Chapter 95

Little Giant

To be perfectly precise, the small creature possessed zero familiarity regarding Ramba, Drill Sarge, Stormy, or any of the historical comrades.

Baek Jinwoo had initially integrated LG alongside the Dhampir starting from his eighth year of playing JinuGod.

In the beginning, they were entirely unremarkable—simply a standard, run-of-the-mill frontline defensive unit. However, right around that specific period, he stumbled upon an unmapped Unique rune, and their absurdly broken capabilities commenced to manifest.

Mitigation. Vitality restoration.

Supposing the arrangement of runes aligned flawlessly with the blueprint Baek Jinwoo conceived in his mind?

It forged a virtually indestructible, unyielding barricade.

They stood as the undisputed MVPs who had effortlessly shattered through the 80s tiers within the Tower of Trials in bygone days.

Furthermore, subsequently, when he pushed his limits to the absolute pinnacle and brought down the supreme entity guarding Floor 90?

Erased completely by an adjustment update.

Bloody hell.

That particular instance marked the absolute apex of his exasperation directed toward the game.

An individual could only tolerate so much.

The moment he concluded the grueling process of developing a unit to perfection, the developers would simply wipe it out of existence. How on earth was a person expected to maintain any enthusiasm?

Had it not been for his obsession with Floor 90, he would have abandoned the game ages ago.

• Well now, so you are the newcomer I have been hearing rumors about? The creature residing far, far beneath my standing!

• Gwoooor?

• Do not give me any of that ‘Gwoooor’ nonsense!

Ramba delivered a strike of affectionate reprimand.

• It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, LG.

Stormy added an identical greeting.

• Fascinating, awakening the dormant capabilities within this Little Giant could prove to be quite an amusing endeavor.

Drill Sarge extended a welcoming reception toward LG as well.

“Precisely.”

He had never actually unlocked the hidden capabilities of LG or the Dhampir in his past playthroughs.

During that era, Drill Sarge had already been written out of the code.

“They are incredibly overpowered as they stand, and I possess the ability to render them even more ridiculous?”

Ha.

Suddenly, he began to doubt whether advancing directly toward Floor 27 remained the wisest course of action.

A segment of his mind urged him to secure the Dhampir beforehand so he could cultivate their levels simultaneously.

Considering C-rank Guaranteed Summoning Scrolls manifest in such a raw state, why in the world were there absolutely none available within the trading marketplace?

“Could the explanation resemble something along these lines?”

Hwang Jiwoo, who had remained attentive right by his shoulder, put forward her hypothesis.

As a matter of fact, the collective guild members understood perfectly well that Drill Sarge, Ramba, Burst Dragon, and the other entities constituted remarkably extraordinary summonable beings.

“They most likely materialize as loot constantly, but since people find no utility for them, they simply consume them without a second thought.”

“The C-rank Guaranteed Summoning Scrolls?”

“Precisely. From the vantage point of a high-tier ranker, a C-rank item is essentially worthless.”

Her deduction carried weight.

Those players might have assumed they had merely obtained an annoying piece of junk and discarded it thoughtlessly.

While priceless to Baek Jinwoo, to a standard high-tier player? Literal trash.

“Hmm. That perspective holds merit.”

Nevertheless, a far more probable reality was……

There simply were not that many high-tier players who had scaled the heights of the Tower of Trials to begin with.

The vast majority who made the attempt met their demise, and the global average for rankers hovered merely in the double digits below twenty.

Only a handful of months prior, the apex milestone had been established by Rachel at Floor 29. That statistic clarified everything.

To put it differently, an insufficient volume of active challengers translated to a total absence of supply in the open market.

Fwoosh!

While Baek Jinwoo stared intently into the dancing flames of the open campfire, an inspiration darted across his consciousness.

“Wait a moment.”

“What is it?”

“Reflecting on the matter, this strategy could actually function.”

“Have you devised a viable plan?”

“The rest of you can venture inside.”

“……Pardon?”

Hwang Jiwoo’s pupils expanded in disbelief.

What could he possibly mean by that……

Was he genuinely proposing to dispatch the guild personnel directly into that meat grinder of combatants for the sole purpose of harvesting C-rank Guaranteed Summoning Scrolls?

“Exactly, exactly. This is no time for me to be ascending the heights entirely by myself.”

Floor 50?

He possessed the luxury to delay that objective and conquer it at any moment of his choosing.

Presently, maximizing his probabilities of acquiring the Dhampir took absolute precedence.

“P-please hold on, Jinwoo-nim, this comes across as incredibly abrupt—”

“It matters not. I retain every single tactic mapped out inside my brain regardless. If anything, with the impending World League on the horizon, no superior training arena exists for elevating core combat capability.”

Has he completely lost his mind?!

Utilizing the infamous Tower of Trials as a mere practice ground?

“Hold on, does that imply I am expected to participate as well……?”

“Indubitably.”

“What?”

I do not even possess the status of a registered ranker, though?

Then again, Jinwoo-nim lacks a ranker classification as well, but……

Even so, Jinwoo-nim is an absolute anomaly!

“As it stands, Kang Geonho is positioned at Floor 13, Ki Jaehyeok and Kang Jiho are situated at 9, Song Yeonhui rests at 5, Hwang Jiwoo remains at 0, and the remaining members occupy 10, am I correct?”

“……”

“Impeccable. Simply ascend to Floor 20. Every single one of you, uniformly.”

When he calculated the cumulative sum, that granted him an aggregate of 114 opportunities.

114 distinct chances at securing the rewards from the Tower of Trials!

“T-twenty?!”

Hwang Jiwoo felt on the verge of suffering a psychological breakdown.

Floor 20 of the Tower of Trials was not some trivial neighborhood milestone!

Kang Geonho, recognized as the supreme ranker of the entire nation, had not halted his progress at Floor 13 out of sheer ignorance!

“Do not fret, do not fret. Merely maintain a steady pace and return in one piece.”

Baek Jinwoo possessed the entire scenario calculated.

In identical fashion to how he had previously entrusted his mechanical figurine to Song Yeonhui, he could temporarily assign them Drill Sarge.

The current state of Drill Sarge?

Even if he were to clear Floor 20 entirely unassisted, there was absolutely zero probability of him falling in battle.

Flawless.

Cross the threshold of the Tower of Trials, hone genuine battlefield reflexes, claim the designated completion payouts, strike two targets with a solitary arrow—nay, strike three.

Magnificent.

Supposing there existed a single point of anxiety, however.

The allocation procedure would necessitate exposing Drill Sarge’s classification…… EX-rank.

That particular detail could be strictly restricted via a binding pledge.

What if an individual attempted to abscond after the transaction was completed?

That contingency could likewise be restricted through a specialized ‘temporary transfer pledge.’

Utilizing the integrated mechanics correctly, the right of possession would mechanically revert straight back to his inventory.

“Very well.”

Baek Jinwoo gave an affirmative nod and immediately initiated contact with Yu Jia.

The following morning.

The directive mandated for every associate of the guild to congregate directly at the base of the Tower of Trials.

The collective response of the guild members upon receiving the breakdown was considerably more positive than anticipated.

In a certain sense, it was completely logical.

He was volunteering to escort them effortlessly up to Floor 20 utilizing the overwhelming backing of Drill Sarge. A person would have to be utterly brain-dead to decline such an offer.

This is quite literally the most legendary power-leveling service in existence.

Securing a position on the national roster for this particular cycle was undeniably the greatest choice imaginable.

The stipulations were incredibly basic in exchange for the immense benefits he was handing down to them.

Should a C-rank Guaranteed Summoning Scroll manifest within the completion rewards, surrender it immediately!

Baek Jinwoo additionally issued a guarantee.

The initial participant to successfully extract one would be awarded one hundred billion won instantaneously.

That is practically equivalent to winning the Powerball.

Powerball represented the astronomical American lottery system.

Unacceptable like the localized, low-tier lotteries that distributed a mere few hundred million—Powerball yielded distributions approaching the neighborhood of one hundred billion won.

Rather than retaining a low-tier C-rank Guaranteed Summoning Scroll, I will gladly accept the hundred billion won.

Please, let the heavens allow it to manifest for me.

The eyes of the guild associates burned with unadulterated covetousness to extract the item.

“……Nonetheless.”

A stern tone manifested from Baek Jinwoo’s lips.

“This functions as rigorous instruction, so naturally, Drill Sarge will not be doing all the heavy lifting for you unassisted.”

Baek Jinwoo refused to strip away their personal window for advancement.

Confronting grueling obstacles and overcoming them via raw instinct served as a monumental driver for self-improvement.

If he meticulously fed them victories from initiation to conclusion, they might gain numerical strength in the brief term, but they would never shatter their individual limitations.

“Drill Sarge will exclusively intervene the moment a challenger hovers on the brink of demise. Drill Sarge, do you comprehend my directive?”

• Understood, my master.

Swish.

Drill Sarge directed his untamed, spinning ocular organs directly toward the assembled guild members.

Embedded within that stare was a rigid determination that broadcasted he had zero intention of offering them a simple path forward.

Excellent.

There goes any hope for a leisurely ride.

We are expected to conquer Floor 20 of the Tower of Trials… relying on our own strength?

“If you lack the capacity to even overcome Floor 20 by your own merits, do not even bother fantasizing about reaching the World League tournament semifinals.”

While others might bleed for it, to Baek Jinwoo, Floor 20 amounted to a mere recreational park.

He harbored no desire to witness his personal pupils failing to navigate even that basic hurdle.

This was the identical JinuGod that even the legendary Five Emperors had never been permitted to study under as disciples!

“Strive to push through utilizing your own capabilities. By whatever strategies necessary.”

The pioneering combatant to step forward was Hong Ari.

The very instant she accepted Drill Sarge into her temporary custody, her eyes expanded so drastically they nearly detached from her face like an amphibian’s.

“Wh-what in the actual hell…?!”

In accordance with the formal document.

A specific restriction barred her from uttering a single detail regarding whatever she observed concerning Drill Sarge throughout the duration of the custody period!

She was physically unable to whisper a word of it, yet Hong Ari had perceived the data with absolute clarity.

EX-rank……!

Utter lunacy.

Throughout the prior three years—no, closer to four at this juncture—she had never once encountered that tier designation.

Based on the lore provided by the Five Emperors, succeeding the A-rank came the S-rank.

And that was widely presumed to be the absolute ceiling.

Yet an EX-rank?

A classification positioned entirely above S-rank?

How could such a variable even exist within reality?

It made perfect sense now.

The prior scenarios had defied logical explanation.

The sheer capability to obliterate entire battlefields single-handedly, the capacity to utilize human speech……

Most significant of all, was he not the sole manifestation of his kind across the entire globe?

Good heavens…… In that case.

Hong Ari’s thoughts spun in bewildered circles.

Ramba, Rolly, Stormy…… and LG, the entity he had just acquired the previous day.

They all possessed no alternative but to be EX-rank. Every single one.

An absolute anomaly.

No—the term anomaly failed to even remotely capture the scope of it.

That was the reality of Baek Jinwoo.

Furthermore, to top it all off.

What in the world were all these mind-boggling, maxed-out end-game runes and character statistics?

“Hah.”

A breath escaped her lips completely unbidden.

Jealousy?

Negative. This was pure, unadulterated reverence.

And an overwhelming sense of security.

The profound comfort that originated from recognizing she could practice and acquire knowledge under a figure this preposterously, inexplicably dominant!

• What are you lingering for? Initiate your movement.

Was it a byproduct of his EX-rank traits?

Despite the ownership having provisionally shifted, Drill Sarge’s manner of speaking had not altered in the slightest.

To his core, regardless of the timeline or the specific setting, his singular ruler was Baek Jinwoo and Baek Jinwoo exclusively.

Very well, that specific element I do find myself envious of.

A follower that intensely devoted and that profoundly skilled, executing duties by his side for eternity.

“I am entering.”

• You perpetually claimed you desired to acquire greater power, did you not?

“Correct.”

The moment Hong Ari offered her confirmation, Drill Sarge flashed a grimace.

• In that scenario, reach Floor 20 devoid of my intervention. A Phoenix is entirely capable of achieving such a feat. Dracul possesses an inherent vulnerability to the flame element.

The remaining combatants would inevitably require Drill Sarge to provide a degree of assistance.

Tiers residing in the teens might prove manageable, but the entity guarding Floor 20 was legitimately brutal.

However, Hong Ari?

She stood as the lone individual Drill Sarge evaluated as possessing the capability to confront Floor 20 completely unassisted.

• We can deliberate on the specifics once inside. My master’s schedule is equivalent to precious metal.

“Understood, I comprehend already.”

Must be wonderful possessing dedicated servants. Some of us lack that specific luxury!

Uttering a minor complaint, Hong Ari pivoted on her heel and advanced confidently into the structure.

Hong Ari, Kang Geonho, Ahn Gijeong, Hwang Juwon…… one after another.

They commenced confronting the structure in a calculated order.

Every single individual response proved entirely identical.

They would lay eyes upon the EX-rank confirmation, stare open-mouthed in utter bewilderment, their jaws dropping completely.

Simultaneously, their countenances would transform into a look that signaled they finally comprehended precisely why every predecessor before them had displayed the exact same expression.

It manifested as a sequence of dawning comprehension.

Of engraving indelibly into the core of their being precisely how monumental the chasm extended between themselves and Baek Jinwoo.

Baek Jinwoo provided them with comprehensive instructions regarding everything they must absolutely avoid while inside the structure, and past this juncture, the only action remaining was to offer supplications.

Please!

Please, just grant me a solitary C-rank Guaranteed Summoning Scroll!

The moment he successfully claimed the Dhampir, he would never be forced to cast his eyes upon a C-rank item ever again.

A single day elapsed. Subsequently two.

And after a span of approximately a fortnight, the majority of the guild associates had successfully triumphed over the structure.

The main command center and the entire populace were in a state of sheer frenzy.

The Director along with various administrative officials had arrived in person to establish an observation post and scrutinize the official archives room, while members of the press camped outside the entrance with recording devices operating incessantly.

The entire national contingent successfully conquers Floor 20 of the Tower of Trials!

They were lingering in anticipation of capturing that incredibly lucrative, exclusive headline.

And at this current juncture.

Song Yeonhui and Hwang Jiwoo.

Exclusively those two individuals remained.

Naturally, Baek Jinwoo experienced a wave of letdown.

Blast it…… is it truly destined to not manifest as a drop?

Then again.

It would have been far more bizarre had it actually appeared.

The entire globe had been meticulously combed and it had never once materialized—was the act of nine guild associates conquering Floor 20 genuinely anticipated to alter that reality?

“Haah.”

Ultimately, was there absolutely no alternative pathway available to him?

Set aside the Dhampir for now and simply focus on developing LG?

Baek Jinwoo was by no means the solitary individual pacing back and forth in high anxiety.

The guild associates had intuitively gathered that he yearned for this specific item far more intensely than he outwardly vocalized.

Just manifest already, we beg of you.

If it drops, he will reside in such a magnificent state of mind that he might grant us incredible favors.

Song Yeonhui! Hwang Jiwoo! We place our complete faith in your fortune!

The entire group pressed their hands together in collective supplication.

And right at that precise instant.

Rumble!

The primary portal of the structure swung wide.

And emerging from within.

“KYAAAAAAAH!”

Song Yeonhui came sprinting out, leaping up and down in a state of unadulterated delirium.

She had just successfully finalized Floor 12.

“What is it?!”

“For what reason?!”

“What transpired?!”

“Did it actually drop?!”

Disregarding the frantic queries of her guild associates, she sprinted in a straight line forward.

Thud!

She wrapped her arms tightly around Baek Jinwoo, who remained rooted to the spot in complete bewilderment.

And then.

“IT MANIFESTED! IT ACTUALLY MANIFESTED AS A DROP!”

She unleashed a shout of unadulterated jubilation directly toward the skies above.