Chapter 230
Chapter 230
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 230
Chapter Title: The Seven Stars Council (6)
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“W-What do you think you’re doing, Mr. Oh-jin?!”
Namgung Hwi stared at Oh-jin, his mouth agape in utter astonishment.
Kicking a guard blocking the entrance to get inside?
It wasn't some back-alley market; this was a gathering of candidates for the next Seven Stars. It was an act of madness so unbelievable he could hardly trust his own eyes.
“That’s what I’d like to ask.”
His voice was cold and subdued.
Taking a seat, Oh-jin looked at Namgung Hwi with chillingly cold eyes.
“Did you order this, Mr. Namgung Hwi?”
“…Order what?”
“When I tried to enter the conference room, he suddenly attacked me, saying I wasn’t qualified to be here. He even used his Stigma.”
“What?”
Namgung Hwi looked at Oh-jin as if he were spouting nonsense.
He had ordered them to block the entrance using time as an excuse, but he’d never told them to attack.
And not just an attack, but one using a ‘Stigma’.
No matter how unqualified someone might be, this was no way to treat a candidate representing a nation.
“I gave no such order.”
“Is that so? He attacked me, saying it was on your orders, Mr. Namgung Hwi.”
“What kind of nonsense is this!”
Namgung Hwi slammed his hand on the table, his eyes flashing sharply.
“Do you have any proof?”
“There’s a CCTV camera in the hallway. You can check the footage.”
“You’ll have to take responsibility for those words.”
Namgung Hwi’s expression twisted viciously as he contacted Wei on his smartphone.
A short while later, Wei entered the conference room with a tablet displaying the CCTV footage.
“Play it.”
“Y-Yes, sir.”
Wei, who had rushed over so quickly that beads of cold sweat dotted his forehead, played the video.
-You shall not pass!
The video showed the guard, who had been standing watch at the conference room door, swinging his fist at Oh-jin.
A faint blue light, evidence of his Stigma use, emanated from the left side of the guard’s chest.
“What in the world is…”
Namgung Hwi’s mouth fell open, at a loss for words.
Seeing the guard looking as if he’d downed a bowl of some dangerous drug, Namgung Hwi felt a daze as if he’d been struck in the back of the head with a hammer.
-You are not worthy to sit in the same room as Lord Namgung Hwi!
The audio was also recorded, and Namgung Hwi’s name was clearly audible.
“……”
Silence descended upon the conference room.
Oh-jin turned to Namgung Hwi and spoke in a low voice.
“Do you still not understand what’s going on?”
“I… never gave such an order.”
“That’s strange. Are you suggesting the guard did that of his own accord?”
“That is…”
As Namgung Hwi trailed off, his face hardening.
“It would be best if you two settled this matter privately later.”
At the front of the conference room.
A woman standing before a vivid hologram that looked as if it were created by a sacred relic spoke calmly.
“Isn’t this the time to discuss the tournament rules and schedule?”
A voice so business-like it was almost severe echoed through the conference room.
The woman pushed up her thick, horn-rimmed glasses and swept her gaze around the room.
The eyes of the twenty-eight Awakened seated there turned toward her.
As if completely uninterested in the commotion before her, she continued speaking calmly.
“My name is Olivia, and I am the general manager of this Seven Stars Council. I normally work as an aide to Sir Allen Oscar.”
After her brief introduction, Olivia continued in a stiff voice.
“Since we have a new arrival, I will briefly summarize what I’ve already explained.”
The hologram changed, displaying a wide bird's-eye view.
“This is the dungeon where you will be competing.”
Olivia used a laser pointer to indicate the holographic map.
“The dungeon contains various terrains, such as mountainous, aquatic, and desert regions. Your starting points will be assigned randomly.”
Twenty-eight pillars of light appeared on the hologram.
“The rankings will be determined by a point system. The candidate with the most points within the time limit will take first place.”
Oh-jin nodded, taking in the holographic map of the dungeon.
“There are two ways to acquire points. First, you can defeat the monsters roaming the dungeon to earn points based on their grade.”
“What’s the other way?”
“There will be civilians, recruited by the Council, hidden in specific locations within the dungeon.”
Civilians?
“Ah, of course, all minimum safety measures have been put in place.”
Olivia continued with a calm expression.
“You can earn points by rescuing these civilians and successfully escorting them to a ‘Safety Zone’ within the dungeon. However, in this case, you don't receive a fixed number of points; the amount you earn will vary based on the evaluation of the civilian you rescued.”
In other words.
Each civilian in the dungeon would act as a sort of judge.
“From the perspective of these civilians, you will be tested on whether you are worthy of being called the hope of humanity.”
“May I ask a question?”
Namgung Hwi quietly raised his hand.
Olivia nodded.
“What is the point difference between catching a monster and rescuing a civilian?”
“I can’t give you a precise answer, as the points for monsters vary by grade. However, if a civilian you rescue gives you the highest evaluation, you can earn a massive number of points at once.”
“…So it’s a matter of whether to steadily accumulate points by hunting monsters or to try and gain a large number of points at once through rescue.”
“Precisely.”
Namgung Hwi nodded in understanding.
Oh-jin looked at Namgung Hwi with some surprise.
‘I thought he would have already known the details of the test.’
When he had been given the wrong schedule, he had naturally assumed Namgung Hwi had some connection with the Council, but it seemed that wasn't the case.
“Any other questions?”
A young man with blond hair raised his arm.
He was an Awakened carrying a unique bow on his back that looked as if it were made of leaves.
“Mr. Orlando Hardy. Yes, please speak.”
“You said the points for monsters vary by grade. How many grades are there?”
“There are a total of five grades of monsters in the dungeon, and you can identify their grade by the color of the necklace they wear.”
The hologram shimmered, displaying five colors.
White, green, blue, red, and black.
“The lowest grade is white, and black is the highest grade.”
Continuing her calm explanation, Olivia stopped the laser pointer on the color black.
“There is only one black-grade monster in the dungeon. And… the moment you catch this monster, you will immediately take first place in the tournament.”
“…First place immediately?”
Orlando’s eyes shone with interest.
“Yes. However, even for all of you, catching a black-grade monster will be difficult.”
“Hmm.”
At her warning, the candidates’ eyes gleamed with competitive spirit instead.
A monster so powerful that she would issue a direct ‘warning’ at a tournament gathered with high-ranking Awakened—Oh-jin excluded.
“Heh heh. What, did you catch some named monster for us?”
A bald man with a square jaw and a sturdy build grinned.
Jason Hardy.
Known as the Iron Fist, he was a skilled Awakened and a strong candidate predicted by many to become one of the Seven Stars in this tournament.
“I cannot disclose the details.”
“Haha! Excellent! I’ll be aiming for that black-grade one!”
Jason clenched his fist as if to intimidate the other candidates.
“Are there any other questions?”
No other candidates raised their hands.
Olivia nodded and turned off the hologram.
“The tournament venue will be reached via a warp device prepared by us on the 100th floor, where the opening ceremony was held. The time limit is six hours. Within that time, please rescue as many people and hunt as many monsters as you can.”
The tournament rules were simple, almost to a fault.
‘It’s so simple, I’m not sure if it’s a good thing.’
In any case, he appreciated its lack of complexity.
“Then, I will see you tomorrow at 12 o’clock in the banquet hall. It will likely be crowded with spectators, so please arrive early and be on standby.”
As if she had said all she needed to, Olivia walked toward the exit of the conference room.
“Oh, and one last thing.”
She turned around just as she was about to leave.
Her eyes, deep and沉, swept over the candidates.
“Do not forget. You have all gathered here to become heroes who will light the way for humanity.”
With those final words, Olivia left.
An awkward silence settled over the conference room.
It was brief.
“The black grade! If I can just catch the black-grade one, I’ll become one of the Seven Stars right away!”
“No, it would be safer to focus on the other monsters…”
“Rescuing civilians could also yield a substantial amount of points if done right.”
The remaining candidates began to gather in small groups to strategize for the tournament.
Even Namgung Hwi, who had been glaring at Oh-jin as if he wanted to kill him just moments before, seemed to have his mind occupied by the tournament, huddling with the Chinese candidates to discuss their plans.
‘He’s completely forgotten about the guard incident.’
Oh-jin thought of the guard who had been carried off to the infirmary and smirked.
Well, it was better for him this way.
‘If they kept watching the video, they might figure out I manipulated it with an illusion.’
Having no candidates to befriend and no one from his own country, Oh-jin rose from his chair and left the conference room.
“A hero, huh.”
Muttering the word that felt as awkward as chewing on sand, Oh-jin stepped into the elevator.
* * *
“Do your best, Oh-jin!”
The next day.
In front of the warp gate leading to the dungeon, Ha-eun hugged Oh-jin and kissed him on the cheek.
“I will.”
“If you don’t get first place, you’d better be ready to swim all the way home.”
“What is this, the World Cup?”
“Something like that.”
Ha-eun chuckled and punched Oh-jin’s shoulder playfully.
“Well, your big sis will be cheering for you, so let’s have a party when you get back!”
“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
“It’s all because I have faith in my little Oh-jin.”
Oh-jin smirked, looking at Ha-eun as she shrugged.
[My child.]
Vega fluttered up and settled on Oh-jin’s head.
[Are you truly certain that I do not need to accompany you?]
“Well, the rules say I have to go in alone.”
[But you and I are practically one and the same.]
Vega pouted, her lips jutting out in displeasure.
Oh-jin reached up and gently lifted her off his head.
“It could cause problems later even if I win, so I’ll go alone this time.”
[Hmph. Very well.]
Vega sighed in disappointment and nodded.
[When you return as one of the Seven Stars, I shall be sure to bless you myself.]
Oh-jin nodded and walked toward the warp device set up in the hall.
*Vwoooom!*
Light flowed from the sacred relic, enveloping Oh-jin’s body.
‘This feels different from entering a gate.’
It was more nauseating.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t a pleasant sensation.
“Let’s see.”
Oh-jin looked down at the silver bracelet on his wrist.
The number 0 was displayed on the bracelet provided by the Council.
‘Is this my current point total?’
He pressed the red button next to it.
*Vwong.*
A hologram materialized, showing the bird's-eye view of the dungeon he had seen in the conference room yesterday.
“It’s kind of like a mini-map.”
On the holographic map, Oh-jin’s current location was marked with a red dot.
It only showed his own position.
There was no function to detect nearby monsters or reveal the locations of the hidden civilians.
“This area is… a mountainous region.”
After getting a rough idea of his location from the map, Oh-jin began to move slowly.
‘First, I’ll head to the aquatic terrain.’
With his Hydro-Affinity skill and the Hippocampus Stigma, Oh-jin excelled at underwater combat, something most Awakened were reluctant to engage in.
If he went to an area with a lot of water, he could monopolize the monsters there.
“Alright.”
*Thwang!*
Using his wire shooter, he soared between the tall cliffs and trees.
He was moving quickly toward the aquatic terrain when…
“Aaaaaah! H-Help me!”
A piercing scream echoed through the forest.