A bronze medal, 9,999,999th rank in the arenaâthis was Jamie Moore and Hyeonuâs goal. Now that goal was close at hand.
âWhat rank are you now, Jamie?â
âI am 10,932,782nd place. I just need to win one or two more.â
Jamie Mooreâs ranking had risen endlessly through a series of consecutive wins. As the time it took to win increased, so did the range in which his ranking rose. Now every time he won, he jumped above at least hundreds of thousands of people.
âOnce again, Quency has applied a very good system in this regard. Those who should go up will go up quickly...â
It was possible because Jamie Mooreâs winning streak continued, but it was fundamentally due to Quencyâs artificial intelligence. The AI evaluated a playerâs performance based on a lot of accumulated data. Once a player reached a rank worthy of that evaluation, their ranking rose like crazy. This was the true significance of the ranking placement test.
-He really got here.
-The monster is coming for the bronze medal.
-Still, he was taught really well.
-I should hurry and raise my rankings.
-My ranking has already been passed.
The reaction of the audience was intense. It was because there were quite a few people who had thought Jamie Moore wouldnât get this far. It was difficult to break through the bronze medal at level 200, especially if one had grown as rapidly as Jamie Moore. His skill proficiency was too low compared to players who had grown over a relatively long period of time. Nevertheless, Jamie Moore had broken through that wall with the teachings received from Alley Leader Academy.
âWe are on the verge of the ranking battle that might be the last one. Is there anything you would like to say?â Hyeonu, who had been interacting with the viewers, spoke to Jamie Moore who was taking a break.
âLetâs see... I donât really have anything I want to say. I am still a bit nervous. I didnât know I would get this far. Not long ago, I couldnât even kill monsters, let alone do the arena. He was ranked 11 million. Now the bronze medal is on the horizon. It is so overwhelming that I canât think of anything else in my head,â Jamie Moore spoke slowly. âEven so, I will work hard until the end. I have already achieved what I have been aiming for.â
Jamie Moore wasnât too obsessed with a bronze medal. He had achieved something he wouldâve never achieved in his life, and his efforts werenât in vain. This was enough.
âI understand. Then letâs go straight away.â Hyeonu smiled and nodded.
Jamie Moore also smiled at Hyeonu. After that, Jamie Moore disappeared.
***
A few words popped into Jamie Mooreâs mind the moment he saw the opponent in front of him.
âIt is difficult.â
It had been hard enough up to this point. However, this time was even worse. The feeling was different.
âThe level... It looks a bit high.â
Based on his opponentâs equipment, Jamie Moore guessed the player was at least level 250. It was a level that was a bit difficult to see around the bronze medal area.
âIt seems like someone who jumped in late...â
It was one of two options. The player didnât enjoy the arena ranking battles very much or perhaps he just started the ranking battles when his level was at this point.
âI am unlucky.â
No matter which one it was, it was bad news for Jamie Moore.
âWe really met...?â the opposing player opened his mouth and spoke just then before Jamie Moore could even draw his swords.
âYou know me?â Jamie Moore asked with a frown.
He had a thought, âIs he a sniper?â
Jamie Moore hadnât met one so far, but it was possible.
âThat is impossible. Iâve just been watching you on the live streams. Just... I never thought we would be matched...â
Jamie Mooreâs opponent was a viewer who watched Hyeonuâs live stream. He normally didnât enjoy ranking battles. Yet after seeing Jamie Mooreâs ranking battles, he somehow wanted to do it and started to do so. Then in a ridiculous coincidence, he met Jamie Moore.
âWait a minute, I remember my ranking was around 9 million...â The opposing player raised his hand in a bewildered manner. Then he nodded. â9.8 million? It has dropped a lot.â
He hadnât played the ranking battles in a long time, so his ranking had fallen. This was why he met Jamie Moore, whom he thought he wouldnât be able to meet.
âAh... I see. Please take care of me.â Jamie Moore erased his suspicious tone. He figured out what was going on through the manâs words.
âIf it was 9 million, itâs a ranking where we wouldnât have been able to meet no matter what.â
The man wasnât unusual. Even among Jamie Mooreâs acquaintances, there were quite a few people watching Alley Leader Academy and enjoying the ranking battles.
âPlease take care of me as well.â Tasti, Jamie Mooreâs opponent, bowed his head slightly.
âHe said he was watching the live streams...â Jamie Moore recalled Tastiâs words as he drew his two swords. Watching the live stream meant he clearly knew Jamie Mooreâs style.
âIt is all-in.â Jamie Mooreâs choice was a gamble.
It wasnât the same standard procedure as before.
He intended to show only the things he hadnât revealed so far.
âI didnât think I would really use this when I learned it...â
It was something he learned when the live stream wasnât turned on. He planned to use it as a surprise for opponents who were really hard to beat. However, it was no use for improving his skills at the moment, so he was advised not to use it unless it was for Alley Leader Academy.
âNow is the time.â
It was a time when he had to do anything to win.
***
Hyeonu paid close attention to Jamie Moore, who exploded toward his opponent from the start, unlike before. He swung his sword like a man with no backing.
âIs he thinking of using it now?â
Otherwise, Hyeonu couldnât understand what he was seeing now.
âIt is a good choice.â
Based on Jamie Mooreâs skills, it wouldnât be easy for him to beat his opponent right now. His current state meant winning a bronze medal would be impossible without using skills. It would only be possible if he were heavily armed with really good skills or items.
âEither one of them is a burden on Jamie Moore.â
This would make it impossible to some extent to maintain the bronze medal due to his lack of skills.
-Why is he suddenly fighting like this?
-Has he lost his mind?
-The instinct that has been suppressed seems to have exploded.
-But it looks like his opponent is blocking it well? It doesnât seem difficult due to the difference in stats.
The viewers were surprised by Jamie Mooreâs sudden change. At the end, he showed an appearance that hadnât been seen in the past few hours. It was natural that the viewers couldnât adapt.
âThis is what I taught him. There will be a winner in the next five minutes,â Hyeonu declared to the viewers.
The thing that Hyeonu taught was how to fight for only five minutes. It was a combat method where he couldnât last for longer even if he wanted to.
âHe has good skills... but he needs to find a way to use them.â
He saw Jamie Mooreâs new skills and taught him how to use them.
***
Jamie Moore, who was quickly wielding his two swords, blinked as if he had made up his mind.
âThere is enough bait.â
Then his movements became bizarre. His body divided into two, creating another body. There was just one strange thing. The main body and the clone werenât carrying the same two swords. Each one was holding only one sword. Jamie Moore was holding a sword in his right hand while the clone was holding a sword in his left hand.
âLetâs go.â Jamie Mooreâs clone and his main body moved at the same time. The main body ran to the right while the clone ran to the left.
âWhat should I do?â Tastiâs eyes trembled violently at the sight.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
A cloneâhe never imagined seeing one here. It wasnât that he had never met a monster that used clones. However, he had other party members at the time. Now he was alone. There was no more time for Tasti to think. Jamie Moore and his clone were already right before his eyes.
The one in the lead was Jamie Moore. Covered in dark red pure energy, Jamie Mooreâs sword struck against Tastiâs longsword. However, it was Jamie Moore who was pushed away, accompanied by the sound of an explosion. The level difference meant it wasnât something that could be endured. He could never win when it was strength against strength.
So far, Jamie Moore had defeated his opponents with speed and combat ability. Now he didnât have the two swords to showcase such speed and ability. Instead, there was a clone. The sword that Jamie Mooreâs clone held struck Tastiâs back. It didnât cause much damage. This was the limit of the power that the clone had.
Nonetheless, it was enough to disrupt Tastiâs balance and hinder his next move. Tastiâs body was forced to lean forward just as he was about to swing his sword at Jamie Moore. Then Jamie Moore attacked Tastiâs upper body. Tasti raised his sword and blocked Jamie Mooreâs attack.
This time, both Jamie Moore and Tasti were pushed back. It happened because the power wasnât properly applied. Just then, the clone moved again. He stabbed the sword at Tastiâs waist. The cloneâs sword couldnât pierce Tastiâs body, but it did cause extreme pain.
âNow!â Jamie Moore didnât miss this gap.
He swung his sword again. Cross-shaped pure energy appeared in the air. Tastiâs eyes widened when he saw it. This attack was dangerous. He had seen the power of this skill in the live streams. It would be the end for him if he received this attack with his body.
However, Tasti couldnât move right now. Jamie Mooreâs clone had gotten close to him and grabbed his body. Traces of the cross appeared on Tastiâs upper body.
[The player âJamie Mooreâ has won.]
This was the moment when Jamie Moore won the bronze medal.
***
A few days after achieving Jamie Mooreâs exhilarating goal of gaining a bronze medal, Hyeonu was still walking in the demon world. Contrary to Callioraksâ words, a long time had passed, but they still hadnât found Renfelvik. It didnât even look like he existed at all.
âCallioraks, are we still far away?â
Too much time had passed for Hyeonu to remain patient. He really had to find Renfelvik now.
âWe are almost there. We are only two days away now. There is only one thing left to teach.â Callioraks used Tang-E as a shield.
âIs that so? I understand.â Hyeonu had no choice but to nod.
Callioraksâ shield was too powerful. He had nothing to say when Callioraks put forward Tang-Eâs education.
Hyeonu gritted his teeth and replied, âLetâs go slowly.â
This expression only lasted a few seconds though. A whisper that flew in from somewhere completely shook Hyeonuâs mind.
âHuh? What type of nonsense is this? What is going on?â Hyeonu screamed as if he had forgotten that Callioraks was nearby.
-From Liu Shei: The emperor has now come to my territory. What should I do?
The news that flew in was that shocking.