The Shinsung Guild, ranked as the greatest in the Republic of Korea.
True to its reputation as the most prominent guild, both its interior and exterior exuded an air of distinction and authority.
The building, composed of intricately designed luxury marble and transparent glass, evoked a feeling that was both modern and mystical.
The lobby displayed the works of famous artists alongside the guild's glorious achievements. A sculpture offering a modern reinterpretation of the guild logo decorated the center of the lobby, drawing every eye.
Passing through the lobby while looking at the guild logo, one would come upon the guild's training facilities.
Worthy of being called the nation's number one guild, the training facilities were composed of cutting-edge amenities utilizing the latest technology. They were optimized solely for the improvement of each individual hunter's skills.
Today as well, the affiliated hunters of the Shinsung Guild were training diligently to reach the pinnacle of skill.
However, in stark contrast to the passionate atmosphere, the guild master's office on the top floor of the Shinsung Guild emanated a cold air.
This was the place where Kim Taehwan, the guild master and supreme commander of the Shinsung Guild, conducted his business.
Naturally, security was thoroughly enforced, with top-tier hunters stationed on guard around the guild master's office.
Opening the door would reveal a space of high ceilings, marble walls gleaming pure white, and high-end wooden furniture basking in intense light, all arranged in quiet serenity, but currently, the guild master's office was quite dark.
The windows were all covered, and the interior lighting was nearly blocked as well.
On one side of the dark guild master's office, a simple seating arrangement had been prepared, and a meeting was underway with Guild Master Kim Taehwan seated at the head as its center.
"The difficulty of dungeons has been continuously rising lately. While we have succeeded in dungeon conquests, the resulting losses among guild members are accumulating."
Present at this meeting were the highest executives responsible for the Shinsung Guild, including the vice guild master.
The meeting proceeded in a format where the executives reported directly to the guild master.
"Guild Master, the government is reportedly attempting to strengthen taxes on monster subjugation profits."
"Goodness, to raise taxes when they should be lowering them! Guild Master, this must be addressed at the guild level! We are sacrificing resources to keep everyone safe, yet the government wants to impose more taxes! It's absurd!"
The meeting proceeded with such discussions, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense and heated.
Covering not only guild-related issues but also domestic incidents and accidents, the meeting continued.
"If I may speak cautiously, the networks related to the Heukil Guild have been disappearing lately. It seems someone is targeting the Heukil Guild."
"We captured one operative during the investigation, but he was already out of his mind, so we couldn't obtain accurate information. What did he say? Diet? He was just spouting nonsense."
The meeting dragged on to the point where topics related not only to domestic matters but also overseas affairs came up.
To the various matters raised during the meeting, Guild Master Kim Taehwan responded swiftly.
In this process, the guild's internal policies and regulations were revised according to his orders, and the goals the guild pursued were steadily adjusted.
After the major framework of issues had been exchanged, this time Kim Taehwan's questions followed in turn.
"Right, by the way, how has Sooho been lately?"
Guild Master Kim Taehwan asked the vice guild master about the recent situation of his son, Kim Sooho.
If a third party had witnessed this moment, it might have appeared as a simple father's concern.
But everyone present here knew the guild master's true feelings very well.
In response to Kim Taehwan's question, the vice guild master answered in a blunt voice.
"Certainly, since the last incident, Kim Sooho has changed. He meets with no one and continues to devote himself solely to training."
At the vice guild master's report, Kim Taehwan nodded his head.
The incident the vice guild master spoke of was the Monster Wave.
The worst Monster Wave since the Great Upheaval.
But fortunately, it did not lead to major damage.
Rather, it led to a good turning point for Kim Taehwan.
"Good-for-nothing brat, let's be thankful he's finally come to his senses, even if belatedly."
Dissatisfaction permeated his voice.
"Well, if he's working hard, it's only natural to support him."
Even so, his voice wasn't entirely unpleasant.
He considered it fortunate that his eldest son was finally coming to his senses now, at least.
At least for him, the Monster Wave had been a blessing in disguise.
His son had committed all sorts of delinquent acts until now, but such things were of no consequence whatsoever.
In today's world, only strength took priority, so Kim Taehwan wished for Kim Sooho to pursue great power.
"And bring me a list of the friends around him who are close to Sooho."
Kim Taehwan wanted to manage his son even more thoroughly.
Since he would be the successor to take over the Shinsung Guild after him, Kim Taehwan wanted to watch him with even greater care.
However, he had no intention of dragging the meeting out solely with talk of his son.
He immediately moved to the next agenda item.
"Is there any additional information regarding the Wave?"
At Kim Taehwan's subsequent question, everyone fell silent.
The cause and purpose of the Monster Wave were still unknown.
Why it had occurred and what purpose the monsters had appeared with was also unknown.
It was an incident that left only question marks for many, so not only the government but even the Shinsung Guild, the nation's top guild, couldn't get a handle on it.
Moreover, the dungeon where the Monster Wave had erupted had disappeared without a trace.
"The government investigated the Bulsae Guild, which had been managing the dungeon in question, but it seems there was no worthwhile information."
All eyes had turned to the Bulsae Guild, but there were no particular gains.
Thanks to that, the incident had fallen even deeper into a labyrinth.
"Hmm."
But Kim Taehwan paid it no mind.
Whether it was the Bulsae Guild that managed the dungeon or what happened with the Monster Wave, it was none of his concern.
From the beginning, his interest lay elsewhere.
"More important than that is the existence of the Black Mask. What of the pursuit?"
The very existence of the Black Mask.
Kim Taehwan's primary interest was the existence of the Black Mask.
No, not just him—everyone was interested in the existence of the Black Mask.
Not only the government and high-ranking guilds, but even various overseas guilds were interested in this Monster Wave incident and chasing the Black Mask's trail.
But the results were all in vain.
Given the situation, the Shinsung Guild was no different.
The fact that they still couldn't answer the guild master's question this time was proof of that.
"We are expanding our intelligence network as much as possible, but the government has also lit a fire under this matter, so—"
"He is the existence who put an end to the Monster Wave situation. We absolutely cannot let the government or other guilds find him first."
But his will was firm.
"This time, I'll send the Hunting Dogs. Find him unconditionally."
"Understood, Guild Master."
The vice guild master simply bowed his head.
The guild master had mentioned the Hunting Dogs, his direct subordinate unit; no one had the courage to say it was difficult in response to that.
Having given such orders, Kim Taehwan fell into thought.
'The Black Mask, huh...'
That being who appeared abruptly had ended the Monster Wave.
Single-handedly, he had defeated the Grade-A monsters, a Death Knight and an Arch Lich, in an instant.
Not even Grade-A hunters could easily defeat Grade-A monsters.
No matter how much they had awakened, the physical spec difference between hunters and monsters was fundamentally wide.
Yet the Black Mask had taken down two Grade-A monsters alone.
'At least Grade S, perhaps.'
He couldn't be certain.
But the possibility was high.
The world where the Great Upheaval occurred twenty-five years ago.
Increasingly powerful dungeons and monsters were appearing.
In a way, might the last Monster Wave not have been the signal flare announcing its beginning?
The more things became like this, the higher the Black Mask's value would rise.
'I'll make sure he's mine.'
Kim Taehwan licked his lips.
* * *
While Azmo and Bater were establishing a trading company on Earth, Celia was also working hard in various fields.
First and foremost, she fortified the dungeon using the items the master had brought from the Demon Realm Trading Company.
The basic equipment went to the mid-bosses.
The equipment obtained from the Demon Realm Trading Company was of quite good quality, and the first to receive it was the Death Knight, to whom a sword made from a baby wyvern's teeth was given.
No matter that it was made from a baby's teeth, the main body was still a wyvern.
As such, its cutting power was extraordinary.
Since the Death Knight's main weapon was a sword, and above all, he had suffered the most recently, this was Celia's consideration for him.
Next, the armor made from salamander leather was given to the Goblin Lord.
Being made of salamander leather, wearing it granted a certain degree of resistance to fire attacks. Not only that, but it also blocked cold, making it highly versatile.
It was armor perfectly suited for the Goblin Lord, whose defenses were weak, so Celia gave it to him.
The miscellaneous equipment went to the subordinates under the mid-bosses.
"Hmm. This is a problem, isn't it?"
But there was one item even Celia found troublesome to handle.
It was a fragrance.
Had it been an ordinary fragrance, it wouldn't have been an issue, but this fragrance was made from a basilisk's poison sac.
They said it emitted a pleasant scent, but it was ultimately poison.
There was no suitable place to use it.
"Hmm..."
After pondering for a while, she soon thought of the Death Knight's shield.
"Ah!"
The maid uniform hanging on the Death Knight's shield.
Couldn't she use it to scent the maid uniform?
It wouldn't cause much harm to the Death Knight anyway.
Of course, she'd have to tell him not to use it inside the dungeon.
Having finished distributing the items after her own considerations, next came trap installation.
Among the items brought from the auction, there were traps as well.
There was a trap that operated on mana—an electrified floor plate that would roast intruders whole.
Without hesitation, Celia installed that trap in [Floor 2, Sector 1].
[Floor 2, Sector 1]
It was a place created when the dungeon's size expanded recently.
Beyond the existing Floor 1, a Floor 2 had been created underground, increasing the available space.
Honestly, given the current level of the dungeon, there was no real need to install traps in Floor 2, Sector 1.
Various subordinates following the master were already deployed on Floor 1, after all.
Even if intruders appeared, they wouldn't be able to set foot on Floor 2, let alone the dungeon's center.
But Celia installed a trap in Floor 2, Sector 1.
That was because she had another good use for it.
"Here, I shall establish a department that handles information."
Why would an information-handling department have an electrified floor plate trap?
The Skeleton Knight beside her tilted his head in confusion, but Celia simply smiled.
"If we place humans here, won't they talk on their own?"
In an information-handling department, information is life.
That also meant it was important to quickly acquire the other party's information.
As a method for that, Celia chose torture.
"Hehe."
Like a child who had obtained a new toy, joy permeated her voice.
The current situation made Celia incredibly happy.
As the dungeon grew larger and various monsters and items were supplied from the Demon Realm Trading Company's auction, the number of choices available to her had increased.
That meant she could make more plans for her master.
"Now then, let's select those suitable for the information department. Mr. Necros?"
Celia called out to Necros, who was beside her.
He was an Arch Lich who had recently received the master's grace and been put in charge of Floor 1.
Upon becoming the guardian of Floor 1, he had reclaimed the name Necros.
"Mr. Necros, please select those suitable for the information department and submit them."
"Yes, ma'am!"
At Celia's words, Necros saluted and went outside.
"This should be sufficient."
The outlines for item distribution, trap installation, and the information department had been established.
But there was still remaining work.
Celia immediately moved on to the next task.
It was related to the Seil Kingdom.
Celia read the documents handed to her by a shadow that appeared from behind.
It was a report containing information about recent events occurring in the Seil Kingdom.
"As expected. The Order's abuses are growing worse by the day."
A considerable amount of time had already passed since the official envoy of the White Order arrived in the Seil Kingdom.
The Order had dispatched an envoy to investigate after priests and paladins heading to the Seil Kingdom had disappeared one after another.
But that information had been thoroughly concealed.
Since it had happened inside the dungeon from the start, no one could have known.
Celia had also ordered Princess Irena of the kingdom to take no action whatsoever.
As a result, the Order's abuses had intensified even further.
They needed to find some information, but with no significant gains, the Order must have been at their wits' end.
Not that they could say anything to royalty or nobility based on mere suspicion.
As a result, the blades must have turned toward innocent commoners.
Thanks to that, the hearts of the people of the Seil Kingdom were growing distant from the Order.
"This should be enough."
Of course, this was also part of Celia's plan.
She would have to swallow up the Seil Kingdom in the future.
But there was no need to leave seeds of the Order behind within the kingdom in the process.
The humans she had observed had a strong tendency to immerse themselves in religion in order to forget their fear.
That had been true even just looking at the adventurers who had entered the dungeon until now.
That was why she intended to make the kingdom's people grow distant from the Order's influence.
The results had been successful.
"Let's move on to the next plan. Relay to Princess Irena—tell her to prepare to weed out the rats."
At her command, the shadow bowed at the waist and disappeared.
"Now then, let us build a nation that will offer its loyalty to the master."
It was time for Celia's chess pieces to shine.