CHAPTER 192: STAR ZONE MONSTERS (3)

The dark, crimson sea swarmed with Anthorns.

Kwon Oh-Jin shot forward at high speed and cut through that sea. The deeper he went, the more intense the heat grew. He could barely keep his eyes open.

It feels like I’m at a volcano and not the ocean.

If that was the case, were all these Anthorns the lava spilling from it?

Kwon Oh-Jin enveloped himself in mana and activated the Stigma of Bufo. His skin turned a murky gray, and the searing heat dulled slightly.

Physical enhancement is super simple and comes in handy.

This versatile power enhanced his strength, durability, and agility.

The Anthorns darted through the water and cried out.

“Grrrrrraaaah!”

“Kuuooooo!”

Kwon Oh-Jin activated the Stigma of Canes Venatici, enhancing his sight as he scanned the swarming Anthorns.

Found it.

A buoy marked with a “No entry” warning floated amid the Anthorns. It was the same one he had seen when swimming with Vega. It marked the territory managed by the Colgrande Family.

There’s gotta be a gate around there.

The Dragon Vein was likely flowing within that gate.

Kwon Oh-Jin narrowed his eyes at the ocean swarming with Anthorns.

“I’ve gotta get through them somehow.”

He needed a technique strong enough to break through the thousands of Anthorns in one blow. Out of all the skills he currently had, he needed to use the most powerful one.

Lightning Form.

His eyes grew cold.

The skill was a burden to use, but it was his most effective option in this situation.

“Lightning Charge.”

Crackle!

With his left hand gripping his spear, his right arm hung low as blue lightning flared violently around it.

“Lightning Charge. Lightning Charge. Lightning Charge.”

Each time he charged, the blue lightning intensified and grew wilder.

“Argh.”

He felt like his skin was peeling and his muscles were ripping. His veins tangled like a twisted rubber band as his mana circuits heated up.

He thought his arm would explode from the pressure.

Crackle!

His right arm, engulfed in blue lightning, transformed into lightning itself. From his fingertips to his shoulder, it had turned into the very flesh of a lightning god and released a tremendous energy.

“Grkk?”

“Kuoooo! Kraaagh!”

Sensing the radiant power burning above them, the charging Anthorns in the sea all turned to look at Kwon Oh-Jin. They trembled at the sight of his lightning arm.

All at once, the swarm gathered in one spot and climbed over each other to form a massive tower. Just like the giant that had risen from the sea in the beginning, a monstrous collective of Anthorns tilted toward Kwon Oh-Jin like a tsunami.

“You’re too late, you bastards.”

Kwon Oh-Jin smirked as he faced the incoming wave of monsters.

He extended his lightning right arm. “Split.”

Crackle!

With a low murmur, lightning burst forth from his outstretched arm and sliced the incoming tsunami in two.

A harsh, burnt stench filled the air as the torn limbs and guts of the Anthorns rained down.

“Haa, haa!” Kwon Oh-Jin panted heavily and bit his lip.

How many had he killed in that single blow? A thousand? Ten thousand? He didn’t know for sure, but one thing was clear.

This is insane.

This technique had been powerful enough to incapacitate a high-ranking Awakener of the North Star in one hit before. After the Black Heaven’s seventh enlightenment, it had grown stronger than ever. Of course, the side effects also became greater.

“Argh!”

Kwon Oh-Jin looked down at his tattered right arm that went limp like an old rag. He had only unleashed a single lightning bolt, yet it felt like his arm had been torn off. His arm went completely numb. Then, his vision warped, and his consciousness flickered.

I have to go now.

He could see the wave of Anthorns, split in two, writhing and pulling itself back together. The lightning attack had obliterated thousands of them, but they still swarmed the ocean in overwhelming numbers. If he missed this window, finding the gate hidden beneath would be nearly impossible.

“Hup!”

He kicked off toward the sea littered with shredded Anthorn corpses.

Splash!

A pillar of water burst up as he dove into the sea. As he entered the water, a burning heat struck him like he had plunged into a pot of boiling oil.

Ugh.

The once beautiful emerald water was dyed ruby-red with the blood of the Anthorns.

Stigma of Seahorse.

Woong!

He started kicking as if a motor had been strapped onto him and shot forward thanks to the Stigma of Seahorse. That wasn’t all.

I can breathe underwater.

Realizing he could breathe freely, he swam deeper without hesitation. As he passed the marked buoy, the heat intensified once again. It felt like diving straight into lava.

Kwon Oh-Jin looked hard while enduring the heat that felt like it would burn him alive.

Found it.

A massive underwater cave caught his eye. To be more accurate, it looked like it used to be a cave.

It’s completely wrecked.

Had it collapsed from the impact of the Anthorns surging through the gate? The cave, which should’ve protected the gate like a tough shell, had been completely destroyed.

Hundreds of monsters darted toward Kwon Oh-Jin as he approached the gate.

“Krrrr!”

“Krkrkrk!”

He swung his spear. Blue lightning spread through the water, electrocuting the monsters as they swam closer.

Crackle!

I have no time to waste.

He needed to find the Dragon Vein immediately. Squinting at his surroundings, he spotted a gate glowing brightly among the rubble. It poured out an enormous amount of mana like it had gone berserk.

That’s the one.

Kwon Oh-Jin swam closer to the gate and closed his eyes. The chaotic flow of mana had tangled unnaturally at the Dragon Vein.

He reached out toward it.

Black Heaven.

Black clouds formed in his hand and spread throughout the water.

Rumble.

The black clouds swallowed the red mana that boiled like lava.

Agh!

An intense surge of mana rushed toward him through the clouds. The Black Heaven greedily devoured the Dragon Vein’s overwhelming mana.

Still, it’s less mana than last time.

Gripping onto his fading consciousness, Kwon Oh-Jin directed the overflowing mana into the Black Heaven. The boundless black sky within him completely drank the Dragon Vein’s mana. He could feel the water’s boiling temperature gradually cool.

Then, a brilliant light burst forth from the Stigma engraved on his left chest.

Tssss!

Next to the Stigma of Lyra, an eighth stroke began to etch itself.

Ring!

[Kwon Oh-Jin has successfully absorbed the Dragon Vein’s mana!]

[The Stigma of Lyra has reached eight stars!]

He had finally stepped onto the threshold, one step away from becoming a high-ranking Awakener.

I figured it was about time.

After Lightning reached Level 10 and he obtained Lightning Form, he suspected that he was close to reaching eight stars. He didn’t expect that absorbing the Dragon Vein’s mana would be the final push.

Kwon Oh-Jin looked down at the newly carved eighth stroke on his chest with sparkling eyes.

But... is it really over?

With the Dragon Vein absorbed, the raging heat in the ocean had cooled. The previously rampant mana had also vanished.

Though he couldn’t see it from here, the Anthorns attacking the village would have also been affected with the Dragon Vein’s mana cut off.

He glanced at the monsters swimming toward him earlier. They moved noticeably slower than before.

That ended easier than I thought.

Of course, he had only achieved this thanks to the Black Heaven, a power that went far beyond normal standards. Nonetheless, he still wrapped up the incident without much trouble.

Guess it’s time to head back.

The Dragon Vein’s mana had vanished, but that alone wouldn’t stop the Anthorns like puppets with their strings cut. He still had to finish off the weakened monsters that lost their power source.

As he turned to head back, something among the collapsed cave caught his eye.

Hmm?

Some shards glittered with a faint blue light.

An Astral Relic?

No, more precisely, it looked like the remains of a used Astral Relic.

Narrowing his eyes, he examined the place around the scattered fragments. Each large pillar that once supported the underwater cave bore pieces of the relic. Signs of a massive explosion could be seen around them. He came to a single conclusion.

It didn’t collapse naturally.

Someone had deliberately destroyed the cave and provoked the Dragon Vein into a rampage.

Why?

Kwon Oh-Jin narrowed his eyes again. What could anyone possibly gain from triggering the Dragon Vein to run out of control?

Without an answer to his question, the seawater slowly lost its warmth.

***

Monsters rampaged through the village.

“Karrrrgh!”

“Kuoooooo!”

Isabella had sent out the family’s staff to stop the incoming wave, but the sheer number of monsters steadily pushed them back.

Sweat trickled down Isabella’s pale forehead as she clutched her golden staff and gasped, “Haa, haa.”

We won’t last like this.

Retreating was not an option. If the line they held collapsed, the monsters would tear apart the tourists in San Fruttuoso and the local residents.

“Ugh.”

Isabella glanced up at the scorching sun with a tense expression and bit her lip.

“I’ll hold them off here. All of you, head toward the village,” Isabella ordered.

“Sorry?”

“B-But we can’t leave you here, my lady...”

Her eyes flashed coldly. “Are you planning to disobey the next head of the family?”

The staff hesitated and exchanged glances.

“You’re all fired if you’re not gone from my sight in five seconds.”

The staff turned pale and quickly fled.

“Y-Yes, my lady!”

“We’ll leave immediately!”

Now alone, Isabella turned toward the incoming monsters and narrowed her eyes.

“Haa...”

Due to the curse, a stinging pain throbbed from the left side of her chest where her Stigma resided.

I really didn’t want to use this during the day...

Given the situation, she had no other choice.

“Grrraaaah!”

“Kuuoooo!”

Isabella coldly stared at the monsters, and their reckless charge suddenly came to a stop.

“Pathetic creatures.”

A thick scent of blood spread through the air as a red aura wrapped around Isabella. She casually extended her hand toward the monsters.

Pop! Crack! Thud!

The monsters swelled up like balloons filled to the max. Blood sprayed like fountains from thousands of monsters.

“Haa, haa.”

Amid the puddles of blood, the Leech Queen clutched her chest with a twisted expression.