The Festival Ignites
The Mir Guild has returned to the majors!
From League 4 all the way to League 1. The Mir Guild and their legendary journey.
Does it even make sense to call a former champion guild a prestigious name?
Out of the way! From now on, the rankings are being redrawn! League 1 emergency alert!!
At the very least, I want to say this. Today’s match is one that will go down in history. If you missed it, look it up right now. Or don’t ever bother looking……
Watching the match live, I’d call it “a war between the Dynasty Guild of Battle and the Mir Guild of Warfare.” As many experts predicted, Dynasty held the advantage in raw power, yet the Mir Guild fought a war rather than a battle. They relentlessly targeted Dynasty’s weak points and showed bold management by saving their trump card until the very last moment. It was as if they were toying with the entire match, not just individual sets……
Once again, the protagonists leading the Mir Guild to victory were the so-called “Children of Lee Shin”—Park Su-bin and Yu Ri-ra. Despite being at a disadvantage, Park Su-bin delivered a monstrous performance that opened the path to victory. Yu Ri-ra, on the other hand, seemed outmatched by her opponent until the fourth set, when she landed the decisive blow with her new weapon, “Snipe.” Incidentally, the MVP was decided by the slimmest of margins……
Having watched the match this far, one name naturally comes to mind.
The savior of the Yongbung-i, the architect of legends, the representative of the Mir Guild—Lee Shin.
His achievements are too astonishing to describe in mere words. Just to name a few: recruiting Sanwang…… (omitted) ……and he accomplished all of this in only three years. Can you believe it? In all my time in this industry, I can say with certainty that Lee Shin is the only representative who has produced such miraculous results.
This capable leader has always expressed his genuine love toward the fans, and the notoriously fierce Mir Guild supporters responded by drawing hearts in their eyes and showering him with endless affection. That love was so palpable it gave me chills……
I once called the Mir Guild fans “victors” in a previous article.
I apologize for my rudeness. You were not yet victors—you were challengers. Challengers climbing toward the top, and your true victory has yet to come. I hope that victory arrives at an even higher place.
I sincerely congratulate the Mir Guild on their promotion to League 1.
Declaring that a festival would begin was no empty promise.
That very day, Lee Shin proclaimed an emergency festival period, and every business affiliated with the Mir Guild launched special events.
The celebration kicked off with merchandise.
Each piece was modeled after the signature equipment of the hunters themselves. Lee Shin, who took merchandise seriously, had personally selected the factory and used only the highest-grade materials to commemorate the occasion.
The unit price was inevitably high, but that issue was resolved in an unexpected way.
“Huh? Hold on, everyone, what are you talking about? I have no intention of making money off this. Profit from merchandise that should be made with sincerity? Get out! How blasphemous!”
The merchandise was sold with zero margin……and then instantly sold out.
Starting with Park Su-bin’s mink coat—which was bound to be expensive—it sold out in five minutes, and the rest of the items followed like dominoes.
At that point—
The event, originally planned to increase new fans, turned into a battlefield in a bittersweet turn of events.
While the merchandise heated up the fans’ excitement, the local commercial district caught fire in a different sense.
Lee Shin had temporarily opened the Yongwanggung for promising rookies and lower-league hunters.
“Whoa…… So this is the gorge?”
“Mom, that’s amazing! There’s a whole forest inside!”
“Dude…… I don’t know why, but I’m tearing up.”
“We can come here too, right?”
It might not seem like much, but it was an enormous gesture.
As everyone knew, official matches began at League 3, and naturally, only guilds in the third division or higher had stadiums. Those guilds rarely opened their facilities for various reasons.
In other words, promising talents and lower-league hunters had no chance to set foot in a proper gorge until they reached League 3. This time, Lee Shin and the Mir Guild provided that opportunity.
“Excuse me, is this the Mir Guild? I’d like to reserve the stadium for this weekend…… Oh, it’s fully booked? Is there any way? Our kids only awakened recently……”
“Is it for a weekday? Yes! Absolutely possible! We have a perfect 5-person slot open! Monday morning at 9 a.m., here in Yeongdo……”
“Minors must be accompanied by parents. Two-hour sessions. The price is…… Pardon? You can really use it at that price?!”
Given its massive scale, the Yongwanggung could host eight matches simultaneously, and every time slot from weekend through weekday filled up completely.
Games ran nonstop from morning until late at night.
Naturally, the shops in front of the stadium were all smiles. People didn’t come alone—minors brought parents, lower-league guilds came as entire teams, and even families turned it into a large-scale event.
Rumor had it that after the opening, the stadium parking lot was packed with buses every single day……
This influx created a ripple effect that shook the once-quiet Yeongdo awake.
“Hey, what’s going on? Why are there so many customers on a weekday?”
“You didn’t hear? The Mir Guild got promoted over there. They’re holding events and opening the stadium—apparently doing a lot of good things.”
“That’s amazing…… They say a well-raised guild feeds the city. It’s true.”
And District Head Noh Hyeong-sim was not about to miss this golden opportunity.
“Here, here—tear down all these empty houses and make a parking lot. Redo this road too.”
“Uh, the owner of that place is……”
“Shut it! I just sorted it out. Don’t worry, just bulldoze it. Right now!”
This island wasn’t just old and worn—it had its charms. Walking along the coast, snapping photos of rare old scenery, eating seafood or grilled clams by the sea while watching the sunset was quite pleasant.
District Head Noh Hyeong-sim had no intention of letting the newfound vitality of Yeongdo fade.
Strike while the iron is hot!
He mobilized every connection he had to clean up the city and attract tourists.
And he wasn’t the only one rowing while the tide was high……
Once the festive mood spread all the way to Yeongdo, it was time for the final blow.
“Proceed.”
The next day—
How did the Lair Cafe franchise succeed?
Experts commonly cited three reasons.
First, coffee and desserts so delicious you wouldn’t believe they came from a budget cafe.
Second, the devilish Ttibuttibuseal that stimulated people’s collecting instincts.
And third—the Mir Guild itself, standing at the center of the whirlwind.
Lair Cafe, Gimhae Airport branch.
The manager, who rushed over after hearing an employee’s desperate cry for help, rubbed his eyes and stared at the scene before him.
“……What the hell is that?”
The line stretched endlessly.
It looked like every single person in the airport had gathered.
“Manager!! What are you doing?!”
“R-right, I’m coming.”
It didn’t take the burly manager long to figure out what was happening.
“You get one sticker no matter what? Even if I buy the expensive stuff?”
“Yes, one sticker regardless of price.”
“C-can I choose which one?”
“I’m sorry. For fairness, we’re required to give you the first one from the pack. Also, as you can see, there’s a three-drink limit per person.”
“Ah……”
“Would you like to order?”
“Three Americanos, please!”
“Yes, three for me as well.”
“Understood. I’ll bring them right over. Next customer in the back! How can I help you?”
That was Lee Shin’s final move.
He was actively utilizing the Lair Cafe he had painstakingly built up until now.
The reason he had maintained the cafe despite high sales but low profits was simple: to promote and publicize the Mir Guild.
Unfortunately, it hadn’t fulfilled that role properly until now. The Mir Guild had been in League 2—a minor league.
No matter how loud and famous they became, the wall between League 2 and League 1 was high. Shoving a spoonful in someone’s face and saying “Just try it, it’s good!” would only breed discomfort.
So he had waited for the right moment.
The moment they proudly promoted and stepped into the majors. The moment their recognition was high enough!
“Ah! What do I do, Lira! I got it! It’s Snipe Lira!!”
“I’m so jealous…… I still haven’t pulled mine.”
“But that one’s pretty too? What’s his name again. That hunter.”
“Whoa!! Oh my god, kid! Are you insane?! That’s Su-bin! Let’s trade. You’ve got the giraffe one, right? I’ve got Yong-soon, so give it here.”
“No way. Why would I? I switched teams ages ago.”
If they had been nobodies, pulling a Park Su-bin sticker wouldn’t have caused much of a reaction—and might have even cheapened their image.
That was why he released it now, when Sanwang, Park Su-bin, Yu Ri-ra, and the guild’s recognition had reached new heights.
As a result, the Ttibuttibuseal transcended its role as mere bait and became a powerful promotional tool.
When over seven hundred stores nationwide simultaneously spat out Mir Guild hunters, the players’ value skyrocketed instantly.
And here was Lee Shin’s hidden trick.
He had made the SD characters of the overlooked hunters even more attractive than the starters. It might seem trivial, but in this world, image directly translated to increased value.
These hunters weren’t lacking in skill, and with the paths Lee Shin had paved through one-point lessons, their boosted images led to a flood of recruitment calls after the event.
“How much is this Mir mug?”
“Seven thousand won.”
“Wow, that’s cheap.”
“I’ll take one too!”
“I’m sorry, this is the last one.”
The manager, who had just cleared the final piece of merchandise, looked around the store.
Tables full of people laughing and tearing open Ttibuttibuseal packs.
It was an airport, yet on a non-peak weekday, the place was completely packed…… It was the first time since he had opened the store. That was probably why nearby merchants kept glancing over.
“Unbelievable.”
The manager didn’t know much about Lee Shin. Just that some infamous troublemaker had taken over the Mir Guild and done a pretty good job?
Yet this person he had no interest in was filling his wallet.
Curious, he searched online. What exactly was this guy doing?
The results were surprising.
“……All the articles are about him.”
The portal’s front page was filled with Mir Guild promotion articles.
Search rankings: 1st Mir Guild, 2nd Lee Shin. Everything up to 5th place was Mir Guild-related.
Looking at his bright, smiling photo, the manager couldn’t help but laugh. It didn’t look like he was just throwing a festival—it looked like he was genuinely enjoying himself.
While the manager was absorbed in the articles, a commotion snapped him back to reality.
“……Whoa! It’s the Golden Lee Shin!”
“But how do we give the car to a foreigner?”
“They’ll probably pay in cash, right?”
From the looks of it, the blond foreigner had pulled the special Golden Lee Shin Ttibuttibuseal—the one that came with a car.
The manager found it amazing that such a rare item had been won at his store, but he also felt uneasy about an oblivious foreigner holding it.
Already, people nearby were murmuring things like “Should we ask for it?”
Finally, the manager made up his mind and decided to use the English he had sealed away.
“Excuse me?”
“……??”
“English?”
The gentleman nodded.
Using gestures, the manager explained that the sticker was part of a current event, that it was worth the price of a car, and that he should take it to the Mir Guild at the address provided……
The blond, blue-eyed gentleman nodded and replied—
“Understood.”
“……!!”
In perfect Korean.
Only then did the manager notice the name tag on the table.
The blond, blue-eyed man who smelled suspiciously like a scholar was—
“So this is Lee Shin’s domain.”
Gale Potter.
The chief mage of the Olympus Magic Tower had arrived in Korea.