Chapter 216
Chapter 216
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 216
Chapter Title: Head of the Snake (9)
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"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The woman repeatedly apologized, slamming her forehead against the floor so hard it seemed she would crack it.
Oh-jin swallowed dryly, looking down with a slight frown at Cassia, who was trembling as she pressed her forehead to the floor.
'The Queen of the Serpent was said to be a fanatical follower of the Cheonma.'
If that's the case.
Does she truly mistake me for the Cheonma?
'Why?'
It might have made sense for my past self.
But right now, I haven't amassed the power to be called by such a grand title, nor have I done anything to deserve it.
According to Isabella, the Cheonma was a transcendent being who gave birth to the Constellations of the Black Star.
She must have seen me being pushed to the brink of death just moments ago by a spirit that inherited a fragment of a Black Star's soul, so why would she make such an absurd mistake?
'Could it be...'
Oh-jin placed a hand over his left chest.
The black sky sleeping beneath the thin fabric.
Did she mistake me for the Cheonma because she saw the Heukcheon?
'No, that doesn't make sense.'
If she mistook me for the Cheonma because of the Heukcheon…
…it would mean that the 'Cheonma' who created the Black Star also possessed a Heukcheon, just like me.
'Then… there wasn't just one Heukcheon, but two?'
What in the world is going on?
Oh-jin bit his lip, wrestling with the unanswerable question.
Could the Heukcheon I possess actually be just one half, with the other half belonging to the Cheonma?
Could I be some kind of incarnation of the Cheonma?
Could it be that the one who destroyed the world in my past life wasn't me, but the real Cheonma?
'No.'
Oh-jin shook his head.
No matter what I speculated, at this stage, it was all just baseless conjecture.
'Don't think about it.'
In situations like this, if you keep making baseless assumptions, you end up believing the most 'plausible' one as if it were the truth.
He had seen it countless times in his life—how a deduction without sound logic could morph into conviction, trapping a person inside and blinding them to other possibilities.
'What's important right now isn't that.'
Oh-jin's gaze fell on Cassia, who was prostrated with her head bowed.
While Oh-jin was lost in thought, she had been ceaselessly striking her head against the floor.
'In any case, she's mistaking me for the Cheonma.'
A smirk escaped Oh-jin's lips.
He was reminded of when he first met Vega.
"Raise your head."
He spoke in a blunt tone, looking down coldly at the Queen of the Serpent prostrated on the floor.
"Yes, Lord Cheonma."
Cassia, who had been driving her forehead into the ground like a hammer on a nail, lifted her head.
Despite how roughly she had struck her head, not a single scratch was visible on her pale forehead.
"Ah, Lord Cheonma..."
Cassia's body shuddered as her eyes met Oh-jin's.
The emotion in her emerald eyes was neither affection nor loyalty.
It was a fanatical faith of unfathomable depth.
Yes.
She was looking up at him with eyes full of reverence, as if gazing upon a 'god'.
"How did you find me?"
"I first found a trace of you at the docks."
The docks.
A short gasp escaped Oh-jin's lips.
'The Living Armor.'
Did the energy of the Heukcheon leak out while I was dealing with the demonic beast she created?
"At first, I wasn't certain. But now, now I know."
Cassia crawled slowly toward Oh-jin on her knees.
"That you are... the Lord Cheonma I have been so desperately searching for."
With a bright smile, she pressed her lips to the top of Oh-jin's shoe.
Feeling the soft touch through his shoe, Oh-jin gulped.
Cold sweat trickled down his spine.
'Holy shit.'
The situation itself was the same as with Vega.
But the difficulty level was a bit different.
'This one seems a little... unhinged.'
I'd heard she was a crazy bitch, but I never imagined it was to this extent.
In any case, the situation was too awkward and uncomfortable to just stand there.
Oh-jin looked down at Cassia kissing his shoe and spoke in a chilly voice.
"Who gave you permission to kiss me without my command?"
"Ah, I-I'm sorry!"
Cassia quickly raised her head, remaining in her kneeling position.
She bit her nails, her expression one of extreme anxiety.
Like an army clerk who had accidentally put classified military documents through a shredder.
'Was I... too harsh?'
Oh-jin swallowed dryly, watching Cassia, who looked so anxious she might break at any moment.
Right now, she's following me, calling me 'Lord Cheonma, Lord Cheonma,' but…
…Cassia herself must know better than anyone that I'm several times weaker than she is.
'I have to do something.'
Feeling like he was defusing a bomb that could go off at any second, Oh-jin opened his mouth.
"Stand."
"Yes, yes!"
Cassia shot up to her feet.
For her slender frame, she wasn't that short.
Oh-jin slowly reached a hand toward Cassia.
"Hngh!"
Did she think he was going to slap her? Cassia squeezed her eyes shut.
Oh-jin brushed the dirt from her forehead with his hand.
"...Ah."
"Stay still."
After wiping the dirt from her forehead, Oh-jin brushed the dirt from her knees as well.
"Ahh... L-Lord Cheonma, touching the body of this humble servant..."
Cassia's body trembled, her face filled with emotion.
She immediately dropped to her knees and slammed her forehead against the ground again. Thud!
"I-I am eternally grateful for your grace!"
"..."
No.
I just brushed you off, what are you doing?
"...Stand."
"Yes!"
Cassia sprang to her feet, her emerald eyes sparkling as she looked at him.
A gaze full of anticipation.
This time, Oh-jin continued speaking without brushing off the dirt.
"You haven't forgotten our purpose, have you?"
"Ah, of course not, Lord Cheonma."
Is that so?
Because I don't know.
"Tell me."
"To devour all the arrogant stars floating in the night sky and turn it black. That... is your grand design, Lord Cheonma."
I see.
News to me.
'No, this isn't the first time I've heard it.'
When I first heard those words, I wondered what kind of grandiose bullshit it was.
Now, I finally understood what it meant.
'It meant he planned to devour every last Constellation.'
If the Cheonma truly possessed a Heukcheon like me, then it made sense for him to have such a goal.
The pleasure and thrill he'd felt upon absorbing a fragment of a Constellation's soul were more intense than anything Oh-jin had ever experienced.
'So, the Cheonma's goal is to use the Black Star Society to devour all the Constellations.'
Oh-jin's eyes narrowed.
For such a grand objective, he hadn't seen a single faction of the Black Star Society he'd faced so far that was willing to fight the Constellations.
'Although, fighting a Constellation is absurd in itself.'
Still, if the goal of the Cheonma who created the Black Star Society was to fight the Constellations, wasn't it strange that the factions were all split, each with different goals and actions?
Oh-jin turned to Cassia and spoke in a cold voice.
"For someone who knows the purpose so well, you've shown no action."
"Th-That's...!"
"Was your loyalty just empty words?"
"N-No, it wasn't!"
Cassia shook her head, her face pale.
"While you were away, Lord Cheonma... the number of those who dared to doubt your existence grew. One even blasphemously went around calling himself the Cheonma."
Is she talking about Juan Sucotai?
"To restore the divided factions to their proper form, I executed those who sought to defy your will with my own hands."
Cassia's eyes shone like a puppy waiting for praise.
"Of course, it's not all over yet. There's the cat and the fly... Oh, and the leech, too."
A chilling smile spread across her face as she radiated a thick killing intent.
"Do not worry, my god. Soon, I shall offer you the heads of the blasphemers who have forgotten your will."
"Wait."
Stop, you crazy woman.
"Leave the leech out of it."
"...Pardon?"
"That child is currently by my side, serving me."
"Ah."
Cassia's eyes widened.
"...Is that so?"
Her voice turned sullen.
'Anyway, I think I'm starting to understand the situation.'
So, this Cheonma fellow created the Black Star Society, but then for some reason, he vanished, which led to the society becoming what it is today.
'In the end, it means even the Queen of the Serpent doesn't know the Cheonma's whereabouts.'
If she did, she wouldn't have mistaken me for him.
'If I can use this situation to my advantage...'
Perhaps.
The thought that he might be able to bring Cassia to his side as an ally, just like Isabella, crossed his mind.
"I will follow your will, Lord Cheonma."
Cassia bowed her head deeply to Oh-jin.
Though her expression showed she wasn't entirely pleased.
It seemed she would obey the Cheonma's orders without question.
'If I play my cards right, I might really be able to make her an ally.'
Of course, I'd have to keep the truth about my identity and the Heukcheon's existence a secret.
If her loyalty was this fanatical, he thought he could make good use of her.
'If I can just win over the Queen of the Serpent.'
The corners of Oh-jin's mouth crept up slightly.
He recalled how Cassia had driven the spirit that inherited a fragment of a Constellation's soul to its death with a single short phrase.
If he could get her on his side.
She would be a great asset not only against the Black Star Society but also against the threat of the real 'Cheonma'.
'She might seem like she has a screw or two loose right now.'
But then again, wasn't it the same when he first met Isabella?
Perhaps, underneath it all, Cassia had a kind heart like Isabella.
If he could somehow persuade her.
If he could change her before it was too late.
Cassia, like Isabella, could—
"Oh, that's right! I have a gift for you, Lord Cheonma!"
"A gift?"
"Yes!"
Cassia, who had been looking sullen, suddenly lifted her head as if a good idea had struck her.
She extended her hand to the side, and a green snake slithered out from her long shadow.
The snake emerged from the shadow with something in its mouth and placed the 'gift' on her outstretched palm.
"Hehe. It is a gift prepared by your humble servant."
Cassia offered the gift to Oh-jin, holding it up politely with both hands.
"..."
Oh-jin's expression hardened as he saw the 'gift'.
"Please, try it, Lord Cheonma."
With a look of eager anticipation, Cassia flicked out her long, snake-like tongue.
Drip, drip.
Red blood dripped from between her slender fingers.
"It is the heart of Tamrangseong."
Thump, thump.
She held out the heart pulsing in her hand toward Oh-jin and giggled.
Oh-jin looked at the heart on Cassia's palm and swallowed a hollow laugh.
'I thought I could make her an ally like Isabella if I played my cards right?'
A cold sneer directed at himself.
'It's too late for this one.'
She's different from Isabella.
The Queen of the Serpent... was already broken beyond repair.