Chapter 129: Endless Night (5)

Kwon Oh-Jin’s spear, covered in blue flames, pierced through the opening before the black wings could fully envelop Cheon Do-Yoon. Whoosh! Cheon Do-Yoon staggered back anxiously, but couldn't dodge the sudden attack. “Ugh!” Crackle! The spear plunged into his chest. Its blue flames spread through him like venom. “Kugh! Aaaaargh!” A searing agony shook his entire being. His eyes rolled back as he convulsed violently, white foam bubbling at the corners of his wrinkled lips. “How’s that? It’s a bit tingly, right?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked, twisting the spear deeper into the wound. Dark smoke rose into the air from the widened gash. A surprise attack only works once. I have to finish this here. If I can't kill Cheon Do-Yoon now, who knows when I'll get another chance? He drew upon his increased mana from Vega’s blessing and the mana of the Dragon Vein, funneling every ounce of it into his spear. Azure Dragon Strike. Crackle! Blinding arcs of lightning blazed wildly. The spear lodged in Cheon Do-Yoon's chest quickly neared his heart, but a forceful pulsation suddenly ran up the spear's shaft. Crack! “Argh!” Kwon Oh-Jin’s palm tore open, and blood soaked the shaft. What the hell...? Frowning, he glanced at the spearhead embedded in Cheon Do-Yoon’s chest. Instead of flesh and blood, a cascade of black feathers spilled from the wound like a disturbed beehive. The swarming feathers started to push out the spear. “How dare you?!” Cheon Do-Yoon furiously roared, grabbing the spear. Crunch! More black feathers poured out from his chest, covering him entirely. Now, he looked less like an owl and more like an alert hedgehog with all its spikes on edge. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The feathers burst outward in all directions. Kwon Oh-Jin stepped backward, gritting his teeth. “Haa, haa!" Cheon Do-Yoon clutched his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood. "Kugh!” Kwon Oh-Jin grimaced and clicked his tongue.Though he had succeeded in dealing significant damage, the surprise attack meant to kill Cheon Do-Yoon had failed. “Vega, support me from the sidelines.” Vega nodded with a frown, already feeling the Celestial restrictions take effect. “Alright...” Although he was worried about her enduring more pain, he couldn’t afford not to rely on her power now. “The blessing of the Weaver, huh...?Ha. Haha. So you had a card up your sleeve.” Cheon Do-Yoon pulled a brightly glowing, fist-sized blue gem out of his pocket. It was the dragon’s heart he had obtained from the dungeon not long ago. “Then I suppose this old man should also reveal his hidden ace.” He shoved the dragon’s heart into the wound on his chest. Crunch. The blue gem dug into his flesh like a mismatched puzzle piece and settled near his solar plexus. Woong! “Haa.” A dazzling blue light radiated from his solar plexus. The nine strokes carved beside his Stigma resonated with the light to glow even more fiercely. “Hahaha! This truly is a mountain of mana...!” Intoxicated by the overflowing power, his eyes gleamed sharply. “If the heart alone can do this much and I obtain the eye that can fully control this mana...” His greedy gaze turned toward Song Ha-Eun, who flinched in her chains. “Look away, motherfucker,” Kwon Oh-Jin said. Who gave you permission to stare at what’s mine? He pointed his spear at Cheon Do-Yoon. Crackle! Lightning Charge, times eight. Normally, five would have been the limit, but with Vega’s blessing, he condensed lightning eight times at the tip of his spear as naturally as breathing. “Lightning Discharge.” Boom! The lightning beamed forward like an unleashed beast. “Hahaha! Your struggle is pointless!” Cheon Do-Yoon bellowed. “Save that talk for after you've won.” The lightning clashed with the feathers, creating a deafening roar. Boom! The ground of the empty lot cracked further, and a terrifying shockwave swept through the area. “Do you think you've already won, having wounded this old man just once?” Cheon Do-Yoon effortlessly deflected Kwon Oh-Jin's attacks while forming hand symbols in the air. With each symbol drawn, black feathers shot toward Kwon Oh-Jin in bizarre forms: scythes, chains, and even swords. It was as if a vast armory was being hurled at him, one weapon at a time. Clang! Clang! Clang! “Ugh!” Kwon Oh-Jin felt like he was warding off an entire army as feathers of all shapes and sizes targeted his blind spots and left cuts everywhere. “M-My child!” Vega unleashed as much lightning as she could to reduce the number of incoming feathers, but it was far from enough. Kwon Oh-Jin’s breathing became ragged. “Haa, haa!” There are too many. Far too many. For every feather he struck down, two more took its place. After those two were eliminated, four more flew in. No matter where he looked, he could only see black feathers—as if an owl's wings covered the entire world. Damn it...! This was the power of a high-ranking Awakener, said to have transcended human limits. In the face of such overwhelming might, Kwon Oh-Jin was helplessly being swept away. “Keuk! Cough! Argh!” Biting his lip, he swung his spear again and again. Clang! Clang! It was like trying to stop the rain with his bare hands. He couldn't stop his wounds from multiplying. If this continues... I won’t be able to save Ha-Eun— However, he quickly cut off the pessimism creeping in. “Stop with the bullshit.” It's not a question of whether I can or can't. I have to do it. Cheon Do-Yoon's unpleasant laughter echoed. “You're not as skilled as you think you are.” Kwon Oh-Jin, however, didn't have the luxury to be distracted. “Urgh...!” Blue lightning scattered in all directions as he incessantly struck away more feathers. His breath came in ragged gasps, rising to his throat as if to choke him, and his consciousness wavered. No... I can't pass out. Gritting his teeth, he drew on even more mana, but he could feel his mana circuits swelling. A horrific pain coursed through him like a saw carving away at his flesh. Endure it. Pain could be ignored. Agony could be cast aside. If it’s something that can be solved by enduring... then it's nothing. “Hmm...?” Cheon Do-Yoon’s expression suddenly hardened. What’s happening? He had already drawn out the mana within the dragon’s heart and unleashed a barrage of attacks. How is he still holding out...? This isn't possible. Cheon Do-Yoon could clearly see the six strokes next to Kwon Oh-Jin's Stigma through his ripped clothes. How can a mere six-star endure a high-ranking Awakener's onslaught for this long? Cheon Do-Yoon quickly realized this wasn’t simply endurance. Crackle! Crackle! The blue flames coiling around Kwon Oh-Jin’s spear flared violently, pushing back the black feathers. It burned, shredded, and obliterated them. “Haa... haa!” He wasn’t just enduring. He was pushing the storm back. Cheon Do-Yoon shook his head in disbelief. “Ha... Is this what the Weaver’s blessing is capable of?” He could find no other explanation for the phenomenon unfolding before him. “No. This is not because of my blessing.” Vega floated into the air, glaring at Cheon Do-Yoon. “This is the miracle my child has created for himself. A power born from his unwavering conviction to protect what is precious to him.” “Oh ho, really?” Cheon Do-Yoon looked at her, smiling faintly. “It seems you have an excessive amount of faith in your apostle.” Despite standing before the Celestial of the North Star, he remained relaxed because he knew well that the Celestials were bound by restrictions and unable to use their full power. “But... it would be a mistake to think that you, Lady Vega, are the only one capable of bestowing blessings.” Grinning widely, he spread his arms out. “O Celestial of Owl Nebula, Noctua.” Black light erupted from the nine strokes on his chest. “Grant your humble servant the blessing of the owl.” Woong! The black light formed the shape of an owl as it floated behind him and let out an eerie laugh. “Hahaha! I was wondering why you called me. What an amusing situation this is!” Kwon Oh-Jin, barely suppressing the feathers, glanced toward the owl behind Cheon Do-Yoon. What the hell is that? This was unmistakably different from any other prior instance where an Awakener of Owl Nebula had received a blessing and merely borrowed the Celestial's power by paying a price. He’s... summoned the Celestial itself. Much like how Vega manifests. This wasn’t something the half-baked Awakeners he'd fought before could do. This was only possible for the King of Owls. Noctua flapped its wings and clicked its beak in amusement. “Hahaha! Even though he’s the apostle of the North Star, he hasn’t fully ripened yet.” Noctua was incomparable to the North Star in status, but Cheon Do-Yoon was still several steps ahead of Kwon Oh-Jin as an apostle. “Now, crush the Weaver’s wolf and kill him!” Noctua commanded. “Hahaha!" Letting out the same eerie laugh as Noctua, Cheon Do-Yoon crossed his arms. "As you wish.” Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Kwon Oh-Jin screamed in pain. "Argh! Kugh!” The sheer power behind Cheon Do-Yoon's attacks was incomparable to before, shredding him to pieces. “M-My chiiiild!” Vega desperately tried to intervene, but the black feathers pierced deep into Kwon Oh-Jin. “Aaaaaaagh!” Like a puppet with its strings cut, his ragged body slumped to the ground. “A-Ah...” He trembled, soaked in his own blood. No... He desperately tried to squeeze out his remaining strength, but not even a single finger would move. At this rate... He bit down on his lip, barely raising his head to see Cheon Do-Yoon and Noctua laughing as they looked down at him. Cheon Do-Yoon leisurely walked toward him. “Hahaha! Your arrogance ends here.” A sword made of black feathers formed in his right hand, raised ever so slightly. “Die, wolf of the Weaver.” The sword descended in a slow, graceful arc. Vega clenched her fist as she watched. Her golden eyes flashed as if she'd made a firm decision. “That’s enough.” Woong! Light burst outward from her as she transformed into her true size. Then, the world erupted in the same, brilliant silver light. Cheon Do-Yoon’s eyes widened, and his legs shook uncontrollably. “What the...” A strong pressure dropped on him, leaving him unable to move, blink, or even breathe. All he could do was helplessly tremble as he stared at the goddess before him. The owl floating behind Cheon Do-Yoon was equally horrified as it looked at her in sheer disbelief. “W-What the hell?! You’re using the Sacred Ground here?! A-Are you thinking of perishing?! Even if you’re the Celestial of the North Star, you can’t use the Sacred Ground on Earth—” “Noctua, was it?” The silver-haired goddess stepped forward with slow, deliberate grace. Raising her index finger, she traced a smooth vertical line through the air. No thunder roared. No light flashed. A single streak of blue lightning fell from the sky like a quiet raindrop. The owl, wings flailing in panic, was struck cleanly. Its flight broke in an instant as it helplessly crashed to the ground. “Kugh!” Vega’s icy gaze fell on the owl. “How dare a wretched thing like you run its mouth before me?”