Chapter 147

“Huaaahm.”

Baek Jinwoo stepped out while stretching his arms skyward, releasing a deep, prolonged yawn after finally conquering the initial half of the structure.

The entire weight of his grueling ascent crashed over him simultaneously.

That had been an incredibly demanding trek.

Particularly that final encounter. The monarch of the Titans, Kronos.

Baek Jinwoo had locked horns with that behemoth for a grueling, uninterrupted five hours.

The adversary wielded absolute mastery over lightning and thunder, alongside the ability to distort time, ensuring he was a nightmare to face.

Ultimately, Jinwoo secured victory only by ordering Stormy to store energy for Dragon Burst to its absolute maximum limit before discharging the attack. Under ordinary circumstances, the battle would have dragged on significantly longer.

“Welcome back, Player-nim!”

“I-is it true that you successfully cleared the 50th floor?”

The facility employees hurried over with reverence written across their faces, their gaze filled with awe.

“Heading straight out the front doors isn’t a good idea at the moment.”

“That’s right, members of the press are swarming the perimeter of the Tower of Trials. The public is losing its mind.”

Their tone blended deep admiration with an anxious desire to ensure their champion faced no unnecessary trouble.

“It is of no consequence.”

Whoosh.

Without hesitation, Baek Jinwoo materialized the Skypierce Wyvern.

Grrrrr……

“I can easily depart by taking to the skies on this. I intend to challenge Floor 51 in the near future, so our paths will cross again shortly.”

“……Floor 51.”

The facility workers froze in astonishment.

That implied he was preparing to immediately follow the path of Rachel and overtake it.

An absolute sensation.

How could a person of this caliber even exist?

Other elite competitors frequently complain that traversing even Floors 10 and 20 feels like a brush with death……. How does he make such monumental feats appear effortless?

They burned with curiosity regarding the inner workings of the labyrinth.

Just how brutal the environment actually was.

And precisely how seamlessly Baek Jinwoo was shattering those immense hurdles.

The workers were far from alone in their curiosity. Individuals across the entire globe shared that exact fascination.

Baek Jinwoo stepped onto the back of the flying beast.

“Have a safe journey!”

“Phenomenal job out there!”

As the encouraging shouts of the employees faded behind him—

KIREEEEE!

He shot directly into the upper atmosphere.

Yubaek City operated under strict regulations, remaining completely closed off to everyday civilians.

An individual required an official residence pass just to cross the threshold.

First things first.

He had no intention of rushing immediately into Floor 51.

He meant to take a brief intermission until Olivia arrived with the specific runes she had guaranteed……

Furthermore.

Baek Jinwoo harbored a slight sense of apprehension regarding Floor 51.

Considering that Olivia had not reached out to him yet, it meant Rachel had still failed to reappear from the depths of the structure……

Taking that into account, there was a strong chance that……

Could she have perished?

He had to contemplate the grim scenario where Rachel had actually lost her life.

Yet, it felt somewhat contradictory.

Even taking into account that the scale of danger ballooned by more than double once an individual surpassed Floor 51, it shouldn’t have been severe enough to cause total failure right at the introductory phase.

Regardless of the circumstances, I must ensure my readiness is absolute.

This was the moment to pull out all the stops.

Even if it required depleting every single piece of currency he had accumulated, he intended to finalize the graduation runes for all of his EX-rank summons prior to stepping inside.

He would refine Aso’s combat proficiency, put his modification materials to work, and top it off by embedding the Rune Seal Documents acquired as tournament rewards. He was going to hold nothing back.

Perhaps he ought to begin by organizing his prize inventory?

Baek Jinwoo accessed his storage interface to look over the rewards obtained from Floor 41 onward.

[Floor 41 – Universal Abrasive x 30]

[Floor 42 – Supreme-grade rune selection ticket (Bound) x 3]

[Floor 43 – Essence of Darkness x 30]

[Floor 44 – Supreme-grade summoning scroll x 13]

[Floor 45 – Universal Abrasive x 30]

[Floor 46 – Supreme-grade rune selection ticket (Bound) x 3]

[Floor 47 – Essence of Light x 30]

[Floor 48 – High-grade summoning scroll x 30]

[Floor 49 – High-grade summoning scroll x 30]

[Floor 50 – King’s Crest (Bound) x 1, Scroll of Life x 1]

“Hah.”

An impressive collection, matching his expectations.

Then again, having excellent resources was ideal.

Every item listed here possessed a specific utility.

The sole item that stood out from the rest was a single object.

The Scroll of Life obtained from Floor 50.

What exactly does this do?

He focused on the item’s technical parameters.

[Scroll of Life]

[Rank: S-rank]

[This document can be deployed exclusively when all active summons have been dismissed.]

[Upon triggering, every accessible summon is called back to the field possessing 50% of their maximum health.]

“Oh.”

An S-rank utility scroll?

The mechanical application was utterly staggering.

It signified that if his contracted entities fell in combat, he possessed the means to resurrect the entire group!

This item is…

A expendable resource that would provide an absurd advantage whether deployed within the boundaries of the Tower of Trials or utilized in a competitive match against other players.

Naturally, he would reserve its use for the Tower of Trials.

That environment was where actual mortality was a factor.

Baek Jinwoo deposited the item back into his storage space.

The Skypierce Wyvern covered ground with astonishing velocity.

The aerial transit from Jamsil to Geomdan Mountain required a mere six minutes!

Given that the span measured approximately twenty kilometers, the beast was maintaining a velocity of close to two hundred kilometers per hour.

The recognizable layout of Yubaek City materialized far beneath his position!

Glimpsing the structural development tied to the town’s growth, a gentle grin surfaced on Baek Jinwoo’s face.

Olivia was still nowhere to be seen.

It appeared she had returned to her home territory in England, investigating every available region alongside her faction comrades.

Baek Ajin had brought to his attention……

Supposedly, inquiries offering premium compensation for Resolve and Exploit runes had been posted across every trading hub on the planet.

“Hmm.”

Arriving at his residence, Baek Jinwoo proceeded directly to the roof deck.

At that point, he materialized all eight of his contracted spirits.

Ramba, Drill Sarge, Burst Dragon, LG, Dhampir.

Rolly, Rune Dwarf, Aso.

“To begin, Ramba and Drill Sarge. The finalization of your graduation runes is fully sorted, correct?”

Unquestionably! I have absolutely no requirement for any artifact aside from my Lightspeed rune!

Master, are you entirely certain regarding this choice……?

Drill Sarge appeared to harbor a sense of remorse when looking at Aso.

The reality was that the top-tier Unique rune, Trinity, was about to be permanently anchored to his own identity.

“Naturally, I am certain. A commitment must be honored.”

He had given his word to Drill Sarge previously.

That specific enhancement belonged to him indefinitely from this point forward.

“The pair of you will have Rune Seal Documents applied immediately.”

[Rune Seal Document]

[Rank: A-rank]

[Alters the equipped rune configuration of a selected summon into an unchangeable ‘Bound’ status.]

[Following the ‘Bound’ alteration, the runes can no longer be detached.]

[In exchange, the intrinsic properties of the runes are elevated by 20%.]

A total of three Seal Documents had been secured via the tournament prizes!

He allocated two of these items to Drill Sarge and Ramba.

Wow, my velocity has noticeably surged!

Deepest gratitude……. My master.

A strange glow enveloped both entities simultaneously, and at that exact moment—

CRACK!

The available slots for runes on one side of their attribute displays solidified like concrete.

Those enhancements were locked in place for eternity, though it caused no concern.

The graduation process for them was officially complete, pure and simple!

Discovering enhancements more potent or perfectly tailored than those would be an impossible task.

That pair is fully taken care of.

As for the remaining six entities……

LG and Dhampir required Resolve and Exploit to establish their permanent loadouts.

There were no specialized Unique runes available that aligned with their attributes.

He would leave the acquisition for those two in Olivia’s hands.

That left four remaining.

Aso required a complete Trinity rune configuration, matching the setup given to Drill Sarge.

Rolly’s current Ruination rune required an advancement into an Annihilation rune.

Stormy’s active Fire Dragon rune needed to be substituted with a Blaze Emperor rune.

And Rune Dwarf required the Master Craftsman rune configuration, which was widely recognized as the absolute peak for production-focused enhancements.

The entire blueprint was perfectly structured.

“Alright.”

Now.

Was it time to begin the actual collection process?

Baek Jinwoo initially put together a comprehensive inventory of the Rare runes he required to buy or synthesize.

[Omni Rune x 12]

[Fire Dragon rune x 12]

[Ruination rune x 12]

[Master Craftsman rune x 6]

Provided that Olivia delivered the designated items, obtaining just these pieces would finalize the ultimate rune configurations for every single summon.

“Rune Dwarf.”

Baek Jinwoo extended the written index toward Rune Dwarf.

“What volume can you manufacture utilizing the components currently resting in our vault?”

Hmm.

Rune Dwarf rubbed his scalp in contemplation.

As you are well aware, forging a single Rare rune demands one hundred elemental essences, ten components of World Tree roots, and two hundred top-tier items from the immediate lower tier.

His gaze brightened as he explained the methodology detail by detail.

We possess massive stockpiles of top-tier runes and World Tree roots accumulated from repeatedly clearing the high-rank Day Dungeons, so those resources are not the bottleneck. The issue rests entirely with the essences.

The elemental essences.

These components generally divided into two distinct classifications.

The Essence of Light and Essence of Darkness, which dropped exclusively within the confines of the Tower of Trials.

Alongside the Lunar, Fire, Water, Wood, and Metal variants derived from the top-tier Saturday instance.

The redeeming factor is that we have no immediate need for Light or Darkness variants……. However, the quantities you have stored are nowhere near sufficient. Omni requires twenty pieces from all five elements, Fire Dragon necessitates one hundred Fire elements, and Ruination demands one hundred Lunar elements. Keep in mind, that is the cost to produce just a single copy of each.

The probability of obtaining these essences was notoriously low.

Even keeping the automated combat system running through the night, a player might secure one every couple of days if fortune favored them.

Understandably, they commanded an incredibly high market value.

Baek Jinwoo promptly summoned Ajin to his side.

“Ajin.”

“Yes, Oppa.”

“I have an assignment for you, the first major one in quite a while. Clear out every single essence available across the trading platforms, and should you find individuals offering the items detailed on this index, contact them directly, enforce a non-disclosure agreement, and acquire them at twice the ongoing market rate.”

There was no longer any purpose in hoarding his wealth.

Securing the necessary inventory took absolute priority.

Capital generates more capital at this stage. Wealth will accumulate automatically whether I focus on it or not.

“Understood, I will launch the acquisition immediately!”

Baek Ajin’s face brightened at the prospect of managing a significant operation after a long hiatus.

“Oh, by the way! Word reached me that you cleared the 50th floor? The media outlets are losing their minds once more. Congratulations.”

“It’s nothing to throw a party over.”

Pfft.

Baek Jinwoo let out a brief chuckle.

It appeared that no level of success could truly startle her at this point.

Not that he could blame her for growing accustomed to it.

He had been pushing forward like an absolute locomotive over the course of the past year.

The individuals who are truly going to be blindsided are located elsewhere entirely.

Prior to returning to his residence, he had scheduled a private meeting with Yu Jia to deliver the recording apparatus.

Technology meant for the major networks!

Every single segment of Baek Jinwoo’s progression would undoubtedly be meticulously prepared and broadcasted to the global audience.

For the moment, the main objective was assembling the required graduation runes!

“Ajin.”

“Yeah?”

“Keep me closely informed regarding the acquisition updates.”

Baek Jinwoo held a hidden advantage within his inventory.

The high-tier rune selection vouchers.

He had accumulated a grand total of thirteen copies.

His strategy entailed purchasing every available piece on the open market first, and subsequently breaking these vouchers open to fulfill any remaining deficits.

They were incapable of producing Unique variants, but they could generate up to Rare tier, which perfectly met his current needs.

“Got it! Leave the details to me!”

Baek Ajin hurried away with rapid, energetic strides.

A week slipped by.

Rune Dwarf commenced the fabrication process the moment the necessary essences trickled into their possession.

With the entire commercial division of Yubaek dedicating their full efforts toward gathering the items, they managed to amass a substantial supply.

As for Baek Jinwoo?

He spent his time moving back and forth between his home base and the Player Zone, reinforcing his runes and making steady progress toward synthesizing the Unique variations.

Subsequently, another week concluded.

“Baek Jinwooooo!”

A figure came running toward his position from a distance.

“I managed to secure all of them!”

It was Olivia.

Against the odds, she had successfully returned with a complete set for both the Resolve and Exploit variations.

As expected from the power of England?

In some manner, she had resolved what should have been the most grueling objective with practically zero friction.

It was as simple as clearing a minor hurdle without breaking a sweat!

“Allow me to inspect the merchandise.”

“Our arrangement remains intact, correct? You accept these items and proceed directly into Floor 51?”

“Provided the items match the specifications, I intend to cross the threshold in precisely forty-eight hours. I require a brief window to finalize my own preparations as well.”

Within forty-eight hours, every single companion spirit would possess their completed graduation setup.

For any specific pieces that remained missing, he would utilize his selection vouchers to bridge the deficit.

“That makes sense. Floor 51……. That marks the boundary that no human being has successfully navigated yet. You would do well to approach it with absolute readiness.”

Olivia was beginning to feel a genuine sense of apprehension as well.

What if even the legendary JinuGod stepped past that line and vanished forever?

Such an outcome would plunge the entirety of human society into utter despair.

Baek Jinwoo extended his palm.

“Let us execute the exchange of the items first.”

“Understood.”

Olivia initiated the formal transaction sequence, and the enhancements transferred to his custody.

The components were entirely authentic.

“Impeccable.”

Baek Jinwoo gave a nod, his expression showing clear contentment.

Following that, he spoke in a low tone.

“You have my word. In two days, I will enter Floor 51, assess firsthand whether the challenge genuinely exceeds what Rachel was equipped to handle, and return with the visual records to verify the reality.”