Ranker's Return

‘It is different from a magic spirit, but... I think it has a similar effect.’

The effect was noticeable even without hearing about it. The free time he had wasn’t for nothing.

‘Certainly... he isn’t pushed when it comes to power. The battle is overwhelming.’

Raccoon was different from Lebron. He pushed Luke. It was in a more overwhelming manner than Luke pushing Lebron.

“It is different from the guardians, right?” Hyeonu carefully asked Lebron, who was approaching him.

“It is like fighting with that master.”

Lebron shook his head. The battle with Luke was very difficult. It was even harder to get a familiar feeling.

“That master?”

Hyeonu didn’t know who Lebron was talking about. He didn’t know it at all. There were some people he was aware of, but he wasn’t certain.

‘The emperor and Duke Blake. It is one of the two.’

It was obvious. There were only two people Lebron would describe as a ‘master.’

“Who else would it be? It is that master in the imperial palace.”

Lebron looked at Hyeonu with an expression asking why he didn’t know this.

“How can I know that?”

“In any case, he isn’t a bad fighter either. To be honest, I can say I can win even if I didn’t get pushed in a power battle.”

In the past, he wouldn’t have been able to fight like he was now. He was able to exchange blows with Luke like this due to the achievements he gained in the demon world.

“Still, after around 10 years... I can win.”

Additionally, he gained the possibility of development. If he honed the Mixed Sky Demonic Martial Art that Hyeonu was now learning well... He had the ability to stand up to Luke. It was enough. The thing Lebron needed right now was time.

“Is it 10 years?”

Hyeonu was surprised by Lebron’s confident words.

“He is alone, but I’m not. I have two people to help me. I should be ashamed that it will take 10 years.”

Lebron clicked his tongue.

The emperor and John Blake—he could surpass Luke if he trained with the help of the two of them. It was like the saying, ‘the more you work together, the easier a task.’ If the three of them put their heads together, there were endless ways to become stronger.

‘Of course, when we put our heads together... he probably won’t exist any longer.’

Lebron’s gaze lingered on Luke before turning it to Hyeonu.

***

At a time when Hyeonu was fighting against the god tribe in the East Continent...

Edward was smiling as he recalled the uninvited guest who had come.

“It wasn’t a lie...”

Not long ago, he received sudden news from an adventurer he had accepted.

‘I don’t have to give the secret arts.’

Of course, he disregarded it at first. He ignored it because it was nonsense. Yet on the promised day, Luke didn’t come to visit him. It wasn’t until more time passed that he was convinced. Hyeonu’s words were true.

‘The throne of power is complete... I can become strong in an instant.’

There was another piece of good news. The dwarf great chief, Kapa, had come to him last night. The thing he asked for was on the verge of being completed. Now he was given time and he could become strong enough to ignore Luke’s threats.

“Edward.” Just then, someone in the distance called out to Edward.

“You came.” Edward calmly greeted the man who appeared as if he was expecting it beforehand.

“I have found out as many things as possible, as I have been commanded.” The man who appeared was Kalen. He received Edward’s call and returned to the northern iceberg.

“Just tell me the important things. There is no need for meaningless things.”

“I understand.” Kalen nodded cheerfully at Edward’s abstract demands. Something like this had already happened a few times. He was used to it now.

“The northern front is still there. Except for the one city that was handed over, the rest are holding up.”

“Aren’t the adventurers continuing to grow stronger?”

“This was balanced by the guardians you sent moving a bit earlier.”

“Are you saying it isn’t a fundamental solution?” Edward fell into thought after hearing these words. After thinking for a moment, Edward took something out and threw it at Kalen. “Give it to those guys and they will know how to use it.”

The things that Edward threw were small bone fragments. The number of bone fragments was exactly five. It matched the number of guardians.

“I understand, Edward.” Kalen had no doubts. The identity of the bone fragments was something that would be checked separately later.

“Next?”

“Information about the god tribe in the East Continent.”

“Good. Tell me.”

“According to the words of the adventurers participating in the war, the god tribe is being pushed back.”

“Pushed? Do you know how much they are being pushed?”

“It is said that the god tribe are ahead in terms of the war itself, but they are being greatly pushed in the fight between the strong.”

Kalen relayed information to Edward that even the players involved in the battle might not be familiar with. It was obvious. It was Hyeonu who told Kalen this. There was no way the information could be incomplete.

“Greatly pushed?”

“It is said that the orc great tribe chief is prevailing over the god of the god tribe. Meanwhile, the king of the god tribe is being pushed by not only Duke Lebron of the Yusma Empire, but also the adventurer who is his disciple.”

Kalen revealed in detail the information he had heard from Hyeonu.

“Then the god tribe isn’t ahead in the war. It is the other side.”

Edward immediately understood why the god tribe was being pushed back in the first place. It was intentionally dragging out the war into a long war.

‘It is obvious whose head it came from.’

The person who made the war like this must be the same person who told him to start the war. There was no one else who would casually sustain a war.

“What else?” Edward burst out laughing and asked Kalen for information again.

“This is really hard won information...” Kalen dragged out the end of his words. Edward didn’t react much and just looked at Kalen with a smile.

“It is said that there are some adventurers who dream of rebellion,” Kalen whispered in a very small voice.

“Rebellion? Rebellion?!” Edward snorted and burst out laughing.

Rebellion—it was the most ridiculous thing he heard in recent years.

Edward laughed for a long time before shouting, “They dare?!!!”

He might’ve become the chief of the ran tribe and led the undead in the northern part of the continent, but Edward was still the imperial prince. He naturally had to react sensitively to the word rebellion.

“Who would do such a stupid thing?”

However, it was only for a moment. He soon started laughing again. He was reminded of how absurd a rebellion would be.

“There are four monsters in the empire. Duke Blake, the former commander of the Knights of Keon; Duke Lebron, the empire’s current number one knight; and Duke Suped, the empire’s strongest great magician. Finally, the emperor who rules over all of them, Alexander. All four of them must be brought down for the rebellion to succeed. Who would dare do such a thing?” Edward pointed out reality. It was also to damage Kalen who brought him false information.

“Yes, there is such a person.” However, Kalen’s reaction wasn’t what Edward expected. He nodded firmly.

“Who can bring all four of them down?”

“Isn’t he there?”

Kalen and Edward’s eyes met.

“He will end up having an accident.”

Edward let out a sigh. It was sympathy for the ignorant person who was running toward an insurmountable wall.

***

“Will you help me with anything?” Hyeonu asked Gang Junggu with a serious expression.

Gang Junggu looked up and asked, “What are you talking about? What is this all of a sudden?”

He heard it with both ears, but it was unbelievable.

‘He isn’t the type of person to get into trouble...’

It was the first time Hyeonu had said such a thing since they got to know each other. Thus, he was even more flustered.

“It is as you have heard, Hyung-nim. I might end up doing something big later. Will you lend your strength at that time?” Hyeonu asked Gang Junggu again.

“I will naturally help. Hyung-nim will probably say that he will help unconditionally. It will be interesting.”

He knew Kim Seokjung’s answer even if he didn’t hear it. It was unconditional support. It wasn’t due to loyalty or affection. It was just because it was interesting and he would be helping Hyeonu.

“Still... what is going on?”

Something big—he wondered what level it would have to be for the words ‘something big’ to come out of Hyeonu’s mouth.

“Later... after a while... I will challenge the emperor’s position.”

Hyeonu had been struggling ever since he got the quest from Kalui. Should he aim for the throne or give up? At first, he decided to give up. The more he thought about how many things were needed to acquire the throne of the emperor, the more he felt that the position of emperor was far away.

Then as time went on, unfounded confidence soared. After all, it wouldn’t be discovered by the emperor if he only shared this face with trusted players. The emperor was an NPC. It was impossible for him to know things in reality.

“The position of emperor... it is a position that any man dreams of at least once. Still, is it possible?” Gang Junggu asked Hyeonu. Gang Junggu didn’t know as much as Hyeonu, but he had received quite a bit of knowledge from Hyeonu. It was why he was well aware of how difficult Hyeonu’s words were.

“I don’t think it can happen right now. But... gather more people and as time passes... wouldn’t it be possible then?”

Hyeonu smiled brightly enough to show his white teeth.

“Do you have people you can trust?”

“Is there anything else to say, Hyung-nim? It is the members who gather every time. I’ve given them so much in the meantime that wouldn’t it be pretty beneficial to get something in return?”

The people Hyeonu thought of were the ones who had always been on quests with him. The Pioneer Guild and the Kowloon Guild. There were also the pro teams if it could be afforded. This alone was a pretty decent lineup.

“Isn’t it hard to defeat Lebron even with this?”

Gang Junggu showed a negative reaction. In order to rise to the emperor’s position, it was necessary to first defeat the NPCs who supported the emperor. They couldn’t aim for the head at once.

“Lebron is my teacher, but... will he want to disturb me?”

Hyeonu was confident enough to persuade Lebron. He was Lebron’s only disciple. He wondered if Lebron could kill him.

“Then Duke Blake?”

“He probably won’t leave the demon world. Even if he comes here, he won’t go to the capital or the imperial palace.”

Based on what Hyeonu knew, John Blake was immersed in training in the demon world. It was a time to refine and digest new things. It would likely be like this for quite a long time in the future. Naturally, there was no need to consider him.

“Suped?”

“You don’t have to worry too much. There is a way to beat him.”

Suped was a magician, so Hyeonu would be able to make a gap with Tang-E’s Roar. Hyeonu was confident he could dig into that gap properly.

“In the end, the problem is the emperor...”

The biggest obstacle to Hyeonu’s dream of becoming the emperor was the emperor.