CHAPTER 94: ANCIENT CONSTELLATIONS (5)

Like a disturbed beehive, an innumerable horde of thousands of demonic beasts rampaged through the city, attacking the masses without mercy.

There’s more of them than that time in Sokcho, Kwon Oh-Jin observed. At least in Sokcho, people had time to evacuate.

“Grrrrk!”

Blood pooled in waves. Screams and wails filled the air.

“Aaaah!”

“M-My leg! My leeeeg!”

The scene was all too similar to the chaos in Italy he'd seen through Lee Shin-Hyuk’s memories.

Kwon Oh-Jin’s eyes sharpened. No. It hasn’t gotten that bad yet. I can stop this.

The city wasn’t completely overrun yet. He had to put an end to it—not to save everyone but to protect his and Song Ha-Eun's home.

“Ha-Eun,” he called.

“Yeah.”

“Cover me from behind.”

“Got it.”

She reached behind her head and removed her eyepatch, exposing grotesque root-like veins. The Dragon Eye shone fiercely as flames began to swirl around her.

A demonic beast lunged at two high-school boys, who looked like they would usually joke around about video games or make plans for karaoke.

“Aaaaah!” one of them shrieked.

“T-Tae-Ho!”

“Kraaaa!”

“Aaaaaaahhh!”

“R-Run!”

Kwon Oh-Jin crouched low and stepped forward, blue lightning coiling around his legs.

Crackle!

Boom!

With the echo of an exploding cannon, he shot forward and drove his spear into the beast's neck.

“Hup!”

The beast deafeningly shrieked as he twisted his spear and swung down. Black blood gushed out like a waterfall.

The rescued teenagers stared at him, dumbfounded.

“Ah...”

“Th-Thank—”

Kwon Oh-Jin spun around and charged at another demonic beast.

There's no time to listen to thank yous. These beasts are as strong as those in Sokcho, but I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said the stakes are completely different.

“Kraaaa!”

“Damn it, shut up already.”

Crackle!

Blue lightning feathers coiled around his right arm as he raised it toward the incoming swarm.

Lightning Shot.

Hundreds of lightning feathers shot out in a fan-shaped arc and shredded three demonic beasts in an instant.

It’s not enough.

Several more beasts surrounded him immediately. He needed to push them back with more speed and power.

The lightning on his spearhead flared up.

Crackle!

He could feel his mana draining rapidly from activating Lightning Flames.Taking a deep breath, he swung his spear downward, then to the side, and finally back upward.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

“Grrrrk!”

The demonic beasts, as unsightly as a mad scientist’s horrific experiments, were ripped apart by his ferocious strikes.

Drawn by the commotion, hundreds of other beasts rushed toward him.

“Graaaa!”

“Kraaaa!”

“Kehrk!”

The earth quaked from the stampede, beasts ranging from two to five meters in size.

Kwon Oh-Jin faced the tsunami of demonic beasts and took a deep breath. With a small twirl, he lodged his spearhead into the ground.

Azure Lightning.

As he focused his mana into it, the spearhead penetrated deeper into the concrete.

A little more...

He had to wipe out the approaching horde in one strike. Closing his eyes, he drew a vast amount of mana that almost exploded his mana circuits.

Explosive Lightning.

Crackle!

Layering Azure Lightning with Explosive Lightning resulted in a large, violent explosion that pushed his limits. His mana circuits swelled like an overinflated balloon ready to pop any second.

“Argh.”

“My child!" Vega shouted, her face pale with alarm. "Stop!"

I can do it, he thought.

This was his first time attempting to fuse two skills with opposing natures, which was as challenging as trying to draw a circle with one hand and a star with the other.

But I can do it. There’s no way I can’t.

He believed. Not in his talent, but in the blood, sweat, and tears that went into countless days of rigorous training to manipulate the mana of his Stigma as if it were a part of him.

Crackle!

Azure Lightning and Explosive Lightning merged, igniting a devastating force.

He smirked, twisting the spear lodged in the ground.

“Die, you bastards.”

The concrete cracked like shattered glass, creating a collapse in the ground spanning dozens of meters.

Crack!

The charging demonic beasts staggered as they lost their balance.

“Kraaaaa!”

“Kerk! Kek!”

“Gruuaaaaa!”

Kwon Oh-Jin yanked his spear out of the ground, and lightning bolts surged upward through the cracks.

"Hup!"

Crackle!

Lightning swept through the horde of demonic beasts like a dragon, and the acrid smell of burnt flesh filled the air, stinging his nose.

Ring!

[Kwon Oh-Jin has successfully merged two skills!]

[Kwon Oh-Jin’s understanding of Azure Lightning has deepened!]

[Azure Lightning has reached Lv7.]

[Kwon Oh-Jin’s understanding of Explosive Lightning has deepened!]

[Explosive Lightning has reached Lv7.]

The successful fusion had raised both skills by three whole levels.

“Phew.” He staggered slightly, feeling the toll of using such a massive amount of mana at once.

Vega enveloped him with a soft blanket of electric currents that cradled and comforted him. “Haaa. You always make me worry so much.”

“Grrr. You really are out of your mind,” Riarc muttered, shaking his head. Then, he glared sharply at the chaotic streets.

Although Kwon Oh-Jin’s strike had annihilated hundreds of demonic beasts, an even bigger horde swarmed into the area.

Riarc snorted as he lowered his stance and looked toward Kwon Oh-Jin. “Hey, kid, don’t tell me you’re already tired after a single attack.”

“Of course not,” Kwon Oh-Jin replied. Still enveloped in Vega's lightning, he adjusted his grip on his spear and stood up straight, pointing it at the horde that seemed oblivious to his previous attack.

“Kraaaa!”

“Kreek! Kreek!”

He swung his spear relentlessly, fending off the demonic beasts with Riarc's help, yet their numbers barely decreased.

“Ugh!” Song Ha-Eun, who was engaged in combat on the other side, urgently stretched her arm out. “Oh-Jin!”

With a snap of her fingers, erupting flames swallowed dozens of demonic beasts surrounding him in an instant.

“Kreeeek!”

“Kraaa!”

She scowled as she faced the demonic beasts.

“Motherfuckers, how dare you?!”

She had held back so far, fearing civilians would be caught in the crossfire, but most of them had already evacuated while Kwon Oh-Jin and Riarc engaged the beasts.

Stretching her arms wide, she covered herself in flames.

“In the name of Eltanin, the Celestial of Draco, I command you!”

Whoosh!

Dozens of dragon-shaped flames emerged around her.

“Flames—dance.”

Like living creatures, the fire dragons swiftly coiled around the demonic beasts and opened their massive jaws to devour the beasts whole.

Kwon Oh-Jin watched as the demonic beasts were effortlessly swept away. “Wow.”

The firepower of those dragons is unlike anything I've seen before. So this is the strength of an eight-star Awakener? My earlier fusion skill doesn't even come close.

Whoosh!

“Kraaaah!”

“Kraa... Kraak.”

Thanks to her efforts, over three hundred demonic beasts had been reduced to ashes.

But there are still so many of them, he thought. They just keep coming like they're being manufactured somewhere.

Vega frowned heavily. “Tsk... where are the other Awakeners when you need them?!”

She has a point. Where are the others?

It made no sense that they were the only group fighting off this horde of demonic beasts in the middle of Seoul. As he sliced through the demonic beasts, he scanned his surroundings. Further in the distance, a few cowering people gestured toward a woman.

“E-Excuse me, you’re an Awakener, right?!”

“Please, help them!”

As all eyes fell on her, the woman scowled. “Are you insane? I’m barely able to protect myself!”

Shoving away those pleading for help, she turned and fled—yet she wouldn't be the last. Other Awakeners nearby took one look at the swarm of thousands of demonic beasts and ran away without even taking up arms.

Vega bit her lip, glaring at the Awakeners who fled. “Those wretched cowards! How can those enlightened by the stars behave so irresponsibly?!”

On the other hand, Kwon Oh-Jin calmly observed the scurrying Awakeners.

Well, this is only natural. Who'd want to fight against thousands of these creatures? In a world where people struggle to keep themselves safe, looking out for others is a heavy burden.I’m no different either.

He wasn't concerned if others lived or died. He only kept up the fight because it was manageable for now. If things took a turn for the worse, he would retreat with Song Ha-Eun, even if it meant dealing with Vega’s reprimand later.

I'm not saying it's justified by how the world works, but I’m not about to sacrifice my life for strangers.

He didn’t care if he was being selfish or cowardly. As long as he could protect the ones he cherished, nothing else mattered.

I should start looking for an escape route.

He slowly stepped back as he continued fending off the demonic beasts.

With the rest of the Awakeners out of the picture, it's impossible to stop this madness alone.

Just as he was about to make a run for it, over a hundred Awakeners suddenly appeared, led by Han Jun-Man, who swiftly approached him.

“Oh-Jin! You’re already here!”

“How did you get here?”

“I immediately gathered the staff as soon as I heard the alarm!”

Han Jun-Man furrowed his brow and raised his fist toward the demonic beasts.

Kwon Oh-Jin looked around and saw a few familiar faces he had occasionally passed by in the association headquarters.

Even Choi Woo-Jin is here.

Nicknamed the Hunting Dog, Choi Woo-Jin was one of the association’s most skilled Awakeners, and he had also arrived on the battlefield.

Han Jun-Man stretched his shoulders as he stepped forward. “Other guilds are also heading this way, so you can take a moment to catch your breath, Oh-Jin.”

A series of synchronized footsteps echoed as a group of ten or so followed behind the division head. Kwon Oh-Jin recognized them. It was the Valhalla Guild led by Lee Woo-Hyuk.

“This is much worse than Sokcho, isn’t it?” the guild master remarked.

“To think such a large horde of demonic beasts would appear smack-dab in the heart of Seoul...” Park Chang-Hyun grumbled.

Lee Woo-Hyuk approached Kwon Oh-Jin. “I’m sorry for being late.”

He quickly bowed before turning and approaching the advancing demonic beasts.

“We'll take it from here.”

Lee Woo-Hyuk unsheathed his sword, and a fierce whirlwind erupted in all directions.

Swoosh!

An approaching demonic beast was torn apart as though it was clawed by a monster, blood spraying into the air.

Following his lead, the rest of the Valhalla Guild drew their weapons.

“That’s it! Now this is what it means to be enlightened by a star!" Vega exclaimed, smiling. "Thankfully, not everyone is irresponsible.”

Kwon Oh-Jin looked at the Awakeners who had come to save the people of Seoul from the monsters.

“Ha.”

I guess I was only looking at it from one angle.

There were Awakeners who turned and fled when faced with danger, but there were also those who rushed over to help.

Though I can’t understand those who do that.

He watched the backs of Han Jun-Man and Lee Woo-Hyuk as they marched toward the demonic beasts with faint smiles.

“Damn, they’re kind of cool.”