Ranker's Return

Chapter 717

“Yes, I know. You are a streamer of Crescent Moon. However, you want to play as a pro gamer.”

Kim Jinyong nodded toward Han Jaeyeol with a face like he understood.

“So, I am a member of Crescent Moon,” Han Jaeyeol once again repeated to Kim Jinyong.

“You belong to Crescent Moon?”

It was only then that Kim Jinyong realized that something was strange. He realized in his head what Han Jaeyeol meant about being part of Crescent Moon.

‘Is he a pro gamer?’

“Don’t tell me... have you re-signed as a pro gamer?” Kim Jinyong asked carefully.

“Yes, I’ve rewritten the contract to be a pro gamer,” Han Jaeyeol gave Kim Jinyong a cool answer.

‘I was too late.’ Kim Jinyong quickly gave up. He was sorry that he missed Han Jaeyeol, but it couldn’t be helped if he was late.

“How long has it been?” Kim Jinyong asked this question and Han Jaeyeol waved his index finger from left to right.

“One month?”

“Nope, one week.”

“Hah...” A sigh eventually burst from Kim Jinyong’s mouth. It was too unfortunate.

‘I should’ve come a bit quicker.’

It was one week. If he had made contact a week earlier, he could’ve recruited Han Jaeyeol.

“Then did you join alone? What about the other members?” Kim Jinyong asked for news about the others because he thought he could take one.

“There are three including me. The rest of the kids think their aptitude is better suited to being a streamer. By the way, you still haven’t found a player? Don’t you just need one?”

However, Han Jaeyeol’s answer in return only added regret to him. He had already scraped as much as he could.

“If I could gain one person so easily, would I have come to visit you? How did this happen...?” Kim Jinyong sighed. He had to fill up the players as soon as possible and prepare for the next season.

‘I don’t understand, but...’

Choi Hyunsung was burned hard by Jung Hanbaek, so he was as demanding as Hyeonu when it came to selecting players. He and the front desk were moving hard, but they hadn’t achieved significant results. This was why they looked directly at previous players.

“Really? Well... it will work out well. It is JT Telecom.”

Han Jaeyeol smiled and drank his Americano. Then he pulled his smartphone out of his padded pocket. Han Jaeyeol looked at his vibrating smartphone and sucked up the remaining Americano.

“Hyung, I am going first. It is the team practice time. Be sure to get a good player.”

Han Jaeyeol left the cafe. Kim Jinyong just watched Han Jaeyeol’s back.

***

“Everybody is gathered?”

Hyeonu waved to the nine people gathered in the arena.

“You shouldn’t be late for practice.”

Lee Hoon welcomed Hyeonu.

“I’m not late? There is still one minute left,” Hyeonu checked the time and replied. It was a short skit between Hyeonu and Lee Hoon for those joining the practice for the first time.

“Are you all hunting hard?”

Prior to entering the training, Hyeonu first checked the players’ status. Lee Hoon, Sunny, and Yuri were previously in Crescent Moon and they didn’t answer Hyeonu’s question. They thought they weren’t included in the question. All three of them belonged to New World. Not long ago, New World moved with Hyung and they still boasted a more overwhelming hunting time than any other large guild.

“I also... it is New World, right?” Go Eunho, another New World guild member, spoke to Hyeonu.

“The three of us are hunting hard with the friends we are living with. It is just a pity that we are running out of potions,” this time, the newly joined Kim Jinhwan answered Hyeonu’s question instead of Hyeonsu and Lee Yeongjin.

“What about the two of you?” Hyeonu glanced at Cho Yeonghun and Yoo Hyeonsu who hadn’t answered yet.

“I am hunting hard in Alfore with the guild I originally belonged to.”

“The same is true for me. I am hunting the best I can.”

Cho Yeonghun and Yoo Hyeonsu hadn’t withdrawn from their original guilds yet. It wasn’t officially announced that they were recruited players so Hyeonu told them to remain in the guilds they were originally in.

“It is just a few more days. I will announce all the players on the next livestream. Then you will all move to New World and hunt together.”

Hyeonu’s next livestream was the main scenario. Before the end of the streaming on that day, he was going to announce the six players recruited so far.

“Hyung, what about me?” Go Eunho raised his hand and called out to Hyeonu.

“Eunho, you will remain in your original party. You are someone who shouldn’t come out. If you leave, then Hyung-nim might come. Do you want to see me dragged away?”

Hyeonu waved his hand in a cowardly manner. No matter what, Go Eunho had to remain in his original party. If Go Eunho went hunting with the Crescent Moon players, he didn’t know about Kim Seokjung, but Gang Junggu would come unconditionally.

‘Why do I have to handle that?’

Hyeonu imagined Gang Junggu arriving with a nasty expression and his entire body shook. It was terrible just imagining it.

“Today’s practice isn’t anything much. It will finish soon. As with the other day, I am going to simplify the PvP exercises. Once we have 12 people practicing hard, we can start from then on. In any case, it will be easier to match up your personal skills.”

Hyeonu had no intention of holding the players for hours. This was especially important for their growth. Everyone was keen on hunting in Alfore. It was important to get better items and skills rather than continue practicing with an unfinished combination.

At Hyeonu’s words, the expressions of the players of Crescent Moon varied. Smiles appeared on some faces, while other faces became gloomy.

“Then will it only be melee classes today?” Go Eunho drove the wedge in by asking it even though he already noticed what Hyeonu meant.

“There isn’t much time left if you like it so much. We will start practicing the siege next week at the latest.”

Hyeonu splashed cold water on Go Eunho’s smile. It meant this was the last time they would be practicing in such a way.

“Next week... I understand.”

Even so, Go Eunho was still smiling. For him, it was more important that he didn’t have to practice right now.

Contrary to Go Eunho, Yoo Hyeonsu and Lee Hoon’s expressions darkened a lot. It was obvious that it would be hard today and from next week, it would be almost a few times more painful.

“Why are you looking like that?” Han Jaeyeol saw the expressions of the two people and asked Cho Yeonghun. Today was his first time participating in the practice. He naturally couldn’t understand why they were reacting like that.

“The sparring will be a bit hard. You will be doing it soon as well. Prepare your heart.”

Cho Yeonghun looked at Han Jaeyeol with sad eyes.

‘How hard is it that he is doing this?’

Han Jaeyeol cocked his head at Cho Yeonghun’s eyes, which he had never seen before. The moment that Han Jaeyeol’s question was resolved came quickly. It was because Go Eunho saw his expression and moved.

“Today is Jaeyeol’s first time joining the training, so why don’t you start with him first, Coach Gang?” Go Eunho raised a hand and spoke to Hyeonu.

“That is good. I need to know exactly how good he is.”

Hyeonu nodded calmly at Go Eunho’s words. It didn’t matter who started first. In the end, he was going to spar with all three.

“Then I will start with Jaeyeol today. Hoon and Hyeonsu, don’t be absent-minded and watch carefully.”

Hyeonu started to move his fingers through the air. He was setting the arena options.

‘Should we do it with an iron sword?’

Hyeonu, who had been setting the options as usual, stopped as he had a sudden thought. In any case, PvP wouldn’t be using wooden weapons like a wooden sword but instead ones made of iron. Therefore, it wasn’t necessary to practice with a wooden sword.

‘Yes, let’s go with the iron sword.’

Hyeonu’s stopped hands started moving again. After a while, four iron swords fell in front of Hyeonu.

“Now, take one each.”

Hyeonu picked up the iron swords that fell to the ground. The melee class, Lee Hoon, Yoo Hyeonsu, and Han Jaeyeol came forward to receive the iron swords before returning to their places.

“Jaeyeol, why are you going there? You have to go this way,” Hyeonu called out to Han Jaeyeol who was returning to his seat.

“Huh?” Han Jaeyeol heard the call and turned back.

At Han Jaeyeol’s questioning eyes after turning back around, Hyeonu pointed his finger to the center of the arena. “Hurry and get ready. This is a ‘ranking match.’ Think like this and do your best.”

Hyeonu turned away and moved to the center of the arena. Han Jaeyeol was unable to respond to Hyeonu’s quick actions and his lips twitched. Then he quickly moved to the area of the arena pointed out by Hyeonu.

“Why is he looking like that today?”

“I don’t know. I guess he is nervous.”

“That is understandable. When else will you get to PvP with Alley Leader?”

The two men who joined with Han Jaeyeol, Lee Yeongjin and Kim Jinhwan muttered.

“Did Jaeyeol say that he relieves his stress by eating?”

Yoo Hyeonsu approached the two people who were talking.

“He especially likes chicken,” Kim Jinhwan responded naturally, nodding at Yoo Hyeonsu’s sudden words as he got involved in the conversation.

“Then tell the kids at the dormitory to order some chicken for him.”

“Why?”

“You will see soon.”

Yoo Hyeonsu gestured with his chin toward the center of the arena. Kim Jinhwan’s gaze turned toward the place where Yoo Hyeonsu’s chin pointed. Then he nodded immediately.

“I will contact them.”

He immediately understood what Yoo Hyeonsu meant the moment he saw the sight in front of him.

***

“Don’t be nervous. Think that you are playing the rankings. Instead, don’t use powerful skills. I am going to test the basics first.”

Hyeonu playfully turned the iron sword in his hand.

‘I have to make a good first impression.’

Han Jaeyeol ignored Hyeonu’s actions and focused on the iron sword in his hand. He was a man who had experienced one failure. He knew how much the first impression he made on the coach would affect the league in the future.

Han Jaeyeol stood still before moving without notice. In an instant, he appeared in front of Hyeonu and swung his sword.

Hyeonu stopped the sword that he was turning and swung it. Hyeonu and Han Jaeyeol’s swords collided, causing blue sparks. Hyeonu added strength to his hands and pressed against the sword. Hyeonu’s sword grabbed at Han Jaeyeol’s blade and quickly dropped toward the handle. A disgusting sound like scratching nails on a blackboard burst from Hyeonu and Han Jaeyeol’s swords.

The sound they didn’t want to hear kept continuing. Hyeonu’s sword pushed endlessly while Han Jaeyeol stepped back and tried to pull the sword back.

‘I have to do it somehow.’

Han Jaeyeol couldn’t stop even if he wanted to. It was a defeat the moment he stopped. This was even more so when he thought about Hyeonu’s skills. Something else was needed to overcome this situation. Of course, the name of the other method was ‘skills.’

‘I will use skills.’

Han Jaeyeol recalled a skill that wouldn’t be limited by Hyeonu’s restriction. It was one thing.

Heavy Blow—it was a skill that any melee class was able to learn even if they were level 10. In some ways, it was much more popular than sword energy or pure energy.

Jaeyeol's foot that was stepping back stopped. At the same time, magic power gathered in Jaeyeol’s sword. Jaeyeol swung the iron sword as it was, but the situation didn’t change. It was like glue was applied to Hyeonu’s iron sword. It was stuck and didn’t fall off.

This battle lasted exactly five minutes. Then despair started to appear on Jaeyeol’s expression.