Ranker's Return

Chapter 619

Translator: rainbowturtle

Editor: LD & Jyazen

“I didn’t expect to see the top ranker, Ray, here, when he doesn’t even stream...” Lee Hoon muttered when he saw Ray, the man in front of him.

Ray was a pretty famous player in Arena. He was more famous among rankers than regular players. In the first place, Ray was a player that wasn’t easy for regular players to know. He didn’t stream, nor was he a professional gamer. He just enjoyed Arena. As a result, only a few people knew him.

“Why? Is he famous?”

None of the players in Crescent Moon knew him except Lee Hoon. They didn’t care much about others. They only knew a few famous players. Moreover, there was no need for them to know. The guild they belonged to was New World and their team was Crescent Moon. It was with Alley Leader. There was no need to try and establish a friendship with other rankers. It was enough to just hunt in a party as Hyeonu told them.

“Don’t you know Destroyer Ray? It is really serious here.” Only Lee Hoon was interested in the rankers. It was because Lee Hoon was very interested in this aspect.

“What? Tell me quickly,” Mason urged Lee Hoon like he was curious.

“First of all, the reason he is called the Destroyer is his hunting speed... he hunts monsters well. My guess is that his hunting speed is due to his class characteristics.”

“Then why doesn’t he have a guild? That is enough for any guild to accept him...” Mason asked.

It was a natural question. There still weren’t many people who had done the fourth class advancement. They were mainly from the large guilds.

“I think he refused? Maybe he has his own situation. But reportedly... he is completely terrible in PvP. Of course, that is compared to his level. It isn’t that he can’t fight at all.”

Lee Hoon knew about Ray in great detail. It could be said that he knew almost everything. Lee Hoon knew that Ray was very vulnerable in PvP. His arena ranking was very low compared to his level and ability to deal with monsters. He used his strong specs as a weapon to some extent, but it was impossible beyond that. In order to go beyond that, it was necessary to improve his essential skills.

Of course, that alone wasn’t the reason why Ray didn’t enter the guild. He had special circumstances. It was a bit embarrassing to say it publicly.

“Level 303... isn’t this level very high? Will I be able to help you? At this level, you must have your own style...” Hyeonu knew nothing and asked Ray more questions. In Hyeonu’s opinion, Ray must already have a certain framework at this level. There was no flexibility at all. They would be full of pride in their own style.

‘His skills might be sufficient.’

Out of the hundreds of millions of players, fewer than 1,000 had done the fourth class advancement. They were qualified to feel proud.

“I don’t know about PvE, but I have nothing in PVP. I’m in dire need of help.” Ray shook his head. He was desperate for someone’s help. Even more so if it was Alley Leader... “That is why I became a fan of you, Alley Leader. You have many things that I don’t have.”

Ray had been a fan even before Hyeonu was famous as Alley Leader. It was from the moment he saw a PvP on a community site one day. Alley Leader had everything he didn’t have, especially PvP skills. Alley Leader was a specialist itself when it came to dealing with people.

Since then, he continued his fan life by pouring out gold coins in Hyeonu’s streaming. Eventually, he gave up some time playing Arena to join the fan meeting.

"Is that so? Then I’ll ask you one more question. What is your current arena ranking?”

“Yesterday, I was ranked 7,803rd. It will probably be worse now...” Ray replied with a self-mocking smile.

Hyeonu’s expression stiffened when he heard the answer.

‘7,803rd?’

Even if it was low, this was too low. He was flustered. This was a ranking that didn’t make sense considering the number of people who completed the fourth class advancement.

‘He should at least be in the 1000s...’

Now he wondered about the reason. Of course, it was possible that Ray had no talent in PvP. However, this meant that hunting would be tough. He could never get ahead of others if he just used his skills ignorantly.

‘It doesn’t seem like he can’t wield weapons at people...’

In that case, he wouldn’t participate in the arena at all. It didn’t seem like it.

“I use a greatsword as a weapon... I don’t think I am suitable for PvP. My weapon and stats are less agile, so my actions are relatively slow. It is difficult for me to fight platinum rankers.”

Hyeonu nodded at Ray’s answer. He understood what the problem was.

‘A PvE specific class.’

It was also likely to be a class specific to non-human monsters.

‘It is ideal for raids.’

This was why he leveled up quickly despite not being in a guild.

‘I can see a rough solution.’

The solution came right away when Hyeonu heard the problem. It wasn’t hard. Hyeonu just needed to teach what he knew.

‘I used a similar weapon in the previous game...’

In the virtual reality game played by Hyeonu before Arena, Hyeonu used a large weapon similar to what Ray said. Hyeonu felt that he could teach Ray the style he used at that time.

‘Of course, it is up to him to absorb it.’

For the first time, Hyeonu asked a student of Alley Leader Academy about their desired ranking, “So, what goal are you thinking of?”

It was unlike before.

“I will be satisfied with 3,000th place,” Ray answered carefully.

3,000—it was a rise of 4,000 compared to now. However, the difference was very extreme. The section where the skilled people really gathered was from platinum. Improving the ranking was like hell. It was called the beginning of the celestial world for a reason.

“Really? The goal is too low... 999th place. I will make you a diamond,” Hyeonu spoke confidently.

999th place—the beginning of the diamond area. Hyeonu said he would take Ray there.

“That is too much. There...” Ray knew his level very well. He absolutely wasn’t at the diamond level. It was thanks to his level and items that he was holding out at platinum.

“It absolutely isn’t too much. You just have to believe in me. Believe in me to teach you, not your skills. I’ll teach you things that will work in the diamond section,” Hyeonu spoke firmly.

If Ray moved as Hyeonu taught, then Ray would be eyeing the master section, not just diamond.

“Then I’ll contact you later through Nike Management. Let’s coordinate our schedules well, Ray.”

Hyeonu extended a hand to Ray Ray carefully held his hand.

***

Hyeonu lay in bed and messed up his messy hair again. Even so, the feeling of blankness didn’t disappear.

‘How long did I sleep?’

Hyeonu’s hand moved around on the bed before he grabbed his smartphone.

‘It is 10:30...’

“10:30?” Hyeonu’s eyes widened as he shouted.

He had slept for too long.

‘Why did I sleep so long?’

He seemed to have slept two or three hours longer than usual.

‘Reina said that the party is at noon today...’

The good news was that there was still quite a lot of time left until Reina’s party. Before 12 o’clock, there was enough time to wash and prepare.

‘The other kids don’t seem to have heard anything about it...’

Yesterday, none of the Crescent Moon players commented on the party that would be held today. They were like people who didn’t know anything.

‘Well, I am the only one close to them.’

The other players weren’t that friendly with the New York Warriors. It was Hyeonu who faced them directly and Hyeonu who did the quests with them.

‘It starts during the day, so... it will end in the evening. Then I’ll come back and play Arena.’

At first, Hyeonu thought it was strange to start a party during the day, but now he thought it was good. It was because he could rest at night.

‘By the way, I don’t know the location...’

“I don’t know. She’ll tell me eventually.”

Hyeonu shook his head and walked into the shower. There was no time to think about this. Washing was the priority. After the shower, Hyeonu found that his smartphone’s screen was glowing white.

‘It came.’

Hyeonu lifted the smartphone and checked the screen. There was a message from Reina.

At 11:30, I will be in front of your hotel. Please come out when ready.

‘I can prepare slowly and go.’

Hyeonu started to slowly prepare to go out. After drying his hair, he applied toner and lotion on his face.

‘Ah, it is annoying.’

He sprinkled it on his hand and rubbed it onto his face. Hyeonu quickly finished his skincare and opened his closet to take out his clothes. A white shirt and black slacks. He also put on a coat.

‘I don’t think many people will be gathered anyway.’

He had to dress up well because of the special nature of the party, but today’s party wasn’t a big event. He thought it would be okay to dress comfortably.

Hyeonu sat still and killed time. There was a lot more time than he expected. After sitting on the bed for a long time, Hyeonu finally left the room. He had just walked into the elevator when he saw a welcome face.

“Hey, Brother. Are you going somewhere?”

The man in the elevator was Kim Seokjung.

“Hyung-nim? Yes. I have an appointment.”

“Appointment?”

“There is a party, so I’m going.”

Kim Seokjung frowned when he heard Hyeonu’s answer.

‘Why don’t I know...?’

He didn’t hear that a team was having a party today.

“A party? Today?”

“Yes, the New York Warriors are having a party and they asked me to come.”

Kim Seokjung got a strange feeling when he heard the name New York Warriors. The New York Warriors had Reina.

“Is that so? Then go if you are invited.” Kim Seokjung smiled.

The elevator arrived at the lobby as the two of them were having a conversation. Hyeonu and Kim Seokjung walked out of the hotel while having small talk. At the entrance of the hotel, a car was waiting for Hyeonu.

“Then I’m going, Hyung-nim.” Hyeonu recognized Reina’s car and said goodbye to Kim Seokjung.

Kim Seokjung grabbed Hyeonu. “I should say hello as well since I saw her.”

“Is that so? Then let’s go.”

Hyeonu approached Reina’s car with Kim Seokjung. The moment the two of them approached, Reina got out of the car.

“Hello.”

“It has been a while,” Kim Seokjung greeted Reina in a polite manner. Then he placed a hand on Hyeonu’s shoulder and asked a question, “Brother, you have retired as a professional gamer. What are you going to do with the rest of your time?”

“Me? I will just continue streaming. Or I will learn more of what I want to learn.”

“Have you considered it? Do you want me to introduce someone to you? I have a very nice and pretty younger sister...”

Hyeonu laughed lightly and shook his pinky finger to reject Kim Seokjung’s offer.

“You know that I don’t like meeting people that way. I always think it is better to go from acquaintances to a relationship. It isn’t a person I’m meeting for the first time...”

“From a friend? You are a really annoying guy. A really annoying guy. Then they would have to live in the opposite house. They would have to be face to face with you to know you”

Kim Seokjung winked at Reina and left. “Then I’ll go first.”