Chapter 175: Calling (4)
A deathly silence draped over like a heavy curtain.
Jegal So-Young and Isabella, seated on opposite sides of Kwon Oh-Jin, exchanged glances.
“You said your name is Jegal So-Young, right?” Isabella calmly asked with a smile, gently tucking her platinum-blonde curls behind her ear.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I’ve heard you're exceptionally skilled even among Awakeners of Sagittarius.”
“Oh my, thank you. I’ve heard quite a lot about the Saintess of Rome as well.”
Jegal So-Young smiled back.
If one only listened to the conversation and looked at their expressions, it seemed like they were warmly chatting over coffee at a cozy cafe.
Shit.
Stuck between them, Kwon Oh-Jin could feel the intense psychological battle happening between the two.
One wrong move and it’ll all blow up.
Jegal So-Young wasn’t the problem. He didn’t know her well, but she didn’t seem like someone who would resort to violence if things went south.
However, Isabella was different. She was the Leech Queen, a witch crazy for blood. Recalling the madness he witnessed at the docks that day, he couldn’t predict what she would do if things didn’t go her way.
After all, Isabella was the one who destroyed all of Italy in the first timeline. I wonder what the population of Italy is? Millions? Tens of millions?
Even with the population decline from the monster crisis, tens of millions still lived there. Although it happened during the first timeline, she had still slaughtered all of them without batting an eye.
If I think about it that way, I’m a bastard who killed billions too. Anyway—
Even now, Isabella could easily kill everyone in this room if she wanted.
The Avaricious Wolf? Black Lion? Apostle of the Weaver? None of that mattered.
She’s someone who killed a nine-star Awakener in a single blow.
Honestly, even with the power of Open Heaven, he had no confidence in taking her on.
Kwon Oh-Jin swallowed hard and glanced at Isabella. The key was to avoid provoking her at all costs.
For now, I’ll just observe what’s happening.
He carefully watched the situation like walking on thin ice.
“I think it’d be better for you to form a team with Miss Choi Yoo-Mi instead of Mr. Oh-Jin,” Isabella said.
“Hmm? And why’s that?”
“You can provide excellent support from the rear with your archery, but Mr. Oh-Jin doesn’t just fight with his spear. He uses wires to freely switch between close and long-range combat.”
Isabella calmly continued explaining.
“I believe my Stigma, which amplifies his strength, would be a better fit rather than you supporting his changing positions from a distance with your archery.”
“I agree,” Kwon Oh-Jin quickly chimed in and supported Isabella. “I’ve actually worked with an Awakener of Sagittarius before.”
Jegal So-Young’s eyes lit up as she nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, are you talking about that livestream with Jerry Kim? I saw it too!”
Kwon Oh-Jin felt a twinge of discomfort that she had even watched that stream. She had been coming on a little too strong since they met, but now it was clear that she had been interested in him for quite some time.
“Just like Isabella said, I realized back then that my combat style doesn’t align well with Awakeners of Sagittarius,” Kwon Oh-Jin said to Jegal So-Young.
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“But wasn’t that just because your partner was Jerry Kim?”
Jegal So-Young rested her chin on her hand, showing off her confident smile. “You can’t compare me to him just because we’re both Awakeners of Sagittarius.”
“Well...”
“I’m confident I can support you whether you’re soaring through the air on your wires or engaging in close combat with your spear.”
She likely wasn’t bluffing. The Black Rose, Jegal So-Young, was an internationally renowned Awakener. Comparing her to some low-tier streamer like Jerry Kim was absurd.
But that’s not the damn point right now. It might not be me soaring through the air, but your damn head soon.
“I still think it’d be better for me to team up with Isabella for this mission. We’ve already worked together before,” Kwon Oh-Jin said.
“Hmm. You seem to care a lot about Miss Isabella.” Jegal So-Young narrowed her eyes and looked Isabella up and down.
Snow-white skin and platinum-blonde hair that gleamed like molten gold. Sapphire blue eyes and luscious red lips. Despite her innocent impression, Isabella was stunning enough to captivate anyone, including women.
I’m also pretty confident when it comes to looks.
Though the difference was minuscule, Isabella’s beauty slightly surpassed hers. Nonetheless, she couldn’t remember a time when she had ever fallen behind in terms of looks.
To begin with, when people thought of the Black Rose, Jegal So-Young, it wasn’t just her skills that drew attention. Her looks had also gained worldwide fame. Considering how many men lined up with blazing eyes just to have a word with her, she had no reason to feel inferior even when compared to Isabella.
“Huh?”
At that moment, Jegal So-Young’s eyes landed on a specific part of Isabella’s appearance while closely examining her.
She hadn’t noticed it before because of the loose nun-like attire Isabella was wearing.
W-What is that?
Her jaw dropped at the sheer volume of that bust.
It was hard to understand how something so destructive in scale could be attached to such a slim waist. The sight of those magnificently shaped curves stole Jegal So-Young’s eyes.
“Is something wrong?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked.
Her head involuntarily lowered.
“N-No. It’s nothing.”
She had never thought she lacked in terms of her figure either.
This is cheating.
It would’ve been one thing if it were just ridiculously large, but seeing such perfect shapes as if they were defying gravity itself made her once unshakable self-confidence crumble.
“Hmm
. You asked earlier if I cared about Isabella, right?” Kwon Oh-Jin calmly said. “Yes, of course I do. She has given me a lot.”She gifted me an entire apartment. That definitely counts as a lot.
“Isabella... is someone very important to me.”
If I make one wrong move, my head could be blown off. Of course, she’s important.
Surprisingly, it was Isabella who was taken aback by his words.
“M-Mr Oh-Jin?”
She looked at him with wide, rabbit-like eyes and began to tear up. “I didn’t know that you thought of me that way, Mr Oh-Jin.”
Her shoulders trembled slightly as her face brightened with joy.
Oh, shit.
Kwon Oh-Jin felt bewildered. He hadn’t said all that expecting such an intense reaction.
Wait... is this going to make her even more obsessed with me? No way.
If people fell that hard over just a few sweet words, no one would be struggling with dating in the world.
Surely I’m right, aren’t I?
“I want to be on the same team as Mr. Oh-Jin. If that’s not possible, I’ll leave the Guardian Stars,” Isabella said.
What the fuck. Please don’t tell me I’m wrong.
“W-What kind of nonsense is that?” Jegal So-Young said.
“I don’t care if I’m being unreasonable. I can’t be a part of the Guardian Stars without Mr. Oh-Jin.”
Jegal So-Young bit her lip. Since she had her own reasons for being in the Guardian Stars, she couldn’t just sit back and watch it fall apart over something this ridiculous.
“Haa. Fine, fine. I’ll team up with Miss Yoo-Mi, then.” Jegal So-Young sighed in defeat and reluctantly took a step back.
The suffocating tension in the room visibly eased.
Cheon Sang-Gil watched the situation unfold with amusement.
Lee Woo-Hyuk nodded and added his own comment. “Haha. Oh-Jin, you’re quite the popular one.”
“Well, he is an amazing person.”
Kwon Oh-Jin felt an odd mix of pride and embarrassment. He quickly changed the subject. “By the way, is Avaricious Wolf not participating in this operation?”
“I have other business to attend to,” Cheon Sang-Gil said.
Kwon Oh-Jin cocked his head. “Other business?”
“I plan on chasing the Serpent,” Cheon Sang-Gil answered in a low, steady voice.
“What?”
The Serpent? Did that mean the Serpens Queen was in Korea?
Kwon Oh-Jin noticed Isabella’s shoulder flinch at the mention of the Serpent.
“Haha. No need to look so serious.” Cheon Sang-Gil stroked his beard gently as he continued. “Wasn’t both the Owl and the Seahorse associated with the Serpent?”
“Do you think the Bufo faction’s illegal entry into Korea was also under the Serpens Queen’s orders?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked.
Cheon Sang-Gil nodded. “I just might be overthinking, but yes.”
“Hmmm.”
The Serpens Queen could possibly be in Korea, huh? Should I have declined the request?
The thought crossed his mind briefly, but Kwon Oh-Jin quickly shook his head.
Since Cheon Sang-Gil himself was pursuing the Serpens Queen, the chances of encountering her during this mission were low. After all, the connection between the Serpens Queen and the Bufo faction was purely based on speculation.
“Then, the teams will be: Isabella and I, Miss So-Young and Yoo-Mi, and lastly, Woo-Hyuk and Hyun-Bin. Does that sound okay?” Kwon Oh-Jin said.
Lee Woo-Hyuk and Oh Hyun-Bin nodded without much concern.
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“I-I’m good with that, too.”
In terms of balance, these were indeed the best combinations.
“Alright then. Let’s depart as soon as Miss Yoo-Mi returns.”
With that, Kwon Oh-Jin took a sip of his now-cold green tea. Only around ten minutes had passed, but he already felt exhausted as if he had done ten hours of nonstop training.
“B-But will we be okay with just the few of us... Shouldn’t we gather people from each guild instead?” Oh Hyun-Bin nervously said with glistening eyes.
Lee Woo-Hyuk faintly smiled at him. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
Was it because he saw a reflection of his younger self in Hyun-Bin’s frightened expression? With a soft look in his eyes, Lee Woo-Hyuk gently placed a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder.
“Besides, the Awakeners gathered here aren’t the type to get scared of some demonic beasts, right?”
Oh Hyun-Bin cautiously looked up. He saw the five Awakeners, including Cheon Sang-Gil.
The Guardian Stars was a specialized group created by the Avaricious Wolf to eradicate the Black Star Society.
Though he didn’t know them too well yet, one thing was certain. The Awakeners of the Guardians Stars were all extraordinarily skilled.
“Y-Yes! Y-You’re right because we’re the Guardian Stars!”
Even Oh Hyun-Bin himself, despite being underestimated due to his timid nature and delicate appearance, was known within his guild as the Miracle Healer thanks to his remarkable abilities.
What about Black Rose Jegal So-Young? Like Lee Woo-Hyuk, she was an Awakener of the twelve Zodiacs and was evaluated as one of the strongest among eight-star Awakeners.
Choi Yoo-Mi, who possessed the Stigma of Phoenix, wasn’t an Awakener of the twelve Zodiacs. However, she had already reached nine stars and reconstructed her physique, making her a high-ranking Awakener.
Then, there was the Black Lion Lee Woo-Hyuk, one of Korea’s most renowned Awakeners. Isabella Colgrande, the Saintess of Rome, was also famous far beyond Korea and all over the world. Lastly, there was Kwon Oh-Jin, who possessed the Stigma of the North Star.
Oh Hyun-Bin clenched his fist tightly and innocently smiled. “Hehe. Maybe someday, we’ll be known as the second Seven Stars.”
How many times had he been mocked for his weak appearance and timid nature?
Things are going to be different now.
The boy who longed to be a hero looked at Lee Woo-Hyuk with sparkling eyes like stars. Lee Woo-Hyuk lightly ruffled the endearing boy’s messy brown hair.
Before long, Choi Yoo-Mi returned after changing.
“Shall we head out then?” Kwon Oh-Jin set his teacup down and stood up.
“Hmph. No one even decided on a leader, but why are you acting like one?”
“Haha. After this mission, would you like to have dinner with me?”
Choi Yoo-Mi and Jegal So-Young respectively spoke as they stepped outside.
Not even a trace of fear could be seen on their faces as they headed out to hunt the ferocious demonic beast terrorizing the Incheon area.
And so, the first mission of the Guardian Stars had begun. The new group would soon shake not only Korea but the entire world.