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

[Name] Akata  

[Gender] Male / [Age] 21  

* * *  

[Stamina/Strength/Agility Average] A  

* * *  

[Ability Group] Pure Nature  

[Unique Ability] Flame  

[Overall Rank] S  

*[Output] S  

*[Precision] A  

*[Resistance] S  

Were these splendid stats the abilities you were originally meant to have?  

I pondered deeply.  

Once again, the guild fortress’s interior was a place monitored by the GMs.  

This meant that Akata’s current appearance was also within the GMs’ expectations.  

‘Then, could this be considered part of Akata’s unique character?’  

Given that his clothes grew and shrank with him, that seemed likely.  

…Before I knew it, I was resting my chin on the bed, staring intently at the adult Akata as if I were enchanted.  

Realizing this, I quickly straightened up in surprise.  

I should leave now. It might have been different when Akata was a child, but it felt inappropriate for an adult man and woman to stay together at night like this.  

“……”  

I kept telling myself to leave, but I found myself still staring at him endlessly.  

In fact, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.  

Even as a boy, Akata possessed a charm that seemed to enchant everyone…  

So it was only natural that he would grow into an irresistibly attractive young man.  

I didn’t want to compare him to Unahar, but I had a feeling that if viewers saw this, the rankings based on looks would definitely be shaken.  

Even someone like me, who tried to remain detached from matters of romance, felt my heart race as soon as I saw Akata’s red lips.  

Now that I think about it, we almost touched lips earlier.  

If we had, what would it have felt like? Would it have been as moist and soft as it looked?  

‘I really must be out of my mind from lack of sleep.’  

I needed to leave now. I finally managed to move my reluctant feet and stepped into the early morning corridor.  

…Once I was out, I felt a bit self-conscious.  

I hoped no one had seen me stay in Akata’s room for so long.  

Of course, I didn’t do anything and was innocent…  

I adjusted my expression and tried to walk naturally back to my room, as if I had just gone to the bathroom in the middle of the night.  

* * *  

After Rudel returned to her room.  

In the darkness, a figure that had remained still like a statue for quite a while finally moved.  

He had been waiting, judging how long it would take for Rudel to leave Akata’s room.

He kept thinking, “She’ll come out at 1 o’clock,” “She’ll come out at 2 o’clock,” but he ended up waiting endlessly.

For some reason, Rudel didn’t come out for a long time.

He didn’t even know what he was worried about or why he was waiting.

His heart just grew darker with negative emotions.

Eventually, the handsome man who had spent the entire night awake moved his heavy feet and disappeared down the corridor.

* * *

Beep.

[PM 21:00. The daily stats have been updated.]

This is the most enjoyable time of the day.

Sitting alone on a chair, I looked down at everyone gathered on the floor and carefully checked their stat increases.

“Unahar, total stat increase: 2345. Well done.”

“Thank you.”

Unahar, the first to be called, looked at me with a slight smile.

But for some reason, his expression seemed more shadowed than before.

[Emotional State] Complicated

Should I ask him if he has any concerns? But I probably don’t need to. He must already be troubled by his uncontrollable wolf abilities.

In the end, I decided to remain silent and checked Lilith’s status window instead.

“Lilith, your strength has reached C grade! Your overall average is now C!”

“Wow!”

I held Lilith’s hands and jumped up and down in place.

I was much happier than when my own stats had reached C grade.

“Kanel, total stat increase: 3345. Your strength stat upgrade is just around the corner. Aren’t you pushing yourself too hard? Well done.”

“Thank you.”

“Gio, total stat increase: 3520.”

“Why don’t you praise me?”

“Would you even feel good if I praised you? Ask Lilith to praise you.”

I brushed off Gio’s complaint and finally turned my attention to the boy.

In fact, I had been waiting for this moment all along.

How had Akata, who had high abilities but absurdly weak basic stats, changed?

As I looked at him with a gentle smile, Akata mirrored my expression with a graceful smile of his own.

“Akata, your overall average has finally reached C.”

“It’s thanks to your care, Rudel.”

“Akata is truly amazing. Despite starting with low grades, your growth efficiency is excellent. It’s as if you were originally a high-grade character. Why is that?”

I had a pretty good guess why now. But I wouldn’t say it.

Given the situation, I wanted to keep Akata’s advanced abilities as my hidden card.

As I lightly patted his red hair and withdrew my hand, the status window blinked.

“Wait, there’s a guild battle announcement. Don’t disband yet.”

The long-awaited fourth round.

With this round, the rankings of all the guilds would be finalized, so it was bound to attract attention.

Not just me, but surely all the guild leaders were sharpening their blades for this.

Round 4: Conquest.

– The field is divided into three zones, each containing 25 capture spots.

– The moment a person steps onto a capture spot, a 1-minute countdown begins. If they successfully occupy the spot at the end of the countdown, their guild’s flag will be raised at that spot.

– Once a flag is raised, it cannot be taken by another guild.

– If multiple guilds are present on a spot when the 1-minute countdown ends, a match between guild members will begin. The guild of the winner will then own the capture spot.

– The round ends when all capture spots have flags. Rankings are determined by the number of flags owned.

– Additionally, the final ranking will consider the number of attempts made by guild members to capture spots, the number of deathmatches participated in, and the achievements of forcing opposing guild members to retreat.

As I read through the conditions carefully, my attention was drawn to the last one.

Finally, it’s the first appearance of the subordinate group.

Our subordinate group, which boasted an average stat grade of D when we first picked them up off the street during the 1.5 round.

We’ve trained them hard since then, but they still haven’t grown enough to surpass the other subordinates.

The starting line was different, after all.

Despite that, I felt a sense of anticipation for their debut in this round in some way or another.

* * *

Life in the subordinate group is more rigorous and regimented than that of the upper players.

Except for the one day of rest, every day is like running on a hamster wheel.

Every morning at 8 AM, the wake-up bell rings, meals are at fixed times, and the entire day follows a strict schedule.

Due to the large number of people, it is more efficient to manage them like a military unit.

Despite this, the subordinate group’s quarters exuded a fresh and lively atmosphere.

This was likely thanks to their central figure, who was cheerfully roaming the dormitory.

“Great job!”

A boy in workout clothes moved energetically among the characters focused on their weights.

“One more set!”

Nahean, the leader of the subordinate group, had a talent for uplifting spirits.

His mysterious cat-like eyes and gentle smile made those who saw him feel at ease and relaxed.

Combined with his sociable personality, it was no wonder.

Even though Kanel and I had given the subordinate players a rather grueling schedule, they seemed to tackle it with smiles, thanks in no small part to Nahean’s encouragement.

“Guild Leader!”

Nahean’s face lit up when he saw me.

He was conscious of the many eyes watching and addressed me with respectful politeness.

“Everyone! Our god has arrived! How about a word?”

“A god, really…”

Nahean’s exaggerated welcome made me feel a bit embarrassed.

As soon as Nahean finished speaking, the players quickly sprang up from the exercise equipment.

“Guild Leader! You were fantastic in the second round!”

“The other guys were just background props!”

“Your support in the third round was impressive too!”

“We’re looking forward to being under your command!”

It was hard to believe that these characters, who had recently been dejected after being abandoned by other guilds, were the same people. This transformation was all thanks to Nahean.

Truthfully, I hadn’t expected Nahean to do so well when I appointed him as the leader of the subordinates.

It was just that I felt indebted to him for the help he provided in the first round, and when we met, I liked him more than I anticipated, so I entrusted him with the role.

I am indeed fortunate. Or rather, blessed with good people.

‘Turns out he has great interpersonal skills and is a complete socialite. This is his true calling.’

Had he been born into a normal life and attended school, he would have been the center of his class.

If he were an idol, he would be the mood maker of the team, and if he were an office worker, he would be the focal point of the team.

But placing a person with such a disposition into this brutal game stifled his talents.

Nahean was someone who would be loved wherever he went.

I was genuinely glad that he could shine like this in our guild.

Typically, subordinates, with their low stats and lack of unique abilities, would either look up to or fear top players like us.

However, Nahean interacted with us without any sense of distance, his signature easygoing smile ever-present.

Because of his actions, the subordinates seemed to regard us more familiarly.

Nahean had become the bridge connecting the subordinates and my teammates, an unexpected but highly beneficial outcome.