Chapter 66

A Grim Revelation and a Glimmer of Hope

“Did you… hear that?” Jin Se-ah asked, and Im Seo-yoon nodded with a grim expression.

“Yes, I did.”

“Ten thousand… Is that even possible?”

Im Seo-yoon looked around and replied, “There seem to be over a hundred of us… so each person might have to face about a hundred enemies.”

“A hundred enemies…”

“If the enemy composition is like last time, we might manage, but I can’t be sure without knowing the others’ skill levels.”

“Hmph…”

Beside them, Seo Yu-mi spoke up. “Jun-sang… he’s not here.”

“You’re right. That’s strange. I naturally assumed he’d be here.” Im Seo-yoon tilted his head as he replied, and Jin Se-ah chimed in again. “Maybe he wasn’t summoned. More importantly… shouldn’t we follow them?”

“Hmm…”

Im Seo-yoon frowned for a moment, then replied with a displeased look. “It feels a bit odd, like we’re just becoming the Union’s sidekicks, but we can’t spend the night out here, so we have no choice.”

“We can’t help it. They formed the organization first, and the country is even supporting them.”

At Jin Se-ah’s words, Im Seo-yoon let out a small chuckle. “Should I just make a guild myself?”

Jin Se-ah, who was slowly walking behind the Union members, widened her eyes. “You, Seo-yoon?”

“Yes. Well… something like registering a corporation, then doing quests together, distributing loot, that sort of thing.”

Jin Se-ah nodded at Im Seo-yoon’s words. “Hmm… a corporation. But it seems like there wouldn’t be a proper revenue model.”

At her words, Im Seo-yoon shrugged. “I saw some guys with gold coins before. And if there’s a way to get large quantities of ‘seeds,’ we could resell those to other players. Well… at first, we’d have to account for some losses, but if the guild members’ skills are good enough, making a profit shouldn’t be a problem.”

Jin Se-ah sighed deeply at Im Seo-yoon’s words. “That sounds plausible, but… the beginning will be the problem. We can’t exactly ask the bank for a loan to start a guild.”

“About that… I might be able to manage.”

“You, Seo-yoon?”

“I think I could manage for a year or two on my own.”

“Really?” Jin Se-ah’s eyes widened. “Were you rich, Seo-yoon?”

“I’m somewhat well-off.”

Im Seo-yoon said it as if it were nothing, but only then did Jin Se-ah recall the various weapons he possessed and nodded. In a country with strict regulations on firearm ownership, being able to carry automatic rifles or rocket launchers in a cabinet was impossible without some form of power or wealth.

Jin Se-ah fell deep in thought. While they were currently preoccupied with simply surviving, if the value of players became known to the world, such guild businesses could become a revolutionary new revenue model. Putting aside gold coins or seeds, the mere fact of being able to regularly travel to places no one else could reach was a monopoly in itself. New creatures, new materials, new knowledge! Even if it wasn’t immediately apparent, if they looked, the value was limitless.

Ah, why hadn’t she thought of this sooner? Jin Se-ah’s eyes sparkled as she spoke to Im Seo-yoon. “Seo-yoon.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s do it.”

“Really?”

“You may not think so, but I’m unmatched when it comes to financial calculations. You be the guild leader, Seo-yoon. I’ll be the treasurer.”

Seeing Jin Se-ah’s proactive stance, Im Seo-yoon nodded. In truth, though Jin Se-ah didn’t know it, Im Seo-yoon had already done some research on the people he met, including Jin Se-ah and Park Jun-sang, after their previous encounter, and their current conversation was actually based on that information.

Jin Se-ah.

Age: 26.

After graduating from university, she worked in the proprietary trading department of XX Securities but was currently on leave after being caught up in a large-scale disappearance.

Her primary ability was flame magic.

He had met several other people, but her beautiful appearance and easygoing personality immediately made her his choice.

However, as Seo-yoon inwardly smiled, thinking it was all going according to plan, a cautious voice reached his ears.

“A guild… are you making one?”

“…”

Seo-yoon didn’t need to turn around to know the owner of that voice. It was Seo Yu-mi.

“Yes… well…”

“…”

As Im Seo-yoon replied, Seo Yu-mi took out a kitchen knife wrapped in cloth from her bosom and silently began to fiddle with it.

“…”

“…”

Awkward silence. Even though she wasn’t saying anything directly, there was a strange, undeniable pressure that made not only Im Seo-yoon but also Jin Se-ah swallow dryly.

Seo Yu-mi.

Age: 22.

After graduating from high school, she was living with an elderly caretaker couple in a rural house in Pyeongtaek.

She took her deceased mother’s surname, but there were rumors that she was the hidden daughter of a certain chaebol chairman.

Her appearance, personality, abilities, and even her background were overwhelmingly burdensome to Im Seo-yoon, so his honest feeling was to avoid her as much as possible. Perhaps the very reason the Union didn’t immediately reach out to Seo Yu-mi was due to such an uncomfortable background.

However, Jin Se-ah, unaware of Im Seo-yoon’s inner thoughts, escalated the situation.

“Yu-mi… do you want to join us?”

Unable to bear the pressure, Jin Se-ah cautiously asked, and Seo Yu-mi’s eyes sparkled as she nodded. “Yes.”

“…”

Im Seo-yoon’s heart sank, but he had no choice but to nod back with a smile.

New Arrivals, Old Problems

Anyway, the players, guided by Jester, stepped into the luxurious mansion that had previously housed the Administrator’s family. The sight of the lavish and old-fashioned mansion, adorned with what appeared to be white marble, allowed the players to momentarily shake off their gloomy mood.

Jester first confirmed the remaining furnishings and the status of the employees with the people he had sent ahead, then approached Major Kwon Hyeong-sik and said, “You are free to use this building.”

“Thank you.”

“To prepare meals and bathwater, we’ll need a rough estimate of the number of people…”

“Understood. I will confirm and let you know immediately.”

The two decided to discuss future countermeasures after finishing dinner, in a meeting attended by the Elder Council and key figures from the Union. The Union members scurried about, beginning to ascertain the headcount, and based on that information, room assignments were made. The players, who had been anxious about facing an enemy of ten thousand, temporarily forgot their worries and cheered at the comfortable sleeping arrangements, abundant food, and warm bathwater.

Among them was Jung Da-bin, who had previously participated in the same swamp quest as Jun-sang and was sent back after receiving an F-rank.

“Ah… this is nice.”

Other female players hesitated to expose themselves in an unfamiliar place and postponed their baths, but Jung Da-bin, perhaps due to her past experience of suffering from such delays, immediately entered the bathroom to wash herself as soon as the bathwater was heated. As she sank into the round wooden bathtub, immersing herself in the warm water, she felt as if she owned the world.

“La-la-la…”

She was humming to herself while bathing when the bathroom door suddenly burst open.

“Wh-who’s there!” Jung Da-bin shrieked in surprise, and then the somewhat boorish voices of men followed.

“Oh? Looks like someone’s in here?”

“It’s a woman’s voice?”

“Oh! Well, isn’t that lucky. Hehehe…”

Jung Da-bin couldn’t help but be flustered as three half-naked men pushed their way into the bathroom.

“Wh-what are you doing! Can’t you see someone’s here?”

But the men snickered and leered at Da-bin. “Well, well… feisty, just my type.”

“Don’t pretend to be so disgusted. After all, we might all be dead the day after tomorrow.”

Seeing that they had no intention of leaving, Da-bin bit her lip and said, “Open Zephyr. Open Zephyr.“

“Huh?”

As card commands continuously flowed from her lips, the three men, realizing their mistake, quickly tried to rush her. “Guys, push her out!”

But the next moment, another shout erupted from Da-bin’s mouth, and they were pushed back by an invisible, soft wall, sliding backwards.

“Whoa!”

“Wh-what is this?!”

They were pushed back into the hallway before they could do anything, and just at that moment, they revealed their unsightly bodies to two women who were passing by.

“Aah!”

Jin Se-ah immediately covered her eyes and turned away, but when Jung Da-bin’s scream echoed from inside the bathroom the next moment, Seo Yu-mi silently took out a kitchen knife from her bosom, unwrapped the cloth from its blade, and approached them. Jin Se-ah, who had instinctively turned away, also realized the situation upon hearing the scream and spread her palm, forming a fire arrow.

Seeing Seo Yu-mi, with her long black hair, wearing a white dress reminiscent of a burial shroud, holding a gleaming, sharp kitchen knife, and Jin Se-ah with a blazing fire arrow in her hand, the three men decided it was hopeless and frantically fled towards the opposite exit. But Seo Yu-mi had no intention of letting them go easily. She immediately began chasing after them, her black hair flowing!

“Tsk…”

Jin Se-ah clicked her tongue and then entered the bathroom where Da-bin was. “Are you alright?”

“Yes… thanks to you…”

Although she had used a spirit to immediately drive them away, Da-bin’s face was still pale from the shock.

“They’ve been chased off, so calm down.”

“Thank you.”

Da-bin immediately tried to get up and leave the tub, but Jin Se-ah stopped her. “Stay where you are.”

“But…”

“You don’t have to worry about those men. A very scary person went after them.”

“Even so…”

“It would be a shame to miss out on such a rare chance to take a comfortable bath because of those guys, wouldn’t it?”

“…”

Without a doubt, those three men probably wouldn’t get a comfortable night’s sleep. No, if it ended in just one day, that would be fortunate. If they were unlucky, the image of a crazy woman chasing them with a kitchen knife might become a lifelong trauma.

Jin Se-ah first secured the bathroom door again, then slowly undressed and began to wash herself. Da-bin only began to calm down when she saw Jin Se-ah’s relaxed demeanor.

Author’s Note: I apologize for the delay. I’ve been struggling with a hangover all day and just now managed to pull myself together.