Ranker's Return Chapter 37

"How about it? Is this worth a try?" Lebron had a confident expression on his face. Hyeonu felt his respect fade when he saw this expression. 

"You have to teach me. I don't know anything," Hyeonu replied with a cold expression. It was an expression that had never contained hatred.

"My disciple should be at this level before deserving the right to brag." Lebron was busy teasing Hyeonu without teaching him how to use the magic power in that manner. After all, this was his disciple—Hyeonu who was always expressionless or smiling sweetly every time he was seen. Lebron felt joy flowing from deep inside his heart when he sensed admiration, wonder, and respect from the other person's expression.

Hyeonu even had this thought, 'Ah! I learned the sword for this moment.' 

After a while, Hyeonu slammed the Dwarf's Sword into the ground.

"Why can't I do it? Why?!!" He screamed.

Lebron kindly explained how to control the magic power in detail. Hyeonu had never been so focused since he started Arena. He could feel his magic power now, but the length of his sword energy didn't increase or decrease like Lebron's sword energy. To be precise, it took him too long.

'30 seconds.'

In practice, it was a useless technique at the lower proficiency levels. Hyeonu once again picked up his sword and started to form a sword energy. Then he started adjusting the length again. It was just impossible to do it in a short amount of time. As if to tease him, Lebron repeatedly increased the length of his sword energy.

"Why can't I do it? Why?" Hyeonu finally grabbed Lebron's arm and cried out. "Moving my magic power doesn't work."

Lebron waved his arms. "Try it. Work hard."

Hyeonu responded to Lebron's remark, "I'm trying but I can't do it!" 

"Then you need effooooort. Effort." [1] 

Hyeonu's fists trembled at Lebron's humor. If the other person were Yeongchan and not Lebron, he might've punched him already. No, he definitely would've punched him, and he would have even done it several times over. 

Unlike his mischievous words, Lebron was inwardly shocked. 'To think there is such talent among the adventurers... Isn't he a monster of talent?'

Hyeonu's talent for magic power was something that he had never seen before as a duke of the empire.

"I think your magic power control is already excellent. It is sufficient to use this technique."

"Then why can't I do it?"

"You have the technique but not the willpower."

"Willpower?" Hyeonu repeated. 'Willpower? What is he talking about?'

Lebron continued to explain, "Willpower is the heart's desire. A heart's desire is a person's thoughts and longing. Draw strongly from it. Draw the magic power from the depths of your heart."

'It isn't an exaggeration to say I am teaching you everything now. It is up to you to accomplish it. You are my disciple,' Lebron thought inwardly. Simultaneously, he questioned Hyeonu, "What are you doing? Why aren't you trying it out?"

"I understand. I can do it." Hyeonu grabbed his sword again and started injecting magic power. Then a gleaming sword energy appeared from the Dwarf's Sword. Up to here, it was the same as the previous time. Continuing on from here, it was different. Hyeonu imagined his sword energy was moving freely.

'Move, move!'

Then a miracle happened. The length of the sword energy was adjusted freely.

[The skill proficiency of Magic Power Cohesion has increased to E-.]

[The skill proficiency of Magic Power Increase has increased to E-.]

[The skill proficiency of Magic Power Control has increased to D-.]

[The skill proficiency of Magic Power Compression has increased to D+.]

"Eh? Eh! Eh!!!" Hyeonu was surprised by the consequences of his actions and had on a baffled expression.

Lebron's face was the same. Anyone who saw this would admit they were a teacher and student.

"That's it! That's it!!! Did you see? I did it!"

"Yes, congratulations."

'Monster brat.' Lebron patted Hyeonu's shoulder and said he worked hard. 

Hyeonu practiced for a long time thanks to Lebron's praise. It was to use the skill more quickly and smoothly.

"The thing you need now is real combat experience. Come back once you are stronger."

"I understand, Master." 

Six hours after starting Lebron's training, Hyeonu left the mansion.

***

Hyeonu immediately took advantage of what he had learned. He went hunting. Now, Hyeonu's adjustment of his sword energy was pretty good. He wasn't as fast as Lebron, but it wasn't bad for a sharp blade.

[A mud troll has been killed.]

[Experience has been acquired.]

Presently, it was better against monsters with little intelligence. When the attack came from an unexpected location, the mud troll panicked and died in vain. 

"The damage of the sword energy is good. The downside is that it consumes a lot of magic power..."

"Master dude, what is this? Why does your magic power grow at will?"

"This is the skill of your great master. Do you understand? Eh?"

Tang-E was amazed as he watched Hyeonu fight. Hyeonu saw Tang-E's reaction and felt rewarded for his hours of practice.

"It would be a big hit if I take a video of this..." Hyeonu said and then stopped talking.

'No, it has to be hidden. I'm certain I will have to use it later.'

***

[Status Window]

[Character Name: Gang Hyeonu

Level: 84

Class: Knight of Keon

Title: Lebron's Disciple, Warrior Acknowledged by Khan, New Star Acknowledged by Lebron, First Person to Enter the Imperial Palace, First Person to Meet the Emperor, Achieved 100 Consecutive Wins, Solo Raider, Desert Dragon Slayer

Stats: Strength: 160 (+300)  Agility: 255 (+150)  Physique: 140 (+280)  Magic Power: 130 (+330)  Fighting Energy: 83 (+100)

Remaining stat points: 0]

Hyeonu was currently level 84. His level up speed was much faster than expected. However, his level was still shabby compared to the top-ranked players. For the top-ranked players, it took two days for them to gain one level. In Hyeonu's case, it took only two days to gain three levels. A simple calculation showed that he might settle among the rankers in three or four months.

"This is enough... I'm satisfied."

Hyeonu was satisfied with the status window that had changed a lot in one month. Then he sighed with he saw the class column.

"This Knight of Keon..."

'It is a magic power eating monster.'

Hyeonu felt it after hunting for two days. In the future, he would be drinking magic power recovery potions like crazy. The cost of the potions wasn't a joke either. There were no monsters that couldn't be cut by the longsword which was wrapped in sword energy. For the mud trolls he had just hunted, a four-man party with levels over 120 would take 10 minutes to hunt just one. Yet Hyeonu had taken less than a minute. If all his skills weren't corrected, he would literally run out of magic power early.

"I have to buy items that reduces my magic power consumption..."

Hyeonu's troubles were endless.

***

Jamie looked serious. "Um... Kale. Do you think this will succeed?"

Kale didn't know why the boss was asking him this, but he answered confidently, "Yes, I think it will be a tremendous success. I think it can last for at least half a year."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I think differently." Jamie showed a dark expression.

Kale wondered, "Then you think it will fail?"

"No, I think it will last at least two years. Where did you get such a jackpot? Kale, you have been improving lately."

Kale sighed lightly at Jamie's praise. "It isn't my idea."

"Then whose idea is it? The person who thought of this idea should get a bonus."

"It is Alley Leader's idea. It is actually content for his streaming."

Jamie was speechless at Kale's words and seemed like he had been hit in the head with a hammer. He was in a mental stupor from the shock. "Alley Leader? Is it the Alley Leader that I know? Really?"

"Yes, Boss. It's his idea. I was really surprised to hear the concept of PvP between celebrities wearing masks."

"It was a good recruitment. He's a godsend."

"He came up with an idea that is as good as his skills. He is a great creator who will make more content in the future. Well, he is already doing so," Kale said. Then he had a good idea. "Boss, are there any hours on our channel that will be free soon?"

"Hang on... There is an hour free from 20:00 to 21:00. The Arena Tour is over," Jamie answered, wondering why Kale was suddenly asking this.

Kale continued with a lot of excitement, "What if we broadcast the Masked Fighting King in this time zone? The livestream will be edited, subtitled, and broadcasted on our channel."

Upon hearing Kale's suggestion, Jamie also got excited because he noticed that it was a great idea. Kale and Jamie discussed it for a long time. Ranging from the concept, process, and possibility of progress for Masked Fighting King, there was a lot to think about. By the end of the meeting, there was only one thing left. It was to determine the produce who would capture the overall framework and details.

"Who should I leave the general directing to? Chris? Justin?" Kale nominated Nike's promising editors. Both Chris and Justin were the most talented producers in Nike right now.

"Why should we decide on them?"

"Then who we will decide on? Boss."

"Isn't it already fixed?"

At Jamie's words, Kale could only think of a man's name. "Ellis! It is Ellis Movies!"

"Yes, Kale. Justin and Chris are naturally very good. However, Ellis is in a different class. He is also already editing for Alley Leader."

The meeting was over. Kale immediately started organizing a team up for the Masked Fighting King project. It started with the appointment of Ellis as Hyeonu's exclusive editor.

***

Ellis thought the last month was the happiest period in this life. No, he felt like his life had changed 180 degrees from the start of the month.

"Nike? Is it Nike Management? What's going on?" Ellis checked his email out of habit and confirmed that an email had come from Nike, Hyeonu's management. He thought it was a proposal for himself, but he then shook his head. It was clear that Nike had many editors.

"Then what is it?"

Ellis checked the email.

"Eh? Really? An offer to join?"

Nike's email really was a recruitment proposal. If all the extra modifiers were removed from the email, it could be summarized as followed:

'I want you to refine and broadcast the videos of Alley Leader on Nike's broadcast channel, Channel Nike. I want you to join as Alley Leader's chief editor.'

"Naturally, I have to do it. Unconditionally."

Ellis was delighted. He couldn't miss this opportunity. It should be done unconditionally. The video to be broadcast was short, but it was still an hour. If so, the original might be more than two or three hours long.

"It's urgent. Urgent."

Ellis quickly started to write a reply. It was unconditionally okay. He started to methodically proceed with Hyeonu's real broadcasting debut.

[1] The word used for effort has been turned into a slang to disparage people who blame everything else for their lack of effort. If used in an ironic matter, the long 'oooo' is added

Chapter end