Chapter 70

I Am Not a Reincarnator Chapter 70

Mind, Qi, Body (3)

"Uh, hmm."

Riak turned his gaze slightly to the side and muttered.

"...I'm sorry."

"......"

"I didn't expect it to turn out like this."

Oh Jin, who was huddled naked, glared fiercely at Riak.

He slowly got up, put on his underwear and pants, and let out a deep sigh.

"Haa. So, what's the problem?"

"Take a look at your body."

"Body?"

Oh Jin stood in front of the mirror and spread his arms.

Thanks to consistent training, his body was chiseled with muscles, but...

"Oh, that's it."

Clap.

Ha Eun clapped her hands.

"What is it?"

Oh Jin tilted his head, clearly confused.

"Look at your body properly. You're so skinny, it looks like you might break."

"Ah, it's not that bad…."

Oh Jin examined himself in the mirror again.

"......"

"Right?"

As she said.

His body was so thin that his ribs were clearly visible, despite having some muscle.

"Ah…."

Usually, he didn't notice it much.

But now, after being pointed out, he realized he was indeed very thin.

"Phew. I've been thinking this kid has been too skinny since last time!"

Ha Eun smacked his back and scolded him.

"Ugh. So, what should I do?"

"What should you do? Are you asking something obvious?"

Riak opened a drawer with his mouth.

Creak!

Cheap calorie bars filled the drawer and tumbled out.

"First, throw all of these away."

"But, how can you waste such precious food…."

"Eating this crap is why your body is in such a mess!"

Riak roared and summoned lightning.

Zzzz!

Blue lightning burned the calorie bars black.

"Aah!! What are you doing!!"

Oh Jin screamed in shock and hugged the charred calorie bars.

"This is several days' worth of food!!"

It's super food; you can survive with just two a day!!!

"Haa."

Riak sighed deeply.

He looked at Ha Eun with a reproachful gaze.

"How did it come to this?"

"Uh, hmm. Well, you see."

Ha Eun averted her eyes, looking awkward.

Since she was the main reason Oh Jin ended up like this, it was hard to scold him.

"Anyway."

Riak spoke with a firm expression.

"From now on, eat high-protein meat along with various vegetables."

"Huh? Is that all?"

Oh Jin asked, looking disappointed.

He thought there would be some grand issue with the balance of mind, qi, and body.

But it turned out to be as simple as eating well.

Isn't that too simple?

"You've been neglecting even this simple thing until now."

"Ugh."

He had no excuse.

Even after Ha Eun helped him get the Dragon Eye, and his financial situation improved, he rarely spent more than 5,000 won a day on food.

'Even though I got scolded by my sister for eating too poorly.'

It was a habit deeply ingrained in him, hard to change.

"Your body is the vessel that holds 'mind' and 'qi.' Why don't you pay attention to this important vessel when you're so obsessed with the other two?"

"…I have no excuse."

He was indeed in the wrong.

As a living being,

nothing affects the body more directly than an imbalanced diet.

"Great! Since it's come to this, let's really eat until we burst today!"

Ha Eun exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

"Sis?"

"Kyahaha! Come to think of it, we haven't even had a housewarming party yet, right? I'll make delicious food to celebrate and help you recover quickly!"

"No."

If she makes it, it will probably destroy the dishes.

"Trust, trust me! This time, I can really make it well!"

She sounded like a gambler who had lost everything.

Oh Jin looked at her doubtfully.

"Ah! If you make it, I'll eat it properly, kid!"

Thump thump.

Ha Eun swung her fist.

"Phew! Alright. Then I'll trust your skills, sis."

"Hehe. Just trust me, okay?"

Ha Eun raised her nose and rolled up her sleeves.

[Hehe. This looks fun. Since it's for my beloved child… I can't just stand by!]

Vega also showed interest, her eyes gleaming.

Thus, Oh Jin lay on the bed, waiting for the two women to finish cooking.

"Kyaah! What is this?!"

[Mmm. Is it necessary to roast it with fire? A single lightning strike from me can turn this into ashes instantly.]

"No, don't turn it into ashes!!"

Truly, the sounds coming from the kitchen were incredibly unsettling.

"…Riak."

"What?"

"Wouldn't it have been better to just eat the calorie bars?"

"……"

Riak turned his head and tightly closed his mouth.

"Haa."

He sighed deeply and got up from the bed.

He took out the USB he received from Jang Seok-ho.

'I should check the information while I'm at it.'

After all, he went through all that trouble to get this information.

"……"

Oh Jin looked down at the USB with a bitter expression.

Tsk.

He clicked his tongue and took out an old laptop, plugging in the USB.

"This is."

As Oh Jin read through the information, his eyes narrowed.

The purpose of the Black Star Society, as Jang Seok-ho had mentioned.

"…To kill all the Awakened and then make everyone equal Awakened?"

So, that was the purpose of the Black Star Society.

"Hah."

Oh Jin chuckled.

'Good to know it's simple.'

There couldn't be a more straightforward plan.

Click.

He scrolled down with the mouse wheel.

"Postscript. This purpose is only the public one; each faction has its own plans and goals."

Well, as expected.

'No one would follow such a crazy plan willingly.'

This is just a public goal.

It's merely a good-looking bait to expand their influence.

"I can see what they're up to."

As Oh Jin reviewed the documents, he clicked his tongue.

'They're trying to gather non-Awakened by making Awakened a kind of privileged class.'

In the modern world, there are two types of people.

Awakened, who have the marks of the constellations, and ordinary people who don't.

In a world where monsters run rampant, it's obvious which is the privileged class.

'The Black Star Society can give non-Awakened the marks to make them Awakened.'

That's why.

They're using it.

The hatred non-Awakened have for Awakened.

"…It seems even Jang Seok-ho doesn't know the real purpose."

As a mere underling, the information Jang Seok-ho could know was limited to this.

'Well, anyway.'

Even if it's just on the surface, the plan to eliminate all Awakened is one of their main goals.

'They definitely need to be dealt with as soon as possible.'

Oh Jin narrowed his eyes and opened another file on the USB.

The file contained the locations of several branches and information about the officials of the Owl faction, as Jang Seok-ho had mentioned.

While reviewing the information, a name caught his eye.

"Cheon Woo-sung…."

Oh Jin recalled Ashad Khan's memories.

'Was the person Ashad Khan was talking to Cheon Woo-sung?'

The representative of the king and the actual leader of the Owl faction.

"I need to tell Mr. Junman."

He was already planning to visit the association, and this was good information.

Thud.

He closed the laptop and put the USB back in his pocket.

'I'll visit the association tomorrow.'

As Riak warned, he might as well rest today.

-Click!

"Oh Jin! Dinner is ready!"

Ha Eun, with sauce on her face, entered the room with a bright smile.

Oh Jin went to the living room with a bitter smile.

"Here! This is my nutrient-packed meal!"

[Hehe! I also prepared it with great care!]

Ha Eun and Vega, sitting on either side, simultaneously extended their spoons.

How often in life would he enjoy such a luxury?

'Well, of course.'

The taste was terrible, but.

* * *

The next day.

Oh Jin headed straight to the association as soon as he woke up.

"…You mean Cheon Woo-sung is part of the Black Star Society?"

The expression of the section chief, who had heard the information from Jang Seok-ho, hardened.

"Yes. According to the information I found, that's correct."

"Hah. I never thought he…."

"Is there a problem within the association?"

"……"

The section chief held his head.

"Mr. Oh Jin, as you might have guessed… the association is now completely divided into two factions."

Indeed.

There are internal faction issues.

And one of them has been infiltrated by Cheon Woo-sung.

"One side is the line I belong to, led by the president. The other side is the line led by the board members. Among them, the leader of the board members…."

"Is Cheon Woo-sung, I see."

"…Yes."

A deep sigh echoed in the office.

"I thought I would have to tell Mr. Oh Jin someday… but it turned out like this."

"Was there a reason you called me to the association?"

"…Haha. Mr. Oh Jin, you're sharp."

He nodded with a bitter smile.

"Yes. Of course, there was a purpose to raise the association's status, but there was also a reason to bring the apostle of the North Star to our side."

So, that's why he was offered an ambiguous position rather than a formal one.

'If I become a formal member, the other faction would have the authority to give me orders.'

The feeling of questions being resolved one by one.

'Well, I did think it was a bit strange.'

Until now, he had been part of the association but had almost no direct contact with anyone except the section chief.

Of course, he did meet another special agent in between, but that was an exception.

'They were deliberately limiting contact with me.'

In a situation where it was unclear which faction everyone belonged to.

He was in charge of contact with him, being one of the clear 'president's line.'

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

Whether the association is divided into two or three factions, it's not his concern.

But if the Black Star Society has infiltrated the other side, it's a different story.

"…No. We will handle this matter for now."

The section chief shook his head and continued.

"If we need Mr. Oh Jin's help, we will ask for it then."

"Of course…."

"Of course. You don't need to worry about the appropriate compensation."

He smiled, as if he knew everything.

'As expected, this guy is easy to talk to.'

If there's a proper reward and justification.

There's no reason to refuse the offer.

'There is a bit of a problem, though.'

Cheon Woo-sung is still an enemy he can't handle with his current strength.

He barely won against a mid-level official; defeating a core member of the Black Star Society, known as the 'representative of the king,' is a distant dream.

'For now, I should trust and wait for Mr. Junman.'

Even if he fights alone, he can't face Cheon Woo-sung.

It would be wiser to build his strength in the meantime.

"Ah, by the way. And this."

Oh Jin extended the wire shooter and spear he had brought to the table.

The section chief looked at the completely broken weapons and chuckled.

"They're thoroughly broken."

"Ahem."

He cleared his throat and turned his head.

"In that sense, I would like to request the creation of new weapons."

"Hmm… just a moment."

The section chief picked up the broken weapons and stood up.

"Ah, since it's come to this, would you like to meet the person in charge? It would be better to create a weapon optimized for Mr. Oh Jin."

"Meet?"

He smiled and opened the office door.

"You'll see when you come in."

[Character Information: Cheon Woo-sung]

-Son of the King of Owls, Cheon Do-yun. Known as the representative of the king, he practically manages the Black Star Society.

-Currently believed to have infiltrated the association.