The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 116

116.

The word “Eom-Geun-Jin” exists.

It’s a word created by combining the first letters of the words strict, solemn, and serious [in Korean].

There was no face as fitting for that word as Charlie’s face right now.

“……Excuse me?”

Even Gildete, faced with that solemn force, momentarily made a dumbfounded sound.

‘What is he talking about?’ Gildete wondered.

Gildete was blinking, a question mark floating above his head.

“…….”

Do-hyun glanced at him, wondering if the explanation was insufficient, but Do-hyun had nothing more to say.

Because what he said was true.

From Charlie’s perspective, he had merely manifested through the system, so it wasn’t wrong.

Do-hyun shrugged, not confident in explaining it all, and Gildete, who seemed briefly flustered, nodded.

“……I have many questions, but I suppose that’s not what’s important now.”

In the end, such things weren’t important.

It was just one of many questions; what did it matter where or how he appeared?

“Once again, I sincerely thank you, Sir Charlie, and you, hero. Thanks to you, we were able to prevent countless casualties.”

What was important to Gildete was that they were heroes who had saved Brion.

The other priests felt the same way.

“That’s right. Thanks to you, hero, I was able to return to my family. Thank you so much. Thanks to you, we didn’t have to repeat that nightmare.”

“I really didn’t think you’d do it… I don’t know how to repay this favor…”

“Lord Leved will be shocked when he learns of this! Who would have imagined!”

“Ah, I’m curious about Lord Leved’s surprised face. How will that stiff expression change, haha.”

Sincerity was felt from those conveying their gratitude.

Most of them were expressing gratitude for saving the safety of the citizens, not their own lives.

Although they weren’t combat personnel, they were clearly high-ranking priests.

As high-ranking officials in Brion, called the Holy Empire, they had a great sense of responsibility.

“Our Brion will not forget this grace. Please tell us anytime you need our help. Anything related to Kaiser will be our top priority.”

Finally, High Priest Gildete bowed deeply.

He, who was positioned as the High Priest of the largest Great Temple in Brion, was expressing the utmost respect with sincerity.

[The favorability of ‘Gildete,’ the High Priest of the Lair Great Temple, greatly increases.]

[Gildete’s favorability is at its maximum.]

[Gildete regards you as a benefactor and a precious guest.]

This was something that ordinary users would have been shocked to see.

High Priest Gildete was known as a kind person who kept his manners, but he was famous for never bowing to anyone.

It was only natural, perhaps, as Gildete was on par with the kings of other countries.

Swish. Swish.

The surprising thing didn’t end there.

One by one, they began to bow in succession, and soon over a hundred people were paying their respects to Do-hyun.

Do-hyun smiled as he looked at them surrounding him and expressing their respect.

‘Master… this is too good.’

But Jihad was even more gleeful than Do-hyun.

As expected of a show-off.

Do-hyun chuckled, a playful mood rising at the sight of Jihad’s mouth almost tearing apart as his lips stretched upwards.

‘Why do you like it? Charlie, maybe, but you just stared blankly.’

‘Ahem… Ah, no. Right, Eliza?’

‘Liza? Li…za!’

‘E, Eliza? Even you…’

Eliza slightly turned her head as Jihad reached out, hurt.

It was resolute, but Do-hyun could see it.

Eliza’s face, turning her head and secretly holding back laughter.

‘Wow, Eliza even knows how to tease now.’

Even a dog at a village school can recite poetry after three years [a Korean proverb meaning even the slowest person can learn with enough time]; it was a remarkable development. It was when he was chuckling at the unexpected sitcom in the midst of a touching atmosphere.

Ziiing-

A communication orb ringing from somewhere.

“…….”

“…….”

Perhaps because they were so rigidly posed.

The vibration that broke the silence couldn’t have been more boisterous.

The grand atmosphere shattered in vain, and one of the high priests awkwardly straightened his back.

“Ahem. It’s mine.”

“……Please answer it, High Priest Verzid.”

“Couldn’t you have waited for a better time…”

“Ahem. Sorry. Then…”

The priests, whose atmosphere had been broken as well, straightened their backs.

Among them, huddled together and standing blankly in embarrassment, High Priest Verzid received the communication.

“…Lord Barrick? I don’t know what’s going on, but the timing is a bit off… Hmm? Is that really true?”

Verzid’s voice, which had been grumbling, became distinctly brighter.

While the other priests glanced, wondering what was going on, High Priest Verzid, who had received confirmation again, shouted loudly.

“Everyone. I have news from Lord Barrick that Lord Leved is almost here. He should be here in about five minutes…”

“Oh, so Lord Leved is finally coming!”

“That’s good timing, hero. If you have time, please meet Lord Leved before you leave…”

Everyone’s words became faster, perhaps excited by the welcome news, but Do-hyun couldn’t hear those words properly.

It wasn’t because their pronunciation was slurred.

Ding-

[The Immortal Master senses the death of the contractor.]

[The location is revealed according to the Oath of Servitude.]

[A terrible energy is watching this place. They sense the foreign energy.]

[Danger! You may lose your life.]

Almost simultaneously, alarm bells rang in his ears and messages obscuring his vision were confusing his mind.

‘……?’

In the moment he was stunned by the sudden alarm.

Saa.

For a brief moment, all the sounds of the world disappeared.

Even the white noise that one inevitably hears while living disappeared, and no sound could be heard.

In the moment he felt a bizarre sensation as if one of his five senses had disappeared, goosebumps rose.

The surroundings changed drastically.

“What is this…! ?”

“T, the floor is collapsing.”

Darkness that had encroached on the ground.

That terrible darkness, with no end in sight, was exuding a gruesome energy as if insects were crawling.

Soon, that darkness climbed up the walls from the ground and swallowed the auditorium,

And then, it opened.

[The eyes of the Abyss have opened.]

It was an eye.

The only light and darkness in this place consumed by darkness.

“Ah…….”

It was so grotesque and bizarre, as if cosmic horror was like this, that it evoked a sense of helplessness in those who saw it.

An overwhelming presence that made one lose the will to dare to confront it.

The presence he was seeing for the first time was simply watching them quietly. The gazes were not singular.

[The passage of the Abyss has opened.]

[The strong of the Abyss, the Immortal Master, is watching this place.]

[The strong of the Abyss, the Master of Rage, is watching this place.]

…….

[The Dark Knight of the Abyss is watching this place.]

[The Watcher of the Abyss is watching this place.]

Beyond that bizarre eye, certain beings were watching this place.

Their forms were not yet visible, but it was clearly felt.

The overwhelming presence that was binding his whole body was pressing down from all sides. Furthermore, that energy was gradually getting closer.

The monsters were crossing over to this side.

“Umm…….”

“Cough.”

The priests, horrified by the sight of dozens of shadows approaching beyond the giant eye, groaned.

That was the same for Do-hyun.

[You are overwhelmed by an unbearable energy.]

[All stats are reduced by 30%.]

[All speeds are reduced by 20%.]

[All detailed abilities are reduced by 20%.]

[The ‘Hero’ trait prevents mental contamination.]

[The ‘Hero’ trait has failed to prevent mental contamination.]

‘No, what’s going on again? It’s overriding the Hero trait?’

His mind was dizzy from the situations he was experiencing for the first time while playing God of Creation Online.

No, it wasn’t just one mountain after another; in the midst of finishing everything, what was this sudden bolt from the blue?

He couldn’t help but be speechless at the enormous scale that had suddenly burst before his eyes.

And that wasn’t just Do-hyun.

-M, Master. What is this again? A surprise gift? Right?

-L, Liza…!? Lizaliza!

-Ugh… An extremely powerful energy… At least two or more strong of the Abyss. What an absurd thing… Are they trying to manifest, risking everything for just one contractor?

Charlie, who had been pleased with the peace that had been shattered in an instant, and Jihad and Eliza, who had been in a good mood, also jumped up in horror.

What, the contractor died, so they found the location with the Oath of Servitude?

Furthermore, they weren’t coming alone; they were shamelessly bringing their friends?

As Charlie said, this was truly absurd.

‘No, why are these guys coming out at level 35? Is this normal?’

And besides, the spectacle he was seeing now could be confidently said to be difficult even for the rankers to see.

Even the Destroyer Gaiman was enough of a balance collapse, but this was…

‘Isn’t this just telling me to die!’

It was a sight that made him wonder if they were sanctioning him for catching a boss he could never catch.

‘I really want to open the developer’s head if they’re in front of me [a figure of speech for wanting to know what they were thinking].’

Although curses towards the developer who made this and the artificial intelligence that executed it soared, Do-hyun calmed his mind as much as possible.

There was no point in getting excited now.

As always, he had no choice but to find a way to overcome this situation.

“Hero… are you alright?”

“Ugh… When did he say Lord Leved would arrive? Did he say 5 minutes?”

“T, that is the passage of the Abyss I’ve only heard about…”

“Everyone, be careful. If you die to those things, you will be consumed by the Abyss and can no longer remain human.”

When he listened carefully, the voices of the panicked priests came particularly loudly.

Among them, the word 5 minutes was the biggest.

‘5 minutes? They’re telling me to last 5 minutes?’

It was truly insane.

The remaining health Do-hyun had now was at most 4%.

It was only because his health regeneration rate wasn’t low that he had recovered this much. His mana was lower than this, if anything, but not higher.

[Guardian Jihad Black is low on mana.]

[Unable to summon the undead.]

The same was true for Jihad.

He was so used to that guy’s lack of mana now that he didn’t expect anything in the first place.

-Liza…….

Eliza wasn’t realistically helpful in the current situation…

‘Charlie is the only one left…’

Charlie wasn’t in full condition due to the aftermath of the battle with Gaiman.

The cooldown of the Sword of Light, which could be called his ultimate move, probably hadn’t fully reset. And even if the Sword of Light had reset, what use would it be now?

-……They’re getting closer, Master.

-Master… what should we do now?

-Lizaliza…….

Watching Charlie swallow nervously, Do-hyun clenched the fist holding the hourglass tightly.

Do-hyun could also see it.

The shadows of the monsters, now close enough to recognize their shapes.

From bizarre monsters over 5 meters tall to giant snakes that seemed to easily swallow the auditorium, to wolves with three heads…

‘Crazy……’

Each one, even just seeing their silhouettes, made his spine tingle.

It felt like he was watching some kind of monster war, but the most present ones among them were the relatively small silhouettes slowly approaching from the back.

“Ah…….”

“……Good heavens.”

How should he describe that?

In the moment he made eye contact with one of them, which was difficult to pinpoint as a specific shape and therefore had to be called darkness.

[You have encountered the Immortal Master.]

[You are faced with an unbearable energy.]

[All stats are reduced by 70%.]

[The Hero trait prevents mental contamination.]

[Fails to prevent mental contamination.]

[Danger! You may lose your life.]

-I forgot that guy died, so I looked, but I felt a familiar energy… It was you… The vessels of those guys…

The loud alarms and chilling voice echoed throughout the auditorium.

As the increased gravity pressed down on his shoulders, the priests knelt down one by one. They had succumbed to the unbearable energy.

‘No, can he break this when Leved comes?’

It was then that Do-hyun was about to exclaim in absurdity at the message that was breaking his will.

[The Broken Hourglass of Faith reacts to an abnormal evil energy.]

[The Broken Hourglass of Faith regains its original form.]

“Huh?”

The unexpected alarm broke the tension that had been tightening his breath.

It was then that he felt a foreign sensation in his hand.

When he released the strength in his fist, the hourglass he had been clenching slipped out and floated in the air.

And immediately after.

Paah-!

A dazzling light burst out.

The light that soared to the center of the auditorium, and then from the center back to the ceiling, illuminated the darkness in an instant, and soon created the form of a woman.

The form of the giant woman wearing divine robes was exuding a benevolent atmosphere, as if to embrace everyone.

“Ah…….”

“Ah… Goddess.”

The priests, who had shaken off the energy of the Abyss with that benevolence, rose from their seats one by one.

It wasn’t just the priests who reacted to the woman.

[The energy of the Abyss is fading.]

Grrr-

The approaching beings of the Abyss were moving away as if rewinding.

The passage was disappearing due to the enormous divine power emanating from the woman’s form. The Immortal Master, feeling the passage moving away, gnashed his teeth.

-Why are you here now…!

Over a hundred priests are looking at the sky, and countless Abyss are moving away.

The darkness was receding as if melting into the light.

“What the hell is going on again! ?”

Do-hyun finally couldn’t stand it and exclaimed in absurdity at the series of insane scales.

Then, a message rose as if answering him.

[The second fragment of fate, ‘Hourglass of Faith,’ reacts.]

[The will of the sleeping Holy King awakens.]

[The will of Seras, the Holy King of ancient humanity, manifests.]

The moment the will of the second fragment of fate, the Holy King Seras, awakened.