Awakeners Association HQ in Yeouido.

Passing through the Awakeners that gathered to take the registration, Ohjin entered the elevator that was open only to employees.

Knock Knock

Yes, come in. A deep voice could be heard after he knocked on the door of the Team Leaders office.

Click

As he opened the door, the figure of a huge muscular man sitting by the office desk caught his eyes.

Wont the chair break?

Creak

Throwing up a suppressed scream, the chairs creaks echoed once Team Leader Hans butt left it.

Have you been well?

Thanks to you. While sharing a light greeting, Ohjin sat on the sofa.

Although he wanted to go straight into digging up information on the request that amounted to an insane amount of $2M, there was something he had to do before that.

Have you perhaps heard of the Black Star Organization?

Black Star Organization? Team Leader Han Joonman tilted his head and answered.

No. Ive never heard of them.

Then have you ever seen this stigma before?

Taking out a piece of paper, he drew the stigma of the Owl Nebula and showed it to him.

This is wait a moment. Team Leader Han took out a booklet and started to flip through the pages.

Soon, he looked around the page that had stigmas drawn and narrowed his eyes.

This stigma is the stigma of the Owl Nebula.

Do you know of it?

I dont know the details of it either, but Im certain that this is known as one of the forgotten stigmas.

Forgotten stigmas? Whats that?

Its existence was recorded when the celestials first appeared on Earth 8 years ago, but we call it that because they can no longer be found.

Was the reason for its disappearance not recorded?

Yes. Considering the situation back then we werent exactly in a situation where we could take records. Team Leader Han laughed bitterly while scratching his head.

Ah, Ohjin let out a short exclamation, nodding his head.

Eight years ago

When the gates leading to an external location first opened.

The time of nightmares, where numerous countries vanished and of the world became covered in monsters.

If it was back then, being unable to take records was understandable.

Why record when you dont know if youll be alive the next day?

That was a time where surviving each and every day could be called a miracle.

Anyways, if the stigma of the Owl Nebula existed eight years ago

It meant that the Dark Stars stigmas continued to exist throughout the eight years.

Then theres a possibility that the Black Star Organization is also

An organization that had acted in the shadows throughout the past eight years.

It wasnt an improvised organization.

If they were an organization that hid in the shadows for a long period of eight years in order to achieve their goals, their scale wasnt one you could consider normal.

The scale is becoming larger than I thought?

Ohjin furrowed his brow.

In any case, It seemed like he hadnt poked a beehivebut a hornets nest.

Ill need to be extremely thorough with my preparations.

He had a couple of methods that he had in mind, yet there werent any that stood out to him.

Hmm.

Ohjin turned his head towards Team Leader Han, who had been attentively looking at the paper that had the stigma of the Owl Nebula drawn.

By the way, where did you find this stigma?

A dispute broke out in a dungeon a few days ago.

A dispute?

Yes. I found a star relic inside the dungeon, but an Awakener called Yujin attacked me, claiming it was his without reason.

He explained what happened the previous week with a slight bit of exaggeration.

A-Are you hurt anywhere?

No, as you can see.

Phew thats a relief.

Team Leader Han let out a short breath of relief.

Are you saying that the Awakener that had a dispute with you possessed the stigma of the Owl Nebula? Team Leader Han asked.

Yes.

Ah, then the place known as the Black Star Organization is also?

Haha. Indeed, youre quick-witted. Yes, youre correct. He said that he was a member of the Black Star Organization.

Hmm.

Ohjin slightly shrugged his shoulders and continued.

Anyways, I was just asking to find out about their identities since I got attacked all of a sudden.

I see I understand. Our side will also try to investigate more about the stigma of the Owl Nebula and the Black Star Organization you mentioned earlier.

Team Leader Han nodded his head with a stiff expression.

Thank you, Ohjin smiled while bowing his head.

If the Association was willing to investigate directly, he could expect good results.

Even if the Association was disregarded here and there, it was still the largest organization directly under the government.

If you were only taking information capabilities into account, most guilds couldnt even reach the tip of their toes.

Would it be okay if I ask you one more thing?

Ah, yes. Of course.

How much do you think this will sell for, roughly?

Ohjin took out the fist-sized starstone he received from Yujin and placed it on top of the table.

Woah this is quite a high quality starstone. Team Leader Han let out a short exclamation and examined the fist-sized starstone.

Star relics will need a separate appraisal, but this starstone alone will amount to $500K at the minimum.

$500K!!

He desperately restrained his lips from perking up from the mouth-opening amount of cash.

Kya! Black Star Organization, youre the best!!

An exhilarating thrill spread across his back.

He could earn this amount of money by using nothing but words for less than 5 minutes.

Will the Association take care of this?

Of course. Ill make sure you receive more than the market price.

Team Leader Han puffed his chest while laughing in a confident manner.

As the humongous tanned man puffed his chest, the scene looked somewhat like a male gorilla boasting his strength in order to charm a female gorilla.

The taxes

Of course, there will be none.

Huh.

I think I might fall for this gorilla.

* * *

Ah right, could you appraise this for me as well?

He lent out the star relic the Black Star Organization had used to replace the black drinking glass.

Is this the star relic that caused the dispute?

Haha, yes. Thats right.

I cant believe that you found a star relic already Team Leader Han exclaimed.

Finding star relics inside dungeons wasnt exactly a rare occurrence, but a beginner that had just finished their registration test getting their hands on a star relic was extremely rare.

No, its possible if its Awakener Ohjin.

Even if much time hadnt passed since he finished the registration test, to title him beginner The experienced feeling Ohjin naturally gave off was abnormal.

His behavior is like that of someone who has rolled around in dungeons for years.

Although theres no way thats possible since he should have been an ordinary person before he awakened.

Team Leader Han received the blue drinking glass Ohjin lent out.

Ill put in a request to the appraiser connected to our side.

Thank you, Ohjin bowed his head.

He momentarily thought about presenting the mutants starstone as well, but he decided to hold onto it a little longer.

It could be connected to those Black Star Organization bastards.

There was a possibility that it could come in handy in the future.

Now then. Is there anything else you wish to go over?

Yes, Ohjin nodded his head.

Hmp!

His eyes shone, and he breathed roughly out of his nose in excitement.

Now, its about time for the main dish to come out.

The main reason he ran to the Association as soon as he received contact.

Whatre the contents of the request?

Haha. I was just about to get into that.

Team Leader Han laughed in an easy-going manner and took a sip out of the mug filled with coffee.

First of all, the one who requested this emergency request was the Valhalla guild.

Valhalla guild?

It was a guilds name he had never heard before.

Even so, if they can spare $2M as remuneration, that must mean that theyre quite a large guild.

Furrowing his brows, he racked his brain in an attempt to recall the name.

It might be your first time hearing about them since theyre a guild thats on the sudden rise.

Ah, is that so?

Yes. As a guild thats composed of a small number of elites, theyre a guild thats well-received, as each and every one of the guild members possesses great skill.

A small number of elites

I thought it would be a large guild, but they invested more into quality over quantity.

Moreover, their guild leader is extraordinary. Its to the point where he was picked as one of the candidates for the next generations Seven Stars.

Seven Stars.

It was a title given to the seven Awakeners that possessed the most strength and authority throughout the entire world.

As he was mentioned as one of their candidates, he wasnt your average Awakener.

Well I personally think that Awakener Ohjin is more amazing, though.

Shrugging his shoulders, Team Leader Han continued.

Im certain that Awakener Ohjin will become one of the Seven Stars backbones in the future.

Youre expecting too much from me. Ohjin let out an easygoing laugh while shaking his head.

He was being courteous, but it wasnt like he didnt have the confidence.

If he continued to grow stronger, he would become one of them one day.

Seven Stars

Even though they called them powerhouses that transcended humanity, he didnt have an exact idea of how strong they were, as he had never seen one before.

Theres also only one in Korea.

Since six out of the seven lived overseas, it wasnt easy to hear news about them.

But that didnt mean the single Seven Star member in Korea was the type to actively partake in activities either.

Khm. Then going back to the main subject of the requests contents Its a type of request where you could call it hard, but at the same time, you could also call it easy.

Whats he talking about?

What are the contents of the request that make you come to such a conclusion?

Its finding a person.

Finding a person?

Is it finding a person and investigating them like a detective agency?

But the rewards $2M?

No matter how much youre overflowing with money, $2M?

Ohjin looked towards Team Leader Han with doubt in his eyes.

Slightly shaking his head, Team Leader Han opened his mouth.

This isnt a request for investigating someone but, as its said, finding a person. Finding a missing person, to be exact.

Ah.

So it was like that.

Finding a missing person, and amongst them, a person who had gone missing inside a dungeon, was something only skilled Awakeners could do.

Whos the missing person?

Lets see wait a moment. Team Leader Han looked through the request form.

Ah, here it is. He picked up a single piece of paper from the pile of files and placed it on top of the table.

Missing date, November 6th.

So around two weeks have passed.

As the current date was the 22nd, two days and two weeks had passed, to be accurate.

The place he went missing It says that its unknown, as his tracks were cut off starting from the early morning. They say that theres a high possibility he went into a 1~2-Star dungeon located around Incheon.

Ill need to go around about eight places

There were currently a total of eight low-rank dungeons located in Incheon. He knew a lot about it, as he had been going around scamming using mainly low-rank dungeons through the past couple of years.

Well, eight places will be easy.

Currently, for him who had reached 3-Star, he could finish his investigation in two, if it took a little longer, three days.

Male. Aged around mid-twenties and 182cm tall. It also says that he has black hair and a sleek physique. Ah right, and his name lets see. Ah, its written here.

Team Leader Han, who was looking through the file, pointed towards a certain section.

Lee Shinhyuk. The name of the missing person is Lee Shinhyuk.

What?

Fucking. Who?

How is it. Will you be able to find him?

No.

How the fuck do I find him when hes already dead.

Im going crazy.