Chapter 26: The night without the guilty (3)
Chapter 26: The night without the guilty (3)
"Ah... uh, ah."
The thin sound of breathing.
As if he hadn't the energy left to scream any longer, only the faint sound of groans flowed out.
"Is that all you know?"
"......"
An answer wasn't given.
Ohjin looked down at Yujin, who had collapsed on the ground with a gruesome appearance, and clicked his tongue.
'In the state he's in, he wouldn't be able to tell me even if he knew more.'
Different from his subordinate that had spoken without much resistance, Yujin wouldn't speak until he became seriously battered down.
'No, to be accurate...'
He 'couldn't' speak.
"Is something like a taboo in effect?"
Every time he asked about major information about the Black Star Organization, Yujin's body would spaz out while foam poured from his mouth.
As Yujin was in this state, It was hard for Ohjin to receive essential information no matter how he interrogated him.
'I still managed to fish some out.'
The fact that Yujin's position was a low-rank Templar and that he served an existence called 'Executor'.
And also...
'Arshad Khan's contacts.'
He could get his hands on the contacts of the person who became a Black Star's apostle at the same time as Yujin had.
"I don't think there'll be a use for this anytime soon," he put the paper with Arshad's contacts written into his pocket.
As long as it wasn't someone chasing after him like Yujin had, there wasn't really a reason to get himself mixed up with the Black Star Organization.
"...No, wait"
Ohjin's eyes shone.
The group that had been saying crazy things such as that the Black Star's celestials ruled the world.
The secret organization that had been quietly increasing their masses in the dark.
"This... this."
Ohjin lips curved into a bright smile.
'I think I can use this.'
That's right.
Wouldn't it be normal if the 'Heavenly Demon' said to end the world appeared out of a suspicious organization such as the Black Star Organization?
"Kyaaaa!!" Ohjin laughed while shaking his shoulders.
In order for the truth of him being the Black Heaven's owner to be left undiscovered, the problem would be resolved once he made and killed a separate Black Heaven owner.
"I guess there is a reason for me to get involved with the Black Star Organization after all."
They were the diabolical organization where the Heavenly Demon would be born.
In order to prevent the end of the world, there was no choice but to exterminate them.
"Well, even that's a little over the top for my current state," said Ohjin as he laughed bitterly.
He couldn't exterminate them immediately.
Since even Yujin was an opponent he wouldn't have been able to face alone without using Lee Woohyuk.
"...I did think their forces would be large, but—"
It far exceeded his prediction.
'—even Yujin alone could never be called a weak existence.'
It was only that it looked that way since he had gotten beaten one-sidedly by Lee Woohyuk—he was actually skilled to the point where no average Awakener would dare face him.
However—
'If Yujin, who is a low-rank Templar, is around that level...'
Mid-rank Templars, high-rank Templars, and the Executors above that rank; it was hard to imagine how monstrous their strength would be.
'Perhaps...'
Ohjin narrowed his eyes.
Although it was hard to accurately determine their strength without seeing them in person...
'The Executors... could be on the same level as the Seven Stars.'
If that was true, it wasn't an exaggeration to say the Black Star Organization had sufficient forces to turn the world upside down, since it would mean that Awakeners on the same level as the strongest seven Awakeners in the world were gathered in a single organization.
"Tch."
Ohjin clicked his teeth and looked down onto Yujin, whose breath was slowly starting to come to a halt.
Although he wanted to learn even the slightest bit of information, it seemed it would prove difficult with the taboo in place.
"It can't be helped."
'Should I end things here?'
Chuk—
Ohjin grabbed the spear he had placed on the ground.
It was a shabby spear he bought for a cheap price at a weapon shop near the Association three days previously.
'Once this ends, I should start by changing my equipment.'
Thrust!—
"Kugk... k."
As Ohjin thrust the spear into Yujin's neck, he spat out blood while his body started to shake.
Crackleeee!!—
Ohjin used electricity to make sure Yujin was dead.
"Let's see..."
It was time to commence the human farming.
Rustle, rustle—
He rummaged through Yujin's pockets in search of something that would be of value.
"Oh, ohhh!!!"
Exclamation exploded out of Ohjin's mouth.
Two high-quality starstones, like the one that he had traded the star relic with, were in a black sack.
"Eureka!!!"
He pulled on his hair while jumping 10 meters into the air.
'Since a single one back then was $500K...'
—$1,000,000.
He had earned a massive amount of $1M at once.
"Huhuhu! Indeed, there is nothing like human farming."
Ohjin packed the two starstones that radiated a blue light into his sling bag.
He even took off Yujin's underwear, wondering if there was anything more to be earned, but there seemed to be nothing.
"Shit, I scarred my eyes for nothing."
After clothing Yujin with underwear once again, Ohjin turned away.
* * *
'Then, finally.'
He reached his hands out towards the stigma engraved on Yujin's left chest.
There were a total of 6 flicks engraved on his stigma.
'He was a 6-Star Awakener?'
Rum, rumble—
As he focused on his hand and placed it over the stigma, a black cloud flowed out of the tips of his fingers.
The Black Heaven's clouds that had completely covered the stigma greedly feasted on the power held within.
-Ring!
[The Black Heaven is absorbing the stigma of the Owl Nebula!]
[The Black Heaven's conditions for the third awakening have all been accomplished!]
[The Black Heaven's third awakening is starting!]
Ohjin's eyes opened wide as he read the blue message window."......!"
The third awakening.
What that meant—
"Kugh!"
G-Grumble!!—
The black cloud shook as it twisted around his body.
A strong pain radiated throughout his head.
[The Black Heaven is reading through the 'Records' contained in the stigma of Pyxis.]
[The Black Heaven's awakening stage is too low. The amount of records that can be read are restricted.]
Scenes he had never seen, fragments of memories he had never experienced started to flow into his head.
-Damn it!!
Ground that had pungent smoke rising from it.
Looking at the hundreds, thousands of monsters fiercely leaping around, Lee Woohyuk's expression harshly distorted.
He could see Seoul Station in the distance, already ruined by monsters to the point where it was hard to recognize
-Why... why did this happen?
Lee Woohyuk clenched his fists while his shoulders slightly shook.
-Woohyuk.
-...Brother?
Then, Lee Shinhyuk grabbed Lee Woohyuk's shoulders and spoke in a low voice.
-I'll buy time. Go to the place Miss Sunyoung is.
-What nonsense are you talking about? Why would you remain here?
Lee Woohyuk stared at him with a sharp gaze.
-Haha. Haven't I gotten quite strong as well? I'll be more than enough to buy you time.
-That's not what's impor—
-Don't you like her?
-What?
-Miss Sunyoung.
-......
Lee Woohyuk's expression stiffened.
Tap—
Lee Shinhyuk lightly tapped on his shoulders and raised the spear grasped on his hand.
-Go already, you rascal. I'll escape once I think that I've reached my limit.
-But.
Smiling lightly, Lee Shinhyuk walked toward Seoul Station, which was crowded with hundreds of monsters.
-Go.
The stigma of Pyxis blazed up in brilliant light.
As Lee Woohyuk gently closed his eyes, he soon turned his body and headed away.
-Well, then.
Lee Shinhyuk took in deep breaths and extended his spear out towards the monsters rushing towards him.
KarAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!—
At that moment, a horrifying shriek that shook the Earth's axis echoed out.
B-Baaaaaang!—
Inside the debris of the collapsed Seoul Station, a monster made of unsightly chunks of flesh raised its body.
Just the monster's size reached 20 meters.
The flesh monster that matched the expression of calamity stirred its eight arms and destroyed the surroundings.
Every time the flesh moved its body, the basketball-sized black starstone on its forehead shined out a powerful light.
-...Damn.
Lee Shinhyuk gulped as his hands tightened on his spear and started to shake.
-If I knew that horrendous thing was sealed under Seoul Station in advance... I could have prevented it.
With Lee Shinyhuk's voice filled with regret,
"Kugh!"
The memories crashing into his head faded away.
"Haa, haa!"
Ohjin clutched his chest while exhaling coarse breaths.
-Ring!
When he was about to organize Lee Shinhyuk's thoughts that had crashed in, once again, the clear sound of bells rang in his head.
"What is it this time?"
Ohjin moved his sight towards the blue message window that appeared.
[Part of Awakener Lee Shinhyuk was successfully inherited.]
[ has increased to .]
[The Black Heaven has reached the third awakening.]
[The Black Heaven's new trait, 'One is All' (萬流歸宗) has been acquired.]
Tilting his head, he clicked the part that had 'One is All' written."...One is All?"
Soon, a window that explained the trait appeared.
[One is All: The main stigma's proficiency will influence other stigmas.]
Although it was short and concise, its effects made him exclaim on his own. "Woah."
'Does that mean that if the stigma of Lyra's proficiency increases, the other stigmas will increase as well?'
In order to confirm the effects, he tried out the stigma of the Owl Nebula he had just earned.
Tututututu!!—
"Wow. This should come in handy."
Despite the fact that it was his first time activating the stigma, he could make ten black feathers and shoot them naturally.
'Though it doesn't feel as familiar as the stigma of Lyra.'
As he didn't know how many more stigmas he would earn in the future, being able to utilize part of the main stigma's proficiency without restrictions could be said to be an amazing effect.
"At this rate, I'll end up focusing on the stigma of Lyra since there won't be a need to train the others."
He could use the other stigmas according to the situation.
Ohjin observed Yujin's corpse for the last time and stood.
'Well then.'
It was time to end the play.
"Fuu."
Exhaling out a breath full of tension, he used the stigma of the Owl Nebula to make black feathers.
'I didn't want it to come to this, but...'
He had no choice.
In order to receive the sweetest reward possible, he needed to appear to have gone through that much hardship.
If it was for money—
This amount of trouble was nothing.
Tutututututu!!!—
"Kuugh!!"
Black feathers shredded his body.
He shot black feathers even towards dangerous vital points that could leave his life in danger.
As blood poured out of every part of his body, a horrendous pain started to be felt.
"Fuuuck, it fucking hurts!"
Spitting out coarse language, he collapsed on the spot.
He took out the handheld transmitter he received from the Association before they had formed the ambush.
Chsuuhh!—
[Awakener Ohjin? Where are you right now?!]
Team leader Han's hurried voice flowed out of the handheld transmitter.
[We've received contact from the Valhalla guild! Right now, one of the culprits has escaped...]
"I c-caught him."
[What?]
He continued with a shaking voice.
"The escaping culprit... cough! I have cau... cough! cough!"
[A-Awakener Ohjin? Are you okay?]
"Ah, uh."
[Awakener Ohjin!!!]
Team leader Han Joonman urgently shouted.
"Team leader..."
[W-Where are you!! Damn! The Valhalla guild! Contact the Valhalla guild!!!]
"I... don't feel so good."
The transmission cut off.