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

“This is the players’ selection match. Unlock your unique abilities and survive. Supply boxes scattered throughout the field will aid you…”

As he mumbled through the instructions, Runehan’s straight eyebrows furrowed.

“So a selection match means there’s a next round? And calling us the second generation implies there’s a more experienced first generation… This is tough. Life’s really hard for us underdogs.”

He quickly grasped the broader implications, considering future rounds.

Despite his idle chatter and frequent monologues, his words didn’t come off as careless.

Instead, it felt like a bold declaration: “I was born with these poor stats, but watch me grow…”

Runehan’s cautious exploration of the forest was broadcast not only to the viewers but also to the first-generation characters through the screen.

As a spectator, Rudel quietly reflected.

‘I’m keeping an eye on him because he resembles me… Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to have the cheat of seeing other people’s status screens. It seems he’s not a character from the real world like me.’

Since he couldn’t see other characters’ status screens, he approached others without knowing the danger they posed.

He must have understood the concept of ‘kill points’ from reading the notice.

Given Runehan’s personality, the scene before him might not have been something he could easily ignore.

“Ahh, monster!”

Thud!

A stone thrown by a boy struck the head of a towering man with a thud.

It wasn’t just the young boy.

The others with him didn’t throw stones but retreated from the man with expressions of fear and contempt.

Runehan shouted as he approached nonchalantly.

“Hey! Why are you throwing stones at an innocent person? What did he do wrong?”

On the surface, it might seem like he was interfering out of nowhere, but Runehan was also quickly analyzing the situation.

The man being bullied wasn’t adopting a threatening stance, and his hands, knees, and feet were clean.

This indicated that he hadn’t initiated any violence or made any aggressive moves. So, could he be unjustly targeted?

At that moment, the man turned to face Runehan and the others, revealing his face.

“Ugh!”

People gasped and turned away as if seeing a monster. Even Runehan’s eyes wavered momentarily.

Half of the man’s face was extraordinarily handsome, but the other half was not. It was grotesquely disfigured, resembling a monster.

The man’s face had skin shriveled like severe burns. Unlike the handsome eye on the other side, the eyelid on the disfigured side was horrifically narrow, rendering one speechless.

It seemed as if his outer skin was missing, exposing the dark red inner skin. To borrow a term only Rudel knew, it resembled a human anatomy model from a science lab.

The man had a blank expression, staring mutely at the person who had thrown the stone, as if unaware of his own facial condition.

Since he wasn’t expressing any pain, it was likely his face had been in this condition since birth.

“Get away! Get away!”

The boy yelled, throwing another stone at the disfigured man.

The man, as if pushed by the words, began to retreat without showing any sign of pain, resentment, or desire for revenge.

Observing this scene, Runehan wrapped his hand around his chin, deep in thought.

‘He got hit pretty hard by the stone, but there’s not a single scratch on his forehead….’

‘I get it. If you have high basic stats, you must have strong defense. So, this guy must have high stats unlike me.’

A sly smile spread across Runehan’s face.

While the others hurried away, he quietly followed the retreating man.

The half-handsome man didn’t go far. He stopped in a spot away from prying eyes.

For the moment, it seemed he was unaware that Runehan was spying on him from behind a tree.

Runehan observed the man and thought.

‘I’d feel upset if someone called me ugly, but he’s unfazed even after hearing worse. If that’s the case, he must have immense mental strength and composure.’

Just as Runehan was making this assumption, the man suddenly knelt by a stream.

Expecting him to drink, Runehan watched as he ignored the clear, flowing water and instead leaned over a nearby puddle.

It quickly became apparent what the man was doing.

‘Nope. He’s really self-conscious…’

The man used the water’s surface as a mirror, repeatedly inspecting his face.

He pressed on the dark red wrinkles and tried to cover them with leaves, only to give up and slump down.

“…….”

He sighed deeply, covering half of his face with his large hand. He kept that position, subconsciously hiding his face even when he believed no one was watching.

Rustle.

Runehan stepped out in front of the man.

Appearing abruptly before the man, Runehan extended his hand with a straightforward greeting.

“Nice to meet you! My name is Runehan.”

“…….”

The man stared at the outstretched hand with his one good eye, then looked up at Runehan with a puzzled expression, as if he was seeing something bizarre.

He completely ignored the offered handshake.

However, the man’s body began to tremble slightly, as if the presence of a stranger was unsettling.

“Monster! Get away!”

His expression remained stern and emotionless, but it was clear that he was deeply concerned about being called a monster again.

Runehan saw through the man’s apparent indifference and sensed his internal fear.

Runehan’s slight, sympathetic smile at that moment would later be dubbed by users as ‘Male Rudel’ and ‘The Moment I Invested in Runehan x Garam Stocks.’

“If I keep standing like this, my arm will hurt. Unlike you, I’m a fragile guy. Could you please shake my hand?”

The man narrowed his good eye.

Still glaring, he reluctantly extended his hand to touch Runehan’s briefly before pulling it back quickly.

“Your name?”

“…Garam.”

“Are you going to keep holding your face like that? It must be uncomfortable.”

Runehan pointed out Garam’s hand covering his face, prompting a hostile expression from Garam.

‘…Fine. It’s better to scare him away with my face than to pretend otherwise.’

Thinking that no one could ever like him with this face, Garam took a deep breath and then dropped his hand.

The grotesque half of Garam’s face, which even made him gasp when he saw it reflected in the water, was now fully visible to Runehan.

“…Does it hurt?”

Surprisingly, the black-haired man in front of him didn’t flinch. Instead, he examined Garam’s face carefully, as if concerned.

“I’ve been like this since birth.”

“Then it doesn’t hurt. That’s good.”

The concept of ‘birth’ felt natural in their conversation, as if they were simply characters in a game.

They didn’t show any curiosity about their origins or parents.

“…Isn’t it hideous? You must have a strong stomach.”

Garam half-joked, looking away from Runehan’s unyielding gaze.

“It’s not pretty to look at.”

Runehan’s speech was straightforward.

Rather than offering cliched comfort, Garam found this direct approach preferable.

He thought briefly.

That aside, what is this guy Runehan’s intention? What does he want from looking at my face?

Feeling a belated sense of caution, Garam hid his hand behind his back. In it was the pocket knife he had found in the supply box earlier.

“Now it’s my turn to state my business. I like you. Let’s stick together. Can’t you take me with you?”

“……?”

Runehan spoke smoothly. His attitude was a bit servile, somewhat humorous, and strangely presumptuous, as if Garam was naturally going to agree.

The recipient of this request was incredulous.

“Why should I do that?”

“Why so tough? Life isn’t meant to be lived alone! You can take in at least one person like me! Give some charity to a stat poor guy.”

He begged earnestly, lowering himself further and kneeling to look more pitiful. Now he was shorter than Garam even while sitting. Garam looked down at him in disbelief.

Certainly, there was no dignity in his behavior. Despite being tall and handsome, this guy was pretending to cry and begging.

Meanwhile, Garam didn’t realize that his stern expression was gradually softening.

‘Well, at least… it won’t be boring.’

When Garam absentmindedly replied, “Sure,” he unknowingly became the first fish to leap willingly into Runehan’s baited trap.

Runehan acted more surprised by Garam’s acceptance, then immediately forgot humility and began teasing.

“Why did you agree so quickly? Is it because I’m handsome?”

Garam looked at Runehan carefully.

“Just an ordinary face.”

Runehan wasn’t one to be deterred by such a sharp reply. He quickly retorted.

“Don’t you know familiar tastes are the best?”

“Then my face must be an unknown taste, so it’s that terrible?”

“Whoa, whoa, calm down. I didn’t even mention your charming face.”

Runehan exaggeratedly waved his hands as if calming an angry bull. Garam glared at him.

However, he didn’t make any further sarcastic remarks.

Thus, the partnership with Garam was sealed.

As they turned to leave, Runehan grinned triumphantly, like a fisherman who had just caught a big fish.

That one smile was enough for viewers to fully grasp his character.