Ranker’s Return - Chapter 281

-Is this undercover boss?

-Alley Leader is doing this again...

-If it’s featuring revenge, does it mean he is going to infiltrate them and overthrow them?

-It seems so. It’s fun today ㅋㅋㅋㅋ.

Viewers flocked to Hyeonu’s stream, and they were already having fun with just the streaming title. It was always a new streaming content, unlike the streams of other streamers. This time, it was an infiltration. Infiltration—had they ever seen it on a stream? He would be sneakily infiltrating the NPC forces and then beating them up...

Moreover, there was a justification for it—revenge. It was perfect. The spotlight was shining on Alley Leader.

“Hello, I am Alley Leader. It has been a day, right? I did a surprise stream yesterday.”

The black screen brightened, and Hyeonu—who had on a child’s mask—appeared.

-Undercover Alley Leader is here. I hope everyone can get up and welcome him with gold coins.

-Please throw gold coins in homage to Alley Leader who brings you super fun content.

It was unknown what concept they grasped, but viewers started saying strange things and tossing out gold coins.

-Leader Big Fan has gifted you 1 gold coin.

-Tang-E is Mine has gifted you 1 gold coin.

-Alley Leader is the Best Best Best has gifted you 1 gold coin.

“Thank you, Leader Big Fan, for the gold coin. Thank you, Tang-E is mine, for the gold coin. Thank you, Alley Leader is the Best Best Best, for the gold coin. Hahat!”

Hyeonu showed a gold-coin reaction he often gave during his early days of streaming. It was to fit the concept of being undercover.

‘Is this why the gold coins are fewer than usual?’

Hyeonu shook his head slightly and continued, “It is as the stream title says. Today’s streaming content is about going undercover. Everyone should know that I received a quest from the emperor of the East Continent.”

-I know, I’ve reviewed it several times.

-Aren’t you talking about the Gucheon Secret Department?

-When I think of the comment window at that time...

The viewers remembered the Gucheon Secret Department. Simultaneously, they remembered Hyeonu’s microphone muting incident from before.

“Cough cough.” Hyeonu also remembered it and coughed several times before speaking again. “I came to the distant Linakalu because I heard that some of their forces are here. The name is Southern Star. They are in charge of the armed forces of the Gucheon Secret Department.”

-What is this Southern Star? ㅋㅋㅋ Southern Star in the South ㅋㅋㅋ.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ It is completely unclear who named it ㅋㅋㅋ.

-I acknowledge the uncle’s sensitivity.

“I also agree. I think there is someone in Quency who is very bothered about naming.”

‘I heard there was a mansion to the east of Linakalu.’

Hyeonu wasn’t moving casually. He was meticulously following the knowledge he had obtained, which was largely based on the information he’d collected from the square yesterday.

“It is said that Southern Star is located in a mansion. It’s the place that governs the best resort in the East Continent. Shouldn’t it be to this extent?”

A short time later, Hyeonu and the viewers saw it.

-Isn’t this a campus rather than a mansion?

-Who would see this and call it a mansion?

-Crazyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

The viewers who saw the mansion were shocked.

‘What type of mansion is this?’

It was the same for Hyeonu. This wasn’t a mansion. It was more like a university campus or a huge hotel. The term ‘manor’ was better suited than ‘mansion’. A two-meter-high wall clearly separated the exterior and the interior.

“Isn’t this a manor? It’s almost at this level?”

-It seems so. Isn’t this really big?

-Is it really necessary to infiltrate? I wonder if you can just go in.

The viewers’ words made sense. Even at this moment, dozens or hundreds of NPCs were going in and out of it.

‘However, it’s the content I prepared...’

It was possible for Hyeonu to hide, but it was stupid in such a high-traffic area. The content he had prepared would be wasted, and there was a possibility that hiding would fail. Still, it was good enough to attempt to infiltrate it even if he failed.

“Then I’ll start the infiltration,” Hyeonu murmured in a low voice and approached the entrance to Southern Star, which was now considered a manor. Hyeonu didn’t speak as usual. He stood by the guard standing at the entrance like he was very shy.

“What’s going on?” The guard eventually approached Hyeonu first. He couldn’t endure the annoyance of someone standing in front of him.

Hyeonu hesitated for a long time before barely answering the guard, “Um... That... I... I heard Southern Star is recruiting new members. I want to enter Southern Star.”

The guard’s expression was bad at first, but it brightened when Hyeonu said he wanted to enter as a new recruit. ‘A newcomer?’

It was because he no longer had to stand guard if someone new joined. Southern Star was thoroughly all about skill, so the worst performers were normally assigned to be the guards.

“You want to come in as a new recruit? Our Southern Star always prefers talent. It is a good choice. Follow me. I will guide you.” The guard took Hyeonu and headed inside the giant manor.

‘It’s amazing,’ Hyeonu remarked inwardly.

In fact, the interior was even more amazing than what he saw outside. Southern Star was like a huge town. It wasn’t exaggerated to call it a manor.

-Isn’t this a city?

-Isn’t it much larger than Alley Leader’s territory?

-Isn’t it roughly the size of Aslan?

Hyeonu watched the messages of the viewers without saying anything. It was because he couldn’t speak. The guard was walking right in front of Hyeonu, after all.

“By the way, where are you from? I am a Linakalu native, so there is no one I don’t know,” the guard asked with a pleasant expression.

“I came here from a distant place. In addition, I’m an adventurer.”

“Ah, is that so? Then I don’t know you. We won’t go easy on you just because you’re an adventurer though. Our Southern Star isn’t an easy place!” The guard spoke casually.

He wasn’t surprised that Hyeonu was an adventurer.

‘Isn’t it completely like the West Continent?’ Hyeonu thought.

There seemed to be an additional patch as there were some differences from the reactions he’d received previously. Now the NPCs seemed to naturally recognize adventurers.

Meanwhile, Hyeonu and the guard arrived at the Southern Star examination site. The guard said, “Over here. I also took a test to enter Southern Star here a long time ago. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it.”

The testing site was similar to the training ground in Lebron’s mansion. It was just a bit bigger in size. Lebron didn’t need a big one since he used it alone. The difference in size was because this one was used for testing purposes.

Knock knock! The guard knocked on the door of a small house next to the training ground.

“Master! We have a new recruit who wants to enlist.”

-Enlist? Loooool ㅋㅋㅋ.

-Alley Leader is enlisting?

-Which division will he enter? Land, sea, or air?

-It’s fantasy, so probably the army.

The viewers laughed and chattered as the guard said ‘enlist’.

‘Enlist?’ Hyeonu, on the other hand, wasn’t laughing.

Rather, his entire body was trembling. It was due to his memories of the military.

Creak. The door opened, and a man in blue armor emerged from inside the house. “There’s a newcomer?”

The man’s face was full of sleepiness like he had just woken up.

The guard stated, “It’s a new recruit, so you have to hold the enlistment test.”

The man waved like he was annoyed by the guard’s words. “You would’ve tested him anyway before bringing him in. Now you want me to do it again? Are you crazy?”

“I didn’t do it this time. I just brought him in because he is an adventurer. Master, please take care of it. I am going back to guard the gates.” The guard disappeared after having an argument with the man called ‘Master’.

Well, it couldn’t be called an argument. The guard spoke one-sidedly and left.

“Yes, you’re an adventurer? Then enlist right away. A newcomer is always welcome except for the idiots. In any case, we are just guards. Who will provoke us? Who will argue with us here in Linakalu?” The man said and lay down on the training ground. He really had no intention of holding the test.

-He’s a total salary stealer.

-It is like looking at myself.

-Isn’t he doing it too openly?

‘Won’t he get kicked out like this? Or does he have a rich background?’ Hyeonu’s thoughts were the same as the viewers.

It was the first time he had seen an NPC abandoning his job so blatantly. As if to answer Hyeonu’s doubts, the guard leader opened his mouth: “I’m just saying this, but you should give up. Southern Star is over. There is no future. Take the salary in moderation and then leave. Understood?”

Hyeonu questioned the guard, “What does that mean? It’s over? Doesn’t Southern Star rule Linakalu?”

“That’s right. However, that’s it. Now it is just a giant rotten tree that will fall backward,” the guard leader spoke bitterly.

He smacked his lips together several times. In the end, he closed his mouth tightly.

“Then what should I do?” Hyeonu asked the guard.

“Learn the guard work well from Bakar. Oh, Bakar is the person who brought you here. He will come over in a little bit. Until then, stay here. I will go in and sleep. Don’t wake me up,” the guard poured out words like a storm and disappeared into the house again.

Hyeonu was left alone and stared at the chat window. “The NPC is no good, no good. You shouldn’t get your salary this way. If a person gets paid, then they should do their job.”

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ.

-Yes, next self-introduction.

-I’m tired of self-criticism.

-Yes, I think so as well. ㅋㅋㅋ

The ridicule of the viewers who heard it was a bonus.

***

It was only after Hyeonu chatted with the viewers for a while that Bakar appeared again.

He asked, “What? What happened? Are you enlisted?”

“I’m not enlisted, not enlisted. I just came straight in? I joined? I would be more comfortable if you say this,” Hyeonu corrected Bakar’s words which always reminded him of bad memories.

“Really? In any case, you joined?”

“The master accepted me.”

“Really? Then Master?”

“He went inside. Bakar, he said that you would teach me everything.”

“That rotten Master... Sigh, it is no use talking.”

Bakar pulled out the sword worn at his waist and threw it on the ground of the training field. Then he took off his armor.

“Uhh! So comfortable,” Bakar said and also lay down on the training ground. This was no different from the appearance of the guard leader just before.

-Aren’t the guard leader and soldier a match?

-It seems this is what he saw and learned.

-As expected, a thief is a thief.