Chapter 335: Interlude - Encounter (1)

Three days had passed since Deimos died, and the Golden Knights had been driven off. Kwon Oh-Jin’s group remained in Deimos’s castle.

Song Ha-Eun and Isabella came out of the battle mostly unscathed, but Kwon Oh-Jin was still suffering from the aftereffects of Vega’s blessing. Baek Mu-Kang also hadn’t fully recovered from his crushed arm.

Kwon Oh-Jin opened his eyes to the stream of light coming through the window. “

Mmm

.”

Though the underground city had no real sunrise, Astral Relics installed in the ceiling emitted light at a set time and made it feel like morning.

Just then, a sweet voice brushed against his ears. “Oh my, you’re awake, Mr. Oh-Jin?”

He turned his head and saw Isabella lying beside him, resting her head on his arm with a gentle smile.

For a moment, he was breathless from her beauty. Her platinum hair glistened like melted gold. Her skin, pale as snow, and her plump red lips caught his eyes. The soft sensation on his arm and her breath against his ear made him swallow unconsciously.

“Why are you here...?”

“

Shh

, you might wake up unnie.”

Unnie?

“

Hmm,

Oh-Jin”

Turning the other way, he saw Song Ha-Eun fast asleep with her head resting on his opposite arm.

When did she come in here?

Kwon Oh-Jin chuckled as he looked at Song Ha-Eun clinging to his arm.

“We came to wake you up together, but you were sleeping so soundly that we wanted to lie down next to you for just a bit. Unnie ended up falling asleep.”

He had been so deeply asleep that he hadn’t even noticed them enter. The blessing’s aftereffects seemed pretty severe.

“What time is it? I feel like I slept for quite a bit.”

“

Ah

, one moment.”

As he tried to sit up, Isabella gently pushed down his chest and leaned in close.

“

Haaa

.” She exhaled a breath of hot air and licked the side of his neck.

He felt a ticklish sensation, followed by sharp fangs sinking into his skin.

“

Agh

.”

Despite her fangs digging into his skin, he didn’t feel any pain. Rather, an overwhelming sense of pleasure rippled through him. Kwon Oh-Jin held back the urge to make any sounds and endured the intoxicating feeling burning within him.

“

Hmm. Gulp, gulp

.” After two to three mouthfuls, Isabella pulled away. She dabbed her lips with a white handkerchief and nodded in satisfaction. “Your blood in the morning tastes extra delicious, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

“You make it sound like you’re having a cup of coffee.”

“

Haha

. These days, I can’t start the day without it.”

“Sounds like you’re addicted.”

“Yes, I am addicted. Not just to your blood, but to everything about you.”

“

Uh, um

.”

“What is it?”

“

Um...

that line just now was so cringy.”

“

Eek!

I-I got too flustered from the rush of blood I just had. That’s all!”

“‘I am addicted—’”

“M-Mr. Oh-Jin!” Finally realizing how cringy her own words were, Isabella turned bright red and lightly pounded his chest.

Just then, Song Ha-Eun rubbed her eyes and woke up. “

Ugh...

What’s all this noise first thing in the morning?”

“Ha-Eun, Ha-Eun. Guess what Bella just said?”

“

Huh?

What did she say?”

“

Kyaaa!

S-Stop! Right now!” Isabella screamed and clamped her hands over his mouth.

Kwon Oh-Jin burst out laughing and got out of bed. “Maybe I slept too long. I’m starving.”

“No breakfast for you today, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

“What? Why?”

It’s not even my fault she said that.

“Just because.” Isabella, clearly sulking, snorted and slammed the door on her way out.

“Why is she acting like that? What did she say earlier?” Song Ha-Eun asked.

“Not much. She just said my blood tastes better lately.” He glossed over it because he had a feeling he would starve all day if he told the truth.

“

Hmm...

Is it really that good?” Song Ha-Eun cocked her head and eyed his neck. “Oh-Jin, let me have a taste. Slice your neck a bit with a knife.”

“What the hell are you saying?”

Why would I cut my neck?

“I mean, just a little nick, not like a full-on horror movie slash.”

“Not happening, ma’am.” He playfully smacked her butt as he stretched.

“

Ugh

. Anyway, how are you feeling?”

“Still a bit sore.”

Perhaps it was due to the aftereffects of Vega’s blessing, but he still felt sluggish even after sleeping longer than usual.

“Geez, who told you to dope up like that?”

How can you call a blessing from a Celestial doping? I guess the effects are kinda similar.

“Oh, right. I saw the little mutt earlier.”

“Riarc?”

“Yeah.”

Riarc had taken temporary refuge in the Sanctum due to the awful sulfur gas. Finally, he had returned.

Well, there are purification systems inside this territory.

Kwon Oh-Jin didn’t know exactly how they worked, but the air here remained fresh and clear like mountain air in the countryside.

“Let’s go eat, Ha-Eun.”

“Okay, but let me fix my hair first.” Song Ha-Eun tied back her waist-length red hair and followed him out of the room.

As they walked down the long hallway, a cheerful voice called out, “

Ah!

Nice person! Did you sleep well?!”

“Did you rest well, elder?”

“Yup, yup! I slept very well!” Baek Mu-Kang waved the letter in his hand and nodded with a bright expression.

Song Ha-Eun smiled and walked up to him. “I heard the news, Gramps. You finally read the letter, right?”

“Yeah! Oh-Jin helped me!”

Seeing Baek Mu-Kang’s bright smile, Song Ha-eun smiled softly in return. Judging by how happy he looked, it seemed the letter hadn’t contained anything cruel after all.

With a playful grin, she nudged him with her elbow. “What did it say? Did it say anything interesting,

hmm

?”

“That’s... a secret!

Hehe

.”

“

Aww,

come on. You can tell me, Gramps!”

“I’m not telling!” Baek Mu-Kang shook his head like a stubborn child.

Song Ha-Eun persistently followed him and pressed for details. Their laughter echoed through the hallway.

Kwon Oh-Jin quietly bit his lip as he watched Baek Mu-Kang’s back. With a deep sigh, he followed them to the dining hall. Though they called it a dining hall, it looked more like a lavish ballroom fit for a grand banquet.

There, he spotted Isabella preparing food with Riarc seated beside her.

“You’re awake, kid.”

“When did you get here?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked.

“A few hours ago. I’ve been waiting while you were knocked out like a corpse.” Riarc clicked his tongue and launched into his usual “how a true warrior should act” nagging.

Kwon Oh-Jin waved him off, not wanting to hear it. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Why are you here?”

“Lady Vega sent me to check on you.”

“How’s Vega doing?”

Although she had only blocked sound, she still created a Sacred Ground and bestowed a blessing. It probably put quite a strain on her.

“You don’t need to worry. Lady Vega is alright.”

“That’s good.”

“But she won’t be able to manifest for a while.”

Kwon Oh-Jin nodded and took a seat at the table.

Today’s menu was simple frozen pork cutlets. This lazy meal only required being tossed into a frying pan with oil.

Still, the quality isn’t bad for frozen food.

Kwon Oh-Jin licked his lips as he waited for the cutlets.

Isabella smiled brightly and placed something pitch-black on his plate. “Enjoy your meal, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

What is this... charcoal?

“

Uh...

Isabella.”

“You’re not going to leave a single bite, right?”

“...”

Looks like I won’t be eating actual food for a while.

***

“All right then.”

After the so-called meal, if one could even call it that, Kwon Oh-Jin headed down to the Golden Vault where the battle against Demios had taken place. The room, full of marks from the fierce battle, resembled a war zone more than a vault.

Kwon Oh-Jin gathered the scattered treasures that Deimos had collected into one place. Most had been broken or crushed from the aftershocks of the battle.

The mana inside is still intact.

Although the Astral Relics no longer functioned properly, mana remained inside like a broken phone with a working battery.

Plus...

Kwon Oh-Jin’s gaze shifted to Deimos’s corpse. Even though several days had passed, Deimos’s corpse continued to emit a powerful amount of mana from his Stigma.

“I can’t just leave this behind.” With a smirk, Kwon Oh-Jin firmly shut the vault doors so no one could come inside.

The many layers of barriers protecting the vault remained intact despite the battle. Without the Astral Relic key, no one else could enter.

After making sure that no one was around, Kwon Oh-Jin stepped to the center of the vault and closed his eyes.

Black Heaven.

Black clouds poured out from Kwon Oh-Jin, spreading outward and blanketing the area like fog.

Rumble.

The clouds flowing from the Black Heaven devoured the mana imbued in the thousands of Astral Relics Deimos had collected. A massive flow of mana entered Kwon Oh-Jin, nearly as intense as when he had absorbed the Dragon Vein.

“

Agh

.”

This is way more than I expected.

In terms of sheer mana quantity alone, it felt comparable to the Dragon God’s soul that Song Ha-Eun had absorbed. Of course, it was lacking in quality.

And this is just the appetizer.

The Astral Relics Deimos had gathered were nothing more than a starter course.

Rumble.

Having devoured all the mana in the relics, the black clouds swarmed around Deimos’s corpse like ants to sugar. The mana inside Deimos’s corpse began flowing into Kwon Oh-Jin.

“

Haaa

.”

Deimos’s mana felt different from the Astral Relic. It felt familiar, perhaps because it contained the Heavenly Demon’s power.

As the mana gathered in Kwon Oh-Jin’s heart, black clouds exploded from every pore on him.

Rumble!

The Black Heaven’s clouds stormed wildly. With a clear ringing sound, a blue system window appeared before his eyes.

[The Black Heaven has completed its tenth enlightenment.]

The black clouds coiled around his heart and erupted like an active volcano.

[According to the Black Heaven’s enlightenment progress, Lee Shin Hyuk’s memories will be inherited.]

He wondered what kind of memories would be passed on this time and closed his eyes.

Rumble, rumble.

The swirling black clouds scattered and recondensed repeatedly as if having a seizure.

What the hell?

Kwon Oh-Jin frowned at the unfamiliar sensation.

[An unverified force is interfering with the memory inheritance.]

[Error.]

[Memory inheritance has been canceled.]

“

Aaagh!

”

Crackle!

His vision warped and went pitch black. When he opened his eyes again, it was completely dark and void of even a glimmer of light.

“What the... Where am I?”

He looked around the pitch-black space and suddenly heard a far too familiar voice.

“This is the first time we’ve spoken directly like this, right?”

Kwon Oh-Jin’s expression completely hardened as he turned toward the voice. “You’re...”

“You already know, don’t you?”

A blue flame flared in the darkness.

Fwoosh.

A young man stepped out from the black clouds, bearing Kwon Oh-Jin’s exact appearance.

“I am you.” The Heavenly Demon smiled brightly at Kwon Oh-Jin.