The D-Rank Guild Master of the No. 1 Guild

With my hand still on the white bird, I glanced at the man in the bed.

‘You’ve given me another hint, Akata.’

Not just about the game’s bugs, but also about the path to the real world. If I can find the patterns and understand the principles in this programming language, maybe I can input command codes into the game, just like the developers. 

In theory, that would mean I could control this world.

‘Probably, there will only be one chance. Just one input and execution.’

After that, the GMs will notice. What command should I input during that precious opportunity to ensure I don’t waste it and can protect my life? 

Of course, this is a question to ponder only after I have mastered this computer language.

“Sigh…”

A sigh escaped me. This was going to drive me crazy.

I need to learn a new language, computer syntax, without any books or writing tools—just by memorizing, studying, and understanding everything in my head. 

That’s because all items in the guild’s fortress would be under the GMs’ surveillance.

The only place they can’t check is my ‘brain.’

‘I’d need to be a genius to pull this off, right?’

I let out a light sigh. 

Alright, let’s try to become a genius.

Since the white phoenix was reluctant to leave Akata’s side, I silently brought a chair and sat right by his head. 

At that moment, Akata turned over towards me with a loud breath.

‘…That startled me.’

His red hair cascaded down off the bed. His sturdy arm dropped off the bed, nearly brushing against my body with its veiny hand.

I closed my eyes tightly and mouthed the words to keep Akata from waking.

“Akata, please lie still…”

I couldn’t focus on studying.

Calming my anxious heart, I grabbed the bird again and focused on my studies.

‘By the way, if the GMs are watching the fortress and see me clutching a white bird, thinking, “What’s that guy doing with that bird alone?” I’ll be in big trouble…’

So, I should just pretend to be a creep, mesmerized by the beauty of grown-up Akata, staring at him all night.

…When I opened my eyes, the handsome features of the man with a strong, masculine vibe came into view again.

My heart fluttered.

At this rate, I’ll end up memorizing his face. I’m afraid I’ll keep recalling it in everyday life.

* * *

Because I spent the whole night grappling with Akata’s bird and thinking hard, I ended up returning to my room late and oversleeping.

For the first time, I’ll probably get scolded by Lilith for skipping breakfast and oversleeping.

Yawning, I walked into the living room, the sun already high in the sky.

“…?”

Why is everything green? Everywhere I looked, it was all green.

Rubbing my eyes and looking again, the green started to take shape.

What are these vines? They look familiar, especially from a fairy tale…

Beanstalk? Jack and the Beanstalk?

Come to think of it, isn’t this the beanstalk Lilith said she wanted to grow?

Soon, I spotted our guild members bustling around among the giant beanstalk vines.

Why had our pension turned into a ‘plants vs. humans’ battlefield overnight?

Yesterday, our guild members were leisurely walking around, but now they were fighting with sickles and hoes to survive an onslaught of nature.

“Did you create this survival simulation to train your combat skills even during the training prohibition period?”

“Help us instead of talking!”

Unahar, who was tightly bound by vines, shouted desperately.

At that moment, a large figure leaped over the incoming vines.

It was Gio, holding Lilith like a child in his arms.

Swish-! With a big swing of his scythe, Gio cut through the vines entangling Unahar. Freed, Unahar safely landed on the ground.

“Gio has developed camaraderie…!”

My awe lasted less than a second. Unahar’s next words doused it with cold water.

“Probably because I was carrying the breakfast bag.”

Unahar, adjusting his bulging backpack, had to move quickly to avoid the rapidly growing vines.

I had no choice but to grab a sickle and join the battle.

Cutting through the vine in front of me, I shouted to no one in particular.

“Has anyone seen Akata?”

“He’s probably still in his private room.”

“He moves so quietly he might have come out without us noticing. Anyway, I haven’t seen him.”

Akata was missing.

Well, he’s probably sleeping. He never gets out of bed unless someone wakes him up.

“Then what about Kanel?”

“He said he’s a sniper and disappeared with a gun. But I haven’t heard a single shot yet.”

I narrowed my eyes immediately.

“Tell him to come down and grab a sickle. Where is he slacking off?”

Thud!

As if on cue, a figure jumped down from a large vine and landed beside me.

“As sharp as ever.”

Kanel said, removing the headset from his head, letting the music spill out.

With most of the team gathered, we continued the unprecedented beanstalk pruning.

Since both training and using unique abilities were prohibited, burning these plants with fire was impossible.

We could only keep cutting and cutting until the number of vines decreased.

Despite slashing away with sickles for ten minutes, there was no sign of the humans securing the living room, and I started to feel a sense of crisis.

My voice naturally grew louder.

“This is the beanstalk Lilith wanted to grow, right? It grows 30 cm a day! What is this?”

“That, uh, I must have misread it. Sorry. It wasn’t 30 cm in 24 hours, but 30 cm every 24 seconds….”

I thought growing 30 cm in a day was unusual, but a plant growing 1.25 cm per second? That’s just insane. These damned plants dared to betray our Lilith?

Or was it not a betrayal? I recall when Lilith first brought the beanstalks and greeted them—

“Grow big and strong. Grow beautifully~.”

She cheered them on like that. 

It seems the beanstalks, fueled by Lilith’s love, were overly motivated. However, this fortress was too cramped to fulfill such ambition. So, they grew to the point of practically wanting to blow this place apart…

“This is hopeless. We need to attack the main stems!”

If our guild members get exhausted, it’s over. I temporarily used the dining table as a bunker and gathered all the guild members.

“There were three beanstalks if I remember correctly? Lilith, you didn’t bring any more, did you?”

“No, just the three little ones.”

Now, all three have grown tremendously, and their vines are entangled. 

It’s impossible to tell which one is the first, Suuk-Suuk, the second, Cutie, or the third, Tallie.

(Lilith named them. Why she gave such affection to these ungrateful plants is beyond me.)

Thus, our success depends on whether we can break into the room where the beanstalks were planted and cut off their roots. 

But if that’s the case, these beanstalks…

“We have to kill them. To save our fortress, we have no choice.”

I held Lilith’s hand. Lilith hung her head, looking like she might burst into tears at any moment.

“No…”

“I’m sorry, Lilith. It’s my fault for not thinking of another way.”

“It’s not your fault. Sniff, we have to let them go…”

“We’ll give them a grand funeral…”

Holding hands tightly, Lilith and I were acting out a tearful drama, while Gio and Unahar looked at us in confusion. They didn’t seem to understand the sentiment.

“Alright, let’s go over the plan.”

I checked to ensure the beanstalk vines weren’t targeting under the table, then began.

“Our target is the deep section of the indoor garden. We need to pull out the three beanstalks simultaneously. So, we’ll split into three teams. I’ll take the center with Unahar.”

“Okay.”

Unahar responded with a smile, even in this dire situation.

“Lilith and Gio will take the left. Gio, make sure to protect Lilith. Lilith, cover the rear and handle any remaining vines.”

“Got it! I’ll do my best!”

“Kanel, switch from your sniper rifle to a machine gun. Stay on the right alone to intercept, so you don’t hit any teammates.”

“Understood.”

It’s surreal to be devising such a desperate infiltration plan in our once peaceful sanctuary. Life sure has its twists.

“None of us have entered their stronghold yet. We need to be prepared for any massive enemy lurking inside. …On the count of three, we go.”

After the solemn command, we sprang into action and dashed down the corridor in perfect coordination. 

We slashed through the countless vines blocking our path. 

Crack! Gio leapt up and charged through the vines, as if running along the wall, his body breaking through the obstacles—a sight to behold.

“Bullets are too slow.”

Kanel muttered, unable to use his bullet acceleration ability. Even so, the bullets he fired slowed down the vines’ movements.

‘The way the shell casings are bouncing around makes it feel like a steampunk scene.’

Meanwhile, Unahar and I raced down the center of the corridor. The pair of sickles we wielded whipped up a fierce wind. 

Unahar and I always worked well together, even without practice. It felt like one person wielding dual swords with perfect synchronization.

As we finally reached the room that served as the stronghold, Kanel and Gio handled the incoming vines in one swift motion, making it easy for us to breach.

This battle was a scene we should have shown to the viewers! What a waste—

“…!”

So engrossed in my thoughts, I slipped while running across the vines. I fell short of reaching the beanstalk’s core and plummeted down.

Fortunately, it was a manageable height to land from. Never underestimate a basic B-grade stat—!

“Rudel!”

As I heard the urgent voice behind me and felt a large hand wrap around my waist, I realized something had gone wrong.