Anderein tapped her fingers on the table, her mind racing. "Tell everyone to stay sharp.
An organization of this size won't take a defeat like this lying down."
"Yes, ma'am," Odysseus replied, his tone grim.
As he turned to leave, Anderein called out one last instruction.
"And keep an eye on that Gin guy."
Odysseus paused, confused. "Assign soone to watch him? Should I pick soone suitable?"
"No," Anderein said firmly. "Not just anyone. Get soone highly skilled."
Odysseus hesitated but nodded. "Understood. I'll handle it."
As he left, Anderein leaned back, her mind still lingering on Gin.
"There's sothing about that man," she muttered to herself.
"He feels… strangely like Team Young."
anwhile, outside the guild, Jay walked aimlessly through the streets, trying to clear his head. He froze when Gin appeared beside him, walking in perfect sync.
"Why are you doing this to ?" Jay muttered, exasperated.
"You're a broker, aren't you?" Gin said casually.
"So what? You're not thinking of hiring , are you?"
Gin smirked faintly. "Fetch sothing for ."
Jay's face darkened. "Look, I'm just a rat scrounging scraps in the gutters. I can't handle soone like you."
"And what kind of person am I?" Gin asked, his tone calm yet cutting.
"You're soone too valuable to use as bait," Jay replied bitterly. "You'd be better off joining a guild. I can help with that."
"That's not an option," Gin said, dismissing the suggestion.
Gin wasn't a part of this world.
His life belonged on Earth, and his purpose here was temporary. He couldn't afford to be tied down by the structures of this place.
"Are there higher-level clients than Fishmongers Guild?" Gin asked, his sharp eyes locking onto Jay. "Even a broker like you must have connections to soone bigger. Am I wrong?"
Jay hesitated, unsure of how much trouble this conversation was about to drag him into.
Gin frowned deeply, his thoughts a tangled ss. Sure, he had connections, but they were nothing more than fragile threads—barely enough to open a door, let alone secure a solid contract.
"I know you're strong," he said reluctantly, "but introducing you to them? Not a chance. That's a domain for the real elites."
Gin smirked, his confidence radiating with an almost unsettling ease.
"You don't know anything yet," he said, his voice calm but cutting.
Jay barely kept his temper in check, biting back the curses threatening to spill out. What did Gin an by that? He wasn't ignorant—he knew the stakes and what it took to step into the upper echelons.
To make his point clear, he elaborated.
"Those people? Their mana levels alone are leagues above yours.
Triple what you've got, at least, and even then, you'd barely make it through the door."
Gin's smile didn't waver. "You still don't get it. High mana levels don't guarantee strength."
"Maybe not," Jay conceded. "But it's a damn good indicator. A lot of mana ans years of training, countless battles fought, and hard-earned experience."
Gin acknowledged the logic with a small nod but remained unshaken. "That guy, Brayan—what level would you say he's at?"
Jay hesitated, thinking back. "In a mid-tier guild like Fishmongers? He's one of the top fighters. But if we're talking about the elite guilds above us, he's not quite there yet. Now, Anderaine, the master of Fishmongers Guild—she's soone they might take seriously."
He glanced at Gin as if to say, You're not her.
Gin, however, simply tilted his head in thought. "That's lower than I expected."
"What?" Jay blinked, caught off guard.
"That Anderein —isn't she the one you were talking to from Fishmongers Guild?"
"Yeah," Jay replied, confused by Gin's nonchalant tone.
Unbeknownst to Jay, Gin had already deployed his information-gathering patterns to analyze Fishmongers Guild thoroughly, including Anderein herself.
She was powerful, yes—but far from unbeatable. Gin had studied her mana, muscle composition, and combat flow, gaining a near-complete understanding of her capabilities. While a final assessnt would require direct combat, he was confident he could defeat her—and anyone stronger who ca his way.
After all, Gin wasn't just a fighter. He was a mage, a wielder of magic with versatility unmatched by most ability users.
He locked eyes with Jay, his gaze steady and brimming with certainty.
"Then you should have no problem introducing . I'm stronger than her."
Jay's jaw dropped. "Are you insane? Stop joking around!"
Gin's expression didn't falter. His calm, icy deanor sent chills down Jay's spine.
"Does it look like I'm joking?"
Jay stamred, trying to find a way out of the conversation. "It's not that—I just… I an…" He groaned inwardly, realizing he was in way over his head.
Still, introducing Gin wasn't an option. If Gin's strength fell short, Jay knew the consequences would co crashing down on him.
As Jay wrestled with his doubts, Gin spoke again, his tone casual yet piercing.
"That place you ntioned—do they explore ancient ruins?"
"Ruins?" Jay squinted at Gin like he'd gone mad. "Do you think ruins are just so free-for-all playground? That's territory controlled by the absolute top-tier guilds! Nobody else gets close."
"I see," Gin replied, unperturbed.
He wasn't surprised; this was only his second ti in this world.
"Then I suppose exploring ruins is out of the question," Gin mused.
"Obviously," Jay said, exasperated. "Even the places I can connect you to wouldn't dare touch ruins.
Unless, of course, you prove yourself with so standout achievents. Maybe then they'd consider bringing you on for a job like that."
Gin nodded, his mind already working through the possibilities. "Then that's the path I'll take for now."
"What?" Jay gawked, baffled by Gin's decisiveness.
"Make the connection. Let's get started."
"I told you, this is a bad idea!"
Gin's sharp, unwavering gaze silenced Jay. "How long are you planning to live off scraps, preying on bait like so rat in the gutters?"
"What?" Jay froze, his expression hardening.
"Are you content to keep running in circles, trapped in the sa place forever?"
Gin clenched his jaw, unable to form a response. Gin's words cut deep—too deep to ignore.
"This is an opportunity for you, too," Gin pressed. "You've got connections, but how strong are they? Are they anything more than fragile threads? The kind that snap with the slightest breeze?"
Jay couldn't argue. Gin was right, and he hated it.
After a long pause, Jay looked at Gin and asked, "If this is such a valuable opportunity, why should I waste it on you?"
"Because no one else will make use of it," Gin replied simply.
Jay groaned, ruffling his hair in frustration. "Damn it. This shouldn't even be a debate."
Finally, he relented. "Fine. But if you want to believe in you, you'll have to show your strength first."
Gin nodded, his expression calm. "You know soone's been following us, right?"
"What?" Jay's eyes widened in alarm. He turned sharply, scanning their surroundings, but saw nothing.
"They're after , but they've been trailing you to get to ," Gin continued.
Jay's voice dropped to a panicked whisper. "What do we do? Wait—you're not thinking of killing them, are you?"
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