Joining the Guild (1)
'What kind of bastard is this?'
Jeong Chan-hyeok stared at Yeong-sik with utter disbelief.
He wasn't some clueless idiot—he'd seen Yeong-sik toss aside the hand he'd been dealt. No one that oblivious could miss how dire the situation was.
And yet, this guy was still hurling insults right at him? It was like yanking whiskers from an already raging lion.
"Why the dumbass look on your face?"
Yeong-sik kept provoking him.
But his reason wasn't just that he didn't like the guy.
Anger makes people reckless, and reckless moves create openings. That was the gap Yeong-sik was after.
The situation's the worst.
Yeong-sik glanced around sidelong as he thought that. Five people encircled him, including Jeong Chan-hyeok. All wore armor emblazoned with the golden shield emblem of Light Shield Guild.
Fewer than the bandits led by Nam Gi-tae, but the odds were even worse.
The level gap between them and him.
At least level 30 each.
Yeong-sik eyed his surroundings with a tense expression. As members of the sixth-strongest guild, they were likely well above the average level of 30.
Thinking of that chasm in levels left him feeling utterly blocked.
"You little shit. I went easy on you at first, and now you don't know your place?"
Jeong Chan-hyeok twisted his face in fury, glaring at Yeong-sik.
Yeong-sik didn't flinch at his words—instead, he doubled down.
"You're the one who tried some obvious ploy, failed miserably, and now you're yapping like a dog. What makes you so high and mighty?"
"What did you say? You fuck..."
Jeong Chan-hyeok's eyes blazed at Yeong-sik's sharp barb, spewing curses.
Yeong-sik fixed him with a piercing gaze.
The key is how much this is getting to him...
A head-on fight against Jeong Chan-hyeok and his goons was impossible. He needed a surprise Rocket Punch to gain the upper hand.
Even then, it'll be tough.
With levels in play now, Jeong Chan-hyeok probably wouldn't drop dead even from a direct Rocket Punch hit. And if that happened, escape would be off the table.
Yeong-sik bit his lip in growing anxiety.
Can I force a security level release like last time?
He recalled facing Nam Gi-tae. In that desperate moment, he'd forcibly unlocked a security level and swept away the enemies.
But forcing a release triggered Overload. That meant permanent power loss and excruciating pain—something he hated resorting to unless absolutely necessary.
But right now, he had no choice.
How do I trigger a forced release?
Yeong-sik looked down at his body in frustration. He knew the option appeared in true danger zones.
But what counted as "danger"? How desperate did it have to be? No clue.
"Let's see how long that smart mouth keeps flapping."
Jeong Chan-hyeok gripped his sword tighter, crouching low.
Yeong-sik raised his left arm in response.
But—
Thud!
"Guh!"
Yeong-sik's body tumbled across the swampy ground. Jeong Chan-hyeok had closed the distance with unbelievable speed for the terrain, slamming a kick into his gut. Yeong-sik bent like a bow and flew backward.
"Ugh... Ice Boom!"
While Yeong-sik and Jeong Chan-hyeok traded words, A-ra had been casting. She unleashed her spell at him.
Jeong Chan-hyeok swung his sword at the incoming magic.
Whoosh!
Her spell scattered into the air, caught in his sword wind. A-ra stared at him, pale as a ghost.
"N-No way..."
"I'll deal with you later. Stay out of it."
Jeong Chan-hyeok's rage at Yeong-sik overshadowed his lust for her. He turned back to the fallen Yeong-sik.
That's when Gil-su roared and charged.
"Smash!"
"Hah, Smash."
Jeong Chan-hyeok, a fellow warrior class, mirrored Gil-su's skill.
Both axe and sword glowed blue.
But Jeong Chan-hyeok's shone far brighter, more radiant.
Clang!
"Urk!"
Gil-su's axe split in two.
"Lowbies not even level 10 yet, crawling out of the woodwork?"
Jeong Chan-hyeok snarled lowly, face contorted. His level was 46—a high-level foe Yeong-sik's party of level 7s couldn't touch.
Levels didn't guarantee victory if the gap was small. But this was nearly 40 levels. Even bare-handed, Jeong Chan-hyeok would crush him.
He approached the downed Yeong-sik and kicked his gut again.
Thud!
"Groan..."
Yeong-sik rolled across the mud, body battered and filthy.
Jeong Chan-hyeok loomed over him with blazing eyes.
"How's that? Still got some arrogance left?"
Yeong-sik glared up silently, lips pressed tight.
His right arm rose slowly. His middle finger extended.
Seeing it flipped Jeong Chan-hyeok's lid.
"You bastard!"
He charged in fury, sword raised high. Yeong-sik seized the moment of lost reason to launch his Rocket Punch.
Then—
Clang!
Before Yeong-sik could fire, a mysterious figure appeared, deflecting Jeong Chan-hyeok's blade.
"Guh?! What the—?!"
Jeong Chan-hyeok staggered back, arm numb from the impact, staring at the intruder.
A woman with rough, short red hair.
She scanned Yeong-sik's group and Jeong Chan-hyeok's crew, scowling in disgust.
"What the hell are you doing to noob summoners?"
Her sharp gaze pierced Jeong Chan-hyeok.
Recognizing her face, he flinched and muttered.
"You... Yuna...?"
Yuna. Not quite ranker-tier, but a powerhouse well-known in Elnot Kingdom.
Her fame wasn't just strength. It was her guild.
"A Salvatore Guild member... alive?"
Yuna's face twisted at his shocked expression.
Salvatore Guild. Once one of the four great guilds, not three.
Now, fallen and gone.
"That emblem... Light Shield scum."
Yuna's eyes flashed as she inspected their gear.
Light Shield had a nasty reputation, belying its noble name.
She glared at them in revulsion.
"Don't need eyes to know what you were up to."
Her gaze lingered on A-ra as she muttered.
Five years in this world, she'd seen what happened to pretty newbie girls.
Human trafficking wasn't rare here.
Illegal by law, but fuzzy for Earthlings—nations didn't bother helping. Some native nobles even hunted newbies to buy as slaves.
"Disgusting trash."
Yuna spat coldly at Jeong Chan-hyeok.
Five years of horrors hadn't dulled her disgust for base lust.
Her low words made him flinch and step back.
Not ranker, but Yuna was estimated at least level 80. No match for him.
"I-If you touch me, my guild won't let it slide. Why not just mind your own business?"
His voice trembled pathetically, but he had no choice.
Going back empty-handed meant Hong Seung-geol would pulverize him. Fighting Yuna? Same result.
His only play: leverage the guild name to pressure her and take Yeong-sik's group.
"Pathetic as hell. Suits a worm like you."
"L-Light Shield Guild! You think Salvatore's still what it was?"
"...Say that one more time, and I'll rip your jaw off. Shut it."
Mention of Salvatore drew a growl from Yuna. She drew her red-bladed twin daggers from her waist.
Seeing them, Jeong Chan-hyeok paled and blurted desperately.
"O-Okay! But you know what happens if you tangle with a big guild, right?"
Yuna clamped her mouth shut.
He wasn't wrong. Light Shield was huge—clashing meant suicide.
She bit her lip hard, glaring.
If we were like before...
Old Salvatore would've made Light Shield pups crawl without a business card.
Now? Barely ten members left—a tiny elite crew.
Starting bad blood with Light Shield on impulse? Trouble for her.
"If you get it, then fuck off. You know the rules of this world."
"Bullshit. What rules?"
The word "rules" grated on her. She glanced hesitantly at Yeong-sik's group.
After a long think, she sighed deeply.
"Still haven't learned after all that."
Her mutter—unclear to whom—preceded turning back to Jeong Chan-hyeok.
He blanched at the raw killing intent in her eyes.
"W-Wait! You know what you're doing, right?!"
"Yeah. I do."
Yuna smirked crookedly.
Flames erupted along her red twin blades—fierce enough to light the dim swamp.
"Eek!"
Jeong Chan-hyeok and his men shuddered.
The sheer mana from her swords told them they stood no chance.
"Kill all you trash here, no problems, right?"
She licked her lips, murmuring low.
Jeong Chan-hyeok yelled frantically.
"I-If I don't show, Brother Hong Seung-geol will...!"
"Hong Seung-geol? You're with that bastard? No need to hesitate then."
His name twisted Yuna's face further.
"Die, you filthy scum."
She snarled and kicked off.
Flames trailed her steps.