The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 140

"Snow Drake?"

-Huh?

-New content unlocked?

-Is it coming back?

-Whoa.

-First-entry rights! Nice!

-So if they don’t clear it, it won’t reset?

-We’re screwed.

-But… how are we supposed to beat it?

As the notification popped up, chat messages flooded the screen.

Kim Jaeha, who was watching the stream, also spoke in confusion.

"That’s turning into content? Can we even beat it?"

"It'll probably be nerfed. Even if it’s the same boss, there's usually a difference between its appearance in episodes and in standalone content,” Avantgarde explained, referencing past cases.

Hanbit agreed with that assessment.

If the boss carried over at level 500, taking it down would be nearly impossible.

'So, what now?'

The fact that Snow Drake was becoming official content wasn’t surprising.

The real issue was that clearing it was now tied to the episode reset opportunity.

Hanbit refocused on the message:

[In 48 hours, Field Boss: Snow Drake content will be unlocked.]

[The Black Dragon Party is granted first-entry rights.]

[Once Snow Drake is defeated, players who have cleared Episode 2 will be given a chance to reset and replay the episode.]

First-entry rights were great, but their current strength wasn’t enough to defeat Snow Drake.

Should they just enter and leave to let other players take it on?

Of course not.

Since it was registered as content, it would come with worthwhile rewards.

There was also a good chance of securing the "First Clear" title.

"48 hours, huh…"

Two days.

And they also needed to prepare for the Tower of the Vortex.

There wasn’t much time.

In this case, the best option was to add more firepower.

A handpicked group of strong players for the first attack wave.

"Let’s assess the situation for now. We still have some time before the content unlocks."

Having made up their mind, Hanbit turned to look over Ifrit.

Humans and dwarves were working together to rebuild the city.

Seeing them like this made it sink in—this episode was truly over.

"Alright, we’ll be heading out now."

"Huh? Already?"

"You’re leaving so soon?"

Jinuk and Xenon reacted to the sudden farewell.

Hanbit wanted to stay longer, but there was no time.

"Wait, what about me?"

Bolivo, who had been lurking nearby, spoke up in alarm.

His eyes pleaded not to be left behind, but Hanbit had already planned for this.

Hanbit took out a parchment and handed it to him.

"You’ll be handling the trades with the merchants listed here. I’ve already spoken to the dwarves, so you’re all set."

"Huh?"

"You wanted to expand your business, right? So do it properly."

"…!"

The moment money was mentioned, Bolivo’s eyes widened.

He quickly snatched the parchment and scurried off to read it in detail.

"You're leaving now?"

A little later, Gorik approached, overseeing the rebuilding efforts.

He glanced at the dwarves working nearby before speaking.

"I never thought I’d return to this place. If not for you, I’d still be lost in the snowy mountains… or worse, trapped in my own misguided pride forever."

Years of suffering after losing his heirloom.

His stubbornness as a prince—something he now recognized as a painful mistake.

Now, standing side by side with the people of Ifrit, the moment felt surreal.

"Also…"

Gorik shifted his gaze to Hanbit’s side.

Kim Jaeha met his mentor’s eyes.

"You have talent. Don’t rush—broaden your perspective. The skills will follow naturally."

It was advice drawn from his own past regrets.

Understanding that, Jaeha nodded solemnly.

"I’ll keep that in mind."

With that, the conversations wrapped up quickly.

Outside the fortress, Hanbit turned to face Jinuk.

"I’ll drop by when I have time."

"Make sure you do. Once things settle, we’ll have a proper reward ready for you, Ifrit’s savior. Oh, and hand me your adventurer card."

"Ah."

That reminded Hanbit of a pending task.

One of the reasons for taking on these quests was to rank up as an adventurer.

"Here."

Hanbit handed over a silver card.

Jinuk scanned it with a small, tablet-like magic device.

Swish—

A light shone as the details updated.

Returning the card, Jinuk announced the result.

"Black Dragon, from now on, you’re an A-rank adventurer."

-…?

-Wait;

-Are you serious? LOL

-A-rank already in Episode 2?

-That’s insane.

According to the guidebook’s strategy, players typically receive a D-rank after clearing the second episode.

However, Hanbit skipped several ranks and went straight to A-rank.

“That’s a generous evaluation.”

“This is the highest rank I can assign. Honestly, I wanted to add another ‘A’ to it.”

Starting from A-rank and above, the ranking system operates differently from the lower tiers.

Officially, the next rank after A is S, but intermediate designations like AA or AAA are often used to distinguish strength within the same tier.

That’s how special and difficult the S-rank threshold is to reach.

“Well, thanks. This should make things a bit easier in other cities.”

“Feel free to use my name anytime. I’ll vouch for you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

With that playful exchange, Hanbit and his party boarded the prepared transport—a magically powered carriage arranged by the dwarves and citizens.

Neighhh-!

At the driver’s command, the two horses charged forward.

Silently, Jinuk bowed toward their departing figures, his gratitude expressed through action rather than words.

And he remained there, paying his respects, until the carriage disappeared from sight.

* * *

“You’re meeting the advanced player?”

Inside the carriage heading back to Edlen, Jaeha asked in confusion.

Hanbit had suddenly mentioned an upcoming meeting with the advanced player.

-Oh.

-Liwei?

-Could be the Ranger.

-If it’s Blood, that changes everything.

-Could even be Odin?

-Surprise! We’ve sent you a Nesto Assassin~

The chat lit up with guesses as soon as the word "advanced player" was mentioned.

Most were names of players who had previously crossed paths with Hanbit.

However, everyone’s predictions were way off.

[Black Dragon]

[Hello. I wanted to ask you something—are you still on Feria Island?]

Before leaving the fortress, Hanbit had sent a message to Luna, casually checking in.

There was a good chance she was still in the northern part of Feria Island, unable to leave.

The reply came back almost instantly.

[Luna]

[Hello. I finished the quest on Feria Island two days ago, so now I’m wrapping up the reset episode in Edlen.]

Hanbit had previously shared some intel with her—an event that only occurred when northern Feria Island became deserted.

The reward for it included rare weapon materials, making it highly recommended.

He hadn’t expected her to clear it so quickly, though.

Not only had she completed that event, but she had already reset the Edlen episode as well.

[Luna]

[Since you’re heading to Edlen, should we meet up?]

The conversation naturally led to a meeting.

It wasn’t something Hanbit had planned, but considering his goals, it worked out well.

Besides, he had wanted to meet Luna in person.

“Oh, so that’s who you’re meeting? Got it.”

“Huh? Am I the only one out of the loop?”

Avantgarde, who had been listing potential advanced player members, immediately recognized the name.

Meanwhile, Jaeha looked completely lost.

“You’ve been too focused on metallurgy. It’s not like we could just call you up to share information.”

“Well… yeah, that’s true.”

Jaeha still hadn’t realized that Luna was the one who had won the bid for the Essence of Earth.

It wasn’t intentional, but that’s just how things played out.

Even Avantgarde had only recently learned about it.

“At least the higher-ranking advanced player members haven’t come down yet. They’re unpredictable, and there’s little known information about them.”

The chat agreed.

-Yeah, the top ranks are full of crazy people.

-Aren’t most of them over level 300?

-It’s not even about levels—their gear and skills are broken.

-Almost all of them are launch-day players.

-But they’re too busy to come down here.

-We don’t even know what episodes they’re working on.

-Has there been any info on Rank 1?

-Nope. Not even a single sighting.

Hanbit scanned the messages.

What caught his eye the most was Rank 1.

It was strange that there wasn’t even a shred of information about them.

“Who are the most well-known top advanced players?”

“There are quite a few, since the total number is large.”

“What about in Korea?”

“In Korea, the most famous advanced player is Haemu. Their last recorded ranking was 601st.”

-Haemu is legit.

-Ocean GOAT.

-Basically an honorary mermaid.

-Haven’t seen them in a while, though.

-The top ranks are always like that.

-They’ve been off the radar for months, right?

The chat seemed familiar with Haemu, reacting enthusiastically.

If they hadn’t been seen for months, it made Hanbit wonder what they were up to.

“We’re almost there.”

Lost in conversation, they hadn’t noticed that Edlen’s city walls were now in sight.

Upon reaching the city gates, the three disembarked and approached the guards.

“We’ll need to check your identities. Please show your—”

The soldier, preparing for the routine check, suddenly stopped mid-sentence as his gaze landed on Hanbit.

His eyes widened as he straightened his posture.

“Are you… Black Dragon?!”

The tales of the adventurer Black Dragon had already spread throughout all of Edlen.

His face had even been turned into a portrait and posted at the entry checkpoint.

“Welcome back! You’re free to enter!”

Following the guard’s enthusiastic greeting, Hanbit and his party stepped inside.

A familiar, peaceful atmosphere.

Now, they could leisurely head to their meeting spot…

“Black Dragon!”

A sudden, unfamiliar voice rang in his ears.

And it wasn’t just one.

“It’s really him!”

“Wow!”

“Please, look over here!”

A chill of unease crawled down Hanbit’s neck.

He hesitated for a moment before slowly turning his head.

And then, he saw them—

A crowd holding massive banners.

[Welcome, Black Dragon!]

[Black Dragon and the Guardians of Truth will always support you!]

[Lead the RP world on the right path!]

[You’re the only one worthy of clearing the game!]

The messages on some of the signs made Hanbit question his own eyes.

It wasn’t just encouragement—it was borderline worship.

-LOOOOOL

-This is insane. LOL

-Is that… a fan club? LMAO

-So if you shorten it, they’re the Guardians of Black Truth?

-I’m signing up.

-Count me in too.

-Black Dragon being embarrassed is hilarious. ROFL

-The secondhand embarrassment is real.

Hanbit didn’t even register the chat’s laughter.

A flashback hit him—

The time he had been forced into the role of that weak-willed king.

The traumatic memory resurfaced out of nowhere.

Not even the goddess who had helped him heal could completely erase the shame of that experience.

“Whoa, what the hell? Is this actually a fan club?”

“There have been many people studying the truth behind RP, but it seems your playstyle brought them together.”

Jaeha and Avantgarde player observed with fascination.

Still, what intrigued them more than the fan club’s antics was Hanbit’s utterly broken reaction.

“Pfft. You okay there?”

“So you have this side to you as well.”

Hanbit covered his face with one hand, trying to avoid the waves of support.

Seeing this unfamiliar side of him, the two couldn’t help but chuckle.

Struggling to compose himself, Hanbit hurriedly walked deeper into the city.

But just then, someone stepped in front of him.

“You even have a fan club now?”

A woman with long black hair stood before him.

The scabbard at her waist gleamed with an almost pure white radiance.

[Luna]

The name tag above her head stood out clearly.

Glancing at the crowd of banners, Hanbit dragged a hand down his face and muttered, “Can we please move somewhere else?”

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]