Ranker's Return

NEW NOVEL: First and foremost, I'm delighted to announce that our long-time veteran translator littleshanks has finally launched his new novel, Rise!  Rise is a novel about the esports scene in Shanghai, the competitive gaming capital of China. It follows the story of Lin Feng, a boy who has just moved to the city for his last year of high school. He's a passionate gamer and dreams of being the best professional League of Legends player in the world. The twist? He almost achieved his dream, but failed at the...

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Hyeonu didn’t answer the question.

Kim Seokjung continued, “Why aren’t you speaking? You said it. Little brother, you said you would be in a party with me.”

The viewers were busy laughing at Hyeonu. 

-Trap card triggered!!

-Jin Sijong’s swamp!

-Alley Leader, how will you get out of this crisis?

-ㅋ ㅋ ㅋ Honestly, this is more fun than the main scenario. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-I admit it. It is more interesting to see Alley Leader experience frustration. 

Hyeonu glanced at the chat window and felt annoyed, but there was nothing he could do. All he could do was stand silently. Then the light to save Hyeonu appeared.

“Brother, what are you doing here? We have to get off to a good start.” It was Gang Junggu. Gang Junggu had grasped the general situation. If he didn’t know anything, then he would’ve tried to take Hyeonu away like Kim Seokjung. It was just that after listening to Hyeonu’s words to Ket and Mascherano, he noticed Hyeonu’s thoughts. ‘He wants to do it alone.’

“No, a party with my little brother...”

“How many brothers are waiting for you here? Let’s go.” Gang Junggu dragged away Kim Seokjung, who couldn’t give up on Hyeonu, and returned to their party.

Gang Junggu didn’t forget to wink at Hyeonu.

‘Thank you, Brother.’ Hyeonu bowed slightly toward Gang Junggu.

-Kya, this is Gang Junggu...

-Brother Junggu’s hard carry!

-Indeed, the only one who can control Jin Sijong is Junggu.

-Now Alley Leader can play solo like a runaway horse.

 “Let’s run in earnest.”

 

[Do you want to enter the rebel base?]

 

“Yes.”

 

***

 

The interior of the dungeon was incredibly wide. It was called a dungeon, but it looked like any castle of the empire.

“Do you see it? This is the scenery inside the dungeon. It is vastly different from regular dungeons. It is almost like a normal field.”

-This is my first time seeing a dungeon like this. They have always been dark places.

-I’ve seen a lot of caves and underground areas.

-This is the first time I’m seeing a castle.

-As expected, this is the level of the main scenario... 

Hyeonu was talking about the inside of the dungeon with the viewers when there was an explosion. “I think the battle has begun. As you can see, this isn’t the magic of a normal player. It is the great magician of the empire, the magic of Suped. It is as powerful as it looks.”

In the direction where Hyeonu’s gaze was facing, Suped could be seen casting magic at Alkyl’s walls. As Suped’s hands moved, a huge fireball struck the wall and a thunderbolt fell from the dry sky.

-Wow, amazing. If our party’s magician reaches that level while hunting...

-At that level, they won’t party with you.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Look at this personality.

-It really can’t be compared with players. Some people only got their third class advancement not long ago.

-Will he cut off the rebels by himself? If you look over there, Lebron came out as well. Wow... 

“I’m going to stop watching the battle here. Everyone, who am I? I am Alley Leader. I’m not the kind of class to get stuck in there. I will turn around and pull out the essence,” Hyeonu explained his plan to the viewers.

-I like massive battles.

-Me too.

-Then get lost.

-ㅇㅇ. I’m going. I prefer to see the main scenario.

Regardless of the opinion of the chat room, Hyeonu pushed forward with what he had planned.

‘It is only losing tens of thousands of viewers. It doesn’t matter. They will be back in the next stream.’

These viewers just didn’t match the direction of the stream this time. They would come again for the next stream.

“To be honest, that battle over there. Aren’t there other people streaming it? I’m a streamer who thinks differentiation is important. Only those who want the essence of the main scenario extracted are left.”

Tens of thousands of viewers had left at Hyeonu’s words. They were viewers who wanted a big battle.

‘Ouch, they’re still leaving.’

He thought it was expected and tolerable, but he still felt uncomfortable when he saw the actual number shrink. However, after a while, more viewers came in than those who left. If the number of viewers who left was one scoop, the number of new viewers was one washbasin. 

-Is this Alley Leader’s stream? 

-Is this the place that will provide the essence?

-The battle might be viewed again, but there is only one scenario. I’ll enjoy it live.

Bad luck had turned into a blessing. After hearing from the viewers who left because they didn’t like Hyeonu’s streaming, a large number of new viewers gathered. Hyeonu smiled because the number of viewers was more than usual. “Then I will now extract the essence. Let’s get started.”

 

***

 

‘Why are there so many?’

“Keok!” 

[A rebel soldier has been killed.]

[Experience has been acquired.]

 

Hyeonu moved in an unstoppable manner along Sunny’s path. Every rebel he met failed to hold out against his strikes. Nevertheless, Hyeonu couldn’t smile.

‘It isn’t here either. Here?’

He couldn’t find the path that Sunny had told him. This was Hyeonu’s current mood. Previously when he heard Sunny’s explanation, he felt as if he knew where to go to meet her. However, he didn’t sense anything once he actually started walking.

‘Was it wrong?’

He had this thought after looking for the path for dozens of minutes. Just then, a hand protruded from the side and grabbed Hyeonu’s shoulder. Hyeonu reflexively pulled out his single-edged sword and swung it.

“It’s me, me!”

“Jenny?”

It was Sunny, the woman wearing a black hood. Sunny’s identity couldn’t be revealed, so the name they decided on was Jenny.

“Why are you here? This isn’t the place we promised to meet.”

“Alley Leader, I was wondering if you were late because you got lost... It seems I did well to come.” 

-Who is that?

-Jenny? Is it a NPC?

-A player? By the way, isn’t the voice pretty familiar?

-Is this the source of the rumors?

“Ah, everyone. This is my source of information. She is the only player in the rebel camp. She is called Jenny. Jenny, please say hello.” 

“Hello. I am Jenny,” Sunny greeted the audience with the hood pressed tightly over her head. She didn’t forget to change her voice a little bit.

-Still, isn’t the silhouette familiar?

-Eh, no way. Not at all.

-No, there is a similar person among the streamers.

-Eh, no way.

“Then guide me to the place where the executives are,” Hyeonu urged Sunny.

He had to hunt the officers as quickly as possible because he had wasted time while he was lost.

“Then follow me.”

After following Sunny for around 10 minutes, Hyeonu was finally able to encounter an executive of Alkyl.

“The swordsman you see there is Held, one of the rebel executives. He uses an ordinary long sword. I don’t know his other skills. His estimated level is between 250 and 300.”

“I see.” Hyeonu nodded at Sunny’s explanation, but he was shaking his head inwardly. ‘Who doesn’t know that?’

It wasn’t just Hyeonu who had the idea. The viewers also agreed. It was an explanation that was poor beyond description.

-No, everyone knows that.

-I know even though I just saw him for the first time right now.

-Only passing on that information?

-It has zero value. Only the mouth hurts.

Held’s appearance was typical for a knight. He wore heavy armor, and a sword hung from his waist. The aura of the equipment was different, so naturally, his level seemed high. In short, Sunny’s explanation was so obvious that everyone knew even if she didn’t say it.

“Is there anything else? Something that will allow me to know the characteristics,” Hyeonu asked with the feeling that he was grasping at the last straw.

Sunny pondered on it before clapping as if she thought of something. “Ah! I remembered Held’s nickname—‘Dark Knight’. He is called Dark Knight by other people.” 

Dark Knight—a combat style could be inferred from the name alone. There was a powerful one-shot skill, and the attribute would be the dark attribute.

 -If it is the dark attribute, then won’t it overlap with Alley Leader?

-Yes, that’s right. A fight between the dark attributes?

-Is he trying to figure out the Dark Knight?

‘Won’t a pretty good picture be drawn?’ Hyeonu thanked Sunny for giving him such a good picture from the very first executive. ‘I’ll eat this profit well.’

“I’ll fight him right away. Let’s win neatly.”

Hyeonu rushed toward Dark Knight Held.

 

***

 

Held, also known as the Dark Knight in Alkyl, was training hard as usual today. He had to raise a bit more power for that day.

‘Signs of someone?’

At this moment, an unfamiliar energy filled Held’s senses.

“What bastard?!!”

Held swung his sword without delay. He was convinced there was an intruder. Few people were qualified to come to his training field, and they all had a good relationship with him. That meant they wouldn’t feel strange to him. As proof, it was his first time seeing the person who blocked his sword. It was a man with a broken single-edged sword who was releasing an unusual energy.

“Held, I came to kill you.”

“Do you know me? Who are you?! No, how did you get here?”

“I am Duke Lebron’s disciple.”

“What? Lebron’s disciple?” Held felt a bit disturbed by the shocking words of Lebron’s disciple, Hyeonu. Lebron was one of Alkyl’s main enemies. Aside from the emperor, Lebron was the first assassination target. This wasn’t the problem though. Lebron’s disciple was here. What did this mean?

‘Lebron is here. And in the worst-case scenario...’

Still, Held’s thoughts on this lasted for only a moment. He soon became furious at Hyeonu’s following words. It was because Hyeonu confirmed his speculation, which he thought was the worst-case situation.

“This place is already being attacked by imperial forces. The walls are crumbling, and we are destroying thoroughly without leaving a single ant alive.”

“What?” Held was no longer listening to Hyeonu. He was only thinking about how to quickly kill the guy in front of him before adding strength to the castle guards.

However, it wasn’t so easy. Held’s light attack was blocked. It was ‘light’, but this was by Held’s own standards. To an ordinary person, it was fast and powerful.

‘He really is Lebron’s disciple.'

There was no time for admiration. Held decided to do his best. He had to save his magic power, but this was something to think about after he killed the man in front of him. Black pure energy rose from Held’s long sword. At first glance, it was a powerful magic power crystal. Held pulled out his strength and didn’t doubt his victory.

As always, the opponent would be the one lying on the cold floor, and he would be the winner.

“Hap!”

A black pure energy struck Hyeonu.

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