Ranker’s Return

Throughout the meal, Hyeonu kept watching Tang-E with a sympathetic expression. Later, Tang-E stopped eating and looked at Hyeonu, who then busied himself with his chopsticks like he hadn’t been watching Tang-E.

“I am full, Master. I am the happiest these days. I was very lucky to meet Master.”

At the end of the meal, Tang-E licked his greasy lips.

‘Poor guy...’

-How bad are his meals at home...?

-Yes, he should eat well here.

-Tang-E, here is the price of the meal.

-Tang-E is Cute has gifted you 100 gold coins.

-Tang-E is Mine has gifted you 93 gold coins.

-Tang-E is the Best Best has gifted you 52 gold coins.

This time, the hearts of the viewers and Hyeonu were the same. They saw Tang-E’s happy appearance and felt sorry for him.

“Let’s finish up. It is amazing that there were no separate questions about this topic. This is the third person signed to Crescent Moon.”

At the end of his words, Hyeonu flicked his fingers.

-Uh? Goddess?

-Don’t tell me?

-Leah will become a pro gamer?

On the viewers’ screen, the third student of Alley Leader Academy, Yuri, appeared.

“Leah has excellent skills, composure, and some combat skills. It was judged that she is good enough to be recruited as the priest of Crescent Moon, which will consist of six members.”

-Then that means she will often come out as a guest in the future?!

-I will acknowledge Leah!

-Goddess forever!

-I’m going to start making videos from today—the goddess highlights.

-I’ll be in charge of fan club #1 for Professional Gamer Leah.

This time, none of the viewers disputed it. They understood Hyeonu’s choice of having Leah as a team member. She was an all-rounder priest who could express sword energy and fight back for a short time. This also meant that the survival of Crescent Moon had increased despite having only one priest. For example, in a surprise assassination that targeted a priest, a typical priest would be killed once their shield was destroyed. However, Yuri could fight for a short time. This meant she could hold on until her teammates came to support her.

“There are two people left. I ask for your support for the players who have already joined, and please look forward to the players who will join in the future.”

Hyeonu bowed to the audience and said goodbye. After seeing it, Tang-E followed Hyeonu and bowed toward the empty air.

*** 

After streaming, Hyeonu tried to awaken his weary spirit with a shower. Yet, it didn’t work at all. He usually enjoyed washing with lukewarm water, but he was currently too sleepy.

‘Steady your mind. You can’t sleep yet!’

There was still too much work to be done before he could lay down on the bed. Recently, he regretted it. Why had he taken up the challenge of becoming a pro gamer? However, it was for a very short moment—less than a second.

‘Revenge.’

His purpose in becoming a professional gamer wasn’t to make money or to become famous; it was only revenge. That was all there was to it—revenge for his bed-bound father, revenge for his mother who was stuck looking at his father in such a state, and revenge for him having to watch the two of them. 

He would insert a dagger into Jung Cheolho’s heart, and the dagger would pierce this person’s heart and even his soul. He would smash the life of this person’s only child so that this person would be unable to recover. He would throw Jung Cheolho into the gutters of life.

Hyeonu knew. From Jung Hanbaek’s school days and the news after, Hyeonu knew what Arena and being a pro gamer meant to Jung Hanbaek.

‘It’s the only thing in which he can stand ahead of others on his own.’

Maybe it was the source of Jung Hanbaek’s self-esteem. Jung Hanbaek believed that he had escaped the shadow of his father, Jung Cheolho, and achieved it using his own strength.

‘Huh?’

At this moment, it became noisy outside. Hyeonu heard the opening of the front door, its electronic beeping sounds, and then a thick male voice ringing through the house. After hurriedly striking his cheeks a few times, he opened his room door and went to the living room.

“You ghost-like jerk. You heard me again.” Yeongchan saw Hyeonu coming out of his room and hid the white bag in his hand behind him.

“You can’t eat that alone. Why be so stingy when we’re friends living together?” Hyeonu spoke emphatically as he walked toward Yeongchan.

Yeongchan sighed and placed the white bag down on the table. It was chicken—the galbi flavored chicken that was trendy recently. In particular, this galbi flavored chicken was chiri (chicken + rice).

“I’m glad I ordered two because the chicken was small,” Yeongchan said while diligently setting up the table.

He discarded the radish broth, scooped out the rice in the rice cooker, and filled a 500cc beer mug with ice. Then in the mug full of ice, he poured the coke that had been delivered with the chicken. A refreshing sound rang in his ears.

“Hey, dude. Do you have no conscience? I bought the chicken and did the table setting, so you should wait!” Yeongchan cried out as he was pouring the coke.

Hyeonu was already eating the chicken with his chopsticks. Then he also chewed on something he held with his right hand. One piece of fried chicken and two pieces of radish—he ate them like a starving ghost.

“Slow down, you crazy jerk!” Yeongchan roughly dropped a beer mug filled with coke in front of Hyeonu. The moment Yeongchan took his seat, he raised a two-layer galbi-flavored piece of chicken to his mouth.

“Ah, rite. Today uri turn? I dinnit no. Received calls all da tim,” Yeongchan mumbled like a child thanks to his mouth being full of chicken.

Still, as the two of them were old friends, Hyeonu understood all of Yeongchan’s mumbles.

Hyeonu went on to reply, “Didn’t I tell you? Today is Yuri’s turn. It is natural that you’ll receive calls from those around you. You can talk about Yuri, but don’t talk about me. You can talk about Alley Leader, but don’t talk about me. The meaning of being a pro gamer will disappear if it enters that person’s ears.”

Yeongchan nodded. Yuri might have a foul personality, but she knew how to think.

‘It’s natural that I wouldn’t tell others even if you didn’t say this.’

“The only people who know are Yuri and Yeongjun,” Yeongchan stated. He didn’t like Hyeonu’s way of revenge, but he didn’t intervene since he didn’t have the right. Yeongchan just wished things would be solved according to Hyeonu’s will; this was the best he could do.

“Ah, stop eating. Spend some money and order it again, then you can eat it all by yourself. Are you a beggar? What are you doing with the money you made?” Yeongchan was just a bit harsh in the way he expressed this.

*** 

In front of the emperor's palace where the West Continent’s emperor resided, Hyeonu smiled when he saw the items from the East Continent that filled his inventory. They were items that were worth more than their monetary value.

‘They are things that will help me a lot.’

He was going to get a reward that was worth a dozen times more than the gold coins he used to buy them. Hyeonu’s inventory contained everything ranging from the alcohol he grabbed last time to fabrics, decorations, and various books unique to the East Continent. There was even food. He believed that all of these were necessary to get an immediate response from the emperor.

“Have you already arrived?” The emperor’s voice entered Hyeonu’s ears as he stood in front of the doors of the emperor's palace.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Hyeonu answered. 

He didn’t feel hesitant today. Rather, he was excited about the idea of being rewarded. Upon entering the emperor's palace, Hyeonu greeted the emperor and poured out all the things from his inventory. Hyeonu’s miscellaneous items made up a mountain-like pile.

“Is there anything decent apart from these useless things?” The emperor showed no interest in what Hyeonu had taken out.

‘This isn’t it?’ Hyeonu wondered.

“Then what about this, Your Majesty?” Hyeonu pulled out the liquor and food he’d bought from a store in the East Continent.

Tang-E would’ve gulped when he saw them. His food was never cheap and was actually slightly more expensive than the average person’s food. In particular, the alcohol Hyeonu just pulled out was high-end and ranged from tens to hundreds of gold coins per bottle.

“They are pretty appealing.” The emperor smiled.

At this moment, a bottle of alcohol and several plates of food floated in the air. The floating plates flew in front of the emperor, swinging around him like a conveyor belt in a sushi train restaurant. In the meantime, the emperor held the bottle of alcohol in his hands.

“It is stronger than the last one. The scent is also stronger. Very good. Is there a lot of alcohol in the East Continent?” The emperor’s expression seemed more pleasant than ever.

Hyeonu replied, “There are many kinds. Try the food. The recipes and spices are different from those in the West Continent, so it will be a new taste.” 

The moment that Hyeonu finished speaking, a piece of meat covered in thick brown spices floated from a plate and disappeared into the emperor’s mouth.

‘He also eats food in a strange manner.’

However, Hyeonu didn’t express this thought. Hyeonu was someone who always treated the person who gave the reward the best.

“Do you like it, Your Majesty?” 

“It’s good. The East Continent’s recipes and alcohol are essential. I like them.” The emperor continued to enjoy the alcohol and food.

The way he focused on the food reminded Hyeonu of Tang-E. It wasn’t until half the food on the floating plates was emptied that the emperor opened his mouth to say, “Take out the reply that you have received.”

Hyeonu responded to the emperor’s words by pulling out the letter from a corner of the inventory. It was a natural act like he had been waiting to do it. The reply from the East Continent’s emperor was also sucked into the hand of the West Continent’s emperor. He grabbed the reply and scanned the text.

“It is a positive answer. I have received a reply, so I’ll give you the reward I promised, Viscount Gang Hyeonu. No, is it Earl now?”

[Emperor’s Message has been cleared.]

[Experience has been acquired.]

[57,439 imperial contributions have been acquired.] 

[You have become an earl of the Yusma Empire.]

[Your title will be changed.]

[The title ‘First to Become an Earl’ has been created.]

[First to Become an Earl]

[You are the first player to become an earl of the Yusma Empire. The title will grow as you rise in rank.

Effect: The stat ‘dignity’ is created, and the damage dealt by opponents below the rank of earl is reduced by 25%. Damage dealt to those with a rank below earl is increased by 10%.]

‘The title has changed. It is pretty good. I received so many imperial contributions?!’

So far, the imperial contributions collected by Hyeonu had been fewer than 50,000. Yet he earned 57,349 alone from this quest.

‘The secret to getting a territory is interacting with the East Continent. Isn’t this pretty interesting?’

At this moment, the last reward message appeared. It was the one Hyeonu had been waiting for and anticipating the most.

[The emperor’s reward has been acquired.]

“Now, take this.” 

The emperor offered Hyeonu something. It was a small piece of paper.

6th Anniversary Event Link (Submission Final Date: 15th November)