Chapter 33: An Invisible Hierarchy

[Party] Proposal: Wow, I can’t believe I’m seeing a MonWorld update in my lifetimeㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[Party] Haema: There’s been talk about it for a few months, but I didn’t think they’d actually do itㅋㅋ

[Party] Proposal: Maybe the hunting set will be useless

[Party] Ro: Probablyㅎㅎ

[Party] Cheonjon: Unless you’re a tank, hunting sets are totally useless

[Party] Cheonjon: Haema hyung and Happy-nim, you guys need both hunting/PvP sets, right?ㅇㅇ

[Party] Happy: Ah...

[Party] Ro: Let’s hope it’s not just a full set for one slot



The server was abuzz all day with news of the new item update.

The update was set for tomorrow, at 9 a.m.

With the release of the detailed info and the announcement that drops would start in all regions, everyone was hyped.



[Guild] Manager Go: The next guild war’s going to be crazy

[Guild] INFP: Whoever completes the set first will be key

[Guild] INFP: We might have the edge if we enter the ruins first and start getting drops

[Guild] Manager Go: Too many top 10 rankers here, too many people who want itㅠㅠ

[Guild] INFP: First, we need to get Cheonjon’s character fully equipped



For those of us not yet fully integrated into the guild, and for new members, that could’ve sounded selfish.

After all, what that statement meant was, whoever gets the item in the party, it should always go to Cheonjon first.

But no one objected.

Everyone knew that for the sake of the guild’s future, it was only right for Cheonjon—the number one in the rankings—to be fully equipped first.

“Yeah. Cheonjon’s character is as good as several people on their own...”

The problem, as INFP said, was that our entire party was top rankers.

“So then, the rest are decided by ranking? Or rock-paper-scissors?”

We were in the midst of speculating about selection order and item info, and the chat was in an uproar.



[Guild] INFP: Just got off the phone with the guild leader

[Guild] INFP: He said we’ll go by ranking to be fair

[Guild] INFP: For PvP defense sets, the highest ranked debuffer Happy-nim goes first

[Guild] INFP: For hunting defense sets, Haema hyung goes first, no questions

[Guild] INFP: For PvP attack sets, the order is Cheonjon → Ro → Proposal → Manager Go

[Guild] Haema: What about Noona? She’s 5th, so right after Ro

[Guild] INFP: She’s always in a backline position, and

[Guild] INFP: With more mages, her attack chances will drop

[Guild] INFP: She’ll collect hers after all the rankers are done

[Guild] Chorok: Yeah, going by ranking makes the most senseㅡ ㅡㅋ

[Guild] Cheonjon: Good, good

[Guild] Gadfly: ㅇㅇ the ones below can get theirs after

[Guild] Ariel: Agreed

[Guild] Haema: Me tooㅋㅋ

[Guild] INFP: Alright, ranking order it is



Maybe because the total headcount wasn’t high, the decision came quickly with no disputes.

And then, just as I started wondering, ‘Is this really all of us?’

Right on cue, Haema started whining.



[Guild] Haema: But is this really all we haveㅠㅠ

[Guild] Haema: Weren’t we supposed to recruit more people? Why aren’t they comingㅠㅠ?

[Guild] Ariel: Seriously, at this rate we’re gonna get left behindㅋㅋ

[Guild] Chorok: Didn’t a few people say they were joining???

[Guild] INFP: Hmm

[Guild] INFP: We didn’t mention it for security reasons

[Guild] INFP: But actually, a few people are already hereㅎㅎㅎ

[Guild] INFP: They’re each working hard on their own

[Guild] Chorok: Ohhㅋ



“Really? Then are they in the newbie guild?”

With all the support pouring into Hana Guild, I’d wondered why things were so quiet here... Turns out, moves were being made behind the scenes.



[Guild] Ariel: That’s a relief

[Guild] Cheonjon: No wonder there were so many low-levels at the startㅋㅋㅋ

[Guild] S: ㅎㅇ

[Guild] Cheonjon: Cheonjon-hyung, you’re hereㅋㅋ Want to switch?

[Guild] S: Nah, I’m heading out again

[Guild] INFP: Busy today?

[Guild] S: It’s peak season nowㅠㅠ

[Guild] S: I might not be able to log in much for a while



My eyes involuntarily flickered.

The guild leader is the symbol of the guild.

Thanks to the vice leader, the ranking could be maintained, but the leader’s absence would definitely affect the guild’s atmosphere.

But the existing members seemed pretty used to this situation.



[Guild] Ariel: Right, it’s vacation seasonㅎㅎ

[Guild] INFP: It’s that time of year

[Guild] Manager Go: ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

[Guild] INFP: So, Noona too?

[Guild] S: Yeah, can Junghoon take over Cheonjon in the evenings? I’ll tell the vice leader separately

[Guild] Haema: What about your character, Noona?ㅠㅠ

[Guild] S: Wook will be on

[Guild] Cheonjon: Ah...

[Guild] INFP: Hm



Looks like they’re friends from the main server, but their reactions seemed lukewarm.

Was he someone like Poongma? The vibe was making me uneasy, when suddenly, one of my peers, Trauma, broke the short silence.



[Guild] Trauma: So, does the guild leader run a business?ㄷㄷ

[Guild] Trauma: He said he’s busy because it’s peak seasonㅋㅋ



“Yeah, really...”



[Guild] S: I run a lodging businessㅎㅎ

[Guild] Trauma: Oh! At a vacation spot?

[Guild] Haema: He runs a resort at the beachㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[Guild] Bambi: Whoa, awesome

[Guild] Blue: Damn, a resortㄷㄷㄷ

[Guild] Deathgod: Is it a big company?

[Guild] S: No, just an unknown, small resortㅎㅎㅎㅎ

[Guild] INFP: Looked huge to me last time...

[Guild] Ariel: Fifty buildings isn’t exactly small

[Guild] Haema: It was practically a hotelㅋㅋㅋ

[Guild] S: You’ll get doxxed at this rate, shh

[Guild] Haema: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[Guild] Trauma: Sorry, I don’t know much, but can’t you have your staff run it?ㅋㅋ

[Guild] S: Even if they do, I still have to manageㅠㅠ



“Is this for real?”

After seeing so many liars in-game, I couldn’t help but be suspicious for a moment.

But...



[Guild] S: If you ever visit the beach, let me know

[Guild] S: I’ll put you in a villa with a great view

[Guild] INFP: I’ve been, and it’s actually amazing

[Guild] Ariel: Facts, the infinity pool view is insane

[Guild] Cheonjon: The breakfast was really delicious...

[Guild] Bambi: If I ever get a girlfriend, I definitely want to go!

[Guild] Gadfly: A girlfriend?ㅡ ㅡ^

[Guild] S: Oh dear... Guess you’ll never visitㅠㅠ

[Guild] Bambi: Ahㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ That’s too much

[Guild] Taki: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Cease fire, he’s one of us!

[Guild] Gadfly: Can’t we have our guild meetup there?ㅡ ㅡㅋ

[Guild] S: Ask Woong, I don’t have the authorityㅠㅠ

[Guild] Gadfly: Sighㅋㅋㅋㅋ



I later found out the resort was real.

Honestly, I hadn’t given it much thought because of all the grinding, but Haema blabbed everything in party chat.

Thanks to him, I even learned the location and name.

Out of curiosity, I looked it up... For a moment, I thought it’d be really nice to get closer to the Cheonjon couple. The place was just that impressive.

“Do all main server rankers live like this?”

It was a question I’d always wondered but never dared ask, finally answered in that moment.



***



[Guild] Haema: Let’s all go full throttle!

[Guild] Baegopa: Our guild has to complete the set firstㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ



The long-awaited update day.

After a short patch, the bloody hunting war began.

Normally, we’d be sleeping at this hour, but for today we all went all-out.

The field wars had cooled a bit after that intense FFA earlier, but farming the new items was just another kind of war.

“At least it’s not a full set for each slot. Still, it’s shocking that the attack and defense sets have different parts.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the announcement that popped up with the update.

Thank goodness—both attack and defense sets had only five parts each.

And except for one, the slots didn’t overlap, so you could gear up entirely in attack or defense sets.

Of course, with nine equipment slots, only one set bonus would apply at a time.

Still, with the burden of collecting reduced, players’ enthusiasm and ambition blazed brighter than ever.

Regardless of level, everyone marched into the hunting grounds determined to snag new items.

“The competition’s crazy, seriously.”

Luckily, we reached the ruins ahead of Hana Guild, so there were no pointless clashes with the God Party.

But unlike Sunday, we didn’t have the operator’s buff, so for everyone except Haema, the ruins hunt was a bit nerve-wracking.

“Wow. That buff was really something back then.”

The moment three monsters fired ranged attacks at once, my HP plummeted.

Barely surviving with some miraculous control, I quietly stuck close to Haema. Even though he’s lower ranked than me, he held out well thanks to his class.



[Guild] Ro: Better keep your eyes on the ground



In Monster World, items drop on the ground, so players have to pick them up themselves.

And it’s hard to tell what dropped just by looking.

Items’ names don’t show up on screen, so if you’re unlucky, you might just miss a rare drop altogether.



[Guild] Proposal: This game’s quality-of-life updates are garbageㅋㅋㅋ

[Guild] Blue: Picking up items is seriously tough...

[Guild] Proposal: Are items even dropping?

[Guild] Ro: Hmm, been 4 hours, not a single drop

[Guild] INFP: In our party, any drops will go to the top party first

[Guild] INFP: If we prioritize one set each, we’ll get them fastㅎㅎ



It was encouraging, but Hana Guild would be doing the same, so I was just as anxious.

So I kept my eyes glued to the ground.



[Guild] Woong: Got one

[Guild] Proposal: Huh, what was that just now

[Guild] Ro: Oh



While circling the ruins, Woong’s brief comment made the whole party freeze.

Ro and Proposal, quick on the draw, reacted right away.

Haema and I, not sure what was happening, just posted question marks.



[Cheonjon has given you 1 Gaia’s Shoes.]



“Huh?”

An item I’d never seen before showed up in my inventory.

They were flashy shoes, unlike anything in the existing item designs.



[Gaia’s Shoes]

[Defense +450]

[Agility +770]

[Increased PvP Defense]



True to its shoddy roots, this game had no detailed stat descriptions, so the new items were mysterious too.

The explanation was so bare-bones it felt lazy, and the design was so out of place, I couldn’t help but laugh.



[Guild] Cheonjon: I picked it up and checked—it’s a defense set for PvP, so I gave it to Happy-nim.

[Guild] Cheonjon: The slot is shoes, by the way.



Since it was morning, it was vice leader Cheonjon reporting, not S.

With things like this, even the usually silent vice leaders chimed in a bit more.



[Guild] INFP: Good

[Guild] Baegopa: Grats grats grats grats grats

[Guild] Ariel: Congrats

[Guild] S: Grats grats grats

[Guild] Ro: Good

[Guild] Proposal: First draw goes to Happyㅋㅋㅋ nice shot

[Guild] Happy: Oh, thank you



“The announcement said wearing just one piece gives a minor effect. How much, I wonder?”

I eagerly equipped the item. Among the shabby old gear, the shoes stood out, sparkling.

“Wow, I got to have it first for once.”

Feeling happy and embarrassed at the same time, I scoured the ground even harder, and soon more drops started to trickle in.

I’d worried the drop rate would be terrible, but maybe thanks to the update, the rate seemed decent.

But if we were getting this much, that meant Hana Guild was too.



[Guild] Gadfly: Looks like those pervs have collected a bunchㅡ ㅡ^

[Guild] Tagi: Annoyingly running their mouths in townㅋㅋㅋ

[Guild] INFP: At times like this...



“Guess we’ll have to go down and sweep them up.”

Might as well take a break and let off some steam...

No, no, it wouldn’t hurt to do a little recon, too.