Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Living Billboard
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Cabal Guild was a guild made up of the Demon King's minions.
They had attempted a mass sacrifice of a mountain to summon demons.
Zhonghua Guild suffered near-total annihilation but barely managed to stop the demons' descent.
Once these rumors spread, the Ramepazil Kingdom flew into an uproar.
The Ramepazil Kingdom hurriedly assembled an investigation team.
Not satisfied with that, they even dispatched an investigation team from the Maiteo Kingdom, which shared a border with the Rokto Empire, their suzerain state.
The investigation teams began tracing the traces of demonic energy.
The results?
The rumors turned out to be true: Cabal Guild, the representative guild of the Ramepazil Kingdom, was indeed composed of the Demon King's minions.
The powerful traces of demonic energy left on the battlefield.
The Cabal Guild players in the major city of Daion, shriveling up like mummies and dying.
There was too much evidence; it couldn't be denied even if they wanted to.
The silver lining?
All the Demon King's minions had been wiped out.
But the cost was enormous.
Zhonghua Guild, a massive guild, had shrunk to the size of a mid-tier guild.
-Our Zhonghua Guild has not forgotten the mission that brought us here.
-We suffered near-total annihilation, but in the end, we exterminated all of the Demon King's minions.
-Guild Master Blade Sovereign Kyung Wi-gang sacrificed his own life to eliminate the vile Demon King minion Jamie.
-Zhonghua Guild will continue to fight the Demon King's army for the protection of the Atlantis Dimension, in accordance with Guild Master Blade Sovereign Kyung Wi-gang's will.
-Zhonghua Guild will never forget the players' mission until the day we perish.
-For the day when all players complete their mission and return home.
Zhonghua Guild's sub-guild master, Demon-Slaying Spear Jin Gu-pyeong, bellowed at the top of his lungs in a masterful media play.
This media play hit the mark perfectly.
With whom?
The monarchs of each nation.
To the monarchs, including those of the Rokto Empire, the players from another dimension were reinforcements to fight the Demon King's army.
At first, they saw them as consumables to be raised and expended in battles against the Demon King's army.
But as their numbers grew and their levels rose, their power swelled to a point where nations could no longer easily control them.
Moreover, they were politically dangerous elements carrying strange ideologies like democracy, capitalism, socialism, and communism.
On top of that, the current mega-guilds were more focused on securing vested interests within the Atlantis Dimension than fighting the Demon King's army.
They had maintained a balance and succeeded in controlling them so far.
But who knew how the situation might shift as the players' power grew.
Suppression by force had its limits.
If the players rebelled and civil war broke out?
It would be mutual destruction.
A gift to the Demon King's army.
In such a situation, the revelation that Cabal Guild, formed by players from another dimension, consisted of the Demon King's minions.
This was tantamount to giving the monarchs a legitimate pretext to control and interfere with the massive guilds centered around other-dimensional players.
It was a slight shame that it wasn't the kingdom's army that took them down, but fellow other-dimensional players from Zhonghua Guild who did so at tremendous cost.
But hearing sub-guild master Demon-Slaying Spear Jin Gu-pyeong's statement washed away that regret.
Mission.
Protection of the Atlantis Dimension.
War against the Demon King's army.
Return to the homeland.
Demon-Slaying Spear Jin Gu-pyeong's words encompassed everything the monarchs desired from players.
The players' mission was to protect the Atlantis Dimension and wage war against the Demon King's army.
So there was no need to get heated over internal power struggles in the Atlantis Dimension.
Why?
Because they would return home once the war ended.
If all the mega-guilds championed a grand cause like Zhonghua Guild, the monarchs couldn't ask for more.
The result?
The monarchs of each nation resolved to properly elevate Zhonghua Guild.
Zhonghua Guild had lost most of its forces.
The guild master and most core members were dead.
Those who returned late from the great expedition had survived.
But even combined, they barely amounted to a mid-tier guild.
Moreover, during the war with the Demon King's minions, their guild house had been raided by bandits, losing all items, skill books, and gold.
The first to step up was the Rokto Empire.
They generously bestowed upon Zhonghua Guild an SSS-Rank spear, various S- to D-Rank items and skill books numbering one hundred, and a reward of 100 million gold.
Not only that, they granted the honorary title of count to the fallen Zhonghua Guild Guild Master Blade Sovereign Kyung Wi-gang, and the honorary title of baron to the surviving sub-guild master Demon-Slaying Spear Jin Gu-pyeong.
The Maiteo Kingdom, aiming to boost its own guilds, also offered lavish rewards.
An SS-Rank sword, various S- to D-Rank items and skill books numbering fifty, and a reward of 50 million gold.
They also granted the honorary title of duke to the fallen Zhonghua Guild Guild Master Blade Sovereign Kyung Wi-gang, and the honorary title of count to the surviving sub-guild master Demon-Slaying Spear Jin Gu-pyeong.
It was somewhat inferior to the Rokto Empire.
But for the wealthy Rokto Empire, which commanded numerous vassal states, and the Maiteo Kingdom, one of many nations under it, this was a significant strain.
On top of that, the Ramepazil Kingdom strained itself even more than the Maiteo Kingdom.
Cabal Guild, which had been the Demon King's minions, was the Ramepazil Kingdom's representative guild.
If mishandled, the Ramepazil Kingdom itself risked being branded as Demon King minions.
To avert this, citing the removal of their own worries, the Ramepazil Kingdom offered three SS-Rank items, various S- to D-Rank items and skill books numbering two hundred, and an astonishing 200 million gold reward.
They granted the extraordinary honorary title of grand duke to the fallen Zhonghua Guild Guild Master Blade Sovereign Kyung Wi-gang.
They also bestowed the honorary title of marquess upon the surviving sub-guild master Demon-Slaying Spear Jin Gu-pyeong.
It was truly unprecedented favoritism.
At this rate, it was as if they had pulled out one of the Ramepazil Kingdom's foundational pillars.
With the situation thus, tributes poured in from across the Atlantis Dimension.
Virtually all vassal lords of the Rokto Empire sent gifts.
Even nations not under the Rokto Empire sent appropriate tributes.
They were determined to properly elevate Zhonghua Guild.
The reason?
* * *
'A kind of billboard.'
Never back down when fighting the Demon King's army.
Even if you suffer near-total annihilation, we'll reward you several times over.
Survive?
We'll grant you honors everyone envies.
Everyone, follow Zhonghua Guild's example.
Fulfill your duty as players.
And return home quietly.
'Even more generous than before regression.'
A satisfied smile bloomed on Kang Hyun-soo's lips.
Something similar had happened before his regression.
But the compensation had been comparatively meager.
The damage wasn't as massive as Zhonghua Guild's, nor had the guild single-handedly stopped the Demon King's forces.
'And they didn't do any media play.'
Thanks to Demon-Slaying Spear Jin Gu-pyeong following orders and speaking well, Zhonghua Guild had become the model guild that the monarchs wanted from other-dimensional players.
'There won't be rewards this big from now on.'
The excessive tributes to Zhonghua Guild served as a test case.
Get caught in a bad incident as a test case?
You get harsher punishment.
Get caught in a good one?
'You get rewards this generous.'
Kang Hyun-soo gazed at the mountain of piled-up items and skill books.
Only the tributes from the Rokto Empire, Maiteo Kingdom, and Ramepazil Kingdom had arrived so far.
Even so, it was bountiful enough to draw a natural smile.
"No more S-Rank or higher will come, right?"
"Yes, Master. From other countries, it'll just be for show—A-Rank and below items and skill books."
Demon-Slaying Spear Jin Gu-pyeong politely answered Kang Hyun-soo's question.
"Quality may be low, but quantity will be high."
"That seems likely."
As tributes in the king's name, they would send enough to save face.
"With such huge quantities, even if some disappear, it won't be noticeable, right?"
"Of course. All this was obtained through Master's grace, so please take it all."
"Still, we have to consider the monarchs who sent them and the guild members' eyes. Otherwise, you could be ousted for embezzlement."
"Thank you for your consideration."
Demon-Slaying Spear Jin Gu-pyeong prostrated himself flat on the floor.
"Then I suppose I'll take an appropriate share."
Kang Hyun-soo smiled and infused mana into the Gluttony Sword.
Saaah!
The Gluttony Sword devoured the mountain of piled-up items.
It started with the less popular ones or those with inferior options.
Kang Hyun-soo methodically fed it items from the lowest rank up.
The mountain of items gradually shrank.
The result?
[The Gluttony Sword has grown from S-Rank to SS-Rank.]
The Gluttony Sword's rank rose from S to SS.
Having already devoured items from the Zhonghua and Cabal Guild guild houses, it grew quickly.
'No more is possible.'
Now that the Gluttony Sword was SS-Rank, it wouldn't budge unless fed a ton.
Its tastes had become refined; it no longer ate A-Rank or below.
"Master, why stop? There are still many high-rank items left. You could use at least half more; this worm can handle it."
"The rest have other uses."
Saaah!
With those words, Kang Hyun-soo's summons appeared.
"Equip them."
At Kang Hyun-soo's command, the summons began picking up and donning items.
'Summons don't really need items.'
Just as their bodies were made of mana, they could create weapons and armor from mana.
But.
'Still, better to have them than not.'
Even summons benefited from item options when equipped.
So equipping items?
Made the summons stronger.
'No need to strengthen only my own combat power.'
Summons couldn't grow.
They could boost stats and intelligence via Commander's Blessing or appointments, but that was it.
'But items will make them stronger.'
Item buffs worked.
'Items aren't going anywhere anyway.'
Kang Hyun-soo could reclaim any items the summons wore and feed them to the Gluttony Sword anytime.
No need to feel stingy.
"Shall we learn some defense skills now?"
Kang Hyun-soo sorted the defense skill books, deciding what to absorb and what to keep, then began.
[The Guardian Ring has grown from B-Rank to A-Rank.]
The first message appeared quickly.
[The Guardian Ring has grown from A-Rank to S-Rank.]
The second followed shortly.
[The Guardian Ring has grown from S-Rank to SS-Rank.]
The third came after quite some time.
'Now just need to test that one thing.'
Kang Hyun-soo turned his gaze to Demon-Slaying Spear Jin Gu-pyeong.
The SSS-Rank item bestowed by the Rokto Empire's emperor.
Demon-Slaying Spear Jin Gu-pyeong, clutching the spear Fenrir's Fang, flinched at Kang Hyun-soo's greedy gaze.
"Hand over that spear."
At Kang Hyun-soo's words.
The face of Demon-Slaying Spear Jin Gu-pyeong, who had worn the expression of a loyal servant until now.
Drained of all color.