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

Lilith seemed worried that the young boy might be struggling in this dark space.

In response, Rudel gestured reassuringly.

“He’s controlling a clone at the same time. Like you, he’s moving towards an escape route elsewhere.”

Akata had been rescued much faster than Lilith.

* * *

The day before at the training ground, Rudel knelt down to match the boy’s eye level and repeated earnestly,

“Akata, I want to be the top in this guild competition. We need a good result in this third round. …So please, help me. I’ll do my best to guide you.”

Akata replied,

“I’m not sure if I can do well. My vision is narrow, and I can’t clearly hear anyone’s words except yours, Rudel.”

The boy was still not ready for combat.

Beyond his physical disadvantages, he lacked the ability to interact with others.

Even if he tried to focus on those around him, his mind would go blank and a sense of rejection would well up inside him, ultimately causing him to ignore everyone completely.

This was a critical flaw. If a duel were to occur, Akata’s response would be significantly delayed.

“…When the round starts, I’ll come to you first. Wait for me.”

“Okay.”

In the suffocating darkness that automatically induced panic, Akata simply sat quietly, breathing softly and comfortably.

He was the most composed person in the darkness among all the participants.

Rudel had promised to come to him. That was enough. Nothing scared him.

Soon, a wall crumbled.

The difference from Lilith’s route was that Akata had chosen ‘hearing’ in the third round, so he couldn’t see anything beyond the fireflies beyond the wall.

[“Akata, weren’t you scared?”]

Though it was just a voice coming from the void, it was clearly Rudel’s distinct and firm tone.

This trustworthy voice had an assurance that would comfort even someone who wasn’t a guild member.

Akata, without a doubt, should have been eager to follow the voice as if he were enchanted. Rudel had finally come.

“…”

Yet, the boy hesitated and stood frozen in place.

[“Akata? What’s wrong? It’s me.”]

Despite the anxious call, there was no response. The boy’s breathing became increasingly labored.

Even though he had escaped the confined space, he panicked.

This was the first time he had heard Rudel’s voice without seeing her.

He knew. He knew, but still.

‘Her voice is different from Aria’s…’

The past should be left in the past, but the old memories Akata held continued to entangle him.

His eyes stung, and he felt dizzy.

Though he achieved the feat of being the first to escape the trapped cave, Akata spent quite a bit of time trying to gather himself, wasting precious moments.

[“Akata, it’s me.”]

Rudel’s clone waited patiently, not pressing Akata.

Rudel was anxious, not knowing what was happening.

She couldn’t touch Akata while controlling the clone, and beyond letting him hear her voice, there was no other way to communicate, which only amplified the unease.

However, the boy eventually lifted his pale face, his veins visible.

“…Yes. I’m okay now. Let’s go, Rudel.”

‘Aria’ was no longer by his side.

Accepting that fact, and deciding to follow Rudel’s voice again, marked a significant change for Akata.

* * *

The moment he first opened his eyes in the jungle of round 1.5, he was the first character to attempt suicide.

“I can never be with Aria again.”

What made Akata’s character unique was that his first memory wasn’t from round 1.5; he had memories of staying somewhere ‘before.’

The boy, who had been in such despair that he attempted to take a sleep potion, found the will to live again after meeting Rudel.

[Emotional State] Sense of Loss

He still carried a figure he longed for so much on his back.

[“Be careful!”]

Akata slipped several times while moving through the moss-covered cave.

Rudel’s clone couldn’t help him due to the rules, only able to warn him about slippery rocks that he might fall on.

But with his frail body, Rudel’s warnings were often of no use.

Even with bruises and scraped knees, the boy bit his lip and stood up again, evoking a sense of desperation in anyone watching.

No one could tell what kind of expression Rudel wore as she watched, but every time Akata resumed walking, the wounds on his knees would gradually heal and feel refreshed.

This was thanks to Rudel’s main body at the fortress lookout generously pouring potions for him.

“Thank you.”

Knowing that it was Rudel’s help, Akata expressed his gratitude to the clone.

However, he still couldn’t see Rudel’s face receiving his thanks.

The cave’s ceiling was filled with stalactites formed by dripping water, resembling a dense bamboo forest.

Heavy breaths escaped from the boy as he climbed over the stalactites and moved forward.

[“It’s tough, isn’t it? I chose the route with the least chance of encountering other players, so the terrain isn’t great.”]

The goal of the commander guiding the lower-ranking guild members to the exit was primarily to predict a ‘safe path’ for them.

Given that they were weak, the goal was to choose paths where fights were least likely to occur.

Even considering that, Rudel’s decision to avoid encounters at all costs seemed excessive.

A path should be passable for it to be considered a path, right?

On the path Rudel led, a cliff appeared.

Akata, at a loss on how to get across, dropped a small stone in front of it.

There was no sound for a while.

Thud-!

It took several seconds for the echo to return. It was a very deep chasm. It looked like a bottomless black hole from above.

Without a solid level of trust in the guide, it would be easy to misunderstand that the guild leader was trying to trick him.

It was because it was Akata that he quietly waited for Rudel’s explanation.

[“You mustn’t encounter anyone, especially. Well, you could meet Lilith, but I didn’t choose a route where you two would meet because of the distance.”]

Rudel said that Akata was the number one target for everyone in this third round.

[“Other guild participants will be jealous of you. They’ll think it’s unfair that someone with strong fire abilities is in the third round. If they can, all the guilds would want to collaborate to eliminate you.”]

According to the rules of the third round, additional scores were determined by the damage inflicted on the tentacle monster guarding the exit.

Since the participants here were all low-ranking, Akata, with his exceptional abilities, would naturally be a target for their envy.

Seeing that he was ranked S-grade, they would be even more furious.

In fact, Rudel had already noticed the suspicious movements of other guilds in advance.

“We have to eliminate that Akata guy.”

“Let’s guard the exit in advance. Form a temporary alliance and push him out all at once.”

“Remember, we must finish this before Akata can deal damage to the tentacle monster.”

“Don’t be fooled by his pretty face. And don’t let your guard down just because he looks frail…”

Therefore, Rudel was desperate. He chose a route that no one else would take to catch the competitors off guard.

Though in this round, he would have to remain as a mere voice without a physical form.

‘I will protect you. I won’t let you get hurt.’

Even so, Rudel tried her best.

[“There’s a way to get across the chasm safely. First, look at the left wall from where you’re standing. There’s a small crevice there; you should be able to fit through it.”]

Following Rudel’s guidance, Akata managed to cross the chasm safely. The path beyond was relatively smooth, making the journey easier.

Apart from the clear sound of dripping water and Akata’s footsteps, silence filled the cave.

A quiet cave with no one else around.

This setting, though lacking in thrilling action, naturally developed the characters’ stories.

As the guild leader and the guild member conversed, their relationship progressed.

The planner of the third round game had precisely intended for such scenes.

[“Akata, you understand that people have ‘hostility,’ right? You’re smart.”]

“Yes.”

[“So why are you so insensitive to the hostility directed at you?”]

Rudel had previously scolded Akata for not resisting even when Ispan beat him.

It was a topic she had wanted to discuss with him for a while, but hadn’t had the opportunity until now.

[“You need to protect yourself.”]

At these words, Akata looked towards the direction of the voice with a puzzled expression.

As if hearing such words for the first time.

Earlier, the voice that had brought him despair because it wasn’t similar to Aria’s, now filled him with a sense of being cared for.

Instead of despair, Akata was now bewildered by this deep concern directed at him.

[“…!”]

Suddenly, Rudel let out a short breath and gritted her teeth.

[“Sorry, I wanted to ensure you wouldn’t meet anyone within at least 100 meters of the exit…”]

No matter how vast the cave was, it wasn’t infinite, and avoiding all other players was impossible.

A figure appeared on the other side of the cave. Akata saw it too.

[Unique Ability] Shape Mimicry

Ironically, the enemy on the opposite side had overheard their conversation just a few minutes ago and now took the form of Ispan, who had recently died.