392. Shinga Guild (1)
[ Utopia LIVE ) Broadcast has started. ]
Amid the peaceful hunter broadcasts, eight new streams suddenly appeared.
Jin Yu-ha, Lee Yu-ri, Kang Do-hee, Im Ga-eul, Sophia, Ichika, Baek Seol-hee, even Alice.
Those who rushed over, expecting Utopia Live, couldn’t help but be bewildered.
– …Huh?
– Are they… Fighting goblins?
– Where did they… go this time lmao
– Why are there so many goblins, damn ㄷㄷ
– Woah, that’s gross ;;
– Wait, before that… aren’t they all in the same place… Why are they all separated?
– Maybe it’s that kind of gate? Where even if you enter together, you have to go through it alone… Something like that. And it’s not exactly the same?
– Yeah, the number of goblins is different;; Woah, Jin Yu-ha, Kang Do-hee, Alice, and Teacher’s side is swarming? The goblins are about to burst lol
– Oh, it must be by position.
– Right, Mr. Reliable and Ichika have a lot too, but not as many as those guys.
– Only Sophia and Im Ga-eul are having it easy lol
– Bullshit honey… They sent the support and healer in alone though;;
Utopia’s broadcast spread like wildfire amongst the viewers.
*Swoosh━━━━━━━━!*
As Jin Yuha swung her sword horizontally, a surge of azure energy sliced through, bisecting half of the swarming goblin horde.
– Whoa. Trash mob sweeping is still Wall-god tier.
– Wall-god?
– Yeah, Cliff-god lollll
– LMAO
– Don’t insult Jin Yuha
Of course, the others weren’t standing idly by.
Kang Dohee, seemingly testing her limits, pushed her speed to a frenzied pace.
*Crack! Crunch! *Krrrrk!!*
The gruesome sounds of bones breaking echoed in rapid succession.
*KWAhhh─!!!!*
*KWAANG!*
*KWAhhh!!!!*
Alice, nimbly wielding her glaive, created dozens of craters, transforming the forest into a landscape resembling the surface of the moon.
And then there was Baek Seolhee, whose name and face were least known, having operated until now as part of the Mind Purge Squad, not as a member of Utopia.
The moment her blade emerged into the world.
*Whooosh─*
An icy, chilling wind suddenly swept through.
Followed by the soundless separation of tens of thousands of goblin heads from their bodies.
– Wow, seeing this now, Utopia’s scale is seriously insane…
– Baek Seolhee. We’ve only heard her referred to as “Master,” but this is something else…
– Their clear times are all pretty similar, right?
– Yeah, seriously what is this? Which gate is this?
Completely unaware that the Utopia party was inside a trial within Lina’s illusionary barrier, the viewers believed they were witnessing a special gate.
– But who do you think will get first place?
– Isn’t it obviously Jin Yuha?
– I don’t think so? Jin Yuha is also specialized for 1 on 1.
– Itchika is the special one. In group battles, Itchika is the expected choice. And there is also a smaller number of dealer types..
– I thought Lee Yuri didn’t have any attack skills. She just shoves them and they go flying lmao
Utopia, having fought together against hordes of terrifying foes like Mind and Demon, one after another.
Because of that, the individual abilities of each member were never truly highlighted.
However, this gate was a *save yourselves* gate, where everyone had to survive on their own merits.
In other words, it was the moment the hidden strengths of the party members were laid bare for all to see.
– Wow… Wasn’t Gukbap always that strong though?
– I know, right;; He’s throwing his shield and they just explode lol
– Utopia really is on a different level…
This sparked a strange sense of competitiveness among the viewers.
And from the very start, Jin Yuha, unleashing all manner of grand techniques, dealt with the goblins and then entered yet another gate.
Among the masses, the flames of competition ignited.
So much so that horse racing odds appeared on shadowy, private Toto sites!
[ UTOPIA ] –
♚♚Who holds the title of the World’s Strongest? U☆TO☆PIA♚♚Join now and receive a Utopia photopack for EVERYONE☜☜100% chance of revealing the back※ ♜Utopia♜Free figure gift￥ Under certain §§Which Utopia position ranks #1?§§★★Chance to Win Millions@@@ Go Now!
And the rough rankings looked something like this:
1st – Jin Yuha: 1.10
2nd – Baek Seolhui: 3.50
3rd – Kang Dohee: 4.75
4th – Ichika: 6.20
5th – Alice: 7.80
6th – Lee Yuri: 9.40
7th – Im Gaeul: 11.25
8th – Sophia: 13.60
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Im Gaeul and Sophia, being the supporter and healer respectively, had the highest odds, while the damage dealers recorded the lowest.
– ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋSuddenly Toto
– Are you out of your mindsㅋㅋㅋ
– The underdog will prevail!!! Hope of all healers! Sophia, I bet my entire fortune on you!! Sophia’s archery is insane!! And the goblin count is only a third of the dealers’ㅋㅋ
– Might as well bet on Im Gaeul instead of throwing everything on a healerㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– In the end, the victory belongs to Jin Yuha
– OuJin
– ㅇㅅㅂㅅ
– ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋAh, this is hilariousㅋㅋ
So it was, as wagers, both overt and covert, were being placed on the Utopia party members.
Shin Sehee, having gathered journalists from around the world, fixed her gaze forward and opened her mouth.
“I, as of today, will withdraw from Utopia.”
A bomb detonated.
A stillness descended upon the press conference hall in that instant,
*Chwa-ja-ja-ja-jak─!*
*Chwa-ja-ja-ja-jak─!*
Immediately after, a flurry of flashes erupted, accompanied by a barrage of clamorous questions directed at her.
“C-Celestial Maiden!? You’re withdrawing from Utopia…? W-What on earth could have brought this on so suddenly!”
“Withdrawal! Does that mean you’re turning your back on Utopia for good!?”
“T-Then, where will you go next─”
“Celestial Maiden! Is there perhaps some internal conflict within Utopia─”
“Could this be connected to the gate that the Utopia party has entered─”
“Is this statement agreed upon by Utopia!!!!”
“Is this a personal matter with Jin Yuha!!”
A shocking pronouncement it was.
There were, after all, the many faces Shin Sehee had shown until now.
She had never voiced a single complaint. Always, she worked silently behind Utopia, handling the miscellaneous tasks.
And wasn’t it Shin Sehee who had consistently expressed affection, respect, her heart laid bare for Jin Yuha?
For her to suddenly utter the word ‘withdrawal,’ it would be stranger still if chaos hadn’t erupted.
She remained expressionless, her lips sealed, waiting for the reporters’ questions to subside.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Silence descended, and she parted her lips once more.
“Questions will be taken one by one after I have finished speaking. First, the withdrawal from Utopia is not just me. It is myself and the entire sixty-eight members of Utopia’s sub-party.”
Shock.
Shin Sehee leaving Utopia was already disconcerting, but the sub-party too?
“As for the reason for leaving Utopia, I would attribute it to Utopia’s unilateral actions.”
“…Unilateral actions, you say?”
“To the reporter who just spoke. Are you perhaps familiar with Ji Woo-yeon, the tank of our sub-party, Rapanella?”
“…”
“Then, what about Kim Ji-hee, the special operative of the sub-party Robero?”
“…”
No one gathered here could answer that.
They hadn’t even shown their faces to the press.
They had never shown even personal SNS or personal activities.
In truth, it was due to their disposition to avoid exposure, but…
Shin Sehee’s statement was ripe for misinterpretation.
The achievements of Utopia’s sub-party were several rungs above those of other parties.
But their individual exploits had been buried by Utopia.
And the same was true for Shin Sehee.
Those who knew, knew just how much Shin Sehee had shouldered for Utopia.
That she was responsible for Utopia’s finances, management, multifaceted strategies, and command.
Wasn’t it said that without her, Utopia would end that very day?
A look of discomfiture spread across the reporters’ faces.
Utopia’s division was not a matter to be taken lightly.
With the horrifying demonic forces constantly emerging, Utopia and Director Lina were virtually the only ones capable of contending with them.
And now, a withdrawal!
They wanted to demand answers from Jin Yuha and the other party members immediately.
But they were currently in the midst of clearing some unknown gate.
“Despite our contributions, my sub-party and I have not received commensurate compensation. That is the reason we are leaving Utopia.”
One of the reporters, who had been wearing a dumbfounded expression at the ceaseless barrage of bombshells, jolted back to his senses and questioned her.
“T-then! Having left Utopia… Where do you plan to go, Shin Sehee-nim!”
Shin Sehee fell silent at that question. An act, as though she were truly contemplating the truth.
“We are not going anywhere.”
“…Pardon?”
“My sub-party and I intend to create our own guild, the Shin Family Guild, and operate separately.”
Then, a faint smile graced her lips.
“Henceforth, please keep a close watch on the movements of our Shin Family Guild.”