Level Up Machine

Chapter 150 Preparations for the Expedition (3)

“…What on earth are you doing?”

Yeong-sik looked up at Lucia, who was straddling him, with an incredulous expression.

Lucia let out an excited moan as she bent down, pressing her chest against his.

A soft sensation was felt on Yeong-sik’s chest. In a wet voice, Lucia whispered.

“I’m sorry, Master. I… I just can’t hold back any longer…”

She stuck out her tongue and licked Yeong-sik’s neck. He frowned as if he had a headache, looking at her.

“This isn’t because of some drug, so what…”

He moved his arm to push her away, feeling bewildered.

-Clank.

However, his arms were bound tightly with sturdy chains and couldn’t move.

Yeong-sik exerted his strength to break the chains.

Breaking metal chains with bare hands was impossible for ordinary people, but he was already one of the superhumans far beyond the human category.

Moreover, breaking chains was not difficult even for summoners of level 80.

Considering his stats, which were over level 103, there was no way he couldn’t break a single chain.

-Clank.

“Hmm…?”

But contrary to his expectations, no matter how much strength he put into it, the chains binding his arms didn’t break.

“Haa, haa. I’ve infused my magic into the chains. Hehe. No matter how strong you are, Master, you won’t be able to break them easily.”

Lucia, who had been licking Yeong-sik’s neck, said with a lascivious smile.

Yeong-sik slightly frowned and opened his mouth.

“Lucia.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Stop doing strange things and move aside.”

At his cold words, Lucia’s expression darkened.

She trembled slightly with her head bowed.

“Am I not to your liking, Master? Oh, do you think I’ve been tainted by Kim Jae-hyun? Don’t worry, Master. Kim Jae-hyun is too much of a coward to lay a hand on me.”

She continued in a desperate tone.

“I don’t have any experience yet, but I have knowledge about these things. I’m confident I can satisfy you, Master. So, please… accept me, Master.”

She spoke to him in a pleading voice. Yeong-sik let out a short sigh and opened his mouth.

“I clearly told you to move, Lucia.”

“…So you don’t like me after all? If you tell me what’s lacking, I’ll try to fix it, Master.”

“That’s not it.”

Yeong-sik clicked his tongue and continued.

“From the beginning, I really dislike this forced situation.”

“…I’m sorry, Master.”

“It’s not that you’re lacking in charm or that I don’t find you appealing. Your affection is pleasing, not unpleasant.”

“Master…”

At his continued words, Lucia’s expression gradually brightened.

“However, not now. There are things I need to sort out before I can embrace you.”

Yeong-sik recalled the affection shown to him by Tiria and Ara as he spoke.

Embracing her hastily without addressing their feelings could potentially ruin his relationships with other women.

In the current situation, if the guild’s atmosphere fell apart, it would be a major headache.

Even if, as Gil-soo suggested, he later accepted the affection of all the women,

embracing her now posed too great a risk.

“So, are you saying that once everything is sorted out, you will embrace me?”

“Yes. It’s not like I don’t have desires.”

Although he couldn’t understand the principle behind it, Yeong-sik had sexual desires.

When he saw a beautiful woman, he wanted to hold her, and when he saw something provocative, he got excited just like any other person.

Though he had never actually experienced physical intimacy with a woman, he could at least perform the act.

“Then, I’ll hold on a little longer.”

Lucia smiled brightly and stood up at Yeong-sik’s response.

Even though her mind was filled with thoughts of him, making it hard to suppress her desires, she couldn’t be childish after he had spoken so firmly.

“At least he said he doesn’t dislike me.”

She placed her hand on her chest and smiled in relief.

Just those words made her feel saved.

“Now, can you unlock these chains?”

“Yes, Master.”

Lucia bent down to release the chains binding him.

At that moment.

-Creak.

“Yeong-sik, the paperwork is finally all sorted out. To celebrate, how about a party tonight with the guild members…” Tiria opened the door with a bright smile, delighted to be free from the hellish pile of documents.

A suffocating silence descended on the room. Lucia, Yeong-sik, and Tiria’s gazes tangled in the air.

“Damn.”

A rough curse naturally escaped Yeong-sik’s mouth.

-Bang.

Tiria, who had opened the door with a bright smile, slammed it shut roughly. Watching this, Lucia smiled broadly at Yeong-sik and said,

“Master, since it has come to this, why not just go ahead?”

Yeong-sik closed his eyes as if he had a headache.

He had a feeling it would take quite a while to clear up this misunderstanding.

“…Then, let’s hold a victory celebration party.”

That evening, after the incident with Lucia, Han-seong spoke up in front of the lavishly set dining table.

Normally, this would be the moment for cheers, but the room was filled with a suffocating silence.

“Ahem.”

The cause of that silence was, of course, Tiria and Ara. The two women were glaring at Yeong-sik with sharp eyes, without even touching their glasses of alcohol.

The other guild members, sensing the tense atmosphere, exchanged cautious glances and remained quietly silent.

“Oh my, Master. Doesn’t this look delicious? Hehe. I’ll feed it to you myself. Open wide, ah? Ahh.”

In the midst of this silence, the only one maintaining her usual demeanor was Lucia.

She sat next to Yeong-sik, holding his arm, and brought a delicious-looking piece of food to his lips.

“Hoho. I don’t know what you two did last night, but you seem to be getting along very well.”

Tiria, watching them, smiled broadly. Although her mouth was smiling, her eyes were not, causing the guild members to shiver.

“Hehe. Do you want to hear what happened last night, Tiria?”

“Uh…”

At Lucia’s provocative question, Tiria bit her lip in frustration.

Yeong-sik let out a deep sigh and spoke up.

“I told you, nothing happened.”

“But the way you looked back then…”

“That’s right! You were tied up with chains, tangled with that wicked woman! How could nothing have happened?”

Tiria and Ara stood up abruptly, shouting at him in suspicion.

Tiria trembled with frustration as she continued to speak.

“I never imagined Yeong-sik would have such a hobby… If I had known earlier, I would have…”

“Tiria! What are you saying in this situation?”

Ara was startled by Tiria’s sudden words and looked at her. Tiria, with a bright red face, responded.

“N-no, I just… I thought it was a bit… enviable…”

“Ugh…”

Ara’s face also turned bright red at Tiria’s words.

She pictured herself tying Yeong-sik up and riding him, treating him like a queen.

Unconsciously, a slight smile appeared on her lips.

“So, does that mean Yeong-sik likes being forced?”

“…No.”

“Yes! Yeong-sik was unexpectedly weak to aggressive advances!”

“…No.”

Yeong-sik let out a deep sigh, looking at the two women who were carrying on the conversation without considering his feelings.

It seemed like it would take a little more time for this chaotic atmosphere to settle down.

** * *

“Shall we start preparing for the expedition?”

Late in the evening, after the party had ended.

Yeong-sik, who had laid the drunken Tiria and Ara on their beds, was out in the training ground.

Lucia followed him like a shadow.

“Lucia.”

“Yes, Master.”

“I haven’t had the time to check until now, but I want to take this opportunity to verify it.”

“Hmm? Are you talking about my body? If so, I’m ready anytime—”

“No. I mean your true strength.”

Yeong-sik spoke firmly to Lucia, who was starting to head in a strange direction again.

Lucia’s true power.

It was necessary to verify it before going on the expedition.

‘In the last battle, she actually fought while suppressing her power.’

Judging her strength based on their fight in Leopold was difficult.

She fought to “lose” against Yeong-sik.

She didn’t use any magic or skills.

She moved her body purely through physical capabilities, as commanded by the Black Cube, to face Yeong-sik.

Such a battle couldn’t be considered a full effort.

‘The problem is, she almost lost even with that.’

If Tiria and Park Si-a hadn’t helped at the right time, he wouldn’t have found an opportunity to attack her.

“My true strength… you mean?”

“Yes. Your strength without the Black Cube’s compulsion. I want to see it with my own eyes.”

At Yeong-sik’s words, Lucia looked slightly embarrassed and glanced around.

She asked him in a cautious voice.

“…Here, right now?”

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“Well… If we’re not careful, we might blow up the guild house.”

Hearing her words, Yeong-sik pressed his lips together.

‘…True. When I tested the Eclipse Cannon, I went to another place.’

He admitted he had been short-sighted and spoke up.

“Alright. Then there’s a place I used to train. Let’s go there.”

The place he trained was deep in the mountains, close to the northern border.

There, even a considerable explosion wouldn’t cause any problems.

“Oh my, are we going to a secluded mountain, just the two of us?”

She clung to his arm, her eyes sparkling.

“Hehe. I don’t mind outdoor play if that’s what you want, Master.”

Yeong-sik let out a deep sigh.

‘It feels like there are now two Chae-rins…’

No, considering that she expressed her feelings for him more directly, she was even more troublesome than Chae-rin.

Feeling like a deer being led to a lion, Yeong-sik moved into the mountains.

“Well then…”

Having arrived at his usual training spot, Yeong-sik turned to her.

-Whirr!

Yeong-sik took out his suit and put it on, then spoke.

“Let’s start the test.”