Ranker's Return

‘Relaxation is indeed... Let’s go to nature.’

The place where Hyeonu stood was Bung Bung Island. Hyeonu immediately went to Bung Bung Island after leaving the war as he promised to Tang-E.

“Tang-E, how is it?”

“How is what, Master dude? It is the same,” Tang-E bluntly answered Hyeonu’s question. However, the corners of his mouth were curved up, and he seemed to feel good.

“Are those two at home?” Hyeonu asked while stroking Tang-E’s head.

“Probably. I told them that Master dude is coming today or tomorrow.”

Every day, Tang-E told Hyeonu’s location to Manong and Hugo. In other words, they should know when Hyeonu was arriving.

“Then let’s go see them right away.”

“I understand, Master dude.”

Tang-E took Hyeonu and headed to the house where Hugo and Manong were. It didn’t take long. They walked for around 15 minutes with slow steps and saw a familiar building.

“Why are you lingering around like this, Master dude? Just go in.”

Tang-E pushed Hyeonu’s back as Hyeonu stood in front of the house. ‘Is he thinking?’

With Tang-E’s pushing, Hyeonu entered the house at once. Hugo was just standing there and staring blankly at the sky.

"It has been a while.”

At Hyeonu’s greeting, Hugo’s head naturally turned toward Hyeonu. It was only then that Hugo’s eyes focused on Hyeonu, looking him up and down.

‘He has grown again,’ Hugo thought. Hyeonu was very different from before, in many ways. He was different not only in appearance but also in spirit.

“You’ve changed a lot,” Hugo responded to Hyeonu with admiration.

“I was lucky. Hugo... you are still the same. You look good.”

“What could be bad...?” Hugo smiled.

Life on Bung Bung Island wasn’t bad. No, it was very good. In fact, it was safe to say that there was no better place to live than Bung Bung Island. It was just that the routine was boring. Hugo had experienced quite a bit of stimulation recently, so Bung Bung Island felt even more boring. In his mind, the battlefield he had gone to in the name of helping Hyeonu was still as clear as yesterday.

“Then I’m glad. There is nothing wrong with that cave, right?”

Hyeonu recalled Leon Meyer, the dragon who lived in the cave. Naturally, the lowest ranking demonic creature, the lomelon, also came to mind.

‘It makes my stomach sick.’ Hyeonu frowned.

It was painful to think about the lomelon.

“The crack is completely gone. The dragon there closed it.”

The cave was now an ordinary cave. Leon Meyer had removed the crack as soon as he saw with his own eyes that adventurers were making a massive move to the demon world. Then he left Bung Bung Island right away.

“I’m glad. Peace has come to Bung Bung Island.”

“It was peaceful to begin with. That was just a very small event.”

“You are right. It was a very small event.” Hyeonu sincerely accepted Hugo’s words because he knew how strong Hugo and the Marionette Bears were.

“I don’t see Manong. Where has she gone?” Hyeonu asked Hugo because Hugo was the only one he could see present.

Hugo glanced inside the house before turning back to Hyeonu. “She is inside preparing food for you, Hyeonu.”

“Food?” Hyeonu asked with wide eyes.

At this moment, Tang-E pulled at Hyeonu’s pant leg. Hyeonu’s eyes naturally turned to Tang-E. Tang-E’s head moved slightly from side to side.

‘Does this mean he doesn’t want to eat it?’

“I’ve already eaten with Tang-E...” Hyeonu said. He recognized Tang-E’s meaning. There was no way he couldn’t. One of the things that Tang-E always talked about was Manong’s cooking skills.

“That is too bad...” Hugo looked disappointed. It was a really sad expression.

“We’ll have a meal next time. I have something to do on Bung Bung Island.” Hyeonu completely blocked Hugo’s proposal.

“You keep saying sorry...” Hugo had now reached the point of regret.

“Right, Hugo, I wanted to ask you something.” Hyeonu quickly changed the subject. It was so that he didn’t have to talk about the meal any longer.

“You have something you want to ask? I’ll answer anything if I know it.” Hugo followed Hyeonu’s intentions.

Upon hearing Hugo’s answer, Hugo asked the question without any hesitation, “Do you know about the ra and ran tribes?”

“The ra and ran tribes? Can you give me a moment?” Hugo asked Hyeonu for time.

It was because he couldn’t remember it very well.

‘I’ve seen those names somewhere...’

The ra and ran tribes—they were strange names, but he knew them.

“They are names that existed in the days when the giants were active on the continent,” Hyeonu told Hugo the content for his question. It was a type of hint.

“Ah! It is them. I remember now.” Hugo remembered the ra and ran tribes after hearing Hyeonu’s words about the giants.

“The ran tribe went to the demon world, and the ra tribe went to the divine world. Come to think about it... It was the ra tribe that I met on the battlefield last time.” Hugo just remembered that the battlefield where he stood representing the League of Different Species had been in the war against the ra tribe. “There were some records passed down internally about these two tribes. I looked it up a while ago.”

Hugo originally didn’t care much about the ra tribe and ran tribe. The Marionette Bears lived for a long time, so there was no reason for them to pay attention to those who lived in the demon world and divine world.

“It isn’t hard to tell you, but... can you tell me why you want to know about them?” Hugo asked.

“It is because of Tang-E.”

“Because of Tang-E?” Hugo’s gaze naturally went downwards. There was a treasure that couldn’t be exchanged for anything in the world.

“It is what Tang-E is now learning from Manong. It is the secret arts of the ran tribe. I should naturally know about them.”

“The secret arts of the ran tribe?” Hugo’s eyes widened.

The ran tribe’s secret arts—mentions of it also remained in the records of the different species. It was that important.

‘Yet Tang-E is learning that?’

Hugo had already read the book that Tang-E had brought. He didn’t know where Tang-E obtained, it but he thought it was excellent. He just hadn’t read it in much detail because it dealt with magic power with the dark attribute.

‘I didn’t know it was the secret arts of the ran tribe...’

“Is that true?” Hugo asked one last time.

“It is certain. I was the one who obtained that book.” Hyeonu nodded. It was certain because the book was something Hyeonu received from Edward and gave to Tang-E.

“You obtained it...?”

“I received it directly from the present-day chief of the ran tribe.”

“From the chief?” Hugo’s surprise was even greater than before.

The chief of the ran tribe—it was written on the records that he was never a good man.

‘He thinks I got it from Ragand.’ Hyeonu noticed what Hugo was thinking from his expression.

“I think there is a misunderstanding... The current chief isn’t the one you are thinking about. He is dead.”

Hugo’s misunderstanding was corrected right away.

“That’s why you said the present-day chief...” Hugo nodded. Now he understood why Hyeonu used the words ‘present-day chief’.

“Then can you tell me a bit about what you know?” Hyeonu went back to the beginning again. He wanted information on the two tribes, the ra tribe and the ran tribe.

‘I’m going to get something from here.’

Why did Hyeonu want information about them? It was because there might be unknown traces.

‘Even if that isn’t the case, I need to be prepared in case I get stabbed in the back later.’

The betrayal of Edward and Jeras—it was to prepare in advance for that.

“What are you curious about?” Hugo asked while roughly compiling the information about the ra and ran tribes in his head.

“The place they stayed before leaving the middle world. In addition, their divine objects if they have any. Do they have any weaknesses? I’m curious about things like that.”

Upon hearing Hyeonu’s words, Hugo moved into his house instead of answering. After a while, he reappeared holding a piece of paper.

“I put what was written on the records on the map. It isn’t just the two tribes, but also the places where the other tribes lived,” Hugo said as he handed Hyeonu the map. “I don’t have much to say about the divine objects. The records say there is no such thing.”

“Are you saying that there are no divine objects?”

“I think it is right to describe it as ‘there were’.”

“So does that mean they were lost?”

“The records indicate that the chiefs of the time might’ve consumed them in the process of being tribe gods or in the process of moving the entire clan to the demon world and divine world.”

Hugo couldn’t hide his disappointment after hearing Hugo’s explanation. The divine objects of the two tribes would definitely be epic items. It was a pity that such items were missing.

‘There is no need to feel regret.’

They weren’t in his possession, but they belonged to someone else in the first place. So there was no need to regret it.

“Then their weaknesses...?”

“There are no weaknesses. It is just that the magic power they handled was so extreme that they were each other’s weaknesses.”

“It sounds like you need to be able to use the opposite attribute and be stronger than the other person, but...?”

“That’s right. That is what it means.”

Hugo’s explanation was the original theory itself. There wasn’t anything new.

‘I shouldn’t have expected anything.’ Hyeonu sighed lightly. He felt regretful due to his unreasonable expectations.

“Right, Hugo, how is Tang-E’s education going?” Hyeonu once again changed the subject. It was an act to quickly shake off his regret.

“I am teaching him how to handle the light attribute magic power, but... Recently, my wife has been paying more attention to Tang-E due to the secret arts,” Hugo answered Hyeonu’s question before cocking his head. He seemed to be wondering why Hyeonu was asking this.

“It’s nothing. It’s just... I feel like Tang-E is having a hard time these days. Hugo, I hope you will pay a bit of attention to that.”

Tang-E held Hyeonu’s leg and looked up at Hyeonu with a gentle smile. Hyeonu also smiled at Tang-E.

“Tang-E said so too... Indeed, she lacks the ability to teach.” Hugo nodded.

He was well aware of Manong’s teaching style. It was because there were quite a few bears before Tang-E that had been victims. Many people wanted to be taught by Manong because she was so strong, but there wasn’t a single one now. There were definitely many in the past.

“In that sense, I’ll give you this...” Hyeonu took a book from his inventory and held it out to Hugo.

“What is this?” Hugo asked as he took the book.

“It is a book with a collection of secret arts compiled by the greatest genius of the ra tribe.” Hyeonu smiled. “I think this might be the solution for the child of good fortune who whines a lot.”