novelraw Chapter 56 : Chapter 56
Chapter 56 : Chapter 56
Chapter 56 : Reveal
Even at Sal's refusal, Greg insisted on following Sal, who was carrying the case.
"You haven't seen it yet, right? The private room prepared this time is practically a mansion level. You're going to really like it!"
Walking ahead, Greg said with a bright smile.
The atmosphere on the Credit Floor had completely changed overnight.
The previous indifferent attitude was nowhere to be found, and wherever Sal's eyes met someone, warm smiles spread.
That was precisely the power of generous tips.
It seemed that influence had spread among the staff in an instant like a portal rift.
Sal looked at Greg with a smile.
He was looking forward to it quite a bit, more than he thought.
After walking for a while longer, they got into a private elevator.
While the elevator went up to the upper floors, Greg continued with small talk.
And the space they arrived at was literally another world.
'Luxurious.'
That was the single word Sal could think of.
Everything here seemed to symbolize wealth and authority.
The staff wearing black uniforms were the only element indicating that this was the Credit Floor.
However, even the staff had silver embroidery on their sleeves, implying a higher rank.
Curious gazes were directed at Sal, and disapproving gazes at Greg a few times.
Only then did Sal realize why Greg wanted to come with him so much.
So he said playfully.
"Please lead the way, Greg!"
Greg nodded with an excited expression and guided them to the private meeting room.
The door was black with gold borders, looking specially made at a glance, and a single nameplate indicating 'VIP' hung on it.
Greg shifted the case to his other arm and knocked politely.
When the door opened, Vanessa revealed herself.
She nodded briefly to Greg, then stepped aside.
It was when Sal stepped into the room.
Vanessa wore a mischievous smile, then took the case herself before Greg could follow in and closed the door right away.
Before Greg could follow in, Vanessa wore a mischievous smile, took the case herself, and closed the door right away.
Through the door, Greg's face wearing a bitter expression could be seen, but Sal honestly didn't feel sorry.
On one side of the room, a private bar and bartender were waiting.
Even though high-end leather chairs were spread out in front of a table with flashy decorations, Vila was sprawling on a wide sofa placed on the other side of the room.
Thud.
A dagger that had been stuck in the ceiling fell.
Vila caught it lightly between her fingers, then threw it back just like that without showing any sign of effort.
The dagger flew cutting through the air and stuck back exactly into its original spot with a thud.
She watched Sal and Vanessa approaching with bored eyes.
When she snapped her fingers, the dagger disappeared, and a predatory smile appeared on the corners of her lips.
Without giving Sal a chance to greet her, Vila sprang up and spoke toward the door.
"Where is that bastard who broke Watcher's rifle? I told you to bring that bastard."
At that moment, Sal felt the overpowering pressure that had overwhelmed him before rising again.
But this time, the feeling was a bit different.
Glancing sideways, that aura was directed at Vanessa.
She was holding her ground without blinking an eye.
Silence flowed for a while as they met each other's eyes, but Vanessa did not back down.
Then Vila's face changed into a laugh in an instant.
"That's why I like you."
Vanessa only smiled quietly at those words and didn't react much otherwise.
"Long time no see, Mr. Argento. I heard you've been very busy?"
At the blazing smile, Sal felt a tension bordering on a shiver.
"Back then, I gave you a Silver Token and proposed a potential alliance. But you proved it sufficiently. I hope you will prioritize our requests in the future too."
Sal chose his words for a moment, put on a trained smile, and bowed slightly.
"Thank you for your undeserved words. I look forward to working together in the future as well."
Then Sal decided to carefully take one step further.
"I plan to expand appraisal services to other guilds in the future. But I will never forget the Reavers Guild that gave me a chance for the first time and helped me establish myself."
Hearing those words, Vanessa's spine straightened, and Vila raised an eyebrow and stretched the corners of her mouth long.
"Oh, look at this? Our cub lion is starting to bare his teeth. I wonder how this will flow?"
Sal met Vila's gaze head-on and responded with a smile.
"If an exclusive contract offer comes in from another guild... I will definitely let you know first. Since I am still attending school, I just want to secure a stable source of income."
Vila shook her head very slightly, but the smile still remained.
"You'd better be careful, little Argento. I acknowledge your skills, but you aren't in a position to set conditions yet. I hope you choose your next words carefully."
He felt Vanessa's gaze looking at him, but Sal didn't turn his head.
His eyes were still fixed on Vila.
"I apologize if it sounded like a demand to the Reavers Guild. That was not my intention; I merely wanted to clarify my value. You have seen my appraisal results so far and know well what level the speed and quality are at."
"Hmm...."
"If requests from other guilds come in together, what should I prioritize? If the item rank is the same and the fee is the same, I would naturally choose the side with higher profitability. That is not emotional, but a rational choice."
Vila tilted her head very slightly to the right and looked at Sal.
"Are you saying you want preferential rates? At this point when other guilds haven't even approached you? Betting on an opportunity that might exist while endangering the job you hold in your hand."
She took a step closer and continued.
"How can you be sure that other guilds will really want you?"
Sal answered without his eyes wavering even a bit.
"As I mentioned earlier, I will choose the job with high returns. That could be another guild, or it could be collaboration with Mythos."
At that moment, Vanessa coughed once and drew the two people's attention.
She approached with a relaxed smile and sent Sal a look to stop.
But Vila raised her hand and blocked Vanessa's intervention.
"Enough. Why don't we let our little Argento step into the grave he dug himself? Is he saying he'll bet on an unknown crafter instead of a tier 2 guild? Or if not that, is he aiming for a rate hike in advance because other guilds might want him in the future?"
Vila's expression was blank, but her tone was like a blade cutting flesh.
When her gaze returned to Sal, Sal felt anxiety spreading through his whole body.
He barely pulled himself together and continued as calmly as possible.
"An unknown crafter? Didn't Vanessa tell you?"
Sal turned his head toward Vanessa.
She was maintaining her composure as much as possible even though it was a completely unexpected situation.
Vila turned her body toward Vanessa with her arms crossed.
"Vanessa, what is it that you haven't told me?"
Sal shook his head and quietly lifted the case onto the table.
With a clicking sound, the lid opened, and the Legend rank sniper rifle revealed itself.
Sal took out the rifle without hesitation, set it upright on the table, and put the case down on the floor.
Vila and Vanessa looked at the rifle as if they had lost their words for a moment.
Sal opened his mouth without even giving them a chance to catch their breath.
"The original condition was an Epic rank sniper rifle with defects, and the grade at the time of evaluation was Upper Rare. Currently, it has been upgraded and repaired to Legend rank, and with evolutionary traits granted, the foundation to evolve into the first Mythos rank weapon has been laid."
A sound of swallowing a breath in surprise was heard from the side.
"This rifle can fire Essence-bound bullets in various modes. On top of that, every bullet possesses a guaranteed critical hit effect. The scope is equipped with target tracking and guided missile functions. The barrel has a self-cleaning function for easy maintenance. Also, the barrel has been extended for range improvement, making the maximum effective range a little under about 5,000 meters. Since it doesn't require Essence absorption, continuous use without fatigue accumulation is also possible. All these details are documented in the appraisal report, which I will provide for free as a token of gratitude for Vila giving me a chance."
Sal handed over the appraisal report file, and Vila accepted it almost unconsciously.
However, her eyes still didn't leave the rifle on the table.
Vanessa tried to maintain her composure, but she also couldn't hide her shock as much as the Reavers Guild Vice Guild Master in front of her.
Name: Maslow's Legacy Sniper Rifle
Origin: Crafted Item
Condition: New (Reworked)
Rank: Legend
Dimensions: 62 inches | 27 lbs
Material: Refined Mythos Craft Essence | Premium Infused Gunmetal Alloy | Aether Crystal
Attributes:
● Link: Fired bullets connect enemies, absorbing Essence over time
● Hunt: Guided function activates with a certain probability on aimed enemies
● Headshot: Critical hit occurs with a certain probability upon hitting vital areas
● Purify: Uses a portion of absorbed Essence to self-purify and repair
● Charge: Uses a portion of absorbed Essence to enhance the damage of the next attack
● Stabilization: Nullifies distance penalties and drastically increases range
● Evolution: Collects Essence upon killing enemies, evolves to Mythos rank over time
Abilities: Link | Hunt | Purify | Headshot | Charge | Stabilization
Power Source: External Essence
Evolution Potential: Yes | Currently 0% to Mythos Rank
Quality: Perfect
Durability: 100%
Estimated Value: $215,000.00 - $750,000.00
"Damn it...."
Only then did Vanessa exhale and look at Sal as if she couldn't believe it.
Sal didn't take his eyes off Vila, who was staring intently at the appraisal report.
'Negotiation Rule #1. Never make the first offer.'
So he said nothing.
There were many more things he wanted to say, but in this situation, silence was the best weapon.
In this situation, Vila could only contact Mythos through Sal or Vanessa, and Sal recognized that point accurately.
Sal looked at Vanessa for a moment to calm his racing heart, then added one more remark as if he had made up his mind.
It was to clarify his position.
"Vanessa advised me to have Mythos do his best. But that friend is totally into Vanessa. So you can consider this result is thanks to Vanessa."
Sal smiled, pointing at the Legend rank sniper rifle.
Vila's gaze whipped toward Vanessa.
"Bring him here. I need to meet him right now."
Sal saw Vila's eyes waver for the first time at that moment.
It was to the extent that the myriad calculations running in her head were visible.
She had already realized how amazing this item was and how important an existence Mythos would become in the future.
Vanessa, who finally grasped the full context, spoke cautiously to Vila.
"I apologize, but that is difficult. It is an instruction given directly by the Headmaster. As you know, a student possessing this level of ability must be protected from outside contact. You are too strong, Vila, so your threatening aura can have an influence even if unintended. Since we cannot risk such danger, he will not meet directly with any guild."
Vanessa finished speaking with a sweet smile.
Vila turned her gaze back to the appraisal report without any retort.
And she opened her mouth without lifting her gaze.
"And you wrote this appraisal report? For a Legend rank item?"
Sal nodded and pointed to a few places on the sniper rifle.
"If you look here, Mythos put other crafters who helped in the production process on the credits. And he signed it himself, but he left Watcher's father's engraving. These details are all organized on the next page. However, I want to emphasize one thing: Mythos is still in the process of learning as a crafter. Meaning he will grow further. He wasn't satisfied with the finished product either. Both time and resources were lacking. If sufficient leeway had been given, who knows what result would have come out."
Vanessa signaled Sal with a hand gesture to slow down.
Sal nodded and stepped back.
For a moment, silence filled the room.
However, Vanessa's fine smile soothed Sal's anxiety.
This was the most tense moment in Sal's life.
Sal simply couldn't understand how Vanessa could maintain her composure even in a situation like this.
Her smile was an example of confidence, not conceit.
She was truly a professional.
After endless silence continued, Vila eventually threw the appraisal report down with a thud.
She placed both hands on the table and stared piercingly at the Legend rank sniper rifle.
"I have no way to verify this.... And no appraiser comes to mind who can judge whether this is nonsense or not. The only appraiser I can use is your family, and that's ridiculous."
Vila cracked her neck left and right, making a popping sound.
Then she soon took out a small earpiece from her pocket, tapped it twice, and put it in her ear.
And she spoke looking to one side.
"No... shut up and listen. Tell Blink to bring Watcher to the Academy VIP room right now. Stop asking questions and just bring him."
She pulled out the earpiece and threw it onto the table with a thud.
And she looked at Sal and Vanessa again with a complicated expression.
"Watcher will test fire this rifle himself. If even half the functions written in this appraisal report are true...."
She tapped the appraisal report with her hand.
"...Then let's talk about how to establish your cooperative relationship with the Reavers Guild."
Vanessa sent a meaningful look to Sal, and Sal nodded quietly.
He was convinced that this rifle would work exactly as described.
That seemed enough for Vanessa.
She opened her mouth again with a smile toward Vila.
"This is a truly exciting moment. A partner who likes working together with a Legend-class appraiser and Mythos. Isn't it a truly perfect combination?"
Her soft and smooth voice even carried a hint of joking.
Vila didn't miss that subtle nuance.
"...Don't push it."
Vila replied.