Ranker's Return

Chapter 684

-Hyung, did you hear it?

“Yes, I heard it.”

-What are you going to do?

“I will have to give up. Time is limited, and I only have one body. If it isn’t efficient, it is right to throw away the person.”

If this were Alley Leader’s academy and not New Moon, he could have improved Choi Bongjun’s skills no matter what. However, New Moon was different. It was a matter of the lives of the 11 other players.

‘I can’t give one person more time.’

Hyeonu had 12 people to teach. If the player was slow to learn, he had to give up. People didn’t change easily. Time was running out. He naturally couldn’t accept someone who was lacking.

‘Talent and hard work—I have to choose people who have both.’

No matter what anyone said, professional players always spoke with results. He couldn’t carry a person if they were a burden.

-Is it okay? Cho Yeonghun asked with a concerned voice.

“Why not? In any case, only I know how many people passed the documents application and how many people I interviewed. If he is picked, the one who will be troubled is you, not me,” Hyeonu scoffed.

In the first place, he was the one planning New Moon. He set the standards for screening, and he was also the one with the authority to select them. Making the best players was the job that Hyeonu had to do.

“Then eat well. We will start practicing PvP next week. Remember.”

Hyeonu gave Cho Yeonghun the schedule for later and hung up. Then he sat in front of the screen and tapped on the keyboard. One of the names on the notepad disappeared.

***

At a franchise cafe not far from Yeongchan’s officetel, Hyeonu was waiting for someone.

“Here, Supervisor Kang.” Hyeonu waved to the man looking around the interior of the cafe.

Kang Ujong walked over to Hyeonu and joked in a lighthearted manner, “Oh, my. The busy Coach Gang said he wanted to see me. Did something happen?”

‘From the beginning…’ Hyeonu smiled darkly at Kang Ujong’s playful joke. The current meeting was organized by Hyeonu. In other words, it was Hyeonu who had the initiative.

"Of course. Something very big happened. It isn’t a normal thing.” Hyeonu was equally mischievous toward Kang Ujong. It was a bonus to change his facial expression into something very serious.

“Something big? What is it?” Kang Ujong asked Hyeonu as if he had forgotten that he was the one who joked around first.

“…It is over.”

“What?”

“Finished. The end.”

“The end of what?” Kang Ujong continued to reflect on Hyeonu’s words with a frustrated expression.

Hyeonu’s words were strangely short, and he couldn’t understand their meaning.

Hyeonu stopped joking around with Kang Ujong and informed the latter what he'd already settled on: “New Moon. Only nine applicants are left. I’m going to take these nine people and bring them to my live stream. I’m also expecting to cut six people in two weeks.”

"Cut six people? So only three people will be picked? Oh, my god. Does this mean I have to choose three people?” Kang Ujong heard Hyeonu’s words and showed a dumbfounded expression.

“Why do you look like that? Do you want me to pick the three people instead? Isn’t this your share of the work?”

After the meetings with the 10 people, Hyeonu was convinced that he could definitely select three of them.

‘They are resources that can’t be picked by anyone, but it isn’t too much to select three or so.’

Honestly, he wasn’t very concerned about their skills or level. The evaluation condition Hyeonu was looking at the hardest was passion for being a professional gamer and loyalty to the team. Loyalty wasn’t a big thing. As long as they didn't cause inconvenience to the other 11 people, that was loyalty to the team.

“Didn’t Hyeonsu mention it? We ate during the day and finished the list.” Hyeonu brought up his meeting with Yoo Hyeonsu at lunch.

“I heard… Three people… I honestly don’t know if we can get that,” Kang Ujong said.

The list was written by Jeong Byeongjin and Kang Ujong and then filtered using the information Yoo Hyeonsu gave. It was almost nominal now; there were no players Kang Ujong particularly wanted. In fact, he felt reluctant to use them, yet he was being forced to do so because there were insufficient resources.

“Let’s see them first. Who knows? Perhaps there might be pearls hiding among them,” Hyeonu said comfortably since he wasn’t the one meeting them anyway. In addition, he found one more back-up option through what happened today.

“Please, I wish so. I don’t know where there will be a superstar like Alley Leader,” Kang Ujong muttered as he tapped on the table with his finger.

“You want something too big. It is nice enough as long as they aren’t crooks,” Hyeonu replied and drank his iced Americano. He swallowed it frantically until the large cup of coffee was empty.

“Don’t worry too much. If it doesn’t work, get down on your knees,” Hyeonu said while putting the empty cup of coffee down on the table.

“On my knees? To whom? If I kneel down to you, will you come back?” Kang Ujong looked at Hyeonu with a humorous expression. On the contrary to his expression, his words were sincere and not just empty words.

“Why should I come back? There are streamers down there—the former Big Stars players. I happened to think about it today, so I checked their streaming and A-World videos. They have retired, but I think it is okay because the melee classes consistently move in the same party. It feels like a last bastion.”

Hyeonu was talking about the streamers belonging to Crescent Moon. They were those who had maintained their pro careers until just before the last Winter League, no matter what anyone said. This alone was enough to know their level.

‘The arena proxy knight matter has also been solved.’

They had been involved in unsavory things, but the court ruled they had been forced to do so due to the coercion of the coach and supervisor of Big Stars, so they were acquitted.

“Ah, them? Yes, I hadn’t thought about this. They are also a possibility. We will have a deep conversation soon. If Coach Gang doesn’t like New Moon’s candidates, we can pick from them. We'll have alternative resources with a lot of freedom.”

Kang Ujong was able to feel more relaxed due to Hyeonu’s words. Former professional gamers also belonged to the team, and they were not worse than the names on the list. Rather, they were better candidates.

“In any case, the number of people who will pass New moon depends on how many you select, right? Supervisor-nim, I believe you will do your best.”

After speaking, Hyeonu poured the cup of ice into his mouth.

***

The emperor-led demon world invasion expedition captured Tendmul and headed straight to the next destination, Alfore. They didn’t stay at Tendmul for even a day. They might be slow to move, but they never stopped. The demon world invasion expedition was divided into three major types.

Lebron, Hyeonu, and the emperor were at the forefront. Then there was the main army chasing after them from not that far off. Finally, there were the stragglers separated from the main army by the attacks of the demons and demonic creatures.

‘It is so uncomfortable that I’m going to die.’

Hyeonu couldn’t release any of his complaints about the uncomfortable companionship that continued for several days. If he were just moving with Lebron, he might’ve used his skills to make jokes that weren’t fun. However, everything was impossible because there was the emperor flying leisurely through the air with eyes like he was looking at the whole world.

Hyeonu could only uncomfortably close his mouth and run in this uncomfortable mood. Of course, it was a bonus to cook meat when the time came.

‘Is this the main scenario or going on a tour of the continent with Teacher…?’

Hyeonu wasn’t even given a chance to hunt.

‘It is boring, uncomfortable, and annoying.’

The emperor’s hand gesture or Lebron’s slash of the sword meant any demons or demonic creatures who approached them vanished without a trace. If the two of them hadn’t moved as passively as possible, the stragglers group wouldn’t have been made in the first place.

‘I closed my mouth so much that I think I forgot how to speak.’

His mouth was itchy, and his muscles were stiff. Despite that, it would be different from now on. He had something to ask the emperor. Hyeonu diligently chased after the emperor and opened his mouth: “Your Majesty, I have a question. Can I ask you something?”

“A question? Talk to me. I was bored anyway.” The emperor wasn’t flustered by Hyeonu’s sudden words and received them naturally.

“The permit that Your Majesty mentioned last time. I’m curious about the exact use for it.”

“Marquis, you are curious about the number of permits needed to be successfully promoted?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Hyeonu nodded at the emperor’s words.

The emperor amazingly pinpointed exactly what Hyeonu was wondering. Rather than giving a clear answer to Hyeonu’s question, the emperor asked Hyeonu in return, “How much do you think it will be? Of course, you need one to be a baron. Then what about a viscount? An earl?”

‘One for a baron. Then a viscount?’

Two was too few. The difference between a baron and viscount was too enormous to simply call it a one-level difference.

‘Then what about an earl?’

He had no idea how many permits were needed to become a viscount. Then how many permits were needed to be an earl, a high ranking noble?

‘Is 10 enough?’

Hyeonu’s wish was that it was five for a viscount and 10 for an earl. It was because he would be able to promote Kim Seokjung to the position of earl by consuming his 15 permits.

‘No. Then the difference between viscount and earl is too small.’

Hyeonu thought about it. He left the total sum of the permits intact but adjusted the ratio.

“Based on my short thoughts… I think it is reasonable for there to be three for a viscount and 12 for an earl.”

“Three for a viscount. 12 for an earl…" the emperor murmured, seemingly lost in thought for a moment after hearing Hyeonu's answer. Then he turned his head and questioned Lebron, who was running next to him, "What do you think about a duke?”

“The number doesn’t matter. Isn’t it an unprecedented system anyway? However, I think it will be almost impossible for adventurers to become nobles in the future. The permit depends on Your Majesty’s mind. Maybe at the end of this expedition… The number of those loyal to the imperial family will grow tremendously,” Lebron replied.

He'd interpreted the hidden intent contained in the quest presented by the emperor. It was a plan to shake up and hold the adventurers using the pretext of the permits.

“Yes. The quantity isn’t important. So it will be as the marquis says. One for a baron, three for a viscount, and 12 for an earl. That is enough.” The emperor smiled slyly.

“Then how many permits will be needed for a marquis or duke?” Hyeonu asked carefully.

“Marquis? A marquis will be around 30 permits. 50 will be fine for a duke.” The emperor immediately set the number of permits required for a marquis and duke.

He seemed to really be enjoying this. Hyeonu was only looking at the emperor’s back, but he seemed to know what expression the emperor would be making. At this moment, the emperor suddenly stopped.

‘What a surprise!’ Hyeonu was greatly surprised by the emperor’s action of stopping without notice. He just barely managed to control his body to avoid hitting the emperor.

‘I almost got beat up.’

Hyeonu was sighing with relief when the emperor turned around and looked at Hyeonu.

“Marquis Gang Hyeonu.”

Hyeonu erased his surprised expression and replied to the emperor, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Aren’t you curious about how much is required for the emperor’s position?”

Hyeonu’s expression once again became startled.