Chapter 129: Endless Night (5)

Chapter 129: Endless Night (5)

Slaaash!—

The spear's blade burning with blue flames dug through the gap in the black wings that hadn't been able to completely cover Cheon Doyoon's body yet.

"Kugh!"

Cheon Doyoon quickly backed off, but he wasn't able to avoid the sudden attack, as he had believed himself to have already been victorious.

Bzzzzt!!—

The spear dug into his chest, and the Lightning Flames on the blade spread over his body like poison.

"Kugk! Kuaaaaaa!!"

Cheon Doyoon's body shook violently, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head like he was going through electrical torture.

White foam flowed out of his wrinkly mouth.

"How is it? It tingles, doesn't it?"

Ohjin twisted the spear that was dug into Cheon Doyoon's chest and worsened the wound.

Pungent smoke rose up as the injury widened.

'I need to end things now.'

Performing a surprise attack after tricking him into lowering his guard would only work once. If he couldn't kill Cheon Doyoon with that strike, it was unknown when he would be able to find such an opportunity again.

'Azure Dragon Strike.'

On top of his explosively amplified mana from Vega's blessing, he drew out mana from the dragon vein.

Bzzzzzzzzzzt!!!—

Lightning blazed so intensely that he couldn't see in front of him.

When the spear dug into Cheon Doyoon's chest tried to pierce through his heart—

Ptututututu!!—

"Argh!"

—a powerful repulsive force pushed on the shaft.

Flesh started to tear off Ohjin's hand that was grasping the spear, and blood started to drench the shaft.

'What?'

He narrowed his eyes and looked at the tip of the spear that was digging into Cheon Doyoon's chest. Black feathers covered his chest in an instant like a provoked beehive, and his spear was pushed back.

"You dareee!!"

Cheon Doyoon exploded out in anger and grasped the spear.

The black feathers that started to flood out of his chest covered Cheon Doyoon's entire body. Rather than an owl, he looked more like a porcupine that had its sharp spikes on edge.

Ttututututu!!—

With explosive momentum, Cheon Doyoon scattered the black feathers that covered his body in all directions.

Ohjin chewed his lips and slid back.

"Huff, huff! Cough!"

Cheon Doyoon clutched his chest and coughed up blood.

"Tch."

Ohjin clicked his tongue and his expression was distorted.

He had succeeded in inflicting considerable damage through a surprise attack, but that was it. His plan of killing Cheon Doyoon in a single strike ended up in failure.

"Vega, support me from the side."

[Got... it.]

It seemed that the Commandment's Restriction had started taking effect already, as Vega frowned while nodding her head.

Ohjin was worried about Vega, but he had no choice but to borrow her strength at that moment.

* * *

* * *

"The Star of the Weaver Girl's blessing... hol, hol, hol. So you had a hidden card."

Cheon Doyoon took something out of his pocket.

—A fist-sized blue crystal.

The Dragon's Heart that had been recently obtained from the dungeon was brightly emitting light.

"Then this old man will also have to reveal one of his hidden cards."

Shove—

Cheon Doyoon stuffed the Dragon's Heart into his chest which had an open wound from the spear. Like forcefully fitting together puzzle pieces that didn't fit, the blue crystal dug into his skin and took root at his solar plexus.

Owooooong!!—

"Haa."

A blinding blue light poured out from around his solar plexus.

As if resonating with the blue light, the nine flicks that were engraved on his left chest shone even more ferociously.

"Holholhol!! So this is overwhelming mana...!"

Drunk on the overflowing power, thick greed manifested in his wrinkly eyes.

"If just the heart grants this much, what if I get my hands on the eye that can perfectly control this power...?"

His eyes containing greed headed to Ha-eun.

Flinch—

Ha-eun, restrained in the chains, flinched.

"Look away, you bastard."

How dare he stare at someone who wasn't his without permission?

Bzzzzzzzzzt!—

Blue lightning compressed at the tip of the spear that was aimed at Cheon Doyoon.

'Charge x8.'

Lightning was compressed at the spear's tip a total of eight times.

Usually five times would be his limit, but with Vega's blessing, condensing it eight times was as natural as breathing.

"Discharge."

Crackleeee!!!—

Like unleashing a savage beast, the lightning condensed at the blade fiercely shot forward.

"Holholhol! You are struggling pointlessly!"

"Save those words for when you win."

Baaaang!—

A frighteningly loud noise rang out as the lightning and feathers collided, and the floor of the empty lot started to tear as terrifying shockwaves swept the area.

"Do you think you've won just because you wounded this old man one time?"

Cheon Doyoon easily fended off Ohjin's attacks and started to write using both of his hands. Every time he drew the letter 印(Seal) in the air, black feathers shot at Ohjin in unusual shapes.

Sometimes in the shape of a chain, sometimes in the shape of a scythe, sometimes in the shape of a sword... As if throwing weapons out of a massive armory, hundreds of different kinds of feathers shot at Ohjin.

Clang! Kang! Cla-Clang!—

"Kuuuuh!"

Rather than fighting Cheon Doyoon one-on-one, it felt more like he was fighting an army by himself. The feathers of different shapes and sizes sharply aimed for his blind spots and cut his body.

[M-My child!]

Vega used as much lightning as she could to reduce the number of feathers, but it was far from enough.

"Huff, huff!"

There were many...

There were too many...

There were two more feathers when one was dealt with.

There were four more feathers when two were dealt with.

As if the entire world was covered in an Owl's wings, his field of vision was filled with black feathers no matter where he looked.

'Sh-Shit...!'

That was the power of a high-rank Awakener that was known to have escaped the boundary of humans. Ohjin was helplessly ravaged in front of the overwhelming power.

"Kuh! Kuk! Ah!"

Clang! Cla-Clang! Cla-Cla-Clang!—

No matter how desperately he swung, and swung, and swung... the number of his injuries increased.

It felt like he was trying to fend off rain with just his palm.

'If this continues...'

Ha-eun couldn't be sa—

"Don't fuck with me."

He cut off the negative thought that popped up in his head.

'Whether I can do it or not isn't the problem.'

—It had to be done.

"It turns out you don't have enough skill to be arrogant."

Holholhol—

The sound of his unpleasant laughter rang out.

Ohjin ignored it.

He didn't have the spare time to get distracted by something like that.

"Kugh!"

He spread blue lightning in all directions and barely blocked the pouring feathers.

"Huff! Huff! Huff!"

Ohjin had to catch his breath.

His consciousness became hazy like he was going to faint at any second.

'No.'

Ohjin ground his teeth and gathered even more mana.

He could feel his mana circuits swelling to the verge of tearing from using too much mana at once.

He could feel the horrifying pain like that of sharp saws cutting away every part of his body.

'Endure it.'

Pain could be ignored.

Agony could be disregarded.

'If it can be solved by enduring...'

—It was nothing at all.

"Hmm...?"

Cheon Doyoon's expression stiffened as he looked at Ohjin, who continued fighting back without rest.

'What's going on?'

When he was pouring out attacks by even using the mana contained inside the Dragon's Heart...

'How... is he able to last that long?'

It was something that couldn't happen.

It was something that shouldn't happen.

The number of flicks seen through the Lightning Wolf's torn clothes was definitely six.

Just how... could a mere 6-Star Awakener last that long against the attack of a high-rank Awakener?

"..."

No, he wasn't simply 'lasting'.

"Huff, huff!!"

Clang! Cla-cla-clang!!!—

The spear engulfed with blue flames pushed back the feathers.

It burnt, crushed, and tore them.

That's right.

He wasn't simply 'lasting', he was gradually 'pushing' through.

"Ho. So the Star of the Weaver Girl's blessing was to this extent."

Cheon Doyoon shook his head out of disbelief.

With his common sense, there was nothing other than the celestial's blessing that could explain the preposterous phenomenon in front of him.

[No. It isn't because of this lady's blessing.]

Vega flew up and glared at Cheon Doyoon with sharp eyes.

[This is all but a miracle my child has accomplished. It is the power that comes from his unwavering conviction to protect the ones precious to him.]

"Hoo."

Cheon Doyoon quietly looked at Vega and smiled faintly.

"I see. The Star of the Weaver Girl has excessive trust for her apostle."

Cheon Doyoon's expression was completely calm despite having a North Star right in front of his eyes. It was because it was a well-known fact that celestials couldn't use their strength due to the restriction.

"However... do not forget that Lady Vega isn't the only one who can grant blessings."

With his wrinkly mouth rising brightly, Cheon Doyoon spread his arms out wide.

"Celestial of Noctua."

Black light explosively poured out of the nine flicks engraved on his chest.

"Grant the blessing of Noctua to your humble servant."

Owooong!—

The black lights gradually turned into the shape of an owl.

[Holholhol. I was wondering why you called me. It's quite an amusing situation, isn't it?]

The owl that showed up behind Cheon Doyoon's back laughed in the same strange manner.

'What is it now?'

Ohjin, who was narrowly blocking the pouring attacks, looked at the owl that appeared behind Cheon Doyoon.

It was distinctively different from when other Awakeners of Noctua received a blessing.

If the others were paying a price in order to borrow the celestials 'power'...

'This time... the celestial came in person.'

The situation in that case was similar to how Vega materialized herself to grant a blessing. It was only possible because they weren't half-assed Awakeners like the ones he had fought until then, but the 'King of Owls'.

[Holholhol! Even if it's a North Star, the strength of an unripe apostle only amounts to this much!]

Noctua marvelously flapped its wings and clattered its beak.

It couldn't dare compare itself to a North Star considering how many leagues apart they were, but in a fight between 'apostles', Cheon Doyoon was still several steps above Ohjin.

[Now! Hurry up and shred the Star of the Weaver Girl's wolf!]

"Holholhol. I shall follow your command."

Laughing in the same strange way as Noctua, Cheon Doyoon crossed his arms at Ohjin.

Ttutututututu!!!—

"Kugh! Kuk!!"

A scream of pain came from Ohjin, who was barely enduring Cheon Doyoon's attack.

Black feathers that contained power that was incomparable to before shot from all directions and hit Ohjin.

[M-My child!]

Vega quickly tried to take action, but...

"Aahhhhhh!!!"

Black feathers dug all around his body.

Like a puppet that had its strings cut off, his body that had become a wreck plopped onto the ground.

"Ah, uh."

Ohjin's blood-soaked body trembled.

'N-No.'

He tried to squeeze out as much strength as he could, but not a single one of his fingers would move.

'If... this continues..."

Ohjin chewed his lips and managed to raise his head.

He could see Cheon Doyoon and Noctua giggling while looking down at him.

"Holholhol! Your arrogance ends here."

Cheon Doyoon leisurely moved his feet.

A sword made of black feathers was in his right hand.

"Die, Star of the Weaver Girl's wolf."

[...]

Vega, who was quietly looking at the sword, clenched her fist.

As if she had made up her mind, her golden eyes sparkled.

[Halt.]

Owooong!!!—

Rays of light surged up.

Vega's body that was merely 30cm materialized into her true form.

And then... the world burned up in radiant silver light.

"Wh-What."

Shiver—

Cheon Doyoon's legs trembled with his eyes open wide.

A force pressed down on his body.

He couldn't move his body, couldn't blink his eyes, and couldn't even breathe.

All he could do was pathetically tremble and look at the goddess that materialized in front of him.

[Sh-Shit!!!]

The owl behind Cheon Doyoon was also in dismay

[Using Sacred Ground here?! A-Are you thinking of perishing?!]

Noctua looked at Vega with disbelief.

[Even if you are a North Star, you can't use Sacred Ground on Ear—]

[Noctua, was that your name?]

Cutting off the owl, the silver-haired goddess slowly moved her feet.

With her index finger stretched out, she gently raised her hand.

Like drawing a line in the air, she carefully lowered her hand.

────────!

There was no noisy sound or blinding light.

One thread of blue lightning dropped down like a droplet of water gently falling down.

[Kuh!!!!]

The owl that was flapping its wings vigorously crashed down to the ground.

[Who gave you permission to speak?]

The cold eyes of the goddess looked towards the owl.