「 White Stars Building 」
"This place looks less of a guild hall and more of a broadcast studio."
Huge LED screens wrapped around its glass exterior, looping high-definition highlights of different raids.
Min stepped into the logistics bay.
"Watch out!
If you scuff that crate, the mana-leak will turn your eyebrows into charcoal!"
Min pivoted instinctively, narrowly avoiding a massive, grav-assisted shipping container.
"My bad."
"Eh, don't sweat it.
I'm Kim Yechan...btw."
The guy wiped a smudge of grease off his nose.
"Kang Min."
Min replied, offering a brief nod.
"Nice to meet you, Min.
Woonhee mentioned a new guy was joining the heavy-lift rotation."
Kim Yechan leaned against a crate, his eyes scanning Min with a veteran's precision.
"You don't look like a porter...you've got that 'I'm just passing through' vibe.
Word of advice?
In this guild, the less you're noticed, the longer you live."
'I know that very well.'
As they spoke, the service elevator hummed.
Park Woonhee emerged, already strapped into her reinforced exoskeleton frame.
She looked like she hadn't slept, her eyes darting between the clipboard and the growing pile of gear.
"Min! You're actually on time."
She said, her voice a mix of relief and exhaustion.
"Yechan, tell me the mana-stabilizers for the 11th floor are packed.
If the crystals crack during the transit, the Vice Guild Master will have our heads."
"Relax, Woonhee.
I double-wrapped them in void-foam...no sweat."
Kim Yechan said, though his playful demeanor dipped slightly at the mention of the 11th floor.
Min watched the activity around them.
In the old world...guilds functioned like armies.
You had vanguards, rears, healers, and tankers working together.
'Doesn't look like it now...'
"Why is there so much individual gear?"
Min asked, gesturing to the separate piles of equipment labeled with specific names.
"Because they're all soloists."
Woonhee explained, her tone bitter.
"The Constellation Stream rewards 'Narrative Share.'
If you fight in a team, the views are split.
The donations are also split and even the achievement points are diluted.
So, these rankers?...climb alone and build their own brands, their own fanbases, and their own egos."
"Then why the coalition?"
"When a floor clear is too complex or a boss has 'multi-target' mechanics, the guilds force a temporary merger.
They only link up because they're terrified of failing on camera.
A failed stream on a major floor is a career-killer."
Kim Yechan interjected.
The heavy blast doors leading to the main foyer hissed open.
The "Porters' Section" was separated from the "Rankers' Hall" by a thick sheet of reinforced glass, and through it, the elite began to filter in.
Most of them were accompanied by floating Drones and a crew...that were already live, streaming their "Morning Prep" to hundreds of thousands of viewers.
"See the one with the crimson cape?"
Woonhee whispered, pointing to a man who was posing for his camera drone while checking his gauntlets.
"That's Bak Doo-shik.
Ranked 34th in Korea.
His 'Berserker' narrative is huge with the teenage demographic.
He refuses to enter a room unless his theme music is playing in the stream-chat."
Beside him was a woman with a jade staff.
"That's Lee Seol, ranked 31st..."
Yechan added.
"Total ice queen."
Min watched them with a detached, clinical eye.
Their mana signatures were bloated...inflated by Constellation blessings and top-tier gear but their foundations were a bit shaky.
They were built for the camera, not for the grind.
A heavy, oppressive silence slammed into the room.
The drones, which had been buzzing like angry hornets, suddenly dipped in altitude, as if the very air had become too thick to fly in.
A man walked through the doors.
He wore a simple, dark-grey tactical vest and black combat fatigues.
His hair was short, his eyes a cold, piercing grey that seemed to see through the walls themselves...although he looked bored.
「 Kim Jin
Ranked 10th in South Korea 」
Min felt a jolt of genuine recognition.
Kim Jin had been the first streamer he saw when learning about the new world and the broadcasting system that came with it.
Kim Jin was the face of the White Stars, but more than that, he was the bridge between the old era of true warriors and this new era of performers.
Beside him, Yechan had turned a sickly shade of grey.
The talkative, energetic porter suddenly bowed his head.
He refused to look up, his hands white-knuckled as they gripped the edge of a crate.
Kim Jin didn't look at the others around and walked toward the briefing room.
『NOTICE: YOU ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF A "HIGH-RANKING NARRATIVE."』
『THE CONSTELLATIONS ARE WHISPERING HIS NAME.』
As Kim Jin disappeared into the secure briefing area, the pressure being lifted slightly but the tension remained.
"Alright, listen up!"
Vice Guild Master Sora stepped into the logistics bay.
"The 11th Floor Ruins are a spatial anomaly.
We can't use high-mass transport so we will need three porters for the main tactical unit.
These individuals will be responsible for the mana-cores, the emergency anchors, and the gear-swaps for Kim Jin and the rankers."
'Kim Jin...and the rankers...'
Kang Min repeated.
'Is he that big...that only his name gets mentioned...'
She scanned her tablet, her eyes landing on the small group.
"Park Woonhee.
You're the lead.
Kim Yechan...You're on anchors."
She paused, her eyes flickering to the new name on the roster.
She looked at Kang Min, her brow furrowing slightly.
"And... Kang Min.
You're on core-duty."
The other porters in the bay went silent.
Core-duty was the most dangerous role in any expedition.
The cores were volatile, heavy, and were the first thing monsters targeted.
"The rookie?"
Someone whispered from the back of the room.
"On a Floor 11 Coalition?
He's going to be a blood-stain before they even reach the inner sanctum."
"Hey, look at the bright side..."
"...If he dies early, we don't have to split the hazard pay."
Yechan finally looked up, his face still pale.
He looked at Min, a strange, hollow sympathy in his eyes.
"Well... looks like you've been fast-tracked.
Floor 11 on your first job?
Either the Gods love you, or they want a front-row seat to your funeral."
"Core-duty means you stay in the 'blind spot' of the rankers.
They won't protect you and will expect you to be where the gear needs to be, exactly when they need it.
If a Stone Golem targets you, you drop the pack and run."
Min offered a thin smile.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"We're moving out!"
Sora barked.
"The transport vans are fueled.
We're heading to the Walker's Organization Hub.
The Guild Master is already there with the heads of Iron Aegis and Blue Dragon.
The 'Big Three' are officially merging for this clear."
As they loaded into the blacked-out transport vans, the weight of the mission settled over them.
Min sat in the back of the van.
"Next stop, the Walker's Org!"
Yechan said, trying to regain his usual lively tone, though his eyes remained fixed on the floor.
"Try not to look the Iron Aegis rankers in the eye, Min.
Those bastards like to pick fights with porters just to boost their 'Aggressive' rating on the forums."
Min leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
"I'm not worried about the scouts...and quit worrying about me...I can hold against my ow."