Talion Fortress Siege Battle (7)
“Watch out!”
Tiriya von Erman’s voice, thick with desperation, rang in his ears. Yeong-sik whipped his head toward the sound. There she was, soaring toward him with radiant angelic wings sprouting from her back.
Danger? Yeong-sik wanted to shout that it was dangerous, that she shouldn’t come this way. But before the words could leave his mouth, Tiriya was already right in front of him.
“Grab on, Yeong-sik!”
She thrust her hand out toward him desperately, crying out. Yeong-sik clasped her hand in his. Even in this dire moment, he couldn’t help thinking how soft it felt.
“Call of the Heavenly Realm!”
With their hands locked, Tiriya squeezed her eyes shut and shouted. A brilliant light enveloped their bodies, rocketing them into the sky. Like a pillar of light ascending to the heavens, the two shot upward at tremendous speed.
-Kwaaaaaang!
A crimson beam of destruction streaked through the spot where Yeong-sik had stood. Rekras’s breath, annihilating everything it touched, pulverized a distant mountain entirely before vanishing into the high sky.
“Haa, haa.”
Tiriya’s ragged breathing pressed against him. Having deactivated his suit, Yeong-sik used Boost to hover in midair, pulling her trembling form into his arms.
“A-Are you okay, Yeong-sik?”
Her voice was faint, on the verge of breaking—she’d clearly expended a tremendous amount of power. Yeong-sik nodded slowly in response.
“Yeah. Thanks. I’d be gone if not for you.”
Yeong-sik recalled the moment Rekras’s breath had nearly engulfed him. Just thinking about it sent chills racing up his spine. Even if it was a breath squeezed from the dragon’s very life force, his SSS-rank suit—far beyond standard specs—would have prevented total annihilation. But the heat alone could have cooked him alive inside. That much was certain.
“Thank goodness……”
Tears welled in Tiriya’s eyes as she buried her face in his chest. A sobbing whimper escaped her lips. Her shoulders trembled faintly in his embrace.
“I-I was so scared…… scared you might die too, Yeong-sik……”
Her voice cracked with sobs as she spoke. Yeong-sik gently stroked her hair.
He could guess the storm of emotions she was feeling. As guild master, she tried to hide it, but it had been less than a month since she’d lost her entire family. Whether as a powerhouse inheriting angelic might or a former leader of a massive guild, at her core, she was a woman with a heart so kind it bordered on foolish—a fragile soul who grieved over the smallest things.
For someone still raw from that loss, the near-death of another “family” member—her guildmate—must have hit like a thunderbolt.
“I’m fine. See? I’m right here.”
“I’m so glad…… really, so glad……”
Tiriya clung to him, weeping bitterly. Yeong-sik held still, letting her calm down.
“Hic…… huu……”
Yeong-sik gazed down at her, still struggling to compose herself, and let out a soft sigh.
“It’s good that you value your guildmates’ lives. But if you let it shake you this much every time, it’ll only get harder down the line.”
He spoke in the same gently scolding tone he’d used back in the royal palace’s underground prison. Valuing guildmates as family was admirable. But reacting with such shock to every brush with death would be a problem. For Salvatore Guild to reclaim its former glory—and surpass it—they’d face countless trials ahead. Guild lives would be at risk endlessly. No, deaths were a real possibility too.
As guild master, she had to steel herself for that reality.
“It’s not that.”
“Hm……?”
Yeong-sik tilted his head at her faint whisper. Tiriya spoke again, this time with a bit more strength.
“It’s not just because he’s a guildmate.”
“It’s because it’s you, Yeong-sik.”
Her face flushed crimson as she said it, hot enough to burst into flame.
Yeong-sik blinked in flustered confusion.
“What do you mean by—”
S-rank Boss Monster Rekras defeated.
5 million EXP and 50,000 gold distributed according to contribution.
Achieved #1 contribution. Acquired ownership of S-rank Rare Item Dragon's Blood.
Dragon's Blood has been moved to your inventory.
◈ Blood of the dragon containing the power of Kargas, Rekras's master.
◈ On consumption: All stats +20. Acquire Dragonization skill.
A dizzying array of blue message windows flooded Yeong-sik’s vision.
“Nice.”
His eyes sparkled as he checked the rewards. What caught his attention most was the S-rank Rare item Dragon's Blood.
Lucky break.
From what he’d heard, drop rates for A-rank and above Rare items were abysmally low. Even boss kills often yielded nothing. But this time, luck was on his side with an S-rank drop.
#1 contribution, huh.
Yeong-sik recalled Rekras, battered by the Jericho missile into a ragged mess. The killing blow came from staking its life on that breath, but the massive prior damage had secured him top contributor.
Didn’t expect the Jericho to hit that hard.
He hadn’t anticipated such power from it, leaving him a bit stunned. His gaze settled on the item info for Dragon's Blood. A short gasp escaped him.
He didn’t know exactly what Dragonization entailed, but +20 to all stats was huge. Thanks to Memory Cubes, his stats already outclassed same-level summoners. At just level 70s, his power rivaled level 90s.
Summoners called those past level 100 “Rankers” because stats exploded at that threshold, granting incomparable might.
With +20 all stats, I’d match a level 100 Ranker at this level.
His eyes gleamed. Normally, high stats on low levels paled against high levels with average stats—levels boosted HP and MP too. But Yeong-sik was different.
He knew how to raise his level cap.
If I break 100 like this? Insane.
A satisfied smile curved his lips.
Let’s see how much gold.
Raising his level cap—upgrading Structure Analysis—demanded vast gold. Iron ore and mana-infused minerals for Manufacture were exorbitantly priced, especially the latter.
35,000 gold.
Four had taken down Rekras—effectively three. A hefty sum indeed.
Hundreds of billions in real money……
Yeong-sik grinned at the absurd figure. Enough to buy materials for Manufacture or Enhancement upgrades.
“Yeong-sik……?”
Tiriya looked up at him curiously as his attention wandered mid-conversation. Snapping back, he flashed an awkward smile.
“Sorry. Got lost in thought for a sec. What were you saying?”
“……Hmph. Nothing important.”
For some reason, she pouted and turned away. Yeong-sik scratched his head sheepishly.
“Anyway, what now? Head down like this?”
“Nah. I’d rather stay incognito. I’ll link up with the guild and come back. You go down first and…… secure that thing we talked about. You know.”
“The Black Cube?”
“Yeah.”
Yeong-sik nodded and continued.
“If anyone asks about me or your ‘identity,’ just deflect with some excuse. You can handle the details, right?”
“Of course. I’ll cover for you.”
“Cool. I’ll bring the guild. Go on ahead.”
“See you soon.”
Tiriya smiled her usual gentle smile. Yeong-sik watched her obey so readily, his expression complicated.
Feels like our roles are reversed……
Anyone seeing them now would assume he was in charge.
Works for me, though.
Her unwavering trust wasn’t a bad thing.
As long as it benefits the guild, this dynamic’s fine.
He couldn’t pinpoint why leading groups and issuing orders felt so natural. Unlocking security level 7 had surfaced memory fragments, but his true identity remained a fog.
One thing was clear: his actions served Salvatore Guild.
Releasing her from his embrace, he spoke.
“Wait just a bit.”
He turned away. Tiriya, now separated, looked somehow forlorn.
“Yeong-sik……”
“Yeah?”
He glanced back at her call.