Chapter 2 :

Chapter 2: The World Has Changed

 

I lost consciousness.

 

Because of that, I had a long dream.

 

A dream where I ran and played across a vast plain with my summoned creatures.

 

—Oh, Jinwoo…!

 

—S-Sob… Oppa…

 

—…That rascal Jinwoo. Hooo…

 

In the middle of the dream, I heard my family’s voices as well.

 

Mom, Dad. And my younger sister, Baek Ajin.

 

Each time, I became aware—ah, I’m dreaming right now. I had lost consciousness in a traffic accident and still hadn’t woken up.

 

I need to wake up quickly.

 

I need to find out what that falling Low-Grade Summoning Scroll really was, and what happened after clearing the 100th floor of the Tower of Trials.

 

But my body wouldn’t obey my will. The shock had been severe, and my body forcibly shut down my consciousness to rest.

 

Damn it. Damn it all.

 

* * *

 

—Huh?

 

—Oppa!

 

—Nurse! Nurse?! My brother’s hand just moved! Please come quickly!

 

—Mom! Yes! Right now! I’m serious! Hurry!

 

So noisy. It’s so loud I can’t even sleep. I have to wake up.

 

‘Ugh…’

 

As Baek Jinwoo opened his eyes, a flash of light exploded before him.

 

The light poured into his dilated pupils, dazzling him so intensely it felt as though he might go blind.

 

“Patient Baek Jinwoo? Are you conscious? If you are, please blink.”

 

“Oppa! Can you see me?”

 

Baek Jinwoo frowned. The light gradually faded, and two blurry faces came into view.

 

A nurse. And Baek Ajin, crying.

 

Looking around, he realized he was in a hospital room. Judging by the mark, it was a mid-sized local hospital.

 

Well, it’s not like our family has the money for a top-tier hospital.

 

“Ugh…?”

 

A rasping sound escaped his throat. His body ached, and his muscles lacked strength.

 

How long have I been lying here?

 

“Can you see my fingers, sir?”

 

Blink.

 

Baek Jinwoo closed and opened his eyes.

 

“Jinwoo!”

 

“Baek Jinwoo!”

 

Clatter!

 

Hearing the news, his mother and father rushed in at once.

 

What on earth happened? Just as that thought crossed his mind—

 

‘Huh?’

 

The status window floating above his vision was still there.

 

[The beta test is ending.]

 

[A new world is opening.]

 

It was the very message he had seen before being hit by the truck.

 

And beneath it—

 

[Would you like to begin the tutorial?]

 

[Y/N]

 

“….”

 

A sigh escaped him involuntarily.

 

Mom, Dad.

 

No—world.

 

What on earth happened?

 

* * *

 

My goodness…

 

After regaining his senses and listening to his family’s explanation, Baek Jinwoo was speechless.

 

First of all, three years had already passed since the accident. And on the very day he was hit by the truck, the entire world had turned upside down.

 

“…So.” 

 

Baek Jinwoo muttered blankly,

 

“A message saying a new world had opened appeared in everyone’s vision, and each person received a Low-Grade Summoning Scroll. Dungeons appeared everywhere, and if they aren’t cleared, monsters emerge outside.”

 

That wasn’t all.

 

Monsters were immune to modern weapons. Guns, missiles, even the most advanced technology—none of it worked.

 

Only summoned creatures. They could only be dealt with by summoned creatures.

 

That’s right. Everyone in this world had become a player of Battle of Summoners.

 

“…Does that even make sense?”

 

“That was our reaction at first too.”

 

His father let out a sigh.

 

“It was hard to believe. But what can we do? It really happened.”

 

Baek Jinwoo’s father, Baek Jincheol, had actually seen the world’s transformation as an opportunity.

 

Originally, his father had physical limitations and couldn’t do manual labor.

 

But summoned creatures? They worked exactly as the player commanded.

 

The summoned creature he drew was a child-sized golem, but it could carry heavy loads. Using it, he began working in parcel loading and unloading.

 

Thanks to that income, they were able to help cover their son’s medical expenses.

 

“Jinwoo, I actually think this is an opportunity given by God.”

 

“…This is?”

 

“To be honest, your life didn’t exactly have much direction, did it?”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

Dad… did you really have to say that to your son who just came back from the brink of death?

 

“I couldn’t say it in front of your mother, but I knew you were obsessed with some strange mobile game.”

 

“…Ah.”

 

Battle of Summoners.

 

I thought I was hiding it well… but he knew. Well, there was no way he wouldn’t notice. I had been completely obsessed. Of course, he probably didn’t know what kind of game it actually was.

 

“Anyway.”

 

Baek Jincheol, who had been sitting on the bed, stood up.

 

At the same time—

 

Woooong!

 

He waved his hand through the air.

 

Rumble…!

 

With a small tremor, a golem rose from the floor.

 

“Don’t be surprised. This is my summoned creature.”

 

“…!”

 

“This is no longer a world where success comes from studying well. It’s a world where those who can control summoned creatures succeed.”

 

This is insane.

 

Baek Jinwoo’s eyes widened.

 

What is that?

 

Isn’t that a Pebble Golem, one of the basic monsters? An E-rank, low-grade summoned creature usually used as leveling material. Completely useless in dungeons.

 

‘Ha…’

 

Only now did it truly sink in.

 

Really…

 

‘The game I knew… has become reality.’

 

“So recover quickly and get yourself together. Start with the tutorial.”

 

“….”

 

A tutorial.

 

To hear that word come out of his father’s mouth…

 

‘Surely, I’m not still dreaming?’

 

Even if his father had already been living in this reality for three years, Baek Jinwoo still found it hard to believe.

 

* * *

 

After resting well for a day, he completed the discharge procedures.

 

The doctor objected, but he insisted he was fine.

 

He had no intention of resting any longer. He wanted to investigate this changed world as soon as possible.

 

[Would you like to begin the tutorial?]

 

[Y/N]

 

He also wanted to deal with the annoying prompt constantly blinking before his eyes.

 

‘What would happen if I pressed N?’

 

Of course, he had no intention of pressing N.

 

Even if it was a game he knew well, reality could be different. If he was going to do this, he needed to proceed carefully.

 

Anyway, over the course of the day, he gradually adapted to the changed reality.

 

He calmed his racing heart and gathered information here and there. But it wasn’t enough.

 

For serious research, nothing beat the internet.

 

Beep, beep-beep~ Beep!

 

Ding-dong!

 

Baek Jinwoo opened the door to his home and stepped inside.

 

Walking for the first time in a long while left him short of breath, and his muscles trembled, but he couldn’t remain bedridden forever.

 

Fortunately, the house password was still the same.

 

It was his parents’ home—a small, old villa. Unlike his younger sister, who attended a prestigious university and lived in a dormitory, Baek Jinwoo still lived here like a kangaroo.

 

‘Moving out costs money, after all.’

 

His parents weren’t home. They would probably return late at night after work.

 

“….”

 

Baek Jinwoo felt a pang of bitterness.

 

Their already modest income must have suffered greatly from his hospital bills.

 

Clench.

 

He tightened his fist.

 

If—

 

If this world truly was the one he knew—

 

Then the ten years he had practically thrown away would return as proper compensation.

 

He might even turn ten years of unfilial behavior into the utmost devotion.

 

“First…”

 

The computer! Let’s turn on the computer first! I need to investigate! As quickly as possible!

 

“Unbelievable.”

 

Baek Jinwoo clicked his tongue. His father had been telling the truth.

 

[Top 10 Players in Korea! Clears Dungeon with an A-Rank Summoned Creature!]

[League Perennial Last Place. Is This Truly a Gaming Republic? Korea’s Grim Future]

 

[Top University in Korea! Establishes Department of Summoned Creatures!]

 

Every article was about summoned creatures. Here too, summoned creatures. Everywhere, summoned creatures.

 

And then—

 

“Huh?”

 

[Where is Korea’s ‘God Ji-nu’?]

 

“God Ji-nu?”

 

There was also a curious article. He had discovered it by chance, but he couldn’t resist clicking on it.

 

‘That’s my username.’

 

Click!

 

[As national benefits vary depending on league performance, South Korea has once again ranked near the bottom. This poor performance has drawn attention as famous league rankers express their confusion.

 

According to Rachel, the No. 1 ranked player in the United Kingdom, South Korea has an incredible player known as ‘God Ji-nu’, and she herself has learned much from him.

 

That is not all. Yoshida Hikaru, the No. 1 ranked player in Japan, also spoke out. South Korea must find God Ji-nu as soon as possible. It is essential not only for South Korea, but for humanity, which must climb the Tower of Trials. If he cannot be found, humanity has no future, he emphasized.

 

Meanwhile, experts…]

 

“…Unbelievable.”

 

It was absurd.

 

“They’re people I know.”

 

The so-called veterans. One Heaven, Five Emperors.

 

A childish, cringe-worthy title—but they were companions with whom he had shared five years of his life.

 

Friends he had grown attached to.

 

“Sugoi… So your real name was Yoshida Hikaru.”

 

Ha.

 

A breath escaped from deep within Baek Jinwoo’s lungs.

 

Player versus Player, raids, dungeons, the Tower of Trials, fusion labs, enhancement facilities—all of it had been realized in reality.

 

It was enough to make one believe it was a divine prank.

 

“…If that’s the case.”

 

If it really is…

 

Baek Jinwoo’s eyes sharpened.

 

“This is huge.”

 

Bigger than winning the lottery.

 

The Battle of Summoners had been his life—his very existence.

 

Even now, after waking from unconsciousness, information about summoned creatures flowed through his mind like a cascade.

 

With this knowledge…

 

Wouldn’t it truly be a complete turnaround in life?

 

[Would you like to begin the tutorial?]

 

[Y/N]

 

“….”

 

Baek Jinwoo stared silently at the status window once more.

 

He had nothing yet. No runes, no proper summoned creatures.

 

But—

 

Baek Jinwoo was confident.

 

If nothing else, he was certain he could become the best in the world at this game.

 

“Yes.”

 

Click!

 

Let’s see how this goes.

 

[The tutorial is starting.]

 

The moment he clicked—

 

Whoosh!

 

His vision became dazzling. Information about interface controls appeared.

 

[Say ‘Status Window’ to view the player’s status.]

 

[Say ‘Summoned Creature Information’ to view the list of tamed summoned creatures.]

 

[Say ‘Summoning Scroll Window’ to view the status of your summoning scrolls.]

 

[Say ‘Item Window’ to view materials and runes.]

 

And then—

 

[Daily Login: Day 1.]

 

[Login Reward has arrived.]

 

[Reward: Low-Grade Summoning Scroll x1]

 

There was even a login reward.

 

[Now, say ‘Summoning Scroll Window’.]

 

“….”

 

Is this the tutorial?

 

It seemed they were going to guide him through how to summon first. After all, you needed a summoned creature to do anything.

 

“Summoning Scroll Window.”

 

As he muttered the words, a window appeared.

 

[Summoning Scroll Inventory]

 

Low-Grade Summoning Scroll x2

 

Woooong!

 

A crimson scroll hovered within the window, glowing gently as light shone upon it.

 

‘One from the day of the accident, and one from the login reward. So that makes two?’

 

[Place your hand on the summoning scroll.]

 

Swoosh.

 

As he reached out, he felt something graspable at his fingertips.

 

Before he knew it, he was holding two summoning scrolls.

 

[Tear the summoning scroll.]

 

[You can tame a randomly summoned creature.]

 

[There may be slight vibrations.]

 

[Warning!]

 

[Use is recommended outdoors.]

 

This was undoubtedly a tense moment.

 

Even someone once called one of the One Heaven, Five Emperors would be in trouble if he drew a worthless summoned creature from the start.

 

For example, something like a Pebble Golem (E-Rank)…

 

“They said to use it outside.”

 

Nodding, Baek Jinwoo stepped out of the house.

 

‘Please be something usable.’

 

At the very least, something he could rely on in the early stages.