Ranker's Return

Two of the empire’s most powerful men were having a secret conversation.

“There is news that the duke has appeared in the Black Forest.”

The emperor predicted Hyeonu’s movements and acted in advance to send his subordinates to the north of the continent and to the Black Forest.

‘I thought he would run to the north first...’

However, Hyeonu didn’t even pay attention to the north. The emperor didn’t know about the existence of the live streams and couldn’t understand this part.

“The Black Forest? If it is the Black Forest, then it is where that orc is located...”

Duke Lebron cocked his head. The Black Forest remained a bad place in his memory. It was because the ill fated relationship he had with the orcs who lived there was quite deep. The meeting in the East Continent not so long ago wasn’t a good one.

“Isn’t it known that the relationship between the two of them is deep? I thought he would definitely go there for a visit.”

“The relationship is deep... are you saying that the monster and my disciple are closely acquainted?”

The emperor’s explanation caused surprise to appear on Duke Lebron’s face. He never thought of that. He had seen them conversing casually in the East Continent, but he thought it was just an acquaintance due to the League of Different Species.

“It is deep. In fact, that doesn’t matter. The important thing is that the duke is on the move.”

A smile flashed on the emperor’s face. Just thinking of Hyeonu made him smile.

Lebron smiled like the emperor. Then he opened his mouth to tell the emperor the news he wanted, “The preparations are almost over. Suped is moving hard.”

Suped received the order of the emperor and was moving in a hurry. He was a great magician with no restrictions on movement, so he was in charge of all the work.

“Has everything related to the coronation been done?”

“There will be no backlash from the people, so there are no problems.”

The emperor was already preparing everything. It was also what would happen after he disappeared.

***

Hyeonu summoned all the people in his video. The protagonists were the rankers who were often referred to in the community as the ‘Alley Leader line.’

“What type of wind caused our brother to call people?”

Kim Seokjung smiled cheerfully at the people present. He spoke as if he didn’t know anything, but Kim Seokjung realized why Hyeonu called them just from the faces of the people who were gathered.

Hyeonu smiled at Kim Seokjung.

“Have you all been well?”

Then he turned his head and looked at everyone present.

“I’ve been well.”

“Me too.”

Mascherano and Reina were the first to answer. The two of them had nothing to do except the practice that was repeated every day. They were going through the same routine like they were on a water wheel.

“I am busy. The war is still ongoing.”

“I am the same. I don’t know how long the war will continue, but I am working hard right now.”

Then Teika and Rain answered.

Teika fought on the side of the League of Different Species, while Rain fought on the side of the ra tribe, also known as the god tribe. The two of them bumped into each other once a day on the battlefields of the East Continent.

“Why is Liu Shei silent?”

Liu Shei was silent. He didn’t have much to say. The video he shot on that day still remained the most popular video on A-World.

“Well.. don’t you all know it?” Liu Shei said quietly.

“Yes, the reason we are gathered here today has something to do with that.”

Hyeonu smiled and walked forward.

“Everyone here has made a promise to me. Do you remember?”

Hyeonu once again made eye contact with those gathered here.

“I remember. I promised to help my brother.”

Kim Seokjung reached out his hands and stepped out. He noticed Hyeonu’s intentions and started to follow along.

“It is just as Hyung-nim said. You promised to help me.”

Hyeonu winked at Kim Seokjung. Then he continued talking again.

“I hope to get that help soon. Can you all help me?” Hyeonu asked bluntly.

It was a fastball that hit the middle of the catcher’s mitt. There wasn’t even the slightest bit of variation.

“Of course, I will help you. If a man has made a promise, then he must keep it.”

“I’ll help you as well.”

Kim Seokjung came out first and was followed by Teika. Teika knew what Hyeonu wanted. This was because it was revealed implicitly in Hyeonu’s previous words.

“In any case, I already have no foundation in the empire. There are no risks to be taken.”

Why did Teika come up with such a cool answer? Hyeonu might’ve received a lot of things, but Teika had relatively nothing to lose. He had already given up all his foundations after changing his species to an orc. Naturally, it didn’t matter if he helped Hyeonu take the position of emperor.

“I also don’t care either. It might be different if the whole guild is needed, but if it is just me... I can help you.” Rain was in a similar situation to Teika. Now that he was under the ra tribe, there was little risk of failure, just like Teika.

“I am also fine.” Reina also raised her hand. In any case, this was her last Spring League. She was leaving the team soon. If Hyeonu’s challenge failed, it was enough for it to be Reina’s individual decision to break away from the empire, not the New York Warriors. Then she wouldn’t be significantly different from the previous two people.

“What about the other two?” Hyeonu asked while looking at the two men who hadn\'t answered yet, Mascherano and Liu Shei. Mascherano and Liu Shei couldn’t answer easily. They were different from others. They couldn’t move easily. They had people they needed to take responsibility for.

‘I would unconditionally do it if I was alone, but...’

Mascherano was really regretful. For a moment, he wanted to quit being a professional gamer like Reina.

‘I have to stop those crazy guys from knowing.’

Liu Shei had a completely different problem from Mascherano. He had to stop this information from ever flowing to the other dragons of the Kowloon Guild. They were the ones who would unconditionally obey Hyeonu’s will.

‘It is enough for them as long as it is fun.’

They were different from Liu Shei. The fun of the moment was their first priority. They argued that the money they already had in their hands was enough.

‘I need to be more successful.’

It wasn’t that Liu Shei didn’t understand them. This didn’t mean he could follow them just because he understood.

It was the moment when the two people’s worries continued...

“I understand what the two of you are worried about,” Hyeonu opened his mouth again.

Hyeonu was well aware of the worries they were having. It was because Hyeonu had the same problem.

‘I have something to gain...’

Those who came forward to help Hyeonu needed to receive no harm from it.

“What you are worried about won’t happen. You will never be identified.”

Hyeonu put his hand into the inventory and took something out. The thing Hyeonu was holding in his hand was the mask that Hyeonu was wearing on his face right now.

“Everyone will wear this mask and go into battle.”

Hyeonu held out the masks to Mascherano and Liu Shei. The two of them accepted the masks as if they were possessed by something.

“I also don’t want much help. The emperor is my opponent. You just need to handle the other NPCs in the imperial palace while I am dealing with the emperor.”

Hyeonu’s sole role was the emperor. He couldn’t leave it to anyone else.

‘It would be a real nuisance.’

The other players would find it hard to even cope with the emperor’s pressure. Driving them to do it despite knowing this wasn’t something a person would do.

“Are you saying we have to stop Lebron?” Liu Shei asked Hyeonu. It was because it seemed like Lebron would be included in the NPCs Hyeonu talked about.

“No, Lebron won’t come to the imperial palace. He has started training while shutting himself off from the outside world. He won’t be seen for a month,” Hyeonu shook his head and explained Lebron’s whereabouts.

“I understand. Then I’ll give you a hand.”

It was only then that Liu Shei nodded. If it was as Hyeonu suggested, then the risks could be minimized.

“I will participate alone. I can’t tell my other team members to participate.”

Mascherano limited Hyeonu’s request to just one person.

“It is fine. I’m grateful for your help.”

Hyeonu nodded. Mascherano alone was enough. Hyeonu had felt this while walking through the imperial palace himself, but the palace itself didn’t have many troops.

‘They are pretty much coming from New World...’

New World would be responsible for the numbers.

“Then I’ll let you know the precise date separately. Once again, thank you very much.”

Hyeonu bowed his head.

***

Hyeonu received an email from Kale. It was an email with the results of the simulation he had requested.

‘What will the percentage be?’

Hyeonu was feeling expectant in his heart. It was because Raccoon convinced him that it was worth trying to fight the emperor. For that reason, he was confident that he wouldn’t be too obsessed with the results of the simulation Kale gave him.

Hyeonu immediately opened the attachment.

-This is the report of the simulation results. I would like to inform you that the simulation was conducted using a total of two assumptions.

The first simulation is a case where you deal with the emperor purely with your own capabilities.

The second simulation assumes that the other ranker priests have buffed you.

‘They split it into two parts? They did a good job.’

Hyeonu read the beginning of the report and smiled with satisfaction. There were situations where this could happen. The emperor might have a skill to release buffs.

‘So how much?’

Hyeonu lowered his eyes and read the results written at the bottom.

-In the first simulation, the probability that Alley Leader can win against the emperor who can’t use one arm is 20%.

‘20%?’

Hyeonu shook his head at the probability that was higher than he thought. The first condition was to use only Tang-E’s buffs and his item skills. In other words, it was fighting purely with Hyeonu’s skills.

‘Yet it is that high?’

It wasn’t a very understandable figure. To be honest, Hyeonu didn’t see it this way. He thought it was 10% at the maximum. He thought that if they fought ten times, he could win once.

Hyeonu shook his head and continued to read the report.

-In the second simulation, the probability that Alley Leader can win against an emperor who can’t use one arm is 45%.

‘It is really similar.’

Nike’s analysis was similar to Raccoons’ words. It was half. It was around this much.

‘It is worth a try.’

The results analyzed by an NPC in Arena were the same as the results analyzed with real technology. In other words, there was enough of a possibility.

‘What else is written?’

Hyeonu’s smiling eyes looked at the rest of the report.

-However, the win rate will go down to 0% when the emperor’s injuries are recovered.

There was a note about the result of a fight when the emperor was in a healthy state.

‘There is no way that will happen, so what does this mean?’

They were meaningless words. That absolutely wasn’t going to happen.

Hyeonu moved the mouse to get rid of the report.