Free Web NovelChapter 21: Black Gun Guild
Inside the conference room of Black Gun Guild Headquarters, silence hung heavily over the long obsidian conference table.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the sprawling skyline of Metro City, where countless skyscrapers glittered beneath the afternoon sun, while faint distortions in space far beyond the city limits marked the locations of several dungeon rifts—constant reminders that humanity had long entered the Era of Streaming.
Although the conference room itself was remarkably luxurious, with polished marble floors reflecting the soft glow of crystal chandeliers and every dark mahogany chair upholstered in genuine leather, not a single person present looked relaxed.
Along one wall, an enormous digital display continuously cycled through financial reports, stock trends, guild rankings, and market projections.
Around the enormous black table sat more than twenty executives specializing in finance, legal affairs, guild operations, recruitment, and dungeon management; rather than combat attire, every one of them was dressed in an impeccably tailored black suit.
Today’s meeting had nothing to do with monsters, raids, or livestreams, because today’s enemy was simply money.
Breaking the heavy silence, a middle-aged lawyer adjusted his glasses and announced that the lawsuit regarding the Eastern Trade District acquisition had officially entered its third hearing.
"Our legal team estimates another two to three months before a verdict," he stated grimly, adding, "Unfortunately, our chances are not optimistic."
Another executive spoke immediately afterward, revealing that the merger proposal from White Phoenix Guild had been withdrawn because they believed Black Gun’s liabilities outweighed its assets, causing several people to quietly lower their heads.
Tapping his digital tablet, the finance director reported that their outstanding debt currently stood at three hundred and eighty-two million dollars, with monthly operating expenses continuing to exceed their income and the investment fund from Northern Capital having officially pulled out yesterday.
As other executives chimed in to report the loss of forty-three affiliated Streamers this month, a twelve percent decline in advertisement revenue, and Titan Energy’s refusal to renew their expiring sponsorship contract, one bad piece of news followed another like falling dominoes, making every report worse than the last.
At the head of the table sat the Guild Master, a man appearing to be around fifty years old with an immaculate black suit and perfectly straight posture who had said absolutely nothing throughout the entire meeting, choosing simply to listen.
Finally, an elderly executive slowly placed a stack of documents onto the table and said with profound exhaustion, "President... the numbers don’t lie anymore."
As another executive nodded bitterly and warned that Black Gun Guild would officially declare bankruptcy if they didn’t liquidate another major asset within thirty days, nobody argued because everyone already knew the grim truth: the Guild that had once stood proudly at the very top of Metro City was now completely collapsing.
When the operations director broke the silence to suggest selling several lower-tier dungeons, the finance director immediately shook his head, explaining that even selling every low and mid ranged dungeon they owned wouldn’t cover the outstanding debt.
Following another heavy silence, someone finally spoke the words nobody wanted to hear:
"There is... only one asset valuable enough."
No one needed to reply, as every person in the room already knew exactly what he meant—the Seven Abyssal Hell Tower, a dungeon unlike any other and one of Metro City’s greatest treasures.
As the room became deathly quiet and several executives instinctively looked toward the Guild Master, he remained silent for several long seconds before finally speaking two words that carried unimaginable weight:
"List it."
Several executives slowly closed their eyes, sighed deeply, or quietly rubbed their foreheads; even after officially making the decision, it still felt entirely unreal.
Swallowing hard, the finance director asked for the asking price, and the Guild Master answered without hesitation, "One billion dollars."
The room fell completely silent once more as everyone present understood the grim implication: even among Metro City’s wealthiest corporations, very few possessed enough liquid capital to purchase such an asset outright, making finding a buyer nearly impossible, yet they simply had no other choice.
Slowly rising from his chair, the Guild Master adjourned the meeting, prompting the executives to quietly gather their documents and depart without a word into an atmosphere even heavier than when they had entered.
Soon, the Guild Master was the only person remaining inside the enormous conference room, standing silently before the floor-to-ceiling windows to overlook the distant skyline.
A sudden knock broke the silence before the doors opened and a young girl stepped inside.
Appearing no older than nineteen, she wasn’t dressed in business attire like everyone else who had attended the meeting; instead, she wore a simple black jacket over a crimson shirt, fitted pants that allowed unrestricted movement, and a sword securely fastened around her slender waist.
With her long black hair flowing freely behind her and bright crimson eyes glancing lazily around the room, she looked far more like a warrior than an executive.
"...Father," she called out, causing the Guild Master’s stern expression to soften slightly as he asked if she had finished training.
"I did," she confirmed, before glancing toward the closed doors through which the executives had just departed.
"...Should I kill those old men in one strike?"
Pinching the bridge of his nose, the Guild Master scolded, "There you go again. You know perfectly well that using Streamer abilities in the real world to harm others, justified or not, is prohibited under international law."
Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she said, "These businessmen are so noisy and annoying. They’ve been talking for hours." freewebnovёl.ƈom
Her father let out a helpless sigh before replying, "One day, you’ll become a businesswoman yourself."
"No," she answered instantly, "I’ll just swing my sword."
He shook his head and said, "That’s not how the world works."
She stubbornly crossed her arms. "Then it should be. If people disagree, I’ll just cut them."
The Guild Master looked at his daughter for several long seconds before shaking his head with a weary smile.
"Sometimes I wonder where I went wrong raising you."
"You didn’t," she replied confidently. "I’m perfect."
Deciding it was best not to argue, he fell silent.
Outside the towering windows, Metro City stretched endlessly toward the horizon, holding onto the fragile hope that somewhere within that vast metropolis, someone might still possess both the courage and the astronomical wealth to purchase the Guild’s greatest treasure.
Quietly looking into the distance, the Guild Master whispered, "...I hope someone buys it."
