Ranker’s Return

-In Stage 3, your command ability in war will be tested. The background is the same as Stage 2. However, your opponent may be different. Command and win the battle as a knight. If the opponent is wiped out or has surrendered, the stage 3 test will end. The given time is 3 hours.

[Time remaining - 2:59:59]

‘I think I should like this...’

Stage 3, which took place after a long time, was the same mission as Stage 2. Of course, Hyeonu was a knight instead of a soldier, and there were some differences in the clear conditions. Even so, Hyeonu wasn’t too worried. He wasn’t the only knight, and the mission itself wasn’t very difficult. Of course, this was from Hyeonu’s standards.

‘It will be easier to fight because my skill proficiency has gone up.’

The Stage 2 reward had greatly increased his skill level, so Hyeonu was now in a different state.

‘Right!!’

“Tang-E, where is that guy?!”

Hyeonu just realized the sense of discomfort he felt. There was no Tang-E.

“Master, did you call?” Tang-E appeared behind Hyeonu and rubbed his head against Hyeonu. Hyeonu was about to turn his head toward Tang-E when a soldier entered the tent.

“Sir Knight! Get ready to go. The horse is prepared. We have to go.” The soldier didn’t leave the tent after speaking. Instead, he waited for Hyeonu.

So Hyeonu was forced to go out while holding Tang-E.

“I will talk to you later,” Hyeonu whispered in Tang-E’s ear.

Tang-E continued smiling without saying anything. Upon following the soldier out of the tent, Hyeonu saw the horse that was prepared for him. It was like the horses the knights rode in Stage 2. A muscular brown horse dressed in splendid barding—this was Hyeonu’s description.

‘By the way, isn’t this my first time riding a horse?’

A problem arose here. Hyeonu had never ridden a horse before. He knew how to get on a horse, but he had no idea how to move or ride one. It was his first time doing this since he started playing virtual reality games. He felt like he had encountered an obstacle in an unexpected place. Nevertheless, Hyeonu naturally put Tang-E on the back of the horse and mounted it himself.

‘I will get off when I’m fighting anyway.’

It was the solution Hyeonu had thought of. There might be problems during combat, but there would be no problems while moving to the battle location. No, he was certain of it. He believed Quency would show that much consideration to the player. Unsurprisingly, the soldier grabbed the reins of Hyeonu’s horse and started walking it.

“Is this really the last battle?” The soldier wondered out loud.

Hyeonu recalled that it was the same war as in Stage 2 and told this to the soldier, “Yes, this is the last time. I’m only telling you, but the Guardian Knights have decided to come for support.” 

“Really? Now I can go home.” The soldier’s emotions could be felt from his back.

Joy, cheer, and relief—they were emotions that didn’t match with a war.

“It will probably be said at the opening. That way, everyone’s morale will go up while fighting,” Hyeonu stated what he had seen in Stage 2 like he was expecting it.

In fact, the morale of the soldiers in Stage 2 had increased dramatically after hearing these words. The soldier agreed, “Yes, probably. The Guardian Knights are coming as support...”

It was obvious that was true just by looking at this soldier right now.

“From here on, you have to go alone,” the soldier said.

A familiar space opened up in front of Hyeonu’s eyes. It was the place where he had heard the explanation about the Guardian Knights in Stage 2. The only difference was that Hyeonu had changed from ‘Soldier 1’ to ‘Knight 1’ on horseback.

“We’ve already fought dozens of battles on the plains. However, today is really the last one. It is because the Guardian Knights, the number one knights of Luos, will come to support us.”

‘It is the same without any mistakes,’ Hyeonu remarked inwardly when he heard the speech again. The knight spoke the same words that Hyeonu had heard during Stage 2.

‘I want the opposing monsters to be dark elves as well...’

At this point, Hyeonu had one hope. He wished for the same monsters to come out. It would be a similar level anyway, but it was much more comfortable to face the dark elves he had already fought once before.

“Go forward!” The moment the knight’s speech ended, he started to move toward the plains just like he’d done in Stage 2.

“Let’s go,” Hyeonu said. However, he didn’t move. He kicked the horse’s side, but it showed no signs of moving. “Tang-E, can you talk with him?”

The solution Hyeonu thought of was Tang-E. Tang-E’s race was Marionette Bear. This meant he was, of course, a bear. Horses and bears were both animals, so Hyeonu thought they would have similar languages. Tang-E was very proud and showed off to the fullest while saying, “Of course, I am a great Marionette Bear after all. For horses like this one, it is ridiculous to give orders to them.”

“Really? Then let him follow those horses over there.”

Aside from Hyeonu, all the knights were already far away, and the soldiers moving past Hyeonu stared at him. Tang-E sat in front of Hyeonu and stroked the horse’s neck. Surprisingly, the horse started moving quickly. It was like the stopped time had started again.

“Hey, it's for real? Amazing.” Hyeonu stroked Tang-E’s head like Tang-E did to the horse.

“I am great, great,” Tang-E said, acting cute.

Meanwhile, Hyeonu quickly caught up with the knights.

“So how much time is being given to us?”

“It seems to be a bit over two hours. It’s enough as long as we maintain our formation against the opponent.”

Hyeonu overheard the conversation between two knights on horses with the more colorful armor.

“There will be no problems as long as the distribution is done properly...”

“Those guys are shrewd. There is nothing we can do about their nimbleness. There isn’t only one battle line here...”

‘Nimbleness?’ Hyeonu had thought there might be no change in the conversation between the two knights until he heard this. ‘It would be great if they're talking dark elves.’

The conversation between the two people continued even as Hyeonu prayed.

“Then we’ll stop in front. It is better to do that.”

“There might be no magicians, but aren’t there a few magic scrolls that contain the essence of imperial magic? Add them to our manpower and enough time can be bought.”

“The magic of the dark elves isn’t very powerful, so the scrolls are enough. No, it might be too much...”

‘Nice!’ Hyeonu clenched his fists after hearing the opponents were the dark elves. The opponents were the same as in Stage 2! This was ridiculously good news. There was no need for Hyeonu to show anything special as a knight. He just had to wipe out the dark elves with Tang-E, and it was clear he would get the best reward. After all, eliminating the dark elves quickly would save many soldiers. It was a result that met the mission’s success criteria very well.

[Master of Combat is activated.]

[Your stats have increased.]

[Mysterious Sky is activated.]

[Your five senses have sharpened.]

The welcome message windows appeared in front of Hyeonu’s eyes. It was proof that the dark elves had appeared.

“Tang-E, just use magic on the horse. Don’t stop,” Hyeonu ordered Tang-E. Then he stepped on the horse’s back and flew into the air. The other knights and soldiers stared at Hyeonu and cocked their heads with confusion.

“Who is that?! Grab him now!!” The knight commander yelled when he saw this scene. He seemed like he would rush out with his horse at any moment.

“No need. If the formation is disrupted now, all the soldiers will die.”

“We can’t kill thousands of soldiers to save a knight!”

The knights on the left and right stopped the knight commander as the lives of thousands of soldiers were more important than that of the lone knight running out now. This was especially so now that the support of the Guardian Knights was promised to come. The knight commander’s expression distorted, and his eyes found the horse with no owner. Something unexpected entered his vision.

The knight commander reached out and pointed to Hyeonu’s horse while asking, “What is riding that horse over there?”

Golden hair—this was what the knight commander was pointing at. A knight turned around and approached Hyeonu’s horse, where he found Tang-E smiling awkwardly. 

“Hello, human?” Tang-E greeted.

Upon seeing Tang-E, the knight was stunned and blinked several times. Then he shouted, “Ehh? It is a child, Captain!”

The other knights and the knight commander looked dumbfounded when they heard these words.

“A child? Some madman brought a child to the battlefield!”

The feeling of absurdity soon turned into anger. The battlefield was a place stained with blood and malice. Yet someone brought along a child who knew nothing to such a place?

“Who is it? Who brought a child to the battlefield?!”

Seeing the knight commander shout, Tang-E didn’t understand and continued to roll his eyes. He looked to the left and right, observing the surroundings.

‘Do they think of me as a human?’ Tang-E noticed it and changed his appearance, returning to his original form. He went from being a cute child to an even cuter golden bear.

“Eh?” The knights were perplexed when they saw it. It made them forget this place was the battlefield, and they released their tension.

“Bear...?” This word burst from someone’s mouth, and the plains quickly fell silent.

***

Hyeonu ran out alone and cocked his head when he saw no signs of being chased.

‘Isn’t Tang-E supposed to come? What is that brat doing now?’

Hyeonu felt a sense of betrayal toward Tang-E rising in his heart. He didn’t want Tang-E to fight beside him, and he was the one who had ordered Tang-E not to do so. Yet Tang-E didn’t chase him either. Hyeonu had no idea about what happened to Tang-E. He was just full of sadness that Tang-E didn’t follow him.

‘It is a shame because I haven’t received the buffs...’

Hyeonu might have to fight the dark elves without Tang-E’s buffs.

‘I’ll kill them all and see him afterward.’

His sadness toward Tang-E soon turned into aggressiveness in battle. It was a disaster for the dark elves. After running for one or two minutes, there were black-skinned handsome men and beautiful women who appeared in his vision.

“A knight of the empire!”

“Alone!!!”

“Kill him!”

The dark elves were flustered by Hyeonu’s sudden appearance, but they had also experienced many battles. So they quickly took out their weapons to kill Hyeonu. When he saw these dark elves, Hyeonu smiled.

‘That’s right, come here.’

This way, it would go faster. Hyeonu was going to give them a very strong shock.

‘Take your time, Hyeonu. Just relax.’

It was a skill he had learned after practicing for several hours. The power was outstanding since it was a skill he had gained at the seven-star proficiency.

“What are you doing? Attack!” The dark elves were unaware of Hyeonu’s intentions and rushed toward him.

They intended to wipe out the imperial army, starting from Hyeonu. Hyeonu naturally raised his magic power and concentrated it on the end of the Mysterious Sky Sword, where a black sphere gradually appeared. Finally, the bead was completed. The black bead was brilliant.

It trembled, and light poured in the direction the Mysterious Sky Sword was pointing. A path appeared in front of Hyeonu.

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