Chapter 96: Ancient Constellations (7)

A man with a long scar running down his right eye clicked his tongue as he gazed out the window at a young man valiantly taking on hundreds of demonic beasts. Their deafening roars rang all the way to the top floor of the high-rise building.

Boom!

Each time Lee Woo-Hyuk swung his sword, dozens of beasts were shredded apart.

Park Geon-Woo, the right-hand man of the King of Owls, fiercely glared at him. “To think the Black Lion would come here...”

He gently brushed the spear strapped to his back and excitedly huffed.

I’d love to fight him one day.

Part of him wanted to leap down immediately and find out how his spear would fare against the Black Lion’s sword.

Woong! Woong!

His spear shook as if excited.

“Oh, you’re eager to fight too, aren’t you?” Park Geon-Woo softly muttered with a smile, as though conversing with his lover. “Just hold on a little longer. Soon, you can have an endless buffet of blood.”

He gently patted his shaking spear.

It’s not the right time yet.

Though his blood boiled with anticipation, he couldn’t jeopardize the plan by engaging with Lee Woo-Hyuk prematurely.

He reached into his pocket and carefully pulled out a black chalice. The once overflowing energy within it had diminished to less than half its depth.

“Attack while avoiding him as much as possible,” he ordered.

The dark energy within the chalice swirled in response.

“

Tsk.

At this rate, it won’t hold out much longer.”

He tucked the chalice back into his pocket, then looked down at the raging battlefield. His lips curled into a sly smile.

Well, we’ve already accomplished our objective, anyway.

This time around, the operation wasn’t based on killing Awakeners like the Black Lion. Rather, their plan required non-Awakeners to be killed as sacrifices, which had already been achieved amidst the chaos.

Park Geon-Woo glanced at the piled-up corpses and grinned. “

Haha

, don’t be too sad. All of this is for the world to realize the grand will of the Black Stars.”

He stood by the window for a short while before turning away.

It’s time to leave.

If he lingered any longer, he would risk drawing the Black Lion’s attention, which would be troublesome, to say the least.

“

Hehe

. Not that he’ll ever reach this place.”

Below the skyscraper, a rift to the Demonic District had been opened, through which an endless horde of demonic beasts poured out.“No matter how ferocious a lion is, it doesn’t have wings. Lee Woo-Hyuk can't break through to the top floor,” Park Geon-Woo remarked, smirking as he watched Lee Woo-Hyuk desperately fighting below. Until the rift closed in another twenty minutes or so, the top floor of the building would remain an untouchable fortress in the sky—or so he thought.

“I’m flying! I’m really flying! Hooooly shiiiiiit!”

“Huh?” Park Geon-Woo turned toward the source of the voice, but the glass window immediately shattered as a young man tumbled into the building.

Crash!

The young man had black, curly hair and meek eyes that didn't match his fierce glare.

Park Geon-Woo recognized him instantly. “Thunder Wolf?”

“Holy shit, I thought I was gonna die.” Kwon Oh-Jin staggered to his feet, brushing glass shards off his clothes. He scanned his surroundings briefly before locking eyes with Park Geon-Woo and smiling. “Are you the guy controlling the demonic beasts?”

“... How did you get here?” Park Geon-Woo stared at him in disbelief.

This is the fiftieth floor, more than two hundred meters above ground... yet he jumped all the way up here?

“You... what sort of trick did you use?”

“Landed a home run.”

“

Huh?

”

“What, do you not know what a home run is?” Kwon Oh-Jin joked.

Is he a Hanwha Eagles fan?

“Anyway, we’re not exactly close enough for a friendly Q&A now, are we?” he added, knowing Park Geon-Woo wouldn’t answer any questions in the first place.

He pulled the metal rod from his belt and extended it into the shape of his spear.

Click.

“Let’s save the chit-chat for later,” he uttered.

“You’re confident.”

“What, should I start whining about how I’m screwed before the fight even begins?” Kwon Oh-Jin scoffed. Once he committed to battle, there was no room for thoughts of defeat.

Plus, I didn't come here mindlessly. It’s worth a shot.

He had reached five stars after the battle with Ashad Khan, and the Black Heaven had undergone its fourth enlightenment, further strengthening the Stigma of Lyra. He wouldn't go down easily, even if his opponent ranked higher than Ashad Khan.

If the enemy were truly beyond my capabilities, Vega would’ve stopped me no matter what. But she told me exactly where he was, without telling me to avoid him or run away.

Plus, I have a trump card up my sleeve—though I’m not entirely sure it’ll work.

Well, if it doesn’t, I’ll just sprint my ass over to where Lee Woo-Hyuk is.

Kwon Oh-Jin wasn’t reluctant about running away. It was more foolish to fight to the death against an unbeatable enemy.

“Alright then, let’s get right to it.” He pointed his spear at Park Geon-Woo.

“Now that I think about it, I did hear the Thunder Wolf used a spear too.” Park Geon-Woo smirked as he twirled his own spear, less than two meters long and designed for stabbing. “Now then, shall I see just how skilled the apostle of the North Star is?!”

He shot forward like a flash of light.

Kwon Oh-Jin hastily stepped back, swinging his spear to deflect the attack.

Clang!

The impact caused him to stagger backward.

“Ugh!”

“This is just the beginning!” Park Geon-Woo shouted as he began stabbing. With each thrust, black feathers formed around his spear and shot toward Kwon Oh-Jin.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The feathers rained down on him like spearheads, and he barely managed to fend them off.

“Ugh!”

As expected, he’s strong as fuck. No doubt he's a higher rank than Ashad Khan. He must be at least an eight-star.

Thump. Thump.

Is it because I haven't faced a strong opponent in a while? An electrifying thrill is coursing through me. This is how I like it.

Park Geon-Woo continued pushing Kwon Oh-Jin back, certain of his own victory.

“Don’t tell me you were being arrogant when this is all you’ve got!”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As Kwon Oh-Jin frantically blocked the fierce spear strikes, he mulled over his options.

Should I use Exceed?

The difference between a five and eight-star was too wide to bridge without the skill.

No, not yet. It's not easy to withstand this overwhelming barrage, given the difference in strength and speed, but it's manageable for now.

The Pyxis Spearmanship he had gained through Lee Shin-Hyuk's memories allowed him to control the directions and angles of his spear, which barely compensated for their difference in strength.

“Impressive. I’ll admit, your spearmanship is commendable,” Park Geon-Woo remarked. However, his impressed look was soon replaced with a scornful smirk. “But ultimately, your spearmanship is nothing but a soulless imitation.”

“What?”

Soulless? What is this guy talking about?

“What does a spear mean to you?” Park Geon-Woo asked.

“I think of it as a weapon that doesn’t use aura.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

Sword aura sounds fine, but spear aura sounds like it should be censored.

[1]

Park Geon-Woo gaped at him, baffled. “From all the nonsense you're spouting, I can see why I can’t feel soul in your spearmanship.”

He gently caressed his spear as if it were a cherished treasure. “Bastards like you see the spear as nothing more than a tool for slaughter.”

“What else is it supposed to be?”

Park Geon-Woo extended his spear with sunken eyes. With precise movements, he brought his feet together, rotated his spear, and slammed it on the ground.

“The spear is the truth that penetrates all things in the universe. It is the horizon that divides what is true and false.”

“What?”

Penetrating what now?

Park Geon-Woo continued, “It embodies the essence of flow and strength, encompassing the principles of taiji[2]—”

“Explosive Lightning.”

Boom!

“Kugh!”

The sudden burst of lightning sent Park Geon-Woo flying backward.

“What a load of crap,” Kwon Oh-Jin muttered.

The horizon that divides what’s true and false? The principles of taiji?

He continued, “The spear is just a weapon made for stabbing and tearing people apart, you dumb fuck.”

What's the point of all that talk about the truth of the universe when a spear is ultimately used to kill?

“Cut the crap and keep fighting.” Kwon Oh-Jin viciously swung his lightning-clad spear down.

Whoosh!

Park Geon-Woo hastily raised his spear, barely managing to block the attack.

Clang!

“

Ugh!

Y-You bastard, how dare you...!” Feeling his beliefs had been mocked, his face turned purple with rage as he gripped his spear tightly. “Let us see, then! Try taking me down with your spearmanship alone!”

“Spearmanship alone?”

“That’s right! Let’s fight without using our Stigmas!” Park Geon-Woo yelled, pointing his spear at Kwon Oh-Jin.

“Without using our Stigmas, huh...” Kwon Oh-Jin mumbled before nodding. “Okay. Let’s fight with just our spears and nothing else.”

“I’ll prove that you’re wrong.” Park Geon-Woo moved his spear with graceful precision, like a warrior whose blood boiled within him. “The spear is... more than just a tool.”

In a world overrun by rifts and monsters, what had kept him safe wasn’t family, friends, or a lover—it was a single spear. That spear alone had guided him to the Black Stars.

“This spear is a part of me.”

He had already reached the peak of spearmanship long ago—a state where man and weapon became one.

He pointed his spear at Kwon Oh-Jin again, his stance as impeccable as a photograph. “Come at me.”

Even without his Stigma, he emanated a suffocating martial aura. However, Kwon Oh-Jin raised his spear, unfazed.

“Here I come,” Park Geon-Woo announced.

To confront me without his Stigma is just foolishness—

“Exceed.”

Crackle!

The Stigma of Lyra blazed fiercely as blue lightning covered Kwon Oh-Jin from head to toe.

“

Huh?

W-What are you doing?” Park Geon-Woo hesitantly asked.

“What does it fucking looking like, you idiot?”

I’m scamming your ass, duh.

1. In Korean, spear aura has the same spelling as prostitute. ☜

2. a Chinese internal martial art and a form of exercise that involves slow, flowing movements, controlled breathing, and a meditative state of mind ☜