Chapter 162: The Celestial of Cygnus (3)

Deneb’s voice grew deeper and completely different from before.

“

Hehe.

”

His blue-black eyes, the same color as his hair, locked onto Kwon Oh-Jin.

“So, you don’t need to know what I’ll demand if you lose because you’re so sure you’ll win?”

Deneb gritted his teeth and glared at Kwon Oh-Jin.

“As expected of Vega’s apostle, you talk just like her.”

It had always been that way. Even though he shared the title of North Star, Deneb had always been mocked and considered inferior to Vega and Polaris. However, things were different now.

Polaris had long gone into hiding after giving a mysterious prophecy, and Vega had wasted years failing to find a worthy Awakener to inherit the Stigma of Lyra. In the meantime, Deneb had searched tirelessly and created twelve apostles who could perfectly develop the Stigma of Cygnus’s power.

Of course, compared to the apostles of other Celestials, twelve was a pitifully small number. However, each of them showed exceptional talent and grew rapidly, raising Deneb’s divinity to a level far beyond what it had been.

Now... I am a true North Star.

Deneb’s eyes blazed as he glared at Vega.

For thousands of years, he had been scorned and mocked by the other Celestials who claimed only Polaris and Vega were the true North Stars. That festering inferiority had long since morphed into hatred deeply rooted in his heart.

Deneb bit his lip as he looked over Vega and Kwon Oh-Jin.

“Just wait and see. I’ll make you both regret this!”

Deneb’s furious outburst echoed through the hall. Given his youthful appearance, his anger came off as more adorable than intimidating. It was like watching a hamster baring its tiny teeth and squeaking in frustration.

“Cut it out, Deneb. You’re embarrassing me too,” Allen said.

“

Huh?!

”

With a heavy sigh, Allen grabbed the scruff of Deneb’s neck, lifting him effortlessly and preventing him from charging forward. Deneb dangled in the air from Allen, who was much taller than him.

The sight reminded Kwon Oh-Jin of Song Ha-Eun teasing a tiny version of Vega perched on her palm.

“Let go! Put me down, Allen!”

“If you promise to behave first.”

“

Ugh!

But did you hear what that guy said?! He thinks he can beat my precious children without even considering it!”

“Yeah, yeah. I heard it all.”

Allen patted Deneb’s back gently like soothing a crying child.

Deneb’s face flushed bright red. “D-Don’t do that!”

Deneb, who had been furiously pointing at Kwon Oh-Jin and shouting, now looked as though he was on the verge of tears.

“I’ll lose my face as the North Star...”

For once, Allen’s usually emotionless face softened into a faint smile. “Don’t worry. You don’t need to care about that kind of stuff, Deneb. After all, you are the greatest Celestial out there.”

Deneb sniffled and looked up at Allen with teary eyes. “... Allen.”

Kwon Oh-Jin chuckled at their little comedy act.

This isn’t what I expected at all.

He thought it was just Deneb’s appearance that looked young, but Deneb also acted like a kid.

Vega heavily sighed, “

Haa

. You really don’t change, do you?”

Deneb glared at Vega with wide eyes. “So what? You got a problem with that?”

Vega just shook her head, waving as if shooing away a fly. “Enough. If you’re done talking, you may leave.”

“

Hmph!

Just be ready to be humiliated in a month!”

Grinding his teeth, Deneb turned around.

Allen, on the other hand, glanced coldly at Kwon Oh-Jin. “You seem very confident.”

“It’s better than whining about losing before the fight even starts,” Kwon Oh-Jin replied.

Allen released a chilling, murderous aura. “That’s a fair point, but just be sure to know the difference between courage and recklessness.”

“We’ll see which one it is when the time comes.”

“If you underestimate Deneb’s Apostles... you’ll regret it.”

With that quiet warning, Allen turned and followed Deneb out of the temple.

Once they left, Vega’s sharp voice rang out as she grabbed Kwon Oh-Jin’s arm, pulling him toward her.

“Why did you accept such a reckless proposal?! You know how powerful Deneb’s apostles are!”

“It’s not like I’m going up against Allen or the other Seven Stars.”

“Even so!”

Vega bit her lip anxiously.

He knew exactly what she was trying to say.

If I had to calculate the odds of me winning, it wouldn't be very high.

These weren’t ordinary Awakeners, but apostles of another North Star. This wouldn’t be like overpowering Awakeners who were one or two stars above him. It would be a completely different kind of battle. On top of that, he had to defeat not just one but three apostles to win.

Vega naturally worried and scolded him.

But there’s something Vega and Deneb don’t know.

The fact that he possessed the Black Heaven.

Of course, he had no intention of recklessly using Open Heaven in a battle where Vega and Deneb would undoubtedly be watching. Even without it, he possessed an enormous amount of mana from the Dragon Vein and what he had absorbed through the Black Heaven over time.

Having more mana was like having more stamina in a physical fight. It didn’t guarantee victory, but it certainly gave him a distinct advantage. More than anything else...

“You’re lacking divinity, right? Then I’ll have to take some by fighting.”

He couldn’t have avoided this fight in the first place. To restore Vega’s lost divinity, he needed Deneb’s.

“T-That’s not something for you to worry about!” Vega shouted.

“Then who should be worrying about it?”

“I will take care of the matters regarding my divinity. You need not concern yourself.”

“For something I don’t need to worry about, your expression looks pretty dark.”

Vega’s golden eyes trembled slightly. “That’s...”

She’s probably trying to come up with an excuse.

“Vega, you risked perishing to protect me last time.”

“I simply did what was expected of me as your Celestial.”

“In that case, I’m simply doing what's expected of me.”

If the Celestial naturally protected its apostle, then the apostle had to naturally protect the Celestial as well.

“My child...” Vega trailed off, looking at Kwon Oh-Jin with deep affection.

The sound of her pounding heart echoed in her ears. It felt so loud that she carefully patted her chest to calm the restless beating just in case he could hear it too.

Since when did her heart start racing at his every word? Since when did she start smiling when he smiled and crying when he cried? Since when had he become someone she couldn’t erase from her mind?

At first, she simply felt astonished that she had found the one she had been searching for all these years. He also turned out to be the Heaven-Defying Star who could change the course of fate.

Then, she felt proud seeing him grow at such an astonishing speed and how fiercely he struggled to overturn fate. It made her heart beat as if watching a child she had given birth to.

And then.

After that...

“

Haa.

”

The one destined for her that she had heard from Spica made her feel unbearably complicated.

She looked at Kwon Oh-Jin and shortly sighed before changing the subject.

“So you asked for a month’s delay to prepare for what?”

Kwon Oh-Jin had requested more time for a simple reason.

“I just figured I’d do a little training.”

He still hadn’t fully adapted to his increased mana and power after the Black Heaven’s sixth enlightenment.

I’ll fight after I’ve gotten used to this power.

Crackle!

Blue sparks danced in Kwon Oh-Jin’s palm, forming a dragon. The figure looked so intricate as if it had been 3D printed. As he focused, the dragon slowly transformed into Song Ha-Eun’s face.

Damn, this actually worked.

He had mastered this delicate control over mana while creating Adam’s Apple. Now he could manipulate lightning into various forms just like Vega.

I’ll have to figure out how to take advantage of this in battle.

If he could precisely manipulate mana at this level, the possibilities in combat would be endless.

“When did you learn to do that?” Vega asked.

Her eyes widened like a rabbit’s as she watched the lightning freely morph into different shapes.

Instead of answering, he simply changed the shape into Vega and smiled.

“Seriously... You never fail to surprise me.”

When it came to controlling mana with such precision, it felt like he had already surpassed Riarc.

“I can even do this if I control it well.”

Kwon Oh-Jin made the tiny Vega jump up and down.

“

A-Ah.

W-What are you doing?!”

After a few hops, the lightning Vega suddenly started doing a windmill and full-blown breakdancing.

Her face flushed red as she lightly flicked his forehead.

“Stop toying with me!”

He dismissed her lightning figure and chuckled. “Sorry, sorry. Don’t be so mad.”

“You need to develop some respect for your Celestial.”

Vega crossed her arms and pouted, turning her head away.

Kwon Oh-Jin gently calmed her down and looked for Riarc.

“Anyway, I’m going to start training like crazy for a month. Help me out, please?”

Riarc snorted, “

Hmph

. Your arrogance is through the roof just because you’ve grown a little, kid.”

Not long afterward, the corner of his mouth rose into a grin as a powerful fighting spirit radiated from him.

In an instant, Riarc transformed into his werewolf form, casually cracking his knuckles as he wagged his index finger at Kwon Oh-Jin.

Crack!

“We don’t have time to waste. Let’s get started, but...” Riarc glanced at Vega before continuing. “If I’m helping you out and you still lose to that bastard Deneb’s apostle, I won’t let it slide.”

“I told you, I’ll win.”

Blue lightning wrapped around Kwon Oh-Jin.

Crackle!

***

A month passed with deafening explosions constantly echoing throughout Vega’s temple.

After washing up in a pond near the temple, Kwon Oh-Jin walked out while drying his hair with a towel.

“

Haa

. Today's the day.”

Time had flown by while he immersed himself in training. Though a month was relatively short, the results weren’t bad.

I’ve definitely gotten used to handling my power.

He could now control his immense power from the sixth enlightenment. Not only had he grown better at using the Black Heaven, but also the Stigma of Lyra as well.

Good.

He smiled in satisfaction as he turned toward the clothes he had left folded near the pond. Just then, Vega emerged from the temple in her gently flowing silver dress.

“My child! It’s time to depart!”

And what did she see?

Kwon Oh-Jin. Completely naked.

“

A-Ah!

”

Vega hastily raised her hands to cover her eyes.

“I-I’m sorry!”

“...”

“I-I didn’t mean to look!”

“

... Uh.

”

“I mean it! I swear!”

For someone who didn’t mean to look, I can see your eyes peeking through your fingers.

“Q-Quite impressive you are.”

What?