I know the names of the guilds. Also, guilds here are treated much like corporations, so if a guild is listed, its guild shares are traded on the guild stock market.
The current date is March 2, 2025. If I dig through the settings book, there should be some major settings.
I turned on my laptop.
▶Settings List
[March 15, 2025. New guild “Master of Bokma (卜馬)” listed.
July 4, 2025. Dungeon “Suwon Asura Demon Cave” successfully conquered.]
Master of Bokma is a wordplay foreshadowing that uses both Bokma (伏魔), as in Bokmajeon, and bokma (卜馬), a packhorse. In truth, that guild was founded by a Djinn. It would be a fairly important incident going forward, so I had written it down in the settings book. However, the truth being revealed and the guild being delisted wouldn’t happen for at least three more years. In contrast, its stock price would skyrocket by nearly 1000% after the successful conquest of the Suwon Demon Cave.
[December 8, 2025. Guild “Creator’s Sacred Grace” announces plan to conquer “Tower of Miracles.”]
This incident is the greatest dark history of “Creator’s Sacred Grace,” the current number-one guild, and the decisive trigger for Yun Seung-a becoming guild leader. The plan that Yun Seung-a opposed ultimately fails, and the guild’s number-one status falls as low as seventh for a time.
I can make money twice from this incident.
Before the plan is announced, and before the conquest fails.
Without needing to know a lot of information, as long as I know these two things—though, of course, other than these two, there are practically no early-stage economic events written in the settings book—I can make a fortune.
“The problem is…”
I don’t have any money on hand right now.
“Should I go around the Fields?”
Fields refer to dangerous zones where monsters appear. Unlike Towers and Dungeons, Fields vary wildly in danger depending on their grade, so unless it’s a particularly dangerous area, no permit is required. That means I should be able to wander around parts of Gangwon-do, where restricted residence is possible.
“Wait.”
Thinking of Gangwon-do suddenly reminded me. I’m pretty sure there was one setting I had arranged in Gangwon-do. What was it again?
I used Ctrl+F to search for a specific word.
[2026. Djinn Tomer obtains “Aether” from an undiscovered dungeon on Garisan, Gangwon-do.]
As expected. It exists. A Mystic (神?) grade intangible armament, “Aether.”
It’s an alluring precious artifact I want to obtain as quickly as possible, but if I take Aether, Tomer will be left without an armament. And it’s not as if Tomer is some insignificant villain, either.
Of course, if Tomer loses her weapon, the story will become easier. But if I use that as my reason to claim Aether first, there’s also a chance the future will change in some way. That uncertainty frightens me…
“Well, who cares.”
Tomer is strong even without a weapon anyway. So once I grow to a reasonable level and all my stats reach around 3 or 4, I’ll go take it.
Vrrrr—
At that moment, my wrist vibrated. It was a notification that a message had arrived.
[Travel Club Notice]
—For freshmen only, there will be an orientation and short trip this Sunday.
“…Oh, right.”
There was something like this. The moment I registered the contents, my watch rang once more.
[Academic Club Notice]
—For freshmen only, there will be an orientation this Friday.
“Ah, this was there too. What a pain in the ass.”
I thought I might be able to rest a little on the weekend. What’s worse, this Academic Club is tomorrow.
* * *
Cube’s practical training takes place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Because of that, Mondays and Fridays are relatively relaxing, but on this Friday worth its weight in gold, I’m walking toward the hideout of the club I joined yesterday. A little ahead of me, Yu Yeonha is showing off her graceful gait.
The Academic Club’s hideout is Grace Hall, Room 304.
When I entered, as expected, there were quite a few freshmen. Roughly thirty of them, and a whopping twenty-three were girls. Most of them had probably fallen for the club president’s charm.
I loitered around for a bit, then turned toward where Yu Yeonha was sitting and sat right behind her. The scent of flowers wafted gently from the back of her head. After spending five minutes being struck head-on by that inescapable fragrance…
The club president finally appeared.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Yun Hyeok. Welcome to the first orientation for the Academic Club, ‘Truth [VERITAS].’”
The club president is the current third-year, “Yun Hyeok.”
Yu Yeonha isn’t the only reason I joined this academic club.
That guy is a Djinn. Soon, all kinds of incidents will break out in Cube, and even monsters will invade; he’s the spy who plays a central role in it all.
Of course, I have no intention of shouting, “That guy is a Djinn—!” right now and going to prison. I’d probably gain a little SP if I did, though.
In any case, Yun Hyeok made a contract with Lilith, the devil of charm, and in exchange received the ability “Charm” and a beautiful appearance. Right now, he probably has his eyes on Yu Yeonha. After all, she’s the reason Lilith granted him a high-rank ability like Charm in the first place.
“Since today is an orientation, I’ll briefly introduce what we do in our society, and then we’ll part ways.”
Even his voice is an attractive baritone, so the female cadets’ eyes are already shining.
“Our society, [Truth], is a club that discusses and researches things related to monsters, such as ‘systems,’ ‘weak points,’ ‘habits,’ and ‘attributes.’ Broadly speaking, we cover topics such as what system a monster belongs to, what habits that system has, where its weak points are, how to respond to certain attributes, and so on.”
The things Yun Hyeok is talking about right now are classified as a fairly important industry even in modern society. “Monster Analysis” is never absent from the list of top departments in university admissions results nationwide. There are also a few Heroes who focus primarily on analyzing monster data. Though they have no talent for combat, they possess intellectual talents beyond what ordinary people can comprehend, and so they are called Heroes rather than agents.
“First, let me give you a simple example. Take a look at this monster. You should all know it—the ‘Totem Scallop.’”
A hologram appeared. As its name suggests, the Totem Scallop is a scallop containing a totem. It is a grade 3 upper-intermediate monster, and despite being a monster, it is highly intelligent and quite skilled at magic. However, its temperament is usually gentle, so as long as you don’t pass through its territory, it won’t harm you.
But just as the saying goes that there are pearls inside scallops, this scallop has tremendous economic and magical value, so the moment one is discovered, it becomes the target of every guild’s conquest.
“As you know, the Totem Scallop is an extremely difficult monster to conquer. Still, if we analyze it, this monster’s system is first of all animal, and among those, the scallop family. Unfortunately, since this is the only monster in the scallop family, it’s impossible to infer its weak point from its system.”
The explanation continued. But to me, it was all stuff I already knew, so a yawn escaped without my realizing it.
“Huaaah…”
In that instant, Yun Hyeok’s brow furrowed slightly, and as if reacting to it, the aggressive gazes of the women shot down at me like arrows. They looked ready to kill me just because I yawned once. Only Yu Yeonha remained unshaken, watching the scallop footage.
“Ahem.”
Yun Hyeok cleared his throat and continued.
“Since both its attribute and habits are ambiguous, the weak point of this scallop still remains unknown. However, in the case of other monsters, for example the ‘Cheollima’…”
* * *
The orientation ended after forty minutes. This time, I yawned inwardly as I stood up. I didn’t want to be attacked again. I was about to head straight outside when I stopped. I saw Yun Hyeok approaching Yu Yeonha.
“Cadet Yeonha.”
“Yes?”
“You left this behind.”
Yun Hyeok handed Yu Yeonha a piece of paper she had supposedly dropped. I didn’t write this part, so I don’t know either. But I’m certain he’s making a move. Yu Yeonha didn’t leave it behind; Yun Hyeok must have pulled it out with magic power.
“Yes. Thank you.”
Yu Yeonha accepted it with a smile. There didn’t seem to be any further sign of anything.
I went outside ahead of time and bought a cola and a cider from the vending machine right next to the clubroom. But the cola and cider brand names are a little funny. I had avoided real brand names for no reason by making them Coin Cola and Spring Cider, and now they’ve been applied exactly as they were.
Meanwhile, Yu Yeonha came out through the door.
Holding the cola and cider in both hands, I stood as if blocking her path. Then I offered one to her.
“Here.”
“…?”
Question rose on Yu Yeonha’s face as she looked at me.
“I’m in the same club too. Same team, same club.”
This is a kind of experiment. Even training to the point of death only gives me 4 SP. Then how much SP can I gain by exchanging a few words with a major character?
“…Do I look like someone who would drink something like this?”
Her brow furrowed, and her lips jutted out sharply as though she were angry. She looked completely displeased. But since it was the reaction I expected, I replied indifferently.
“I just bought it.”
Yu Yeonha probably feels attracted to bad boys. Of course, the word “handsome” would have to be attached in front of that.
“Touch it. It’s cold.”
“No, thank you. You can drink plenty of it yourself. And.”
Hostility slowly appeared in the pupils glaring at me. But the mask of pretense she wore only came off that far.
“Please don’t speak informally to me. This is your first warning.”
That was the end of it. Yu Yeonha walked past without dealing with me any further. I quietly watched her perfect back and opened the cider.
Psssh— gulp, gulp.
At those consecutive sounds, Yu Yeonha’s shoulders flinched. In my settings, Yu Yeonha loves unhealthy foods like carbonated drinks, chicken, hamburgers, and ramyeon to death. However, due to her dignity, she can’t buy them herself, and the most she can do is have a trusted secretary or attendant arrange a feast once a week.
The reason is quite simple. First of all, Yu Yeonha, recognized by herself and others as refined and haughty, hates even the idea of other people seeing her buy such things. Also, Yu Yeonha’s mother despises those lowly foods, saying they are utterly useless for health and constitution.
This is for the sake of such a wistful woman. Taking advantage of the moment Yu Yeonha stopped, I dropped the cola into her bag, which looked like an eco bag but easily cost over ten million won. Goal.
“Next time too, I’ll be counting on the bus.”
At those words, Yu Yeonha glanced back. But soon, she muttered very softly and went on her way. I could hear her small voice.
—What the hell is that crazy bastard?
*
Before long, Yu Yeonha’s keen senses noticed a subtle change inside her bag. The moist condensation on the surface of the cola was soaking a textbook in one corner of the bag.
“…Ah. That lunatic.”
Yu Yeonha twisted her face and took the cola and textbook out of her bag.
When the hell did he put it in? That rat bastard.
“Hoo.”
Yu Yeonha let out a deep sigh and released her magic power. The magic power she emitted seeped into the paper, separated the moisture from the textbook, and then lifted only the moisture into the air. The moisture gathered like droplets of water, and the moment Yu Yeonha withdrew her magic power, it poured down.
“Ugh.”
After finishing the series of actions, Yu Yeonha broke into a cold sweat. But she also felt proud. This was precisely the “magic power utilization” that Heroes considered most important. It was a simple yet mysterious and highly difficult technique.
“When I meet him later…”
After that pride came anger, surging up in waves. Yu Yeonha pouted her lips and thought. That arrogant punk who kept talking to her about nothing—someday, she should have the others educate him properly…
But that lasted only a moment. Yu Yeonha fiddled with the cola in her bag and looked around. There was no one watching.
Ahem, ahem. After clearing her throat, she took a handkerchief from her pocket, discreetly wrapped the cola in it, and put it back in her bag.
“Hm.”
Then, as if nothing had happened, she hurried her steps.
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Divergence (1)
After spending each day busily with exercise and training, Saturday arrived before I knew it.
[Travel Club Notice]
—For freshmen only, there will be an orientation and short trip this Saturday.
And on Saturday, there is a Travel Club orientation. The orientation location is the “Cube Portal Customs Office,” which connects Seoul and Cube.
I stuffed only my handgun into my crossbody bag and slowly made my way over. Kim Suho, Lee Yeonghan, Chae Nayun, Yoo Yeonha, and the other main figures had already gathered.
They showed no interest in me whatsoever, but being near them still made me tense. Today, an untimely commotion would break out in Seoul. The first incident since entering Cube was finally about to occur.
While I was organizing the rough sequence of events in my head, the club president arrived.
“Hello. I’m Oh Hanhyun, the president of the travel club. When I only received the applications, I wondered if this was real… but it is. Somehow, we’ve ended up gathering an incredible group of talents.”
Average height and a gentle impression. Oh Hanhyun scratched the back of his neck as he looked around at people far too exceptional compared to himself.
“First, I’ll briefly explain our travel club.”
With an embarrassed smile, he took out a sheet of paper he had carefully kept in the inner pocket of his jacket. Was he planning to give a speech, preparing a script and all? Oh Hanhyun had been set up as timid, but I guess even this kind of behavior had been added.
“Ahem. We will be going on trips outside Cube once or twice a month. However, the purpose of these trips is purely rest. For that reason, training will be thoroughly excluded during that time. That is also why our travel club is named ‘Healing Rain.’”
Ahem, ahem. After clearing his throat, he put the paper away. What, that was it?
“Today, as part of the orientation, we’ll be making a brief half-day trip to Seoul.”
From here on was the content I had written. Today, the travel club would form pairs and set off on a short trip into downtown Seoul.
“For every trip, we’ll decide on a travel theme. Since today is orientation, there won’t be anything complicated—we’ll simply be doing a free trip. However, you won’t be wandering around alone. You’ll form groups of two.”
Here, Kim Suho would be paired with Chae Nayun, and while the two were looking around a museum together, the incident would happen. As for what that incident was, I would soon be able to experience it myself.
“Then let’s start by drawing lots.”
Drawing lots was a matter of luck, but I could choose my own fate. The inside of that lot box was plain as day only to me, thanks to my Gift, “Observation and Reading.” I propped my chin on my hand and pondered for a moment. Should I choose Kim Suho, or should I choose Chae Nayun…
“I’ll draw first.”
At that moment, Yoo Yeonha stepped forward first. I watched without thinking much of it. After all, Yoo Yeonha was supposed to be paired with Lee Yeonghan.
But in the very next instant, I realized I had overlooked one important fact. That abnormal existence known as “Kim Hajin.”
On the lot Yoo Yeonha drew, the following characters were written.
“Kim Hajin.”
My heart sank. Yet there was not the slightest change in Yoo Yeonha’s expression.
She simply wore her usual mask and looked down at me with calm eyes.
* * *
Fortunately, there were no major deviations in what followed. Kim Suho was paired with Chae Nayun, and Lee Yeonghan was paired with the club president.
After the drawing of lots ended, we gathered by groups and stood before the portal.
The pinnacle of cutting-edge technology, mobilizing science, engineering, and magic alike—the portal. This imposing gate, fifteen meters tall and thirty meters wide, had been installed in roughly one hundred locations throughout the country, making it possible to travel from Seoul to Busan and back in three seconds.
“Cadet Kim Hajin confirmed.”
The portal attendant stamped us with an approval seal. Now, the portal would resonate with that stamp and deliver us to Seoul.
“Let’s go.”
The club president said that and entered first. Then Kim Suho, Lee Yeonghan, Chae Nayun… and finally I, Kim Hajin, stepped into the portal, whose interior rippled in blue.
A strange sensation, as if my whole body had gone numb, seeped through me, but it lasted only an instant.
When I closed my eyes briefly and opened them, the previous scenery had already vanished, and the unfamiliar interior of the Seoul Portal Customs Office came into view. It was filled with futuristic colors, a blend of blue and gray. In a mere two steps, I had reached Seoul from the East Sea.
“It’s noon right now, so the trip will last until six.”
The portal we had used was connected to Cube, so there were not many people. But right beside it, the passage connecting Seoul and Busan was probably packed with people of all nationalities and races, befitting the world-class metropolitan cities of Seoul and Busan.
“Follow me for now.”
Following the club president, we received another approval stamp from the portal staff and left the portal customs office.
As soon as we stepped outside, the three characters “Yongsan Station” appeared in large letters.
“You can take public transportation or a taxi with your partner and look around anywhere you like. You won’t have to write a report today, either. Instead, you must gather in front of the customs office by six p.m. If you’re late, you’ll receive penalty points.”
At the club president’s reminder, the cadets split up by group.
My partner, Yoo Yeonha, did not say a single word to me, but since we happened to be heading in the same direction, I followed behind her.
The scenery of Yongsan Station, similar to the modern day yet distinctly different.