"It's been a while, hasn't it, Clovis?" Hana had a big smile on her face.
Clovis sighed. "Indeed. It's been a while. Are you alright?"
Hana paused for a moment. There were two things they could talk about. The first was compensation, while the second was the battle.
After some consideration, Hana actually picked the latter. "I should be the one asking you that question. Are you alright right now?"
"…" It was Clovis' turn to fall silent, as though he was surprised by her choice.
Hana ended up standing up, walking toward Clovis, and opening her tab. "Look at the news. They're really bombarding you with questions, aren't they?
"Tesron Khalika Melesviet challenging Clovis from the Libation Fiesta. Is he afraid of him? Is that why he is hiding? Tesron Khalika Melesviet is crushing the First Academy's students.
"The headlines are truly not holding back this time. It appears that other academies are pouring all their efforts into this.
"Are you going to fight him, Clovis?" Hana asked as she sat down next to him.
Clovis leaned back, feeling tired. "I've told the principal to give me a week to prepare."
"!!!" Hana felt something was off with that sentence. She glanced at Clovis before finding out his intention. "A week? And you're not planning to go out?"
Yes, Hana was actually the one visiting Clovis this time. So, they were still hidden within the mansion with no sign of coming out.
Even with Clovis' silence, Hana had gotten her answer. "I see. The only way for you to defeat him is to be a Tier 4 human. Although Tesron is a Tier 5, he has a unique ability. Unlike Christina, who is focused on defense, Tesron is an all-rounder. He is much more aggressive than Christina.
"That's why you might be able to put up a fight against Christina, but you might be obliterated by Tesron.
"After all, his unique ability is the String of Fate. He is able to see the strings leading toward him, rendering any attacks useless. It's said that even a sniper from two miles away won't be able to shoot him down.
"As a result, he is known to be an immortal. Only a glimmer of people can actually injure him, let alone defeat him. This is just like peeking into the future. Knowing where you are going to attack him will allow him to react as well.
"He is basically the pride of the Melesviet. If Christina hasn't met you, she would probably lose against him. However, thanks to you, the result will depend on how they perform.
"Isn't this going to be hard for you, Clovis? Unlike Christina's unique ability that can go against his eyes, yours… not so much.
"Still, if you manage to win against him, his reputation will crumble and yours will soar. All the people in the world will start paying attention to you. After all, the only one who can defeat him is probably another unique ability user. Your potential as a Tier 9 and even your relationship with the Elseingarde will increase your value.
"That's why you must want to defeat him. The problem will be how? I believe in you, but at the same time, I know that Tier 3 won't be enough to go against him. So, the only way for you to defeat him is to at least reach Tier 4. But you're not planning to go out… It's either because you have a stock of essence… which I'm unaware of or you have another way to evolve to Tier 4."
Clovis smiled wryly. "Right? Right? Look at how clever you are…"
Hana's eyes flashed. "So, that's how it is… It seems I have underestimated you this whole time."
Hana's hands sneaked around Clovis' arm as she asked coquettishly, "So, my dear investor, will you forgive this rude woman who is trying to be clever?"
"Enough with the acting." Clovis sighed. "Do you think becoming a Tier 4 is enough to defeat him?"
Hana's expression turned solemn. "Hmmm? Do you have another trump card? Don't tell me you're going to introduce yourself as a beast master and have Reolf fight with you. But Reolf is still a Tier 3. While it's shocking, it's not enough to fight against him.
"If you reveal Reolf all of a sudden, people will wonder how many beasts you can command. If you command thousands, tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, your threat level will be immeasurable. Even my Skylark family can't do anything to sustain you. After all, a lot of people will definitely love to kill you, especially with you being a part of the Hacfield family. A man from a family of madmen has the ability to command millions of beasts… They will probably think of you as a demon lord and unite to destroy you."
Clovis nodded. "I know that. The card I'm going to play this time will be slightly different. It's just… I might need your help."
"My help?" Hana furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't think it will be about weapons. What I have besides technology is… money… Do you need money? How much?"
Clovis smiled. "I'm not sure right now, but I'm afraid it's not going to be small."
That was right. Clovis' plan was actually to upgrade his memberships and open a new store. This was a gamble. If he got something good from the next upgrade, he might be able to win against him. If he didn't get something good, he would definitely lose.
Of course, there was an option to get more money, but when he owed too much money, especially to Hana, his position would definitely become lower than Hana's. It was something he couldn't have. Besides, it would also create a nice misunderstanding, which confused Hana for a moment about his true trump card.
Hana frowned. "How much do you need? Maybe a few hundred million? Well, I should be able to prepare that right away, but because of the investment to open a new facility in Axolonia, I don't have much cash right now."
Clovis raised one finger. This would be the amount enough to maintain his position without pushing Hana too much.
"A hundred million, huh? Wait, no…"
Clovis nodded. "I need a billion."