Ranker's Return

Chapter 758

“Everyone, I picked up something good.”

Hyeonu waved the book in front of him.

-What is this?

-You didn’t see it just now? Weren’t you focused?

-It wasn’t visible in the third person perspective. Alley Leader’s back covered it.

-That’s why I can’t do third person perspective. Streaming is unconditionally first person.

The reactions of the viewers were different. Those who shared their vision with Hyeonu in first person perspective could see the title of the book. Meanwhile, those who were watching the livestream from a third person perspective didn’t see the title of the book. It was because the title of the book wasn’t written in big letters.

“This book is a diary left behind by the chief of the dark elves. If I’m lucky, I might be able to get a quest. Or I can get items that are only handed down through the chief,” Hyeonu explained the value of the book to the viewers.

One more possibility existed in addition to what Hyeonu just said.

‘Maybe the whereabouts of the dark elf chief who didn’t appear will be written.’

The possibility was even greater because this was the chief’s own diary, not another book.

‘If he is dead, it would’ve said it was the former chief.’

No matter how unfriendly the game was, he thought Arena would show this much consideration.

-Please read it quickly.

-By the way, is a quest good or an item good?

-Isn’t it naturally a quest? You can get good items when doing a quest.

-I also like a quest. The level of items that appear at a hunting ground of this level is likely to be of little use to our Alley Leader.

The viewers were more curious about the contents of the book than Hyeonu. It was understandable. Hyeonu was more experienced than the viewers. He naturally had a higher threshold than the viewers.

“I hope everyone will change to a first person perspective. I can’t read the entire book with my mouth,” Hyeonu briefly gave a warning to the viewers before opening the diary.

[Diary of Yulis, Chief of the Highwind Tribe]

The tribe was relocated according to the orders given by the great tribe chief. The dark elves of the tribe are dissatisfied because they don’t know the exact inside story. It is the same for me.

The great tribe chief visited. It was a sudden visit. The great tribe chief explained the reason for the relocation. It is for the revival of the tribe. However, he couldn’t explain why our tribe should be trapped and suffer in this gorge where the wind blows. The complaints of the dark elves didn’t subside.

The great tribe chief visited again after one month. This time, he wasn’t alone. It was with a magician from another tribe. The magician carved a magic circle throughout the village to prevent the wind from invading. Before the great tribe chief left, he held my hand and left a message asking for a favor. It is just that the emptiness of being asked to leave home wasn’t erased.

This time, it was three months. The great tribe chief visited the tribe again. Someone who had never come before came to visit the tribe three times. Some of the dark elves were impressed by the sincerity of the great tribe chief and abandoned their resentment about the forced move. However, the majority of the tribe’s dark elves were even more reluctant toward the great tribe chief, saying it was a visible act of catering.

‘Is this the end?’

There was nothing else written. It was cut off here.

“What? Is it just this?”

Hyeonu was very uncomfortable. It felt like he just went to the bathroom and came out. It was the same with the viewers.

-Who cut it off here?

-Quickly turn the pages.

-Yes, turn the pages. Maybe there is more.

-By the way, did Quency really develop it in detail? How can they play such a prank on something small?

They burst into anger at the contents of the diary that was cut off. The sense of immersion was sharply broken.

‘Turn to the back pages?’

Hyeonu quickly turned the pages in the diary when he saw the messages of the viewers.

One, two, three pages. The pages were turned, but Hyeonu and the viewers didn’t get what they wanted.

The great tribe chief...

It wasn’t until he turned almost all the pages in the diary that letters reappeared.

“It came out!”

A cheer automatically emerged from Hyeonu’s mouth. Hyeonu immediately lowered his gaze and started to read.

The great tribe chief went back after visiting. Now all the dark elves of the tribe understood his meaning. That’s why they started to follow his orders. They tried to increase their strength, regardless of any means or methods.

As ordered by the great tribe chief, all the dark elves in the tribe grew to be able to participate in battle.

Sooner or later, the revolution is to begin. For the dark elves...

This was the end. On the back page of the diary, only a short phrase remained compared to the front. Still, that alone was enough to figure out what the dark elves were doing.

“The dark elves must gain strength. It is an interesting story. The dark elf village here is quite large... so was the troll village discovered not too long ago. It feels like the size of the fortresses of monsters is growing bigger day by day.”

-Hearing this, I think so too.

-Yes, it has appeared extensively until now, but few villages have been formed like this.

-Aren’t most of the current villages those that originally existed? There are almost no places that were discovered.

The viewers agreed with Hyeonu’s comment. Among the existing hunting grounds, there were a few village-type hunting grounds like the dark elf village discovered by Hyeonu or the troll village discovered by Teika. It was just that they were mostly low level hunting grounds or near cities. They weren’t hunting grounds pioneered by players.

“I hope there will only be these hunting grounds in the future. Then it will be really easy to level up,” Hyeonu said with a smile.

He was sincere. It was better for monsters to come out intensively in relatively limited terrain rather than wandering around the mountains and fields. Just like the instance dungeons.

***

In the end, Hyeonu didn’t meet the chief of the Highwind Tribe, Yulis. He didn’t appear even after Hyeonu robbed the hidden warehouse and left. Still, Hyeonu wasn’t disappointed. He got the diary and seal that would be useful and he raised his level to 399. All that was left was exactly one level.

‘Gaining that level is a matter of lying down and eating.’

He just needed to wander around a bit more around Avon Gorge. Dark elves were the only monsters that appeared in Avon Gorge, but there were many other monsters around the area.

Just then, there was a voice that interrupted Hyeonu’s thoughts.

“Hey, aren’t you weird these days? Why are you thinking about something else when eating? Is there really something going on?” Yeongchan yelled at Hyeonu, who was quietly holding a spoon while staring blankly into the air. He couldn’t understand it at all. Not so long ago, Hyeonu ate like he was a beggar.

Yeongchan could hardly comprehend that such a person was acting like this.

“No, it is just... I’m now almost level 400. I’m thinking about what the fifth class advancement will be like.”

Yeongchan trembled at Hyeonu’s words.

“Already? Isn’t this too fast?”

Yeongchan couldn’t hide his feelings of envy at Hyeonu’s words that level 400 was just around the corner.

“I am only level 350...”

Yeongchan was level 350. Of course, this alone made him one of the best in South Korea and it was high enough to be in the top 100 in terms of overall ranking.

“Then you should’ve hunted diligently. It is because you are wandering all the time. That doesn’t work,” Hyeonu said while putting the salad in his mouth.

Yeongchan’s level was high enough, but it could be higher than it was right now. It was because Hyeonu shared many things with Yeongchan. Information, items, and quests obtained from hunting—he shared all the things that might help Yeongchan.

“Don’t waste your money on that damn youth business and just play the game, you jerk.”

Hyeonu’s face contained obvious ridicule as he chewed on the salad.

“What nonsense are you saying?”

Yeongchan raised his arm like he would throw the fork in his hand. However, Hyeonu continued to eat the salad without even blinking. He was going to eat everything he hadn’t eaten so far.

“This is my diet, crazy guy. Who eats that much?!”

Yeongchan took the salad dish from Hyeonu. Less than a third of the salad was left. It was because Hyeonu finished it in an instant.

“Can’t I eat vegetables as I please?”

Hyeonu licked his fork while becoming annoyed at Yeongchan.

“Eat the chicken breast in front of you. There is also bread.”

Yeongchan wrapped his arms around the plate of salad and pointed to the plate in front of Hyeonu with his chin. There was a fist-sized piece of rye bread and a thick chunk of chicken breast on Hyeonu’s plate.

“It is tasteless.”

The rye bread and grilled chicken breast wasn’t as delicious as the salad. There was no butter to spread on the bread and no sauce for the chicken breast. Meanwhile, the salad had sweet dressing on it.

“Yes, this is mine.”

Yeongchan turned his body halfway around and started eating the salad. Hyeonu groaned when he saw it and picked up the chicken breast with his fork with a stiff expression. The bonus was that he failed to control his strength and made a harsh sound when scratching the glass.

“Can I watch when you do your fifth class advancement?” Yeongchan finished eating the remaining salad and turned to look at Hyeonu.

“Are you crazy?” Hyeonu responded coldly to Yeongchan.

“Why not? I’m wondering what’s different about the fifth class advancement.”

“I think it will be a waste of time.”

“Why? Why is it a waste of time? It is watching Arena’s first 5th class advancement.”

Yeongchan couldn’t understand Hyeonu’s words. He was excited just at the thought of watching the fifth class advancement.

“Do you want to see it that much?”

"Of course.”

"Then come and see. Turn off the streaming,” Hyeonu said with an expression that seemed generous.

“Why turn it off...?” Yeongchan was speechless. It was because Hyeonu’s words were too unrelenting.

“Never mind if you don’t want to. If you have any thoughts, then wait at Yusma.”

Hyeonu disappeared into his room with the rye bread and a cup of water.

***

[Wendin, the monster who eats stones, has been killed.]

[Experience has been acquired.]

[You have leveled up.]

[All health and magic power are restored.]

‘Nice!’

“That’s it!!” Hyeonu cried out with joy when he saw the level that had risen.

After leaving Avon Gorge, he spent a day hunting and barely leveled up. It was slower than he thought. It was frustrating when thinking about the speed at which he leveled up in the dark elf village. Still, it didn’t matter. His heart trembled because the goal of level 400 was just around the corner.

Hyeonu took the return scroll that allowed him to move to Yusma from his inventory. His heart beat faster over time. It was due to his high expectations from his fifth class advancement. There was a man waving to Hyeonu as he arrived in front of Lebron’s mansion.

“You came.”

The man waving was Yeongchan. He couldn’t turn on the livestream, but he came here to watch the fifth class advancement.

“Go in.”

Hyeonu gestured with his chin and headed inside the mansion. The soldiers guarding the door bowed deeply toward the passing Hyeonu.

“The second player to come in here...” Yeongchan muttered with a curious expression as he looked around.

“What nonsense are you saying? There are at least 10.”

Hyeonu looked at Yeongchan like he was pathetic.

“What? 10 people?” Yeongchan asked with an expression of disbelief at Hyeonu’s words.