Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Guild Creation (3)
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《Guild Creation》 - (3)
01.
"You're saying you're going to make them come to us because they won't be able to hold out otherwise? How?"
Kim Arin tilted her head, a question mark practically floating above it, as my words about drawing Billishtein to us directly didn't quite sink in.
"...I'll explain step by step."
I kept my response brief. But one thing was certain: to lure in a stage boss on Billishtein's level, we'd need to orchestrate something major.
"Hmm, let me summarize then..."
Arin stopped pressing for details and began recapping our conversation so far.
"We're forming a guild to keep the players in check, while recruiting stage bosses as members to protect them and reduce friction with civilians."
"Exactly."
"And we'll start by recruiting June's stage boss, Billishtein, then gather the rest gradually."
"You got it spot on."
I nodded at Arin's solid summary. It skipped a few details, but it was damn near perfect.
She tilted her head again and looked at me.
"So, we're holding off on creation until we've got them all?"
"Nah, not quite."
I shook my head at her question about waiting until every stage boss was assembled.
"That'd be too late. We're creating it right now."
Creating the guild after collecting all the bosses would be too slow. Sure, the impact would be off the charts, but we couldn't afford to twiddle our thumbs that long.
"We'll fill the shortages with players for now."
A one-man guild just wouldn't cut it image-wise, so we'd pad out the minimum required members with players first.
Taking in some players would make us look balanced from the civilians' perspective—like we were considering both sides—which wasn't a bad play.
That said, we couldn't let in any shady types, or it'd be as good as handing it to SPR. We'd have to cherry-pick from those who aligned with our vision.
"Oh! I actually scouted someone already!"
As soon as I mentioned recruiting a few players, Arin clapped her hands like something had clicked, her voice bubbling with excitement.
"Since guilds need at least five, I looked into some reliable folks."
"Yeah...?"
In Season Off Fantasy, guilds required a minimum of five members.
It was based on the five base job classes: one each from melee DPS, ranged DPS, tank, support, and rare jobs.
"Who'd you have in mind?"
Arin had scoped out candidates on her own. I tilted my head curiously, and she beamed back.
"Selverion, you know her too! The Scientist right in the middle of the Yeouido warzone!"
"Huh...?"
I racked my brain at her words.
Sure enough, there was that Scientist awkwardly positioned—not quite against Ace, but not with Dessert Club either.
Judging by the massive summons he'd called forth, he seemed like a high-level pro.
Arin filled in more details.
"His name's Lee Min-jun, Ace's vice guild master. He's pretty much the only one in Ace who opposed taking you down. He was the one who tipped off Sol-sol about their plans."
"Ah."
The whistleblower who'd nearly flown under the radar on Ace's raid prep. I'd wondered how Dessert Club, Arin included, knew about it—turns out it was an internal leak from the vice guild master.
"He just got unemployed too, and he's always so polite and considerate. I floated the idea a few days ago, and he was totally on board."
"Hmm..."
Was it our prior connection?
Or was he just that solid?
Arin pushed hard for this ex-Ace vice guild master named Lee Min-jun, way more than I'd expected. I mulled it over briefly, then gave a short nod.
"...Alright, let's meet him."
Ace ties gave me pause, but leaking their raid plans and his kind, empathetic rep made him worth a shot.
High-level Scientists weren't easy to come by anyway. The bigger the space summons, the more tactical value in ops, so guilds always snapped them up.
"Really?! Awesome! I'll message him now and set something up!"
Arin practically jumped for joy at her idea getting greenlit. But she caught herself overexcited, cleared her throat, and settled back gracefully.
...She spoke in a calmer tone.
"So, that's you—Selverion—and me, plus Lee Min-jun. We still need two more for the minimum five."
She noted we had two spots left for the bare-minimum guild.
"You're a jack-of-all-trades, I'm rare job plus melee DPS, Min-jun's ranged DPS Scientist... Ideally, tank and support for the rest."
She wanted a balanced starter lineup, suggesting tank and support. I nodded in agreement.
"...Agreed."
One from each class looked good on paper, and tank/support were combat essentials.
Supports especially could swing the game despite low HP.
"Hmm, who could work..."
But Arin clutched her head, drawing a blank. Top talent was already guilded up, so no wonder good options weren't jumping out.
"......"
I closed my eyes, pondering too. Soon, two familiar faces from the past couple weeks flashed in my mind—a slum Holy Shield Knight guy and Priest girl duo.
"Ah."
"...!! Got someone in mind?!"
"Yeah, a couple solid ones."
...Not the strongest, but they'd stood up to raiders to protect folks despite knowing they were outmatched. Steadfast morals there.
No SPR or guild ties either, so worth pitching. Plus, familiar faces eased things for early members.
"Great! I'll ask them too! That leaves..."
With the five minimum sorted, Arin's gaze shifted to the tall clown slumped in the entryway corner—October's stage boss, Perolln.
"...Just Perolln."
"Yeah."
His fate was the last piece.
With protection as a core guild goal, including him made sense, but Arin eyed the clown sharply, something clearly bugging her.
"Including stage bosses is fine, but Perolln might stir backlash. He's killed four players inside the safe zone already. Public opinion won't love it."
She pointed out he was a serial killer who'd offed four players in safe territory—bad optics for an early member.
"...Dunno."
I shook my head.
"You know what kind of people he killed?"
"Huh? Yeah, from a friend—school bullies, or kids facing trial for it."
"Right."
Perolln's victims—his vengeance targets—were the bullies who'd tormented him back when he was human.
They deserved punishment; some were trial-bound. But player status wiped their slates clean.
"...I think it fits the guild's purpose perfectly."
Our guild would protect and rein in stage bosses, while turning a blind eye to mutual sins and punishing lawbreakers in their stead.
Even if radical, Perolln's case made a strong example.
...Negative eyes were inevitable once Selverion made a guild anyway.
If we couldn't dodge them, better to boldly showcase our goals, convictions, and role.
I wasn't aiming to be a hero.
Just curb player rampages and balance the world, like Arin said.
"If that's your call, Selverion... I'm good!"
"...Yeah."
Doubts lingered, but she'd follow my lead blindly. She grinned wide. I returned a faint smile.
"Sorry, mind stepping out for a bit?"
"Huh? Sure thing!"
She headed upstairs at my request. Once out of sight, I approached Perolln, chained in the corner.
I loosened just the upper chains, freeing his ever-smiling mouth.
"Puh, puhaaaack!!"
He gulped air with a weird noise, clearly stifled. Then yelled at me, indignant.
"Wh-what the hell?! Untie me now! Why're you doing this to me?!"
"..."
"Whether I get raided later is none of your business! Just let me do my thing!!"
"Shut it."
I snapped at the clown venting over his foiled revenge and kidnapping.
Locking eyes with my red gaze, I spoke coldly.
"...You heard our talk?"
"Guild?"
"Yeah."
"Fuck guilds, why would I— ...!!"
I cut him off with an Ice Blade materializing before his eyes.
"Quiet. And join."
No real choice anyway.
Refuse, and freeze solid.
"......You'll have backup. No one'll raid or kill you, revenge or not."
"......"
"And for those drunk on power crossing lines, scheming fools, players playing king—we'll make 'em pay."
"Pay..."
"So quit whining and join."
"......"
The fired-up clown bowed his head, lost in thought. Probably less the player restraint pitch, more the backup angle that hooked him.
...Five minutes of silence later, a shaky voice emerged.
"Can I think a bit more...?"
"Sigh..."
I sighed deeply, flash-freezing his lower half with thin ice.
"Wanna think forever...? Just nod already."
Five minutes was generous—what more did he want? No patience for this. I glared at the pitiful clown; he sighed deeply and nodded.
"......Fine, for now."
"Good."
"But keep your promise. Protection."
"...Obviously."
Contracts matter in business, honoring them most. Suspicious type—might need a written one soon.
"Smart choice."
I uncoiled my iron chains and offered my pale white hand carefully.
"...Let's make it work."
The moment I recruited my first stage boss.