Captives for the Harvest

The Paradox Guild Master, Taiken, burst into loud laughter upon hearing the report.

"Puhaha! Really? All of them croaked?"

"Yeah, that's what I heard."

"Kekeke, it's been ages since I laughed my ass off like this."

But as his laughter faded, Taiken's face twisted into something far more ferocious. Knowing his explosive temper, even the top ranker standing nearby clamped his mouth shut. Instead, he just shot a glance at the leader of the second subjugation squad, who had brought the news first.

The squad leader, sweating bullets and looking flustered, stepped forward. Taiken's eyes locked onto him just then.

"Fine, a massive group shows up out of nowhere and wrecks shop—they could've ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠died. But you seriously expect me to buy that you couldn't take down just one guy, Mu-hyuk, before that? What the hell were you doing?"

"W-well, in the beginning, a bunch of our gangster necromancers got wiped out..."

"Why'd those fuckers drop so easily?"

"We only gathered low-level gangster necromancers who could summon maybe ten warhorses each, since we need to raise the higher-level ones more..."

"So? Quit beating around the bush and spit it out."

"Y-yes, sir! Their HP and defense were low because they were low-level. They said even a brush with an AoE attack melted them. Skeletons wouldn't have helped anyway—they'd just dissolve—so they figured it'd only block paths and kept them out of the fight."

"What about the tanks?"

"We protected them as best we could, but..."

"And they still died?"

"Yes. They said Mu-hyuk's skeleton command was on another level. It kept them from mounting their warhorses, slowing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them down naturally..."

"So you got guerrilla'd?"

"Y-yes...!"

"Then some weird bastards showed up and finished everyone off?"

"Yes."

"Alright, those strike team scrubs were just cannon fodder anyway—makes sense they'd fold. Whatever. So, who the hell were these guys who jumped in?"

"They gave off a rough vibe, but..."

"Rough vibe?"

"Yes, but their moves didn't scream mercenaries."

"And there were at least a thousand of these rough types?"

"Yes, that's what I heard."

Taiken's eyes turned ice-cold.

"Hemil Empire, maybe."

The sudden mention made the top ranker, Backdoor, whip his head around.

"Hemil Empire?"

"Mu-hyuk's a noble there, right? Word is he's tight with their duke."

"Hmm, yeah."

"High chance they sent reinforcements."

"Doesn't that make this serious?"

Taiken had no answer for Backdoor's question.

It wasn't a good situation.

"..."

In the heavy silence,

Screeech!

the door flew open as a Paradox guild member rushed in.

"Guild Master!"

"What?"

"We've got a guild war declaration!"

"Guild war?"

"Yes."

Taiken tilted his head.

The Paradox Guild currently had tacit alliances with all the top guilds.

"Who the fuck declared war on us? Which crazy bastards?"

"First Guild."

He'd never heard the name.

"Where the hell are they from?"

"W-we don't know."

"Find out. By tomorrow."

"Yes, sir!"

"More importantly, what's the deadline?"

"They set the minimum grace ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠period."

"Three days from now?"

"Exactly."

"Sigh, so much shit to do, and now this hassle...!"

Taiken shut his mouth mid-grumble.

Something felt off.

What is this nagging feeling?

After pondering, he looked at Backdoor.

"You."

Backdoor pointed at himself.

"Me?"

"Yeah, I need your help."

"With what? You want me to scout Column Village?"

"Just check it out. The vibe of those sudden assholes, their levels. Something's fishy."

"Not going alone, right?"

"Bring whoever."

"Guild warehouse access after?"

"Do whatever, asshole."

"Deal!"

He immediately pointed at two executives in the room.

"You two. Get the underlings ready."

"Got it!"

"We'll head out then."

Backdoor waved casually and left the meeting room with the two executives.

*

Kahomer found Mu-hyuk in a quiet corner of the village, deep in enhancement work.

"Village chief!"

"Hm?"

"We declared guild war in three days, and the response came."

You can't refuse a war declaration. If war broke out and the enemy attacked recklessly, you'd have to defend just to survive. So the "response" was always acceptance.

"They accepted?"

"Yes."

Guild leader Doran, nearby, overheard.

Three days from now, 11:00 AM.

All online guild members would be summoned to a temporary arena then.

"Good work."

"No trouble at all."

Kahomer bowed and returned to the guild hall.

Need to hurry.

He had to swap out gear for the NPCs and enhance shields and weapons for the skeletons if possible.

Not everything, though.

Prioritize armor skeletons for summons.

Skilled NPCs for players.

"You see that?"

"Yeah, oppa."

"I saw it too. 11 AM—perfect timing."

"Rest here till then."

"Sounds good. If we go hunting and bump into those assholes... ugh, I'll just level my crafting here next to you."

"I'll enhance the squirrels by your side then."

"Sure."

"My lord, I'll train."

"Good."

The four dove into their tasks.

How much time passed?

As darkness fell, the Hemil Empire knight captain arrived.

"Vice Guild Master."

"Hm? What's up?"

"A patrol soldier spotted a suspicious group approaching."

"Suspicious group, huh."

Probably Paradox Guild.

"Can you capture them?"

"Of course."

"Bind and bring them."

"Understood."

"One more thing—mind if I ask a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Got any Sacred Battle Scrolls?"

"Yes, plenty."

"Could I borrow a few?"

The knight captain pondered briefly.

Recalling Duke Amur's words to treat Mu-hyuk as an equal, he nodded.

"Very well."

He pulled scrolls from his inventory and handed them over.

"Five sheets."

"Thanks."

"No problem. I'll handle the intruders."

As the knight captain left, Mu-hyuk chuckled alone.

"What's so funny?"

"Ah, remember that dagger I showed you before?"

"Dagger? Which one?"

Mu-hyuk drew it from his belt.

"Check it out."

Sung Min-woo and Kang Ji-yeon placed their hands on it.

Their eyes widened at the info.

Kang Ji-yeon at the unique special option.

"Oppa, what's this?"

"Ah, you wouldn't know. Got it from some PK punk back then."

Sung Min-woo caught on with a grin.

"You sneaky bastard—it's brutal when you think about it."

"Is it?"

Mu-hyuk couldn't help but smile.

Bound Paradox guild members waking in Column Village's dingy prison. Unable to move.

Killing them one by one with this Red Dagger of the White Horse Army?

About 200 captured now.

That's 20 stats stolen.

If they nabbed the incoming ones too?

Plus 20 more.

At least 25, maybe 35?

Tomorrow and the day after.

Two days of dagger kills?

Minimum 50 stats. Probably 10+ each in strength, agility, vitality, knowledge, wisdom.

"Whoa, oppa, your stats...!"

"Yeah, a huge boost."

"Insane."

They could only wait for tomorrow.

Meanwhile.

Backdoor, shocked by the sudden massive force, frantically retreated.

He tried to call retreat, but the knight captain activated a Sacred Battle Scroll first.

"Fuck, shit...!"

No escape, no logout.

Just stories before...

Now it felt like pure hell.

But nothing he could do.

How could 150 beat over a thousand? Even a top ranker like Backdoor fell after resisting.

They bound all intruders and returned to Column Village.

Locked them in prison, then headed to Mu-hyuk.

"Vice Guild Master."

"Back already."

"Yes. Exactly 150 captured."

"150?"

"Yes."

"More than expected. Casualties?"

"Three soldiers dead. 29 heavily wounded, but priests will heal them soon."

"Hm."

Three dead.

"Regrettable. Good work anyway."

"My pleasure. I'll head back."

The knight captain withdrew, and Mu-hyuk resumed enhancements.

Time flew.

Next day.

Mu-hyuk woke, ate breakfast, grabbed a book from his desk, and headed to the sofa.

"Huh? Random book?"

"Just."

"Ooh, what's it about?"

Kang Ji-yeon checked the cover.

"Understanding Military Science? What the—?"

"Ugh, so annoying."

"Right, you're a gangster necromancer."

He frowned at her chatter but nodded.

"Studying strategy and tactics?"

"A bit."

"Why now?"

"To get stronger?"

"Oho, cringey much?"

"Shut it. Let me read."

"Fine, boring anyway. My lil bro."

"..."

Ignoring her, he read on.

Not too hard.

Military service helped—he grasped most of it.

Good enough for today.

He closed the book and checked the time.

About 30 minutes passed.

Quite a while.

Into the room, into the capsule.

Logged in, Mu-hyuk watched Doran train archery nearby, then sat and started enhancing gear like yesterday. Sung Min-woo and Kang Ji-yeon, logging in after, did their own work.

As sunset approached,

Swish.

Mu-hyuk stood, and Sung Min-woo's eyes lit up.

"Prison time?"

"Yeah."

"I'm coming."

"Sure."

"Oppa, I'll keep working here."

"Back soon."

"Okay!"

Mu-hyuk for stats, Sung Min-woo to escape tedium—they headed to the prison. Noisy chaos erupted on arrival.

"H-hey, you! You fucker!"

"Shit, untie us, untie!"

"You idiots messed up—daring to hold us?"

Sung Min-woo whistled at the racket.

"Oho, tons online already?"

"Looks like."

The noisier, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the wider Mu-hyuk's smile.

"Untie us!"

"You bastards...!"

Scanning the prison, Mu-hyuk nodded. Aside from the 150 captured last evening, most were awake.

All these turning into my stats...!

The thought thrilled him.

"Let's start."

He pulled a Sacred Battle Scroll from his inventory.