LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 14 - New Summons
Chapter 14 New Summons
“H-Hahaha.”
Baek Jin-woo, who had collapsed onto the ground, let out a dazed laugh.
The Training Instructor and the Explosive Dragon Sage.
Today, let’s talk about those two.
First, the Training Instructor.
– Where… is this place?
A handsome man clad in splendid red armor, looking indifferently around, was none other than the Training Instructor, or “Hun-gyo” for short.
Originally, he was an E-rank summon with minimal combat ability, making him unpopular.
But it was Baek Jin-woo who discovered how to use him.
‘This guy is just a training maniac. Literally, a lunatic obsessed with training.’
[Summon: Training Instructor]
[Species: Human]
[Rank: EX-rank (Isolated)]
– Isolated due to a balance-breaking factor discovered in certain situations.
[Level: 1]
[Stats]
Strength: 1, Intelligence: 1, Stamina: 1, Agility: 1
HP: 1,000, MP: 0
Critical Hit Chance: 20%
Critical Hit Damage: 20%
[Skills]
– Growth: Gains strength through training.
– Charisma: Dominates other summons.
For now, he didn’t look like much.
But with proper growth?
There would come a skill called “Instructor,” which was insanely overpowered.
– Instructor: Unlocks other summons’ potential and greatly amplifies their growth rate.
This skill…
Back in the days of JinuGod, with this one skill, Baek Jin-woo widened the gap between himself and other rankers dozens of times over.
The Training Instructor wasn’t strong by himself but could make other summons stronger.
Whether B-rank or A-rank, it didn’t matter—he forced them into relentless training.
Thanks to his charisma skill, all the summons followed Hun-gyo’s orders back then.
‘Ha, those days.’
They were good.
Just thinking about it made his blood boil.
He had been enjoying easy wins, but then the AI arbitrarily patched the game and deleted his summons.
Did they say his growth rate was too steep?
– And you are…?
Step.
The Training Instructor, who had appeared last, spotted Baek Jin-woo and walked toward him.
– Who are you?
As expected.
Being EX-rank, he could speak.
As mentioned before, in 「Battle of Summoners」, Lamba and Hun-gyo hadn’t been able to talk.
“It’s been a while, Hun-gyo.”
– Hun-gyo…?
The Training Instructor’s eyes widened as he mulled over Baek Jin-woo’s words.
It was a similar reaction to Lamba’s when they first met.
– You’re… JinuGod?
“Yes.”
– My lord!
Thud!
At once, the Training Instructor knelt down with perfect military precision.
‘Yeah.’
Hun-gyo had always been like this.
Whenever he saw the player, he’d show his loyalty in that manner.
– Incredible. After being isolated for so long… I never thought I’d see you again, my lord!
It was now certain.
Lamba and Hun-gyo.
They were indeed the summons Baek Jin-woo had raised.
This meant that EX-rank isolated summons could only be summoned by Baek Jin-woo.
– Huh? JinuGod? Are you really JinuGod?
The Explosive Dragon Sage, who had been summoned a little earlier, was also reacting to the name “JinuGod.”
“Wow, this is the first time I’m hearing your voice, Explosive Dragon.”
The Explosive Dragon Sage.
In the past, she had been a D-rank summon, a young female mage with red hair.
She was a failed magic student, but it turned out that she was actually an extreme fire-attribute damage dealer.
Inside her heart slumbered an ancient dragon.
[Summon: Explosive Dragon Sage]
[Species: Human]
[Rank: EX-rank (Isolated)]
– Isolated due to a balance-breaking factor discovered in certain situations.
[Level: 1]
[Stats]
Strength: 1, Intelligence: 1, Stamina: 1, Agility: 1
HP: 1,000, MP: 0
Critical Hit Chance: 20%
Critical Hit Damage: 20%
[Skills]
– Dragon Flame: Shoots dragon-shaped flames forward.
Right now, she wasn’t impressive.
But later, when Hun-gyo unlocked her potential?
She’d gain a broken skill called “Devour.”
– Devour: Every time the Dragon Flame defeats a boss-level enemy, its damage permanently increases.
It was a skill so absurd that you’d wonder if the developers were thinking about balance at all.
Although the Explosive Dragon Sage had been used as a staple damage dealer in the early stages of 「Battle of Summoners」, no one used her as efficiently as Baek Jin-woo.
‘Obviously.’
The “Devour” skill couldn’t be activated without Hun-gyo.
Once Explosive Dragon unlocked that ability, she was deleted from the game in less than a week.
That was probably the moment when even the ever-patient Baek Jin-woo had almost quit, cursing it as a “garbage game.”
‘It’s because I raised her with so much affection.’
In a summoner game, visuals were important.
The Explosive Dragon Sage was one of the cuter summons, and she was quite popular.
– JinuGod! I’ve missed you so much!
Huff.
The sight of Explosive Dragon clasping her hands together as she spoke made Baek Jin-woo’s heart tighten.
‘That’s way too cute.’
Damn it.
Get a grip.
“I missed you, too.”
Anyway.
Now that he had summoned these three overpowered summons, the summoning grind was over.
What was left was to hunt like crazy and grow stronger.
“Just like Lamba, don’t speak when others are around, alright?”
– Understood, my lord.
– Yes, JinuGod…
“Oh, and Explosive Dragon.”
– Yes, sir!
“Don’t call me JinuGod. Just call me Jin-woo.”
It was too early for “JinuGod.”
Once she unlocked her potential?
Then, sure.
Whether it was JinuGod or One Heaven, he wouldn’t care.
No one would be able to defeat them anyway.
– Jin-woo? Got it!
“Then for today.”
Swish.
Baek Jin-woo glanced up at the sky.
The sun had already set, and it was dark.
“Let’s rest. Tomorrow, we’ll get to work for real.”
* * *
Jamsil.
In Baek Jin-woo’s rented apartment.
He collapsed onto the soft mattress and immediately fell asleep.
He hadn’t had proper sleep while tearing through all those summoning books.
No matter what you do, rest is important.
His body instinctively needed a long sleep.
Meanwhile, in his room.
– ……
Lamba, Hun-gyo, and Explosive Dragon were there.
– It’s been a while.
Hun-gyo greeted them first.
– Aha, yes, it has been a while.
Explosive Dragon scratched her head, replying awkwardly.
Hun-gyo and Explosive Dragon had spent quite a long time together.
Meanwhile.
– And you. Should I call you Lamba?
– Yup! Hello! You’re Hun-gyo, right? We did meet briefly before.
– Yes, we did.
Hun-gyo and Lamba had only met for about a month.
That was because Baek Jin-woo had used Hun-gyo rather late in the game.
By the time Hun-gyo was summoned, Lamba had already become a game-breaking character and was isolated within a month due to a patch.
From Hun-gyo’s perspective, Lamba was like an older senior.
However.
That didn’t matter to Hun-gyo.
With his charisma skill.
He could dominate all summons, and he had mercilessly drilled even Baek Jin-woo’s A-rank summons in the past.
– There’s only one thing I want to say.
Hun-gyo’s eyes gleamed.
– Eek?
Lamba flinched, fluttering her wings in surprise, and flew back.
Explosive Dragon, meanwhile, wore a knowing smile.
– We are far too weak.
Hun-gyo continued in a serious tone.
– Even while our lord sleeps, we must continue training. That’s the only way we can serve him.
Swish.
Hun-gyo looked at Explosive Dragon.
– You will start by sitting down and feeling mana. Start from the basics. I can’t help you right now, but once I awaken, I’ll unlock ‘Devour’ for you.
– Devour… Understood.
Determination flashed in Explosive Dragon’s eyes.
Devour.
With that broken skill, she’d be able to earn Jin-woo’s favor, so of course she was thrilled!
All summons thrived on their player’s affection.
– And Lamba, you.
Swish.
This time, Hun-gyo turned to Lamba.
– Y-Yeah? What about me?
– You need to work on your speed. We’ll start with strength training.
– S-Strength training?
Lamba’s face twisted in horror.
– You don’t want to lose Jin-woo’s attention to me and Explosive Dragon, do you?
– No, I don’t.
– Then listen to what I say.
– F-Fine…
For the first time, Lamba felt grateful to Baek Jin-woo.
‘At least Jin-woo buys me cream buns when he pushes me hard.’
But Hun-gyo was relentless.
And it was obvious that his training would be brutal.
Even if she wanted to refuse, she couldn’t.
The mysterious aura surrounding Hun-gyo had already made Lamba feel small.
And.
This was good news for Baek Jin-woo.
Normally, a level 1 Training Instructor only enjoyed training himself.
He never ordered others around or acted like an instructor.
He only started behaving like an instructor once he unlocked the “Instructor” skill!
But the EX-rank Hun-gyo was different.
He had already started acting based on the memories he had shared with his previous master.
– Here.
Swish.
Hun-gyo rummaged through the kitchen and handed Lamba a heavy frying pan.
– Swing this. Since it’s your first time, just do 5,000 reps today.
– F-Five thousand?!
Lamba’s jaw dropped.
– Do you really think that’s possible?
– Should I make it ten thousand?
– Hng!
She desperately looked at the sleeping Baek Jin-woo.
With all her heart.
‘Jin-woo, save me!’
* * *
Player Headquarters.
Talent Management Team.
“Representative.”
Employee Yoo Ji-ah, sitting in front of the monitor, furrowed her brow.
“This is a problem.”
“What is it?”
Park Chang-seok, who had been strolling leisurely with his hands in his pockets since morning, tilted his head.
“What’s going on?”
“To be precise, what we expected has happened. The administration has said they will no longer supply us with lower-grade summoning books.”
“Huh? Why?”
Startled, Park Chang-seok pulled his hands out of his pockets.
“A formal document came down. It’s under the director’s name.”
“The director…?”
The director.
The head of the Player Headquarters.
Only the representative with the most votes from the public could sit in that position.
That’s why they were also called the delegate.
“And they’ve requested a detailed explanation of where all the lower-grade summoning books we’ve taken have gone.”
“What the hell.”
An explanation.
They were going to audit whether the books were used appropriately.
If it wasn’t judged as appropriate?
They would either face punishment or have to return them.
“I think Representative Im Hee-su has pulled some strings.”
“Im Hee-su.”
Grit.
Park Chang-seok gritted his teeth.
The two had clashed on numerous occasions, and their relationship was far from cordial.
Rivalry among representatives?
Fine.
‘But there’s a time and place for everything.’
Baek Jin-woo was South Korea’s hope.
If someone obstructed his growth or upset him?
And if he decided to naturalize somewhere else because of it?
That would be no different from treason!
Treason!
“What should we do? To be honest, we already have the documents prepared, but the problem is that the administration won’t supply any more summoning books. We have nothing to give to Baek Jin-woo.”
“Where’s Byung-jin?”
“He’s currently arguing with the administration staff.”
“Sigh.”
It was 7 a.m.
By 9 a.m., he had to go to the empty lot to deliver the summoning books to Baek Jin-woo.
‘What should I do?’
It was a promise he had made to Baek Jin-woo.
If he couldn’t provide the promised support?
It would only prove his incompetence.
‘Should I pay out of my own pocket and submit the bill later?’
As Park Chang-seok pondered, his phone dinged with a message.
It was from Baek Jin-woo.
“Hup!”
Park Chang-seok quickly opened the message.
[Baek Jin-woo: I don’t need any more lower-grade summoning books. I’ve gotten what I wanted. Thank you.]
“Wow.”
A sigh of relief escaped him.
What timing.
“What is it?”
Yoo Ji-ah asked, and Park Chang-seok nodded.
“We don’t need to bring in any more lower-grade summoning books. But aside from that…”
Clench.
His fist tightened.
‘Im Hee-su.’
It looked like he’d have to make sure that troublemaker couldn’t interfere any further.