Chapter 48
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Luring the Prey (4)
“How could this have happened…?”
Park Chang-hyeon gazed down at Park Jeong-woo's lifeless corpse, his expression heavy with regret.
A deep gash ran across the man's chest, while the back of his head had been brutally crushed.
The latter injury was particularly gruesome, enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.
“Haaah.”
Awakened dying at the hands of monsters was an all-too-common occurrence. There were far too many such deaths to count. Nevertheless, seeing someone brutally murdered like this weighed heavily on his heart.
“Where could the other Awakened who was with him have gone?”
“I don't know.”
Oh-jin shook his head, wearing a complicated expression.
Of course, it wasn't that he genuinely had no idea.
They went that way.
Using the Stigma of the Hunting Dogs, he had already determined which direction Choi Jong-cheol and the bald man had taken.
They were heading toward the city center.
In other words, they were following the exact same route as the fleeing monsters.
“By the way, did something happen between you and him before, Mr. Oh-jin? The atmosphere seemed rather tense earlier.”
“We had a little disagreement at the Association's registration office a while back.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Haaah. Honestly, I didn't have a particularly good impression of him either, but… seeing him like this still doesn't sit well with me.”
Park Chang-hyeon let out a deep sigh.
Had Park Jeong-woo really never expected to be killed by a monster?
He reached out and gently closed the dead man's wide-open eyes before laying his body flat on the ground.
“This isn't the time to retrieve his body.”
Gurgle, gurgle.
A dark cloud slithered into Park Jeong-woo's left chest.
“……”
Oh-jin glanced around to see whether anyone had noticed.
Thanks to his Mastermind trait, however, everyone seemed completely oblivious to what he was doing.
At this rate, I could probably do this right in front of them, and they still wouldn't notice.
Once again, he was reminded of just how absurdly powerful the Mastermind trait was.
As the cloud of Black Sovereignty reached Park Jeong-woo's left chest—
[Black Sovereignty is absorbing the Stigma of the Scorpion.]
A blue message window appeared before Oh-jin's eyes.
There we go.
The Stigma of the Scorpion.
It granted its wielder the ability to freely manipulate dozens, even hundreds, of different poisons while dramatically enhancing their physical agility.
It was the pinnacle of Stigmas suited for an assassin.
Of course, it still couldn't compare to the Stigma of Lyra.
Still, more is always better.
The Scorpion was one of the Twelve Zodiac Constellations.
There was no reason to turn down a Stigma of that caliber.
“May he rest in peace.”
After absorbing Park Jeong-woo's Stigma, Oh-jin bowed his head for a brief moment of silence.
Park Chang-hyeon followed his lead, while Ha-eun turned away with a troubled expression.
“…All right. Let's keep moving.”
“Yes.”
They resumed their journey, the atmosphere considerably heavier than before.
BOOM!
“KARRRRGH!!”
“Mr. Oh-jin!”
“On it!”
The monsters launched another attack.
This time, their opponent had mantis-like forelimbs and four legs.
Vwoooom!!
To make matters worse, it was a flying-type monster.
“Where do you think you're going?!”
KUUUUNG!!
Park Chang-hyeon stomped hard against the ground and swung his hammer.
The symbol of Taurus engraved on his left chest began to glow.
Kudududuk!
“Kararak?!”
A powerful shock wave struck the monster just as it attempted to take flight.
The impact slammed it headfirst into the ground.
“It'll be a pain if that thing gets airborne, so let's finish it in one shot!”
“All right.”
Ha-eun rushed forward and snapped her fingers.
A net of red flames formed around the monster, enveloping its entire body.
Pzzzzzt!
A silver spear plunged toward it.
Blue lightning surged across the monster's body, scorching it.
“Ki, kirreuk, kireuk!”
“These bastards are damn good at running away.”
Wounded, the monster staggered to its feet and began fleeing, beating its wings furiously.
Ha-eun bared her teeth and stretched out a hand toward the escaping creature.
Red flames blazed around her fingers, ready to erupt at any moment.
“Nunna, hold on a second.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Let it go.”
Oh-jin watched the fleeing monster intently.
Just as I thought.
Once again, the monster was fleeing toward the city center.
“Let's follow it.”
“What are you planning?”
Ha-eun tilted her head but followed Oh-jin nonetheless.
As they pursued the fleeing monster, Oh-jin carefully observed its movements.
And then—
“…Huh?”
Ha-eun narrowed her eyes as she watched the creature ahead of them.
Had she noticed it too?
“That thing… isn't it acting a little strangely?”
“Right?”
Whenever the distance between them grew too great, the fleeing monster would deliberately weave from side to side, slowing down.
Yes.
It was almost as though it were waiting for Oh-jin's group to catch up.
Now I'm certain.
Clicking his tongue, Oh-jin raised his arm and aimed at the staggering monster.
Tang!
The wire shooter fired.
Pzzzzzt!
“Kirrrreuk!”
The monster that had been staggering away collapsed.
“The way they've been appearing one after another since earlier… Oh-jin, could this be…?”
“It's probably exactly what you're thinking, Nunna.”
Despite having taken over the entire city center, the monsters had been appearing sporadically, one at a time.
They would engage in battle for a while, then flee toward the city center as soon as things became dangerous.
In other words—
They're luring us.
They were deliberately leading the group toward the city center.
Do these monsters really have that kind of intelligence?
Oh-jin frowned, unable to make sense of it.
These monsters were far more ferocious than ordinary creatures.
However, their increased strength usually came at the expense of their intelligence.
But these things are guiding us toward a specific location as though they're using bait?
He couldn't shake the feeling that something else was going on.
An unpleasant premonition crept over him, like damp, sticky clothes clinging to his skin.
“Hmm. I can't really see what's so strange about it.”
Park Chang-hyeon scratched his head, looking perplexed.
The monsters were moving so subtly and methodically that even a seasoned veteran like him hadn't noticed anything unusual.
Only Oh-jin, who understood deception better than anyone, and Ha-eun, who had once fought on the front lines, had sensed that something was wrong.
If they're doing the same thing to the other Awakened…
Then there was a good chance that the other groups were being led toward the city center without even realizing it.
Is that why Choi Jong-cheol headed toward the city center?
Considering the monsters' behavior, that seemed increasingly likely.
“Oh-jin.”
“Yeah.”
He glanced back at Ha-eun, whose expression had stiffened, and nodded.
Now that they knew the monsters were deliberately luring the Awakened toward the city center—
“Mr. Chang-hyeon, let's head back.”
“What?”
Park Chang-hyeon stared at him in disbelief.
“You want to head back already? We still have plenty of stamina left….”
“The monsters have been luring us toward the city center.”
“These monsters are intelligent enough to do that?”
“I'm not certain. But just in case, I think going any deeper would be too dangerous.”
“But what about the monsters still left…?”
Park Chang-hyeon's lips twitched as he struggled to accept the suggestion.
“We're not abandoning the operation entirely. We'll deal with the monsters around the outskirts instead.”
“Hmm.”
“Subjugating the monsters is important, but so is preventing them from escaping Sokcho and attacking other cities, isn't it?”
Oh-jin offered a reasonable explanation to persuade him.
“Keung. You've got a point, Mr. Oh-jin. All right. Let's move to the outskirts, then.”
Fortunately, Park Chang-hyeon accepted his proposal without further argument.
“So, are we leaving right away?”
“Ah… wait. There's something I need to do first.”
Oh-jin turned to look toward the city center.
There was still something he couldn't afford to miss.
I can't let the Stigma of Aquarius slip through my fingers.
A sly smile spread across his lips.
“I'll go warn the other teams. They need to know that the monsters seem to be luring the Awakened toward the city center.”
“Ah. In that case, I'll come with you.”
“I'll go too.”
Park Chang-hyeon and Ha-eun stepped forward.
“No. I'll go alone. If something unexpected happens, I'm the one most capable of getting away quickly.”
He had already demonstrated his exceptional mobility with the wire shooter during their battles.
There was little reason for them to object.
“Hmm. If you say so.”
“Keung.”
As expected, the two nodded in understanding.
“…If anything seems wrong, get out of there immediately. Understand?”
Ha-eun approached him, her face full of concern.
Oh-jin chuckled and nodded.
“Don't worry. I'm confident in my ability to look after myself.”
“Then promise Nunna you'll come back in one piece.”
He hooked his little finger around Ha-eun's outstretched pinky.
“All right. I'll contact you soon.”
Oh-jin raised his arm and aimed the wire shooter at a nearby building.
Tang!
With the wire shooter, he launched himself between the buildings.
After landing on a suitable rooftop—
Wooooong!
He activated the Stigma of the Hunting Dogs.
“Sniff, sniff.”
Countless scents flooded his nostrils.
Among them, he picked up Choi Jong-cheol's scent.
There he is.
He wasn't far away.
Oh-jin's eyes glinted sharply.
***
At the center of the ruined city,
a middle-aged man stood surrounded by dozens of monsters, wearing his trademark greasy smile.
“Hi, hihahi! I still can't believe it, no matter how many times I see it!”
He cautiously reached out and patted a monster standing motionless like a doll.
Pat, pat.
The creature, despite being one of the most ferocious monsters around, accepted his touch as docilely as a lamb.
“To think I can actually control monsters…!”
Choi Jong-cheol trembled with excitement.
The black orb in his hand radiated an ominous, sinister light.
With this power…!
Clench!
He closed his fist and burst into a delighted cackle.
“Hehehe. The saying 'a blessing in disguise' really does describe my life perfectly.”
Three months ago,
his life had hit rock bottom.
All because of that damn bastard…!
Grit.
Just thinking about Oh-jin's face made his stomach churn.
“Hahaha! Well, thanks to him, I got to meet that man.”
After losing everything, he had wandered around with nowhere to turn.
Eventually, grasping at straws, he visited the Pandinus Guild's office.
That was where he met a man named Ashad Khan.
Choi Jong-cheol recalled their first meeting.
—You're looking for somewhere that'll take you in?
—Y-Yes, sir!
—Hmm.
The bronze-skinned man nodded with a wicked smile.
—All right. But there's one condition.
—A condition…?
—You just have to take this and follow my instructions.
What Ashad Khan had given him was a Star Relic said to contain the power of the Black Star.
The relic possessed the ability to control ferocious monsters as though they were obedient dogs.
No, that's only a fraction of this relic's power.
The true power of the black orb, which radiated an ominous light, went far beyond simply controlling monsters.
Its real value lay elsewhere.
“Heh. Hehehehe!!”
Choi Jong-cheol laughed as he lovingly caressed the black orb.
—When the Black Star covers the night sky, this unjust world will meet its end.
Ashad Khan's words echoed in his mind, almost like a chant.
They had been dark and deeply ominous words, but—
Who cares?
Black Star or whatever else it might be, none of that mattered to him.
What mattered was—
I've finally gotten the chance to take revenge on that bastard.
Choi Jong-cheol's eyes gleamed as he clutched the black orb.
“All right, monsters! Keep luring the Awakened toward the city center!”
Shwick!
For some inexplicable reason, he struck a dramatic pose as he issued his command.
“Krrrreuk!”
“Karak!”
The monsters, which had been standing as motionless as corpses, let out savage cries and scattered in every direction.
“Mr. Jong-cheol.”
Just then, the bald man who had approached him spoke cautiously.
Choi Jong-cheol frowned and replied irritably.
“What is it?”
“Will Jeong-woo be all right?”
“You're bringing this up again?”
The bald man bit his lip, visibly anxious.
“Do you have any idea how much money that bastard owes me?!”
“Haaah. Didn't I explain this to you already?”
Tsk, tsk.
Choi Jong-cheol clicked his tongue.
“To avoid suspicion, we need someone on our side to be a victim, too.”
The Pandinus Guild absolutely could not be identified as the culprit behind the upcoming massacre.
They had to make sure that, when everything was over, the guild would be seen as a victim rather than a perpetrator.
To achieve that—
“Someone has to be sacrificed.”
“Keung.”
The bald man scratched the back of his head.
“Well, you don't need to worry too much. I made sure to hurt him just enough that he wouldn't die.”
He might suffer some lasting injuries, but at least he would survive.
“Tch. Fine. I understand.”
“Then please scout the area until the Awakened gather in the city center.”
“Yep.”
The bald man turned and left.
About fifteen minutes passed.
“Pant! Pant! M-Mr. Jong-cheol!!”
“What is it now?”
Choi Jong-cheol frowned as the bald man came rushing back, breathing heavily.
“H-He's dead!”
“Who's dead?”
“J-Jeong-woo!! That bastard is dead!!”
“What?”
Why would he be dead?