Chapter 51

Drill Sarge finally comprehended why the Tribute Life Dark Art carried such a sinister reputation.

The agony was utterly overwhelming.

This procedure demanded the execution of something fundamentally impossible, using his own inherent ki and life essence as collateral.

Inevitably, excruciating pain followed.

— Grrghhhk!

The destructive power Stormy had gathered over the course of four hours through a complete collection of Omni Runes clashed violently with the freezing frost of the Nine-Yin Severed Meridian Syndrome, tearing and shredding Drill Sarge’s physical form.

Under ordinary conditions, he would have vanished instantly from being unsummoned.

However, the mystical mechanics of the Tribute Life Dark Art held his corporeal frame together by sheer force, converting those two cataclysmic energies into a refined, purified power.

Stay focused!

Drill Sarge gnashed his teeth.

Naturally, his yearning to rescue the young girl and prove his worth to his master was powerful, but……

Drill Sarge harbored an even deeper craving.

I need to…… grow more powerful as well.

Just like Stormy. Just like Aso.

He currently held the position of the vanguard, true, but he recognized that a time would arrive when he would be left in the dust.

He was merely a Drill Instructor.

Designed exclusively for mentoring others, nothing more.

But.

If he managed to assimilate this colossal reservoir of energy?

He could transform into a primary combatant!

Moving past simple instruction, he could stand on the front lines right beside his master!

He could even participate in the ultimate ascent to the 100th floor of the Tower of Trials!

Go ahead and try to break me.

KWA-GA-GA-GA-GA!

Drill Sarge abandoned all semblance of self-restraint.

He unlocked the pathways on both sides, pulling the raging currents inside with complete disregard for his own safety.

The opposing forces of yin and yang tore through Drill Sarge’s internal pathways like savage beasts.

SPLURCH!

Virtually every capillary in his body ruptured simultaneously—his entire physical structure took on a sickening, mottled blue-purple hue.

The devastation didn’t pause there.

Crimson fluid cascaded in rivers from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

— I-is he going to survive this?

Stormy gasped for breath, her face draining of color in absolute dread.

“……”

Baek Jinwoo observed Drill Sarge’s tortured state with a heavy, aching heart, yet remained silent.

This path hadn’t been forced upon him. It was an act of his own free will.

He owed it to him to honor that choice.

Even so.

A brief look.

The young lady who had been fitfully weeping in agony just moments ago now bore a far more serene expression.

“Hah…… hahh……”

The frigid yin energy was being pulled out, confirming that Drill Sarge’s intervention was functioning perfectly!

In reality, Drill Sarge was absorbing every ounce of the torment that the young lady was meant to suffer.

How much time slipped away in this manner?

Eventually, Drill Sarge shut his eyelids tightly and locked his jaw.

— Nngghh.

Despite the unimaginable torture, he swallowed his screams.

— Jinwoo-nim, it is finished.

Thunk!

The instant the implement was pulled away, Drill Sarge’s arm collapsed, devoid of strength.

Shhk!

He broke his contact with the young lady’s arm as well.

— The entirety of the Blaze energy has transferred into his body.

Which meant…

The exact same scenario applied to the girl.

Her incessant whimpering had ceased entirely, and a healthy flush returned to her skin.

The frost energy characteristic of the Nine-Yin Severed Meridian Syndrome had been utterly eradicated, and the pathways that had frozen solid under its malice were melting, returning to their natural state of circulation!

The procedure was a flawless triumph.

The crisis now lay with Drill Sarge.

— ……

Thud!

Drill Sarge dropped to the floor, motionless with his eyes closed.

He hadn’t vanished back into the summoning realm, meaning life still lingered within him.

Yet Jinwoo recognized the truth.

He was on the brink of demise.

Before the darkness claimed him, Drill Sarge was desperately packing as much internal energy as his core could possibly hold.

You endured an absolute nightmare.

What an incredible summon to be blessed with.

In all honesty, what loss would Jinwoo suffer if his summon achieved greater power?

The ultimate beneficiary is myself.

For it meant his minion’s battle capability would elevate by that same margin.

To put it plainly, Drill Sarge was enduring that horrific torment exclusively for the sake of Baek Jinwoo.

“You performed magnificently. My thanks.”

Baek Jinwoo spoke softly.

And perhaps, across the barrier of his suffering, those words managed to reach him?

The ghost of a grin touched the edges of Drill Sarge’s mouth.

Flash!

Drill Sarge was finally unsummoned.

Indicating his health points had reached zero.

Jinwoo felt a deep curiosity regarding the final outcome, but……

A mandatory five-hour cooldown stood between him and summoning him once more.

Baek Jinwoo initiated the summoning countdowns for Ramba, Stormy, and Rolly.

Then commanded them to begin accumulating power once again.

Following that.

Clunk!

He unlatched the doorway and moved outside.

Exiting the chamber that Drill Sarge had left radiating intense warmth, a refreshing draft swept across his skin.

Pacing outside the entrance with a deeply troubled face was Jasim.

“I-is it finished?”

How agonizing must the wait have been?

Five hours of muffled noises echoing from behind that barrier, resisting the frantic urge to burst inside—the physical toll of that internal battle was plain to see on his face.

“Yes, the work is done.”

Baek Jinwoo shifted his gaze to Jasim and offered a reassuring smile.

Ah.

Is this the sensation a medical specialist experiences following a flawless surgical procedure?

Though Drill Sarge had carried the entire burden, a sense of profound fulfillment expanded within Jinwoo’s soul.

“The intervention succeeded. Your daughter will recover.”

“Gh, ghhk!”

Jasim’s strength deserted his lower limbs. He collapsed directly onto his knees.

Simultaneously, he extended both hands, gripping Jinwoo’s hands with immense fervor.

No additional explanations were required.

Jasim understood with absolute clarity.

This exact instant represented the pinnacle of joy in his entire existence.

“Is it truly real? Is it truly over? My deepest gratitude. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!”

“You shouldn’t waste time out here. Step inside and witness it for yourself.”

“Y-yes, right away!”

As though he had been desperately anticipating those words, Jasim sprinted toward the chamber.

Gentle, rhythmic breathing filled the air.

The resting girl slowly parted her eyelids.

“……Father?”

It marked the very first occasion.

The first instance a phrase had crossed his daughter’s lips completely devoid of underlying suffering.

Furthermore.

Not a single trace of that biting frost radiated from her form any longer.

Her complexion was no longer deathly pale—it bloomed with vitality.

“My dearest child! Are you truly alright?”

“Father, I…… the pain is gone. I don’t feel cold whatsoever.”

“Ghhk, ghhhhk!”

Jasim pulled his child tightly against his torso and sobbed.

Baek Jinwoo observed the pair in quiet respect, then spun around to leave.

To grant the reunited family their privacy.

A brief period later.

“It is quite modest, but please accept this meal.”

Laid out before Baek Jinwoo was the most magnificent banquet he had ever encountered.

“There was truly no need to prepare such an elaborate spread.”

“You stand as the savior for both myself and my child. I possess no means to fully clear this obligation. However, to begin—the five supreme-grade Omni Runes I swore to provide.”

Jasim initiated the trade mechanism and offered the artifacts.

Supreme-grade Omni Runes, beyond any shadow of doubt.

“My thanks.”

Baek Jinwoo smirked and accepted the exchange.

At long last, his collection had grown to eighteen Omni Runes.

“And I request that you take this as well.”

Displaying in the freshly opened transaction interface was a rare companion.

Interpreter Bird (B-rank).

A specialized creature unique to the reward pools of the Tower of Trials.

With this creature settled upon one’s frame, any human within proximity could seamlessly understand one another.

“I implore you not to reject this offering. You indicated that five Omni Runes would settle the matter, but my conscience cannot rest on that alone. Please do not view the simple desire of a parent wishing to show his immense gratitude as a weight.”

“……In that case, I will accept this as the final boundary.”

Just as he had asserted previously.

He harbored no intention of manipulating a parent’s devotion to extract excess wealth.

Yet?

He was not so detached from practical benefits that he would push away a gift freely offered.

Particularly that avian creature……

It possessed undeniable utility.

“Hahaha, brilliant! Well, you must be famished—shall we begin the meal?”

“No, I appreciate the hospitality, but…… I believe I have drained my reserves too deeply. I require rest above all else right now.”

“Oh, is that the case?”

He felt the vacancy in his stomach, to be fair, but his body rejected the idea of eating.

Until he could verify Drill Sarge’s current parameters, he doubted any sustenance would sit well.

……What a remarkably disciplined individual.

Jasim observed Baek Jinwoo, a profound wave of respect washing over him.

How many deceptive charlatans had crossed his threshold over the years?

There had been religious zealots asserting his child suffered from a spiritual curse, demanding astronomical fortunes.

Others had teased the illusion of a cure while extorting ridiculous sums of money.

Allocating wealth to a man of this caliber is a truly worthy endeavor.

Jasim?

He possessed boundless financial resources.

The petroleum resources harvested and distributed globally year after year ensured his coffers expanded perpetually, regardless of his expenditures.

He mentioned Yubaek, located in South Korea.

Jasim reached a silent conviction.

With every passing year.

He would track down exceptional artifacts beneficial to players and deliver them without a return address to Yubaek.

South Korea, Player Zone.

“AAARGHHHH!”

A prominent ranker squeezed both fists tight and let loose a powerful roar.

“Hey, you absolute lunatic. What do you think you’re doing in public? Lower your voice.”

“I am utterly PARCHED! Parched! I can’t endure this another second!”

Bystanders whispered among themselves as they observed the two rankers creating a public disturbance between the structures.

“……Those individuals.”

“Carpe Diem?”

“Aren’t they Ki Jaehyeok and Kang Jiho?”

The duo had earned significant renown as elite high school rankers.

Having been chosen for the national roster quite recently, their reputations were soaring.

“Every eye is fixed on us. Will you kindly shut your mouth?”

“Hahhh, my apologies, Hyung.”

Kang Jiho, the junior by a single year, agitated his own locks.

The underlying reality was simple.

Both individuals had been eagerly anticipating the gathering of the national squad.

The solitary day each week dedicated to receiving instruction from Baek Jinwoo.

Yet?

The training block had been called off due to Baek Jinwoo handling private affairs.

The intense irritation stemming from this had pushed Jaehyeok past his breaking point.

Such was the depth of their yearning—even now, they paced aimlessly around the Arena, sighing without pause.

Right then.

“Oh? What brings you two to this area?”

An individual noticed their presence and called out to them.

“Ah, Ari Noona!”

Ki Jaehyeok identified the speaker instantly.

It was impossible to mistake her.

Ranked 3rd nationally, leader of the formidable Arirang guild—Hong Ari.

A competitor carrying greater renown than the nation’s chief executive.

“So even Noona was longing for Jinwoo Hyung-nim’s presence, correct?”

“T-that isn’t the reason I’m here.”

“Then for what purpose are you loitering around the Arena?”

Hong Ari winced, the question striking directly at her hidden motives.

The reality was that those ten hours of instruction had proven to be a profound awakening for her as well.

Following that single lesson, she had returned and completely reconstructed Arirang’s entire internal development program. That fact alone spoke volumes.

She had been counting down the days until the national assembly, only for the block to be unexpectedly scrapped…… forcing her steps instinctively back toward the Arena.

“Then what are the two of you…… doing out in the open?”

“We answered you with total honesty. We long for Jinwoo Hyung-nim.”

“Hah, fine, you speak the truth! You’re absolutely right! Seriously, how does an abrupt cancellation like this even make sense? If he intended to act in this manner, why accept the trillion won from state funds?”

Hong Ari finally conceded, voicing her complaints all the while.

“Noona.”

In that moment, Ki Jaehyeok’s gaze turned incredibly sharp.

“Yes?”

“In truth, a particular concept has been brewing in our minds.”

“What concept?”

“What if we travel straight to Yubaek to seek him out?”

“What?”

Hong Ari knit her brows together.

What sort of tactless behavior was that?

The instructor fails to appear, so you hunt him down?

As someone who thoroughly detested obsessive, boundary-crossing admirers, the concept struck her as highly distasteful.

“Isn’t that stepping way over the line?”

Even as the words left her mouth, her genuine desires whispered that she wished to journey there as well.

To demand why the training block had been aborted.

To resolve the specific mechanical bottlenecks she had wrestled with throughout the week.

“No, Noona, didn’t it register with you? When that Hyung-nim conducts our lessons…… he isn’t truly operating at maximum effort.”

“What? What are you implying? The material has been monumentally beneficial.”

“No, I am completely certain. He is merely performing routine movements. The sole reason it feels so impactful is because our foundational level is lightyears below his.”

Ki Jaehyeok had detected the subtle truth.

The expression within Baek Jinwoo’s gaze—how could one describe it? Similar to a mature adult supervising small children.

Not the focus of an educator guiding a specialized elite class. The expression of a master burdened with inferior students.

“Evaluate the situation logically. From Jinwoo Hyung-nim’s viewpoint, simply because the state compensates him—there is zero fundamental incentive for him to educate us with genuine investment.”

“……Even given a trillion won?”

“A trillion remains just money. Authentically mentoring an individual from an entirely different guild as though they were your direct disciple? That is a completely separate realm of commitment.”

“So what conclusion are you driving toward?”

“I already stated it. I desire to travel to Yubaek.”

“And once we arrive?”

“Petition him to instruct us with genuine sincerity. Pledge that we will satisfy any requirement he demands. Hyung-nim articulated it himself, did he not? The individual suffering from thirst is the one tasked with creating the water source.”

Hong Ari perceived the deep earnestness radiating from Ki Jaehyeok’s expression.

His logic is sound.

Not a solitary syllable he uttered lacked merit.

Baek Jinwoo’s prowess was globally dominant, a fact clear to any observer.

By comparison?

They held ranker status, certainly, but only within the domestic sphere of South Korea.

South Korean rankers, classified among the least formidable on the international stage.

To put it bluntly, specimens confined to a small pond.

To become an authentic disciple of Baek Jinwoo and set their sights on international ranker status?

Hong Ari tightened her fists.

There existed no logical argument against making the journey.

If anything, a sense of critical urgency gnawed at her thoughts.

Should Baek Jinwoo welcome those youngsters and initiate their genuine development?

This hard-fought third-place standing she had desperately secured would be stripped away in an instant.

“……When do you plan to depart?”

“Given that we are already locked in this discussion, why not this very moment? We can inspect the renowned Yubaek central base while we are at it.”

“Can…… Seonyeong Unni join us as well?”

Orang, Oh Seonyeong.

Following her complete subjugation during their previous encounter, she had already transformed into a fanatical devotee of Baek Jinwoo.

Hearing Hong Ari’s inquiry, Ki Jaehyeok flashed a knowing grin.

“Why would you require our authorization for that? If she holds the desire to accompany us, she joins.”

Even if they faced immediate rejection at the threshold. Even if the action drew his profound irritation.

That remained an individual consequence for each person to shoulder.