Chapter 127: DG Conference (1)

Right on schedule, the building's doors opened, and a man stepped out to meet a sea of blank stares.

"That's quite the intense color."

"Wow, I think I've got goosebumps."

Kim Ki-Rok was clad in pink armor, specifically, a glaringly bright shade known as fuchsia. Despite wearing such a bold, eye-searing color, he exuded absolute confidence. He wasn't even trying to bow his head in embarrassment.

With the same confidence, Kim Ki-Rok walked up to the reporters gathered at the gate outside the DG Guild building. When he reached them, he stopped and struck a pose.

Click.

One of the reporters, staring at him in a daze, reflexively pressed the shutter.

Click, click.

As if shaken out of a trance, the others quickly followed, snapping photo after photo.

"M-my apologies. The Guildmaster of DG Guild, the one who discovered and cleared the Gate leading to the city of the elves, Kim Ki-Rok, has just made his appearance." The reporter from the broadcasting station stuttered in surprise as he relayed the situation.

"W-Wow. He's really confident..."

"I don't care how good that armor is, I don't think I could ever wear it."

The onlookers felt the same. Whether out of admiration or secondhand embarrassment, the crowd couldn't take their eyes off Kim Ki-Rok as he posed proudly in his flamboyant fuchsia armor.

"P-Please, look this way!"

At a reporter's shout, Kim Ki-Rok shifted slightly and slipped into another pose, clearly determined to remind everyone of his nickname. He cycled through a series of exaggerated stances: lifting one foot and spreading his arms in an eagle pose, mimicking a hero from a famous movie, and finally gazing dramatically into the void with a wistful expression.

After striking a few final poses for the reporters, Kim Ki-Rok slowly raised his hand. A soft pulse of mana snapped through the air as he clapped once, the sound sharp enough to cut through the noise. The photo frenzy halted, and both the broadcast crews and the public fell silent.

"They don't call him a lunatic for nothing." A Hunter who had come to gather information muttered under his breath.

Kim Ki-Rok had silenced the crowd with a burst of mana that rattled their bodies and senses. The sudden stillness hung in the air, broken only by murmurs of surprise and curiosity. Some gasped, others watched with shining eyes.

However, Kim Ki-Rok simply flashed a broad, satisfied smile. "Oh my. So many of you showed up!"

You're the one who invited us!

the crowd collectively thought.

"Come on in. I've prepared seats," Kim Ki-Rok continued. "This invitation is for everyone—reporters, the general public, Hunters sent by their guilds to gather information, and yes, even the foreign Hunters hiding on the rooftop... Yes, you folks up there, feel free to join us."

He casually glanced toward a nearby rooftop, then turned and walked back into the DG Guild building.

"Uh... what should we do?" someone whispered.

"He said it himself. Let's go inside."

After a brief moment of hesitation, the press surged forward, eager for a scoop. The broadcast crews followed, then the general public, and finally the Hunters—including those who had been hiding in plain sight—entered the building as well.

Inside the first-floor lobby, something new caught their attention.

"Hmm?"

A large banner hung from the ceiling with the words:

We sincerely welcome everyone participating in the DG Conference.

Beneath it stood a podium, one that hadn't appeared in any of the previously released videos. When had he even set this up?

"Well, well. We don't want to be standing around talking all day, do we?" Kim Ki-Rok said as he reappeared, gesturing toward the rows of neatly arranged chairs beneath the podium. "Please, take a seat."

For a beat, the reporters stared blankly at him. Then they rushed forward, scrambling to grab the front rows.

Standing at the podium, Kim Ki-Rok tapped the microphone and greeted the crowd with the same polite tone he used at the start of his MeTube livestreams. "Ah, testing, testing."

He then began the usual spiel. "To the viewers tuning in at this early hour, to the overseas audience fighting off sleep whether it's late evening, late afternoon, or dawn in your time zones... To the reporters who arrived at the DG Guild this morning, to the members of the public seeking some excitement, to the guild-affiliated Hunters who came out despite the nagging of higher-ups and the drag of their rank, and to the foreign Hunters and diplomats who flew in despite having the option to just watch the stream..."

While some found his monologue long-winded and tiresome, they had to respect the fact that he took the time to acknowledge each and every kind of visitor, viewer, and so forth.

"Nice to meet you. I am Kim Ki-Rok, Guildmaster of the DG Guild and the one in charge of the Gate clear which appeared recently, also known as the World Tree Revival."

The room filled with the sound of camera shutters clicking. While the general public stared blankly, unsure why this man was acting so...

extra,

the reporters moved quickly, capturing every word and image.

"Moving forward," Kim Ki-Rok said, "I'll introduce the participants in today's meeting."

But before he could continue, the Guildmaster of Shine Guild strode briskly onto the stage.

"Huh? I see you've stepped up before your turn," Kim Ki-Rok said, unfazed. "But no matter!" He spoke on as if no interruption could derail him.

"This is Lee Yeon-Hwa, Guildmaster of Shine Guild. One of Korea's few A-Class Hunters, and a beautiful soul with a kind heart. She even volunteers in secret. If I had to sum her up, I would say she's a rare angel among us."

I tried to stop this from happening...

Lee Yeon-Hwa thought, standing there speechlessly.

"Her resume is so extensive, I'll limit today's introduction to her accomplishments over the past year. In June, she joined forces with DG Guild to subjugate the Awakened criminal Ma Ak-Soo and his gang!"

The camera shutters went off again, some focused on Kim Ki-Rok, others snapping Lee Yeon-Hwa. She bowed her head slightly, wanting to disappear.

"In December, her guild cleared more Gates than any other during the surge of simultaneous Gate events!"

Click, click, click!

"And inside the World Tree Revival Gate, she played a pivotal role in the battle against Intermediate Demons which are Level 120 at least, fighting side by side with the High Elf!"

Click, click, click!

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Please, a round of applause for Guildmaster Lee Yeon-Hwa!"

As the audience erupted in applause, Lee Yeon-Hwa covered her face with both hands.

"Next!" Kim Ki-Rok announced, swiftly turning his body to look down from the stage. The reporters' cameras followed in sync, their eyes sharp like that of Hunters locking onto prey.

Jang Baek-San of the Baekdusan Guild and Baek Min-Hyuk of the Golden Lion Guild sat in the audience, silently cursing Kim Ki-Rok under their breath as they watched the spectacle unfold.

It took thirty full minutes to introduce just four Hunters. The conference room, once as tense as a battlefield, gradually softened into something looser, almost comical. Seated at the front table with their heads hung low were: Lee Yeon-Hwa from Shine Guild, Jang Baek-San from Baekdusan Guild, Baek Min-Hyuk from Golden Lion Guild, and Ji Cheol-Hyun, one of the team leaders from the Association.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson attending on behalf of the government, whose role was to handle potential political or diplomatic issues, was growing increasingly uneasy.

"And last but not least," Kim Ki-Rok said.

The spokesperson stopped mid-step and turned to look at him in alarm.

Could it be?

They had only exchanged greetings two hours earlier, but anyone familiar with Kim Ki-Rok knew his intelligence network was extraordinary.

"This is Lee Jin-Heon, spokesperson for the Presidential Office," Kim Ki-Rok continued. "Well, he might be a little disappointed, but given the context, I won't be introducing him in detail."

"Phew..." Lee Jin-Heon let out an audible sigh of relief and promptly took his assigned seat. He was not disappointed in the slightest, having been skipped over.

Now, only one seat remained: the one belonging to Kim Ki-Rok himself.

As all eyes turned toward him with a mix of curiosity and expectation, Kim Ki-Rok raised the microphone to his mouth while walking toward the table. "I am Kim Ki-Rok, Guildmaster of the DG Guild, a guild newly founded in the second half of 2040. I worked alongside Shine Guild, Golden Lion Guild, and the Gongju Branch of the Hunters Association to subdue Ma Ak-Soo."

He's introducing himself after all!

"I played a major role in clearing the Gate that suddenly appeared in December 2040."

As if they'd been waiting for this, the reporters raised their cameras again. Another wave of flashes filled the room.

"In February 2041, I led the clear team in collaboration with the elves to defend their city. And!" Kim Ki-Rok suddenly slammed the table with his palm, commanding attention. "In just six months, as the operator of the DG Channel, I've gained one million subscribers and made a massive impact online! And...!"

There's more?

While the reporters silently debated whether to include Kim Ki-Rok's self-introduction in their articles, he suddenly raised a hand and pointed in a specific direction. Instinctively, every head and camera turned to follow his gesture.

"Humm?"

A very cute girl with pigtails emerged from the convenience store, holding a chicken skewer in one hand and a stuffed rabbit in the other.

"I serve as the guardian of DG Guild's smiling angel, Kim Ji-Hee!" Kim Ki-Rok declared.

The crowd turned to look at the girl in unison. In response, Kim Ji-Hee tilted her head, laughed, and gave a polite bow. The reporters, surprisingly respectful, refrained from bombarding her with camera flashes.

"Hello, I am Kim Ji-Hee," she said brightly.

"Please subscribe and like, and give lots of love and attention to our Ji-Hee!" Kim Ki-Rok added. "With that, we'll wrap up the introductions and begin the meeting. Oh, and if you're hungry, feel free to visit the convenience store to your left. Food is free, but necessities like razors, toothpaste, and toothbrushes are not. If you try to steal those, we'll check the CCTV and send you the bill. So please, behave yourselves. Now, let's start the Q&A session."

After the barrage of introductions, it was finally time to get to the actual content.

The reporters glanced at one another, stunned by the absurd pacing, until Kim Ki-Rok picked up the mic again. "Are there no questions? Then I will conclude the DG press conference..."

"I have a question!" a reporter called out urgently, raising his hand before Kim Ki-Rok could end things prematurely.

"Yes, reporter from Weekly Hunter, go ahead."

"My name is Lee Jin-Tae, from Weekly Hunter. First off, thank you for inviting us to the DG press conference."

"

Hahaha!

Nice to meet you, reporter Lee Jin-Tae. So, what's your question?"

"I heard that the DG Guild was the first to discover the Gate where you met the elves. Can you tell us how you found the Gate?"

"Oh, of course. We should start with that," Kim Ki-Rok said, standing up.

It hadn't even been a full minute since he sat down after finishing his own introduction. Nevertheless, he walked from behind the table to the front of the stage, picking up the microphone once more.

"During December of 2040," Kim Ki-Rok began, "the DG Guild was physically and mentally exhausted after clearing dozens of Gates and fending off repeated attacks by Awakened criminals. So, I halted all guild activities and gave everyone a well-deserved vacation."

Why's he starting all the way back there?

Reporter Lee Jin-Tae frowned, sensing this might turn into a long story.

"We're curious about how and where you found the Gate!" he called out, raising his voice to steer things back on track.

"Yes, yes. That's exactly where it starts," Kim Ki-Rok replied. "The DG Guild went into a temporary hiatus. I did too, but I took things a step further. I went on a journey through Gates in search of the teacher of our guild's Smiling Angel, Ji-Hee. Naturally, she came along. As we traveled across the country, eating delicious food and exploring Gates, we had a fateful encounter inside one of them."

Gate.

A fateful encounter.

That can be the headline.

The reporters straightened, hands poised over their laptops.

"Well then, from here..." Kim Ki-Rok said.

The reporters groaned. "What now...?"

"For a smoother explanation," he continued, "I'd like to invite DG Guild's Smiling Angel, Ji-Hee, to the stage."

The frowns that had started to form melted away instantly. Kim Ji-Hee looked up at Kim Ki-Rok with wide eyes.

"Ji-Hee, come here," he called.

"Yeeess!" she shouted, dashing up onto the stage with a chicken skewer still in hand, its sauce flying everywhere.

The reporters quickly snapped photos of Kim Ji-Hee and her beaming smile. With their earlier irritation forgotten, they couldn't help but smile back as they captured the scene.