Chapter 337: Black Sky (1)

After just barely escaping Cassia’s sudden attack, Kwon Oh-Jin deeply sighed and sat on top of the treasure pile devoid of mana. “

Haaa

. So, what exactly was that all about?”

He looked over at Cassia, awkwardly twirling her hair around her finger, perhaps out of guilt for attacking him.

“It’s like I said... I felt the Heavenly Demon’s presence here, so I got confused.”

The Heavenly Demon and Kwon Oh-Jin both possessed the same Black Heaven.

However, she had clearly differentiated between the two and likely hadn’t responded to Kwon Oh-Jin’s Black Heaven. In other words, the Heavenly Demon had deliberately leaked his presence to lure her here.

“You’ve been chasing after the Heavenly Demon this whole time?” he asked.

He knew she was in the Demonic District, but hadn’t known exactly what she was doing.

“More precisely, I’ve been chasing his shell.”

“Shell?”

“Yes, the Heavenly Demon’s real body is sealed away in Niflheim due to the restrictions of the Law.”

“He’s sealed away?”

Was that why he hadn’t appeared in person and made contact through his subconscious instead?

“Yes. Though I’ve only recently found out myself as well.” Cassia sighed and shook her head.

It seemed she had gone through quite a lot while Kwon Oh-Jin traveled around the kingdoms.

“So, why are you chasing down his shell and trying to kill it?”

“Because that’s the only way to delay the Heavenly Demon from being released, even if just by a little.”

Delaying his release from the seal, huh...

Kwon Oh-Jin recalled what the Heavenly Demon said.

“We’ll be seeing each other again soon anyway.”

“I’ve already killed him three times, but it seems like I got it completely wrong this time.” Cassia sighed and shook her head.

That’s why she said she thought he’d be hiding extra well this time.

Instead of hiding, the Heavenly Demon had manipulated things so that Cassia would target Kwon Oh-Jin and break the seal that imprisoned him.

“How much time is left before the seal is broken?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked.

“I don’t know exactly, but judging by how the demonkin in Niflheim are moving lately...”

“It’s probably soon.”

If the Heavenly Demon said they would meet again soon, the seal had to be on the verge of breaking.

Cassia nodded with a bitter expression. “Yes...”

“Why... are you trying to stop the Heavenly Demon’s seal from breaking?” Kwon Oh-Jin quietly asked as he looked at her downcast face.

The Heavenly Demon had saved her from dying in the snowy fields. Of course, he probably only saved her because he needed a puppet to eliminate obstacles in his place since the restrictions of the Law prevented him from acting directly. Even so, to her, the Heavenly Demon was someone who saved her life.

“Oh my, are you really asking me that, Mr. Oh-Jin?” Cassia mischievously smiled as she stepped closer to him. “You told me yourself, remember? That you’d become my new Heavenly Demon.”

He did say that, but he didn’t know how much she actually believed it.

Cassia stifled a laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. “Of course, that’s not the only reason. It’s also... my way of atonement in a sense.”

He had already heard of what she had done while being controlled by the Heavenly Demon.

“I’ve killed too many.”

She had the blood of countless people on her hands. Even if it hadn’t been entirely her will to do so, that didn’t make her innocent.

“Cassia...”

“

Haha

. I know how despicable what I’m doing is.”

No matter how much she tried to atone, it wouldn’t erase the fact that she had taken countless lives. Doing this was nothing more than a way of consoling herself. Now freed from the Heavenly Demon’s control, she was merely trying to fill the hollow void left behind with something convenient like atonement.

Looking at her fragile smile, as though she could shatter at a single touch, Kwon Oh-Jin softly said, “You don’t have to overcomplicate it.”

He hadn’t spilled any blood directly with his own hands, but he had lived by deceiving others and bleeding them dry.

Kwon Oh-Jin wasn’t much different. He didn’t consider his actions honorable, and he had no intention of making excuses that he had no choice.

“Living your entire life trying to atone... That’s too painful,” he said.

So what if it was despicable or selfish? Too many people lived selfishly without being punished anyway.

“You’re allowed to live a little shamelessly. If we end up dying and going to hell for it, well, we can deal with it then.”

Cassia’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected answer. Biting her lip, she placed a hand over her pounding heart. This was the first time anyone had ever told her that it was okay to live a little more shamelessly.

“You’re so... irritating, Mr. Oh-Jin.”

“What? Why”

“So much so that I almost want to tie you up in some hidden place and punish you.”

“I take back what I said about living shamelessly.”

People who’ve committed sins should live while receiving their due punishment. Yup. That’s right.

“

Haha

. I’m just kidding.” Cassia stepped back with a mischievous smile.

She really is Isabella’s sister, huh.

The way she smiled and teased others was the spitting image of Isabella.

“So, what now? Are you going to keep chasing the Heavenly Demon’s shell?”

“No. Even if I keep killing the shell, the Heavenly Demon’s seal will eventually break.”

Then, what were they supposed to do?

“Apparently, a major ritual will be held in Niflheim in a month.”

“A ritual?”

“Yes. It’s most likely related to breaking the Heavenly Demon’s seal.”

Kwon Oh-Jin bit his lip anxiously.

A month? That’s way too soon.

He needed at least a few more months to finish assembling his forces, but now he only had a month left?

“I’m planning to go to Niflheim and stop that ritual.”

“By yourself?”

“Oh my, are you saying you’ll come with me, Mr. Oh-Jin?” Cassia asked playfully.

Kwon Oh-Jin nodded without hesitation.

“Of course, I’ll go with you.”

His immediate answer caught her off guard.

“What? You do know what kind of place Niflheim is, right?”

“Well, I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard enough.”

The demonkin kingdom was more dangerous than the three greatest forbidden zones in the Demonic District combined. It was a haven for the Heavenly Demon’s most devout followers.

“No, you don’t understand, Mr. Oh-Jin. That place is far more dangerous than you—”

“So what? Are you saying I should just stand by and let his seal break?”

Cassia bit her lip as her face stiffened with worry.

“Of course, I’m not planning to go alone without a plan,” Kwon Oh-Jin said.

Hadn’t he been preparing for this all along? Sure, his forces hadn’t fully assembled yet, but he had already won over the beastkin, the dragonkin, and even Baek Mu-Kang. They were still lacking, but he couldn’t give up without even trying.

“

Haa

. You’re so stubborn, aren’t you, my new Heavenly Demon?” Cassia sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we can go together after all.”

“Why not?”

“Even if you’re okay with it, the others won’t be too thrilled about going anywhere with the serpent,” she bitterly said.

Kwon Oh-Jin couldn’t say anything back and tightly pressed his lips together because she was right. If he announced that Cassia would be joining them to Niflheim, a lot of people would be upset.

Even Ha-Eun, for one.

Even if Cassia had been under the Heavenly Demon’s control at the time, she was still the one who had killed the Avaricious Wolf. From Song Ha-Eun’s perspective, who had lived and trained under the Avaricious Wolf, looking at Cassia without feeling anything would be impossible.

“I’ll move on my own and do what I can to stop the ritual.” Cassia smiled brightly and added, “Oh, right. I have a small favor to ask.”

“Go ahead.”

“Could you go without Bella this time?”

“I don’t think I can.” Unless Kwon Oh-Jin was using Open Heaven, Isabella was the most powerful within the group.

Leaving her out of the plan to invade Niflheim and stop the ritual would be absurd.

“But why do you want me to leave her out?”

Cassia avoided his gaze and twirled her hair between her fingers. “If we fail to stop the ritual and the seal is broken, that entire area will be flooded with the Black Heaven’s energy.”

“What does that have to—Oh.” Kwon Oh-Jin gasped in realization.

Isabella was an Awakener of the Leech Celestial, one of the Black Stars.

And it was the Heavenly Demon who turned the False Stars into Black Stars.

Like a family tree, the Heavenly Demon was the grandparent while the Black Stars were the parents. Therefore, Isabella carried a trace of the Heavenly Demon’s power within her like inherited traits from parent to child.

And if the Heavenly Demon breaks free from the seal in that state...

Kwon Oh-Jin recalled one of the Heavenly Demon’s traits, Domination. In the worst-case scenario, Isabella could become his puppet just like Cassia once was.

“Then, what about you...?”

Cassia, also an Awakener of the Black Stars, faced the same risk.

“

Haha

. I’m used to being someone’s puppet.”

She was willing to risk falling under the Heavenly Demon’s control again if it meant stopping the ritual.

“

Haaa

.” Truthfully, Kwon Oh-Jin didn’t want to rely on either Cassia or Isabella for this.

But that’s impossible.

They were both too vital and strong to leave out. Without them, the entire plan to stop the ritual wouldn’t be possible.

“Let’s try to stop the ritual first, but if we fail and the Heavenly Demon’s seal is broken, take Isabella and run far away.”

“Alright...” Cassia nodded with a heavy expression. “Well then, I’ll be going. If someone sees us together, it could cause trouble for you too, Mr. Oh-Jin.” Lifting the hem of her black dress gracefully, Cassia turned away.

Watching her back, Kwon Oh-Jin faintly chuckled. “By the way, that was unexpected.”

“Unexpected?”

"I thought you and Bella didn’t get along. I didn’t think you’d be this worried about her."

Cassia flinched. “

Ah...

! I-I just didn’t want her messing up the plan, so I wanted to leave her out of it. She’s stubborn and greedy, so she’ll push through even when she’s supposed to back off.”

Cassia snorted and sharply turned her head away. For someone saying all that, the tips of her ears, peeking through her platinum blonde hair, had flushed red.

Kwon Oh-Jin smiled faintly as he watched her walk away into the distance.

I hope the two of them can get along again someday.

Imagining Cassia and Isabella smiling together, Kwon Oh-Jin turned and walked out.