Chapter 30

A single week passed by.

The scheduled period Baek Jinwoo had dedicated to exploring dungeons alongside Stormy reached its conclusion.

Ultimately, the calculations made by Baek Jinwoo proved completely accurate.

As their final evening together wound down, after he had successfully fulfilled every single commitment he made—

• Uhm… Jinwoo.

“What’s up?”

• I have a confession to make.

“Go ahead, what is it?”

• To be honest, I was actually capable of mastering the ability during our previous run… but I let my childish feelings get the better of me and held back on purpose. I am truly sorry.

Stormy laid bare the truth.

She possessed a sharp mind, meaning she had likely anticipated a harsh reprimand before choosing to orchestrate that little scheme.

To receive additional rewards and be treated to an exclusive outing on top of it must have placed a heavy burden of guilt on her mind.

• My actions were purely self-centered. I know the rest of your summons are just as eager to spend quality time with you, Jinwoo.

“That’s not true, Stormy.”

A bright, warm expression washed over Baek Jinwoo’s face.

Though he was still quite youthful himself, he couldn’t help but wonder if this mirrored the experience of raising a child.

“Honestly, I really appreciate that you found the strength to confess this to me on your own.”

• ……

“There is absolutely no reason to punish yourself over it. As things stand, you are the most critical asset I have. It is only natural that I dedicate my focus to you.”

• Do you mean that?

He wasn’t merely offering empty praise.

The team he used for grinding the Day Dungeon?

They held value, certainly.

Yet, they simply couldn’t compare to the caliber of Stormy. Nor could they match Drill Sarge or Ramba.

Baek Jinwoo had always operated on a philosophy of showering his elite, top-tier summons with concentrated attention rather than doling out his time equally among everyone.

“Chain. You’ve thoroughly raised your mastery level by this point, right?”

• Absolutely! It should be more than sufficient now! I am completely confident I won’t stumble.

“Excellent. We can wrap things up for the day, then.”

On the horizon lay tomorrow.

The moment to test his mettle against the Tower had arrived.

When the following day dawned.

Within the Player Zone, positioned right before Jamsil Tower.

A pair of association employees dressed in dark, formal suits stood guard at the primary threshold.

The moment Baek Jinwoo walked toward them—

“Oh.”

“Are you Player Baek Jinwoo?”

The duo recognized his face instantly.

In the current climate, Baek Jinwoo was a certified phenomenon.

While the mechanical framework hadn’t officially categorized him as a high-tier ranker just yet, his public recognition eclipsed that of most established rankers.

“Don’t tell me you’ve come here to challenge the Tower of Trials?”

Indeed.

What other business would bring him to this location?

“Am I permitted to enter?”

“Well… Could you provide your registration details, please? While your face is unmistakable, we are legally required to follow standard protocol.”

“Here it is.”

The administrative work proved uncomplicated.

It amounted to nothing more than logging an entry marker within the database. That concluded the process.

From what he understood, failing to emerge within seven days resulted in a missing person classification. If a full month elapsed without an exit, a player was officially written off as deceased.

Those brutal parameters alone perfectly illustrated the terrifying nature of the Tower.

“The media won’t be alerted to my entry, correct?”

The perimeter surrounding the Tower of Trials was strictly restricted, barring access to ordinary citizens and reporters alike.

Furthermore, participants retained the right to demand absolute confidentiality regarding their attempts.

“Of course! I will personally input the settings to ensure complete media blackout!”

Setting all other variables aside.

He was determined to keep his family in the dark about this.

He was aware that his younger sister alongside Yu Jia had already filled his parents in regarding his general activities.

However, tackling the Tower of Trials belonged to an entirely different tier of danger.

It would only cause them unnecessary panic.

His plan was to utterly dominate it by his own hand first, and handle the revelations down the line.

“Is everything processed?”

“Yes, you are cleared for entry!”

“We pray that you achieve a successful and safe completion!”

Leaving the supportive remarks of the two employees behind him—

Baek Jinwoo advanced through the primary gateway of the structure, stepping straight into a portal that shimmered with an eerie dark light.

[Initiating entry into the Tower of Trials.]

[The difficulty coefficient of the Tower of Trials is exceptionally high.]

[Maintain extreme vigilance.]

A void of absolute darkness enveloped him.

Following the dissipation of the cautionary text—

[A maximum of 3 distinct squads can be deployed inside the Tower of Trials.]

[Please organize your active rosters.]

He had meticulously planned out his formations long before arriving.

Squad 1, designated to fight right by the summoner’s side: Ramba, Drill Sarge, Stormy, Wind Falcon, and Horn Fairy.

Squad 2: Sky Dolphin, Skypierce Wyvern, along with three separate Lava Drakes.

Squad 3: Battle Warden, Priest of Radiance, Spotted Komodo, Titanium Golem, and Frost Cat.

An immaculate distribution of fifteen entities, leaving no vulnerabilities.

He had additionally equipped them with the highest-grade low-tier runes he had managed to synthesize.

[You are permitted to challenge Floor 1 at this time.]

[Do you wish to begin?]

There was no reason to hesitate.

Yes.

Directing his focus, he selected the affirmative option.

Hummmm!

A sudden surge of force wrapped around his form, and with a bright flash, his surroundings completely transformed.

When his vision returned, he found himself standing within an unfamiliar domain.

A dilapidated urban landscape constructed out of elaborate, historical stone structures resembling Gothic design.

Just as rumored, it was a classic medieval environment.

• Grooaaahhh!

• GWRAAAHHH!

The dominant adversaries populating the area were ghouls (C-rank).

As a baseline rule, the progression system of the Tower of Trials operated in interconnected blocks consisting of ten floors each.

An explorer would successfully conclude a single cycle upon executing the ultimate entity of Floor 10—the Ghoul King, One-Eye (S-rank).

“Form up and advance, everyone.”

• Understood!

• Right away, my master!

• I’m with you, Jinwoo.

The fifteen distinct summons, having materialized simultaneously in the exact same coordinates, launched into action with flawless synergy.

The objective governing Floor 1 was incredibly clear-cut.

[Break out from the ghoul-infested ruins known as ‘Chrome’.]

[An oppressive hex lingering over ‘Chrome’ prohibits the deployment of flying summons.]

Weave through the hordes of undead and secure a path out of the settlement!

“Hmph.”

Baek Jinwoo let out a sharp breath.

It sounded incredibly simple on paper, but the reality was vastly different.

He lacked any prior knowledge regarding the layout of Chrome, but the sheer scale of the settlement was immense.

And given its massive proportions, an overwhelming quantity of undead choked out every single pathway.

“Force our way through that narrow passage ahead! Avoid getting bogged down fighting every enemy—concentrate all offensive power strictly on their weakest points!”

The undead stalking the interior of the Tower of Trials shared little resemblance with standard variants.

Though their quickness and striking velocity were sluggish, their defensive attributes and offensive output were terrifyingly elevated.

Compounding the danger, a highly toxic blight coated their talons—even a minor scratch meant no amount of restorative magic could counteract the damage.

The second a challenger resolved to eliminate every single monstrosity before moving forward, their failure was guaranteed.

First things first.

He temporarily dismissed the wyvern alongside the dolphin.

The airspace limitations neutralized the aerial beast, while the aquatic mammal was entirely ineffective without a body of water.

Right after—

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

The trio of Lava Drakes sprinted into the vanguard, unleashing torrents of scorching fire from their jaws.

• Gwroh!

• GWRAAAHHH!

The undead that had been drifting forward began to violently writhe, their physical forms warping under the immense heat.

“Push through!”

Baek Jinwoo along with his combat forces surged across the gap without wasting a fraction of a second.

Navigating from one passage to the next, the deeper they penetrated the urban center, the more the piercing wails of the monsters echoed across the masonry.

They are gathering toward us.

Even so, the challenges of Floor 1 remained perfectly manageable.

Provided an explorer mapped out a proper trajectory, breaking free was well within reach.

The real issue was locating the path out.

Because the initial drop point was completely randomized for each run, relying on rote memorization was impossible.

Be that as it may, various charts were distributed across the urban landscape.

The singular guidepost available to unravel the puzzle of Floor 1.

• Master, I’ve located one!

Drill Sarge, who had been gracefully darting past the undead hordes to survey the surroundings, came sprinting back toward the group.

Having shared numerous battles in the past, their combat synergy was second nature.

• Take a look at the map!

Swish!

Drill Sarge cleared away the accumulated debris from the ancient document, unveiling an unexpectedly precise blueprint of the city.

By utilizing the highest spire of the central place of worship as a primary anchor point, they could orient themselves.

Baek Jinwoo calculated their approximate position by referencing the cross fixed to the peak of the massive cathedral tower.

Right there.

Affirming the data, Baek Jinwoo pressed his finger against a specific section of the parchment.

This marked their precise coordinates.

• Excellent. The gateway out isn’t excessively distant from here.

“True, but mapping our route through this specific corridor requires us to confront a Giant Ghoul (B-rank).”

Stationed rigidly at crucial intersections throughout the urban zone were intermediate elite monsters: Giant Ghouls.

They were significantly more massive and vastly more lethal than the common rank-and-file variants.

• That poses no issue for me. Ramba has been constantly stacking enhancement spells on my form since we arrived anyway.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Ramba had been rhythmically rotating her staff from the absolute beginning of the trial, continuously multiplying Drill Sarge’s striking speed.

Under ordinary circumstances…

The conventional tactic involved sacrificing roughly two separate parties to hold the attention of the high-tier undead, using the ensuing chaos to sprint madly toward the exit.

That was undoubtedly the methodology employed by the majority of high-ranking players to secure a clear.

But what about Baek Jinwoo?

Commanding three separate EX-rank entities within his ranks rendered such desperate diversions entirely unnecessary.

“Stormy.”

• I am ready.

“You’ve been maintaining your combination count this entire time, correct?”

• I have secured five layers so far.

Stormy had likewise been systematically storing up energy for a Dragon Burst via her Storm Dragon Arts: Chain!

The longer the confrontation was sustained, the more devastating Stormy’s final damage output would become.

The identical principle applied to Drill Sarge.

“Very well, let’s advance. Both of you, focus on maintaining those counts.”

• Understood, Jinwoo!

Exactly.

An elite Giant Ghoul?

They would simply obliterate it through sheer, unadulterated offensive power.

It didn’t take long—

• GRWAAAAAAAAHHH!

The strike team led by Baek Jinwoo found themselves standing directly before a Giant Ghoul that was howling with terrifying malice.

Its scale was immense.

A single glance was all it took to recognize the overwhelming physical force radiating from its body.

Those massive, sharp talons? If they landed a clean strike?

It would likely result in instant expiration.

Yet, Baek Jinwoo didn’t display a hint of hesitation.

“Drill Sarge.”

“This is within your capability, yes?”

• Without a doubt.

Hearing that absolute confidence from him settled any doubts.

To be perfectly frank, Baek Jinwoo didn’t feel any significant pressure either.

After all, this was merely Floor 1.

Whoosh!

Drill Sarge transformed into a blur of pure velocity.

• HIYAAAAH!

Ramba trailed immediately behind his position, manipulating her staff with peak intensity.

SHWEEEEE!

The Giant Ghoul swung its colossal limb, cutting through the atmosphere with enough velocity to shatter the air itself—

• Entirely too slow.

From Drill Sarge’s perspective, the strike dragged on in slow motion.

Swiftly maneuvering across the creature’s massive torso, Drill Sarge executed a barrage of lacerations at a velocity that shattered normal perception.

• Gwroh, GWRAAAAH!

The elite monster swung its appendages wildly in all directions, losing its composure entirely—

Yet, Drill Sarge refused to let a single counterattack breach his guard.

Simultaneously—

• Stormy, take over!

Step!

Drill Sarge called out to her, driving his heel into the monster’s forehead to propel himself high into the air!

• On it, I’m moving!

Right at that critical juncture.

Stormy’s staff ignited with a brilliant, dark red flame.

Storm Dragon Arts.

Hidden technique.

Chain.

BOOOOOOM!

A succession of crimson drakes erupted violently from the tip of her staff.

First, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth!

Sustaining a relentless bombardment from the fiery drakes, the Giant Ghoul was stripped of any opportunity to mount a defense.

All of its vaunted physical resilience?

It proved utterly worthless when confronted with such cataclysmic damage.

Drill Sarge, executing a clean rotation while descending from the sky—

CRUNCH!

Slammed his weapon directly into the blackened flesh of the monster’s throat.

A flawless execution.

• GRWAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

Uttering an ultimate, guttural cry of defeat—

THUD!

The massive frame lost all structural integrity and collapsed heavily onto the cobblestones.

“Brilliant work. Let’s keep our momentum going.”

With the intermediate elite eliminated, their path to completion was effectively secured.

It has likely been roughly ten minutes since our initial entry, hasn’t it?

It would have been phenomenal if the Tower of Trials featured speed-running records.

Regrettably, no such mechanic existed.

The sole metric that counted was whether a participant achieved success or failure.

Baek Jinwoo neutralized sporadic undead along his path, strictly adhering to the navigation lines provided by the chart.

A brief period slipped by.

The unsealed exterior gateway of the urban settlement finally materialized ahead.

[You are successfully departing the ghoul-infested ruins of ‘Chrome’.]

[Salutations!]

[You have conquered Floor 1 of the Tower of Trials!]

Floor 1 had been mastered without encountering a single complication.

[An earned item has been distributed.]

[You have received a ‘Random Synthesis Blueprint Box’ (B-rank)!]

Stowing away the prize with a sense of accomplishment—

On this particular day, Baek Jinwoo’s accomplishments were carved into history once more.

“P-Player Baek Jinwoo?”

The association personnel managing the perimeter of the Tower of Trials were completely paralyzed with shock.

The very same Baek Jinwoo who had crossed the threshold just moments ago was currently walking back out, looking entirely unfazed and casual.

Hold on—how much time had actually ticked by since his entry? He’s already completed it?

The simple reality of him exiting the portal on his own two feet confirmed an undeniable fact.

Floor 1 was cleared.

The data would now be logged directly into the main database.

Recognizing him as a challenger who had successfully overcome Floor 1.

That bordered on the impossible.

How could anyone execute a run that quickly?

The personnel found themselves entirely unable to process the situation.

Had there EVER been a single recorded instance of a player emerging from the Tower of Trials in under twenty minutes?

Not a single one.

Setting aside domestic metrics, locating a parallel feat on a global scale would be an exhaustive search.

What kind of anomaly IS this individual?

A person who had shattered every existing benchmark across the Day Dungeons was now breezing through the Tower of Trials as if it were a casual walk.

Nevertheless, the employees were legally forbidden from leaking a single detail regarding this event to outsiders.

Particularly because they were bound by strict regulatory agreements to safeguard any privacy requests.

“How… are you back outside already?”

Overcome by pure bewilderment, one of the guards couldn’t stop themselves from asking.

“Is there some sort of issue with my exit?”

“N-No! Not at all!”

“In that case, I will take my leave. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Offering a subtle smirk along with a courteous gesture, Player Baek Jinwoo turned and walked away.

“…Hey.”

The remaining duo traded stunned glances.

“Did I actually witness that correctly?”

“…I’m having a hard time believing my own eyes.”

“Did he mention he’s returning tomorrow? Moving straight to Floor 2?”

“Incredible. I have a strong premonition about this…”

One of the employees narrowed his gaze, speaking in a low tone.

“That individual is bound to create an absolute storm in the near future, don’t you think?”

“A storm?”

“Yeah. As in, he’s going to accomplish something so massive it will completely dwarf his current reputation.”

The employee silently tracked Baek Jinwoo’s diminishing form against the horizon.

Perhaps.

They were getting a front-row seat to the opening chapter of an absolute legend.