Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Return of the Main Force
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Chapter 38
The Hers Guild clearly had vested interests in Verhill and had set up base there.
However, not all guild members stayed near Verhill.
To fend off enemies eyeing their interests and secure even better ones, they needed strength.
That was why guild members focused on leveling up, except during their shifts managing hunting grounds.
But the guild leader and the core members—who could be called the guild's main force—didn't even handle hunting ground management duties. They solely focused on raising their levels.
And when the guild needed martial prowess, they crushed opponents mercilessly.
They were, quite literally, the guild's ultimate and strongest card.
That was the guild leader and the main force.
With the guild reeling from Yuseong's raids, it was only natural for them to call in that main force now.
However, neither the one calling them nor those who agreed had pleasant expressions.
The Hers Guild wasn't a casual friendship guild; it was a commercial one formed for economic gain.
Even the lowest-ranking members earned more than employees at typical small to medium enterprises.
Plus, there were no commutes, and "work" amounted to rotating shifts managing hunting grounds and occasional guild skirmishes. It was far better than most jobs.
Naturally, the authority of the guild master, the owner of the guild, was worlds apart from that of a regular friendship guild leader—like the president of a thriving company.
In other words, the current situation was akin to employees failing to handle their jobs properly and calling in the busy president for something else.
And that was because they couldn't handle a single person, out of all their many members.
It was only natural that the guild members' faces darkened.
But there was no clever solution at hand.
The meeting ended just like that.
* * *
Yuseong looked toward the boulevard. He could see various NPCs coming and going. But he didn't spot any Hers Guild members he was looking for.
‘Lately, I haven't seen those guys at all.’
【We judge that their activities have shrunk due to Player-nim's raids.】
‘Is that so?’
Come to think of it, he had been killing them like crazy. Whenever the strategy guide identified someone as a Hers Guild member, he'd shove a gun in their face first.
‘Maybe it's time to stop.’
He'd already been wandering for days without finding any Hers Guild members, just striking out. The wasted time was too precious.
Moreover, the notoriety—the biggest reason he'd started hunting Hers Guild members in the first place—was starting to stagnate.
All in all, the reasons to keep raiding the Hers Guild were dwindling.
‘Time to get back to my own business.’
Yuseong turned his eyes from the boulevard and left the area.
How much time passed after that? A group appeared on the boulevard.
Composed of ten people, every one of them wore gear far superior to the local average.
No conversation passed between them. But their movements subtly conveyed anger and irritation.
It was the moment the Hers Guild's main force returned.
* * *
Yuseong had stopped hunting for Hers Guild members, but he hadn't left Verhill. There were still plenty of bonus points and quests he could gain in Verhill.
However, to pick up those quests, he needed to enter the city.
The current war was overwhelmingly in Yuseong's favor. But that was only because he was using guerrilla tactics to ambush the Hers Guild when the odds were in his favor.
If he entered the city carelessly and got surrounded by far more Hers Guild members than before, it could be dangerous.
Even if he died, the Hers Guild didn't know his respawn point, so the game wouldn't be blocked.
‘A few in-and-outs should be enough.’
The experience, money, and items from killing Hers Guild members were substantial. Losing a few deaths wouldn't hurt. He could try it out and quit if he died too much.
Deep down, he even hoped for such a situation.
‘That could boost my notoriety even more, right?’
【Win or lose, a large-scale battle with the Hers Guild would definitely draw everyone's attention. Even if you lose, showing an impressive performance there would surely raise your notoriety again.】It was a chance to revive his stagnating notoriety.
* * *
Inside the Hers Guild building. Unlike usual, a thick tension hung in the air. There were many people, but no one dared speak carelessly. All eyes were fixed on the conference room.
Over a dozen people had gathered in the conference room.
Most were the main force that had just returned. Their expressions couldn't be called "ready to die."
The rest were the usual administrators running the guild. Their faces were also grim.
Two groups with similar expressions. But the emotions they felt were polar opposites.
"This is ridiculous."
One of the main force members spoke up. It was the vice guild master.
"You're saying you really couldn't handle one guy and called us in?"
His mocking tone was laced with anger, irritation, pity, and all sorts of negative emotions.
As if that were the signal, the other members started chiming in.
"I thought it was a joke."
"I was watching streams before bed and saw our guild's name pop up? At first, I clicked my tongue like, 'Those Cyber Recka bastards whining again.' But it turned out to be real?"
"I still can't wrap my head around it. It's gotta be a lie, right? There's some huge strategy, and this is just media play to hide it?"
Sarcastic jabs that bordered on excessive flew, but the administrators remained silent.
They were angry too, but they had nothing to say in this incident. They could only swallow their frustration and take the hits.
The sarcasm ended when the guild master, seated at the head, moved.
"First, let's assess the situation. Is it true you called us because you got beaten by just one guy named Yuseong?"
"Yes."
Sighs, curses, and tongue clicks echoed from all sides. But the head administrator kept his eyes only on the guild master.
"Then let's deal with that guy first for sure. We can assign blame after."
"We need to find him first, then."
The vice guild master stopped mocking and started thinking of real countermeasures.
"Do you know where he is?"
"No. He suddenly appears, ambushes guild members, and vanishes... He doesn't seem to be in Verhill anymore. At least, it looks like he's moved his respawn point somewhere else."
"Well, no matter how great he is, he couldn't keep operating in Verhill. Any idea on his respawn point? Or the village he frequents? He must need to buy items at least."
Other weapons aside, guns required constant ammo refills.
"I'm sorry. From the times he appears, he's definitely buying nearby somewhere, but we have no sightings yet."
"He must have infinite ammo or something."
"And infinite potions too."
"No need for potions. Didn't you see the videos? He doesn't take enough damage to need chugging them."
More sarcasm flew. But the guild master glared, silencing them.
Mocking the incompetent before or after was no big deal, but not now, while he was leading the meeting.
"I see. So he might have found a new village no one knows about."
"Is that even possible? This area's been pretty much fully explored."
The vice guild master reacted negatively.
"Didn't he find a new thief hunting ground we didn't know about? Plus, it seems he discovered a new dungeon and got bonus points. For a guy that lucky, finding one more village wouldn't be strange."
"Then finding him is the first problem. What a headache."
"It won't be easy. The reason we couldn't crush him is because he hides his tracks thoroughly and ambushes for isolated kills."
The guild master looked back at the head administrator.
"I hear his level isn't that high. Surely one of our thieves or assassins could track him?"
"Whether chasing or not, when he attacks, surviving and escaping is the best we could do. Tracking afterward... with our guild members' skills, unless we start immediately, it's impossible."
No results, in the end.
The guild master sighed and turned to the vice guild master.
"It's too much to hope he'll walk right into Verhill nicely?"
"That'd be tough. He knows surviving in Verhill right now is hard. All our forces are gathered here."
"Still, it'd be nice if he showed up."
"I'd hate that. Him coming into Verhill means he completely looks down on us. It's embarrassing enough already, but that would be..."
At that moment, the door burst open.
Everyone in the conference room frowned at the entering guild member. But soon, at the words from his mouth, they all turned to the vice guild master.
"Y-Yuseong has appeared in Verhill."
"...So it seems."
The vice guild master spat self-mockingly, looking at the guild master.
"That guy's totally looking down on us."
Even the guild master, who had wished Yuseong would appear in Verhill, ground his teeth at the wounded pride.
* * *
From the moment Yuseong entered Verhill, he felt countless gazes. NPCs were openly staring at him.
After a while, Hers Guild members appeared.
He didn't need the strategy guide to tell him. Unlike the NPCs with curiosity or interest, they blatantly showed their rage.
Dozens of Hers Guild members followed him. But they didn't attack or block his path. Doing so would bring the city guards.
Yuseong ignored them too.
Thus, the bizarre procession continued.
Yuseong running errands, the Hers Guild members surveilling him, and other players following with thrilled eyes.
Their march ended when Yuseong finished his business and reached the Verhill gates.
"Are you Yuseong?"
Someone blocked Yuseong's path.
A man in gleaming metallic armor with a long sword at his side.
An NPC Yuseong hadn't seen before. But he easily recognized him as Hers Guild.
Not because of the guild emblem on his chest. Though polite, his tone and demeanor dripped with obvious anger and displeasure.
Just like every Hers Guild member he'd met so far.
The strategy guide's explanation nailed down his identity.
【Hers Guild's Guild Master, Hers.】