Max Talent Player

“Shouldn’t there be a vote where everyone agrees, or a majority vote or something?”

It was a very sensible question. They lived in a democratic society, where the majority opinion was to be respected. For Kang Somyi, securing everyone’s consent was all too natural. It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought of joining the guild, but she hadn’t even discussed things properly with the other guild members yet. Furthermore, this wasn’t just about her joining the guild, but about tackling a perilous hidden piece.

It could be dangerous. In the worst case, they might even lose their lives.

‘Isn’t it normal for someone to oppose?’

But the first person to respond, Sunhwa, shot her hand into the air with a giggle and a big grin.

“I agree, 100%!”

She was super cute. From what Somyi had seen, Sunhwa was a lovable girl.

‘W-Well, she’s a kind and pure child, so it’s natural for her to agree.’

They hadn’t known each other for long, but Somyi believed Sunhwa was as kind and innocent as her appearance suggested. Sunhwa’s response wasn’t unusual considering her youth and personality, Somyi thought.

The future Fist King, the big and muscular So Yoohyun, was also quick to respond.

“Hyungnim, I also give my full agreement, 200%!”

It was her first time hearing such an overly enthusiastic response, but somehow, it suited So Yoohyun. His biceps were quivering.

“Um…” Somyi interjected tentatively. “Do you know me?”

“I don’t.”

“But you’re still in full agreement?”

“Cause Hyungnim gave his permission?” replied Yoohyun, cocking his head as if puzzled by her line of questioning.

“Is that really the only reason?”

“Reasons aren’t important to a footmat.”

It was also her first time hearing someone refer to himself as a footmat. So Yoohyun broke out in a hearty “Uhahahaha!” But to be honest, Somyi couldn’t understand what was so funny.

Shin Yeonseo shrugged and said unconcernedly, “If Boss says so, it’s a yes from me.”

Even more dumbfounded, Somyi asked, “Hold on, seriously? Me joining the guild aside, the hidden piece is really dangerous, you know?”

Choi Sung-gu shook his head.

“Fuck… Don’t say that sort of thing. This boss of ours goes running straight into danger like a madman… He’s a danger addict.”

“Then do you oppose it, Sung-gu?”

“It’s no use opposing if no one listens,” Sung-gu grumbled. “Haah, this is just my lot in life.”

He breathed a deep sigh. But despite his grousing, Sung-gu had decided to join the challenge the moment Hyukjin said he was going to clear the hidden piece. In fact, if he was being honest, he was even a little excited about it.

‘Gah! Just what am I thinking?!’ He pinched his cheeks hard. ‘You crazy Bum-gu! I’m not interested in a lousy hidden piece, not one bit!’

My goal is to just live a long, long rich life. That’s all! He reminded himself this again and again.

‘Just this one last time. I’ll take on danger just one last time.’

Bum-gu. Yes, he was Bum-gu, a coward who feared and hated danger. This was the last time he was joining these crazies on another brush with death, he swore to himself.

Kang Somyi looked from one Giantgod member to another, her expression bitter.

“You’re all going to go into danger for me, someone you’ve only met today?”

She couldn’t understand. All Giantgod had to do was clear this place and leave. Yeonseo patted her shoulder.

“Boss hasn’t made a single wrong decision so far. We’re just trusting him and charging straight ahead. Right, Sunhwa?”

“Yupyup. I believe everything Oppa says.”

“That’s right, Hyungnim. Your footmat is as loyal as ever today.”

The near-unconditional faith of his guildmates embarrassed Hyukjin a bit, but he didn’t show it.

Somyi spoke quickly, still unbelieving. “I’m grateful, yes, but there’s no doubt it’ll be dangerous. And it’s not like this dungeon is going to disappear. I think we can come back later, when our levels are higher—”

Hyukjin cut her off. “If we do that, the Explorer of Service hidden piece will disappear.”

“Let’s go then!”

Just to make sure, Somyi fixed one last stare on Jo Sunghyun. Her assessment of him was that he was a cold person. She sort of felt like he, the most rational and calm-seeming person in the guild, would be the one person to present justified reasoning and express his unwillingness to join the hidden piece chase.

Jo Sunghyun said slowly, “Hyung. What do you want me to do?”

* * *

* * *

Kang Somyi mumbled to herself.

“Wow. Is this really happening?”

At 23 years old, she learned for the first time that Korea’s strongest guild was a group that barged straight ahead like stubborn mules. And even though it was super obstinate and rockheaded, she didn’t actually dislike it. She liked it.

Standing on the beach, Somyi shouted into the empty air, “THIS WAS SERIOUSLY SO WORTH IT!”

Then, after whirling around, she stared at her new guildmates.

“That means I’m a part of the guild now, right?”

This time, it was Giantgod’s turn to stare oddly at her. It felt like Kang Somyi from a few moments ago was very different from Kang Somyi now. The feeling she gave off was distinctly different.

“I seriously love this guild’s vibe. Uhuhuhu.” She laughed like someone with a screw loose. “Well then, Guildmaster. How will we kill the Krakens? They look tough to kill.”

A Kraken happened to surface at that moment, appearing before their eyes. They could only see its head, but even that looked to be the size of a respectable boat. Not long afterwards, one of its many appendages appeared above the water.

Sung-gu shuddered. “Fuck. Can’t I just stay here? What kind of leg is the size of a house?”

“Whining again, Hyung?”

“This isn’t whining, you brat. Look at the suckers. You can tell just from those suckers that it’s frickin’ monstrous.”

“All monsters are monstrous.”

“Bro, I’ve got a seafood allergy.”

Sunghyun snorted. As the two bickered, Hyukjin said, “Somyi. What do you know about incantations?”

“Incantations? What are those?”

She was being serious. She didn’t know a thing about incantations. But Hyukjin could see it with Eye of Perception.

[This is the Explorer of Service.]

[Capable of a special incantation.]

She was the ‘Explorer of Service’ capable of a special incantation.

‘She can do it, but… it looks like she has an ability she hasn’t recognized yet.’

And Hyukjin was able to see exactly what the ‘special incantation’ was.

“Seek life to die, seek death to live.”

“What? That’s a super famous line, isn’t it? The words spoken by Admiral Yi Sun-sin.”

If they fought to die, they would definitely live, and if they fought to live with cowardice, they would definitely die. Those were the words left by the Lord of Loyal Valor Yi Sun-sin. Hyukjin had heard this incantation before.

‘Schultz showed it to me.’

The German archer/sovereign, Schultz. The Player who had sacrificed himself in a brilliant display of leadership in the Dewinged Angel Statue Gate in the past without Kim Hyukjin. There was no mistaking that Schultz had uttered this incantation, and because of that, Hyukjin knew this was a ‘real’ incantation.

“Do you feel anything after hearing about it?”

“Hm, not really… I don’t think I can really feel anything.”

Hyukjin nodded. Yeonseo came close and whispered something in his ear.

“The only person who can figure out everything from a single hint is you, Boss. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“...”

He wondered if it was really something she needed to whisper to him, but he decided to ignore her.

“I’ll hunt the Krakens.”

They weren’t going to do it themselves. This was the ocean. He was going to use the Immortal Fleet.

[Immortal Fleet]

Battles by summoning an undying fleet. Can only be summoned on the ‘ocean’. The summon duration and fleet’s fighting prowess will be determined by the summoner’s Willpower.

*Number of summonable vessels: 12

*Upon fulfilling a special incantation, the Willpower consumption markedly decreases.

He summoned the Immortal Fleet.

[Using the special ability Immortal Fleet.]

A twelve ship fleet appeared on the water. In a naval battle, this astonishing special ability could shine even more than Kim Hyukjin himself.

Kang Somyi’s jaw dropped at the twelve Joseon era warships that had suddenly appeared in the sea.

“Wow… this sort of thing is possible? I was wondering what you meant when you kept saying fleet this, fleet that. So this is what that was.”

As an explorer, she had a rough sense of the fleet’s power.

‘We can do this!’

The only problem was, maintaining such a huge fleet would surely require a lot of Kim Hyukjin’s mana. Would his mana really last through the process of hunting all the Krakens and clearing the hidden piece? That was the real question.

That moment, she was struck with the illusion of someone speaking in her head.

Help him.

Lend him your aid.

If you try, you will be able to help him.

It was the strangest feeling, almost like she had a different soul in her head. She remembered that Ham Sohyun, the very famous Precognitive Dreamer, said this was how it felt when she composed precognitive notes.

“Ohhh…!”

Somyi’s eyes began to turn gold. Behind her shimmered an energy that couldn’t be seen with the eyes. Hyukjin’s Eye of Perception detected it, and he recognized it as the same energy he had experienced in the Dewinged Angel Statue Gate, a place far removed from the Nanba Terminal Dungeon.

‘That’s the same energy Schultz had.’

From Somyi’s lips spilled the same incantation Schultz had uttered. It didn’t seem to be a ‘Will’ Incantation. Rather, it was being uttered regardless of her will due to the fulfillment of certain conditions.

“Seek life to die, seek death to live.”

A towering shadow formed behind her, quickly coalescing into an armored giant. The giant made of mana only had the upper half of its body.

It was the same as back then, exactly the same. Even Hyukjin was puzzled as to how this could be.

“Those who seek death shall live, those who seek life shall die.”

With that incantation, Hyukjin heard a new notice.

[A special incantation has been created.]

[‘Willpower’ consumption drastically decreases.]

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Drumbeats began to echo.

The twelve ships were mentally connected to Hyukjin.

“Begin the hunt.”

* * *

The ships were mighty indeed. They fired their guns at the Krakens and nimbly dodged all of the Krakens’ attacks. There wasn’t much for the other members of Giantgod to do.

Yeonseo scratched her earlobe. “We just have to protect Boss, right?”

Hyukjin was pouring all of his focus on the naval battle, and to do so, he was sitting with his eyes closed, completely defenseless. Hyukjin had total trust in his guildmates, and his guildmates lived up to his trust.

The result was simple.

[All Krakens have been eliminated.]

[The hidden scenario ‘Kraken Hunt’ has been completed.]

Exactly as Hyukjin had seen with Eye of Perception, after hunting all the Krakens, they were informed of the hidden scenario’s completion, as well as the next step.

[Due to the completion of the hidden scenario, the boss monster will appear.]

The ocean began to surge, the waves growing higher. The ships of Hyukjin’s fleet rocked so violently it seemed they would capsize at any moment.

Hyukjin knew what monster was coming.

‘King Kraken.’

A monster in the mid to late level 40s.

‘What level will it be?’

Even at the lowest possible level, level 45, this monster could not be hunted by normal means. Only a regressor could kill it without losses.

‘If we mess up, we could die.’

But Hyukjin was calmer than ever. His mind was as ice cold. This was the same feeling he had experienced time and time again since the Tutorial.

‘It’s dangerous. That’s why it’s enjoyable.’

Some might call him a masochist, but that was really how he felt.

‘It’s worth a shot.’

And if they could awaken the Explorer of Service with this, he was certain that this gamble would become a boon of immeasurable magnitude for Giantgod Guild.

Sunhwa pointed.

“Holy cow, look, Oppa. There’s a whirlpool over there.”

Far in the distance, a whirlpool had begun to swirl in a calm part of the ocean. At the same time, yet another notice rang out.

[The ‘Herdsman of Las Vegas’ proposes a bet.]

The sovereign-focused Guardian who liked gambling, the Herdsman of Las Vegas, had come forward with a bet.