The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 184

184.

Fierce Strike.

A skill that, depending on how it’s used, can become an incredible combo, or conversely, a skill that’s no better than a simple charging slash.

For swordsmen, Fierce Strike was always like a puzzle to be solved:

-When is the best timing to use Fierce Strike?

-Why are you curious about that, old man? Don’t tell me you’re eyeing Fierce Strike and planning to change classes?

-It’s not that extreme, you brat. I’m just curious because you guys always seem to make good use of it. Why is that?

Questions like this always followed, and Uncle Bora, who was very interested in Fierce Strike, was one of those asking.

He thought he could just bulldoze through enemies with sheer power.

He was always amazed by Doyun and Sword Emperor, who used it in such varied and effective ways.

At that time, Doyun had said this:

-The first hit is important. Before stacking up to five hits, the flinch or knockback is weak, so it’s easy to get blocked. You have to distract them with feints as much as possible.

-Then what about after stacking five hits?

-After that, there’s no timing. You just beat them down.

-Ah.

The reason why many swordsmen struggle to use Fierce Strike properly is that the effect of Fierce Strike is minimal before stacking five hits.

After stacking five hits, the range, the travel distance, the damage, even the flinch and knockback all improve significantly.

It boasted effects that lacked nothing, and once you got hit properly, you could only get beaten like a dog on a hot summer day (a metaphor for being thoroughly defeated).

By the time you came to your senses, you would have reached the maximum stack of ten hits.

[You are in a state of Five Strike Stacks.]

[The power of Fierce Strike has intensified, increasing flinch time and knockback strength.]

[Damage is amplified.]

Just like now.

Thwack! Pow! Thwack!

‘Kuh, feels good.’

[Kyaaaaak!!!]

Six hits, seven hits, eight hits, nine hits…….

The consecutive Fierce Strikes were pounding Ruidhra like a brutal massage.

His stomach was relieved by the feeling of Fierce Strike, which had landed properly after a long time.

His condition was already not good because of the Ice Stream, but every time he was hit by Fierce Strike, his body was pushed back and even flinched, which must have been maddening for Ruidhra.

[Ruidhra’s health is below 15%.]

After beating him senselessly, 5% of his health vanished in an instant.

A tremendous speed that made the 10% he had shaved off so far seem insignificant.

At this rate, it seems possible to take him down with just dozens of Fierce Strikes.

In fact, a properly landed Fierce Strike boasts as much DPS [Damage Per Second] as a decent legendary skill.

But Ruidhra is a hidden named raid boss.

He was briefly flustered, but he was not a boss who would be easily defeated.

[How dare you… such humiliation!! I am the witch of dreams and the ruler of nightmares recognized by ‘Him’! You should be the one trembling in fear!]

Squeak, whoosh-!

Ruidhra, who had overcome the limitations of his physical structure due to various buffs, corrected his posture by overcoming the limits at an absurd angle even while being pushed back.

Squeak-

The scythe, bent with a bizarre bone sound, was swung as if to cut Doyun’s neck faster than his sword.

At this rate, Doyun was about to get countered.

[Die, you impudent apostle!]

It was a moment of desperation, but Doyun was smiling.

This much was within his expectations.

It’s not like he’s only used Fierce Strike once or twice, and this didn’t even count as a crisis.

“I don’t know what ‘He’ is, but his eye for talent isn’t very good.”

[……What?]

At the same time, Doyun’s figure disappeared.

Zzzt-

Then a spark was felt from behind.

Doyun, who used Backstab, was wielding his sword.

[Nine Strike Stacks.]

‘This is why Fierce Strike is so versatile.’

If it was just about knocking back by swinging a sword in succession, Fierce Strike would be just another skill.

The reason why Fierce Strike is so versatile is that you can use other skills in the middle.

A short time of about 1 second.

You can only use skills that are close to instant cast, but if you have the conditions, you can create many flashy skill combos.

‘I never thought the day would come when I’d use Backstab as part of a combo.’

It goes without saying for Doyun, who is All-Master [a master of all skills].

Ruidhra, enraged, turns around again and swings at Doyun, but Doyun parries it as if he had expected it, then spins and continues the Ten Strikes.

Ruidhra’s side is cut, and blood pours out of his white skin.

He swings his scythe in pain, but his body doesn’t move properly, and in the end, he is the one being cut.

Kyaaaaaaaa!!!

[Hidden Raid Boss, ‘Ruler of Nightmares Ruidhra’ uses Nightmare’s Scream.]

His desperate scream was fired in the form of a shockwave.

A powerful force that would sweep away anything in front of it.

It was a shockwave fired from a distance that could not be avoided, but even this did not reach Doyun.

[Using Backstab.]

[The mark disappears.]

Because there was still one Backstab left.

Doyun grabbed Cheonbyeon, looking at the guy’s nape, which was clearly exposed in front of him. Then, an explosive energy burst out momentarily.

[Ten Strike Stacks.]

[Maximum stack state. All amplification values are maximized.]

[You can continue Fierce Strike if used within 1 second.]

[Sword Aura – Slash is used.]

[A powerful strike is inflicted in proportion to the damage accumulated on the mark.]

The combination of Fierce Strike’s stacked damage and Sword Aura.

It was one of Doyun’s favorite finishing moves from his Demonic Era, and he was confident in its destructive power.

One element is missing, but instead, Backstab’s powerful strike has been added, so in terms of destructive power, it’s even greater than before.

‘There’s no way he can avoid this.’

The slash, drawn down at an accurate angle, fell towards Ruidhra.

[Hidden Raid Boss, ‘Ruler of Nightmares Ruidhra’s health is below 10%.]

Remaining health is 10%.

A sufficient amount to reach death with this one blow containing the finishing move.

[Ah…….]

At that moment, in a world slowed down as if in slow motion, Ruidhra smelled a familiar scent.

It was familiar yet unfamiliar.

The swamp of nightmares where countless deaths gathered.

For the first time, a nostalgic smell was coming from him in this place.

‘It’s the first request ‘He’ has ever made of me. I was about to achieve it soon.’

His sun and savior.

A being who awakened him to the life of a strong person from being an insignificant girl in slavery.

There was not much left to fulfill their request.

If he had been there a little longer, he would have been able to successfully bring ‘it’.

[I can’t… I can’t die like this.]

It became a single obsession.

The single-mindedness to be recognized by the existence that had saved him by all means became madness beyond obsession, and caused Ruidhra’s body to go berserk.

Kaaaaaaa!!

[Phase 3 is activated.]

[Ruidhra takes out the source of nightmares.]

[All of Ruidhra’s characteristics disappear, and the surrounding 5M radius space is made into a unique space.]

[All skills and buffs of the target in the unique space are canceled.]

‘Crazy… What?’

Doyun frowned at the chilling scream for a moment.

Doyun was horrified by the message that followed.

He thought there would be a phase 3, but a skill cancellation pattern?

The abilities he had shown so far were already shameless enough, but this was too much.

[Sword Aura – Slash activation has been canceled.]

[The energy of Fierce Strike disappears.]

[Thunder Dragon Descent is canceled.]

[A powerful strike disappears.]

[Ice Stream disappears.]

‘Damn it!’

But now was not the time to complain.

All buffs and skills were really canceled.

The situation where all the burst damage he had devoted everything to was turned to nothing in an instant.

[Health is below 30%.]

[Mana is below 20%.]

To make matters worse, his health and mana were running low.

There were almost no skills available now that the cooldowns were forcibly activated.

On the other hand, Ruidhra was still under the influence of various dream buffs.

The situation was reversed in an instant.

[Die for Him, Apostle of Prophecy.]

Ruidhra, who had sharpened his colorless eyes, swung his huge scythe.

Considering the difference in specs [specifications/abilities], it was overwhelmingly disadvantageous, but Doyun did not give up.

Because there was still one shot left.

[Using the Holy King’s Mark.]

[The power of faith is activated, reducing the cooldown time of all skills by 65%.]

A fraudulent effect that greatly reduces all cooldowns.

[What……?]

It was a fraudulent effect that could ruin Ruidhra’s trump card pattern, but the timing was not good.

Reducing it by 65% was not enough to use the skill right away.

[Using Thunder Dragon Descent.]

[Using Bleeding.]

At best, Thunder Dragon Descent or Bleeding, which had been used a long time ago.

‘This is something.’

But this alone gave him some breathing room.

As soon as he activated Thunder Dragon Descent, a blue light flashed from the sky and lightning in the shape of a dragon struck down.

Kwaaaang-!

[Keuk……!]

Thanks to the monster’s reflexes, he failed to hit it directly and did not inflict a fatal wound, but that was enough.

Thanks to that, he was able to buy time.

[Using Madness.]

[1% of health is reduced per second for 90 seconds, and stats and all speeds increase in proportion to the current health%.]

[Mana is below 15%. Be careful.]

‘Tsk, it would have been easier if I used that… I can’t help it.’

If he used ‘that’, which he had recently discovered by chance, his mana would be severely depleted.

He didn’t have enough mana right now.

The only consolation was that he was glad he had saved it without using it continuously.

If he had used it recklessly, he wouldn’t even have this much mana left now.

[What the hell are you! Even if you are the Apostle of Prophecy, this doesn’t make sense!]

“I’m the one who should be saying that.”

After putting in such a pattern, who the hell made this for someone to catch?

At this rate, you can never catch it one-on-one. Well, has there ever been an easy time? Doyun gritted his teeth and grabbed Cheonbyeon.

Now that they were both upset, there was only one thing they had to do.

“Okay, let’s go to the end and see who wins.”

[Kaaaaaaa!!!]

Matching hits.

Without any attacking skills.

The battle of souls, which is done with pure physicality and control, will determine the victory or defeat.

And Doyun had never lost in such a fight.

Slash! Seok!

At first glance, it seemed that they were competing equally and small and many scratches were appearing on each other’s bodies, but the two were feeling it.

[Kahak! Why! Why don’t you die!!!]

That Ruidhra was slowly being pushed back.

The moment when the huge scythe grazed Doyun and drew blood was getting less and less, while Doyun’s weapon was changing into various forms of weapons and easily strangling Ruidhra’s attacks.

Poof! Ppagaek! Kwang!

Seogeok- Pupuk!

Block the scythe with a shield and cut with a sword.

If you create distance, stab with a spear, and if you get close, stab the vitals with a dagger or use martial arts to use your whole body as a weapon.

It was truly a desperate battle.

The battle that started equally gradually became more advantageous, and at some point, it became a one-sided beating.

Thud-

[Hidden Raid Boss, ‘Ruler of Nightmares Ruidhra’s health is below 1%.]

In the end, she knelt down and became closer to the swamp of death than anyone else.

“I’m sick of it. Just die now.”

At Doyun’s words, who was breathing heavily, she, covered in blood, raised her head.

The sky was visible.

A colorless sky where no life was felt.

It was the same color as his emotions before he was saved in the past.

[Is this… Is this the end?]

Black tears, which resembled the colorless world, flowed down his cheeks.

[I’m sorry. I am incompetent and have not been able to fulfill even one of your requests, even though I have received your grace.]

“Who is ‘He’? You keep talking about ‘Him’ since a while ago, let’s hear it.”

[Five suns and moons… Those who will become the true owners of Avartartel. They are the owners and saviors of all things.]

Someone may call it a nightmare, but it is salvation to her.

They are the masters of the world.

Doyun, who felt an unusual sign in the confident voice that felt like a firm belief, asked.

“…What are they doing?”

[You are not worthy to know their identity!]

“So you’re not going to tell me?”

[Do you think you are qualified! To you, an apostle who has not even completed all the trials! Do not be curious! On the day of promise, they will appear. Everyone will receive true salvation through death! Kyahaha!!]

Ruidhra’s voice, screaming in anger, echoed loudly.

The voice full of madness truly believed it.

“If you’re not going to tell me, then it’s okay.”

[Kyahahaha…! Keheok!]

Doyun, feeling uncomfortable with the eyes like a madman who had fallen into a typical cult, stabbed his sword into his neck without hesitation.

It didn’t seem like he would say more if he waited, and Doyun was at his limit.

And in fact, there was no need to hear more.

[You have defeated the Hidden Raid Boss, ‘Ruler of Nightmares Ruidhra’.]

[By defeating Ruidhra for the first time, boss-related equipment items will drop for sure.]

[When harvesting the essence orb of the Hidden Raid Boss, ‘Ruler of Nightmares Ruidhra’, equipment items will be harvested for sure.]

[Recorded in the Book of Adventures.]

[Level up.]

[Level up.]

[You have achieved an unbelievable achievement.]

[By achieving an unbelievable achievement, the title ‘Unbelievable Numerical Value’ is activated.]

[All stats increase by +5.]

[Recorded in the Book of Adventures.]

…….

A feast of messages full of various rewards.

[You have learned of the existence of unidentified people.]

[You have obtained information related to the main quest.]

‘Main quest?’

Because the phrase floating at the end of it was explaining.