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

Although I was in stealth mode, the viewers could still see me. In other words, my appearance was captured in the VR of the viewers watching the vile and cruel actions of that man. Therefore, it was clear that I was currently attracting quite a bit of attention. When I got about 10 meters closer, the status window of the man finally appeared.

I had to make sure the viewers didn’t catch onto this cheat, so I just fixed my gaze and pretended to scrutinize the man carefully.

[Name] Ispan / [Level] 1  

[Gender] Male / [Age] 28  

[Intelligence] Mid-Low / [Killing Intent] High  

* * *  

[Health] 6020 / B+  

[Strength] 7755 / B+  

[Agility] 3100 / B

‘How can a level 1 have four-digit stats?’ I shivered. A weakling like me would die from just one hit. That silver spoon must have killed off a ton of other characters right from the start, so his experience and kill count must be overwhelming. He and I were probably already worlds apart in terms of ability.

Of course, I could also sneak up on him while remaining hidden and slit the throat of any character nearby before making my escape. But that wasn’t a choice I was particularly inclined to make. For one, I didn’t have a weapon, and with stats like mine, I couldn’t kill someone barehanded like Nahean could.

While I wasn’t even strong enough to kill anyone, I carefully observed Ispan and came to a conclusion. ‘He’s my target.’ That dumb villain would be the first kill I make, rising from the bottom.

Simply ambushing him wouldn’t satisfy me. I needed a dramatic, desperate, nail-biting victory. The more dramatic, the more supporters I would gain. 

As I scanned the surroundings for anything I could use, a pretty character caught my eye. She looked about 18 years old, with beautiful silver hair and striking green eyes. ‘Just looking at that standout color, you can tell the developers invested everything in her appearance.’

She was trembling in fear like the other characters with her head bowed, but in my hidden state, I could see her true expression. As I got closer, I saw her long eyelashes clinging to her tears as she glared with what seemed like anger. Even with that angry expression, she stood out. The viewers must have been impressed by those vivid graphics. 

‘Oh, that resolute expression… it looks like she’s about to stand up and fight back at any moment. This feeling is unsettling—’ Sure enough, the girl straightened her back among the bowing characters a moment later.

[Name] Lilith / [Level] 1  

[Gender] Female / [Age] 18  

[Intelligence] Mid-Low / [Killing Intent] Low  

* * *  

[Health] 40 / E

[Strength] 55 / D  

[Agility] 36 / E  

Her fragile appearance, like that of an idol, matched her weak stats. I gasped in stealth mode. 

“Don’t do it! Just keep your head down! Why are you digging your own grave!” I wanted to shout, but I kept silent to avoid getting myself killed as well. 

With everyone watching her stand up, Lilith boldly approached the throne. She bravely walked to the spot where the bloodstains were fresh. Ispan looked down at her with a contemptuous expression as if he were observing dirt on his shoes. With a trembling voice, the frail girl confronted him.

“Y-You said you would spare them. It’s too cruel to just shoot them after promising to let them live. Please stop killing! You’ve already got plenty of kills! You’re already number one, aren’t you, Ispan?”

Tears finally fell as she spoke, her voice trembling with fear. Her body, clad in basic clothes, shook violently. Ispan let out a mocking laugh, looking at her as if contemplating how to deal with her.

One thing to note: this game, although rated for adults, strictly adheres to censorship guidelines. This means that even a tyrant like Ispan wouldn’t forcefully assault the weak. Such a concept doesn’t exist here. However, he could still kill her. 

While the game has mechanisms to prevent the indiscriminate killing of beautiful characters, fostering a sense of attachment among viewers, I doubted this would significantly affect Ispan. A character with a “High” Killing Intent stat, someone who derives pleasure from killing, wouldn’t be deterred by such factors.

Ispan soon burst into laughter. 

“Lilith, you are such a mess! Not only are you weak, but you’re also stupid!”

The gun barrel soon aimed at Lilith’s head. She was frozen in place, unable to move. But does he know he’s the bigger fool? 

Indeed, Lilith’s stats didn’t suggest she was very bright, but that made her courage even more noble. The viewers witnessed her bravery. A tiny hamster standing up to a monstrous evil, a pitiful yet moving act of defiance. If you shoot her now, Ispan, you’ll earn points but also earn resentment. The omnipotent viewers above will be angry at losing the chance to see this beautiful character again.

But this was something a game character couldn’t understand, so I watched them in silence instead of coldly pointing it out.

“You know it’s easier for me to kill you than to breathe.”

A finger, veins bulging, rested on the trigger. But before pulling it, Ispan suddenly smiled as if he had a great idea.

“That’s right, Lilith. I’ll give you a chance. Run away, just like that guy earlier.”

Lilith’s tear-streaked face turned even paler.

“If you manage to get out of shooting range, I’ll let you live. Now, run!”

“…”

“Or you can just die here.”

**Bang!** A bullet struck the ground near Lilith’s feet, making her jump. She realized she had no choice but to do as she was told, knowing she had fallen into the same trap as those before her.

At that moment, my mind raced. The distance where the previous character was shot by Ispan was about 10 meters from where Lilith now stood. Since there was only one direction to run, Lilith would follow the same path as that character. This meant that when Lilith and I reached the midpoint, we’d be about 7 meters apart. Assuming Ispan shot Lilith at the same spot where the previous character died…

Lilith suddenly looked back and started running. Maybe if she ran fast enough, she could avoid the bullets. She flailed desperately, running with all her might. But with her average E-grade stats, there was no way she could dodge a bullet. One second, two seconds, the seconds of death ticked by. Lilith shut her eyes tightly. Ispan’s finger moved on the trigger.

In that moment, I pulled a throwing stealth potion from my new bag. The viewers were probably holding their breath, watching me throw the stealth potion at the girl. **Pop!** The transparent potion hit Lilith and exploded. My D-grade strength had hit the mark! Smoke billowed out, and Lilith vanished from sight.

“She’s gone!”

“Shut up!”

Taking advantage of the minions’ confusion, I dashed to where Lilith had been. ‘Looks like she fell as soon as she got hit by the stealth potion.’ I groped the ground and found what I assumed was Lilith. Since we were both invisible, we couldn’t see each other, but I grabbed her arm and helped her up. 

From Lilith’s perspective, she was being led by an invisible stranger, but commendably, she didn’t scream. Instead, she followed me quietly. Despite Ispan firing his gun furiously behind us, Lilith and I managed to escape into the forest.

* * *

Lilith’s breathing was loud and harsh. The girl, whose stats were even worse than mine, collapsed to the ground as soon as she felt safe.

“Who, who are you?” The invisible Lilith asked into the air. Knowing the stealth potion only had five minutes left, I deactivated my stealth in front of her.

“Hello.”

As soon as she saw me, Lilith also deactivated her stealth. She still had plenty of time left, but she wasted it. When she saw a girl around her age greeting her cautiously, Lilith’s tension immediately eased.

“Th-Thank you for saving me… You did save me, right?”

Lilith lowered her gaze, speaking with a sense of deep gratitude. The relief of narrowly escaping death was evident in her breath.

What should I say here? How can I create an impression that will leave a lasting mark on the viewers who are watching us right now? Saying something like “It was nothing” would make me seem arrogant, and “I had to help” would sound too cheesy. Maybe I should just say what I genuinely would. Trying to maintain a difficult image from the start would only mean a struggle to keep up the act.

Alright, from now on, I’ll be a tsundere.

“Why did you do that? It was dangerous.”

I’ll act grumpy while scolding her for doing something risky!

“It was upsetting, you know? It’s unfair. I hate seeing people die.”

Wow, Lilith’s smile just now was a masterpiece, even to my eyes. Plus, by questioning her actions, I highlighted her noble intentions, doubling the viewers’ emotional impact. 

I looked at Lilith’s smiling face and pondered for a moment. She’s weak, but she certainly has the qualities to attract viewer sympathy. Why not travel together and leverage this popularity? I already planned to gather companions to survive. Accepting a weakling like Lilith as my first ally would align perfectly with my grand ambition of clawing my way up from the bottom.

When I suggested we stay together, Lilith teared up again, deeply moved.

“No one ever told me they needed me because I’m so small and insignificant…”

Actually, I’m not really at a loss here. I believe you’ll sweep the popularity votes. And even a survival-obsessed person like me has some compassion. I just don’t want to see a kind person like you die.

“Of course, you won’t be much help in a fight.”

I said bluntly. When Lilith looked downcast, I quickly added, “But I want you to survive. You have a thousand times more right to live than someone like Ispan.”

Did I manage to create a convincing scene with this line? Lilith, unaware of my intentions, seemed deeply moved by my cheesy words and started tearing up again. 

She cries a lot. It’s almost as if they designed her character to cry beautifully on purpose.