Guilds in Turmoil
In the wake of Yoo Taejeong's achievement of first place, various guilds were thrown into chaos, and Jenix Guild, where he belonged, was on high alert over the matter.
"A Throne buff? What the hell is going on here? It's utterly unbelievable."
Those were the words muttered by Yang Taesik, the man leading Jenix, as he rubbed his chin.
In response, one of his closest aides, Guard Captain Lee Jeong-mo, spoke up.
"According to the guild members, the top ranker's stage level is 127."
"I've heard that too. 127. Ha! It's the stuff of legends. What do you make of it?"
"What do you mean, sir?"
"Arena's Gale made it exactly to stage 30. If the room rules had changed, he should've climbed higher too. After all, he's held the top spot in that range for ages."
"Could it be...? Do you have someone in mind?"
"Not a clue. Can't even guess. To beat Gale under the same conditions, you'd need gear alone costing hundreds of billions. Even then, to reach stage 127, you'd need at least 3.5 minutes per room. Add in 10 minutes of wait time per stage— is that even possible?"
As far as Yang Taesik could figure, no such class existed anywhere in the world. Even considering all those vaunted hidden classes, his conclusion was the same.
"When you put it that way, it does sound utterly unrealistic. Stages ramp up in difficulty, and an average of 3.5 minutes? Plus, in the 300-400 range, skills hit their limits anyway."
"Who the hell could it be? The nickname hasn't even registered on our side once. Not even... wait."
As he muttered to himself with a grave expression, something flashed through his mind.
"No way?"
"Pardon?"
"No, nothing. Just had another thought for a second."
"Ah. Well, since it's definitely one of our guild members, should we put up a notice?"
"No need to go that far. Let's just shelve this for now."
"Pardon?"
"I think it's best to let it lie."
"Understood. We'll leave it as is until you say otherwise."
"By the way, did you send the directive?"
"I issued an emergency order to all guild members to keep quiet."
"Good. No need to get dragged into the drama. Remind everyone to keep their mouths shut when you head down. If word gets out, the press and every guild will swarm us."
"Got it. I'll take my leave then, Guild Master."
After the guard captain left, Yang Taesik sank into his chair, lost in thought, recalling an event from a few days ago. A hunter he'd directly recommended and enrolled from the Club. The man had a class Yang Taesik had never even heard of.
"Mechanic, was it? No way it was him...."
After devouring a lavish feast prepared by Park Se-ah, Taejeong took a long nap and emerged into the living room. There she was, watching TV.
"Oh? You're up already? Come check this out."
Taejeong plopped down on the sofa and asked, "What's up?"
"The news—it's total chaos right now."
At her excited tone, his gaze shifted to the TV. An emergency hunter special was airing.
Watching the news coverage of his own feat, Taejeong felt a mix of surprise and novelty. Was this really such a big deal?
"Is that impressive?" he asked Park Se-ah, who was watching alongside him.
"Of course! It's something that's never happened in history. And get this—the even more shocking part."
"What?"
"The number one is from our guild."
Taejeong nodded at her proud declaration. "Oh yeah? That's great."
"Why the lukewarm reaction? Our guild got first place. First in guild history—no, world history!"
"Yeah, yeah. Impressive. Really impressive."
"Anyway, I couldn't tell you while you were sleeping, but the Guild Master specially ordered that this stays under wraps. Be extra careful with what you say and do outside."
"I don't even meet anyone."
The news showed no signs of stopping. Nor was it limited to broadcasts—internet communities were in an uproar, buzzing with wild speculation.
"A fan cafe? What the actual fuck. Did I just become a celebrity?"
Amid the frenzy, morning broke the next day. As Taejeong finished breakfast and sipped his coffee, HR Manager Lee Tae-ho showed up.
"What brings you here, Manager?"
"Settling in okay?"
"Thanks to you guys."
"The Guild Master wants to see you."
"The Master? Why me...?"
"No idea. Just told me to bring you."
"Give me a sec to change and I'll head out."
After switching to his outing clothes, Taejeong left the lodging with Lee Tae-ho. Riding in the prepared car toward HQ, he had a rough guess why the guild master had summoned him. Probably to grill him about yesterday's event.
Not that it was a stretch—Park Se-ah had mentioned Jenix's Survival records were zilch up to that point. A Throne buff meant first place was here, and in the 300-400 range? He was the obvious suspect.
What should I say? Just tell the truth?
Lost in such thoughts, he heard Lee Tae-ho, behind the wheel, speak up.
"Did you catch the news yesterday, Taejeong?"
"The Survival thing?"
"Yeah. Incredible, right? Breaking the cursed stage 30 barrier—and hitting 127."
"Well...."
Taejeong couldn't bring himself to self-praise out loud; it felt too awkward. As he mumbled vaguely, Lee Tae-ho glanced over and continued.
"But... was it you?"
"Pardon?"
"Thought about it all day yesterday. At first I was stunned, but when I wondered who, you popped right into my head."
"Why me, of all people...?"
"That range is full of top dogs. Their gear and training are leagues beyond ours. To crush them? Only one answer: class. A hidden one."
Lee Tae-ho had nailed it. No real deduction needed—if you knew Taejeong was hidden, he'd be the first you'd think of.
"I was just messing around a bit...."
"Knew it! Incredible. That's what a hidden class is all about—trampling those arrogant top-tiers. We're so lucky to have someone like you in Jenix."
"No big deal. So, am I the only hidden here?"
"Heard there was one early on after founding, but they're gone now. Rumor is they joined the Club, but unconfirmed."
"I see. How many in the guild know about the Club?"
"Just the Guild Master, me, and a few others. Speaking of—how's Park Se-ah? To your liking?"
"Ah. Was weird at first, but guild rule, so no complaints."
"Glad to hear. Secretaries with her looks and brains are rare. Hard to find one prettier even among core exec secretaries."
As Lee Tae-ho said, Park Se-ah was undeniably stunning. Problem was, Taejeong couldn't care less. Pre-awakening, maybe—but now, hunters were his sole focus.
"Got a question, though."
"Shoot."
"From hanging with her a few days, her schedule revolves around me. When does she go hunting?"
"Hunting? What hunting...?"
"Everyone else seems to hunt on the job, but she's home every day."
"Ah, you didn't know. Secretaries can't hunt. They're not awakened."
"Huh?"
"All guild secretaries are regular civilians."
"How do civilians handle guild work...?"
"Not total civilians—recruited from guild members' families. Trained for years at academies before deployment."
"Like a normal company salary?"
"Nope. With a family awakener's income, secretaries are technically unpaid."
"Wait, what? Then why bother? No pay, just slaving away...?"
Taejeong couldn't wrap his head around it. No money? Volunteering for grunt work? Didn't compute.
"In exchange, they get awakening shots. We have a dedicated team hunting Awakening Stones. Stored in the grade-1 main vault. Useless to awakened hunters, so they go to members' families—including secretaries in selection."
"Ah... that makes sense. Awakening chances... didn't know about that system."
"Not all awaken, though. Stones are finite; slip in performance, and you're bumped back."
"If I may—Park Se-ah's kinda tragic. Came here alone with her dad; he died in an accident. No savings, nowhere to go—had to become a secretary. They were such a sweet pair...."
"Damn. Rough."
"Makes you think hunter life is pointless. Risking it all, anytime, anywhere. Ah, we're here. Got work, so I'll head back. Remember the spot?"
"Yeah. Go handle your stuff."
"See you next time."