Chapter 229
Chapter 229
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 229
Chapter Title: The Seven Stars Council (5)
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“Haha… So you two are a couple. My apologies for my rudeness.”
Namgung-hwi scratched his neck irritably, an awkward smile on his face.
The back of his neck, raked by his nails, turned red.
Glaring at Oh-jin with fiery eyes, Namgung-hwi forced the words out.
“Well then, I hope you both enjoy the party.”
Namgung-hwi hastily turned and walked away as if fleeing.
Even as he returned to his seat, he kept glancing back at Ha-eun, who was sitting on Oh-jin’s lap.
Gnash.
The sound of Namgung-hwi viciously grinding his teeth could be heard even from a distance.
Oh-jin let out a smirk and wrapped his arm around the waist of Ha-eun, who was sitting on his lap.
“Looks like he’s fallen for you, nunna.”
“Huhu. This nunna is quite a beauty, isn’t she?”
she said boastfully, her ponytail swishing.
“Oh, please.”
“And you know it.”
Ha-eun giggled and tightened her arms around Oh-jin’s neck.
Since her party dress was quite revealing, he could vividly feel the soft press of her body against his.
“The dress is pretty, isn’t it?”
“…It’s too revealing.”
“Isn’t that what makes it better?”
“It’s only good if I’m the only one who sees it.”
Oh-jin took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.
Ha-eun smiled shyly as she covered herself with Oh-jin’s coat.
She brought her lips close to his ear and whispered in a small voice.
“Okay. I’ll only show my little Oh-jin.”
“……”
He knew full well it was a line so cringey it could make his hands and feet curl, yet why were the corners of his mouth turning up like this?
Ha-eun giggled and stroked Oh-jin’s head, then frowned and looked at the empty table.
“By the way, did you really wolf it all down?”
“Of course, I saved some.”
Oh-jin presented her with the food he had hidden with an illusion.
He had maintained its temperature with faint electromagnetic waves, so it was still warm.
“When did you learn a trick like this?”
Ha-eun exclaimed in amazement, getting off his lap and sitting in the seat next to him.
“Cut it for meee.”
“Hey, you can eat this much yourself.”
“Ahem. Are you going to disobey your nunna?”
Ha-eun opened her mouth like a baby bird waiting for food.
Oh-jin let out a wry laugh, cut a piece of steak, and put it in her mouth.
“Hehe. It’s yummy.”
“Eat slowly.”
Ha-eun hugged Oh-jin’s arm and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, like a cat being affectionate.
“……”
Department Head Han, who was witnessing this incredibly cringey display of affection right next to them, swallowed back his tears with a deep sigh.
“This is just sad… Yes, it must be a sin to reach my age without ever having been in a relationship. A sin.”
It was a night where he felt particularly lonely.
* * *
The next day.
After finishing breakfast, Oh-jin met with Department Head Han and asked about the day’s schedule.
“So I just need to go to the conference room on the 50th floor by 12:30, right?”
“Yes. That’s what I was told.”
Department Head Han said, handing over the schedule he received from the council.
Since the contents were written in Chinese, he couldn’t understand what it said.
“Department Head, did you learn Chinese separately?”
“Yes. Sacred Relics can translate speech, but not reading and writing. Besides Chinese, I can also speak a little English, Japanese, and Russian.”
“Ooh.”
Oh-jin looked at Department Head Han with a surprised expression.
The bulging muscles that looked like they would burst out of his shirt at any moment, the healthy, tanned bronze skin, and a face that resembled a gorilla.
To think that a man with an appearance so far from intellectual it seemed to be in a different dimension was proficient in more than five languages.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Ahem, I may not look it, but I’m an elite, an elite!”
“Haha. I know.”
Not only had he secured the position of Department Head in his mid-thirties, but he also had the full trust of Association President Han Tae-ho.
In fact, Department Head Han was no ordinary elite.
“Ah, and I became a 7-Star this time.”
Department Head Han said proudly, thumping his left chest.
“Oh, congratulations, Department Head.”
“…Being congratulated by you, Mr. Oh-jin, feels a bit strange.”
Department Head Han sighed, recalling the first time he met Oh-jin.
“Back then, you were a 2-Star, and now you’re an 8-Star, while I’ve only just become a 7-Star.”
“Well, that’s…”
“I know. I know you’re an absurd case, Mr. Oh-jin.”
Honestly, it was a growth rate that was unbelievable even after seeing it with his own eyes.
Oh-jin also gave a bitter smile and nodded.
‘Thinking about it like this, it really is absurd.’
He could understand why the other candidates sent him looks of envy.
“With the exception of Nokjonseong, there’s probably no one who has grown as fast as you.”
Department Head Han shook his head and took back the schedule he had given Oh-jin.
Oh-jin turned his head to check the digital clock on the wall.
The time was 11:23.
There was still about an hour until the meeting.
“Do you know anything about the other participants?”
“Well… I know a few Awakeners who are considered strong candidates.”
Department Head Han continued, showing photos of the candidates on his smartphone.
“First, there’s Namgung-hwi, who was the representative yesterday. True to his title ‘Wind God,’ he’s famous for freely manipulating wind.”
“He’s also a Leo, but his combat style is quite different from Mr. Lee Woo-hyeok’s.”
He was pretty sure Lee Woo-hyeok used a sword.
“Well, the core of the Leo Stigma isn’t the weapon, but the ability to control ‘wind’ itself.”
Even with the same Stigma, how an Awakener utilized it varied greatly.
“The next strong candidate is… Jason Hardy from the US, known as ‘Iron Fist’ in Asia. He’s not a 10-Star like Namgung-hwi, but he’s a formidable talent among 9-Star Awakeners.”
“Is Namgung-hwi the only 10-Star among the participants?”
“Yes.”
Department Head Han nodded and continued.
“There are very few 10-Star or higher Awakeners… and even if there are, most of them are reluctant to apply for the Seven Stars.”
“True. At that level, there isn’t much to gain even if they become one of the Seven Stars.”
Becoming one of the Seven Stars granted immense honor and power, but it came with restrictions on one’s actions.
An Awakener who disliked being revered as the ‘hope of humanity’ or a ‘hero’ would naturally be reluctant to apply for the Seven Stars in the first place.
‘Even I was going to refuse at first.’
If it weren’t for finding a way to grow Heukcheon, he wouldn’t have even considered wanting to become one of the Seven Stars.
‘Does that mean there are Awakeners who are Seven-Star level but aren’t actually part of the Seven Stars?’
For now, there wasn’t much information on that type of Awakener, since they disliked being in the spotlight.
“Besides Jason Hardy, Orlando Vale from the UK is also known as a skilled Sagittarius Awakener.”
“As expected, the strong candidates are concentrated in the US, China, and the UK.”
“Well… that can’t be helped.”
Department Head Han gave a bitter smile and nodded.
China, the country with the most Awakeners; the US, which had the most high-ranking Awakeners; and the UK, which had the most members of the Seven Stars, including Mugeokseong Allen Oscar, Nokjonseong Rebecca Bell, and Okhyeongseong Bianca Bennett.
Of course, it was a stretch to say the countries ‘possessed’ them, as Awakeners with strong patriotism were few and far between.
Still, many Awakeners didn’t want to see the country they were born and raised in get ravaged and destroyed by monsters, so the nations’ power rose accordingly.
‘In a world where monsters run rampant, safety is power.’
Well, anyway.
“I guess we won’t know their true skills until the competition starts.”
“I believe you have more than enough qualifications to become one of the Seven Stars, Mr. Oh-jin.”
Seeing the sincere look in Department Head Han’s eyes, which was not mere lip service, Oh-jin let out a smirk.
“I have to.”
If he couldn’t become one of the Seven Stars, there was no way to set foot in the Fountain of the Milky Way.
“It’s almost time.”
“Ah, yes. Please be careful.”
While chatting with Department Head Han, it was already approaching 12:30.
Oh-jin said goodbye to Department Head Han and went up to the 50th floor.
‘Is it that way?’
Just as he was about to enter the conference room after looking at the directory on the wall.
“You cannot enter at this time.”
Some hulk of a man approached and blocked the entrance to the conference room.
“…What do you mean, I can’t enter?”
“The meeting on the competition rules and schedule already started at 12:00. We cannot let you in mid-meeting.”
What kind of bullshit was this?
“I was told the meeting starts at 12:30.”
“It seems there was a mistake. The meeting started at 12:00.”
The man with a square jaw and a sturdy build shook his head with a firm expression.
“……”
As Oh-jin was trying to figure out what this bullcrap situation was, the Shanghai Tower emblem embroidered on the breast of the guards’ suits caught his eye.
“Was it Wei? Do you work for him?”
“Mr. Wei is the biggest sponsor who made this Seven Stars Council possible. Naturally, we are also working under Mr. Wei to support the smooth progress of the council.”
Ah.
So that was how it was.
‘They gave me the wrong schedule from the start, huh?’
A hollow laugh escaped Oh-jin’s lips.
Yesterday he was openly giving him shit in front of everyone, but to think he’d pull a cute little stunt like this.
‘This must be Namgung-hwi’s doing, too.’
He had suspected since yesterday, when Namgung-hwi was acting all high and mighty with his fan, that he and Wei, the council’s sponsor, were connected.
“So you’re not going to let me in? Even though a candidate is here?”
“I apologize. We will send you a summary of the competition schedule from the meeting later.”
The square-jawed man shook his head with a stiff, wooden expression.
“Haa.”
Oh-jin let out a deep sigh and swept his hair back.
“Let’s see…”
He folded his fingers one by one.
One, two, three.
“Yep.”
No matter how he looked at it, this was definitely more than three strikes.
“What are you…”
“Exceed.”
Fzzzzzzzt!!
Wreathed in lightning, he kicked the stomach of the man blocking the door.
“Keoheok!”
The man’s body shot back like a cannonball, breaking through the door and tumbling into the conference room.
“Wh-what?”
“Kyaaak!”
“What’s suddenly…”
The conference room erupted in chaos.
Oh-jin walked through the shattered door and strolled leisurely into the conference room.
A long table with twenty-eight seats.
He walked to one of the empty seats and pulled out the chair.
“This is my seat, right?”
A chilling silence fell over the murmuring conference room.