A Bold Challenge
“The top of the world?”
“That’s right. Take my hand, and I’ll lift you to that position.”
“I must decline.”
William Rockefeller’s lips twitched.
“Why?”
“Climbing up by holding someone else’s hand has no meaning.”
“You’re brimming with confidence. It reminds me of myself in my youth.”
This guy had plenty of that old-man lecturing vibe even in the 2020s.
“Guild Master, you’re not that much older than Mr. Yu.”
Ellen muttered with a sulky expression.
“I’ll ask again. Are you truly rejecting my offer for that reason alone?”
“I simply dislike being tied down to anyone.”
“I’m merely saying I wish to invest in you.”
“A reasonable investment is one thing, but I doubt the Rockefeller Guild Master would make clumsy moves while promising the top spot in the world.”
William Rockefeller had ambition. To make Gold Moon the undisputed number one guild in the world. Offering me the top spot while proposing a deal? It was an indirect way of saying he intended to bring Yeokcheon under Gold Moon’s umbrella, one way or another.
—If you can predict his true intentions, wouldn’t simple caution be enough?
—It’s not as easy as it sounds.
William Rockefeller’s investment sense and management skills were among the best in the world. Even as a regressor who had experienced every kind of hardship imaginable, investment and management were entirely different domains. Being a regressor didn’t mean I was good at everything.
One way or another, once I sat at the table William Rockefeller had prepared, I wouldn’t be able to escape.
“Is your ambition small?”
“Let’s call it caution.”
“Hah. Either way, you’re wise.”
The doubt in William Rockefeller’s expression vanished. It seemed he had read every meaning behind my words. This was why talking to intelligent people was both convenient and inconvenient.
Instead, a burning flame flickered in William’s eyes.
“You understand that if you walk out of this room, Gold Moon and Yeokcheon will become rivals, correct?”
William Rockefeller placed considerable value on me. That was why he was threatening to thoroughly crush me if I didn’t join his side. Even before my regression, I had clashed with Gold Moon frequently—only the timing had been delayed. That would be troublesome. William Rockefeller was a difficult opponent. If he interfered with Yeokcheon Guild and my every move, it would become a nuisance. For the future that was coming—that is, preparing for the age of destruction—this was not a desirable outcome.
Before meeting William Rockefeller, I had prepared a negotiation card that could satisfy both sides.
“If it’s not too rude, may I ask what your goal is, Guild Master?”
“To place the name of Gold Moon at the highest position in the world.”
“Then we are not competitors.”
William Rockefeller leaned back in his chair with a subtle smile, a quiet gesture demanding my answer.
“I will become the world’s greatest player, and Gold Moon will become the greatest guild. We can simply divide those two titles between us, can’t we?”
This was the method I had devised after my regression—the answer I had occasionally pondered—to bring William Rockefeller to my side.
* * *
William Rockefeller was a man with an extraordinary investment sense.
‘The power of players will soon dictate the flow of the world.’
Right after the appearance of the Tower of Babel and the players, he had pulled forward his inheritance to invest, established Gold Moon, and recruited guild members. Even Ellen Taylor, America’s number one player, had grown rapidly thanks to William Rockefeller’s bold investments. His business acumen and investment sense shone brightly in the rapidly changing global landscape. Gold Moon had grown to be mentioned among the top guilds not just in America but across the entire world. Yet William was not satisfied. His only standard was being the best.
‘I cannot become the best myself. However, I can raise the guild I lead to the highest position in the world.’
William’s unique ability was Gold Rush. A rare skill that consumed money to enhance items and skills. Thanks to the Rockefeller family’s overflowing capital, he had quickly reached Platinum rank, but the limits of his talent were clear. William Rockefeller quickly realized this and invested heavily in nurturing promising talents. That was also why he spared no expense on Ellen. It was the same reason he had been willing to offer a hundred million dollars as Jinho’s buyout price after he cleared the tutorial.
However—
‘Just because it’s the top guild doesn’t mean it necessarily needs to possess the number one ranked player.’
Jinho’s answer had shaken William Rockefeller’s thoughts. William took a sip of the tea he had prepared in advance. As the bitter aroma wrapped around his tongue, his complicated thoughts began to organize themselves one by one.
“I feel as though my eyes have been opened today. Thank you.”
“You flatter me.”
“There is merit in what you say, but you’ve overlooked one thing.”
“You mean it would be meaningless if I fail to become the greatest player as promised?”
“Correct. If I take you in, I have the confidence to raise Gold Moon to the top.”
William Rockefeller once again looked at Jinho with cold eyes. A large loach that was stirring up the existing ranking system with overwhelming growth. But he couldn’t guarantee that Jinho’s growth rate would remain this steep forever.
“Wouldn’t it be safer to take my hand?”
The most rational option. William Rockefeller disliked variables. The most dangerous thing in investment was unpredictable situations. Jinho’s proposal was incredibly bold, but it was also filled with uncertainties.
‘Mr. Yu, what answer have you prepared?’
William felt his heart racing for the first time in a long while. A new possibility that even he, a master of investment, had not considered. At first glance it seemed like a delusion, but coming from Jinho, it didn’t sound entirely absurd.
Jinho smiled faintly.
“Please allow me to compete against Director Ellen’s team.”
He looked at Ellen sitting across from him. America’s number one ranker. Ellen Taylor’s team was considered the best in the entire world. Although they had lost in the Diamond promotion match, their performance had been greater than that of the top players from various countries, solidifying their reputation as top-tier. It was a proposal surprising enough to shock even William Rockefeller, who rarely showed emotion.
“Hoho, this should be interesting. You’ve had quite the adorable idea.”
Ellen’s lips trembled slightly.
* * *
On the way back to the lodging, I gazed out the window of the limousine Gold Moon had provided. Times Square. As one of New York’s most bustling districts, countless people walked along the streets.
“Will this be all right?”
“Yeah. It’s doable.”
“Did you not say that the one called Ellen was a precious connection to you?”
“Anyone hearing that would misunderstand.”
Ellen and I were comrades. Before my regression, she had been one of the few allies I could trust to watch my back. She was someone who possessed both skill and reliability. However—
“To shake William Rockefeller, this much was necessary.”
A match against Ellen’s team, the Golden Circle. It wasn’t the kind of thing a first-year player should be saying. It was a tremendous proposal that had even cracked the expression of William Rockefeller, famous for his poker face!
“If you lose to her, you will face considerable trouble.”
“Can’t be helped. Still, Ellen will understand.”
Ellen was a pure soul. Like Shin Junseok, she was the martial artist type who pursued strength and held reverence for the strong. She had been the one to request a spar last time as well. Still, I felt sorry that her pride seemed hurt by the request to come at me as a team.
The next day, William Rockefeller invited me to the Gold Moon training center. A massive domed stadium reminiscent of a soccer field. The interior maintained a multi-layered barrier made of mana stones at all times.
“This is incredible. How much does it cost just to maintain the barrier?”
“Hah, thank you for noticing. We spend a million dollars a day.”
Over a billion won a day just for building maintenance. That was money-spending on another level.
“That just shows how serious Master is about guild operations.”
“Director Ellen.”
“Hohoho, say hello. These are the team members I’ve been working with.”
The Golden Circle. A team that had played a major role even during the age of destruction. The members standing behind Ellen glared at me with intense eyes.
“Their gazes are quite heated.”
“They’re cursing you.”
“Huhu, do you think I cannot read such emotions?”
Nyx covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
“Mr. Yu, your momentum is impressive.”
Ellen’s eyes trembled just like yesterday.
She’s angry, isn’t she?
The Golden Circle members also couldn’t hide their anger. Even though they had been informed in advance, their pride was hurt. Sorry, but I wasn’t in a situation where I could afford to consider your feelings.
William Rockefeller. Making this guy an ally would be a great help in steering the future in a positive direction. To change someone’s way of thinking, you had to give them that much of a shock.
“Hah, the atmosphere has heated up quite a bit even though we haven’t started yet.”
William Rockefeller moved away from the training ground. The only ones standing on the soccer-field-sized training area were the Golden Circle members and me.
“Shall we begin?”
“We’ll give Mr. Yu the first move.”
Crack—!
Ellen’s body swelled up. Her unique ability that I had seen to the point of boredom before my regression—Incredible. The armor she wore stretched elastically. The other team members also finished their combat preparations.
“Goddess.”
“You intend to go all out.”
Nyx, who had returned to her spiritual form, placed her hand on my head. The blessing of the Goddess of Night. On top of that, she used all sorts of buffs. With combat preparations complete—
“Then, without holding back……”
I slightly lowered my lower body before immediately kicking off the ground. My thigh muscles contracted and then relaxed, releasing mountain-like power. Pouring that power straight into the floor, I advanced with large strides. Instead of using the Cloud Flow Steps, I deployed a full-power sprint. Charging straight at Ellen, who was leading her team, a strange light flowed across her green eyes.
“A frontal assault. How arrogant.”
Ellen’s now-husky voice rang out loudly. A fist the size of a house came rushing in. Instead of releasing aura, she was using a mana operation method that permeated her body to enhance muscle strength and durability. That fist carried power comparable to an aura blade or energy reinforcement.
Incredible. What a violent ability.
“Whether it’s arrogance or not, we’ll see.”
But you know—
Violence was the same on this side too. Stats increased through Devour. And the essences I had enhanced after taking a step into the realm of transcendence.
[Using Superhuman Strength.]
The moment I countered Ellen’s fist with 600% enhanced power—
BOOM!
Ellen’s massively swollen body was sent flying to the opposite side.