Chapter 72

Chapter 72:

Thud!

Having successfully intimidated Shusuke, Baek Jinwoo returned to his residence and sank deeply into the cushions of his couch.

“Ah, this truly is paradise.”

He cast his gaze across the surroundings.

It was a lavish penthouse adorned with a crisp, contemporary aesthetic. The vastness of the main hall, combined with the expansive double-window architecture, offered an incredible feeling of liberation. He hadn’t fully appreciated it until this moment. The scenery from this vantage point was unparalleled. The Han River meandered directly across his field of vision, while the verdant canopy of Geomdan Mountain stood majestically behind him. This entire property belonged exclusively to him!

“Unbelievable.”

The reality of his situation felt almost like a dream. Furthermore, the sheer volume of funds he had acquired today without any real effort amounted to a staggering one hundred billion won. If he factored in the profits Yubaek had accumulated independently from the wager with Shusuke, the total earnings were even more immense. Amassing a fortune of this magnitude in less than twelve months? Experiencing such an opulent lifestyle? It would have been an unattainable feat for even the most gifted individual on the planet.

Naturally, Baek Jinwoo had no intention of halting his progress here.

This reality had always operated on the law of the jungle. The expansion of free-market ideals and the presence of atomic deterrents had maintained a relatively lengthy era of tranquility, but a brief glance at modern history revealed the undeniable truth. This world was a constant battleground. Without absolute might, everything a person owned could be snatched away in the blink of an eye. This was particularly true now that summons had manifested, rendering even atomic weaponry obsolete as a deterrent!

It was a fortress built upon sand. Accumulating riches without possessing the strength to defend them was equivalent to erecting a grand spire on a crumbling foundation.

• Master.

“Yes.”

As Drill Sarge walked into the room, Baek Jinwoo pushed himself up from the couch. He then made his way up to the wide, uncovered rooftop terrace. A solitary seat had been positioned there beforehand.

• Your physical attributes have reached their absolute pinnacle, master. Even if there is further advancement, the rate of improvement will not compare to your previous development.

“That makes sense.”

• The time has come for you to initiate breathing techniques.

Breathing techniques. This was a highly ambiguous territory. Was it truly possible for a player to acquire abilities that were traditionally mastered only by specific summons?

At this stage, Baek Jinwoo’s physical frame was perfectly optimized. It wasn’t overly bulky, yet it wasn’t excessively lean either. It was highly condensed combat muscle that allowed for flawless coordination while retaining maximum agility! However, that musculature alone was incapable of unleashing supernatural force. His absolute limit across the three primary powerlifts hovered around 550 kilograms. To break past that threshold, he would need to forfeit his agility and accumulate much heavier muscle mass. That was the natural boundary of the human species. And even with that added mass, he would never truly break through the evolutionary ceiling of humanity.

• By mastering breathing techniques and gathering ki, you will unlock a tier of power that physical muscle alone can never generate. You will possess the capability to shatter stone monoliths with your bare hands, just as I do.

“I understand.”

Baek Jinwoo assumed a cross-legged position on the large seat.

Whirrrr!

A refreshing breeze swept in from all sides, rendering every breath of air deeply rejuvenating.

“Whatever the method, begin the instruction.”

• As you wish, master. The concentration of ki on Earth is quite sparse, so instead of focusing on a profound spiritual discipline, it is wiser to utilize a method that maximizes your sensitivity to ki. Among the available options, the one that perfectly aligns with your physical constitution is known as Geoncheongsimgong (乾淸心功).

“Geoncheongsimgong…? That sounds rather ordinary.”

• ‘Geoncheon’ signifies the act of channeling the pristine essence of the heavens directly into one’s vessel. It is the absolute best match for your physique, master. I request that you place your trust in me.

“Fine, fine. I was merely teasing.”

He honestly wasn’t anticipating some legendary divine martial art or a mythical style. A player was fundamentally incapable of surpassing a summon in raw talent anyway. Even if Baek Jinwoo dedicated a century or a millennium to practicing martial disciplines, a combat prodigy like Aso would overtake him within a single year. Ultimately, he viewed this process as nothing more than advanced physical maintenance. Conditioning himself through breathing techniques would sharpen his visual perception and elevate his battlefield reflexes. A player’s primary responsibility was simply to direct their summons effectively.

“Whew.”

• Excellent, master. Inhale deeply through your nasal passages and visualize yourself absorbing the pure essence of the sky.

For roughly an hour, Drill Sarge offered precise and careful direction, guiding him step-by-step through the internal cultivation technique.

• Bwahaha! I trust I have not made you tarry too long?

The next day at midday. The inscription of the rune had finally reached completion.

• Behold! The Trinity Rune! Crafted flawlessly without a single mishap. I gained an immense amount of expertise throughout the process as well.

The Trinity set, which would serve as Drill Sarge’s ultimate graduation equipment. Baek Jinwoo carefully took hold of the brilliantly radiating artifact. With this singular piece alone, it was no exaggeration to state that no entity on Earth could pose a threat to him. Even within the universe of Battle of Summoners, dedicating an entire decade to continuous grinding wouldn’t guarantee the acquisition of a Trinity Rune. It was the pinnacle graduation rune!

Yet, in truth, he couldn’t afford to be completely certain.

Rachel? Sugoi? Xenos? The prominent Five Emperors possessed the exact same data that he did. Utilizing three years while backed by that specific wealth of knowledge would yield results on a completely different plane compared to spending three standard years playing the game normally.

Reflecting on his own progress… He had managed to assemble an entire Trinity set in under a year. He couldn’t permit himself to become complacent. When it came to power, it was always superior to amass as much as humanly possible while the opportunity existed.

With a resolute nod, Baek Jinwoo reviewed the attributes of the rune.

[Rune]
[Rank: Supreme-grade (Unique)]
- Restricted to 10 instances across the globe.

[Set Effect: Trinity]
- When 6 pieces are equipped, all attributes are boosted by 1,000%, and total HP scales up by 20,000.
- Grants 2 supplementary attribute slots.

[Level: 1]
[Attribute Enhancements]
STR +12%, INT +12%, VIT +12%, AGI +12%, Critical Rate +10%, Critical Damage +20%

“Incredible.”

As anticipated, the properties were entirely broken. The metrics of the Omni Rune had essentially been doubled. The boost to all core attributes skyrocketed from 500% to a massive 1,000%. The flat health increase jumped from 10,000 to 20,000. Furthermore, because its global existence was capped at ten pieces, only one complete set could ever be fully assembled in the world.

Of course, a Rune Dwarf’s Craft possessed the unique property to bypass worldwide quantity restrictions. That exact trait was what made the Rune Dwarves so utterly overpowered. If he provided Drill Sarge with a complete set of Trinity Runes, and eventually outfitted Aso with them as well? It would transform into a rune type that absolutely nobody else on Earth besides Baek Jinwoo could utilize.

Holding the artifact, Baek Jinwoo immediately commenced the refinement process. He purchased vast quantities of inexpensive, low-grade runes to serve as upgrading fodder, systematically leveling up each of the six pieces one after the other.

The primary drawback of Unique-grade runes was their insatiable demand for materials during the enhancement phase. Baek Jinwoo completely depleted his personal reserve of scrap runes and was still forced to acquire nearly three hundred billion won worth of additional fodder from the market. Naturally, the immense financial expenditure could simply be billed directly to Yubaek’s accounts.

In tandem with the leveling, he also required the application of abrasives. In contrast to standard runes, each Trinity Rune featured six distinct attribute slots, which demanded six separate abrasives per piece. That amounted to thirty-six in total. Fortunately, he was currently hoarding forty-five Universal Abrasives that he had preserved as rewards from the Tower of Trials.

The final outcome:

[Level: Max]
STR +48%, INT +48%, VIT +48%, AGI +48%, Critical Rate +20%, Critical Damage +60%

The resulting artifact was so utterly devastating that it defied the balance of reality. Every single one of the six pieces boasted these exact, maximized parameters! With the abrasives already locked in, no amount of labor could ever yield a superior result.

“Drill Sarge.”

• ……Present, master.

Drill Sarge stared intently at Baek Jinwoo, his eyes trembling with visual emotion. He comprehended the situation perfectly. He was fully aware of the cataclysmic power contained within the gear he was about to receive.

“Let me emphasize this once more. These are not intended for Aso. They belong to you.”

• I am deeply grateful, master. I shall continue to pledge my unwavering allegiance to you for eternity!

Drill Sarge lowered his head in a profound bow, his voice thick with intense feeling.

Click!

The moment Baek Jinwoo unlocked the equipment interfaces and fitted every single rune into place—

RUMBLEEEEE…!

The very aura radiating from Drill Sarge underwent a cataclysmic shift.

• M-Master…! An uncontainable torrent of power is coursing through my form! I have never encountered a sensation of this magnitude in all my existence! This is truly miraculous!

Baek Jinwoo smiled faintly at Drill Sarge’s genuinely enthusiastic display, then summoned the interface window to inspect the changes.

[Summon: Drill Instructor]
[Species: Human]
[Rank: EX-rank (Quarantine)]
- Placed under quarantine protocols due to system-disrupting components triggered under specific parameters.

[Level: 40]
[Attributes]
STR: 3,880 / INT: 3,880 / VIT: 3,880 / AGI: 3,880
HP: 70,000 / MP: 50,000
Critical Rate: 100%
Critical Damage: 460%

[Skills]
- Growth: Advances further through rigorous training.
- Charisma: Completely dominates subordinating summons.
- Instructor: Awakens the concealed capabilities of allied summons and drastically accelerates their development velocity.
- Tribute Life Dark Art: Manipulates elemental energy by expending personal vitality.
- Rebirth Through Transformation: Reconstructs the physical vessel via concentrated internal energy into a flawless form for martial mastery.

Good grief. Was such a thing even remotely logical?

Back when the original Omni Runes were slotted, his core statistics sat at 1,580. Now, they had surged to well over double that baseline. Even Baek Jinwoo, despite being the player, could scarcely comprehend the sheer scale of the power Drill Sarge now wielded.

In all honesty, regarding the upcoming World League competition or whatever title it held, he felt completely capable of deploying Drill Sarge entirely on his own to wipe out the opposition.

Why not conduct a brief assessment?

Since he was currently positioned within the boundaries of the Player Zone, Baek Jinwoo directed his steps toward the Arena and retrieved his communication device. Who should he summon? Ki Jaehyeok? Kang Jiho? Hong Ari? Oh Seonyeong?

Whatever. He would simply summon everyone.

The very instant he broadcasted the collective text message, his disciples arrived at a frantic sprint. Whether they were occupied with guild administration, personal duties, or anything else—the moment Baek Jinwoo issued a call, they abandoned their tasks instantly to report to him. They were fiercely dedicated to the core.

“What is the emergency, Hyungnim!”

“Why have you called us to the Arena? Did we not already conclude our morning drills?”

The entire group had assembled. Ki Jaehyeok and Hong Ari stepped to the forefront of the gathering to inquire.

Baek Jinwoo laid out his proposition directly.

“Let’s conduct a sparring session. A one-versus-four scenario, myself against all of you simultaneously.”

His disciples gaped at him with expressions of sheer bewilderment. Was it because they entertained the notion that the four of them combined could actually secure a victory? Absolutely not.

“What kind of joke is this? If you actually exert your full power, let alone the four of us—the entire national roster could assemble to face you and still face total annihilation.”

“He speaks the truth, Hyungnim. You have never been the type to take pleasure in crushing those who pose no challenge, have you?”

“That is incredibly cruel, Hyungnim! You simply desire an excuse to pummel our summons, don’t you? Sniff sniff.“

Enduring the grueling regimen under Baek Jinwoo had granted his disciples an incredibly realistic understanding of their own limitations.

“No, that isn’t the objective. There is a specific metric I wish to calculate. However, let me sweeten the stakes.”

Baek Jinwoo let a wide smirk cross his face.

“If the four of you manage to endure for a mere ten seconds, I will grant each of you a sum of ten billion won. Furthermore, I will solely deploy Drill Sarge. Neither Ramba nor Rolly will participate.”

“……!”

The conditions were completely mind-blowing. Instead of deploying all five of his summons, he was restricting himself entirely to Drill Sarge? And their entire objective was merely to survive a ten-second duration to claim ten billion won apiece?

“Wow, there is absolutely no rational reason to decline an offer like this.”

“Hyungnim… We recognize the disparity in our strength, but aren’t you underestimating us just a bit too much?”

“This objective is actually within our reach. Everyone, gather around. Let’s formulate a tactical approach.”

Four sets of eyes ignited with intense motivation as the disciples clustered tightly together. Regardless of how elevated a ranker’s status might be, a sudden windfall of ten billion won was a monumentally significant sum of currency.

Of course, there wasn’t a icy chance in hell that they would actually manage to claim that reward.

Heh.

Baek Jinwoo chuckled softly under his breath and turned his eyes toward Drill Sarge. With fists tightly clenched and his frame vibrating with anticipation, the summon appeared utterly desperate to unleash his newly acquired capabilities.

• I await your command, master.

“Unleash your full capabilities upon them. Execute it with maximum velocity. Conclude the engagement instantly.”

• I am honored.

“What is your estimate on the duration required?”

• ……

Drill Sarge weighed the inquiry with absolute seriousness. Having overseen the instruction of their personal summons since the beginning, he possessed an intimate and comprehensive understanding of their exact performance boundaries. The sole variable left to determine was the precise method of execution…

• It hinges primarily on the specific techniques I choose to manifest, but calculating an average benchmark… I would project a duration of two seconds.

That was the terrifying disparity between them. For context, every individual within that group of four was fully capable of matching elite rankers from a powerful region like Japan. Yet, Drill Sarge possessed absolute certainty that he could dismantle all four of them in a mere two-second window.

“Excellent. Demonstrate it to me.”

Reveal the extent of your capabilities. And demonstrate the true, absolute might of Baek Jinwoo.

With those final thoughts, the proving grounds for Drill Sarge were officially established.