Chapter 111: The Owl Hunt (2)

Kwon Oh-Jin opened the case to find a single silver gauntlet with a sleek and stylish design, unlike the comically oversized gauntlets seen in superhero movies. “This is...” “Try it on,” Han Tae-Ho suggested. “Alright.” Kwon Oh-Jin pondered which arm to wear it on and eventually slipped it onto his left. Click. The fit adjusted instantly, molding itself perfectly to his arm's shape. Oh, this is surprisingly comfy. It was so light and natural, he barely noticed it was there. It felt more like slipping into something made of soft cotton than solid metal. Han Jun-man chuckled. “Si-Hoo got all excited after watching some old superhero movie and decided to make this.” So it really was inspired. Classic Kim Si-Hoo move. “But why is there only one?” he asked. “He kept insisting that it was cooler to have just one gauntlet." Han Tae-Ho shrugged. "He wouldn’t listen to us.” That little punk is obsessed with being cool, Kwon Oh-Jin thought. “Well, it seems he focused all the materials and technology on this single piece,” Han Tae-Ho added. “What does it do, exactly?” Kwon Oh-Jin lightly tapped the gauntlet, tilting his head sideways. It looked sturdy, but its functionalities remained unclear. “Hmm... Mr. Woo-Hyuk, could you help us for a moment?” Han Jun-Man asked. Lee Woo-Hyuk nodded and rose from his seat. “Sure. What do you need me to do?” “Please swing your sword at the gauntlet with as much mana as you can muster.” Lee Woo-Hyuk stared back in disbelief. “Are you serious?” A full-force strike from someone on the verge of nine stars like him could cut through a five-meter-thick steel plate as if it were paper. “Yes. And Oh-Jin, please block his attack using the gauntlet.” Kwon Oh-Jin stood up and faced Lee Woo-Hyuk. “Alright, if you say so.” Knowing how cautious Han Jun-Man usually was, there was no doubt he was confident in the gauntlet's durability. “Are you really sure about this?” Lee Woo-Hyuk asked. “Well, let's give it a try.” Lee Woo-Hyuk gave him a conflicted look. “But...” Kwon Oh-Jin had been the one to capture the man responsible for his brother’s death—a man Lee Woo-Hyuk nearly let slip away through his own carelessness. The idea of possibly hurting someone so important, someone he owed so much to, made him hesitate. “Haha! No need to worry!” Han Jun-Man pounded his firm chest. Lee Woo-Hyuk nodded and unsheathed his sword. “If you insist...” Whoosh! A fierce whirlwind swept through the office before it began to condense along the blade’s edge. Shhhhh! The powerful gust suddenly shot toward Kwon Oh-Jin, who instantly felt the sting of immense mana on his skin. “Ugh!” He raised his left arm, and the whirlwind was suddenly sucked into the gauntlet like air escaping a punctured balloon. Shhhhh! “What the...?” The silver gauntlet glowed red and hot like it might melt on the spot. This is... His eyes glimmered as he felt the surging mana within the gauntlet, which then rattled violently as if it was going to explode. Woong! Instinctively, he stuck out his arm. “Hup!” “Wait! Hold on a moment, Oh-Jin!” Han Jun-Man frantically shouted, attempting to stop him, but it was too late. The gauntlet expelled the absorbed whirlwind back at Lee Woo-Hyuk. Swoosh! “Ah!” With incredible reflexes, Lee Woo-Hyuk deflected the incoming blast, which proceeded to obliterate an entire section of the office wall. Boom! Han Jun-Man let out a sigh of relief. “That was close. I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you to fire it back so quickly.” Kwon Oh-Jin glanced back and forth between him and the gauntlet. “What is this thing...?” “This Astral Relic can absorb mana-infused attacks, store them, and release them back out.” Kwon Oh-Jin chuckled like he couldn't believe it. “No way.” What the fuck? This thing is insane! Kim Si-Hoo's gauntlet was far beyond anything he'd imagined—capable of even absorbing an all-out attack from none other than the Black Lion. “Haha, didn’t I tell you?" Han Jun-Man said. "That kid, Si-Hoo, might have a strange personality, but his skills are top-notch.” “Even so, I didn’t think he could make something this incredible...” “Oh, of course, there’s a limit to how much mana it can store. It'll sustain damage if its absorption limit is exceeded all at once.” “Pretty amazing nonetheless.” Kwon Oh-Jin hadn’t expected it to have an unlimited absorption capacity in the first place. Its absorption capacity isn't bad at all if it can handle Lee Woo-Hyuk’s attack. The gauntlet wouldn’t have lasted after a few more blows, but victory and defeat was decided by a single move in real combat. Being able to neutralize even one attack from the opponent was a game-changer. And it doesn’t just neutralize attacks. He smirked as he glanced at the shattered office wall. This Astral Relic was perfect both as a defensive and offensive tool. “Thank you. I’ll use it well.” “Haha, aren’t you the ace of our association ?” Han Tae-Ho declared proudly, putting extra weight on the word. “A reward like this is nothing for someone like you!” “Hmm... This puts me in a bit of an awkward spot,” Lee Woo-Hyuk remarked, sighing as he stared at the gauntlet on Kwon Oh-Jin’s arm. “Why’s that?” “Well, I actually brought something for Mr. Oh-Jin today as well.” “Ah.” It’s probably the high-grade Starstones I requested before, but I don’t need those anymore since I already completed the quest. “Umm... It’s not much compared to that gauntlet, but...” Lee Woo-Hyuk handed over a rectangular box, inside which were three fist-sized Starstones. Kwon Oh-Jin’s eyes widened as he examined them. What the hell... “These are high-quality eight-star Starstones,” Lee Woo-Hyuk announced. “Whoa.” Eight-star Starstones are rare as fuck, especially high-quality ones. Even hunting down an eight-star monster doesn’t guarantee one.And I'm getting not just one but three? He turned his head toward Lee Woo-Hyuk. “Thank you. I didn’t expect you to prepare something this valuable.” “Well, you might not be an official member of our guild, but we're working toward the same goals. You’re a valuable comrade of ours." “Of course.” I see our relationship more like that of a trainer and his hunting dog, but it's good he sees it differently. But what should I use these for? He felt that absorbing the Starstones would be a waste since he wasn’t short on mana either. Now that I think about it, can’t Aquarius Awakeners use high-quality Starstones to create elixirs? If they're not all that difficult to make... His eyes sparkled as he thought of an idea to solve Song Ha-Eun’s mana deficiency, at least to some extent. It would be the perfect gift. Just imagining her bouncing around with joy brought a wide smile to his face. “Well then, let’s get down to business," Han Jun-Man echoed. It was time to get to the actual purpose of their gathering. "Let me start by briefing you all on the general situation.” He brought out a projector and started his presentation. “Following the public attention on the Black Star Society's atrocities, numerous guilds have issued declarations to eradicate them once and for all.” The laser pointer on the screen highlighted the names of several major and minor guilds. He continued, “It’s no exaggeration to say that practically the entire country is mobilizing to wipe out the Black Star Society.” Kwon Oh-Jin knew it made sense; the organization had carried out several acts of terrorism, targeting civilians right in the heart of Seoul. No guild could avoid issuing a statement without risking public scrutiny. “What’s particularly noteworthy is that even the Heaven’s Grace Guild has joined in,” Han Jun-Man added. Kwon Oh-Jin was a little taken aback. “The Heaven’s Grace Guild?” Undeniably Korea’s strongest guild, it was led by Cheon Sang-Gil, the Avaricious Wolf—one of the Seven Stars. They’re famous for staying out of anything that doesn’t happen in Paradise. Within the Ganghwa Island Special Autonomous Zone, otherwise known as Paradise, the Heaven’s Grace Guild held absolute power. They didn't rule with tyranny or oppression like medieval kings, but their word was law and justice in the absence of Korea's public authority. For them to take action now on a matter that didn't concern the Special Autonomous Zone, it signaled just how significant this incident was. This is something worth mulling over... Still, he couldn’t be sure if they were moving to deal with the Black Star Society or for some other reason. They were notoriously secretive and closed off, making it hard to gauge their true motives. Han Jun-Man continued with a grim expression. “The problem is, even with so many guilds on the move, it hasn’t been easy to track down the Black Star Society’s trail. Some branches were exposed thanks to the information Oh-Jin provided earlier, but their headquarters remain a complete mystery.” “Were you not able to get anything out of the members you captured before?” Lee Woo-Hyuk asked, frowning. “We interrogated them as rigorously as we could... but it seems they were placed under some sort of spell. They refused to say a word, and some even broke into seizures during the questioning.” The Black Star Society didn't have much competition when it came to concealing information. “I heard the organization exists in Italy, too. Could it be that there’s no central headquarters to begin with?” Lee Woo-Hyuk asked. Han Jun-Man shook his head. “No, the one in Italy and the one in Korea belong to entirely different factions. Their movements vary too much to imply a solidified chain of command. Frankly, they might as well be independent organizations that happen to share the same name.” He’s a hundred percent right, Kwon Oh-Jin thought. “And... while we don’t know the exact location of the headquarters, we did manage to obtain some intel on its approximate size,” Han Jun-Man added. “So how big are we talking?” “There are... reportedly at least three thousand members stationed there.” Lee Woo-Hyuk’s eyes widened in shock. A large guild typically consists of two to three hundred members, and it's closer to fifty for mid-sized guilds. Yet they have over three thousand? “If we include the undiscovered branches, the actual number is likely much higher,” Han Jun-Man clarified. “... Where in the world did they gather so many people?” Even if they had a way to awaken ordinary civilians, it was no easy task to convert thousands into members of the Black Star Society on the down low. “We've narrowed that down to a few possibilities.” Han Jun-Man moved on to the next slide, which displayed the image of a massive prison. “Do you recall the incident from three years ago? The mass disappearance at Cheorwon Prison?” “I’ve heard about it,” Lee Woo-Hyuk replied. Wasn’t that the incident where thousands of hardened criminals vanished without a trace? Crime rates had skyrocketed worldwide when the first gate ever opened, leading to an unprecedented surge in the number of criminals convicted. Cheorwon Prison was infamous for housing the worst of them, including murderers, robbers, human traffickers, and other heinous offenders. Han Jun-Man conveyed, “A significant number of the captured Owls were identified as criminals who went missing during that time.” “So the Black Star Society was behind that incident?” “Yes, that’s what we suspect.” Does that mean the majority of their count is made up of missing criminals? Kwon Oh-Jin thought. I suppose it makes sense. Their atrocities so far weren't exactly feats that ordinary people could pull off. It was safe to assume that there weren’t many people coerced into following the Black Star Society. Jang Seok-Ho must’ve been a special case. “So, they began expanding their influence in Korea about two years ago?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked. “That’s right,” Han Jun-Man answered. The overall picture was starting to come together, which Kwon Oh-Jin appreciated. Records of the Stigma of Owl Nebula had been present right after the gate crisis began, but it all suddenly disappeared without a trace. According to Jang Seok-Ho, the Black Star Society had hidden themselves in the Demonic District. In other words, nine years ago, the Black Star Society crossed into the world of the monsters and hid there for six years, building their strength. Then, three years ago, they reemerged and expanded their influence. Kwon Oh-Jin felt like he was getting to know the Black Star Society a bit more. But honestly, their identity isn’t as important. He turned his gaze toward Han Tae-Ho. “You mentioned earlier that there’s been little progress in interrogating the captured Owls, right?” “That’s right.” “Would it be alright if I conducted an interrogation myself?” “Yourself?” “Yes.” “Hmm. As a special agent, you certainly have the authority to question captured criminals... but you won’t gain much with the spell in effect.” “Well, it doesn’t hurt to try.” Kwon Oh-Jin casually shrugged and stood up. I won’t gain much, huh? We’ll see about that. His eyes glimmered with a sharp, chilling intensity.