I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 207

207.

[Time in this world will now be paused. However, beings superior to you may perceive the flow of time minutely.]

The hunters fighting the Red Dragon were frozen mid-air. The flames raging around them seemed frozen as well. The loud shouts had ceased.

Before he could even fully comprehend what was happening, Yoo Ji-ahn swiftly shot up from the ground.

He knew it instinctively.

‘The time stop will be very short.’

The dragon’s eyes, meeting his, moved slightly, and it attempted to swing its tail. The movement was noticeably slow. Moreover, thanks to Baek Eun-hee’s earlier strike, the tail’s length was reduced and couldn’t reach Yoo Ji-ahn.

As the system had explained, this Red Dragon, being SS-class, could perceive the flow of time that Yoo Ji-ahn had stopped, albeit very slowly.

It would likely be the first to break free. He had to hurry.

He raised the Ruin Blade as he ascended. He aimed and created a clean cut across the middle of the dragon’s neck.

Not only that, but his Ruin Blade flashed blue. A bright yellow light illuminated the dark sky. He had already identified its weaknesses during their fight in his previous life.

Thud.

As soon as Yoo Ji-ahn landed, time resumed its flow.

Flash- Kwaaaang!

Kugugung.

The prepared lightning struck along the dragon’s spine, and the massive dragon’s head crashed to the ground simultaneously.

Jackson and Ruben, who had been fighting close to the dragon, were startled and jumped back.

“What was that? What just happened?” Ruben shouted in astonishment, while Jackson’s gaze fixed on Yoo Ji-ahn.

“So easily…” Jackson muttered, sounding almost annoyed.

Then, the system window appeared.

[The boss monster ‘SS-class Dragon’ has been defeated!]

[Main mission cleared! An exit has been generated.]

[Rewards will be calculated based on contribution.]

Despite the announcement that the gate mission was cleared, Yoo Ji-ahn didn’t even glance at it. He went straight to Seo-ah.

“Song Jin-ah.”

“I’m on it!” Song Jin-ah poured more recovery skills into Seo-ah. Choi Eun-gyeol and Baek Eun-hee, who was holding her severed arm, also watched Seo-ah with anxious eyes.

Sweat beaded on Song Jin-ah’s forehead.

Mila, having finished receiving treatment from Jose, strode over and stared at Seo-ah with a grim expression.

As if it were the most natural thing, Jose came to Seo-ah as soon as Mila’s treatment was complete and began channeling his power as well.

Before long, Song Jin-ah looked up, her face showing some relief.

“It’s healing!”

***

[Request received from hunter ‘Yoo Ji-ahn’. Would you like to manifest the ‘Time Stop’ skill? (Y/N)]

At the mention of Yoo Ji-ahn’s name, Seo-ah barely moved her lips, fighting off the overwhelming sleepiness.

“…Yes.”

But instead of a confirmation message, a different notification appeared this time.

[Are you sure you want to manifest it? If this wish is granted, the ‘Final Boss’ will recognize you.]

Getting closer to the final boss—what did that mean? This was the first time the system had issued such a warning while using [Genie of the Lamp].

What on earth was the identity of the ‘Final Boss’?

She was worried, but it was Yoo Ji-ahn’s wish, not anyone else’s. He wouldn’t want something like this under normal circumstances. Seo-ah muttered ‘Yes’ once again.

And she succumbed to the overwhelming sleep and drifted off.

***

“The external wounds are stabilized now. Let’s move her outside to continue treatment. We’ll need more potions.”

Song Jin-ah seemed relieved as she stood up and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

“Now… I’m okay…” Yoo Ji-ahn, who had been standing like a statue, finally spoke, his voice halting. It was as if he was speaking for the first time in a long while.

Song Jin-ah chuckled softly and patted him on the shoulder.

“It’s okay now. Hunter Park Seo-ah won’t die. I saved her.”

“…Thank you so much.” Yoo Ji-ahn muttered and knelt beside Seo-ah.

Song Jin-ah’s eyes widened at his gesture, and she rubbed her cheeks, looking slightly embarrassed.

“I’ve lived long enough to see this. I’ve actually heard the human say thank you…”

Then, she noticed Baek Eun-hee, whose arm had been severed, and rushed to her side.

“Hey, if you’re hurt, why didn’t you say something sooner?”

“How is Seo-ah?” Seeing Baek Eun-hee asking about Seo-ah’s well-being first, Song Jin-ah answered, sounding slightly dumbfounded.

“Didn’t you hear what I said earlier? She’s alive.”

“…Hoo. Is that so? Then, quickly reattach my arm. I have something to do as soon as we get out of here.”

Only then did Baek Eun-hee hold out her injured arm, and Song Jin-ah clicked her tongue and began treatment.

Jackson seemed shocked by something, standing at a distance, watching Seo-ah and the Korean team.

Choi Eun-gyeol and Ruben, who were still relatively composed, were tasked with recovering the dragon’s corpse.

“You guys are dead if you go outside like that.” Choi Eun-gyeol didn’t bother to hide his hostile tone as he drove Ruben away. Ruben immediately became enraged.

“What? How dare an oriental scumbag…”

“Who saved you, thanks to that oriental? Can’t you come to your senses even after being in this situation?” Choi Eun-gyeol pointed at Seo-ah, and Ruben abruptly shut his mouth. Choi Eun-gyeol was about to say something more at the unexpected reaction, but he stopped himself.

Even if he didn’t do anything, there were Yoo Ji-ahn, Baek Eun-hee, and Cha Tae-woon waiting outside. They probably wouldn’t let this go.

‘I should have left that yellow bastard to finish things up and come straight here.’ Choi Eun-gyeol regretted his decision to face the Gold Dragon earlier.

The Korean team had initially faced the Gold Dragon alongside the Japanese team. But after sensing the appearance of the SS-class dragon, they left the finishing touches on the Gold Dragon to the Japanese team and rushed straight to this location. But they had already been delayed.

When they arrived, Seo-ah was already seriously injured.

Yoo Ji-ahn and Baek Eun-hee were too preoccupied to say anything, but Choi Eun-gyeol had also been worried about Seo-ah the entire time.

After securing some valuable parts from the dragon, Choi Eun-gyeol sat on the massive corpse and looked down at the devastated landscape below.

The world, where an S-class Gold Dragon had wreaked havoc on one side and an SS-class Red Dragon on the other, was truly in ruins.

The destruction had reached the human city, with more than half of it destroyed, and all sorts of surviving monsters were converging on it.

HUMANS now had to engage in a long war with the monsters here. If they endured, they could survive, but if they were pushed back, they would have no choice but to die.

Of course, the hunters had no intention of getting more involved. In the first place, the request from the humans here was the cause of making things this way.

After a while, the Japanese team, who had defeated the Gold Dragon, arrived and clicked their tongues at the terrible sight before them.

“We had a hard time catching it, but this place was even more amazing.”

“Is Hunter Park Seo-ah okay? Is anyone else seriously injured?”

After briefly checking each other’s condition, Mila stood in front of the exit.

“Let’s go out now.”

In these high-level gate joint operations, they would go out and renegotiate the distribution of spoils. So, there was almost no fighting over greed for more items like in low-level gates.

Seo-ah was still unconscious and hadn’t woken up.

Yoo Ji-ahn covered Seo-ah’s body with his jacket and carefully held her in his arms.

He went out first, followed by the other Korean hunters. The Japanese team and the American team left the gate in order.

After everyone had left, the gate, where the vortex gradually shrank, disappeared with a soft *poof*, as if the lights had been turned off.

Baek Eun-hee, who came out of the gate first, put her hands on her hips and glared at Jackson, who was coming out behind her.

“Hey.”

Jackson stopped and met Baek Eun-hee’s gaze.

“You said the promise with Seo-ah was only valid inside the gate, right?”

“…That’s right.”

“Is that so? That’s good.”

Baek Eun-hee seemed to slowly rotate her wrists and shoulders, then suddenly rushed at Jackson and punched him hard in the face.

Thwack!