95. Grinding the Tower of Trials.
Little Giant.
For reference, Lamba, HunGyo, Explosive Dragon, and the others don't really know much about him.
'I started using Jaggeo and Dampir from my 8th year as God Ji-nu.'
Originally, they were just an ordinary tank line, exactly as they looked, but around that time he discovered a new unique, and that was when their broken potential really started to stand out.
Tank, heal.
If Baek Jinwoo could set up the exact rune build he had in mind?
It would create an invincible shield that was nearly impossible to break through.
In the past, they were the very core members who pushed straight through the 80th floors of the Tower of Trials.
By the time he kept pushing and finally killed the 90th-floor boss?
They got deleted in a balance patch.
-Goddammit.
That was probably when his rage toward this game peaked.
There had to be a limit.
Every single time he properly raised something, they just deleted it, so there was no way he could stay interested in the game.
If it hadn't been for the 90th floor, he would've quit long ago.
—Heh, so you're that junior I've only heard about? A pitch-black junior from way below us!
—Gwoooar?
—What do you mean, "gwoooar", huh?!
Lamba cutely started disciplining him.
—Nice to meet you, Jaggeo.
And Explosive Dragon too.
—Hmm, it might be fun to unlock this Little Giant's latent ability.
HunGyo welcomed Jaggeo as well.
"That's true."
—I've never unlocked Jaggeo's or Dampir's latent abilities before.
Back then, HunGyo had already been deleted and was gone.
"They're already broken, but I could make them even more broken, huh?"
Ha.
Now that it's come to this, he's suddenly wondering whether going to the 27th floor is even the right move.
Before that, maybe I want to get Dampir too and raise their EXP together?
'A guaranteed C-grade summoning scroll drops raw like this, so why aren't there any listings at all?'
"Couldn't it be something like this?"
Hwang Jiwoo, who had been listening beside him, offered her opinion.
For reference, the guild members all know that HunGyo, Lamba, Explosive Dragon, and the others are very special summons.
"Maybe it actually drops often, but people just used it casually because they didn't really need it."
"A guaranteed C-grade summoning scroll?"
"Yes. From the perspective of rankers, C-grade really isn't anything special."
That could be true.
They may have thought they had stepped in shit and just thrown it away.
It had value to Baek Jinwoo, but to ordinary rankers, it was literally just shit itself.
"Hmm. That makes sense."
But more than that…...
To begin with, there weren't many rankers who had even climbed the Tower of Trials.
Most of those who did had died, and the average floor reached by world rankers was in the 10th-floor range.
Until just a few months ago, the highest record had been Rachel's 29th floor, which says it all.
In other words, maybe there were no listings simply because no one was running it.
Fwoosh!
As Baek Jinwoo stared at the blazing campfire, something flashed through his mind.
"Wait."
"Why?"
"Now that I think about it, this works."
"You came up with some good method?"
"You guys can go."
".....What?"
Hwang Jiwoo's eyes went wide.
'What the hell is he saying right now…..'
Surely he wasn't saying he was going to throw the guild members into that player graveyard just to get a guaranteed C-grade summoning scroll?
"That's right, that's right. This isn't the time for me to be climbing alone."
The 50th floor?
That was a floor he could clear anytime, even if he put it off for a while.
Right now, increasing the probability of obtaining Dampir was more important than that.
"N-no….. Sir Jinwoo, this is a little too sudden….."
"It's fine. I already have all the strategies in my head anyway. Rather, with the World League coming up, there's no better training ground than this for strengthening our power."
C-crazy!
The Tower of Trials was a training ground?
"Surely... I'm going too….?"
"Of course."
"What?"
I'm not even a ranker, though?
'Then again, Sir Jinwoo isn't a ranker either…..'
Still, Jinwoo is a monster!
"Right now, Kang Geonho is on the 13th floor, Gi Jaehyuk and Kang Jihoe are on the 9th, Song Yeonhee is on the 5th, Hwang Jiwoo is on the 0th, and the rest are on the 10th, right?"
"... "
"Good. Then all you have to do is climb to the 20th floor. Fair for everyone."
After calculating everything, even just climbing that far would give them a total of 114 chances.
Chances to open Tower of Trials rewards!
"T-the 20th floor?"
Hwang Jiwoo felt like she was going insane.
Was the 20th floor of the Tower of Trials some neighborhood dog's name?
It wasn't like Kang Geonho, Korea's number-one-ranked player, was an idiot and that was why he had only managed to reach the 13th floor until now!
"It's fine, it's fine. You can just go comfortably."
Baek Jinwoo had a plan for everything.
Just like he had lent the doll from Song Yeonhee, he could lend out HunGyo.
HunGyo as he was now?
Even if he went through the 20th floor alone, he would never die.
Perfect.
Go into the Tower of Trials, sharpen their real combat sense, get rewards, kill two birds with one stone, and come out with benefits all around.
'Kya.'
If there was one thing bothering him, it was that during the transaction, HunGyo's grade…... He would have to reveal that it was EX-grade.
That part could be silenced properly with a contract.
What if they ran off after the transaction?
That part too could be tied down with a "rental contract".
If he used the system well, he could configure it so ownership would automatically revert to him on its own.
"Okay."
Nodding his head, Baek Jinwoo immediately contacted Yoo Jia.
Tomorrow morning.
It was an order for all guild members to gather at the Tower of Trials.
* * *
The guild members' reactions after hearing the explanation were better than expected.
In a way, that was only natural.
He was saying he'd let them bulldoze their way up to the 20th floor with HunGyo's support, so only a fool would refuse.
'Seriously the greatest bus driver ever.'
'Getting picked for the national team this year was really the best move.'
Compared to what he was doing for them, the conditions were simple.
If a guaranteed C-grade summoning scroll appeared among the rewards, they were to return it immediately!
And Baek Jinwoo made a promise as well.
He said that whoever brought one back first would immediately receive 100 billion won.
'This is basically Powerball.'
Powerball is an American-style lottery.
Unlike those crappy Korean lotteries that only hand you a few hundred million won, this was a ticket that paid out almost 100 billion won.
'Rather than keeping a guaranteed C-grade summoning scroll, I'd just take the 100 billion.'
'Please, please let it drop for me.'
The guild members' eyes were now overflowing with determination to pull it properly.
"...However."
A firm voice flowed from Baek Jinwoo's mouth.
"Since this is training, of course, HunGyo won't just carry you all for free."
Baek Jinwoo did not want to take opportunities away from them.
Facing difficult problems and solving them with skill and sense was also a major factor in improving one's ability.
If he spoon-fed them everything from start to finish, they might grow stronger right away, but it would become harder for them to break through their own walls.
"HunGyo will move only when players are facing death. HunGyo, you heard that, right?"
—I receive your command, my lord.
Swish.
HunGyo stared at the guild members with gleaming eyes.
In those eyes, they could feel a fierce resolve that he would absolutely not help them easily.
'Sigh.'
'There goes the easy route.'
'We're supposed to clear the 20th floor of the Tower of Trials…..? On our own?'
"If you can't even clear the 20th floor of the Tower of Trials alone, then you shouldn't even dream of making the semifinals of the World League."
Other people might find it difficult, but to Baek Jinwoo, the 20th floor was just a playground for children.
He did not want to see the disciples he had chosen fail to get through even that.
Wasn't he God Ji-nu, the one who wouldn't even take the Five Emperors as disciples?
"Try to clear it with your own strength. By any means necessary."
* * *
The first player to set off was Hong Ari.
The moment she borrowed HunGyo, her eyes nearly popped out like a frog's.
"Th-this is insane....!"
By contract, there was a clause stating that she must not reveal anything she saw regarding HunGyo while the rental was in effect!
Because of that, she couldn't say it out loud, but Hong Ari had definitely seen it.
'EX-grade….!'
This was crazy.
For the past 3 years….. no, now nearly 4 years, it was the first grade she had ever seen like this.
According to the Five Emperors, after A-grade came S-grade without exception.
And that was supposed to be the end of it.
But EX-grade?
Was it the stage after S-grade?
How could something like that even exist?
'No wonder.'
It made no sense.
That overwhelming power he displayed all by himself, the fact that he could talk, and…...
More than anything, wasn't he the only summon in the entire world like this?
'Wow... then.'
Hong Ari's eyes spun.
'Lamba, Gale Slayer, Explosive Dragon….. and even that Jaggeo he supposedly got yesterday.'
There was no doubt they were all EX-grade too.
A monster.
No, not even the word monster could describe him.
That was Baek Jinwoo.
'And on top of that.'
What were all these absurd endgame specs?
"Ha."
A sigh escaped her naturally.
Envy?
No, this was awe. And relief as well.
The reassurance that came from being able to train and be taught under such an absurd existence!
—What are you doing? Aren't you going in?
Was it because of his EX-grade ability?
Even though ownership had temporarily been transferred, HunGyo's manner of speaking had not changed at all.
To him, no matter what moment came, his one and only lord was Baek Jinwoo.
'That part is a little enviable.'
To have such a loyal and capable subordinate by your side for life.
"I'm going in."
—You always said you wanted to become stronger, didn't you?
"Yeah."
When Hong Ari answered, HunGyo grinned.
—Then try getting to the 20th floor without help. Phoenix should be fully capable of it. Dracula is weak against fire attribute.
The other players needed some support from HunGyo.
Maybe not on the teens floors, but the 20th-floor boss was definitely tricky.
But Hong Ari?
In HunGyo's eyes, she was the only one capable of challenging the 20th floor alone.
—Hear the details after you go in. My lord's time is golden.
"Alright, alright."
How miserable life must be for someone without subordinates!
Grumbling lightly, Hong Ari spun around with a swish and walked into the Tower.
* * *
Hong Ari, Kang Geonho, An Gijeong, Hwang Juwon... and the others.
One after another, they began challenging the Tower.
Their reactions were all exactly the same.
They confirmed the EX-grade, were struck dumb, and stared with their mouths hanging open.
At the same time, they wore the expression of finally understanding why the others had looked like that until now.
It was a process of realization.
A process of carving into their bones just how vast the gap was between Baek Jinwoo and themselves.
Baek Jinwoo had taught them the things they absolutely must never do inside the Tower, and now all that remained was prayer.
Please!
Please just let one guaranteed C-grade scroll drop!
If he could just pull Dampir, then he would never need to look at C-grade again.
One day passed, then two.
And after about two weeks had gone by, most of the guild members had completely conquered the Tower.
Headquarters and the country were in absolute uproar.
The director and lawmakers had come down in person, set up camp, and were watching the record room, while reporters stood outside the Tower holding cameras and constantly filming the surrounding area.
The entire national team clears the 20th floor of the Tower of Trials!
They were desperately holding out, waiting for that sweet, honey-like exclusive scoop.
And now.
'Song Yeonhee and Hwang Jiwoo.'
Only those two remained.
Naturally, Baek Jinwoo was disappointed.
'Ah····· is it really not going to drop.'
Then again, it would've been absurd for it to drop in the first place.
Something that hadn't appeared anywhere in the world until now—would it really make sense for it to suddenly appear just because nine guild members cleared the 20th floor?
"Sigh."
In the end, was there no helping it?
Should he postpone Dampir for now and just raise Jaggeo first?
Baek Jinwoo wasn't the only one getting anxious.
The guild members also instinctively sensed that Baek Jinwoo wanted that thing more desperately than expected.
Just let it drop already, please.
'That way, maybe he'll be in a good mood and throw us an extra rice cake too.'
'Song Yeonhee! Hwang Jiwoo! We believe in your luck!'
Everyone clasped their hands together and prayed.
And at that very moment.
Creeeak!
The Tower's front gate opened, and from there—
"Kyaaaaaak!"
Song Yeonhee came running out, bouncing up and down in excitement.
She had just cleared the 12th floor.
"What is it?!"
"Why?!"
"What happened?!"
"Did it drop?!"
Ignoring the guild members' shouts, she sprinted straight ahead.
Then—
Wham!
She threw her arms around the blankly standing Baek Jinwoo.
And then—
"It dropped! It dropped, I'm telling youuuuu!"
She let out a joyous roar toward the sky.
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