LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 60
Chapter 60: Player Difference
Late at night.
“Huff, huff!” baek
“Huuhh, huffff!”
The training ground was still filled with the sound of heavy breathing.
The determination of the four disciples was remarkable.
Because they hadn’t completed their stamina training yet, they came out even in the early hours to continue their training.
This was to meet the minimum standards Baek Jin-woo required.
“Seriously! Why does stamina have to be so important! Huff, huff!”
After running 30 laps around the training ground, Hong Ah-ri collapsed on the floor and grumbled.
Once the running was over, they could take a short break before starting strength training.
For real.
It felt like she was about to die.
“Still, doesn’t it feel like we’ve changed a bit?”
Gulp, gulp!
Oh Sun-young, sitting beside her, guzzled down the water bottle she had prepared.
She drank so urgently that half of it spilled down her neck.
What she said was true.
Hun-gyo’s training methods were surprisingly effective.
“It’s strange. Even with less sleep, my fatigue recovers quickly, and my focus feels sharper than before.”
The postures they used during strength training were entirely different from ordinary training methods.
It felt like they were channeling the energy of nature into their bodies through breathing.
That wasn’t all.
Their vision had improved.
They also felt an increase in recovery speed and immunity.
“That’s why we’re out here at this hour, sis.”
Ki Jae-hyuk grinned.
For the record, this was self-directed learning.
They weren’t training because someone forced them to.
Even Hong Ah-ri, who was grumbling earlier, knew this.
As grueling as stamina training was, it brought noticeable improvements to their bodies.
“Hyung-nim must have a reason for emphasizing stamina so much. Now, it’s time for strength training. Let’s get ready, ladies! Let’s go, let’s go!”
“Ugh, fine. I get it.”
Despite grumbling, Hong Ah-ri got up.
Two weeks later.
“Okay, you pass.”
Baek Jin-woo finally declared their success.
“You’re all quite something.”
Honestly, he was impressed.
Speed, endurance, agility, and even strength.
In no time, they had reached a level beyond ordinary people.
Though not as fast as Baek Jin-woo himself, the fact that his disciples trusted and followed his words to the end was proof enough.
“It’s about time we move on to the next phase.”
“Me!”
Hong Ah-ri raised her hand at that moment.
“I have a question!”
At some point, she had started speaking informally.
While one might question the audacity of a disciple speaking casually, Baek Jin-woo didn’t mind.
They were the same age, after all.
As long as they listened well, it didn’t matter.
“What is it?”
“Stamina training is great, and all the exercises are fine, but I’m curious—if we follow your training well, how far can we go in this year’s World League?”
The World League…
Baek Jin-woo shook his head.
To be honest, he didn’t know.
He had been too busy to check last year’s World League or anything like that.
So, he gave a straightforward answer.
“I don’t know. It’s simple—if you’re strong, you win, and if you’re weak, you lose.”
“…”
What was that?
Hong Ah-ri was dumbfounded.
That wasn’t the kind of answer she had been looking for.
“But one thing is certain: if you follow my training, you’ll become much stronger.”
“How much stronger?”
“Who knows.”
Claiming they could defeat “Five Emperors”-level veterans would be a lie.
But they might be able to hold their own against regular world-ranked players.
Of course, strength is relative, so it was impossible to say for sure.
“If you’re curious, why not find out for yourselves starting today? Let’s see… which of you is the weakest?”
Even during the National Team consulting sessions, the four disciples occasionally sparred at the Battle Hall to hone their skills.
As a result, they knew each other’s levels better than anyone else.
Swoosh.
Kang Ji-ho raised his hand.
“I’m the weakest, hyung-nim.”
It was amusing.
Oh Sun-young, who wasn’t even a national team member, was stronger than Kang Ji-ho.
It must have been frustrating for her.
If there was a sin, it was meeting Baek Jin-woo in a group battle.
“Really?”
Baek Jin-woo’s lips curved into a smirk.
“Then I’ll show you something. Ji-ho, hand over all your summoned creatures.”
…Hand over his summons?
All four disciples’ eyes widened in shock.
Kang Ji-ho complied without hesitation, giving up a team of his summons.
This was the main team he used in player battles.
It was an extraordinary act of trust.
After all, the levels they had raised, the runes they had equipped, and the skills they had learned—everything—would be transferred entirely to Baek Jin-woo.
Even though they had an agreement to not betray each other as part of their disciple contract, it still required significant courage to hand over ownership.
“How do the rest of you fare against Kang Ji-ho?”
“I’ve had 125 matches against him, winning 123 and losing 2.”
Ki Jae-hyuk answered first.
Perhaps because they were in the same guild, they had faced off often.
“I’m at 5 wins, 0 losses.”
Hong Ah-ri replied next.
“I have 7 wins and 1 loss.”
Oh Sun-young also responded.
‘As expected.’
Compared to the others, Kang Ji-ho’s pool of summons was relatively weak.
Their levels were lower, and their runes weren’t as good.
“Kang Ji-ho.”
“Yes, hyung-nim!”
“You think you lose because your summons are weak, don’t you?”
“Well, yes, I do.”
Even during the National Team consultation, Baek Jin-woo had gotten that impression.
Kang Ji-ho believed he lost because his summons were much weaker.
He was half right, half wrong.
A player’s role was far more critical than most people thought.
“If I take your team and beat all three of them, what do you think that means?”
“…That’s…”
Kang Ji-ho was at a loss for words.
It didn’t make sense.
No matter how skilled the player was, weak summons couldn’t beat strong ones.
“Starting now, I’ll show you how lacking you—not just you, but also domestic rankers—are in the basics.”
With a sly grin, Baek Jin-woo turned to Hong Ah-ri.
“Hong Ah-ri.”
“Yeah?”
“You first. Come at me.”
“…Huh? Not at the Battle Hall? Right here?”
“Yeah, let’s make it a real fight.”
As long as they didn’t reduce HP to zero, a healer could patch them up for continued practice.
“Are you okay with that?”
Hong Ah-ri had fought against that summon team five times.
She knew for sure.
There was no way she could lose.
“Fine, bring it on.”
Soon, ten summons were engaged in battle.
Player battles are,
Both remarkably simple and incredibly complex.
Strength and weakness vary depending on basic movements, skill timing, coordination between summoned creatures, and synergy.
To put it simply, it all depends on the player’s hands!
“Un… unbelievable.”
Hong Ah-ri couldn’t comprehend it.
The summoned creatures that had been laughable when controlled by Kang Ji-ho were now each solid and formidable.
Damage, tanking, healing, and buffs.
Even the timing was flawless!
Baek Jin-woo’s control, which seamlessly coordinated everything, was nothing short of divine.
“Why is their attack so strong? Are we even using the same runes?”
What would’ve been an easy attack to shrug off before now felt overwhelming.
Every time her HP was chipped away, her heart ached.
But the person most shocked was none other than Kang Ji-ho.
‘This makes no sense.’
Look at those summoned creatures’ expressions!
They seemed thrilled, as if they had finally found their rightful master.
In just five minutes.
In five minutes, Hong Ah-ri’s tanking balance was broken, and from that point onward, it was over.
Maintaining his own balance, Baek Jin-woo steadily whittled away at Hong Ah-ri’s HP.
And soon enough.
“…I lost.”
Hong Ah-ri raised the white flag.
“…!”
Ki Jae-hyuk, Kang Ji-ho, and Oh Sun-young all stood there, mouths agape.
Right.
This was a whole new world.
Just as the strength of a champion in an AOS-style game varies greatly depending on who plays them, 「Battle of Summoners」 was no different.
‘So the summons weren’t weak… I was weak?’
‘The reason I was told to train my stamina and sharpen my senses… was this?’
‘This is something we—no, the entire ranking community—have been overlooking!’
Honestly, they’d thought this at least once before.
That Baek Jin-woo was only strong because he had absurdly powerful summons.
It was hard not to think that way.
Hun-gyo, Lamba, Explosive Dragon.
Even the summons he had publicly revealed were all unique and displayed absurd levels of power.
But.
That was a misconception.
Baek Jin-woo.
No, JinuGod was an “old timer” among old timers—a seasoned pro through and through.
No matter what summons a newbie brought, they couldn’t possibly match up to an experienced veteran.
This was the difference in fundamental skill.
The lack of basics.
“Next is Oh Sun-young.”
“Yes!”
“Bring it on.”
The result was the same.
Both Ki Jae-hyuk and Oh Sun-young.
Everyone had to taste the bitterness of defeat.
“Do you understand now?”
Baek Jin-woo murmured quietly.
“You’re nothing more than chicks. Just because others hype you up as rankers doesn’t mean you should get carried away.
In my eyes, not just you but all the world’s rankers are at the level of chicks.”
If there were exceptions, it would be the Five Emperors.
And the old-timers with over seven years of experience.
They are the ones who have mastered the basic combat mechanics with their bodies.
“It’s not about your summoned creatures.
First, you need to become a chicken.”
The four disciples learned a lot from this sparring session.
It was as if something had clicked in their minds.
‘I’ll follow him unconditionally.’
‘I’ll stick with him no matter what and improve.’
‘…This is incredible.’
All the doubts piled up in their minds vanished completely.
Baek Jin-woo was the best.
Not just the best—he was world-class.
One sky!
One Heaven!
The four disciples’ eyes were full of trust in him.
* * *
Hwang Myeong-hee’s old classmate, Jung-hye, was curious.
She was so curious she could hardly stand it.
‘How did poor Myeong-hee get a Rainbow Snail?’
She said her son gave it to her?
What kind of son does she have?!
Or did some clueless kid who didn’t understand its value just give it to her as a gift?
That was possible.
Back then, Myeong-hee had said:
– Oh, it’s just something I got as a gift. I don’t really know the price. It’s probably not that expensive.
She said she didn’t know how much it was.
She definitely said that.
‘Hmm.’
Even after the reunion, the Rainbow Snail lingered in her mind.
Then a thought struck her.
‘If she really doesn’t know its value, maybe I can snag it for cheap?’
In high society, the Rainbow Snail is a top-tier item.
Having just one would instantly make her the envy of all the Gangnam moms.
Jung-hye deliberated.
After much thought, she called her son.
“My proud son~ Are you busy?”
– Uh, yeah, Mom. Why? I can take a quick call.
Her son’s indifferent response came through.
His voice sounded very busy.
‘Of course.’
That made sense.
After all, White Tiger Guild was no ordinary guild.
The fact that he had just joined South Korea’s number one large guild and still answered her call was remarkable in itself.
“You know that mom’s friend group, right? One of the moms there seems to have a pretty successful son.”
– Uh-huh, so?
“She’s called Hwang Myeong-hee, and apparently, she received a Rainbow Snail as a gift.”
– …What’s that? Just get to the point, Mom.
This kid, really?
A vein throbbed on Jung-hye’s forehead, but her tone remained gentle.
“Yeah, yeah. It’s nothing major. Could you join me sometime when I meet that friend? Just show up for a bit.”
– Mom, I’m busy.
“You brat! Do you know how much I’ve done for you to keep my dignity…!”
– Okay! Okay!
Her son interrupted.
– But only for an hour. Let me know when, and I’ll take a half-day off.
“As expected~ My amazing son!”
Click!
Beep, beep!
“That little punk.”
Grit.
Jung-hye ground her teeth.
If it weren’t for White Tiger Guild, she’d have given him a proper scolding.
Still, it was fortunate.
At least he agreed to make time.
Jung-hye picked up her phone.
“Whew.”
After taking a deep breath, she sent a text.
[Park Jung-hye: Myeong-hee, how have you been?]
[Park Jung-hye: You looked like you were doing well last time. It was nice to see.]
[Park Jung-hye: Let’s meet up sometime. I heard your son is a player? My son might be able to help, and we moms of players might have some things in common to talk about. Let me know~]