Chapter 72

I Am Not a Reincarnator Chapter 72

Streaming of the Genius Awakener (1)

"5, 5, 5 stars? No, didn't you reach 4 stars two months ago?!"

"That's right."

"What...?"

She opened her mouth wide, her face showing disbelief as she trailed off.

Her expression clearly conveyed that she found it hard to believe.

Oh Jin slightly pulled down his shirt to show the star mark on his chest.

'Well, it does look a bit strange to take off my shirt in front of Mr. Gorilla.'

What could he do?

There was no more direct way to confirm his 'star' status.

"Huh."

The deputy director's short exclamation escaped as he saw the five clear lines etched next to the star mark.

"R, really reached 5 stars in just two months."

Oh Jin awakened the star mark of Lyra in November last year.

It's now June, so he reached 5 stars in just over half a year.

And it wasn't just any ordinary star mark, but the star mark of Polaris.

"...This can't even be written in a news article."

The deputy director pressed his forehead and sighed deeply.

Even the news that he reached 4 stars before the six-month mark was rumored to be fabricated by the association. Announcing that he reached 5 stars would likely not be believed.

It would probably only increase the distrust, with people calling him a fraud.

"Well, there are awakener cases where someone reached 5 stars in half a year, right?"

"That's only for the easier, miscellaneous star marks."

Among the star marks of the 12 zodiac constellations and above, no one reached 5 stars in half a year.

'Even among the seven stars, only the star mark of Lu Cun (祿存星) rose quickly, but not in half a year.'

"Anyway, it's best to keep this a secret for a while."

If someone ran a 100-meter dash in 9.58 seconds, they would receive praise for setting a world record. But if they suddenly ran it in under 6 seconds, they would only receive suspicion.

"That's a bit disappointing."

As mentioned before.

Reputation and honor are themselves great powers.

Just in the Starlight Lake Guild, he expelled a guild officer, Choi Jong-cheol, without hesitation or questioning, all because of a single complaint.

At that time, Oh Jin was a 3-star awakener, while Choi Jong-cheol was a 6-star awakener.

He expelled a 6-star awakener without hesitation over a mere 3-star awakener's complaint.

'That's the power of reputation.'

If he could prove that he reached 5 stars two months after awakening to 4 stars, he would undoubtedly gain an even more solid reputation.

No one would pass up a surefire lottery ticket.

'Well, I should listen to Junman here.'

Even if he took a photo of the five lines etched on his chest and posted it, people would surely suspect it was manipulated.

The same would be true for a demonstration video of the star mark.

People naturally tend to doubt things that go beyond their common sense.

"Then I'll come back in a week."

For the remaining week, he planned to focus on recovery.

* * *

A week until the weapon is completed.

During this time, he followed his plan to eat heartily and rest, focusing on recovering his strength.

As Reik advised, he didn't skimp on food.

Nutrient-rich juices made from chicken breast and vegetables, fresh salmon and meat, various nuts, and supplements.

He bought and forced down all the foods known for their high nutritional value.

'Eating can be such a painful task.'

At least 4,000 calories a day.

For Oh Jin, who usually ate very little, almost fasting, a diet of five or more meals a day was like torture.

'But, still.'

The effects were clear.

In just a week, he gained weight quickly, and his muscles swelled.

His previously bony ribs were now barely visible.

"Wow. So this is what a week can do."

Standing in front of the mirror, Oh Jin let out a sigh of amazement.

With a moderate amount of weight gain, his body was now fit enough to be a fitness model.

'And my stamina has increased too.'

Perhaps the balance of mind, spirit, and body, as Reik suggested, was now in place.

Despite just eating and resting for a week, his strength and stamina had noticeably improved.

'The magic circuit is still a bit disappointing, though.'

Well, that's not something that can be easily resolved without raising his 'star' level.

-Click.

"Organizing the things I'll need for the gate... "

Haeun's mouth dropped open as she entered the room.

"You, your body?"

"Ha ha! How do I look? Much better than before, right?"

Oh Jin made his arms into an O shape, like a bodybuilder.

"...Swallow."

Haeun swallowed a dry lump in her throat.

She turned her red cheeks and fanned her hand like a fan.

"It's, it's so hot."

It's June.

It is hot.

But it doesn't seem to be because of the heat.

"He he. Why are you suddenly sweating so much?"

He approached her playfully.

"Ah!"

She screamed and ran away.

This reaction is quite amusing.

"Is this guy really... going to tease his sister?"

After a moment of panic.

She approached him, pretending to be nonchalant, snorting.

"Sister. What? Do you think I would be surprised by something like this?"

With trembling hands, she placed her hand on Oh Jin's shoulder.

Rubbing.

She touched his bulging muscles.

"Ugh. I, I'm going crazy with this."

As the atmosphere heated up, her hand slowly moved from his shoulder to his chest.

"Hey, how far are you going to touch?"

This sister?

"Ah. Stay still."

Haeun, with an excited expression, felt his body.

"Huh, huh, huh. Hee, hee, hee."

Now she's even letting out strange laughter.

She nodded with a satisfied look.

"Of course, I raised a good man."

"If someone heard that, they'd think you raised me."

"It's as good as me raising you. Anyway, keep eating well and growing strong, okay?"

She smiled and patted his buttocks.

Touching someone else's buttocks so casually.

"That's sexual harassment."

"What? What's sexual harassment to a sister?"

"Then I'll touch you too?"

"Ah, what?"

Haeun's shoulders trembled.

Cough! She cleared her throat and turned her body.

"He he. Kid, did you really want to touch this sister's butt?"

Swish, swish.

She provocatively swayed her hips right in front of him.

"Ha ha ha! If you want to touch, then touch..."

Rub.

"Hmm."

She's alive.

"Ah! If you really touch, what will you do, you brat!"

"But you said to touch."

"N, no, I meant it in a different way!! Anyway, this brat!"

Haeun pinched his side lightly, more ticklish than painful.

"Huh?"

Oh Jin, not wanting to be passive, pinched her side.

"Ha ha ha! T, ticklish!"

"You started it first."

"This!"

They playfully pinched each other's sides.

[...So. When do you plan to leave?]

Vega, perched on Reik's head, opened her eyes and asked.

She seemed quite annoyed, shaking her legs and tapping her feet.

[With a life-or-death battle against a monster ahead, laughing and chatting so easily feels very lacking in vigilance. A warrior should prepare their mind and body before a battle...]

She continued to lecture as if scolding a child.

Oh Jin and Haeun's friendly laughter and chatter clearly didn't sit well with her.

"Hmph."

Haeun turned to Vega and smirked.

"If you're jealous, just say so."

[J, jealous...!]

Zap!

Vega's silver hair sparked and floated up.

[How can you say such nonsense when I'm giving you meaningful advice!]

"Oh, really?"

[You!]

Now Vega and Haeun started bickering.

'Sister and Vega have become quite close.'

Well.

With their recent increased activity time, it's natural that they've become closer.

Haeun isn't the type to be intimidated by a constellation.

"Let's go."

He stopped their argument and gathered the equipment.

Click.

He put on the wire shooter he received from the deputy director yesterday and held a metal rod the size of a portable flashlight.

'He said it turns into a spear when I infuse it with magic power?'

When he lightly infused it with magic power, the metal rod the size of a flashlight transformed into a long crescent moon-shaped spear.

"Great."

One of the long-standing drawbacks of spears, portability, was easily resolved.

"Brat. Going hunting?"

"Uh. You're coming with me, right?"

"Grumble! Of course. A warrior cannot avoid the battlefield."

Reik smiled, saying it was time to move his body.

"Then let's go."

Click.

He opened the door and went outside.

They drove to Busan and arrived at the gate after about five hours.

-Bubble, bubble!

When they arrived at the gate, they saw a large crowd gathered in front of it.

"Wow, so many people."

Haeun looked at the crowd in front of the gate and shook her head, looking overwhelmed.

"Did we have so many 5-star or higher awakeners in our country?"

"It's because two star stones are appearing. People are going crazy."

He expected a large crowd.

"But can we still hunt with so many people?"

"The inside is said to be very wide, and there are many monsters."

We just need to go deeper.

"Great! Let's go!"

Haeun smiled and took a step forward.

Reik and Vega followed behind her.

Oh Jin watched their backs as they walked ahead and let out a hollow laugh.

'A party with a constellation, a spirit, a rare Lyra awakener, and a Polaris apostle.'

Perhaps such a party didn't exist even in the first cycle of the world.

While thinking about this, he headed towards the gate.

"Hello! Viewers! I'm the skilled gate conqueror, Jerry Kim!"

A lively voice came from the side.

"I'm here in front of the gate where star stones are duplicating! Ha ha! Some say I only come here recently? No, but how can I not come here?"

A handsome young man with orange-dyed hair lifted a large bag next to him.

"This is the star stone I've been farming for a month here! How can I not come here!"

Ha ha ha!

He burst into a bright laugh and proudly shook the bag.

"Everyone collects them like this, right? No, I can do it like this because I'm me!"

The young man continued to talk to the camera, puffing out his chest.

"...What's that?"

Oh Jin tilted his head and looked at him.

"Don't you know Jerry Kim?"

"Jerry Kim?"

It's a name he's heard somewhere.

"He's very famous. A 6-star awakener of the Archer constellation, Jerry Kim. He does solo hunting at gates and streams it on the internet."

"Ah."

The Archer constellation is a powerful constellation among the 12 zodiac constellations.

A 6-star awakener of the 12 zodiac constellations would be welcomed with open arms by any guild, but he's streaming solo.

"Does internet streaming make a lot of money?"

"Well, those who make a lot of money do, but more than that, it's probably for the desire for fame? Viewers praise them in real time."

Indeed.

A 6-star awakener of the 12 zodiac constellations wouldn't stream for money.

'Streaming, huh.'

He became interested.

"Come on, man. There are advantages, but the disadvantages are also big. One wrong word and you could be buried."

"That's true."

Reputation is hard to build but easy to lose.

Unless he was in dire need of money like before, there's no need to risk it.

"Let's ignore it and go in."

"Okay."

So, he followed Haeun into the gate.