Second Life Ranker

At the beginning, Yeon-woo had also tried to build up as many skills as possible. However, he eventually set up his own domain and used what he’d learned as a foundation. He began moving on his own path, astonishing even the Head Elder, who thought that Yeon-woo’s accomplishments were well-formed.

Even though Waltz was ahead of Yeon-woo right now, it was obvious what the result would be if he caught up to her. After comparing her to Yeon-woo, the Head Elder was finally able to confirm his suspicions about Waltz.

Boom! The Head Elder blocked Waltz’s fist. He gazed calmly at Waltz, who was preparing another attack. “You, you’re from the One-horned tribe, right?”

Waltz didn’t reply.

“Whose child are you?”

Waltz still refused to answer. Magic gathered around her again for another attack. Boom! Boom! Boom! The ground suddenly shook as a loud sound pierced through the atmosphere.

“If you don’t tell me—” The Head Elder blocked Waltz’s fist once more and quickly moved behind her. “Then I’ll have to beat the answer out of you.” Blood Mine fell from the sky.

<Heaven-Breaking Blood Mine>

The skill with its defiant, arrogant name fell on Waltz. Just as she attempted to shield herself, there was a loud roar in the sky. A shadow headed her way at top speed.

The Head Elder and Waltz turned to look and immediately rushed away because a dragon was hurtling their way. The Martial King had blown the Summer Queen away, who was as large as a mountain!

“That crazy bastard!” The Head Elder, who had been fighting in a serious manner until that moment, frowned and cursed.

Boom! However, his voice was muffled by the explosion the Summer Queen made as she landed hard on the ground. She only came to a stop after knocking down a few cliffs. “Hehe.” The Martial King wiped his brow with a proud face. He looked like a farmer who had finished a good harvest. 

The Head Elder, the Nine Dragon Sons, and the Eighty-One Oculus all froze as they gaped at the Summer Queen. The cliffs around her couldn’t withstand it anymore and collapsed on her, burying her under rubble.

“Hahaha!”

“Whew, that’s our king! His strength is really something! How’s that?”

“See, I told you I’ve still got it. Should I make Phante and Edora their seventy-fourth sibling while I’m at it?”

“Haha! That’s a good idea!”

“Yeah! What a man!”

The warriors, who shared the Martial King’s temperament and attitude, slapped their knees in laughter. The Martial King could sense his children shaking their heads at him, but he continued to make jokes, not caring what they thought. 

The pile of stones shifted, a Dragon Fear that could shake the entire atmosphere gushed out. 『I’ll kill you!』 The Summer Queen roared with fury. With a boom, she emerged from the rubble, glaring at the Martial King with fiery eyes, her wings spread. She began the squeeze out more power from her soul. Her level decreased rapidly, but it didn’t matter anymore. 『I’ll kill you, Nayu!』

Her head was filled with thoughts of devouring the Martial King. The Endless World of Night began to shake with her powerful will, and some of the players almost vomited. However, the Martial King continued to snicker. “Isn’t that what I said to you first?” 

He clenched his fists and veins bulged. Eight types of energy flowed up with different colors.

<Eight Trigrams>

It was the result of training Eight Extreme Fists to the very peak. If the ultimate outcome of the Head Elder’s research was Blood Mine, the Martial King’s was Eight Trigrams. Each of the energies around him was extremely condensed, and if he used Mugong with the Eight Trigrams, the energy would sweep everything away. “Let’s see which one of us will get to punch Allforone’s annoying face.”

Boom! The Martial King flew forward and attacked. It was one of the Eight Writings of Divination that Yeon-woo knew, but it was a level that he’d never seen before. The Summer Queen was blasted back, leaving a crack where she landed. A large hole appeared in the center of the mountain, and it came crumbling down with a massive landslide. The Summer Queen spewed her Breath. Swoosh! Hellfire instantly heated up the Outer Space. 

The Martial King didn’t avoid it. He only held his hands up and twisted them to the side. A long crack in space appeared. It twisted and the Breath disappeared without causing any harm. Clouds split, and the sky opened. The sun broke into pieces. Countless sparks fell from the sky, and darkness instantly descended upon them. 

By the time the sun pieced itself back together and the world grew brighter, the Martial King and the Summer Queen were fighting in the sky. The Summer Queen used magic again and again. Magic circles appeared all around her, all great magic: Blizzard, Inferno Hell, Meteor Strike, Power Ward of Kill. Each of them would have an apocalyptic effect on the stage if they fell, but the Martial King just broke them apart with his bare hands. But even then, he didn’t stop. 

The Eight Trigrams swirling around the Martial King did their job. All kinds of properties, heaven, earth, wind, fire, water, and lightning destroyed the magic. Boom! Magic and the Eight Trigrams collided and exploded. 

Fire spread throughout the entire Outer Space. The Endless World of Night turned into a world filled with light and heat. The fight between the top players of the Nine Kings was no longer a conflict but an apocalypse. However, the Martial King and the Summer Queen continued fighting as though they were far from finished.

The Martial King brought his fists in towards his body, creating a large storm around him to merge together two different Writings of Divinations. He’d theorized about this before but had never attempted it for fear of causing damage and injury. He was pleased that he could now try something he’d never dared practice in the village. Once the beast that he suppressed after becoming one of the Nine Kings was unleashed, he couldn’t control himself. Just as he was about to crush the Summer Queen’s head, a third party suddenly entered the fight.

“Die, Summer Queen!” Ione ran between the two combatants.

“Who’s this bastard?” The Martial King frowned. His exhilaration vanished like it was never there. He hated being interrupted when he was focused on something, and he felt that his annoyance wouldn’t be relieved unless he kicked the intruder away.

However, Ione was also in a rush. ‘That life! I…I will!’ He felt that he wouldn’t ever be at ease until he paid Red Dragon back for reducing him into this pitiful state. He’d been humiliated by Tom, who was much younger than him, at the Kelat Auction House, and just when he thought the tablet was his, he was suddenly blocked.

As someone who was the head of a great family and had only ever received respect and admiration all his life, it was a humiliation that he couldn’t shake. In addition to that, everyone from the Elohim who had accompanied him was dead. If he returned to the Elohim like this, he would end up just being a backroom Senate member and die pathetically like the rest of the Senate.

He couldn’t let his family down like that. He wouldn’t be able to look his ancestors in the eye when he died. No, he couldn’t allow it, and one thing gave Ione the confidence to step up: Nebro. He wasn’t related to the child, but he had given him his territory and groomed him to be his shadow. He had to sacrifice himself to let the child walk the path he’d set out and even fly free. With his death, he could pay back his debt to the Senate and restore the family’s honor.

The Protogenoi species had originally been gods but their status was taken away and they fell to the mortal world. However, they still had some holiness left. If they willingly self-destructed, they could access it. For one moment, just like a candle that burned brightest before it went out, Ione could use his holy power. As the head of a family, how powerful would it be?

Bang! Bang! Bang! As he split himself into pieces, blue light burst out of Ione and thousands of arrows fell on the Summer Queen’s, piercing through her body. 

<Light of Disasters>

『How dare you!』

With the opportunity that Ione opened up, the other rankers began to use their skills, the Apostles used their powers, the Lords used their curses, and others their signature skills. All kinds of Effects exploded, targeting the Summer Queen. Bang! Bang! Bang! 

『Aahh!』 Just as the Summer Queen was about to spew her Breath, the Martial King released two Writings of Divination that he had been saving just for this moment. The strong energy that split the sun and pierced the moon, slicing through the Summer Queen’s leather wings and leaving a deep gash from her shoulder to her stomach. 

Crunch! Blood poured like rain, scales scattered to the ground like hail. 『Graah!!』 The Breath scattered, hitting innocent rankers. 

Boom! The Martial King landed on the Summer Queen’s back and she collapsed into a V shape. Crunch! The Summer Queen’s spine and back were crushed, leaving her in tremendous pain. The Martial King didn’t stop there. He twisted the Summer Queen’s wings at the point where they joined her body. Crunch. Her scales cracked and her skin split like a turtle’s back. Her scales, muscles, veins, and bones were tough enough to resist the strongest metal, but she collapsed under the Martial King’s power. 

However, even through that immense pain, the Summer Queen twisted her body, releasing Breath all over the Martial King. Its power was like hellfire, and the Martial King’s skin boiled. However, he just laughed as though he were having the time of his life and tore off her wings. “Hahaha!”

Boom! He slammed the Summer Queen to the ground, the impact forming a deep crater underneath her body, and rubble fell over the Summer Queen and the Martial King until they were submerged beneath it.

The Summer Queen’s blood flooded the ground from her torn and battered body. However, she only grimaced and continued spewing her Breath, as though she intended to see the end of the Martial King no matter what. The Martial King was also injured and he stumbled. However, he raised his fists high and energy exploded around him once more. Blades of light with all kinds of properties split the Breath. Bang! Bang! Bang! A storm that didn’t seem like it would end lashed around the Outer Space. 

* * *

“Monster.” Atran watched the Martial King and Summer Queen’s fight from far away with an incredulous expression. He muttered to himself, “What kind of crazy bastard attacks a monster like that?” He was cursing himself. He had spent all his life savings to come to this Outer Space after Red Dragon and the Summer Queen ruined the auction. At first, he had felt confident since top S-Class mercenaries like the Ice King, Twice, and Black Skull, as well as guilds like Iron Lion Clan and Moon Shadow, stood behind him. He even found unexpectedly talented people like Jang and Turn. He didn’t say it out loud, but he believed he could at least cut one arm off Red Dragon. 

He thought he would be able to say that he would not go down easily, but the situation that unfolded in front of his eyes made him realize his foolishness. An arm? Fuck, no. He would struggle to even take out a finger, and forget about even trying to get close to the Summer Queen.

Black Skull had just been swept away by her Breath, along with some of the other rankers. He’d stepped up to boast that he would pull out one of her claws, but he didn’t even leave a corpse behind when he died. In front of the Summer Queen, even rankers were nothing. 

“That monster has become an even greater monster. Haha. Amazing. Even though I worked so hard.” The Ice King chuckled next to Atran. He was an old geezer who had muttered to himself throughout the entire journey. Unlike the other mercenaries who had run away because of the Martial King and the Summer Queen, the Ice King, Twice, and Turn continued to live up to the contract and stay next to Atran. They repelled the debris and moved Atran to a safe location where he wouldn’t be injured. Early on, they already wanted to take the gate and leave the Outer Space, but the path was blocked by the Martial King and the Summer Queen. 

Atran glanced at the Ice King. He remembered how the Ice King’s life had gone downhill after being defeated by the Martial King while the Martial King had only risen to glory after his ostentatious debut. ‘Doesn’t he feel anything?’

Most people would have felt some kind of jealousy or unhappiness, but the Ice King seemed to enjoy the fight as though he were a kid playing with a new toy. It was the same for Twice and Turn. Like the Ice King, they grinned crazily while also looking surprised and contemplative at the same time. They all had the same emotions in their eyes: passion, respect, admiration.

‘They’re all crazy. These bastards are all…!’ Atran felt like his entire body was itching. They were all psychos he couldn’t understand, and he decided he needed to get a grip on himself. It was too easy to die when one was surrounded by psychos like these. They smiled at the thought of dying while enjoying a good fight, but to Atran, his life was more important than anything else. If he wanted to make a comeback, he needed to survive first.

He looked around for the only other reasonable person in the group. ‘Jang.’ He didn’t say much, but he observed situations impassively. However, Jang had mysteriously disappeared, even though he had been with them just a moment ago. ‘Where is he?’

* * *

Jang Wei quickly began to run through the empty battlefield, heading towards the Martial King and the Summer Queen. The One-horned tribe were fighting close to them, not knowing their place. Even as most rankers were swept away by the Breath, the Martial King was powerful enough to tear off the Summer Queen’s wings barehanded. 

‘Amazing.’ Jang Wei laughed coldly, his eyes filled with the joy of a hunter chasing down his prey. He’d known that the Martial King was strong, but he didn’t know how strong exactly. Now that he knew, his heart beat faster.

At the moment, his prey was fighting with his other prey. Both their backs were exposed, not expecting that anyone would  attack them from behind. Like beasts, they knew their strength and so they arrogantly believed that nothing could touch them, not realizing how dangerous it was to think that way. If he could plant his arrow into the large prey and cut both their necks with his knife, how great would his joy be?

‘It’s like…’ He remembered a memory from his time on Earth. ‘Like the chief.’ He paused as he felt a thrill down to the ends of his fingers.

<Stealth Stalking>

Borrowing the skill of Hou Yi that allowed him to secretly follow an enemy, he reached a secluded location that had a perfect view. Jang Wei lifted his Sun-Shooting Bow and slowly pulled it back. 

In the distance, his target was soaring high in the sky again. He was so far away that he looked like a dot, but Jang Wei could still see him clearly. As soon as he let go of his bowstring, his Arrow of Light would land directly in the Martial King’s back. He licked his lips in anticipation.

However, just as he was about to let go, he paused. ‘What is that?’ Thump, thump, thump. His heart beat faster and his breathing grew rapid. When he’d been chasing after the Martial King, his heart rate had accelerated from excitement and anticipation, but this was different. He shivered as though someone had put a cold hand on his back, feeling a growing anxiety. He hadn’t felt this emotion ever since he stepped foot in the Tower.

On Earth, Jang Wei had the ability to sense danger, which was how he’d managed to survive the hell of Africa. That same ability had helped him become the Bow God. There was something dangerous near him, and he turned his head to the side quickly. He could see a man standing on a hill from the corner of his eye.

The man wore a black outfit and mask—Cain. It was his original target, the Hoarder. His heart began to beat faster in joy. Thump, thump, thump. Jang Wei frowned at him. “Who are you?”