"And we are considering working together with your Purple Guild to better protect this city," Jason said in a matter of fact tone.
Luther stared at Jason, then at Ezekiel, before shaking his head.
"Thank you for coming all this way, but I'm afraid I have to refuse. We are not interested in becoming a sub guild of The Watcher's Guild."
Jason adjusted his glasses. "That is not what we are proposing. Instead of becoming a sub guild, does cooperation between guilds sound more appealing to you?"
Luther looked at Jason with reluctance. When he glanced at Ezekiel, his opinion slowly began to shift. It might not be a bad idea to at least hear them out.
Know what they want. Consider the proposal.
It might benefit the Purple Guild, especially since they lacked members.
Jason immediately shifted into business mode and began explaining the cooperation they had in mind.
He first explained that there had been a significant rise in dungeon appearances. What was more alarming was that high grade dungeons were appearing more frequently than before. Not only that, but many of these dungeons were located dangerously close to one another.
If even one of them was not cleared within the time limit, they could become twin bombs capable of destroying an entire country.
Hearing this, Luther was stunned. "You mean the D and C grade dungeons that exploded together in Mandel City were not the first case?"
"It is not the first time that two nearby dungeons have appeared," Jason clarified. "But it was the first time they exploded at the same time, resulting in a massive blast that destroyed an area within a ten kilometer radius. That case prompted us to include your guild on the list of those we plan to cooperate with."
"The Watcher's Guild aims to gather more hunters, not only in the Main City but also in remote cities, to help clear nearby dungeons and prevent simultaneous explosions. We have enough hunters to address multiple dungeons in the Main City. What concerns us are remote cities farther south, like this one, or those in the north. Each city has one guild assigned to dungeon clearing, but most of these guilds only have ten to twenty members."
"Recent studies show that over the past few months, the number of dungeons appearing in remote cities has increased ten times compared to last year."
At this point, the rest of the Purple Guild members were no longer hiding. They stood at the far end of the hallway, listening.
Jason noticed this and activated his smartwatch projection. An alarming holographic graph appeared, showing a sudden jump from 100 to 500.
Everyone in the room recognized the numbers. It represented the number of dungeons that had appeared in Mandel City alone. Another graph displayed a similar rise in Mane City, where the Forest Guild was based.
Jason continued, "Last month, Mane City recorded 700 dungeon appearances within a few weeks. This has raised serious concerns for both the Hunter Association and our guild. With mutual understanding, we requested cooperation from the Forest Guild. The Hunter Association was informed and they granted their approval."
"The agreement involves lending hunters between guilds to manage the surge in dungeon appearances. Each hunter will be assessed based on their strength and abilities. They will then be assigned to dungeons that they can clear, which is also appropriate to their level. Since we have more hunters, most of the lending will come from our side to support your guild."
"In return, we will receive 65 percent of the overall equipment, loot, and other resources obtained from the dungeons. Your guild will receive the remaining 35 percent."
Everyone fell silent.
Luther did not respond immediately. He continued reviewing the document Jason had handed him earlier.
Michael, who was quietly standing at the side, stepped forward and interrupted. "How will the assessment be conducted?"
Jason glanced at him and smoothed out a slight crease in his suit. "It will take place at our guild base. We will evaluate your combat capability against dungeon monsters, your response under extreme conditions, and the extent of your abilities. We will also match you with hunters whose skills complement yours. This is necessary to form balanced teams capable of achieving higher dungeon clearance rates."
"Can everyone participate?" Michael asked.
"Yes, as long as they are official members of the guild we offer cooperation with," Jason replied. He then turned to Luther.
"It seems your members are interested. We would like to hear your thoughts."
"Personally, this does not seem like a bad offer," Luther said. "However, I have two concerns."
He raised his index and middle fingers.
"Please speak," Jason said calmly.
"First, this deal appears far more beneficial to us than to you. We lack manpower, so having additional hunters, especially from a reputable guild like yours, would greatly help us. But from your perspective, the difference between 65 percent and 35 percent is not significant. It does not seem like enough incentive for a guild of your standing."
"Second, this offer could have been delivered by one of your management staff. There was no need for the Vice Guild Master and an S class hunter to come personally. Your presence here suggests there is another motive."
Ezekiel, who had remained silent the entire time, smirked.
Sharp.
Jason's serious expression shifted into something more solemn. He glanced briefly at Ezekiel before meeting Luther's eyes.
"Indeed," he said quietly. "We do have another objective in coming here."
"For other guilds, we asked to gain full ownership of the dungeon loots. In return, we provide training and weapons for their hunters. But for Purple Guild, we offer 65 to 35 percentage difference is because we are interested in one of your members."
The easy serious atmosphere immediately dropped. Everyone can feel the tension in the air. Jason ignored this and continued.
"In fact, it was Hunter Ezekiel who was mainly interested and wanted to recruit this specific person to our side."