Chapter 138
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Greedy Wolf Star (1)
“T-The Greedy Wolf Star?!”
Ha-eun’s eyes shot open, her jaw dropping.
The Greedy Wolf Star, Cheon Sang-gil.
The ruler of the Ganghwa Island Special Administrative Zone, a city commonly known as Paradise.
For the undisputed strongest Awakened in Korea, one of the top ten in the world, to come looking for Oh-jin…
And not by sending a subordinate guild member or an attendant, but by coming in person himself.
“Why would the Greedy Wolf Star be looking for Oh-jin…?”
Ha-eun stared blankly, her gaze shifting between Cheon Sang-gil and Oh-jin.
Cheon Sang-gil approached Oh-jin with a leisurely stride.
“Even if I am an old man on his deathbed, my hearing hasn't failed me yet. I’ve heard many stories about the Thunder Wolf.”
“I’m honored.”
Oh-jin bowed his head respectfully and accepted the hand Cheon Sang-gil offered.
A clear energy flowed from his wrinkled palm.
It was mana as pure and clean as distilled water, without a single impurity.
‘Is he some kind of true sage?’
He had met many Awakened by now, but he had never encountered mana this refined.
“I came because I wanted to have a word with you. Do you have a moment?”
“Of course.”
He had no idea what the man wanted to discuss.
But this was one of the Seven Stars, and he had come in person. Oh-jin could hardly turn him away by claiming to be busy.
‘The Greedy Wolf Star.’
For a superhuman whose name he had heard so often that his ears were practically bleeding to come looking for him personally…
It made him realize that the name Thunder Wolf carried more influence than he had anticipated.
“Thank you. I’ve arranged a place, so please follow me.”
Cheon Sang-gil turned with a faint smile.
“Hey, Oh-jin, is it okay if I come too?”
“Well, it should be fine. It’s not like he asked to see me alone.”
With Ha-eun beside him, Oh-jin followed Cheon Sang-gil.
The place he led them to was a quiet teahouse built in the traditional Korean architectural style.
It was so luxurious and magnificent that it felt as though a palace from the Joseon Dynasty had been dropped into the middle of Seoul.
‘What kind of teahouse is this big?’
The place was so extravagant that he wondered whether it could cover its maintenance costs even if it brewed opium instead of tea.
“First, let’s have a cup of tea. Is there any kind you’d like?”
“I don’t know much about tea.”
“Then I’ll order something suitable.”
When Cheon Sang-gil lightly rang the bell on the table, a sliding door opened, and a waitress wearing a beautiful traditional Korean dress entered.
“Three cups of Star Essence Tea, please.”
“Yes, sir.”
Star Essence Tea?
Was there really a tea with that name?
“It’s brewed from leaves grown using fertilizer mixed with finely ground Star Essence Stones. Not only does it taste excellent, but it also helps mana circulate throughout the body.”
“…”
He had no idea what kind of tea it was, but it sounded so absurdly expensive that his jaw nearly dropped.
*Screech.*
After a short wait, the door opened, and a waitress entered carrying steaming teacups.
“Thank you for the tea.”
Oh-jin took a sip of the faintly blue-tinted tea.
A refreshing, minty fragrance filled his mouth, and he felt his head clear.
“Is the tea to your liking?”
“Yes. It feels like my head is clearing up.”
“I’m glad.”
Cheon Sang-gil smiled benevolently and took a sip of his own tea.
Ha-eun, sitting beside Oh-jin, hesitantly followed his lead. Her eyes widened after the first sip, and she gulped down the rest in one go.
That’s not beer, big sis.
“The main reason I came to see you was to express my gratitude.”
“Pardon?”
Gratitude?
He couldn’t recall doing anything that would earn him thanks from Cheon Sang-gil.
“You stopped my foolish younger brother before he could commit even more heinous crimes. It was only right that I come and thank you.”
“…”
“Pfft!!! W-what? Younger brother?”
Ha-eun, who had sneakily taken a sip of Oh-jin’s tea, sprayed it everywhere as she stared at Cheon Sang-gil.
There was no need to wonder who Cheon Sang-gil meant by his younger brother.
“…You and Cheon Do-yoon were brothers?”
“Though we weren't exactly on speaking terms.”
Cheon Sang-gil drank his Star Essence Tea with a bitter expression.
“To be honest, until recently, I didn’t even know my brother was alive. Eight years… no, it’s already been nine. Forgive me. I’m old, and my sense of time has grown unreliable.”
*Clink.*
He set down his teacup and continued.
“I lost contact with Do-yoon after the gate to the Demon Realm opened in the North Pole. Naturally, I assumed he was dead…”
“And you found out he was alive this time.”
“That’s right. I also learned that he had become an Executor of the Black Star Society and was committing terrible deeds.”
Cheon Sang-gil’s eyes glinted coldly.
‘So that’s why the Cheonhye Guild made a move during the Owl extermination operation.’
To think that was why the guild, which rarely ventured outside Paradise, had suddenly taken action.
“I intended to punish my foolish brother myself before he could commit any more sins… but unfortunately, he managed to escape somewhere.”
Cheon Sang-gil let out a deep sigh.
“It was then that I heard your story. That’s why I came to offer my gratitude in person.”
The fact that Oh-jin had fought and defeated Cheon Do-yoon wasn't publicly known.
But apparently, the Cheonhye Guild's information network was too thorough for the news to escape it.
“Thank you. You’ve done what this foolish old man should have done himself.”
Cheon Sang-gil stood up and bowed his head deeply.
Oh-jin carefully studied his expression, wondering whether he knew about the Heaven's Opening skill Oh-jin had used during his fight with Cheon Do-yoon. However, there was no sign that he did.
“Not at all. I was just doing what had to be done.”
“Haha! Indeed, you are a young man worthy of the title of hero.”
It seemed Cheon Sang-gil believed Oh-jin had punished Cheon Do-yoon out of a burning sense of justice.
In reality, Oh-jin hadn't fought for justice. He had simply acted because Cheon Do-yoon had messed with Ha-eun.
‘All the better.’
There was no title more useful than “hero.”
Humans were instinctively drawn to good people.
No, to be precise…
‘They're drawn to people they believe are good.’
The truth didn't matter.
Only what felt like the truth was important.
“It’s nothing compared to the Seven Stars.”
“That is too grand a title for this old man.”
Cheon Sang-gil sat back down.
“No. I’ve heard so much about your great achievements, Lord Greedy Wolf Star, that my ears are about to fall off.”
In truth, Oh-jin had little interest in the Seven Stars, so he didn't know much about the Greedy Wolf Star's achievements.
The only thing he really knew was the story behind the title.
Oh-jin exclaimed with feigned excitement.
“The high-ranking Awakened of Capricorn who can command sound at will! There isn't a person in the world who doesn't know the story of how you subdued thousands of monsters that poured out of a gate six years ago and attacked people indiscriminately—with a single whistle!”
“A-ahem. I-is that so?”
I don't know.
But it's a damn famous story.
Even I, who couldn't give a rat's ass about the Seven Stars, know about it.
“To Koreans, Lord Cheon Sang-gil is a hero they deeply admire.”
“Hoho. That's enough. I'm so embarrassed I can hardly lift my head.”
Despite his words, an unmistakable smile spread across Cheon Sang-gil's lips.
As expected, even one of the Seven Stars was still human.
“So… did you come to see me just to offer your thanks?”
Surely a member of the Seven Stars wouldn't simply say thanks and leave it at that, right?
“That’s the main reason, yes. Ah, of course, I have no intention of leaving it at mere words. I've naturally prepared a fitting reward.”
“Oh, no!”
Yes! This is it, goddammit!
“Just meeting a hero I admire is more than enough for me!”
I don't know what you've prepared, but hurry up and show me.
“It’s this.”
“You really don’t have to do this…”
This is exactly what I needed most.
“Hoo. Well, I can't ignore the sincerity you've shown. I'll accept it gratefully.”
Spouting words he didn't mean, Oh-jin opened the small box Cheon Sang-gil handed him.
Inside was a rectangular card that looked like a passport.
“It's an admission ticket to Paradise.”
“Ah… yes.”
Oh-jin nodded, his expression clearly disappointed.
An admission ticket to Paradise—something anyone could obtain by paying ten billion won.
He might have been tempted in the past, but now it wasn't a particularly interesting item.
“Well, in this case, it would be more accurate to call it an invitation.”
“An invitation?”
“I would like to invite you to Paradise.”
Paradise.
It was such a mysterious place that he had wanted to visit it at least once.
“I'm sorry, but I have other things I need to take care of.”
Right now, unsealing Vega was his priority.
“There's no need to rush. Please visit when you have the time. I believe it will be a good experience for you.”
“Yes, I understand. I'll visit you later.”
There was no reason to refuse the invitation when he put it that way.
“By the way, may I ask what business you need to take care of?”
“That is…”
After a moment's thought, Oh-jin narrowed his eyes and answered.
“I have some business in Japan.”
“Japan… Are you going to hunt the Hippocampus?”
As expected.
He knew about the Hippocampus faction.
“In that case, you should meet this fellow.”
Cheon Sang-gil lightly tapped the table, and an attendant wearing a modified traditional Korean outfit appeared from somewhere, offering a piece of paper and a pen.
He took the pen and wrote a contact number on the paper as if wielding a brush.
“He's an Awakened I have some connection with. His personality is a bit… unique, but he should be of help to you.”
The name written on the contact information was Sakaki Ryo.
“Thank you. I'll try contacting him.”
To hunt the Hippocampus faction in earnest, Oh-jin needed to build connections with the locals anyway.
An Awakened connected to none other than the Greedy Wolf Star should be trustworthy.
“Well then, this old man will take his leave. Ah, I've already taken care of the bill, so please have a meal with your girlfriend. The traditional Korean full-course meal here is quite famous for that.”
“For that?”
Cheon Sang-gil looked back and forth between Oh-jin and Ha-eun with a mischievous grin.
He puckered his wrinkled lips slightly and whistled.
—Vitality, my boy, vitality!
A voice echoed in Oh-jin's head.
It was hard to believe that such a cry had come from Cheon Sang-gil, who looked like an enlightened sage or a spirit of the mountains.
‘What the…?’
What kind of nonsense was this old man spouting all of a sudden?
—Huhu. Try it once, and you'll be in for a surprise tonight. A pillar of fire will shoot straight up!
Cheon Sang-gil raised a clenched fist high into the air.
‘Don't, you bastard.’
Oh-jin hastily glanced at Ha-eun, but she showed no particular reaction. It seemed the voice was audible only to him.
As Oh-jin stared at Cheon Sang-gil in disbelief…
“Hahaha! It seems this old man got a bit carried away!”
Cheon Sang-gil burst into hearty laughter and stood up.
*Screech.*
Just before he opened the sliding door and left…
“Ah, one last thing…”
He looked back at Oh-jin, his face suddenly devoid of laughter.
—Beware of the snake.
Along with the low voice that echoed in Oh-jin's mind…
The sliding door closed.
“…A snake.”
Muttering the ominous word that seemed to cling to him, Oh-jin shook the bell on the table.
“Yes, I'll take your order.”
“I'd like the full-course meal.”
The full course.