“I’ve packed them all here!”
Boxes were stacked on top of the table.
Instead of plastic bags that would make the cakes crumple, Park Jungwoo put them in several boxes and sincerely packaged them one by one like a professional Pâtissier.
“Thank you for the hard work.”
Looking straight down the long line of boxes, Ohjin put up a satisfied expression.
“By the way, have you come here for the registration exam?”
“Y-Yes, that’s correct! I have come to get good results to make Pandinus’s name known!” Park Jungwoo replied in an instant, like a private first class that had just finished bootcamp.
“Hmm. I see.” Ohjin smirked while nodding his head.
Since it was about time the association employees returned, it was time to wrap things up.
“I’ll need to confirm the skills possessed by a rising star of the Pandinus guild myself.”
“…Yes?”
Park Jungwoo’s eyes enlarged from the words like a bolt from the blue.
Although he didn’t know who, an Awakener that appeared to be in a higher position than his guild leader wanted to observe his evaluation test.
Those words were no different from a commander that had visited the unit wanting to confirm the results of training.
“T-That’s a bit…”
“Keke! Since you kids are the ones that Changhyuk picked, of course you’ll be incredible! A new star! That’s right! You’ll be the new star that’s responsible for the future of Korea!”
Shudder—
The legs of the pale-faced Park Jungwoo quivered.
‘I’m fucked.’
He nervously nibbled on his lips.
The truth was that he had already pre-planned this evaluation test to be taken by a bribed association employee.
A situation where he would get high marks even if he half-assed the test.
However—
“W-What do I do?’
—using that kind of trickery was impossible if another person observed the test.
“Hm? Why do you have such a lifeless expression?”
“The thing is… N-no… I-It’s nothing.”
Clench—
Park Jungwoo clenched his shaking hands.
His mind burned white.
Just when he thought he could live a strong and steady life by entering a large guild, he felt that he had suddenly come to an enormous cliff.
“Is your body perhaps not feeling well?”
“Ah… Uhh.”
Ohjin continued speaking with a concerned expression.
“Then shouldn’t you avoid taking the evaluation test today? You may end up unnecessarily disgracing the guild’s name by taking the test in your current state,” he said in a subtle voice.
There was no way any guild member would want to take a test while an Awakener who seemed to be in a much higher position than their own guild leader was observing personally.
‘Maybe if it was someone with skill.’
The truth was that with the good-for-nothing attitude and the atmosphere he gave off, he looked quite lacking in saying he was an Awakener of Scorpio belonging to the 12 Zodiacs.
In the first place, it was doubtful if he had even planned on taking the test properly.
‘Since they say that there are cases of bribes in order to get high marks.’
Although he wasn’t sure if Park Jungwoo was planning on using those kinds of trickery, whichever side it was, it didn’t matter.
Looking at the expression he wore like that of a constipated lil puppy the moment he heard that Ohjin was going to observe the evaluation test, it was clear that he didn’t welcome anyone observing the test.
“……!”
As if he had discovered an oasis in a dry desert, Park Jungwoo’s eyes glistened.
“Y-Yes, I understand! The truth is, I was feeling under the weather today.”
“I see. So that was indeed the case.”
‘Look at this fucker’s expression brightening up. Does it feel that good?’
“Come here for a second.”
“Huh? Why all of a sudden…”
Park Jungwoo, who was startled, stumbled over the ends of his words.
“Didn’t you say that your body is feeling unwell? I’ll take a look at it.”
“N-No! T-There’s no need for you to…!”
“It’s not like having an unwell body is a crime; there’s no need to act this way.”
He pulled on Park Jungwoo’s wrist.
“U-Uhh.”
Jungwoo shut his eyes tightly with a stiffened expression, like a high-schooler that had been caught smoking.
‘Cute bastard.’
Cackling on the inside, Ohjin started to look here and there around Park Jungwoo’s body and then continued to feel the pulse on his wrist.
“Hmm… Mana is definitely unstable. Respiration is also in disorder.”
He nodded his head while spitting out pretentious words.
“It seems that your body is simply fatigued. It isn’t an illness, so rest assured.”
“T-Thank you!”
“However, fatigue is the source of all illnesses; postpone the evaluation test for another day and rest for today.”
“Haha. Yes. I understand. I shouldn’t unnecessarily overdo myself and disgrace the guild’s name.
“Yes, yes, that’s right. Shouldn’t health be above all?”
Park Jungwoo, who had instantly got up from his spot, bowed deeply.
“Thank you for your kind words! I once again apologize for the disrespect I gave before!”
“Keke. Don’t worry about it. You should head back now.”
“Yes!!”
“Don’t forget to send my regards to Changhyuk.”
“Understood!”
Park Jungwoo, who had been continuously bowing, opened the waiting room’s door and ran out as if fleeing.
Ohjin relaxingly sat on the sofa while waving.
Now the annoying menace that had gotten on his nerves disappeared.
Naturally, there was the danger of annoying matters occurring in the future, but—
‘There’s a higher chance of him not reporting.’
—there weren't many cases of mere guild members being able to meet the guild leader of large guilds in the first place.
It wasn’t like it was a matter that was of importance; there was no way he would have a private meeting with the guild leader just to send his regards.
‘Well, even if he did…’
‘It would probably end with him scolded for all the nonsense.’
Even if he came searching for him after that, it wouldn’t matter.
‘I’ll just need to crush him when that time comes.’
Rising star of a large guild or not, he was a North Star’s apostle.
Thinking about back when he easily pulled down on Jungwoo’s wrist, he didn’t think he would lose in a fight.
“Neat.”
He got rid of the menace and got beautifully packaged cakes to bring to Ha-eun.
And, above all…
“Now, should we take a look at how much there is inside?”
Exploding out in laughter, he took out a luxurious wallet.
Moments ago.
When he said he would take a look at Park Jungwoo’s condition, he had secretly swindled his pockets.
“Oh, wow. This bastard carries a lot of cash around.”
He took the bills stuffed inside the wallet with a smirk.
The rumors of salaries of large guilds being no joke seemed to be true.
“Hm? What’s this?”
While he was rummaging through the wallet, a black gem the size of a 50¢ coin caught his attention.
‘This is… a mutant’s starstone?’
The size was similar to that of the Ant-horn’s starstone he had harvested.
‘Why does that bastard have this?’
As the appearance of mutants was extremely rare, it wasn’t easy to get ahold of a mutant’s starstone.
But why did it come out of Park Jungwoo’s wallet all of a sudden?
“…I’ll need to find out more about this.”
To simply take it as good news, something felt fishy.
Swoosh—
* * *
* * *
He started to hear footsteps from the hall ten minutes after roughly tossing the wallet into the waste bin.
Thump, Thump—
Heavy footsteps could be felt from the hallway.
Click—
Opening the door, a man came in.
“I apologize for making you wait so long.”
He seemed to be in his late thirties.
It was a tanned man with a tall height reaching around 190cm with muscles that seemed to want to burst out.
“……”
From the overwhelming feeling like that of facing a tank, Ohjin momentarily lost his words.
“You are Awakener Ohjin… correct? The one who possesses the stigma of Lyra.”
“Ah, yes. That is correct.”
“My introduction was late. I’m Team Leader Han Joonman from the disaster countermeasures headquarters of the Special Disaster & Security Management Association.
The humongous man lent out his hand.
Shaking the hand full of calluses, Ohjin could feel the electrifying strength climbing up from his grip.
‘Woah.’
He was a powerful being incomparable with the likes of Park Jungwoo.
“Your constellation by any chance…”
“I’m a 6-Star Awakener of Taurus.’
Taurus was a constellation that belonged to the 12 Zodiacs, just like Scorpio.
Because he had reached 6-Star on top of that, Ohjin couldn’t help but feel the suffocating pressure.
“I heard that there was nothing to be seen amongst the association's Awakeners, but I guess they were all nonsense.”
“Haha. Well… it isn’t entirely nonsense.”
Team Leader Han Joonman laughed bitterly while nodding his head.
“Anyways, is the fact that you possess the stigma of Lyra really true?” he asked with an expression full of disbelief.
Well.
Awakeners that were granted a stigma from the celestials known as the ‘North Stars’. Even if you took into account the entire world, there were but twelve of them.
In addition, all twelve of them were Awakeners that were granted the stigmas by Deneb.
They called the Awakeners that were granted stigmas by Deneb ‘North Star’s apostles’. As every single one of them was incredibly skilled, they had their names known across the entire world.
Although attention to the other apostles of the North Stars was gathered from the extraordinary powers they had shown, only the existence of Vega and Polaris was known, and they had never made an Awakener to date.
In other words, Ohjin was the first Awakener in the world who had been granted a stigma by Vega.
“I’ll show you.”
Actions were faster than words.
He unbuttoned his shirt and showed him the stigma engraved on his left chest.
“Hmm…”
Team Leader Han Joonman observed the stigma with a serious expression.
He had an expression that spoke out that he wasn’t sure yet.
“Did you say you came here in order to take the evaluation test?”
“Yes.”
“…If it’s okay with Awakener Gwon Ohjin, would it be okay if I conducted the test personally?”
‘Personally?’
What kind of 6-Star Awakener does an evaluation test?
‘This will slightly mess up my plans…’
Just when he was about to open his mouth to refuse.
‘Hm… Now that I think about it, it’s not all that bad.’
He thought of the possibility that this method would be better than his original plan.
“Yes, I understand.”
“Thank you. Then let’s move to the testing grounds right away.”
Nodding his head, he followed the back of Team Leader Han.
“—Alright then.”
After walking through the complicated hallways for five minutes, he could see the spacious testing grounds located inside the association.
Surrounding the testing grounds was tempered glass made specially with starstones for Awakeners.
‘They got rid of the spectators.’
Because it wasn’t like spectating was against the rules, he had heard that a couple of people passing by would usually come to spectate, but it seemed like the team leader had directly restricted entry.
‘He unexpectedly has good senses.’
‘Even though he looks like he could chew on iron ingots for breakfast.’
“Since you said you’re a warrior-type, the examination method will be a simple spar.”
Team Leader Han Joonman, who had put on protective gloves, took his stance.
“Can I really use this instead of a sparring weapon?”
Ohjin tapped on Lee Shinhyuk’s spear that he had left at the depository when he first entered the association building.
“Haha. Of course.”
“…If that’s the case.”
It didn’t matter since the opposing side said it was okay.
‘A 6-Star Awakener.’
No matter how overpowered the stigma of Lyra was, could it really close the gap of four stars?
And an Awakener affiliated with the 12 Zodiacs at that?
‘I’ll have to try and find out.’
Is that the reason he decided to conduct this test?
‘Fuu.”
He breathed in while lowering his stance.
Breathing in low and slow.
His body moved according to the ‘Spearmanship of Pyxis’ engraved in his brain.
And—
Uooong!!—
—the stigma engraved on his left chest blazed out with blue lights.
Crack, Crackle!!!—
The blue lightning sparked out fiercely.
“Ch-hat!!”
Boom!—
Violently kicking his feet, he sprinted.
He jabbed out the blue lightning-infused spear with all his strength.
Kaang!!—
The spear blade that hit Team Leader Han’s forearms strongly bounced off.
It didn’t feel like a human’s arm, but instead like some kind of hard cast iron.
“…Huh?”
The expression of Han Joonman, who had easily blocked the spear, stiffened.
“What the hell…”
Han Joonman’s mouth fell open.
