Chapter 102

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]

Chapter 102: Guild Battle (3)

Kim Hwanyong, an S-rank swordsman and the vice guild master of Ilsung Guild. Known as a high-ranking Awakened who supported Ilsung Guild alongside Guild Master Nam Cheolmin, he was initially Park Siwoo’s intended target.

‘I should be able to take him down easily.’

Look at Seo Yerim.

In one fell swoop, not only did she overpower Nam Cheolmin, but she also threw the entire Ilsung Guild into disarray, unabashedly displaying his worth without hesitation.

What about himself?

The Sword Saint’s Disciple and the Holy Sword’s owner.

The attached titles were quite impressive, but to be honest, he was one of the guild members with the least expectations in Money Talks Guild. And for good reason, since the other two were such monsters.

Seo Yerim was a highly respected senior and a true veteran Awakened who had built her reputation long ago, and the guild master, Kim Minwoo…

‘…Let’s not think about it.’

There is a path for the commoners.

Comparing himself to real monsters could only make him feel miserable.

There are 30 enemies, so that’s 30 targets.

Seo Yerim could probably handle 10.

Kim Minwoo would easily take care of 15.

‘…Well, I’m the youngest, so handling 5 should be enough, right?’

If he takes down the vice guild master, then that’s about 3 targets, right?

Park Siwoo rushes in.

Kim Hwanyong, sneering, raises his sword. As an S-rank Awakened, his eyes were full of confidence.

You’re still far off, pup!

Or at least that’s what his eyes seemed to say.

Only three exchanges.

In an instant, Kim Hwanyong’s forehead broke out in a cold sweat as the Holy Sword, closing the distance quickly and piercing his vital points.

By the sixth exchange, his hands and feet were becoming clumsy. As the sword, full of feints, stabbed him repeatedly, his movements also naturally became larger.

And just as they were about to clash for the tenth time, the Holy Sword, cleverly deflected, sliced through his neck.

Kim Hwanyong was instantly out.

Cedric was also rampaging, tearing through the protective barriers of the warriors he was facing.

Park Siwoo’s eyes lit up.

‘It’s easier without any restraints.’

Typically, the ranged classes would have bombarded them with spells.

The tide had turned.

The archers were out.

All the mages were down.

The remaining classes were distracted by Seo Yerim’s relentless attacks and Merhen’s magic.

Merhen, in particular, was a nightmare for the enemy backline, blasting high-level magic spells from a distance.

“Block it!”

They desperately tried to activate their defense skills, but the spells shattered them with a single blow. And the problems didn’t end there.

Dolsoe’s charge broke their front lines, followed by a relentless surge of skeletons.

Surrounded on all sides, the shields of the Awakened were rapidly failing.

‘It’s over.’

The outcome was clear, even to an untrained eye. The battle was heavily tilted.

Park Siwoo’s gaze became serious.

‘I haven’t even taken down five yet.’

He needed to defeat at least two more to meaningfully contribute to the guild’s victory.

He charged towards a swordsman surrounded by skeletons. Soon, he would start racking up those kills.

* * *

“The guild battle is over!”

“0 to 30. An absolutely overwhelming victory!”

“Wow… I never imagined the score would turn out like this. The Money Talks Guild is incredibly strong!”

The commentators exclaimed in astonishment.

Online Comments:

―Wow… is this real life?

―Seo Yerim is amazing, but Park Siwoo isn’t bad either? He took down the sub-guild master in just ten exchanges;

―Cedric is insane; He’s toying with an S-rank Awakened? What are his stats?

―LOL… they said they only recruited world-class talent, and they weren’t kidding lol

―Seriously lol. Honestly, it’s probably because they eat kimchi discount meals, but world-class talent can definitely pull this off lol

―Are we witnessing the birth of a kimchi guild that can compete with the world’s elite? Honestly, I’m a bit excited lol

―I want to tell you not to get excited, but the results are making me excited lol

―Yeah~ not excited~ they’re doing this at this level now, just wait until they level up lol They’ll be able to beat all the world rankers lol

“I thought even if Money Talks Guild won, at least one or two of them would be taken down,” one of the commentators admitted.

“I agree. Even if they couldn’t be defeated, I thought they’d have trouble dealing with the undead horde… but look at this. Starting with Guild Master Kim Minwoo’s two summons, and even the golems and skeletons…they’re completely unscathed! It’s incredible!”

“They’re practically all alive! Only about two hundred unlucky skeletons were blown up.”

“What makes this result truly frightening is that this battle was practically no different from a real-life conflict.”

“Exactly. If this had been a real battle, one guild would have been annihilated while the other would have simply exhausted their mana.”

“Honestly, speaking objectively, can’t we say that this is the birth of a guild worthy of competing for world supremacy? That’s what I’m thinking.”

“I agree. They only have three guild members, but their potential is unimaginable.”

The commentators spoke with serious expressions. While they were the 5th strongest guild in Korea, the difference between them and the top guild, Dorim, wasn’t insurmountable.

What this meant was that there was a significant chance that Money Talks Guild could defeat Dorim Guild in a guild battle.

“…Maybe today, the strongest guild in Korea has been born.”

“That might be a bit of a hasty conclusion, but one thing is for sure. Money Talks Guild is definitely a top-5 guild in Korea! And they’re strong enough to aim for the top spot!”

Online Comments.

―LOL, Dorim? I think Money Talks would crush them. They’re just that good.

―Even as the top guild in Korea, they’re just a mid-tier guild on a global scale. Of course, they’re going to get crushed.

[TL/N: I got some clarifications from some people and from what I understand “1.5” means high-quality/first-rate and 2.5 average quality/mid-tier (figuratively). The Hanja term “군” is used in the phrase “2.5군” to refer to a military rank. In this context, it is used figuratively to indicate a guild’s level of performance. The way I translate the word might not be correct but it should get meaning across correctly. I hope that helps]

―Honestly, Dorim isn’t the best guild just because they’re ranked first. It’s just that there weren’t any talented players in kimchi land.

―All the top guilds in Korea must be watching this. Their heads must be burning.

―It’s time for another golden age in Korea!

―Can we get excited about the Gate War that’s happening this year?

―LOL. If the government has any brains, they’ll pick those guys as athletes.

―Their connections are insane, so the association can’t mess with them. They have to pick them.

―They’re so reliable!

―But don’t you think that’s an S-rank achievement? Even world-class players didn’t look like that back then.

―Umm… I’m an S-rank achievement Awakened, and no matter how I look at it, that’s beyond that. It’s not a performance that can be seen with an S-rank skill.

―Park Siwoo looks like an S-rank, but I don’t really know about Kim Minwoo. His summons are insane; is he really above S-rank?

―I’m a bit suspicious of Divine Archer too. Sure, her level is high, but even without that, she’s too strong?

Choi Yongjun, the caster, moved in for an interview. Kim Minwoo and the two guild members stepped onto the stage.

“Mr. Guild Master Kim Minwoo.”

“Yes.”

“Um, those summons…”

The special two summons.

Cedric could speak.

There was a high probability that the woman in the hooded coat, who resembled a human so closely, also possessed the ability to speak.

With so many viewers curious, there was no way they could miss the opportunity to interview them.

Choi Yongjun, the caster, whispered something to the woman, and she chuckled and nodded.

“Merhen, Cedric. Come up here.”

With that, the two summons also stepped onto the stage.

“Alright, let’s get this victory interview started! There was so much to see today! Especially the performance of this person we can’t leave out! Bow God? No more! Let’s bring in the Divine Archer, Seo Yerim!”

A thunderous applause erupted as Seo Yerim stepped forward.

“Hello.”

“Yes! Welcome! There are many things that the audience and viewers are curious about, so I’ll start with this first. That, Guild Master Nam Cheolmin’s skill. Did you learn it as a new achievement skill that changed as you became an archer?”

“I just followed along.”

“……Whoa. So, you copied the trademark of the Phantom Archer just by watching him?”

“Yes.”

“I had a hunch, but that’s a truly terrifying talent! I’m also curious about this. The arrow that was aimed at Guild Master Nam Cheolmin. Didn’t it narrow in the middle? Was that intentional…”

Seo Yerim nodded.

“……So, you shot it with that intention from the start?”

“Yes.”

“How did you do that?”

“I just did it.”

“Ah… I think there’s no room for disagreement. Geniuses are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people! You’re the Divine Archer from now on.”

“Thank you. I will try my best to show you a good performance in the future.”

Next came Park Siwoo’s interview.

“Honestly, there was a lot of public opinion that Siwoo would be eliminated early. But you jumped in with confidence and took down the sub-guild master, and even cut down all the swordsmen. It was a performance that made us look forward to the future!”

The audience nodded.

To be honest, while Seo Yerim and Kim Minwoo’s performances were too shocking, Park Siwoo’s performance was also not at a level that could be underestimated.

How could anyone say it wasn’t amazing when he cut down an S-rank swordsman in ten exchanges?

This was especially true when considering their levels.

“Could you please share a word about your future aspirations?”

“I’ll do the work of five people.”

“Five people’s worth?”

“Yes, since my sister does the work of ten, and my brother handles the work of fifteen, I figured I should aim for something similar.”

“Aha. I understand if that’s what you mean. But your ambition seems a bit modest, doesn’t it?”

Everyone from Caster Choi Yongjun to the audience nodded in agreement.

Park Siwoo’s performance was more than enough to earn him the MVP award, but the reality was…

Cedric had performed even more impressively. It was a testament to the insane power of the summons that Kim Minwoo possessed.

The feelings of an ordinary person trapped between geniuses.

It was an emotion that everyone who had Awakened would have felt at least once in their lives.

The world was vast, and there were many geniuses out there.

Choi Yongjun, feeling a strange sense of pity, nodded his head.

“Well said! But even five times is definitely a sign of a genius! Siwoo, you have no need to feel discouraged! That guy is really weird!”

Choi Yongjun shouted, pointing at Kim Minwoo.

“No, Guild Master Kim Minwoo! Was Necromancer really a job like this? If it was a job that could churn out summons like that, I would have chosen Necromancer right away!”

“It’s not usually like that, right?”

“But how did you do it, Guild Master?”

“I’ve been working a bit hard lately. I also had some luck.”

“Ah, as expected of a gourmet. I can’t get the know-how out of you. That’s too bad. But anyway, it seems like those two summons can’t avoid an interview either. First, Cedric?”

The skeleton took the microphone.

―Oh. Is this how you use it?

“Yes, that’s right. This is probably your first time participating in a guild battle, but how do you feel?”

― Ilsung Guild. Was this the 5th ranked guild in the country?

“Yes, that’s right.”

― From my perspective, it seems like a kind of knightly order, but it’s a bit lame compared to that.

“Uh… is that so?”

―It felt like it would be easy to sweep them away with just a count-level knight order. From the perspective of a knight like me, it seems like they lack a lot of guts. The Awakened in Korea need to train harder.

“Uh… yes. That’s right. Training is a never-ending field for the Awakened, isn’t it? Haha…”

Choi Yongjun said while wiping away his cold sweat.

It was an ignorant statement that seemed to have no regard for the consequences.

While some might try to inflate national pride and argue otherwise, the truth was that Ilsung Guild was simply the weakest among the top guilds.

The gap between the top five guilds wasn’t so significant that one could make such a claim.

On top of that, Cedric’s performance had been nothing short of terrifying.

S-rank Awakened?

He had simply pierced holes through their bodies with his spear.

One couldn’t help but wonder how far his spear fighting skills had reached.

— This knight is a joke lol

— Not even an imperial or royal knight, just a count-level one lol

— Well, he does have the qualifications to say that lol. He just tore through their formations lol

— “But are knight orders really that strong?

— “Maybe the place where this knight was from was a dangerous one lol

— “I’m so sorry, Korean Awakeneds ;; I’m so sorry, Korean Awakeneds ;; I’m so sorry, Korean Awakeneds ;;

Just then, Cedric, looking at Choi Yongjun, said.

— Still, there’s one thing Ilsung does well.

“Oh, what’s that?”

— Their Product quality is good. Especially the upcoming Ilsung 42 smartphone. It has real-time foreign language translation and voice recognition functions, so it’s very useful when traveling abroad…

Cedric recited the product information as if he was reading a Korean textbook. Before anyone knew it, he was holding the new product in his hand.

— Huh?

— What’s this?

— (Fact) he didn’t say that the guild is good xD.

— Oh lol, he was just saying the product is good lol

— Is this an impromptu advertisement?

— Is this his knight-like spirit or something?

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]