Chapter 127 – Guild Name  

“Guardian Guild?”  

That was the name Min Do-jun had chosen for his guild.  

“What’s the meaning behind it?”  

At Hwang Ui-cheol’s question, Min Do-jun answered casually.  

“No special meaning. I just picked it because it sounded cool.”  

“Huh? Well… I guess there are all kinds of names these days, and ‘Guardian Guild’ isn’t bad. Good choice.”  

Hwang Ui-cheol took his words at face value, unaware of the truth.  

The name “Guardian” (Su-ho) was almost the name of a child who was never born.  

‘My son, Min Su-ho…’  

Before his death in his previous life, his wife, Cha Ye-rin, had been pregnant.  

At 16 weeks, when the gender could be determined, they had learned it was a boy and even chosen a name.  

But due to the Hunters’ coup, the baby never took a single breath outside the womb, turning cold in his mother’s belly.  

‘Those bastards didn’t just kill Ye-rin—they killed Su-ho too.’  

Whether they knew it or not, they had taken two lives, not one.  

‘I’ll never forgive them.’  

Even though this was before his regression and those bastards wouldn’t remember, to Min Do-jun, it was already a reality that had happened.  

‘Even if it’s revenge without causality, if I think of it as something that will happen in the future, I can’t just stand by.’  

His mission in this life was to remove the obstacles to ensure history didn’t repeat itself.  

‘But I’ll never get to see Su-ho again.’  

Even if he reunited with Cha Ye-rin and married her again, the same child would never be born.  

‘I can see Ye-rin again, but I’ll never see Su-ho.’  

That was why Min Do-jun had named his guild after the child.  

To remember the son he would never meet again.  

‘Seven targets left for revenge. The remaining ones will die painfully.’  

Their fates were his to decide—especially the ringleader, Shin Kyung-min. He had no intention of letting him die easily.  

Just then, Hwang Da-yeon asked with a worried expression.  

“Do-jun, is something wrong?”  

“Why?”  

“Your face looked stiff.”  

He must have unconsciously let his vengeful thoughts show.  

Min Do-jun quickly fixed his expression.  

“No, it’s nothing. Just zoned out for a second.”  

“Really?”  

Hwang Da-yeon nodded, accepting his answer.  

“But seriously, can’t I join? I really want to.”  

“What are you talking about?”  

“I want to join your guild, the Guardian Guild.”  

Min Do-jun waved his hand dismissively.  

“Didn’t you hear from your dad? This guild is just a front for entering overseas S-rank dungeons. There’s no benefit in joining.”  

“That’s exactly why it’s appealing! No restrictions, right?”  

“But there’s no training or management either. You’re better off leveling up and joining a proper guild.”  

“Then can’t I just stay until then?”  

Her persistence made Min Do-jun shake his head.  

He couldn’t understand why she was so insistent on something with no advantage.  

“What’s the point of just having your name registered…?”  

“Being part of something still feels nice. Don’t worry, I won’t be a burden.”  

“Fine. I’ll add you for now.”  

“Wait, really?”  

Hwang Da-yeon brightened and tugged at Hwang Ui-cheol’s arm.  

“Then add my dad too!”  

“Him too?”  

“It’s just a name anyway, right? No actual activities.”  

“Well, I guess…”  

“Come on, Do-jun. Add me too. Having a few names on the roster is better than it being completely empty, right?”  

“Alright, fine.”  

Using his guild master privileges, Min Do-jun logged into the system and added Hwang Ui-cheol and Hwang Da-yeon to the guild roster.  

“Congratulations, you’re both now members of my guild. No contracts, though. There’s nothing to do anyway.”  

Just then, the office door opened, and someone walked in.  

“Hunter Min Do-jun!”  

“Ah, Manager-nim, you’re here? Huh? Appraiser-nim too…?”  

The visitors were Park Dong-yoon and the magic stone appraiser, Han Sang-jun.  

“How did you know about this place, Appraiser-nim?”  

“I asked Manager Park Dong-yoon here. I felt bad about not properly saying goodbye, so I tagged along. Is that okay?”  

“Of course.”  

“And we didn’t come empty-handed.”  

The two handed over a potted plant as a congratulatory gift for the guild’s opening.  

“Congratulations on founding your guild, Hunter-nim.”  

“May your guild prosper and thrive.”  

“Thank you.”  

After accepting their congratulations, Min Do-jun introduced Hwang Ui-cheol and Hwang Da-yeon.  

“These two are like family to me, and both are Hunters. They just became guild members.”  

“Oh, really?”  

As they exchanged greetings, the atmosphere grew lively. Then Park Dong-yoon spoke up.  

“Um, Hunter-nim.”  

“Yes?”  

“Do you… need any staff?”  

“Staff?”  

“If you haven’t hired anyone yet, maybe I could…?”  

“Me too! Besides appraising magic stones, I have some experience in distribution…”  

“……”  

Their earnest offers puzzled Min Do-jun.  

“Why would Center employees want to join my guild…?”  

“Well…”  

After hesitating, the two confessed their true feelings.  

“Honestly, working at the Center as salaried employees doesn’t seem as promising as following you, Hunter-nim.”  

“Me?”  

“Yes. We’ve seen firsthand just how strong you are.”  

Park Dong-yoon had watched Min Do-jun clear dungeons at an impossible pace, and Han Sang-jun had seen him bring back high-value magic stones every time.  

“That’s why we weren’t worried when we heard you were starting a guild. With your skills, you’ll definitely make it thrive. In fact, we wanted to work with you. It’d be a shame to part ways now.”  

“Hmm…”  

Their sincerity made Min Do-jun pause.  

“So you want to work with me?”  

“Yes. Since the guild is just starting, we’re not expecting high salaries. If you could raise them gradually based on performance…”  

“You haven’t already submitted resignations, have you?”  

“Not yet, but if you’ll have us, we’re ready to quit anytime.”  

“……”  

Their willingness to leave their jobs for him was both flattering and overwhelming.  

Min Do-jun answered awkwardly.  

“I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t plan to actually run the guild.”  

“Huh? Then…?”  

He explained his real reason for creating the guild.  

“Ah… so it’s just for overseas expansion…”  

Learning that the guild was merely a front, the two sighed quietly.  

“…Then you don’t need employees.”  

“Not for now, at least. Who knows about the future?”  

Their disappointment confirmed their sincerity.  

“Still, I’m grateful you’d even consider quitting your jobs for me.”  

“You’re going to become incredibly famous, Hunter-nim. We know it.”  

“If you ever need staff, call us. We’ll do anything as long as you pay us on time.”  

“Haha, sure.”  

Min Do-jun wasn’t just humoring them.  

If the need arose, he’d genuinely consider hiring them.  

Having familiar faces around was always better.  

“Everyone’s hungry, right? Since we’re all here, let’s go eat.”  

Min Do-jun led the group out of the office.  

It was a rare chance to dine with acquaintances.  

—  

Now officially the master of the Guardian Guild, Min Do-jun could finally enter dungeons properly.  

Like Park Dong-yoon had done, he installed the matching system app on his phone and logged in with his guild master ID to reserve dungeons.  

The only difference was that he had to drive himself without a manager, but it wasn’t a big inconvenience.  

‘Is it finally today?’  

He drove to the dungeon he had reserved days ago—the second S-rank dungeon to appear in the country recently.  

‘Time to stretch my legs.’  

Ideally, he’d enter alone, but S-rank dungeons had a minimum participant requirement.  

‘Desert Shadow requires five.’  

Meaning at least five people were needed to enter.  

This also meant he couldn’t sneak in early to monopolize it.  

This might be his last solo run for the year.  

‘Preparations are complete.’  

For this raid, Min Do-jun had surpassed the entry requirement of level 2,000.  

He’d also prepared attribute resistance elixirs and the Night Eyes of the Lynx.  

He was more than ready to tackle it alone.  

‘I’m taking everything this dungeon has to offer.’  

Experience, items—anything valuable was his for the taking.  

S-rank dungeons were vast, leaving plenty to miss otherwise.  

‘We’re here.’  

He parked near Jaein Falls in Yeoncheon County.  

Usually a popular tourist spot, it had grown even more famous after the S-rank dungeon appeared.  

‘There’s barely any parking.’  

After finding a spot, he walked toward the falls.  

The area was packed with people.  

‘More crowded than I expected.’  

Tourists, fans cheering for Hunters, and reporters chasing exclusives—all swarmed the place.  

‘It’s still new, so the hype is high…’  

But today’s crowd was unusually large.  

As he neared the falls, a soldier blocked his path.  

“You can’t go any further.”  

The soldier likely mistook him for a civilian due to his young appearance.  

After all, Min Do-jun was the only person in the country in his early 20s above level 2,000.  

“I’m a Hunter scheduled to enter at 10 a.m.”  

He showed his updated Hunter registration card.  

The soldier’s eyes widened as he glanced between Min Do-jun and the card, which displayed his title as “Guardian Guild Master” and his A-rank status in gold lettering.  

The soldier hastily checked the entry list.  

Sure enough, Min Do-jun’s name was there.  

“Ah, m-my apologies.”  

With a respectful bow, the soldier stepped aside, and Min Do-jun proceeded toward the falls.  

As he did, the dungeon’s details surfaced in his mind:  

[Jaein Falls – Desert Shadow Dungeon]  

– Difficulty: S  

– Participant Limit: Min. 5, Max. 20  

– Entry Requirement: Level 2,000+  

– Objective: Survive within the time limit  

– Failure Penalty: None  

– Time Limit: 48 hours  

– Time Until Dungeon Break: 432 hours, 30 minutes, 11 seconds  

A dozen or so Hunters waited near the portal inside the falls.  

All were A-rank Hunters above level 2,000.  

‘Quite a crowd.’  

This S-rank dungeon had a relatively low level requirement, attracting many.  

‘A-rank Hunters rarely get chances at S-rank dungeons, so they’ve gathered from all over.’  

There were about 220 Hunters nationwide above level 2,000.  

For all he knew, every single one had applied to enter.  

‘Just entering gives you achievement rewards.’  

First-time entrants received stat points as a reward, making it highly sought after.  

‘No wonder reservations took six days.’  

At any rate, since the requirement was only level 2,000, Min Do-jun didn’t need to use his S-rank dungeon entry privilege.  

‘I’ll save that for higher-level dungeons later.’  

Just then, a middle-aged man approached him.  

“Hello. Are you here to join a party?”  

“Yes.”  

“Nice to meet you. I’m Oh Yoon-sik from the Balhae Guild.”  

“Min Do-jun from the Guardian Guild.”  

Oh Yoon-sik tilted his head.  

He’d never heard of the guild.  

But it would be rude to ask about its ranking, so instead, he inquired about Min Do-jun’s level.  

“What’s your level?”  

“2,008.”  

“Before you arrived, the party agreed that I’d be the leader. Any objections? For reference, I’m level 2,786.”  

Not only was his level high, but the Balhae Guild was also a top-two guild in the country.  

He was more than qualified to lead.  

‘Doesn’t matter to me.’  

While leadership was crucial in large dungeons like this, Min Do-jun had no interest in party play.  

“No objections.”  

“Thank you for agreeing. Since you’ve consented, I’ll act as leader now.”  

Oh Yoon-sik asked Min Do-jun to wait.  

“We’re still missing a few members. I’ll explain the strategy once everyone’s here.”  

“Understood.”  

After Oh Yoon-sik left, Min Do-jun stood idly like the other Hunters, waiting for the remaining members.  

Thirty minutes passed.  

Shoom—  

The team that had entered earlier emerged from the dungeon entrance.  

“We did it!”  

“They’re out! Roll the cameras!”  

Reporters and fans cheered as the victorious team exited.  

‘Why all the commotion?’  

Even though it was an S-rank dungeon, this was only the second one.  

The excessive attention was puzzling.  

As he watched indifferently, his eyes suddenly sharpened.  

Someone unexpected had appeared.  

‘Shin Kyung-min…?’  

The nation’s top-ranked Hunter was stepping out of the dungeon.