Chapter 151
Chapter 151
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 151
Chapter Title: First Date (1)
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A galaxy flowed through the city, like the night sky turned upside down.
A cool night breeze blew through the sky garden, where a brilliant night view unfolded.
Watching her hair sway like a quietly burning bonfire, Lee Shin-hyeok swallowed nervously.
A confession he had held back for three years.
He remembered the moment his body trembled as if struck by lightning when he first met her at the Gate.
He had suppressed these feelings until he became a high-ranking Awakened, until he could stand confidently before her and protect her.
But after recently defeating the ‘Seahorse’ that had dominated all of Japan.
He could finally confess his feelings with confidence.
“...”
Ha-eun stared blankly at the palm-sized box Lee Shin-hyeok held out.
Inside the slightly open box was a beautiful necklace.
A faint blue light emanated from the necklace, clearly crafted from expensive consecrated stone.
“Haa.”
A deep sigh escaped Ha-eun's lips.
She looked up at the night sky with bitter eyes and spoke softly.
“My brother was just saying something like that.”
“...What?”
“That you seem to like me, and I should consider dating you.”
Lee Shin-hyeok's eyes widened, and he clenched his fists tightly.
She rarely talked about the 'brother' she was taking care of, so he had vaguely assumed the brother didn't approve of him.
Had he said something like that without him knowing?
“Th-Then!”
Lee Shin-hyeok took a step closer to Ha-eun, his eyes filled with excitement.
Ha-eun gazed at Lee Shin-hyeok for a moment before slowly shaking her head.
“I'm sorry. I appreciate the thought... but I can't date you.”
A firm rejection, like the swing of a sword.
As if to leave no room for hope, her voice and gaze were ice-cold.
“Of course, I know you've done a lot for me. I intend to repay you for that, no matter how long it takes.”
“...”
“But... I can't date you when I don't have any feelings for you. It wouldn't be good for you either, Shin-hyeok.”
“...Nunna.”
Every word from Ha-eun was a sharp blade digging into his chest.
Lee Shin-hyeok looked at her with trembling eyes.
No feelings at all, she said.
Was the excitement and thrill he felt while spending time with her all just his own delusion?
“Besides, this isn't the time for us to be casually dating, is it?”
Ha-eun gently stroked Lee Shin-hyeok's head, as if soothing a hurt child.
“Those Satellite Cult guys have been running rampant lately... and there was talk that the 'Owls' recently joined forces with the 'Toads'.”
“That's...”
“We won't have much time to be this carefree in the future.”
“...”
Lee Shin-hyeok clenched his jaw and lowered his head.
The gentle touch stroking his hair, the comforting words she spoke.
It all felt painful, as if crushing his heart.
“I... I can't give up on you, Nunna.”
“Shin-hyeok?”
Lee Shin-hyeok roughly grabbed her hand as she stroked his hair.
He sent a burning gaze her way.
“Even if it's not now, someday, I'll make you like me.”
“...”
“Until then, you hold onto this.”
Lee Shin-hyeok held out the box with the necklace and gave a faint smile.
Ha-eun took the box, looking troubled.
“Shin-hyeok, this is.”
“Please, just take it. It has a protection spell on it.”
“...”
“Even if you don't change your mind...”
He tightened his grip, his eyes filled with firm resolve.
“I will definitely protect you.”
As those low words echoed.
*Chiiiiik!*
His vision distorted as if filled with static.
“Puha!”
Oh-jin exhaled the breath he'd been holding and scowled fiercely.
“That bastard Lee Shin-hyeok dares...”
To hit on my sister?
The very fact that he dared to confess to Ha-eun felt incredibly unpleasant.
Well, he got rejected right away, but still.
'By the way, I told my sister it would be good for her to date that bastard Lee Shin-hyeok?'
That was the part he couldn't understand at all.
For him, of all people, to have told Ha-eun to date Lee Shin-hyeok.
'What the hell happened?'
The more he thought about his first-life self, the more his head throbbed.
Just how much unfathomable despair must he have felt to say something like that to Ha-eun?
“Screw that.”
Oh-jin cursed roughly as he vaguely recalled his past self.
It didn't matter how much despair his past self had experienced.
That miserably wretched future would be changed by his hands, the hands of the Star of Defiance.
'To do that.'
Oh-jin focused his mind, watching the dark storm cloud seep into his body.
Soon, as the storm cloud was fully absorbed, the clear chime he had been waiting for rang in his ears.
*T-ring!*
[A portion of Awakened Lee Shin-hyeok's memories has been successfully inherited!]
[Understanding of 'Spearmanship of Pyxis' is insufficient, skill level increase is not possible!]
Ah.
A disappointed sigh escaped Oh-jin's lips.
'Looks like Riak was right, you can't just hit skill level 10.'
While his style didn't rely solely on spearmanship, he had been secretly anticipating what would change at level 10, so he couldn't help but feel disappointed.
'Still, I've reached the sixth bloom, so there must be something else.'
Putting his disappointment aside, he checked the next message that appeared.
[Black Heaven has reached 'Sixth Star Transformation'.]
[A portion of the sealed power of the Stigma of Lyra and the mana of the Dragon Vein will be released.]
Along with the message he'd been waiting for, he felt a portion of the power coiled in his heart spread throughout his body.
Before he could even savor the electrifying thrill, more messages popped up.
[The effects of Black Heaven's traits are enhanced.]
[The effect of 'Transformation' is enhanced. You can now use Transformation on detached body parts.]
[The effect of 'Black Veil' is enhanced. It is now possible to not only conceal the aura of Black Heaven but also convert it into the aura of other Stigmas.]
“Whoa, what the hell is this.”
A gasp escaped Oh-jin's lips as he checked the message window before him.
Literally a 'broken' effect.
It seemed like an effect designed to let him deceive the world to his heart's content.
'I can use Transformation on detached body parts, and on top of that, I can freely convert my aura?'
To test it, Oh-jin lightly cut his fingertip and let blood drip to the floor.
Blood could be considered a part of his body, so according to the description, transformation should be possible.
*Chwaaak!!!*
When he used Transformation on the blood that had dripped to the floor, the drops shot up, morphing into the shape of sharp awls.
“I could use this for combat, too.”
Considering the demonic beast he fought when he first acquired 'Transformation', it was indeed a combat skill, not just for camouflage.
Thinking he should practice using Transformation for combat sometime, he next tested the effect of 'Black Veil'.
“Stigma of Hippocampus.”
*Wooooong!*
As he used the Stigma of Hippocampus, a sticky and ominous black mana flowed out.
The common aura that flowed out when using a Stigma of the Black Stars.
Oh-jin used 'Black Veil' on that aura.
*Gurgle.*
“Damn, it works.”
The mana, which had exuded a sticky and ominous aura like a sweat-soaked shirt clinging to skin in summer, transformed into a clear and refreshing aura.
The aura of the mana shifted rapidly, from a fierce aura like an angry beast to a frigid one like a winter blizzard.
'There will be many opportunities to use this.'
Oh-jin nodded in satisfaction, looking at the clear water droplet floating above his palm.
“Let's see... I think I'm done getting what I can from Black Heaven.”
It was difficult to check right now whether he could use Heaven's Opening with the released mana of the Dragon Vein.
However.
'I should check if I can create Hydro-Affinity with the Stigma of Hippocampus.'
In fact, this was what he had anticipated the most when he obtained the Stigma of Hippocampus.
Since it was a Stigma that could freely create and manipulate water, he thought it would have great synergy with the Hydro-Affinity skill.
*Chwaak!*
Oh-jin raised his spear and slashed a long gash on his forearm.
He brought a large mass of water created with the Stigma of Hippocampus to his forearm, where the flesh was split open and blood was trickling out.
The wound gradually regenerated as it absorbed the water.
“It works!”
Oh-jin's eyes sparkled.
'Holy crap, this is so broken!'
He was thrilled at the thought that he could heal even the most severe external injuries in an instant using the Stigma of Hippocampus.
“Uh... but.”
Oh-jin frowned as he watched the wound slowly healing.
'Why is the regeneration so damn slow?'
Just a moment ago, he could regenerate instantly from any wound, like some reincarnated slime, but now the speed was noticeably slower.
'Is it because the surroundings aren't filled with water energy?'
Or maybe there was a penalty, like reduced regeneration efficiency with self-created water.
Whatever the case.
It was a great gain in that he now had a way to heal his wounds without being affected by the surrounding environment.
“I'll stop here for now.”
He needed time to calmly study and get used to his newly acquired abilities.
Oh-jin looked down at the corpse of Sosuke, whose head had burst open.
“...Hmm?”
Just then.
He saw something round fall out of his inner pocket.
'A horse pass?'
No.
Engraved on the round plaque, slightly smaller than his palm, wasn't a horse, but the eerie emblem of a snake.
'...Is the snake involved this time, too?'
Oh-jin frowned, looking down at Sosuke's corpse.
Whether it was due to a conflict with Lee Shin-hyeok's memories or some other reason, the 'inheritance' of memories hadn't occurred with Sosuke, making it difficult to grasp the exact details.
“Maybe I should have interrogated him a bit.”
After a moment of thought, Oh-jin shook his head.
Even if he had tried to interrogate him, there would have been a restriction on him, just like with Cheon Do-yoon.
“A snake...”
As Oh-jin continued to ponder with the horse pass, no, the snake pass, in his hand, a booming voice reached his ears.
“Brother Oh-jin!!! Are you there!”
He saw Sakaki running towards him in a hurry.
With both his hands crushed, he panted heavily as he scanned the area.
“Where is that bastard Sosuke...!”
“He's dead.”
“...You mean you took down Sosuke by yourself?”
Sakaki's eyes widened, and his mouth fell half-open.
Oh-jin let out a small laugh and nodded.
“I told you I could win on my own.”
“Hah... I'd heard the Apostle of Polaris was strong, but I never imagined this strong.”
Well, the type matchup played a big part this time.
But there was no need to mention that.
“What's the situation in Osaka?”
“The Osaka side has been completely suppressed, and they're heading to the last 'digestion chamber' in Kyoto.”
“That's a relief.”
Once that's taken care of, the Hippocampus faction will be virtually annihilated.
“There's still some work left to do... but for now, things are more or less settled.”
Oh-jin looked up at the night sky with a faint smile.
Unbefitting of its derogatory name, the Land Forsaken by the Stars.
The starlight embroidering the night sky was shining brilliantly.
* * *
After the last 'digestion chamber' in Kyoto was destroyed.
Under the leadership of the Kurōshi members, a massive public announcement was made about the Hippocampus faction.
Oh-jin asked Sakaki not to mention his name.
If word got out that he had killed Sosuke after Cheon Do-yoon, he could attract the attention of other Black Star Society factions.
Especially since he could get involved with the 'snake' Cheon Sang-gil had warned him about, it was wise to lay low.
'He did make a fuss, saying he couldn't just take credit for someone else's work.'
Still, after some persuasion, he managed to get Sakaki's agreement.
-I swear on my name as a man that I will repay this debt!
He had managed to avoid the Black Star Society's notice while also making a reliable ally in Sakaki Ryo—killing two birds with one stone.
“So... what happened to that kid, Koshiro?”
After a few days of cleaning up the aftermath.
While he was spending some rare, relaxed time with Ha-eun, she suddenly asked.
“Well... it seems they didn't kill him. But they decided to kick him out of the organization.”
“Tsk, well.”
For whatever reason, they couldn't keep a member with a history of betrayal.
Before leaving, Koshiro said, 'I'll come back as a real man next time,' and then left abruptly with his sister, who had been cured of the poison.
“Still, it would have left a bad taste if he'd died, so that's a relief.”
“We'll probably see him again if we get the chance.”
“Heehee. I hope he and Mr. Sakaki make up by then. It was fun watching them act all silly together.”
I agree.
“Brother Oh-jin!! Are you in there!”
*Kwoong!*
Just then, Sakaki burst into the room, violently shattering the sliding door.
I wonder if that man even knows how to open a door.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing's wrong... but haven't we taken care of all the urgent matters?”
Sakaki suddenly held out a card and boomed.
“You came all the way to Japan, you can't leave having only seen its ugly side, right? Spend as much as you want, why don't you go do some sightseeing in the city?”
Oh-jin obtained the Black Cow's card