Chapter 12
—
[ Regular Raid Coming Up in One Month ]
[ Keywords to Watch for in the 202X Season: Lee Do’s Children? ]
[ What Are the Promotion Prospects for Mir Guild, Backed by Lee Do Group? ]
└ Promotion? Lolololol
└ F*** you. I reported this. Forget promotion, the guild’s burning down, and you’re rubbing it in.
[ (Official) Mir Guild’s Next (D-7) ]
└ HOXY, is Lee Shin out in 7 days? Haha
└ Does D-7 mean they’ll release the roster in 7 days?
* * *
In Chungnam, at the Lee Do Hotel.
A man entered the suite, where a single night’s stay cost thousands of won.
“Yes, yes, I’m aware.”
Holding his phone between his shoulder and ear, the man yanked at his necktie as he rummaged through the fridge.
Realizing it was empty, he kicked it with frustration.
Thud—!
The loud noise prompted the door to open, revealing a woman in a silk slip yawning as she approached him.
“Haaaa~ Honey, you’re back…”
“Shh—”
Covering the phone, the man mouthed, “Geezer, geezer,” causing the woman to playfully mimic an exaggerated reaction.
“No, sir, I’m alone. Alone, as always. What fool would say I’m fooling around? I’ve barely had time to breathe with all the guild work, let alone indulge in anything like that.”
The man stripped off his clothes and flopped onto the sofa.
The woman, as if it were second nature, brought over a bottle of liquor and sat on his lap.
A whiskey bottle worth more than an average worker’s yearly salary was poured into the man’s mouth like water.
“Of course, I’m using the documents you sent me well. I’ve secured additional intel on the trouble with Kirin Guild, too. As soon as I confirm the location, I’ll personally initiate recruitment.”
──────!
“Information leaks? Impossible. I’ve ensured full control. If I don’t secure the recruits, no one will.”
──────!
“Father, please. Trust me. Have I ever let you down before?”
Indeed.
This man, who now sat naked while guzzling premium whiskey with a woman draped over him, was Lee Myunghwan.
The eldest son of Lee Chanbin, president of Lee Do Motors, Seoul National University’s top graduate, and the pride of the Lee Do family—the one often called its most perfect jewel.
“Yes, Father. Enjoy your meal, and I’ll visit soon.”
Click—
The call ended.
“Honestly, that old man is so paranoid.”
“What’s going on, babe? Why’s your dad pestering you?”
“What else? He’s nagging, as usual.”
“Oh, please. There’s no guild as well-run as yours. What’s he nagging about?”
So far, Lee Do Group has acquired 14 regional satellite guilds.
Of those, five are directly managed by the royal family.
Among them, Lee Myunghwan’s guild stood out as the clear frontrunner.
He should be receiving praise, but instead, he’s getting lectured.
Fed up, Myunghwan chugged more whiskey from the bottle.
“So what if it’s running smoothly? Some lunatic with a baby-faced mug is out there making a scene.”
This recent foray by Lee Do Group into guild ownership was more than a mere expansion.
It was Chairman Lee Sangbyuk’s lifelong dream, the final step in making the Lee Do Group truly invincible.
Naturally, all eyes in the company turned toward this effort.
Faction leaders and executives alike prayed for their respective representatives to succeed.
But amidst this sacred battle, some lunatic was throwing dirt in the water.
That lunatic was Lee Shin.
Just thinking about him made Myunghwan grind his teeth.
“Huh? Why would he bother competing? Your guild’s in League 2, and his is in League 4.”
“Compete? As if. I just can’t stand his theatrics with that foppish face of his.”
“Oh…”
“A vulgar clown with no shame.”
All recent media coverage of Lee Do Group’s guild activities focused solely on Lee Shin.
And why wouldn’t it?
In the offseason’s stove league, nothing else offered such spectacle.
Love it or hate it, all attention inevitably gravitated toward him.
“Shame, huh…”
Though Myunghwan dismissed Lee Shin as shameless, the woman couldn’t help but nod as she recalled his face.
The impact was undeniable.
“Anyway, back to business. What about the thing I mentioned?”
“Who am I? I fact-checked everything last night. The friction between ‘Mountain King’ and Kirin Guild? It’s way worse than we thought.”
“Oh! So that means…”
“There’s a much higher chance of recruiting him!”
When a new guild leader steps in, fans naturally start with high expectations.
Better players, better results, and greater investment.
A leader’s first test is meeting those expectations.
So, like Myunghwan, they dive headfirst into the recruitment market.
As the newly appointed head of Dynasty Guild, Myunghwan felt the pressure to deliver results.
While the Lee Do Group and his father’s backing would ensure long-term success, what he needed now was immediate achievement.
That’s why his priority was landing a high-profile recruit.
His top target?
Kim Jong-pil, also known as the Mountain King.
“Who else knows about this?”
“Right now, just me and my informant.”
“Can you trust the informant?”
“Of course. She’s my sister.”
“Brilliant. I’m falling for you all over again.”
“Kyaaah~!”
One of the Three Kings, alongside All-King and Combat King, who once dominated the world in their prime.
Though now aging and no longer at his peak, Myunghwan wasn’t looking for skill.
Legend. Legacy. The name Mountain King carried immense symbolism.
That was more than enough.
Use his reputation to draw in rookies, let him do light work, and perhaps pass down some knowledge—perfect.
Moreover, Myunghwan had another reason to secure Mountain King.
Years ago, when Lee Do Group first planned to enter the guild business, Chairman Lee Sangbyuk had chosen Mountain King as his first pick due to regional ties.
The competent grandson who fulfilled his grandfather’s wishes.
A recruitment with massive benefits on all fronts, one worth Myunghwan’s absolute commitment.
“Have you narrowed down his location?”
“We’ve got it down to three places: Hallasan, Geumgangsan, and Baekdusan.”
“He sure loves mountains. Living up to his name.”
“We should confirm the exact location within a few days.”
“Too long. Make it two days.”
“It’ll be tough, but I’ll try.”
“I have to be the one to recruit Mountain King.”
‘If I can personally recruit the Mountain King, I’ll gain my grandfather’s full favour. If that happens, who’s to say I couldn’t leap over a generation and secure my spot as the successor?’
Lee Myunghwan smiled, guzzled down another drink, and threw himself onto the bed.
“Ha, this one move will elevate my presence as well.”
He dreamed of rosy outcomes as he spoke.
But he didn’t know.
The sweet dream he was envisioning had already become someone else’s reality.
“Are you sure the ‘Mountain King’ is really here?”
“I told you, yes.”
Lee Shin had just arrived at Geumgangsan.
* * *
At one point, there was a lively debate among GM players.
What was GM’s true ending?
GM is a simulation game focused on nurturing guilds. Each season, you sell and recruit hunters to aim for promotion. Structurally, it wasn’t designed to have a definitive ending.
Players were well aware of this, but human nature compels us to seek closure once something begins.
After heated discussions, the players boiled it down to two possibilities:
[The ultimate showdown of continental champions: Winning the ‘Champions League.’]
[The once-every-four-years international competition: Winning the ‘World Raid.’]
Those favouring the ‘Champions League’ argued it aligned with participating in the game as a guild.
Those siding with the ‘World Raid’ claimed that nothing surpassed national glory.
Even after days of fierce debate, they couldn’t reach a conclusion and decided to consult GM’s ultimate authority: a veteran known as “Professor Lee.”
Lee Shin stunned everyone with his response:
“Ending? That’s when you see every character’s story ending.”
Completing the hidden affection quests for every character and unlocking their ‘Story Endings’? That’s when you’ve truly conquered GM.
His words left everyone speechless.
Just completing one affection quest was hard enough. All characters? Was he insane?
The number of characters alone reached four digits. Unlocking every story ending was a realm even experienced players didn’t dare tread.
But Lee Shin was the sole conqueror of this abyss.
The first character he chose was none other than one of the legendary Three Kings from 30 years ago, who elevated Korea to the pinnacle of the global guild scene.
The Mountain King, Kim Jong-pil.
A living legend of the past.
Dal-dal-dal!!
The Rolls-Royce shook violently. Compared to its usual ultra-silent ride, the current experience was horrendous, but the Rolls-Royce had every right to feel wronged.
Who would have thought that someone crazy enough would drive this precious car up Geumgangsan’s unpaved roads?
“Ahhh, unnie! Our Rollinie is dying!!”
“Be quiet and buckle your seatbelt. Do you think off-road vehicles exist for no reason?”
Anyway.
“Can you continue that story?”
“What? Oh, Mountain King?”
“I can’t believe it. Why is Mountain King, who should be in the Kirin Guild, in Geumgangsan?”
“Wow, our bro really likes Mountain King, huh?”
“Of course! Who in Korea doesn’t like Mountain King?”
“Really? Do you like him, unnie?”
“……”
“Guess not. Whoops!”
Thud!
The car jolted, and Lee Shin grabbed onto the handle, continuing the conversation.
“Alright, there’s still a way to go to the summit. Let’s hear it. So, Dong-ha hyung, what exactly do you like about Mountain King?”
“Why’re you pretending not to know? You know better than I do.”
“Ah~ Come on, tell me~”
“……Mountain King is a living legend.”
Thirty years ago, the Korean guild scene had faced an unprecedented dark age.
Their traditional rivals, China and Japan, as well as Taiwan, which had always been considered inferior, were surpassing them—a time of utter despair.
And during this dark age, three figures emerged like comets.
First, Combat King, who proved that even the ultimate force of technology was no match for his unmatched physical prowess.
Second, All-King, who could perform every role—offense, defense, healing, buffs, and debuffs—proving he could do it all.
And lastly.
Mountain King, who rose to the world’s peak alongside the two.
“Mountain King revolutionized the summoner class. Before him, summoners—whether they dealt with spirits, beasts, or undead—were universally looked down upon. But he broke through all of that.”
Simply put, brains.
“The term ‘Brainscul’ was coined during his era.”
The most intelligent hunter in history.
It wasn’t about summoning the strongest creatures. He could summon even low-grade summons that suited the situation.
By maximizing utility abilities, he freed up his teammates, enhancing the raid squad as a whole rather than focusing on individual prowess, becoming a near-omnipotent figure.
The role known today as ‘commander’ in modern raids was established thanks to Mountain King.
“Since then, the importance of having a strategist has been emphasized globally. People often say raids are divided into two eras—before and after Mountain King.”
He transformed an era that favoured individual leaders into one centered on strategists, emphasized the need for utility formations, and diversified strategies through careful study of team synergy.
Mountain King completely upended the paradigms of raids.
“After conquering the Guild War Champions and World Raid, the Three Kings reached their peak and eventually split. At this time, Mountain King and All-King founded the Kirin Guild—the Kirin we know today.”
Just as the regulations on corporate guilds were lifted, the Kirin Group offered astronomical salaries.
They successfully recruited Mountain King and All-King, making the Kirin Guild Korea’s top guild.
As Chae Dong-ha fervently explained this, he found it harder to believe.
Who was Mountain King?
A living legend who had attained every honour a hunter could dream of. The founding member of Korea’s greatest guild, Kirin Guild, and one of its two pillars alongside All-King.
And yet, such a great figure, supposedly busy with guild affairs, was being searched for in the desolate corners of Geumgangsan?
Why?
When asked, Lee Shin smirked.
“Why else? He got kicked out.”
“Kicked out…….”
!!
Dong-ha gasped, his jaw dropping.
Lee Shin delivered the confirmation with a cheerful tone.
“That guy’s unemployed now. He was forced to ‘retire’ from Kirin.”
—
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