Chapter 31

Runes, skill books, crafting ingredients, and the like.

Prizes from Day Dungeons and standard instances were typically mediocre.

Particularly runes.

A person simply kept toiling with the probabilities in mind, rotating the wheel repeatedly until an elite rune finally dropped. And if you upgraded that elite rune and perfected every single trait on it?

That became a graduation rune.

Folks claimed that pinnacle-grade graduation runes were worth an absolute fortune, but when all was said and done, if you persisted with the grind long enough, you would eventually acquire one. That was simply the way graduation runes worked.

However.

The rewards from the Tower of Trials were a different story entirely.

Rare!

The baseline itself was already hard to come by.

Unique!

Certain prizes were entirely one of a kind.

Because of this, there was no comprehensive catalog of what rewards existed, and entirely unfamiliar ones were still being discovered to this day.

One such prize was the B-rank Rainbow Snail.

The present Yu Jia had presented to Baek Jinwoo’s mother, Hwang Myeonghui.

“……What on earth is this?”

Following Yu Jia’s departure, Hwang Myeonghui gazed in wonder at the snail crawling at a glacial pace across her forearm.

Baek Jincheol laughed softly.

“She mentioned you should inspect its abilities. Open up your status window.”

“Status window?”

The moment Hwang Myeonghui uttered the phrase, data materialized in midair.

[Summon: Rainbow Snail]

[Species: Snail]

[Rank: B-rank (Rare)]

• A restricted summon, limited to 100 entities across the globe.

[Level: 10]

[Stats]

STR: 1, INT: 12, VIT: 1, AGI: 1

HP: 1,000 / MP: 100

Crit Rate: 20%

Crit Damage: 20%

[Skills]

• Mucus: Highly effective for skin brightening and reducing wrinkles.

• Moisture: Maintained skin hydration for a full 24 hours.

• Regeneration: Fixes and restores skin cells.

“Oh my, what in the world is this?”

Hwang Myeonghui’s eyes widened in astonishment.

She had adjusted to the transformed world well enough that the mere existence of a summon was not startling, but……

Skin brightening?

Wrinkle reduction?

Is this truly what a summoned creature is meant to be utilized for?

Squirm, squirm!

The snail maneuvered its way directly onto Hwang Myeonghui’s hands.

Those hands, coarse and lined from decades of strenuous labor. It commenced discharging mucus onto them with tiny squirts—splat! splat!

[All mucus has been depleted.]

[24 hours of recovery time required.]

The volume of mucus was incredibly tiny.

And there was no immediate transformation to be seen.

Merely a tacky, moist sensation, nothing further.

“I suppose it functions just like a beauty product. You know, like those snail creams they market in shops.”

“Haha, is that so? The world truly has shifted. Handing out a summon as a skincare alternative.”

“I know, right? This tiny creature is rather endearing, though.”

The moment Hwang Myeonghui stroked the snail’s shell, the twisting creature dissolved into its unsummoned state.

Not dwelling on it deeply, she conversed warmly with Baek Jincheol for a brief period before drifting off to sleep.

And the subsequent morning.

She was cleansing her face to prepare for her employment as she always did.

“Wh-what?!”

Hwang Myeonghui nearly leaped out of her skin.

My hand?

Her left hand, visible in the mirror, appeared completely distinct from her right.

A metamorphosis on a completely different tier!

The skin had grown fairer, the creases had diminished drastically, and her normally coarse hand was undeniably soft and flexible now.

After a single day.

It appears as though it became two decades younger…… Is such a thing even possible?

Even as disbelief surged through her, her heart began to race.

Because she realized it was entirely due to the snail mucus she had rubbed on the previous evening.

What would occur if she used it regularly, once a day, over her entire body including her face?

She would undoubtedly look far more youthful, wouldn’t she?

The aspiration to appear beautiful was an inherent instinct for every woman.

Hwang Myeonghui was no exception to this rule.

First and foremost—apply it meticulously, every single day.

As she got out of bed that morning to cook breakfast, her stride felt somehow more buoyant than usual.

The Rainbow Snail.

Recalling it brought an expression of delight to Yu Jia’s face.

If there was a single item that had set her back the most in that family care package, it was undoubtedly that creature.

With such scarce quantities available in circulation, there was practically no information on it and it had not achieved widespread renown yet, but Yu Jia was well aware of its capabilities.

I experienced its advantages a bit myself, after all.

The reality was, Daesung Group had uncovered the Rainbow Snail during the earliest period.

One of their affiliated combatants had secured it as a prize from the very first floor of the Tower of Trials.

• What on earth is this thing? This prize is absolute trash.

• Hah, it isn’t even a battle-oriented summon…… Moisture? Regeneration?

• What possible utility could this thing have!

Their combatants had naturally responded in this manner initially.

But this was Daesung, after all!

An assembly of the country’s most calculating business minds!

“A skin-improving summon, you say?”

The higher the intelligence report climbed up the corporate ladder, the wider everyone’s eyes grew.

“Skin is a lucrative market.”

“We could promote this to female consumers across the globe.”

“First, the performance! Let us investigate what sort of outcome it truly delivers.”

Under the guidance of the executives, comprehensive snail experimentation commenced.

The findings.

“This is ABSOLUTELY INSANE!”

“The outcomes are incredibly striking! It has the potential to wipe out the entire current cosmetics industry!”

“This isn’t simple skin enhancement—it’s total skin reconstruction! No, not even cosmetic surgery can achieve this. Simply using it revives cells!”

Admittedly, it was still in the early phases of investigation, so they remained unaware of how long the transformations lasted.

Even so, the alterations were more than sufficient to justify intense investigation and financial backing.

“Examine the mucus components at once!”

Daesung’s entire scientific division dedicated themselves to the analysis.

“It is simply… commonplace.”

“There is no distinction from standard snail mucus.”

“……It appears the dermal transformation only transpires when the summon’s active skill is infused within it. Much like a summon’s restorative magic.”

If they were unable to manufacture the unique mucus independently?

“The snails! We must secure as many of these limited-run snails as humanly possible!”

“Precisely. We must establish a monopoly before competing corporations catch on!”

“Submit listings on Markets across the globe. Anyone who has acquired a Rainbow Snail, get in touch with us at once! The price is irrelevant—convince them and acquire them all!”

By taking action ahead of the curve like that.

They managed to gather Rainbow Snails from uninformed players across the earth.

A grand total of fifty-four.

And currently, a commercial project was actively being developed.

An elite skin therapy establishment situated within a massive, high-end structure.

In the interim.

A handful of snails had been handed out among Daesung’s female members, and Yu Jia had been granted one as a token as well.

From Yu Jia’s standpoint, she had delivered a cosmetic asset of immense worth to Hwang Myeonghui.

But it mattered little.

Yu Jia did not mind.

She had already used it over her whole body, and since her skin had been naturally flawless to begin with, the outcomes had not been particularly striking for her.

She could even visit Daesung for complimentary therapies whenever she pleased, so what was there to regret?

What truly counted, however, was the snail’s intrinsic worth.

Once Daesung’s full-scale commercial venture launched?

Information regarding the snails would circulate, and their value would inflate beyond comprehension.

Would it not easily exceed a hundred billion won?

With a mere hundred existing in the entire world, and Daesung refusing to ever trade them away, they would only grow more scarce.

But that was perfectly fine.

Yu Jia smirked.

Hwang Myeonghui was fully deserving of a token of that magnitude.

The reason?

Because she was the mother of South Korea’s prospective salvation and Yubaek’s ultimate treasure.

JinuGod.

“Wow, truly.”

After conquering the initial floor of the Tower, Baek Jinwoo sat down upon the grassy clearing and let out a breathless chuckle.

“Completely typical for a garbage-luck lottery system game.”

Before his eyes rested a solitary container.

[Random Synthesis Blueprint Box (B-rank)]

A first-floor Tower of Trials prize.

The situation was nearly preposterous.

The prize itself was already left to chance, and now it demanded he unravel yet another layer of chance?

If he unsealed it?

An unpredictable ‘synthesis blueprint’ would emerge.

Indeed, the identical category of synthesis blueprint that manifested as rewards from the Saturday dungeon.

Schematics for manufacturing diverse gear at the synthesis lab.

• What are you lingering for, Jinwoo! Unseal it this instant!

Ramba sat atop Baek Jinwoo’s shoulder and shouted.

Chomp, chomp.

She devoured a massive mouthful of the cream pastry he had purchased for her after clearing the initial floor.

It is a reward from the Tower of Trials, so something at least moderately unique ought to appear, right?

…Was what he preferred to believe, but.

There were numerous duds.

Particularly on the first floor—an introductory level, after all.

The probabilities of anything Unique manifesting were incredibly minimal.

• My master. We shall commence our drills ahead of you.

Fwoosh!

Drill Sarge hoisted his blade and declared.

• Huh? This early?

Ramba’s expression distorted from atop Jinwoo’s shoulder.

• Do not be ridiculous. One-Eye is far above us when at full capability. With such mediocre proficiency, how do you even presume to take a break? Make yourself ready. Immediately.

• Noooooo.

Holding her head and turning away, Ramba nonetheless drifted into the air against her wishes.

She was unable to decline the drills, courtesy of Drill Sarge’s unique skill, Charisma.

Pfft.

Baek Jinwoo grinned.

That was true.

What did prizes signify?

Ultimately, what truly counted was ceaseless practice and advancement.

No matter how magnificent the prizes, they signified nothing if the companions themselves lacked strength.

Might as well unseal it.

Riiip!

Baek Jinwoo ripped the container open without a second thought.

[Activating Random Synthesis Blueprint Box (B-rank)!]

[Player ‘Baek Jinwoo’ has received ‘Guaranteed Summoning Scroll Blueprint’ (B-rank)!]

Guaranteed summoning scroll?

What on earth is that supposed to be.

He brought up the item data immediately.

[Blueprint]

[Rank: B-rank]

[Craftable: ‘Guaranteed Summoning Scroll’ (B-rank)]

[Produces a summoning scroll that ensures the summoning of a chosen B-rank summon.]

[Required Ingredients: King’s Crest (Bound) x1, supreme-grade summoning scroll x3, high-grade summoning scroll x10, World Tree Leaf x10]

Holy hell.

A category of summoning scroll he had never encountered before.

It simply directly ensured he could summon whatever companion he desired?

Hold on, then……?

Even an EX-rank summon that I desire?

This was a complicated matter.

Back during the era of Battle of Summoners, the B-rank summons that JinuGod had obtained via balance adjustments numbered precisely two.

Gale Slaughterer and Rune Dwarf.

Both incredibly broken.

The issue is whether the mechanics recognize them as B-rank or EX-rank.

If the system designated them as EX-rank?

Then this item would be incapable of pulling them.

But then again.

Who could say for certain.

Ramba, Drill Sarge, Stormy.

All three possessed EX-rank status, yet they had emerged from poor-tier summoning scrolls.

That could signify the system still designated them as E-rank or D-rank……

Wow.

If he could legitimately pull Rolly and Rune Dwarf?

That would be utterly insane.

Things were already overturned as they stood……

Overturned on top of overturned?

Rolly was a companion with ridiculous player-versus-player capability.

Rune Dwarf, provided with sufficient time and components, could manufacture any rune with whatever traits he desired.

In a title where graduation runes represented the absolute end-game content, possessing a companion that could simply manufacture them?

Naturally, it had been targeted by a balancing update.

But these ingredient conditions are incredibly steep.

[Required Ingredients: King’s Crest (Bound) x1, supreme-grade summoning scroll x3, high-grade summoning scroll x10, World Tree Leaf x10]

World Tree Leaves appeared from time to time as Saturday dungeon drops, so that was fine.

But the King’s Crest is going to be incredibly difficult.

The King’s Crest was an untradable item.

A component dropped one at a time for overcoming the boss king that manifested every ten levels of the Tower of Trials.

Untradable, naturally, meaning it could not be purchased or bartered.

In other words, at this moment he would have to conquer One-Eye (S-rank) just to manufacture that scroll!

Let’s construct it first.

He reasoned he would only discover whether pulling those two was achievable once he truly manufactured it.

Rolly, Rune Dwarf.

Which one to summon first was a dilemma for another day.

“Let’s move.”

An additional day of steady practice.

He resolved to press forward aggressively, accelerating his pace until he triumphed over the tenth floor of the Tower of Trials.