The Top Rankers Come Knocking
The number one ranked player in America, Ellen Taylor.
She canceled her training and headed straight for the Gold Moon headquarters.
A summons from the guild master, William.
She already had a good idea why.
‘That guy… Yu Jinho, wasn’t it?’
Ellen fiddled with her sweat-dampened hair.
The first time she’d heard that name was when the tutorial records were updated.
Since the Tower of Babel had appeared, not a single one of Ellen’s records had ever been broken.
Until Yu Jinho shattered them all with an overwhelming score.
And Jinho’s momentum hadn’t stopped there.
In his very first attempts, he kept breaking the tower’s highest records one after another.
Two days ago, he had completely crushed China’s rising star, Ping Lei, during the promotion match.
‘And today he broke the 12th floor record.’
A player who had just climbed out of Unranked massacring Iron-rank players?
If anyone had told her that, she would have laughed it off as a joke.
But the Tower of Babel’s notifications had never been wrong.
Upon arriving at Gold Moon headquarters, Ellen quickened her pace.
She headed directly for the executive office.
The door was wide open.
William Rockefeller looked up from organizing documents.
“Our guild’s treasure has arrived.”
“Please stop with the embarrassing compliments, Master.”
“You’re the one who should stop. I told you to just call me William.”
“I must politely decline.”
William chuckled softly, then wiped the smile from his face and stared straight into Ellen’s eyes.
“I was wrong.”
“What do you mean? You said you were paying attention to him because…”
“No. If I had known Yu Jinho’s potential was this high, I would have invested immediately.”
“You mean the 100 million dollars you mentioned?”
One hundred million dollars. Over a hundred billion won in Korean currency.
“I thought watching his progress would be the smart move… and I missed the best timing.”
“It’s not too late yet, Master.”
“The Nine Dragons Syndicate has already started moving.”
William slid a tablet PC across the desk.
Ellen’s eyes scanned the screen rapidly.
“Unbelievable.”
Ellen muttered in a tone that could have been either admiration or a curse.
Nine Dragons Syndicate currently in contact with the Korean government.
Ping Lei to be added to Yu Jinho’s team.
Korean government response: positive.
Just three short lines of information.
But their impact was enormous.
“Looks like the Nine Dragons Syndicate decided that swallowing their pride and recruiting Jinho was the better option.”
“I can’t believe Jang Wufei would make that kind of decision.”
Ellen had clashed with Jang Wufei multiple times.
The power struggles between superpowers continued even inside the tower.
Since the two of them represented America and China respectively, their collisions were frequent.
So far Ellen had the lead, but the gap between them wasn’t large enough to say the outcome was decided. It could flip at any moment.
That was why Ellen understood Jang Wufei’s personality very well.
“We’re a step behind, but it’s time for us to act too.”
“Just tell me what I need to do.”
“Go to Seoul with Carla.”
Just as William finished speaking, a knock sounded at the door.
“Come in.”
Someone entered through the open doorway.
Hair the color of ocean water.
Beneath it, eyes sparkled like molten emerald.
At first glance her frame looked slender, but the exposed skin revealed the toned muscles of someone who had trained rigorously.
“Greetings to the guild master and my master.”
The woman bowed with a blunt, emotionless tone.
Carla Vasquez. Ellen’s disciple and Gold Moon’s promising prospect.
“How long has it been since you were promoted to Iron?”
“Two weeks.”
Ellen gave her disciple a quick glance before turning back to William.
“You’re telling me to have her join naturally using the Ping Lei situation as cover?”
“As expected, only you truly understand what I’m thinking.”
“Looks like we’re one move behind.”
“In exchange, I’m giving you full authority regarding Yu Jinho’s recruitment.”
William held up a black card.
The Rockefeller family, which held enormous influence over America’s political and financial circles.
That card was a VVIP exclusive item possessed by only a handful of people who carried the Rockefeller name.
“The official purpose of this visit is Carla’s growth.”
“I’ll make sure to act in a way that satisfies that justification.”
William’s card slipped neatly into Ellen’s pocket.
“Still, it wouldn’t be bad if Carla ends up defeating Yu Jinho.”
“I will do my best.”
“Carla, there’s no need to be so tense. In the end, Gold Moon will be the one who wins.”
“I will definitely win.”
Her tone was completely devoid of emotion.
William shook his head.
“It’s a shame your disciple didn’t take after you at all.”
“If you say that, Master, anyone would get nervous, wouldn’t they?”
Ellen smirked.
But deep down, she agreed with William’s words.
‘She has such a kind heart.’
Her attitude was as cold as ice.
Contrary to appearances, Carla was actually a very considerate and thoughtful girl. But because of her unique aura, few people ever recognized her true worth.
“Alright. We’ve already reached out to the Korean government, so get ready.”
William clapped his hands, shifting the mood.
America’s number one guild, Gold Moon, had rolled up its sleeves to recruit Jinho.
“……So, Gold Moon offered to join the team?”
-Yes. Director Taylor herself is coming.
Ellen Taylor. Currently America’s number one ranked player, and in the future, one of the six Monarchs.
Although it was mostly ceremonial, she held the title of director in her affiliated guild, Gold Moon.
-I never imagined Sir Jinho’s fame would reach all the way to America.
Han Suchang spoke with a complicated tone.
America and China.
Even after the Tower of Babel appeared, these two nations continued to exert massive influence over the world’s balance of power.
Their guild scales were so enormous they couldn’t even be compared to other countries.
And now, the top guilds of those two nations—the Nine Dragons Syndicate and Gold Moon—were making their moves at almost the same time.
“I guess I’m just that talented.”
-Hahaha, indeed.
Even at my joke, Han Suchang let out a hollow laugh. He must have been under quite a bit of stress.
“What does the association president say?”
-He told me to hold onto you tightly.
“I already gave them tax breaks.”
-If we hadn’t done at least that much, the president would have gone to see you in person by now.
Hmm. That would be annoying.
“Tell him that Team Leader Han persuaded me so well that I decided to stay in Korea.”
-Excuse me? What exactly did I…
“That’s the only way the president will stay quiet.”
Setting aside the fact that the president was actually a decent person.
Meeting with people in high positions was just bothersome.
Normally I would have used the movements of the Nine Dragons Syndicate and Gold Moon as leverage to jack up my value sky high.
But considering the upcoming Gate Break, this much was the perfect amount of showmanship.
I could also put Han Suchang in my debt and give him a chance to rise through the ranks faster. That would make future dealings smoother.
-Then the association will trust in you, Sir Jinho.
Right after ending the call with Han Suchang, I fell into brief contemplation.
Ellen. My former comrade and now one of the most renowned players in the world.
I had already expected her to visit.
More precisely, it was the will of William, the master of Gold Moon, the guild she belonged to.
William Rockefeller was a man whose alignment sat somewhere between good and evil.
Before the age of destruction, he had competed fiercely, yet when the Old Gods—humanity’s common enemy—appeared, he poured all his wealth into supporting the resistance.
Looking at that alone, one might think he was an ally.
But he was also the kind of man who would use any means necessary to elevate his own guild, Gold Moon, to the very top.
If I became enemies with Gold Moon, there was no telling what kind of schemes he might pull.
How should I respond?
-What are you thinking about so deeply?
“Some kids want to join my team.”
I couldn’t explain things that hadn’t happened yet to anyone.
So instead, I explained the current situation to Nyx.
-Heh heh heh. As expected of my contractor.
“I am pretty amazing, aren’t I?”
-That child who controls the avatar is one thing, but I am quite curious how strong the rankers from other countries are.
“You’ll see for yourself soon enough.”
My words were not wrong.
Two days later.
Almost as if they had coordinated it, the Nine Dragons Syndicate and Gold Moon visited the team building on the same day.
“I am Ping Lei. I wish to join your team.”
“Rejected. Go back to China.”
“W-what?! Even though I lost, my level is still among the highest in Unranked!”
Ping Lei’s face turned bright red as he shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Your attitude when asking is completely wrong.”
I shook my head.
Whether he was China’s rising star or not, if he wanted to join our team, he had to follow our rules.
On the other hand, Ellen spoke with a calm expression.
“Mr. Yu, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Ellen Taylor.”
Her attitude was not much different from what I remembered before the regression.
She looked much younger than in my memories, but even during the age of destruction she had never lost her elegance and courtesy.
She was also one of the six Monarchs who stood at the peak of humanity.
After regressing, the first thing I had checked was whether she had survived.
“Um… Mr. Yu?”
“Sorry. I’ve only seen you in photos, so seeing you in person made me a little nervous.”
“Hoho, that’s quite alright. After all, we’re the ones asking for a favor.”
Ellen covered her mouth and laughed.
Still, being the current number one ranker really was different.
Ellen was also one of the earliest players.
Even though she was suppressing most of her power, a strong magical energy still leaked from her body.
Just looking at her was exhausting.
I slightly lowered the sensitivity of my Mystic Eyes.
“By the way, Director Taylor.”
“You can just call me Ellen.”
“……I’ll consider it. The problem is that the rank difference is too large for a director to join my team.”
Teams didn’t have strong binding power.
Even if someone belonged to a guild, they could still join or leave teams depending on the situation.
Even so.
America’s number one ranker joining was crossing the line.
“Ah, you don’t need to worry about that. The one joining Mr. Yu’s team won’t be me.”
Ellen placed a hand over her mouth and let out a loud, sharp whistle.
A woman stepped out from behind a pillar.
Oh?
“I am Carla Vasquez.”
I rubbed my eyes, doubting what I was seeing.
To think I would meet Carla here—the player who would later become famous as one of America’s High Rankers.
Come to think of it, she had once said she received instruction from Ellen, hadn’t she?
-That child resented me for the rest of her life.
-If only I had cleared up the misunderstanding back then, she would have become a reliable ally in the fight against the Old Gods…
Before the regression, it was something Ellen would mumble every time she got drunk.
I had heard that some incident had driven a wedge between them and turned them into enemies.
I never imagined we would meet like this.
“I came to Korea as this child’s guardian.”
“I see. I understand the situation now.”
William Rockefeller.
He really was clever.
Sending Gold Moon’s promising prospect to the place where Ping Lei and I—players who had recently gained massive fame—were gathered.
Even if he couldn’t recruit me, he planned to make use of this fame.
“Will you refuse?”
“Of course not. A promising talent raised by Gold Moon would surely be a great help.”
There was an old saying: keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Just as Ping Lei’s life had changed, Carla would also walk a different path from her previous life because of this event.
Whether it would be a positive or negative direction, I didn’t know yet.
But at the very least, I would make sure the thing Ellen had regretted never happened.
“Master, I have something to say.”
Carla, who had been standing silently, slowly opened her mouth.
“Yeah? What is it?”
“I have no desire to serve someone weaker than myself as team leader.”
Shing!
A long scythe sprang out from Carla’s hand.
“M-Master!”
Lee Jiyoung, who had been watching, hurriedly tried to deploy a barrier.
“Stop.”
I raised my hand.
If there had been killing intent, I would have knocked the scythe away, but I couldn’t feel even the slightest trace of hostility or fighting spirit in Carla’s actions.
“Yu Jinho. I wish to spar with you.”
Carla spoke in the same flat, emotionless voice.