Vroom

A black sedan stopped in front of the Insa-dong market. A woman sat in the back, nibbling on her popsicle. 

“What’s his name?” She asked her subordinate.

“Seo Jun-Ho, Miss.” He pushed a hologram video from the passenger seat to the back. “This video was taken only a few minutes ago.” 

She watched it silently. Seo Jun-Ho defeated three Players in a single breath. 

“Who are those guys?”

“I looked into it, and they aren’t particularly noteworthy, but they are all over level 20, Miss.”

“Hm.” The video ended, and the woman didn’t seem all that interested. But her subordinate knew immediately. 

‘She’s interested.’ 

Her voice had quickened up at the end. She only did that when she was amused. 

“I personally like him because he exceeded our expectations. What do you think, Princess?” [1]

“Well, he’s not bad.” She played the video again. “I always say this, but anyone can raise their stats as long as they have money. However…”

“There aren’t many Players who have a good pair of eyes like him. Is that what you were going to say?”

“...Stop finishing my sentences.”

“Yes, yes.”

She was annoyed by his joking attitude, but he had seen right through her. She was impressed by how swift Seo Jun-Ho dodged the attacks. 

A second later, they pulled up in an alleyway. 

“Please finish your popsicle quickly. I think he’s coming soon.”

“Whatever.” She bit into her popsicle before she suddenly turned to the window. “Hey hey, isn’t that him?

Right on time, Seo Jun-Ho emerged from the alleyway. People recognized him right away and asked him to take pictures together.  

“Yes, Miss. Unlike you, he seems pretty popular.”

“...” 

She stared into the rearview mirror and studied him. 

“What the? He’s actually useful.” She made this conclusion after seeing Seo Jun-Ho in person. He looked weak at first sight because his body was untrained, but the look in his eyes was sharp. It was second to none, not even when compared to the first-rate Players. 

“Then, I’ll bring him here, Miss.” 

She shook her head and opened the car door. “I’ll go myself. I feel like I’ll be seeing him around a lot.”

***

“Chee~se!”

“Cheese...” Seo Jun-Ho muttered with a sullen look on his face. As soon as he emerged from the alleyway, people claiming to be his fans had gone crazy and swarmed him. 

“Excuse me, please be considerate of the people in line!”

“Just how many pictures are you gonna take?”

“...What? In line?” Shocked, Seo Jun-Ho turned around. At some point, dozens of people had lined up behind him. 

‘They’re so civilized!’ 

In fact, the line was getting longer by the second. If things kept going like this, he wouldn’t be able to go home for hours. A loud alarm went off in his head, one he didn’t hear even when he was fighting. Just then…

“Player Seo Jun-Ho?” A soft, beautiful voice cut through the loud noises, clear as day. 

When he turned around, he saw a petite woman that came up to his chest. She was staring up at him. She looked extremely suspicious with her mask and sunglasses, but Seo Jun-Ho was looking at something else. 

‘She’s strong?’ 

His words weren’t empty. She was the strongest Player he had ever seen after waking up from the ice. 

‘The female Players that were this strong were…’

He had already researched and filled his head with information on the famous Players, including Rankers. Thanks to that, he found his answer right away. Short, long wavy red hair, and a burning heat that he felt just by standing near her. There was only one person in the world that had those traits. 

‘The Goblin Guild’s Princess.’

They called her the Red Lotus, a flame-user Player from the Goblin Guild. She was actually a Team Leader, but she was more often called the Princess because of her peculiar name. 

Seo Jun-Ho feigned ignorance. “Who are you?”

“Sorry, but can we talk inside somewhere? I’m not some suspicious person.” She pulled out a business card. 

[Goblin Guild. Team 2 Leader Gong Ju-Ha.]

‘I knew it.’

It was as he expected.

‘Since she’s from the Goblin Guild, they’re probably trying to scout me.‘

He had no thoughts of joining a Guild, but it felt good. After all, it was one of the six strongest Guilds in the world. One of the famous, influential Big 6. 

‘It’s well-known that they make more in a year than a small country’s budget.‘

Seo Jun-Ho feigned a surprised look. 

“Wow, what business does the Goblin Guild have with me?

“Fufu. Let’s go to a cafe and talk over mocha frappuccino.”

Of course, he agreed. After all, it was a legitimate reason to escape the photo zone. 

***

They sat in a private booth in the cafe. Gong Ju-Ha’s subordinate stood guard at the door. She finally took off her mask and sunglasses then fanned her face. “Man, I’m sweating. I hate going out. I hate the heat, but I have to wear a disguise on top of that.”

“...Aren’t you a flame-user?”

“That’s the problem. I like cool, cold things,” she complained. 

It was hard to believe that Gong Ju-Ha was 23 years old with her baby face. 

‘Is this meek-looking girl really the Goblin Guild’s Princess from the rumors?’ 

The Goblin Guild’s Princess, or the Red Lotus Princess, was one of the few things that even the fiends were afraid of. But to Seo Jun-Ho, she just looked like a cute girl around his age. 

“Oh, before we start.”

Woooing

Gong Ju-Ha suddenly used her magic and created an intangible field around them. It was a perfectly soundproof wall. Seo Jun-Ho blinked as he discovered this fact.

‘Huh? This technique…’

It was familiar. 

Seeing his unreadable expression, Gong Ju-Ha quickly explained. “Ah, sorry if I scared you. It’s a maintenance spell based on Skaya-nim’s theories. It’s just a thin wall that blocks out nearby sounds.”

“...I see.”

“It’s annoying to learn, but it’s useful, so you should learn it later on.”

‘I know how to do it…’

Sipping on her mocha frappuccino, Gong Ju-Ha got straight to the point.

“Would you like to join our Guild?”

“...All of a sudden?” Seo Jun-Ho looked dumbfounded. She was inviting him to join the Goblin Guild, one of the Big 6 guilds that all Players dreamed of joining as if she was asking him if he wanted to eat jjajangmyeon[2] for lunch.

“The Vice-Master wanted to scout you. Of course, they also told me to make the final decision after meeting you in person...But you pass.”

“In what sense?”

“Your achievements, for one. It’s not so strange that we’d want you after looking at what you have achieved so far. After all, you’re the Super Rookie.”

Seo Jun-Ho nodded in agreement. After all, he had done all that with this kind of outcome in mind. No one around his level was building a better career than he was. 

“And you score higher on my end in combat sense and future potential.”

“Combat sense…..Has the video already started spreading?” He had seen quite a few people at the bar filming his fight with the Reapers of Gangnam. Of course, he knew that it would blow up, just not this fast.

“I enjoyed it. You’re good at fighting. Is your only skill really D-rank Weapon Proficiency?”

“Yes.” The only skill registered on his official profile was D-rank Weapon Proficiency.

“That only makes me want you more. Think about it. You only have one D-rank skill, but you’re already at this level, with this career. What if you gained more skills?”

“Well…..Obviously, I’d get stronger.”

“Whatever you’re thinking of, you’ll get even stronger than that.” Her voice was sweet like honey as she smiled and continued to promote her Guild. “If you join our Guild, our skill books will help you. Not only that, but our Gate coordinators will draw up a course for you to help you level up as fast as possible.”

“That’s amazing.” He felt sorry for Shim Deok-Gu, but there was a reason that the Guilds were much better than the Association. Just by going off of what she said, joining a Guild was much more beneficial. 

‘Plus, their yearly salary is higher and their incentives are better.’ 

It was a complete defeat for the Association. 

“As you know, we are one of the best Guilds in the world. And, we have a lot more information on the 2nd floor than the Association does. It’ll be greatly beneficial for your growth.”

“That’s true.”

“If you’re worried about the penalty fees for breaking your contract with the Association, we can also pay for that.” At this point, most Players would have instantly left the Association and joined the Guild.

‘Well, if they have this many benefits, it’s no wonder that there are no useful guys left at the Association.’ 

But no matter how good the benefits were, Seo Jun-Ho had no intentions of joining a Guild.

‘I’d become rich and famous. But…’

A Guild was a place that valued profit over cost, there was no way it would come for free. He would surely have to give up an equal amount to what he accumulated in glory and riches. 

‘Usually, it’s carrying out orders.’ 

Carrying out tasks assigned by the Guild. This was what most Players spent their time doing. For Seo Jun-Ho, who could only focus on his own growth, the Guild system was like a ball and chain. 

‘I’m happiest with where I’m at now.’ 

The Player Association was an international organization, so Players were treated like government officials. 

‘Most government officials have to adhere to a strict hierarchy…’

But the chief of the Korean Association had his back. Even if he didn’t insert himself into official business, no one would complain. 

“What do you think?” Even as she asked, Gong Juha thought it was a stupid question. 

‘There’s no way he’d decline.’ 

They were the Big 6, the Goblin Guild. And she was the Ranker, the Goblin’s Princess. She had come down to the 1st floor briefly and came to recruit him in person. It would be strange if he refused. 

But Seo Jun-Ho’s answer was unexpected. 

“I respectfully decline.”

“Yeah, yeah, you can speak casually from…Eh?” Gong Ju-Ha’s eyes went wide, blinking. She clapped her hands together and started again. “Um…I don’t think you understood what I said.”

“No, I did. The Goblin Guild has made me an amazing offer.”

“...So, why?” The look on her face was one of utter confusion. She wasn’t even angry, just truly curious. She wanted to hear why in the world he would refuse him. 

“Do you know the saying ‘the snake’s head is better than the dragon’s tail’?”[3]

“Ah, got it,” said Gong Ju-Ha. She looked at Seo Jun-Ho with a new light. 

‘He’s more ambitious than I thought.’ The snake’s head was better than the dragon’s tail. She understood. 

‘Well, even if he joined Goblin, he likely wouldn’t be able to reach a high position.’ 

Seo Jun-Ho was outstanding, but there were already Players of his level at Goblin. The top Players like Shin Sung-Hyun and Kim Woo-Joong had already established themselves at around Seo Jun-Ho’s level. Though, he did have them beat when it came to Uncleared Gates. 

‘Besides, they have S-rank skills.’ 

It was incredible how far Seo Jun-Ho had come with just a D-rank skill, but no matter how hard he trained, his limits should be around B-rank. No matter how good he was, there would be a gap between the growth potential of an S-rank skill. He had probably refused the offer because he understood all that. 

‘He’s smart.’

For most people, joining one of the Big 6 was the finish line. They fell into the trap of believing that their world would expand if they just joined one. But the competition within the Guilds was much fiercer than the outside. After all, the Big 6 was where the elites of the elites gathered. 

Having become the Team 2 Leader through her hard-earned efforts, Gong Ju-Ha understood him. 

‘Hm. He knows where he stands and is backing out peacefully…..How admirable.’ 

It was a bit of a waste. If she took him in and trained him properly, she thought he would be able to become one of the low-tier Ranker. She asked one more time, looking disappointed. “I’m not usually the nagging type, but I’ll ask one more time. You really won’t join us?”

“I’m sorry.”

“...Well, nothing we can do about it then.” It wasn’t like she could force him to join. It would be too disgraceful. 

Gong Ju-Ha stood up from her seat to leave. “Oh, and I advise you to be careful.”

“...Are you planning to get revenge on me for refusing?”

“No no, I may be small but my heart isn’t![4] What do you take me for?” She puffed out her cheeks in annoyance before she lowered her voice. “The fiends have suddenly started getting active again, including on the 1st floor.”

“...The 1st floor?”

“Yes. There has been a guy called the Skeleton Mage going around different countries and wreaking terror. He’s a headache to deal with. Does he think he’s Hong Gil-Dong[5] or something? Anyways, you should be careful.”

“Thank you for warning me.”

“Then, I’ll see you again sometime. Mr. Snakehead.” Gong Ju-Ha quickly left the cafe with her subordinate. Seo Jun-Ho watched her go and slowly closed his eyes. 

‘So the fiends have started moving.’ 

He felt it. It was an instinct that was carved into his DNA. Gong Ju-Ha’s warning was some sort of sign. 

‘If they come after me...It’ll be because of the Eastern Sea Gate.’ 

The sleeping rare-grade bow wavered in his inventory. 

He had already met the requirements to use it. 

I’ll show them something worthy of its name. 

The bow that brought storms, Tempest Butterfly. 

He wanted to witness its glory with his own eyes.

1. If you read the webtoon, you’ll know it’s Gong Ju-Ha. Her nickname is Gongju, which means princess ☜

2. Jajangmyeon or jjajangmyeon is a Korean noodle dish topped with a thick sauce made of chunjang, diced pork, and vegetables. Variants of the dish use seafood, or other meats. ☜

3. It’s a Korean idiom meaning that it’s better to be at the top of something than the bottom of something else, even if the latter is better overall ☜

4. Meaning that she isn’t a narrow-minded petty person ☜

5. Hong Gil-Dong is similar to a Korean Robinhood. During the reign of tyrant Yeonsan-gun, peasant armies rose up throughout the country. One of the most representative was the peasant army led by Hong Gil-Dong. He, dressed as an aristocrat, attacked the government offices with a large number of armed peasants. ☜