Chapter 75

The primary entrance to Yubaek City stood imposing, its magnificent architecture dominating the surrounding landscape.

A group of eight women had assembled there. All of them were companions of Baek Ajin, having received special entry passes courtesy of Yu Jia for a grand tour. Their backgrounds and careers were incredibly diverse; among them were university students, aspiring players, and an heiress preparing to inherit her family’s corporate empire.

“Oh? Jiwoo, you actually showed up?” one of them called out.

The girl she addressed was Hwang Jiwoo.

“Yeah,” Jiwoo replied with a quiet nod. “An opportunity like this doesn’t come often. Of course I had to be here.”

The gathering included several old friends she hadn’t crossed paths with in quite some time. Hwang Jiwoo was typically the quiet observer in their group messages, rarely participating in physical get-togethers. She was perpetually dealing with some sort of ailment.

“Are you running a temperature today?” a friend asked, resting the back of her hand against Jiwoo’s brow. Immediately after, she recoiled in surprise. “Good grief, you gave me a fright! What in the world, why is your skin radiating so much heat?”

“…I have a fever,” Jiwoo muttered.

“Honestly, you are constantly burning up.”

Hwang Jiwoo wore a protective face mask. Though her features were partially obscured, birds of a feather truly flocked together; every single one of Baek Ajin’s companions possessed striking, youthful beauty.

Before long, the massive security gates slid open, and Baek Ajin stepped forward to welcome them warmly, looking sharp in her formal clothes. “Hey everyone, I’m glad you could make it!”

“Wow.”

“Ajin, you look absolutely gorgeous.”

“Is that your official uniform?”

Baek Ajin was developing and maturing with each passing day. Her reputation was steadily expanding through media coverage, and her popularity was on a sharp upward trajectory. Naturally, her companions looked at her with immense pride and fascination.

Following a round of enthusiastic greetings, Baek Ajin guided them inside with exceptional hospitality. “The entire day is yours. Explore wherever you like, wander around, and feel free to snap as many photos as you want. I also managed to secure an apartment key for you all. It’s Unit 1402—I’ve already arranged for the doors to be unlocked.”

The cutting-edge residential high-rises of Yubaek were the absolute height of luxury and envy. With the government openly collaborating to provide structural support for Baek Jinwoo, essentially every piece of development fell under the ownership of 「Yubaek」. To even qualify for purchasing a residence here, one first needed to obtain official residency credentials within Yubaek City. It was entirely accurate to describe the development as a sovereign state within a state. And now, they were getting an exclusive inside look.

“Incredible.”

“I would give anything to live in a place like this… I heard that the subterranean levels connect directly to an emergency bunker system, right?”

“Ajin, can we take a peek at your personal quarters? You stay in the penthouse suite, don’t you?”

Excited chatter filled the group as her companions overflowed with enthusiasm. All except one.

Hwang Jiwoo’s attention was drawn away from the luxury high-rises, focusing instead on the secure training facilities. She had been plagued by poor health since her childhood. Due to a highly irregular biological makeup, her core body temperature remained significantly elevated compared to an ordinary human, causing her immense physical suffering throughout her life.

Then, three years prior, everything changed. The world underwent a massive transformation, and humanity was forced through the global tutorial. During that event, she manifested a summon: the Ice Butterfly (E-rank). It was nothing short of a miracle. The excruciating physical torment that had plagued her for years instantly vanished whenever the Ice Butterfly was manifested by her side. No other creature had this effect on her body; it was a trait exclusive to the Ice Butterfly.

Clinging tightly to this newfound hope, Hwang Jiwoo threw herself into exhaustive research. Her conclusion was clear: I need ice-attribute summons.

She discovered that her intrinsic capabilities multiplied alongside her elemental affinity. In practice, the magical entities she controlled performed with significantly greater potency than what she witnessed from other players in online video clips. Armed with this knowledge, she resolved to walk the path of a player.

Yet, reality proved unyielding. Acquiring high-tier summons required traversing perilous dungeons, which meant endlessly grinding the Day Dungeons day in and day out. Even after three solid years of relentless effort, rising to the status of a ranker remained completely out of reach, and joining a prominent guild was nothing short of a fantasy. The current landscape only accommodated the top 0.1% of the elite. Without the direct intervention of one of the Five Emperors or a legendary high-ranking titan, the absolute limit of her career was peddling runes on the street, precisely as Baek Ajin used to do.

This was particularly true in South Korea, which was widely considered an underdeveloped region regarding summoning arts. Consequently, Hwang Jiwoo remained stuck as an ordinary, low-earning player, still dependent on her parents and fighting a grueling battle for survival every single day.

When news of Baek Ajin’s exclusive invitation reached her, she seized the chance without hesitation. Perhaps, if luck is on my side, I might cross paths with Baek Jinwoo.

Within the professional community, Baek Jinwoo was an absolute myth. Rumors circulated that every prominent member of the national squad—the elite of the elite—honed their skills under his direct mentorship. They regularly appeared on major broadcasts to praise his methods. It was widely accepted that a player’s combat efficacy could be divided into two distinct eras: before and after receiving his instruction.

She knew it was self-serving. Leveraging her casual friendship with Baek Ajin to subtly engineer an encounter was an underhanded motive. But Hwang Jiwoo was desperate enough to swallow her pride and show up anyway.

However, her hopes were quickly dashed.

“Just a quick reminder,” Baek Ajin added with a cheerful smile. “Please steer clear of the training grounds. Oppa is currently conducting his personal training inside… The managing director specifically requested that I ensure everyone abides by this restriction. And I am asking you all to respect it as well.”

…

Damn it. Hwang Jiwoo’s expression fell instantly.

“Hah.”

Concluding his rigorous workout, Baek Jinwoo exited the shower stalls after a brief rinse and exhaled a heavy breath. A singular concept dominated his thoughts.

Devour, Devour, Devour, Devour…

If he intended to fully command this ability, he needed to achieve mastery as rapidly as possible. The quicker he managed it, the more permanent attribute increases he could accumulate with every boss-tier monster eliminated, driving his combat potential to unprecedented heights.

Then again, a thought struck him. Is that capability truly supposed to be an imitation?

According to the established lore, a primordial Burst Dragon lay slumbering within the heart of the Storm Dragon Sorcerer. The technique known as Dragon Burst was merely the product of partially drawing upon that sealed entity’s hidden strength. And the true essence of the Burst Dragon was Devour.

If Devour was considered the imitation… then how utterly cataclysmic must the authentic capability be? Or perhaps his fundamental interpretation was flawed. It was entirely possible that his logic was inverted. The situation might look closer to this:

Back during the operational days of Battle of Summoners, Stormy had manifested this unauthorized technique. Because it was an incredibly overpowered anomaly that deviated entirely from the developers’ balance designs, it was stripped from the game via a software update. If that narrative held true, the unauthorized variation might actually possess superior utility compared to the intended authentic power.

“Huh.”

If that was the reality of the situation, then mastering the unauthorized version was his absolute priority. The current world clearly paid no heed to proper balance mechanics anyway.

To trigger the condition, I must orchestrate a scenario where my likelihood of survival drops below 10%…

Broadly speaking… what if he simply took Stormy along to confront the Floor 40 guardian of the Tower of Trials? No, a move like that would likely plummet his survival odds down to flat zero. That specific mechanic remained highly ambiguous. He had no way of knowing what entity was calculating the survival metrics, and this reality was certainly not a video game. Failing inside a dungeon meant true, permanent death. That precise danger was the reason why the growth trajectories of contemporary players lagged so far behind the historical data.

“Ah, whatever. It’s too complex.”

Furthermore, strategizing was entirely redundant. If Stormy decided to go on strike, his entire progression would grind to an immediate halt regardless. Yes, it was best to put it out of his mind for now. He was already immensely powerful, and his threshold for further development remained vast. He still needed to secure optimal graduation runes for both Stormy and Rolly. It was also high time to begin scanning the horizon for alternative EX-rank summons. The Tower of Trials demanded further progression, and he had to initiate strategic preparations for the catastrophic Year Five raid involving the Chaos Dragon.

Pat, pat, pat.

Baek Jinwoo cleared away the remaining water droplets with a towel and stepped out into the main pavilion of the training grounds. The summons belonging to his four personal disciples were currently interspersed with his own units, enduring the punishing exercise regimen overseen by Drill Sarge.

Meanwhile, over in an isolated corner—Fwoosh!

Stormy sat in a state of deep focus, intense currents of fire radiating violently in every direction around her form.

Right at that moment, a sudden phenomenon occurred.

[Sudden Quest triggered!]

[A Sudden Quest has generated for ‘Storm Dragon Sorcerer’ (EX-rank)!]

[Do you wish to reveal the contents of the quest?]

“Whoa, that startled me.”

An interface notification materialized out of thin air without a shred of warning. No prior indications, no chime—what was going on? A dedicated quest centered around Stormy? He had no idea a mechanic like this even existed. Across a decade of playing Battle of Summoners, he had never once encountered an interface notification of this nature. Perhaps it was a hidden mechanic reserved exclusively for entities rated S-rank or higher. Some form of ultra-rare hidden piece?

– Hmm…?

Stormy appeared to detect the anomaly as well, halting her meditation and rising to her full height.

Naturally, there was only one choice. Who in their right mind would select ‘No’ when presented with an unexpected quest? To someone like Baek Jinwoo—and indeed, to the overwhelming majority of dedicated players—declining was completely out of the question.

“Accept.”

Let’s see what we have here. What kind of objective is this?

[Sudden Quest!]

[Awaken the Primordial Burst Dragon’s (S-rank) latent capabilities!]

[The Storm Dragon Sorcerer’s anxiety levels have reached a critical threshold due to the psychological dread of losing her master! Simultaneously, an exceptionally rare physical constitution—the Body of Flames (火炎之體)—has been detected in the immediate vicinity! This represents an unparalleled structural opportunity!]

[Cultivate the growth of the Storm Dragon Sorcerer (EX-rank) in close proximity to the Body of Flames (火炎之體) for a continuous duration of 100 days!]

[Should the subjects be separated by a distance requiring Quarantine for more than 1 consecutive hour, the progression counter will completely reset.]

[Current Tracked Duration – Day 0, 00:00:00]

“…Body of Flames?”

What on earth did that signify? And who possessed it?

“What kind of bizarre development is this?”

Every single entity within the facility immediately ceased their exercises.

“Why has everything stopped so abruptly?”

“Did an emergency occur, Hyungnim?”

His disciples tilted their heads in confusion, offering questions, but Baek Jinwoo refrained from revealing the specifics. Instead, he delivered a brief instruction.

“An incredibly pressing matter has just arisen. We are going to postpone our collective training sessions for approximately three days.”

Lately, his disciples had been training tirelessly every single morning until three o’clock. Only after concluding those grueling sessions did they look after the affairs of their respective guilds or handle piled-up administrative duties.

“You individuals haven’t been able to properly oversee your organizations recently anyway, correct?”

The concepts of the Body of Flames and the sealed power of the Burst Dragon were far too convoluted to articulate on short notice. More importantly, Baek Jinwoo himself had yet to fully wrap his head around the mechanics.

“Understood, Master.”

“In that case, we shall reconvene with you next Monday, Hyungnim!”

The group of disciples departed from the premises, their expressions tinged with visible reluctance. In truth, from their operational perspective, undergoing this training was the most effective way to manage their organizations. The more strength they gathered under Baek Jinwoo’s direct supervision, the more powerful they became, which directly enhanced the operational success and prestige of their respective guilds.

But his word was absolute. Baek Jinwoo had commanded them to depart. No matter how much they wished to remain, they had no choice but to pack up and exit.

– My liege.

Drill Sarge marched forward, a look of profound curiosity in his eyes, while Stormy stepped closer as well. Baek Jinwoo explicitly detailed the newly acquired quest parameters to them.

– The Body of Flames… information regarding that unique trait does indeed reside within my memory repositories.

“Oh, truly?”

That was fantastic news. Drill Sarge was undeniably an invaluable asset. Ever since ascending to the prestigious EX-rank, the commander had essentially transformed into a living compendium detailing every summon in existence.

– It shares certain physiological similarities with the Nine-Yin Severed Meridian Syndrome that we encountered previously, yet its fundamental nature is distinct. The Nine-Yin Severed Meridian Syndrome represents a birth defect born from an overabundance of negative yin energy restricting the internal pathways. Conversely, the Body of Flames is an absolute physiological constitution. While the afflicted individual may experience physical distress due to a surging torrent of positive yang energy, it alters an affinity for ice magic from a conflicting, destructive opposition into an incredibly harmonious, synergistic partnership. Furthermore, it is a phenomenally rare physical trait—one that manifests perhaps once in a millennium.

“…Is that so?”

He barely grasped the esoteric medical jargon, but the core takeaway was clear: someone carrying this ultra-rare physical trait was currently standing somewhere close by.

– The requirement to maintain the presence of the Body of Flames alongside Stormy for a span of one hundred days… This scenario is actually far more advantageous than our prior circumstances, my liege.

“Advantageous?”

– Is it not infinitely more preferable than putting your physical safety on the line by diving headfirst into a lethal dungeon environment?

He couldn’t argue with that logic. It was an excellent point.

“Alright, so how do we go about identifying this specific individual?”

– Kindly grant me a brief moment.

Drill Sarge brought his three central fingers directly to the center of his forehead, lowering his gaze in deep concentration.

The analytical brilliance of Drill Sarge was unmatched. How could a summon possibly be this dependable? Truly, the entity was an impeccable asset, possessing both unrivaled strategic intellect and overwhelming physical force.

– There is no specialized tracking methodology available to us.

“Huh?” Jinwoo blinked. “There isn’t one?”

– However, my liege.

“Yeah?”

– Did you not mention that an active progression counter materialized within the interface parameters?

“Yeah…?”

The digital interface window was still actively hovering in his field of vision at this very second.

Wait. Hold on a moment!

Clap!

Baek Jinwoo struck his palms together as enlightenment dawned on him.

“I can just verify it through physical proximity, right?”

He could simply take Stormy for a walk around the area and systematically evaluate the populace. If the active progression counter suddenly began ticking upward when they stepped near someone, that specific person was guaranteed to be the individual possessing the Body of Flames (火炎之體)!

– Given that the interface indicated they are in the immediate vicinity… there is an incredibly high probability that the subject is currently located within the perimeters of Yubaek City. Furthermore, considering the quest triggered so suddenly, it stands to reason that it might be an individual who does not routinely frequent the city grounds. That would serve as an excellent primary parameter for your search.

“Perfect.”

Baek Jinwoo immediately bounded to his feet. First and foremost, he needed to pinpoint the exact location of this individual. Any other pending matters could be dealt with after that objective was secured.