Now was the time to move to the second phase of his plan and restore the broken parchment.
Veyne already knew this parchment was key to a super high-end class, but the big problem was that it required a lot of rare minerals and crystals.
Some of those crystals were so rare and expensive that it took him half a year of stealing and trading to gather all of them.
Though this time, he had more than sufficient funds from the guild vault, so it was not a matter of currency but more about obtaining the crystals themselves.
He had gained this parchment around five years later in his past life, and during those times, all the guilds were more focused on gathering resources.
Stuff like forcing players to slave in the mines for minerals had become common. But right now, only the old top guilds and, to some extent, medium guilds were involved in mining.
The new and smaller guilds, like his Limia Guild, focused more on grinding monsters.
That was a big problem for him, as he couldn't gain those crystals in the market like in his past life. He had to approach one of those old top- or medium-level guilds for an exchange.
Veyne had already canceled out those beyond his physical reach, as he knew the danger these guilds posed to him.
Those guys could just trap him in the game and force him to give up everything or else stay trapped forever in some bunker in the game.
It was something that had killed a lot of players' careers because, in Apex Ascension, you couldn't just create a new character. So if someone trapped you in a bunker, even if you killed yourself, you would still revive back in that same bunker.
It wasn't popular among the masses, but Veyne knew the big ones always used this method to get what they wanted.
Also, with the kind of deal he wanted, there was a chance for him to face those kinds of situations. Especially when, right now, he just seemed like some desperate guy looking to offload stolen goods as fast as possible.
He didn't even bother looking at those options and started searching for all the big guilds in the city near his college.
The real world had its own dangers, but it was the lesser of two evils, and he was willing to take his chances there.
It didn't take long for an entire list of nearby guilds to pop up in front of him. Even his Limia Guild was part of the list, though it was at the bottom.
He checked for all those that started in the first year and were still going strong. Soon, he picked out ten guilds—big to medium-sized guilds.
He started searching through them one by one, comparing them to his memories to see if he recognized any of them.
Since getting this deal was just half of the plan, he was also looking for a guild to join.
He had no plans to start his own guild and slave away this time. As he didn't want to do all the work just to have the fake fame of being a guild master.
He had had enough of that in his last life. Now, he wanted to latch onto some guild where he could focus more on himself without being tied down by the usual guild restrictions.
Finally, he picked out three guilds. Two of them were set to boom soon, while the third one was going to split apart.
Even though the first two guilds had better prospects, he was more attracted to the third one because of the power backing this guild.
A big business corporation backed the first guild, while the second one was more tied to big banks. Both had solid backing, but the infamous Cobra Mafia group backed the third guild.
He remembered some news about how the game had hit the drug business the hardest, as players could now get high in the game without damaging their bodies.
That was the reason all those crime syndicates worldwide had struggled to switch to different businesses, but an entire group of them had been smart enough to choose the game.
The Cobra Organization was one such group. He remembered them because of the dramatic split that happened between them in about a year or two in his past life.
He wasn't sure about the exact date, but what he knew was that the group had split in two because of some internal struggle.
The only reason he remembered them was because of the massive Akinu Guild, which the Cobras backed. That guild had also splintered into multiple factions after the big surge.
As he thought about the surge, he rubbed his forehead in frustration. That thing was also going to start soon.
He shook his head and refocused on the Akinu Guild. This guild wasn't based in this city, but multiple branch guilds under it operated here.
The one he was targeting was one such branch guild that was, surprisingly, his college-based.
Heck, he didn't even know that the youngest son of the leader was a senior in his college. Too bad the guy was in the business branch and not the finance branch.
This area, being a college hub, attracted a variety of powerhouses from nearby regions.
He knew of a few other powerhouses that attended nearby colleges but was not sure about his own college.
In the past, he had always thought he had wasted his life joining this college when he didn't even attend classes here, but that might not be true after all.
Another reason he was more inclined toward this guild was that, in his past life, he had only been involved with the shady guilds.
Even though they were dangerous people in the real world, he sort of understood how they worked compared to those big corporate guilds, which maintained a good front while being full of schemes in the back.
But finding the target was one thing, and making progress was another.
He had, at most, a day or two before all the Limia Guild members would be on his hunt in the game.
He was still getting so many messages that he had to mute the notifications of that chat app.
He continued to research more about the Akinu guild and the Cobra organization. The more he searched, the more he felt his best chance was with them.
Especially this Roonie guy. From everything he read, this guy had no interest in the game at all.
He was more into partying and stuff, yet there he was, managing a small associate guild named Kiyon. It was just a year old, but its condition looked even worse than his own Limia guild.
With how poorly they were performing, it deserved to be shut down a long time ago. But Roonie was dumping resources to keep it afloat.
What blew his mind was that Roonie himself wasn't even a player in the game, while a few from the Cobra family were already big stars in it.
The moment he read that, it clicked—this Roonie guy might not like the game, but he was actually smart.
From all the information, it was clear that the Cobra family was making the big switch, investing more in the game. It was also clear that there was high competition between them.
This was likely the reason why, despite facing losses, Roonie kept pouring resources into keeping the associate guild running.
This must have been his only investment in the game, and Roonie not playing was actually smart. Right now, the associate guild was working under him, but if Roonie became part of the game, the guild performance would get tied to him.
He investigated the Kiyon guild further, discovering that their recent actions centered on using the Akinu guild to control a small city.
Kind of pathetic compared to others, but Kiyon Guild was the perfect candidate for business. These people would care more about getting equipment in bulk than those big guilds.
Also at present, even though the crystals were rare, their values were far less compared to the relics and equipment.
He could use the Kiyon guild as a stepping stone to aim for Akinu.
The big thing was no matter how pathetic the Kiyon guild was in the game, the mafia still backed them, so becoming part of them would provide protection from others in the real world. On the downside, he would become a target of the Cobras' internal politics.
He just sat there, looking at his phone for a long time. It was an enormous risk.
He could choose a much safer, slower grind, but that would take years. After all, those at the top already had a two-year head start.
After a long time, he got up, picked out a pen and paper, and started jotting down all the major equipment and relics on one page and different minerals on the second.
He decided to take the risk. If there was something he believed in, it was his ability in the game.
He looked at Roonie on his phone. This guy would be his key—a key that increased his chances.
After finishing both lists, he ripped the pages from the notebook, folded them into his pocket, and left his dorm. It was time to see Roonie in person.
Veyne didn't waste time. A few questions around campus led him straight to Dicaso, the pub where Roonie practically lived.
Although it was barely noon, the pub was already full. He looked around for a bit, and there he saw a boy around his age with long, shoulder-length blond hair sitting inside one of the VIP booths that had a big glass door.
Veyne approached the VIP section, but two bouncers stepped in his way.
One of them said, "You can't go in there, sir."
Veyne smiled and handed one of them a folded paper. "Just pass this to Senior Roonie and tell him the Guild Master of Limia wants to meet."
At the mention of 'guild,' both guards tensed slightly. They were definitely not your average muscleheads.
One of them took the paper inside. Through the glass, Veyne watched as Roonie glanced at it, then passed it to the guy he had been arguing with.
A quick exchange followed—Roonie's lips curled slightly, his expression shifting from annoyance to interest.
The bouncer returned, pushing open the door. "You can go in."
Veyne took a breath and stepped inside. The door clicked shut behind him.
Inside, Roonie was already watching him, an unreadable smirk playing on his lips.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, Veyne nodded. "Glad to meet you, Senior Roonie."
Roonie raised an eyebrow. "Do I know you?"
Veyne slid his college ID onto the table. "Veyne. Second year, finance branch."
Roonie barely glanced at the ID before flicking his gaze back up. "Cute. And?"
Veyne picked up the ID and slid the second paper onto the table. He pointed at the folded paper in Roonie's hand. "That is Limia," then pushed the second paper toward Roonie. "This is me."
Roonie rubbed his chin and picked up the second paper. He just glanced at the contents and tossed it to the man standing beside him.
Veyne glanced at the other guy, who was around the same age as them. He recognized him from that webpage—Zack, the active guild master of Kiyon.
Unlike Roonie, Zack just stared at both notes, glancing back and forth.
Roonie tapped on the table and pointed to the empty seat beside him. "Sit."
Veyne wasted no time and sat next to Roonie, showing full confidence even though he was sweating inside.
Roonie grabbed a can of beer and tossed it at him.
Veyne fumbled slightly before catching it.
Roonie smirked. Not caring about Veyne at all, he glanced at Zack, who got up and left the room with both papers in hand.
The moment Zack walked out, both bouncers stepped inside. They didn't say a word, just stood beside the door, making their intentions clear—Veyne wasn't leaving without Roonie's permission.
Roonie cracked open another beer, took a slow sip, and said nothing.
Veyne waited.
A bouncer smirked. "Damn, you're making him sweat, boss."
Veyne just smiled. He popped open his beer can, took a sip, and leaned back in his seat.
Roonie glanced at him, amused. "You play poker, nerd?"
Without looking at Roonie, Veyne replied, "It's Veyne. And not really."
"That's a shame, guild master," Roonie mused. "Poker's all about knowing who's bluffing." He tapped his fingers on the table. "And right now, I can't tell if you're the dumbest guy I've met—or the most dangerous."
Veyne just smirked. "Guess we'll find out."
The room fell into silence again, only the occasional clink of beer cans breaking the tension.
Veyne already knew he had to wait here. Zack was probably checking his background right now. This was why he had revealed all that information himself.
It was a plus that they weren't delaying him. He liked this blunt, straightforward approach from this side.
After a long wait, Zack finally returned.
He passed his phone to Roonie and said, "Boss, this guy is trouble."
Roonie raised an eyebrow and scrolled through the screen. "Oh?"
It was hard to see from his angle, but Veyne could make out that it was a detailed report about him.
Zack scoffed at Veyne and said, "The Limia Guild dissolved a few days ago, and someone emptied the entire guild vault before leaving. Everything on the first list is from that vault. He's just a thief."
Veyne interrupted Zack. "What do you mean by thief? Since when does taking your own stuff make you a thief?"
Zack was about to shout at him when Roonie waved his hand.
Finally, Roonie gave Veyne his full attention. He leaned in, his smirk as sharp as a knife. "Alright, guild master. You've got my attention. But tell me—why should I give you those minerals?"
The moment Roonie said that, both bouncers started walking toward Veyne.
Veyne just rubbed his eyes, then tapped on the table. "For the past year, I ran the entire guild with no support. Why are you thinking so little of me, Senior? Of course, I came with a much bigger offer."
Roonie raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what's this big deal about?"
The bouncers were already behind him. Veyne just pointed to himself and smiled. "Me. I'm the biggest thing you'll get from this offer."
Silence. Everyone froze in their tracks. Then, Roonie burst into laughter. "Haha, you're really funny. You actually think I'd care about a washed-up guild master like you?"
Veyne matched his laughter. "Haha, I know. All I can say is that I have a year at most. Don't you think it's better to bet on a different card this time?"
The moment he said that, Roonie stopped laughing. That was all Veyne needed to confirm that things were much worse for the Cobra family than they let on.
For the first time, he saw Roonie glaring daggers at him. Not wanting things to escalate, he sighed and said, "Senior Roonie, I just want to play games, nothing more. All I need is the main guild badge with some real-world safety."
Veyne just stared at Roonie and said nothing more. Either they worked together now, or he had just created a powerful enemy.
Roonie looked at the table for a moment, then rolled his eyes. He waved at Zack. "Make the deal and give him the Kiyon Guild badge."
Veyne raised an eyebrow at the mention of Kyon. He had clearly asked for the main Akinu Guild.
Before he could say anything, Roonie just stared at him and said, "Guild master, this is what you wanted, right?"
Veyne clenched his jaw and nodded. "Yup."
They then talked about a few things here and there. Finally, he walked out of Dicaso Pub with a smirk creeping onto his lips.
Their next meeting would surely be different. He just shook his head and started walking back to college. It was time to play Apex Ascension.