NOVEL WEB Chapter 897
“Scholars say that magic starts with realizing your own incompetence.”
Countless individuals wished for someone to achieve what they couldn’t, praying to supernatural beings endowed with immense power, imagining them granting their desires. Such prayers were wrapped around familiar sights or things easily understood, thus primitive faith emerged.
Stars are an inseparable natural element from this ‘primitive form of faith.’
The night sky, decorated with twinkling stars upon the arrival of night, was breathtaking enough in itself. The mere sparkle of those stars stimulated human brains to create a plethora of works.
Those shining stars began to connect points into lines, and as lines converged, shapes were formed, embellished by human imagination and transformed into tales.
Thus, these stories persist today under the name of constellations.
The brightest star symbolized emperors and heroes, it became the shepherd guiding lost souls, the goddess watching over them, and the angel offering protection.
A multitude of stars surrounding it became royal confessors in one region, a tale of the Big Dipper and Little Dipper in another, a symbol of the greatest power of the brightest star, or the decoration of a glorious crown—sometimes even shattered jewels.
From primitive humans to modern folks, over countless years, stars existed along with us, endowed with meaning from countless worships and prayers.
This sentiment trickled into magic, as many desired to find their future, avoid misfortune, and walk the ‘right path’ filled with happiness while looking at the stars. Hence, astrology was born, a discipline molded through numerous hands.
“Stars exist everywhere.”
Unless you’re in the underground where skies aren’t visible, stars can be seen everywhere. On the waves of a crashing sea, atop a volcano poised to erupt, amidst towering cliffs, in a swaying rye field, or enshrined in icy polar regions.
And all those existing places had people gazing at the stars, evoking stories, praying, and wishing, hoping for guidance in their paths.
That’s why astrology is one of the most common forms of magic.
Countless magical records reveal how peoples from various cultures utilized stars for divination.
For Park Jinseong, who wandered through countless ruins, astrology was quite familiar magic.
Wasn’t there a saying that referred to someone who reads celestial secrets as ‘master of astronomy’?
While Park Jinseong wasn’t a master, he had his own insights; he couldn’t read cosmic secrets, but he could vaguely sense their flow. Additionally, with a little knack, he could perform simple divination or hear whispers from stars through that flow.
The whispers of stars—
It’s understanding the unmanifestable flow and piecing together fragments of celestial secrets.
Vague and ambiguous, yet sufficient to guide Park Jinseong along his path.
However, at this moment, the whispers of stars were silent.
Even during the Third World War, it wasn’t an issue.
Even amidst that horrific madness, it remained intact.
Why was it different now?
“The satellite… doesn’t seem to be the issue.”
If it were America, it could make sense. They had launched a satellite to interfere with magic related to stars.
But that was a geostationary satellite, effective only over US territory.
There was no chance that satellite’s effects would reach Korea.
Moreover, exporting that satellite to Korea was out of the question… It’s too precious a strategic material.
It hadn’t been provided even to the closely-knit Five Eyes nations; no matter how much of an ally, Korea wouldn’t be provided that just because it was considered a bulwark—or a key location to keep China or Russia in check.
Besides, even if it were provided, it wouldn’t make a huge difference.
What use would astrology have in a magic desert like Korea?
Thus, the question remained.
Why were the stars not responding to Park Jinseong’s prayers?
Is it because of the sensory overload?
“If that’s the case, is sensory overload the necessary sense for divination through stars?”
Considering that vague will, it felt like it could be true, yet Park Jinseong sensed that it wasn’t quite it.
After pondering for a while, he looked up at the stars once more.
The stars scattered their light onto the earth from the misty sky.
It felt like they were making eye contact with him from behind a bridal veil.
Such thoughts crossed his mind.
* * *
Days passed since Victor’s contact came.
That sensory overload which had gone haywire felt calm as if it had never existed, and the steep price of the ritual wasn’t so harsh either.
Perhaps it was due to the magic bestowed by the Government of the Republic of Korea that had long been referred to as a magic desert?
Either largely unknown or merely due to good fortune—one of the two.
The only cost was the skin peeling off like scales.
Dead skin rose madly, self-peeling was repeated.
Blood flowed freely, and dead skin would grow back, while sharp, scaly dead skin pierced through flesh.
It was naturally prickly and itchy, and any touch would cause pain, but… this was rather decent as a sacrifice for a magical ritual.
“Like a dragon.”
Isn’t it said that a dragon possesses the body of a snake, the scales of a carp, the antlers of a deer, and the legs of a bird? Park Jinseong thought that perhaps the magical ritual he performed might relate to dragons, some form of divination through dragon power.
“Perhaps this too might be a good omen. Dragons are auspicious creatures said to cause heaven and earth to harmonize.”
In ancient East, people born with fish-like scales were regarded as divine. It was believed they bore dragon blood or were blessed by dragons, destined to make their name known in the world.
In reality, there had been instances where scale-bearing children married into royalty.
Thinking along those lines, having a skin disease resembling dragon scales might actually be a good thing.
A silent signal that luck is approaching.
“And I haven’t just been waiting for luck to come passively. One day, the luck I’ve scattered will grow and bear fruit.”
With that, Park Jinseong regarded this as a good sign, waiting for those he’d asked help from to bring him good information.
“The National Intelligence Service and the Cabinet Information Analysis Office. If anyone can bring good intelligence, it will be them, probably as good as Russia’s intelligence department.”
Park Jinseong reached out for help from Korea and Japan.
In Korea, he made a request through ‘Kim Cheolsu’ to the National Intelligence Service to inquire about Odilia’s whereabouts, while in Japan, he mobilized the politicians he had blessed.
“If that doesn’t yield results, it seems I’ll need to ask the Onmyoji for help with divination or tracking arts.”
That’s not all.
If the intelligence departments fail, he could seek Onmyoji for astrology, divination, or the Yin-Yang arts to find Odilia. Furthermore, leveraging Saigo Rise’s expanding influence from the shrines, he could summon Shinto priests, or even hire mercenaries using his accumulated wealth.
And if that still didn’t work, he could directly use magic after offering various sacrifices.
Finding Odilia was a foregone conclusion.
Using all resources Park Jinseong had, finding Odilia’s whereabouts wouldn’t be overly difficult.
Yet, Park Jinseong did not employ all means.
“The Great Witch is safe.”
Such was his nebulous intuition.
A whisper from instinct, sounding more like a hunch than logic.
“Safe, unscathed, and could even be profitable; it’s like wandering through a cave where treasure lies dormant. If things go well, there could be gains, and even if they don’t unfold as expected, the only losses would be time wasted or mental fatigue—a small price to pay.”
Park Jinseong’s gut told him that the Great Witch was currently safe and would remain so for some time.
“Rationally thinking, it makes sense too. How much danger could possibly befall someone who isn’t just any witch, but has reached the level of the Great Witch?”
A witch is an ability user who employs witchcraft, using energy known as life force.
This life force truly pertains to abilities tied to life itself.
It suppresses aging, extends lifespan, invigorates lifeless beings, and can turn a seed into a towering tree—all forms of energy.
Thus, witches don’t die easily.
Injuries that could incapacitate an average person heal rapidly, even deep wounds stop bleeding and flesh regenerates swiftly.
Regenerative power, which stems from the characteristics of this life force, is what has allowed the lineage of witches to endure.
“They weren’t just thrown into fire or cast into water for nothing.”
Of course, this regenerative power isn’t that impressive.
No matter how great the life force, it doesn’t mean one can survive being cut in half like a planarian, and compared to the transformation of a warrior, it’s notably less remarkable.
It’s more appropriate to say that a witch has superior recovery compared to the average person, with a tenacious life force.
“For a Great Witch, the quality and quantity of life force must be outstanding, thus their life must be rather resilient to unexpected events.”
And… there was another reason Park Jinseong didn’t employ every measure.
“Similar but different. Different yet similar. Similar but ambiguous.”
Feeling as if the answer would present itself before him without effort, there was a sense that some pivotal moment would approach him as time flowed.
And within that premonition, Park Jinseong felt a sense of déjà vu.
The pungent and fishy smell tickled his nose, intangible long hair brushed against his ears, and painlessly showering down upon his peeling skin was salt, crushing his body—a sensation akin to being crushed.
It was similar to synesthesia yet slightly distinct.
“This is phantom pain from a nonexistent part.”
It speaks to Park Jinseong.
“Now you must move forward.”
“You can no longer hide behind the curtain of humanity.”
“You must finally emerge from your cave and meet the moment.”
…
…
…
Tick-tock.
Suddenly, Park Jinseong heard the sound of a clock ticking in his ear.
At that same moment, a message arrived.
『 I have gathered all the materials you mentioned. Come to the villa. 』
It was an invitation from the frozen lands.
Victor was calling him.