Just like that, the match ended one-sidedly.
"So...?"
Having met all kinds of people over the years, Gyeom-shin had realized something.
"In the end, all the Rankers here left because of those bastards?"
Namely, that in any organization, showing one's skill was always the best way.
It solved problems quickly.
"Yes, yes. That is right, Vice Guild Master."
Especially in the world of Hunters, who made their living with their bodies, combat ability took top priority.
Contrary to his rebellious first impression, Sang-hyeok had now begun listening obediently to Gyeom-shin.
"...By the way, why does your face look so worn out? I thought you were in your thirties."
"I-I am sorry."
"...No, well, it's nothing to apologize for."
Gyeom-shin was hearing the full story from them about how the guild had ended up in this state.
'...To think a guy with this face is the same age as me.'
Despite his grim, bald appearance, he was still only twenty years old.
"So in the end, that Phantom Guild is the problem, right?"
"Yes, in particular, a man named 'Yoon Chan-ho' has been targeting our Rankers..."
"......"
It had finally come up.
The name of the sworn enemy who had stabbed him in the back hardest of all while wearing a beaming smile on his face.
'If it's that bastard, he must be flying high as a Hunter right around now.'
At this point in time, Chan-ho's skill was that of a true pro.
Unlike Gyeom-shin, he had displayed tremendous prominence in combat the moment he Awakened as a Hunter.
Enough to be scouted as a main executive by the Phantom Guild, the very top guild of this era.
"That man has already taken several Rankers from our guild."
"...And bastards who call themselves guild executives just meekly tagged along behind him that easily?"
"That is... because they are being threatened."
A fact he had newly learned was that, in complete contrast to his good-natured impression, the man was a villain.
"What...?"
"In truth... the Phantom Guild bastards are pulling the strings of the Kaiser Guild to swallow up our guild."
Gyeom-shin was learning this for the very first time.
That Yoon Chan-ho had been such a rotten son of a bitch.
"Those bastards pick fights with us at every turn and interfere with our livelihood."
"Yes, because of the threats... many Rankers had no choice but to leave."
"Because they keep threatening that if we do not obediently follow them, we will never be able to set foot in the Hunter world again..."
Beaming brightly on the outside.
While scheming everything behind the scenes—that was the kind of bastard he was.
"So Yoon Chan-ho is behind all of that?"
Because of that, Gyeom-shin had also been fooled in his past life.
-Master, no matter what path you take, I will follow you to the very end, Master!
Gyeom-shin recalled his pretentious, false smile that had been filled with feigned respect.
Then, he felt relieved.
'What a relief, Chan-ho.'
Now, he would have no hesitation in cutting him down.
Moreover, in his hand was the Demonic Sword, Ades.
'When I cut off your head, I'll be able to do it without feeling much guilt.'
All that remained was revenge.
In fact, if it were an assassination, he could easily pull it off right now by borrowing the power of the Demonic Sword Ades.
However, that was a shortcut to becoming the public enemy of every guild.
"Pulling the strings from behind the scenes and threatening our guild... Not bad at all."
Therefore, he had to secure a justification and kill him.
Not through a cowardly assassination, but openly and proudly.
And what Chan-ho was currently doing behind the scenes was more than enough for that justification.
"What do you mean... the situation is not bad?"
"If we're being threatened, we can just make contact with the Phantom Guild and bring it to light, can't we?"
"Hah, that is easier said than done!"
As for the justification to execute him, he could fabricate it by slightly exaggerating the damage their guild had suffered.
Just as Gyeom-shin had been subjected to a witch hunt in his past life over the false justifications fabricated by the traitors.
"No, as long as we have fame, it's possible."
"Pardon...?"
"You know how joint missions between guilds come up sometimes, right? Once a guild becomes famous."
At the very moment he regressed, he had vowed.
That he would pay them back in the exact same coin without fail.
That he would sneer at them and send their heads flying.
"Hmm... That is true, but..."
Sang-hyeok was flustered by Gyeom-shin's words.
"Is that not like striking an egg with a rock?"
The Gladius Guild was merely a guild ranked around 50th.
Moreover, now that all of its Rankers had left, it was not even in the top 100.
"...You mean striking a rock with an egg."
Taking a guild like that and carrying out a joint mission with the 1st-ranked Phantom Guild was nothing short of a pipe dream.
"...I truly cannot figure you out. To think you would say such things without hesitation."
Just then, Yeon Da-hee walked into the room.
"Ah, Master, you are here."
She marveled in disbelief at Gyeom-shin's reckless plan.
As though looking at a con artist.
"How can you say such things so easily..."
"Didn't you know that's my charm?"
After all, from the very beginning, Da-hee had placed more trust in the Demonic Sword Ades than in Gyeom-shin himself.
"Still, Gyeom-shin, if it's Yoon Chan-ho, isn't he the hottest rookie in the Phantom Guild?"
"Well, that's true, hyung."
However, the prime of the rising rookie Yoon Chan-ho went no further than right now.
Gyeom-shin knew that.
"Is that bastard... really that strong?"
"No, that's only for right now."
Because later on, genius Hunters with insane skills—such as Baek Min-jun, Ma Seong-jin, Han Ji-hoo, and Ra Do-hyeon—would make their appearance.
'Later on, he won't even reach beneath the soles of your feet, hyung.'
Of course, among all the Hunters whose potential exploded, the one who had shone brightest of all was none other than Gyeom-shin.
In the end, after joining Gyeom-shin's guild, Yoon Chan-ho had not even ranked within the top ten.
'Though, of course, about two more years would normally have to pass before hyung and I become stronger than Chan-ho.'
Because of that, Yoon Chan-ho had basically served as little more than an errand boy for Baek Min-jun, the ringleader of the traitors.
Baek Min-jun—he was truly the greatest sworn enemy Gyeom-shin had to obliterate.
"...Executive Jang-pil, in official settings, please use the proper title for the Vice Guild Master."
"Aaah, yes. I am sorry, Master."
Even a Grand Champion strongman was a bashful fool in front of a beauty.
Of course, even if they competed in skill right now, it would be hard for Jang-pil to keep up with Da-hee.
"...I will be careful from now on."
"Yeah, be careful from now on, hyung. Our pretty Master is scary when she gets mad, isn't she?"
"What...? Hah, hey, you bas..."
Called the 'Flower of the Sword,' her swordsmanship skill was astonishing enough to leave anyone tongue-tied.
Furthermore, she still possessed the potential to keep growing by leaps and bounds.
In some ways, she was an ally worth looking forward to even more than Jang-pil.
"Now then, what shall we do from here?"
Above all, because she possessed a heart that put loyalty and good faith first.
"For your information, we do not currently have the funds to negotiate a salary matching your abilities."
"I know that too, Master."
An ally who would never betray him.
Moreover, she had a sharp head on her shoulders.
"I never had any greed for that in the first place. All you need to do is give us the authority to carry out independent income-generating activities."
"...That is not difficult."
A wise and good-hearted Master.
That was the reason he had chosen this guild.
"You two are the executives who newly joined our crumbling guild."
She proudly made her demand.
"To me, you are hope. So, will you keep your promise now?"
Asking him to keep the very promise Gyeom-shin had spoken of as his contract condition.
"Please help this guild survive its crisis and grow quickly."
At that, Gyeom-shin smiled and answered.
"Of course, Master."
Knowing that from now on, history would flow around the Gladius Guild.
"Leave everything to me. Because I'm going to save this guild."
***
The strongest guild in history from Gyeom-shin's past life had vanished forever.
Because he had not created his own guild.
"Ah, so this is the place...?"
Instead, Gyeom-shin had become the Vice Guild Master of the guild that would become the third strongest in the future.
"The place known for having the highest difficulty among low-grade dungeons."
In order to make the Gladius Guild the strongest guild that no one could dare challenge.
"Brings back memories of my old newbie days."
And caught between them was the second strongest guild, the Phantom Guild.
They were Gyeom-shin's exact target.
"To think this forest is still treated as low-grade when it'll become mid-grade in just a few years."
His first joint guild mission.
Gyeom-shin had come out alone as the representative of the Gladius Guild.
"What...? Has no one arrived yet?"
Just then, he felt a group approaching nearby.
"...Hey, don't tell me you're the Hunter who came out as the representative of the Gladius Guild? You're not, right?"
"Looks like he is, though?"
"He came to a low-grade dungeon dressed like that without any gear at all? Isn't that guy an idiot?"
They were the three Kaiser Guild Hunters who were scheduled to carry out this mission together with him.
"Looking at you, you seem like a rookie, so instead of acting up for nothing, how about you just turn around and go home?"
A long-haired man overflowing with arrogance at a single glance spoke up to him.
They were C-Grade Hunters whose skill was around Level 100 at best.
"Ah, so it's you guys?"
Truly the lowest-grade Hunters of the Kaiser Guild.
"The Kaiser Guild Hunters...?"
"...Yeah, that's us."
Even so, their laughable pride in their guild was beyond imagination.
Placing a hand on Gyeom-shin's shoulder, the long-haired man arrogantly threatened him.
"I'll give you one piece of advice. If you don't have the skills, just stay out of the way and keep your head down. That'll be easier for you."
"Thanks for the useless advice."
In order to target the Phantom Guild, Gyeom-shin had made contact with the Kaiser Guild first.
"Oho? I heard the Gladius Guild had good manners, at least... yet quite an arrogant Hunter showed up, huh?"
"Speaking informally right from the start, huh? You crazy bastard."
"Well now, you've got some nerve, at least."
Nominally, it was a joint hunt meant to improve goodwill between the guilds.
However, the reality was different.
"The Gladius Guild begged and pleaded with us to hunt together, so we came out here... and to think they'd send a small-fry rookie bastard like this."
"Puhaha, the Gladius Guild really is finished."
"Calling trash like that a Hunter. Tsk, tsk."
A war of nerves between a guild trying to devour the other, and a guild on the verge of being devoured.
Nothing more, and nothing less.
They were openly sneering at Gyeom-shin and humiliating him.
"You guys were the ones who spoke informally first."
Gyeom-shin did not mind at all.
Because if he reacted to every little thing like this, it would be hard to make any progress.
"Well, since it seems our pleasant meeting time is over, let's each fend for ourselves."
SWAT—!
Lightly swatting away the man's hand resting on his shoulder, Gyeom-shin walked into the dungeon.
"W-wait right there, you cocky bastard!"
Snubbed, the long-haired man huffed in anger.
"Hey, you bastard. Do you even know what rank our guild is right now?"
"Hold on, that Hunter. Isn't he that crazy bastard who came to our guild for an interview last time and made fools of the executives?"
"So that bastard is that ill-mannered brat bastard named Lee Gyeom-shin or whatever...?"
Just as Gyeom-shin had intended, they were quickly following behind him.
"Everyone stay sharp and move in! Never lose to that bastard!"
"Of course!"
"Damn right!"
Driven by the fierce determination never to lose to Gyeom-shin in this hunt.
That alone made it a success.
SMIRK.
'Yeah, that's right.'
Because inside this mid-grade dungeon wearing the mask of a low-grade one...
'Hurry up and get fired up as you walk right in.'
Terrifying enemies unknown to them lay slumbering.
'Right into the trap I've prepared.'
***
Everything was going according to plan.
"H-hey... is this place really a low-grade dungeon?"
"...What else, do you think it'd be a mid-grade dungeon?"
"Haaa, I've got a bad feeling about this for some reason."
With arrogant momentum, the Hunters of the Kaiser Guild followed Gyeom-shin deep inside.
"This place... is that forest, right...?"
Choosing this dungeon had been the right answer.
"...The one known as a suicide spot for Hunters...?"
"D-don't say such unlucky things!"
Because the reason this forest had begun emerging as a mid-grade dungeon was due to certain monsters slumbering deep within the woods.
"Yeah, but the truth is... there's a rumor that it wasn't suicide, and that they were killed by something in the forest."
Right now, it was merely a rumor.
"And that it was staged to look like suicide..."
"I-I told you to stop saying such unlucky things...!"
However, before long, this rumor would be revealed to be the truth.
That it was a dungeon where the monsters themselves deliberately made the difficulty appear lower in order to lure in low-grade Hunters.
"I'm telling you, that's nothing more than a rumor!"
The Forest of the Underworld.
That was the name of this dungeon.
<Kikikik!>
"......!"
Before long, a horrific voice that could not possibly belong to a human rang out.
"E-everyone, prepare for battle...!"
SWISH—!
It was only natural for the Hunters to tense up.
Because this area was already far beyond the level of a low-grade dungeon.
<Kikikikikik!>
"......Uhugh?!"
A mid-grade dungeon.
No, a level even higher than that.
"Kuaagh...!"
Before long, the screams of the Hunters echoed throughout the Forest of the Underworld.
"Kuhaaaagh-!"
The voices of the Kaiser Guild Hunters, ambushed by an unidentified something.
"Okay, they took the bait."
Secretly watching from a short distance away, Gyeom-shin was smiling.
SMIRK—!
"Shall I get started now...?"
Looking forward to the very entertaining things he was about to unfold from here on out.