Joining the Guild (2)
Whoosh! The red sword moved. Following the path of the two swords, scorching flames swept through the surroundings.
Jeong Chan-hyeok, who had stepped in front of Yuna to block her, screamed as the blaze engulfed him, rolling on the ground.
In an instant, Yuna dispatched Jeong Chan-hyeok and kicked off toward his underlings, who stared at her with faces drained pale blue.
Fierce flames devoured everything around them.
-Sizzle!
“Aaaagh!”
The sound of flesh burning echoed. Thick smoke rose from their bodies. Far below Jeong Chan-hyeok's level, they couldn't even dream of blocking Yuna's sword, which outleveled them by over 40. They were sliced apart helplessly.
“Hup!”
Yuna unleashed a short combo with a relaxed expression. Her body slid forward like silk, spinning half a turn. Flames trailed her sword's arc, igniting yet another summoner.
-Thud!
“Aaaaaagh!”
After her half-spin, Yuna kicked off the ground toward Jeong Chan-hyeok's last remaining underling. Flames erupted over the man's body where her foot struck.
Blaze Step. A skill unique to her that ignited intense flames with every step.
“Ah... oo...”
Witnessing this, Jeong Chan-hyeok shuddered, his burned body trembling as he let out a groan.
With a desperate expression, he whipped his head around. His eyes landed on Yeong-sik.
Yeong-sik stared at Yuna in a daze.
“Uwaaaah!”
Jeong Chan-hyeok charged at Yeong-sik like a madman, intending to take him hostage. Yuna, who had just finished off his last underling, whipped her head toward him with an urgent look.
“Tch...! You!”
She grimaced as Jeong Chan-hyeok—whom she'd thought dead—sprang up from the ground and lunged at Yeong-sik. She chased after him.
But the distance between her and Jeong Chan-hyeok had widened while she'd dealt with his men. She couldn't stop him from reaching Yeong-sik.
“Damn it!”
Jeong Chan-hyeok glanced back at Yuna pursuing him and reached out for Yeong-sik. His plan was to pull off a hostage play and escape.
He barely paid Yeong-sik any mind as he grabbed for him. After all, he was just a level 5 newbie summoner. Subduing him would be a breeze, or so he thought.
But.
“Blade.”
-Click.
A low voice emerged from Yeong-sik's mouth.
His left wrist flipped open, and a sharp blade shot out.
Jeong Chan-hyeok, who could never have imagined a weapon emerging from the hand of someone holding nothing, failed to react to Yeong-sik's movement.
-Stab!
“Guhk!”
Yeong-sik's body, which had been on the ground, bounced upward. The blade from his wrist slammed precisely into Jeong Chan-hyeok's throat.
Was it because of the overwhelming level gap? Even an attack that should have pierced his throat clean through in normal circumstances only sliced about an inch deep.
But that was enough.
The throat was a vital spot where even an inch-deep cut could be fatal.
Jeong Chan-hyeok clutched his gushing throat and screamed.
“Hah!”
“Aaaaaagh!”
Yuna, who had dashed over in a flash, swung her twin swords at his back.
A gruesome burn formed on Jeong Chan-hyeok's back, and the light faded from his eyes.
“Phew... You okay?”
Having dispatched Jeong Chan-hyeok in an instant, Yuna turned to Yeong-sik and asked. Her gaze fell on the blade protruding from his wrist.
Yeong-sik stood, bowing his head.
“Yes. Thanks to you, I survived. Thank you.”
“Hmm. What's your name?”
She sheathed her swords at her waist and scanned Yeong-sik up and down.
Yeong-sik replied in a calm voice.
“I'm Yeong-sik.”
“That's a unique sword. What skill is it?”
She eyed his wrist with curiosity.
Yeong-sik hesitated slightly, lips pressing together.
That his body was mechanical, not flesh and blood, was a secret known only to Gil-su and A-ra.
“It's not a skill—it's a weapon.”
“Oh, a hidden class, huh? Never seen anyone pull a sword straight from their skin before.”
Her eyes sparkled as she said it.
Yeong-sik nodded with a neutral expression.
She had saved his life, but he couldn't spill everything about himself to someone he'd just met.
She probably wouldn't believe it anyway.
A human body made of machine? Even A-ra and Gil-su wouldn't have bought it without seeing for themselves—it was that absurd.
“What about the other two?”
“Ahem. Kim Gil-su.”
“Seo A-ra.”
To her question, Gil-su answered with an awkward cough, while A-ra replied in the same stiff, cold tone as when she'd first met Yeong-sik.
Seeing A-ra, Yuna whistled.
“Whoa... No wonder these guys came charging with fire in their eyes. What'd you do back on Earth?”
“...A model.”
“Model...? Wait, the real model Seo A-ra? Wow. Never dreamed I'd see you in person.”
Yuna's face lit up with surprise.
She was beautiful enough herself, but not quite on A-ra's level.
A-ra, uncomfortable with the attention, shot a burdened glance and hid behind Yeong-sik.
“Hmph.”
Yuna turned to Yeong-sik with an intrigued look at her reaction. Instinct told her he was the leader guiding this party.
“I have a request.”
Yeong-sik said it plainly.
His confident demeanor drew a smirk from Yuna, who nodded.
“Shoot.”
“Choi Yu-na... right? I want to join your guild.”
Yuna's lips pressed tight at the unexpected request, staring at him.
She'd never imagined he'd ask to join her guild out of the blue.
“Why?”
Her eyes sharpened unlike before.
Yeong-sik answered without missing a beat.
“We've become targets of a big guild called Light Shield. They won't just let their underlings die like this. For our safety, we want to join your guild.”
He spoke calmly.
“...Do you know what kind of guild we are?”
“No. I only heard the name Salvatore Guild earlier.”
Yuna gazed at him with a complicated expression.
Her guild had a tangled, tragic history—not an exaggeration to call it a nightmare.
Once among the greatest guilds, it had fallen into ruin.
“Our guild isn't what you think. Not anymore.”
Her voice was bitter. Pain and anger mixed in her expression.
Yeong-sik turned to her.
“With you there, it'll be way safer than us wandering alone.”
“...Hmm.”
“Please.”
His tone was even, but he felt a quiet anxiety. Ideally, he'd level up more first, but clashing with a major guild left no choice.
Whatever baggage Salvatore Guild carried, or if it wasn't as grand as hoped, didn't matter now. What did was that it had the powerhouse Choi Yu-na—and from her willingness to help strangers, it wasn't some shady outfit like Light Shield.
“Sigh... Fine. I'll introduce you to the guild master.”
“Thank you.”
“Mind sharing your class and level caps first?”
She glanced at the group.
It was sensitive info in this world, but they were the ones asking a favor.
“Level cap 45, warrior class,” Gil-su answered first.
She nodded subtly at his words.
Not bad, but not great either.
“...Level cap 91, Frost Mage class.”
“91? And a hidden class?”
Yuna's eyes lit up at A-ra, staring with keen interest.
That cap with a hidden class was impressive. With levels and skill mastery, A-ra could rival her.
Then what about that guy, Yeong-sik?
She eyed him expectantly. Leading a level cap 91 summoner? His specs had to be insane.
“Level cap 25... Mechanic class.”
“Huh?”
Yuna tilted her head in disbelief.
Level cap aside, Mechanic?
She'd never heard of it.
“Hmm. That weapon earlier looked assassin-type.”
“Special weapon from Mechanic skills. Not an assassin class.”
He answered smoothly.
She gave him a dubious look.
“Your cap's lower than expected. And... production class?”
“Yes. Production class.”
“Hm... Production, huh.”
Yuna looked disappointed.
Production classes had fewer combat skills than fighters. Even at the same level, they lost often—and got treated like slaves.
Big guilds had production departments for their gear, but even they weren't respected much.
In this world, might made right.
And Mechanic...? She pictured Earth gadgets she'd barely seen since arriving, her expression ambivalent.
“What can a Mechanic make?”
“Right now? Hair dryers, mini fans, electric razors.”
Yeong-sik pulled a mini fan from his inventory.
“Ha? These things feel so out of place here.”
Staring at the alien objects, she let out a hollow laugh. Nostalgia for forgotten Earth tugged at her.
“Never thought I'd see something like this.”
She examined the mini fan in awe.
Turning to him, she asked,
“Can I try it?”
“You can't use it.”
“What...?”
She stared like he'd spouted nonsense.
Yeong-sik gave the brutally practical reason.
“No electrical outlets.”
Yuna gaped at him in absurdity.
Unable to run? It was just scrap metal shaped like a fan.
Isn't this job total trash?
The words nearly escaped her throat.