Dojin recalled the time before his regression.
And the resentment and regret that had been carved deep into his bones back then.
-If humanity had only handled the Tutorial properly.
-If only there had been no Traitors.
But there was one more problem.
One terrifying possibility that even Dojin himself had to acknowledge.
‘What if Players can’t stop the Main Scenario from progressing?’
Ever since his completely unexpected regression, Dojin had spent every single day thinking and thinking again.
Just what would it take for humanity to survive?
“Players weren’t incompetent before my regression either. No, once the Main Scenario began, the System stopped giving clear conditions for clearing Quests in the first place.”
If one had to describe them, every Quest in the Main Scenario was about survival.
-A Monster Wave will begin in the Haeundae area of Busan for three hours. Survive.
-Clear Dungeon by the end of today. If you fail, a Dungeon Break will begin at midnight tonight.
And that was hardly all.
Just when humanity had finally begun getting used to those unreasonable survival Quests, the Quest Levels suddenly leaped several times higher under the name of ‘Stage 2.’
“That’s why the bastards who got scared ahead of time became Traitors.”
After barely managing to clear the Quest ordering them to weed out those Traitors, what appeared next were the monsters.
“They’re the real problem.”
Humanity had to kill the monsters simply to survive, never mind clearing any Quest.
Yet when those monsters were killed, the mana they released upon death contaminated both the sky and the earth until humanity could no longer survive there.
“The best outcome for humanity would be never encountering those monsters at all. But what if we can’t avoid them?”
Player Lee Dojin, the sole survivor before his regression, could not afford to ignore the worst-case scenario.
“Then?”
Ultimately, what humanity needed to secure for its survival was an environment where people could live even amid the mana scattered by dead monsters.
In other words—a shelter.
That was why Dojin had paid attention to what the thug Players had told him earlier that day.
And also to the fact that once the Main Scenario began, Arenas had ‘transformed’ into Dungeons.
‘What if Arenas can be transformed into shelters instead……?’
***
-Boss, we’ll serve you loyally!
Dojin had no idea what sort of misunderstanding they had arrived at afterward, but in any case, he had returned after receiving an oath of loyalty—or something resembling one—from Hong Jingu’s group.
‘Hong Jingu seems more talented at expanding and managing networks among criminals than at using his own abilities.’
There was no telling whether the bastard would remain loyal to Dojin until the very end.
But if Hong Jingu saw Dojin continuing to rise through society as a Player, he would at least be unlikely to change his mind.
-I don’t know about overseas yet, Boss, but guys like us are already holding gatherings here in Korea.
-Yes, Boss! We can take you to the next meeting!
……Dojin intended to take all of that for himself too.
To prepare for what was coming, obtaining only the power of society’s bright side would not be enough.
He needed to secure the power of its dark side as well.
Why?
‘Because that’s how I can oppose them.’
The Traitors.
Having reached that conclusion, Dojin took Haewon to meet Rahi.
Ah, and naturally, Dojin had claimed the Quest reward as well.
[Mysterious Powder 30g (Garlic Scent) (??)]
Description: A mysterious powder of unknown origin and ingredients. Smells like garlic, but is presumed not to be garlic. Do not consume.
Classification: Consumable-Type
Effect: Unknown
“……Well, there’s no harm in keeping it.”
More than that, he was interested in the effects of <Minion Armament (C)>.
“This should be useful going forward…… It seems my Minion’s mana and mine are connected in series, temporarily strengthening the mana itself.”
After Dojin finished admiring the result—
Rahi, having heard the entire story from him, did not look particularly pleased.
“Ah, I don’t mean our new Guild member. I mean the trash you met afterward.”
Rahi had reacted warmly and compassionately toward Haewon.
She immediately examined the girl’s condition, assigned a doctor to care for her, and even arranged living quarters for her inside the Guild dormitory.
But the news Dojin brought her about underworld Players?
To Rahi, who was considered a potential successor to an international conglomerate, criminal Players like Hong Jingu were a blight not even worth associating with.
“Even if you obtain information from them about how Arenas are being used, we have no reason to use it. Criminals only use Arenas that way because they can’t find any other suitable place to hide and commit crimes.”
Dojin completely understood her reaction.
Even before his regression, humanity had ultimately failed to interfere with the System.
Once the Main Scenario began, every Arena transformed into a Dungeon, and Players gained the ability to use their powers in reality regardless of whether they were good or evil.
For someone from the upper reaches of society like Rahi, it was only natural to think that there was no point gathering more information about Arenas they could not control.
‘And from the position of someone who may someday represent this country, getting involved with criminals would only damage her career.’
But to Dojin, who knew the future was effectively headed toward destruction, such a choice was nothing more than a luxury.
‘I need information about every possible region and every possible space. Just in case.’
Perhaps—it might even be possible to turn Arenas that would otherwise become Dungeons into shelters.
For now, the decision was little more than a fantasy.
There was also another reason Dojin had decided that the underworld Players needed to be brought under his influence.
“It isn’t only information about Arenas. The information we truly need to obtain from them is information about themselves—and about other underworld Players.”
“No, that’s what I’m saying. Why exactly do we need information about underworld Players……?”
“Do you truly believe there aren’t Player groups being secretly cultivated by governments around the world, not just criminal organizations?”
“…….”
That changed Rahi’s expression.
In truth, Test Guild, established by Rahi and Hangang Group, was not fundamentally so different.
It had not been founded simply to gather Mana Stones and Gold, conduct business, and generate profit.
It was a Player group established for purposes beyond that.
“Test Guild has at least revealed itself publicly. But Player groups secretly cultivated by governments or massive underworld organizations probably aren’t operating at anything close to that level. If anything…….”
Because they were kept secret, they would likely have no hesitation about committing unethical acts to strengthen their Players and expand their influence.
Mana Stones and Gold were practically synonymous with national interests.
And Players were the only means of obtaining them.
In a world where both the quality and sheer number of Players had already become forms of power in themselves……
“…….”
Rahi remained silent for a moment.
Eventually, she spoke.
“……Grandfather and Father have suspected that issue as well. That’s why they established Test Guild.”
“Forgive me for saying this, but that isn’t enough.”
“……!”
Dojin usually maintained proper courtesy whenever he spoke with Rahi.
There were times when he was blunt, but he had never crossed the line.
This time, however, he was firmer than ever.
“We have to move faster than they do and stay ahead of them. Information is essential for that.”
Defense alone would not be enough.
A preemptive strike was the best option.
The only option.
“The world has already changed. Much of the old order will probably become meaningless. Right now, we need to actively seize power for ourselves. And we need to determine with our own eyes what will become poison and what will become an advantage in the future.”
Dojin’s green eyes shone colder and harder than ever.
‘That’s how I can move before the Traitors do.’
When the Traitors had appeared before his regression, popular Players like Kim Suho, who operated openly in society, had shown at least some restraint.
Whether because they cared about their public image or for some other reason.
But underworld Players possessed no such sense of shame.
Some had even argued that it was ultimately the sheer number of Traitors that drove so many Players to seek their own survival through betrayal at the very end.
And nearly all of the underworld Players had betrayed humanity.
Dojin’s eyes filled with firm resolve.
‘This time, I’ll be the one holding their reins.’
He would become such an overwhelmingly powerful Player that none of them would even dare consider betrayal.
So powerful that they would become convinced betraying Dojin itself meant death.
For criminal Players of the underworld, where strength took precedence over everything else, that would be the most reliable method.
***
Convincing Rahi was not easy.
Eventually, Dojin and Rahi reached a compromise.
Test Guild would not prevent Player Lee Dojin, a Guild member, from personally contacting criminal Players and gathering information on Arenas.
Any information and resulting benefits he obtained through those activities would belong entirely to Player Lee Dojin.
However, if any problems arose because of them, Test Guild would provide absolutely no support to Player Lee Dojin.
“Not bad.”
Dojin grinned.
Rahi raised her voice at him, looking as though she were about to explode from frustration.
“Do you even understand what this means? If things go wrong, our Guild will dump all responsibility on you and even demand compensation!”
Yet Dojin remained perfectly composed.
“Isn’t that the obvious choice for a corporation? I would do exactly the same thing in your position, Ms. Rahi. If someone chooses to take a dangerous path, naturally they should bear the risks that come with that choice.”
But Dojin did not voice what came next.
‘That way, I can control every aspect of the situation myself.’
Instead, he merely smiled.
“Then, Ms. Rahi, shall we go see Ms. Seo Haewon now?”
The place where Dojin and Rahi had been talking was Test Guild’s office.
The Guild was still newly founded and small in scale, but as though proving it was receiving discreet support from the head of Hangang Group, its offices stood proudly in a prime location in Gangnam.
The building itself was a newly constructed fifty-story high-rise.
And at the very top—was Dojin’s penthouse.
Then where was the Test Guild dormitory Rahi had introduced to Haewon?