NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9 - To the Continent (2)
Chapter 9 To the Continent (2)
-Paaat.
“Eh…9”
Contrary to everyone’s expectations, the light that entered Yeong-sik’s body was so faint that it was hard to tell if it was even light at all.
Yeong-sik also appeared slightly bewildered, as if he hadn’t expected such a feeble light to flow into his body.
?Ding.
[You have been granted a level and class. You can check the specific details through your status window.]
[Summoner Information]
Name: Yeong-sik
Level: 1/15
Class: Mechanical Engineer (Hidden)
Health: 97
Mana: 78
Strength: 11
Agility: 13
Endurance: 10
Dexterity: 21
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 10
Luck: 12
Charisma: 15
[Structural Analysis: Lv 1]
[Dismantling: Lv 1]
[Extraction: Lv 1]
[Manufacturing: Lv 1]
“Hmm.”
After checking his status window, Yeong-sik swallowed hard with a subtle expression.
He did receive a hidden class, but the level cap was only 15. Moreover, it appeared to be a production class rather than a combat-related job, leaving him feeling somewhat ambiguous.
‘What does level 15 even mean?’
Yeong-sik tilted his head and stared intently at the status window.
It certainly didn’t seem like a high number, but he couldn’t gauge how it compared to others.
“Hmm… the light is not as strong as I thought.”
Gil-soo, who had been watching with eager eyes, coughed awkwardly, looking a bit embarrassed.
Ara also gave Yeong-sik an awkward smile.
Yeong-sik responded with a bitter smile and spoke.
“It seems I’m not that talented.”
“Don’t say that. You don’t actually need that, Yeong-sik.”
Ara shook her head and replied to his comment.
They didn’t know yet how much power raising his level would grant, but they didn’t think it would match the absurd capabilities Yeong-sik had shown earlier.
Gil-soo nodded and was about to say something.
Before he could speak, a bright light flowed into his body.
-Paaaat!
“Ah? It’s my turn now.”
Gil-soo looked slightly excited as he watched the light flow into his body.
Life had been quite tough, so he hadn’t had much experience with actual games, but he felt like he understood why people were so enthusiastic about them.
He meticulously checked his status window and spoke.
“Hmm. The max level is 45, and my class is Warrior.”
“45?”
Yeong-sik looked surprised at his words.
Compared to his own level cap of 15, it was more than twice as much.
“What about your other stats?”
Yeong-sik asked, curious.
Gil-soo reviewed his status window again and answered his question.
“Strength and Endurance are over 20, and the rest are around 15.”
“Hmm.”
Yeong-sik let out a short sigh after hearing Gil-soo’s response.
Both the level cap and the basic stats were significantly lower than Gil-soo’s.
The only stat that could somewhat compare was his dexterity, but it didn’t seem to have a direct impact on combat effectiveness.
“Am I the only one left now?”
Ara spoke in a slightly trembling voice.
Yeong-sik and Gil-soo turned their gazes toward her.
-Paaaah!
At that moment, a strong light poured down on Ara.
Though it wasn’t as intense as the light that enveloped Cheon Tae-hwang, it was still one of the brightest among the thousand or so people gathered in the cavern.
“Oooh?”
All eyes were on her, and exclamations of admiration could be heard.
Yeong-sik and Gil-soo also watched Ara, their eyes sparkling with curiosity and excitement.
“Ah?”
Ara, having absorbed all the light, checked the status window that appeared before her eyes.
She spoke in a voice that indicated she could hardly believe it herself.
“My level cap is 91… and I got a hidden class called Frost Mage.”
Both Yeong-sik and Gil-soo gasped in amazement at her words.
Level cap of 91.
In terms of growth potential, it was a number that far surpassed both Yeong-sik and Gil-soo.
While Yeong-sik also had a hidden class, to be honest, it seemed a bit underwhelming.
A Mechanical Engineer was similar to a blacksmith, focused on production.
‘But does that world even have machines?’
Although he hadn’t been there yet, given the typical progression of fantasy worlds, it was highly likely that the continent of Ernoir was a place where swords and magic were prevalent.
In such a place, being a Mechanical Engineer instead of a blacksmith? He had no idea what he would even do.
In contrast, just the name ‘Frost Mage’ exuded a sense of power and strength.
“What about your stats?”
“Well… the others are around 15, but my intelligence and wisdom are a bit over 30.”
“Did you say 30?”
Yeong-sik looked surprised once again.
At the same level, the difference in stats made it feel like there was a significant level gap between them.
“Hmm. I never expected Ara to have such talent.”
Gil-soo looked at Ara with a look of astonishment.
Ara responded to his comment with a bitter smile.
“Honestly, it doesn’t feel real at all right now.”
“Well, that’s understandable.”
Gil-soo nodded in agreement.
Even though they discussed the level cap and their stats, it was true that it didn’t feel real to them yet.
[All summoners have adapted.]
At that moment, a low voice emanated from the sphere of light in the center.
Everyone’s attention turned toward the sphere of light.
[You are the 61st group of summoners. This time, you will be transferred to the eastern part of the continent.]
“61st…?”
“Does that mean people have been summoned to this world 60 times before?”
Murmurs of disbelief spread among the crowd.
They looked at the sphere of light with expressions of shock.
[Currently, the continent of Ernoir is under attack from northern monsters. The warriors of the east, west, and south are bravely fighting against these creatures. However, the monsters’ power is so great that they are barely holding the front lines.]
The sphere of light spoke in a rigid voice, as if reading from a pre-written script.
[We hope that the power of the summoners can save the continent in its time of crisis.]
“Bullshit! You forced us here and now you want us to save the continent? What kind of nonsense is this?! Send us back home! Send us back!”
A man shouted angrily, his face twisted in rage.
His outburst caused further agitation among the crowd.
His words weren’t wrong at all.
“That’s right! We don’t need any of this, just send us back!”
“If you don’t send us back, we’ll kill every native of this continent we come across!”
Threats, curses, and desperate pleas erupted from all directions.
However, the sphere of light ignored the commotion and continued speaking calmly.
[Each summoner will be given 1 gold coin upon transfer to the mainland. 1 gold coin is equivalent to approximately 1 million Korean won. We hope this initial gold will help you settle down smoothly in the mainland.]
With that, the sphere of light in the center emitted an explosive burst of bright light.
Yeong-sik, Gil-soo, and Ara squinted and closed their eyes tightly.
-Shooook.
As the light subsided, a faint sense of disorientation was felt.
Yeong-sik swallowed hard and endured the dizziness. When the sensation stopped, he slowly opened his eyes.
“This place is…”
Noisy sounds echoed from all around.
With over a thousand people being transferred at once, it was natural for chaos to ensue.
Yeong-sik, who recovered from the confusion much quicker than the others, turned his head to look around.
The salty smell of the sea tickled his nose.
He saw a wide port, ships, and rows of quaint buildings that seemed straight out of Europe.
The roads and houses were too clean to be medieval but appeared somewhat outdated to be modern.
“Q…”
“Are you okay?”
Yeong-sik asked as he looked at Ara, who was grimacing from the disorientation of the spatial transfer.
Ara nodded with some effort and replied, “Yes. I think I’m okay now.”
Saying that, she turned her head to look around.
“Where are we?”
“This must be the continent of Ernoir,” Gil-soo remarked with an intrigued expression. Meanwhile, the murmurs among the gradually recovering people began to grow louder.
With over a thousand people transported at once, it was natural for confusion to ensue.
Amidst the chaos, people in flashy armor, cloaked figures, and those with menacing appearances began mingling with the crowd.
“I am Kim Jae-gang, a 49th group summoner. Does anyone know why the tutorial ended early this time?”
“I’m Park Tae-soo, a 43rd group summoner. State your level cap and class.”
These individuals, blending into the crowd, began bombarding anyone they encountered with questions, as if competing for a prized prey.
People, bewildered, responded to their questions obediently.
“You… you defeated a boss monster?!”
A loud exclamation that could be heard clearly even amidst the crowd. The young man who shouted, Kim Jae-gang, quickly covered his mouth in shock.
The summoners’ eyes gleamed sharply.
They began interrogating those around them in threatening tones.
“Who killed the boss monster?”
“There’s no time, so tell us quickly.”
Intimidated by their aggressive demeanor, people murmured the name Cheon Tae-hwang.
As the name Cheon Tae-hwang echoed around, people started looking around for him.
Even among the thousand people, Cheon Tae-hwang’s chiseled face stood out prominently.
“Our guild, established in the east since the 30th group…”
“Hey there, handsome! Can you spare a moment? There’s this top guild perfect for new summoners.”
Those approaching Cheon Tae-hwang began advertising their guilds with flowery language.
Then, it happened.
-Thunk!
“Move.”
A low voice resonated through the area.
The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck.
Startled by the loud noise, the people around Cheon Tae-hwang flinched.
With the sound of high heels clicking, a beautiful woman with a bob cut that reached her shoulders appeared before them.
A long sword, so enormous it seemed impossible for a person to wield, was strapped to her back.
“Baekgeom (White Sword) Kang Ha-rin…”
“Why is a ranker here…?”
The people gathered around Cheon Tae-hwang looked at her in disbelief.
The woman known as Baekgeom walked confidently towards Cheon Tae-hwang.
“You, what’s your name?”
“…Cheon Tae-hwang.”
Feeling the overwhelming pressure emanating from her, Cheon Tae-hwang inadvertently replied in a respectful tone.
She snorted lightly and looked at him.
“What’s your level cap and class?”
Even Cheon Tae-hwang hesitated to answer that question lightly.
Her hand moved.
-Shaang!
In an instant, she drew the long sword from her back.
It was a sword with a blade as white as snow.
She swung the sword.
The ground around where Cheon Tae-hwang stood cracked open like tofu.
“It’s best if you answer quickly. I don’t have much patience.”
“…The level cap is 103. The class is Sword Lord.”
“…What?”
Hearing Cheon Tae-hwang’s response, she looked at him with astonishment.
A broad smile spread across her face, like a fisherman who just caught a big fish.
“This one’s really something. How about it? Would you like to join our guild?”
“Let me think for a moment…”
“Ah, of course, if you refuse, I’ll have to kill you. Though I can’t do it right away because of the treaty.”
Cheon Tae-hwang’s face twisted in distress at her words.
She laughed loudly and patted his shoulder.
“I’m just kidding. Don’t be so scared. Our guild is one of the top three strongest guilds in the east. I promise you astonishing support. Lodging, gold, items, even women—anything you want. Ah, but not me. I’m quite a costly woman, you see.”
Cheon Tae-hwang remained silent with a stiff expression.
After contemplating for a while, he looked at her and spoke.
“Does your guild have strong people?”
“Huh? Hahaha! Of course. You might not get it now, but later, when people hear the name Levian Guild, they’ll have interesting reactions.”
She answered his question with a confident expression.
Cheon Tae-hwang nodded after hearing her words.
“Alright. If I can fight strong people, I’ll join.”
“What? You’re joining just for that?”
“Yes. I don’t need anything else.”
Hearing his firm answer, Kang Ha-rin lowered her head silently.
Her shoulders began to shake.
“Hahahaha! What? You’re really interesting, aren’t you?”
She licked her lips and sheathed the long sword on her back.
“I like you. I’ll make sure you grow strong!”
With that, she grabbed Cheon Tae-hwang’s hand and quickly led him away from the crowd.
The scene was like a storm passing by, and people stared blankly at their retreating figures.
“Damn it!”
“Is being one of the top three guilds everything?!”
The people who had just lost the precious catch named Cheon Tae-hwang sighed in disappointment.
“…This is absolute chaos.”
Yeong-sik watched them and let out a hollow laugh.
Though not entirely clear, he started to get a rough idea of the power structure in the eastern region.
Just as Yeong-sik was about to turn away from them, deciding not to pay any more attention, someone approached him.
“Do you have a moment?”
A man with a fox-like smile and friendly demeanor addressed Yeong-sik’s group.