The Golden Circle's Final Formation
My right arm, empowered by Incredible Strength, trembled violently.
“Not so easy, is it?”
The overwhelming gap in raw power.
Even though Ellen had enhanced her physical abilities with mana, she couldn’t stand against me head-on.
The moment our fists collided.
Realizing she was losing in strength, Ellen detonated a portion of the mana that had seeped into her body and pushed back.
As a result, some of the force I’d amplified with Incredible Strength rebounded straight into me.
To think she could not only come up with the idea of countering in that split second but actually execute it.
As expected of Ellen.
“Isn’t that what I should be saying?”
Her voice drifted over from a distance.
Ellen casually reset her dislocated shoulder as she replied.
Her right arm was in tatters.
Bones that had taken more impact than they could handle had pierced through the flesh and jutted out, while bright red blood dyed the ground.
Ultra Regeneration
Crack. Crunch.
Like time itself was rewinding, the bones that had protruded outward slid back into place, and the torn muscles and flesh knit together.
The wound recovered in an instant.
That monstrous regenerative power was still as ridiculous as ever.
“See? Mr. Yu is an incredible person, so don’t let your guard down.”
Ellen glanced over her teammates with a perfectly innocent expression.
-Her regeneration ability really is something.
“Yeah. And her mental strength too.”
Ultra Regeneration, the additional ability of Incredible.
It was a powerful trait that could quickly restore even severed limbs, but it didn’t reduce the pain at all.
For an ordinary person, suffering such a severe injury—one that could easily result in losing an arm—without showing even a hint of agony was no small feat.
It was a glimpse into Ellen’s superhuman mental fortitude.
-Everyone’s eyes have changed for the better.
The Golden Circle team members were now fully in combat stance.
Good.
Now this fight was finally getting fun.
Hold Person
Ropes twisted from mana bound both of my legs.
It was at a level that could be dispelled with White Tiger’s Dominating Steps.
At the same time, killing-intent-laden attacks poured in from three directions.
A spear with long reach.
A sword known as the King of Ten Thousand Soldiers.
And Ellen’s fist.
It was a strange linked assault where none of their movements overlapped.
They weren’t giving me any time to counter or launch my own offensive.
I poured mana into my forearm.
After wrapping it in thorns crafted from the essence of the Night Knight, I bestowed Blessing of Gluttony upon them, amplifying their power.
When I infused them with my will, the thorns shot out from beyond my forearm.
Thorns Missile
Hundreds of thorn missiles blackened the space ahead.
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
The aura-clad spear and sword moved, striking down the thorns.
The momentary tremor at the tip of their blades lasted only an instant.
Just 0.1 seconds was more than enough to create an opening in their three-person coordination.
Wait, stopping here would be a little disappointing.
They were one of the top teams in the world, after all.
Should I test them a bit more?
Black energy surged from beneath my feet.
The power of Polar Night coiled around the Golden Circle team’s weapons.
From the front came attacks too powerful for Polar Night to restrain outright.
But I used the gap created by firing Thorns Missile to seize the two players’ weapons.
“What is this power?!”
“The spear won’t budge at all.”
Like how flowing water overcomes brute force.
Polar Night slipped in from the side and wrapped around them, robbing the two players’ weapons of any room to maneuver.
-Oh? A new application method unique to you.
Indeed. It actually worked.
Fighting against experts really was the best way to gain enlightenment.
Every time I realized there was still room to grow even after my regression, I couldn’t help but feel overjoyed.
The broken coordination.
Ellen, the only one among the team whose weapon hadn’t been seized, quickly withdrew her fist.
White Tiger’s Dominating Steps
The inner energy of the Asura Demon Spirit Heart Method seeped into the ground below.
Rumble—!
An unprecedented power shook the earth.
The mana that had bound my feet was torn apart by an overwhelming force that could not be resisted and vanished without a trace.
The debuff skill interfering with my movement had been dispelled.
I kicked off the ground and stepped into the gap between the three whose coordination had been thrown into disarray.
Lock On
Property Grant - Stun
Property Conversion - Multi-Launch Magic Missile
A downpour of white magic bullets.
The instant they dug into the gaps in Ellen’s party, countless orbs slammed into my body.
The power wasn’t enough to pierce my Metal Reflection Gloves.
Stiffness will be maintained on the struck area for 0.02 seconds.
Stiffness will be maintained on the struck area for 0.03 seconds.
…….
The properties granted to the magic arrows slowed my movements.
I had poured every ounce of Polar Night into restraining the two players’ weapons.
There was no actual damage to my body, but I had to completely surrender the initiative I had just seized.
Tank and Dealer 1.
Close-range Dealer 2.
Long-range Dealer 1.
And Supporter 1.
Their member composition really hadn’t changed at all.
Only a few seconds had passed since the spar began.
Yet I had already exchanged countless moves with the Golden Circle team.
So far, it was a perfect stalemate.
-Aren’t you enjoying this a bit too much?
“No, I’m not.”
-Then wipe that smile off your face. That expression isn’t very convincing.
Was it that obvious?
I swept my hair back and calmed my excitement.
This was a different situation from when I faced Zhang Wufei. This was a spar where we read each other’s moves and drew out every last bit of our skill.
And it was against Ellen’s team, no less.
We had clashed quite a bit before my regression too, but meeting them again like this made my blood boil with excitement without me even realizing it.
“I’d appreciate it if you could last a while.”
I muttered softly enough that only Nyx could hear.
* * *
Ellen let out a short huff of admiration.
‘He’s grown even more since our last spar.’
Two months ago.
When they had fought on the uninhabited island, it had been an even match.
In terms of pure specs, Ellen had the upper hand.
But when it came to utilizing his unique ability and various skills, Jinho’s senses were superior.
What had decided the match was that decisive trump card called Void Mirror.
Still, since Ellen hadn’t used her own hidden skill back then either, there was room for argument.
‘I have to admit it. Could I even last five minutes against him alone?’
Zhang Wufei.
China’s number one ranker, a being considered one of the strongest players alongside Ellen.
When she first heard he had died in the Dunhuang Desert, she had been half in doubt.
But after crossing fists with Jinho once more, she understood.
‘He’s stronger than the Orc Warrior from the Crok dimension.’
The player from another dimension she had faced during the Diamond promotion test.
Jinho was an opponent who surpassed even that Orc Warrior.
“This is completely different from what the team leader said.”
“You’re telling me he fought on equal footing with that monster?”
“Is it true he’s only been invited to the Tower of Babel for less than a year?”
A faint fear began to spread through the voices of the usually cheerful Golden Circle team members.
It wasn’t a matter of specs.
In those few seconds when their hands had tangled together,
They had been shocked by Jinho’s ability to see through every move the Golden Circle team made and even launch a counteroffensive.
“You idiots, that’s exactly what I told you.”
Her clear voice rang out.
Ellen Taylor spoke with her usual cheerfulness.
“I said we might actually lose if we’re not careful.”
The Golden Circle team members’ expressions grew serious.
The situation was on a knife’s edge.
They no longer saw Jinho as a player, but as a boss monster that appeared during floor missions.
A powerful enemy possessing overwhelming might!
“Switch to the final formation.”
A total war where they would pour out everything.
At Ellen’s command, Kate—the supporter—raised her staff high.
Absolute Power Frame
Woooong!
The crystal at the tip of the staff emitted a brilliant light.
A powerful debuff skill that consumed all of the user’s mana in exchange for creating a miracle.
The dazzling light enveloped Jinho.
You have become the target of Absolute Power Frame.
All stats have been reduced by 40%.
Movement range has been restricted to 50 meters.
Duration is 600 seconds.
If an amount of mana equal to what the user poured in is consumed, the duration will be halved.
Impossible to evade or resist.
Since supporters usually had high mana, there was no way for close-range types like Jinho to reduce the penalty.
…Or so Ellen had optimistically thought. The light clinging to Jinho’s body began to fade.
“Looks like we’ll have to settle this within five minutes.”
With no support to be expected from the supporter,
Ellen twisted the mana within her body into a spiral shape.
Her muscles swelled even further.
This was her hidden card that she hadn’t used during their spar on the uninhabited island.
Ellen’s body flushed crimson.
Her frame, now larger than a troll’s, moved with startling agility.
As Ellen charged straight forward, the two people holding spear and sword split off to her left and right.
Jessi and John, fraternal twins.
Their coordination was so perfect they could read each other’s thoughts without exchanging a single word.
Jade, the long-range dealer, prepared spell after spell using her Property Grant talent.
‘Even Mr. Yu won’t be able to endure this.’
She hadn’t expected to seize victory in a single blow from the start.
If they could just take the initiative, they would eventually be able to bring Jinho to his knees.
Ellen concentrated the boiling mana in her right arm.
Giant's Fist
Her forearm swelled to twice its size.
A fist comparable to a giant’s arm, just as the skill name suggested, came crashing down.
A tremendous force that could split the sea and shatter mountains.
If he dodged, the twins would exploit the opening.
At that moment.
Jinho grinned.
“So you’re finally pulling out what you didn’t show me last time.”
A dull sensation shook his chest.
‘He read my move?’
Jinho moved as if he had been waiting for it. His straightened palm gently deflected the massively enlarged fist to the side.
The soft technique that Polar Night had only barely managed to restrain.
The form derived from the Great Peng’s wingbeat—Wings of the Great Peng—brushed aside even Ellen’s full-powered punch like an untouchable breeze.
The unstoppable wave of power.
Ellen planted her feet firmly and swung her right arm sideways.
“All I have to do is correct a twisted trajectory!”
Blood vessels bulged on her forearm.
The direction twisted by Wings of the Great Peng was forced back to its original path.
Pop-pop-pop! Some muscles and blood vessels burst, but Ellen showed no sign of pain.
Her forearm slammed into Jinho’s side.
Although his Dark Fighting Spirit and Metal Reflection Gloves softened the impact, they couldn’t fully withstand the enhanced power of Ellen’s strike.
Jinho’s body was sent flying to the left.
“This is my escape route.”
Even with blood at the corner of his mouth, Jinho was smiling brightly.
The clear sensation of impact transmitted through her hand.
Because his stats had been halved by Absolute Power Frame, the damage was even greater.
Even in that moment, Ellen racked her brain to figure out what Jinho was thinking as he continued to smile.
‘Ah…!’
The moment her eyes widened.
Jinho’s body, which had been sent flying by the force of her right arm, was closing in on the spear-wielding player—John.