Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: I Can't Lose This Game (2)
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After leaving the Sanctuary.
Oh-jin first returned home.
Ha-eun, who was smoking on the stairs, spotted him and stood up.
“You're back already?”
“I told you I'd be quick.”
“You lie so much, it's hard to believe you.”
Ha-eun approached with a smirk.
“How's Vega?”
“Well, she was a lot like you.”
A few days ago.
He recalled how she had burst into tears and hugged him tightly when he woke up after being unconscious for three days.
“L-Like me, my ass!”
*Thwack.*
Ha-eun, blushing, kicked him in the shin.
“Gah.”
“Stop being such a baby. Oh, right. Someone from the Association came by while you were out. Han Jun-man, I think his name was... the guy who looks like a gorilla.”
So the department head had already come and gone.
Well.
He had been coming to the house every day lately to check on his condition.
“What did he say?”
“What do you think? I told him you were still drifting in and out of consciousness and sent him away.”
“Okay. Good job, sis.”
He had been avoiding contact with the Association, using the excuse that he hadn't fully regained consciousness yet.
‘There were a few things I needed to do in the meantime.’
If it became known that he was awake, he would have been flooded with calls, being the central figure in the subjugation incident.
The only two who knew he was perfectly fine were Ha-eun and Vega.
‘Ah, and that bastard Lyak.’
Well, anyway.
Thanks to that, he'd had four days since regaining consciousness to take care of things in advance.
“What do you want for lunch?”
“A calorie bar.”
“Nope.”
Ha-eun frowned.
“Phaha! Just kidding. I've got some stuff to do today, so I'm planning to skip lunch.”
“Really? Hmm... then I'll eat later too.”
“You don't have to.”
“This big sis has things to do too.”
With that, Ha-eun walked past the door and headed outside.
“Where are you going?”
“It's a secret.”
“There are no secrets between us.”
“Are you one to talk?”
Ha-eun flipped him the bird.
“Anyway, I'm heading out, so you stay put at home.”
“Hmm.”
It wasn't exactly a situation where he could just stay put.
“Oh, right. Sis.”
“Yeah?”
“Don't worry if something happens to me.”
“...What are you planning now?”
Ha-eun approached, her expression hardening.
“Phaha! I've just got something to do. I'm telling you in advance so you don't worry.”
“What is it?”
“A secret.”
“This little bastard?”
After that, Ha-eun persistently pestered him, but he didn't tell her the details.
“Haa. Well, it's nothing to really worry about, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I'll trust you and go.”
Ha-eun walked away, looking back a few times as if she was still anxious.
‘Having said this much, she'll probably figure it out.’
She knew him better than anyone.
No matter what happened, she wouldn't have to worry.
“Alright then... before I start.”
He reviewed what he had organized over the past four days in his mind.
‘First, that thing buried in the center of Sokcho.’
He still hadn't figured out the identity of the black haze that Ha-eun had shattered.
By the time he went to check, it had already vanished without a trace.
‘Is it related to the monster that was hiding under Seoul Station?’
This time, it wasn't a flesh-lump monster that appeared.
But they both shared the common trait of being secretly hidden beneath a city.
“...I really don't know about this one.”
There wasn't enough evidence to connect the two just because they were buried under cities, and since he couldn't confirm what kind of power was buried, he couldn't make any rash guesses.
‘One thing is for sure, they're both related to the power of the Black Stars.’
Of course, the ‘Black Star’ the Black Star Society talks about probably isn't just one.
Just as there are many Constellations, it's highly likely there's more than one Black Star Constellation.
‘Vega also said there was a difference between the energy she felt under Seoul Station and the energy from the Mok-dong Gate.’
Anyway, he decided to set that aside for now.
“Next...”
Oh-jin opened his skill window.
The three skills he obtained from the subjugation mission.
Exceed, Transformation, and Hydro-Affinity.
‘Exceed... I can't really test it.’
Just as Vega said, it was a skill he shouldn't use recklessly.
‘Transformation is exactly what I thought it would be.’
Oh-jin used Transformation while looking in the mirror.
*Crack, creak!*
He could make his body smaller or larger, change his face to look like someone else, and even adjust his vocal cords to alter his voice.
“This skill's performance is insane.”
The mana consumption was considerable, but not to the point of being a major burden.
If used well, this ability had endless applications.
‘Especially for me.’
It wasn't just giving a tiger wings; it was like strapping a jet engine to it.
Honestly, he felt that obtaining the Transformation skill was an even greater achievement than getting the Aquarius Stigma.
“Very good.”
He smiled brightly, satisfied.
‘And finally.’
Oh-jin's expression twisted slightly.
“...This skill is a bit of a white elephant.”
He sighed deeply as he thought about the Hydro-Affinity skill.
‘When I just read the description, I thought it was some kind of ridiculously overpowered skill.’
But after actually testing it, it was completely different from what he expected.
It was true that he could absorb water to heal wounds, just as the description said.
“It just... requires way too much water.”
A deep sigh escaped him.
The amount of water needed to see any effect from the Hydro-Affinity skill was far too great.
‘Dozens of liters just to heal a single scratch.’
Healing a wound that was bleeding required over a hundred liters of water.
‘Of course, cheap tricks like absorbing moisture from the air to heal didn't work either.’
The absorption range was quite wide, but it wasn't like he could carry hundreds of liters of water with him all the time.
‘It's not like this is a game with an inventory.’
The effect itself was good, but the resources required to achieve it were too much.
It would be more efficient to carry a single high-performance potion than to lug around hundreds of liters of water.
“Unless I'm fighting near a river or the sea, this will be hard to use in a real fight.”
Still, it seemed like it would be useful for quickly healing wounds after a battle was over.
He could just go to a nearby bathhouse and soak in hot water, and most of his wounds would heal.
‘Though it only heals external injuries.’
His experiments showed that it didn't heal internal injuries caused by excessive mana use.
“Tsk... still, it's better than nothing.”
Just having another way to quickly heal external wounds besides potions wasn't a bad outcome.
“That's enough organizing.”
Now it was time to deal with the Pandinus Guild.
“Well, this won't be difficult.”
Not just not difficult, but so easy and simple it was almost laughable.
“Ahem, ahem.”
He cleared his throat.
*-Trrrring.*
He called Department Head Han.
[M-Mr. Oh-jin? Have you regained consciousness?!]
A frantic voice came through the phone.
“...Yes. I'm still a bit groggy... but I'm much better.”
[Phew. That's a real relief.]
He sounded genuinely worried, and a deep sense of relief was palpable in his voice.
‘Honestly, that's a bit touching.’
Anyway, that wasn't what was important right now.
“I woke up and read some articles. A lot has happened... over the past week.”
[...Have you heard about the Pandinus Guild?]
“Yes.”
[I have a lot of questions for you regarding that. Could you come to the Association headquarters right now?]
“No. There's something I need to ask you first.”
[A request?]
Oh-jin spoke in a low, somber voice.
“...Please prepare a press conference. I have conclusive evidence proving the connection between the Pandinus Guild and Choi Jong-cheol.”
[W-What did you say?]
A voice filled with shock came through.
[Mr. Oh-jin. Wait... i-is that true?]
“Yes. Choi Jong-cheol was not connected to the Starlight Lake Guild.”
[In that case....]
Han Jun-man's voice trailed off, steeped in shock.
If what Oh-jin said was true, it was a massive revelation that could completely shift public opinion.
[Understood. I'll prepare it right away. Is Yeouido an acceptable location?]
“Yes. That would be safer and better.”
[...Be careful, Mr. Oh-jin. There's no telling what will happen if this information gets out.]
Department Head Han said in a stiff voice.
The issue of who was backing Choi Jong-cheol was that significant.
“I know. Ah... in that regard, could you assign me some bodyguards for the press conference? My body hasn't fully recovered yet.”
[Bodyguards... Understood, Mr. Oh-jin. You can count on me.]
Department Head Han said confidently.
[When it comes to protection, there's someone truly famous.]
He knew.
He was one of the top three most famous Awakeners in the Association.
“Understood. I'll trust you and wait for your call.”
[I'll call you back within the hour.]
He ended the call.
“Alright then.”
Time for me to get ready.
Well, there wasn't much to prepare.
*-Wooooong!!*
The Stigma engraved on Oh-jin's left chest emitted a light.
Without the usual blue lightning.
Silently.
* * *
“I'm Choi Woo-jin, a Special Officer from the Association.”
“I've heard a lot about you.”
Before entering the press conference hall.
Oh-jin exchanged greetings with Choi Woo-jin.
A cold-looking man with sharp eyes.
‘The Hunting Dog, Choi Woo-jin.’
A famous Awakener known for tracking down any case he took on until the very end.
“It's a bit ridiculous for one Special Officer to be guarding another... but, well, given the case, let's just go with it.”
Choi Woo-jin gave Oh-jin a cold look, clearly not fond of him.
It made sense.
From his perspective, Oh-jin was an Awakener who had practically parachuted into the position of Special Officer.
‘He can't possibly see me in a good light.’
It didn't matter.
He wasn't the type to neglect his duties just because he disliked someone.
“This way.”
Escorted by Choi Woo-jin, Oh-jin entered the press conference hall.
*-Click! Click! Click!!!*
A torrent of camera flashes.
“Mr. Oh-jin! A word about the situation at the time!!”
“Is it true you've only been an Awakener for half a year?!”
“You're being hailed as a national hero because of this incident! Please share a few words about your resolve!!”
Ignoring the barrage of questions, he stood at the podium.
Oh-jin scanned the teeming crowd of reporters and began to speak.
“Good morning. I am Kwon Oh-jin, a Special Officer from the Association.”
He bowed his head.
“I will not be taking any personal questions today.”
“...Excuse me? You're not taking questions?”
The reporters looked at Oh-jin, bewildered.
If he wasn't going to take questions, what was the point of holding a press conference?
“I am here today because there is something I must inform you all of.”
In a calm, composed voice.
“When I fought Choi Jong-cheol, who had turned into a monster, I discovered a crucial fact about him.”
He continued in a low voice.
“What is this crucial fact?!”
“Choi Jong-cheol... is a member of the Pandinus Guild, not the Starlight Lake Guild.”
“Gasp!”
“I-Is that true?!”
Oh-jin's bombshell statement sent a stir through the press conference hall.
“D-Do you have any evidence to prove this?!”
Evidence.
Of course.
“Of course I have— Keuk! Kk! Cough!”
As if he had any.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!”
“B-Blood!!!”
“W-What the!!! What's happening!!!”
Screams erupted.
“Cough! Cough!! Keuk!! Kahaak!!!”
Dark red clots of blood poured from Oh-jin's mouth.
He collapsed to the floor, his body trembling as if having a seizure, his eyes rolling back in his head.
“Dammit!!!”
Choi Woo-jin rushed over.
*Rumble!!*
An intense aura erupted from him.
“W-What the hell. What's going on?!”
“D-Don't tell me he's dead?”
“Just take pictures! Hurry!”
The reporters, their faces a mask of confusion, pressed their camera shutters.
“Mr. Oh-jin!! Are you alright, Mr. Oh-jin!!!”
“Keuk... Cough! Cough!”
“Dammit! Medics!! Call the medics!”
Choi Woo-jin shouted fiercely as he examined the fallen Oh-jin's body.
The dark red blood pooled on the floor.
Choi Woo-jin's expression twisted violently as he lightly dabbed the blood with his finger and brought it to his tongue.
“...This is.”
*Spit!*
He spat out the blood and said in a low, somber voice.
“Poison... He's been poisoned.”
His expression hardening, he looked around at the other Association members.
“Block the exits.”
His eyes glinted sharply.
“From this moment on, everyone here is a suspect.”
His chilling gaze fell upon the reporters.