The Dragon Has Awakened
Once they overcame the critical hurdle, Mir Guild’s momentum became unstoppable.
Mir Guild clears 3rd Round in the shortest time on record.
MVP Mountain King Kim Jong-pil displays heavy leadership to the Bureau: “From now on, give MVP to the young ones.”
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Shortest clear time, highest kill count, and every other category.
A destructive performance that stamped the word Mir at the very top of every gate they raided.
Their followers wept with raw emotion.
Any further doubt was meaningless.
The dragon had awakened.
And it was at this moment that Lee Myeong-hwan finally realized something.
He needed to take action.
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“We have to do something.”
Lee Myeong-hwan casually sliced into his steak as he spoke.
The restaurant was quite large, yet only two customers occupied it. Jeong Su-mi, sitting across from him, swallowed the food in her mouth and tilted her head in confusion.
“What do you mean, ‘do something’? You want me to cut the meat with my hands? Give it here, I’ll cut it for you.”
“No. I mean Lee Shin. Mir Guild. That whole situation.”
“…Are you drunk, babe?”
“I’m perfectly sober.”
Some people, once irritation and anger surpass a certain threshold, grow colder instead.
Irritation is proof that things aren’t going their way, and anger is simply another face of crisis. The one thing both emotions have in common is that they become completely useless the moment a real problem arrives.
A terrifyingly rational human being when facing a crisis. That was another side of Lee Myeong-hwan.
“I’ve been too emotional until now. No matter how Lee Shin usually behaves, the guy actually built a pretty decent guild and even recruited the Mountain King.”
“…Well, that’s true, I suppose?”
“Even if we call clearing every record in the first round luck, doing the exact same thing in the second round that everyone was suspicious about? That’s skill.”
“Babe, are you indirectly saying my judgment was wrong?”
“It wasn’t just you. I was wrong too. Everyone was wrong.”
Lee Myeong-hwan wiped his mouth with a napkin and picked up a glass of water. Even though a bottle of his favorite wine sat right beside him.
“We all fell for Lee Shin’s image.”
“Isn’t that a bit of a stretch? You’re saying Lee Shin planned and orchestrated all of this?”
“I don’t know. It could be a stretch. It could be a plan. But does that even matter?”
Does that even matter?
At those words, Jeong Su-mi froze for a moment.
“You’re right. That’s not what’s important. The result is what matters.”
When she thought about it calmly, he was correct.
She, who dealt in information, had somehow gone from focusing on the process to focusing on the result. No matter the reason, Lee Shin had produced results, and whether he had been deceived or had planned it all along didn’t matter in the slightest.
“It feels like I just got splashed with cold water. Chilling. How on earth did I miss something like this?”
“He’s always been like that. He had this suspicious ability to pull everyone around him into his own pace. After the accident, though, people stopped treating him like a human being.”
“It’s ridiculous, but it also kind of fits him. Like some kind of demonic charm?”
“Demonic charm, my ass.”
Even as he said that, Lee Myeong-hwan’s eyes grew even colder.
Looking back, Lee Shin had always sucked in the attention of everyone around him.
He was a superstar even in kindergarten. Despite having rock-bottom grades, he never once lost the position of student council president. After class, the classroom would fill with girls waiting for him. After school, the front gate was packed with even more.
Among that crowd were top idols currently dominating the K-pop charts and actresses from ten-million-view movies.
And.
Regrettably, Lee Myeong-hwan’s first girlfriend had been among them too.
“…Damn it.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Just remembered a shitty part of my dark history.”
Anyway, even that demonic grandfather of theirs had shown affection exclusively toward that bastard. That said everything.
“Enough pointless talk. Do you remember what I mentioned before?”
“What was it again? The ‘potion’ thing, right? I told you not to react too sensitively, didn’t I?”
“Start working on it immediately.”
“It’s going to cost quite a bit. Are you sure that’s okay?”
“Hah. I’m Lee Myeong-hwan. Lee Myeong-hwan of the Ido Group. Flaunting money isn’t a weapon only he can use.”
He honestly admitted it.
Losing the Mountain King had pissed him off so much that his vision had narrowed.
He had grown complacent, thinking, I’m in League 2, and you’re just in League 4.
Now I’ll give it my all too.
Lee Myeong-hwan chewed roughly on the steak he had cut.
This time, he wouldn’t let it be taken from him. No matter what!
* * *
Mir Guild Representative Office.
“Ughhh~”
“The fan cafe remodeling is almost complete. The merchandise should be announced the day after tomorrow. Today’s schedule is…”
“Haaa~”
“Ha… You’re being so distracting… Is your ear itchy? Want a cotton swab?”
“No, my ear is seriously itching. Someone must be talking shit about me… Wait, wait, could it be?! A conspiracy by the forces of evil who are jealous of this body’s genius?!”
“You don’t even need to go as far as ‘forces of evil.’ I can think of at least one person right in front of you.”
“No wonder your eyes have looked so impure lately. I raised a tiger cub!”
“I’m joking. After giving interviews like that, did you really think you wouldn’t get cursed at? Here’s the cotton swab.”
“Thanks.”
It wasn’t wrong.
While Mir Guild was busy writing legends in League 4, Lee Shin’s mouth was still spewing hellfire and brimstone, so getting cursed out until their stomachs burst was practically a given.
Lee Shin flicked the used cotton swab into the trash with a finger snap, then leaned back in his chair.
“Anyway, we were supposed to do raid team consultations today. When are they coming? There are fourteen of them, so we need to move fast.”
“They’ll be here soon.”
— Knock knock.
“They’re here.”
Chae Dong-ha, who had stood up from the sofa, straightened his clothes and opened the door. The first raid member to receive counseling bowed deeply in greeting before stepping inside.
He creaked like a broken robot. The tension was obvious.
“Have a seat, Hunter. Have you eaten?”
“Y-yes! I have!”
“Haha, no need to be so nervous. This is just a routine consultation. We’re simply asking if there’s anything uncomfortable, if you need anything, that sort of thing. Don’t feel pressured. Just relax. Really, relax~”
In truth, smooth communication with affiliated hunters was one of the highest-priority tasks for a guild representative.
Typically, while the front office handled management and logistics, the raid team was the guild’s weapon.
And because a weapon was a lethal tool, it required constant and delicate maintenance.
A good representative had to be able to loosen the hunters’ razor-sharp nerves through conversation, like drying a blade in the sun, or sharpen their edge like a whetstone to raise their combat power when necessary.
In that sense, Lee Shin was more than excellent. He was perfect.
He knew every one of their ‘stories’ and, thanks to the ‘fostering management window,’ understood their current situations more objectively than anyone else, even more than the hunters themselves.
“Hmm, girlfriend issues… If both of you are happy with it, getting married early isn’t a bad idea. A moderate amount of pressure can serve as good motivation for a hunter. You can count on me for the wedding gift. Hehe.”
“You always step with your right foot first during battle, don’t you? I recommend asking the analysis team leader to review the footage once. You sometimes feel like your timing is off, right? It’s all because of that habit of leading with your right foot. Keep that in mind.”
Of course, because he had chosen to focus and concentrate on certain areas for development, he hadn’t used ‘points’ to directly raise stats. Still, Lee Shin had almost completely adapted to this world by now.
This place might be a game, but it was undeniably reality, and there were advantages that could only be gained in reality.
If I make good use of the gap between game and reality, I can at least guide their growth direction.
Above all, Lee Shin knew their final evolved forms. Even their growth limits, though it was a bit depressing.
Therefore, simply teaching them the most efficient path without any waste was a masterclass worth more than any amount of money.
The only problem was that no matter how excellent the advice, it was useless if the person didn’t listen.
Well, he had given them the information. Did he really need to worry beyond that?
“Consultation complete! You may leave. Vice Leader, send in the next person.”
Opportunity smiles upon those who make an effort.
To them, Lee Shin’s very existence was that opportunity. Whether they seized it or not was up to their own judgment.
And so the people sitting across from Lee Shin changed one by one, and the consultations proceeded quickly. Then, in the latter half, it was finally time for the ones Lee Shin had truly been waiting for.
“Um…”
“Bokchi, wait outside. You’re going to see him later anyway, right?”
“Yes…”
The door had barely cracked open before Park Su-bin quietly slipped out.
Even the way he opened the door was timid. The way he closed it was even more so.
Considering how much he had accomplished, he should have gained some confidence by now, but that was exactly why the curse wasn’t a curse for nothing.
He needed to erase that negative trait as soon as possible so he could use the accumulated points to help him grow. In his frustration, he could only stare longingly at the card packs he couldn’t open yet.
“As expected, League 4 rewards are stingy.”
The ‘Gold Card Pack’ had only appeared because it was the first raid bonus. In League 4, the best you could get was Silver.
Even that was only because they had shattered the gate records. Without that, they wouldn’t have received even these.
To erase Bokchi’s negative trait, I need at least an A-rank trait. The best that can come out of a Silver Card Pack is B-rank. I’ll have to save up ten of them to synthesize an A-rank. It’s frustrating, but I guess I have no choice but to endure.
It was disappointing, but there was nothing he could do.
Just as he was thinking that, the next person arrived.
A man with a confident stride, Park Jeong-seok, greeted Lee Shin.
“Good afternoon, Representative.”
“Nice to see you, Hunter Jeong-seok. Would you like to sit? Can I get you anything to drink?”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
Excluding the Mountain King, the three hunters currently receiving the most attention in Mir Guild were Park Su-bin, Park Jeong-seok, and Lee Hye-jung.
Among them, Park Jeong-seok’s value was by far the highest because he was a tank with excellent footwork, the most popular trend these days.
As proof, not only several League 4 guilds but even League 3 guilds had inquired about Park Jeong-seok.
Lee Shin asked the same questions as always.
Was there anything he needed? Any inconveniences?
Park Jeong-seok maintained an extremely disciplined posture as he answered.
“Everything is perfect. Guild life could not be more ideal.”
“Really? Honestly, isn’t it a bit boring? We’re so far out in the sticks. It might feel dull for a young man like you, Hunter Jeong-seok. Hehe, actually I’m talking about myself. There’s nothing fun to do around here.”
“I have always preferred quiet places over noisy ones. There is no better environment for training than our guild.”
“Come on, I’m just saying that to sound good. If that was my intention, then it worked. You can see it, right? The way the corners of my mouth are dancing.”
“I mean it.”
Lee Shin smiled brightly and gave him a few more pieces of advice.
“You seem to be trying to gain weight. May I ask why?”
“I felt my body was too small for a tank.”
“Hmm, I see. But from my perspective, that actually seems to be your strength, Hunter Jeong-seok?”
Park Jeong-seok was what was known as an ‘evasion-type tank’ with excellent footwork.
These types specialized in being placed alone at the very front rather than protecting the team’s formation. They focused on tanking while simultaneously breaking the enemy’s formation. In fact, Mir Guild was utilizing him in a highly versatile way by linking him with Park Su-bin, their defensive sorcerer.
Thanks to that, the man once infamous in his previous guild for poor positioning that caused monsters to slip through — ‘Slippery’ Park Jeong-seok — had instantly become a rising star in League 4.
“On the contrary, I would advise you to lose even more weight than you have now.”
“Understood.”
Park Jeong-seok nodded without the slightest hesitation. Lee Shin stared at him for a moment.
This is almost too perfect.
Just to be sure, Lee Shin asked again.
“Since the Representative picked me, it must be correct.”
“How can someone be this perfectly obedient?”
“Pardon? Did I mishear?”
“It’s nothing. Just talking to myself.”
Depending on how you looked at it, Park Jeong-seok was almost servile in his loyalty.
He was probably the ideal hunter every representative dreamed of.
However.
When the consultation with Park Jeong-seok ended and Lee Hye-jung took the seat across from him, her attitude was the complete opposite.
“Well, I don’t really think so?”