Chapter 111

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 111: Expanding the Apostles

At the Daehyun Guild’s Guild House.

In the magical city of Erundal, there was a district dedicated to guild houses for awakened individuals.

The Daehyun Guild’s house was of moderate size compared to the others.

‘They were the top guild in Korea, but their guild house isn’t that big.’

“You're wearing a mask? It shimmers… Is that mana?”

Lee Jinseong greeted me, staring curiously at my face.

My white mask, covering everything except my eyes, nose, and mouth, was flickering with light.

It was understandable that he found it strange.

“It’s probably because it’s a mask created by magic.”

“Whoa… even your voice sounds different.”

“Well, I have to disguise myself to some extent.”

Jinseong nodded and led me inside the guild house.

The building was made of white bricks.

The interior was spacious, but no one else was around.

He guided me straight to the deepest part of the guild house.

Inside, five people sat with solemn expressions.

Among them, I recognized a familiar face—Kang Shia and her friend.

“You’re the one Jinseong mentioned?”

“That’s correct.”

“Can you really make us stronger?”

“Yes, but a contract is necessary.”

At the mention of a contract, everyone’s expressions stiffened.

“What is the price we have to pay?”

“You simply need to believe in a better guardian deity—a proper guardian deity.”

“Hmm…”

“Has Jinseong ever acted strangely? He became much stronger after believing in this new god. What level are you now, Jinseong?”

“99.”

The others' eyes widened in shock.

They had sensed he had grown stronger, but they hadn’t realized his level was so high.

“I will never force you. Only those who are interested should proceed with the contract.”

They exchanged glances, then nodded firmly.

Kang Shia stepped forward as their representative.

“We are all prepared. We will believe in this new god.”

Three women and two men.

Kang Shia seemed confident, but the others showed traces of fear on their faces.

Perhaps they were worried I was making them follow some kind of demon.

Even though I had deliberately worn a white mask and made it shine to appear more benevolent, it didn’t seem very effective.

“Alright, let me explain the contract terms.”

I retrieved a contract from my inventory.

Jinseong and I had worked together to draft it, filling two A4 pages with detailed clauses.

They carefully read through every word.

About twenty minutes later, once they seemed to have finished reading, I spoke.

“Any questions?”

“Um… this clause here. ‘The guardian deity will appear unchanged in the status window, and the status window must never be shown to others.’ What does this mean?”

“It means you must keep the guardian deity’s identity a secret.”

“But there are many cases where we need to show our status windows to prove our strength and credentials…”

“If you reveal your status window, the stats will be so different from others that you’ll attract unwanted attention. A guild of Daehyun’s caliber doesn’t need to show status windows to prove their abilities. Just reach B-rank quickly and prove yourselves by clearing B-rank dungeons. This is a non-negotiable contract clause.”

I spoke firmly, and they reluctantly agreed.

However, two of them looked dissatisfied.

“What about this clause…?”

“And this one…?”

They kept asking questions, focusing on the conditions that restricted them from displaying their enhanced abilities.

When I emphasized that these clauses were mandatory, they hesitated.

Then, glancing at each other, they spoke hesitantly.

“With these conditions… I don’t think this is right for us.”

“Yeah… We can’t predict how things will go, and if we can’t show our status windows…”

One of them trailed off, looking apologetically at Kang Shia.

“If we get stronger but can’t transfer to another guild…”

“Can we withdraw?”

Realizing that the contract would make it difficult to flaunt their power or switch guilds, the two backed out.

They kept stealing guilty glances at Kang Shia.

“Hoseong oppa, Jimin! Were you planning to leave the guild?!”

Lee Hyeju, Kang Shia’s friend, shot up from her seat, waving her arms in frustration.

Kang Shia bit her lip, her expression dark.

“We had no choice. We’re getting married soon…”

“Yeah, and we’re professionals. We need to move where the benefits are better.”

“Are you serious? You know how well we treated you here.”

“We’re grateful. Daehyun gave us the best treatment in Korea. But America is on another level.”

The man called Hoseong stood up and grabbed Jimin’s hand.

“We’re leaving. With these contract conditions, we won’t be able to make our planned transfer…”

“Sorry. We had no other choice.”

The two hurried toward the door.

But I couldn’t just let them walk away.

“Wait a moment.”

“W-Why?”

“We’re not signing the contract. Please, let us leave.”

Why did they look so scared of me?

I even picked a kind-looking mask.

“I will let you go. But you must forget everything about this meeting.”

I snatched the contract from their hands and clapped my hands together.

“All memories related to this contract—be erased.”

A simple command.

This level of suggestion worked on C-rank hunters.

Jinseong had gone through a lot to help me test it.

As I dictated specific instructions, the two hunters’ eyes went blank.

Then, they suddenly started mumbling nonsense.

“Huh…? Huh?”

“Uh… who is that guy?”

Lee Hyeju shrieked in shock.

“Get them out of here!”

“Yes, yes.”

Jinseong grabbed their hands and effortlessly escorted them out.

“Jinseong? What are you doing?”

“Why are we here? And the guild master…?”

The two, now completely unaware of the contract, protested as Jinseong led them out.

But his expression remained cold as he warned them.

“Don’t try to understand. You were planning to leave anyway, weren’t you?”

“W-What?”

“That’s not true…!”

“Sigh. I’ll kick them out. Please continue.”

Jinseong, maintaining his act, addressed me formally before leaving.

Even in this situation, he hadn’t forgotten to keep up appearances.

As he led them away, I closed the door again.

The remaining three wore grim expressions.

“Hmm… They must have been important to you.”

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“…They were among the people I trusted the most.”

Kang Shia spoke gloomily.

I didn't know their exact relationship, but if she had brought them here, they must have been trustworthy.

If they were not only trustworthy but also recruited to strengthen the guild's forces, the sense of betrayal must have been even greater.

"Can we proceed with the contract now?"

"Yes, I’ll do it. Please make sure it happens."

Kang Shia's eyes burned with determination, seemingly provoked by the betrayal of the two who had left.

The middle-aged man and Lee Hyeju beside her also wore resolute expressions as they demanded the contract.

"Alright, let's do it. Oath of the God King."

I activated the Oath of the God King.

It was an oath that could be stacked up to three times on a single individual.

However, all clauses of the oath were applied as long as they were recited from the contract.

The three of them watched intently as I read the contract aloud.

Once the message asking if they accepted the oath appeared, they all pressed "Yes."

A message window appeared for me as well.

[C-Rank Awakener Kang Shia has accepted the Oath of the God King.]

[C-Rank Awakener Lee Hyeju has accepted the Oath of the God King.]

[C-Rank Awakener Lee Jaehyun has accepted the Oath of the God King.]

[Under the Oath of the God King, they are accepted as apostles.]

With the apostle contract established, three new members were added to the Apostolic Garden.

Suddenly, all three of them clutched their heads in pain.

Kang Shia, in particular, seemed to be in even greater agony.

"Oh! These memories...?"

"Could it be... the past?"

It looked like they were regaining past memories, just like Jinseong had.

Hmm, I had already accounted for this possibility in the contract.

The one suffering the most, Kang Shia, was also the first to rise.

She looked at me with trembling eyes and hesitantly spoke.

"Could it be...?"

"You must not say that name. Think of the contract."

I quickly stopped her as she was about to say my name.

The contract explicitly stated that names causing confusion or mistaken memories should not be spoken.

Kang Shia looked disappointed.

"Oh... I see."

"It was an unavoidable necessity."

After I cautioned her, Kang Shia took the hint and quietly sat down to check her condition.

The next to awaken, Lee Hyeju, suddenly sprang to her feet and pointed a finger at me.

"No way, are you Kim Jiho? No...!"

[Lee Hyeju has violated the Oath of the God King.]

[As per the contract, she is expelled as an apostle and her memories are erased.]

Sigh, is she an idiot?

There’s always one who does exactly what they’re told not to do.

"Uh... What should I call you?"

"Uh..."

She seemed unsure of how to address me.

Jinseong, who had chased out the two who had attempted to defect, responded casually.

"Just call him Light Mask. Look at how he glows."

"You idiot."

"If there’s no official title, I’ll call you Guardian. Instead of Divine Guardian..."

"Guardian, huh..."

That felt like an overly grand title.

Jinseong snickered at the name.

"Pfft, Guardian?"

I smacked him on the head, and Kang Shia, whose expression had softened a little, spoke again.

"Can we redo Hyeju’s contract? She’s just impulsive... You probably don’t know, but she’s a good person."

It seemed that in her distorted past memories, she had some kind of connection with Lee Hyeju.

That made sense, given how friendly she had suddenly acted towards me.

Now, Hyeju was staring at us blankly.

"Uh... I heard there was a contract, so I came. But what’s with this atmosphere?"

"Sigh, you idiot. You immediately broke the oath. Just do it again."

"Huh? That can’t be right..."

Kang Shia gave her a firm flick on the forehead, urging her to proceed with the contract.

Eventually, Lee Hyeju relented, and I redid the contract with her.

The moment it was complete, she shot up once again.

"Hey..."

"Ah, seriously! The contract! The contract!"

"Hyeju!"

"Okay, Dad."

Fortunately, Kang Shia and the middle-aged man quickly covered her mouth before anything could go wrong.

So that man must be Lee Hyeju’s father.

Even though she seemed annoyed, Lee Hyeju clenched her teeth and glared at me.

What kind of memory manipulation had been done for her to recognize me so well?

To change the mood, I clapped my hands.

"Well, that’s it, then."

"Is that really all? There’s nothing more to be paid?"

The middle-aged man, whom the system had referred to as ‘Lee Jaehyun,’ asked with a surprised expression.

What, did he think this was some kind of demonic contract where he’d have to sell his soul?

When I assured him that there was nothing else, he let out a sigh of relief.

I looked at the three of them and said,

"If you know anyone else trustworthy, bring them in. This is a win-win deal for both of us."

"Understood."

Kang Shia kept looking at me as if she had more to say.

I needed to tell her that it wasn’t the right time yet.

"And... I know you have a lot on your mind, but for now, focus on reaching B-Rank. Be careful with what you say so that the apostle contract isn’t nullified."

"...Got it."

Though she looked a little disappointed, Kang Shia soon nodded.

"I’ll make sure to reach B-Rank."

"That’s the right mindset. Now, go check out the dungeon. You’ll notice the difference in your growth rate immediately."

"Alright. Shia, let’s go!"

Lee Hyeju, still glaring at me, suddenly grabbed Kang Shia’s hand and pulled her up.

She also yanked Jinseong along as she threw open the door.

"Jinseong, you’re coming too."

"Uh...? Oh, alright."

Jinseong weakly waved at me as he was dragged away.

That guy... always acting tough around women but getting pulled around like that?

I shook my head and checked the apostle status window.

With three new apostles, their efficiency had increased by 3% due to the assigned soul mediation skill.

Hmm.

Since I had minimized SP collection, their levels would rise quickly.

I hoped to fill the remaining slots soon, but I needed to be patient.

Some people might be like the defectors earlier, showing their status windows and trying to switch sides immediately.

In situations like this, it was best to take things slow.

With that thought, I moved to the mountain peak as usual.

Before me stood an A-Rank dungeon portal.

Ugh, did I have to clear that again?

Just as I was contemplating it, Hercules suddenly appeared.

"We’re about to destroy Eshtar. You should either stay on Earth or enter a dungeon."

"Uh... Can that wait a bit? Since you’re here, I have something to ask."

"Why?"

Loki had told me about the SP Exchange.

I wondered if Hercules knew anything about it.

Technically, the SP Shop was a part of the chaos faction, so it was like asking a competitor for information.

But given that their side was like a global corporation while ours hadn’t even opened a store yet, it should be fine.

As I explained everything that had happened, Hercules fell into deep thought.

"Hmm... So Asgard is investing heavily in the SP Exchange?"

"Yeah, the conditions seem good, but the god in charge is a fraudster, so I don’t fully trust it."

After nodding a few times, Hercules suddenly said something unexpected.

"Hmm... Can I invest in it too?"

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]