Accepting the Proposal (4)
Tiriya von Erman and Bae Han-seong stared at the vial Yeong-sik had pulled out, their faces etched with curiosity.
A faint smile tugged at Yeong-sik's lips as he introduced the liquid inside. "This is the item I got after taking down Rekras. Drink it, and you'll be more than equipped to hold your own against him."
"Whoa... an item dropped by an S-rank boss monster..."
"An S-rank rare item..."
Han-seong and Tiriya gaped at Yeong-sik in astonishment. Items above A-rank had drastically low drop rates from monsters. Even slaughtering dozens or hundreds of S-rank bosses rarely yielded something like an S-rank rare item.
"Wow, congrats, Yeong-sik!"
Tiriya clapped her hands, genuinely thrilled that he'd scored an S-rank item. Yeong-sik gave her an awkward smile in return.
"Sorry about this. Normally, since you helped take down the boss, I'd split the reward with you. But I can't risk what might happen if I hand it out carelessly."
"No, it's fine. I can barely handle the power I already have—if I mixed in something else, it'd be a mess. Besides, you're the one who dealt the fatal blow to Rekras, right? Use the item without any worries."
Yeong-sik nodded at Tiriya, who beamed with her gentle voice and warm smile.
"But... even with the Grace of the Archangel, you can't fully control the angelic power?"
"Yes... I seem to have been born with an unusually large amount of it."
"Hmm. Hard to wrap my head around. Your family members didn't have the same power?"
"No. Dad, Mom, my little sibling—they all had just the faintest traces, practically nothing."
Yeong-sik's eyes sharpened at her response.
"But... it's intriguing that power like that has been passed down in the Erman family. How far back does it go?"
"I'm not sure. All I know is that our family moved here from the Ingrium Empire long ago... Records from before that are pretty much gone."
"I see."
Yeong-sik nodded at her complicated expression, then turned to Han-seong. "Then, Han-seong, I'll leave the reward payout management to you."
"Got it. We've got a lot to buy right away—guild house, all sorts of potions, magic scrolls... Oh, anything special you want me to grab, Yeong-sik?"
"Actually, there is something."
With that, Yeong-sik handed over the gold he'd amassed from hunting ogres over the past month, plus the massive haul from killing Rekras.
"Buy as much iron ore, oriharcon, mithril, and the like as this amount can get. The maximum quantity possible."
"Whoa... all of this?"
Han-seong stared at Yeong-sik in disbelief. The gold pile was nearly 40,000—a king's ransom.
Yeong-sik nodded without hesitation. "Yes. All of it."
"Don't think of it as a waste. It'll pay off later."
"Ah, it's your money, so I wasn't thinking that. Just... it'll take some time."
"How long?"
"Hmm... for this much? At least a month."
"Then after we win the match, we can ask Leviathan Guild. They've got dozens of merchant guilds connected."
Han-seong fell silent mid-conversation, letting out a deep sigh as he eyed Yeong-sik. "...Do you really think you can beat that Cheon Tae-hwang? What's your level right now, Yeong-sik?"
"73."
"73?" Han-seong's face twisted with worry. Impressive for a 61st-turn summoner, sure. But the opponent was someone who'd rocketed past impressive into the realm of miraculous.
"I know you're strong for your level, Yeong-sik. But... that Cheon Tae-hwang guy? He's not normal."
Han-seong's eyes grew deadly serious. He recalled the lizardmen fight. Movements no newbie summoner could pull off. Not just crushing foes with levels and stats, but wielding the sword like a true master, carving through enemies with overwhelming skill. A warrior whose genius in battle seemed inimitable.
That's a monster born for fighting, Han-seong thought.
Yeong-sik let out a mocking chuckle at his words. "Not normal, huh?"
He placed a hand on his right arm.
Click.
Gears meshed with a metallic grind as his right arm detached. The cross-section revealed machinery so intricate it boggled the mind, replacing bone and vein.
"You think I'm the abnormal one?"
Yeong-sik twisted his lips in what looked like delight.
After the chaotic reward distribution for summoners who'd joined the subjugation force—more bewildering than the war itself—Salvatore Guild headed for Leviathan Guild. Their HQ was near the ruined Northern Borderline, now swarming with summoners and natives on reconstruction duty.
Salvatore knocked on the door, gazing at the massive structure.
"...It's huge."
Seo A-ra whistled at the five five-story guild houses clustered together.
"Makes me wonder if we even belong here."
Kim Gil-su fidgeted, craning his neck up at the behemoth buildings. Yeong-sik chuckled at his reaction. "You're part of Salvatore too, Gil-su. No reason you can't come."
"Urgh, I know, but... places like this ain't my scene."
Gil-su glanced around like a country bumpkin fresh in the city.
"More importantly, that dragon blood item you ate... any side effects?"
Gil-su asked with concern. Yeong-sik shook his head lightly. "No. None."
"Good. S-rank rare item, right? How's the effect?"
Yeong-sik grinned. "Great. Way better than expected... though a bit tricky in spots."
"Tricky how?"
"Nothing major. You'll see if it comes up later."
Yeong-sik dodged with an awkward smile. As he chatted with Gil-su, A-ra sidled up. "You won't lose to that Cheon Tae-hwang creep, right?"
"Eh, who knows? The guy's a monster who soloed an orc chieftain before adaptation kicked in. Could happen."
"What? You accepted the bet without confidence?"
"Haha, kidding."
Yeong-sik laughed easily, turning to her with a playful smirk. "Worried?"
"...Not really."
A-ra averted her gaze, cheeks faintly pink. Yeong-sik smiled softly at her tsundere fluster.
Bang!
"Hmph! Thought you'd chicken out, but you showed!"
The door flew open as Kang Ha-rin burst out, her usual two-meter longsword slung on her back. Park Sia, following behind, sighed and lightly smacked the back of Ha-rin's head.
Smack.
"Ow!"
"What're you doing to our guests?"
"Eek! Guests got nothing to do with the bet!"
Ha-rin clutched her head, yelling indignantly at Sia. Sia turned to Tiriya. "Thank you for waiting until the rewards wrapped up."
Tiriya shook her head with her signature kind smile. "No need. Thanks to Leviathan's guild master keeping our guild's situation secret despite knowing it all, we could regroup in peace."
"We'll honor our promise, no matter what. That's the Leviathan way."
A faint smile flickered across Sia's face before vanishing. For a woman whose expressions were ice-cold, that meant she held Tiriya in high regard.
"The match... you're doing it as discussed before?"
Sia glanced at Yeong-sik behind Tiriya. "Of course."
"...Hah. If Salvatore's guild master insists, I can't argue."
"Thank you for understanding."
Park Sia and Kang Ha-rin led Salvatore inside to the training grounds between the five HQ buildings—a space vast as a soccer field. In the center stood Cheon Tae-hwang, already waiting.
Sculpted features radiating masculinity, towering height. Even standing alone in the empty arena, he looked ready for a photoshoot, five swords at his waist.
Rumors of the Yeong-sik vs. Cheon duel had spread through Leviathan; summoners gathered around the edges.
"Tae-hwang! Ready?"
Ha-rin waved vigorously upon spotting him. Cheon sighed shortly, shooting her a mild glare.
"You spread the bet rumors, didn't you, Ha-rin?"
"Huh? What're you talking about? Someone like me with a tight lip? No way."
She dodged his gaze with feigned innocence. Cheon swallowed a groan, seeing right through her obvious lie, and scanned the crowd.
"Kyaaah! Oppa Tae-hwang! Can't wait for the hot show!"
"You're my only oppa, you know that?!"
Female summoners shrieked as he turned. Some clearly over 30, yet all called him "oppa" at the top of their lungs. Idol-level frenzy.
Cheon winced, head throbbing at the sight.
"Alright, let's prep. Need anything special?"
Ha-rin, between Yeong-sik and Cheon, glanced back and forth. Both shook their heads.
"Hmm? Oh yeah, Yeong-sik, right? Never heard your level. What's it at?"
"73."
Yeong-sik stated it flatly. Leviathan members around murmured in surprise, smirks tinged with mockery.
"Ho, not bad."
Ha-rin nodded with a sly grin. Reaching 73 as a 61st-turn summoner was no joke. Even with support, it took serious talent and grind.
That's why he's so cocky, she thought with a chuckle.
She teased Yeong-sik mockingly. "You shared yours, so Tae-hwang should too, fair's fair. Our Tae-hwang is..."
"Level 95. Levels aren't everything—hope for a good fight."
Cheon cut her off, extending a hand to Yeong-sik. Yeong-sik shuddered dramatically, feigning shock.
"9... 95?! What the—how's a 61st-turn already...?"
"Hehe, told ya. Our Tae-hwang's a beast."
"Wait, hold up—this is invalid! You didn't say he was this high-leveled!"
Yeong-sik yelled desperately at Ha-rin. She picked her ear with her pinky, deflating a bit.
"You accepted the proposal. Can't back out now."
"W-Well, true, but..."
"Fine, new deal. Beat Tae-hwang, and Leviathan protects Salvatore for a year plus 300,000 gold. Tempting, right? Stakes like that make it worth a shot."
Ha-rin slapped the trembling Yeong-sik's shoulder. And then.
"Sounds good. 300,000 gold. I'll take it."
Yeong-sik accepted coolly, as if the fear never happened. Ha-rin's face twisted in confusion.
"What? You... no way..."
"Shall we start?"
Ignoring her fluster, Yeong-sik eyed Cheon, who watched with intrigued eyes. A thick smile spread across Yeong-sik's face.
"Blade."
Blade
Clank. A silver-white blade, sharp with foreboding edge, sprang from the back of his hand.