Ranker’s Return

“No, why is it insufficient? Why?! It is just a mask. Why are there not enough materials?”

Hyeonu couldn’t resist hitting the cold capsule. It was so ridiculous that he was furious. This wasn’t about adding more things. It was just drawing an image on the mask. Yet this damn capsule wanted more ingredients. This...

[Drake’s Leather has to be inserted.]

There was a ridiculous text requesting for drake leather to be inserted. There were many players in the capital, Yusma. Yusma was the capital of the empire. Many people came here for sightseeing, not just hunts and quests. They started to point at Hyeonu.

“How stupid is he that he doesn’t know ingredients are needed to transform the appearance?”

“How do I transform the appearance using a capsule?”

“Who can teach me?”

At present, Hyeonu’s behavior was similar to that of ordinary players. In fact, his behaviour was so ordinary that it was impossible to recognize him as Alley Leader.

‘That is fortunate.’

Hyeonu quickly exited the workshop with Dorma’s Red Blood. It seemed like he would have to kill a drake again as soon as possible.

*** 

“Really? He’ll help?”

“It isn’t a lie? You aren’t joking?”

The players of the New York Warriors shouted as they surrounded Reina. They heard an unbelievable story just awhile ago. It was that Alley Leader had said he would help in the drake raid, the last gateway to the East Continent.

“Yes, he told me that he will help. In exchange, he asked for an item dropped by the drake,” Reina replied with a bored expression.

She didn’t know how many times she had said it already. Since she had already told them, why did they keep asking? She just didn’t understand. In the end, Reina raised her voice, “What are you so curious about? It is just helping in exchange for rewards. Yeah?!”

Then the expressions of the other players gradually became bleak.

“No, we just...”

“I was wondering if there is anything...”

“Honestly, adding us to the main scenario, getting revenge, and even helping in the raid...”

They ended up speaking in small voices.

“What? What did you say just now?” Reina’s chilly response caused them to flee to their rooms.

‘Is it really like that?’ Reina wondered when she was left alone.

Were her other colleagues right? Was he taking care of her personally? In any case, his intentions didn’t matter. The important part was that he wanted to do it himself. At this moment, she remembered what he looked like when she saw him at Nike’s party. Previously, it was like the Antarctic wind was blowing on Reina’s face. Now it had become the spring breeze.

*** 

“Hey, didn’t you get a title when you went to the East Continent? Did you receive it and then hide it?” 

These were the words Yeongchan casually shot at Hyeonu while they were having dinner.

‘Huh? I didn’t get a title?’ Hyeonu stopped moving his chopsticks and watched Yeongchan. There was nothing wrong with Yeongchan’s words.

“I didn’t get the first title... Was there a bug the other day? Why don’t I get a title? The first person to step onto the East Continent... Shouldn’t they give me one of these?”

It was strange now that he thought about it.

Why didn’t he get a title?

‘Is it only after the main scenario is over?’ 

In addition to the main scenario, there was one more reason for him to move quickly to the East Continent.

‘I can’t let the title be taken.’

In a way, a title was an extension of the main scenario’s compensation. It would be a shame to have it taken away by another player. Alley Leader’s meal was snatched? Anyone would laugh if they knew.

‘I will have to adjust the schedule and grab it tomorrow. I will be angry and won’t be able to sleep for two months if this is taken away.’

“Yeongchan, I’ve said it many times, but thank you again. I’ll have to ask you to tidy this up. Thank you, really.” Hyeonu dropped the chopsticks and headed to his room.

*** 

On a plane heading to Incheon International Airport, Kale and Jamie looked at their laptops with serious expressions. A while later, Kale and Jamie closed their laptops at the same time.

“Boss, the tip turned out to be true. It makes this visit extremely important.”

“Kale, let’s take a moment to think. It hasn’t been cleaned up yet. The broker actually got in touch with the players and designed the game manipulation.”

Jamie reached out and held back Kale who was trying to turn to him. Simultaneously, Jamie’s other hand was already moving toward his own temple. 

“So the mysterious tip that came to Alley Leader is true? There really is a broker?” Jamie pressed a hand to his temple.

It was outrageous. How could they overturn the board they’d set up? Moreover, it was all because of those people who didn’t put in any effort to develop the board.

“Where is their bottom line? What type of madman did something like this?” Jamie questioned.

He wasn’t his usual gentle, humorous self. A fire seemed to be ignited on his face and in his eyes. Still, he knew the seriousness of the situation and didn’t raise his voice. He just endured it with great patience.

“It isn’t only one or two. A few American Association executives have been identified, but they also have influence on associations in other countries,” Kale spoke in an unsentimental voice. However, the anger on Kale’s face showed his fury.

“Contact Quency. They will unconditionally be meeting with Alley Leader eventually. We should get rid of those who defile the sacred stage as soon as possible.”

“I understand, Boss. I will contact them at any cost.”

*** 

“Here is a copy of the email. Judging from your expression, it seems that things didn’t go well,” Hyeonu said. 

He felt anxious when he saw Kale. It was the first time he had seen Kale’s face look like this. Hyeonu had only met with Kale a few times, but every time, Kale had looked perfect. A professional who never showed any gaps—that was Kale.

‘So why does he look like this today?’

Things appeared to be going wrong. Kale seemed to feel Hyeonu’s anxiety and waved his hand. “No, it is a problem because it worked out too well. Heder’s recruitment is likely to pass without much noise. Don’t worry, Mister Gang.” 

“I’m glad. So what happened? Did it turn out to be true?”

“I don’t think it is something I can talk about. In a few minutes, the boss will come and explain it himself. Please wait inside.”

“Kale will be cold. Let’s go in together. We still need to talk.”

Hyeonu and Kale settled in the meeting place first. Hyeonu raised a hand to stop the employee who was trying to approach them and asked Kale, “What about signing the contracts in the U.S. the next month?

“I think everything will be over by then.”

“The timing seems to be very appropriate. I think we just need to coordinate the terms and conditions. For those who want it, their management can be with Nike Management.”

Kale nodded at Hyeonu’s suggestion. Next month, it would happen. There would be a storm, and Heder’s signing would just be a passing wind. Rather, the next storm would be Alley Leader’s debut, not Heder’s. This was meleegod’s second coming.

There was something a football coach had said. It was that the form might be temporary, but the class was forever. It would soon be the same for Alley Leader.

“You don’t have to worry about it at all. Everything will flow according to Mister Gang’s will,” Kale said.

The only problem was that this storm was quite heavy. It was time for the two of them to have a proper conversation. With footsteps that sounded in a regular beat, someone headed to the room where Hyeonu and Kale were sitting. The door soon opened, and Jamie Moore, Nike Management’s CEO, emerged.

“It is the first time we’re meeting since the party, right? I watched yesterday’s stream and saw that you’ll be going back to the East Continent—A-World’s only East Continent content. I’m looking forward to it!” Jamie Moore started talking while shaking Hyeonu’s hand.

It was the attitude of a fan toward a star.

“It isn’t just me. A few dozen more people will be added. I’m a bit indebted to them, so I should extend a helping hand,” Hyeonu said. 

Even after all this time, he still felt a bit burdened by Jamie’s attitude toward him. It made him feel strange that someone liked him so much.

“Yes, no one can compare to Alley Leader. For the first time in A-World, Alley Leader has surpassed 20 million viewers.” Jamie smiled cheerfully like he didn’t remember what had happened on the plane. “By the way, I think your judgment was very good. Giving the viewers a bus ride—this isn’t a bad thing. However, you should refrain from doing such things as much as possible. It isn’t for our sake but for Mister Gang yourself.”

“I’m aware. It is better to be as quiet as possible as long as I’m aiming to be a pro gamer, not just a streamer. I’m not such a thoughtless idiot. I will just give them one push,” Hyeonu responded with a bright smile.

“You can really communicate well! Also, you should’ve already talked about it with Kale, but please ask if you have any more questions.”

Upon hearing Jamie’s words, Hyeonu decided to ask the question Kale hadn’t answered: “I was curious about the consequences of the ‘tip’ I received. Is it true?”

Jamie’s head turned slightly to look at Kale with an expression that asked why this question was pushed to him.

‘I’ve been talking for a while. Now I have to do it again...’

Jamie had been talking for a long time on the phone with someone from Quency.

His heart ached even more as he spoke about the unpleasant matter. “It seems to be true. At first glance, the patterns written in the documents don’t seem related, but they show a regular pattern. In other words, it is true that game manipulation has occurred.”

Game manipulation—this was the contents of the report Hyeonu received on Alley Leader’s account. It was the most taboo thing in the sporting world.

Jamie received a document from Kale and placed it on the table. “First of all, let’s look at the American League. Tuesday’s matches and Friday’s matches—the winning and losing scores are different, but they have something in common. The raid time is similar and in the PvP matches, they will unconditionally lose the first and fourth games.”

“Isn’t that too far-fetched?” Hyeonu remarked.

Jamie’s explanation made Hyeonu feel like it wasn’t match manipulation at all.

“That is why we didn’t notice it, and neither did Quency. It was just a common game with victories and losses,” Jamie continued to explain.

As Jamie’s explanation continued, so did Hyeonu’s nodding. By the time Jamie’s explanation was finally over, Hyeonu became convinced that it was genuinely a match manipulation operation.

“Thank you very much for this. It is for Arena.”

‘And for my revenge.’

Hyeonu’s eyes curved in a half-moon shape as he grinned widely.

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