Side Chapter 1: The Tragedy of the Sun and Moon

The Sun and Moon, one of the world's most prestigious guilds, owed its success to the leadership of Thomas Adler. At the tender age of 17, Thomas had risen through the ranks to become second-in-command, working alongside Jason Watts, the guild's previous leader. When Jason stepped down to assume the role of Chairman, Thomas was the natural choice to take his place.

Under Thomas's guidance, the guild flourished, its reputation soaring to new heights. Membership swelled, and the guild earned the trust and respect of the Awakener Association's upper echelons. It seemed that nothing could dim the shining star of The Sun and Moon.

But fate had other plans.

On that fateful day in Seoul, when an outbreak of monsters from a portal threatened the city, Squads 3, 5, and 7 were dispatched to contain the threat. The monsters poured forth in an unrelenting tide, their numbers seeming to multiply with each passing moment. As the battle raged on, the brave members of The Sun and Moon fought valiantly, their lives on the line.

Unbeknownst to them, Thomas was elsewhere, sequestered in his private room with a bevy of women, indulging in carnal pleasures while his guild members fought for their lives. His dereliction of duty would cost them dearly.

By the time the dust settled, the toll was devastating. Squads 3 and 5 had been wiped out entirely, and only five members of Squad 7 remained. The survivors, haunted by the horrors they had witnessed, would never be the same.

When news of the tragedy reached Thomas, he rushed to the scene, but it was too late. The battle had ended, and the reinforcements who had come to aid the remnants of Squad 7 looked upon their leader with a mixture of disappointment and revulsion.

The media was quick to report on the heroism and sacrifice of the fallen guild members, their stories of bravery and tragedy capturing the hearts of the nation. But for Thomas, there was only blame and recrimination. If only he had been there, leading his troops as a true leader should, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the survivors of Squad 7 turned their backs on the guild, their faith in Thomas shattered beyond repair. Other members, upon learning of their leader's failure, followed suit, seeking out new guilds to call home.

The Sun and Moon, once a bastion of strength and unity, found itself a shell of its former self. Public trust in the guild had been irrevocably damaged, though the higher-ups of the Awakener Association continued to lend their support.

For Thomas, the weight of his guilt was crushing. The loss of so many loyal and talented guild members, those who had trusted him with their lives, haunted his every waking moment. Determined to atone for his sins, he threw himself into his work, taking on every mission and challenge that came his way.

But the scars of Seoul ran deep, and neither Thomas nor the surviving members of Squad 7 would ever fully recover from the horrors they had endured. The Sun and Moon, once a shining beacon of hope and strength, had been forever tarnished by the tragedy, a grim reminder of the cost of a leader's failings.

As the years passed, Thomas continued to fight, to push himself to the brink in a desperate bid for redemption. But deep down, he knew that the guild he had once loved so dearly would never be the same. The trust had been broken, the wounds too deep to heal.

And so, The Sun and Moon soldiered on, a shadow of its former self, forever haunted by the ghosts of Seoul and the weight of a leader's shame.