Ranker's Return

Chapter 178

Translator: rainbowturtle

Editor: LD & Jyazen

[Mysterious Sky Demonic Art]

[A famous martial art in the East Continent.

Once the proficiency reaches 3, 5, 7, and 9 stars, new skills will be opened.

Type: Martial Art

Rating: Unique

Skill Proficiency: 4 stars (the proficiency of martial arts is indicated by the star unit)

The attribute is fixed as the dark attribute.

The effect of magic power is increased by 65%.

Mysterious Sky Steps can be used.

Mysterious Sky Range can be used.]

“Nothing happened? Dam~mit!!”Hyeonu expressed his anger at the unchanging skill description by punching the air. How unfortunate was this outcome? Nothing happened.

‘It is a failure! A failure of luck!’

“Uwaaah!” Hyeonu wildly released magic power to fill the emptiness in his heart. Then Hyeonu’s mind started to calm down as his magic power, which had been as deep as a lake, slowly ran out.

“Yes, I was originally like this. I have never been lucky.” Hyeonu was resigned.

He admitted it. In recent times, things had been working out well, and he had forgotten about it. He was an unlucky person who couldn’t even get a single equipment item as a drop.

Then the bottom part of the skill window entered Hyeonu’s eyes. There was something he had never seen before.

“Eh?”

The skill had changed. To be precise, the skills gained after proficiency reached a certain level had changed.

[Mysterious Sky Steps: Move quickly with magic power.

[Mysterious Sky Range: Use magic power to create a blade storm.]

Mysterious Sky Steps and Mysterious Sky Range had changed from instantly activated skills with a skill cooldown to continuous skills that could always be used without a skill cooldown.

“Amaaaaaazing!”

This was a blessing in disguise. It turned out that the enhancement book he’d thought was a failure was actually a top powerball.

“Then how do I use this?”

The advantage of immediately-activated-type skills was that they could be used without much control if the player wanted to use them. However, continuous skills were different. The representative example of this was the manifestation of magic power.

The manifestation of magic power was needed for skills that used magic power, such as sword energy. It wasn’t just about learning the skill. Using the skill required the player’s detailed magic power control.

Just then, another message appeared in front of Hyeonu. This message made Hyeonu even more perplexed.

[Mysterious Sky Range has absorbed Magic Power Explosion.]

[The skill Magic Power Explosion has disappeared.]

[The power of Mysterious Sky Range will increase.]

‘A skill is gone?’

Hyeonu hastily opened the skill window and confirmed it. Just like the message said, Magic Power Explosion was gone. It was as if it wasn’t there to begin with.

“What the hell is this again...”

[Mysterious Sky Range: Use magic power to create a blade storm that explodes with magic.]

Literally, Magic Power Explosion had been absorbed by Mysterious Sky Range. Only a few words were added to the description of Mysterious Sky Range. Nothing else had changed. Nevertheless, Hyeonu laughed because it was true that it had improved.

‘Yes, it ate Magic Power Explosion, so it will have more of an effect.’

“Then how do I use the skills?”

A problem he had forgotten about due to Mysterious Sky Range surfaced once again. Hyeonu soon came up with a method. He already knew how to do it. It was to freely release sword energy. This was Hyeonu’s own talent that no other player could possess yet.

‘It is just like when I learned how to control magic power.’

Hyeonu recalled the time when he learned how to use magic power from Lebron. Then he did what he had learned.

‘Keep inserting magic power so that it doesn’t break...’

Hyeonu recalled all the times he had used Mysterious Sky Range so far. It was a sharp storm of pure energy that filled the air.

‘In addition, it has absorbed the skill Magic Power Explosion, so it will explode after a hit.’

It wasn’t just a storm. This was different from the previous storms. The wounds they caused weren’t just simple wounds. They were wounds that would explode. Once the image was completed, Hyeonu started to move. Hyeonu pulled out Dark Star and injected it with a lot of magic power. The more magic power that was infused, the greater the resonance with Dark Star would be. He didn’t know how much magic power was needed, so he was just releasing it recklessly.

‘A strong storm of pure energy that covers the space,’ Hyeonu recalled the image once again and wielded his sword. His single-edged sword swung quickly. Every time it happened, pure energy started to fill the space one by one. Eventually, it reached the same level as the previous Mysterious Sky Range.

The new Mysterious Sky Range demonstrated the nature of Magic Power Explosion. It exploded splendidly the moment it hit something. The bombardment swept through everything around it.

However, Hyeonu’s expression wasn’t bright. ‘The power is good.’

“But it’s too slow.”

Hyeonu’s face was full of complaints. He thought that the time it took to use the skill was too long. This was unlike before when it was automatically cast once he roughly thought about the range. Now Hyeonu could only use it if he concentrated from beginning to end.

It was only a success due to Hyeonu’s excellent concentration and experience in using sword energy. Other players would never have succeeded. It was almost certain they would’ve treated it as garbage the moment their skill changed. Why? It was because it was a skill that couldn’t be used. They lacked the ability. Currently, only one person could use skills in this way in Arena. It was Hyeonu.

‘Still, the speed will improve the more I use it.’

It was only a matter of time, and it wasn’t impossible. Just like the sword energy control, Hyeonu was sure he would adapt quickly. It would be as natural as ever.

‘The next problem is...’

Mysterious Sky Range was pretty good. It was a skill he used often, so he still had a sense of when he used it normally. However, Mysterious Sky Steps was different. There were reasons why he didn’t use it often, but he didn’t care about the magic power movement because he thought of it as a buff skill.

In short, he had no idea how to use it. He couldn’t grasp it at all.

‘It isn’t any good to try it randomly...’

Hyeonu was troubled. However, a method didn’t pop up. In the end, he was forced to try it with his body. The ground cracked every time Hyeonu kicked off from it. It wasn’t like practicing footwork. He looked more like an angry child playing tricks.

Tang-E scoffed at the sight of Hyeonu moving around with his magic power concentrated on his feet. “Hehehe! Stupid Master dude! You’re going to kill me by laughing. Uhehehe!”

There was an exaggerated smile on Tang-E’s face that stretched from ear to ear. It was impossible not to hear Tang-E’s laughter. Tang-E was close enough to that Hyeonu would be able to hear him if they were in reality, let alone in Arena where Hyeonu was a game character with physical abilities that were increased by dozens of times. It was simply impossible for him not to hear Tang-E laugh.

‘You!!’

However, Hyeonu endured it. After all, Tang-E’s words weren’t wrong. Hyeonu’s appearance was clearly ridiculous. It was impossible to look good bursting through the forest like this. If he were provoked by this type of inferior provocation, then it would just delay the reappearance of the Mysterious Sky Steps.

Hyeonu comforted himself as he focused on moving his magic power again.

“Shit!”

His restraint only lasted for a while. In the end, Hyeonu exploded. Nothing changed no matter what he tried. He looked the same even if he controlled the amount of magic power. It was just a difference between speed, and there weren’t the peculiar movements unique to the Mysterious Sky Steps.

“It’s okay. There must be something that Master dude can’t do. Ignorance isn’t a sin. You just have to learn.” Tang-E approached and patted Hyeonu’s shoulder. It was an act to comfort Hyeonu.

Just then, Hyeonu stood up.

“Thank you, Tang-E!”Hyeonu smiled and hugged Tang-E. At Hyeonu’s response, Tang-E cocked his head and smiled brightly like Hyeonu. Indeed, he was his master’s pet.

***

Hyeonu thought about Tang-E’s words, pulled a paper out of his inventory, and ripped it. The paper that Hyeonu tore was a return book. The destination was the capital, Yusma.

‘Yes, if I don’t know then I can learn. I have a master.’

Tang-E’s words reminded Hyeonu Lebron’s presence. Lebron was an NPC called the empire’s best knight. If it was Lebron, he should be able to listen to Hyeonu’s explanation and recreate the Mysterious Sky Steps. Therefore, he didn’t hesitate to tear the return book.

“Hello?”Hyeonu greeted the guards who controlled who would enter the mansion today.

One of the guards waved and answered,“I heard that you have become a viscount. Please speak more comfortably. I feel uncomfortable hearing you use honorifics. In addition, the duke is still in the same place today.”

The attitude of the guard was different from the past. It wasn’t just because he had become Lebron’s disciple. The guard’s eyes were full of respect. If Hyeonu had to exaggerate, it was like a gaze that was normally directed toward Hyeonu’s master, Duke Lebron. Perhaps the biggest reason for the change in the guard’s attitude was because Hyeonu was now a self-made viscount.

“Thank you.”Hyeonu felt burdened by the guard’s attitude. He bowed his head slightly, expressed his gratitude, and hurried to find Lebron.

“Master!” Hyeonu rushed quickly toward the training ground, unlike his usual actions when he was visiting.

“What happened today that made you run so quickly?”Lebron opened his mouth while in his sitting position.

His eyes weren’t even open. Hyeonu’s sudden visit wasn’t welcome at all. It was a fact.

‘What did that monster come to take away today?’Lebron knew Hyeonu very well from their past experiences together. His disciple didn’t look for him unless there was something special. Hyeonu only visited when he needed something, mainly when he needed skills or work. He wasn’t a human who would visit Lebron without a purpose.

“Master! This poor disciple needs Master’s help.”

A short time later, Lebron heard Hyeonu’s words and confirmed that his guess was correct.

“Sigh.”Lebron opened his eyes after completing an act that was hard to tell if it was a sigh or an exhale. Then he stared at Hyeonu with a serene gaze. “Yes, what help do you need this time?”

At Lebron’s question, Hyeonu explained the purpose of his visit.”Do you know how adventurers use techniques?”

“How do adventurers use techniques? I don’t know. Why are you asking?”

“One of my skills has changed in the way it is used.”

“Changed?”

“Now I have to use it like this.”

Hyeonu focused his magic power in his hands. Then black flames of magic power appeared in them, and he freely adjusted the size of the flames. Lebron frowned at the sight. ‘He’s improved his ability to handle magic power.’

Hyeonu was truly a monster. It was the first time Lebron had seen someone improve so fast.

Lebron concealed his dismay and asked, “So what do you want me to teach you?”

“Please teach me about footwork.”