Chapter 145

Chapter 145: I Alone Am an EX-Class Summoner

LG, the Dhampir.

This was the steadfast protector and restorer that had anchored his strategies across nearly a decade of playing JinuGod.

To maximize their utility, securing a particular Rare rune was an absolute necessity.

“Drink up, it’s fresh.”

Baek Jinwoo guided Olivia into the meeting area, presenting her with a warm mug.

“Appreciate it.”

Slurp.

She accepted the beverage and took a slow drink.

“Let me speak plainly. My personal record so far is only the 40th floor. Venturing onto Floor 51 as you requested is going to require a significant amount of preparation on my end.”

“That is perfectly fine. I am willing to grant you that time.”

“While I prepare, there are specific runes you must acquire for yourself.”

“What are they called?”

“Resolve and Exploit. Both are of Rare quality. I require a single set of each.”

“……Do those truly exist?”

Olivia tilted her head in confusion.

“I managed to establish myself as a frontrunner early on, yet I have never once encountered those names.”

“That is to be expected. They belong to a niche category, meaning they lack broad utility.”

“Ah, I see.”

“There are bound to be several players who stumbled upon them and merely stowed them away in storage.”

“Because they possess no real market demand?”

“Precisely.”

Baek Jinwoo nodded in agreement.

They had likely been accumulated by collectors of Rare runes at standard market rates.

Navigating trades with collectors was always the trickiest endeavor.

If you presented an aggressive offer, they tended to grow stubborn and defensive.

They recognized better than anyone else how rarity dictated premium pricing.

“Deliver those two pieces to me, and the instant I break past the 50th level, I will proceed to Floor 51 without hesitation.”

“……Is that a promise?”

“Naturally. However, should Rachel manifest within that space, our agreement is instantly voided by mutual consent.”

“That works for me! So your immediate destination is the 50th floor?”

“Yes, that was my intended path from the beginning.”

A literal monster……

Olivia whispered under her breath.

Conquering the 50th floor was a monumental task for anyone.

Yet, he possessed the exact disposition capable of rendering it trivial.

At this point, no active player could possibly question the sheer capability of Baek Jinwoo.

“Straightforward and precise. Let us formalize the agreement.”

Tracking down those runes?

Leveraging the backing of England would make it a simple task.

Their administrative reach in these matters surpassed almost any other global power……

Resolve, Exploit, Resolve, Exploit……

Olivia tightened her fingers into a fist, mentally chanting the pair of rune names over and over.

Scratch, scratch.

The executive suite at Yubaek.

The interior remained entirely silent, save for the rhythmic turning of paper.

“Hmm.”

Yu Jia sat with flawless posture, her back perfectly straight as she methodically shifted through the array of paperwork.

However, her focus was operating at an incredible pace.

The velocity at which she analyzed the written material was nearly superhuman.

Fwip……!

The very moment a sheet was turned, her vision scanned across the text like a lightning bolt.

Her eyes shifted rapidly, yet her physical composure remained entirely undisturbed.

Immensely focused. Indifferent.

A mountain of documents rested beside the desk.

If the staff at Yubaek were asked to identify the single most occupied, overtaxed individual in the entire firm, they would select Yu Jia without a moment’s pause.

Minutes from executive sessions, divisional breakdowns—that merely scratched the surface.

Development pitches, funding arrangements, collaborative ventures, and beyond……

Managing the deluge of concepts and files arriving from all corners of the planet on a day-to-day basis was an extraordinary undertaking.

Furthermore, the stack resting beside her had already cleared an initial screening by the board of directors.

That alone illustrated the sheer scale of the workload.

“Hah.”

She eventually exhaled a brief breath.

Only because she was Yu Jia could she dismantle this mountain of work within a single afternoon. Any normal executive would have abandoned half the pile untouched.

Right at that second, a file containing highly intriguing parameters caught her attention.

“PBC?”

An acronym for the Player Broadcasting Corporation—currently one of the premier domestic television networks.

From biographical profiles to Ranking Players, Survival Challenge, A Day in the Life of a Player, and similar programming.

A media giant that had anchored its market dominance by delivering continuous broadcasting triumphs.

“What could they want with……”

Resting in her fingers was a formal pitch.

To: Yubaek Director, Ms. Yu Jia.

From: PBC

Subject: Request for Cooperation in Filming Player Baek Jinwoo’s Tower Climb & Compensation Proposal

Dear Director,

Warm greetings.

PBC, which handles the creation of player-centric profiles, is submitting this official inquiry to request archival material and filming rights regarding Player Baek Jinwoo’s progression through the tower. Player Baek Jinwoo’s advancement through the structure has generated immense curiosity and excitement across the general populace and our audience. We believe presenting his courageous journey as a feature broadcast would serve to motivate countless individuals.

To facilitate this, PBC wants to state that we are prepared to grant the following exceptional remedies in exchange for obtaining recorded documentation of his tower progression:

• Ice Heart Jade Blood Salve

• Clear Sky Petroleum

• Millennium Snow Ginseng

• Sun Myth Flower

Every single one of these four remedies yields remarkable properties and is anticipated to provide substantial assistance to Player Baek Jinwoo’s journey upward. PBC anticipates a highly advantageous partnership and politely asks for your deliberate review of this matter.

We await your positive assessment, and please feel free to reach out should additional terms require deliberation. Thank you.

PBC Director

Documentary Production Division.

“Huh.”

They desired to record Baek Jinwoo ascending the Tower of Trials utilizing their tracking systems to craft a special presentation.

Under normal circumstances, she would have dismissed the inquiry out of hand……

Yet the offered trade items were highly compelling.

Particularly the Millennium Snow Ginseng—Jinwoo had mentioned acquiring one back on the 40th level.

And this network held an item of that caliber in their reserves?

The remaining remedies were equally extraordinary.

Each individual piece was an absolute rarity capable of providing a permanent attribute enhancement to a summoned entity!

Ultimately, consulting Jinwoo directly was the most efficient course of action.

Particularly because, if recording commenced, they would need to begin documenting from the 41st floor onward.

Whoosh.

Yu Jia retrieved her communication device without a moment of hesitation.

“Wait, seriously?”

Baek Jinwoo’s expression brightened instantly.

“Lock it in. Let us accept the terms immediately, no doubts whatsoever.”

The capabilities of his summons had already been put on full display before the global community during the World League regardless.

There was nothing left to conceal from the public eye.

There was no longer any benefit in hiding his hand.

In the past, he had masked his full strength purely for personal security. At this stage, such precautions were unnecessary.

Because Stormy was by his side.

“Yes, it is perfectly fine. Fortune has truly been favoring me lately. Excellent developments simply keep arriving.”

The edges of Baek Jinwoo’s lips slowly split into a grin.

Initially, Olivia materialized out of nowhere promising to source rare runes, and now a television network was presenting high-tier remedies.

He had already intended to scale the structure regardless, and now all these bonus windfalls were dropping right into his hands.

He had felt a bit remorseful about exclusively upgrading Drill Sarge previously……

He could utilize these items to elevate the remainder of his roster now.

It might even be a fun idea to allocate one as an incentive for whichever guild associate demonstrated the highest capability.

“Since we are on the subject, I intend to depart tomorrow morning, so instruct them to prepare all tracking assets. Oh, is that how it was settled?”

Baek Jinwoo maintained his dialogue with Yu Jia.

What truly struck him as exceptional regarding her management?

She had immediately engaged PBC and structured the agreement so they would deliver the remedies prior to filming as a retaining fee.

Her logic: possessing the enhancements beforehand would optimize his climbing efficiency, thereby rendering the recorded footage far more thrilling for the audience.

The rationale was ironclad, leading the network to agree without protest.

Incredibly sharp.

Instances like this underscored just how essential Yu Jia’s presence was to his operations.

She organized all the tedious administrative duties he preferred to avoid, executing them flawlessly.

Not a single error existed in her output.

She managed even the obscure details that were incredibly tedious to track, operating entirely on her own accord.

Furthermore, Yu Jia had inquired whether the intelligence regarding the 41st floor and beyond held greater intrinsic worth than he realized, and how he preferred to secure that data.

“Do not let it trouble you. Not a single person will be capable of replicating my specific combat methods simply by reviewing the footage. There is no real strategic intelligence at risk of exposure.”

The scenarios, the encounter mechanics, everything—Stormy was simply going to obliterate the challenges entirely.

The baseline information regarding the Tower of Trials had been general knowledge for an incredibly long time anyway.

Did anyone truly believe Baekcheon was barred from clearing the 80th floor simply due to a lack of documentation?

The fundamental nature of the Tower of Trials dictated that tactical execution fluctuated entirely based on your active roster of summons.

“Yes, do not fret over it. I am continuously appreciative of your efforts. Talk to you soon~”

Click.

Baek Jinwoo ended the transmission.

Having Yu Jia managing his affairs provided a level of security that words could scarcely define.

The intermission had concluded.

The path leading toward the 50th floor was already perfectly mapped out in his consciousness, down to the final parameters of execution.

Only a single objective remained.

The ascent.

The following morning.

The Player Hub, primary gateway to the Tower of Trials.

“A very pleasant morning to you, sir.”

Production personnel representing PBC were stationed at the gateway awaiting Baek Jinwoo’s arrival.

A pair of employees clad in sharp business attire were organizing a collection of tracking gear.

One of them bowed deeply, presenting an expression of total awe.

“Interacting with a top-tier ranker face-to-face—this represents the absolute highlight of my career.”

“Ah, I appreciate that.”

Baek Jinwoo offered a pleasant expression.

“My only task is to equip this gear?”

“Yes, that is completely correct! This is the absolute peak of recording innovation—engineered to be so weightless you will completely forget it is attached. Your ascent initiates from the 41st level, correct? Word reached us that you intend to match Rachel’s benchmark by conquering up to the 50th floor……”

“That is correct.”

“That is simply…… astounding.”

This was no mere professional courtesy.

The television staff were entirely sincere.

Every action they made radiated genuine reverence.

“Your items, sir.”

Additionally, one of the production workers presented the upfront compensation package.

Oh.

Baek Jinwoo’s gaze shifted with intense curiosity as he accepted the package.

He had no inkling where they had managed to procure these items, but……

The Millennium Snow Ginseng by itself was undoubtedly worth an astronomical sum.

The network had clearly calculated that documenting Baek Jinwoo’s progression was worth far more than the value of these treasures.

Baek Jinwoo evaluated the items in his possession.

The Millennium Snow Ginseng mirrored the exact properties of the specimen he had encountered previously.

[Clear Sky Petroleum]

Rank: S-rank

Effect: When administered to a summoned entity, all core attributes are elevated by 30 points and total health is permanently augmented by 10,000.

Clear Sky Petroleum—providing a massive, unyielding upgrade to total survivability.

An ideal fit for a frontline combatant or defensive summon.

He decided to store this particular item for the time being.

[Sun Myth Flower]

Rank: A-rank

Effect: When administered to a summoned entity, destructive output for flame-based capabilities is permanently elevated by 10%.

Hold on a moment.

This particular item was effectively tailor-made for Stormy.

“Stormy.”

He required no deliberation whatsoever.

The Sun Myth Flower.

According to descriptions provided by Drill Sarge, this was a botanical treasure derived from a sacred flora that had matured for a millennium directly beneath solar rays……

“Consume this immediately.”

Stormy glided forward, accepting the item with an expression of deep appreciation.

Her current capabilities were already absurdly high, meaning an additional 10% enhancement might appear redundant on paper, yet……

It mattered immensely.

The greater your foundational power, the more a flat percentage enhancement yielded exponentially higher combat output in practice.

Moving on—the Ice Heart Jade Blood Salve!

[Ice Heart Jade Blood Salve]

Effect: When administered to a summoned entity, defensive mitigation against frost-based elements is permanently elevated by 50%.

Hmm.

The enhancement properties were stellar, but finding the right recipient was a bit puzzling.

He would obviously give it to someone on his roster, but deciding who……

When dealing with defensive mitigation, that responsibility fell squarely upon a guardian asset.

Perfect.

“Step forward, LG.”

• Grwoh?

“Though, how exactly does an entity like you consume a substance like this?”

The Ice Heart Jade Blood Salve.

An ointment concocted from concentrated extracts harvested from ancient frost jade hidden deep within a glacial cavern.

Could a mechanical construct actually ingest an item like this?

• GRWOOOH!

LG extended its massive arm and unfurled its metallic fingers.

“……Here you go.”

The moment the ointment was deposited onto its metallic palm, the construct guided the substance directly to its maw and—

CRUNCH, CR-CRUNCH!

Masticated the item without a single issue.

“……”

That actually worked?

Did artificial constructs even possess a biological digestive framework?

Who could say.

It was likely just a quirk of how the mechanics within Battle of Summoners operated.

Baek Jinwoo observed the bizarre sequence alongside the television staff, then offered a nod of understanding.

“My thanks for supplying such exceptional materials. If everything is settled, I shall make my entry now.”

“Oh, y-yes! By all means!”

The personnel quickly stepped aside to clear his path.

He had already completed the process of attaching the recording gear.

The tech mirrored the items he had utilized alongside Yu Jia during his early operations, meaning he understood the functionality completely.

“In that case, I shall depart.”

Baek Jinwoo moved forward with total self-assurance, organizing the remaining details within his thoughts.

The single copy of the Millennium Snow Ginseng would be designated for Aso, while the Clear Sky Petroleum would be put up as a performance incentive for the guild roster.

That appeared to be the most logical arrangement.

Excellent!

From this exact moment.

It was time to execute an absolute blitz straight to the 50th floor.

If he was going to broadcast his capabilities to the public, he might as well deliver an absolutely unforgettable performance.