Chapter 129: Hunt?

After parting with Lee Seo-ha, Seolhwa Ryeon delved into investigating the assassin clans.

These clans harbored techniques to manipulate shadows and ice.

Such abilities were cultivated because numerous individuals aimed to eliminate Mines from this world.

Despite facing global interference, their efforts were bolstered by those seeking vengeance for lost family members.

Within the assassin clans lay another secret.

‘The power to manipulate flames.’

A power designed exclusively for the annihilation of Mines.

It was a power that eradicated the enemy by consuming the user’s own life.

No information was readily available about this.

Perhaps, it was concealed in hopes that future generations would avoid it.

At some point, Lee Seo-ha began wielding the power of flames.

Initially, it manifested as a flame of brilliant radiance.

A power that appeared sacred, evoking reverence from mere observation.

Now, its true purpose was clear.

The elder was committed to eliminating Mines, even at the cost of his own lifespan.

‘Without even realizing it.’

She felt a thrill merely from encountering someone of her lineage.

How naive she must have seemed.

Thus, today, Seolhwa Ryeon pushed herself to her limits. There were tangible results. She had grown stronger than before, achieving enlightenment. She had mastered the manipulation of ice and shadows.

‘You are everything to our clan.’

These words, once spoken by her parents, resurfaced in her mind.

Back then, she resented her parents for their relentless expectations.

But now, her perspective has shifted.

She possessed the talent to meet those expectations.

‘I wish I could receive their praise.’

She found the elder’s praise more meaningful than that of her clan members.

And then, Seolhwa Ryeon witnessed it.

The power, engulfed in black flames, obliterated Mines in a single strike.

She gazed at Lee Seo-ha with trembling eyes.

‘The disparity in our abilities is too vast.’

She had sensed it, albeit vaguely.

The elder initially presented a slightly clumsy demeanor. Likely, it was a tactic to ‘observe’ her.

The power the elder now displayed must be of the highest caliber.

Upon realizing the elder was such a being, she felt joy. Yet, it was also immensely challenging. She pondered whether she could live up to the elder’s expectations.

Seolhwa Ryeon toyed with her mask.

The elder had promised to teach her how to wield the powers of ice and shadows.

‘I can’t rely on the elder’s protection forever.’

It was a declaration of youthful determination.

While she currently sought his protection, she harbored a deeper ambition to someday protect him, either as an equal or surpassing him.

The days off persisted.

The incident at Divine Academy couldn’t remain concealed, and given its magnitude—enough to destabilize the world economy—the school declared a week-long holiday.

‘It truly was a massive incident.’

The United States was plunged into chaos by the event.

The economy suffered greatly, with numerous fatalities. Leaders and those in mid-ranking positions were among the casualties.

In response, the United States urgently recalled all its seminarians from abroad.

Following their declaration of a near wartime state, they have since maintained silence.

As a result, the global economy is experiencing significant turmoil.

“I don’t think it’ll escalate to a World War.”

Not in the immediate future, at least.

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Divine Academy possessed something divine, resulting in fewer casualties. It served as a crucial vessel, accommodating dozens of gods.

“That’s why my popularity is skyrocketing at an incredible pace.”

To an almost alarming degree.

The more the divine entity demonstrated its power, the more videos surfaced showcasing my strength for having defeated her in a single strike.

This surge in momentum was so overwhelming that even I and the Electronic Witch were struggling to manage it, only succeeding in promoting other videos or removing the overly serious ones.

-Don’t worry too much. The public will soon move on, right?

“The problem is that Mines and villains remember; that’s the issue.”

-…Sorry.

“No, there’s no need to apologize.”

It was my fault.

It was my fault for getting excited and finishing it all at once from the middle. There was also the fact that I overestimated the opponent.

And I had become too strong.

Overwhelmingly so.

“I didn’t expect to reach this level at 20.”

According to the original plan, it would have been lucky to achieve this by the end of this year, or perhaps even looking into next year.

Of course, it’s not a bad thing.

The faster I became strong, the more I could do.

For example, nurturing kids or finding people who would normally be unfindable at this time.

“It’s about time to create a power.”

I had to make people affiliated with other places my own.

I decided to go outside since I was up.

-Is there anything needed to establish a guild?

I sent a message to the Electronic Witch, and she replied immediately.

-The establishment of a guild itself is free. The government has put a lot of effort into it. However, if there’s a potential problem, you cannot establish a guild, and in severe cases, you could be blacklisted by other guilds.

I looked at the information the Electronic Witch provided.

Most of it were clauses I wouldn’t violate.

“That’s fine.”

I headed to Seoul through a warp gate. I took a taxi to the association branch.

“We’ve arrived.”

There were quite a few people at the association. The sense of popularity and the intensity of the atmosphere felt strong.

“Is this where Korea’s greatest heroes gather?”

Not now, though.

Upon entering the association, many gazes were felt on my skin.

“Wow, who is that? It feels like there’s some kind of radiance behind his face?”

“…Lee Seo-ha. He’s really famous. He’s the guy who ranked 5th in the Hero Prospect Ranking recently.”

Hero Prospect.

Simply put, it’s a place where promising newcomers under 30 were sorted and highlighted in videos.

The Divine Something and the Named from the Korean Hero School were all part of it, with many outstanding heroes currently active.

The top 3 guilds, often referred to as the best in Korea, all boasted promising prospects.

“Ranked 5th…”

There’s no one stronger than me among those in their 20s.

Out of curiosity, I looked it up and found a review stating it’s because I possessed a very strong single hit and could perform penetrative attacks that completely ignored the opponent’s defense.

-He’s an opponent who absolutely cannot be ignored, but with caution, he can be somewhat managed, right?

“How ridiculous.”

I approached the receptionist.

“Hello.”

“…Yes, yes! Ah, hello. How can I assist you?”

“I’d like to establish a guild.”

“Oh, I see. First, you just need to fill out your personal information here.”

I started to fill out my personal information on the form.

“If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

“Ah, no, I’ve researched it beforehand.”

“O-oh, I see.”

The female employee responded, her voice tinged with disappointment.

‘For guild members…’

I could include the Electronic Witch, but she’s most effective when operating from the shadows. Well, it’s an issue that can be addressed over time.

I had a rough list of potential guild members in mind.

The principal - Seo Ye-bin, whom I subtly hinted at recruiting while helping to restore her star - wanted to join, but it was a bit complicated since she’s affiliated with the school.

The first ones I could accept were the followers of Veritas.

‘They’re a bit burdensome, but their abilities are exceptional.’

After I taught them magic tuning, they eventually began to develop independently and are now trying to advance to the next stage.

Enchant.

Or inscription.

The process of engraving it onto a tool to enhance the tool’s abilities.

Although I only introduced the concept subtly, they were actively discussing, researching, and developing on their own to progress.

‘It seems they’re unified under the name of Veritas.’

Their development pace was astonishingly fast.

The need for power was there.

Besides that.

They were also tangled with countless sources of funds. They were renowned artisans around the world. The potions they sold have reached the point where they couldn’t keep up with demand.

‘And I need to check this stat as well.’

Conceptual Stat Alchemy.

This stat increased when using alchemy.

Anyway, while thinking about these, I filled in my personal details.

“Seo-ha?”

I heard my name being quietly called.

Turning my head, I saw Kim Ara. And Kim Seo-hyun.

“What are you two doing here?”

“Ara wanted to check out our guild. But what about Seo-ha?”

“I came to create a guild?”

Squeak.

Kim Ara tore the document.

“Sorry, Seo-hyun. I accidentally misjudged my strength and tore the application.”

“That’s okay. I prepared an extra one just in case.”

Kim Seo-hyun said with a smile.

“But Seo-ha, can I join too?”

“Of course, I’d welcome you guys. But are you okay with that, Seo-hyun?”

Kim Seo-hyun was the adopted child of one of the leaders of the three major guilds.

It seems like it might be difficult in various ways.

“…I see.”

“Sorry, Seo-hyun. I’ll owe you one later.”

“…Alright. Ara hasn’t joined yet, so.”

Kim Ara said with a slight smile to Kim Seo-hyun.

Kim Seo-hyun looked at Kim Ara and me with an uneasy expression.

“Then, I’ll join.”

Kim Ara wrote her name in the entry field.

‘Is this one member secured?’

Hong Yu-hwa, the granddaughter of the leader of the Crimson Tower, would be difficult.

Similarly, Ershil Merchen, the head of the Merchen family known for British fantasy magic, was difficult.

‘The relatively better ones are Seolhwa Ryeon and Seo Ga-yeon?’n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

There’s a pretty good way to recruit Seo Ga-yeon.

Money.

And more money.

‘Ga-yeon’s family is poor.’

Nowadays, it has become much easier since Seo Ye-bin had added a clause in the school that provides scholarships to students whose grades had improved dramatically under the guise of educational support, but Seo Ga-yeon still needed a lot of money.

Because she had many younger siblings.

“But isn’t it a bit hard to manage a guild alone?”

“Well, yes. But I have someone to help.”

Thanks to the Electronic Witch.

She agreed to take care of everything related to computing. She’s the most proficient person I know in that area.

“Wouldn’t there be some unreliable people? I can talk to my grandfather and get some manpower support if you want.”

Kim Seo-hyun said.

‘I’d feel sorry for those people, though.’

They might be disappointed because it’s a new guild. Well, looking at the members, it seemed we’d be able to surpass them soon.

I declined Kim Seo-hyun’s offer and pondered.

And now, the most significant problem remained.

‘I have to write the guild name.’

This has always been a dilemma.

The first playthrough guild had a cool name, but I couldn’t remember it.

By the 10th playthrough, the guild was unified as the Piccolo Antenna Sucking Guild.

‘That guild had conquered the world.’

The Piccolo Antenna Sucking Guild had dominated the world.

There was a line in the news articles about the Piccolo Antenna Sucking Guild spreading worldwide.

I asked the receptionist about the guild name.

“It’s better if the guild name isn’t duplicated. And similar ones might get tackled from here and there.”

“How about ‘Summer’?”

“It exists.”

“How about ‘Four Seasons’?”

“It exists.”

Many names were mentioned, but all of them already existed.

To the point where I wondered, was Korea okay like this?

“How about ‘Piccolo Antenna Sucking Guild’?”

“…It exists.”

This one too……

Was Korea really okay?

I was in despair.

“…How are you planning to cultivate the guild?”

“With a small but elite group. A really tiny group of elites.”

I answered Kim Ara’s question.

I would recruit even more genuine people than The Brigade of Eternal Heaven.

I’d accept sub-guilds, but the guild members would not even reach 20. That’s the identity of the guild I was aiming for now.

“Then, does this exist?”

“No, this does not exist.”

Following the receptionist’s words, I submitted this.

“But do you have a guild building?”

“No, I’m going to look for one now.”

“Should I help you lease one?”

“Ara?”

I thought for a moment at Kim Ara’s question, then nodded.

It would be great if Kim Ara could help. After all, she’s the daughter of the Overlord.

“That would be great.”

“Then let’s go together.”

Kim Ara linked arms with me, smiling with her eyes. I followed Kim Ara outside.