Chapter 227
Chapter 227
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 227
Chapter Title: The Seven Stars Council (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Seven Stars Council was held at the Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, China.
A skyscraper soaring a staggering 127 stories high.
The area around the magnificent building, with its exterior curved like an ascending dragon, was bustling with dignitaries from all over the world and broadcast crews gathered to capture them on camera.
“Wow… This is practically an end-of-year awards ceremony, isn’t it?”
*I should’ve worn a dress,* Ha-eun thought with a dry laugh.
She looked around at the swarms of people around the tower and clicked her tongue.
“But this is a tournament to select the Seven Stars. Is it okay for it to have such a festive atmosphere?”
“For most people, it’s no different from a festival.”
To the public, the ‘Seven Stars’ were symbolic figures.
Gakseongja who represented the heroes protecting humanity, so to speak.
In that sense, the existence of the Seven Stars had to be widely known to the public, not kept secret. A symbol no one knew about was worthless.
“A lot of Gakseongja I’ve seen on TV are here too.”
Ha-eun looked around curiously, her head swiveling back and forth.
Just as she said, the area was teeming with world-famous high-ranking Gakseongja, such as those who had made brilliant contributions in monster subjugations, and guild masters of mega-guilds with tens of thousands of members.
Perhaps since the first rift appeared, you could count on one hand the number of times so many high-ranking Gakseongja had gathered in one place.
“My dear Oh-jin… You’re pretty famous in Korea, but here you’re just a nobody, huh?”
“Shut up.”
With so many celebrities around, Oh-jin received almost no attention.
*Is this what it feels like for a famous Korean actor to get the cold shoulder in Hollywood?*
“Heehee. But don’t worry, this big sis will stick by your side no matter how insignificant you are.”
Ha-eun giggled and playfully slapped Oh-jin’s butt.
*I knew this would happen. I should have come alone.*
But Ha-eun had insisted on coming, so he had no choice but to bring her.
*It’s not like she has anything to do here anyway.*
Since Oh-jin was the only one competing as Korea’s representative, the only thing she could do was cheer for him.
“Those bastards might not care about you now, my dear Oh-jin, but once the tournament starts, they’ll be so shocked they’ll do a triple axel in the air.”
“What kind of crazy reaction is that?”
Still.
“If you come back as one of the Seven Stars, this big sis will give you a special present, so do well, okay?”
Having Ha-eun by his side somehow made him feel more motivated.
“What kind of present?”
“Heehee. That’s a surprise for when you get back.”
Ha-eun winked, a suggestive smile playing on her lips.
Now there was another reason to become one of the Seven Stars, besides the Dragon Veins.
“By the way, how many candidates are participating?”
“They said twenty-eight.”
“That’s quite a lot, isn’t it? Only one person is going from our country.”
“Each country has a set number of candidates they can send.”
The more powerful a nation was in terms of Gakseongja, the more candidates it could send to the Seven Stars Council.
In the case of China, the United States, and the United Kingdom, considered the strongest, each nation sent a whopping four candidates to the council.
“…Was our country ranked that low?”
“Globally, we’re about in the middle.”
Thanks to Cheon Sang-gil, it used to be considered in the upper ranks, but with his death and the annihilation of the Cheonhye Guild, the ranking had dropped significantly.
“The ones below that can’t even attend.”
Countries like Japan, which had no high-ranking Gakseongja at all—often called ‘lands forsaken by the stars’—couldn’t even participate in the Seven Stars Council.
In other words.
Among the countries eligible to participate in the Seven Stars Council, Korea was at the very bottom.
“What a bunch of cheap bastards.”
Ha-eun frowned, clearly displeased.
“But doesn’t it seem ridiculous to have different rules for each country when you’re selecting the Seven Stars?”
Logically, what Ha-eun said made perfect sense.
“Because the influence of a Seven Star is great enough to sway an entire nation.”
Considering what happened to Korea after Tamrangseong died, it was understandable why they’d chosen such a petty method.
Not that he agreed with it.
“Well, it doesn’t matter if there’s one or four.”
He had to defeat all the other candidates to become a Seven Star either way.
“Look at you, all confident.”
Ha-eun grinned and poked Oh-jin’s side.
While he was chatting with Ha-eun.
“Ah, there you two are.”
Section Chief Han Jun-man, who had come along as their guide, approached them.
“The candidate registration is complete, so let’s head to your rooms.”
“What’s the tournament schedule?”
“The main tournament will begin in two days. Tonight, there’s a small opening ceremony, and tomorrow, they’ll gather the candidates to explain the detailed rules and precautions.”
Section Chief Han handed over the schedule he’d received from the management and continued his explanation.
“Until two days from now, you can freely use the training rooms inside the tower, and if you need meals or any supplies, you just have to let the management know, and they’ll provide them immediately.”
Two days.
It was a tight schedule, which showed how urgent selecting the new Seven Stars was.
“Have you heard anything about how the tournament will be conducted?”
“No, that will probably be announced tomorrow.”
Oh-jin nodded and followed Section Chief Han into the Shanghai Tower.
They were guided to a room on the 15th floor.
Considering the Shanghai Tower had 127 floors in total, it was a rather low floor.
“I apologize. I tried to get a room on a higher floor, but…”
Section Chief Han scratched his head with an awkward expression.
“It seems our request was… misinterpreted. Haha.”
Section Chief Han let out a forced laugh, avoiding Oh-jin’s gaze.
Oh-jin could easily guess why he looked so uncomfortable.
*So, we got pushed aside by the other candidates.*
There were a total of twenty-eight candidates participating in this Seven Stars Council.
Among them, all except Oh-jin were high-ranking Gakseongja of 9-Star or higher.
And most of them were high-ranking Gakseongja with powerful Stigmas of the Hwangdo 12-gung class.
No matter that Oh-jin possessed the Stigma of Bukgeukseong, which all Gakseongja coveted, he was bound to receive poor treatment among such formidable candidates.
*No, it’s probably worse precisely because I have the Stigma of Bukgeukseong.*
For what is envy but the desire to possess what another has?
Harboring ill will toward someone for having what you don’t was practically human instinct.
“Ahem. Anyway, your rooms are here, Room 1 and Room 2.”
“One room is enough.”
Ha-eun returned one of the keycards Section Chief Han was offering.
She grinned, dangling the key to Room 1 from her fingers.
“…I see.”
Section Chief Han looked at Oh-jin with eyes full of envy, as if he were about to cry tears of blood.
“Haa. Please be at the banquet hall on the 100th floor by 7 PM.”
Section Chief Han turned and walked away, his shoulders slumped dejectedly.
The faint grumbling of a middle-aged man could be heard, “This is so unfair, I’m going to get a girlfriend too.”
“Uh… Was I a bit tactless?”
Ha-eun watched the retreating figure of Section Chief Han and scratched her head, looking embarrassed.
* * *
After resting with Ha-eun in the room for about three hours.
Oh-jin went up to the 100th floor where the opening ceremony was being held.
*It’s packed here too.*
The 100th floor was filled with the broadcast crews and famous Gakseongja he had seen outside the tower.
The moment Oh-jin entered the banquet hall, all eyes turned to him.
“…That’s him, right? Noerang?”
“The one who’s only an 8-Star?”
“Hah, a guy who hasn’t even reached 9-Star wants to become one of the Seven Stars.”
Scorn and ridicule came from all around.
Oh-jin ignored them and started eating the food laid out on the tables.
Perhaps because of the occasion.
Every dish was a delicacy, so delicious it felt like it would melt on his tongue.
“Ahem. We will now begin the opening ceremony for the Seven Stars Council.”
As he was eating and waiting, an announcer holding a microphone stepped onto the stage.
“Before the main ceremony begins, we will have a speech from Mr. Wei Wujiao, who helped make the successful opening of this Seven Stars Council possible.”
Following the announcer’s introduction, a middle-aged man with a magnificent beard stepped onto the stage.
“First, I would like to express my gratitude to the Gakseongja who have gathered here today to become heroes.”
He continued in a deep, resonant voice.
“In the past few months, humanity has faced a great ordeal.”
“Cheonseonseong-nim and Tamrangseong-nim, who fought against evil for the sake of humanity, lost their lives at the hands of the vile Heukseonghoe, and countless victims have suffered from the Heukseonghoe’s terrible acts of terror across the globe.”
“The Heukseonghoe is not the only threat to humanity. We are also receiving reports from around the world that ‘Named’ who have been inactive for some time are beginning to move again.”
The speech droned on.
“In this moment of crisis, we desperately need a star to become a beacon for humanity more than ever before.”
Wei Wujiao gestured, and twenty-eight spotlights shone on the candidates.
“Let me introduce them to you! These are the Gakseongja who have joined the council to become the new Seven Stars!”
*Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!*
Thunderous applause erupted from all around.
“As the candidate representative, Gakseongja Nangong Hui, competing on behalf of China, will give a few words!”
Nangong Hui.
A famous high-ranking Gakseongja whose name Oh-jin had heard a few times.
*I think he was a high-ranking Gakseongja of Sajari, same as Lee Woo-hyeok.*
He’d also heard a rumor that he had recently reached 10-Star.
“A pleasure to be here. I am Nangong Hui.”
The man walking onto the stage, Nangong Hui, was handsome, with a fine jawline and flawless skin.
Nangong Hui bowed his head with a faint smile.
“As Mr. Wei said, we are now facing an unprecedented crisis. Perhaps a crisis even greater than when the first rifts opened and the world was thrown into chaos.”
Nangong Hui clenched his fist.
“However.”
His fervent gaze swept across the audience.
“As we always have, we will rise. We will fight against this great evil!”
His passionate voice boomed through the banquet hall.
“Please look at the candidates who have gathered here to become the stars that will light humanity’s path forward!”
Twenty-seven spotlights shone on the candidates.
“The renowned Jason Hardy, known as ‘Iron Fist’! Orlando Vale, said to shoot arrows that pierce the heavens! Every candidate gathered here is an outstanding individual, more than worthy of becoming one of the Seven Stars!”
Each time a spotlight landed on a candidate, applause thundered.
*Give me a fucking break.*
Oh-jin let out a dry laugh at the atmosphere, which felt exactly like an end-of-year awards show.
He decided to ignore it and just eat, picking up his fork.
“Ah, that’s right.”
Nangong Hui’s gaze turned to Oh-jin.
A smirk played on his lips.
“With one exception, that is.”
The twenty-seven spotlights converged on Oh-jin.