Chapter 45: Demonic Beast Subjugation (1)

After three months of intense, secluded training, Kwon Oh-Jin made his first stop at the association headquarters. A small crowd of Awakeners lingered near the entrance, murmuring as he approached.

“Wait? Isn’t he...”

“Is that Thunder Wolf?”

“What? I thought he died inside a gate!”

Rumors had clearly spread during his absence. Ignoring them, Kwon Oh-Jin walked straight in, making his way to Han Jun-Man's office.

Knock, knock.

“Yes, come in.”

The broad-shouldered, middle-aged Team Leader sat behind an oversized desk, somehow still too small for his frame.

“Oh... Oh-Jin?!” Han Jun-Man exclaimed as he shot up from his chair.

“It’s been a while, Team Leader.”

After three months, even those ridiculous bulging muscles of his were a strangely welcome sight.

“

Haha

, I’m not a team leader anymore.”

“Sorry?”

Han Jun-Man smiled and handed Kwon Oh-Jin his freshly printed business card. Next to his name was his new title, “Head of the Disaster Response Division.”

“Wow, when did you get promoted?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked.

“It’s all thanks to you, Oh-Jin,” Han Jun-Man replied with a smile and a thumbs-up.

Right, he's the one who recruited me for the association.

“

Haha

, you should treat me to a meal then,” Kwon Oh-Jin retorted.

“Of course!

Ah

, it’s lunchtime now anyway. Shall we grab a meal together?”

“Sounds good.”

There's no reason to turn down a free meal.

“Let’s go, I know a good spot,” Han Jun-Man uttered as he led Kwon Oh-Jin outside and into an elegant, traditional Korean-style restaurant, which seemed to specialize in...

Hanwoo!

His eyes gleamed with greed. Sure, he was better off financially now, but old habits died hard. The thought of having such an expensive meal for free sent a thrill through him.

“

Haha!

Go ahead, order anything you want!” Han Jun-Man laughed heartily.

“Well, I won’t hold back then,” Kwon Oh-Jin replied, calling a server over.

“Yes, what would you like to order?”

Kwon Oh-Jin traced his finger from the top of the menu to the very bottom. “I’ll have everything from

here

to

here

, please.”

Han Jun-Man flinched.

“A-All of that?” he asked.

“Yes,” Kwon Oh-Jin answered with a bright smile.

“

A-Ahem

... Well, won't that be a little too much for you?” Han Jun-Man subtly countered, his shoulders shaking.

“

Oh,

come on, Division Head. I should order at least this much out of respect for your generosity.”

“Hmm.”

Han Jun-Man swallowed hard. Kwon Oh-Jin could tell he was on the verge of tears.

Maybe I’m taking it too far... Nah, he did get a promotion because of me. This much should be fine.

He nodded to himself.

“Did your training go well?” the Division Head asked.

“Yes, it wasn’t bad.”

“Wasn’t bad? As in...?”

“I’ve become a four-star.”

Han Jun-Man’s eyes widened.

“Sorry?”

His mouth hung open as if he were looking at a ghost.

“A-A four star? You reached four stars in just three months?”

“

Mm-hmm.

”

Han Jun-Man sighed, pressing his forehead in disbelief. A new Awakener reaching four stars in under half a year was unheard of.

“... I’m sure even the Seven Stars didn’t advance this quickly.”

The stronger the Stigma was, the harder it was to raise one’s rank, making Kwon Oh-Jin's progress all the more impressive. He had even learned what composite skills were.

“As a rookie that has grabbed the world's attention, I need to be this strong to take a stand anywhere.”

“

Haha!

Recruiting you into the association was a real miracle!” Han Jun-Man blurted out.

“Anyway, did anything much happen in the time I was gone?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked, placing a piece of meat on the grill.

Sizzle!

“Well... something big did go down.”

Han Jun-Man’s face slightly stiffened.

“What happened...?”

“There was a gate eruption near Sokcho.”

A gate eruption was a phenomenon where monsters from inside the gate spilled out into the human world.

“And the real issue is, it wasn't just ordinary monsters. What came out were demonic beasts.”

“Demonic beasts?”

Kwon Oh-Jin had never heard of those before.

“

Ah

, right. You wouldn’t know since you’ve been away at the Sanctum. Do you remember how there was a global surge in mutated monsters?”

“Yes, I recall,” Kwon Oh-Jin replied. He had encountered plenty of them himself.

“Well, they’ve become so common that they’ve been given an official classification.”

“Demonic beasts?”

“That’s right.”

It was a fitting name, considering how much more savage and powerful these mutants were, compared to regular monsters.

“Anyway, a lot of those demonic beasts are currently rampaging through Sokcho. Things aren't looking too good.”

Monster rampages in populated areas weren't exactly uncommon on a global scale. But in Korea, one of the safer regions when it came to monster threats, it was very unusual.

"How bad is it?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked.

“

Hmm.

Most demonic beasts are lurking in the mountains outside the city, so it’s hard to give you an accurate estimate. But we suspect there are at least a thousand of them.”

"... That’s a lot.” The mere thought of it gave Kwon Oh-Jin a headache.

“A subjugation force is being put together to handle it,” Han Jun-Man conveyed.

A subjugation force, huh? Should I join in?

Normally, he would have steered clear of a battlefield swarming with a thousand demonic beasts, but he wouldn't be the only one fighting in this scenario.

Hmm, pretty interesting.

A threat large enough to warrant a subjugation force meant excellent combat experience for him. It was the perfect opportunity to test the limits of his new four-star Stigma.

“Will there be a reward?”

“Of course. You'll earn one to three million won per demonic beast, depending on its rank. Plus, any Starstones you collect are yours to keep.”

That was all Kwon Oh-Jin needed to hear. There was no reason to turn this down.

Now that Ha-Eun’s eyes are healed...

He placed two perfectly grilled pieces of beef onto a lettuce leaf—an indulgence he wouldn’t have dared to imagine in the past.

I’m gonna live eating whatever I want.

He and Song Ha-Eun had endured too much hardship for far too long. Those days were over now.

“Do you mind if I join the subjugation force?”

“

Haha!

I was actually about to ask you myself, but I missed the timing,” Han Jun-Man said, chuckling as if he had seen this coming.

“When does the subjugation force leave?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked.

“They’ll likely depart the day after tomorrow at the latest.”

“Perfect.”

Kwon Oh-Jin had just enough time to prepare his gear.

“News about you joining the task force will definitely cause a stir.”

“That’s a good thing.”

Fame was profitable—as long as you could handle it. And that was no longer an issue for him anymore.

With a bright smile, Kwon Oh-Jin lifted his now-empty bowl. “Well then, good thing I fueled up before the subjugation.”

“Ummm...”

Han Jun-Man sighed deeply, his eyes lingering on the total at the bottom of the meal receipt. “

Oh,

by the way, the subjugation team will meet in Sokcho. Do you have a car?”

“No, I don’t.”

He had prioritized saving every penny, so a car was out of the question.

Sokcho, huh? Am I going to have to go there by train?

He wondered if the trains were even operating with the demonic beasts running rampant.

“Well, there’s no need to worry.”

Han Jun-Man took a set of car keys out of his pocket and handed them over to Kwon Oh-Jin.

“This is...?”

“The association is providing you with a vehicle. It’s a pretty high-end model, so you should have no issues.”

“

Oh

, wow.”

A fancy car on top of that huge meal? Fame really does equal money.

Everything was just falling into his lap. Perks like these had been unimaginable back when he wasn't an Awakener.

“Can you drive, though, Oh-Jin?”

“I’ll have to start learning.”

With two days left for the mission, he figured he had plenty of time for it.

***

Kwon Oh-Jin arrived home and stood outside, eyeing the worn-out walls.

“

Tsk.

No matter how long I’m gone, this place never feels any more welcoming.”

He opened the front door and stepped inside.

“Huh? Where'd she go?”

Song Ha-Eun was nowhere in sight. She didn’t have any reason to go out, so he cocked his head in confusion before heading up to the rooftop.

There, he found her completely absorbed in concentration, her right arm stretched out in front of her.

Is she training?

He sighed and quietly stood in place, watching her practice.

She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

“Hoo...”

Woong!

The Stigma on her chest started to glow, and flames flared up from her hand.

Whoosh!

“Hup!”

Song Ha-Eun swung her arm, and the flames roared forward, cascading like a swift, wild beast.

Woah.

Before Kwon Oh-Jin had awakened, he had simply thought her skills looked cool. But now, with his own growth, he could clearly see it.

So that’s how strong she was.

It made sense. She had once reached the remarkable status of seven-star Awakener and was known as one of the strongest among them. There was no way she could be weak.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The crimson flames fanned out like a net, engulfing everything around her. Even from a distance, the scorching heat prickled his skin.

But it’s not quite the same as before.

He could tell that she hadn’t fully recovered yet.

“

Huh?

Oh-Jin?”

Song Ha-Eun was startled and quickly withdrew the flames.

“Hey, what are you doing, creep? Watching me in silence?”

Is she embarrassed that I caught her training?

She faintly blushed as she approached him.

“You seem to have gotten a lot better.”

“Well... I still haven't regained all my strength yet,” she said, shrugging. “

Hehe

. You’ve finished your training now, so how about we go out for a meal?”

“I just ate.”

Her face instantly crumpled.

“What?”

“

Hehe

, I just ate hanwoo.”

“What?! You jerk, how could you eat that all by yourself?!” she yelled, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him.

Kwon Oh-Jin laughed and said, “When I’m done with this job, let’s go and eat together like last time.”

“

Huh?

What job?”

“You heard about what happened in Sokcho, right?”

“Something about those demonic beasts or whatever?”

He nodded. “Yup. I joined the subjugation force for it, so I’ll be away for a few days.”

Song Ha-Eun narrowed her eyes and stepped closer to him, her fiery red hair swaying like flames.

“I want to go too.”

Kwon Oh-Jin frowned. “What? But you haven’t fully recovered yet.”

“I’ve recovered enough to take down a few monsters.”

“Still...”

“I’ll recover faster if I move around a bit, rather than just sitting around. Am I wrong?”

“Hmm.”

Kwon Oh-Jin realized that she had a point. Real combat was said to be the best way to hone one’s abilities since Stigmas become more active in critical situations.

“Alright. Let’s go together then.”

For the first time, they would be moving together as Awakeners.

“Hehe!”

Song Ha-Eun squirmed with excitement and grabbed his hand with a big grin on her face.

“You need to hold my hand so you don’t get lost, okay?”

“

Haha,

funny.”

“I know I am.”