Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Next (5)

“Kyah?”

It was hard to imagine that the cute scream came from Shaolin, as she was a woman who gave off a haughty and calm impression, and it made Ohjin cackle unconsciously.

“That was quite a cute scream.”

“Y-You!”

Shaolin glared at Ohjin with widened eyes and a beet-red face. Having to face such humiliation was something she couldn’t have imagined.

She roughly bit her lips and raised her sword up high.

Freezing cold energy approached Ohjin along with her powerful killing intent.

“…I won’t leave you in one piece.”

“Hey, you’re the one who screamed. Why are you taking out your anger on me?”

“Sh-Shut up!”

Shaolin riled up her mana and violently swung her sword. Even though she’d been hit by an unpredicted counterattack, Ohjin was in a critical condition where he couldn’t move his body properly.

If she was able to keep pouring down attacks a little longer, her victory would be ensured with ease.

However…

“Uht!”

Shaolin’s expression distorted as she was swinging her sword.

Bzzt, bzzt!—

The blue lightning that remained like a fragrance paralyzed her body. She tried to forcefully move her body, but just a single step caused intense pain that was akin to countless needles stabbing into her body.

“What’s wrong? Finding it hard to move because of the pain?”

Ohjin laughed and grasped his spear.

‘Charge.’

Bzzzt!—

Blue lightning condensed within the spear.

One time, two times, three times, four times, five times…

Destructive energy that was like a volcano on the verge of erupting condensed within the spear. 

In the past, the spear would have exploded from not being able to contain so much mana, but…

‘This is nothing pared to the process that was needed to make Adam’s Apple.’

He was doing the same thing as he did with an ordinary apple, but it was with a sturdy silver spear created by mixing starstones.

It was several times easier to condense mana into the spear than the apple.

“Ugh…!”

It appeared that Shaolin noticed the immense energy charged in Ohjin’s spear. She gulped and drew a line on the ground with her sword.

“Mother Earth…”

Pure white snow flowers bloomed following the tip of her sword.

“Freeze.”

The snow flowers that sprouted in the gap made by the sword spread their roots and froze the ground.

Crunch!—

The whole ground became covered in transparent ice and pure white blossoms scattered with the storming wind.

“You won’t be able to move anymore,” she said coldly.

Regardless of how powerful the attack was, none of it meant anything if it didn’t connect.

“Is that right?”

Ohjin breathed out steam and smirked.

As she’d said, the situation didn’t allow him to approach her due to the scattering blossoms.

“Then I can just do this…”

“What do you—”

Ohjin retracted his right arm that was holding the spear.

“Fuu.”

He took a deep breath.

Ohjin placed his left arm in front of him, pulled back his right leg as much as possible, and folded his right arm to its limit.

Boom!—

Taking a big step forward— he threw the spear in his hands towards Shaolin.

Pshkkkk!!—

A strand of lightning bolted and pierced through the scattering blossoms.

The spear arrived in front of Shaolin in the blink of an eye.

“Explode!”

The blue lightning condensed within the spear exploded like a volcano and stormed down on Shaolin.

“Ugh.”

She furrowed her brow as she looked up at the ferocious storm of lightning that seemed to want to devour her.

‘I just need to block this final attack.’

—Spear Throw.

It was most definitely an incredibly dangerous attack, but the included risk of having to throw your weapon was inparable to any other attack.

If she managed to deal with that single attack, then Ohjin wouldn’t be able to continue the fight properly without his spear.

“Huaa!”

Shaolin shouted briefly and held her sword close to her forehead in a two-handed grip.

The white petals storming the area started to gather around her sword, and once they fully covered her blade…

“Snow Flower Strike.”

Rumble!—

The blizzard that followed the strike clashed with the storm of blue lightning and split the ground in half.

Tall pillars of ice that were several meters high soared up in the area her sword strike passed and even covered the stands.

The sword strike consisting of white petals pierced through the lightning and reached Ohj—

“Huh?”

Shaolin’s eyes widened.

Ohjin couldn’t be seen anywhere.

‘Impossible!’

She urgently raised her head and discovered Ohjin on top of one of the several-meter-high ice pillars.

“When did you…?!”

Shaolin quickly swung her sword at Ohjin.

It wasn’t an attack that concentrated her mana like before, but the white sword strike that shot at him was still rather deadly.

Tak!—

Ohjin kicked off the ice pillar.

Shaolin grasped her sword and predicted that he would use ‘Lightning Step’.

‘He isn’t as fast when he uses Lightning Step.’

It was most likely because he wasn’t pletely used to the technique, but his speed when he moved through the air was much slower pared to when he was on the ground.

Her eyes searched for the lightning that would be created in the air.

Lightning Step was a technique that allowed you to move through the air by stepping on lightning, which meant that you could land a hit on the user if you were able to attack the lightning the instant it formed.

Bzzt!—

Lightning just so happened to be created in the air at that moment.

‘Now!’

When Shaolin swung her sword—

Bang!—

—the sound of a gun suddenly rang out.

Shaolin didn’t even have the time to confirm the cause of the sound.

Whirrrrrr!!—

Following a mechanical sound, Ohjin’s body pletely changed direction in the air.

“Huh…?!”

Shaolin’s eyes widened and she tried to track Ohjin as he zipped out of her vision.

However, before she was able to get her eyes on him, he stuck a wire to an ice pillar and landed behind Shaolin.

Grab—

Both of Ohjin’s hands grabbed Shaolin’s shoulders.

“Ah!”

She tried to swing her sword with a frightened expression on her face, but…

“Too late.”

Bzzzzzt!!—

Frightening currents of lightning rushed through his hands and smote her.

“Kyaaaaaah!!”

Shaolin’s eyes turned white as she let out a scream that was a bit more dreadful than before.

Plop—

She lost her center of balance and fell to the ground.

[…]

“H-Holy crap.”

“Th-The White Rose… lost?”

Astonishment filled the arena.

Breaking the silence, Spica raised the marble in her hand and shouted.

[W-We have just witnessed an unbelievable occurrence!!!]

Her voice, filled with excitement, echoed out.

[Defying everyone’s expectations, Awakener Gwon Ohjin has defeated Awakener Shaolin!!!]

Whoaaaaa!!—

* * *

Translator – Maccas

Proofreader – ilafy

* * *

Cheers and applause rained down.

[With this, Awakener Gwon Ohjin has taken down three out of Deneb’s twelve apostles and seized victory!!]

Spica smiled brightly as she looked at Deneb, who had a frustrated expression.

“Damn it!”

He was chewing his fingernails and spewing swears.

“L-Lin!”

Shaolan kicked off the railing and quickly rushed towards Shaolin.

She embraced Shaolin’s unconscious body and glared at Ohjin with rage in her eyes.

“You…!”

Allen spoke to Shaolan, as it seemed like she was going to rush to attack Ohjin at any moment.

“Stop. The match is already over.”

“Ugh…”

Ohjin was breathing ragged breaths and remained standing with difficulty.

Allen looked down at him and sighed deeply.

“It seems like we were the ones who couldn’t differentiate courage from temerity.”

A new 7-Star Awakener being that strong was something he couldn’t have imagined.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

Deneb stomped his foot out of frustration.

He got up from his seat after throwing a tantrum.

“…Don’t think you’ve defeated my children with this.”

Although Ohjin was the one who won the bet, it wasn’t against his top three apostles that belonged to the ‘Seven Stars’.

“Still, a bet is a bet.”

Deneb glared at Vega, who was looking at Ohjin with a proud expression.

“I’ll give some of my divinity to Vega.”

When he placed his right hand on his chest and was about to extract some divinity…

“Next.”

A single, quietly-spoken word silenced the arena that was full of applause.

“—What?”

[My child…?]

Deneb and Vega both widened their eyes and looked back at Ohjin.

Treating their gazes as nothing, he clutched his sword-pierced stomach with one hand and provoked Shaolan with his finger.

“Aren’t you next?”

“…”

The edge of Ohjin’s lips twisted up, and his eyes shone like a predator targeting its prey.

Ohjin cackled while looking at Shaolan.

“Don’t you understand? I’m saying you’re next.”

“You crazy son of a bitch!”

Bang!—

Shaolan stomped her foot with anger, and the arena’s floor split apart as if it had been hit by a cannon.

“What nonsense are you talking about…?”

“Doesn’t it feel like a shame to end things here?”

Ohjin stuck his tongue out and licked his lips.

He faced Deneb’s direction and moved his finger up and down.

“I’m saying that we should have another match.”

“…”

Cold killing intent was contained in Deneb’s eyes.

Gritting his teeth, he violently clenched his fists and stared at Ohjin.

“Are you telling me… that you’ll face a fourth apostle?”

“Yeah.”

“Hah… hahahahaha!!”

Deneb exploded out in laughter while clutching his belly.

[M-My child! What are you saying…!]

When Vega tried to rush down to the arena with urgency—

“Lady Vega.”

—Riak appeared in front of her and obstructed her way.

Vega’s eyebrows slowly furrowed.

[Move.]

“That rookie wouldn’t have mindlessly offered such a proposal.”

Riak looked down at Ohjin, who was still struggling to catch his breath and clutching his bloody stomach.

Despite having injuries that were nearly fatal, the bright glimmer in Ohjin’s eyes had yet to be extinguished.

Feelings of craving and thirst lingered within the bright glimmer over the surface of his eyes.

“Well… okay, let’s say I already lost the divinity.”

Deneb looked back at Shaolan with cold eyes.

“Shaolan, didn’t you say that you want to punch that arrogant bastard’s face?”

“Yeah.”

After carrying Shaolin outside of the arena, she stared at Ohjin with eyes blazing like fire.

“I’ll return after thoroughly destroying him.”

Shaolan took a step into the fighting arena.

“Yeah. Now this is what I’m talking about.”

Ohjin smiled brightly, and then raised his head with his eyes closed.

Thump, thump, thump—

The loud sound of his beating heart resonated in his head like a huge drum.

His head felt hot… his vision wavered like he was drunk… the intense pain of his injury spread out like ink… but all of that didn’t feel unpleasant.

Rather, it was the opposite.

Ohjin’s only wish was for the bizarre feeling of exaltation filling up his head to never e to an end.

‘A little more…’

It felt like he would be able to grasp something if he went just a little bit further…

It felt like he would be able to tear down the wall in front of his eyes and be enlightened to a scene that he’d never laid his eyes on before…

But in order for all of that to be acplished—

‘I need prey.’

He felt a burning need to quench his thirst.

Unfulfilled hunger urged his feet to move.

Ohjin’s savage gaze was fixed on Shaolan, who was stepping into the fighting arena.

Fwoosh—

Azure fen fires flashed in his half-opened eyes.

[Isabella Art]

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