The Return Of The Genius Ranker Of All Times [EN]: Chapter 162

162.

“Oh, you’ve already gathered them all? Thank you so much! Please accept this small token of my appreciation!”

[You have completed the quest ‘High-Quality Troll Hide’.]

[You have acquired 70 gold, experience, and a High-Quality Troll Hide Top as a reward.]

“Oh my, you’ve already cleared out the entire troll colony? You’re quite skilled! Let’s see… Here, take my necklace! It’s a reward for an excellent hunter!”

[You have completed the quest ‘Troll Colony Cleanup’.]

[You have acquired 90 gold, experience, and Jepak’s Necklace as a reward.]

[The effect of the title ‘Maxed Out Favor From the Start?’ is activated. Favorability increases even more.]

[Jepak’s favorability has increased.]

“You brought back a mutant troll? …Indeed, this concentrated blood is definitely from a mutant.”

“…….”

“Hmm, I issued the request with some doubt… You’re quite skilled. Skilled hunters are always welcome. Feel free to talk to me anytime if you need anything.”

[You have completed the quest ‘Mutant Troll’.]

[You have acquired 100 gold, experience, and a Mid-Tier Skill Gacha Ticket as a reward.]

[The effect of the title ‘Maxed Out Favor From the Start?’ is activated. Favorability increases even more.]

[Bezul’s favorability has greatly increased.]

[Your favorability is high. You will not be turned away no matter when you speak to them.]

[You have leveled up.]

Dohyun, having completed all the quests, left Bezul’s house with a smile.

A status window appeared in front of him.

[Player: Kaiser]

[Level: 58]

[HP: 7,350 / 7,780]

[MP: 1,740 / 4,470]

[Stamina: 630 / 1,150]

[Class: The Last Adventurer [Successor of Kasiyar]]

[Titles (12)]

-Maxed Out Favor From the Start?

-The First Slayer

……(Expand)

[Stats]

[Strength: 130(+116)] [Agility: 130(+116)]

[Constitution: 5(+130)] [Sense: 50(+104)]

[Magic: 70(+105)]

Remaining Points: 29

‘Wow…….’

His stats were truly amazing, no matter how many times he looked at them.

No wonder he was able to achieve such unbelievable speed.

With these ridiculous stats, activating Lightning Dragon Descent and Ice Manifestation, and even commanding the Undead Legion led by the Pain Legion Commander, his hunting efficiency was insane.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that at this rate, he could graduate in one month instead of two.

‘I didn’t expect to level up too.’

Perhaps it was because he continued hunting even after reaching level 57, thanks to the remaining duration of Lightning Dragon Descent.

Completing the quests granted him another level, bringing him to 58.

He was pleased that he could allocate his stats to make them multiples of 5.

-I… I burned out completely… Ugh…

-Hmm. Very excellent. Your appearance assisting the lord is still vivid in my eyes. We should all take note.

-Rizariza.

Unlike Dohyun, Jihad was half-dead, groaning in agony.

It was the aftermath of Dohyun getting hooked on the legendary skill and hunting relentlessly as long as his stamina allowed.

Even though he had improved a lot, Jihad was still suffering from a lack of mana, so constantly pouring out mana was quite exhausting.

‘Hmm… Did I push him too hard?’

He felt somewhat sorry, but Dohyun couldn’t help it.

The first legendary skill was a whole new world, and he was too busy relieving five years of pent-up frustration to pay attention to his surroundings.

Still, there were gains.

He was able to grasp Lightning Dragon Descent and his current limits more clearly.

‘The mana consumption of Lightning Dragon Descent is insane.’

Perhaps it wasn’t a legendary skill for nothing, as it consumed as much mana as activating Ice Manifestation and Darkness Shroud simultaneously.

And that was on top of all the various buff skills he had active.

Even with the ‘Benevolent Light’ effect of the Sign of the Holy King, it was still not enough.

In fact, he was wondering if he should invest more in mana stats…

‘But that feels like too much of a loss.’

No matter what, he couldn’t over-invest just for the sake of his mana pool when he didn’t even have any offensive magic skills.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that his pure magic stat was 70, and with all the various effects, it increased to 175.

That was higher than most mages of the same level.

It wasn’t for nothing that martial artists in the Demonic Era were sensitive to mana-related equipment.

He would raise it without hesitation if Lightning Dragon Descent became stronger based on mana stats.

It was fortunate and unfortunate that it scaled with Strength, Agility, and Sense, as he couldn’t ruin the martial artist concept.

‘I shouldn’t just blame Jihad.’

It seemed like he needed to find more items related to mana pool or mana recovery later.

“Oh, it’s Kaiser!”

Dohyun snapped out of his thoughts at the voice he heard from somewhere.

“Wow… He’s been hunting non-stop and finally comes to the city.”

“Huh? Wait a minute. So, him coming to the city now means… Could it be?”

The users who had surrounded him were looking at Dohyun as if they couldn’t believe it.

Amidst the gazes of anticipation and disbelief, Dohyun confidently moved forward.

He was now used to these kinds of looks.

-Ahem!

Then, Jihad, who was serious about receiving attention, straightened his back and followed, striking a pose that was somehow infuriating.

-Riza!

Eliza peeked out from Jihad’s robe pocket, smiling.

And on Dohyun’s left, opposite the two, Charlie walked with a solemn face, faithfully guarding him.

There was a reason why those guys were suddenly doing things they usually didn’t.

“Wow… Those are the Guardians, right?”

“They have some kind of aura. That dwarf in the robe looks a bit shabby, though…”

“No. There’s a rumor that the robe commands the Outlaw King as a legion commander.”

The users whispered.

“What? Is that even possible? Isn’t that too OP [overpowered] then?”

“There’s a Guardian that surpasses all the existing Frathel Zigs? Wow…”

“At that level, it must be a Divine Beast, right? What kind is it? I can’t guess since it’s always covered up.”

“What kind of Necromancer-type Divine Beast is there?”

“But why does Charlie always have a solemn expression? He was always frowning at me.”

“That’s because you’re… Never mind.”

“Still, it’s refreshing to see Charlie again. He’s reliable since he’s a former Order of Knights Commander.”

The topic was Jihad and Charlie.

Now, not only Dohyun but also the Guardians were attracting attention.

-Ahem!

-Hmm!

It wasn’t for nothing that they were walking so self-consciously.

He chuckled, finding it unexpected that even Charlie was acting like that, even though Jihad was like that.

When he first obtained them, he wondered what kind of Guardians they were.

Now, he wasn’t envious of other Divine Beasts… Well, he was a little, but they had become quite useful.

Thud.

“Please place your hand on the orb.”

As they arrived at the entrance of the royal castle, the guard who was guarding the gate held out an orb.

It was the measurement orb that had filtered out the troublemaking users before.

[58]

He placed his hand on it without hesitation, and the number appeared, causing the guard to nod.

“Confirmed. What is your business here?”

“I wish to see the King.”

“…Please wait a moment. Ah, he says it’s alright now. Please enter.”

With the guard stepping back, Dohyun forcefully opened the door.

‘Let’s see the face of the secretive King.’

* * *

“The King, you say…? Hmm… It’s difficult to say. He is a wonderful person.”

“I don’t want to speak carelessly to outsiders.”

“Lord Gilberun is respected by everyone. Things were very different when ‘He’ was around… Ah, I’m sorry. I said something unnecessary.”

When asking NPCs [Non-Player Characters] about the King while receiving quests, similar reactions usually came back.

A respectable King.

A wonderful King.

The greatest wise ruler in history.

Everyone answered as if they had made a promise, but Dohyun felt something was off.

‘Their expressions are strangely dark.’

They were adjectives that the residents were proud of, but the faces of the residents who answered that way were shadowed.

Like people hiding something.

‘Is that why it feels strange?’

It was indeed enough to stimulate the sensibilities of a K-gamer [Korean gamer, known for their dedication and competitive spirit].

Even Dohyun strongly sensed the scent of a hidden piece [a secret quest or storyline]. That’s why he was even more curious.

Even though it was advertising itself as a hidden piece, no one had properly cleared it.

‘I’ll know when I meet him.’

He was curious, but there was no way to know from rumors alone.

That’s why he had been eagerly anticipating the moment to meet him for the past few days, and now that moment had come.

[You have encountered the Lord of Frathel, ‘Gilberun’.]

[A 10-minute conversation has been granted with Gilberun’s goodwill.]

[Recorded in the Book of Adventures.]

“So, you’ve come to find me?”

A heavy voice. But for some reason, it doesn’t feel powerful.

Unlike his benevolent eyes, his lips were firm.

A high nose and large, elongated ears.

He had a warm impression, but his appearance was somehow difficult to approach.

“What brings the Apostle to me? Is it the same reason as the previous Apostles?”

“Yes. I wanted to see the King who is said to be a wise ruler in person.”

“A wise ruler… I don’t think I’m even qualified to be called that anymore.”

Dohyun tilted his head at the King’s appearance, who was sitting on a somewhat rough throne.

‘He looks more normal than I heard?’

He thought he might not even be able to have a conversation because he seemed mentally unstable, but he seemed more normal than he thought.

Of course, he looked somewhat listless and weak, but couldn’t that just be because he was tired?

But that thought changed as the conversation continued.

“Well, I’ve never thought about it.”

“That might be the case.”

“I don’t know. I’ll introduce you to someone you can ask if you’re curious.”

“Well… Time is limited.”

“There’s nothing like that.”

What do you think about the Apostles?

Do you have any worries?

You can tell me if you have anything to ask.

What was the reason for using the orb for the Apostles’ entry conditions…?

No matter what questions he asked, Gilberun would only answer in a dry tone and manner, as if reciting a set answer without delay.

It’s not like he was annoyed by Dohyun either. He just didn’t have any emotions in his answers.

How should he put it? It felt like something was missing.

‘…So that’s what it was.’

He thought it was strange throughout the conversation, but now he understood.

Gilberun’s attitude towards the world didn’t feel like he had any attachment to life. That’s why there was no soul in the answers he gave, no matter what he said.

“The promised time is over, Your Majesty.”

“Is that so? I’m sorry, I have a lot of work to do. Let’s end the conversation here.”

That’s how 10 minutes passed without any gains.

The name tags above the heads of the knights guarding the King, who were sending him a look, were all blood-red, close to black.

Each of them must be incredibly strong.

‘No wonder I couldn’t get any results.’

The residents don’t talk, and the King only gives soulless answers.

If he were to force or cause a ruckus, he would be caught by those strong knights.

Just imagining how long he would rot in prison for trying to harm the King was terrifying.

‘Master… Are you going to leave like this?’

‘I have no choice.’

It was right to get up at this point.