Level Up Machine

Chapter 107 Super Supplier (1)

Three months had passed since they signed the contract with the Goldrun Guild.

As everyone had expected, the refrigerators and microwaves made by Yeong-sik were a huge hit.

The refrigerators, spreading from summoners to nobles and commoners alike, generated such explosive demand that even running twenty automatic manufacturing devices non-stop wasn’t enough to meet the required supply.

Workers dispatched from the Goldrun Guild transported the products to the stores as soon as they were stocked in the warehouse, without leaving any gap.

The success of these refrigerators had been somewhat anticipated.

Until now, on the Elnote Continent, meat was cheap and plentiful, but there was no proper way to store it. Smoking it for preservation was the only option.

Of course, high-ranking nobles sometimes used ice magic to eat fresh meat, but they were a very small minority.

Magical devices had developed significantly in areas such as communication and lighting, but they had not yet penetrated much into the realm of household goods.

After refrigerators became widespread, people could easily store meat and cook it fresh.

For people who had only ever eaten smoked meat, this was nothing short of a revolution.

In two months, the restaurant industry had grown nearly fivefold, and this explosive growth showed no signs of stopping.

Whether monsters were pushing from the north or every day was a continuous war where one couldn’t let their guard down, people still needed to eat to survive. Given that food is one of the basic human needs, it was impossible for this product to fail.

The Goldrun Guild didn’t stop there. They pushed Yeong-sik to create air conditioners and fans, which they then started to sell.

The Elnote Continent, regardless of whether it was the east, south, or west, generally had humid weather. In such circumstances, the introduction of air conditioners and fans also saw explosive popularity.

The Goldrun Guild cleverly sold air conditioners at very high prices to wealthy nobles while distributing fans cheaply to commoners.

Although air conditioners were priced like literal gold, wealthy nobles didn’t hesitate to open their wallets. The cooling effect of the air conditioner was shocking in itself.

Not only nobles but also summoners from powerful guilds didn’t hesitate to buy air conditioners. With nostalgia for Earth, they deeply longed for these items that had now appeared before their eyes.

A windfall.

The Goldrun Guild was raking in money as if a financial storm had hit them.

Even under the absurd 90 to 10 ratio and the pitiful condition of having to buy raw materials through the Goldrun Guild, the Salvator Guild earned more money than they could have imagined.

The Goldrun Guild was becoming a guild not just of the golden king but close to the god of gold.

They didn’t stop there. The Goldrun Guild made enormous investments in iron ore, the raw material for machines, and began expanding into the southern part of the continent. They were all-in, betting the huge profits they had made so far for even greater success.

While the Goldrun Guild was frantically busy, screaming with joy.

Yeong-sik was leisurely sitting at his desk, looking out the window.

“What are you looking at so intently?”

Ara, who brought warm tea to the seated Yeong-sik, asked. Yeong-sik took the tea she handed him and replied.

“Mr. Gil-soo.”

“Huh?…”

Ara nodded as if she understood what he meant. Through the window, they could see Gil-soo, drenched in sweat, tirelessly swinging his shield.

“Since that time, he’s been training so hard…”

Ara trailed off with a slightly worried expression. Since their last dungeon raid, Gil-soo had been relentlessly training in the practice field whenever he had time, as if he were being chased.

Yeong-sik nodded with a bitter expression.

“Well, it’s not that I can’t understand.”

Objectively speaking, Gil-soo’s current strength was weak enough to be a hindrance from the guild’s perspective.

Unlike other guilds, which operated with a large number of summoners, the Salvator Guild operated with a small, elite force.

Although Gil-soo was much stronger than the average summoner, he still had many shortcomings compared to high-level summoners.

‘If only he could awaken the Guardian class, things might change… Raising the level cap isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible either. Immortal Baek Kang-hyun, who is often mentioned in the context of level caps, had his cap explode when he changed to a hidden class.’

If Gil-soo could also change to the Guardian class, his level cap and stats would likely increase significantly.

“…I hope he doesn’t overexert himself.”

“For now, let’s just keep an eye on him.”

Yeong-sik handed the empty cup to Ara after finishing his tea. Ara, looking at Yeong-sik leisurely sitting in the chair, asked.

“But Yeong-sik, is it okay for you to be so relaxed?”

“Hmm? Why?”

“…Everyone is grinding their teeth at the Goldrun Guild. They’re practically calling them robbers. Doesn’t it bother you at all?”

“Oh, that?”

Yeong-sik chuckled.

“It’s fine.”

His eyes suddenly flashed with a chilling light. The murderous intent in his eyes made Ara shiver involuntarily.

“Well, if you say so, I’ll trust you.”

He had always solved problems that seemed impossible with ease and simplicity. This unfounded belief calmed her heart.

“And lately, you’ve been going out at night frequently… Is something going on? You’re not secretly hanging around the entertainment district, are you?”

Ara looked at Yeong-sik suspiciously. Yeong-sik chuckled lightly and shook his head.

“Of course not. I’ve just been doing some personal training.”

“Huh? Then why not train in the practice field?”

Ara tilted her head in confusion.

“There’s a reason I can’t do that.” Yeong-sik thought of a ‘certain weapon’ he had recently learned to use and gave a bitter smile.

‘If I used that in the training field…’

Imagining that weapon being used in the training field sent a shiver down his spine. Yeong-sik stood up and said,

“Where’s Tiria?”

“Uh. She’s where she usually is… but why, guild master?”

Ara looked at him with a tense expression.

“I’m curious about how that ring is coming along.”

“Oh?”

Ara nodded with a relieved expression at his words. Yeong-sik looked at her with a bitter smile on his lips.

“Well, see you this evening. Thanks for the tea.”

“Y-yes.”

Yeong-sik, having greeted Ara, headed straight to where Tiria was. Tiria was in an open field a little away from the guild house, concentrating on the ring on her right middle finger.

Light emanating from the ring created pure white angel wings on her back. Her two wings had become four, and they started to tremble. Two additional wings were faintly emerging under the four wings.

“Agh!”

A painful groan escaped from Tiria’s lips. Her body trembled violently.

She bit her lip roughly and focused all her attention on the ring.

– Paaang

– Kwakwakwakwakwang!

The two emerging wings on her back burst out. A storm of white light swept the surroundings. The ground in the clearing erupted chaotically.

“Huff, huff…”

Heavy breaths spilled out. Tiria brushed back her sweat-drenched hair and looked down at her right hand.

“Is it still hard to control?”

“Ah…! Yeong-sik!”

Tiria turned around with a delighted expression at the sound of Yeong-sik’s voice coming from behind. Her sweat-soaked clothes clung to her body, revealing her ample chest beneath.

“Ahem. Here’s a towel.”

“What…? Ah, oh! Eek!”

Tiria covered her chest with both arms and curled up. Her face turned bright red.

“W-what brings you here?”

“Just checking to see how things are going.”

“Oh…”

Tiria looked troubled at his words.

“It seems I still have a long way to go.”

She looked down at the ring on her finger with a bitter voice.

The ‘Seraphim’s Grace,’ which could only be used by those with the blood of the Ingrim Empire’s royal family, was obtained during the last dungeon raid.

It was a powerful artifact created by the archangel Seraphim, who sacrificed his life when the first emperor of the Ingrim Empire died.

“According to Si-a, when the full power of the ring is unleashed, twelve wings will unfold… but I can’t even manifest six wings yet.”

“Still, when you first received it, you struggled to manifest even two wings, right?”

“But still…”

Tiria clenched her fist with an anxious expression.

“I heard that the contract with the Goldrun Guild didn’t go smoothly. So, I wanted to help you, Mr. Yeong-sik… I want to become stronger.”

“You were worried about that?”

“Yes… But still, as the guild master, I can’t be a burden to you, Mr. Yeong-sik.”

“…Well, I don’t think that’s possible.”

Yeong-sik looked at Tiria with a puzzled expression.

Even with just four wings, Tiria was a formidable opponent that Yeong-sik found difficult to handle without his suit.

Unlike the suit, Seraphim’s Grace had no time limit, so overall, she was actually stronger than Yeong-sik. It was impossible for her to be a burden.

‘Well, if it motivates her to strive harder, I’ll let it be.’

Her growth was something Yeong-sik welcomed.

Since the Salvator Guild had few members, each guild member needed to be incredibly strong.

“But…”

Yeong-sik watched her as she wiped her forehead with the towel he handed her.

“What is it?”

“Why did you wear the ring on your right hand? You’re right-handed.”

He looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Seraphim’s Grace was slightly larger than a typical ring. Because of this, it was inconvenient for a right-handed person to wear it on their right hand.

Tiria’s face turned bright red. She wriggled uncomfortably, looking down with an embarrassed expression.

“Huh?”

Yeong-sik looked at her, not understanding her reaction.

“For…”

A tiny voice, like a mosquito, came out of her mouth.

“What did you say?”

“I said, I’m saving the ring on my left hand for later.”

A heavy silence fell. Tiria, her face turning crimson, seemed ready to burst with embarrassment as she pushed Yeong-sik away.

“Okay, if you understand, please leave now! I’m going to keep training late today.”

She spoke in a nearly crying voice. Yeong-sik chuckled and nodded.

“Got it. Do your best.”

With that, Yeong-sik turned to leave.

“Ugh.”

A short sigh escaped his lips.

“I guess I need to make up my mind soon.”

Ignoring their feelings forever was becoming impossible. Yeong-sik looked up at the sky with a complicated expression.

Then, it happened.

– Wooooom,

The communication crystal in Yeong-sik’s pocket started to glow. He took out the crystal.

“Ah, hello, Mr. Yeong-sik. Are you doing well?”

A familiar voice came through. It was Han Jun-man’s voice.

Yeong-sik grinned widely. It seemed like it was about time for ‘that.’

“Of course, Mr. Jun-man.”