The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 160

160.

It’s said that people are rendered speechless when utterly surprised.

That held true in this moment.

‘Go, Gold… Gold…!’

Dohyun, unable to articulate his shock, clutched at his left chest.

It felt as though he was about to be forcibly logged out of the game.

Dohyun took several deep breaths, attempting to regain his composure and slow his racing heart.

‘…There’s no way I can calm down; it’s a legendary skill! Legendary!’

There was no reasoning with his excitement.

It was a legendary skill. Not an item or a title, but a genuine, bona fide legendary skill!

The elusive skill he couldn’t acquire even after dedicating three years to Demroak and achieving rank 1.

The skill that remained out of reach even with his overpowered Eyes of Truth.

‘The day a legendary skill appears in my life…’

He had yearned for it so intensely.

All his companions possessed two each, yet he was the sole exception, lacking a legendary skill.

It was as frustrating as being the only student in school denied chicken in the cafeteria, but the absence of a legendary skill felt even more acute than being the only one without access to premium 1++ grade Korean beef.

-What, another rare skill?

-Wow… There’s a guaranteed chance with this hidden piece, so why are you the only one with a rare skill? The concept guy and I got epic skills.

-Heh… You guys got epic skills? I got a legendary one.

-…Damn it.

Even during a hidden quest they cleared together, while admiring the scenery from Dragon Rock and using random skill tickets [skill 뽑기권s, a Korean term for random skill tickets].

Dohyun was consistently the one stuck with a rare skill.

He even consumed a special powder obtained from a hidden piece, designed to increase the probability of a better outcome, but he remained the sole recipient of a rare skill.

He couldn’t help but feel envious as he watched Bora Ahjussi [Ahjussi is a Korean term for an older man, often used respectfully] happily utilize his newly acquired legendary skill beside him! How dejected he felt!

-That guy who follows you around already has three legendary skills~ How can your idol be like this? A ranker without a legendary skill!? Pooshung ppooshung! [onomatopoeia for deflating or being discouraged]

-….

-Kiya~ Legendary tastes so good! It’s a shame you don’t know this taste.

-Hey, Gugu, stop it. I would have cried if I were him.

-Hey, are you crying? What, does this guy look like he’s really crying? Or not?

-…I will definitely get one someday.

Dohyun, then 19, made a determined resolution, fueled by a hint of venom, but that resolve proved futile as he never obtained a legendary skill before the game’s service ended.

That’s how the service ended, and 1 year and 6 months passed… No, it’s now been 1 year and 7 months.

Now, four years after shedding his first tears and making that venomous resolution.

Flash-

That tear-soaked, 호빵-like [Hoppang is a Korean steamed bun, implying something soft and precious] legendary skill was shining brilliantly before Dohyun.

“Ah….”

How radiant it was.

The person who had momentarily mistaken it for yellow was gone. He was now simply staring blankly, as if entranced by a will-o’-the-wisp, and inching closer.

Finally, Dohyun, snapping back to reality only when he stood directly before the golden card, swallowed hard.

‘What kind of skill is it?’

Legendary skills are powerful and rare, making them relatively limited in number.

Roughly five for each job class.

Some jobs might have more, others less, but that was the general average.

However, Dohyun was an All-Master.

‘I have no idea what will come out.’

Given his ability to utilize all combat job skills, the possibilities were virtually limitless.

The choices numbered in the dozens, perhaps even exceeding a hundred.

It was a true gamble.

Normally, he would have approached such odds with caution, but Dohyun felt different today.

‘What does it matter? It’s a legendary skill!’

What did the odds matter when it was a legendary skill!

Even if a seemingly useless skill emerged, the inherent potential of the legendary grade would compensate for any shortcomings!

Besides, simply obtaining a legendary skill was exhilarating.

For some, receiving a 페X리 [likely a typo for 페라리, Ferrari] they had always dreamed of was akin to Dohyun’s legendary skill.

Why would you concern yourself with horsepower when the Ferrari you’ve coveted your entire life is finally within your grasp?

슥.

He carefully reached out with a swelling heart.

The moment he picked up the golden card, so precious he hesitated to even touch it!

Flash-!

Unlike before, a brilliant golden light erupted, and two lines of messages materialized.

[Congratulations!]

[You have acquired the legendary skill ‘뇌룡강림(雷龍降臨)’ [Noeryong Gangrim – Descent of the Thunder Dragon].]

“Heueoeok! Mi, crazy! Si, si, I saw Sim… Eueoeoeo!”

“Huh?”

“What’s that sound?”

The other users, startled by the sudden, frivolous shout, paused their card 뽑기 [skill ticket drawing] and turned to investigate.

They tilted their heads in confusion.

“What is it? There’s no one there?”

They had clearly heard the sound, yet no one was visible.

Then, someone blurted out a question.

“Huh? Wasn’t Kaiser in that spot?”

“Huh? That’s right?”

“What, he disappeared while we were doing card 뽑기… Has anyone seen Kaiser?”

“I don’t know. I saw him there a little while ago. I didn’t look because I thought he would tear me apart if I made eye contact.”

Kaiser had definitely been there, but he had vanished without a trace.

They were puzzled by this, but soon shook off their lingering thoughts.

“Hmm… Let’s just finish what we were doing. I have to draw at least one yellow one today.”

“How can a man have such a small 배포 [courage/ambition]? It has to be gold. Hey, how about you?”

“…Don’t talk to me. I’m so upset right now that I’m going crazy. Ha… I broke all my savings… Damn it. Who said this was a 명당 [lucky spot]?”

They were the devotees of 뽑기 [skill ticket drawing].

As befitting a 명당 [lucky spot] where those who have devoted everything to card 뽑기 [skill ticket drawing] gather, they demonstrated the ability to quickly refocus on their primary objective.

* * *

-Good job, Charlie! I believed in you!

-리자리자! [Lizariliza – likely a cute, made-up sound]

-Hmm! As a servant, it is natural to maintain the dignity of the lord! This lowly black one has only done what he had to do.

More than 1km away from the 고동 [Godong – likely a type of tree] tree shelter.

Charlie, carrying Dohyun, proudly puffed out his chest at the cheers of Jihad and Eliza.

The instant Dohyun shouted after confirming the name of the legendary skill, Charlie had moved with lightning speed, snatched Dohyun, and fled.

“Legendary… Legendary… 뇌룡 [Thunder Dragon]… 뇌룡강림 [Descent of the Thunder Dragon]… Awesome… Crazy….”

-Lord! Maintain your dignity!

“뇌룡강림 [Descent of the Thunder Dragon]… Wow… How fun will it be?”

-Oh…! First, let’s get further away, I’ll leave the front to you!

-Ugh! Get out of the way before I push you all over! You trolls!

-리자! 리자리자! [Liza! Lizariliza! – likely a cute, made-up sound]

Even after that, Dohyun remained lost in thought, muttering for a long time….

‘Why do I only remember bits and pieces?’

Was he not simply lost in thought, but had he lost his mind?

Seriously, had it escalated any further, he might have been forcibly logged out.

Regardless, he felt deeply embarrassed now that he had regained his senses.

How severe must it have been for the loyal Charlie to worry so much about his lord’s dignity that he resorted to such drastic measures?

He wished he could log out then and there, but unable to do so, Dohyun sighed and spoke.

“…It’s embarrassing, so let me down.”

-Ah, yes. Lord.

“……”

It’s awkward.

Sensing the silence, Dohyun glanced sideways.

It seemed a suitable change of topic was needed.

Fortunately, something perfect presented itself.

[뇌룡강림(雷龍降臨) [Noeryong Gangrim – Descent of the Thunder Dragon]]

-Grade: Legendary

-Restriction: Martial Artist Class

-Description: 뇌룡(雷龍) [Noeryong – Thunder Dragon], revered by martial artists who handle 무(武) [Mu – Martial Arts/Combat].

It is said that those who have glimpsed the end of 무(武) [Mu – Martial Arts/Combat] are chosen by 뇌룡(雷龍) [Noeryong – Thunder Dragon], who dominates the sky, and can wield the power of 뇌룡 [Noeryong – Thunder Dragon].

-Effect: Upon casting, the power of 뇌룡 [Noeryong – Thunder Dragon] descends from the sky and is absorbed into the caster’s body.

This inflicts area damage to the surrounding area and emits electrical waves for a short duration.

For 100 seconds, the power of lightning is imbued, increasing all the caster’s stats and granting the attacked enemy a chance to be electrocuted with an extremely low probability.

뇌전 이동 [Noejeon Idong – Thunder Flash Movement] can be used twice until the duration ends.

-Cooldown: 300 seconds

뇌룡강림(雷龍降臨) [Noeryong Gangrim – Descent of the Thunder Dragon].

The first legendary skill Dohyun had ever obtained in the history of the game!

“Keueuk…! It’s blinding.”

Dohyun shielded his eyes from the dazzling word ‘Legendary.’

It was too radiant to behold with both eyes open.

“Am I a legendary skill owner now? Kiya!”

“……Why is the lord like that?”

-I don’t know. I’m just going to pretend it’s nothing.

-리자리자. [Lizariliza – likely a cute, made-up sound]

The lord was particularly strange today.

Even Charlie questioned the sight of him performing all sorts of 똥꼬쇼s [Ttongkko shows – silly/embarrassing antics] in the air alone, but Dohyun was too preoccupied to care.

He was too busy calming his heart, which overflowed with emotion.

‘Keu…! It’s truly an overpowered skill when you examine it closely.’

Skills come in various forms.

Attack, defense, buff, installation, and movement types.

Delving deeper reveals even more classifications, but they generally fall into these five categories, and the brilliance of 뇌룡강림(雷龍降臨) [Noeryong Gangrim – Descent of the Thunder Dragon] lay here.

‘All-around skill.’

Because it was an overpowered skill encompassing as many as three of those forms.

‘Area skill upon activation, provides buffs, grants movement skills… How can a single skill accomplish all this?’

All-around can also be interpreted as a 잡종 [Japjong – mixed breed/hybrid] in other words.

Thanks to its diverse effects, it boasts excellent versatility, but when examining each aspect individually, it’s undeniable that it falls short compared to other specialized legendary skills.

Consequently, some individuals don’t favor all-around skills.

However, 뇌룡강림(雷龍降臨) [Noeryong Gangrim – Descent of the Thunder Dragon] was different.

‘Insane potential that belies its all-around nature. The true essence of all-around.’

In the early days following its discovery, the effects of 뇌룡강림(雷龍降臨) [Noeryong Gangrim – Descent of the Thunder Dragon] were so insignificant that it was often dismissed as a worthless 잡종 [Japjong – mixed breed/hybrid] skill.

But that evaluation underwent a complete 180-degree shift as it progressed into the later stages of the game.

Although not explicitly stated in the description, all the effects of 뇌룡강림 [Noeryong Gangrim – Descent of the Thunder Dragon] scaled proportionally with the user’s stats.

This resulted in insane late-game potential.

‘There were numerous comments suggesting that the balance was intentionally designed that way because it was a martial artist skill, a class that fought in close combat.’

Martial artists possessed decent damage-dealing capabilities and weren’t lacking in movement skills, but they consistently faced unfavorable conditions due to their limited range.

As such, they were a neglected job class, making this level of power appropriate.

In fact, 뇌룡강림(雷龍降臨) [Noeryong Gangrim – Descent of the Thunder Dragon], which provided mobility, area damage, and buffs, became like 단비 [Danbi – welcome rain] in a drought for them.

‘There was a world of difference between martial artists who utilized 뇌룡강림 [Noeryong Gangrim – Descent of the Thunder Dragon] and those who didn’t.’

It wasn’t merely giving wings to a tiger, but rather transforming a 살쾡이 [Salkwaengyi – wildcat] into a tiger and then attaching wings.

Thanks to this, martial artists were able to establish themselves as a late-game powerhouse.

In fact, the destructive power of a martial artist wielding 뇌룡강림 [Noeryong Gangrim – Descent of the Thunder Dragon] in the late game was immense.

The prime example was 뇌제 [Noeje – Thunder Emperor], who held the 7th rank in Demroak.

How could Bora Ahjussi [Ahjussi is a Korean term for an older man, often used respectfully] have praised him so effusively, saying, ‘That 피X츄 [Pi-chu, referring to Pikachu] bastard plays the game like a X’.

In Dohyun’s opinion, it wasn’t something that he, who possessed five legendary skills, an unprecedented feat in Demroak history, should say… but he understood.

‘Bora Ahjussi [Ahjussi is a Korean term for an older man, often used respectfully] was often played by 뇌제 [Noeje – Thunder Emperor].’

It’s amusing that Bora Ahjussi [Ahjussi is a Korean term for an older man, often used respectfully], ranked 5th, was often outmaneuvered by 뇌제 [Noeje – Thunder Emperor], ranked 7th, but it wasn’t entirely Bora Ahjussi’s [Ahjussi is a Korean term for an older man, often used respectfully] fault.

At that level of ranking, a few levels of difference were insignificant.

It was a level where outcomes could fluctuate depending on compatibility.

-Hey, you 시벌 [Shibal – a common Korean curse word], aren’t you coming here!?

-Why don’t you come here? I guess you raised that heavy body to use it as a punching bag? You can’t even dodge one of my punches.

-Why would I dodge such cotton-like punches? Just get caught once and I’ll destroy you.

-Your mouth has become rough since you’ve been hanging out with 쌈닭 [Ssamdak – fighter/brawler], Ahjussi [Ahjussi is a Korean term for an older man, often used respectfully].

-Huh? What, you 새꺄 [Saekkya – a common Korean curse word]? Why are you suddenly blaming me? Come here.

That’s how the two were.

Bora Ahjussi [Ahjussi is a Korean term for an older man, often used respectfully], who maximized his one-shot power to compensate for his weak control, but was slow.

And 뇌제 [Noeje – Thunder Emperor], who specialized in speed rather than damage.

Even if 뇌제 [Noeje – Thunder Emperor] couldn’t win, if he started harassing him on purpose, the fight couldn’t end.

That’s why their fights always ended vaguely.

-It was a good punching bag today too. I’ll come again when I get a skill next time.

-Aoh! That 살쾡이 [Salkwaengyi – wildcat] is real!

-Puhahahahat!

-No, don’t just laugh, help me! Just hold him.

-Hey, then it’s not a duel. Shouldn’t we fight one-on-one like men? I’m protecting Ahjussi’s [Ahjussi is a Korean term for an older man, often used respectfully] pride!

-Aigo, duya……. [Aigo, duya – an expression of frustration/exasperation]

That’s why it was fun to see the usually laid-back Ahjussi [Ahjussi is a Korean term for an older man, often used respectfully] growl like enemies whenever he encountered 뇌제 [Noeje – Thunder Emperor]…….

‘He’s going to be so shocked when he sees me using it.’

He could picture him widening his eyes, blinking blankly, and grabbing the back of his neck.

Dohyun smiled and walked forward.

크어? [Keueo? – Troll sound]

크어어- [Keueo-eo – Troll sound]

Then the trolls hiding behind the blue tree reacted and walked out to meet him.

They were excellent sacrifices to help with performance testing.

“뇌룡강림 [Noeryong Gangrim – Descent of the Thunder Dragon].”

Dohyun shouted briefly, as if to repay those who had willingly come forward.

Then, with a cheerful notification, lightning struck.