Twitch—
The blue lightning moved to his right arm.
His forearm that had deflected the spear’s blade couldn’t move properly.
‘No way.’
The eyes of Team Leader Han Joonman trembled slightly.
He had certainly confirmed moments ago that the stigma had two stars.
The blocked attack of an Awakener that was only a mere 2-Star was able to make his arms difficult to move.
“Just what…’
Before he had the time to grasp the situation accurately, a sharp spear strike stabbed out at him.
“Hmpt!”
Bang!—
Taking a raging step forward, he compressed his shoulders.
As the spear’s blade bounced off, he saw a clear opening to strike at Ohjin’s chest.
He roughly swang his gloved fists.
Bam!—
“Kugh!!”
Ohjin, who had taken the blow right on his chest, flew back like a baseball that had been hit by a bat.
Ragdolling on the ground, he crashed into the testing ground’s wall.
“Cough, cough!”
He couldn’t breathe properly.
Rather than a human fist, it felt more like he had been hit by a car racing at full speed.
‘Holy shit.’
‘What kind of monstrous power is that?’
A sharp pain passed through his spine.
“A-Are you okay?”
“…Yes.”
Putting Team Leader Han Joonman’s panicked expression behind him, he stood up.
Although the arm that was grasping the spear was slightly shivering in addition to his shaking legs…
‘Still.’
He could still fight.
He could still move.
Owooong!!—
The stigma on his left chest started to pour out light.
The heavy pressure that had been pushing down on his chest reduced slightly.
‘Stabbing is not enough.’
He couldn’t pierce through those solid arms with a direct attack.
‘If that’s the case…’
Hwoong!!—
Lowering his body, he swung his spear in a clean motion.
The ankles were his target.
The blue lightning-infused spear blade flashed across the floor.
“Hyat!!”
Team Leader Han Joonman kicked towards the spear blade that was heading towards his ankle.
A movement like that of kicking a soccer ball.
‘That’s right.’
Ohjin’s mouth perked up.
Ohjin knew that he wouldn’t try to avoid it.
Pang!!—
Just before the low-swung spear was about to be hit by the foot, he let go of his grasp on the spear’s shaft.
The spear bounced on the ground and rotated in the air..
Snatching the spear—
“Hyaaaaaa!!”
—he struck down towards Joonman’s shoulder!
Ppaaaak!!—
“Kugh!!”
Recoiling his body, Team Leader Han Joonman took a step back.
Chasing after him, Ohjin gripped his spear.
“Haa, haa!”
An intense exaltation.
The insides of his head were burning up.
Smirking, a thrilling sensation spread throughout his body.
‘A little more.’
He wanted to enjoy the sensation of his body burning up.
He wanted to feel the thrill of scratching the surface.
Owooong!!—
The stigma let out a blazing light.
Craaaackle!!!!—
Just like when he had received the blessing from Vega, the blue lightning fiercely blazed up.
《Thunder & Lightning Lv1》 has increased to 《Thunder & Lightning Lv2》.
A blue message box appeared in front of his eyes.
He ignored it.
“Fuu.”
He took in a large breath.
—The smell of piercing thick sweat.
The smell of air, dust, and steel.
As if hewas usingthe stigma of the Hunting Dogs, the senses in his body sharpened to its edge.
‘Just a little… more.’
Swing the spear.
Stab the spear.
More tenaciously. More brutally. More viciously!
Kang! Kakang! Kagaaang!!!—
“Kuuuugh!!”
Team Leader Hanjoon circulated both his arms to protect his face from the spear strikes that rained down.
‘What’s this?’
His doubt grew wider.
Up to the point of him no longer being able to remember the surprise he had first felt, the stunning astonishment left him shaken.
‘Just what’s going on?’
Kaang! Kang!—
What he was surprised by was not the fiercely blazing blue lightning nor the wildly swinging spear.
Above that…
Above something trivial like that…
‘Just why… is he becoming stronger?’
Out of hand, out of control.
Like a fallen drop of black ink spreading out in transparent water.
A sticky and ominous feeling wrapped around him.
Owoong!!—
The stigma engraved on Team Leader Han Joonman started to burn brightly.
Although a 6-Star Awakener using his stigma against a 2-Star Awakener was a ridiculous thing to do—
“Hyaaaaap!!”
—this wasn’t the time to argue about that.
Baaaang!!!—
“Kuhuuuk!!!”
As the glove exploded, the thick fist ferociously swung out.
The wave of strength caused by the stigma of Taurus compressed the air, making it explode in a frightening fashion.
Bang! Ba-Bang!—
Ohjin, who was caught in the explosion, bounced on the floor like a skipping stone.
“O-Ohjin!”
The panicked Team Leader Kang Joonman urgently rushed towards him.
“Medics!! Quick, come and bring the medics!!!”
As Team Leader Kang Joonman urgently shouted out, an Awakener that was on standby outside the entrance hurriedly came in.
“Ah, uh…”
“I’ll start by stopping the bleeding!”
The stigma engraved on the left chest of the Awakener started to pour out light.
The blue light pouring out of his two arms started to flow into Ohjin’s body.
“Haa, haa.”
Ohjin’s course breathing started to return to normal.
“Fortunately, it’s not a big injury.”
“Phew…”
As Team Leader Han Joonman felt at ease, he exhaled a breath out of relief.
“Bring a potion if there’s one available. The best one.”
“Yes, Team Leader.
The Awakener who had rushed outside soon came back holding a potion.
* * *
* * *
It was a potion made from finely grounded starstones created with the power of an Awakener of Aquarius.
“Please, take it.”
“Gulp, gulp.”
Ohjin calmly drank the potion Team Leader Han Joonman passed over.
His body that felt stinging pain soon returned to a completely normal state.
‘Damn, how much is this?’
Looking at the empty potion bottle, the first thought that came to mind was that it was regretful.
A potion made from an Awakener of Aquarius.
One bottle would easily exceed $1000.
“I apologize!!!!”
Team Leader Han Joonman bowed down from his hips in a 90°angle.
“No, don’t worry about it.”
He shook his head while smiling.
Although he wasn’t able to win, he was thoroughly satisfied with the fact that he had driven a 6-Star Awakener to the point of using a stigma.
“Anyways, is the confirmation finished with this?”
“…Of course.”
Team Leader Han Joonman nodded his head with a heavy expression.
Star of the Weaver Girl, the apostle of Vega was a ludicrous existence far exceeding his imagination.
“This isn’t something I should be saying after committing such a big mistake, but…”
Repeatedly slightly lifting and closing his mouth with a hesitant expression, he soon opened his mouth carefully.
“Could you please spare me some time?”
“Time?”
“Yes. There’s a private proposal I would like to offer.”
A proposal.
‘Should I hear him out first?’
Ohjin nodded his head while lifting himself up.
* * *
“Coffee or tea, which one would you like?”
“Tap water.”
It slipped out of his mouth since it was the only thing he drank.
“Huh?”
“Ah. Coffee, please.”
As he waited for a moment on the chair, Team Leader Han Joonman brought two steaming coffees.
“What did you want to talk about?”
“First of all… do you have a separate guild you want to join in mind?”
“No, there is none.”
He shook his head firmly.
Even though he took the evaluation test, his goal wasn’t to join a guild.
“Then…?”
“I’m thinking of acting as a mercenary.”
“Ah.”
A short exclamation flowed out of Team Leader Han Joonman’s mouth.
Mercenary.
In other words, Awakeners that took requests for matters that were hard to solve with a guild’s current members.
It was a job with high risk, as you wouldn’t be affiliated to any one place, but if you had the capabilities, you could bring in high earnings that would find the earnings of most major guilds’ executives amusing.
‘The simple difference between a freelancer and an office worker.’
It wasn't hard to raise his prices after receiving a good evaluation from the evaluation test together with the title ‘North Star’s apostle’.
“…By any chance, do you have any thoughts on joining the Association?”
As expected, a recruitment proposition.
“I think it’ll be tough for me to be affiliated with any one place.”
The moment you were affiliated with a group, it was inevitable to have your actions be restricted.
And currently, Ohjin was in a situation where his actions mustn't ever be restricted.
‘Since I don’t know what deeds I’ll have to commit in order to become a Regressor.’
Putting the cup of coffee he had finished drinking on top of the table, he stood up.
“Then I’ll take my—”
“Your affiliation itself will be within the Association, but there will be no need to commute to work as an official employee. Ah, of course, you’ll receive a monthly salary even if you don’t go to work. Though it is very lacking compared to major guilds.”
What?
Getting paid a monthly salary without going to work?
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s exactly as I said. Only keep the Association’s name as your affiliation; it’ll be fine if you work freely as a mercenary. If it’s okay with you, we could arrange moderate requests and forward them to you.”
It was a tempting proposal.
If he could receive requests through the Association, there would be no cases of his remuneration getting chipped off.
‘The conditions are great, but…’
‘A bait shouldn’t be taken right away.’
“Hmm…”
Frowning deeply, he pretended to be momentarily lost in contemplation.
“Is there perhaps a condition you want?”
“Two months… no, could you prevent my information from spreading for about one month?”
He didn’t have any thoughts on living while hiding his strength.
However, he couldn’t use the title ‘North Star’s apostle’ right away in a situation where he hadn’t had any preparations set.
Although the title ‘North Star’s apostle’ was most definitely a powerful authority, with authority would follow responsibility.
‘I need time.’
He needed the performance and skill to carry the weight that came with the name North Star.
“I understand. We’ll try to prevent information from spreading on the media and internet with the best of our capabilities.”
‘Nice.’
He could prevent the information from spreading explosively just with that.
‘To sum it up, if I just leave my affiliation with the Association, I can prevent my information from spreading, and they’ll forward me good requests on their own?’
And on top of that, he would receive a monthly salary without commuting to work.
‘Holy shit.’
The conditions made his balls shiver.
It was extremely one-sided if you only looked at the conditions, but you could somewhat understand the stance of the Association.
‘It’s an opportunity to have the Star of the Weaver Girl’s apostle as a part of their Association.’
There was no opportunity like this for the Association that had been getting its authority pushed back by the major guilds.
“…How is it?”
Gulp—
Team Leader Han Joonman asked while swallowing nervously.
His expression was full of unease.
Ohjin comfortably sat on the sofa and crossed his legs.
Even though he had already decided to take up the Association's offer in his mind—
‘I want to come off really fucking charismatic.’
—It’d be all for nothing if he came running to their doorstep like an excited puppy.
He would eventually degenerate into the Association's dog.
‘I can’t become a dog.’
He had lived like a dog for the past eight years.
No.
He had lived like a dog his entire life.
‘Not anymore.’
He wouldn’t live like a dog anymore.
He wouldn’t yield; he wouldn’t obey anymore.
‘From today onwards, I’m—’
‘—The ‘Owner’.’
“Hmm, I think I’ll need more time to thin—”
“In addition, we’ll grant you a full tax exemption.”
“I’ll become the Association's dog starting from today.”
“Huh?”
“Grrrr!! Woof!! Woof!!”
“…”
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