Ranker’s Return

Hyeonu immediately got up and moved to where the high-speed carriages were. The place was as crowded as a modern airport, and there was an endless line of carriages. He approached a spot that had the word ‘Selling’ and asked the merchant there, “I want to ride a carriage to Linakalu. What’s the price?” 

“The high-speed carriage to Linakalu is priced at 50 gold coins per person. How many tickets do you need?”

‘50 gold coins?’ 

It was more expensive than Hyeonu thought it would. Considering that a return scroll was usually 2 to 3 gold, this wasn’t just expensive. It was close to profiteering.

“When does the high-speed carriage to Linakalu depart?”

Even so, he couldn’t help riding it. He had to ride it; it was too horrible to walk.

“The high-speed carriage to Linakalu will only depart when four passengers have gathered. To be exact, four tickets should be purchased. However, no one has purchased a ticket to Linakalu today,” the merchant spoke with a smile.

Hyeonu was troubled upon hearing those words.

‘Do I have to pay 200 gold coins?’

200 gold was 200,000 won in reality. Considering the distance between Taeyang and Linakalu, it wasn’t very expensive. However, that was in comparison to transport costs in reality. It was totally different when comparing it to the prices in virtual reality games.

‘The problem is time... I can’t waste time waiting for three people who I don’t know when they will come.’

It was worth spending an extra 150 gold if it meant saving time spent on waiting for others and getting a clue for his quest in Linakalu. Rather, there would be multiple benefits.

‘Yes, let’s go.’

Hyeonu made a decision and gave the merchant 200 gold: “I will buy four tickets to Linakalu. So can we leave right now?”

The merchant took the gold coins from Hyeonu and handed out four pieces of paper with the word ‘Linakalu’ on them. Then he said, “You know you can't get a refund, right? Go to the place that says ‘Linakalu’ and hand over the tickets to the coachman.”

Hyeonu nodded and received the tickets. He had no intention of getting a refund anyway. After all, he wanted to use them right away. Yet this thought lasted for less than three minutes. It was because he saw the crazy crowd of people near the sign that said ‘Linakalu’. The number of carriages seemed small compared to the number of people present.

‘I was tricked.’

“Do you have any more people? The carriage will depart only when four tickets are collected.”

At the coachman’s words, Hyeonu handed out four tickets with a firm expression: “Four tickets. Here you go.”

The coachman smiled kindly when he saw the tickets presented by Hyeonu. He opened the door of the carriage and pointed inside. “I will serve you comfortably and quickly. Please fill out the paper inside and hand it over to me. Then I will steer the carriage accordingly.”

It was a smile that was filled with capitalism. Hyeonu nodded and climbed into the carriage. As always, Tang-E was there next to Hyeonu.

‘It isn’t as bad as I thought.’

He had gotten tricked by an NPC, but it wasn’t that bad now that he thought about it. Spending long hours with NPCs he didn’t know well in a narrow carriage would be quite inconvenient.

“Hey, get in! Stop eating. Why are you always eating? Is it because you don’t eat anything when you go to Bung Bung Island? So that’s why you fill up your stomach here. You go there and starve, right?” Hyeonu spoke words that stabbed Tang-E’s heart.

Tang-E quickly turned around, placing the remaining meat into his mouth. Then he turned back and smiled at Hyeonu.

“Oh, you fool. Still, you can’t eat like that. What are you going to do if you get indigestion? Chew slowly and swallow.” Hyeonu handed something to Tang-E, who was smiling like a fool.

It was a potion from his inventory. All he had to drink was alcohol and potions. He couldn’t give Tang-E alcohol, so he had to give a potion. Tang-E hesitated for a long time before taking the lid off the potion Hyeonu handed him and putting it in his mouth.

“Get in quickly if you’re done eating,” Hyeonu said.

Tang-E handed the empty bottle to Hyeonu and got into the carriage. The moment Tang-E got in, the carriage started moving. Their journey to Linakalu had started.

*** 

On board the carriage, Hyeonu marveled at the interior of the carriage. It was a horse-pulled carriage, but it was more like a car. There was one long sofa facing the forward direction and one in the reverse direction. Additionally, there was a table of a moderate size between the two sofas, and the interior was much wider than he had thought it would be. It was comparable to that of top-end cars that were sold with customized features.

‘What is this?’ 

Hyeonu picked up a piece of paper and a pen on the table. He remembered the coachman’s words.

[Selection of Carriage Operation]

[1. Choose how long it takes to get to Linakalu (a minimum of two days to a maximum of four days).

2. Choose a transit city.

3. If you want to stop driving, press the bell on the wall. (However, if you do it too excessively then you might not be able to stop in the future. This is in order to comply with the strict operating hours. Please choose carefully.)

4. If you get off before arriving at your destination, please ask for your ticket from the coachman. Use the ticket during the transit to get on the carriage again and head to your destination. (However, tickets are only valid for a maximum of one week from the date of first use.)]

The more he saw this, the more he thought it was a good choice to ride the carriage by himself. If he had ridden with another NPC, then he wouldn’t have been able to stop and continue whenever he wanted.

‘I’m sure it’s for tourism. The East Continent...’

The unfounded speculation he had last time was likely to be true. The East Continent had rare monsters, as well as scenery and cities that captured the essence of the entire continent. There was a means of transportation that allowed quick movement, even though it wasn’t the same as a movement scroll. Additionally, there were even commercial facilities like Buncheonru, and Linakalu—where Hyeonu was going to this time—was a resort.

‘There are enough possibilities.’

Of course, there were no problems or benefits for Hyeonu if it were true. It was because Hyeonu had no relationship with Quency. Nevertheless, he still had a way to use the East Continent.

‘Alley Leader’s tour... That is enough.’

It was to deepen what he was doing in the streaming now. He intended to make tourism easier for the majority of players by teaching them the route and means of movement in detail.

“Tang-E, I can open the window for you. Don’t just glance at it like that. Look openly,” Hyeonu said.

Tang-E continued to look out the window of the carriage several times like it was a novelty and as if he hadn’t ridden in carriages several times already.

“No, I’m not looking.” Tang-E blushed like he was ashamed and waved his hands vigorously.

“Then you don’t want to open it?” Hyeonu stopped opening the window with a sly smile.

Tang-E yelled urgently, “No, I’ll look. Open the window, Master.”

Hyeonu’s smile widened. He turned his face to the window and murmured in such a low voice that Tang-E couldn’t hear, “Everyone, are you seeing this? Tang-E is so cute.”

-Hahaha, I love Tang-E.

-My heart is beating wildly!

-It is bad for my health...

-Tang-E is so cute...

In the meantime, Hyeonu had turned on the streaming mode. He started a surprise stream to make the most of this useless travel time. It was also a type of image management.

‘I get scolded every time I take a break, but if I do this occasionally, I will hear praise.’

This was a truth from the past. Hyeonu was merely carrying out proven truths.

-Thank you for the surprise streaming. In that sense, I will give gold coins!

-Me too, me too!!

-I will also give them!

-Alley Leader is the Best Best Best has gifted you 55 gold coins.

-Leader Big Fan has gifted you 18 gold coins.

-Tang-E is the Best Best has gifted you 98 gold coins.

The result was as expected. As if to prove the truth, good results emerged.

“There is only one reason why I turned on the streaming mode. I am going to be in the carriage for a long time. It is nothing special, just a drive through the East Continent.”

It was literally a travel stream. He chatted and joked, played with Tang-E, and watched the scenery outside. Then Hyeonu took out a mask from his inventory. His face had to be covered because he was changing the streaming perspective.

“Tang-E, how is it outside? Is it good?”

Glancing at Hyeonu wearing the mask, Tang-E spoke with an excited expression, “It is cool and nice.”

Tang-E looked very happy because the carriage was cool and fast.

-The scenery outside is really good.

-It feels like I’m on a train.

-However, isn’t this really fast? It is a carriage, right?

-Is it a car, not a carriage?

The viewers were amazed by the fast speed of the carriage. They knew what Hyeonu was riding due to the streaming title, but it was just too unbelievable. “It is a bit too fast to call it a carriage. The horses run very well like they’ve taken drugs. Don’t think of it as an ordinary carriage. This is Arena. It isn’t reality.”

-I admit it.

-I’m certain it’s drugs.

-By the way, how many are pulling the carriage?

-Two of them? Four? Six?

“It is a carriage drawn by four horses. The place I’m going to now is Linakalu, a famous resort city of the East Continent. It is far away, so the ticket price is expensive.”

-Stream the resort.

-How expensive is it?

-Is there no return scroll? Ah, none...

“Up to four people can ride in one carriage, and the ticket to Linakalu costs 50 gold coins per person. Four tickets must be sold before it can leave.”

The viewers were shocked by Hyeonu’s words. The ticket price for the carriage was too expensive.

-Crazy. What is 50 gold?

-Four tickets are needed to start, so it’s 200 gold? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-It’s spinning ㅋㅋㅋ

-Isn’t the company too good at collecting gold? It isn’t easy to earn.

Hyeonu carefully expressed his thoughts to the viewers. “It might be because the place I’m going to is so far away. It’s cheaper if it’s closer.”

-Ah, is that so?

-Then what...

-Then how far away is it?

-Does it take around 7-8 hours?

“It takes at least two days in Arena. Of course, you can relax in a city in the middle. You don’t have to go immediately to your destination. You can explore other cities as long as you have a ticket. It has a very wide range of use.”

Hyeonu didn’t think it was very expensive. This was because they could get off at a city in the middle of the journey. Moreover, there was a limit of one week.

‘Actually, one week isn’t enough for a tourist attraction.’ 

By Hyeonu’s standards, spending 50 gold coins wasn’t a waste at all. 50 gold was 50,000 won. However, there was a story for when money was exchanged. Otherwise, it was just 50 gold. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t cash but cryptocurrency in a virtual reality game.

-Ah, it is a travel-pass concept. Then I acknowledge the price.

-It isn’t using real dollars anyway. It is just gold.

-Right. Gold.

Hyeonu’s explanation was accepted. The viewers’ perception of the value changed in an instant. The price had changed from expensive to okay.

“If you wander around with your loved one or family while looking at such scenery... Isn’t it great? I will walk around with Tang-E.”

Hyeonu’s words were filled with a great mood, but the audience just scoffed at them.

-So you don’t have a girlfriend?

-Yes, please come out solo.

-This is a great magician. It seems he can use Meteor in reality.

-So his control is magic. The secret was finally revealed.

“No!!!”

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