Chapter 96. Guild Buff (2)
Could it be that he enjoys being the center of attention?
Beneath the gathered eyes, his thick jaw and the corners of his mouth lifted even higher.
“As you know, there aren many who desire this guild buff, right?”
“So what?”
“Take a look at the number of people here.”
The maximum number of members a newly founded guild could have is 20.
Excluding Shihyuk and the party of four, there were 15 spots left.
“But as you can see, aren’t there significantly more than the pre-discussed applicants?”
Just as Kang Hwawi said, the number of people gathered here exceeded 50.
It was unlikely for Jinwook, the Night Hunter who sent out the guild invitations, to have made an error in counting.
What could this imply, then?
“To speak frankly, aren’t all these people sent by their guilds to secure a spot by any means necessary?”
Prospects glanced at each other at Kang Hwawi’s comment. And it was true.
‘The guild master said to secure a spot by any means.’
‘A 30% increase in experience points and a 70% increase in stat growth rate for guild members is unprecedented.’
‘I must join at all costs to maintain my position as a prospect.’
‘I can’t let that guy alone receive this growth buff.’
Though their circumstances varied, it was a clear fact that they intended to join the Sword Saint’s Guild for the unbelievable growth buff.
‘Thanks to the government’s support, we were able to obtain a guild invitation.’
‘Once I join this guild, continuous support funds will come in from the country.’
Guilds that did not receive Jinwook’s offer had even sought government aid to obtain an invitation. The competition for guild membership to receive the growth buff was fierce indeed.
Perhaps that was why?
Without any words exchanged, the air in the reception room gradually heated up.
Kim Shihyuk asked with an indifferent expression, “Player Kang Hwawi, what are you trying to say?”
“Simply put, please lift the limit on the number of guild members. You have the achievement points for that, don’t you?”
Though there was no explicit response, the prospects’ gazes feverishly fixed on Kim Shihyuk altogether.
Some among them seemed excited, as a faint aura began to mix in. Seeing this, Kang Hwawi’s lips subtly curved upwards.
‘With the atmosphere turning like this, even the Sword Saint won’t be able to do anything about it.’
Sword Saint Kim Shihyuk, called the rival of the Spear King Zhang Liqiu.
Naturally, the Continental had thoroughly investigated Kim Shihyuk. According to the investigation, Kim Shihyuk tended to find matters outside the arena extremely bothersome.
He didn’t even covet the position of President of the Korean Association he was supposed to occupy. And it was a well-known rumor that Jinwook dealt with all sorts of affairs on behalf of the Sword Saint.
‘Such a man wouldn’t bother engaging in a battle of wills with mere prospects.’
Probably annoyed, he’d likely say, ‘Sure, whatever,’ and increase the guild’s quota. After all, behind these prospects were also massive forces.
Yes.
That’s what should have happened.
“Ha. Ridiculous.”
Kim Shihyuk let out a scoff. Because of his refreshing appearance, some female prospects blushed, but that was it.
“After hearing so much about it…”
Whoosh!
Following his chilly voice, an enormous aura erupted.
“Gah!”
“Ahg!”
“Ugh…”
Everyone in the reception room instinctively tensed their bodies, gasping for air.
* * *
“Player Kang Hwawi. Do I look like an easy target to you?”
Kim Shihyuk’s eyes were lackluster. Yet, within them, a clear fury was mixed.
“……”
“……”
The promising players confronted with the wrath of the ranked Sword Saint became like dogs with their tails between their legs in an instant. Kim Shimun, who was watching the scene from behind, let out a soft laugh.
‘That guy. Despite the warning I gave in advance, he just can’t hold back.’
A player with a cool appearance and a soft and kind personality. That was the general opinion of Sword Saint Kim Shihyuk. But Kim Shimun knew well. That seemingly docile younger brother of his was actually incredibly choleric.
It just hadn’t shown until South Korea’s downfall due to his personality of disliking taking the forefront. Compared even to Zhang Liqiu, once called the Ghost Blade, his younger sibling’s temperament was in no way inferior. Kim Shimun’s gaze turned towards the shrinking prospects.
‘Even if Shihyuk shows his anger like that, the prospects won’t back down like this.’
The demeanor of the ranked player is unmistakably intimidating. To put it bluntly, if his younger brother swung his sword even once, these people wouldn’t even be able to retaliate and would be swept away. But they won’t back down like this.
No, it’s more appropriate to say they can’t back down. The growth buff from the World Tree is worth that much, after all. Kim Shihyuk spoke in a slightly lowered voice.
“Why should I go out of my way, spending valuable achievement points to accommodate you lot?”
Along with that, Kim Shihyuk’s imposing presence continued to dominate the reception room. Struggling against the overwhelming aura, Kang Hwawi managed to speak.
“We, we are not asking for this without offering anything in return, we’re paying hundreds of billions of Won per month for a one-month contract period, aren’t we!”
“So what?”
“In that position, we think it’s reasonable to make such a request!”
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to join. I never forced anyone, and there are many who are willing to pay more to join.”
It wasn’t wrong.
There are things in the world money can’t buy.
And most things related to a player’s growth fall into that category.
Knowing this all too well, Kang Hwawi bit his lip.
“I know that too. But there’s a flaw in your argument.”
“A flaw?”
“When we first received the membership offer from the Night Hunters, our Continental clearly expressed its intention to buy all the remaining slots in the guild.”
“That’s the same for American Dream and other guilds, isn’t it?”
“That may be true. But, I can assure you, no guild has dared to propose a sum as substantial as ours.”
Perhaps it was confidence in their funds. Even under pressure, Kang Hwawi’s face regained some composure.
“One hundred billion Won per person. If allowing ranked players to join doubles that, we are prepared to pay even more, didn’t I say?”
“What, what?”
“One hundred billion?”
Astonishment erupted from the prospects. Inevitably so.
“The contract renews every month… Wait. That means grabbing just 10 people would exceed 1 trillion Won?!”
“Insane! They’re prepared to pay that monthly?”
“If they even allow ranked players to join, they’re willing to pay more.”
“Truly, it’s Continental…”
A sum of 1 trillion Won per month for just 10 people.
And they’re willing to double that, or more, if the conditions are met?
Even for the promising players backed by huge guilds, that was an astonishing amount.
Then.
“Wait.”
A blond handsome man sitting at the very front raised his hand.
“Kang Hwawi-ssi, how can you be so sure that there’s no guild that’s proposed a more substantial condition than yours?”
“How dare you!”
Kang Hwawi, with eyes ablaze, abruptly turned his head. But, he couldn’t finish his sentence. The reason was simple.
“At American Dream, we called a minimum of 200 billion Won per person.”
The rebuttal came not just because the blond, handsome man was the famous hopeful Andrew Burns from America.
“Didn’t you say you’re willing to pay more than the stated amount depending on the negotiation, and even up to 300 billion per person if they allow joining the rankers?”
The American Dream.
Because he belonged to one of the top guilds running parallel with Continental as the twin giants of the current Earth.
Moreover, the amount he proposed was virtually unfathomable.
“Insane!!”
“300 billion per person?! And that’s monthly?”
“What am I even listening to…?”
The hopefuls were more shocked than when the announcement was first made.
Looking at the situation, Shimun quietly turned his gaze aside. A man resembling a gangster caught his eye. Park Jinwook also happened to turn around at that moment.
‘Is that for real?’
With a brief shaping of his lips. Yet, Park Jinwook, having easily deciphered it, nodded slightly.
‘Yes.’
“Sigh.”
Shimun pressed his forehead. It wasn’t because of the ridiculous amounts proposed by Continental and American Dream.
‘After receiving such an offer, did they really just do as I asked?’
It was an amount that even the silver spoon hopefuls of the mega guilds couldn’t ignore. And yet, they proceeded exactly as he had instructed?
‘And didn’t even mention it.’
Wouldn’t one expect them to mention it at least once?
That these two guilds were willing to pay over a trillion a month for the growth buff rental fee.
Yet, Park Jinwook, who was entrusted with the task, Kim Shihyuk, who was appointed as the deputy guild leader, and even Yujeong, who might have known the reason. None of them had mentioned such conditions. They merely proceeded silently as Shimun had requested.
At that fact.
‘This is kind of… heartwarming.’
Shimun’s heart ached. Even though all three of them were in positions where money was not an issue. Such an amount could have tempted them. Then, into the emotionally moistened ears of Shimun.
“Lies!”
The aggravated voice of Kang Hwawi erupted.
Andrew chuckled.
“Lies? The promising prospect of American Dream, lying at such a gathering?”
“Your America always has lies at the tip of your tongue! Ready to do anything for your own benefit!”
“Oh, I wonder who’s talking.”
“What?!”
The temperature between the two hopefuls rose. But their shoulders were pressed down by.
“Stop it. Any more disturbance will lead to both of you being expelled.”
The cold voice of Kim Shihyuk suppressed them. At that, Andrew sighed softly and turned his head.
“Sword Saint! Are you really going to do this?”
Kang Hwawi’s face reddened as he bellowed.
“Think carefully about who is closer to Korea! Our Continental will never forget our gratitude!”
“I fail to see how this constitutes gratitude, and my stance remains unchanged.”
“Then, are you saying you’ll monopolize such a growth buff alone?”
“The logical inconsistency lies with you. Player Kang Hwawi, how is this a monopoly?”
Kim Shihyuk’s indifferent eyes gradually sharpened.
“Look around at the participants. I’m trying my best to share with as many forces as possible.”
“That’s… well…”
“Rather, the monopoly was by the offer made by Continental to me. You yourself admitted to making a monopolistic offer earlier, didn’t you?”
“…”
Kang Hwawi clamped his mouth shut.
“Now that you put it that way, I have a question too.”
Kim Shihyuk propped his chin and asked, “If the Continental had acquired this growth buff, do you think they would have offered guild memberships to multiple factions like me?”
Andrew promptly retorted, “Ha, as if. They would rather sell it to their own guild members for money.”
And thus, the promising talents around merely glanced at each other, nodding in agreement without voicing their thoughts. It was plausible for the Continental to behave in such a manner.
Kim Shihyuk calmly continued, “In the first place, it’s strange for me to extend such an offer to another country. Moreover, there’s already talk in Korea about this matter, with the media claiming it as a leakage of national power.”
Indeed, although the Holy Trinity and Myth Guilds didn’t make a fuss since key figures like Lee Yujeong and Choi Jinsu were part of their ranks, other guilds expressed their discomfort.
And some even resorted to media manipulations, although they couldn’t gain much traction thanks to the ‘Sword Saint’ title and the tens of billions in rental fees.
“Moreover, didn’t the Continental treat us rather favorably?”
Kim Shihyuk glanced at the men and women sitting beside Kang Hwawi, “Considering we’re all from East Asia, we even allocated two spots each to both Japan’s Masamune Guild and you, didn’t we?”
“…Yes, that’s true.”
“And now, who should be talking about gratitude? You, the player from the Continental.”
Met with Kim Shihyuk’s coldness, the Continental player had no response.
Then, “Given this rudeness, I will have to change the offer I made to the Continental. Let’s reduce the two spots offered to just one,” Kim Shihyuk delivered his strike.
“Wait, Sword Saint! What do you mean by that…!”
The player from the Enhance Committee blanched.
“Excellent. Then, we, American Dream, would like to purchase the vacant spot.”
“I agree~ If you give it to our Masamune, we’ll meet any condition you want~.”
“Our Luden Guild is also willing to meet whatever you desire, Sword Saint…”
Seizing the moment, Andrew, Riko, and other promising talents hurriedly presented their conditions, turning the Kang Hwawi’s face deathly pale.
‘Oh no!’
Hadn’t he engaged in this maneuver to secure more guild membership slots as directed by the vice guild master, regardless of the reason?
‘If our number of Continental joiners decreases here…’
However, ‘if possible’ didn’t imply it was obligatory.
‘I’m doomed.’
Inversely, a decrease in joiners meant his future was bleak. Kang Hwawi involuntarily swalowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
Luckily, “If we have caused any discomfort, I sincerely apologize, Sword Saint.”
The tall, handsome Seo Wiryong intervened realizing the gravity of the situation.
“Given the magnitude of the issue, my colleague misspoke momentarily, never intending to slander you, right, Kang-hyung?”
Sending a pressing gaze. Normally, Kang Hwawi would have snapped at such arrogance, but, “Of, of course! Seo’s words are correct! Sword Saint, I never intended that!”
Devoid of any leverage, Kang Hwawi quickly grabbed the lifeline Seo Wiryong offered.
“It’s none of my concern…”
Just as Kim Shihyuk was about to dismiss the pathetic plea of Kang Hwawi.
[Kim Shimun – Kim Shihyuk, wait a moment.]
A message appeared before him, a whisper from Kim Shimun.
[Kim Shimun – You’ve been gracious so far, let’s just make a minor adjustment for the Continental…]
Pretending not to see as he skims through Kim Shimun’s whisper, Kim Shihyuk replied with a significantly unenthusiastic face.
“Fine.”
“I’ll return the Continental’s membership slots to two. However, since I’m not appeased, I’ll impose a condition.”
“Anything, just say it! We’ll do whatever it takes!”
Retorted the now humble Kang Hwawi, a stark contrast to his previous arrogance.
Kim Shihyuk then read out the condition as proposed in his brother’s message, “The condition is……”