The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 143

"Wait, is that really Luna and Raphina? The advanced players?"

"You didn’t watch the stream? They even turned off the sound and talked in private."

"What the hell is Black Dragon even up to?"

At the northwestern cliffside of Edlen, Hanbit’s group had just arrived when they heard the murmuring of a crowd.

"They sure followed us all the way here," Avantgarde remarked, glancing at the people gathered behind them.

The crowd was much larger than usual—probably because of the two advanced players standing beside him.

—It’s packed here;

—Lol, I’m in the crowd too.

—Oh? You too?

—Yeah, seeing Luna in-game is insanely rare.

—FYI, Raphina has only been to Edlen once before.

—For real, if you’re not an advanced player, you’d never see them.

Since most viewers were also players, seeing Luna and Raphina in Hanbit’s party was a big deal.

Especially Luna—she rarely appeared on other streams, even from Lotus Gaming or other broadcasters.

"So, we’re back here again."

"Oh, right. You said you’ve been here before? It’s my first time."

Raphina and Luna chatted as they looked down over the cliffside.

They had zero interest in the crowd gawking at them.

They were probably used to the attention by now.

"Are we jumping down again this time?" Luna asked, recalling the first entry method she saw on stream.

Back then, falling off the cliff with Yeonwoo was the only way to enter.

"No, we’ll be entering normally this time. Sylph."

Chirp-!

As Hanbit called its name, the bird-like spirit appeared on his shoulder.

"Ah…!"

Raphina immediately reacted to the spirit’s presence.

She also had a connection with wind spirits, but materializing one was an entirely different level.

It wasn’t just an elemental force—it was a companion.

"Right. The guardian of this domain is here," Luna added, stepping closer to get a better look.

Sylph, now the center of attention, fluttered its wings proudly.

—Too cute, lol.

—The flirting is insane;

—When’s the Sylph fan meeting?

—Wait, how did he bring a spirit out of there??

—For me, roleplay is reality.

—Stay strong, buddy.

Since many viewers had followed Hanbit’s journey, they had grown attached to Sylph over time.

A fan meeting might be impossible, but the bond was real.

"Let’s form a party first," Hanbit said, inviting everyone to his group.

The spirit’s power would link them all together.

"Let’s go."

Chirp-!

At Hanbit’s words, the small bird nuzzling against him dissolved into the wind.

A moment later, it pulled them into the air as if guiding them forward.

Whoosh-!

They felt a floating sensation, followed by the world around them shifting.

Then, the scenery changed completely.

"Whoa!"

Raphina gasped as they arrived inside a massive cavern.

Sunlight streamed in from above, casting a harmonious glow throughout the space.

It was exactly the same as the spirit’s domain from before.

"So, we just teleport straight here now?"

Luna tapped her foot against the ground.

They stood atop a stone tower spiraling downward.

In front of them, a white-haired old man stood frozen in place.

"……."

Asla's gaze shifted between Hanbit’s companions.

Since they had all completed the Edlen episode, they weren’t strangers anymore.

Even so, as soon as Asla locked eyes with them, he turned around without hesitation.

Tap-!

Reacting instantly, Hanbit stepped forward and grabbed Asla’s shoulder.

"And where do you think you’re going?"

"I just remembered something important I need to do."

"You don’t have anything important to do."

—LOL

—Master Asla, hello~

—Some things never change.

—The consistency is GOATed.

It was clear why Asla felt uncomfortable.

Although he had met the three before, their interactions had been surface-level at best.

Unless they became his disciples like Hanbit, forming a deeper connection would be difficult.

"…Haa."

Letting out a sigh, Asla shifted his gaze to his disciple.

"What brings you here? It hasn’t been long since you left for Ifrit."

"That matter is settled. Also, there’s something I need to report…"

Hanbit began explaining everything that had happened in Ifrit.

The remnant of the Spirit King, newly acquired spirit skills, Aysis from the Holy Kingdom, and the monster wave—there was a lot to share.

"…Those bastards are getting more aggressive."

Asla furrowed his brows, recalling the Dark Division that had infiltrated Edlen.

Regardless of the world’s political landscape, they were a threat to spirits.

"And that scientist, Aysis?"

"She’s been transferred to the royal capital. As I mentioned, she’s friendly toward spirits, so we plan to use her as an ally. Even Sylph eventually warmed up to her."

Chirp-!

Sylph let out a small chirp, as if to confirm.

Seeing this, Asla slowly nodded.

"If the spirits approve, then it should be fine. Now—why have you come here? You wouldn’t have traveled all this way just to report."

His gaze briefly flickered toward the three people standing behind Hanbit.

Hanbit gently stroked Sylph, who had perched on his finger, before answering.

"We’re heading to the Spirit Garden. I also want to learn the next sword technique."

"…The Spirit Garden? How do you even know about that?"

"I came across an ancient text. Master, you know how to get there, don’t you?"

"Hmm…"

Asla stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Then, with a slow shake of his head, he said, "It’s too soon. That place is home to Intermediate Spirits—if you’re careless, you could provoke their wrath."

"If it were truly dangerous, Sylph would have warned me first. Besides, I already have two remnants of the Spirit King. Since they hold the power of a missing entity, even Intermediate Spirits would take interest."

"……."

Faced with solid reasoning, Asla found himself unable to argue.

After locking eyes with Hanbit for a moment, he let out a deeper sigh and spoke again.

"I suppose there’s no avoiding it. It’s a necessary step. However, obtaining the next sword technique is another matter entirely."

Asla gestured toward a massive boulder in the distance.

Then, stepping aside, he addressed Hanbit.

"It hasn’t been long since I last trained you. If you want to move forward, you must prove you’re ready."

"Of course."

The message was simple:

Hanbit had to demonstrate his mastery of Asla’s swordsmanship.

Having anticipated this, Hanbit unsheathed his sword.

Whoosh-!

As his will focused, the blade instantly gathered wind energy—a result of Elemental Awakening.

"……!"

Asla’s eyes widened at the sight.

Then, Hanbit swung his sword.

Swish-!

A razor-sharp wind blade formed, slicing through the air with overwhelming force.

And then—

Srrrk-!

The massive boulder was cleanly split in two.

"…What in the world…?"

Asla was visibly shaken.

From the moment the wind had gathered to the final impact, every step had been flawlessly executed.

He had always known Hanbit was talented—but this?

'He’s already reached mastery.'

Next to the Wind Swordsmanship icon, a star marked its maxed-out proficiency.

Since it was a technique Hanbit had wielded as naturally as breathing in the past, he had reached mastery at a blistering pace.

But this raw power—this wasn’t just proficiency.

"So this Elemental Awakening… You’re saying it wasn’t developed by Spirit Summoners?" Still staring at the cleaved boulder, Asla asked quietly.

"Yes. It was created by two people highly skilled in both magic and science."

"…The world has changed more than I thought. And that inexperienced Spirit Summoner—you plan to take her with you?"

Asla gestured toward Raphina.

They had barely spoken during the Edlen episode, but he had clearly been observing her.

Did NPCs remember their interactions with players like records in a log?

"Even now, her connection to spirits is extremely weak. I can’t sense anything from her."

"…What?"

Raphina flinched at the blunt critique.

Hanbit, however, had already realized the issue.

It was the reason she had struggled for over ten months.

"That’s why she’s coming to the Garden. Two spirits have already reached out to her."

"Two attributes… I see."

Understanding the intent, Asla slowly nodded.

Then, drawing his sword from its sheath, he asked, "What about the other two? They’re not Spirit Summoners, are they?"

"I plan to entrust Sylph with their protection."

Chirp-!

Hearing the conversation, Sylph flapped its wings and flew straight toward Luna.

Holding out her hands, Luna carefully caught the small spirit.

—Sylph, ‘do the thing.’

—Damn, it went straight to her.

—Absolute guardian energy.

—Lmao, it completely ignored Avantgarde.

Sylph settled comfortably on Luna, as if quite fond of her.

Avantgarde watched with a hint of envy, but his priority was far too low.

"If that is your will, I shall abide by it," Asla said, offering Sylph a respectful bow before turning away.

Whoosh—!

A powerful gust of wind surged through the space, as if enveloping the entire area. It wasn’t just Asla’s power—this was the response of the spirits dwelling here.

Asla steadied his stance and took a deep breath.

Then—

Swish—!

He swung his sword sharply through the air.

Whoom—

The wind gathered along the trajectory of his downward slash, gradually forming an emerald-green, elliptical entrance. Asla stepped forward without hesitation.

"Stay as close as possible and follow me."

Srrrk—

The moment his foot crossed the threshold, his figure disappeared.

Hanbit turned to the three people behind him.

"Let’s go."

* * *

"Wow..."

"I've never seen anything like this."

The luminous path leading to the Spirit’s Garden stretched out before them. It resembled a translucent, teal-colored tunnel embedded with countless shimmering stars.

Raphina and Luna gazed around in awe as they walked.

-Whoa, this is insane.

-That’s the Spirit’s Path?

-Screenshot saved.

-If Black Dragon gets the raw files, instant upvote.

-Nah, Avantgarde will do it instead.

"This is incredible... It’s amazing that something like this can even be rendered," Avantgarde murmured, just as astonished as his viewers.

It was difficult to put into words—the beauty of this space transcended mere description.

'This is the first time I’ve traveled here with others.'

Hanbit had been through this passage countless times, to the point that it had lost its novelty. But hearing the reactions of those around him made it feel new again.

"This way," Asla said.

He turned toward a rippling wall on the right side of the tunnel.

Srrrk—

His body vanished as if passing through a fluttering veil.

Hanbit glanced back at the others.

"Go on through."

"Thank you!"

"Got it!"

Raphina, eyes shining with excitement, and Avantgarde, busy capturing everything with his camera, stepped into the exit.

"Looks like there's something over there too?"

Luna, about to follow, noticed that Hanbit had stopped.

He was gazing toward a dark, extending path.

"I'm not sure," he replied vaguely.

But in truth, the answer was clear.

Beyond that path lay the domain of a high-ranking spirit.

A place often called a "sanctuary"—but simply walking toward it wouldn’t be enough to reach it.

The qualifications required for entry would be tied to complex events in the future.

"We should get going."

Shaking off his thoughts, Hanbit stepped forward with Luna, passing through the exit.

Srrrk—

As they moved through the portal, a vast space unfolded before them.

The two who had entered first stood frozen, staring straight ahead.

"The Spirit’s Garden... It certainly lives up to its name."

Luna, too, was captivated by the sight before her.

Five paths extended outward from a massive ancient tree in the center.

Beyond four of those paths—excluding the entrance—were spaces embodying the elements of water, fire, wind, and earth.

Tiny, glittering particles danced in the air, shimmering with light, adding to the garden’s mystical aura.

"Seems like everything is in order. Come this way."

Asla checked their conditions before leading them toward the ancient tree.

Standing at its center, he examined each path more closely, the elemental forces now even more distinct.

"I’ll be inspecting the garden’s condition. Move carefully."

Leaving behind a brief warning, Asla strode toward the outer area.

With their arrival, his duty of escorting them had ended.

From here on, they would be moving under the influence of the spirits.

"Raphina, you’ll come with me. The two of you can take a look around the tree for a bit."

"Okay!"

Hanbit and Raphina set off toward their destination.

A place where green light rippled gently.

As they walked, the whispering breeze of the wind spirits greeted them.

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]