Chapter 20

Chapter 20: I Alone Am an EX-Class Summoner

“So, to put it simply.”

Baek Ajin sat with her arms crossed, her eyes wide and gleaming with intense curiosity.

“Before you had that accident, you were actually a legendary hardcore player, and you were the secret mastermind behind that low-tier dungeon record?”

“Precisely.”

“And that older sister, Yu Jia, you got to know her while heading back and forth to the association offices during that whole period?”

“Correct.”

Baek Jinwoo had refrained from sharing every detail with his sibling.

He only recounted the specific information he had already disclosed to the main headquarters.

Was it due to a lack of confidence in her?

Far from it……

Baek Jinwoo carried an immense emotional debt to his household.

His mother, his father, and Baek Ajin.

The three of them had essentially sacrificed their own lives and well-being to care for him while he lay comatose after his tragic accident.

How could he ever harbor mistrust toward a sister like that?

However, there was always a slim margin for error.

If he casually let it slip that he was JinuGod, what if his sister accidentally mentioned it to her companions?

An untamed tongue was the most dangerous vulnerability on earth.

Baek Jinwoo simply refused to introduce unneeded risks into his life.

It was entirely to ensure his family’s protection.

The current state of public order and safety within South Korea was an absolute shambles.

Criminal syndicates operated without restraint, and the administrative authorities were powerless to contain them—that was how degraded society had become.

The fact that they regarded someone as mediocre as Park Changseok as the fierce Yaksha of headquarters proved the point.

Drawing global scrutiny to himself under such volatile conditions?

Not a chance.

Even if he eventually revealed the full truth to them, he required far more power first.

And it absolutely had to wait until he had fully guaranteed his family’s absolute safety.

He had already devised a flawless, brilliant strategy for achieving that goal within his mind.

But that could remain on the back burner for now.

“Hey, Oppa.”

“Yeah?”

“Weren’t you totally consumed by some mobile application a long time back? You spent an eternity playing it. Was that the one?”

“Uh……?”

Baek Jinwoo gave a slight flinch.

“No, no, that was a completely separate title.”

Blast it!

If she connected the dots on that, it was practically tantamount to confessing he was an absolute master of the game.

Now that he gave it some thought, both his father and his younger sister……

Had they been aware of his hidden gaming habits the entire time?

Well, it made sense.

They resided under the very same roof. It would actually be bizarre if they hadn’t caught on.

It was solely because he had been so deeply consumed by that digital world that he had ultimately secured the legendary title of Ilcheon.

“I actively participated for roughly a year. Right toward the conclusion.”

“Wow, a whole year!”

Baek Ajin’s mouth had been agape for several moments now.

“Isn’t that just wild? That is genuinely incredible.”

Baek Ajin was an active player herself.

She possessed a fundamental comprehension of what it truly meant to be a competitive gamer.

The mere fact that the grandest organizations maintained a specialized “gamer track” in their talent acquisition protocols proved how highly valued it was.

“I intended to share this with you eventually. Along with some advice regarding that Shadow Elf.”

“Huh?”

“If your goal is to keep nurturing it, obtain a Shadow Wolf and deploy them as a pair. They possess incredible cooperative synergy. As things stand, you probably aren’t even realizing 10% of its true capabilities.”

“……A Shadow Wolf?”

Baek Ajin cocked her head to the side.

Such a creature actually exists?

“It’s highly likely you haven’t encountered it. It belongs to the B-rank.”

“Ugh.”

Baek Ajin darted a sharp look in his direction.

Is he seriously playing pranks on me right now?

Expecting her to effortlessly acquire a B-rank entity that carried an average market price exceeding 200 million won?

She silently retrieved her cellular device and accessed the trading Market.

A rapid investigation revealed the current listing price hovered around 500 million won.

It was clearly a premium-tier entity even among fellow B-ranks.

“Listen here, my dear older brother. It would take me at least a decade of hard labor to afford that. If I just persist in trading runes the way I am currently, maybe two decades.”

“Just remain patient for a short while. I will acquire one for you within the month.”

“……Pardon?”

“The Shadow Wolf functions by generating a specialized shadow zone, correct? If your Shadow Elf conceals itself within that domain, its mobility and power will practically skyrocket.”

“No, no…… That isn’t the point of confusion here.”

Baek Ajin locked her eyes onto him, utterly confounded.

“Are you implying you can just procure an asset worth 500 million won and hand it over to me like it’s nothing? Are you for real?”

A sum of 500 million won was by no means trivial currency.

Something felt profoundly unusual.

It seemed as though her sibling, Baek Jinwoo, had transformed into an entirely unfamiliar individual overnight.

Where had her game-obsessed older brother vanished to, and who was this staggering figure boasting high-level corporate alliances standing right before her?

“Can you legitimately back up those claims? Please don’t make promises you lack the means to fulfill. And please don’t push your limits past the breaking point.”

Baek Ajin felt a wave of genuine anxiety for him.

She could comprehend the reality that he had been a dedicated gamer, and she was beginning to process the notion that he possessed authentic, formidable capabilities, but……

She deeply desired that he avoid overexerting his body or mind simply to provide for her wellbeing.

In all honesty.

While she felt startled and delighted, the most overwhelming sensation washing over her was profound comfort.

Oppa is integrating back into reality splendidly without suffering any permanent damage from his accident.

And he is actually setting foot on the path toward grand achievements.

That exact brand of comfort.

She suddenly recalled the earlier scenario when she had been proudly parading her Shadow Elf while walking him through the Jamsil area.

Oh goodness!

Baek Ajin let out a quiet internal groan.

I was essentially showing off my basic skills to an absolute grandmaster.

In any case.

“Understood. You prefer that I refrain from whispering a word of this to Mom and Dad as well, correct? For the time being?”

“Yes, for now. I will explain the situation to them personally in the near future.”

“Whew, fair enough.”

After ensuring his sister had departed safely, Baek Jinwoo remained behind in the deserted, open space.

It was finally time to evaluate these acquisitions.

The specialized presents from Yu Jia.

He commenced the process of manifesting all thirteen individual entities, one after the other.

[Battle Warden (C-rank) has been manifested!]

Initiating the sequence with the Battle Warden.

[Lava Drake (C-rank) has been manifested!]

Moving all the way through the line up to the trio of Lava Drakes.

Every single one of these assets would prove to be irreplaceable instruments for conquering the Day Dungeons—true allies who would battle by Baek Jinwoo’s side indefinitely.

Their classifications might only span C and B-rank.

Yet, provided he trained them with the correct methodology, they would achieve unparalleled optimization within the specific confines of the Day Dungeons.

“Drill Sarge.”

• At your service, Master.

The Drill Instructor verified that the surrounding perimeter was completely devoid of onlookers, then snapped into a rigid military salute and lowered his chin respectfully.

“These represent the recruits you will be taking under your wing for instruction.”

• Splendid. There will be no complications whatsoever. I shall forge them into entities far more potent than any standard summons.

“Excellent. I am placing my full confidence in your methods.”

• Deepest thanks, Commander.

With that established, the brutal, unending cycle of combat grinding and rigorous instruction commenced.

A full week slipped away.

Throughout that span of time, Yu Jia had been executing meticulous organizational arrangements for the official debut of Yubaek, holding extensive strategy sessions alongside the corporate legal division of Daesung Group and related entities.

Meanwhile, Baek Jinwoo had committed himself to an exhausting, ceaseless grind.

During the daylight hours, he systematically conquered standard dungeons while constantly experimenting with varied squad dynamics.

From the moment twilight fell until the sun broke the horizon, intense training regimens were executed under the absolute authority of Drill Sarge.

As a direct consequence of this routine, one glaring reality crystallized.

I absolutely require a far more expansive personal training ground.

As his collection of available summons rapidly multiplied, attempting to run drills within his cramped single-room apartment reached its natural threshold.

This was doubly true for massive entities such as the Sky Dolphin, Titanium Golem, or the trio of Lava Drakes. Materializing those massive structures inside a residential building would result in utter devastation.

If the structural integrity of the property failed, he would be legally liable for the astronomical property damage invoices.

Journeying to this abandoned lot for every single session likewise presented clear logistical boundaries.

The distance was substantial, and even more critically, the nocturnal combat drills began triggering noise disturbances among local residents.

So what resource does one exploit when confronted with such administrative hurdles?

Corporate management.

The instant a specific necessity entered Baek Jinwoo’s mind, he would immediately dispatch a detailed text message straight to Yu Jia.

Naturally, he comprehended that such assets could not materialize in an instant.

He was systematically mapping out a grand architectural design for what lay ahead.

Outlining precisely what varieties of training complexes and facilities would be optimal to establish……

And, to be perfectly precise, every bit of this outlining was being done at the explicit prompting of Yu Jia herself.

“First actions first.”

The moment had finally arrived to exhibit the true extent of his capabilities.

Yu Jia.

Bless her heart, she had maintained her patience for an entire week without uttering a single complaint or demand.

She had invested an immense fortune out of pocket, meaning she possessed every logical reason to experience intense anxiety, yet……

She had not so much as hinted at or brought up the subject of the Day Dungeons.

Today marked Monday.

Baek Jinwoo’s expression hardened with icy, unwavering determination.

From Monday all the way through Sunday. I am going to utterly dismantle every single low-tier Day Dungeon within a single week.

That stood as Baek Jinwoo’s definitive objective for the upcoming seven days.

Jamsil, inside the Player Zone.

Right before the gateway of the Day Dungeon.

The moment rumors circulated that Baek Jinwoo was preparing to make his definitive attempt, Yu Jia, Kim Byeongjin, and Hwang Taeseop arrived at a frantic sprint at the earliest hour of the morning.

Hwang Taeseop in particular had dragged along an immense collection of highly sophisticated, top-tier recording apparatus.

“What is the purpose of all this gear?”

When Baek Jinwoo inquired, a warm smile spread across Yu Jia’s face.

“This comprises the specialized field gear you will be outfitted with for every single Day Dungeon campaign going forward.”

“……Field gear?”

“Correct. It represents an incredibly costly piece of state-of-the-art technology, but once it is secured to your torso, it will accurately capture every single detail of your surroundings in an absolute 360-degree 3D landscape.”

“Such technology actually exists now? It appears somewhat cumbersome.”

“Have no anxieties on that front. It is a highly compressed, flexible utility vest.”

The absolute primary objective for Yubaek centered around the commercial sale of premium strategic data.

To accomplish that, securing high-definition gameplay recordings of Baek Jinwoo in action was an absolute prerequisite.

“The elite international rankers universally utilize this identical gear.”

“I see.”

Click. Snap!

Kim Byeongjin and Hwang Taeseop fastened the apparatus onto his torso with highly coordinated, expert movements.

“This marks my absolute initial entry into the specific Monday trial, so…… I cannot guarantee the run will be entirely flawless. Will that pose an issue?”

“Not in the slightest. We intend to isolate the most jaw-dropping tactical maneuvers and assemble them via video editing anyway, so simply engage in combat naturally.”

“Ah.”

He had one additional query.

“What occurs if I happen to shatter the existing national speed record on my very first attempt?”

“……”

Yu Jia let out an anxious, strained chuckle, a solitary bead of perspiration tracing a line down the side of her face.

What an entertaining comedian.

He was likely uttering such bold claims simply because he felt both an immense sense of responsibility and deep appreciation for the 1.3 billion won worth of high-quality summons she had purchased for him as a gesture of goodwill.

Regardless of how exceptional his historical gaming background might have been, could the simple acquisition of a minor handful of C and B-rank entities truly enable someone to shatter a historic national milestone within a mere seven days?

Such a feat defied basic reality.

And yet, she could not entirely dismiss the possibility out of hand.

He had accomplished that exact miracle within the confines of the Tuesday dungeon during their previous encounter.

Yu Jia fought hard to suppress the mounting wave of anticipation threatening to overwhelm her focus.

“Just alleviate your tension. I am completely sincere when I say it’s fine, so simply conduct your battle naturally, precisely as you used to during your peak gaming era. Understood?”

“Understood.”

Baek Jinwoo gave a firm nod.

What did the standing national time record happen to be again?

Was it hovering somewhere in the neighborhood of the seven-minute threshold?

Child’s play.

Let us obliterate that milestone with absolute ease.

The notorious Monday dungeon.

As the solitary instance that provided essential combat-focused offensive runes, it was widely acknowledged as the absolute jewel in the crown of Battle of Summoners.

An environment that a player absolutely had to clear using the most compressed timeframe humanly possible.

A sluggish completion mark inside the Monday instance?

You might as well permanently abandon any grandiose dreams of climbing into the global rankings.

This was because offensive power runes constituted the absolute bedrock of all character progression.

The operational blueprint was defensive survival, while the landscape environment was cast as a vast, unobstructed plain.

The structural task: endure a continuous thirty-minute onslaught unleashed by the undead legions of a fully awakened Lich.

Naturally, the term “defensive survival” was merely a formal classification.

Eliminate the Lich—the absolute supreme commander of the encounter—and the entire instance instantly concluded.

Which explained why, even at this very moment, the overwhelming percentage of challengers simply launched a direct, brute-force assault at the Lich to force a conclusion.

Whirrr!

Catching the faint, steady vibration of the electronic vest indicating flawless operation, he plunged directly through the portal into the instance.

An administrative alert materialized before his vision without delay.

[You possess 3 pre-arranged squads.]

[Which specific squad do you wish to manifest?]

[Squad 1 / Squad 2 / Squad 3]

Just as he had established in his prior planning sessions, Squad 3 was explicitly designated for executing the Day Dungeons.

Squad 3.

[Battle Warden (C-rank) has been manifested.]

[Priest of Radiance (C-rank) has been manifested.]

[Drill Instructor (EX-rank) has been manifested.]

[Minikong (D-rank) has been manifested.]

[Golden Fairy (D-rank) has been manifested.]

The Monday instance possessed two absolutely mandatory tactical entities.

The Battle Warden along with the Priest of Radiance.

For the remaining three vacancies on the roster, durable bruiser-tank frontline assets capable of shielding those primary two were more than sufficient to get the job done.

• Kirrrk!

• Gworr, GWORRRR!

The environmental landscape shifted dramatically, and a massive tidal wave of ghouls and skeletal warriors came surging across the terrain.

For clarity’s sake, there was absolutely zero reason to experience panic in the face of this horde.

An encounter at the supreme-grade tier would certainly be terrifying, but this was merely a low-rank challenge.

[GWORR!]

[The malevolent Lich’s legion of the dead approaches your position!]

[Maintain your defensive posture against the undead forces until allied reinforcement arrives!]

[Remaining Duration – 00:30:00]

• Ooh-wah! Ooh-wah! OOH-WAH!

Minikong slammed his fists against his own torso in an explosion of pure adrenaline, and then—

CRUNCH!

Shattered a skeleton’s cranial bone into dust with a solitary, heavy strike.

They possessed so little structural integrity that they collapsed as easily as baked wafers under pressure.

Very well, let us set this operation into motion.

First objective.

“We shall relocate to the elevated terrain.”

Drill Sarge gave a silent, firm nod of comprehension.

Remaining fully cognizant of the reality that active digital recording was currently taking place, he refrained from making any vocal acknowledgments.

• OOOOH-WAHHH!

CRACK! CRUNCH!

With Minikong functioning as the aggressive vanguard clearing the path forward, the squad rapidly shifted their position onto a substantial hill that dominated the surrounding landscape of the plain.

Total time consumed: approximately two minutes.

Following that.

“Battle Warden.”

Click!

The Warden stood as a tall, imposing female figure.

A human-type marksman carrying an extraordinarily elongated sniper rifle.

Differing from an asset of the EX-rank tier, she lacked the capacity for vocal speech.

She was simply a mechanical thrall designed to execute directives to the letter.

“Acquire target alignment.”

Swish!

She immediately dropped into a balanced, upright shooting stance, pressing her vision tightly against the specialized optical magnifying scope.

As a matter of historical record, the Battle Warden had traditionally been categorized as a deeply unpopular, underutilized summon due to her baseline offensive output being incredibly minimal.

Absolute pinpoint accuracy was utterly hollow if the projectiles failed to inflict meaningful damage.

However, within the boundaries of the low-rank Monday challenge, she transformed into an engine of absolute destruction.

This was because the Lich’s total health pool simply wasn’t robust enough to begin with.

“Maintain position. Hold your fire for the moment.”

Baek Jinwoo next summoned the Priest of Radiance to step forward.

The oncoming waves of skeletal monsters were currently being managed without a single hitch by the combined efforts of Minikong and Drill Sarge.

“Radiance, apply your sacred benediction.”

The Priest of Radiance likewise manifested as a human-type female entity.

An ordained cleric archetype—essentially a budget-friendly iteration of the high-tier Saintess (A-rank)—yet immensely potent when deployed against unholy undead targets.

Hummmmm!

The Priest executed a holy ritual, casting a shimmering benediction directly across the Warden’s long-range rifle.

The core utility of this specific benediction was incredibly straightforward.

It completely eroded away the Lich’s defensive Dark Barrier, allowing physical ballistic damage to successfully register on the target.

Attempting this without that specific benediction?

Eliminating that Lich from a distance would be an absolute impossibility.

This was due to the reality that its Dark Barrier bestowed absolute immunity against any and all ranged projectile physics.

“Commence continuous fire.”

The sniper had already achieved an absolute lock on the hovering form of the Lich positioned at the extreme boundary of the plain.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The heavy firearm detonated with deafening roars.

• SHRIEK? SHRIEEK! SHRIEEEK!

The Lich let out a piercing wail of pure torment, its agonizing screams reverberating through the wide-open sky.

The methodical execution persisted.

Operating with low-tier runes and an unevolved level, chipping away the health bar consumed a noticeable window of time.

And that exact constraint was precisely why the Battle Warden loses all viability for executing the Lich from the mid-tier brackets and beyond.

And yet.

Baek Jinwoo possessed the unique means to shatter that limitation.

Not merely mid-tier.

The high-rank, the supreme-grade—he intended to completely wipe the floor with all of them utilizing this identical Battle Warden asset.

By what means?

Because I have Drill Sarge in my arsenal.

That exact synergy was the reason the Drill Instructor completely broke the balance of the system.

Expose its hidden thresholds, equip it with absolute pinnacle-tier supreme runes, and optimize a flawless distribution of maximum skills?

A single pull of the trigger. One lone BANG, and even the supreme-grade Monday instance Lich would instantly drop into the dirt, entirely dead.

The rhythmic sniping routine sustained itself for roughly two additional minutes.

And then.

• KIEEEEEEEEK!

The final, wretched death rattle of a Lich that had just been methodically dismantled by a figurative spoon—infuriatingly slow, unwavering, and thoroughly degrading to the boss.

[Primary boss entity eradicated!]

[Dungeon successfully conquered!]

[Completion Duration – 00:04:12]

And that specific performance metric, as an absolute certainty—

[Sincere Congratulations!]

[You have successfully shattered the standing national record!]

[A unique historic achievement has been unlocked!]

—was recognized as the absolute finest mark in the entire nation.