Power of the Black Cube (2)
Three days had passed since they decided to absorb the Light Shield Guild. Yet Salvatore Guild hadn't taken any direct action.
No matter how leaderless they were without Han Cheol-ho at the center, the remaining forces were still formidable.
On the 27th, following Bae Han-seong's advice, Salvatore Guild held back for a few days, waiting for the chaos from Han Cheol-ho's disappearance to grow even larger.
But what Bae Han-seong was waiting for wasn't just their deepening disarray.
The biggest reason Salvatore Guild wasn't moving rashly was to await the return of the guild members out on expedition.
Currently, four guild members had returned after hearing Tiriya's summons during their expedition.
One might think four more people wouldn't change much, but they were the elite party propping up the now-fallen Salvatore Guild.
Though Salvatore had crumbled beyond compare to its former glory due to internal strife, it had one key advantage.
Every remaining member was a powerhouse who could command respect as an executive or even guild master in any other guild.
That was why, with just twelve members including Yeong-sik's group, they could devise the absurd plan to swallow the Light Shield Guild whole—a group with over a hundred remnants.
A tension like the calm before the storm should have hung over Salvatore Guild as they sorted their ranks in preparation for the showdown with Light Shield Guild...
But it didn't.
"Yeong-sik?"
Yeong-sik, pondering the new ability he'd gained from unlocking Security Level 4 in his room, emerged into the guild house living room with a reluctant expression at Yuna's call.
"What is it?"
"Hehe, come here for a sec."
Yuna swept up her rough-edged red short hair with one hand as she spoke.
Yeong-sik swallowed a groan and approached her.
"Is something important?"
"You bet! Super important!"
Yuna nodded with a bright smile.
She stroked his right arm lovingly and continued.
"Do me a favor, Yeong-sik?"
Her low voice carried a suggestive purr.
Yeong-sik's face twisted in horror.
"What the hell do you take me for?"
"Huh? Why, my electric outlet... Ahem. My lovable newbie, that's what."
Yuna averted her eyes with a hasty fake cough.
Yeong-sik narrowed his eyes at her.
"A-anyway! Here, stick out your arm already!"
Yuna grabbed his right arm with a somewhat forceful tone.
She plugged the massager's cord into his arm and flipped the switch.
Vrrrrm.
"Ahh. Modern tech really is the best."
Yuna pressed the massager to her shoulder with an ecstatic voice.
Yeong-sik let out a deep sigh.
"You sure it's okay to be this laid-back?"
"Huh?"
"We're about to fight Light Shield's remnants soon."
"Oh."
Yuna chuckled at his words.
"It's fine. No need to worry."
"Hmm. Got some basis for being so chill?"
"Cheol-tae oppa's coming back soon."
She said it like there was no need to even think about it.
Park Cheol-tae. Yeong-sik had heard the name before.
The man leading the elite party currently out on expedition for Salvatore Guild.
"That strong, huh?"
Yeong-sik tilted his head at the deep trust in her voice.
Yuna nodded firmly.
"Yeah. Yu-jin's the strongest individually, but... Cheol-tae oppa's party's synergy is better than any other."
She spoke with full pride.
Yeong-sik nodded, intrigued.
"Ah, but not strong enough to pull off something as ridiculous as that state you were in."
She recalled the insane power Yeong-sik had shown—beyond even awe-inspiring.
He'd single-handedly crushed Light Shield's elite unit of level 50+ summoners and Han Cheol-ho, who rivaled rankers.
As far as she knew, among rankers, only a handful could wield such absurd strength.
It stung that he couldn't control that power freely—it had been that overwhelming.
Yuna shrugged and continued.
"Light Shield's guys this time are all a ragtag bunch. Numbers are an issue, but with Cheol-tae oppa joining, we'll sweep 'em way easier than you think."
"I see."
Yeong-sik nodded, understanding her relaxed expression.
Yuna grinned and went on.
"So, hurry up and hold this massager for me... Eek."
Before she finished, the guild house door opened, and a giant over two meters tall stepped in.
Dull full plate mail encasing his massive frame. A helm covering his entire face. A greatsword the size of a person slung on his back.
"Cheol-tae oppa!"
"Whoa! It's really Cheol-tae oppa?! Welcome back!"
Chae-rin and Yuna jumped up and rushed to the armored man.
Yeong-sik turned to look.
The man gave off a vibe somewhat like Han Cheol-ho.
"It's been a while."
A deep baritone echoed from the helm.
Cheol-tae patted Chae-rin's head as she hugged him.
"Ah, hey, Chae-rin. Yuna. Been good?"
A woman with neat brown hair to her shoulders peeked from behind Cheol-tae, speaking cautiously.
She looked tense, glancing around nervously.
"So-rim unni!"
Chae-rin beamed and hugged her.
So-rim flinched at the enthusiastic embrace but soon smiled gently, stroking her hair.
That's Jeong So-rim?
Yeong-sik eyed the shy-looking woman hugging Chae-rin, puzzled.
She had a long spear on her back, but she didn't scream "warrior"—more like she'd faint at a bug.
If it's Jeong So-rim, then...
Yeong-sik frowned, recalling what he'd heard.
Jeong So-rim. A level 97 powerhouse summoner nicknamed the "Witch of Massacre" for her berserk battles.
But the woman before him seemed too timid for even swatting a fly alone, let alone frenzied combat.
"Kehahaha. Everyone doing well?"
Following So-rim, an old summoner with gray beard to his chest entered.
Wrinkle-lined, kind-faced, with a longbow on his back.
"Ah, Grandpa Hwang-hyeon!"
"Yes, yes. Still full of energy, eh, Yuna?"
The elder called Hwang-hyeon smiled faintly, patting Yuna's shoulder.
Hwang-hyeon. Salvatore's eldest member, a Ranger-class summoner with eerily precise archery despite his looks.
"Ugh... Lee Chae-rin."
Last in was a boy looking about middle-school age, like Chae-rin. A pretty black-haired youth who scowled at her like she'd disgusted him.
"Han Tae-young! What's with that face?!"
Chae-rin yelled at the boy grimacing at her.
The boy called Han Tae-young snapped back irritably.
"What? Seeing you after so long just pisses me off."
"You little—?!"
Chae-rin stomped toward him at the jab.
She bellowed.
"You half-assed healer!"
"Hmph! You're half-assed too, you brainless mage!"
Tae-young and Chae-rin butted foreheads, growling like they might fight any second.
Han-seong approached Yeong-sik, who watched with an odd expression.
"Haha. Don't worry. They're always like that."
"Hm. They don't get along, huh."
Yeong-sik eyed the snarling pair.
Han-seong shrugged.
"Who knows? Might mean they get along too well."
"No way!"
Tae-young and Chae-rin shouted in unison at his murmur.
Yeong-sik let out an impressed "ooh," watching them intrigued.
"Sorry for pulling you back mid-expedition."
Tiriya emerged from the noise outside, smiling warmly.
Seeing her, Park Cheol-tae bowed deeply.
"Not at all. We come running at the guild master's call."
He spoke in his signature baritone.
Tiriya gave a wry smile.
"The reason I summoned you all so urgently... You must have heard on the way."
Heavy silence fell over the guild house.
It wasn't tension over handling Light Shield's remnants.
Their hearts weighed on the "plan" after absorbing the guild's assets.
"For the guild master, my life means nothing."
Cheol-tae dropped to one knee, voice rigid.
His movements were knightly restraint itself.
"You must be the new recruits Cheol-tae mentioned. Nice to meet you. I'm Hwang-hyeon."
Hwang-hyeon approached Yeong-sik's group, offering a hand.
Yeong-sik, Gil-su, and A-ra shook in turn.
"Cheol-tae's formality... He knows you newcomers wouldn't understand what we've been through or why we're attempting this reckless plan."
Hwang-hyeon spoke softly, kindly.
"But I believe you'll come to realize it as we go together, even what you don't know now."
He chuckled lightly.
"Heh. Though saying that sounds no different from asking you to lay down your lives for the guild. It's that dangerous."
"It's fine. We're prepared."
Yeong-sik replied flatly.
Hwang-hyeon grinned.
His chest-length gray beard quivered faintly.
"Thanks. I think we'll get along."
Hwang-hyeon laughed heartily and turned.
Yeong-sik surveyed the gathered Salvatore members.
No one grated; they all seemed genuinely likable.
Everyone's here.
Yeong-sik's eyes gleamed coldly.
The heartfelt reunions or resolve for the "plan" didn't touch him deeply.
The Black Cube Han Cheol-ho collected.
Yeong-sik's lips twisted up.
The Black Cube granted vastly more experience than Structure Analysis on machines he'd built.
First, get the Black Cube.
Yeong-sik's gaze sharpened.