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

The shock of witnessing a world where the likeness of our characters was massively sold… let’s put that aside for now.

‘First, I’m curious about the current time. What date is it today?’

As I looked around, wondering about the standard time in reality, a large digital clock inside a nearby electronics store caught my eye.

[Wednesday, October 12. 11:22 AM]

Just looking at that, I can’t tell how much time has passed while I was in the game.

I’ll have to check our game’s ‘broadcast schedule’ later when we settle down somewhere safe.

Then I can roughly compare the time with my experience.

Reiterating the first goal: finding a place to stay.

‘I have no money, no ID, this is a big problem.’

All the passersby have things we don’t. I’m the crazy person trying to find a place to live in Pangyo with nothing.

But we have something they don’t.

Popularity.

“Ru… Sookhee, so what’s the next plan?”

“Snatch a suitable person in front of that goods shop and beg them to lend us a house.”

“What?”

Kanel couldn’t believe his ears at my brazen plan.

“Is that really the best option?”

“It’s the best.”

“It’s too risky.”

“We’ve always overcome dozens of crises. You said I’m your path, right? Even if it’s a precarious path where one wrong step means falling, you have to follow.”

I smiled brightly at him. Seeing my smile, Kanel swallowed his words and instead made a frustrated expression.

“Coincidentally, right in front of us is a goods shop full of our fans. Is it because Pangyo is where the game company is located? It’s right there.”

Don’t worry. This isn’t simple begging.

‘I need to make Kanel realize how shocking and fascinating it is for them that game characters like us have popped into reality.’

A favorite character right in front of their eyes? They won’t be able to resist. Especially if that favorite shares a secret only with them.

What I want is not just a house.

I want an ally who will never betray us, a new ‘comrade’ in reality.

“…”

And so, an hour passed as we lurked in front of the goods shop.

I haven’t seen anyone suitable. Are my standards too high?

But if I pick the wrong person, headlines like ‘Game characters out in the world!’ might appear, or we’ll be tied up and taken to the Mijon company building.

I don’t know exactly what to do in the real world yet, but I know I can’t be captured right after coming out.

“Cheolsu and Yeonghee must be cold.”

“…? Ah, I think so too.”

I recalled poor Lilith and Unahar, whom I had left hidden behind the company building, covered with cardboard boxes. Kanel belatedly agreed.

I’m worried. I’ve left them for too long without me.

What if they’re trembling and crying? Will Unahar be able to comfort her? No, Unahar would be just as scared.

And what if someone, thinking there’s a cat in the box, lifts it and is shocked to see a beautiful blond man with golden eyes and a silver-haired woman with green eyes?

I sighed deeply.

We, who once held our heads high as honorable rankers, have fallen to this state. It’s a path I chose, but still.

At that moment, I saw a petite woman pushing the glass door and coming out, her arms full of goods from the shop.

She was just an ordinary customer, but what caught my attention was—

She was crying on the phone, tears streaming down her face.

“Rudel died! Hwaaaaah…!”

Both Kanel and I perked up our ears simultaneously.

The woman, not caring about the stares from others, was bawling in the middle of the street.

“My Rudel burned through all the rankings and my heart, blazing beautifully like a fire, but disappeared because of that damn champion! It was so cool, giving up everything with such ambition! But it’s too much, it’s really too much!”

Crying her heart out, she dropped her phone, then struggled to pick it up.

In the process, she dropped her wallet and wireless earphones but never let go of the precious shopping bag.

“I don’t care! I’m going to drink myself to death too! I’ll fill my living room, kitchen, and bathroom with Rudel posters! Waaah!”

Sobbing, she clutched her shopping bags and walked away.

‘…Is it really something to cry about just because a game character died? What’s with this over-immersion?’

Anyway, let’s gather some information from the woman’s appearance and her phone conversation.

She’s a huge fan of Rudel.

She’s an adult who can drink a lot.

She lives alone and can fill her place with fandom items.

She’s carrying shopping bags that look like they contain new VR game gear, bought multiple identical posters, and her coat and shoes look expensive. She seems wealthy.

Therefore—

“What do you think about her? Doesn’t she seem like she could help us? Plus, she looks rich and well-dressed.”

I found the person I was looking for.

My eyes turned cunningly.

“Why do I feel like we’ve become a duo of robbers?”

“We’re not just feeling like robbers, we already are.”

It seemed planning a heist had revived Kanel’s spirits a bit. His voice gained strength.

We slipped between buildings, trailing the woman. Because she had so much stuff, she was walking slowly, waddling. We caught up with her quickly.

We got ahead of her through an alleyway, and as she was passing by, I reached out my hand.

“Mommy!”

The woman was swiftly pulled into the alley. With Kanel’s assistance, we successfully kidnapped her smoothly.

“Wait a minute! Please listen to me.”

I quickly covered the woman’s mouth. She paused momentarily, perhaps reassured that I, wearing a mask, was also a woman.

I pointed at the Rudel bromide with my finger.

“You bought this. Do you like me?”

I pulled the mask down from my face.

My face was revealed to her wide, round eyes.

“…?!!”

The shopping bags fell from her hands.

She closed her eyes and put her hand on her chest, about to faint—

But I shook her to prevent it. Sorry, but my business was more urgent.

“Don’t faint!”

I shouted as I made eye contact with her again.

“Please help me!”

* * *

The woman we grabbed was named Han Nayeon, a 26-year-old office worker.

I, Kanel, and the other two followed her to her house.

Han Nayeon kept glancing back to see if we were following well, and unlike Kanel and me, who had revealed our faces, she kept looking at the two others who still had their hoods up.

Her eyes were full of hope and expectation.

“Come in….”

Beep, beep. Click. The front door of Han Nayeon’s small apartment opened and closed.

With five people standing in the narrow entrance, it was completely crowded.

Han Nayeon went in first and clung tightly to my arm as she turned to face us.

Then, with sparkling eyes, she eagerly stared at the two with hoods. Seeing this, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You can take off your hoods now.”

Lilith was the first to lower her hood, revealing her green eyes.

“Hello-.”

“Eek! So pretty! What do I do!”

Han Nayeon instantly started jumping up and down, looking at her as if she were a cute puppy.

Lilith, caught off guard, started jumping along with her, confused.

“Lilith! It’s really Lilith! How is this possible! Marry me, please!”

“I, I am-.”

“Oh right, Lilith is Gio. But Gio is….”

As soon as Han Nayeon gasped in realization, silence filled the entrance.

Our characters instantly darkened, and Han Nayeon, realizing the situation, closed her mouth.

Then, she turned her attention to the tall hooded figure in the back.

“Then, could this person be…?”

As she watched eagerly, the final figure slowly lowered the white hood.

The entrance seemed to brighten with the reveal of his radiant blond hair.

Squeal!

At her dolphin-like scream, Lilith and Kanel reflexively covered their ears.

“Aah! No way! How can this world handle Unahar’s face? Am I going to die today?”

Unahar looked away, embarrassed by the enthusiastic reaction of the woman who claimed to be a longtime fan of our Agasa Guild.

Though he appeared shy—

Being someone who once charmed female characters with his looks, he didn’t seem to mind the admiration. He looked a bit smug.

Han Nayeon took a step back, trembling with excitement as she looked at Unahar and me.

“By the way, are you two really not dating…?”

Ah, so she’s a Rudel x Unahar shipper.

Sensing the awkwardness between Unahar and me, Han Nayeon tilted her head slightly. I quickly spoke to change the subject.

“Uh, we’re real people too, so such blatant questions are a bit… Let’s talk about that later.”

“Oh, s-sorry!”

Han Nayeon, as excited as she was, was also clearly scatterbrained. Understandable, given the circumstances.

She went from joyful to overwhelmed to apologetic, and now she leaned against the wall, looking confused.

“But seriously, how is this happening? Is this a dream? How can something like this happen?”

“It’s understandable. We’re still a bit disoriented ourselves.”

Han Nayeon, who was seriously concerned, suddenly started to tear up again. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“But still, it’s amazing that Rudel is alive. I was so sad thinking Rudel had died….”

Recalling how she was crying when she left the goods shop, I couldn’t help but put more strength into my voice.

“Do you think I’d die so easily? Do I look like a character who would die that easily?”

“N-no! I believe in you, Rudel!”

Han Nayeon shouted loud enough to make the hallway echo, then wiped her tears and looked at me with wide eyes.

“Then, can I be a bit selfish…?”

The petite Han Nayeon hugged me tightly.

As I awkwardly returned her embrace, I glanced at Kanel, who was watching us with a strange expression.

“Maybe it’s because she’s a fangirl, but it makes me feel a bit stiff.”