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

I then showed Lilith my newly unlocked ability.

Lilith stared at me in awe, murmuring in a daze, “I wasn’t sure until I heard your name on the broadcast… but it really is you.”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“It’s a miracle that you awakened, but you shouldn’t have gotten hurt like this.”

Lilith scolded me, then started to tear up. Feeling awkward, I just quietly drank a health potion.

It was true I had made her cry, but it wasn’t really my fault. So I could only let her cry it out on her own.

Considering how she was reacting to my current state, she might have fainted if she saw me earlier.

“By the way, who was that guy?”

Now that I was recovering, I changed the subject and asked about the man who had been tussling with her in the cave.

“I think he stumbled in here by chance. He was surprised to see me and then started attacking to take my stuff.”

“That was close.”

Fortunately, Lilith had listened to me well and stayed put in the cave.

So what happened earlier wasn’t because she did anything noticeable but simply because of bad luck.

“Lilith, we can’t stay here anymore since our location is exposed. As the only one with a unique ability, I’ll be followed wherever I go.”

“I understand… but I’m worried that it will be tough for you.”

“Are you only worried about me? Worry about yourself too. We’re in this together, so you’ll be struggling alongside me.”

“Oh? Oh… okay…”

Lilith, always worrying about me and not herself.

“Anyway, we’ll have to live like wanderers now. We’ll only be able to rest hidden during the night’s end.”

“I understand. And, thank you for keeping me with you, even though it must be a hassle.”

I’m grateful that she doesn’t take my protection for granted and continues to thank me.

It gives me strength.

* * *

After that, Lilith and I continued searching for supply boxes.

I didn’t want Lilith to feel useless, so when I spotted a supply box in the bushes, I would pretend to be distracted until she found it.

When she would excitedly call out, “Look over there! A box!” I would act surprised and say, “Lilith, you have sharp eyes!”

Lilith, innocent as a child, never noticed my act.

But the viewers would see through it and hopefully think of me as a generous character.

As we wandered, I could feel eyes on us.

There were rumors about me killing someone with flames, so no one approached us directly, just lurked around.

‘They’re probably trying to observe and figure out how I unlocked my unique ability.’

But I wasn’t wandering aimlessly.

I knew guild battles would start in the second round. It would be advantageous to select allies in advance.

So I was making myself visible, scanning the area, but it didn’t seem like there was anyone suitable here.

If these characters are only capable of lurking around ominously, they’re definitely not the sharp, unique allies I’m looking for.

“Hold on.”

Just before entering a forest clearing, I stopped Lilith.

The entrance, framed by two large trees and unnaturally flattened, seemed suspiciously artificial.

Instead of stepping on it, I tossed a stone, and with a loud clatter, a hidden trap activated, pulling a snare net up into the trees.

Someone had set up a trap here to catch me and Lilith like animals. But who?

“What’s that? It’s fascinating.”

“A snare trap for catching animals.”

“Oh no, Rudel, by throwing that stone, you’ve ruined someone’s chance of catching a rabbit! The owner of this trap will be sad, but at least the rabbit got away…”

I didn’t bother to explain to innocent Lilith what the trap was really for…

We definitely need a reliable ally.

Unless I go around wielding fire, Lilith and I will constantly be underestimated because of our small statures.

Ideally, we need a burly, intimidating ally who can make anyone cower at first glance.

But such a character won’t just appear out of nowhere.

While I was pondering, night fell.

After traveling a long distance, I noticed that, although this was still a jungle, the atmosphere and character movements were different.

Where we came from, likely influenced by Ispan, murder scenes were common.

But here, characters moved more cautiously in groups.

We seemed to be the smallest group, with everyone else moving in at least groups of three.

It appeared they had chosen a tentative peace after seeing the power of the play points, rather than turning everyone into enemies for kill points.

“That girl is the one who unlocked the unique ability.”

“She doesn’t look like much. How did she do it?”

As Lilith and I passed by, characters would stop and whisper.

“Should we offer her weapons and ask?”

“She’s got the ultimate weapon, why would she want anything else? Let’s try food.”

“She doesn’t look big enough to be a glutton.”

“So what do we do?”

“Ah, let’s charm her! You’re pretty handsome, why don’t you give it a try?”

What?

Some characters even tried to approach me with their good looks.

“Hey, I like you a lot. How about joining me?”

Several male characters tried this lame pickup line, but I ignored them all.

This happened so often that one character got frustrated and muttered behind me.

“Man, if only I were half as good-looking as Unahar, I could easily charm someone like her!”

Seriously.

By the way, that guy who just tried to talk to me was quite handsome. So how ridiculously good-looking is this ‘Unahar’? Heavenly beauty, perhaps?

Lilith clung to my arm, anxiously glancing around. She seemed very tense from all the hostile stares directed at us.

“Rudel, I don’t think there are any supply boxes here. It looks like they’ve already been taken.”

Lilith suggested we find a place to rest and tugged at my arm, but then another figure approached us from the opposite direction.

“Oh, that’s Unahar.”

I told Lilith as soon as I saw him.

Lilith widened her eyes.

“Unahar? Who’s that? Do you know him?”

“Not personally, but…”

A tall man was walking towards us, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.

‘It must be Unahar. Who else could it be?’

The moment our eyes met, I knew. That guy had to be Unahar.

Of course, there was a chance he wasn’t, but if not, so be it.

But my guess was correct.

“Hello, I’m Unahar.”

The handsome man, as striking as Lilith, slightly bowed and greeted us with a charming voice.

With the path blocked, Lilith and I had no choice but to stand still and look up at him.

Up close, he was even more attractive.

He had healthy, glowing skin and sparkling blond hair that shimmered in the fading light. He gave off the impression of a very refined young man.

He looked a couple of years older than me, exuding a mature aura.

“Can you introduce yourself too?”

His deep voice tickled my ears, and I found myself blurting out my name.

“Rudel.”

“Rudel. I’ve heard about you. Despite your fragile appearance, you have a burning determination that has borne fruit through your efforts.”

Who spread such flowery rumors about me? It seemed like Unahar was embellishing the truth.

I recalled the guy who had tried to hit on me earlier.

‘He said if he were half as handsome as Unahar, he would have succeeded in wooing me.’

I wondered why he mentioned this man out of nowhere—

“Honestly, I desire what you have. I want to stay by your side. Will you allow me to?”

So, he’s a habitual flirt?

He smoothly pulled my hand into his, his touch surprisingly deft.

Clever. Using such radiant looks as a survival tool is a smart move.

‘Though in Lilith’s case, she’s too innocent to use such tactics on men.’

At least he was honest about wanting my unique ability rather than pretending to be smitten. I appreciated that more. Maybe he didn’t need to lie because he was so confident in his appearance.

And he had every right to be.

The saying “just looking at him is enough to fill your stomach” must be about someone like him. With that face, he could probably get anyone to do anything for him.

Without realizing it, I looked Unahar up and down. He was tall, with broad shoulders and an impressive physique. His entire body exuded a magnetism that was hard to ignore.

Unahar seemed pleased, even eager, as my eyes took him in. He basked in the attention.

Alright, that’s enough gawking.

“Thanks for giving me and Lilith a little eye candy, but that’s not enough reason for you to join us. So if you don’t mind…”

Just in case, I took a quick glance at Unahar’s status window, then I quickly grabbed Lilith’s hand and pulled her along. She followed me without protest.

Lilith didn’t seem particularly taken with Unahar either. She simply gave a polite “Goodbye” and hurried to keep up with me. 

I turned to check on Lilith and saw Unahar looking heartbroken, his expression so full of disappointment it was almost painful to see.

His downcast eyes tugged at my heartstrings, but I was certain this was just another part of his seduction act.

“Can’t I at least watch from afar?” he pleaded in a voice that sounded genuinely sorrowful.

So, he’s essentially saying he’ll follow us from a distance?

Understanding his true intentions, I was taken aback.