Level Up Machine 035: Liberate (3)
Boom!
With a heavy thud, intense flames erupted from behind Yeong-sik's back. His body shot forward like a bullet. He swung his Blade fiercely at the man encircling Yuna.
Blade Draw.
Clang!
The Blade's length extended instantly to a meter, slicing into the man's body. Caught off guard by Yeong-sik's sudden assault, the man failed to block the strike.
Splat!
"Gah!"
No matter how much higher his level was compared to Yeong-sik's, he couldn't withstand the acceleration from the boosters at near-max output combined with the Blade's enhanced power at level 2. The man's body was deeply gashed by the Blade and sent flying backward.
"What do you think you're doing, showing off all alone?"
Yeong-sik shot her a displeased look.
Yuna stared back at him in stunned bewilderment.
"What the hell are you doing? I told you Han-seong was right there!"
She yelled at Yeong-sik in a frantic voice.
Yeong-sik let out a deep sigh at her words and turned toward the Light Shield Guild members.
"I didn't think you'd let scum like that near you, Yuna. I'm a bit disappointed."
He said it in a cold voice, assuming a battle stance.
At his attitude, the Light Shield Guild members glared at him in disbelief.
"Is this guy insane...?"
"He said just kill the men, so let's do it!"
They grimaced savagely at Yeong-sik, who looked like a newbie summoner without a single piece of gear, for barging in so abruptly.
A cluster of round ice orbs flew toward them.
"Ice Boom!"
While Yeong-sik charged ahead, A-ra, who had been preparing her spell, unleashed it without hesitation at the Light Shield Guild members. Nail-sized ice shards swept over them.
"You little...!"
But perhaps due to the overwhelming level gap. Unlike Yeong-sik's successful surprise attack, A-ra's spell didn't inflict much damage.
"Cute little tantrum."
Hong Seung-geol smirked as he watched them.
The sight of summoners who didn't even seem to have passed level 50 struggling desperately was amusing.
Hong Seung-geol tilted his head slightly, signaling the guild members surrounding them. Five more stepped forward, closing in.
"No, I'll handle it myself."
"Huh? Bro, you don't need to—"
As Han Cheol-ho took a step forward,
Hong Seung-geol said to him with a flustered expression.
There were already over 50 subordinates gathered here, all elite guild members at minimum level 50. Even if Choi Yu-na was a powerhouse over level 90, there was no need for Han Cheol-ho or Hong Seung-geol to step in personally with those numbers.
"Don't get cocky, Hong Seung-geol."
"...Yes, sir!"
Han Cheol-ho shot Hong Seung-geol a brief glare before resuming his advance toward Yuna.
"...Han Cheol-ho."
Yuna paled as she watched him approach.
She knew the rumors well about him, the guild master of one of the six mid-tier guilds right below the Big Three. He wielded the A-rank rare item Glorious Shield and possessed inhuman stamina and strength. A summoner who had carved his name among the top ranks using only a shield, no other weapons.
Normally, she wouldn't fear facing him at all—but now they were surrounded by over 50 summoners.
There was no need to imagine how hopeless dealing with Han Cheol-ho's full power would be.
"Tch."
She swallowed a groan and turned to Yeong-sik.
"...Do me a favor. Buy us time while I handle Han Cheol-ho."
She knew how absurd a request it was, but there were no other options. The situation was that dire.
"Hah!"
Yuna stomped the ground hard and charged at Han Cheol-ho. A trail of fire followed in her wake.
Han Cheol-ho raised his shield with a smirk.
"You're really to my taste. I can play with you for a good long while."
"Shut your mouth, you horny bastard!"
The clash between Han Cheol-ho and Yuna began.
Yeong-sik glanced at their fight sidelong.
...They're on another level.
From his current position, there wasn't even a gap to intervene in their ferocious battle.
Yeong-sik swallowed a groan and averted his gaze.
Right now, he was barely holding off the other Light Shield Guild members.
Barely? That's an understatement.
He clenched his fists as he eyed the men grinning viciously at him.
In truth, facing them with his full power would be suicidal.
Yeong-sik watched them anxiously.
If I just had time to use Structure Analysis...
He regretted not unlocking more security levels before entering the dungeon.
But in this hair-trigger situation, there was no time for that.
"Hmph, arrogant fool!"
A Light Shield Guild member who had blocked A-ra's attack charged at Yeong-sik.
Yeong-sik raised his Blade to block their path.
Clang!
"Nngh!"
A groan of pain escaped Yeong-sik as he blocked the slashing sword. The impact shook his entire body, like taking a stone golem's strike head-on.
Seeing this, the man twisted his lips into a sneer.
"Double Strike!"
The man's sword split into two in an instant, attacking Yeong-sik.
Yeong-sik fired his boosters forward in desperation, retreating.
"Look at this punk with his shitty tricks!"
The men surrounded him to cut off any escape, raining down attacks.
Even one was a struggle—Yeong-sik couldn't hold out against multiple.
Splat!
"Guh!"
Yeong-sik's body flew back from a direct hit by a bearded man's mace.
Another approached the fallen Yeong-sik.
"That's why noobs should stay down and not act tough!"
Thud!
He kicked Yeong-sik's head like punting a ball. Yeong-sik's head snapped to the side, his body rolling across the ground.
After tumbling, Yeong-sik's body twitched a few times... then went still.
"Yeong-sik!"
A-ra cried out in alarm, trying to rush to him. Han-seong grabbed her shoulder.
His face was rigid as he extended a hand toward Yeong-sik.
"Recovery!"
Light poured from his hand into Yeong-sik.
But Yeong-sik remained down, fully unconscious.
A-ra and Gil-su watched anxiously.
Han-seong's expression twisted savagely as he stared at the unmoving Yeong-sik.
Unlike his usual gentle demeanor, he exuded a ferocious, demonic aura as he advanced on the Light Shield Guild members, eyes blazing with rage.
They flinched at his presence.
"H-Hong! What can a lone healer do?!"
Embarrassed by their instinctive recoil, they bellowed roughly.
Over ten Light Shield Guild members charged at Bae Han-seong.
"Holy Strike!"
Bae Han-seong countered with one of the rare attack spells for his priest class.
Gil-su blocked their path.
But the tide was turning further against Salvatore Guild. The numbers were too lopsided from the start.
That was when—
"Explosion!"
BOOM!
"Aaaagh!"
"Crazy bitch!"
Chae-rin, who had been channeling nonstop, finally unleashed her spell. A massive explosion engulfed the area.
Twenty summoners forming the encirclement were caught in it and died instantly.
"Hah... hah..."
"Now!"
Bae Han-seong, who had been waiting, hoisted the gasping Chae-rin and shouted to Gil-su and A-ra.
Gil-su moved to grab Yeong-sik.
"No time!"
Han-seong yelled urgently.
"Can't leave him behind!"
Gil-su scooped up the fallen Yeong-sik amid the chaos. He glanced worriedly at Yuna, still battling Han Cheol-ho.
"Hurry!"
Han-seong shouted again.
Gil-su squeezed his eyes shut and bolted through the gap Chae-rin's spell had blasted open.
"Whoa, whoa, that's far enough. Where do you think you're going?"
Hong Seung-geol blocked their path.
Crude and greedy as he was, he was a veteran summoner with countless battles under his belt.
He had spotted Chae-rin's casting intent faster than anyone and fled in time.
"Urk...!"
As Hong Seung-geol blocked them, the recovering Light Shield Guild members reformed the encirclement one by one.
Han-seong's face filled with despair.
"Tch. Up close, you're even hotter than I thought."
Hong Seung-geol leered greedily at A-ra.
He picked up his halberd and licked his lips.
"Let's wrap this up quick and have some fun."
The surviving Light Shield Guild members grinned darkly in agreement.
A-ra glared at them in disgust.
Hong Seung-geol kicked off and charged.
? ? ?
Hiss.
A burst of static, like a radio on the wrong frequency, echoed in his ears.
Yeong-sik slowly opened his eyes amid the haze in his mind.
A colossal mountain of machinery stretched endlessly before him, vast beyond comprehension.
The machines under his feet were crushed and wrecked pitifully.
He rose at the peak of that metal summit.
Crackle.
Noise flickered across his vision, revealing presences out of place amid the mechanical mountain.
Gil-su collapsed on the ground. Han-seong gasping blood, breathing raggedly. Chae-rin sobbing with tears streaming. A-ra trembling, face ashen. Yuna rebounding off a shield.
Crackle.
Noise again.
The massive mechanical mountain vanished, the surroundings sharpening into clarity.
The guild members lay in ruins.
"Ah... ugh..."
A faint groan, barely audible, escaped Yeong-sik's lips.
His body began to tremble violently.
Yeong-sik propped himself up with shaking hands and stood.
Crackle.
Danger detected in surroundings.