The Hyeolma Guard Boom

Ring ring ring ring!

"Yes, ah, no ma'am, we're only handling membership card issuance!"

Ring ring ring ring!

"Pardon? Membership renewal? One moment please..."

Ring ring ring ring!

"I'm sorry, but orders are flooding in right now and we aren't accepting new members yet..."

Every phone line at the Association was suddenly swamped.

"We only issue membership cards on their behalf! This isn't the Hyeolma Guard headquarters!"

"The Hyeolma Guard main office is separate from us!"

"One second—reporters? We don't know anything about that. We're just processing membership cards..."

Internet reviews poured in from people who had already tasted the Hyeolma Guard's service. Combined with firsthand accounts from those who had gone in person, the truth spread fast.

The Hyeolma Guard was the real deal.

Goblins were spoon-feeding you the second floor of the Labyrinth.

All for the low price of 1,999,000 won—basically two million if you rounded up. Even a single decent haul from the second floor could net you over ten million won. With good luck, you could clear thirty million or more.

So for just two million won, you got a goblin buddy who boosted your Labyrinth quality of life by two hundred percent?

Who in their right mind would say no?

"Aaaagh! Chief! At this rate we can't even do our own Association work!"

"The phones are about to catch fire, Chief!"

"Holy crap!! The waitlist is already at thirteen thousand people? Chief!! What do we do?!"

The Association's complaint department had instantly turned into the Hyeolma Guard's complaint department.

"E-everyone, unplug the phones!! And wait!"

Choi Young-bok, head of the complaints team, stormed toward the Association Chairman's office, fuming. He'd already turned a blind eye to the sudden partnership with this strange Hyeolma Guard outfit, but this was crossing the line. Were they an Association or a private company?

Yet when he reached the door, he couldn't bring himself to go inside.

"Chairman!! Assemblyman Park is on the line right now—!!"

"Chairman!! It's an emergency!! Reporters have taken over the lobby!"

"Chairman!!! The American Awakener Association just said they're sending people to Korea!!"

"E-everyone, one at a time! First, what? America is what?"

"Chairman!! Word is the Chinese agents are already moving—!"

"Aaaagh! Why those guys again?! They've already sucked us dry for Ether!! We're barely getting by as it is!!"

The Chairman's office had become a scene straight out of hell.

The Hyeolma Guard wasn't just another business. It was an innovative solution that could drastically reduce the Labyrinth death rate—one of the biggest headaches for every nation ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on Earth.

"...Damn it all."

Choi Young-bok turned on his heel.

"...We'll just have to unplug the phones and hold out."

"Whoa... so this is actually real?"

While I sat there staring blankly at the community posts, Mongmo started yanking on my hair.

"We don't have time for this, Master! Increase your Domination Power! We need more goblins and more members!!"

"It's not like I can just do that whenever I want."

"Then go find more Ether! Master! Money is literally rolling in right now!!"

"...Hah."

Did he think I didn't want to row this boat?

The only way I could get Ether right now was one piece per week from the first floor.

Finding Ether on the second floor?

Four pieces of Ether dropped on the second floor field.

The problem was the field's size. Most fields were as large as Gyeonggi Province, and only three pieces appeared at random. One was always in the center—you had to defeat the first boss monster that appeared after the Labyrinth reset.

Choi Kang-hyuk had mentioned farming Ether by racing across the field the moment it reset.

Aside from killing the boss, Ether was basically impossible to find without insane luck. The first floor was only about the size of Seoul, which was why I'd barely managed to scrape together what I had. The second floor was on another level.

"The Association is in chaos too, Master! We need to accept more members right away! If you just raise your Domination Power, you'll be sitting on a mountain of money!!"

"...Right, the Association."

I wanted to row too.

Since things had already blown up this big, maybe pushing a little further wouldn't hurt.

"Mongmo."

"Hm? What is it, Master?"

"Go to the Association."

"Huh?? Why the Association all of a sudden?"

I didn't know anymore either.

Let's just go for it. When money was coming in, you had to squeeze every last drop.

"If we're going to invest, tell them to do it properly."

"They're already handling all the grunt work for us, so what more—?"

"Go ask them to lend us some Ether."

Mongmo's lips curled upward.

Ah. And of course we'd pay it back.

***

"Whew, I can finally breathe again."

After sending everyone away, Kim ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Min-woo sank into his chair in the now-empty Chairman's office.

The ripple effect of the Hyeolma Guard was far bigger than expected. This wasn't just about having extra workers. It was about enabling proper party play inside the Labyrinth—something every country had dreamed of.

The problem was that death and resets buried everything, making true cooperation nearly impossible. Forming guilds like in reality didn't work either. Because of the Labyrinth's random teleportation, the chance of meeting someone from the same organization was basically zero percent. Even if you did meet someone, they'd be a complete stranger. How could you trust them?

But goblins?

Some people were still skeptical, but the testimonials from those who had actually experienced it were slowly winning everyone over. And safety was reasonably guaranteed.

Kim Min-woo knew those goblins were completely under the control of the Shut-in Blood Demon.

From what he'd heard, over a thousand goblins were roaming the second floor right now.

"...A Monster Tamer. No matter how you look at it, this is a hit."

Goblins with decent intelligence that would never betray you had sparked a revolution on the second floor.

Knock knock.

"Chairman."

His secretary, Kim Hyun-ah, knocked from outside.

"Send them all away! Especially the National Assembly members and their aides!"

The politicians had already caught wind and were swarming like flies, trying to get a piece of the pie. Truly tiresome creatures.

But the person who had come was the very one who caused this whole mess.

"No, it's that person."

"What?!"

Kim Min-woo shot to his feet as the door opened and Mongmo walked in. He rushed over and grabbed both of Mongmo's hands.

"S-so, how did he react?!"

Of course, "he" meant the Shut-in Blood Demon.

Mongmo grinned.

"He's satisfied."

"Of course! We've already got two thousand members! Even after our cut, that's 3.6 billion won a month! How could he not be happy?"

Even for an Awakener, 3.6 billion won wasn't small change. Especially since they could use the Ether themselves instead of selling it.

Of course, the Association would have preferred they sell at least some, but Kim Min-woo kept that thought to himself.

"By the way, any chance of accepting more members? People are lining up to buy membership cards right now!"

Mongmo shook his head with a regretful expression.

"We'd like to, but we have to have some conscience."

"...Conscience? Suddenly?"

"Right now we can only send about 1,200 goblins into the second floor. We've already taken on more members than we can properly handle."

"...I see."

Two thousand members with only 1,200 goblins was definitely too few. And there was no guarantee every member would even meet a goblin.

If this trend continued, members who never encountered a goblin would start complaining, trust would plummet, and in a service industry, losing trust was fatal.

"...So, about that?"

Mongmo looked at Kim Min-woo with a bright smile and casually dropped the bomb.

"Could you lend us some Ether?"

The words were light, but the meaning was anything but.

"...What?"

"Please lend us some Ether. As much as you can spare."

"Haha... Sorry, I'm not old enough to be going deaf yet, but I think I misheard."

"Agh! I'm asking you to lend us Ether!! What's so hard about that?!"

"Of course it's hard!! No, it's impossible!!!"

"Why, why are you yelling?!"

"Is that even a normal thing to ask?! Do you think Ether is some toy marble you can buy at a convenience store?!"

Kim Min-woo's face turned bright red at the absurd request. He had spent years being crushed under the weight of Ether management. The Association oversaw the reserves, but it was essentially under national control. Strict security was standard, and because Ether was treated as a strategic weapon, everyone was extremely sensitive about it.

"One piece of Ether is basically the same as a nuclear warhead! It takes ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one Ether just to intercept a single incoming nuke! And you're asking me to lend you something like that?!"

"I'm not asking you to give it to us! It's a loan! Listen, Chairman! You know what our Master's ability is, right?"

"Yeah, Monster Tamer! He tamed those goblins on the first floor!"

"Exactly! And that number increases every time Master's power grows!"

"So?!"

"What if we use Ether to increase that number? Wouldn't we be able to accept way more members?"

"...More members?"

"Yes! And if the goblins' image improves, we can search the second floor more efficiently, which means..."

"...We might get a chance to find Ether on the second floor instead of just the first?"

"That's exactly it! We're not going to skim anything off the top. We'll pay it back in full once we start making serious money!"

"..."

"Think about it! If thousands of goblins are scouring the Labyrinth, wouldn't they bring back at least one extra piece of Ether? Even if we only get one more per week on the second floor—"

"...That'd be eight pieces a month."

"Then we'll sell two pieces to the Association every month."

"...!"

Eight pieces a month was the same amount Choi Kang-hyuk, Korea's current number one, was bringing in. But Choi Kang-hyuk only sold one piece to the Association each month. He poured everything into strengthening his own abilities. His goal was reaching SS-rank and entering the sixth floor.

That alone raised the country's prestige, but it was still a distant goal. However, the Shut-in Blood Demon standing right in front of him through Mongmo?

He had already secured four pieces of Ether per month right after awakening. And if his monsters really increased as Mongmo claimed?

"...Is this for real? Eight pieces a month?"

"Yes! Two pieces! And we'll increase the membership too! Up to five thousand!"

Five thousand members at a 9:1 ratio. The Association's cut would be...

"One billion won a month..."

"It's not a huge amount for the Association, but it's not bad, right? And it's not like we're not paying back the Ether. It's basically interest."

"...What about the Shut-in Blood Demon getting hurt or being threatened?"

"That won't happen. He doesn't even leave the house in the first place."

Kim Min-woo turned the numbers over in his head—how much Ether he could spare and how much profit would come in afterward.

"And the loaned Ether is basically a booster. Our Master keeps getting stronger and stronger!"

Kim Min-woo finally nodded.

"Alright. Let's draw up a contract first."

"Perfect!"

***

I was checking my status window in my room.

Name: Park Hyun-gi

Ability: Vampire (EX)

Nobles: 1

Familiars: 1,453

Domination Power: 1,600

Skills: Domination (EX), Bloodsucking (SS), Third-Person Familiar View (S), Blood Scent (A), Familiar Summon (S)

Titles: Goblin Chieftain (B), Goblin Legion Commander (A)

Currently, I only had one noble—Gob. I couldn't increase that number easily either. It seemed only one noble was allowed per race.

Domination Power was at 1,600. The goblins' average level had risen recently, so it had naturally increased by 50. The remaining 1,500 had come from Ether.

My familiar count kept fluctuating around 1,400 because they kept dying and being replaced.

The new addition was the Goblin Legion Commander title I'd earned as an achievement reward after turning 1,000 goblins into familiars.

The title raised all goblins' average stats by 5 and made them much more obedient.

Achievement rewards appeared every time I turned a certain number of goblins into familiars—10, then 50, 100, 500, 1,000. The rewards were actually pretty decent.

I'd also unlocked a job for kobolds after getting ten of them, but I hadn't collected any more since then. Kobolds were too dumb to use on their own. I planned to pair them with goblins eventually and send them to search the first floor.

Aside from Gob, I now had two hobgoblins. I'd discovered that sucking the blood of a hobgoblin would evolve regular goblins into hobgoblins. Since then, I'd been steadily evolving goblins whenever new hobgoblins appeared. Including Gob, I now had three hobgoblins in total. Their strength and intelligence were on a completely different level from regular goblins, so they served as squad leaders.

"We've come a long way."

Compared to the beginning, it was almost unbelievable. And now there was the Hyeolma Guard business Mongmo had started in the real world.

With two thousand members, after giving the Association their ten percent cut, I was making 3.6 billion won a month. Including the Ether, that came to 13.6 billion won.

"The numbers don't even feel real. I might actually become a chaebol at this rate."

What should I do with this money? Maybe buy my parents a new house first?

While I was happily pondering that, a soft whoosh sounded.

A clump of fur appeared in midair as Mongmo used his return skill to come home.

"You're back? What did they say?"

Mongmo, still in human form, pulled a bottle out of his pocket and handed it to me before turning back into a flying squirrel.

"Hehe, open it, Master!"

"You actually got it...?"

I hadn't had high hopes when I sent him.

Pop!

When the lid came off, light spilled out. Inside were white orbs.

"H-how many are there?"

"All ten, Master! The Chairman made a very generous investment!"

"T-ten? Ten pieces of Ether?!"

Ten pieces of Ether—at the lowest market price—were worth a hundred billion won.

"Yeah! But there are conditions."

Of course. They wouldn't just hand something like this over for free.

"What ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠conditions?"

"Once you can gather eight pieces of Ether per month on your own, you have to sell two pieces to the Association!"

"...That's it? That's all?"

"That's right! And one more thing!"

"Of course there's more..."

"Until you repay the ten pieces of Ether, you're not allowed to leave the house!"

"...Huh?"

"It's non-negotiable! Even when exploring the Labyrinth, you have to stay safe!"

"...Isn't that basically how I already live?"

"Exactly! And secret bodyguards will be stationed near your house!"

"...Ah, got it."

In an instant, I had become a hundred billion won in debt.

Being a hundred billion won in debt was its own kind of achievement.

Bodyguards made sense, I guess.

The Association probably already knew who I was anyway.

"Is that really everything?"

"Yes!"

"..."

Maybe the Chairman wasn't such a bad guy after all.

"Now! Absorb them quickly, Master! Time is money!"

"You're right."

I immediately absorbed all the Ether.

"Use Ether."

[Domination Power 1600 → 6600]

— End —