Chapter 207
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 207
Chapter Title: Scribe
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Scribe.
Scribe.
To put it simply, those who record.
They are the ones who investigate and document the Trials based on the accounts of survivors in the Rest Areas.
"Please, sir!"
Right now, they're just stopping passersby and asking questions like this, but in time, their public value will be recognized, and they'll receive sponsorship from major guilds to operate as a promising organization.
A good chunk of my regression knowledge relied on them, so even if it doesn't mean much to others, it's definitely significant to me.
'Later on, they'll pass a rule requiring all players to mandatorily report their Trial experiences to the Scribes, putting them at the forefront of seizing information on Trial zones.'
Of course, they operate strictly for the public good, so all that information gets released openly.
Thanks to them, the legacy of experiences built on countless sacrifices is shared with all humanity through records, dramatically boosting our survival rates.
"Hello! I'm Jang Yu-jin from the West Wind Guild! If it's not too much trouble, would you mind participating in our survey?"
When I didn't answer, he must have taken it as a refusal and moved on to the next party.
"Your small help could lead to great public good down the line!"
"……."
But no one was responding to his pleas for participation.
Well, that's only natural. Even back on Earth, if someone stopped you on the street for something like this, most people would just walk past without a second thought.
"Please, sir!"
"Ji-hoon oppa, it's just a kid asking. Let's humor him for a bit."
"Tch, fine, whatever."
And even when someone did agree, it was half-hearted at best.
"Thank you. Could you tell me about the previous Trial you cleared, the number of deaths you witnessed, and the names of the deceased if you know them?"
"[Buried Altar], I guess. Around three hundred dead, maybe? No idea on names."
"If it's not too much trouble, how you cleared the Trial too!"
"Yeah, sounds annoying. Later."
It was so perfunctory that one had to wonder if there was any point to the exchange.
And Jang Yu-jin's questions themselves were pretty lacking too.
'Well, it's still early days, so they probably don't have proper questions or infrastructure yet.'
Above all, people don't have the money or the peace of mind to consider public good right now.
The human hunters prowling the Rest Area—where everyone should be resting safely—proved that much.
"Ah…."
Anyway, the boy looked dejected as he stared at his notebook, things not going as he'd hoped. I approached him.
"Jang Yu-jin?"
"Y-yes, yes?"
"If you're okay with it, we'll tell you what we know."
"Really?"
I nodded and pulled back my hood, revealing my face.
It might cause trouble if people recognized me, but that wasn't the priority now.
Besides, unless it was my party or the bitch squad, no one would remember my ordinary face.
"But keep it to the essentials."
"Thank you!"
The boy who introduced himself as Jang Yu-jin beamed. Shin Seo-yeon poked my shoulder from the side and whispered.
"What's gotten into you? You never do stuff like this."
"Dunno."
"Be honest. What's your angle this time?"
"Not really an angle."
The utility of the Scribes and their organization doesn't stop at just that.
Instead of answering, I turned to look across the street. A few Japanese people were doing the same as Jang Yu-jin, stopping passersby and asking politely.
"Sumimasen. Could you spare a moment?"
There's no reason only our people would think to record humanity's experiences in the Selection Process. That's why Scribes exist in every country.
And as nations merge, they exchange information and unite for a common goal.
"Min-jae-ssi, I have a question."
"Ah, yes. Manami-san."
Even now, sparse as they are, exchanges with the Japanese side are happening.
They play a huge role in breaking down the Cold War-like tensions between nations and uniting everyone. Their pure public-service mindset melts even the hostility of foreigners.
"Could you tell me about the previous Trial you cleared, the number of deaths you witnessed, and the names of the deceased if you know them? How you cleared it too, if it's not too much trouble."
And Jang Yu-jin is the key figure who leads that flow—a future leader.
I answered as thoroughly as possible while hiding what needed hiding.
"Mountain Giant Dragon? And it's that big?!"
Jang Yu-jin scribbled furiously in his notebook, reacting with all sorts of expressions to my detailed responses.
"Primitive-era other races?!"
"Riding dinosaurs too…! That's amazing!"
The boy's sullen face lit up with curiosity and joy.
As far as I knew, the trigger for Jang Yu-jin starting this work was a diary where he meticulously recorded what he saw while tagging along with a certain party.
That party had cool adults who gave meaning to the boy's seemingly pointless scribbling.
-Haha, you've recorded it pretty well! This could be useful someday.
-If you keep at it, it might come in handy big time later.
Innocent childhood, full of beautiful sights and experiences.
But the Trials are merciless even to kids like him.
Just an hour ago, a friend he'd been laughing and chatting with had turned into an unrecognizable corpse.
-Yu-jin, you keep recording. So we don't make the same mistakes. We'll gather the remains and bury them.
So the adults looked out for him, protecting the young boy's psyche by redirecting his focus.
And those records really did prove effective. It was written that way in the early chronicles Jang Yu-jin left behind.
'Trials all share similar crisis patterns anyway.'
But the cool adults who guided him nearly all died in the fourth Trial. Yeah, pretty much wiped out in the previous one already.
And Jang Yu-jin ends up joining the West Wind Guild with the survivors.
That's the start of his journey and his chronicles.
『Your names remain in that brilliant dawn』
"So, that's it?"
"Yes. Thank you. You're the first to answer in such detail. Have you done this kind of work back on Earth?"
Well, after finishing Trials for ten years, reporting to Scribes upon arriving at Rest Areas was routine for me.
I just recounted it out of habit.
As I gave a small smile, the boy clutched his notebook tightly.
"Um, if I may…."
"?"
"N-no, never mind."
As I stared at him expectantly, he glanced at me and my party standing behind, then spoke up.
"I was gonna ask if you're not in a guild, would you want to work with us? You seem really talented. Your answers were so systematic…."
He had no idea he was the one who established that system.
"But no dice."
I nodded.
Seeing our not-so-ordinary weapons, Jang Yu-jin backed off with regret, judging us unfit to rot away recording like them.
"Anyway, thank you. The info you shared will benefit everyone. I promise."
"Sure."
Of course, things won't go quite as the boy hopes. But I just smiled without spoiling it, took his hand, and opened the trade window.
"Huh? Why?"
"Must be tough working like this. Take it."
"Eh? N-no! We don't do this for money!"
"Haha, I'm not giving you a fortune. Just buy some food for your guildmates who've been working hard on this good deed today."
I didn't give much. Too much could undermine their public ethos and alter the future.
So I offered just 50 points. He bowed, seeming relieved at the modest amount.
"Th-thank you!"
'Honestly, I'd love to give more if I could.'
Jang Yu-jin builds a massive network, earning favor from many nations and befriending all the S-Ranks fastest.
He looks like a frail, cute boy—destined for grief under women's skirts—but he's a big deal in the making.
'Of course, he'll suffer for a while.'
Rising from nothing without capital isn't easy. Especially with the current West Wind Guild leader being far from public-minded.
The guy sells off hard-earned intel from guildmates for profit, pockets sponsorships, and runs off.
That's why I can't give a fortune.
'After that mess, Jang Yu-jin founds the [Archive] guild and carries on the public work.'
That's when his golden era begins. The [Archive], made up of 99% foreigners from diverse nations.
This little boy will rise as its grand lord. So I'll sponsor him occasionally during these grassroots days—just enough to build familiarity.
"Take care."
"Yes, thank you!"
Jang Yu-jin's favor toward you has greatly increased.
"At least the guild building's smack in the center of the street. Lucky break."
"Yeah."
After parting with Jang Yu-jin, we followed the main avenue of the Rest Area until we hit a T-intersection. The guild building sat right in the middle.
The area around it was still bustling with guild promoters, recruiters, and the curious crowds.
"Come to Valhalla Guild!"
"Sakura will take care of you!"
We pushed through the throng and entered the guild office. Second time for us, so my party smoothly grabbed a number ticket and headed to the side without a fuss.
"Whoa, lots of Japanese guilds in the rankings."
"Yeah, almost half."
The massive billboard—20 meters wide, 10 meters tall—was packed with guild names, updating rankings every minute.
"See Eun-jeong? That's our guild."
"Oh."
And there, in the very top spot, was our guild's name emblazoned boldly.
"Arseina? What's that guild do?"
"Heard of 'em?"
"Nope."
"Glitch?"
Number one guild. But those unfamiliar with its members dismissed it as a system error.
Indeed, below it were all renowned guilds, packed with elites, actively promoting and recruiting outside.
1. Arseina
2. Black Wolf
3. Valhalla
4. Fox
5. Sakura
5. Demon Realm Incheon Union
6. Empire Hunters
7. Moonshadow
.
.
Guild rankings factor in recognition too, but still number one? Our score from the last Trial must've been beyond imagination.
"Ah, damn. That Arseina won't budge from first, so we can't snag the top reward. What the hell are they?"
We exchanged glances and chuckled softly. People would die and resurrect before learning that guild had only six members.
'That aside, top guilds are mostly Korean, as expected.'
Bzzz-
My number ticket vibrated and lit up. We went to the counter and claimed the rank-one guild reward.
Bonus stats: 10 for all guild members.
Stat shards: 100.
Guild subsidy: 1 million points.
Mana stones: 100.
"We'll settle the stat shards back at the inn."
No need to flaunt our wealth.
"Okay."
"Smart thinking."
Just as we finished up and stepped out onto the street.
"You bastard! So this is where you were!"
"?"
A familiar voice rang out, and a guy loaded with facial piercings pointed at me accusingly.
Tattoos all over, scratched-up hair on one side, reeking of foreign street trash—he was someone I knew well.
My party recognized him too, eyes widening as Shin Seo-yeon and Yi-seo lit up and shouted in unison.
"Golden Goblin!"
"I'm not! Who're you calling Golden Goblin?!"
Park Jae-jung, the gear thief, strutted toward us confidently with his crew in tow.