Kwon Oh-Jin knocked on the door of a worn-down house.
A skinny, middle-aged man with disheveled gray hair opened it.
“You’re quite late,” he remarked. The nervous glint in his eyes behind thick spectacles was hard to miss.
“The way here was rather complicated.”
“You could have called.”
“I took a short walk to get familiar with the area,” Kwon Oh-Jin replied, using a simple excuse as he stepped inside.
Inside, the roughly thousand-square-foot space was arranged with near-obsessive precision. From the sofa and TV to the kitchenware and assorted items, everything was meticulously aligned.
I can already tell what kind of personality he has.
It was a promising sign. Someone obsessively meticulous, rather than lazy and sloppy, was far more reliable as an informant.
“What kind of information do you need?” Paolo asked, cutting straight to the chase.
“I need details on the Black Star Society.”
“The Black Star Society, huh? Give me a moment,” Paolo replied, disappearing into another room. He soon returned with a stack of documents. “Can you read these?”
“No,” Kwon Oh-Jin answered. Thanks to the translation-based Astral Relic, speaking and listening were possible, but reading and writing weren’t.
“I’ll get you the Korean prints, then.”
“You have them in Korean?”
“I’ve been working with the Valhalla Guild for quite some time now,” Paolo said, handing over freshly printed Korean documents.
Kwon Oh-Jin noticed a particular line as he flipped through the papers.
'They’ve been expanding their influence in the underworld, pushing the Marco Family out of their territory over the past few months?'
“What’s this Marco Family mentioned here?”
“Before the Black Star Society emerged, they were a mafia organization that controlled Italy’s entire underworld.”
Hmm. A mafia group, huh.
“They’re notorious for their brutality," Paolo added. "They kill without hesitation—Awakeners, civilians, anyone who displeases them.”
“And the Black Star Society pushed them out?”
“Not entirely. The Marco Family is so powerful that even the Seven Stars hesitate to move against them.”
Why would the Seven Stars have anything to do with a mafia organization?
“... Hmm. I suppose I should explain more about the Marco Family first,” Paolo said, pushing his thick glasses up. “Marco Giorno is the current boss of the organization. Have you ever heard of him?”
Kwon Oh-Jin recalled seeing the name pop up on the news a few times.
Wasn’t he listed as one of the world’s five most dangerous high-ranking Awakeners?
He had transcended human limits, reaching beyond nine-stars—a level typically reserved for beings deemed non-human. And yet, such a being was leading a mafia organization.
“Yes, I’ve heard of him,” Kwon Oh-Jin replied.
“You may not know this as a Korean, but before the Black Star Society emerged, Marco Giorno ruled over Italy like a king.” Paolo scowled in disgust. “He’s a savage and cruel man. Hell, he's the reason Italy wasn’t labeled a safe country, even though it doesn't have many high-level gates like Korea does.”
It seems like humans took up the role of monsters and tore each other apart here, Kwon Oh-Jin thought. But then again, that’s not entirely unheard of. Before monsters appeared, humanity’s greatest predator throughout history had always been its own kind.
“Anyway, things changed a whole lot after the Black Star Society appeared," Paolo continued. "Marco Giorno, who once roamed free without a care, went into hiding.”
... Wait a second. Something about this doesn't seem right. Why does everyone seem to speak so highly of the Black Star Society? It barely sounds like the lunatic organization that's set on killing every Awakener.
Kwon Oh-Jin’s expression stiffened as he asked cautiously, “What do the people here in Italy think about the Black Star Society?”
“What do you think?” Paolo replied, giving him an incredulous look. “Men and women of all ages praise them. Many of the gypsies even train specifically to join the organization.”
Kwon Oh-Jin chuckled in disbelief. “No way.”
The perception of the Black Star Society in Italy was the complete opposite of its reputation in Korea.
Was this intentional? he thought.
One could argue that a conflict between two rival organizations in the underworld was inevitable. Perhaps the Black Star Society had orchestrated this perception from the start to provoke a certain reaction.
After all, just like in a scam, being seen as a virtuous figure was far more advantageous than being labeled a villain. If the Black Star Society had strategically targeted and pushed out the Marco Family—Italy's most notorious villains—they were a clever organization indeed.
Only fools would openly take on the role of a villain when, in most cases, the hero reaped the rewards. More precisely, a villain masquerading as a hero would seize the greatest benefits.
“... This just got complicated.”
“Complicated?” Paolo asked.
Kwon Oh-Jin shook his head, dodging the question. “It’s nothing. Let me ask you something. Have you heard of a group called the False Star Cult?”
Paolo shook his head. “Never heard of them.”
Even Kim Seon-Young's trusted informant doesn’t know about them?
Both scenarios were plausible. In other words, there was no way to find out at present. For now, Kwon Oh-Jin decided to move on from the False Star Cult.
“I heard from the Valhalla Guild that the Black Star Society was frequently seen near the Saintess of Rome’s house recently.”
“Ah, that’s right,” Paolo said, nodding. “The Black Star Society isn’t widely recognized by the public yet, so it’s hard to say for certain. However, they’ve indeed been appearing there more often recently.”
“And each time, there were assassination attempts?”
“Yes. The timing aligns almost perfectly.”
Kwon Oh-Jin confirmed his suspicion about the Black Star Society. While presenting themselves as a heroic group, they were secretly eliminating any threats that could stand in their way.
“Can you give me a list of all the places where the Black Star Society has been sighted?” he asked, realizing he had to investigate as much as possible before the thirtieth.
“Of course.” Paolo handed him a map with the locations marked in chronological order. Sure enough, there had been an abnormally high number of sightings near the Colgrande family’s residence recently.
“This is everything I know," Paolo declared. "And at least in Rome, it’ll be difficult to obtain more information than what I’ve provided.”
He sure is confident, Kwon Oh-Jin thought, but I doubt his confidence is misplaced.
Activating the Stigma of Canes Venatici, he scanned the surroundings for other presences. Although Paolo appeared to be alone, in reality, hundreds of agents were strategically stationed throughout the apartment complex, forming an intricate perimeter.
They seem pretty skilled, too.
An organization of this caliber wouldn’t be easy to surpass in intel gathering.
“I understand. Thank you for your help,” Kwon Oh-Jin said.
Paolo stood up and smiled. “It’s nothing. This is the least I can do for the Valhalla Guild.”
“I’ll contact you again if I have any more questions.”
With that, Kwon Oh-Jin left Paolo's place and followed the map to where the Black Star Society had been spotted. There were only six days left until Isabella’s death. Time was running out.
His silver pendant suddenly shimmered, and Vega materialized next to him. “What are you up to?”
She perched atop his head as if it were her designated spot and peered down at the map he was holding.
“Rewriting the pages of destiny,” he answered.
“Huh?” Her eyes widened in curiosity.
“In six days, the Saintess of Rome will be assassinated around here.”
Kwon Oh-Jin gave Vega a brief overview of Isabella, the Black Star Society's faction in Italy, and the catastrophe that would occur in two years.
“I see. You intend to save this one called the Saintess and prevent that disaster,” Vega concluded.
“That’s part of it, but I’m also going to bring her on our side.”
Her powers, highly effective against demonic beasts, would be of immense value in future battles against the Black Star Society.
“Haha, as expected of my child. What a great idea.” Vega patted his head, feeling proud.
“With that in mind, Vega...”
“Hmm? Do you have a favor to ask of me?”
“For this operation, please avoid materializing as much as possible.”
Vega squinted. “Why?”
“There’s a chance I’ll need your powers this time.”
As Lee Woo-Hyuk had warned, this mission was perilous—especially since Kwon Oh-Jin had no idea how strong the enemy faction was. In the worst-case scenario, the Executor could even step in personally.
I’ll have no choice but to rely on Vega’s blessing if it comes to that.
While it would be impossible for him to win, her blessing would at least ensure he could escape.
“So you’re asking me to conserve my strength in case of an emergency,” Vega remarked.
He nodded. “Yeah. Stay hidden and save your energy. If I call for you, you can show up right away and grant me your blessing.”
It pained him to make such a request, knowing the unbearable agony Vega would endure after bestowing her blessing, but he had no choice. It was essential to have a backup plan.
“Call me when things get dangerous,” Vega said.
“Hopefully, I won’t have to. My goal is to rescue Isabella without having to call you, so let’s hope for the best.”
“Hmm. Even so, do not overextend yourself,” she sternly cautioned as she tugged at his hair. “No matter how determined you are to change destiny, remember that it’ll mean nothing if you end up injured!”
My goddess sure does worry a lot.
“Until then, I won’t appear in person," she assured. "I'll reserve my strength."
“I’m counting on you.”
Soon after, Vega retreated into the pendant.
“Alright, then.” Kwon Oh-Jin unfolded the map and resumed his investigation. I need to identify all the potential points for an assassination attempt and map out escape routes for the worst-case scenario.
“I have a lot to get done,” he murmured as he picked up the pace.
Six days later, it was time to rewrite the pages of destiny.