Ranker’s Return - Chapter 187

Hyeonu’s expression as he gazed at his laptop was very unusual. There was a strange heat in his eyes, and his face was full of a strange conflict. Hyeonu read his laptop screen for a while before shifting his gaze to Yeongchan, who was inhaling pretzels covered with Parmesan cheese.

“Hey!” Hyeonu called out to Yeongchan in a low voice.

Yeongchan was startled and hid the pretzels he was eating behind him. Then he replied, “What is it? Did you have something you want to say?"

Hyeonu was dumbfounded by Yeongchan’s actions.

‘Should I not say it?’ Hyeonu shook his head.

Yeongchan was still a friend. In addition, Yeongchan was the MC of Masked Fighting King, so it was Hyeonu’s duty to tell him.

“Nike Management is holding a party before the Arena Pro League starts. Do you want to go?” Hyeonu asked.

This was what Hyeonu was reading on the screen with a serious expression. A party hosted by Nike—it was a popular event among Arena streamers. It was a party that only people who belonged to Nike Management or had a similar relationship could go to. The event was like a medieval social party. This was a must-go to place for success.

“Can I go?” Yeongchan asked cautiously. He might be famous, but his fame was limited to South Korea. As such, he wondered if he was eligible to go to Nike’s party.

“It feels like I’ll be a nuisance to you,” Yeongchan added.

“What nonsense are you saying? Have you lost your self-esteem after being dumped by your girlfriend?” Hyeonu dug at his ears while looking at Yeongchan’s face. It seemed like Yeongchan’s self-esteem had dropped after he got a broken heart. He was less daring and had become a cheapskate who wouldn’t even share food.

“Who will go to the party if the MC of Masked Fighter King doesn’t go? What about the masters of the large guilds? Is it a party if only they come? Rather, it is a meeting. Celebrities are coming and so are various companies. Just go and enjoy it. Perhaps a blonde young lady will like you.” Hyeonu came to Yeongchan’s side and patted him on the shoulder.

Then he naturally grabbed the pretzel bag that Yeongchan hid.

“Besides, I’m not only bringing you. A few people related to me are coming as well, so don’t worry.” Hyeonu smiled and went to his room while holding the pretzel bag and a Coke in his hands.

Yeongchan didn’t know about it because his head was lowered toward the ground as he thanked Hyeonu. “I know. Let me know when the date approaches. I need to post a notice on the channel.”

This was the Hyeonu-style give and take.

***

“Brother? What are you smiling about? Let’s look at it together if it is something good,” Gang Junggu said to Kim Seokjung, who was smiling while looking at his smartphone.

[To. Brother Seokjung.

-Brother, have you been well?

As you know, I’m on the East Continent.

However, I really want to see you again, so I contacted you.

Nike will be holding a party this coming weekend.

If you have time, please attend.]

‘Nike... New York?’

“You will have to take a long flight to get to New York. Is it okay? You don’t like long flights,” Gang Junggu responded seriously to Kim Seokjung’s words.

“What are you talking about? This is my little brother’s invitation. Is the plane a problem? In addition, I haven’t seen Jamie in a long time.” Kim Seokjung smiled brightly at Gang Junggu.

‘Hmm... Won’t there be many celebrities at a party hosted by Nike?’ Gang Junggu had already forgotten about Hyeonu and Kim Seokjung. His head was only full of thoughts about the beauties who would appear at the party.

Gang Junggu opened his mouth to say, “Then I’ll have to schedule it. I’ll take care of it. Brother, we will go.”

Just like this, the two giants from New World decided they would attend Nike’s party.

***

Liu Shei was also invited by Hyeonu, and at this time, he was deciding if he should attend or not. He was troubled.

Attend the party or be absent—these were the two options. Which of the two would be more helpful to him? Then as time passed, the scales tilted dramatically to one side.

“Should I... attend?”

He might’ve become the master of Kowloon, but all the other dragons, except for himself, were game addicts and idiots who knew about nothing but Arena. Previously, Nike Management’s CEO Jamie offered them an exclusive contract and convened a meeting. At that time, Liu Shei already knew that these guys were crazy about Arena.

“You take care of it on your own. Isn’t it just receiving money?” They had said.

Only one person had expressed their opinion—Liu Shei. Only he had explained the pros and cons of joining Nike and put forward his opinions. The other eight had simply sat there eating snacks and told him to handle it.

Ultimately, Liu Shei thought, ‘They won’t go even if I contact them.’

“New York... It is my first visit to the United States.”

***

Hyeonu grabbed his smartphone and called Kale. It was just to notify him.

“Kale? Can we talk now?”

-Please speak, Mister Gang. As always, contact from Alley Leader is welcome.

Hyeonu felt more burdened instead of relieved by Kale’s words. Nevertheless, he had a favor to ask for, so he tried hard to continue. “I would personally like to invite some people to the party.”

-Is that so? It is fine. Just tell us, and we’ll make the arrangements.

Kale didn’t show any resistance to Hyeonu’s words. Rather, he was smiling. The main character of Nike’s party this year was Alley Leader. It was clear that the quality of this party would vary depending on whether he attended or not.

‘Making a request like this means he will attend.’

Those who knew the details about the party were Kale, Jamie, and Alley Leader. It was only the three of them. However, it was similar to an annual event, and there were several people who expressed their intention to participate once the time came.

‘The companies are rushing in like crazy.’

If Alley Leader’s participation was confirmed, then Nike’s phones would be on fire for a while.

“The list might be expanded in the future, but I have determined that Argon, the MC of Masked Fighting King, and two people from New World will attend.”

‘Liu Shei will come on his own if the deal is made. There is no need for me to make a request for him.’

Hyeonu only mentioned the three confirmed names. One more person remained. Nonetheless, he said he lived in the United States, so it didn’t matter if Hyeonu told Kale on the day of the party.

-There is no need for you to make a request for this. Invitations are sent to New World every year, but they don’t come. In addition, Argon is the host of Nike’s representative program, so how can he not be invited?

‘I see. Brother Seokjung was too lazy to go.’

“I understand. Then I’ll see you this Saturday. Thank you again for today.”

-It is too embarrassing to hear you say this. I didn’t do anything. In any case, Saturday is the day of the party. I look forward to seeing you there.

***

‘I need a break.’

Hyeonu was slashing at the cliffs of Geomdan Mountain today to improve the skill proficiency of the Mysterious Sky Demonic Art. It was already the second day.

‘I’m doing this because the proficiency is close to five stars...’

If he had just reached four stars, then he might’ve left the Mysterious Sky Sect to wander around the East Continent. This would definitely increase the skill proficiency faster than using it against a cliff. Nevertheless, at present, Hyeonu didn’t have long left until he reached five stars. Considering the time it would take to move around, it was better for him to increase the proficiency here even if it was boring.

Hyeonu took out the keepsake of the Mysterious Sky Demonic Art master whose name was still not known. It was an old wooden box.

‘The keepsake must be inside.’

Hyeonu wasn’t expecting too much. He just wanted something equivalent to the items he had already gained so far.

‘Epic!!!’

Hyeonu had received two items related to the Mysterious Sky Demonic Art.

[Mysterious Sky Guardian]

[A necklace given only to the best of the masters of the Mysterious Sky Demonic Art.

It has been exposed to the mysterious sky demonic energy for a long time.

The more you achieve in the Mysterious Sky Demonic Art, the more effective the necklace will be.

Rating: Epic

Restrictions: One who has learned the Mysterious Sky Demonic Art.

Effect: All stats +150, magic power consumption is reduced by 15%, the power of skills is increased by 15%.]

[Master of the Mysterious Sky]

[A ring used by the masters of the Mysterious Sky Demonic Art for generations.

It has been exposed to the mysterious sky demonic energy for a long time.

The more you achieve in the Mysterious Sky Demonic Art, the more effective the ring will be.

Rating: Epic

Restrictions: One who has learned the Mysterious Sky Demonic Art.

Effect: All stats +200, the strength of magic power is increased by 20%, skill cooldown reduced by 12%.]

The necklace ‘Mysterious Sky Guardian’ and the ring ‘Master of the Mysterious Sky’ were growth-type items. As Hyeonu’s skill proficiency increased, the item performance would increase as well. In other words, it was natural for Hyeonu to want this type of item.

However, in the eyes of others, he would seem greedy. Hyeonu wanted one more epic item when he already had two. It was a story that would heat up the chat window for a long time if the viewers knew about it.

“Something like these...” Hyeonu prayed while full of desire.

Then Tang-E swung his paw with all his might and hit Hyeonu on the back of the head. “Damn Master dude. Let go of your greed. This way, you won’t be disappointed every time.”

‘He is too greedy. He's overdoing it,’ Tang-E thought as he saw the desire that swelled in Hyeonu’s eyes.

His master was a bottomless hole of desire. Yet despite this, he didn’t covet Tang-E’s necklace at all. It meant Hyeonu either liked Tang-E too much or he had better artifacts. Still, Tang-E couldn’t help getting angry when hearing him say such shameless things.

“Shit. Why did you hit me?”

It was just that Hyeonu didn’t understand it. Even so, he wasn’t angry. It was far more important to check the reward than to be angry with Tang-E.

‘Be something good. Be good!!!’

The old wooden box opened with a creaking sound that proved its age. Inside the box was a small black bead. Hyeonu didn’t immediately check the information of the bead. It was to raise his expectations to the extremes. He was patient to increase the sense of catharsis when he saw the item information, regardless of whether it was a jackpot or a failure.

‘Is there a martial art engraved on it?’

Hyeonu carefully observed the bead. He thought of a common thing that appeared in martial arts novels. However, the surface of the bead was so smooth that Hyeonu’s face was reflected on it. There was nothing distinctive no matter how he looked at it.

“Item Information.”