My Self-Indulgent Skill Book - Chapter 042
Chapter 42
Late at night, Atlas Guild.
In the quiet guild hall, deserted by Hunters and staff alike, an old man with a white beard and a man clad in purple armor stood facing each other.
A dark atmosphere hung over both their faces.
"Is that really true?"
Choe Jinhan, Vice Guild Master of Atlas, asked, looking at the Guild Master seated before him.
The Guild Master nodded.
Jinhan's mind was in turmoil because of what he had just heard.
The Guild Master had left the guild, saying he was attending the Guild General Assembly today. Word was that a government representative would appear at the General Assembly, where all guild masters of second-class guilds and above gathered.
It was only natural for anyone to predict that the government would step in, since Overflow phenomena had suddenly struck four-star, five-star, and even six-star dungeons.
Jinhan had assumed the government would request cooperation from each guild in advance to prepare for a seven-star dungeon Overflow.
However, what the government representative said shocked the guild masters.
"In order to respond to Overflows as efficiently as possible, all guilds across the nation will be reorganized under the leadership of the Paewang Guild. Guilds that do not comply with the reorganization will be stripped of their Raid participation rights."
It was nothing short of tyranny.
The profits gained from Raids were incomparable to those from dungeons, and the right to participate in Raids was the strongest card the government held over the guilds.
"But there's no way something like that is possible. The guild masters would never follow such an order..."
"The Paewang Guild has been working behind the scenes, taking advantage of the chaos caused by the Overflows."
The Guild Master of Atlas's brow was deeply furrowed.
"Most of the second-class guilds agreed with the government's opinion. They must have been bought out even before today's meeting. It seems the government itself has completely fallen into the Paewang Guild's hands."
There were four first-class guilds in Korea. However, even if you combined the other three, they would only barely match the Paewang Guild's strength.
While the other three guilds had more S-rank Hunters, the Paewang Guild had double-digit SS-rank Hunters—a rank where having even one earned a guild recognition as second-class.
Moreover, if most of the second-class guilds fell under the Paewang Guild's wing, there was no fighting them in terms of numbers either.
"We are..."
Jinhan had been about to ask what they were going to do, but closed his mouth.
Atlas was a small guild even among second-class guilds.
There was only one choice they could make.
"The guild masters were given a one-week deadline. They told us to choose by then."
The Guild Master said that and fell silent for a long while. Jinhan, too, could say nothing.
At that moment, a thought flashed through Jinhan's mind.
"Guild Master. About what happened during the last six-star dungeon Overflow..."
Even though the only one listening was the Guild Master before his eyes, Jinhan spoke in secret, and the old man leaned in to listen.
The Guild Master's eyes, hidden beneath white brows, shot wide open.
***
"They're seizing Raid participation rights?"
I asked in disbelief.
"Yeah. Those crazy government bastards think Hunters are their subordinates."
Uncle ground his teeth.
I had come to the guild since morning, and after confirming that there were no Raid Quests again today, I was about to head back disappointed when I ran into Uncle.
When I brought up Raid Quests, Uncle exploded in anger and told me about the guild reorganization and the Raid participation rights.
Uncle said he had heard it from a Hunter in another guild whom he had known for a long time.
The reorganization plan was not a temporary command structure, but a scheme for all guilds to permanently enter under the Paewang Guild's umbrella.
"They call it a reorganization, but in the end, isn't it just the Paewang Guild swallowing up every guild?"
On the surface, it was to prepare for abnormal situations that might occur again in the future, but there wouldn't be a single Hunter who didn't know the Paewang Guild's true intention to absorb every guild.
'No wonder the Raid Quests had completely stopped coming in. So this was going on.'
Uncle said he had come here today to ask the Guild Master about this matter directly.
"The Guild Master is currently away."
The staff member said the Guild Master and Vice Guild Master were both away and probably wouldn't return until evening.
'My ill-fated connection with the Paewang Guild just keeps continuing.'
Even if we merged with the Paewang Guild, there was no way our guild would receive equal treatment.
But if we refused the merger, participating in Raids would become impossible, and there might be other disadvantages as well.
'They might even block us from entering dungeons entirely.'
It wasn't impossible if they had joined hands with the government.
Rumors spread gradually, and by early evening, most of the guild members had gathered in the guild hall, though no one had called for them.
All the guild members wore anxious expressions. What would become of this guild, how would the world of Hunters change—nothing but a dark future could be foreseen.
"Since it's come to this, if we just attach ourselves to the Paewang Guild and cooperate..."
"You idiot! You don't know how they work? They'll use you while you're useful, and once they've squeezed you dry, they'll treat you like slaves!"
"Then what are we supposed to do!?"
"We have to fight!"
"Are you the one with nothing in your head? The Paewang Guild alone has seventy S-rank Hunters! And more than ten SS-rank Hunters. How are we supposed to beat them!"
"So you're saying we should just become their slaves like this?"
Two guild members who had been arguing grabbed each other by the collar, trying to fight, before the people around them intervened.
Ms. Hyeri was making an expression like she was about to cry nearby, and Uncle stood with his arms crossed, flicking his index finger nervously.
A short while later, the door to the guild hall opened, and the Guild Master and Vice Guild Master entered.
Even seeing us gathered in the hall, the Guild Master and Vice Guild Master showed no signs of surprise. It seemed they had already been contacted.
"I'm sorry for making everyone anxious. An urgent matter came up, and I had to step away."
The Guild Master walked up to us.
"Guild Master! What's going to happen to us now?"
"Don't tell me we're just going under the Paewang Guild without doing anything?"
"Everyone, please calm down. The Guild Master will speak about this matter."
When the Vice Guild Master spoke, the murmuring people closed their mouths.
I looked at the Guild Master's face. Today, the wrinkles on his face looked deeper than usual.
"To get straight to the point, our Atlas Guild has decided to move in the direction of entering under the Paewang Guild's umbrella."
At those words, some people grew angry or raised objections.
After the Vice Guild Master calmed them down, the Guild Master continued.
"Right now, the three first-class guilds excluding Paewang, and about one-tenth of the second-class guilds are opposed to the government's policy. If this conflict intensifies, a large-scale war might break out."
At that, even those who had been breathing heavily in anger swallowed hard.
War.
It wasn't such a rare thing for killings to occur between guilds when accidents happened or interests clashed.
But this time, it was an affair that all the guilds in Korea could not help but be embroiled in.
If they started fighting by taking sides, it would literally become a war.
"I want to avoid our Atlas people getting hurt or dying, no matter what."
No one got angry or talked back at the Guild Master's words.
The fact that the Guild Master cherished us was something everyone who had been with him came to know.
"Once the situation calms down, Raid Quests will come in again. Until then, everyone please rest. Think of it as a vacation."
The Guild Master spoke as if joking, but no one laughed.
Just as the Guild Master's talk ended and the guild members began to disperse, the Vice Guild Master approached me.
"Hwajin, could you spare a moment?"
"Yes? Why?"
"I will tell you the details shortly. Please come to the Guild Master's room alone in a little while."
A few minutes later, when I entered the Guild Master's room, the Guild Master and Vice Guild Master were sitting side by side on the sofa.
"Thank you for coming. Please, sit."
The Guild Master had me sit on the sofa opposite them.
"I heard from Jinhan. During the last Overflow incident, you fought a Hunter from the Paewang Guild."
I looked at the Vice Guild Master's face. He wore an expression as if he were sorry for speaking out of turn.
"Yes, that's right. But they were the ones who started it..."
"Hwajin. I absolutely did not bring this up to blame you."
"Then...?"
"According to the Vice Guild Master, on that day you defeated the Paewang Guild's S-rank Hunter Ha Jiho and SS-rank Hunter Jeong Cheonyeol."
I nodded. At that, the Guild Master and Vice Guild Master glanced at each other.
"Hwajin, I want you to answer honestly. What do you think of this guild?"
I couldn't answer the Guild Master right away as he asked so earnestly.
When I couldn't speak, the Vice Guild Master looked straight at me and opened his mouth.
"Hwajin. We intend to stand against the Paewang Guild."
I was startled by those words.
"But just now, you told the guild members we would go under the Paewang Guild..."
"That was a smokescreen. If word reached the Paewang Guild's ears, they would come to crush us immediately. And in the worst case, it was also to ensure that responsibility would fall only on me and the Guild Master, without involving the guild members."
"I see..."
"But we wanted to be honest with you and hear your thoughts."
The Vice Guild Master said that and looked at the Guild Master.
"If it's you, Hwajin, you could rise to success anywhere even without staying in our Atlas. You have the power for it."
The Guild Master picked up where the Vice Guild Master left off.
Hearing his words, I could understand the meaning of the question about what I thought of the guild.
Even in a situation where they needed even a little more power to stand against the Paewang Guild, the Guild Master had thought of me first.
I organized my thoughts and then opened my mouth.
"In this guild, there are my comrades who have been in my party since the A-rank Hunter exam. After I became an S-rank Hunter, there are also many A-rank and lower Hunters who followed immature me. And there are also the two of you who worry about the guild members and my future first even in the guild's crisis."
I made up my mind.
"I want the Atlas Guild to remain the Atlas Guild it is now."
The two men's faces brightened.
"Hwajin, truly, thank you."
The Vice Guild Master bowed his head to me and greeted me with a voice choked with emotion, so I hurriedly stopped him, flustered.
After he calmed down, I brought up a realistic concern.
"But wouldn't it be too much for just us to stand against the Paewang Guild?"
At that, the Guild Master smiled gently.
"Today, Jinhan and I attended a secret meeting of guild masters. There, the three first-class guilds excluding Paewang, and representatives of the second-class guilds opposed to the merger had gathered."
"I see."
"If we went to all-out war, too many Hunters would be sacrificed. So we intend to challenge the Paewang Guild to a contest."
"A contest?"
"Yes. A contest to see whether the Paewang Guild truly possesses the strength worthy of commanding the other guilds."
The smile on the Guild Master's face as he said that looked mischievous, ill-fitting for his aged face.