Gu-guk Guild's Resolve
A small building nestled right in the heart of Gangnam. Amidst the forest of skyscrapers several times its size, it stood alone, feeling somewhat out of place. Though modest in scale, the structure itself had been recently remodeled and gleamed with cleanliness. In Gangnam, this place was quite famous. Perhaps even more so than the towering giants around it.
It wasn't just because of its petite size and neat exterior.
Gu-guk. The undisputed strongest guild in Korea—and one of the top guilds worldwide. This was their building.
In a modest private office on the top floor, a man sat quietly, gazing out the window. The view was blocked by the densely packed high-rises, nothing particularly worth seeing. He appeared to be in his late twenties, but as an awakener, he looked younger than his true age, which was nearing fifty.
With deeply set eyes, the man stared blankly at the urban jungle. There was no envy in his gaze. If anything, it resembled pity for futile struggles.
"President."
"...Ah, Section Chief Kim. Come in."
The man's identity was Lee Shin-yul, master of Gu-guk Guild. Aside from his somewhat fierce eyes, he looked utterly ordinary. If one had to point out something unique, it was his sturdy build. Otherwise, nothing special. His outfit was just a fitted black short-sleeved tee and jeans.
"Yes. I came to report on this quarter's anomalies."
"Mm. What day is it today?"
"June 25, 2023."
"Ah, right."
The conversation felt a bit off. Not just the 25th or June 25th, but the full date—June 25, 2023—from the section chief.
"So, what’s the report?"
Lee Shin-yul picked up his coffee mug from the desk, showing little interest.
"It's about Cheonma Group."
He froze mid-sip.
"...Cheonma Group?"
Lee Shin-yul knew the name well. They had a knack for grating on his nerves in various ways.
"Yes. Executive Director Ju Ho-ryeong was absent from Cheonma Group's latest board meeting."
"Ju Ho-ryeong... the one with the Goryeok Nanshin unique ability?"
"Yes."
"...Hmm."
"Additionally, they've announced a stable new supplier for Seondo peaches. About thirty have already hit the market."
"......"
Lee Shin-yul quietly sipped his coffee.
Thirty Seondo peaches. A faint flicker of interest stirred in his previously indifferent eyes.
"As a result, Director Jin So-wol's shares have risen slightly. Her stake is now second only to Chairman Cheon."
"...I see."
"Shall we investigate the supplier?"
"Yes, please do."
Lee Shin-yul gave a curt reply and fell into thought. He seemed to be pondering how to handle this sudden variable.
"Could it be a leak from our side...?"
"Unlikely. Probably not."
"Understood."
Finishing his coffee, Lee Shin-yul flashed a slight smile.
"Still, not a bad situation. The more Seondo peaches, the better."
"Then..."
"Let's advance the plan a bit."
"The plan...?"
"Masinjeon raid."
The section chief nodded gravely at Lee Shin-yul's words.
The sole S-rank dungeon they hadn't conquered in the past year: Masinjeon Dungeon.
Gu-guk Guild's reputation as Korea's strongest wasn't solely due to Lee Shin-yul's power. They had cleared every top-tier dungeon in the country with overwhelming prowess. The only missing piece had been recovery potions.
If Seondo peaches could substitute, they could raid it immediately.
"I'll make preparations."
"Yes."
Whether due to the Masinjeon raid or not, vitality slowly returned to Lee Shin-yul's eyes, which had been cold until moments ago.
Jin So-wol's rampage had been unexpected, but the outcome was a win.
We now held a fatal weakness over a behemoth like Cheonma Group.
In exchange for keeping it quiet, they'd agreed to steadily purchase our otherworld crops.
No matter the quantity.
Of course, I had some conscience—I wouldn't flood the market recklessly. But one thing still nagged at me.
Squish.
Yelena, sitting beside me, dumped a heap of mayonnaise into her kimchi stew.
"Today's stew tastes good. I'll praise you, Soo-hyeok."
"...Yeah?"
Yelena shoveled the mayo-stew with a satisfied grin, oblivious to my thoughts.
I hadn't told Sujin or Yelena about the Cheonma board incident. No idea where to even start. We'd agreed to keep it secret anyway.
After things settled, I'd asked Jin So-wol why she thought Yelena knew her secret.
'Because... her father knows a great many things.'
She wouldn't elaborate further. Didn't seem like she would.
Yelena didn't seem like a bad person, so I'd let her stick around as a comrade. Still, she was suspicious in many ways.
Hard to just ask outright, though.
I'd clearly heard it when she was under hypnosis: she'd killed her own father.
Under hypnosis, so it wasn't a lie.
I wanted to press her, but it was too awkward to ask directly.
"Hmm......"
"What're you staring at?"
"Nothing. Just wondering if that actually tastes good."
"Hehe, just say the word. I'll pile it on for you."
"Pass."
I reached for my spoon, figuring whatever.
"Should I retire?"
"Pfft!"
Sujin dropped the bomb. Retirement from her, of all people. An hour before work—what the hell?
"W-what?"
"What do you mean, Sujin?"
Even Yelena, peacefully mayo-ing her stew, went wide-eyed.
"...Nah, just kidding. Don't mind me, eat up."
Sujin waved it off, a bit deflated by our reactions.
I grabbed her hand.
"No! I'm not shocked because it's sudden. Do you really wanna retire?"
"Huh? Uh, yeah... Farm income's up lately. Might be better to focus on that than double-jobbing. Could even bring it up at year-end settlement next year......"
She glanced at me slyly while speaking.
"Plus, if we do it my way, taxes drop big time! So it's not that bad......"
"Of course I'm all for it!"
"Huh?"
It was something I'd wanted to say forever. Quit the grind, farm peacefully back home.
The issue was always money. Can't live on air.
Farming for cash meant it wouldn't be peaceful.
But now? Otherworld crop success meant income slapping salaried workers silly.
Plus, our deal with Cheonma let us ramp up Seondo peach trees.
Was just about to suggest retirement myself.
Blood's thicker than water. My sister thought the same.
"Sniff! Bro, you've been on about that forever."
"H-huh?"
"It's true, Sujin. Soo-hyeok brings it up whenever he can. Wants you retired and comfy."
"Oppa... Yelena......"
Sujin teared up, touched.
"...Yeah! Screw this company—been waiting to quit! I'll hand in my resignation today! And slap that damn section chief's smug face!"
"Hehe."
Just imagining Sujin quitting felt great.
Before I got dragged to the otherworld, it was my pipe dream. Now my sister would live it. Proxy satisfaction achieved.
"Gotta scout new otherworld crops to grow, then. Have Do-cheol up the Seondo peach trees too."
"Mm. Good idea, but..."
Sujin fiddled with her phone, something else on her mind. She'd mentioned taxes earlier.
"Here, Oppa. Check this."
"Yeah?"
Benefits for New Hunter Guild Creation
Sujin's phone screen showed a neatly organized PPT file.
Hunter guilds. Awakeners typically took two paths: join a corp like Sujin for steady pay, or go pro hunter guild for big bucks but high risk.
Corps offered stability but meh income; guilds were risky but lucrative. Many built corp experience young, then jumped to guilds at walls.
"New hunter guild?"
"Skim it. Pay attention from 3."
"Hm."
It listed perks for new guilds.
1: Dungeon raid specialist.
2: Field purification specialist.
Didn't know 1, but 2 was obvious.
Myoryong Guild's case, probably.
Yoon Ji-hyang's guild. Months after the Druid mess, they were rebuilding.
And their new ace? Ji-hyang herself. Training under me paid off.
Got B-rank assignment this quarter too.
Good results in rankings. I was just temp license newbie; paperwork likely credited her. She'd been C-rank with that sniper rifle.
What mentor wouldn't be proud of a disciple's growth?
Plus heavy item spending.
Mostly her cash, technically.
"Anyway......"
[3-Otherworld Crop Specialist Guild]
"Oho."
The title clued me into Sujin's thinking.
One oddity, though.
"But isn't otherworld crop farming basically all failures?"
"Yeah. It was lumped under 1—dungeon raiding, harvesting, storing, selling. Not growing."
"Right."
"But not all fail. Word is some guilds succeed and hide it."
"Hm."
Otherworld crops needed spirit arts. Common in my otherworld.
But 1st-gen awakeners forgot everything post-return.
Maybe their worlds had it too, but memories gone.
They're sucking the sweet nectar, though.
"Top guilds like Gu-guk probably know. They raid so much, market crops can't keep up."
"I see."
Gu-guk Guild. Korea's undisputed strongest.
Lineup matched the hype: S-ranks beyond count, ignored B and below.
Sujin joked she'd be entry-level there.
Meaning they out-earn her too.
How much did they make? S-ranks started at billions yearly, supposedly.
10 billion salary... How many Seondo peaches to match that?