Ranker’s Return

They took a different path from the one Hyeonu usually took, so the inside of the Samsungga appeared unfamiliar to him.

‘This is the first time I’m seeing it... It is very strange.’

The buildings soared up high, and countless people were passing by. It was the first time he had seen this scene.

“Are we still far away?” Hyeonu wondered as he continued to follow Chen Long. Chen Long had been walking silently with an upright back. He looked back and smiled at Hyeonu.

“Never swing your sword first. Even if you are strong, there are those with great potential in the Samsungga,” Chen Long said with a very serious expression. It seemed like really sincere advice.

Hyeonu looked at Chen Long with an expression that wondered what he was talking about.

“It’s a joke, a joke. It is just in case. We’re almost there. We just have to go into that building.” Chen Long looked amused as he pointed to the distant outline of a building.

‘We are barely there at all?’ Hyeonu struggled to swallow down the words in his throat.

They weren’t close at all. There was still around half the distance they had walked so far.

“I’m not an idiot. Would I just draw my sword there and attack? If so, I wouldn’t have worked with you,” Hyeonu replied in a slightly sharp tone.

“It isn’t because I don’t trust you. Just... I was talking to myself.” 

In fact, Chen Long’s words weren’t to Hyeonu. It was a reminder to himself since he didn’t know when he would explode. He might swing his sword just from seeing their faces.

“If it seems like you will move, I’ll stop you. Don’t worry,” Hyeonu told Chen Long.

A smile appeared on Chen Long’s face.

***

Chen Long sighed lightly and turned his head toward Hyeonu before saying, “This is the place for today's meeting, Bicheon Pavilion. Most of them will come in here.”

The place where Chen Long stopped was surrounded by a high wall. It was so high that Hyeonu couldn’t see inside. Chen Long naturally pushed open the huge gate and walked beyond the wall. Then Hyeonu entered naturally just like Chen Long had done. No matter how high the wall was, it was lower than that of the imperial capital. In fact, it was even lower than that of Lebron’s mansion.

‘Half of them should have come.’

This was precisely before the Samsungga met with the leaders of the Gucheon Secret Department. The quest’s progress was faster than Hyeonu had expected; it hadn’t taken long at all.

‘I was lucky.’

If he focused a bit more, he would be able to get revenge and clear the quest soon. Beyond the wall was a large garden. Flowers were in full bloom, and trees could be seen everywhere.

‘So why is it so quiet?’

He noticed it when he looked around carefully. Everything was quiet, and it was as if no one was here.

“Leader, don’t you think it’s too quiet for a place where a big meeting will be held?”

“The Bicheon Pavilion means the inside of that space. A special spell is set up inside the Bicheon Pavilion to block any noise from spreading outside. We are meeting here for that reason.”

Upon hearing Chen Long’s answer, Hyeonu’s question was resolved.

‘So the sound’s just blocked,’ Hyeonu thought.

It wasn't some big secret. He couldn’t hear the noise coming from inside the building, so it was quiet. Finally, Hyeonu and Chen Long entered the interior of the Bicheon Pavilion, which was clean and comfortable. The number of people gathered here was in the hundreds. If the attendants were excluded, then there were at least 100 people present. One person came up to Chen Long.

“Leader, you’ve arrived?”

“Yes. Is everyone here?”

“Yes, you’re the last one. Today... I’ve been waiting for it. I always believed you would come back.”

‘A Cheonryong Group member,’ Hyeonu inferred the identity of the man from the conversation.

The man expressed expectations for Chen Long’s return, so he was clearly a member of the Cheonryong Group.

“Who is the person beside you...?” The man’s gaze shifted from Chen Long to Hyeonu.

Chen Long answered the man’s question about Hyeonu: “He is an adventurer who made a big contribution to this matter. Think of him as me, and treat him well. You’ll see his face often at the end of this matter, so say hello first.”

The man was startled when he heard Hyeonu was an adventurer. Nevertheless, he soon greeted Hyeonu, “I look forward to seeing you in the future. I am Zeke of the Cheonryong Group.”

“I am Gang Hyeonu. I will do my best to help the leader.” Hyeonu shook the hand that Zeke held out.

“Then shall we go in? Zeke, gather the kids together. 10... Have them come in 10 minutes later,” Chen Long gave an order to Zeke.

It was to gather the Cheonryong Group.

“They are already waiting.” Zeke smiled and turned his head.

In the place where Zeke was facing, the Cheonryong Group members could be seen gathered together and chatting.

“Okay, come in when it’s time. Right, call Bakar too. Get him to bring in the guests.” Chen Long smiled and moved toward the pavilion that rose high in the center.

‘Guests?’ Hyeonu repeated Chen Long’s words inwardly.

Guests—who did Chen Long mean?

Hyeonu couldn’t figure it out no matter how he thought about it.

Then without turning his head, Chen Long opened his mouth and said, “Those who have never been to Bicheon Pavilion have been called to go there. However, the real Bicheon Pavilion is here. It’s the place where most of the bugs in the Samsungga are gathered,” Chen Long said, raising his voice somewhat.

Hyeonu noticed it and frowned. He wondered if those inside could hear Chen Long’s words.

Yet Chen Long kept talking like he didn’t consider such a thing: “In addition, I’m sorry, but... call the adventurers. I’ve changed my mind. If I can’t take back the position of leader of the Cheonryong Group today, I will become the master of the Gucheon Secret Department.”

Hyeonu stopped frowning, and his eyes widened from hearing those unbelievable words.

“What does that—?” Hyeonu began to say.

However, Chen Long interrupted Hyeonu the moment he was about to question it.

Chen Long said, “Look at that. 100 people in the Yeokcheon Group, including the vice-leader, were killed. Even so, they are drinking and eating in such a relaxed manner. I’ll go in first, so hurry and call them. I’ve already contacted Bakar, so he will take care of them.” 

Once he finished speaking, he entered the large pavilion.

‘Guests... He was talking about players.’ Hyeonu was left alone staring blankly at Chen Long’s back.

‘This isn’t the time for me to do this.’ Shaking his head vigorously, Hyeonu tried to calm his mind.

Then he started to send whispers straight away, but it was in a different manner from the usual. He didn’t send them out sequentially based on the replies he last received. Instead, he just sent the whispers out the moment he saw the names.

-To Gang Junggu: Hyung-nim, please take your guild members and gather at the entrance of the Samsungga.

-To Reina: Reina, I need your help right now. I would appreciate it if you go to the Samsungga with your colleagues.

-To Liu Shei: Come to the Samsungga right now. There is a big one.

-To Mascherano: Mascherano, there is a quest. If you are interested in participating, please come to the Samsungga.

-Mascherano is currently not connected.

Mascherano wasn’t online, but the rest were all connected to Arena.

‘It isn’t the best, but it isn’t bad.’ 

Hyeonu wasn’t disappointed. Rather, he was relieved that at least three of them were online, aside from Mascherano.

-From Gang Junggu: I’ve told Seokjung Hyung-nim. We’ll be there soon.

-From Reina: I understand. I was just taking a break from hunting. I’ll go quickly.

-From Liu Shei: A big thing? The Samsungga is in Linakalu, right? I’ll come quickly. Finally... 

The replies came quickly. Everyone sent whispers like they had been waiting for it.

‘Okay.’ Hyeonu then immediately went after Chen Long.

***

Some viewers of A-World expressed doubts when they saw the streamers suddenly stop hunting.

-Why are they moving suddenly?

-They were hunting well...

“I was contacted by Alley Leader just now. We are going on a quest together in Linakalu. This is why I am quickly organizing things,” the blonde beauty Reina kindly explained to the audience.

-Ah, yes.

-So you are joining Alley Leader in streaming?

-Did he call the New York Warriors?

The chat window became lively once the words ‘Alley Leader’ came out. Originally, there were already many messages, but the power of the name ‘Alley Leader’ made the chat move even faster.

“If we do the quest together, he should appear, right? In addition, I don’t think we are going there alone. New World is Alley Leader’s guild, so they will naturally come along. I’m not sure about the rest,” Reina answered the viewers’ questions carefully.

It was only for a while though. Once she finished gathering the potions and other consumables, Reina ignored the chat window and started moving.

“Then I’ll turn off the chat window now.”

This didn’t happen only in the New York Warriors’ stream. It was the same with New World and Kowloon.

***

Hyeonu sensed a cold atmosphere when he reached the area of the huge pavilion.

‘Why is it so chilly?’

Linakalu was a warm place; it was never cold. Yet the energy he felt was cold. The reason was immediately apparent: Chen Long was fighting in the Bicheon Pavilion. There were people surrounding him, but Chen Long was doing great. He was killing his opponents without being flustered by the attacks that were coming at him from all directions.

‘Didn’t he say not to fight? This jerk...’ Hyeonu felt a pain in the back of his head.

His blood pressure seemed to be rising upon facing this urgent situation. In the few minutes Hyeonu had taken to send the whisper, Chen Long got into trouble. Regardless, he still had to save Chen Long.

“Leader!” Hyeonu yelled and flew toward Chen Long.

Instantly, all the gazes of those in the pavilion turned to Hyeonu, and the battle naturally came to a momentary stop. Hyeonu entered the center of the battlefield during the lull and chided Chen Long, “What are you doing?”

“It’s already an irreversible situation. I didn’t pull out my sword first. The Yeokcheon Group and Secret Camp acted first,” Chen Long replied.

“What about the Cheonryong Group?”

“There is a high possibility they won’t be able to enter. Even if they can enter, it will take a long time. There must be enemies everywhere outside...”

Hyeonu’s expression became even more distorted before relaxing as he remembered something hopeful.

He said, “We just have to hold on properly. The adventurers I called are tough. If they come, then... it probably won’t take that long.”

Hyeonu was thinking about the players and particularly how the rankers belonging to large guilds were better at large-scale battles. They had also been rankers in previous virtual reality games. There weren’t many conflicts in Arena, but the previous virtual reality games they enjoyed were mainly PvP between players. So they were naturally very experienced in melee battles.

Hyeonu believed in them. Additionally...

“Am I not here as well? We can kill them even before reinforcements come.”

He believed in himself more than them. Hyeonu pulled out the child’s mask from his inventory and put it on.