One Week Before the World League (1)

Whew, alright then. Let's sort out the rewards from floors 27 through 30, shall we?

First off, one more Mind-Reading Bird. He'd figured it was about time another rare summon came his way — but of all things, it had to be yet another Mind-Reading Bird.

Still, it wasn't bad. I can just give one to Yoo Jia. The Mind-Reading Bird's utility was enormous. A single one had already proven handy; with two, it would be more useful still.

As for the Essences of Light and Darkness, they were the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠crown jewels among item and blueprint materials. Held onto long enough, they would pay off enormously down the line. He could sell them to someone who needed them, sure — but why bother? Money wasn't exactly a pressing concern anymore.

The floor 30 reward... is genuinely insane.

Again. Another Ultimate Summoning Scroll. That made two of them now in Baek Jinwoo's possession.

Those were the scroll's pull rates — which meant his odds of drawing an S-rank had just doubled to 2%.

I'll keep holding onto them for now. There was no supply on the market to begin with, and even Baek Jinwoo's capital would strain to buy one. Oil barons, globe-spanning hedge funds, entire nations — they all hunted the Ultimate Summoning Scroll with hungry eyes. Whether the price ran to ten billion dollars or twenty, anyone who could pay was watching.

Well, of course they were. S-rank value more than justified the obsession. The absolute pinnacle of potential! Only beings with an overwhelming presence could claim the S-rank title. If EX-rank felt like an ordinary creature that got balance-patched out of existence for being too broken, S-rank was broken simply by existing. Born on another level entirely. A single one could inflate a nation's power dozens of times over — it would be stranger not to chase them.

But then again. Baek Jinwoo knew better. Raised right, his EX-rank kids could crack the skulls of anything — S-rank included. No point pinning hopes on random odds. Priority one is taking care of my own.

Only two weeks remained until the World League. Word was that a system message would appear one week out, which meant the time had come to clear his mind and prepare in earnest. Baek Jinwoo set his Tower of Ordeal climbs aside and poured himself into his usual training. He put the guild members through another full inspection, and wrapped up their rune setups and enhancements as far as they could go — not quite graduation-tier runes, but solid enough to be useful.

Control is what matters in the end, anyway. For now, this much was plenty.

The House of Daesung.

At founding patriarch Yoo Byungchun's summons, the sprawling family had gathered under one roof for the first time in ages — Yoo Daehwan, who currently led Daesung at the front lines, and the far-flung branches of the Yu clan spreading out from him. Yoo Jia was in attendance too, naturally.

"Jia, you're so busy these days we can never get hold of you?"

"Tell me about it. Success has gone to her head, that's all. She's on a whole different level from the likes of us now."

"Well, she is the CEO of Yubaek... I'm jealous, so jealous."

She was Yoo Daehwan's eldest daughter, but only the fourth granddaughter to the patriarch. Met with her relatives' attention for the first time in ages, Yoo Jia simply smiled.

"Oh, come on, don't be like that. I just dug obsessively into whatever caught my interest, that's all."

Back when that clever girl had joined headquarters as a bottom-rung staffer, how they had sneered. But it was there that Yoo Jia had unearthed a gem destined to outshine them all — and won that gem's favor. The result: her father rose to become the firm, undisputed heir, and she went on to build South Korea's largest organization and guild, one that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could stand shoulder to shoulder with Daesung itself. Now no one dared look down on Yoo Jia. Honestly, even Yoo Byungchun probably couldn't treat her carelessly anymore.

"Anyway, what about this league? Do you really think they'll make the semifinals?"

"Baek Jinwoo's unranked right now. How far can he even go?"

"Top 100 in the world, at least. Did you miss the qualifiers? He toyed with Kang Geonho like a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠housecat with a mouse."

"Then the semifinals?"

"It's noise marketing, that's all. Though thanks to that little statement, he got to build the national team exactly to his taste — then went and founded SKY on top of it, didn't he?"

The relatives knew nothing. Neither did the general public. Sorry, but Jinwoo is a player from an entirely different dimension. Even Yoo Jia, closest to him of anyone, hadn't fully figured Baek Jinwoo out. What path he would carve from here on — she couldn't even begin to guess.

"I'll just watch the matches for fun, I suppose."

Glass of wine in hand, she was standing there letting the relatives' barrage of chatter wash over her when—

"Jia."

Her father, Yoo Daehwan, approached.

"Father."

"Your grandfather is asking for you."

"Is he?"

With a small bow to her aunts and uncles, Yoo Jia glided gracefully from the room. The relatives watched her go, green with envy.

Wow.Grandfather summoned her personally?Seriously, I envy that composure.

Yoo Byungchun was a terrifying man. Spot the slightest mistake and the yelling started; fall out of his favor and he was cold-blooded enough to strike you from the family register on the spot. For him, Daesung came first, always and without exception. Which was exactly why the relatives wouldn't go anywhere near the old man. And if he happened to call for you?

Bzzt! Just picturing it was enough to make the backs of their knees go weak.

"Grandfather."

"Ho ho, there you are."

Yoo Byungchun beamed at the sight of Yoo Jia — then waved off everyone else in the room. To him, Yoo Jia was a beautiful, remarkably capable granddaughter. Daehwan told me all about it. She had mapped out every one of their competitors' weaknesses and reported them. And that wasn't all — Daesung's public image had improved by leaps and bounds thanks to her. All of it was reflected glory from Yubaek's soaring rise. After all, even grade schoolers knew Yoo Jia was Daesung's granddaughter.

"So. The guild's running well?"

"Yes."

"Jia."

"Yes, Grandfather."

"Keep tending your relationship with Baek Jinwoo exactly as you have been."

"Of course."

"I've said it before, haven't I? This old man can read a person's caliber and potential from their eyes alone. That boy is destined to shake the entire world one day."

"He is."

Yoo Jia nodded fervently. As expected of Grandfather. His eye was on a different plane from the relatives', no question about it.

"So then."

Yoo Byungchun pressed on with a sly grin.

"How far have you gotten in reeling him in?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Baek Jinwoo, that boy. When's the wedding?"

"...I'm sorry?"

Yoo Jia stared at her grandfather, flustered. What did he just say? A wedding? Had she misheard?

"Oh, Grandfather... that's..."

"A girl who understands Baek Jinwoo's value that well — don't tell me the thought of winning him over never even crossed her mind?"

"...Um."

...It didn't, actually? It would be a lie to claim she had no interest in him, but she had genuinely been too busy. And as time went on, the relationship had simply settled into the shape it was in now. Romantic feelings? It would be strange for any to sprout at this point — and in Yoo Jia's opinion, if something like that seeped in, it would only get in the way of the work.

"View everything through a business lens. Baek Jinwoo's value is beyond your imagination. To speak frankly — if he really is the Jinugod whom even the Five Emperors hold in endless reverence... then this old man will live to see the world's number one."

"That's true."

"World number one is, in itself, a justification, a source of power, a reason. You needn't ask why Britain wrested hegemony back from America."

"..."

"Now imagine that Baek Jinwoo forming a bond with some other woman."

Uh... Could that even happen? For one thing, the women around him...

There are a lot, aren't there? One small peek and they came pouring out — beautiful, magnetic women, at that. Hong Ari, Oh Seon-young, Hwang Jiwoo, Song Yeonhee...

Hmm.

Yoo Jia's expression began to twitch. An inexplicable irritation had suddenly taken root.

"Jia."

"...Yes."

"If you cannot become the world's number one yourself, then the fastest path is to make that world number one your man."

My man. He wasn't wrong. And Yoo Jia could say this with certainty.

"Jinwoo is my person. And I'm fairly certain I'm one of his precious people, too."

"Foolish talk."

Yoo Byungchun said flatly.

"Don't tell me you mean to stand before me and speak of love and friendship? A bond born of the heart never lasts. Dopamine never does. Such feelings last two, three years at the outside. Do you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠know where a true bond comes from?"

"..."

"From right there."

The spot Yoo Byungchun's finger found was Yoo Jia's belly.

"Wh-what are you saying!"

Her belly? Was he telling her to have a child? Too soon. Far, far too soon. Honestly, the two of them had never even held hands.

"Your father will inherit this company. And when he does, where does it all end up? With you, of course."

"..."

"Think it over. Picture Daesung's standing as it grows alongside the future world number one, Baek Jinwoo."

Ahh. Her grandfather closed his eyes and shuddered, savoring the vision. A genuine monster. She didn't dislike her grandfather — if anything she respected him — but whenever this side of him surfaced, he truly seemed like a monster. A monster who lived for Daesung and Daesung alone.

"And who would that grown Daesung's fortune empower? Baek Jinwoo, naturally. A matchless arrangement, each lifting the other higher! And at the center of it all, your role would be the greatest of all."

Fine. It was all fine, and truthfully it wasn't as if she hated the idea... it was just so abrupt, so fast...

"So set up a meeting, sooner rather than later."

"Excuse me?! What kind of meeting?"

"Invite Baek Jinwoo here."

"Jinwoo? Here?"

"A man who'll be my grandson-in-law — surely I'm owed at least a look at his face."

"Grandfather!"

Yoo Jia's voice cracked out before she could stop it. There was simply no getting through to him. Did he have any idea how busy Jinwoo was...

"Koff! Kuh-hoff!"

At that moment, Yoo Byungchun doubled over coughing, his whole frame shaking. Phlegm rattling in his throat, he heaved air in and out in ragged gasps.

"G-Grandfather, are you all right?"

"...This old man hasn't many days left... and if my own granddaughter can't even grant me one small request..."

No! It is not a small request!

"I may as well just die. Aigoo! Daehwan! Daehwan, get over here!"

"..."

Watching her grandfather's performance, Yoo Jia let out a long sigh. What am I supposed to do with this? Should she actually extend the invitation? It was, by every measure, giving Yoo Jia a headache.

Baek Jinwoo handed the Mind-Reading Bird over to Yoo Jia.

"Uh... thank you."

But her reaction was a little strange. Spaced out, almost — like her soul had briefly left her body.

"What, you don't like it?"

"No, no! I love it. I love it so much I could dance."

"...Then why..."

"Oh, it's nothing. Things have just been hectic lately."

"..."

What was that about? Baek Jinwoo tilted his head. Eh, probably nothing. The World League was right around the corner — she was probably just busy.

"Oh, Jinwoo."

"Yes?"

"...By any chance..."

"Yes? Go ahead."

"N-no, never mind! The World League is almost here — you should be focusing on that."

Whoosh! And Yoo Jia was gone like an arrow.

Seriously, what was that? Something was definitely up. But the league came first. One day left. In exactly one day, the whole world would hit the one-week mark before the World League — and a system message would light up across the planet. The one thing everyone knew about... everyone except Baek Jinwoo!

And Baek Jinwoo waited for that moment, heart fluttering with anticipation.