Ranker’s Return

[Do you want to enter the Seongho Group’s Stronghold under the Heuk Mountain League’s command?]

‘A dungeon?’

“Hah... It was worth it. This is an instance dungeon. I struggled, so let’s suck up as much profit as possible.”

Hyeonu smiled brightly at the message showing the position of a dungeon.

-I thought it would be like this.

-I thought he was an icon of bad luck, but he is actually lucky.

-It is a pain, but he is the one getting all the rewards.

-Alley Leader’s system is to give and take.

“I will enter.”

Hyeonu entered the instance dungeon without hesitation.

[You have entered the Seongho Group’s Stronghold under the Heuk Mountain League’s command.]

The scene inside the instance dungeon felt like a small market. Wooden houses were irregularly placed. However, as if to show it was a game, only healthy bandits roamed the streets.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to look at the chat window very well from now on. I want to ask everyone for your understanding.” Hyeonu said that he wouldn’t look at the chat window. He didn’t say those precise words, but it was what he meant.

“Tang-E, give buffs and return to bear form. Get ready to use Giant Transformation at any time. It might be dangerous,” Hyeonu ordered Tang-E before entering the stronghold. To Hyeonu, the Seongho Group wasn’t difficult enough for Tang-E to be in danger. Still, he said this just in case.

“I understand, Master dude. I will be careful.” Tang-E nodded while saying that he knew Hyeonu’s heart. Then he walked straight to Hyeonu.

[You have received Bear’s Momentum.]

[Physique has increased.]

[Strength has increased.]

[You have received the Forest’s Blessing.]

[Defense has increased.]

[Health will continue to recover.]

[You have received Breath of the Wind.]

[Your agility has risen.]

[Your movement speed has increased.]

After confirming the buff messages, Hyeonu once again spoke to Tang-E. “Stick with me and follow along.”

Tang-E nodded again.

‘This type of thing now...’ Tang-E was confident that there was no one better suited to run behind Hyeonu. He had a lot of experience doing it so far. Tang-E always stood silently behind Hyeonu’s back, although it wasn’t immediately behind him.

‘Bah. In any case, I just need to stay behind him,’ Tang-E thought.

Hyeonu had no plans or thoughts from here. He would just grab the bandits one by one until he got the Secret Camp member related to the quest.

‘It is still a game. Perhaps...’

Hyeonu thought he should not hesitate as there was nothing for him to think about. In that case, he wouldn’t waste time and would just run and try it. Anyway, this was an instance dungeon, and all the bandits would be killed by Hyeonu.

‘They are all weaker than me.’

This truth lay at the basis of his confidence. It might be different if it were an NPC like Qing Feng, but Hyeonu wasn’t afraid if 100 humanoid monsters like ‘Yang Sucang’ emerged.

“Secret Camp member, come out!” Hyeonu used his loudest possible voice to call out, and it was almost like a shout. Hyeonu’s loud voice rang through the Seongho Group’s stronghold.

“Which unruly guy is coming to the Seongho Group’s stronghold and acting like this?!” The mountain bandits appeared one after another from the wooden houses. Among them were familiar faces that Hyeonu had seen before.

Hyeonu ignored the bandits and kept repeating his words. “Who is the Secret Camp member? Come out quickly!”

-Groan... It is a proper wide-area aggro.

-I think even tankers will be jealous of this level. Bring out all the aggro.

-As expected of Alley Leader. He is tough even against humanoid monsters. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Isn’t this stage too big? It’s good, but the level difference is too severe. It is like hunting rabbits in Aslan.

Viewers laughed at Hyeonu’s outrageous behavior. On the other hand, they envied such a spirit. It was not something that everyone could do.

“This jerk?” A bandit was upset about being ignored and swung an axe at Hyeonu. Message windows informing him of the start of the battle appeared in front of Hyeonu.

[Master of Combat is activated.]

[Your stats have increased.]

[The stat ‘fighting energy’ has caused your stats to rise.]

[The player is stronger than the opponent.]

[The other person’s stats will drop.]

[The stat ‘dignity’ has caused the opponent’s stats to fall.]

[Mindset of a Murderer has activated.]

[All stats have increased by 15%.]

[Mysterious Sky is activated.]

[Your five senses have sharpened.]

The axe could split apart evil, but Hyeonu’s fighting energy and dignity made the bandit’s attack slow and so weak that it couldn’t even cut firewood. Hyeonu swung Dark Star at the axe that was slowly approaching. Hyeonu’s damage was enhanced by various skills including Tang-E’s buffs, and the weakened bandit couldn’t withstand it. Dark Star split apart the bandit’s axe and eventually cut his body.

[A Seongho Group bandit has been killed.]

[Experience has been acquired.]

The bandit fell to the ground with blood pouring out of his body. Hyeonu didn’t even look at the bandit and shouted again, “Who is the Secret Camp member?”

There was fear in the faces of the bandits as they looked at Hyeonu. They were panicking at the sight of Hyeonu’s strong force and brutal appearance.

“What is the Secret Camp?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know. This is the Seongho Group...”

The bandits were busy chatting with each other without thinking about replying to Hyeonu. What the hell was this crazy guy looking for? This was the Seongho Group belonging to the Heuk Mountain League. He seemed to have come a long way to the wrong place.

At this time, a member raised their courage to stand in front of Hyeonu. “This is the Seongho Group belonging to the Heuk Mountain League. I don’t know the Secret Camp you’re looking for, but there is no such person here.”

Then the member said with an aggrieved expression, “We don’t know anything. You came to the wrong place.”

He was screaming it with his entire body.

“No, there was definitely someone from the Secret Camp here. Do you know Yang Sucang? He died some time ago.” Hyeonu, however, believed in the quest window. The actions of the mountain bandits had no effect on him.

“Yang Sucang? Are you talking about Treasury Master Yang?”

“Is he from the Secret Camp?”

“Perhaps... No, he couldn’t have been. He was the next candidate to be the group master...”

A fuss broke out among the bandits at Hyeonu’s words. It was unbelievable. The treasury master wasn’t a bandit but was actually a spy for a different force...?

“Was he the treasury master? In any case, he is from the Secret Camp. Others were definitely here. This is solid information. I got the information from Qing Feng of the Chonghua Sect.” Hyeonu used the name Qing Feng to increase the division between the bandits.

“Qing Feng? The Manhua Mountain Swordsman?”

“If it is information that person gave...”

“Then the treasury master is really...”

‘If I agitate them a bit more, then I can end it.’ Hyeonu would be able to save some effort. The instance dungeon didn’t fit his level, so it was no different from wasting time. The experience and rewards that he would receive were also lacking. It might be good if Hyeonu were a dark gamer who sold items and information about dungeons, but it was currently useless for Hyeonu. Rather, it was better for him to make money using his streams.

“You! Do you know where this is? How can you talk such nonsense?” The man who led the bandits’ attack on the merchant group appeared just then.

“Treasury Master!” 

The man that the bandits called ‘Treasury Master’ had a very red face. Hyeonu felt that he was either frightened or angry that he was called a Secret Camp member.

-A red human!

-Fly up red phoooooenix!

-Phoenix phoenix!!

-It is a really red face.

The audience didn’t care about the bandit’s words. They were busy laughing at his red face. It was actually quite funny.

“Are you the Secret Camp member remaining here? I have something to ask you.”

“Who is a Secret Camp member? I am the treasury master of the Seongho Group, Wang San!”

Hyeonu didn’t listen to Wang San. There was no need to listen. The answer was fixed anyway. “Secret Camp member, come out!! Do you know the name ‘Mysterious Sky Demonic Senior’?”

“Who is from the Secret Camp? I’m really not from there! I am Seongho’s treasury master!”

‘He really doesn’t know?’ Hyeonu suddenly had this idea when he saw Wang San shouting with an aggrieved expression. “Then bring the group’s master. I will ask the Seongho Group’s master.”

“I understand. However, I’m really not a member of the Secret Camp. If there are no members in our stronghold, you will have to apologize like a man,” Wang San said these strange words before leaving to bring the Seongho Group’s master.

“I don’t know who designed him, but it is really crazy. This type of genuine macho character...”

-It seems there are only two things in his mind: strength and righteousness.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ His man is dead, but he doesn’t care. He is just defending himself...

- His personality is really crazy ㅋㅋㅋㅋ. He was ordered to call the master, and he actually did it. ㅋㅋㅋ

-I don’t know if he is pure or stupid. ㅋ ㅋ ㅋ

Hyeonu and the viewers chatted about Wang San’s personality until he returned. The bandits of the Seongho Group were no longer thinking about charging at Hyeonu. They became terrified upon seeing Hyeonu kill a bandit with one blow.

“Brother, please tell him calmly. We are the Seongho Group. The Seongho Group dominates the Seongho Mountain!” Wang San approached the man presumed to be the group leader.

“Who would dare to break into the Seongho Group and make trouble?” The group leader didn’t seem to listen to Wang San’s explanation and spoke words similar to what Wang San said when he first appeared.

“Are you the Secret Camp member hiding in the Seongho Group?” Hyeonu too returned similar words to before. Additionally, he drew Dark Star and placed it on his shoulder. It was an unspoken pressure saying he would wield it.

-Isn’t this complete deja vu?

-ㅋ ㅋ ㅋ I think I saw it five minutes ago?

-Is it a recording today? I think I saw the trailer?

The viewers also seemed to feel it and talked about the situation.

“S... Secret Camp? I don’t know where this bullshit came from, but this is the Seongho Group!” The group leader repeated the same thing as Wang San.

If there was a difference, Wang San was red with anger and really didn’t know. Meanwhile, the group leader was flushed with panic.

‘It’s this guy.’

-It is this guy.

-He is the culprit!

-Secret Camp member, get!

-Will he eat the items now?

Hyeonu was convinced that the group leader was the Secret Camp member and moved silently. It was very slow compared to his usual movements.

“I’ll kill you!” The group leader shouted when he saw this. He was happy to see Hyeonu rushing over. 

‘I don’t know how you know my identity, but it ends here.’ The group leader’s greatsword headed for Hyeonu. He wanted to win the battle at once. There was strong yellow energy around his greatsword. The group leader stomped his feet, and his body jumped forward.

Dark Star was still on Hyeonu’s shoulder. His movements didn’t change. The group leader’s greatsword struck at such a Hyeonu.