Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Guild Creation (4)
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《Guild Creation》- (4)
01.
"Things are about to get really busy from now on."
"Yes, I suppose they will."
After my conversation with Feroln, I spoke to Kim Arin as we descended back to the first floor. Now that we'd fully decided to form a guild and settled on the basics, things were going to be drastically different from here on out—we'd be incredibly busy.
What's the point of creating a guild if no one knows it exists? From announcing the guild's formation, to making our purpose known, to gathering the stage bosses, there was a mountain of work ahead.
"...For now, finding Billshutain has to be the top priority."
And the very first item on that list was recruiting the June stage boss, the mad scientist Billshutain.
To locate the stage bosses scattered across the world somewhere, rally them, and create a base where we could all stay together, Billshutain's help was absolutely essential.
Whether he'd cooperate obediently was questionable, but without his assistance, everything would hit roadblocks. Somehow, even if it meant using force, we'd have to secure his cooperation.
Of course, there was more than just Billshutain—naming the guild, promoting it to the world, hashing out our future direction... the pile of tasks was endless.
"...".
Next, I glanced at Feroln, who was still stuck in the corner by the entrance despite me having undone his chains.
Yeah, wrapping up his story was something I couldn't ignore. The moment he finished his revenge might even become the starting point for stopping the players' rampage.
Best to put out the fire in front of me first and get that frail clown actively involved in what lay ahead.
"Arin."
"Yes! Lady Selverion."
"Let's make a quick stop in Gwangjin-gu."
"Gwangjin-gu?"
"Yeah."
Then I turned to the October stage boss, Feroln, who had his own backstory.
"Feroln."
"......".
The sad clown looked over at me weakly when his name was called. I spoke to him bluntly.
"...Grab your scythe."
02.
"Um, Lady Selverion, I've been thinking about guild name ideas."
While riding the pirate ship toward Gwangjin-gu to help wrap up Feroln's revenge, Kim Arin, who was steering, spoke up.
"How about just 'Selverion Guild,' named after you?"
She casually shoved aside the low-level monsters blocking our path, then glanced at me sidelong, gauging my reaction. I just shook my head with a sigh.
"Rejected."
What I hated most was tacking the guild master's name onto the guild itself. Back when I played Season Off Fantasy, I'd never seen a guild that made its name identical to the leader's nickname succeed.
"Hmm, then what about this?"
Seeing my negative response, Arin perked up as if a new idea had struck her, her voice brightening again.
"The goal of the guild you're creating is to curb the players' power, stop their rampage, and create a balanced world where everyone keeps each other in check, right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"A few years ago, there was that popular hero movie where the bald villain wanted to balance the universe too. How about naming it after him, like Ta—"
"Rejected."
This time, I cut her off before she could finish. More than borrowing from a movie character, I wanted something cooler, more meaningful.
"Maybe Billshutain will have some genius ideas..."
I leaned against the pirate ship's railing and sighed. If whoever turned into Billshutain had inherited his intellect, maybe he'd come up with a brilliant idea worthy of the mad genius moniker.
...All I could think about was how to lure him to Korea ASAP.
"Ah! Lady Selverion! What about this one?!"
Meanwhile, Kim Arin kept firing off name ideas, desperate to get one adopted.
"One of our goals is protecting the scattered stage bosses, so how about 'World's End,' named after the place you guarded?"
"...Oh."
Kim Arin's surprisingly solid suggestion made me blink my red eyes.
True, while checking the players was part of the guild's purpose, protecting the stage bosses scattered across the world was too.
Now that the virtual and real had merged, the December stage 'World's End' that I'd guarded was gone. So why not make the stage bosses themselves our 'World's End' and protect them the same way?
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Really?! Yay!"
She beamed, thrilled that I'd nodded at her decent idea.
...But not every smile carries pure joy or positivity.
There was one who smiled the same way, yet harbored only an endless melancholy—the sad clown Feroln.
"...".
He clutched his scythe tightly, staring blankly at the scenery outside, his eyes filled with countless thoughts.
"Feroln."
I posed a question to him.
"How many left?"
"...".
The clown slowly turned to me at the question, answering in a dark, curt voice.
"One."
"One..."
My question was simply how many revenge targets remained, and Feroln said just one.
"I hope that one is the last."
I advised him upon hearing his reply.
Those dying by Feroln's hand—there were already enough with reasons, enough tangled up with him.
People who'd committed crimes but got everything forgiven just for becoming players.
People who never repented or reflected on their wrongs, only growing more arrogant and crossing lines.
...But if he took his anger out on innocents beyond that, it'd only give the players more power and justification.
"...Yeah, got it."
Feroln nodded shortly, clearly understanding. Though it was just a brief phrase, I could feel the sincerity, so I didn't press further and looked away.
"Lady Selverion, we're almost there!"
How long had we sailed? As dusk fell and night deepened, Kim Arin announced we'd reached the Gwangjin-gu safe zone.
"Wait here."
"Huh? Oh, got it!"
No need to drag her along to a player-killing revenge scene. I had her wait about 300 meters from the safe zone, then jumped off the deck with Feroln.
"Kim Hyowon..."
Feroln muttered the name, gripping his scythe tight as his purple eyes blazed fiercely.
I had no hobby of meddling in others' revenge, but in case Feroln tried to bolt, I decided to accompany him this time.
As Feroln seized his massive reaper's scythe with both hands, his passive Clown's Prank activated, beginning his invisibility.
At the same time, a blue holographic screen appeared before me.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Passive: Piercing Frost activated.] "......".
The passive Piercing Frost, which perfectly discerned others' info and identities, let me see through Feroln's perfect invisibility crystal clear—at least as far as I was concerned.
"Follow me."
Feroln said to me. He clearly wasn't thrilled about my company, but from the moment I'd grabbed and pinned him that morning, he had no choice.
If anything, he should be grateful I'd let him finish this final revenge.
Normally, after his revenge, he'd be caught by players, tortured, experimented on, or killed—a miserable end. But by forming the guild and accepting him as a member, I'd averted that.
He might not say it, but he had to appreciate being able to carry out his last act with a lighter heart.
Once it was done, I'd have a deeper talk with him. I kept that thought to myself.
"Ah!"
...Safe zones had curfews; after midnight, civilians had to stay indoors. Minutes passed as we prowled streets devoid of even a single hair, when Feroln suddenly stopped.
His gaze fixed ahead—straight in front of us stood a player smoking heavily, looking like he carried the world's grievances alone.
"That's the guy..."
"Yeah."
Feroln nodded at my question.
"The real bastard who dragged me to hell... the one I'm really gonna kill..."
He was smiling, but crying.
Wrath and hatred beyond words etched his face.
All I could say to him was one thing.
"...Go."
"...".
Hearing me, the October stage boss Feroln—no, some student tormented half to death by someone—gripped his weapon and stepped forward for revenge on it all.
— Huh? Wha—? G-Gaaaahhh!!
"......".
And soon after came a horrific shriek.
Not long later, Feroln returned, scythe dripping blood, staggering past me.
Beside his footsteps, laced with tangled emotions, came a tiny voice I could barely catch by straining every nerve.
"...Thanks."
"......".
Whether for standing watch, sparing him yesterday morning, or what was to come, I wasn't sure.
But one thing was crystal clear.
...His steps felt a little lighter.