Chapter 172

Chapter 172: Gathering (1)

The embarrassing ‘punishment time’ that could not be mentioned to anyone came to an end.

Ohjin started his recovery in earnest.

[Here, say ah~]

Vega lent out a spoonful of abalone porridge with a sheepish smile.

He ate the abalone porridge while layed down on the bed.

Nom, nom—

The umami of the abalone spread out in his mouth.

Ojjin turned his head to face Vega, who was sitting next to the bed and looking at him caringly.

“Where did you get all of this?”

[I asked Spica to obtain them from outside the sanctum.]

“…”

Making a celestial of the 12 Zodiacs run errands? Even for a North Star, it was hard to imagine that it was possible.

[Spica is my one and only friend who understands my feelings.]

“Yeah, that’s exactly what a bully would say.”

[Hm? What do you mean?]

“It’s nothing.”

‘I’m sorry I wasn’t able to protect you, Spica.’

Ohjin finished the remaining abalone porridge while thinking of the bright celestial with poodle-like curly pink hair.

“Ugh…!”

Once he tried to get up after finishing his meal, intense pain spread out from his belly.

It was the place that had been stabbed by Shaolin’s sword.

[Didn’t I tell you that you have to take it easy?]

Vega pressed down his chest and spoke with a stern voice.

“But still, I can’t stay laying down all day.”

[Oho. Didn’t I tell you to stay put?]

She stopped Ohjin from trying to raise his body once again.

Having no intention of hearing his refute, she lightly touched his solar plexus with a determined look.

Bzzt!—

Along with the small smark—

“Huh?”

Flop—

—Ohjin helplessly fell back onto the bed.

Not only did he fall, his arms and legs wouldn’t budge.

“Wh-What?”

[I temporarily paralyzed your body. You must never move until your recovery is complete!]

Ohjin groaned after hearing her stern voice.

“Fine. I promise I won’t move, so release me.”

[Impossible!]

Vega kept shaking her head like she would never do as he wished.

Her wavering silver hair tickled the tip of his nose.

“Sigh.”

When he sighed shortly with his head resting on a pillow—

Click—

—the door of the room opened, and a large, silver wolf walked in.

His eyes that shone like those of an experienced warrior looked at Ohjin.

“Rookie, there’s a person who came to meet you.”

“Hm? Me?”

Ohjin tilted his head on the pillow.

“He said that he’s affiliated with the Heaven’s Grace Guild.”

“Aha.”

It was likely a messenger sent by Cheon Sanggil.

There was no choice but to directly send a person to contact someone inside the sanctum because radio waves couldn’t travel inside.

[Tell him to come back at a later date because this lady’s child currently cannot move.]

“That’s what I told him, but I’ve left him alone for now since he said that there’s an urgent message related to ‘Guardian’. Should I chase him out?”

[Do so—]

“Wait.”

Ohjin stopped Vega from chasing out Cheon Sanggil’s messenger and barely managed to turn his head to face her.

“Matters regarding ‘Guardian’ should be related to the Black Star Organization. For now, release me from the paralysis.”

[But…]

“Vega…”

[…Sigh. You really are so troublesome.]

Vega sighed and shook her head like a mother with a reckless child.

She contemplated for a moment and then lightly tapped his body.

Bzzzt!—

Sparks appeared again, and the lightning that restricted his body disappeared.

“Hyup.”

Ohjin raised his body off the bed.

* * *

Translator – Maccas

Proofreader – ilafy

* * *

Areas around his body hurt like they’d been hit by baseball bats, but he needed to get up to hear the contents of the message that required someone to visit Vega’s sanctuary personally.

Ohjin exited the sanctuary along with Riak and Vega.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Ohjin. I’m Baek Dongil of the Heaven’s Grace Guild.”

“Hello.”

They exchanged businesslike greetings and shook hands.

“I heard that you currently reside in the sanctum to focus on your training. I apologize for having to interrupt you like this.”

[Hmpf. It seems that you are aware of your discourtesy.]

It appeared that Vega didn’t take kindly to the fact that he’d interrupted Ohjin’s rest, as she crossed her arms and glared down at Baek Dongil.

“C-Cough. I… I really do apologize.”

He was overwhelmed by the pressure exerted by a North Star and stuttered while bowing his head again and again.

“Vega…”

[Haa. I’m sorry.]

Vega sighed and retracted her pressure once Ohjin slightly pulled down on her arm.

“I heard that there was an urgent message related to ‘Guardian’. Did something happen?”

“Yes. Recently, a matter that’s suspected to be the doings of the Black Star Organization has arisen.”

“Could you explain in more detail?”

Ohjin narrowed his eyes.

Baek Dongil handed neatly organized files to Ohjin.

“There have been rumors going around in the past month of there being an unidentified demon beast near the Port of Incheon.”

—A demon beast…

If it was not a ‘monster’ but a ‘demon beast’, the chances of it being connected to the Black Star Organization were high.

“Also, the vice-leader of the Miranae Guild that was recently sent to investigate the case has also gone missing.”

“If it’s the Miranae Guild…”

“Yes. It’s the large guild that operates in Incheon.”

He had heard of them before.

Even if they weren’t ranked high amongst the top 10 guilds, they were still a large guild that made the cut.

“Isn’t the vice-leader of the Miranae guild an 8-Star Awakener?”

“That is correct.”

“Hmm.”

A monster that not even an 8-Star Awakener could handle…

It was certainly a mutant of a caliber that couldn’t be found easily within Korea.

“We’re… currently suspecting it to be a ‘named’ monster.”

—Named…

‘Named’ was a title people gave to monsters that were given a name like the Thousand Curse Dragon, Barbatos.

It was different for every entity, but ‘named’ monsters typically possessed intelligence and leadership that was incomparable to other monsters and were infamous for causing catastrophic damage.

“Did the Black Star Organization create the named monster?”

“No, we haven’t been able to confirm that yet.”

Baek Dongil shook his head.

“However, the time frame of when the rumors spread about the illegal entry of the Black Star Organization in the Port of Incheon and the appearance of the unidentified demon beast match up, to an extent.”

“Illegal entry?”

“Yes. We suspect them to have come from Vietnam or the Philippines… our sources state that they are from the ‘Bufo’ faction.”

‘Following the Owls and Seahorses, is it the Toads this time?’

When he thought of it, he had heard of them before within Lee Shinhyuk’s memories.

‘I heard something about them having held hands with the Owl faction or something.’

However, that faction had already been exterminated at his hands.

In that case, it meant that they hadn’t illegally entered Korea wasn’t to create an alliance with another faction.

‘They could be targeting Korea itself now that the Owls no longer exist.’

Ohjin wasn’t completely sure of the situation in Southeast Asia, but that area had been significantly damaged by monsters in the past.

They could be targeting Korea since it was in way better shape than the countries that were said to have descended into anarchy.

‘Well, I’ll only know for certain once I confirm it on my own.’

The important point was that the Bufo faction set foot in Korea simultaneously with the appearance of a powerful demon beast that was suspected to be a named monster.

“You’ve probably come here to request for me to investigate that case.”

“That is correct, but we naturally have no intention of making Mr. Ohjin do the investigation alone.”

He had previously mentioned that he had news related to ‘Guardian’.

In that case…

“The members of ‘Guardian’ are currently gathered up near Ganghwa Island. Could you please come to provide some of your assistance?”

Baek Dongil respectfully bowed down.

Ohjin silently closed his eyes and started to think.

‘I really should go if it’s related to the Black Star Organization…’

The problem was the state of his body.

All of his external injuries were healed thanks to Albali, but his internal injuries still remained.

Since most of his mana control was limited, not only was he unable to utilize his massive mana pool that could be said to be his biggest strength, but he also couldn’t use powerful skills such as Lightning God Physique.

“I’m pretty much no different from Hawkeye if I just have a bow and arrow.”

“Pardon? Hawkeye?”

“Ah, I was talking to myself.”

Anyways…

‘They’ll probably hide themselves even more thoroughly if we lose this opportunity.’

He had to choose between taking a risk and hunting down the Bufo faction or waiting safely until his body was completely healed.

It seemed like he came to a decision; he took a step forward.

“I understand. Then let us head to Ganghwa Island.”

“Thank you for partaking!”

Baek Dongil smiled brightly and courteously lowered his head.

[My child, I don’t think you should chase after the Black Star Organization when your body hasn’t even healed yet…]

“My condition isn’t so severe that I can’t move.”

[But—!]

“And it’s not like I’m going alone.”

He didn’t know the members of ‘Guardian’ excluding Lee Woohyuk at the moment, but it was safe to assume that they were skilled individuals because they were picked by Cheon Sanggil himself.

“I can also just use this if the situation is that dangerous.”

Ohjin took out an elixir from his pocket.

He had obtained it to heal Ha-eun’s leg, but it would be right to use it on himself in the worst-case scenario where his life was endangered.

‘My internal injuries should also get healed in one go with an elixir.’

Needless to say, he really had no plans on using it unless he was on the verge of death.

He was, fortunately, able to obtain an elixir pretty easily, but it was unknown when he would get the chance to obtain one again.

[Sigh. You seriously overexert yourself every time.]

Vega sighed deeply and stuck behind Ohjin.

[I shall go as—]

“Lady Vega, where do you think you’re going?” Riak called out to her and sighed.

“Doesn’t absorbing Deneb’s divinity come first?”

[Th-That’s…]

Vega’s shoulders flinched.

She slurred the end of her sentence with an anxious voice.

[I can just do that later…]

“Lady Vega, aren’t you well aware that exposed divinity gradually perishes with time? Or are you planning to waste the divinity the rookie obtained through battling while bleeding profusely?”

[Ugh.]

Vega clenched the hem of her skirt and roughly bit her lips.

She glared at Riak with resentment and then soon nodded her head with a sigh.

[Fine, I shall focus on absorbing the divinity for the time being.]

After finishing her sentence, Vega sneakily clung on Ohjin’s arm.

[Still, summon me through the pendant if a dangerous situation befalls you—I shall materialize immediately.]

“Alright.”

It seemed like he shouldn’t call her in most cases based on Riak’s expression. Regardless, he would still have no choice but to seek Vega’s help in a situation of true danger.

‘But it would be best if that kind of situation doesn’t come about.’

A couple of insurances were arranged.

Each one of them hurt to use, but simply the fact that he had hidden cards he could pull out in dangerous situations put his mind at ease.

“Then let us go.”

“Yes.”

Ohjin followed Baek Dongil out of the sanctum.

‘I wonder who the other members of ‘Guardian’ will be.’

Vroom—

The engine of Ohjin’s ride started with a smooth sound and sped through the roads.

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