Jealousy
Jealousy
The door to the Association Chairman's office opened, and I walked out into the hallway.
I let out a long breath, loosening my stiff shoulders.
"Phew... Now I don't have to sneak in at dawn anymore."
Now I could use the tower confidently even during the day.
It felt like an old weight that had been sitting in my heart was being washed away, cool and refreshing.
Just then, Hong Chae-yeon, who had been pacing anxiously at one end of the hallway, spotted me and rushed over.
"Si-woo-ya, what did the Association Chairman-nim say?"
Her face was full of worry.
I gave her a light smile.
"Well, we talked about this and that, but the most important thing is, I guess I got some tax benefits?"
Hong Chae-yeon's eyes grew round at my answer.
She smiled brightly, as happy as if it were her own matter.
"Wow! What a relief!"
But the joy was short-lived.
The smile lingering on Hong Chae-yeon's lips gradually faded, and her shoulders drooped slightly.
She murmured in a voice dripping with regret.
"So... our dealings are over now..."
She seemed to think that the justification for our relationship—always selling my items for me and handling the tax issues—had disappeared.
Seeing her dejected state, I waved my hand and spoke.
"Actually, I was hoping to get your help with something else. Could you help me set up a guild? I did say I'd make one since it's my first time, but I have no idea what to do or how to do it."
No sooner had I finished speaking than Hong Chae-yeon's head snapped up.
Life began to return to her amber eyes.
The shoulders that had sagged at the thought of having nothing to do straightened in an instant.
As if telling me to just trust her, she clenched her fist and lightly tapped her chest.
"Just leave it to me! And as for the house—I've already finished all the moving preparations by combining part of Seo-yun's treatment costs with the Mithril sales proceeds. All you have to do is show up!"
I stared at her blankly, speechless.
She had resolved the guild matter and even the house issue I had asked about before, all at once.
Her processing speed was frighteningly fast.
'She's really good at her job... Is this what it takes to be the guild leader of a major guild?'
Swallowing my admiration inwardly, I nodded.
Since there was no need to move heavy luggage right away, I replied that I would just pick out the essentials and move immediately.
Time passed, and I returned to my narrow studio apartment.
I stuffed the clothes I had bought before and a few personal belongings into a bag.
Once I finished packing, the cramped room felt especially more barren.
I set my bag on the floor and slowly looked around the empty room.
Moldy wallpaper and slightly torn linoleum.
Honestly, most of the memories I had from living here were unpleasant—hunger and hardship.
But a strangely bittersweet feeling lingered in one corner of my heart.
Because this was also the place where I sometimes felt small happiness, warming myself up with hot ramyun broth after finishing my part-time job at the convenience store.
Countless memories of nights spent dreaming of awakening in my own space and falling asleep were embedded in every corner of the room.
It was while I was lost in thought, revisiting those past memories.
A vibration buzzed in my pocket.
It was a call from Hong Chae-yeon.
"Hello."
Her bright voice came through the receiver.
"Si-woo-ya, when founding a guild, you need three guild members including yourself. So can I put it down under your name, mine, and Seo-yun's?"
It seemed there was a minimum member requirement to establish a guild.
But even so, the idea of listing another major guild's leader and the ranker Cha Seo-yun as founding members of my guild bothered me.
I cautiously asked back.
"Are you and Seo-yun-i okay with that?"
Making my worries seem pointless, Hong Chae-yeon's answer was incredibly unfazed.
"Of course I'm fine, and Seo-yun-i is too. Actually, she insisted on being included."
Hearing that, I let out a hollow laugh.
'Putting two rankers as my guild members...?'
It was more than reassuring—it was an overflowing roster of members.
I smiled and answered.
"If you're both okay with it, then I'm good. Go ahead."
As soon as I finished speaking, Hong Chae-yeon replied cheerfully.
"Okay! Got it! Ah, what should we name the guild?"
I thought for a moment, then concluded that nothing else would do.
"Make it SW."
"Okay! I'll contact you again once everything's set up!"
The call ended, and I turned my head once more, taking in the room with my eyes.
An empty studio apartment with nothing left behind.
Now it was truly time to say goodbye to this place.
I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed for the front door.
I grabbed the old doorknob and stepped outside.
—Kwang.
With the sound of the door closing, I left my past behind and stepped into a new world.
Right after the press conference ended, communities in various countries literally started to catch fire.
The speed at which new posts appeared every time you hit refresh was terrifying.
Among them, I clicked on one post that was uniquely exploding in views.
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[Title: ★Barcode=SW Press Conference Direct Appearance★]
[Author: ㅇㅇ]
Everyone saw the press conference, right?
Barcode said with his own mouth that he is SW.
Honestly, I thought the timing of the two appearing was similar and since he used SW equipment, I wondered 'no way?' but honestly, the idea of a crafting-type having that kind of combat power didn't make sense, so I didn't believe it.
But well, figures.
At this point, just how good is the equipment that Barcode—no, should I call him Kim Si-woo now—uses, for a crafting-type to get 1st in contribution every single time he climbs the tower? That's what I'm really curious about.
They said they'll sell equipment after creating the guild, so I might drop by too?
It'll probably be expensive, but it seems better than those crafting-type bastards who power-trip while making shoddy items.
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└ ㅇㅇ: I just saw it and came too.
└ ㅇㅇ: Well, there are people giving him shit for hiding his identity, but I understand to some degree ㅇㅇ. Honestly, the government isn't protecting you, so what if you get kidnapped? You gotta protect your own life ㅇㅇ.
└ ㅇㅇ: The crafting-type guys are probably shitting themselves lololol. Seducing the kid, like, we're not coming to you anymore~
└ FurLover: Is this fellow someone close to my child?
└└ ㅇㅇ: Um...
└ ImperialPrincess1stFan: KillKimSiwooKillKimSiwooKillKimSiwooKillKimSiwoo
└ ImperialPrincess2ndFan: KimSiwooDick3cmKimSiwooDick3cmKimSiwooDick3cm
As expected, the reactions from gallery people were always amusing.
There were occasional malicious comments directed at me mixed in, but I could brush off this level as just cute.
Now that I had revealed my identity, I felt as refreshed as if a sore tooth had been pulled out.
In a quiet café.
Unlike the window side where warm sunlight streamed in, only a heavy, chilly silence hung among the five men and women gathered in a corner seat.
They were all established, nose-in-the-air crafting-type hunters registered with the Association.
Among them, one woman who had her arms crossed finally slammed the table with a thwack and shouted irritably.
"Ah, seriously!! Because of that SW or whatever, what is this!"
Her sharp voice echoed through the quiet café.
Then the man sitting across from her jumped in surprise, glanced around at the other patrons, and urgently tried to stop her.
"Shh! Keep your voice down!"
At the man's restraint, the woman bit her lip and fumed.
Another man next to them looked at the man sitting at the head of their group and asked in an anxious voice.
"Hyung-nim, what do you plan to do going forward...? It's true that we're not getting orders for either equipment or potions because of that bastard."
After the press conference, people were waiting solely for the founding of SW's guild and completely ignoring the existing crafters' goods.
To them, it was a serious issue threatening their immediate livelihood and interests.
The man addressed as hyung-nim stroked his tightly shut lips, then quietly crossed his arms and closed his eyes, sinking into deep thought.
Soon, his lips slowly parted.
"No matter how I think about it, it's strange..."
"What do you mean, hyung-nim?"
Hyung-nim opened his closed eyes and leaned forward.
Conviction and doubt were thickly intermingled in his pupils.
"Have any of you ever seen that SW production skill being used?"
At his question, the four looked at each other's faces.
One of them shook his head and answered.
"No..."
"Of course, it's hard to judge based solely on that. But everyone knows that this guy is climbing a different tower from ordinary hunters, don't they?"
At the man's words, the group gulped dryly.
The places he climbed were unknown spaces far beyond the common sense of ordinary hunters.
"Then, hyung-nim, you're saying...?"
"Yeah. I suspect that guy is bringing items out from inside the tower."
The quality of items that a crafter could never possibly match.
And the brute combat power that takes down rankers with bare hands.
When he pieced together all those circumstances, the man had reached the conclusion that this guy was a seeker pulling a fast one.
"But even if that's the case, it doesn't really change anything, does it...?"
One man countered in a crawling voice.
Because the fact that people were going crazy for his items wouldn't change, whether he was a real crafter or not.
But hyung-nim snorted coldly.
"No. If that's correct, we can resolve this problem in one fell swoop."
"What is it...?"
"We simply suggest, man to man, a live broadcast showdown to see who can produce the highest grade."
The man smiled greasily.
If his guess was right, SW would be unable to make anything in a public place and have his bluff exposed.
"If what I'm thinking is right, SW will become a global laughingstock."
It was a perfect plan to reclaim their stolen bowl of rice and cast their eyesore of an opponent into the abyss.
The man's sinister laughter filled the quiet café.