Chapter 59

[Materials Required: King’s Crest (Bound) x 1, supreme-grade summoning scroll x 3, high-grade summoning scroll x 10, World Tree Leaf x 10]

These were the precise components necessary to forge a Guaranteed Summoning Scroll (B-rank).

As soon as Baek Jinwoo stepped up to the production workbench, he initiated the creation process without a moment’s hesitation.

[Drumroll!]

[Manufacturing underway!]

With an eighty percent probability of success, the odds were heavily in his favor.

He would have to be cursed with astronomical misfortune to fail this attempt!

Please work! Let it succeed! Just this once!

With palms dripping from nervous tension, he pressed his hands together tightly and rubbed them in fervent prayer.

Flash!

[Creation Successful!]

[Congratulatory Greetings!]

[You have successfully forged a ‘Guaranteed Summoning Scroll’ (B-rank)!]

“YESSS!”

HRAAAAGH!

Baek Jinwoo let out a booming shout of pure exhilaration.

Finally.

He no longer had to stress over a frustrating crafting schematic.

Out of the entire pool of EX-rank entities, only a pair belonged to the B-rank tier, meaning he was now fully capable of pulling both into his roster.

What an absolute relief.

Faced with two consecutive attempts at an eighty percent success rate, he had felt a lingering dread, but fortune had smiled on him, and both passed perfectly.

This meant he could secure an audience with the Rune Dwarf prior to challenging the thirtieth floor of the Tower of Trials.

Stepping away from the crafting zone, Baek Jinwoo reasoned that delay was pointless and immediately ripped the parchment down the middle.

RIIIIIP!

[Activating ‘Guaranteed Summoning Scroll’ (B-rank)!]

[Player ‘Baek Jinwoo’ is entering the selection phase for a summon!]

Shwaaaaa!

Amidst a swirling vortex of innumerable choices, his mind was locked onto a single entity.

[‘Rune Dwarf’ (EX-rank)]

Oh, absolutely beautiful!

He had been anticipating this encounter for a very long time!

With a racing heartbeat, Baek Jinwoo snatched up the glowing card.

Whrrrrr!

The object spun rapidly in place before exploding into a brilliant radiance.

[Player ‘Baek Jinwoo’ has successfully called forth the summon ‘Rune Dwarf’ (EX-rank)!]

• Huh, wait? What’s going on here?

Thud. Thud.

A vertically challenged creature sporting a thick snowy beard tottered forward in an endearing manner.

• Where… have I been brought to? And who might you be? By what method did you call me here?

The tiny craftsman scanned his surroundings, his gaze flickering with intense curiosity.

“Rune.”

• …Rune? Ah, that name rings a bell. Wait, could it possibly be—JinuGod?

“That’s right, it’s me. Though around here, I just go by Jinwoo instead of JinuGod.”

Ugh.

That ridiculous alias.

Hearing it out loud never failed to make his skin crawl.

• Heh, heheheh!

The Rune Dwarf let out a soft chuckle at first, which quickly escalated into a deep, full-bodied belly laugh.

• BWAHAHAHA! Is that truly you? FOR REAL?!

Without warning, the creature bounded forward and gripped Baek Jinwoo’s hand in a tight hold.

• I have missed you so terribly! Ever since the moment I was cast into Quarantine, my hammer has sat entirely idle. You cannot imagine how much I craved the weight of it in my grip! I held onto the faith that you would come for me! That a day would arrive when you would call upon my services once more…!

Wow.

He recalled that Rune could talk his ear off.

However, experiencing that relentless chatter through actual vocal chords was an entirely different reality.

As a point of reference, Rune’s prior period of activity had only briefly crossed paths with Drill Sarge’s operational time.

The dwarf had zero familiarity with Ramba or Stormy.

Was it time to inspect the profile?

[Summon: Rune Dwarf]

[Species: Dwarf]

[Rank: EX-rank (Quarantine designation)]

• Restricted due to the identification of balance-disrupting capabilities under particular parameters.

[Level: 1]

[Attributes]

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

HP: 1,000, MP: 0

Crit Rate: 20%

Crit Damage: 20%

[Abilities]

• Craft (Lv.1): Utilizes miscellaneous raw materials to produce targeted runes based on a fixed probability matrix.

He stood as the sole companion possessing an expandable skill mastery.

If he ground that mastery up to its peak, and had Drill Sarge oversee a brutal blacksmithing regimen, the end result would be spectacular.

The creature would unlock a hidden trait known as ‘Masterwork Crafting’ (Lv.1)—an attribute that was utterly overpowered.

It granted the power to forge a wide array of Rare and Unique tier runes without restriction.

Historically, back in the era of Battle of Summoners, the development team had targeted Masterwork Crafting with a severe balance adjustment once it reached Level 3.

Man!

The mere recollection of that nerf was enough to make his temper flare up all over again.

“It is good to have you back with us, Rune.”

• And I am absolutely thrilled to witness this fresh side of you! My loyalty has not wavered in the slightest! Provided you afford me the freedom to strike my anvil to my heart’s desire, I will dedicate my entire existence to forging runes on your behalf! You have my solemn word.

“All right. I appreciate that.”

Every single companion possessed a core obsession that drove them.

For Rune, it was the act of forging.

From a player’s perspective, that was an incredibly advantageous obsession to exploit.

“Let’s move out. I’ll get you acquainted with the rest of the team.”

“Introduce yourselves.”

Returning to the upper-level residence, Baek Jinwoo materialized Rune before the others.

“This is the newest addition to our household. A high-tier asset, no less. I’m sure you all remember hearing about him.”

Baek Jinwoo had taken to utilizing the descriptor ‘high-tier asset’ whenever he discussed his EX-rank companions.

Ramba, Drill Sarge, Burst Dragon, Rolly, and Rune.

These five individuals constituted his primary operational force—the ones who would receive every bit of his focus, devotion, and accumulated assets.

As for the others?

He would provide them with adequate growth, but nothing beyond basic maintenance.

• Ah, so you’re the famous Rune everyone keeps talking about! Greetings! I’m so happy to meet you!

Flutter flutter!

Ramba drifted through the air toward him.

Then, out of nowhere, she launched into a melodic tune.

• I am the companion Ramba! The right hand of Jinwoo! A magical being obsessed with sweet dairy pastries! Whenever our paths cross, make sure to wave~ Greet me with a warm smile!

• Ramba, hold your tongue.

Drill Sarge stepped forward, diligently cleaning his weapon with a cloth, causing Ramba to puff her cheeks out in irritation.

• Hmph.

• Rune, it has been quite some time.

• Ah! Well met, Drill Sarge! It brings me great joy to encounter you once more in this place. Truly marvelous! BWAHAHA!

Those two had historically shared an excellent rapport.

The obsession with rigorous training perfectly aligned with the obsession to refine manufacturing techniques, making them an ideal pair.

• I am Stormy. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.

• …Krrk!

Rune offered a cheerful grin toward Stormy and Rolly as well.

• Hahaha! Splendid! Though it is our initial meeting, let us foster a grand partnership! Just by observing your statures, I can already sense that I must forge some magnificent runes for your benefit! Naturally, I must first reconstruct my vanished mastery levels… BWAHAH! But honestly, that is a magnificent prospect! The greater the mastery I must reclaim, the more anvil work I am permitted to perform, is that not a glorious thing?

Unshakable optimism.

Or rather, the trademark worldview of a Rune Dwarf.

Even so.

Baek Jinwoo couldn’t help but feel a minor headache coming on.

Think of all the exhausting hours he had previously spent maxing out that specific mastery.

And now, the universe was forcing him to repeat the entire ordeal from scratch.

For context, the maximum threshold for Craft stood at level 10.

Reaching that milestone meant the performance metrics became highly reliable.

The primary obstacle was that achieving it demanded an astronomical investment of time.

On second thought, however.

Analyzing the situation objectively, the circumstances were far superior to his previous experiences.

In the past, it was merely an interface game. Now, it was physical reality.

And within this reality, acquiring raw materials was actually far less complicated.

“Jinwoo, what is the occasion?”

Accompanied by Rolly as his personal bodyguard, Baek Jinwoo stepped outside the residence and promptly placed a call to Yu Jia.

He required a strategy session regarding the acceleration of Rune’s mastery development.

Oh, that’s right.

He had an item to transfer to her custody before anything else.

“Take this before we begin. Consider it a token of appreciation.”

Baek Jinwoo sent over a formal transaction request.

The asset in question: Mindreader Eagle (A-rank).

“Wait, what is this exactly? A bird of prey?”

“It goes by the name Mindreader Eagle. It was awarded to me as a compensation prize within the Tower of Trials. Take a look at the informational tab.”

“…Understood.”

Yu Jia gave a slight nod, finalizing the acquisition, and began skimming the data sheet.

Instantly, her eyelids flared wide with astonishment.

Good grief.

A flesh-and-blood polygraph avian?!

Furthermore, it fell under the Rare classification.

While B-rank Rare items could occasionally be tracked down, A-rank Rares were an absolute luxury.

The kind of object where the seller dictates whatever astronomical price they want.

The drop statistics for such an item were practically nonexistent.

“You are transferring an asset of this magnitude… directly to me?”

“I reasoned that its utility would be far greater under your management than sitting idle in my inventory.”

A wave of profound appreciation glistened within her gaze.

Seriously, getting so overly sentimental over an item like this.

He fully intended to secure vastly superior treasures for her as time went on.

“Don’t lose your composure just yet. I’m handing this over to ensure your operational output increases.”

“Ah, ahaha! Is that how it is? It appears I am condemned to endless cycles of uncompensated evening shifts now, correct?”

“Come on, it’s not that dramatic.”

Baek Jinwoo dismissed the comment with a roll of his shoulders, smoothly transitioning to the core matter.

“The present is handled, but I require your assistance with a separate issue.”

“An issue?”

“Correct, it concerns the production of runes. Do you think you can broadcast an announcement regarding this service?”

Baek Jinwoo and Yu Jia engaged in a detailed deliberation for a significant duration.

The conclusion they eventually arrived at?

To launch the Rune Dwarf as a commercial enterprise without delay.

Rune’s technical capabilities were completely out of this world.

Had a massive syndicate managed to recruit him, they would have locked him away in total secrecy to monopolize his outputs for their inner circle.

However, Baek Jinwoo did not operate a syndicate.

He functioned as an independent combatant backed entirely by the logistical framework of Yubaek management.

“Mastery points—certainly, I could grind them out through my own efforts. However, the timeline would be incredibly inefficient.”

During his days in Battle of Summoners, maximizing Rune’s production mastery had consumed roughly twenty-four months of his life.

And that was under a grueling schedule of non-stop material dumping and relentless effort.

“It makes far more sense to leverage the player base rather than attempting a solitary grind.”

“When you break down the logistics like that, the profit margins are undeniable.”

Yu Jia signaled her agreement.

“However, we must avoid creating the impression that we are desperate for clientele. The project needs to be presented as an elite tier service requiring equitable compensation.”

“And what form should that compensation take…?”

“Given that the current failure percentage is bound to be quite high, let us propose this framework—no fee is charged for unsuccessful attempts, but upon a successful output, we claim a summoning scroll. Naturally, the consumer provides all necessary raw materials for the runic recipe.”

The likelihood of a successful runic creation under Craft (Lv.1) was abysmal.

If his memory served him correctly, it hovered beneath a zero-point-one percent threshold.

Yet despite those terrible odds, the prospective value remained astronomical.

A client could secure the precise runic modification they required, customized with the exact attributes they desired.

“A summoning scroll?”

“Precisely. A single high-grade summoning scroll collected per successful creation.”

A single high-grade summoning scroll commanded a market valuation of three million won, which translated to a clear profit of three million won for every successful craft.

Wow.

If this venture scaled up successfully, the revenue stream would be mind-boggling.

I can elevate his mastery levels while simultaneously stacking currency—a massive benefit for myself. Meanwhile, the clients secure their dream modifications funded by their own capital—a massive benefit for them.

Furthermore.

The timing was ideal for him to begin amassing an inventory of high-grade summoning scrolls.

There were still five EX-rank companions left to acquire.

[Little Giant (C-rank)]

[Dhampir (C-rank)]

[Aso (A-rank)]

[Demon Cat (A-rank)]

[Armageddon Dragon (S-rank)]

Among the variants available with standard market valuations, the high-grade summoning scroll represented the peak tier.

Supreme-grade and ultimate variants could only be acquired through private negotiations, as public listings were entirely nonexistent.

The probability breakdown for a high-grade summoning scroll unfolded as follows:

[D-rank: 94%]

[C-rank: 5%]

[B-rank: 1%]

Baek Jinwoo intended to tear through those high-grade summoning scrolls like a man possessed in order to manifest the Little Giant and the Dhampir.

The moment those two were secured, he would possess the most formidable frontline defense network imaginable.

They represented critical components for his eventual conquest of the upper regions of the Tower of Trials.

Granted, manifesting them would require a staggering amount of fortune…

But if he continuously burned through scrolls, the law of large numbers would eventually tilt in his favor, wouldn’t it?

In the past, such a feat would have been a statistical impossibility. Now, at the very least, a glimmer of capability was visible.

And if Rune could actively generate those exact summoning scrolls as income?

That faint glimmer would expand into an absolute certainty.

“That is an exceptionally clever strategy.”

“For the time being, exposing Rune’s capabilities to international markets is a bit risky, so perhaps we should restrict this service to domestic premier syndicates initially? Shielded by non-disclosure agreements, of course.”

Wow.

Yu Jia truly understood the assignment.

Spot on.

Revealing excessive intel to the public could easily paint a target on his back, much like that prior criminal altercation.

To navigate society with absolute transparency and zero vulnerabilities?

At a bare minimum, every single EX-rank companion required optimized endgame runes at maximum reinforcement levels.

Furthermore, their hidden traits needed to be fully unlocked.

By the time he achieved that state, he could likely stand before Rachel without an ounce of hesitation.

No—even if the entire global community arrayed themselves against him, he would remain completely unyielding.

“Execute the plan exactly like that.”

“Understood. I will initiate negotiations with Baekho, Arirang, and Ilwol immediately.”

“Oh, make sure to include Carpe Diem on that roster as well.”

Ki Jaehyeok and Kang Jiho.

Baek Jinwoo held a genuine fondness for that duo.

The enthusiastic manner in which they trailed behind him shouting “Senior! Senior!”—made it clear they would execute any task he set before them without offering a single complaint.

Yeah.

When a grand opportunity presents itself, you look after your inner circle.

After all, he had already committed to mentoring them as his personal pupils.

“Understood, your directives are perfectly received!”

Yu Jia chirped out playfully while executing a crisp salute.

It appeared she was mimicking Drill Sarge’s rigid military bearing.

Observing her antics, a faint smile broke across Baek Jinwoo’s expression.

Excellent.

It truly felt as though every individual component of his master plan was locking into place, step by step.