Chapter 132

Rachel initiated the conversation, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

[Rachel: You ended up pulling an S-rank summon, didn’t you?]

What on earth was up with this girl?

How could she possibly know that?

Did she go and set up surveillance cameras all over Yubaek City or something?

[Rachel: Well? Tell me what you got.]

[Baek Jinwoo: What do you plan on doing with that information?]

[Rachel: What do you mean? We’re partners in an alliance. You can’t even share that much with me?]

[Baek Jinwoo: What does that have to do with anything? By that logic, you should be giving me every single piece of intel you have on the golden dragon, Baekho, and the Great Wizard as well.]

[Rachel: Ugh, I can’t even argue with that logic.]

[Baek Jinwoo: So, did you actually message me out of nowhere just to cross-examine me about pulling an S-rank summon?]

[Rachel: No, no, that isn’t it. You’re going to have a visitor heading your way very shortly.]

[Baek Jinwoo: Huh? Who’s coming?]

[Rachel: Olivia Abernathy.]

[Baek Jinwoo: Why in the world would she…?]

Baek Jinwoo rubbed the back of his neck in confusion.

Olivia. The summoner who commands those A-rank Adjudicators… She was ranked 7th globally, a woman…

The memory clicked.

He vividly recalled those fierce, intense eyes of hers.

[Rachel: Hehe, don’t hold a grudge against her. Ever since that last battle, she has completely transformed into a massive fan of yours.]

[Baek Jinwoo: Wait… what?]

[Rachel: Ahahah, she admitted she never imagined anyone would actually be capable of defeating me. Anyway, make sure to be welcoming when she arrives! She really is a sweet girl. Please!]

What a bizarre situation.

She was just going to drop by completely unannounced without making any prior plans?

And that was precisely how it played out.

Roughly thirty minutes after that text exchange concluded?

Whispers and rumors began circulating that Olivia had arrived in Korea, and a mere thirty minutes following that.

There she stood, right before his eyes.

“Jinwoo Oppa!”

An exceptionally tall Western woman was smiling sheepishly, practically hopping up and down in excitement.

“……”

The reason the situation felt incredibly awkward…

Every person carries a distinct vibe, right?

Olivia’s facial features naturally gave off a somewhat cynical and sarcastic impression.

Watching a person with that kind of demeanor try to act incredibly familiar and affectionate sent a slight shiver down his spine.

“You already heard the news from Rachel Unni, right? That I was on my way.”

“I’m sorry, but were you and I ever that close?”

“Ahahah, come on now…! Don’t be so cold and distant. I brought along some information that’s going to make us close whether you want to be or not.”

Swish, swish.

She playfully brandished an item in her hand.

“What exactly is that?”

“Let’s move inside before we start talking! A visitor travels all this way and you’re just going to leave me standing around out here in the open?”

“Mmm.”

He couldn’t deduce what she was holding.

However, it genuinely looked like she had brought something highly intriguing…

He might as well invite her inside.

“Wow… This is a gorgeous building.”

Olivia scanned her surroundings as she stepped into the Yubaek main office.

An expansive lobby, seamlessly connecting the first floor all the way up to the third with an open, grand design and polished marble flooring, welcomed her.

They boarded the elevator and rode it up, stepping out into a reception lounge located on the mid-level floors.

It was the specific room boasting the most spectacular view.

The very space Yu Jia had poured an immense amount of care into styling, designed specifically to project the ultimate first impression of the enterprise.

The moment they took their seats, a staff member arrived to serve them freshly brewed coffee and tea.

“Information that’s going to force us to become close?”

Baek Jinwoo prompted immediately.

He was eager to uncover her true intentions for traveling across the globe to see him.

“Heheh! Unni let me in on a secret. She has no idea how you manage it, but she suspects you possess the unique capability to call forth legacy summons that were entirely removed via patches.”

Slurp!

She took a delicate sip from her teacup.

Though she couldn’t identify the specific blend, it was clear they utilized exceptionally high-grade ingredients.

“The Wind Fairy, the Drill Instructor, the Storm Dragon Sorcerer… Legacy entities like those.”

“That is correct.”

Baek Jinwoo gave a firm nod.

At this stage of the game, there was absolutely no point in hiding the truth.

After all, the entities under his command stood alone as the sole EX-rank summons across the entire world.

“Which brings me to this.”

Thud!

Olivia slammed the item she had been clutching directly onto the surface of the table.

“I have a feeling you are going to desperately require this right about now?”

Her face beamed with a profound sense of exhilaration that she simply could not hide.

So.

What exactly was it?

Baek Jinwoo’s entire posture locked up the precise instant his brain registered the details of the item Olivia had presented.

[Guaranteed Summoning Scroll]

[Rank: A-rank]

[Grants the ability to unequivocally manifest any specific A-rank summon of your choice.]

Holy hell!

An actual A-rank Guaranteed Summoning Scroll?

How was it even possible that an item like this existed?

This was the exact artifact Baek Jinwoo required above all else at this specific juncture.

Aso.

And the Demon Cat.

A magical parchment capable of securing either one of those two.

“…Where did you manage to acquire this?”

“Oh, please don’t act like a novice! If I just hand over that piece of information, I completely lose all of my bargaining power!”

It certainly didn’t originate from the lower zones of the Tower of Trials, that much was certain.

Those areas only distributed B-rank Guaranteed Summoning Scrolls at the absolute maximum.

An A-rank tier indicated…

The highest reaches of the Tower of Trials…

Did Rachel manage to secure it?

That stood as the single most plausible explanation.

It was a variant of a summoning parchment that even Baek Jinwoo, despite his ten long years of experience, had never once encountered.

Hmph.

She had led with an incredibly potent weapon right out of the gate.

“You mentioned a negotiation. What are your terms?”

“…The specific S-rank summon that you just pulled, Oppa.”

“What?”

Baek Jinwoo’s eyebrows knit together in a deep frown.

“Unni explained it perfectly, you see. She noted that for someone like you, this individual sheet of paper holds dozens of times more value than a standard S-rank summon would. Conversely, from my perspective, an S-rank entity is worth far more than this tiny piece of parchment.”

“So your proposition is a straight trade?”

“Exactly. Since both of us place a higher premium on what the other person holds, a direct swap makes perfect sense. Furthermore, Oppa, you fully intend to claim victory in the 5th World League as well, don’t you? You’re already set up to consistently obtain an S-rank summon every single year anyway… This is an undeniable net profit for you.”

Hah.

Her reasoning was entirely sound.

In all honesty, regardless of how exceptional Thunderlord might be.

When placed side-by-side with Aso or the Demon Cat, it naturally sat a tier below them.

Particularly Aso.

The quicker he could lay his hands on Aso, the better off he would be.

The reason being that it functioned as a Growth-type summon.

Initially, its power level was so utterly underwhelming that a person would genuinely question how it ever qualified for an A-rank designation. However, the moment the Drill Sarge trained it and outfitted it with every conceivable martial art…

Good heavens.

The sheer, unadulterated destructive capability it manifested was completely off the charts.

Just how utterly game-breaking must that combination have been for the developers to push through an emergency balance patch solely to address those specific martial arts?

“Even so, parting with an S-rank is taking things a bit too far. The entity I manifested this time around happens to be extraordinarily practical.”

“Oh come on, using that logic, is there a single S-rank entity in existence that is complete garbage?”

“I want two.”

Baek Jinwoo held up two fingers to emphasize his point.

“…What did you say?”

This time, it was Olivia whose expression warped into a grimace.

“Two of them? Are you losing your mind? Do you have any inkling how grueling it was for Unni to—!”

“Just as I suspected.”

Baek Jinwoo let out a knowing smirk.

“Rachel was indeed the one who obtained it, wasn’t she?”

Oops!

Olivia slammed her open hand against her own forehead, letting out a series of forced coughs to cover her blunder.

“Ahem. Fine, yes, she did. It was awarded as a special clearing reward from the 50th floor of the Tower of Trials, no less. Believe me, we would absolutely love to possess a second one! But we genuinely do not have it. I swear on my life. You are more than welcome to utilize that Mindreader Eagle or whatever to verify it.”

Virtually everyone had witnessed the terrifying capabilities of the Mindreader Eagle during that incident at the London casino.

Hmm.

Observing her desperate willingness to go to such lengths, it appeared she was telling the absolute truth.

What is the best course of action here?

Should I surrender Thunderlord in order to secure Aso?

It certainly wasn’t a poor trade, but…

Even if I take it upon myself to scale the upper reaches of the Tower of Trials, there is zero absolute assurance that I would happen upon one of those specific scrolls.

Baek Jinwoo closed his eyes to contemplate.

This wasn’t a dilemma where he could seek outside counsel.

It rested entirely on him.

This was a monumental choice that he alone had to settle.

“Supposing I actually agree to surrender this S-rank summon, who is the intended master? Rachel?”

“No.”

Olivia shook her head side to side.

“Unni is already pushed to her absolute limit managing and cultivating three of them. The summon will most likely be assigned to whichever individual boasts the closest elemental affinity.”

“Hmm, in that case, you would stand the highest statistical probability of inheriting it.”

“Huh? What makes you say that?”

“The inherent elemental attribute of this particular summon happens to be lightning.”

“A-are you serious?”

Olivia practically leaped straight out of her chair.

She currently commanded three A-rank Adjudicators.

And their signature, definitive capability was none other than Thunderfall!

In an instant, the person consumed by overwhelming longing was Olivia herself.

Having a random teammate on the United Kingdom’s national roster acquire the summon versus guaranteeing that she would be the one to wield it were two completely separate universes.

“I have reached a conclusion.”

“What did you decide?”

“Whatever additional compensation you can provide on top of this scroll. Present that to me, and I will take your offer into serious consideration.”

“An additional compensation? What on earth do you want?!”

“I believe you are far better equipped to answer that than I am.”

To put it plainly, he was demanding that she demonstrate her true level of commitment and sincerity.

If her added offering managed to truly sway him, he would move forward with the trade. If her terms proved insufficient, he would flatly reject the deal.

Regardless, she had maintained a secure position within the global top ten rankings for three consecutive years. She was bound to have amassed an incredibly massive hoard of wealth and treasures.

“You have until this time tomorrow.”

Baek Jinwoo stood up from his chair.

In reality.

This was a fundamental doctrine of negotiation that Yu Jia had personally instilled in him.

Never be the party to initiate the bidding by stating your exact desires.

As a general rule, the individual who exposes their cards first ends up at a disadvantage.

If he were to outline his exact demands right away?

The opposing party would merely need to gather the precise resources to fulfill that exact baseline.

If circumstances absolutely forced you to state a price first, you would have to demand an utterly absurd, astronomical sum. But who could pull off a bluff like that seamlessly?

Baek Jinwoo, on the other hand, was perfectly positioned to do so.

Because he held the absolute, uncontested position of leverage.

“I will arrange for a comfortable room to be set up for you, so please take all the time you need to deliberate.”

Olivia could do nothing but pout in frustration, watching helplessly as Baek Jinwoo strolled away with a confident smirk playing on his lips, turning his back to her.

“Haah.”

A heavy sigh escaped from deep within Olivia’s chest.

She had possessed a lingering premonition that it wouldn’t be this simple.

The mere notion that she could walk away with a prized S-rank summon utilizing nothing more than this single slip of parchment.

It really was the logic of a swindler, when she stopped to think about it.

Even so.

He had clearly displayed a genuine spark of interest.

That realization alone constituted a massive victory.

As expected of Unni’s sharp intuition.

When Rachel had originally instructed her to board a flight to Korea, gauge his reaction, and attempt to independently trade that scroll for an S-rank summon.

The entire plan had sounded utterly preposterous at the time.

But incredibly… is this crazy idea actually on the verge of working?

To make matters even sweeter, Olivia had even managed to extract brief, tantalizing details regarding the S-rank entity under a strict non-disclosure agreement.

Thunderlord.

That magnificent avian creature raining down pure lightning, just imagining how awe-inspiring it must be took her breath away.

I need to have it so desperately.

In all honesty, she would gladly surrender her entire accumulated fortune this very instant to secure it if the opportunity arose.

That was the staggering reality of what an S-rank commanded.

The absolute pinnacle of the Unique classification, boasting a measly 1% statistical drop probability even if a person managed to crack open a staggering one hundred ultimate summoning scrolls—the highly coveted, “priceless” variants!

Conventional wisdom dictated that there was virtually no realistic path to acquiring one unless you secured the title of World League MVP.

But looking at the current landscape?

That MVP title was undeniably destined to land in the hands of JinuGod.

“Ughhhhh……”

What options did she even have left to pursue?! What was her next move?!

The following morning.

“Ten trillion!”

Olivia bellowed out the number, intercepting him right out on the public street.

“I will add an extra ten trillion won to the deal!”

Baek Jinwoo simply grinned at her sheer desperation.

And then.

“Yeah, pack your bags and head home.”

He completely shut down the offer without a second thought.

Proposals of this nature required being turned down precisely nine times.

A tenth rejection risked entirely shattering her resolve, making nine the absolute golden number for extracting the absolute maximum value possible.

“Twenty trillion!”

See that?

Just observe the sheer depth of her pockets. It took her less than a single hour to completely double her initial financial offer.

“Come on now, aren’t you taking this a bit too far? Twenty trillion won constitutes my entire net worth!”

“I am absolutely not leaving! I will plant myself right here and wait!”

Hmph! She stormed away in a massive huff, radiating the stubborn energy of a woman in her early twenties.

“What precise prize are you attempting to squeeze out of her?”

Yu Jia, who happened to be observing the entire spectacle from right beside him, chimed in.

She had already been completely filled in on every detail of the ongoing situation.

“I don’t even have a specific item in mind.”

“…I beg your pardon?”

“If I simply persist in turning her down, she will eventually reach a point where she offers literally everything she has to give.”

It was an unavoidable outcome.

Such was the intoxicating, irresistible draw of an S-rank summon.

This scenario was the quintessential definition of when the phrase “truly priceless” was meant to be used.

“What if that amount truly does represent the entirety of her wealth?”

“Just bide your time.”

Baek Jinwoo offered a smile overflowing with relaxed assurance, and precisely one hour later.

“Th-thirty trillion won! I physically cannot offer a single cent higher!”

Olivia marched up to him once more.

Yu Jia, who had been waiting patiently alongside him, felt her jaw drop slightly in sheer disbelief.

See?

If you simply exercise patience, the opposing party will invariably discover a method to drive the numbers higher.

She had most likely gone and secured a massive personal line of credit.

When it came to securing an S-rank summon, even the government itself would likely step in to guarantee the loan.

Baek Jinwoo’s face broke out into a massive, satisfied beam.

An admirable effort, but still a no.

While money was certainly fantastic, their own organization possessed an abundance of financial capital as well.

If she was genuinely consumed by desperation, she would have to come forward with a completely different kind of asset.

Something genuinely irreplaceable, mirroring the unique nature of the scrolls themselves.