Ranker Who Lives Twice

"What a hideous monster!" The Martial King's reaction after seeing Faceless was straightforward. How could so many souls be stuffed into a single body? It was a ridiculous sight. "I heard you caused some trouble, and I wondered how you did it." The Martial King crossed his arms and scoffed. It had been early in the morning when he heard that there was a trespasser in the village.

At first, he wondered what kind of crazy guy was causing trouble before the sun was even up, but now, he was glad that he'd have a chance to have some fun for the first time in a while. The One-horned tribe had ruled as the strongest race in the Tower for a long time, and countless clans and rankers had challenged their position. Of course, they were all defeated, but even battling the One-horned tribe was considered a great honor among martial artists. Also, the guests of the One-horned tribe were known to improve significantly, so the entrance to the village was always bustling.

It was tradition for one of the tribe members to step out to deal with the visitors and accept the deserving ones, with the rest kicked out. However, at some point, that tradition began to fade away, and it completely disappeared.

In fact, this coincided with the time that the Martial King came into power. Because he was called the strongest king ever in the history of the One-horned tribe's kings, the difference in power between him and his challengers was too wide. There was no way the arrogant Martial King would be satisfied with just anyone.

"Why would you take in those things that don't even amount to the bottom of my shoe? If they can't land a single strike at me, kick them out." His words eventually became the reason that most of the annoying flies were shooed away.

The number of guests was drastically decreased, and only those who were truly acknowledged could enter the village. As time went on, hardly any guests arrived. As a result, the Martial King had been interested to hear that a visitor had arrived. He thought he'd have some entertainment, but he never imagined he'd come face to face with a monster like this.

"So. You want me to return your horn?" The Martial King treated Faceless like a stranger. He didn't treat the being as his younger brother or his disciple anymore, only a monster stuffed up with grudges. That was all Faceless was.

"I have the right to request it, don't I?" Back when Cheonghwado was still active, the Spear God had given up his horn in exchange for the One-horned tribe's help against Red Dragon. To the tribe members, giving up your horn meant giving up your identity as a One-horned tribe member. Because it meant that you'd let go of all authority and responsibilities as a tribe member, it was considered a humiliation. But Faceless was now shamelessly asking for it back.

The request was so astounding that it wasn't even funny for the One-horned tribe.

"Request? How?"

"You didn't fulfill your end of the bargain. I requested the One-horned tribe to participate as an ally, and you promised to do so. However, you ended the war as bystanders."

"I was the one who defeated Ismenios in the end."

"That's a separate matter. You didn't carry out the promise you made to Cheonghwado."

"And if I say no?"

"I'll put in a formal request to the elders."

The request was becoming more ridiculous.

"You think the geezers will listen?"

"A few will."

"You've already made arrangements with a few of them."

"There are quite a few who are dissatisfied with you."

On the outside, the One-horned tribe seemed like a strong and stable clan centered around the Martial King. Since everyone was light-hearted and only sought a higher level of martial arts, it appeared as if they didn't have any problems. However, there were divisions among the tribe, just like any other society.

It was because the One-horned tribe was an alliance of fifty main families under their common ancestor, Shaohao Jintian. Recently, a few of those families had been feeling threatened. The Head Elder, the Martial King, and even Phante and Edora, who were growing at a fast pace, were all part of the Cheongram family. The Cheongram family's power had surpassed the others by now, and protests and complaints were inevitable.

It was only that no one brought it up because the Martial King was still in power, but it was like a bomb that could explode at any moment. Now that Faceless was poking his nose into the matter, a few of the elders who weren't loyal to the Cheongram family were clearly tempted.

The Martial King crossed his arms. He was still smirking. "OK, fine. And if you get your horn back? What will you do after that? I'm sure that's not the end."

"I will wage war."

"War? Against who?"

"You, of course."

The Martial King was speechless.

"I must take that throne you're sitting on."

The Martial King's eyes widened in surprise, and he soon burst out laughing. "What? You? This position?" He continued to laugh, but Faceless remained composed.

"I am also the son of the former king, so my lineage is unquestionable. After I take back my horn, I will have the proper qualifications as well. Then, I will challenge you for the position of tribe leader."

The method to become the king of the One-horned tribe was simple. First, you needed to be a member of the families that had the blood of Shaohao Jintian, and second, you needed to be the strongest out of all of them.

No matter how many parties or supporters you had, in the end, the position of the tribe leader was decided by pure strength since the One-horned tribe was the first group to create martial arts. A tribe leader had no choice but to accept challenges by his relatives, as long as there weren't any issues with their lineage.

It was the very first rule of their tribe: survival of the fittest. Only the strongest were valuable, and they deserved to take everything.

"Again, there are many elders who are dissatisfied with you. After I become king, I don't plan on having any children. I can't, anyway." That meant that the king would come from another family. As long as Faceless promised this, there wouldn't be much difficulty for him to return as Flanc.

Faceless' eyes flashed through the bandages. "What will you do, brother?"

The provocative question made the Martial King grin. "Bring it on."

* * *

After Faceless made an official request to the elders, the Martial King was alerted by the urgent voice of the Psychic Medium.

『It's a trap!』

"I know."

『Their goal is to get a one-on-one meeting with you! They will try to assassinate you there!』

"Obviously."

『You…!』 The Psychic Medium's voice turned sharp. She was always composed, but as the same divinations repeated in the past few days, she grew more anxious as the time approached.

On the other hand, the Martial King was indifferent, as if it weren't any of his business. "My wifey's voice is shaking. It's been a while since it's been like that. In the past, you used to do that when we just held hands. These days, you've gotten so old…"

『Hey!』

The Martial King was cut off mid-sentence, but he grinned. "Wifey."

『What?』 It sounded like she was trying to suppress her anger because her voice was rough.

"Don't worry too much."

In the end, she exploded. 『You idiot! How can I not…!』

"I'm the Martial King. I'm Nayu."

The Psychic Medium was silent. Her husband had always been too confident. This was the reason she had fallen for him, but at times, she despised it. He never cared when she worried about him.

"You said I'm destined to die, right?" The Martial King could clearly picture the Psychic Medium's face as if she were in front of him. "I guarantee that won't happen."

When Faceless left, he was smiling. Did he know that the Martial King was also smiling as well? And it hadn't been a smirk, but a genuine smile. It had been too long since he'd had a challenger. After the Summer Queen died, the Martial King had been living in boredom every day, so this was the first fun he'd had for a long time. The only entertainment he had was listening to the news about his disciple causing trouble somewhere.

"I have to also break destiny in order to be called the Martial King, isn't that right?" The Martial King's eyes flashed as he smiled mischievously.

* * *

Yeon-woo immediately began preparing to create Scythe according to Kronos' guidance. "What do I need to do to strengthen Vigrid?"

『First, you need to gather materials.』

"Materials?"

『You already have the contents. You have all my legends, and the springs are running more smoothly than before.』

"Then, I need a vessel."

『Correct.』

Since he already had everything, all he needed was ore for forging Vigrid. "What was the original material you used for Vigrid…I mean, Scythe?"

『What else? Adamant.』

'I knew it.' Yeon-woo sighed.

Adamant. It was the strongest and most magical material in the world. Because he had once acquired it to create Kynee, he knew better than anyone how rare it was. "Is the adamant that you need adamantine nova?"

『Of course. If it's not nova, what else could it be?』 Kronos spoke as if adamantine nova were a common mineral that was easily acquired.

Yeon-woo felt like Kronos' "common" knowledge was way above his. Because he had sat on the throne of the king of gods for eons, his spending habits were too extravagant for Yeon-woo to comprehend.

"How much do you need? In comparison to Kynee."

『Kynee? That thing the Cyclops made for Hades?』

"Yes."

『Son.』

Yeon-woo waited.

『A helm made up of a combination of other metals and a scythe created purely of the material…how much more do you think?』

Yeon-woo didn't reply.

『Ten times. You need at least that much to even attempt to change Vigrid.』

Yeon-woo covered his face with his hand. He would need to spend more than he'd expected. With his hand still over his face, he stood up, and a red portal appeared below his feet.

『Where are you going?』

"Adamantine nova won't just drop from the sky."

『It did for me.』

Just what kind of life did this man live? "That might have been because there were abundant resources during your era, but there's no way Olympus and I can afford it now. And adamant isn't a material you can obtain that easily anyway."

『Hm. I did hear something about that.』

"I'll have to look for someone who has adamantine nova or knows where I might find it."

『Who is it?』

Muttering the name of the gumiho who was who-knows-where, Yeon-woo stepped inside the portal. Anastasia.

* * *

"Master? I'm not sure, but she's probably on the eleventh floor. She said something in passing about needing something related to dreams. But why are you…what? Say that again? S-sorry, but don't say anything about how I helped you find her…I might die this time…!"

Fortunately, after contacting Victoria, Yeon-woo found out where Anastasia was.

[This is the eleventh floor, the gate of dreams.]

The eleventh floor was incredibly peaceful, as always. It was warm, as if his soul were being embraced, a feeling that he hadn't felt before.

[The shackles of the Legendary Beasts rise upon sensing the presence of a powerful being!]

[The demonic beasts confirm the presence of a powerful being and take shelter!]

[All Mythical Beasts hold their breath in your presence.]

However, the Mythical Beasts couldn't say the same thing when Yeon-woo showed up. Mythical Beasts were more like spirits than physical beings. Because they were more sensitive, his sudden intrusion made them fearful. To them, he was like a massive tsunami heading their way.

"Huh? W-what's wrong…?"

"Chen! Get a grip!"

"I-I think my egg is going to crack!"

The players who were focusing on the trial of the eleventh floor were confused by the sudden reactions of their beasts. Yeon-woo knew that it wasn't good for him to stay on this floor too long, so he planned on leaving as soon as he took care of his business. However, one particular message had stood out to him among all the others.

'Legendary Beasts? Aren't they all dead?'

Hanryeong had killed the four Legendary Beasts during Cheonghwado and Red Dragon's war. Did new Legendary Beasts appear after he had left the stage? He could feel something suddenly coming his way. Space opened directly in front of him.

"I was wondering who it was. You again?" Anastasia was glaring at Yeon-woo in annoyance when suddenly, Vigrid transformed into Kronos, who looked at her with surprise.

『Hm? Aren't you, Popo, Rhea's pet?』