Of course, as dangerous as a Level-Limited Survival Gate was, I planned to go alone rather than with Uncle Choi Cheolgi.
I could clear it alone without a problem, but Uncle Choi Cheolgi, who could not enter the Subspace, might be in danger.
'He does have a Gate Escape Scroll.......'
If I gave Uncle Choi Cheolgi a Gate Escape Scroll, I would be able to get him out if an emergency arose.
The problem was that a Gate Escape Scroll was far too valuable.
Going together was certainly a good thing. Experience and growth. But this Gate was not important enough to use a Gate Escape Scroll for.
-It looks like it would be better for you to go there alone.
Uncle Choi Cheolgi said the same. There might be a need for it in a higher-level Gate.
A Gate Escape Scroll was insurance for the future.
-Which Guild will they join? Iron Wall Guild? Dawnlight Guild? Dae-eop Guild? I'm jealous ㅜ
┗If they were going to join, I think they would've done it by now. Even top Guilds keep looking for them on Hunternet. Could it be that those Guilds haven't contacted them?
┗Why wouldn't they? If it were me, I'd call them right away.
┗You'd call right away because it's you. If they're that good, there's no need for them to make the first move. It's better to hear the terms.
┗Just looking at their growth rate, it's beyond everyone's expectations, so not signing up immediately is a strategy too.
┗Leave Dae-eop Guild out of that. Dae-eop is a little....
┗Why??
┗There's a reason.
I continued browsing Hunternet. This thing called ego surfing was incredibly entertaining.
Of course, that was partly because the attention on Uncle Choi Cheolgi and me was so great.
'In a way, it might be natural.'
The same was true even if you looked at Uncle Choi Cheolgi and me separately.
A Spatialist—an ability type essential to Advance Teams—had shown his capabilities by breaking a new record from the Workshop onward.
And there were people who said Uncle Choi Cheolgi, a Dragon Knight with a Dragon, had fought well even when he could not use skills.
The fact that he could use the Red Dragon as a companion once Yongyong had grown was also an enormous strength.
'Well, I have no intention of joining a Guild.'
It was something I had thought about for a long time, and something Uncle Choi Cheolgi and I had discussed after Yongyong hatched.
We had decided to make a Guild of our own.
-Top Guilds want us, but I think it would be better for us to make our own team.
-I think so too.
Existing Guilds had two problems.
Freedom—meaning decision-making authority—and information about the things obtained inside the Subspace.
If we joined a Guild, there would be times when we had to form a team or enter a Gate at the Guild's request.
Of course, given our value, they would respect our opinions, but we could not refuse every time.
'If they keep accommodating us and then make a difficult request, it'll be hard to refuse.'
I wanted to enter the Gates we wanted, at the times we wanted.
And if we joined a Guild, we would form a team, which meant I would have no chance to make excuses for the things obtained inside my Subspace. That was another headache.
-It would be good to find at least one Healer or Mage.
The problem was that Uncle Choi Cheolgi and I were both frontline types. Support personnel would be absolutely necessary when considering the future.
-Should we post a notice on Hunternet and recruit Guild members?
-A lot of people would probably apply. Finding good people would be rough too.
The downside was that they were difficult to find. Healers and Mages occupied aristocratic positions.
We decided to think about it later.
"Krrr!"
When I opened the Subspace and entered, Yongyong came up to me with a rumbling sound.
The way its small wings fluttered was incredibly cute.
It normally stayed in the Subspace, and perhaps because it got lonely by itself, it tended to give me an enthusiastic welcome whenever I came in.
When I stroked Yongyong's head, it must have felt good because it rubbed its body against me. It was like a dog-like cat.
It seemed to act independently like a cat, but whenever I came, it always rubbed itself against me.
Of course, it was not like that with Uncle Choi Cheolgi. It behaved quietly when he used Dragon-Human Unity, but Yongyong liked me more by nature.
Uncle Choi Cheolgi looked at me every time with a mixture of jealousy and envy, but what could I do? Yongyong liked me.
Animals' eyes were more objective by nature.
"Are you bored? Want to play?"
"Krr!"
Perhaps it understood me, for Yongyong cried out happily. I shook the cat teaser wand that I had left beside me.
This thing really liked cat toys like a dog-like cat.
"Krr! Krr!"
Flapping its short wings, it kept reaching out with its forepaws and mouth to catch the cat teaser wand I was shaking.
I could not help laughing at the cute sight. Now this was healing.
After playing with it for a while, I lay down on the mattress laid out in the Subspace. It was my own area prepared inside the Subspace.
Since learning about the Subspace's functions, I had divided it into compartments, as if making rooms.
'There's a compartment for shields, too.'
After encountering the Flame Guardian, I had felt the need for a compartment dedicated to defense. If lava got in, the items inside could burn.
Even if magic or lava entered, it could not damage a space with nothing in it.
I had created various areas: one for resting, one for storing items, and one for keeping books.
The books were a monster encyclopedia and books related to Gates. My memory was not perfect, after all.
"Krr!"
As I lay on the mattress, Yongyong curled up against my armpit. Its hard yet soft scales touched my arm.
"This is heaven."
There was nothing more I could ask for than a bed and Yongyong. Next, I turned on the floor-standing tablet.
"Hmm. What should I watch today?"
I had brought the floor-standing tablet into the Subspace. I charged it outside and used it whenever I rested.
If I downloaded videos in advance from an OTT service, I could watch them even inside the Subspace.
I watched dramas, movies, and anime while resting. In the past, life had been too harsh and busy for me to watch them.......
Now, thanks to Subspace, my time was free, so I could enjoy them as much as I wanted.
'Sometimes, they even come in handy.'
For instance, I drew inspiration from combat in anime. Many moves were impossible, but.......
There were also some that I could unexpectedly apply in real combat.
"Haaah......."
After watching about four episodes of anime, I went outside and waited. Before long, Uncle Choi Cheolgi, who had finished training, came over with trembling legs.
"Are you done already?"
"Were you slacking off again?"
"Slacking off? I was resting. You know I train more than you do, Uncle."
It was thanks to the Subspace. The environment itself was different from Uncle Choi Cheolgi's, since he needed rest between training sessions.
That was why I always finished first and waited for him.
It happened as Uncle Choi Cheolgi and I were leaving the training center together.
The director of the training center cautiously came to find me.
"Member, I'm sorry to say this, but....... there's a Guild that wants to meet you."
The director hurriedly added.
"You may find this unpleasant, but I absolutely did not tell them. It seems that either another member or an instructor passed along the information, because they contacted us first."
Well, I had expected information about me to get out someday. It could have come from the Association rather than the training center.
The Association had paid the training center fees for me.
Either way, it did not matter. I did not intend to join a Guild, but I would have to meet them eventually to refuse them.
I had ignored Dae-eop Guild because they had contacted my personal phone number and there was bad blood between us.......
I planned to turn down the others politely. That way, we could cooperate when I had grown stronger.
"Ah, that's fine. Which Guild is it?"
It would be better if it were a high-ranking Guild. That way, other Guilds would not make annoying proposals.
'We didn't join that Guild, so why would we?' Something like that.
The director swallowed.
"It's the number one Guild, Iron Wall Guild, and the number two Guild, Dawnlight Guild."
Uncle Choi Cheolgi and I met each other's eyes and were both startled.
To think that both the number one and number two Guilds would contact us. The situation itself was not bad.
"You can give them my contact information."
Dawnlight Guild was famous as an elite Advance Team. The Iron Wall Guild was the same. It had been founded by the Association President while he was still active.
Its primary objective seemed to be ensuring safety through clearing many Gates. It collaborated with Dawnlight Guild often as well.
And then.
Not even five minutes after I spoke with the director, a call came in.
Surprisingly, Iron Wall Guild and Dawnlight Guild asked to meet us together. I had thought they were rivals.
Since we were entering a Gate tomorrow, the meeting took place that very day.
But there was only one man in his thirties at the meeting place.
"I'm Park Siwon of Iron Wall Guild."
"Ah, is Dawnlight Guild not here yet?"
"No. I came on its behalf."
"Excuse me?"
What did that mean? Amid my confusion, Park Siwon continued.
"They are two Guilds outwardly, but in truth, you could consider Iron Wall Guild and Dawnlight Guild a single Guild. You know that Dawnlight Guild's Guild Master, Divine Spear, originally belonged to Iron Wall Guild, correct?"
"Yes."
"Outwardly, he left to establish a Guild with the goal of being an elite force, but in truth, it is closer to a division of labor. Iron Wall Guild clears a large number of Gates, while Dawnlight Guild clears high-level Gates."
From what I heard, they had split the Guilds to operate more efficiently. You could call them separate units of a sort.
Come to think of it, Iron Wall Guild and Dawnlight Guild were Guilds that collaborated unusually often.
"First, if you join Iron Wall Guild and Dawnlight Guild, you will be better off than in any other Guild in the country in terms of your teammates' caliber when forming a team, Gate priority, and tax benefits."
He was right. Hunters joined Guilds for many reasons. First, team formation was the biggest reason.
It was better to form a team in a good Guild than to find people yourself and build a team while verifying their skills.
Priority for popular Gates and tax benefits were the second and third reasons.
Guild rankings were, in effect, rankings based on Gate-clearing merit.
In recognition of that merit, Guilds were given priority in suitable Gate assignments and tax benefits.
"Additionally, you will be free to use the items owned by our Guilds, and we plan to provide even Experience-related items for Han Hye and Choi Cheolgi."
Guild-owned items were the same. Hunters sometimes sold items they had been allocated to their Guilds instead of using them.
Those items became Guild assets. Some people chose a Guild because of items suited to their classes.
The Experience-related items he mentioned afterward were even more so. They granted additional Experience, and naturally, they were extremely valuable items.
They could acquire at least 25 percent more experience than others.
"Oh."
It was quite an offer. Uncle Choi Cheolgi's eyes were definitely shining as well.
"Furthermore, Gate Escape Scrolls are prepared for entering dangerous Gates, and because we regard you as top prospects, Elixirs and secret manuals are waiting depending on your continued growth."
Naturally, there was no talk of recruitment money. Guilds were established so that Hunters who got along could work hard together.
They received money through contracts with their countries, and they could make money simply by clearing Gates.
"We have a B-Grade swordsmanship secret manual and a C-Grade spearmanship secret manual. Of course, our Gate-clearing settlements are also the best in the industry."
Survival and strength were important to Hunters, so Guilds provided support in those areas.
The terms were as good as I had expected.
'No. Not just good—they're beyond my imagination.'
Experience items and Gate Escape Scrolls. Elixirs and secret manuals, although they were conditional on our continued growth.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have any plans to join a Guild yet."
Still, it was not for us. It had many advantages, but also disadvantages, as I had thought when deciding not to join a Guild.
I did regret turning down the secret manuals and Elixirs, but things kept appearing in my Subspace.
'It wouldn't be strange if better secret manuals or Elixirs appeared.'
The Experience-related items were regrettable, but not a major loss. Our growth was already fast enough.
Perhaps tempted by Park Siwon's words, Uncle Choi Cheolgi's gaze rested on me briefly.
His eyes asked whether it was all right to refuse right away, but I quietly shook my head.
Those benefits were not given freely. If we received items like that from a Guild, we would not be able to leave easily.
"As expected."
Yet Park Siwon was not surprised by our refusal. He looked as though he had expected it.
"Actually, we reached out to politely decline. We thought doing so over the phone could be rude."
"No, I completely understand. You have an S+ Grade Skill and a growth rate unlike that of ordinary Hunters."
Park Siwon spoke with a sincere expression. I was stunned. He had expected this?
There was a reason they were the number one and number two Guilds. I had thought they were merely trying to recruit us.
"In fact, for people like Han Hye and Choi Cheolgi, it is better to create a Guild separately. That is also why Dawnlight Guild split off."
Gate priority and priority in rare-item bidding were awarded based on a Guild's merits.
But those also had limits. You could not give too much to the number one Guild.
That was probably why Dawnlight Guild had done it as well. By dividing into the number one and number two Guilds, they could receive more.
Was it because he was gentler and more honest than Dae-eop Guild? I found myself liking Park Siwon quite a bit.
"It may sound arrogant, but I hope that once my level rises, we can meet in the form of a collaboration."
"No, how could it be arrogant? Rather, we would like to ask to maintain this relationship. There may be times when we need each other in the future."
Park Siwon smiled. The conversation was going better than I had expected.
Because of Dae-eop Guild's approach, I had worried that people would call me arrogant for daring to turn down the number one and number two Guilds.
But they had anticipated and understood me. I could not help feeling good inside.
Then Park Siwon held out a sheet of paper to me.
"This is......?"
When I accepted the document, it was a confirmed Gate Entry Priority Pass.
"It is a confirmed Gate Entry Priority Pass. If you apply, you will be able to enter immediately."
But the Gate written on it was not an ordinary Gate.
"Desolate Ruins?"
'Ruins' were popular Gates because rare items were likely to appear. Ordinary Hunters could not even enter them.
That was because high-ranking Guilds held the priority.
"It is a small gift to commemorate today's meeting."
It was a Gate with a recommended level of 16~20. I was currently level 14, but that did not matter much.
I did not need to enter immediately. I could gain two levels quickly enough.
'A gift given with my level in mind....'
I could feel the thoughtful consideration.
What a gift, even though I had not joined the Guild. It was the moment I liked Park Siwon, Iron Wall Guild, and Dawnlight Guild even more.
"Thank you."
.
.
.
Afterward, I ran two Gates and reached level 16. I cleared them quickly alone because I wanted to match Uncle Choi Cheolgi's level.
The place I had to go now was naturally Desolate Ruins.
But the day after I eagerly used the Gate Entry Priority Pass, I received a call from the Association.
-Han Hye, would you consider giving your Gate entry to another team?
"Excuse me?"
-As you know, Desolate Ruins is a Gate for levels 16~20, with a recommended party size of ten. It could be dangerous.
No, I had entered places far more dangerous than that. What the fuck was this supposed to mean?
-There is a team that has been preparing for this Gate for a long time.......
-Of course, we will preserve your Gate Entry Priority Pass separately.
I frowned as soon as I heard that. Had they received some sort of improper request? Otherwise, it made no sense.
I had heard that there were secret requests like that—illegal connections between Guilds and Association employees.
Honestly, if the Association was making such a request of me, I thought it would have been Park Seo-ung, Secretary to the Association President, who had made it.
I spoke in a cold voice.
"One moment."
Then I hung up and immediately called Park Seo-ung.