Chapter 110: Owl Hunting (1)

Chapter 110: Owl Hunting (1)

"Ugh."

A groan escaped from Ha-eun's mouth.

"Damn it... just what am I doing wrong?"

Ha-eun sighted deeply in the kitchen while standing in front of the stacked pile of stir-fried pork and scratched her head out of frustration.

She had worked hard during the past days to replicate the taste of the stir-fried pork that Isabella had made, but the taste was different, despite being made with the same recipe.

"Did she put in drugs or something?"

Ha-eun glared at the piled-up stir-fried pork like it was unfair.

When she was sighing deeply—

"Are you making them again?"

"Uh."

Flinch—

—her shoulders shook as she looked back at Ohjin, who had finished training.

"Y-You came a bit early today."

"Yeah. I finished early because I need to head to the Association soon."

"Didn't you still train for seven hours?"

"Nine hours, to be precise. I went there at 3AM today."

Ohjin had recently made a personal training facility in the apartment Isabella presented and was basically living there. Ha-eun had also often used the training facility with Ohjin, but she didn't train like crazy from early dawn to late afternoon like Ohjin did.

No, she couldn't do it even if she wanted to train that long in the first place because her mana would run dry before then.

'What he's doing is only possible for him.'

She didn't understand how it was possible, but Ohjin had much more mana as a 6-Star than Ha-eun, who was an 8-Star.

"...Aren't you overexerting yourself?"

"I still take appropriate amounts of rest."

Ohjin smiled and shook his head.

[Who is taking appropriate amounts of rest?]

Vega frowned as she sat on Ohjin's shoulder.

[You didn't even rest for 30 minutes while training for nine hours today!!]

"Ehh, that's because I have to go to the Association today."

[Sigh... This lady is worried that you'll collapse again if you continue to train like this.]

"But we're in a situation where I must grow my strength intensely."

[That's...]

Vega's face stiffened as she recalled when Ohjin had said that a huge war would happen soon.

[Fuu. Still, don't overexert yourself too much. Growing your strength is important, but your body is even more so.]

"Alright."

Ohjin nodded as his eyes headed to the stir-fried pork made by Ha-eun.

"Wow, just how many servings is this?"

As he chuckled and tried to grab a bite—

"N-No!"

—Ha-eun quickly stopped him.

"Why?"

"U-Uh... I mistakenly burnt a bit of it."

"It's not that burnt."

Rather, it looked quite appetizing, as there were a moderate amount of burnt parts.

"Whatever! Don't eat it!"

Ha-eun shouted as she covered the pile of stir-fried pork with her body.

"Why? Is it because it doesn't taste like the one Isabella made?"

"N-No, it's nothing like that!"

"Seriously, you're stubborn in the weirdest things."

In Ohjin's eyes, the way she acted from feeling a competitive spirit towards Isabella made her look cute.

"Let's see."

"Ah!"

Ohjin took out a handful of the piled-up stir-fried pork that was in the pot and put it on a plate and then placed some in his mouth.

"Hm."

Nom, nom—

"You certainly are bad at cooking."

The meat was stiff from stir-frying it too much, and it was too salty, which made it seem that she made a mistake while seasoning.

Still, her few days of practicing seemed to have paid off, as chewing the meat wasn't a toil like before, but it couldn't be said to be tasty, no matter how nicely one was to evaluate it.

"D-Didn't I say so?! I made a mistake!" shouted Ha-eun as her face reddened.

Munch, munch—

Ohjin deliciously placed the stir-fried pork that was on the plate into his mouth.

"...You said it tasted bad."

"Yeah. It does."

"Argh. Then why do you keep eating it?"

"Because you're the one who made it."

"..."

Ha-eun pouted.

"...but you threw it away before."

"You turned it into charcoal back then."

That thing she made in the past couldn't be said to be food.

"This is still edible."

Though it wasn't tasty.

"Hmpf. Then don't eat it. Ask that Isabella to make it for—"

"You don't need delicious food to survive."

Humans could live off just calorie bars and water. He knew that better than anyone else, as that was how he lasted for the past couple of years.

"But I need you."

Delicious food wasn't needed.

Whether it was a deluxe apartment or luxury goods, they were meaningless.

He could continue living on fine without those.

However...

He couldn't live without her.

Even if he did, his life would have no meaning.

"Wh-What did you say?"

"I'm saying you don't need to be good at cooking."

Like she had until then, all she had to do was stay by his side.

"Ah..."

Her eyes widened.

"Ah, asrsdfgh!"

Ha-eun's feet curled up as she let out an incomprehensible sound. Her body twisted like she was constipated, and she soon grinned as her body shook.

"H-Hehe. D-Do you really like me that much?"

She giggled as she pulled on Ohjin's cheek.

[Hmm.]

Vega narrowed her eyes with her arms crossed like she was uncomfortable but didn't get between them and pour cold water on the mood.

"Putting that aside, you really are bad at cooking. Shouldn't you get better after making this much?"

"Shut up and eat."

"Alright."

He cackled as he finished cleaning the stir-fried pork off his plate.

"Then I'll go now since I have matters to take care of at the Association."

"Are you going there to get your reward?"

"There's also that."

Ohjin needed the Association's help in order to start hunting the Owls in earnest.

"Want to come with me?"

"Um..."

Ha-eun thought for a moment and soon shook her head.

"Nah. I want to try training intensely today, as well."

It appeared that she was stimulated from looking at how Ohjin trained so rigorously.

"And with a little more... I feel like I'll be able to obtain it," said Ha-eun as she smiled and stroked her left eye hidden by the eyepatch.

"Obtain what?"

"Hehe. It's a secret. I'll show you once I'm able to use it properly later."

"Hmm."

In any case, it seemed that she was also able to achieve some results with her training.

'Well, she has overpowered talent, even though she looks like that.'

Ha-eun couldn't compare to Ohjin, who had the Black Heaven, but her speed of growth was still so explosive that it could be said to be overpowered with normal Awakeners as the standard.

"Ugh. I would be able to get proficient at it a little faster if I was able to train as long as you can."

"You don't have that much mana, after all."

"You're the one who has an unreasonable amount of it, you know?"

Ha-eun objected with an angry expression, but it was true that she had a small amount of mana, even if it wasn't compared to Ohjin.

'It could be said to be her only disadvantage.'

If Ha-eun had a lot of mana, she would probably be several times stronger than she was.

'Hmm... it's not like I can give her my mana.'

There really wasn't anything he could do at the moment except to continue watching over her.

* * *

* * *

"Then I'm going to the Association now."

"You're going already?"

"There's still some time left, but I was thinking of going early to do some light training."

The Association also had facilities for training prepared within its building, though it was uncomfortable, as there were many people that used them.

"You just trained for nine hours, why the hell are you trying to do more?!"

Ha-eun pulled on Ohjin's arm.

"Just rest here a little longer before you go."

"But..."

[This lady is of the same opinion. Haven't you already trained enough to wear out your mana circuits today?]

Vega flew over and helped Ha-eun pull Ohjin's arm.

"Alright, alright. Then I'll rest a bit before I go," Ohjin said as he shrugged.

"Then wake me up in 30 minutes."

While he was heading over to their room—

"...Wait."

—Ha-eun grabbed his shoulder.

"Why?"

"If... If you're going to take a nap, sleep here."

Ha-eun pointed to the sofa in the living room.

"...Is that necessary?"

"Khm! I-I'll lend you my lap, so hurry up."

'Ah, so that's what she meant.'

"Why, got any complaints?"

"Nope."

Of course, he had none.

[This lady has one.]

"Huh?"

[Why are you trying to monopolize my child? This lady shall also take care of Ohjin!]

'Uh, things are developing like this?'

"Heh, how will you do that with that body?"

[Hmpf. I can materialize my original body for 30 minutes. What about you? How will you pillow your lap with only one leg?]

"Wh-What did you say?"

"...Hey, you two. If you're going to fight, I'm just going to go sleep on the bed."

[Ah.]

"S-Stop!!" shouted Ha-eun as she extended out her palm.

Vega and Ha-eun's eyes clashed in mid-air.

[Khm. I guess it can't be helped.]

Vega and Ha-eun, who had successfully finished their dramatic compromise, sat down on the sofa side by side.

"Come lay down here."

Pat, pat—

Ha-eun patted her left thigh that was in direct contact with Vega's leg.

"The positioning is a bit..."

Ha-eun and Vega were currently sitting on the sofa side by side.

In order to lay his head down on Ha-eun's leg, his whole back would have to go on top of Vega's thighs.

It would place him in a very awkward position.

"Stop the useless talk and hurry up!"

[Come, lay down.]

Eventually, Ohjin laid down on the Sofa after getting persuaded by the two women. An unbelievable soft sensation spread out on his back, shoulders, and neck.

"Well, then, sleep now"

[Fufu. Leave your body to this lady and close your eyes.]

"......"

'How am I supposed to sleep in this situation?'

* * *

Click—

"You're here."

After getting ample amounts of rest(?), he arrived at the Association chairman's office room and found Han Taeho, Han Joonman, and Lee Woohyuk gathered inside.

The room consisted of the same members who gathered up in order to catch Cheon Woosung in the past.

"Then should we get right into business?"

The reason they gathered up there was to share information about the current situation and movements of the Black Star Organization.

But naturally...

'My goal is slightly different.'

Ohjin wasn't planning to stop at simply grasping the situation.

'In order to rise quickly, a stepping stone is needed.'

He had come to the Association to prepare that stepping stone.

"Hm. Before we get into business..."

Slide—

Han Taeho took out a luxurious silver case from the drawer.

"Take it."

"This is..."

"Haha. Didn't I say I was going to give you a reward last time?"

"Ah," Ohjin's eyes shone.

Ohjin had expected it to take more time to prepare the star relic, but they had finished the preparations already.

"It's a star relic that Kim Sihoo has manufactured himself. The performance... fufu, you'll know once you try it out yourself."

Han Taeho laughed with a confident expression as he handed over the silver case.

Click—

The case opened.