The Prodigy's Challenge
Shanghai.
China’s economic capital and the gateway of capital where countless foreign corporations established their bridgeheads.
True to its status as China’s top guild, the Guryong-bang occupied an entire building in the heart of Shanghai, where land prices were astronomical.
“That Korean accepted the challenge?”
The middle-aged man in immaculate formal attire twisted his lips.
A ponytail that reached all the way to his waist.
He appeared slender at first glance, yet the parts his clothes didn’t cover were packed with dense, compact muscle.
Zhang Wufei.
Representative of the Guryong-bang and China’s number one ranked player.
“It is as you say, Big Brother.”
The secretary used the title “Big Brother” rather than president or representative. It was a form of address used among guild members to signify they were all siblings.
“Did you hear that?”
Zhang Wufei flicked his fingers.
A muscular man with impressively disheveled hair approached.
China’s rising star.
Ping Lei—the talent the Guryong-bang had poured vast sums of money into cultivating.
“I have heard it, Big Brother.”
“It went exactly as you planned.”
“This unworthy disciple is deeply grateful for the tremendous opportunity you have granted him.”
Ping Lei answered calmly, without the slightest hint of a smile.
Dragging Jinho onto this stage had been entirely Ping Lei’s idea.
I will create an opportunity for the Guryong-bang to stand tall above any guild in East Asia—beyond even our motherland.
Ping Lei had proposed using the promotion match as a bridgehead for the guild’s overseas expansion. His suggestion had been favorably received by the upper echelons and had eventually reached the representative himself, Zhang Wufei.
Gulp.
Ping Lei swallowed.
Although the representative of the Guryong-bang was called “Big Brother,” it was widely known that he was a cold-blooded man who would not shed even a single tear.
“I trust you understand how critical this stage is.”
“I will improve myself daily so as not to betray Big Brother’s trust.”
Ever-improving oneself. Becoming new each day.
“I believe in you.”
Pat, pat. Zhang Wufei rested a hand on Ping Lei’s shoulder.
Despite the seemingly warm gesture, his eyes remained ice-cold.
Ping Lei swallowed again, careful not to let any tension show on his face.
“If you listen carefully to your master’s teachings, crushing a mere Korean prospect should be easy.”
“I will devote myself completely.”
“Good. Prepare thoroughly.”
“Yes, Big Brother!”
Ping Lei retreated slowly, never once showing his back.
Zhang Wufei watched him in silence.
Once the door closed, the secretary spoke.
“Do you trust Ping Lei?”
“Hardly. I trust the capital I’ve invested.”
More than ten three-star skill books purchased.
Elixirs ordinary players could never even glimpse—Aruga’s Tears, the liver of a thousand-year-old soft-shelled turtle—had been fed to him.
“How much have we invested in Ping Lei?”
“Including this month’s expenditures, 84.3 million dollars, Big Brother.”
“Bring it up to one hundred million.”
“Are you certain that is wise?”
“His name was Yu Jinho, wasn’t it? Didn’t he demand one hundred million dollars as his appearance fee?”
The secretary asked no further questions.
He knew Zhang Wufei’s personality well enough to understand that once the man decided to invest, he never withdrew.
“Yes, Big Brother.”
He obeyed without hesitation.
Zhang never entertained the thought of failure.
A talent counted among the finest in China’s abundant pool of human resources.
On top of that, an enormous sum had been poured in.
People might betray you, but an investment always returned exactly what had been placed into it.
A perfect situation like this. There is no way the investment can fail.
A smile devoid of any warmth chilled the corners of Zhang Wufei’s mouth.
『Ping Lei is a player who has displayed unrivaled prowess in the Unranked tier.』
『He mentioned Yu Jinho once before, and this time he has officially declared that he will defeat him in the promotion match.』
『The guild to which Ping Lei belongs, the Guryong-bang, has formally proposed to the Korean Player Association that Yu Jinho participate in this promotion match, and…』
— A familiar name indeed.
“It’s the guy who once said he wanted to fight me.”
“He is like a wild, reckless child.”
Nyx clicked her tongue.
In contrast, Jiyoung’s face flushed bright red as she kept huffing with excitement.
“Ping Lei or whatever his name is! I’ll beat the crap out of him for you!”
“You haven’t even met the promotion requirements yet.”
“Master, you’re the same!”
“I’ll hit level 50 any day now.”
“Ugh—” Jiyoung let out a pitiful groan.
“If I work hard too…”
“Let’s talk after you clear the ninth floor first.”
“Just you wait, Master. I’ll break through to the ninth floor in no time!”
Her enthusiasm was truly admirable.
That aside.
“The Association must be in chaos right now.”
“Is this Ping Lei guy really that famous?”
“China has a massive population. Imagine being one of their top prospects.”
“Still, I doubt he’s anywhere near Master’s level.”
The method of selecting players didn’t strictly correlate with population size.
The Babel Tower had risen according to the concept of separate [servers] for each nation.
Countries with smaller populations received a higher ratio of player invitations, while nations with large populations had a lower issuance rate.
China, with its inherently enormous population, still ended up with a huge number of players despite the adjusted ratio.
I contacted Team Leader Han Suchang.
“You saw the articles, I take it?”
“You could have reached out first.”
A long, heavy sigh escaped Han Suchang.
“Don’t worry, sir. The Association will handle this matter smoothly.”
“Handle what, exactly…”
“China’s challenge. Isn’t that why you called?”
Han Suchang proceeded to recite Ping Lei’s entire profile.
The Guryong-bang—one of the top three guilds in China, a massive organization.
Ping Lei was the player they had raised with every possible elixir, skill book, and master instructor they could provide.
“For the sake of your future career, sir, perhaps this time…”
“I’ll crush him head-on.”
What was this man even saying?
If the other side hadn’t stepped forward first, I would have provoked them myself.
They had laid out the perfect stage—why on earth would we suppress it?
Team Leader Han Suchang practically shouted.
“Ping Lei is a player the Guryong-bang has poured everything into supporting!”
“Then defeating him in the promotion match will create the maximum promotional effect.”
Ping Lei.
Before the Constellations began paying him serious attention, I needed to clip his wings.
The promotion match was the perfect stage to send him plummeting into the abyss.
“Tell them I’ll face him in the next promotion match.”
“Understood. If it were anyone else, I might hesitate, but since it’s your decision, sir…”
A firm resolve could be heard in Han Suchang’s voice.
Of course. You won’t regret placing your faith in me.
Promotion matches only activated on the tenth of each month.
Since it was already the end of the month, roughly two weeks remained until the next one.
“Will that be enough time?”
“More than enough.”
I smirked.
Several days had passed since China’s promising talent, Ping Lei, had thrown down the gauntlet.
A few changes had come to my daily routine.
“Master! Please take good care of me today as well!”
“The new doll has finally arrived.”
The two of them threw themselves into training with burning enthusiasm.
The entire morning was devoted to training.
While supervising them, I also practiced the new ability I had gained after regressing—Polar Night.
Its output had quadrupled, making precise control far more difficult than before.
“It is pleasing to see you train with such diligence every day.”
“Handling a goddess’s power is ridiculously tricky.”
“Hehe, you are doing well.”
In the afternoons I logged into the Babel Tower and cleared missions.
“Which mission grants the most experience?”
“The ninth floor.”
“Ugh, I told you I dislike that sticky ground.”
“I’ll buy you cotton candy when we return.”
“Since you are the only one who looks after me, I suppose I have no choice.”
Even after wiping out all the lizardmen in the swamp on the ninth floor, the mission didn’t end.
The monsters respawned again and again within the time limit.
It was the perfect place to farm experience.
“Are there not other players there as well?”
“There were. They won’t be for long.”
If I slaughtered alone the lizardmen that thirty people were supposed to handle, I would naturally gain even more experience.
First-clear reward.
Highest record as well.
There was no longer any need to worry about rewards.
It would cost some CP, but to reach level 50 by the promotion match, I had to accept the loss.
“Hisss!”
“Quiet. It’s tickling my ears.”
A jet-black blade erupted from beneath my feet and sliced across the lizardman’s throat.
Splurt!
Blood gushed from the wound.
The flailing lizardman collapsed into the swamp.
“You have adapted quite well to the increased output of Polar Night.”
“Still a long way to go.”
My standard was Nyx, the original master of Polar Night.
The sensation of her merging with my shadow was unforgettable.
The omnipotent power befitting the Goddess of Night!
If I could imitate even a fraction of it, it would prove immensely useful in the war against the Old Gods.
Level increased.
You have reached level 50. No further experience can be gained in the Unranked tier.
Rewards obtainable on floors 1–9 have been reduced to 1/10.
Beginner’s Luck no longer applies.
Three days before the promotion match, I finally met the requirement.
What normally took ordinary people at least four months, I had accomplished in two weeks.
If not for the restriction of only being able to attempt it twice per day, I would have reached level 50 much earlier.
“At last, we no longer need to see that tiresome swamp.”
“Not necessarily.”
“Do you intend to challenge the ninth floor again?”
“No. I don’t like stepping into swamps either.”
Swamps didn’t only appear on the ninth floor.
As one climbed the Tower, far worse environments would appear.
I wondered why she was already disgusted when those times hadn’t even come yet.
I didn’t waste the remaining time either.
Although I could no longer gain levels, I could still collect as much CP as I wanted.
The floor that granted the most CP in the Unranked tier was the second floor.
Survival.
Whenever I had a spare moment, I ran the second-floor mission.
“Ugh, why does Yu Jinho keep showing up here!”
“Aren’t you preparing for the promotion match?”
Players who mainly ran the second floor either gave up the moment they saw me or charged in recklessly after abandoning all hope.
Naturally.
Crunch—!
Whether they fled or struggled desperately, the result was the same.
The day before the promotion match.
“Master!!!”
“Why are you making such a fuss?”
“I did it! Level 50!!”
Jiyoung stood before me, eyes sparkling.
“…That quickly?”
“Why are you surprised? You did it too, Master.”
That was only possible because I was a regressor.
You’re still on your first run.
Perhaps the Wall of Lament really was something else entirely.
Her talent was even greater than I had imagined.
“Well done.”
I patted Jiyoung’s shoulder with my right hand.
A result born from natural talent combined with relentless effort.
I could easily imagine how hard she had gritted her teeth to catch up to me.
“Hehe, at this rate I might overtake you, Master.”
“Not quite yet.”
Even when the Wall of Lament had been active, she had still been one step below me.
She still lacked what it took to catch up.
“Just wait and see.”
Jiyoung huffed, puffing out her chest.
An unexpected piece of fighting strength had been added to our side.
Ping Lei.
Everything was ready to hunt down the colossal evil that had devoured China’s underworld in my previous life.