The First Guild Members
The first recruitment target had already been decided.
“Master, I won’t yield the honor of becoming the first guild member to anyone.”
The moment we returned from the Association, Jiyoung grabbed my hand tightly.
“R-Right.”
“You weren’t planning to recruit someone else before me, were you?”
“Nyx.”
“Aaaah, Masteeeer!!!”
Her booming voice echoed down the hallway.
“Hmph. I have already formed a contract with you, so I shall graciously yield that honor.”
“Then how about Youngsoo hyung-nim?”
“Ughhh.”
“Here, take the contract.”
It was a contract I had prepared in advance with the guild’s founding in mind. Jiyoung didn’t even bother reading a single line before scrawling her signature across it.
“Hey, what if this is a slave contract?”
“I wouldn’t mind being your slave for a while!”
“This is exactly the kind of kid who gets scammed and ends up regretting it later.”
Good grief. I had no idea where the Wall of Lamentation that once made enemies of the apocalypse era submit had gone.
“Am I next?”
Kim Youngsoo accepted the contract with a faint smile. His eyes moved quickly across the page. After a moment, he let out a low hum and looked up at me.
“Guild Master, some of these clauses seem rather unusual.”
“You’re already calling me Guild Master?”
“Judging by the contract alone, there’s no reason to refuse.”
“Then why do you say it’s unusual?”
“Because under the terms written here, there’s almost no binding force at all.”
Normally, joining a guild came with all sorts of restrictions—timing your Tower climbs, being locked into specific positions during gate raids, or being subjected to various toxic clauses regarding skills and class guidance.
“Come on, I haven’t even done anything for you yet. Why would I slap on restrictive clauses?”
“You speak as though you intend to collect on an investment you haven’t even made.”
“I’m planning to invest in the friends who join later, so that’s only fair, right?”
“I’ve already received a great deal of investment from you, Guild Master.”
“That was before the guild even existed.”
Kim Youngsoo chuckled briefly and signed the contract.
That made two members secured.
“How about you two? Want to join?”
I held out the contract to Ping Lei and Carla with a playful grin.
“Yu Jinho Guild Master, this seems to cross a line.”
Zhu Yixian, Ping Lei’s instructor and watchdog, protested sharply.
“Hey, I’m allowed to make an offer, aren’t I?”
“Ping Lei is a talent who will lead the glorious future of the Nine Dragons Sect!”
Veins bulged on Zhu Yixian’s neck.
“If that’s how you feel, then we have no choice but to return.”
Ping Lei, standing beside him, finally spoke.
“Instructor, please calm yourself.”
“Ping Lei, do I look like I can calm down right now?”
“Have you forgotten the Chairman’s orders?”
Zhu Yixian flinched. He was quick to hide behind Zhang Wufei’s name.
After rolling his eyes for a moment, Zhu Yixian finally said, “The Nine Dragons Syndicate will be keeping a close eye on Yu Jinho Guild Master,” and left the lobby.
“Now that it’s come to this, please take good care of me, Guild Master.”
“Take good care of you? Nothing’s been resolved at all.”
“I was simply expressing my resolve. Does it displease you?”
“A dog eating grass, huh.”
Even his half-hearted rebellion was just talk. There was still no clear way to deal with the hundred million dollars invested by the Nine Dragons Syndicate.
“I’ll join the Yeokcheon Guild.”
“Ping Lei, don’t joke around just because you’re embarrassed…… Huh?”
Halfway through brushing it off, I realized the voice didn’t belong to Ping Lei.
The speaker was Carla. She stared straight at me.
“You’re with Gold Moon.”
“The Chinese man had a guild affiliation too, didn’t he?”
“Well, that’s……”
Unable to explain the secret deal with Ping Lei, I swallowed a sigh instead.
No, I still couldn’t figure out what she was thinking when she latched onto my words so decisively.
“What about Ellen?”
“I’ll speak to the Director myself.”
“You probably have debts from Gold Moon’s investments.”
“If it’s converted to debt, I can repay it slowly through player activities.”
“Is it really necessary to join Yeokcheon even if it means going that far?”
Carla nodded slowly.
“Only you can temper me and make me stronger, Guild Master.”
“If that’s your only reason……”
“That reason is more than enough for me.”
Her expression showed no trace of a lie.
“Hmm.” I swallowed a groan. I should have gathered more information about Carla before regressing. Aside from the fact that she had answered the Constellations’ call and left during the apocalypse era, I knew almost nothing.
Was it because of that obsession with “power”?
At any rate, it looked like I was about to give my old comrade from before the regression a massive headache.
“Anyway, you should be the one to tell Gold Moon.”
“Understood.”
Carla answered concisely. Since the problem had already left my hands, Gold Moon would handle it on their end.
* * *
After the team members, the next talents I planned to recruit into the guild had already been decided.
“Whew, we still have over half a year left on the promised deadline.”
Hong Yunsu let out an obvious sigh. Shin Junseok, seated beside him, let out a hearty laugh.
“Our junior really is something else.”
“Must be nice having such an impressive junior.”
“Heh heh. Thanks to the insight I gained while sparring with him, I’ve already begun redefining my martial arts.”
Paaang!
The air warped from a light punch thrown without any inner energy. To produce that much force without qi…… It looked like he had reached the early stage of Fist Qi Manifestation, the step beyond Fist Qi Manifestation.
His talent for martial arts was truly monstrous.
“It is an honor to have you both.”
I held out the contracts to Hong Yunsu and Shin Junseok. The two of them examined the terms carefully while I waited with my arms crossed.
“Are these contract conditions correct?”
“They are, Senior.”
“It feels like you’re the one taking a loss here.”
“I agree. Essentially, we’re guild members in name only, with almost no binding obligations.”
Hong Yunsu voiced his doubts as well.
“How could I possibly make demands of seniors as great as the heavens?”
I had no intention of running Yeokcheon Guild like a normal organization. Yeokcheon was simply a fence—a foundation to secure talented individuals in preparation for the apocalypse era. For now it was limited to Korea, but as more rankers joined, our fame would spread overseas, making it easier to recruit foreign talent as well.
“I can’t go back on my word.”
“A gentleman’s word is worth a thousand gold.”
Though both men couldn’t hide their bewilderment, they signed the contracts.
“Guild Master, does that mean our team members don’t need to join the guild?”
“Correct. I’ll leave that decision to you, Hong Yunsu-nim.”
“Even if you say it’s my decision……”
Hong Yunsu gave a bitter smile. It was an awkward position. His team had always charged forward with their eyes fixed solely on the top of Babel Tower. Dragging his teammates into the guild because of a personal bet would be embarrassing.
“If you ever want to recommend them to Yeokcheon, just let me know. I’ll be waiting.”
“Good grief.”
Hong Yunsu shook his head, unable to make sense of it.
With the recruitment of two rankers, Yeokcheon Guild instantly became famous. The news that two of the ten strongest players in Korea—rankers who had never belonged to any guild—had joined Yeokcheon shook the entire country.
“Everyone is calling out your name.”
“A good start.”
Even large corporations and mid-sized companies began sending advertising proposals one after another. Popular players carried influence comparable to celebrities.
“For the time being, I intend to focus on climbing the Tower.”
I politely declined the advertising offers from various companies. Corporate sponsorship was the core of guild operating funds, but running ads right after founding the guild wouldn’t be cost-effective. It would be better to build up the guild’s size and substance first—after raising Jiyoung and Youngsoo hyung-nim’s skills further and recruiting more promising talents.
A few days after establishing the guild—
“Mr. Yu?”
Damn it. Here it comes.
When the blonde beauty called my name, my body reflexively flinched. Ellen Taylor, America’s top ranker, smiled brightly. Yet her eyes were ice-cold. That expression only appeared when she was truly angry.
“It’s been a while, Ellen.”
“Indeed it has.”
“I thought you’d be busy climbing the Tower.”
“Thanks to someone, I managed to get some vacation time. It’s nice to finally get a proper break.”
The chill around her eyes grew even deeper. If I dragged this out any longer, she’d start shouting.
“You came because of Carla?”
“You have no sense of business ethics, Mr. Yu.”
“I didn’t persuade her.”
“Well, I suppose I’ll get my answer once I speak with Carla.”
The moment I brought up the main topic, the cold she had been suppressing spread across her entire face.
“Jiyoung, could you call Carla over?”
“Yes.”
Jiyoung, who had been watching the situation carefully, quickly returned with Carla.
“Director.”
“Hmm, I think I prefer ‘Master’ over that.”
“The word ‘master’ suits Guild Master Yu Jinho better.”
“Rockefeller Guild Master?”
“No. Guild Master Yu Jinho.”
Ellen glared at me with a terrifying look.
Hey, I’m the one who’s been wronged here!
“Carla. What kind of proposal did Mr. Yu make that made you think this way?”
“Director, this wasn’t anyone’s persuasion. It’s my own will.”
Carla spoke in her usual flat tone, yet her words carried strength. Ellen furrowed her brows. Just as her lips were about to part again, Carla continued first.
“Do you remember when we first met?”
“Yeah. You asked me to raise you into the strongest person.”
“I found that answer from Guild Master Jinho.”
Ellen’s mouth opened and closed several times. What the—Ellen was genuinely troubled?
I didn’t know what conversation the two of them had shared in the past, but it was clear that persuading Carla wasn’t going the way Ellen had expected.
No choice, then.
“Ellen, Director.”
“Mr. Yu, what is it?”
“I respect Carla’s wishes, but I also understand Gold Moon’s position.”
I cut my words short. I had succeeded in drawing Ellen’s attention.
“So for now, just watch and see.”
“I can’t stay long since I need to focus on Tower raids.”
“Or bring your entire team. Korea will grant connection rights as many times as you need.”
From my perspective, both keeping Carla close and having Ellen—my comrade from before the regression—were important. They were keys to changing the future, and reliable allies I could trust at my back. If Ellen stayed nearby, I could awaken her abilities earlier, just like I had with Jiyoung.
“I won’t accept Carla as a guild member right away. Try persuading her from the sidelines.”
Ellen mulled over my words with a cautious expression before finally speaking.
“That’s a difficult offer to refuse.”
She let out a sigh.
It was a proposal that considered the positions of Gold Moon, Ellen, and Carla all at once. This was already a significant concession on my part.
“I’ll get Master’s approval and come back.”
Ellen left. Carla’s abnormal obsession with power…… That must have been the reason her relationship with Ellen soured during the apocalypse era, leading her to depart for the Constellations’ side. If I could resolve that conflict while she was by my side, it would be a great help to both Ellen and humanity.
This situation was worth watching, though for different reasons than with Ping Lei. I wondered what judgment William Rockefeller, Gold Moon’s Guild Master, would make.