Chapter 63
"Wha... this is..."
"You should have some stakes if you're going to treat it like your own guild."
20% shares.
As expected, Lee Hayeon was taken aback by the unexpected offer.
"20% is too much!"
"It's what you deserve for your abilities."
In reality, even 20% wasn't truly equivalent to Lee Hayeon's worth.
She had managed a secondary guild in America First while hiding her face behind a mask of addiction because her gift was that extraordinary.
'By tying her with 20% shares of a startup guild, it's a bargain.'
Especially if the guild was used just for achievement points and buffs, she wouldn't truly gain anything substantial from it.
Even with these thoughts, Seong Jihan maintained a pleasant facade.
"I hope you do your best with the shares given. I have high expectations."
Lee Hayeon's heart fluttered at Seong Jihan's acknowledgment.
She hadn't even expected to receive shares, let alone such a significant portion.
Has anyone ever valued her supporting gift this much before?
'It's so different from my brother.'
Tears welled up in her eyes as she affirmed, "I'll do my very best!"
Seeing her passion, Seong Jihan felt a twinge of guilt.
'Should I have just given her 10%? It's just a startup guild share, why is she so fired up?'
Not knowing the full circumstances, he became anxious, fearing the situation might unnecessarily escalate.
And his anxiety became reality.
"I'll arrange for a guild office right away. There's a vacancy in Sword Palace. Oh, by the way, do you have any plans to move?"
"Well, even if we move, it will take some time."
"Then I'll rent an office here for now."
"That's fine... I'll provide the funds."
He had leftover sponsorship money from Robert Gates and said he would invest as an owner.
"No, I can't accept that. I've received shares, so I should bear 20% of the responsibility. I'll take care of it, even if we have to start from a small place..."
Lee Hayeon confidently stated her intent to pay, her eyes shining.
"Also, we'll set up an official guild BattleTube.
The revenue from there, as well as ad sponsorships, will cover operational costs, owner."
"Oh. Well... go ahead."
"But, owner? I'm sorry, but it would be great if you could appear on the guild BattleTube frequently in the early days. We'll probably rely on your subscribers initially."
"I can't appear often."
"Once or twice a week would be enough."
"If that's all..."
The situation was growing bigger.
Watching the enthusiastic Lee Hayeon, Seong Jihan momentarily regretted if he had made a careless decision.
'No... it's actually better this way. She'll actively work, and the guild achievements will be completed faster.'
He decided to view the hard-working guild master in a positive light for now.
"Do you have any plans to increase the guild members?"
"No, we're focusing on the growth rate."
"Then our guild concept should be nurturing potential talents. Do you have anyone in mind?"
"Seah will join, and there's one more."
Seong Jihan thought of Diego Masied, who possessed the SSS-tier gift 'God of Soccer'.
Now that he had established a guild, it was time to contact him.
"So, six spots left?"
"That's right."
"Can we temporarily add Gayeong? She won't need a salary; Divergent Guild will cover her."
"Miss...!"
Lim Gayeong, who had been standing quietly, was shocked.
She was already being treated as a promising member of the Divergent Guild.
Moving her to a new startup guild seemed unreasonable.
"It's fine if it's temporary."
"Thank you."
"I don't agree...!"
"Shush. Consider it a blessing."
Due to Lee Hayeon's strong insistence, Lim Gayeong was reluctantly added to the Daegi Guild.
She might have been grumbling internally at that moment, but...
[You have joined the Daegi Guild.]
[Your growth rate has increased. Current Growth Rate - 220%.]
[Your experience gain has increased by 30%.]
'What... is this?'
The significant advantage of joining the Daegi Guild became instantly evident upon reading the system messages.
* * * * *
* * * * *
In the supermarket located on the basement floor of the Sword Palace building:
"Seah!"
Yoon Seah, who was shopping, turned her head at the familiar voice.
"Heesu? What brings you here?"
"I came to see you. I've been waiting to catch you at your private elevator..."
Alongside the humble Kim Heesu was Kim Insik, limping with a plastered leg. Their faces were pale, suggesting the depth of the crisis they had faced.
"Seah... I'm so sorry about everything! Please forgive me!"
"I'm also at fault...!"
"Okay, get me that salmon."
She acknowledged their apologies with a simple nod and continued shopping, leaving them feeling ignored. Kim Heesu was grinding her teeth but bowed even lower.
"Seah, please... I got kicked out of my house. We were friends, weren't we? Can't you forgive me just this once?"
Despite her attempts at ignoring her, Kim Heesu persisted, hinting at the severe backlash she had faced at home.
'So annoying.'
Yoon Seah, after watching Seong Jihan's broadcast, no longer harboured any particular feelings towards Kim Heesu. The constant pestering was simply tiresome.
"Fine. I accept your apology."
"Really...?"
"Just like that?"
Caught off guard by her sudden forgiveness, seah swiftly added, "Now, stop following me. It's bothersome."
"Can you please ask your uncle to mention on the broadcast that we've settled matters?"
"Why should he? Just publish an apology in your newspaper."
Feeling the resistance, Yoon Seah surmised why they personally came to apologise.
"I'll discuss it."
Though she didn't voice it, she doubted her uncle would oblige. It would just be more hassle otherwise.
"Thank you!"
She watched as Kim Heesu and the limping Kim Insik departed from the supermarket. After wrapping up her shopping, she shared the episode with Seong Jihan.
"Good job. If they bother you, just shake them off."
"Will you mention the settlement on the broadcast?"
"Why should I? Tell them to post an apology."
"I thought as much."
Yoon Seah then steered the conversation to the new guild.
"So, you really made a guild?"
"Yes."
Seong Jihan proceeded to explain the guild's concept.
A nurturing guild focusing solely on growth rate.
The Daegi Guild, currently at silver rank, had invested all 10 points into the growth rate increase, making it level 11.
"With the addition of Lee Hayeon, who has a supporting gift, the efficiency of the growth rate option doubled. The experience gain is just a bonus."
"I know of past attempts to focus on growth rate options, but they all failed."
"It'll be different this time."
"Really? But the name... Daegi Guild... Is it named after 'Daegimanseong' (patience)?"
"Yes. So?"
"Feels like you named it in a hurry."
Despite her complaints, Yoon Seah felt grateful, assuming he had her in mind when naming it.
Upon joining the guild, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Whoa. Why is the growth rate benefit so high?"
[You have joined the Daegi Guild.]
[Your growth rate has increased. You now grow at 220%.]
[Your experience gain has increased by 30%.]
'What... is this?'
Upon joining the guild, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Whoa. Why is the growth rate benefit so high?"
The new benefits from the guild had a visible impact.
"Now, your training will yield even better results. Your stats will increase much faster," Seong Jihan remarked.
"Yeah, my stamina has already increased by 1."
"Already?"
Seong Jihan's brow furrowed.
Yoon Seah's awakening was on the 25th.
Today is the 30th, so not many days have passed since she started training.
'And her stats increased in that short amount of time?'
'Even accounting for the effects of her Gift, this is incredibly fast. This is... a natural talent.'
With the backing of the guild's buffs now, how much faster will she grow?
Holding onto this anticipation, Yoon Seah asked Seong Jihan,
"Uncle, you said that if I raise my stamina to 10 through training before level 10, I can get a rare stat, right?"
"Yes. Within 100 days of awakening, before reaching level 10, you need to raise your stamina by 10 through training."
The rare stat 'Endurance' was an upgraded version of stamina.
In the future, it was the first known method of obtaining a rare stat.
The requirement was simple but challenging due to the 100-day limit.
Before the training-oriented guilds like Daegi Guild came into existence, most players, even if they knew the method, couldn't obtain the stat.
"Should I skip the September League until I increase my stamina to 10?"
"No. Training in-game is more efficient. Moreover, considering the nature of your gift, it's essential to play regularly."
"Right..."
"Participate in the September League from Gangnam Place 3."
Gangnam Place 3 was filled with casual gamers, unlike Gangnam Place 1, which housed the elite prospects.
The difficulty level in Gangnam Place 3 was significantly lower than in Place 1.
"Training there won't draw attention."
"Right, so I just need to exercise in the game?"
"Yes, even more rigorously than now."
While discussing Yoon Seah's training direction, Seong Jihan's phone vibrated. It was a call from Lee Hayeon.
[Owner!]
"Just call me Jihan."
[No way! I will address you as 'Owner' until I repay your gracious gift of the 20% stake!]
"...As you wish. What's the matter?"
[Mr. Masied has arrived at the guild office. If you and your niece could come, we plan to introduce the guild live on BattleTube.]
"Already?"
It was just yesterday when he provided the stake for guild operations.
Setting up an office and even planning a streaming introduction for the guild in just a day showcased rapid progress.
[Yes. You should also start streaming on BattleTube. It will be a great promotion. Please come down!]
Without Seong Jihan's subscriber base, any BattleTube stream would have negligible viewers.
His presence was crucial for guild promotion.
"Understood. Let's go."
Thus, the humble guild, consisting of one Silver member, two Bronzes, and two level 1 players who hadn't even participated in the league, commenced their promotion efforts.
- What the heck is this????
- How are these stats even possible??
Their introductory video caused a significant uproar in the community.