Chapter 18: Black Star Society (1)

Chapter 18: Black Star Society (1)“Would you like to buy this from me, then?” Kwon Oh-Jin asked with a sly smile. The young man cocked his head, not having anticipated the offer. “Huh? You’re saying you want to sell it?” Selling an Astral Relic without even having it appraised was unheard of. “Yes. It doesn’t seem to have the abilities I was hoping for. Nothing much happens when I touch it. Plus...” Kwon Oh-Jin scanned the five figures clad in black robes, each exuding the chilling aura one might expect from seasoned killers. It’s obvious what they want. He shrugged and continued, “My life is more valuable than a relic, isn’t it?” “... What?” The young man cocked his head again but soon burst out laughing till his stomach hurt. “H-Hahahaha! There seems to be a misunderstanding!” “A misunderstanding?” asked Kwon Oh-Jin. Wiping a tear with the edge of his robe, the young man nodded. “Haha, yes. Our guild's attire is certainly on the creepy side, but that’s because of our guild leader's peculiar taste.” The man took off his black robe to reveal light armor worn by Awakeners. “Awakeners do turn to robbing inside gates, but we’re nothing of that sort. There’s no need to worry.” “Oh, I seem to have misunderstood.” Kwon Oh-Jin slightly bowed, pretending to be embarrassed as he smirked on the inside. A misunderstanding? What a joke. Setting aside their suspicious attire, there was still the murderous intent he felt earlier, as well as the fact that... They have the same ominous, sticky aura the Astral Relic had. Having just absorbed the power of the Black Stars from the relic using the Black Heaven, Kwon Oh-Jin was certain. These guys possess the power of the Black Stars too. “Haha. The world's a scary place these days. My apologies for jumping to conclusions.” "Don’t worry about it. There’s a reason they say you should be more wary of other Awakeners than the monsters inside the gates." “Right. Anyway...” Kwon Oh-Jin grinned and held out the black chalice again. “You said you needed this, didn’t you?” “Yes, we do.” “Offer the right price and I’ll sell it to you right here.” “Hmm. And why would you do that?” “As I mentioned, it doesn’t seem all that useful to me. If I get it appraised and it turns out to be a one or two-star relic, I might have to sell it for even less.” This was Kwon Oh-Jin’s way of saying he wanted a price that matched at least a three-star Astral Relic. “Haha, it makes sense when you put it that way. Very well, we’ll buy it.” The young man smiled brightly. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a Starstone just slightly larger than a fist—so pure that it glowed a soft, distinct radiant blue. “How about you trade me that for this?” Holy shit. Wow. Kwon Oh-Jin knew that a Starstone of that size and purity could easily go for at least two to three hundred million won and even as much as four hundred million. You could buy a luxury car with that much. This deal could bring him one step—rather, several steps closer to his goal. Hiding his excitement, Kwon Oh-Jin nodded calmly. “Hmm... Yeah, that seems fair enough.” The young man's smile turned even brighter. “Then, it’s a deal.” Kwon Oh-Jin exchanged the black chalice for the Starstone, and the young man chuckled softly in excitement. “Hehehe, finally...” Of course, the chalice the young man gained was nothing more than an empty shell; the Black Heaven had already absorbed its power, but thankfully, he didn’t seem to notice. “Well then, I should get going now,” declared Kwon Oh-Jin. “Alright. Thank you for the trade.” After exchanging a brief nod with the brown-haired man, Kwon Oh-Jin turned and began walking toward the cave's exit, where the stalactites were densely clustered. He barely managed to suppress his laughter. “Hah, hahahaha.” Man... I can’t believe I snagged such an easy mark at the perfect time! He'd been incredibly disappointed when the Astral Relic he’d worked so hard to get became useless, but by sheer luck, this gullible fool came along and bought the worthless shell from him for an enormous sum. Hehehe! Chuckling, Kwon Oh-Jin walked toward the exit. Of course, he had no intention of just leaving like a fool. He erased his presence with the Black Curtain and hid between the stalagmites. Lying flat on the ground, he crawled back to the chamber like a roach. Those guys are shady as hell in every way possible. Kwon Oh-Jin needed to know why they were searching for Astral Relics; he hoped to know the exact power of the Black Stars. I also need to know why this is happening now and not in another six days. He frowned. According to Lee Shin-Hyuk's memories from the first timeline, this gate's relic was supposed to be discovered on November 21. On top of that, these suspicious men seemed to know exactly where the Astral Relic was as soon as the gate opened as if they'd known it would be there. It’s clear they came here looking for this. He had no idea how they'd managed to locate it so quickly. They couldn't have had a Regressor's memories from a previous timeline, so they likely possessed some sort of ability or item able to track this "power of the Black Stars." But if not for me, these guys would’ve taken the relic by now. Something didn't add up. There were two possible explanations. Either the future has changed for some reason, or the relic set to be discovered on the twenty-first is not the black chalice but another relic entirely. Time to find out. Hiding amid the stalagmites, Kwon Oh-Jin activated his Stigma of Canes Venatici to heighten his senses and observe the shady men. “Why didn’t you kill him, Mr. Yoo-Jin?” The young man he had traded with earlier seemed to be named Yoo-Jin. “Haha. This is a newly opened gate, isn’t it?” “... Yes, it is.” “Other Awakeners will start piling on in soon. It wouldn’t do any good to leave unnecessary traces behind.” “We could’ve handled his remains without a problem...” “It’s better to be safe than sorry, wouldn’t you agree?” Yoo-Jin widened his narrow eyes. “Y-Yes, of course! You’re absolutely right!” “Haha, thanks for understanding.” With a warm smile, Yoo-Jin looked at the chalice. “The era of the Celestials is ending. Soon, the Black Stars will reign over the heavens,” Yoo-Jin proclaimed, spreading his arms out dramatically and twirling around like an actor in a play. “The arrogant Celestials will pay for their sins.” The other robed figures bowed in response. “Praise the Black Stars!” “Glory to the Black Star Society!” Yoo-Jin smiled as he picked up his robe, satisfied. He said, “I’m sure the Black Stars are pleased with your loyalty.” “We will follow the guidance of the Black Stars!” the rest echoed. “Haha. By the way, you brought the replacement, right?” “Yes, of course,” one of the figures responded, standing up and pulling something out from his robe—an Astral Relic in the shape of a chalice, emitting a soft blue glow. The man leaped on top of the statue and inserted it where the original chalice had been. “Well then, let’s head back.” “Yes, sir!” The group turned around and marched with Yoo-Jin in the lead. Suddenly, he stopped and clapped his hands, remembering something. “Oh, right,” he said, turning to one of his men. “You remember the man who traded with me earlier, right?” “Yes,” the man replied while bowing deeply. “Go after him and kill him,” Yoo-Jin continued, grinning slyly. “I will carry out your order.” “And make sure to kill him outside the gate.” “Understood.” The one who received the command quickly headed to the cave's exit. “Haha, the rest of us will go report to the Executor now.” Yoo-Jin and the remaining three black-robed figures slowly disappeared toward the entrance. After five minutes passed, Kwon Oh-Jin, crouching between the stalagmites, slowly stood up. “The Black Star Society, huh?” He had never heard of the group before, but— One thing’s for sure, they’re shady as hell. They behaved like they were in some illegal, underground cult. “I need to look further into this.” The talk about Black Stars ruling the heavens and the Celestials paying for their sins made it clear that this wasn’t just any underhanded organization. “Though, this part makes sense now.” Kwon Oh-Jin smirked as he looked at the Astral Relic embedded between the statue’s brows. One of his questions had been answered. The future didn't change. The Astral Relic Lee Woo-Hyuk’s guild members find in another six days was placed by the Black Star Society. He recalled Lee Shin-Hyuk's memories. They said something felt off. The woman with glasses, reporting to Lee Woo-Hyuk, clearly mentioned it before the memory faded. “Of course it would feel strange,” Kwon Oh-Jin remarked, reaching for the Astral Relic in the statue. It was the same shape and size as the original, but it felt different. “Shall I take this too?” He removed the blue chalice from the statue and placed it in his bag. The Black Heaven isn’t reacting this time. The Black Heaven seemed to only respond to the power of the Black Stars within relics. “Nice! What a win overall!” Kwon Oh-Jin had sold a useless relic for a hefty sum and even acquired its substitute. It’s probably just a one or two-star relic at best, but something's better than nothing. Even a one-star Astral Relic was worth around ten million won. “Well then,” Kwon Oh-Jin muttered, stretching his body before grabbing the spear he'd hidden between the stalagmites. “Time to catch the bastard who’s after me.” *** The man frowned. “What the hell? Why aren’t there any traces of him?” The black-robed man had followed orders to track down the guy in the cave, but there were no signs of him having left the gate. He then re-entered to search the maze-like cave as thoroughly as he could. “What’s going on?” There were signs that Kwon Oh-Jin had come into the gate, but none showing that he had left. He started to bite his lip in anxiety as Yoo-Jin’s bright smile flashed in his mind. "U-Ugh..." He knew Yoo-Jin wouldn’t let him off easily if he simply reported that he had lost track of Kwon Oh-Jin. “Damn it! Where the hell is he?!” Unable to contain his frustration, he stomped his foot on the ground, causing his robe to flap upward. Whoosh! Through the fluttering black robe, a spear pierced through like a lightning strike. “Looking for me?” Gush! “Krgh!” The man’s eyes widened in shock. He trembled as he stared dumbfounded at Kwon Oh-Jin, who had appeared from inside the cave. Kwon Oh-Jin chuckled as he twisted the spear impaled in the man’s stomach. “Peekaboo, motherfucker.”