Which One Do I Pick? (2)

Doldori, Lund. Lund, Doldori.

"Ha, what a dilemma."

Both were cheat-tier summons with overwhelming strengths—in his heart, he wanted to pick them both.

As Baek Jinwoo flicked his fingers, idly crushing seconds to while away the time—

"Jinwoo! I think you absolutely HAVE to pick Lund!"

Ramba flew over and offered her opinion first.

"Why?"

"Lund ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠can pull out any rune and any substats we want, as long as he has time and materials! Sure, I heard Doldori's amazing too, but if you pick Lund, all of us can get our graduation runes fair and square!"

"True."

She wasn't wrong.

Of course, Lund couldn't just snap his fingers and churn out graduation runes. He'd have to grind his proficiency up through endless busywork, and rare runes devoured staggering mountains of materials. Even so, never having to worry about runes—the endgame content of Battle of Summoners—was a colossal advantage.

'And besides.'

What if Hungyo unlocked even the dwarf's latent potential? He'd be able to produce unique runes that only Lund in all the world could ever craft. A rune set that existed nowhere else on the planet! Once everyone's graduation gearing was done, they could even go into the rune business. Selling one-of-a-kind luxury runes under the Yubaek brand...?

'Ooh.'

Wouldn't that alone be something incredible?

"Honestly, I feel kinda guilty being the only one decked out in graduation runes. It's a lot of pressure. Jinwoo! Just pick Luuund! Huh? Pleeease? Pick him and get runes for Hungyo and Pokryongi toooooo!"

"Hmm, maybe I will?"

He was torn, but with Ramba turning on the charm that hard, his heart tipped slightly toward Lund.

But then.

"My Lord."

That was when Hungyo cut in beside him.

"My thoughts differ."

"Huh?"

'Him again?'

Ramba's cheeks puffed up in protest, but Hungyo paid her no mind.

"The rune dwarf is a fine choice, but I believe the Whirlwind Slayer must take precedence."

"Oh ho, is that so?"

"Your reasoning?"

"Overwhelming force, My Lord. As you stand now, you are vulnerable in direct combat. Pokryongi has yet to unlock her latent potential, and Ramba and I can only bring our strength to bear once our stacks have built. It pains me to say it, but were an assassination-specialized summon to catch you off guard... even you, My Lord, could be cut down in an instant."

"That's fair."

Thank goodness South Korea's level was so low. If he ran into world-class rankers in his current state, even Baek Jinwoo couldn't promise how things would go.

"Besides, is the national team selection not fast approaching?"

Ooh, now that's Hungyo for you! The man had even the players' schedules memorized down to the letter?

"Choose the Whirlwind Slayer, and he will prove exceedingly useful there."

"Aw, what are you even saying!"

Ramba shook her head hard.

"What's the national team even got! Even without Doldori, me and Hungyo are plenty!"

"No. Do not be overconfident, Ramba."

Hungyo said, firm as iron.

"The truth is that the players of My Lord's nation are simply at a low level. Judged by the standard of the world we once dwelt in, they are weak—far, far too weak. And above all, there is something else that matters most."

"...And what's that?"

"My Lord's safety."

"...!"

"With the Whirlwind Slayer alone, I can train him until My Lord's protection is assured beyond any doubt."

Ah.

Right!

He was absolutely right.

Baek Jinwoo felt a small surge of emotion. The case for picking Doldori was rock solid—and he could feel the heart in it, too, the way they thought of him. Even the grumbling Ramba was cocking her head with a 'huh, really?', and that said it all.

"Then, last of all—Pokryongi?"

"I believe the Whirlwind Slayer is the right choice too, Jinwoo, sir. If you're not safe, then nothing else means anything."

Ahh. That's our Hungyo and Pokryongi for you.

'I'll do better by you all from now on.'

And as for Ramba...

'Doesn't look like she worries about me one bit.'

"F-fine, I changed my mind too! That's so dirty, using Jinwoo like that! I'll go with Doldori too! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Doldori it is!"

All three summons had chosen the Whirlwind Slayer.

'Either way, the order hardly matters.'

The blueprints weren't going anywhere. Gather the materials, slam them in, and—Lund could be picked later too. Lock in Doldori first, secure his safety, stockpile a heap of miscellaneous materials, and then bring Lund in? Wasn't that the more efficient play?

"Okay."

The answer had settled itself.

Then—choose!

Without a moment's delay, Baek Jinwoo seized the card.

Swish!

The card whirled round and round, then blazed with light.

And so, at last—

the most notoriously broken PvP summon in history, Doldori, entered Baek Jinwoo's fold.

"Krrrk... Kgh, krrgh..."

The already-gloomy clearing dyed itself darker still, and with it came a grotesque, rasping sound.

"You're here."

Baek Jinwoo looked up into the empty air. Floating there was a grim reaper bearing a scythe. That was the Whirlwind Slayer.

"Krrrk... krrgh..."

Unfortunately, despite being EX-Grade, the reaper seemed unable to speak. Was that because he wasn't humanoid?

Baek Jinwoo pulled up the reaper's information.

'Yes. This is it.'

Going by his skills alone, he was a textbook assassin-type summon—hiding in invisibility, then striking for a guaranteed 100% critical. Incidentally, thanks to this very skill, rune work would be easy for Doldori too. All he had to do was toss out critical rate entirely and push critical damage to the absolute limit.

"Welcome, Doldori."

"Krrrk...!"

The reaper twirled his scythe round and round, as if returning the greeting.

"Eeugh, he's so creepy. Waaah. The whole vibe went gloomy alreadyyy!"

Zip!

Ramba darted behind Baek Jinwoo's back—though her eyes, for all that, brimmed with pure curiosity. It couldn't be helped. She and Doldori had never once met in Battle of Summoners.

"Hungyo, think you can train him?"

"My Lord, why even ask! Of course I am confident. Whirlwind?"

"Krk?"

In that instant, the reaper's frost-cold gaze swept once over Hungyo. A monstrous killing intent flooded the surroundings—

"Krrrk!"

—but it soon receded, and the reaper brought his spinning scythe to a proper, upright stance.

Hungyo's charisma. It worked on Doldori, too.

"Whirlwind. Your potential is S-rank and beyond. From this day on, I shall draw that potential out of you."

"Krk!"

When it came to training, Hungyo was simply the man. It really did make everything easier.

Mid-June.

The mood across South Korea was beginning to heat up. With Earth's grandest year-end event, the 'World League,' just around the corner, the day when the ten national team representatives would be chosen was drawing near!

June 30th! The National Team Selection Tournament!

Every media outlet in the country was buzzing about it on a loop, and the community's attention had all converged on the qualifiers.

Baekho, Arirang, Ilwol. The three great guilds that represented South Korea—and every one of their guild masters was a powerhouse ranked inside the nation's top ten.

Everyone argued their piece, but in truth nothing could be said for certain. However annual the event, quite a few players always emerged from beyond anyone's predictions. That was the very spice of the National Team Selection Tournament.

Everyone's burning question was the same: who would actually compete! Students, office workers, freelancers—no matter their walk of life, the whole country was abuzz with that one topic.

And HQ was no exception.

Player HQ. The council chamber.

Deep in preparations for the National Team Selection Tournament, the ten councilmen who made up the HQ were all seated in session.

"Hnngh."

Right in the middle of the meeting, the Director was glaring at someone with open displeasure. Councilman Lim Hee-su.

'That man is the reason we let ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Baek Jinwoo slip away.'

Did Lim Hee-su have any idea how stifled the Director felt? Shoulders puffed up with pride, he was chattering away in high spirits. Did he know—that just days ago, that player Baek Jinwoo had cleared the 10th floor of the Tower of Ordeal in a mere ten minutes? Privacy-locked information of that sort was accessible only to the Director, his chief secretary, and the department overseeing the Tower of Ordeal. Which was why the remaining councilmen knew nothing of it.

'Hah. Not that I can say a word about it.'

The reason for Lim Hee-su's swagger was simple: the two players under his wing were currently ranked 9th and 10th in the nation. In other words, for this selection tournament as well, the only councilman who could uphold the HQ's prestige was that very Lim Hee-su.

The anxious Director was chewing on his lip when—

"Hey there, Councilman Park Chang-seok."

Lim Hee-su smirked.

"Preparing well, are we? You haven't forgotten our little bet, have you?"

A bet. Park Chang-seok's mind drifted back.

Looking back now, it had been an absurd bet. And yet—why? Watching Baek Jinwoo back then, he'd felt he simply couldn't hold back. He'd had to take the plunge.

"What do you say? Ready to tuck your tail and bow out even now? Doesn't look like you've got a single ranker to send to the qualifiers."

"Euhahaha!"

"Hahahaha!"

At Lim Hee-su's antics, several of the executives burst into roars of laughter. The beard shrouding Park Chang-seok's face quivered.

"And who, exactly, says I have no rankers?"

"Oh? You have one?"

"Yes. I do."

Park Chang-seok declared it, proud and unflinching.

'Yoo Jia had told him so.' Not to worry herself over anything so trivial as the national team selection—Jinwoo had grown to a frankly absurd degree. And as far as Park Chang-seok knew, Yoo Jia was absolutely not one to spout nonsense.

"The player everyone's been talking about lately. Baek Jinwoo will be competing under my affiliation."

"What?! Is that true?!"

The outburst didn't come from Lim Hee-su. It came from the Director.

"Baek Jinwoo is really entering? Under HQ affiliation?"

"Yes, sir, that's right."

"Kwahahaha! Really? Splendid! Wonderful! You've done well, my friend! That's our Park Chang-seok! Now there's a man who gets things done!"

It was nothing short of astonishing. Baek Jinwoo, who hadn't spared him so much as a glance when he himself had reached out, apparently listened when Park Chang-seok spoke? Still, it was welcome news—all the more so because he knew of Baek Jinwoo's absurd Tower of Ordeal records.

"Aw, come on, Mr. Director. Why all this fuss over a Baek Jinwoo?"

Naturally, Councilman Lim Hee-su couldn't make sense of it.

"Don't tell me you actually believe Baek Jinwoo will make the team?"

At his question—

"Oh, don't be ridiculous."

"Baek Jinwoo isn't in that league yet. Ask me again in a year or two, once he's grown a little more."

The councilmen in his camp chimed in, nodding along.

Park Chang-seok didn't bother to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠respond.

'That's something only time will tell.'

The results would be out soon enough. And when they were, everyone would finally learn—the true power of Baek Jinwoo.