BXBX NOVEL Chapter 127: Endless Night (3)
“It should be much sturdier than before since it was made using whole starstones.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Ha-eun equipped the prosthetic leg General Manager Han handed over.
It seemed that it did its expensive price justice, as it felt very stable while being soft at the same time.
“Ohh.”
Ha-eun jumped up on the spot and exclaimed.
The prosthetic leg she used before was also considerably comfortable, but the current one was even more so.
“Shiho made it by special request.”
“That kid who knows how to make star relics?”
“Yes.”
“I heard about him from Ohjin before. He certainly has good skills.”
“Well, he is a bit of a whimsical kid… but his skill is unquestionable.”
He shrugged his shoulders with a pleased expression.
Ha-eun grinned as she looked at the dad-like smile on General Manager Han’s face.
“You seem close to that kid.”
“Uh, well… we got involved in several different matters.”
“Hehe. Anyways, pass over my thanks to that kid.”
Ha-eun smiled brightly while moving her right leg around.
As one might expect, it was inferior compared to her real leg, but there would be no problem walking around with Ohjin using it.
“Hehehe.”
Ha-eun’s lips raised up into a foolish smile on their own when she thought of meeting him soon.
‘Where should we have lunch?’
‘Where should we go play after eating?’
‘I should take him somewhere with a good atmosphere after having a bunch of fun.’
‘I can already imagine him getting flustered.’
Although Ohjin appeared mischievous, he was also quite inexperienced.
He would get flustered if she took him somewhere with a good atmosphere and appealed to him just a little.
“Has anything good happened today?”
General Manager Han tilted his head while looking at Ha-eun, who was giggling uncontrollably.
“Hehe. Something like that.”
“Hmm.”
General Manager Han scratched his head.
“I’m going now! Thanks for the prosthetic leg, old gorilla man!”
“G-Gorilla?!”
“Kyaha! I’m just kidding.”
Ha-eun waved her hand and turned around. She exited the Association as her shoulders excitedly went up and down.
“Let’s see… I already made a reservation at the restaurant yesterday.”
There were approximately two hours left until the promised meetup time.
‘Should I buy a present for Ohjin?’
Since Ha-eun had always received from Ohjin, at least for a day, she wanted to do everything she could do for him.
“A present… What would be nice?”
Ha-eun rubbed her chin and got lost in thought.
Her wallet became quite hefty lately, but that didn’t mean she had the capability of gifting an entire apartment like Isabella.
‘Let’s get him something that he needs.’
—Something that would make him happy after receiving it.
—Something that was useful and also could also be used for a long time.
“…Should I buy him a tracksuit?”
It seemed that a tracksuit would be perfect since he was working hard on training every day.
“Alright.”
Ha-eun hummed a melody while heading to the nearby department store.
She entered a luxury store that was famous for having expensive tracksuits. After looking around for a couple of minutes, she discovered one with a design that looked like it’d fit Ohjin perfectly.
“Is this… okay?”
As always, she spoke using awkward formal speech.
“Ah, yes! That product is a tracksuit built for Awakeners with its incredible durability and comfortable fit…”
Information about the tracksuit kept pouring out of the employee as if a button had been pressed on a machine.
Ha-eun, who was listening attentively, put on a slightly bored expression as the explanation seemed like it wouldn’t come to an end and decided to cut the employee off.
“Then please give me this in large size.”
“Thank you! But this product’s price is… on the expensive side. Is that okay?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
It wasn’t a present for just anyone. If it was for Ohjin, the money wouldn’t feel wasted, no matter how expensive it was.
“Then I’ll assist you with your payment of $7,820~!”
‘It is disgustingly expensive.’
Ha-eun swallowed the words that were about to escape from her mouth and lent out her card.
‘Well, then…’
After buying a present to give to Ohjin, Ha-eun headed to the reserved restaurant with light steps.
There was still a lot of time left until the promised time, so she was planning to kill time at a nearby cafe.
“Hum, hum, hum~♪”
Humming subconsciously flowed out.
The smile smudged on her lips wouldn’t go away from the thought of getting to enjoy a date with him for the first time in a while.
‘My preparations are perfect!’
For that day, she had searched and memorized hundreds of ‘ways to ask out a younger male successfully’ on the internet.
She had even downloaded a $16 dating simulation app targeted towards females and cleared the game.
‘Using this opportunity, let’s take a step out of this sister-brother relationship.’
And if that happened, she believed that her anxiety about him leaving her would settle just a bit.
“But…”
Her excited steps suddenly stopped.
She fumbled with the shopping bag’s handle that contained the tracksuit and mumbled in an unclear voice.
“Wh-What if I get dumped…?”
—A sensation of ice-cold water getting poured over her heated head.
The worst-case scenario that she didn’t take into account in her world of imagination crossed her mind.
-Sorry. I don’t see you as a woman but as a good friend.
—Ohjin’s cold voice.
Just imagining it made her chest sting as if it was being pricked by awls.
‘N-No!’
If she actually heard those words by any chance, she didn’t have the confidence to be able to endure it.
‘Now that I think of it, I heard siblings live together starting from a young age because of how they don’t develop any feelings for each other.’
Feelings not developing because of being together for too long…
Although that story didn’t apply to her, it could be a different case for Ohjin.
“Arghhhhh!”
Ha-eun pulled her hair and curled her feet.
She was definitely bloated with anticipation until morning, but negative thoughts started to fill her head the closer it got to the appointment time.
“Bitch… I dare you to dump me. I’ll grab that thing and tear it off.”
Malice started to build up in Ha-eun’s wavering eyes.
Ever since Ohjin gifted her the Cursed Dragon Eye… no, since much before then.
Whether her eyes were opened or closed, only thoughts of him filled her head.
—To the point it felt like nothing else was important other than staying together with him, her life was full of moments with Ohjin.
‘You’re going to dump me after making me this way?’
She couldn’t permit it.
Whether it was biting his head off or pouncing on him, she would tie them together at all costs.
* * *
* * *
“Fuu.”
Ha-eun calmed down her chest that was shaking from nervousness and moved her feet.
When Ha-eun was in the middle of walking to the restaurant she made a reservation in—
“…Hm?”
—she frowned and observed the surroundings.
She felt a sense of discrepancy that made her back tingle.
‘Why are there no people?’
—A road at 11 AM.
It wasn’t a time when a lot of people were active, but it was strange that there was not a single person in sight.
“…”
Ha-eun’s expression slowly stiffened as she clenched her fist.
While she was attentive observing the surroundings, she spotted something falling on top of her head.
“Black… feathers?”
The moment she discovered the black feathers that rained down like snow—
Flutter!—
—the feathers turned into the shape of humans and shot towards her.
“Ah!!”
Ha-eun quickly backed off and extended her right arm forward.
Snap!—
Simultaneously with her snapping finger, a powerful wave of flames flooded forward.
“Kugk!”
The suspicious men that were hit by her flames groaned and backed off.
“Who are you guys?”
“…”
“Ehh, so you won’t answer me?”
Ha-eun’s fiercely glistening reptilian eye was exposed as she took off her eyepatch and her lips raised into a smirk.
“Let’s see if your mouths will stay shut after they’re cooked.”
As she stomped her feet and crossed her arms, two flame dragons coiled around her arm shot out at the suspicious men.
“Kugh!”
“She’s a mage-type! Don’t be afraid and seize her in close-range!”
The ambushers that numbered around ten surrounded Ha-eun in a circle and quickly closed the gap while shooting black feathers.
‘Are these bastards the Night Hunters that Ohjin mentioned before?’
Ha-eun’s eyes shone sharply as she glared at the men.
The only Awakeners she knew that used black feathers like weapons were from the Noctua faction.
‘Why is the Black Star Organization after me?’
She couldn’t figure out why they were after her—
“Looks like you bastards can tell what’s pretty, judging from how you’re rushing at me with that determination.”
—but she was certain they weren’t approaching her with good intentions.
Bam!!—
“Kuuuugh!!”
Ha-eun took light steps and turned her body around to precisely kick the crotch of an Owl who was running at her from behind.
The Owl’s eyes widened so much that it was on the verge of popping out and he screamed while rolling on the floor.
“Who said mage-types are weak in close combat?”
Ha-eun lowered her stance after igniting both of her fists.
Bang!—
Flames exploded along with the sound of a sonic boom as she lightly swung her fist.
Fwoooosh!—
“Ahhhhh!”
“Kuh! You goddamn bitch!!”
“God wouldn’t even bother to damn someone like you.”
Ha-eun struck the forehead of an Owl and widely swung her right arm.
Fwoooosh!—
The flames that spread out in the shape of a fan swept the Owls.
The Owls were bewildered and started to step back from the overwhelming firepower that made it hard for them to open their eyes.
“Why are trash like you bastards aiming for me?”
Ha-eun ferociously asked them.
Honestly speaking, no matter how stronger she got from drinking a potion, it shouldn’t have been possible to overwhelm the elites of the Noctua faction that easily.
‘These bastards… why aren’t they attacking properly?’
For an unknown reason, the Owls only used half-hearted attacks to keep her in check and intentionally avoided using attacks that were dangerous.
‘Killing me isn’t their goal.’
Their goal was to restrain her with her body intact.
Hah—
A chuckle flowed out of Ha-eun’s mouth.
“Try it if you can.”
She shot out attacks that were even stronger than before and kept the hunters at bay.
When they were hesitating without being able to do anything—
“—Holholhol.”
—an ominous laughter was heard from an unknown place.
“Ugh!!!”
Ha-eun moved her body as her instincts instructed and rolled on the ground.
A storm of black feathers surged into the spot she was previously in.
“Wh-What?”
She couldn’t even track the attack with her eyes.
Ha-eun looked around with a surprised expression, but she couldn’t spot the owner of the strange laughter, even when she looked left and right.
‘Wait…’
Ha-eun quickly looked up.
‘Above!’
There, she saw an old man who was leisurely floating in mid-air on top of a black feather.
—Wrinkles that were like an old pine tree.
Unlike how he was wearing a neatly ironed Taoist garment, the old man’s eyes were full of thick greed.
“You have such a nice eye.”
The old man smiled with satisfaction.
“Holholhol. It’s difficult to find someone who’s awakened the Dragon Eye to that degree.”
“Who are you…?”
“Is who I am important?”
“…”
Ha-eun gently bit her mouth.
As the old man said, who he was wasn’t important.
All that was important was his intent.
‘I need to escape.’
The noisy alarms in her head were shouting that the old man was dangerous.
When she carefully walked on eggshells and was about to quickly turn around—
“Holholhol. Where are you trying to go?”
“Hyup!”
—the old man appeared in front of her in the blink of an eye.
He had a bizarre smile on his wrinkly face.
“Now, now, be obedient.”
The old man’s hand moved slowly.
Tak—
He lightly touched Ha-eun’s forehead.
“—Ah.”
With a groan leaving her mouth, her consciousness began to fade.
* * *
“Argh…”
—A splitting headache.
Ha-eun furrowed her brow as she opened her eyes.
“H-Huh?”
She was in a spacious empty lot in an unknown place. The Owls that had ambushed her earlier surrounded her in a circle.
“Eek!”
Clatter! Clatter!—
She quickly tried to get up, but her body that was tied in chains engraved with geometrical shapes didn’t move as she wished.
“Holholhol. Have you come back to your senses?”
The old man let out the sound of that bizarre laughter and approached her.
Ha-eun opened her eyes sharply and stared at the old man.
“Cheon Doyoon. You’re Cheon Doyoon, right? The bastard who’s the King of Owls or whatever.”
“Holholhol, you know me well.”
“Did you capture me to use me as a hostage?”
Ha-eun suppressed her chest which was shaking from anxiety and asked nonchalantly.
“Hostage? Holholhol, no, that isn’t the reason.”
“…it’s not?”
Then why would the King of Owls go out of his way and take action directly to capture her?
“Ahh, it’s a beautiful eye no matter how many times I see it.”
“What?”
The old man’s wrinkly hand fumbled around Ha-eun’s left eye.
“…!!”
An eerie chill ran down her spine.
“You crazy bastard, what are you doing!!” shouted Ha-eun while she violently twisted her body.
“Holholhol. Do not struggle.”
Tak—
The old man lightly patted Ha-eun’s shoulder.
Craaack!—
Her left shoulder was twisted in a strange direction with the creepy sound of breaking bones.
“Aaahhhhhh!!”
A scream full of pain exploded out of Ha-eun’s mouth.
“Huff! Huff!”
She breathed out ragged breaths and chewed her lips. An intense pain was felt from her left shoulder.
Suppressing the suffocating fear, she ferociously bared her teeth at Cheon Doyoon.
“You perverted old fuck… how dare you touch me…”
The only person who was allowed to touch her body was Ohjin.
“Holholhol. It seems that you have a misunderstanding. Although you most certainly are a beautiful child that can even make this senile old man tremble—”
The old man’s eyes glistened with greed.
“—what I’m after isn’t your body.”
“Then just…”
“The Dragon Eye. Give me your eye, and then I will let you go safely.”
“…!”
Ha-eun’s body shook.
“Wh-What… what d-do you mean?”
“It means exactly what I said. Pull out your eye… and give it to this old man.”
“Shut up you insane bastard!!”
“Holholhol. You are a foolish child. You shouldn’t cherish your eye more than your life.”
The old man clicked his tongue and reached out his hand to Ha-eun’s left eye.
“If you don’t want to, I shall forcefully pull it out for you.”
“Ah…”
Ha-eun’s face was dyed white from fear.
An unendurable fear spread out like poison.
“The left eye first. The right eye hasn’t awoken yet… but I shall take it as well just in case.”
The old man looked at her two eyes with greed.
‘Pull out… my eyes?’
Would she have to be thrown into the endless night once again?
“N-No.”
She recalled Ohjin’s face when the darkness faded.
She remembered the happiness and unforgettable thrill of that moment.
When she was finally somehow able to see Ohjin again… she couldn’t let her eyes be taken in vain.
“No…!!!”
“Holholhol. It’s useless retaliating.”
The old man’s hand made contact with her left eye. His unpleasant hand that stroked around like touching a coveted treasure slightly touched her eyeball.
“Ah, uh, ah.”
Fear…
Unbearable fear…
Unendurable fear…
Rushed in like waves.
“N-No… p-please. Please… s-stop.”
Rather than the fear of getting locked up in darkness again, imagining how Ohjin would despair after finding out was what she truly feared.
Tears flowed down Ha-eun’s eye.
“Holholhol. Stay still.”
“Please… please stop…”
When her heartbreaking plea was resonating out in vain…
B
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From the clear sky without a cloud in sight, a single strand of lightning shot down.