Chapter 50

Chapter 50: I Alone Am an EX-Class Summoner

Could it be?

The Storm Dragon Arts, Blaze (炎)?

Was there some sort of all-encompassing Blaze (炎) philosophy at play here?

Did Blaze (炎) simply solve every crisis?

It had conquered the Tower of Trials, and now it was supposedly the cure for terminal illnesses…

• Master, this goes beyond mere recovery. This situation could actually yield a far greater prize for us.

“A prize? Like what?”

• I cannot fully explain the mechanism, but memories and data from an immense number of S-rank summons are currently pouring into my consciousness regarding this particular ailment.

“Is that true?”

• It is. Insights from Hua Tuo, followed by the Heavenly Demon, Bodhidharma… and even Zhang Sanfeng. A fraction of this knowledge emerged back when I was instructing Aso, but the transmission is far more profound and lucid this time.

“Huh…”

The Heavenly Demon, Bodhidharma, and Zhang Sanfeng.

These were the legendary figures who had established the grandest sects in the history of the martial world.

Though he had never personally summoned any of them, he had naturally become familiar with their legends while nurturing Aso in the past.

Aso truly possessed an extraordinary gift for martial arts.

A supreme talent capable of absorbing and mastering any technique.

• To begin with, this condition known as Nine-Yin Severed Meridian Syndrome is an incredibly scarce phenomenon, occurring perhaps once in a millennium. The sheer volume of yin energy locked inside that young girl’s frame is potent enough to turn a whole kingdom to ice.

“Nnn… Ah…”

A pale, freezing vapor drifted from the girl’s mouth, lowering the temperature of the entire chamber.

So that was what a living refrigerator looked like?

Right.

Now was not the time for absurd comparisons.

“So how does Stormy’s Blaze (炎) turn this into a prize?”

• Cough.

Drill Sarge cleared his throat before diving into the core of the strategy.

To start.

Stormy would need to continuously build up her Dragon Burst for five consecutive hours, creating a reservoir of yang energy that perfectly matched the girl’s internal yin energy.

Following that, both opposing forces had to be brought together and neutralized, however…

That was where the danger lay.

The moment those two colossal forces intersected, a massive explosion of raw power would trigger.

Without absolute control, a blast rivaling a nuclear detonation could obliterate the surrounding metropolis.

• To navigate that danger, one would require an unparalleled divine technique that can manage both yin and yang forces at the exact same time. Techniques on the level of the Heavenly Demon’s Heavenly Demon Divine Art (天魔神功), Bodhidharma’s Supreme Boundless Power (無上大能力), or Zhang Sanfeng’s Pure Yang Infinite Art (純陽無極功).

Unfortunately.

Drill Sarge did not share Aso’s natural martial genius.

He lacked the capacity to learn such arts, and even if he did, they would be completely useless unless brought to absolute perfection.

Therefore, Drill Sarge searched his mind for an alternative.

And that was when an obscure forbidden technique surfaced in his memories.

The Tribute Life Dark Art (貢命魔功).

An unusual internal discipline that allowed a practitioner to command any form of energy by offering up their own life force as the price.

A restricted technique hidden away in the grand libraries of the Heavenly Demon Sacred Cult, once overseen by the Heavenly Demon himself.

Surprisingly, the requirements to learn it were quite low.

“Hold on. You aren’t suggesting that you’ll—”

Baek Jinwoo cut himself off with a snap of his fingers.

Drill Sarge offered a knowing grin and nodded.

• Exactly, Master. My status is that of a summon. Even if my life force is depleted, I will merely return to the unsummoned state. It is a forbidden art tailormade for my circumstances.

“So… your plan is to draw that entire vortex of energy into yourself?”

• Do I have your blessing to proceed?

Incredible.

This was entirely uncharted ground, a tactic he had never attempted even during his time playing 「Battle of Summoners」.

“What is the probability of pulling this off?”

• I cannot give an exact percentage regarding my own survival, but I can absolutely promise that the girl will be completely healed.

Well, if he was that confident.

“Alright.”

Let’s see it through!

“A-are you certain?”

The moment Baek Jinwoo stepped out of the medical chamber after his assessment, Jasim lunged forward and gripped his hand tightly.

The older man’s hands shook uncontrollably, revealing the absolute desperation consuming him.

“Can you truly cure my child? Is it actually possible?!”

“I can do it. The process will be demanding and it will take some time… but it can be done.”

“Ahhh!”

It felt completely surreal.

Think of the vast fortunes and years he had thrown at this curse.

He had flown in the most celebrated medical minds on the planet. He had begged high-ranking players for aid.

Yet every single expert had ultimately shaken their heads in defeat.

High-density mana recovery spells.

Sacred blessings radiating divine essence.

None of it worked. No power could break the stubborn curse.

And now.

The condition was identified as Nine-Yin Severed Meridian Syndrome?

A freezing force capable of locking down an entire metropolis had been blocking his daughter’s pathways this whole time?

Jasim felt it in his gut.

The awakened warrior standing before him was speaking the absolute truth.

“I implore you, please save my child! I will grant you wealth beyond your wildest dreams!”

“That won’t be necessary. The five Omni Runes from our original deal will suffice.”

Baek Jinwoo declined the extra offer without hesitation.

The intense devotion of a father fighting for his child was genuinely moving.

More importantly, if Drill Sarge’s calculations held true, the internal rewards from this process would far outweigh any material wealth.

This could be the perfect catalyst to establish a dual-carry strategy utilizing both Aso and Drill Sarge.

Though Drill Sarge currently held an EX-rank status, his foundation was rooted in the humble E-rank.

His base attributes were underwhelmingly low.

This meant that regardless of how powerful the runes he wore were, their true potential was bottlenecked by his original stats.

However, if he managed to internalize that massive reservoir of energy and induce an evolution?

That would alter his entire trajectory.

“To begin, I will require private quarters for the duration. An open courtyard or training area would also be ideal.”

“Consider it done! I will have the staff prepare everything this instant!”

Jasim, finally seeing a ray of hope, hurried off to make the arrangements.

“Stormy.”

• Yes, Jinwoo-nim.

“I dislike putting so much weight on your shoulders, but everything rests on your execution.”

• The strain will be immense, but I will give it everything I have!

Fwooooosh!

Blazing torrents of fire erupted around her frame as she assumed a meditative stance, circulating her magical reserves.

There was no need for Drill Sarge to instruct her on the fundamentals of Blaze (炎).

Her task was to dig deep into her lingering memories from the past and crystallize them back into active abilities.

Rather than traveling to a nearby gate, they opted to utilize the estate’s open grounds for their preparation.

Drill Sarge remained focused as well.

Even if the Tribute Life Dark Art (貢命魔功) was easy to grasp, a forbidden dark technique was still inherently treacherous.

He sat cross-legged, concentrating deeply to capture and direct the flow of his internal energy.

Drill Sarge was a master of instruction, not personal adaptation.

He would have to exert multiple times the effort of a standard summon to bridge the gap.

Baek Jinwoo settled into a routine in Dubai while waiting for the preparations to conclude.

His obligations to the national squad were temporarily paused, and he maintained his daily routine of clearing the Day Dungeon at the Dubai Player Zone, made seamless through Jasim’s extensive influence.

Yu Jia remained by his side for two days before catching a flight back.

As the leader of Yubaek, she couldn’t neglect the operations of her enterprise for too long.

Roughly half a month went by.

• Jinwoo-niiiiim!

Stormy sprinted toward Baek Jinwoo the moment he stepped out from his daily dungeon run, leaping directly into his arms.

“Huh?”

• I did it! I unlocked Blaze (炎)!

“For real?”

Though… Stormy.

Had she always possessed this much enthusiasm?

She usually wasn’t the type to show affection so overtly.

“Let’s catch our breath first.”

• Ah! Forgive me, Jinwoo-nim!

“Don’t worry about it. Let me look at your status.”

He gently set Stormy down and pulled up her interface.

[Summon: Storm Dragon Sorcerer]

[Species: Human]

[Rank: EX (Quarantine designation)]

• Quarantined due to balance-breaking elements detected under specific conditions.

[Level: 45]

[Stats]

STR: 20, INT: 88, VIT: 20, AGI: 20

HP: 22,000, MP: 500

Crit Rate: 55%

Crit Damage: 185%

[Skills]

• Dragon Burst: Projects a dragon-shaped flame blast forward.

• Storm Dragon Arts ‘Chain’ (聯): Enables accumulation of Dragon Burst.

• Storm Dragon Arts ‘Shift’ (變): Enables transformation of Dragon Burst.

• Storm Dragon Arts ‘Blaze’ (炎): Enables detonation of all accumulated Dragon Burst at once.

“Incredible, it’s actually there!”

She had successfully acquired three out of the four ultimate techniques of the Storm Dragon Arts, leaving only Annihilation (滅) locked.

This signified her return to the devastating form she possessed back in the 「Battle of Summoners」 era.

Even though Devour was still out of reach for now.

“Drill Sarge.”

• Yes, Master.

Aware of the development, Drill Sarge approached with an intense, focused expression on his face.

• My own preparations have reached completion. We are clear to begin the procedure.

At last!

Two weeks of preparation had led to this attempt to shatter the Nine-Yin Severed Meridian Syndrome.

Time to move!

“I-is the moment finally here?”

Jasim nearly cracked under the anticipation.

The man’s frame was visibly trembling.

“It is. Could you please clear the room once more?”

“Right away!”

“This process will take a considerable amount of time, and it might get quite turbulent. Furthermore… the interior of this room might suffer severe damage.”

Drill Sarge claimed mastery over the Tribute Life Dark Art (貢命魔功), but this would mark his practical debut using the technique.

The entire plan rested on Drill Sarge’s theoretical deductions.

There were zero guarantees regarding the outcome.

“If it restores my daughter to health, you can reduce this entire mansion to rubble for all I care.”

“That’s the spirit.”

“Then… I place her life in your care.”

With Jasim’s departure, the environment was set.

“Drill Sarge. Stormy.”

• Yes, Jinwoo-nim!

“Let’s get started.”

• To begin, please strip my current runes and assign them to Stormy instead.

This adjustment was necessary to push Stormy’s yang energy generation to its absolute peak.

The premium, high-grade Omni Runes would provide a massive upgrade compared to the mediocre, mid-tier runes she was currently utilizing.

Baek Jinwoo managed the rune migration efficiently.

He then performed a fresh summon on Stormy to guarantee a pristine five-hour operational window.

• Excellent… now her sole objective is to hoard the energy of Dragon Burst until she hits her absolute capacity.

• I will manage it!

The intense pressure of the Burst Dragon began to manifest around the tip of Stormy’s staff.

Spurred by the properties of the Omni Runes, the cooldown for Dragon Burst dropped significantly while her mana replenishment surged.

As Stormy focused on gathering her power.

Sliiiip.

Drill Sarge closed his fingers around the young girl’s wrist once more.

He monitored her internal rhythms while visualizing the network of her obstructed pathways one last time.

The channels were incredibly constricted.

Constricted channels amplified the danger.

Both in drawing out the dense yin essence and pouring in the volatile yang energy.

Yet it didn’t deter him.

Drill Sarge fully intended to absorb the entire burden of that danger into his own frame.

According to the historical lore of the martial world, even the supreme Divine Physician would have found themselves helpless here.

But what if they leveraged the unique system mechanics of summons, who never truly perished but simply faced temporary dismissal?

The gamble was worthwhile.

Naturally, he had to avoid immediate dissolution.

He needed to persist for as long as humanly possible before succumbing.

Perishing outside the bounds of a active gate meant facing a rigid five-hour cooldown before he could be brought back.

The minutes ticked by.

The chamber, which had initially been freezing, was now thick with an intense, sweltering heat.

Deep within Stormy’s core, overlapping dragon projections twisted and coiled violently.

• The air is thinning out. How much more energy must I pull in?

Stormy was breathing heavily, clearly straining against her physical limits.

A minor lapse in her focus could cause the compressed dragon forces to destabilize, unleashing a catastrophic wave of yang energy.

• Stand firm. You have yet to reach the halfway mark. Two additional hours are required.

• Ahh!

• Do you have the strength to endure?

• I will hold!

Stormy clamped her teeth together.

Baek Jinwoo observed the unfolding ritual, pacing back and forth with anxiety.

He was entirely helpless to assist directly.

The only option left was to offer verbal encouragement to his companions.

• Master, the mapping of her pathways is fully complete.

• The moment the gathered yang energy achieves a perfect balance with her internal yin energy, I will act as the bridge.

A bridge?

“A bridge connecting Stormy’s power to the girl’s body?”

• Precisely. When that link forms, a violent collision of opposing internal energies will detonate within my own body. I will employ the Tribute Life Dark Art to force that entire collision into my own meridian system, converting it into personal strength. Because the fusion occurs within my frame… the girl will remain entirely insulated from the trauma. The peril is mine alone to bear.

“Can you survive that?”

What a terrifyingly precise technique.

Trading one’s own vitality to dictate the flow of raw energy.

It was impossible to fathom what kind of mind had devised such a self-destructive art.

• I shall commit my entire existence to the effort, Master.

Another grueling two hours slipped past.

• I… I can’t contain it any longer!

Stormy shrieked, beads of perspiration rolling down her forehead.

• That is sufficient. Halt the gathering process now.

• Please… let me unleash this burden immediately!

• Master.

“Speak.”

• Would you mind cycling my summon status?

“Understood, just a moment.”

Drill Sarge hadn’t collapsed yet.

As long as his life force remained intact, dismissing and calling him back incurred zero delay or penalty.

He was strategically refreshing his operational timer.

Fwooosh!

Drill Sarge coalesced back into reality, his right hand instantly locking down onto the young girl’s forearm.

“Ugh.”

A sharp, painful sound escaped the girl’s throat.

• Stormy! Position your staff right here!

• U-understood!

With his remaining hand, he clamped onto the head of Stormy’s magical staff.

• The circuit is complete. Channel every ounce of the compressed energy you hold through Shift (變) directly into my body!

• TAKE IT!

The moment Stormy’s frantic cry echoed through the room.

Storm Dragon Arts.

Ultimate technique.

Blaze (炎).

The entirety of the stored Dragon Burst energy rushed like a tidal wave directly into Drill Sarge’s meridians.

GWOOOOOSH!

• GAAAAAAAAAAAHH!

His left arm burned with an excruciating, tearing pain as Drill Sarge unleashed the internal mechanisms of the Tribute Life Dark Art.

Simultaneously.

CRACKCRACKCRACK!

From the girl’s side of the link, a freezing torrent of yin energy slammed violently through his right arm.