Chapter 218: Eternal Spire[R-18] (43)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 218: Eternal Spire[R-18] (43)
Cheonwol shrugged and looked at the other gods.
“The only reason you all want to exclude Jin Seo-yun is because he’s ruining your fun, isn’t it? Calling him an ‘Irregular’ is just a convenient excuse.”
Loki clapped his hands slowly.
“A very insightful observation. After all, even gods act in their own self-interest.”
“Are you determined to provoke us?”
Ares ground his teeth, glaring at Cheonwol.
“Now, now, let’s not get too excited.”
Loki raised both hands, trying to defuse the tension between them.
“We all know the rules. According to the Covenant, we cannot intervene directly. So, we have no choice but to watch.”
Zeus nodded silently.
“I agree with Loki. We must follow the rules. However…”
“However?”
“It is true that there is an imbalance when he is compared to the other participants.”
Tiamat looked at him and asked, “So what are you suggesting, Zeus?”
Zeus let out a deep sigh.
“We can consider measures to restore fairness. Direct intervention is impossible, but adjusting the balance is.”
“Fairness, you say…”
Cheonwol narrowed her eyes and asked, “How? Don’t tell me you’re planning to place restrictions on Jin Seo-yun?”
“No. We will give the other participants an opportunity.”
Zeus looked around at the other gods and continued.
“We will provide them with more chances.”
“Ah, how fair of you.”
Cheonwol laughed cynically.
“Since Jin Seo-yun is the only one pulling ahead, you’re saying you’ll give special treatment to the others.”
“It is not special treatment,” Athena interjected. “It is merely restoring balance.”
“And you think restoring balance in such a way is justified?”
Athena fell silent at Cheonwol’s question.
“We will decide with a fair vote.”
The other gods nodded at Zeus’s decision. But Cheonwol and Tiamat rose from their seats, their expressions full of discontent.
“Honestly, I never knew the so-called gods could be so pathetic.”
At Tiamat’s words, a few of the gods showed signs of discomfort.
“A vote…”
Cheonwol said with a mocking laugh.
“Deciding by majority doesn’t make it fair. Especially not when the outcome is already decided.”
Following Cheonwol and Tiamat, a few other gods also rose from their seats.
“We won’t be participating in the vote. The result is obvious, anyway.”
As she was leaving the hall, Cheonwol turned back one last time.
“But I am curious. What kind of faces will you all make when you fail to stop him, even after giving the other humans special treatment?”
Tiamat, following her, added one last remark.
“Let’s see if you can defeat him even after pouring in more of your divine power.”
*
Cheonwol and Tiamat walked in silence, the golden hall slowly receding behind them.
“Tiamat, isn’t it a bit much to be so openly interested in another’s man?”
“Wh-who said I was interested!” Tiamat snapped, flustered. With a playful smile, Cheonwol slipped her hands under Tiamat’s armpits and lifted her lightly.
“Honestly… I haven’t even had a proper taste of him yet… and you’re already giving him gifts?”
“Eek… Be quiet! What if someone hears you!”
Tiamat, who was relatively smaller than Cheonwol, flailed her legs and glanced around nervously.
“It’s a good thing I stepped in. Isn’t it cheating to sneak him a gift using such a loophole?”
Tiamat hastily slapped Cheonwol’s hands away and retorted in a low voice.
“I was merely giving him a little help… It was nothing.”
“If it was nothing, why is your face so red?”
Cheonwol playfully poked Tiamat’s cheek.
“St-stop that! Maintain the dignity of a god!” Tiamat shouted, her face blushing, but Cheonwol simply smirked, unfazed.
“Dignity? It seemed like that dignity of yours completely crumbled before him, though?”
As Cheonwol giggled and teased her, Tiamat jumped in surprise and fumbled.
“Eek… Don’t tell me you saw that too?”
“Yep, I did. You came so spectacularly, didn’t you?”
“…I-I was sure no one could see…!”
Tiamat’s face went pale, then quickly flushed red. She glanced around again, breaking into a cold sweat.
Cheonwol, looking even more amused, watched her mischievously.
“You seemed incredibly excited and into it, though?”
“Th-that was… just… a momentary excitement! It meant nothing!”
“I heard you screaming, ‘I’m breaking…♡ M-my cunt… Hngh… St-stop… Hah…♡’”
“Be quiet!”
Tiamat quickly covered Cheonwol’s mouth with her hand.
“What if the other gods hear you!”
But Cheonwol gently pulled her hand away and smiled sweetly.
“Don’t worry, no one will know. Except for me.”
“That’s what worries me more…” Tiamat whispered with a sigh.
“How on earth did you find out?”
“That’s a secret.”
Cheonwol smiled as if winking.
“Hah… you sly bitch.”
Tiamat shook her head and sighed.
A moment of silence passed. Soon, however, she composed herself and asked Cheonwol in a low voice.
“Cheonwol, what are you going to do now?”
“About what?”
“Are you just going to let them get away with this?”
Cheonwol looked up at the sky and narrowed her eyes.
“To be honest, I don’t think we need to worry too much about whatever they do.”
“I agree with you on that. But you never know, right? We especially don’t know what Zeus might be planning.”
Tiamat lowered her voice, scanning their surroundings.
“We should probably make some preparations. If they try to attack Jin Seo-yun directly…”
“That won’t happen,” Cheonwol replied with a confident voice.
“They can’t break the Covenant that easily. But…”
“But?”
“They could move in more subtle ways. For example, by using other humans.”
“True, that bastard is a cunning one.”
“And we should also consider forming an alliance with the other gods who didn’t attend this meeting.”
“Hmph. They’re probably no different from Zeus.”
“We’ll have to see about that. For now, we need to wait for Jin Seo-yun to reach the 20th floor.”
Cheonwol’s eyes gleamed as she spoke.
“That’s when we can start sponsoring him in earnest.”
“So, in the end, our role is to help that guy get up there safely.”
Cheonwol nodded with a playful smile.
“That’s right. We’ll watch over him, help him when needed, and maybe play a little prank on him from time to time… That should do it.”
“…What exactly do you mean by ‘prank’?”
“Hmm… That’s a secret~”
Cheonwol smiled and began walking ahead.
Tiamat stared at her, dumbfounded, before following along.
Their figures disappeared at the far end of the hall.
*
-Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Tia entered.
“Mr. Seo-yun, the guild leaders from each guild have arrived.”
I turned my gaze from the window to look at Tia.
“They’re here already.”
I stood up from my chair and organized the scattered documents on my desk. A meeting with the leaders of the small and medium-sized guilds on the 6th floor was scheduled for today.
“Show them to the reception room. I’ll be down shortly.”
“Yes, Mr. Seo-yun.”
After Tia bowed and left, I stood in front of the mirror one last time to straighten my clothes.
Over my black suit, I wore a coat embroidered with a blue rose, the symbol of Night Bloom.
When I arrived in front of the reception room, I could hear the quiet murmur of conversation from within.
The moment I opened the door and stepped inside, all conversation ceased.
Nearly twenty men and women were seated around a table.
“My apologies for keeping you waiting.”
With a few exceptions, they all rose from their seats and bowed their heads.
“It is an honor to meet the Guild Leader of Night Bloom.”
I gestured for them to sit.
“Let’s skip the formalities. I’ll get straight to the point.”
I took my seat and looked around.
The expressions on the guild leaders’ faces were varied.
Wariness, curiosity, anticipation, and an unconcealable fear.
Among the twenty leaders of these smaller guilds, I saw some who held a fair amount of influence.
On my right was Rachel, the guild leader of Shadow Hand.
Her guild was a smaller one that specialized in information gathering.
On my left was Oren, the guild leader of Crimson Shield.
A mercenary guild specializing in defense and protection, they had been expanding their influence recently.
And next to him sat a man with a rugged appearance, Balato, the guild leader of the Yestern Cartel.
It was surprising that a man with such a notorious reputation had accepted the invitation.
Balato’s lips curled into a displeased smirk.
“It’s strange that you, who’s been running solo all this time, would suddenly call for us… Is it true you’re planning to create vassal guilds?”
I smiled lightly and looked at him.
“And what if I am?”
Balato’s expression hardened for a moment. The other guild leaders couldn’t hide their discomfort either.
“Ha, so you’re just going to use us as your meat shields,” Balato said with a sneer.
I leaned back comfortably in my chair and continued.
“Are you aware that the smaller guilds are being absorbed one by one by the Holy Cross Knights, Baekya, and the Neutral Alliance? On top of that, the Holy Cross Knights and Baekya have been controlling the dungeons from the 3rd floor all the way up to the 6th.”
“……That’s.”
“As things stand, you have two choices. Either be absorbed by a major guild, or build an independent force under the protection of Night Bloom.”
“So you’re telling us to submit to you?” Rachel asked sharply.
“This isn’t about submission. It’s a choice for survival. If all the smaller guilds gather under the banner of Night Bloom, you can maintain your individual independence while escaping the threat of the major guilds.”
Oren crossed his arms and asked with a suspicious look, “Then what do we have to give in return?”
“Each guild will provide a portion of its resources and personnel to Night Bloom. In return, you will receive Night Bloom’s protection and support.”
“Is that all?” Balato scoffed.
I smiled faintly and continued.
“Most importantly, the business rights for the 7th-floor city, priority in dungeon conquests, and access to undeveloped areas will be distributed among each guild.”
The room was instantly engulfed in silence. The eyes of every guild leader were fixed on me.
Rachel, with her arms crossed, spoke with a sharp gaze.
“Distribute the city’s business rights? Is that such an easy decision to make?”
I tapped the table with my finger and answered, “It would be inefficient for us to monopolize the business rights. Instead, we will delegate a certain amount of authority to each guild, and in return, a portion of the profits will be paid to Night Bloom.”
Oren asked with a cautious look, “What percentage of the profits?”
“Twenty percent.”
Rachel spoke with a greedy glint in her eyes.
“That’s quite a generous offer.”
Balato said mockingly, “You’re going to divide all that among the guilds invited here? I acknowledge Night Bloom’s influence, but it’s not nearly enough to split the business rights of the 7th-floor metropolis, is it?”
I smiled lightly and shook my head.
“Of course, not every guild gathered here will receive equal authority. It will be distributed differently based on the degree of cooperation and contribution.”
At those words, the atmosphere in the room shifted subtly.
Rachel asked calmly, “What are the specific criteria?”
“Personnel support, resource supply, information provision, and… loyalty.”
Hearing the last word, the expressions of a few guild leaders changed slightly.
“Loyalty… So in the end, it’s a matter of who can suck up the best.”
I shrugged and said, “Don’t misunderstand. Loyalty means acting in a way that aligns with Night Bloom’s interests. We want a relationship driven by mutual interest, not emotion.”
Oren stroked his chin with his fingers, lost in thought.
“If we become a vassal guild of Night Bloom, we could become a target for the Holy Cross Knights or Baekya.”
“Isn’t that already the case? The only difference is whether you fight alone, or fight under the protection of Night Bloom.”
Balato stood up from his seat and sneered.
“I refuse. The Yestern Cartel doesn’t serve under anyone. We’ll survive our own way.”
He opened the door and walked out.
Rachel watched the door Balato had disappeared through and said sarcastically, “Well, one competitor is gone.”
I shrugged.
“The choice is his to make. But he’ll have to bear the consequences as well.”
At that moment, the remaining guild leaders in the room all had contemplative looks in their eyes.