89. Full-Scale Training (1)
The very first thing Yoo Jia did after officially announcing the finalized national team roster was, without question, register the guild.
SKY!
The guild master was Baek Jinwoo, and for the time being, the vice guild master position was left vacant.
The number of guild members: a total of 10!
In other words, the national team members had become the guild members as they were.
Once they created the guild, they learned a lot of things, one of the main ones being how guild assets were gathered and handled.
First of all, summoned creatures did indeed belong to the individual player.
However, runes, items, materials, and so on all had to be brought into the guild as soon as the players earned them.
In return, the guild would provide the players with annual salary, various services, and benefits.
In SKY’s case, the official annual salary was 10 billion won.
Considering the money 「Yoobaek」 earned, even 100 billion won a year for all of them was more than manageable.
If anything, you could say that was actually too little.
So there was also an unofficial salary.
If guild activities went smoothly and the materials or runes the guild members brought in were especially valuable, they would receive extra bonuses!
And that was not all.
As promised, houses in Yoobaek City were distributed, and even homes for their immediate families were provided.
The apartment buildings had been built so large and so tall that there were still plenty of empty rooms even after that.
Naturally, the guild members were satisfied.
Honestly, they probably would have joined even if the salary had been zero.
Because the greatest benefit available to a SKY guild member was Baek Jinwoo’s consulting.
Of course, just like the existing four disciples, all guild members had signed a contract stating they would obey the guild master’s orders unconditionally.
And if they did not obey?
Not only would they be expelled from the guild, they would have to spit out every rune they had received, leave, and pay a penalty fee as well.
Even so, the guild members had gladly agreed to the contract.
“Heh heh heh, looks like we’re all seeing each other again. Let’s warm up.”
“Jinwoo—no, not that, he’s Guild Master now! Until Guild Master gets here, everyone find your spot and warm up.”
“This training ground is really nice.”
“Did you see the house too? Our old place wasn’t bad, but this one is seriously high quality. The view was so pretty.”
“Hahaha.”
“Hohoho.”
The guild members gathered together, chatting as they warmed up.
It was only natural.
Just look at the members: all of them were national team members and disciples of Baek Jinwoo.
They already knew each other, and after training and eating together, they had grown quite close.
There was only one exception.
“.......”
Only Song Yeonhee stood stiff with a tense expression.
She had not been part of the national team before, nor had she come from a major guild.
Originally, she had been a headquarters-affiliated ranker ranked 60th.
‘They’re all close with each other.’
Even Hwang Jiwoo, who had been selected despite not being a ranker, seemed close to them.
The first person to approach her was Hwang Juwon.
As the oldest one there, he was trying to break the ice.
“Heh heh, this is our first time meeting, right? Your name was Song Yeonhee, was it?”
“Ah, yes!”
“You know, these days it feels like summoning skill is proportional to beauty. Hong Ari too, and now Song Yeonhee too—why are you all so pretty?”
She gave off an image completely different from red-haired Hong Ari.
Silky black hair and eyebrows, skin as white as snow in contrast to them, and two large, crystal-clear eyes.
Part of what he said was playful banter, but there was also a bit of sincerity mixed in.
Hong Ari, Song Yeonhee, Oh Sunyoung, Hwang Jiwoo.
All four of them radiated their own charms, so much so that it felt like once this World League ended, they would become hugely popular.
And in truth, these days players were far more popular than girl group idols or actors.
That was thanks to the national prestige buff.
“Haha, no, not at all.”
“No, hey, big brother, what are you doing making her uncomfortable like that?!”
The atmosphere had just started to loosen.
Clack!
The front gate of the training ground opened.
“Huh.”
“Guild Master’s here.”
The guild members all whipped their heads around, and the four original disciples besides Hong Ari snapped fully into attention.
Baek Jinwoo’s training was extremely brutal.
Normally, he wore a gentle and benevolent smile, but not during training.
If you got on his bad side for no reason, it would start with physical conditioning and end with physical conditioning.
It was basically the gates of hell opening.
“Heh heh, why is everyone so ten—”
Hwang Juwon stopped mid-laugh and shut his mouth tight.
Hong Ari, Oh Sunyoung, Gi Jaehyuk, Kang Jihoe, and Hwang Jiwoo.
All five of them were standing rigidly at attention.
Step, step.
Baek Jinwoo, dressed in a white T-shirt, walked in first.
Behind him to the right was HunGyo in armor, sweeping his sharp gaze over the guild members.
It was the day of their first official training session.
“Nice to meet you all.”
Baek Jinwoo smiled faintly.
“Some of you may have run with me in this training ground before, but others probably have not.”
Clap!
Baek Jinwoo clapped his hands.
“First, the three older brothers?”
He meant Kang Geonho, Hwang Juwon, and An Gijeong.
“Yes.”
“Y-yes.......”
“Yes.”
Had they been overwhelmed by the atmosphere?
Or was it because of the title of guild master?
The three of them instinctively answered more respectfully.
“And Song Yeonhee?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Good. Nice and energetic answer.”
Baek Jinwoo slowly scanned the four of them.
‘Just as I thought, their stamina is trash at a glance.’
It could not be helped.
If you searched through any country in the world, it would be the same.
Instead of spending time exercising, they had to raise their summoned creatures.
But not here.
When in Rome, follow Roman law.
The corners of Baek Jinwoo’s lips curled upward.
“Starting now, for exactly one month.”
“.......”
“For one month, we’ll be doing nothing but physical conditioning. Until you all pass the minimum standard.”
P-physical conditioning?
The four guild members stared at him as if asking what on earth he was talking about.
The guild members who had already been doing physical training merely grinned.
It was the kind of grin that said, Now you bastards can suffer through it too.
“If you fail to pass that standard, there will be no consulting. World League or whatever else—I have no desire to pass on my know-how to players who don’t even have the basics down.”
Slide, clank!
Baek Jinwoo fastened chunks of metal onto both wrists and both ankles.
The original disciples knew exactly what they were.
Each one of those weighs 20 kilograms.
‘Monster…’
‘Is he even human, running faster than us with almost 80 kilograms hanging off his body?’
But even while thinking that, they tied heavy tires around their own waists.
Only the people doing this for the first time stared at the sight with wide eyes.
He’s going to run wearing those?
It already looks hard enough just running normally. And the training ground was no small place either.
It was vast enough to remind one of a track-and-field stadium.
“Well then.”
Hoo.
Lightly exhaling, Baek Jinwoo kicked off the ground first.
“Let’s run!”
“Huh!”
“W-wait—!”
Watching the original members naturally follow behind him, the new members hurried after them in a flustered rush.
They had no idea.
Not even in their wildest dreams.
That they would end up running in that state for three straight hours.
It was the beginning of their true initiation.
* * *
“Haak, huff!”
“Kuheok, huff!”
One hour into the run.
Hwang Juwon, the oldest of them all, lost strength in his legs and collapsed.
“Oof!”
His skin got scraped as he slid across the ground, but this was what Hwang Juwon thought:
Ahh.
‘I should’ve fallen over way earlier.’
Who knew lying flat on the ground could feel this comfortable?
But then—
—What exactly are you doing right now?
Swoosh.
Someone’s shadow slowly fell over him from behind.
A shadow in the shape of armor.
It was HunGyo.
Squatting down in front of Hwang Juwon, he muttered in a low voice, his eyes gleaming fiercely.
—If you want to give up, then go ahead. Just know that when everyone else surges ahead, you’ll have no choice but to remain right where you are. And if that’s what you’re going to do, why even bother training? It’s not as though you don’t know there are countless players who would love to take your spot.
“Huff, huff.”
—Can’t you see over there?
HunGyo pointed ahead with a finger.
Even though they had slowed down tremendously, An Gijeong and Song Yeonhee could still be seen running without giving up to the very end.
Hwang Juwon felt wronged.
They’re still young, at least!
‘I’m 53 years old!’
—If you’re going to use age as an excuse, then wouldn’t it be better to just retire? I heard that the national team is made up of the best players in the country. If you can’t do it because of your age, then shouldn’t you give up your place to someone younger?
No, what the hell!
Was that really a summoned creature?
Why the hell was it beating him up with words like this?
And how was it so good at digging into his thoughts and tearing them open, to the point that it stirred up pride he did not even know he still had?
What pissed him off even more was that none of it was wrong.
Fuck.
Gritting his teeth, Hwang Juwon rose to his feet.
Yeah.
What kind of resolve had he climbed all the way here with?
Later, when people or reporters asked why he had been cut from the national team...
To answer, ‘Because my stamina wasn’t good enough’, would be too humiliating.
“Huaaah! I’m going! I said I’m going!”
Hwang Juwon got back up and started running again.
And while running, Baek Jinwoo watched that scene unfold.
‘Good.’
Baek Jinwoo’s smile deepened.
They might not understand it now, but later they would feel it down to the bone.
Stamina, strength, breathing technique, senses, mentality, and so on.
From those tiny differences, they would be able to produce exquisite control over their summoned creatures and bring home victory.
That aside.
Baek Jinwoo’s gaze shifted to Song Yeonhee.
She had clearly said during introductions that she had never exercised before in her life.
But her tenacity was remarkable.
Her speed was about the same as Hwang Jiwoo’s.
And Hwang Jiwoo had already improved her stamina after running for an entire month.
So she really does have a Heavenly Heart Body and a Boundless Physique?
‘Not bad.’
Later on, she definitely felt like the kind who would be phenomenal at control.
As it happened, there was a summoned creature that suited her perfectly.
Ones that were difficult to control and therefore rarely used, but if handled properly, could produce tremendous results.
As he ran, Baek Jinwoo’s mind kept turning.
Yeah.
All of you can keep working hard and building fine-looking bodies.
The nine disciples he would now have to raise in earnest.
‘I’ll build every one of your summon lineups for you.’
* * *
First of all—
Kang Geonho’s main summon was a Paladin (A-rank).
As expected of a warrior with healing abilities, the Paladin had a very clear balance between damage and tanking.
Because of that, it was especially strong against assassins, dark-element summons, and the undead race.
But if it had one weakness?
It was awkwardly weak when fighting other attributes!
‘To compensate for that…’
He needs another A-rank: a Black Knight.
Paladin and Black Knight.
Set them up as a two-top system, and let the rest cover buffs and healing.
If the control was good enough?
Wouldn’t that be pretty terrifying?
From a rough look, it would cost around 20 billion won.
And then Hong Ari.
She was still using a B-rank Firebird.
If you wondered why someone who made so much money still was not using an A-rank—
Well, A-ranks were insanely expensive to begin with, and they did not appear often either.
Especially in Hong Ari’s case, the summon that suited her best was an A-rank Phoenix...
But when he checked the market price, there were no listings at all, and even then it was valued at 50 billion won.
It really was, quite literally, worth whatever price someone chose to ask.
But, well.
Since each national team member was being supported with 100 billion won anyway—
Was money really the problem? The real problem was the lack of listings.
So for now, he told them to keep a close watch on that too.
‘Oh Sunyoung is perfect.’
An A-rank Fenrir!
And B-rank wolves like Shadow Wolf and Blood Wolf.
On top of that, he had already planned to give her the Howling (Rare) rune, right?
With that much, she could definitely climb into the upper ranks of the world rankers.
Next was Gi Jaehyuk... the goblin fanatic.
He also used two B-rank goblins, and one of those needed to be upgraded to A-rank.
The best option was obviously a Goblin Master (A-rank), but that still had not shown up on the market, right?
Like that, Baek Jinwoo began designing the summons for each guild member one by one and started acquiring them in cooperation with Baek Ajin.
As though he had become the coach of the national team.
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