Ranker’s Return

There was a man descending Mount Cheon. He was dressed in a pretty unique outfit—dark-red mask, shirt, pants, and shoes. They were all red and black. Just the black coat that he had on top proved that this person’s fashion sense remained in the category of a certain person.

Hyeonu, the man dressed in black and red, murmured in a low voice, “It was so hard that I wanted to die.”

He had a reason to go through the Balder Mountains. It was to clear the main scenario and clear the quest. He’d gone through the mountain range without hesitation on this basis. However, right now, he was just wandering. The reason? A castle. It was to find a castle.

‘It is a nuisance.’

There was no reason for this. It was just a nuisance. Why should he search for a castle?

“I have to find the castle and buy a return book.”

Hyeonu gritted his teeth and didn’t stop walking.

*** 

[Return to the East Continent. Who am I? Where is This?]

Hyeonu made the most appropriate statement to describe his current status as the title of the stream.

-What is going on?

-It seems he has lost his way.

-I think he is climbing a mountain again.

-He is a mountain addict. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

As usual, the viewers speculated about Alley Leader based on the stream title. Perhaps too much was revealed, so most of the viewers’ words were right.

-I saw on SNS that Alley Leader ran over as a helper.

-Where are the guilds?

-New World and the New York Warriors?

-Why isn’t he helping New World? Isn’t it his guild?

-The two groups combined and did the raid at once.

Rumors had already spread about how Alley Leader had raided the drake with New World and the New York Warriors. There were two sources for this news. One was a professional gamer from the New York Warriors, and the other was New World’s channel. The pro gamer had just made a short post on social media with a photo of Alley Leader’s mask, thanking him for his help.

The problem was New World’s channel. They were promoting it extensively. No, it was just that they started to stream. They were in the process of preparing for the expedition to the East Continent, approaching the nobles they were friendly with through miners and taking quests. Consequently, they started streaming a lot of content related to the East Continent.

“Hello? I am Alley Leader. It is nice to see you, everyone,” Hyeonu opened his stream as pleasantly as usual.

Then as time passed after Hyeonu started streaming, some enthusiastic viewers captured the hidden parts of his voice.

-Why is his voice so depressed?

-He seems to be in a bad mood right now.

-What happened?

“What’s going on? I’m just worried that today’s stream won’t be any fun.” Hyeonu sighed. 

He turned on the streaming mode because it was his day to stream, but he still hadn’t left Mount Cheon. It seemed like he could only escape Mount Cheon after hunting for a day and night.

-Oh, my god, talking about no fun in a stream?

-However, that is a streamer. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Well, there is something like that.

-Then just bring out Tang-E.

-It is good to hunt but better to give us Tang-E.

The viewers comforted Hyeonu. People didn’t care about Hyeonu’s words. So far, he had already delivered a lot of content, so it was understandable that today’s stream would be normal, just like other activities.

‘Oh, right. Tang-E’s appearance has changed.’

Hyeonu remembered something after seeing the viewers’ comments about Tang-E. After taking took Dorma’s Heart, Tang-E had a change in appearance. This was something the viewers hadn’t seen yet. “Before I start in earnest, we will take a brief moment to look at Tang-E’s charms.”

-Ohhhhh!

-Now it seems that you know a bit about streaming.

-This is it. It should be this way.

The viewers reacted strongly to Hyeonu’s words. It wasn’t just through words. They showed it through action.

-Tang-E is Cute has gifted you 99 gold coins.

-Tang-E is the Best Best has gifted you 87 gold coins.

-Tang-E is Mine has gifted you 63 gold coins.

Gold coins poured in. Tang-E also drove a push of gold coins. His gold fur might actually be made of gold coins.

“Everyone, I will introduce Tang-E’s new look. Tang-E!” Hyeonu summoned Tang-E with a clear voice. Appearing with an appearance that was a few times more glamorous than before, Tang-E emerged from a golden magic circle with a red glow.

“Who called me?!!” Tang-E screamed the moment he showed up. The viewers saw this scene and cocked their heads.

-Uh? There’s something strange?

-Why is he so embarrassed?

For the first few minutes, no one noticed. There was only an abstract feeling.

-The color of his paw pads?

-Where did the blue and red paws go?

-Where did the attraction point go?

-What happened to them?

The viewers started writing angry messages. One of Tang-E’s charms had been his colored paw pads. Now, they were gone. Tang-E was currently being held in Hyeonu’s arms, so his chest wasn’t visible to the viewers.

“Instead, there is something else. The world is always about give and take. Since the colors on the paws have disappeared, shouldn’t there be something else?”

-Yes, there is something.

-What is it? Alley Leader!

-Please disclose it! I’m becoming dizzy!

Hyeonu carefully laid down Tang-E in front of the viewers. “Tang-E, you’ve practiced it, right? Shall we give it a try?”

-Practice?

-What practice?

-Show it to me quickly!

Tang-E turned his back to the audience so his chest couldn’t be seen.

“Bam, bam bam!!” Hyeonu made background music using his mouth.

Simultaneously, Tang-E jumped into the air, spinning 180 degrees. Then he started the ‘heart dance’ that was done by a Korean men’s group ‘Mythology’ in the past. Tang-E made a heart as he showed the red heart-shaped fur on his chest and did the dance steps, performing an extremely cute dance and huge heart gesture.

-Ah, I’m healed.

-Healing? Now my heart is beating like crazy?

-I think I’ve been running for 100 meters.

-This is really crazy. I want to have one too. Tang-E.

The audience’s hearts exploded. Their hearts thumped crazily like the engine of a sports car. Simultaneously, the desire for ownership exploded. They wanted to have Tang-E instead of just Tang-E’s videos.

-Buying the extract of Tang-E’s cute dance!

-Let’s go with $1 for A-World’s paid video!

-$1? It should be at least $3!!

-The price is very good, so just upload it!

‘Sell?’

It wasn’t a very attractive proposition as Hyeonu already had enough money. He had paid off his debts, and the money coming in from his A-World channel every day was a huge amount. Additionally, the amount of money from his sponsorship agreements was significant.

“Then show your enthusiasm—enthusiasm to have Tang-E’s video. I will try something out.”

Right after Hyeonu finished speaking, the viewers’ comments swarmed in with a rush like zombies seeking human warmth.

-Come on, tell us!

-What are the conditions?! Money? Or something else? What is it?

-I’ll agree to anything!

There was a strange smile on Hyeonu’s face when he saw the audience’s words.

“Then let’s do this. It’s the number of recommendations for the video uploaded after today’s streaming ends! If the number of recommendations is over 1/5 of the view count, I will sell the video for 500 won!” Hyeonu cried out like a man who had made a big decision.

500 won—it was 50 cents in dollars and worth 0.5 gold in gold. It was the lowest amount that Hyeonu could offer. Hyeonu wasn’t blinded by money because of a lack of money but because of Alley Leader’s image. By selling the video at the lowest amount of 500 won or, in other words, 0.5 gold coins, it meant he didn’t deviate from his image.

If Alley Leader, who was a monster born of capitalism and was keen on gold coins, were to suddenly kick away money and release content free of charge… The viewers didn’t know about the short term effects, but in the long term, it was the worst kind of decision he could make. He could destroy the image he’d spent the past few months building.

However, the viewers’ reactions showed that selling the video at a price of 500 won was the right decision.

-The person born of capitalism is releasing a video for 0.5 gold coins?

-It can’t be the same person...

-Has he lost his original intentions? There is a change of heart. Yes, please ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-There can’t be a change of heart for a monster born of capitalism. Just head straight toward capitalism!

The viewers were surprised and satisfied with the release of a video for the low price of 500 won. It was priced more cheaply than they thought it would be.

-I’d do this for 30 gold coins.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It isn’t to that extent. Alley Leader might not have a conscience, but it isn’t to that extent.

-Still, it’s nice that it is cheap. 

‘Yes, this is right.’

Hyeonu praised his perfect judgment as he hugged Tang-E again. Now he had to continue going down the mountain.

“Isn’t Tang-E cute? This fur. It is exactly heart-shaped.”

*** 

Several more hours passed, and Hyeonu was finally able to see a castle.

‘It takes around four days in Arena time?’

He didn’t know the geography, so he wandered around. Still, now that he had been here once, the time it took to get here could be reduced by half next time.

“Now I can see the castle. Am I not an experienced person? I’m going to enter with a free pass.”

Hyeonu was full of confidence as he proudly approached the guard at the gates.

‘Why should I hide my identity?’

Wasn’t he a noble of Yusma, the only empire in the West Continent? Moreover, he had received the emperor’s quest, so there was no need to hide.

“Hello?” Hyeonu spoke politely but proudly to the guard.

“What is going on? Do you need help?” The guard was very respectful to Hyeonu.

This was very familiar to Hyeonu. The guards protecting Lebron’s mansion generally showed this attitude.

‘Do they know that I’m a noble?’

This was the effect of Hyeonu’s heightened dignity. The dignity stat that was over 2,000 points made Hyeonu seem like a man of great identity to the castle’s guards.

‘Well, it is good.’

“I am a noble of the West Continent who crossed through Mount Cheon. I don’t have enough knowledge of this place, so can I ask for a detailed explanation?”

-Kyah, this majesty and dignity.

-As expected of the only viscount player.

-He carries extra virgin olive oil on his tongue.

The viewers marveled at Hyeonu’s smooth speech. It was an immersive experience that couldn’t be compared to their own. They admired it even more because it was impossible for such cringe-worthy words to be said when Arena was so realistic.

“Y...You are a noble from the West Continent? W...Wait a minute. I will come back with my superiors.” The guard listened to Hyeonu’s words and became flustered, but he soon regained his composure and ran into the castle without looking back.

“Uh... Doesn’t something seem to be wrong?” Hyeonu felt something was wrong when he saw this sight. He just wanted to comfortably enter the castle and hear an explanation. This was strange.

-It is Alley Leader after all. He never lets us down.

-It isn’t a stream if there are no incidents~

Regardless of what Hyeonu felt, the viewers just found the current situation thrilling.

Three weeks down, approximately one month left to go until the end of the contest submission on the 15th November. We have a few fanart entries but are still lacking any fanfiction entries.

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