Ranker’s Return

[Leaders of the Secret Camp Killed 2/50]

No matter what was going on with Zaun and Qing Feng, Hyeonu had nothing to do with it. The important thing to Hyeonu was that the conflict with the Chonghua Sect had disappeared. While Qing Feng and Zaun continued to talk, Hyeonu exited Muhwa Palace. Now that the fire was extinguished, he had to continue with his work as planned.

‘Who was number two?’

He had to kill the second group leader whose name he couldn’t remember. Hyeonu once again opened the paper in his hand.

[-The 2nd group leader of the Secret Camp, Guan. Infiltrated Dinnei, one of the shaman groups. One of Dinnei’s 20 shamans. Good at lightning, curses, and ghost magic.]

‘This is the worst.’

The opponent was a shaman. Shamans were basically no different from magicians. In other words, they could have their own laboratories like magicians. If so, he was clearly possible that he might be difficult to deal with.

‘Please, I hope not...’

This was really the worst. It would take too much time and effort to deal with a shaman. Hyeonu was sighing when the old wooden door opened, and Qing Feng came out.

“Things have finished smoothly, so why are your shoulders sagging?” Qing Feng approached Hyeonu casually like he was already feeling good, or maybe he was just pretending to be like this.

“Do you know Dinnei’s Guan?”

“Dinnei? Guan?” Qing Feng cocked his head slightly at Hyeonu’s words. Moments later, Qing Feng clapped as he remembered who Guan was. “Ah! I remember. That sullen guy. Why? Is he part of the Secret Camp as well?”

Hyeonu nodded at Qing Feng’s words. “He is my next target.”

“Maybe... It might be easy. You just have to do it.”

“Huh? What are you...”

Qing Feng responded to Hyeonu’s words through actions. He raised his right hand and drew his thumb across his neck.

“He doesn’t have many relationships there. It is an atmosphere where he never looks good, so he barely appears at regular gatherings,” Qing Feng added an additional explanation. 

That was when Hyeonu understood Qing Feng’s words.

‘It means there is nothing wrong with just killing him.’

This had been the case so far, but Hyeonu still felt a bit anxious. Just yesterday, Hyeonu had killed Hu An with a single blow, but this behavior would only work once or twice. He couldn’t always kill so blatantly.

‘I think it will be safe up to the 10th person...’

From then on, the difficulty would go even higher. They would realize they were being targeted and be prepared to some extent.

“Then do you know where he is?” Hyeonu asked.

“Him? Of course, I know. It is impossible not to know. Do you remember the first time we met?”

Hyeonu revisited his memories. His first meeting with Qing Feng—it was quite a long time ago.

“We met at Bukneung Mountain. We fought with bandits,” Hyeonu said.

He’d met Qing Feng on Bukneung Mountain, where he visited to test the newly gained Mysterious Sky skill.

‘It has been a while now that I think about it,’ Hyeonu thought.

Qing Feng smiled at Hyeonu’s answer. “You remember. Do you know why I was there that day?”

“Don’t tell me...?”

Qing Feng’s smile widened and explained, “I didn’t go to see him, but I met him while passing through Bukneung Mountain. He talked to me for a while. I remember him telling me that he is staying near that area.” 

This was good news. It saved Hyeonu a lot of time searching for Guan.

“Brother, thank you. I’ll pay you back for this favor later. Today, I’m busy...” Hyeonu said and quickly parted from Qing Feng.

***

There were no bandits on Bukneung Mountain when he returned. Instead, monsters filled this place.

“Why are there so many?”

There were just as many monsters as in the West Continent. The variety was so diverse that there was no time for Hyeonu to adapt.

“Tang-E, how about it? Try killing them.” Hyeonu directed his annoyance at the innocent Tang-E. Tang-E wasn’t a gentle person, so he was annoyed by Hyeonu as well.

“Master dude, can’t you just fight harder? Why send me? Master dude is stronger anyway.” Tang-E said this, but he diligently used magic when a monster appeared.

“Hey, it appeared again.” Hyeonu frowned at the monsters in front of him.

They had a height close to three meters, muscles of a disgusting size, and rough dark blue skin. Additionally, they wielded a jagged spear as long as their height. Their overall appearance resembled a sea monster’s. This type of monster had the name of ‘menon’, but Tang-E didn’t call them by their name.

“Ugly muscular monsters. Burn and kill them.” To Tang-E, they were just ‘ugly muscular monsters’.

“I’m not going to use the blade this time, so you should use Giant Transformation to fight. It is a melee combat exercise,” Hyeonu said. 

He was using the battle against the menon as a type of training. It was an opportunity for him to practice the newly acquired Mysterious Sky Demonic Strength and for Tang-E to gain combat experience.

“Go, Tang-E!” Hyeonu pointed to the running menon with his right hand.

Tang-E ran toward the menon that Hyeonu was pointing at. Meanwhile, Hyeonu didn’t just watch. He ran for the other two menons that Tang-E wasn’t handling.

‘Mysterious Sky Demonic Strength is pretty good,’ Hyeonu thought.

It wasn’t precisely the Mysterious Sky Demonic Strength, but the one that was changed after the Book of Random Luck Enhancement was used on the Mysterious Sky Demonic Art. The skill couldn’t be better for Hyeonu who had excellent control.

This was especially so as he had half-modified the skill. The original Mysterious Sky Demonic Strength was to condense magic power and shoot it in front like a laser. However, Hyeonu now freely applied the half-modified Mysterious Sky Demonic Strength, which had become a continuous-type skill. He condensed magic power onto his fingers, not his sword.

The black light that shot from Hyeonu’s fingertip collided with the spear of one the menons. That menon fell backward without knowing anything. The other menon that was running over from the side cocked its head as its ally disappeared, but it immediately waved its spear at Hyeonu, the prey in front of it. The menon’s spear ripped through the air and aimed at Hyeonu. Seeing it, Hyeonu took one step to the left, using Mysterious Sky Steps to travel approximately one meter away. So the menon’s spear just cut through the air.

Then Hyeonu stretched out his right hand toward the menon. A black ray of light cut through the air from his fingertips. However, this time, there were five rays instead of one. The menon’s spear blocked three of them, but the monster was unable to stop two of the pure energies. Now, the menon had a hole the size of a baby’s fist in both shoulders. Of course, they were holes, so blood spilled from them.

“Kuaaah!” The menon fell while grabbing its pained shoulders. Meanwhile, the other menon threw its spear at Hyeonu. A sharp white spear cut through the air, letting out an eerie sound. It seemed like it would penetrate Hyeonu’s head. The moment the white spear reached him, Hyeonu left three afterimages.

Once again, the spear just cut through empty air, resulting in nothing. Then the three afterimages once again merged into one at a spot located by the side of the menon who threw the spear. The menon was defenseless the moment its attack failed.

Ultimately, it was just a monster. Hyeonu’s fist struck the menon’s side. His right hand burned with black flames and tore at the menon’s side.

Boom!

There was a loud noise as the menon’s side seemed to explode. It wasn’t just its side that burst. Unable to withstand the impact, the menon was sent flying straight through the air. Since Hyeonu had a moment to spare, he observed Tang-E’s battle.

‘Oh, he seems to be fighting very well?’

Tang-E was fighting without using Giant Transformation. He avoided the menon’s spear by moving his small body, making resilient movements similar to that of a bouncing ball. After avoiding another of the menon’s attack, Tang-E’s turn finally came. He wrapped a blue electric current around his body just like when he used Giant Transformation. Then he shoved it into the menon’s body. There was soon the smell of burning flesh.

“Kuaaaaah!” The menon naturally cried out with pain. As it let out a sharp scream, blood flowed from its mouth. Simultaneously, the menon started to struggle. It swung its spear randomly and started to twist its body randomly.

“Uwah, the ugly guy is going crazy!” Tang-E pulled his paw away from the menon’s body and stepped back.

Hyeonu’s observation lasted up to here.

“Whoa....!” Hyeonu felt something aim at him and quickly moved away using Mysterious Sky Steps. A white spear stabbed into the spot where Hyeonu had just stood. The menon who had holes in its shoulders had healed its wounds and aimed at Hyeonu again. It happened because Hyeonu had watched Tang-E without finishing the injured menon off.

Hyeonu gritted his teeth and moved toward that menon. Nevertheless, there was another movement to restrain such a Hyeonu.

“Kuooooh!” The menon, whose side had exploded, had now also healed its wound to a certain extent, and it swung its spear at Hyeonu. With the spear obstructing his path and preventing him from moving forward, Hyeonu’s movements came to a stop. While his feet might’ve stopped, his arms still continued to move.

As a red ray of light from Hyeonu’s body wrapped around the menon, Hyeonu’s hand reached out simultaneously. It was the same as before. Hyeonu released five rays of light from his hand, and the menon quickly swung its white spear to block the rays.

Boom!

There was a difference this time. The menon’s spear had previously blocked three of the Mysterious Sky Demonic Strength. Yet this time, the moment the second Mysterious Sky Demonic Strength was blocked, the spear strayed from its original orbit and headed into the air with no strength. Hyeonu’s pure energy naturally cut at the defenseless body cruelly, piercing through the head instead of the shoulders.

[A monster of Bukneung Mountain, the menon, has been defeated.]

[Experience has been acquired.]

“Kuaaaaah!” The other menon let out a cry of anger when it saw this scene. The monster ran over with a thumping sound. Filled with anger, the menon couldn’t properly control its power, so the spear of the furious menon moved twice as fast. There was an eerie sound as the spear shot at Hyeonu.

‘It’s fast.’

It was obviously faster. Nonetheless, that was it. It would be enough of a counter to just slow the spear down again. The black energy that encroached on the surrounding space and the red energy that restrained the menon combined to limit the menon’s movements. It had already lost a lot of momentum unlike when it first arrived near Hyeonu.

Hyeonu avoided the slow spear and approached the menon. The black pure energy, created according to the trajectory of Hyeonu’s hand, cut at the menon’s neck.

[A monster of Bukneung Mountain, the menon, has been defeated.]

[Experience has been acquired.]

“Tang-E, let’s go!”

The battle was over.