Ranker's Return

“Do you have content?”

The reason was simple—content.

The reason Hyeonu did a joint streaming with others was partly due to the long-standing promise he made with them, but also because they had content for him to join.

“You know why I’m doing the joint streaming, right?” Hyeonu asked Yeongchan again. No, it was more like a statement than a question. It was a reminder to not be clingy if he didn’t have content.

“I naturally have content,” Yeongchan replied with a smile.

“What is it?” Hyeonu asked when he saw Yeongchan’s confident appearance.

“How about beating Alley Leader?”

Hyeonu frowned.

“Hey, that is something I can do on my own.”

Hyeonu knew very well what Yeongchan was saying. It was content that any streamer who mainly played Arena would do. It was to receive participants from among the viewers, randomly select them, and conduct a spar in the arena with the streamer.

“Nevertheless, it is more comfortable to have a host. It is also nice to have a separate video in A-World.”

Yeongchan had a point. The content held in the arena was quite different when there was a host and when there was no host.

“That is true, but... there is really nothing else?” Hyeonu asked while looking at Yeongchan with a puzzled expression. Hyeonu tended to be a streamer with a lot of content, but Yeongchan was known as a streamer who did more content than Hyeonu. There was no way there wouldn’t be anything hidden.

“It has nothing to do with you, right?”

There was no room for Hyeonu to intervene, which meant even a single appearance was impossible.”

“Then that’s fine. I’m leaving.”

Hyeonu waved his hand. There was nothing more to say.

“Hey, let’s just do it.”

Yeongchan stuck to Hyeonu and started whining. He hadn’t told Hyeonu, but he already declared that the next guest on his live stream would be Alley Leader. He couldn’t go back on it now.

“I’m not doing it.”

Hyeonu hit Yeongchan’s hand that was grabbing him.

“Just do it once. What do you need?”

Yeongchan clung to Hyeonu. There was the willpower to not let go of the hand he had grasped.

“Bring the content.”

Hyeonu’s hands crushed Yeongchan’s shoulders. Blood vessels bulged like worms on the back of his hands.

“What do you need?” Yeongchan repeated the same words. It was a confident attitude.

“One month.”

“That is too long.”

“One month.”

“Two weeks.”

“Okay. How about tonight?”

“Yes, tonight.”

Yeongchan was able to invite Hyeonu as a guest to his live stream by using two weeks of cleaning duty as collateral.

“Are you really gathering people with the intention of doing it?” Yeongchan asked as he looked at Hyeonu lying on the sofa.

“Yes, of course. I have to do it once and for all.”

Hyeonu nodded as he lay down.

“Still, is it possible? Honestly, I don’t think you can beat the emperor even if all the players gather together. There is also Lebron.”

Yeongchan shook his head. Hyeonu’s words were absurd. It was a mirage itself.

“There is no need to worry about Lebron. I have checked it. Even if he doesn’t help, he won’t move,” Hyeonu replied as he recalled his previous conversation with Lebron.

At that time, Lebron clearly implied that he respected Hyeonu’s will. If he just said it in advance...

‘It is definitely possible.’

However, Yeongchan still didn’t believe it. The emperor’s combat power shown in the demon world wasn’t something that could be overcome with numbers. Even if the players leveled up, a long time was needed.

“I think so as well. I’m not blind just yet. I am fine. I won’t do anything now unless the emperor has one arm cut off from somewhere.”

Hyeonu was really thinking about the long term. He wouldn’t act unless an accident happened to the emperor.

“Yes, you are fine.” Yeongchan finally nodded with a relieved expression. He confirmed that his friend was still fine.

***

Lightning struck the black world. There was no bright light. Purple lightning had swallowed the light. The time of destruction seemed to have arrived. At the center of such a landscape was a beautiful young man with purple hair who was sitting on the ground.

“Hmm... Is this enough?”

The identity of the young man was Callioraks. All the lightning strikes were due to Callioraks’ secret arts. The secret arts were similar to magic, but they were distinctly different.

“I can save some face.”

Callioraks’ lips curved up in an arc. He naturally smiled when he thought about the face of the one he would deliver the secret arts to.

‘However, there is definitely something to regret.’

The techniques he created weren’t perfect. It was even more so when compared to the magic that he had been honing for so long that it was hard to even fathom. Yet for a little bear that was just a newborn baby compared to him,. even this was like an endless sea.

‘If we separate, it is hard to promise a next meeting...’

This time, quite a long time had passed before the reunion succeeded. No one knew when the next meeting would be. It depended on someone’s whim, so waves surged in his mind.

‘I have to fill in the gaps.’

Ragand, who had died at his hands, moved the entire demon world despite laying in the coffin. It was thanks to the five guardians who served him like a god.

‘There is no law that says I can’t have guys like that.’

If Ragand had them, he could as well. He would’ve definitely done so if he knew how.

‘The secret arts can’t be completed in a day or two...’

“You should stick to it until you learn it all.”

Then Callioraks’ figure disappeared. He was nowhere to be seen in the demon world.

***

“You spoke as if you would never come out of the demon world for the rest of your life... what suddenly brings you to this shabby place...?”

Edward smiled unnaturally as he looked at the young man sitting in front of him. He was once called the 2nd Imperial Prince of the empire and was now the chief of the ran tribe, leading the undead army in the northern part of the West Continent. However, these modifiers had no meaning in front of the man currently in front of him.

“Do I really need a reason?”

Callioraks smiled and made eye contact with Edward. The smile on Edward’s face widened. At the same time, the anxiety he felt was even greater.

‘He is telling a lie.’

There was no visit without a reason for someone like Callioraks. Edward had lived for decades as a prince, so he knew it better than anyone. Callioraks came here because he wanted something.

“I would be more at ease if you just told me,” Edward spoke bluntly.

If he had to pay anyway, it was better to feel comfortable rather than using his brain to analyze the other person’s psychology.

“Really? Then I’ll tell you straight away. The secret arts. I want to receive them.”

“The secret arts?”

Edward was speechless. The secret arts weren’t something that could be easily given away. It was something that shouldn’t be told to anyone unless they were members of the ran tribe.

‘The secret arts must be kept unconditionally.’

It wasn’t just because Edward had Ragand’s memories. The ran tribe’s secret arts were a treasure in itself. It would make Edward’s future bright.

‘Why is he greedy for it?’

His questions continued endlessly. Callioraks was stronger than Ragand. Callioraks had mastered magic and didn’t have to learn the secret arts. It was better to use this time to seek magic.

“Yes, the secret arts. There is no need for the basics. It is the rest of it.”

Callioraks broke Edward’s thoughts.

“You are talking about the rest of the secret arts apart from the basics?”

His questions grew even greater. He couldn’t figure out what was on the other person’s mind.

‘Why is he subtracting the basics?’

The basics were important no matter what one learned. It was whether it was magic, swordsmanship, or the secret arts. A person could never climb high without the basics. Even if they did, it could never be stable. It was nothing more than a castle made out of sand.

‘Wait...’

It happened at this moment...

The face of a human passed through Edward’s mind: Gang Hyeonu—a human being who received the basics of the secret arts from him.

“Did you get it from that human?”

“I didn’t get it. I just skimmed through it for a short time.”

Callioraks shook his head. It was true. All he did was look at it enough to teach Tang-E.

“You want to have it after you saw it?” Edward asked with a stiff expression.

“I need it.” Callioraks nodded.

“Do you know how ridiculous this is?”

“I know.” Callioraks rose from his seat and approached Edward. “Still... shouldn’t it be done even if it doesn’t make sense?”

The moment Callioraks’ words ended, the sky darkened and lightning started to strike in the iceberg. The shape of the iceberg changed with each lightning strike. The ice was shaved away and broken.

Edward’s expression became stiffer than before. This was obviously a threat, but he couldn’t think of a way to respond. It didn’t change even when he rummaged through Ragand’s memory. The darkened sky felt like his future.

“I will give it to you. It will just take some time to write it down... can you please wait for that time?” Edward struggled to open his mouth. The thought of giving away the secret arts was painful enough to die.

‘It can’t be helped. I can’t die.’

This was better than dying. The secret arts were only important before death. They had no meaning after death. The sky brightened the moment Edward gave his answer. It regained its original blue color.

“I’ll come back in a week.”

Callioraks smiled. At the same time, he disappeared. It was as natural as if he had never been here in the first place. It was only a long time after Callioraks disappeared that Edward accepted reality.

“What type of sudden disaster is this?”

His fortune for the day might be cruel, but he never dreamed that something like this would happen. No, it was weird to expect such a thing.

‘Does this make sense...?’

He resented the fact that the monster who was supposed to be stuck in the demon world had come here. Additionally, the thought of writing down all the secret arts by hand made him annoyed.

‘I will be in big trouble if I write it down roughly...’

He couldn’t even write it down roughly. Callioraks would notice right away that the secret arts he received weren’t right. It was clear that nothing good would happen if he was caught.

‘I can’t become like that.’

Edward’s eyes shifted to the iceberg. The iceberg that was hit by Callioraks’ lightning bolts had already lost its former shape. It was terrible to think of that happening to him.

‘Who is it? Has Callioraks returned?’

It happened at this moment...

Someone else appeared on the iceberg where Edward had been alone. This time, it wasn’t Callioraks. It was a man with blond hair, not purple hair.

“Did something happen? This mountain looks terrible.” The blond-haired man, Alexander, stood in front of Edward with a bright smile.

‘How did this happen...?’ Edward lamented when he saw Alexander’s face. His fortune for the day was really cruel.