Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: The Genius Awakened's Stream (2)
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“Whoa.”
A gasp of awe escaped Ha-eun's lips.
Though not as much as her, Oh-jin also looked around, quite surprised.
“The inside is gorgeous.”
A massive underwater tunnel.
Although it was an underwater tunnel, the ceiling was made of something like translucent glass, offering a clear view of the beautiful underwater world.
Above the ceiling, fish he'd never seen before swam freely through the sea.
“It's like we've walked into an aquarium.”
Just as Ha-eun described, it felt exactly like an aquarium expanded hundreds, even thousands of times over.
“Sniff, sniff. There don't seem to be any monsters around here.”
Riak brought his nose close to the ground, sniffing.
“That's because there are a lot of Awakened near the entrance.”
“Are we heading deeper inside?”
“Of course.”
The goal was to farm enough Stigmata Stones to complete Black Heaven's quest.
They weren't here for a leisurely tour of the gate's interior.
[Then let us proceed inside.]
*Plop.*
Vega sat atop Oh-jin's head as if it were her designated seat.
She grasped his curly hair with both hands, as if holding the reins of a horse.
“I shall escort you in comfort, my goddess.”
[Hee hee. The ride is quite pleasant.]
Vega played along with the joke, gently stroking his forehead.
*Thud, thud.*
They ventured deeper, taking in the beautiful scenery inside the gate.
Perhaps because it was a rather high-difficulty gate.
The further they went, the fewer signs of people there were.
And then.
“Awooooolololol!!!”
A bizarre cry echoed as the ground rumbled.
From the other end of the tunnel appeared a large, two-meter-tall fish.
Though it was a fish, only its head was fish-like; below the neck, it resembled a human.
“…Fishmen?”
“They're monsters called Neglish.”
“Thank goodness they aren't called mermaids.”
Ha-eun stared at the Neglish with a look of disgust.
The Neglish's body was packed with violent muscles, like a bodybuilder who had overdosed on steroids.
A fish head on such a muscular body—it couldn't look any more grotesque.
*Fwoooosh!!*
“If we roast them whole, they'd probably be rich in protein.”
Ha-eun grinned, conjuring flames in both hands.
“Nunna, wait.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Let me try fighting them alone first.”
He was curious to see how well he could fight against a 5-star monster.
‘The Masu that appeared in Sokcho was exactly 5-star grade.’
How much stronger had he become since then?
The desire to find out surged within him.
“Okey-dokey. Got it.”
Ha-eun extinguished her flames and took a couple of steps back.
*Click, clack!*
He channeled mana into the iron rod.
He gripped the silver spear that had transformed into a glaive.
‘Three of them.’
The one in the middle was the largest.
‘That one first.’
*Grip.*
After tightening his grip on the shaft.
*CRASH!*
He slammed it violently onto the ground.
*Vwoom.*
Using the spear like a pole vault, he launched himself into the air.
“Awooolol!!!”
The Neglish reacted quickly, creating distance and moving away from his landing point.
They surrounded him from three directions, intending to attack the moment he landed.
“Not a chance.”
*Twang!*
He fired his wire shooter.
The wire shot out from the improved shooter at a much faster speed than before.
*Whirrrrr!*
“Awool?”
The wire wrapped around the Neglish's neck.
‘Poknoe.’
*Bzzzzzzzzzt!!*
A powerful blue lightning current traveled along the wire and scorched the Neglish's head.
“Awooolololol!!!”
As expected.
So this was a 5-star monster.
It writhed in pain, but the lightning that flowed through the wire wasn't enough to kill it.
However.
“That's all it is.”
*Whirrrrrr!!*
With the roar of a motor, the wire was pulled taut.
*SHIIIIINK!*
The silver spear, swung in a long downward arc, split the Neglish's body in two.
“Awooolol!”
“Aorororororol!”
The other two charged, seemingly flustered.
They were fast.
And powerful enough to hear the air tear.
“This is a bit disappointing.”
Of course.
They were nowhere near a threat to him.
*Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!!*
He lifted the spear above his head and spun it like a propeller.
*Fwoosh!*
Blue flames erupted fiercely from the spear's tip.
“Hup!”
Timing it with the charging Neglish, he gripped the end of the shaft and swung wide.
*Swoosh!*
With an illusion that the spear had suddenly lengthened,
*CRACK!*
“Awool!!”
The two Neglish were severed at the waist.
Guts spilled out along with a torrent of red blood.
‘Took about five seconds.’
Oh-jin let out a dry laugh and shrugged.
He had expected it wouldn't be difficult.
But he hadn't imagined it would be this one-sided.
“Holy crap... Is this for real?”
Ha-eun also approached, her jaw hanging open in disbelief.
“Are you really a 5-star? No, forget that, how did you get this strong in just two months…?”
The difference between the Oh-jin she saw during the Sokcho subjugation and the Oh-jin now was, quite literally, night and day.
Back then, she'd thought he was strong for his star-rank, but this was just ridiculous.
“At this rate... couldn't you beat a 6-star? No, even a 7-star?”
“I told you. I fought and beat a 7-star Awakened not long ago.”
“Oh, right.”
Ha-eun scratched the back of her neck and pouted.
“Still, for you to almost catch up to me less than half a year after you awakened... it makes your big sister feel a little strange.”
“Pfft! I probably can't beat you yet, Nunna. Your body's all recovered now, right?”
Ha-eun had been one of the stronger 7-star Awakened in the past.
Now that she had a new power called the Yong'an, he couldn't guarantee a win in a head-on fight.
“Hmph! Of course I'd still win in a one-on-one!”
That probably wasn't just a bluff.
To face her, now fully recovered, would still be impossible without using Exceed or Vega's blessing.
“And.”
*Grin.*
Ha-eun's lips curled into a smile.
*Click.*
She reached behind her head and undid the eyepatch covering her left eye.
“You think your big sister was just sitting around doing nothing?”
*Snap!*
She flicked her fingers lightly.
*Fwoooooosh!*
In the blink of an eye, a chain of fire shot toward a corner of the tunnel.
*Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch!*
“Awooololol!!!!”
“Awool! Awoolool!”
Two Neglish that had been hiding stealthily in the corner were dragged out, bound by the fiery chains.
They were smaller than the three Oh-jin had dealt with, but their bodies were covered in threatening spines.
“Looks like there's an assassin type, too.”
“Awooolol!!”
Ha-eun slowly examined the two Neglish bound in her fire chains.
Purple venom dripped from the tips of the sharp spines, which were raised like a pufferfish's.
*Snap!*
“Ah, ool…”
*Fwoosh!*
With another flick of her fingers, the fire chains reduced the Neglish's bodies to ash.
“…How did you know?”
Oh-jin's eyes widened in surprise.
He never imagined two more were hiding there.
“Well, that's because.”
Ha-eun grinned, raising a hand to her unveiled left eye.
Though the eye was grotesque in appearance.
She caressed the area around it as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
“Someone special gave me this eye. It's gotta see everything, the seen and the unseen.”
“……”
*What's this?*
*Why does my Nunna suddenly seem so cute?*
[Ahem!]
Vega let out a dry cough, clearly uncomfortable.
[Indeed, 5-star monsters pose no significant threat.]
“Looks like it.”
Oh-jin nodded and then collected the Stigmata Stones.
Just as the rumors said, each one dropped two Stigmata Stones.
‘It's been a while since I've seen blue Stigmata Stones.’
With the recent surge of Masu, they felt like a welcome sight.
‘Does this mean the Black Stars' power isn't influencing this gate's anomaly?’
Until now, the power of the Black Stars had always been involved wherever Masu appeared.
The appearance of blue Stigmata Stones meant these weren't Masu, at least.
It was highly likely that the gate's anomaly was caused by something else.
‘I'll figure that out later.’
For now, it was time to enjoy this unexpected experience-point event.
“Grrr. To think this gate is filled with such weaklings. My excitement is fading.”
Riak snorted in disappointment.
“Calling them weaklings... I guess you can handle monsters like this easily even with your power restricted?”
“Of course! Who do you take this Riak for!”
Riak shouted loudly.
“Pfft! Then let's take this chance to see how much power you two can use.”
He said, looking back at Vega and Riak.
[Oh? Are you saying you wish to test how helpful I can be?]
“It's important to check our combat strength.”
[Hee hee. To dare test the power of a Constellation... a truly impudent thought, but...]
*Poof.*
Vega flew up.
[I, too, am curious to see how much power I can wield in this state.]
“Alright.”
Oh-jin went a little deeper into the underwater tunnel.
“Awooolol!!”
“Four of them this time.”
“No assassin types.”
He glanced over at Vega and Riak.
“Grrr! Just stand there and watch, human!”
[I shall show you my power.]
Riak and Vega charged toward the Neglish.
*Shink! Shak! Shazak!!!*
“Aooorororok!!!”
The silver wolf kicked off the tunnel walls as if they were flat ground, weaving between the Neglish.
*Bzzzt!*
[How dare you rampage so insolently before me?]
Blue lightning slithered across the floor like a snake, coiling around the Neglish.
In the blink of an eye, the blue lightning climbed the Neglish's bodies and burrowed into the gills on their necks.
“Awooolol!!”
The Neglish with lightning flowing into their gills collapsed to the floor, their bodies trembling.
“Whoa.”
Oh-jin's eyes shone at the sight of her control, which was always awe-inspiring.
But that was only for a moment.
Oh-jin, who had been calmly observing the battle, clicked his tongue in disappointment.
‘Her output is too low.’
The power of the lightning Vega could use with her restrictions was, at best, at a 2 or 3-star level.
She had subdued the Neglish with phenomenal control, but her output was far too low to deliver a finishing blow.
‘It's the same for Riak.’
Riak, too, seemed to be barely compensating for his miserably weakened strength and speed with overwhelming technique.
‘So no free rides, huh.’
It didn't matter.
He never planned on relying on their power to grow in the first place.
“Grrr! How irritating!”
Riak exclaimed in frustration.
Well, it was understandable. He had to move around and fight with all his might against monsters that would turn to ash from a single blast of lightning if not for his restrictions.
“Heheh! All that big talk and this is all you've got?”
“W-What did you say?”
“Hee hee. Guess I have no choice but to help~”
“I don't need it!”
Ha-eun giggled and joined the fight.
[Huu. I am already growing tired.]
Vega landed on Oh-jin's shoulder with a deep sigh.
“Good work, Vega.”
[With this much power, I cannot be of much help to you.]
Vega lowered her head, looking disappointed.
“It's better this way.”
[Hmm? Better, you say?]
“If I only rely on your power, I'll get complacent. This is just right.”
He comforted the dejected Vega.
[Hee hee. Are you trying to console me?]
She stroked his forehead with a faint smile on her lips.
[You truly are a praiseworthy child. I understand now why my past self and you... ended up in *that* sort of relationship.]
She whispered the last part softly with a shy smile so Ha-eun wouldn't hear.
*Tug, tug.*
As if embarrassed by her own words, she needlessly tugged on Oh-jin's earlobe.
“Uh, um.”
In truth, he'd never had *that* sort of relationship with Vega in his past life.
“I told you.”
He glanced back at her on his shoulder with a faint smile.
“It's okay if you don't remember. It doesn't matter if you can't reminisce.”
Just as the world doesn't disappear when you close your eyes.
“Even if you forget, I remember. All of it—the happy memories and the sad ones.”
[My child…]
Vega's eyes wavered.
‘That should be enough for now.’
It was about time to cut it short.
“Pfft! Let's go. Nunna might hear.”
[…Right.]
When he approached Ha-eun, the battle was already over.
“Let's grab the Stigmata Stones and head deeper in.”
“Grrr! I will fight alone this time!”
As they continued to venture deep inside the gate.
“Hm?”
He saw three Neglish, their bodies riddled with holes, lying on the ground.
“Phew. Taking on three at once is a li~ttle tough!”
Next to them, the young man with orange hair from the entrance was taking a break, drinking a potion.
A round orb was floating around him.
“Huh? You're…”
The young man's gaze turned toward them.
What was he thinking about in that short moment?
His expression changed rapidly before a grin slowly spread across his face.
“Lightning Wolf! You're the Lightning Wolf, right?”
“Yes.”
It wasn't a nickname he was fond of.
But since everyone around him kept calling him Lightning Wolf, he'd gotten somewhat used to it.
“Hahaha! Wow~! To meet the Lightning Wolf here! I'm a fan, a huge fan!”
The young man extended his hand.
“So... what should I say. If this isn't fate, I don't know what is.”
He grinned, pointing his thumb at the orb floating in the air.
“Would you be interested in being a guest on my stream?”
“Excuse me?”
A stream?