Ranker’s Return

Su Chan, the vice-leader of the Yeokcheon Group, wasn’t very happy. He had yet to complete all of the scheduled training, but he had to return since the return order had been given.

‘Son of a bitch. Why now...’

It would’ve been nice if he had been given more time. If that were the case, he would’ve escaped the position of vice-leader and challenged the position of leader. It was a pity. However, he couldn’t show it outwardly.

‘Before it is ripe...’

His present self was a consumable that could be replaced. However, it would be different after a bit more time.

“What?!” Su Chan exclaimed when two people appeared in front of him just then. They were a man and a woman wearing children’s masks. Their faces weren’t visible, and their genders could only be seen from the outline of their bodies.

“What what? We are passing demons,” the man said. 

Hearing that, Su Chan chuckled. What demon? It was something not even a five-year-old child would have believed. Yet in exactly 10 minutes, Su Chan resented himself from 10 minutes earlier. He regretted taking the man’s words lightly.

***

Hyeonu looked in front of him and murmured, “How do we fight together? I’ll match you.”

Reina also stared ahead while murmuring back, “Yes, that’s good for me.”

The two of them seemed to be in a daze standing there. It was hard to tell they were even having a conversation.

“Then fight at will. I will definitely back you up.”

Hearing Hyeonu’s words, Reina pulled out her sword and ran without hesitation. It was a sprint that was hard to see in the professional league. There was only one reason for this appearance. Alley Leader was supporting her from behind, and it couldn’t be more reassuring.

Blue energy began to surround Reina. Then the environment suddenly changed. The gorge started to freeze, and ice formed in the rocky gorge. Of course, the unknown was always accompanied by fear.

“Avoid it!” Su Chan shouted when he saw this abnormal occurrence. He had never heard of or seen a technique like this before. Naturally, he ordered the Yeokcheon Group members to avoid it.

“Where are you going?” Hyeonu smiled at the sight. The techniques that had become his proprietary patents appeared—Fighting Energy Emission and Area Proclamation. The combination resulted in frighteningly powerful crowd control that limited the opponent’s movements to the extreme.

[Su Chan, the vice-leader of the Yeokcheon Group, has received the abnormal condition ‘slowed down’.] 

[The Yeokcheon Group member Jenu has received the abnormal condition ‘slowed down’.]

Hyeonu’s fighting energy and magic power tied up the feet of all the Yeokcheon Group members who were trying to escape the rapidly freezing area.

“What is it this time?!” Baffled screams burst out, but it was already too late. Reina’s ice field dominated the gorge.

[The Yeokcheon Group member Jenu has received the abnormal condition ‘frozen’.]

[The Yeokcheon Group member Pana has received the abnormal condition ‘frozen’.]

The Yeokcheon Group members slowly froze. White frost formed around their bodies, and their feet started to integrate with the ground.

‘Ice Flower!’ Blue pure energy poured out from Reina’s sword. The pure energy gradually started to take a shape of a flower that resembled a gorgeous rose. The ice flower then struck the Yeokcheon Group, but they couldn’t respond. After all, how could they stop such a powerful skill when they couldn’t move?

Nevertheless, Reina didn’t stop here. The ice that struck the Yeokcheon Group shattered. Each of the ice blades became hundreds of pieces that covered the surrounding area.

“Kuaaah!” Sharp screams burst from the frozen members of the Yeokcheon Group as they experienced unbearable pain. The pain that swept through their bodies after being stabbed by so many fragments of pure energy was one that couldn’t be imagined unless it was personally experienced.

‘Why is the battle so easy...?’ Reina was amazed by this scene.

It was the first time she had experienced such an easy fight. This was incomparable to when she hunted with her fellow team members and felt like she had come to a low-level hunting ground.

‘There is definitely a clear difference after obtaining the item and skill,’ she thought.

Thanks to the gifts she obtained from Hyeonu, the power of her skills had changed completely. Her power had increased to the point where its effects were instantly visible.

“Reina, you’re very strong. I don’t think you need to be very worried about the next season?”

Reina heard a pleasant mid-pitched voice in her ears.

“It’s all thanks to you, Alley Leader. The ring and skill made me stronger,” Reina spoke in a relaxed voice that didn’t match the battle situation. Anyone who didn’t know the situation would be scared when they saw it. It was a scene where dozens of people were being killed, yet these two people were talking in such a casual tone. Just imagining it would give them goosebumps.

“Then we should take care of them quickly. Tang-E and I are here... You can fight to your heart’s content. Don’t think about anything else. Just attack.”

***

-From Gang Junggu: I caught the five people you mentioned. Is it finished now?

-To Gang Junggu: Yes, all those who ran away are done. Now there is only one left.

Hyeonu exchanged whispers with Gang Junggu in a relaxed manner. The battle was already over. There were only three people with their feet remaining on the ground. They were Su Chan, who was the vice-leader of the Yeokcheon Group, Hyeonu, and Reina.

The Yeokcheon Group members had tried tirelessly to escape. However, they were blocked firstly by Hyeonu and then by Tang-E. The five people who eventually managed to break through couldn’t escape the remaining four people who were waiting.

‘I didn’t expect there to be a vice-leader.’

A message had definitely emerged when he used Fighting Energy Emission. It was just that there had been so many messages appearing at the time, so he hadn’t paid attention to that specific message. Hyeonu only noticed it when the quest updated.

[The quest has been updated.]

[Kill the vice-leader of the Yeokcheon Group 0/1 has been added to the clear conditions.]

“How do you want to finish it? Would you like to fight him yourself? Or shall I?” Hyeonu asked Reina.

Reina shook her head while thinking, ‘I have no magic power left.’

The desire to fight filled her heart as it was obvious that fighting a humanoid monster of this level would be a great experience. However, her condition didn’t support it. So she said, “Alley Leader, you finish it. I can’t fight because I don’t have magic power.”

“I understand. I’ll fight, so watch with Tang-E.” Hyeonu nodded and pointed to Tang-E.

Reina immediately stepped back.

“Pretty human. Sit here, here.” Tang-E welcomed Reina who approached him. The moment Reina sat on the ground, Tang-E jumped onto her lap.

“Now, take this. It is delicious.” Tang-E handed Reina something long and brown.

Reina accepted it reflexively. ‘Jerky?’

The item’s identity was jerky.

“Master dude made it. It is really delicious.”

“I’ll enjoy it. Thank you, Tang-E.” Reina smiled brightly and stroked Tang-E’s head.

“Hehe.” There was a bright smile on Tang-E’s face.

***

Unaware of their situation, Hyeonu was worried that Tang-E would treat Reina they way he normally treated Hyeonu.

‘There is no way he would do that.’

In the end, Hyeonu left his worries behind and approached Su Chan.

“How did you know to wait here? Not many people knew that we were here...” Su Chan spoke through gritted teeth. He really couldn’t understand it. How did they know the Yeokcheon Group was on Mount Cheon? How had they known the Yeokcheon Group would be returning at this time?

Hyeonu didn’t answer the question and instead asked a different one: “Aren’t you curious about who I am?” 

“It doesn’t matter. Who gave you the information?” Su Chan wasn’t fooled by Hyeonu.

Even so, Hyeonu couldn’t be underestimated. Rather than giving the answer that Su Chan desired, Hyeonu just aimed the Mysterious Sky Sword at Su Chan. This was Hyeonu’s answer. It was a question and answer sword dance.

Su Chan responded, “I’ll kill you first, then I’ll go back and see for myself.”

He saw the Mysterious Sky Sword and extended the sword in his hand toward Hyeonu. Immediately after, he kicked off from the ground and rushed forward at Hyeonu, acting on the idea that there shouldn’t be a gap.

‘It is a quick decision.’

Su Chan had seen the Yeokcheon Group members die. They had been unable to show their skills once the red energy came out, so he had to finish the fight before that thing came out.

‘This is a profit.’ Hyeonu was grateful for Su Chan who ran in randomly. It couldn’t have been better.

‘I don’t know why he is confident, but...’

“I will enjoy it,” Hyeonu said. 

He moved the Mysterious Sky Sword horizontally. The air was cut, and a black pure energy blade was created in its place. A black crescent was fired at Su Chan. It was the first time Su Chan had seen pure energy blades of this size, and his footsteps stopped momentarily. Still, it was only temporary.

A dark green pure energy emerged from Su Chan’s sword. The sword, which was now wrapped in a dark green light, was swung quickly. The dark green and black pure energies collided, and an explosion occurred. It was a fierce battle of strength, but this was by no means a good situation for Su Chan. There were fatal gaps. The black pure energy didn’t come from the Mysterious Sky Sword, so this meant that Hyeonu’s body was free to move.

Su Chan struggled to get rid of the pure energy, and the Crescent Moon Cut flew high into the sky. Despite that, Su Chan’s advance didn’t start again. It was because the masked man was waiting in front of Su Chan with his sword on his shoulder.

Hyeonu swung the Mysterious Sky Sword like it was an axe. Su Chan raised his sword to block it, but he couldn’t help his face distorting from the power of the attack.

“Kuooh...” A groan escaped Su Chan’s lips.

Hyeonu held the Mysterious Sky Sword with both hands and continued using it like it was an axe. He struck with a series of blows, seemingly prepared to chop Su Chan up like firewood.

“Don’t you think Master dude is very strong? I’m always amazed every time I see him fight,” Tang-E mumbled while eating jerky.

“Yes. He fights really well,” Reina replied.

‘He is really smart.’ Reina marveled as she watched Hyeonu fight.

This was a really perfect fight. Hyeonu maximized his strength and dug into the opponent’s weaknesses.

‘It is Alley Leader who will come to Arena Week. JT is unfortunate... I think they will have to aim for a wildcard,’ Reina remarked inwardly.

As Reina was having this thought, Tang-E continued to praise Hyeonu: “It isn’t just fighting. His face is so handsome that he gets one more skewer of meat at the market. He is amazing.”

He even complimented Hyeonu’s appearance. The point of the story was already blurred.

Reina agreed, “Yes, he is handsome. His face...”

At this time, Su Chan succeeded in repelling Hyeonu’s attack. Su Chan smiled with satisfaction and aimed his sword at Hyeonu. Suddenly, blood spurted out like a fountain. Of course, it came from Su Chan. The Mysterious Sky Sword hadn’t been deflected. Rather, it had been intentionally pulled back by Hyeonu. Following that, he used the recoil and swung the Mysterious Sky Sword rapidly. It was a clever way to take advantage of the opponent’s psychology.

[Su Chan, the vice-leader of the Yeokcheon Group, has been killed.]

[Experience has been acquired.]

[You have leveled up.]

[All health and magic power are restored.]

[Defeated the vice-leader of the Yeokcheon Group 1/1]

Hyeonu smiled lightly when he saw the pleasing message that appeared in front of him.

‘There isn’t much left.’

Quests and revenge, his professional debut as well—there was only a bit left.