"You sponsor me, and I join you, huh?" Do-Yun inquired
"That's the deal," the woman said.
"That's not all there is to it. What's the catch? Does your guild have to have some contribution fee or something?"
"Jeez, the Kid's sharp too. Yes, we do. It's 10% out of what you make be it dropped items or monster parts or materials."
"That's..." Do-Yun was about to retort, but then he thought about the contribution fee. "That's pretty fair...Generous even... Only 10% of most guilds have a 20-40% Contribution fee...How the hell do you run this guild...?"
"Have you seen our guild, child? It's massive. The contribution fee alone attracted people who saw the offer to keep more of their harvest. And the fact we encourage fraternization and benefits? Even in the early days, sure it was hard to even create and run the guild, but not as hard as the other guilds." The woman said.
"Oh...Honey let him use one of our E-Rank Gates. You got a weapon preference kid?"
Do-Yun Thought about it. "Can I have a shortsword, shield, and magic staff?"
"two weapons and some defense...You have an interesting style kid... We can do that. We'll give you some low-tier weapons. Come back tomorrow. Consider yourself sponsored by us as well.
It was getting late, and because the conversation dragged on for so long. Do-Yun had also gained full mana once again. He began skating home. He thought about the generous offer he had just granted. It brought a smile to his face as he weaved through the street and cars until he got to his humble abode, then he picked up the Metroid fragment. He reflected.
"It all started with this thing." He said, putting it on his shelf. He went to take a shower, then changed into PJs, and finally, he lay in bed, restlessly. He wouldn't have school for maybe a week or two. The perfect time to level up.
He finally drifted off to sleep. His phone buzzed but he didn't answer. A new development had taken place. The contact on his phone texting him was Eun-Ji. Two texts lit up the screen.
"Hey, Wake up..."
"I'm a Blazer too now. We can stand side by side."
In the morning, Do-Yun heard a scream come from his window.
"Do-Yun!! Wake up! Before I come in there to sleep with you in the same bed!" Eun-Ji yelled into the window, jolting him awake.
Do-Yun Sighed, had a long stare as the drowsiness subsided and he let her into his home.
"Why'd you come so early in the morning...?" Do-Yun inquired, still having under-eye bags and a monster bedhead.
"Haven't you been reading my texts!? I awakened too! I touched an awakening stone and awakened myself!"
Do-Yun stalled for a minute. The room was silent. It was so quiet, you could hear Do-Yun's brain making the noises of an outdated computer struggling to compute something.
"You...what?" Do-Yun finally speaks.
"I awakened too. My class is Duelist."
"Goddamnit..." Do-Yun groaned.
"And how I awakened? I thought we weren't done?"
"Doesn't matter how you awakened anymore. I'm not mad."
Do-Yun gave up. "I'm going to the Blazing Heart Guild. Let me take a shower and get ready..."
Do-Yun threw a TV remote to her before she could ask why he was going to the Blazing Heart guild and then went to shower, he came back a couple of minutes later, properly.
"Come on. We're going to the Blazing Heart Guild." Do-Yun said while fitting his skate shoes.
"Why?"
"E-Rank Gate."
Do-Yun walks out and Eun-Ji walks out with him.
"What do you have to do with Burning Heart Guild?"
"Sponsored" Do-Yun gave a single response in which Eun-Ji facepalms
"When and How?" Eun-Ji sighs
"Long story," Do-Yun said dryly as they kept walking to the bus stop.
"Of course it is..." Eun-Ji sighed.
Soon the bus picked them up after 20 minutes of waiting, it was a quiet ride before they got off the bus, walked a little more distance, and found themselves at the doorstep of the Burning Heart Guild.
"Well...Here we are..." Do-Yun said, going in, head held high, but bracing himself for the change in environment.
"Kid!" The archer woman, Do-Yun remembered one of the guild leaders saying her name was Eun-Ae, and her partner, the mage who always walked with her.
"Eun-Ae Noona"
"Who's the Girl? Your girlfriend?" Eun-Ae teased
"Who's his girlfriend!?" Eun-Ji said, blushing while denying that kind of relationship with Do-Yun.
"Noona, Can you take me to the E-Rank Gate, and prepare my friend with a rapier?" Do-Yun requested.
"no need to ask. There's a basic weapons rack. take what you need. They're manufactured for beginners" Eun-Ae said, Do-Yun and Eun-Ji took what weapons they wanted.
Do-Yun took a beginner cutlass and beginner magic staff, and Eun-Ji on the other hand took a rapier.
They stood at the gate. The glowing blue portal, held in one place. it swirled with power. Eun-Ji and Do-Yun looked at each other and charged in, yelling but found themselves in some sort of forest. the ground was grassy, but the only hostile mobs were...slimes. Different kinds of slimes, but slimes nonetheless.
Do-Yun raised his magic staff in the air.
"Transport Link! Aether Stride!" Do-Yun Said, His transport Link used less mana, but it felt more concentrated, and then he sped off as his wheels glowed with the force of concentrated mana going from 0-100 in seconds, taking out multiple slimes in one strike, multiple dropped items appeared on the floor.