I'm not a Regressor

Droop—

His skin dripped down like ice cream in the summer.

Flesh and muscle twisted, changing his face in the blink of an eye.

The face that changed every second turned into one of a young man.

—Curly hair.

—Eyes that looked gentle but also felt corrupt in some type of way.

—A man that was like a poisonous apple.

"…The Lightning Wolf?"

"It hasn't been long since we've seen each other, but then again, it hasn't been short either."

The azure pupils that shone frighteningly in the darkness looked at Cheon Woosung.

"Anyways, how were you doing in the meantime, kid?"

"Who… are you calling a kid?"

"You, dumbass. Do you see anyone else here?"

Ohjin giggled briefly and approached Cheon Woosung.

Thud, thud—

The low sound of footsteps rang out in the dark tunnel.

"I'm not at the age where one would be called a kid."

Cheon Woosung bit his lip and got on his feet.

Blood continuously flowed out of his side that was cut by the Black Lion, but he was still able to fight.

"Getting older doesn't automatically make you an adult."

Ohjin took out a steel rod from his belt.

Clack!—

The steel rod that was the size of a flashlight turned into a spear once mana was sent into it.

"Is this all… what you set up?"

"Maybe."

Ohjin smiled as he rotated his spear.

"…"

Cheon Woosung’s eyes shone coldly.

"Do you believe that you'll be unscathed after provoking the Black Star Organization?"

"I probably won't be unscathed."

And that was why…

"I'll have to crush you all."

—So that they wouldn't be able to do as they pleased again.

Thoroughly…

"…Hah," chuckled Cheon Woosung.

Crush all of the Black Star Organization?

A mere 5-Star Awakener, alone?

"Your arrogance really knows no bounds, just because you were lucky enough to get chosen by a North Star."

Cheon Woosung shot a sharp glance at Ohjin.

"You… know nothing about the Black Star Organization."

"Then do you know?"

"What?"

"I'm asking if you know about me, dumbass."

"……"

The azure fen fire in Ohjin’s eyes flickered.

"An Awakener of the Star of the Weaver—"

"Not something like that."

Ohjin's shoulders shook as he cackled.

"Who I am, how I've lived, what I have, and what I can do."

Ohjin didn't know much about the Black Star Organization yet.

It was likely that there were still many things that were unknown to him.

However…

The same could be said for them.

"You don't know, do you?"

"……"

Ohjin looked at Cheon Woosung, who stood there in silence, and laughed calmly.

"You asked if I thought I'd be unscathed after provoking the Black Star Organization, right?"

Then…

"Did you think your organization would be unscathed after provoking me?"

Bzzzzzt!!—

Blue lightning brightened up the darkness.

"…Hah."

Cheon Woosung looked at Ohjin like he was a fool.

"A mere 5-Star Awakener…"

Thick hatred burned in his eyes.

—The hatred that was aimed at all Awakeners.

"Where do you get that arrogance from!!"

Flutter!!—

Like an owl spreading its wings, huge black wings spread out from Cheon Woosung’s back.

Boom!!—

With the sound of a powerful explosion, black feathers shot at Ohjin.

"Confirm if I'm arrogant or not with your own eyes."

Ohjin smirked and raised up his spear.

Fwoong, fwoong!!—

Ohjin rotated the spear quickly in front of him with both hands. Blue lightning blocked the feathers like it was a wall.

Cla-Cla-Cla-Clang!!!—

The noisy sound of metal rang out.

"It's no use!!!"

Cheon Woosung crossed his arms.

Baaaang!!!—

The black feathers that were raining down exploded at once. It was the same skill used by Arshad Khan.

"Kugh!"

Skrrrrt—

Ohjin’s body was pushed back.

The skin on the palm that was holding the spear ripped from the powerful impact.

"Were you being arrogant—"

Cheon Woosung extended his hand forward.

Black feathers condensed, causing it to form a long sword with a blade that was over two meters long.

"—with merely this much strength?!"

Flap! Flap!—

His black wings moved up and down and made his body slightly hover over the ground.

Cheon Woosung wildly swung his sword in mid-air.

Clang!—

Ohjin raised his spear to block the sword strike.

Boom!—

The impact felt like he was hit by a truck that weighed dozens of tonnes. The ground that supported his feet collapsed, causing him to sink down to his knee.

"With merely…! With merely…! With merely this much skill!!"

Bang! Bang! Boom!—

Cheon Woosung consecutively swung his sword down with a two-handed grip.

His stance looked like it wasn't for swinging a sword but rather a hammer.

"Argh!"

A line of blood flowed down from Ohjin’s mouth.

The enormous impact transmitted through his arms shook his insides.

"Hmpf!"

Inhaling in shortly, he concentrated lightning into his two legs.

‘Lightning Charge!'

Baaang!—

The legs that were buried to his knees escaped from the ground as he shot back, creating distance.

Crunch!—

Cheon Woosung’s sword pierced deep into the ground.

"Fuu."

After making distance, Ohjin narrowed his eyes and examined Cheon Woosung.

‘He still has this amount of strength after all those injuries.'

Indeed, Cheon Woosung, also known as the King's Delegate, was as skilled as he expected.

‘But he isn't a 9-Star.'

If Cheon Woosung was a high-rank Awakener who was considered a monster outside the scope of humans, he wouldn't have received those kinds of injuries from Lee Woohyuk in the first place.

‘An upper 8-Star… or maybe at its peak.'

He was probably similar to or a little below Lee Woohyuk in terms of skill.

‘Just right.'

* * *

* * *

Ohjin happened to be thirsty for a battle with a strong person as the slightly nerve-wracking fight with Park Gunwoo ended too easily.

"Exceed."

Bzzzzzzzt!!—

Blue lightning riled up.

"Ha, so you had a hidden card up your sleeves?"

Cheon Woosung smiled coldly and raised his sword…

"Then let's see—"

…And swung down.

"—just how great your hidden card is!!"

Ttutututututu!!—

Black feathers gathered up and shot in the direction the sword was swung.

The scene was similar to that of firing sword aura.

Bang! Bang!—

Ohjin kicked back and opened his arms wide.

The wire shooters shot out wires as they spread out like a net in order to block off the tunnel.

Cla-Clang!—

The black feathers that were blocked by the wires fell to the ground.

"Do you really believe these mere wires will be able to stop me!!" ridiculed Cheon Woosung.

Spreading his wings, he swung his sword at the approaching wires that were entangled like a net.

Slash!—

When the blade of the sword cut around half of the entangled wires…

‘Lightning Flames.'

Fwoosh—

Blue flames made of lightning ran down the wires and engulfed Cheon Woosung's sword.

"Kugh!"

Cheon Woosung’s expression distorted heavily due to the lightning that flowed through his sword.

The hand that held the sword shook.

"Damn it!"

Quickly letting go of the sword, he spread his wings and tried to escape.

TaTaTaTa!—

Ohjin sprinted along the tunnel walls with the spear in his grasp as he chased after him.

Bang!—

He kicked off and swung down at the back of Cheon Woosung’s neck.

Claaaaaaang!!!—

It was a perfect strike straight out of an illustration, but the black wings sent his spear flying away the moment it approached his neck.

‘Lightning Charge.'

Ohjin didn't resist the repulsive force in his hands and instead let his body get carried away.

With his deflected spear still on the ground, he twisted his body in mid-air and folded his left leg.

He aimed at the sword cut on Cheon Woosung’s side and kicked there with all of his might.

Bam!—

"Kugh!"

Cheon Woosung groaned in pain as he was kicked right where the wings weren't protecting.

Boom! Drrrrrrrr!—

He was sent flying and disgracefully rolled to the ground.

"Uuuuugh."

While he was clutching his injury and trying to get back up—

‘Blue Lightning, Lightning Charge.'

—Ohjin picked up the spear and thrusted it forward.

Blue Lightning and Lightning Charge twisted together and aimed at Cheon Woosung, who was on the ground.

Booom!—

The explosion shook the tunnel.

"Aaahhh!!"

Blood splat out of Cheon Woosung as he tumbled across the ground. Excluding the black wings that sprouted out of his back, his entire body was drenched in blood.

"Haa, haa!"

Cheon Woosung gasped for air.

He ground his teeth and covered the injury with his hand.

There was no way he would've been pushed back so helplessly if he had fought under normal conditions, but it was hard to fight properly due to his injury.

Cheon Woosung looked at Ohjin while clutching his injury.

"…Even if everyone rambled on about you being a hero, in the end, your true character was just a scammer who only knows how to deceive and take advantage of others."

Sway, sway— 

He staggered as he got back on his feet.

"Well… I was already aware that all Awakeners are scum like you."

They were arrogant, haughty, and disrespectful.

"Trash that only knows how to prey… and look down on others."

Cheon Woosung stared at Ohjin with eyes full of hatred.

"……"

Ohjin stood still and looked back at Cheon Woosung with his mouth shut.

"Yeah… people like you will never change."

Grit—

Cheon Woosung roughly ground his teeth.

The memories from nine years ago resurfaced in his head.

-R-Run away, Woosung!

—Scattering ash and dust.

His mother was urgently extending her hand out to him inside that hell filled with screams and cries for help.

What brutally killed his mother back then wasn't a monster…

-Puhahaha!! Iya~ I can't hold my tears back.

-Kuhuhu, why? Do you all think this is unfair? Then you should've also been chosen by a celestial.

—The ones awakened by the stars…

The superhuman beings selected by celestials aimed their weapons not at monsters but at the powerless unawakened.

Rather than protecting the weak, they used their superhuman strength as they pleased.

That's right.

That was the true appearance of the ones known as Awakeners.

It was their true character that would never change.

"If it weren't for people like you… my mother… my mother would be—!"

Transparent tears ran down Cheon Woosung’s cheek.

He was able to receive the stigma of Noctua at a later date thanks to Cheon Doyoon's help, but that was after he had lost everything.

"You…! Do you know the despair of someone who has lost the one thing they must protect!!"

All that was left was immense hatred.

The only thing that drove him to move was his hatred for Awakeners who had made him like that.

"So?"

"…?"

Ohjin stared at Cheon Woosung with sunken eyes.

"So what?"

"……"

"Why? Did you think I would bawl my eyes out and forgive you after listening to your circumstances?"

Whether he lost his mother or father to Awakeners, Ohjin didn't care.

"Alright, since it's come to this, let me ask you this question."

He continued in a cold voice.

"Why did a guy who hates Awakeners so much kill all those unawakened?"

"That's…"

Flinch—

Cheon Woosung’s shoulders shook.

"A-A noble sacrifice—"

"For the majority?"

"……"

"You know, I was there at the scene."

—Horrific cries and screams.

The people who cried whilst clutching their children, their parents, their lovers.

"What sets you apart from the Awakeners who killed your mother?"

"W-We're different!"

"I asked ‘what'."

Cheon Woosung clenched his fists.

"That… was a sacrifice that couldn't be helped."

If they could take over the Association…

—They would be able to construct many more centers.

—They would be able to take all the Awakeners that abused their authority to harass civilians to court.

—They would be able to save more people.

—They would be able to protect more people.

And that was why it couldn’t be—

"Stop making excuses, kid."

Step, step—

Ohjin slowly walked to Cheon Woosung.

"Why can't you be more honest?"

He stared down at the shaking Cheon Woosung.

"I'm not trying to reprimand you. Revenge against Awakeners? Do whatever you want. Causing a terror and trying to pull down the Association chairman? Sure, whatever."

Not caring about the means in order to accomplish their goals…

It was the same for both Ohjin and Cheon Woosung.

"But… you know…"

Ohjin held up Cheon Woosung by his hair.

"If you're going to crush the lives of others—"

He held up his fist.

Bzzzzzt!!—

Blue lightning fiercely blazed up.

"—at least don't blame it on your absurd beliefs."

Bam!!—

The fist wrapped in blue lightning violently struck him across the face.