Chapter 246 – Anonymous #947
"What's going on?" Zor asked blankly, looking around in confusion.
"Probably some idiot climbed the rankings again," Madison said indifferently as she headed toward the private lounge.
"Miss Madison… commission submissions are this way," Zor pointed timidly in another direction.
Madison shot him a glare over her shoulder but didn't slow down.
Gideon watched her leave without a word.
This time, he was dressed in a modified camouflage combat outfit—practical, flexible, and favored by many Guild exorcists.
As for that ill-fitting suit…
It had officially retired to the wardrobe.
"Uh… Father Gideon, no need to rush. As long as we log the completion with the commission office, the Guild will handle verification," Zor said with an awkward grin, scratching his head.
"In that case, I'll leave it to you. I plan to pick up some materials," Gideon replied smoothly—clearly intending to slip away.
Moments later, Zor was left standing there alone.
"…Sigh. Even someone as upright as Father Gideon ran off."
Shaking his head helplessly, the young wizard made his way toward the commission office by himself.
---
Inside the Guild Hall
As Gideon moved through the crowd, fragments of conversation drifted into his ears.
"Twenty-eight thousand points in under an hour… and a single spike of twenty thousand. That's practically on par with the monsters on the leaderboard."
"The top board usually jumps by just a few thousand at a time. This guy's on a different level."
"I heard a bunch of people grabbed commissions and left immediately after the update."
"Of course they did. Rankings equal reputation. Employers check the leaderboard before setting prices."
Gideon turned slightly, overhearing a different kind of discussion.
"Still no word on who it is? If this person makes it into the Top 20, we can't let other factions snatch him first!"
"The Guild isn't leaking anything. The guy who claimed 947 wasn't affiliated with any faction? He got expelled today. Internal information control's been tightened across the board."
"Keep digging! Some groups already sent people out. If we recruit someone like that, our survival rate skyrockets!"
"Understood! I'll get on it."
Of course, not all reactions were so optimistic.
"Where the hell did this bastard come from? He's ruined our ranking rotation plan!"
"Exactly! Spots 450 to 500 used to be controlled by our dozen allied groups. We rotated members up there to keep steady commission rates. Now—"
"Now everyone's scrambling to climb. The whole system's in chaos! Does that idiot even know how much it costs to maintain a ranking?"
"If I find out who he is, I'll personally send him to hell!"
---
Gideon frowned slightly.
From what he gathered, a powerful exorcist had suddenly gained an enormous amount of resentment points in a short time, causing a major disruption in the rankings.
And that disruption had triggered everything else—
Competition. Recruitment. Panic.
And hostility.
He walked calmly through the noise, expression unreadable.
Anonymous #947.
It seemed that name had caused far more commotion than he anticipated.
Rankings represented profit.
And profit meant influence.
That was why the impact had been so massive.
"That guy's really an idiot. Doesn't he know that keeping a low profile is the key to survival?" Gideon shook his head inwardly.
He soon arrived beneath the massive display screen.
On the real-time board under "Daily Resentment Value Rankings," the name Anonymous #947 stood proudly at the top with 28,000 points.
Second place sat far below at 2,000.
It was impossible to miss.
"Where am I?"
Gideon stroked his chin, scanning the board.
He couldn't find his own name.
That struck him as strange.
Based on how those spirits had performed earlier, even if not every single one generated resentment value, a portion should have netted him at least one or two thousand points.
But none of the listed names matched.
According to Guild rules, newly registered members' identities were hidden by default. Only by personally requesting a modification would their names become visible—this was to prevent careless exposure.
When Gideon first registered, he had focused only on commission procedures and risk levels. He hadn't paid attention to ranking mechanics at all.
Originally, he planned to reveal his name only after entering the top thousand.
"Forget it. Perhaps this is a revelation from the Lord."
He shrugged.
"Low profile, long life. Quiet wealth."
What he didn't know was that from the moment he stepped into the Guild building, several pairs of eyes had been watching him.
---
Outside a Nearby Shop
A man in Guild uniform lifted a communicator.
"Manager, confirmation complete. It's that gentleman. He's currently under the leaderboard."
Farlin's voice came through immediately:
"Do not approach him directly. I'll handle it. Maintain perimeter observation."
"Understood."
---
Gideon turned to leave.
But a beautiful woman with a gentle smile suddenly stood in front of him.
"You accepted the Los City commission earlier, correct?" Her voice was soft and pleasant.
Gideon narrowed his eyes. His hand subtly moved toward the cross in his pocket.
"Is there a problem?"
Seeing his guarded posture, the woman quickly stepped back, lowering herself respectfully.
"Your friend, Mr. Zor, is looking for you. He's in the commission office. If you're available, could you come with me?"
Gideon raised a brow.
From what he knew of Zor, the young wizard wouldn't ask someone else to deliver messages.
Especially not a woman this attractive.
Still, the destination was the commission office—Guild territory, under official supervision.
And besides…
What if she really was connected to Zor?
A friend from hard times? A half-sister? The sister of a fallen comrade?
After a brief pause, Gideon nodded.
"Lead the way."
They passed through the crowd without detours.
Only upon entering the commission office and spotting a familiar figure did Gideon finally relax his grip on the cross.
"Manager Farlin?"
"Mr. Gideon, forgive me for inviting you in this manner."
Farlin placed a hand over his chest and bowed deeply.
"If we had approached you in an official Guild capacity, it might have drawn unwanted attention. Therefore, we borrowed Mr. Zor's name."
He had originally considered using Madison's name—but based on his understanding of that witch, it would likely have backfired.
Gideon frowned slightly.
"Unwanted attention?"
Farlin explained the leaderboard incident.
"…Anonymous #947… that's me?"
Gideon's mouth twitched.
He had just mocked that flamboyant fool moments ago.
And now the boomerang had come back.
"The Guild has raised your information security classification. From this moment onward, no one outside internal administration can access your identity."
Farlin paused.
"And regarding the earlier leak—we apologize. Compensation will be delivered personally."
Gideon nodded.
With service like this, what was there to complain about?
As for the leak, after hearing the explanation, he realized it had been minor and harmless.
"Thank you, Manager Farlin."
"It is our duty."
Silence settled briefly.
Seeing Farlin hesitate, Gideon spoke first.
"Is there something you require of me?"
Farlin waved his hands quickly.
"You overestimate us, Mr. Gideon. There is only a small request."
"Go ahead."
"The Guild is dedicated to purifying evil. Since the Church's Sacred Word descended upon the world, corruption has grown increasingly frequent."
He continued,
"Exorcists are always in short supply. We would like only a verbal agreement."
"If in the future evil forces invade on a large scale, the Guild will respond. At that time, we may require your assistance."
"There are no binding terms. If you are unavailable, the agreement is void."
Gideon raised an eyebrow.
"That's all?"
"That's all."
He rubbed his chin.
He had expected a high-risk commission.
Instead, this was merely a future contingency.
Even so, the Guild had approached him with humility.
"Those in the top twenty… they've made similar agreements, haven't they?"
Farlin smiled.
"Indeed."
The rule had been established by the Guild President himself—to unify humanity's strongest defenders when catastrophe struck.
Though Gideon had not yet entered the upper ranks, Guild assessment suggested it was only a matter of time.
This was, in essence, an angel investment.
"No problem. I agree."
Even if the Guild did nothing, Gideon could not avoid confronting evil.
He bore the Church's identity.
And he lived in this world.
For his own survival alone, he would never stand idle.
Though when the day came, self-preservation would remain his highest priority.
"Your righteousness is admirable."
Farlin bowed again.
Then he produced a gold coin engraved with Latin script.
"It functions like your silver coin."
"In addition, as long as you possess it, you will permanently own a private room within the Guild."
"And all Guild transactions will be exempt from intermediary fees."
Gideon accepted it.
He had indeed returned to purchase materials.
"Thank you."
---
Guild Underground – Level Five
A circular marketplace spread beneath the Guild.
Over a hundred booths lined the perimeter walls.
The central display board showed daily material prices.
Exorcists crowded around it.
Gideon headed directly to the Evil Remains section.
The resentment value from commissions was no longer enough to sustain his theological cultivation.
And with the Church watching closely, he couldn't be too blatant.
He needed alternative sources.
Purchasing evil materials was ideal.
Compared to Church-processed relics, Guild materials were far more raw.
No safety guarantees.
If someone died experimenting with them—bad luck.
---
Inside one booth, a hooded vendor lifted a silver container.
"This spirit originates from an ancient haunted house. Over thirty years formed. Core essence largely intact."
"Suitable for Church theology, forbidden witchcraft, or knightly cultivation."
Gideon examined the container.
The vendor placed it inside a glass cylinder lined with holy relics and inscribed with isolation runes.
Gideon raised a brow.
So this vendor was Church-affiliated.
He had noticed several clergy disguised within the Guild.
Apparently, they didn't bother hiding holy artifacts—only their uniforms.
The runes glowed faintly.
A small isolation formation.
Five-year relic-grade.
Barely above scrap in Gideon's collection.
The vendor opened a tiny slit.
Dark energy seeped out.
Oppressive. Whispering. Gloom-laden.
Even through the barrier, Gideon sensed the spirit's potency.
The vendor quickly sealed it.
"Quality speaks for itself."
"What's the price?"
The vendor raised five fingers.
"Fifty thousand resentment points."
Gideon: ???
Blatant robbery.
Even after the leaderboard spike, he only had 28,000 points.
Farlin's gold coin allowed credit—but he wasn't eager to use it.
"Boss, that's clearly too high. Would you consider item exchange?"
The vendor hesitated.
"What item? If it's trash, I refuse."
Gideon produced a glass vial.
He deliberately looked reluctant as he handed it over.
The vendor opened it.
One second later, he clutched it tightly to his chest and stared up sharply.
"W-What is this…?"
His tone had changed entirely.