Another Jackpot (3)
“So, you’re saying you can’t pay this quarter’s tribute?”
“Hahaha. No, Guild Master, that’s not it. Just give me a little more time...”
In the branch of the Light Shield Guild located in the port city of Bellen, Hong Seung-geol—the man in charge—was groveling before another man with an unusually servile expression, unlike his usual self.
The man he was fawning over was named Han Cheol-ho, the guild master of Light Shield Guild, one of the Six Strong Guilds. A long scar ran down his left cheek, and his massive frame—nearly two meters tall—was hard to believe belonged to an Easterner. His rock-solid body, carved as if from a boulder, combined with Han Cheol-ho’s signature heavy aura to create an intimidating charisma that made him impossible to approach casually.
Hong Seung-geol groveled before such a man while unleashing a torrent of vulgar curses in his mind.
‘Why the hell did Han Cheol-ho come all the way to a place like this...’
Han Cheol-ho, the guild master of Light Shield Guild, wasn’t the type of summoner to visit a beginner summoner backwater like this—not even at level 95, close to Ranker status, though not quite there.
“Give you a little more time, you say...”
Han Cheol-ho propped both feet up on the table where Hong Seung-geol sat. He glared at him with deeply sunken eyes.
“I’ve heard a rumor lately.”
“A r-rumor?”
“Yeah.”
Han Cheol-ho nodded and continued in a cold voice. “Hong Seung-geol. You’re not thinking of betraying Light Shield and running away, are you?”
His words struck right at the heart. Hong Seung-geol’s face stiffened. He shook his head desperately, replying in a pleading tone.
“N-no, Guild Master! Why would I do something insane like that?!”
“Is that so? But that’s hard to believe...”
At that moment, Han Cheol-ho slammed his hand down on the large table. He gripped and tore off a chunk of the sturdy oak. A ferocious glint entered his eyes.
“Seems like you’ve got some hidden cash stashed away.”
“Th-there’s no such money!”
Hong Seung-geol shouted in a frantic voice. Han Cheol-ho furrowed his brow slightly and stomped his foot hard.
Boom!
The impact shook Hong Seung-geol’s entire office, reverberating through the surroundings.
“Do you really not know why I came all the way here myself, Hong Seung-geol? You think I’d come without evidence?”
Han Cheol-ho glared at him with blazing eyes.
Hong Seung-geol flinched and swallowed hard. He instinctively knew excuses about having no money wouldn’t work on Han Cheol-ho anymore.
“It’s all emergency funds for guild operations!”
Hong Seung-geol put on an aggrieved expression and desperately spouted another excuse. But he couldn’t control his violently trembling heart. It was true—he had been planning to betray the guild and flee.
“Oh? Emergency funds. You know that just having unrecorded funds is a crime punishable by death, no injustice there?”
“Ahem. I-I’m sorry. But please believe me! All of this was for Light Shield Guild! I had no intention of betraying you!”
Hong Seung-geol bowed deeply and cried out in desperation. Han Cheol-ho looked at him and smirked coldly. He too had experienced countless events since coming to this world. He knew better than anyone that Hong Seung-geol’s excuses were utter nonsense.
“There’s no reason to keep a dog that bites its master.”
With those words, Han Cheol-ho stood, picking up the massive shield beside his chair. A faint white glow emanated from it—the symbol and signature item of Light Shield Guild.
“Urgh...!”
Hong Seung-geol trembled at the sight of the pristine white shield in Han Cheol-ho’s grasp.
The shield wasn’t just for blocking attacks. It was a rare item that unleashed shockwaves powerful enough to pulverize rock.
‘No, this can’t be!’
Hong Seung-geol despaired at the thought of his plan crumbling so futilely right before success. He considered grabbing his halberd and fighting, but he knew better than anyone that he couldn’t win against Han Cheol-ho.
In this situation, all he could do was prostrate himself and beg for mercy.
Communication Orb Alert
As Han Cheol-ho slowly approached with shield in hand, a chime rang out from Hong Seung-geol’s pocket. It was the alert from his communication orb.
Clutching at straws, Hong Seung-geol pulled out the orb. It displayed a message from one of the locals he had bribed.
His eyes trembled violently as he read it.
‘So it really was that Choi Yuna bitch!’
A few weeks earlier, when contact with Jeong Chan-hyeok—whom he’d ordered to kidnap a beginner summoner—went silent, he’d gone searching himself. The Light Shield guild member badges had location-tracking magic, making it easy to find him.
Jeong Chan-hyeok and his four subordinates lay sprawled on the swamp floor, covered in horrific burns.
Sword wounds from dual blades, followed by burns twisting the skin along those cuts.
There were a few summoners who used sword and fire skills, but adding dual swords narrowed it down considerably.
Choi Yuna. Former executive of Salvatore Guild, now on Elnot Kingdom’s wanted list.
Learning this thrilled Hong Seung-geol.
Elnot Kingdom currently had a massive bounty on Salvatore Guild—especially Guild Master Tiriya von Erman. An amount worlds apart from kidnapping pretty-faced summoners and selling them to brothels.
Following traces from the swamp, he learned they’d headed to Ruberin. He immediately bribed locals to track Salvatore Guild’s movements.
“...Then die, Hong Seung-geol.”
As Hong Seung-geol lost himself in thought, Han Cheol-ho closed in and raised his shield. Snapping out of it, Hong Seung-geol shouted desperately.
“B-brother! I’ve got some good news!”
“Good news?”
Han Cheol-ho tilted his head, looking down at him. Hong Seung-geol continued.
“Salvatore! I found Salvatore Guild members!”
Han Cheol-ho’s eyes sharpened at the words.
* * *
“Ooh?”
“It’s kinda dark in there... I don’t wanna go in...”
At the entrance to the newly discovered abandoned mine, Yuna peered inside with an intrigued expression. Chae-rin, spooked by the pitch-black atmosphere, hid behind her.
“Then we’ll take the lead from here and handle the hunting.”
“Got it. If more than three Stone Golems aggro at once in the middle, we’ll jump in, so focus on hunting steadily.”
Bae Han-seong stepped back as he spoke. Yuna approached him slowly.
“How’s everyone doing?”
“Very smoothly. A-ra’s the standout, of course... but Gil-su and Yeong-sik are no slouches either. Especially Yeong-sik—his performance is so incredible, it makes you question if he’s really a production class.”
“Hee, Yeong-sik?”
Yuna glanced at Yeong-sik’s back with interest. Bae Han-seong nodded.
“Yes. You’ll be shocked when you see it. Movements unbelievable for level 27.”
“Whoa, already level 27?”
Yuna herself had leveled up quickly as a supporter in Salvatore Guild back then, but not this fast. Satisfied, she smiled and followed Yeong-sik.
Then, a thought flashed through her mind.
“Wait, everyone’s at level 27 now?”
“Yes.”
“...Wasn’t Yeong-sik’s level cap 25?”
Yuna frowned, recalling their first meeting. She quickened her pace to catch up to Yeong-sik at the front.
“Yeong-sik. Got a question.”
“Yes.”
Yeong-sik turned at her sudden call. Yuna stared sharply and pressed on.
“Didn’t you say your level cap was 25?”
“Ah... Come to think of it, I didn’t mention it.”
Yeong-sik nodded knowingly and explained. “Raising my Mechanical Engineer skill suddenly boosted my level cap by 10.”
“What?!”
Yuna’s shocked voice burst out at his nonchalant words. A fixed level cap rising so easily? Unacceptable from her perspective.
“For real?”
“Yes.”
Yeong-sik nodded calmly. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t the skill level-up but unlocking his body’s security level—but he couldn’t explain that.
‘I need to pick a day and reveal my identity soon... At this rate, it’ll get harder to tell the truth later.’
“How in the world...”
Yuna stared at him blankly, still in disbelief.
Level cap increases weren’t unheard of. Many Rankers had hit a wall around 90 and broken through via awakening. Cases like immortal Baek Kang-hyeon raising from 60 to 100 existed too.
But just leveling a class skill once and gaining +10? Yeong-sik’s low cap meant it wasn’t a huge jump, but the fact itself was shocking enough.
“Is raising the level cap that rare?”
Yeong-sik asked innocently, feigning ignorance to mislead her. He knew full well how miraculous it was—but to fool Yuna, he had to play dumb.
“Haa. Rare? It’s practically impossible.”
“Oh! I thought it was easy since it happened so casually. Maybe because my cap was so low?”
“Urgh. No such thing.”
Yuna shook her head. She’d never heard of low caps being easier to raise.
“Anyway, after this dungeon... let’s talk about your class.”
His unique wrist-mounted weapon, the cap boost from a skill level-up—his class was too abnormal.
‘I thought it was trash... pitied him when he couldn’t use production items without outlets, like the ultimate garbage job. But now it feels like there’s some hidden secret.’
“Got it. Let’s talk after clearing the dungeon.”
Yeong-sik turned, seeing it as a good chance to reveal himself.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
-Grraaaahhh...
“Yeong-sik. Doesn’t look like the time for chit-chat.”
As Yeong-sik and Yuna talked, Gil-su—who was scouting ahead—stiffened and called out. The ground rumbled heavily as one Stone Golem and five zombies appeared.