Chapter 30: Two Guilds (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 30: Two Guilds (1)
"……Wow."
Kang Jun-hyeok let out a hollow laugh.
The 4th Floor was notorious for its lack of meaningful rewards. It usually only yielded a meager amount of Gold, leading to a general consensus among Players that the floor wasn't worth the effort.
However, having achieved a Perfect Clear, Kang Jun-hyeok could finally see the truth. The 4th Floor reward was actually Gold proportional to the number of ants slain.
10,000 Gold.
It was a staggering sum, equal to what he had earned from his Strategy Writing Permit.
And Gold wasn't the only thing he had gained. He checked the Perfect Clear reward item.
[Necklace: Queen's Poison Stinger]
[Slot: Necklace]
[Rank: Mid-Rank]
[Stats: Strength +2, Defense +2]
[Equipment Ability: A certain chance to inflict the Poison status effect on a successful hit.]
[Description: From the World of Insects, Brutalkain. This is the stinger of the one and only Queen who rules the ants, processed into a necklace.]
"Poison status effect."
Kang Jun-hyeok’s eyes gleamed.
Necklaces were rare pieces of equipment that often came with special abilities. The chance to poison an opponent on hit was incredibly useful; not only did the status effect slow an enemy's movements, but it also dealt damage over time proportional to their total health.
Simply put, this was the kind of equipment that could never be found in the Shop.
As I thought.
While basic gear could be purchased in the Shop, those items were bottom-tier. Equipment obtained as floor clear rewards was of a much higher grade, and equipment from a Perfect Clear was, quite literally, beyond comparison.
In addition to the item, he had earned a new title.
[Title: Queen Slayer]
[A title given to one who has ruthlessly slaughtered the ruler of a species.]
[Effect: Strength stat increases by +2 when facing a ruler of a species, such as a King or Queen.]
It was a title similar to the Variant Slayer he had obtained on the 2nd Floor. Considering he would likely encounter more "Queens" and similar entities in future floor quests, it was a highly practical addition to his arsenal.
His Perfect Player title also granted an additional +2 to Defense. It was a modest boost, but a welcome one.
Finally, his Thrust skill proficiency had risen from F to E.
[Active Skill: Thrust]
[Rank: Low-Rank]
[Proficiency: E]
[Cooldown: 5 minutes]
[Description: Powerfully thrusts the weapon toward the target.]
The description itself hadn't changed much. At most, the word "powerfully" had been added to the action.
In reality, however, it was a massive upgrade. In technical terms, "powerfully" meant that an additional 50% of his Strength stat was now applied to the attack's damage calculation.
"Not bad."
Kang Jun-hyeok smiled. His growth was incomparably faster than it had been in his past life.
He intended to spend his newly earned Gold immediately, but just as he was about to open the Shop, he paused.
"……Hm?"
Sensing something out of place, Kang Jun-hyeok fell silent and focused his senses. He soon realized the cause.
Someone was outside his house.
Kang Jun-hyeok stood up and pulled open the door.
Creeeeak.
There, right in front of his home, he saw them. Two tents were pitched directly on the road. Judging by their small size, they looked like they could barely fit a single person each.
"……What is this?"
Kang Jun-hyeok frowned. The tents were completely obstructing the path to his front door.
"Mmm……."
A sound like someone talking in their sleep echoed from inside one of the tents. A moment later, the zipper slid open, and a disheveled woman crawled out.
Kang Jun-hyeok knew exactly who she was.
"Kim Tae-yeon."
"……Huh?"
Still half-asleep, Kim Tae-yeon stared blankly into the distance before slowly coming to her senses at the sound of his voice. Her eyes soon filled with shock.
"……Mr. Kang Jun-hyeok?"
"That’s me. What is the meaning of this?" Kang Jun-hyeok muttered, dumbfounded.
Awakened by the commotion, another person emerged from the second tent. It was a rugged, muscular man—Baekdusan.
"What’s all this noise while I'm trying to sle—"
Grumbling as he appeared, Baekdusan spotted Kang Jun-hyeok. His eyes, like Kim Tae-yeon’s, immediately widened in astonishment.
"Wh-wh-what? You’re back?"
"I am. But what are you people doing here?"
"Uh……."
At Kang Jun-hyeok’s question, Baekdusan and Kim Tae-yeon reflexively looked at each other.
Seeing this, Kang Jun-hyeok let out a dry laugh, having already figured it out.
"……I think I understand. For now, please come inside."
* * *
"So," Kang Jun-hyeok said, summarizing the situation after hearing their story. "You intended to wait in front of my house until I returned from the 4th Floor?"
"……Yes."
"But because I didn't come out for so long, you went as far as pitching tents to camp out?"
"……That is correct."
Kang Jun-hyeok let out a short, incredulous laugh. "You’re being a real nuisance."
"……."
Baekdusan and Kim Tae-yeon fell silent. Occupying the road in front of someone's house with tents—now that they had cooled their heads and thought about it, it was indeed a massive imposition.
"I’m sure I told you I would contact you after I came out. Ah, were you worried the other side would snatch me up first?"
The two responded with silence once again. Kang Jun-hyeok moved on to clarify the timeline.
"How long was I in there? I had a rough idea of the passage of time inside, but it wasn't precise."
"It’s been…… about two weeks."
"Two weeks. That was shorter than I thought," Kang Jun-hyeok muttered.
Baekdusan and Kim Tae-yeon watched him cautiously.
……He’s younger than I expected.
That was their shared thought. He looked to be in his mid-twenties at most. Since he achieved Perfect Clears as easily as breathing, they had assumed he would be a seasoned warrior or a career soldier.
And he seems…… more normal than I expected.
He was easy to talk to. One might say that was obvious, but the more exceptional a person was, the more likely they were to be broken in some way. Case in point: the current Rank 1 Player on Earth was constantly the subject of gossip due to his eccentric and volatile personality.
Since Kang Jun-hyeok achieved a Perfect Clear on every floor, they had inwardly speculated he might be someone bordering on obsessive-compulsive, but that didn't seem to be the case.
While they were busy forming their impressions of him, Kang Jun-hyeok was observing them in his own way.
It’s been a while.
He felt a flicker of nostalgia. Regardless of his feelings toward Baekdusan, he had been quite close with Kim Tae-yeon in the past.
But that was all in a previous life. Setting his emotions aside, Kang Jun-hyeok spoke.
"You’ve likely already discussed this amongst yourselves, but I am the one who called you. While Mr. Baekdusan sought me out on his own, I was the one who directly contacted Ms. Kim Tae-yeon."
"Pardon?"
At those words, Kim Tae-yeon’s eyes snapped toward Baekdusan, glaring at him. Baekdusan feigned ignorance. Realizing she had been tricked into thinking they were both summoned equally, she quietly ground her teeth.
"I originally intended to contact you gradually, but I didn't expect we’d be having this conversation immediately after I cleared the 4th Floor."
"Let’s talk after you’ve had some rest! I have a magnificent villa! I’ll escort you there right now!" Baekdusan shouted.
"A-ah, no! Our guild operates a hotel! I’ll take you to the top-floor suite!" Kim Tae-yeon countered.
The two shouted in quick succession, desperate to make a good impression. However, Kang Jun-hyeok shook his head.
"I don't need any of that. This is actually perfect. Let’s settle this cleanly right here. Why do you think I called you both?"
"Is it not to choose which of the two guilds you will join?" Baekdusan spoke confidently. Kim Tae-yeon nodded silently.
Both of them believed that to be the case. There was no other reason to summon two guild leaders.
"The reason you didn't call the Free Guild is likely because they are, as the name suggests, free. Since there is no formal belonging, no hierarchy, and no orders, you probably have no intention of joining them. In contrast, our two guilds both have clear directions. I believe you called us to make a choice."
"Well…… you’re not wrong."
Kang Jun-hyeok gave an ambiguous answer. Baekdusan’s eyes lit up as he shouted proudly.
"Then the guild you should choose is ours—the Baekdusan Guild! Our guild’s direction is simple. Power! Ability as a Player! Talent!"
Baekdusan clenched his fist.
"Every Player in the Baekdusan Guild must climb at least one floor per month! Those who fail are expelled without exception. We prove our abilities through periodic duels. But as long as you prove yourself, the benefits are unmatched!"
Survival of the fittest. That was the Baekdusan Guild. Because their standards were so harsh, their numbers were small, but every single member was a powerful elite.
"Mr. Kang Jun-hyeok, you are strong! You are climbing the Tower every time your three-day cooldown is up. It won't be long before you reach my level! For someone with your power, I am certain our guild is the only one that fits!"
Baekdusan spoke with vigor. Kang Jun-hyeok nodded as if he understood.
"I see. Then, Ms. Kim Tae-yeon. What about you?"
"……The direction of our Verdant Guild is simple."
Unlike Baekdusan, she spoke calmly, showing restrained emotion. "How many people do you think are currently climbing the Tower?"
"You mean the Players climbing of their own volition, not just those who received the right to challenge?"
"Yes." Kim Tae-yeon nodded.
The Tower was accessible to every human on Earth. By the time Kang Jun-hyeok entered, 10% had not yet received their challenge rights, but now that over a month had passed, most of the population likely had.
But out of those who had the right, how many were actually climbing?
Kim Tae-yeon said, "Only 5%."
95% of Earth’s population was not climbing the Tower despite having the right to do so.
It was only natural. Climbing the Tower granted power, but it required risking one's life. Countless people had challenged a floor and never returned. Furthermore, at this point, there was no compulsion to climb. Since one could live a normal life without entering the Tower, many saw no reason to gamble with their lives.
If Alessandro, who had made a contract just to get the right to challenge, saw this, he would have lamented the situation.
"However, among the 5% who do climb, many use their power to act tyrannically. A significant number of them commit illegal acts. The remaining 95% are exposed to the danger they pose."
Therefore, the Verdant Guild’s direction was simple.
"Protecting the weak. That is our guild’s purpose."
If someone had the heart to climb the Tower, the guild would provide full support. But if they were too afraid to climb, they could stay on the surface, receive protection, and contribute in other ways. That was the path of the Verdant Guild.
Because of this, the Verdant Guild had vastly more members than the Baekdusan Guild. Baekdusan snorted.
"Naive. Power is all that matters. What do you plan to do by protecting the weak?"
"Is that why you lost the Ansan region in the recent conflict?"
"……That’s only because they used cowardly guerrilla tactics!"
"That is exactly the power of the weak. The weak have their own ways of doing things."
The two engaged in a heated argument. Kang Jun-hyeok watched them silently.
In his past life, what choice had he made?
He had joined the Verdant Guild. Moved by Kim Tae-yeon’s goal of protecting the weak, he had worked alongside her. He helped people and climbed the Tower, striving to increase the guild's influence while opposing the Baekdusan Guild. In that process, he had become an executive of the Verdant Guild and grew close to Kim Tae-yeon.
That was the first failure among the many failures of his past life.
That was why Kang Jun-hyeok could ask this now.
"Ms. Kim Tae-yeon."
"Yes, yes?"
Kim Tae-yeon abruptly cut her argument short and looked at Kang Jun-hyeok. Her expression was that of someone proud—someone who carried out her will without wavering.
But her composure faltered at his next words.
"Do you really think there is any meaning in you protecting people?"