Chapter 68: Mind, Body, Technique (1)

It hurts. It hurts like hell.

He felt like a soccer ball kicked at full force had hit him square in the balls, but at least that kind of pain ended quickly. This, on the other hand, felt endless.

“Aaaaahh.”

A groan escaped him—a sound reminiscent of the last vampire’s pitiful cries as they were dragged into the sunlight after a relentless hunt.

Then, he heard a familiar voice nearby. “

Hmph,

you foolish creature.”

Kwon Oh-Jin slowly raised his head. “

Huh?

V-Vega?”

The stunning goddess, her silver hair glimmering as if woven from starlight, gazed down at him with golden eyes.

“Are you awake now?” she asked, gently caressing his forehead. She wasn't in her shrunken, doll-like form.

What’s going on?

Kwon Oh-Jin wondered if he was in the Sanctum, but when he glanced around, he realized they were in the new apartment that Song Ha-Eun had bought.

“How are you in this form...?” he asked.

“I’ll explain later.” Vega gently pressed him back down as he tried to sit up. “For now, just rest.”

Feeling the comforting warmth on the back of his neck, he laid down back and relaxed.

Wait a second.

So utterly dazed, he hadn't realized he wasn’t lying on a pillow—his head was on Vega’s lap.

How did it get to this?

The last thing he remembered was his exhausting battle against Ashad Khan and the grueling struggle to get back home, where he had finally collapsed. He had no idea how much time had passed since then, but he had never imagined he'd wake up on Vega's lap.

“What happened?”

“Didn’t I just tell you to rest?” Vega replied, gently pinching his cheek like a parent scolding a mischievous child. “Seriously, you...”

Her voice deepened. “You always push yourself too far no matter how many times I ask you not to.”

He remained silent. There wasn't much he could say since his life had been hanging by a thread not too long ago.

“

Tsk,

you troublesome child.” She pulled his cheek.

“

Ow, ow!

”

She sighed deeply, then lightly tousled his hair with a faint smile. “Even though you cause so much trouble, seeing you awake makes me lose my will to reprimand you. Have you cast some kind of spell on me?”

She continued to stroke his hair affectionately.

“

Uh...

well...” he muttered. As he lay there receiving Vega's touch, he started to feel like a toddler in bed.

Is this what a mother’s touch feels like? Mommy Vega? Ugh.

The phrase made his stomach churn, yet he couldn’t deny that her soothing touch made him forget the horrible pain.

“Alright, I think that’s enough—

Agh!

”

The moment he tried to sit up again, a sharp, excruciating pain surged through him.

“You can’t move yet,” Vega said, grabbing his shoulders and placing him back down. “Or is there something you need?”

“

Oh,

what? No, not really.”

Deep down, he feared that if he stayed like this with her, he would lose some essential part of himself.

“

Ah

, that’s right. You must be thirsty.” Vega picked up a glass of water from the bedside table and brought it to his lips. “This is my holy water. Drink as much as you want to.”

Umm, does she seriously not realize how weird that sounds?

“

Haha

, I’m joking. It’s just regular water.” She supported the back of his head gently and tilted the glass. Cold water flowed down his throat.

“Haa.”

Since he had been knocked out for a while, the water seemed to revitalize every single cell in him.

“Are you done?” She pulled out a tissue and wiped his lips.

He was stupefied at this point. Still resting his head on her lap, he demanded an explanation. “What happened?”

“You’ve been unconscious for four days.”

“No way...”

I was out for that long?

Come to think of it... the last time I used Exceed, I was down for three days.

Four doesn't seem so bad, considering what I did this time.

“You wouldn’t wake up, so Ha-Eun came to find me at the Sanctum. It just so happened that the restriction on me had been lifted, so I was able to come here myself.”

Ah, I see.

“Still, how can you be here in this form?”

The Celestial restrictions only allowed Vega to be outside the Sanctum in her shrunken form—just thirty centimeters tall—for three hours a day. It was a surprise to see her in her true form.

“

Hmm

. To be honest, I don’t know,” she replied.

“You don’t?”

“Ever since a few days ago... well, since the day you collapsed, the restrictions have weakened.”

Vega raised her hand, and blue lightning flickered at her fingertips.

Crackle!

“As you can see, I'm able to use my powers casually now. My diminutive form can manifest for up to six hours a day, and I can even shift into my real form like this, though not for long.”

“Wow.”

The law’s restriction suddenly weakened? Why?

If it started on the day he fought Ashad Khan, then Kwon Oh-Jin could have contributed to it.

I became a five-star, achieved the fourth enlightenment of the Black Heaven, and even activated the "quest" thing.

He had accomplished so much in one day that it was hard to pinpoint what exactly might have triggered it.

It could just be a coincidence too.

Right now, there wasn’t enough information to confirm anything.

“Anyway, if the restrictions have weakened, does that mean you can freely grant blessings now?” he asked.

He would gladly do a cartwheel in his underwear out of sheer excitement if that were the case. He had experienced the might of a Celestial’s blessing firsthand in his fight against Ashad Khan.

“No, I still can’t,” Vega answered.

“Oh.”

That’s a shame,

he thought.

“

Hmph!

I can at least do more than just sit back and watch while you fight now. I can provide simple support!”

Crackle!

Vega proudly twirled blue lightning around her fingers, shaping it into various forms—a dragon, a cat, a dog, a wolf, Kwon Oh-Jin's face, and other intricate and bizarre patterns. The lightning flowed like malleable slime, transforming effortlessly from one shape to the next.

Kwon Oh-Jin’s jaw dropped.

Whoa, what the hell is this?

The sheer skill required to manipulate lightning so freely was beyond him.

I guess this level of mastery is only natural for a Celestial.

Nonetheless, watching her control lightning sent shivers down his spine.

“

Hehe,

I’ll be looking forward to it,” he said.

“You may depend on me more,” Vega declared, puffing out her chest.

“

Haha!

I’ll keep that in mind, my goddess.”

He started to sit up again. A slight pain shot through him, but it was manageable.

Vega looked slightly disappointed. “You could’ve rested a bit longer...”

She gently patted the spot on her lap where he had rested his head.

“I’m fine now,” he replied.

“Very well.”

With a flash of silver light, Vega shrank to her usual miniature form. She flew over and sat on his shoulder, clapping her hands together. “

Oh,

right, you should watch out.”

“Huh?”

Watch out for what?

“

Haha

, isn’t there someone who’s even more furious than I am?”

“

Oh,

now that you mention it, where’s Ha-Eun—”

Bang!

The door burst open, and Song Ha-Eun rushed in. “O-Oh-Jin’s awake?!”

Kwon Oh-Jin wasn't sure when Vega had informed her, but she seemed to have sprinted over in a panic. Her sharp gaze fell on him as she lunged forward.

“Y-You motherfucker!” she yelled, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him violently. “Do you have any idea how worried I was, you little asshole?!”

Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

Kwon Oh-Jin could only mumble, “I’m sorry.”

“Do you think a simple sorry is going to—”

A deep, commanding voice cut her off. “Silence, lizard woman.”

A silver-furred wolf walked into the room.

“Riarc?” Kwon Oh-Jin gasped.

“A warrior grows through battles where they risk their life," Riarc continued. "Shielding him too much will only hinder the birth of a true warrior.”

He then snorted heavily.

Song Ha-eun frowned as she glared at Riarc. “What’s with the damn nickname?”

“

Grr,

aren’t you an apostle of Draco? That makes you a lizard woman.”

“I have a perfectly good name—Song Ha-Eun.”

Riarc turned his head. “

Hmph!

I have no intention of remembering the name of a mere female human!”

“No cup noodles for you for a week.”

“My dear Ha-Eun, you must have suffered so much because of that ignorant human. I am completely on your side.”

What the hell is wrong with this guy?

Kwon Oh-Jin thought.

“Why is Riarc here, anyway?” he asked Vega.

“Didn’t I tell you the restrictions have weakened? Even my Star Spirit can now leave the Sanctum and move freely.”

“

Oh

, wow.”

“Of course, his powers are still heavily limited... but even in this state, he can be of significant help in battle.”

Although it wasn't clear how much strength Riarc could use, it was an undeniable boon to have someone as powerful as him around.

“

Hmph

. Even with my powers constrained, I can take you on with just one paw!”

Riarc growled and swiped his paw through the air, looking like an oversized dog trying to please its owner. Kwon Oh-Jin couldn’t help but find it oddly cute.

Vega narrowed her eyes and grabbed Kwon Oh-Jin’s earlobe, giving it a firm tug. “Now then, would you mind explaining what exactly happened that day?”

Song Ha-Eun latched onto his arm. “I’m not letting go until you tell us everything.”

“

Pfftt!

Alright, alright, stop nagging. I’ll explain.”

Kwon Oh-Jin told them what happened that day, omitting the parts related to the Black Heaven. Their expressions turned grim as they heard about Jang Seok-Ho.

“What a tragedy...” Vega remarked.

“No wonder you seemed like you were in a bad mood,” Song Ha-Eun added. “Wait, you actually defeated a seven-star Awakener?”

“Yup.”

“No way. You might be an apostle of the North Star, but... is the Stigma of Lyra really that strong?” Song Ha-Eun asked, turning to Vega with a skeptical look.

“

Haha

, anyone who bears my Stigma can easily overcome trivial details like star level,” Vega asserted, crossing her arms triumphantly. Her proud expression faded as she let out a deep sigh. “Or so I’d like to say, but honestly, defeating an Awakener three stars higher is hard for me to believe, too.”

It must truly have been an extraordinary accomplishment for a Celestial to admit that.

Kwon Oh-Jin smirked.

Well, technically, he was closer to eight stars.

“Yeah, I’ll admit it was a close one,” he said. Had it not been for the rain that conveniently poured down, he wouldn’t have won.

“

Hmm

. Given the circumstances, I suppose I can’t exactly blame you for using Exceed,” Vega said with a sigh, then shook her head. “But seriously, have you really reached five stars? It’s hard to believe.”

She hopped off Kwon Oh-Jin’s shoulder and fell inside his shirt.

“

Ahhh!

W-What the fuck is she doing?!” Song Ha-Eun shrieked as she scrambled to pull Vega out.

“How dare you be so crass toward a Celestial?”

“You’re the one being nasty!”

“Oh-Jin is my proud child. It is my duty to ensure he's in prime condition.”

“Cut the crap!” Song Ha-Eun shouted, baring her teeth.

Vega clicked her tongue and turned back to Kwon Oh-Jin. “In any case, it’s true. You’ve really become a five-star Awakener.”

She shook her head again in disbelief.

“

Hmm

. By the way, kid, you said that skill of yours reached level 9?” Riarc asked.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Kwon Oh-Jin had maintained a steady flow of mana through an intense fight, and as a result, Thunderbolt had skyrocketed in level.

“

Ha

, what a freak.” Riarc scoffed and clicked his tongue in disbelief. “Anyway, keep training Thunderbolt. It’s a key skill for the Stigma of Lyra.”

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

“I know,” Kwon Oh-Jin answered. The way Thunderbolt directly influenced the growth of his other skills made its importance obvious.

“And when it hits level 10,” Riarc remarked with a sly grin, “you’ll enter an entirely different realm.”

“A different realm? Is there that much of a difference between levels 9 and 10?”

Kwon Oh-Jin looked at Riarc with keen interest.

“Of course. When a skill reaches level 10, it

evolves

. Great rewards come with that.”

“

Oh,

wow. I didn’t know that."

“Reaching level 10 is that much more difficult, though.”

“What do you end up getting?”

“

Hehe

, I’ll give you a glimpse.” Riarc took a few steps back. “Watch closely, kid.”

Crackle!

Blue lightning coiled around him. “This is the secret technique unlocked when Thunderbolt reaches level 10.”

The lightning condensed around his jaw. He then shouted, “Lightning Flames!”

Whoosh!

Fierce blue flames erupted around Riarc’s mouth.

“Huh? Lightning Flames?” Kwon Oh-Jin murmured. “I can do that too.”

He casually raised his hand, and blue flames flickered in his palm.

Riarc’s jaw dropped. “What the fuck?”