A guild is no different from a company. Almost all major conglomerates have entered the guild business, and the companies that didn’t establish or join a guild back when Hunters first appeared have all become obsolete.
That’s how high the status of a guild is.
Most Hunters join a guild, and they either export the mana stones they bring back or process and sell them. Thus, guilds naturally become businesses. When money rolls in, they buy other companies to make them affiliates, and make even more money.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): The Pagong Guild grew into a mid-sized guild in just a year. It would have been impossible without someone backing them.
And now, five years later, the Pagong Guild had become a prominent large guild. Eric skillfully searched for information about the Pagong Guild using Jinwoo’s cell phone.
For someone with experience as a summoned creature, a cell phone was no longer some amazing technological marvel. It was just a natural tool now.
(Anonymous 1): This bastard has completely become an Earthling.
‘Aren’t you the same?’
(Anonymous 1): True, which is why I’m proud of you.
Eric let out a small laugh and continued his search. Even while hiding within the Pagong Guild, he searched for information, and in the process, he read several articles.
From rumors of the Pagong Guild being linked to villain groups to reports that Hunters had been injured at their training center.
But the articles were noticeably few. Even if something was posted, it was quickly deleted, and Eric was struggling to recover deleted articles.
His searching ability now surpassed that of most Earthlings.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): As I thought, my guess seems right.
‘What’s your guess?’
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): I’m only starting to remember now, but there were rumors that the training center used promising Hunters as sacrifices. Those Hunters were usually orphans or raised by a single mother or father.
Few family, few friends, and family with little power or wealth—but with outstanding Hunter potential.
Those were the ones who became the Pagong Guild’s sacrifices.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): Demon summoning. You’ve probably heard of it.
(Anonymous 1): It was in Donghae, right?
(God of Rain and Sunlight): The one from that famous mid-sized guild in Chuncheon that came to find Jinwoo?
(Father of Crops): They tried to perform a demon summoning.
(The Last Blacksmith): Hmm, I remember.
(Endless Waiting): Julian keeps popping up secretly.
(The Last Blacksmith): Haha, raising disciples is fun, but it seems I really do need to hang out with you all. Now, this is living.
(Liberated Swordsman): Anyway, continue, Returnee of the Demon Realm.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): So, have you met a guild recently that’s planning a demon summoning?
(Anonymous 1): Yup, I have.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): Yeah, it’s something like that. The villains have been moving busily to perform demon summonings for several years now, Earth time. Large guild masters, conglomerate chairmen, even politicians are deeply involved. That’s why S-rank Hunters like me had to investigate in secret.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Hm.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): So, the probability of you becoming a sacrifice for a demon summoning is high.
Kang Minseok hesitantly typed in the chat, saying this only occurred to him now.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): I know it’s a late thought, and it doesn’t make sense. I know it sounds crazy….
(Anonymous 1): Don’t drag it out, just say it.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): While investigating villains aiming for demon summoning, I myself was summoned to the Demon Realm, where demons run rampant, and even became a Demon King. Isn’t that weird?
The Returnee of the Demon Realm, who had been investigating villains.
It really was strange.
(Father of Crops): Ugh, I got chills. It actually sounds plausible.
(Anonymous 1): Sh*t, yeah.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): ….
(Endless Waiting): Does that mean they can control the system, too?
(Receiver of Cheongha): It’s even more dangerous than I thought.
(Liberated Swordsman): Huh, it really could be.
(Anonymous 1): It’s definitely sketchy.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): Eric, be careful. If something goes wrong, it could be big trouble.
(Anonymous 1): Well, if a summoned creature dies, their pendant disappears.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): That’s why I’m giving you advice. This is not someone you should take lightly.
‘Thanks for the advice, but I think I’ll be fine.’
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): What? Hey, Eric! I’m telling you, this is seriously not someone to take lightly!
Kang Minseok, flustered, even changed his tone and quickly typed out his messages.
(Anonymous 1): Hey, hey, newbie. Don’t worry, Eric’s probably stronger than you.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): Still, I’m a legendary-class Constellation, though I wasn’t even close to that level back on Earth.
(Anonymous 1): Eric killed a Constellation with a human body. Now that I think about it, that Constellation was legendary-class too. ……Oops.
Anonymous, who rarely talked about his hometown, gave an awkward laugh.
(Anonymous 1): Well, yeah.
Everyone who vaguely heard their conversation—Jinwoo and the Constellations—were shocked. They knew Eric and Anonymous were strong, but to kill a Constellation with a human body?
And not just any Constellation, a legendary-class one?
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): …That’s insane.
(Father of Crops): Right?
(The Last Blacksmith): That’s crazy.
(Liberated Swordsman): No wonder Anonymous is so flippant—he’s got the skills for it.
(Endless Waiting): And Anonymous said he’s stronger than Eric… no wonder.
(Father of Crops): My arms and legs are shaking… someone like me, an ordinary-grade Constellation, would die instantly, right?
Eric smirked as he read the chat.
He wanted to deny that Anonymous was stronger than him, but he didn’t want to start a pointless argument.
‘My lord, can you see my chat?’
— I see it.
‘What should I do?’
— Honestly, it looks like Cheolgyu really has become a demon summoning sacrifice, right?
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): That’s a given.
‘Yes, I think so.’
— Let’s take down the Pagong Guild today, and rescue Cheolgyu and the other sacrifices too.
‘Understood.’
The order to wipe out a major guild’s headquarters and retrieve the unknown sacrifices.
It was, by all accounts, a ludicrous command.
A task that seemed impossible.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): No matter how strong Eric is, isn’t this too much? This really seems impossible.
Kang Minseok thought that even for Eric, this was an order he couldn’t pull off. But Jinwoo wasn’t a summoner who gave out impossible orders.
‘I’ll take care of it quickly and return.’
And at that moment.
[A Hidden Quest has arrived!]
— Description: Annihilate the Pagong Guild.
— Reward: S-rank Random Box.
A Hidden Quest appeared out of nowhere.
And hidden within it was the incredible reward of an S-rank Random Box.
‘I will make sure to complete this!’
Eric had about eight hours left.
He judged that the time was more than enough. First, Eric gathered mana inside his body. Like the protagonist in a martial arts novel practicing breathing techniques, Eric gathered mana in his dantian in his own way.
Mana slowly flowed through his veins, circulating his body, and Eric’s body swelled slightly.
He gripped his sword.
‘Everyone here is a villain.’
As the mana filled his body, he could keenly sense the smell of demonic energy. It was amazing that everyone possessed demonic energy. How they’d gone undetected for over five years was a mystery in itself.
Paaat—!!
Sword in hand, he leapt forward at incredible speed. With each swing, a powerful sword aura swept through the building.
Boom—!
Boom—!
Each time the sword aura swept through, villains fell one by one, and the sword aura exploded like a bomb.
“Intruder!”
“Who the hell is that bastard?”
“Call the Guild Master!”
“At least S-rank Hunter! Call the Guild Master!”
“…A private Hunter! It’s a private Hunter!”
Enormous explosions, sword aura felling twenty villains in an instant.
Seeing this, the villains of the Pagong Guild were convinced that Eric was a private Hunter. This was another moment when the prestige of private Hunters soared.
“Go get the Guild Master!”
Boom—!
The shouting villain fell like that.
The fleeing villain was crushed beneath the debris of the explosions.
(Anonymous 1): It’s been a while, this kind of violent battle.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Did you guys used to fight like this every day?
(Anonymous 1): This is nothing. The Constellations watching this broadcast—if you came to my and Eric’s hometown, you wouldn’t last a week.
(Father of Crops): I actually believe that… My hands and feet are shaking.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): My worries were pointless.
(The Last Blacksmith): Eric, you’re using the sword that Jinwoo lent you to go beyond your limits! Yes, keep using my sword to your heart’s content! Haha, excellent!!
(Liberated Swordsman): There’s a lot to learn from that swordsmanship.
(Endless Waiting): Indeed.
As if swords weren’t enough, Eric spun his sword with a flourish that surpassed all limits. The sword spun once atop his hand and soon took on the form of an axe.
Eric briefly blocked the attack of a Hunter approaching from behind with the axe, then swiftly swung to both sides.
About five minutes passed like that.
The Pagong Guild’s building had vanished entirely. Eric picked up a white mask that had fallen nearby and used it.
It seemed to be the mask the Pagong Guild’s villains wore when doing villainous deeds.
Jinwoo admired Eric as he watched. The swordsmanship he’d only heard of through Anonymous’s chats was being demonstrated before his eyes. Seeing it in person taught him so much. Jinwoo grew yet again.
*****
Jin Cheolgyu.
He was trembling, hiding underground. Only now did he realize that the Pagong Guild was a group of villains. If he’d known, he wouldn’t have come. He wouldn’t have graduated top of his class at training. He wouldn’t have said he lived with his mother.
He kept on regretting.
A giant well, a blood-soaked floor, skulls strewn all around.
Looking at those skulls, he covered his ears. The ringing in his ears came from everywhere.
— Come here, come here, come over here.
He grit his teeth, trying not to listen.
But then, through the hands covering his ears, another noise broke in.
Boom—!
Boom—!!!!
An immense explosion.
The sound of the building collapsing.
And when even the ceiling of the underground shattered, two thoughts ran through his mind. One, a sliver of hope. The other, acceptance that he’d die here.
At that moment, someone landed in front of him.
A towering man wielding a sword.
Wearing a white mask stained with blood.
He reached out his hand.
“Let’s go home.”
(Anonymous 1): He’s hogging all the cool moments for himself, that bastard.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): He is pretty cool.
(Anonymous 1): If I weren’t a Constellation… Ha, damn it.
(Father of Crops): If you weren’t a Constellation, Earth would be doomed by now.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Hahahahahahaha.
(Receiver of Cheongha): I feel that.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): Eric… your strength is incredible. Even I wouldn’t be confident to do that.
(Endless Waiting): They say he killed a legendary-class Constellation with a human body. That kind of insane power makes sense.
(Liberated Swordsman): Truly, it wasn’t a lie that he could’ve become a Constellation if he hadn’t become a summoned creature.
(The Last Blacksmith): You can tell just by how he uses weapons. Eric is already beyond even legendary-class Constellations.
(Returnee of the Demon Realm): Having someone like that living as a summoned creature is basically a disaster. If a villain had gotten the pendant instead of Jinwoo, Earth would have been destroyed already.
Eric nodded.
He didn’t dislike this kind of praise.
“Um… who are you?”
— Say I sent you. For Cheolgyu, that much is fine.
“Jinwoo sent me. Take my hand.”
“…Jinwoo? You mean Jinwoo hyung?”
Eric nodded, and Cheolgyu took his hand.
“Hold on tighter.”
When he gripped tight.
Vwoooom—!
He felt as if he were hanging from an airplane.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.