Chapter 7 : Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - The Player Association

“My lord, I have restored it.”

The guy brought the tattered contract with a satisfied expression.

He had definitely torn it, but he had managed to reassemble it.

“I have a headache. It was quite difficult to piece the shapes together.”

“Puzzles are originally like that.”

“What is a puzzle?”

“It’s a thing.”

Chun-sik muttered while pressing his temples. It seemed that even a Sword Master found puzzles difficult.

“Should I give you some headache medicine? It should clear up right away if you take it.”

“It is fine.”

CRACKLE.

The guy started to draw up his magic power. A vivid red magic power began to creep up from the tips of his toes.

Soon after, Chun-sik made a refreshed expression.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Hey, if you do that, what does that make me, who lives with a stash of medicine?

I felt like my entire life up to this point was being denied.

“Is that possible with magic power too?”

“That is correct.”

Come to think of it, I had never seen a player with an illness. Most of the time they were in pain, it was due to injuries from Avalon. And even those usually healed quickly.

‘This is why people say awakening is better than winning the lottery.’

They were virtually completely immune to modern diseases.

Players, regardless of their rank, were blessed.

“Hey, Chun-sik.”

“Speak.”

I called out to the guy as I was looking through the contract.

“There’s a hole here.”

“That part…… I could not find it at all. No matter how much I searched every corner of the room, it did not turn up.”

“Even if that part was there anyway……”

It did not matter since I could not sign the contract. Let’s just let it go, since thrusting the headache-inducing piece of paper at him again might get me an earful for no reason.

Following Chun-sik’s words that the place where one stood was the training ground, we went out to the clearing in advance and proceeded with the training.

First, push-ups. I could feel my execution speed getting faster as time passed. My form, which was a mess at first, also became more defined over time.

“My speed has definitely gotten faster since I started using this thing called magic power.”

I repeatedly clenched and unclenched my fist. Just this alone allowed me to feel the circulation of magic power.

It was like blood circulation.

“You must not stop there, but become one with the sword you hold. If you can extend that circulation to the sword.”

The guy drew the sword from his waist and took a stance.

CRACKLE.

His sword was coated with red magic power. I could feel a sharp edge that seemed like it would cut with just a touch.

“You mean I can release it like that?”

“It is the most basic of basics. Even players weaker than you, my lord, can do it.”

It was what was commonly called an aura. There was no player who could not use magic power.

No, there was one. Yesterday's me. Not anymore.

Of course, for now, it was nothing more than imitation.

“My lord, what are you planning to do after training?”

“You still have some summon time left, right?”

“That is correct. In that case, are you planning to go from the 1st to the 10th floor like last time?”

“I thought about that too.”

I recalled the Death Knight I had seen yesterday. My legs still trembled just thinking about it.

“If you weren’t there, would I have been able to clear the 10th floor yesterday?”

Chun-sik’s thick eyebrows twitched.

“I am my lord's sword. If you did not exist, my lord, I would not have been able to exist either. Therefore, my strength is also my lord's strength.”

“Huh?”

“It is correct that you cleared it with your own strength, my lord.”

For the first time in a while, Chun-sik was saying something befitting a summon. However, it did not last long.

“But running away behind a rock in a hurry was quite a sight to behold……”

My face crumpled.

“Either praise me or insult me, pick one. It’s confusing.”

“There are many paths, but only one destination. My mindset in serving you, my lord! It is as hard and upright as a bamboo, so I can only speak the truth.”

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks a lot.”

If that was the case, the schedule was set.

‘It’ll be difficult to go to the 11th floor.’

Going up to the next floor right now was premature. Since Chun-sik was so strong, we could probably clear it if we tried, but.

There were several reasons. From the 11th floor onwards, I could not just sit back and do nothing.

If I was not going to catch the monsters, I at least had to solve the gimmicks.

‘I should study the strategies on the internet before I go.’

Chun-sik would hunt the monsters, and I would solve the gimmicks from behind him.

If I just mastered the gimmicks, I might be able to climb up to the 15th floor without any problems. If my assumption that Chun-sik was at the level of an A-Class player was correct.

“For now, I’m going to repeat training and grinding from the 1st to the 10th floor.”

“Until when?”

At those words, I thought for a moment and then opened my mouth.

“Until I level up.”

“Very well. If you become stronger, my lord, I too will become stronger, so there is no reason to oppose it.”

“You’ll help me, right?”

“I promise to serve you forever, my lord.”

Why was he so cooperative. I stared at Chun-sik blankly.

“Hey. You have something to hide, don’t you?”

“I do not.”

“I think you do.”

“How could that be? Q-quickly, let’s get moving. My lord.”

I looked around and found something plausible. I thrust the tattered contract in front of Chun-sik’s eyes.

“Hey. Chun-sik. What are you going to do about this contract?”

“Uh, let’s hurry up and go train……. Time is more precious than gold.”

So that was what was bothering him. I let out a smirk.

To bring up time so cheaply. This meant I had no choice but to move.

The time I could meet with Chun-sik was 6 hours a day.

The guy was not wrong.

It was a tight schedule to climb Avalon and train. So, I put the contract aside and quickly started training.

***

“Try swinging your sword towards my shoulder.”

A cheap longsword I had bought from an online shopping mall before.

I held the sword with the grip Chun-sik had taught me and raised it above my head.

In front of me stood Chun-sik with a stoic expression, his body clad in red magic power.

“With the thought of cutting my shoulder.”

“Phew……. You better not regret this.”

“Just swing.”

The sword was heavier than I thought. I think I needed to file a complaint with the shopping mall.

After closing the distance, I aimed precisely at his shoulder.

Just as a piece of paper tears well if you tear it along the line, the human body also cuts well if you aim for the right spot.

……or so Chun-sik had just told me.

‘As expected of a Sword Master, he’s even teaching me how to kill people well.’

WHACK!

The sword rushed, tearing through the air.

The moment the blade touched Chun-sik’s shoulder.

CLANG.

It was as if I had struck a rock.

A strong vibration traveled up the blade to my palm and shoulder. The trembling was so severe that my fingers moved on their own.

“Ugh.”

I let out a groan without realizing it. On the other hand, Chun-sik had a gentle expression. He gently moved his hand and caught the sword that had touched his shoulder.

“If you imbue magic power into a sword, it becomes an aura, and if you release it as if covering your body, it can be used as a defensive measure like this.”

“……The Association teaches this too, you know.”

“Then you can learn it there.”

“……That’s just what I said. My arm is still numb.”

SHATTER-!

In the end, I could not withstand the vibration and let go of my hand. Only then did the pain subside.

Chun-sik pulled the scabbard from my waist. He put the fallen sword in it and gave it back to me.

“You have trained enough for today. How about we head to Avalon soon.”

“Alright, show me a demonstration, skilled instructor.”

“My lord. From the 1st to the 10th floor. It took a total of 10 minutes and 1 second yesterday.”

The expression of the guy who was calmly stating the facts hardened.

“So?”

“I will reduce the time even further.”

“……No one’s going to give you a prize for reducing it.”

“Didn’t I receive one?”

I followed his gaze and turned my head. There was the tattered contract with a small stone placed on it to keep it from flying away.

“If I reduce the time, wouldn’t the contents of the contract get better?”

“Well……. I guess so?”

The light in his eyes flickered red.

If there was one thing I regretted after creating him.

‘I should have called him the Blue-Eyed Sword Master instead of the Red-Eyed Sword Master.’

It was scary when he was glaring at me with red eyes.

“Then we’re going right away?”

“I will follow your command.”

His words had a point. The reason a newly awakened me, who had been awake for less than a week, had received such a magnificent contract was partly due to the extremely short clear time.

‘If I even set a new record.’

Perhaps…….

‘I might be able to get an exclusive contract like the S-Class players.’

Well, that was something I needed to think about.

Because having a higher status and more money meant that I would have more responsibilities.

‘But for magic crystals, there’s no reason to take any responsibility.’

Because the Red-Eyed Sword Master in front of me would cut down all those responsibilities.

For the next week. I would reach level 2.

The levels of my skills would all become 2 as well, so I could strengthen Chun-sik too.

‘I can get stronger. More.’

***

SLURP.

Sang-cheol took a sip of the instant coffee in the paper cup. Before he could even swallow it, the Team Leader opened his mouth.

“Sang-cheol.”

“Uh, ah, hot! Yes. Team Leader.”

“No word from him, right?”

“……Yes. It’s already been a week since I gave him the contract.”

“It’s a bit much for us to contact him again, isn’t it?”

“I suppose so.”

Sang-cheol awkwardly bowed his head. There was nothing he could say.

“Did another guild already snatch him up?”

The Team Leader’s hands trembled. It had already been a week since he had given him the contract. But let alone a visit to the Association, there had not been a single phone call.

He had no choice but to call Sang-cheol, who had delivered the contract in person.

“No. We have not received any recruitment report that he has been recruited. It seems he is contemplating……. but he has been consistently climbing Avalon.”

“I saw that too. He’s been climbing from the 1st to the 10th floor every time.”

“That’s the problem. We gave him our contact information and the contract, but he’s just quietly climbing Avalon.”

“……Is he trying to raise his price.”

As per the Team Leader’s request, Sang-cheol had been investigating Si-hoo’s activities in Avalon for the past week. He turned on his tablet and looked at the records.

“At first, 10 minutes. Then 9 minutes, 8 minutes. The time is gradually decreasing.”

“He’s still a little short of reaching level 2.”

In other words, Si-hoo’s combat power remained unchanged.

“He must be accumulating experience. He has probably collected quite a few magic crystals too.”

“If he continues like this for a few more months, he’ll earn the signing bonus we offered.”

The Team Leader just drank his coffee, feeling needlessly bitter.

What to do now.

Whether to wait for contact passively, or to proceed aggressively. He contemplated for a long time which would be more suitable.

Just then, Sang-cheol, who had been bowing his head, opened his mouth in a low voice.

“Team Leader. The other guilds are also catching on.”

“……Already?”

“We’re not the only ones interested in new players. Although we’ve been keeping it quiet, they will soon find out about Mr. Si-hoo’s existence. Because the guild scouters are always stationed in the Avalon lobby.”

Si-hoo’s actions were nothing short of shocking, and more than enough to whet the scouters’ appetites.

SWOOSH.

After finally finishing his cup, the Team Leader, who had crushed the paper cup, made a firm expression.

“We have to be aggressive. Otherwise, he’ll be snatched away. We can’t rest easy until he signs.”

“I understand. Team Leader.”

“We need him to be able to stand our ground against the other players. You know what happened with the Iran side, don't you?”

The scale of some of the major guilds had begun to surpass that of the Association. This might be the only way to turn the tables again.

To the Association, Si-hoo was that kind of existence.

“He is strong. And he will become stronger. More than anyone else.”

DING.

Suddenly, the tablet flashed.

[Player Name : Park Si-hoo.

Floor Entered Today : 1st Floor.

Floor Exited Today : 10th Floor.]

And finally.

[Total Time Elapsed : 00:02:18.]

Sang-cheol and the Team Leader’s jaws dropped at the same time.

It was the moment the record for the shortest time, which had been set by an S-Class player, was renewed.

“Sang-cheol.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

“If we can’t recruit this person…… we’re all dead. Got it?”

“……I will risk my life.”

“Get going, right now!”

“Yes!!”