Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Within the walls of the coffee shop, a rather disheveled, bearded fellow hunched over his table.

Slurrrp!

He sipped his beverage while meticulously reviewing the roster of prospective players waiting for registration. Though his unkempt appearance suggested a vagrant, he was actually a highly regarded summoner within South Korea.

His name was Park Changseok.

As a designated councilman for the main headquarters, he commanded a trio of C-rank summons, each meticulously developed over a span of two years.

“Tsk tsk.”

He clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.

“Seriously… they expect me to select a mere fifty from this entire batch? Is that all?”

He had dedicated a significant portion of his career to headquarters, but he constantly found himself at odds with the administrative strategies of the leadership.

Limiting it to fifty admissions a month, and they honestly believe that will transform us into a global powerhouse for summoning?

At present, South Korea languished at the very bottom of the international standings. The explanation for this failure was obvious: an extreme scarcity of exceptional talent.

To even stand a chance at uncovering genuine prodigies, you have to drastically broaden the recruitment pool.

Slurrrp!

He drained the remainder of his iced Americano in a single, aggressive gulp, a mere ten seconds after it had been served, his brow furrowing deeply.

Every single dominant nation in the summoning sphere utilized an open, highly competitive system. They didn’t implement arbitrary caps on player numbers. They allowed everyone an opportunity to participate, operating on the principle that only the truly powerful would endure. Park Changseok was convinced that South Korea desperately needed to adopt the exact same philosophy.

Those ancient relics hiding in the executive offices. The whole lot of them need to clear out. They haven’t the slightest inkling of how things actually operate on the front lines.

In addition to his council duties, he served as an official examiner for headquarters, and he was just about to shake his head in utter exasperation when—

CRASH!

The glass entryway of the café violently shattered inward.

“W-what on earth—!”

“KYAAAAH!”

Patrons scrambled in panic, screaming at the top of their lungs.

WEEEE-OOOOO!

The automated security system of the building began to wail at maximum volume.

What is the meaning of this?

Park Changseok snapped his gaze toward the disruption. A colossal summon now occupied the shattered threshold where the entryway had stood. Its piercing, predatory eyes scanned the interior, leaving the trapped civilians too paralyzed by terror to flee, standing frozen and trembling.

That creature is…

He recognized the beast instantly.

It was a C-rank Bloodstained Orc.

“Ha, those absolute lunatics.”

Park Changseok stood up from his chair with a heavy exhale.

This specific brand of lawlessness was precisely why South Korea was dismissed as a chaotic backwater in the summoning community. Summoner gangs. Criminal syndicates that once operated strictly in the dark corners of society now possessed zero fear of conventional firearms or blades, emboldening them to orchestrate brazen assaults like this in broad daylight.

“Well, well, Park Changseok! So this is the little den you’ve been hiding in?”

Thud. Thud.

A man sauntered into the café, his demeanor entirely relaxed and arrogant. This hoodlum was the master of the Bloodstained Orc.

“You miserable bastard. You wiped out my entire crew and honestly thought you could just masquerade as a fancy headquarters councilman and enjoy a peaceful, happy life? Is that it?”

Positioned just behind the dominant Orc were four lower-tier summons acting in a specialized auxiliary capacity. This constituted the criminal’s complete battle unit.

“What exactly do you think you’re accomplishing here,” Park Changseok uttered as he straightened his posture, a cold, lethal intent radiating from his gaze.

Simultaneously—

CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!

A massive, wooden torso erupted directly through the flooring tiles. It was the C-rank Woodman.

FWOOOOSH!

Following it was the C-rank Flame Tortoise.

Then, floating gracefully upward into the air, the C-rank Flame Butterfly manifested.

These three entities comprised the signature battle lineup of Examiner Park Changseok. To round out his forces, two additional D-rank summons materialized just behind the main vanguard.

This was Park Changseok’s complete combat squad!

The two opposing players locked eyes, their stares burning with mutual animosity.

“Hhk—”

“…It’s a clash between the syndicates and headquarters.”

“Those two factions have been violently tearing into each other lately.”

“Of all the luck, why did this have to go down HERE.”

The temperature in the café seemed to instantly drop to a freezing point.

The syndicates.

The fundamental reason a common criminal could display such outrageous arrogance was incredibly straightforward. The barrier. As long as a summoner maintained an active summon in the world, they could theoretically withstand a direct nuclear strike on the building they occupied. Because conventional law enforcement could not subdue them through standard physical coercion, these lawbreakers completely disregarded established statutes and ran totally amok. South Korea was, in the most literal sense, locked in a brutal domestic war against organized crime.

What on earth is happening right now?

Baek Jinwoo was caught completely off guard. A scenario that should have been confined to the digital realm of Battle of Summoners was playing out right before his eyes in reality.

Are you absolutely kidding me right now?

This isn’t some lawless tavern out of a historical martial arts story.

Actual street thugs are initiating territorial skirmishes right in the heart of metropolitan Seoul?

Has society completely lost its collective mind?

Setting his shock aside, he evaluated the field. Bloodstained Orc, Woodman, Flame Tortoise, Flame Butterfly… He recognized every single entity present. These were standard summons he had analyzed from every conceivable angle in the past, trying to discover a viable competitive application for them, only to repeatedly dismiss them and dismantle them for crafting components whenever they dropped in his games.

Apparently, in this reality, they were considered formidable combatants.

“U-um, so what is going to happen to all of us? Hic…” a voice whimpered from a dark corner of the room. It was a young woman, likely a staff member of the establishment.

Another patron grimly provided an answer to her terrified question.

“What happens? We can only pray that the representative from headquarters emerges victorious.”

“What?”

“Are you unaware that those syndicate monsters view ordinary civilian lives as nothing more than insects? Even so, that gentleman over there appears to be Park Changseok, so don’t lose hope just yet. They refer to him as the Yaksha, you know.”

The Yaksha. A fearsome guardian deity derived from ancient Indian lore, a ruthless protector of sacred order. It was a terrifying moniker he had rightfully earned by systematically eliminating a staggering number of syndicate affiliates.

As a matter of legal record within South Korea, any citizen was fully authorized to execute a confirmed, registered syndicate member on sight. To terminate them carried absolutely no criminal liability or pending charges.

“ATTENTION, THIS IS A CRITICAL EMERGENCY! All civilians must immediately follow emergency drills and manifest your summons! Secure your protective barriers right now!” Park Changseok bellowed to the frightened onlookers.

Without a second thought, Baek Jinwoo immediately invoked Ramba.

['Wind Fairy' (EX-rank) has been summoned!]

— …!

The tiny fairy materialized with her characteristic burst of unbridled energy, instantly preparing to make a loud scene, but she abruptly noticed the dense crowd of onlookers surrounding them and swiftly clamped both of her hands tightly over her mouth.

Regardless of her antics, the primary objective was achieved. Thanks to Ramba’s presence, a shimmering defensive barrier immediately enveloped his position.

The invading thug observed the frantic civilians desperately summoning their respective creatures and let out a mocking sneer.

“Heh heh heh, look at this grand grandfather attempting to play the savior.”

“…”

“What’s the matter, terrified that I’m going to slaughter every single breathing soul in this room?”

“That outcome is impossible. I will end your life long before you get the chance.”

“Is that right? Then by all means, SHOW ME!”

KA-BOOOOM!

The two opposing summoners clashed violently.

CLANG! CRACK!

An intense five-against-five melee erupted. The furious collision of these ten monstrous entities immediately caused the overhead lighting fixtures to shatter and rain down, while sharp fragments of marble flooring tore through the air like shrapnel.

“S-somebody please rescue me!”

“Uhuhuhu!”

Terrified patrons huddled tightly in defensive clusters, shuddering from the concussive force, but the surrounding magical barriers successfully insulated everyone from sustaining physical harm.

From his secluded vantage point in the corner, Baek Jinwoo carefully monitored the unfolding engagement. One realization resonated clearly within his mind.

I am incredibly glad I decided to keep the whole JinuGod identity completely confidential.

If such volatile, dangerous extremists were actively operating without restraint in the real world, maintaining a low profile was paramount to survival.

Alright.

Let’s dissect this tactical matchup.

Analyzing strictly by the raw tier of the summons involved, the headquarters examiner held a definitive upper hand. There was no debating the math. The syndicate thug possessed only a single C-rank entity, whereas Park Changseok commanded three of them.

And yet, as the physical exchange progressed, Park Changseok was visibly being forced onto the defensive.

Why on earth would he activate that specific ability at THAT exact juncture?

Baek Jinwoo found the tactical error entirely baffling. The absolute most efficient sequence of counterattacks mapped itself out instinctively within his own mind, yet the veteran examiner, Park Changseok, was completely blind to the opening.

Ultimately, it was an unavoidable deficiency. Compared to Baek Jinwoo, who had meticulously drilled optimized combat strategies through a digital medium via thousands of repetitions and amassed a staggering wealth of theoretical experience… Park Changseok possessed a meager three years of practical experience in this newly altered reality. His battlefield vision and raw tactical reflexes were inherently unpolished.

That man is supposed to be the legendary Yaksha?

He clearly wielded substantial authority and respect within the headquarters hierarchy, but regardless of his reputation, his actual execution on the battlefield was shockingly rudimentary.

This display was a perfect micro-example that clearly illustrated exactly why South Korea remained trapped at the absolute bottom of the global rankings.

— ……

Ramba, hovering silently right beside him, mirrored his sentiment with an expression of sheer disbelief, raising her tiny hands to cover her own eyes. It was the universal gesture of an onlooker who had just witnessed a performance so agonizingly inept they wished they could unsee it.

“BWAHAHAHA! Where exactly has the fearsome Yaksha of headquarters gone hiding? Is this pathetic display truly the absolute best you can manage?” The ecstatic criminal yelled, aggressively pressing his tactical advantage.

The surrounding crowd began to panic.

“W-what are we supposed to do?”

“Park Changseok is actively losing ground!”

“There’s no way. THE legendary Park Changseok is actually going to be defeated?”

“Has anyone successfully transmitted an emergency distress signal?”

“Supposedly, headquarters reinforcements are currently en route, but we don’t have that kind of time! If Park Changseok falls here… every single one of us is dead!”

A deep, suffocating dread of the syndicate’s legendary cruelty rippled through the room.

Damn it.

What is the correct play here?

Baek Jinwoo weighed his options carefully.

Should he intervene to assist Park Changseok? Under what possible justification? No, even before addressing that concern—wouldn’t offering assistance simply expose his capabilities and invite unwanted complications further down the line? Had he not explicitly resolved, only a few minutes prior, to keep his head down and operate entirely in the shadows until he had gathered sufficient individual power?

KA-BOOOOM!

The heavy waraxe of the Bloodstained Orc violently sheared through one of the primary defensive limbs of the Woodman.

— KREEEEEEEK!

The sentient arboreal monster contorted its root system in sheer agony, letting out a piercing shriek.

At this current trajectory, the syndicate criminal would secure a decisive victory in a matter of moments.

What now.

Adhering to a conservative, low-profile strategy was logical, but that logic only applied if he survived. He needed to ensure his own breathing before anything else, didn’t he?

“Excuse me, sir.”

Ultimately, Baek Jinwoo reached a conclusion, rose swiftly to his feet, and marched directly toward the straining Park Changseok. Every single hair on his arms stood on end from the intense pressure—the atmosphere in the café was thick enough to suffocate—but if he chose inaction now, the entire room faced execution.

Park Changseok instantly thrust an arm backward to halt his approach.

“This area is extremely hazardous! Please remain in the designated safe corner!”

“No, you don’t understand—”

“You are actively disrupting my concentration in this engagement! Place your faith in my command and fall back! Support forces will arrive at any moment!”

Oh, for the love of…

This incredibly obtuse older man.

The examiner’s fierce, authoritative stare would have easily intimidated a standard citizen, but Baek Jinwoo refused to budge an inch.

“That is not what I am trying to tell you. The activation timing on your Flame Tortoise’s primary skill is completely incorrect.”

“…?”

“The auxiliary units stationed directly behind that Bloodstained Orc are continuously maintaining a ‘Fire Resistance’ enchantment. If you trigger your ultimate offensive skill while that protective buff is active, what exact outcome do you expect to achieve?”

That specific tactical blindness is precisely why you are losing a three-to-one advantage against a single C-rank.

He purposefully left that final observation unsaid. Delivering a harsh verbal takedown to an individual who looked that inherently menacing and stressed? Highly unnecessary.

What had this kid just declared?

Park Changseok experienced a sensation akin to receiving a sudden, blunt impact to the back of his cranium.

Fire Resistance?

Those support units were maintaining that specific spell?

He was fully aware that the syndicate thug had altered his standard summon roster for this ambush, but it was impossible for him to memorize every single niche ability tucked away in their kits. And honestly, how could he? The world now contained tens of thousands of unique summon species. Expecting an individual to maintain a perfect mental database of every single distinct skill variant was utterly preposterous.

And yet. The analysis was completely logical.

That relentless Bloodstained Orc. The creature’s hide was naturally so crimson that identifying shifts in shade was incredibly difficult, but now that it was explicitly pointed out, the Orc visibly deepened in color every single time the rear auxiliary summons cast an ability.

So that was the visual tell for Fire Resistance.

Furthermore—following the young civilian’s precise breakdown, the syndicate criminal’s confident expression had visibly contorted. The smug, leisurely arrogance he had put on display earlier instantly evaporated, replaced by a desperate, frantic urgency to conclude the battle immediately.

Should I place my trust in this kid’s evaluation?

It wasn’t as if he possessed an abundance of alternative strategies.

Park Changseok deliberately held his ground, waiting patiently for the distinct crimson radiance enveloping the Bloodstained Orc to dissipate. The seconds ticked away. The enchantment finally faded.

“Flame Tortoise, strike now!”

The massive bipedal reptile unhinged its powerful jaw and projected a concentrated, roaring torrent of incinerating flame.

— GRR-RRRRRGH!

The massive Orc, which had been advancing fearlessly through every previous assault, stumbled backward violently, twisting its body in excruciating pain as the intense heat scorched its flesh.

Holy hell!

It actually connected perfectly!

Park Changseok instinctively ran his tongue across his parched lips. The boy’s assessment was entirely accurate. He cast a quick look over his shoulder, only to see the young man offer a quiet nod before stepping back into the shadows.

Who in the world is that kid?

He had absolutely no inkling regarding the teenager’s identity, but now that the tactical gimmick had been thoroughly dismantled, securing a victory was merely a routine procedure.

“You arrogant piece of trash, attempting to deceive me with cheap tricks,” Park Changseok growled menacingly.

“You miserable, interfering rat!” The enraged syndicate thug directed a murderous glare straight at Baek Jinwoo, but he was entirely powerless to act on it.

The Flame Butterfly and Flame Tortoise immediately executed a devastating, synchronized ability combination, forcing the panicked Orc into a desperate retreat.

What if the supporting units attempted to refresh the Fire Resistance buff? Then the examiner simply redirected his offensive focus away from the main vanguard.

Instead—

CRACK, CR-CRACK!

The Woodman propelled its root systems directly forward, bypassing the frontline to target the auxiliary summons in the rear.

— GHRK?!

And with that single maneuver, the Bloodstained Orc was rendered completely ineffective. The sole reason a single C-rank entity had successfully neutralized three opposing C-ranks was entirely due to the constant utility provided by those four rear buffers. With the support structure dismantled, the Bloodstained Orc possessed zero longevity—it was forced to abandon its offensive to retreat and guard its masters.

And then, the precise moment the active duration of the Fire Resistance buff expired once more?

A barrage of offensive skills rained down upon the Bloodstained Orc with flawless, rhythmic precision.

— GRWEEEEEEEEK!

Ultimately, emitting a shrill squeal resembling a beast at a slaughterhouse, the Bloodstained Orc was consumed by the flames. Once the primary C-rank anchor was forcibly unsummoned, systematically liquidating the remaining low-tier auxiliary units required only a brief moment of cleanup.

“W-wait a minute.”

With his entire summon roster violently dispelled and his protective barrier entirely gone, the criminal stumbled backward, absolute terror etched into his features.

“I formally surrender! I will cooperate fully! Hand me over to the authorities!”

Surrendering at this stage? What a ridiculous notion.

Park Changseok’s recognized moniker was the Yaksha. That title had not been granted to him out of leniency.

“Save your breath. You are subject to an immediate, summary execution.”

CRACK!

The sharp branches of the Woodman surged forward with explosive growth, entirely enveloping and constricting the criminal’s torso.

“W-WAIT! AAAARGH! HOLD ON, PLEASE!”

And then—

SQUELCH.

Out of basic courtesy for the civilian onlookers present, the termination was executed… with absolute precision. The criminal’s remains would ultimately serve as highly potent fertilizer for the Woodman.

“YEAAAAH!”

“HELL YES! PARK CHANGSEOK! Fantastic riddance!”

“We survived! Oh my god! We actually survived! Sob!”

The remaining patrons observed the violent conclusion, and rather than expressing horror or disgust, they erupted into euphoric cheers and celebration.

Huh.

Baek Jinwoo monitored the unfolding celebration and slowly shook his head in profound, quiet astonishment. His stomach felt slightly uneasy from the visceral display, but a sharp realization crystallized within his consciousness.

This reality.

It operates on a completely different set of rules than the society I once knew.

Actively applauding an extrajudicial execution, simply because the target was a documented criminal…

Perhaps.

Perhaps my old, conventional moral framework will be completely insufficient to guarantee my survival in this landscape.

And if my goal is to truly thrive in a world of this nature?

Don’t I need to fundamentally adapt as well?

It was precisely as that solemn, contemplative look settled over Baek Jinwoo’s features that Park Changseok began to stride purposefully toward his position.