LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 20 - Conquering the Weekly Dungeon (1)
Chapter 20: Conquering the Weekly Dungeon (1)
“So.”
Baek Ah-jin’s eyes, which had been folded in doubt, now sparkled with interest.
“You’re saying that before your accident, you were already a well-known hardcore gamer, and that you were the one who broke the record in that low-level dungeon?”
“That’s right.”
“And Yoo Ji-ah, that older sister, met you during her comings and goings with the headquarters?”
“Correct.”
Baek Jin-woo didn’t explain everything to his sister.
He only told her the parts shared with the headquarters.
Was it because he didn’t trust her?
No, it wasn’t that…
Baek Jin-woo owed a huge debt to his family.
His mother, father, and Baek Ah-jin.
Even when he was unconscious after the accident, they had sacrificed their own lives to take full responsibility for him.
How could he not trust such a sibling?
However, there was always a “what if.”
What if, by revealing that he was JinuGod, his sister accidentally blurted it out to her friends?
Words were the scariest thing.
Baek Jin-woo didn’t want to create unnecessary variables.
‘It’s all for the safety of my family.’
The current state of security in South Korea was a mess.
Gangs roamed freely, and the state couldn’t even control them.
The fact that someone as incompetent as Park Chang-seok was called a “Yaksha” by headquarters said it all.
In such a situation, gaining global attention?
‘That’s an absolute no.’
Even if he decided to tell them, it would be after he became stronger and ensured his family’s safety.
He already had a brilliant method to ensure their safety planned out in his mind.
But that would come later.
“But oppa.”
“Hm?”
“Didn’t you once get really obsessed with a mobile game and play it for a long time? Is that the one?”
“Uh…?”
Baek Jin-woo was slightly flustered.
“No, no, that was a different game.”
Oh no!
If she found out, he’d have to admit he was just another hardcore gamer.
His dad and sister…
They had known all along that he was secretly playing games?
Come to think of it, it would have been strange if they hadn’t noticed, being so close to him.
It was that kind of immersion that allowed him to earn the grand title of “One Heaven.”
“I played it for about a year, toward the end.”
“Wow, a whole year!”
Baek Ah-jin, who had been gaping, couldn’t close her mouth.
“That’s amazing, isn’t it? Really impressive.”
Baek Ah-jin was a player herself.
She had a general understanding of what being a hardcore gamer entailed.
The fact that large guilds had a separate recruitment process called the “gamer selection” said it all.
“I was going to tell you this as well. And about your Shadow Elf.”
“Huh?”
“If you’re going to keep raising it, find a Shadow Wolf to pair with it. They’re a good match. Right now, it’s only performing at about 10% of its potential.”
“…Shadow Wolf?”
Baek Ah-jin tilted her head in confusion.
Did such a creature exist?
“You might not know about it. It’s a B-rank creature.”
“Keh.”
Baek Ah-jin’s eyes rolled.
Was he joking?
She quietly pulled out her phone and opened the 「Marketplace」.
After a quick check, she saw it was priced at 500 million won.
It seemed to be a fairly high-tier B-rank summoned creature.
“Uh, oppa. If I want to buy this, it’ll take me at least 10 years. And if I keep selling runes like I do now, maybe 20.”
“Just wait a bit. I’ll get it for you within a month.”
“…What?”
“The Shadow Wolf creates shadows. If your Shadow Elf hides in one, it’ll be unstoppable.”
“No, no… That’s not the point.”
Baek Ah-jin looked at him in disbelief.
“You’re really going to get me something worth 500 million? Seriously?”
500 million wasn’t just a random dog’s name.
Something felt off.
It was as if her brother, Baek Jin-woo, had transformed into a different person.
The game-obsessed otaku brother had disappeared, and in his place stood a cool guy with connections to wealthy people!
“Is that even possible? Don’t make empty promises or push yourself too hard.”
Baek Ah-jin was genuinely worried.
She understood that he had been a gamer and was slowly getting used to his newfound abilities…
But she didn’t want him to go overboard in an effort to take care of her.
‘Honestly.’
While she was surprised and happy, the dominant feeling she had was relief.
Relief that her brother had adapted well, with no lasting effects from his accident.
That he was even on the path to success.
The relief that everything was falling into place.
She suddenly recalled the time she had shown off her Shadow Elf when she first introduced him to Jamsil.
‘Oh gosh!’
Baek Ah-jin groaned internally.
‘I was showing off like a big shot in front of a giant caterpillar.’
Anyway—
“I get it. You want me to keep this from our parents for now, right?”
“Yes, for now. I’ll tell them soon.”
“Phew, okay.”
* * *
After sending his sister off, Baek Jin-woo remained in the vacant lot.
‘Time to check it out.’
The gift Yoo Ji-ah had given him.
He began summoning the 13 creatures one by one.
[‘Combat Sheriff’ (C-rank) has been summoned!]
Starting with the Combat Sheriff.
[‘Lava Drake’ (C-rank) has been summoned!]
[‘Lava Drake’ (C-rank) has been summoned!]
[‘Lava Drake’ (C-rank) has been summoned!]
Including the three Lava Drakes.
All of these creatures were going to be valuable companions for Baek Jin-woo, particularly for the Weekly Dungeon.
‘They’re only C-rank and B-rank for now.’
But if trained properly, they would become the most efficient assets for Weekly Dungeons.
“Hun-gyo.”
– Yes, Master.
Hun-gyo checked the surroundings to make sure no one was around before approaching and bowing.
“These are the ones you’ll be training.
– Very good. I’ll make sure they become the strongest summoned creatures.
“Great. I trust you.
– Thank you.
From now on, it was going to be a relentless cycle of hunting and training.
* * *
A week passed.
During this time, Yoo Ji-ah was busy preparing for the establishment of 「Yubaek」, consulting with Daeseong’s legal team to ensure everything was in order.
As for Baek Jin-woo, he spent his days grinding endlessly.
In the mornings and afternoons, he rotated his teams, clearing regular dungeons.
From night until dawn, under Hun-gyo’s guidance, he trained rigorously.
After a while, he realized something.
‘I need a bigger personal space.’
With so many summoned creatures, training in his small apartment had its limits.
Especially when it came to creatures like the Sky Dolphin, Titanium Golem, or Lava Drake—it would be a disaster to summon them in a small room.
If the building collapsed, he’d have to pay for all the damages.
‘It’s also impractical to keep going to the vacant lot.’
It was too far, and night training caused noise issues.
What to do in such cases?
That’s where management comes in.
Whenever Baek Jin-woo had a request, he texted Yoo Ji-ah.
He knew she couldn’t solve everything right away, but it was about planning for the future.
He was painting a picture of the ideal facilities he’d need…
Oh, by the way, all of this was at Yoo Ji-ah’s request.
“Anyway.”
It was about time to show results.
‘Yoo Ji-ah.’
Impressively, she had waited quietly for a week without saying a word.
She had spent a huge sum of money, so it would be natural for her to be a bit anxious…
But she hadn’t even mentioned the word “Weekly Dungeon.”
‘Today is Monday.’
Baek Jin-woo’s gaze sharpened with resolve.
‘From Monday to Sunday. I’ll crush every low-level Weekly Dungeon in one week.’
That was his goal for the week.
* * *
Jamsil, Player Zone.
In front of the Weekly Dungeon.
Upon hearing that Baek Jin-woo would be attempting it, Yoo Ji-ah, Kim Byung-jin, and Hwang Tae-seop had rushed there early in the morning.
Especially Hwang Tae-seop, who had arrived with an armful of high-tech equipment.
“What is all this?”
Baek Jin-woo asked.
Yoo Ji-ah smiled.
“It’s equipment for you to wear during each Weekly Dungeon.”
“…Equipment?”
“Yes, it’s very expensive advanced gear. Once you put it on, it will record your surroundings in 3D.”
“Really? It looks kind of heavy.”
“Don’t worry. It’s a flexible, lightweight vest.”
「YooBaek」 planned to start its first business by selling information.
For that, they needed detailed recordings of Baek Jin-woo’s gameplay.
“Even overseas rankers use it.”
“I see.”
Click, clack!
Kim Byung-jin and Hwang Tae-seop skillfully helped him put on the equipment.
“It’s my first time in the Monday Dungeon… I don’t know if I’ll do it smoothly, is that okay?”
“Yes, it’s fine. We’ll just edit and keep the best footage.”
“Oh.”
One more thing.
“What if I break the national record as soon as I go in?”
“…”
Yoo Ji-ah broke into a nervous smile, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
‘You’re really joking now.’
He was probably saying that out of gratitude for the 1.3 billion won worth of summoned creatures she had gifted him.
No matter how skilled a gamer he had been, breaking a record in a week with just a few C-rank and B-rank summoned creatures?
‘That’s impossible.’
But then again, who knew?
That’s exactly how he had shattered the Tuesday Dungeon record last time.
Yoo Ji-ah tried her best to suppress the growing excitement within her.
“Just relax. Really, it’s fine. Play it like you did in your gaming days, okay?”
“Okay.”
Baek Jin-woo nodded.
What was the current national record?
Around 7 minutes?
Easy.
Let’s break it comfortably.
* * *
Monday Dungeon.
The only dungeon that rewarded attack-related runes, often called the crown jewel of 「Battle of Summoners.」
The goal was to clear it as quickly as possible.
If your time in the Monday Dungeon was slow, you could kiss any chance of being a top ranker goodbye.
That’s because attack runes were the foundation of everything.
‘It’s a defense-type dungeon set in a plains environment.’
The mission was to hold off the Undead Army of the awakened Lich for 30 minutes.
Of course, the key to defense was simply defeating the final boss, the Lich.
So, most players would likely rush in and try to take down the Lich.
Whirr!
Hearing the equipment working smoothly, Baek Jin-woo dived straight into the dungeon.
Simultaneously, a message appeared.
[You have selected a team of three.]
[Which team will you summon?]
[Team 1/Team 2/Team 3]
As mentioned before, Team 3 was designated for Weekly Dungeons.
‘Team 3.’
[‘Combat Sheriff’ (C-rank) has been summoned.]
[‘Priest of Radiance’ (C-rank) has been summoned.]
[‘Training Instructor’ (EX-rank) has been summoned.]
[‘Mini Kong’ (D-rank) has been summoned.]
[‘Golden Fairy’ (D-rank) has been summoned.]
The core units of the Monday Dungeon were the Combat Sheriff and Priest of Radiance.
The other three were just there to protect these two and provide tanking and damage.
– Krrrrrk!
– Grrrr, grrroarrr!
In his shifted view, a mass of Ghouls and Skeletons surged toward him.
By the way, there was no need to fear them.
Higher-tiered enemies would be intimidating, but these were low-level mobs.
[Grrroar!]
[The Undead Army of the Evil Lich is approaching.]
[Hold off the Undead until reinforcements arrive!]
[Remaining time – 00:30:00]
– Roar! Roar! Roar!
Excited, Mini Kong pounded his chest a few times.
Crack!
He smashed a Skeleton’s skull with a single blow.
They were so weak that it was like crushing a cookie.
‘Alright, let’s get started.’
First—
“Move to the high ground.”
Hun-gyo nodded.
Aware that the cameras were rolling, he didn’t speak.
– Roarrrrr!”
Crack, snap!
With Mini Kong leading the way, they quickly moved to a relatively high hill on the plains.
It took about two minutes.
Next.
“Combat Sheriff.”
Clack!
The sheriff was a tall woman.
She was a humanoid sniper wielding a very long rifle.
Of course, unlike an EX-class creature, she couldn’t speak.
She was merely a doll that followed orders.
“Take aim.”
Swoosh!
In a standing position, she brought her eye to the scope.
For the record, the Combat Sheriff was rarely used in the past because her damage output was too low.
What was the point of being accurate if the shots didn’t land any damage?
But in low-level Monday Dungeons, she was fantastic.
That’s because the Lich didn’t have a lot of HP to begin with.
“Hold fire for now.”
Next, Baek Jin-woo summoned the Priest of Radiance.
Mini Kong and Hun-gyo were easily dealing with the incoming Undead hordes.
“Priest, cast Blessing.”
The Priest of Radiance was also a human-like female.
She was a cleric character, a lower-tier version of the Saint (A-rank), but she was still quite effective against Undead.
Whirr!
The priest cast a blessing on the sheriff’s sniper rifle.
The effect of the blessing was simple.
It stripped away the Lich’s “Darkness Shield,” allowing damage to land.
Without the blessing?
You could never take down the Lich from a distance.
The Darkness Shield provided “ranged immunity.”
“Begin firing.”
The Lich, floating at the far end of the plains, had already been marked.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shots rang out.
– Kieeek? Kieeek! Kieeek!”
The Lich’s piercing screeches filled the air, as it felt the pain of the bullets.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The shots continued.
Since the runes were weak and the sheriff’s level was low, it took some time.
‘That’s why you can’t use the Combat Sheriff to kill the Lich in mid-tier dungeons.’
However—
Baek Jin-woo would be able to.
Not just mid-tier.
With the right setup, he could wipe out even high-tier and top-tier Liches with just the Combat Sheriff.
How?
‘Because of Hun-gyo.’
That was exactly why the Training Instructor was overpowered.
Once he unlocked his latent potential, fully equipped with top-tier runes and maxed-out skills?
Bang!
One shot would take down even the top-tier Monday Dungeon Lich.
In any case—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The shots continued for another two minutes.
Eventually—
– Kieeeeek!”
The Lich let out a final wail as it was finished off by the spoon-wielding killer.
[The boss monster has been defeated!]
[Dungeon clear!]
[Clear time – 00:04:12]
And naturally, that time set a new record.
[Congratulations!]
[You’ve broken the national record!]
[You’ve achieved a special accomplishment!]
It was the best in the country.