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

Anyone who formed a bond with Rudel could not escape Unahar’s scrutiny of their attractiveness. Akata was no exception.

Unahar began by recalling the individuals he had evaluated so far.

First, Aleon, who possessed a certain mystique, but Unahar considered himself superior in terms of appearance.

His fellow guild member, Kanel, also had a strong build and an intelligent look, which Unahar matched and even exceeded.

Even if Nahean reached adulthood, he wouldn’t surpass Unahar’s looks.

So how did Akata compare?

He examined the boy thoroughly, from the delicate curves of his features, the evenness of his skin tone, to the way his irises absorbed light.

Unahar analyzed Akata’s physique, calculating proportions and evaluating beauty from every angle.

After all his observations, Unahar envisioned several potential adult versions of Akata.

‘If I am more alluring, I have the upper hand.’

Unahar was well aware of his own perfection.

Through objective evaluation, he had bested every man he had encountered.

He was, after all, voted the most attractive male character by reality users.

“……”

However, that poll had taken place when Akata was not a candidate.

…He couldn’t be certain. As he finished his contemplation, Unahar hesitated, unable to assert confidently that he would surpass the grown-up Akata.

His expression turned fierce.

At that moment, Akata shifted on the sofa, unusually agitated.

Wondering what was happening, Unahar turned to the screen and saw a cute-looking girl charging at Rudel with a bloodied axe.

Faced with a threat to his beloved guild leader, Unahar focused intently on the screen once more.

Fortunately, Rudel remained relatively calm in the face of the crazed murderer, observing her opponent’s unique ability with impressive concentration, finding a flaw, and ultimately leading her team to victory.

“……!”

When Yudirei was eliminated, both Unahar and Akata flinched, causing the sofa to jolt.

‘…Ah.’

Lost in thoughts of Rudel, Unahar had momentarily forgotten about Akata. Realizing they had rejoiced at the same moment, he was at a loss for words.

Unahar turned back to Akata.

In the boy’s eyes, reflecting the flickering light from the screen, he saw something different.

Since Akata was naturally a timid boy, Unahar expected him to be deeply frightened by seeing Rudel fighting so perilously, just as he had been last time.

Not long ago, when they had a conversation around the corner, hadn’t Akata pleaded and begged to see Rudel more often?

So Unahar had assumed that Akata would gradually cling to Rudel, causing a rift in their relationship.

But the boy in front of Unahar was entirely different.

When Rudel, in collaboration with Gio, defeated the guild master of the Slaughterers, Akata acted as if he was about to jump into the screen out of sheer emotion.

Clenching his fists and trembling, he suddenly opened his palms and looked down at them, mimicking Rudel on the screen.

For the first time since entering the guild fortress, flames flickered from the boy’s palms.

Unahar realized, ‘I completely misjudged him.’

Lilith had mentioned before that although Akata was slow, he would eventually be able to do a lot.

‘Akata no longer waits for Rudel to come to him. He will follow her, even if she is at a peak beyond his reach.’

Snap!

Akata’s brown eyes widened in surprise.

The golden-haired man, who had previously ignored his existence, suddenly closed the distance and grabbed his wrists.

Startled, the flames quickly extinguished.

With an unreadable expression, the golden man finally spoke.

“…You can’t use your abilities outside the training ground. You could set the fortress on fire, and if the administrator finds out, you’ll receive a warning.”

Akata didn’t respond verbally, but his eyes showed he understood. However, it wasn’t a look of gratitude.

Unahar released Akata’s wrists and returned to his seat.

The slender wrists felt fragile in his grip, as if just a little more pressure would break them like in round 1.5.

‘……’

Meanwhile, a new competitor appeared on the screen.

A woman with a sleek, agile appearance, riding a giant eagle. And the eagle was the vice guild leader of her guild.

Unahar felt a pang of defeat as he watched the eagle.

Even though he possessed a stronger wolf ability, he felt inadequate.

Someone else was already giving their all for their master in such a way.

Seeing not only Akata but also a competitor who embodied what he aspired to be, a sense of discontent began to brew within Unahar.

He silently repeated to himself.

‘…I must become more useful to Rudel than Akata.’

His desperation turned into determination, which eventually proved effective in calming the madness of the wolf.

* * *

The sand that had covered the arena was swept away completely by the wind, leaving not a single grain behind.

In the empty air, only a golden disc remained.

Lesia watched Gio with more interest than she did me.

It was a meeting of sky and earth, as Lesia and Gio locked eyes.

Lesia was the first to break the gaze. She then flashed a mischievous smile, revealing her teeth.

“Nice to meet you! Since we’re here by chance, shall we introduce ourselves? Are you and the guild leader there lovers?”

Ugh.

I was trying to maintain a calm guild leader image, but it was hard to stay composed at that statement. My face crumpled automatically.

“Not a couple? If I overstepped, sorry! I just thought it would be fitting for a couple battle!”

Lesia looked lovingly at the pink eagle behind her.

I knew that eagle was the vice guild leader, Siakan, so were they a couple?

This was the first official couple I had seen in this game. And they seemed quite the lovey-dovey pair.

Lesia then extended her right hand to me.

“I’m Lesia, the guild leader of Anawing! I won’t ambush you, so let’s shake hands.”

She declared she wouldn’t ambush first, but if I refused the handshake, I’d look completely inflexible.

If she really did ambush me afterward, I’d just look foolish, but for now, I decided to trust her…

“I’m Rudel, the guild leader of Agasa.”

I extended my hand, and Lesia grabbed it firmly, shaking it vigorously up and down.

I felt the rough texture of her calloused hand.

She felt like the most unique guild leader I had encountered, enthusiastically participating in the round with her lover as if her job satisfaction was 100%.

From a viewer’s perspective, she probably came across as a ‘jolly pilot guy.’

Moreover, her cheerful greeting and handshake with a future adversary indicated a carefree and bold personality.

She certainly didn’t seem like a strategist type like me.

[Remaining Time: 8:41]

“Eight minutes left until the round ends.”

Lesia murmured the time, which everyone knew, as if to herself.

Then she pointed at Gio with a smile.

“I’ve been watching since the sky, and you can’t control anything that’s not real earth, right? So, you can’t create dirt out of thin air, can you?”

…However, she did possess quite an impressive analytical ability.

In that short moment, Lesia accurately figured out Gio’s abilities amidst the chaotic fight. Indeed, being a guild leader requires such acumen.

I discreetly nudged Gio’s side with my elbow, signaling him to stay calm.

Then, I waited for Lesia’s next words.

“But what will you do now? There’s not even a speck of sand left on this platform. I blew it all away.”

Lesia’s eyes twinkled with amusement.

* * *

In this game, the Pure Nature class is often considered the strongest.

Their abilities are portrayed with awe-inspiring graphics, as if they were nature’s own deities.

They possess unique personal colors that make each character stand out.

But did the developers really make the Pure Nature abilities so perfect? That would completely break the balance of the game.

The point is this: even Pure Nature abilities have some restrictions or limitations.

This isn’t just about quantifiable stats like output or precision. It refers to the ‘features’ or ‘flaws’ inherent to the abilities themselves.

For example, Aleon cannot freeze a target unless he first envelops it in water.

During our first day of unique ability training, I discovered Gio’s flaw while sparring with him in the training ground.

It was fortunate that I found it first, but at the time, I was quite disappointed.

“He can only manipulate natural earth materials.”

Dirt, sand, stone. The earth elements that are part of nature can rise and flip at Gio’s will, like ancient golems.

But man-made surfaces like iron or concrete remain unmoved, no matter how hard Gio tries to control them.

He might barely make them twitch with an enormous output.

The platform we were standing on was also processed ground.

Gio managed to scrape together all his output to anchor himself firmly to this platform, which is why we remained standing against Lesia’s winds.

But now, we’ve hit a wall.

“So, what will you do now? Your friend has become powerless, and will Rudel, the guild leader, take on both of us alone?”