Chapter 25: Guild(1)
“Ugh…”
Park Siwoo opened his eyes. The room was unmistakably luxurious.
He spotted Kim Minwoo sitting nearby.
“Bro, where are we?”
“My room.”
“…Your room?”
A message soon appeared before his eyes.
[All achievements have been settled.]
[Settlement result: SSS]
[A Job Skillbook (SSS) has been granted!]
[Select the job you desire.]
“Huh? Bro…?”
“What?”
“I’m seeing something weird. Achievement settlement… it has three S’s…”
“Triple S?”
“Yeah. It looks like that…”
“Then that’s what it is.”
Park Siwoo was momentarily stunned by Kim Minwoo’s utterly nonchalant response.
It was known that no achievements exceeded S-rank. Triple S was clearly beyond that.
And yet, he was so casual about it?
‘Come to think of it…’
Kim Minwoo’s words flashed through Park Siwoo’s mind.
—S-rank? No, you’ll definitely become an awakener beyond that. Let’s do it. I’ll help you.
His tone had been so certain that S-plus existed. Back then, Siwoo had just brushed it off as encouragement.
“Bro. Could it be you’re…?”
Right then.
Kim Minwoo grinned and pointed upward with his finger.
“Yep. I’m beyond that too.”
“Oh… so that’s…”
“Yeah. That’s how it was.”
“No wonder. That summon, Cedric, was insanely impressive from the start.”
An enormous horde of summons.
And Cedric on top of that.
Now it made sense why Kim Minwoo was so strong.
“You’re going Swordsman, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Open the skillbook. I’m curious what’ll come out.”
Park Siwoo nodded and selected his job.
“…Bro. This is insane. Take a look!”
He immediately shared the skill details with Kim Minwoo.
[Holy Sword Arpesia (SSS)]
[Effect 1. Can summon the Holy Sword. The Holy Sword grows with its owner.]
[Effect 2. Gain the qualifications to wield the Holy Sword.]
[Effect 3. Receive powerful bonuses when equipping the Holy Sword.]
[Effect 4. Can declare a sanctuary over a certain area.]
Kim Minwoo’s reaction was.
“Oh, weapon secured?”
Pretty understated.
“…I thought you’d be more surprised.”
“Fitting for SSS. Even summons the Holy Sword. Congrats.”
“Thanks. But I’m a bit worried…”
“About what?”
“Holy Sword and undead are natural enemies, right? I feel like it’ll hurt being around you.”
“That so?”
Kim Minwoo nodded.
It did make sense. Holy Swords were the natural counters to darkness, after all.
Death Lord.
This job screamed dark at first glance.
“Hold on.”
He summoned Cedric and a few skeletons into the room.
“Try summoning it now. Let’s test.”
“Okay.”
Park Siwoo summoned the Holy Sword.
A brilliant glow formed above his hand, and a pure white sword took shape.
Then.
The Holy Sword began trembling wildly.
A message appeared before Kim Minwoo’s eyes.
[The Holy Sword is aghast at the sight of you!]
[The Holy Sword’s glow is witnessed!]
[The difference in rank is overwhelming! Unaffected by the Holy Sword’s light!]
“No effect?”
It wasn’t just Kim Minwoo. The skeletons were staring at the Holy Sword with blank expressions too.
“Bro. Hold on. The Holy Sword’s saying something.”
“What’s it saying?”
“It’s babbling like ‘Eek, hate Death Lord, scary’…”
Right then.
Cedric, who had been tilting his head, spoke while looking at the Holy Sword.
—That thing. Is it a Holy Sword?
“You know it?”
—I remember. It’s the sword those so-called heroes carried around where I was. Name was… Arpesia, right?
Oh, they really did know each other.
Who’d have thought it’d connect like this?
“…Uh, so… you two know each other?”
Nod.
Cedric nodded at Park Siwoo’s words.
—It was routine for it to charge at the Lord and get smashed. Being indestructible, only the heroes with it died off. After about a hundred times, it quieted down.
The Holy Sword shook violently at those words.
“Sir Cedric. Hold on. It says it was 99 times, not a hundred.”
—Same difference.
Cedric shrugged and continued.
—Eventually… they all went down together, amicably. Couldn’t stop those guys.
“Sir Cedric. Those guys… what do you mean…”
—Think of it like some third faction.
Park Siwoo scratched his head at that.
“Uh… so to sum up… light and dark fought, light lost, and in the end, both sides got wrecked?”
—Sharp comprehension.
“If they went down together amicably, they’re not enemies now, right? Home base is gone anyway.”
—That’s why it’s staying quiet now.
“Oh…”
Park Siwoo nodded as if he understood.
“Heard that? Bro and I aren’t enemies. We’ll be ongoing party members. So you behave too. Yeah. Got it. Bro?”
“Yeah. What.”
“The Holy Sword says sorry. It freaked out sensing Death Lord aura suddenly.”
“PTSD, huh.”
“Yeah. Got shattered so much it left psychological trauma. Voice sounds like a kid still… Oh, you’re old? Fine, gramps.”
Park Siwoo’s face lit up brightly as he soothed the Holy Sword.
“Think we can party up. Holy Sword says it can’t affect you or the undead.”
“Me, sure, but the undead too?”
“Yeah. Your undead carry Death Lord aura, super high rank. Says its power’s nothing against it. Anyway, that’s the gist.”
—Probably. Undead under the Lord were mostly immune to light attributes. The rank gap was that huge…
…Jackpot?
He’d discovered yet another unexpected Death Lord perk.
Immunity to light attributes.
An EX-rank holy-light attack might be different, but there was no chance of encountering one anytime soon.
Then.
Park Siwoo, glancing between the Holy Sword and Kim Minwoo, suddenly widened his eyes in realization.
“Hold on, Bro.”
“What.”
“Holy Sword’s Triple S.”
“Yeah.”
“But it can’t touch you… so what level are you exactly?”
“Just a bit higher.”
“Gramps is quaking, doesn’t look ‘a bit’.”
“Shh. Knowing too much hurts.”
“Yessir…”
Kim Minwoo chuckled at Siwoo, who’d instantly shrunk down.
“Joking. Anyway, my achievement rank’s on the higher side. That’s all you need to know.”
“Got it. Uh, Bro. What now? I’ve awakened, gotta hit gates…”
“Yeah.”
Park Siwoo.
SSS-rank awakener.
Holy Sword wielder.
He’d even changed his shit-stained diapers to awaken him. Letting him go would mean other guilds or foreigners snatching him up fast.
Idiot not to grab him.
“I don’t party much.”
“Oh… right. Someone like you can solo-smash gates…”
Park Siwoo deflated in an instant.
“Yeah. But no way I’m letting talent like you go.”
“Yes! I’ve got the Holy Sword!”
His face brightened right back up.
“Let’s make a guild.”
“A guild? Doesn’t Ilsung already have one?”
“That’s stale water. Heavy cliques too. Fine for me, but you’d suffer.”
Ilsung topped corporate ranks, but guild quality? Eh.
Better to make a small mini-guild and play among themselves.
“I’ll make one. Train there, level up some.”
“Yes, sir! I’ll work hard! Guild Master!”
Park Siwoo bowed deeply.
Kim Minwoo.
He was truly an amazing person.
He’d helped with the awakening like he knew the conditions, and was a hidden master with achievements beyond Siwoo’s.
To repay the favor.
And because the future he’d paint was exciting.
‘I want to stick with him.’
Any way to go together was fine.
A guild would be perfect.
He’d surely guide an immature guy like him well.
“Guild Master’s awkward. Just call me Bro.”
“Yes, Bro!”
“Let’s go. Time to found the guild.”
Gotta see the chairman’s face.
* * *
Ilsung Group.
Park Siwoo gaped at the massive headquarters.
Tens of thousands of employees bustling about!
Overwhelming for a commoner like him.
“Don’t freak, man. Already like this? Gotta meet the chairman soon.”
“H-Haha… right.”
He laughed casually but sweat beaded from nerves.
Patted his back, then entered the HQ entrance. Strict security setup.
Approached the security guards.
“It’s me. Good work. Chairman’s in?”
“Y-Yes!”
“Thanks.”
Passed the entrance smoothly.
Boarded the chairman’s exclusive VVIP elevator. Reached the 130th floor, doors opened.
And there was Chairman Kim.
“Ha! You actually came to the office? Sun must be rising in the west! What’s up? Who’s the kid?”
“New little bro I made. Introduce yourself.”
“I’m Park Siwoo! Please take care of me, Chairman!”
The 90-degree bow drew a hearty laugh from the chairman.
“Good! Full of spunk! Take care of my boy.”
Sat on the plush sofa with Siwoo. Time for the main topic.
“Dad. I want to found a guild.”
“A guild?”
The chairman’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“We’ve got one in Ilsung…”
“Yeah. But it’s stale.”
“Stale?”
“Yeah. Honestly, does the Ilsung Guild live up to our name?”
“…Ahem. It’s a bit lacking…”
Ilsung Guild ranked around 5th.
Meager results for the cash poured in.
He’d hoped his eldest would join and shine…
“Stagnant for ages. Public thinks ‘tired’ first at Ilsung Guild.”
“Hm… so?”
“Wanna make one for only the absolute best elites.”
“Absolute best elites…”
The chairman nodded.
That goal explained not joining Ilsung Guild.
It was already packed with awakeners.
Doing side businesses with monster byproducts, magic stones, etc.
To fit his son’s vision, he’d have to fire them all overnight. Impossible.
Noise from everywhere.
“So, this kid’s one of the elites?”
“Yeah. You’ll like him too. No joke.”
“Hoo… how good…”
“SSS achievement awakener. Crushes S-ranks easy.”
Gulp.
The chairman swallowed.
His son had shown EX, so he’d thought S-plus possible…
‘SSS from the start?’
Couldn’t imagine what guild he’d build.
“Uh, Park Siwoo, was it.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“Is what he says true?”
“Yes. Bro personally helped my awakening. That’s how I got this rank.”
Park Siwoo finished and looked at Kim Minwoo.
Nodding, he shared his status window.
“…My god. Holy Sword summon?”
“Great, right, Dad?”
“…Ha. Looks insanely strong. But you’re not revealing all this?”
“Nope. Pass it off as S-rank. Holy Sword out, hard to guess SSS.”
With a gesture from Kim Minwoo, Park Siwoo summoned the Holy Sword.
Pure white light burst from the sword.
“Definitely… unaware, looks like S-rank skill.”
The chairman nodded.
He knew, so he grasped its power. Ignorant eyes would see cool sword summon.
“Gonna gather talents like this. Imagine, Dad. Shocking now, but the guild’s future…”
Gulp.
Throat burning, the chairman swallowed. His son and Siwoo alone could shake the world.
Add more ‘real deals’…
‘Already snagged one.’
Proved his son had an eye for people.
One could become two, three.
“Invest… you’ll take investments?”
He already had a guild, whatever.
Didn’t matter.
Key was whether Ilsung could get a foot in this budding two-man guild.
“Of course. Specially for Ilsung, at full price. Only now. Golden chance like this.”
Kim Minwoo smiled knowingly.