NSE-Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Guild

“Mmm…….”

Park Si-woo opened his eyes. The interior of a room that looked, at a glance, tremendously luxurious.

He saw Kim Min-woo sitting nearby.

“Big Brother, where is this?”

“My room.”

“……Your room, Big Brother?”

Soon, a message appeared before his eyes.

[All Achievement settlements have been completed.]

[Settlement Result: SSS]

[Class Skill Book(SSS) is granted!]

[Choose the Class you want.]

“Huh? Big Brother……?”

“What?”

“Um, I’m seeing something strange? The Achievement settlement…… has three S’s attached…….”

“Triple S?”

“Yeees. It looks like that, but…….”

“Then that’s probably what it is.”

Park Si-woo was dumbfounded for a moment at the sight of Kim Min-woo answering so nonchalantly.

A situation where it was known that no Achievement above S existed. Triple S was, to anyone, an Achievement above that.

And yet he was this nonchalant?

‘Come to think of it…….’

Kim Min-woo’s words surfaced in Park Si-woo’s mind.

―S-grade? No, you’ll surely become an Awakened beyond that. Let’s do it. Your big brother will help.

A tone that seemed certain there was something above S. Back then, he had passed over it thinking it was merely simple encouragement, but.

“Big Brother. Could it be that you too……?”

Just then.

Kim Min-woo, grinning, pointed his finger at the sky and said.

“Right. I’m above that too.”

“Ah…… so that’s why…….”

“Yeah. That’s how it was.”

“No wonder. Starting with that Summon called Cedric, I thought it was far too amazing.”

An enormous horde of Summons.

And Cedric on top of that.

There had been a reason Kim Min-woo was so strong.

“You’re going Swordsman, right?”

“Yes.”

“Go ahead and crack open the Skill Book. I’m a bit curious what’ll come out.”

Nodding, Park Si-woo chose his Class, and.

“……Big Brother. This is really tremendous? You take a look too, Big Brother!”

He immediately shared the Skill’s contents with Kim Min-woo.

[Holy Sword Arpesia(SSS)]

[Effect 1. Can summon the Holy Sword. The Holy Sword grows together with its master.]

[Effect 2. Gain the qualification to wield the Holy Sword.]

[Effect 3. Receive a powerful correction when equipping the Holy Sword.]

[Effect 4. Can proclaim a Sanctuary in a certain area.]

Kim Min-woo’s reaction upon seeing it was.

“Oh, saved on weapon costs, huh?”

Quite plain.

“……Um, I thought you’d be a bit more surprised.”

“Fitting for SSS-grade. It even summons a Holy Sword. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. But I’m a bit worried…….”

“Worried about what?”

“A Holy Sword is, um, the natural enemy of Undead, isn’t it? I’m afraid I’d cause harm if I went around with you, Big Brother.”

“Is that so?”

Kim Min-woo nodded.

Thinking about it, it seemed possible. Wasn’t a Holy Sword originally the natural predator of darkness?

Death Lord.

This was an obviously dark-looking Class group, and.

“Hold on.”

He summoned Cedric and a few Skeletons into the room.

“Try summoning it now. Let’s test it.”

“Yes.”

Park Si-woo summoned the Holy Sword.

A pure-white sword was grasped in his hand amid a splendid halo of light.

Just then.

The Holy Sword began to tremble madly.

A message appeared before Kim Min-woo’s eyes.

[The Holy Sword is horrified at the sight of you!]

[You witness the Holy Sword’s halo of light!]

[The Gap in Caliber is overwhelming! You are unaffected by the Holy Sword’s light!]

“I’m not affected, though?”

It wasn’t only Kim Min-woo who was unaffected. The Skeletons, too, were staring at the Holy Sword with blank, vacant eyes.

“Big Brother. Just a moment. This Holy Sword guy seems to be saying something?”

“What’s he saying?”

“He’s going on in babbling-like words, like eek, I hate the Death Lord, I’m scared…….”

Just then.

Cedric, who had been tilting his head, said while looking at the Holy Sword.

―Is that, by any chance, a Holy Sword?

“Do you know it?”

―I remember. It is the sword that those called Heroes where I came from carried around. The name was…… Arpesia, was it?

Oh, they really do seem to know each other.

This connects like this?

“……Uh, so…… you’re saying you two know each other?”

Nod.

Nodding at Park Si-woo’s words, Cedric said.

―He was a guy whose daily routine was charging at the Lord and getting smashed. Yet since he was indestructible, only the Heroes who went with him were killed. After doing that about a hundred times, he went quiet from then on.

At those words, the Holy Sword trembled violently.

“Sir Cedric. Just a moment. He says it wasn’t a hundred times but 99?”

―Same thing.

Cedric, shrugging his shoulders, continued.

―Then later on…… we both fell to ruin together, on good terms. Because we couldn’t stop those guys.

“Sir Cedric. What do you mean by those guys…….”

―Think of it as there being something like a third force.

At those words, Park Si-woo scratched his head.

“Uh…… so to sum up…… light and darkness fought, light lost, but later on both ended up ruined, is that it?”

―You have good comprehension.

“If you both went to ruin on good terms, aren’t you not really enemies now? Your home base is gone anyway.”

―Isn’t that why he is keeping still now?

“Ah…….”

Park Si-woo nodded as if he understood.

“You heard, right? Big Brother and I aren’t enemies. We’re companions who’ll keep going together. So don’t do that, either. Yeah. Right. Got it. Big Brother?”

“Yeah, what.”

“The Holy Sword says he’s sorry. He says he had a fit because he suddenly sensed the Death Lord’s energy.”

“Guess he had PTSD.”

“Yes. He got smashed so much that the psychological fear must have been big. From the voice, he sounds like a total little kid still…… Ah, you’re old? Fine. You be the grandpa.”

Park Si-woo, who had been soothing the Holy Sword like that, brightened up.

“I think it’s fine for us to form a party. From what the Holy Sword says, he can’t affect you, Big Brother, or the Undead?”

“Me, I can accept that, but the Undead too?”

“Yes. Your Undead have the Death Lord’s energy on them, Big Brother, and he says that’s of high caliber. So he says there’s no way with his own power? Anyway, that’s what he says.”

―Probably so. The Undead under the Lord were nearly immune to the light attribute. The gap in caliber was that severe…….

……Super sweet, huh?

Unexpectedly, he had discovered yet another of the Death Lord’s effects.

Immune to the light attribute.

Of course, he didn’t know what would happen if an EX-grade being fired off a halo of light, but.

‘Yeah, I’m not meeting one now anyway.’

Right now, he was in a state where he couldn’t meet one even if he wanted to.

Just then.

Park Si-woo, who had been looking back and forth between the Holy Sword and Kim Min-woo, widened his eyes as if he’d realized something.

“Wait a moment, Big Brother.”

“What.”

“The Holy Sword is triple S, isn’t it.”

“Right.”

“But if he can’t beat you, Big Brother…… what level are you at, exactly?”

“Just, well. A bit higher up?”

“Judging by how this old man is cowering, it doesn’t seem like just that?”

“Shh. Knowing gets you hurt.”

“Yes, sir…….”

He chuckled at the sight of Si-woo, who had instantly shriveled up.

“Just kidding, anyway, your big brother’s Achievement grade is on the high side. Just know it like that.”

“Yes, sir. Um, Big Brother. What do I do now? I’ve Awakened, and I should go to the Gates now too…….”

“True.”

Park Si-woo.

An SSS-rank Awakened.

A Holy Sword holder.

He’d even changed his soiled diapers to get him Awakened. If left alone like this, other Guilds or overseas would snatch him up right away.

If he lost him, he’d be an utter fool.

“Your big brother doesn’t really do party play, you know?”

“Ah…… right. Someone like you, Big Brother, would smash Gates even solo…….”

Park Si-woo, instantly downcast.

“Yeah. Right. But I’ve got no intention of letting go of talent like you, you see?”

“Yes! After all, I am a Holy Sword holder!”

As if he had never been so, the guy’s face brightened at once.

“Let’s make a Guild.”

“A Guild? Doesn’t Ilseong already have a Guild?”

“That place is already a clique of old-timers. The turf-guarding is no joke, either. I’d be fine, but you’d have some trouble if you went, I bet.”

Ilseong ranked number one in the business world, but as for whether the Guild’s level was high, well, that was debatable.

Rather than going there, it was better to just make a small mini Guild and hang out with just the like-minded.

“Your big brother will make a Guild, so train there for a while. Level up a bit too.”

“Yes, I’ll work hard! Guild Master!”

Park Si-woo bowed his head deeply.

Kim Min-woo.

He was truly a mysterious person.

Not only had he helped as if he knew his Awakening Condition, he was a hidden master who had attained an Achievement beyond his own.

If only to repay the kindness he’d received.

And also because he was looking forward to the future he would paint.

‘I want to stay together with him.’

If he could go along with him, any way would do.

If it was a Guild, it couldn’t be better.

Because he would surely guide the inexperienced him well.

“Guild Master, my foot. It’s awkward. Just call me big brother.”

“Yes, Big Brother!”

“Let’s go. To found the Guild.”

Time to go see the Chairman’s face.

* * *

Ilseong Group.

At the sight of that gigantic headquarters, Park Si-woo’s mouth dropped open.

The sight of tens of thousands of employees moving busily!

It was a sight that Park Si-woo, an ordinary commoner, couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by.

“Don’t get scared, you punk. How will you manage if you’re already like this? We have to meet the Chairman soon.”

“Ha, haha…… right.”

The guy, laughing nonchalantly but breaking out in a cold sweat as if on tenterhooks.

After patting his back, he went in through the headquarters’ entrance. An entrance with a strict security system in place.

He approached where the security personnel were standing.

“It’s me. You’re working hard. The Chairman is in, right?”

“Ah, yes!”

“Keep up the good work.”

After passing through the entrance naturally.

He boarded the VVIP elevator exclusive to the Chairman’s office. The elevator that reached the 130th floor opened, and.

He was able to meet Chairman Kim.

“Heh heh! You, coming to the company, the sun must be rising in the west today! So, what’s the matter? And who’s that friend beside you?”

“A younger brother I newly made. Say hello.”

“I’m Park Si-woo! I look forward to your guidance, Chairman!”

At the 90-degree bow, the Chairman burst into a hearty laugh.

“Good. A friend with good spirit! Please take good care of my son.”

He sat on the plush sofa with Si-woo. It was about time to bring up the main point.

“Father. I intend to found a Guild.”

“A Guild?”

The Chairman’s eyes creased slightly.

“Our Ilseong has a Guild too, though…….”

“It does. But it’s stale.”

“Stale?”

“Yes. Honestly, does the Ilseong Guild perform as well as our company’s name value?”

“……Ahem. Well, it does fall a bit short, but…….”

The Ilseong Guild’s ranking was around the top five. Compared to how much money had been poured in, the results could be called meager.

That was why he had inwardly hoped his eldest son would join the Guild and perform well, but…….

“Honestly, it’s been stagnant for quite a while, hasn’t it? When the public thinks of the Ilseong Guild, the first thing they feel is fatigue.”

“Hmm…… so?”

“I’m going to try making a Guild solely for the best elite few.”

“The best elite few, huh…….”

The Chairman nodded.

With such an aim, he could understand why his son wouldn’t belong to the Ilseong Guild.

The Ilseong Guild was already in a situation with numerous Awakened belonging to it.

On top of that, various businesses were being run with the Monster By-products, Mana Stones, and so on that the Guild brought in.

For his son’s goal like that, he would have to cut all the Awakened overnight, and that was impossible.

Noise would burst out from every direction.

“So, is that friend one of those elite few members?”

“That’s right. Father will be satisfied too. He’s no joke.”

“Hoo…… how much, exactly…….”

“He’s an Awakened with an SSS-grade Achievement. Frankly, he’s at a level that would just crush an S.”

Gulp.

The Chairman swallowed his saliva.

Since his son had shown the astonishing example of EX, he had held the thought that something above S might indeed appear, but…….

‘SSS from the start?’

He couldn’t even imagine what kind of Guild they’d create.

“Um, Young Mr. Park Si-woo, was it?”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Is what he said true?”

“Yes. Big Brother personally helped with my Awakening. Thanks to that, I was able to attain an Achievement grade this high.”

Having finished speaking, Park Si-woo looked at Kim Min-woo.

At the sight of him nodding, he nodded as if he understood and shared his Status Window.

“……Good grief. Summoning a Holy Sword?”

“Father, isn’t it excellent?”

“……Heh heh. It certainly looks tremendously strong. But you don’t plan to reveal all of this, do you?”

“Yes. I’ll just pass him off as roughly S-grade. As for the Holy Sword, well, if he just takes it out, it’d be hard to imagine SSS.”

Soon, with Kim Min-woo’s gesture, Park Si-woo summoned the Holy Sword.

A sword with pure-white light bursting forth.

“Certainly…… if you saw it without knowing, you’d think it was just an S-grade Skill.”

The Chairman nodded.

He himself already knew, so he realized how amazing that sword was; to someone who didn’t know, it would just look like a moderately cool sword summoning.

“I’ll gather talents like this. Imagine it, Father. A Guild that’s already astonishing now, but will be even more astonishing going forward.”

Gulp.

The Chairman swallowed his saliva, his throat going dry by itself. His son and Park Si-woo alone were already Awakened who could shake the world.

On top of that, if only such ‘real deals’ kept gathering in the Guild from now on?

‘He’s already landed one.’

It had, in effect, proven to some extent that his eldest son had an eye for people.

There was no law saying one couldn’t become two and then three.

“I-I-Investment, you’ll take it, right?”

Never mind that they already owned a Guild and all that.

That wasn’t what mattered.

It was a matter of whether Ilseong could get a foot in this tiny two-person Guild that was just beginning to stir.

“Of course. Specially for Ilseong only, I’ll accept it at the regular price. It’s only now. A golden chance like this.”

Kim Min-woo smiled broadly as if he knew everything.