Chapter 61

I Am Not a Reincarnator Chapter 61

Heavy Rain (3)

"...Thank you."

Inside the moving car.

Jang Seok-ho bowed his head deeply.

His shoulders were visibly trembling.

"Really, really, thank you."

"I know, I know."

After hearing the repeated gratitude, Oh Jin let out a hollow laugh in response.

It wasn't something that deserved thanks.

The reason for saving his son was solely to obtain information.

It was merely a transaction, a fair exchange for a just price.

"Was your name Oh Jin?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Can you take this?"

Jang Seok-ho pulled out a bracelet from his pocket.

It was an orange bracelet with three knots.

"What is this?"

Oh Jin took the bracelet Jang Seok-ho offered.

A blue window appeared before his eyes.

[Guardian Talisman of the Three Sages (三賢)]

"......!"

Oh Jin's eyes widened.

While the solid 5-star rating was impressive, the effect was particularly attractive.

"This is my masterpiece, created before I was captured. Fortunately, it remained a simple bracelet until the security magic on the relic was removed, so they didn't take it from me."

"You're just going to give this to me?"

"From now on... we're going to save my son. I brought it hoping it would be of some help."

Jang Seok-ho smiled bitterly.

"I originally made it to give to Hyun-woo... but I want you to use it."

"......"

An orange bracelet with three knots.

Now that he thought about it, Jang Seok-ho had mentioned that his son liked oranges.

"A gift for your son?"

"Hyun-woo is quite a rascal. I made this in case he fell down the stairs or something."

To make a 5-star relic because his son might fall?

It was an excessive love.

Is that what all fathers are like?

Oh Jin smiled as he put the bracelet on his wrist under the wire shooter.

"Are you going to ask for it back later?"

"Haha! Got it."

Though the bracelet carried a heavy story, there was no reason not to use it.

'Got lucky.'

An unexpected bonus on top of the information.

The corners of Oh Jin's mouth rose to the sky.

'Well, since I got extra compensation, I might as well work hard.'

Though he had been a con artist who lived off others his whole life, he never thought of taking advantage of the situation for personal gain.

He still hadn't obtained the most important information about the Black Star Society.

"By the way, do you know where your son is being held?"

He asked smoothly, turning the steering wheel.

The car moved much more smoothly than when he first drove.

At this rate, Vega wouldn't have to panic and hide in her necklace.

"I've known the location for half a year."

"...Really?"

So for half a year, he knew where his son was being held but didn't move to save him.

'Was the surveillance lax because of that?'

If he had such superhuman patience, it wasn't hard to imagine what his daily life was like.

"Scale?"

"Probably no more than five people manage it. It's an embarrassing place to call a branch."

Indeed.

It was just a place holding one child.

There was no reason for it to be large.

Honestly, five people seemed excessive.

'Probably just one, right?'

Jang Seok-ho wasn't the only one whose child, parent, lover, or friend was held hostage.

If they could do it once, they could do it again.

They wouldn't care about the terrifying despair the hostages felt.

No, they might even laugh and enjoy it.

Few things are as enjoyable as someone else's pain.

"Then, should we go there now?"

He asked if there was anything else to prepare.

"Better to go now. Time... isn't on our side."

"Isn't on our side?"

"I pretended to leave to gather materials for relic development. If we're late, they'll notice."

Then, time was indeed tight.

"Where should we go?"

"There's an abandoned warehouse in Namyangju. We should head there."

"Got it."

It wasn't too far.

'By the time we arrive, it will be evening.'

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, looking up at the dark, heavy clouds in the sky.

Not bad weather.

For a covert attack, darkness is better than light, no need to argue about it.

"Hold on tight."

"Huh?"

Vroom!!

"Whoa!"

He stepped on the accelerator and sped down the road.

* * *

-Screech!!

They parked the car a bit away from the warehouse Jang Seok-ho mentioned.

"From here, we'll walk."

He said, getting out of the car.

Jang Seok-ho, drenched in cold sweat, followed him out.

"Huff! Huff! Phew... Rough driving."

"I've only been driving for a short time."

He chuckled and started walking.

It was about a 15-minute walk to the warehouse.

He activated the Hunting Dog constellation and scanned the surroundings for anything suspicious.

'Nothing particularly stands out.'

It was indeed an embarrassing place to call a branch, as Jang Seok-ho said.

"Hyun-woo, just a little longer. Dad's coming."

He heard Jang Seok-ho's low muttering.

As they got closer to the warehouse, he clenched his fists with an excited expression.

"...You haven't met in three years?"

The eerie silence made him uneasy, so he asked.

"No. I only received occasional photos."

Jang Seok-ho answered in a low voice.

"Do you have those photos now?"

"Here."

Jang Seok-ho handed him the photos.

There were five photos.

The photos were blurry, but they showed the son he had seen in the video.

A photo of a child awkwardly smiling, trapped in what looked like a basement.

To show this to a father?

"......"

A strange sense of discomfort spread down his spine.

A sticky, extremely unpleasant sensation.

"Is there a problem?"

"...No."

Shaking his head, he handed the photos back to Jang Seok-ho.

He put the photo of the awkwardly smiling child in his pocket as if it were a precious treasure.

"Let's go."

After walking for about 10 more minutes, they saw the warehouse in the distance.

'It's in better condition than I thought.'

He had imagined a dilapidated warehouse like in a crime movie.

But it was in better condition than expected.

If Jang Seok-ho hadn't told him, he might have mistaken it for a normally operating warehouse.

"Huff, huff, huff!"

"Stay calm."

As the warehouse came into view, Jang Seok-ho's breathing became rough.

He grabbed the back of his neck, as if he was about to run over.

"I know how you feel, so stay calm."

It was a lie.

He couldn't understand the profound emotions Jang Seok-ho was feeling.

"Ugh! Damn... Damn it."

Jang Seok-ho bit his lip, recalling the past three years with rough curses.

His breathing gradually calmed down.

"Stay here. I'll go in and come out alone."

If he could use the Black Curtain on Jang Seok-ho, it would be different.

But since he couldn't, it was better for him to go in alone.

"But—"

"Do you want to see your son get hurt?"

If the infiltration was detected,

he couldn't guarantee the safety of the captured son.

"...Got it."

Jang Seok-ho clenched his fists so hard that his tendons showed, and nodded.

Oh Jin used the Black Curtain and approached the warehouse in a low posture.

Then,

"You can't hide from us."

"Haha! We knew you'd come here!"

"Such a great fatherly love!"

Three unpleasant, split voices.

A hearty, general-like voice.

A voice so high it seemed to tear.

Three voices echoed in the open space in front of the warehouse.

"......!"

Jang Seok-ho's eyes widened as he looked at the three people walking calmly towards them.

His eyes were filled with shock.

"You, why are you here?"

"Who are they?"

He asked, dispelling the Black Curtain.

The Black Curtain was a technique to hide one's presence.

Now that they were seen, hiding was pointless.

"Those are the Owls of Khan!! They shouldn't be here...!"

Jang Seok-ho shouted, trembling with fear.

'The Owls of Khan?'

Elite soldiers of Ashad Khan?

"Are they also officials?"

"No, but they are all 6-star Awakened! In the branch, they are the strongest after Ashad Khan...!"

6-star Awakened.

'In terms of stars, they are on par with Yujin, who was a low-ranking official.'

'But since he said they are not officials, they are probably below Yujin.'

Not all 6-star Awakened have the same power.

Even with the same star mark, the power gap can vary widely depending on the proficiency of the star mark.

The higher the star, the more pronounced the gap.

-Hum.

He activated the Hunting Dog constellation and smelled the black star magic flowing from them.

'Probably one or two levels below Yujin.'

The problem was that there were three of them, not one.

Of course, even considering that,

'Worth a try.'

Oh Jin loosened up his body.

The star mark of the Lyre constellation shone brightly, and blue lightning crackled.

"What are you doing?"

"What else? Infiltration is out of the question, so we need a different plan."

If there are no witnesses, it's called an assassination, right?

Though unexpected interference had occurred,

if he killed them all here, the result would be the same.

'No, not exactly the same... but close enough.'

Oh Jin narrowed his eyes and observed the 'Owls of Khan'.

They were waiting outside as if they knew Jang Seok-ho would come.

It meant that the surveillance on Jang Seok-ho had never been lax.

Looking at this situation, it might even be said that they deliberately created a gap in the surveillance.

'That means...'

Oh Jin closed his eyes tightly.

A sticky, unpleasant feeling spread down his spine.

It felt like discovering a toilet seat covered in excrement.

"Hehehe! You really brought the brain!"

"This will make Lord Khan very happy!"

"The main culprit who ruined Lord Khan's great plan!"

They chattered incessantly.

Maybe because they were birds, they talked a lot.

'Sure enough. The relationship between me and the Valhalla Guild has leaked.'

How, he would think about later.

He didn't have the luxury to ponder it calmly.

"Didn't you hear me?! They are 6-star Awakened!!"

Jang Seok-ho grabbed his shoulder and shouted urgently.

"Heard it."

"But why...?"

"Are you going to surrender?"

"That, that's—"

Jang Seok-ho's mouth tightened.

"I heard you are definitely 4-star."

"I know."

"Then—!"

Was he trying to say that facing three 6-star Awakened was absurd?

He wasn't wrong.

In a normal situation,

the difference between 4-star and 6-star is desperate.

'In a normal situation, that is.'

He chuckled and gripped the silver spear on his back.

"Hehehe! What a bold kid?"

"Did you become so arrogant just because you got the North Star mark?"

The three owls raised their weapons with mocking expressions.

From left to right, a sword, an axe, and a scythe.

Despite their grandiose lines, they cautiously surrounded him.

They watched his movements with sharp eyes, gauging the right moment to attack.

'Even against a 4-star, they don't let their guard down.'

It didn't matter.

He never intended to rely on their carelessness.

"Chah!"

The owl with the axe lunged forward.

Swish!!

Black feathers wrapped around the axe and shot forward.

-Ting!

A translucent shield appeared before his eyes.

One of the three knots on the orange bracelet lost its light.

Clank!

He deflected the axe that followed with the spear tilted diagonally.

"Ugh! Damn! This kid has a defensive relic!"

Perhaps because his attack was so easily blocked,

the owl with the axe's expression twisted.

But only for a moment.

"Then, how about this?!"

A scythe from the right and a sword from the left sharply lunged at him.

"Sigh."

He took a light breath.

'Blue Lightning.'

Three consecutive strikes.

-Crack!

Three streams of lightning spread in a fan shape.

"Aaaah!!"

"Ugh!! Damn it!"

The two screamed as the lightning flowed through their weapons.

"Ugh!"

The owl with the axe twisted his face and backed away.

He extended his spear to aim at him.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Black feathers covered the axe blade.

Using the wide axe blade as a shield, he blocked the spear.

Clank!

The spear blade couldn't penetrate the black feathers and made a metallic sound.

"Hahaha!! Not bad, but the power difference is inevitable!"

The owl with the axe burst into hearty laughter.

As he said,

the lightning-wrapped spear tip was being pushed back by the black feathers.

"Is that so?"

Oh Jin pushed the spear forward and placed his palm on the spear shaft.

"How about this?"

[Activate 《Explosive Lightning (爆雷) Lv3》.]

Boom!

Like a nail being hammered.

The explosion of lightning from his palm pushed the spear forward.

Clank.

The axe blade slightly bent.

"Wh-what?"

The owl with the axe's expression was filled with confusion.

[Activate 《Explosive Lightning (爆雷) Lv3》.]

Boom!!

Once more.

The blue lightning explosion pushed the spear forward.

The spear blade pierced the axe blade.

[Activate 《Explosive Lightning (爆雷) Lv3》.]

Crack.

The axe blade began to split.

"Wait, wait!"

The owl with the axe shouted desperately.

Of course,

there was no reason to listen.

"I still have one more."

Oh Jin smiled and placed his palm on the end of the spear shaft.

'Explosive Lightning.'

Five consecutive strikes.

-Boom!

An explosion of lightning far more powerful than before struck the spear.

The axe blade shattered, and the spear pierced the owl's head.

Crunch!

Brain matter, eyeballs, and blood mixed and splattered.

-Ding!

[《Blue Lightning (蒼雷) Lv3》 has been upgraded to 《Blue Lightning (蒼雷) Lv4》!]

[《Explosive Lightning (爆雷) Lv3》 has been upgraded to 《Explosive Lightning (爆雷) Lv4》!]

He dismissed the blue message window that appeared before his eyes.

"One down."

He bared his teeth at the remaining two.

"......"

"......"

Silence fell like a curtain.

"Wh-what the...?"

Jang Seok-ho, unable to close his mouth, looked down at the dead body of the 'Owl of Khan', who had met his end less than a minute after the battle began.

-Artisan-crafted 5-star relic. Can be used three times a day. Creates a powerful protective shield to protect the wearer.