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

Lilith sent an admiring gaze my way.

“Rudel, you really are amazing. I was just worrying about how terrifying that monster might be.”

Gio’s reaction was a pass.

That guy won’t listen to a word unless he’s eaten something in the morning, so I handed him a big piece of bread. 

But even while eating, he still didn’t listen.

“…I know, Rudel really is different from me. I think you’re cool.”

Unahar quietly repeated, admiring me.

Finding his reaction unfamiliar, I stared at him for a moment.

Is he still in shock from turning into a wolf? He seemed a bit down overall.

Where did all that confidence go from when he tried to seduce me a few days ago?

A despairing handsome man might stir viewers’ emotions, but it’s not good for long-term survival.

I need to help him recover his energy quickly.

“But it’s dangerous, so I don’t want to go out alone.”

“Of course not, Rudel! You can’t go alone!”

Unahar shouted loudly, seemingly surprised.

“So, I think it would be best if Lilith hid in the cave alone while Gio and Unahar helped me. What do you think?”

Lilith nodded, worried about the three of us.

So kind. She didn’t insist on coming along and trusted me.

But there was a complication.

“If Lilith stays here, I’ll stay here too. I’m not going out.”

That beast had the audacity to declare that while gulping down a donut.

“Think about how much you eat. If you have a conscience, you should earn your keep.”

“If we leave Lilith alone, it’s dangerous.”

It was a valid point, but that’s for me to decide, not you, Gio. Isn’t it dangerous for us to go out?

“Still, you’re coming. I’m worried about Lilith too, but everyone has to take risks, there’s no other way.”

I continued, my voice slightly tinged with irritation.

“And I was going to give you the title of ‘First Monster Slayer!’”

“What’s the point of that?”

Gio scratched his head, his tone grumpy and completely uninterested.

He really hadn’t listened to a word I said earlier.

My mind went blank with frustration, and I wanted to smack Gio’s back. But my hand would just hurt. Was there any weapon within reach?

I’ll hold it in. I’ll hold it in. Being the group leader is always tiring…

“I was planning to give you the reward for being the ‘First Monster Slayer.’ Only the person who lands the final blow can get it.”

“Why me?”

“I’m trying to help you grow!”

“I’m already grown up, what’s the point of raising me… You should focus on growing yourself, Rudel, you’re so short…”

Gio mumbled, still looking a bit hungry.

He doesn’t understand anything. The importance of experience points, the importance of levels! He seemed a bit interested in unique abilities but then completely forgot about them!

Ugh, I give up. At least the viewers will probably laugh at this pure-hearted guy and me, frustrated enough to hit my chest.

At least give me some points in the popularity poll for making them laugh.

Anyway, I’ve already formed a guild in my heart with these three. I plan to raise them myself.

Excluding myself as the hidden card, if I had to decide who to raise first in the first round of experience points, it would be Gio.

Lilith is too inefficient in combat for the chaotic situation of the first round, so she’s out.

Unahar is still unfamiliar with us and not mentally strong, so he’s out too.

That leaves only Gio.

I’m lacking in allies. Only this fool Gio.

But Gio has incredible potential. If I raise his stats in preparation for unlocking his unique abilities, he’ll be outstanding.

So, for the sake of increasing our team’s power, Gio absolutely has to go out and hunt the monster!

Not stay in the cave playing house with Lilith!

At that moment, like a miracle, Lilith turned to Gio and spoke.

“Gio, it’s better if you go out. I’ll be fine alone.”

“But…”

Not wanting to miss the opportunity, I quickly whispered in Lilith’s ear.

“Lilith, say ‘You’ll look really cool if you catch the monster.’”

Without questioning why, Lilith nodded and repeated my words.

“If you can catch the monster, you’ll look really dependable!”

“Really?”

Gio’s cheeks turned red, and a small smile appeared on his face.

“I’ll go, Rudel. Leave the monster to me.”

Well, there are only two ways to handle Gio. Food and Lilith.

As long as I have these two, Gio is mine.

I turned away from Gio, who was pounding his chest with enthusiasm, and met Unahar’s eyes.

The handsome man, who had lost his confidence and looked down earlier, was now smiling slightly, amused by my manipulation of Gio.

I gave Unahar a light warning with a “shh.”

Unahar smiled even more, a soft, charming smile that curled his lips gently.

It was the first time I’d seen him smile like that since he tried to seduce me.

Thanks to Lilith’s support, I successfully included Gio in the monster hunting party.

Now, only Unahar was left.

When I looked at him with an expression that asked what he was going to do, unlike Gio, he seemed to have some conscience and nodded immediately.

However, it was evident that he was still afraid of using his ability.

“About your unique ability,” I began. Unahar flinched as if he’d been caught stealing, and his eyes twitched slightly.

He listened intently, looking as if he might collapse at a single word.

“You can’t go your whole life without using your ability just because you can’t control it.”

“…You’re right.”

“But using your ability to train during the first round…”

A crazed wolf would be running around wildly in the snow? I didn’t have the confidence to subdue that crazy wolf without getting hurt.

“It’s dangerous for other players to see. Unless we’re in a private space for training.”

For example, the guild fortress that appears during the second round of guild wars.

I didn’t plan to have Unahar use his unique ability until then.

Unahar seemed somewhat relieved that he didn’t have to use his ability right away, but also somewhat unsettled.

Is it a sense of helplessness that he doesn’t express any opinion about his own ability? Or does he rely on me that much?

At least Unahar’s gaze seemed filled with trust towards me.

“So, for now, let’s consider that you don’t have a unique ability. But that doesn’t mean you can avoid fighting altogether. You’ll have to fight without your ability. Unahar, try holding this.”

I had obtained it as a reward a few days ago and kept it just in case.

I pulled out a massive cylindrical weapon from my inventory, about the size of my head.

“It’s a bazooka. See if you can use it.”

Unahar hoisted the bazooka onto his left shoulder.

With his tall frame, he looked like an army officer. When I held it, I just looked like someone carrying a tube.

“Why hasn’t anyone else used this?”

“We’re not exactly aiming to kill for kill points. We’re focusing on play points.”

Unahar spun the bazooka around effortlessly with one hand. As expected, his base stats were B.

“Then why don’t Gio or Lilith use it?”

“I have fire, and Gio prefers swords. Lilith can’t lift it because it’s too heavy.”

Unahar was the only suitable candidate.

“I’ll transfer the ammo to your inventory. Now that Unahar has a weapon, let’s divide the roles.”

“What roles?”

“When the monster appears, we can’t just charge at it randomly like a bunch of amateurs. We need to move strategically.”

Unahar and Lilith both showed expressions of realization. Even though Lilith might not understand, Unahar, with his ‘mid-upper’ intelligence, should get it.

Game characters might look remarkably human, but at times they still show endless ignorance in some areas.

They get amazed at things anyone could think of.

Maybe game characters have a simplified strategy design. After all, they need to appear as characters to real users.

That’s probably why I might seem clever to the viewers.

“We’ll divide into simple roles: tank, dealer, and supporter.”

My choice of terminology clearly reflected my past life’s immersion in games.

“Let’s simulate encountering a monster. Gio, with the highest basic stats and the strongest physical defense, will be the tank.”

I explained to Gio that the tank’s role is to provoke, lure, and keep the monster occupied.

Since Gio (being a fool) had lost his sense of fear, he would likely take on the role of leading the monster around without hesitation.

Even in actual combat, he would be good at attracting aggro.

“But how do we know Gio is the strongest among us?” Unahar suddenly asked.

Oh, right, characters can’t see other characters’ status screens, only their own.

With so many people around, I got a bit distracted. How could I make such a mistake?

“Well, it’s just something I naturally learned from spending time with everyone. And I don’t think you, Unahar, are sturdier than Gio.”

It’s not just that he seems less sturdy, he simply isn’t.

Gio’s stats were exceptionally high. I’d already assessed Unahar’s stats as well.

Unahar looked somewhat hurt, as if my confidence in Gio’s strength over his had stung him.

He held the bazooka, looking sullen.

“I’ll be the dealer. The dealer’s role is to attack from behind while the tank distracts the monster. I’ll amplify my fire to deal continuous damage.”

I planned to use only half of my presumed output and pretend that was my maximum.

Even though I said this, I hadn’t tested the exact output yet. I hadn’t shown it to the viewers either, living as a hidden powerhouse.

Until my unique ability was given specific stat categories instead of a vague potential grade, I needed to hide my true power.

After all, the first round is just a prologue to the second round.