Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Registration Assessment (3)
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Zap.
His right arm, now coursing with blue lightning.
The forearm that had deflected the spearhead wouldn't move properly.
‘No way.’
Team Leader Han Jun-man's eyes trembled slightly.
The Stigma he had just confirmed was clearly two strokes.
To think that deflecting an attack from a mere 2-Star Awakened would make his arm difficult to move?
‘What in the world…’
Before he could fully grasp the situation, another sharp spear thrust came aiming for him.
“Hup!”
*CRASH!*
He stomped forward violently, ramming with his shoulder.
The spearhead was fiercely knocked away, leaving his chest wide open.
He swung his gloved fist viciously.
-Thwack!
“Keuk!!”
Struck squarely in the chest, Oh-jin's body shot backward like a baseball hit by a bat.
He tumbled helplessly across the floor and slammed into the training room wall.
“Cough, cough!”
He couldn't breathe properly.
It felt less like a human fist and more like being hit by a car at full speed.
‘This is insane.’
What kind of monstrous strength was this?
A dizzying sensation shot down his spine.
“A-Are you alright?”
“…Yes.”
He pushed himself up, leaving the bewildered Team Leader Han Jun-man behind.
His legs were trembling and the arm gripping the spear was shaking faintly, but—
‘Not yet.’
I can still fight.
I can still move.
-Vwooom!!
The Stigma on his left chest began to glow.
The heavy pressure that had been weighing on his chest eased slightly.
‘Just thrusting won't be enough.’
A direct attack wouldn't penetrate those sturdy arms.
In that case.
-Swoosh!!
He crouched low, swinging the spear as if to sweep the floor.
He was aiming for the ankles.
The spearhead, wreathed in blue lightning, flew low across the ground.
“Hah!!”
Team Leader Han Jun-man, instead of dodging, swung his foot toward the incoming spearhead.
It was a motion like kicking a soccer ball.
‘That’s it.’
A corner of Oh-jin's mouth twisted up.
He had thought—he wouldn't dodge.
-Clang!!
Just before the low-sweeping spear was kicked away, he let go of the shaft.
The kicked spearhead spun in the air.
He snatched the flying spear out of the air, and,
“Hyaaaaaaah!!”
Brought it crashing down on the man's shoulder!
-CRACK!!
“Keuk!!”
Team Leader Han Jun-man flinched and retreated.
He pursued the retreating man, gripping his spear tightly.
“Hah, hah!”
A rush of heated exhilaration.
His head felt scorching hot, as if it were on fire.
A smile crept onto his lips as a thrill coursed down his spine.
‘A little more.’
I want to enjoy this feeling of my body burning.
I want to feel this thrill that scrapes the very bottom of my soul.
-Vwooom!!
The Stigma blazed with light as if it were on fire.
Crackle!!!!
Just like when he had received Vega's blessing, the blue lightning flared violently.
[The skill 《Lightning Lv1》 has risen to 《Lightning Lv2》.]
A blue window appeared before his eyes.
He ignored it.
“Ssss.”
He took a deep breath.
—The thick smell of sweat filled his nostrils.
The smell of air, dust, and iron.
His senses sharpened, as if he were using the Stigma of Canes Venatici.
‘Just a little more.’
He swung the spear.
He thrust the spear.
More tenaciously, more viciously, more ruthlessly!
-Clang! Clang! Clang-clang-clang!!!
“Kugh!!”
Team Leader Han Jun-man crossed his arms to protect his face, blocking the rain of spear strikes.
‘What is this?’
A growing question.
The initial surprise was now a distant memory, replaced by a profound astonishment that shook him to his core.
‘What is going on?’
-Clang! Clang!
It wasn't the fiercely burning blue lightning or the violently swinging spear that was so surprising.
It was more than that.
More than any of that.
‘Why—is he getting stronger?’
Uncontrollably, unpredictably.
Like a drop of black ink spreading through clear water.
A sticky sense of foreboding enveloped him.
-Vwooom!!
The Stigma engraved on Team Leader Han Jun-man's left chest began to burn fiercely.
It was absurd for a 6-Star Awakened to use their Stigma against a 2-Star, but,
“Hyaaaaaaaah!!”
This was no time to worry about such things.
-BOOOOOM!!!
“Kuaaaargh!!!”
His glove burst as he swung a thick fist with ferocious power.
The wave of force generated by the Stigma of Taurus crushed the air, exploding with terrifying momentum.
-Thud! Thump!
Caught in the explosion, Oh-jin's body was thrown like a pebble, tumbling across the floor.
“M-Mr. Oh-jin!”
A panicked Han Jun-man rushed toward him.
“Medic!! Get the medic in here, now!!!”
At Han Jun-man's urgent shout, an Awakened who had been waiting outside the training room hurried in.
“Ah, ugh…”
“I’ll stop the bleeding first!”
The Stigma on the Awakened's left chest began to glow.
A brightly burning Stigma.
A blue light emanated from his arms and flowed into Oh-jin's body.
“Hah, hah.”
His ragged breathing returned to normal.
“Fortunately, the injuries aren't serious.”
“…Phew.”
Team Leader Han Jun-man let out a sigh of relief, clutching his chest.
“If you have a potion, bring that too. The best one you've got.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
The Awakened rushed out and soon returned with a bottle of potion.
It was a potion made from finely ground Stigma Stones, infused with the power of an Aquarius Awakened.
“Drink this.”
“Gulp, gulp.”
Oh-jin obediently took the potion Han Jun-man handed him and drank it.
The dizzying pain in his body soon subsided, and he felt completely back to normal.
‘Wow, how much does this thing cost?’
He found himself staring at the empty potion bottle, a sense of regret washing over him.
A potion made by an Aquarius Awakened.
A single bottle easily cost over ten million won.
“I am so sorry!!!!”
Team Leader Han Jun-man bowed a full ninety degrees.
“No, it's alright.”
He shook his head with a faint smile.
Although he hadn't won, he was more than satisfied with having pushed a 6-Star Awakened to the point of using their Stigma.
“In any case, has this concluded your assessment?”
“…Of course.”
Team Leader Han Jun-man nodded with a heavy expression.
The Apostle of Vega was a being far more absurd than he had ever imagined.
“I know this is not the right thing to say after making such a big mistake, but…”
He hesitated, his lips twitching, before finally speaking cautiously.
“Could you spare me a moment of your time?”
“My time?”
“Yes. I have a proposal for you.”
A proposal.
‘Might as well hear him out.’
Oh-jin nodded and pushed himself to his feet.
* * *
“Coffee or tea, what would you like?”
“Tap water.”
“Pardon?”
“Ah. Coffee, please.”
I drink it all the time, so it just slipped out.
He sat on a chair and waited a moment before Team Leader Han Jun-man returned with two cups of steaming coffee.
“What was it you wanted to talk about?”
“First… is there a guild you’re currently planning to join, Mr. Oh-jin?”
“No, there isn't.”
He shook his head firmly.
He had gone through the registration assessment, but joining a guild wasn't his goal.
“In that case…?”
“I plan to work as a mercenary.”
“Ah.”
A short gasp escaped Han Jun-man's lips.
Mercenaries.
Awakened who took on requests for tasks that guilds found difficult to handle with their own members.
It was a high-risk profession, as they weren't affiliated with any one place, but for those with enough skill, it was a job that could bring in profits that would make even executives of major guilds look poor.
‘It's basically the difference between a salaried employee and a freelancer.’
With a high evaluation from the assessment and the reputation of being the ‘Apostle of the North Star,’ raising his value wouldn't be difficult.
“…By any chance, have you considered joining the Association?”
So it was a recruitment offer after all.
“Being tied down to one place would be a bit difficult for me.”
The moment you become part of an organization, your actions are inevitably restricted.
And right now, he was in a situation where his actions absolutely could not be restricted.
‘Because I don't know what I'll have to do to become a Regressor.’
He placed the empty coffee cup on the table and started to get up.
“Well then, I should…”
“Your official affiliation would be with the Association, but you wouldn't need to report to work as a formal employee. Ah, and of course, you would still be paid a salary even if you don't come to work. Though it is quite meager compared to the major guilds.”
What?
I get paid without having to go to work?
“What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said. You can simply be registered as a member of the Association while continuing to work freely as a mercenary. If you’re amenable, we could even arrange suitable requests for you.”
It was a tempting offer.
If he accepted requests through the Association, he wouldn't have to deal with shitty situations where clients refused to pay.
‘The conditions are good, but.’
Still, he couldn't just bite the bait.
“Hmm…”
He furrowed his brow and let out a thoughtful hum, pretending to be deep in thought.
“Are there any conditions you would like to propose?”
“For two months… no, just one month, could you prevent my information from getting out?”
He had no intention of living his life hiding his power.
But he couldn't recklessly use the title ‘Apostle of the North Star’ without any preparation.
The title ‘Apostle of the North Star’ was undoubtedly a source of immense power, but with power comes responsibility.
‘I need time.’
He needed time to build up the skills and achievements worthy of carrying the name of the North Star.
“Understood. We will do our utmost to prevent any information from spreading through the media or the internet.”
Good.
That alone would be enough to stop the information from spreading explosively.
‘So, to sum it up, if I'm affiliated with the Association, they'll block my information from leaking and find good contracts for me?’
And they'd even pay him a salary without him having to show up for work.
‘Holy shit.’
An offer so insane it made my balls tremble.
Looking at the terms alone, it was a deal so one-sided it put unequal treaties to shame, but he could understand the Association's position to some extent.
‘This is a chance to have the Apostle of Vega under the Association's banner.’
For the Association, whose authority was plummeting by the day under pressure from the major guilds, there would be no better opportunity than this.
“…What do you think?”
Gulp.
Han Jun-man swallowed dryly as he asked.
His face was tense with anticipation.
Oh-jin leaned back leisurely against the sofa and crossed his legs.
In his mind, he had already decided to accept the Association's offer, but.
‘I have to be a total badass here.’
If he jumped on it like a dog in heat, it would all be for nothing.
He would end up becoming the Association's dog.
‘I can't be a dog.’
He had lived the past eight years like a dog.
No.
He had lived his entire life like a dog.
‘Not anymore.’
He would no longer live like a dog.
He would no longer submit and obey.
‘From today on, I.’
—will be the ‘master’.
“Well, I think I need a little more time to think…”
“We will also make you completely tax-exempt.”
“Starting today, I will be the Association's dog.”
“Pardon?”
“Grrrrr!! Woof!! Woof woof!!”
“Wait.”