Chapter 60

I am not a regressed person, Chapter 60

Heavy Rain (2)

After leaving the Valhalla Guild.

I sent a text to the whistleblower's contact number given to me by Lee Woo-hyuk to set a meeting place.

Of course, to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, I naturally obtained a suitable burner phone through the Association to make the contact.

This was not a situation where I could afford to dawdle, so the meeting was arranged swiftly.

Three hours after receiving the request from Lee Woo-hyuk.

I summoned the whistleblower to a café near Panghak Station.

‘Is it this person?’

A middle-aged man wearing a cap appeared in the café.

He must have been around forty.

His appearance was haggard, and his face was etched with fatigue.

Wrinkles on his skin bore the marks of sorrow and sadness.

Upon arriving at the café, he looked around, seemingly searching for me.

Of course.

I had no intention of meeting him without any preparation.

‘Black Curtain.’

Arriving at the café thirty minutes early, Oh Jin quietly sipped his coffee.

The Black Curtain is a characteristic that can even deceive Vega's eyes.

As long as I don't set up traps first, I can hide my body whether there are ambushes or tails around.

“...I was told to give this to you.”

After a moment, a café employee approached the middle-aged man and handed him a note.

Just delivering a note for 50,000 won.

It must have been a welcome commission for the employee.

“...”

The man nodded slightly without a word and left the café.

Oh Jin activated the Hunter's Constellation and followed him.

‘No tail seems to be following him.’

No one caught my senses.

However, I couldn't entirely trust the effectiveness of the Hunter's Constellation's mark, which isn't a representative scar.

- Thud, thud.

The man walked to the location written on the note.

When he entered a secluded alley with no one around,

“...Aaah!!”

Oh Jin released the Black Curtain and pounced on him from behind.

I covered his mouth with my hand and bound his arms and legs with a wire.

“Aaah!! Aaaah!!”

“Quiet.”

Muttering like a kidnapper threatening to kill, I pushed him into the back seat of a nearby car.

Vroom!!

I immediately started the car and sped down the road.

“Haha!!”

“Speak like that.”

The middle-aged man, bound and tied, frowned.

“...That's quite aggressive for a greeting.”

“We're not in a situation to sit down and have an ice Americano while chatting peacefully, are we?”

Oh Jin smiled and turned his head.

In the back seat, the man, who had been wriggling like a worm, managed to sit up.

“My name is Jang Seok-ho. I'm in charge of relic development at the Black Star Society.”

“Kwon Oh Jin. ...Do you know who I am?”

“How could I not know Brainwave?”

Jang Seok-ho looked at Oh Jin with a calm gaze.

“I haven't heard that Brainwave has any connection with the Valhalla Guild.”

“That's why I'm here.”

If everyone already knew, Lee Woo-hyuk wouldn't have asked me to do this, and I wouldn't have accepted it.

“So, what do you know about the Black Star Society?”

“...I can't tell you now.”

“What?”

Oh Jin frowned fiercely.

“Then why did you come out?”

“To propose a deal.”

“A deal?”

Jang Seok-ho nodded.

“If you do what I ask, I'll give you information about the Black Star Society.”

Ha.

I thought he was just a simple whistleblower, but he has other motives.

“What if I refuse?”

Do I really need to do what he asks?

Once I have him, there are plenty of ways to make him talk.

“You'll kill me?”

“I'm not that easy to kill.”

“No, I'll be the one to die.”

“What?”

I slowed down the car and turned my head.

Jang Seok-ho was biting his lip calmly.

“I have a relic that will automatically explode when I release my mana. The explosion won't be very strong, but it will be enough to kill me.”

Now that I think about it, he said he's in charge of relic development at the Black Star Society.

“Of course, if that happens, you'll lose the opportunity to get information about the Black Star Society.”

I looked at Jang Seok-ho's eyes intently.

I didn't need to check if it was just a threat.

His eyes shone with firm resolve.

“Haha!”

I got played.

“What's your request?”

“My son is being held by the Black Star Society. Help me save him, and I'll give you the information.”

My son is being held.

“Was that the reason you followed the Black Star Society?”

The Black Star Society can grant scars to ordinary people who can't awaken them.

I don't know how they perform the miracles that only constellations can, but they are rapidly expanding their influence through this.

There are as many people who want to become awakened as there are grains of sand on a beach.

‘I thought he was one of them.’

Was he forced to follow the Black Star Society?

If so, it's understandable that he harbors hatred towards them.

“Yes.”

Jang Seok-ho nodded with a stiff expression.

“It's been... three years now.”

Three years.

It's hard to imagine the despair he must have felt during those long years, forced to follow the Black Star Society's orders.

“...Why did they need to go to such lengths to keep you?”

Holding someone's child hostage to force compliance is effective, but it's costly for the organization.

They had to manage the hostage and be on guard against any betrayal.

Was it worth the effort for them?

“Relic developers are valuable. It's a bit embarrassing to say, but... I'm quite competent in this field. Not as good as that kid at the Association, though.”

Kid?

‘Ah, could it be the kid that Han Jun-man mentioned before?’

I looked at the wire shooter on my wrist.

I'm using the weapon made by a kid whose name I don't even know, and it works exceptionally well.

So, is Jang Seok-ho supplying the Black Star Society with weapons like the wire shooter, which are based on relics?

‘He's definitely a valuable talent worth the effort.’

I nodded.

I understand why the Black Star Society kidnapped Jang Seok-ho's son.

But there's one thing that bothers me.

“But is it safe for you to come and meet me like this?”

If they were holding him for that reason, the Black Star Society would surely be monitoring him closely.

“It's fine. The atmosphere has been chaotic since the last attack on the Valhalla Guild. And after three years, their surveillance has become lax.”

“Hmm.”

I narrowed my eyes.

It's suspicious, but since he says it's fine, I have to trust him for now.

‘He wouldn't come without any thought if his son's life is at risk.’

He must have been confident enough to come after receiving the contact.

“So, you'll give me the information if I save your son?”

Jang Seok-ho nodded slightly.

“What kind of information?”

“I'll tell you after you save my son.”

“Are you kidding me?”

I scowled.

You want me to save your son without knowing what information you have?

This isn't like buying a 120,000 won 50-ticket package; I can't do that.

“I need to know what information you have to decide whether to make the deal or not.”

“...”

Jang Seok-ho bit his lip anxiously.

He looks unsure of what to do if the information he has isn't valuable enough for a deal.

The value of the information is tied to his son's life, so his anxiety is understandable.

“The Black Star Society has seven factions. Each faction operates secretly in different countries to expand their influence.”

So, the Black Star Society that has been expanding in Italy is a different faction from the one in Korea?

Indeed.

I had already considered the possibility that the Black Star's constellation might not be a single entity.

Factions splitting based on constellations isn't unique to the Black Star Society.

“The information I have is about the Owls' faction among the seven factions.”

“Is that the Black Star Society operating in Korea?”

Jang Seok-ho nodded.

“Rank 6 Executioner. The King of Owls, Cheon Do-yun, leads the faction.”

“...Rank 6?”

A strong individual who single-handedly wiped out the Valhalla Guild is ranked 6.

‘Damn.’

They really have the combined strength of the seven stars.

“...Why hasn't such a large organization been known until now?”

“Most of them have been hiding in the Demon Realm. They only recently came out and started active operations.”

The Demon Realm.

The frontline of humanity.

A super-large gate with a 50km diameter located in the Arctic.

The land of monsters beyond the gate.

The Demon Realm, a land that remains 95% unexplored even nine years after the gate opened on Earth.

‘If they were there... it makes sense that they weren't known.’

The Demon Realm is on a different scale from the typical gates.

It's said to be as large as Earth, so the term "different scale" is an understatement.

“So, you know everything about the Owl faction?”

“I don't know everything. Especially about the headquarters where Cheon Do-yun is, it's top-secret, and I, a low-ranking member, can't even approach it.”

“Then what do you know?”

“...I know the approximate locations of the branches and some information about the high-ranking officials.”

“Hmm.”

That's not bad.

No, given that we're completely cut off from information, even a small clue is crucial.

‘It's enough, but...’

Should I try to get more?

“Is there anything else?”

“...”

“It seems a bit insufficient for the value of your son's life.”

“...”

Jang Seok-ho clenched his fists and let out a groan.

“I have information about the Black Star Society's plans... not the specifics, but I know why they started their activities outside the Demon Realm.”

“Hmm.”

That was one of the things I was most curious about.

“Do you have a photo of your son or something?”

“...Can you untie me a bit?”

“Ah, wait a moment.”

Jang Seok-ho looked at the wire binding his body.

- Creak!

I parked the car by the roadside and untied the wire.

“This is a video I took with my son three years ago.”

Jang Seok-ho handed me his smartphone.

- Heehee! Daddy!! Come quick!!

A child, who looked to be in the lower grades of elementary school, ran happily with a bright smile.

“Ah!”

Jang Seok-ho's eyes welled up as he watched the video.

“P-Please!!”

Emotions must have overwhelmed him after watching the video.

Jang Seok-ho got out of the car and knelt down.

“Please... please save my son!! I'll give you all the information I have, please!!!”

Boom!

He hit the ground with his forehead.

Struggling, pleading.

“...”

I looked at the child in the video, who was smiling brightly.

A smile so pure, as if he knew nothing of the world's darkness.

Can all children with parents smile like that?

‘I don't know.’

I've never had one, so I don't know.

“Name.”

“Huh?”

“What's your son's name?”

“Hyun-woo. Jang Hyun-woo.”

“How old is he?”

“He should be 10 now.”

“When is his birthday?”

“...Why are you asking that?”

“Answer quickly.”

“March 12th.”

“What's his favorite food?”

“He used to like oranges.”

“Height and weight? Three years ago.”

“I'm not sure about his height, but he weighed about 25 kilograms.”

“Got it.”

Then,

“Answer the questions in reverse order. Weight, favorite food, birthday, age, name.”

“...?”

Jang Seok-ho opened his mouth, looking confused.

“I just answered them, didn't I? 25 kilograms, oranges, March 12th, 10 years old, Hyun-woo.”

He answered smoothly.

I smiled and nodded.

“Get in the car.”

The deal is on.