Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Mind, Spirit, Body (1)
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It hurt.
It hurt like hell.
To exaggerate a bit, it hurt as much as taking a soccer ball, kicked with full force, right to the balls.
But at least that kind of pain ends quickly.
This fucking pain just wouldn't end.
“Kuaaaargh.”
A miserable groan, like that of the last surviving vampire from an ancient clan finally caught by hunters and thrown into the sunlight after a relentless chase, escaped his lips.
[Hmph. You foolish thing.]
Huh?
Hearing a familiar voice by his head, he lifted his gaze.
“Ve…ga?”
Beautiful silver hair and golden eyes, as if crafted from starlight.
A goddess of breathtaking beauty was looking down at him intently.
[Are you awake?]
Her gentle hand caressed his forehead.
Not the small hand of her doll-sized form, but the touch of her true self.
‘What the?’
He glanced around, wondering if he was in the Sanctuary, but the place he was lying in was the new house Ha-eun had found for him.
“How are you in that form….”
[I will explain later.]
She gently pressed on Oh-jin’s forehead as he tried to sit up.
[For now, rest easy.]
Feeling the soft warmth on the back of his neck, Oh-jin lay back down.
‘Wait.’
He hadn't noticed, having just woken up.
Come to think of it, what he was resting his head on wasn't a pillow, but Vega's lap.
‘What is this situation?’
His last memory was of barely making it home and collapsing after his fight with Ashad Khan.
He didn't know how much time had passed since then.
But he never imagined he would wake up with his head in Vega's lap.
“What happened.”
[Tsk. Did I not tell you to rest for now?]
Vega lightly pinched his cheek, her tone like a mother scolding a mischievous child.
[Really….]
Her voice was tinged with emotion.
[I asked you so earnestly, yet you always push yourself too far.]
“……”
Honestly, he had no excuse this time.
It was true that his life had been on the line.
[Hmph. You naughty child.]
“Ahhh.”
*Stretch.*
Vega stretched the cheek she had pinched.
[Haaah.]
A deep sigh escaped her lips.
She gently ruffled Oh-jin's hair, a faint smile on her lips.
[Even after all the trouble you've caused, seeing you awake makes my anger melt away… Have you cast some sort of spell on me?]
With a tender smile, she endlessly stroked his hair.
“Uh, um.”
Lying there still, receiving Vega's 'Mom's touch,' he really felt like a three-year-old baby.
‘Is this… a mother’s touch?’
Vega Mama.
‘Ugh.’
The word that suddenly flashed through his mind made his stomach churn.
Regardless, her touch felt so good it made him completely forget the terrible pain.
“That’s enough… Keuk!”
But it seemed moving his body was still too much for him.
The moment he tensed his core to sit up, a dizzying jolt of pain shot through him.
[Ahem. You must not move.]
Vega pulled on Oh-jin’s shoulder, making him lie back down.
[Or is there something you need?]
“Huh? No, not really.”
It just felt like if he kept lying here, he'd lose something important as a human being.
[Ah, now that I think of it, you must be thirsty.]
Vega picked up the water cup from the bedside table and brought it to his lips.
[This is my holy water. Drink your fill.]
No.
That sounds fucking weird, Goddess.
[Fufu. It was a jest. It is just ordinary water.]
“……”
She supported the back of his head slightly and tilted the cup.
Cold water flowed down his throat.
“Haaah.”
Had he been unconscious for that long?
The water passing down his throat felt refreshingly cool, as if seeping into every single cell.
[Have you finished?]
Vega took out a tissue and carefully wiped his mouth.
“……”
He was speechless now.
“…What happened?”
He asked for an explanation while still resting his head on Vega's lap.
[You were unconscious for four days.]
“Huh.”
To think he'd been out for four days.
Then again.
Last time he used Exceed, he woke up after three days, so four days might actually be on the short side.
[Since you would not wake up, Ha-eun came to the Sanctuary to find me… and as it happened, the period of my ‘restriction’ had just ended, so I was able to come to the house.]
Aha.
So that's what happened.
“But how can you be in this form?”
Because of the restriction, she had to live outside the Sanctuary in a small, 30-centimeter form.
Even then, she could only be active for about three hours a day, so being in her true form was shocking.
[Hmm. To be honest, I do not know the exact reason myself.]
“You don’t know?”
[A few days ago… yes, from the day you fell unconscious, the restriction of the ‘Law’ has weakened.]
Vega lightly raised her hand.
-Crackle!
Blue lightning sparked from her fingertips.
[Simple displays of power like this are no longer restricted. The time I can manifest in a day has increased to six hours… and while I cannot maintain it for long, I can now appear in my true form like this.]
“Huh.”
So the restriction of the Law suddenly weakened.
‘What’s the cause?’
If it started on the day he fought Ashad Khan, was he the cause?
‘I reached 5-Star, Black Heaven bloomed for the fourth time, and I got something called a quest.’
He had achieved so much on that one day that he couldn't pinpoint the exact cause.
‘It could just be a coincidence, and the reason might be something else entirely.’
For now, there wasn't enough evidence to determine the cause.
Anyway.
“If the restriction has weakened, does that mean you can freely bestow blessings from now on?”
If so, he was confident he could do a somersault in his underwear.
He had keenly felt just how powerful a constellation's blessing was during his fight with Ashad Khan.
[It is not to that extent.]
“Ah.”
That's a shame.
[Hmph! Still, I can now offer some simple support instead of just watching while you fight!]
*Crackle!*
Vega puffed up her chest, changing the blue lightning from her fingertips into various shapes.
A dragon, a cat, a dog, a wolf, a bizarrely complex pattern he'd never seen before, and even Oh-jin’s face.
The lightning changed shape as freely as liquid slime.
‘Holy shit. What is this?’
Oh-jin’s jaw dropped.
He couldn't even begin to imagine what level of mastery was needed to handle lightning with such freedom.
‘Though, I guess it's natural for a constellation.’
Still, seeing her handle lightning so casually sent a shiver down his spine.
“Hehe. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
[Fufu. You may rely on me a little more.]
Vega puffed out her chest proudly.
“Haha! I’ll keep that in mind, Goddess.”
He let out a light laugh and sat up.
He felt a slight twinge of pain, but it was bearable.
[You could have lain down a little longer….]
Vega stroked the thigh Oh-jin had been resting on just a moment ago, a look of disappointment on her face.
“I’m fine now.”
[Very well.]
Vega's body was enveloped in silver light, and she returned to her usual small size.
*Poof.*
Flying through the air to land on his shoulder, Vega clapped her hands.
[Ah, by the way, be careful.]
“Huh?”
Be careful of what?
[Fufu. Is there not someone who is even angrier than I?]
Ah.
Come to think of it.
“Where’s Nunna….”
-Slam!
Before he could finish his sentence, the door burst open violently.
“Oh, Oh-jinie woke up?!”
He didn't know when she was contacted.
Ha-eun, looking as if she had rushed over from outside, opened the door and came in.
Once inside, she looked at Oh-jin, her eyes narrowing sharply.
“You, you bastard!!!”
She grabbed him by the collar and shook him roughly.
“Do you have any idea how worried I was, you damn bastard!!”
Tears welled up in the corner of her right eye.
“Sorry, Nunna.”
“You think a simple sorry is enough to….”
“Be quiet, lizard woman.”
Cutting Ha-eun off, a silver wolf strode into the room.
“Riak?”
“A warrior grows by risking their life in battle. Coddling him like that will never forge a true warrior.”
*Grrr.*
Riak snorted forcefully.
“…What’s this about a lizard woman?”
Ha-eun frowned and turned to Riak.
“Krrng. Are you not the Apostle of Draco? Therefore, you are a lizard woman.”
“I have a perfectly good name, Song Ha-eun.”
“Hmph! I have no intention of memorizing the name of a human female!”
Riak snorted and sharply turned his head away.
“Cup ramen confiscated for a week.”
“Ha-eun. You must have suffered greatly because of that ignorant human. I understand completely.”
What the hell is wrong with this guy?
“Why is Riak here?”
He asked, looking at Vega.
[Did I not say the restriction has weakened? Thanks to that, my spirit can also leave the Sanctuary and be active like this.]
“Ooh.”
[Of course, his power is greatly restricted… but he can still be of great use as a fighting force.]
He didn't know how much his power was restricted,
but having a powerhouse like Riak around would be a huge help.
“Hmph. Even with my power restricted, I can take you on with a single paw!”
Riak growled, swiping his front paw through the air.
Seeing him act like that in his wolf form made him look like a large dog trying to be cute for its owner. It was rather adorable.
[By the way.]
Vega narrowed her eyes and tugged on Oh-jin’s earlobe.
[Now, will you tell me what happened that day?]
“I’m not letting go until I hear everything, from start to finish.”
Ha-eun stuck close to his side and gripped his arm tightly.
“Phaha! Alright. I’ll explain everything, so don’t rush me.”
Oh-jin explained what had happened that day, leaving out only the part about Black Heaven.
[Such a tragic thing….]
“Hmm. So that’s why the atmosphere was a little gloomy?”
Hearing about Jang Seok-ho, their expressions hardened, and they let out short sighs.
“But did you really win against a 7-Star Awakener?”
“Yup.”
“Even for an Apostle of the North Star… is the Stigma of Lyra that powerful?”
Ha-eun looked at Vega, her expression full of disbelief.
[Fufu! With my Stigma, one can easily ignore a difference in ‘Stars’!!]
Vega, who had been shouting proudly with her arms crossed, suddenly let out a deep sigh.
[—is what I would like to say. But honestly, even I find it hard to believe that you defeated an Awakener three Stars higher than you.]
For a constellation to say that herself.
‘In reality, he wasn’t a 7-Star, but an 8-Star-level opponent.’
Oh-jin let out a small chuckle.
“Well, to be honest, it was a close call.”
If it hadn't rained right then, he probably wouldn't have won.
[Hoo. Hearing the circumstances, I cannot scold you for using Exceed.]
Vega let out a deep sigh and shook her head.
[By the way, have you truly reached 5-Star? I can hardly believe it.]
As Vega said this, she launched herself from his shoulder and slipped inside his t-shirt.
“Aaah! Wh-What is this wench doing!”
Ha-eun freaked out and pulled Vega out of Oh-jin’s shirt.
[Ahem. Such rude words to a constellation.]
“You’re the rude one!!”
[Oh-jin is my proud child. It is my duty to inspect his body.]
“Don’t give me that nonsense!”
Ha-eun bared her teeth fiercely and shouted.
[…Anyway.]
Vega turned to Oh-jin and clicked her tongue in amazement.
[It is true that you have reached 5-Star.]
She shook her head as if in disbelief.
“Hmm. By the way, brat. You said your Lightning skill reached level 9 this time?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
By maintaining his mana in an extreme state and so on, the level of his Lightning skill had shot up explosively all at once.
“Ha. You crazy monster.”
Riak clicked his tongue with a fed-up expression.
The news that his Lightning skill had reached level 9 seemed to be quite a shock.
“Anyway. Keep training the Lightning skill. It’s the core skill of the Lyra Stigma.”
“I know.”
He could easily tell just by seeing how the levels of his other skills were soaring due to the influence of the Lightning skill.
“And once you reach level 10.”
*Grin.*
Riak’s lips curled into a grin.
“A whole new world will open up for you.”
“A new world?”
Oh-jin looked at Riak with interest.
“Is there that much of a difference between level 9 and level 10?”
“Of course. When a skill reaches level 10, it ‘evolves.’ An incredible reward follows.”
“Hoh.”
So there was something like that.
“As great as the reward is, going from level 9 to level 10 won’t be as easy as it has been until now.”
“What do you get when you reach level 10?”
“Fufu. I’ll give you a special demonstration.”
Riak grinned and took a couple of light steps back.
“Now. Watch closely, brat.”
*Crackle! Crackle!!*
Blue lightning coiled around Riak’s body.
“This is the powerful secret technique you can obtain when the Lightning skill reaches level 10.”
The blue lightning coiling around Riak’s body began to gather at his mouth.
And then.
“—It is Lightning Flame!”
*Fwoosh!*
A blue flame blazed fiercely from his mouth.
“Huh?”
Lightning Flame?
“I can do that too.”
Oh-jin lightly raised his hand.
*Fwoosh!*
A blue flame formed in his palm.
“…Huh?”
Riak’s jaw dropped.