Chapter 24

I Am Not a Reincarnator Chapter 24

A Night Without an Aggressor (1)

"…This is all the information I have on Yoo Jin."

Oh Jin drew a composite sketch of Yoo Jin and handed it to Team Leader Han.

He was quite confident in his drawing skills, so creating the composite sketch was not difficult.

"Thank you. I'll deliver this to the Valhalla Guild myself."

Team Leader Han took the composite sketch and let out a short sigh.

"Still, what a bizarre coincidence. For the Valhalla Guild to urgently need the Awakened person who had a conflict with Mr. Oh Jin."

"Have you heard why they're looking for him?"

"No, I haven't heard the reason."

They must be hiding the fact that Lee Shinhyuk was kidnapped.

Well, even if they are in an alliance, it's not something they can easily talk about.

"Oh, right."

Clap.

Team Leader Han clapped his hands.

"Besides this, we also received a direct request for support."

"Support request?"

"Yes. They didn't explain the details, but… they said they need the Association's help to set up a perimeter around Mount Baegunsan."

Perimeter.

'They really mean to do this properly.'

Lee Woo-hyuk's actions were more decisive than expected.

"Mr. Oh Jin, you don't have to participate if you don't want to…."

"I'll participate."

He answered without hesitation.

He had to go to Mount Baegunsan anyway to manage the situation.

If he accepted the support request, it would also give him a legitimate reason.

Moreover,

'If I do well… I might even get the reward money.'

His mouth watered at the thought.

* * *

A dark basement.

In the dim, dusty space, a pair of narrow eyes glinted eerily.

"…You still haven't found him?"

A low, deep voice.

The men in black robes, bowing low before the young man with a gentle appearance, trembled.

"T, that's right."

"That's not 'that's right.' It's been over a week… how can you not have found a single Awakened person?"

"W, we couldn't confirm his identity even by checking other guilds or registration records…."

"So."

Thud, thud, thud, thud!!

The young man casually waved his hand, and black feathers shot through the darkness like bullets.

"AAAAAAH!!!"

Arms, shoulders, thighs, and calves.

The sharp feathers pierced his limbs.

A terrifying scream echoed.

"Still can't find him?"

"G, gah… huff."

The man, whose limbs were now ragged, writhed like a worm.

Thud, thud.

With low footsteps, Yoo Jin approached the man.

Crack!!

"AAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

He roughly stomped on the already ragged arm.

"S, sorry!! I'm sorryyyyyy!!"

"Instead of saying sorry, you have something to say, don't you?"

"Clue!! We found a clue!!"

"Hmm."

Yoo Jin's half-closed eyes opened slightly.

"What clue?"

"T, three days ago, we thoroughly searched the area where a member who lost contact was investigating and traced the surrounding CCTV."

"And?"

"We confirmed that the guy came out of a building that only Association staff can enter and headed to Mokdong."

"Ho. So he was part of the Association?"

Yoo Jin licked his lips, intrigued.

"That… I'm not sure if he was part of the Association."

"…What do you mean?"

"We staked out around the Association, but he didn't show up."

"Is there a possibility he's part of a branch?"

"We checked that too."

"……"

Snap.

Yoo Jin's expression twisted roughly.

'If he's not part of the Association, how did he come out of a building for Association staff?'

Even if the Association is a weak organization, it's not easy for outsiders to enter staff-only buildings.

'…What is that guy?'

He recalled the face of the young man who had smiled kindly and proposed a deal.

A chilling, sticky sensation spread over his body.

"Hmm. Keep investigating for now."

"Yes!!"

Yoo Jin rubbed his forehead as if it ached.

He looked down at the 50 or so subordinates crouching at his feet.

'Not enough.'

He wasn't satisfied with his current position as a junior political officer.

One day, he would rise to a mid-level, then a senior political officer, and eventually to an executive officer.

'I will rise.'

A fierce desire surged within him.

For that.

'I need to find the guy and get the real Black Star relic.'

The King of Owls, Cheon Do-yun, is a cold-blooded person who doesn't tolerate mistakes.

The fact that he didn't execute him on the spot this time was just giving him a chance to make amends.

If he couldn't retrieve the real relic soon, he would become a cold corpse in Cheon Do-yun's hands.

"Mr. Yoo Jin."

"What is it?"

"Perhaps… should we ask Mr. Ashad for help?"

"…What?"

Ashad Khan.

A political officer from India, his senior and superior.

They both became apostles of the Owl at the same time, but Ashad had already risen to a mid-level political officer, while he was still a junior.

Indeed.

If Ashad, who had twice as many subordinates as him, helped, it would be much easier to find the guy.

Bang!

"Stop talking nonsense."

Yoo Jin narrowed his eyes and spoke in a low voice.

"S, sorry!"

The subordinate bowed his head and took a step back.

"Tsk."

Yoo Jin clicked his tongue in disappointment and turned around.

"Three days. I'll give you exactly three days."

He held up three fingers and continued.

"Within three days… bring that bastard to me. Everyone understand?"

"Yes!"

A loud voice echoed through the basement.

At that moment,

"Mr. Yoo Jin!"

One of the subordinates, who was on guard duty on the first floor, rushed down.

"What is it?"

"Someone is approaching."

"…What?"

Yoo Jin frowned.

Checking his smartphone, it was already past 8 PM.

'Who would climb a mountain at this hour?'

Even if Korea is relatively safe from monsters, it's not safe enough to wander alone in the mountains at this late hour.

The only person who might be out in the mountains at this hour—

"Is he a collector?"

After the gate opened, the power affected Earth's ecosystem.

From small plants and animals to large geographical features.

Beings imbued with 'stellar power' began to appear.

Among them, collectors were people who searched deep in the mountains for herbs and spiritual objects imbued with stellar power.

They were similar to ginseng hunters in the old days.

"Yes. He's carrying a large load on his back, so he seems to be a collector."

"Hahaha, what a unlucky guy."

Yoo Jin shrugged and clapped his hands.

"Should we deal with him right away…."

"No, it's a good thing. I'll handle it myself."

Yoo Jin turned around with a sinister smile.

Seeing blood might improve his foul mood.

"Still, just in case, everyone prepare for battle."

"Yes!"

He walked out of the observatory with light steps.

The brilliant starlight spread across the night sky.

He stood under the starlight that seemed to pour down.

"Hmm?"

As he walked out of the observatory, something leaning against the wall caught his eye.

"…A spear?"

A spear leaning against the entrance.

A high-quality spear with a faint blue glow on the blade.

'Where did it come from?'

Did one of his subordinates bring it?

He hadn't heard any other reports about it.

"Hmm."

Yoo Jin stared at the spear for a moment, then turned his head.

'I'll ask about it when I come back.'

Right now, an unknown person was approaching their hideout.

He didn't have the luxury to be distracted by trivial matters.

Of course, the probability was high that it was just a lost collector, but there was also a possibility that it was an intruder targeting their hideout.

Thud, thud.

As he walked down the mountain a bit, he saw a young man approaching their hideout.

A young man with a cold expression.

His icy gaze flashed in the darkness.

"Are you lost?"

Yoo Jin approached him with a sly smile.

"Haha. It's dangerous to wander alone at this late hour, you know."

"……"

No response.

'What is it?'

Yoo Jin narrowed his eyes and glared at the handsome young man.

Something was off.

A chilling fear spread down his spine.

"…It's you."

Lee Woo-hyuk muttered in a low voice, glaring at Yoo Jin.

The face in the composite sketch he received from the Association matched.

'This guy kidnapped my brother.'

He wanted to rush over and tear him apart, but—

'It's not certain yet.'

Until it was confirmed that he kidnapped Lee Shin-hyuk, he couldn't attack rashly.

This could all be someone's scheme.

'I'll wait a little longer.'

Lee Woo-hyuk clenched his jaw and observed Yoo Jin.

At that moment,

[President.]

A clear voice echoed in his mind.

Kim Se-yeong.

His advisor and the deputy president of the Valhalla Guild.

While he was drawing the attention of the Black Star, she had secretly approached their hideout.

To find undeniable, decisive evidence.

And.

[We found Shin-hyuk's spear.]

"……"

The evidence he was looking for.

It was found.

Boom!!!

A rough magical power exploded from Lee Woo-hyuk's body.

The Leo constellation mark on his left chest glowed brightly, and a fierce wind swept through.

"H, huh!"

Yoo Jin's face turned pale.

'What the hell!'

He wasn't just a collector.

He was— an intruder targeting the Black Star.

'Is it… Black Lion Lee Woo-hyuk?'

The face was familiar.

The president of the Valhalla Guild, one of the candidates for the Seven Stars.

'Why would such a high-level Awakened person be here?!'

He had committed many evil deeds, but he had never provoked such an extraordinary strong person.

He had always preyed on the weak, who were far beneath him.

—Someone might call it cowardly, but isn't that how the world works?

The weak exist to be trampled.

Knowing this better than anyone,

'There's no reason for such a monster to target me!'

He bowed his head even more deeply before the strong.

"Do you want this money?"

Bang!

Lee Woo-hyuk roughly threw the trunk he was carrying on his back to the ground.

The trunk opened, and banknotes spilled out like snow.

"I prepared it all in cash."

"……?"

Yoo Jin looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Suddenly appearing and throwing a large amount of cash?

What was going on?

"If you want it— take it."

But before he could ask any more questions,

Boom!!

"Keh!"

A fierce wind swept over Yoo Jin.

"Ugh! Damn it!!"

Yoo Jin barely dodged the attack, spewing out a rough curse.

He didn't know what was happening, but—

"Kill that guy! Kill that guy!!"

To survive against that monster, he needed to call his subordinates.

Fortunately, the hideout wasn't far away.

His shout could be heard clearly.

'The guy is alone!'

If he threw in 50 subordinates, he could create a small opening.

"You thought we would fall into your trap so easily?"

"…What?"

Lee Woo-hyuk bared his teeth.

His guild members, including Kim Se-yeong, had already infiltrated near the hideout.

Before the guys could use Lee Shin-hyuk as a hostage to threaten them,

'They will strike first.'

Roar!!!

He stomped his foot roughly.

A fierce magical power swept through the area.

"Everyone—!!!!!"

The roar of a lion echoed through the dark forest.

"Charge!!!!"

Bang!! Thud! Roar!!!

As the roar echoed, over a dozen Awakened people burst out of the forest and rushed toward the observatory.

Each one was a high-level Awakened person with terrifying physical abilities.

"Leave it to us, bro!!"

Bang!!!

A young man with a large hammer shattered the tightly closed door of the observatory.

"Such a madman!"

Yoo Jin's face turned pale.

He couldn't handle just the Black Lion Lee Woo-hyuk, let alone the others?

"Why, you're surprised I'm not alone?"

Lee Woo-hyuk glared at Yoo Jin and continued.

"Where is he?"

"…What?"

Yoo Jin frowned.

'Why are you asking me that?'