Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: Owl Hunt (5)
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“Heh…”
The woman with the short black hair had a dazed look in her eyes.
She staggered to her feet, her mouth hanging open slack-jawed.
‘So I can even control an intermediate-level Executive.’
Of course, I had to poison and threaten her to successfully dominate her, but still.
Regardless, it was astonishing to think I could so easily subdue an Awakened of the same rank as Ashad Khan—the same man who'd beaten me to a pulp just a few months ago.
‘I really have gotten stronger, and fast.’
Well, to be honest, the woman I just subdued seemed far inferior to Ashad Khan, despite sharing the same rank.
Even if she were on his level, I was confident I could take her down without much trouble.
‘Then again, if we're just talking about Stars, I'm still below Ashad Khan.’
He was a 7-Star back then, so purely based on Star rank, he's still one step above me.
But after fighting so many 8-Star Awakened recently, a 7-Star feels like nothing.
No.
In fact, a 7-Star Awakened poses no real threat to me now.
‘If I'm this strong as a 6-Star…’
Just how…
much of an anomaly will I become in the future?
“Hmm.”
Even Oh-jin himself couldn't predict it.
‘Well, I guess I'll find out when I get there.’
I have no intention of stopping anyway.
After all, the reason I risked infiltrating the Owl faction's headquarters was to lay the groundwork for even faster growth.
“Now, then.”
Oh-jin turned his head toward the woman who had become his puppet.
“Could you guide me to where the locations and sizes of the Black Star Guild's branches are recorded?”
“…Yes.”
The woman nodded robotically.
Entering the server room, Oh-jin took out the USB drive he had prepared in his sling bag.
“Copy all the information you can onto this.”
“Under… stood.”
The woman nodded and plugged in the USB.
“Currently, there are a total of 32 Black Star Guild branches across the country.”
Thirty-two?
“How many of them are large branches?”
“There are six branches led by high-ranking Executives or above.”
“What's the size of the branches?”
“The large branches have about 200 members, while the small to mid-sized ones have 30 to 50.”
That's a lot.
‘If you include all the branches, that's over 5,000 people.’
In terms of sheer numbers, that's more than all ten major guilds combined.
‘The ability to grant Stigmas is just broken.’
Of course,
there's no such thing as power without a price.
Forcing power upon those without the talent to receive the stars' power would naturally have side effects.
“…How many have been sacrificed so far?”
“Sacrificed… you say?”
“How many died while receiving the Stigma of Noctua?”
“Ah, you mean the defective products.”
“…Defective products?”
“Within the faction, that's what we call those who died, unable to withstand the grace of the Black Stars.”
“……”
Defective products?
Are these bastards really calling people defective products?
“You people… what do you think human life is?”
“Pardon?”
“Is a person's life some kind of tool or part? Huh?”
“Th-that's…”
The woman was flustered.
“It's not like that…”
“Fucking spot on.”
“…Pardon?”
“I think so too.”
Smirk.
Oh-jin nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting.
“Wow, I never thought I'd have something in common with the Black Star Guild.”
“……”
Even under his control, the woman looked up at Oh-jin with an expression of utter disbelief.
“So, since we're on the same page, let's be frank. How many kicked the bucket?”
“…The number of dead defective products is around two thousand.”
Two thousand.
‘The success rate is surprisingly high, then.’
The Owl faction currently has about 5,000 members, so that means roughly three out of four survived receiving the Stigma.
Well, they didn't die, but I'm sure there were plenty of other side effects, like shortened lifespans or physical deformities.
‘Still, what matters to them is the chance to become Awakened.’
A 75% chance to escape a wretched, miserable life and become a superhuman.
Wouldn't you say that's a gamble worth taking?
‘That's why the Black Star Guild is teeming with members.’
Whether the Black Star Guild kidnaps children to use as hostages and kills them, or unleashes monsters to slaughter helpless civilians, it probably doesn't matter to them.
Morality always fades in the face of desire.
“Here… is the information you requested.”
The woman held out the USB drive.
‘Good.’
If I spread this information to the guilds…
dozens, no, hundreds of guilds who are already hunting the Black Star Guild with bloodshot eyes will descend upon them.
‘No matter how powerful they are, they won't be able to stop an entire country from moving against them.’
If they could,
they'd have no reason to be hiding in the shadows like this in the first place.
“Heheh.”
Looking down at the USB drive containing the information that could wipe out the Owl faction in one fell swoop, Oh-jin let out a dark laugh.
“Is there… anything else you'd like to ask?”
“Hmm.”
I've already obtained the information I came for, but…
“Where is Cheon Do-yoon and what is he doing right now?”
“That… I do not know.”
So even an Executive who holds key information for the Black Star Guild doesn't know.
In that case.
“What about the movements of the other Black Star Guild factions?”
“Currently, besides the Leech faction in Italy and the Seahorse faction in Japan, no other movements have been confirmed.”
The Seahorse faction?
“Which rank Executor leads the Seahorse faction?”
“The 7th-ranked Executor.”
Lower than Cheon Do-yoon, then.
‘Japan is pretty close.’
But I can't afford to worry about other countries right now.
‘I should probably wrap it up here.’
There's a lot more I'd like to sit down and ask, but…
if I drag this out any longer, I risk being discovered.
‘If I get caught here, it's over.’
Empty house or not, there are still 3,000 Black Star Guild members in this headquarters.
If I'm unlucky enough to get surrounded, there's no escape.
“Alright. That's enough.”
Oh-jin got to his feet.
He placed a hand on the woman's head and gave his final command.
“Forget everything that happened here. Don't give it a second thought.”
“…Yes.”
I've already neutralized the poison I used to subdue her.
There shouldn't be any loose ends.
‘Time to get out of here.’
Oh-jin took the USB and headed out.
He moved with extreme caution on his way back, worried he might run into other members, but the hallways were so empty it made his concerns feel pointless.
“Heheh. That was easy.”
For infiltrating the Black Star Guild's headquarters all by myself, things went smoothly without any major crises.
‘Now I just have to get downstairs…’
Just as he pressed the button and stepped into the elevator.
-Whiiir!
“Ah, damn it, what's going on all of a sudden?”
“Heard there was an urgent request from another branch.”
Suddenly, a crowd of Black Star Guild members poured out from the gate and flooded into the elevator.
‘Ah, shit.’
In an instant, the elevator was packed with members, like a rush-hour subway car.
‘This is insane.’
What kind of luck is this, right at the very end?
“Things have been crazy lately with the Leech Queen and the Association.”
“Sigh, if only Lord Do-yoon were here.”
“He must have a plan. We just need to shut up and do as we're told.”
Fortunately, they seemed to mistake Oh-jin for one of their own and paid him no mind, simply chatting amongst themselves.
‘Dammit.’
But it was only a matter of time.
The moment even one of them recognized him, his entire plan would go up in smoke.
‘Dominate.’
He urgently used Dominate.
Dark clouds spread through the cramped elevator.
-Ding!
[The number of targets is too large.]
[Domination has failed!]
Goddammit.
‘I can't just knock them all out here.’
Well, knocking them out wouldn't be hard.
The problem was the fallout from causing such a commotion.
‘Reinforcements would pour out from the headquarters immediately.’
They're right here, so it wouldn't even take a minute for hundreds, even thousands, of them to swarm out.
If that happened, it would be over.
Even Oh-jin couldn't fight against those numbers.
‘If they just don't recognize me until we get to the first floor…’
Oh-jin anxiously watched the display panel as the floor number changed from 6 to 5.
Just then.
“…Huh?”
“What is it?”
“I've never seen that face before…”
“Isn't he from another team?”
“Wait a second.”
One of the Black Star Guild members in the elevator stared intently at Oh-jin.
‘Shit.’
I'm screwed.
“Uh, hold on… I've seen that face somewhere before.”
“N-Noerang! It's Noerang!!!”
“Wh-what? Why is Noerang here?!”
The Black Star Guild members in the elevator surrounded Oh-jin.
“……”
Oh-jin scanned the members surrounding him with a cold gaze.
“How noisy.”
“…Huh?”
“Which team are you with?”
He asked them instead.
“W-we're from Black Wing Team 3… sir?”
“Team 3. I suppose it's possible you wouldn't know me, then.”
“……?”
The Owls looked around, bewildered.
“Honestly, Lord Do-yoon is just too thorough with his information control.”
“No way…”
“W-wait, isn't Noerang one of Vega's Awakened?”
Oh-jin glanced around at them and let out a smirk.
“For the grace of the Black Stars.”
“……!”
The Owls' eyes widened.
-Ding!
At that moment, the elevator arrived on the first floor.
“You said you were going for emergency support?”
“Y-yes! That's right!”
“Good luck.”
Pat, pat.
He patted a member's shoulder and walked out.
“……”
Leaving the dumbfounded Owls staring after him.
* * *
“Holy shit! To think Noerang was with the Black Star Guild!”
The Owls, now outside the building, got into their car, buzzing with excitement.
“Then the news about Cheon Woo-seong's death must be a lie, right?”
“Ah! Right! They said Noerang was the one who chased down and caught Woo-seong!”
“Pwahahaha! What? So the Association bastards were just playing into our hands?”
The Owls exclaimed in amazement, as if they couldn't believe it.
“Man, Lord Do-yoon really does have a plan for everything!”
“Who would've thought he'd even bring Noerang into the fold?”
To think that Vega's Apostle, who's been getting worldwide attention, was actually on the same side as the Black Star Guild!
“Kyaha! Doesn't this mean our faction has basically taken over all of Korea?”
“Lord Do-yoon said it himself. A world ruled by the Black Stars is coming soon.”
“Hehe. When that day comes, we'll also…”
Greedy smiles spread across the Owls' faces.
“Wow… but still, Noerang. I saw him fight on TV once, and he was unbelievably strong.”
One of the Owls clenched his fist with a bashful expression.
“I wonder if I can transfer to Noerang's team later?”
He squeezed his clenched fist tighter.