Chapter 76

Chapter 76: I Alone Am an EX-Class Summoner

“Wow, this is truly Dream City. It is absolutely mind-blowing……”

“What kind of budget do you reckon it took to construct all of this? Word is that the building process took under a year.”

“Even so, it had to reach tens of billions of won minimum, don’t you think?”

“No way, it must be vastly more than that. Even being located on the outskirts of Hanam, for an area of this magnitude? The property value by itself must have been astronomical.”

The companions of Baek Ajin were buzzing with vibrant energy as they strolled from one spot to another.

The high-end residential complex.

The strangely designed shelter.

A gentle creek winding through a courtyard filled with artistic displays.

“Wow.”

Breathless gasps of wonder echoed continuously.

Click, click!

A cluster of young ladies struck different poses, taking photographs in the courtyard.

Right around then.

Hmm?

A gentleman was observing them from a short distance away.

It was Baek Jinwoo.

Who could they be?

He wasn’t privy to every single regulation or itinerary that Yubaek managed, but he was certain that they had barred ordinary citizens from entering the grounds.

They did not appear to be employees, either.

If they were part of the workforce, they wouldn’t be lingering around the courtyard at this hour.

Owing to the business approach of Yu Jia, which involved employing only a select group of top-tier talent in exchange for premium compensation, the workforce was kept to a minimum.

A smaller headcount meant that everyone stayed occupied.

Furthermore, no employee would ever dress in that fashion.

— My master, do you not perceive it?

Drill Sarge muttered softly from his side.

“Are you suggesting that the Body of Flames is present among that group?”

— The likelihood is considerable. Why not step closer and investigate?

“Right.”

He lacked any knowledge regarding their identities.

It felt a bit out of place, admittedly.

However, with the Sudden Quest from Stormy hanging in the balance, walking away simply wasn’t an option.

Baek Jinwoo advanced toward the gathering.

He then lowered his head in a courteous greeting.

“Hello.”

They went completely still.

Every single eye turned sharply toward Baek Jinwoo.

And remained fixed right there, completely frozen.

Wh-what in the world.

What is occurring at this very moment?

Baek Jinwoo is standing directly before me? Can this be reality?

They shivered as if they had suddenly encountered a physical deity.

Baek Jinwoo — who else could it possibly be!

The ultimate champion, worshiped by the entire populace!

Astonishment transformed into thrill, and thrill blossomed into pure ecstasy.

“KYAAAH!”

“Baek Jinwoo! It’s the older brother of Ajin!”

“What brings you here?! Weren’t you supposed to be at the practice fields?”

Her companions cast everything aside and rushed toward his position. Meanwhile, Hwang Jiwoo remained utterly paralyzed, staring intently at the face of Baek Jinwoo.

Holy cow.

She swore silently to herself.

How can a human being possess such incredible looks?

Baek Jinwoo had always been quite attractive, but ever since his physical capabilities peaked, he exuded a powerful, primal allure.

Wide shoulders, a torso and midsection that tightly filled out his attire.

Even the garments he wore suited his build so flawlessly that his entire figure appeared to radiate brilliance.

Oh heavens.

Hic!

She really ought to have spoken up.

Ought to have informed him that she was a companion of Ajin.

That her dream was to become a player, and could he please provide her some instruction — even just a single session.

A mere ten minutes would have sufficed.

“……?”

Yet Hwang Jiwoo remained standing there as though her voice had vanished, unable to formulate a single syllable.

She was utterly mortified.

Ah.

Baek Jinwoo finally grasped the situation.

“You all. You are companions of Ajin, aren’t you?”

“That’s right!”

“Yes, Oppa! C-could you please provide us an autograph? Just a quick one?”

“I desire a photo! A photo!”

Goodness gracious.

Baek Jinwoo felt his vitality evaporate in a split second.

“An autograph……. I have never actually done such a thing before.”

“Just scribble anything at all! It doesn’t matter!”

“M-me as well!”

They behaved like a pack of famished predators.

Resembling devoted admirers encountering their ultimate idol, they swarmed him in a frenzy.

Baek Jinwoo settled them down.

“Alright, that is perfectly fine. I will accommodate everyone, so could you please follow my directions for just a moment? You all are a bit too disorganized right now.”

And right then.

Fwoosh!

He manifested Stormy by his side.

“Very well, step forward one by one. I will capture images and sign items for every single one of you.”

He needed to check for the presence of the Body of Flames regardless.

Since they were companions of Ajin, it worked out perfectly.

He would make a pretense of capturing photographs while getting close enough to evaluate them!

“Understood, Oppa!”

Who would dare object?

The companions of Baek Ajin queued up without any complaints.

Click!

Baek Jinwoo posed for close-up shots with each individual, delivering fan service one after the other, while monitoring the edge of his field of vision.

[Current Duration – Day 0, 00:00:00]

Nothing so far.

If any of them were the intended individual, the countdown should have commenced by now…… The reality that it remained stationary indicated……

It seems none of them fit the bill?

[Train the Storm Dragon Sorcerer (EX-rank) alongside a Body of Flames (火炎之體) for 100 days!]

Alongside.

He remained uncertain about what precisely “alongside” signified in terms of physical proximity.

It might mean within a single meter. It could necessitate actual physical contact, for all he knew.

He captured individual photographs with all seven companions of Ajin and provided a signature for each person.

The markings were merely untidy squiggles.

“Oh, this is spectacular.”

“Your signature is incredibly stylish!”

Stylish in what way, exactly?

He had put in minimal effort, and they were this delighted — it genuinely made him feel a bit remorseful.

I ought to design a proper signature at a later time……

Following that, the final person.

A particular girl donning a face covering stood motionless, keeping her distance at the back.

“Do you not wish to take a photograph?”

Baek Jinwoo inquired.

“Jiwoo?”

“Jiwoo, what are you doing? Move forward to get your photograph taken.”

“Is she experiencing another one of her quiet spells?”

Her companions neared her, their tones laced with apprehension.

Baek Jinwoo moved along with them.

In truth, if she lacked the desire for a photograph, that was perfectly acceptable.

However, given his objective to locate the Body of Flames, he had no alternative.

[Current Duration – Day 0, 00:00:01]

Click.

The paused timer at long last commenced its progression.

“……!”

The gaze of Baek Jinwoo sharpened instantly.

Located you.

The Body of Flames (火炎之體)!

It turned out to be you this entire time!

After bidding farewell to the companions of Ajin, he walked straight to the primary headquarters.

He hadn’t uttered any distinctive remarks to that young lady — Hwang Jiwoo, or whatever her identity was.

Making a statement would have been completely preposterous.

‘As a matter of fact, you possess this unique physical trait known as the Body of Flames. Which means you must reside with our Stormy for one hundred days — for my benefit.’

Right, she would absolutely cooperate with that.

He would be fortunate if she didn’t view him as a complete madman.

First tasks first.

Let us discover her identity.

Baek Jinwoo requested the presence of Yu Jia and Baek Ajin in the management office.

“Ajin. I ran into your companions a short while ago.”

“My companions? Oh heavens, those girls! Did they seriously make their way all the way to the practice fields? I instructed them countless times to avoid that area!”

Baek Ajin leaped up in distress and grabbed her cellular device, prepared to reprimand them severely.

“That isn’t how it occurred.”

He calmed her down initially.

“I didn’t encounter them at the practice fields. They were relaxing in the recreational park, and I approached them.”

“You did that, Oppa?”

“Correct.”

“What prompted you to do so?”

Not merely Baek Ajin — even Yu Jia observed him with a quizzical look.

“So, Hwang Jiwoo? Are you particularly close with her?”

“Jiwoo? Naturally! She was consistently too unwell to venture out or socialize frequently, but during our school years, we were practically joined at the hip. What makes you ask?”

Baek Ajin narrowed her gaze.

Reflecting on it now, all her companions possessed their own appeal, but the countenance of Hwang Jiwoo was exceptionally striking.

“Do not tell me you have developed an interest.”

“……?”

The countenance of Yu Jia shifted to a peculiar state as well.

“No, that is not the case.”

Baek Jinwoo provided a brief summary regarding the Sudden Quest.

That to unleash the full capability of Stormy, he required the assistance of Hwang Jiwoo — the Body of Flames.

And that he would need to house her within the facility for a hundred days.

“She is your companion. Prior to inquiring about her employment status or whether she would even entertain the idea, I concluded I ought to perform some background research first.”

Had she been a complete stranger, he would have simply approached her directly or devised a strategy to convince her. However, she was the companion of his younger sister.

The thoughtful approach was to manage the situation with discretion.

Furthermore, even if Hwang Jiwoo gave her consent, there would undoubtedly be contractual agreements and statutory matters that required the oversight of Yu Jia.

“Ah, well, I am uncertain. We somewhat drifted apart after transitioning into adulthood. She was always rather reserved. Would you like me to inquire with her?”

“Yes, I would be grateful for that.”

“Very well.”

Thud.

“Sigh.”

Hwang Jiwoo removed her face covering the instant she stepped into her residence.

An overwhelming tide of self-disdain washed over her.

I failed to utter a single phrase in the end.

Fool!

You absolute idiot!

That had been her golden opportunity.

A chance that would likely never present itself again.

The group conversation online was still erupting with activity.

Her companions who had participated in the visit were distributing photographs and expressing admiration, while the ones who missed out were consumed by jealousy.

However, Hwang Jiwoo could not bring herself to participate.

Why was I incapable of simply saying something?

Revisiting the moment, it stemmed from her being overly considerate.

She didn’t wish to dampen the lively atmosphere.

Hadn’t Baek Ajin specifically requested that they refrain from disturbing her sibling?

And how bold would it be to request that he instruct her in summoning on top of everything else?

“Ugh.”

Hwang Jiwoo exhaled heavily and pressed her face into her pillow.

Fine.

Simplify things.

Merely view it as though she had inquired and faced rejection.

Even if she had spoken out, there was no assurance that Baek Jinwoo would have agreed regardless, correct?

Her guardians called out from the living space, informing her that dinner was prepared, but she lacked the vitality to reply.

She merely stated she possessed no appetite and kept her portal secured.

Just then.

Ding!

A text message arrived.

She consistently silenced notifications for the group conversation, meaning this was an individual transmission.

To me?

Hwang Jiwoo was a severe introvert — the individuals in that group conversation constituted virtually her entire social network. Almost nobody ever reached out to her independently.

Who could it be?

She raised her head and inspected her device, only to nearly jump out of her skin.

[Baek Ajin: Jiwoo.]

Ajin?

They had been intimate friends during lower secondary school, but after being allocated to separate classrooms, they had never truly conversed via individual text messages.

They would merely exchange pleasantries during collective meetups — and Hwang Jiwoo seldom even attended those.

She had presumed there was a gap between them. So what could this mean?

[Hwang Jiwoo: Yes?]

[Baek Ajin: It was delightful seeing you today after such an extended period haha. Do you possess the availability for a brief voice call?]

Hwang Jiwoo straightened her posture.

Her pulse raced within her chest.

If Ajin was going to the extent of requesting a voice call, something significant was definitely underway.

She pressed the dial icon without delay.

Ultimately, Baek Ajin showered Hwang Jiwoo with all varieties of inquiries.

Vocation: player.

Location of residence: Seodaemun-gu.

Association with a collective: none at present.

Hwang Jiwoo provided faithful responses to every inquiry.

— Say, would you happen to possess interest in a temporary assignment? The compensation is quite substantial.

— Temporary assignment?

For real?

The mood of Hwang Jiwoo dropped.

So this turned out to be an employment recruitment call after all?

And not even a permanent position — a temporary assignment……

— What level of compensation are we discussing……?

Hwang Jiwoo did not possess significant financial resources.

However, if it was an opportunity put forward by a companion who occupied an executive role at Yubaek?

It might offer decent compensation.

She required funds to accumulate and purchase a higher-tiered summon. Hwang Jiwoo was in no position to be overly selective.

— One hundred days of localized training. One billion won subsequent to tax deductions.

— Pardon me?

One… one BILLION?

— What precisely does the assignment entail? If it involves localized training, am I being sent out to harvest marine life or something equivalent?

No, hold on.

Even marine harvesting wouldn’t yield a billion.

And they were managing the tax responsibilities on top of that amount?

The eyes of Hwang Jiwoo gleamed.

A mere one hundred days of strenuous effort?

That was sufficient to acquire a B-rank summon!

— However, it is demanding. Zero operational breaks. You cannot depart from the property grounds for more than a single hour. It is challenging to clarify via a voice call — let me explain to you face-to-face. How does tomorrow sound? I will journey to your location.

Yet following that.

She experienced apprehension, as well.

What sort of assignment could possibly compel Baek Ajin to journey to her in this manner?

— I retain the right to decline after reviewing the specifications, correct?

— Naturally, naturally! Do not agonize over it too much. It is nothing improper, I give you my word.

Even so — Ajin remained her companion. She wouldn’t involve her in something perilous.

For the time being, she would simply proceed to hear what she had to say.