Ranker’s Return

“Are you talking to me?” It was Johannes.

After losing contact with Dorma, Johannes teleported to the spot where the monument was located. Unlike Hyeonu’s sharp shout a moment ago, this time he called out Johannes’ name in a relaxed voice, “Johannes.”

-Who is Johannes?

-What are they talking about?

-It looks like a NPC, not a player?

-Is it the NPC related to the main scenario?

Viewers who didn’t know about Johannes were wondering about his identity, but Hyeonu couldn’t afford to watch the chat window now.

‘Why is he here? If he intended to appear, why not appear before I encountered the drake or after I’ve broken the monument?’

Hyeonu had a sharp expression unlike his soft words. He wasn’t happy about the appearance of a variable.

“What is it? Why are you looking at me? You have to smash the monument.” Johannes pointed to the monument with an expression that seemed to be wondering, ‘Why look at me?’

“I know.” The moment Hyeonu answered, he lightly touched the monument and injected it with magic power. There was a rustling of wind, and the monument shattered. The sight of the huge monument collapsing was quite spectacular.

[Monument destruction 1/1]

Johannes reached out when he saw that the monument had completely collapsed. “Reverse.”

-What?

-????

-Is this a hidden camera prank?

-What is this?

It was an unbelievable sight. The viewers doubted their eyes. It was the same for Hyeonu. “Why is it again...?”

The shattered monument returned to its original shape like a rewinding video.

“Do you think you can represent the adventurers? The rest of them have to take the test. This was decided on at the clan meeting. 1,000 people—this is the number that has to pass the test before the East Continent is fully opened.” 

Johannes flicked his fingers, and a golden glow covered Hyeonu’s body. Then Johannes stated, “From this moment on, you will be able to pass through the Balder Mountains.”

[Cruise Mountain Conquest has been cleared.]

[Experience has been acquired.]

[You have leveled up.]

[All health and magic power have been restored.]

[You can move to the East Continent.]

The message windows that emerged in front of Hyeonu announced the success of the quest.

‘Phew. It wasn’t a hit in the back of the head.’ 

Hyeonu was relieved. He had been anxious that Johannes was playing with him at the end there.

‘Though, isn’t it pretty fun when I think about it?’

Hyeonu’s feelings were quickly reversed. He found something pretty interesting in Johannes’ words.

“Then this test is...?” Hyeonu trailed off.

It was to suppress his laughter that wanted to emerge. No matter how he thought about it, this seemed really fun. He continued, “Don’t they have to kill it again? It isn’t fair if I’m the only one killing it. They didn’t do anything, since this is what I did. Isn’t that right?”

Johannes smiled. “Of course. They have to kill a drake.”

Hyeonu stared into Johannes’ eyes and smiled like Johannes. “There are many drakes in the Balder Mountains.”

*** 

Johannes left quickly. He was a busy dragon. The reason for it was the hole he had dug for himself, so he had to work hard without complaining.

“Everyone, did you hear it? You have to kill a drake if you want to go to the East Continent. Kuhehe,” Hyeonu laughed frivolously. Now he felt lighter than any other streamer.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ This personality ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-My happiness is the misery of others.

-I killed it, so you should too.

-Is the second dullahan situation going to appear?

The dullahan situation had happened when Hyeonu was in the army. The final boss of the scenario had been a dullahan. The players had failed to kill it, and they had been unable to complete the scenario. This incident could be reproduced as the drake was too strong.

“I won’t clear it for them. It’s none of my business if others go to the East Continent or not. Won’t I be able to proceed with the content of the East Continent alone?”

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Do it all alone.

-Still, you’re part of New World, so you should be the bus for them.

“Of course, I must go together with New World. In addition, there are some people I’m thankful to. I’m thinking of killing it a few more times for them.”

Hyeonu had the intention of helping some guilds with the raid. He was thinking of taking responsibility for New World, which he belonged to, as well as Red Bull America, the New York Warriors, and Kowloon, which had readily accepted his request.

‘Somehow, there are places where I keep getting involved in.’

He had no choice but to do so. They were the only people he’d met.

-Even bus tickets can be sold.

-How much will it cost?

-I’m a third advancement priest. Please take me just once. ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

-Leader Big Fan has gifted you 33 gold coins.

-I Also Want to Go to the East Continent has gifted you 77 gold coins.

-Distinguished Military Service has gifted you 81 gold coins.

The viewers started to ask Hyeonu to act as their bus driver. They wanted to go to the East Continent and experience new content.

‘Hmm...’

They wanted it so desperately they even gave gold coins. Hyeonu saw this and became distressed. Should he act as a bus for the audience members?

“Of course, it’s not that I can’t kill the drake. Everyone knows it is because you don’t have the ability to join the bus, right? I can handle five or six people tagging along. I’m not that weak a person.”

It seemed he could take responsibility for one party.

-Then pick me!!!

-Prove that it works!

-So what is the problem?

The viewers chatted like they were going to grab hold of Hyeonu. However, Hyeonu didn’t make a decision. It wasn’t a light matter to publicly help with someone else’s raid—no, to take a bus.

‘If I do this well... Can’t I tie it to Lee Hoon’s recruitment?’

Hyeonu had a good idea just then.

“However, isn’t there a problem with this type of bus? I feel like a proxy knight.”

He started throwing the bait—bait for the big picture.

-Why is this like being a proxy knight?

-It isn’t a big deal.

-That seems to be the only thing in common.

The viewers naturally took the bait. They coveted the food of the East Continent more than anything else, so it was natural that they couldn’t resist it.

“Think about it. What do the usual bus players pay?”

-Cash.

-Gold.

-That.

“Yes, they pay for it. Then what about the proxy knights?”

-Cash.

-Gold.

-That.

The same answers came from the audience. Then Hyeonu asked the audience one more question, “So how do we look at the person taking the bus or the proxy knight?”

-With contempt.

-Materialistic.

-They solve everything with money.

“It doesn’t look good. Then what about a pro gamer becoming a proxy knight or a bus driver? Is this okay?”

-Of course not.

-Why a proxy knight...?

An answer showing the negative perception of viewers emerged. Hyeonu smiled. “Then why ask me to be a bus when I’m making my professional gaming debut next season? Ask another streamer. I can’t do it. I’m going to be a pro gamer.”

-N-No!

-I want to go to the East Continent!

-Do you have to be a pro?

-Just stream with us, Alley Leader. The pro scene isn’t a good place to stay. There are too many dirty kids.

“I think I am lacking a challenge if I don’t play as a pro gamer. Isn’t this socially good? Rather, I’ll accept it if I am criticized. Perhaps if I say that I am driving a bus, every community will turn me into powder. Isn’t that right?”

-Probably...?

-There are kids like that. They have problems with their own personality, but they only criticize other people.

-They boil over without knowing the situation. Even if it’s true, they pretend they don’t know.

-Aren’t they totally just tabloid reporters? Like the paparazzi taking photos. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

The viewers let out roasts like feeding firewood to a campfire. There was hardly anyone who watched Alley Leader’s stream but didn’t go to the communities. Seven or eight out of 10 viewers did. What was the best gossip in the community in recent years? It was the matter Hyeonu created—the controversy about the ‘debut of a proxy knight as a pro gamer’.

There was a lot of noise about this subject. It was a topic that surfaced recently, so there was a lot to say.

“In any case, I have to think about this issue. It isn’t a light matter. Moreover, since it’s 1,000 people... Well, it won’t end soon. There is a lot of time, everyone.” 

Hyeonu cut off the topic precisely. He needed to do push and pull. It meant nothing to burn strongly; it was important to last longer.

‘I can grow this firepower.’

*** 

Hyeonu ended the stream and started the settlement. Pulling up all the last message windows in front of him, he looked at them closely one by one. He was being meticulous so that he didn’t miss anything.

‘The greatest harvest will be when I go to the East Continent.’

The videos taken from the East Continent were still steady sellers. The number of views per day rose from hundreds of thousands to over a million. Gamers were always craving for new content, and this was the most beneficial to Hyeonu.

‘I got a good amount of experience.’

With the experience he got from killing the drake, the red-blooded Dorma, and the experience he received from Johannes, Hyeonu had already gained two levels.

‘Level 240...’

Other players would be astounded to hear it. It was a ridiculous level-up rate.

‘Based on this, I don’t think the gap with Rain will be large.’

In the case of the overall character level ranking, it was only shown when registered directly with Quency. Of course, IDs could be hidden. Nevertheless, there were no idiots who would hide it. Currently, streamers and rankers risked their lives to gain such rankings.

‘I will register in the rankings soon.’

Hyeonu scoured his inventory with an expectant face. Inside the inventory, there were items that Dorma had dropped. It wasn’t one item but three. There was a shiny red bead and a gold bead that looked like 23K pure gold. Lastly, there was leather that was slightly larger than Hyeonu’s palm. It looked exactly like Dorma’s scales.

“Uhahaha!” Hyeonu burst out laughing after seeing the three items.

He couldn’t stand it. Three items...

There were three! Even if they were material items, all three items were different. The Tyrant Caruso set that Hyeonu was currently wearing had been made by processing such material items.

‘I can roughly grind them down and make earrings or rings...’

“Ohuhu...” Hyeonu laughed as he imagined it. He laughed for a long time before picking up a bead from the ground. It was the red bead. Hyeonu’s hands were trembling from his expectations.

‘Item Information!’

Hyeonu read the item information carefully. At first, he couldn’t hide his excitement. Then as he continued reading, his expression darkened, and he eventually smashed the bead in his hand onto the ground.

“Shit!”

6th Anniversary Event Link