SSG 247
by CristaeEpisode 247
“You didn’t mistake me for someone else, did you?”
“Are there two Mad Hammers in our guild, both top-tier in skill but fallen to rock bottom because they backed the wrong side?”
“Damn, can’t argue with that.”
Maybe it was because Willy praised his skill, or maybe Mad Hammer himself found his own situation funny, he accepted it easily.
“Alright, then. Let’s hear what a person who’s top-notch in skill but a washed-up, good-for-nothing fool is supposed to do.”
“I’m thinking it’s about time to take over this guild.”
Mad Hammer went blank for a moment.
“Did getting ahead so fast get to your head? Or did you get so delusional that you think the world revolves around you? As someone who got all dreamy and then ended up in the mud, let me give you some advice—pluck out those flowers blooming in your head and face reality.”
“Others may not know, but hearing that from you, I don’t feel great. Weren’t you shouting from the start that you’d become guild master?”
“And look where it got me.”
“Don’t try to fool me, Mad Hammer. I don’t know you that well, but I do know one thing. You and I are the same kind.”
Willy looked at Mad Hammer as if he could see right into him.
“The reason you’re still in this guild. Sure, there could be a lot of reasons. But isn’t the biggest one that you haven’t given up on your ambition?”
“I didn’t know even Willy the Great had mastered mind-reading.”
“I don’t need superpowers. When it comes to people who are like you, it’s not hard to know what they’re thinking. You just think as you would yourself.”
The two stared at each other for a while.
“…Fine. So, do you have a plan?”
“First, I’m going to get rid of Python and his inner circle.”
“You’re getting rid of the boss who favored you?”
“Yeah.”
Willy answered without hesitation.
“Unlucky as it is, right now our guild isn’t the strongest. It’s Jemutdaero. Of course, none of our guild members like that. It’s because Apollon pulled some dumb stunt and lost us a city. That was probably our guild’s first defeat ever, right?”
“……”
Unexpectedly, Mad Hammer didn’t blow up. But Willy knew him well. Just a little more and he’d explode for sure.
“Well, let’s leave past mistakes in the past. Anyway, I really don’t like this situation. What I wanted was to be in the strongest guild, C.O.T.S., not a guild that’s groveling before a group with not even ten members. And I’m sure other guild members feel the same. Everyone might have joined for different reasons, but broadly, it was to belong to the best. To be part of the strongest guild.”
“That’s your reason.”
“It’s not that simple. Sure, it’s true we suffered a big loss this time. Hey, don’t glare at me like that. I’m not mocking you; I’m just analyzing the current situation. Anyway, I agree that right now is the time to catch our breath. But even so, we should be working on recovering from the damage and regaining our position as the strongest guild. But is Python doing that?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Right. I’m sure you know well, since you’ve suffered from him too. He’s obsessed with expanding his own faction within the guild, and I can’t stand it.”
“That’s why you want to get rid of Python and his cronies?”
“Yeah.”
“How ridiculous.”
“What’s so funny?”
“Did you think I’d be so marginalized that I wouldn’t know what’s going on in the guild?”
“……”
“I agree that Python’s neglecting the guild’s growth and focusing only on building his own faction.”
After all, Mad Hammer was part of the Apollon faction that had suffered at the hands of Python’s growing influence, even if only in form.
“But that’s not your real reason for removing Python, is it? Come on, Mr. Dumbass who got stabbed in the back as much as possible.”
“So you knew.”
“It’s not like I closed my eyes and plugged my ears.”
“Well, you’re right.”
Willy readily admitted Mad Hammer’s words.
“Mr. Python—or rather, that bastard Python’s power plays have gone too far.”
Willy, once a key member of Python’s faction thanks to his overwhelming skills, had been recruited by Python. But that was in the past.
“He used to act like he’d support me in anything I wanted, but now I can barely see his face.”
“Because you aren’t needed anymore.”
Maybe Mad Hammer enjoyed Willy’s misfortune; his face brightened up.
“He only brought you in to strengthen his own faction. But with Apollon’s fall, there’s no one left in the guild to balance him. He doesn’t need you anymore. In fact, he probably sees you as a risky variable who could threaten his position.”
“Hmph, what an idiot.”
“It’s smart. You’re eyeing the guild, aren’t you? To secure his place, it makes sense for him to distance people like you.”
“So that’s why he’s entrusting important tasks to someone like Pattern?”
“Blood ties are more reliable than anything else.”
“But you know that guy has no skill.”
Mad Hammer shrugged.
“He must think trust is more important than skill right now.”
“That’s why I say he’s a fool. Even if Apollon and his cronies are just hanging in there, they haven’t disappeared. But he’s already starting to weed out potential threats among his allies? That’s something you do only after you’ve really secured the guild!”
“Why are you pissed at me for it?”
Whether Python was protecting or discarding Willy, it was none of Mad Hammer’s business. Besides, no matter how much Willy was on the chopping block, he wasn’t in a worse spot than Mad Hammer for now.
“And whatever you say, the fact that you’re planning to flip the guild for your own gain is true. Even if Python tried to push you aside in the right way for the right reasons, you’d have tried to flip the guild anyway. For your own ambition.”
He would’ve bet on it.
“So cut the crap and get to the point.”
“You’re interested, aren’t you?”
“Didn’t I say I knew? The reason I stayed in this godforsaken guild despite the treatment I’ve received.”
“Ambition. If we’re being precise, revenge and success.”
“That’s right. And knowing you, I figured you’d have come up with a way to get me what I want, too.”
Mad Hammer smiled. It was the smile of a wolf who never gave up on ambition, no matter how much he wallowed in the mud.
“But I’ll only go along with you if your plan is convincing enough. I don’t want to get burned playing with a fool.”
“As much as you want. But if you don’t join me now, I guarantee you’ll never have another chance to rise in this guild.”
The two exchanged sharp looks. They were joining hands solely for their own gain; there was no trust whatsoever between them.
But even so, neither made a move to part ways.
And after a while, the two shook hands. Entirely for their own benefit.
Aside from the occasional guild wars, Ark had been quiet and eventless. But that calm was about to end.
It started in the city called Hatal. Among player-owned cities, it was a small one. Monsters began to gather around it.
“What’s that?”
A guild member discovered the monsters. Upon confirming they were enemies, he immediately called the other guild members together.
Fortunately, the monsters didn’t attack the city right away.
“Is this part of an event?”
“It might be, right? All the player-owned cities are supposed to be in the demon’s domain, after all.”
“Yeah. Honestly, it’s weird that things have been this quiet until now.”
It was a sudden raid, but they weren’t particularly fazed.
That was because the number of monsters gathering to attack the city wasn’t very high.
They couldn’t go out and fight in open battle, but with the city walls and the help of NPC soldiers, victory seemed pretty much assured.
“Let’s get ready. Those who want to stream, prepare your channels. I don’t know if it’s just a small event or the start of something bigger, but it’ll attract people’s interest.”
“But is it really an event? There hasn’t been any announcement.”
“When has Utopia not just started events however they wanted? Honestly, if there were another game like Ark, I would’ve quit this trash ages ago.”
“I hear you. Those jerks’ arrogance really grinds my gears.”
Grumbling, they began to prepare for the coming battle.
Compared to Jemutdaero or C.O.T.S, they were a small and weak guild, but still, they were a respectable city-owning guild.
They were ranked among the top guilds in Ark, so their members were skilled and experienced.
Hatal soon achieved perfect battle readiness.
-Uooooh!
One monster let out a loud howl. The sound rippled outward and soon all the monsters roared in their own way.
“They’re coming!”
The monsters began to charge at the city.
The siege began.
Just as the guild members expected, the monsters couldn’t properly breach the city walls. A few demons attacked from the sky, but ranged players responded well enough.
The fight seemed poised to end with an easy victory for the city.
But when a certain being appeared at the rear of the monsters, everything changed.
“Hey, hey, look at that! Look!”
“Is that black armor?”
The city’s players instantly became tense.
It was the black armor that had appeared during the previous large-scale demon assault event.
The black armor charged towards the city. The players braced themselves and stood their ground against it.
Soon, smoke began to rise from within the city.
For the first time in a while, Jemutdaero’s guild meeting was convened. Given Jemutdaero’s emphasis on individual play, such meetings were rare. But that made members even more likely to attend whenever one was called.
“Hello, Yuseong.”
“Hello.”
The Western Gardener, who had arrived first, greeted Yuseong. She naturally took her place beside him and started walking together.
“Are you still very busy?”
“Yes.”
Whatever he was busy with, Yuseong hadn’t even visited her grandmother’s house recently. Out of concern, she had asked, but Yuseong just told her he was busy and didn’t explain any further.
Though they were pretty close now, she didn’t feel like she could press him about something he obviously didn’t want to talk about, so she didn’t ask further.
The only thing she did know was that, at least, he hadn’t started dating someone and got too busy—her worst-case scenario.
The two entered the meeting room.
Being the first to arrive, the room was empty.
While chatting lightly to pass the time, the other guild members started arriving one by one.
Eventually, everyone had gathered, and the proper meeting began.