One Final Favor
The moment Ellen extended her index finger, she declared,
"What exactly is the scope of this favor?" I asked.
"Within the range that both you, Mister Yu, and I can handle."
Interesting.
The fact that Ellen would say something like that meant she genuinely liked the other party. I'd heard about this even before the regression. Later on, I learned that the number of people she'd ever offered to do anything for—including me—was exactly three.
Of course, if I made some weird suggestion here, the goodwill I'd built up would probably vanish in an instant.
"If I asked you to join Yeokcheon instead of Gold Moon, would you demand compensation for your market value?"
"Oh. It seems you've read my mind, Mister Yu."
Ellen covered her mouth and laughed. So that's how it worked. She could grant the 'request,' but if the proposal was outrageous, I'd have to pay an appropriate price in return.
"Just so you know, my market value is quite expensive."
America's number one ranked player. Even on a global scale, she was among the very few at the absolute top. In a society where players had become indispensable for maintaining public order, putting a price on Ellen's worth was practically impossible.
Well, I hadn't been planning to recruit her into our guild anyway. She was someone destined to become a Monarch. She was an important ally who would lead numerous players in North America and hold the front lines during the era of destruction. It would be far more advantageous for her to establish her position on the North American continent rather than in Korea, just like in the original timeline.
In that case...
How should I use this 'favor'?
"Actually, there was one thing I wanted to ask of you, Executive Director Ellen."
"Perfect. What is it?"
"A spar."
"Hoho, that's something I could do for you even without it being a favor."
"If it were an ordinary spar, I wouldn't have brought it up like this."
My meaningful words made the corners of Ellen's eyes curve slightly.
"I want to see your true strength, Executive Director Ellen."
"True strength, you say."
"A fight where we both go all out. If I win, you'll turn a blind eye to Carla joining our guild. Those are my conditions."
Ellen widened her eyes in surprise, then nodded.
"How interesting. I never expected a request like this."
"Will you accept this favor?"
"Of course."
A player counted among the best in the world. A duel with Ellen had been established.
"Gold Moon has called in all their barrier specialists."
Ellen was a top-ranked player even by global standards. If she went all out, the training center's defensive magic wouldn't be able to withstand it. The rank difference between us was so vast that there wasn't even a suitable gate we could enter together.
"Thank you."
"It's nothing. If I'm going to use my full power, this much preparation is necessary."
While Ellen prepared for the duel, I shared the situation with all the guild members.
"Hahaha! Junior, I've felt this before, but you're truly bold."
Shin Junseok burst into hearty laughter.
Hong Yunsu, on the other hand, wore a deeply worried expression.
"Guild Master Jinho. Are you sure you'll be alright?"
"It's not like we're fighting to the death. I'll be fine."
"You really are reckless, Guild Master."
Hong Yunsu gave a bitter smile. His opponent was a player who had stood at the pinnacle ever since the Tower of Babel appeared. He probably thought she was far too much for me to handle.
"There's something I'd like to ask of both of you."
"Speak freely, Junior."
"Please watch my duel with Executive Director Ellen."
"That's only natural, isn't it? There's no way I'd miss something this entertaining."
Shin Junseok answered cheerfully. In contrast, Hong Yunsu's face clearly showed his complicated feelings.
"If it seems dangerous, may I intervene?"
"That won't be necessary."
"Just in case."
"Ah, and this match is strictly confidential."
A Diamond-rank Ranker engaging in a life-or-death duel with someone who'd only just reached Silver? Regardless of the outcome, it wouldn't reflect well on Ellen.
"Understood, Guild Master."
The guild members answered in unison.
The location for the duel was set on an uninhabited island a short distance from Seosan in South Chungcheong Province. It was chosen to avoid drawing public attention.
—The Association has already told the government that this is training, so please refrain from destroying the island entirely.
Team Leader Han Suchang had practically begged.
As expected, leaving administrative matters to the Association really was the best choice.
"Gold Moon's barrier specialists will also be coming, so you don't need to worry."
—Sigh... I'll trust only in you, Mister Jinho.
A few days later, we headed to the uninhabited island accompanied by the barrier experts from America and the guild members.
"Executive Director, we will deploy the barrier now."
"Yes. The impacts will be quite strong, so please make it airtight."
"Understood."
American guilds frequently conducted mock training that closely resembled real combat outside the Tower. Since they couldn't destroy the terrain every time, they maintained a dedicated barrier unit to prevent destruction.
"Whoa. Master, the barrier structure is fascinating."
Lee Jiyoung, who possessed a unique barrier ability, watched with sparkling eyes.
Although the construction methods were different, studying the process of layering multiple barriers would surely raise her level by another stage.
"Observe carefully."
"Yes!"
The arrangement of magic used by the barrier specialists was practically a trade secret. Even if I asked them to explain it, I'd probably just get cursed out, so observing with my eyes was the best option. With Lee Jiyoung's keen eye, talent, and mana manipulation sense, simply watching would be enough.
Soon after...
A blue membrane enveloped the entire island. With restoration and shock absorption in place, even if some power leaked during the duel, the barrier would contain it. There was no longer any need to worry about the surroundings.
"Preparations are complete, Mister Yu."
"I see."
Ellen appeared fully armed.
Her armor looked somewhat loose, with gaps in several places. It was woven from a highly elastic material resembling ogre tendons.
Ping Lei waved his hand.
"Guild Master. Please don't lose too pathetically."
"Yeah. I'll deal with you later."
Shin Junseok and Hong Yunsu sharpened their auras, ready to step in at any moment. Even though I'd told them they wouldn't need to intervene, they were still on edge.
"Shall we begin, Executive Director Ellen?"
"Yes. I wish you good fortune."
"Senior, please give the signal to start."
Shin Junseok stepped forward at my words.
"Three."
I took a deep breath and relaxed my body.
"Two."
I circulated the Asura Demon Spirit Heart Method, sending internal energy throughout my body.
"One."
I stared at my opponent—Ellen—and visualized victory once more in my mind.
"Begin."
The moment the long-awaited word left Shin Junseok's mouth...
Incredible
Ellen's arms, legs, and chest swelled dramatically.
Thick veins bulged prominently across her white skin. Her muscles expanded like a bodybuilder on steroids—no, far beyond that—twitching violently. Her height grew to four meters, and her body was packed with muscles as hard as boulders.
This was Ellen's unique ability, Incredible. It was a powerful talent evaluated as top-tier even worldwide.
The time it took for her transformation was about 0.5 seconds.
I hadn't been standing still either. The moment the fight began, I pulled a book from the Pocket of Desire, opened the page imbued with Dantalion's power, and infused it with mana.
Boom!
Ellen kicked off the ground just before the curse was completed. The distance between us closed in 0.1 seconds.
Ars Goetia - Internal Skill: Dantalion's Phantom
The spell completed just before her rock-hard muscles could crush my body. Dark mana embodying the power of one of the Seventy-Two Demons—Dantalion—wrapped around Ellen.
At the same time, I used a back step to create distance. Ellen's charging body staggered for a moment.
Whew. I thought I was going to die.
Even landing a single curse required risking my life. It hadn't been this bad when I sparred with Shin Junseok.
Without even a moment to catch my breath, I unleashed a series of debuff skills in succession. I activated Black Gaze and Mark of Weakness—both of which triggered simply by looking at the target. Shackles of Rage bound Ellen's feet, and the brand of the Flame Soul slowed her movements.
Mud Trap
Skull Hand
Area-of-effect debuff skills, amplified by the Blessing of Greed, covered a ten-meter radius. It took one second to deploy all the debuffs.
At that moment...
"This is the first time I've encountered such powerful curses."
Ellen's eyes locked directly onto me. Her pupils trembled intermittently. She hadn't completely shaken off Dantalion's Phantom, but she could at least distinguish my location.
Her debuff resistance was ridiculously high, as expected.
She slightly lifted one of her log-thick legs and stomped down on the ground that had turned into a swamp. Even the Blessing of Greed and my rearranged mana were crushed by a single stomp.
She breaks through them so easily.
Maybe I should have given her a three-move head start like I did with Shin Junseok?
After shattering all the magic that had bound her feet, Ellen charged forward again. The pressure was like a tank rushing straight at me. The overwhelming weight crushed my soul, making it hard to even breathe.
Don't worry.
I'd experienced plenty of unfavorable fights before the regression. This kind of pressure was familiar to me.
Ellen's charge had slowed noticeably. The various debuff skills, including Dantalion's Phantom, were working properly.
Still, barely reacting to that speed was all I could manage.
Swish!
The power of Polar Night surged from the ground.
"Tricks won't work on me."
"We'll see about that."
Ellen's eyes shook like leaves in the wind. What I'd created with Polar Night wasn't a weapon—it was my own image. A perfect replica. The only difference was that the versions made of Polar Night were completely black.
Anyone could tell the real from the fake, but...
"Do you think you can right now?"
Boom! Boom!
Ellen's charging trajectory began zigzagging. Dantalion's Phantom was a powerful curse that manifested the target's greatest fears. Even Shin Junseok hadn't been able to completely shake it off during our spar. Although Ellen's level was slightly higher, there was no way she could have completely nullified it in such a short time.
Therefore, as long as the shape was similar, even a crudely made image of me could become the target of the illusion.
While buying time with Polar Night, I activated my buff skills.
Blessing of Fjor
Thunder God
Boiling power. The lightning force manifested through Seon Magic increased my reaction speed. This much was necessary if I wanted to fight her head-on.
I activated Cloud Flow Steps and closed in on Ellen, who was still shaken by Dantalion's Phantom.
Dark Dominion
My silhouettes rose from the ground.
"Your bag of tricks is truly impressive."
With a voice mixed with irritation, Ellen swung her right arm. The Polar Night shattered with a bang, losing its form. The moment her gaze turned toward the illusions created by Polar Night...
I used Cloud Flow Steps to sharply change direction and took her back.
The internal energy accumulated through the Asura Demon Spirit Heart Method covered my forearm. With Dragon's Fury added on top, it materialized like scales.
Hundred Beasts Emperor Martial Arts First Form.
The instant I unleashed the Dragon King's Fist...
"Found you."
Ellen spun around instantly.