The Return of the Genius Ranker’s Myth Warehouse - Chapter 245

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 245
Chapter 245
The Heukryeom Guild’s entrance examination had concluded.
With the main event finished, Ena didn’t waste this opportunity—with countless players converging on Kalbera Territory and public attention focused here, she seized the moment.
“A festival! A festival!”
“Here’s Kalbera Territory’s specialty—grilled Kraken skewers! Please, try some!”
“Catch swamp tadpoles imported from the Swampland! Come test your skills!”
First, she extended the festival in Kalbera Territory.
With help from the territory’s residents, she expanded the food stalls and added more entertainment attractions for the players.
The beachside hotels that Lee Chul-geun had built in advance for this occasion were already fully booked.
The Southern Region had particularly beautiful coastal terrain even within Second, so many visitors came for tourism.
But what was truly popular was this.
“A recreation of the Heukryeom Guild’s entrance examination—’Dodge the Cannon Fire’—is being prepared! Those wishing to participate, please come this way!”
“Wow, is that real?”
“They’re recreating that? Dodging cannon fire from ten ships?”
“That sounds fun!”
“It’s divided into ten zones by level!”
“There’s a player limit, so let’s sign up quick!”
“I’m definitely going for the tenth zone! The cannon fire from the Black Dragon Ship itself! The one Yul-ha participated in!”
“Dream on. You’ll be eliminated in a minute.”
This was it.
The Heukryeom Guild’s entrance examination, which had become famous through live broadcasts, YouTube uploads, community posts, and news articles, was now available for players to experience.
The cannon dodging itself required ten ships to fire projectiles, consuming considerable Gold, but what did it matter?
The Gold spent could be recovered through player participation fees, and when spectator fees from those watching were added, they could actually profit.
Moreover, though Mir couldn’t attend, they’d successfully recreated the second trial by hiring Necromancers.
“Honestly, I think I could do better than that?”
“Stop talking and actually participate, why don’t you?”
“The participation fee is pretty expensive though.”
“So what? If you place in the top twenty, you get your fee back. Top ten, you get double your fee. And if you’re the last one standing, you get an exclusive reward.”
“Alright, let’s go!”
No wonder it was popular.
Countless players participated in this competition, and among them were many famous challengers, so the spectator seats were always full.
With such popularity, the number of players visiting Kalbera Territory for leisure kept increasing.
Thus, Kalbera Territory was enjoying an unprecedented golden age.
Meanwhile.
“Welcome to everyone.”
The Heukryeom Guild was holding a new member welcome ceremony.
Ena was sequentially signing contracts with the new guild members, while Mir was organizing those who’d joined into teams by level.
“We’ll organize seven teams based on level. Team Seven will be led by Lagia, with new members Cha-shim and So-hon, and….”
Naturally, the team leaders were our existing guild members.
The teams were distributed fairly by level, so no one had complaints.
Well, one person did complain.
“Team 2 will be led by Kang Ju-hyuk, our vice guild master…”
“Hey, Mir! Why am I Team 2 leader?! I’m the vice guild master!”
It was Kang Ju-hyuk himself.
He seemed thoroughly displeased that he wasn’t Team 1 leader but Team 2 leader instead.
“Then should I make Yul-ha Team 2 leader?”
“No… that’s not it either. How about I become Team 1 leader and Yul-ha becomes Team 0 leader? Or we could call it a special team or something like that!”
“Let’s just do it by the book.”
“Noooooo!”
“Well, I’m fine with it.”
“No, like I said, we’re organizing teams by level, so Yul-ha can’t take over Team 2.”
There was no helping it.
Yul-ha, ranked first, had just joined the guild—how could I make her a Team 2 leader?
I would have liked to give her the vice guild master position immediately, but she’d expressed that it felt burdensome and preferred to join as a regular member, so there was nothing I could do.
Kang Ju-hyuk, suddenly burdened with being both vice guild master and Team 2 leader, wept bitterly, while Yul-ha, now Team 1 leader, awkwardly accepted her team members.
The cheers from the guild members who ended up in Team 1 were deafening.
It was a moment that made me truly appreciate Yul-ha’s popularity.
“I’ve organized the teams, but you don’t have to move strictly by team. You can move individually, or divide into smaller units as needed.”
With that explanation, I surveyed the newly recruited guild members.
The total number of new guild members who passed my exam and joined the Heukryeom Guild was 51.
Exactly half had passed the third exam.
Ena had said it was surprising, but as I’d mentioned repeatedly, I wasn’t trying to recruit fewer people—I simply wanted to select those with genuine skill.
After all, those who’d proven themselves in the first and second exams didn’t have many dropouts in the third exam.
However, the new recruits weren’t limited to just this.
Everything I’d mentioned so far was restricted to combat positions; the production-class recruits that Lee Chul-geun had approved were separate.
“Whoa, the Heukryeom Guild!”
“The first guild in Second to acquire a territory! Since the Kalbera Territory is still underdeveloped, there will be plenty of opportunities to use my skills, right?”
“I made the right choice turning down the Craftsmen Guild and coming here. A guild territory! That’s a goldmine!”
“I was torn between the Sanbawi Guild and the Heukryeom Guild, but coming here was definitely the right call. Now that I’m here, I’m convinced I made the right choice.”
“The blacksmiths here have good recipes, but their refining skills don’t seem that impressive. If I craft things properly, they’ll sell much better!”
Skilled players from all across the Continent in Second had gathered here.
They cheered as they surveyed the state of the Kalbera Territory.
There was nowhere else in Second where they could operate as effectively as here, where there was an immediate shortage of hands and production-class craftspeople were being sought everywhere.
Among them, the number of those who passed Lee Chul-geun’s exam and became craftspeople of the Heukryeom Guild was 40.
The existing Heukryeom Guild members, including me, numbered 9, plus 51 new combat-class recruits and 40 new production-class recruits.
Thus, the Heukryeom Guild had confidently become a “Large Guild.”
‘If I want to recruit more members from here on, I’ll need to take another guild promotion exam.’
Well, that wasn’t a concern right now.
It wasn’t an urgent matter anyway.
Looking at my future plans, a hundred people would be sufficient, and even that number already exceeded what I could reasonably manage, so I was satisfied with this outcome.
However, the new members of the Heukryeom Guild weren’t the only thing—the Kalbera Territory was far from finished.
“This is a long-term contract with the Kalbera Territory. Would you like to review it?”
Ena didn’t let the craftsmen slip away after they failed the Heukryeom Guild interview.
The Heukryeom Guild was currently facing a severe labor shortage.
The territory needed to be developed, yet skilled workers were always in short supply.
So she had the production-focused players who failed the test sign contracts under the territory’s name and work accordingly.
Moreover, this arrangement wasn’t limited to players alone.
“Is this salary truly accurate?”
“Of course. The Kalbera Territory promises the finest treatment to all craftsmen.”
“I’ll sign the contract immediately!”
She began signing contracts with craftsman NPCs who had heard the rumors and come to the Kalbera Territory.
Unlike players, it was difficult to verify NPCs’ levels or skill proficiencies, so she confirmed their experience and had Lee Chul-geun validate their abilities before adjusting the contracts.
Was that all?
“Will you truly accept us…?”
“Yes, though it’s temporary, we’ll provide lodging, minimum living expenses, and food. In return, you’ll need to help with the territory’s work and repay the debt.”
“Of course! If you’ll have us, I’ll become a worker of the Kalbera Territory and live out my days in service!”
“Welcome to the Kalbera Territory.”
Ena actively secured immigrants.
The Kalbera Territory needed far more than just craftsmen.
When craftsmen gave instructions, numerous workers were needed to carry them out.
The territory’s residents had done their part, but the original population wasn’t particularly large to begin with.
To secure enough workers, many residents were necessary, so she accepted most of the immigrants who came after hearing the rumors.
Those who heard the rumors brought more immigrants, and the word spread, drawing even greater numbers.
Thanks to this, the population of the Kalbera Territory grew at an unbelievable pace.
The growth was so remarkable that it couldn’t be ignored.
“Ha, who could have known? The lands beyond the Swampland, which were losing ground rather than expanding, would become so active.”
“Your Majesty, as adventurers increase in the Southern Region, the front lines there naturally expand.”
“Of course they do.”
“In particular, the five guilds called ‘Major Guilds’ among adventurers are greatly expanding the front lines according to our intentions.”
“Yes, they must want noble titles and territories just like Mir, correct?”
That appears to be the case.”
“There’s no need to throw bait too hastily, but if we’re too indifferent, they might escape the cage. Grant the title of Baron to the two most outstanding among them.”
“Your command shall be obeyed.”
“What of the temporary outposts?”
“Thanks to Baron Mir’s swift work, they’re already becoming established.”
“Excellent. Ensure that all Imperial Army forces in the Southern Region, regardless of rank, acknowledge Baron Mir’s authority and relay this order.”
“I shall obey.”
The Emperor himself was focused on the situation in the Kalbera Territory and the Southern Region.
Since Mir had broken through the barriers, the Empire would expand into the Southern Region faster than ever before.
* * *
The Crisis Management Team of Second.
Kang Team Leader, who commanded that team, had recently fallen into a state of trauma.
“Team Leader, the Royal Guild has discovered a Sea King-class Dungeon. It appears they won’t be able to clear it at the current level, but….”
“No, no. You never know. They might succeed in clearing it, so keep monitoring. What were the key items that dropped from the Sea King-class Dungeon? Check the current market situation and report to me. If it’s excessive, I’ll need to coordinate with Number (Second’s supercomputer).”
“Team Leader, I’m monitoring the movements of the Snowy Plains Orc as you instructed, but… the Orc Lord was only defeated recently. Is there any reason the Snowy Plains Orc would surge again?”
“The probability isn’t zero, is it! You never know, you never know!”
“Team Leader, this is….”
“As long as the possibility isn’t zero, we can’t be sure! Everyone, focus! Don’t think about leaving work!”
It was a completely different attitude from before.
Kang Team Leader was famous for being easygoing and relaxed about everything.
No matter what report he received, he would usually brush it off with “Nah,” “That won’t happen,” or “Just check it out casually and head home.”
Now, if there was even the slightest possibility, he would widen his eyes and pay close attention.
Because of this, the Crisis Management Team members found themselves working overtime as a matter of course.
As complaints from the team members poured in.
“Kang Team Leader.”
“Seo Deputy, welcome. Did you check what I asked you to? We need to verify it carefully just in case….”
“Stop being so dramatic.”
Smack!
Seo Deputy approached and struck Kang Team Leader’s shoulder with a stack of documents.
It would have been unimaginable in the past, but it was fine now.
Seo Deputy had earned Kang Team Leader’s recognition of her abilities, and by now the two had grown quite close.
“Ow, why did you hit me! Don’t you know to fear your team leader….”
“Team Leader, you’re like this because of the Mir user. Just go back to normal. Stop overreacting.”
“What do you mean I’m like this? Look at the Mir user—my predictions don’t work on them!”
“That’s exactly why you should only think like that about the Mir user. Don’t torment the rest of the team for no reason.”
“But still….”
“And.”
Just as Kang Team Leader was about to grumble.
Seo Deputy placed the documents she had just used to hit him onto the desk and continued speaking.
“Even though the Mir user cleared the Awakening Quest, it doesn’t seem to be something to worry about that much.”
“What do you mean? Why isn’t it a problem? Right now, rumors are spreading that the Mir user is the son of Second’s chairman, or a bug player!”
“Honestly, have those rumors only happened once or twice? Setting that aside, let’s look at what the Mir user has actually accomplished.”
“Accomplished? What do you….”
“First, the shortage of hunting grounds for high-level users, which was the most problematic issue recently. The Mir user solved that.”
“…Hmm?”
“They created a hunting base called Kalbera Territory and activated the hunting grounds by selling items that help with the difficult hunting areas unique to the Southern Region.”
“Hmm….”
Seo Deputy quickly recited the materials she had prepared.
“Two years after the game’s launch, adventure is winding down in the Center of the Continent, and those who struggled with expansion to the outskirts are now moving to the Southern Region. Thanks to this, adventurers are more vibrant than ever.”
“What do you…?”
“The Empire is making excellent use of this as well. They’re assigning extensive Quests related to the Southern Continent to users, expanding their influence there.”
It was true.
A ripple effect born from Mir’s existence, perhaps?
Second, which had stagnated for some time, regained its vitality, and its popularity soared even higher.
The most obvious proof lay in the sheer number of new registrations to Second.
“In truth, even before Mir’s user, there were always powerful players who disrupted balance. Before Mir’s user, there were rumors that Yul-ha’s user was the chairman’s daughter.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“Mir’s user isn’t even abusing their power recklessly. If they’re providing this much help, shouldn’t we be rewarding them rather than restraining them?”
“A reward?”
“You know, the request we made to Yul-ha’s user before? She refused, but…”
“Ah…?”
Kang Team Leader’s eyes sparkled.
Though Second was the world’s greatest game, they weren’t indifferent to promotion.
No matter how famous a game became, popularity inevitably waned, and new games continued to emerge.
To counter this, one had to keep rowing steadily when the tide came in.
And the element they had been considering all along was this.
“Use Mir’s user as Second’s promotional model?”
Precisely this.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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