NOVEL WEB Chapter 9 - The Test is Fast(1)
Chapter 9 The Test is Fast(1)
When he followed the staff’s guidance into the waiting room, a familiar bearded man came into view.
Park Chang-seok, the current examiner from the headquarters.
He carefully started speaking.
“You were a bit surprised, weren’t you?”
“Well, yes.”
Baek Jin-woo nodded.
“I knew you were from the headquarters, but I had no idea you’d be an examiner.”
At a signal from the bearded man, the staff bowed their head and exited the room.
Now, only the two of them were left inside the waiting room.
Park Chang-seok.
And Baek Jin-woo.
“The reason I called you here, Mr. Jin-woo, is none other than to assess your reward.”
“Ah.”
A reward!
Baek Jin-woo’s eyes widened.
“When we verified your identity, we confirmed you were indeed an unregistered player. Moreover, you’ve even applied for registration, and you’re not listed in any gang records… Naturally, you should receive a reward.”
“Yes, that sounds good.”
Baek Jin-woo gulped.
This guy seemed to hold a pretty high position in the headquarters.
What kind of reward could he offer?
“Before I discuss the reward, I have something I’d like to ask.”
“Yes?”
Baek Jin-woo blinked.
“Mr. Jin-woo… Were you, by any chance, a gamer?”
He had pondered this countless times.
How could someone who had been bedridden in a hospital for three years know so much about summoned creatures?
If he wasn’t a gamer, it didn’t make sense.
“A gamer?”
“We use that term for people who used to play the game called Battle of Summoners War.”
“Ah.”
Baek Jin-woo’s mind quickly processed the situation.
He had anticipated this ever since he stepped forward.
Of course, they would find it odd.
“Well, yeah… I did play it.”
“I thought so. May I ask for how long…?”
“Hmm.”
How should he answer?
If he said 10 years, it might be too specific.
During the days of One Heaven, there were fewer than 200 people worldwide playing that game.
As mentioned before, Baek Jin-woo had no desire to reveal himself.
Even if he did, it would only be after he secured a certain level of safety.
“I just dabbled in it. Roughly for about a year…?”
“What?! Really?!”
Suddenly, Park Chang-seok, overwhelmed with emotion, grabbed both of Baek Jin-woo’s hands tightly.
“You mean to tell me… you actually played that crappy game for a whole year?”
“Uh…”
What?
“Well, yes, I did.”
That comment was a little offensive, wasn’t it?
Baek Jin-woo knew Battle of Summoners was a dead game, but it was a game he had staked his life on.
It was essentially his whole world, and he didn’t appreciate hearing it called a “crappy game.”
Of course, regardless of Baek Jin-woo’s feelings, Park Chang-seok was getting increasingly excited.
“A year?!”
Most rankers in Korea couldn’t last more than six months in that game.
There were some who had played for over a year, but they had all perished early on.
‘He’s definitely talented. To stick with that boring game for a year means he must have been genuinely immersed in it… That explains why he knew about the flame resistance skill.’
Rankers always said the same thing.
Anyone who played that godforsaken game for over a year couldn’t possibly be sane.
If you found someone that crazy, the government should do whatever it takes to recruit them.
Park Chang-seok’s heart raced.
‘Is there a chance he’s lying?’
It seemed unlikely.
This guy had only been conscious for two days—would he really lie about playing for a year just to win favor?
If he did, that would deserve recognition in its own way.
It would mean he was sharp.
“First, I’ll present you with two options for your reward. You can choose one of them.”
“Yes.”
“First.”
The bearded man raised one finger.
“I’ll use my authority to immediately register you as a player. Additionally, I’ll offer you a position in the headquarters.”
It was an exceptionally generous offer.
Not only would he receive one of the coveted player spots, of which only 50 were given out per month, but he’d also be entering the headquarters, which had a recruitment process even more rigorous than that of major corporations!
Of course, this was only Park Chang-seok’s perspective.
“And the second option?”
Baek Jin-woo replied with an indifferent expression.
‘They want to tie me to the headquarters?’
One Heaven JinuGod.
Baek Jin-woo knew his worth better than anyone.
When the Five Emperors beneath him were being recognized as national-level players, there was nothing more to say.
“…The second option is cash.”
“How much?”
“A reward of 5 million won. It’s a bit low, but that’s due to internal regulations…”
“Sounds good. I’ll take the money.”
With that money, he could buy quite a few summoning scrolls.
“What?”
Park Chang-seok looked at him in disbelief.
There were countless wealthy people willing to bribe their way into player registration, spending millions in the process…
And he was turning down the opportunity so easily? For just 5 million?
“I can register as a player on my own. I have no intention of joining the headquarters.”
“Please reconsider. Even with your gamer knowledge, registering as a player can take quite some time.”
“I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine.”
Baek Jin-woo was firm.
What he needed now was growth.
Especially given his three-year absence, he had to move quickly.
Wasting time by joining some organization was out of the question.
‘This isn’t going as expected.’
Park Chang-seok scratched his head, looking troubled.
But there wasn’t much he could do.
If Baek Jin-woo didn’t want it, that was that.
In truth, the first offer was something Park had decided on himself.
The second offer had been handed down by his superiors.
‘Fine.’
Might as well see for himself.
See how skilled this 1-year gamer really was.
“Alright. The deposit will be made by the end of the day.”
“Straightforward. I like it, thank you.”
* * *
The training progressed quickly.
There were lectures from university professors and professional players, and soon after, a written exam was administered.
While the exam drew from the lectures, it also presented quite challenging questions from the textbook.
It couldn’t be helped.
It was a competition based on relative evaluation.
“What do you think?”
Park Chang-seok asked the professors.
He was asking about Baek Jin-woo.
“…He’s incredible. I have no other words. I can’t believe there was a candidate like this!”
The professors, looking at Baek Jin-woo’s submitted answers, wore expressions of awe.
Park Chang-seok was puzzled.
Had he ever seen these proud and rigid professors make such expressions before?
“Ahem. After reviewing this answer sheet, I realized just how narrow my understanding of runes has been.”
“Hmph… I’ve always stuck to attack speed runes just because they offer good efficiency for summoned creatures. Now, I’m embarrassed by my narrow thinking. Who would’ve thought there was another way?”
“The concept that runes should be flexible, and that the strength of a summoned creature is directly tied to the strength of its runes…! This answer captures the essence of what Baekcheon, the hero of Taiwan, constantly emphasized!”
Wow.
Was Baek Jin-woo really that good?
“Of course, you can see the lack of practical experience in some parts of the answers, but theoretically, they’re flawless.”
“Lack of experience?”
“Yes. There are a few instances where he cited improbable cases and then described how to handle them… But those are purely hypothetical situations. This applicant was a gamer, right?”
“Yes, for about a year.”
“I’m looking forward to it. His understanding of summoned creatures and runes is completely different from the other candidates. If trained well, he could become a ranker.”
Compliments continued to flow from the professors’ mouths.
‘Hoo.’
The more they praised him, the more anxious Park Chang-seok became.
He remembered how firmly Baek Jin-woo had rejected the offer to join the headquarters.
‘Should I have offered better terms?’
***
After the written test came the practical exam in a dungeon.
The dungeon was located in the Player Zone and was a 「Day Dungeon」.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Each dungeon had its own theme, and the materials one could acquire varied depending on the day.
For this practical exam, they were in the Tuesday Dungeon, where you could find polishing agents for runes.
Polishing agents are materials used to enhance the options attached to runes.
“Applicant Baek Jin-woo?”
“Yes.”
Baek Jin-woo, who had completed his team setup, walked towards the dungeon.
A staff member from the headquarters, who had been waiting at the entrance, spoke up.
“The practical exam is a time attack.”
“You just want us to clear it as quickly as possible, right?”
“Yes. Since this is a low-level Tuesday dungeon, you’ll only encounter slimes. It won’t be too difficult, though the layout is a bit complicated.”
Of course, of course.
He had run through these day dungeons countless times over the past ten years.
Even the time attack records for day dungeons by difficulty were held by One Heaven (일천) JinuGod
.
Of course, he hadn’t bothered with low-level dungeons after the first few months.
But whether low-level or high-level, it didn’t matter.
The only difference was the strength of the monsters. The layout was always the same.
“You just need to clear the dungeon quickly, using whatever means necessary with your registered team!”
This part was a bit ambiguous.
There were applicants who had D-rank or even C-rank summoned creatures.
Competing against them, he would naturally be at a disadvantage.
The headquarters’ response to this?
– It’s a relative evaluation, so there’s no helping it!
Having strong summoned creatures is also considered a skill.
Even the wealth required to purchase those creatures is seen as a form of skill.
‘Well, that’s true.’
But honestly, it didn’t matter.
After all, this was just a low-level Tuesday dungeon.
Low-level dungeons were so easy that the performance of your summoned creatures hardly mattered.
All you needed was for the player to navigate the shortest route quickly, and it would be cleared in no time.
‘Shall we get started?’
Baek Jin-woo was excited.
The god of time attacks!
Now, he could show his movements to the world.
Nodding, he dove into the dungeon.
***
[Krreuk, Krreuk!]
[The room is filled with toxic slimes.]
[Eliminate the slimes and escape the dungeon.]
The Tuesday dungeon was a maze.
While clearing rooms one by one, defeating nearby slimes with his summoned creatures, the player would eventually reach the boss room.
“Lamba.”
– Yes! I’m already on the move!
Whoosh, whoosh!
Lamba swung her staff against the Furry Gorilla.
The Wind Fairy’s attack speed stack started accumulating the moment they entered the dungeon.
– Rooaaarrr!
The Furry Gorilla let out a satisfying roar as it felt its increasing speed.
“Forget the slimes. Everyone, follow me.”
As expected from a harsh game like 「Battle of Summoners」, the maze in the Tuesday dungeon was quite complex.
Some paths were deliberately twisted to frustrate the player, while others looped back to the starting point.
The maze was random.
But Baek Jin-woo, who had run through it countless times, knew better.
‘There are 21 different types of mazes.’
Just by looking at the initial entrance, he could determine which type it was.
He hadn’t deliberately memorized them.
But after striving to clear them quickly every day, his body had learned to remember.
– Let’s gooooo!
With Lamba’s shout, Baek Jin-woo sprinted forward.
Slimes lunged at them, but no problem.
Since it was a low-level dungeon, they weren’t a threat, and besides, they were slow.
He could just ignore them and pass by.
The only thing he needed to take down was the giant slime.
Of course, the giant slime had quite a bit of health, so he would need to build up some stacks to defeat it in one shot.
– Hiyap! Hiyap!
That’s why Lamba was diligently swinging her staff.
Tatadak!
Baek Jin-woo ran without hesitation.
He moved as if he had a map hack, navigating the maze with perfect precision, taking the shortest route at every turn.
About five minutes passed.
“There it is.”
Between rooms, a narrow passageway led to a large open area.
As he squeezed through that tight space, a massive arena came into view.
And in the center, something huge sat there.
That was the boss of the Tuesday dungeon.
The giant slime.