Chapter 196: Chapter 196

-?

When?Choi Yeonseung started using the Star Absorption Method, Marcaidel didn’t understand what was going on at first. There was too much information missing about martial arts.

‘Energy drain?!’

Like water flowing from high to low, the magic power was flowing toward Choi Yeonseung.

Marcaidel scoffed.

-Do you think that absorbing some magic power will solve anything?

Among the many spells in the Abyss, magic that absorbed the opponent’s magic power was dangerous and volatile. Putting the opponent’s magic power into one's body was a very dangerous thing. Magic power was a force that wasn’t easy to control even when it belonged to oneself. Then, what if it was someone else’s magic power?

It was hard to absorb even a little bit, but right now, Choi Yeonseung was trying to absorb all of Marcaidel’s magic power.

-This is the power bestowed upon me by my master. You had better stop if you don’t want your body to be torn apart.

Choi Yeonseung didn’t reply. He silently used the Star Absorption Method and?sucked out as much of the magic power inside Illaphael?as possible.

-...Stop if you don’t want to die!

“Thank you for your concern, but it’s fine, demon.”

Marcaidel started to become anxious when Choi Yeonseung’s expression didn’t change even though more than half the magic power had been absorbed. How strong was the body of this human to hold on like this?

-Stop... Stop it. If you stop now...

“Would you like to come out?”

-...Hmph, try me!

A demon didn’t surrender even if it meant dying, and Marcaidel held out until the end. At this moment, the power that Marcaidel had received from his constellation was completely extracted.

[The power ‘Shadow Crown’ has been absorbed!]

-This can’t be!

“... ”

Marcaidel lost his composure and shouted when he realized that the power he had received from his constellation was gone. It wasn’t the same as losing a battle or failing to fulfill an order. Someone else actually took away the power of existence that his constellation had bestowed upon him by using their own power of existence.

It was an unforgivable mistake!

[Shadow Crown]

[Rank: S

Corrupts?the opponent with the power of shadows. The corrupted opponents will become your puppets.]

“What is this?”

-This guy!

Marcaidel couldn’t hold on any longer and slipped out of Illaphael’s body. He couldn’t just stand by and do nothing while own power was stolen. He was still alive, but he had been severely beaten by Choi Yeonseung before. Now his whole body was in tatters and there was no way that Marcaidel could win.

The moment Marcaidel came out, Choi Yeonseung immediately dropped?his hands?and took a combat stance. There was the sound of a shell popping and Origin of the Celestial Fist struck Marcaidel. The momentum was so strong that the hunters in the back were pushed back.

-Final... Command...! Get that human!

Marcaidel used up his remaining life force and magic power and gave orders to his remaining subordinates. The shadow warriors set out to attack Choi Yeonseung with shining eyes...…...and they stopped.

“?”

-Give them an order! Now you are their master!

The goddess of sloth realized the situation and urgently gave?Choi Yeonseung some?advice. Since Marcaidel’s power had been taken away, the master of the summoned shadow warriors was now Choi Yeonseung.

Choi Yeonseung immediately picked up on it as well and shouted, "Attack?Marcaidel!”

Just then, the shadow warriors let out a piercing roar and rushed at Marcaidel.

-Keeok!

Marcaidel was?pushed to the limit, and suddenly, he froze. Above him, a white light shone.

It was Choi Yeonseung’s Origin of the Celestial Fist.

[The ‘Veil of Ominous Night’ has disappeared!]

[......]

[......]

[......]

[The power of existence...]

The dungeon that had been built over the palace started to disappear after this attack. Outside, dawn was breaking.

***

“It’s too reckless to rush in without any magic power,” Choi Yeonseung said while looking at Illaphael.

It wasn’t just the shadow warriors. Illaphael attacked Marcaidel as well. Of course, it was understandable for the angel to be angry. Even so, Choi Yeonseung thought it was reckless of him to attack in a situation where he had run out of magic power due to the Star Absorption Method.

“...I guess I attacked instinctively,” Illaphael spoke slowly as he raised himself up..

“Human. I acknowledge your skills. I couldn’t have completed this mission without you.”

“Uh. Yes. Thank you.”

“......”

Choi Yeonseung answered too nonchalantly and Illaphael was slightly embarrassed. Of course, he hadn’t expected Choi Yeonseung to burst into tears and rejoice. Even so, it was rare for Illaphael himself to acknowledge a human being. He thought they would at least say things like ‘you we great’ to each other...

“What is it?”

“...It’s nothing.”Illaphael was too ashamed of himself to demand any respect. He had made too many mistakes on this mission. One day, he would redeem himself.

“Uh, Hunter Choi Yeonseung. The cores are coming out.”

Choi Yeonseung wondered, “Were they considered monsters? That’s great. Let’s pack the cores too. Take the cores.”

“Yes.”

Perhaps Marcaidel used monsters as well because once the shadow warriors died, large cores were lying there. The hunters weren’t the kind of people to abandon rewards worth tens or hundreds of millions of dollars each.

“... ?”

“What are you doing?” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The hunters were perplexed at the sight. Illaphael was picking up the cores.

‘Do angels care about cores?’

‘Does he want them? They're lumps of magic power.’

‘Isn’t it a bit too much to compete with us over cores?’

Angels had their own pride. If angels needed cores, they could go around the Abyss to hunt monsters, not take the cores from humans. For that reason, Illaphael picking up the cores was quite the unusual sight.

“No!” Illaphael shouted while his cold, unfeeling face turned red.

“What is it?”

“Did you think I would take your cores?”

“Ah, you won’t? It certainly looked that way…”

“It’s fine. If you want to have the cores, then you can have them…”

The hunters spoke in lonely, regretful voices.

The cores were expensive items, but they were cheap compared to the constellation equipment provided by the angel.

Choi Yeonseung was the only person who didn’t care about being disliked by the household members of constellations. The rest of them had no choice but to pay attention.

Illaphael became even more furious when the humans were frightened and made concessions.

“I told you I’m not taking them!”

“Then what are you doing?” Choi Yeonseung asked curiously while picking up cores elsewhere. He was genuinely curious as to why Illaphael was picking up the cores.

“Did you mean to help the hunters gather them?”

“Human. Do you think I would do such a thing?”

“Then why are you holding them?”

“What...”Illaphael hesitated. It was because...

He didn’t even know.

‘Why am I doing this?’

-Successor.

-?

-Can you give that angel an order?

-Are you crazy?

Choi Yeonseung was dumbfounded. Illaphael was quite a proud and arrogant angel. If he tried to order around someone like that, the friendship that had been built up would be shattered.

-Trust me and do it once.

-I don’t want to.

-......

The goddess was slightly hurt by Choi Yeonseung’s refusal.

-Isn’t this too much...

-Ah…?I am the one getting the job done on the field. Don’t ask me to do something weird when you are just watching from the temple.

The goddess of sloth had nothing to say at Choi Yeonseung’s heavy words that struck a nerve.It was because she was the one who was most comfortable, as she was spectating from the temple.

-Still... Huh...

-...Tsk. I understand.

-Kukukuk. It is easy.

-I will take it back.

-No! I was wrong!

The goddess of sloth cried out again. Choi Yeonseung clicked his tongue and thought about it.

‘Why does she want me to give Illaphael an order?’

Choi Yeonseung didn’t know what the goddess of sloth was thinking, but he had no intention of fighting Illaphael. Of course, the angel was arrogant and cocky, but Choi Yeonseung wasn’t immature enough to act petty just because of the angel's personality.

Cooperate if necessary and don’t cooperate if not necessary. The important thing was practicality, not useless emotional fights. This was why he needed an order that wasn’t insulting to the angel...

“Illaphael?”

“Why are you calling me, human?”

Illaphael ignored the calls of other hunters but he didn’t ignore the call of Choi Yeonseung. He was still arrogant and ignored humans, but he had no choice but to acknowledge Choi Yeonseung.

“I’m thirsty. Can you go outside the palace and get me something to drink?”Choi Yeonseung said while putting a bill in Illaphael’s hands.

“......”

“......”

The hunters froze when they heard this.

‘Is it a challenge to a duel?’

‘Should I side with Hunter Choi Yeonseung?’

No matter how much they fought together, the races of the Abyss were unable to joke with each other. If the angel took Choi Yeonseungs’ words as an insult and took out his sword...

“Human. Are you insulting me? No matter how inefficient I was in this fight...”Illaphael said…and then took the bill anyway. Then he turned around and walked out.

“... ? ?”

“? ? ? ? ?”

***

-To summarize it briefly, ownership has been transferred.

The goddess was a long-lived constellation and was knowledgeable about the principles of magic and power. Shadow Crown was powerful black magic created by the collector constellation. Illaphael was overcome by this power that turned the target into a puppet, and Choi Yeonseung absorbed that power. It was for this reason that Illaphael couldn’t refuse the order of Choi Yeonseung.

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ is shouting that you did well! Humiliate him!]

The cat constellation was really excited when it heard that Illaphael, who had been annoying, had to listen to Choi Yeonseung’s orders.

-No. I can’t. That constellation is still alive and well. I don’t want to fight...

[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says to let him relax a bit and have him eat something like fried chicken noodles before posting it on Youtube.]

The cat constellation had quickly adapted to Earth and came up with innovative suggestions to humiliate people. It was honestly a bit tempting, but Choi Yeonseung shook his head. In the meantime, Illaphael came back with a drink. His face was flushed with?shame, humiliation and embarrassment.

“This... How did this happen?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

Illaphael also realized what had happened.

Earlier, Choi Yeonseung had absorbed the power of Marcaidel and inherited the power to manipulate Illaphael. It was amazing how Choi Yeonseung had absorbed it, but that wasn’t the point right now.

“I’ll pay you whatever you want if you let me go!”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose... I also don’t know how to undo it. I think Marcaidel would know.”

“......”

Illaphael flopped down. He covered his face with his hands and wings in a frustrated manner, looking quite pitiful.

“I won’t give you orders, so calm down.”

“You just gave me an order!”

“Ah. I guess that?was?an order.”

Illaphael was forced to calm down and tried to distance himself from?Choi Yeonseung. He said with a red face, “Human. I promise you a reward for your work both in my name and in the name of my master.”

“Aren’t you leaving too soon? Just a bit more...”

“I told you not to give me orders!”

Illaphael spread out his wings and soared up rapidly. The hunters were amazed seeing the angel flying away as if to escape. To think that they had lived to see an angel in this posture…