※ Caution ※
This chapter is gory.
“Wh-What?”
Thud, thud—
Without even being able to close his widened mouth, Arshad Khan took steps back as he looked at Ohjin, who was regenerating like a video playing in reverse.
“Impossible!!!”
It couldn’t happen.
It shouldn’t happen.
It was supposed to be over.
He had been relieved because it was finally all over, but…
‘Why?’
‘How?’
“Just how?!! Why are you able to stand up?!!!” he roared out.
“Wouldn’t it be disappointing if I didn’t have a second phase when even mini-bosses do?”
Ohjin cackled out and moved his feet.
Although his wire shooter and spear were both destroyed during the fight—
Bzzzzzzzzzt!!—
—the stigma of Lyra was still shining radiantly on the left side of his chest.
“Kugk…!”
Arshad Khan’s face distorted roughly as he created a tornado of black feathers once again.
“Kahk! A-Auhuaaaah!!!”
His body twisted as he shouted out a scream full of pain.
Crack! Crunch!—
Veins sprouted out around his entire body with the gruesome sound of bones cracking. Wrinkles started to rise on his face, and what originally was firm, copper skin rapidly shriveled. His back curved, and the solid muscles on his arms and legs turned soft.
In an instant, he looked 20—no, 30 years older.
‘Huh?’
Ohjin narrowed his eyes.
That kind of sudden aging didn’t happen from using a stigma’s power excessively.
‘It’s as if…’
Arshad Khan drew out power at the price of his ‘lifespan’.
“Is this perhaps… the price of the ‘blessing’?”
Ohjin laughed in disappointment.
Fundamentally, the price of granting blessings was shouldered by the celestial.
It was because the Commandment’s Restriction was obstructing not the Awakener but the celestial.
But an Awakener that received a blessing turning into that horrifying state meant…
‘Instead of taking it themselves, they put the burden on the apostle.’
Naturally, they wouldn’t be able to offload 100% of the burden on the apostle.
After all, if that was possible, all members of the Black Star Organization would go around receiving the Black Star’s blessing.
In any case…
His celestial was only able to grant a blessing to an apostle by making them pay a ‘price’.
“I guess that the Star of the Owl Nebula is nothing much.”
‘Compare that with my Goddess.’
“Shut up!!” Arshad Khan fiercely shouted out as he swung his scimitar.
Ttututututu!!—
The black feathers poured down together with the rain and aimed at Ohjin.
Ba-ba-ba-ba-bang!!!—
Terrifying explosions struck down on Ohjin.
Ohjin laughed out loud and received it with his body.
Swept by the explosions, his body became a wreck in an instant.
“Didn't you hear me?”
Crunch! Crack!—
His broken bones found their original place.
Oxidized black flesh rapidly regenerated.
“From now on—It’s the time of the Lightning Wolf.”
Bang!—
He kicked off.
Throwing his body into the tornado of black feathers, he swung his clenched fist.
Bam!—
His fist, wrapped in blue lightning, was flung back after being blocked by the black feathers.
“Ha, hahaha!!!!”
Arshad Khan exploded out in loud laughter.
“No matter how fast your body regenerates, it’s all meaningless if your attacks don’t work!”
Indeed.
As he said, it was currently impossible to pierce through the tornado of black feathers.
“Feel the almighty strength of the Owl Nebula!!”
Ttutututu!!—
The black feathers violently pushed back Ohjin.
Squeezing out his mana, he swung his fist at the tornado of black feathers, but he was still unable to penetrate through and touch Arshad Khan.
“You getting old hasn’t changed the fact you talk too much.”
Twe—
Ohjin spat out the blood built up in his mouth and smiled.
‘If I can’t break through that tornado in one go…’
Wasn’t the answer simple?
‘I just need to strike it until I can.’
Bzzzzzzzt!!!—
He engulfed his fist in Lightning Flames and swung it.
Unable to break through the tornado of black feathers, the bones in his fist broke and ripped out of his skin.
It didn’t matter.
Inside of the violently raging rainstorm, broken bones weren't even that big of an injury.
‘One more time.’
He swung his fist.
‘One more time.’
Continuously.
‘One more time.’
Without stop.
Bang!! Bang!! Baaang!!!—
The tornado of black feathers that twirled around Arshad Khan started to shake.
“Ah, ahh.”
With his mouth agape, Arshad Khan’s body started to tremble.
“S-Stay back.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!!—
Like slamming the tightly closed door of a castle with a battering ram, the fist engulfed in blue flames pummeled the black feathers.
Every time the tornado shook, fear penetrated Arshad Khan.
“I-I said stay back.”
‘Why?’
‘Just how… is he able to swing his fists so relentlessly?’
“Y-You bastard!!”
Arshad Khan could understand Ohjin’s injuries rapidly regenerating.
However…
That didn’t mean that ‘pain’ would disappear, did it?
“C-Can you not feel pain?!”
“The fuck are you talking abou? I feel like I'm going to die from pain right now.”
Ohjin frowned as he swung his fist.
Every time he touched the tornado of black feathers—
His fingernails cracked, his fingers broke, and his wrist twisted.
Blood vessels, muscles, and bones tangled up and tore away.
It was painful…
…To the point where it was hard to maintain consciousness.
…To the point where he wondered if he would go crazy.
It hurt.
However—
Baang!!—
—Ohjin didn’t stop swinging his fist.
Every time his ruined arm regenerated, he concentrated mana into it and swung it.
“Th-Then how?”
Arshad Khan looked at Ohjin with his face pale from fear.
If it wasn’t that he couldn’t feel pain…
How was he able to continue swinging his fists like that?
—Imagine it.
—Swinging your fist with all your might towards a shield covered with sharp thorns.
—Shoving your hand into a blender filled with sharp blades with your own will.
Even if the injury was regenerated…
Who would be able to repeat such an insane act?
“It’s nothing much.”
Ohjin put on a smirk and swung his fist at the tornado of black feathers.
-Ring!
[You have maintained your mana in an extreme state without losing consciousness!]
[《Lightning&Thunder Lv7》 has increased to 《Lightning&Thunder Lv8》.]
[《Lightning Flames Lv2》 has increased to 《Lightning Flames Lv3》.]
[Warning! Damage on your body has accumulated to a severe degree!]
[The penalty ‘Pain Amplification’ will be endowed if the damage continues!]
A red message box followed up a blue one.
It was a relief.
‘It would have been troublesome if it was a penalty that restricted movement.’
Ohjin cackled out and clenched the fist that had just regenerated.
Bang!!!—
Once more—
Ohjin swung his fist at the tornado of black feathers.
The tornado started to shake precariously.
“Arrrrgh!!”
‘Is this the pain amplification penalty the system warned about?’
Pain that was even more intense than a moment ago rode up his arm and spread out.
If the pain until then was like slamming down a hammer on his arm, it was now like crushing it down with weights on top of that.
“Kh-huhu!! Fuck. This kinda hurts a lot.”
It didn’t matter.
“Hmpf!!”
Bang!!—
He swung his fist.
He swung his fist.
He swung his fist.
[You have maintained your mana in an extreme state without losing consciousness!]
[《Lightning&Thunder Lv8》 has increased to 《Lightning&Thunder Lv9》.]
[《Lightning Flames Lv3》 has increased to 《Lightning Flames Lv4》.]
He ignored the pain.
Ignoring pain wasn’t anything too difficult for him.
“Y-You crazy son of a bitch,” Arshad Khan spoke with a frightened voice.
For Ohjin, his words were hard to understand.
“What are you talking about?”
Bang!—
Black feathers scattered out and started to drop down.
The end was near.
“It’s not like this is something that difficult.”
That’s right.
Enduring pain wasn’t that hard.
Bang!! Baang! Bang!!—
Most of the black feathers had fallen down.
Ohjin started to see Arshad Khan, who was hidden inside the feathers.
“Wh-What are you talking about!! What’s not difficult about that!!!”
“It isn’t difficult.”
Bang!!—
One more time…
He swung his fist.
“Isn’t it something you can just endure?”
That’s right.
No matter how painful…
No matter how agonizing…
It would be solved once it was endured.
It could be overcome once it was withstood.
“Isn’t it something you can just withstand?”
* * *
* * *
Ohjin looked back.
Jang Sukho, who was collapsed on the ground and squirming like a bug, came into his view.
Would a day come when his problems would be solved once he endured them?
Would his dead son come back to life once he withstood it?
Bang! Bang!! Baang!!!—
He swung his fist.
He didn’t stop.
There was no reason to stop.
Suddenly, a memory crossed his mind.
A memory from six years ago…
Ha-eun was laid down on a hospital bed.
He remembered how she shook from the unfamiliar darkness when the light in both her eyes was lost.
He remembered the deep sense of helplessness he felt back then.
No matter how much he held on, no matter how much he endured, no matter how much he withstood…
Things that were lost wouldn’t come back on their own.
‘This is easy compared to back then.’
Agony could be ignored.
Pain could be endured.
“If it’s a problem that can be solved by enduring—it’s nothing.”
Because the world he lived in…
Was overflowing with problems that couldn’t be solved with endurance
Boooooooom!!!—
The tornado of black feathers exploded.
“…Ah.”
Arshad Khan crouched down on the ground and looked up at Ohjin with his face colored in fear.
There was a black sky.
Inside that deep darkness where not even starlight could be seen…
Only a pair of azure eyes shone.
“D-Devil.”
Why was it that the figure of Ohjin, who stood with the black sky placed behind him, felt not like a human but seemed to be something else entirely.
“Ah, uh.”
He crawled on the ground and tried to escape.
“U-Uaaaaaaaaah!!” he disgracefully screamed out.
Not even a slimmer of Arshad Khan’s original arrogant and domineering attitude could be found.
Thud, thud—
The low sound of footsteps was heard.
They were the footsteps of a monster.
“Fuck you, calling a normal person a devil.”
Ohjin gently stepped on Arshad Khan’s head, who was crawling on the ground.
“A devil would have given up and died right away.”
If he was a devil…
If he was a non-human being that couldn’t feel any suffering or sadness…
Would there be a reason to cling so desperately onto life even while his entire body broke down?
“It’s because I’m human that I endure despite my life being this fucking tiresome.”
Squash!—
Arshad Khan’s head caved like a watermelon as he applied pressure.
Although he wanted to kill him in a more cruel manner when he thought about the things he had done—
“…Damn it.”
—the state of his body wasn’t put up for it.
Ohjin felt like he would lose consciousness the instant he loosened up just a little bit.
But still…
‘There’s… still something I have to do.’
Shwaaaaaaa!—
The pouring rainwater ran down his face and gathered at the end of his chin.
One drop, two drops.
The droplets fell down and dispersed into the muddy water.
A man lay in the muddy water.
“Ah, uh.”
…With his crushed two legs.
…With his crushed two eyes.
Grasping onto a thin thread of hope.
He was holding onto dear life.
“H-Have you… defeated Arshad Khan?” he asked with a shaky voice.
“Yeah. I won.”
“Ha, haha! I-I couldn’t imagine that… the Lightning Wolf… was… this strong.”
Jang Sukho’s lips curved into a smile.
“…And.”
Ohjin looked up.
Shwaaaaaaaa—
Walking through the pouring rain, he approached Jang Sukho.
“There’s something I have to tell you.”
“Is that so…?”
Jang Sukho’s voice trembled from uneasiness.
It was as if the thread of hope he was holding onto desperately would sever.
“……”
Ohjin looked down at Jang Sukho’s trembling body.
As per usual,
lies slipped from his mouth.
“I found him.”
“…What?”
Jang Sukho’s voice shook.
“Your son, I found him. Those bastards were holding onto him.”
“I-Is that really true?!” he shouted out with a voice full of joy.
“H-Hyunwoo… is over there?”
Jang Sukho crawled across the ground.
Even if his son was actually there, he wouldn’t be able to see anything due to his crushed eyes.
But despite that—
He crawled across the ground up to right in front of him.
“Yeah. He’s unconscious right now and… ah, wait just a moment.”
Ohjin placed his hands on his neck.
He recalled the sound of the bright laughter that rang out from the recording Jang Sukho showed him.
‘I wasn’t able to hear much other than the sound of his laugh, but…’
That was fine.
Even with just the sound of his laughter, it was enough to infer and imitate what the child's voice sounded like.
After all, imitating others' voices was his specialty since a long time ago.
‘There’s also this.’
Kuruk—
His Adam’s apple wriggled meticulously and went past his uvula.
Transformation.
If he utilized the trait he had obtained recently from defeating Choi Jungchul, he would be able to recreate the voice of Sukho’s son with even more precision.
“D…Dad?”
Through the pouring rain…
Echoed out the voice of a boy who sounded like he had just woken up.
“H-Hyunwoo?” asked Jang Sukho with a trembling voice.
“Dad? A-Are you really dad?”
“H-Hyunwoo!! Hyunwoo!!”
“D-Dad… Y-Your body!”
“…Ah.”
Jang Sukho’s lips that were raised brightly rapidly went down.
“…I’m sorry, Hyunwoo.”
“D-Dad? What do you mean? Why are you sorry?”
“……”
Gently.
He bit his lips.
“Daddy’s body… hurts too much, so he’ll have to sleep soon.”
“…Sleep?”
“Yes. Hyunwoo… when you’re sick, don’t you get better right after waking up?”
“Th-Then will dad get better right away as well?”
A doleful smile hung on his lips.
“No… because daddy… is very sick, he needs to sleep for a long time.”
“…How long?”
“I wonder. When Hyunwoo becomes all grown up… Then… Then daddy will be able to get up.”
“Will it happen once I graduate primary school?”
“Ha, haha! No… A little longer…”
“Th-Then up to middle school?”
“……”
As if forcefully holding something in…
Jang Sukho furrowed his brow.
“No… It’ll take… longer than that,” he wrung out.
“However… I will… make sure to return. To meet my little Hyunwoo… by all means.”
“Okay!! Then I’ll wait until then! I’ll even study hard!”
The sound of his clear shout was muffled by the sound of rain.
“Hyunwoo… there’s… a big brother next to you, right?”
“Y-Yeah!”
“Follow him… and listen to his words well, and…”
His voice…
…Started to fade.
“You need… to stay healthy, alright?”
Liquid ran down Jang Sukho’s cheek.
Was it blood, rain, or tears?
Ohjin didn’t know.
He would never find out, either.
“My Hyunwoo…”
Shiver—
He held out his hand.
“Before I go to sleep… I want to… hold Hyunwoo’s hand for the last time.”
It wasn’t a difficult request.
Crunch, crack—
Ohjin used Transformation and reduced the size of his hand.
He lightly grasped Jang Sukho’s shaking hand.
His palm was cold.
Cold to the point of freezing.
“Ha, haha.”
A dry smile sprouted on Jang Sukho’s mouth.
“What… a relief….”
His dry smile became soaked in the falling rain.
“My Hyunwoo… is safe…”
The rainwater that soaked his lips flowed down his chin and permeated into the ground.
“R… Relief…”
Tap—
Jang Sukho’s hand fell down.
His voice was never heard again.
“……”
Swaaaaaaaah!—
From the black sky…
Heavy raindrops were still pouring down.
