The Player Who Can't Level Up

Tae-Shik replied, “Well, there is a simple solution: Just get the player’s credential. There shouldn’t be any difference in your grade measurement, even if we use the newer machine. When you get tested officially, you'll still get the SS grade like before. Problem solved.”

Gi-Gyu knew this was the most obvious answer to his problem, but he murmured, “But if I do that, then…”

“You don’t want to become famous?”

“No,” answered Gi-Gyu. Receiving the SS grade meant that he could become a high ranker. The appearance of a new SS-grade player would attract much attention from the entire world, not just Korea.  

Gi-Gyu explained, “I assume the Iron Guild already knows about me, so there wouldn’t be much security difference, but I still don’t want to be recognized yet. I’m already getting some unwanted attention because of my looks, so can you imagine if people found out I was an SS-grade player?”

“You’ll become a celebrity,” replied Tae-Shik with a nod. 

“And I won’t be the only one under the spotlight. People will soon become interested in my family and put them under a microscope.”

Tae-Shik contemplated for a while before he said to Gi-Gyu, “Then I’m afraid there is nothing I can do. Even the association’s general manager can’t give a player a fake grade willy-nilly.”

Gi-Gyu shook his head and replied, “I wasn’t asking for that, Hyung. You have already helped my family and me so much. I could never ask you for more.”

Tae-Shik was the association’s general manager, but even he didn’t have the power to give out fake player credentials. This was incredibly impossible since an officially registered player credential came with many benefits. 

Gi-Gyu asked, “Any other solutions?”

“There is another obvious one: Just join the guild that will take the lead or participate in this upcoming hunt. Or you could also join the association,” Tae-Shik answered, taking this opportunity to emphasize the association’s power.

Gi-Gyu smiled bitterly and replied, “I really don’t want to work under someone. Also, creating my own group is out of the question.”

“Gosh… You’re so picky. Oh, that’s right. Wait here for a minute.” Tae-Shik walked toward his computer and typed apace as he continued, “I knew it. Kim Sun-Pil, was it? Yes, that’s his guild… Gi-Gyu, his guild is also planning to participate in this subjugation hunt.”

“Kim Sun-Pil?”

“Yeah. Do you remember those players you guided when you ended up being cornered by the fourth-floor guardian? That’s the only reason why I remember their names. I knew I saw their names on the subjugation squad list,” Tae-Shik explained. 

Much time had passed since that day, but he still couldn’t believe Kim Sun-Pil’s guild had grown strong enough to participate in a B-grade subjugation hunt. When Tae-Shik noticed Gi-Gyu’s surprise, he explained, “They are actually grade C, not B. His group is going as one of the spare forces, so it would be better for you to go with them. Don’t you agree?”

“That’s true.”

“Why don’t you try contacting them? They owe you one, so I’m sure they will take you with them,” Tae-Shik suggested, giving Gi-Gyu much to think about. 

After a short silence, Gi-Gyu asked, “When does the subjugation squad head out?”

“The day after tomorrow. You don’t have much time, so if you’re going to go with them, you better get on it.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

Gi-Gyu left the room and began looking through his contacts. 

‘Umm…’

Kim Sun-Pil had given Gi-Gyu his phone number when Gi-Gyu was hospitalized before.

“Haa…” Gi-Gyu sighed before pressing the dial button. 

When Gi-Gyu left the association building, all the female employees gathered inside Tae-Shik’s office. Tae-Shik asked coldly, “What do you want? Do you guys have something to tell me?”

“Who was that guy? He looked so handsome. General Manager, please introduce him to me. I’ll work really hard if you do,” asked one of the female employees.

“No way! You should introduce him to me! Please!” another woman begged.

“He looked close to you, General Manager, which means he must be someone important. So, out of respect for you, I'd also like to meet him,” said the third female employee.

Tae-Shik grinned. He was the general manager, their boss. Yet, his employees felt comfortable enough to ask him such a thing because he had always acted friendly with them. 

Slowly, Tae-Shik’s face turned serious as he groaned, “Hmm…” 

Noticing the change in his expression, the female employees all took a few steps back. They were afraid their boss would nag them about getting back to work. 

But instead, Tae-Shik replied mysteriously, “If you’re curious about him, why don’t you all make a guess? I’ll give you a hint: You’ve all seen him here before. Many times at that.” 

“Pardon?”

***

“Why didn’t you call me sooner? I was so worried something might have happened to you,” Sun-Pil asked with concern as they sat inside a 24-hour cafe near the Gangnam station. Gi-Gyu was wearing a cheap hat and a black mask; despite the disguise, one could tell he was a handsome man because of his aura. The people sitting nearby couldn’t help glancing at him, wondering if he was a celebrity. 

Gi-Gyu replied, “Something came up, so I was swamped. By the way, I finally began to level up.”

“Ah!” Sun-Pil looked impressed as he replied, “Then you must’ve been busy hunting in the Tower until now.”

“Well, yes, I suppose.” A lot more had happened than just hunting. Gi-Gyu had been inside the Maze of Heryond, where he met several high rankers. He witnessed the corps commander being killed and even obtained the elixir. But Gi-Gyu didn’t think Sun-Pil would believe him even if he told him about everything. 

“So, what is it that you wanted to ask me? My group owes you so much, guide Kim Gi-Gyu. Without you, we would’ve all died in the Tower that day. You saved us all; we owe you big time.” Sun-Pil smiled widely before teasing, “Our lives are worth quite a lot now. I would be happy to give you anything you ask, Gi-Gyu.”

Gi-Gyu smiled as well as he asked, “Well, it’s about the upcoming fourth-floor guardian hunt. I heard your guild is joining the subjugation squad. Your guild’s name is Morningstar, right?”

“Huh?! How did you know?” Sun-Pil seemed genuinely shocked. 

“I am interested in the upcoming hunt as well, so I was doing some research and came across your guild’s name. I believe you’re the Morningstar’s guild master?”

“Indeed. So you’re interested in the subjugation expedition too?” Sun-Pil asked, his eyes glowing knowingly.

“Yes. I owe a lot to that guardian, after all.”

“Haha, that’s exactly why we are participating in this hunt. Considering what that bastard did to you… And it also put us in grave danger at the time. We haven’t forgotten that day at all.” Listening to Sun-Pil’s excited voice, Gi-Gyu realized he probably wouldn’t have difficulty convincing Sun-Pil. 

Gi-Gyu smiled and asked, “So, about that… I haven’t obtained a player credential yet due to some personal matters. I also don’t belong to a guild, so would it be possible for me to enter this upcoming hunt as a part of Morningstar?”

Gi-Gyu knew he was asking for a huge favor. Joining and leaving a guild wasn’t an easy process. A guild was not like a school club that accepted all students. It was essentially a business organization created to reap profit, making its reputation a critical factor. Most guilds were picky in accepting new members, and a high player retention level was considered a great asset. Most players wouldn’t quit if their guild was powerful and they were treated well. 

And then there was the well-known fact: Guilds made leaving their organization as hard as possible for players. In other words, Gi-Gyu asked Sun-Pil to let him join Morningstar for the hunt and leave right after it. The moment Gi-Gyu quit, he would negatively affect the Morningstar Guild’s statistics. As a newly formed guild, this could be a huge hit. 

But Sun-Pil answered without hesitation, “Of course.”

“If this will damage your guild’s reputation, you can say no. Please, think carefu—” Gi-Gyu tried to ask again for surety.

“It’s really fine. If I can’t even do a small favor like this for you, I deserved to die that day at the hands of the guardian,” Sun-Pil answered firmly and continued, “Since that day, I’ve worked my butt off. I wanted to make sure I was strong enough never to need someone else’s help. I also wanted to become stronger, so I could save others like you did.”

Gi-Gyu couldn’t help feeling embarrassed as Sun-Pil idolized him. 

‘Sun-Pil, I’m not that good of a person. You’re mistaken.’

Hiding his honest thoughts, Gi-Gyu smiled bitterly. Unlike before, he now had too much to lose. Now, he had much to accomplish and protect. With stakes this high, he wouldn’t even think about sacrificing himself for others. 

Sun-Pil added proudly, “That’s why I formed a guild soon after. After grinding day in and day out, I succeeded in becoming a C-grade player with a C-grade guild under him.”

“You should be proud of yourself,” Gi-Gyu replied with genuine admiration. Becoming a C-grade player and establishing a C-grade guild within a few months were almost impossible tasks. When Gi-Gyu worked as Sun-Pil’s guide, he could tell Sun-Pil was talented. But, talent alone could never achieve something like this. Gi-Gyu could almost see how hard Sun-Pil must’ve worked to get here. This realization made Gi-Gyu like him even more. 

Sun-Pil announced, “We will help you in every way possible this time, so please feel free to rely on us. We will do our best to help you get your revenge.”

Then, Sun-Pil and Gi-Gyu concluded their meeting with a handshake. Gi-Gyu had been worried about how he was going to join the hunt; fortunately, he found an easy fix. 

“By the way, did something happen? If not for your voice, I wouldn’t have recognized you. And why are you wearing a hat and a mask? You also look a little taller,” asked Sun-Pil as he studied Gi-Gyu.

“Umm… Well, I’ll tell you about it later,” Gi-Gyu replied as he pressed down his hat to hide his face a little better. 

***

A day before the hunt, Gi-Gyu completed registering himself as a Morningstar member. 

“I didn’t expect this,” Gi-Gyu muttered as he rubbed his chin in concern.

-It can’t be helped. You know what actually wouldn’t have made sense? Had everything gone the way you were expecting. 

Lou replied coldly as Gi-Gyu sighed, “Haa…”

There was a good reason behind Gi-Gyu's frustration. He just discovered that he couldn’t wear/utilize normal equipment items. In the past, Gi-Gyu couldn’t afford any of these expensive items. But now that he had some money to spare, he was planning on wearing a few pieces of cheap equipment for this hunt.

But every time he put on an item, the system announced.

[You cannot wear this equipment item.]

When Gi-Gyu seemed confused, Lou finally explained. 

-It’s probably because you’re wearing two pseudo and two real Egos. Most average equipment items can’t tolerate an Ego’s power, which means you can’t wear them as long as you have us. Of course, it would’ve been a different story if you had a legendary grade item.

“A legendary grade item?” 

There was only one legendary-grade weapon Gi-Gyu knew about. 

“So you’re talking about something like the Archangel’s Armor player Lee Sun-Ho has.”

-I don’t know what that is, but if that item has a legendary grade, then yes.

In the end, Gi-Gyu had to give up on wearing equipment items to the hunt.

-You should be thankful that the elixir’s modification now allows you to wear more than three Egos. Right now, you’re wearing four Egos. Be grateful for that.

Lou was becoming more and more annoying. Gi-Gyu considered giving him another lesson on manners, but he shook his head and murmured, “It’s true that Egos are the strongest weapon I can carry.”

It was an undeniable truth; Gi-Gyu knew it. 

“Then, I guess I’m ready for the hunt.”

He had already prepared the disposable items. It was too bad he couldn’t wear any equipment items, but he had to accept. He had no say in the matter since it was the price he had to pay for owning Egos. 

Now, he was ready to join the hunt tomorrow. When he closed his eyes, he could imagine how things would unfold during the hunt. This was his first time joining a subjugation squad. He was going to be reunited with Kim Sun-Pil and the others. He would also get to meet some other members of the Morningstar Guild. 

In addition, he would be amid many other guilds and players who were also participating in the hunt.

“I’m coming for you, guardian.”

Gi-Gyu quickly fell asleep.

***

“Is everyone from the Morningstar Guild here?”  Kim Dong-Hae from the Child Guild, who was to lead the subjugation squad, asked the group. 

“Yes!” answered the Morningstar members.

Kim Dong-Hae was a famous member of the Child Guild, a B-grade group. He was considered a semi-ranker because he was very close to reaching the A-grade. All players A-grade or higher were considered a ranker. The Child Guild, a mediocre group at best, grew to be recognizable thanks to Kim Dong-Hae. The rumor had it that Kim Dong-Hae was their guild master’s favorite. In fact, people believed the only reason Child Guild’s guild master was running the guild was to help Kim Dong-Hae level up faster. 

Yun Jae-Won, standing next to Gi-Gyu, whispered, “Wow! I knew he would be in this group, but I’m still relieved to see such a big player is going to join us.”

Everyone in the group Gi-Gyu guided that day was here to participate in the hunt. It had been a long time since Gi-Gyu last saw them, so they greeted each other with genuine pleasure. 

Gi-Gyu asked with curiosity, “He’s considered a big player?”

“Kim Dong-Hae? Of course. After all, he’s almost a ranker now, " Jae-Won, standing nearby, replied in surprise. 

Suddenly, Gi-Gyu realized what was happening. 

‘Ahh… now I see. I’ve met so many high rankers that a semi-ranker doesn’t seem like much anymore.’

He had met the real beasts in the Maze of Heryond, so now, no one seemed to impress Gi-Gyu.

“Haa…” Gi-Gyu sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Jae-Won asked. 

“I just feel a little bitter about something,” replied Gi-Gyu.

In the past, had Gi-Gyu met a semi-ranker, he would’ve been impressed and excited. But, after experiencing so many life-changing events, he could no longer connect with his previous innocence.