Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: World Ranker Announcement Ceremony (2)
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……About 2 minutes ago.
On the way to the Demir Workshop after catching up briefly with Seoul's Five Stars.
Gi So-yul and I could see the three names being broadcast on the building's electronic billboard.
[Ranking 78th, Skeleton King Joo Dong-hoon]
"Whoa."
"Huh?"
We let out exclamations at the same time.
Soon, Gi So-yul muttered in disbelief.
"It's real? Dong-hoon? Really 78th?"
"Haha. Looks like it?"
I scratched my head.
Ranking 78th?
Honestly, I was surprised too.
I knew I'd become a ranker, of course, but I hadn't expected to climb this high……
"Uahaha! As expected of my disciple! Congratulations, you rascal!"
To commemorate, I'd also summoned Elder Mansul.
"How in the world……?"
She was so shocked.
I could see she was excited in a way that wasn't like Gi So-yul at all.
"I knew the aura he exuded was no joke, but……."
"I told you. He shattered every record in the Delaila Trial."
I'd only given Seoul's Five Stars a rough explanation about the trial.
Of course, telling them didn't violate any confidentiality.
"Even so……! The berserker who set overwhelming records in the trial was in the 500s. No matter how amazing Dong-hoon is, 78th is…… That's a whole different level!"
"Honestly, I'm surprised too."
"Was it…… thanks to that elder floating next to you?"
Gi So-yul asked cautiously.
Oh, right.
The reason she'd been sticking by my side was because of the old man too?
"Hahaha! The assassin girl recognizes this master's contributions! Aham, yes yes, your growth is all thanks to me, right?"
The old man grinned broadly.
Well.
It's true.
But hearing him praise his own merits from his own mouth made my stomach turn for some reason.
So I answered Gi So-yul.
"That's part of it. But mostly, it's the result of my own efforts."
"Pardon?"
"No matter how great the master is, if I don't put in the work, it's all for nothing, right?"
"……I see. That makes sense."
Gi So-yul nodded with her innocent wide eyes.
"What was that, you rascal?!"
The old man bellowed.
'Come on, just kidding, kidding. Of course, Elder, your guidance was huge too.'
"Right? I thought my disciple had turned into an insolent brat whose brain was boiled to mush like o-gol-gae-tang soup."
'Hahaha. No way.'
I ignored him as best I could and looked at Gi So-yul.
Actually, I'd been sensing it for a while.
The energy stored in her heart was extraordinary.
"You've refined your energy a lot compared to before, haven't you, Dark Emperor?"
"Oh."
She nodded.
"You're right. Since your ranking is higher than mine now, you can see it all."
"Well, less that and more……."
Was it from dealing with the Shadow Shepherds?
Or from learning shadow arts?
I could tell the Dark Emperor had grown a lot since before.
"After sending you off, we worked really hard. My brother and me. Of course, not as much growth as you, Dong-hoon."
"I see."
Actually.
I'd gained something more valuable than ranking 78th.
Poison Fog was one.
The God-Slaying grade weapon was another.
Honestly, I even thought this.
If things like that were included in the ranking, wouldn't I be even higher?
'But.'
As I said before, it doesn't make sense for items to factor into rankings.
Otherwise, Baekdon's rank wouldn't be just in the 800s.
'And besides.'
I'm not someone who can fully control essence.
Claiming it as my power when I can't even wield it properly would be ridiculous.
In fact, even though I'd become the ranker I'd dreamed of my whole life.
I was surprisingly calm about it.
I'd already known it would happen.
And because I'd set a new goal.
'Ranking 1st.'
Of course, it'd be a lie to say I wasn't happy.
Today.
I was happier than anyone.
"Anyway, we're here. Shall we head up?"
「Demir Workshop」.
I smiled looking at the rooftop terrace.
Now, that height was something I could reach in one leap.
No matter what anyone said.
I was now an S-rank hunter.
And a ranker.
* * *
"So. What the hell happened? No, Workshop Owner! You vanish without a proper word and leave us hanging! Huh? Ugh! That's too much!"
Kim Jin-ah vented with a flushed face.
Hiccups and all.
I smiled awkwardly.
"Calm down first."
"How can I? You dump work on me and disappear like dust, then pop back as a ranker……! Hic! I mean, in a way it makes up for it, but still……! Do you know how hard it was for me? Fixing accidents without rest, selling items, advertising!"
I fully understood Kim Jin-ah.
I would've been the same.
It was true I'd left without a proper explanation.
"I couldn't tell you due to circumstances."
So, I said sincerely.
"When the chance comes, I'll explain everything. Sorry."
"Whew……."
She sat down and took deep breaths.
Calming her still-trembling right hand, she pointed at the TV.
"So. That damn news is real, right?"
"Yes, it's real."
"……Good!"
"Huh?"
"Good! Fucking great! My god. The man I serve is a ranker! Ranking 78th at that! And wait?"
Kim Jin-ah, who had been cheering and pointing at the TV, went wide-eyed.
"Wha-what? Hold on! Look there! Dark Emperor too? No way?"
"Yeah?"
I turned to look as well.
There was the Dark Emperor's result.
[Ranking 151st, Dark Emperor Gi So-yul]
"Whoa?"
I exclaimed.
Gi So-yul was gazing at the screen with slightly flushed cheeks.
"Oh my god, Dark Emperor! Weren't you 379th? When did you jump to 151st?"
Kim Jin-ah shouted.
"Oh my stars! It's a total Demir Workshop festival! Ahh, this…… feels like all the hardship is finally rewarded……!"
When she said Gi So-yul had worked hard.
It was absolutely no exaggeration.
Given her personality.
She wouldn't say she'd worked hard unless blood had flowed and bones had been ground down for real.
- Breaking news! Another update! The Dark Emperor! Dark Emperor's ranking has skyrocketed!
- Indeed! Who would've thought she'd enter the 100s!
- We admit it! As expected of the famed bowman's sister! The siblings shine together!
"Whew, guess I have no choice."
I picked up a can of beer from the table.
"I don't drink much, but today calls for a celebration."
Pop!
I cracked it open lightly and handed it to the Dark Emperor.
"……Thank you."
She accepted it.
And.
"Awesome, awesome! Let's drink! Company card today—we're drinking till we drop!"
Since it was a day the whole world was celebrating.
The Demir Workshop was having its own party too.
At that moment.
"Master! Master! You've finally come?!"
Demir, who'd been on the second floor, came running at the sound.
"Oh, Demir."
I greeted him gladly.
Come to think of it, I'd forgotten about the guy.
"Kahaha, Master! You've grown even stronger!"
The bone laughed heartily.
For him, I summoned the other absolutes too.
[Using Skill, 'Skeleton Lord Summon' (S-rank).]
[Stamina 10 used.]
['Sun Spear' appears.]
[Using Skill, 'Skeleton Lord Summon' (S-rank).]
[Stamina 10 used.]
['Eldrin' appears.]
[Using Skill, 'Skeleton Lord Summon' (S-rank).]
[Stamina 10 used.]
['Kaden' appears.]
[Using Skill, 'Skeleton Lord Summon' (S-rank).]
[Stamina 10 used.]
['Dana' appears.]
"Uh?"
Demir flinched in surprise.
"Bone Three and Bone Seven? They've awakened?"
"New friends. Greet each other warmly."
For the newly awakened Kaden and Dana, I even held a bone conference.
"So this is the benefactor's world?"
"……They're all the benefactor's subordinates!"
Kaden and Dana looked around the workshop with mystical eyes.
Demir watched them and laughed heartily.
"Kahaha! The juniors have arrived! Come here! If you listen well, I'll teach you how to please the master!"
"……Really? If it means pleasing the benefactor, nothing could be better."
"If you teach me how to make our honored benefactor happy, I'll engrave it in my heart."
Kaden and Dana clung to Demir.
"Congratulations, my lord."
"You look pleased, Master."
Sun Spear and Eldrin greeted me.
It was a total bone-fest, not a mess.
'Nice.'
This was the Demir Workshop's party.
- Continuing the announcements!
- Ah, Black Sword Lee Seon-ah is 410th! She's climbed nearly 100 spots too. Amazing results!
- Now I see why they're called Seoul's Five Stars!
…….
The rankings kept being announced.
We drank beer and enjoyed the moment.
- Baekdon is 840th!
- Baekdon was originally 828th, so a drop of 12 is still decent!
- Right! And Baekdon's a merchant to begin with. A merchant making the rankings is impressive in itself!
- True. And not just any merchant? A living chaebol ranker and vice-chair of the Merchant Association!
Baekdon Yu Sang-don had dropped in ranking.
But no one said a word against him.
The reason he was feared wasn't his rank, but his wealth.
- Oh, and new info on that 78th ranker we looked into earlier!
Hm?
78th is me?
We naturally focused on the screen.
- Yes, per the association's info! Joo Dong-hoon is indeed a proud hunter of our Korea!
- Honestly, it clicked right away. The owner of the hot-topic Demir Workshop lately.
- Correct! And there's even newer news!
- Newer news?
- Yes, a post from Thunderclap Floa, who rose from 84th to 80th, is blowing up on SNS!
Thunderclap Floa?
Oh, she's below me now?
"……."
Me.
I'd grown so much in such a short time?
Probably still similar overall, even if she's below.
'Anyway.'
What post did she make to cause this?
- The SNS says 'Skeleton King is a ranker I acknowledge!', 'He'll soon be a world legend!', 'I, Floa, support him!'
- What…… is going on? Isn't Floa Germany's hero?
- No idea what happened between them, but isn't this huge? A top 100 world ranker officially recognizing him shuts down any controversy before it starts!
Ho.
Floa, you rascal.
Did I impress you or something?
I called it slave bread as a joke.
I'd planned to just grant her one wish if danger came later.
"No, Workshop Owner?"
That was when Kim Jin-ah called me with a baffled look.
"Yes?"
"What the hell are these circumstances you can't talk about……?"
She held out her phone with an incredulous expression.
"Look at this. It doesn't make sense……."
"What's wrong now?"
I took it curiously.
The screen was filled with the latest breaking articles.
[Breaking! World Ranking 90th Mask Rider: 'Joo Dong-hoon will rewrite world history as a great ranker.']
[World Ranking 39th, Mud Skippers also posts on SNS! Joo Dong-hoon is humanity's once-in-a-generation genius!]
[World Ranking 50th, Golden Lion Raon: "Joo Dong-hoon? He'll surpass me in no time."]
[World Ranking 68th, Grim Reaper: "Joo Dong-hoon's great challenge is just beginning."]
[Sudden praise relay from high rankers for Joo Dong-hoon? What happened?]
…….
Countless praises for me floating around.
What the hell, these people?