Not A Regressor

“That’s everything I know about Yoo-Jin.”

Kwon Oh-Jin handed over the sketch of Yoo-Jin to Han Jun-Man. He was fairly confident in his drawing skills, so it wasn’t difficult to create the sketch.

Han Jun-Man took the sketch. He then sighed.

“Thank you. I’ll give this to the Valhalla Guild myself. But quite the coincidence, isn’t it? The Awakener you had trouble with is now urgently being sought by the Valhalla Guild.”

“Did you hear why they’re looking for him?”

“No, they didn’t mention the reason.”

The Valhalla Guild had kept the fact that Lee Shin-Hyuk had been kidnapped a secret. That made sense. Even if they were allies, this wasn’t an easy situation to disclose.

“Oh, right.”

Han Jun-Man clapped his hands.

“There’s also been a direct request for support.”

“A request for support?”

“Yes. They didn’t share all the details, but they said they needed the association’s help to besiege Mount Baegunsan.”

Besiege? Looks like they’re really serious about this.

Lee Woo-Hyuk was moving faster and more decisively than Kwon Oh-Jin had anticipated.

“You’re not obligated to participate, Oh-Jin, but...”

“I’ll join.”

He had to go to the mountain to handle things directly anyway. Going as part of the support request gave him a legitimate reason to be there.

If things go well, I’ll also be able to squeeze out a nice reward.

The thought made his mouth water.

***

As dust floated around in a dimly lit basement, a pair of cold, gleaming eyes pierced through the darkness.

“You still haven’t found him?” someone asked coldly.

Trembling in fear, men in black robes bowed their heads before the gentle young man.

“T-That’s—”

“That’s not what I want to hear. It’s already been over a week, and you still haven’t been able to find one measly Awakener?”

“We’ve checked all the guilds and even the records of the registration exam, but we didn’t find any sign of him.”

“So?”

With a flick of the young man’s hand, black feathers sliced through the darkness like bullets. They pierced and shredded through the man’s arm, shoulders, thighs, and calves.

“Aaaaghh!”

“You still haven’t found him?”

The man writhed like a bug. “Argh... Ugh.”

Thud, thud.

Yoo-Jin slowly moved closer to his victim. He then stomped down on the man’s already mangled arm.

Crack!

“Aaaargh!” I-I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

“I’m not interested in your apology. You have something else to tell me, don’t you?”

“W-We found a lead!”

“Hmm.”

Yoo-Jin squinted slightly.

“What lead?”

“W-We traced the area where our member went missing three days ago and checked the nearby CCTV footage.”

“And?”

“We confirmed that he left a building that only association employees are allowed to enter. He then headed toward Mokdong.”

Intrigued, Yoo-Jin licked his lips. “Is he part of the association, then?”

“W-We’re not sure if he’s a part of the association.”

“What?”

“We’ve been staking out the area near the association’s headquarters, watching for his arrival or departure, but he hasn’t shown up again.”

“What are the chances he’s part of a local branch?”

“We’ve already checked them all tpp.”

Yoo-Jin’s expression twisted with frustration.

He’s not part of the association, yet he came out of a building only meant for their employees?

Even if the association wasn’t a particularly respected organization, it wasn’t the kind of place an outsider could easily sneak into.

Just who the hell is this guy?

He recalled the face of the young man who had smiled so kindly while offering a deal.

There was something ominous about it. Yoo-Jin felt as if an unpleasant, viscous substance had clung to his skin.

“Keep investigating for now.”

“Yes, Sir!”

Massaging his temples to alleviate his headache, he glanced down at the fifty men kneeling before him.

I’m not satisfied.

Discontented with his position as a low-ranking executive, he planned to rise to the middle and upper ranks one day. Eventually, he’d claim the seat of Executor.

I’m going to get up there.

A fierce desire surged within him.

To make that happen, I have to find him and get the true Astral Relic of the Black Star.

The king of owls, Cheon Do-Yoon, was a cold-blooded man who did not tolerate mistakes. The only reason he didn’t kill Yoo-Jin on the spot was to give him a chance to redeem his failure. However, if Yoo-Jin still couldn’t retrieve the real Astral Relic quickly, Cheon Do-Yoon would kill him.

“Sir.”

“Speak.”

“Why don’t we ask Sir Ashad for help?”

“What?”

Ashad Khan was an Indian official, both his peer and superior. They had both become apostles of Owl Nebula on the same day, but Ashad had already risen to the position of a mid-ranking official, while Yoo-Jin remained at the bottom.

If Ashad, who had twice as many subordinates as Yoo-Jin, lent his help, they’d find their target much faster.

Bang!

“That’s nonsense,” Yoo-Jin growled.

The subordinate hastily bowed his head and backed away. “I-I apologize!”

Yoo-Jin clicked his tongue in disdain and turned away. He then held up three fingers. “I’m giving you exactly three days to bring that bastard to me. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir!

Their loud response echoed through the basement. Soon, a subordinate stationed as a lookout on the first floor hurried down, looking quite alarmed.

“Sir!”

“What is it?”

“Someone is approaching us.”

Yoo-Jin’s brows furrowed. “What?”

When he turned on his phone to check the time, it was already past eight at night.

Who would be hiking at this hour?

Even though Korea was one of the relatively safer countries from monsters, it wasn’t nearly safe enough to wander through the mountains alone late in the evening.

If anyone was out there alone at this time...

“Is it a collector?”

Since the appearance of the gates, the power they emanated had impacted Earth’s ecosystem, from plants and animals to the landscape itself. Although they were still rare, beings imbued with the power of the stars had begun to appear.

Among them were collectors—individuals who roamed deep within the mountains, seeking herbs or spiritual creatures infused with the power of the stars. In the olden days, collectors would have been similar to those who searched for wild ginseng.

“I think so. He has a large bag on his back.”

Yoo-Jin laughed, lightly clapping. “Haha! What an unlucky fellow.”

“I’ll take care of hi—”

“No. I’m in a bad mood, so this is perfect. I’ll handle it myself.”

With a sinister smile, Yoo-Jin turned around.

He thought the sight of blood could help him calm down a little.

“Still, just to be safe, I want everyone prepared for combat.”

“Yes, sir!”

Yoo-Jin walked out of the observatory and stood beneath the dazzling cascade of starlight.

“Hmmm?”

As he left the observatory, something leaning against the wall caught his eye.

“A spear?”

A spear was propped up beside the entrance, its blade gleaming faintly with a bluish light. It looked like a high-quality weapon.

Where did this come from? Did one of my subordinates bring it?

He hadn’t heard any reports about it, though.

“Hmm.”

Yoo-Jin stared at the spear before turning away.

I’ll ask about it later when I get back.

He didn’t have time to be distracted by such trivial things. Right now, a stranger was approaching their hideout. Although they were likely just a lost collector, they could also turn out to be an intruder targeting their base.

As he descended the mountain a bit further, he found a young man with a cold and stern expression walking toward their hideout. His icy gaze shone sharply in the darkness.

“Are you lost?” Yoo-Jin asked with a smile as he walked toward the man. “It’s quite dangerous to be wandering around alone late at night.”

No response.

What's going on?

Yoo-Jin squinted and stared at the handsome young man. Something felt off. A chilling fear crept down his spine.

“It’s you,” Lee Woo-Hyuk muttered as he glared at Yoo-Jin.

The face matched the sketch that he had received through the association.

This is the guy who kidnapped my brother.

He wanted to rush in and tear Yoo-Jin apart, but he wasn’t completely sure yet.

He couldn’t attack recklessly without being certain that he had kidnapped Lee Shin-Hyuk. After all, this could all just be part of someone’s grand scheme.

I’ll wait just a bit longer.

Keeping his lips tightly sealed, Lee Woo-Hyuk kept observing Yoo-Jin.

—Guild Master.

Just then, a clear voice echoed in his mind.

It was Kim Seon-Young, his assistant and the deputy guild master of the Valhalla Guild. While Lee Woo-Hyuk was drawing the Black Star Society’s attention, she had quietly approached the enemy's hideout to find undeniable evidence.

—I’ve found Shin-Hyuk’s spear.

A surge of raging mana exploded from Lee Woo-Hyuk. They had found the evidence that he had been looking for.

Rumble!

The Stigma of Leo on his left chest flared brightly. A fierce gust of wind roared around him.

“H-Huh?!”

Yoo-Jin turned pale.

What the hell!

The man wasn't a collector; he was an intruder targeting the Black Star Society.

B-Black Lion Lee Woo-Hyuk?! That’s why he looks familiar! He’s the guild master of the Valhalla Guild, a man rumored to be a candidate for the Seven Stars. Why on earth is such a powerful Awakener attacking us?!

Yoo-Jin had committed numerous crimes in his lifetime, but he had never touched someone of that magnitude. He had always satisfied his desires by preying on the weak—on people who couldn’t even dare catch up to him.

Some will call me a coward, but that’s just how the world works, no?

The weak existed to be trampled upon, and no one knew that better than he did.

There’s no reason for a monster like him to be targeting me!

In the presence of overwhelming strength, Yoo-Jin instinctively lowered his head.

“You wanted money, right?”

Lee Woo-Hyuk threw the bag on his back onto the ground.

Thud!

The lid flew open, and bundles of cash spilled out like falling snow.

“I’ve prepared it all in cash.”

Yoo-Jin stared at him in confusion.

Why was this man suddenly throwing a huge amount of cash at him? What was going on?

“If you want it, come and get it,” Lee Woo-Hyuk growled.

Before Yoo-Jin could even process what was happening, a violent gust of wind swept toward him.

Whoosh!

“Argh! Damn it!”

He barely managed to dodge.

He had no idea what was going on, but if he wanted to survive this monster, he had to to call for his subordinates.

“K-Kill him! Kill that bastard!”

Thankfully, they weren’t far from the hideout. His shouts should be loud enough for them to hear.

He’s alone! With fifty men, I can at least create a small opening.

“Did you really think I’d walk into your trap that easily?”

“What?”

Lee Woo-Hyuk bared his fangs in a savage grin.

Kim Seon-Young and the rest of his guild members had already infiltrated the vicinity of the hideout.

I’ll strike before these bastards can even use Lee Shin-Hyuk as a hostage.

Lee Woo-Hyuk stomped, sending a blast of explosive mana outward.

“Everyone!”

A lion’s roar echoed through the dark forest.

“Charge!”

Boom! Crack! Thud!

A dozen Awakeners burst out from the forest and sprinted toward the observatory. Each one was a high-ranking Awakener who possessed terrifying physical abilities.

“Leave this to us, Guild Master!” a young man shouted. He then broke through the tightly shut door of the observatory with a massive hammer.

Boom!

“W-What the fuck?!”

Yoo-Jin turned even paler. He was already struggling to deal with Lee Woo-Hyuk, but now there were more of them?

“What’s wrong? Surprised that I’m not alone?” Lee Woo-Hyuk glared at Yoo-Jin. “Where is he?”

Yoo-Jin’s brows furrowed. “What?”

What was he talking about?

“My brother, where is he?”

The hell? Why are you asking me that?