Lyra stigmata.

    ¡°Kkeuch¡­¡±

    One step.

    The blue thunderbolt set the dark clouds on fire.

    Two steps.

    Dark clouds rose up to my ankles, as if I had fallen into a swamp.

    Three steps.

    A dark cloud climbed up my body like a snake and pulled my right arm.

    Four steps.

    He created a sharp de with a thunderbolt and cut off the arm caught in the dark cloud.

    Five steps.

    The left arm that was swinging the de was tied up in dark clouds.

    Six steps.

    He twisted his body roughly and tore off his arm from the shoulder.

    ¡°Just a little bit more¡­!¡±

    Crack.

    An eerie sound of bone fracture was heard from the body caught in the ck clouds.

    However, this is not an actual body, but a conscious body within the consciousness space.

    Even if my arms are torn off, my legs are cut off, and my whole body is crushed.

    Although he lost consciousness, his body was able to regenerate as long as he was hugged.

    ¡°Ah ugh. Ahhh!!!¡±

    Seven steps.

    Eight steps.

    nine steps.

    and.

    Kurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    The ck sky, which had been split in two, was united again.

    With only onest step left, Ojin¡¯s consciousness waspletely covered by the dark clouds of the dark sky.

    ¡®ah.¡¯

    When I looked at the dark clouds covering my whole body and let out a soft sigh.

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    The ck mes burned fiercely, engulfing the dark clouds.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you going to be trapped here because you can¡¯t take thatst step?¡±

    Beyond the ck mes.

    Another ¡®Ojin¡¯ with the same face as himself was approaching him.

    ¡°¡­Heavenly Demon?¡±

    ¡°Why are you looking so surprised? ¡°My ck Heaven and your ck Heaven are merged into one, so of course my consciousness is also trapped here.¡±

    Just like he said.

    Since the two dark heavens were merged into one, it was natural that his consciousness was within this space.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Oh Jin trailed off and looked at Cheonma.

    Just like himself, the Heavenly Demon had his entire body wrapped in ck clouds.

    no.

    The expression ¡®tied up¡¯ would not be correct.

    It was as if he had already be one with the ck sky and was connected to his body of ck clouds.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal.¡±

    ¡°transaction?¡±

    ¡°Okay, deal.¡±

    Cheonma came closer to Ojin and continued speaking.

    ¡°If you will do me one favor, I will help you get out of here.¡±

    An offer you can¡¯t refuse.

    Ohjin, who heard the contents of the ¡®request¡¯, had no choice but to nod his head with a lowugh.

 Chapter 442

    I am not a returner Episode 442

    Epilogue

    A luxurious bed.

    A many quietly with his eyes closed on an expensive bed custom-made in Sweden.

    A blonde woman sitting next to the bed carefully ced her hand on the cheek of the man whose eyes were closed.

    A soft sigh flowed from between the lips of the woman who was caressing the man¡¯s cheek with a delicate hand, as if caressing a treasure.

    ¡°¡­Mr. Ohjin.¡±

    Isabe, a woman whose appearance was so beautiful that even the expression ¡°spicy¡± was not enough, looked down at Oh Jin, who had his eyes closed as if he was in a deep sleep, with trembling eyes.

    It¡¯s been a week since Ojin left for the world of consciousness through ¡®Lies¡¯.

    Although it was only a short timepared to the past two years of waiting.

    ¡°ha.¡±

    Is it because I was filled with hope after seeing the misdiagnosis in the video?

    This week had been constricting her heart more anxiously than the past two years of waiting.

    When he was sighing deeply and caressing Ohjin¡¯s cheek endlessly.

    Wooooow!

    ¡°uh?¡±

    A bright cluster of light erupted from near Ojin¡¯s left chest.

    ¡°Oh Mr. Ojin!¡±

    Isabe violently tore the t-shirt Ojin was wearing with an extremely excited expression.

    Her left breast was exposed through her torn T-shirt.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    The Lyra stigmata is emitting brilliant light.

    Isabe carefully stroked the stigmata on Ojin¡¯s chest with trembling hands.

    ¡°12 stars¡­?¡±

    Isabe¡¯s eyes widened as she touched each of the twelve strokes next to the stigmata.

    I wondered if I had seen it wrong, so Ipared it to the stigmata on her chest.

    ¡°There are really twelve!¡±

    An exhrating shiver spread down my spine.

    I knew for sure because she personally wiped his sleeping body with a towel every day.

    The number of ¡®strokes¡¯ engraved next to Ojin¡¯s stigmata is eleven, not twelve.

    The fact that it has increased to twelve means only one thing, doesn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Oh Mr. Ohjin¡­ Mr. Ohjin, Mr. Ohjin, Mr. Ohjin!!!¡±

    Isabe sat on top of Ojin¡¯s body and hugged him tightly as hey there.

    Could he even hear her voice?

    A warm hand stroked her head.

    ¡°ah.¡±

    So familiar.

    The warmth I had dreamed of.

    Isabe looked down at Ojin with trembling eyes.

    Ojin¡¯s closed eyes slowly opened.

    His first words when he opened his eyes after a week were:

    ¡°¡­Am I being attacked now?¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    What does it mean to be overrun?

    ¡°ah.¡±

    Isabe, who was looking around with her eyes wide open, was only then able to figure out what state they were in now.

    A picture of O-jin, whose shirt he was wearing was violently torn, and himself standing on top of it.

    It was aposition that could easily be mistaken for someone who did not know the context.

    ¡°Oh no! This is not like that! Of course, it is true that I want to attack Oh Jin, but I have been holding back well so far¡­ No, what is important right now is this¡­¡± Oh Jin chuckled as he

    looked at Isabe who was flustered and flustered by the sudden situation.

    He half-raised his body from where he was lying down and gently hugged Isabe, who was sitting on top of him.

    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    The word ¡®return¡¯ he said did not simply mean returning from the world of consciousness.

    I knew it without even having to ask.

    ¡°¡­ck.¡±

    How¡­how desperately I have waited for this moment.

    I survived each day with the vague belief that there would be no problem if it was a misdiagnosis.

    ¡°I¡­ do you know how worried I was?¡±

    No matter how much you say it¡¯s okay with your mouth.

    Every day, my heart was burning ck with worries about misdiagnosis.

    ats.

    It was the moment that put an end to that long wait.

    ¡°sorry.¡±

    ¡°Huhhhhhhh!!!¡±

    Isabe, who usually tried to be as polite as possible in front of Ojin and appear as a noble nobledy, could not suppress the feeling of being overwhelmed at this moment.

    He hugged Oh Jin with all his might and burst into tears as if he were a six-year-old child.

    ¡°Mr. Ohjin, Mr. Ohjin, Mr. Ohjin, Mr. Ohjin, Mr. Ohjin¡­!¡±

    She repeated his name several times, ovepping her lips and tangling her tongue as if she wanted to feel him a little more deeply.

    ¡°haha.¡±

    A long silver thread running between the tongue.

    A blood-red glow shimmered in Isabe¡¯s eyes as she looked at Ojin.

    The eyes are like a hungry predator with a delicious prey in front of it.

    Isabe swallowed and unbuttoned the top buttons of her shirt one by one.

    The overflowing heart that could not be contained in a thin piece of cloth gradually revealed its overwhelming presence.

    Isabe let out a sigh of relief and pressed Ojin¡¯s chest andid him back on the bed.

    She licked her lips seductively andid her body on top of Ojin.

    ¡°sorry. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t stand it¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm. ¡°Did you get horny as soon as you reunited with Ojin?¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaah!¡±

    Isabe jumped up and turned her head in the direction the voice came from.

    There was Cassia, with her arms crossed and ring at her with snake-like ferocity.

    ¡°Huh, sister? ¡°Uh, since when have you been watching?¡±

    ¡°From when you started crying like a three-year-old who lost his toy, telling you to go away?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t cry that much!¡±

    ¡°Hmm. so? From what I heard, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t something that could be added.¡±

    Cassia smiled and approached Ojin.

    ¡°¡­Ojin.¡±

    Although we lost the yer to Isabe.

    She was also eagerly awaiting Ojin¡¯s return.

    ¡°I believed you woulde back.¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you wait so long.¡±

    At the warm answer, the emotions I had been suppressing exploded.

    Cassia jumped towards Ojin with all her might, as if diving, and tilted her head to lock lips with him before flinching and stopping.

    ¡°¡­When I think about it, I don¡¯t think I deserved this.¡±

    Unlike Isabe Vega, she had not yet been recognized as Ojin¡¯s ¡®lover¡¯.

    I could confidently say that my love for him was no different from that of other women, but it was still true that I hesitated to lock lips.

    ¡°That¡¯s not like Cassia. ¡°Are you paying attention to that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it! ¡°It¡¯s important to me¡­ Eup!¡±

    Ojin gently pulled Cassia¡¯s neck and pressed their lips together.

    Considering that Cassia is Isabe¡¯s older sister, it is difficult to readily ept them as lovers, but the rtionship is a bitplicated.

    If you think about it like that, it wasplicated because there was no longer just one lover.

    ¡°From now on, there¡¯s no need to say things like you don¡¯t deserve it.¡±

    ¡°Oh Ojin.¡±

    And wasn¡¯t it Cassia who sacrificed her life for him several times?

    I couldn¡¯t reject her feelings just because it would make the rtionship a little moreplicated.

    ¡°Hehehe. ¡°I finally became Ojin¡¯s lover.¡±

    Cassia touched her lips and smiled brightly.

    Like a girl who has found her first love, her cheeks blushed and she twisted her body as if she were embarrassed.

    ¡°joy. ¡°It¡¯s the same for my sister.¡±

    Isabe, who witnessed the embarrassing scene right next to her, shook her head as if she could not bear to see it.

    ¡°Then, contact Ha-eun and Vega¡­¡±

    Did the tiger also say that he woulde if I told him to?

    Before Isabe could finish speaking, a cluster of brilliant silver lights gathered in the air.

    [I am my child!]

    The silver-haired goddess appeared as the light gathered together.

    Vega, who appeared in his true form, flew towards Ojin and was hugged with wide eyes.

    [She didn¡¯t have the slightest doubt that you would return safely!!]

    Although the reaction was extremely intense considering that she had no doubt.

    ¡°huh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t keep my promise.¡±

    [Hey, you couldn¡¯t keep your promise¡­ Did something go wrong?]

    ¡°No, I promised you that I woulde back and break your chains myself.¡±

    [Ah.]

    I definitely made that promise.

    [Obviously¡­ you didn¡¯t break the chain yourself, so it would be like breaking your promise.]

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to take two years.¡±

    [In that case, you must be punished for breaking your promise.]

    ¡°I will ept any punishment, goddess.¡±

    Oh Jin smiled brightly and shrugged his shoulders slyly.

    Vega, who continued to think for a moment, cleared her throat and opened her mouth in a low voice as if crawling away.

    [Now that I think about it, there is such a saying in the human world.]

    ¡°What?¡±

    [It means that the parents are responsible for the child¡¯s mistakes.]

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    [So, some of your mistakes are the daughter¡¯s responsibility¡­]

    Vega, with a red face, continues to makeme excuses.

    He went on for a long time about saying that the parents are responsible for their children¡¯s mistakes and that they cannot avoid punishment for making mistakes in their education.

    ¡°So you¡¯re asking me to spank your ass now?¡±

    [Mu Mu Martial! Where in all of her stories so far has there been any mention of buttocks?]

    Vega is jumping up and down as if a snowball has fallen through her winter clothes.

    However, the face of the goddess, who was extremely bad at lying, was swollen with anticipation.

    Ohjin couldn¡¯t hold back, shaking his shoulders and bursting intoughter.

    [Oh, didn¡¯t you say it was a misunderstanding!]

    A wolf with a rough silver mane wandered into the room behind Vega, who kept insisting that it was a misunderstanding until the end.

    ¡°joy. ¡°Has it happened now?¡±

    ¡°Riak.¡±

    ¡°As expected, he¡¯s very slow in his actions, like a kid.¡±

    Riak clicks his tongue and shakes his head as if he is pathetic.

    Ojin chuckled and waved his hand at Riak.

    ¡°How are you?¡±

    ¡°The world couldn¡¯t be sofortable and quiet without that noisy kid. How about lying down for a few more years?¡±

    As always, his tone was very blunt.

    Riak¡¯s eyes, looking at Ojin, were filled with deep relief.

    ¡°Tsundere poop puppy.¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°no.¡±

    Ojin looked around the room, ignoring Riak¡¯s sharp re.

    Isabe and Cassia Vega and Riak.

    I didn¡¯t want to give up at any cost.

    His precious rtionships.

    ¡°Oh, I sent a text message to my sister, so she will arrive soon¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you for alling together like this.¡±

    Ohjin smiled brightly as he looked at the four people gathered in the room.

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    ¡°Shall we all have a party to celebrate my return?¡±

    ¡°Now wait a minute, Mr. Ojin!¡±

    Isabe quickly got up.

    ¡°Everyone gathered together. Ha-eun hasn¡¯t arrived yet¡­¡±

    ¡°Ha-eun? Who is that? ¡°Be, was there anyone else you called sister besides Cassia?¡±

    ¡°¡­Mr. Ojin?¡±

    Isabe stepped back with a pale, exhausted expression.

    at that time.

    Quang!

    The door was opened roughly and Ha-eun, covered in tears, ran into the room.

    ¡°Ohe on!!!¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    A cold silence fell in the room.

    Ha-eun walked towards Oh-jin as if she had no time to worry about the atmosphere.

    ¡°Oh, wait a minute!¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ ck. ¡°You bastard¡­ do you know how much your sister was worried about you?¡±

    Before Isabe had time to stop him, Ha-eun hugged Oh-jin.

    Oh Jin tilted his head with an expression of iprehension and looked at the woman who hugged him.

    ¡°who are you?¡±

    ¡°¡­what?¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes trembled.

    ¡°Surely you failed to regain your memories?¡±

    no.

    However, Isabe¡¯s text clearly stated that ¡®all of Ojin¡¯s memories have returned.¡¯

    ¡°Is this the ¡®Ha-eun-unnie¡¯ you mentioned, Be?¡±

    ¡°Why¡­?¡±

    Isabe trailed off as if she did not understand the current situation.

    I remembered everything about everyone else, so why didn¡¯t my memories of Ha-eune back?

    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re saying that only your memories of me haven¡¯t returned?¡±

    ¡°yes. ¡°I don¡¯t know the reason for this, but I think it is.¡±

    Looking back at the people in confusion, Ojin opened his mouth.

    ¡°When I escaped from ck Heaven, I made a ¡®deal¡¯ with Heavenly Demon.¡±

    ¡°¡­transaction?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember who it was, but¡­ he said he would help me get out of the Dark Heaven if I gave him the memory of that person.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    no way.

    Is Ha-eun the ¡®one person¡¯ that Oh Jin spoke of?

    ¡°Then¡­ Ojini, you¡­¡±

    It was said that he escaped from the ck Heaven in exchange for handing over his memories to the Heavenly Demon.

    ¡°¡­lie.¡±

    Ha-eun¡¯s eyes trembled.

    How¡­how could this be?

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°huh. ¡°It¡¯s a lie.¡±

    ¡°How could I just forget my sister¡­ huh?¡±

    What did this bastard just say?

    ¡°Hahahaha! ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been here, so I¡¯m not good at managing my facial expressions.¡±

    Ojin held his stomach and burst intoughter.

    After understanding the situation, Ha-eun¡¯s expression became fiercely distorted.

    ¡°Hey, this dog¡­! Ah-oh! Are you ready to y pranks like this? uh?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sister.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I! uh? Do you know how surprised I am?!¡±

    ¡°Ouch.¡±

    Ha-eun pulled Oh-jin¡¯s cheek with an angry expression.

    but.

    Oh-jin, who had been waiting for so long, woke up, but as soon as he woke up, he was ying a prank that didn¡¯t work, so it would be natural for him to be as angry as fire.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hear the reason? uh? ¡°Did someone do something wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing like that.¡±

    ¡°Then why? ¡°Why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Because I didn¡¯t want to see my sister cry today.

    Oh Jin, swallowing the words that were about to escape his mouth, swept the area around Ha Eun¡¯s eyes, which had already dried up, with his fingertips while he was getting angry.

    ¡°I¡¯m back, sister.¡±

    He hugged Ha-eun and ovepped their lips.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Ha-eun, who was about to continue questioning the lie from earlier, quickly sighed deeply and shook her head.

    ¡°I really¡­ I really can¡¯t live.¡±

    Her face, embracing Oh Jin, was filled with only bright smiles instead of tear stains.

    * * *

    ¡°So what is that request?¡±

    Ojin managed to ward off the dark clouds that wereing from all directions and red at the Cheonma.

    The look in his eyes was fierce, as if he was going to give me a thunderbolt if I made an impossible request.

    Cheonmaughed bitterly as she saw such misanthropy.

    ¡°My sister. ¡°Please don¡¯t cry again in the future.¡±

    ¡°¡­under.¡±

    A smile escaped Ojin¡¯s lips.

    Was that yourst request, risking your life?

    ¡°Okay. I promise I will never make you cry from now on.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not lying, are you?¡±

    Cheonma asked, turning his back on Ojin.

    Ojin chuckled and likewise turned his back on Cheonma.

    ¡°Am I you?¡±

    The sound of foolishughter echoed through the dark clouds.

    As if we had different fates.

    The two Ojins head in opposite directions.

    One towards the ck sky.

    One towards the shining starlight.

    plete-

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