Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Creating a Guild
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A book I'd read sometime ago came to mind.
To get rich, plant a money tree!
Sure, you'd be rich if such a tree existed, but what the book meant was to build a system that generates money without you having to work.
Of course, bringing valuables from another world and selling them was an option too.
He'd definitely do that when the opportunity arose. But he also needed to build up some influence.
Influence brought power.
"Hmm... Ah!"
After pondering for a bit, a great idea struck him.
Mixed Origin Qi Art!
He recalled the time he'd mingled his energy with Dang Hwa-rin during their intimacy.
This could work...
His imagination started taking concrete shape.
By using Mixed Origin Qi Art to have relations with female awakeners, he could make them stronger.
What if I form a guild and recruit female awakeners...?
Si-woo spread out a sheet of paper and jotted down his plan.
1. Create a guild and recruit female members.
2. Have sex with them and make them stronger.
3. They raid rifts and bring back money. I just take a cut?
This way, Si-woo could make money just by having sex.
"Perfect. Even Zhuge Liang would kick himself seeing this."
He smacked his knee in admiration at his own brilliant scheme.
I need people.
Reliable people.
Luckily, the first person who came to mind was perfect.
Han So-young.
She was an academy classmate who'd shared the grunt work life with him.
She was just the right fit for someone he could trust.
He sent her a text right away.
- Wanna grab a drink today?
He was a little worried since she usually headed to rifts around this time. But after a short wait, his phone rang.
Riiiing— Riiiing—
[Han So-young]
Si-woo picked up.
"Hello?"
- A drink..? Sigh... Yeah, I have something to say too... Where should we meet?
What's up with her?
Her voice sounded so listless that Si-woo felt a bit puzzled.
"What's wrong with your voice?"
- I'm pissed, so I had a few drinks.
It was a voice thick with hangover.
*
She used to hate drinking until she was wasted. What happened?
Si-woo grabbed some hangover soup and headed to her place.
Ding-dong!
"...Who is it?"
"It's me."
Footsteps approached at the sound of Si-woo's voice.
Click.
A beauty with a cold expression opened the door.
Han So-young was clutching her head, her complexion poor.
But even in her disheveled state, her beauty hadn't faded.
She wore a white tank top and dolphin pants, exposing her pristine white shoulders and thighs. Si-woo couldn't help but admire her revealing outfit.
This was the first time he'd seen her so undone.
Her large hips contrasted sharply with her slim waist, plump and enticing, while her shapely calves flowing from thick thighs drove him mad.
Among all the women he'd seen, her legs were the most beautiful.
She'd be a knockout in stockings.
Now awakened to the allure of the female form, looking at her stirred new feelings unlike before.
Si-woo let his gaze sweep her legs before snapping it back to her face with an awakener's reflexes.
Han So-young gave a feeble smile.
"You came?"
Creeeak.
The door swung open, and a wave of alcohol stench hit him.
"Whew— Just how much did you drink?"
Si-woo fanned the air as he stepped inside.
Empty soju bottles rolled around everywhere. It looked like she'd drunk hard liquor alone without any snacks.
"You drank alone without even snacks?"
Han So-young flopped onto the bed and mumbled. Her white belly peeked out vulnerably.
"Yeah... My head hurts. Speak softly."
"What happened? You barely drink."
Even when she did, it was only moderately with Si-woo until she was tipsy. Seeing her blackout drunk was unexpected.
Si-woo forcibly roused her and shoved her toward the bathroom.
"Wash up first. I'll set up the soup."
She shuffled weakly into the bathroom.
"Aah... My head hurts..."
"That's why you need to wash up more. Just do it."
Si-woo picked up the scattered bottles and cleared a spot.
As he set the table, Han So-young emerged with damp hair.
Water droplets fell from her half-dried locks.
Vrooom—
While blow-drying her long straight hair, her shampoo scent wafted strongly.
Si-woo watched, mesmerized, as she tied it up. Her pale nape caught his eye.
Even unawakened, her beauty made her all the more desirable.
Once her hair was done, she approached.
"Ugh... Nauseous."
"Sit. Eat first."
Han So-young cautiously sipped the hangover soup.
Slurp.
"Mmm..."
She shuddered as if it were the elixir of life. Just the broth improved her complexion a bit.
"Haa— I'm alive now. Where's this from? Down that alley?"
"Yeah, the one at the end. Tasty, right?"
"Yeah, that's the best one."
Si-woo asked her.
"Now spill. What happened?"
She hesitated, then finally opened up.
"I'm quitting as a porter."
"...?"
Soon curses poured from her mouth. Her voice trembled with rage.
"I got tangled with that bastard dog."
"No way."
"Yeah. My makeup got ruined."
She always wore makeup into rifts as a porter—not to look pretty, but the opposite.
She scarred her face here and there. It hid her stunning beauty that turned heads from two out of three people even bare-faced.
It was unavoidable.
The fate of a powerless pretty porter girl was predictable.
"During slaughter... one monster was still alive."
Si-woo scanned her body. Han So-young smiled faintly but her expression darkened again.
"I'm not hurt. But... blood splashed on my face."
"...Blood?"
"Yeah. That girl, you know, the one always giggling with water tricks. She messed up and hosed me down. 'Ahh! Let me help!' Bullshit."
The female awakener famous for water manipulation, nicknamed Water Witch. She'd washed off her makeup.
"Switched to cheaper stuff, and it came right off. Sigh..."
She sighed softly and continued.
"And of all times, Gal Sang-in was in the party."
Gal Sang-in, the newbie licker.
He specialized in tormenting rookies and porters.
Especially infamous for abusing porters.
Si-woo had suffered from him more than once or twice.
Each time, it fueled his desperation to awaken.
Because of that jerk, Si-woo had bounced between temp gigs for a while. He was awakened now, so it didn't matter, but the memories resurfaced.
Han So-young went on.
"Haa... Water Witch is nice, right? Whether it's fake or not... Even Gal Sang-in couldn't touch me in front of her. But..."
The aftermath was the problem.
"That psycho kept harassing me. And no other parties would take me."
No need to feud with fellow hunters over a porter. Porters were a dime a dozen.
That's how porters were treated.
Si-woo's face twisted. Having been through similar, it hit harder.
Gal Sang-in...
Han So-young was the first piece of his plan. Even setting that aside, there was no reason not to help her.
"Want me to teach him a lesson?"
"Haha... Even the words help... Huh...? Your face..."
"Oh? Ah."
Awakening had balanced Si-woo's features. He looked a bit different from before.
Han So-young asked in a trembling voice.
"You... Aw, awakened?"
"Yeah. Came to tell you that, but this happened."
She lit up like it was her own victory. Her face bloomed like a flower in an instant.
"Whoa! Awesome! You finally awakened! Congrats! Oh, so you're buying the soup then?"
She pointed at the hangover soup.
What was a little soup after awakening?
"Obviously. Anyway, want me to deal with that jerk?"
"Gal Sang-in? Nah, forget it. You'd get blacklisted too. He's still D-rank."
D-rank was just third-rate martial artist level anyway.
"Ha! A D-rank punk like that?"
Despite Si-woo's confident tone, Han So-young shook her head.
"No, it's fine. I'm quitting portering anyway. Maybe streaming? My face is decent enough. Might as well live off it now."
"..."
Truth be told, Si-woo would subscribe in a heartbeat if she streamed.
Her aloof, icy vibe contrasting her casual speech would probably hook people.
Still, her dream was to be a hunter. Si-woo knew that.
"Hey, cut it out. Streaming? Just be my secretary."
"...Secretary?"
"Yeah. Or better—vice guild master. I'm starting a guild."
Han So-young chuckled.
"Haha... For real? You'd make me vice guild master?"
"Yeah."
Si-woo nodded seriously, but she just laughed. She'd been down, but this cheered her up a bit.
She flashed a playful smile. Her brightened face amplified her beauty.
"Thanks for saying it, at least."
Si-woo shook his head firmly.
"Not joking. I have a plan."
"...A plan?"
Si-woo checked his dantian. Less than on Martial Arts Earth, but enough thanks to the Low-Grade Mana Core.
"Hmm... Qi is a bit low, but it'll do. So-young, let's go."
"Go where all sudden?"
To the tilting Han So-young, Si-woo said.
"A rift."
"...For real?"
"Yeah. Guess you don't trust this big bro's power. I'll show you."
"...Big bro my ass. Fine, if you say so... But what can I even do...?"
Si-woo shook his head at her flustered look.
She was more diligent than anyone. He knew best after three years portering together. That alone sold half the deal.
And she had solid credit.
She was the most trustworthy person to Si-woo right now.
After hearing his explanation, Han So-young's expression softened emotionally.
"..."
"We're hitting a rift, right?"
She nodded faintly. Maybe the lighting, but her face seemed redder than usual.
She stood up.
"Wait, I'll grab my gear."
Si-woo eyed her from behind as she tiptoed to fetch her equipment.
Her clothes rode up, flashing a glimpse of her lower back, and her white calves drew the eye.
Screw the gear—she was just pretty.