In the end, Kwon Oh-Jin’s grand plan to control the Black Heaven through the star’s union had failed.

The Sigma of Lyra won’t grow any further.

Technically, it had grown stronger. It just wasn’t enough to control the Black Heaven that had undergone its twelfth enlightenment.

It makes sense. If it were that easy to control, the Heavenly Demon wouldn't have ended up like that in the first place.

Kwon Oh-Jin couldn’t help but feel disappointed. In truth, the result wasn’t all that surprising. He placed his hand over the Stigma of Lyra on his left chest.

To control the Black Heaven completely... I need to reach twelve stars.

Even since the first rift opened, not a single Awakener had ever reached twelve stars. Not even the famous Seven Stars nor Cassia, who once stood at the top of the Black Star Society.

At this point, no one could even be sure if reaching twelve stars was possible.

I’m sure it is.

Every time a Stigma increased in stars, a new stroke appeared beside it. He already had eleven strokes, but enough space remained for one more. Not just Kwon Oh-Jin, but most Awakeners believed that reaching twelve stars was possible despite no one ever achieving it.

Among the countless Awakeners in the world, not a single soul had crossed that threshold. Kwon Oh-Jin had to reach such a destination.

I’m called the Heaven-Defying Star for a reason. I have to reach that threshold.

One couldn’t walk the same path as everyone else and boast about being the world’s hero or the Heaven-Defying Star.

Kwon Oh-Jin was deep in thought when Vega, fumbling into her dress, nervously tugged at his sleeve.

“W-Why do you look so serious all of a sudden?” she asked uneasily. “C-Could it be... You weren’t satisfied with our... our union?”

“Eh?”

Vega lowered her gaze and stomped in flustered embarrassment.

Only then did Kwon Oh-Jin realize that he hadn’t considered her feelings at all. “That’s not it at all.”

“B-But you looked so disappointed just now!”

“No, it’s just...” Cold sweat trickled down his back as he rushed to calm her. “It wasn’t because of you, Vega.”

“Then why make that face?”

“Uh... because my Stigma’s power didn’t rise as much as I hoped.”

Vega’s eyes narrowed. “So, you only made love to me because you wanted to strengthen your Stigma?”

“Of course not.”

“Hmph! If that’s the case, why the disappointed look right after?”

“Well, that’s...”

It took quite some time to ease her sulk. Vega’s anger only subsided after he held her close, soothed her by patting her back, and gave her several kisses.

“From now on... don’t think about anything else during the star’s union with me.”

“I promise.” Kwon Oh-Jin sighed in relief once her mood softened.

“Anyway...” Vega looked around dejectedly. “The Milky Way Spring is gone.”

The Black Heaven had completely consumed the once radiant spring of starlight.

Vega bitterly stared at the dry spring.

“Will the Sanctum be affected now that the spring is gone?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked cautiously.

“It’s hard to say. The spring has been here ever since I was born, so I’m not sure.”

Right.

If Polaris had lived even before the world was first destroyed, then Vega had indeed never seen this sight before.

The Sanctum won’t collapse, will it?

An uneasy thought arose.

“Don’t worry too much. The Milky Way Spring is separate from the Sanctum itself.”

“It’s separate?”

“Think about it. You didn’t walk here on foot, did you?”

“Ah...”

“This place itself may vanish, but it won’t affect the Sanctum.”

“That’s a relief.” Kwon Oh-Jin nodded and turned back to the barren ground that once contained the spring.

It’s smaller than I thought.

It seemed endless when it was full, like gazing at the Milky Way itself. Now, dried up and empty, it looked narrow and almost pitiful.

To think Polaris endured all that time here, alone.

Recalling Polaris, who had thrown himself into the Black Heaven’s clouds, a bitter taste filled Kwon Oh-Jin’s mouth.

Vega seemed to be thinking the same.

“Polaris...” she whispered while still staring at the dry spring.

“Let’s head back,” Kwon Oh-Jin said.

“Wait a moment.” Vega walked to the center of the dried-up spring where Polaris had first stood. “Oh, Celestial of Ursa Minor, who had endured long years of sorrow in solitude.”

Vega clasped her hands together as if praying. Brilliant silver light flowed out from her and spread across the parched spring. The desolate, dried-up spring began to glimmer with dazzling silver light.

Kwon Oh-Jin couldn’t help but gasp in awe. “Ah...”

He swallowed hard as he took in the silver glow filling the area.

The Stigma of Lyra’s Sacred Ground.

It looked incomparable to the pathetic one he could unfold.

Kwon Oh-Jin bent down and placed his hand on the radiant ground that gleamed as if molten silver had poured across it. Even with just a light touch, fierce blue sparks leaped up.

Crackle! Crackle!

“Kugh!”

Having finished deploying her Sacred Ground, Vega walked slowly toward Kwon Oh-Jin. “Careful. You’ll be in danger if you touch it recklessly.”

“This is...”

“I couldn’t leave the spot where Polaris last stood in such a withered state.”

It was a kind of tribute from Vega to Polaris.

Kwon Oh-Jin smiled faintly and took her hand. The gentle warmth that spread across his palm seemed to reflect the thoughtfulness in her heart.

A woman who, even though she hadn’t shared much of a bond with Polaris, could still sincerely mourn his passing.

Kwon Oh-Jin could only say one thing to someone like her. “Considering all that, you were awfully quick to jump into the star’s union earlier—”

“You!” Vega punched him in the chest.

Smack!

“Guhhk! Kugh! Kgh!”

Had his other lovers witnessed this scene, they would have surely all said that he had it coming.

***

After absorbing the Stigma of Ursa Minor, Kwon Oh-Jin left the Sanctum with Vega.

“Are all the restrictions gone now?”

“A few remain, but staying in this small form is not an issue.” Vega sat on top of Kwon Oh-Jin’s head in her tiny form.

She tugged sharply at his hair like a coachman pulling reins.

“Hey, what?”

“That disrespectful joke you made earlier keeps replaying in my mind.”

“Ahem. I told you I was sorry.”

The atmosphere had grown too heavy. Before he knew it, he blurted out the joke.

“Hmph! Unforgivable!” Still sulking, Vega kept yanking at his hair.

He clicked his tongue, but let her ride on his head as they headed home.

“By the way, what did Polaris mean about you meeting the Celestial of Ophiuchus earlier?”

“Oh, that?” On their way home, Kwon Oh-Jin recounted everything that happened with Mobius.

When she heard it all, Vega pulled his air even more fiercely. “You fool!”

“At this rate, I’ll go bald, Miss Goddess.”

“Hmph! A disobedient child like you deserves to be bald!”

Hey, that’s not nice.

“Didn’t I warn you specifically to be cautious of Mobius?!”

“Well... It’s not like I went looking for him.”

Strictly speaking, Kwon Oh-Jin had been the victim here.

Vega deeply sighed and gently stroked his hair that she had been yanking. “Haaa. Seriously, I really can’t take my eyes off of you for a second. Still, I’m relieved you’re safe.”

“Guess I got lucky.”

Had he fought Mobius to the end, he couldn’t say for sure how things would have turned out.

It’ll be different the next time we meet.

Thinking of the power he had gained this time, Kwon Oh-Jin opened the front door to his house.

Isabella, Song Ha-Eun, and Cassia greeted him in order as he entered.

“Oh my? You’re back sooner than I thought.”

“Hm? Vega’s here too? So the restrictions are all gone now?”

“We were waiting for you.”

“Did anything unusual happen in the Sanctum?” Isabella asked.

“Unusual, yes.” Kwon Oh-Jin explained what happened to the three women.

“Wait, so you really are the Heaven-Defying Star?” Song Ha-Eun asked.

“That’s what I was told.”

“Hm... With such a grand title, you almost don’t feel like the same Oh-Jin I know.” Song Ha-Eun folded her arms and looked him up and down.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like being the Heaven-Defying Star comes with extra perks.”

“Does this mean all the Celestials now know that you’re the Black Heaven’s master?” Isabella asked.

Vega shook her head. “Not quite. I know my child is the Heaven-Defying Star, but the other Celestials only think that the Heaven-Defying Star has to be a Regressor.”

“We’ll need to hide the fact that Mr. Oh-Jin is also the Black Heaven’s master from the other Celestials, right?”

“Most likely, yes. Even if I testify on his behalf, everyone still harbors a deep hatred toward the Black Heaven.”

Only Vega, who shared a strong bond with Kwon Oh-Jin, and Polaris, who could see the future, hadn’t shown hostility after learning that he possessed the Black Heaven.

The other Celestials will be different.

The fact that he possessed the Black Heaven like the Heavenly Demon absolutely had to remain hidden.

“Well then, it’s a little early, but should we start preparing dinner?” Isabella asked.

Compared to the massive gain he had earned in the Sanctum, not much time had actually passed.

“No, before that, there’s something I need to take care of first,” Kwon Oh-Jin said.

“What is it?”

The corners of his lips rose as he brushed over the eleventh stroke on his Stigma.

Despite its power still being restricted, the Black Heaven had completed its twelfth enlightenment. On top of that, the Stigma of Lyra had also reached eleven stars. Kwon Oh-Jin even gained a new trait called Foresight.

“I’ve got to try out what I just gained,” Kwon Oh-Jin excitedly said.