After exiting the Valhalla guild, Ohjin messaged the whistle-blower through the contact he received from Lee Woohyuk and decided on a location for a secret rendezvous.
Just in case, he made contact using a burner phone received from the Association. Because it was a matter that couldn't be delayed, their meeting happened promptly.
Three hours after receiving the request from Lee Woohyuk, he called the whistle-blower to a cafe nearby Banghak Station.
‘Is that him?’
A middle-aged man made his appearance at the cafe wearing a pressed-down hat.
He seemed to be around forty years of age.
He wore a haggard outfit and had a tired face.
Depression and sadness seemed to darken his wrinkled skin.
After arriving at the cafe, he looked around in search of Ohjin.
It was stating the obvious, but Ohjin had no plans on meeting him without making preparations in advance.
‘Black Curtain.’
Ohjin, who had arrived at the cafe 30 minutes in advance, killed his presence and raised his coffee.
Black Curtain was a trait that could fool even Vega’s eyes.
As long as he didn't step up first, whether it was lying in ambush or tracing one's tail, he would be able to hide his body.
"Um… a person who came by earlier told me to hand this to you."
After a short amount of time, a cafe employee approached the man and handed over a note.
The employee received $50 just for handing over a single note.
It was a request the employee welcomed with open arms.
"…"
The man slightly nodded his head and then exited the cafe.
Ohjin activated the stigma of the Hunting Dogs and followed.
‘There doesn't seem to be anyone tailing me.'
His senses didn’t pick up on any people for the time being. However, that didn't mean he could fully trust the effects of the stigma of the Hunting Dogs since it wasn't his main stigma.
Thud, thud—
The man walked towards the location written inside the note.
When he entered a gloomy alley that hadn't a single trace of humans—
"…Uuub!!"
—Ohjin released Black Curtain and ambushed him.
He covered the man’s mouth with his hands and used the wires to tie up his arms and legs.
"Uuuub!! Uuuuuub!!"
"Quiet."
After speaking to him in a low voice like some kind of kidnapper threatening death, he pushed him inside the back seats of a car that was parked nearby.
Vroooooom—
Ohjin turned on the engine right away and raced down the roads.
"Fuhaa!!"
"You can still talk in that state."
The middle-aged man, who had his arms and legs tied up, narrowed his eyes.
"…Quite aggressive for a greeting."
"We're not in the situation to relax and talk over a cup of ice americano, are we?"
Ohjin smirked as he looked back.
He could see that the man, who was wriggling like a caterpillar in the back seat, had managed to raise his body and squirm into a proper sitting position.
"I'm Jang Sukho, the one in charge of star relic development at the Black Star Organization."
"Gwon Ohjin. Well… you know who I am, right?"
"Of course I know about the Lightning Wolf."
Jang Sukho observed Ohjin with calm eyes.
"I'd never heard that the Lightning Wolf had connections with the Valhalla guild."
"That’s why I’m here."
If it was a fact everyone knew, Lee Woohyuk wouldn't have asked for such a request, and Ohjin wouldn't have accepted it, either.
‘Well, then. So what is it you know about the Black Star Organization?"
"…I can't tell you right now."
"What?" Ohjin frowned.
"Then why did you show up?"
"I came to propose a deal."
"A deal?"
Jang Sukho nodded his head.
"If you carry out my request, I'll hand over information about the Black Star Organization."
Sigh—
Ohjin thought he was a simple whistle-blower, but he was someone who was acting with a separate goal in mind.
"And if I don't want to?"
Was there really a need to go out of his way to listen to his request? With him already caught, there were many ways to make him talk.
"Death."
"I'm not one to die that easily, you know?"
"No. The one dying is me."
"What?"
Decreasing the speed of the car, he looked back.
Jang Sukho was biting on his lips gently with a calm face.
"I came here equipped with a star relic on my chest that explodes once mana is sent into it. The explosion isn't that powerful, but it'll be more than enough to kill me."
Thinking about it once again, he had said that he was in charge of star relic development in the Black Star Organization.
"Once that happens, the opportunity to obtain information about the Black Star Organization will naturally disappear alongside me."
Ohjin silently looked into Jang Sukho's gaze. There was a need to confirm whether he was saying it as a simple bluff or not.
Heated determination was gleaming in his eyes.
"Tch."
‘It's my defeat.'
* * *
* * *
"What's your request?"
"My son has been captured by the Black Star Organization. Save that child, and I'll hand over the information."
"Is that the reason you follow the Black Star Organization?"
The Black Star Organization could grant stigmas to regular people who couldn't awaken to one. It was unknown what method they used to create a miracle only celestials could, but they were increasing their forces rapidly through it.
After all, the number of people who wished to become Awakeners was scattered all over the place like ashes at sea.
‘I thought he would be in that category.'
If he was forced into following the Black Star Organization, it was also understandable why he held a grudge against them.
"Yes."
Jang Sukho nodded his head with a stiff face.
"And even that… started three years ago."
Three years.
It wasn't easy to imagine the despair he felt during the long period of time he was forced into following the orders of the Black Star Organization.
"…Was there a need for them to capture your son?"
Taking his son hostage to make him follow them forcefully was certainly effective, but it would also take a lot of resources for the group. Not only would they have to take care of the captured hostage, but they would also have to be careful of Jang Sukho's betrayal.
Did that mean his value was worth going through all that trouble?
"Personnel that can develop star relics professionally are valuable. It's a bit embarrassing to say it with my own mouth, but… I'm quite competent in this field. Though it might not be as much as that kid in the Association."
‘Kid?'
‘Ah, is the kid he's referring to the one Han Joonman mentioned before?'
Ohjin looked down at the wire shooters equipped on his arms.
He was using the armaments made by a kid who he didn't even know the name of. It could mean that Jang Sukho was supplying the Black Star Organization with armaments made with starstones as a base, such as the wire shooter.
‘Then he certainly is an individual that’s worth the trouble.’
Ohjin nodded his head.
He understood why the Black Star Organization kidnapped Jang Sukho’s son, but there was one thing that weighed on his mind.
“Is it okay for you to come to meet me like this?”
If they were holding onto him for those reasons, it was obvious that they would monitor him closely.
“It’s alright. They’re in a disordered state with the recent Valhalla guild’s ambush; they’ve also been lax in their monitoring starting from around the three-year mark.”
“Hmm.”
Ohjin narrowed his eyes.
He wasn’t satisfied with that, but there was no choice but to believe in his words for the moment.
‘Jang Sukho shouldn’t have come here without thinking it through; he’s in a situation where his son could be killed if he’s caught.’
“So, you’ll hand over information if I save your son?”
Jang Sukho nodded slightly.
“What kind of information is it?”
“I’ll tell you that after you save my son.”
“Are you messing with me?” Ohjin frowned.
Saving his son without even knowing what kind of information he possessed? He couldn’t do that when he was making a deal with an unknown person that had no guarantee.
“Won’t I need to know what kind of information you have to decide if I want to commence this deal or not?”
“…”
Jang Sukho chewed on his lips with a nervous expression.
It was an expression like he didn’t know what he would do if his information didn’t hold enough value. As the value of that information was connected with his son's life, his becoming nervous was understandable.
“There are a total of seven factions in the Black Star Organization. Each faction is divided into different countries and is secretly growing their forces.”
This meant that the Black Star Organization that was recently increasing its forces in Italy was a different faction from Korea's.
He had already thought of the possibility that there would be more than one Black Star’s celestial. Factions being divided by celestials was not something that was unique to the Black Star Organization.
“Out of the seven factions, the information I have a hold of is regarding the apostles of the Owl Nebula.”
“That’s the one active in Korea, correct?”
Jang Suhko nodded his head.
“It’s the faction led by the King of Owls, Cheon Doyoon, who is ranked 6th out of the Executors.”
“…He’s ranked 6th?”
The powerful being that had swept the Valhalla guild alone was ranked 6th.
‘Fuck.’
There was a possibility that their forces could actually amount to all of the Seven Stars combined.
“…Just how was an organization of that size unknown until now?”
“It’s because most of them are hiding inside the Demon Realm. It hasn’t been long since they started their activities in earnest after leaving the Demon Realm.”
Demon Realm.
It was the place known as the front line of humanity.
Located at the North Pole, there stands an extremely large gate that reaches a diameter of 50km.
The Demon Realm was the ‘Land of Monsters’ that exists beyond there.
Despite it being nine years since gates first appeared on Earth, the unknown land had not even been explored more than 5%.
‘If they were in there… it’s not surprising that their names aren’t known.’
The scale of the Demon Realm was in a different league from the common gates you could find elsewhere. When the current estimations said that its size was comparable to Earth, even the expression ‘different league’ wasn’t enough.
“So, do you know the Owl faction like the back of your hand?”
“I don’t know everything. In particular, the HQ where Cheon Doyoon resides. It’s first-class confidential information that a small fry like me couldn’t even dare to access.”
“Then what do you know about?”
“…An approximate location of the branches and information regarding a few high-rank Templars.”
“Hmm.”
That amount of information wasn’t bad.
No, when their information was on the verge of getting entirely cut off, they couldn’t miss out on even a single minor lead.
‘It’s more than enough, but should I try to reel in a little more?’
“Is there nothing else?”
“…”
“I think that’s a little insufficient for the price of your son.”
“…ah.”
Jang Sukhu gulped as he clenched his fists.
“I have… information about the Black Star Organization’s plans. I don’t know the details, but I know why they started to leave the Demon Realm and start their activities.”
“Ho.”
That just so happened to be one of the things he was most curious about.
“Do you have a photo of your son or something like that?”
“…Could you untie these for me?” asked Jang Sukho as he looked down at the wires that tied up his body.
“Ah, wait a minute.”
Skrrr—
Ohjin stopped the car at a nearby alleyway and released the wires.
“This is a recording I filmed with my son three years ago.”
-Hehe! Dad! Hurry up!!
Ohjin could see a child smiling brightly that looked to be a primary student in the early grades.
“Khm!”
While watching the video, Jang Sukho's eyes began to water.
“P-Please!!”
As his emotions became intense from the recording, Jang Sukho exited the car and got on his knees.
“Please… Please save my child!! I’ll give you all the information I know, so please!!!”
Bang!—
Pounding his forehead on the ground…
Struggling desperately…
He spat out his plea.
“…”
Ohjin’s eyes softened at the child who was smiling brightly in the recording.
The child smiled as if he knew none of the world’s darkness.
A smile that was overwhelmingly innocent.
Would all children with parents be able to put on that kind of smile?
‘Hm.’
He didn’t know since he had never had one.
“Name.”
“Hm?”
“What’s your son’s name?”
“Hyunwoo. It’s Jang Hyunwoo.”
“Age?”
“He’s 10-years-old now.”
“When’s his birthday?”
“…Why are you asking me these questions?”
“Answer quickly.”
“March 12th.”
“Favorite food?”
“He likes oranges.”
“Height and weight? Based on three years ago.”
“Let me see… I’m not sure about his height since I’ve never measured it accurately, but he weighed around 25kg.”
“Is that so?”
“Now answer what I asked in reverse. His weight, favorite food, birthday, age, and name.”
“…?”
Jang Sukho opened his mouth with a face that expressed his skepticism.
“Didn’t I answer all those questions just moments ago? 25kg, oranges, March 12th, 10-years-old, Hyunwoo.”
He answered without a hitch.
Ohjin smirked as he nodded his head.
“Get in.”
The deal was established.
