The Monarch's Promotion Match
The promotion match? How did it go?
The moment Jiyoung disconnected from the Babel Tower, she flashed a V-sign with her fingers.
“Was your opponent that weak?”
“Hmph. Do you even know who I faced, Master?”
Ping Lei didn’t wait for my answer before launching into his story.
“It was a Crocoron!”
“A cork what now?”
“An elite orc warrior from the Croc dimension!”
I already knew, of course.
The Croc dimension was the one Ellen had encountered during her own promotion match. Crocorons were considered the cream of the crop, on par with elven royal guards.
“Lucky. They were weaker than the orcs the Director faced.”
“It would be nice if everyone could be as humble as Karla.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing. Never mind if you didn’t hear it.”
“Hahaha! This Ping Lei has finally reached Diamond rank!”
Ping Lei puffed out his chest and laughed heartily.
When I first met this guy, I seriously considered whether I should just kill him.
China’s High Ranker and a heavyweight of the underworld. Also known as Death’s Hand.
I’d contemplated eliminating him several times if he showed no signs of reform while keeping him close.
Seeing him grow properly now without veering off the crooked path like in my previous life felt strangely refreshing.
“If Uncle hadn’t lost his arm, we could’ve caught one more.”
Enrique, the Machine Monarch who had been infamous as humanity’s betrayer before my regression. I’d managed to snatch him up before he could go astray, and he was growing steadily now too.
Is “steadily” really the right word?
I couldn’t exactly do anything about him hitting puberty.
“Dinner is ready.”
“Whoa! Uncle Thomas! You’re the best!”
Jiyoung let out a cheer.
“We’ve been having a lot of parties lately.”
“It’s good to have plenty of things worth celebrating, Master.”
“It’s all thanks to Master’s excellent teaching, so just accept the joy graciously.”
It was twisted logic, but I decided not to argue any further.
A day or two like this was fine.
Any more than that would be problematic.
The next day.
Connected to the Babel Tower application.
I resumed climbing the tower, which I had put off for five days.
You held out quite a while for a contractor.
“You’re acting like I’m some kind of tower addict.”
Hehehe. It was a compliment.
I don’t see how that could possibly be taken as a compliment.
***
While I had the tower matching queued and was chatting idly—
Bzzzzzzt—
My phone began vibrating with unprecedented intensity.
The One Seated on the Throne wishes to make you an offer.
The phone shook so violently it looked like it might explode at any moment. It was as hot as a freshly activated hand warmer.
This was due to the overwhelming presence of a constellation that no mere device could contain.
It has a similar ring to that Baal fellow.
“He’d probably throw a fit if he heard that.”
The celestial society that stood in opposition to Pandemonium. The ruler who governed the angelic empire of Angelus—Metatron.
The One Seated on the Throne wishes to conduct a trial with a specific player.
If victorious against the designated opponent, he offers one of the 2nd-grade holy relics currently stored in Angelus.
A big deal dropped without even a warning light. I firmly pressed the Y button, and the number in the matching queue rose by one.
Quite a powerful presence for a constellation.
“He’s at the level of a God-King.”
A constellation on the same tier as Zeus or Odin. No—actually, he was estimated to stand half a step above even the God-King class constellations, just like Baal, the master of Pandemonium.
For someone like that to personally arrange a match…
He must be pairing you with quite the formidable opponent.
“Probably.”
There was no reason to refuse when accepting would bring no loss.
Matching in progress.
[4/20]
[10/20]
…….
[20/20]
As always, the moment the counter filled, a brilliant light struck my retinas.
After the afterimages faded from my vision, a hill dozens of meters high appeared before me.
63rd Floor Trial
The King of the Hill
The King of the Hill cannot refuse any challenger. Who will claim the throne in the end?
Seize the right moment and become the King of the Hill.
▷ The battle to determine the King of the Hill is 1v1 only.
▷ After a battle ends, other players cannot challenge for 5 minutes.
▷ Victory is achieved by defeating your opponent or knocking them off the hill.
Time Limit — 06:00:00
Current Hill Occupant — None
A steep hill dozens of meters high.
***
For ordinary people, simply climbing it would be difficult. But for players who had reached Diamond rank, it posed no real obstacle.
Yet everyone seems to be hesitating.
The players encircling the base of the hill. I could see three from where I stood, but they kept darting their eyes left and right.
“If you climb first, you’ll get ganged up on. Of course they’re hesitating.”
The King of the Hill mission only recognized one winner. When the time limit expired, only the player standing on top of the hill would clear the trial.
In other words, climbing first basically invited a group beatdown.
“Once you’re on the hill, you can’t come down voluntarily.”
Once you became the King of the Hill, you couldn’t leave that position. If you claimed it early, you’d have to face challenger after challenger. Therefore, the standard strategy was to bide your time, seize the hill at the right moment, and defend it through consecutive battles.
The only consolation was that others couldn’t interfere during a duel.
If the 62nd floor was a luck-based brawl, this floor was a battle of timing and psychological warfare.
“Waiting around doesn’t suit me.”
Tap!
With a single leap, I cleared dozens of meters and landed atop the hill.
Someone has claimed the hill.
A message sent to every participant in the trial. In the sky, a cloud formation clearly displayed [05:59:50].
King of the Hill — Yu Jinho
They even clearly engraved my name in case of any misunderstanding. Really, the consideration shown by the Old Gods who created the tower system almost brings tears to my eyes. I’ll have to express this gratitude with a very tight hug later.
It sounds more like a threat to crush them to death.
“Would I do something so barbaric?”
Don’t you have even a shred of that intention?
“Nope.”
I stood tall on top of the hill and looked around. There were twenty participants in the trial. Every player except me craned their necks upward to stare.
Where was the one Metatron had specifically requested?
He wouldn’t be ordinary. Yet even with the Primordial Dragon Heart, I couldn’t sense his presence. He must be hiding his energy exceptionally well.
Oh?
Not coming out right away? Taking a look first?
That’s no fun.
I scanned the area around the hill, then flicked my right hand and shouted loud enough for everyone to hear, even infusing my voice with mana.
“It’s over! I’ve claimed the high ground!”
You’re just going to stay quiet after I declared the game over?
If Metatron personally requested the match, he must be a powerhouse.
***
If I wounded his pride, there was no way he wouldn’t come out.
One second after my victory declaration—
A figure completely covered in a dark brown cloak and robe leaped onto the hill.
Player Ariel has intruded upon the hill.
The hill contest will begin shortly.
Hm?
Wait a second.
This is a familiar face.
To think I’d be facing this person again on the 63rd floor.
Blue eyes peeked out from beneath the hood. A gaze so intense it looked like stars had been etched into her retinas captured my vision.
* * *
Nyx climbed onto my shoulder.
Someone you know?
“Goddess, do you remember the Great Collapse of France?”
The Qliphoth Tree that manifested in Paris using the Eiffel Tower as a medium had transformed the entire country into another dimension. No mana-based attacks worked against it, and it was an impregnable domain that no one could enter except those permitted by Rene Davis.
To enter France, one had to understand the Qliphoth Tree.
You said an angel gave you that information.
“That’s right. It was Ariel.”
In my previous life, I hadn’t met her until ten years later. But the faster I grew, the sooner I encountered old connections.
“I-is that you?”
Skipping all the pleasantries—some things never change.
“Yeah. I’m Yu Jinho.”
“I am Ariel.”
Her voice was timid. It was an attitude completely unlike an angel who should naturally exude confidence.
“You probably already know everything, so let’s just get this over with.”
“I have a request.”
“What is it?”
“H-honestly, I believe mortals are not even worth the dirt beneath my fingernails.”
…….
This girl. She seems a bit different from what I remember?
“Ariel, what are you saying?”
“S-so… please give up.”
Ha.
I see.
Now I understand why Metatron offered a holy relic as bait.
Aside from her timid personality, she possesses absolute confidence in her own power.
The Ariel I met in my previous life was slightly different. While still timid, she had shown more consideration for her opponents.
This wasn’t consideration.
***
It was the attitude of someone forcing their own arrogance onto others. She probably needed to be broken once before she came to her senses.
Can you manage it?
“If it’s about winning the trial… probably.”
Ariel was the angel destined to take the currently vacant position of Archangel. Her speech might be timid, but the power she wielded was the real deal. It was not something a mortal could hope to challenge.
Good grief. I never expected to be asked to provide correction for such a precious little thing.
Dragon's Wings
Demonic Explosion
Thorns Missile
Hundreds of thorns formed on the wings spread behind me. With a light flap, the missiles—now infused with demonic energy—shot straight forward.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-boom!
The power contained in each thorn was enough to carve long furrows into the hill. Just firing them created fierce gusts of wind, and the dust from the impacts scattered and blanketed the entire slope.
Did you finish her?
“No way.”
Don’t raise death flags like that.
I only said it because there’s no way she would fall to an attack of that level.
A fierce wind blew back her hood.
Pink hair cascaded down like a waterfall. The hunched, timid expression revealed in the shadows held no trace of confidence.
Don’t be fooled.
This girl is a total bastard.
“E-even if you’re trash, I won’t go easy on you.”
The robe covering Ariel’s body tore apart with a loud riiiip. Six wings burst forth from her back. An untouchable divinity radiated from the angel halo floating above her head.
Gugugugu—
Simply releasing her holy power caused the entire hill to shake violently.
Tch.
That tremendous holy power is the same as it was before my regression.
“T-trash person. If you surrender now, I’ll finish it without making it hurt.”
Ariel shouted in a trembling voice while holding a hammer the size of a grown man. Though her demeanor lacked confidence, the holy power imbued in that hammer was chillingly intense.
“Do you fight with your mouth?”
I raised my right hand and beckoned.
“Come at me.”
“Don’t blame me if you regret it.”
Thump— Thump—
The moment my instincts screamed a warning, the distance between us had already closed.
***
Holy Radiance
The hammer was already descending toward the crown of my head. Its speed made it difficult to react. It wasn’t even a particularly skillful strike. Yet evasion was impossible.
I quickly wrapped the Dragon's Wings I had already deployed with maximum demonic energy and flapped them forward. The jet-black burning membrane wrapped around the hammer.
Kagagagak!
The hammer scraped away the demonic energy and continued its relentless advance. It felt like trying to catch a slippery eel with bare hands.
What is this?
The instant the demonic energy and holy radiance collided, the power in my wings had its nature instantly altered and dispersed.
Good grief. Changing the property the moment it strikes? That’s cheating, even for a cheat ability.
Hundred Beasts Emperor Martial Arts - First Form
Dragon King's Fist
I instantly detonated the power stored in the Dragon's Wings and struck the hammer with a fist wrapped in condensed energy.
Kwa-jik!
A horrifying sound of flesh being crushed. My eyes shot wide open. A burning sensation as if my nerves were on fire. From my right hand all the way to my forearm—the entire axis where I had rotated my energy was pulverized by the hammer.
On the other hand, the holy radiance within the hammer showed no sign of weakening. Even though my right hand was ruined, I couldn’t dissipate all the impact and was sent flying several meters backward.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for being too strong.”
The fact that there’s no malice behind it makes it even more annoying.
But still.
“This is my escape route.”
Ultra Regeneration
Crack! Crunch!
My right arm finished regenerating in less than a second.
We haven’t even really started yet. Isn’t it a bit early to be declaring victory already?