TFGSR 05

Chapter: 05

While the conversation about food was going around, Jeyeon casually changed the subject.

“I’m curious about the guild’s overall strength. What level is everyone at right now?”

Jena, Jisu, and Hoyeon answered one after another.

“I’m 49 right now.”

“I’m 71.”

“Ahem. I’m 69. Even if I don’t look it, this oppa used to be one of the top-ranked players back in the day.”

“……You’re level 49, 71, and 69?”

The new recruit’s eyes widened, and the three of them simultaneously smiled with pride.

They probably hadn’t expected a guild this ruined to have such high-level members.

Hoyeon’s shoulders naturally straightened.

Their high levels were their pride—and their only real selling point.

Of course, no one had joined so far.

“Sihyeon, you’re surprised, huh?”

“Yes. I’m really surprised.”

“Haha, I suppose that’s understandable……”

“It’s way too low, though.”

“……Huh?”

Hoyeon’s smile froze right on his face.

Did I hear that wrong?

But as if to deny that possibility, another question immediately followed.

“What have you all been doing this whole time?”

The pupils of all three people trembled simultaneously.

‘This kid seemed okay, and now she’s doing it again?’

Hoyeon wiped the moisture from the corners of his eyes and asked,

“Sihyeon, did we do something wrong? Is it because this uncle keeps calling himself oppa?”

“……What are you talking about? It’s not that.”

Jeyeon, meanwhile, was distracted by something completely different.

‘Why are their levels still the same?’

Jisu and Hoyeon had already been around these levels ten years ago.

Which meant they had basically failed to climb even a single floor since then.

The only one who had actually grown was Jena, who had been a little kid back then. She had managed to reach level 49.

‘It would be harsh to call them lazy.’

Considering what had happened to the guild, she couldn’t exactly criticize them.

The Tower itself didn’t produce resources.

The only profitable places were dungeons where they could bring back byproducts.

‘And if it doesn’t make money, I suppose it’s understandable that they neglected it.’

Humanity wasn’t in danger anymore, either.

The conquered Towers were essentially bombs with their detonators removed, so now they were merely used as trials where Awakened individuals could raise their levels.

So there was absolutely no reason to think of them as pathetic.

It was simply unfortunate that talented Summoners had stopped growing.

‘If I had been here, they would have reached the top too.’

Jeyeon swallowed the words she had been about to say, her emotions becoming complicated.

Instead, what came out was a much more softened version.

“I just thought the true prime of a Summoner comes later in their growth, so maybe you wanted to reach higher.”

Hoyeon asked, sounding surprised.

“Sihyeon, you know something even kids these days don’t?”

“Isn’t it usually like that for other classes too? Well, I could be wrong.”

“No, Sihyeon. You’re right.”

“But it’s not because we were being lazy. We became too weak to climb into the upper floors.”

“What do you mean? You became weaker?”

Jisu and Hoyeon gave dry laughs.

After a brief silence, Jisu spoke.

“We’re only half of what we used to be now. Our levels are high, but we can’t use our advanced summoning skills.”

“You can’t?”

“Our contracts were severed. All of them, starting from the day the final floor was conquered.”

Jena carefully added,

“We borrowed the power of the great beings Jeyeon unnie discovered. Thanks to her, we didn’t even have to withstand the weight of their existence. We could simply borrow their power.”

“…….”

“But apparently, that stopped working when she died. So we can’t summon the beings we contracted with anymore.”

‘That can’t be.’

The Summoning Book wasn’t something like that.

It was a contract that allowed the Summoner who wrote the names in the book to use the powers of four great beings.

Even if the first contractor died, as long as the book remained, the names would continue.

Jeyeon had gone through everything she could to make sure those conditions were met.

And yet—

The contracts had been severed?

‘I definitely…….’

She had given it to Gitaewon.

She had pleaded with him so desperately.

‘He didn’t give it to them.’

No.

It wasn’t simply that he hadn’t given it to them.

There was no way the contracts could have been severed while the book itself remained intact.

‘……He got rid of it.’

Summoning contracts were lifelong.

Once a contract had been formed, they couldn’t simply fill that position with another Summoned being because the original one could no longer be summoned.

The beings who had answered these children’s calls until yesterday had disappeared overnight.

And for ten years, these kids had endured without even knowing why.

Levels that had remained stagnant.

Worn-out shoes.

Those faces giving dry smiles as they called themselves half of what they used to be.

They were the kids who used to follow Gitaewon around, calling him oppa and hyung.

That bastard knew.

He knew exactly what would happen to these kids if he destroyed the book.

And he destroyed it anyway.

‘……Gitaewon, were you really that low?’

Was turning her into a traitor not enough?

How much could he possibly gain by going that far?

‘……Ah.’

Jeyeon’s gaze suddenly stopped.

‘He did gain quite a lot.’

A world without Seong Jeyeon.

In that world, Gitaewon, who had always been the second-best, became the strongest.

Ryu Seongho, who had been Seongyeon’s vice guild master, became the chairman of the Association.

Those positions had meant nothing to Jeyeon.

She had thought Gitaewon felt the same way.

Jeyeon gave a hollow laugh.

Ryu Seongho’s press conference had happened immediately after Gitaewon’s interview.

As though he had been waiting for it.

‘……Since when?’

Since they returned that day?

Or had it been from before they even entered the final raid?

She didn’t know.

She didn’t know how far the two of them had planned this together, or exactly when they had decided to do something like this.

But the result left before her eyes was unmistakable.

Those two had risen to the top.

And these kids had been left behind.

She had thought her resurrection was simply some inexplicable twist of fate.

But perhaps there was a reason she had returned.

‘To set things right.’

Even if that wasn’t the reason, it didn’t matter.

‘If there isn’t one, I’ll decide one myself.’

Jeyeon let out a long breath.

‘I’ll put everything back the way it was.’

That was what she decided to do in this life.

Jeyeon raised her gaze and looked at Jisu and Hoyeon.

“You two don’t need to feel discouraged.”

“…….”

“All you have to do is become strong again. You can get back to where you were in no time.”

Jeyeon smiled at the two of them as they stared at her blankly.

“Because now, I’m here.”

“……Oh, yeah.”

“Sihyeon, this uncle is genuinely touched!”

“Oh my, our youngest is so dependable. Your unnie and oppa will work harder, too.”

The three of them smiled, thinking it was simply the peculiar youngest member’s way of offering comfort.

‘If I’m going to bring them back, I need to become strong first.’

Because Jeyeon was the only one capable of enduring the weight of their existence even while summoning the great beings.

And the advanced summoning skill that would allow her to summon them unlocked at level 50.

In her previous life, it had taken approximately five years to reach the 50th floor.

A large portion of that time had been spent waiting for the next floor to become available.

Now that already-conquered floors could be climbed consecutively, she could drastically shorten that time.

“Then, since we’re talking about it, I’ll head into the Tower right away.”

“What? Right now?”

“Yes. Every second counts.”

She wanted to reduce the time these kids had to spend as half of themselves by even a single day.

Jeyeon stretched out her hand into the air and murmured,

“Portal Open.”

At the same time, a small light appeared as though tearing through the air.

The opening gradually widened.

Eventually, when the point of light had grown large enough for one person to enter, the swirling force flowing through the passage sent her hair fluttering.

Jeyeon stepped forward and quietly whispered,

“Awakened individual Seong…… Lee Sihyeon. Requesting entry into the Tower……”

She was about to continue.

But then—

Grrrrrrr-!

Jeyeon slowly lowered her gaze.

It was her stomach.

Lee Sihyeon’s stomach.

No—

Her stomach.

‘……Seriously? At a time like this?’

At the sound of someone clearing their throat, Jeyeon raised her head.

Everyone was staring at her.

“Ahem, Sihyeon. Going is fine and all, but shouldn’t you eat first?”

“No, this much is nothing……”

Grrrrrrrrrrr!

“She says we should eat before going.”

“No, really, I’m fi—”

Grrrrrrrrrrr!

“Fine, eat. Let’s eat!”

This useless body of Lee Sihyeon’s!

Jeyeon waved her hand, and the portal silently shrank away.

Even after that, unable to contain her frustration, she plopped herself down onto the sofa.

“Oh, you shouldn’t sit there like that……”

Crack.

The old spring gave one weak groan and surrendered completely.

The cushion sank.

Her backside sank straight through the frame of the sofa until it touched the floor.

“Ugh!”

Her knees shot up to face level.

Both arms were left hanging awkwardly in the air with nowhere to go.

Jeyeon froze in that position.

“……It works.”

Hoyeon belatedly finished his sentence.

“Haha. Sihyeon, you have to sit on the far left end. That’s the only part that still works.”

“…….”

“I meant to tell you beforehand, but this uncle was a little late.”

While Hoyeon smiled sheepishly, Jena extended a hand toward Jeyeon.

Jeyeon grabbed it and pulled herself free.

In the process, her foot accidentally kicked the low table in front of her, scattering several sheets of paper across the floor.

‘Ha, seriously…….’

Jeyeon knelt down and began picking up the papers.

One.

Two.

Then, suddenly, her eyes fell on the leg of the sofa, which had been wrapped in blue tape.

Even if ten years had passed, there was no way newly purchased furniture could be in this condition.

They must have bought used furniture that was already worn out from the beginning.

‘Just you wait.’

Once I raise my level, I’ll work myself to death running dungeons and make money first.

Then I’ll use it to replace all of this.

Jeyeon clenched her teeth and picked up the final sheet of paper.

Her hand stopped.

A government logo was stamped in one corner of the document.

“……Is this from the Association?”

Muttering to herself, Jeyeon unfolded the document.

A flashy, neon-colored poster filled her vision.

<NEW TOP 50>

Recruiting Participants for the New Hunter Survival!

Eligibility: One new guild member from each guild (*Must be Level 1)

Format: Real-time recording of life in the training camp and Tower raids

Victory Condition: Be the first to reach the 50th floor

Prize: 1 billion won

Special Reward: The winning guild will receive the bidding rights for a new dungeon in Jangheung-myeon

Jeyeon read through it in one sweep.

And then she thought:

‘……Was this made for me to enter?’