Ranker’s Return

Reina moved cautiously. If there was one thing she had obtained from analyzing countless videos, it was to never get excited. Alley Leader’s movements were perfect. There was nothing missing. He maintained the basics more than Daniel, the PvP master. Yet he was also proficient in various provocations, including trash talk. In a way, it was very unfair. He was good at the standard moves but better at tricks.

‘This isn’t the time to complain. I have to dig through any gaps.’

Finally, Reina pulled out her sword. Simultaneously, it was accompanied by sword energy with a biting chill. This was Ice Princess Reina’s specialty. It was sword energy with the ice attribute.

‘Pour it out slowly.’

She knew it now, but during Masked Fighting King, Alley Leader had received Tang-E’s buffs.

‘I don’t see Tang-E, and it is clear he hasn’t received any buffs. If he is in this state, then I can win.’

Reina swung her sword while feeling convinced of that. She had completed her third class advancement, and she was now faster and stronger compared to when she was on Masked Fighting King, despite the fact that some items were excluded. Reina’s sword energy and Hyeonu’s sword energy collided.

There was a loud noise and dusty wind blew. Both of them took a few steps back from the point of impact. There were five footprints in front of Hyeonu. There were seven footprints in front of Reina. It was obviously Hyeonu who had the dominance.

‘Why? I lost? In a battle of strength?’

It didn’t require any finesse. They just pulled out their sword energy and hit with force.

‘I can’t admit it.’

“Take this too!!” Reina couldn’t accept the results, so she rushed back to Hyeonu. This time, Reina wasn’t the only one running. The flowers of ice created by Reina appeared all around Hyeonu. Hyeonu turned all of Reina’s attacks into nothing without much difficulty. He used Magic Power Explosion to smash all the flowers.

‘I’m certain.’

“I’ve caught up.”

This seemed more comfortable than Masked Fighting King. The gap between Hyeonu and Reina had been reduced.

‘Winning isn’t the problem. It is that the video won’t come out properly.’

Now he was so relaxed that he was even worrying about the quality of the video to be uploaded to his channel. Thus, he decided to use a trick. There were rumors that Reina had completed her third class advancement. Of course, she wouldn’t use it in this showdown. Thinking differently, it meant there was no burden using all the skills up to the class advancement. Thus, he decided to make her pull them all out.

“Is this all there is to it? Isn’t it disappointing? Is New York’s pride so low? It feels like you’ve actually regressed.” This was Hyeonu’s criticism.

At the same time, it was a powerful provocation. This provocation perfectly achieved its purpose. Reina’s face turned red and she rushed toward Hyeonu.

‘Ice Field.’ 

She cast a wide area slowing skill in a certain area while also launching an ice damage skill. This wasn’t all. Reina’s two experiences with Hyeonu in the past made her more careful.

‘Ice Barrier.’

There was even a wall of ice floating around Reina. At this point, a person would let go of their tension because this was the best they could do. However, Reina was never careless nor did she let go of her tension. Rather, she used more skills. She knew she would lose in a battle of strength, so she supplemented it with skill.

‘Ice Boom!’

This was a skill similar to Hyeonu’s Magic Power Explosion. It was an intimidating wide area skill where her sword energy exploded and flew in all directions. Finally, Hyeonu entered Reina’s range. Reina swung the sword. The blue-black sword cut through the air and headed for Hyeonu. It touched Hyeonu’s shoulder in an instant.

‘Cut?’

She clearly succeeded in slashing Hyeonu, but there was no sensation of cutting into something. In the end, her sword hit the ground. There was clear evidence that the sword had failed to cut Hyeonu.

“How?” Reina couldn’t understand it. How did he avoid her attack? Her sword had obviously touched him. To be precise, it hadn’t reached him, but the difference was so fine that it as good as touched him. None of the magician’s Blinks could be used as such an absurd speed. It didn’t make sense.

That’s why she asked. She forgot about the duel. “This is Blink, right?”

“Are you curious?”

“Of course, I’m curious. That’s why I asked.”

“Then...”

‘Then...?’ Reina waited for Hyeonu’s words. Would he answer or not? It would be decided with the next sentence.

At this moment, unbelievable words flowed out of Alley Leader’s mouth. “Give me five gold coins if you’re curious. Five gold coins.”

“Are you serious?” Reina suddenly put her hand in the inventory and pulled out 5 gold. “Can you tell me if I do this?”

Reina was serious. 5 gold for the skill information. It was clear that a 5-year-old child knew what would be more valuable.

“It’s a joke. Please put away the gold.” Hyeonu waved his hand. He was deeply upset to find there were people who were actually so naive.

‘It isn't good to make fun of her.’

This was Hyeonu’s mistake. First, very few people could tease Reina. Additionally, it was difficult to grasp anything to tease her with due to her fiery heart and cold rationality. Just look at Mascherano not long ago.

“This is my new skill. It is a movement skill. That person from the Kowloon Guild... It is similar to the skill of that earthworm guy,” Hyeonu explained kindly.

This scene wouldn’t be included in the video anyway. It was natural to hide any information that would be spread later.

“I see... Thank you. In that sense, I lost this fight.” 

[Player ‘Reina’ has surrendered.]

Reina conceded defeat. From the moment she spoke in a state of disarray, she had lost. Reina thought so. She had nothing to say if Alley Leader swung his sword in this state. The reason why Alley Leader didn’t swing his single-edged sword was because he was taking care of her.

[You have won the duel.]

[The rewards will be paid in accordance with the rule of ‘experience plundering’.]

[Experience has been acquired.]

[You have leveled up.]

Hyeonu didn’t like the message that said he had leveled up. 

‘Are you kidding me?’

“Um...”

If it had been Yeongchan or Hyeonu’s other friends, he would’ve just laughed or become angry. However, this was the second time he met Reina, not the first. Hyeonu wasn’t close to her and didn’t know her well.

‘Should I... apologize?’

Hyeonu was about to apologize when Reina opened her mouth first.

“Then let’s start the full-fledged fight. It is off the record, right?” Reina said with a face that seemed to have no emotions. Overwhelmed by her, Hyeonu nodded. 

“By the way, it hasn’t been long since I’ve received my third class advancement. I will test out my skills a few times before going straight into the duel,” Reina added. It wasn’t sword energy that was coming from her sword now but pure energy, and it was terrifying. The surrounding trees and stones were smashed.

“Now it is okay. Let’s duel.”

[Player ‘Reina’ has applied for a duel.]

‘Groan...’

“I accept.”

[Yes.]

A second duel began where they fought with everything they had.

***

Their appearances were poles apart after the second duel.

Reina was staring into the air with a blank expression like she couldn’t believe the result, while Hyeonu stood as calmly as usual.

[You have won the duel.]

‘Phew, I almost lost.’

Hyeonu was flustered by Reina’s sudden duel request and forgot to receive buffs from Tang-E. As a result, it was a lot of hard work, and it was intense. Reina’s third class advancement skills were insane. They were literally crazy. Three or four new skills were used that were different from her second class advancement skills, starting with a higher rated version of Ice Field that raised her stats while decreasing the opponent’s stats. Additionally, her pure energy was so powerful that Hyeonu’s sword energy could barely withstand it despite being reinforced with all types of skills.

‘This is why I need to level up.’

He became greedy. The third class advancement—it was strong. However, before that, there was work to be done.

“I didn’t shoot a video of the duel as promised. I hope there will be no such request next time. And...”

Reina was still listening to Hyeonu with a small wish in her heart. ‘Please don’t have any bad feelings...’ 

Her wish came true. The words that came out from Hyeonu’s mouth were the opposite of her prediction. “Can I add you as a friend?”

“Yes, of course,” Reina agreed happily.

A friendship with Alley Leader...

It wasn’t bad. Rather, it was good. Alley Leader was a well-known player. There were also rumors that this scenario was started by him.

‘Who knows? I wonder if I can scout him.’

***

“So, you became friends? Huh, this jerk really isn’t the average person.”

“What?!”

After hearing about the incident with Reina, Yeongchan was so angry that his nose became blocked.

“It is normal for a person to ask for a duel, but you shouldn’t have accepted. You are completely sick. You are making a lot of money yet you want to shoot it and upload it? Additionally, plundering experience? Oh, it burns!”

What should someone do when meeting Reina? Unconditionally add her as a friend. Adding her as a friend was the most important thing. Moreover, they should take a proof shot. However, this human called Gang Hyeonu...

“Tsk tsk. This is why you’re an archmage.”

“Isn’t it enough that I added her as a friend?”

“Do you think so? By the way, how did you win? You weren’t buffed.” Yeongchan had been curious throughout Hyeonu’s story.

“‘I won.’ If you say this, then you will die. Today is real. You are fighting for your life. You and me.”

Hyeonu swallowed the words he was about to say and started to explain seriously. “That… I just won. I fought well.”

“Sigh, okay. I’ll watch the video.” 

“I didn’t film it though? It was off the record.”

Yeongchan grabbed the back of his neck. His blood pressure seemed to be rising. Hyeonu asked Yeongchan with a sincere expression, “Hey, what level are you? Are you nearly at level 200?”

“Yes, I’m now at level 199.”

“Then finish your third class advancement quickly. It needs to be by next week.”

“Why? What’s happening?”

At Yeongchan’s question, Hyeonu turned the laptop in front of him so that Yeongchan could see the screen. There was a brief message on the screen.

[The 5th main scenario progress.]

-Discover the base of the rebels. It is scheduled for next Saturday.

The caller was Gang Junggu. He was Gang Junggu, the vice-guild leader of New World.

“Did you see? Be prepared. Get ready to grab a scoop of it.”