The Five Great Guilds 1

One week before the Five Great Guilds auction was set to begin. After handing over full authority on white ink sales to Choi Deokhui, I dove headfirst into preparations to take on the Five Great Guilds.

The first thing I did was check the magic patterns held by the Enchanter Workshop. But before that, I confirmed my status for the first time in a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠while.

Thanks to the bonus stats from unlocking the Magic Pattern Shop, my intellect had risen to 339.

'Ah! If only Lee Sehyuk had given me intellect instead of mana.'

Seeing my mana at 589—250 points higher than my intellect—only deepened my regret. Mana, which had once lagged behind strength, had surged lately. It went up by 100 while refining twenty types of herbs, another 74 from Lee Sehyuk, and finally 50 more from unlocking the magic patterns.

Of course, this mana boost made potion-making much easier. Before, I'd had to brew potions without fail every two hours—Healing Potions, various buff potions, advanced Healing Potions. And now with white ink added to the mix, without the mana increase, it would've been overwhelming.

The mana growth had certainly helped me, but right now, it left a bitter taste.

"I want to learn Spark, and Water Shield too, and ah! There's just so much I want to learn."

While checking the magic patterns, I felt a sense of despair(?) at how many I wanted to master. With only 339 intellect, the number I could learn was pitifully small. And I couldn't afford to use it all up. After the white ink auction ended, new magic patterns would come in. I couldn't be left staring blankly because my intellect ran dry.

Mana cost for acquiring a magic pattern was based on divisions: every two extra divisions beyond four added 5 intellect. In simple terms, it consumed [divisions * 2.5] intellect.

Among the magic patterns currently held by the Enchanter Workshop, the highest was 16 divisions, costing 40 intellect to acquire.

According to Choi Deokhui, other countries had patterns up to 20 divisions. And though unconfirmed, the possibility of even higher grades was very high.

'In the end, I can only learn one or two.'

After much deliberation, that was the limit if I wanted to save ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for after the auction. The problem was choosing which one or two. Every magic pattern had pros and cons, making it hard to call any the absolute best.

'Right. These aren't magic patterns only I can use anyway. In that case...'

I decided to prioritize synergy over raw power. Like with Weight, it had to pair well with leather armor while aiding the engraving of other patterns on plate armor.

So the one I chose was Leap.

Leap was a spell allowing jumps up to 30 meters. It worked vertically, of course, but also front, back, left, right—no restrictions. Activation speed rivaled a full sprint, making it popular for both evasion and offense.

After acquiring the magic pattern, my second task was completing one person's leather armor. With the leather already prepared, I crafted it right away and engraved Leap and Weight onto it.

I used high-grade mana ink reserved for the Five Great Guilds from the Enchanter Workshop. I drew Weight via Copy Drawing, then activated it through the Magic Pattern Shop.

Selecting yes, a bright light emanated from the pattern, gradually fading until it vanished entirely. The pattern itself turned transparent except for the border.

'Success.'

Just as Kim Seungmin had described. Once activated, only the border remained visible—to the enchanter who engraved and activated it. That's why you couldn't see patterns engraved by others.

With the leather armor complete, I contacted its owner.

"Your armor's ready."

"I'm coming right now." Choi Taesu hung up immediately after those words, revealing just how long he'd been waiting.

About ten minutes after the call, a roar echoed outside. Looking out the window, I saw a helicopter approaching fast.

No way, I thought—just as the door opened and a figure leaped out.

Sure enough, it was Thunder Emperor Choi Taesu.

'Is he insane?'

Even if he was eager for the leather armor, jumping from a helicopter barely slowing down? As I pondered how to process Choi Taesu plummeting toward the building, he halted mid-air about three meters from the ground.

It lasted barely a second, but he stopped dead in the air before landing softly on the pavement. He strode in like nothing happened, naturally causing a commotion for a while.

"Where's the armor?"

Choi Taesu spotted me and demanded the armor first, ignoring the outside ruckus entirely. Since there was nothing I could say to him anyway, I ignored it too.

"Here it is. That said, Thunder Emperor, may I ask a favor in return? I'll prepare fair compensation, of course."

Choi Taesu took the armor I offered, his expression intrigued.

"No loss for me? Then start with the compensation."

"I'll engrave a magic pattern on your leather armor. Name the one you want. If you don't trust me, check the Weight and Leap already engraved."

This time, even Choi Taesu couldn't hide his shock. Magic patterns on leather armor?

When he first learned it was SS-rank leather armor, he'd been stunned too—though he hadn't shown it much. He never ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠imagined Korea had a leatherworker capable of SS-rank gear.

But that was still plausible. Some leatherworkers, including Hespera, had already made SS-rank pieces. His surprise was just that Korea had one on par.

But this? Magic patterns on leather armor? Unheard of, unimaginable.

So Choi Taesu showed his astonishment full-body.

"L-Leather armor with m-magic patterns? Y-You've already engraved Leap and Weight?"

Unlike his stammering, he donned the armor and activated Leap immediately.

Leap.

Choi Taesu shot through the air from in front of me to the window, his face etched with shock. Seizing the moment while he stood stunned, I made my request.

"How about modeling the leather armor?"

"Kim Suho from Support Guild sent an invitation?"

"Yes. With the Enchanter Workshop absorbed by Support Guild, they say new discussions on magic pattern contracts are needed and sent this."

Park Chanyeol from Elision Guild delivered the invitation to guild master Kang Taehoon.

"Choi Deokhui handed over the workshop? Ha, you see all kinds of things living long enough."

Kang Taehoon, who knew Choi Deokhui well, looked incredulous.

"I agree. Knowing her attachment to the workshop, I was a bit thrown too."

Park Chanyeol nodded in agreement.

"This piques my curiosity enough to go. Anyway, from your report, it's addressed to me?"

"No, not specifically to you, Guild Master. But I figured you'd be interested, so I reported it."

Kang Taehoon smiled faintly at Park Chanyeol's reply.

"You know me too well. Guess I'll go blow off some steam after all this time? Still against recruiting Kim Suho to our guild?"

As Kang Taehoon revealed his greed for Kim Suho, Park Chanyeol drew a firm line.

"Absolutely not. Haven't you realized after the Enchanter Workshop absorption? Before Lee Sehyuk's schemes, maybe—but now, Kim Suho probably wants nothing to do with the Five Great Guilds."

"Daring to lump Cheonmang Guild and us together? Even their vice guild master? Disappointing."

Kang Taehoon grinned slyly at Park Chanyeol, but he didn't budge.

"I told you he refused the vice guild master position. And from his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠perspective, Cheonmang or Elision—probably all the same to him."

'He might even dream of making Support Guild surpass the Five Great Guilds. And it might actually happen.'

Park Chanyeol swallowed those last thoughts.

No matter how much Kang Taehoon favored him, his pride in Elision Guild was beyond imagination. No need to touch that sore spot.

"I'll go with you."

Kang Taehoon blinked in surprise at Park Chanyeol's words.

"Huh? Together? What's gotten into you? Want to handle it solo? If you go, I probably don't need to."

Park Chanyeol scolded Kang Taehoon, who tried dumping it on him again.

"Just a hunch, but if you skip this, you might regret it. So please attend."

Kang Taehoon knew when Park Chanyeol spoke with such conviction, he had to listen. He'd regretted ignoring him before—more than once or twice. After that, he never brushed him off in these situations.

"Alright then, I'll go."

While Elision Guild's master Kang Taehoon accepted Kim Suho's invitation, the other Five Great Guilds received theirs too.

Not all reacted the same. Some accepted, some declined. Even acceptances sent underlings instead of masters.

But Park Chanyeol contacted the others in Elision's name: Guild Master Kang Taehoon and he would attend, so please cooperate.

The replies came: Their guild masters and vice masters would join too.

Thus, all Five Great Guilds who received Kim Suho's invitation gathered in one place.

"Hello. I'm Kim Suho, guild master of Support Guild."

Kim Suho lightly bowed to the ten people seated before him.

'Who would've thought all the Five Great Guild masters and vice masters would show up.'

He'd sent invitations, but never expected the guild masters themselves—let alone with their vices.

Originally, he'd addressed them to the guilds, not individuals. Yet all five sent their top brass.

It felt strange, but not fearful or tense. Excitement, rather.

Seeing was believing, and he'd hoped they'd witness the bombshell he'd drop today. With them here in person, the plan was a success.

I slowly met the ten piercing gazes, a smile playing on my lips, and began the real meeting.

To be continued in the next chapter...