The Guild's Stand
“Just for the contribution points?”
A-reum Jeong’s question made Yoo Ji-sung nod.
“The main quest didn’t say much about it, but the more contribution points you rack up, the bigger the rewards. It’s common knowledge, right? That’s what they’re after. If any other Conquerors show up near the village, their own points will drop.”
“B-but… just for something like that…”
“Not everyone summoned to the Tower is a saint. You know that better than anyone, A-reum.”
“Oppa…”
Something must have happened to them as well. Su-ho Jang’s remark left both Dong-cheol Ma and A-reum looking downcast.
Jin-ho Lee sighed. “This is a real problem. We should be working together to stop the disaster, not drawing lines between ourselves.”
“That’s just how people are.”
Yoo Ji-sung’s words drew a bitter smile from Jin-ho.
The mood had grown heavy, so Roa spoke up in a rush. “We have to stop this! Conquerors are supposed to help each other, not tear one another down. If this kind of tyranny continues, it’ll cause huge problems later!”
“But what can we actually do? They’ve already formed a guild and are acting like thugs.”
“That’s…”
Roa hesitated. She was furious and humiliated, yet she had no way to strike back at them.
Yoo Ji-sung’s eyes gleamed at her reaction. Should I nudge things along a little? A guild that keeps the Yellow Dragon in check would make my life much easier.
After a moment’s thought, he spoke. “The most immediate thing we can do is form a guild of our own. If one exists to keep them from pulling their dirty tricks, they’ll have to think twice.”
“Ah! A guild! You’re right! We need to make one! Do you really think the Yellow Dragon will only act like this once? If there’s a guild ready to push back, they’ll have no choice but to restrain themselves—even if they don’t want to!”
“Hmm. A guild, you say… Not a bad idea at all.”
Dong-cheol nodded in approval.
Encouraged, Roa glanced nervously at Jin-ho. “If I form a guild… would all of you join? With your abilities, Jin-ho, you’d be a tremendous help. Ah, and the rest of your party too!”
“I’m sorry. I want to test my own limits. Joining a guild would be difficult for me.”
Roa’s face darkened at Jin-ho’s refusal. Yet the conversation wasn’t over.
Jin-ho turned to Yoo Ji-sung, silently asking for his thoughts.
“I feel the same as Jin-ho. Right now, individual growth matters more. Forming a guild would take time just to stabilize, and that would slow everyone down.”
Do you have any idea how annoying it is to run a guild? I’m already busy managing the Tower. Why would I join one?
Yoo Ji-sung voiced his opinion. Roa stared at him, clearly wondering why he had suggested the idea in the first place, but he only smiled at her bewildered expression.
He gave them a moment to think before continuing. “Opposing groups with groups is the best we can do right now, but it’ll just lead to fights and casualties. What if someone becomes so overwhelmingly strong that no group can touch them? Then the story changes. The Tower is vast. It’ll be hard for them to find and suppress lone individuals, so they won’t be able to throw their weight around as freely. Considering my personality and Jin-ho’s, I think going solo is the better choice—assuming they don’t cross a line we can’t ignore.”
Yoo Ji-sung looked at the three members of the Avenger party as he spoke. They seemed swayed by his words.
“What do you think, Su-ho? And you two?”
“It’s not a bad plan. We’ve already cleared the twentieth floor. There’s no need to rush upward. If such a guild forms, lending them our strength wouldn’t hurt.”
“I agree with hyung-nim.”
“Me too. I don’t like seeing good people suffer because of rotten ones.”
Though their expressions remained somber, all three voiced their support.
Roa, however, kept her lips pressed tightly together instead of looking pleased.
A-reum gave her a curious look. “What about you, Roa? Are you going to form the guild?”
“I…”
Roa hesitated. Thanks to Yoo Ji-sung’s advice, she had found a way to work with Jin-ho. Her earlier outburst had also been an attempt to impress him. But words once spoken couldn’t be taken back. If she backed down now, she would only look pathetic. Besides, three people were already cheering her on—she couldn’t let them down.
Roa clenched her fists. I won’t let anyone else go through the same humiliation I did.
Even after finding a safe village, they had refused to accept her. She had left without food or medicine, feeling utterly abandoned by the world. The memory made her teeth grind.
“I’ve made up my mind. I’m forming the guild no matter what. Even if it slows my growth, I don’t care. I’ll do everything I can so no other Conqueror has to suffer the same disgrace I did.”
“I’ll support you.”
“Huh? What?!”
“I support your brave decision. If you ever face difficulties, please tell me. Depending on the situation, I’ll help however I can—just as Yoo Ji-sung said.”
Jin-ho’s words brought tears to Roa’s eyes. She was still terrified of forming a guild, but his encouragement made it bearable.
She excused herself to check on her companions and left.
Dong-cheol chuckled as he watched her go. “Heh… That guy’s got guts. Knows how to win a girl’s heart.”
“Excuse me? I don’t follow.”
“Come on… Playing hard to get. You still don’t get it?”
“Oppa! Stop being so sly!”
“Aagh! That hurts! A-reum, you know your hands are lethal—why are you hitting me like that?!”
Dong-cheol howled as A-reum’s palm struck him repeatedly. Even after the beating, he marveled at Jin-ho’s oblivious expression, then clapped for Yoo Ji-sung.
“Anyway, I’ve got a new respect for you! I knew you were manly, but your ambition is something else! No wonder you only planned to stick with us until the eleventh floor. Just watching today’s fights was enough to understand. And with that brain of yours, you’ve got it all figured out!”
“Fighting groups as an individual is tough. What you said was really impressive! As expected of the future archmage! I guess we have no choice now but to wait for you to come find us again!”
“A guild, huh… If that woman forms one, joining wouldn’t be so bad. I’ll have to talk to her once this raid is over.”
The three of them seemed ready to join Roa’s guild. Yoo Ji-sung didn’t know exactly what they had been through, but one thing was clear—they had suffered the same kind of rejection Roa had, and the memory still haunted them.
As he opened his mouth to speak, Jin-ho’s eyes widened in surprise. “You were planning to travel alone, Yoo Ji-sung? Not stay with your party members?”
“That’s right! We were only keeping you around because you needed protection. We agreed to travel together only until the eleventh floor!”
“But why…?”
“Jin-ho’s words inspired me. I want to test my limits too. What you did today was reckless, but I understand the mindset behind it. It left quite an impression.”
Jin-ho’s eyes trembled. Countless thoughts raced through his mind.
“As I expected. I knew you’d think the same way I do. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Now I’m certain. You and I are the same kind. This feeling must come from meeting a fellow kindred spirit.”
Jin-ho smiled with conviction. Though hostility still lingered in his gaze, it was pure competitiveness. He convinced himself of that.
Yoo Ji-sung was curious about Jin-ho’s exact emotions but didn’t ask. Dong-cheol, meanwhile, let out a sly chuckle.
“Looks like fun. Rivals who get along this well—should be exciting. The Tower’s future is looking bright!”
Yoo Ji-sung grinned at the remark. His hastily improvised words had clearly left an impression on Jin-ho. The mention of rivalry even seemed to spark fire in Jin-ho’s eyes.
Praising his own silver tongue, Yoo Ji-sung met Jin-ho’s gaze and inwardly groaned at the burning determination he saw there.
Even if he sees me as a rival, that look is a bit much, isn’t it?
Yoo Ji-sung felt a pang in his heart from Jin-ho’s fierce glare.
Understood.
Yoo Ji-sung, Jin-ho, and the Avenger party returned to Marin with the refugees. Several days passed. Yoo Ji-sung stared out the window and let out a dry laugh.
“That woman’s something else. I gave her a little push, but her execution is impressive.”
Outside the inn, Roa stood on a platform that had appeared overnight. She was shouting at the top of her lungs, veins bulging in her neck. Yoo Ji-sung couldn’t help but be impressed.
She had vowed to form a guild, and ever since arriving in Marin, she had been recruiting members. She called for justice and urged the oppressed to stand together. When she mentioned the Yellow Dragon and recounted what they had suffered, it sounded as though she were spitting blood.
Her companions who had endured the same hardships stood behind her.
“A massive guild besides the Yellow Dragon…”
Yoo Ji-sung stretched and considered the existing guilds. There was the Hawk Guild, centered around Americans; the Union Guild, formed by Europeans; the Resistance Guild, which fought against injustice; and many others.
The bastards who formed guilds tried to monopolize entire floors and refused to move up. That pissed me off every time. I had to coax and push them upward, but it never cooled my anger.
Guilds were bound to form anyway, so Yoo Ji-sung didn’t view them negatively. Instead, he wanted to reshape the environment so guilds could grow and aid the conquest.
Shelters on floors ending in 1 were shared by all floors ending in 0. Shelters could also be accessed by paying mana stones or currency to travel to any previously reached location—though stays were time-limited.
He and Roa were still testing something they planned to share with the Conquerors soon. Once that was ready, guilds would wield influence unlike anything before.
Guilds? Go ahead and grow them. They’ll keep the ones who reach the top in check and strip them bare before kicking them upward—completely different from before. Now that all shelters are shared, they’ll have to strengthen themselves to compete, which means conquest becomes mandatory. Markrun’s forces look and move like us, so experience fighting people will come in handy.
“That aside, it’s about time we wrapped this up…”
Yoo Ji-sung closed the eleventh-floor display he had been monitoring and stood up. The monster forces had grown as much as they could and could no longer expand. The Yellow Dragon guild was cowering instead of farming contribution points from monster attacks. Everyone else was fighting the monster army centered around Marin.
“Roa. Guide the main force toward Marin.”
[Understood.]
If Roa took action, it was only a matter of time before the monsters reached Marin. Yoo Ji-sung smiled in anticipation of the eleventh-floor event that was nearing its end. Casualties were inevitable, but it was also an excellent chance to identify promising talents. With that in mind, he began selecting the right words to use when the time came.