Second Life Ranker

Kahn stepped back when something flashed by him. At first, he thought he was being attacked and moved his hand to his sword. 

『Hi!』 It was a red and black Legendary Bird that looked like it would blaze up at any second—a Mythical Beast you could only see on the eleventh floor. Despite its size, it spoke in a very youthful voice. 『I’m Nike. Nice to meet you! Master…I mean, Yeon, I mean…I have a message from Cain. Wanna listen?』

Kahn’s eyes widened at the unexpected name. 

* * *

“He says his secluded training is going to continue a bit longer.”

“Is that so?” Creutz nodded in at the reply from the First Squad. He knew the Regiment Leader was going through an important time in his life: a wall. Some players cried tears of joy, others felt despair and hopelessness when they encountered one. Some people climbed it easily, while others died without ever overcoming it.

Creutz had tried to jump over his wll many times, but so far, he hadn’t been able get past it. The great Nine Kings had jumped over their walls multiple times. This was what it meant to be superhuman.

The Regiment Leader had taken back his words about his secluded training being short. It seemed like he had finished refining some skills but not his actual body. 

“He sent you this.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll be off, sir.” The player from the First Squad disappeared with a bow after delivering the letter to Creutz.  

Creutz carefully opened the letter: “As you wish.” The answer was brief, especially when he considered how long he’d waited for it. Creutz couldn’t help laughing. “He hasn’t changed.” At least he’d managed to clear some things up.

The question Creutz had asked the Regiment Leader had been “Do I have to continue following the Hoarder?” From what he’d observed, Yeon-woo was too dangerous.

He could understand his fight with Benteke. It was a battle for supremacy among the new players. Besides, Benteke and Triton had started the fight in the first place. However, there were real problems now. Yeon-woo had cleared the hidden stage on the thirtieth floor for a mysterious reason to reach Tartarus and meet Hades.  

He had also met the Gluttony Emperor to promise to fight with them against White Dragon. And now, Yeon-woo was causing a commotion on the twentieth floor. They said that the Hoarder was always in the middle of the action, and it was true.

Creutz could understand that; rising players were always facing external threats, and those who wanted to become strong inevitably clashed with others. The problem was not that but something else. ‘It’s his power.’

Creutz had observed a small part of Yeon-woo’s power while following him. His use of strange shadows showed potential to become a Lord and the sword technique he’d learned from the Martial King’s Mugong meant he could become a supreme being. Furthermore, he had several standing offers to be an Apostle.

Lord, supreme being, Apostle—there were three conditions that had to be met in order to reach a superhuman state, and Yeon-woo possessed all of them. Also, he had the power of death, which Creutz had never seen before. It was something that mortal players weren’t supposed to have.

Yeon-woo was truly dangerous. ‘Keep him lose…’ Creutz’s eyes darkened. ‘I haven’t even seen everything. The Hoarder is dangerous.’

The Regiment Leader said the Hoarder was his close friend and savior, so Creutz wanted to support Yeon-woo. He’d thought Yeon-woo would join the Fantasy Regiment or become their ally, but from what he’d seen, working with Yeon-woo would only bring pressure and destruction to the Fantasy Regiment.

They had been keeping a low profile to avoid attracting the attention of the Eight Large Clans and secretly grow their power. It was why they hadn’t moved on to the higher floors. They couldn’t compromise this just for one person.

The reply he’d received meant that the Regiment Leader wasn’t interested in imposing his will on Creutz. It seemed like he was respecting Creutz’s opinion while giving up responsibility. The Regiment Leader was always like this.

Creutz contemplated the situation while holding the letter. If he followed his wishes, he would stop supporting Yeon-woo. ‘But still.’ The things he’d seen while following Yeon-woo flashed through his mind as he tried to make a decision. They’d journeyed together from the River of Souls to Tartarus, and although it had been dangerous, it made his heart beat faster in excitement.

There was something about Yeon-woo that drew people towards him as though he were a king. His desperation as he’d asked Hades for Kynee made Creutz suspect that he had a complex past. He was too fearsome to stay close to but too interesting to watch from far away. ‘He’s like the Regiment Leader in this way.’

Perhaps these were the thoughts that the Regiment Leader wanted him to consider. Creutz made his decision and put the letter away in a pocket. He called out to a subordinate outside. “Kun!”

“Yes, sir. Did you call for me?” The subordinate entered and bowed.

“Is the Hoarder still on the twentieth floor?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Call the knightage. We’re going to the twentieth floor.”

“Yes, sir!”

The Fantasy Regiment made its move. 

* * *

Corpses lay scattered all over a blood-drenched mountain, evidence that a violent battle had just taken place. 

“What a monster.”

Players stared fearfully at someone who didn’t seem human, each one of them convinced that he was a monster.  

Yeon-woo panted, covered in blood. His health and magic power were nearly drained because he had fought against so many players, but his aura was still fierce. It seemed as though anyone who strayed within his range of attack would immediately perish. None of the players dared approach him.

The martial arts Yeon-woo had shown them replayed in their minds. How many clans had suffered losses, and how many people had fallen? Horrifying monsters had emerged from the shadows and led them into despair. The rumors that the Hoarder was a Lord were proving to be true.

He was a Lord with a ghostly army who could easily defeat most clans. As the Martial King’s disciple, he was also showing the potential to become a supreme being. It didn’t matter if players fought him one on one or allied with each other to attack him. Yeon-woo simply couldn’t be defeated.

‘He still has more!’

They could feel in their bones that Yeon-woo wasn’t using his full strength. If he’d hidden thirty percent of his power even though the battle had grown so violent, it meant that they were truly at a disadvantage.

Furthermore, he was being helped by Red Deodara and the Ice King, who were famous, skilled players. There was no way to get past them. The players were unable to make a decision whether to attack or fall back.

“If you don’t come to me.” Yeon-woo’s eyes glittered fiercely. “I’ll go to you.” His breathing had grown smoother now that he’d had a chance to rest. The players who were surrounding him stepped back instinctively. 

The Ice King laughed softly, but his laughter sounded more like pity than amusement. The players at the front turned red, and they were about to shout, wanting to redeem themselves.  

All of a sudden, red fireworks exploded in the sky. The players’ expressions grew stiff. It was the signal to retreat. The leaders hesitated at first, but finally, they ordered everyone to fall back. There was no way they could continue the fight.

“Everyone, retreat!”

The players stepped back quickly in case Yeon-woo and the others attacked them as they ran. After the Ice King confirmed that everyone was gone, he cocked his head in confusion. “Eh? Why did everyone leave? Well, whatever, I can rest now.”

The Ice King looked down at his bloody, shaking hands. He couldn’t remember the last time he had fought this violently. He smiled bitterly. He had joined Yeon-woo’s side because there wasn’t anything he could do, but he felt refreshed. It seemed a martial artist was still a martial artist regardless of age.

However, he was tiring more easily now, and if they had to face more battles, he might be the first of them to fall. Victoria didn’t look well either. It was difficult to use the Adamantine Nova with an injured body. 

She was also relieved that the players retreated, but she wondered about the reason. If the fight had continued, Yeon-woo’s party would’ve been the ones in danger. Victoria and the Ice King turned to Yeon-woo. 

Yeon-woo was also tired, and he plopped down on the ground and caught his breath. His overheated Philosopher’s Stone continued to supply him with magic power. However, his words came as a surprise to Victoria and the Ice King. “They’re probably stepping back because they’ve found Kahn.”

“They’ve found Kahn?!”

Victoria jumped up in surprise. Thump. Thump. Her heart started to beat faster at the thought of the face that she had seen so briefly. The hope that she would see that face again grew in her heart. 

“Yes. For now.”

“Where is he?”

“You know where.”

“I do?” Victoria cocked his head. The mountains were indeed familiar to her. “Is it possible?” She turned pale.

Yeon-woo nodded heavily. “Yes. The Monkey King’s palace.”

Victoria’s grip tightened on the Adamantine Nova as the memories returned: the attacks of the stone statues, Rebecca’s death, Yeon-woo’s sacrifice, her escape with Kahn, and finally, being all alone. It was the place that gave her nightmares

She was still scared to return, but if she could save Kahn, she had to go. Yeon-woo nodded in relief. If he’d seen any reluctance from her, he would have taken the Adamantine Nova and forced her to return. But she’d kept up her end during their battles.

The Ice King cocked his head, not understanding. “The Monkey King’s Palace? What’s that?”

Yeon-woo began to explain. The Ice King’s eyes grew thoughtful after listening. “It’s where the Seventy-Two Bian are?”

“Yes. It’s where I got my Ruyi Bang piece.”

“So, it’s similar to the Monkey King’s Temple.”

Monkey King’s Temple? Yeon-woo grew curious at those words. 

“There’s a place outside of the Tower. It’s actually the temple of the Seven Demon Kings, but the Apostles call it the Monkey King’s Temple. It’s surrounded with barriers to prevent outsiders from entering.”

Yeon-woo thought of the place where he had first looked for traces of Kahn. “Are you talking about the shrine with the statues of the Seven Demon Kings?”

“Yes. Do you know it?”

“Yes. But I couldn’t feel anything…”

“It’s already been looted, since it’s well known. There’s probably nothing left.”

Yeon-woo thought the Ice King seemed a bit sad. It was probably from the shame of being only a partial successor. A thought occurred to him. ‘So, the Monkey King left his traces in more than one place.’

The exuviae had mentioned this, as well. Yeon-woo made a mental note to go back to the temple of the Seven Demon Kings and look around more carefully. When he’d first gone there, he’d been chased out so he might have missed something.  

“Why would Blood Sword go there?”

“Simple. It’s the base of the Devil Army, the people who are behind all this.” Kahn would have only shown himself because it was his final destination. That meant there was something important at the location. ‘Doyle.’ Yeon-woo’s eyes flashed. 

* * *

After a short break, they headed towards the fifth mountain to get ahead of the alliance. When they got there, they found no traps, probably because it was difficult to reach it in the first place. All of their senses were closed, and they could only rely on Consciousness.  

Yeon-woo unleashed all his Consciousness and began to search for an entrance to the Monkey King’s Palace. He had covered it up the previous one before he’d left so that no one else would find it, so he had to look for another way in.

「Your temper led to this. Yup, what a shame.」

‘Shut up.’

While he was scolding the teasing Shanon, Yeon-woo managed to find the entrance with Nike’s help. Nike had been following Kahn all this time. 

[You have entered the hidden stage, the ‘Monkey King’s Palace’.]

A hidden stage, not a dungeon. Yeon-woo’s eyes grew bigger at the changed name. As if their arrival had been anticipated, someone quietly walked out of the entrance and greeted them. 

『You…?』

『Long time no see, Cain.』 Kahn greeted them happily.