Ranker’s Return

“Is it really okay? He possesses a somewhat violent temper, but his skills are quite outstanding. It isn’t easy to deal with him.” 

Kalui approached Hyeonu with a worried expression. He didn’t think that Hyeonu would lose. He knew very well that the man wasn’t strong enough to beat the guardian. Even so, he knew that the man’s skills couldn’t be ignored. He was worried that Hyeonu would be disgraced if he thought too lightly of the man and fought half-heartedly. It was an act that was possible when the difference in skills was clear. 

“I’m grateful for the worry... but I’m not that weak.” Hyeonu gave Kalui a smile. “I will show you that I didn’t just get the name of guardian by chance.”

Hyeonu took off his gauntlets and held a hand toward Kalui. Kalui didn’t know why Hyeonu was acting like this and looked at Hyeonu’s hand. The rings on the fingers of Hyeonu’s hand were revealed after he took off the gauntlet. Hyeonu waved his finger that was wearing a clunky ring. “I have two divine things, not one. I’m not a giant, but... I have quite a bit of a connection with the giants.” 

Kalui saw Hyeonu’s ring and froze. 

‘This!’ 

Kalui knew the ring that Hyeonu showed. He had learned about it through chance. During the time when the situation of the empire was worsening, he remembered hearing Larenix lamenting about it. If the holy object owned by the first emperor Akan was courage, not wisdom... 

Larenix lamented that if so, he would be able to kill all the enemies in front of him instantly. 

‘How is the holy relic of the giants in the hands of the guardian?’ 

At this rate, he shouldn’t be worried about the guardian’s reputation, but instead about the man who boldly stepped up. Of course, this was if the holy relic gave people great power as Larenix said. 

“How do you want to fight? Out of fairness, should I break off a branch and use that to fight you with?” 

Hyeonu left the frozen Kalui behind and approached the man who had come onto the stage.

“No, the weapon I use isn’t that bad. Why don’t you fight with the weapon you’re used to?” 

The man spoke politely to Hyeonu. He seemed to have calmed down quickly. 

“Then I’ll ask you one more question. Do you want to see everything from me or just my combat techniques?” 

The man’s eyebrows trembled slightly after hearing Hyeonu’s words. Hyeonu’s words contained an obvious disregard. It was the same as saying he could win even if he didn’t do his best. 

“Of course, I hope you show all your capabilities. I’m not weak enough to worry about it.” 

Hyeonu chuckled when he heard the man’s words. He turned to look at Tang-E, who was sitting below the stage. 

“Tang-E, give me the buffs.” 

“Master dude, go easy. You shouldn’t kill people just because you are feeling bad. That is rubbish, rubbish,” Tang-E told Hyeonu before giving Hyeonu the buffs. 

“When did I ever do such a thing? Please stay with the magic spirit.” 

Hyeonu gave a warm smile at Tang-E’s uselessly cute worries and summoned the magic spirit next to Tang-E. 

“Uh? The black one is changed. It isn’t black anymore. It is purple.” 

Tang-E was busy touching the magic spirit as he marveled over the changed color. 

‘I think time is almost up... I can just use all the buffs.’ 

It was almost time to leave the hotel and mark the end of Arena Week. In other words, it was time to log out of Arena. Naturally, this meant that there was no need to save skills. Once Arena Week ended and Hyeonu logged back in, everything would have returned to its original position. 

“Are you ready?” Hyeonu asked the man with a smile. 

“Yes, I am done.” The man didn’t like ever-smiling Hyeonu. Hyeonu’s attitude made it seem like he considered the battle to be very easy. 

“Then... how about letting Kalui be the referee? I think he just needs to set the beginning and the end...”

Kalui came to his senses when Hyeonu called out his name. “Yes, I will be the referee. The fight will start exactly five seconds after I shout ‘start.’ If I decide that the battle can’t continue, then I will stop it. Do you agree?” 

Hyeonu and the man nodded at Kalui’s words. There was no issue to be found in Kalui’s explanation since it was reasonable. 

“Start!” 

The man drew a sword and threw the sheath off the stage. He determined that it would be too cumbersome to have the sheath hanging from his waist. Hyeonu showed no action even though the battle had begun. He stood still with his chest laid bare and completely defenseless. 

‘A test... I really don’t like it.’ 

Understanding it with his head was different from understanding it with his heart—Hyeonu understood the man’s behavior with his head, but not his heart. No, he had no intention of understanding it at all. He was annoyed by the attitude of the man who couldn’t acknowledge him. Thus, he was going to use buffs that he didn’t have to use. 

‘I will make you regret that you wanted to verify me.’ 

Hyeonu used the buffs one by one. Everything was consumed. 

‘Giant’s Power, Giant’s Nature, Giant’s Origin, and One Who Yearns.’

Since switching items, the number of buffs Hyeonu could use had been reduced. However, the absolute power had increased to the point where a comparison would be embarrassing. The stats increase was huge. 

The man swung his sword at Hyeonu, who showed no signs of movement. There was no hesitation in the man’s sword. 

‘For everyone!’ He thought it was better for the guardian to die if he couldn’t stop such an attack. Just as the man’s sword was going to cut Hyeonu, it abruptly froze. His body couldn’t move and it was like he was stuck in a swamp. 

‘What’s wrong? What is going on?’ 

The man looked at Hyeonu’s sword with a flustered expression. The color of Hyeonu’s magic power was originally blue, yet Hyeonu’s sword was covered by purple magic power. It wasn’t just that. Hyeonu’s entire body was engulfed in purple magic power. The purple magic power didn’t allow the man to move. It tied up the man like a cobweb. 

‘This type of thing...’ 

The man raised a lot of magic power. The man had experienced countless actual battles through the fantasy magic circle. There was no such ability to bind his body like this. 

“Ugh...” A groan flowed from the man’s mouth. No matter how much magic power he used, his body didn’t move. 

The man stared up at Hyeonu. ‘He is smiling?’ 

The person who did something ridiculous was currently smiling. 

“Why aren’t you moving? Didn’t you say you wanted to verify it? Is standing still and looking at me verification?” Hyeonu was still in his initial position. He was motionless. Only the purple energy that stretched out from Hyeonu’s body was different. “There is actually no reason for me to be here. I am currently a marquis of the only empire on the continent and I’m also the disciple of a knight representing the empire. Why do I have to take you in?” 

Hyeonu’s words resonated through the space. 

His words made sense. The descendants of the Luos Empire didn’t know it, but there were few nobles in the East Continent and West Continent who were more powerful than Hyeonu. In the west, there were only three or four nobles who could confidently say they were above Hyeonu. Among them, the number decreased even further when Lebron and Suped were excluded. 

It was the same on the East Continent. He hadn’t secured a suitable position in the East Continent, but he was treated as a benefactor by the imperial family of the East Continent and the Gucheon Secret Department. This alone was a very noble identity. 

‘I don’t have any regrets.’

It would be nice if they joined, but it wouldn’t cause him much problems if they didn’t join. Even now, Phinis and Etono were developing at a rapid pace. They were likely to grow more than any other city. In particular, Phinis was already evaluated as the most developed city in the empire apart from the capital, Yusma. 

“I can understand your heart, so I accepted this confrontation in the name of proof. However, what is this? A person asking for my qualifications can’t even extend his sword properly...” 

The man couldn’t come up with a rebuttal to Hyeonu’s words that were close to an insult and ridicule. It was because Hyeonu’s words were true. He said he would verify Hyeonu’s qualifications, but the result was in vain. 

‘What in the world is this?’ 

He couldn’t even attack properly. It wasn’t even a surprise attack. The opponent just crushed the man using pressure. 

‘By the way, isn’t this really good?’ 

Unlike his cold words, Hyeonu was inwardly very surprised by the scene he had created. His stats might’ve risen more than before, but his CC wasn’t strong enough to show such overwhelming power. The biggest contribution to his current appearance was Dragon Fear attached to his dragon set. 

[Dragon Fear: Mimics a dragon’s pressure and reduces the opponent’s stats by 20%.] 

He had nearly 7,000 or higher fighting energy, dignity, and the killing intent stats, as well as Fighting Energy Emission and Area Proclamation. These things combined with Dragon Fear created this ridiculous power. 

“I think it is over, Kalui.” 

Hyeonu turned to Kalui who was the referee of this fight. 

“The guardian has won...” The moment Kalui received Hyeonu’s attention and was calling out Hyeonu’s victory, the man moved. 

Hyeonu’s concentration on the man slightly decreased. The man didn’t miss this gap and regained the freedom of his body. Blue pure energy cut apart the air. The pure energy flew straight at Hyeonu. 

Just then, Hyeonu’s body disappeared. He focused his magic power on his feet and destroyed the stage and sank deep into the ground. In the ground, Hyeonu swung the Mysterious Sky Sword toward the pure energy that was passing by above his head. The blue pure energy was cut apart and flew toward the ceiling in two pieces. 

Hyeonu didn’t stop here. He instantly disappeared and reappeared in front of the man. The man quickly swung his sword when he saw Hyeonu was in front of him. Hyeonu also swung his sword at the man. The purple Mysterious Sky Sword cut at the man’s sword that was wrapped in blue light. The man’s sword was cut and the cut blade flew high in the air before landing right in front of the man’s feet.

“You aren’t that good...” Hyeonu put away the Mysterious Sky Sword and walked off the stage.