Chapter 25: Guild
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 25: Guild
[Do as you wish. I shall merely watch.]
The Master of All Weapons had already let go. He had abandoned all ambition. At this late stage, he had no desire to achieve anything; if he had, he wouldn't have ended up in this state to begin with.
Kang Jun-hyeok didn't pay him any mind. It was his job to prove himself, regardless.
3,221 Gold, huh?
It was a substantial sum, likely the reward for defeating a Loser. He contemplated how to use it to maximize his momentum moving forward.
As he was thinking, a knock echoed through the room.
Knock, knock.
A visitor.
Kang Jun-hyeok stood up and headed for the door. When he turned the handle, he found a young woman who looked utterly spent. She was so drained that the dark circles under her eyes seemed to weigh down her entire face.
The woman asked in a weary tone, "…Are you Mr. Kang Jun-hyeok?"
"I am."
"One moment, please."
The woman pulled a piece of paper from her coat and unfolded it. It was a sketch—a composite of a man's face. As she looked at the drawing, her expression froze.
The man in the sketch was a perfect match for Kang Jun-hyeok.
"…Huh?"
She looked back and forth between the sketch and Jun-hyeok’s face, blinking as if doubting her own eyes. But no matter how many times she checked, the man standing before her was undeniably the one in the drawing.
The woman asked in a trembling voice, "Are you, by any chance… the Perfect Player?"
The Perfect Player. He knew immediately what she was referring to.
So that's what they're calling me.
"If you're looking for the person who killed the Mantis on the 0th Floor," Jun-hyeok said, "then yes, that's me."
"…Hic!"
The woman let out a loud, startled hiccup.
* * *
"Have you calmed down now?"
"Ah. Yes, yes. Thank you…"
The woman, having gulped down a glass of cold water, spoke haltingly. After being invited inside, she sat on the edge of her seat, looking incredibly restless.
Kang Jun-hyeok waited patiently. Once she finally seemed to have composed herself, she straightened her clothes and produced a business card.
"F-first, let me introduce myself. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kang Jun-hyeok. I am Lee Yeon-ji, a member of the Baekdusan Guild."
Kang Jun-hyeok took the card. It confirmed exactly what she had said.
The Baekdusan Guild.
The world order had crumbled the moment the Tower appeared. Nations that could no longer protect their citizens failed to fulfill their roles and lost all credibility. Guilds rose to fill that vacuum. This wasn't unique to Korea; it was a global phenomenon.
While many guilds of various sizes existed, three held the most influence in Korea: the Baekdusan Guild, the Verdant Guild, and the Free Guild.
Among them, the Baekdusan Guild had reached him first.
"You did well to find me," Jun-hyeok muttered. "I haven't really gone outside since I started climbing the Tower."
It had been roughly twenty days since he first entered the Tower. There were likely many people looking for him, yet no one had been able to track him down. The reason was simple: he never showed his face. He ordered all his groceries and necessities via delivery. For twenty days, he hadn't stepped out of his room once. It should have been impossible to find him.
If they had found him despite that, there was only one possibility.
"Did you search for me on foot?"
"…Yes," Lee Yeon-ji nodded, her face still sallow.
How do you find someone who never shows themselves? There was a simple, albeit ignorant, method: checking every single building and every single floor where people lived. It required a massive amount of manpower, and even then, there was no guarantee of success. If Kang Jun-hyeok had been living in some remote mountain village, it would have been a complete waste of effort. It was an act of pure madness, yet the Baekdusan Guild had pulled it off.
"That is some terrifying persistence."
"I-I'm sorry!"
"I wasn't criticizing you. You must have gone through a lot of trouble."
They must have investigated every person named Kang Jun-hyeok of a similar age and appearance, going door-to-door. There was a reason Lee Yeon-ji looked so exhausted.
"Yes, well… that's true…" Lee Yeon-ji nodded, stealing glances at him.
This person is…
The Perfect Player. The one who killed the Mantis on the 0th Floor and achieved a Perfect Clear from the 1st Floor to the 2nd Floor. And judging by the announcement that had just gone out, he had likely achieved a Perfect Clear on the 3rd Floor as well.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say he was currently the most famous person in the world. Because of that, Lee Yeon-ji had assumed he would have a borderline inhuman personality. But talking to him in person, he was actually quite communicative and even considerate. He was also fairly good-looking. The reality was a stark contrast to her expectations.
A guild, huh?
Jun-hyeok figured they would come eventually. The timing wasn't bad, either. He nodded.
"Fine. I assume the fact that you went to such lengths to find me means you want something from me."
"Ah, yes, yes! W-would you mind waiting just a moment?"
"I don't mind."
Having received permission, Lee Yeon-ji hurried outside and began making a call.
* * *
"Guild Leader!"
The secretary burst through the door. Baekdusan, who had been napping in the office, jumped up with a start.
"Wha—what! What is it!"
"Guild Leader! Please wake up!"
"I am awake, you punk!" Baekdusan roared at the secretary who was shaking him. The secretary winced and covered his ears at the shout.
Woken from his slumber, Baekdusan irritably straightened his clothes. "I told you not to come in when I'm napping!"
"…Even so, to yell like that. Have you forgotten that I am a frail human who doesn't climb the Tower?"
"Shut up. Anyway, what's going on?" Baekdusan glared at the secretary with annoyance. "Why did you wake me up? If it's for something trivial, you're getting another earful."
"That won't be necessary." The secretary stood up straight, his expression turning serious. "We've made contact."
"Contact?"
"With Kang Jun-hyeok."
Baekdusan’s eyes widened. "…For real?"
"Congratulations, Guild Leader. That ignorant tactic of yours actually worked. As far as we can confirm, our guild is the first."
Deploying guild members to check every single residence—it was the method Baekdusan had proposed. The secretary had opposed it, calling it inefficient and low-probability, but Baekdusan had pushed it through with confidence.
And it had yielded results. Baekdusan swallowed hard. "…What did he say?"
"He said he's willing to talk with you, Guild Leader."
"T-tell him I can talk right now!"
"Yes, sir."
The secretary nodded. Baekdusan quickly grabbed his phone and waited, his face tight with anxiety. A moment later, it rang. He answered without hesitation.
"…Hello."
He spoke in a deep, gravelly voice that didn't suit him at all. The secretary winced. The person on the other end was silent for a moment before responding.
"Ah, um. Right. I see." Embarrassed, Baekdusan reverted to his natural voice.
"That's right. And you… are you Kang Jun-hyeok?"
Jackpot. Baekdusan struggled to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching upward. "The fact that you're taking this call… I assume that means you're interested in our guild?"
The voice over the phone sounded peculiar. It was a tone that suggested his interest might be different from what Baekdusan was expecting. However, Baekdusan didn't catch the nuance. He was too focused on the thought that Kang Jun-hyeok was interested in his guild.
Baekdusan stood up. "Then let's meet right away! I'll come to you!"
It was an incredibly humble stance for a guild leader, but the secretary just accepted it. The world's only Perfect Player—considering the information he had released about the 2nd Floor, Baekdusan’s value as a player was infinitely lower.
A rejection. Baekdusan’s heart sank for a moment, but he was quickly relieved by the words that followed.
"Ah, understood! Then I'll come find you as soon as you're done!"
With those words, the call ended. Baekdusan let out a giddy laugh.
"Yes! This is great! How about that? My judgment, which you called useless and told me not to waste manpower on!"
"…." The secretary looked disgruntled but couldn't argue. In the end, the results spoke for themselves.
"Yes!" Baekdusan pumped his fist. If Kang Jun-hyeok joined his guild, the balance of power would shift. He could crush the Verdant Guild in an instant.
Baekdusan was so happy he wanted to dance. In fact, he actually did. The secretary shook his head as if he were witnessing something he shouldn't have.
Meanwhile, after hanging up, Kang Jun-hyeok handed the phone back to Lee Yeon-ji.
"I'm finished."
"Yes, yes."
"I'll speak with Mr. Baekdusan directly regarding the rest."
"Thank you so much!" Lee Yeon-ji nodded vigorously and hurried out, her face full of joy. She had met the Perfect Player in person and successfully connected him with her leader. Her contribution was massive; she couldn't help but look forward to her reward.
Left alone, Kang Jun-hyeok sat on the edge of his bed.
"A guild, huh."
It was sooner than he expected, but it was bound to happen eventually. And now that things had turned out this way, there was one more place he needed to contact. Baekdusan was rejoicing, thinking Jun-hyeok would join them, but Jun-hyeok had no intention of doing so.
He picked up his own phone and dialed a number from memory. His movements were incredibly fluid, as if he had done it dozens of times before. The phone rang a few times, and then someone answered.
"Is this Kim Tae-yeon, the leader of the Verdant Guild?"
A wary voice echoed. Kang Jun-hyeok spoke without missing a beat.
"I'm Kang Jun-hyeok."
"I believe I'm the person you've been looking for."
He heard a sharp intake of breath from the other end. Jun-hyeok spoke softly.
"Do you have a moment to talk?"
* * *
After finishing the conversation, Kang Jun-hyeok ended the call.
"I'll have some work to do once I get back."
But before that, he intended to head to the 4th Floor. He needed to spend the gold he had earned.
Kang Jun-hyeok opened the Shop.