Chapter 134

Even Baek Jinwoo, who had already been briefed on the details, found himself genuinely awed.

“Wow, this is… How did you even manage to pull off a summon like this?”

Clap clap clap!

Baek Jinwoo broke into applause.

His clapping was filled with absolute sincerity.

This was an incredible achievement.

Even a brief assessment made it clear that this particular entity far outstripped Thunderlord in raw potential.

It would likely stand on equal footing with Rachel’s Baekho.

Simply nurturing this single creature properly would grant enough power to overwhelm opponents through sheer scale alone.

With a bit more refinement in her handling, she might even be capable of going toe-to-toe with the Five Emperors, putting Rachel aside.

“I didn’t even intend to draw at first, but everyone kept badgering me so relentlessly… I just gave in out of sheer annoyance, and then this popped out.”

Hong Ari gave her head a little scratch.

“It’s a massive relief that it ended up being such a success. I was honestly incredibly nervous.”

In her mind, she was sending endless waves of appreciation to her teammates.

Her mindset had completely flipped compared to how she felt an hour ago.

Ki Jaehyeok and Kang Jiho suddenly seemed incredibly endearing to her, and she felt a profound sense of satisfaction, as if she could hand them the entire world.

As a matter of fact, the exact instant that summon appeared, Hong Ari had bowed deeply in gratitude to every member of the guild.

“Very well.”

Baek Jinwoo gave a firm nod.

“I will officially recognize Vermilion Bird as your personal summon. See to it that you raise it well. I’ll even task Drill Sarge to assist with your training.”

“Hehe. Thank you so much, Guild Master!”

Displaying a brilliant grin, Hong Ari skipped out of the room with an undeniable bounce in her step.

Just observing her departure from behind made it obvious how absolutely thrilled she was.

She looked as though she could soar right up into the sky.

“I have to admit, I’m a bit envious.”

Yu Jia, who had been observing the entire interaction from the sidelines, let out a chuckle.

“She has every reason to be walking on air. Previously, there were only two individuals across the globe who possessed S-rank summons, and now that number has risen to three.”

“It pleases me as well, given that SKY’s overall combat capability has just received a major upgrade.”

“But won’t your own battle strength take a hit now that you are parting with Thunderlord?”

“We are receiving that creature named Aso in exchange, aren’t we? Word is that its capabilities are completely absurd.”

“That is true.”

Baek Jinwoo and Yu Jia returned to their seats on the bench, passing the time until Olivia made her appearance.

They had plenty of tasks demanding their attention, but they chose to take a brief intermission.

After all, handling this S-rank summon situation was the absolute highest priority at the moment.

A period of time slipped by.

“Haaah.”

Olivia neared them while letting out a heavy, bone-deep sigh of exhaustion.

She then spoke in a defeated, weary tone.

“Fine. Merging the initial fifty trillion I brought up earlier… with every bit of extra backing that England managed to scrape together, the grand total comes to three hundred trillion.”

“Alright, you can head on home.”

“No, you absolute lunatic! I wasn’t even finished speaking, so the least you can do is listen to the rest!”

She completely lost her temper.

This recurring “head on home” routine was pushing her to the brink of insanity.

Seriously, how many times had she been forced to hear that exact phrase just within the span of today?

“Let me state this with absolute clarity!”

Placing both hands firmly on her hips, she pressed forward.

“I had to sweet-talk Rachel Unni, the members of Red Rose, AND the British authorities just to stitch this final proposition together, alright? There is absolutely nothing left after this. If you doubt me, you can literally have that Mindreader Eagle sitting on your Unni’s shoulder peer right into my thoughts.”

“Fine.”

Receiving a subtle look from Baek Jinwoo, Yu Jia gave a nod of assent.

The Mindreader Eagle positioned on her shoulder fixed its gaze straight at Olivia.

What an unsettling little creature.

Olivia stuck her tongue out at it.

Was he seriously going to deploy the Mindreader Eagle just like that?

“She is speaking the absolute truth.”

After about ten seconds passed, Yu Jia confirmed the claim with a nod.

“It appears she went through an immense amount of trouble to assemble this package. It truly looks like this represents their absolute limit.”

“Is that right? Fine, let’s take a look. What exactly are we dealing with?”

“I made sure to draft it using your native tongue, so see for yourself.”

With a swift motion, Olivia proffered a piece of paper, which Baek Jinwoo accepted.

[Compensation to be delivered]

1. Guaranteed Summoning Scroll (A-rank).

2. 300 trillion won.

3. 10 ultimate summoning scrolls.

4. 100 Universal Abrasives.

5. A binding commitment to hand over the very next Guaranteed Summoning Scroll (A-rank) acquired, entirely free of charge, to Player Baek Jinwoo.

Hmm.

So they ended up tossing in ultimate summoning scrolls and Universal Abrasives as sweeteners.

That isn’t a bad haul whatsoever.

The ultimate summoning scrolls, in particular, were items he genuinely required.

After all, he would need to gather more sacrifices for the upcoming tournament.

Was this Rachel’s concept?

She had pinpointed his exact requirements with an almost frightening degree of accuracy.

“You realize that the fifth point was the specific condition we nearly killed ourselves trying to secure, right?”

Olivia chimed in once more, shifts of nervous energy causing her to bounce on her feet.

“Our group is going to begin ascending the Tower of Trials with full focus now. If a Guaranteed Summoning Scroll happens to drop during the climb, it goes straight to you without any debate. We can even lock it down with a magical covenant. We don’t really have a use for an A-rank Guaranteed Summoning Scroll regardless.”

This represented her ultimate boundary.

It was honestly a fantastic trade.

Thunderlord possessed great utility, to be sure, but it couldn’t even begin to compare to the prospects of Aso.

A slight grin formed on Baek Jinwoo’s face.

“Alright, you put in a lot of effort.”

He reached his hand forward.

“We have a deal!”

“Haaaaah… Are you serious? It’s actually finalized!”

Olivia’s knees gave out right then and there, proving just how incredibly draining the entire negotiation process had been for her.

They proceeded to formalize the agreement.

The reputations carried by Olivia and Rachel were synonymous with absolute reliability, so he harbored no skepticism.

With only that specific fifth stipulation secured through the formal contract, he officially transferred ownership of Thunderlord (雷鳥).

A beautiful little companion that had somehow found its way into my possession, but I hope you serve your next master well.

He hadn’t formed a deep emotional bond with it.

If anything, the only thing consuming his thoughts was the intense thrill of anticipating Aso.

An EX-rank entity completely overshadows an S-rank every day of the week.

Ramba, Drill Sarge, Burst Dragon, Rolly, Rune Dwarf…

And on top of that, there were LG and Dhampir.

An absolute powerhouse collection of EX-rank entities.

I should really begin the process of training LG and Dhampir properly.

And now, Aso is being thrown into that exact mix?

Good grief.

He was bound to be so utterly overwhelmed with work that he’d practically drop dead in the days ahead.

Having secured exactly what she came for, Olivia took her departure without lingering.

Observing the look on her face as she walked away, it was clear that while she uttered words of gratitude… she bore the unmistakable aura of someone who had been deeply psychologically scarred by the transaction.

She likely wouldn’t even glance toward their team for quite some time.

It couldn’t be helped.

Does anyone truly comprehend the sheer value of an S-rank summon?

I had absolutely no intention of being shortchanged.

Heh heh.

A massive smile spread across Baek Jinwoo’s features.

“Do you plan to perform the invocation right this moment?”

“Would you care to observe?”

“Naturally. I intend to just relax and take things easy for the remainder of the day.”

“Our schedules are about to turn completely chaotic, so taking a rest right now is actually a wonderful idea.”

Exchanging light conversation, he took a quick glance at Yu Jia’s upcoming itinerary, and the sheer volume of it was enough to make him lose his breath.

Most notably, conferences with high-ranking government dignitaries for national negotiations were squeezed in one after the other, where she intended to iron out complex tax frameworks.

If they properly utilized the leveraging power of the oil field setup alongside their proprietary technological advancements, a vast majority of the terms would likely be approved without much resistance.

South Korea enforces far too heavy a tax burden on high-earning individuals.

The concept of taxation on its own wasn’t an issue.

Much like clearing out blocked pathways in the circulatory system, the redistribution of wealth was entirely vital for the survival of the less fortunate classes.

Even so.

The primary concern was that an overbearing tax policy could potentially choke out enterprises that were actively serving critical national interests.

Moderation was the ideal path in all matters.

It wasn’t as if they were refusing to contribute their share. They merely required a safeguard to ensure the state didn’t extract an unreasonable portion.

In all honesty, a player holding a world-class ranking was already offering massive structural perks to their homeland simply by choosing not to emigrate or seek citizenship in another country.

“Alright, make your appearances, everyone.”

— Understood, master!

Drill Sarge materialized in an instant.

— Ooooooh, another summoning ritual? Are we bringing forth Aso this time around? Or perhaps Demon Cat?

Ramba began darting around the space in a state of wild excitement.

— Grrrrr…

LG manifested as well.

— I… I have arrived, Master.

And the charming Dhampir quietly took her place, maintaining a completely poised and serene demeanor.

What about Stormy?

She was currently keeping company with Hwang Jiwoo.

Stormy would be returning to the fold before long.

Roughly three months had elapsed by now… meaning there were only about ten days remaining on her clock.

Baek Jinwoo pulled the invocation item from his inventory.

[Guaranteed Summoning Scroll]

[Rank: A-rank]

[You possess the authority to choose and manifest any A-rank summon of your preference.]

“Let’s get this underway.”

RIIIP!

He ripped the parchment apart without a shred of hesitation, and the exact same sequence of brilliant visual phenomena that characterized the original Guaranteed Summoning Scroll burst into the air.

[‘Guaranteed Summoning Scroll’ (A-rank) has been triggered!]

[Player ‘Baek Jinwoo’ is currently selecting the desired entity!]

Shhhhhhhh!

An innumerable quantity of summon profiles, shaped like cards, fanned out across his field of vision. Baek Jinwoo shut his eyes tightly, focusing his mind on engraving two specific entities.

[‘Aso’ (EX-rank)]

[‘Demon Cat’ (EX-rank)]

Just as I anticipated!

Both options were present within the selection.

Invaluable companions who would both inevitably belong to his roster in due time!

However, for this specific occasion, there was absolutely no reason to hesitate or debate.

Aso absolutely had to take precedence.

Aso’s power scaled exponentially depending on the number of combat disciplines she successfully mastered.

In her initial state, she was so remarkably frail that she couldn’t even overcome a basic E-rank creature, but further down the line? She would effortlessly toy with S-rank titans.

A fully matured Aso would likely grab entities like Baekho or Vermilion Bird by their tails and toss them across the battlefield just for her own amusement.

Baek Jinwoo wrapped his fingers around the target card without wasting a fraction of a second.

Whoooosh!

The card spun rapidly in midair before fracturing into a brilliant eruption of light.

[Player ‘Baek Jinwoo’ has successfully acquired the summon ‘Aso’ (EX-rank)!]

— Mm…?

From the core of that radiant white luminescence, a young child possessing skin as smooth and pale as porcelain stepped forward.

A practitioner of the martial arts. A tiny girl.

Her authentic birth name was Soso (昭昭).

It bore the connotation of being radiant and full of joy, though tragically, she possessed no ancestral surname.

Her mother and father had suffered a horrific calamity when she was a mere infant, leaving Soso with absolutely no recollection of them.

Consequently, she remained entirely ignorant of her family lineage.

People simply referred to her as Aso (阿小), using it as a term of endearment.

Within the martial world, it was apparently customary to prefix a person’s given name with ‘A (阿)’ as a display of affection.

— Daddy…?

Aso blinked her eyes curiously, looking straight up into Baek Jinwoo’s face.

“…Hold on, did she just say Daddy?”

Yu Jia started in visible astonishment, her eyes darting quickly between the two.

Baek Jinwoo let out a chuckle, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck.

“Haha, well, the reality of the situation is this.”

Way back during his time playing Battle of Summoners, JinuGod had relied on a specific strategic manipulation to unlock a greater portion of her dormant capabilities.

Specifically, it involved bestowing a formal surname upon her.

— Aso, from this moment forward, your name shall be Baek Soso (白昭昭). I will act as your parent.

He had merely entered that text as a standard system directive, yet from that precise juncture onward, Aso’s development had accelerated at a mind-boggling pace.

Whether it was a quirk of the core artificial intelligence or some hidden programming trigger, he couldn’t say for certain. But as a result of that choice, Aso had invariably addressed Baek Jinwoo as ‘Daddy.’

He provided Yu Jia with a heavily streamlined explanation of the past events.

“Wow…”

She observed the scene before her with absolute wonderment.

All of a sudden, Aso shifted her gaze.

And then…

— Mommy…?

“Oh, goodness me!”

Yu Jia recoiled slightly in surprise, her hands instantly flying up to cover her mouth.

Simultaneously, the subtle layer of caution that usually lingered in her expression completely dissolved into a profound, gentle warmth.

“Just look at this precious little creature.”

She stepped forward with great care, taking Aso up into a warm, protective embrace.

“She is an incredibly charming summon, do you realize that?”

“Isn’t she? I’m glad you’re here, Aso.”

— Yes!

The individual destined to become the undisputed peak under the heavens, the greatest combatant across all generations.

A martial prodigy of completely unparalleled capability, Aso, had officially integrated into the ranks of SKY.

The sprawling residence of the Daesung Group.

“Heh, heh heh heh.”

Yu Byeongcheon was staring intently at a document, a look of profound satisfaction plastered across his face.

“So Baek Jinwoo happens to have a preference for these particular varieties of spirits?”

Displayed on the monitor before him was an inventory of fine alcoholic beverages that Yu Jia had carefully compiled.

She had jotted down these details while traveling on the private corporate aircraft bound for the World League event in London.

Exactly one week from this very day.

He intended to extend a formal invitation for Baek Jinwoo to visit this location.

All thanks to his magnificent, incredibly reliable Yu Jia, he was granted the opportunity to welcome a globally renowned icon and celebrated national champion to the modest grounds of the Daesung Group residence.

“Secretary Heo.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

Yu Byeongcheon’s trusted assistant, Heo Jeonghui, inclined her head respectfully.

“Go and retrieve the single most costly bottle available in our entire reserve of whiskey. The scarcer or more impossible to acquire it is, the better suited it will be for this occasion.”

“Understood, sir. I will see to it.”

“Furthermore, what sorts of things do these youthful players typically find appealing nowadays?”

“…Are you inquiring specifically regarding Player Baek Jinwoo, sir?”

“Naturally. A highly distinguished individual is paying us a visit, so we must ensure we have a truly appropriate offering prepared!”

A cold sweat broke out across Heo Jeonghui’s brow.

It was glaringly obvious that the chairman desired to present an exceptional token of appreciation, but…

Was there genuinely any material possession on earth that a man of Baek Jinwoo’s stature couldn’t already procure for himself?

In a very real sense, Baek Jinwoo’s influence had eclipsed the entire scale of the Daesung Group.

“Conduct a thorough investigation. Find something truly exceptional. Spare absolutely no effort or expense.”

“…I will carry out your orders immediately.”

For the first time in an incredibly long while, a palpable sense of anxiety settled over Heo Jeonghui.

She had just been tasked with what would undoubtedly be one of the most grueling and delicate assignments of her entire professional path.

“Heh heh heh.”

Yu Byeongcheon simply couldn’t hold back his chuckling, completely entertained by an internal source of amusement known only to himself.